Informational meeting on France 2020 trip set Friday in Marksville

Information about the planned 300th Anniversary Ancestry Tour of France will be available from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday (Oct. 18) at Fresh Catch/Broken Wheel Brewery in Marksville.

David Campbell of Stephen Ambrose Tours will explain the itinerary of the trip and answer any questions about the tour, which centers on the first great wave of migration to Louisiana.

The trip is scheduled for April 17-27 and will include stops in Paris, numerous towns and villages where many Avoyelles Parish colonists are from, the three ports of depar- ture for their ships, a full day of historical reflection at the D-Day beaches, museums, a cemetery and cultural highlights such as the famous cathedral in Chartres and the fortress of Chinon.

The meeting is informal and no commitment is required. The intent is to gauge the interest level. The cost per participant will depend on the number going on the tour. A price will be determined by early November and an information/registration page will be set up on the Stephen Ambrose Tours website.

This will be a coach tour, covering guides, all hotels and breakfasts and some dinners. The tour group expects to secure reduced group flight rates and will arrange transportation to and from New Orleans Airport if enough people want that option.

The tour commemorates the arrival 300 years ago of the ships which brought the first major wave of migration to Louisiana which included many Avoyelles French family surnames.

For more information on the voyage you can also contact the tour historian Cathy Sturgell at cathysturgell@yahoo. com, or follow the trip plans on Facebook by simply joining the Louisiana_France2020_Trip page.