July, 2015
Boston Globe interviews Ellen about her ground-breaking visit to Cuba
Ellen Paderson and friends touring Havana Cuba in style!
Ellen Paderson of Smiles and Miles Travel recently discussed her fact-finding trip to Cuba with the Boston Globe:
“The people we met were welcoming and seemed happy their country is opening up to Americans,” Ellen said. ” I also felt they’re cautious about the infrastructure not being able to handle millions of visitors. I think they’re years away from welcoming a lot of people in. I sense they don’t want people to hate it and not want to come again.”
Read the complete Boston Globe article here.
February, 2014:
Ellen featured in Dr. Oz’s new magazine!
Smiles and Miles Travel CEO Ellen Paderson was thrilled to be included in the inaugural issue of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s new magazine, “The Good Life”, published by Hearst.
Ellen was featured as a wrapped-car enthusiast, describing the benefits this kind of advertising can bring to a small business.
Ellen’s celebrity status grows!
August, 2013:
Best of the Best!
Once again, Smiles and Miles Travel has been chosen by mega leisure travel company Travel Impressions as one of the Best of the Best Independent travel agencies!
We couldn’t have achieved this honor without our loyal Smiles and Miles Travel and Destination Bar/Bat Mitzvah clients – thank you!
Read more about this great recognition at our Bar Mitzvah Vacations site!
June, 2013:
Smiles and Miles Travel was proud to join Sandals/Beaches Resorts in sponsoring a Hole-in-One contest at an annual golf tournament to benefit Wish for Our Heroes, a 501 (c) (3) charity that provides both basic needs and fun activities for active-duty U.S military personnel and their families.
Military members, both active and retired, enjoyed golf, dinner and entertainment at Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk MA. Navy SEAL and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Michael E. Thornton was the Keynote speaker at the event.
Pictured at the fourth hole of Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, MA. are, from left: Jeff Wells, President and Founder of Wish for Our Heroes; Kim Paderson, Smiles & Miles Travel Sales and Marketing Associate; Ellen Paderson, CEO of Smiles & Miles Travel; and Kirk Olsen, Regional Business Development Manager for Sandals / Beaches Resorts.
Read more about our Tournament sponsorship.
Read more about the mission of Wish for Our Heroes.
May 2013
Smiles and Miles Travel is delighted to serve as Travel Coordinators for Rabbi Barbara Aiello’s inaugural Jewish Heritage tour of southern Italy and Sicily.Read more about the tour here.
Ellen Paderson of Smiles & Miles Travel was recently featured in Road & Travel Magazine, offering her strategies to avoid Seven Common Travel Mistakes.
Smiles and Miles Travel honored as top agency by American Marketing Group.
Ellen Paderson and Smiles and Miles Travel are included in the top 15 virtual travel agencies of 2011 by sales volume, according to the NEST (Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel), a branch of American Marketing Group.
This was reported in the Quincy Patriot Ledger, and the Boston Globe also made note of Ellen’s accomplishment:
“BUSINESS BRIEFS: Travel consultant Ellen Paderson’s Smiles and Miles Travel Inc. in Easton was named one of the top 15 travel agencies in the Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel, a consortium of about 500 member agencies. The rankings are based on the value of member travel bookings. As a stay-at-home mother, Paderson founded Smiles and Miles Travel 16 years ago, and said that in the last year, business has jumped 30 percent because her company provides personal service that has earned her the trust of hundreds of families, bridal couples and solo travelers.
Ship to Shore Radio: Ellen was a featured guest on Fran Silverman’s cruise show on BlogTalkRadio in 2010. Contact Stan Hurwitz Communications to book Ellen as a guest on your podcast, radio or television show!
..Guest columnist Ellen Paderson at Bar/Bat Mitzvah Vacations
tells us about some alternatives to the traditional Mitzvah party.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Vacations
By Ellen Paderson, from Bar/Bat Mitzvah Vacations
Increasingly, parents are looking for new, exciting and less expensive ways to mark their child’s milestone. As a travel agent for more than 15 years, I have been replacing traditional events with destination wedding or anniversary parties. I am now finding more and more families who are adapting this concept for their child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Among the most popular packages are a Caribbean Bar Mitzvah Vacation with a flight to one of the islands and the ceremony in a historic synagogue, or a Caribbean Cruise Bar Mitzvah.
There are several reasons that a Bar Mitzvah Vacation concept is literally taking off:
Budget: With fewer invitees, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Vacation is usually less expensive than a more traditional temple/reception type of affair. This may allow you to budget a 3-, 4- or even 7-day celebration; you will create memories that will last a lifetime.
Family Time: In an era when family time is minimal, this presents an opportunity for the family to spend much needed quality time together.
Personality: For the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child, it’s an adventure they’ll never forget. For children with special needs, their role in the service can be tailored to their abilities with less anxiety. For kids who didn’t complete Hebrew school or who don’t do well in front of large audiences, there’s a lot less pressure.
Family Ties: For interfaith families and those who don’t have membership in a synagogue, the vacation alternative may be preferable.
Unique for Sibling: Some parents who held a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in a conventional way for their first child would like to explore a different option for their other children.
Alternative to Israel: Some families who had considered having the Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel may be rethinking that idea.
Call us!
The Travel Experts at
Smiles and Miles Travel
are ready to book your dream vacation!
508-238-4088
She is happy to offer an initial consulting session
via email at no obligation!
Smiles and Miles Travel is here to help create your perfect Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Destination Wedding, honeymoon, family vacation or cruise experience!
