Category: Group Travel Blog

Easter Sunday in the Netherlands…Zutphen and Palace Het Loo

While missing my husband and family on Easter Sunday, I had an amazing opportunity to attend worship service at St. Walburgkerk in Zutphen with my fellow travelers.  While the worship service was mostly in Dutch, it was truly amazing to be a part of the congregation.  Afterwards, we had a lovely walking tour of charming city with our tour manager Ellen.

I signed up for the excursion to Palace Het Loo.  This was another huge highlight for me.  The images I had seen didn’t do the gardens justice.  There is a nice walk from the parking lot to the palace, the scenery is quite beautiful.  On top of touring the palace itself (no photos allowed) and gardens, we had the opportunity to visit the roof to take beautiful pictures of the grounds…gardens…amazing!  This was quite special as the roof is normally only open on Easter Sunday and limited times throughout the year.  Ellen, our tour manager, mentioned that this was the first time she’d ever gotten a chance to view the gardens from the roof.  The Palace is quite grand.  I wouldn’t have thought that the ceiling would be wood, it’s painted brilliantly.  Woodwork is a true work of art, in addition to the chandeliers, wall coverings, regular paintings, and furnishings.  This was definitely a great place to visit.  The gardens alone were worth the cost of the excursion.  It was simply divine.  I LOVE the French garden style they have adopted.  It’s very “organized” and symmetrical, which I so appreciate.  There is a café outside the palace grounds, which has light snacks and drinks for those needing a little pick-me-up.

NWC – First Full day in the Netherlands

Once everyone was present and accounted for, we got on board the buses that were to take us to the cruise vessel waiting for us some distance from the airport. We stopped in Gouda for an hour or so to browse around the shops or simply sit in one of the many open-air restaurants and people-watch as they checked out the merchandise in the marketplace on the main square.

One of the highlights of our bus journey across Holland was a stopover to see the windmills at Kinderdijk. There are 19 working windmills in four different styles; and you can aim your camera in almost any direction and capture a beautiful scene. We were lucky enough to be there when a newly-married couple walked along the nearest row of windmills, which made for some even more interesting photo ops.

Toward the late afternoon, we are finally on our boat, the Salvinia, where our crew was waiting to welcome us with cold drinks or hot coffee (some of the best I’ve had, by the way), and a variety of cookies. All we had to do was sit and enjoy the snacks and warm sunny afternoon while the crew carried our luggage to our rooms. And oh! How good that hot shower felt. After a marvelous dinner (more rum-raisin ice cream, please!) it was time for a good night’s rest. So wonderful to sleep horizontally again!

Images from my first day

Gouda and Kinderdijk

Our first stop of the tour was in Gouda and lasted an hour. I decided to visit St. Janskerk.  The entrance fee is €3.50 and it was well worth the cost.  The church, and especially the stand-glass windows, are simply spectacular.  Afterwards, myself and two of my fellow travelers headed to the open-air market.  At this point I broke off from my mini group as they needed to break for lunch, while I continued exploring the market.  I got a glimpse of the City Hall and Weigh House while looking around, and even had a chance to pick up a special souvenir for my mother-in-law.  I had a “simple” lunch of french fries with mayonnaise.  I must say, I wish I would have tried this combination (popular in the Netherlands) when I was in Amsterdam, because it was quite good.

I was so excited to see that Henk had added Kinderdijk (a World Heritage site) into the final itinerary.  Originally when I signed up for the cruise, it wasn’t included.  I have wanted to see this site since I first read about it 10 years ago when I started working at Witte Travel.  I must say all the images I’ve seen, and even the ones I finally got a chance to take, doesn’t do it justice.  Many of us headed out see get as close as we could to the windmills…there are 19 in total. We only had a short time here, a mere 20 minutes, to take pictures and get a drink at the small café before we had to be on the road again to meet up with the Salvinia and begin our cruise.

Gouda and Kinderdijk Slideshow

Amsterdam – Seeing the Sites

I decided to head to Amsterdam two days before the start of the Netherlands Waterways Cruise, as I’ve never been to Amsterdam and wanted time to see sites I knew I couldn’t fit into the time we’d be there at the end of the cruise.  I purchased a guide book to get information on costs, opening/closing times, addresses, and how to “getting around” on your own.

