"Your focus determines your reality" - Fall 2025 Travel Adventures - Update 9/25

[Dis_Yoda]

Rather than separate all our travels out – I’m going to do one trip report to cover all three trips we are going on this fall.

Trip #1: September - Provence, France - A 7 Night Tauck Tour + Pre/Post Night Stays
Trip #2: October – Rhodesian Ridgeback National Specialty in Ocala, FL + Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at AKV
Trip #3: December – AKC Nationals in Orlando, FL+ 6 Nights at Saratoga Springs

Who are we?

Dis_Yoda – a 39-year-old female aerospace engineer
Mr. Dis_Yoda – a 41-year-old retail manager



​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Table of Contents

Pre-Trip
Trip #1: Provence Travels
Trip #2: RRCUS Nationals & Wine & Dine

Trip #1
9/12/25 - Travel Day
9/13/25 - Arrival & Dinner
9/14/25 - Aix-En-Provence Food Tour

Trip #2


Trip #3

​

 

[hardcorestitch]

Rather than separate all our travels out – I’m going to do one trip report to cover all three trips we are going on this fall.

Trip #1: September - Provence, France - A 7 Night Tauck Tour + Pre/Post Night Stays
Trip #2: October – Rhodesian Ridgeback National Specialty in Ocala, FL + Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at AKV
Trip #3: December – AKC Nationals in Orlando, FL+ 6 Nights at Saratoga Springs

Who are we?

Dis_Yoda – a 39-year-old female aerospace engineer
Mr. Dis_Yoda – a 41-year-old retail manager

View attachment 997644

​

You have quite a lot ahead! Enjoy.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

You have quite a lot ahead! Enjoy.

Thank you!

I am so looking forward to it all.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Trip #1: Provence Travels

For our major vacation this year, we skipped a big Disney trip and decided it was time to go back to France! We took our first Tauck Tour back in 2017 for a Week in Amalfi Coast, Capri and Rome and since then have done two other tours (Normandy, Brittany, Paris & Loire Valley in 2019 and A Week In Tuscany & Umbria in 2023) While we are younger than their typical clientele, we do enjoy the level of service provided and the access they are able to give.



The Plan

September 12th
Leave Houston

September 13th – Aix-en-Provence
8:15AM – Arrive Paris
11:30AM – Leave Paris
12:55PM – Arrive Marseille

Tauck has a private driver for you to pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel which is about 30 minutes away from the airport.

Arrive at Hotel: Grand Hotel Roi Rene – Aix-en-Provence

Once at the hotel, we plan on making ourselves human again after the overnight flight with showering and a change of clothes.

Dinner this evening will be some bistro nearby or at the bar at the hotel. There seems to be a ton of options just a 10-to-15-minute walk from the hotel. It will all depend on how we feel.



September 14th – Aix-en-Provence

Morning: My husband will most likely go for a run either around the town or at the gym. I will enjoy a light breakfast that’s included with our stay before we go out adventuring.

11:00AM: No Diet Club Food Tour

I booked this 2.5 hour tour off Viator as it had great reviews and was capped with a smaller group.

“Aix-en-Provence is renowned for its gastronomy but knowing where to find the best sweet and savory treats takes insider knowledge. Get a local’s introduction to the city during this small-group lunch crawl. Roam through bustling street markets and down picturesque alleys on the hunt for tastings like lavender ice cream and the anchovy-based dip, anchoïade. Listen to fun, informative stories along the way—and in between bites.
Enjoy a sampling of decadent Provençal treats, both sweet and savory
Uncover hidden gems left off most tourist itineraries
Explore the historic city center and encounter multiple photo ops”

After the tour – we’ll head back to the hotel until the Tauck portion of the trip officially begins.

3:00PM: Tauck Tour kicks off with an orientation walk through the center of Aix-en-Provence focusing on Cezanne. This includes a visit to the Hotel de Caumont which is an 18th century mansion-turned art center. Here we will dive deeper into Paul Cezanne and his ties to Provence.

Dinner: Welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.

