2004 Congrès Mondial Guided Tours

Bonjour cousins -
 
I've received several inquiries from folks about whether we could have a formal bus tour set up during the 2004 Congrès Mondial for folks not wanting to drive around Nova Scotia. The Les Guidry d'Asteur Board recently met with Rick Roundtree of Magnolia Tours headquartered in Houma, LA to explore this option.

Magnolia Tours is developing tours to allow families to meet with their Reunion and also to visit Acadian and historical sites of interest in Nova Scotia. Attached is an example of a 10-day tour that Magnolia Tours has put together. The price ($1950 per person for 10 days) includes airfare from New Orleans to Halifax, NS, all in-country travel, all food, all lodging and entrance fees. The tour will travel in a nice bus rented by Magnolia Tours in Halifax. If the Guedry-Labine family has enough folks interested in a tour for our family, Rick would tailor the tour to our desires - for example, it would be in the Clare region for our August 5th reunion, in Lunenburg for our August 7th reunion and would end shortly after the August 15th closing ceremonies. It would probably arrive in Halifax late on August 3rd.

[Note: I've included the sample tour at the very end of this memo.]

Magnolia Tours is flying to Halifax rather taking a bus from Louisiana to Halifax to best utilize the available time that most folks have. It takes about 5 days each way to drive that distance by charter bus.

If folks from outside Louisiana would like to take advantage of this opportunity, a differential in airfare could be arranged with Magnolia Tours to fly from near your home to Halifax on the start date. You would then join the tour in Halifax and not miss a thing.

Magnolia Tours anticipates having 45-50 folks on their tours. If Guedry-Labine family members reserve a significant number of places on a tour, then Rick will design the tour around our family's schedule.

This may be an ideal opportunity for folks not wishing to rent a car and drive throughout Nova Scotia nor having to worry about making lodging reservations, etc. The tour will visit the Yarmouth area, Grand Pre, Lunenburg, the Clare region, Halifax, Annapolis Royal as well as a couple of other stops.

If you are interested in learning more about the tour from Magnolia Tours, please write or telephone Rick Roundtree directly - either by letter, e-mail or phone - at the address below:

Rick Roundtree
Magnolia Tours
211 Kellie Drive
Houma, LA  70360
(985) 872-9116
rjroundtree2004@yahoo.com

There is no commitment required at this time. Rick will answer your questions and provide additional information.

Thanks,
Marty
Martin Guidry
6139 North Shore Drive
Baton Rouge, LA  70817
guidryrmartin@gmail.com
Les Guidry d'Asteur, Inc.
Les Guédry d'Asteur Genealogical Association
https://guedryfamily.guedry.org/
 

MAGNOLIA TOURS
211 KELLIE  DRIVE
HOUMA, LA. 70360

Rick & Susan Roundtree
Ph:985-872-9116
rjroundtree2004@yahoo.com

Revised March 21, 2003

Dear Sir or Madam:

I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with information on our 2004 Motor Coach tour to Nova Scotia for the Congres mondial acadien 2004. We will depart from New Orleans on August 2, 2004 and arrive that night in Halifax Nova Scotia. We will be transported by one of Canada's finest Motor Coach Companies. We will spend the next 8 days traveling throughout Nova Scotia. We will depart Halifax on August 11, 2004.

We will visit with many local families and tour many of the historic attractions in Nova Scotia.

A local tour guide will accompany us on our entire trip. This will help us to get a lot of information on our ancestors as well as an accurate description of the many beautiful sights we will visit.

The attached itinerary describes the tour plan I have set up for 2004. I am still finalizing this schedule and a more detailed schedule will be available soon.   W e can also offer assistance to those of you who wish to travel to Canada on their own.

Our 2004 tour will enable our travelers to visit any of the following family reunions:

I appreciate your time and consideration. Please review the tour schedule and call us if you would like to book a seat or if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Rick Roundtree
 

CONGRESS MONDIAL ACADIEN TOUR
August 2 - 11, 2004

11 Days
Our tour includes:  Roundtrip airfare from New Orleans to Halifax Nova Scotia. Motorcoach Transportation. 9 nights hotel accommodations at quality hotels. Professional tour guide. All meals while in Canada. All entrance fees to various historic attractions. All taxes and luggage handling fees.

August 2, 2004 - Day One

1:30 p.m. - We depart from New Orleans via Air Canada for our flight to Nova Scotia. We will arrive late tonight and meet our Motorcoach for a short ride to the Four Points Sheraton, our 4 star hotel in Halifax.

August 3, 2004 - Day Two

Free time in the beautiful city of Halifax. Halifax has been a significant port city ever since its founding in 1749. Indeed the waterfront continues to be a hot spot, boasting some of the city's most stimulating entertainment and most fascinating historical landmarks. Our group will have free time in the morning and we will also be treated to a half day guided sightseeing tour of Halifax. View impressive displays and dockside ships at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. We will also visit the Titantic Graveyard. The nearby Historic Properties, where 19th-century privateers'warehouses have been transformed into a delightful array of specialty boutiques and restaurants will also be part of our tour. The Citadal overlooks the center of Halifax. Since this fort was never attacked, its battlements remain in excellent condition for exploring. Overnight in Halifax.

August 4, 2004 - Day Three

Day three consists of an all day sightseeing tour of the Evangeline trail from Halifax to Digby. Windsor is the site of Fort Edward National Historic Site. This fort was one of the major assembly points for the deportation of the Acadians in 1755. Today we will visit Grand Pre National Historical Site, site of the deportation. Grand Pre is also near the site of the highest tides in the world. We will also visit Canning, where you will have a panoramic view of the Annapolis Valley and the Minas Basin from the Lookout. Another stop today will be the Blomidon Inn. This site contains 4 acres of Victorian inspired gardens as well as 3 ponds with a cascading brook. At Port Royal, we will visit the Port Royal Habitation National Historical Site. This site is the first settlement of Europeans between Florida and Newfoundland. It offers a unique chance to step back to the very beginning of our culture. We will spend the night in Digby.

