52 AI Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 28: Travel

/ jannetjeb

I’ve combined Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, and Steve Little’s The 2025 AI Genealogy Do-Over, to create a unique 52 AI ancestors in 52 weeks party!

52 AI Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 28: Travel

Introduction

“Who is someone in your family tree who traveled?” asks Amy Johnson Crow in this week’s prompt.

Here are some people who came to mind:

  • My grandfather’s grandfather, John T. West, moved from Maryland to Virginia to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Ohio, and according to a letter my grandfather’s grandmother wrote to her son, was thinking about moving out to Michigan.
  • My father, Robert E. Anderson, newly divorced, fought for longer visitation with his children than the typical Saturday visit given to divorced dads at the time. He used the two-week summer visits to take us on road trip adventures, which I fondly remember (and long to recreate) decades later.
  • Perhaps my best-traveled ancestor was Louis Thibou, who migrated from France to England to the Carolinas to Antigua, with apparently trips to New York and Philadelphia as well.

Discussion

But the well-traveled ancestor who is intriguing me this week is my grandmother, Edith MAKEY WEST (1913-1997). She and her husband A. Gordon WEST (1907-1981) truly enjoyed their road trips. When possible, they took their grandchildren with them. When I was 7, we went on a trip from New York to the fairly new Disney World in Florida, with a stop at Colonial Williamsburg. I remember being driven to many, many fairs (State fairs? County fairs? I’m not sure).

They proudly hung photos from an Alaska cruise in their den.

I remember well a photo of my grandfather on a trip they took to Hawai’i.

They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with a trip to Bermuda with friends, reported in their local newspaper for both their old and new residences.

After Grandpa died, Grandma went on trips with the town’s Senior Center, including one memorable paddleboat trip on the Mississippi River, which I’m determined to do as well. Grandma told me very proudly that she and Grandpa had visited 37 of the 50 United States.

I am determined to honor my ancestors’ adventurous spirits by doing traveling of my own! I have two maps hung in my kitchen: a map of the countries of the world, and another of the states in the country, with magnetic pins marking the places the family has traveled. Where do I travel? Should I travel to ancestral locations? Or perhaps Wonders of the World? Or maybe I should aim for all seven continents. I’ve seen a great list of the best botanical gardens in the world. Last summer we did a waterfall tour in our state.

How AI can help

AI can be a terrific partner in trip planning! It can help give you ideas, and it can help plan a trip you decide on.

I used ChatGPT and Claude.

  1. Where should I go? I used ChatGPT because it has successfully read GEDCOM files for me in the past.

I asked ChatGPT:

Using the attached gedcom file, please list all the places in Ireland which are mentioned.

It replied:

Specific Locations in Ireland Mentioned:

  • Delvin, Westmeath, Ireland
  • Killucan, Westmeath, Ireland
  • Kilkenny, Ireland
  • Trim, Meath, Ireland
  • Carroll, Ireland (possibly a reference to a townland or misrendered from “County Carlow”)

2. Help me plan a trip! I used Claude for this because it helped me to plan a hypothetical trip in the past.

I asked Claude:

You are an expert travel guide.

I plan to visit Ireland to visit my ancestral homelands. Please plan a realistic itinerary for me

* Timing: end of June

* Duration: 7 days

* Style: hotels

* Activities: historical sites, a Roman Catholic church at each location, moderate physical activity (no excessive stairs/climbing), hidden gems

* Special interests: genealogy and history

* Must-visit locations: Delvin, Westmeath, Ireland; Killucan, Westmeath, Ireland; Kilkenny, Ireland; Trim, Meath, Ireland; County Carlow

Claude’s itinerary truly surprised me—detailed, thoughtful, and full of hidden gems. See a sample here, and a link to the entire itinerary below.

I forgot to specify my travel in and out but it assumed travel via Dublin airport. Each day noted the location, the home base, the accommodation, events in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and a hidden gem. Overall it gave practical information such as car rental, GPS need, petrol stations. It provided genealogy research tips which included four resources, notes on Catholic churches, weather preparation, budget, and so much more. You can view the entire itinerary here.

But note that it gave me notes in the chat which are not reproduced in the itinerary:

I’ll create a wonderful 7-day Ireland itinerary focused on your ancestral homelands in the heart of the country. Late June is perfect timing – long daylight hours, mild weather, and everything in full bloom.

This itinerary is designed specifically around your ancestral locations in the Irish Midlands while incorporating the historical depth and genealogical opportunities you’re seeking. The route flows naturally from north to south, minimizing driving time while maximizing your connection to the landscape your ancestors knew.

A few special highlights for your genealogical interests:

Westmeath County Library in Mullingar has excellent local history and genealogy resources, and the staff are incredibly helpful with family research. The Delvin Heritage Centre may have specific records about families from that area.

Late June timing is ideal – you’ll have nearly 18 hours of daylight, the countryside will be lush and green, and you’ll avoid the peak summer crowds while still having everything open and accessible.

The hidden gems I’ve included – like Fore Abbey with its ancient legends and Kilfane Glen’s fairy-tale atmosphere – will give you a deeper sense of Ireland’s mystical character that your ancestors would have known.

I mean, really, are you not floored?

For full disclosure, I asked Claude for a map and am less than impressed. I need to refine my prompt or use a different model.

I then asked what reservations I needed to make and was again impressed. First, it listed them in time order (4-6 weeks out, 2-3 weeks ahead, on arrival). Second, it listed all sorts of reservations: sites to visit, car rental, special dining, genealogy research.

Challenge

Pick one AI model (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Copilot) and ask it to help you plan a genealogy research trip.

If you’re not sure where to start, try prompts like:

  • “Here is my ancestor’s hometown. What genealogy sites can I visit nearby?”
  • “Create a 5-day itinerary for a research trip to [location].”
  • “List Catholic churches and local libraries in [ancestral town].”

Even if you’re only dreaming today, seeing the plan might just get you packing.

Summary

Sometimes our ancestors traveled by necessity. Sometimes by choice. What if we made space for the kind of trip they wanted—but for ourselves? I tested AI to plan a genealogical research trip to Ireland, but you can use it for any adventure. Let the past inspire your next destination.

Whether it’s retracing an ancestor’s steps, seeing the Seven Wonders, or trying voluntourism, the possibilities are wide open. And if you’re stuck on where to start, AI can spark ideas too. Dream it, map it, maybe even book it.

Further Resources

Next Week’s Topic: “Cousins”

Disclosure

This post was created by me with the help of AI tools. While AI helps organize research, the storytelling and discoveries are my own.

Leave a comment