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Hi, I’m Cindy Turner, your independent, luxury travel advisor. Whether checking items off your bucket list or just needing to get away from it all, I can help guide you in the right direction.

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People travel for different reasons. Whether you’re seeking relaxation, inspiration, adventure or exploration, it’s important to have an advisor with the passion, expertise, and connections to find out what is most suitable for you.

I offer high-impact personalized service, providing clients a smooth, seamless and memorable experience, while further enhancing their love of traveling in this big, beautiful world.

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Reviewed on: 08 Aug 2019 Cindy is always helpful. She makes great recommendations and gets the job done in a timely and manor. She is genuinely interested in our experience being top-notch! We wouldn’t think of traveling without consulting her first! -Sam

Reviewed on: 02 Aug 2019 Cindy is INCREDIBLE! She asked the right questions to give our family trip the most unforgettable trip ever! We have used Cindy for 2 trips to Mexico and everything is always flawless! I will recommend her to all family and friends! -Lola

Last Minute Trip to the Emerald Isle

Reviewed on: 31 Jul 2019 I admit that I am a long-time and very happy client of Cindy's, but this trip she somehow went above and beyond her usual above and beyond standard of service. My family of three had a seat-of-our-pants opportunity to spend a week in Ireland and Cindy took time out of her own Independence Day vacation, three time zones away no less, to collect proposals, walk through options, request adjustments, and finally seal the deal with the Irish tour company. Cindy's level of professional, friendly, and truly invested service is unmatched. She proves it trip after trip. -Carrie H

Cindy Turner’s Excellence

Reviewed on: 30 Jul 2019 Cindy has helped me with anything from a blip to Vegas from Reno to full-fledged trips to Africa, Europe, Iceland, and Mexico- always on point, very personally professional, I would recommend her for any travel needs one might have!! -Johnny

India Adventure

Reviewed on: 21 Jul 2019 Cindy is a wonderful trip planner and advisor on the right route, airline, and great accommodations. She has planned many trips for me and never steered me wrong. -Mimi

Ultimate Pro!

Reviewed on: 20 Jul 2019 Cindy was fantastic. Attention to detail was impeccable, patience was through the roof for our group of 3 couples new to cruising and truly went above and beyond. She was invaluable in every step along the way. [email protected]

Cindy is the Best!

Reviewed on: 19 Jul 2019 Cindy was very thorough and helpful. Always answered our questions timely and went out of her way to assist. We will use her again! -Goose

Traveling With Cindy

Reviewed on: 17 Jun 2019 We have been traveling with Cindy Turner's assistance for over ten years. She has helped us plan a complicated air travel, hotels in overseas locations, and - our favorite - cruises! Cindy is so knowledgeable about so many areas and we always appreciate discussing various possibilities with her. She thinks of every detail - many of which we would have never thought of - thereby saving us from potential problems. We always feel comfortable asking her any question. If she doesn't know immediately, she will research and find out. She is always available for any question or concern and this means a lot when we are actually traveling. If she has to be away and unavailable, she has competent coverage in her absence. We have recommended her highly to friends and family and look forward to our next opportunity to work with her. -NED

Terrific Agent

Reviewed on: 11 Jun 2019 Professional. Personable. Responsive. Knowledgeable. Everything one would want in an agent. We have been using agents for over 25 years and she is the best. -John & Luana

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Reviewed on: 24 May 2019 Could not ask for a better advisor to work with. -Juetten

Trip of a Lifetime

Reviewed on: 22 May 2019 THE BEST! Her attention to detail and discerning her clients wants and needs is unsurpassed. All of the hotels, transfers, tours, and information was above our expectations. -Joan

Reviewed on: 11 May 2019 Cindy is great! She is knowledgeable & willing to make suggestions if asked. She is always on ‘top’ of things & keeps you updated. -D. Gayle

Wonderful Trip

Reviewed on: 21 Apr 2019 Great. We decided to go on a cruise within 5 days of its departure, and she put it together. -Gail

Fantastic Trip Advisor

Reviewed on: 15 Apr 2019 This is my second time using Cindy, and she is exceptional in her expertise and customer service. My trip was perfect from start to finish, even with my specific requirements. I highly recommend her services! -Roe

Fantastic Agent

Reviewed on: 01 Apr 2019 Cindy is a delight to plan a trip with. She works extremely hard to make your trip as pleasurable as possible and adjusts to any changes quickly and pleasantly. She really is a fantastic agent. -John Doe

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Cindy Lorenz is the owner of Infinite Journeys Travel, a travel consulting company. Infinite Journeys services all types of travel including honeymoons, destination weddings, group and leisure travel. Cindy is an experienced agent that has been in the field since 1990. Throughout her nearly 3 decades in the industry, she has worked in six agencies, trained in all things travel and became a Certified Sandals Specialist and a AMResorts Master Agent. In 2009 Cindy opened her own agency which she runs with several independent contractors allowing her and her company to easily service her clients all over the world.

One of the primary reasons behind Cindy’s success is that she has a passion for helping people turn their travel dreams into realities. She also believes that travel is more affordable to many people than they actually think. As a result she works hard to ensure every client is able to find a travel plan that fits their budget. What’s more is that Infinite Journeys offers an interest free payment plan so that travelers can work towards their travel dreams without stressing over how to pay for it.

Where some people rely on the internet to book their travel and learn about their destinations, travlers who work with Cindy know that she provides updates and details the online travel sites simply can’t keep up with. For example, Cindy stays up to date on things like renovations, hotel openings and closings, airline strikes and mergers as well as other inconveniences that a traveler might face. Cindy believes every traveler deserves to have a wonderful vacation with no inconveniences and because of this she immerses herself in travel news and passes that knowledge onto her clients so that they will never arrive at a destination to find unwelcome surprises.

When Cindy isn’t booking trips for clients she is indulging in her passion for photography. If you follow her on Facebook you will see that she takes pictures of every resort she stays at. She has amassed more than sixty resort albums on her page and loves sharing these images with her clients, especially when they are trying to decide which resort to say at for their own vacations. Thanks to her constant training

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From a very young age, I have been an explorer, and now...I'm also a travel advisor with over 30 years of experience in this industry. My passion is cruising - with my particular affinity, Expedition Cruising - a completely different cruise experience. My #1 priority will be to match your desires, budget, experiences and destinations to the best Expedition Cruise option for immersion, discovery and learning. I have traveled extensively throughout the world with specific journeys of expedition travel. I never pre-judge my client's desires or goals. Rather, I'll ask questions and listen carefully to understand what is most important to you in arranging this type of vacation/adventure. Beginning with the end in mind, I research and find an itinerary that exceeds your expectations, and provides the best value for your investment. It's also important to note that I take my continued education in this industry very seriously.

I am an expert cruise adviser in both deep water and river itineraries and have specific experience working with many companies that specialize in Expedition-style cruising. I am eager to share my passion, expertise, knowledge and experience with you. I want you to return from your first expedition cruise experience ready to plan your next adventure. Come along... let's explore this big Blue Planet - together!

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Independent Travel to Moscow and St. Petersburg

My wife and I have traveled independently to many European countries and, after reading many of the comments in this forum, feel like we may be able to do so in Moscow and St. Petersburg as well, although we feel somewhat less comfortable than the other countries where we have traveled in Europe.

My biggest question is how much we will miss by visiting the main sites without a tour guide. In the other European countries we have visited on our own we have been comfortable and satisfied with the level of knowledge we have gained by studying and visiting on our own, although we believe a tour guide or tour company in any country would normally be able to provide greater insight than visiting a site on our own, but about in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Unless you speak at least some Russian and read the alphabet it would be difficult without a guide. Very few signs in English especially in Moscow. Also not too many people speak English there.

