LEXINGTON — With the help of Carson Travel, Carol Arnett fulfilled her promise to her grandson. For many years, she discussed taking him on a trip to Europe when he graduated from high school.
Arnett worked with Carson Travel Designer Becky Avery to plan her family’s dream trip. Arnett and her daughter Melanie Ferguson, son-in- law Mark Ferguson, grandson Jonathan Ferguson and granddaughter Olivia Ferguson hoped to visit England, Ireland and Scotland.
Arnett appreciated the time Avery took to discuss the trip goals and priorities.
“We gave her a list of places we wanted to see, and she was able to come back with a fabulous itinerary,” Arnett said.
The planning process included ongoing communication between Avery and Arnett around the itinerary. Avery provided details about the target sites and even included recommendations from her daughter’s recent Ireland trip. When Arnett needed to make changes two different times, Avery quickly adjusted the plans.
“They were just really wonderful to work with and the cost was reasonable,” Arnett said.
The family took Scotland out of the mix because work schedules limited them to 10 days of travel.
The details of the trip unfolded as planned.
The family flew to London in June 2017 for three days.
“We didn’t have any glitches at all,” Arnett said. “Even going through customs was really a breeze.”
Upon arrival they toured Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. They even took a riverboat ride on the Tempe.
Arnett and her family enjoyed hopping on the London Eye and going across the London Bridge.
“When we were over there, everything was just perfect,” Arnett said. “The hotels were very nice, and most of them included a breakfast.”
Next Arnett and her family flew to Dublin.
They took a tour of Trinity College and a viewed the ancient manuscript “The Book of Kells.” Next, they drove to the north coast and viewed locations featured in the TV series “Game of Thrones.”
For Arnett, the pull to the north coast of Ireland was a personal one. Arnett had the physical address of where her grandfather lived, and showing her grandchildren the location proved to be meaningful.
“I don’t know whether it’s just because I knew my grandfather was from there,” Arnett said. “We were more at home there than any place in Ireland.”
Arnett even overcame her fear by crossing a rope bridge at the height of 1,500 feet.
“I was terrified the whole time, but the scenery in Ireland was unbelievable,” she said.
Arnett and her family interacted with locals from Galway.
“The people were so friendly,” Arnett said. “They gave us some names of places to go in their village.”
They also took in awe-inspiring views at the Cliffs of Moher.
“We just got to see everything,” Arnett said. “Had we tried to do this on our own, we would have not seen half the stuff that we saw.”
Arnett plans to work with Carson Travel again. The family plans to celebrate Olivia’s high school graduation in 2019 with a trip to France, Germany and Austria. With her father being a World War II veteran, Arnett would like to show her grandchildren the beaches of Normandy.
“Carson Travel goes above and beyond of anybody I have ever worked with as far as travel agent,” Arnett said. “I would not hesitate to recommend them to family or friend. I think they are a great asset to the Lexington community.”
Click here to learn more about designing a trip with Carson Travel. Richland Source is partnering with Carson Travel to raffle off an all-inclusive trip in Feb 2018.
Anyone who signs up to become a Richland Source member will be included in the drawing.
