kentkauffman.com
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TOUR PHOTO LINKS
My Photo Albums
- PHOTOS - KENT'S FAVORITES COLLECTION!
These are a few of my favorite photos from all kinds of tours and travels. What an amazing world we live in! I will add more photos as I sort through my archives. This link will stay at the top of this page and photo sites below will be in chronological order with the most recent on top.
Click on a link to view photo sites from my trips dating back to 2003! They can be viewed as a slide show or by clicking on individual photos to enlarge them.
- PHOTOS - JULY 2010 - Glacier and Canadian Rockies with ACTS retirees
July 23 I flew to Philadelphia to collect retirees from various communities and fly them back to Montana to begin our trip. 2 nights in Whitefish for Glacier, then into Canada to Kootenay National Park, Chateau Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields, Jasper and Banff.
- PHOTOS - JULY 2010 - Amish in Utah & Colorado
A quick trip with 9 Amish gals from Illinois through eastern Utah and southwest Colorado. We started with 3 nights in a condo in Moab and did Arches, Canyonlands, Rafting on the Colorado, and the La Sal Mountains. On through Natural Bridges, Moki Dugway & Muley Point, and Monument Valley, to Mesa Verde, Durango, Silverton and back to Colorado Springs. My "Purple People" often dressed alike in purple dresses! Sorry, no pics.
- PHOTOS - JUNE 2010 - MYW Europe
Two weeks with Mennonite-Your-Way in Europe, including the Oberammergau Passion Play. We started with two days of steady rain in Zurich, Switzerland and ended with 3 beautiful days in the Swiss Alps and Emmental. In between were Strasbourg, France; Germany; Austria; and of course the passion play. This was more work and stress than any tour I've ever done, but it ended up being a great trip with a happy group!
- PHOTOS - JUNE 2010 - Washington DC with the White Family
An exciting week exploring Washington DC with Bill & Charlotte White and their 3 grandchildren - Hez, Kelsey and Emma.
- PHOTOS - MAY 2010 - John Knox Village and Shell Point in the Southwest
Members of John Knox Village and Shell Point enjoy near perfect weather in the canyons and mountains of the southwest, from Phoenix to Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Lake Powell, through Zion and Bryce to Las Vegas.
- PHOTOS - MAY 2010 - Southwest X 2
Two tours back to back in the Southwest. The first week I did a hiking tour roundtrip Las Vegas with the PEP girls - that stands for Park Employees in Pink. That's because we started the tour in Zion in a BLIZZARD(!) and the girls bought matching pink jackets and people thought they were park employees! We had good weather in the afternoon for hiking though and after continued cold in Bryce the weather improved for a wonderful week.
- PHOTOS - MARCH/APRIL 2010 - Mom's Kitchen Project!
OK, it's more than a kitchen project. It ended up a nearly total makeover of the living room, dining room, and kitchen! A major transformation.
- PHOTOS - February 2010 - Fabulous Dubai and Arabian Nights
The 2nd Annual tour/cruise to Dubai and the Gulf States was again a great success. A really fun group enjoyed each other and the wonderful sights of this colorful region. We topped it off the last day with High Tea at the 7-Star Burj al Arab Hotel. Wow! After the rest of the group went home Mother, Armina, Gaylene, Roger and I flew to Amman, Jordan and were joined by Kermit Kauffman for 3 days touring Petra and the Dead Sea. What a delightful addition! Mother said Petra was one of the highlights of her life. Next February will be the "3rd Annual Fabulous Dubai and Arabian Nights and the Petra extension will definitely be offered to anyone interested.
- PHOTOS - November 2009 - South Africa
I have never put 200 photos on a photos site before, but our Wonderful South Africa tour demanded it. It's hard to believe how much we saw - from the Big 5 plus giraffes, zebras and impalas, to great Landscapes, the Garden Route, Flowers, Seascapes, Cape Town, Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula. This was an extraordinary trip for all!