September 15th – Aix-en-Provence

Morning: Head to Chateau La Costa, a 17th century Venetian-style villa. Walk through their sculpture gardens and visit their winery
Lunch: Al fresco at the Chateau
Afternoon & Evening: On our own in Aix-en-Provence

September 16 – Luberon, Gordes, Gargas

Morning: Leave Aix and head towards Luberon to visit their villages, meadows and moorlands.
Lunch: Provencal market walk in Gordes followed by a picnic lunch in a Provencal meadow
Afternoon: Head to Gargas, France for our next two nights of hotel
Dinner: At the hotel

Hotel: La Coquillade – Gargas, France

September 17 – Gargas, Roussillon

Morning: Hike to Abbaye de Senanque, built in the 12th century and is still tended to by a small group of Cistercian monks
Lunch: Roussillon Typical French Fare
Afternoon: Nature walk through quarries of Roussillon
Evening: On our own in Gargas

Based on what the day entails, I’m sure we will want a low key evening. The bar has a decent menu for lighter fare or if we want something more – we can always try the other restaurant that Tauck doesn’t take us to the night before.

September 18 – Fontaine-de-Vaucluse / St-Remy / Avignon

Morning: Exploring Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, which was once the home of an Italian poet, Petrarch
Lunch: Visit St. Remy & enjoy lunch on our own
Afternoon: Visit St-Paul-de-Mausole where we visit the asylum Vincent van Gogh spent a year with a guided tour
Visit Glanum – one of the largest and oldest archeological sites in France
Head to Le-Pontet-Avignon for our hotel for the next 4 nights
Dinner: At our hotel

Hotel: Auberge de Cassagne

September 19 – Avignon

Morning: Walking tour of Avignon
Visiting market with a chef and sample seasonal specialties
Cooking class with items from our market visit
Rhone Wine Tasting
Afternoon/Evening: On our own
Dinner: Pollen – Avignon – 8PM (I booked this) - 1 Michelin Star Meal

September 20 – Pont du Guard / Avignon / Chateauneuf de Pape

Morning: Visit to Pont du Gard – Roman Aquaduct from 50AD
Afternoon: Visit to Palace of the Popes
Evening: Farewell Dinner at a winery in Chateaneuf-du-Pape

September 21st
9:00AM: Viator Tour Booked: Morning Wine Tour to Chateauneuf du Pape from Avignon

The rest of the day TBD

September 22nd

6:00AM – Leave Marseille
7:30AM – Arrive Paris
10:10AM – Leave Paris
1:35PM – Arrive Houston​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Trip #2 – Rhodesian Ridgeback Nationals + Wine & Dine

Originally when planning to go to the National Specialty for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, I wasn’t planning on adding on a Disney World trip at the end. Then RunDisney did RunDisney things and moved the Wine & Dine race weekend up a weekend from where it traditionally is, so the weekend was now right when the National Specialty is wrapping up. My husband wanted a fall half marathon, so this ended up working out decently well. There will be some added chaos to it, but it is what it is.

We have an AirBNB booked in Ocala, FL near the World Equestrian Center where our event is being held. We will have all 3 of our ridgebacks with us so that fenced in yard is key!



The cast of Ridgebacks:
Gantu – 7 year old Ridgeless male
Qi’ra – 6 year old female, finished Grand Champion but now spayed
Belo – 1 year old male, still in the classes and up and coming show dog.

Saturday October 18th

Long day of driving from Texas to Ocala
Check Into AirBnB

Sunday October 19th

Gantu, Belo, and Qi’ra each to run FastCATs in the early morning – Qi’ra should earn her FCAT title
Gantu competes in Agility
Various volunteer tasks
My mother & her husband are arriving for a few nights

Monday October 20th

Low key day around Ocala
Belo will show off his tricks to hopefully earn his Trick Dog Novice and Trick Dog Intermediate titles
4PM: Veteran Sweepstakes with High Tea Social Mixer

Tuesday October 21st

Morning: Puppy & Junior Sweepstakes. Belo is entered in 12-15 Month Dog Sweepstakes.
Afternoon: Free to relax
Evening: Awards Dinner & Ceremony

Wednesday October 22nd

Morning: Belo competes in Dog Classes (entered as 12-15 Month Dog)
Lunch: Best Ridge Competition – I am the judge for all entered dogs
Mother & her Husband head home
Late Afternoon: Member Forum/Issue Discussion
Evening: Annual Dinner & Member Meeting for Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of United States

