August 2008
In this issue:
New travel portal makes visiting ASU easy
Have your own adventures under the Tuscan sun
Do the Grand Canyon the Sun Devil way
Links to 2009 travel adventures
Also...
Tips for bon voyage gifts
Travel insurance coverage buys peace of mind
We want to hear from you
Welcome
The school year is right around the corner here in the Valley of the Sun and that means our four campuses soon will be overflowing with a very special kind of traveler—new students moving in for their first year at ASU, as well as their parents, many of whom are here to get a glimpse of all that the university has to offer their child. Later in the fall, many alums will return to the area for Homecoming, football home games and other athletic events, or on-campus conferences, seminars and meetings.
For both groups of travelers, as well as others who come to ASU for business or personal visits, we are pleased to unveil our new travel portal, which is being powered by Campus Travel Management. The new portal will make it quick and easy to book a trip back to ASU, as well as to join group tours or create your own vacation adventure. We’re exited about this portal and encourage you to try it out today!
If you have an end-of-summer trip planned, don’t forget to take our mascot “Sparky” along with you as you travel and submit your picture of him in a destination photo to us. We’ll publish some of the best photos online in the travel section of the Alumni Association Web site, and some in ASU Magazine.
Finally, we’d like to offer you a gift suitable for taking along on all your travel adventures this fall—an Alumni Association luggage tag! This sleek silver tag stands out on your suitcases and can be yours if you send us two business cards. See the story on this offer below for more details.
Enjoy this issue of the e-newsletter and please travel safely.
Christine K. Wilkinson
President, ASU Alumni Association
Senior Vice President and University Secretary
Jennifer Holsman
Executive Director, Operations
ASU Alumni Association
Features
New travel portal makes coming home to ASU a snap
Thinking about coming back to ASU for Homecoming, a special football or basketball home game, or attending a conference held on one of the university’s four campuses? Leave the planning to us! The Alumni Association has partnered with Campus Travel Management to create a unique portal designed to give you access to accommodations for visiting ASU and the Valley of the Sun. You can also use the site to plan your own Sun Devil vacation.
Visit the portal today!
Around the World with ASU
Croatian trip offers Adriatic treasures, Italy’s best resorts
Croatia is a strikingly beautiful country where civilizations and people have intermixed along the sparkling Adriatic Coast. Visitors on this trip, slated for Sept. 25-Oct. 3, will enjoy all of Croatia’s treasures, as well as those of Lido di Jesolo, one of Italy’s most popular resorts.
Book your trip to Croatia today!
Have your own adventures under the Tuscan sun
If Italy is to your liking, you may also want to consider our trip to Tuscany and the Italian Riviera, slated for Oct. 4-12. Experience the exquisite beauty of the Tuscan landscape with visits to charming Siena and beautiful Florence, as well as a stop in the seaside resort town of San Remo.
Book your trip to the Italian Riviera today!
Do the Grand Canyon the Sun Devil way
Sun Devil Destinations’ “Grand Canyon Explorer” adventure, slated for Oct. 14-19, will show travelers the natural wonder’s many faces. Travel with other ASU alumni and friends through nearby towns via railway, take a close look at the canyon’s painted walls on a below-the-rim day hike, and enjoy a smooth-water rafting adventure on the Colorado River.
Sign up for this adventure today!
Other upcoming trips
Paris Highlights (arts/culture), Feb. 28-March 8, 2009
Treasures of Argentina & Chile (arts/culture), March 28-April 9, 2009
Japan (arts/culture), June 1-9, 2009
Sun Devil Destinations complete 2008-09 trip list
Packing Light…short takes on travel
Next time you wish to celebrate a loved one's big adventure, here are some ideas for (farewell) gifts that will be both useful and treasured without breaking the bank.
Magazines: Anyone who has ever got on the plane with the good intentions of reading a lengthy novel will tell you that it just never happens.
A pocket calculator: Whether it's to keep track of your travel budget, work out the exchange rate or use it as a haggling tool, this is always a godsend for any traveler.
A compilation CD of your traveler’s favorite music is always a hit.
Local currency: This doesn’t have to be a lot, but it’s so much nicer arriving at your destination with some small notes of the local currency for snacks, taxi, bus etc. You’re saving your traveler the dreaded line up at the currency exchange booth when she arrives after a long flight.
Prepaid phone cards: (If you’re buying for an international traveler,) just confirm that the provider you choose is suited to the destination country.
— Australian travel writer Susan Miles, writing at Journeywoman.com
Get in on the good stuff: join the Alumni Association now
Travel with the ASU Alumni Association is member benefit. Join now so you can start seeing the world with other ASU alumni today!
To start your travel adventures with us, join online and enter “Travel” in the campaign code line.
Give us your business cards, get a luggage tag
Want to show the world that you’re a proud member of the ASU Alumni Association (or about to become a member)? Mail us two business cards to Sun Devil Destinations, Business Card Exchange, ASU Alumni Association, P.O. Box 873702, Tempe, AZ 85287-3702 and we will mail you our sleek, silver luggage tag to adorn your gear on your next adventure! The tag features the Alumni Association logo and is sure to make your bag stand out at the airport luggage carousel!
Contact us for more information on the luggage tag offer
Travel insurance coverage buys peace of mind
No one ever wants to cancel or interrupt a trip, but USI’s Travel Insurance Select offers a range of coverage to help you protect your investment in your tour. Don’t travel without protection … get yourself covered and give back to the Alumni Association at the same time!
Get a free quote
Discovery Treks offers Arizona trip discount to members
Discovery Treks, an alumni-run company, now offers ASU Alumni Association members a 7.5 percent discount on all camping trips it offers to the Grand Canyon, Havasu Falls or the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona. Book your trip with the company using the discount code ASUALUM08 to receive the savings!
We want to hear from you
Got a suggestion for a travel destination? Want to refer a potential traveler? Please click here to tell us about it. We want to create a travel program that meets your needs.
Words to leave by
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
– Martin Buber