Jim's dream had been to see the Three Gorges of the Yangtze before they were completely flooded by the Three Gorges Dam. We had originally planned to go earlier, but between work, the initial challenges of retirement, and our relocation from Northern Virginia to Lexington, our trip was delayed until the fall of 2006. It was just in time because water was rapidly rising behind the dam. Following the link above takes you to the UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Three Gorges were on the tentative list prior to construction of the dam. I cannot say how much in the extensive description is still above water. if anything.

We did a lot of research into tour providers but chose Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) because of their moderate price (all things considered) and itinerary. It turned out to be a good choice, and we've taken many trips with them since.

The trip lasted more than three weeks. We first flew to Los Angeles, where we spent the night to make sure we made our flight to Beijing. We also took the opportunity to rent a junker and go visit the Queen Mary, now docked in Long Beach and serving as hotel, tourist trap, etc.

I've created a bird's eye overview surveying the high points. For more detail, I've divided the pictures into several sections based on the places we stayed. Take the tour or pick and choose:

Click your "back" button to return to the previous page or click for our picture album.