I visited St Petersburg last Autumn for a protracted period , and did not find it anymore daunting than any other European city . As Ilja says , learning the Cyrillic alphabet is a big plus . I also found that it was fairly easy to grasp . It will , among other things , enable you to read signs with relative ease . I would answer the main part or your question ( about tour guides ) thus - I am not enamored of tour guides or tours. While I only use a tour under duress ( A sites rules prohibiting an independent visit - ie Glasgow School of Art , Municipal House in Prague , etc ) . Doing your own preparation and homework is the best way , in my opinion . My wife and I ventured through St Petersburg with nary a concern ,and made two day trips outside of the central district ( one was twenty five miles away , and no English speakers in sight ) Figuring out the logistical details , did not present any difficulties . While I never use tours , I am an inveterate eavesdropper , have done so many times , and find , that on balance , the information that they impart is fairly elementary . If you want greater detail , they are unlikely to supply it . I also prefer to go at my own pace , not being rushed and being able to dwell on things that most other visitors barely give a passing glance . If you are interested , let me know . I would be happy to provide you with information that will enable you to travel independently

Thank you, Steven. I am encouraged by your comments and feel the same way you do about tour groups. We are very much willing to prepare in advance and learn the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet to help us have a better experience.

I would be very interested in learning more about your experience in Russia and receiving any additional information you can provide on independent travel there, starting perhaps with obtaining the visa.

I am not opposed to hiring a private or small group guide for a specific site or for a day trip outside St Petersburg and Moscow, but, like you said, I much prefer the freedom of staying at places as long or short as I want and seeing the sites that interest me most. For example, neither my wife nor I are big into shopping, yet most tour itineraries leave afternoon time for just that. Not interested!

Please provide whatever you may feel would be helpful for us.

Russ , I see you are quite near San Francisco - you can start by looking at the VISA procedure , it's fairly straightforward . Since there is a consulate in San Francisco - look here http://www.consulrussia.org/eng/visa-sub1.html

And here - http://ils-usa.com/main.php

Having always traveled independently, we thought we could do a better job than any tour. How misguided (pun intended) we were. Now that we have had the experience of having someone native to the area walk us around and explain things through a personal perspective we realize how much we missed. For St. Petersburg I highly recommend http://www.peterswalk.com/tours.html . This is not a traditional guided tour, but an opportunity to receive some orientation to the area as well as insight into the "Russian soul". I think if you did this upon arrival the rest of your time would be much more meaningful. We really liked the http://www.pushka-inn.com . The location is superb (just around the corner from the Hermitage square), the rooms lovely, the included breakfast at the restaurant next door ample and overall an excellent value. We used this company to get our visa: https://www.passportvisasexpress.com/site/san_francisco_customer_service Note that it costs about the same for a 3-year visa as a one-year, and you never know if you might want to return within that more extended window of time. It is not cheap, so factor that into your planning.

If you like traveling without a guide in other countries and find this satisfying, the same will be true in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Of course it's not either/or - you can certainly take a guided walk or boat tour, for instance.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning Cyrillic if you're going on your own. The book I used was Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script, which was great. It breaks down the alphabet into letters that are the same as English, letters that look the same but are pronounced differently, etc. It's out of print, but you can get used copies on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Beginners-Russian-Script/dp/0071419861/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459701143&sr=8-2&keywords=teach+yourself+russian+script

Russia is indeed a bit more "foreign" than say, Italy. However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I found enough English to be able to get by. Many restaurants had English menus and/or English speaking staff, for instance. This was most emphatically not true in Vladimir and Suzdal (two cities in the Golden Ring outside Moscow). I went with my sister, a Russian speaker, and if she hadn't been there, I would have been in big trouble. So, if you want to see places outside these two big cities, use a guided tour (even if just for that part). Also, Moscow and St. Petersburg are huge cities. Coming from New York, I wasn't intimidated, but those not used to a megacity may not be so cavalier (even I found them overwhelming at times, especially Moscow).

I found both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to be helpful, and both to have various errors. Look at both, buy whichever one has a more recent edition, and then be prepared to have to discard some of the advice therein. Also, these places change more quickly than places in Western Europe. Be very careful of outdated advice. For instance, I was there in 2001 and 2010, so I won't give you any specifics on getting a visa - that changes constantly.

Just as a teaser, two things I saw and loved that I doubt would be included in any escorted tour are the Gorky House in Moscow (an Art Nouveau wonder) and the Sheremyetov Palace in St. Petersburg (it's now a museum of musical instruments, and the decor is amazing, particularly in the Etruscan Room).

