Travel Program, 2003
Travel Program, 2003
[January to June]
AGS Publications
Last Updated:
January 7, 2004
The AGS Travel Program
THE 2003 SEASON [July through December]
to view the full-color 
brochure for the AGS Travel Program, 2003 Season.COMPLETED TOURS
THE NEW YEAR IN CUBA.
December 26 - January 7, 2004 (13 days)
The AGS is offering a special opportunity to travel to Cuba on what very
well may be the last licensed tour to Cuba for many years (due to new
restrictive U.S. policies). Celebrate New Years in Cuba and explore this
island of contrasts and its rich culture. Throughout the program there will
be opportunities to meet Cubans from various walks of contemporary Cuban
life, including visits to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, museums of
art and culture, and a chance to partake in Old Havana's New Year
celebration. Spend four full days in Havana before traveling to Trinidad,
Cuba's oldest colonial city; to Baracoa, a charming town enveloped by a rich
tropical vegetation; and finally to Santiago de Cuba-the cradle of
Afro-Cuban culture, Santiago is legendary for its music and known as the
birthplace of the Revolution. Our AGS leader, geographer Dr. Joseph L.
Scarpaci, is an expert in Latin American studies and this trip will be his 39th to Cuba!
Lecturer: Joe Scarpaci, Professor of Geography, Virginia Tech.
Price: $5,995 including airfare from Miami.
ANTARCTICA, SOUTH GEORGIA, AND THE FALKLANDS.
November 10 - December 2, 2003 (23 days)
On this fantastic journey, explore the South Georgia, the Falkland Islands,
and the Antarctic Peninsula aboard a very comfortable 50-cabin expedition
ship. After a day in Santiago, Chile, embark and cruise from island to
island, including five full days along the Antarctica Peninsula. Take
advantage of the ship's fleet of zodiacs to make landings in otherwise
inaccessible spots, and marvel at glistening icebergs, glaciers and
snowcapped peaks. Observe thousands of penguins, petrels, cormorants, and
albatross, as well as whales, seals, and other marine mammals, amidst the
spectacular landscapes of this truly remote and pristine region.
Lecturer: Robert Dodson, geographer, Antarctic explorer, and historian.
Price: $9,600 and higher, including airfare from Miami.
GREAT TRANSCONTINENTAL RAIL TOUR [Washington to Los Angeles]
October 28 - November 7, 2003 (11 days).
Journey across the United States aboard North America's most luxurious
train, the American Orient Express. This romantic coast-to-coast adventure
begins in Washington, DC, and ends in Los Angeles. Other stops include:
Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, San Antonio, Santa Fe, and Grand Canyon
National Park. The AOE vintage carriages were assembled from museums and
private collections throughout America. The polished mahogany and brass,
quality service, and superb cuisine are reminiscent of a method of travel
from days past.
Lecturer: Dr. David J. Keeling, Professor and Department Head, Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University
Price: $3,990
CHILEAN FJORDS TO THE FALKLANDS [Puerto Montt to Port Stanley].
October 29 - November 14, 2003 (17 days)
Discover remote and stunning wilderness vistas aboard a very comfortable
122-passenger expedition ship. View majestic fjords, glaciers and mountain
ranges at the southern tip of Chile plus stops at the splendidly isolated
Falkland Islands. Our ice-strengthened ship safely maneuvers through narrow
channels and we get up closer in her fleet of Zodiac landing craft,
observing unusual birds and mammals. Fly into Santiago and overnight before
flying further south to embark on our cruise down Chile's serrated coast,
including a full day at Torres del Paine National Park. Continue to Cape
Horn, Ushuaia, and the Beagle Channel, before enjoying Westpoint and Carcass
Islands in the Falklands.
Lecturer: Dr. Ernst Griffin, Professor of Geography, San Diego State University.
Price: $6,285 and higher, including airfare from Miami.
PORTUGAL'S RIVER OF GOLD - THE DUORO
October 8 - 18, 2003 (11 days).
Travel aboard a luxury 76-guest river boat aboard the Duoro River, the
"River of Gold," which flows nearly 600 miles from Spain and Portugal to the
Atlantic. Our journey begins in Lisbon, with its beautiful Moorish
architecture, then travel to Porto, at the mouth of the Duoro. Highlights
include the World Heritage Site of Salamanca and the pilgrimage site of
Lamengo. Enjoy magnificent landscapes, superb architecture and visits to
local wineries.
Lecturer: Dr. Brian Godfrey, Professor of Geography at Vassar College.
Price: $2,595 and higher, including airfare from Newark.
ANCIENT SPLENDORS OF CHINA
October 10 - October 28, 2003 (19 days).
See China's greatest archaeological sites: Beijing's Forbidden City, Great
Wall, Ming Tombs, and Temple of Heaven; Datong's impressive Yungang Cave
complex and Hengshan Hanging Cliff Monastery; Xian's terracotta warriors;
and Dazu's renowned Buddhist sculpture grottoes; plus, enjoy a Yangtze River
cruise, and Shanghai's outstanding museum.
Lecturer: Dr. Clifton Pannell, Professor of Geography and Associate Dean at the University of Georgia.
