Tulip Time Cruise in the Netherlands with Avalon
(105 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Gail Hummel
Madison, WI
Areas of Expertise...current favs!
Areas of expertise -
- South Africa- Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, Zambezi River, Capetown, Cape of Good Hope, Chapman's Peak, Table Mountain, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch (wine country), Mala Mala Game Reserve
- Italy - ...
Areas of expertise -
- South Africa- Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, Zambezi River, Capetown, Cape of Good Hope, Chapman's Peak, Table Mountain, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch (wine country), Mala Mala Game Reserve
- Italy - Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Amalfi, Salerno, Liguria
- Sicily - Messina Taormina Mt. Etna
- Florence - Ponte Vecchio Duomo
- France -Beaches of Normandy, Giverny, St. Malo, Paris, Rouen, Seine River, Honfleur, Marseilles, Nice, St. Paul de Vence
- Monaco - the cars!
- Hawaii - let me help create the memories you are now dreaming of:
- Oahu - Pearl Harbor, Pali Pass, Waimea Botanical Gardens & Jump Rock
- Maui - Bamboo Forest, Dragon's Teeth, Banyan Tree Park, Kaanapali Beach
- Kauai- Waimea Canyon, Naplili cliffs, Hanalei town, Poipu Beach, Tunnels Beach
- Big Island - Snow covered mountains, horse ranches, volcanoes and lava
- Lanai - former pineapple plantation, now has two Four Seasons Resorts with luxury golfing, world famous Lanai Cat Sanctuary, not one stoplight
- Molokai - true Hawaiian culture, unspoiled, Father Damien site, sacred valleys and unspoiled beaches
- Antigua and its 365 beaches
- Turks and Caicos
A recent return from Africa has me wanting to share the excitement of this diverse destination. I experienced everything the Cape has to offer, then went on Safari in MalaMala, a private game reserve. This trip ended with two nights at a tented camp on the Zambezi River, which included a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, or Mosi-Oa-Tunya, which means the Smoke That thunders. And it does.
I also spent a week in Antigua this summer, 365 beaches! Staying and playing on this beautiful island was such an experience. The unique culture offered so much and the variety of lodging was impressive.
I offer a deep dive into destinations- history, culture, and more... I will create an itinerary that makes you savor every memory and fills you with a longing to return. With destination expertise in all of the Hawaiian Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Panama,The French and Italian Riviera, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, I strive to bring you an unforgettable experience in each destination.
I specialize in custom European trips and river cruising. If you're looking for a unique Netherlands experience, I have river cruised and spent time in Amsterdam gazing at the Dutch Masters, pondering Van Gogh paintings, eating too many Dutch Pannekoekens, and all varieties of cheese. My experience in Italy has me longing to return again and again.
Luxury is truly my thing, but it has to be coupled with a unique and immersive experience. I do not do budget travel, but promise value that will make you happy with every penny you spend.
Using finely honed research skills, I collaborate with you to create the essence of your personalized experience. I enjoy making travel dreams and wishes come true! I bring solid experience, tips that may not be obvious, and advice for planning family and group trips! Having a keen eye on history, I've also been an amateur genealogist since I was at my grandma's knee.
Tell me where you want to go... I'll make a way to get you there!
Can Be Reached At
1-608-833-5200 ext:217
A lovely day at Museum Park - I AMSTERDAM
I'm a tulip lover, a cheese lover, an architecture lover, a history lover, a windmill lover, a total history geek. I love not only the slender beauty of a tulip, but also how they contributed to the emerging market economy that shaped the face of Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. A Tulip Time Cruise on Avalon River Cruises was right up my alley, so I went.
Because I also love art, flying in three days early to experience the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, visit the Ann Frank House site, plus the Dam and the Royal Palace was a must! Experiencing the Westerkerk where Rembrandt and his son, Titus, are buried was highlighted by a student playing the magnificent, centuries old organ. Beauty resounded through walls that held a history
I learned so much- how the early ship trading relationship with the Congo is still vital to the Belgian chocolate industry; how the construction of the canal houses was marked by portico emblems that showed your trade; how the paper made that the US Constitution is printed on was made by paper created by a wind powered windmill; how tulips created the first 'stock bubble' and were stolen, traded and coveted like gold; how fighting the flooding of the delta areas was as critical as fighting the Vikings, then the Spanish, and finally Napoleon.
So many things informed my experience as I moved through a culture where history is in fully present in tangible ways. I am grateful to have experienced what I did, but I am hungry to go back for more. As a history geek, just Amsterdam has the largest concentration per capita of museums anywhere in the world. I'm hungry for more of their Dutch Pannekoekens, too.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the tall, lean people who move with ease through crowded urban streets on bicycles, pedaling away while sporting excellent leather footwear and understated, elegant clothing... An affluent, educated, quite polite, and civil society impressed me to the core. I long to go back, and I will... I have so many reasons to return and if you haven't been, you can only understand by experiencing it yourself. I didn't even mention the cheese or Kukenhof Gardens. It's all so much to take in, a wonderland... cheese, chocolate, pancakes, museums, and fields of tulips. What could be better? More time there.