Blissful Honeymoons & Destination Weddings/Blissful Vacations -Wisconsin

08/14/2025

Beach humor 🥥🌴

😎

08/06/2025

Blissful Blog Panama Canal
🌎🚢 Blissful Shannon just returned from visiting the incredible Panama Canal! 🌿✨

Once titled one of the modern wonders of the world at first glance seemed a little anti-climatic in person however, it didn’t take long to appreciate the impressive engineering designs and backbreaking history it took to build it.
Here are a few fun facts we learned on our tour:
🚢The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, saving ships nearly 8,000 miles and up to two weeks of travel time.
🚢 It can cost some cargo ships as much as $1 million in tolls (each time) to go through the locks, but the amount of time and resources they save as opposed to sailing around South America is well worth it.
🚢The canal uses a series of massive locks to lift and lower ships over 85 feet!
🚢Originally started by the French in the 1880s, but it was the U.S. who finished it in 1914 after overcoming tropical disease and engineering challenges.
🚢The US turned it over to Panama in 1999 which now brings in billions in shipping tolls each year.
🚢 As technology has advanced in the last 100 years so has the size of cargo ships which today can be as tall as five stories high and contain thousands of storage containers the size of semi trucks all on one ship! As a result, the original locks we’re having difficulty fitting these ships through so in 2016 they expanded the Canal. The old locks ( shown in photos below) still operate daily and the new locks, accommodate the bigger ships.
🚢 The ships have to make reservations far in advance to go through the locks and it can take up to two days for them to get through inspections and/ or moving through the canal. As a result, ships of all kinds lineup in the ocean for days to enter the canal. If a ship is late for their reservation, they will be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars so it’s not uncommon for them to call on other ships to swap reservation times to avoid late fines.
🚢The canal is also home to wildlife, like crocodiles, birds, and butterflies 🐊🦋
🌎In fact on a separate tour, we went fishing on Lake Gatun ( the man-made lake created to build the locks) and a crocodile chased us around trying to steal our fish! 😳🐊 We also saw 🐒🦜(see photos and videos)

If you are looking for a very different, eco, cultural and educational vacation, the Panama Canal is worth a visit. Seeing those giant ships move through the locks built on top of a mountain rainforest was an amazing experience! 🌎

08/02/2025

Charming sites dating back to the 1500’s in some areas within the “old town” Casco Anitguo in Panama City, Panama. We were only here two hours but could have spent an entire vacation within these four blocks! A real delight!

07/28/2025

Some of the largest cargo ships in the world line up to enter the Panama Canal to cross over to the Caribbean sea. They must first be inspected which can cause ships to sit in the canal line up for days. ⚓️⛴️

07/25/2025

Passport PSA: Online Passport Renewal is super convenient, and you don’t need to mail anything in! Just don’t try to travel on your current passport while waiting for your new one. We automatically cancel your current passport while processing your renewal. Learn more about how to renew online at travel.state.gov/renewonline.

07/13/2025

We made the finals!🎉👏Please help us win and vote for Blissful Honeymoons & Destination Weddings as Madison’s People’s choice for Travel Agency! The deadline to vote is next Sunday the 20th! Link:
https://madison.com/exclusive/readerschoice/ballot-2025/

#❤️travel

07/02/2025

Announcing 2025 Facebook Live events starting soon! Follow Blissful's Shannon Rae Grunewald live from...

☀️JULY ☀️Panama City, Panama -Explore the Panama Canal, whale watching, deep sea fishing, sloths and family all-inclusive resort Dreams Playa Bonita Panama .

☀️AUGUST☀️Punta Cana, Dominican Republic -Join Shannon FB Live and the entire Blissful team for hotel and wedding updates on our most popular selling all-inclusives resorts like Cap Cana Resort & Spa , Secrets Tides, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana and more!

☀️OCTOBER☀️Cancun, Mexico -follow Shannon and ALG Vacations live on social to hear about resort, travel, destination and tour updates from around the world at ALG's annual Ascend conference for top Travel Advisors!

☀️NOVEMBER☀️Miches, Dominican Republic -Follow Shannon and Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association on social and Facebook Live to see the brand new Hilton Zemi Miches and hear the latest updates, travel and destination weddings trends at DWHSA's conference for certified destination wedding travel advisors!

Click here for our Facebook Live event details, schedules and more!
https://travelbyblissful.com/events

06/13/2025

We have put together a all-inclusive beach vacation in Cancun, Mexico for the Wedding Industry Network and everyone is invited!

A story told with Adobe Express

05/08/2025

Shannon's Vlog, a complete walking tour of El Dorado Spa Resorts El Dordo Royale & Casitas El Dorado Royale, an adults only, luxury all-inclusive resort in the Riviera, Maya Mexico.

Book your stay here today at travelbyblissful.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytvcrxkA6nU

A walking tour of El Dorado Royale, and El Dorado Casitas Royale, an adults only all-inclusive luxury resort in the Riviera Maya Mexico. Contact us to book y...

05/08/2025

We need your help — and your vote! 🎉 We are aiming to be nominated for Madison.com’s People’s Choice Awards as one of the Top 5 Travel Agencies in Madison, and we’d be absolutely thrilled to have your support! If we’ve helped plan your honeymoon, getaway, or dream vacation — or if you simply love supporting local businesses — please nominate us:

👉 Click Here to Vote! https://madison.com/exclusive/readerschoice/ballot-2025/
🗳️ Scroll to “Services”
✈️ Find Travel Agencies
❤️ Choose Blissful Honeymoons & Destination Weddings

You’ll need to enter your email (to validate the vote), but don’t worry — you can opt out of follow-ups!

Thank you SO much for your love and support — it truly means the world to us! 💕


— Shannon & Lori ✈️🌺--

04/05/2025

The Neon Graveyard.

03/18/2025

🌏Spring Break TRAVEL CLEARANCE RACK🌏 Be on the beach in the Riviera Maya, Mexico NEXT FRIDAY at Sandos Caracol Eco . If the best of the outdoor world of the Wisconsin Dells had an all-inclusive resort on a beach and you tossed in some monkeys, that’s the vibe of this family resort! As named, this resort is full of eco adventure, nature and wildlife along with all the enjoyable necessities of an all-inclusive vacation!

*** ONLY 9 SEATS LEFT***
Friday, March 28-April 4 (7) Nights
TRAVEL PACKAGE INCLUDES:
NON-STOP flights from Milwaukee to Cancun, private non-stop airport/resort transfers, all-inclusive stay in Eco Family Superior room, hotel taxes and gratuities for:
(2) adults (2) kids (between ages 2&12) =$5,700. Total
(2) adults =$3,000 Total

HURRY and book today before inventory sells out! Fill out our reservation request form at https://shorturl.at/yXPHR (select Shannon or Lori) or contact us at travelbyblissful.com.

Small group discounts available when booking five or more rooms!

NO RESERVATIONS ARE HOLDING AT THIS TIME. ALL PRICING AND AVAILABILITY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Airline baggage fees and optional Trip Protection plans are not included in travel package price. Alternate dates, occupancy, airports and room categories are subject to availability and prevailing rates at time of booking.

See Blissful Shannon's travel blog and photo album of this resort below. Also see vlogs on this resort on You Tube

I stayed at Sandos Eco for two days and was pleasantly surprised. This is a unique resort located near Playa Del Carmen in the jungle but beach front. If you like an eco scene, nature , history, mystical places and wild monkey's running around at a moderate price, this resort is for you! Great for wedding groups that want both adults only and family options and especially for wedding couples that are looking for a non-beach ceremony location. The cenote is a pefect setting! Click my photos throughout for comments and descriptions. -Blissful Shannon

RESORT DESCRIPTION
Nestled amidst an exotic environment of lush mangroves and natural lagoons, this gracious resort appeals to families, spa-lovers and active travelers seeking all-inclusive value in a lush tropical setting. Fronting the crystalline waters of the Mexican Caribbean, guests are treated to appealing buffet and à la carte restaurants serving Italian, Asian and Mediterranean specialties; pampering spa services including a sauna and thermal bath circuit; all-inclusive bars and a disco and family-friendly amenities including daily activities for the family like sack races, tug-of-war and pool games and supervised entertainment programs for guests ages 2-17. Spend enjoyable days basking in the sun, delight in daily and nightly entertainment and relax as sunny days melt into cool tropical nights at this gracious Mexican resort.

To book this resort contact us at travelbyblissful.com