By sharing a rental townhouse in a charming small Marin County town (with a “walkscore” of 8.9), I will save more than $1,000 a month previously used for property taxes, home insurance, maintenance, etc. If something breaks, we’ll call the maintenance crew.

Where’s that money going . . . since you asked: TRAVEL! Because I do not mind travelling alone, I’m looking for single cruise fairs, which are difficult to come by. However, I prefer shoulder season travel anyway (fewer crowds), so bargains are to be had on many cruise lines. Some considerations:

1. Try one-way, shoulder-season cruise itineraries. The shoulder-season—when families aren’t traveling—is a fine time to save on the single supplement on cruise ships. Some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, charge less for the supplement on many cruises, including “repositioning cruises,” when cruise lines move their ships from their summer cruising waters to their winter waters (from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean in the fall), or vice versa. These cruises often last longer (between 7 and 12 days) than standard cruises—yet cost up to half as much per day per person as the norm. Norwegian, for instance, recently had interior berths on a late October transatlantic cruise going for as low as $399 per passenger.
2. Pick the type of repositioning cruise that suits your style. Some itineraries have themes, such as wine tastings, and multiple port stops, like Holland America’s Zaandam’s recent itinerary between San Diego and Vancouver. Other routes cover a lot of sea with few—if any—port stops, such as an early November Carnival itinerary between Dover, England, and Boston. Some people might find the lack of port stops boring. But others won’t mind: Because these cruises are less popular, the ships are often well below capacity—which means you receive additional special attention from the on-board staff without having to pay additional gratuities.
3. One-way cruises: Booking an affordable one-way flight home is key to keeping total trip costs down. For international itineraries, check your airline mileage. Many airlines now offer frequent flier miles for one-way tickets. Domestically, JetBlue, and Southwest sell one-way fares that are also inexpensive.
   

   If you love travelling, be sure your credit cards, supermarket cards, etc., all have mileage attached to your purchases. My brother just called to say he has 40,000 miles — that’ll take him to just about anywhere in the world for the price of airport taxes only. Also, never use airline miles for domestic flights — not worth it. Learned that in 1970 when friends wanted me to visit them in Miami. For the same mileage, I was able to meet them in FranceAn example from the Huffington Post: Say you’re deciding how to use 30,000 American Airlines miles and you’ve got it narrowed down to one domestic location (Chicago) and one international (Lima, Peru). 30,000 miles is enough for a roundtrip flight to either location, but look at the difference in value. Flying from New York to Chicago for the second week of September costs either 25,000 miles or $188, which means you’re using 133 miles-per-dollar that you would have spent otherwise. Flying to Peru, on the other hand, costs either 30,000 miles or $883 (34 miles-per-dollar). In this case, you get nearly four times the value from using frequent flyer miles to fly abroad than domestic.

4. One of the MANY advantages of being retired: Look for last-minute deals. Some companies try to off-load unbooked cabins in the weeks before a departure by offering “happy hour” specials in which they reduce the supplement. Such sales are typically held the same day they’re announced on the companies’ websites. (From a travel agent who founded a website listing discounts on supplements for solo cruisers: singlescruiseresource.com. Most travel agents receive advance warning of the sales.)
5. Look Around the Globe: The small Hebridean Princess ship looks rather like a British country home and has only 30 cabins, with 10 reserved for singles at no extra charge. Everything is included, from meals, wines and cocktails to shore excursions, on-board guest speakers and guided tours. Itineraries include the Scottish coast, Ireland and Wales, Northern France and England and her Channel Isles. Guests are provided with bicycle, fishing tackle and picnic baskets on request. Tipping is not allowed. This is one, of course, where you have to watch airfare costs, so that mileage you are racking up with purchases just may get you to/from without undue additional expense.
6. Note: If you can avoid it, never travel in an interior cabin, unless you don’t mind sleeping in a closet. Your health will stay better if you have a balcony room and can get fresh air throughout your cruise.

Revell 1:72 Caribbean Pirate Ship

The galleon appeared on the early morning horizon, off the port, bearing down on us from out of the blood-red sunrise. At first, we mistook her for another merchant ship, traveling home from Jamaica or the Bahamas, heavy with cargo. But no, she was moving too fast. As she approached, she dropped her main sail to reveal the skull and crossbones. We went hard to starboard, full speed. praying she would not catch us” and that was the last entry in the journal found floating.

