​This summer I went on a 4 night Jamaica getaway to Secrets Wild Orchid with my friend Libby.
 
Secrets Wild Orchid shares their property with Secrets St. James. Each resort has their own set of rooms and their own main pool areas but they share the restaurants and the entertainment. You have access to both properties! 

​There is also a Preferred Club room section at each resort which offers an additional exclusive pool area and some extra amenities. With Preferred Club room status you also have access to the Breathless resort nearby. 

​I really enjoyed the nightly entertainment at Secrets and the fun activities at the pool. There was always something going on for us to take part in, especially in the evenings. We met a great group of people who we quickly became friends with!! Couldn't complain about the delicious drinks either!

​St. Louis was my home for more than 40 years and during that time, I used Brentwood Travel for several of my world travels.  Even though I now live in Florida, I still received excellent service from  Travel Consultant Ashley Curry as I began planning a trip to Europe.  In August of 2018, my wife Sue and I embarked on a wonderful 14-day river cruise across Europe from Amsterdam to Budapest aboard the Avalon Waterways ship Illumination. 

​We flew into Amsterdam and flew home from Budapest. At the Amsterdam airport we were met by the Avalon driver at the huge red and white checkered meeting place in the middle of the airport.  Very easy to find the spot!  Working with customs in Amsterdam and Budapest was very easy. They looked at our passport, asked us where we were going, stamped our passport and told us to “have a nice vacation”.  It took no time at all.

​​​We were immediately driven to our beautiful hotel, the Room Mate.  Even though it was five hours before check-in time, they cleaned our room for us and we were settled in by 10:30 AM.  Our hotel sat right on the harbor in the very heart of Amsterdam and we were able to walk everywhere we needed to go.
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​The next day our Avalon Waterways ship was tied up a mere 150 yards from our hotel’s front door. An Avalon representative picked up our luggage in the hotel lobby and when we checked into our room on the ship later that afternoon, there was our luggage already in our stateroom. Great service!
 
We can’t say enough good things about the crew and staff of the Illumination. They were friendly, fun and very helpful. Dining was always a pleasure because you were treated like royalty by the waiters. We all laughed at all the knives and forks and spoons set before us. I never quite figured our which fork or spoon to use with each course. The waiter was always switching my forks and spoons around because I’d use the wrong one. I should have brushed up on my table manners before I went. Fortunately no one else knew any more than I did.  It was fun!  
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​The ship was beautiful, modern, clean as a pin, and comfortable. We loved our nice big room with the queen bed facing the huge wall of windows. We saw dozens of cruise ships on our trip, and I can honestly say that our ship, the Illumination, was one of the most attractive ships on the river.

Life on an Avalon cruise is sightseeing at a laidback pace, and we liked that. No need to ever dress up and everything is casual.  The only dress requirement was to wear slacks to dinner instead of shorts. Sue and I each packed a small 24” roll on suitcase, and we had more than enough clothes for the entire cruise. We did send out our laundry twice on the cruise to the ships laundry service, and it came back beautifully hung on hangers.
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​I had bought a square electric power adapter for our iPhone charger and our electric toothbrush, but it didn’t fit into the round electric outlets on the ship. Not to worry, the ship loaned me the correct adaptor. Furthermore, there were two USB connectors on the light switch next to our bed into which we plugged our iPhones each night to charge. That was unexpected and very convenient. 

I love visiting cathedrals and beautiful churches. I have seen cathedrals all over England, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, but I have never seen anything more beautiful that some of the churches I saw on this cruise. I was blown away.  One of my favorite churches was the Alte Kapelle (translates to“old church) in Regensburg, Germany. It was plain on the outside but step inside and we saw this Bavarian Rococo style church built in the 18th century.  I really enjoyed getting to hear the organ being played.
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​We loved sitting at the stern of the ship each afternoon and watch the world go by. Our ship could hold about 150 people but there were only 100 of us on board, so you could always find a nice quiet spot to yourself.  The lounge was the spot everyone came to in the late afternoon at happy hour. There we would catch up with our friends and hear from the cruise director what was in store the next day.
 
