|
In September, Brentwood Travel in partnership with the Nine Network of Public Media, presented “On Location with Victoria”-a travel package that followed the footsteps of Queen Victoria and the filming of the TV series Victoria. The hit TV series portrays the dramatic life of the candid, spirited monarch who was perhaps the first woman who seemed to have it all!
~ DAY ONE ~ After arriving at the Manchester Airport, travelers went by motor coach to the ancient Viking city of York and checked into the Principal Hotel York. After a quick “freshen up” at the hotel, the travelers continued their day at Carlton Towers, which doubles as Windsor Castle in the TV series.
Upon arrival at Carlton Towers, the group was surprised by Brentwood Travel with the chance to meet the one and only Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman (the Actor & Actress who play Prince Albert & Queen Victoria)! The travelers were privy to very special views of filming of the TV series that was taking place at that exact time of day! After quite the exciting visit, a quaint English afternoon tea was enjoyed before the guests returned to their hotel for an evening of leisure.
Day two continued with the travelers and local guide Alan returning to York for an afternoon walking tour of the main sites of York. The tour ended at York Minster, where some of the travelers decided to stay for Evensong, an evening prayer service.
Later that evening, the group met in the hotel lobby for a departure to the village of Nun Monkton, where a delicious dinner at the Alice Hawthorne Gastro-Pub was served, beginning with a glass of Prosecco! Yum!
~ DAY THREE ~ Day three was once again led by local guide Alan Rowley. The day started with a visit to Castle Howard which recalls the 1850 visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the home of royal confidant, George Howard.
 An informational Victoria poster at Newby Hall.
~ DAY FOUR ~ On day four, local guide Alan led the group to the treasure-filled Harewood House, another top filming location of Victoria. Harewood House, set in a Capability Brown-inspired landscape, is the home of the Earl of Harewood, who is the cousin of Her Majesty, The Queen. The Victoria film crew used much of the State Floor, Below Stairs and the estate for the Buckingham Palace scenes. To continue bringing the story to life, the opulent State Rooms were used as the setting for many of the costumes used in the TV series. Later in the day, the guests returned to York for an afternoon full of enjoying the local museums and fantastic shops at their leisure.
Click through the slideshow below to view more pictures from day four. ~ DAY FIVE ~ On the fifth and final day in York, Alan took guests on a full-day tour to Brodsworth Hall and Haworth, West Yorkshire, which was home of the Bronte sisters and is considered a literary mecca.  Brodsworth Hall  Brodsworth Hall Gardens
On the way back to York, the group stopped at the charming village of Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters – three quiet, sheltered Victorian women whose writing became a worldwide phenomenon. Who has not heard of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights?! Here, guests visited the Bronte’s parsonage home where they enjoyed a guided walk through of the home and village to experience what it was like during the time of the Bronte’s. Travelers enjoyed the Airedale village, exuding a vintage charm to make you feel as if you’ve stepped into a different era.  The Bronte’s parsonage home.
After quite a busy fifth day, travelers arrived back in York where they were given a bit of time to freshen up in their hotel rooms before departing for a very special dinner on their last evening in York at the Star Inn – The City Restaurant. Click through the slideshow below to view more pictures from day five.  Side entrance to The Burghley House.
~ DAY SEVEN ~ On day seven, the guests spent their day with local Blue Badge Guide, Liz Cooper. Liz led the travelers on a tour of Victorian London where they saw the great buildings and institutions of this very important time in British history.  Queen Victoria Statue in Kensington Gardens
~ DAY EIGHT ~ Day eight was the last and final day of this amazing adventure. Guests were either transferred from their hotel to the airport for their return flight home or extended their vacation to enjoy more of what London has to offer!  A view of the London Eye Travelers' Thoughts…
 Make sure to watch this beautiful video montage below created by the team at Nine Network! Continue following the drama of Queen Victoria’s life when Season 3 of “Victoria” premiers Sunday, January 13th! *All photos and videos provided by Jack Galmiche, President & CEO of Nine Network * *Blog written by Travel Consultant Christine Hakenjos* If you would like to go “on location with Victoria” yourself or experience the life of true royalty the way these guests did, contact Group Travel Director, Cathy Robinson at 314-439-5700;Ext. 114 or send her an email! 
