The Senior Scene

Here we are nearing the end of the year again. It has been a very busy year with exciting things to do and places to go. It is sometimes hard to try to decide what to do next. We are always looking for suggestions.
There might still be some space on the Cuba trip Dec. 1 for those who can’t make up their minds until the last minute. We might even still be able to find space on Princess cruises for anyone who would like to that that wonderful 15 day cruise out of San Francisco to Hawaii and back. There have been some very good fares listed for that one.
Now is also the time to be thinking of our cruise out of Galveston to Roatan and Belize on March 9. A nice seven-day cruise to get you out of the weather and start you thinking about spring.
And then there is our annual two-week trip to Hawaii. This year it will be Maui. Come along and see every inch of the island. The price tag includes lots of day trips, plenty of meals and a great deal of fun, sun and relaxation.
Further into the spring is Washington, D.C. for the cherry blossoms. Think about perhaps staying in the country and seeing those things which have been so important to us – the Jefferson, the Lincoln, Vietnam and Korean War memorials. The Smithsonian. Visit Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, Arlington, and even tour Annapolis.
Want something a little more exotic? Then how about Portugal, Spain and a river cruise through the Duro Valley? Everything is included on this one, with no extras for shore excursions or even cocktails.
For further information on these and many other trips (don’t forget all the dinner dates and mystery trips, the MOHI and the theater), call me at 253 927 8207 or get on the e-mail list at linda.finch@gmail.com.

Sweet tea, Dr. Pepper, crawfish, barbecue, oysters on the half sheet, popcorn shrimp, grits … all pictures of the South. What a wonderful area of the United States, and someplace we in the North need to know more about.  We hear about Katrina, Issac and so many other horrible storms, but have no real feeling about it because we are so unfamiliar with the area.

A group of us flew into Atlanta, Ga. and immediately traveled deeper into the south for a night in Montgomery, the state capitol. After a good night’s sleep, we really started the trip. Our first stop was the Rosa Parks Museum. This courageous lady basically started the civil rights movement.  We up north have no idea what is was like to have separate white and black facilities. How humiliating it was to have to give up your seat on the bus just because a person of another color was “better” than you. Rosa was tired of it all and held her spot even though it was against the rules. The bus boycott caught on and thus began a new revolution.

Lunch took us to Mobile and the Dew Drop Inn, the oldest continuously working eating establishment in the area.  Opened in 1857 and famous for its hot dogs, this is the restaurant where Jimmy Buffet wrote “Cheeseburger In Paradise.”

It wasn’t far from the Dew Drop to the Carnival Museum. What a fascinating place. Here was the birth of Mardi Gras in the U.S. Depictions of floats from the early 1900s until today, lavish costumes weighted down with amazing bead work, and music that made the body want to move.

A quick drive then took us to Biloxi, Miss. We were now in the heart of where there has been so much hurricane devastation. A beach area where there had been 15 casinos now has five. Building is in progress and things are coming back. The cleanup has been done, but you can tell where there must have been beautiful homes and many trees. It is unbelievable how resilient these people are. Miles of beautiful beach will help them grow the tourist economy once again.

Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library (former president of the Confederacy), was built in 1852 and was purchased in 1878 by Davis. Despite hurricane damage and lucrative offers to purchase the estate, it remained with the family until 1903 when it was sold to the Mississippi Division of the United Sons of the Confederate Veterans under the condition that it remain a memorial toDavis.  The Jefferson Davis Soldiers Home was opened the same year. It is now a marvelous museum carefully restored to its original grandeur.

A stop at The Shed in Gulfport (seen on the Food Channel) gave us all a perfect taste of southern barbecue. Huge portions covered in flavorful sauce meant we probably wouldn’t want dinner, but then, we were headed to New Orleans. And how can you not eat in New Orleans?

There isn’t enough room in this column to tell you all the wonders this city has to offer. Our hotel was just off Bourbon Street with its music, restaurants and theatrics. A place that jumps long into the night and early morning with some of the most interesting people, food and shopping. We toured the city and the cemeteries (there are so many and they are so interesting), visited the garden district and the Superdome, even took in the Sculpture Garden. It is so hard to believe that these areas were under eight feet of water during Hurricane Katrina. Hard work and devotion has given this beautiful city back to the people. There is much more to be done, but the people will never give up.

Plans are underway for a November cruise to Hawaii; a March cruise out of Galveston to Belieze and Roratan; April for two weeks in Hawaii; Portugal and the Duro River Valley in June; Normandy and Paris in October. For further information, contact me at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com.

It’s hard to think that summer may be coming to a close, but we still have memories of those fun trips to play in the sun. 

The end of July, we did a trip to Ross Dam and Lake Diablo for a boat ride on the lake. The day started out a bit rainy, but by the time we reached the North Cascades, the rain had stopped and we were ready to go. The Cascade Institute provided a lunch, and then we were off on the boat around the lake.  We even had the rare pleasure of being able to stop at the dam itself for a tour inside. In today’s society, these things are generally not open to the public, so we felt very special.

August gave us a theater trip to Leavenworth.  It is always great to see “Sound of Music” up on the ski hill. Things were a little different this year with a revamping of the stage, but the music was as wonderful as always. And then there was “Footloose” in the indoor theater and “Joseph” at the fish hatchery theater. The weather was beautiful for outdoor theater, and we weren’t bothered by the fires in the Wenatchee area.

Now we are beginning to think about what to do over those colder winter months.  How do we get away and find a bit of sun? Here are a few suggestions:

• November: Hawaii cruise round-trip from San Francisco, 15 days, from $1,897 per person plus airfare.

• December: Cuba, nine days, from $3,999 per person, including airfare from Seattle.

• March: Eastern Caribbean with Royal Caribbean to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, starting at $1,200 for inside, $1,400 for balcony per person, including air from Seattle.

* April: Two weeks on Maui in a private home with sightseeing and most meals, from $2,400 per person

* June: Portugal, Spain and the Duro River Valley. Riverboat cruising with Uniworld, including three days in Lisbon, all inclusive with meals, sightseeing, tips and all beverages. Cost begins at $4,139 per person plus airfare.

* October: Memorial of War, Normandy and Paris, nine days including Paris, Normandy, the beaches of D-Day, Memorial Peace Museum and much, much more. Cost is $3,999, including air from Seattle and many meals

For further information and reservations, call me at 253-927-8207 or e-mail me at linda.finch@gmail.com

Alaska is still one of the most beautiful areas you can cruise – and so easy to do from our area.  Even with very little notice, you can usually find some space. That is what we did. On the spur of the moment, we managed to gather a small group and head out on Golden Princess for a beautiful, restful week.

We left Seattle on a Sunday afternoon, headed into the Inside Passage.  How nice to have an entire day at sea on Monday to learn our way around the ship. We were very lucky to be able to obtain cabins next to each other. It made it so easy o decide what we would do each day, and every afternoon we shared tea time.

The first stop was Ketchikan, the self-described “Salmon Capital of the World.” We rented a large van and took off to see what it was all about. Our journey took us past small creeks and rivers where the salmon annually return to spawn. We spotted eagles on the shore and in the trees waiting for their chance at dinner. Even a bear was out foraging. Totem Bight State Park has 14 intricately carved and painted totem poles offering insight into the Tlingit and Haida Indian cultures.

One of the wonderful things about an Alaska cruise is the lighter, longer days. We were up very early on Wednesday morning and hanging out over the balconies as we entered Tracy Arm Fjord.  You could almost touch the shoreline and feel the spray from the many waterfalls as we glided through this truly magnificent scenery. Glacial ice floes drifted past, and we learned the true beauty of “ice blue.”  Wrapped in blankets off our beds, we spent a great deal of time just watching and finally ended up staring straight into a glacier. It truly makes you see the wonders of this world we live in.

Leaving Tracy Arm Fjord, we headed for Juneau, the capitol of Alaska. Sarah Palin wasn’t out to greet us, but we did take a tour that went past the capitol building and then out to the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier. Such a site, but a disappointment as well when you think of global warming and how these massive structures have moved back so far in recent years.

The highlight of our touring, however, was The Red Dog Saloon. Here is Alaska as you always picture it during the gold rush days. The rowdy bar room crowd sings along with a piano player and enjoys good food and fun. They even sang “Happy Birthday” to Audrey Stacy, one of our own, who was celebrating her 98th on this cruise.

It was then off though the waters of the Upper Lynn Canal to Skagway, which gives off the feel of those in the area with the fever for gold. The buildings have remained with that look. The year-round population is 965, but that swells to more than double during the summer cruise season.  It was a bit of a rainy day, but we headed to visit the Red Onion Saloon, which was Skagway’s most exclusive bordello in the day and now is a National Historic Building. The ladies are dressed in costume, and you can take a tour.

The next couple of days were spent at sea as we headed back south toward Victoria and eventually our return to Seattle. There was still plenty to do on board with Movies at Sea, a full casino, shops and even restaurants we had not had time to enjoy. Cruising is a wonderful vacation with everything taken care of. We will continue to do it.

Plans are already being made for a cruise sometime in the winter. Keep a watch here for further information or call me at 253-927-8207. Have your name added to the e-mail list at linda.finch@gmail.com. There still might be time for you to join the Leavenworth theater group this month or get on the list for Cuba in December. New adventures are added all the time.