Anchorage, the Iditarod, and Bears
Katmai was by far the highlight of our trip.
Fairbanks and Denali National Park
In Denali National Park the backcountry ride in an old school bus provided magnificent views of the colorful terrain and a good deal of wildlife along the way …
Through the Yukon
Dawson retains much of the character of the original frontier town.
Vancouver to Skagway
From Skagway we rode the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway up the historic White Pass into Canada
Alaska & The Yukon Overview & Video
In addition to the beautiful scenery, highlights included learning the history of the Yukon gold rush, and watching many bears feeding on salmon in Kenai National Park.
Finland
From Lapland in the far north of Finland to Helsinki in the far south we learned about the Sámi people and culture, reindeer farming, and an amazing city library.
Fjord Cruise
On the Hurtigruten fjord cruise the scenery while cruising and while ashore was spectacular…
Oslo to Bergen, Norway
Norway highlights included the futuristic Oslo Opera House, the amazing Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the amazing scenery of the Flåm Railway and Bergen.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Highlights included the Rosenborg Castle, Royal Palaces, Tivoli Gardens, the Viking Ship Museum in nearby Roskilde, and Freetown Christiana.
Denmark, Norway & Finland Overview & Video
The fjord cruise and Lapland were among the highlights, but the entire tour was incredibly scenic.
Brittany & Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel was certainly the highlight of our time in Brittany. Dating from 1084 the magnificent Abbey sits atop a 250-foot high granite island.
The Beaches of Normandy
In the next phase of our journey we remembered and honored those who secured our freedom in World War II as we toured the beaches of Normandy.
Paris to Honfleur on the Seine
Along the way we stopped in Conflans and Auvers for Van Gogh sites, Vernon and Giverny for Monet’s garden, Les Andelys for Richard the Lionheart’s Castle, and Rouen for a home-hosted visit.
Three Days in Paris
Our time in Paris was short but magical. We enjoyed every minute of the guided bus, walking and boat tours, and our free time exploring the many attractions.
Paris to Normandy River Cruise Overview & Video
In addition to all the wonderful sights and experiences of Paris, a highlight of the trip was exploring the locations where Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet painted many of their masterpieces.
Scotland Post-Tour
The next day we set off on an all-day drive through the highlands to Loch Ness, with rain on and off all day broken up by occasional bright sunshine.
Edinburgh
Dominated by Edinburgh Castle which sits atop 250-foot high cliffs on three sides, the old town developed on the gently sloping fourth side where residents could retreat quickly to the castle in times of attack.
Whitby, Castle Howard, & Lake District
Towering above the town are the ruins of Whitby Abbey, inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.
Chester & York, England
We had a delicious lunch at another York institution, Betty’s Tea Rooms, before spending much of the afternoon at the National Rail Museum …
Wales
In Llagollen we learned about the Welsh Love Spoon tradition dating from the 17th century …
Oxford, Bath & Stonehenge
On the day we visited Stonehenge the weather ranged intermittently from dull overcast to bright sunshine with heavy rainstorms passing nearby, all adding to the mystique …
London
… we arrived at our hotel next to both the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Our room overlooked the gilded Royal Rowbarge Gloriana in a Thames River marina …
England, Scotland and Wales Overview
… the tour included London, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge, Chester, York, Whitby, Lake District, Llangollen, Snowdonia, Carnavon, and Edinburgh …
RV Trip: Hampton VA, Cherokee NC, Gile WI
We spent our last two nights in the most luxurious campground we’ve ever seen at the Camping La Cle des Champs RV Park in Saint-Philippe, Quebec.
Australia
.. the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife Sydney attractions at Darling Harbor offer a good selection of Australian marine life and animals …
Car Rental Booking – Cautions
A few quick tips on booking a car rental for another country.
Review of Grand Circle Travel
Our first trip with Grand Circle was the Great Rivers of Europe river cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna, in September/October of 2018. We had not planned to do another overseas trip after our Tanzania-Serengeti safari trip in July, but Grand…
Review of Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.)
… Our program director and his two associates were very knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. They could spot distant wildlife that we could see only with binoculars or a telephoto lens, and would tell us all we wanted to know about every animal.
What to do in Amsterdam
In 2018 we visited Amsterdam twice, first as a four-day stopover to break up the long flight to Tanzania, and later on our Great Rivers of Europe river cruise. We found no shortage of things to do and see. …
Melk Abbey & Vienna, Austria
… From Melk we continued on to Vienna, taking a longer route along the Danube through the beautiful Wachau Valley with terraced vineyards, small villages, and occasional castle ruins …