London-based tour operator GeoCultura LTD has announced 19 tour departures in 2023 that will take travelers through the deserts, prairies and forests of North America, to the rocky crags of Scotland, and to the hidden highlights of Southern England. The small-group tours will be led by scholastic leaders in the fields of geology and history.
Travelers can consider a tour that moves beyond the bounds of “Outlander” to revisit the history and conflicts that shaped the DNA of the North West Scottish Highlands. The Highlands scenery provides a dramatic background for groups of 12 to 14 people to learn how geology influenced battles, castles and wars.
Alternatively, it may be travel focusing on the influences at play in the shaping of what is now the United States. For instance, a GeoCultura tour that runs from Philadelphia, PA to western Massachusetts visits American Revolutionary War locales where geology played a role in the outcome of events. Landmarks such as Independence Hall, Valley Forge, the two Washington Crossings, the Dey Mansion, the Great Falls at Paterson, the Hamilton/Burr dueling grounds and the route of Cornwallis’ pursuit of Washington up the Palisades are in focus with stories and context offered by authors and experts in Revolutionary War history.
But the tides of history are also the stuff of art and culture. The geological and historical elements that played upon the land also influenced artists, especially the Hudson River School’s Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, and later Edward Hopper—all covered with visits to homes and museums on this tour.
In May 2023, the “London, Stonehenge, Bath, and the Jurassic Coast: A geo-culture tour of Southern England” begins just after Charles III is crowned. The tour links Victorian and Georgian history with the pre-history and landscapes of Southern England, such as Stonehenge, Bath and Jurassic Coast sites including Lulworth Cove and Chesil Beach. Guests immerse themselves in the rolling landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s novels while going on fossil hunts and visiting cathedrals and castles before returning to London.
The rich geology, culture and gastronomy of the Catalan Pyrenees is explored through the presence of salt throughout and under the rolling terrain. Salt became a commodity of trade and prosperity and influenced culture throughout this eastern Spanish enclave—all expressed in the arts, architecture, cuisines, migrations and conflicts that shaped these ancient lands. It’s all wrapped into stories narrated by experts in tours that run from Barcelona to Girona in Spain.
GeoCultura tours range from four to nine days, and every tour is steeped in tales that reveal how the earth, the land, the people and the pervading influences of various eras connected to bring us to where we are today.
Tour managers work hand in hand with regional focus experts to assure that while groups and individuals are being looked after with care, no topic goes unexplained, no question goes unanswered. GeoCultura tours bring a roster of science experts to the planning and execution of each tour, maintaining an “earth-first” focus for every itinerary to reveal how landscapes and “deep time” geology continue to shape the history and culture of our planet.
Tours include meals, fees and transportation. A modicum of fitness is required, although walking distances are reasonable and terrains are clear and well maintained. A reading list for each tour is available for those whose interests extend beyond a surface glint. Accommodations are chosen for their historic significance or qualities that complement tour themes.
For more information, visit www.geoculturaworld.com.
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