Sponsored by Viking River Cruises
My mom and dad had their own style of exploring the world. As a family, we stuck to caravanning around the Western U.S., camping for a few nights in a National Park and then retreating to the comfort of a Motel 6 for a night with a swimming pool, shower, and un-fancy restaurant-cooked meal.
When I was 20, after I made my first backpack tour of Europe, mom and dad realized they were missing out on something. With my brother and I having entered adulthood, they had the means to treat themselves to international travel. They began embarking on what became almost yearly visits to Europe — traveling on their terms.
Even into their 70s, they would reserve the first few nights of hotel, maybe a quick-to-fill independent hotel in Paris or Madrid, but then would tool around for weeks through two or three countries, with barely an itinerary in their pocket. Well-worn maps were always at dad’s side. One summer they bought a VW Vanagon in Germany and used it for five weeks of lodging before shipping it back to the states. They were frugal travelers, but they had a curiosity for culture, the arts, and the history of these countries — and they were perfect traveling companions.
Updated December 09, 2019