Seniors Check Out Their Roots On A Genealogical Tour

The Wall Street Journal announced one of the first “Face to Face With Your Past” for senior citizens who would like to find out more about their relatives through genealogy tours. Sounds like fun to me.

I traveled to Prague last October with the hope of finding a relative or two in the Czech Republic. Being half Czech on my mother’s side of the family, I found a waiter whose name was Novotny. It was fun having my photo taken with the young man to whom I said “We are probably related.” I learned later that the name Novotny is one of the most common names in the Czech Republic.

Today many seniors are taking trips abroad to unearth records, visit ancestral homes and meet relatives. A trip to your ancestral homeland is both awe-inspiring and humbling. It provides you with a deep seated feeling of reverence knowing you stand in the same place where your ancestors walked.

My Wife’s Family

We did not have to travel far on the east coast to come across a relative at Plymoth Plantation in Massachusetts. My mother-in-law had traced family history to before the Mayflower and a man called Stephen Hopkins who came over on the Mayflower. We found him at Plymoth Plantation and quizzed him on our ancestry. It was fascinating.

Find your story here on a trip of a lifetime. There is an upcoming trip in the spring of 2013. Another is planned in the fall. You will travel with a professional genealogist who belongs to the Association of Professional Genealogists.

We’ve heard of the interests of the Mormons who are experts at tracing one’s family history. Archives.com is an excellent URL as well. Get your genealogy vacation or research trip off to the right start with these tips, checklists and advice for planning a genealogy research trip or vacation.

Seniors Interested in Family Tree Tours

Family Tree Tours announces a new website featuring research resources and German heritage trips. They specialize in Germany including a Rhine Cruise. Doesn’t that sound like fun? The Traveling Genealogist includes a Cemetery Kit.  You will want some help from your old family diaries, journals and historical documents, some of the many ways to help trace back your family history.

Cyndi’s List and a Scotland Tour

One of the best websites I have come across with a listing of ancestral travel is called Cyndi’s List. It includes tours and cruises. You may wish to consult some publications that will aid you in your search.

Senior citizens with Scottish ancestry would  enjoy searching out your roots in Scotland and the same for those of you with Irish roots. Salt Lake City has always been a center for research in this area and they include customized trips as well as a research service. Senior Swedes can find from where their ancestors emigrated to America and their old homestead.

Enjoy your research.  jeb