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Hello Friends,

We are anxious for you to see all the new trips we have put together for 2015. As the spirit moves, we will be adding more trips as the year moves along. We send out an e-mail blast every Friday to keep you abreast of any new trips we are offering. If you are not getting them, please call our office and register for the information. To-day, I ask you to pull up your easy chair, silence your cell phone, and just relax and absorb all the neat things in this newsletter.

MOST IMPORTANTLY! Date change for the first 2015 Travel Show. We have it scheduled for

Jan. 14, but I will be out of town so I changed it to Feb. 18. We normally have the show in February any-way. For those who do not get the memo. . . I will have Heather there to field any questions you may have, but she will be there only for those who did not know about the date change.

Let’s talk about travel agents. Before the internet people had no idea what hotels were available in other cities, what car rentals were available and how to get an airline ticket. Travel Agents had access to that information mostly through printed publications. They did not charge the customer, but the vendors paid them a commission. Thus they could survive. About 15-20 years ago, the airlines (first to do so) dropped their commissions to travel agencies and wanted everyone to use the internet. If you did not use the internet, the airlines charged the customer to make a reservation via telephone. Those charges are still in place. Just about everything you need to make your reservations are on the internet now. Custom Holidays is a tour company, not a travel agency. We put to-gether the whole package and sell it as such. We negotiate group rates so that hopefully, by the time we add our fees, it is still less than you could go on your own. That is our goal: to give you the best quality trip at the most cost effective price.

Often times, at your request, I will help with reservations. As a matter of fact, if you are going on a cruise or a tour with one of the big companies, they still pay commissions, and I want to help you on that. It is profitable for me and it is no more costly for you. However, if you want an airline ticket, I have to get it the same way you do, and I have to pay the same fees you have to pay. Same for hotels and car rentals. I can get a commission on cars and hotels, but it is not worth the hassle for the few dollars involved. Recently, I have had more people call-ing to ask if I could help them with individual arrangements. Travel agencies now charge for that service. I have done it without charging. However, many, many times, after I have done the research, I have heard, “I already took care of it on line.” I really do not want to do the extra work so I am okay with your doing it on line. I am opposed to your using me to make sure you got the lowest rate. I ask you respectfully, please do not do that. It takes away from my regular work or my family time. Thanks for understanding. Sue Biggs

Travel Shows

Our 2015 Travel Shows are on Wednesdays at 1:30 pm

Allen Park Community Center at 1:30 pm.

15800 White St. Allen Park, MI

February 18 May 13 August 5 November 4

Pre-register for the travel show online or by calling us!

Why Pre-register?

1. You get an extra chance at the drawing

2. You get first dibs on new trips. Bring your check book. Bring a friend.

3. To Make sure we have room for everyone

Friday’s 10:45 a.m.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Feb. 6th The Nat King Cole Songbook Mar. 13th Natalie MacMaster

Apr. 10th Golden Age of Broadway Jun. 12th Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess We only have a few seats available for each of these concerts.

Custom Holidays●15250 Euclid Allen Park, MI 48101 ●313 388-0448● www.customholidaysonline.com

Sun. Feb 8 $107

Ballroom with a Twist Macomb Center

for Performing Arts (MCPA)

Enjoy this dance production

with producer and finalists from “Dancing with the

Stars,” “So You Think You

Can Dance.” and “American

Idol.” Brio Restaurant

Sun. Feb. 15 $101

Abba the Concert (MCPA)

This is the closest to ABBA you

will ever get. Celebrate all the

joy and exuberance of this great band in Music history.

Hear you favorites “Dancing

Queen,” “Mama Mia,” and lots

more. J Baldwins Restaurant

Sat, Mar 7 @ 2 pm $95 Bal/$115/main

Million Dollar Quartet Fisher Theatre

“Million Dollar Quartet” is the story of Elvis,

Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Per-kins, who come together for the most fa-

mous jam session ever. The

story line leads up to that eventful evening. Don’t

miss the opportunity to be a

“fly on the wall” for this

event. Hard Rock Cafe

Thurs. March 12 $83

Steel Magnolias at the Purple Rose

A Southern tale, a classic

comedy celebrating small-

town women who possess a strength that beckons joy and laughter no matter what

life throws at them. The Common Grill

Mon—Wed, March 16—18 $439 pp/do

Chicago (Flower Show & Frank Lloyd

Wright & more)

Visit the Chicago Flower Show, the Frank Lloyd Wright Com-

plex, Garfield Park. Spend time

at Navy Pier and the Magnifi-

cent Mile. Take in an optional theatre performance or enjoy a

great dinner in downtown. Embassy Suites

Sat, March 21 $91

Doug Gabriel Zehnders

He and his family feature number one hits of over 35 artists includ-

ing Tom Jones, Marty Robbins,

Taylor Swift and many more. It is

a great show. Chicken Dinner

Tue, March 24 $78

An Artistic Excursion Howell & Brighton

Enjoy Brighton’s outdoor sculp-

tures. Taste the art of cooking,

with “The Great Foodini.” At an art Studio, make and take a

project (you cannot mess it up.)

Enjoy free time to visit galleries and boutiques. Before the day is over learn

how to display and preserve memorabilia.

Chef Renee’s recipes

Thurs. March 26 $80 (MPAC)

The Great Gatsby

This is a tale about the American Dream. It’s a masterful adapta-

tion which captures the elusive

magic of J. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. If you have one, wear your gangster

or flapper costume Louie’s Chop House

2015 - It PROMISES TO BE A GREAT YEAR TO TRAVEL. . . Save These dates and call 313.388.0448 to get your name on “The List.”

Custom Holidays●15250 Euclid Allen Park, MI 48101 ●313 388-0448● www.customholidaysonline.com

Wed, April 1 $83 Turkeyville

Yakety Yak—A Fifties Tale Two friends buy an old diner and get

more than they bargained for! As

they explore the soda fountain and try out the jukebox, they are

suddenly transported back to the 1950’s.

Join in the fun.

Wed—Thur, April 8—9 $249 Pp/do

Vera Bradley Outlet Sale

Join the Happy Band of trav-elers to Fort Wayne and the

Convention Center where the

once yearly sale happens. See the flyer for other exciting

venues on this trip. Courtyard

Fri, April 10 $105

Lily Tomlin—Live (MCPA)

The iconic Lily Tomlin takes

you on a hilarious trip with more than a dozen timeless

characters—from Ernestine

to Mrs. Beasley to Edith Ann. Register early, this trip will fill up fast.

Country Inn Restaurant

Thur, April 16 $57

Spring Resale Shopping

Sue will pick out some up-scale Resale Shops for your

shopping pleasure in Ann Ar-

bor, Chelsea, Northville, Can-

ton. Please register early,

there are only 40 seats available.

What Crepe

Mon—Thurs April 20—30 pp/do $3349

including air from Detroit

Holy Land Tour of Israel

Join Pastor Ken Brown for an unforgettable and life

changing experience as you

walk the same area where Jesus and His

Disciples walked. Register today.

Tue, April 21 $67

Church Tour

Make stops at the Mariner’s

Church, Historic Trinity ad en-

joy lunch there. Then visit Ca-thedral Church of St. Paul, Sweetest Heart

of Mary, and St. Anne’s Church.

Mon—Friday May 4—8 $929 pp/do

Downton Abbey & Biltmore House

Start your spring a little early this year by

traveling to NC to visit the Vanderbilt’s Bilt-

more Mansion. Enjoy

the Downton Abbey em-phasis which includes

original costumes from

the first season, plus much, much more.

Check our website for more info. Country

Inn and Suites

Wed, May 13 $83

Talley’s Folly (Purple Rose,

Chelsea, MI)

Join us for the Pulitzer Prize

winning romantic comedy about

a pair of mismatched souls longing to find

love after nearly giving up on the dream.

The Common Grill

Wed, April 15 $75

The 39 Steps Hilberry Theatre, Detroit

This spoof on an Alfred Hitchcock thriller will make you laugh from start to finish. A mys-terious organization called "The 39 Steps" is hot on the man's trail in a nationwide man-

hunt! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable afternoon of pleasure! Hudson Cafe

Sat—Mon May 16—25 $2699 pp/upper berth + airfare from Vancouver

Via Rail across Canada

Sue’s name was drawn from a hat and won her trip. Why

not come along? Three nights

in Jasper, 2 nights in Van-

couver. On the train the other days.