Sites visited:

  • DAM Square – easily walkable from Centraal Station.
  • Nieuwe Kerk – Outside view only.  It was closed during my visit.
  • Palais Royal – €7.50 – opens at noon and well worth the time and cost.  It is a breathtaking palace (city hall really) that is opulent beyond belief.  Definitely for those who enjoy history, architecture, art, or those who enjoy seeing richly designed buildings.
  • Beginhof – free – amazing, enclosed courtyard in the midst of a busy city.   It is a beautiful and tranquil area.
  • Canal Boat Cruise – €13 – after hearing how others handled taking a cruise on their first morning in Amsterdam, I was leary to try it the day I arrived; however, it was a very nice and relaxing experience.  I am so glad I went before the Netherlands Waterway Cruise.  It was a great way to see the beauty of Amsterdam from the canals.
  • Rijksmuseum – €13 – be prepared to wait in line.  They only let in a minimum amount of people at one time since most of the museum is closed for renovations.  The wait was worth it to see the masterpieces.
  • I AMSTERDAM sign – free – located near the Rijksmuseum.  This is a fun photo-op.
  • Van Gogh Museum – €14…double the line that the Rijksmuseum had, though it was a mere 20-30 minute wait.  If you purchase a ticket the day before, you can skip the general admission line and use the fast lane to gain entrance.  Be prepared for lots of people inside the building if you wait until the afternoon.  I originally did not include this museum when planning my Amsterdam trip, but added it “on the fly” while out walking around.  I must say that I am so glad I did.  For me, it was one of the main highlights of my trip and a museum I would definitely visit again.
  • Anne Frank Huis – €8.50…quite moving.  I am so glad I took the time to visit.  I highly recommend reading the Diary of Anne Frank before visiting, even if you read it when you were younger or saw the screen adaptation.  It brings the story of her life out and gives such rich detail, which will only enhance what you’ll see here.  To me, this was a not-to-miss site and worth the wait in line.  I took my guidebooks advice and arrived after 4:30 p.m. and had to wait about a half-hour.  One warning, the steps inside get quite steep (think climbing a ladder) so those that have mobility issues would have problems with the stairs.

Transportation:

  • Amsterdam’s Centraal Station – I stayed close to Schiphol Airport during my two-night Amsterdam pre-cruise stay.  To get to the station I purchased a roundtrip 2nd class ticket at Schiphol Airport (€7.80).  If you don’t have change for the train kiosk tickets and only paper money (be sure the kiosk accepts coins as a few don’t), get in line at the train windows.  While the kiosk accepts credit cards and debit cards, the system didn’t recognize either of my cards.  A very nice British man behind me on holiday, mentioned that he’d never been able to use the kiosk with his cc’s for the very same reason.  The reason is that these kiosks rely on embedded microprocessor chips in the cards vs. the magnetic-strip technology that our cards use in the US.  I didn’t have any other problems using my credit cards during the trip.
  • Getting around while in Amsterdam – the first day I walked…and walked…and walked.  It was quite nice after being cooped up on the plane.  I used the sign posts and my guidebook to find my way around with little problems.  The second day I decided to try the TRAM system and it worked out splendidly.  If I would have known how easy it was to use the trams, I would have used it the first day as well.  Since the cost for a one hour ticket is €2.60 and there isn’t any way to use the ticket for more than one destination, purchase a 24-hour pass for €7 if you are visiting two or more destinations.  If you purchase a 48-hour pass, you will save more as the cost is €11.50.  There is a GVP kiosk outside Centraal Station, but if you can’t find it don’t worry as the trams sell tickets (including day passes) as well.

My time in Amsterdam Slideshow

Pre-Departure Meeting

I’m going on my first ever Netherlands Waterway Tour! As an employee of Witte Travel for 16 years, and after doing my small part in helping put together this signature tour, it will be fun to be on the “passenger side” of things.

One of the key components of Witte’s tours is the pre-departure meeting, usually taking place about 2-4 weeks before the trip. While attendance is not mandatory, this is the perfect jumping-off place to start your tour. Henk Witte, who is hosting the tour along with his wife, Thressa, took us step-by-step through the entire process, from the time you arrive at the airport until you set foot back home again. This is your chance to ask questions that you might think sound inconsequential until you find others asking the same thing! After sitting through the meeting, I found no question was too trivial. Everyone learned something from every question. We gathered lots of information about many topics, including the lowdown on currency exchange, what’s it like to go through passport control, and what the tour buses are like.

It’s also fun to look around the room and get at least some sense of camaraderie with your future fellow passengers. At this juncture we’re all still strangers with one another, but by the time we get to the airport, there will already be “familiar faces” waiting there with us.

And now I have my travel wallet with all my papers, along with my name badge and luggage tags. It won’t be long now!

