TP Thursday: Cruise Blues

A friend who recently spent two days at sea on an Alaskan cruise proclaimed he wasn’t a cruiser after the experience. And then, in an incredulous tone asked us,

“How do you do it? I nearly went nuts knowing I couldn’t get off the ship??!!” 



Unlike our buddy, our favorite cruises are those that involve crossing an ocean – the kind that have at least a  half dozen ‘sea days’; those kind of days where you see no other signs of life – no land, no ships, no birds, just blue. Cruise blues. In this photo our ship was leaving Fort Lauderdale, Florida bound for Europe.

This strip of Florida beach was the last land we would see for nearly a week. The next land would be the Azores, 3,117 miles (5,016KM/2,706NM) away.  The islands that make up the Azores are 1,118 miles (1,800 KM/900NM) west of Portugal.



We began many of our sea days with a trip to the gym (also hues of cruise blues) – a necessity when they ended with . . .

gourmet food. . .and sommelier served wine. (BTW, that was a piece of fish hidden under the veggies in that artistic display above.)

Sometimes we watched other guests play lawn croquet. (If you missed my earlier posts about this Celebrity Solstice ship – it, like others in its class, has a real live lawn.)



Other times we watched glass artists at work, thanks to a partnership between Celebrity and the Corning Museum of Glass. We’d attend those lectures on subjects that interested us, but skipped the multitudes of  bingo sessions, dance classes, contests, games and other activities that drew contingents of  fellow cruisers.



Generally on these types of sailings, when it comes to sea days – we prefer to soak up the ‘cruise blues’. The kind created when sea and sky merge.



A day dreamin’, book readin’ and sun tanning kind of cruise blues.

A where-did-the-day-go-so-fast kind of cruise blues. . .

The kind of cruise blues that gave way to blazing orange sunsets.



And then it seemed too soon we'd reached the Azores -  our first in a series of  ports of call en route to Barcelona, Spain.

Transatlantic cruises, like this one, offer some of the best cruise bargains to be found.  We’ve taken several and have been able to book a balcony room for as little as $125 – $185 per night, not per person but per cabin! 

Also called repositioning cruises, sailings take place  generally in the spring and fall because that is when the ship’s are being ‘repositioned’ from one area of the world to the other. 
As cruise enthusiasts, we want to spend as much time on board as possible and yet visit interesting ports of call. This type of cruise provides for both.  Companies we use and recommend for cruise deals  can be found on Joel’s Deal Finder page.

Today is Travel Photo Thursday so head on over to Nancie’s Budget Travelers Sandbox for more photos from around the world.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Got Reservations? Maybe; Maybe Not

Sometimes our travels go as planned – other times they don’t. And when they don’t,  it’s because of a screw-up somewhere, like last week. . .

. . .when we were reminded of the importance of assuming nothing when planning a trip – no matter how short a getaway it might be.

We’d decided last Sunday to head to Stehekin, that remote little hamlet on the head of Washington State’s Lake Chelan for a couple of nights.  Our destination the North Cascades Lodge, (formerly The Stehekin Landing Resort). Its water views (like pictured above) makes it our favorite among the half dozen rental properties available in this pristine gateway to the North Cascades.




Stehekin can only be reached by float plane or boat (okay,you can also hike in but in 100-degree temperatures that didn’t appeal.)

When no one answered the reservation line phone Sunday afternoon, we used the Lodge’s computerized on-line system. Two nights in Room 16, lake view, $150 a night, beginning Tuesday. The computer-generated message told us a confirmation was forthcoming.


We –luckily – decided not to buy tickets on-line for the Lady of the Lake ($60 p/p, round-trip), the only public boat serving Stehekin, until after we arrived in Chelan on Monday. It’s the town from which you depart for Stehekin and where we planned to stay that night for our early morning Tuesday departure.

10 a.m. Monday, with our bags in the car, and no confirmation  in the inbox, I decided before starting the three-hour drive to Chelan, to check emails one final time for that confirmation and not finding it, I called the reservation line again. 