We were always kept well informed. Each morning a schedule of the day’s activities was slipped under our door early in the morning, showing us what was in store for that particular day. When we went on a walking tour, the tour guide spoke into a small wireless transmitter, and each of us wore a small receiver with an earphone so we could always clearly hear what our tour guide was saying, even in a crowded space.
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​​People were friendly everywhere we went and everyone spoke English. I had my iPhone translator app and never needed it.  Sue accidentally left her purse on her chair in a restaurant, and the waiter chased us down the street to return her purse. We loved the restaurants we ate in. Most menus were in English, but the waiters helped us understand those that had no English translation.
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​If you are the athletic type, the ship had plenty of bicycles you could borrow to go off on your own if you wished. We had one group of a dozen passengers that biked on a bike path along the river for about 18 miles. The ship only goes about 7 miles per hour, so they could outrun us on their bikes. 

The best views were always up on the observation deck sitting in the shade. And what beautiful views they were. I never tired of looking at the scenery. I live in southern Florida where there are no hills at all. This type of vacation is relaxing, unlike some vacations I’ve had that the moment I got home I felt I needed another vacation to rest up on. It’s ok to sit all day and do nothing and go nowhere and just watch the world roll by.  One day we did just that and went off the ship on our own into town for an hour and that was just enough.  You can be as active or restful as you want to be. You pretty much control your days. 
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​If you go to Vienna, do yourself a favor and include the evening of classical music option Avalon offers. Even if you think you don’t really like classical music, you will enjoy the evening of music and ballet.  You must not leave Vienna without having attended a classical concert. We loved it. They gave each of us a CD of the evening’s performance. I’ve listened to it over and over since I got home. Dress was casual, leave the tux at home. I sat there thinking “my daughter Allison used to play this music when she was a violinist in the orchestra in college.” 
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​There was just issue we encountered but it was handled very well. Europe was so hot this summer (record heat) that the river water levels got so low that all ship traffic was halted in places. About four days into our trip we were told we would have to change ships because of low water conditions on the rivers we were to travel. Thanks to some heavy rains in Switzerland on day, we only had to change ships once, but we did spend the last two days of the trip on very nice Mercedes-Benz buses and staying in hotels. Mother nature always has the last word on river travel!
 
The hotels they arranged for us were five star, fabulous and beautiful. The fact that Avalon is part of the Globus organization explains why we were able to be placed into such nice hotels with a few days notice. They arranged for all our meals and gave us money to have dinner on our own in Budapest. Avalon went above and beyond to keep us comfortable and preserve our trip agendas.  I have absolutely no complaints about how Avalon handled this situation of not being on the ship for the entire cruise. 
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​​No detail was left to chance. Everything was always perfectly organized. Our busses were on time, guides were always ready, and nothing felt rushed or unorganized. When I do another river cruise, I know I will choose Avalon Waterways.
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This trip of a lifetime began when my aunt and uncle came to me for help planning their cruise to Alaska. As we got further into the planning process, my cousin and I decided to book our own room and tag along!

Vancouver

We started our trip by flying into Vancouver two days before our cruise was scheduled to depart. We stayed at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel which was in a great location for exploring the city. To see some of the beautiful scenery in the surrounding area, we booked a small group tour with a local guide. He took us North to Squamish, where we were able to see Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola, and the famous suspension bridges. 

​Scenic Cruising

Our first full day on the ship was a day at sea. We decided to hangout on the top deck and enjoy the sunny weather while keeping an eye out for whales and dolphins. That evening we cruised through the inside passage, and the crew opened up the bow of the ship so we could all get a great view as we sailed forward! We then went to dinner in the main dining room and got a table next to a window to continue enjoying the passing scenery. 

Ketchikan

The first port we visited was Ketchikan, where we booked an excursion to go sea kayaking. Ketchikan is known for being the rainiest city in Alaska, and even though there was a light rain falling when we started our tour, the guides were prepared with rain gear that kept us completely dry as we paddled through the peaceful coves! After our kayaking adventure, we walked through the famous Creek Street. The sun came out and we had perfect weather as we did some shopping and sampled local beers. We then returned to the ship and spotted lots of eagles as we sailed on to our next port! 