Thanks for all the good advice. Any additional thoughts are welcomed.

One of history's seminal works pertaining to Russian history and culture and a MUST for anyone contemplating a visit or simply interested , is this fine work from 1980 - http://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-The-Beauty-Russia/dp/096441841X

This is about you and not about Petersburg. Do you like guided tours? We don't and didn't find that a guide added to our experience in China where we did hire private guides mostly for the logistics; it was easy to have someone drive us places. But once at a site, we didn't need the guide. I felt the same way about our 9 nights in Petersburg. We did hire a guide for the trip to the Catherine Palace again for the ease of logistics for us Olds. Here is our visit: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/an-easy-trip-to-the-catherine-palace/ There are also snapshots of the Church on Spilled Blood in this photo journal. Having someone pick us up at the apartment and get us in without line ups and shepherd us through the palace steering clear of the tour groups was lovely. But we didn't need commentary because we can read and prepare.

You certainly don't need a guide for the Hermitage (we spent 4 days there), the Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral or Church on Spilled Blood or the Faberge Museum. We enjoyed a number of self guided walking tours including a couple from Rick Steves guidebooks. We took the canal cruise suggested by RS that had an English commentator. I would not take one without that as you will be totally clueless. The commentator was not all that good but at least we had some idea what we were seeing. So for people like us who like to do our own thing and can read a guidebook and don't particularly like to be led about, a tour is not needed. If you enjoy tour groups, then go for it. Petersburg is easy to negotiate. It helps if you can read the cyrillic alphabet and it is also useful to have the google translate ap on your phone. We found ourselves translating packages in grocery stores with it and the occasional museum sign or menu. I have one food I need to avoid and so it was handy to have the translator to talk with waiters (I could either show them the sentence, or play it for them or play it to myself and then repeat it to the waiter -- that all worked well)

Dear Russ, I cannot help you with Moscow, but about four years ago, my husband and I went to St Petersburg on our own. But, we did use a private guide for 4 half days. We both feel that our guide absolutely made our trip (we stayed 6 or 7 nights). We used a company owned by Tatyana Chiurikova, www.tour-stpetersburg.com I cannot say enough good things about her and our experience. I emailed her and we worked out a schedule/ sights that was tailored to our interests. She also offered some recommendations, which we took. The guide will meet you at your hotel. And frequently, at certain places, with the guide, we were able to skip the long entrance lines. We had an half day driving tour of the city (car, driver, & guide). You are taken to & go in places such as Peter & Paul Fortress, some of the cathedrals, etc. We had a half day with the guide at the Hermitage which ensured that we would see the major sights there. And, of course, you can stay after your guide leaves or return another day. Also, we had the guide for Peterhof (a must & go by boat) and Catherine's Palace. I hope that you will go to the website. As I said, our guide made our trip. I am positive that we would have missed quite a bit on our own everyday. And I'm sure we would have wasted a lot of time trying to get to various place.This was the best of both worlds, a guide where needed and plenty of time on our own. Whatever you do, I'm sure that you will love St Petersburg! Ashley

I am curious about the lines as we encountered no lines on our trip -- but it was in September. We got tickets for the Hermitage at machines and skipped those lines and our guide for the Catherine Palace which was our only guided experience (as noted before, chosen for the logistics of getting there) had arranged tickets and we didn't have a line, but then we also didn't see lines. We did not find lines at any other site.

Both Moscow and St Petersburg I've done on my own, that is together with the Dear Partner. I can't remember any problem getting where we wanted to go. The Metro systems are well signed, and with a little exercise and patience you can recognize the station names. With a good map and a good guide - we had the Rough Guides - that part of the logistics is solved. The language is a major problem, but the usual tricks of pointing, looking helpless, and making a joke of it all do wonders. I would hate to be led by a guide, but for others it is a comfortable thought.

