Lisa Roberts
Shortly before her first trip with the Legacy Club at Farmers State Bank in Victor, Montana, Lisa Roberts married her husband, Charlie.
“The trip was an all-women adventure to an outdoor quilt show in Sisters, Oregon. Those women, who still travel with me, joke that they were with me on my honeymoon,” recalled Roberts. “We still laugh about it and have fond memories, even though the air conditioning broke on the motorcoach in stifling heat.”
Despite any sweaty obstacles she may have endured during her eight years as club director, Roberts continues to enjoy her position.
“When I came to the bank 15 years ago, it was my dream to get this position, but I never thought it would open up,” she said.
“And today, my life has been so enriched by fascinating customers who kayak and zip line at 80 years of age. Their life stories and lack of inhibitions are my inspiration. They are still teaching me to loosen up.”
Guaranteed adventures, near and afar
With no age minimum and a requirement of $15,000 in combined deposits, the 1,300-member Legacy Club offers about six international trips, six domestic adventures and three day trips every year.
“Our travelers are experienced and comfortable doing domestic and day trips on their own, so we have the best success with international excursions, where the security of a group and the knowledgeable tour companies are appreciated,” Roberts said.
This passionate traveler claims she leaves part of her heart in exotic places, including Kenya and Tanzania, where the group experienced a hot-air-balloon ride over the Masai Mara Game Reserve and witnessed the great migration of wildebeests. On shore excursions on a Greek Island cruise, Roberts remembers walking in places she had only read about in history books.
“We recently went to Australia and New Zealand, where we experienced 30-foot swells on a cruise — the ship was actually going backwards. But it was a fantastic trip that included snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.
“The best part was that one of our travelers, a lady in her 80s, had been collecting books about Australia and dreamt about that trip since high school. What a thrill to see her fulfill that dream!”
Roberts feels fortunate to have nearby Wild West destinations among her roster of group travel choices. Those include Bannack, Montana, once the state capital but now a renowned ghost town, and Wallace, Idaho, a historic silver-mining town.
“And with lots of avid quilters in our group, including our bank president, Kay Clevidence, we love quilting destinations,” she said. “Kay even has me looking into a quilting cruise. She’s a hoot, and I love it when she travels with us.”
