This article was originally published on August 12, 2011
From Europe to Australia, an OAT traveler reminisces about some of her favorite travel memories shared with her identical twin sister
For identical twin sisters Joyce Apitz and Barbara Sales, taking a River Cruise along The Great Rivers of Europe in 2002 began almost ten years of travel together with Grand Circle and OAT.
And the funny thing is, Joyce and Barbara almost didn’t go.
“Barbara kept saying to me, ‘I don’t need to go to Europe.’ But I got a catalog from Grand Circle and told her about this trip,” recalls Joyce—a 15-time traveler from Rockford, Illinois. After some sisterly nudging, Barbara gave in and told Joyce to make the reservations. And after that first River Cruise, Barbara was hooked.
“She turned to me once we got home and said ‘Okay, where are we going next?”
Joyce Apitz (left) and her identical twin sister Barbara Sales have traveled together on eleven Grand Circle and OAT trips, including a visit to Stonehenge in 2008, pictured here.
Eleven Grand Circle and OAT trips later, Joyce and Barbara amassed some truly amazing memories, traveling to Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and along the Rhine and Mosel rivers. “When Barbara and I left home to get married and have kids, we didn’t get to see each other that often,” says Joyce. “By the time we retired, Barbara was divorced and I was a widow, so our vacations let us spend time together.”
Joyce and Barbara began taking one trip each year, but once they realized how many places were still on their must-see lists, they started planning two every year—a tradition they kept alive no matter what for the next three years.
“In 2006, I broke my arm two weeks before we were scheduled to leave for Greece,” Joyce explains. “Barbara came to my house to help care for me, but after realizing how bored we were going be—and getting my doctor’s stamp of approval—we went anyway. And I think my arm healed faster in Greece than if I stayed home!”
Joyce and Barbara enjoy a visit to the Pyramids of Giza during an adventure to Egypt in 2009.
After visiting Egypt in 2009, Joyce and Barbara decided to head to Iceland the following year—however their plans took an unexpected turn: Sadly, Barbara was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lost her battle with the disease before they could make the trip.
Without her regular travel partner, Joyce had a decision to make. “There was never a time I considered not going,” Joyce says. “I knew it would be good for me after losing Barbara.” She was matched with a roommate and had an amazing time. Joyce admits that throughout her explorations of Iceland, she thought of Barbara often. “I kept thinking how much she would have loved everything we saw and did.”
She’s continued her travels with Grand Circle and OAT since losing Barbara—experiencing an African safari and most recently, Nova Scotia & the Canadian Maritimes.
Joyce’s most recent Nova Scotia & the Canadian Maritimes vacation provided her with an opportunity to get a true taste of the local culture as she grew close with her Program Director, Ralph Waugh.
Joyce sites her Program Director Ralph Waugh as one of the reasons her trip to Canada was so wonderful. “I’ve met many Program Directors, but Ralph made me feel like I was part of his family,” shares Joyce. Ralph regaled tales of his life as a television director before retiring, and told her group all about his family. Ralph even gave Joyce and her travel companions a special gift: a cookbook of his mother-in-law’s recipes. And when Joyce and her fellow travelers met Ralph’s wife, she surprised everyone with oat cakes from the cookbook!
In planning her future adventures, Joyce discloses that it’s become difficult selecting where to go next. “I’ve always had Barbara to help me decide,” Joyce explains. “But when I saw the word ‘new’ next to Grand Circle’s Essence of the Elbe River Cruise, I knew that trip was for me.”
Joyce calls her adventure to Africa in 2010 “the most fascinating trip she’s been on,” since it was so different than all of her other Grand Circle and OAT trips. Here, Joyce enjoys a moment to take in the beauty of Tanzania.
As she reminisces about her past travels, Joyce remembers a time when she and Barbara were the youngest members of their groups. Now, she admits, she tends to be the oldest. At 81, Joyce is still going strong, and will continue to travel until she can’t. “So many people don’t like to be away from home for too long,” Joyce says. “But if someone is willing to cook and clean for me, I don’t mind being away at all.”
Although Joyce no longer has her regular travel companion, she has a lifetime of memories with Barbara … and while her sister may not be by her side, Barbara’s spirit is very present, journeying with Joyce every step of the way.
Do you travel with your sister, brother, child, or other family member? I'd enjoy hearing more about your travel experiences exploring the world. Email me at
harriet@gct.com.
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