Da Vinci Catapult Kit, Wood, 3B Scientific W64067

Fully functioning, scale model of Leonardo Da Vinci catapult for demonstration of historical launching device. Flings soft clay balls (included) up to 15 feet for realistic reproduction of discharge.
Made of wood for durability. Assembly required.

Revell RMS Titanic

1/350 Scale Model

RMS Titanic of Britain’s White Star Corporation was the biggest moving object ever built. She was backed with superior quality and performance. The RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Titanic, an Olympic class luxury passenger liner, sank on April 15, 1912, en route to New York from Southampton, England on its maiden voyage. She had a double-bottomed hull divided into 16 watertight compartments.

The Titanic struck an iceberg on the night of April 14, at 11:40 PM and sank, with great loss of life, at 2:20 AM, on April 15, 1912.
The United States Senate investigation reported that 1,517 people perished in the accident, while the British investigation has the number at 1,490. The disaster ranks as one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history, and is by far the best known. It carried some of the richest, most powerful industrialists, multi-millionaire entrepreneurs of her day. The sinking of Titanic has been the basis for many novels describing fictionalized events on board the ship, such as Titanic: The Long Night written by Diane Hoh. The book A Night to Remember was made into a movie in 1958 and was also transformed into ‘Titanic: The Musical’, with a book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The 1997 film Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet was a critical and commercial hit, winning eleven Academy Awards and holding the record for the highest box office returns of all time.

Waterline Warships: An Illustrated Masterclass

Philip Reed, Seaforth Publishing

Reed, best known for his superb models of ships from the age of sail, turns his attention to the other highly popular subject for ship modelers-the warships of the Second World War. The book is a step-by-step manual for building a scratch waterline model of the Ca Class destroyer HMS Caesar, the sistership of Cavalier now on display in drydock at Chatham Historical Dockyard. These emergency built ships were launched between 1943 and 1945.

Building Ship Models: Patterns and Instructions for a Clipper Ship and a Whaler

George B. Douglas, Joseph T. Higgins, et al.

Clearly written text, detailed illustrations and full-size working plans provide novices and experienced model builders with a treasury of information for creating the Benjamin F. Packard, a classic American clipper, and the Alice Mandell, a famous 19th-century whaler.

American Ship Models and How to Build Them

Victor Redmond Grimwood

A particular suitability for beginners distinguishes this classic guide to ship modeling from the many other available manuals. Both text and plans are especially geared toward the growing skills of novices, with projects presented in easy-to-learn techniques arranged in order of difficulty, from relatively simple models to complicated square-riggers. The plans are drawn from those of the original builders or from measurements of existing craft, showing all the necessary details.

The Built-Up Ship Model

Charles G. Davis

Dover Trade Paperback

A classic in its field, THE BUILT-UP SHIP MODEL is an expert guide aimed at model builders with experience, patience, and a passion for building “the real thing.” Photographs illustrate day-to-day work in progress. Over 100 drawings demonstrate correct implementation of the more complex instructions. In his introduction, the author chronicles the exciting career of the Lexington and the role it played in America’s fight for freedom.

A Day in the Life of a Colonial Shipwright

PowerKids Press

Canada-Pre Confederation (to 1867)

Part of a series that includes Millers and Glassblowers

Age range: 12 to 16

Describes a day in the life of a shipbuilder in 1777 discussing training, key figures in the field, and steps to building a ship.

Travel back in time and spend a day in the life of a real citizen during the earliest days of our nation. The book is part of a series featuring a person who actually lived and worked during Colonial times. The books offer original period documents, oil paintings, etchings, and woodcuts that portray the colonial era. These primary sources bring depth and authenticity to young readers’ exploration of life before the American Revolution. The captivating stories of these real-life characters, some of them American icons, will make history tangible and fun. John Langdon, a former representative to the second Continental Congress, owned the Langdon Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Note: Is not always available.)

