Inner Compass Travel Co.

13/10/2024

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Businesses & Restaurants in Blowing Rock are open and ready to welcome you back into town! Major routes into Blowing Rock are now fully open and are safe to travel.

The broader WNC community is still recovering from Hurricane Helene and impact to the area is significant. If you are visiting soon, we urge you to plan ahead and keep several things in mind:

- The Blue Ridge Parkway, local State Parks, and many local trails remain closed as damage assessments and repairs occur. A few major attractions are closed while they make repairs or direct their resources to relief efforts. Many fall festivals and events have been canceled- check our event listings for updates.

- Before traveling, check ahead with your lodging host. Many secondary roads are still under repair- full or partial closures are common. Stick to main routes and confirm their status before traveling. And please, respect the needs of our neighbors who have asked that visitors continue to stay away while they make important strides toward recovery.

- Shop and dine locally as much as you can- it makes significant impacts on the families who own our small businesses. Our shops, restaurants, and some of our local attractions are ready to welcome you!

All this to say: please visit thoughtfully. Visitors are crucial to helping our small businesses recover and your support means everything to us. If you are postponing an in-person visit, consider purchasing gift cards from our local businesses as a meaningful way to show your support at this time. If you are looking for additional ways to help, we hope you will contribute to one of the many organizations working to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.

The spirit of the NC High Country is strong, and we stand together in support of those affected by this storm. We are deeply grateful to all those helping western NC- all the work, the contributions, and the kindness. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to support Blowing Rock during this difficult time. It has been heartening and overwhelming in the best way.

Head over to blowingrock.com/helene/ to read our full statement regarding travel and additional resources on ways to support WNC ⬆️

13/10/2024

In the recent event of Hurricane Helene, it left a tremendous amount of loss and devastation to many western North Carolina towns. Please respect those cities that got hit the hardest and are still recovering like Asheville or Chimney Rock and other surrounding areas. Do NOT visit there unless you are offering help and supplies. We have seen many of our friends and family step up collecting supplies, hauling and delivering to those in need, running rescues, and it has been incredible to see everyone come together and support our neighboring communities. 💕

HOWEVER!! Other parts of West North Carolina need our help also! Areas less affected are now reopening and need your help bringing visitors back to recover from major damage and loss to families, businesses, and homes. Shop small! Shop local!

The areas listed below are now open and welcoming vistors! If you are planning a trip, please reroute to one that is open and operational to visitors. There’s a lot going on in these places that are unaffected, to help their mountain neighbors. And it’s another great reason to possibly think about coming and visiting those areas, because not only will you have a direct impact on those small businesses and families, which will help the state as a whole, but you might be able to contribute with your dollars into some of these places that are donating a portion of proceeds to recovery efforts as well. Fall in WNC is the busiest time of year and brings in millions of revenue so this is a major hit to the state. Keep these small business open by shopping local. Please respect the people most affected and do NOT go “sightseeing” the damage and devastation unless you are going to help.

Thank you for showing support in more ways than one to these communities we love and cherish.

04/10/2024

Fall is a great time to visit the beach! There are fewer crowds, off-season deals, and warm temperatures! 🍁☀️🍂

Last call for fall beach trips! Get yours booked before the cold weather sets in! ❄️

29/09/2024

Traveler Spotlight: Sunrise in Sedona 🏜️🌵

It’s been a while since we have done a spotlight!
Meet the Crabtree family! This sweet family wanted something new for their family vacation and decided to head to the red rocks of Arizona!
They spent their trip exploring Phoenix and Sedona!

Some of the things they enjoyed most during their trip was the red rocks sunrises, the Verde Canyon train ride and catching the MLB Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks Game!

Austin and Kaitlyn really enjoyed watching their son Titus react to all the new scenery and is something they will cherish forever ❤️

We were able to book the entire trip for them including the flights, rental car, vacation rental, hotel, children’s museum, botanical gardens, Verde Canyon train ride, and even the tickets to the game all as a bundled deal!

Thank you for booking with Inner Compass Travel Co and allowing us to play a role in a bucket list trip for you and your family! Your pictures were fantastic!

