Destinations

Mountains and Oceans

Growing up in Madagascar and Senegal, the ocean was my playground. And then in my early 30’s I moved to Salt Lake City and discovered the mountains. I have a lot of respect for both the ocean and the mountains. They are my physical challenge, my relaxation, and my spiritual escape.

Back in 2012 I was able to realize one of my ultimate dreams, see both Mount Fitz Roy and Cape Horn. Along with my sister we started our trip with two days in Buenos Aires, a city vibrant with many interesting neighborhoods. From there we flew to El Calafate, gateway to Los Glacieres National Park. After a boat ride along the Perito Moreno glacier, we made our way to El Chalten, mecca for any hiker and climber. It is the gateway to many trails surrounding the peaks of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. It is for Argentina what Chamonix is for France. What a site! A dream come true. We then headed back to El Calafate and flew to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. We boarded the Stella Solaris for an expedition cruise to Punta Arenas, Chili. We sailed through the Beagle Channel, stopped on an island inhabited by a huge colony of Magellanic penguins and luckily, thanks to good weather, we were able to reach Cape Horn by zodiac and land. Another dream come true. I did not cross Cape Horn on a sailboat as I had dreamed but setting foot on this iconic rock was a thrill. After a day in Punta Arenas, we flew to Santiago where we ended our trip.

Travel is the gift that keeps on giving. The memories stay alive for ever.

Keep on dreaming…

I would be honored to help you plan your next vacation wherever your dreams might take you! Please contact me at (801) 483-6533 or to view my full travel biography, please click this link.

Bon Voyage!

Murielle Blanchard
Black Pearl Luxury Services
A division of Morris Murdock Travel
(801) 483-6533
email me

French Polynesia

When you are looking for that “Somewhere Warm” destination, perhaps your thoughts are of diving and snorkeling in the turquoise, clear waters of the Caribbean, or exploring the jungles and culture of Mexico, or relaxing on the beautiful sand beaches under swaying palms in Hawaii, but what if you could visit one destination that envelops you with all of this and so much more. Welcome to French Polynesia!

Situated halfway between California and Australia, the 118 islands of French Polynesia are clustered in five archipelagos: the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Islands, and the most populous and popular, Society Islands. My visit included five of the nine islands that make up the Society Islands and each island offered its own share of lush beauty and tropical adventure, mingled with Polynesian and French culture.

With late night departures from Los Angeles, the eight-hour nonstop flight gives you an early morning arrival at the Faa’a International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti, where you can immediately start exploring. The city of Papeete is bustling with shops, restaurants, and a large market place. Outside the city, the island offers hiking trails to waterfalls and hidden pools. Whether a novice hiker or an expert, local hiking guides are highly recommended as the terrain can be tricky even on well-marked paths. And what better way to have a true “off-the-beaten-track” experience than with someone who knows the best trails and best view points? There are also lava tube trails, the Arahoho blow hole and lighthouse, museums, and even a golf course.

Hawaii, Paradise in the Pacific

In the near future the incredible Hawaiian Islands will open again to visitors from around the world. There may be some restrictions but in my opinion the restrictions will be worth it to experience Hawaii again. My family was actually on the Big Island of Hawaii in March when everything was shut down. We had to come home four days early and I can’t wait to go back to finish my vacation.

The first time that I went to Hawaii was over 35 years ago and I instantly fell in love with this beautiful and exciting destination. I have since returned many times to Hawaii and each time was a wonderful experience. I often find myself daydreaming about my next trip there. Which island will I go to? Which incredible resort will I stay at? How many strikingly colorful fish will I see as I snorkel? There I go off daydreaming again! I love Hawaii and all it has to offer.

Disneyworld is Open Again!

There are a few changes, but Disney is still making it a magical vacation. You now have to have a reservation for each park which is easy to do through the Disney app and because they are limiting people in each park that means shorter and faster lines. Some lines even have a virtual queue so you don’t have to stand in line at all. Disney is doing temperature checks and you must wear a mask except when eating or drinking, but this is so you can enjoy your vacation safely. Even though they don’t have character meet and greets they have added fun touches like have a princess wave and call out to people from a balcony, or a quick parade will pass by you. Things at Disney may have changed, but they work hard for you to have the most magical, safe, vacation possible.

Please contact me and I can help make your Disney dreams become a reality!

Amber Lee Johanson

If I can help plan your next vacation, please contact me:

Street: 101 S. 200 East, Suite 100
City: Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: (801) 483-6314

Business Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Viritual Museums Tour

There is a way to get a little culture and education, all from the comfort of your own home. We've compiled a list of 10 of the world's top museums and galleries to bring you virtual tours and online exhibits. Click on each museum's main image to “go to the museum”, all from the comfort of your own couch.

London's famous Natural History Museum uses its unique collections and unrivaled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. The museum cares for more than 80 million specimens spanning billions of years and now you can delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.	"The Vatican, the Museum of Museums," houses Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman, Christian, and epigraphic, paintings of several centuries and the great Renaissance of Raphael and Michelangelo in the “Rooms” and the Sistine Chapel. And then there are the decorative arts, the ethnological collections, the historical collections, the carriages and the papal berlins, up to modern and contemporary art.
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is one of the most famous artists in the history of Western art. Read Van Gogh's biography, discover the stories about his life and work, and explore his paintings, drawings and letters in the museum's collection.Step into Van Gogh's world. Explore the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh at home by clicking the image above.	The Picasso museum is very rich in regard to work from the formative years in the life of the artist; it is practically exhaustive up to the Blue Period. The Museum also houses an important representation of works from 1917, and the series Las Meninas (1957) as well as a comprehensive print collection.
The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and photography from its beginnings to the present, gathered internationally.	The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre has embraced the history of France for eight centuries. Intended as a universal museum since its inception in 1793, its collections—among the finest in the world—span several thousands of years and a territory that extends from America to the confines of Asia. Divided among eight departments, these collections feature works admired throughout the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo. With nearly ten million visitors annually, the Louvre is the world’s most visited museum.	National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia) in Mexico City contains the world's largest collection of ancient Mexican art and also has ethnographic exhibits about Mexico's present-day indigenous groups. From its conception, this icon of urban architecture of the 20th century was designed to be, more than a repository, a space for reflection on the rich indigenous heritage of our multicultural nation. Its 22 rooms and its more than 45 thousand square meters of construction make it the largest museum in Mexico and one of the most outstanding in the world.
With the most important collection of European art in the southern hemisphere, MASP’s holdings currently consist of more than 11 thousand artworks, including paintings, sculptures, objects, photographs, videos and pieces of clothing from various periods, from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.	With its numerous institutions that have evolved over generations, the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin constitutes an encyclopedic museum, spread over many different sites, that aims to preserve, research, and display art treasures and cultural artifacts dating from all human history, and educate the public about their importance. The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections encompass the fields of European and non-European art, archaeology and ethnology from virtually all nations, cultures, and periods.