memory trip tours

Highly-Rated Escorted Tours

Escorted tours are extremely popular among vacation travelers. These tours are normally conducted by a tour director who takes care of all services from the beginning to the end of the tour. They generally include flights, hotels, transportation, transfers between the airport and the hotel, some meals and sightseeing. Escorted tours are conducted by motor-coach and you will usually not spend more than 2 nights in each location that is visited. You will find that these tours are usually fast-paced and the prices include a majority of the sightseeing.

This convenient mode of travel allows you to discover new destinations with a small group of individuals sharing similar travel interests that’s guided by an expert familiar with the area that you’re visiting. There are literally hundreds of unique itineraries being offered to assist today’s diverse traveler in exploring destinations all over the world. Memory Makers Travel works with a number of guided vacation tour operators that will be able to provide you with an unparalleled guided vacation experience, full of discovery and insight.

You’ll love discovering exciting new places and immersing yourself in unique experiences that can only be enjoyed on an escorted tour. Be taken to cities around the world, where you can explore the sights, savor the cuisine, and experience the culture of a new destination. Book an affordable escorted tour today!

Some of the most popular destinations for escorted tours include Europe, Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. Guided sightseeing tours will highlight the must-see attractions in each city that is visited. Call us today and we will be happy to help you plan an escorted tour in any of these fascinating countries. Making Memories That Will Last a Lifetime!

Memory Making Tours

Upcoming tours, multiple locations.

We are currently only running one trip to NYC in December and Salem in October but have plans to include trips to Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Tunica and more. 

Affordable Prices

Planning a trip in the future? Seeking adventure that helps save money, time and hassle? Don't miss out on these travel plans which cover transportation and accommodations from travel tips to deals at affordable prices

Itinerary for REDEYE NYC Total cost: $250-reserve seat for $50

We are offering two weekends: choose one

F riday, December 6,  2024 OR

Friday, December 13, 2024

6 pm    Leave Jacksboro Middle School

(Please park on the right side of the lot. The bus will pull up on the right side to load)

Stop at FLying J Pilot in Virginia to change drivers.

Everyone will have the opportunity to stretch their legs. 

It will be close to midnight, and we will only stay approximately 30 minutes.

6 am Stop at a truck stop for one hour. There are showers available at this location.

9 am Arrive in Manhattan at the Bus Terminal

Take a group picture.

Everyone is on their own for twelve hours.

9 pm Bus will pick up the group at the bus terminal to start our journey home.

We may stop at Love’s Truck Stop just outside of Manhattan if this is needed.

6 am Stop at Flying J Pilot to exchange drivers and get a quick breakfast on the go.

11 am Arrive  back at Jacksboro Middle School

Itinerary for The Haunting Tour See occupancy rates at bottom of page- reserve seat for $100!

The haunting tour 2024 book early-start your payment plan friday 8 am leave morristown, tn. we will stop for lunch (not provided) an d stop to stretch your legs and switch drivers before reaching eastern state penitentiary for "halloween night festival" (ticket included - see bottom of page for available halloween nights activities) in philidelphia, pa. you will have 3 hours to explore the prison where al capone spent time in. afterwards we go to the motel in sleepy hollow, ny (lodging included). saturday 8 am visit the headless horseman and cemetery near tarrytown. leave for salem, ma where you will spend the day on your own. afterwards we will go to the motel (lodging included). sunday 8 am leave motel to and return home stopping once for lunch (not provided) and again to stretch our legs. occupancy rates: single: $1000 double: $1500 ($750 each) triple $1875 ($625 each) quadruple $2200 ($550 each) must list names of people sharing room when booking to get discounted prices. you d o not have to book together but have to include all names to get the special price. eastern state penitentiary all of the following are included in ticket: delirium: 3-d haunted house the crypt: haunted house the machine shop: haunted house the voices of eastern state: audio tour kaleidoscope hall: immerse walkthrough smores and lore: campfire stories big top terror: haunted house nightmares: haunted house hosptial flash light tour: $extra and more.  .

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Looking to get away for just one day?

Come Travel with Starlight on The Happy Bus, and enjoy one or more of our exciting One-Day Tours. Experience Live Theater, Lunch Shows, Casinos, Wineries, Restaurant of the Month, Mystery Stops, and of course Shopping!

Overnight Trips

Let us take you away for an overnight stay where you might see a concert, shop or just spend the day doing whatever you’d like. Then spend the evening, swimming, reading or just relaxing and we will take you home the next day.

Extended Trips

Starlight Tours will whisk you away on one of our multi-day escapes! Extended Motorcoach Tours include Graceland, Mackinac Island, Niagara Falls and others!

Casino Trips

Do you like the excitement of hitting the casino? We travel to casinos all over the midwest. We have day trips, overnights and extended trips to casinos. Many of them include free slot play and food vouchers. Check out our casino trips and when you’re ready we’ll take you.

Restaurant of The Month

Come with us and explore new cuisines as we visit restaurants in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa and wherever we can travel in one day. Sit back, relax and enjoy the journey to the restaurant. Enjoy a wonderful lunch and maybe even a mystery stop.

Cruises and International Trips

This year we’re heading to Rome, Italy and Greece.

Custom Tours

Does your group have an idea but not sure how to get it planned? Or maybe you have a group and you’re looking for someone to give you ideas and then make those memories come true.

Starlight Tours trips can be customized to suit your particular groups needs. You can pick a date and enjoy the same great tours that we have listed, or make changes to reflect your groups unique requirements.

Let our destination expert help you and your group with all of your travel needs.

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What our clients say.

Taylor is great!! I had a ton of questions about our Disney trip & she answered them all! Even after arriving she was still so, so helpful. She took the stress out of the planning & we had a wonderful trip. Can’t wait to plan our next trip…with Taylor’s help!

We used Charlotte to help plan our trip to Disney this year and she was nothing short of amazing! She answered all of my questions in a timely and detailed manner. I was super worried about trying to plan a Disney trip, but Charlotte did it all for me and we had a blast. From finding the resort, to booking our dining reservations, and so much more Charlotte did it all! I would recommend Charlotte to anyone looking to plan their next Disney vacation! I know we will be back!

Super excited to get back to my second home this summer thanks to the help of my favorite lady<3 If you’re planning on booking a Disney trip, I highly recommend coming to Charlotte for ANY help you need at all. Thank you for making my busy schedule a little less busy with all your help.

We’re a full service travel agency specializing in family vacations customized for you. Our team of experts help you make those lasting memories at Disney and more.

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My Favorite Travel Memories

I was bitten by the travel bug at a very young age. My first overseas trip was at age 7 (to Hong Kong) and the tally now stands at 88 countries (as at January 2019) across six continents. That equals quite a few terabytes of memory I guess! The breadth and depth of the travel memories I’ve amassed through the years have been amazing and I cherish them more than anything (well, almost!). From sailing around the Whitsunday Islands in Australia to hiking around the lunar landscapes of the Atacama desert, swimming with sharks in Malaysia, meeting the world’s greatest chef, floating in a frozen lake in Finnish Lapland or witnessing a breathtaking sunset at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Scroll down this timeline to view some of my favourite travel memories and click on any link to read more about the experience(s) – the quotes in the captions are excerpts from the related blog post.

Five-month round-the-world trip

This photo brings back many fond memories. It was taken during the first leg (Amsterdam to Hong Kong) of my five-month round-the-world trip in 2008 as the plane flew past the coast of Estonia. I’ve called this photo “The Moment” because it symbolises the start of a life-changing journey that began in 2008 and which led me onto a new and exciting path as a travel blogger.

Read about the trip that changed my life .

Getting over my ‘Jaws’ complex

Swimming with sharks at Lang Tengah island, Malaysia. “I was out snorkelling on my own and a single barracuda and some parrot fish kept me company throughout. I got to see the big shark – it swam past, just five meters or so away, and strangely, I just stared and enjoyed the moment.”

Read about my trip to Lang Tengah Island .

The wonders of Angkor Wat

Visiting the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. “As we reached the top, the heavy rain seized for a moment and we got to enjoy the fantastic views over the Angkor Wat complex. At that moment, I didn’t care that I was completely drenched and that my shoes were flooded up and covered in thick mud, the view of the misty, jungle-covered hillsides, the broad plains below with their mosaic-like rice fields and the majestic towers of Angkor Wat just breaking through the tree-tops was simply breathtaking.”

Read about my visit to Angkor .

Adventures in Whitsunday Islands

Whitehaven Beach in Australia’s Whitsunday Islands. “The beach is a wide arc with an inlet on one end, with sand so white, I needed my sunnies to protect my eyes from the glare. The sea was an astounding spectrum of turquoise and blue.”

Read about my adventures in the Whitsunday Islands .

Bewitched in Bora Bora

Bora Bora is everything I thought it would be… and more. I’ve seen pictures of it in countless publications, documentaries and travel programmes but it’s not till you’re actually here that you begin to fathom just how magical this place is. I mean, I’ve been to many places around the world that have similar surroundings but Bora Bora just has, let’s call it, the ‘X-factor’.

Read about my trip to Bora Bora .

Mysteries of Easter Island

“It still is very much a mystery why these statues were built [on Easter Island] and how the locals managed to erect such huge statues (the largest are more than 20 meters long) and haul them many miles from the quarry to the ahu. Various theories were introduced during the next few days but I like the one that says that aliens created them during their stay on Earth.”

Read about the mysteries of Easter Island .

The spectacular bus ride across the Andes

When everyone was back on board, the bus continued on its journey…..and what a journey it was! Lunar landscapes, multi-coloured rock faces, gigantic volcanoes, dark blue lagoons, lush oases and towering sand dunes more or less sum it up. The 10-hour bus ride from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, across the Andes, to Salta in northern Argentina brought us past all these features AND MORE! There were times, as I looked out the window, that I thought I was watching some sort of science fiction movie as the bus sped along, as the landscapes were so surreal, so unearthly.

Read about this spectacular bus ride across the Andes.

Adventures in the Atacama Desert

Valle de la Luna in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. “The colourful valley spread out below us while the Andes formed an impressive backdrop. As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the colours of the valley changed from ochre to a bright orangy-red. The shadows of the Salt mountains grew longer and soon enveloped the valley and reached the feet of the Andes. From there, the shadows rose up the flanks of the Andes. It was so magical and so surreal that I had to pinch myself to convince myself that I was actually witnessing this spectacle.”

Read about things to do in the Atacama Desert .

Patagonia: Home of the Gods

Patagonia is indeed a rugged and daunting place. It’s a huge area that’s divided by countless channels, fjords, ice-fields, glaciers and the southern end of the mighty Andes mountains, making large parts of the region quite inaccessible. Then there’s the extreme weather. The wind is relentless and can bring with it rain, hail and snow at any time of the day throughout the year.

Read about my tour of Patagonia .

A glorious day at Da Adolfo

On my trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, I stumbled upon Da Adolfo, a beach restaurant and had the most wonderful day there! What a gem!

Read about my day at Da Adolfo .

My first skydive!

My first and only skydive! “I used to have nightmares involving an endless fall into an abyss. This was exactly what it felt like. The adrenaline rushed through my body in waves and I felt numb.”

Read about my skydive in Costa Brava .

Dining at El Celler de Can Roca

Our 15-course lunch kicked off with an excellent cava and caramelised olives (stuffed with anchovies) served hanging in the branches of a bonsai tree. There was no serpent tempting us to take a bite, nor did I feel like Adam (or Eve) but it was a brilliant metaphor. The olives hanging in the tree were an invitation to partake in a meal of ethereal delights.

Read about my unforgettable meal at El Celler de Can Roca .

Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage

One evening after dinner, one of the deck crew came running into the lounge and excitedly told us to look outside. As we opened the windows, I noticed the ship slowing. I looked out and was treated to scenes no one will easily forget. In the distance, we saw several pods of humpback whales lunging: coming up from the deep with their mouths open and gobbling up the herring near the surface. As they breached the surface, they snapped their jaws close and disappeared into the water.

Read about my cruise through the Inside Passage of Alaska .

Meeting the world’s greatest chef!

Ferran Adriá is considered by many to be the world’s greatest chef. In the past decade, his three-star Michelin restaurant El Bulli, near the Costa Brava town of Roses, was voted the world’s best five times over and won a dazzling array of accolades. He single-handedly transformed the culinary landscape in Spain and introduced a multi-sensory culinary experience that was unique anywhere in the world.

Read about my meeting with Ferran Adriá .

Hot-air balloon flight over Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum, Jordan. “The balloon rose quickly to a height of 3,000 feet and I was stunned! The scenery that unfolded was absolutely breathtaking! Strangely enough, I didn’t experience any fear (like I usually would from great heights). The surreal landscapes below and the soft breeze in my face kept me occupied I guess and I felt perfectly safe.”

Read about my hot-air balloon flight over Wadi Rum .

Mesmerising visit to Petra

The Treasury in Petra, Jordan (image courtesy of Jordan Tourism). “In the square directly in front of the Treasury, hundreds of candles cast a warm glow on the faces of the people who had come to experience Petra by night and to listen to a Bedouin musical performance. The crowd’s excited chatter quickly dissipated when a Bedouin man appeared. He took out a flute from his pocket and within moments mesmerised the crowd with his hypnotic tunes.”

Read about my mesmerising visit to Petra at night .

Floating in the Dead Sea

There it was! I stood at the edge of the cliff and marvelled at the scenery. It was one of those unforgettable travel moments. A place I’ve read and heard so much about and finally… I’m here at the Dead Sea ! Stretching from below me to the distant horizon was its blue expanse, famous the world over for the ‘floating in the Dead Sea’ experience, but also for being the lowest point on Earth (the ‘sea’ is 420m or 1,400ft below sea level), its extraordinarily high level of salination (it’s more than 8 times saltier than the average ocean) and for its numerous mentions in the Bible.

Read about my Dead Sea floating experience .

Sleeping in the Snow Hotel in Finnish Lapland

Each year in late-November, a thousand truck-loads of snow and massive blocks of ice carved out of a nearby river are used to create a winter wonderland like no other: the Snow Village in Finnish Lapland. Situated in Lainio, deep in the forests near the ski resorts of Ylläs and Levi, the Snow Village is a place where local snow and ice sculptors let their creativity and skills run wild and the result is simply phenomenal!

Read about my stay at the Snow Village .

Ice-floating experience in Finnish Lapland

Floating in an icy pool in a frozen lake in Finnish Lapland. “I closed my eyes. Tiny snowflakes drifted onto my face. I tried to register a sound but there were none. Just silence. My body felt weightless, like I was hovering in mid-air, yet I knew I wasn’t. It was a strangely soothing feeling as I felt my muscles quite literally unwind, from my fingers right down to my toes. The sensation of total relaxation surprised me, considering where I was at that very moment..”

Read about my ice-floating experience in Finnish Lapland .

Seeing the northern lights

Once outside, I was greeted by the most magical sight I’d ever seen. Long curtains of light seemed to descend from the dark sky in hues of green, yellow and pink. They moved slowly in a series of swirls, performing a sensual dance in the sky. I was simply awestruck.

Read about my experience seeing the northern lights in Finnish Lapland .

Exploring Rio de Janeiro

Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro. “The beaches in Rio like Copacabana and Ipanema are famous the world over. Any city that has such gorgeous beaches at its doorstep has a big plus in my book! And Rio is absolutely blessed in this respect. The beaches are fabulous and the people-watching is unparalleled.”

Check out my photos of Rio de Janeiro .

An unforgettable week in Emilia-Romagna

With its forest-clad mountains, endless beaches along the Adriatic coast, historic towns such as Bologna, Modena, Parma and Ravenna, world-famous automotive industry (think Ferrari, Ducati and Lamborghini), colourful festivals and terrific cuisine, Emilia Romagna has a lot to offer visitors. Despite its numerous attractions, the region remains relatively off-the-beaten-path for many visitors to Italy.

Read about things you must do in Emilia-Romagna .

My first solo road trip

I finally made it onto the highway and in no time, I was whizzing past the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city. Melbourne’s imposing skyline faded below the horizon as I headed further afield. My pangs of fear had quickly changed to excitement. Here I was, in the car on my own, with a lady’s voice as my guide, and my iPhone was belting out my favourite songs! How awesome is that?

Read about my first solo road trip in Victoria, Australia.

