Welcome on a journey of discovery as we take you inside a few of our favourite locations, locations and distinctive experiences around the globe.
Faculty is out, swimming pools are open and the warmth is undoubtedly right here.
Summer time has formally arrived.
And what higher strategy to benefit from the summer season climate than on the seashore? Do you know that over 2 billion seashore visits happen every year, with over 53% going down within the months of June, July and August?
Let’s find out about a few of our favourite seashores from around the globe.


Diamond Seashore in Iceland
Positioned on the southern coast of Iceland lies Diamond Seashore, probably the most beautiful seashores within the nation. A uncommon black sand seashore, this distinctive phenomenon is attributable to molten lava clashing with the chilly waters of the North Atlantic Sea – creating black rock. Over time, this rock erodes into the close by sands inflicting them to tackle an ethereal black colour. However the place Diamond Seashore will get its namesake from is by the various diamond-shaped blocks of ice which have drifted ashore and line the sandy shore, creating an otherworldly expertise discovered nowhere else.
The Bay of Fundy
Between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia lies the Bay of Fundy, house to the best tidal vary on the planet with a spread between 52 and three.3 ft. However don’t take our phrase for it, watch it for your self right here.
Through the tide cycle, the bay fills and empties over a billion tons of water, greater than the move of all of the world’s freshwater rivers mixed.


Coasts of Spain & Portugal
The coasts of Spain and Portugal are finest identified for his or her numerous landscapes. Discovered alongside Spain’s northeast coast lies Costa Brava, well-known for its rugged shoreline and crystal-clear waters. To its southeast lies Costa de la Luz (Coast of Mild) the place the area’s golden sands and unspoiled pure magnificence tantalize vacationers. In Portugal, vacationers can discover beautiful cliffs and golden seashores in its Algarve area, or for surf fans, Portugal’s Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) is legendary for its gigantic waves and vast, sandy seashores.
Hawaii’s rainbow seashores
A testomony to the geological variety and distinctive pure great thing about the islands, Hawaii is not only famend for its tropical climate, but additionally for its distinctive and mesmerizing seashores, offering beachgoers and guests alike with a kaleidoscopic array of colours. On Waikiki Seashore on Oahu, the seashores are golden, very like you’ll discover around the globe. When you enterprise to Papakolea Seashore on the Huge Island, you’ll discover a uncommon olive inexperienced seashore, one among solely 4 on the planet. On Punaluu Seashore, the sand has a definite black colour as a consequence of massive quantities of black volcanic glass mixing into the sand, giving it an otherworldly look. And on Maui’s Kaihalulu Seashore, yow will discover purple sand, a results of the encompassing iron-rich cliffs eroding onto the shoreline.




Seashores of the Aegean
Vital for the event of historic civilizations, such because the Minoans and the Mycenaean, the Aegean is made up of over 1,415 islands and islets, every providing a small glimpse into the historical past of the area and highlighted by a number of the most beautiful seashores you’ll ever see. Throughout its many islands yow will discover: Tsamadou and Lemonakia on Samos, Livadi and Messakti on Ikaria in addition to Golden Seashore and Paradise on Thassos.
Associated Journeys: Iceland, Canadian Maritimes, Treasures of Spain and Portugal, The Better of Hawaii, Treasures of the Aegean
From a visitor’s nostalgic recounting of her first journey to a household’s shock ancestral discovery, the tales shared from the highway are testomony to the limitless joys of journey in a number of the world’s finest locations.
Christine Caraway – The Seven Continent Completionist
Meet Christine Caraway, 16-time Tauck traveler, who’s traveled to all seven continents with Tauck. That is her story:
“Being too lazy to take out the bin that holds my workplace provides (stored on a shelf under by desk) I merely rummaged round blindly for a folder to place my Namibia paperwork in. Whereas attempting to drag out a folder, a brochure of my very first Tauck journey dropped out. It was taken in 1975, your fiftieth anniversary. I had graduated school slightly over a yr earlier than and I took inspiration from my Aunt Julia who had journey a lot of the world within the days earlier than cell telephones and Uber. She was the one who informed me about Tauck, and I made a decision to guide my first journey. It was an eight-day journey to the Colorado Rockies. I beloved each minute of it though on the time, I assumed it was a bit dear, a whopping $483 for a single.




