NYC Marathon trip was a really good. The shuttle seemed to be
well coordinated and got us as close to the start as possible.
Leaving at 6:15 was the right decision as traffic was already pretty
rough getting down there. Overall check-in was painless, the hotel
staff was much more pleasant than a few NYC hotels I have stayed at
and the shuttle ride came off without a hitch. Those were my
requirements for everything that wasn’t running this weekend so I
was quite happy with the package.
Neil Geurin
My wife and I had a great
time on the New York Marathon trip. The hotel was in a great
location and we took advantage of being near the park and Times Square.
The hotel was nice, very European. Checking in and out was a snap, they
didn't even take a credit card from me, just handed me the envelope with
the keys attached and said welcome to NY. The shuttle was good also.
We were dropped off right near the entrance. The Marathon was tough,
tough, tough!!! All in all it was a great experience. I wouldn't have
changed a thing.
Thanks for everything,
Ken Robbins
Just a few words from the
Martins, ...... and yes, we are both OK.
We recovered from the Big Bend Trip physically but of course, we will have
the memories for a lifetime. It was truly one of our best trips
ever.....just as Sandy said to Al. The cool thing is we are all so different
but had so much fun together!
Don & Kelli Martin
Sandy and I REALLY enjoyed
the Big Bend Trip. It was a great opportunity for us to spend some
time together since we are separated by thousands of miles. Sandy even went
so far as to tell me it was the “best vacation he’s ever had”.
Al Blitz
How we
missed our "Golden" family today! It's amazing how close we felt to all
of you even after such a short time together!
Diane,
the Big Bend Trip
was simply wonderful!
Clyde & Beca DeLoach
Somehow, I got on your e-group list. The first few times, I deleted the
notes, seldom opening email I don't recognize, but then I started looking.
You've got some great trips! You have my attention!! We have a marathon
group here (Shreveport/Bossier) that travels frequently and I will send them
to you.
Triathlete, adventure racer, mountain bike racer, etc. over 15 years
Diane, I’m
delighted that I found your website, which I’ve bookmarked for future out of
town marathons. You did a great job for us. Thanks so much!! We really
appreciated your attentiveness, of which this E-mail that I’m responding to
is just one example.
P.Kempf
I have enjoyed your trip information
and dream of going to all those places, running all those
marathons, and doing all the other adventures. You do a great
job.
Joyce Hightower
Since discovering your events, I've
met so many fun and interesting people and made some good friends
along the way. Thanks, Diane for all you do!
Diane Daniels
I got back to town late last
night and just wanted to send a note to say thanks. Had a
wonderful time again this year. You do a great job!
Thanks, John Tiholiz
Our hotel was wonderful. The accommodations were great. Thank you so
very much for offering such a great place for us to stay. We
had a great trip and run. Being the back of the pack runners on
marathon day, we had a great time meeting new friends along the way
over the weekend. Our pictures are now posted on the Chicago
website!
Thanks again for helping with our wonderful adventure in Chicago.
Jeanne Ross
Garland, TX
The hotel was
probably the quietest hotel I've ever stayed in, was very nice, and
the stay there was seamless. The Golden Adventures t-shirt and the
luggage tags were a very nice touch. Thanks for making the
whole experience more enjoyable.
Kathy Pratt
Richardson, TX
Our group had a great time in
Chicago! Thanks for a great trip. If my quads ever feel normal
again...we'll be thinking about another race.
Nancy Raine
Dallas, TX
We all
had a phenomenal time in New Hampshire! Thank you for all your
hard work putting this together. This year was definitely more
challenging than last year's but the comradery was
extraordinary. The food was exceptional (both nights) and the
hotel stays were so nice!
Great
pictures on your site!
Thanks
again for the great trip! Looking forward to Hood to Coast!
Thuy
Le
Texas
Brew Crew
I've always believed that you do a
great job in organizing trips and other activities. Kris and I met
at one of your Happy Hours when I was placed on her Napa Team. We
are getting married on June 12.
We will still participate in your activities.
Thanks,
David Kunkle
Dallas Police Chief
Boston
Marathon Trip - April, 2004
Thank
you SO much Diane! That was a well organized, enjoyable - I
would even venture to say repeatable trip! I appreciated
all the fabulous "extras" and the hard work you put in
to making everything run so smoothly. Everything was perfect!
Thank you for answering all my anxious pre-race questions and by
doing so quieting my pre-race jitters and allowing me to relax
and have a marvelous time.
I
look forward to seeing the pictures!
The
"new" hotel was very nice and the location was nice
and quite. The limo to the start was a great way to
go...very relaxing and got you out of some of the hassle of the
Boston Shuttle. Our driver was great, he got us right to
the State Park and we walked right on the shuttle to the
Athlete's Village. I read in the paper that there was
some sort of "scheduling" glitch and some of the later regular
Boston Marathon shuttles didn't show up until 10:00 am at the
pick up point!!
The
pre-race dinner was fantastic, nice setting and great food.
The limo back to the hotel was great, the kids loved it. The
massage you set up after the race should always be an
option that you give people. I highly recommend it.
