We’re just connecting the dots
WINTER TEXAN Volume 10 • Issue 8 December 4, 2024
Your Connection to the Rio Grande Valley
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I would bet most of you have read the Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Since initiating our Travel and Tour divisions, the Welcome Home Rio Grande Valley Team has had so many adventures. I’ve shared with you before that when the idea of a Cruise with Kristi first came up, I experienced a bit of fear that Kevin and I and my team would be the only ones in our group. Instead, the reservations kept coming in, and for several years now, it has been sold out! Having “Travel Kristi” Meyer on the team as our resident cruise expert has allowed us to expand our WHRGV cruise lineup while also allowing you to book your personal cruises through her. And Sarah Denzer, our tour director, is the perfect person to create, arrange, and lead our tours. Not only is she well-traveled, but she also happens to be extremely organized and lots of fun. Be sure to check out her Travel Friends columns in Welcome Home Winter Texan. She shares information on upcoming tours, great travel tips, and information on how your park or resort can set up a bucket-list tour with her. Come along with us. Oh, the places you’ll go! We’re just connecting the dots…
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Gordon and Marjorie Larsen, Sarah Denzer’s inspiration for travel, wearing matching shirts during a visit to Yellowstone. Welcome Home tour director Sarah Denzer (right) poses with an alpaca while accompanying a tour of Alpaquita Ranch.
Tours and Travel Passionate Planning is Key
by Eryn Reddell Wingert
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arah Denzer’s love of travel was instilled in her by her grandparents, from cruises to big family reunions and relaxing beach vacations to exploring America. As an adult, she garnered experience in public relations and hospitality and tourism industries. When Denzer began helping her grandparents plan cruises and vacations, she homed in on important considerations, like budget and accessibility--wheelchair access and walking distance. “Limitations don’t mean limiting fun,” she says. Denzer is the person behind Tours by Welcome Home RGV, drawing from her experience to meticulously craft enjoyable, stress-free experiences.
Denzer likes to create “wow” moments. When planning her own family vacations, she begins to research a destination--food, accommodations, attractions--months in advance. She says sometimes off-the-beaten-path makes for the most memorable vacations. Denzer applies the same tenacity as Welcome Home RGV’s tour director. Since its inception, the Tours Division has hosted a multitude of opportunities. “We have something for every budget and ability,” Denzer says, referring to day trips like the historic King Ranch, coastal Corpus Christi, the informative Texas Gold Shrimp Co., and the illuminating Gelman Stained Glass Museum, as well as multi-day trips, like Fredericksburg, nestled in the Texas Hill Country. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2