Timi's travelers are a loyal bunch. Some have traveled with Timi since she formed Timi's Tours in 2006. Retired transplants happily fly back to central Illinois, just to ride somewhere else on one of Timi's motorcoaches. And this trusting, enthusiastic crowd rushes to sign up for Mystery Trips as soon as seats open. These fun-loving people will go anywhere with Timi.
"We started traveling with Timi 18 years ago," says 78-year-old Paul Easley who retired to Florida from central Illinois with his wife, Kathy, and still books a few trips a year. "There are too many to count. It's fun, easy, and Timi is so positive about what she's doing. Her trips are full of surprises, an unexpected stop, something you didn't expect to see. She makes you feel secure and relaxed. And the memories stay with you."
"She handles everything," says Kathy Easley. "All the transportation, planning, arrangements, tours, everything. All you have to do is enjoy it. It's so simple and easy.
Timi Hall-Kaufman launched her Moweaqua-based company with ease, fun and relationships in mind. "I wanted to provide a service and opportunities to see places people wouldn't take a chance of seeing on their own. A lot of our tours focus on seniors, although there's some growth in younger travelers, too."
"I love, love people," Timi continues. "I want to affect people's lives for the better. We bring people joy, opportunities and experiences they may not have without us, and people become friends."
Kathy Easley agrees. "Once you start going, you will already know people on the bus. You'll always have at least a small cadre of people you already know. For solo travelers, friends will find you."
The company has grown considerably over the years. Timi's Tours started with one day trip in a rented coach, and now encompasses 100 tours per year in the Midwest, across the United States and around the world, including day trips, long-distance experiences and even the popular mystery trips where the only information people receive is a list of any special clothing they'll want.
Timi also now owns all of her own motorcoaches, which she has modified to provide extra leg room for even the tallest travelers. She has built a thriving charter business for schools and other tour companies who use her coaches.
"We offer top-notch tours," says Timi. It's about quality, she explains. Comfortable travel, great destinations, ocean-front resorts, lakeside accommodations, and the best seats for shows and concerts — such as events at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. "Six hundred groups take people to the Fox each year. For the sixth year in a row, we are the number one producing group, and the only group this year to get orchestra seating." Timi sends groups to all of the Fox's Broadway shows, and says they plan to attend such concerts as Ringo Starr's show soon.
Some of Timi's favorite trips are river travel, train travel, Hawaii, Scotland and Ireland ... she listed most of the U.S. and international tours for the coming year before acknowledging she loves them all. And, she adds, every single trip, whether ultimately for motorcoach travel, air travel, or a combination, picks up in Springfield.
Central Illinois resident Janice Beyers, now in her 60s, travels from place to place all over the world with Timi's Tours every year. "I'm spending my daughter's inheritance," she says with pleasure. I am making memories and enjoying life, seeing all kinds of places, learning about history and geography. When you travel with Timi, you see the sites many people will not see, things off the beaten path maybe you didn't even know about."
Timi's website www.timistours.com offers details about upcoming trips, but don't be too concerned if most of them show as "sold out," she says. "Trips do sell out fast, but we encourage people to put their names on the wait list in case of cancellations, and buy travel insurance."
"The sky's the limit," Timi says, excited about all of the upcoming plans. "We think outside of the box with a lot of our destinations."
Janice Beyers plans to enjoy traveling as long as she possibly can. "It changes you. It changes your outlook once you start doing this. I always have things to talk about now. People tell me I light up when I talk about my trips. Life is good and you need to travel."
Paul Easley makes it the same priority, and always with Timi. "If I sound overjoyed about the trips we've taken," Paul continues, "it's because we were."
For more information, visit www.timistours.com, or call 800-682-8214.