We also did both cities on our own. I found the DK Eyewitness guide for Moscow has the best map. I used the one from our library (kept the book at home). Took the smaller RS book for St. Petersburg ( his book on northern cities). His map and restaurant ideas were all good. We also downloaded the Google maps in our Android Samsung tablets/phones for both cities and then could get directions to any place we typed in. The blue ball guided us everywhere. I'm sure we missed somethings by not having a guide, but we just enjoy walking around and getting a sense of a place. If you like art, The Hermitage is great. We went 3 times and still missed alot. In St. Peterburg we stayed at the 3 Mosta which we loved (quite and not far from the Church of Spilled Blood.) We also loved the Georgian food in both cities. There's a great Georgian restaurant near the 3 Mosta hotel. We're now in Belarus- very scenic. Enjoy your trip!!

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Photos: California towns buried under more than 7 feet of snow

C alifornia’s mountain towns and ski resorts are digging out after a blockbuster blizzard buried them and major roads under several feet of snow.

The storm slammed California’s mountains for multiple days before wrapping up Monday. The most extreme conditions targeted the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada where over 7 feet of snow and hurricane-force wind gusts of 170 mph-plus were reported.

Additional snow will fall across high elevations of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest into Wednesday as a new storm pushes into the region, but amounts are expected to come up well short of the weekend’s monster storm.

But even small amounts of additional snow could increase travel woes across the region.

A 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 in California near the Nevada state line has been closed for more than two days after highway officials reported stranded drivers Friday night. The interstate was still closed as of Monday morning, but could potentially reopen later in the day, the state’s transportation authority said Sunday.

Portions of routes 49, 70, 88 and 108 that cross the Sierra Nevada also remained closed as of early Monday. Blowing snow and poor visibility closed parts of I-580 and Route 395 in Nevada Monday morning.

In the South Lake Tahoe area where 3 to 5 feet of snow fell, a snowslide trapped vehicles and briefly shut down Highway 50 in California Sunday morning. There were no injuries reported and crews quickly reopened the road, officials said.

But incredibly heavy snow and roaring winds presented long-lasting problems for other areas that typically thrive on plenty of snowfall.

Numerous ski fields and chairlifts were closed Sunday because of the extreme conditions, including at Palisades Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Mammoth. Many will remain closed on Monday as crews dig out

Palisades Tahoe – which recorded 8 feet of snow – plans to open Monday, the resort announced Sunday. The resort’s Alpine Peak registered a wind gust Saturday of 171 mph, with gusts nearby topping 140 mph on Sunday, forcing it to close.

Other nearby high elevations were buried under even more snow. The Sugar Bowl Ski Resort located near Donner Peak recorded 87 inches (7.25 feet) of snow from Friday to Sunday.

The ski resort Sierra-at-Tahoe in Twin Bridges shared images with CNN of snow piling up against the door of the resort’s maintenance shop and a car in the resort’s guest parking buried in snow that fell overnight. At least 5 feet of snow buried the resort, but strong winds carried snow into even taller piles called snow drifts.

The daunting forecast wasn’t enough to dissuade some travelers from hitting the road during the worst conditions.

The snowy and windy conditions left some vehicles stuck on the main road to Mammoth Mountain ski resort, US 395, on Friday, with some motorists in need of rescue, according to the highway patrol office in Truckee, which reported a “mass amount of vehicles stuck over Donner Summit.” The road was forced to close.

The snowfall was so intense with such punishing winds that even crews dispatched to help those trapped found themselves in a similar predicament.

“At one point, emergency personnel and tow trucks had a difficult time getting to motorists due to blizzard conditions,” the highway patrol said.

The California Highway Patrol posted a photo Saturday afternoon of one of its cars stuck in snow.

The severe winter storm conditions in Northern California even damaged some equipment crews were using to clear roadways of snow.

“We have been down to two of 10 blowers at our central hub in Kingvale and six out of 20 from Auburn to the Nevada state line,” California Department of Transportation officials said in a post on X .

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Patrons enter Jax At The Tracks diner past snow drifts in downtown Truckee, California, on March 3, 2024. - Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group via AP

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    1: Off-kilter genius at Delicatessen: Brain pâté with kefir butter and young radishes served mezze-style, and the caviar and tartare pizza. Head for Food City. You might think that calling Food City (Фуд Сити), an agriculture depot on the outskirts of Moscow, a "city" would be some kind of hyperbole. It is not.

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