there. It's God's country. People still love and appreciate what the Allied Forces did for them back then. What a great son you are! Things do get a little crazy in the days around the anniversary...and the 75th will be even crazier...but it's a wide open, sparsely populated place, so it will still be special and intimate.

I love the freedom of a car. If you do your research ahead of time, or even use an audio guided tour or guidebook, you can create a memorable "guided" experience yourself. Idacoug is right, too--Rick Steves always gets you to the big spots and gives good context. The cemetery has a large lot and I'm sure Colleville is trying its best to figure out what to do with the overflow--I'd expect a shuttle.

Pointe du Hoc is one of the most special, hallowed places I've ever been to. Pistol Shrimp is also right--sunrise and sundown are great times to capture the spirit of these places. Here's a pro tip: even though somewhere it gives official hours for Pointe du Hoc, you can actually go in any time. Go just before dusk (which is very late in June) and everyone else will be at dinner and you'll have the place to yourself. Incredible.

Toadie's right: Bayeux is a must, especially the Tapestry, but the whole place just oozes charm, including the Cathedral and the delicious little crêperies.

If your dad hasn't spent much time in France, there are a ton of small, many private, castles in Normandy that are great places to spend an afternoon. Mont St Michel is not far at all. If you do head down there, stop in Coutances--the cathedral is amazing and the town is so, so charming and has a lovely garden (as do Avranches and the Christian Dior House in Granville, all on the same route). Let me know if you want any specific advice on restaurants, etc. or if you speak any French and want to meet some very friendly locals who love to welcome Americans of all ages. Tons of quirky things to go see in the area: Villedieu les Poeles, cheese factories galore, Etretat, impressionist sites, and even a chapel in a tree! (https://www.normandythenandnow.com/the-perculiar-chapel-of-allouville-bellefosse/)

A couple of other tips for you: you will be there right at the end of the French Open. Tickets are easier to get than you probably imagine. You'll also be there for the kick-off of the Women's World Cup--I'll be up there for them too.