Donna

Donna was born and raised in Chicago where she met her husband Jerry of 37 years.  She has 3 children, 5 grandchildren and has lived on the east coast, west coast and Midwestern states.  She started her career in the travel industry 30 years ago and has experience in all phases of travel from corporate to international and domestic leisure travel.  Her sales skills and firsthand knowledge of many destinations allowed her to become one of the top 10 travel agents out of 800 with AAA Auto Club in North Carolina in one year of her employment with them.  This ranking remained throughout her career with AAA.  Donna has also been employed as a Destination Sales Manager for several years in Arizona.  Her knowledge of the United States and Canada has been enhanced through this position.  Planning travel has become a passion for Donna whether for a client or her family.  There has never been a vacation too small, too large or too complicated to handle.  She loves the challenge, constant change of pace and eternal learning that comes with a position in the travel industry.   Donna is proud to have a roll at Free Spirit that demonstrates strong attention to detail and preparation of travel plans to enhance the experience of all Free Spirit Vacations & Events guests.

Making Small Changes Can Make for a Better Life

Recently more and more people have begun making healthy and “greener” changes to their lifestyle. Changing  can be tough and making changes in areas such as cleaning products, body products, and the food we eat can often seem overwhelming.  But by making little changes, one at a time, the awareness of healthier and greener lifestyles broadens. Everybody has their own strategies of what they need or want to change, but all are working for the same goal. With that being stated, here are a couple of suggestions on how to get started.

First of all, when making positive and green changes for the betterment of the environment,  start with incorporating green practices into our everyday life. In the beginning these steps will  be small, but as long as you’re making  steps in the right direction, it’s a great start!   At Free Spirit Vacations and Events, we provide our guests with re-usable water bottles instead of the throw-away bottles.  For every coach full of guests, we feel we are keeping at least 100 empty bottles out of the landfill.

Even though our awareness is expanded by our environmental concerns, it is important to  maintain a balanced perspective. It is good to be aware of the issues and concerns, but it’s important to not get overly stressed out about these issues.  And even though you are working to change, it’s important to know that other people learn and change at their own speed. Avoid judgment and lead by example.  Others will ask about your healthy lifestyle if it’s something they want to pursue.

Beat the Heat! Let’s go to Flagstaff and Spend an Evening with the Stars

Flagstaff is a little bit of paradise on earth with its beautiful scenery, beautiful people, and cool temperatures.  It’s a well- known fact that Arizona is one of the hottest places in the United States and a desert, but not Flagstaff. Compared to the Phoenix valley, Flagstaff’s weather in July averages around 25 degrees cooler.  With that being said, who wouldn’t want to jump on a motorcoach and travel to Flagstaff to enjoy the 80 degree weather.

Flagstaff has many different points of interest – one of our favorites being the Lowell Observatory which was founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell.  Since that time, Lowell astronomers discovered Pluto, collected the first evidence of the expanding universe, and measured the motions and properties of stars.   Currently, the observatory is a non profit independent research institution, working to pursue the study of astronomy. As the sun sets, guests are able to look through large, powerful telescopes and see planets, constellations and other night sky wonders.

But before viewing the Arizona night skies, all will enjoy a delicious dinner  and a unique dining experience at Black Bart’s Steak House. Every evening the wait staff performs an on stage musical for guests from all different genres from Disney to 60’s music. It’s great food and fun for all ages.

So do you wanna get away?  Beat the heat?  Join Free Spirit Vacations for An Evening of Fun With The Stars In Flagstaff.

Theresa

Theresa was born in the Philippines and grew up in a military family where she caught the travel bug early on. While living in Spain and Hawaii, she got to experience and learn about different cultures and traditions.  She has since traveled through Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica and Alaska.  After moving to Las Vegas, she studied and earned a degree in Travel and Tourism enabling her to work in various aspects of the tourism industry.  She worked for film icon Debbie Reynolds in her museum which showcased the vintage movie costumes and memorabilia like the famous Marilyn Monroe dress from the Seven Year Itch and the ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz.  She then worked for Coca-Cola on the Las Vegas Strip for 14 years entertaining guests with the history and serving them the Tastes of the World.  She moved to Arizona a few years ago and joined the Free Spirit Vacations and Events team. Since most of her travel was through motorcoach, it was an exciting way to see how everything was pieced together. She enjoys working behind the scenes and creating all the fun vacations for all of our guests.

Motorcoach Safety

Motorcoach safety is a key issue in the House and Senate Conference Committee on transportation re-authorization, according to Congressman Bill Shuster in comments he made to the American Bus Association (ABA) Board of Directors. ABA’s board received an update on pending Congressional bus safety legislation and Shuster presented his ideas on the transportation re-authorization bill during the Spring Board of Directors two-day meeting in Washington, D.C. ABA supports the science-based approach proposed by Shuster in the BUSES act and the H.R. 7.

“New vehicle requirements should be promulgated based on what will actually save lives and protect passengers, not require a rush to regulate.” aid Shuster. “Improving safety standards based on sound scientific research, testing, and analysis are key elements of reform.” On the larger topic of the transportation re-authorization, Shuster said he supported current funding levels to maintain America’s roads and bridges.