Thursday October 23rd

Midday: Qi’ra competes in Female Classes in Altered (she will be handled by a friend) as…
Midday: Dis_Yoda drives Mr. Dis_Yoda to Animal Kingdom Lodge with most of our luggage so he can start his RunDisney Weekend

Mr. Dis_Yoda’s Plans for the Rest of the Day:
Race Expo (Bib Pick-Up & Shopping)
Dinner at Sanaa

Dis_Yoda’s Plans
Drive back to Ocala
Top 25 Competition

Friday October 24th

Morning: Ridgebacks head to my old Florida Professional Handler’s house near Ocala where they get to stay for the next 3 nights & I drive back to Disney after checking out of our AirBnB

Mr. Dis_Yoda plans on heading into Magic Kingdom to ride Tron
I’ll meet him at Magic Kingdom upon arrival
Dinner: Topolino’s Terrace

Saturday October 25th

Morning: Mr.Dis_Yoda runs Wine & Dine 10K
Morning: Parisian Breakfast at Chefs de France w/ RunDisney Friends
EPCOT Park Time followed by Afternoon Nap
After Nap, head to Animal Kingdom
Dinner: Tiffins

Sunday October 26th

Morning: Mr. Dis_Yoda runs Wine & Dine Half Marathon
Breakfast: Boma
Hollywood Studios
EPCOT Evening

Monday October 27th

A marathon day of driving home, stopping in Ocala to pick up the ridgebacks then heading back to Texas​

 

[DLo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks!

I'm now home from Trip #1 so time to get this started!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Friday
September 12th
Travel Day

The day before I checked into our flight on the Air France app when it was 30 hours before.




The morning was boring with my husband taking the dogs to the kennel while I ended up needing to do some work for a few hours. I was ok with that as it meant more vacation time to use later down the road. At noon, we finally hit the road when I had a realization that I forgot to get the cash out of the ATM for tipping our Tauck tour guide & driver at the end of the trip. I like not having to worry about it while we were there so we made a slight detour to Chase before finally arriving at the Houston - George Bush International Airport. That airport is an absolute madhouse currently with the amount of construction going on around the the terminals. We got to international departures after a long walk through all the construction walls.





We checked our bags and got through security and I finally reaching hangry point. This is my fault as I didn't eat anything all morning while I was working and finishing up the last thing around the house. My husband wasn't that hungry but he was all stressed or time or something - I'm not sure. We both were close to snapping at each other especially after I didn't really like the menu at the place closest to the gate so we walked to the other part of Terminal D and landed on the Annie Cafe & Bar.

I ordered a cocktail which was like a Manhattan but with sparkles! I found it really refreshing.



For my meal - I ended up ordering a Shrimp Campeche which was mixed with Onion, Jicama and Avocado. This was so good for airport food especially! It hit the spot to make me less cranky too.



Shocking no one who has read my reports over the years, my husband had a chicken Caesar salad. It really enjoyed the chicken and the dressing.



We settled our bill and headed over to our correct gate while making the necessary stops along the way for bathroom use and getting some bottled beverages.

90 minutes before our flight was to take off - this was the gate.



I don't get it.

About 30 minutes later - they started pre-boarding and we each took our final stop run to using a real bathroom before we got in line for our zone. When we booked our flights - we went with the Air France Duo seats in Economy which meant we didn't have to sit with anyone else in our row. A nice financial trade off while still meaning we didn't have to deal with others much.



We were on a nice new Airbus A350 with the big screen and the dimmer windows which were great!

About an hour into the flight - they served dinner. It was a great improvement from 2019 which I remember us hating. The chicken had a mustard sauce and some rice. The dessert was a chocolate lava cake (well a cold version of one) and we had both champagne and wine to enjoy.



We both slept terribly on the plane but that isn't really shocking. A 9 hour flight in Economy isn't going to be the most comfortable experience. About an hour before landing we were served the world's worst breakfast. I ate the bread that was included in it but nothing else. My husband had the orange juice that was in the bag.

