Karla Goodson

HI! I’m Karla and I am here to help you with the frustration of travel information overload. I started this little company, KAK Travel and Tours, to be able to offer assistance in sifting through the travel clutter. I can create a custom itinerary or package just for you, based on your desires and budget. Seriously, for me, the only thing better than planning a trip is going on a trip and those who know me well, know that I get just as excited (maybe more) as they do when they are about to leave for a wonderful get away. If it is somewhere I’ve been, I usually have a few suggestions. If I haven’t been there, I usually turn a little green with jealousy and run to the internet within a couple of hours to search out the sights they will be seeing. Then I typically add it to my “Gotta Go” list. It actually started very early. My hunger for seeing new places and finding new adventures was fed by reading road maps as a kid. Yes, those paper road maps from back in the day and even more precisely, those huge road atlases by AAA. And yes, I would read them like a book, in the evenings or on Sunday afternoon, turning them page by page and dreaming of all sorts of new sights and experiences. Fast forward a few (ahem) years, and the hunger is still there. I haven’t been able to satisfy it even though I’ve been fortunate to travel across the country multiple times, both east to west and north to south. My parents loved to travel so I guess I come by it naturally. I’ve visited small towns and big cities, national parks and state parks. I’ve toured the entire states of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, California, Colorado, Maine, Texas, and Florida and visited most of the other ones. So, now after 30+ years in healthcare (half on the operations side and half on the finance side), I am able to plan travel full time. What a dream come true! Now, not only am I able to offer suggestions, I can actually book the all travel plans for others. Now, instead of that big atlas, I use electronic maps and Google is my best friend (sorry, Alexa). From flights to hotels to activities and entertainment, I can take care of the details whether it be claiming that perfect chair for seven days on a beautiful Caribbean beach to needing an hour by hour,day by day itinerary for a New England road trip. Just leave the work to me.In 2016, I began researching the travel industry of today. It has changed significantly since the invasion of internet. After talking with many people in various roles in the industry, I affiliated with a very large agency/travel consortia and graduated from their 4 month training program in 2018. Being part of this powerful and influential group of more than 70,000 advisors and suppliers affords the benefits of extensive supplier/advisor relationships and a host of other resources, including both front and back office support, and educational opportunities. I am now a member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors), a Master Cruise Counselor with CLIA, the Cruise Line International Association, and an AMA Waterways specialist. I am also certified as a destination specialist for Hawaii, Florida, Disney, and Vancouver, British Columbia. When not planning travel for others, I love to spend time with family and stay busy with community activities. I’m a member of Christ Place Church, local chambers of commerce, and South Hall Rotary, as well as a member of two local college alumnae associations. And of course, I try to travel a bit, with my trusty paper maps as a back up to the complexity of the technology of today! My other love is cooking, so personally I love trips that include great culinary experiences or agritourism. And there are so many ways to see and taste your way around the world. So now, with Milo and Sugar in “kitty heaven” and the girls out of the proverbial nest, I could not be more excited to break out of the typical 7-5 routine. Follow KAK Travel and Tours on Facebook and tell your friends, “I know somebody that can help!” and let’s start working on some of those “Gotta Go” trips of yours!