Fri, May 15 $85 balcony, $97 Main Floor, $99 Dress Circle

Midtown Men at DSO

From Jersey Boys to Midtown

Men, this sensational sound

comes to perform with the DSO. Enjoy favorites from the

1960’s originally sung by the

Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons and more. This is not a trib-

ute or mimicry, it’s a celebration of the mu-

sic of the era. Joes French/Italian Res-

taurant

Fri—Sat May 22—30 From $3899 Plus

transportation

American Queen Steamboat New Orleans

to Memphis (9 days)

Join a group from our area

to the “Gardens of the River” on board the beautiful

American Queen that plies

the Mississippi River. Re-member Heather Timm from our New Year’s

Eve program will be singing on board.

Sat, May 23 $87

Alma Highland Festival and Games

It is a full day of Old World com-

petition and pageantry, located

at Alma College. Enjoy the sight and sound of hundreds of pipers

and drummers. Visit booths

with Scottish arts and crafts, and clothing. See the border

collie exhibition and much more.

Ryans Roadhouse Restaurant

Fri, May 29 $83

Sex Please, We’re Over 60 (Turkeyville)

This farce, set at a quaint and co-

zy B&B in New England, is “The Golden Girls” meets “Grumpy Old

Men,” filled with mayhem, mis-

chief, and mood swings. Enjoy the

fun when there is a mix-up of libi-do-boosting pharmaceuticals! Delicious

Turkey Luncheon

Thurs, June 4 $??

Progressive Dinner Day

Not sure yet where this is going but I prom-

ise it will be a fun day with tons of food.

June 9-21 $??

“Pippin” at the Fisher

The tickets are not on sale yet. Therefore, we do not have a date or price. Please call

and leave your name to be notified of the de-

tails.

Mon—Wed June 8—10 $440 pp/do

Mission Point on Mackinac Island

Enjoy the elegant yet rus-tic resort at the point on

Mackinac Island. Break-

fasts and dinners includ-ed with time to enjoy all

the fun things available on the island. Visit

Frederick Marshall’s Sculpture Garden and Cross in the Woods. Take a spectacular ride

through the Tunnel of Trees. Mission Point

Resort

Mon—Wed, June 8—10 $269 pp/do

Beautiful Northern Michigan

Mackinaw City, White Fish Point, Tahquamenon Falls. En-

joy the U.P. Visit Frederick

Marshall’s Sculpture Garden and Cross in the Woods. Take

a soothing ride through the spectacular

Tunnel of Trees. Thunderbird Inn

Fri, June 12 $86 balcony, $98 main

floor, $100 dress circle

Best of Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess at DSO

Enjoy the most glorious moments from Por-gy and Bess— “I Got plenty

O’Nuttin’,” “Summertime,” and

more. Lunch will be “soul

food” in downtown Detroit.

Fri—Fri June 19—16

$1928 plus airfare

Little Tour of Russia

Visit three principle cities:

St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, was politically incor-

porated as a federal city. Novgorod, is a

World Heritage Site with Historic Monu-ments. And Moscow, the Capitol, is a vi-

brant city with spectacular sights. 2 nights

in each city.

Thur—Fri, June 25—26 $ 414 Pp/do

Stratford Festival

Travel to Stratford to see Carousel. Over-

night in Waterloo. Visit St. Jacobs, the

Mennonite town, then back to Stratford for “Sound of Music.” Dinner at the Elmhurst

Inn. Holiday Inn Express, St. Jacobs

Tue, July 7 $83

Hatfield & McCoys Turkeyville

The infamous Hatfield—McCoy feud is synonymous

with perils of family honor,

justice, and revenge. This

version combines authentic American folklore with mu-

sic and laughter. Delicious Turkey Lunch-

eon Yum! Yum!

Thurs—Sun July 16—19 $769 pp/do

America’s Greatest Train Race WV

This is a few days of ad-

venture in the photogenic,

high hills of WV. The scenery is unspoiled by man, framed by forest, and filled only

with the sound of music, the whistle of loco-

motives, and the cheers and laughter of the picnickers at the party. It is the only train

race, thus the greatest train race in Ameri-

ca. Holiday Inn Express, Elkins, WV

July 22-27 $????

New York City

This one is not quite ready but stay tuned. I can get the Novotel at Times square for 2

nights, one night going and one night com-

ing and one night in New Jersey. A really

exciting trip to the City that never sleeps.

Tue, July 28 $67

Toledo Mud Hens in Toledo

Take me out to the Ball Park!

Watch as the Mud Hens spar against the Rochester Red

Wings. Dinner at “Roost” in the Ball Park

Thur, July 30 $??

Footloose at Huron Country Playhouse

One of the most explosive movie musicals in

recent memory. Anchored by memorable

80s anthems.

Fri—Thur August 14—27 (14 days)

$2615 pp/do plus airfare

Eastern European Panora-

ma

Make a big circle in Eastern Europe and visit Vienna, Bu-

dapest, Krakow, Warsaw,

Berlin, and Prague. Enjoy 2

nights in some of the most delightful, cos-mopolitan, and exciting cities in Europe. De-

tailed itinerary available.

Tue, Aug. 18 $??

Legends. . .of Rock and Roll

Huron County Playhouse, Sarnia, Relive

the incredible 1950s through 1970s that

changed the landscape of modern music

Sun Aug 23 2 pm in Petrolia $??

Piano Man

Enjoy songs from George Gershwin to Billy Joel. The show centers around the piano

with spunky, flying fingers and lots of sing-

ing and fun.

Sun—Wed Sep. 13-16 $1129 pp/do

Great Gatsby Getaway Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

F. Scott Fitzgerald created Jay Gatsby who had lavish parties back in the 1920. We are

re-creating some of those parties as well as

many daytime activities to bring back the

era.

Thur—Fri Sept. 17-18 $???

Jack Hanna at the zoo in Columbus, OH

Sat, Sept 19 $83

Nunset Blvd Turkeyville

The Little Sisters of Hoboken think they

have been invited to sing at the Hollywood

Bowl, but instead they’ve been booked into the cabaret lounge at the Hollywood Bowl-O-

Rama! Anything goes now. Join us for a fun

show, a good dinner, and the annual craft

show at Turkeyville.

Sept 21-26 Door County WI $???

Monday—Saturday

Beautiful scenery, fun things to do including

a Fish boil. A Scandinavian Church, a krin-

gle from Racine, and much, much more.

Sept 21-29 from $3599 including air from Boston

Rhine River Cruise “Sonata”

European River Cruising is all the rage. If you have not done it, now is the time. A TAP

partner has chartered the entire boat and is

passing the savings on to you. Hurry and register before it is too late. Amsterdam to

Nuremberg featuring Kinderjdjik, Cologne,

Rudesheim, Miltenberg, Wertheim,

Wurzburg and Bamberg

Wed, Sept 23 $91 Bavarian Inn

Ryan DeHues “Swingin’ the Sinatra Way”

This guy has the smoothest

voice. I remember this MI boy as a teenager and he

was good then. He will also

share background of some of

the songs. He is a new voice for the timeless classics.

Chicken Dinner

Sep 27—Oct 4 $????

Cape Cod

Enjoy going to the end of the USA, also visit

Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket Island, a lobster dinner, a cranberry harvest, and

much much more.

Oct. Ireland including Northern Ireland (I

am looking at Oct 6-19, but not sure)

Thur—Mon Oct 16—26 from $2216

pp/do plus airfare

Croatia & Adriatic Cruise aboard the

Aloha

Thurs, Oct 22 $??

Glass Project at Toledo Art Museum

Tue—Fri Oct. 27—30 $699 pp/do

Mystery Tour One clue: MI, IN, IL

Second clue: We will not go to Alaska.

Sat, Dec 5 $97

Marshall, MI Candlelight Home Tour

Thur, Dec 10 $82

Charlie the Elf at Turkeyville

Fall Resale

Fall Church Tour

Fall Progressive Dinner

Singing Christmas Tree

Beautiful Christmas Lights

2015 Feb 8 Ballroom with a Twist

Feb 15 Abba Music The Concert - MCPA

March 7 Million Dollar Quartet Fisher Theatre

March 12 Steel Magnolias, Purple Rose Theatre

March 13 DSO Natalie McMaster

March 16-18 Chicago Flower Show

March 21 Doug Gabriel Frankenmuth

March 24 An Artistic Excursion

March 26 The Great Gatsby at MaComb Ctr.