Juneau

Our next stop was Juneau, Alaska’s capitol city. We started or day by visiting the famous Mendenhall Glacier. We took a leisurely hike down to the lake for a closer view of the glacier and Nugget Falls.

​Our next adventure in Juneau was an excursion that I had been looking forward to for months. We had decided to splurge and book a helicopter tour to a dogsled camp on top of a glacier, and it was definitely worth it! The helicopter ride took about 15 minutes each way, and the views from the sky were stunning. When we landed at the dogsled camp, the workers there gave us an insight to their way of life and let us meet some of their sled dogs. (As an animal lover, I was in heaven!) They hooked up a sled and we took off on a ride around the snow-covered glacier. I was happy to see how much the dogs loved running through the snow, and we could see that they were well taken care of by their handlers. This tour was very well done and was a highlight of the trip!

​Skagway

Our next port was Skagway, which is known for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. We had planned to take the famous train excursion, but there was a landslide the night before and the railroad was closed for repairs. Instead, we took a bus tour up the Klondike Highway (which runs parallel to the train route) and had a great time! Our local driver made multiple stops for us to get out and take pictures of the beautiful scenery, and we spotted a family of bears hanging out right next to the highway. 

​We spent the rest of the day hiking a local trail, sampling the local breweries, and walking around the historic town before heading back to the ship.

Denali

When we arrived in Seward, we were sad to leave the ship, but excited to head up to Denali! We boarded a motor coach and began the drive North. We were able to stop at Potter Marsh for some free time and wildlife watching, and then we continued our drive. As we approached the park, our driver stopped at a scenic viewing point and we got our first look at the massive Denali Mountain! We then arrived at the impressive McKinley Chalet, which would be our home for the next 3 nights.  

​Because we booked a Triple Denali tour, we had another day in the park to do whatever we wanted! We decided to go whitewater rafting, and even though the water was freezing, our wetsuits kept us warm and dry. Our experienced guide told us fun stories about his life in Alaska and kept us safe as we paddled through the rapids. After our exciting rafting tour, we took a relaxing hike that followed a river and led us to a scenic mountainside with a whole family of caribou. 

​After our adventure in Denali, we boarded the McKinley Explorer for our scenic train ride back to Anchorage. The dome windows gave us great visibility as we traveled through the mountains. There were lots of food and drink options available onboard and we had a guide that gave us information about the areas we were passing through. This was a fun and comfortable way to make the 8-hour journey!

Anchorage
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We had one night in Anchorage, and then our flight home was late the next day. We had lots of fun walking around town, shopping, and trying out more local breweries! I was glad that we had free time to explore this unique town before heading back to reality. 

​Overall, this was an amazing vacation! Holland America did a fantastic job of helping us experience Alaska by land and sea. The transition from the ship to Denali was seamless and very well organized. Each employee we met was so kind and helpful, and I would highly recommend Holland America for anyone who wants to visit Alaska. Many people consider this a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but we enjoyed it so much that I know I’ll be back again someday! 

Just because you're pregnant this doesn't mean you have to sit at home for the next 9 months waiting for your child to be born. Now is a great time for you to get out there and travel because once that baby comes, traveling will be put on hold for a while (still trying to figure out how I'm going to cope with this reality!). With that being said, there are some challenges and joys while traveling that I experienced first-hand and here are some tips that I put together to help you as you make your travel arrangements. 
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​#1 - Get Maternity Leggings ASAP

Whether you choose to fly, drive, walk, run, or lay down you will want to be comfortable at all times, or as much as your growing baby will allow you. The best possible thing to wear is maternity leggings, and I bought about five pairs from Motherhood Maternity before starting my travels. Depending on the color and design they cost anywhere from $15 - $20 a piece (gotta love the cost of maternity clothes!). They have definitely been a lifesaver and I take them everywhere! 
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​#2 - Combat Swollen Feet 
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If your feet don't swell while you travel then consider yourself VERY lucky. This is probably the most difficult thing I've had to deal with while traveling. If you're in a car or plane for long hours without moving those little piggies just get bigger and bigger and it can become extremely uncomfortable. Try elevating your feet as much as possible and be sure to get a pair of compression socks (aka the most attractive things you will ever wear). I purchased mine at Walgreens for about $7. If your spouse or a very considerate friend is traveling with you and they are willing to rub your feet, definitely take advantage of that as well! 
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#3 - Ask for Non-Alcoholic Equivalent Drinks 

One of my favorite things about traveling is tasting that area's local craft beers and cocktails. In the pregnancy world, you're often left to try that region's finest Coca-Cola or aqua products instead. However, any time I found myself at a brewery or restaurant I always asked if they had any NA (non-alchoholic) beers/root beers or if they could make a virgin Piña Coloda or Strawberry Daiquiri. Just because you're pregnant that doesn't mean you can't still have something similar to the alcohol you're used to drinking. It also helps to make you not feel so left out when you're with a group of people who get to enjoy the real thing. 
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​#4 - Take Your Maternity Pillow 

First off, if you don't have a maternity pillow go out and get one now! Unfortunately they are not cheap though, I got mine for $100 at Destination Maternity but it was $100 well spent. Sleep is so important during pregnancy so why sacrifice your quality of sleep while traveling just because it's a bulky item? Obviously if you're flying this probably isn't the most user-friendly carry-on item, but on a road trip, cram that sucker in the trunk and get a good night's sleep when you check in to your hotel. You, and your growing belly, will thank you for it. 
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​#5 - Go on a Babymoon

Babymoon? What's that? Essentially it's your last vacation before the baby is born. This is your time to be with your spouse or partner while traveling before you have to lug around Pack n Play's, strollers and diaper bags. Take the time to reflect on this exciting time in your life as a couple and enjoy the wonders of traveling before you have a new travel partner with you. My husband and I went to Gulf Shores to relax on the beach for a few days and I would highly recommend it. Pregnancy is exhausting at all hours of the day, so getting to just sit on the beach and float in the water to relieve belly weight and back pain was the perfect thing. 
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​#6 - Talk With Your Doctor

One final piece of advice, always talk with your doctor before making your travel arrangements. Depending on how your pregnancy has been going, they may give you a cut off at how many weeks you're allowed to travel, how far you can travel, or they may give you specific restrictions. For example, my doctor has advised me not to swim at Lake of the Ozarks. Although I've swam in this lake my entire life, it is filled with bacteria that can be dangerous to the baby, so until I give birth I just have to hang out on the dock and stare at the water. I have been told other lakes, pools and the ocean are safe to swim in, however had I not said anything to my doctor I never would've realized I could've put my baby at risk. 

July 21 -The Journey Begins
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For the first part of our journey, we flew on Alaska Air to Vancouver. At the airport we got Canadian currency and flagged a cab to our hotel, the Radisson Park Inn on Broadway. Nice place. That evening we walked to Granville Island and enjoyed strolling. The hills going down to the water there like San Fran. Steep! We liked Granville and had fish and chips at a local place called Tony’s Oyster and Seafood.  The area on our walk was right by the water and very nice. 
​Weather…GREAT.

July 22 – Bon Voyage
We were both very excited to board Holland America’s Westerdam.  All the luggage & transfer to get on board and thru customs went well. It was really exciting getting to our state room on the ship.  The Bon Voyage from Vancouver was grand. We stood on the top deck and next to us were two couples. We began to chat and the ladies said they were from St. Louis!
 
Emilie and I dined that night the first night in the main dining room of the ship, and I had shrimp Diablo. She had apple pie and I had crème Brulee’. After dinner we enjoyed the Main Stage entertainment on the ship. When we came back to our room, we watched a beautiful sunset. As we sailed out, everything seemed so quiet and tranquil. Our first experience on a ship. NICE!

July 23 – A Day at Sea
After a good night’s sleep, we woke up for this full day at sea. Had eggs Benedict in the main dining room and enjoyed meeting a wonderful couple from Tasmania! There was a tour group of around 25 folks from Australia. We loved this couple and ran into them throughout our sea/land journey all the way to Anchorage. We walked through the shops and a lovely art gallery. Had lunch with a couple from Toronto. There were afternoon lectures on the upcoming ports of call and then a 5:00 happy hour called “Sip & Savor”. Always looking for a cheap glass of wine, I personally enjoyed this event.  The chief sommelier offers a tasting of the appetizer of the day and a glass of his choice red/white for five bucks. Appetizer – incredible! Wine – very, very good.
 
