Three retired teachers have come together to take adults from Eden Prairie on overseas trips full of history and culture for nearly 10 years, and in 2026, they’re packing their bags for Italy.
History teacher Pam Skaar Meier is working alongside husband-and-wife team Steve and Patti Cwodzinski to host a trip to Venice, Florence, Sorrento and Rome from Sept. 29 to Oct. 8, 2026. They’ve hosted past trips to Cuba; England; France, Germany and Belgium; and Ireland and Scotland. Before becoming a state senator, Steve (DFL-49, Eden Prairie) was a government and history teacher at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), while Patti taught geography at Central Middle School. All three led various student trips, and when parents began asking about adult trips, it sparked a new opportunity.
“Adults love to relearn history,” Skaar Meier said. “The world is a different place when you are in it, versus just trying to learn it as a student.”
Skaar Meier and Steve had desks next to each other for decades at EPHS, where they were hired on the same day in 1985. And Steve and Patti got married that same year. They considered hosting trips after retiring, so when the borders to Cuba opened to tourists in 2016, they jumped at the chance to do their first trip for adults.
They all participate in planning, but each of them has their area of expertise. Skaar Meier is known as “the Rolodex,” using her decades of teaching history to fine-tune the trips. Patti covers the logistics, answering participant questions about what, when, where and how. Steve provides a background on government as well as color commentary to keep everyone entertained.
“You would never guess that your paths cross with people like that, and that you can find those passions that you have together,” Skaar Meier said. “We never really thought we would take trips together until Cuba came along, and that just lit the fire for us.”
The trip was a hit, and locals soon asked for another expedition. Pam and Steve retired from their high school jobs in 2018 and hosted their second adult trip to England in 2019. They gave it a title to reflect the main ambitions of the trip: The Beatles, Breweries and the Bard.
After that, they put together a trip to France, Belgium and Germany, focused on the history of the two world wars. They planned the trip for 2021, but due to COVID-19, they had to push it to 2023. Their fourth trip, to Ireland and Scotland, came one year later, with an emphasis on the history of the British Isles and the troubles in Ireland.
They’ve had many trip highlights, including spending the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” record album at Abbey Road Studios and taking classes at a renowned cooking school in Ireland. Family stories and personal connections from each participant bring history alive, Skaar Meier said, so she tries to emphasize those ties.
“Hidden little gems like that are the neat part of history,” she said. “It’s not the flash and the big statue or the big cathedral, but it’s the personal stories that come out that make it unique.”
Most of the people coming on the trips are Eden Prairie residents, but they’ve also had travelers from Florida, Mississippi and other places. About half of the participants for each trip have gone on past excursions with the group. Many of the repeat travelers have been on three or four of the trips.
The age of the participants typically ranges from 50 to 70, with most people in their 60s. They try to keep their groups under roughly 30 people for the sake of restaurant and hotel reservations.
Travelers need to be able to maneuver cobblestone streets and handle going up and down stairs, but aside from mobility, excitement is the only requirement.
“History isn’t ever dead,” Skaar Meier said. “History is alive and well all the time, and the more you can be a part of it, the more you can understand the world.”
The upcoming Italy trip costs $6,917 per traveler and covers flights, hotels, tours, admission to attractions and some meals. Participants get front-of-the-line access to all museums and other landmarks. The hosts also prioritize three- or four-star hotels and other high-end touches. It’s not a cheap way to travel, but it’s easy and nearly all-inclusive, Skaar Meier said.
The three hosts work with the American Council for International Studies (ACIS), a company that specializes in educational travel for middle and high school students. They start with a basic outline provided by the company and customize it for their group. They use their backgrounds as teachers, as well as major events and historic anniversaries and input from the travelers to refine the details.
“When you’re traveling and you’re so tired, so much of that is decision making,” Patti said. “ACIS is really good at knowing pacing. They set something up and then we do that hour-to-hour (planning), but they’re very supportive.”
Beyond the basic itinerary, the company also provides tour managers and city guides in the places they visit. One of the highlights for Patti is the way the tour managers help make connections between iconic sites and the little-known parts of their history.
Some people do research for the trip, and Skaar Meier puts together a reading and movie list for the travelers. But participants can choose to do as much or as little preparation as they’d like. Between the hosts’ planning and the tour managers’ assistance, everything they need is covered.
“If they really just want to show up at the airport with a suitcase, pay the fee, you’re in,” Patti said. “Because we’ve got you.”
Skaar Meier and the Cwodzinskis ask for feedback about the timing of the trips as well as the destinations. They were originally planning to go to Spain for the next solar eclipse, but when group members said they’d rather visit Italy, they happily pivoted.
Some wanted to see the newest discoveries in the lost city of Pompeii, while others wanted to witness the art scene in Florence. Skaar Meier is looking forward to bringing stories from the Renaissance and the Reformation to life. Taking history on the road is not only fun, but it changes people’s perspectives and their lives, she said.
The hosts meet with their groups several times ahead of the trip to plan and discuss. Their next meeting for Italy will be at 5 p.m. April 22 at Hackamore Brewing Co. in Chanhassen. Anyone is welcome to come and ask questions. For all three of the hosts, the increased level of engagement with adults adds immeasurable value to the experience.
“When you travel with kids, they’re like sponges. They’re soaking everything up, every single detail and minute,” Steve said. “Adults are more reflective … they bring their background and their research and their wisdom.”
The value of their personal connections was especially clear on their world wars trip. Many people shared stories about their parents and grandparents. It gave Steve a chance to share his own connections to the Holocaust. He often tries to incorporate Jewish history into the trips as a reflection of his family background.
The three teachers have also hosted trips to Washington, D.C., and they plan to do another as soon as this fall. As they look toward the future of international travel, they hope to host another Beatles trip, as well as trips to Greece, South America and Central America.
Though they’ve retired from full-time teaching, Patti and Skaar Meier still teach as substitutes. The trips are another way for each of the three to continue to teach.
“Don’t ever stop learning, and even though you might be done teaching or done sitting in a student’s desk, there’s still a lot of learning to go on,” Steve said. “If Pam and Patti and I can provide an opportunity to continue the learning that can go on, then that’s great, and I’m just grateful that there’s enough people in the community that value that and sign up for our trips.”
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