Spoffords Travel

Day 7 April 19, 2026 Goris Armenia to Dilijan Armenia

Our first stop is up the hill out of town at the view point. From here you can see the town and the surrounding mountains. The tops of the mountains still have snow.

Off on a side road we go to the Wings of Tatev. This is a 3.5 mile long cable car that crosses to valley to the town on the other side. This holds the Guinness Record for the longest cable car across a single expanse. We catch the first ride of the day along with a few other folks. The car goes a max speed of 36 km/h. The car holds 25-30 people with all standing. The crossing takes about 15 minutes.

We proceed to walk to the Tatev Monastery. Today is Sunday and people are coming to receive a blessing from the priest. He is very popular with locals and other Armenians. A military post is nearby and several of them are visiting as well. Several vendors are open selling souvenirs and food items. A couple of puppies are playing near the vendors.

By the way many dogs run free and don’t belong to anyone. Many have a tag in their ear which means they have had their shots and have been neutered or spayed. We were told it was safe to pet them but not necessarily the best thing to do.

We rode the cable car back to get on the bus. We are headed to a pottery maker to see his craft and to have lunch at his home. He makes most of the pottery for the village in the traditional way. The garage has been converted to his studio. The walls are lined with shelves containing pieces for sale. Some have been glazed and some not. He had a very interesting salt container. It is made to represent a woman. The vessel has two arms, seven hair braids and a heart. After watching him shape several pieces we went upstairs to have lunch. His wife and some helpers prepared the meal. She is the art teacher in the high school. She has also written a small cookbook.

The bus is parked adjacent to the war cemetery. All the graves here are men killed in war. The grave stones are black and have the man’s picture. A small vessel is for flowers and another to burn incense. The cemetery is arched and made of terraces.

We drove through an area where Molokan people live. Our guide says they are similar to Amish people. They don’t embrace technology or modern conveniences. They are very honest hard working people. They are great project formen because they are very good with time lines and budgets. Molokans believe in the equality of all people, and reject church hierarchy and veneration of icons. They place emphasis on Lent and Easter, the latter of which is the main event in Molokan religious observance. They orginated in Russia and have remained loyal to Russia.

We continued our drive up the mountain. Everything but the road is snow covered. We came to a small turn out. A short distance away buried in the snow is a caravan lodge. This would have housed caravans traveling through the area on the Silk Road. It was difficult to see because it is built into the mountain and covered with snow. A few of the brave members of the group walked down the path to take a look. The snow walls on either side were as tall as them. The weather was raining and miserable. Connie stayed in the bus but Rob went. The structure was dark inside so not much to see.

Back down in the valley we stopped for a break at a cemetery with some old graves as well as new ones. The grave stones are quite large usually.

The mountain roads today were not for the faint of heart. Glad motion sickness was not a concern. The roads are two lanes wide with no shoulders. The turns are tight especially for the bus. You really wonder why there aren’t more accidents. Really glad they didn’t have snow on them. You can understand why they don’t do tours in the winter.

Our hotel is out of town. We were told you could take a hike in the time between arrival and dinner. Just be sure to get on the correct trail. The bears are out of hibernation and are in the area. I don’t think anyone went for a hike.

Day 6 April 18, 2026 Yerevan to Goris Armenia

Today we leave Yerevan for southern Armenia and later to northern Armenia. Only a total of five hours of driving today. They do a good job of breaking the day up so you are not on the bus too long.

The first sight is Khor Virap Monastery. Just like most monasteries it sits up on a hill. Khor Virap’s notability as a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed to the fact that Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for 13 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia. Saint Gregory subsequently became the king’s religious mentor, and they led the proselytizing activity in the country. In the year 301, Armenia was the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation. A chapel was initially built in 642 at the site of Khor Virap as a mark of veneration to Saint Gregory. Over the centuries, it was repeatedly rebuilt. In 1662, the larger chapel known as the “St. Astvatsatsin” (Holy Mother of God) was built around the ruins of the old chapel, the monastery, the refectory and the cells of the monks. Regular church services are held in this church. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Armenia. The setting is impressive with Mount Ararat in the distance.

Off we go for a wine and cheese tasting. The valley has lots of vineyards. The view of Mount Ararat is impressive. We have been very lucky to see it so well. We arrived at a small family run cheese producer. They must not be too small because they produce 23 kinds of cheese and sell to numerous Armenian stores plus export to California. By the way the Los Angeles area has a very large Armenian population. They have purchased wine locally so we get some of each. The cheese is mild compared to some countries but delicious. We especially liked the one with dill. We also got a glimpse inside their cheese factory. It wasn’t running today unfortunately. They only make one kind of cheese on a given day. The type depends on the makeup of the milk they receive. Yesterday they also sold all the cheese they had made. They have a small orchard on the property too.

Lunch was bbq chicken that was really smokey. They put the pieces on a stick and place it in the wood oven that is also used to make bread. Connie would liked to have eaten much more but she was too full. The roof of the dining room was criss crossed logs giving a very unique look.

We drove past a large cave where archaeologists found proof of early wine making from beginning to end. Some groups were visiting the site but not us. Just as well the climb didn’t look very appealing.

A couple of the small towns had lots of stork nests. They were everywhere. Hundreds of them nest here every year.

The nearby canyon was very beautiful with high walls and a river at the bottom. Those trying to use the bus’s internet were out of luck.

The next stop was Noravank Monastery which is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu River. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery. The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of the building.

Before arriving at our hotel we stopped where we could see across to caves on the opposite side of the canyon. Many of these are still used today by local families for storage to include cars. The rock pillars are similar to those in Turkey just not as many nor as colorful.

Before dinner Connie and Karen helped make baklava with the hotel chef. Quite fun if you like that sort of thing. Dinner in the hotel was great as usual and the baklava was finished by the end of dinner.

Unfortunately Connie got the trots that night.

Day 5 April 17, 2026

We start today at the produce market which has lots more food than just produce. Once again we are early so some of the vendors are not open. The market is indoors and this time of year there are no flies. The smell is good too. The meat counters even look clean and fresh. Everything is arranged so beautifully. They have many items we do not. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables.

Now its off to Megerian Carpet Manufacturers. This is one of the old families that continues to make carpets in the original way. They tie a double knot unlike some companies. Therefore they think their carpets will last longer. We watched some ladies working in the factory. What a slow process even though they are fast. A large carpet with two ladies working on it can still take several months. The museum there contains some very old carpets. One of those had been cut in half when the family members were deported. Fifty years later they managed to run into each other. At least one person in our group bought a small carpet.

Next stop was the Yerevan Ararat Brandy Distillery. It was founded in 1877. Quite the facility. One room has barrels of brandy with the names of governmental officials who have visited the distillery. None of them were Americans. We sampled 3 and 7 year old brandies. They sell some that is aged for 20 years. An Armenian tradition is to buy a bottle of 20 year old brandy when a baby is born. The baby’s name is put on the bottle and when they marry the brandy is served. Our guide was quite surprised to learn her folks had such a bottle with her name on it. So many guests came when she married.

After lunch we visited Etchmiadzin Cathedral which is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It was built between 301 and 303 by Armenia’s patron saint Gregory the Illuminator. The cathedral is located in the administrative headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Within the grounds is a school and seminary. In another building baptisms are performed. Numerous people were there dressed very nicely for baptisms. Inside the cathedral Is the treasury where numerous significant items are kept. Two of these are a piece of Noah’s Ark and the sword that pierced Jesus’s side.

The last stop of the day was Zvartnots Cathedral, a 7th-century Armenian cathedral located near Vagharshapat, Armenia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned as a masterpiece of early medieval Armenian architecture. The cathedral was constructed between 641 and 661 but was destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the 10th century. A bride and groom were having photos taken at the site. Her dress and veil were both very long and getting dirty dragging on the ground. It was rather funny watching them trying to get all of that in the car for the get away photos.

Dinner was on our own tonight. We ended up walking a short distance down the street to a Wendy’s that had only recently opened. It was extremely busy. Tasted pretty much like home. We should have counted the number of food delivery guys picked up orders. It’s a Friday night and the streets are full of people and cars.

Day 4 April 16, 2026 Yerevan Armenia

Today we ventured out a short distance from the city. As we drove out of the city you could see the still existing Soviet era buildings and then the new structures in the suburbs. The rental price for the new buildings is significantly higher plus you would have a longer commute. The Soviet buildings are in sad shape.

We stopped briefly for another photo opportunity of Mount Ararat. Today is even better than yesterday. The mountain is quite beautiful.

We are headed for UNESCO-listed Geghard Monastery, located about 40km (approx. 1 hour) east of the capital in the Azat Valley. Founded in the 4th century, the complex is renowned for its structures carved directly into the surrounding solid rock cliffs, featuring stunning ancient Armenian architecture. The site consists of a main church, a narthex, and two main cave churches entirely carved inside the mountain. Originally founded by Gregory the Illuminator in the 4th century, the present-day structures date back to the 12th-13th centuries. The name Geghard means lance or spear referring to the spear that allegedly wounded Jesus at the crucifixion which was housed here for centuries. At least two other spears exist. All were brought together for testing. The general consensus was that the one located in Armenia is the most likely to be authentic. The pillars and arch ways inside the church are amazing. In one of the rooms a natural spring comes out of the rock. Many believe it has healing powers. A choir of two men and two women sang for us inside one of the areas. The songs were from the 12th century. The acoustics made it sound like a large choir.

