2025 february newsletter

Hello everyone, and welcome to February 2025! Today, I am on a Delta Airlines flight to Phoenix, somewhere over the Texas panhandle. Charlotte and I are going to the Travel and Adventure Show to promote our tours for 2025 and beyond. It’s Valentine’s Day, so let’s think about romantic destinations.

Paris is my favorite big European city! Many find that hard to believe because I always go on about my favorite small towns and off-the-beaten-path destinations. But when it comes to a big city, Paris is at the top! It all stems back to the 1990s when I, as a young band teacher, recruited my students to travel with me to Europe. The last two destinations were Paris and London, which I had no desire to visit. But, the first half of the tour visited Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, my choice destinations at the time.

On that tour, we loved the small towns and remote destinations but also made it through Paris and London. Not everything turned out according to plan, but the experience showed me the possibilities in Paris. I returned home to my daily tasks of being a band director, but Paris was always on my mind.

I’ve been back to Paris at least once a year since that first trip. Paris is huge, and it is impossible to take it all in on one visit. I like to break the big city down into small neighborhoods where the corner café and local boulangerie become my home away from home. After a few days, I’m not a tourist but a local, at least temporarily.

So, what’s ROMANTIC in Paris? Well, for true romance, you’ve got to be there with your loved one. But it is possible to “fall in love” with Paris.

Here are some of my favorite neighborhood experiences.

• Assemble a picnic (wine, cheese, salads, and meats) somewhere with grand views of Paris. The Champs du Mars at twilight with Eiffel Tower views are best. Other grand locations are anywhere along the Seine River embankment, especially Pont Neuf.

• Visit the Eiffel Tower, second floor, Bar Restaurant Madame Brasserie. Arrive at happy hour (3-5 pm) and claim a table with drinks only. Then stay for sunset and dinner. No reservation is needed.

• Picnic on the Montmartre steps in front of the Sacre Cour Church.

• The Canal Saint-Martin is perfect for a morning or evening stroll followed by a canal-side café drink.

Paris deserves at least three or four days to experience the “romance.” You’ll find slowing down to experience Paris will open your eyes to the City of Light!

These are a few of my other “romantic” destinations in Europe.

• A gondola ride in Venice

• A canal-side dinner in Venice

• Spending the day on a beach in Italy or Greece with someone you love.

• Spend a day in the Swiss Alps, hike, ride lifts, have lunch, and nap in an alpine meadow.

• Watch the sunset from Mont Saint Michel, Vernazza, Ischia, or Hydra.

• Sip Champagne, in Champagne!

The bottom line is, go and make your adventure!

This month’s tour highlight:

Best of France

** JUST ADDED TO THE DISCOUNTED TOURS PAGE**

JUNE 2025 TOUR NOW $150 OFF

Seats are limited to 4

Best of France in 11 Days

When I think of France, my mind always wanders to food! Those tasty dishes are always accompanied by lots of sauce which have been distilled to a rich and silky essence.  Hence, the name of this tour distills the country down to my top destinations in and around Paris. We’ll begin (and end) with the very best of Paris, and sandwiched in between are some of the premiere sites, food, wine, and experiences in the country: the vineyards and cathedrals of Burgundy, the Loire Valley’s elegant châteaux, Brittany’s quaint villages, Normandy’s magnificent Mont St. Michel, and the D-Day battlefield beaches.

 2 new episodes of travel talk tuesday coming up

Travel Talk Tuesdays are live Zoom meetings where I talk about certain topics and you can ask me questions in real time. 

*Attendance is free, but you must register to attend*

the Travel Adventure Shows (tas)

The Chicago and Phoenix TAS’s went great! We met lots of nice people and we got some more people signed up for a new adventure!

The Denver show is up next, March 8th and 9th.

Did you know you can attend these shows for FREE? And new enrollments can claim a $300 discount off any of our 2025 or 2026 tours just by stopping by our booth at one of these TAS events? Well, now you know.

Use coupon code: E25MCGUFFIN100

NEW Passport Renewal Information

Renewing online

As of 2025, you can apply for a passport renewal online in the United States if you meet specific eligibility requirements, including having a valid passport that is expiring within a year or has expired less than five years ago, not changing any personal information, and being at least 25 years old.

Follow these steps to renew your passport online and…

2026 Tour Dates are Now Live

on the Website!