Cruising around the Galapagos Islands

After my first day on the islands, I was really happy that I decided to go. The Galapagos Islands are truly magical – from the pristine beaches and spectacular sunsets to the vast diversity of unique flora and fauna, the islands were simply breathtaking. In addition, it opened my eyes even further to the fragility of our ecosystem and the importance of care and conservation.

Read about my experiences on the Galapagos Islands .

In the Mashpi cloud forests of Ecuador

I fell asleep in the van at a certain point and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a mysterious, mist-shrouded forest with giant anthuriums, mosses and towering trees. The car soon came to a halt and as the mist cleared, I spotted a futuristic-looking building with large windows, almost completely encapsulated by the forest. This was the Mashpi Lodge! Situated on a ridge 900 meters high and overlooking a broad valley, the lodge was designed as a cocoon of luxury in the clouds.

Read about my stay at the Mashpi Lodge .

Wildlife encounters at Phinda Game Reserve

Someone in the van yelled “STOP” and the driver hit the brakes. We trained our eyes on the patches of tall grass that lined the road, alert for any movement. Several moments later, we saw the grass shift ever so gently again. Binoculars were whipped out of bags and as we zoomed in, we noticed a sleek body with distinctive spots, striding confidently through the grass. Our first wildlife encounter was of a cheetah!

Read about my safari at the Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa.

Rejuvenation in Vorarlberg

What I saw, as I opened my eyes, surprised me. It wasn’t as though I’d been led blindfolded down this road. I’d seen this scenery before. What surprised me was how vivid everything looked: the bright green meadows that stretched out before me, the towering granite peaks in the distance that glistened in the morning sun and the thin veil of mist that cloaked the foothills of the mountains. The silence remained but I felt very much at ease now, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Read about my visit to Vorarlberg in Austria .

Helicopter tour of Cape Town

The brand new, futuristic-looking Airbus helicopter gleamed in the late afternoon sun – we were so lucky with the weather! We climbed into the helicopter, buckled up and put on our noise-cancelling headphones. I was so excited I could scream!! Haha! We were soon airborne and the breathtaking views unfolded as soon as we left the ground!

Read about my helicopter tour of Cape Town .

Road trip in Brazil

At the height of its wealth in the 18th/19th centuries, Ouro Preto was the capital of Minas Gerais and attracted artists and scholars from around Brazil and Europe. These days, its rich colonial past can still be observed, particularly in its ornate churches. Decorated in gold and featuring sculptures by the famous artist Aleijadinho, these 18th/19th century churches are literally breathtaking. I couldn’t take photos inside the churches but believe me when I say that I have seldom seen such incredible baroque interiors, all draped in gold!

Read about my road trip on the Estrada Real in Brazil .

Matera – Italy’s ancient cave city

I walked up the cobble-stoned road towards the Cathedral square. Ahead of me, I could see the towering Cathedral, cloaked in the warm, pinkish glow of the setting sun. Several people stood at the edge of the road, staring ahead in silence. Curious, I stopped to look at what they were staring at. As soon as my mind could register what I was seeing, I gasped. My audible reaction was met with smiles by the others standing there. In front of me was one of the most extraordinary towns I’ve ever laid my eyes on: Matera .

Read about things to do in Matera .

Feeling like a rock star in Monaco

After a short wait, I was ushered into a van which brought me to the helipad. It was a swift seven-minute flight but the views were stunning and while I sat in the helicopter, I chuckled at the thought of arriving in Monaco like a rock star!

Read about my visit to Monaco .

On the frozen canals of Amsterdam

A cold front that originated in Siberia brought howling winds and bone-chilling temperatures to Western Europe in early-March. Nicknamed the ‘Beast from the East’, the cold front resulted in freezing temperatures that lasted about a week. Daily reports in the media kept everyone informed on the state of the ice around the country, and as soon as the authorities gave the green light, ice-skating marathons were organised and people all over the country took to the ice.

See the frozen canals in Amsterdam .

Safari at Gondwana Game Reserve

The light was fading quickly but we were determined to find them. Our guide expertly manoeuvered the jeep around a tight bend and stopped. Silence reigned as the dust settled. I surveyed the surrounding bushes before turning my gaze to the mountains, bathed in a soft pink light, in the far distance. We sat in silence when suddenly, we heard the crack of a twig. He came, slowly but surely, into view and we gasped in awe. The lion casually strolled past us, seemingly without a care in the world.

Read about my safari at Gondwana Private Game Reserve in South Africa.

Seeing Mount Everest

The plane broke through a layer of clouds and the peaks of the Himalayas, glistening in the morning sun, were immediately visible. I pinched myself as we approached the mountains. It felt so surreal! I reminded myself that I was looking at the view from my plane window of the Himalayas – the highest mountains in the world! It was a dream come true!

Read about my flight over the Himalayas .

Exploring Kathmandu

Strolling in the streets of Kathmandu is a crazy, multi-sensory experience. The colours, scents of spices, temples, shrines, flags, honking taxis, cyclists, rickshaws and the odd cow greet you as you explore the city.

Read about my impressions of Kathmandu .

A stunning sunset in Kuala Lumpur

It was a very cloudy day so I wasn’t expecting much in terms of the sunset but as the sun retreated below the horizon, the colours changed gradually, and then dramatically. The result was a surreal urban landscape, with a plethora of towers framed by a blazing red sky! The lights from the surrounding buildings, streets and traffic below looked like a sea of shimmering gems. It was perhaps the most incredible view of Kuala Lumpur I’d ever seen!

Read about this incredible view of Kuala Lumpur from Vertigo Bar .

An indulgent weekend at Lanzerac Wine Estate

I entered the suite (208) and I’m quite sure I gasped (audibly). The bellboy smiled and said this was his favourite room. He proudly showed me around, stopping briefly at the mini-bar (which is included in the room rate and is replenished daily) before leading me to the living area, the massive bedroom and ditto bathroom. He opened the sliding doors which opened out to a gazebo and a private pool with a view of the vineyard and the mountains. I was in awe! My first thought was: I wished my house looked like this!

Read about my stay at Lanzerac Wine Estate .

Chilling in style at Constance Prince Maurice

The first thing that struck me was how beautiful the landscaping was, with pristine lawns, shady trees and elegant palms. We were greeted by the front desk staff with big smiles and a cocktail in the breezy lobby. Just ahead was a gorgeous infinity pool which seemed to spill over into the lagoon.

Read about my stay at Constance Prince Maurice .

Road trip around Réunion Island

Réunion Island is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and southwest of the island nation of Mauritius. Known for Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and its breathtaking mountains and calderas, Réunion Island is home to an incredible diversity of landscapes and micro-climates, a melting pot of cultures, bustling towns and stunning beaches.

Read my Réunion Island guide .

Cruising the Danube River with Avalon Waterways

When I was invited to join an eight-day Active & Discovery Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways from Budapest (Hungary) to Linz (Austria), I didn’t hesitate for a moment. It turned out to be, arguably, the best river cruise I’d ever been on! A bold statement I know but I say this based on my prior experiences and how impressed I am with Avalon Waterways.

Read about my Avalon Waterways Danube River cruise .

The spectacular Jewel at Changi Airport

When I first saw pictures of Jewel, a spectacular mall at Changi Airport in Singapore, I gasped! The image of a massive dome and a vortex-like waterfall surrounded by a lush tropical forest seemed absolutely surreal, like something out of a science fiction movie. I knew, there and then, that I had to see this with my own eyes!

Read about my visit to Jewel Changi Airport .

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Massacre and Memory Tour

The flame of independence sparked in boston, free with joint museum admission.

On March 5, 1770, a confrontation between British soldiers and Bostonians just outside the Old State House left five dead and many more wounded. This confrontation, soon to become known and immortalized as the “Boston Massacre,” forever altered the history of Boston and the American colonies.

What circumstances and events led to this deadly incident? How did the people of Boston respond to it at the time? And, how have later generations of Bostonians remembered and used the history of the Boston Massacre?

The Massacre and Memory Tour is a guided walking tour that explores these questions and more. Uncover how patriot and loyalist factions in town attempted to control the narrative surrounding the event through dueling reports circulated throughout the colonies and abroad. Discover how later generations of Bostonians used the Massacre to argue against slavery and teach the American public about Crispus Attucks, one of the Massacre’s first victims. You will also learn how Bostonians in the 1970s used the legacy of the Massacre in very different ways while debating how to address racial segregation in public schools.

