Cruise West BlogWhat Do You See in the Rocks?July 14, 2010 at 4:50 PM by Site When one travels on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, one travels through countless generations of human experiences on those rivers and the surrounding lands. Events and settings now long gone but somehow remembered in the rocks and fossils left behind, as if Mother Nature was leaving her story behind in a book.
It is widely accepted that man has inhabited North America for at least 13 thousand years. It is more than likely this number is much greater somewhere between 14 and 20 thousand years at best, based on current dating methods and some inconclusive evidence in South America. Imagine being amongst the first generations of Americans on the continent over ten thousand years ago. What did it look like? What was life like? This leaves even for the most conservative dreamer, a North America that is widely inconceivable by our current society. What would a typical day have looked like for an early American walking along what is now the Columbia River Gorge to the Pacific Ocean? To begin much more of the continental shelf would have been exposed. Sea level would have been several hundred feet lower due to some of the oceans water being locked up in massive continental glaciers, during our last ice age. What is now our modern coastline would have been a dry and arid grassland much colder than the African Serengeti but very similar in the animals that roam there. This grassland would have extended many miles out into what is now the Pacific Ocean. read more... Tags: Columbia&SnakeRiver
Comments (0) "Whales Alive!"June 1, 2010 at 7:00 PM by Site Posted by Travel Professional, Irene Hall.Photo Credit, Captain Chris Dinotia At one point we were surrounded by whales, the only sound was their blowing and ripple of the water. Not another ship or person in sight, just us, one with the whales. Then our guide moved with awe to the front of the ship and said. "I have never seen this before, quick, watch!" The water began to churn in circles before our eyes, wider and wider within10 feet of our bow a whale emerged, mouth wide open as it soared up in front of us. Back down he went and again and again and again, up and back down as he happily fed on the krill. The thrill was so great you could hardly move. This beautiful creature continued to bubble feed in front of our eyes. I want to go back and be with the whales again and again. read more... Tags:
Comments (0) There is Something for Everyone in Costa Rica and Panama!May 21, 2010 at 1:34 PM by Cruisewest No matter who you are, there is something for you to get excited about in Costa Rica & Panama! Pristine beaches to sun bath on or go snorkeling from. Deep jungles with stunning varieties of insects, birds and monkeys. Native peoples with lessons to teach the modern world, about community, family and the rewards of a simple life. The Panama Canal is a history buff’s sensation, including stories of war, plague, and the engineering marvel it is! Check out some interesting facts here:Humming Birds 51 species of hummingbirds live in Costa Rica’s jungles. The stunning variety of pollinating flowers make Costa Rica the hummingbird capitol of North America. Amazing, considering humming birds have no sense of smell. Their top speeds reach 60 miles per hour in dives and average 20-30 miles per hour. Their wings beat up to 80 times a second. While sleeping they go into a torpor or hibernation like state. read more... Tags: Costa Rica, Panama
Comments (0) The Jungfrau, A Six Year Old Boy and A Bikini!May 18, 2010 at 11:31 AM by Site At what age are children ready to travel abroad or on a small ship? Here at Cruise West we get that question a lot. This is a question each parent must decide for them selves. For myself I have a very quick answer based on my own fortunate experiences. At the age of six my mother took my brother and I to Europe for a month. It sounds like I came from a wealthy background, but my family was middle class with an lust for travel. Some people may think the age of six is too young for a child to travel and appreciate what they experience. I could not disagree more! Today kids love video games, with medieval settings and fantastic locations with mythic characters in amazing costumes and stunning landscapes. Back in my day I only had a Fisher Price Castle! In any case, while traveling through Europe all the fairytales, children’s books and my own F.P. castle came to life! Just as I am sure children today would be amazed that much of the inspiration behind their virtual worlds (video games) really does exist! We saw mythic castles with their dungeons, rich tapestries and the armor knights use to wear into battle – I loved it! read more... Tags: Europe
Comments (0) Erasmus! Who is Erasmus Darwin?May 14, 2010 at 2:23 PM by Site "Organic life beneath the shoreless waves
Was born and nurs'd in ocean's pearly caves;
First forms minute, unseen by spheric glass,
Move on the mud, or pierce the watery mass;
These, as successive generations bloom,
New powers acquire and larger limbs assume;
Whence countless groups of vegetation spring,
And breathing realms of fin and feet and wing."
Erasmus Darwin. The Temple of Nature. 1802. read more... Tags: Galapagos
Comments (0) |
 Search by: Destination Interest Departure Date Duration Ship |