Landing in Paris was uneventful. We headed through passport control and the security screenings as we headed to our gate for our flight to Marseille. We did stop at a Starbucks for some caffeine so we could try to function a bit.



Our flight was delayed in boarding due to some weather the inbound plane had to go through.

Once we boarded - we were able to get about 45 minutes of sleep on the short flight so not sure if they fed or provided drinks as we were both snoring along.

We landed around 2PM local time and had a bit of a wait for our luggage to come out. Turns out - we had other Tauck guests on our flight and they were waiting for us since their luggage came out very quickly. The 5 of us were loaded into the transfer van and we headed into Aix-en-Provence. None of us were really talkative because of a long travel day.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Saturday
September 13th
Arrival & Dinner

The drive to our hotel took about 45 minutes. It was raining steadily the whole drive, so it wasn’t the most scenic view.

The hotel we stayed at was the Grand Hotel Roi Rene Aix-en-Provence Centre – Mgallery Collection. It was well located near the city center.

We checked in and were given a welcome packet from Tauck that also included two things we needed to fill out for dinners (the welcome dinner & the dinner on Tuesday night) and we were off to our room.

Our room, 305, turned out to be a handicapped room which meant we had no tub, and the layout was a bit weird. The hotel had multiple other tour companies there so I’m sure it was more so a capacity issue. Not the most luxurious hotel for Tauck but I had read that previously in the reviews of the tour. The location was great!

We got into the room and cleaned up. Taking a shower after a full day of travel is the best feeling. We agreed to take a short power nap then figure out dinner as nothing would be open until later anyway. We saw the bar would be open at 4 and hoped there would be some light options for food but it turns out that was incorrect on the food side. It was raining so the poolside option was also out. We walked in the rain across the street to a small grocery store to get some drinks and wait until the hotel restaurant opened at 7. We knew we couldn’t just sit at the bar and wait and drink as we were at the sleepy level where that meant we would probably fall asleep at the bar.

So we hung out in our hotel room until 7PM, going over the information packet we had from Tauck, making the selections, and such and then made our way downstairs to get sat.



For cocktails, I went with one of the special cocktails which included gin, champagne and some other liquor while my husband just had a glass of champagne.




The bread served was lovely as well.

I went with the truffle pasta. This was so filling and tasty! The truffle wasn’t overpowering and hit the spot.


Rigatoni with Truffle & Guanciale, Parmesan Cream, Arugula, Walnuts


My husband went with the chicken burger which he really enjoyed. The chicken was well seasoned.


Crispy Chicken Burger, Bacon, homemade Ketchup, Comte Cheese, Lettuce

After we paid our bill, we headed up to the room and passed out. We knew Sunday would be more of the real start of vacation as we had a Food Tour set up around lunch along with the start of the Tauck tour in the afternoon.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Sunday
September 14th 2025
Food Tour

We slept hard and woke up very refreshed Sunday morning around 7am! This was very much needed. We got ready for the day. My husband decided he was going to go running in the hotel gym while I decided I would have a nice hearty breakfast downstairs. We headed down together and he went on his way while I was sat. My breakfast was pretty similar each day at this hotel. Bread, crepes with hazelnut spread, cheese, not terrible bacon, cheese, calissons d'Aix, and lots of espresso. It was a nice breakfast!

After my husband was cleaned up – we headed out to figure out where we were meeting up for our Viator Food Tour. It was a short walk to the Cr Mirabeau which is the main strip of activity at the start of the city center. Apparently today was association day where all the local organizations are letting you know they exist and you can learn about them and sign up so it was very busy on the Mirabeau.


The Fontaine de la Rotonde


The Associations


Local Statue

We met with our guide along the Mirabeau. There were 2 other couples and a solo there for the tour. Our guide was named Tomas who was someone that had grown up in the area and was really passionate about food and history of the region. He talked about King Rene who was a very well loved king in the area. He also talked about how Aix is known as the City of a Thousand Fountains. They have more like 250/300 but unfortunately – not as many of them are running as there used to be – either due to droughts or maintenance. There wasn’t really an answer.


Our Tour Guide

The fountains tie back to the Roman times as they established thermal baths in the area of the springs as the town was founded back in 123 BC.


