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| Travel... And Then Some Cruising, canoeing and more... |
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Traveling by guess and by gosh
by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD
In Lolo, Montana, on September 9, 2005,
we stopped in a field 12 miles southwest of Missoula where we discovered
that Lewis & Clark had camped there exactly (to the very day) 200 years
before in 1805. At this spot, called
Traveler’s Rest, were tents, well-marked pathways, people in costumes,
large areas roped off for visitor parking, and we had no idea what was going
on when we stopped. Being very early in the day — before they had begun
charging for admission to the grounds — we parked and walked throughout the
whole area. I even had my picture taken sitting on a tree stump exactly
where their latrine was located.
How do they know where the latrine was located? At the
LewisandClarkTrail.com website, it says, “The Traveler's Rest
Preservation & Heritage Association reported that archaeologists uncovered
what appears to be the latrine used by the Corps of Discovery while camping
at Traveler's Rest. Significant amounts of mercury were found in the soil
where a Corps' latrine was located. The expedition regularly used mercury as
a medical treatment.”
This accidental stop at Traveler’s Rest wasn’t the first “by guess and by
gosh” occurrence, and it certainly won’t be the last. As-a-matter-of-fact,
our entire trip to upstate New York in September, 2008, was all by guess and
by gosh, and many of the experiences we had are truly memorable.
We left home on Wednesday, August 27th with no specific agenda and traveling
straight east, we drove 262 miles (as far as we could) in one day. We stayed
at the Hidden Valley Campground and RV Park in Jamestown, New York. For the
second night we stayed in Meadow Vale Campsites at Mt. Vision, NY. Without a
reservation, it was our third night that caused a slight problem. Our first
choice of campsites in the Lake George area was full, but the owner called
to Lake George Campsites and secured a site for us. Most of the 100 or more
campsites were occupied or reserved because it was Labor Day; thus, we felt
lucky to get a site in an open field (with full services) along with close
to ten other RVs and fifth wheels.
With the Great Escape amusement park (roller coasters) close by, an
elaborate putt-putt golf course at the entrance to our campsite area, an
outlet mall within 1-2 miles, and many fast-food and sit-down restaurants in
the area, Lake George catered to families, not to those who had an
appreciation for natural things. We traveled around Lake George, up Prospect
Mountain (for $7.00 per car), and were happy to leave for the Adirondack
Mountains after three nights.
“By guess and by gosh” is much easier after Labor Day when children have to
be back in school, and most people have ended their summer vacations.
It was only a three-hour drive from Lake George to the
North Pole Campsites, just outside of Lake Placid. Site 65 in their
100-acre wooded area was private, close to their very clean restrooms, and
had full service. Our first excursion took us to the AuSable River Gorge
which cost us $10.50 each to walk it because it was privately owned. We then
drove to Platsburg and drove around the SUNY campus there — a place I had
considered teaching early in my career.
Our second excursion took us to the High Falls Gorge (also on the AuSable
River), where our tickets were $9.00 each (because it was privately owned)
to walk the Gorge. The Gorge is absolutely gorge-ous! Then we took Veteran’s
Memorial Highway (NY 403) to the top of Whiteface Mountain, near Wilmington,
NY, where I took a 286-foot elevator (carved out of the stone at the center
of the mountain) to the top of the 4,867 foot-high mountain. It cost $12.60
(with an AAA discount) to drive up the mountain (because it was privately
owned).
You obviously see a trend here in my citation of costs. We were amazed that
the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains which should be state or
national parks, were all privately owned with — what we considered to be —
exorbitant costs attached.
From the North Pole Campsites we drove just over two hours north to
Massena, NY, along the St. Lawrence
Seaway. There, we found a site in the
Massena International Kampground, all by ourselves, overlooking the
Grasse River. After setting up camp, we drove to the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Lock and watched a large ship traverse the lock. At the Robert Moses State
Park, we saw an enormous electric-generating plant, but we chose not to take
a tour.
We stayed just one night in Massena then drove along the St. Lawrence River
(following the Great
Lakes’ Seaway Trail, to Clayton and Alexandria Bay, NY, which is the
location of the 1,000-island area. Just to the west of Clayton we found
Riverside Island RV Park. After setting up camp, we returned to Clayton and
Alexandria Bay to walk around. The following day we went back to Clayton to
take a 2 ½- hour, two-nation
cruise of the islands.
