Avid Nomad Travel

Avid Nomad Travel Avid Nomad Travel researches and plans unforgettable travel experiences for curious travelers.

Next trip, one of my favorite cities, and a great long weekend "City Break", then off to tour resorts on Riviera Maya!. ...
05/14/2026

Next trip, one of my favorite cities, and a great long weekend "City Break", then off to tour resorts on Riviera Maya!. I'm overdue for a CDMX ... 🇲🇽

Where Are Clients This Weekend?Clients of Avid Nomad Travel are stepping aboard the legendary Queen Mary 2 for one of th...
05/09/2026

Where Are Clients This Weekend?

Clients of Avid Nomad Travel are stepping aboard the legendary Queen Mary 2 for one of the world’s most iconic travel experiences: a 7-night Trans-Atlantic Crossing from New York City to Southampton in a luxurious Princess Suite.

This is not just transportation to Europe. It is the return of classic ocean travel. Elegant sea days, afternoon tea, white-glove service, live music, enrichment lectures, ballroom dancing, ocean views stretching endlessly in every direction, and the rare opportunity to truly disconnect while crossing the Atlantic in style.

The Princess Suite experience adds another level of comfort with expansive accommodations, priority embarkation, exclusive dining, concierge service, and thoughtful touches throughout the voyage.

For travelers who believe the journey should be just as memorable with friends and loved ones as the destination, few experiences compare to a Cunard crossing aboard Queen Mary 2.

With firsthand experience across premium and luxury cruise lines, including river and ocean cruising throughout Europe and beyond, Avid Nomad Travel helps match travelers with the right ship, suite, itinerary, and onboard experience for the way they truly want to travel.

If a classic Trans-Atlantic Crossing, luxury river cruise, or premium ocean voyage has been on your list, now is the perfect time to start planning for 2026 and beyond.

Here is a memory from my first visit to one of my three, or maybe top 5, most favorite cities in the world!It is reall...
04/30/2026

Here is a memory from my first visit to one of my three, or maybe top 5, most favorite cities in the world!

It is really hard not to love Istanbul! The energy and intensity, history, food, architecture, the shopping

I have kinda forgotten two things: 1) how dark my hair was after winter and before it went light in the summer sun and 2) what it looked like before the sides went silver! 😜

Next month, I'll be visiting one of my other top cities, any guesses which that is? Leave a comment below with a guess.

But what else stands out (besides Hagia Sofia)? The tulips!

The colorful tulip may have been catapulted into gardening lore in the western world by the Dutch, but they got it from the Turkish in the late 16th century. The Ottoman Turks had adopted them from their ancestral homeland of Central Asia, followed by depictions and use in Persia, and the Levant.

But the Ottomans took them to a different level entirely.

Visiting sites throughout Turkey or the former Ottoman realms that have ceramic decor on the walls, you'll see them in glazed painted forms everywhere. You'll also see them on the Sultan's robes and garments at Topkapi Palace (picture). In fact, Sultan Selim II had 50,000 of them planted in the mid-1500's.

One thing you'll quickly notice however, is the pointed petals on Turkish depictions. They were indeed sharper, and the modern varieties no longer look this way. I would like to see one sometime though.

Now is a great time to plan a visit to Istanbul for September, as the weather is perfect. But if tulip time in Holland is more of your preference, it will be time to book that soon. If a river cruise for tulip time 2027 is more your style of upacking once and letting the sights pass you by, we have to book now, or for 2028.

Wherever you have in mind, let's schedule a conversation and get started for travel this fall, or beyond.

While my busy summer "booking" season is winding down and the peak departing season is about to start, I have a few last...
04/22/2026

While my busy summer "booking" season is winding down and the peak departing season is about to start, I have a few last minute summer bookings in the works, but have just finished two fall and winter bookings.

The second, may surprise you! 🌹

First, a three week in-depth journey through Portugal. Starting in Lisbon, then taking a self-drive journey into the interior and north of Portugal, before a pass in Galicia, Spain's green northwestern corner. Medieval walled towns, cathedral dominated villages, vineyard covered Douro Valley slopes, ancient spa towns, light hiking, charter fishing outings and finally, the colorful historic center of Porto.

Accommodations and their planned activities reflect the varied settings, from luxury hotels, converted convents and monasteries, boutique hotels, working vineyards, country farmhouse B&B's.

The one that may surprise you? A New Year's package in LA and the Rose Parade, with all the colors, creativity, and pageantry that starting the year with this grand tradition represents.

I've been lucky enough to have experienced the Rose Parade twice, and the Rose Bowl afterwards three times. Starting with the pre-dawn cold, through all the floats, marching bands and cultural displays before and ending the morning with late morning Southern California sunshine on Colorado Blvd, is on many a bucket list for good reason.

Yes, I do have some of the mor iconic "city break" type of packages domestically in addition to Alaska, Hawaii and National Park tours.

Ready to plan for your last minute summer, fall, winter travel in 2027 or even some of the peak experiences for later in 2027? It is time to start planning, schedule a call and get started!

04/19/2026

So you've waited to plan something for summer. The good news, there are still options, and a few last minute promos, too!.

From Shakira in Rio, to river and ocean cruises, or tours in North America. It isn't too late!

Schedule a call and get started on a last minute summer 2026 trip, or start planning fall, holiday season, or 2027 travel!

Maybe you have seen the photos already, but if you didn't, email subscribers to Avid Nomad Travel just received a recap ...
04/06/2026

Maybe you have seen the photos already, but if you didn't, email subscribers to Avid Nomad Travel just received a recap of my recent trip to Antarctica, full of unforgettable pictures to this spectacular 7th continent.

Not subscribed yet? Visit www.avidnomadtravel.com and subscribe with the prompt

Where do you want to explore, whether at the end of the world, closer to home, or maybe a bit more "conventional".