Pirates of Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs collects 14 seafaring singalongs that aim their cannons at the children who have spent time on the legendary theme park ride. The goofy renditions of classic sea shanties like “Blow the Man Down” and “Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum)” have more in common with the Popeye cartoons than they do Naval work songs, and obvious film nods like “Welcome to the Caribbean” and “Davy Jones’ Locker” sound hastily crafted for action figure commercials. The children will like it.

Blow the Man Down: A Collection Of Sea Songs & Shanties

Contains songs from FAREWELL NANCY, a 1964 compilation of sea chanties, and additional tracks. Based on a 1964 compilation LP called Farewell Nancy, this CD adds several more tracks. It features some of the British folk revival’s top performers singing sea songs, shanties and ballads. Singers include Louis Killen, Cyril Tawney and Ian Campbell.

Irish Pirate Ballads and Other Songs of the Sea

Dan Milner sings all 13 tracks on this collection of songs associated with the Irish seafaring life with instrumental and vocal support from a rotating cast of nine other musicians, Mick Moloney being the most notable of those. Milner was born in England but has spent most of his life in North America. He is of Irish descent, and he has done several albums of Irish music since the late ’90s. According to Milner’s liner notes, this is “an album of maritime songs from Ireland and its diaspora in which most of the central characters stand uneasy next to the law.”

The arrangements are low-key as well, though admirably varied, incorporating mandolin, concertina, piano, guitar, whistle, banjo, accordion, flute, bouzouki, and fiddle. Milner’s notes also offer detailed accounts of the sources of the songs, as well as the real-life characters whose experiences helped shape them.

Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways has a long and distinguished reputation as champions of the maritime tradition, and the reissue of the 32 tracks on their Classic Maritime Music compilation is a wonder.
None of the records that these songs originally appeared on is in print, and the compilers have done a commendable job at choosing representative tracks from the large array of artists whose work has graced many a turntable over the course of the last 60 years. Opening the set are two cuts from New York’s South Street Seaport Museum troubadours, the X-Seamen’s Institute, a collective whose repertoire was as impressive in size as in execution, and whose several records for Folkways have been long sought after by collectors. Their version of “Shenandoah” is among the most beautiful ever recorded. Also notable is the inclusion of three tracks from the Foc’sle Singers, a seafaring supergroup of sorts that included Paul Clayton and Dave Van Ronk, who released one of the genre’s finest recordings, Foc’sle Songs and Shanties, in 1959. Contributions from the Bahamas-based Dicey Doh Singers (“Sloop John B.”) and instrumentals from Ellen Cohen (“Ten-Penny Bit”) and Tom Sullivan (“Homeward Bound/The Old Slipper Shoe”) help to dispel the notion that all sea shanties were merely work songs with a call and response. Excellent tracks by everyone from “salty dogs” like Ewan MacColl to Leadbelly, whose version of the Atlantic sailing shanty “Haul Away Joe” sees the bluesman adapting it to a Mississippi riverboat song, are wonderful windows into a world that’s sadly diminishing. Classic Maritime Music is indispensable. ~ James Christopher Monger

The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan

The idea of a Silk Road compilation is a standard of world music label compilations. This presentations starts in Turkey, with some urban Ankaran music followed by a more rural harvest song.
Passing through Armenia, they showcase the sublime Djivan Gasparyan on duduk, as well as a taste of oud. In Azerbaijan, the music gets a bit rougher, with an overpowering dance on the accordion, and a female vocalist following the local aesthetic, which is something of an acquired taste. In Iran, a quick look is given to the dastgah system and the santour, before moving into Afghanistan for a folk song and a very loud and brash piece for the surnai (a sort of shawm with a very metallic timbre). Turkmenistan affords a quick look at a solo singing tradition and a bit of epic poetry, and Uzbekistan combines a nice solo ney performance with an overpowering performance of the National Orchestra of Folk Music, alternating between soft and woody tones and massive orchestral sounds. Kyrgyzstan is where the Central Asian aesthetic really starts to shine, with vocals meant for open spaces ringing and a bit of flute work combined with light string accompaniment on the comuz, as well as a solo performance on the deep chogoyno cho’or flute. Mongolia surprisingly shows neither the massively popular khoomi singing nor the morin khuur fiddle, opting instead for a basic folk song and a slower dance melody. Finally reaching the end of the Silk Road, the album ends with a pair of pieces from China, one a classical song and the other an instrumental using the high erhu and dizi against the deeper yangqin and zhong ruan for some traditional silk-and-bamboo music. This makes a nice sampler from which to start further musical explorations. ~ Adam Greenberg

