Laura Ericson exploring Cuba.

People go on vacations to get away from their ordinary lives. So why, then, do so many of us take trips that are utterly predictable? We visit the same fenced-off beach resort we did the year before, travel the same waters as thousands of others on a cruise ship, or ride the same kind of bus while a guide chatters through a microphone.

If you’re tired of traveling this way and instead want to be fully immersed in a new place with an experienced guide who can help you make once-in-a-lifetime memories, you should get to know Laura Ericson.

“I’m not very into the typical tourist attractions and popular travel destinations,” says Ericson, owner of Laura Ericson Group Trips. “I like to find unique experiences and things that get you immersed in the culture, involved with locals, and supporting the local economies of the countries I visit.”

Taking a leap in the Sahara Desert.

That means going to Mexico City during Día de los Muertos and India during Holi. It means leading groups to Cuba for the New Year or to the Republic of Georgia – the birthplace of wine – during the harvest season. It means leading a tour of Morocco, with travelers dining in a local home and meeting nomads in the Sahara Desert.

Her clients’ appreciation for such experiences has led them to vote Laura Ericson Group Trips the No. 1 Best Travel Service in Volume One’s annual Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll three years in a row.

And her tours are in demand by travelers near and far: The trips she’s planned for 2024 are virtually fully booked, and clients are already reserving spots for 2025.

Ericson’s tours typically last eight to 10 days and include just 12 to 14 travelers. They frequently appeal to would-be solo travelers who want to step outside the ordinary but don’t necessarily have travel companions. “I’m like a travel buddy that’s built right into the trip,” Ericson says.

The business grew out of Ericson’s personal affinity for travel as well as several major life changes. After getting a divorce in 2017, Ericson decided she wanted to travel more often but differently. “Being single, being in my late 30s, it was really hard to find people to travel with,” she recalls. “I wanted to go to places that were intimidating for a solo female traveler, like Colombia and Turkey.”

During the pandemic, Ericson realized how important travel was to her after travel plans were at a standstill worldwide. At her first available opportunity, she went to Colombia with an acquaintance she met in a Facebook group, who came along on the condition that Ericson do all the planning. The trip went well, as did a subsequent trip with four women that Ericson led to Mexico City. Following these successes, she made the leap from a longtime career in higher education to pursue her travel business full-time in 2021.

Making new friends in India.

Over the past three years, Ericson has led 14 trips to eight different countries, and her business continues to expand. She chronicles her travels through photos and videos, creating Instagram and Facebook stories and reels that show where she’s visiting, who she’s meeting, and what she’s eating. Her work has formed an online community, including a women-only Facebook group (Lola Loves Travel) which has more than 2,200 members who share travel advice, tips, and photos.

While most of her trips are co-ed, they attract many women. “I think women definitely identify with my story and how I came to travel more later in life,” Ericson says. “Many women get divorced in their 40s and 50s, and as they are starting over and rediscovering themselves, they may feel a little lost like I did.” As one customer wrote after traveling to Cuba, “I had the most wonderful time, and for me, it was life-changing. I found myself again and have so much peace and joy in my life now. For any women reading this, take the trip!”

In addition to creating unforgettable experiences, Ericson strives to improve the places she visits: Her tours typically involve a positive impact experience, such as delivering medicine and supplies to people in Cuba and donating school supplies to kids in the Sahara. Ericson is also a member of 1% for the Planet, an international organization whose members pledge to donate at least 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes. Her 2023 donation supported earthquake relief efforts in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

It’s all part of Ericson’s passion for providing travelers with something different. “They’re very curated, personalized experiences that I don’t think you get with a lot of the big travel companies,” she says. “I’m literally there every step of the way, so I think people often choose to come with me because they can put a face to the person they travel with. It’s not just a mystery guide.”

Ericson has already had many travelers from the Chippewa Valley on her trips, and she hopes to continue to grow a local travel community here in Eau Claire. She’s starting monthly travel meetups, where people interested in travel can connect face-to-face. Her first meetup is at 6:30pm on Wednesday, June 19, at 2 Roots Art & Wine Gallery, and all are welcome to join.

LAURA ERICSON GROUP TRIPS

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