28/09/2024

We send our deepest sympathies to those impacted by Hurricane Helene's devastating aftermath. Our thoughts and prayers are with the many families, neighbors, and cherished towns across the southern states that were severely affected by the storm, experiencing catastrophic damage to homes and livelihoods.

We commend the tireless efforts of first responders, rescue teams, linemen, and volunteers working diligently to provide support for our communities. 🤍

26/09/2024

Please bear with us as we catch up on all of our travel quotes! We have had several new ones come in and we are working on getting back to each of you in a timely manner!

We have had to take a couple weeks off recently to take care of a few personal matters.

We appreciate your patience and understanding! We will be in touch as soon as possible regarding your travels!
Stay safe during the storms!

04/09/2024

Had to share… Winners book with travel advisors! So be a champion and book your travel with us! 🏆🥇

03/09/2024

Travel Tip Tuesday:

Ideally, the best time to book a flight is around 2-4 months before the departure date. If you book too far in advance or too short of notice, you may be paying an average of 15% more than if you book just a few months out.

Most major airlines only let you book up to 330 days in advance.
Keep this in mind when you are inquiring about travel packages for the following year. Happy Travels!

02/09/2024

🔔 Labor Day flash sale! 🔔
Up to an additional $150 off your booking when you book with Inner Compass!

Enjoy an all-inclusive Beach vacation to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Costa Rica 🏝️

Valid for travel 2024 and into 2025 when you book with us Today through Thursday only. Promotion ends September 4th. Must book hotel +air package to redeem offer.

Message us today to get extra savings on your next vacation! 🧳🌎

27/08/2024

We had the honor of booking a very special cruise the other day for one of our travelers. Ms. Cabrera is sailing on her 100th Carnival Cruise!! She said she never thought she would be able to reach her goal but she did it!

What a major accomplishment! Thank you for letting us be a part of this travel milestone with you!! Congratulations on your 100th cruise! Happy sailing!

07/08/2024

Thinking about traveling soon? Use our travel inquiry form to let us know the details of your upcoming travels and we will be in touch to start planning your trip! 🌴

23/07/2024

📣Due to the current travel industry-wide outages, please understand you may experience longer airport lines, travel delays and interruptions and or longer response times from our advisors.

We are working hard through these challenges to create a smooth travel experience for you. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these adversities together. A few of our booking systems have been down this week creating several technical issues or system updates that may create longer than usual response times.

Tip of the day: Get the travel protection!

‼️Remember, using a travel advisor is an extra blanket of security and we will advocate for you regarding any issues that may arise during your travels. ‼️

20/06/2024

Happy First Official Day of Summer! Today is the longest day and shortest night of the year! ☀️

Sometimes all you need is a good day at the beach to reset and recharge! ☀️🌊🐚
If you were looking for a sign to book your next trip, let this be it! Book your beach vacation with Inner Compass Travel Co today!

06/06/2024

Discount alert!! 🚨
June 8 through June 17:

Receive 10% off your booking when you use our activity and excursion link below with the code VIATLN24 at checkout!

You’re welcome! 😉

https://www.viator.com/?pid=P00006875&uid=U00173586&mcid=58086¤cy=USD

02/06/2024

Where’s your happy place?

26/05/2024

We put together a little video from our trip into the Grand Canyon! We are by no means professional videographers but had fun putting this together.

100 miles from the closest town and no one else around and so many miles left to go. We drove 86 miles one way off-road before we unloaded the buggy and rode another 54 miles around the rim of the canyon. It was such a humbling experience to stand beside something so grand!

It began to storm when we made it to the top of the mesa at around 6,000 ft elevation so we were unable to send the drone up with that view from the top. But we enjoyed our lunch right here on the edge of the canyon at around 3000ft elevation overlooking the Colorado River.

🦅 Drone footage taken by Chas Goodson
🎥 Video created by Chas Goodson

20/05/2024

What is life but one ✨Grand✨ Adventure?

We finally made it to the Grand Canyon! And we had it completely to ourselves on the backside of the canyon. By far one of our best adventures yet and certainly not for everyone..

We drove 80 miles down a rough dirt path, set up camp, then rode the buggy another 56 miles around the edge of the canyon. No cell service, no stores, no gas stations, no amenities and no people around to come to the rescue in case of an emergency. Just us and the vast desert surrounding us for 4 days!

