The Travel Virtuoso

Virtuoso Life Magazine March/April 2012

2012-02-24T08:28:00.003-08:00

Here in Chicago the winter season will just not go away. Many thought our mild winter would lead to an early spring, but, the snowstorm last night proved "Old Man Winter" is here to stay for awhile. Sit back, relax and enjoy the March/April 2012 issue of Virtuoso Life Magazine; it is filled with great ideas for warm weather getaways!

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/virtuosolife/20120304/index.php#/0

Destinations by Dixon Winter Newsletter 2012

2012-02-24T08:23:00.003-08:00

2012 will be a momentous year for me as I will visit and tour my 50th state; Mississippi, known as "Father of Waters". It is a state full of history, beautiful antebellum homes and literary giants such as William Faulkner (The Sound & the Fury) and John Grisham (The Firm). Our newsletter has a special section which gives you (for all four seasons) a synopsis on weather, price value, amount of tourists, etc. for the Caribbean, Hawaii & the South Pacific, Mexico & Central America, Europe and Asia. I believe it will be helpful with your future travel plans.

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm.

The Virtuoso Traveler

2012-02-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

It seems like it was just the holidays and now we are well into the month of February. Don't let time pass you by so quickly you forget to make your well-deserved travel plans for 2012 and 2013. Virtuoso, a leader in luxury travel, has great travel ideas in their February/March issue of The Virtuoso Traveler. We hope you enjoy this exciting issue filled with ideas on famiy vacations, warm-weather destinations and cutting-edge resorts!

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/virtuoso/traveler_20120203/#/0

The Destinations by Dixon Fall 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

October, November & December are very exciting months of the year. You can enjoy the beautiful colors of fall, the large, harvest moons setting on the horizon, football games & tailgating as well as great holidays, especially, the upcoming Thanksgiving Day and the holiday season in December. The beginning of October was very exciting for us as it marked the start of our 7th year of business. We are truly thankful for our clients and the many personal referrals of our business and services to others. As a Certified Travel Counselor, I am committed to always further and deepen my education in travel. Over the summer, I studied and earned the distinction of Certified BritAgent (specialist for the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) as well as Certified European Quartet Master Specialist (specialist for the countries of Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia).

We have some great news we would like to share with you. Our company was asked to participate in the 2011 German National Tourist Office Consumer Show at the Chicago Christmas Market in Daley Plaza. I will have a small booth in the Festival Tent; the show is on December 10 from 11A-2P. Please come downtown and enjoy the wonderful Christmas Market & festivities and stop by my booth to say "hello". I will have special travel offers for this event. All of the exciting details about the Christmas Market in Chicago can be found on the following link. I look foward to seeing you!

http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en

Destinations by Dixon would like to wish everyone all the best for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

Please click on the following link to enjoy our 2011 fall newsletter.

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm.

The Destination Gazette Summer 2011

2011-08-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

The last three Sunday nights I have watched "Zen" on PBS Channel 11 Chicago. Inspired by the crime novels of Michael Dibdin, Aurelio Zen is a Venetian detective working in Rome. Played by the British actor, Rufus Sewell, I was intrigued by Zen's keen sleuthing skills and his ability to surpass and rise above the labyrinth of bureaucracy and corruption that shrouds the Italian police and judiciary. "Zen" was filmed in Rome and allows the viewer to see the authentic sights which makes "The Eternal City" so special. I have been to Rome several times, but, I could go back in a heartbeat. Throughout the three episodes, one can see shots of Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the narrow, winding romantic streets, coffee shops, local family restaurants and more. Unfortunately, the BBC One, who financed the production, is not currently planning on filming more episodes of Zen; I guess that means I need to plan a trip to Rome real soon. Ciao!

Our summer newsletter will feature innovative "home away from home" accommodations California's largest award-winning boutique hotel collection coming to Chicago, new travel magazines from Virtuoso, Germany-The Wine Country, the world's 2nd largest Oktoberfest celebration and an often over-looked travel destination in Europe. We hope you enjoy reading our summer newsletter.

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm.

Virtuoso Insights Magazine

2011-07-29T12:35:00.001-07:00

Enjoy the August/September issue of Virtuoso Insights Magazine! American Western Adventures, Friendship & Philantrophy in Kenya, Exciting Hong Kong and more await you!

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/virtuoso/insights_20110809/#/0

The Destination Gazette Spring 2011 Newsletter

2011-05-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

The spring season is a true motivator. It gets us to work on our lawns, prepare our flower and vegetable beds, deep-clean our houses and more. However, we also want to get outside, get active and go places whether it is for a short or long getaway and have new experiences to share.

I,too, am motivated and want to share exciting travel options for 2011 and 2012. Our newsletter will talk about rail vacations throughout the USA, travel packages to exotic, tropical Panama, new all-inclusive resorts, new Disney Cruise Line ports for 2012, the new Carnival Breeze, "The World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage", Winter 2011/2012 Europe getaways and our new tour in 2012 to the Easter Markets in Prague. So get out on your deck, pull up that comfortable chair and get motivated to plan your next getaway!

