The Gateway to the Humanities program at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, part of NOC’s extensive Global Education opportunities, is sponsoring a May 2022 trip to the Alps, with an itinerary including stops and sites in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
This tour will be coordinated in conjunction with NOC’s longtime travel partner, EF (Education First!) Tours of Boston and includes roundtrip airfare, lodging, ground transportation, daily breakfasts and some dinners, admissions to all attractions that are part of the official trip schedule, travel insurance, and the services of a multilingual EF Tour Director throughout. Travelers will need money only for shopping, occasional meals or snacks, entertainment during free time, and tips.
While the trip is designed for college students, this is a community tour open to anyone who will be 18 or older by the date of departure in mid-May, though NOC alumni, current and retired faculty and staff, and residents of Kay, Garfield, and Payne Counties are particularly welcome to accompany NOC students and group leader Dr. Don Stinson, a Language Arts Instructor who has led several previous trips to Europe and has traveled the continent extensively. The Gateway Program last offered a similar trip in 2006.
Travelers must have valid passports and provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccinations as well as being 18 or older by the date of departure, which will be between May 18-26. Interested parties who live outside of NOC’s service area are also welcome; EF Tours can work with them to arrange flights from airports across the U.S.
The tour will include the cities of Munich, Frieburg, and Heidelberg in Germany,
Salzberg and Innsbruck in Austria, and Lucerne in Switzerland as well as historical and cultural landmarks such as the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp, Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Walt Disney’s “Tinkerbell’s Castle” at Disneyland and Disney World, Heidelberb Castle, Mozart’s birthplace, sites associated with The Sound of Music, a 450-yer-old salt mine, and, of course, the lush Alpine scenery what Dr. Stinson calls “some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the world.”
Dr. Stinson will be hosting a “no obligation” informational and recruitment meeting for interested students, staff, alumni, and others in Central Hall Room 206 on the Tonkawa campus on Monday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Snacks, coffee, and water will be provided. Dr. Stinson will survey the history of the Gateway Program and its previous tours, go over the trip itinerary, ideas for paying for the trip, and answer any and all questions.
Anyone interested is encouraged to visit EF Tours’ website page for this trip at www.efcollegestudytours.com/2451939rc. Please contact Dr. Stinson by emailing him at donald.stinson@noc.edu or calling or texting him at 1-580-628-3427.