What You Need to Know About Adventure Travel

Thanks to everyone for attending our Adventure Travel 101 webinar on Wednesday. What fun to connect with fellow adventure lovers! I especially enjoyed sharing some of the reasons why adventure travel first appealed to me, then inspired such passion that I founded Tomgirl Tours. Those reasons? Well, much more than just the adrenaline rush of stepping off a zip line platform or ascending into the heavens in a hot air balloon, adventure travel:

• Allows you to engage in the world around you
• Provides empowering, hands-on experiences
• Stretches your boundaries and helps build confidence
• Gets you to explore new destinations
• Creates memories to last a life time

and, perhaps most importantly,

• Is a bonding experience during which you build lasting friendships.

Webinar attendees, meanwhile, were especially interested in learning about what they need to consider before booking an adventure tour. Important points for those who are venturing into the unknown, so I wanted to share some of the key considerations we discussed:

1. Understand your travel goals and desires
2. Think about what destinations get you excited
3. Decide what activities you want to experience
4. Learn about tour operators like Tomgirl Tours and be sure that they are experienced and have researched all adventure elements of the tours. (I, for example, will not schedule a tour without experiencing each activity to ensure the safety and experience of guides)
5. Seek expert advice (i.e., a travel agent you trust)

An adventure vacation can be one of the greatest experiences of someone's life. My goal is to ensure that it is! So, if you missed the webinar or have any questions, I'm here to help!

Intrigued But Intimidated by "Adventure Travel"? Read On...

I started working with Lori Carr and Tomgirl Tours in May, when my agency, Miamore Communications, became the company's public relations agency. In the four months since, I've been lucky to learn SO much about the exciting adventure travel niche... because, to be honest, when I first heard "adventure" in relation to "vacations" for women, I naturally (and very much erroneously) imagined women jumping out of planes, rock climbing (when the ground was nowhere in sight) and other--in my imagination, daredevil--activities. While I was, personally, very much the quintessential tomboy growing up (the only "son" of a man with only two daughters, as my family jokes), the term "adventure travel" intrigued me, yet made me squeamish.

Flash forward to the present day and I understand the levels of adventure travel ("hard" vs. "soft") and especially appreciate Lori's brand of adventure at Tomgirl Tours--"mildly adventurous", as we describe it--exhilarating and empowering, yet entirely safe (and balanced with some girly elements... like spas, upscale hotels, the finest cuisine, and cultural experiences).

Having been now enlightened by Tomgirl Tours, and having done extensive research this wildly popular travel niche (one of the fastest growing segments of travel, according to industry research), I now see on other women's faces the familiar hesitation/misunderstanding/curiosity I experienced when I first met Lori last spring. And that is why I can not recommend enough the Webinar that Lori and fellow adventure-loving travel expert Ann Petronio (owner of Annie's Escapes travel agency) will host next week, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. (EST). In 30 minutes, Lori and Ann will explain the levels of adventure available and educate women on how to choose the correct tour operator and travel planner to ensure the biggest concerns: comfort and safety. This pair of travel adventure dynamos also will spend additional time answering any and all questions you might have. (And, as an insider tip: Tomgirl will have some special discount incentives for those who attend!)

If you are like me, and you love adventure but aren't quite sure what the heck "adventure travel" entails? Well, I can only say that the Adventure Travel 101: Demystifying Adventure Webinar will be well worth the 30 minutes. For registration, see the link at right, or click here.

Hope to See You in Hartford This Weekend!

What a beautiful Labor Day weekend we enjoyed here in Rhode Island. And, as it winds down, I'm just as excited about this weekend--the 7th Annual Connecticut Women's Expo in Hartford, Conn. Tomgirl Tours will be exhibiting at the expo for the first time, and we can't wait to meet all the tomgirls in our neighboring state!

The expo is open Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Connecticut Expo Center (click here for directions). The expo features products and services ranging from fashion and beauty, to health and nutrition, to financial planning and education. The highlight, however, will be at booth 324: Tomgirl Tours. I hope you'll come by and say hello... we're offering some special offers for Expo attendees, including raffles to win discounts on Tomgirl's adventure tours and merchandise, and special pricing on our upcoming tours for anyone who signs up at the Expo.

Admission to the Expo is $10 at the door, but email me and I'd be happy to send you a free pass.

Look forward to seeing you there!