Joan Cook, Author at 360 Travel Talk

Joan Cook

Joan Cook has worked in the travel industry for over 37 years. In 1981 she started sharing her love of travel by opening up Travel Discoveries International in a small town in central Illinois. Her husband John joined the business in 1986 and together they have escorted groups worldwide. Some of Joan’s favorite destinations include riding a camel in Egypt, an elephant in Cambodia, and kayaking north of the Arctic Circle. Other exotic adventures include a safari in Kenya & Tanzania, Cuba, and most recently Russia. Joan also loves European river cruising. In 2016 after selling Travel Discoveries International, Joan started working with the MAST Travel Network as the MAST Exclusive Group Coordinator, setting up group trips for MAST. The MAST travel consortia, currently is made up of over 200 travel agencies.

Posts by Joan Cook:

Guernsey: Not Just Cows

July 23, 2018

Joan Cook

Sark Carriage Ride The Little Chapel The tiny English island of Guernsey located in the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy is a hidden travel destination. Our fifty minute flight from London Gatwick found us on an island that not only has Guernsey cows, but beautiful flowers and a history tied to World War […]

Loving Welsh Food

July 23, 2018

Joan Cook

Cardiff Castle Welshcakes If looking for something different to do when visiting Cardiff, Wales, Loving Welsh Food Tours is a must. The four hour walking tour includes a tasting of a variety of Welsh foods and a boat ride along the River Taff. Along the way, our guide gave us an informative history of Cardiff. […]

There Is So Much More to England Than London

July 23, 2018

Joan Cook

Sudley Gardens Sudley Gardens What does a garden, an abbey, a world renown university, and many pubs have in common? A visit to the English countryside known as the Cotswolds is a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of London. The Slaughters Country Inn in Lower Slaughter is a charming inn consisting of 31 […]

Frisco, Colorado: Your Base Camp to the Rockies

May 3, 2018

Joan Cook

Frisco, CO | Photo Credit: Todd Powell Frisco, CO | Photo Credit: Todd Powell A tiny town with a population of 3,000, Frisco is an excellent location to explore the Colorado Rockies. Located 69 miles west of Denver off I-70, Frisco is easily accessible by car or shuttle. Peak 1 Express offers direct shuttles from […]

Russia in Wintertime

January 30, 2018

Joan Cook

Long Dark Nights, Magical Christmas Lights Winter Lights Traveling to Russia in the wintertime may seem a little out of the ordinary, however, traveling New Year’s week is something very special. Russia celebrates New Year’s Eve on December 31 and Russian Orthodox Christmas is always celebrated on January 07. A recent visit to St. Petersburg […]

St. Petersburg, Russia – Former Capital, Vibrant Seaport

January 30, 2018

Joan Cook

Ballet At Catherine the Greats Private Theatre The city of St. Petersburg is a relatively new city as it was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. It’s often referred to as the Venice of the North because of the beautiful palaces situated along the sixty-five islands that make up the city of St. Petersburg. […]

Moscow Moments

January 30, 2018

Joan Cook

Gum Department Store Red Square, Kremlin, Metro and the Russian Orthodox Churches For our journey to Moscow, we traveled by train from St. Petersburg. The Sapsan, Russia’s fast train took four hours, was very comfortable and had a dining car. Because we traveled in the late afternoon it was already dark and we were not […]

Y’alla, Y’alla, Let’s Go, Let’s Go!

January 3, 2018

Joan Cook

The Dome of the Rock Israel, Land of Creation A faith based Christian tour and travel blog Our journey began by boarding United Airlines from Chicago to Tel Aviv with a change of planes in Newark for our 10 hour flight. Upon arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, named after the first prime minister of […]

Jambo from East Africa!

November 22, 2017

Joan Cook

Submitted by John & Joan Cook After a very long day of travel from Chicago to Nairobi through 8 time zones and 16 hours of flying on KLM we arrived at 11:00pm to the beautiful Nairobi Serena hotel. The hotel is located in the downtown area, near several embassies and consulates. This hotel featured nice […]

Travel Tips for Kenya & Tanzania

November 20, 2017

Joan Cook

Here are some tips for traveling to Kenya & Tanzania. Cell phone Turn the data plan off. When Wi-Fi is available, turn your phone on to receive messages. Check with your cell phone provider for the best international plan. Credit cards Visa and Mastercard are widely used, except on several occasions when trying to use […]