Travel Program, 2008
[January through June]
AGS Publications Travel Program, 2008
Last Updated:
March 1, 2008
The AGS Travel Program
THE 2008 SEASON [July through December]
brochure for the individual AGS Education Tour.
THE GRAND TRANS-SIBERIAN RAIL JOURNEY:
Russia by Private Train from Vladivostok to Moscow.
August 6 - August 23, 2008 (18 days)
We are pleased to announce an exciting new opportunity to re-live the golden age of travel along the famed Trans-Siberian Railway.
Join us on this scenic adventure covering almost 6,000 miles from Vladivostok to Moscow aboard the luxurious Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.
Begin in the port city of Vladivostok, Russia, where we board our train and set off through Russia’s Siberia and Republics of Buryat and Tatarstan,
plus a full day in Mongolia’s capital city of UlaanBaatar. In addition to stopping nearly every day along our route for outstanding cultural excursions at
fascinating locations amid remarkable and varied landscapes, our program also includes a number of special wildlife viewing opportunities, including a
visit to the Amur (Siberian) Tiger Rehabilitation Center; a day on and around Lake Baikal—the world’s deepest lake; and a cruise to Popov Island, part of
UNESCO’s Far East Marine Biosphere Reserve. Arrive in Moscow and celebrate the culmination of our grand journey through ten time zones with visits to some
of the city’s most spectacular sites, including a special private tour of the Diamond Fund. The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express offers the highest
standard of comfort for our twelve-night rail journey, combining the elegance of fine, Old World-style travel with modern amenities and superb cuisine.
The train’s Silver and Gold Class Cars offer the finest accommodations of any private train, with en-suite baths, plenty of room and storage space,
individual climate control, a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, and a team of highly qualified attendants.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: David J. Keeling - Professor of Geography and Department Head at Western Kentucky University.
BEST OF ALASKA: COASTAL ODYSSEY WITH DENALI NATIONAL PARK
August 19 - September 3, 2008 (16 days)
In the company of AGS lecturer Susan Hardwick and a team of naturalists, spend several memorable days in Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and Anchorage
before embarking the luxurious, 60-cabin, all-suite Spirit of Oceanus to cruise 1,600 miles of coastal waters from Whittier to Vancouver—some of
the most beautiful scenery on Earth. Watch as eagles soar effortlessly overhead, as whales and dolphins cavort off the bow, and as bears forage for
shellfish along the shore in Tracy Arm. Sail the iceberg-studded fjords of Prince William Sound and along the steep granite cliffs of Misty Fjords
National Monument. Journey by motorcoach and deluxe railcar to Denali National Park and Preserve, home of the great Mt. McKinley, teeming with moose,
grizzly bear, and caribou. Feel the rhythm of a traditional folk dance in Petersburg, and relive the Gold Rush in the picture-perfect setting of Skagway.
Explore Sitka National Historic Park, where forest trails are lined with totems, each telling its own Native story. Soak up the knowledge of local guides
at each stop, and of the National Forest Service Kayak Rangers who join us onboard to offer their expertise on the region.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: Susan Hardwick - Professor of Geography at the University of Oregon at Eugene.
EASTERN EUROPE AND BEYOND BY PRIVATE JET
October 6 - October 28, 2008 (24 days)
Explore Eastern Europe and Beyond on a dramatic, 24-day private jet journey from Hungary and Albania to Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Russia, then onward to
Poland and Lithuania. Traveling aboard our reconfigured Boeing 757, which carries no more than 74 travelers, we will fly round-trip from London in
ultimate comfort, safety, and convenience. Experience some of the most beautiful and most unfamiliar places on Earth, such as the ancient Greek and Roman
ruins of southern Albania, almost untouched by time. See the finest Art Nouveau architecture in Europe, in Latvia’s capital city of Riga; visit Joseph
Stalin’s boyhood home and explore Lenin’s tomb; witness the legendary horsemanship of nomads in Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated country; and
marvel at Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake. Geographical, cultural, and natural wonders abound on this program, and this is your opportunity
to visit them all, with ease, and learn in the company of AGS lecturer Alec Murphy and other onboard experts.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: Alexander Murphy - Professor of Geography and Rippey Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
LANDMARK ANCIENT SITES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN - Greece, Sicily. North Africa, and Spain
November 9 - November 21, 2008 (13 days)
This is a voyage for lovers of the Mediterranean, a chance to experience ancient sites and modern towns of Greece, Sicily, Tunisia, Sardinia, Algeria,
and Spain while traveling in luxury and convenience aboard our 57-suite vessel. Our itinerary exposes the ancient and modern coastlines of the
Mediterranean, whose spectacular monuments stand as testament to the ingenuity of the ancients and compel insights into the beginnings of Western culture.
