The year was 1984 and a friend asked me if I’d like to go with him for $500 on a familiarization tour to the Holy Land. I said, “of course,” and my love of group travel was born. I led five subsequent trips to Israel/Palestine, then led trips to Egypt, Turkey, and Italy. I loved helping people push the boundaries of their worlds in adventures of discovery. In 2008 I walked my first Camino de Santiago, and in 2014 I retired from the pastorate to write pilgrim trekking guidebooks and form my own travel company, Pilgrim Paths, all with the goal of helping people grow in the same ways I’d grown – through travel.

Fast forward to 2023. My sister and son have joined my travel company team; I’ve teamed up with a fabulous Italian guide and his company. Now we’re ready to offer a full slate of group travel opportunities on some of the greatest trails in Europe. Here are our offerings. I hope you’ll take a look and see if one of these might be right for you.