Ginger Aarons is from Time Travel, LLC … often called Time Travel Tours. She offers bespoke travel to Ireland & The British Isles. Passionate about what she does by offering a way to learn while you travel, introducing the best of the best in Ireland in what they do, offer and teach with common philosophies, ethics and goals for the world. Often referred to as the one that knows everyone, she is a connector and one that is always making a connection for someone, because to her, that is what it’s all about.Originally from South of the Mason Dixon Line, and after 30 years, she has become an all around Portland, Oregon girl that loves the fact that she gets to live and work in two of the best places in the world, the Pacific Northwest and Ireland … what could possibly be better?
Lover of music (it DOES make the world go ’round.. not money), supporter of the arts, do gooder, Masterpiece Theater watcher since the age of 12, supporter of the historic house, genealogy nut and avid antique collector. You can find her on Twitter here too.
You live in the United States but you’ve built a business on genealogy tours in Ireland. Tell us about your business and why you decided to start it.
I started my business when I was working from home in travel as an outside agent. My second child had just turned two and I was working on my genealogy as a hobby. On one of the forums I was in for genealogy research on Scots-Irish ancestry asked if I would put a tour together. That was 1998! I went to Ireland and was hooked! I loved the sleuthing of genealogy and the interaction it gave me with a country I loved.
What’s your favorite tour to do with kids or groups and why?
We have had several family groups and each group is a custom FIT. No two tours are ever the same, but frequently when we know we have children along on the genealogy tours, we try to incorporate a lot of kid friendly, learning types of outings. I find kids these days are often required to write a report on where they have been for the summer, or sometimes, if parents opt to take them out of school to travel in off peak times, the requirement to write about their experiences is more of a making up of grades. This has included horse back riding, biking and hiking and of course, learning about the history of Ireland, including castle visits and walking tours that help show history in real time. I’ve seen pre-trip questions for reports for the kids ranging from Irish sayings to best adventure!
Why do you think traveling with kids is important? How do you feel about child-free zones on flights and child-free restaurants?
I think it is very important for parents to show their children how to travel, from dressing appropriately in different circumstances that happen on tours (ie. dinner out), showing courtesy to the country they are traveling in to learn different ways of relating to other cultures and learning how to travel eco-friendly with a soft touch on the places visited. It is up to us as parents to give well rounded education to our children. It is a privilege to be able to travel and to expand the child’s mind through travel helps us realize world peace.
I know this sounds very cliche but it is truly what bridges the gaps when we learn about other peoples cultures and the way they live. Deep friendships can be realized through travel.Deep friendships can be realized through travel especially in a group setting, be with friends, a family group, school group, or like minded tour.
I feel OK about child free zones and restaurants depending on the age of the child. We all have a right to travel the way we would like to travel. The only draw back I see is teaching a child how to act appropriately in an adult setting. Miss Manners!
What’s your favorite local travel activity or destination to visit and why?
My favorite local travel activity is Portland in my own back yard. We had great visits there from the zoo to the Japanese Gardens where I taught my children how to be quiet and still in that setting and then letting them cut loose later at the park. It’s been a great place to have and raise my children. Mountains for skiing, beach for playing in the sand and city for culture. Best of all worlds.
What’s the most important thing you learned about family travel from your time as a travel consultant?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that families that “play together, stay together”. The bonds that you create with your children when traveling keeps the lines of communication open, especially for the teen years. I’ve experienced this in my own life and seen it in my clients. It’s a great way to get to know your child and to discover that they are their own person with ideas for their own future. As far as professionally speaking, it is crucial to know your client and how they travel. Never be afraid to ask your client a question or discover what will make their holiday really tick along and make it easy for them and their family. They will love you for it and become a repeat client!
