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GVG Tours, LLC

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GVG Tours, LLC

We provide travel services for groups and individuals to destinations within the United States and around the world.

06/17/2025

Despite having already taken off for the next trip, Gene wanted to share some thoughts and photos from Norway:

The Wonders of Norway

“I am traveling with a wonderful group around the amazing country of Norway. We
started in Bergen, have traveled along the fjords of the west coast, and will soon be in
Trondheim and then through Lillehammer to Oslo.

The fjords are simply stunning with snow-peaked mountains and waterfalls running
down mountain faces, amid a background of green trees. My words are inadequate, so check out the pictures!

Norwegians have an incredible ability to overcome the obstacles presented by mountains and fjords. The Troll Highway is a good example of overcoming nature with the use of switchbacks, and there are more tunnels through mountains in Norway than any other country. There is also an extensive system of ferries that take vehicles across the myriad of fjords.

In addition to the natural beauty are the manmade structures based on Scandinavian architecture which is marked by great diversity and innovation. From the early stave churches to modern football stadiums, the talent of
architects and builders comes through.

I hope that the pictures and my column might stimulate you to consider a future GVG Tour to Norway and Sweden!”

05/26/2025

Gene and the group just returned from a hiking tour of the Southwest, where we enjoyed some beautiful weather and even more impressive natural scenery!

While the bulk of the tour was dedicated to hiking in national parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, we began the trip with a night on the Las Vegas strip!

Many people are surprised to learn that there are popular hiking and rock climbing destinations around Vegas, and this served as an interesting introduction for the tour - highlighting the glitz and artificial excitement of Vegas against the remarkable natural scenery and ancient historical sites of our hikes.

Of the three national parks, it was actually Bryce Canyon which stood out as a favorite amongst some of the group. Hiking down amongst the Hoodoos seemed at times other-worldly!

Seeing the throngs of people who had come to experience these special bastions of our country’s wilderness, one couldn’t help but reflect with gratitude on the work of activists like John Muir who fought to preserve for future generations the privilege of enjoying them firsthand.

Up next, a trip to the Fjords of Norway!

05/02/2025

Finally, we visit some of the places that proved decisive in the fight for American Independence.

The Golden Triangle
Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown

On the York Peninsula in Virginia (bordered by the York and James Rivers) three significant historical sites are located within a radius of twenty miles. Let’s look at their significance:

Jamestown
In 1607, Jamestown became the first permanent English colony in America. A joint-stock company based in London provided the funding hoping that the colonists would strike gold or send back other valuable resources. Jamestown was beset with many problems including a serious drought which caused the “Starving Time” (1609-1610) - only 60 of 214 settlers survived. It was from Jamestown and later when the Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620 that a steady stream of English settlers came to America.

Williamsburg
Williamsburg (named for the English king) is located further inland and became the capital of Virginia. In 1693 the College of William and Mary was founded in Williamsburg and many notable Americans, including Presidents Jefferson, Monroe, and Tyler, attended the college. By the 1920's, many of the historical homes from the 18th century were falling into disrepair and a movement started to preserve the historic site. The Rockefeller family provided over $500 million to make the dream of preservation come true. Today Williamsburg is a fascinating historic site that is brought to life by the many docents.

Yorktown
Yorktown is the site of the deciding battle that ended the American Revolutionary War. British General Cornwallis had a force of 9,000 soldiers and planned to drive up the peninsula to take Williamsburg and other cities. What Cornwallis did not realize is that he was falling into a trap. The French navy drove out the English navy so Cornwallis could not evacuate his forces which were faced by George Washington’s army of 9,000 and a French army of 10,000. A siege of 21 days ended when Cornwallis surrendered, The greatest military power in the world was defeated by Washington with help from the French. During the surrender the band purportedly played “The World Turn'd Upside Down.”

04/29/2025

In part two of Gene's Revolutionary reflections, he touches on two of our founding fathers.

There is Hope

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were close friends during the period of the American Revolution. It was Adams who convinced Jefferson to author the Declaration of Independence (Adams told Jefferson that he could write ten times better than he could). Following the victory over the British, and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, all was good between them. This changed however when George Washington was elected President with Adams serving as Vice President and Jefferson as Secretary of State. The two clashed over the relationship between the federal and state governments, economic issues, and trust in the common people.