The tour ended at the Boldt Castle,
where we had delicious chili dogs and toured the castle before taking a
boat-shuttle back to Clayton. The cost for the cruise and the additional
cost for the Castle tour were reasonable and well worth it.
Our next camping site, just 2 1/2-hours west from Clayton at Pulaski, NY,
was at Brennan Beach RV Park
& Campsite, one of the largest parks we have ever stayed in. With over
1400 sites, we chose the wooded area which had full-service hook-ups for
just 62 campers. We were one of only three in the entire wooded area, and
all three campers were spread out from each other so that each of us felt
totally alone. The park had a long sandy beach on the shore of Lake Ontario,
and it was located next to a Deer Lake State Wildlife Refuge where we
located and photographed swans along a trail where we walked.
All that I have mentioned in this essay thus far was “by guess and by gosh.”
We had no reservations; we made no plans; we just went along at our own pace
and on our own schedule. But the real payoff for our “by guess and by gosh”
travels on this trip was yet to come. Next week's essay is full of more
surprises.
back to page top
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
>
Travel While You’re Young
>
Canoeing the Pine River
>
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD
back to page top
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
>
Travel While You’re Young
>
Canoeing the Pine River
>
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
Travel While You’re Young
by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD
We have a number of stories that make
it clear why people should travel before they get too old to do so. In one
case, a woman was traveling with her physically challenged mother because
just since planning their “trip of a lifetime,” the woman’s father died, so
she was filling in and giving her mother the trip she and her husband had
planned.
My wife and I traveled with her father and mother. Her mother has difficulty
walking, so we supplied a wheelchair on a cruise to the Panama Canal, and we
served as helpers throughout the cruise. It was their last one as they were
in their late 80s; however, without our help, they would not have been able
to do it. On that cruise, they did not leave the ship.
On our Mediterranean cruise, a couple of our excursions were clearly marked
“strenuous,” however, some older, physically challenged people signed up
anyway. There were times when their condition held up the rest of the group,
and in several instances, they could not go where the group went. Few
foreign, tourist, venues are handicap accessible — and that includes
bathrooms. In one instance, when the excursion ended, one physically
challenged person in the front seat of the bus took the microphone from the
tour guide and thanked those on the bus for their assistance at every venue
visited on the tour. It was a nice gesture, of course, and people
appreciated his comments, but the word “strenuous” should have led him to
select another less rigorous tour.
During our two-week Mediterranean cruise there were a number of instances
that underscored the suggestion: travel while you’re young.
At a 5-star hotel in Venice, the elevators were being repaired when our
busload of 40 people arrived. We were responsible for transporting our
carry-on bags to the fifth floor. There weren’t even enough porters to
handle the influx of visitors. The hotel workers brought up our heavier,
checked bags, but for a number of trips out of the hotel, we had to use the
stairs.
When we had to leave this hotel in Venice, I checked specifically with the
concierge service to find out who was responsible for getting our checked
bags to the lobby. Because our cruise line had booked the hotel as well as
our transportation to the airport, we were the responsible party. Those who
cruised with us and were taking the same airport bus all lugged their bags
down to the lobby, a feat that challenged us all. And none of us,
fortunately, was physically challenged or too old to take on this unexpected
occurrence.
On this cruise there was another instance that underscored the suggestion,
travel while you’re young. Our cruise-ship company, claiming no
responsibility for damaged or lost luggage, broke one wheel off my large,
heavy, checked bag. This is easy to understand when you see the way bags are
pushed and pulled over the metal thresholds on the ship. Without one wheel
the bag is awkward and unwieldy to say the least. And, when you have two
carry-on pieces, plus a fanny-pack, and a jacket, handling a handicapped bag
as well is tough. Tough, but possible, of course.
There are additional reasons, too, that underscore our suggestion to travel
while you’re young. For example, the entire preparation process for
traveling can be exhausting. Making certain documents are in order, making
certain the proper attire is packed, making sure medications are sufficient
and labeled, and making certain travel arrangements are completed and
correct are ample enough to test anyone, much less the elderly. These are
taxing, time-intensive processes that become easier the more one travels but
are, nonetheless, tiring.
Another reason is patience. I may be unusual, but my patience has become
inversely proportional to my age. As I grow older, my patience decreases.
Where does this reveal itself? Primarily in my tolerance for incompetence.
After a cruise to the Bahamas from New York City, we returned to discover
another large ship was unloading passengers at the same dock as our own.
