Though technically not a river , the intercostal Waterway is another of the voyages offered ; traveling south from Charleston to Jacksonville , passing through Hilton Head , Savannah and Jekyll Island with its “ Millionaires Village ” of extravagant homes built over 100 years ago for some of the industrial giants of the early 20th C , including John D . Rockefeller , Henry Ford and Thomas Edison . The American Cruise Line is the largest of our river lines , but there are smaller companies offering interesting trips . Last year UnCruise Adventures , a small vessel company established in 1996 in Seattle , launched a category of sailings called Heritage Adventures . These are obviously history themed programs on board the Legacy . The Legacy is an 88-passenger ship refurbished in 2013 in the style of an early 20th C . coastal steamer . Spring and Fall cruises are offered on the spectacular Columbia River with the crew dressed in period costumes . They focus on the geology and history of the area , emphasizing the route of Lewis and Clark . Naturally they do not omit the fact that the river passes through the world class wine region of the Northwest . UnCruise taps into this with onboard expert oenologists and vintners invited to give in depth learning experiences . Off ship excursions are offered to historic forts and of course the area wineries .
These excursions are included in cruise fares . UnCruise Adventures is a unique firm . In addition to the above Pacific Northwest itineraries , the company offers trips in other parts of the world including exploration of Alaska ; Mexico ; Hawaiian Islands ; Costa Rica , Panama and the always intriguing Galapagos . Another of the small ship adventure companies is Blount , with unusual different itineraries including the Erie Canal . The Erie Canal is of particular interest this year , celebrating its 200th anniversary . Another offering is cruising on Lake Michigan , the sixth largest lake in the world , originating in Chicago and sailing past Holland , MI , a Dutch inspired village and onto Victorian era Mackinac Island with its horse drawn carriages and automobile ban . Wisconsin ’ s fabulous Door County is another of its ports . Surely this cruise is a very different experience . A testament to the increasing popularity of the domestic market is the fact that the European river cruise giant , Viking Cruises is considering entering onto our rivers ! The growth of the river cruising industry overall seems , to be driven by the small ship experiences that resonate with the baby boomer generation ’ s interest in “ learning ” vacations and new travel opportunities . There is much room for growth and the United States is a vast beautiful country with many rivers and waterways with awe-inspiring vistas . It is thrilling to explore our own or adopted native land !! HAPPY TRAVELING !!
River adventures
Get on the boat — a waterfall hike steeped in native legend then a wine tasting and tour . And that ’ s just one day . Wine lover , adventure seeker , history buff ... there ’ s a cruise for you .
Columbia & Snake River Cruises 7 & 8 nights | Aug-Dec | 88 guests
( 518 ) 477-4700
BlueSkiesTravel . com
Jacob ’ s Pillow Dance INCLUSIVE | ADVENTURE | HISTORY | WINERIES | PREMIUM EXCURSIONSBecket , MA
12 Fall 2017 | 55PlusLivingGuide . com