king william travel coach tours

We were in San Antonio over Thanksgiving weekend and took three of Gary's tours - History, Missions and King William . Each tour was very different but they were all very informative and enjoyable. We could not choose a favorite as they each added so much to our San Antonio experience. If you want to know all there is to know in a very interesting format, San Antonio Walks is a must! 

MarriedACanadian96  Raleigh, North Carolina  11/27/2016   TripAdvisor

TOUR DETAILS

WHEN:   9am 12pm 3:30pm Daily 

WHERE: Meet at 205 E. Guenther, just outside the Guenther House property on the sidewalk /entrance at this address.    

COST:    $25 per person. This tour must remain a “walk”, there is no drive option.  Cash Only.  2 Guest Min.   

LENGTH:  Under a mile / 1hr 45min

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(1) Name of tour:  King William

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TOURS SAN ANTONIO Ph: (210) 214-3109 email: [email protected] Tours requests must be received by 7pm of the previous day to be guaranteed a spot and is still based on availability. However, we will certainly consider same day requests.

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King William Island

Follow the step of explorer roald amundsen, information about king william island.

The island (the 61st-largest island in the world and Canada's 15th-largest island) and the surrounding area was the region where the Erebus and Terror ended up.

It is now known the two ships became stranded in 1846 when frozen in the sea ice northwest of the island. After abandoning the two ships, most of the crew died from exposure and starvation as they attempted to walk south near the western coastline. Two of Franklin's men were buried at Hall Point on the island's south coast. It wasn't until June 29, 1981, that researchers finally had luck. A team led by Canadian archaeologist Owen Beattie, found 31 pieces of human bone fragments on the southern tip of the island, called Booth Point. On September 9, 2014 the Victoria Strait Expedition located the wreck of HMS Erebus. The HMS Terror, was found in 2016 in Terror Bay, off the south-west coast of King William Island.

The area also played an important for the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on the expedition through the Northwest Passage, spending nearly two years with his ship on the SE coast at what is now known as Gjoa Haven. The island is separated from the Boothia Peninsula by the James Ross Strait to the northeast, and the Rae Strait to the east. To the west is the Victoria Strait and beyond it Victoria Island. Within the Simpson Strait, to the south of the island, then the Adelaide Peninsula, part of mainland Canada. Queen Maud Gulf lies to the southwest.

Interesting facts about King William Island

Rae Strait between King William Island and the Boothia peninsula, and named after John Rae, who discovered the potential of this stretch of water that was the last link in the NW passage.

John Rae, an Orkney man who joined the Hudson Bay company, is one of the greatest polar explorers. Compared to many explorers, often with navy connections, that explored with a ship as base, John Rae and similar explorers went native, living and learning from the Inuit. John Rae was also the person who discovered the fate of the Franklin expedition from the Inuit, people who knew he could trust, including their reports that some of the last men had resorted to cannibalism. John Rae came back with the news but was denounced by Victorian society for suggesting that Englishmen, of all people, would resort to cannibalism. Only now is John ae getting the credit he deserves, perhaps the greatest British polar explorer.

Pictures of King William Island

Highlights Close to King William Island

Beechey Island

Key historical site where Franklin spent his first winter before the Erebus and Terror vanished to the outside World.

Made very sombre with the graves of three of Franklin’s men, and others, plus later memorials. Situated on the very southwest corner of Devon Island, separated by Barrow Strait, it is at a key ‘crossroad’ in the northwest Passage and was the main base in the search for Franklin.

This remote location is a key destination for everyone that visits the NW passage, with the main focus on the location, rather than wildlife, but offshore can be good for Beluga.

Bellot Strait

Narrow strait separating Somerset Island to the north from Murchison Promontory of Boothia Peninsula to the south, the northernmost part of mainland America.