Thanks again,
Gary
Anderson
I'm writing to say thanks again for a truly
grand adventure! It couldn't have had a better time
without running a sub 4. If ever a rookie was treated like as well
as an elite runner, it was this past weekend on your tour in
Boston!
First, it actually turned out to be
great fun staying out in the Harvard Square area, riding the T and
chatting it up with the locals was a blast. Your Sunday night
pre-race pasta dinner in town was the greatest. I can't tell
you how much it added to my experience to get to meet the other
Texas runners and their families. But the best was yet to come.
Sunday's leisurely ride out to the race pick-up area in the limo
rocked. Man, it was great to get to sleep-in, to have my new pals
waiting in the lobby,and to have our ride just outside the door.
The trip out was fun, and as I watched my new sisters getting
their names written on their arms....I knew this limo ride was a
perfect way to ease into what lay ahead. I arrived fresh and
relaxed to join the crowd that had already been receiving their
pre-race bake in the bright sunshine for several hours.
After dragging myself across the
finish line and through the post race check-out gauntlet, I must
say my spirits brightened at the sight of our limo waiting to
whisk us past the walking wounded, out of the downtown madness,
and back to our hotel to a treat that nearly equaled having the
medal placed around my neck. After a quick shower, I headed
back downstairs for a post-race massage that surpassed anything
I'd been dreaming of on the run. I was toast & it was grand.
The surroundings were subtle & relaxed, the perfect way to
come down from the day's trials & punishments.
Later that evening we all gathered for
burgers, post race chats, & shared congratulations. What an
amazing experience we'd all had. My heart felt thanks to Diane for
putting together a trip that not only covered all of the essential
details, but exceeded my expectations at every possible turn! I'd
recommend Diane's tour to any rookie or veteran. I'd sign up again
in a minute.....all I've got to do is to qualify one more time!
Thanks,
Jay Freeman
New
York Marathon Trip - November, 2003
Just
wanted to THANK you so much for putting together the New York
trip! It was so nice to finally meet you - my mom and I
had a fabulous time! Hopefully I'll come on another one of
your trips soon!
Thanks
again!
Amanda
Diane,
It
was so nice to meet you! Thank you so much for everything!!
We had a wonderful time and a lot of that had to do with the fact
that we had all the information we needed and everything was so
well organized! You did a great job! Hope to get to go
along again sometime!
Sky
Diving - September, 2003
Thanks
for organizing this, Diane. It
was a beautiful, perfect experience that I'll never ever
forget!
Stacy
Diane, thanks for a
great event. Even though I had talked about doing it for
some time, I am not sure I would have done it without your added
incentive. It was truly a great experience. Here is
one of the pictures taken somewhere between 13,500 and 5,000 feet.
Oliver
RTB
Relay - September, 2003
You
did a fantastic job on the Reach the Beach - that must have been a
lot of work up front and it went so smoothly. And was very fun.
Mary
Even
though I was reluctant to join in another relay, I now know why I
did! I had a fantastic time and I can't wait for next year's
Cripple Crown! Thanks to all - I have to say it was one of the
best weekends I have had in a long time.
David
Wine
Tasting - April, 2003
Thank you so much for the wine
party on Saturday. It was so lovely and I met so many
nice people. And the food and wine were fantastic! It
was really nice to talk to you too and to see your beautiful home.
I don't know how you pulled it all together, but you did a
great job!
Best
regards,
Leslie
It
was fantastic! I will definitely attend the next one!
Angela
Thank
you, it was a fun evening. Some very interesting people to chat with
and some interesting and tasty wines. Good job selecting them. I’d
never had the Liage before and I like it. Thanks for exposing me to
something new in wines.
Greg
Boston
Marathon - April, 2003
Thanks
for putting together a great trip to Boston. This was my first trip
with you and will not be my last. I made lots of new friends and had
a wonderful time. Best of all -- I got to spend some time with Rick Grunbaum,
who is truly an inspiration.
Thanks
again,
Steve
Russell
Progressive
Dinner - March, 2003
I am SO glad I finally got to know
you and participate in one of your activities. NOW I see why
Larry forwards a lot of your invitations to his "mondo"
list of pals. You've got a lot going on, you know
what you're doing - and you have a grand following! I'll
definitely partake in your activities, when I can fit it them into
my schedule.
The "progressive dinner"
was a BLAST, and I've made my pals -- who couldn't attend -- green
with envy as I explained the entire night to them! I don't
know what I could offer or suggest for you to improve on it...
I had a wonderful time -- the logistics and restaurant choices were
perfect, the price was quite reasonable, and the group of people
were SO friendly! Some I knew by face -- it was
refreshing to finally meet and talk with them in a venue where
we could BS and drink...and actually HEAR each other (in other
words, not a noisy bar.) (not that I'm against noisy bars....THIS
was just a nice change.)
I'll definitely attend the
next one. Can't wait!
Mona
New
York Marathon - November, 2002
I
can't tell you how much i enjoyed the trip. I would recommend your
tour to anyone. I still can't believe I actually ran the New York
City Marathon. A year and a half ago. I weighed 250 lbs and hadn't
run any in 15 years. It is a dream come true.
I can't wait to go on another one. Thanks again.
Barry
Costa
Rica - September, 2002
Thanks again for a great,
great trip. Good group, cool itinerary, great destination and you
did a super job of maintaining your patience! NICE WORK!
March
Happy Hour
I
don't know how you conceived the idea for the happy hour, but you
have definitely "got it goin' on" !! That was the most fun
I've had in quite some time......and I've had some good times
lately. The beer was cold, the people were warm and friendly and as
you mentioned below, "NO SMOKE"!!!!!!! Way cool.
I'm looking forward to seeing you again.
Derrell
Jackson
Hole Ski Trip
What
a terrific ski trip to Jackson Hole! All the arrangements were
perfect in every detail. Teton Pines is a first-rate choice for
lodging, and I
particularly enjoyed the convenience of the excellent on-site
restaurant and adjoining sushi bar. I had never skied Jackson Hole
previously, and found that the mountain exceeded my expectations. It
is perfect for skiers of all levels, and large enough to allow a lot
of variety over several days of skiing. The Jackson Hole area is
beautiful and pristine beyond description. I really enjoyed the
interesting and congenial group of people that you brought
together. Thank you for a wonderful trip!
Dr.
Bob
The trip was great! I
can't believe how smoothly everything went - even when our dinner
reservations were lost, you got us right in to another excellent
restaurant. The accommodations were awesome and the traveling
companions even better. I am so glad I had the opportunity to
meet and ski with such nice, fun people.
Thanks again!
Charlie
You did an excellent job all
the way around. Nothing was left to chance. No stone unturned,
no detail missed. From the flights to transportation to
accommodations to the meals - FANTASTIC!
What really impressed me was how you did it so well for such a large
group. I think we had about 25 folks and I'd be shocked if anybody
had a complaint.
Kudos to the fine job you did orchestrating the whole trip. I'm
definitely looking forward to the Montana trip planned for next
year! I'll definitely recommend you to friends who haven't yet taken
advantage of your excellent Adventures.
Thanks so much!
Jim
The
New Year's Eve Gala
That
was one of the nicest parties I have ever attended. From start to
finish, it was great! The food was fabulous, great decorations and
good service staff.
Thank
you very much.
David
Just
wanted to tell you what a wonderful job you did on the party...the
food, decorations...everything was great! We had such a good time
and I look forward to hearing all the wild stories about the
midnight hour. By the way, where did you get those espresso
beans? I need a lifetime supply!
Julie
I
just wanted you to know that I thought you outdid yourself last
evening. The dinner was great, the club looked elegant and festive,
and as if that weren't enough, you were the star of the fashion show
too.
Alas,
seeing you in running garb may do it for me no longer.
John
Just
wanted you to know that Christine and I had a great time!
Awesome job!
Jay
The
New Year's Eve Gala was perfect! It was quite obvious that you
put a lot of time and effort into coordinating the event.
Continued
success is wished to you for the New Year.
Roberta
The
New Year's Eve party was wonderful!!! You did a great
job!
Lynece
I
just wanted to tell you what a great time I had New Year's
Eve. Thanks for going to all the trouble to put on the
party. I know you put a lot of effort into it and I
appreciated it.
Unlike
so many other New Year's Eve parties, this one was really fun!
Charlie
Various
Trips
This
was a great trip! The
Bolder Boulder is one of the best 10Ks, great scenery and lots of
festivities around the race. Traveling
with the Golden Adventures group made it a fun-filled weekend, since
Diane planned other activities like hiking and biking on the days
before the race.
Sherry
Yeaman
Dallas,
TX
Bolder
Boulder is a must for every runner. The event is very
organized, the course is pretty and the finish in the stadium very
emotional as it truly showcases the meaning of Memorial Day.
The other "Golden
Adventures"' included a festival, mountain bike riding,
hiking, great restaurants & a jeep trip up the Rocky Mountains
...a perfect weekend!!!
Darlene
Hess
Dallas,
TX
"Diane Golden is a consummate travel planner, and it shows in
her work. She leaves no detail to chance. To date I have participated
in Golden Adventures planned bicycle trips to France, Italy, and the
San Juan Islands. I have had great experiences and loads of fun,
always at very reasonable prices."
Tom Jardine
Dallas, TX
"Golden Adventures" is appropriately named. Tuscany was fabulous.
FastFred
Dallas, TX
In 1999, I joined Golden Adventures for a cycling tour through Tuscany.
It was an incredible adventure. The accommodations, food, company,
and itinerary were outstanding. Diane was always available to answer
questions and assist with arrangements. I highly recommend a trip
with Golden Adventures.
Lisa Owen Batson
Dallas, TX
My week with Golden Adventures
in the San Juans was one of the very best vacations of my life....
great people, great planning, great accommodations, and a great way
to see and experience a fabulous part of the world without one bit
of stress or responsibility!!!!
M. Brodie
San Francisco, CA
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