As a part of Expedia’s Find Your Storybook campaign, we are exploring the theme of Ancestry Travel. We are embarking on a quest to discover where we came from by researching our ancestors, tracing their paths and visiting, the places they lived, worked, played and died.
Chapter One of our journey entails research. Family records only take us back so far. So we reached out to Ancestry.com to help us discover more. They were excited that we chose to make Ancestry Travel a part of our Storybook and they provided each of us with a World Deluxe membership, a DNA kit, and access to one of their family historians.
Through DNA testing, Sandi and I learned that we both have roots in Great Britain. So our quest is to now discover which branches of our family trees crossed the pond from Great Britain and when. My parents are from Alabama so my journey will begin there. Sandi’s parents are from New York, so her journey will begin there. Then we will each trace our family’s migration and explore the places they once lived. We’re not sure where exactly we will go or what we will find. Research will dictate our routes. But we always say that the journey itself is part of the adventure!
We recently interview Michelle Ercanbrack, a family historian and official spokesperson for Ancestry.com on Road Trip Radio where she shared some fascinating information discovering your roots.
What destinations would be on your Ancestry Travel itinerary?
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I have always wanted to trace my ancestry since I am not sure where I come from, especially on my mother’s side. Best of luck on your journey!
Thanks Angela! We found Ancestry.com extremely easy to use and it doesn’t cost anything to get started. Give it a try. It has replaced Pinterest as my wife’s latest online addiction:) Best of luck in tracing your family!
This is so cool! I’ve always wanted to learn more about my history, but hit a dead end on ancestry.com Cool campaign by expedia.
Thanks Adrienne! I hit a dead end on some branches of my family tree, but I’ve been able to trace others back to the 1400s! Stick with it. It’s a lot of fun!
I would love to go to Great Britain to find where my families came from. London, Manchester, I don”t know where all of them are. Boynton Castle is one place we want to go, that is my husbands family. There is a Howard place (castle or manor or ? ) from King Henry VIII time. The William Pratt family, who was a minister. So many! I would need a month over there just to get started. Henry Worms, who lived in England, married to Hannah Elizabeth Levy, came from Germany. Can that all be done in one trip?
You definitely need to spend some time in Great Britain!
So many people were forced to leave these shores (UK & Eire) for multiple reasons, the clearances, blight, poverty, better prospects and dare I say it crime or at least found guilty of it! Many places have outstanding records of Marriages, Births and Deaths so potential chances of furthering searches are good. Me, I’m Scottish, I love Scotland……given the chance give it some time, you will NOT be let down.
Thanks for the info! I would LOVE to visit Scotland one day.
Rick, Sounds like an amazing adventure! Looking forward to further exploring my roots!
Thanks Leslie! You should definitely do it! Ancestry travel has been an an unbelievably fun journey and it add more significance to our trips.