Shannon Elricksen's List: travel

Whether your passion for travel takes you to Africa, India, South America, or all points in between, there is one common thread that we all have - a curiosity to see the world and learn about other places, people, and cultures. With over four decades in the travel industry, Ker & Downey has seen first hand how tourism dollars support local and international economies and people. However, not all tourism dollars trickle down to those who need it the most.

Want to get away? Make sure you have every concern taken care of first so you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the trip.

A culturally rich nation with ancient traditions, Oman is a traveler's delight. The legacy that has been passed from generation to generation, the art, the culture, the folklore, and the craftsmanship have to be seen. But, there is much more in the heart of Oman to explore: the sense of respect for time, for people, and for nature.

Nestled serenely between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, Chile is a land of incredible diversity both geologically and culturally. Within its borders lays the Atacama Desert, the world's driest desert; the stunning landscapes of Torres del Paine in the Patagonia region; the mysterious Easter Island; and the beautiful Chilean Winelands. This land has a wealth of natural offerings and is a favorite destination for travelers to South America. Known for its rich, volcanic soils, Chile has an incredible offering of gastronomic delights, and a bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood make Chile a fabulous choice for the culinary traveler.

South Africa is the quintessential African experience. First time travelers and seasoned veterans of Africa will tell you that South Africa's diverse offerings are what make this destination a favorite. Our journeys into South Africa are legend and have won numerous travel awards from National Geographic, Conde Nast, and more.

Egypt wears her patina well. She is extraordinarily rich in antiquities, treasures, and history. During the Greek and Roman Empire, Egypt was the playground of the powerful and attracted many of the leaders of the first modern world. Today, Egypt is still a major destination and provides incredible experiences for the modern traveler.

The Amazon River is the largest river in the world, with a flow greater than the next eight largest rivers combined. Further, at no point in it’s run is the river crossed by bridges. Because of its size and length the Amazon is home to a diverse collection of wildlife and fauna. More than one third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest, a giant tropical forest with an area that stretches more than 2.1 million square miles and is among the richest tropical forests in the world. The river has nearly 3,000 recognized species of fish, a number which is still growing. Notably, the river is one of the main habitats of the Boto, known as the Amazon River Dolphin.

The smallest continent on Earth, also known as Australia, is an amazing place for luxury vacations of all kinds. With 21,262 miles of coastline, the world’s largest monolith, The Great Barrier Reef, the famous outback, and fantastic biodiversity, there is something for everyone to see and experience in Australia to ensure it is the trip of your dreams.

The Galapagos Islands are widely known for being the subject of Charles Darwin’s landmark work, The Origin of Species. Notably, the islands’ fauna display a characteristic known as island gigantism, which is a biological phenomenon whereby the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically over generations.

The Maasai are one of the best known African tribes although not as politically powerful as the Luo or Kikuyu (despite the Maasai being dominant in some respects due to their warrior caste and effective organization). The word "maasai-itis" has even be coined to describe the western obsession with the Maasai. Perhaps they are so well known because of their tall elegant muscular features or their fierce, brave, stubborn and arrogant reputation; or maybe because of their simple yet distinctive appearance with ochre-covered warriors proudly holding their spear and wearing their bright blood-red shoulder cloak (shuka) and the women wearing bangles and strings of colored beads around their neck (both sexes wear earrings, taking pride in stretching large holes in their ear lobes).

Delhi is India’s foremost point of arrival for visitors looking for a luxury travel experience. Further it is the major transport hub for destinations in the states of Rajasthan, the Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh as well as central north India. Delhi city, oft called the showcase of India has long been the center of political and cultural activity on the subcontinent. The ancient fortresses, majestic buildings and historic ruins find their modern counterparts in the tall skyscrapers, diplomatic enclaves and well-planned townships of New Delhi. The people here, their lifestyles, traditions and even the climate are a rich and varied mixture of all that is India.

The Peruvian Amazon is one of the most biologically diverse and spectacular regions in the world. The country has the largest number of bird species and a third of mammals with 44 percent and 63 percent respectively inhabiting the area. Further, 2500 species of butterflies and 1800 species of birds call the rainforest home.

Cappadocia is an area in central Turkey known for it’s unique moon-like landscape. For millions of years, the volcanoes of the Central Anatolian Plateau spewed their contents across the lands that would later become the cradle of civilization. Blessed with a moderate climate and fertile volcanic soul, one of the world’s earliest communities was founded 10,000 years ago at Catalhoyuk along the river banks of the Casambasuyu near Konya. Mankind’s first nature painting, found here, portrays the most recent eruption of Hasan Dagi nearly 9000 years ago. Now, It’s snow capped peaks dominate the Konya plain.

With a population of 23,000, Siwa was, for a long time, the most inaccessible of all Egypt’s Oasis until very recently. It became an adventure travel destination once its notoriety began to rise. The region which lays some 60 feet below sea-level includes a rich history. Notably, Alexander the Great visited to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Accomplished archaeologists, such as Liana Souvaltsis, have implied that the great general was buried here, but no factual evidence exists of this. Legends abound of mystical protections which cover the oasis.

The Great Barrier Reef is a maze of nearly 3,000 individual reefs, 900 islands and stretches 133,000 square miles. It is located in the Coral Sea, just off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The majority of Barrier Reef islands lie north of the tropic of Capricorn and have a distinctly monsoonal climate, the heavy rains cause destructive flooding from April to September and leave thousands of people homeless each year.

The small township of Paro as the gateway to the kingdom of Bhutan. In the city alone, however, there are many points of engagement that make Paro a destination in it’s own right. Along the main street you will find the best and most complex sampling of traditional archictecture in the country: two lines of richly decorated buildings house small shops, institutions and restaurants. However, the most interesting place in the kingdom is the Paro Dzong, a beautiful fortress and monastery overlooking the valley above which it was built.

Notably, New Zealand has led the world in island restoration projects, where offshore islands are cleared of introduced mammalian pests and native species are reintroduced. Several islands located very near to the three main islands are wildlife reserves where common pests such as possums and rodents have been eradicated to allow the reintroduction of endangered species to the islands. This allows for the natural food chain and wildlife cycle to return to an island long deprived of it’s native species.

In a place this scenic, every wedding is breathtaking. Treat your guests to the serene beauty of Lake Conroe with one of our numerous outdoor venues. Or plan an indoor event in one of our four elegant ballrooms.

The Himalayas are, quite deservedly, the most famous peaks in the world. The name, short in sanskrit for ‘abode of snow’ aptly describe these natural wonders. The Himalayan mountain system is the planet's highest and home to the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders, which include Mount Everest and K2. The result of massive subterrainean collisons, these mountains are so gargantuan they completely control the weather on the Indian subcontinent.

Cairo, the triumphant city, known officially as al-Qāhirah is one of the world’s largest and oldest cultural centers. Because it has the largest and oldest of the Arab film industries, it has been dubbed the ‘Hollywood of The East,’ by observers. Notably, while Al-Qahirah is the official name of Cairo, Egyptians refer to the city simply as Misr: the Arabic name for Egypt itself.