A Bit About Us
We are two families (the Ball family and the Woisnet family) that enjoy traveling together. Jill and Jody are sisters who live in different states, but still visit each other frequently. In fact, the Ball family's guest bedroom is commonly and affectionately referred to as "Jill's room." Jill and her husband Lex enjoy attending West Virginia University sporting events and work for a coal-mine parts company in Morgantown, WV. Jody and Rick and their daughter Elyse live and work near Akron, OH and enjoy local plays and musicals, as well as outdoor concerts (when the weather is warm). The three also spend a lot of time working on Elyse's 1920s home (we consider the internet to be a blessing these days). We are also huge Harry Potter fans, Jody and Rick have an 8-year-old golden retriever named Sirius and Elyse has a lab mix puppy named Bellatrix. Justin (Jody and Rick's son) moved to England about a year ago when he was accepted as a graduate student at Oxford's Worcester College. A physics major, Justin likes playing board games and hanging out with his new Oxford friends. He has had to significantly adjust his wardrobe to conform to Oxford's expectations of bow ties and cummerbunds.
A year ago, the families started planning a trip to England and decided that the best place to visit would be London as it brings together history, culture, and literature from around the world. It also didn't hurt that London was only about an hour from Oxford by train, facilitating an easy visit to see Justin's new apartment and office. The entire family decided that a Rick Steves' tour would be perfect for our group, mixing structured activities with ample free time to pursue our own agenda (note the "on our own" parentheticals and the "Power to Explore" page). We also realized that our tour guide would equip us with all the tools we needed to navigate the city and give us expert advice. Jill is the most seasoned "Through the Back Door" traveler with four tours under her belt, while the London tour was Justin's first. As requested in the introductory emails, we are fun and flexible. Some of us are fun and some of us are flexible, so together we meet the criteria.
One might question our choice of European destinations. A trip to London is like a trip around the world. In one week, we were able to visit the Parthenon, attempt to decipher the Rosetta Stone, and unravel the popularity of a clowder of cat mummies. But wait, that didn't take a week, it only took one afternoon at the British Museum. London is chock-full of treasures from around the globe. Each museum, church, landmark and neighborhood reveals amazing treasures at every turn. And the best part about our trip was that we got to enjoy all the amazing sites, fun experiences and "wow" moments as a family.
A year ago, the families started planning a trip to England and decided that the best place to visit would be London as it brings together history, culture, and literature from around the world. It also didn't hurt that London was only about an hour from Oxford by train, facilitating an easy visit to see Justin's new apartment and office. The entire family decided that a Rick Steves' tour would be perfect for our group, mixing structured activities with ample free time to pursue our own agenda (note the "on our own" parentheticals and the "Power to Explore" page). We also realized that our tour guide would equip us with all the tools we needed to navigate the city and give us expert advice. Jill is the most seasoned "Through the Back Door" traveler with four tours under her belt, while the London tour was Justin's first. As requested in the introductory emails, we are fun and flexible. Some of us are fun and some of us are flexible, so together we meet the criteria.
One might question our choice of European destinations. A trip to London is like a trip around the world. In one week, we were able to visit the Parthenon, attempt to decipher the Rosetta Stone, and unravel the popularity of a clowder of cat mummies. But wait, that didn't take a week, it only took one afternoon at the British Museum. London is chock-full of treasures from around the globe. Each museum, church, landmark and neighborhood reveals amazing treasures at every turn. And the best part about our trip was that we got to enjoy all the amazing sites, fun experiences and "wow" moments as a family.
As young girls growing up in a small, steel-mill town in West Virginia, my sister and I would dream of going on grand adventures. Vacations were rare, but the two of us would escape to exotic places through the world of books. British authors led us on many a trip far beyond the borders of the United States. Our trip to London reminded us of many of the stories we read while growing up.