Michele Gramm - AR Travel Collective Inc.

06/02/2026

05/25/2026

Please be aware that fuel shortages are now considered a ‘known event’ & may not be covered. Check your insurance documentation carefully.

Planning a summer trip abroad? Global disruptions are impacting air travel worldwide.

These disruptions may lead to flight cancellations, rerouting or higher travel costs. No matter your destination, flights may be delayed or changed with little notice.

Verify that your includes coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions, and ask your provider about coverage exclusions or limitations related to fuel shortages or regional conflicts.

As you make your plans, to change them on short notice. ✈️

Stay informed: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/travel-disruptions-impacts?utm_campaign=gac-amc-travel-proactive&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=smo&utm_content=2026-05-25-en

05/19/2026

Enjoy the freedom of a self-drive road trip through Portugal. This 11-night program begins with a stay in amazing Porto. Visit the north’s charming ancient cities, rich in history and beautiful landscapes. Travel through the centre of Portugal, stopping at the university city of Coimbra, and drive through the Alentejo district—a region of traditional cuisine, rolling hills and historic landmarks. Continue travelling south to the Algarve Region, from where the Portuguese set off on their epic journey in the 15th century to discover the new world. Drive to coastal Lisbon, Portugal’s sunny capital, a city famous for its hospitality and authenticity, where ancient history and architecture intermingle with modern culture and seaside views.

Includes: Round-trip economy class flights, fly to Porto and return from Lisbon, 11 nights of 4* accommodations- including breakfast daily, and 11-day car rental. Starting at $3309 per person, based on double occupancy.
BCCP 89451

05/15/2026

Day 11: Marrakech

Our local guide Issam walked us through the Medina & shared the history of the old city. The central square, crowded & festive by night, has transformed into a daytime market. Souks form a sprawling labyrinth of markets organized by craft. There are separate areas for metalworking, leather, textiles, food, spices and more. Stepping off the main arteries reveals a quieter, slower side of the old city.

We had a cooking class in a historic Riad with a Moroccan chef. We learned how to create salads & lemon chicken tagine and then enjoyed our creations for lunch.

Our tour ended with farewells to our amazing G Adventures CEO (Chief Experience Officer) Mohamed over one final mint tea, as the sun set over Marrakech.

The people of Morocco have been so warm, welcoming & hospitable and the country has so many fascinating sights. If our trip has sparked your interest, please reach out! I’d love to share more about Morocco, G Adventures, or National Geographic Expeditions. Thanks for following along 🇲🇦🐪🗺️
BCCP 89451

05/15/2026

This rings true - I have strong memories of a family road trip to Disneyland when I was about 6. If you are wondering if your kids are too young to travel, be assured that they aren’t.😊

The most vivid memories adults carry from childhood aren't the Christmas presents or the birthday parties. They're the family vacations taken between ages 5 and 10. That window is shorter than most parents realize.

And I say that as a dad of four who thinks about this more than I probably let on.

My youngest is still in that window. My older kids are past it or right at the edge. And when I read research like this I feel it in a specific way that a financial calculator can't measure.

Here's what the science actually shows.

The period between ages 5 and 10 is when autobiographical memory fully develops and consolidates. The experiences a child has during this window are disproportionately likely to become the stories they tell as adults, the mental images they return to when they think about what childhood felt like, and the emotional baseline they carry into their own parenting.

Family vacations show up at the top of that list consistently across studies. Not because they were expensive. Not because they involved a theme park or an international flight. But because they combined novelty, full family presence, disruption from routine, and pure undivided time in a way that everyday life almost never does.

Here's the financial reframe worth sitting with.

The family trip that feels like a luxury expense in a tight budget year is actually one of the highest return investments a parent can make during a very specific and very finite window. The toys are gone. The clothes are outgrown. The streaming subscriptions get cancelled.

The memory of the trip where dad got lost and everyone laughed about it for three days stays forever.

My kids are only young once. I'd rather err on the side of the trip.

05/14/2026

Day 10: Ait Ben Haddou & Marrakesh.

UNESCO World Heritage site Ait Ben Haddou is an earthen clay fortified village. Founded in the 11th century it was a trading post on the caravan route. In modern times it was a film location for the Mummy, Gladiator & Game of Thrones. We meandered through its small alleyways & climbed to the top for a beautiful view of the valley & Atlas Mountains.

We visited two women’s co-ops today en route to Marrakesh: 1) Berber hand knotted rugs, & 2) Argon oil products.

In Marrakesh we visited Jemaa El-Fnaa at sunset. It comes alive with street entertainers, snake charmers, musicians & story tellers.
BCCP 89451

05/13/2026

Day 9: Dades Gorge & Ouarzazate.

We ventured through the Dades Valley along the ‘Route of 1000 Kasbahs’. These mud-brick fortresses are scattered amongst dramatic rock formations. We had a guided tour of Kasbah Amridil, a 17th century fortress that was in the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ & has been owned and occupied by the same family for generations.

Ouarzazate is Morocco’s film center, where Gladiator 1 & 2, Moses, Ten Commandments & Game of Thrones were filmed, as well as many more. Our gorgeous hotel ‘Berbere Palace’ has many of the movie props displayed around the grounds.

BCCP 89451

05/12/2026

Day 8: Merzouga & Tinghir
This morning we explored the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi by 4x4, and learned how people have lived in the desert for centuries. Ancient Berbers developed underground sloping ‘foggaras’ that transport water from underground aquifers to support lush oasis gardens in the Sahara. Fruit trees, grains, root vegetables & leafy greens grow in shared community plots.

We are on a National Geographic Journey, which blends G Adventures’ signature small-group travel with Nat Geo’s exclusive access to local experts, behind-the-scenes conservation projects, and hands-on, immersive cultural encounters. Today that manifested in a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet nomadic Amazigh people, who invited us into their home. Khadijah served us mint tea & freshly baked bread and described her daily life. The realization that the nearest water source was several km away emphasized her hospitality & generosity.

Other highlights:
-Gnaoua musicians performing
-Sahara dust storm arose, obscuring vision & blocking the highway temporarily
-visiting a kohl mine site
-seeing huge fossils

Curious about National Geographic expedition travel? We should talk!
BCCP 89451

05/11/2026

Day 7: Sahara Desert

From Fez we crossed through cedar forests & the Middle Atlas Mountains to Merzouga, in the Sahara. Endangered Barbary Macaques met us at a rest stop, boldly soliciting for peanuts. 🥜
The trees gave way to camels and palms as we made our way to a kasbah-style hotel that backed directly onto the desert. With a temperature of 35’C we were grateful for some pool time before a sunset walk on the dunes.
BCCP 89451