It is indescribable how incredibly small you feel standing on the edge of something much greater than yourself. Nothing around except the sound of the wind and rain creeping across the canyon. The Grand Canyon was such a breathtaking reminder of the power and majesty of the natural world.

19/05/2024

On our trek to the Grand Canyon, we traveled 80 miles down a dirt road and came across the old ghost town of Mount Trumbull. We stopped at the school, rang the bell, and even played on the old playground outback.

Inhabitants began arriving in this remote area of northern Arizona around 1917 with dreams of starting their own ranch. Each homesteader received 640 acres of land for raising livestock. Travel to and from town was by horse and wagon until the early 20's. Mount Trumbull and
the surrounding area grew slowly to a
peak population of 200-250 in the 1930's.
Beginning soon after, a change in the climate made dry land farming more and
more difficult. Most residents changed to
raising sheep or cattle after passage of
the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. Gradually,
people moved out of Mount Trumbull. The
last full-time resident left in 1984.
Townspeople completed the Mount
Trumbull School in 1922. This was the
second school at this location. The first
quickly became too small and was moved
to make room for this building. Lumber for
the school was cut and dragged by horse-
drawn wagon down the Old Slide Road.
The road was so steep that workers had
to tie down the wagon's wheels and skid
it down the incline.In addition to education, the building acted as town hall, church and dance hall.People would come from miles around to
attend the dances.The school bell rang for the last time in 1968 when the number of pupils became too few to keep a teacher.

We carried onward with our journey and set up camp tucked in the juniper trees for the night. We couldn’t go any further with the truck and trailer so we unloaded the Goblin as the last stretch required high clearance 4x4 vehicle.

The next landmark was Bar 10 Ranch! We stopped and talked to Mrs. Julie and Mr. Jack and they greeted us with the utmost hospitality! They told us all about the area and how to get to where we were headed. The ranch offers the full western experience! You can sleep in a covered wagon like the pioneers, go horseback riding, have atv tours through the canyon, test your aim at the shooting range, raft down the Colorado river and they will pick you up in a helicopter and bring you back to the ranch, and the. feed you a hot meal after a full day! They will even pick you up in a puddle jumper from Las Vegas for those quick trips out west! We will certainly be planning another trip back to the Ranch and dive into all the fun they offer.

18/05/2024

📍Three Peaks Recreation Area
Cedar City, Utah

We camped at this little hidden gem for several days! Three Peaks Recreation Area has more than 6,000 acres of thrilling terrain where visitors can explore a plethora of outdoor activities like mountain biking, hiking, disc golf, ATV riding, RC car track, model plane flying, camping, and even horseback riding! Whether thrill-seeker or a nature enthusiast, the Three Peaks Recreation Area has something for everyone! There was a shooting range and a paintball park too! Just a short drive away from the breathtaking views of Bryce Canyon National Park.

We caught a beautiful rainbow after a quick evening storm and had a delicious meal by the fire. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed the OHV trails and still didn’t manage to touch them all.

We met some awesome people that we rode with and they gave us a ton of information on where we needed to go next and local insight on how to get us off the grid and on our way to the Grand Canyon beyond where the tourists go.

17/05/2024

We finally made it to the Grand Canyon! Of course I had to wear my Inner Compass Travel Co. hoodie!

5 million people travel from all over the world to the south rim of the Grand Canyon each year to see this World Wonder…

We tend to take the road less traveled… With that being said, We decided to camp 80 miles outside of civilization on the backside of the Canyon-where it is only accessible by 4x4. We had this part of the Grand Canyon completely to ourselves!

We are excited to share more breathtaking views and details from our journey with you!

14/05/2024

We are headed to the backcountry of Arizona today to camp and will completely out of service range for the next 3 days. We will be unable to respond to calls or texts or emails until we get back into civilization.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! We are looking forward to completely unplugging and enjoying the last few days of our trip. We will be in touch regarding your travels once we return. We are being a product of the product and have some fun things to share with you soon!

12/05/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the loving mothers out there!
With lots of love, we hope you have a great day! 💗