“Would that be a reservation for Joel Smith? I’ve got it right here,” said a perky voice on the other end.  “But. . . we have a problem. The computer seems to have double booked that room and the other people booked before you.”

Oh, she said, they’d had that same problem with the computerized system before but thought it was fixed. She offered  two other rooms at about $50 more each night or one at a $129 nightly with no lake view.  Neither option appealed.

We still wonder if, or when, we might have been told about the ‘problem’ had I not called.  At check in, perhaps?

Travel Tip:  The tip embedded in this post is: If you haven’t received a confirmation of a computer generated reservation – double check with the resort or hotel. 

(Our practice is to arrive at a hotel with a printed copy of the reservation confirmation, or at least a confirmation number,name of the person who made the reservation and the time it was made with us.)

Photos:  Probably don’t need to tell you these Stehekin photos were taken during our last stay at The Landing Resort. 

Have you ever had a problem with a computer-made reservation?  When and how did you discover it?  Any tips?

Washington Weekend: Our Roots in the Fruit Bowls

We were born and raised in fruit bowls.                             
Figuratively speaking, that is. 

I’m from Yakima and Joel hails from Chelan; cities some 160 miles apart in Central Washington State. It’s a land of lush orchards, truck gardens and vineyards. 

Having now lived for many years in the bustling Seattle Metropolitan area we have a greater appreciation for our ‘roots’ and  often find ourselves drawn back to our hometowns when we need a deep breath of blue sky and open spaces.


Sometimes we’re so focused on our hometowns, though, that we miss some incredible places along the way.

For instance, it took an invitation from the tourism association to get us to visit Wenatchee, a charming town of just under 33,000 residents that stretches out along the banks of the Columbia River.  Located only 30 minutes from Chelan, we’ve driven past it for years, never stopped. 

But having spent a weekend there in July, we now know we’ve missed winery tasting rooms, charming restaurants, (the one pictured is housed in the old train depot) and one-of-a-kind dress and decorator shops scattered throughout its historic downtown. I'll get to all that in a future post. For now. . .





It is August. The harvest season. And if you find yourself in this fruit bowl you can have a taste of the area at:

1. Tiny’s Organic is a family-owned farm (and anything but 'tiny'), that participates  in a CSA (community supported agriculture) program.

This farm/orchard combo delivers weekly to subscribers of its service in Seattle just-harvested veggies and fruit. And they also welcome visitors to come experience the farm and see what they raise first-hand.

For those old enough to remember it, this East Wenatchee spread, is no relation to the famous Tiny’s Fruit Stand that operated decades ago along the highway outside Cashmere.

Harvest of Lapin cherries had begun only hours before we arrived. 
Walking among the pickers and the bins of harvested fruit, we were invited to pick samples right off the tree (no big deal to some of you, but I had never done that before. Yes, this photo is all that remains of these lovelies - I ate them.)





Both young and old will love the chicken coup. Suppose this could be considered ‘glamping’ in the animal world?




Tours and Tastings:
Tours are free but do require advance reservations at Tiny’s Farm, 669 S. Ward Avenue, East Wenatchee, 509-264-3973, www.tinysorganic.com


2.  Snowdrift Cider Company, just down the road from Tiny’s makes award-winning hard cider.  I’d heard of the beverage before but never had sampled any until this visit.  I just may have a new ‘bad’ habit’!

Peter Ringsrud and his family operate this business that offers five blends (each with an alcohol content of 8 – 9%and slightly sparkling, meaning slightly bubbly), Dry Cider, Orchard Select, Cliffbreaks Blend, Semidry Cider and Perry.  The beverages reminded me of a cross between an Italian Prosecco and the Portuguese Vinho Verde.
Peter led our tour and tasting, teaching us about pairing each with a particular sliced gourmet cheese and crackers. (This is the view from outside the tasting room.)

