Walkabout Tours

23/10/2024

We’ve had the most beautiful fall weather this year. Can’t help myself—I just keep taking pictures on my daily walks! Keeping this as a reminder of my favorite season. 🍁🍂🍃

What season do you enjoy most? Drop a comment and let me know!

18/10/2024

Hi there! I want to share a quick introduction today because there are so many new people here! Thanks for joining me in this little corner of the world.

I’m Shelly, and I love travel. My first trip overseas took place when I was in college—I studied at Oxford University one summer and fell in love with England and all things travel. It was on that trip that God showed me that he is everywhere, even in places we might not think we can find him.

And this is what got me excited about travel. Every time I travel I see God’s hand at work in the world. He puts me in the path of other believers in some incredible ways.

Like the time I met a young man in the Lyon train station who grew up in a Muslim home and straight out asked me if I knew Jesus! (I wrote about that incredible conversation on my blog.)

Stuff like this happens to me all the time, and it’s one of the reasons I love sharing my adventures with other women. I truly believe that there are wonderful people everywhere!

Walkabout got started five years ago—you can read about it in my previous post—and I have been loving every minute of creating this small business. (OK, the Covid part wasn’t that fun, and I almost gave up, but thankfully I didn’t.)

I’m a wife of almost 40 years to my college sweetheart, a mom of three adult daughters, and Nana to two sweeties whom I adore.

I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re interested in a future Walkabout trip (I’m always dreaming up new ideas for places to go!), the best way to stay in touch is through my newsletter/email that goes out most Fridays. You can sign up on my website under the “Connect” tab.

Now I’d love to hear from YOU! Tell me one thing you love about travel or one place you’d love to visit.

17/10/2024

This was the post that started it all. October 16, 2019. So much has happened since then!

I am continually amazed at what God has done over the past five years.

• Seven trips
• 47 women (2 repeat clients)
• 3 countries
• Countless stories & laughs 😁

Next year we will add 3 more trips and 18 women to the list.

I pray that God gives me many more years to do this work. It feels like I finally found the thing (at my age! Go figure!) that combines all of my passions. I’m never bored, never upset, never anxious about anything. I just love what I’m doing.

My other prayer is that the women who come on my tours feel blessed and ministered to while they are with me. It is such a privilege to serve women in this way.

I hope you’ll join me on a Walkabout tour one day! Tours for 2025 are already sold out, but I’d be happy to put you on our waitlist. And the best way to be among the first to know about our 2026 trips is to sign up for my newsletter. The link is in my bio.

07/10/2024

On Day 6, we traveled to Arles, another of Van Gogh’s hang outs. Sadly, life was not great for Van Gogh in Arles. He wanted to start a sort of artists’ colony or commune, but kept getting rejected by others. Van Gogh’s volatile personality made it hard for him to make friends.

Our fantastic guide, , showed us some of the more famous Van Gogh spots and also explained a bit about the important Roman history in Arles. In Arles, Van Gogh painted his famous “Yellow House” painting. Sadly, the house was bombed during WWII, but standing on the square where the house stood brought goosebumps, knowing that this was the very spot Van Gogh would have painted it.

The Arles Amphitheater is slightly smaller than the more famous coliseum in Rome, but it is still an important part of the community. Today, bullfights and community events take place in the Amphitheater and are well-attended by both locals and tourists. Another Roman site in Arles is used for concerts and theater productions.

After the tour, several of us were walking down a small street, looking for a place for lunch, when I noticed an artist’s studio with the windows open. Julie, our resident artist, stopped to take a look and suddenly, the artist herself started chatting with her. “Would you like to come in?” she asked? We all readily agreed!

turned out to be such a wonderful and kind woman, adding to our delight with the city of Arles. We spent a few minutes in her small studio, asking questions and admiring the beautiful artwork that she creates from old books. 

I always tell the women who travel with me that the number one trait of a good traveler is curiosity, and on that day, our curiosity paid off. We never would have learned about this incredible artist or been invited into her studio if we were not women with genuine curiosity about her and her work. It was such a special moment for each one of us.

