The year 2012 marks the 15th anniversary of KDavis Travels. It was 1997 when KDavis Travels began as a separate company from Davis-Kidd Booksellers. Since that time scores of you have traveled with me…you are intrepid travelers! Together, we have hiked backroads, explored remote villages, seen ancient sites, talked with many interesting people, been awed by the wonders of nature, all the while enjoying landscapes that have moved spirits and shaped civilizations.Stories to tell and memories to cherish is what we have gained in these 15 years.. and a broader world view.

What could be better!

So, 2012, finds us again in the very place we started 15 years ago…the Pembrokeshire Coast of Wales and the village of St. Davids. We keep returning to this beautiful and ancient coast. It is the only coastline in Britain designated a National Park because of its spectacular scenery. And who could forget Skomer Island … puffins within arm’s reach. Then, in the autumn, there is the sweet sight of newborn Atlantic Grey Seals at water’s edge. The warming waters of the Gulf Stream bring a profusion of wildflowers cascading down the sea cliffs. History here reaches way back to the time of hut circles, stone burial tombs and iron age forts.

We had our second visit to southern Spain in 2011 and we are going back for more in 2012. Ronda, one of Europe’s oldest cities , is our base for exploring this very beautiful part of Andalucia. The Moorish and Christian cultures meet here in the mix of architecture, food, and history. Located atop the deep ravine of El Tajo, Ronda is the most outstanding of the “white villages” of southern Spain. May is a beautiful time to be here with the abundance of wildflowers, a pleasant climate, and always great food. We visit the Pileta Caves, seeing cave paintings dating back over 32,000 years, cork forests, old threshing floors and the Ronda bullring-- one of the oldest in Spain.

Our first trip to south Devon, England was in 2011 and we were well rewarded. We based in the lovely harbor town of Dartmouth  where the Dart River flows into the English Channel. All types of boats do business in this harbor: sailboats, yachts, ferry boats, fishing boats, tall ships, small cruise ships, row boats. History reaches from here across the Atlantic to North America: the Mayflower put in for last supplies here before crossing the ocean, fisherman set off from here to Newfoundland, and D-Day forces deployed from here.

If you have a wandering spirit that seeks the uncommon, delights in differences, prefers untried paths, then I hope one of these places calls out to you and you will come traveling with me in 2012.