The Fountain

We headed to a local food store where the items are made fresh and he discussed some of the items that were traditional to Provence. He got some items that we would be trying later.





He then walked us through a small local market and talked how to make sure you are buying real Provencial lavender versus the items imported. (Aka don’t buy the teddy bears!) The markets tend to be a lot safer than the shoppes.



As we continued our walk – the statues along the Rues were pointed out. During the plagues, people weren’t able to go to church and needed a way to be able to pray from their windows. They were called oratoires. The town has over 90 around. Some are missing as they’ve been stolen over the years or defaced in the French revolution.



We then went to a bakery where our guide picked up some other item for us to try. From there we went to a quiet street where our guide set up a little spread of the items from the first stop we had. The spread included a fig tapenade, an artichoke spread, a pepper tapenade, pickled garlic, goat cheese stuffed peppers and some fresh baguettes.



We all took some time to eat the various items. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the pickled garlic as the taste didn’t linger. My favorite was the goat cheese stuffed peppers and I think I ended up eating half the container once everyone had amble time to eat them. I also liked the artichoke spread and the pepper tapenade. That tapenade was made with green olives which I think made it less salty than I thought.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

The next item served to us was a traditional sandwich from the region. This sandwich to be honest, it was everything I hate. Tuna Salad made with Olive Oil, eggs, anchovies, tomatoes. I was a good person and tried a bite and then proceeded to eat the outside of the bread. My husband also didn’t like it.



We walked further into the city and were taken down a street that showed how the buildings bulged. They were taxed on the square footage of the building at the foundation so by building out – they got more room for less money. Eventually the government caught on and changed it to taxing by the number of windows the building had – so they would wall some windows instead.




Another Oratory

We headed to Le Roy Rene where we discussed the calisson. The lure says that it was created for the royal wedding of King Rene in the 15th Century. The bride apparently called it a hug in cookie form. A traditional calisson is a mix of almond paste, melon, and orange peels covered in a royal icing. There are other flavors, but they are just named other things if it is a true one. We were shown the original tools where Le Roy Rene made the cookies.


Praline Maker







We walked to the Palace de l’hotel de Ville to see the clock tower that tells three important things of information – the season, the time, and the lunar phase.



We then headed to an ice cream shoppe where my husband had a scoop of caramel, and I had a scoop of lavender ice cream. We were both pleased with our choices. The lavender was nice to try but it wasn’t something crave worthy.





This is where we said goodbye to our tour guide and headed back to the hotel to relax until our Tauck Tour started.​

 

[hardcorestitch]

The next item served to us was a traditional sandwich from the region. This sandwich to be honest, it was everything I hate. Tuna Salad made with Olive Oil, eggs, anchovies, tomatoes. I was a good person and tried a bite and then proceeded to eat the outside of the bread. My husband also didn’t like it.

View attachment 1009139

We walked further into the city and were taken down a street that showed how the buildings bulged. They were taxed on the square footage of the building at the foundation so by building out – they got more room for less money. Eventually the government caught on and changed it to taxing by the number of windows the building had – so they would wall some windows instead.

View attachment 1009140

View attachment 1009141
Another Oratory

We headed to Le Roy Rene where we discussed the calisson. The lure says that it was created for the royal wedding of King Rene in the 15th Century. The bride apparently called it a hug in cookie form. A traditional calisson is a mix of almond paste, melon, and orange peels covered in a royal icing. There are other flavors, but they are just named other things if it is a true one. We were shown the original tools where Le Roy Rene made the cookies.

View attachment 1009142
Praline Maker

View attachment 1009143


View attachment 1009144
View attachment 1009145

We walked to the Palace de l’hotel de Ville to see the clock tower that tells three important things of information – the season, the time, and the lunar phase.

View attachment 1009146

We then headed to an ice cream shoppe where my husband had a scoop of caramel, and I had a scoop of lavender ice cream. We were both pleased with our choices. The lavender was nice to try but it wasn’t something crave worthy.

View attachment 1009147

View attachment 1009148

This is where we said goodbye to our tour guide and headed back to the hotel to relax until our Tauck Tour started.​

That’s some boujee desserts right there! Glad you enjoyed the tour.