Heartland travel agent offers summer trip ideas

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – As summer heat sets into the Heartland, a trip to a cooler destination may become more appealing.

Jamie Shultz with Elite Travel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri said right now, a lot of people are getting travel fever.

“Everyone’s ready to travel, we’ve seen such a high demand in travel recently, so it’s definitely in our busy season right now,” Shultz said.

Some of the top travel destinations for people in the Heartland include America’s national parks, like Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming, as well as Glacier National Park in Montana.

“Glacier National Park in particular, we’ve seen huge demand for,” she said. “I think a lot of people are ready to go out and see the nature, and just explore and see the wildlife.”

Visiting a place like that involves car registration and park reservations, something Shultz said a travel advisor can assist in securing to make the trip simpler.

Trains are also a great way to see National Parks.

“We have clients here wanting to take the train from Whitefish, Montana, up to Glacier National Park because they do offer train rides there, and that’s a really great way to visit Glacier.”

Rail travel is also a viable and affordable option here at home. Shultz said taking the Amtrak from Carbondale to Chicago is only about five hours.

“You can watch a baseball game at Wrigley Field, you can go and visit the Navy Pier, the Bean. There’s lots of fun things to do.”

For roadtrippers, Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a popular spot within driving distance of the Heartland. Another is Florida.

“Destin has been a great destination with the beach condos,” Shultz said. “Florida has been a really big hotspot.”

For people hoping to book a last-minute getaway, Shultz said the best advice is to start with the preferred time window and go from there.

“Pick out some dates, reach out to your travel advisor–there are some great destinations that will be good for last-minute [trips].”

Shultz has experience in the travel industry working with cruise ships, hotels, and other sectors. She said helping people see new places is her passion.

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