In the early morning of June 6, 1944, waves of Allied soldiers came ashore on the beaches of the Normandy region of France. It was D-Day, the beginning of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. The Allies had misled the Nazis to believe that the invasion would begin in a different location on the north coast of France; still, there were considerable defenses in place at Normandy. Thousands of Allied soldiers from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Poland, Norway and several other countries, as well as thousands of Germans, lost their lives in the Battle of Normandy. Visitors can explore the bunkers, tanks and Atlantic Wall defenses that remain in place along Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches, as well as the many memorials that honor the troops. On ... read more

You may have visited America's Largest national park and not even have realized it. Thousands of tourists visit this park every day during the summer aboard cruise ships when they stop at Alaska's Hubbard glacier. I have been fortunate enough to visit this glacier in 2001, 2006 and 2016. It is not only impressive due to its size but also the deep blue color it radiates. Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that was established in 1980. It rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. Mount St. Elias. it’s the same size as Yellowstone Nat. Park, Yosemite Nat. Park, and Switzerland combined, encompassing 13.2 million acres. The Wrangell and St. Elias Ranges contain some of the largest volcanoes in North America. Nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States ... read more

Glacier Bay was designated a National Monument in 1925 and a National Park & Preserve in 1980 comprising 3,283,00 acres or 5,130 square miles. In 1992 it was designated part of a World Heritage Site. The number of vessels per day is limited in the summer months. The maximum number of vessels allowed each day include 2 cruise ships, 3 tour boats, 6 charter vessels, and 25 private vessels. I have visited here 3 times and has changed considerably over the years since my first visit in 1992. 250 years ago a single, large tidewater glacier covered all of Glacier Bay. By 1750 the glacier began to retreat and has now retreated 60 miles to the head of the bay.Currently glaciers cover 2,055 square miles or 27% of the Park. At last count there were 1,045 ... read more

The town of Estes Park, Colorado lies at the entrance of the park. The park is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year and has over 300 miles of trails and encompasses 415 square miles of the Rocky Mountains. The Trail Ridge Road, Highway 34 does not open until Memorial Day weekend or later as we found out arriving there on May 28, 2011. It was still worth the drive to the point where it was closed as there are some wonderful vistas. Due to the snow pack Elk were common at the lower elevations. The other large animals found at the park are mule deer, moose and big horn sheep.... read more

You'll discover distinctive historic architecture, world class museums, pristine diving sites, uncrowded sandy beaches, secluded coves, lot of ethnic diversity, exciting international cuisine, and no fear of hurricanes ruining your vacation. Curacao is located approximately 44 miles north of the Venezuelan coast, and is part of an island group known as the ABC Islands. The island gets very little annual rain, and the average temperature year round is a pleasant 80 degrees. Curacao is a very cosmopolitan island with over 65 ethnic groups including African, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Libanese, British West Indians, Surinamese, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, along with other groups. The capital city Willemstad looks quite like the Dutch architecture overlooking the canals in Amsterdam. The pastel colored 17th and 18th century Dutch colonial buildings make this UNESCO World... read more