Kerry Berlinquette - The Travel Agent Next Door Thunder Bay

10/31/2026

Have you ever tasted Mamajuana?

I attended the Dominican Republic Tourism board’s conference in Toronto this week- so much fun!

My top three takeaways?

1. I am obsessed with Casa de Campo Resort & Villas; a 7000 square acre resort located on the south side of Dominican Republic. What drew me in? Each room gets a golf cart to use during their stay, upon check-in. Sign me up! If you like to be busy… Horseback riding, incredible golf, s***t shooting, sports and activities coming out the w***o. With accommodations ranging from hotel room style to 12 bedroom villas and everything in between, this fascinating complex has something for everyone. You can choose an all inclusive or non-inclusive package.

2. The area called SAMANA located in the north east corner of Punta Cana… Think whale watching, stunning beaches, and the ability to move around freely off the resorts. I viewed accommodations that were both luxurious and ridiculously reasonable, so now I feel the desire to go check it out!

3. My third Takeaway was the kindness and the beauty of the Dominican people. The energy level was high in the conference, and it made me excited to go and soak in some of that energy next week in Punta Cana. What a beautiful country with warm, vibrant people.

And let’s be honest… You know you’re at a good conference when one of the activities is creating an alcoholic beverage. I had to drink it before I came home as it was too big to bring in my carry-on, so I can attest that it was very, very tasty—Similar to a port. The honey mellowed out the harshness of the alcohol.

Let me show you how to make Mamajuana! Created by adding dark rum, w**e, and honey to a melange of tree barks, spices and herbs, this national drink will cure whatever ails you!

Salud, friends!

10/21/2026

Travel stress is real.

My clients tell me they love the travel itself, but not always the overwhelm that comes with it. The technology, fitting bags into overhead bins, language barriers, rushing between connections (caveat: I wrote this post just so I could share this Todd video again), and trying to figure out what to do next.

And I get it!

I travel several times a year, and I pay special attention to how I FEEL along the way. What stresses me out? What makes a travel day harder than it needs to be? And, most importantly, what can I do differently next time?

A few examples from my own travels.

**The overhead bin panic.**

I travel with carry-on luggage only, and I used to worry about finding space for my bag. My solution? I got a credit card that gives me Zone 2 boarding on eligible flights, so I can board earlier and have a better chance of finding space. One less thing to worry about!

**The juggling act at airport security.**

My bag, my phone with my electronic boarding pass (which inevitably seems to time out just when I need it), and my passport. All while trying to keep the line moving!

My solution? I print a copy of my boarding pass and tuck it into my pocket or f***y pack. Grab it, scan it, and keep moving. Simple!

**Arriving at an unfamiliar airport.**

The flight is over, you're tired, and now you're trying to connect to airport Wi-Fi, book an Uber or find a taxi in an unfamiliar place.

My solution? I arrange private transfers in advance. Someone is expecting me, I know where I'm going, and I can breathe. Worth every penny!

The list goes on. And every time I travel, I learn something new about making the journey easier.

Here are four ways I help take the stress out of travel.

1. A day-by-day Trip Plan.

If you're travelling for 21 days, you get 21 days of planning! I prepare an itinerary with one page for each travel day, confirmation numbers, transfer details and contact numbers, and instructions on what to do if something goes wrong, including a flight cancellation.

No scrolling endlessly through emails trying to find a booking number when you're standing in an airport.

2. A personal pre-travel conversation.

If you wish, we connect by phone or video before you leave and walk through your trip together, day by day. I'll help you understand what to expect, talk through any concerns, and identify the apps you may need before you go. Much better to figure it all out at home than at the airport!

3. Breathing room between connections.

Just because an airline allows a connection doesn't mean it's a comfortable one. Minimum connection times are not necessarily what I'd choose for my clients.

Where possible, I look for sensible connection times, often allowing two hours or more depending on the airport and itinerary. For some long-haul journeys, an overnight stop can be a much better option than racing through an unfamiliar airport.

4. Airport assistance.

Many people assume airport assistance is only for travellers who need a wheelchair, but there may be other options available. Some airports offer meet-and-assist services where someone can meet you and help guide you through the airport, including immigration, baggage collection and onward transfers, depending on the service.

For the right traveller, this can be an absolute dream!

The beautiful thing is that once you've experienced these little extras, you begin to understand just how much they can change the way you travel.

Travel doesn't have to be a test of your patience, your technology skills or your ability to navigate an unfamiliar airport.

A little planning, a few thoughtful touches, and someone looking out for you can make all the difference.

Because I want you to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

That's what elevated travel experiences are all about.

10/12/2026

OK, I promise this is my last post about Italy.

Maybe.

This was the first time I had travelled on a fully escorted tour, and Elena and I intentionally set up this vacation so we had assistance every step of the way.