Lost Songs Of The Silk Road

Sounds Of The Silk Road: Musical Instruments Of Asia

From the cymbals and gongs used by Chinese priests use to invoke deities to the oboes and drums of Turkish weddings, music and its related instruments are an integral part of life throughout Asia. Sounds of the Silk Road surveys the instruments of Asia and the traditions that have engendered them, offering the reader ways to approach these often unfamiliar objects and the music they produce. This beautiful book is the first to deal with this topic in such depth and breadth, and is the first to feature of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s world-renowned collection of Asian instruments. Each chapter focuses on a specific country’s musical traditions and instruments. Some 50 instruments are highlighted, ranging from silk-stringed zithers to shell trumpets and from double-headed drums made from human skulls to the complex Javanese gamelan. Intended for the general reader, this visually stunning volume introduces the uses, sounds, history, playing technique, decoration, and symbolism of Asia’s skillfully crafted and fascinatingly diverse musical instruments.

Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon

Performer: Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble, Jason Duckles

Conductor: Alan Pierson

Composer: Fikret Amirov, Sandeep Das, Indrajit Das Sandeep / Dey, Uzeir Hajibeyov, Kayhan Kalhor

It is a perilous proposition when genres clash–and no such collaboration is more potentially fraught than when improvisation-trained folk musicians sit in with Western classical instrumentalists, who are taught to interpret a printed score. The renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma has devoted much of his professional life to such intercultural experiments. But the traditions of nations situated along the ancient Silk Road, which began in the Far East, meandered through Asia and terminated in Europe, are especially dear to him. These lushly arranged pieces range from moody scenic vistas to percussive Turkish hip-shakers and they make very pleasant listening. If they owe more to the European canon than the ethnic sources that inspired them, they are also the result of respectful give-and-take between a team of acknowledged masters. And nobody is more of a team player than Maestro Ma, an impassioned, fearless musical seeker and a gracious, deferential colleague. –Christina Roden ]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/03/world-music/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/03/paintings-of-ships-and-seas/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/03/paintings-of-ships-and-seas/#comments Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:59:23 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=626 Hundreds of quality reprints of historical sailing ships are available in various sizes and mediums, including fine Giclee reproductions.

If interested, just click on the painting. Many of these were painted by well-known, highly-regarded artists of the time and today.

The "Fighting Temeraire" tugged to her last berth. William Turner	Crescent Moon Montague Dawson	Belem Philip Plisson
USS Constitution Myron Clark	Empress Of The Seas Roy Cross	John Paul Jones’s Ship, Bon Homme Richard defeating the British Serapis. c 1779
Dawn Chase Montague Dawson	The Thermopylae leaving Foochow Montague Dawson	Rising Wind Montague Dawson
The Action Between the Java and Constitution Montague Dawson	Racing Home, The Cutty Sark Montague Dawson	Lynx U.S. Privateer Roy Cross
Romance of Sail	Clipper Under Full Sail	Battle of Virginia Capes V. Zveg
The Clipper Ship "Highflyer," 1111 Tons	Ariel and Taeping Montague Dawson	McKay Racer Sovereign of the Seas Frank Vining Smith
Clipper Ship Three Brothers, 2972 Tons Largest sailing ship in the world	Frigate Outward Bound off Shoeburyness Claude T. Stanfield Moore	The Barque Annie Johnson Henry Scott
HMS Challenger	Encounter Between the Mars and the Hercules c. 1798 John C. Schetky	Boston Harbor, 1853 Fitz Hugh Lane

Posters and Prints

• Clipper Ships
• Naval Ships
• Tall Ships
• Vintage Cruise Ships
]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/03/paintings-of-ships-and-seas/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/02/antique-prints/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/02/antique-prints/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:21:17 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=564 Reprints of the following views of San Francisco during the 1800s are available by clicking on images.

They come in varying sizes from 8×10 prints to quality glicee prints to posters. They can be ordered framed or unframed. If you don’t see a particular image you would like below, follow one of the links to find many more. (Note: The distribution center for the prints is located in California.)

