This company is not just a business logo, but a real live travel team.  Every detail is carefully  implemented by PATTI DILL and LINDA PATTON, educators, owners, tour guides and planners.   They previsit every destination, sample regional restaurants, evaluate specialty tours, scout for problems, explore all possibilities.  In this respect the "BEEN THERE,  DONE THAT "  ensures a quality enjoyable experience  for customers.

Travel Team personally accompanies the  group on each travel destination.  They provide pre-trip educational material  with suggested  websites, novels and articles to add depth and breadth .   En route Linda and Patti share information, maps, videos and activities to stimulate good conversation
and connections between travelers.   Some of the trips even come with North Carolina  continuing education credits for educators.

Patti and Linda, both 30 year veteran educators, realize that travel must insure quality, comfort, education  and  FUN for the most affordable  price.  Travel Team LLC excursions include many additional cultural options for theater, tours, regional and gourmet food .....building on personal preferences.
Patrons  from across the United States join to make each Travel Team adventure a rich and diverse experience.   Travel Team becomes FAMILY!

Creativity is the key to a successful trip, a good time!   Linda and Patti view each offering as a complex puzzle.  The pieces must include compatible company and fine food, regional culture with historic accuracy, geological and architectural wonders, art and theater, sports and shopping, and an abundance of laughter. 

In essence one patron summarized, " When you take a trip with Travel Team, you don't need to worry that you're missing anything. You'll have the perfect balance of  planned and free time." 

                 Patti & George          Linda & Bob

LINDA PATTON

Born with a lust for travel,  Linda spent her elementary years dreaming of  visiting the spots in her history texts.   In the summer of 1968, she mapped out a fabulous European adventure accompanied by three girlfriends from Penn State.   Two years later she and her husband, Bob spent their honeymoon exploring natural and cultural treasures across that same continent. 

As a new teacher in Pennsylvania, Linda wove history, art, food, and travel into every lesson.. Then Bob realized his dream... .to be a Ranger in the National Park Service.  Camping in parks across the United States, they reached their first assignment on the south rim of the  Grand Canyon followed by time in Arizona's parks emphasizing Native American cultures.  The next assignment, the gem of the service, took Bob and Linda to Yosemite where they hiked  trails and developed a love of geology.  There Linda taught school in the high Sierra town of Oakhurst and later celebrated the births of children  Kristie and Corey.

While in California, the Pattons worked in the Santa Cruz mountains in a coastal redwood park.  Again all free time was spent exploring the area gathering images to share with friends and students.  In 1979 they were off  to Lava Beds National Monument on the California-Oregon border.  This arid, volcanic mountainous area provided a whole new landscape to learn and appreciate.  Linda taught in Tulelake,  potato and horseradish capitol of the West. The Pattons discovered spelunking in the fabulous caves as well as a new love of birding. 

In 1981 they moved to Coastal Carolina.   Linda began teaching for Carteret County Schools where she is still employed. She was awarded "Teacher of the Year" in 1986 and later  received  the Edith Stall Craft Outstanding Teacher Award..   During the past 25 years she has organized many travel opportunities for students and parents including  Colorado, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Western Carolina, Pennsylvania  and many more destinations.

For years  Linda planned a  shopping and theater experience for her female coworkers.  The first weekend in November is still reserved for this fun loving group.  In 1996  she left the classroom to become a specialist for the County's Gifted Program.   She was a strong proponent for field studies to take highly capable students out of the realm of book learning into authentic experiences.  

At that time she met Patti Dill, her equal in excitement for travel and an understanding of  how to create the perfect mix of education, frivolity, culinary delights, free and planned time. Travel Team LLC became a licensed  North Carolina company in 2001.  Since then, Linda and Patti continue to juggle two very harmonious careers... teaching and traveling.  They plan to expand opportunities for future travel for all ages.

Linda lives in Beaufort, North Carolina with husband Bob, retired Education Curator for the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shore.  She has two grown children, both University of  North Carolina graduates.   Daughter  Kristie, a senior stylist at Caju in Chapel Hill , has recently relocated from Los Angeles, California.  Her son Corey  has just relocated to Wrightsville Beach after five years as Merv Griffin's personal chef.  He currently is pursuing a career in raising race horses.

Linda plans to retire from her education position soon to be able to expand Travel Team.

PATTI DILL

Patti McKinley Dill grew up in Carteret County, North Carolina. The daughter of an elementary teacher and a biologist, she knew her calling early.   Patti earned her Bachelor's degree in education with certification in Pre K-12th grade.  She began traveling and teaching from the coastal plains to the Piedmont.  Working  in five North Carolina school systems during her 30 years in the field,  she  provided rich experiences to students  from gold mining in the mountains to seining on the sounds.  The past twenty-four years  have been spent working with gifted students and teachers.   In 1988 Patti and family returned to her roots in Morehead City. 

Throughout the years, Patti received the "Teacher of the Year" award in Lexington City Schools and  the "Excellence in Economic Education Award"  from the Governor of North Carolina.  She organized and directed an Episcopal Play School for three year olds and  founded the Primary Enrichment Model for Lexington City Schools.  Patti has presented at state and national education conferences.  Her passion for educational travel led her to organize and lead more than 15 extended field studies with students of all ages.  Today Patti is Coordinator of Gifted Services for Carteret County Schools.
 
Patti's husband  George, a market executive for RBC Centura,  loves the natural and historical aspects of  Travel Team adventures.    The Dills have three grown children, all graduates of  UNC-Chapel Hill.  Amanda is an associate director for PPD (a pharmaceutical research and development firm).  Emily completed her Masters degree at Duke and is a clinical research associate for PPD.  Son George is a in his last year of law school at  San Francisco University.

Patti has always taken an active role in civic and church activities.    She  serves as a Lay Reader, Eucharistic Minister,  and is a former Vestry member at Saint Pauls's  Episcopal Church . An avid reader,  Patti currently is a member of two book clubs. She loves to cook, entertain, direct weddings, garden, teach and travel, often doing all at the same time.

Patti plans to retire soon to have more time to expand Travel Team.