April 1 Yakety Yak Turkeyville

April 8-9 Vera Bradley Outlet sale

April 10 Lilli Tomlin

April 10 DSO Golden Age of Broadway

April 15 39 Steps (Hitchcock) Hilberry Theatre

April 16 Resale Shopping Trip

April 20-31 Holy Land Tour

April 21-May 2 Australia & Fiji

April 21 Church Tour

May 4-8 Downton Abbey & Biltmore House

May 13 Talley’s Folly at Purple Rose

May 16-25 Via Rail across Canada

May 15 Original Jersey Boys at DSO

May 22–30 American Queen Mississippi Cruise

May 23 Alma, MI Highland Festival & Games

May 29 Sex Please, I’m over 60 Turkeyville

June 4 Progressive Dinner

Pippin at the Fisher (tickets are not on sale yet)

June 8-10 Mission Point on Mackinac Isl.

Or Whitefish Point, Mackinaw City, Etc.

June 12 DSO Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess

June 19 Little tour of Russia

Jun 25-26 Stratford, Sound of Music” & “Carousel”

July 7, Hatfield and McCoys Turkeyville

July 16-19 World’s Greatest Train Race

July New York City Last half of month

July 28 Mud Hens

July 30 Footloose at the Huron Country Play-house

Aug 14 Eastern European Panorama

Aug 18 Legends...of Rock n’ Roll Huron Country Playhouse

Aug 23 Piano Man Petrolia, Ontario

Sep. 13-16 Great Gatsby Getaway/Grand Hotel

Sept. 17-18 Jack Hanna in Columbus, OH

Sept 19 Nunset Boulevard Turkeyville

Sept 21-29 Rhine River Cruise “Sonata”

Sept 21-26 Door County, Wisconsin

Sept 23 Ryan DeHues at Bavarian Inn

Sept 27– Oct 4 Looking at Cape Cod

Oct. Ireland including Northern Ireland

Oct 16 Croatia & Adriatic Cruise

Oct 22 Glass making at Detroit Art Center

Oct 27-30 Mystery Trip

Dec 4-5 Singing Christmas Tree

Dec 5: Marshall, MI Candlelight Home Tour

Dec 8 Christmas Lights in the area

Dec. 10 Charlie the Elf Turkeyville Christmas

Dec 10-13 Frank Sinatra’s Birthday Party Chicago

Dec 31 New Years Eve afternoon

Name_________________________________________________________Phone____________________

Address_______________________________________________________

City__________________________________State_______________Zip_______________

E-mail Address______________________________________________Cell #____________________

Just check off the flyers you would like & mail this page to us. We will send you a full page flyer.

This symbol means the flyer is ready. It’s available via postal service & www.customholidaysonline.com

Thanks for Traveling with Custom Holidays! Sue Biggs, CTP, CITM

Custom Holidays 15250 Euclid

Allen Park, MI 48101 313.388-0448

sue@customholidaysonline.com www.customholidaysonline.com

Mailing label goes here

Winter 2015 Newsletter

As is our custom in January, we purge our mail list because some have passed away, others have moved away, and still others are finished traveling. I do not like the thought, but maybe I did something to upset you and you have crossed us off your list. If that is the case, I am terribly sorry, I would never hurt anyone’s feelings intentionally. But we must move forward. If you mailing label has a “2” beside you name, then you have not traveled with us since 2012 and you will be removed from our list unless you notify us that you want to continue hearing from us. Thanks.

We now have 5 people in our office. I am still the owner, Cheryl and Paula share phone and other office responsibilities. Cheryl does the E-mail blasts every Friday at 5:00 am and Paula is my assistant in the Great Gatsby Getaway this September. Hannah takes care of all the payments you send in whether check or credit card, and all things pertaining to Billing. Heather is new, and her responsibilities are to recruit new groups and ser-vice the groups who are already with us. If you belong to a club, church, or any other organization and want to travel as a group, do not hesitate to call us. We will be happy to work with you. Jann and Ron have taken a lot of the tour manager responsibili-ties. We all love to do our part to exceed your expectations.

This picture is of the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. Do not miss it.