Country Vacations & Resorts

“H” stands for History. 

A huge subject and some great destinations.

History, as a subject, gets a bum rap – partially from the uninspired way it is often taught in schools.  Not sure who said it first, but if you don’t know where you have been, how do you know where you are going???  Take control of the situation and plan some history travel for yourself and your family.

In the United States…

National Park Service – National Register of Historic Places

US taxpayer – here are some of your dollars at work, providing interesting and comprehensive information on historic destinations in the US. Why not take advantage of this research for your next vacation?

Governor’s Palace, Williamsburg, Virginia, US

From the NPS home page, you can develop your own travel itinerary by state, region, or theme. Each itinerary provides:

- Descriptions of each historic place and its importance in American history, plus contextual essays.

- Tourist information for historic places open to the public including hours of operation, tour possibilities, phone numbers, and website links.

- Interactive maps.

- Color and vintage photographs.

- Links to related preservation and tourism web sites.

Take a step further and plan a trip to a Preserve America community. Read more details here.

A list of Preserve America communities can be found here. I can’t think of a better way to research and plan a true “country” vacation in a true “country” location.

Need even more historic travel ideas? Spend some time with National Geographic’s Traveler Magazine. Interested in tours with a military focus? Get some unique military and historic destination ideas at Valor Tours Ltd.

National Trust – UK

If you are looking for historic travel in the UK, why not start with the National Trust. With hundreds of options for walking tours, focus on wildlife venues, garden and historic homes tours, cycling tours, and group travel, the National Trust is a great place to start your UK vacation adventure. The Trust’s strong focus on conservation also makes this an ideal source of “green travel” information.

Search here for properties, venues, themes and destinations listed via the National Trust.

Special values for US visitors to the UK…

Planning travel to the UK? Want to streamline the process and get special savings at the same time? Why not become a member of the Royal Oak Foundation?

The Royal Oak Foundation offers regular opportunities for premium quality international travel. Destinations include, but are not limited to, Europe and British Commonwealth countries. Each tour is unique and staffed by experienced guides – accompanied by experts in relevant fields.

Trips to consider include: Historic House Hotels Garden Tours, and a tour of Italian Gardens and Villas . You’ll have to hurry to catch the gardens at Bruges we discussed in a prior post. This particular tour of the Dutch & Flemish Landscapes, The Netherlands & Belgium aboard The Amadolce begins April 8th, 2010, so hurry if interested…

Find membership info on the Royal Oak Foundation here.

History, whether about your native country, or about any country in the world, can provide fascinating vacation options. Learning about the past can be fun – if you make it so…

And a few vacation rental options in Williamsburg, Virginia. Click anywhere on the image to view additional rentals.

Need more ideas for some great “History” travel? Check out the Country Vacations and Resorts new section, “Traveling with US Presidents.”