About
A family business built on travel
Founded in January 2024 by Ann Jay Harrison and Mike Harrison in Alabaster, Alabama.
Our story
It began with a decision to do this properly.
Ann Jay and Mike Harrison founded The Travel Escapes in January 2024 after a season of prayer and seeking guidance about the direction of their work. What followed was a small business built around something they already loved: helping people travel well.
Ann Jay brings more than ten years of experience as a travel advisor, with deep familiarity across the Caribbean, all-inclusive and Sandals- and Beaches-style resorts, Alaska cruising and Europe. Mike shares her interest in history, national parks and the American story, and the two of them plan personalized United States itineraries as readily as an island escape.
Today The Travel Escapes is a team of advisors serving travelers from Alabaster and the Birmingham metro area and across the country.
Our mission
Our mission is to deliver travel experiences that are not only stress-free but also exceptional in value. Through our affiliations with the industry's most prestigious preferred partner programs, we offer our clients privileged access to exclusive benefits.
Our approach
How we plan
Personalized Planning
Planning starts with a conversation about your preferences, priorities and budget — not with a search results page.
Real Travel Expertise
Our advisors travel, study destinations and specialize. Ann Jay brings more than ten years of travel-agent experience.
Thoughtful Recommendations
You receive a short list chosen for you, with the reasoning behind each option, instead of endless choices.
Industry Relationships
We work through established supplier and partner programs on behalf of our clients.
Support Along the Way
We stay with the details through planning, and remain a point of contact around your travel.
Expertise
Where our experience runs deepest
- Caribbean travel
- All-inclusive resorts
- Jamaica
- Punta Cana
- St. Lucia
- Antigua
- Barbados
- Turks & Caicos
- Alaska cruising
- Europe
- United States history
- National parks
Ann Jay Harrison is an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor, a certification from the American Society of Travel Advisors.
Recognition
Recognized at home.
Planning journeys everywhere.
The Travel Escapes was recognized as Shelby Living’s Best Travel Agency for 2026 — a Shelby Living’s Best of the Best 2026 Winner. It’s an agency-wide recognition from the community we live and work in.
Separately, Ann Jay Harrison holds the ASTA Verified Travel Advisor credential — a professional certification held by her individually.
Let's talk about your next trip
We'd like to hear where you're thinking of going — and how you want the trip to feel.