- PHOTOS - October 2009 - JKV Colorado / New Mexico Tour
Thirteen Ladies and one Man went with me on a tour of lesser-known areas from Colorado Springs through New Mexico to El Paso, Texas. It was unusually cool for the time of year, and the altitude affected people, but we had bright blue skies for most of the trip. Highlights were Pikes Peak, Cumbres & Toltec Railroad, Santa Fe, Tent Rocks National Monument, White Sands National Monument and Carlstbad Caverns. We ended with a farewell dinner at Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch.
- PHOTOS - September 2009 - MYW Rockies Tour
The MYW Rockies tour is normally in June, but this year took place in September. We were blessed with extraordinarily good weather for this time of year, every day of the tour! Blue sky and warm temperatures made it a stunningly beautiful trip from the Black Hills through Yellowstone and up to the northern Rockies.
- PHOTOS - July 2009 - Mullet Family Reunion in Bozeman
We hosted 120 (Mullet) relatives on Mom's side of the family here in Bozeman July 31 to August 3. I didn't have time to take pictures, but my brother Vance did a thorough job of capturing everyone. His photos are featured here. What a family! (Thanks, Vance!)
- PHOTOS - July 2009 - Kunz Family in the West
Otto Kunz from Switzerland brought his 3 young grandchildren, James, Victoria, & Stephen, for a tour of the Yellowstone area and then California. Great kids to travel with and we had beaucoup de fun!
- PHOTOS - June 2009 - JKV and Shell Point Rockies
Sixteen Florida retirees from John Knox Village and Shell Point toured the Canadian Rockies with me. From Calgary we went to Banff and Chateau Lake Louise, Yoho National Park, Icefields Parkway, and the Athabasca Glacier. In Jasper we 'hiked' Maligne Canyon and cruised Maligne Lake. In spite of dire forecasts of clouds and heavy rain, we had quite pleasant weather and also saw 5 bears, 2 Bull Elk, 2 Bighorn Rams, and a family of Mountain Goats. From Jasper we rode the Rocky Mountaineer 2 days to Vancouver where we enjoyed 2 nights at the beautiful Fairmont Waterfront.
- PHOTOS - May 2009 - ACTS Canyonlands
Thirteen seniors from a variety of ACTS retirement communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida came with me for 9 days in the southwest. From Phoenix to Sedona and Grand Canyon, on to Monument Valley and Lake Powell, then Bryce and Zion before ending up in Las Vegas. A delightful group was overwhelmed by the scenic magic every day!
- PHOTOS - April 2009 - Holland, Germany, Switzerland
A quick trip through Germany's Castle Region to Holland with Abraham & Anny Gerber and Anny Zoss to see the tulip fields and the dikes.
- PHOTOS - March 2009 Winter in Yellowstone
It was cold and clear for a few days for our "Winter in Yellowstone" tour. Doris and Willie came up from California to see the sights and lots and lots of animals. We saw 6 wolves (through binoculars) and then watched a grizzly walk across the road in front of us! Countless bison, elk, deer, antelope, coyotes, 17 trumpeter swans and a couple bald eagles rounded out the wildlife.
- PHOTOS - February 2009 Best of DUBAI
I organized a trip for 25 people to Dubai for a couple nights in a 5-star hotel and a 7-night cruise to Muscat, Oman; Fujairah, UAE; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Bahrain. Truly fabulous! We had fantastic adventures, but the highlight was the warm welcome we received from everyone we met. It was by far the biggest venture I've undertaken alone, but it was a great success. It was such a good experience I'm going to offer it again in 2010.
- PHOTOS - October 2008 Northeast USA
Karl & Ursula Heese and I started off in Boston for a visit to Cape Cod and Providence, then dined on lobstuh and steak at Rod's place in Maine. Vibrant fall color in New Hampshire and a wintery trip to the top of Mt Washington. Vermont and the lovely Adirondack Mountains of New York. Lancaster County Pennsylvania's Amish country was undoubtedly the highlight, and we concluded with Skyline Drive in Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg, and a scenic drive back up the east coast to Boston.
