About Us

Meet the Happy Trail Tours Family!

Happy Trail Tours, primarily a motor coach vacation company is nestled way up in the northeast region of beautiful Minnesota in Forbes ... a small rural community surrounded by evergreen trees, rivers, lakes and taconite mining companies. The office has been located in the home of Grant and Marge Ellis since 1983 when the "Happy Trails" story began blazing it's adventurous trails!

First off ... let's introduce you to the Happy Trail Tours family.

Marge Ellis, sole owner of the company since 2000 delights in every little detail of the travel business. Her self motivated drive is not easily matched by many men or women her age and it's no wonder she's the business woman she is today. She handles all the financial aspects, is quite skilled on the computer, loves escorting tours and brings great destination ideas that add to the mix of the many vacation tours that they plan. Marge is a great "storyteller" and delights in visiting with her clients when they call. We think it only adds to the personal touch that Happy Trail Tours has become known for.

Next, there's Diane Olds, Grant and Marge's daughter. Diane came on board nearly 18 years ago. In the late 80's, the company started to grow quickly and Diane began helping in the office. Before long ... she was escorting the tours! Today Diane designs and creates the tours and writes the tour brochures. She spends hours on the computer looking for neat places to go that offer new and exciting travel experiences that are often unique just to Happy Trails! When she needs a change of scenery from the office and the computer ... she jumps on board one of those big beautiful motor coaches and escorts the group on one of the tours she's created!

Then there's Lynnie Aro. Lynnie joined the Happy Trail family in August 2005 and has really been a vital part of the business. She handles the office with ease, always busy with endless tasks, enjoys visiting with customers as they call in and is one of our top motor coach escorts. After Lynnie's first time escorting experience to Branson, Missouri ... it was evident that the travel business was her "calling". Lynnie is also a delightful storyteller ... so if you happen to be on one of her tours, you're sure to have a wonderful time.

Where would a motor coach company be without good drivers? Bill Osjonicki and Dave Wheat have been driving for Happy Trail tours for many years. The newest driver, Rick Raimo, joined the family in 2005. All are from Duluth, Minnesota. They are the best of the best .... very professional, courteous, caring, friendly ... all this plus a fun sense of humor to boot! That's why the coach company chartered is Minnesota Coaches of Duluth. Happy Trail Tours and Minnesota Coaches have been working together since 1988. The coaches are brand new 2005 - 2007 Prevosts with 56 seats, fully equipped with restroom, televisions, DVD& CD player and reclining seats! You might say they're fully loaded. The drivers take great pride in keeping them spotlessly clean throughout the tours and people notice when those beautiful silver, black and white coaches travel through their communities.

Bill Osjonicki Dave Wheat Rick Raimo

Another family member we want to mention is Grant, Marge's husband and Diane's dad. Without him, we'd be lost on a little dirt road headed to "no where". Grant is one man Happy Trail Tours couldn't do without! Sometimes Grant calls himself the "janitor" and occasionally even answers the phone but he's more like a computer service specialist that repairs and keeps everything up and running in the office.

When Happy Trails first began, Marge would ask Grant to join her on bus trips she'd be escorting and he always said, "I'm not taking a bus trip ... I've got plenty of K.P. duty to do while you're gone." Then in 1994 Grant retired. It was a short time later that he took his first bus trip to Washington DC and he's been traveling ever since. Customers call the office to see what Grant has signed up for so they can join him on the same trip!

Our last and littlest Happy Trail family member is Scooter ... an over-weight wiener dog that spends the entire day in the office with the girls. He awaits his own personal mail call each morning. He can shred an envelope quicker than a high-tech paper shredder! Interestingly enough, he only shreds those whose households have dogs and completely ignores any that have windows. Go figure. He doesn't care for bills either!