The 2km (1.2 mi) wide and 25 km (16 mi) strait connects the Gulf of Boothia, Prince Regent Inlet, and Brentford Bay to the east with Peel Sound and Franklin Strait to the west. It became a strait on ‘one’ of the NW passage routes. On a map of the Canadian Arctic, unless you look in detail, it is easy to assume the Boothia Peninsula and Somerset Island is one peninsula. In many ways, with Bellot Strait locked in ice much of the year, it is like the peninsula. Since it is so narrow, it can be a place to look for Narwhal, and, along the shore, Polar Bear, or even wolf.

Cambridge Bay

Situated on the SE coast of Victoria Island (the 8th largest in the World), and the largest community on the Island. As well as the community focus there is the history of the area

The first Europeans to reach Cambridge Bay were overland explorers led by Thomas Simpson in 1839; searching for the Northwest Passage and crossing the sea ice to Cambridge Bay by foot. Another overland expedition was led by John Rae who reached Cambridge Bay in 1851. The first ship to reach the bay was HMS Enterprise under Richard Collinson who wintered there in 1852/53. Both Rae and Collinson were searching for Franklin's lost expedition.

Coburg Island

Between Ellesmere Island and Devon Island at the entrance to Jones Sound.

It is part of the Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area and Cambridge Point, with spectacular cliffs that are an important location for breeding seabirds including black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, glaucous gull, northern fulmar, and thick-billed murre. Offshore waters are also good for marine mammals.

One of the deeper inlets into Devon Island, on the southeast side, but further west from Dundas Harbour. Great ship cruising with icebergs and the flat-topped mountain geology of this part of Devon Island.

Dundas Harbour

First built in 1924 as a Canadian outpost on the southeast coast of Devon Island, with concern about sovereignty of this Arctic Archipelago. It was settled several times but finally abandoned with a ‘ghost town’ feel. Tundra is good to explore and to ship cruise the nearby inlet.

Fort Ross is an abandoned former trading post on Somerset Island. First established in 1937 by the Hudson's Bay Company, it was only operational to 1948, as severe ice conditions in the surrounding waters made the site hard to reach and economically unviable.

It is interesting to visit a Hudson’s Bay Company hut and to contemplate the location. It is situated at the eastern end of Bellot Strait on a south-eastern peninsula of Somerset Island, a key location in the northwest Passage. Also good for a rage of high arctic species.

Situated on the SE side of King William Island it is the location where the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his crew spent some time on his route through the Northwest Passage.

In October 1903 he put Gjøa into a natural harbour on the southeast coast of King William Island. He stayed there for nearly two years, learning from the local Netsilik Inuit, and the skills to live off the land and travel efficiently in the Arctic environment. This knowledge proved to be vital for Amundsen's later successful exploration to the South Pole. He also explored the Boothia Peninsula, searching for the exact location of the North Magnetic Pole. Today there is a community at Gjoa Haven and a popular landing for cruise ships. Permanent European-style settlement started in 1927, as a Hudson's Bay Company trading outpost. The settlement attracted the traditionally nomadic Inuit people as they adapted a more settled lifestyle. By 2016 the population was 1,324.

Grise Fjord

On Ellesmere Island (10th largest in the World) and the most northerly community in Canada. In Inuktitut it is called Aujuittuq—”the place that never thaws”.

It is the only ‘public’ community on Ellesmere Island, created in 1953 by the Canadian Government with a relocation of Inuit families from Inukjuak, Quebec. It is also one of the coldest inhabited places in the world, with an average yearly temperature of −16.5 °C (2.3 °F). There is an airport, but even today it can be a challenging place to land, or even get ashore by Zodiac from a ship.

This long sound separates Somerset Island on the east from Prince of Wales Island on the west. To the north it opens onto Parry Channel. To the south, at the mouth the Bellot Strait, it merges with Franklin Strait.

Sir John Franklin passed through the strait in 1846, an unseasonably warm summer, since typically Peel Sound is frozen. The east side of Peel Sound was traced by James Clark Ross in 1849, searching for Franklin, and in 1858 Francis Leopold McClintock tried to penetrate it and was blocked by ice. Even today cruise ships attempting the NW passage prefer the Bellot Strait route compared to Peel Sound.

Prince Leopold Island

This island is in a key location in Lancaster Sound at the junction of Prince Regent Inlet and Barrow Strait, off the northwest coast of Somerset Island. It has some really impressive and steep seabird cliffs that is one of the most important sites in the Canadian Arctic and a bird sanctuary.

Also good area to look for marine mammals and other Arctic wildlife.

Radstock Bay

Situated close to the southwest corner of Devon Island with Viscount Melville Sound nearby.

Great ship cruising in a location close to where Lancaster Sound splits into a myriad of channels that made the exploration of the northwest passage so challenging.

Resolute & Cornwallis Island

A large island (96th in the world, 21st in Canada) at key location with Devon Island to the east, Bathurst Island to the west, and Somerset Island further to the South, across the main passage, with various smaller islands nearby.

Cornwallis Island is the location of Resolute, one of the most northerly settlements in Canada, certainly the most northern ‘town’. The airport is used as a hub to join cruise ships, though still a challenge, with a beach landing and a Zodiac cruise to get to and from the ship, with luggage!

Our trips to King William Island

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Sim's Coach Travel is based in Eskdale in the Lake District and offers luxury coach trips and breaks to a comprehensive range of events, theatre breaks and popular resorts including flower shows, mystery tours and shopping trips, to name but a few. We have a number of local departure points throughout West Cumbria, please contact our office for more details on 019467 23227.

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Embark on a Captivating Journey: Fort William Coach Tours with Lochs & Glens

Discover the enchanting landscapes and rich heritage of the Scottish Highlands with Lochs & Glens Holidays. Our meticulously designed coach tours to Fort William offer a blend of relaxation, exploration, and adventure, set against the backdrop of Scotland's stunning natural beauty.

Why Fort William is Your Perfect Highland Destination

Fort William, known as the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK,' serves as a gateway to the magnificent Highlands. Its strategic location by Ben Nevis, the UK's highest peak, and its proximity to Glen Nevis and Loch Linnhe, make it a hub for nature enthusiasts, hikers, and history buffs.

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Travel in style and comfort with our modern, well-equipped coaches. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey as we take you to your destination.

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We offer multiple pickup locations across the UK, making it easy for you to join our coach excursions no matter where you're located.

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Tailored Coach Tours to Suit Every Taste

Our Fort William coach tours are curated to provide an immersive experience, highlighting the best of the region's landscapes, culture, and attractions. Here's what you can look forward to:

Scenic Beauty at Every Turn:

Travel through awe-inspiring landscapes, from the rolling hills of the Trossachs to the rugged terrains of Glencoe, all while enjoying the comfort and convenience of our state-of-the-art coaches.

Heritage and Culture:

Explore historic sites like the Old Inverlochy Castle and the West Highland Museum. Discover tales of ancient clans and delve into the area's rich cultural tapestry.

Exceptional Accommodations:

Relax in one of our exquisite lochside hotels, where comfort meets elegance. Enjoy stunning views, sumptuous local cuisine, and impeccable service, ensuring a memorable stay.

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Whether you wish to uncover the mysteries of Scottish castles, enjoy leisurely boat trips on serene lochs, or explore charming Highland villages, our tours offer a variety of experiences tailored to your interests.

Sustainable and Responsible Travel:

We are committed to preserving the beauty of the Highlands. Our tours are designed to respect the local environment and communities, ensuring a sustainable travel experience.

Making Memories That Last a Lifetime

At Lochs & Glens Holidays, we understand that travel is about creating unforgettable memories. Our dedicated team goes above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of your tour is exceptional, from meticulous planning to personalized service.

Join us on a Fort William coach tour and experience the magic of the Highlands firsthand. Embrace the opportunity to connect with nature, discover fascinating history, and immerse yourself in the warm hospitality that Scotland is renowned for.

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