We found Arles to be a lovely city with lots of small streets, historic sites, beautiful shops, and wonderful restaurants. This is the kind of place where you could simply wander for a couple of hours and let your curiosity take over.

02/10/2024

On Day 5 we visited one of my favorite towns, St. Remy. We began the day, perusing the weekly Wednesday market, which is one of the best in Provence. It takes over almost the entire old part of the city, and offers some incredible vendors.

I bought an original watercolor from the man in the hat named Franc. Franc has lived in St. Remy since he was seven years old—he knows how special it is there.

There’s a restaurant I found on my first night in the area where I ate alone called La Maison Favier. It was so good that I went back for lunch on market day. The dessert is one I had on that first night AND on my second visit. I’ve thought about it ever since—a pavlova, topped with homemade fig jam, whipped cream, and fresh figs. Sooo good!! 😁 (Can you tell I’m a sucker for dessert?)

After our shopping excursion, we headed not far up the road to the St. Paul asylum where Vincent Van Gogh had lived during the year before he died. Seeing his room, the view from his window, his environment, is such a moving experience.

There’s something about St. Remy that gets to me. It feels like home, in a strange way. I’m sure I’ll be back again. ❤️

02/10/2024

01/10/2024

We met our dear friend, Fabio (remember him from our Lyon and Florence tours?) in Avignon and learned all about church history in both Avignon AND Lyon. (He couldn’t help himself–he just had to mention his beloved Lyon. 😁 ) 

Did you know that the Pope lived in Avignon for over 70 years? And that there is a Papal Palace in Avignon? We toured the Palais des Papes, then learned about the Roman influence in this area of France. (Actually, there is a huge Roman influence all over France, including Burgundy.) 

Later, we climbed a hill to get a fantastic view of the famous Avignon bridge that dates back to the 1100s. What we didn’t expect was the force of the Mistral winds 💨 that blew us almost backwards down the hill! Check out my hair in the picture! 😂 We had to hold each other up on the way down!

After lunch in Avignon, it was back to the house for more art and another fabulous dinner prepared by Chef Eric.

01/10/2024

27/09/2024

New blog post! Our Walkabout trip to Provence was amazing. You can read all about it here.

A trip report from our Walkabout Provence trip, September 2024.

21/09/2024

This is from a few days ago, but still fun if you want to see where we’ve been staying in Provence. 😊

10/09/2024

I found this quote recently and have been thinking about it ever since. It pretty much sums up why I started Walkabout. And why I want to keep going as long as God would have me do this.

I believe in the transformational power of travel.

I believe God can teach us many important lessons when we get out of our comfort zone.

I believe that women are empowered when they travel, either solo or with a small group.

I believe God is with us wherever we go, there is no need to fear.

These reasons and so many more are why I do what I do. And I’m grateful every day that I get to do this, even at my age! 😉😁

We have this one life, friends. What are you doing with it? 💕

21/07/2024

Getting ready for Provence! So excited to return to this beautiful corner of France in September.

10/07/2024

Are you nostalgic about a place? I sure am!

This past weekend we went to Door County, WI for a wedding. On our way out of town, we stopped at the White Gull Inn for breakfast. This inn, that room, was where we spent our honeymoon 39 years ago.

We’ve been back to the White Gull several times over the years, and to Door County too many times to count. It always takes us back to those early days when we didn’t know what we didn’t know. (You know? 😉) And it fills our hearts with gratitude for what has happened in our lives over these past 39 years.

I’m so nostalgic about the White Gull Inn and glad we stopped for breakfast. (It was still just as good as it always was. I HIGHLY recommend a White Gull breakfast!)

Now tell me, what place makes you nostalgic?

01/06/2024

39 years with this guy today. Funny how they let 10 year olds get married back in the 80s! 😂

24/05/2024

On Wednesday we visited the villages of Bibury and Burford, two of the most quintessential Cotswolds villages. We visited the famous Arlington Row in Bibury and the church of St John the Baptist in Burford. I loved the monument to Henry VIII’s barber. 😂

21/05/2024

Walkabout England 2024 takes on the Cotswolds. So much chocolate box goodness around every corner!