I took one other Tauck journey earlier than the times of your computerized information, so though your information present I’ve been on 14 journeys, I’ve actually been on 16. From the U.S. together with Hawaii, Europe, East Asia, Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Central/South America to Antarctica. I’ve been lucky to have been to all 7 continents and the adventures proceed. Folks usually ask me which journey I beloved probably the most however that’s an unimaginable query – the nice pyramids, strolling with lions in Zambia, awe inspiring Antarctica, or the glories of Italy, all so completely different and all so fantastic.
I actually have loved all my journeys. I’m widowed now, and so I journey alone, however I by no means really feel alone on these journeys. I do know that if there are any points, the Tauck information is there to assist and I at all times have not less than one factor in widespread with the opposite vacationers, all of us are trying ahead to the journey that awaits us.”
A journey to recollect
Not too long ago, Justin Frackelton and her household returned from our Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley France land journey. And what began out as a curiosity-filled journey to Europe quickly become one thing not one of the household may have seen coming.
What spurred the journey right now?
“My husband and I knew that we wished to go to France within the spring of 2024. Since he retired from instructing at a school in Virginia, now we have discovered that spring is a pleasant time to journey to Europe. We have been taking a look at completely different choices and our journey agent at Covington Journey advised Tauck’s Normandy, Brittany, Paris & Loire Valley tour. As quickly as we learn the outline of the journey, we knew that this was the tour for us. The truth that my ancestors had come from Brittany made this specific tour much more interesting.”




Did you got down to discover out about household or did the thought come to you whereas in Brittany?
“I left house hoping to study as a lot as I may about my ancestors whereas I used to be in France. My maiden identify was Derieux. I knew that my ancestors initially got here from the city of Rieux in Brittany. The French spelling of our identify is deRieux (which means of Rieux). In preparation for the journey, I traced the deRieux line on the Ancestry web site. I introduced together with me household info that I discovered pertaining to the Derieux household. I even introduced copies of images of two ancestors from the 1400’s that had been on show in my Grandparent’s house.”
How did your Tauck Director and native guides assist?
“I discussed to Marianne Radwan, our Tauck Director, that my ancestors had come from Brittany and that I used to be excited by studying extra about the place that they had lived. She informed me that Marie Noelle our native information may be very educated and that she could possibly give me extra info. As we have been touring the city of Rochefort-en-Terre, I requested Marie Noelle if she was aware of the identify “deRieux.” Once I informed her that they have been my ancestors she turned excited and informed me that they have been very influential individuals in that city. She provided to take me to the knowledge heart to get a guide that defined extra in regards to the Rieux-Rochefort household connection.
I discovered that my ancestor married into the Rochefort household. When our information launched me to the woman within the info heart (pictured right here) as Madame deRieux she was so thrilled you’ll have thought she was assembly the Queen! She pulled out a 3 ring binder with photos of varied members of the deRieux household. To my shock the 2 ancestors whose photos my grandparents had on show of their house have been within the guide. I used to be in a position to present her that I had those self same photos on my cellphone. There have been additionally photos of deRieux ladies that I had by no means seen. What a thrill it was to know that I used to be in a city the place my ancestors lived within the fifteenth century. Once I entered Rochefort-en-Terre, I had no concept that my ancestors had lived there. Due to our native information and Marianne’s data on the appropriate useful resource to go to, I made that sudden connection. This was actually a spotlight of the journey for me!”




