NOW UP TO THREE MONUMENTAL ADVENTURES

My final two monumental trips have morphed into three separate potential adventures.  Skip for now that 2020 around the world cruise, which is looking more and more to become a 2021 event, if it happens at all

The grand USA itinerary has been whittled down to only the west coast, but has incorporated a cruise back to Hawaii:

LATEST FALL USA 2019 SCHEDULE (as of 1July19)

SEPTEMBER

Mon   2        Lv       1320      Honolulu          Hawaiian Air 16

                    Ar       1950      San Diego

                                  Marriott Marquis

           3

           4                               

Thu     5        Lv        0825    San Diego          Pacific Surfliner 767

                     Ar        1413    Santa Barbara

                                  Hotel Californian

           6

           7

Sun     8        Lv        1240    Santa Barbara         Coast Starlight

           9        Ar        1532    Portland      

                     AC Hotel Marriott      
         10

         11

Thu         12        Lv        1556    Portland      Coast Starlight

                           Ar        1956    Seattle

                           Sheraton Grand

                13

                14        UH-Washington Football Game

                15

Mon         16        Lv        2100    Seattle         Coast Starlight

                            Ar        0015    Vancouver

                            Marriott Pinnacle Downtown

                 17

Wed          18        Lv     0800  Vancouver                 Seattle-Victoria Ferry

                             Ar     1045   Victoria

                             Fairmont Empress

                 19       

Fri             20        Lv     1700              Victoria           Seattle-Victoria Ferry

                             Ar      1945              Vancouver

                             Marriott Pinnacle Downtown

                  21

Sun            22        Vancouver                                                       Celebrity

                                    Balcony  $1000/person for 11 days

                              AT SEA

                  28        Hilo

                  29        Hilo

                  30        Kona

OCTOBER
                    1        Lahaina

                    2        Lahaina

Th                3        Honolulu

                                     

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Amtrak Coast Starlight:  https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Coast-Starlight-Schedule-060119.pdf

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Pacific-Surfliner-Schedule-W31-072019.pdf

Celebrity:

 https://www.icruise.com/itineraries/11-night-hawaii-cruise_celebrity-eclipse_9-22-2019.html

Victoria Summer Special

https://www.clippervacations.com/victoria-packages/victoria-2-night-summer-special/

***************************************************************

A lot of Amtrak and a Celebrity cruise from Vancouver, back to Hawaii, at less than $100/day.  Did you know that you can't do a one-way cruise from any U.S. port to Hawaii, unless the itinerary includes a foreign stop?  You can from Ensenada, but that's in Mexico.  You definitely can from Vancouver, because that's in Canada.

San Diego:  Zoo, Balboa Park (above, 15 museums and California Tower, which is now open for the first time since 1935, with a view of Mexico), Gaslamp Quarter, Ocean Beach Municipal Pier and more.

Santa Barbara:  I remember my summers in Southern California, driving up to Santa Barbara from Oxnard to see a brief girlfriend.  The last time I returned was 60 years ago.  Stearns Wharf (close to selected hotel, whale watching), MOXI Museum (next to hotel and host of other museums), Lotusland and Paso Nuevo outdoor shopping mall.

I went through Paso Robles at least a dozen times from 1958-62 driving to and from Stanford to Southern California.  Never stopped once.  Thus, when this dusty town later became the newest premier region in California for red wine, I just had to "return."  Paso Robles produces the best Petite Sirah, just the opposite of petite, for it is "chewy," now the hottest red wine grape in California.  However, this is one of those few train stations that won't handle luggage.  The cruise at the end makes light travel impossible.  So I'll have to find a next time.

I wanted a few days in the Bay Area, but the Coast Starlight only comes in late at night, and there is no station in San Francisco.  Oakland is the closest, but I'm paranoid about even a reputation, although most reports show that the area around Jack London Square is now almost okay.  Emeryville remains a possibility, but it is not close to BART.  I come here at least twice a year, so no great sacrifice.

Another problem with the Coast Starlight is that if you wish to drop off and stay in certain cities, you need to avoid football games or other major events.  I thus had to eliminate San Jose and Eugene.  Portland will be a concern because Portland State University has a game that weekend.  But their attendance is usually less than 6,000.  The Hawaii-Washington game in Seattle means that hotels double the price of rooms.  Oh well.

Portland:  I haven't been here for a couple of decades, and the only thing I remember was a rose garden.  There are several, and Portland, after all, is known as the City of Roses.  However, June was the peak bloom month.  Did you know that the population of the City and County of Honolulu is almost twice as large as Portland's?

Seattle:  I first came to Seattle in 1962 for their World Fair.  I returned last year to see a vibrant city teeming with vitality and promise.  Start with the Space Needle and, next door, Chihuly Garden and Glass.  Add Pike Place Market, Mount Rainier, Museum of Pop Culture and a million other things to do.

Victoria:  A short ferry ride from Pier 69 to Victoria Inner Harbor, with a two night stay at the Fairmont Empress, would cost not much more $300/person, double occupancy, which is just the normal cost of just the hotel, except that something is happening on that island around that period, for the price of hotels there almost doubles.  And no football game.  Butterfly Garden and Butchart Gardens make for a full day.

Then return to Vancouver and board the Celebrity Eclipse.  While I did say less than $100/day/person, no doubt the price will increase if you include these perks:

• FREE Classic Beverage Package (valued at $118 per day, per stateroom, including 20% gratuities)
• FREE Gratuities (valued at $29-$36 per day, per stateroom, depending on category booked)
• FREE Onboard Credit (valued at $300 per stateroom)
• FREE Unlimited High Speed Internet (valued at $199 per person for 9 nights or less, $299 per person for 10 nights or longer)

.

Bonus Offer ID: 14800

The second adventure is only in the thinking stage, but will essentially be a two-week Japan Rail Pass expedition in November.  Another train trip, but notably superior to anything Amtrak has, to follow the changing fall colors.  Hawaiian Air to Chitose Airport on Hokkaido in early November.  All the way down to Fukuoka for a Hawaiian flight back.

Let me know if you want to be kept up to date.

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