Travel-Planning Highlights

Our Travel Consultants at Andrew Harper share some of the most remarkable experiences they have created for our members.

Travel Consultant Sue Cole

“One of the most memorable events I planned was a tandem barge journey for a member and 24 children, grandchildren and friends. After spending a few days in Paris, they cruised through Burgundy on three luxury barges. They loved the fine wines, gourmet meals and hot-air ballooning. And for his wife’s birthday on the last night, the barges organized a fireworks display.”

Travel Consultant Joe Colucci

“For a small group in Rome, I arranged an opening of the Vatican at night after all the tourists had gone.” “One of these couples wanted to renew their wedding vows in a Tuscan vineyard in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. The family was present, and they had a lovely al fresco lunch afterwards.”

Travel Consultant Erica Doose

“For an anniversary, I organized an Arabian nights-style dinner at the foot of the Egyptian Pyramids in a Bedouin tent, complete with Persian rugs, belly dancers and a camel procession.”

“In Dubai, I helped a group of friends arrange a very adventuresome dune buggy ride into the desert, which ended with an amazing Bedouin-style candlelit dinner complete with henna tattoo artists and fortune tellers.”

Travel Consultant Julie Gierek

“My most memorable trip was arranging a wedding in Italy. We handled all of the correspondence between the couple and the Italian government, so that they could be married in the Amalfi coastal area. The marriage license, the wedding event, and then the honeymoon through Italy were all handled by Absolute Italy and me.”

Travel Consultant Trisha Stremski

“I planned an Alaska trip last August for a family of four with the help of Entrée Alaska. We planned a stop to Happy Trails Kennel, a family-run operation, where lunch was served followed by private glacier-hiking and dog-sledding (by way of helicopter) excursions. They also experienced the backcountry of the Chugach Mountains on a three-hour ATV adventure. First stop was Penguin Creek, just 20 minutes up the trail. They traveled up the trail to a high alpine meadow to scan the upper elevations for sheep, moose and bear. On the return, they had the opportunity to hike to an overlook where an eagle’s nest is located and then down to a waterfall to watch spawning salmon.”

Travel Consultant Bonnie Minutillo

“While visiting her son’s family in Florence, a member wanted to do something really special. With the help of our ground operator, Absolute Italy, we gave them a private tour of the Vasari Corridor—the art-lined ‘secret’ passage between the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace—which is usually closed to the public. They absolutely loved it.”