Sierra Travel

02/28/2025

How I feel when our clients have experienced a flight delay, flight cancellation’s, needing a refund or credit, issues with transfer companies in destination or All Inclusive resort frustrations 😳Sometimes I just want to sit in to the board meetings of these large companies and let them know how to run things so we can get things operating the way they should be🤣It feels like it might make their business’s run with ease too.

Do you think they would listen to me? 🤷‍♀️

02/27/2025

At Sierra Travel we have done our fair share of travelling the world over the years! We began our journeys even before getting in the travel business!! Our first adventure was our honeymoon when we took off in a 1969 Ford Van towards California for a month with an end plan to live in Vancouver!! We did this with no money, no credit cards and really no plan but we did it!! Fast forward in life we kept pounding away at traveling!! At first it was Hawaiian Islands , then All Inclusives became popular throughout Mexico and the Caribbean so we did them and we also ventured to Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Portugal , Argentina , Chile , Uruguay and of course across Canada and USA and even had a winter home in California for many years!! Trish Ratzlaff jumped on board with Sierra Travel right in the middle of the pandemic and is not shy on travel experiences and her and Mike have done well with experiencing the world in a short time both as a couple and a family!! At Sierra Travel we are a very independent agency and we work only with the best tour operators in the business including Globus, Trafalgar, Contiki, Collette and cruise companies like Viking, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean! For sun destinations our choices are limited with only Sunwing and Westjet which are quickly becoming one but we also have independent options available if you want to "freestyle" !! If you have a plan reach out to us anytime and we will pass on our advice and expertise as we book you on your "bucket list" journey!! Sierra Travel Ph/Txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn or Ph/txt 403 340-6724 - Trish Ratzlaff ., .,

02/27/2025

Not travel related but it explains some of the noise that my clients have been hearing, especially over this past week when we had a company in taking the old tile out, installing the new and then back again after a couple of tiles were giving some grief. Mike & I totally understand this after doing many of our own Reno’s over the years in 5 different homes and hiring some of it out. Whether you are building a home or doing Reno’s you can’t expect everything to go perfectly. Just like the appliances that had been dropped previous to being in the hands of the wonderful company we ordered them from. They quickly ordered up new appliances while they were at our house and still left the ones that you can see on the floor so we can get everything measured and cut for them to fit properly. What can you do🤷‍♀️
So today’s work is now on the countertops. We have a Granit company coming in to freshen them up, fix the chips and hopefully make them shine again. They have been like this since we purchased the house so we are excited!

This has been our 2025 project. Mike bought a sprayer and refinished/painted all of our cupboards in the kitchen & bathroom plus added soft close to all of them which is so nice! We hired the tile and Granite company out and have a new microwave and oven coming. We did replace the cooktop in December but that was only because we dropped something on it🫣

Just some little updates of what life can look like behind the scenes at Sierra Travel and a bit about what life is like these days when I’m not in my home office space in the evenings or weekends. We love doing these Reno’s and will let you know on what we spent in total once we have this complete vs what a brand new kitchen would have cost. We’re pretty happy with it and enjoy finding ways to update our home and keep a little busy with projects over the winter. 🫶

02/27/2025

"DEAL OF THE DAY!! HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING HARD ABOUT A WEEK IN Mexico but some of the prices you have seen are out of your reach?? Just stop looking and pay attention to this!! WESTJET VACATIONS are offering the KRYSTAL GRAND NEUVO VALLARTA on a direct flights right from EDMONTON leaving Apr. 6th for 7 nights!! The rate is $2934.00/couple and that includes flights/taxes/transfers and the deal of the day hotel room and is ALL INCLUSIVE !! The KRYSTAL GRAND NUEVO VALLARTA is right on a beautiful beach in PUERTO VALLARTA!! Look no further - Sierra Travel Ph/Txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn .. Trish Ratzlaff is busy working but on "pause" for a few days catching up!.

02/26/2025

At Sierra Travel our “Two Weekers” aren’t done yet but I am pretty sure these two had the most fun and lucky us we get to share a few of their amazing photos! Their stay was at the well appointed RIu Palace Cabo San Lucas and they kept busy! Fishing, quads , clubbing , fireworks and lots more! Lee and Jackie Cooke are home now but what an amazing sunset picture !! Thanks again! If we can help you with an adventure let’s go! Sierra Travel 🧳 Ph/txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn - Trish Ratzlaff is working but playing catch up on current files!

02/26/2025

Our busy travel season is winding down after some pretty crazy events throughout the winter! We had our regular “Two Weekers” jump in and book a beautiful resort once again! Brian and Marilyn are home now after staying at DREAMS HUATULCO and lucky us we get to share their amazing pictures! Look at that beach ! If we can make it happen just let us know and we will! Sierra Travel 🧳 Ph/txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn - Trish Ratzlaff is working but is catching up on current files before taking on any new ones!