Led by a member of the Revolutionary Spaces Visitor Experience team, the Massacre and Memory Tour covers a half-mile, runs for approximately 75 minutes, and is capped at 20 attendees. The tour will visit and explore the histories of the following locations:

• Site of the Boston Massacre
• Faneuil Hall
• Old State House
• Site of Boston’s 18th century court and jail
• Site of the Gray’s ropewalk brawl (Post Office Square)
• Old South Meeting House

The Massacre and Memory Tour is FREE for anyone who purchases joint museum admission to the Old State House and Old South Meeting House. Not valid with single-site admission. Tours depart on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 AM from the front desk located inside the Old State House museum store. Tours are subject to change and/or cancellation due to staff availability and dangerous or extreme weather.

APRIL: Fridays-Sundays at 11 AM

May-august: daily at 11 am.

Beginning at the Old State House Complimentary with joint museum admission to both the Old State House and Old South Meeting House. Tours run for approximately 75 minutes. Recommended for guests ages 12 and older.

For private group tours, please contact [email protected]  or click here to request a group visit.

toll free:1-844-606-1944        

[email protected].

US Based Company

1944-2024 80th d-day anniversary d-day memory tour.

WE TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME   IMMERSION IN MOTION

844.606.1944

Call us today, contact us now, we taking you to the right place in the best way, picture yourself....

Imagine ! If you are part of a unit of American soldiers during the Normandy landing on D'Day

  Imagine  yourself wearing the uniform of a Paratroopers while riding in convoy a WWII Jeep on Normandy trails.

  Imagine the French villages, le Bocage, the roads and hedgerows, the landing beaches, Utah and Omaha... and more.

This is what we propose to experience in full IMMERSION with D-DAY MEMORY TOUR . We are passionate about History and the liberators who came on June 6th, 1944 to fight for Freedom. We will show and share with you Normandy as no one has ever done yet. We have the expertise, the proficient guides, the best team based here in the USA and in Normandy near St-Mere-Eglise, one of the first town liberated on June 6th, 1944. This journey will transport you into the past to live a unique and incomparable ... Experience.

Airborne All the way...

D-Day Tours of Normandy

Visit normandy in full immersion on a unique guided tour.

With this program we have designed a New Way To Visit Normandy

One Tour , many options to relive History with us.

Photos, Video will give you a taste of the way you will experience Normandy battlefields

We are please to share with you  our passion about History

NEVER BEFORE, YOU WERE PROPOSED TO TRAVEL IN THIS WAY.

BACK IN TIME...

Let's go with us using original pathways, wearing replica of paratrooper uniform, spend night at same places like in June 1944, feeling the sensation and emotion, living in a French landscape, small group of 8 to 20 persons, surrounded by reenactors with their  jeeps and period vehicles. All the best for your D'DAY Normandy Tour experience.

Normandy is the best place for immersion for the WWII HISTORY enthusiasts.

The French hedgerows, the small corn fields, the villages still with fighting traces, all remain the same. While travelling, in your paratrooper uniform, and not meeting modern vehicles for a while, the tiny roads surrounded by giant hedgerows will push you back into the past ... and we know your imagination will do the rest ... you'll get the thrill.

HISTORY HAS NEVER BEEN AS LIVING AS WITH US.

Full immersion..., with d-day memory tour, you will experience an unforgettable adventure. immersed in the heart of normandy, in the region of sainte-mere-eglise, you will travel back in time during the liberation of europe in the summer of 1944. equipped with the same uniforms as the american soldiers wore the day they landed on the coast of france, you will re-live their story using only the supplies they were given..

IMMERSION IS THE OPERATIVE WORD HERE.

Enjoy the normandy countryside, you will have the assistance of a history expert to guide you across d-day battlefields. in our reenactour program this unique experience requires members to be both physically and mentally prepared to adapt to similar unpredictable situations the soldiers encountered in 1944. at certain times during this trip, a full immersion has been planned to help the participants to fully visualize history. visits to an exceptional museums will also be part of this unique trip. to assure a full immersion in this extraordinary time, your “platoon leader” will guide you and your group to different places unknown by the public. there will be moments where you will have to find your path by yourself using the same materials and map..

YOU WANT TO TRAVEL BACK IN TIME ?

We arrange the trip for you., embrace history..., from the time you register to your actual departure, you will receive many pieces of information explaining your mission. just like the young soldiers enlisted in this war, you will experience their preparation as if it was your own piece of history. this exclusive trip is not intended to be a “war-game” or a game of paintball. you will use the same paths and walk the same grounds the soldiers marched in 1944, where courageous and selfless men shed their blood and lost their lives in the name of freedom. it is with great respect that you will explore each historical sites and will embrace history. now that you are ready to embark in this inspirational journey, we invite you to read the program that awaits you..

WE WILL LEAD YOU TO SOME PLACES UNKNOWN  BY PUBLIC.

You will trace the footsteps of heroes....

You discover the mission that you will perform during your stay in Normandy. Your area of operation will be from Sainte Mere Eglise to Omaha Beach, following the same pathways that were tramped by the 'GI’s' on the D-Day and the week after.

Now it is your turn to feel the same emotions crossing the towns of Carentan, Ravenoville, Chef-du-Pont and other historical sites, such as 'La Fiere' bridge spanning the 'Merderet' river' or 'Brecourt Manor'.

This trip is more than just a destination. With your team, you will return to the past in Normandy where young allies have shed their blood to defend Freedom. We are proud to guide you through History, that began on June 6, 1944.

YOU ARE AN ACTOR

With our unique program, history will never be boring., a new way to learn history....

We have invented a special concept to visit the Normandy Battlefields, today there are a lot of travel businesses allowing people to travel in Normandy and it is good to keep History alive. However, we want to be different, DDMT is a US based Company . We truly propose the ingredients in order to relive History, to feel, understand, and connect with the places where battles and fights occurred for freedom. 

Many of you have watched the WWII movies depicting the combats who took place during the D-DAY June 6, 1944. It is with the same conditions that we bring you into the past for few days. This experience will be one and only who will create your best memories.

WE WANT TO BE DIFFERRENT

A new way to travel in normandy....

From the moment we come to pick you up at our rendezvous point, until we will say goodbye to you after having lived together for a few days. We will live as we were in June 1944. It is with this concept that we want to make you understand the history of D-Day. We define many itineraries, with always in mind the will to visit places full of authenticity. Of course we will also visit popular sites such as museums, monuments, and of course the shops ... But what we want to show you through this experience, are the unknown accessible places to those who make a traditional tour . Yes D-Day Memory Tour is just different and unique, in a word, you do not need us to visit the museums, but to discover the battlefields in complete immersion: we are your solution.

WE DON'T DO THINGS HALFWAY. EVERYTHING IS AUTHENTIC INCLUDING YOUR FAVORITE LUXURY HOTEL, NOW REPLACED BY A CHARMING MANOIR.

Authenticity..., is why you choose us.

You chose us  to make your travel different. As part of your stay in Normandy, you will have the opportunity to discover tremendous and authentic places. Our concept is to transport you back in time and what is more immersive than to take advantage of unusual places such as castles, manors, and farms of Normandy. For those who thrive for even more sensations, we can also implement an American military camp such as those used by the soldiers in Normandy in June 1944.

THOUSANDS MEN...

Never in history, in such a small area and in such a short time, have so many men had to show initiative, courage, sacrifice, and determination to achieve the objective of victory.

On the night of June 5 to 6, 1944, the huge Allied fleet leaving the English ports to Normandy, 1,200 warships and 5,700 transport ships included. Ultimately, it is planned to land over several weeks about 2 million men not counting thousands of tons of equipment. On D-DAY it is 156,000 men who land on the Normandy soil.

In the American sector, 13,000 men, two divisions, as well as, the 82nd and 101st US Airborne are responsible for ensuring the west flank of the landing and hold the access roads to Utah Beach where the 4th US Infantry Division must land at 7:30.  

