Past GF Adventures


Since you, a family member or friend have been on the Gluten-free diet, have you thought of going on a cruise; a tour; or to a vacation resort - but decided that you just didn't want to deal with having to negotiate each and every meal for all that time? On top of that you're embarrassed to have to ask all those questions each and every meal. And even if you did - you know you're not going to get to eat what you'd really like.

That's why we began arranging and offering our personally escorted Gluten-free Getaways. Since 1999 we have gained the reputation of providing not just safe Gluten-free food - but really good food on our Getaways. It is truly a UNIQUE experience. Hundreds of those on the Gluten-free diet, their family and friends have traveled with us - most more than once and many a couple times a year. Ask anyone who has traveled with us on our Getaways and they'll tell you that the food is not only safe - but good, even great.

Ruth and I invite you to join us on our gluten-free adventures here in the USA and around the world. We're always open to ideas and suggestions for Getaways of all kinds. Please LET US KNOW WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL TO GLUTEN-FREE - we may be able to put it together and make your Gluten-free Fantasy Vacation come true. Take a look at where we've been since 1999!

2008 Jun SAFARI IN TANZANIA / MASS MIGRATION - Racking up the "big 5" easily. More animals and birds than we could count on the Serengeti – "the endless plain" of the Masai people. Descended 2,000 feet down into the Ngorongora Crater the largest unbroken volcanic caldera (12 mile diameter) in the world with it's own animal kingdom within. Two nights of "luxury tenting" with king size beds, carpeting, electric lights, separate bathroom with flush toilet and shower. Ballooning over the Serengeti checking out the animals below and finishing with obligatory champagne toasts upon landing and the brunch set up in the "bush" right next to the scenic acacia tree! Olduva Gorge where Louis Leakey discovered the earliest know specimens of modern humans. Our last gluten-free dinner in Africa with snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro "the roof of Africa" in the background.

Mar SOUTH AMERICA - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay - Gluten–free Tour – The picture post card sights of Rio: Copacabana and Ipanema Beach, Sugar Loaf and the Christ atop the Corcovado Mountain. Savoring the delicious and plentiful Pao de Queijo or Brazilian Cheesebread and falling in love with Guarana soda! Enjoying the breathtaking beauty of Iguassu Falls on the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, ranked as one of the top four falls in the world. Learning all about the Tango and basking in the sophisticated and friendly environment in all that Buenos Aires had to offer. A high-speed hydrofoil ferry ride across the widest river in the world and seeing the charm of Montevideo and relaxing in the resort area of Punta del Este.

Feb CLUB MED PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Tropical Paradise – and gluten-free too! Hard work of taking in the seven days of sunshine, watching the palm trees swaying in the warm breezes, eating too much gluten-free food and having good times with other fun loving travelers. Lots of kayaking, trapeze, snorkeling, tennis, bocce ball, wind surfing and the like. Even Cupid was in attendance Valentine's Day dinner to wish love to all. Club Med allows you to be as much of a kid as you'd like to be!

2007 Oct PROVENCE RIVER BOAT CRUISE & PARIS TOUR - The charm and relaxation of cruising up and down the Soane and Rhone rivers from Lyon to Ormes, Avignon, Arles and other romantic Provencale villages and country sites. Plus having fantastic gluten-free food at every meal overseen by our German chef. After disembarking in Lyon boarding the bullet train to Paris in approximately two hours. All the wonders of Paris: The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, The Arch de Triumph, a wonderful gluten-free dinner in Montmarte (Moulin Rouge and the digs of Talouse Latrec); a wonderful "fairy land of lights" on our tour of Paris by night.

May CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA VI - This is one of our most popular mini Gluten-free Getaways. Whether it's the special attention that Master Bakery Chef Coppedge gives us - or maybe it's just the gluten-free goody bag each of us gets at the end of the day from the Chef's bakery class. Or is it the magnificent Gluten-free lunch and dinner at two of the gourmet restaurants with specially arranged menus. Or the Get Acquainted Beer Bash and Sweets party the night before. Or maybe the beauty of the Hudson River and the many historic sites to visit. Or is it just the people we meet. Whatever it is - people come from all over the USA and Canada just to spend two nights at this unique mini Getaway.

Apr PANAMA CANAL & SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE - The highlight of the cruise, of course, is watching the cruise ship you're on, and equally so the tankers and freighters being passed through this engineering marvel with only a foot or two on either side from the canal wall. In addition to Panama and Gatun Lake, other ports of call included Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

Feb CLUB MED CANCUN - Valentine's Day week in the bright sunshine of Mexico with the commonality of enticing gluten-free food bringing together a diverse bunch of sports enthusiast, sun lovers, shoppers, and those just wanting to "laz" in the warm ocean breezes. Touring was taken advantage of by many, including Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xcaret, Cozumel Island, Isla Murjeres and more.