“Surface transportation re-authorization is essential to creating American jobs and maintaining our competitive advantage in the world economy,” said Shuster. “We are very grateful to Congressman Shuster for his support of the motorcoach industry. He has long been a strong advocate for safer motorcoaches and improving America’s roads,” said ABA Chairman Tom JeBran.

Source: ABA

Pageant of the masters

Every summer, The Pageant of the Masters is    performed in Laguna Beach, CA and the theme for this year is  “The Pursuit of Happiness.” Is there anything more personal, more elusive than   what it is to be happy?  The Pageant takes you on a sentimental journey through depictions of pastimes and activities that gave people joy long before the instant gratification of the computer age. Discover artists who found their own answers to the age-old question, “what makes life worth living?” The 2015 Pageant promises to be a breathtaking, playful and joyous journey, in search of that most mysterious of treasures.

The Pageant of the Masters is an Arts festival that is definitely one of the most unique productions in the world. It is world-renowned in the artistry and theatrical illusion of living pictures.  The show has actually been called “living pictures” because that’s exactly what happens, pictures from some of the finest artists from classical to contemporary art are brought to life and recreated right in front of the audience’s eyes. T

The show also has a live narrator, an orchestra, and songs that are created by professional vocalists. There is also a very few number of paid staff and hundreds of volunteers.   This is something no one will want to miss. Join Free Spirit Vacations and Events for this unique show July 14-17, 2015.   You will not want to miss it!

Meet Sue

Sue Arko was born in Elkhart, Indiana and lived there most of her childhood until moving to Tempe, Arizona to go to Arizona State University. There she earned her Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science degrees in Recreation and Public Administration.  She turned to the commercial sector of Recreation by starting her own tour company, Tours Unlimited in 1981.   Sue sold the company in 1991 to All Aboard America, remaining with the company for five years. In 1996, she started another company – Free Spirit Vacations and Events.

Since 1996, Free Spirit Vacations and Events has grown steadily based on the concept of relationship building and providing the best value in the tourism industry.  Free Spirit Vacations has always served the diverse needs of the 50+ Age Group.  The best tour operational staff and guides in the industry are part of the team and collectively, office staff has over 75 years of experience in the travel business.

In addition to conducting tours, Sue is actively involved in producing and conducting special events.   She is a Certified Tour Professional and an active member of  the American Bus Association and Cruise Lines International Association.  She enjoys gardening, riding her bike, reading and most of all, traveling with her daughter Jacey (me).

Go Green – Travel by Motorcoach

I am so encouraged to see  that people are finally starting to take care of the planet that we, our children, and our grandchildren call home. There are so many ways to contribute to helping the environment, but one of the best ways to travel eco friendly is to travel in a motorcoach. Motorcoaches currently provide 206.6 passenger miles per gallon. That 206.6 MPG is more then double as fuel-efficient as the most fuel-efficient sector, the commuter rail at 92.4 passenger MPG. Following behind the commuter rail, transit buses achieve 31.4 passenger MPG, domestic air carriers achieve 44 passengers MPG, and single passenger automobiles achieve 27.2 passenger MPG.

With that being said, each motorcoach has the ability of removing 55 automobiles from the highway. Multiply that by the number of motorcoaches on the road and you get hundreds of thousands less cars on the road.  These cars not being driven, saving fuel, cutting emissions, and reducing congestion can all attribute to helping us save our planet. Isn’t it more fun to travel with other people and friends anyway? Just something to think about! J

All Aboard for Durango and Silverton

Durango, an authentic Colorado mountain town, was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1879.  By July of 1882, railroad tracks were completed between Durango and Silverton and the train was carrying passengers and freight between the two cities.   Even though the railway was originally made to bring back Gold and Silver from Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, the passengers soon became aware that the view was incredible.
This historic train is still in operation today and is the highlight of many tours.  Guests travel in cars behind vintage steam locomotives, experiencing breath-taking views that can not be seen any other way.  Join Free Spirit and hear the sounds of yesteryear on an unforgettable journey aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Our tour is August 4-7, 2015 and we would love to have you  on board.

About Me!

Hello Free Spirit guests.  My name is Jacey Wigley and I am the Marketing Princess for Free Spirit Vacations and Events. I am so excited to get to know all of our guests as I roll out our company on different social media sites.   I am twenty-one years old and I live in Tempe Arizona. I am a student at Arizona State University and am studying Communications. I have worked for Free Spirit for about three years, and I absolutely love the company and everything that they do!  Since our tagline is “People, Places, and Planet”, I am going to keep all of you updated on tours that are coming up, things that are going on around the world, and different people that are part of Free Spirit, including team members, tour guides, and guests.   If there is anything specifically you  would like to read about, please let me know and I will be happy to write.   Again I look forward to getting to know everyone and let me how I can best serve you.  I hope you all have a great day!  Also, don’t forget to check out our website at freespiritvacations.com for all of our upcoming tours.