Around 835 c-47 will be engaged to participate in the dropping of the 13,000 American paratroopers of the 101 Airborne and 82nd Airborne in the area of Sainte Mere Eglise and Sainte Marie du Mont close to Utah beach.

Slightly less than 150,000 men of the 7th Army are stationed in Normandy and about 50,000 in the landing zone. Near the beaches, a single armored division, the 21st, southeast of Caen, and six infantry divisions.

In Cotentin peninsula close to St Mere Eglise and Utah Beach they are 12,500 91th DIV and 4,000

6 DV German Paratrooper.

44 Ways To Make Travel Memories: Travel Memory Ideas From A Lifelong Nomad

Gregory j. gaynor.

May 12, 2022

Help your tribe face their dragons: share this post:

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There are so many travel memory ideas out there! I left home over 15 years ago and have made many memories in destinations worldwide. Over the years, I’ve discovered the best (and worst) ways to make a great travel memory. In this post, I want to share the best ways this digital nomad has found to make travel memories that won’t fade!

When you travel from country to country, buying a souvenir in every place is tempting. But any digital nomad will tell you that you quickly end up with more than you can carry.

One part of living a successful nomadic lifestyle is traveling light. So in this post, I want to explore alternatives to buying souvenirs that will still call up your favorite travel memories of all the places you’ve been.

Table of Contents

Forget making a photo album: digitize your travel souvenirs., travel memory ideas to document your trip, experiences made better memories than things, create travel memories with these ideas, learning something made me remember it forever, travel memory ideas to take with you, tips for buying memorable travel souvenirs, souvenir travel memories that won’t break your back, documenting my travels created lasting memories.

After visiting so many places, it’s easy for the memories to start to merge. But unfortunately, many traditional ways of documenting your travels won’t work for digital nomads because they involve collecting too much stuff, and most of us want to travel light.

Forget about collecting all your tickets, maps, and tourist guides. Collecting souvenirs of any kind means traveling with them forever! But there are some excellent alternatives to make travel memories without compromising luggage space.

Digitizing your souvenirs is a great way to keep your travel memories forever without taking up any space in your bag. Just take a photo of that map, of the guide around, or just of your ticket stubs.

Rather than taking a boring shot of a ticket on a desk, take a photo of the ticket with the place in the background.

Take photos of your

• Entry Ticket stubs
• Plane tickets

Documenting your travels pays off years later when you struggle to remember where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Turn your phone’s gallery into a memory museum, and your travel memories will always be there to reminisce with.

You can also document your travels in other ways without adding weight to your bags. For example, create a written travel record for your travel memories. But that doesn’t mean keeping a travel journal at the bottom of your bag.

• Digital Travel Journal Use a running document on your laptop, an app, or notes on your phone to keep a journal.
• Tweet Your Travels Use Twitter to Document Your Travel Experiences
• Photo Albums Your phone already does a great job of creating albums, but to make them genuinely searchable, check out Google Photos
• Create Travel Video Logs Making videos create the best travel memories. Upload them to YouTube and share them instantly
• Send Postcards To Friends & Family Take Photos of them (both sides) before you send them.
• Letter Write a regular travel letter (or email) to yourself.
• Google Maps Rather than using a travel pinboard, pin all your travel destinations on Google Maps.
• Travel Blog Create a travel blog to document your nomadic life – and maybe make some money too!
• Instagram You don’t have to emulate those travel Instagram accounts with perfect images; make real pictures to remember how it was.

After traveling from country to country for a few years, it can become easy to settle into your routine of finding a place to stay, finding a place to work, and going through your everyday routine. When this happens, remember why you wanted to travel or be a digital nomad in the first place – To see the world.

If you’re anything like me, you want to travel to see the world and, more importantly, experience everything the world offers. It has more to offer us travelers than a laptop in another cafe. Don’t let the only thing that changes in your life be the view out of the window.

By trying to have at least one entirely new experience at every destination you travel to, you will forever remember that place for it.

On my trip to Henan, China, one of my favorite travel memories was experiencing The Shaolin Temple.

I’ve walked around hundreds of temples in Asia, Tibetan temples, Laotian temples, and even a temple on a deserted island in the middle of a vast lake. However, the Shaolin Temple is different because it’s home to the Shaolin monks, a band of warrior monks practicing kung fu. I had been obsessed with them ever since I was a child.

In numerous documentaries, I’d seen them training around the temple, hitting their makeshift punching bags. So when I traveled to Shaolin, I wanted to experience what they experience daily rather than just walking around the temple.

I ran up the mountain as they do every morning, practiced kung fu on the temple grounds, and hit those punching bags. It was, for me, an unforgettable experience.

Not every experience has to be something you’ve wanted to do from childhood, but having an experience outside your regular daily routine will solidify that travel memory for you.

• Water rafting
• Bungee Jump
• Compete in a surfing competition
• Trekking/Climbing
• Eating Something Special
• Private Island
• Massage or Spa Day
• Museum or Gallery

Experiences are an excellent memory maker because they are something that you can always look back on. But learning something new keeps the travel memory alive. Learning a new skill or habit can remind you of that time and place every day.

Just before the pandemic hit I was in India, up north in Dharamshala. The views were, of course, unforgettable, being on the Himalayas. Watching the clouds roll in over the mountains every afternoon was a mysterious experience. But I was doing more there than looking down on the planet, and drinking tea with Tibetan monks, I was learning a skill.

I started learning Tibetan in 2015 before traveling to Nepal. It was hard going, even for an experienced language learner like me. I came back from Nepal determined to become conversational. And after 4 years of consistent online classes, I wanted to really up my skills, so I enrolled in a Tibetan language school in India.

Although the views really were some of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen, the memory of Dharamshala is forever connected to my ability to speak Tibetan.

Of course, you don’t need to set out to learn a new language to make a memory of a travel destination. It could be something that you learn in a single afternoon like how to make a local dish. You can take that with you for the rest of your life and every time you make it, where ever you are in the world, you’ll be reminded.

• Cooking Learn to cook at least one dish from every place you travel to. There’s nothing wrong with eating out alone but your family will love you for it too!
• Language Language learning opportunities are everywhere when you’re traveling
• Yoga The yoga I first learned in Bali, I still practice today. It’s one of the best ways to stay healthy as a digital nomad
• Taichi When I practice taichi I always remember Beijing
• Meditation Learning some meditation would be a great memory to take with you
• Martial Arts Muaythai in Thailand, kung fu in China, BJJ in Brazil or boxing in Cuba
• Sport Learn a new sport while you travel, what are the locals playing?
• Style of Painting/Drawing As you travel, different places have different styles, what could you learn there?
• Craft Travel to Japan and learn origami, or Tangka in Tibet

Small Reminders That Won’t Weigh You Down

OK OK, so I said no souvenirs, but sometimes you just can’t resist!

In fact, over the years I’ve created some ways to get around buying souvenirs that won’t become a burden. The last thing you want is to be that guy with their suitcase wide open at check-in, looking for something to throw out because he’s over the weight limit!

So you either want something that is very light and small or something which you don’t have to take with you.

• Send it to your next destination
• Send it to family or friends
• Send it to a P.O. box
• Something very small & light
• Something you need anyway

If like me, you travel back to the same place every year, you can buy souvenirs and send them there. Next time you go back, they’ll be there waiting for you.

This does require a bit of forethought however, you may need to set up a P.O box at the local post office or ask a local friend to receive the packages for you.

Another option is to send them to a family member or friend back home. It’s also the perfect way to stay in touch with the people who mean the most to you.

My wife loves buying fridge magnets of the places we’ve traveled to. They all get sent to China and when we are there they get put up on the fridge.

Is it necessary? No. But going to the fridge a few times each day, it’s nice to remember the meal we had by the Mekong River or the time we spent in Hong Kong.

The only problem with sending things to a future destination is you don’t have that memory with you most of the time. This is why I like to find things that I need anyway. I buy clothes where ever I am and every time I wear them I can remember the place I bought them.

• Fridge Magnets You can find these absolutely everywhere when you travel
• Collect Money Some countries don’t let you take money out of the country, make sure you can before you travel
• Stones/Sand Again, some places don’t allow you to take natural scenery away, check before you do!
• Shells Take the sound of the sea with you
• Clothes You have to buy clothes anyway, why not create a travel memory with them
• Tea Sit and remember your travels with a cup of tea
• Coffee Buy some coffee and start your day with a travel memory
• Phone Case You’ll find some creative phone cases on your travels, it’s a nice way to keep a memory alive.

