Trips

The links below will connect you to the pictures and descriptions of the trips we have taken over the last several years of our retirement. We are trying to see and do as much as possible while we are still able to be reasonably active. It surely has been interesting, educational, fun, and we have met lots of wonderful people in the process. We hope to be able to continue in this fashion for as long as our mobility holds out.

Each trip entry contains LOTS of information and pictures as our purpose is not only to entertain you but to provide us with a record of our trip so that we may relive it at our leisure. For this reason, these are large files.

(See below for general comments about our web page and how it is put together.)

Dates Place
2024 - January - March In process: Grand Australia & New Zealand Cruise (HAL)
2023 - June - July Arctic Expedition: Untamed Norway & Svalbard (OAT)
2023 - May Northern Italy: The Alps, Dolomites, & Lombardy (OAT)
2023 - February - March Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara (OAT)
2023 - January - February In process: Israel: The Holy Land and Timeless Cultures (OAT)
2022 - October - November Japan's Cultural Treasures (OAT)
2022 - October South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Treasures (OAT)
2022 - August - September New Foundland and New England Discovery (HAL)
2022 - May - June France (Insight, OAT)
2022 - February - March Egypt and the Eternal Nile (OAT)
2021 - October Undiscovered Adriatic (OAT)
2020 - January HAL South America - Antarctica (HAL)
2019 - November Iceland in Winter (OAT)
2019 - July - September HAL Voyage of the Vikings (HAL)
2019 - January - February Atacama Desert and HAL South America-Antarctica (HAL)
2018 - 2019 - December - January Rose Parade Rally (Fantasy RV)
2018 - September - October The Stans of Central Asia (OAT)
2018 - June Crossroads of the Adriatic (OAT)
2018 - May - June Northern Greece, Albania, & Macedonia (Crete & Serbia) (OAT)
2017 - October Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Fantasy RV)
2017 - August - September Namibia and the Skeleton Coast (OAT)
2017 - August Best of Kenya and Tanzania (OAT)
2017 - June Cruise to Alaska (HAL)
2016 - October Northern Spain and Portugal (OAT)
2016 - September - October Italy: Tuscany and Umbria (OAT)
2016 - June England, Scotland, and Wales (GCT)
2016 - May - June Maritime Jewels of the British Isles and Ireland (GCT)
2015 - September - October Norwegian Coastal Voyage & Lapland (GCT)
2015 - September Baltic Capitals, St. Petersburg, & Moscow (OAT)
2015 - July Italy: Tuscany, the Alps, and Riviera (GCT)
2015 - June-July Italy: Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast (GCT)
2014 - 2015 - December - January Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Chilean Fjords, Easter Island (OAT)
2014 - September - October Imperial China, Tibet, Yangtze River, Cambodia (OAT)
2014 - July Romance of the Rhine and Mosel (GCT)
2014 - June Country Roads of Switzerland (Insight)
2014 - April - May Kentucky Derby (RV)
2014 - February - March Southern Caribbean Cruise (HAL)
2013 - August - September Voyages to Antiquity: Black Sea, Istanbul to Istanbul (RS)
2013 - August Istanbul to Athens (Windstar)
2013 - June - July Mystical Yunnan and Mongolia and the Gobi Desert (OAT)
2013 - May Celtic Wales (RS)
2013 - May Best of Ireland and Scotland (Insight)
2012-2013 - December - January Antarctica's White Wilderness (OAT)
2012 - October - November Bhutan and Nepal (OAT)
2012 - June Isle Royale National Park (RS)
2012 - May - June Eastern Europe (GCT and Uniworld)
2011 - September - October Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and Central New Mexico (RV)
2011 - August - September Spain and Portugal (GCT)
2011 - August Mediterranean Cruises (HAL)
2011 - May Ultimate Africa (OAT)
2011 - February Morocco (OAT)
2011 - January - February Egypt (Uniworld)
2010 - October Polar Bear Express (RV)
2010 - July - August Top of the World Cruise (HAL)
2010 - February Costa Rica (OAT)
2009 - 2010 - December - January Rose Parade (RV)

2009 - October

Anasazi Culture and the Four Corners Region (RS)
2009 - August - October Turkey and Greece (OAT, RS, Insight)
2009 - June Waterways of the Czars (Viking)

Tour company abbreviations: GCT=Grand Circle Travel; OAT=Overseas Adventure Travel; RS=Road Scholar (Elderhostel); HAL=Holland America Cruise; RV=Fantasy RV

General comments:

The pictures convey only a part of the experience. The sounds, smells, and sensations that are evoked by being in the midst of everything just can't be captured by the camera. Also, when traveling with a tour you have little choice about the picture taking conditions. The sun is seldom just where you would want it. You can't wait for animals and people to get into just the right position. Some pictures have to be taken from a moving vehicle, etc. Therefore, most pictures are of the "I was there" sort, not of Ansel Adams quality!

We regularly visit museums and churches and temples. In most of these either photography is not allowed inside the building or a flash cannot be used, leaving quite a gap in the recording of the experience, although I have discovered that my iPhone takes great photos in low light so I have been using it in museums and churches, especially. Words and some dark, grainy photos will just have to do in these cases.

Gale writes the journal so the first person "I" usually refers to her unless Marge has added something while doing the web page - which should be obvious.

If you want more information about things we talk about in the journal, places, buildings, etc., just put a name into Google and you will usually find more information than you want. In some cases links to web material that might prove interesting, or contain better pictures, etc. have been provided. Remember to use the BACK arrow to return to our website after viewing any of these.

If a page loads slowly - especially the pictures - use the RELOAD PAGE command found in your browser's menus.

The trip pictures and descriptions are organized so that by using the itinerary links provided with each trip you may look at the whole trip or any of the parts separately.

The links below will take you to the stories and pictures of each trip.

Please enjoy - we surely did!

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