Vacation Planners of West St Louis County

09/11/2026

This is one of those “not exciting but important” parts of travel planning.
When choosing travel insurance, I always start with medical coverage first, then look at trip delay and cancellation protection.
Everything else is usually extra and not always necessary.

👉 If you’re planning a trip and want help figuring out what coverage actually makes sense, I’m happy to walk you through it. Link in the comments below.

09/08/2026

If half your vacation is spent packing, checking out, finding transportation, and checking back in... I have questions. 😅

That’s one reason river cruising keeps making its way into conversations with my clients.
With AmaWaterways, your ship becomes your home base while the destinations, local experiences, food, culture, and scenery get to be the focus. And for travelers who want to see more without making the trip feel like a logistical marathon, that can be a pretty appealing combination.

I’m digging into the experience more in my latest blog, River Cruising: A Different Way to Actually Experience a Destination.

I’ve put the full blog in the comments below. Give it a read, and if an AmaWaterways river cruise starts sounding like your kind of trip, reach out. We can sort through the destinations, itineraries, and little details that make the difference between simply booking a cruise and planning the right one.

What part of river cruising appeals to you most: unpacking once, seeing multiple destinations, or having more of the logistics handled?

09/04/2026

If you’ve been saying “I want to go to Alaska someday” for the last five years... I have a date for you. 😅
August 2027. Star Princess. Alaska.

I’m hosting an Alaska group cruise, which means you don’t have to start from scratch trying to figure out which ship, sailing, and trip actually make sense.
I’ve already done a whole lot of that overthinking for you.

If an Alaska cruise in 2027 sounds like exactly the kind of trip you’ve been waiting for, I’ve put the full group trip details in the comments below. Take a look, then reach out if you want to talk through whether this sailing is a good fit for you.

Who would you bring to Alaska? 🐻

09/03/2026

GALÁPAGOS. Need I say more?!

Wildlife you won’t find anywhere else. Incredible volcanic islands. Expedition-style cruising with Celebrity Cruises.
We’re exploring ALL of it during our next Vacation Night!

📅 SEPTEMBER 22 | 6:30–7:15 PM CT | FREE + VIRTUAL
Bucket list calling? Answer it. Tap the link to grab your spot! 🔗

Explore exciting destinations, hear from travel experts, and discover vacation ideas during our free live virtual event series hosted by Vacation Planners.

09/01/2026

Costa Rica has a way of making you want to say yes to absolutely everything. That is both the appeal... and how an itinerary can get out of hand pretty quickly. 😅

My September Experience of the Month is giving you a closer look at Costa Rica travel, from immersive wildlife and rainforest experiences to the kind of adventure that still leaves room to actually enjoy the vacation.

I’ve put my Costa Rica Approach Guide in the comments below so you can explore the inspiration first.
And if you start looking through it thinking, “Yep, I could do this,” send it my way. I can help turn the ideas you love into a trip that actually fits how you want to travel.

What would be non-negotiable on your Costa Rica vacation?

08/26/2026

Stop assuming an African Safari is automatically out of your budget.
This was one of the conversations that really stood out to me during last week’s Vacation Nights, and I think more travelers need to hear it.

Clint, from Live Life Safaris, did such a great job explaining why comparing a safari to another international trip isn’t always as simple as comparing the upfront price. When you start looking at what’s actually included, the value can look very different.
Thank you, Clint, for such an informative presentation and for helping clear up one of the biggest misconceptions around African safari travel.

No, safari isn’t “cheap.” But a thoughtfully planned luxury safari vacation may be much more attainable than you assumed.

If Africa has been sitting on your someday list, I’ve put my trip-planning link in the comments below. Let’s see what kind of safari actually fits the way you travel.

What would make you finally say yes to Africa?

08/25/2026

WAITING UNTIL CHRISTMAS FEELS CLOSE TO PLAN A CHRISTMAS MARKET TRIP? Yeah... that’s where this gets tricky. 🎄

The fun part is picturing the lights, food, historic European cities and all that holiday magic.
The part people don’t think about quite as early? Actually putting together a European Christmas market vacation that fits the way they want to travel.
That’s what I’m getting into in my latest blog, including why the timing of your planning matters more than you might think.

I put the full blog in the comments below if Christmas market travel has been on your mind.
And if you finish it thinking, “Sara, I think I need to do this,” send me a message. We can figure out what your version of the trip should look like.

So tell me... which European city would you want to see at Christmas?

08/24/2026

So...you’ve been looking at Viking. Now you have 17 tabs open. 😂
 
River cruise? Ocean cruise? Which itinerary? Which ship? Which dates? This is usually the part where a fun vacation starts feeling like homework...and no. We’re not doing that.
 
I sell Viking. Tell me what kind of trip you actually want, and I’ll help you figure out which voyage makes sense. So...where are we going? 🚢