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SculptureTour Salina 2024 kicks off with UNwrap Party

The 2024 SculptureTour Salina is almost here and downtown visitors can have a chance to see all of this year's pieces of art after they are unwrapped over the weekend.

The UNwrap Party begins at 11 a.m. May 4, with all 22 sculptures simultaneously unwrapped throughout downtown Salina.

After the unwrapping, people are encouraged to find a walking tour ballot and taking a walk on the full Sculpture Tour, seeing all 22 of this year's pieces.

Ballots can be found at one of the silver boxes at the mid-block pedestrian crossings on Santa Fe Ave., inside several downtown merchants and, on the day of the unwrapping, at the Visit Salina information trailer, located at the City Lights Stage plaza on the southwest corner of Ash Street and Santa Fe.

After seeing all the sculptures, tourgoers can vote for their favorite and return the ballot to one of the silver boxes or the trailer. For those who can't make the UNwrap Party or want to take more time to decide their favorite, ballots will be accepted through Dec. 31. with the winner chosen as the People's Choice Award, which is purchased by the City of Salina for an amount of up to $20,000 and permanently placed in public view.

Finally, the Juror's Merit Awards, which includes the Best of Show, will be announced at 1 p.m. the day of the UNwrap Party at the City Lights Stage. Following the awards, the Llew Brown Band will have live music beginning at 2 p.m. on the stage.

More: City of Salina approves receiving $22 million federal grant for Smoky Hill River Renewal

SculptureTour Salina 2024 dedicated to memory of Sylvia Rice

This year's SculptureTour will be special in its own way, as it will be the first since the death of longtime Visit Salina Director Sylvia Rice.

In a Facebook post the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, which oversees Visit Salina, said Rice worked with the organization for 33 years.

"Sylvia championed many local and statewide tourism programs and initiatives, advocated for small business and non-profit organizations and was a pioneer in creating the vibrant cultural arts environment that we all enjoy and love today," the chamber said. "Sylvia will be greatly missed not only for her professional capabilities but also for her kindness, camaraderie and sense of humor. She was a mentor to many of our staff, as well as many in the community. Her absence truly leaves a void that cannot be filled."

The chamber said to "reflect on the impact she made" it encouraged people to "enjoy a stroll downtown among the public art of the SculptureTour."

Visit Salina announced it will dedicate the 2024 tour to Rice's memory.

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Rickie Fowler Makes a Hole in One at Venerable Pine Valley

Fowler and Justin Thomas played the ultra-private course Wednesday and left with a heck of a memory.

• Author: John Schwarb

Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas took the week off from their jobs on the PGA Tour but still played golf—because when you get an invitation to Pine Valley, you take it.

The ultra-private New Jersey course is regularly tabbed No. 1 in rankings of best U.S. courses, and on bucket lists of amateurs and pros alike.

And as if the day couldn’t have gotten any better Wednesday, Rickie Fowler aced the par-3 3rd hole. A member of the group caught it on video:

🚨 #NEW — Here is video of the Hole in One Rickie made at Pine Valley yesterday. 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/MsqmcvzqGu — Rickie Fowler Tracker (@Rickie_Tracker) April 25, 2024

Rickie Fowler has three holes in one on the PGA Tour and surely several more in casual rounds, but he’ll likely remember this one a while.

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Middle East Crisis Netanyahu Again Vows to Invade Rafah ‘With or Without’ Cease-Fire Deal

• Share full article

• A Palestinian man passing destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
• The funeral of an Israeli reserve soldier in Carmiel, northern Israel. Ariel Schalit/Associated Press
• A displaced Palestinian woman in Rafah, southern Gaza. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• An Israeli artillery unit fires toward Gaza from near the border. Amir Cohen/Reuters
• An aid airdrop over the northern Gaza Strip. Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press
• Palestinians in Deir el-Balah. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Netanyahu’s pledge to invade Rafah could undermine efforts to reach a cease-fire deal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel once again pledged on Tuesday to launch a ground invasion into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, a move that could undermine efforts to negotiate a cease-fire agreement after seven months of war in the Palestinian enclave.

The United States, Qatar and several countries have been pushing to get a cease-fire deal, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visiting the region and expectations rising that Hamas and Israel might be edging closer to an agreement.

But with Hamas arguing that any agreement should include an end to the war, and with right-wing politicians in Israel threatening to leave the government coalition if the long-planned incursion into Rafah is delayed, Mr. Netanyahu made clear that Israel would reserve the right to keep fighting.

“The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” he said in a meeting with the families of hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory.”

Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they plan to move into Rafah, but over the weekend, they made clear they were open to holding off if it meant they could secure the release of hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. One official also suggested that Israel was using the threat of an imminent military maneuver to press the armed group into a hostage deal.

In anticipation of an offensive, some families in Rafah have been moving north into areas of Gaza that had already been attacked by Israeli forces, but on Tuesday, the scale of the evacuation remained unclear. As of last week, more than one million Gazans, many of them previously displaced from other parts of the territory by Israeli bombardment, were still sheltering in the city in makeshift tents.

American officials and other allies have been pressing Israel to either avoid an assault on Rafah or develop specific plans to adequately minimize civilian casualties.

On Tuesday, Mr. Blinken met with officials in Jordan to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, and to press for peace and an increase in humanitarian aid. There was no immediate reaction from the State Department to Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain spoke to Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday, his office said in a statement. The British leader “continued to push for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow more aid in and hostages out” and said that Britain’s focus was on de-escalation, it said.

For weeks, cease-fire talks had been at a standstill. But Israeli officials have said that negotiators had reduced the number of hostages they want Hamas to release during the first phase of a truce, opening up the possibility that the stalled negotiations could be revived.

A senior Hamas official said on social media on Monday that the group was studying a new Israeli proposal.

A Hamas delegation met with officials in Egypt’s intelligence service on Monday, according to a senior Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions between Hamas and Egypt.

Adam Rasgon contributed reporting.

— Damien Cave

The White House presses Hamas to accept the cease-fire deal on the table.

The White House said on Tuesday that “time is of the essence” for cease-fire talks in the Middle East as negotiators tried to broker a deal to pause the war in Gaza and secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

President Biden’s advisers feel a sense of urgency to finally break through the months of stalemate while Israeli leaders appear open to an agreement and before they open their long-threatened military assault on Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than one million Palestinians have taken refuge.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re overly confident,” John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters, attempting to lower expectations given the history of failed talks until now. “I would say we’re being very pragmatic about this. This is a good proposal. This is a very good proposal and Hamas ought to jump on it and time is of the essence.”

The American-sponsored proposal would halt the war for about six weeks in its first stage in exchange for the release of women, older men and hostages with health conditions. Israel has agreed to lower the number to be released in that first stage to 33 from 40 and would also release hundreds of Palestinians held in its prisons.

Mr. Kirby made clear that the United States remained opposed to an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah without an effective plan to protect civilians, which American officials have said they have not seen. “We don’t want to see a major ground operation in Rafah,” Mr. Kirby said. “That hasn’t changed.”

But he gave Israel credit for doing more to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza since Mr. Biden threatened to rethink his support for Israel’s military operation during a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel four weeks ago.

He said more than 5,000 trucks of food, medicine and other goods have entered Gaza since then, with about 200 more trucks a day and sometimes as many as 400.

— Peter Baker

As Israel plans to invade Rafah, a family makes the difficult choice to uproot itself again.

Mohammed Foara said his wife could not stop talking about how much she wanted to flee Rafah, where their family was among more than a million people who had sought safety from Israeli bombardment and fighting elsewhere in Gaza.

Their oldest child had already been killed by an airstrike in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, where the family had sheltered before they came to Rafah. As Israel warned it was preparing to invade Rafah, she asked him: Is that not reason enough to leave?

Finally, Mr. Foara agreed, he said, and the family packed up their meager possessions and moved for a fifth time in nearly seven months of war. They joined some Palestinians who have begun to flee, once again, this time leaving Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, before a widely anticipated Israeli attack.