Upon picking up our car and driving down the ramp to the terminal to collect
waiting family members, an attendant directing traffic revealed his
incompetence. The family and the luggage was at the curb, and there was
ample space to pull over and stop, but the attendant would not let me.
Pointing out my family and their luggage made no impression; trying to pull
over against his very clear directives to move down to the end of the
pick-up area, only angered him more. Family members had to step off the curb
into passing traffic and drag their bags for close to a block because of the
attendant’s lack of flexibility and — in our mind — incompetence.
Yet another reason that underscores our suggestion to cruise while you’re
young is crowds. My wife and I thought that by scheduling our Mediterranean
cruise in October, we would avoid the notorious crowds found at attractive
tourist sites during the peak cruising season — summer. Wrong. The lines in
Florence to get into the Academy to see Michelangelo’s original “David,”
were long, and some tour groups were unable to get in. The lines to get into
the Sistine Chapel in Rome were long, but they did not match those waiting
to get into St. Peter’s Basilica. The crowds at Pompeii just outside of
Naples, the Acropolis in Athens, and the 45-min. to 1-hour wait to get up
the cable car in Santorini, Greece, would drive some people crazy. There
were crowds everywhere we walked in Venice. These were not instances that
concerned us because — with the exception of Venice — we were with planned
excursions with reservations and guides who knew how to help us avoid many
of these crowds. But the crowds were there; they appeared in abundance; and
they are worse — horrific — during the peak tourist season.
The suggestion to travel while you’re young may not help you avoid rude
behavior, however. We got to the cable car at Santorini early and had staked
out a position for a car going down. Suddenly, there were six people who,
using their raised elbows to prevent us from entering the car, pushed in
front of us, quickly boarded and sat down, then ignored us and the shock on
our faces.
Exhaustion is another reason to travel while you’re young. Dramatic,
six-hour time changes take their toll; adapting to new beds, new schedules,
and different foods is taxing; taking excursions to see more sights and gain
more information, puts a strain on the body; and leaving friends,
grandchildren, homes, and yards can be trying as well.
Traveling becomes more and more difficult as you get older. That doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t do it, it means weighing your options. If you can plan
for and arrange to do it when you’re young, there are not only many reasons
that support that decision, but the entire process of traveling becomes
easier.
back to page top
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
>
Travel While You’re Young
>
Canoeing the Pine River
>
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
Canoeing the Pine River
by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD
Every year for the past dozen or so, we
take a short break during the summer months to go canoeing with friends of
ours. For all but one year (because of a shoulder injury of one person) we
have selected the Pine River outside of Cadillac, Michigan, as our river of
destination, and our two-day trip has followed a predictable plan that is
both exciting and rewarding.
We always leave after church on Sundays, and we alternate drivers so that
one year we drive and the next one our friends drive. The drive to Cadillac
takes between five and six hours, and after quickly settling into the motel,
we head to Lakeside Charlie’s restaurant for dinner. Stuffed pork loin and
prime rib were our most recent selections of choice, and all agreed that the
meal was outstanding. We had a recommendation from the motel desk clerk to
eat at Herman’s Restaurant downtown, however, in checking out that
restaurant, we found it closed on Sundays.
Following dinner we went to Glen’s Supermarket to pick up supplies for lunch
on the river the next day. From the selection of already prepared
sandwiches, we decided that next year we would make our own at home and
bring them with us as we do with most of our lunch supplies.
On several occasions, an evening swim or a walk in the cemetery across the
highway from our motel took place, but on our most recent trip we were all
too tired to pursue either of these activities so we simply relaxed in our
rooms and went to bed.
The arrangement was to meet at 7:30 a.m. in the breakfast area downstairs in
the motel, and there we all filled up on cereal, omelets, rolls, waffles,
orange juice, and coffee.
We checked out of the motel by about 8:30 and drove to Jim Horringa’s canoe
livery just beyond Peterson Bridge which crosses the Pine. We were the first
canoers to arrive at the livery and after paying $40 per canoe for the 4-5
hour trip, and after shifting our lunch supplies to a transportation van, we
all went to deposit our car at Low Bridge where we would be ending our trip.
After putting a state park parking sticker on the mirror of the car, the van
took us to Dobson Bridge where Jim had deposited two Old Towne red canoes
(numbers 14 and 24) for our use.
We were on the Pine River by 10:10 a.m., and the current, as usual, was
rapid, the water was clear and cold, and the sky was overcast with the
potential of widely scattered showers. It was cool and the heavy mist over
the water gave a Stephen King aura to the trip.
