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Rome Around The USA
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Read These Other Travel Tidbits
Happy 400th
Birthday Quebec!
Canada Roundup
Quebec City: A Taste of France Close to Home
Cruise on MS Amadagio Along the Danube River
For A Relaxing European Tour
Vancouver, British Columbia, A Fun Outdoorsy City
Canada, Ontario Niagara Falls
Mesmerize
Cruising on the Arabella — The Chesapeake Bay’s Luxury
Sailboat, Land and Sea, a Unique Blend of History, Sights, Fab Food
Travel
Destination Florida’s “New” Daytona Beach
Chestnut
Hill, in the historic Germantown area of Pennsylvania
Provincetown
in the Fall, the perfect time
Vancouver, British Columbia, A Fun Outdoorsy City
Text & Photos By Rachel Rome
Vancouver,
British Columbia, sparkles on English Bay. Enjoy the outdoors in this
charming city ringed by magnificent scenery of the Pacific Ocean, bays,
rivers, and mountains. Vancouverites brag they can “snowboard or ski in 15
minutes from downtown. “ Many dress in outdoor gear, hiking boots and
backpacks, leave work early to head across the Lions Gate Bridge over Burrard
Inlet to Grouse Mountain. Tourists also enjoy the sky-ride to the
mountaintop, wilderness trails, parks and recreation areas. Ferries and buses
from downtown travel frequently across the inlet.
In town, take the tourist trolley -- hop off and on to see the sights, or
enjoy the ride -- or public buses. This walkable city fascinates with its
antique-filled Gastown, the historic Chinese enclave and elegant Sun Yat-Sen
Classical Chinese Garden, shopping on Robson Street, and new waterfront
walkway. The walkway leads to the 1,000 acre Stanley Park, its huge totem
poles, Vancouver Aquarium Marine and Science World. Don’t miss the vibrant
open air Granville Market area shops, markets, restaurants and outdoor
entertainment. Kayak rentals here, too. Kids love it here.
The Vancouver Art Gallery Museum and galleries feature Northwestern to
modern art. Superb restaurants serve fresh Pacific cod, sea bass and salmon.
Casual eaters can grab a bite at one of the cafes, try Kaplan’s Deli, 41st
Ave. and Oak St., or head to Chinatown.
Cruise ships dock daily at gorgeous Canada Place, across from the
Waterfront Hotel. Here, visitors sit on the seawall to watch float planes,
ferries, yachts, sailboats and the ships.
The Burnaby Cariboo RV Park is outside the city with easy freeway access,
easy bus and rapid transit connections to downtown Vancouver. The park has
217 full hook-up sites, tours, transit info, car rentals. At 8765 Cariboo
Place, Burnaby, B.C., V3N 4T2, Canada, (604) 420-1722,
www.bcrvpark.com.
More Vancouver tourist information is available at:
www.tourismvancouver.com
Canada, Ontario Niagara Falls
Mesmerize
By Rachel Rome
Story &Photos
Magnificent, gorgeous, mesmerizing Niagara Falls -- straddling Ontario and
New York -- is a great, natural destination. It actually includes three
separate falls, but the most beautiful is the Horseshoe Falls. It’s about 170
feet high, 2200 feet wide, with The flow of water over the crestline of the
falls is estimated at more than 168,000 cubic metres. For an up -close
experience, Niagara tourism mavens offer many options. The best known is the
famous Maid of the Mist river boat tour of the Falls -- running since 1846..
I remember my first trip to the falls in 1980, when I was certain the boat I
rode would be the first to be sucked into the vortex. So, I just watched all
the sightseers as they cruised up to the falls. Last year, I determined to
stop being such a wimp. My friend Stephen Rey and I took the half hour
“plunge.” We got soaked, even in our blue raincoats, and had a blast. The
captain stopped in front of the base of the American Falls and then on to the
basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Water rushes all around as you, as you
"soak" in the excitement and hear the thunder. 5920 Niagara Parkway Niagara
Falls. It’s safe!
The white water walk is just downstream from the Falls, where the deep,
narrow great gorge was created by thousands of years of water. Trillions of
galloons go through here, creating a wild scene. Next to the international
entrance to Canada at the Whirlpool Bridge; small admission charged. at 4330
Niagara Parkway.
Soar over the Falls in the Whirlpool Aero Car, to see a birds’ eye
view of the gorge, Niagara River and the Niagara Whirlpool. Fee. AT 3850
Niagara Parkway. Journey Behind The Falls for a thunderous sight of the
gushing water. Don raingear, boots, and hats, walk down a staircase instead
the mountain and emerge far below the rim of the gorge. Here, the river
explodes after falling more than thirteen stories. The sound is deafening,
the sight, awe-inspiring. 6650 Niagara Parkway. The drives along Niagara
Parkway are gorgeous and offer more views.
The city has many restaurants, kitsch, shops, souvenir stands, photo ops.
Amusement rides, a casino, the Firehall Theatre, 4-D Moving Theatre, and a
Ripley’s Believe It or Not -- daredevils exhibits -- are some of the
offerings, many set on a high bluff . At night, colored lights illuminate the
falls.
www.niagaraparks.com
www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm
Cruising on the Arabella — The Chesapeake Bay’s Luxury
Sailboat, Land and Sea, a Unique Blend of History, Sights, Fab Food
www.Cruisearabella.com
By Rachel Rome
For
the second year in a row, the elegant, 160-foot long, three-masted 20-cabin
sailing schooner Arabella will cruise the Chesapeake Bay, sailing from
Annapolis, Maryland, and heading to the charming Colonial-era Eastern Shore
towns Oxford, Solomons Island St. Michaels and ending in Baltimore’s vibrant
Inner Harbor.
Last October, I joined 19 other guests aboard this regal luxury yacht,
skimmed the Chesapeake Bay, marveled at the still-pristine towns along the
way, and ate not enough luscious Maryland crab cakes. Our crew quickly became
part of the fun, and our captain earned our admiration with his deft, smooth
sailing style. During a rain shower, he and crewmates donned yellow slickers
and manned the helm as we lucky passengers sipped wine and nibbled on cheese
and crackers inside. On the mostly sunny days, our entertainment included
sunbathing, reading, snoozing or chatting on the stern cushions provided.
Sumptuous breakfast buffets began our days, with lunch on board and dinners
ashore in some of the best Eastern Shore dining spots. Nighttimes, cocktails
and more chit chat, card games and reading filled our no-cruise-director
programs. Dress was informal aboard ship, but a bit dressy for our dinner at
the elegant The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels.
This four night cruise (we skipped Solomons, which is on the five night
cruise) stopped at some of the most historic and beautiful ports on the
Chesapeake Bay, giving a peek into a still-vibrant sailing, oystering,
fishing, and yachting culture. I had arrived early enough to wander the hilly
streets of the historic port, poking through nautical stores, boutiques and
stopping for crab cakes at a Harborside restaurant. Stunning brick
Colonial-era architecture line the cobblestone streets and hilltops, leading
to the Maryland State House and nearby US Naval Academy. This was typical of
the cruise. We dropped anchor in fascinating Chesapeake Bay ports and plenty
of time ashore to stroll through the shops, museums, ice cream shops, cafes
and bars.
Day One: Around 4 p.m., everyone gathered at City Dock. We boarded the
sailing yacht’s Zodiac, met our captain and a crewmember, and then motored
out to the Arabella. I hurried to my cabin to discover discovered it
was not only spacious, but had an in cabin satellite TV, telephone, and
private bathroom with shower. No roughing it on this cruise. The deluxe large
"salon," or common area, featured comfy sofas, chairs and tables, along with
the bar, and was lined with large windows on either side of the room. After
our welcome cocktail hour, back ashore to dinner at the Harborside Canter’s
for a traditional Crab Feast. Big baskets of fried crabs, French fries and
cole slaw, served on long wooden tables introduced us to the best of the
Chesapeake Bay catch. Back on board, we slept at anchor.
Day Two: We set sail into the middle Chesapeake’s sheltered
waters and fisheries of America’s greatest estuary have attracted fishermen
for centuries. As we cruised past wooded shores, we looked for crabbers
hauling their catch and for sailing oyster dredges. We sailed for four
smooth, sunny hours, reveling in the blue bay and waving at passing boats, as
we headed to the mouth of the Choptank River, and the Tred Avon
River. Oxford, our port-of-call, is a tiny village of history and
charm. Sea kayaks for exploring the marshes upstream, or rental bikes allowed
some to take a short trip across the river to Bellevue, the oldest
privately operated ferry service in the county (since 1683), and ride along
the quiet wooded lanes. Boat aficionados reveled in a tour of the Cutts &
Case traditional boat builders and restorers. After a few hours ashore, we
all changed for dinner at the historic Robert Morris Inn. The wooden lined
dining ! rooms were full of historic scenes; the crab cakes we had were a
rave, too.
Day Three: While the crew raises sail, we head to the Maryland Eastern
Shore.
By lunchtime, we’re dropping anchor off the Eastern Shore seaport of
St. Michaels, where we spent the day ashore exploring this historic
seaport. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has a collection of 85
vessels and the restored Hooper Strait Lighthouse on display. St.
Michaels main street, offered terrific browsing, shopping and ice cream; the
narrow streets lined with 17th and 18th century houses delight. We dined at
The Inn at Perry Cabin, an Orient-Express Hotel, which has a bay view, lovely
grounds, and just opened a spa.
Day Four: In the morning, we sailed sail past the wooded shores of
Kent Island, passing under the impressive span of the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge, which joins the Eastern and Western shore of the Bay. Our final
destination is Baltimore. We cruised past Fort McHenry looming
over the Harbor, past the 18th Century warship USS Constellation,
to the new waterfront science museum. Ashore, I strolled around the harbor
front, and then headed to the old settlement of Fells Point. Back on
board, we cruisers made a final toast to fair winds and calm seas at our
cocktail party on board collected our luggage and headed for home.
The Arabella’s Chesapeake Bay cruises are offered in spring and fall,
then, moves to Newport, Rhode Island for summer cruise to Nantucket and
Martha’s Vineyard.
IF YOU GO — visit www.cruisearabella.com for rates, reservations
information. Five Night Cruises - All Cruises are Thursday-Tuesday.
MAY 26-31, (Memorial Day), JUNE 2-7, June 9-14, OCTOBER October
6-11 (Columbus Day), October 13-18, October 20-25. Call Classic Cruises of
Newport, 800-395-1343 for more information.
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