From these divergent views two political parties developed - Federalists (Adams) and Democratic Republicans (Jefferson). They viciously attacked each other and used newspapers to spread untruths and accusations (Sounds like today.) Jefferson served his two terms and retired to Monticello, never setting foot in Washington again. After many years passed, the two started corresponding to renew their long-lost friendship and their letters are truly treasures of a friendship renewed.

In a strange twist of history, both men died on the same day: July 4th, 1826 (50th anniversary of the Declaration of Indepence).

If these two men can go from friends to bitter political opponents, and back to friends perhaps there is some hope for us today!

04/23/2025

We wanted to share that our page has seen a recent uptick in scam commenters, particularly on our reviews. Oftentimes scammers target public reviews because businesses are not able to delete those comments.

Many of these messages are phrased very politely, and are along the lines of "we are not Facebook friends, but I was wondering if it would be alright to message you." Those accounts are trying to start private direct message conversations, from which they will send malicious links or try to obtain sensitive information.

Always use your best judgement and do not message (and especially do not follow links from) accounts you don't recognize or whose behavior seems suspicious.

In other news, stay tuned for part 2 of Gene's colonial-era adventure as we explore Jefferson's Monticello!

04/21/2025

Washington DC has gone from a sleepy city founded near a swamp to a magnificent capital city filled with government buildings, monuments, and museums. Below I have shared some insights into the city:

● When Pierre L’Enfant laid out the city he intentionally placed the capitol on a hill (thus capitol hill) because of its exalted position as the branch of government with the most power. The Constitution did not create three equal branches of government, but rather centered the preponderance of power in the hands of Representatives and Senators. Over time, the balance of the branches has changed and one might assert that today, the Executive has the most power.

● One has to marvel at the work of the masons who engraved and chiseled the monuments. It should be noted however that even these artists made mistakes. At the Lincoln Memorial, the word “Future” was chiseled “Euture”. As shown in the picture, the artist simply filled in the bottom of the “E”. This may serve as an allegory of the imperfect nature of man and government.

● The importance of Ford’s Theater is well-known in our history. When entering the theater, one can’t help but to look up at the box where he was assassinated. Today it is both an historical site and active theater. I went to see Sister Act at Ford’s Theater and got caught up in the lively musical. It was no longer an assassination site but rather a living, breathing theater. Lincoln was an avid theater-goer and I am sure he would love to have plays being held in the theater- let it be a place of life and not death!

03/18/2025

Following our Egyptian post last week, here is what Gene had to say about their time in Dubai and Abu Dhabi:

"In my last column, I shared with you the amazing pyramids of Giza, the tallest of which stood as the tallest man-made structure on earth for nearly 4,000 years. Since the middle ages and especially since the building of the Eiffel Tower in 1896, there have been many skyscrapers that have continued to eclipse the previous record. One of the pictures below shows the current record holder, Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Standing 2,717 feet (just over half a mile), it has 163 floors, 3.3 million square feet of floor space, and 57 elevators! In one trip, we got to see the historic tallest structure and current tallest structure in the world.

The architect of the Burj Khalifa, Adrian Smith, is based out of Chicago and was working for the same firm who designed the Sears Tower. His next big project is projected to break the record yet again - Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower. It is expected to surpass the Burj Khalifa by 591 feet, but I have no doubt that at some point Dubai will respond by proposing an even taller structure. It seems a point of national pride in the United Arab Emirates to have the biggest and best of everything - Dubai alone holds over 425 Guinness World Records related to construction and development. Tallest building, largest shopping mall, deepest swimming pool, largest fountain, largest Ferris wheel, fastest police car, the list goes on!

I end this column by sharing with you that my group was blown away by the wealth in the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are relatively young cities that grow exponentially every day, both from oil money and foreign investments. The growth is ever present with great infrastructure, green spaces, an emphasis on cleanliness, no graffiti or litter, and luxury all around. One member of the group described it as Disneyland on a very large scale, while another said it was as if someone had plucked a skyscraper from every major U.S. city and put them all in one place.

