Coming to America

America in Images

As the 4th of July holiday approaches, we scanned through our photo archives for a few fitting memories from past trips.

These images were captured during one of our cruises out of New York.   Just imagine what the immigrants who were coming to America thought as they saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. 

Statue of Liberty

On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated.  It was later designated as a National Monument in 1924, restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986, and in 2011, underwent a renovation of the 125 year old pedestal and the 200 year old fort base from which the statue rises.

A gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States... The Statue of Liberty is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

 Sailing in or out of NY Harbor is something you should put on your bucket list if you haven't already done so.  Some cruises that you could select include trans-Atlantic voyages, Bermuda, and Canada / New England itineraries.

What Images of America come to your mind?

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday for #FriFotos and on Monday for #Travelpics!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

For some thoughts on the 4th of July, see our previous blog post:

Land of the Free Because of the Brave

Welcome New Followers

#SocialMediaDay 2016 

To Our New Followers

We'd like to welcome new readers to our Blog, Facebook fan page, Twitter, Pinterest, and website, on this #SocialMediaDay.   We look forward to socializing more with you in the future to help plan a great cruise or land vacation for you and your traveling companions. We've included links here with a brief explanation of some of the resources we offer to our followers.   Please be sure to take advantage of all these opportunities, as that is the best way to stay informed.

 
If you haven’t signed up for our eSavers Newsletter yet, be sure to do so. This is just one of our communication vehicles to keep you informed about industry news and special offers for our loyal followers. By signing up for our newsletter you are also entered into our quarterly contest to win a free trip.




Be sure to visit our Facebook Fan Page and "Like Us" so that you can be in the inner circle of our Fans. You’ll have the opportunity to be the first to know about specials and other exclusive information, such as updates from cruise lines.

We have several boards on Pinterest which might be of interest to you.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

Kinderdijk - Old Meets New

click images to enlarge

Kinderdijk Windmills
Unique & Iconic Water Management

Much of Holland is below sea level, but yet it doesn't flood.  Why?  A visit to Kinderdijk gives you the extraordinary opportunity to visit a UNESCO World Heritage in Holland and answer the question for yourself.

During your visit you can see 19 windmills from the 18th century and even go inside one to see what it was like to live there.
Read More: Inside a Kinderdijk Windmill

Nowhere else in the world can you find the complete history of water management at a single location. The windmills and pumping stations drain the excess water from the Alblasserwaard into the river Lek via the Elshout sluices. Subsequently, the river discharges the water into the sea.

There is a wealth of information on Kinderdijk's website.  You can even play the Battle Below Sealevel Game to explore the timeline. 

Our Second Visit

During our Avalon Waterways Rhine & Moselle river cruise, we stopped in Kinderdijk on our way to Amsterdam.   We had visited before during our previous cruise to Holland during tulip time.   This is a destination that can be visited multiple times and still leaving more to be explored.

Tip:  Purchase a ticket for one or both of the Tourist Vessels

The Canal Hopper Prins Friso takes you to four of our visiting points. The electric ‘whisper’ boat starts at our Visitor Centre Wisboom and then sails to the Parking Area, Museum Mill Nederwaard, Musuem Mill Blokweer and back to the Visitorcentre. You can get on and off at all visiting points. The Prins Friso is an open ‘terrace’boat. It completes its tour in 30 minutes and is suitable for wheelchairs.

 

The Canal Cruiser (Ferry No 6) takes you for a tour that starts and ends at the Parking Area. It takes you along the windmills in about half an hour. 

 

We have yet to do this - since we were part of an organized tour.  We could have gone on our own and had time to do at least one of the boat rides.   Learn More

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Kinderdijk

Inside Kinderdijk Mill

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc
   

Flag Day in the USA

Flag Flying over Fort McHenry

June 14th is Flag Day.   President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14, 1916, to be a national celebration of the American flag, and the 1949 Congress declared June 14 to be national Flag Day every year.  This day commemorates the day the Second Continental Congress authorized the United States of America to adopt a flag to represent the new nation.

  

Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland

We had the opportunity to visit Fort McHenry during our post cruise stay in Baltimore, MD after a recent cruise.

The flag pictured above was flown over the fort.   We were fortunate to be there for the lowering of the flag and raising of a much smaller flag that would fly through the evening hours.

O Say, Can You See?

When you visit Fort McHenry, you can learn all about the birth of our National Anthem.  

click images to enlarge

O say can you see, by the dawns early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner.

This was an impressive flag ceremony.   I suggest you include a visit to Fort McHenry when visiting Baltimore.    Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival Pride have several sailings from Baltimore, so why not include a cruise in your plans and learn about our nation's history at the same time.

Artistry II Farewell Dinner

click on images to enlarge

Farewell Artistry II 

Not our last dinner onboard but the most suitable evening for this special treat. 


We enjoyed our Farewell Dinner on Avalon Artistry II as we sailed from Kinderdijk, Netherlands to Hoorn where we would spend the night.

Before dessert, the Hotel Director thanked us for sailing and recognized the staff that had taken care of us for the two weeks.

We met many new friends during the two weeks onboard the ship.  Also we had a fabulous crew.

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise Play all

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page: 

Artistry II Farewell

 

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc
 

Avalon Artistry II Crew Show

Crew Talent Show

Entertainment on a river cruise is unlike that onboard an ocean cruise ship. It is much more personal. During our sail from Cologne, Germany to the Netherlands, there was a very special show - the Crew Talent Show. If you don't attend any other shows during your voyage, you won't want to miss this one. They put their heart and soul into providing the passengers with a good time. Watch these videos for a taste of the talent onboard Avalon Artistry II.


In this next portion of the talent show, sit back, close your eyes and you will think "What a Wonderful World".  In the background, you'll see river traffic going by as we cruise along the Rhine.



Watch more videos from the talent show as well as other highlights on our YouTube channel.

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise Play all

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

 

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page: 

Avalon Crew Show

 

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc
 

Avalon Wheel House

Wheel House Visit 

During our afternoon sail from Cologne, Germany, there was an Open House in the Wheel House of Avalon Artistry II. We were able to ask the First Captain about how the ship was operated. We had our own birds eye view of the ship's operations. Note that on the river boat, an engine room visit is not possible, but this was certainly a treat.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page: 

Artistry II Wheel House

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc