About Me
I’ve been in the travel industry since I was a teen, and have worked for a major airline, travel agencies, tour operators, and a global travel distribution system.
Travel is my life, my career, my heritage, my hobby and my passion. As a trip coach, I teach others how to “Travel Smart”. I teach travel seminars around the state of Minnesota where I encourage my students to “explore….dream…..discover.” You can find a schedule of my upcoming classes below.
In addition to writing this blog, I am also a contributing writer for Bonjour Paris, the definitive guide to Paris, and Girls Getaway, a gathering place for women. I’m honored to have recently won a writing contest for World’s Most Inspirational Places, sponsored by Sharing Travel Experiences, for my article on the mesmerizing Cathedrale d’Images in Les Baux de Provence.
I fulfilled two of my long-time travel dreams recently. I had the great good fortune to meet Rick Steves (Europe Through the Back Door) and Samantha Brown, host of the popular Travel Channel “Passport” series. What a thrill! They were both just as engaging and personable in person as they are on TV .
I have a Marketing degree from the University of Texas, and hold certifications from the Travel Institute in Wellesley, MA, the top credentialing organization in the travel industry. I am also a Certified France Destination Specialist, certified by Maison de la France ~ the French National Tourist Office. I try to spend several weeks a year in France, exploring new regions, and returning to my favorite enchanting spots.
I hope you find my travel tips helpful. I love to read your comments, so please leave a comment on my posts, or share a travel tip of your own. Keep reading, and keep traveling!
~ Enchanted Traveler
Upcoming Travel Seminars
Travel Smart
March 4 – Rochester Community Education; 7:00 pm
Enchanted France
March 18 – Rochester Community Education; 7:00 pm
Twitter for Travel
April 8 – Rochester Community Education; 7:00 pm
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
What a lovely site! Congratulations Mary Ann, wonderful job! We will be looking forward your next updates. Keep it up!
This looks just fantastic!! What a great job!
I’ve been so lucky–Mary Ann, you’ve taken me on trips and shown me things I could have never managed without you. Any travelling I did, and really any I do today, can all be traced back to you and the places we visited and the things you taught me as a child.
Congratualtions! Can’t wait to read more!!
Thanks for your kind words! I hope to learn much more, and share more, in the weeks and months to come!
MaryAnn, you are such a gifted writer and traveler! This is a great site! You have inspired me. Congratulations!
Thanks, Leigh. I appreciate your kind words.
It’s Sunday night, Nov. 30th, and I’m in my office working. It was a great treat to take a detour with you just now. I can only dream! Have fun and be safe. Happy Thanksgiving to you all (a few days late). Much love.
Hi, MaryAnn, thanks for visiting my France video blog and leaving such a kind, warm comment. And thanks for the congrats on my recent marriage. Yes, it’s been quite an adventure. Monday I’ll have some videos and photos about the wedding, including some French singing and a French wedding cake with fireworks, if you have a minute to drop by again. I’ve bookmarked your site for info for our future travels around France. I’m still learning and much more to discover about the country. Great site. Bon courage! Cynthia
Hi MaryAnn,
it’s a pleasure meeting you, your blog is full of good ideas and information, good job!
Thanks for following my blog on Istanbul, hope you’ll keep on reading and please, don’t hesitate to contact me if you need help to organize your April’s trip!
As far as the iPhone, I see, AT&T rates in Turkey are $0.0195/KB (about $20/MB), and I can imagine the inconvenience. Actually I don’t have this problem ’cause I’ve an european cell phone, but I’ll let you know if I find a good solution, ok?
Keep on writing!
Travel in Istanbul
http://travelinistanbul.wordpress.com/
Hi Mary Ann,
I’m a collegue from the Netherlands (senior lecturer Marketing and Tourism at Dutch university and passionate traveller) and working on some classes regarding twitter for travel. Together with some students I’m conducting research on transformational power of social media on travel business. Might be interesting to keep in touch and share experiences.
Feel free to follow me on twitter: @christabarkel.
I’m still working on my website: nexttravelbusiness.wordpress.com.
Christa
Hello Mary Ann,
Very nice blog ! We have a wooden cottages in Dordogne, I don’t know if you already came in this area. Don’t hesitate to stop if you go through Périgord noir !
Elodie
Hi Mary Ann,
You’ve been nominated in Tripbase’s Best Kept Travel Secrets Project.
Please send me your email so I can contact you.
Best,
Katie.
katie@tripbase.com
http://www.tripbase.com
Twitter @Tripbase
Mary Ann,
Thanks for linking up with me! I’ve moved my Journeys with Jennie blog over to Wordpress. Its new title is Got My Reservations.
https://gotmyreservations.wordpress.com/
See you there!
Hello Mary Ann
My name’s Amy Barnard, i write for http://www.girlsguidetoparis.com an online travel guide to Paris. We are linked to Bonjour Paris and some other mutual people, we’d love to link exchange with you too!
Please email me at this address to talk further, I hope to hear from you soon.
Best
Amy