Enjoy looking at the pictures which can only capture a fraction of what one sees!"

03/14/2025

Gene and the group got back from Egypt and Dubai last week, a great experience of the old and the new. While the pyramids of Giza date back 4 1/2 millennia, by comparison the Burj Khalifa and many of the other buildings in Dubai were built in the last 20 years! Here is what Gene had to say about the Giza pyramid complex:

"I traveled back in time over 4,500 years in my visit to the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. It is incredible to think that these three pyramids were human built (not alien built), in a time without cranes or other modern construction tools. The northernmost Great Pyramid is the only surviving member of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, and was the tallest manmade structure on earth for 3,800 years.

I took the option to enter the pyramid and climb up to the burial chamber. It is a grueling hike up because of low ceilings, sharp inclines, and trying to pass other people on the narrow passageway. It was made even more difficult - or one might say adventurous - because the power went out and we had to depend on our cellphones for light.

The recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum was perhaps the finest museum I have ever been in. One member of my tour group grew emotional when we saw some of the artifacts inside, commenting that she remembered studying the ancient Egyptians in grade school - to think that now we were standing amidst the actual remnants of this influential culture! It was a clear example of the magic of travel, as what were once words on a page and pictures in a book came to life."

In fact, many people have felt this sort of spiritual connection with the antiquity of the tombs, artifacts, and monuments that Gene and the group saw all up and down the Nile. One of the first ancient Egyptians who springs to many of our minds is Cleopatra, but she lived 500 years closer to the moon landing and the smart phone than she did to the building of these pyramids. We often learn about the ancient Greeks and Romans in history class, but 2,000 years ago their historians were studying the ancient Egyptians in the same way we study them.

Please enjoy a few pictures from Egypt, and stay tuned for the 'new' in Dubai!

02/16/2025

It's been a snowy few days in the greater Beloit area, but not so for Gene and his fellow travelers in Costa Rica:

"As my group was leaving for our Winter Getaway in Costa Rica, I had heard the weather forecast for home -snow, snow, and more snow. What you may not realize is that GVG Tours looks far into the future for weather forecasts, so even though it was in December of 2023 when we set our dates, we knew what we were doing. I give most of the credit to Christina.

As you can see by the photos, the group is having a great time!! The RIU Palace is stunning, with four pools and the Pacific Ocean to swim in. We have gone on several excursions which featured lots of wildlife and had many cultural experiences. My group is suffering however from “snow/cold” guilt for what everyone at home is going through. I have been offering counseling classes to help them overcome their guilty feelings. It looks like everyone is starting to come around and are enjoying the sun and warmth - I
hope you realize that being a tour guide is not always easy but somehow I keep going."

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If you think a winter escape on the beach sounds nice, Gene will be headed to Panama next year for a similar reprieve!

02/03/2025

Christina and Gene are excited to fill out the calendar for the coming years with some fabulous international and domestic tours!

We are excited to say that five more trips have been added to the website, with a full brochure found at the bottom of each page.

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Up first is a hiking adventure in the American Southwest. Horseshoe bend, ancient petroglyphs, cliffs, hoodoos and winding rivers highlight the backdrop for a wonderful week of day hiking!

May 13-19, 2025
https://www.gvgtours.com/hiking-southwest

Next spring, Gene travels south to the beautiful and ecologically diverse country of Peru. Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and other Incan ruins will be points of interest along the way, but the Andean art, history, and culinary experiences will really shape your memories from this trip. You will also have the option to add a four-day cruise through the Peruvian Amazon for some spectacular wildlife spotting and jungle adventure!

April 12-21, 2026 (or April 12-25, 2026)
https://www.gvgtours.com/peru-machu-picchu

Without much time to rest, Gene will be off to Portugal! See the vibrant and historic cities of Lisbon and Porto before setting off on a river cruise along the Douro river, the centerpiece of a beautiful European countryside.

April 29-May 9, 2026
https://www.gvgtours.com/portugal-the-douro-river-cruise

Up next is a trip to a pair of Mediterranean islands: Sicily and Malta. People have been living on these islands for over 7,000 years, and you will feel the history while exploring and taking in the sun and the sea.