Along the walk up to the entrance are reproductions of some of the grave markers called cross stones here. They all had some form of a cross. The most popular being the Armenian blooming cross which is a intricately decorated cross symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ, eternal life, and faith. Unlike the crucifix, it signifies life-giving power rather than death, often featuring sprouted, leafy branches and intricate, floral patterns.

A few vendors are at the bottom when we returned. We were the first bus on the site which was really nice because we had the location to ourselves most of the time. The vendors were selling two common food items. One was fruit leathers of various flavors. The second was a traditional candy made by dipping walnut halves threaded on a string into a thick, spiced grape syrup. Often referred to as “Armenian Snickers,” this chewy treat is a staple on Armenian festive tables, particularly during New Year and Christmas. Even though this is a sweet, by our standards it isn’t very sweet. We all got to sample both.

Then we were off to the Greco-Roman temple of Garni. This is the only in tact Pagan temple in the country. It sits in a beautiful park with cherry trees lining the walkway. The trees are in bloom so lots of pictures being taken. Below in the canyon a river is flowing. Everything in the area is green. It was built in the first century. An earthquake in 1679 destroyed it, but in the 1970’s it was restored. A Christian church was built next to it in medieval times which was completely destroyed by earthquake later. A palace had existed once but very little if anything remains. The Roman bath house is still basically intact. A mosaic is still visible but in bad shape. We were treated to a traditional flute concert by a local musician. The flute was played more like an oboe.

From here we walked to lunch. Unfortunately for us we missed one of the turns to the lunch site. We knew about where it was because of the location of the bus. Rob finally asked in what we thought was tourist information. They called around and found where we should have been. We missed the demonstration of bread making and about half of the meal time. Well at least we are back with the group. Similar salads and grilled trout.

We returned to the city and visited the Genocide Museum. Neither of us had any idea this was going on. About 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the genocide. The genocide occurred around 1915. The complex consists of a circular structure with eternal flame inside, a tall column representing the rebirth of the country and the institute. The institute studies genocides wherever they have occurred. Many displays of the events involved the the Armenian genocide. Very sobering experience.

Later that evening we took the optional tour to dinner and a folk music and dance event. The band consisted of drum, guitar, local flute, the Kanin large, trapezoidal plucked string typically features 72 strings arranged in sets of three, laid across the lap with harp like sound and the kamancheh a small, bowed string instrument with a spike fiddle featuring a spherical, resonant body. The dancers were in costume. The dances are very energetic and the music was loud. Our beef stew turned out to be lamb but still good. A little girl about 2-3 loved dancing to the music.

Day 3 April 15, 2026 Yerevan Armenia

We got to our room about 5:00 am. The get aquatinted meeting is set for 10:00 am on the third floor. Getting to our room was a bit challenging. We are staying at a Marriott on the main square. The hotel was originally multiple buildings and we are in the second one. That means duck under one staircase and look for the correct elevator. Watch your step because there are ramps and steps along the way.

We got two hours of sleep before getting up for breakfast and our meeting. The guide met us going into breakfast and said she would start slowly to let us catch up. We were the last to arrive in the meeting room. There are 17 of us all together. Everyone is from the US and well travelled. We will have a short break before heading out for the day.

Our first stop is the Matenadaran Manuscript Museum. Quite sure we have never been to something quite like it. The statues on the outside are of various scholars throughout Armenian history. The largest in front is Mesrop Mashtots who developed the current alphabet. The original alphabet had 36 characters and was developed in 405 AD. In the Middle Ages two more characters were added to accommodate European sounds. Numbers were not originally in existence so letters were used to represent them. The main exhibition displays manuscripts of all kinds and ages. Some on animal skin as well as those on some form of paper. The facility also researches all kinds and sources of manuscripts. To really see this facility would require at least a couple of hours. Our guide Nana gave us so much information that our minds couldn’t retain it all.

From here we walked down the street a few blocks and around the corner to see the Cascade. The idea for the Cascade first appeared in the master plan for Yerevan, developed by architect Alexander Tamanian in the 1920s. He envisioned connecting the city center with the northern hills of Kanaker through a system of terraces, waterfalls, and flower beds. However, at the time, the project was deemed too ambitious and did not receive funding. It is still not totally completed but is a very popular place to visit. There are 600 steps to reach the top. Thank goodness we took the seven escalators instead. The view at the top was beautiful. The city stretches out before you with Mount Ararat in the distance. We were very fortunate to see it today. It is often in the clouds. The mountain is actually in Turkey. It is most known as the mountain where Noah’s Ark landed. The mountain actually consists of a very large peak and a smaller one to the side. Both are snow covered. The mountain is very important to the Armenian people so they are not happy it is now a part of Turkey.

