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ELKINS -- Davis Health System is planning a Grand Tour of Italy trip for its staff and is welcoming community members to tag along.
Donna Langevin, human resources assistant for Davis Health System, explained the planned trips began as an opportunity to boost morale among staff, physicians and volunteers at the hospital.
"They did short three-day weekend-type trips before I came to HR," said Langevin, who has been at DHS for almost 30 years.
Langevin organized her first trip with Davis Health System in 2010, in which the group traveled to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
"We have visited there three times," she said. "We have also gone to New York City several times and to Charlottesville, Virginia, once."
Langevin also organizes day trips, including to Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games, the Pittsburgh Zoo, Oglebay Festival of Lights, and WVU football games.
"We did our first Europe trip in 2011 and then again in 2013, 2015 and 2017," she said. "We have visited France, Italy, Monaco, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Lichtenstein and Slovenia."
The next European trip will be the Grand Tour of Italy scheduled for Sept. 16, 2019 through Oct. 2, 2019.
The customized 17- day trip, includes a full itinerary of site seeing, wine tasting, dining and tours.
Travelers can expect to visit the city known as "Queen of the Adriatic," Venice, Verona, Cinque Terre, Rome, Florence and more.
Langevin said the tour "provides the perfect opportunity to take in the beautiful landscapes of Italy from the crystal blue seas to the mountains."
The trip includes round trip airfare, 15 nights in handpicked hotels, 15 breakfasts, seven dinners with beer or wine, one wine tasting, guided sightseeing tours, admissions to galleries and cathedrals, an expert tour director and local guides and private deluxe motor coach.
The price of the trip is dependent on the number of travelers in group. There is a deposit due at the time of enrolling in the trip. Payment arrangements are made directly with Go Ahead Tours. The final payment is due in June 2019.
The money for the trip is paid directly to Go Ahead Tours, Inc. not to Davis Health System, she noted.
Langevin said the cost of these trips are much less than booking all of these tours on your own.
"This is because of the volume of tours conducted by GoAhead Tours each year," she said.
Because the trip is completely planned out, Langevin said it takes the hassle out of scheduling events or searching for specific locations.
"When traveling with a GoAhead Tours group, all of the travel arrangements are made for you including the flights and hotel reservations," she said. "Everything is taken care of for you including handling your luggage."
The expert tour director who will be on hand throughout the trip will conduct the sightseeing tours to the galleries, cathedrals and popular sites of interest.
"Travelers don't have to worry about how to find a location or about getting lost," she said. "Each day after the guided tours, there is free time to explore on your own with the aid of local maps."
Langevin said the trips are a special treat for both DHS employees and community members.
"The trips are an opportunity for our community members to meet new people and make new friends. Many times the friendships continue after returning home," she said.
"For our employees, it is an opportunity to get to know fellow employees that, although they work at Davis Health System, they may not know well. Sometimes we know a name but don't really know the individual. Getting to know co-workers better makes for a good working relationship. We have several employees who after traveling once with us, travel with us repeatedly," Langevin continued.
For more information, contact the Human Resources Department at Davis Medical Center at 304-637-3160, and ask for Langevin.