Tips and Hints for a fun-filled Tour

Research does come in handy.  The Tips for Trips guide Witte Travel provided has quite a bit of great general knowledge.  In addition to that, I also:

  • Purchased a guide book.  If extending your trip and visiting other areas, I find this the best way to get the most information on the destination I will be visiting.  What book would I recommend?  Now that is  entirely up to you.  The best bet is to look at reviews online, which is generally how I decide what guide book to get.  Using this logic, I have never been disappointed in my choice.
  • Reviewed the TSA and the airline website to see what restrictions/procedures were needed for carrying on specific items.  I always like to go right to the “source” to find out the most up-to-date information.
  • Checked with the “appropriate” companies/manufacturers to find out if I would have any electrical issues with my netbook or CPAP machine.  Other than needing an adaptor plug, I didn’t have any requirements issues.  Since I have sleep apnea and it was my first trip overseas with my machine, I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t run into any problems.  I must say, I felt so much better after contacting the manufacturer.
  • Created a packing list and yes “checked it twice” to make sure I didn’t forget any absolute MUSTS that I needed while traveling.

Attitude truly goes a long way to really make your trip a success.  I say this because invariably something may not go “just right.”  If you have a game plan and accept that you may have to just “go with the flow,” you will be able to truly immerse yourself in the country you are visiting and start to blend in with your fellow travelers and the locals.

Outwitting jetlag…sorry, but there is no way around it.  I think of jetlag as a small price to pay to get the opportunity of visiting another country.  For instance, Michigan is EST and Amsterdam is 6 hours ahead.  This means once I boarded my plane in Detroit at 4 p.m. our time, when I disembarked in Amsterdam, it may have been 5:30 a.m. there, but my internal clock was reading 11:30 p.m.  I slept very little on the flight, but did manage to rest as needed and got to enjoy my first day to its fullest.

Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Zoo is a must for all ages. However, it does involve a lot of walking on gravel and flat land up and down. You will get very close to the animals. Our group was able to get behind the scenes and up closer to polar bears, and were even able to touch a wolf.

Museum – has a lot of hands-on

Native Heritage Center – I really did learn a lot on the different types of homes. At the last home we went into, there was a surprise party given by Alaska TIA and Anchorage CVB members.

Must-see in Anchorage:

Alaska Zoo

Anchorage Museum

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Eat:

Ristorante Orso

Kinley’s restaurant and wine & beer (can do groups)

Hotel – Captain Cook

Philadelphia…my favorite sites

Philly is truly an amazing city to visit. From the people to the sites, this city was a highlight of our vacation. We only had one “official” day here, but what we saw left us wanting to visit again in the not to distant future. Below is a quick list of the sites we did get to see.

  • Independence Visitor Center – Located in the historic district, this should be your first stop if you want to visit Independence Hall. Very interesting exhibits that are free to view.
  • Independence Hall – Interesting and quick tour, well worth the time it takes to get free tickets from the Visitor’s Center. After the tour, we took quite a few gorgeous pictures of the building and park.
  • Liberty Bell Center – This was one of my “must sees” and I’m glad I got to finally see it in person.
  • Rocky Statue and Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art – Fun touristy site for movie buffs.
  • Washington Monument – breathing-taking monument located in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s well worth your time to view this magnificent monument.
  • LOVE Statue at John F. Kennedy Plaza – My favorite site of Philadelphia. This is where the love-of-my-life proposed. We actually visited this during a quick morning trip into the city before a wedding we were going to attend, so we used metered parking. It was sprinkling when we arrived and knowing how the Parking Authority is, I didn’t want to let the meter run out. Luckily it stopped raining long enough for Michael to propose…the highlight of our trip.

Philadelphia Slideshow

Fallingwater…not just for architectural buffs

Fallingwater, located in Pennsylvania, is an amazing house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930’s. It is an amazing feat where architecture is melded into nature. The house is built over a waterfall…astounding. Those who are fans of Frank Lloyd Wright, love architecture, or even just nature will enjoy visiting this house and the grounds. During our visit, we enjoyed the guided tour and then ventured out to walk around the grounds.

Some quick tips:

  • Be sure to book your tour early (call to reserve your spot or book online) to ensure you don’t miss out. Even in October, I saw days were sold out.  For those not interested in touring the house, you can still purchase a pass to walk the grounds.
  • Give yourself plenty of time. The small, guided tours take approximately an hour. Afterwards, you are allowed to wander the grounds and take pictures outside. My fiancé and I spent 3 hours here, but if it wouldn’t have been raining we would have spent more time. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
  • Be prepared for a lot of walking. There is a short hike to the house. From there, the tour takes you up and down many narrow stairs where you eventually end up on top of a small hill. Then you will need to trek back down or have the guide call a car to come get you for those who have problems walking.

View images from my trip.