Tours and Tastings are free (but advance reservations are recommended)  at Snowdrift Cider Company, 277 Ward St., East Wenatchee, 509-630-3507, www.snowdriftcider.com

3. The Farmhouse Table Foods Market, at 10 N. Mission Street, Wenatchee, operates year round.  There you’ll find locally grown vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, cheeses, honeys and baked goods here.  

Food Market’s hours are May – November: Tuesday – Friday, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Winter hours (December – April) Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For information: 509- 888-3010.

Our stay in Wenatchee was as guests of the tourism association, but we aren't the type to make recommendations if we didn't like the place. Speaking of recommendations, where are your favorite ‘fruit and produce’ stands in Washington? What about wineries and locally made beverages? Add a comment below or email us at travelnwrite@msn.com

TP Thursday: The Joy of Travel

“Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.

The first question was, 'Did you bring joy?'

The second was, 'Did you find joy?' "

                                               -- Leo Buscaglia, author and educator

Day breaks in Scottsdale, Arizona. The stillness is broken when a donkey's brays, ring out like laughter, announcing the new day.

 

Day’s end in Roussillone, France: Our sunset feast, a baguette, cheese, a bottle of wine.

Early morning in Amsterdam when the streets were empty and the only sound was the canal boat's engine.

“Joy – the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune 

or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.”

A late night departure from Barcelona, Spain ~ our ship passes a freighter that looks as festive as a carousel.

Joy's Synonyms ~ happiness, gladness, delight, pleasure

Morning in Paros, Greece after the day's catch has been unloaded, time to reload the nets.


Nightfall –  Mascota, Mexico.

I like the concept of 'continuing the journey in the afterlife'; it's particularly comforting to those who embrace travel as a passion. As we look back on our journeys. . . Did we find joy? Most certainly.  Did we bring joy? We hope so. How would you answer those questions?

Today is Travel Photo Thursday so for more photos from around the world head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox. And if this is your first visit to TravelnWrite, please come back again - soon!

Monday Meanderings: La Dolce Vita in Venice

An early morning shopping trip to the famed Rialto Market where we’ll stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables from the stalls of long-time vendors, then we’ll laze away the morning sipping cappuccino at one of its many cafes while ‘people watching’ . . .

In the evening we’ll stroll along the Zattere, the large concrete promenade that runs the length of the southern shore of Venice’s Dorsoduro District. It was originally built in 1519 to be a landing dock for the delivery of timber to build ships and buildings.  Zattere, Italian for raft.

Dorsoduro

We’ll be acting just like the locals with our shopping and strolling because for six nights we’ll be ‘living’ in Venice in an apartment we rented a month  ago as we planned how to fill the week following our cruise from Rome to Venice. The apartment is in the area of the red pin on the map.

We’ve found that one way to save travel dollars is to avoid the more costly hotel rooms – and Venice certainly has plenty of those.   So, after having enjoyed the apartment we rented in Madrid last year, we decided to try our luck with apartment living in Italy. (Maybe it is our way of working up to a longer stay somewhere, sometime. . .)

In addition to saving money on the accommodations, we’ll also eat a couple meals a day at home and not rely on the local bar for all our Happy Hours.

Of course renting travel accommodations based on books, photos, traveler’s recommendations and advertisements is always a giant leap of faith.   Joel, “The Scout” began researching our options several months ago.  When we found this apartment on Vacation Rental by Owner we were on our way to . . .

. . .La dolce vita; the sweet life, in Italian.

Have you any tips for us?  Have you rented an apartment? If so, what was your experience?  Add a comment below or send an email to us at travelnwrite@msn.com  And if this is your first visit, hope to see you back on Thursday when we look at the Joy of Travel.

Washington Weekend: A Cashmere Sampler

We sampled Cashmere – home of the world-famous Aplets and Cotlets fruit candy - on a recent trip to Eastern Washington.

This visit provided a bigger slice of the hospitality and warmth found in this tiny town tucked away in the orchard lands of Central Washington than we’d had on previous stops. 

As a result, we are ready to go back real soon.

A stop in Cashmere, (population 3,100+) located along the Wenatchee River, feels like entering a Norman Rockwell painting.

