A Community for Travel Lovers
Where Wanderlust Meets Community
A circle of fellow travelers who share your love of exploration, with chapters growing across the country. Join any of us, wherever you call home.
More Than a Club. It's Your Travel Family.
The Awaken Travel Club is a community for travel lovers everywhere. What started as a few friends swapping travel stories in Tennessee has grown into a family of chapters, with more taking root across the country. Whether you're a seasoned globetrotter or just getting started, you'll find your people here, no matter where you live.
Each chapter meets in its own corner of the country, usually on the 3rd Thursday of the month, over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Every gathering features a fun travel topic, insider tips from people who plan trips for a living, and the chance to connect with fellow adventurers.
And here's the best part: you're never limited to one chapter. Every member is welcome at every event, no matter which chapter is closest to home. Drop in on Tennessee one month and Arizona the next. Come for the conversation, the book club, the trip planning, all of it.
Why Join?
Expert-Led Adventures
Every trip planned by certified travel advisors who know the best-kept secrets
Exclusive Group Rates
Access pricing and perks only available to club members traveling together
Day Trips & Beyond
From local waterfalls to European river cruises, adventures at every level
A Community That Gets You
Connect with like-minded travelers who share your curiosity and sense of adventure
Our Chapters
The Awaken Travel Club is growing across the country. Wherever you live, you're welcome at any chapter's gatherings.
Tennessee Chapter
Hosted by Denise Karnes and Cindi Sanden
3rd Thursday of each month · In person
Arizona Chapter
The Escape Society
Led by Maren Rosendahl
A place to swap travel stories, dream up new destinations, and explore together through fun field trips and local adventures across Arizona.
Schedule coming soon
Upcoming Tennessee Meetings
3rd Thursday of each month · Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, times vary · In person
Passport to Flavor · First Stop: Mexico
Our new culinary-travel series kicks off with margaritas, tacos, and travel talk at Spanglish, a beloved Modern Mexican spot in Hixson.
📍 Spanglish Modern Mexican, Hixson
🕥 Thu · 3:00 to 5:00 PM
Day Trip: Heartbreak Hotel in Crossville
Our very first club day trip! We head up the Cumberland Plateau to Crossville for the 2:30 PM matinee of Heartbreak Hotel, the Elvis musical, at the Cumberland County Playhouse. Cinnamon rolls, a lakeside leg-stretch, downtown shopping, and lunch along the way.
📍 Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville
🕥 2:30 PM matinee
Bed, Breakfast & Beyond
September we cozy up to the charming world of bed & breakfasts! We'll gather at St. Francis Cottage B&B with co-owners Chris & Diana Beronio to talk B&B travel, from Vermont inn-to-inn hikes to self-drive routes across Ireland, then carpool from Hamilton Place since parking is limited.
📍 St. Francis Cottage B&B, Chattanooga
🕥 Thu · 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Beignets & Bon Voyages
A little taste of New Orleans right here in Chattanooga! Come hang out with us for coffee, beignets, and easy travel talk, no agenda, just good company. The shop stays open as usual, we're just grabbing a corner.
📍 Beignets & Brew, Chattanooga
🕥 Thu · 3:30 to 5:30 PM
Club Meeting Over Lunch
A cozy lunch to swap travel stories, dream up new adventures, and start planning where the club heads in 2027.
Holiday Meeting + Christmas Market
We close out the year with a festive day trip to a nearby Christmas market, plus coffee and our year-end celebration. A merry way to wrap up 2026!
Adventures Await
From scenic day trips to the waterfalls of Tennessee to European river cruises, we're building a journey together, one adventure at a time. Club members everywhere get first access to exclusive group trips with special pricing.
Day Trips
Local waterfalls, charming towns, and hidden gems
Motorcoach Tours
Multi-day guided adventures across the U.S.
Group Cruises
River and ocean cruises with exclusive group perks
Your Hosts
Denise Karnes and Cindi Sanden started the Awaken Travel Club, both certified advisors at Awaken Travels, around one simple idea: travel is better when you share it with people who get it. They built the first chapter right here in Tennessee, and the welcome has always been the same. No pressure, no sales pitches, just great conversations, helpful tips, and adventures worth talking about.
That idea caught on. Today the club is growing into chapters across the country, each one led by a certified Awaken Travels advisor who knows their own corner of the map by heart. Out in Arizona, Maren Rosendahl leads our newest chapter, The Escape Society, bringing the same spirit to the desert Southwest. More are on the way.
Different cities, one travel family. Whichever chapter is closest to home, every member is welcome at every gathering. Wherever you live, and wherever you're dreaming of going next, there's a place for you here.
Ready to Join?
Sign up below and we'll keep you in the loop on meetings, trips, and all things travel.
Connect With Us
Follow our Facebook page for travel inspiration and join our private group to connect with fellow club members!