From a greeter waiting for us at the airport, to pre-arranged transfers for every drive, to local guides meeting us in our hotel lobbies and making sure we got safely back again, I had never been so looked after.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our fabulous tour operator partners at Gateways International Tailor-made Tours, who helped make the entire experience so seamless.

Here are the Cole’s Notes of what I learned from this experience:

-Pay for the convenience. It is worth every penny.

Having someone waiting for you when you come through baggage claim with a sign bearing your name, especially after an overnight flight when you are tired and anxious, is a gift.

Never again will I take a taxi or Uber after an international flight if I can arrange a private transfer in advance. No more scrambling to connect to airport Wi-Fi, trying to figure out why my SIM card isn’t working, or searching for the Uber pickup location while all the signs are in a different language.

Nope.

Private transfers from here on in. Everywhere. Every time.

-European hotel rooms are small.

The majority of the rooms we stayed in were quite tiny, with basically enough space for your bed and your suitcases.

We can’t go to Europe expecting the same room sizes we experience in other destinations unless we’re willing to pay a premium for them.

I also learned that, for us, two twin beds were actually better than one double. We could always push them together if we wanted to snuggle, but with such tight living quarters, we were both perfectly happy having our own sleeping space.

-You learn A LOT when you hire a local guide.

You can watch the TikToks. You can read the articles. You can research until your eyes cross.

But nothing immerses you in a culture quite like having a local guide lead you through their homeland and share the stories, history and local lore that you simply wouldn’t discover on your own.

Take the tour.

- Look beyond the bucket-list cities.

While I absolutely understand the appeal of the big-name cities and famous attractions, my vote is for the lesser-known spots.

Our time in Sestri Levante, Treviso and Asolo were some of my favourite parts of the entire trip, and I had never even heard of them before this experience.

Look outside the box. It is amazing what is waiting to be explored when you do.

- Slow down.

Before we left, Elena told me I was going to have to slow down when I got to Italy.

She explained that I wouldn’t be taking my tea to go. I wouldn’t be sitting in my room working. When you had a coffee or tea, you sat at the table and savoured it while watching the world go by from a sidewalk café.

When you went for dinner at 7 PM, the goal wasn’t to be finished and back at your desk by 8:30.

The goal was to enjoy the evening without looking at the clock. Taste the coffee. Watch the people. Enjoy the meal.

Live in the moment instead of spending the moment figuring out what you’re going to do next.

- Travelling with friends is fun.

Finding a group of friends, an organized tour, a travel buddy or buddies who share your interests but aren’t afraid to go off and do their own thing when they need some downtime is the perfect combination.

Our group was absolutely fabulous. Friendly, fun and completely comfortable doing things together or heading off on our own.

If you can find that travel gang, you are golden.

So, after approximately 47,000 Italy posts, I think I’m finally ready to say…

Arrivederci, Italia.

Until the next time, of course.

Oh- and if you would like to do your own Prosecco Hills journey, I can scale this exact adventure for you!!

Happy Thanksgiving and SALUTE!!!🥂

10/11/2026

I started my travel agent career in 1989 working at Lakehead Travel on Algoma Street during work placement from the Tourism & Travel program at Confederation College. Never in 1 million years would I have thought that 37 years later I would still be in the same industry and working from home with the guidance of a Boss Lady I had met 30 years prior. I’m grateful for this career every single day and truly appreciate my clients more than they will ever know.
Here’s to another 10 years!🥂🥂

Today is a special day!
It is both Thanksgiving and Kerry Berlinquette - The Travel Agent Next Door Thunder Bay 10th anniversary with our branch.

Kerry and I have been friends for 3 decades. And truly more like family, as my children call her Auntie and our granddaughter calls her Princess Kerry (Ev knows what's going on). We've worked together professionally when we were in brick and mortar agencies in town, so many years ago. And she is the one who convinced me to go out on my own and not back into an agency when Carlson Wagonlit closed in town. The lady is the wind beneath my wings, I tell you. So when I was able to convince her to come out of retirement (you're all welcome), you can't imagine how that fueled me. We have survived that awful 'pause' in the world and held each other up through so many things both personal and professional.

So while it's the celebration of - 10 years of Kerry for TTAND, it's a celebration of decades of love and support for me.

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for her, our incredible clients, family, hot coffee and flights that are on time!

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍂
~Jenn

10/10/2026

That's amore!

The final stop on our Prosecco journey was Venice, the City of Love.❤️

Ranked among the world's most romantic cities, Venice did not disappoint.
I felt the vibe as soon as we arrived.

We had learned about the history of Venice in the days leading up to our arrival, and honestly, it is nothing short of remarkable.
Around 421 AD, people began fleeing mainland invasions and seeking refuge among the muddy, hard-to-reach islands of the northern Adriatic Sea. Over time, builders drove millions of wooden pilings deep into the marshlands to create foundations for the city. Today, Venice is made up of 126 islands connected by hundreds of bridges and canals.

