My Latest About Cruises

We all know that I am not a real fan of cruises.  I'm an explorer, and it goes against my grain to spend too much time on a ship and not enough soaking up the local culture.  That's me, and I know that a lot of people love to cruise, so once in a while I try to throw something in there that's an Adventure for Anyone.  So, I've found some rather unusual cruises that you might enjoy.

I have long touted river cruises as a great alternative to ocean voyages.  They tend to take smaller groups and stop at more places along the way.  You have less cruise time and more port time, which I love.  The cruise ships that Viking and other companies run still have great food, accommodations, and amenities.  You won't lose out there.  I don't think that they have any thrill rides or surfing spots, but that's okay.  I could pass on the full on casinos too.

Companies like Viking are famed for their exotic tours though.  Their trip through Russia is one of their best known, and it's a great way to see a land that pretty much requires some help.  You can't just go running off to Russia and see everything.  It's more complicated than that.  In this case I do advise that you take a tour or a cruise that will help you with the idiosyncrasies that go along with a trip to a place like Russia.

Sailing is another popular alternative to conventional cruise ships.  Windstar has been sailing around the world for years.  They have all kinds of cruises that go to all kinds of places.  It's a different feel, a different atmosphere and a different clientele.  You'll love it if you really like to go on a voyage and sail the seven seas.

These days there are all kinds of cruises that go all kinds of places.  I've talked about going to Cape Horn and Antarctica.  Those are pretty common.  Now there are some lines going to places like Abu Dhabi and the Azores.  They are getting out there.  You can cruise up the Amazon and down the Nile.  You can take a river boat on the Mississippi.  There are various cruises to places like Alaska, Hawaii, and Norway.  It all depends on what you like.  They have all kinds of activities as well.  They even have cruises for Swingers.  I won't get into that, but they exist.

Being a foodie has been all the craze lately.  Our society used to cook, because it was necessary.  Now, people can just heat and eat, and with their busy lifestyles, it's easy for them.  Along comes Bourdain and crew and makes being a foodie a thing, so several cruise lines, like Oceania, are offering cooking cruises.  There are the kind where you try different dishes and wines and are hosted by celebrity chefs.  On Oceania though, you get to go to school.  That's right, they offer a culinary arts course on the cruise.  This is something very different to do while on a cruise.  It's affordable as cooking schools go and it's a lot of fun.  It's something new to try on a great cruise line.  You'll still have luxury and a lot of things to do.  You'll still go to great ports of call and see wonderful things.  But, you'll get an education in how to cook as well.  It's a lot of fun.

It's the land of the frozen north.  For centuries men died trying to find that passage across the northern side of the American continent.  Now, you can go and see it on a cruise.  There are a few companies that offer the cruise of the Northwest Passage.  Abercrombie and Kent are the ones that I'm acquainted with.  These cruises are expensive and they take sometimes weeks to go on.  But, if you really want something different, jump on a modified icebreaker and head out to the arctic north.  The scenery is something that you won't ever see anywhere else and it reminds you that we really should save the planet.

I've long been looking for a way to travel all around the world "By Any Means" as Charley Boorman did from Ireland to Australia and beyond.  The northwest passage cruises tend to go from Greenland to as far as Anadyr Russia. What this does is bridge the gap that I have previously not found a way to bridge between Greenland and Canada.  Just had to mention that.  But, at any rate, you get a great trip to see what northern life is really like.  You get to visit up to four countries and have a great chance to see the northern lights.  It's a fascinating trip and it's one that shouldn't be missed.

So, if you like to take cruises, these are probably not for you.  If you're not really into that and you've always wanted to try it, think about these.  It's a great way to combine real adventure with cruising.
Enjoy!

http://m.cruise.com/cruise-deals/theme-cruise/culinary-cruise/
http://www.crystalcruises.com/ContentPage.aspx?ID=58
https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/life-on-board/culinary-center/
http://www.polarcruises.com/arctic/ships/expedition-ships/ioffe-arctic/northwest-passage-%E2%80%93-wildlife-encounter
http://www.abercrombiekent.com/travel/?tid=6008
http://www.uncommoncruises.com/cruises/packages
http://www.americancruiselines.com/cruises/mississippi-river-cruises
http://www.unique-cruises.com/
http://www.uniquecruiseandtravel.com/default.asp
http://www.uniqueworldcruises.com/travelagents/travecenter1.html
http://www.cruiseoceania.com/promotion/oceania-cruises.do?cm_mmc=Paid_Search-_-LO-Bing-_-Nonbranded-_-oceania_cruises-e&cm_mmca3=43700004533448588&cm_mmca4=CLHpxK7UmcYCFUiiNwodVdAATw&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=zLO%20-%20Cruise%20Line%20-%20Oceania%20-%20Exact&utm_term=oceania%20cruises&gclid=CLHpxK7UmcYCFUiiNwodVdAATw&gclsrc=ds
http://www.windstarcruises.com/?_vsrefdom=B-Branded&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Branded&utm_term=windstar%20cruises
http://www.chimuadventures.com/country/antarctica?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Antarctica%20Cruise&utm_term=antarctic%20cruise%20ships
http://uniworld.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=vantage%20river%20cruises&utm_content=!acq!v2!29198967366-7459338521-3016588348&utm_campaign=Search|Cruise
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/special-offers/rhine-sweepstakes.html?refsrcprg=sem:Competitors-Search-USA&medium=tsa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Competitors-Search-USA
http://www.vantagetravel.com/404?item=%2fship%2frivercruising_river_vantage&user=extranet\Anonymous&site=website
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html?tab=artwork
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