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm

The Destination Gazette Newsletter Winter 2011

2011-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

The Destination Gazette Newsletter Winter 2011 is now available. We hope you enjoy reading about our new tour & cruise offers, our 2011 Historic Bethlehem, PA & Christmas Market Tour, weddings with Princess Cruises & more!

Please click on the link below to enjoy our latest newsletter.

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm

Virtuoso Online Travel Magazines

2011-01-21T09:25:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe we are already into the second half of January! Don't let time get away from you. Whether you will celebrate a special event this year, plan a family trip during the summer or just need to escape from the everyday grind, start to plan your next travel getaway now. Europe is a great place to travel during the winter months with less crowds and lower prices. Also, Spring Break time is only a couple of months away and if you have not made your family travel plans click-on the Spring Family Travel Planner now. Virtuoso packages offer exclusive savings and include real value for your vacation. Look through all of the latest Virtuoso travel magazines today and call us to book your next getaway.

www.destinationsbydixon.com/about.htm

The Enriching Journeys Issue

2010-11-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the latest luxury travel magazine, "The Enriching Journeys Issue" from Virtuoso Life!

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/virtuosolife/20101112/#/0

The Destination Gazette Fall 2010 Newsletter

2010-10-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

As the first frost lay on the ground today, my hopes of an "Indian Summer" this fall were laid to rest. I was not surprised though as I saw the farmers cut down & turn over the fields behind my house & the increased activity of squirrels running back and forth across my yard. Fall reminds us, that winter is not too far behind and a new year will begin in less than 3 months. My grandmother once told me, "The older you get the faster time goes by". Of course I was only a teenager at the time and I did not believe her. I must say she was right, but, neglected to say the last 3 months of the year go even faster than the previous nine. I am not sure why as many of us would love to savor the holidays with our family and friends. I wish you the very best for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and hope you have a wonderful celebration.

Our current newsletter is filled with great travel industry updates, new Virtuoso magazines to enjoy and several travel specials for the next year. Please let us know if we can help you with any future travel needs. Remember to join us on Facebook at destbydixon@comcast.net, Pamela Dixon, to receive the fastest travel updates and specials.

Please click on the link below to enjoy our latest travel newsletter.

http://www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm

World's Largest Cruise Night (Month) Sale!

2010-10-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the World's Largest Cruise Event! A cruise vacation is fun, a great value and offers diversity. Take advantage of extraordinary values during the entire month of October. Visit our personal mini-site for this event & watch exciting videos of some of the world's best cruise lines. Choose a cruise to Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama, the USA & Canada or South America. Tell us where you would like your journey to begin. Let us take your next cruise vacation from ordinary to extraordinary! What are you waiting for? Call us now!

http://wlcn.cruising.org/destinationsbydixon

The Destination Gazette Newsletter Summer 2010

2010-08-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Summer edition of our newsletter, "The Destination Gazette" is now available to view on our website. Read about Disney's new resort in Hawaii, Fall foliage vacation specials, the 2011 European itineraries for the new Carnival Magic, packages for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and much more!

www.destinationsbydixon.com/newsletter.htm

Cultural Differences

2010-03-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you now have decided to travel outside of your comfort zone. Great. But, you are worried about all of those cultural differences. Also, you don't speak the local language. Don't be worried, be excited! What a boring place the world would be if everyone spoke the same language and acted in exactly the same manner. Instead, prepare for your trip and learn about these cultural differences and what the dos and don'ts are for the country you will travel to. Small things you may not think could cause misunderstandings, hand signals (who doesn't talk without hand motions), body language, eye contact, etc., could in fact cause a lot of problems. Also, other cultures are more accepting of foreigners if they just made an effort to learn a little of the language and the local customs. If you do not have money for a foreign language school, there are many other ways for you to prepare for your trip. First, you could look for information online. Also, you could go to your local bookstore and purchase one of the small Eyewitness Phrase Books. Not only do these small books fit right into your pocket, they contain information on pronunciation, food, numbers, time, shopping, everyday phrases & a mini dictionary. Or, you could visit your local library to rent language cds to listen to while you are driving in the car or for at home. Lastly, I can suggest a very good book, "Behave Yourself'" by Michael Powell, which discusses everything from meeting, greeting, conversation, eating & drinking, out & about, dress and gifts & tips for over 45 countries worldwide. So what are you waiting for! Just remember what Mark Twain said: "The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad." Don't be that person, be prepared and have a wonderful time on your new adventure!

Why travel experiences are important.

2010-03-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Travel experiences are an important part of life's process. It can help us see things in a way we never thought of before, influence us to make decisions about the way we live, connect us with our family and friends, and most importantly make memories to last for a lifetime! Sure we could spend money on improvements to our home such as new windows or a fence, but, will we reflect many years from now about how they changed our life, probably not. However, we will remember the family vacation where our son caught his first fish, our daughter being married on a beautiful beach at sunset or the three generations of our family on a reunion cruise.

We hope our travel experiences, expertise and ideas help open the door for your next adventure. The world is yours. Let me know where you would like your journey to begin. www.destinationsbydixon.com

Pamela A. Dixon, CTC, DS, ACC
Destinations by Dixon