2 Comments
 Travel Consultants, Dagmar Morrison and Ann Fendelman recently returned from the APPLE VACATIONS Apple Leisure Group Trip to Cancun, Mexico. Ann gives us her first hand experience below!
The resort caters to families with children and there is non-stop fun for the kids. The water slide and Lazy River were great, and you can even swim with the dolphins nearby! We also got a chance to experience the Secrets resort in Playa Mujeres, which is right next door and it is for adults only. This area had the prettiest beach I have ever seen, with sand like sugar! We also toured “Dreams in Riviera Maya” and “Secrets The Vine” in Cancun. Both spectacular resorts!
Interested in a fun in the sun, luxurious getaway? Contact Ann or Dagmar to begin planning a trip to Mexico! Ann Fendelman: 314-439-5700, Ext. 118 or by Email Dagmar Morrison: 314-439-5700, Ext. 104 or by Email   Travel Consultant, Ashley Curry, Supervisor of Leisure Travel, Stacey Hoehne, President & CEO, Stephanie Turner and her husband, Will, have all just returned from the inaugural of Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Symphony of the Seas!  The View from The Ultimate Family Suite
 Slides & Rock Climbing Wall Entertainment: We chose split up to see some of the big shows! Hairspray is currently on board and was such a fun performance. Stephanie Turner and her husband Will saw the production of Flight which is a journey through time, chronicling aviation milestones. The special effects of the show were very impressive. Stacey Hoehne and Ashley Curry caught the late-night comedy show which was highly entertaining! Throughout the ship, there were also performers in the Dazzels Nightclub, Irish Pub, Boardwalk, Aqua Theatre, Ice Show and more.  Stacey Hoehne learning how to surf on The FlowRider “For adults, there is an amazing spa facility that offers many different treatments and for those who love to stay fit, there is a state-of-the-art fitness center and classes, plus a complete jogging track around the entire ship. There are also quieter places on the ship like the beautiful 2 story Solarium complete with its own Bistro restaurant serving lighter fare. Many of the shows are geared to those of all ages. The ice-skating show is always breathtaking, the Aqua Theater with its production of Hiro presented heart stopping acrobatics over the water and the amazing original production of Flight, where you feel you are a part of this story of flight from a future time back through the Wright brothers. The show was done in a way that is unique and powerful. And of course, the new and updated version of Hairspray was one of the best I have seen!” -President & CEO, Stephanie Turner.
When asked about his favorite part of the ship, Will said the highlights were the dinners at the Costal Kitchen and Jamie’s Italian! He also mentioned, “Even though the ship was big it was easy to get around and there were plenty of places to stop. The staff was all great as well.”
