Although not a travel sales consultant, owner and comptroller John Cargile has had a deep and abiding interest in geography and travel all his life—from the time he was first introduced as a child in Fort Worth to Richard Halliburton’s Book of Marvels. That passion has motivated many of his life’s decisions.

Cargile was teaching English at the Hockaday School in Dallas when in 1978 he had the occasion with Rudi Steele to create a new travel agency—Rudi Steele Travel, of which he is co-owner. Continuing at Hockaday until he retired from active teaching in 1990, he still traveled the world during summers, Christmas vacations, and spring breaks. Since 1990, though, he has devoted himself to the operation of the agency, which is now the oldest independently owned travel agency in Dallas. “Operation” is really just his own term for travel and exploration.

Interests: THE WORLD: For a peripatetic septuagenarian, all the world is a delight to visit, and for Cargile the areas are few where he has not been. A notable exception is Antarctica, where he plans to go. In addition to all of the “civilized” areas of the globe, some of the more unusual ventures were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; exploring on safari in East Africa and Southern Africa (canoeing on the Zambezi is something out of an old Tarzan movie); hiking in the Himalayas in Bhutan; sailing on a small boat through the South Timor Sea’s islands (Komodo dragons are too scary to describe); living the life of a rajah in India; and seeking out archaeological ruins such as Petra, Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu, and the ancient sites in Egypt, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

Arlene developed a love of travel with her family and has parlayed that love into a successful travel consulting business. She has earned her Certified Travel Associate (CTA) designation from the International Association of Travel Agents, is a graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge, the Ritz Carlton STAR program and is a preferred partner of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Group.

Arlene specializes in creating personalized itineraries for Europe and the South Pacific. She consults with her clients to create their trip of a lifetime. Through her Virtuoso contacts, and others she has developed over the years, she knows the necessary guides and drivers that bring to life a country and its people. She enjoys providing each of her clients memorable stays at beautiful hotels, resorts and hideaways, marking the event with an incredible view or memorable dinner. On the domestic side, she has a flair for creating a magical Disney cruise or land vacation for couples and families alike! Her broad cruise experience allows her to recommend, and know firsthand how to select the perfect itinerary for cruise clients. With 25 years of travel experience, she brings with her a broad knowledge of destinations throughout the world.

Marlene started as a Travel Consultant in 1982. While she enjoyed doing Corporate travel, she quickly realized her passion was creating leisure vacations for her clients. In 1991, she joined Rudi Steele Travel, gained experience in leisure travel and broadened her knowledge of vacation destinations.

While able to suggest itineraries for cruises, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and other countries along with the United States, her personal favorite is Hawaii. “I like to listen to people’s ideas and find the perfect getaway, whether it is the United States, Canada, or Europe. It is my pleasure to plan anything from a long weekend to a lengthy vacation,” says Marlene.