Lutece Arena

It's our last day in Paris. We took time in the crisp morning air to walk along the Seine. We were above the fray of traffic and enjoyed the Parisian architecture and house boats on the river.
In theLes mer
Tuileries Gardens

On Sunday morning Pat and Mike took a three-hour coach tour of Paris provided by Viking. They said it was excellent with a marvelous tour of Notre Dame. Ron and I walked to a nearby church for SundayLes mer
Paris

Saying farewell to Bordeaux we boarded a train for Paris. This was not the super fast TGV; we did make brief stops in Poitiers and Angoulême. Still, it only took three hours and the train was veryLes mer
Bordeaux

On our final day of the cruise we spent a leisurely morning on the ship as we traveled back to Bordeaux. It was quite foggy. After lunch Ron and I walked into Bordeaux for a self-guided tour of theLes mer
Pauillac

After a relaxing morning on the ship we left Blaye at noon, arriving in Pauillac in mid-afternoon. We then boarded a coach for a tour of the Médoc wine country. We drove by several vineyardsLes mer
Blaye

At noon we cast off from Bourg and headed to Blaye. Blaye is located on the east side of the Gironde Estuary and is known for its citadel complex high above the town. It was designed by Vauban, aLes mer
Bourg-sur-Gironde

This morning Ron and I set off on our own to explore the tiny village of Bourg situated on a hilltop overlooking the Dordogne River. According to my research it was built in Roman times, invaded byLes mer
Saint-Emilion

Saint-Emilion. We've been looking forward to visiting this town and its well-regarded wines. In contrast to Libourne with its center square and streets on a grid, Saint-Emilion is located on a hillLes mer
Libourne

This morning we took a walking tour of Libourne with a local guide. Libourne is situated on the confluence of the Dordogne and Isle Rivers. In the Middle Ages regional wines were exported to EnglandLes mer
Tour of Bordeaux

This morning we visited Bordeaux by motor coach and on foot. The city is located on the left bank on a bend of the Garonne River and was known as the Port of the Moon. It is also called the SleepingLes mer
Château de Myrat, Barsac, France

We really enjoyed our visit to Château de Myrat in the Sauternes wine region. The Count of Pontac is very proud of his vineyard and renowned wines. He explained in French the special process ofLes mer
Cadillac, France

Bordeaux has a new tram system which we used to arrive at the Aquitaine Museum. This entire region of southwest France once belonged to Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th century. After she married theLes mer
Bordeaux, France

We have arrived in beautiful Bordeaux! We look forward to exploring the region with our traveling companions, Pat and Mike, on a Viking River Cruise. Our ship, the Forseti, is docked on the banks ofLes mer
Badlands, South Dakota

On our way to the Badlands we stopped in the town of Wall to visit the famous Wall Drug. What started in the 1930s as a pharmacy that gave away free ice water has turned into a huge shopping mall onLes mer
Mount Rushmore

We spent the last morning of our tour visiting two man-made features: Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse was an important Oglala Dakota warrior who fought against encroachment byLes mer
Deadwood, South Dakota

From Sheridan we drove to Devils Tower National Monument. I have wanted to see this amazing geologic feature since the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it was as impressive as ILes mer
Cody, Wyoming

Before leaving Yellowstone we visited the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in the park. Built in 1891 it's been renovated over the years and looks quite posh. There are beautifulLes mer
Mammoth Springs Yellowstone, Wyoming

With hot coffee in hand on a cold, sunny morning we waited for old Faithful to erupt. What a sight! It lived up to the hype. Definitely a highlight of the trip. Later we hopped on our coach to tourLes mer
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone is not very far from the Tetons but the landscape changes from heavenly to hellish. The Lewis Falls were very pretty. Then we stopped at the West Thumb Geyser Basin on Lake YellowstoneLes mer
Lake Jenny, Oxbow Bend & Lake Jackson

As we drove north through Grand Tetons National Park, we stopped at the tiny log Chapel of the Transfiguration. On this Sunday morning we were able to drop in before Episcopal services for theLes mer
Jackson, Wyoming

Back in Jackson, we lunched at a fusion restaurant and bar called Local. Very tasty. We strolled the streets of the town square for a while stopping at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar to check out theLes mer
Gorgeous Grand Tetons

The haze cleared and the skies were blue for our float trip on the Snake River. There were a dozen of us in the raft with our excellent guide, Chris. He manoeuvred us down river expertly. We hadLes mer
Imagining life on the Oregon Trail

We traveled north from Salt Lake City to Bear Lake where mountain men used to meet annually for the big rendezvous on the beach. Recent wild fires made for a hazy view of the lake. Then on toLes mer
Salt Lake City Sounds of Music

We began our tour of some of our country's national wonders in Salt Lake City. We were able to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsal tonight. Quite a treat.