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Las Palmas’ hidden charms
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain ABOARD THE STAR FLYER – I questioned the appeal of Las Palmas, which has mushroomed from a cozy seacoast getaway of 60,000 people in 1970 to its present population of...
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Tenerife — Lofty Heights & Lava
Pico del Teidi (12,198 ft) is Spain’s highest peak, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. ABOARD THE STAR FLYER — A short overnight voyage landed us on Sunday, October 26, at the port of Santa Cruz de...
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Out To Sea…a crossing of 13 days!
View from atop the mast, Star Flyer. ABOARD THE STAR FLYER — Dawn on Monday, October 27 found us bound for the open Atlantic and 13 days of sailing – without sight of land. I must confess that I was...
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Star Flyer mealtimes — Best of times!
A luncheon buffet onboard Star Flyer. ABOARD THE STAR FLYER — No doubt, mealtimes were the most popular event of the day, offering both good food and stimulating conversation. Although I rarely eat...
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Crossing the ocean on a sailing ship: Is It For You?
Assessing this voyage and your suitability for it, I must caution that such a crossing is not for everyone. If your sea-going experiences have been limited to traditional cruise ships you’ll have to...
View ArticlePreparing to sail on Holland America’s Noordam in Alaska
Bags are packed and cameras cleaned and charged as I’m about to set off for the West Coast to join the May 30 sailing of Holland America Line’s Noordam for a 7-day Alaska voyage, departing from and...
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Onboard Holland America’s Noordam, Bound for Alaska
Passengers throng Lido Deck as Noordam departs Vancouver, bound for Alaska. ABOARD NOORDAM-I’m finally onboard here following the usual travails involved in coast-to-coast travel – joined by my...
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Onboard Holland America’s Noordam: Visiting Juneau & Skagway
Helicopter landing on Taku Glacier, Juneau, AK ABOARD NOORDAM-Shortly after docking in Juneau Monday afternoon, we set out on our glacier tour by helicopter. Since I’d done a similar tour to...
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Onboard Holland America’s Noordam: Glacier Bay, AK
Members of Noordam’s “Wildlife Cruise & Crab Feast” excursion learn about trapping dungeness crabs prior to feasting on the tasty crabs at remote George Inlet Lodge, Ketchikan, AK. ABOARD...
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Onboard Holland America’s Noordam in Alaska
Noordam’s elegant Vista dining room is notable for its fine food and service. ABOARD NOORDAM-We’re cruising today en route to Vancouver on the final leg of our 7-day Alaska voyage – so it’s time to...
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Aboard Noordam: Post Script from Vancouver
Public Market on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC ABOARD NOORDAM-I had planned to conclude my blog on the Alaska Noordam voyage when I returned return home Monday with a brief report on our post-cruise...
View ArticleIntro to American Cruise Line upper Mississippi cruise aboard the Queen of...
Twice in recent years I’ve joined paddlewheeler cruises from New Orleans to St. Louis and thoroughly enjoyed those slow-paced voyages along the lower reaches of America’s mother of all rivers. So now...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi, departing St. Louis,
Visitors can join a “Journey to the Top” tour for an awe-inspiring view of St. Louis from atop the 630-foot tall Gateway Arch. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Long famous as the Gateway to the West,...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi In Hannibal, MO
Queen of the Mississippi, docked at Hannibal, Missouri, the boyhood home and lifetime inspiration to America’s greatest author and humorist, Mark Twain. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Historically...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi Day 4, Davenport, IA
ACL Cruise Director Robert Alexander dispenses sample servings of craft beer from Mark Twain Brewing Co., onboard Queen of the Mississippi. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Sunny skies and near...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi Day 5 – Dubuque, IA
A youngster meets up with a crayfish in the Wet Lab at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, IA. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Great weather continues to follow us up the...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi Day 5 – La Crosse, WI
Restoration efforts have conserved the historic 19th century core of La Crosse, WI. La Crosse gets our nod as the most attractive and inviting town or city we’ve visited so far on our voyage up the...
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Onboard Queen of the Mississippi: Day 6 Red Wing, MN
Overview of Red Wing, MN from Memorial Park atop Forin Bluff. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Red Wing is a good candidate for “the little town that could” title. With a miniscule population of 16,000,...
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Queen of the Mississippi Cruise, Day 7 From St. Paul, MN
The St. Paul Farmers’ Market was established in 1853. Boasting more than 300 vendors, it is one of the largest and oldest public markets in America. ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-What a great day we...
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Queen of the Mississippi Upper Mississippi cruise-final thoughts
Queen of the Mississippi I’ve had my say during the past week about the pleasures of cruising the upper Mississippi – a journey I found far more engaging than my two previous cruises on the lower river...
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