Is there the rest you want to share?
“There may be one other household story that could be of curiosity. I used to be named for my aunt who was named for a male ancestor, Justin Pierre Plumard deRieux, and the primary deRieux to come back to America. He was a physique guard for Louis XVI and served at Versailles. Understanding this piece of household historical past made that journey much more interesting for me since we started the tour in Versailles. Based on a household story he and his spouse Maria have been in attendance on the Royal Court docket at Le Petit Trianon when their toddler daughter was christened. Marie Antoinette is claimed to have taken the child in her arms and positioned her on the French Throne. This household story made the go to to Le Petit Trianon very significant for me.”
Do you have got every other ideas about our tour?
I consider that the three components that make up a visit are: the locations you go to, the tour director and native guides, and the individuals that you just journey with. On our Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire Valley journey all three have been very good and exceeded expectations. My husband and I mentioned that this was top-of-the-line journeys now we have taken and we’re trying ahead to touring with Tauck to Scotland subsequent summer season.


Study extra about some present occasions taking place around the globe this month.
Origins of a world image
Earlier this April, the Olympic Flame relay started for this yr’s Olympic Video games in Paris.
However that begs the query, how did this custom come to be?
Courting again to the times of historic Greece, the Olympic flame was initially derived from historic Greek ceremonies, the place a sacred hearth was stored burning all through the whole lot of their Olympics. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be till the 1928 Summer time Olympic Video games in Amsterdam the place a symbolic flame was first lit to suggest the video games – on this case, it was used to mild “the Marathon Tower” as a marker of the place the occasion was being held. It wouldn’t be till 8 years later on the 1936 Olympic Video games in Berlin that the custom that we all know right now because the “Olympic Flame Relay” would take form. Beginning in Olympia, Greece, over the course of 12 days, the flame was carried by seven completely different nations by over 3,000 completely different runners, finally concluding in Berlin the place the cauldrons have been lit. At this time, the Olympic flame is a world icon symbolizing the sunshine of spirit, data and life and the passing of the flame from individual to individual represents the handing down of symbolic hearth from era to era.
Tune in on July 26 because the Olympic flame relay involves a detailed, the Olympic cauldron is lit and the 2024 Olympic Video games in Paris formally start.




Mackinac Island wins #1 summer season journey vacation spot
This yr, Mackinac Island in Michigan was as soon as once more voted the #1 summer season journey locations by the readers of USA At this time’s 10 Greatest Readers’ Selection journey awards for the second consecutive yr.
Often called the “Crown Jewel of the Nice Lakes,” Mackinac Island is a small island positioned on Lake Huron discovered on the jap finish of the straits of Mackinac. Pronounced “Mack – in – awe,” the identify is derived from the Native American language of Ojibwe and was initially named “Michilimackinac” which means “Huge Turtle.” Throughout Nice Britain’s occupancy of the world within the mid-18th century, the island was shorted to Mackinac Island, nonetheless the phonetic pronunciation of the –nac “naw” stays to at the present time.
Acknowledged for its wealthy crusing tradition and scrumptious fudge -(nonetheless ready the quaint approach), what makes Mackinac Island such a novel place to go to is the island’s full lack of motorized automobiles, a rule that has been in place on the island since 1898! At this time, one of the best ways to get round is by strolling, biking or old school horse energy.
Do you know? Throughout peak season Mackinac Island can have as much as 600 horses, which is greater than the island’s yr spherical inhabitants of 500!
You’ll be able to get pleasure from this timeless island on our Cruising the Nice Lakes small ship cruise and our Michigan’s Lakes and Mackinac Island land journey!


insideTauck – Germany’s Hidden Gems with companion Sascha Mayerer
Germany is well known around the globe for its iconic cities and landmarks – however its lesser-known cities are simply as worthy of consideration, bursting with historic, cultural and culinary treasures simply ready to be found. Our current insideTauck presentation introduces you to the hidden gems of historic Germany alongside our companion Sascha Mayerer, CEO of Historic Highlights of Germany, as he takes you off the overwhelmed path to find why these lesser-known jewels are must-visits for anybody looking for significant journey experiences.
#TauckOnTour Takeover
In early June, our workforce introduced our Instagram followers on a behind-the-scenes look of our Rendezvous on the Seine France river cruise. You’ll be able to see the entire posts over on our Instagram, @TauckTravel, right here.


The place are you planning to journey to subsequent?