In partnership with The Gathering Spot DC

A thoughtful travel community, and the support team behind every journey.

Name: Soulful Experiences: Celebrating Black History Along the Rivers
Start: 2026-10-20
Location: The Gathering Spot DC, Main Event Space 1720 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Travel Circle DC is a place for conversation, connection, and guided travel insight, where members gather to reflect on travel, find perspective, and turn possibility into a plan.

Field Note · No. 01

“The trips that change us begin with the right conversation.”

Year One

touchpoints

Signature events, roundtables, and salons.

Hosted byDr. Ray Marbury·Marina Tack

Washington, DC·travelcircledc.com

§ 01 — The Circle

What is Travel Circle DC?

A curated travel community where people gather to reflect on travel, connect with one another, and explore what travel can open up in their lives.

The Circle is not a booking service, and it is not a club for collecting destinations. It is a room, and a calendar of rooms, where thoughtful travelers come together to think out loud about what they want from the next chapter of their lives.

Some members arrive with a trip already in mind. Others arrive with a season, a question, or a quiet hope. The Circle holds space for all of it, and surrounds each member with the perspective, peers, and expertise to move forward with clarity.

Reflect.

On where travel sits in your life right now.

Connect.

With members who travel as thoughtfully as you do.

Explore.

What this season of travel could open up.

§ 02 — Hosts

Two advisors. One circle.

Co-hosted with intention. Each advisor brings a distinct practice and an equal seat at the table, so members benefit from the full range of what thoughtful travel can offer.

Portrait of Dr. Ray Marbury, Founder, Voyage & Vibe Travel · Professor · AI & Data Governance Leader

Plate IPortrait

Advisor · I

Marbury

Dr. Ray Marbury

Founder, Voyage & Vibe Travel · Professor · AI & Data Governance Leader

Raymond is a professor and leader in AI and data governance, and the founder of Voyage & Vibe Travel, a wellness-centered luxury advisory built for Gen X and Baby Boomer travelers and their families. His belief is simple: the systems we build shape the people they are designed to serve. He brings that conviction to the Circle through accessible luxury, culinary and cultural depth, and an interest in how AgeTech and mobility innovation can make travel safer, more comfortable, and more connected for the 50+ traveler.

Luxury & wellness travelAccessible experiencesCulinary & cultural depth

Portrait of Marina Tack, Founder, 2 Tacks Travel · Chef · Professional Photographer

Plate IIPortrait

Advisor · II

Tack

Marina Tack

Founder, 2 Tacks Travel · Chef · Professional Photographer

Marina is a trained chef and professional photographer who built 2 Tacks Travel around the belief that the table and the camera are two of travel’s most generous teachers. She brings the chef’s eye for sourcing, season, and place, along with the photographer’s patience for the moments worth remembering. The Circle benefits from both: culinary itineraries that go beyond the obvious, and a way of seeing that helps members carry each journey home and use it to shape the next.

Culinary travelTravel photographyCultural immersion

“Together we bring luxury and wellness travel, accessible experiences, the chef’s table and the photographer’s eye, and trusted relationships with partners across cruise and land, woven into every conversation the Circle holds.”

§ 03 — Support Team

Your travel support team in the city.

Travel today can feel complex. The Circle exists to give members somewhere to turn for perspective, for connection, and for the kind of guidance that changes what travel can mean.

Think of us as your personal travel support team.

Trusted perspective

A second set of eyes on the trips you are weighing, the seasons you are entering, and the questions worth asking before you book.

Thoughtful guidance

A circle of advisors and members who treat travel as an investment in your time, your relationships, and the next chapter of your life.

Somewhere to turn

A standing place to bring travel questions and possibilities, long before the brochure and well after the trip is done.

§ 04 — Seasons

Different seasons, different paths.

Travel is rarely one thing. The Circle holds space for three distinct seasons, and helps members recognize which one they are quietly in.

Path I

Exploring

— Discovery-driven

For those expanding what is possible: building a travel story chapter by chapter, choosing curiosity over comfort, and letting the world widen what they know about themselves.

“Open the map. Widen the lens.”