We ate in the main dining room and this is when we met Ann & Dennis from Rhode Island. I had escargot as an appetizer and they were incredible! I savored every bite! We enjoyed getting to know Ann & Dennis and a great meal. After the show we hit the main stage show which featured Jim Short, the Australian humorist.. Good show! As we turned in, we knew that we’d gain an extra hour of sleep as we cruised onward in the Inland Passage to our first port.

July 24 – Ketchikan, Alaska
It was neat to wake up, look out our veranda and see that we were docked! We came into port at 7AM. Had a nice breakfast and then had an hour to wander around downtown and look at a few shops. Ketchikan is the salmon capitol of the state and they also get lots of rain. They get an average of 180” of rain a season!
 
We enjoyed wonderful weather our entire trip. It never went over 74 degrees and we walked around Ketchikan in shirt sleeves. After our walk we got the shuttle to take us to our first excursion which was a one hour walk in the rain forest & a trip to the raptor center. Our guide in the rain forest was great!
 
After we got back to the city we had time to walk historic Creek Street and look inside the shops. We had a late lunch back on the ship with a lovely French couple from Montreal and then sat on the deck in the sun. It was 70 and an incredible day!
 
I enjoyed Sip ‘n Savor, and Dennis and Ann asked us to join them for dinner. I had crab legs for dinner and after dinner we saw the song & dance troupe again, on the Main Stage.   After that we went to the Lincoln Center State to listen to the string quintet play a while. Turned in for sleep after a GREAT day.

​July 25 – Juneau, Alaska
Right after breakfast I went to the Crow’s Nest and watched the ship dock. It was incredible to see how the captain came slowly into the dock and literally turned the ship around and had it bumped exactly parallel up to the dock!  Our excursion did not leave until 2:00 so we had time to investigate Juneau. We walked for 2 hours and went into the state office building, walked by shops and spent a little time inside the state capitol. We got a great photo outside the capitol of William H. Seward, the guy who got Alaska from the Russians for $7,000,000. Since Emilie and I met 49 years ago in Seward, Nebraska, we enjoyed seeing the man for whom the Alaska and Nebraska sister cities is named.
 
We had lunch back on the ship and had time to sit on our veranda before our tour. Weather was perfect and 70 degrees!   Our 2nd planned port excursion was a trip to Mendenhall Glacier and then a four hour whale watching trip. We only had about an hour at the glacier, but enjoyed seeing it, had a bear sighting and spent some time in the Park Service Visitor Center there.
 
Retiring to the ship, I had salmon for supper and then we stood on the deck before retiring. Great day!  They say Alaska has 50,000 eagles and that 30,000 of them live in Juneau. We saw a number of eagles on our tour and near the ship. They say they are so plentiful in Juneau that the locals call them “crows”.

​July 26 – Skagway
Cruising up the Inland Passage is so peaceful. The water is like a lake. We got right off the ship and hopped right onto a van that carried us out of the city and up a winding highway. We ended up in Frasier, British Columbia in Canada which was the 2nd time we needed our passports. Process was simple.  Our guide stayed with us all the way and we saw lots of interesting terrain as we came back over the Dead Horse Pass and wound our way back toward Skagway.
 
About 5 miles north of town, we were dropped off the train with 15 other folks and three guides. The guides were young and friendly and two were EMT trained. The path into the Denver valley was very rugged with lots of roots and rocks. We had to go slow and watch all the time to avoid stumbling. Em & I ended up at the end of the group and before long the rest of our group was out of sight far ahead of us. One of the guides stayed back with us and walked with us; we really appreciated this young man and it felt like we had a personal guide as we walked at our pace.
 
That night at dinner I had seared kingfish with risotto and it was great. On the Main Stage we saw an incredible illusionist; he put on a phenomenal show! I’d seen this man on TV and he did some super tricks! My favorite was when he makes it snow like crazy on stage.

July 27 – Glacier Bay
This had to be one of the highlights of the cruise! Sailing into the area of the National Park, the water is like a mirror. The scenery is lovely. Tranquility. We had another picture perfect day for weather and just kept saying, “Wow!”  The captain got us to four glaciers and at one of them he simply eased up near it, stopped parallel to it, and let the boat sit. For an hour we listened for the cracks and pops and then got our cameras ready. We saw the glacier calving four times and got great photos. The sound of this is really neat!  Early that day, we’d picked up about 6 park rangers. They were on board, making presentations, answering questions and talking about what we were seeing. Before the captain turned the ship around 180, we literally sat on our veranda and watched all this happen.
 
New friends, Dennis and Ann invited us to their room for a glass of wine, and then we dined together in the main dining room. I just had to do it: steak and lobster! I thought the steak was quite good. After dinner we went to the Lincoln Center Stage where a five person string and piano ensemble played some great music.

​July 28 – Day at Sea
We had no trouble with seasickness. Traveling thus far was smooth, you had to look out a window to tell we were moving. This was the day I had worried about…crossing the larger Bay of Alaska. This was the ONLY day we had rain and it really didn’t matter much. It was partly sunny most of the afternoon, 55 degrees and mostly calm sea. We stayed busy on the ship and had no motion problems.

July 29 – Disembark Ship in Seward, Alaska & Head North
We woke up early to have breakfast and to prepare to disembark. After breakfast it was fun standing on our veranda and watching the dock crews begin to unload all the luggage from the ship. They have this down to a science!
 
Our first stop was just south of Anchorage where we walked a bit at the Potter’s Marsh area…a large bird sanctuary. Having passed through Anchorage, we stopped for lunch at a very nice place in Wasilla. I thought that was some little town, but it is a huge bedroom community for Anchorage. On the way up to Denali, we had one more stop at an Iditarod race crossing. There was a small museum and gift shop, and one musher had his team there. Emilie was quite happy to hold one of the puppies.

July 30 – Day in the Denali National Park
We had a wonderful night’s sleep and awoke to another gorgeous morning. It was 54 degrees. Our wonderful travel agent Stacey Hoehne encouraged us to purchase a meal package at Denali. We did that and had a great dinner last night. Breakfast this morning was super! Emilie said it was the best biscuit she’d ever had; also loved the jam. With her eggs she ordered ham and the slab of ham was an inch thick! It has a huge piece, far more than she could eat. I had a splendid pecan waffle with delightful cinnamon vanilla syrup.  
 
They say only about 30% of the tourists get to see Mt. Denali ‘cause of the clouds. It’d say we say the bottom 2/3 of the mountain. We saw one Dall sheep, a bear in the distance with two cubs, a moose with her baby and 14 caribou. Caribou were much more visible and close to the bus when sighted. In fact, when we stopped for a break, two of them walked down a roadway right behind the bathrooms where we were!  We got back to the resort late and went straight to bed.

July 31 – Scenic Train from Denali to Anchorage
The train ride was another real highlight of the trip. If Glacier Bay was the high point of the cruise, this ride was the highlight of the land portion of our adventure.  Luxury is the best word to describe them! The entire top of the upper seating area is glass to allow viewing. At the front of the car is a full bar. The dining car is beneath the seating area. White table cloths. First class, like on the ship. 
 
There were hours of forested views and lovely lakes, mountains and vistas. We had a great bar tender and an absolutely fantastic guide in our car. She was a 4th grade teacher from Portland. Her ongoing commentary (along with the scenery) made these 8 hours fly by. This young gal was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. She had us laughing almost as often as that humorist on the ship.
 
To our surprise our Denali meal package included coupons for lunch on the train, dinner that night in Anchorage and breakfast the next morning. Nice surprise, as we thought we’d bought meals only at the resort!  Sandwich in that dining car was fun and tasty.
 
Motor coaches took us from the train station to our hotel in Anchorage, the Westmark, downtown and owned by Holland. Like magic somehow our luggage again made it from our room in Denali to our new room here at the Westmark! 
 
