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, for a casual get-together. 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 | Casual meetups around Chattanooga, times and places vary | In person
Day Trip: The Orchard
A full day in the Blue Ridge mountains. We carpool down together for apple picking and the tractor ride at Mercier Orchards, then lunch and easy shopping in downtown Blue Ridge before we head home. Awaken collects nothing up front, you pay your own way, we just need a head count for the carpool.
📍 Mercier Orchards, Blue Ridge, GA
🕥 Mon | meet at Sportsman's Warehouse 8:30 AM
Add your nameBeignets & 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
Add your nameDay Trip: Cullman Christkindlmarkt
A German-style Christmas market day trip to Cullman, Alabama, with a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro on the way down. Wooden chalets, handmade gifts, hot food, live music, and the whole park lit up after sundown. Admission is free. We are building the interest list now, nothing to pay and nothing to reserve yet.
📍 Depot Park, Cullman, AL
🕥 Fri | depart Sportsman’s Warehouse 1:00 PM ET
Add your nameHoliday Meeting
Our regular third-Thursday club meeting, with a little holiday cheer to close out the year. We are keeping it casual and the plan is still coming together. Add your name and we will let you know the time and place as soon as they are set.
📍 Place TBD
🕥 Thu | time TBD
Add your name2027 Tours
Help Pick Our First Big Tour of 2027
Cindi and Denise narrowed it down to three guided tours. Every tour includes your flights and the ride to the Atlanta airport. Take a look, then cast your vote.
American Heritage
Washington, D.C., Virginia & The Greenbrier
The monuments by day and by twilight, two nights at The Greenbrier, and Colonial Williamsburg.
See the tour →
Islands of New England
Newport, Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard
Ferry days to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, the Newport mansions, and a lobster feast on Cape Cod.
See the tour →
Mackinac Island
Chicago, the Grand Hotel & the Great Lakes
Two nights at the Grand Hotel on car-free Mackinac Island, a horse-drawn carriage tour and the Henry Ford Museum.
See the tour →Upcoming Group Trips
Exclusive hosted departures for Travel Club members, planned by our certified advisors.
Iconic Christmas Markets
December 4 - 11, 2027 | AmaWaterways' AmaMora | Budapest to Nuremberg
Join Denise for seven nights aboard AmaWaterways' AmaMora, with time to wander Europe's most beloved Christmas markets along the way. Our group is full right now, but staterooms sometimes open up.
Join the waitlist →
The Magic of Colombia
Jan 8-15, 2028 | AmaWaterways' AmaMagdalena | Magdalena River Cruise
Join Cindi & Nate as we sail the intimate, 60-guest AmaMagdalena on the legendary Magdalena River, exploring Colombia's "Land of a Thousand Rhythms" together. From $4,239 per person, port charges included, when you book and deposit by Oct 31, 2026, plus optional Medellín and Panama land packages.
Book & deposit by Oct 31, 2026 to save up to $750 per person →
Flavors of Portugal & Spain
Oct 21-28, 2028 | AmaWaterways' AmaGaia | Douro River Cruise
Join Cindi & Denise for seven nights on the Douro River aboard AmaWaterways' brand-new AmaGaia, sailing from Porto through Portugal's terraced wine country to the Spanish border. From $4,689 per person, port charges included, when you book and deposit by Oct 31, 2026, plus optional Lisbon, Porto and Madrid land packages.
Book & deposit by Oct 31, 2026 to save $500 per person →
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!