A Little Piece of Connecticut...Harkness

Sorry about my absence last week.  I was down due to computer problems, and it will probably happen again before it's over.  So, moving on to what I was doing while the computer was out.  I took a little day trip to a park that I'd heard of but never been to--Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT.

The centerpiece of Harkness park is the Eolia Mansion, named after the island home of the Greek God of winds.  The mansion was built in 1906 and was the home of the Harkness family thereafter.  The grounds cover 230 acres and run right up to Long Island Sound.  The downside to this place is that you cannot currently tour the house.  You can look in the windows and see that it's not furnished much anyway.  They say that they are working on getting the tours started again, so hopefully that is fixed soon.  But, that's the only downside here.

The gardens are some of the best parts of this one.  I found Harkness because I was searching for some nice gardens to visit.  They have a greenhouse that is more active for visiting in early spring.  They have Italian gardens with arbors and fountains, sculptures and ponds all around three sides of the house.  They are beautiful, fragrant, and a great place to enjoy a beautiful day.  They also open up to a great view of the rest of the grounds.

The grounds are wide open, with amazing views all up and down the shore of Long Island Sound.  There's a beach available for sunbathers.  There's a picnic and family area that's huge and has plenty of amenities that's right off the beach.  There's a huge lawn that goes right to the rocks along the shore in other places.  There's even a rocky beach that's full of nesting birds part of the year, so you can bring your dog to the park, but please do not take dogs on the bird nesting area of the beach.

Harkness is a beautiful spot, with beautiful buildings, gardens, lawns, shore, and beach.  It's a restful and photogenic place to spend the day.  Next to the park there is a camp for autistic children, so if you have that need, check it out.  The park costs $10 to get in per car, so come and enjoy a day with amazing views.

Then again, if you like cars, or love cars, come visit Harkness on the first Sunday in June.  If you love British cars, this is a must.

Every year the Connecticut MG Club sponsors British By The Sea.  It's all cars and Land Rovers British.  There are so many cars that you won't be bored or disappointed.  I can vouch for the fact that Connecticut folks love to have car shows, so we've all been to a thousand of them, but this one is different.  Most of the time you see the same old cars that just spend the summer and fall touring the state and stopping at all the shows, but these are different.  I saw things there that I'd never seen anywhere.  I saw things I'd never heard of.  It was great and it was a learning experience for me.

So, cars, architecture, and nature.  It's a well rounded day, and something for everyone.  It's a great place to spend a little time and unwind.  It's also particularly great for shutterbugs.  There are many things to do in the area though, being one of the busiest tourist areas in the state.  Mystic, both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos, Groton Submarine Museum, Dinosaur Park, Eugene O'Neil Theater, and Ocean Beach Park are all right in the area.  It's also not far to the Long Island Ferry in New London.  So, spend a day or a week having fun in the sun in Connecticut.  Take some time and stop by Harkness Memorial State Park and have a great time.  Enjoy!

http://www.ctmgclub.com/BBtS.html
http://www.waterfordct.org/discover-waterford
http://www.theoneill.org/
http://www.stateparks.com/harkness_memorial.html
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325214
http://www.harkness.org/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/resource/camp-harkness
http://ocean-beach-park.com/
http://ussnautilus.org/
http://www.mystic.org/
http://www.mysticseaport.org/
http://thisismystic.com/
http://www.mysticaquarium.org/
http://mohegansun.com/?utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=mohegan%20sun%20casino&utm_campaign=RAIS_Brand_Other
http://www.foxwoods.com/default.aspx
http://www.dinosaurstatepark.org/
http://naturesartvillage.com/
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html?tab=artwork
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone

Who Ever Thought of Newburgh?

I've driven over the Beacon-Newburgh Bridge on the Hudson River in New York State probably 300+ times in my life.  In all those times, I never went to Newburgh or Beacon.  I first drove through the area in 1984 on my first road trip to Connecticut.  I was stopped at Sing Sing because there was an escape in progress.  I later met a man who did some work with hazardous waste in Newburgh, and told me all about the industrial side of the city.  After 9/11 my boss tells me that he had to guard the bridge due to terrorist threats.  I do know that ships come through the area all the time, and that at some point in history, it was a whaling community.  I know that there is a passenger railway for Metro North on one side of the river and a freight train line on the other.  I have stopped in at Orange County Choppers, but that's barely in the area.  I never investigated Newburgh, because it didn't sound that interesting from a tourism point of view.