Vista of San Francisco Deroy

Birds Eye of the Village of San Francisco M & N Hanhart Chromo Lithograph Co

San Francisco, July 1849 from the present site of the San Francisco Stock Exchange H.S. Crocker & Co

The City of San Francisco. Birds Eye View Currier & Ives

Birds Eye View of San Francisco Robinson & Snow

San Francisco in 1849 Ibbotson

View of the Town and Harbor of San Francisco Boosey

City of San Francisco. Birds Eye View

]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/02/antique-prints/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/dangerous-book-for-boys/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/dangerous-book-for-boys/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:51:14 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=538 The bestselling book for every boy from eight to eighty, covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses*, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is.


In this digital age there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal Igguiden have put together a wonderful collection of all things that make being young or young at heart fun—building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, and flying the world’s best paper airplanes.

The completely revised The Dangerous Book for Boys (American Edition) includes:

• The Greatest Paper Airplane in the World
• The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
• The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know
• Stickball
• Slingshots
• Fossils
• Building a Treehouse
• Making a Bow and Arrow
• Fishing (revised with U.S. Fish)
• Timers and Tripwires
• Baseball’s “Most Valuable Players”
• Famous Battles-Including Lexington and Concord, The Alamo, and Gettysburg
• Spies-Codes and Ciphers
• Making a Go-Cart
• Navajo Code Talkers’ Dictionary
• Girls
• Cloud Formations
• The States of the U.S.
• Mountains of the U.S.
• Navigation
• The Declaration of Independence
• Skimming Stones
• Making a Periscope
• The Ten Commandments
• Common United States Trees
• Timeline of American History



Co-author Conn Iggulden is also the bestselling author of six historical epics. He lives in Tasmania where he has a troupe entitled “Small and Mighty,” and a series of books about Tollins, tiny creatures with wings who aren’t fairies and are about as fragile as a brick wall.



]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/dangerous-book-for-boys/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/strange-trips-and-cruises/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/strange-trips-and-cruises/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:16:36 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=507 A group named The Travel Writers’ Life has posted an article on “Strange Tours,” which you may find amusing/interesting and worthwhile to delve into.

Many of their selections are unusual simply because of the location, i.e. riding a Harley through Australia. We see Harley tours all over the U.S., so, again, location is the key to many of these ideas. Tours through vineyards, growing grounds, plantations, factories, etc. are also held around the world so if your budget keeps you close to home, we’re sure you will be able to find an interesting site within some miles of your home.

If none of the following “speak” to you, pick up Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (second edition: Completely Revised and Updated with Over 200 New Entries)

Following is a selection of listings from The Travel Writer’s Life, along with our comments and some tours we have taken around the world. (Prices vary, of course, depending on length of the tour, transportation needs, season):

Harvest Tours

Join a harvest tour during prime picking season and learn about agriculture and botany from knowledgable guides on spice plantations, wine growing, tea making, coffee, etc., just about anywhere in the world.

Harley Davidson Motorcycle Winery Tour

www.kaboodle.com/reviews/harley-davidson-motorcycle-winery-tour
This does not seem strange to us; we live in California and frequently see Harley riders cruises between vineyards. We know a group of men who did travel via ship with their motorcycles to various ports. This particular tour is in Australia and that would be stunning.

Chocolate Tours

One of our family favorites: Visit a Chocolate Factory anywhere in the world. Hop on the old town trolley in Boston and tour some historic American chocolate sites, including the first chocolate factory in the U.S., and the origin of Tollhouse cookies and hot fudge sundaes. Or stop by the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square near Fisherman’s Wharf . . . plus you’re near internationally noted seafoods restaurants all along the Wharf. Find chocolate factories in Hobart, Australia; Zurich, Switzerland (including the Lindt Chocolate Shop); try a beer and chocolate tasting tour in Dunedin, New Zealand . . .

C’est Cheese Tours

www.cheesetours.com
From Paris, France through Burgundy and the Cote d’Or to Beaune. Learn all about the history of cheese-making, experience local markets, taste regional wines. Locations: Paris and Burgundy, France

Ethiopia Coffee Harvest Tour

www.adventureassociates.net/adventures/c_coffeeethiopia.html
Enjoy indigenous ceremonies and coffee tasting as you tour coffee farmers’ coops through Ethiopia. You’ll also tour the walled city of Oromia and see and partake in harvesting, washing, drying, and coffee pulping processes.

Chilean Wine Harvest Tour

Over seven days, you’ll participate in harvesting, wine-making, and lots of “taste testing” in seven of Chile’s top wineries. Horseback through orchards, historical sites, visit wine shops of Santiago
Location: From Santiago de Chile through the wine country
www.santiagoadventures.com/Chile_Wine_Tours/Chile_Wine_Harvest.htm

Mystical Tours

Celtic Mystical Journeys

www.celticmysticaljourneys.com/england2007.htm
See crop circles, druid stones, mysterious structures, and more over 12 days through England, Scotland, and Northern France.

Crop Circle Tour in England

www.wellwithin1.com/cropcir.htm
Take a four-day tour through the crop circles of England.

Dark Deeds, Monks, and Great Castles Tour

www.invernesstours.com/s04-dark-deeds-monks-castles.html
In one day, you’ll explore castles, medieval cities, cathedrals, battlefields, Benedictine chants, and tales of the “real” Macbeth in Scotland.

Ghost Tours

Night-time Ghost Tours take you through haunted houses, hotels, and other buildings around the world. Find out who’s haunting them, and see where the haunters were buried. Such tours include creepy stories about abductions, conspiracies, mysteries, etc. Samples:

• Boston Ghosts and Gravestones
• Munich Ghost Walking Tour
• Venice Ghost Walking Tour
• Dublin Gravedigger Ghost Tour

Voodoo Tour

New Orleans Cemetery and Voodoo Tour
Follow the ghosts of the numerous characters of New Orleans’ mysterious past! Tour one of the city’s most haunted cemeteries, St Louis Cemetery No. 1 and visit the tomb of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau. Your guide will explain the unique above-ground burial custom and will give you an in-depth overview of the fascinating evolution of voodoo.

Bermuda Triangle Shipwreck & Glassbottom Snorkel

www.fantasea.bm/Glassbottom_Sightseeing.htm
Snorkel through the Bermuda Triangle… or cruise through it in glass-bottom boat… and see for yourself the remains of ships in the treacherous “wreck capitol of the Atlantic.” You’ll visit a reef site and a shipwreck, and sip a “Bermuda Rum Swizzle” or a free soft drink on the way home.

Egyptian Meditation Tour

www.sharm-club.com/meditation.htm

Outdoor Experiences

Bering Sea Commercial Crab Fishing Tour

www.cfishadventures.com/?pageid=26
Board a commercial fishing vessel and watch real crab fishermen at work on the Bering Sea from the comfort of a heated viewing platform. See and touch the 17 American Writers & Artists Inc. catch of the day, as it’s held in tanks on the boat, then watch as it’s released back out into the ocean.

Flora, Fauna, and Natural Phenomena Tours

Night Vision Penguin Tour

www.visitmelbourne.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.00004BD3-6F1E-1D92-
960B80C476A90000/
Phillip Island, Australia, is home to the world’s smallest penguin species, the Little Penguin, or Fairy Penguin. And if you opt for the “Ultimate Penguin Experience” tour, you’ll be able to view the penguins at sunset, and then by night with night vision goggles. Phillip Island, Australia.

Active Volcano Tours

Volcano Tours: Hawaii, Arenal (Costa Rica), Pacaya Volcano (Guatemala)
With tour difficulty levels ranging from easy to “expedition” level, amateur volcanologists, geologists, and nature-lovers alike will enjoy exploring an erupting volcano. You can find daily volcano tours of varying difficulty around the world.

Bat Watching Riverboat Cruise

www.lonestarriverboat.com/tours.html
Float through Austin, Texas, on the Lonestar Riverboat. At sunset, 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats flap out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge, blackening the sky. Location: Austin, Texas. Similar tours are also available in New Mexico, Central and South America.

Rainforest Canopy Zip Line Tour

Costa Rica features dozens of active adventure tours. Clip into your harness, and glide through the trees of the Costa Rican rainforest by zip-line. There, you’ll see and hear birds and other exotic wildlife of the rainforest while you zip from tree to tree.

Carpet Weaving Tour

www.infohub.com/vacation_packages/6697.html
Visit a nomadic Turkish village with a population of 100 and learn traditional carpet weaving techniques. Experience village life, and spend some time at the beach, too. These are incredible tours. If you have the funds, consider buying a hand-woven Turkish carpet during this visit.

Craft and Folk Art Tours

Generally small group tours organized to buy and practice arts, Craft World and Folk Art Tours are featured in cities around the world from Oaxaca, Mexico, to South Africa to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Chinatown

Major cities around the world have a wonderful, colorful Chinatown portion of their city. We have been to San Francisco’s Chinatown hundreds of times, but we still enjoy visting Chinatown in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Vancouver . . . Chinatown is fabulous for picking up small attractive gifts for everyone in the family and not breaking your budget.

Tours and Cruises

Irish Folklore Tour

www.irishfolkloretours.com
Irish musician and folklore professor Mick Moloney takes you on a tour through the back roads of Ireland. You’ll meet artists, artisans, musicians, dancers, storytellers, and more. Choose from different itineraries that’ll take you through days of music and folklore across Ireland and Scotland.

Amsterdam Red Light District

The tour takes you to the area that’s synonymous with Amsterdam, the Wallen (Red Light District), passing monuments and entering narrow old streets such as the well-known Zeedijk street. In the past it was one of the most dangerous streets in Amsterdam, where sailors could be found searching for local amusement. Nowadays, instead of the shady bars of yester year you’ll find lively and welcoming Dutch pubs and restaurants. The walk includes a visit to the Prostitute Information Center, where you will be offered a free drink and can chat with a former prostitute who will explain the system and answer any questions you might have.

The Catacombs of Paris

Paris is known for the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre, but in the City of Lights a darker reality lurks in the infamous Catacombs of Paris.
Buy your tickets at a little booth and then descend into the dark, dripping tunnels of the Paris Sewer. Walk on grates as raw sewage runs through the tunnel below your feet. See displays of sewer maintenance equipment, and read about the history of waste control in the French capital city.

Sumo Wrestler Tour

Spend the day touring Tokyo, Edo-Tokyo Museum, and learning about Sumo Cultures. See daily rituals of sumo wrestlers… from what they eat to how they stretch and practice to techniques they use in the ring. In Ryogoku, you’ll also see where the traditional sport of sumo wrestling is presented at the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena, and learn more about this traditional sport at the Sumo Museum. See where sumo wrestlers live and train, and visit the sumo shop for Japanese souvenirs with a difference.

Battlefield Tours

Battlefield Tours have been established for battlefields around the world, some in large groups, others more intimate with personal guides. Normandy, Hong Kong, France, Istanbul, Gallipoli, Germany.

Pirate Tours

Take a pirate tour of Nassau, Portugal, or the French Quarter in New Orleans and hear stories about buried treasure and famous pirates. The New Orleans walking tour includes pirate history and stories about the real pirates of the Caribbean. As you follow your knowledgeable guide through the French Quarter, learn about the famous Lafitte Brothers, French pirates who came to New Orleans in the early 19th century. Visit their blacksmith shop – one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings – as well as other interesting landmarks such as Pirate’s Alley and the site of the Spanish colonial prison where both brothers were jailed.

Shipwreck Tours

Dive to view ship wrecks in locations around the world: Florida, Cayman Islands, Australia, Aruba, South Africa . . .

Water, Water Everywhere . . .

Underwater Tours

Journey under the sea and get a whole panorama of underwater life, often without getting wet in your guided Underwater Tour. Options include glass-encased semi-submersible vessel, snorkel gear, full dive gear . . . you’ll see salmon, starfish, sea cucumbers, moon jellyfish, and, in most tropical waters, exotically colored fish darting between coral reefs. Of course, if you’re near water, you’ll also see bird life around the shore. Locations are just about anywhere in the world. One of our favorites was Roratonga, where we went swimming with bat rays and pink reef sharks.

Cruise Ships

Check out Family Cruises for a host of “on-the-water” activities for you and your kids. You can find cruises for scrabble players, video gamers, adventurers, Who-Done-It-Cruises, competitions for dancing or costumes, fully-clothed travellers and barely clothed travellers on oceans and seas anywhere in the world. You can bring along your scrapbooking projects or start a new one. Learn to dance from experts and notable performers. Choose from cruises in Alaska, the Bahamas, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other, destinations.

]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/strange-trips-and-cruises/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/last-minute-cruise-specials/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/last-minute-cruise-specials/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:14:31 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=505

Last Minute Cruises

Online Exclusives – Find the Perfect Cruise




Online Exclusives – Find the Perfect Cruise . . . Visit Cruise Direct

]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2013/01/last-minute-cruise-specials/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2012/12/seafaring-films-for-the-family/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2012/12/seafaring-films-for-the-family/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:47:09 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=412



Blue Planet:
Seas of Life (Five-Disc Special Edition)

David Attenborough

Producer Alastair Fothergill and his team from the BBC put together one of the most breathtaking explorations of the world’s oceans ever assembled: The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. The film is the winner of two Emmy Awards and is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries the deep in ways never before imagined.



The Little Mermaid


(Two-Disc Platinum Edition)




Master And Commander

Based on a series of books by Patrick O’Brian, and directed by Peter Weir, “Master And Commander” plunges viewers deep into the story of a British Navy ship at sea during the Napoleonic war.

Master and Commander (Movie Tie-In Edition)



The Great Barrier Reef (IMAX)

The Great Barrier Reef unveils the most colorful and diverse undersea world ever seen. Viewers will be taken on a breathtaking journey through the largest coral reef system on the planet, stretching over 1,400 miles along the east coast of Australia. Experience the beauty of the reef while learning about its colorful and often dangerous inhabitants and their remarkable interrelationships. This spectacular film opens an unparalleled window on this beautiful and fragile world. Like most of our incredible reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from overuse and carelessness.



Dive Travel Belize Home of the Famous Blue Hole

Belize is known for its ancient Maya ruins, beautiful rainforest, magnificent barrier reef and wonderful miles of cave system. This film takes you to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, one of four coral atolls in the Caribbean and home to two World Heritage Sites; Halfmoon Caye and Blue Hole National Monuments, both managed by the Belize Audubon Society. Blue Hole was first made famous by Jacque Cousteau and has since become one of the most popular dive destinations in the world.



IMAX: Coral Reef Adventure [Blu-ray]

Liam Neeson.
CORAL REEF ADVENTURE offers a breathtaking look at the picturesque scenery of the South Pacific. With a combination of awesome underwater cinematographers and oceanographic experts, this is an intriguing look at some of the coral reef and ocean bed that surrounds the tropical islands. Some of the reefs are slowly eroding, so this is an important historical document of sights that are sadly not destined to be around forever.



Muppet Treasure Island
Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition


Legendary Pirate Movies:

• Captain Kidd
• The Son Of Monte Cristo
• Long John Silver’s Return To Treasure Island





Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

(Two-Disc Special Edition)



Atlantis – The Lost Empire

Belial is an evil man advising the royal family of Atlantis, who is discovered by a courageous princess to be attempting to gain God-like controls over nature. Will she be able to stop him before he destroys their entire world? ]]> http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2012/12/seafaring-films-for-the-family/feed/ 0 http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2012/11/captain-bully-waterman/ http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/2012/11/captain-bully-waterman/#comments Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:18:33 +0000 DALSFO http://maritimeheritage.org/ShipsStore/?p=378 For more than a decade, it has been a goal to publish small books about sea captains who sailed into San Francisco during the 1800s with hundreds of passengers and thousands of tons of merchandise on each vessel.

We have found a near-perfect method . . . Kindle eBooks. The first of the publications is online and available now just by clicking here:


Captain Robert (Bully) Waterman



Copies are available by clicking on the title:



Captain Robert (Bully) Waterman

This is a small book with news of Captain Waterman’s sailing life; this Captain set sailing records on clipperships during the mid-1800s which have not been bested to date.

The ePublication contains several images and news stories of his sailing adventures and misadventures.

List of Captains Sailing into San Francisco during the Gold Rush

Passenger Lists: Thousands of names of immigrants from around the world sailing into the Port of San Francisco during the 1800s

Challenge, Leaving New York Roy Cross

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