We had dinner in the hotel restaurant. Great service. Food good, but not out of the ordinary. We walked around downtown after supper and ran into Dennis & Ann.  We walked about five blocks to a place called Simon & Seafood. We had a night cap and watched evening fall over the bay.  The walk back to the hotel was nice, but then we had to say our final good-byes to our lovely, new friends and feel the sun setting on the last day in Alaska.

August 1 – Fly from Anchorage to Seattle
We enjoyed breakfast and there was light rain this morning. A nice motor coach took us to the airport for our 3 ½ hour Alaska Air flight to Seattle. Everything was on time and Meredith and the girls drove us home. Matt spoiled us with a glass of red wine upon our arrival and grilled steaks for us. Tacoma had lovely weather that evening and we sat by their fire pit and enjoyed talking and making s’mores.

​August 3 – Home Again. Home Again…
All good things must come to an end and this was the concluding day of our vacation. Great adventure! Many, many memories. We’d taken over 250 photos, so I know we’re going to have a great photo album as well to remember these blessed and fun days! Great to be with family, to make pleasant new friends and to see so much of God’s beautiful creation!

​“We got back from Ireland I just wanted to thank Ann Fendelman for an outstanding vacation! Our tour guide, Liam, and our driver, Mick, were outstanding and they made the entire trip such a memorable occasion! We fell in love with them and I highly recommend this tour.
 
The weather couldn't have been better! We didn't run into any rain until the last day in Dublin when we were touring the cemetery. While we were at the cemetery, we managed to find tombstones of extended members of our families, which was an added bonus!
 
Thanks again, Ann, and I will recommend you and Brentwood travel to anyone interested in a vacation!”
 
-Judy F.

“I wanted to let you know how thoroughly we enjoyed our Windstar Cruise to the Greek Islands.  By the second day the crew knew us by first names.  We are always looking for new places to go so I'm shocked that I say 'I would do this same trip again'. We also thoroughly enjoyed the private tour that our Travel Consultant Mickey Gaona arranged for us in Kusadasi.  Ephesus was our favorite part of the trip and I know our fabulous tour guide helped to make it memorable.   We plan to do another journey with Windstar Cruises very soon.  
 
Thanks for all you do for us!” 
 
-Jeanette S.  
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​This past July, my family and I traveled to one of my favorite places…Negril, Jamaica!  This is the 3rd visit for me (check out my review of Couples Swept Away) and the 15th time for my boyfriend Scott.  The biggest change for this trip was that we brought our three kiddos along for an adventure to this magical island.  During these seven days, our blended family had a chance to come together to form stronger bonds and create amazing memories.  

​​When beginning to plan, we really wanted to find a resort that would cater to a wide range of ages and interests between the five of us.  My 7-year old daughter Grace lives to swim.  Scott’s 16-year son Simon was interested in doing some water sports. Scott’s other son Oliver was going to celebrate turning 10 and wanted a unique experience to mark the occasion.  And Scott and I wanted a place where we could have some time together but knew that the kiddos would be safe.  Luckily we had stayed at the all-inclusive Hotel Riu Palace Tropical Bay in the past and it was the perfect choice for our diverse needs.

​We booked our trip through Apple Vacations which included a charter flight from St. Louis to Montego Bay.  Early on Saturday, July 7th we boarded our plan for a direct flight and landed around 12:30pm.  We also made the very smart choice of selecting Club Mobay.  This is a fast track service and is something we highly recommend whether traveling with your family or just as a couple.  We were greeted by a representative with a warm smile and began out next steps through immigration and customs.  At one point a very important customs form was torn and luckily for us, our representative caught it in advance.  She completed a new one for us before we even  got in line.  If not for her, our form would not have been accepted and it could have caused a great delay.
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Our next step was to board a bus and begin our journey to Negril which is located about 1.5 hours away from the airport.  Along the way, I enjoyed watching Grace get her first taste of the scenery as it passed by our window.  I could tell each time she saw the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea, her eyes would light up.  She was ready to experience all that Jamaica had to offer!

At our resort, we were upgraded to a Junior Suite Oceanfront Connection room.  This gave us the option of two rooms that shared a hall way which was a perfect option for us.  It gave Scott and I a place to ourselves while our kiddos had their own room with a seperate bathroom (a MUST for a beach vacation).  Once we unpacked and got settled in, the ocean was calling our name for an evening of playing in the waves.