Path II

Building

— Relationship-anchored

For anchoring the people, milestones, and memory that matter: shared journeys with family, partners, and chosen circles that the years remember by name.

“Mark the moment. Travel together.”

Path III

Renewing

— Wellness-centered

For seasons that call for intentional rest: restoration, recovery, and the kind of travel that returns you to yourself before it returns you anywhere else.

“Slow the pace. Restore the well.”

§ 05 — What Members Experience

Three pillars, held together.

Structured Discovery

Guided reflection and coaching around the travel questions members are actually carrying: the next trip, the next season, the long arc of where travel could lead.

Peer Connection

Meaningful, repeated time with fellow travelers. The kind that turns the room into a community and the community into a small, trusted council.

Applied Expertise

Thoughtful expertise from the hosts in every room, translating curiosity into itinerary, intuition into plan, and possibility into a journey that holds together.

§ 06 — Join Us

How to join us.

Three doors into the same room. Choose the one that fits where you are right now.

For TGS Members

Register through TGS

Travel Circle DC is open to all members of The Gathering Spot DC. Reserve your seat at the next gathering through the TGS member portal.

For Invited Guests

Request an Invitation

Not a TGS member yet? Members and hosts can extend invitations to friends and travelers they trust. Share a few details and we will be in touch.

Request an Invitation

For Past Attendees

Stay Connected

Already joined us in a Circle room? Stay in the conversation. We will keep you close to future gatherings, travel notes, and group journeys.

Stay Connected

§ 07 — Year One

What a year in the Circle looks like.

Year One unfolds across signature events, travel roundtables, cultural salons, coaching evenings, and member mixers, culminating in a capstone vision shaped by what the room wants to do together, including member-voted ideas like The Circle at Sea and The Circle Abroad.

The examples below are illustrative. The calendar takes shape with the members.

Signature Coaching Salon · Mixer

Signature

Signature Events

Anchor gatherings of the year. Hosted evenings that set the tone for the Circle and bring the full membership together around a shared theme.

Examples

—Opening Gathering
—Spring Signature Evening
—Year-End Circle

Coaching

Travel Roundtables

Working sessions led by your advisors. Members come with questions, trip ideas, or open-ended curiosity, and leave with a clearer next step.

Examples

—Cruise & At-Sea Roundtable
—Wellness Travel Roundtable
—Trip Voting Session

Salon

Cultural Salons

Intimate evenings around a topic: the chef’s table, the photographer’s eye, a region, a cuisine, a way of seeing. Always rooted in travel as a form of wellness.

Examples

—Culinary Salon
—Photography Salon
—Cultural Immersion Evening

Mixer

Member Mixers

Lighter, social touchpoints across the year. Conversation, connection, and the chance to meet members you may travel with next.

Examples

—Welcome Mixer
—Seasonal Mixer
—Capstone Preview Reception

Coaching

Coaching Evenings

Smaller, focused sessions for members shaping a specific trip or decision: accessibility planning, multigenerational travel, AgeTech and mobility considerations.

Examples

—1:1 Trip Planning
—Accessible Travel Session
—Family & Multigen Planning

Signature

Capstone Vision

The year closes with a capstone: a vote, a vision, and a path forward. The room shapes where the Circle travels next, including ideas like The Circle at Sea and The Circle Abroad.

Examples

—Member-voted trip ideas
—The Circle at Sea
—The Circle Abroad

Capstone

Vision Year-End.

The year closes with a capstone: a vote, a vision, and a path forward. Members shape where the Circle travels next, and how. The room decides what becomes real.

Next in the Circle

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Soulful Experiences: Celebrating Black History Along the Rivers

Fall gatherings

The Circle gathers in person.

This fall we open three evenings at The Gathering Spot DC, each one an invitation to sit with a destination before you ever pack a bag. Come for the conversation. Stay for the people who move through the world the way you do.

Circle calendar

Upcoming gatherings.

Select a date to see the event details, then save it to your personal calendar.