May 18-29, 2026
https://www.gvgtours.com/old-world-sicily-malta

Rounding out the new additions is our first trip of 2027, an expedition to Costa Rica! Spending time at a remote resort in San Carlos and the Arenal National Park region, you will be able to see birds, sea turtles, crocodiles and more in the beautiful and biodiverse rainforests of Costa Rica.

January 9-20, 2027
https://www.gvgtours.com/costa-rica-a-world-of-nature-1

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Be on the lookout for more trips being added to the website soon, including:

Alaska Land & Cruise with Holland America - June 2026
Canadian Rockies - July 2026
National Parks - August 2026
Imperial Cities - Prague, Vienna & Budapest - Sept. 2026
Japan - October 2026
Treasures of Turkey - November 2026
Antarctica - February 2027

01/04/2025

It's been a little while since our last post, but Gene and Christina (and lots of you) were very busy with travel in 2024! Here is a message from Gene recapping some of the highlights from the past year:

"2024 was the most active year in the history of GVG Tours, with 11 international trips and 8 domestic trips. Following two years of little or no travel after COVID, many people were ready to visit the destinations of their dreams.

There is an unbelievable amount of planning, paperwork, and interactions necessary to run every trip, and the person who makes that happen is my daughter and business partner Christina. Her meticulous attention to detail and communicative skills have made all the difference in the growth of GVG Tours. Like I always say, 'She does all the work, and I have all the fun!'

This year, I was most fortunate to travel with so many wonderful people all over the United States, including Hawaii, and to 18 different countries on six continents. If you add up all of my flight miles, it would translate to circumnavigating the earth six times!

From sitting on the white sand beaches in Punta Cana to the bustling city of Delhi, from the grand lower falls in Yellowstone to the whitewashed homes in the Greek isles, from whale watching in Hawaii to being on safari in Kenya, from the tomb of Ho Chi Minh to the memorial statue of Gandhi - I have been everywhere man! I feel so blessed not just because I have been to all these places, but because of the wonderful people that I have traveled with!"

Please enjoy some of the pictures Gene took this year, and edit your list of New Year's resolutions to include travel if it doesn't already!

Also, keep an eye out soon for a newsletter with details on new trips to the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver (Aug. 2025) and the Lone Star State - Texas (Sep. 2025).

06/23/2024

We love hearing from our walkers!! 🥰 🥾 🎒

"We hiked the Great Glen Way in the Fall of 2023 and used Loch Ness Hub and Travel for our group’s transportation needs. Russell made the drives very informative, as he taught us about the local geography, history, and economy, and also entertaining; we shared lots of laughs around origami, trivia, and even Drumnadrochit’s own heart-shaped cow. In addition, they went above and beyond to accommodate us and to keep us informed of the weather conditions, which was greatly appreciated. Finally, we appreciated the Loch Ness Hub and Travel business model with all profits being invested back into the local community. I would highly recommend Loch Ness Hub and Travel for anyone visiting/hiking the Scottish Highlands." - Stacy Duffy

Address

Clinton, WI
53525

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm
Saturday	8am - 12pm

Telephone

+16082952141

Website

https://www.gvgtours.com/

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About Gene

Gene Van Galder is a natural born traveler. He founded GVG Tours, LLC in 2009 and began offering quality tours throughout the United States and across the globe. Our international tours have included trips to the Caribbean, Ireland, Peru, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, China, Canada, Costa Rica, Ireland, Turkey and several European River Cruises. Domestic tours have included many of the National Parks, Civil War sites, the Appalachian Trail, Alaska, New England, Hawaii, Nevada, and several more. GVG Tours partners with vendors such as Viking River Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Globus, Cosmos, Gate One, Princess and Edventures.

"My pledge to clients is to ensure they have a terrific travel experience: You will see much, laugh often, stay in nice accommodations, dine well, meet new people, explore new cultures, and greatly enjoy the total travel experience. By traveling one learns not only more about our world, but also more about oneself."

-Gene Van Galder