Owner & Guide of Luxurious Journeys & Luxe Lowcountry Travel
Susie McMahon, owner and guide of Luxurious Journeys and Luxe Lowcountry Travel an independent affiliate of Trips and Ships Luxury Travel, has spent a lifetime traveling, exploring, and immersing herself in the customs, culture, and communities of the destinations she visits. Her passion for and experience in travel is what she enjoys sharing most with her clients, providing them with custom travel concierge and planning services. Learn more about Susie, her travel experiences, and what she’s looking forward to as travel opens up in 2021.
At what age did your love for travel begin? My travel experiences began as a young child taking car trips every summer from my home in Atlanta to visit my grandparents who lived in Hilton Head, SC. Little did I know that it was the beginning of a “love affair” with the Lowcountry that would ultimately lead me to reside there and name my business after it. I just remember that yearning inside of me that couldn’t wait to return year after year to the sandy beaches, the beautiful marsh views, and the salty air.
While raising your family, what were some of your most memorable family vacations? Our favorite vacations were visiting National Parks, camping, and trips to the beach.
One of the most unique travel experiences for our family was a trip to Key West and then over to Dry Tortugas National Park. We camped on the island for three nights. It was rustic, wild, and tropical. The logistical and provisional planning was a challenge, but the experience was unforgettable! We camped on an island with only a few other campers 70 miles off the coast of Florida, crossing a shipping channel and sharing the island with an American Crocodile that was stranded after a hurricane. (Don’t worry he was removed and flown back to the Everglades.) The days were filled with lazy walks around the fort, kayaking around the island, fishing with hook and line and observing bird nesting grounds from afar. The days ended with watching the sunset across the sea and stargazing for hours on end. While it was rustic and not quite a luxurious journey, the time spent with my family and nature made the trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Why did you choose a career in travel? And what do you like most about your career? Travel is always an adventure to me! I believe we learn more about ourselves when we put ourselves in new situations. I like to say that my travel career found me. Having graduated college, I needed a job. I began working in the hospitality and travel industry. One job led to another from hotel management to airlines, to arranging business travel, and now luxury leisure travel. In hindsight, I’m thankful for the happenstance as it’s provided me with diverse experiences and strong travel industry knowledge.
What are your favorite types of travel experiences and why? Four words describe them: authentic, wellness, green, and slow. I want to meet local people, eat farm-to-table or sea-to-table food, and experience the natural resources in the areas I visit. I’m a big proponent of “slow travel” which means ditching the fast-paced tours and travel agendas in favor of immersing yourself in your destination, allowing yourself time to take it all in, and becoming part of it — rather than just being a silent bystander or observer.
What advice to you have to offer the novice traveler? If you’re new to travel my professional advisor and concierge service such as mine is perfect for you! I seriously caution novice travelers to depend on or trust website rating systems. Instead, ask a professional for their feedback and allow time for them to dig deep about your destination before you make decisions on your travel planning.
With many travel restrictions in place during the pandemic, how did you spend your personal/professional time? During the pandemic lockdown, I spent a lot of time deciding on the direction of my life and business. Out of the blue, I won a free author talk with Rebecca Dwight Bruff, author of Trouble the Water. Since we could not meet in person, I started a virtual book club. My book club is unique because we feature a book and then the following month meet the author via Facebook Live. The current featured author surprises us by choosing and introducing us to the next month’s feature author, and so on, and so on. We have enjoyed chatting virtually with so many wonderful authors!
One of my featured authors mentioned that I should try to put together a literary festival. That’s what led me to develop Luxe Lowcountry Travel’s Literary & Leisure Getaway in Beaufort, SC. We actually meet the authors whose books we read throughout the year and visit sites made famous by Pat Conroy and other fabulous Southern authors. If you’d like more information on the tour, visit this link.
What are some new destinations you’d like to visit now that travel is opening up again? I already have my plans set! I’ll be visiting Turks and Caicos in May 2021; Greece in September 2021; and a River Cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest in December 2022.
Finally, what personal or professional goals do you have as you look towards the future? I hope to continue building my travel community and my virtual book club. Ultimately, my goal is to build a community of women 50+ that may not have someone to travel with but want to explore the world together!
Author: Karen L. Snyder
Karen Snyder has pursued her passion for writing for more than 30 years and is the owner of WORD Writing & Virtual Services. She has served as a corporate editor to Fortune 500 companies and contributing writer to many regional publications and magazines covering parenting, travel, health, education, and more. She enjoys living the coastal lifestyle, relaxing on the beach, and spending time with her family and pups.
