Jan Smith

Specifically, a story I posted years ago about an experience in New York City at the 9/11 Memorial. My name is Christine, and I am the sister of Norma Lang Steuerle, whom you mentioned in your piece about the 9/11 Memorial entitled, “A Single White Meaningful Rose in New York City. My post shared information about the Memorial and how Norma Lang Steuerle was not just a name on a wall, that likely she was a wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, neighbor, and friend. Having been contacted by a family member who lost someone on 9/11, to let me know how my story impacted their family, is compelling enough to continue sharing more of my experiences in 2020.

A visit to the desert’s premier supper club, Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, is a fascinating study of different generations enjoying more authentic Palm Springs culinary and entertainment offerings. I recently had the opportunity to experience a different type of lodging with a stay at the Palm Springs Rendezvous Hotel, one of the 77 boutique hotels that are part of the Preferred Palm Springs Small Hotels collection in the valley. When asked how they selected the Palm Springs Rendezvous Hotel, they described Googling “authentic Palm Springs boutique lodging,” and the Rendezvous was the highest-rated match on TripAdvisor. Introduced to a new style of lodging through Preferred Palm Springs Small Hotels, I have found the authentic Palm Springs.

The Patter offered information on multiple activities to partake in, from the proverbial shuffleboard, ping pong, and bingo, to culinary demonstrations, enrichment lectures, cocktail-making contests, movies, art auctions, game shows, formal afternoon tea, wine tastings, and shopping. During sea days, Princess Cruises offers a semi-traditional Afternoon Tea, complete with white glove tea service and scones with lemon curd and clotted cream. The Piazza on most Princess Cruises offers a meeting space to enjoy specialty music while indulging in a decadent pastry and drink from the International Cafe. Princess Cruises offers several retail outlets on the ship and during sea days, often treats guests to various shopping extravaganzas with steep discounts on branded items and quality jewelry, clothing and giftware.

My offerings include traditional travel planning, surprise travel planning and my new product, surprise honeymoon planning. I help clients to plan a regular honeymoon and for the few couples who want something very different, I am able to offer an elevated “surprise honeymoon. The trust they already have with my concierge approach to designing and executing their travel plans easily transfers to one of the most important travel experiences the couple will have, their honeymoon. What do you think is the attraction for a bride and groom to sign up to a surprise honeymoon and what’s the expected outcome that this type of honeymoon offers?