Since 1993, Creative Charters, Inc. has provided exceptional value and quality travel arrangements for over 30,000 sports fans in the upper Midwest.
Dorothy Erban, President
A graduate of Oklahoma City University, Dorothy taught high school English and French, and is a former regional sales representative and marketing director for an national title insurance company.
Steve Erban, Marketing Director
Holding a masters of architecture from Montana State University, Steve is a registered architect in four states, a former commercial pilot with over 7000 hours and traveled "around the world on less than $1000".
A graduate of Oklahoma City University, Dorothy taught high school English and French, and is a former regional sales representative and marketing director for an national title insurance company.
Steve Erban, Marketing Director
Holding a masters of architecture from Montana State University, Steve is a registered architect in four states, a former commercial pilot with over 7000 hours and traveled "around the world on less than $1000".
How did Creative Charters start?
Steve Erban, AIA Architect, and his wife Dorothy wanted to watch their Minnesota Golden Gophers play in the NIT Championship Game at Madison Square Garden in April of 1993. The airfare for a one day trip was outrageous. Steve, a pilot with over 7000 hours of pilot-in-command time, decided to take matters into his own hands. Steve and Dorothy chartered two 727 aircraft and filled the planes with Gopher Fans, Gopher Cheerleaders, Gopher Band members and Gopher Players' parents in less than 24 hours.
Steve and Dorothy didn't lose any of the 357 passengers in their day trip adventure, the Minnesota Golden Gophers won the NIT Championship and the rest is history.
Why travel with Creative Charters?
The staff at Creative Charters works with airlines, ground transportation companies and hotels to arrange unique and exciting ways of enjoying a special event.
University of Minnesota football fans travel with Creative Charters to all away games during the season, including bowl games. Since 1999, Creative Charters has provided travel packages to all Gopher bowl games in El Paso, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, Houston, Orlando, Detroit, San Diego and Tampa.
In March 2004, Creative Charters completed the University of Minnesota Women's Basketball Final Four by taking fans to Norfolk, Virginia and New Orleans. In a brief ten day period, Creative Charters provided air and ground transportation, rooms and game tickets for over 1100 Gopher fans.
Creative Charters has taken Gopher fans to every away football game since 1993.
With Creative Charters, Green Bay Packer fans sailed through Puget Sound from Port Townsend to the Seattle Seahawks game for the first ever Packer fan tailgate on a seagoing vessel. 300 Packer fans also traveled from Milwaukee to Indianapolis by private train on the "Cheesehead Express".
To celebrate the millennium, Creative Charters' clients traveled to the Fijian Island of Taveuni on the 180th meridian to be some of the first to see the sun rise on 2000, twice. Another Creative Charters group of 200 welcomed the millennium "southwest style" on the Rio Grand dressed in costumes depicting characters from Texas history.
Sports fans have sampled a wide variety of events with Creative Charters. From basketball, football, volleyball, baseball and hockey to the Olympics and rodeos , Creative Charters continues to provide innovative and entertaining group travel. Steve & Dorothy raise
thoroughbreds for racing and over the past 23 years have taken a small group of people to the Kentucky Derby for a seven day
experience which include farms, bourbon, race horses and of course the Oaks and Derby.
By sea, land or air, Creative Charters will take you there.
BOBCAT EXPRESS
In August 2019, Dorothy & Steve (a Fighting Bobcat alum) partnered with the Montana State Quarterback Club to take a planeload of fans from Bozeman to Lubbock, Texas for the game against Texas Tech and the BOBCAT EXPRESS was born! December 2019, the Bobcat Express flew fans from Bozeman to Fargo for the FCS semi-final game against the Bison. January 2021 over 500 Bobcat fans
enjoyed their flight and stay in Frisco, Texas for the FCS National Championship. The BOBCAT EXPRESS flew into South Dakota to play South Dakota State in 2022 and 2023. The BOBCAT EXPRESS kicked off the 2024 season with an exciting win over the Lobos in Albuquerque. Four Bobcat Express flights took over 750 fans to the FCS Championship game to close out the season.
TRAVELIN' GOPHERS
The fans traveling with Creative Charters have become known as the TRAVELIN' GOPHERS. The TRAVELIN' GOPHERS consist of University of Minnesota graduates, University of Minnesota football season ticket holders, members of the Goal Line Club, the Minnesota football support fan club, and Minnesota Gopher football fans in general. Over 25,000 TRAVELIN' GOPHERS have traveled with Steve & Dorothy Erban's Creative Charters since 1993. Creative Charters has provided travel to every Minnesota Gopher Football away and bowl game since 1993. Creative Charters motto "WE NEVER LEAVE A GOLDEN GOPHER BEHIND".
BOWL GAMES
Creative Charters has taken over 25,000 Travelin' Gopher football fans to Bowl games all over the country since 1993.
1994 ROSE BOWL PASADENA (wisconsin) 1999 WELLS FARGO SUN BOWL EL PASO 1999 ROSE BOWL PASADENA
2000 MICRON PC BOWL FORT LAUDERDALE 2003 WELLS FARGO SUN BOWL EL PASO
2004 GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL NASHVILLE 2005 GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL NASHVILLE
2006 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE 2008 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE 2009 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE
2012 MEINKE CAR CARE BOWL HOUSTON 2013 TEXAS BOWL HOUSTON 2014 CITRUS BOWL ORLANDO
2015 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT 2016 HOLIDAY BOWL SAN DIEGO 2018 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT
2020 OUTBACK BOWL TAMPA 2021 GUARANTEE RATE BOWL PHOENIX 2022 PINSTRIPE BOWL NEW YORK CITY
2023 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT 2024 DUKE'S MAYO BOWL CHARLOTTE .