August 5, 2004 - Day Four
 
Day four begins with a guided sightseeing tour of the Annapolis Royal area. Annapolis Royal offers a captivating blend of heritage and charm. The town contains over 150 heritage buildings, including the oldest wooden house in Canada. After our guided tour of the area, we will visit the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. At these gardens, we will enjoy 10 acres of beautiful, tranquil gardens. Our next stop is the Fort Anne National Historic Site. This fort marks the spot where a fort has stood since the French built one in 1643. It is the oldest and best-preserved example of a fortification of it's kind in North America. The Fort Anne tapestry illustrates four centuries of the history of the site and area. Port Royal National Historic Site is our next stop. This is one of the most historically important sites in North America. Port Royal offers a fascinating insight into early European settlement of the new world. The Habitation of Champlain closes out our daylight adventure. Inside the habitation, costumed interpreters bring to life the hard daily existence of these early adventurers in the New World.   Reunions on this day include the Guidry, Girouard, Gerrior and Giroir families. We will return to Digby for the night.

August 6, 2004 - Day Five

We will return to the Grand Pre area for reunions including the Trahan and Leger families. For those people in the group who do not wish to attend this reunion, we will travel the Gloosecap Trail. This trail evokes the images of ancient legends and mysteries born of nature's beauty. We will follow the spectacular shore of the Minas Basin, whose nutrient-rich waters create an ecological diversity that make it one of North America's great natural treasures. Our visit to Tidal Bore Park in Truro will allow us to witness the tidal bore. This rushing current is pushed on by the Fundy tides and develops into a wall of water from one to several feet high. Overnight at Digby.

August 7, 2004 - Day Six
 
Day six will have us traveling to Clare. This region is home to Universite Ste-Anne where we will attend a musical drama adaptation of Longfellow's
famous poem. This musical drama is an adaptation of Longfellow's famous poem, depicting the very soul of Acadie through song, dance and music. The
old Church of St. Edward at Clementsport is our first stop. Consecrated in 1797, St. Edward is now a museum and is surrounded by its historic cemetery.
The church is situated high on a hill and from the tower there is a magnificent panorama of the Annapolis Basin. A short drive takes us to The Admiral Digby Museum. This museum is located in a mid-1800s Georgian home, the museum presents period rooms containing important collections of furnishings, permanent exhibits, photographs, maps, paintings, artifacts and archives relating to the history of the Digby area and its people. We board our motorcoach for a ride to Gilbert Cove, home of a restored lighthouse, which provides an excellent view of the bay. St. Bernard is the home of an awe-inspiring church, which seats 1,000. It is also the site of the first Acadian Cemetery. After lunch, we will enjoy a ride along the Acadian Shore. Route 1 takes us through twelve picturesque French-speaking villages. Since this area is famous for its churches, our next stop is at Pointe de l'Eglise, home of St Mary's Church. The church was constructed in the form of a cross 190 ft long and 135 feet wide and it is an engineering marvel. St Mary's is located on the campus of Universite Sainte-Anne, a center of Acadian culture and Nova Scotia's only French language university. A short drive takes us to the village of St Alphonse. This town is home to l'Eglise St. Alphonse, one of the most charming of the Acadian Churches. Its walls are covered with extensive murals. Reunions on this day include the Guidry, Maillet, Belliveau, Bourque, Thibeau, and Hubbard families.Overnight in Yarmouth.

August 8, 2004 - Day Seven

A guided tour of Yarmouth begins our seventh day. After the guided tour we will visit the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives, which has extensive exhibits on shipbuilding, and fishing as well as exhibits on early Acadian and English settlements. After lunch, we will visit part of the famous Lighthouse Trail. This route journeys through an unforgettable landscape of coastal beauty and historic charm that has captured the hearts and minds of travelers for generations. This trail is also home to over twenty lighthouses. Our first stop along this route will be the Acadian Dykes at Pinkney's Point, a thriving small Acadian fishing community on a peninsula.  At Wedgeport, our group will vist Butte de la Croix. This is the historic site commemorating the first mass held here in 1769 for the returning Acadians. West Pubnico was settled in 1653 by the Acadians, which makes it the oldest Acadian settlement in the province. At West Pubnico, we will visit Le Village Historique Acadien, which features period homes and fish houses, artifacts and plenty of Acadian joie-de-vivre. Reunions this day include the Corporon family. Overnight in Bridgewater.

August 9, 2004 - Day Eight

Day Eight begins with a short drive to Lunnenburg, one of Nova Scotia's most historic and beautiful towns. Lunnenburg's colorful waterfront, narrow streets and captivating architecture radiate the flavor of the town's seafaring heritage. We will be treated to a guided tour of this lovely town. After lunch at the Old Fish Factory, with its view of the harbor, we will travel towards Mahone Bay. This lovely town's narrow streets are lined with a collection of studios, galleries, pubs and restaurants. Reunions this day include the Landry family. Overnight in Halifax

August 10, 2004 - Day Nine

Day nine starts with sightseeing at world famous Peggy's Cove, one of the most photographed areas in Canada. We will have lunch at the Sou wester restaurant, which provides an excellent view to go with the great food. The Ross Farm Museum is a family farm and home to five generations of Rosses, the farm is now part of the Nova Scotia Museum and is a real working farm and living museum. Our group will have free time in the afternoon in Halifax. Overnight in Halifax.

August 11, 2004 - Day Ten

We depart before noon today for our flight to New Orleans.

COST PER PERSON - $1950 DOUBLE OCCUPANCY