Recently updated on November 24th, 2023 at 02:57 pm
Let us tell you just how GOOD it feels to be back on the road again. For us, putting miles on the coach and setting off on one of our first domestic US trips since the pandemic felt like coming home.
We were so excited to be on tour after so long, and our guests felt the same about being back on the road. They were having such an amazing time on our 10-day Welcome to Colorado trip that we just had to capture the joy they felt while rediscovering a love for travel.
If you’re dreaming about waking up somewhere new, having someone else cook you breakfast and are itching to explore the world once more, read about the experiences of three recent Trafalgar guests and fall in love with exploring once more.
“I am a true “hands-on” learner so travel is the way to learn” – Amy
“We had planned another trip but it got cancelled due to the pandemic but when this trip became available we jumped at the opportunity. [My sister] lives in South Carolina and I live in New Jersey and we don’t get much time together, so this made it even more special,” says Amy.
What did you miss most about traveling?
Amy: Being able to travel allows me to explore new places and experiences. I have a great urge to see new places and learn about the history of the places. I feel that it makes me understand the world in a very different way to be able to see sights in person rather than seeing pictures and reading about the sights in a book.
I am a true “hands-on” learner so travel is the way to learn. The many months of isolation were both important for the safety of all of us, but also very challenging since we as a society couldn’t get out to explore and learn about new things.
What was your favourite part of this trip?
Amy: SO much was a favourite! Being able to be with people again, to talk, to laugh, to be whole again was one of my favourite things. Socialising is essential to overall good health and it was sadly missed. Another was to be able to spend time with my sister as we live so far apart.
Having never been to Colorado, I got to see the amazing rocky mountains and so much of its history. The Travel Director, Tyson, was so impressive with his extensive knowledge of all the places that we visited and was able to find new things on the fly when needed. The excursions like the cog railroad, the Silverton to Durango train trip, a trip up to Pikes Peak and so much more – a lifetime experience for sure.
Where are you planning on going next?
Amy: Oh my, such a difficult thing to decide as I have so many places I want to see. My husband and I are focused on seeing more of the beauty of the US and hope to go to New Orleans as well as other great places out west. We have traveled to many places up and down the East Coast so our focus will be more on national parks out west.
Going on escorted tours is also the way to go as everything is planned and done for you, so the focus can be on the sights, sounds and total experience since you don’t have to focus on driving, finding hotels and planning excursions yourself. It is so worth it – so we plan on looking into all that Trafalgar has to offer.
“There were so many “favourites” on this trip” – Marianne
What did you miss most about traveling?
Marianne: What I missed about traveling was the ability to change the daily routine and to feel free to experience new places and cultures. My husband and I are avid travellers and have missed the ability to travel freely since the pandemic hit.
We are in our 70s and appreciated the importance of staying safely at home, but it certainly put a crimp in our plans! As we sat at home and planned future travel, especially as things began to open I – as a retired Registered Nurse – was focused on health and wellbeing protocols of travel companies. Trafalgar made an impression with their detailed outline of their health and wellbeing plan.
What was your favorite part of this trip?
Marianne: Oh, so many things. First and foremost was the opportunity to spend time with my sister. We talked for years about doing a sister trip. My husband and I are avid travellers and he is the trip planner who found this intriguing Trafalgar escorted tour.
I’d been to Denver and Colorado Springs before and loved the beauty of these areas. My sister had never experienced the lush green of the mountainous areas and the barren dry of the high deserts of Colorado, so I felt this would be a very exciting place for her to see. How right I was! She was captivated with the diversity and beauty of Colorado.
There were so many “favourites” on this trip – the group we were with, our Travel Director Tyson, the itinerary, the historic hotels… [they] were all wonderful. The morning music selections Tyson had to fit the areas of Colorado we were scheduled to visit that day set the very upbeat tone of the day!
Where are you planning on going next?
Marianne: Easy question! The Galapagos! We have a trip booked for the beginning of September.
We like going to exotic out-of-the-way places. We’ve been to Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica along with trips to Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
After the Galapagos our plan is to focus more on America’s beautiful national parks. In fact we have our eye on a Trafalgar trip that includes Death Valley next year. After the Colorado Trafalgar trip I know we will be in the best hands!
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“It feels very good to travel again” – Chester
What did you miss most about travelling?
Chester: What I missed most about traveling was actually two things – getting out and seeing new places and getting out and meeting new people.
What was your favourite part of your trip?
Chester: My favorite part of the trip included several beautiful areas in Colorado, like the Georgetown train, Colorado Monument, the town of Ouray, the Pikes Peak tram, the Garden of Gods, the Vineyard tour and dinner, and some of the small towns we went through. These were all so good that I really cannot narrow it down to a single part of the trip!
Where are you planning on going next?
Chester: I have a Trafalgar trip already booked for October. Autumn Colors, starting in Boston, and going to the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
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