“I escaped Rafah just to keep the other children alive and safe,” said Mr. Foara. He has been haunted by the death of his son, Anas, 21, who was killed by an airstrike when he went out to find cigarettes.

“I fear for them more and more,” he said of his four surviving children.

Israel has called Rafah the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and said that invading the city is key to its goal of dismantling the group behind the Oct. 7 attack, which Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, according to local health authorities. Some 1.7 million — in a territory of roughly 2.2 million — have been driven from their homes, many of them multiple times, according to the United Nations.

The Foara family fled their home in Gaza City early in the war, where they moved within the city twice, and then spent four months in Nuseirat. They went to Rafah after their son was killed.

They are now in an area near the central Gazan city of Deir al Balah, in a camp that is so new that there are not yet any humanitarian groups working there, and there is no medical assistance, either, Mr. Foara said. They received a nylon-and-cloth tent from local residents marked with the number 170.

“That means there are more than 170 families in this area,” Mr. Foara said on a recent day last week, the hot sun beating down. “I hope to not evacuate this place.”

Residents in the area who have remained in their homes amid the war helped Mr. Foara build the tent, he said, and gave his family water.

At the entrance to the camp, there are vendors selling falafel and other food at prices that have been inflated by the war. A tank of water costs about $100, but before the war it cost about $25, Mr. Foara said.

That is too much for Mr. Foara, who before the war was paid about $400 per month as a civil servant for the Palestinian Authority, a rival to Hamas. He is determined to keep his family alive, but sometimes the weight of the tragedy that has befallen them — and the rest of Gaza — is almost too much to bear.

“I feel like I am just a block of negative feelings — anxiety and depression,” he said. “We used to watch these scenes of tents in Yemen and Syria, and now it is a reality here.”

— Liam Stack and Bilal Shbair

The U.N.’s top court declined to ban Germany’s weapons sales to Israel.

The United Nation’s highest court on Tuesday rejected a request from Nicaragua to order Germany to stop supplying arms to Israel.

The judges on the International Court of Justice said no special court order was required, citing Germany’s arguments that it has stringent licensing standards to avoid the misuse of weapons and that it had issued few export licenses since late last year.

The judges’ decision pertained to a broader case brought by Nicaragua against Germany with potentially wide implications on whether suppliers of military aid to Israel share some responsibility for how the weapons are used.

Still, the judges did not grant Germany’s request to throw out the main complaint that Nicaragua has filed against Germany, meaning that case is likely to go ahead.

Nicaragua has argued that Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention because its military and financial aid to Israel is facilitating the possible commission of genocide in Gaza.

A final decision on that Nicaraguan complaint may have to await the court’s decision on a separate case brought by South Africa, alleging that Israel has committed genocide. The decision in the South African complaint could take up to two years.

With the death toll rising from the conflict in Gaza, however, Nicaragua had also asked the I.C.J. to issue an emergency order for Germany to halt its arms exports to Israel altogether and to ensure that weapons already supplied were not unlawfully used.

A majority of the panel declined the request in a 15 to 1 vote, but the court said in its ruling that it “remains deeply concerned about the catastrophic living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

The ruling, signed by the court’s president, Nawaf Salam, reminded nations of their obligation to avoid providing arms that might be used to violate the Genocide Convention. “All these obligations are incumbent upon Germany as a State party to the said Conventions in its supply of arms to Israel,” the decision said.

William Schabas, a professor of law at Middlesex University in London, said that warning “has provided ammunition to lawyers who will challenge arms shipments to Israel before domestic courts, as is happening right now in several countries.”

The German Foreign Ministry welcomed the court’s ruling.

“Germany is not a party to the conflict in the Middle East — on the contrary: We are working day and night for a two-state solution,” the ministry said in a statement on social media.

The statement added that Germany was also working to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gazans and that Hamas was responsible for setting off a “spiral of suffering” in the region, against which it said Israel had a right to defend itself.

Germany and Nicaragua are parties to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which binds them to act to prevent genocide, defined as the intent to destroy a group not only by killing or causing serious bodily or mental harm, but also by inflicting “conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

Israel has repeatedly denied accusations that it is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, arguing that its military has worked to preserve civilian life and that Hamas has used civilians as human shields.

Earlier this year, the I.C.J. found in the South African case that the risk of genocide taking place was plausible. The court issued separate interim orders, requested by South Africa , specifying that Israel must prevent its forces in Gaza from taking actions that are banned under the Genocide Convention, must prevent and punish public statements that constitute incitements to genocide, and must allow more access to humanitarian aid. The judges also called for immediate release of all hostages still held by Hamas.

Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, is second only to the United States in providing it with military assistance. But in presenting its case before the I.C.J., it argued that its shipments to Israel are always licensed under German and European rules. The main thrust of Germany’s argument was that almost all of its recent military assistance to Israel was nonlethal aid.

Unlike Germany, which has given the I.C.J. full jurisdiction, the United States has shielded itself and on most issues has to consent to a case. It has protected itself even further from the Genocide Convention, signing the convention but explicitly refusing the court’s jurisdiction here.

Critics of the Nicaraguan government say that its pursuit of Germany for breaking international law is hypocritical: A recent U.N. report accused Nicaragua of “systematic human rights violations” and increasing repression of government opponents at home.

Erika Solomon contributed reporting.

— Marlise Simons reporting from Paris

Germany’s military support of Israel is being challenged, despite the I.C.J.’s decision.

Even as the U.N.’s highest court declined to order Germany to stop sending arms to Israel, another lawsuit in a German court sought to cut off the flow of military aid.

Several rights groups filed a joint lawsuit against the German government in an administrative court in Berlin in early April. The suit seeks to suspend the delivery of weapons yet to be sent to Israel under current export licenses issued by the German government, and to block any additional arms deliveries. This week, the court said it expected that Germany would not authorize any more exports until it had issued its ruling.

Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, is the second-largest provider of military aid to the country after the United States.

Earlier this month, Nicaragua brought a case against Germany at the International Court of Justice, where it argued that Germany was violating the Genocide Convention by providing Israel with military and financial aid amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. On Tuesday, the I.C.J. decided against issuing an emergency order that would have required Germany to stop providing arms to Israel.

Germany’s legal team had argued before the I.C.J. that most of its exports to Israel were nonlethal, such as protective gear, communications equipment and defense equipment against chemical hazards .

But Nicaragua and the rights groups have mentioned that Germany has delivered 3,000 antitank weapons, as well as items like spare parts for vehicles, which could be used as part of the ongoing military offensive even though they were described as nonlethal.

The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, or E.C.C.H.R., joined with three Palestinian legal and human rights organizations to file the lawsuit on behalf of five Palestinians living in Gaza who have lost family members during Israeli rocket attacks.

The lawyers argue that Germany is violating its obligations under international law, as well as its own weapons control act, by supplying arms to Israel. The weapons, they say, are “being used to kill and displace civilians, destroy civilian infrastructure in Gaza, as well as control and limit the transfer and distribution of humanitarian aid.”

On Tuesday, Berlin’s administrative court said it had told the German government last week that it must not issue any additional export licenses while the case is being deliberated, and to inform the court if it intends to export any more weapons so that the court could make an emergency ruling on the matter. A ruling is currently expected by June, according to German news media reports.

“A basic prerequisite for a rules-based and human rights-oriented German foreign policy is respect for the law in its own decision-making,” Wolfgang Kaleck, the general secretary of the E.C.C.H.R., said in a statement when the lawsuit was filed on April 12. “Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war where serious violations of international humanitarian law are apparent.”

Israel’s conduct in the war has increased both international and domestic pressure on the German government to take a tougher stance toward Israel.

In recent months, Germany has begun to signal the limits of its support for Israel’s military campaign: It has voiced objections to Israeli plans to attack the southern border town of Rafah, where more than a million Gazans have sought shelter. Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said during a visit to Israel last month that she would send a delegation to the country to “remind” it of its obligations under international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel once again pledged to launch a ground invasion into Rafah, despite ongoing efforts to negotiate a cease-fire agreement in the war in Gaza.

— Erika Solomon and Christopher F. Schuetze

Blinken’s Mideast tour continues in Jordan, where he discussed humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited a warehouse in Jordan on Tuesday where workers were loading trucks for the first attempt to send medical and food aid overland from Jordan to the Israel-Gaza border crossing of Erez. He praised the start of the new aid corridor and also said a pier being built by the U.S. military to bring aid by sea to coastal Gaza would be operational in about one week.