02/26/2025

Our daughter flew in this morning on a beautiful 6am flight out of Kelowna to surprise us with visit. Our oldest daughter put on a full show wearing her scrubs to make it look like she was heading to work for a 7am shift even though she was on her way to the airport to grab her sis🤥Apparently this has been a secret for a month between my parents and our 3 kids. They definitely did well at making this a huge surprise.

Big thanks to George for booking her flights🫶

02/25/2025

I never imagined having to do this BUT…💕

I need to pause all new bookings for the next week while I catch up, maybe two! If we are in contact already or have a meeting set up don’t worry I am still working with you. I just need to hold off on all new quotes. A girl needs to at least have time to go to the bathroom in a day😂I’m also thinking it might be nice to take a 30 min lunch break.

Even with my attempt to take the weekend off I still found myself welcoming clients home on Sunday afternoon and doing a few things here and there. It seems like a small thing but it adds up quickly. ♥️

This page will continue to be active with new posts because I love creating reels while I ride my spin bike (haha the secret is out)It makes my workouts fly by and my mornings so fun.

I will be ready to take on more in March♥️Thank you for being amazing clients and supporting us with our business and for always being so kind us.🌎I can’t possibly put into words how grateful I am for you. 🙏🏼

02/25/2025

Say "YES" to one full week at the beautiful RIU VALLARTA right from EDMONTON on March 5th on a direct SUNWING flight!! The well appointed hotel room with a balcony and king bed will win you over !! The beach is perfect in the Nayrit area and you even get top use the RIU JALISCO which has a perfect beach side restaurant to enjoy a leisurely lunch! The "ALL IN" rate is $4398.00/couple and we have included all you need... ..even a FREE checked bag each!! Let's make it happen today! Sierra Travel Ph/Txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn or Ph/Txt 403 340-6724 - Trish Ratzlaff .,

02/24/2025

Are you thinking of taking a cruise? Right now, Princess Cruise is offering up to $600 off on 2025 cruises. Choose from a few popular options, such as a Mediterranean, Alaskan, or Caribbean cruise. Visit Princess.com to view all of their wonderful cruise options and dates. Reach out to us at Sierra Travel to plan the rest for you. We work directly with Princess and offer the exact same prices, so it's less work for you, and you are shopping local by booking through our agency. Don’t forget that there are also additional costs to a cruise, which include gratuities, a pre-night stay, potential upgrades to your room, and the big one: flights and insurance. Always remember that when booking any vacation, you should make sure you have cancellation and medical insurance. This saves both you and us a lot of stress should you have to cancel. The companies make the final decisions on their cancellation policies which are out of our control. With so many things going on from issues with airlines, transfer companies and resorts to a persons general need to change plans you just never know when you will need it. We have a wonderful agent that takes care of all of our clients once we send them off to her company. She’s a small town woman with a big heart too!

*The pictures belong to Princess Cruise

Call Trish Ratzlaff @403-340-6724 or George Meiklejohn @780-753-6869

02/24/2025

Are you having fun on your vacations?

Are you meeting people around the world?

Are you relaxing, laughing and taking these moments in?

Traveling the world has taught us at Sierra Travel to become curious about life and this big world. We grow, learn and discover so many lessons when we are in a place of being genuinely interested in others over ourselves. We can learn about ourselves at home. 😉 When I look at these pics I remember the conversations we had and I often find myself curious about where life has taken so many of the people we have met since these vacations. I also love looking back at the crazy and quiet moments of our vacations because we always have many special memories from them.

I saw a quote a while ago that said something like Travel the world not to escape life but for life not to escape you.♥️I totally agree. 🌎

The more we travel the more humble we have become because we’re really not a big deal. We’re just a couple people living life and so is everyone else we meet. 🤝

02/23/2025

We are proud to work directly with Contiki and welcome anyone between the ages of 18-35 to reach out. This company is one of the best with working directly with Travel Agents. In fact, if you have already put a deposit down and would like to transfer it over to our company they welcome it. Why would you do this? Once you transfer your tour over to us we can work directly with Contiki on the details of your tour, final payment dates or any support you need. We can also book your flights and add any Freestyle Travel that you would like before or after your tour.

If this sounds like something for you reach out! Contiki has many tours to choose from, we encourage you to browse their website to see what stands out to you the most. 👉Contiki.com

We have experience booking many clients with Contiki. Every single one has been wonderful experience for our clients.

Explore 200+ trips led by group travel experts. Share unforgettable travel experiences with new friends from around the world. Exclusively for 18-35 year olds.

02/23/2025

Fresh air, sunshine, bikes, snow, ice shacks, a packed skating rink on the lake, many people on quads driving from the lake back to their homes throughout town, busy coffee shops and smiling faces everywhere ☀️What a great day in our beautiful town.

Love Sylvan Lake♥️

02/21/2025

Sunny beach vibes are in the air @ Sierra Travel ☀️

Where in the world can we send you to soak in some sunshine?

