Meet Ellen

My wanderlust officially began in the 5^th grade reading about the Navajo Indians.  I remember daydreaming of traveling to the American Southwest one day to see it for myself.  After high school I began traveling in earnest, embarking on two trips to Europe over the summer during my college years, as well as a summer in Mexico City to learn Spanish, followed by a semester in Valencia, Spain to continue my studies.  At LSU I studied cultural geography and anthropology, which has helped me to understand other peoples and their cultures.  Immediately after graduating in 1983, I found a job in a travel agency and my globetrotting began.

Over the years my clients have evolved from the simple cruise and vacation package to a desire for the true specialty travel experience.  I’ve come to understand and anticipate what my client wants…

The best hotels, personal guides, and drivers, and unique experiences they cannot find with traditional travel agents or online travel sites.

At Magnolia Vacations, I specialize in the Mediterranean countries of Italy, France, Sicily, Greece, and Spain.  In my many years of traveling to these countries, I’ve established a network of valuable contacts that help me tailor the vacation experience to each client’s unique dreams and expectations.

Some of the more unique experiences I’ve provided include private evening tours of the Sistine Chapel, helicopter transfers, Grand Prix race car experiences in the French Riviera, Truffle hunting, accommodations in palaces run by nobility descendants, macaroon classes, grape crushing in Portugal by stomping, and many more!

It occurred to me many years ago that I am selling much more than airline tickets and hotel rooms.  I’m selling an ideal … someone’s hopes, dreams, expectations, and future memories.  So I have to get it right!