Page 8 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY
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RON & MARY’S
EDITOR’S NOTE
A DIFFERENT KIND OF FAMILY VACATION
emember those tree ballooned to over
family vacations 14,000 and his famous
when everyone ancestors increased pro-
R piled in the car portionally. There are
and drove a few hundred Salem witches,
miles to your uncle’s or Jamestown founders,
aunt’s house. You played and soldiers who fought
with your cousins for a in every major war, in-
week, gathered for a cluding the Revolution-
family photo, and then ary war. Recently he’s
trundled back into the traced a path to Euro-
car for the drive home. pean kings and queens.
Like Baby Boomers, that kind of family vaca- These discoveries have sparked ancestral
tion is fading away. But, these days there is an- quests to Quebec City, Canada, Southampton,
other version. It too includes family visits, only England, and Lieden, Netherlands.. We’ve trav-
these family members are dead – and have eled to Ireland in search of the James family
been for long time, sometimes hundreds of farm, and boarded a replica of the Mayflower in
years. Plymouth, Massachusetts,.
Ancestry trips to connect with roots is a fast All of this may sound far fetched or obses-
growing industry. Countless people around the sive, or both. And that’s the down side of ge-
world are paying big bucks to find and visit nealogy. When Ron recounts his royal
their ancestors’ graves and former stomping bloodlines, eyes roll or glaze over. He’s become
grounds. These adventures are on the rise as much more selective in discussing his family,
DNA test kits and digitized genealogical even with his family.
records in sites like Wikitree and Ancestry Ancestry talk and travel also is problematic if
have become more accessible and affordable. your significant other doesn’t share your pas-
Folks who didn’t know their great grand- sion for long-gone relatives. Mary certainly
mother's name, suddenly are inundated with isn’t that interested in Ron’s ancient family, but
dozens of new cousins. Curiosity leads to she goes along for the ride because our trips
building family trees, that inevitably leads to also include things she loves - art museums,
discovering a famous relative. botanical gardens, dining out and, of course,
The next step for many is to go in search of Zara shopping.
your roots. Mary and I have taken ancestry So if you get the genealogy bug, and yearn to
trips for the past few years. They began when visit that special castle in Scotland - as we will
Ron discovered he had a 10th great grandfa- next year, make sure there’s something for ev-
ther who was on the Mayflower and joined the eryone on the itinerary. Your ancestors would
Mayflower Society. have approved, and your living family will be
Now he is hooked on genealogy. His family most grateful.
Ron & Mary James
Publishers & Editors
8 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023
