Yankee Trails

01 A P R I L 2 0 1 7 The Villages ® Community yankeetrails.com | 352.633.4643 David and Rita, original- ly of Crofton, Maryland, moved to The Villages' Virginia Trace neighborhood elev- en years ago after successful ca- reers as a Systems Manager and Education Training Structural De- signer respectively. However, the couple's love for taking cruises started long before their reloca- tion. "We've done a lot of cruis- ing," Georgia said with a smile. "There are thousands of clubs and groups in The Villages, and we wanted to find one that allowed us to take these types of trips." Thankfully, their search didn't take long. Shortly after their arriv- al, The Coolidges found the Virgin- ia Trace Cruisers, a group based in their neighborhood that orga- nizes an annual 7-14 day cruise in February. The group has proven to be a perfect match for David and Georgia, and before long the couple took over responsibilities for organizing the yearly trip. The Virginia Trace Cruisers have taken many trips over the years to several destinations including the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. In addition, the trips are open to anyone who is interest- ed in going, not just residents of Virginia Trace.. "We aren't real- ly a traditional club like many of the other groups in The Villages," Georgia explained. "We aren't ex- clusive, and love to include all of our friends from outside of the neighborhood in our travels." Believe it or not, excited travel- ers have already begun booking their spots for next year's Virgin- ia Trace cruise with Yankee Trails, and according to The Coolidges, it isn't too early to start planning for what promises to be an amazing trip. The Virginia Trace Cruisers will be departing on February 19, 2018 for an 11-day cruise on the Celebrity Reflection. The cruise will make stops in several beau- tiful locations, including Aruba, Bonaire, Colombia, Curacao and Grand Cayman. There are already over a dozen couples booked for next year's cruise, and The Coolidges encour- age any interested potential trav- elers to contact Yankee Trails' Julie Burns at 352.633.4643, ext. 226, for more information. "Don't be afraid to book this far in advance," said Georgia. "If you are interest- ed you can put down a refundable deposit to reserve your place on the cruise." Yankee Trails is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Virginia Trace Cruisers, and help them plan their perfect trip. We look forward to continue getting to know this group, along with all the other active clubs and organi- zations in The Villages. D We at Yankee Trails continue to be amazed by the incredible number of fun, creative clubs and organizations within The Villages community. This month, we had the chance to sit down with David and Georgia Coolidge of the Virginia Trace Cruisers. Club of the Month: Virginia Trace Cruisers If you'd like your group to be considered for a future article, contact Mike Rogers at mrogers@yankeetrails.com

• Cover