After 20 years in corporate America, a second career in travel was a natural move for Michelle Zlakowski.
She started planning national park trips and am thrilled to now be part of the Runway Travel team. She’s planned girls’ trips, couples’ trips, family trips, and solo trips, working to customize an itinerary for not just every interest, but every ability level as well.
What are your travel specialties or areas of expertise?
National parks, outdoor adventure, family outdoor adventures even for non-hikers.
What inspired you to become a travel advisor?
Nature is my happy place. My ideal vacation has always revolved around outdoor adventures with stunning scenery, but after becoming a Mom, I realized you could have an amazing vacation without scaling a mountain or rappelling into a canyon. In fact, many of the best sights of our amazing national parks don’t even require hiking boots. When I traveled with my young son, I happily traded Class V rapids for scenic floats and 10-mile hikes for half-mile strolls. I loved seeing him put down the screens and appreciate the stunning beauty of the great outdoors.
And now I love helping people discover and appreciate the beauty of our National Parks and other amazing outdoor places.
What is your most popular travel destination among clients?
Glacier National Park.
What’s the most valuable tip or trick someone has shared with you that makes planning family travel easier?
It's okay to do different things on a trip. Everyone likes different things, and families can split up so everyone gets to do what they want. It's all about understanding who wants to do adventure activities and hike for miles and who doesn't, and plan accordingly.
What is one website, platform, database, or other tech tool you consistently use?
AllTrails. It's a great website for finding trails for people of all abilities and understanding how easy or difficult they are.
Learn more and get in touch at runwaytravelco.com/our-team.
Photos courtesy of Michelle Zlakowski.