A city built on water, standing for centuries. It was one of the most fascinating places I have ever visited.

So, what makes Venice so romantic? IMO…

The absence of cars.
Instead, there are waterways, gondolas and the gentle sounds of life unfolding along the canals. Everything feels a little slower.

The streets.
Getting lost in the maze of narrow laneways, discovering hidden courtyards and crossing tiny bridges away from the crowds is part of the magic. You never quite know what you will find around the next corner. I loved seeing little groups of young adults, just sitting in cosy corners with a bottle of w**e and a pack of ci******es, laughing and talking, hidden from the rest of the world.

The architecture.
Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance palaces line the Grand Canal, glowing in the soft light of sunrise and sunset. We stumbled upon St. Mark's Basilica in the ethereal glow of the setting sun, and it absolutely took my breath away.

The bridges.
More than 400 historic bridges! Little bridges, big bridges, bridges around every corner. I don't think I will ever tire of them.

And then there is the food. Sharing little plates of cicchetti, Venice's traditional small bites, in cosy w**e bars, or enjoying gelato while wandering hand in hand. It's all about slowing down and savouring the moment.

My favourite memory?
Sitting on the bank of the Grand Canal during the golden hour, enjoying piping hot French fries and an icy Aperol Spritz while reflecting on our gondola ride.

Sigh.

Venice, you were everything I imagined,and so much more.

We will be back.

10/08/2026

The next three days of our Prosecco Journey went by as quickly as this video changes scenes. 🥂

We bid Sestri Levante farewell and took a seven hour motor coach ride to our Prosecco Hills base camp, Treviso. As someone who experiences mild motion sickness, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t barf on the bus. I’m going to attribute that entirely to the diversions on board.

We spent three days exploring the Prosecco Hills, with a different excursion each day. We visited three very different w**eries, toured the hills on foot and by E bike, and discovered a few beautiful walled cities along the way.

The Prosecco Hills are a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeast Italy. Characterized by distinctive, narrow, hand worked vineyard terraces known as ciglioni, the landscape features dramatic, steeply sloped hills that must be farmed largely by hand.

BY HAND!!

This unique terrain is the historic home of Prosecco, where local w**emakers have perfected their craft over centuries of what is known as heroic viticulture.

I drank in SO MUCH information (and Prosecco) over those three days. Sigh. I will divulge only the highlights, otherwise we’ll be here for days.

The Cole’s Notes:

-The warm air from the Adriatic Sea meets the cold air from the Alps, creating the perfect climate for growing Prosecco grapes. Much like the Ch*****ne region of France, the Prosecco production zone has very specific geographical boundaries and regulations that protect the name and quality of the w**e.

-Our first favourite w**ery, Campion, spoiled us with incredible hospitality and my favourite kind of Prosecco; unfiltered. I do love my drinks a little cloudy.

-Our E bike tour was spectacular. I still found some of those larger hills a little challenging, but I absolutely cannot wait to do another E bike adventure.
**NB: there sure were a jot of uphills in Italy.😂

-Everywhere we went, people fed us. And they fed us well. I did not have one meal that I didn’t think “Oh Yum Yum Yum!”

-Have you ever played Prosecco Hunger Games? I don’t know if I have ever laughed quite that hard in my life.

-If you want the most authentic expression of Prosecco, look for DOCG on the bottle. You’ll find a numbered paper band around the neck of the bottle, which is one of the indicators that the w**e has passed the required quality controls.

-I thought I would be burning a ridiculous number of calories walking all those steps every day, but somehow I still managed to bring home five extra pounds of luggage around my middle.

💕🥂The Prosecco Hills were everything I dreamed they would be.
I would go back in a heartbeat.🥂

10/05/2026

I can attest that we were never bored. Like, not once.

For our final day in Sestri Levante, we all traipsed back to the train station and made our way to the lovely town of Santa Margherita Ligure, a vibrant and colourful resort town on the Italian Riviera, located just 5 km from the more famous Portofino.

Train travel is very accessible in Italy, and this time we were heading in the opposite direction from Cinque Terre. We wandered through town for a bit, then hopped on the ferry that would take us to Portofino and the Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, or San Fruttuoso Abbey.

San Fruttuoso is a breathtaking 1,000-year-old Benedictine monastery tucked away in a secluded coastal cove on the Italian Riviera, accessible only by boat or by hiking in.

It would be possible to hike between all of these towns, but taking the ferry was pure bliss. I think the group was all hiked out by this point.

It was a splendid day on the water, enjoying the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Tigullio.

I would love to return someday and do the hike between these three iconic destinations. It sounds great in theory, but then I read about the difficulty of the hikes and immediately start backpedalling.