Along its Cottage Avenue, we strolled past late 19th and early 20th century bungalow-Craftsman homes with flowering gardens bordered by picket fences, wide porches, arched doorways and windows. Fifty-one of them make up a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Cashmere’s history dates back to 1860 when a Catholic Mission was established along a nearby creek to serve the Indians of the area. The town that grew up was named Mission.  It  continued to be called Mission until 1904 when  -- and here’s where the stories differ – either a  founding father went to India and came back saying this town reminded him of Kashmir or . . .

. . .as www.historylink.org explains, “Judge James Harvey Chase (1831-1928) suggested the name Cashmere from a popular and sentimental poem, “Lalla Rookh,” by Sir Thomas Moore, extolling the mountainous beauty of the Vale of Kashmir in Himalayan India. The judge had once been a teacher of elocution, famed for his public readings, and no doubt this poem was part of his repertoire.”

Mission Avenue, a block from Cottage Avenue, is home to Liberty Orchards (makers of Aplets and Cotlets) factory/store and to Mission Square, 207 Mission Avenue.

This renovated fruit packing house is home to more than 30 businesses including several winery tasting rooms, a spirit distillery, a coffee and gelato shop, tavern and in the basement we discovered the delightful workshop and showroom of a furniture-from-wine-barrel maker. (that's one of his tables is pictured here).







If  You Go:
From Seattle driving time is about 2 ½ hours. Either head east over Highway 2 via Stevens Pass or over Interstate 90 and Highway 97 (Blewett Pass).

Lodging
Village Inn Motel, 229 Cottage Avenue, near the historic cottages and an easy walk to Mission Square. 21 guest rooms. 509-782-3522. www.cashmerevillageinn.com

Mission Creek Cider Mill and Guest Suites, 5420 Woodring Canyon Road. Two rooms in a renovated 1910 house overlooking an orchard, 866-459-9614, www.washingtonapplecountry.com.


Information about the area:
Cashmere Chamber of Commerce, 509-782-7404 or www.cashmerechamber.com.
Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau, 800-572-7753 or www.wenatcheevalley.org.

Some ideas for you:

The Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, 600 Cotlets Way. www.cashmeremuseum.org.

Liberty Orchards, 117 Mission Ave. Free factory tours daily. www.libertyorchards.com.






Mission Creek Cider Mill and Guest Suites, 5420 Woodring Canyon Road. Cider tastings. Snack bar. Cooking classes. www.washingtonapplecountry.com.


Mission Square: Among the businesses housed in this renovated 1937 pear packing house are:

Snapdragon Coffee Shop and Gelato – home of “Snappy Hour” a take on Happy Hour drinks but all made with juices or coffees; non-alcoholic (www.facebook.com/SnapDragonCoffeeShop)
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (www.5oclocksomewheredistillery.com)
The Waterville Winery (www.watervillewine.com)
Crayelle Cellars (www.crayellecellars.com)
Horan Estates Winery (www.horanestateswinery.com)
Dutch John Wines (http://dutchjohnwines.com)
Devil's Gulch Drinkery (www.devilsgulchdrinkery.com)
Wine Design, custom wine barrel products, (www.winedesignllc.com)


Photos: In order: Aplets and Cotlets factory (free tours are available to the public), street scenes of Cashmere, table from a wine barrel in the entry of Mission Square, Mission Creek Cider Mill, Pioneer Village at the Museum, Mission Creek Cider bottles.


Note:  We have visited Cashmere several times in the last few years.  But thanks go to Marcia Janke at the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau and Marcia Green of the Cashmere Cider Mill and SnapDragon Coffee for setting up the tour and tasting at Mission Square that we took in July.

TPThursday: ‘Un Petit Cadeau’ in Provence

Un Petit Cadeau; a small gift.  That’s how we recall that night in Haute Provence. . .


Nice, France was the place we would end our road trip through Provence and from where we would set sail on a Mediterranean cruise on the Windstar’s Windsurf for Rome.

Because our trips begin from the U.S.West Coast it take a full day, or night, of travel to reach European destinations. So, we pack as much into a trip as we can – that means a land excursion either before, after or at both ends of a cruise.

On this trip, we tacked 'land time' onto the front of the cruise, beginning in Paris.



We headed to Nice with six nights to spend on the road, taking a meandering route through Provence without set direction or plan. That’s how we happened upon a magical place set high up in the mountains of Haute Provence, (High Provence):  Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.

This tiny commune, that blends into the limestone cliff on which it was built, had a population of 1,955 back in 1765. In 2008 the population was 710.

Below the town stretches a valley so intensely picturesque it was almost difficult to absorb it.
 

The valley floor was a checkerboard of homes, fields and pastures. We drove slowly through it hoping to find ‘just the right’ place to spend a night. And we did. . .

But it was more than a place, it was our petit cadeau, “Le Clos des Iris”.  Its name, The Closed Iris, seemed particularly fitting as the flowers in its many beds had closed long before our October visit. It was late afternoon and we hoped there would still be a room available in this nine-room hotel. Despite the owner’s inability to speak English and our inability to speak French, we used broken bits of both and lots of sign language and smiles, and secured a room for 65-euros a night.

Our room was small and charming.  As we snuggled in between the lavender scented line-dried sheets I recall pulling them over my head, inhaling deeply and suggesting that we skip the cruise and never leave this place. 

The cheery breakfast room  felt more like someone’s private kitchen than a hotel restaurant.   We were sorry our scheduled arrival in Nice allowed us only one night here. We left vowing to return one day.
 

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is considered a gateway to the Gorges du Verdon. And leaving our charming hotel we traveled the two-lane paved highway with sharp twists and turns – not for the faint of heart  - along the rim of the Gorge. There are great views along  the 25-kilometer-long (15 mile) stretch into a canyon that in places reaches to a depth of 700 meters (2,296-feet). The Gorge is popular with outdoor enthusiasts – especially kayakers, hikers and rock climbers.

Have you found un petit gadeau on your travels? If so, where did you discover it?

If You Go:


Le Clos des Iris, Chemin de Quinson, 04360 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, 04-92-74-63-46 phone; o4-92-74-63-59 fax. Nine rooms with en suite baths, located 400 meters, or a quarter mile outside town.
Click this link for information about villages and activities near The Gorges de Verdon.

It’s Travel Photo Thursday, so stop by Budget Travelers Sandbox. And if this is your first visit to TravelnWrite please come back again soon.

Travel Tip Tuesday: America the Beautiful for only $10

Smokey the Bear, that icon of the U.S. Forest Service  has got one smokin’ deal for all you senior citizens out there.

Did you know that for $10 those of you who are 62 years of age and older can obtain a lifetime pass that gets you into more than 2,000 federal recreation sites?

Thanks for today’s Travel Tip goes to Larry in New Jersey and his son Aaron in Washington State, who tipped us off to this incredible deal.

Residents of the United States know that it costs to visit our national forests and federal recreation lands these days. 

The annual pass price: $80.
The senior citizen lifetime pass price: $10.


What does the senior pass do?


Covers Entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

At places with a vehicle charge it covers the pass owner and passengers in the car.


Even better, it covers the pass owner and three additional adults in the car if it is a place that charges a per-person fee.

How to get the pass?


Passes can be obtained in person at a federal recreation site or through the mail using an application form that is provided on the National Park website (click the link).  For passes obtained by mail there is an additional $10 processing fee.

We recommend you check out the website listed above as it offers details about the Senior Pass and the amenities it provides as well as information on Free Annual Passes for U.S. Military members and their dependents; Free Access Passes for those with permanent disabilities and Free Volunteer Passes.

If this is your first visit to TravelnWrite please sign up to regularly receive posts in your inbox (see box on the right on our home page). We’d love to see your photo among our followers. Provence is our destination on Travel Photo Thursday – hope to see you back again then. 
And don’t forget to send tips for Travel Tip Tuesday to travelnwrite@msn.com.