Owner
Catherine Devine, VTA
Preferred Mailing

331 N Olsen Ave
Tucson, AZ 85719-5650
UNITED STATES

Profile

Website
bywaysbackroadsofeire.com

Connect With Me

About Me

Travel Specialization
Adventure Travel, Destination Weddings/Honeymoons, Gastronomy, Group Travel, History, Multi-generational Travel, Ocean Cruise
Destination Specialization
Continental US, Europe
Languages Known
English
ASTA Certification
Tagline
Travel is best when savoured slowly
About me
I am an Arizona cowgirl who found her connections on the backroads of Ireland. I focus on the off-the-beaten track spots that most tourists will rarely see. Whether it is on a dusty ranch road in Arizona or New Mexico or a narrow lane where the Faeries lead, I love to search out the unique beauty that will create the best memories for my sojourners

My growing up years were diversely rich in the culture and traditions of Mexico, Ireland/Scotland & Sicily.

I have a college background in Celtic & Native American studies, which is focused on the Tribes of Arizona & New Mexico and the Musical connections between Celtic and Western Americana music.
Why I love my job
I love helping people create life long memories.

Whether it is on their own self-drive holiday or one of my small-group tours, I want to create something that is uniquely their own

When my sojourners come back to me years later and say "we still talk about that Friary... ghost town... spot where we ate.. often and smile", I know that I have accomplished my goal.

I want every sojourner to love the hidden spots as much as I do. I want them to experience a journey not just race to all the "must sees' as if they were ticking off a grocer's list. Travel is better when you take the time to chat with the locals, listen to their stories and truly experience wherever it is that have journeyed.

We spend enough time in our daily lives in a rush. A holiday should be your time to slow down and sink into your journey
Favorite Destinations
Since 2004, Ireland has felt like a homecoming. There is a different vista around every curve. Wherever you go, there are friendly people to welcome you. The history and culture are at the very core of the fabric that is Ireland. I seek out traditional music for my sojourners, as well as local crafters and unique foods.

Scotland has familial ties with relatives in Glasgow and deep roots on Skye, Again, as in Ireland, it is the rich History that carries me back there time and time again

As a native Arizonan, I am always delighted to show off the hidden gems of the state. I grew up on Ranches across southern Arizona so I have spent time horseback and in a vehicle exploring backroads and checking out unique places to which I have introduced many visitors. New Mexico falls in that same category.
About my most memorable vacation
Most memorable, that is a tough one, as each trip has had its stand out moments.

If I had to choose just one, it would be my Ireland trip in 2009. It was a solo trip. I was seeking out my roots and gathering photos for a book I've yet to publish.

It would take me down into Laois and up in to Armagh on the first day just so that I could surprise a friend on his 80th birthday by knocking on his door to sing to him.

It would find me sitting in the kitchen of my Gran's cousins, whom I hadn't know before that night, at midnight, helping them pull a calf in the wee hours before heading back to my lodgings.

It would have me carrying a wee lamb, wrapped in my own sweater, into the warm kitchen at those same lodgings and sitting at a christening dinner in Crossmaglen that next night.

It would find me sharing dinner with my Gran's niece in Roscommon for the "first time" only to discover that several years prior I had bought petrol and shared some time with her in Athlone.

That trip shaped the rest of my trips moving forward and has helped me in many ways to plan my clients sojourns ever since.