13/04/2024

When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would
Love to say.

A journey can become a sacred thing.

Make sure, before you go,
To bless your going forth,
To free your heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you towards
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life;
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

Excerpt from the blessing, "For the Traveler" found in his books:
To Bless the Space Between Us (US) / Benedictus (Europe)
Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/store

The Burren
County Clare, Ireland
Photo: © Ann Cahill

09/03/2024

To all the strong, fierce, intelligent, creative, beautiful women who have traveled with me so far . . . I admire each one of you. The way you have bravely stepped out to travel, sometimes with complete strangers, is an inspiration. You've shared your stories and your lives with one another, and it has been a beautiful thing to see you all continue to stay in touch and support one another.

I celebrate each one of you!! Happy International Women's Day!

26/02/2024

Our Walkabout theme for this year is “Behold!” and today I came across a devotional by Jonathan Edwards that fit the theme perfectly.

He goes on to say, “When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the beauteous rainbow, we behold [a glimpse] of his glory and goodness; and in the blue sky his mildness and gentleness.”

Everywhere we look, there is beauty. And God made it all so that we could see his glory.

Where have you seen beauty today?

22/02/2024

If there is one thing the Lord has taught me through Walkabout it is trust.

Can I tell you something? I am terrible at sales and marketing. Just terrible. It makes me feel queasy to even think about trying to sell anything, especially myself. But that's what I'm doing, in a way, when I ask women to join me on a Walkabout Tour.

Every year, when I introduce the next year's trips, I'm worried that nobody will want to go, that I'll have spaces open, or that I won't be able to cover the costs. I'm afraid that I've made some terrible mistake or that people will laugh at what I'm doing or that another pandemic will shut us down again. Whatever. I always think that this can't possibly work for another year.

But God . . .

He reminds me that this is his completely. I don't have to worry, and I certainly don't have to sell anything. He puts each group together so beautifully--I've seen it happen over and over again--and I have learned that he will do it again.

Today I am happy to announce that 8 months ahead of time, God has sold out the Provence trip. (England has been full for a while now, too.) As usual, I am in awe about what he has done.

I hope I make it clear that this business, ministry, whatever you want to call it, is not of me. It is totally of the Lord. He brings just the right women together. He arranges all of the details. And he watches over each trip to make sure they run smoothly.

Today I just want to say, soli deo gloria.

16/02/2024

Here's your reminder that ONE SPOT still remains on our Walkabout Provence tour. September 14-21.

15/02/2024

NEW POST: Ten Tips for Packing Like a Pro

If you watched my Travel Tuesday video this week, I shared ten tips that will help you pack before you even start thinking about what clothes to bring. I've expanded my ideas in this blog post and shared a few of my favorite items for travel as well.

Head to the link below to read the full post.

https://www.discoverwalkabout.com/journal/ten-tips-for-packing-like-a-pro

14/02/2024

Happy Valentines Day!

14/02/2024

Here are ten tips for packing . . . before you even put anything in your suitcase!

1. Use packing cubes! 😁

2. Organize your electrical cords.

3. Put air tags in each of your bags. ✈️

4. Only use a purse (or f***y pack or backpack) with a ZIPPER.

5. Pack for two weeks in a carry on bag. 🧳

6. Make sure your personal item is big enough. 😉

7. Bring a foldable tote for souvenirs.

8. Keep prescriptions, toothbrush, and an extra change of clothes with you on the plane.

9. Minimize your shoes. I only bring one pair of running shoes, one casual shoe (usually white tennis shoes), and one sandal or boot.

10. Minimize your toiletries. This is not the time to bring your whole extensive skincare regime. Face wash. Serum. Moisturizer. That’s enough.

Head to my website for more details and some of my favorite products.

https://www.discoverwalkabout.com/journal/ten-tips-for-packing-like-a-pro