Price: $7,395, including airfare from San Francisco.
AUTUMN IN BURGUNDY AND PROVENCE
September 16 - 27, 2003 (12 days).
Experience Fall in southern France on a luxury cruise on the Saone and Rhone
Rivers through Burgundy and Provence. Highlights include private wine
tastings in Burgundy where we stay in a deluxe chateau; the magnificent
Ducal Palace and Fine Arts Gallery in Dijon; Lyon, a World Heritage Site;
the imposing Papal Palace in Avignon; and Cluny, a 10th century Romanesque
Abbey.
Lecturer: Dr. James McDonald, Professor Emeritus of Geography at Eastern Michigan University.
Price: $5,495 and higher, including airfare from New York.
DANUBE RIVER JOURNEY
September 17 - 30, 2003 (14 days).
Travel aboard an 80-guest luxury river boat, disembarking at some of
Europe's most historic locales. Admire Budapest's architecture and enjoy a
piano recital at Bartok's home, see Bratislava's St. Michael's Gate,
Vienna's Hofburg Complex, Baroque Melk Abbey, Passau's Old Town, medieval
Nuremberg, Regensburg, and Prague's synagogue and Cathedral of St. Vitus.
Lecturer: Dr. Allen Noble, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Akron.
Price: $6,885 and higher, plus airfare (book by March 14, 2003, and receive $500 off per person).
HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE PO RIVER
September 6 - 17, 2003 (12 days).
Travel through the heart of Northern Italy on the Po River aboard the new,
wonderfully appointed 88-guest luxury river boat, and spend several days in
Venice and Florence. Explore the rich history of Italy's art and
architecture with visits to the Byzantine mosaics in Revenna, Giotto's
frescoes in Padua, and sites throughout Florence--the center of the Italian
Renaissance--including Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise on the Duomo and the
renowned Uffizi Gallery.
Lecturer: Dr. William Crowley, Professor and Chair of Geography at Sonoma State
University.
Price: $6,740 and higher, plus airfare.
WATERWAYS OF RUSSIA: Moscow to St. Petersburg
August 6 - 20, 2003 (15 days).
Travel aboard the luxurious, 149-guest M.S. Tolstoy, which offers the
largest staterooms and is considered the finest river vessel in Russia.
Begin with three days exploring Moscow, then seven days cruising the Volga,
Svir, and Neva Rivers. End with three days in splendid St. Petersburg. See
golden-domed churches, precious art and jewelry collections, picturesque
villages and monasteries, plus verdant landscapes during mid-summer's "white
nights."
Lecturer: Dr. Ron Wixman, Professor of Geography at the University of Oregon.
Price: $4,995 and higher, plus airfare.
ALASKA'S FJORDS, GLACIERS, & WILDLIFE: Anchorage to Prince Rupert
July 23 - August 5, 2003 (16 days).
The "ultimate" Alaska voyage aboard the luxurious, 120-guest Clipper
Odyssey, including both the Gulf of Alaska and the Inside Passage. Learn
about Alaskan culture and wildlife while viewing majestic fjords, coves,
glaciers, forests, and mountains. See Anchorage, Cook Inlet, Kenai Fjords,
Harriman Fjord, College Fjord, Columbia, Valdez, Kayak Island, Lituya Bay,
Juneau, Zimovia Strait, Wrangell, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert. Explore
pristine areas the cruise liners cannot enter.
Lecturer: Dr. Doug Sherman, Head of the Department of Geography at Texas A & M University.
Price: $5,850 and higher, plus airfare.
GREAT CITIES OF THE BALTIC
July 15 - 30, 2003 (16 days).
Visit Berlin's museums and Potsdam; in Hamburg, board the 6-star luxury ship
Song of Flower. Enjoy regal Copenhagen; the World Heritage City of Visby,
Sweden; fine architecture and organ concerts in Riga, Latvia and Tallinn,
Estonia; St. Petersburg's Summer Palace and Hermitage; Neoclassical
Helsinki; and museums in Stockholm.
Lecturer: Dr. Larry Ford, Professor of Geography at San Diego State University.
Price: $8,550 and higher, plus airfare.
HISTORIC NORMANDY AND THE SIENE RIVER
July 5 - 16, 2003 (12 days).
Travel through Normandy and the beautiful Seine River, staying at a regal
Chateau and aboard a spacious, very comfortable 120-passenger river vessel.
Tour Normandy's beaches, visit the famous pilgrimage site of Mont-St-Michel,
see the magnificent Rouen Cathedral. Experience France's rich art tradition
with visits to Mathilda's Tapestry--depicting the Norman Conquest--and the
sites that inspired the Impressionists including Honfleur and Giverny.
Lecturer: Dr. David Keeling, Professor and Head of the Department of Geography
and Geology at Western Kentucky University.
Price: $5,595 and higher, including airfare from New York.
*** Click here to return to the first half of 2003.
*** For further information about these or possible future trips contact:
47 Main Street, Suite One
P.O. Box 938
Walpole, New Hampshire 03608-0938
Tel: (888) 805-0884 or (603) 756-2553
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
Fax: (603)756-2922
Email: AGStravl@sover.net