Adding to the look of the River on our most recent trip (July 6-7, 2008) was
the fact that for two weeks in June it had risen to nine feet over its
current height and had to be shut down to all canoers. The point at which
the nine-foot height of the River affected the numerous sand banks
traversing the River was obvious during the entire trip from Dobson to Low
Bridge. In addition, there were trees down, stumps and limbs to avoid, and
many trees tilted down toward the River in a last, desperate effort to
preserve their foothold. At one point, there was a brief portage to avoid a
full block of the River by trees, limbs, stumps, and other debris. At
another point a large tree blocked the entire River, and we had to make a
brief portage around the end of it to continue our trip.
One advantage of canoeing on Monday each year is that the crush of
weekenders is over, and we have most of the River to ourselves. The
exception was this year since we followed the Fourth of July weekend so
closely, there were a number of other rafters and canoers (maybe a dozen or
so), but for the morning, and until stopping for lunch, we saw no other
people.
At 11:40 a.m. we reached the state park at Peterson Bridge where we pulled
our canoes out of the water and set up for lunch at a Riverside picnic
table. Our friends come prepared with a oil-cloth table covering, plates,
plastic dinnerware and a spread of food that is incomparable in our
picnicing experiences. We bring fruit, chips, sandwiches, and additional
selections to make our lunchtime a mouth watering, extensive, celebration of
food. There are pit toilets at this stop, and this year we made it a full
one-half hour stop, putting into the river again at 1:10 and traveling the
last portion of the River to Low Bridge (float time is 3 hours) in exactly
two hours.
As if to signal the coming of the last portion of the river, the sun emerged
from the clouds, and our afternoon was sunny and breezy with blue sky and
beautiful white clouds.
At Low Bridge, we pulled the canoes out of the water, took the paddles and
seat cushions back to the livery, and changed clothes and cleaned-up for our
next experience.
Driving directly south from Horinga’s canoe livery at about 4:10, we joined
up with Route 10 and proceeded directly east back across the upper lower
peninsula. The trip to Frankenmuth takes just about two-and-one-half hours,
and we arrived at Zehnder’s for their outstanding chicken dinner at about
6:30 or so.
We made Zehnder’s a destination one year when we put in at Peterson Bridge
accidentally (instead of Dobson Bridge) and ended up with a canoe trip of
just two hours instead of 3-4, and went to Frankenmuth and toured the stores
and shops downtown just to occupy some time. It was a fortuitous accident
which created a new tradition of eating dinner there and a new destination
following our canoeing experience each year.
Ushered directly to our seats, we took approximately two hours for their
standard, all-you-can-eat chicken dinner. We have had outstanding
waitresses, and we end our meal with a small sundae (not on the menu), which
we received as a compliment from our waitress just for asking for it. We
have discovered that by asking for it, it has become a standard part of our
meal.
Leaving Zehnder’s by 8:10 p.m. allowed us to get home by approximately 10:15
p.m. or so, and we made it just in time for our normal bedtime.
Much of the success of our trip has resulted from good planning. We made
reservations at the motel early, know what we need to take with us to make
canoeing user-friendly (like insect repellent — badly needed on our current
trip — sun block lotion, hats to protect from the sun, lightweight clothes,
surf-friendly shoes that can and do get wet, and rope to tie everything into
our canoes. None of us have tipped over in the dozen or so years we have
been traversing the river, but we prepare for that eventuality none the
less.
The Pine River is an experience for knowledgeable canoists whose instincts
regarding the control and maneuvering of canoes are well in place. With
planning, good friends, and a great canoe livery, we have made it an
exciting and rewarding annual experience.
back to page top
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
>
Travel While You’re Young
>
Canoeing the Pine River
>
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD
Counting our cruise of the great rivers
of Europe (clearly not an ocean cruise), this was our eighth. We had two
full weeks, and we visited five countries (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and
Turkey). This cruise was what Celebrity called its “Classic Mediterranean
Cruise.”
We were on board early in Barcelona, Spain, to do three things: 1) check on
the availability of a shore excursion we were unable to book online, 2) make
certain we had a table for two at the main (early) dinner seating, and 3)
have lunch while waiting for our room to become available. It all worked
out, and we had a surprise waiting for us as well.
While waiting in the Rendezvous Lounge to see the Assistant Maitre D’, we
realized we had seen him before. Zafer Colak, from Turkey, was on the Zenith
(a previous Celebrity ship) for our two-week cruise of the Southern
Caribbean out of Jacksonville, Florida. He checked our table assignment on
his computer and assured us it was a table-for-two. We had previously been
assigned a table for six, but we had changed it.
