Blue Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

06/21/2025

Palm Trees? Sandy Beaches? Devil Rays? "Toto, I don't think we're in Tampa." - A travel fable.

4:00 am wake up call. 405am welcome on board your flight from Detroit to Tampa is on time. 441am your flight to Tampa is canceled and you are rebooked to Cincinnati with a 7 hour layover. Arriving in Tampa at 9pm instead of 930am.

We didn't panic. I called my travel agent 😉 and she knew to reach out to Blue's great partner, Delta Vacations. Karen the super star at the Destination Help Desk, quickly was able to reaccommodate us on a flight to Atlanta leaving 30 minutes earlier (yikes). We scrambled like we haven't in a long time and luckily the travel angels were (they all wear Delta wings) on our side. Check in 10 minutes, security 10 minutes, we arrived at the gate 7 minutes prior to boarding.

On to ATL, we have a 2.5 hour layover. Head immediately to gate T06(again something my travel agent taught me) via Atlanta's underground Had breakfast and headed to our gate at 1020am for our 1045am boarding time...only to see Chicago 1pm. The lovely gate agent sighed and said, "Yes, but we have a return to gate, flight...your new gate is A24." Back to the underground, leap like super heroes into the tram and make it. We're at A24, just in time for our zone.

What's the moral of our fable, fellow travelers. Things happen. Mechanical things sometimes break. Weather often causes delay. The most important thing for you to pack (as important as your Real ID or passport) is your patience and flexibility. This is why my travel agent usually advocates for no scheduled activities on a travel day. We might be arriving 3 hours later than planned, but we aren't missing any pre paid and non refundable activities.

FL here we come!

03/30/2025

Bon Jour! Pam Phillips Blue European Expert, and it seems an amateur model, reporting with our partner, Flytographer from Paris.

Flytographer has photographers all over the world. The company offers 30 and 60 minute photoshoot packages. What I love about the company is its versatility. Surprise engagements, family groups, honeymoons, anniversaries, or even just giving the one who always takes the pix get in front of the camera.

Photographer portfolios are available by area to peruse online. Olga's photos immediately immediately coincided with the vision I had for this visit to Paris.

While I love the Right Bank and specifically the Marais, the Left Bank has been a place to visit for a few hours and return to the Right. I wanted to learn more about this ancient part of Paris (only the Ile de Cite is older). Olgas many photoshoots celebrated daily life on the Left.

The second part of my vision was pure emotion. I will never forget the horror of seeing Notre Dame burn from an ocean away in early 2019. The majestic steeple collapsing into the nave was a tragedy I couldn't quite grasp. But, with their famous Gallic strength, Paris and all of France committed to saving the 862 year old church. Each visit since then has shown the cathedral coming back to life. This photoshoot would not only be an introduction but a celebration of a figurative phoenix rising from literal ashes.

At Olga's suggestion, we met on nearby Ile Saint Louis just after Sunrise. In photography, especially Parisian photography the 'early bird catches the worm'. Not only the lighting, but also less crowded conditions. We met for a few minutes reviewing my vision and we were off. Shoot day Olga is: photographer, location scout and nervous model wrangler. She is easily took us from location to location explaining in detail how to pose and position ourselves for the best shots.

As the below photos show, Olga is a genius. And while I don't think Gigi Hadid has anything to worry about, Olga was able to take a Travel Agent and a Special Education Administrator into Parisian models!

03/22/2025

A travelers two favorite words -"At Gate".

Pam Phillips, Blue's European Expert, soon to be reporting from Paris.

Join me as I meet up with Blue partner Decouvertes for an indepth Latin Quarter adventure, including the newly renovated Notre Dame.

And (insert very nervous laugh) come along as we channel our inner super model at a (very) early morning photoshoot with Blue partner Olga with Flytographer.

01/16/2025

Hola from Punta Cana. Blue is 'working' remotely here for the week(is it really working with this view?).

Join Blue as we: journey to Santo Domingo,the nation's capital, revel in sun filled days kept temperate by the constant Tradewinds, eat yummo food and MAYBE enjoy some of the world's best rum.

11/19/2024

Blue is feeling well a little bit red (embarrassed/humbled/honored/all around grateful) to be part of the 31 travel advisors chosen by Delta Vacations and Outrigger Resorts Travel Agent Incentive Trip.

Call it fate/serendipity/ just plain luck that this trip would be awarded to Blue's own Hawaii Expert, Pam Phillips. It was a time to not only meet other travel professionals from all over the USA and Canada but to connect with our great partners, Delta Vacations and Outrigger. These two amazing companies have hosted many Blue travelers. From family getaways, holiday celebrations, honeymoons, anniversaries, and even destination weddings, Blue, Delta Vacations, and Outrigger have together crafted these amazing Hawaii adventures!

When Pam first meets with a traveler wishing to visit the Aloha State, she explains - everyone's Hawaii is different and special. Looking for active volcanoes, desert, and rain forest? The Island of Hawaii! How about a tropical Grand Canyon, a place so beautiful countless films and TV shows are filmed here? Kauai. Or a place that combines beauty, adventure, and history? Maui. There is an island (or islands that are right for you)

Many years ago(more than Pam will admit to), Pam visited all the islands on her first visit to the state of Hawaii. All of the islands were beautiful. But one still today has her heart. It's the sometimes known as 'New York City with a beach' or ' Just stay for a day or two to see Pearl Harbor' etc. But, Pam's Oahu is that and more. It's a bustling city with great restaurants, shops and bars, WITH beautiful beaches and waves that delight surfers all under the watchful eye of Diamond Head. It's the North Shore with its natural beauty, Polynesian culture, and winding coastline. Exactly as she first experienced it and with old friends and new so much more.

Thank you to: Debbie, Jackie, Lucretia, and everyone at Delta Vacations, you are DLV to all of us at Blue! A huge Mahalo to Cassie, Mary, Robin and everyone at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Outrigger Reef and the Outrigger company for your wonderful Ohana spirit!

11/12/2024

Pam Phillips reporting from Oahu! The last few days have been relaxing in my Waikiki cabana.

Today, I leave the beach to check out all Oahu's beauty. First stop, the volcanic beach of Halona.

11/07/2024

So...this just happened. First time in D1!

07/03/2024

It's no secret and . Detroit, Blue's home airport, is a Delta hub. It makes sense for Blue (and Blue travelers) to support our local carrier. And loyalty has its rewards, like an unexpected (but much appreciated) seat upgrade!

05/09/2024