“This is real and important progress, but more still needs to be done,” he told reporters traveling with him across the Middle East this week. “And in particular, we have to make sure our focus is not on inputs, but on impact and really measuring whether the aid that people need is getting to them in an effective way.”

Distribution of aid in Gaza has been a challenge, especially in the devastated northern part of the strip. That has been made more difficult by the fact that the Biden administration recently said the United States had stopped giving money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the main aid agency operating in the strip, after Israel accused some of its workers of taking part in the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.

The trucks bound for Erez are organized by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, and the aid has been donated by various international groups. The first of these trucks were scheduled to leave the warehouse near the city of Zarqa, Jordan, on Tuesday night and to arrive at Erez on Wednesday, when Mr. Blinken will be in Israel to speak with Israeli officials. Workers put wooden pallets of boxes of aid onto the trucks using forklifts.

Shortly before arriving at the warehouse in the early evening, Mr. Blinken met with several Palestinian women who had left Gaza during the war and who still have family members there.

“I heard the suffering that they endured and that their friends and family continue to endure every day,” Mr. Blinken said.

Mr. Blinken also called on Hamas to commit to an agreement to release some civilian hostages in exchange for a temporary cease-fire and the liberation of scores of Palestinian prisoners.

The Biden administration is trying to increase pressure on Hamas to accept the deal. Israeli officials said this week that they were willing to lower their demand for the number of hostages in an initial release to 33 from 40.

Mr. Blinken discussed the proposed deal at meetings in Saudi Arabia on Monday and again in Jordan on Tuesday. He planned to do the same in Israel on Wednesday, according to State Department officials.

After arriving in Jordan on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Blinken first went to separate meetings with the foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, and with King Abdullah II.

Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, said Mr. Blinken and the Jordanian king discussed the cease-fire proposal along with Jordan’s humanitarian aid contributions to Gaza.

On his seventh trip to the Middle East since the war began last October, Mr. Blinken and his aides have been trying to work on a range of issues, including Israel’s continuing need for U.S. weapons, the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a plan for a political solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Before he went to the aid warehouse on Tuesday, Mr. Blinken also met with Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations coordinator for Gaza, to discuss humanitarian aid needs in Gaza.

“This is a critical moment in making sure that everything that needs to be done is actually being done,” Mr. Blinken said at the start of the meeting.

In talks with Jordanian officials, Mr. Blinken also spoke about issues involving the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Biden administration has called for a more technocratic Palestinian Authority, which is considered by many Palestinians to be authoritarian and corrupt , in the hopes that it could help govern postwar Gaza — an idea that Israel’s government opposes. Jordanian officials have close ties with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the authority, and other prominent Palestinians in the organization. Mr. Blinken has not met with Mr. Abbas on his trip.

— Edward Wong traveling with the U.S. secretary of state in the Middle East

Officials from Hamas and Fatah, longtime rivals, met in China.

Officials from Hamas and Fatah, the main Palestinian factions that have long competed for power in Gaza and the West Bank, met in Beijing recently for what Chinese officials on Tuesday called “in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation.”

The discussions in Beijing were not expected to produce much. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has deepened support for Hamas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority — controlled by Fatah — has administered cities and towns for decades. U.S. officials have suggested that the Palestinian Authority could help govern a postwar Gaza, though that would most likely require approval from Hamas.

And that kind of power-sharing would require more compromise than currently seems possible. Fatah and Hamas met in late February in Russia without any apparent progress toward a unified government. They remain canyons apart on many issues, especially with Fatah demanding that Hamas dismantle its armed wing — a move that the militant group has repeatedly dismissed in the past.

And yet, for Beijing, the meetings most likely served a larger purpose: to present China as a great power and peacemaker in opposition to the United States.

Beijing helped restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia , and it has also floated a set of principles to end the conflict in Ukraine, although Ukraine and its Western allies have said those principles lack credibility . Declaring solidarity with the Palestinian cause adds to the case China hopes to make to smaller countries around the world that feel alienated by the West, according to analysts.

“The thread which ties these initiatives to Beijing’s broader foreign policy is its claim to be able to represent developing countries, or what they like to call the ‘global south,’” said Richard McGregor, a senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

“Such gestures, and they are in large part gestures for the moment,” he added, “fits with China’s current priorities, which is to learn the habits of a great power with the heft and skill to bring warring parties to the table.”

The officials who attended the gathering in the Chinese capital included Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of Hamas’s political wing, and Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, according to Palestinian officials.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Tuesday that representatives of Hamas and Fatah had “recently” held talks in Beijing and had agreed to continue a dialogue. He did not specify when the meeting was held.

Fatah and Hamas have a fraught history . When Israel withdrew all its troops and citizens from Gaza in 2005, it handed power there to the Palestinian Authority. But Fatah lost a legislative election the next year to Hamas. In 2007, Hamas seized power in Gaza in a short and brutal civil war, dividing the Palestinians not only territorially, but politically.

Joy Dong contributed research.

— Damien Cave and Adam Rasgon reporting from Jerusalem

Biden speaks to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to press for Hamas’s agreement on a new cease-fire.

President Biden spoke on Monday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar as he sought to increase pressure on Hamas to accept a deal that would result in a temporary cease-fire in the war in Gaza and the release of some of the hostages held there.

According to a statement from the office of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, he and Mr. Biden discussed the negotiations and Egypt’s efforts to broker a cease-fire. They also reiterated their support for a two-state solution, discussed the importance of containing the conflict to the region and emphasized their opposition to a military escalation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, which Israel seems poised to invade.

Mr. Biden also spoke on Monday with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. According to the White House, Mr. Biden urged the Qatari leader “to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas,” saying that “this is now the only obstacle” to an immediate cease-fire.

Mr. al-Sisi and Mr. al-Thani have been prime intermediaries with Hamas through months of fitful negotiations to reach a deal to halt the hostilities, and Mr. Biden hopes they will prod the group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, to accept the U.S.-brokered proposal on the table. On Sunday, Mr. Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, expressed a hopeful view of the prospects for an agreement. “In recent days, there has been progress in talks,” she told reporters at the White House.

Like other American officials, Ms. Jean-Pierre said that Hamas, not Israel, was the obstacle to an agreement.

“The onus is indeed on Hamas,” she said. “There is a deal on the table, and they need to take it.”

— Peter Baker reporting from Washington

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Thirty years later, this taunt by a Massachusetts heckler still haunts Jerry Seinfeld.

When it comes to hecklers, there's no shortage of them in Massachusetts, whether it has to do with sports, or even comedy shows.

Just ask legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Seinfeld is currently doing publicity for his new film, "Unfrosted, " which comes out this Friday, May 3, on Netflix. The movie – which is loosely based on the story about the creation of Pop-Tarts – is his feature directorial debut.

In the course of doing publicity for the film , Seinfeld recalled a nightmarish experience while doing a stand-up show in Boston.

What happened to Jerry Seinfeld in Boston?

Over thirty years ago back in 1993, Seinfeld was in Boston for a show when a heckler called him out.

“I had this amazing bit about weddings. It was fantastic. It was so long, and it covered everything. It was a great bit, and I worked on it and worked on it,” he told sport's journalist Graham Bensinger recently on his YouTube show, “ In Depth with Graham Bensinger .” “And I love developing and polishing every little detail of a bit. So it takes me forever.”

Apparently, at that particular gig , Seinfeld started in on a bit before being interrupted.

"I start into the bit and somebody yells, ‘Heard it,'” Seinfeld told Bensinger in a recent interview. “And that was a tough one. I still think about it. It was mean. It was true.”

Comedian Adam Sandler was the opening act that night.

Why is Seinfeld talking about that Boston show?

Seinfeld is doing publicity for his new movie, "Unfrosted," about the invention of "Pop-Tarts."

According to Netflix, "Unfrosted" is "set in Michigan in 1963, the year before Pop-Tarts hit grocery store shelves." Seinfeld directs, co-wrote and also stars in the movie, according to Netflix.

Seinfeld said in an interview with Netflix that the movie is based on real events, but takes liberties when it comes to the story.

The movie also stars Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, among others.