Behind the Scenes: How We Curate Founder’s Circle Tours

Planning a Founder’s Circle tour might look like a cozy afternoon on the sofa with a laptop, coffee, and maps spread out—but behind those notes and clicks is a careful process of shaping something meaningful. Every detail, from a tucked-away café to the flow of each day, is chosen with intention.

At Infinite Vagabonds, our Founder’s Circle tours are more than itineraries—they’re journeys designed for women 50+ who want culture, connection, and community. Here’s a peek behind the curtain at how we bring them to life.

Why Founder’s Circle Tours Are Different

When I started Infinite Vagabonds, I knew I didn’t want to design “big bus” tours where travelers feel like passengers instead of participants. Founder’s Circle tours are kept intentionally small (6-8 women), so they feel more like a circle of friends than a crowd.

We focus on:

• Meaningful connections — space to share stories and experiences.

• Cultural immersion — history, food, music, and voices that bring a place alive.

• Women’s stories — because history looks different when we shift the spotlight.

  
  

This is why our first Founder’s Circle journey will be Her City, Her Story, Her Voice in New Orleans, April 6-10, 2026.

The Curating Process

1. Listening to Women Travelers

Founder’s Circle tours begin with listening—to the women who inspire them. I’ve heard again and again from women over 50 that they don’t just want to see the sights; they want to feel a place. They seek safety and comfort, but also a spark of discovery and connection.

For me, this desire is personal. I’ve always been the one to say, “I don’t want to just look at a landmark; I want to know the stories behind it.” It’s curiosity, imagination, and a wondering about what it must be like—or what it once was like—to live in a place, be part of its community, and belong on a day-to-day level. That’s what I seek in my own travels, and I know I’m not alone in that yearning to connect rather than simply observe.

2. Choosing Destinations with Meaning

Every city has history, but not every city tells women’s stories loudly enough. That’s why I gravitate toward places where we can uncover voices often overlooked. For New Orleans, that means spotlighting the women who shaped the city’s music, culture, and resilience.

My own connection to the city runs deep. My earliest memories go back to a three-week family road trip when I was six in the late 1960s: the narrow streets, the smell of stale beer, crowds of people moving shoulder-to-shoulder, a woman shouting at a man in the early morning hours, and eating pancakes in the French Quarter—except they weren’t pancakes; they were crepes covered in cane syrup. I cried because they weren’t like the maple-soaked pancakes I knew from Minnesota, and the poor waiter did his best to cheer me up.

Years later, when my family moved to Louisiana, New Orleans became even more exotic—a strange mix of things taboo and tempting, independence and freedom, the chance to explore and discover myself. Now, after living and working in many different places, both in the U.S. and abroad, New Orleans still holds its charms. It’s a city unlike any other in the world: both foreign and familiar, steeped in history, tradition, resilience, tolerance, and acceptance.

That’s why I chose it as the first Founder’s Circle tour—an opportunity to discover and rediscover this layered city together.

3. Partnering with Local Experts & Businesses

Instead of sticking to tourist paths, we look for guides, restaurants, and experiences that are woman-owned or community-led. That way, our tours don’t just visit a place—they support it.

In New Orleans, that includes:

• A Garden District food & history tour with Michelle, a local native and the owner of Bon Moment Walking Tours.

• A day trip to Laura Plantation (where the story of a Creole woman plantation owner is told) and Whitney Plantation (which explores the history of slavery in America), guided by Tours by Isabella. Isabella, originally from France, has been leading history tours in and around New Orleans for more than 40 years.

• A guided architectural walking tour through the colorful houses and diverse neighborhoods of Marigny with NOLA Tours, founded and operated by Katrina. Her tours uncover the history of New Orleans and its people through the city’s unique and evolving architectural styles.

  
  

These partnerships add depth and authenticity, giving our travelers a chance to learn directly from women shaping how New Orleans is experienced today.

4. Balancing Structure & Flexibility

A great tour isn’t about filling every minute—it’s about finding the right rhythm. I design Founder’s Circle tours with a balance of guided activities and free time. Some days are packed with discovery, while others leave room to wander, rest, or follow personal curiosities.

This balance is especially important for women who want the safety of traveling with a group but still value independence. Whether it’s an extra café stop, a spontaneous gallery visit, or simply quiet time, that flexibility makes the experience richer.

5. Ensuring Comfort & Connection

From hand-picked boutique accommodations to thoughtfully chosen group dinners, I want every detail to feel welcoming and comfortable. But comfort isn’t just about soft sheets or a good meal—it’s about creating an environment where women can connect.

Shared meals, small circles of conversation, and moments of reflection are built into each tour. These become the threads that weave strangers into companions, and companions into a circle of travelers who carry each other’s stories long after the trip ends.

A Peek at What’s Coming

The first Founder’s Circle journey will be Her City, Her Story, Her Voice in New Orleans, April 2026. This six-day cultural immersion will highlight women’s contributions to the city’s history, music, food, and culture.

From guided tours with local women-owned businesses to intimate shared meals and moments of exploration, the trip is designed to celebrate connection as much as discovery.

Closing Invitation

Every Founder’s Circle tour begins not with a destination, but with a question: What kind of journey will truly inspire connection?

If you’ve been dreaming about traveling in a circle of like-minded women, this is your invitation to join us. The New Orleans Founder’s Circle tour is just the beginning—and I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

👉 Join Our Early Interest List for updates, early booking, and more.