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Why explore with us?
Join the Adventure
Most tours teach history. We do too, but we use history to transform us - to see ourselves in a different and exciting way.
The Vintage & Valor Normandy Crucible Expedition is not about checking destinations off a list. It is an immersive leadership experience designed to challenge participants to think deeply about courage, legacy, stewardship, and the responsibilities of citizenship - citizens of the world.
Join us!! We believe that none of us will ever be the same again...
The Normandy Crucible Schedule of Events
12 April 2027
12 April 2027
12 April 2027
- Guest arrival
- Private car from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Bayeux
- Lodging check-in
- Welcome toast
- Villa Lara - luxury boutique hotel
13 April 2027
12 April 2027
12 April 2027
- "Dawn of the Longest Day" - Omaha Beach and "Fox-Green"
- The American Cemetery
- Omaha Beach Museum
- Pont du Hoc and the Ranger monument
- Local dining in Bayeux
14 April 2027
12 April 2027
14 April 2027
- Utah Beach
- Sainte Mère Eglise
- 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron @ Bourg de Lestre
- Soiree on the battlefield - catered dinner
15 April 2027
15 April 2027
14 April 2027
- Pegasus Bridge
- Lunch in Port-en-Bessin-Huppain
- Mulberry "B" and British Landing Beaches
- Dinner at La Rapiere
16 April 2027
15 April 2027
16 April 2027
- Breakout!!
- Operation Cobra
- St. Lo
- Bocage Country (hedgerow)
- Normandy farewell soiree
17 April 2027
15 April 2027
16 April 2027
- Bayeux departure
- Tour Mont Saint Michel
- Lunch at Mont Saint Michel
- Follow the VII US Corps breakout to Amboise in the Loire Valley
- Lodging at Relais d'Amboise
- Dinner at L'Ecluse in Amboise
18 April 2027
18 April 2027
18 April 2027
- Drive to Saumur
- Walking tour of the Old Quarter
- Visit Musée de le Cavalerie
- Wine tasting and tour of Maison Bouvet Ladubay
- Dinner at Fontevraud Le Restaurant - Abbaye Royal de Fontevraud
19 April 2027
18 April 2027
18 April 2027
- Drive to Château de Chenonceau
- Tour the Château
- Catered lunch on the Château grounds
- Wine tasting at Caves des Dômes
- Return to Amboise
20 April 2027
18 April 2027
- Guests take "bullet" train to Paris
- Check into the Hotel Montalembert
- Liberation of Paris tour
- Dinner at local bistro
21 April 2027
- Guest choice of three tours
- Hôtel des Invalides museum
- Montmarte walking tour
- Food of Paris walking tour
- Farewell Toast and Soiree at Le Plomb du Cantal
22 April 2027
22 April 2027
- Departure day
- Private car service to departure airport
- Au Revoir and Bon Voyage!
About our team of experience leaders
Joe Dowdy
Will Grimsley
Will Grimsley
Founder, Storyteller, Leader
A retired Marine Corps Colonel and former NASA Chief of Staff, Joe brings decades of leadership experience, battlefield perspective, and cultural insight. His passion for history and hospitality anchors every Vintage & Valor journey.
Will Grimsley
Will Grimsley
Will Grimsley
Storyteller, Combat Leader, Steward
A retired U.S. Army Major General and former Director of Veterans Affairs for the State of South Carolina, Will provides decades of leadership experience at the highest levels of military and civilian organizations. He has dedicated his life to a study and mastery of history. His belief in the primacy of the guest experience will serve our journey perfectly.
Betsy Dowdy
Will Grimsley
Betsy Dowdy
Hospitality and Travel Coordinator
Betsy has dedicated her life to providing premier guest experiences - it is what she does! A former flight attendant and event planner, she will ensure that you have the first class experience that is the hallmark of Vintage and Valor expeditions.
