Page 8 - AAA Now! – AAA Central Penn – January/February 2020

AAA
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DISCOVER YOUR ADVENTURE!
Now is the time to discover the most up-to-date information about AAA Travel’s group trips and travel presentations.
As many experienced AAA travelers already know, Discoveries is the best choice for quality, value-packed vacations with the convenience and benefits of escorted group travel. A selection of Discoveries cruises and tours currently scheduled for 2020 is highlighted here and even more are listed on pages 10 and 11 of this issue of AAA Now! Our complete slate of currently available upcoming trips for 2020 is listed, along with access to digital brochures, on AAA.com/Travel. Look for articles on other destinations in this issue of AAA Now!
Most of Discoveries’ cruises and tours conveniently begin right in Central PA by including round-trip transfers to docks to board a cruise ship or airports to commence a tour.
CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY – AAA CUSTOM TOUR
July 2 – 8, 2020
This custom-designed tour visits vintage vacation destinations. San Francisco beckons you to ride its iconic cable cars up and down the hilly streets, cruise under
the Golden Gate Bridge, and visit its architecturally and culturally diverse neighborhoods and restaurants. Head north to the Sonoma Valley and adjacent Napa Valley for tours and tastings at world famous wineries overlooking valleys of vineyards. Ride and dine aboard the elegant Napa Valley Wine Train, savor tastings of local olive oils, and stroll among botanical gardens adjacent to charming chateaus, all while leaving the driving to your motor coach chauffeur.
JEWELS OF THE BALTIC July 15 – 26, 2020
Sail aboard Holland America and savor the journey to classic cruise destinations in northern Europe. You board the wonderful ms Zuiderdam in lovely Copenhagen, Denmark, where the locals speak English, the food is friendly, and its fairy-tale legacy is reflected in towers
and turrets – even the Little Mermaid statue. Cross the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia; its well-preserved Old Town dates from medieval times; the impressive hilltop castle adds to this city’s charm. St. Petersburg, Russia, is never forgotten with its glittering domes, baroque palaces
and elaborate churches – all posed on a labyrinth of canals commissioned by Czar Peter the Great over 200 years ago; your visit is fortunately during the famous Russian “White Nights” with late evening summer light bathing everything in sight from the Hermitage Museum to Peterhof Palace. Helsinki, Finland, lures you to its harbor and islands with lively arts and music set among Art Nouveau buildings and cafés with water views that sparkle with long-lasting summer sunshine. Many islands and bridges comprise Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, where tidy gardens, parklands and Scandinavian design abound; enjoy strolling cobblestone streets surrounding the royal palace. Berlin, the vibrantly reborn capital of unified Germany, announces its enthusiasm for the future with lively restaurants, boutiques, galleries and cultural activities. Call at the German port of Kiel to visit stylish Hamburg on the River Elbe; here were launched the ships of Charlemagne and the international music career of the Beatles; an eclectic mix of historic and modern generate today’s exciting scene.
ALASKA: OFF THE BEATEN PATH WITH COPPER RIVER
July 28 – August 12, 2020
Take a walk on the wild side during this Alaskan adventure tour that also includes Princess Cruises’ Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. Fly to Fairbanks to pan for gold and travel like a prospector aboard a river sternwheeler. Ride the rails on glass-dome train cars to Denali National Park where
two nights at Princess’ Wilderness Lodge offers you many activities, including a Natural History Tour of wild animals, local plants and geological features, perchance to view the glorious mountain named Denali. Travel to remote Copper River and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park for magnificent mountains and traditional cultures. Visit the Kenai Peninsula for wilderness activities, perhaps sled dog mushing or
river rafting. Board the luxurious Coral Princess at Whittier to commence your cruise to Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay, then to the ports of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, each with its own authentic Alaskan attractions from eagle refuges to Misty Fjords. Your cruise continues through the scenic Inside Passage to conclude in Vancouver.
EUROPEAN PILGRIMAGE WITH OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY August 17 – September 1, 2020
Only once every 10 years does the Bavarian town of Oberammergau stage their world-renowned religious Passion Play to reenact the last days of Christ on earth. This special tour is your limited opportunity to witness this inspiring performance and participate on an unusual pilgrimage to prominent places of European Christianity. Begin in Barcelona to see Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia basilica along with the Gothic Quarter, and
walk through the Roman Gate. The sacred mountain
of Montserrat is Catalonian Spain’s 1,000-year-old pilgrimage site, where you visit the Basilica Real and
see the Black Madonna. Cross into France to visit the pilgrimage center of Lourdes. Visit the clifftop medieval town of Rocamadour and travel via other pilgrimage sites to Dijon in the heart of Burgundy. Cross the Swiss border to lakeside Lucerne; visit alpine Engelberg with its 12th century monastery where monks continue to teach today. Ride a cable car to the summit of Mount Stanserhorn for a ranger-led tour. A premium reserved seat awaits you at the Oberammergau Passion Play. Visit Salzburg, Austria, famous for “Sound of Music” movie scenes, Mozart’s birthplace and Mirabell Palace. Vienna reveals its imperial history at the palaces of Schonbrunn
and Hofburg, Parliament, State Opera House and St. Charles Church, and bids you farewell with an authentic Austrian banquet and classical music.
GREENLAND & CANADA CRUISE August 17 – September 2, 2020
Adventure awaits you way up north. AAA transports
you to New York City to board the Caribbean Princess
for this unusual round-trip cruise featuring three ports
in Greenland and three ports in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, coupled with days at sea. Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, retains its British maritime heritage and is the gateway to the rugged scenery of Peggy’s Cove and its cliffside lighthouse. Sydney on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, was populated by British loyalists in the late 1700s; travel the spectacular coastal Cabot Trail, visit Gaelic
sites, sail aboard a lake schooner. Cruise farther north to Greenland, a Danish territory. This island country’s capital is Nuuk; visit the National Museum, the native cultures center, or explore on a wildlife safari fjord cruise. The port of Qaqortoq offers guided walking tours in town and lakeside hiking expeditions, insights to Inuit culture and daily life of a Greenlander, or a guided boat ride via a fjord to ruins of a Viking village. Nanortalik means “place of bears” in Greenlandic and is where you might spot polar bears on offshore ice flows in waters where seals live
and whales also feed in the summer; this fishing port is surrounded by mountains and features colorfully painted houses, giant boulders and ruins of Viking farmsteads. Head south to St. John’s, capital of Canada’s island of Newfoundland; take a walking tour or an active hike,
or tour to Cape Spear Lighthouse for dramatic coastal panoramas.
CROATIA: FOOD & WINE TOUR FEATURING DUBROVNIK September 18 – 28, 2020
If a country’s character is revealed in its cuisines
and beverages, this unique small group guided tour
of Croatia will gain you insights and inspiration. Personal interactions with local folks will enhance this extraordinary travel experience. Welcome to Zagreb, the capital and cultural heart of Croatia, where a tour of this historic city is complemented by an introduction to Croatian cuisine, wines and beers. Journey west to the coast of the Adriatic Sea to relish Rovinj, a fishing village featuring foods flavored by Italian influences. Head to the forests to hunt for Istrian truffles and taste wine in
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