A message from Harriet Lewis:
In 1958, with the jet engine just beginning to revolutionize commercial travel, Americans were dreaming big—and as a nation of travelers, we never looked back. It is almost poetic that Grand Circle Travel was founded that very same year.
I invite you to join me in celebrating Grand Circle’s 65th—and Overseas Adventure Travel’s 45th— anniversary of changing people’s lives through travel.
Since we entered this milestone year, I have been reflecting upon the journey my husband Alan and I embarked on together when we purchased the company … and the legacy my family and I continue today.
Our story began with Ethel Andrus, who founded the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1958. A former educator and activist, Ethel was retired herself, and she dreamed of a way to help her peers lead more vital, active lives. Travel, she realized, offered the ideal opportunity to challenge and invigorate minds at any age. In the spirit of lifelong learning, she founded Grand Circle Travel to serve AARP members.
The Lewis FamilyWhen Alan and I purchased Grand Circle in 1985, we stayed true to Ethel’s founding principles, crafting experiences that are authentic, thought-provoking, and truly representative of the local culture and its people. In 1992, we founded our nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation as a way to give back to the world that has given so much to us.
We added O.A.T. to our travel family in 1993. Founded in 1978 by a 28-year-old high school teacher named Judi Wineland, O.A.T. was the first U.S. tour operator to offer tented safaris in Tanzania, in addition to small group tours in Nepal, Turkey, and Peru. As part of the Grand Circle family, O.A.T. became the first U.S. travel company to create, operate, and sell adventure trips to Americans aged 50 and over.
Solo travelers lead the wayThe nature of travel is ever evolving. As the demand for solo travel grew over the years, we made a lasting commitment to make it affordable, easy, and enjoyable to see the world on your own—and on your own terms. Our free or low-cost single supplements, together with our immersive itineraries, earned us Solo Traveler’s “Best Tours” award in their annual Solo Travel Awards for two years in a row.
Grand Circle today... and tomorrowWe would not be here without our community of travelers, whose passion and curiosity about our world have grown with us throughout the years. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 124,000 travelers have departed on or reserved one of our trips—and I would love to have you join them.
And to continue the celebrations throughout the year, we will also be offering special anniversary departures of some of our most popular adventures—stay tuned for more details on how to celebrate with us.
We got into this business to change people’s lives by opening their hearts and minds—and I am proud to continue this legacy along with my son, Edward, and daughter, Charlotte. We truly have a lot to celebrate—and I look forward to sharing this special year of discovery with you.
As I have heard from many a traveler entering the next chapter in their lives, 65 is just the beginning.
Warm regards,
Harriet R. Lewis
Chair
Overseas Adventure Travel | Grand Circle Cruise Line | Grand Circle Travel
