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Group Travel & Our Personally Escorted Tours Joy's Signature Events Availability 2026 - The Best of the Netherlands Tour, April 2026 - Best of Ireland with the Aran Isles, May 2026 - Fjords of Iceland, August 2026 - Italy from Venice to Capri, October 2026 - Christmastime on the Danube, December 2027 - Kenya & Tanzania, February 2027 - Undiscovered Sicily and Southern Italy, October Waitlisted 2026 - Joy's New Zealand & Australia Private Tour, February 2026 - Best of Switzerland by Train, April 2026 - Amazing Aegean: Mykonos and Santorini with Athens, May
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Home Meet Us Meet Us Our Story Joy Gawf-Crutchfield Leigh Ann Lane Lori Curtis Joslyn White Shawnda McAlester Christine McGlashen Shelley Perry Molly Friend Travel With Us Group Travel & Our Personally Escorted Tours Joy's Signature Events Availability 2026 - The Best of the Netherlands Tour, April 2026 - Best of Ireland with the Aran Isles, May 2026 - Fjords of Iceland, August 2026 - Italy from Venice to Capri, October 2026 - Christmastime on the Danube, December 2027 - Kenya & Tanzania, February 2027 - Undiscovered Sicily and Southern Italy, October Waitlisted 2026 - Joy's New Zealand & Australia Private Tour, February 2026 - Best of Switzerland by Train, April 2026 - Amazing Aegean: Mykonos and Santorini with Athens, May Our Specialties Favorite Destinations Luxury Travel River Cruises Ocean Cruises Africa Exotic Travel All-Inclusive Resorts Family Travel Tours AfricaBlogResourcesContact
The Joy of Travel

Travel Blog

The Joy of Travel is an Oklahoma-based Travel Agency
We have fun, experienced agents who live and breathe to plan great trips for you at unbeatable prices. These are our tips, experiences and more.

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Cutting Back Today to Say “WOW” on Vacation in 2026
Cutting Back Today to Say “WOW” on Vacation in 2026

If you’ve felt a little more intentional about where your money goes lately, you’re not alone. Across the U.S., Americans are making thoughtful choices—cutting back on everyday spending so they can keep doing what they love most: traveling.

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General TravelJoy CrutchfieldJanuary 2, 2026Budget, Europe, River Cruises, Africa, Bucket List
2026 Travel Trends: Why Experiential Travel Is Leading the Way
2026 Travel Trends: Why Experiential Travel Is Leading the Way

After more than 20 years of helping travelers explore the world, we’ve seen travel trends shift many times. But if there’s one thing that’s truly defining 2026 travel, it’s this: people aren’t just going somewhere—they’re going deeper.

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General TravelJoy CrutchfieldDecember 26, 2025Ocean Cruises, River Cruises, Hawaii, Europe
🎄 Europe in Lights: The Magic of Christmas Market River Cruises
🎄 Europe in Lights: The Magic of Christmas Market River Cruises

Imagine drifting from one storybook town to the next, wrapped in lights, laughter, and the scent of mulled wine. That’s the magic of a Christmas Market river cruise.

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CruisesJoy CrutchfieldNovember 28, 2025River Cruises, Christmas, Christmas markets
The Art of Unhurried Travel
The Art of Unhurried Travel

River cruising feels like time finally agreeing to slow down. There’s no packing and unpacking, no frantic train schedules, no crowds rushing to the next sight. Your floating boutique hotel glides into new towns while you sleep — and you wake up already there. . .

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CruisesJoy CrutchfieldNovember 21, 2025River Cruises
🦓 Africa at Sunrise: What the Wild Teaches You About Wonder
🦓 Africa at Sunrise: What the Wild Teaches You About Wonder

There’s a moment just before the sun rises in Africa when the world seems to pause.
The air is cool, the sky pale and waiting, and every sound — every whisper of the grass — feels important. You sip coffee from a tin cup, and the quiet isn’t empty; it’s full.

Then, the horizon blinks — gold light spilling over the plains — and life begins to move again. . .

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AfricaJoy CrutchfieldNovember 14, 2025sunrise
🌍 The Myth of the “Group Tour”
🌍 The Myth of the “Group Tour”

If you picture an escorted tour as a crowd of people hustled from one bus to the next, you’re not alone — and you’re not entirely wrong. That version used to exist. But modern escorted travel? It’s a whole new art form.

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General TravelJoy CrutchfieldNovember 7, 2025Tours, Groups, Europe
Experience Authentic Portugal: A Luxury Douro River Cruise from Lisbon to Porto
Experience Authentic Portugal: A Luxury Douro River Cruise from Lisbon to Porto

There are trips you remember — and then there are trips that change the way you see the world. My recent Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro with 3 Nights in Lisbon journey with Avalon Waterways was exactly that kind of experience . . .

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Cruises, EuropeJoy CrutchfieldOctober 31, 2025River Cruises, Portugal
🍰 The Sweetest Dilemma: Why Too Many Choices Can Be a Good Thing (With a Little Help!)
🍰 The Sweetest Dilemma: Why Too Many Choices Can Be a Good Thing (With a Little Help!)

Take a look at this picture. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Isn't it glorious? A veritable wonderland of pastries, cakes, and treats, each one looking more tempting than the last. You've got your delicate tarts, your creamy éclairs, those irresistible-looking cream puffs, decadent multi-layered cakes...

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General TravelJoy CrutchfieldOctober 10, 2025Food
Discover the Magic of Kenya & Tanzania with Joy
Discover the Magic of Kenya & Tanzania with Joy

Are you ready to join JOY and experience the adventure of a lifetime, where breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife, and rich cultures come together in an unforgettable journey?

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AfricaJoy CrutchfieldOctober 3, 2025Kenya, Tanzania
The Rhythm of Rail and the Luxury of Time
The Rhythm of Rail and the Luxury of Time

There’s something quietly grand about experiencing the Rockies from a panoramic seat: mountains unfolding like a slow-motion postcard, rivers threading silver through valleys, and the steady, reassuring chug of a train that lets you watch the world instead of rushing through it. . .

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General TravelJoy CrutchfieldSeptember 26, 2025Train, Rocky Mountaineer
🏝️ Aloha, and Welcome to Oahu — Your Trip of a Lifetime Awaits
🏝️ Aloha, and Welcome to Oahu — Your Trip of a Lifetime Awaits

Oahu has a way of surprising even seasoned travelers: it pairs dramatic volcanic ridgelines with powdery white sand, world-class surf with quiet, neighborhood charm, and bustling Honolulu energy with pockets of untouched tropical calm. Call it classic Hawaii, concentrated: the island offers . . .

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Joy CrutchfieldSeptember 19, 2025
🛳️ A Taste of Paradise: Why Paul Gauguin Cruises Feels Different
🛳️ A Taste of Paradise: Why Paul Gauguin Cruises Feels Different

There’s a special kind of calm that comes with sailing the South Pacific on a ship built for the region it explores. Paul Gauguin Cruises specializes in French Polynesia — the islands themselves are the star, and the ship is the perfect complement: intimate, Polynesian in spirit, and focused on . . .

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CruisesJoy CrutchfieldSeptember 12, 2025Paul Gaugin, Polynesian
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