02/21/2025

If you want to do AUSTRALIA reach out to us at Sierra Travel and we can get you all the details on the great TRAFALGAR tour we found today! Sierra Travel Ph/txt 780 753-6869 - George Meiklejohn or Ph/txt 403 340-6724 - Trish Ratzlaff .,

02/21/2025

What a week in the Travel World 🌎 I believe today should be back on track. We have clients that have finally made it to their destinations and others who should be on flights home as they have also been delayed. Many have concerns about Sunwing, this is due to the accident in Toronto that impacted their runways and the weather in some locations. As a result, many flight’s were impacted across Canada. We encourage you to hold onto all receipts and submit the expenses to Sunwing Cares under the complaints tab once you are home. We are here for your support to walk you through this. ♥️Always remember to do this with any airline when you have this happen. Huge thank you to ALL of our clients that have been impacted for your kindness to us. We can’t possibly express how much it is appreciated when you understand what is within our control and what is not. Please keep this in mind when you are in the airports and on the phone with these airlines.

As scary as this sounds to travel there are days that have these things happen but most out of the entire year are smooth. Don’t let social platforms and the news make it more than what it is. Go see the world knowing that yes there is a risk of this happening to you but there is also a chance that you will have a wonderful experience. Even once you have had delays/cancellations and disappointments there are days left to put it behind you and enjoy!

We are here for today to support you with your bookings and then I must admit that I am craving a day in nature to rejuvenate so I will be off after today and back at it on Monday. ☀️I am always available for your urgent needs 24/7 though and for our clients who are about to leave, in destinations or arriving home. George is home and working this weekend if you are wanting to get something booked over the weekend. 🌴☀️

Wishing you a happy Friday and a little reminder to share some kindness to all small businesses. I think our world really needs this more than ever! Take a moment if you have one to share your positive review on their social platforms or Google! Rise others up and remember that your reviews matter. Giving a 5 star to a small business has a huge impact for them🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Please remember that a negative review also has a big impact on a small business and the owners personally. Give yourself time before leaving reviews knowing there is a human being on the other end who owns that business and touched by your words, good or bad. I’m a huge advocate for mental and brain health, we need to be kind to others as we never really know what others are going through. 🫶We can choose to lift others up which is what most people need these days over tearing them down.

Please feel free to reach me at 403-340-6724 by text or phone call and George 780-753-6869. We hope to have the opportunity to work with you soon.

02/20/2025

The good news is that we are finally moving out of this extremely cold February weather today ☀️🙌Yes, it’s always best to start the day with positive thoughts and I know this is one that many of us need right now in Alberta!

Off to some Travel chat now. It’s been a week, beginning with the very scary plane crash in Toronto which caused waves across the globe for those who were scheduled to fly in and out of this massive airport but as you can imagine this impacted other flights across Canada as well. We want to personally thank our clients who have been delayed, yet so kind to us and staying optimistic. I have to admit, the hardest part of being so up front on social media is the fear that someone with pop on your page and give you a terrible review or tell all of their friends about their experience. I think most know airline policies, flight delays, cancellations or bad service from staff at a resort that week is out of our control but we can be hit with some big emotions too. Sometimes right from early in the morning to the middle of the night and most of the time in the midst of a busy day or when we are with our loved ones who get pushed to the side while talking to us or sent to voicemail. This plays on your mind too with questions such as Did I do enough? How could I have done things better or differently? Do they know how much I care or feel that I’m just collecting a paycheque? Was I worth their investment in booking with me? Owning a business keeps you humble♥️We are reminded daily of remembering that we are all human in any business or job and not always going to be a 5🌟to everyone. I think of this often when I do business with others too.

With that there are many exciting and positive things about travel and we are focusing forward and staying optimistic over here knowing this. 🫶Today we are sending out all of the good vibes of flights being on time, resorts being exceptional, airlines taking care of our clients and creating more travel experiences for those we are currently working with at this moment. ☀️We know that there are some great times and many wonderful memories ahead in 2025!

Let’s make it a beautiful Thursday!

02/19/2025

One of the worst parts about travel are delays for an hour or two but the very worst is a full day. It’s tough for us to think of our 16 passengers who are waiting anxiously to leave tomorrow out of Edmonton when they were set to leave at 9am and booked months ago. 5 families with little one’s who are itching to get in the pool and play in the sand! Poor kiddos♥️Owning this business is fun but there are definitely days that I wish I had my own plane✈️ to fly my clients wherever they want to go without any uncertainty or additional expenses. Wouldn’t that be a great Travel Agency?🤔Sierra Airlines?

Anyways…As I sit on hold for the 5th time today I thought I would share a few sweet dates to consider if you are ready to book a last minute getaway 🌴and then I need to do some multitasking because I don’t think I will make it past 5 pm today at my desk since I started working at 3:30 am 😵‍💫
☀️
March 5-12 (Cancun)
March 25-April 1 (Cancun)
April 3-10 (Punta Cana)
April 12-19 (Direct to the Tulum airport)

Reach out if these dates work for you!

Trish Ratzlaff -403-340-6724

George Meiklejohn -780-753-6869