Travel West | Travel Agency

TRIP-AT-A-GLANCE
ABOUT KYLEE
TESTIMONIALS

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Round-trip airfare from Houston to Mexico City.
Private deluxe motor coach and driver.
A professional Craftours escort the entire time.
Professional local and experienced tour guides.
First-class hotel accommodations Mexico City, Zitacuaro and Valle de Bravo.
Special welcome and farewell dinners, daily breakfast and some lunches.
Visit and tour of El Rosario, Sierra Chincua and Piedra Herrada, three world famous Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries!
A stop in Cerro Pelón for lunch and to meet monarch enthusiasts in the area.
A visit to Cosmovitral Botanic Garden, with its breathtaking stained glass windows!
Shopping opportunities in the local arts and crafts market.
A tour of the grounds to learn more about the plants, trees and flowers at Rancho San Cayetano.
Free Day in Mexico City for shopping, museums and sightseeing on your own.
A special panoramic tour of Mexico City with a local professional guide.
A video presentation about the monarch butterfly migration.
Travelling with monarch expert and horticulturalist, Kylee Baumle.
Autographed copy of The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly by Kylee.
Special Craftours totebag, lanyard and luggage tag.

MEXICO HIGHLIGHTS:

Mexico City is the densely populated, high-altitude capital of Mexico. It's known for its Templo Mayor (a 13th-century Aztec temple), the baroque Catedral Metropolitana of the Spanish conquistadors and the Palacio Nacional, which houses historic murals by Diego Rivera. All of this resides in and around the Plaza de la Constitución, the massive main square also known as the Zócalo.

El Rosario

El Rosario is the largest and best of the monarch butterfly's overwintering reserves. You will see monarchs that have travelled more than 2,000 miles from Canada and the United States. They spend 5 months in a state of semi hibernation, clinging to the branches of oyamel pine trees. Though each weighs less than a paper clip, the weight of up to ten thousand on a single tree can break the branches. On a sunny day, monarchs will leave the roosts in search of water, and you may see them in the meadow, near the stream, or by the thousands leaving or returning to their roosts. You will have plenty of time to take your best shot. You will never forget the feeling of sitting quietly in the forest, near a hundred thousand monarchs, after learning their incredible story from our resident experts.

Cosmovitral

The Cosmovitral is a stained glass mural and botanical garden located in Toluca, Mexico. The building takes its name from the mural which is set in the building's huge windows that surround the building and in the ceiling. The building originally was constructed in 1910 as the 16 de Septiembre Market. It was not until 1975 when the first female Mayor of Toluca, Yolanda Sentíes, had the 16 de Septiembre Market reallocated and successfully gauged enough social and political support to transform the building into a space for art. El cosmovitral was designed by the notable local artisan Leopoldo Flores.

KYLEE BAUMLE

I turned 60 in September 2017, and my husband Roman and I will celebrate being married for 43 years this coming August. We are the parents of two grown and married children, Kara and Jenna, and they are the parents of three of the most adorable grandchildren you'll ever see – Hannah (5), Anthony (3), and Maverick (2).

I live in rural Northwest Ohio, just three miles from where I grew up, but I've done a fair amount of traveling, in the U.S. and abroad, to such places as Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Canada, Mexico, and three times to Ecuador. I worked for 38 years as a dental hygienist, both in private practice and in more recent years, in a research facility. I no longer practice, since writing and travel and grandkids keep me so busy.

I'm an avid gardener, travel around the country to garden shows and tours, and started writing a blog about my growing adventures, Our Little Acre, in 2007, which led to many other (paid!) writing opportunities. I've written for Fine Gardening, Horticulture, The American Gardener, Green Profit, Garden Center Magazine, and have a regular feature in Ohio Gardener magazine. I also write a weekly gardening column for our local newspaper.

In 2013, I co-authored a book – Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants – with my good friend from Austin, Jenny Peterson. It was chosen one of Amazon's Top 20 in 2013, in its category. And then, my monarch passion led me to write THE MONARCH a few years later.

I love to read, and probably spend a little too much time doing that. We have three cats (two are inside only) and because I garden on an acre, my garden takes up a good deal of my time when it's in season. I also do public speaking about monarchs (mostly) and am an advocate for them whenever and wherever possible.

TESTIMONIALS FROM LAST YEAR'S TRIP:

Diane Chesko, Campton Hills, IL - "I've always wanted to see the monarch sanctuaries."

Martha Zydowsky, Madison, WI - "Great tour! It was a nice blend of different activities and I loved Mexico. One of the best tours I've done!"

Carole Blemker, Madison, WI - "I loved the trip! The diversity of experiences and overall camaraderie of our little group was exceptional. We packed a lot in over a fairly short time. Wonderful!"

Cheryl Barnard, Port Elgin, Ontario - "A true adventure!"

Joyce Pearsall, Brevard, NC - "This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me. As a volunteer with Monarch Watch as a Conservation Specialist, it was important for me to actually see the overwintering sites in Mexico. I have seen them in California about two years ago, so these are precious memories! Even with the importance of the monarchs to me, what was even more unique was having Estela Romero as a guide and taking us to Macheros to see the children and meet families up close and personal. It was very much worth my money and time to experience that adventure! I learned much and am grateful!"