Bert & Shari Frenz in
La Pesca, Tamaulipas WAGONMASTERS
Bert & Shari Frenz
Bert & Shari Frenz in
La Pesca, Tamaulipas If you've read their travel journals, you already know a lot about Bert and Shari. After selling a successful business, they retired at age 50 and hit the road in 1996 in their newly purchased RV. A delightful 7-month trip to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest convinced them to sell their Texas house and travel full-time. Having seen all 50 states and most of Canada, they set their sights on Mexico. Together as Tailgunners and Bert as a birding guide, they followed an RV caravan along the west coast of Mexico to San Blas and then visited the Copper Canyon on the return trip.
Many of their fellow travelers wanted to bird and to visit eastern Mexico and the Yucatan, and asked Bert and Shari to organize the trip and research the birding sites. So taking up the challenge they organized a 2001 trip to that part of Mexico and added a visit to Belize as well. In 2002 they were again Wagonmasters for a similar 65-day trip but with an improved itinerary and longer stay in Belize.
Only back from Mexico for a month, they headed north and lead a 70-day Alaska caravan, focusing on nature: the birds, mammals, flowers and geology of this magnificent state.
Back to Mexico again in 2003, they led a trip through the central mountains of Mexico, to the Pacific coast and then to Belize for an even longer stay. In 2004, it was the Yucatan peninsula, plus 18 days in Belize and Guatemala. In that spring they explored a new route through Manitoba. In 2005, they led birders through a new route in Central Mexico and included 21 days in Belize. Back for just a month they headed north and lead a birding caravan throughout Manitoba, including 6 days in Churchill.
In 2006 and 2007, they concentrated on Belize with an intense 49-day visit exploring every corner of the country, as part of another 65-day caravan starting from Texas. They followed in spring with a 70-day Alaska caravan. In 2008 they led a 79-day trip from Texas to Costa Rica, including Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Back for a month in Texas, they headed north and led spring, summer and fall caravans to British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska and Northwest Territories. Central Mexico, Belize and the east coast of Mexico was the itinerary for their 2009 caravan.
Now with 17 caravans under their belt, intermingled with extensive trips to Arizona, Florida, the Canadian maritime provinces, Newfoundland, Scotland, Ireland and everything in between, they are anxious to lead new trips in 2009 to the Canadian Maritimes, including Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador.