I have a lifelong affliction which – in my line of work – is rather embarrassing. I have never seen a moose.*

I’m fortunate enough to live in one of the most blessed spots on earth, scenically: the Black Hills of South Dakota. We have just about every kind of wild critter you could hope for and then some – we are home to one of the largest publicly owned buffalo herds in the country, Read the rest of this entry »

The reviews are in and this year’s Old West Trail (June 18-24) was a resounding success, thanks to the excellent staff (both Coloradans) who took this little group in hand. The tour director, Doris Bean is an industry veteran who has led group tours to most sections of the United States (including Alaska) since 1988 for many major American and international tour companies. Our driver, Richard Maxcy, also deserves kudos for his personable style, excellent driving skills and ability to cope with the rains that – God help us – are still inundating this part of the world, Read the rest of this entry »

Most of the time I just love being a tour planner and relish spreading my maps and reference books all over my desk, making notes and delighting in making new discoveries to share with my travelers. Unfortunately, I am also a tour director, and preparing for upcoming tours while researching new ones to totally different destinations and different time periods can be daunting. Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy SD Tourism

A long-time friend recently commented after reading our latest newsletter, that I was really doing a lot on reservations these days. She doesn’t know the half of it.

I’ve been working with reservations and tribal entities since my previous life as a documentary producer and script-writer for the National Park Service, Public Television and the tribes themselves.  My ex-husband and business partner is a Cheyenne-River Sioux (Hunkpapa and Miniconjou), Read the rest of this entry »

Spring comes grudgingly to the Northern Plains. Last year it didn’t arrive until the middle of June! So I often manage to find excuses to escape to warmer climes in an effort to mitigate the effects of winter doldrums and sunlight deprivation.

I never thought of New Mexico as one of those sun break locales. I realize it’s part of the southern tier of states, Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve heard me extol the virtues of Travel Alliance Partners (TAP) in this space before. But I simply can’t overstate the importance of this new business model to the travel industry and the end user alike. When a program sells out two years in a row because of the participation of my TAP partners, I have to believe we’re doing something right! Read the rest of this entry »

Although Shebby Lee Tours started as a local sightseeing company with the slogan, “we lend insights to the sights”, it wasn’t until 1993 that we expanded beyond our standard fare of western national parks and moved toward what would become our hallmark.  That was the year we developed that iconic symbol of America’s westward expansion movement, the Oregon Trail.   Beginning in Kansas City, the itinerary followed the trail across the plains and mountains, ending in Oregon City.  The story of the development of the West has never lost its fascination for Americans and citizens of the world alike.  It seemed appropriate to start our expansion there.

Read the rest of this entry »

It probably won’t come as much of surprise that I am crazy about history.  I don’t ever remember not being interested in everything historical, despite exposure to the usual succession of dry-as-dust history teachers in both public schools and college.  This of course, is the standard reason for being turned off by history and it irks me that this is the case.  Because it is my experience that EVERYONE is interested in history when it is presented as a living, breathing event that happened to somebody else – maybe a relative of yours – and maybe a long time ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder how that fabulous tour you took last summer came to be?  If it was a pleasurable experience and proceeded seamlessly from day to day, it wasn’t an accident.  Months of planning went into every detail so you would have a great getaway, or maybe even the experience of a lifetime.

Read the rest of this entry »

With tour companies proliferating online, it’s hard to tell one from another. These practical tips can help you narrow the list and find just the right travel provider for your dream vacation.

Does the company assign you a number?

Read the rest of this entry »