- PHOTOS - September 2008 MYW Peaks Parks & Canyons
The best bus tour of the western parks you can find. Highlights of the national parks and a few secrets. Leon & Nancy always organize a great tour and take me along as 'parks guide'!
- PHOTOS - August/September 2008 Eastern Europe
Stunning Swiss Alps, Castles and Palaces, Culture and History highlighted our small group tour to Switzerland, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Cracow, and Prague.
- PHOTOS - August 2008 JKV Maritimes
My 'Ladies in their Eighties' headed northeast from Florida to New England and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Acadia National Park, the Cabot Trail, and Prince Edward Island were highlights. And of course, the lobstuh!
- PHOTOS - April 2008 Southwest and
PHOTOS - March 2008 Enchanted SouthwestTwo similar tours in the spring of 2008 featured cactus blossoms and lesser known areas. Organ Pipe National Monument, Chiricahua, Coronado Trail, the Catwalk, Gila Cliff Dwellings, White Sands, Cloudcroft, Tent Rocks, were just the beginning. Southern Utah and Death Valley rounded out the two tours.
- PHOTOS - December 2007 Italy
Italy in December with a family of 13 is different from my average tour. The White family was blessed with safety, good weather, and delightful children for ten days over Christmas in Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Rome.
- PHOTOS - October 2007 MYW Cactus and Balloons
A new Mennonite-Your-Way tour started with Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Visits to Acoma Sky Pueblo, Canyon de Chelly, and Petrified Forest filled our route to Grand Canyon, from where we headed south to Saguaro NP, Tucson, and Chircahua before returning east to White Sands, El Paso and Carlsbad Caverns.
- PHOTOS - September 2007 Southwest
There is no place I would rather take a small group than to Southern Utah. Doug Gerlach and friends joined me for hiking, climbing, exploring, and picnicking in some of the most spectacular natural areas God created on this earth. We had to take our chances with permits for the WAVE, but lucked out in the end for a terrific climax to the tour.
- PHOTOS - August 2007 Alaska and Yukon
My favorite tour ever to Alaska and Yukon. Two nights in Dawson City, Yukon allowed us to enjoy brilliant fall color in the tundra, as well as the Top of the World Highway. We spotted an inordinate number of animals during our safari day in Denali NP and concluded the tour with a glacier cruise out of Whittier and beluga whales in Turnagain Arm.
- PHOTOS - July 2007 JKV Northwest
My 'Ladies in their Eighties' started in Seattle and toured Mt Rainier NP, North Cascades NP, Puget Sound, Victoria, and the rain forest of Olympic NP. Uncharacteristic gray weather for July, but we had a great time anyway.
- PHOTOS - May 2007 Switzerland
Lynn, Leona and Matthew Miller, my Amish friends from Illinois, took the QE2 to Europe and I took them around Switzerland for over a week, seeing springtime in all its glory. Majestic Alps, idyllic countryside, history and culture.
- PHOTOS - 2007 Queen Mary 2 World Cruise
Around the world in 80 days on one of the grandest ships ever built... and I got to live in a suite and dine in the Queens Grill! Fabulous. South America, South Pacific, Asia, India, Mediterranean.
- PHOTOS - September 2006 MYW Peaks Parks & Canyons
Our biennial MYW Tour to the southwest. If it weren't so spectacular it would be almost boring to have so much good weather and so many spectacular photos every time!
- PHOTOS - June 2006 JKV Utah & Colorado
My 'Ladies in their Eighties' were off on another adventure through Utah and Colorado from Zion and Bryce to Goblin Valley and Moab for a cruise on the Colorado River. Mesa Verde, a train ride and a jeep ride, concluding in Aspen and Rocky Mountain National Park.
- PHOTOS - May 2006 Cousins' Cruise to Alaska
Thirty of us cruised to the great white north on Holland America's Westerdam. Mother, Aunt Jessie, Uncle Jim and Aunt Belle, 'Uncle' Bud and Wayne, numerous cousins and friends enjoyed seven fantastic days of sightseeing and visiting.