​The next few days we were able to check off a lot of To Do items from our list.  For Grace, that included getting her daily fruit punch from the swim up bar which made her feel very VIP!  She also enjoyed all the extra attention she received from the staff, especially an afternoon of making beaded bracelets under the shade of a palm tree.
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Simon enjoyed a morning of snorkling along the reef.  This optional excursion included a ride on a beautiful catamaran and the opporutnity of diving in two different areas.   One spot even had a anchor and cannon from a pirate ship to explore!  And for more adventure on the water Scott, Simon, and Grace took out kayaks which were complimentary at the resort for some sightseeing along the bay.  
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​Oliver got his wish of something truly unique with a glass bottom boat ride.  We were instructed in advance to bring along bread and bananas to feed the fish which quickly became a food frenzy!  He also enjoyed living the life with loungers located directly in the pool.  These were the perfect spot to watch the daily pool activities which included everything from games, to dance competitions, and even an amazing synchronize swimming performance!
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For Scott and I, it was all about being with the kiddos and having time to relax and really enjoy the moments.  Food options were plentiful and easy with the buffets that were available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  After the kiddos had a full meal and safely in their room, Scott and I took time to enjoy the specialty restaurants located at the resort.  The Italian themed restaurant was cute and served delicious lasagna while the Steak House had a beautiful view and my filet was cooked perfectly!  After dinner, we would usually find ourselves in the martini bar to try some new cocktails or take in one of the evening shows such as the beach party complete with fire dancers.  
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The Hotel Riu Palace Tropical Bay is truly a beautiful property.  The decor is bright and colorful and I love the view out the open air lobby straight towards the ocean.  Beach access is easy and we always found plenty of lounge chairs and tables for our gear. The resort is centrally located along Bloody Bay (named after a particularly fierce pirate battle) and offers amazing vantage points to soak in the views, especially the picturesque sunsets!
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One of the biggest destination's on my grandmother's bucket list has always been to see Mount Rushmore in person, so this year we decided to let her check this off her list (and mine!) and finally make a trip up to South Dakota. I also wanted to see this destination however I was not prepared for how gorgeous the surrounding area would be. I expected it to be similar to the Midwest - flat farmlands with just one random mountain for the monument. As we started the 14-hour drive my perception quickly changed because it was absolutely breathtaking! On our itinerary we visited Badlands National Park, Devils Tower in Wyoming, Spearfish Canyon, Black Hills National Forest and Mount Rushmore. 

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Once we finished our drive through the National Park we headed up to Wyoming to see the first ever National monument Devils Tower (as seen in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"). It was such a unique thing to see in person. The surrounding landscapes were large rolling hills with a few small mountains and then all of a sudden there's this tall figure! We took the drive up to the top and then walked around the base of the Tower. Experienced rock climbers are able to climb up to the top but that was a hard pass for me!  
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On our second day we drove through several areas before making our way to Mount Rushmore. We took the scenic route to Keystone (where Mount Rushmore is located) and we started north and made our way south thru Spearfish Canyon and Black Hills National Forest. Even though it adds about an hour and a half on to your commute it's absolutely worth it! While driving through this area I felt like I was in Colorado with the winding roads, tall pine trees and rapid rivers off to the side of the road. One of the most breathtaking parts was seeing Bridal Veil Falls just right off the side of the road. We pulled over for  a quick photo op and to take in its beauty. 

When we finally reached the small tourist town of Keystone we decided to go for a unique lunch opportunity instead of just dining in a regular restaurant. Instead we went to Rushmore Tramway Adventures and took a chairlift to Mountaintop Grill for a scenic view of Mount Rushmore! I was terrified to be on the chairlift on the way up and down, but it was totally worth it to have a view of Mount Rushmore for a simple lunch of burgers, fries and sodas. 
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With a full belly and being very thankful to be on flat land we finally made our way to our final destination - Mount Rushmore! It seemed so surreal to stand at the base and look up and this incredible piece of artwork. I couldn't help but just stare at it and think "wow!". It also was a great feeling to know my grandmother was finally able to check this off her list and to share the moment with my family. 
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