small-ship cruises Archives

G is for Getaway to the Galápagos Islands

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The fragile, moon-like landscape of the Galápagos Islands lures more than 100,000 visitors each year despite the archipelago’s remote location 600 miles off the west coast of mainland Ecuador. Ever since Darwin‘s famed visit aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835, travelers have been enchanted by its history, exotic vegetation and wildlife.

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In order to protect the eco-system of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as much as possible, the Ecuadorian government restricts the number of cruises that can visit each island at any one time. But you don’t have to worry about missing out: each of the 13 major islands, from the oldest in the East (Española) to the most recent (Fernindina) in the west, offers unique flora and fauna diversity for an extraordinary experience.

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To plan your own escape to the Galápagos Islands, choose from among a variety of tour options, including 8-day small-ship cruises, shorter-stay lodge-based day trips, and combined land/islands packages. Visit Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism site or discovergalapagos.com for more information.

In case you missed the travelogue of my own 2011 journey to the Galápagos, you can catch up on my stories here:

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What about you, wanderboomers? Have you visited the Galápagos Islands yet?

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments

Alaska’s Tenakee Springs

The Island Spirit

The Island Spirit

For cruise travelers looking for waterways off the beaten path, it’s hard to beat Alaska’s Inside Passage. Bays, coves and inlets draw small ships to their shores where time is measured by incoming tides and seasonal shifts.

Waterfront in Tenakee Springs Among the small, remote communities found here, Tenakee Springs stands out. Within this peaceful enclave, colorful homes perch on pilings in a single line along the waterfront. Each share a heart-stopping view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains and wildlife. Behind the buildings runs the only road through town, an unpaved path for walking and biking.

At the dock we’re greeted by friendly canines who accompany us on our stroll through town. We linger at the Tenakee Hot Springs Lodge, before moving on to the beautifully restored St. Francis Chapel, followed by Snyder’s Mercantile for coffee, pastries and a few mementos of our visit.

I can easily imagine holing up here for a couple of weeks, hiking the nearby trails, kayaking in calm waters, whale-watching, only to cap off the days with good, long soaks in the hot springs.

After catching up on my sleep, I’d browse the stacks at the Dermott O’Toole Memorial Library, borrow a few books, and most certainly start writing my travel memoir. Ahh . . .

Have you cruised Alaska’s Inside Passage, Wanderboomers? If not, what are you waiting for?? If so, what’s your favorite spot?

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments

Scenic Sitka

I was nursing a beer at Victoria’s Pour House in downtown Sitka. Behind me loomed a large sign, gong attached, inscribed with these words:

“If you touch it, and it makes a sound, Be prepared to buy a round.”

Pub visitors beware: patrons of the establishment take this warning seriously. No tom foolery here. If you take the gong and hit the sign, “just for fun,” guess what? You have just committed yourself to picking up the tab for every barfly present. And if you think you can get away without doing it, imagine having a rowdy bunch of patrons get up and start closing in on you, forming a tight circle with no exits.
That’s how the bartender described what happened to one not-so-fortunate visitor who learned from his mistake the hard way.

“What happened next?” I asked. “He put his money on the counter,” the bartender nodded, underscoring the fact that it was the only thing he could do.

The Port of Sitka, situated on the Western side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago, was the launching pad for our nine-day small-ship cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard the Island Spirit.

Before meeting up with the rest of the group for a shuttle tour of the city, we wandered a bit more downtown. Straight ahead at the end of the street: St. Michael’s Church.

Do you have any good pub stories while traveling? Favorite Sitka sightings? Leave me a comment here.

G is for Getaway to the Galápagos Islands

Alaska’s Tenakee Springs

Scenic Sitka

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