Zafer, however, went well beyond his duty. He looked closely at his computer
monitor, and (because he knew us from a previous cruise) he gave us a new,
better table for two — the “Honeymoon Table” — which had a large porthole
and was located in his section of the dining room.
Every night at dinner, we would sit and watch the sun go down, ships coming
and going from the local harbor, lights along the shoreline, departure from
the port, or just the calm, soothing waters of the Mediterranean. Every
night, too, we had an opportunity to thank Zafer for his kindness — proof,
once again, that who you know makes a difference. He dropped by to chat,
kept an eye on us, and once as we were leaving the dining room, introduced
us to his recently acquired mother-in-law, whom he admired greatly.
Now I don’t want to suggest we were getting preferential treatment because I
know that all Celebrity guests have the same kindnesses demonstrated on a
continuing basis, but our waiter, Catalin Dumitrescu from Romania, and his
assistant, Everton Curtis, from Jamaica (but who spends most of his time in
New York City), went out of their way — just as Zafer did — to make certain
our voyage was enjoyable and rewarding — service and satisfaction.
The examples I offer here are not extraordinary, but they show what can be
expected as a dining experience at sea. The waiters learned quickly that we
enjoyed eating, but also that we liked to leave, rather than linger, when we
had completed our dinner. The tables around us seated 10, 10, and 8, and all
the Koreans at these tables took more time to eat and drink. Our pace was
faster so our waiters made certain our courses came more quickly than those
at the tables close by, and we were able to finish and leave before them.
My wife liked cranberry juice with her dinner, and I enjoyed the French
bread, so every night there was a glass of cranberry juice, and the
breadbasket was filled only with the French bread I ate and the bread sticks
my wife enjoyed. For dessert my wife and I ordered that evening’s special
sorbet, and then we split a second dessert which was carefully placed at the
center of the table between us with additional utensils for each of us as
well.
Zafer, Catalin, and Everton all greeted us as we entered the restaurant and
made certain they were there to say goodbye when we left. All members of the
ship's crew would openly greet passengers. When any of them were asked how
they were, their response was always a cheery and effervescent, “Excellent!”
I want to assure readers of this essay that I am not naive with respect to
the way my wife and I were treated. A substantial portion of the salary of
the assistant maitre d’, waiter, and assistant waiter (in addition to the
stateroom attendant, and assistant chief housekeeper, I might add) comes
from the pockets of travelers. According to the “Millennium—Onboard Gratuity
Form,” our assistant maitre d’ received $.75 ($1.50 for two) per day, our
waiter received $3.50 per day ($7.00 for two), and our assistant waiter
received $2.00 ($4.00 for two) per day. If we combine these costs (including
our stateroom attendant and assistant chief housekeeper) we gave $10.25 (or
$20.50 for two) per day for tips. For a two-week voyage, this came to
$287.00 for the two of us. More can be given if passengers desire.
The purpose of this essay is not to complain, however, it is to point out to
those who have not cruised, that this is an expense that needs to be
budgeted-in when booking a cruise. Also, it offers an explanation for some
of the outstanding service and satisfaction, but I have never sensed that
any of the service we have received was performed with an ulterior motive.
In all cases I have found ship crew and staff members — no matter their rank
or position — willing to do anything to provide both service and
satisfaction. Cruise lines know, of course, that this is one item factored
in when people make a decision to schedule another cruise.
My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful and rewarding cruise on board Celebrity’s
ship, Millennium, and the wait staff there were truly representative of all
those on our previous cruises. It makes no difference whether you are in the
ship’s dining room or any other place on board, the wait staff aims to
please. Everyone from the officers down to the workers who paint, clean, and
polish will go out of their way, in every way they can, to assure a
pleasant, rewarding, and successful cruising experience. Does it make a
difference? When we first began cruising seven years ago, we never thought
of ourselves as people who would like it, yet this is our eighth time!
Something “right” has to be happening! My conclusion is that the service and
satisfaction pays off; it just keeps bringing us back. A special thank you
to Zafer, Catalin, and Everton!
back to page top
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh
>
Traveling by guess and by gosh II
>
Travel While You’re Young
>
Canoeing the Pine River
>
Celebrity’s Millennium plies the Mediterranean with an emphasis on service and satisfaction
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