- PHOTOS - October 2005 JKV Southwest
Balloon Fiesta with my 'Ladies in their Eighties!' We enjoyed a couple nights in Santa Fe and a visit to Taos Pueblo and Acoma Sky Pueblo. On west through El Malpais, El Morro, Petrified Forest, Sedona, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs and San Diego.
- PHOTOS - September 2005 MYW Northwest
Leon & Nancy Stauffer led another great tour in the Pacific Northwest. Unusually good weather made it a trip to remember, from bright sunshine on the coast to snow in Crater Lake!
- PHOTOS - August & September 2005 Western Parks
I conducted two similar small group tours through my favorite areas between Yellowstone and Las Vegas in late summer and had a spectacular time on both trips. These photos are representative of both tours. Great photos!
- PHOTOS - May 2005 Canyons and Deserts
The first two weeks of May I had a tour in the Southwest with an Amish family from Illinois. My mother joined for part of the tour. It was cool and cloudy most of the tour. During the second two weeks I hosted a small group from Switzerland. The weather was blistering hot and sunny. I've combined photos from the two tours on this site
- PHOTOS - 2005 Voyager World Cruise
The World Cruise tradition continues on the 2005 World Cruise of the RSSC Voyager. Kathy Aaron joined me as co-host from Los Angeles to Auckland and then Rod Hazard hosted with me Auckland to Sydney. My old regular, Svein Johnsen, rejoined in Sydney for the remainder of the cruise back to Ft Lauderdale, Florida April 23.
- PHOTOS - October 2004 John Knox Village West Coast
In October I took 17 Senior Citizens from John Knox Village in Florida on a tour of the West Coast. Mt. St. Helens was spitting and steaming. We had gorgeous weather for the Oregon coast and Crater Lake. We eluded rain in the Redwoods and got to Yosemite just after the biggest storm in decades, with snow accentuating the grandeur of the park. We concluded with Monterey and San Francisco.
- PHOTOS - August 2004 Alaska
Unusually good weather accompanied our small group to Alaska and Yukon. Bears, glaciers, eagles, sunsets, wilderness, and the famous Inside Passage dazzled us for two weeks.
- PHOTOS - July 2004 Kauffman Family Reunion
In early July we enjoyed a Kauffman family reunion in Idaho. We only had about 45 people in attendance, but those there had a great time.
- PHOTOS - June 2004 Maritimes with Karl & Ursula
In June I took Karl & Ursula Heese from Germany on a 2 1/2 week tour through New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Newfoundland was the highlight with fantastic icebergs. The incredible tide fluctuations of the Bay of Fundy fascinated us as well.
- PHOTOS - June 2004 Cousins' WAVE Tour
After an incredible adventure tour in October 2003 to the Wave I took cousins Ken, Shirley and Chloe, sister Vaughn, and friend Bob to Southern Utah. Amazing photos of the WAVE, Antelope Canyon, Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin, Little Wildhorse Canyon, Spooky and Peekaboo Gulch, and the Escalante.
- PHOTOS - May 2004 US Southwest
Tour photos from Southern California and Arizona. Six Swiss enjoyed a diverse tour through some spectacular natural areas. Sequoias and redwoods, deserts and canyons, Death Valley and Pacific Coast... and of course all with perfect weather!
- PHOTOS - 2004 Voyager World Cruise
- From January 10 to April 13, 2004 Svein Johnsen and I hosted the Virtuoso group on board the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager for the Full World Cruise. South Pacific - Australia - New Zealand - The Orient.....
- PHOTOS - October 2003 Secret Southwest
- In October 2003 I took five friends to explore the hidden secrets of Southern Utah's canyon country. Goblin Valley was a big surprise and we scrambled all over hidden slot canyons as well. The week culminated with the absolutely awesome WAVE! Great photos!
- Mennonite-Your-Way Tours
- I usually join Leon and Nancy Stauffer for at least one tour a year, acting as guide for western national parks or Canadian Rockies. We've even done a couple tours together to Europe. If you look carefully, you just may find a picture of me on their website.
