Winter Holiday Travel in Italy Portugal the Netherlands and Germany

Family Vacations Food and Wine Itineraries Medieval Villages Nature Parks

Italy

Abruzzo is located on the Adriatic Coast, east of Rome. It is home to national parks, hilltop medieval and Renaissance towns and numerous nature reserves. The Apennine mountain chain forms much of its interior while the coastal plain has sandy beaches and dunes.

Basilicata, also known as Lucania, is a southern Italian region bordering with Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, with one coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer one in the Gulf of Taranto on the Ionian Sea.

Campania the ancient Romans called this region of Italy Campania Felix. Baia, Puteoli, Pompeii, Stabia and Capri were their favorite destinations. Then and now, Happy Campania is famed for its ancient ruins, coastal resorts and world renowned culinary traditions. A cultural and national capital for much of its nearly three thousand year history, Naples is home to art museums, the San Carlo opera house and a spectacular bay framed by Mt. Vesuvius, affectionately and fearfully referred to by the local inhabitants as The Monster. 

Rome Lazio is mainly flat and hilly, with small mountainous areas in the eastern and southern districts. The coastline is mainly composed of sandy beaches. Behind the coastal strip, to the north, lies the coastal plain of Maremma Laziale. The center is occupied by the Roman countryside, a vast alluvial plain surrounding the city of Rome, and the south is characterized by flatlands. The Apennines of Latium are marked by the Tiber River valley and three mountains of volcanic origin whose craters are occupied by Lakes Bolsena, Vico and Bracciano. South of the Tiber, the Alban Hills, are of volcanic origin.   

Marche is slowly being discovered as the new Italian frontier; an abridged expression of the varied charms of Italy with a variety of attractions offered seasonally and year- round, including: authentic foods, breathtaking landscapes, a lively cultural landscape, artistic and natural treasures. 

Puglia is located in southern Italy; it borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southernmost portion, the Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the boot of Italy. 

Portugal

Lisbon Porto and the Douro Valley Lisbon a City of Lights and Contrasts is both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light that contrasts with landscaped hills tumbling towards the Tagus river. 

Rotterdam Netherlands

Maritime Museums Walking and Boat Tours Original and fascinating professional guided walking tours. The heart of the second-largest city in the Netherlands lies inside a triangle of main roads. This inner city can easily be explored on foot within this triangle. The relatively short distances make a walk along beautiful and interesting sights and exceptional museums, the perfect way to discover Rotterdam. 

Düsseldorf Germany

Walking Tours Castles Fashion Museums and Rhine River Cruises Düsseldorf is the cosmopolitan capital of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany`s state with the country`s largest population. The city has close to 600,000 inhabitants and is known for its old quarter – Altstadt – with nightlife and buildings which date back to the 16^th century. Here, you can taste the famous Altbier – a dark beer. 

Culture and Travel

Cultural Tourism is Best Experienced in the Company of Local Friends and Experts

Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world economy; right up there with real estate, automobiles and financial services. It is also highly segmented: business travel, conventions and meetings, cruises, family vacations, food and wine travel, responsible, sustainable, ethical, and more.

Cultural Tourism assumes uniquely local dimensions wherever you go; the activities that you, the local or global visitor, select and, irrespective of the length of your stay, are unique of the community you are visiting and rooted into the local economy, culture and traditions.

How to Travel Culturally! is a very much function of the destination you choose. Your visit to a country, region or town is personalized as a function of your interests and preferences:

When in Rome…. To engage in cultural tourism means doing and going where the locals go. Many destinations are known for the negative effects travel has on the local culture and environment, especially during certain periods of the year.

Best Planned and Managed by Those with Knowledge of the Locations You Visit

Avoid Places and activities that cater only to tourists and outdoor markets that sell souvenirs that you can find anywhere as opposed to local traditional crafts;

Experience Typical Local cuisine, wine and brews;

Go to Local Museums and other attractions that are more likely to tell you the unique history and traditions of the places you are visiting.

Cultural Districts are geographic areas that focus on the arts, individual artists and arts-based businesses. They are mixed-use developments with other facilities such as office complexes, restaurants, retail spaces, and occasionally residential areas. They are a most representative of a community’s vision, planning, and commitment and to the preservation of its heritage and social values.

The Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa

family vacations museums historic sites and riverfront festivals

The Quad Cities area consists of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The region has the excitement of a big city and the hospitality of a small town with award-winning museums and cultural centers, internationally-recognized festivals, beautiful riverfronts and a vibrant nightlife.
Davenport has beautiful riverfront vistas and an active downtown area with the Figge Art and Putnam History Museums and great shopping at the North Park Mall.
Bettendorf the Library and adjacent Family Museum provide exciting programs and storytelling. The numerous outdoor activities include the Splash Landing water park, Wallace's Garden Center and Duck Creek Recreational Trail.
Rock Island‘s downtown is known for its festivals and nightlife with Cajun food and zydeco music; Jamaican food and reggae music; and a fall Irish folk festival. Family activities include the country's largest go-kart street race. Experience a downtown architectural tour and the Broadway Historic District.
 

Moline is one of the agricultural capitals of the world, home of John Deere and steeped in history. The modern downtown area features great riverfront views and evening entertainment with musicals performed by local actors.
East Moline is home to many great events and festivities. Empire Park is right on the Mississippi River, walk along the riverfront trails of The Quarter or visit to the John Deere Harvester Works, one of the world's largest combine factories.

                                                                  Quad City Museums
 

The Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport is community-centered facility and a gathering place for residents and visitors alike to experience and enjoy the visual arts. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, this 100,000 square foot museum was designed by British architect David Chipperfield, and includes nine permanent collection galleries, traveling exhibition galleries, art studios for children and adults, aFamily Gallery and Activity Center. The Figge has a collection of approximately 3,000 works that reflect artistic styles and developments from the Renaissance to contemporary art, with particular strengths in American Regionalist, Mexican Colonial and Haitian Art.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum was a dream of Iowa 80 Truckstop founder, Bill Moon who had a passion for collecting antique trucks and other trucking memorabilia. Every truck has a story to tell and can provide a unique glimpse back in time. Many rare and one-of-a-kind trucks are on display.

Breweries Wineries and Distilleries 

Mississippi River Distilling vodka, gin and bourbon whiskey handmade from local corn and wheat grown within 25 miles in small handmade batches.

Wide River Winery atop the Mississippi bluff north of Clinton with some of the finest wines in the Midwest; 11 types of wine, all with catchy names including Felony Red and Ms. D'Meanor White.

Riverboats the Quad Cities' location on the Mississippi River has inspired many riverboat captains and writers. Enjoy this mighty river aboard a riverboat cruise or an open-air water taxi.

 River Action strives to foster the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad City region and 12 communities in two states and two counties. Some of the many accomplishments have been the lighting of the Centennial Bridge, The Quad City Water Taxi, QC Riverfront Design Principles, and Waterfront Master Plan. River Way projects include development of a way finding system to guide people along riverfront trails, art projects, historic markers, riverfront parks, enhancement and restoration of wetland habitats.

The Rock Island Arsenal was established by Act of Congress in 1862 and has been an active manufacturer of military equipment and ordnance since the 1880s: leather horse equipment, meat cans and canteens, paper targets, artillery recoil mechanisms and carriages, and the Model 1903 rifle.  The Museum on the Island is the second oldest US Army Museum in the United States. 

Biking and Hiking the Quad Cities is at the crossroads of the national Mississippi River Trail and American Discovery Trails; 100 miles of beautiful trails that meander along the mighty Mississippi River, through parks, over bridges and through history-filled sections of these riverfront cities.

Historic Neighborhoods

The Broadway Historic District is a collection of historic homes in Rock Island. Founded as a neighborhood association in 1988, it gained National Register of Historic Places status in 1998.

The Village of East Davenport a historic logging and Civil War military community with unique shops, restaurants and pubs. Lindsay Park, home to the Union Army’s parade grounds during the Civil War.

The John Deere Historic Site the original Grand Detour homestead where he created his first self-scouring plow. The site also features a replica of his blacksmith shop with a working blacksmith and an exhibit from an archeological dig. Tour guides tell what life on the prairie was all about.

Connect for a Travel Experience 
in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa