Steve Shadle

What is your favorite destination?
We all have places in the world where we just feel right. For me, any Disney theme park is at the top of that list. The Disney service experience is truly outstanding and there's nothing I enjoy more than introducing friends and family to that experience. In addition, I'm drawn to the varied cultures and languages of Europe, to the energy of big cities worldwide and to the natural beauty of the West, the Northeast, Hawaii and Alaska. In terms of physical setting, nothing beats an alpine mountain (whether located in the Pacific Northwest or in Bavaria).

What are your favorite things to do while on vacation?
In Europe, I'm all about the culture and festivals. That means museums and sightseeing but it also means attending local festivals and scenes (whether that's pub crawling in Ireland, partying at local Oktoberfests through Germany or seeing village music and dance groups perform at local festivals). At the coast, in Hawaii or on a cruise, it's all about relaxing and taking in the beauty of the area and wandering without much of an agenda. At a Disney resort, the vacation alternates between going "commando" at the theme parks and relaxing at a water park or by the pool.

Why are you interested in travel?
My first trip overseas at the age of 15 (with a high-school dance group) sparked a lifelong passion for travel. I'm a map geek (good read: Maphead by Ken Jennings) and have all my travel adventures pinned on my TripAdvisor map. As a kid, I would devour the occasional Uniglobe catalog that came in the mail, planning itineraries for our family. In my real life (as a librarian at the University of Washington) I typically take four to six business trips a year and I've been able to take my partner to places he never thought he'd go (including Ireland for his 50th birthday).

What is your dream vacation?
A vacation where I wake up every day looking forward to everything I have planned that day. The Asian Disney parks are still on the bucket list as well as more time in Hawaii, interior and southeast Alaska and exploring family heritage destinations in Scandinavia and central Europe. And food....always good, interesting and different food!

What do you like best about working with CruisingCo.com?
As a librarian, I've been providing information services for over 20 years and have been providing informal travel consulting to friends and colleagues for several years. There is nothing more satisfying than to have a friend come back from a trip telling me how smoothly everything went and how much they enjoyed their trip. As an independent consultant with CruisingCo and MouseEarVacations, I've been given an opportunity to work with great people in a supportive environment helping people plan their dream vacations.

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