2006 Oct GRAND ORIENT TOUR II - CHINA, CAMBODIA & THAILAND - Visited six of the tour industries "top places in the world to visit" - the Emerald Buddha in Thailand; Angkor Wat (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Cambodia: and in China the Yangtze River Cruise, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors. The Grand Palace in Bangkok, an unreal display of gold and jewels on every structure; the immense temples at Siem Reap rediscovered after being taken over by the jungle, the mystical Three Gorges area and the massive Dam project there, and all the splendor of ancient China and more.

Jul SAFARI IN KENYA II / MASS MIGRATION - Wildebeests and Zebras by the tens of thousands - crossing the river and surrounding our safari jeeps as they move on to greener grazing in this annual migration. Every other African animal imaginable, along with Gluten-free food galore in the middle of the Dark Continent - Africa. Stops at Out of Africa's, Karen Blixen's Estate, the Mount Kenya Safari Club, Serena River Lodge, The Sweetwater Luxury Tenting Camp, Lake Nakura - with the sea of thousands of pink flamingo's - and Sambura Lodge.

Jul CLUB MED SANDPIPER FAMILY GETAWAY II - The only All-Inclusive Family Resort in the USA. All the Gluten-free food (and regular too), drinks, Award winning kid's programs for kids from 4 1/2 months to 18 years, Adult activities - including trapeze, river activities, five pools - including one adults only. Wonderful Gluten-free treats at every meal.

May IRELAND & SCOTLAND TOUR - Bunratty Castle, Blarney Castle, the Rock of Cashel, Trinity College and St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Mohr all in Ireland. Wonderful Irish selections of Gluten-free foods. The Highlands of Scotland, Loch Ness (and many other lochs), the wonderfully beautiful and historic city of Edinburgh and its castle, and of course St. Andrews with its golf course, college and the best Gluten-free fish fry we all ever had - including those of us not on the Gluten-free diet.

May ALASKA CRUISE III - Departing from Vancouver, BC, Canada to Seward, Alaska with ports of call in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Then the real beauty and uniqueness of the cruise - the awesome beauty of the glaciers and, of course, the bald eagles, whales, otters, sea lions and more while we sail and explore the Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Unforgettable.

Feb CLUB MED WINTER CARIBBEAN TURKOISE II - TURKS AND CAICOS - Tropical Paradise with turquoise water and the finest white powder sand beach. All inclusive with special treat Gluten-free food at every meal. Snorkeling, scuba, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, kite sailing, trapeze, salsa lessons, softball and much, much more.

2005 Oct CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA - Gluten-free lunch and dinner at two of their world famous restaurants on campus - St. Andrew's Café and Restorante Caterina De' Medici. Tour of the kitchens and classrooms - especially the bakery classes. A "Meet and Greet Beer, Wine, Cheese and local Gluten-free baked goods" with CIA's Master Bakery Chef Rich Coppedge. A tour of an award winning winery, FDR's home and Eleanor Roosevelt's home.

Sep ITALY & ADRIATIC CRUISE-TOUR - Three nights in the beautiful city of Venice. Then eight days of cruising the Adriatic Sea with ports of call in Bari, Italy; Corfu, Santorini, Piraeus/Athens, Katakolon, Greece and Dubrovnik, Croatia. A five day extension with our own private Villa overlooking Florence, Italy. Our own private chef and fantastic, wonderful gluten-free Italian dishes, breads and desserts. Everyone - gluten-free or not - were in awe of the chef's offerings meal after meal. Exploration of Tuscany including Florence, Pisa, Siena, and the Chianti wine region. Dr. Alessio Fasano was our native son, guide and guest speaker. Included was a gluten-free dinner with the Italian Celiac Society.

Jul CLUB MED FAMILY SANDPIPER, FL - 8 Days - Our First All-Inclusive Club Med Family Getaway - Activities Galore for Adults and Kids of all ages - Supervised Programs for kids from 4 1/2 Months to 18 years - Gluten-free food galore. We hope to make this an annual event.

May SAFARI KENYA - 12 Days - Surreal experiences of the animal world of Kenya - World Class Hotels - Superb Professional Safari Guides - Gluten-free food provided in some of the very remote areas of the African bush. There will be a Second Safari in 2006 for the Mass Migration across the Serengetti and Mara.

Mar CHARLESTON, SC - 4 Days - Great Food at top Restaurants - Low Country Cooking Demo - Walking Tour of City and Historic Home Visit - Visit to Ft. Sumter - Plantation Tour

Jan CLUB MED PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 8 Days - All-inclusive sun and fun - Gluten-free style.

2004 Nov DOWN UNDER TOUR - 14 Days - New Zealand - Auckland, Rotorua; Australia - Melbourne (Aussie BBQ with the Victorian Coeliac Society), Cairns (Great Barrier Reef), Ayres Rock (The Outback), Sydney.

