What a great time we had in Russia!
Faces of America
OPB is showing a terrific series, I’ve copied below. The stories of the individuals are fascinating–but it is also a picture of how the world comes together in the people of our country, and honors their paths. It is striking how one event can be so formative in the lives of generations of a family.
FACES OF AMERICA, Parts 1-4
Stephen Colbert, Yo-Yo Ma, Malcolm Gladwell, Meryl Streep…
Wednesdays, beginning February 10, 8pm. (OPB & HD).Following on the success ofAfrican-American Lives, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. again turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of a diverse group of renowned Americans. The many stories he uncovers illuminate the American experience as he traces the threads of his guests’ families back to their earliest origins around the globe. Repeats: Fridays, 1am, Sundays, 11am (OPB); Saturdays, 4pm (HD)
Peru, August 2011
Peru: Ancient Land of Mysteries, a tour featuring Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and much more is scheduled for August, 2011, sponsored by First Church Travelers.
John and I were able to participate in a Familiarization Tour to Peru, and are very excited to share it with travelers. This colorful, diverse, historical, magical place will create memories to last a lifetime. You will travel by Vistadome train the Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World–and spend the night in a beautiful hotel close to the base of the ruins. At Lake Titicaca, you will meet the local Uros people, cruising to their Floating Island homes. Itinerary also includes Lima, Cuzco, the Paracas National Reserve wildlife sanctuary, and an optional Peruvian Amazon extension.
Dates and detailed brochure available here now!
Alaska and the Yukon Cruise/Tour brochure
Click here to see the Alaska Cruise/Tour brochure for our July 2010 with Holland America.
Registrations are being handled by Nancy Fowler at Willamette International Travel in Portland. Nancy can be contacted at 503-224-0180, or e-mail her at nancyf@wittravel.com
You may also contact me with questions.
What’s on my travel destination Wish List?
What’s on my travel destination Wish List? So many places!
Going back to Australia is high on the list. One of my favorite places –because of the people, the sights, wildlife, and variety of places to spend time wandering. In the months I’ve spent in Australia, I don’t think I’ve ever met a negative attitude. We have family there, on a cattle farm in the Blue Mountains of NSW–a wonderful place to spend time and be a part of daily life.
I would love to take a group back to Australia, and visit the traditional places, but also some of the less-traveled destinations.
Many other places on my Wish List–including Peru, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe…
What’s on YOUR destination Wish List?
1926 Packard Boattail Speedster
A fun part of life is taking our 1926 Packard Boattail Speedster to car shows. The car was hand-built by Peter Portugal (www.peterportugal.com) in Eureka, California, and we found it at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona 3 years ago. Peter designed the car and built it around a ’26 Packard cowl–all steel, with mahogany & bird’s eye maple. The engine may get the most attention, however: a 10-cylinder Dodge Viper, with 505 hp. Peter hand-crafted front fenders a year after we purchased it. A friend suggested the license plate of “VIPARD.”
The photo was taken at the Fresno Autorama (“Blackie’s Show”) in March 2007. It’s an invitation-only show with some amazing vehicles–we were honored to be included.
More pictures and stories to come!
The Mer-man of South Africa
Sometimes you just need something weird!
I think the “Mer-man” at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa qualifies!
Unforgettable South Africa
My first time in Africa, a Collette Vacations tour to South Africa in September 2009, was filled with unforgettable, “pinch me” moments. We had a terrific group of travelers with the First Church Travelers, representing Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and Georgia, and one of the best guides we’ve had anywhere, Gerhardt Nel.
Standing at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa was one of those moments making you stop to realize you were really there. As children, could any of us have imagined that we would ever actually stand at the Cape of Good Hope?
I think there are moments in every trip that are worthy of stopping to simply contemplate the magic of being there. (And would that be worth doing every day, no matter where we are?) What a gift.
Made richer in sharing with my fellow travelers.
More photos and stories of Africa to come!
Alaska and the Yukon ahead!
Our adventure in Alaska and the Yukon is going to be the highlight of the summer, with departure on July 24th, 2010. I’m so pleased to be doing this Holland America cruise/tour because it will be so unique–getting to see Glacier Bay and the calving glaciers, Denali, and Fairbanks, but also the wilderness in the Yukon. I just learned that the Yukon river was the last major river on the continent to be explored–in the 1800s. And how cool to be traveling on the McKinley Explorer Rail, the Yukon Queen River cruise, the White Pass Railroad AND Holland America’s ms Zuiderdam!
This trip is sponsored by First Church Travelers of Portland First United Methodist Church, and has some space still available until early March.
Just announced: Trains and Canyons of the Southwest
I am considering offering a Collette Vacations tour, Trains and Canyons of the Southwest. 9 days, featuring Scottsdale, Jerome, the Grand Canyon South Rim, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, with 2 trains and the Sandia Peak Tramway. There are 8 nights, 2 2-night stays and 1 3-night stay. I have included the itinerary below, and more information would be available on the www.collettevacations.com website, under the tour name.
Departure would be November 5, 2010, with a cost of $2549 that includes air and transfers from Portland. A pre- or post-day can be added easily. I will escort the group if numbers make it possible, but the tour is available, nevertheless. It sound like great fun! Let me know if you are interested!