Steve Erban, AIA Architect, and his wife Dorothy wanted to watch their Minnesota Golden Gophers play in the NIT Championship Game at Madison Square Garden in April of 1993. The airfare for a one day trip was outrageous. Steve, a pilot with over 7000 hours of pilot-in-command time, decided to take matters into his own hands. Steve and Dorothy chartered two 727 aircraft and filled the planes with Gopher Fans, Gopher Cheerleaders, Gopher Band members and Gopher Players' parents in less than 24 hours.
Steve and Dorothy didn't lose any of the 357 passengers in their day trip adventure, the Minnesota Golden Gophers won the NIT Championship and the rest is history.
Why travel with Creative Charters?
The staff at Creative Charters works with airlines, ground transportation companies and hotels to arrange unique and exciting ways of enjoying a special event.
University of Minnesota football fans travel with Creative Charters to all away games during the season, including bowl games. Since 1999, Creative Charters has provided travel packages to all Gopher bowl games in El Paso, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, Houston, Orlando, Detroit, San Diego and Tampa.
In March 2004, Creative Charters completed the University of Minnesota Women's Basketball Final Four by taking fans to Norfolk, Virginia and New Orleans. In a brief ten day period, Creative Charters provided air and ground transportation, rooms and game tickets for over 1100 Gopher fans.
Creative Charters has taken Gopher fans to every away football game since 1993.
With Creative Charters, Green Bay Packer fans sailed through Puget Sound from Port Townsend to the Seattle Seahawks game for the first ever Packer fan tailgate on a seagoing vessel. 300 Packer fans also traveled from Milwaukee to Indianapolis by private train on the "Cheesehead Express".
To celebrate the millennium, Creative Charters' clients traveled to the Fijian Island of Taveuni on the 180th meridian to be some of the first to see the sun rise on 2000, twice. Another Creative Charters group of 200 welcomed the millennium "southwest style" on the Rio Grand dressed in costumes depicting characters from Texas history.
Sports fans have sampled a wide variety of events with Creative Charters. From basketball, football, volleyball, baseball and hockey to the Olympics and rodeos , Creative Charters continues to provide innovative and entertaining group travel. Steve & Dorothy raise
thoroughbreds for racing and over the past 23 years have taken a small group of people to the Kentucky Derby for a seven day
experience which include farms, bourbon, race horses and of course the Oaks and Derby.
By sea, land or air, Creative Charters will take you there.
BOBCAT EXPRESS
In August 2019, Dorothy & Steve (a Fighting Bobcat alum) partnered with the Montana State Quarterback Club to take a planeload of fans from Bozeman to Lubbock, Texas for the game against Texas Tech and the BOBCAT EXPRESS was born! December 2019, the Bobcat Express flew fans from Bozeman to Fargo for the FCS semi-final game against the Bison. January 2021 over 500 Bobcat fans
enjoyed their flight and stay in Frisco, Texas for the FCS National Championship. The BOBCAT EXPRESS flew into South Dakota to play South Dakota State in 2022 and 2023. The BOBCAT EXPRESS kicked off the 2024 season with an exciting win over the Lobos in Albuquerque. Four Bobcat Express flights took over 750 fans to the FCS Championship game to close out the season.
TRAVELIN' GOPHERS
The fans traveling with Creative Charters have become known as the TRAVELIN' GOPHERS. The TRAVELIN' GOPHERS consist of University of Minnesota graduates, University of Minnesota football season ticket holders, members of the Goal Line Club, the Minnesota football support fan club, and Minnesota Gopher football fans in general. Over 25,000 TRAVELIN' GOPHERS have traveled with Steve & Dorothy Erban's Creative Charters since 1993. Creative Charters has provided travel to every Minnesota Gopher Football away and bowl game since 1993. Creative Charters motto "WE NEVER LEAVE A GOLDEN GOPHER BEHIND".
BOWL GAMES
Creative Charters has taken over 25,000 Travelin' Gopher football fans to Bowl games all over the country since 1993.
1994 ROSE BOWL PASADENA (wisconsin) 1999 WELLS FARGO SUN BOWL EL PASO 1999 ROSE BOWL PASADENA
2000 MICRON PC BOWL FORT LAUDERDALE 2003 WELLS FARGO SUN BOWL EL PASO
2004 GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL NASHVILLE 2005 GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL NASHVILLE
2006 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE 2008 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE 2009 INSIGHT BOWL TEMPE
2012 MEINKE CAR CARE BOWL HOUSTON 2013 TEXAS BOWL HOUSTON 2014 CITRUS BOWL ORLANDO
2015 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT 2016 HOLIDAY BOWL SAN DIEGO 2018 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT
2020 OUTBACK BOWL TAMPA 2021 GUARANTEE RATE BOWL PHOENIX 2022 PINSTRIPE BOWL NEW YORK CITY
2023 QUICK LANE BOWL DETROIT 2024 DUKE'S MAYO BOWL CHARLOTTE .