Jul GRAND ORIENT TOUR - 16 Days - China - Forbidden City, The Great Wall, The Terra Cotta Army, River boat Cruise up the Yangtze River, Three Gorges Dam, Shanghai, Hong Kong

Jun NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH CONSENSUS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE MINI GETAWAY - 4 Days - Bethesda, Md.

May CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA IV MINI GETAWAY - 3 Days - Hyde Park, New York - Wine & Cheese Get-together, Tour of the CIA, Winery Tour and Tasting, Lunch and Dinner at 2 of the 4 CIA gourmet restaurants, Tour of Val-Kill (Eleanor Roosevelt's home), Tour of FDR's home and library.

Feb PANAMA CANAL & SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN (With an Exclusive Dedicated Gluten-free Kitchen) - 15 Days - Caldera, Costa Rica, A daytime transit through The Panama Canal, San Blas Archipelago, Aruba, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Barts, Nevis, BVI and our final port Miami, FL

2003 Oct NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA GLUTEN-FREE MINI GETAWAY - 4 Days - Niagara Falls, Maid of The Mist, Niagara-On-The-Lake and the Shaw Theatre Festival

Sep ALASKA GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE II - 8 days - Vancouver, BC, Canada; Alaska - Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Glacier Bay National Park, Seward - with a Bob & Ruth's Bus Tour of the Kenai Peninsula - including a GF picnic box lunch at a scenic gorge, Anchorage and a Tony Roma's Buffet Dinner

Mar MEXICAN GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE - 8 days - San Diego, CA, Mexico; Loreto, La Paz, Cabo San Lucas

2002 Sep CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA GLUTEN-FREE MINI GETAWAY III - 3 Days - Hyde Park, NY - Wine & Cheese Get-together, Tour of the CIA, Baking Demonstration by Master Bakery Chef Richard Coppedge, Lunch and Dinner at 2 of the 4 CIA gourmet restaurants, Winery Tour and Tasting.

Jul SCANDINAVIAN GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE (With an Exclusive Dedicated Gluten-free Kitchen) - 15 Days - Stockholm, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, St. Petersburg, Russia, Tallinn, Estonia, Copenhagen, Denmark, Norway; Flam, Guvangen, Helesylt, Geiranger, Bergen, Oslo, Aarhus

Jan WESTERN CARIBBEAN GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE - 8 Days - Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

2001 Dec NEW ORLEANS GLUTEN-FREE MINI GETAWAY - 4 Days - Dinners at Dominiques, Emeril's Delmonico and Brennan's; Big Easy City Tour, River boat Tour

Jul MEDITERRANEAN GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE (With an Exclusive Dedicated Gluten-free Kitchen) - 10 days - Barcelona, Spain; Monte Carlo; Italy - Rome, Sorrento - including a Gluten-free Pizza and Beer Party with the Italian Celiaca Society; Valletta, Malta; Greece - Santorini, Athens

Apr CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA GLUTEN-FREE MINI GETAWAY II - 3 Days - Hyde Park, NY - Wine & Cheese Get-together, Tour of the CIA, Winery Tour and Tasting, Lunch and Dinner at 2 of the 4 CIA gourmet restaurants, Tour of Val-Kill (Eleanor Roosevelt's home), Tour of FDR's home and library.

2000 Jul GLUTEN-FREE CATSKILL GETAWAY II - Villa Roma Resort Hotel - 6 Days - New York Catskill Mountains - Laid back Summer mountain vacation and plenty of Italian style gluten-free food.

May ALASKA GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE - 8 Days - Vancouver, BC, Canada Ketchikan Juneau Sitka Valdez Wrangell-St. Elias National Park College Fjord Seward Anchorage

Mar CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA GLUTEN-FREE MINI GETAWAY - 3 Days - Hyde Park, NY - Wine & Cheese Get-together, Tour of the CIA, Winery Tour and Tasting, Lunch and Dinner at 2 of the 4 CIA gourmet restaurants, Tour of Val-Kill (Eleanor Roosevelt's home), Tour of FDR's home and library.

1999 Nov BREEZE'S NASSAU, BAHAMA'S GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY (All Inclusive) - 6 Days - Informal Do-As-U-Please style Caribbean Getaway. As close to beach combing gluten-free as you can get.

Aug GLUTEN-FREE CATSKILL GETAWAY - Villa Roma Resort Hotel - 6 Days - New York Catskill Mountains - Laid back Summer mountain vacation and plenty of Italian style gluten-free food.

Mar EASTERN CARIBBEAN GLUTEN-FREE GETAWAY CRUISE - 8 Days - Fort Lauderdale, Florida Nassau, Bahamas San Juan, Puerto Rico Half Moon Cay, Bahamas St. Johns, US Virgin Islands St. Croix, US Virgin Islands