Karen Fisher

I was born and raised in Sterling, IL, have 29 years of experience in the travel industry, and have had the pleasure of working at Destinations Travel Services Inc., since the day it opened its doors in November 2005.  

I am very grateful to be associated with this award-winning Travel Agency where we have the support of our Consortia, MAST-Midwest Agents Selling Travel, which manages the distribution and training for some of the World‘s most renowned Travel Vendors and offer us the additional confidence of selling products, which offer impeccable agent support. 

As members of Destinations, Travel Services, we are committed to excellence, and are constantly updating our training and product awareness.

Things I love about my job - The artist in me loves to help the client visualize, define, and expand on the vision that he or she has in mind and to bring that Dream Vacation to life.  I love that travel is constantly evolving every day and that there are new and exciting experiences waiting to be explored.

I love that my repeat clients recognize the value of working with a travel agent.  It’s rewarding when they acknowledge our commitment to training, then applying that information to the booking process, thus saving them time; while at the same time giving them the peace of mind we can provide due to the long-term relationships we have developed over the years with our trusted vendors.

The most rewarding thing about my job - Because I put my so much of my heart into this career and am not just order taker, combined with the fact that travel arrangements can be very personal, I am often deeply moved by trust given to me in handling details of personal life events that clients and I have shared over the years.  It has been a privilege to participate in the most painful to the most joyous times in the lives of my clients; from weddings and new babies, to the laughter of sharing crazy life stories, to the depths of a terrible diagnosis, or passing of a parent or loved one.  

One of my most enjoyable and memorable trips was a Mayflower Tours, Rhine River Cruise, from Amsterdam to Basel, France.

Favorite Places - I can’t say that I have a single favorite place.  My travels have taken me to France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Antigua Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Jamaica, San Juan, St Bart’s, St Croix, St John, St Kitts, St. Thomas and Turks and Caicos. 

What I can say, is that my favorite places are ones where the destination or experience has evoked an emotion or feeling, and the impact of that moment is suspended forever in memory.  Think about it…. Imagine yourself standing on a deck of a luxury river vessel showered in the warmth of a beautiful, sunny spring day. There’s a gentle breeze rustling through your hair as you watch people cycling along a shoreline path of a rural European city.  Picture yourself taking in the glitter of lights outlining and reflecting the silhouette of a Gothic Cathedral across the smooth glassy water on a cool evening as you sail away from a famous European port.   Contemplate what a small world we live in when you see a barge filled with John Deere tractors that were manufactured an hour from your home in Illinois floating down a European river thousands of miles from home; and finally, experiencing the feeling of awe that penetrates your soul when you are standing in an ancient cathedral and realize that you are standing in the same spot where kings, queens, and dignitaries stood centuries ago. 

What do I bring to the table?  I bring years of experience working with world-renowned travel vendors that I trust, and know will deliver a secure vacation investment, that offer the highest levels of safety, and are willing to help if a follow-up response is needed.   It is important to me to create a memorable vacation experience, yet at the same time, treat my client’s investment as though it were my very own - from first appointment to their return from the vacation..

Favorite Food - I was raised with the adage that you better eat what is on your plate, if you know what's good for you!  So with that being said, Old fashioned comfort food, meat and potatoes, is hard to beat; but the foods I crave are Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia with Capers and Lemon Butter, Pecan Encrusted Halibut with Beurre Sauce served with Asparagus, and Penne Pasta with Paisano Sauce. 

Oh, and for those special occasions... Chocolate Truffles, or Alaskan Vanilla Frozen Yogurt topped with Crushed Heath Bar

Favorite Drink - Most of the time it's simply water, coffee, lightly sweetened black or green iced tea; but if I'm going to splurge, it's Starbucks Dragon Fruit Refresher or Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Vanilla - fat/sugar free version... because of my favorite foods.

Evening or dinner out splurge: Medium Body Cabernet Sauvignon or Red Blend, Traditional Margarita’s, and Strawberry Mojito’s

Favorite Music - I Love music from most all genres, and on those rare occasions, when dancing is required, even embarrass myself or my children on the dance floor, but really prefer music that touches my soul:  Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Hillsong, Lauren Daigle, Shane and Shane.

Contact Karen:  

If you have a love or desire to travel, go to my business Facebook page and like it, you can follow my story there, or simply stop by to say hello!