Because honestly, it is just as much fun to sit on a ferry, sipping Prosecco, rather than sweating, cursing my life choices and wondering why I thought hiking was a good idea.

After our fabulous day on the Ligurian Riviera, we prepared to head northeast to the Prosecco region the following day.

My only regret?

Not following through with our synchronized swimming recital that we had been practising while wearing our shower caps in the pool.

I know the rest of the group would have been a fabulous audience for our show.

Maybe next time.

10/01/2026

Who is ready to tackle Cinque Terre, Italia?! 🙋🏼🙋‍♀️🙋🏼🙋‍♀️

First, we had to learn how to say it: CHEEN-kweh TEHR-reh, with a slight emphasis on the first syllable of each word.

Cinque Terre is a breathtaking coastal region in northwestern Italy, made up of five centuries-old fishing villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

The area is famous for its vibrant, pastel-coloured houses and dramatic stone terraces that cling to steep cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. As a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is celebrated for its scenic hiking trails, olive groves, and rugged coastline.

We met our guide, Rita, at the hotel, and she walked us up to the train station, where we put our Cinque Terre Cards to good use. The cards gave us access to the train system, as well as the hiking paths between the five villages.

And the most fabulous feature of all? You could use the bathroom at the train station for free! After a day of hiking and hydrating, this was a very important perk. 😂

Most of the group opted to tackle the hiking trail, which was definitely challenging. A few of us decided to enjoy a more relaxed trail called “Lovers’ Lane,” complete with sweeping ocean views and, most importantly, no blisters!

After exploring the villages and enjoying lunch, we returned to Sestri Levante for some beach time and a much-needed nap.

We got our second wind pretty quickly and enjoyed a group dinner at the hotel. We feasted on pesto pasta and a beautiful piece of sea bream, fresh from the sea.

Apparently, all that nutrition gave everyone a burst of energy because we all dispersed after dinner to explore the town.

My highlight was gaining entrance to a magnificent castle perched high atop a hill. The views were spectacular, and we were all pretty pleased with ourselves and the day’s adventures.

Another incredible day in Italia, and somehow, we still had more adventures ahead! 🇮🇹

09/30/2026

You didn’t think that was it for Italy, did you? I have so much to show you!😂😂🥂🥂

We were so lucky to have more than half of the gang travel with us from Thunder Bay to Genoa. I love travelling with a group. You quickly fall into that famous six degrees of separation, or in Thunder Bay’s case, probably one degree, as people realize all the connections they have with one another.

We were grateful for a seamless travel day, with a healthy dose of the “hurry up and wait” mentality that comes with international travel.

We had no issues with the European Entry System. It was quick and easy, and Rome Airport was massive, with designer stores everywhere and a real buzz of activity.

We were met in Genoa by our first guide, Giulia, who made sure we all got onto our bus. I am becoming very good at headcounts! She then accompanied us on the drive to our first stop, Sestri Levante.

Sestri Levante is a picturesque coastal town in the Liguria region of northwest Italy. Known as the “city of two seas,” its historic old town sits on a narrow peninsula flanked by the tranquil Bay of Silence and the lively Bay of Fables.

The town famously inspired children’s author Hans Christian Andersen, who visited in 1833 and now lends his name to an annual fairy tale festival held there. Today, it is a vibrant holiday destination filled with colourful pastel houses, historic churches, and panoramic hiking trails overlooking the Mediterranean coastline.

I had never spent any time in Italy, other than visiting on cruise ship stops, so being able to actually explore this beautiful seaside town was absolutely exquisite. It was safe, clean, vibrant, and exactly the kind of place you dream about when you think of Italy.

We were all very happy to arrive, and everyone was exhausted. But not so exhausted that they couldn’t attend a welcome party hosted by Elena and me at the rooftop pool of our Grande Albergo hotel!🥂🥂🥂🎉🎉👯

We enjoyed aperitivo, a most civilized Italian social ritual where you enjoy a pre-dinner drink and a little snack to stimulate the appetite and ease into the evening.

It was a long, yet surprisingly relaxing travel day, and we were so happy to finally arrive at our starting point.

Let the adventure begin!

09/27/2026

Arrivederci, Italia!!

Mamma mia… that was an amazing week!

I have never drank so much Prosecco or eaten so much pasta in my entire life. Bolognese, pesto, crab, Alfredo… you name it, I ate it. And it is now firmly represented in the ripples of fat on my tummy!

That being said, I have also never learned so much on a vacation. What an incredible experience, and I cannot wait to share everything with you all as soon as I get back to the motherland!

For now, I have to tranquila as we make our way through these airport lines. And let me tell you, when they say be at the airport four hours in advance, they are NOT playin’!

Arrivederci for now, Italia. You have been absolutely delicious!