Gibraltar 2023

(23 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Cathy Hawk

Medina, OH

My Travel Story

Hello, my name is Cathy Hawk and I love to travel. I spent many hours when I was young at the airport either dropping my Dad off or picking him up but also we traveled to visit family all over the world. My Grandparents lived in Greece and England, so my family vacations were unconventional but amazing experiences which I have carried with me and have passed onto my own family.

I have been married to Dan for almost 30 years and we have 2 beautiful daughters. I have always wanted my kids to be comfortable traveling out of the country. It is a running joke in our family to compare how many countries we have visited and as of now my kids are quickly starting to catch up. I feel the education you get from experiencing different cultures, foods, and people gives you interesting stories and a compassion and understanding for different ways of life. Anyone who has traveled no matter where has had that moment when you are at a place you have never been and you just stand in awe of what you are seeing. Travel has that ability to leave you speechless but also to turn you into a storyteller.

For 15 years I had been in Customer Service and for 7 of those years I was a certified Acceptance Agent for the US Department of State. So, I am trained and can help answer questions regarding passports and international travel. I am newer to the Travel Industry on the “sales” side but combining my customer service skills and my traveling experiences I feel I would be a great asset to planning and organizing personal vacations for clients. . I love planning US destination vacations like Hawaii, Sedona, Las Vegas and relaxing beach vacations. But over the years I have traveled to roughly 16 countries including some of my favorites: Italy, England (which I have family and have been visiting for over 35 years) Costa Rica, Croatia, Malta, Spain, France, Scotland and Bermuda just to name a few. I love finding off the beaten path cities, towns or even restaurants and fully submerging myself into the culture. One such place that holds my heart is a small town 30 minutes north of Rome called Tivoli. I recommend this place to anyone I hear is going to Rome, it is the true essence of Italy and Italian life

I have traveled using many popular cruise lines such as Princess, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line. I am also a big fan of tour companies such as Tauck, Collette, Globus, and Trafalgar which offer amazing itineraries for international travel. I am also able to customize a unique trip to fit any destination you may want. I love exploring different excursions and have used many resources to find the perfect experiences.

I am so excited to have my own business, From Dreams To Destinations, and have the guidance of Nexion Travel Group. I want to share my love and passion for travel with people who are ready to explore amazing destinations. I hope that with my guidance you are able to sit back and let the world open up to whatever dreams you have. It is time to start exploring!

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Our Rock Of Gibraltar Hiking Group (The Crazys)

We landed in this beautiful port with very few expectations. I didn't know much about this island country but was ready for anything. I had a small connection to Gibraltar, my parents married in Casablanca, Morocco and honeymooned in Gibraltar. We had no excursion booked we just got off the ship and walked towards the Rock. We came across very helpful locals and a beautiful city center which had lots of restaurants, shops and palm trees. A woman on the street told us to look for the set of stairs painted like the Union Jack flag and when we find them we know we will be heading towards the National Park. The ticket office opens at 9am so we had a few minutes to rest before we all started our climb. Tickets were 9 euros for entrance into all the different sections. There are 3 ways to make the climb, steps and those had to be in the thousands and they are occupied by crazy monkeys who seem to just take humans in stride unless you have food then you will be paying them with whatever you have. The other way up is a much longer incline which we took down, and you can also opt for the cable car up the mountain.

We just decided on the steps tried not to make eye contact with the monkeys and stepped right over them. It was very entertaining to watch them scaling the walls and steps and just living their best lives.

The views got better and better until you reach O'Hara's Battery at the top where on a clear day Morocco was visible on one side and Spain on the other. We also were able to go through St. Michael's Cave and the hanging bridge. There were plaques commemorating the visit of Queen Elizabeth back in the 50's. Really an amazing day where by the time we walked back to the ship we had logged almost 10 miles in steps. But the pride we had that we did it and the laughs and memories will last a lifetime and worth every bead of sweat we shed.