Ship Tour: We got a chance to see the different room categories, including the top suites. These suites are very impressive! The top Star Class suites come with a Royal Genie to truly give a VIP experience. “After experiencing 220 cruises, this one definitely had the most to offer for every age group. If I were planning my trip with a family, I would absolutely recommend a Suite for all of us – there are many with different sizes and layouts – to have that gathering place for everyone. But, I must say the Verandah staterooms - from Oceanview to Central Park - were well laid out as were the inside rooms with a virtual window. No choice is a bad choice – it just has to be right for you.” -President & CEO, Stephanie Turner. To view more of the rooms on board, watch the slideshow below: Our Overall Thoughts:
 The View of The Bahamas from Symphony of the Seas Our 2-night cruise was considered a “preview cruise”, so we didn’t get a chance to experience everything that was offered on board. We’ll just have to book a 7-night cruise soon to experience the rest of all that the Symphony of the Seas has to offer. Like the Laser Tag, Aqua Theatre, Ice- Skating Show and to try out the rest of the restaurants and bars! The Symphony is currently sailing out of Miami switching between the Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries! Written By: Supervisor of Leisure Travel, Stacey Hoehne Contact Us to book your next cruise on Royal Caribbean’s brand-new ship, Symphony of the Seas!   Last week, my friend Lindsay and I traveled to Denver, Colorado to visit two of our friends that have relocated there for work. This was a very short trip, but it was just enough to catch up, laugh a lot, and experience the natural beauty that is Colorado!  A mural painted on an apartment building in Denver, CO Denver Our trip started with lunch, drinks, and a bit of shopping in the River North Art District or as the locals would call it, “RiNo”. RiNo is known for its handful of historic warehouses and factories that have been transformed into house jazz bars, art galleries, restaurants, brewpubs and working studios. The neighborhood itself could be considered art with its array of beautiful murals painted on most of the buildings. Agreeing on a place to settle in for lunch was difficult due to the number of restaurants available to us. We decided on Park Burger, a gourmet burger joint where I had THE best hamburger I have ever eaten, hands down. The spiked milkshake wasn’t too shabby either 😉 After lunch, we walked the rest of the district and enjoyed the various shops in the area.
 The "Get Figgy With It" burger from Park Burger Rino in Denver, CO Our Journey to Steamboat Springs We woke up the next morning to get on the road for Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The three-hour journey to Steamboat took us through many adorable small towns. Towns like Idaho Springs, Silverthorne and Kremmling, while passing mountains and hillsides, snowy pines, lakes, rivers and even a handful of wildlife! All of which made the whole road trip a sightseeing opportunity.
 View of a mountain valley & lake while passing through Silverthorne, CO The Inn at Steamboat We arrived at our hotel (The Inn at Steamboat) a little past noon and to our surprise we were able to check in right away! This small, boutique hotel was right in the middle of town making it the perfect stay for us! Our double-queen balcony room had an absolutely beautiful view of the mountains, a small living area with a quaint fireplace for guests as well as a pool and Jacuzzi tub outside. This small town of Steamboat, just west of Denver is known for its many opportunities for outdoor activities. One of which being the various natural hot springs in the area (the purpose for us choosing this town). We chose to spend the day at Strawberry Park Hot Springs, just a short 10-minute drive from our hotel.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs We arrived at the springs prepared for a day full of relaxing in nature’s hot tubs, (swimsuits and all under a good 10 extra pounds of winter gear). A short walk down a gravel road led us to an open, stunning view of the springs surrounded by snowy mountains and trees. The views were just unreal. We claimed a spot and undressed as quickly as we could and hopped into the closest hot spring possible. The water was much warmer than I was expecting!  Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs, CO
 My friends & I at Strawberry Park Hot Springs After spending the day hopping in and out of the different springs, we all noticed that we had a sense of energy and relief that we did not have prior to our visit. My daily back pain was completely gone and I was surprisingly very energized and relaxed for the remainder of the day. I didn’t want to leave! Our evening in Steamboat was spent enjoying the small downtown area with visits to various shops and boutiques. We had a very delicious, authentic Mexican meal at Fiesta Jalisco in town and then the rest of our night was spent enjoying the warmth of our hotel room.  Already Dreaming of CO again.. This trip was the perfect combination of sightseeing and much-needed R&R. Our three days were full of beautiful city, small town and mountainous views, hours of relaxation mixed with many laughs (some of which resulted in tears) while catching up with 3 of my favorite ladies 😊 10/10 would recommend a girls trip to the mountains! Contact Christine at (314) 439-5700 Ext. 134 or send her an email to begin planning a trip to Colorado!  |
314.439.5700 - 800.527.1059 info@brentwoodtravel.com |
|
Brentwood Travel
314.439.5700 1022 Executive Parkway; St. Louis, Missouri 63141 HOURS: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday: CLOSED Sunday: CLOSED Newsroom |
Copyright All rights reserved. |