(25 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Karen Shelton

Waxhaw, NC

Owner, Expert Advice for the Vacation You Deserve

As the owner of My Path Unwinding Travel and Luxury Travel PhD, I rely on my extensive travel experience and a global network of travel suppliers to design a hassle-free, memorable vacation for my clients. I provide individualized consultation to understand your expectations and definition of luxury to then craft your itinerary using my expertise and connections. You can rely on my expertise to match you with the perfect all-inclusive resort, luxury hotel, cruise or guided vacation around the world.

My Travel Specialties

All Inclusive Resort Expert

An all inclusive resort vacation offers the ultimate in relaxation with a variety of dining, beverage and entertainment options included so that the most difficult decision is pool or beach. Finding the perfect resort can be overwhelming. My extensive experience throughout the Mexico and Caribbean...
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Adventures by Disney Specialist

The most luxurious Disney vacation is not in a theme park or on a cruise ship. Adventures by Disney takes guests to destinations around the globe to find the magic in the real world. 

You won’t meet Mickey Mouse or Cinderella on your tour (unless you choose the Southern California/Disneyland...
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Adventures by Disney Greece

Luxury Cruises for Families

Cruising is a hassle free way to explore the world with your family. I have personally sailed over 20 times on cruise lines and can help you select the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary, and accommodations. Once your cruise is booked, we can assist with all the details including transfers, pre...
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A suite elevates your family cruising experience!

Luxury Travel Specialist

As the owner of My Path Unwinding Travel and Luxury Travel PhD, I rely on my extensive travel experience and a global network of travel suppliers to design a hassle-free, memorable vacation for my clients.  I understand that travel planning can be time consuming and overwhelming....
Read more from my Luxury Travel Specialist bio.

Exploring Prague

My Travel Albums

All Inclusive Resort Highlights

My Reviews

40 of 73 people found this review helpful
And I thought I didn't need a travel agent...
We did our own research for our trip to Disney World, and we knew pretty much where we wanted to stay on property. Why would we need a travel agent? Karen gave us info about the properties near Epcot that really helped us narrow our decision. We wound up booking concierge level at the Beach Club and loved it, but I am not sure we would have even known about that option or the value it brings if Karen had not presented it to us with some insider tidbits that she had clearly gotten first-hand. I thought we would play our days in the parks by ear according to what the wait times were, but Karen had fantastic tips for which parks to do on which days in order to minimize the crowds. The Fast Pass thing seems like it changes every time we go, but Karen was up to speed on the latest and we were able to get on all the rides the family wanted. We even scored an extra fast pass two of the days that we didn't think we could get anymore! It makes sense that now that more information is available to the average consumer, even more information is available to the travel professionals. Karen is that professional, and as Emeril Lagasse likes to say, she really "kicked our vacation up a notch!"
By  Bill L.  from  Hartford, CT
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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37 of 68 people found this review helpful
Planned a dream trip - and then saved it from Winter Storm Jonas!
When my wife let me know her dream 40th birthday present was a winter trip to the Caribbean, I knew exactly who to call. Karen listened carefully to all of our "must haves" and preferences, helped us figure out exactly which island to go to (Aruba -- why would anyone go anywhere else?), found us the perfect all-inclusive beach-front resort with the exact room layout we asked for, got us the dates we wanted, and did it all at a price that blew us away. As the Passover saying goes, "That would have been enough!" But when winter storm Jonas caused our outgoing flight to be cancelled and the resort had no vacancies for us to add days, that's when Karen swung into high gear. She walked us through all of our options, at our request she found us another great resort at a great price for the added days, coached us through the travel insurance process to get us our reimbursement for the missed days at the first resort, thought through every possible snafu and made sure they wouldn't happen - and tirelessly worked to turn what could have been total disaster right back into the vacation we dreamed of. It was clear to us a every step that our vacation was as important to Karen as it was to us. That is something you can't find from an average travel agent. Simply said, Karen is the best! I couldn't recommend working with her any more highly -- and we will be calling on her for our next getaway for sure.
By  Ivan K.  from  Great Barrington, MA
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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40 of 76 people found this review helpful
Very Knowledgeable, Very Passionate
I have known Karen for about 2 years now and I can say, without hesitation, that she is one of the most knowledgeable travel advisors I know. She is passionate and extremely helpful, and will make sure you get the absolute best deal on your vacation or travel plans. I would trust her to arrange every detail of my vacation and be completely at ease, knowing her skills and dedication would provide me with the best possible outcome. If you need help in booking your next trip or vacation, give Karen a try.
By  Thdarragh  from  Lancaster, PA
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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12 of 21 people found this review helpful
Traveling to All Inclusive During Covid
We used Karen for the first time on a 5 day trip to Mexico. We had many questions about traveling during Covid and how the resorts were handling everything. Karen did a great job explaining everything she knew and heard about from other travelers. She was spot on with every detail. We decided to extend the trip a few extra days as there was no change fees with the airline. She made all of the changes very quickly. We will be using her for all future travels.
By  JLussier  from  Raleigh, NC
Traveled to  Cancun ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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38 of 73 people found this review helpful
Fantastic Experience!
Karen recently helped us plan our first no-kid vacation to the Riviera Maya, Mexico! We had been to Mexico previously and loved the resort, but were looking for something new to try. I love researching and spend lots of time on review sites, but it was Karen who found the PERFECT resort for us! She found a resort that met all of our criteria - in budget, great food and drink options, better than nice accommodations, a nice beach, etc. We booked and her recommendation was spot on - she made our vacation exactly what we were hoping for! She also arranged our shuttle to/from the resort, which was helpful. The whole process was extremely easy and Karen was fantastic to work with!
By  Anna  from  Greenville, SC
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Destination Expert:

  • Riviera Maya
  • At Sea
  • Caribbean
  • Europe
  • Cancun
  • Mexico
  • USA
  • Worldwide
  • Dominican Republic
  • Costa Rica
  • Jamaica
  • Hawaii
  • Australia & New Zealand
  • Alaska

Travel Specialist:

  • All Inclusive
  • Family Vacations
  • Luxury Cruises
  • Adult Only
  • Luxury Hotels
  • Bachelorette Parties & Girlfriend Getaways
  • Escorted Tours
  • Couples & Romance
  • River Cruises
  • Small Ship Cruises
  • Disney Vacations
  • Honeymoons
  • Luxury

Top Travel Partners:

  • Adventures By Disney
  • AmaWaterways
  • Disney Cruise Line
  • Celebrity Cruises
  • National Geographic Expeditions
  • Royal Caribbean
  • Tauck
  • Abercrombie & Kent
  • Kensington Tours
  • UnCruise Adventures

Certifications/Awards:

  • College of Disney Knowledge
  • AmResorts Master Agent
  • Certified Sandals/ Beaches Specialist
  • Atlantis Ambassador
  • Tauck Specialist

Connect with Me:

Industry Affiliations:

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2021 © My Path Unwinding Travel, LLC As to Disney artwork, logos, and properties: ©Disney Disney Cruise Line Ship's Registry: The Bahamas