December 2025

12/5/2025

Greetings Friends,

I hope this December finds you happy and healthy.

My family had a nice November, where things slowed down a little. It started with Sarah and me running in her Girls on the Run 5K. She did awesome! I was so proud of her!

Peter’s hockey season began and got up to speed quickly. He’s had mostly practices, and then the first tournament was last weekend. Peter loves being on the ice and is having a blast. He also loves to run his mouth, so I have to remind him from time to time to be a good sport.

We snuck in a trip to Chicago, where Sandy and other moms went out to an "Early Dance Party" that ended at 10 pm. When I asked why it ended so early, I was told, "Because moms have stuff to do in the morning!"

Thanksgiving was a low-key holiday. Sandy and I actually went out for a nice dinner on Thanksgiving Eve - our first time out that night in 17 years! I took the kids swimming in the morning. In the afternoon, Sandy's parents drove in from Michigan, and we made a nice ham. On Saturday, we were hit with our first big snowstorm of the year. It made for a good weekend between hockey games and playing outside.

I want to highlight one other resort from my time in the Dominican Republic this past October. Actually, it's two resorts that are next to each other: Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana. A refresher - Ziva has four letters like the word "kids". Ziva is a family resort. Zilara has six letters, like the word "adults". Zilara is adults only.

Every time I have clients return from these resorts, they rave about the experience, especially the food. When I take tours of resorts, I typically don't see many restaurants. This time, the tour guide insisted we check them out. And I'm glad we did! They were some of the most unique restaurants I've seen at an all-inclusive resort. Even the buffet looked great.

The resort and grounds were beautiful, with nice pools. And a small detail I noticed was that there was a sunscreen station by the pool. I always advise clients going to a warm destination to bring their own sunscreen, as it's often overpriced when you arrive. To have it provided by the resort was a shock!

Looking into 2026, if you want to go on a spring break trip, we’re pushing it, but I can still help. Or feel free to come on a spring break cruise. Now is the perfect time to look into traveling in the late spring or summer. And it isn’t too early to plan a nice trip in autumn 2026.

As 2025 draws to a close, I would like to take a moment and express my gratitude as your travel agent. Whether you’ve booked one trip or many, I appreciate your trust and support. Here’s to a fantastic 2026!

Have a great weekend,

Brian

Contact Today

See previous monthly emails here.

November 2025

12/5/2025

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Greetings Friends,

How are we already in November?! I hope you are doing well and enjoying the autumn weather.

I can't remember a fall season as busy as we've had this year. There are too many events that happened, so here are some highlights.

For activities, Peter did soccer this fall. This was the first time I wasn't his coach. It was nice to be on the other side as a regular parent. Although Blue Sea Vacations did sponsor his team again.

I didn't make it out of the fall without coaching, though. I was Sarah's Girls on the Run coach. It was a learning experience for me, coaching 10 girls through a season of running, team building, and self-discovery.

In mid-October, Sarah turned nine. How is my Peanut nine?! She's really turning into a wonderful person. Sarah had five girls sleep over for her birthday, so I took Peter to a Wiscnosin Badgers football game. They aren't having a good year, so we were able to get great seats for cheap a few hours before kick-off. They didn't win, but we had fun.

A highlight from the fall was going to Gleam. This is a nighttime light show at Olbrich Gardens, one of our favorite places. Sandy and I have been in the past years, but this was the first year we took the kids. Both kids loved the experience.

Another highlight was volunteering. In early September, Sarah and I volunteered, handing out drinks at Ironman Wisconsin. One Sunday afternoon in October, our whole family measured dry ingredients and put them in bags for an organization called Food for Kidz. As our kids get a little older, volunteering our time and energy is something I hope we can keep doing.

And last, but certainly not least, we celebrated Halloween last weekend. Sarah went as a witch that lit up, and Peter was a Creeper (from Minecraft). Of course, we ended up with too much candy!

October brought us to New York for my grandma's 100th birthday party. It was a special day, celebrating an amazing woman. Most of my family lives in New York, and we don't get to see each other often. When we get together, we always have a good time.

Straight from New York, I flew down to the Dominican Republic for four nights. I always tell people that these aren't relaxing trips. My first full day there, I toured ten resorts. It's definitely beneficial to see the ins and outs of where I might want my clients to stay. The rest of the time was spent at a conference with travel agents, learning trends, best practices, and getting updates.

On our last day there, our group did a "give back" service project through the charitable arm of the consortia I belong to, CXCARES. We went to a small two-room schoolhouse, installed fans, painted, did landscaping, and donated supplies to help the students and teachers. I can safely say that the impact it had on me was life-changing. To look at our problems versus what those kids and teachers had was eye-opening. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to help.

Over the next month or two, I want to highlight a few of my favorite resorts from the Dominican Republic. The first is the resort that hosted us for the conference, Secrets Playa Esmeralda. This resort is located in the Miches area of the Dominican Republic, about 1.5 hours from the airport in Punta Cana. Driving to the resort, it goes from the more built-up area of Punta Cana to greener countryside. Truthfully, a site to be seen!

The resort itself is beautiful. It's brand new and has some nice features. It was easy to navigate, and some nice pools and restaurants. The rooms were big and spacious. Although we were in the conference for most of the time, I did get to jump in the pool one day during some downtime.

As for trips, many of you begin traveling in the next month, and then things pick up strongly as we head into the winter and spring break times. It isn't too late to book something if you are still on the fence! Feel free to reach out anytime.

Have a great weekend,

Brian

Contact Today

See previous monthly emails here.

December 2025

Greetings Friends,

November 2025

Greetings Friends,

From your
travel advisor

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December 2025

Greetings Friends,

November 2025

Greetings Friends,

From yourtravel advisor

Archives

Categories

Connect

From your
travel advisor