Bookmark Travel

Bookmark Tours is a moving experience

By Gary Bégin
Jeremy Waters has five daughters and a wife, is fighting bladder cancer, broke his back a few years ago, but still somehow managed to pull his life together to reinvent the wheel. The wheel Waters reinvented is an 11-passenger diesel-powered 2015 Mercedes Benz Sprinter that he fondly calls "my car."
"I researched all types of business ideas and wondered what I could do to feed my family and make a living," Waters said.
Then, just a few months ago in June, Waters thought he like to get together with other families and other cancer survivors and just have some fun touring this beautiful country we call Chelan County.
"I have already conducted four wine tours around Lake Chelan," Waters said "and my favorite hiking area is 8 Mile Lake and anything to do with the Icicle River. Waters and his family, daughters aged 7 - 22, live in Wenatchee, but he gets around in his 'Benz that he bought with help from several investors that chipped in to buy the fledgling tour company a website presence (Bookmarktours.com), business cards and a social media footprint as well.
Waters was in construction when the accident happened that literally landed him on his back.
When he was younger he was deeply involved in martial arts, but persistent injuries doomed his career and legally blinded him in one eye. That issue caused him to be rejected when he tried to join the military. Little did he know at the time he would get cancer later in life.
Today, he is a self-described cancer survivor and shuns chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
While recovering he decided to radically change his diet and eat raw foods like greens and drink juices and immune system building foods, and foods that help detoxify his body.
Today, he is a self-described cancer survivor and shuns chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
"Less than $100k was used to put everything in place," Waters said. Waters maintains 50 percent control of Bookmark and the three investors own 16.3 percent apiece, he said.
He started out by personally introducing himself throughout wine country to every winery and making sure he was known and welcomed to bring groups to them from Wenatchee or wherever they came from.
His company charges less than $900 for a group of 11 to go on a six-hour wine tour, or a shuttle trip to the West Coast or on hikes around North Central Washington. Once at the winery, tour members are responsible for their own drinks or food. Bookmark also offers four-hour tours.
Then there's the hiking.
"I am a Class 1 hiker," Waters said, "I don't do rock climbing or anything like that, but the main idea is to get bosses and workers together or families together in the outdoors. Hiking together and/or touring as a company helps boost morale, according to Waters.
Bookmark charges $75 per person with a minimum of four people or at least $340 for the basic charge, but bigger is better and the rates decrease when more people join the fun.
"I'm not just selling a product, I'm selling an experience," Waters said. "I want people to think back on their time with Bookmark as a memorable episode in their lives and to tell friends we are not just taking folks on a typical tour.
Whether you and your group are interested in wine, hiking, a shuttle to Seattle to see the Seahawks or Mariners or other special events like a bachelor/bacherlorette party, to book a tour with Bookmark Tours, call Jeremy at 509-888-2172 or email him: rawgrub2016@yahoo.com.