From the bridge I could see that the valleys were pretty.  But, what was down there?  I never pondered it, until recently.  I'd heard that somewhere along the river were boat tours, and I thought that maybe it would be fun on my day off, because I had to work most of the holiday weekend.  So, I hopped online and started doing some research.  I found that there was more than one tour on the Hudson River, and some of the best looking ones were in Newburgh, NY.  I was surprised.

After looking around, I thought that the River Rose was the way to go.  What I didn't know until I got on the boat was that this is an authentic river boat built in 1934 and brought to Newburgh in 1999.  It's a great little river boat and the guys who run it do a great narrated tour of the valley from the dock in Newburgh to West Point.  On the way back there's a gentleman who plays tunes on his guitar and harmonica for the guests.  There is food available and a bar as well.  It's something that I would never have thought about Newburgh.  But, is that really special?  Is that an adventure for anyone?  No.

But this is.  Newburgh has one of the cutest waterfronts I've ever seen.  This recently rebuilt neighborhood, has restaurants, day spas, parks, and marinas, as well as the docks where you catch the various tour boats, water taxis, and river ferries.  I was expecting an industrial neighborhood with warehouses and shipping docks in it when I went.  I took my map, because I'm not a fan of satellite navigation.  I prefer the old fashioned explorer way of doing things.  However, when I crossed the bridge and got off the highway for the first time ever, I immediately encounter signs that led me straight to the wonderful waterfront.  They have done it up right with plenty of parking and murals on the train's support walls.  There are kids riding their bikes and people pushing baby strollers all over the place.  You can eat inside or outside at each and every restaurant.  It's absolutely fabulous and it's all only a hop skip from the historic part of town and all the historic homes and buildings and not far from the park where the George Washington Headquarters Historic Site and Monument is.  The boat tours are the main event, but the waterfront makes it a nice day all around.  It was not something that I expected.

Then there were the other surprises.  There's a castle and an island, and there used to be a moat around it.  Not kidding.  Bannerman Castle sits on Pollopel Island in the middle of the river just south of Newburgh.  I had to ask, because it's not really well known outside of the waterfront world, but there are tours and there are a lot of them.  They have weekend day tours to the island to see the castle and the island and hear the story of the place.  They also have tours that go out for shows, like the Iliad.  They have tours that go out to look at the stars.  It's a great place to go and wander around just to look and take some really great pictures.  So, pick your tour and book in advance and be aware that it is not for baby strollers or handicap.  I'll probably talk about it more when I get to go, but I didn't know about it until I went on the other tour.  But, even a drive by is cool.

You never know what you'll see on a river cruise, but you can bet that if someone has gone to all the trouble to have multiple cruises on a section of a river, it's probably good stuff.  We saw the castle and island as well as some great cliffs with people climbing right up the sides of them.  There was a beach, a small village, some roadside stops, some beautiful old houses, and West Point Academy.  The guys on the boat told us that part of the Wizard of Oz was filmed there.  Did not know that.

The tour was two hours and cost $22.  The restaurants along the waterfront have various cuisines, but they are all reasonably priced.  I had some of the best service ever at the Riverfront Grill.  In the end, we had a great afternoon in Newburgh, which was something that I had never considered before.  We saw some big ships and some sailboats, and I'm pretty sure that you can rent a jet ski at the marina.  There's music on weekend nights at Billy Joe's Ribworks as well.  It's just a great area, and I thought it deserved to be mentioned, because I'm sure that if, in all the times that I crossed that bridge, I never thought of stopping in Newburgh...well I'm probably not alone.  So, get off the highway, check out the surprises in Newburgh, NY and have a great time on and along the Hudson River.  Enjoy!

http://www.bannermancastle.org/island-tours.html
http://www.riverrosecruises.com/
http://www.prideofthehudson.com/
http://www.riverfrontmarinanewburgh.com/
http://www.orangetourism.org/
http://newburghonhudson.com/
http://www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/
http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/3110632/waterfront-restaurants-in-newburgh-ny
http://www.newburghhistoricalsociety.com/
http://www.newburgharmory.org/historical-newburgh/
http://www.nysparks.com/historic-sites/17/details.aspx
http://www.nywaterway.com/NewburghTerminal.aspx
http://www.usma.edu/SitePages/Home.aspx
http://www.go-new-york.com/West-Point/
http://www.mta.info/mnr
http://www.ribworks.com/
http://www.therivergrill.net/ordereze/default.aspx
http://captainjakeswaterfront.com/
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html?tab=artwork
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred