Winter lets us unwind from the holidays but yearn for the warmth of later months. We can sit in the comfort of our homes and dream of things to come that let us out and about.  Here is an idea of what is to come so that you can send in deposits for registration and then relax and dream of the future.

An early day trip will be our annual trip north to Fraser Downs and the harness races. This will be on March 24 and requires a passport or enhanced license to cross the border into Canada. 

In April we are holding space with Viking River Cruises on two sailings. The first is out of Basel to Amsterdam on a seven-day cruise. This can then be combined with a 10-day cruise through the Netherlands. If you don’t feel you want to go clear to Holland to see the tulips, then join us on a day trip to LaConner on the 24th to see them here at home.

May 1 brings a four-day cruise with Holland America from San Diego to Vancouver. We also have a trip to New England the end of the month.

July gives a choice of Alaska cruises — a seven-day cruise on Norwegian out of Seattle roundtrip or a 14-day cruise/tour with Princess that includes Mt. McKinley and Denali National Park. 

The end of August is for a road trip through Wyoming. 

October heads us down to Albuquerque and their balloon fiesta.

In November we are holding space on the American Song, the newest riverboat from American Cruise Lines.

For information and reservations, contact me at 253 927 8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com

 

Linda Finch, a senior travel planner, wrote this article.

I can’t believe that another year has come and is almost gone. I look out the window and know that winter is upon us, and that thought always makes me want to get away to somewhere there is sunshine. I can only take so much of the cold weather, and besides, the sun makes me smile.

On March 18, we are holding space on Norwegian Star for a seven-day Mexican Riveria cruise. It will go out of Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. These are wonderful ports to hit the shops and the beaches.  No shore excursions are necessary to see the sights, and there is fun around every corner. Ocean-view cabins start at $12,360 per person based on double occupancy. Sign up now before space is gone. (We will need to add roundtrip airfare and an overnight hotel to the package price).

Another of my very favorite things to do is river cruising. Viking River Cruises is holding space for us on two trips. They may be taken individually or combined for a longer stay. The first is from Basel to Amsterdam to get a Rhine experience, and the second is an intense Holland experience to see the tulips and windmills. The cost to take both of the trips, including airfare out of Seattle, is $6543. This is for 17 days with your meals, sightseeing, wine/beer and all taxes. The date is April 1 (no fooling) with a return on April 18.

If all those things are too much time for you, then how about a quick little trip May 1-4 from San Diego to Vancouver with Holland America? There is one stop in Victoria, and the rest is peaceful cruising and pampering. Rates are from $344 per person based on sharing. We will have to add the airfare to San Diego and transportation back from Vancouver.

Want to just do something fun for the holiday season? How about a trip to Molbaks to see the flowers and their wonderful array of gifts? Or what about finishing up your shopping at the Pacific Outlet Mall (you could also stop at the Tulalip Casino if you are so inclined).

 

Linda Finch, who wrote this article, can be contacted for information and/or reservations at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com.

What could be more fun than a family vacation? I mean a real vacation of a lifetime with the entire family. Well, I just did it.

Time moves so fast, and before you know it, the kids are moving away to college, getting married and having children of their own.  I thought it would be great to make one last big trip before we were so spread out.

With that in mind, 17 of us flew to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and took a Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Allure of the Seas.  What an amazing ship — and a very good way to allow everyone to do what they wanted to do.  The teenagers learned to surf on the Flowriders and do rock climbing. Even the adults tried the zip line, and absolutely everyone enjoyed the shows.  Each could go their own way and plan to meet the others whenever.

Our first two days were at sea to learn the ship and enjoy all the available activities. We had fun finding out who had the brains to win at trivia and who had the brawn to climb the rock wall.  Of course, there were those of us who enjoyed sitting by the pool and taking time in the spa.

Our first real stop was the RCCL-owned portion of Labadee, Haiti. This is a tropical playground with water sports, a water slide through lush tropical plants, a zip line over the ocean, miles of beautiful sand beaches, and warm water to play in. We spent the entire day, complete with a barbecue lunch and shops.

The next day it was a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The teenagers took scuba lessons while the rest of us explored the city. We started at El Moro, the old fort built in the early-1500s, and wandered through the adjacent cemetery with the most beautiful graves you have ever seen. A walk along the old city wall took us into old town, where not all the shops were old but certainly tempting. It was very warm, and so we made a stop at the El Convento Hotel (remember watching “The Flying Nun” with Sally Fields? Filmed here) for a cocktail before continuing our walk back to the ship.

The last shore day was in St. Maarten/St. Martin (half French and half Dutch). These countries have been peacefully sharing the island for hundreds of years.  Some of the adults did a zip line, which also included suspension bridges over jungle washes. The boys took to sailing yachts with tall sails. The oldest of us just opted for a drive around the island.

Every night we would join at dinner and hear stories from everyone  how they spent their time. We learned that communication was of primary importance and that we needed to switch seats at the table every night so that we shared with everyone. We learned to have note pads and sticky notes for letting others know what we were doing and where they could find us.  Walkie-talkies might have been a good idea, but several used an app on their phones to communicate. We had made reservations for every show for the entire group. This was just another thing that we could share and then head out to the disco, the casino, or bed.

It was an amazing adventure and something that will be with us all forever. 

If you would be interested in organizing something for your family, I would love to help. Just give me a call at 253-927-8207 or e-mail me at lindafinch@gmail.com.

P.S  Don’t forget, there is still space for Cuba in February, Viking River Cruising in April, and a coastal cruise from San Diego to Vancouver.

 

Linda Finch, who wrote this article, is a travel planner.

               

Seattle has been lucky enough to be one of two cities chosen to view the amazing Terracotta Army. This collection of terracotta sculptures depicts the armies of Qin She Huang, the first emperor of China.  The army was buried with the Emperor in 10 B.C. to protect him in the afterlife.

We started our exploration with a stop to see the IMAX documentary “Mysteries of China.”  This tells “the story of ancient China, the first emperor and the literal foundation of the China we know today.”  The documentary and its recreations make the exhibit more believable and easier to understand.

The statues were discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well in Xian, China. It is estimated that over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses were buried in three pits. The figures are lifesize and vary in height, uniform and hairstyle according to their rank and/or position.  There are a variety of uniforms within the rank. Originally the figures were painted with bright colors, but when exposed to the air, much of the paint flaked off.  Several re-created figures have been painted to show what they would have looked like.

Other figures of non-military types were found in other pits. These included officials, acrobats and musicians.  Presumably, these were to assist and entertain the emperor in the afterlife.

The assumption is that the figures were made in workshops using local materials. Body parts were made separately and assembled near the pits, where they were then placed in precise military order,

Most of the figures held real weapons, many of which were either looted or rotted away. However, many smaller artifacts such as arrowheads, smaller swords, and daggers have been found intact.

Ten figures and other artifacts are on display at the Pacific Science Center and will remain there until Sept. 4. 

 

Amazing mountain

 

Amazing in its own right was our trip to Mount Rainier, certainly as ancient as the Terracotta Army, and ours to view almost every day.  We live in a beautiful part of the world, and it is so great that we can appreciate it firsthand. 

We took the day to drive to Paradise, see the wildflowers blooming and even make sure we had a snow cap to melt away and send us the water we need to keep us beautifully green. We had lunch at the lodge and, of course, made a stop at Copper Creek for blackberry pie on our way home.

There is still time to sign up for the February tour to Cuba. Trump seems to be adding some restrictions on travel to this country, but Collette Tours has been qualified as a People-to-People entity and one of the ways you can legally take this adventure. 

If you are quick, you may even be able to find space on the Sept. 23 Alaska cruise on Norwegian Jewel.  This is a 10-day cruise out of Seattle with a return to Vancouver. A variety of rates are still available.

Now is the time to really be thinking about next spring.  We have blocked space with Viking River Cruises for eight days out of Basel to Amsterdam and then, if you wish, continue on for another 10 days to explore tulips and windmills. Really nice cabins and an amazing airfare are available.

We are also holding space with Holland America out of San Diego to Vancouver  on May 1 if you would be interested in a coastal cruise.

For reservations and information, contact me at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com

A daytrip group pauses outside Pacific Science Center in Seattle during a visit to see the terra cotta sculptures of a Chinese army that date to 10 B.C.

 

Linda Finch, who wrote this article, is a regular contributor to Senior Scene.