We now had about an hour to do as we pleased to include lunch on our own. Lots of restaurants line the park area leading up to the Cascade. Some very interesting statues are on display in the park. We weren’t very hungry so we just had dessert and a coke. Very tasty for sure.

We drove some through the city and up the hill to the statue of Mother Armenia. The roads are mostly very small. Intersections have streets coming from multiple directions. Cars park along the sides making the roads even smaller. The drivers are crazy. They drive all over the road. Hard to believe there aren’t more wrecks. We got to the top with another view of the city. An eternal flame burns here commemorating lives lost during World War II. The statue was originally of Stalin. That statue was removed in 1962. In 1967 the Mother Armenia statue was erected. The statue is 72 feet tall and the pedestal is 95 feet for a total of 167 feet.

We returned to the hotel where that evening we had our welcome dinner. These are usually well worth attending. This one didn’t disappoint. We had all local dishes the names of which we don’t know. The meal included bread (no butter), salads, meat dishes, dessert, wine, coffee and tea. Way more food than we could possibly eat.

Day 1-2 April 13-14 Boise to Yerevan Armenia

We had to be up at 3:00 am to be ready for pickup at 4:00 am. Rob was late getting to bed because our flights from JFK onward were changed at the last minute. Our pickup ride didn’t arrive so we ended up taking our car to the Economy Lot. We had never done this before so not sure how it works. We did get a spot very near the entrance. A light rain is falling but luckily the shuttle pickup is close. The shuttle drives around the lot picking up at various stops. By the time we left the lot the shuttle was full.

We made good time to the airport arrival area. So upstairs to check in our luggage. We made it with time to spare. We flew Alaska Airlines to JFK via Portland Oregon. The layover in Portland was about 40 minutes so we got to the connecting gate only a few minutes before boarding. Of course the flights were from the far end of one concourse to the far end of the other concourse.

At JFK we had a 6.5 hour layover. We gathered our luggage and rode the air train all around to the international terminal. We found the check in counter but it won’t open for a couple of hours. We found two empty chairs and camped there. We are now flying Austrian rather than Luftswansa because they are on strike for two days.

The plane was full and we weren’t seated together. The flight was fine but the food was terrible. We expected better. The evening meal was pasta with a bland sauce. The roll was so dry it crumbled when split. The dessert was a mild flavored pudding. The best thing was your drink. Breakfast was worse. It was some kind of breakfast sandwich that had shifted in flight so it was stuck to the wrapper. The orange juice wasn’t that great either.

We made it to Vienna where the layover was 10.5 hours. The gate number won’t be assigned until about 2 hours before departure. We do know it will be in concourse G. So we began the 2 mile walk to concourse G. Lots of shops and eateries but no moving sidewalks. When we got to the G concourse we saw it had 70 gates.

We stopped to buy water. Rob got caught by the clerk who was not a fan of Trump. He talked for 10-15 minutes about how far the American image had fallen and how much more the Austrians were paying for gas because of Trump’s stupidity.

After drinking some water we returned to the nearby food court to share a pretzel and a small baguette. Then we found a quiet gate to wait. We bought chicken sandwiches a couple of hours before the flight. The gate was now posted and surprisingly it was just across the hall.

Day 25 September 22, 2025 Arco Idaho to home 200 miles

Not the best place we stayed. The bathroom light puts out about the same amount of light as a small taper candle. That lasts about 10 minutes. Then the light goes into strobe mode. The amount of light is more however. That soon runs out and it’s back to dim. The faucet for the shower is extremely difficult to turn on. Once it was on the hot water was barely luke warm.

The rain fell last night so the hood of the car is very wet. Not a good sign for starting the car. Today we were lucky. It started on the third try.

We stopped at a rest stop and Rob added more oil. The car does have a small leak.

The highway is being resurfaced for a few miles. We waited a short time for the pilot car. As we passed the flagger she blew bubbles.

We did see a small herd of antelope and some roadkill.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful thankfully. We managed to avoid gravel roads other than in the construction.

In summary

25 days on the road

277 gallons of gas used

$3.34 average price per gallon

5,365 miles driven

$924.05 spent on fuel

19.59 average miles per gallon

214.6 average miles driven per day

0 flat tires

0 small rock chips in the windshield

0 rock hits in the radiator

1 broken headlight bulb socket