Even if you’ve already been to this part of the world, our sweeping voyage offers new discoveries, as not only does our program feature the Mediterranean’s
iconic ruins, but also her lesser-known, equally impressive gems. For example, Sardinia’s unspoiled coastline offers the well-preserved ruins of Nora and
Sant’Antioco, a fisherman’s village of red roofs, where the past is everywhere you turn. On the beautiful island of Sicily, delight in Italy’s most
captivating Greek ruins at Agrigento. And what tour of the Mediterranean would be complete without an exploration of fabled Carthage, the city that
threatened Rome with her splendor? November is a wonderful month to cruise the Mediterranean, with warm temperatures and the crowds of tourists gone, the
time of year when the towns and landmark sites return to the locals. Your home for this voyage will be the elegant, all-suite Corinthian II, perfect
for traveling far, but docking close, with each suite affording captivating views of the passing land- and seascapes.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: Ron Wixman - Professor of Geography at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
GRAND ASIA - Japan, China, South Korea, and Vietnam
November 9 - November 28, 2008 (19 days)
Join us as we sail the Sea of Japan and the Yellow and South China Seas aboard the Spirit of Oceanus, winding our way around islands and down a coastline that has enticed explorers, adventurers,
conquerors and kings for centuries. Wander through ancient temples and pagodas. Relish the cacophony of a bustling market. Embrace the silence of a tranquil monastery. And take in the natural beauty of the land and seascapes of Grand Asia.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: David J. Keeling - Professor of Geography and Department Head at Western Kentucky University.
ATLANTIC VOYAGE- From the Strait of Gibraltar to Patagonia
November 20 - December 22, 2008 (33 days)
Join the American Geographical Society for an epic voyage from the southern tip of Europe, along the northwestern coast of Africa, to the southern tip of
South America, traversing over 7,200 nautical miles, 70 degrees of latitude and seven nations. Enjoy an old fashioned Grand Voyage, with languorous,
relaxing days at sea that provide time for lectures and conversation, and to stretch out and enjoy a good book, in addition to memorable sites and exotic
ports of call. Travel aboard a small ship, where friendships can grow, service is excellent, and the elements of elegance and comfort are always upheld.
Our first ports of call are nchanting, Marrakech and Tenerife. There we will meet traditional Berber villagers and experience life at the edge of the
Sahara Desert, before visiting the rarely visited Cape Verde Islands, with its remarkable fusion of Portuguese and West African traditions. We then make
our Atlantic crossing to discover the fantastic, festive, multicultural marvel that is Brazil’s northeastern coast where Dutch, Portuguese, Native American
and West African influences blended together in a wonderful assemblage of old town squares, pastel mansions, and musical street life. Our time in Brazil
ends with two days in the "Cidade Maravilhosa" itself, Rio de Janeiro. Finally, following two days in intriguing Uruguay, we encounter the blustery,
remote British territories of the Falkland Islands, where a fantastic assortment of seabird life can be found, from steamer ducks to rockhopper penguins.
Click here to view the full color tour Brochure.
AGS Lecturer: Christine Drake, University Professor of Geography at Old Dominion University.
Click here to go back to the first half of 2008.
*** 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: ags@studytours.org