Luggage Drive – June 2018

Approximately two-thirds of the total luggage collection ready to be dropped off at The Wishing Well Foundation.

Tacoma, WA—July 11th, 2018 Travel Leaders – Travel Center Inc., spent the month of June collecting new or gently used luggage and bags for their Summer Luggage Drive.

Many foster children are subjected to frequent moves and are often forced to transport their belongings in nothing but trash bags. This unfortunate circumstance inspired us to collect new or gently used bags, backpacks, totes, and luggage to donate to The Wishing Well Foundation.

With the help of our neighbors from Coordinated Care in Tacoma, we were able to advertise our efforts to aid foster youth in our community. Beginning June 1st and ending the 29th, our total collection count reached approximately 150 individual pieces. They ranged from three-piece-matching-sets to a Scooby-Doo mini-rolling suitcase and dazzled totes perfect for teens.

Travel Center President Alex and Marketing Coordinator Jessica posed in front of the luggage they delivered to The Wishing Well Foundation on July 11th.

Travel Center President Alex and Marketing Coordinator Jessica were able to deliver the collection to The Wishing Well Foundation directly on the morning of July 11th. They were met with a gracious volunteer who explained that the foster support agency had run out of luggage and was in great need of replenishment.

Travel Leaders – Travel Center wants to thank everyone who donated and help spread the word. A special thanks goes to Jennifer Sarchett of Coordinated Care for her partnership and The Director of The Wishing Well Foundation, Erika Thompson.

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Travel Leaders Tacoma 1142 Broadway Plaza Tacoma, WA 98402 253.383.8000

Travel Leaders Lakewood 11116 Gravelly Lake Drive SW Tacoma, WA 98499 253.582.2020

 

 

Luggage Drive – January 2018

A look inside the Treehouse wearHouse

UPDATE 2/1/18:  Thank you to all who brought donations for our drive.  Our collective donation of 43 pieces, ranging from handy tote bags to rolling duffles to a full-sized, never-been-used, 3-piece luggage set was much appreciated by the staff at the Treehouse wearHouse.  Thank you Erica for the tour and thank you Dana for answering all our questions. 🙂

01/01/18 – Many foster children are moved from house to house with nothing more than a trash bag to carry their belongings. During an already emotionally sensitive time, this can further damage anyone’s feelings of self-confidence.

Help these children and youth regain a sense of self-worth by donating gently used luggage, bags, and backpacks to Travel Leaders locations in Tacoma & Lakewood. Donations will be distributed via “the Wearhouse” at Treehouse in Seattle, which remains stocked with items that help youth feel good, fit in with their peers, and have what they need to succeed.

Travel Leaders will be collecting donations from our South Puget Sound offices January 1 -31, 2018.  Luggage, backpacks, and bags are preferred for this drive, however the Wearhouse also has a list of accepted clothing requests, which can be found here.

If you have further questions about the Travel Leaders Luggage drive or would like to make a monetary donation, contact us at the phone numbers below or email us via our website.

Travel Leaders Tacoma 1142 Broadway Plaza Tacoma, WA 98402 253.383.8000

Travel Leaders Lakewood 11116 Gravelly Lake Drive SW Tacoma, WA 98499 253.582.2020

Give Love, Give Socks

We are helping Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 collect socks for community members in need
this Winter.

Warm, dry feet are a small comfort with a huge impact. The chances of Frostbite and infection are greater in prolonged exposure to wet and cold, especially in extremities like fingers and toes.

Please donate socks at our Downtown Tacoma or Lakewood locations by October 27, 2016

Zika Virus Precautions

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning women who are pregnant not to travel to destinations where Zika is spread by mosquitoes, it doesn’t advise against travel for all others. Instead, it advises all other travelers to “practice enhanced precautions” in preventing mosquito bites.

The CDC “has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries and U.S. territories where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mexico, Micronesia (Kosrae Island), New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy (St. Barts), Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Samoa, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.”

Many people infected with Zika virus do not get sick. Among those who do develop symptoms, sickness is usually mild, with symptoms that last for several days to a week.The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, and vomiting.  Though there is no vaccine or medicine to treat Zika, deaths are rare and symptoms in non-pregnant travelers can usually be treating by taking pain relievers and drinking plenty of fluids.

Women who are pregnant should not travel to destinations where Zika has been locally transmitted by mosquitoes. In addition to microcephaly, other problems have been detected among fetuses and infants infected with Zika virus before birth, such as eye defects, hearing loss, and impaired growth. Although Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects and has been linked with these other problems in infants, there is more to learn.  Recent studies have shown, though it is rare for mothers to pass the virus on to their newborns during delivery, there are no reports that the virus can be passed via breastfeeding.  Women who are trying to become pregnant and their partners who will be traveling to or recently returned from an area where Zika transmission is ongoing should talk to their doctor about the risk of Zika virus infection through blood and/or sexual contact.

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For more information about Zika virus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/zika or call your local healthcare professional.

Family Vacations

Families travel better with Travel Leaders. In the fast-paced, often complicated, world we live in, more and more families are seeking quality time by including everyone in vacation planning.  With kids involved in sports, music, or other school-related activities and both parents working, vacations are one of the few times that retired grandparents, tired parents and quickly-growing children have to relax and bond, together.

In addition to the plethora of travel programming found on the Discovery & Travel channels, pop culture has helped usher in a new generation of sophisticated travelers.  Shows like “Downton Abbey” and “Game of Thrones” have entire itineraries dedicated in their theme, taking guests to inspiration for their favorite fictional destinations to  locations where pivotal scenes were actually filmed.

Growth experiences, for adults and children alike, have always been key to these trips. Classic destinations for multi-generational family vacations have always been Europe for it’s culture and art;  photo safaris in Africa;  adventure trips involving biking, hiking, or scuba diving in North & South America — just to name a few. Cruises, both on the ocean and now on the rivers, are still a go-to for those aiming to maximize on relaxation and minimize on the stress of planning entertainment for everyone involved.

The key to any great vacation is planning…including activities that appeal to both adults and children.  For example, going to the British Museum in London to see the mummies as well as the other exhibits will satisfy both generations.  Within the U.S., families are looking to vacations that focus on nature.  Families are increasingly interested in taking Alaskan cruises, horseback riding at dude ranches, kayaking in the San Juans or hiking in the Canadian Rockies.

Travel companies have recognized the new interested in adventure travel and have quickly modified their programs to offer tours that provide experiences that appeal to both parents and children.  Often the tours are arranged with enough flexibility to allow for some parent-only and child-only acitivites in addition to those that involve the entire family.

Travel Leaders – Travel Center has consultants who are trained in family vacation planning, as well as destination weddings/honeymoons, group travel, and destination-specific travel.  We welcome the opportunity to help you plan that picture perfect family adventure.

Springtime in Victoria, British Columbia

Recently, I had the opportunity to take a trip with Clipper Vacations to the lovely city of Victoria, British Columbia!  To my recollection, the last time I had visited that happening little harbor, I was barely old enough to drive, so I leapt at the chance to cross the border to our friendly neighbors up north.  Majestic sights, delicious eats, and super swanky digs that everyone is sure to enjoy await those who venture into “The Garden City”.

Deal of the Day: 15-Day Hawaiian Islands Cruise

Calling all West Coast Residents!

Visit the following ports on a 15-day Hawaiian Islands Cruise sailing roundtrip from either Vancouver, British Columbia (on September 19, 2015) or San Francisco, CA (multiple dates available):

Hilo, Hawaii

Maui (Lahaina), Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hawaii

Oceanview cabins start at $1,049 per person.

For more information, contact Travel Center today at www.travelcenter4u.com or call: 1-800-935-0123!

Stay Connected with Multi-Generational Vacations

A well-planned family vacation gives everyone in your household exactly what they want. Parents want to escape the hassle of everyday life and spend quality time with their kids. Kids want a new and exciting adventure. And teens want…well, no one really knows what teens want, but take them to an exotic locale or immerse them in a foreign culture, and they’ll surely find new reasons to smile.

The big questions that must be answered first are where to go and how to get there. Depending on the size and age-range of your clan, your options are as numerous as any child’s toy collection. Do you need special play areas for toddlers or a social club for teens? Will grandma and grandpa join in the fun, and what is their activity level? Are you looking to expose your children to new cultures in Europe, take them on a wild safari adventure or simply relax on a cruise ship?

For more vacation suggestions for kids, teens and extended family members, visit our website or contact your favorite Tacoma Travel Leaders travel agent today!

Let’s go on a cruise — next year!

If you’ve ever thought about taking a cruise, now is the time to plan it!  Travel Leaders is smack-dab in the middle of the WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SALE, the best time of the year to get the best deals on your next vacation.

From now until Oct 13^th, famous cruise lines such as HOLLAND AMERICA, NORWEGIAN, PRINCESS, and ROYAL CARIBBEAN have teamed up to bring you their best offers of the year: “Buy One, Get One” specials, free upgrades, shipboard credits or even free shore excursions are available, but only for a limited time!

The catch with this sale is you MUST book this vacation through a CLIA-certified travel agency.  The deals keep getting better because you’ve already found one — us!  Once you’ve found the cruise you want, call your favorite agent at Travel Leaders in Tacoma or Lakewood to reserve your cabin today!

Click to Zoom in, then call Travel Leaders today! 1-800-935-0123