Schedule a call to get started with your 2026 or 2027 travel plans and bookings.

This winter I had the opportunity to sail onboard my first expedition style cruises. One in Antarctica, and the other i...
03/25/2026

This winter I had the opportunity to sail onboard my first expedition style cruises. One in Antarctica, and the other in Ecuador's Galápagos Islands.

But what is an expedition cruise and what can you expect? Have a visit to my latest blog post to learn about expedition cruising and find out all about this unforgettable way to visit the remote parts of the world.

https://www.avidnomadtravel.com/post/what-is-an-expedition-cruise

Since returning from South America for the winter, it has been a whirlwind of travel planning and preparations!🛳Today, 4...
03/20/2026

Since returning from South America for the winter, it has been a whirlwind of travel planning and preparations!

🛳Today, 4 clients departed Athens, passing the Temple of Poseidon, on a 10 night Celebrity Cruise around Greece. Stops include Nafplio, Rhodes, Ephesus, Crete and Thessaloniki.

❓Did you know: cruises in the low season explore more of the Greek mainland? Giving visitors a glimpse into this Aegean destination at a much slower, and authentic, pace, without the summer crowds. 🇬🇷

This week, I also completed a booking for a new client on what will be sailing on an unforgettable river cruise on the upper Danube. With extra time to spare, she is also adding on Prague and Krakow, two of central Europe's most beautiful destinations! Sailing the rivers isn't a one size fits all experience, working with an experienced agent matters! 🇵🇱🇨🇿🇸🇰🇦🇹🇭🇺

Several other summer bookings will see clients visiting other highlights of the Mediterranean.

🇲🇹Malta with its historic cities and azure coves and a local LGBT guide;
🇮🇹Italy will see various stops and experiences for clients, including an agriturismo stay in Tuscany, food oriented tours in the "Food Valley" near Bologna, iconic Amalfi, eternally unforgettable Rome, Siena and its famed hilltop setting, and of course Venice.
🇪🇸Spain will see clients in Barcelona, but getting a little off the usual route in Costa Brava with its charming coves, beaches, hiking trails and villages, before finishing up in Valencia.

⏰🌷😎🍁Still thinking about a last minute spring trip? Something closer to home this summer whether on land or at sea? If late summer or early fall is your preferred time to go, now is the time to start booking it.

Further out, it is time, NOW, to book 2027Carnaval in Brasil, peak holiday season trips, and cruises in 2027 to Alaska.

🗓Schedule a call and let's start the conversation about your next journey with the following link: https://calendly.com/avidnomadtravel/initial-travel-planning-consultation

This (stolen) one has me laughing, and relating to it, a bit too much this Monday morning. I also had to look, I went ex...
03/02/2026

This (stolen) one has me laughing, and relating to it, a bit too much this Monday morning.

I also had to look, I went exploring in a new neighborhood here in Medellín early yesterday, just short of 8 miles (and a fantastic brunch place!) in total. 🇨🇴

Where do you want to explore, on the cheap according to this meme, or otherwise? 🚶🏼

Let's chat!!

02/15/2026

What does a week in the Galápagos, sailing on an expedition look like?

So many iconic inhabitants, so many pictures, maybe a sure(ish) video is better to have a (very partial) look.

Like any destination, there are things to consider that will make, or break, your experience. Finding a travel agent to guide you thru the options, is essential.

What does your next journey look like? Let's set up a call to start planning it!

From **Avid Nomad Travel** ✈️🌍While I’ve been on the road, I haven’t exactly been “off.” Behind the scenes, I’ve been bu...
02/07/2026

From **Avid Nomad Travel** ✈️🌍

While I’ve been on the road, I haven’t exactly been “off.” Behind the scenes, I’ve been busy designing some pretty incredible trips for my clients, and I wanted to share a few highlights of what’s been booked lately:

🇧🇷 **Rio de Janeiro & Iguaçu Falls** – Iconic beaches, samba energy, and one of the most jaw-dropping natural wonders on Earth. This combo delivers big city culture with wild, powerful nature in the best possible way. On trip, NOW
🛳 **Holland America Alaska Cruise Tour** – Glaciers, wildlife, mountains, and rail journeys deep into the interior. Alaska is all about scale and silence, and this style of trip lets you really feel it. August 2026
🇬🇧🇫🇷🇧🇪🇳🇱 **London, Paris (with Versailles), Bruges & Amsterdam** – A classic multi-stop European journey with history, art, food, canals, and cobblestones. Perfect for travelers who want variety without rushing. June 2026
🇮🇪**Ireland’s Highlights** – Castles, coastal drives, pubs with live music, and landscapes that look like they were painted. Ireland is warm, welcoming, and endlessly atmospheric. October 2026
🇩🇴**Graduation Trip to Punta Cana** – Sun, celebration, and well-earned relaxation for both high school and college grads on a family trip. A perfect way to mark a major life milestone. July 2026

Each one of these trips is different. Different goals. Different travelers. Different logistics. And that’s exactly why working with a travel advisor matters.

And on a lighter note… while **polar plunges and wandering with penguins in Antarctica** look like the glamour side of it, and it is, what you *don’t* see are the late nights, very early mornings, hours hidden away in cruise ship lounges, the spreadsheet, the Google Voice calls, and the not-so-glamorous side of making sure your trip feels effortless, while enjoying my time, too.

It isn't easy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

If you’re dreaming about your next adventure, let’s start shaping it thoughtfully, and with all the details handled. Get in touch and let's schedule a conversation!

But perhaps after I finish the cruise I leave for in the Galapagos today...🫣🇪🇨

Address

Chicago, IL

Telephone

+17732193409

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Avid Nomad Travel posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Avid Nomad Travel:

Shortcuts

Share

Category