October 2026

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Event details

Soulful Experiences: Celebrating Black History Along the Rivers

Tuesday, October 20, 2026
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT

The Gathering Spot DC, Main Event Space 1720 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Soulful Experiences: Celebrating Black History Along the Rivers

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT

The Gathering Spot DC, Main Event Space 1720 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Guests are welcome.

Some of the deepest stories in Black history and culture were carried along the world's great rivers. On October 20 we trace those waters with AmaWaterways, our featured river cruise partner for the evening, alongside Dr. Ray and Chef Marina. Expect history, music, and the kind of soulful conversation that makes a river feel like a homecoming. This is where the fall season comes to rest, and where the next journey begins.

Past events

Past event

The Travel Circle DC: Official Launch & Connect

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Doors open 6:30 PM Welcome and partner introductions 7:00 PM Event runs 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

The Gathering Spot DC, Main Event Space 1720 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Parking is available at 1700 K St NW, Garage Lot 621, one block from

Members and guests welcome.

The Travel Circle DC opens its doors on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at The Gathering Spot DC for an inaugural evening built around great conversation, interesting people, and exceptional destinations. This is not a traditional travel presentation. Expect a cocktail, light hors d'oeuvres, and a curated room of Washington-area professionals, entrepreneurs, tastemakers, and travelers. Meet founders Dr. Raymond Marbury of Voyage & Vibe and Marina Tack of 2 Tacks Travel, along with representatives from our founding travel partners, Globus and AmaWaterways. Doors open at 6:30 PM, the welcome begins at 7:00 PM, and the evening runs to 8:30 PM. Attendance is limited to 50 guests and advance registration is required. Hosted in partnership with The Gathering Spot DC. Members and guests welcome.

Past event

Travel as a Political Act: A Workshop

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT

The Gathering Spot DC 1720 I Street Northwest Main Event Space Washington, DC 20006

Parking is available at 1700 K St NW, Garage Lot 621, one block from The Gathering Spot. The rate is $10.00 after 5 p.m.

Members and guests welcome.

Politics does not only happen on the Hill. Sometimes it happens the moment you book the trip. CBC Week had the panels. This night has the stories. Inspired by Rick Steves' book Travel as a Political Act, this is political, not partisan: no red or blue, just how people around the world live together, and what seeing it changes in us. Swap travel truths and one tall tale over cocktails. Take on the myths we carry about travel and other cultures in a round of Travel MythBusters: Are the French really rude? Does luxury travel have to be expensive? Then trade stories about what you brought home and actually changed. The evening closes with open Q&A and a drawing for copies of the book. THE EVENING 7:00 Arrival and cocktails 7:20 Welcome 7:35 Travel MythBusters 7:55 Table talk 8:10 Open Q&A 8:25 Close GOOD TO KNOW Hosted by Travel Circle DC, with Dr. Ray Marbury and Marina Tack. Guests are welcome. Seating is limited. Guests order their own cocktails and food. Learn more about the Circle at www.travelcircledc.com. Questions: hello@travelcircledc.com. This evening is independently organized by the Travel Circle and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rick Steves or Rick Steves' Europe. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED This event limited to 50 guests. Advance registration is required. Come for a cocktail. Stay for the conversation, games, and fun. Hosted in partnership with The Gathering Spot DC. Members and guests welcome. Welcome to The Travel Circle DC. Your world just got a little bigger!

§ 08 — Stay Connected

Keep the conversation going.

For those not registering directly through TGS, or who simply want to stay close to the Circle. Share a little about where you are, and we will keep you informed of what is next.

“Some members write to ask one question. Some write to say hello. Both are welcome.”

— Dr. Ray Marbury & Marina Tack

Book a conversation

Prefer to talk it through first?

Schedule a brief introductory call with Dr. Ray Marbury to discuss the Circle, your travel ambitions, and which path might suit you best. No agenda — just a thoughtful conversation.

Open in a new tab~20 minutes · video or phone

§ 09 — The Invitation

A seat is held for you.

Whether you are already a member, an invited guest, or someone we have shared a room with, the Circle is open. Step in when the season feels right.

Travel Circle DC, in partnership with The Gathering Spot DC.