Mike Hind
Yann Perrotte
Betsy Dowdy
Normandy History Partner
Mike is a British national living in Normandy, near Utah Beach. A journalist who is researching the liberation of his area by the 24th Cavalry Recon Squadron (Mech). Mike's long-range plan is to write a book about the squadron's contribution to victory in Europe He is keeping the history alive.
Yann Perrotte
Yann Perrotte
Yann Perrotte
Normandy History and culture Partner
Yann is a Norman from the Cotentin Peninsula, born in Saint-Pierre-Église. Both his grandfathers were Nazi prisoners of war (one attempted an escape); one great-uncle joined the Free French Forces and landed at Utah Beach with General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division; another was killed during the battle
Normandy History and culture Partner
Yann is a Norman from the Cotentin Peninsula, born in Saint-Pierre-Église. Both his grandfathers were Nazi prisoners of war (one attempted an escape); one great-uncle joined the Free French Forces and landed at Utah Beach with General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division; another was killed during the battle of La Haye-du-Puits in July 1944.
A passionate local historian, Yann is the man that will guide our guests in the discovery in the vitality, passion and love of their country, their region and its rich history.
Discover the Magic of Vintage and Valor Expeditions
Experience Unforgettable Adventures
At Vintage and Valor, we specialize in crafting unique and unforgettable adventures tailored just for you. Whether you're seeking adrenaline-pumping stories of sacrifice and courage or peaceful escapes into a culture, we have the perfect adventure for you.
Unique Tools for our Guests
All guest have access to our Field Guide App. Our purpose built app designed to support the guests in preparation for our expeditions and during our time together.
Our vintageandvalor.com website is designed with our guests in-mind. Soon, we will have a guest-only portal that will provide an elevated experience.
Scheduled calls allowing virtual guest presence with our Vintage and Valor experience leaders as we build relationships and insights.
Explore the places where common people performed uncommon service
Explore the world’s most incredible locations with The Normandy Crucible — where history, adventure, and discovery collide.
The Normandy Crucible takes our guests through Normandy, to the Loire Valley, and finally back to Paris.
Why explore with Us?
Join the Adventure
In Normandy, we walk the ground where ordinary men made extraordinary decisions under impossible circumstances. Through battlefield study, guided reflection, and meaningful discussion, participants confront timeless questions about character, sacrifice, and leadership.
In the Loire Valley, the focus shifts from what was defended to what must be preserved. Surrounded by the châteaux, vineyards, and cultural treasures of France, participants explore the enduring principles of stewardship, innovation, craftsmanship, and legacy.
Get Ready for "The Normandy Crucible"
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Our Story
Learn more about our journey and what inspired us to create vintageandvalor.com. Check out our story today!
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Our Vision
Our vision is to reach as many as possible and engage in the study of history. The best way is to walk the ground and reach across time. This is the surest way to make a better tomorrow. We also believe that Mark Twain had it right when he said: "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes."
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This classic of military history tells the exciting story of the fall of St. Lô, the first major objective of the invading American armies in Normandy in June of 1944. Although St. Lô was intended to be taken within days of the landing, stubborn German resistance postponed the town's fall until July 18.
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D-Day is the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their lives, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Distinguished historian Stephen E. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determination—what Eisenhower called “the fury of an aroused democracy”—that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged.
Join the stories of common men and women
Join the stories of common men and women
Join the stories of common men and women
Ryan covers the individual soldier, airman, sailor, and civilian in a way that brings the actors on this stage to live. Vintage and Valor models our approach after this book. Read it and love like generations of historians, even the most unlikely of ones.
Taste the history
Join the stories of common men and women
Join the stories of common men and women
The first definitive reference book to describe, region-by-region, how the great wines of Europe should taste. This will be the go-to guide for aspiring sommeliers, wine aficionados who want to improve their blind tasting skills, and amateur enthusiasts looking for a straightforward and visceral way to understand and describe wine.
Become your own sommelier!!