Ken Brooks
Recent stories
- Tours for 2012
- February 1, 2012
- Several tour operators have prepared wonderful itineraries for travel to North America as well as Europe for this spring, summer and fall. We’ll discuss a few here. Tauck Tours is one of the most respected operators in the U.S. and they have put together some highlights of various areas of the U.S. and Canada that I will mention.
- New ships offer great cruises and tours
- January 18, 2012
- Although we are still in a recession with rather high unemployment, the cruise and tour industry has been able to survive with discounted cruises and hotels and other gimmicks. The bottom line for the companies is less profit and rather full ships and tours. A third of cruise line profits come from onboard ship purchases for extras such as shopping, shore tours, liquor, gambling and extra priced dining opportunities. The ships have pretty much remained quite full during this period and a few cruise lines have decided to build new vessels. First, let’s talk about two paddle wheel riverboats coming on line which will cruise the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers later this year. American Cruise Lines will begin river cruises in the brand new Queen of the Mississippi Aug. 11. Another totally rebuilt vessel begins in April, operated by the Great American Steamboat Company. It will carry more than 400 passengers and is named the Great American Queen. River cruising is one of the most pleasant forms of vacation. Riverboats on the Mississippi have been missing for several years. This year will be a new beginning.
- Cruising the Great Rivers
- January 11, 2012
- River cruising has grown more than 200 percent in the last 10 years. Each year more and more riverboats are added to the cruise lines inventories. Today we will discuss where you can go and the companies to contact for more information. Let’s start with the Mississippi River. In 2008 and 2009 the major riverboat companies closed their doors due to the down economy. This year two companies will begin cruising America’s largest river with two exciting boats, one new and one completely refurbished.
- Travel for seniors
- January 4, 2012
- Travel appeals to everyone, usually. However, our age often depends on how and where we travel. The younger set usually head for the beaches or mountains. Middle agers can choose anything from a quiet country setting to a large, bustling city filled with action. The senior set often goes for the cruises and tours or taking the RV out for a spin of several weeks’ duration. Today, we will address the senior market. Cruises and tours are often the choice because the cruise line and tour company can arrange all the details including the air portion, saving travelers all the headaches of the many factors involved in a vacation. If you choose a travel agent they will do all the work for you saving hours of detail and frustration.
- Family vacations
- December 29, 2011
- Sometimes the prospect of travel with the kids is a concern. So why not consider locations that both the adults and young ones can enjoy equally? Many hotels and resorts are positioned with the entire family in mind. Take for instance, the Beverly Garland Hotel located in Universal City, Calif. It is managed by Holiday Inn and they offer families standard rooms for the adults along with Kids Suites. These rooms offer a living area with a king size bed and a separate area with bunk beds, a flat-screen TV and a small desk for children. Parents will enjoy the extra privacy that these rooms offer, as well as the extra space. The rooms also have a balcony, so that parents can have even more privacy.
- A Weekend in Tucson
- December 14, 2011
- Actually, I recommend two usable days in Tucson because it offers much to see and do. Tucson is surrounded by mountains with an altitude of 2,400 feet and is 100 miles south of Phoenix and so, about a three-hour drive from Payson. The Mexican influence can be seen and felt all over the city. You see adobe and wrought iron in many buildings and homes and it has an entirely different feeling than Phoenix. When you arrive stop by the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau at 120 West Broadway where there will be a selection of brochures pointing the way to many sights around the city.
- Close to home — weekend in Phoenix
- December 7, 2011
- consider the greater Phoenix area? It’s the fifth largest city in the United States and this time of year usually provides temperatures in the middle 70s. I would suggest planning at least a three-day visit in order to really experience some of the many interesting places and events in the area. It’s really an easy city to get around in; all you need is a map or GPS system to ease your way.
- Warm weather escapes
- November 30, 2011
- We have already experienced our first snowstorm of the season and about now we begin to think about a warm weather escape. There are so many locations to do this I can’t suggest them all, but I will discuss a few here. In the good old USA we can consider several locations in Florida. Orlando stands out as a winner because it not only has warm winter weather, but also offers Disneyworld, the Universal Theme Park and so much more. When you have had enough sun, the theme parks are fun to visit.
- A perfect vacation - Part 3
- November 23, 2011
- As this is a continued article of what I call a perfect vacation, I will briefly summarize the first two chapters. We spent most of October in Europe. We chose this month because it is usually ahead of the cold weather and after the heat of summer. Most of the time was spent on a three-week cruise aboard Holland America Lines wonderful Noordam, one of their vista class ships of 82,000 gross tons and 936 feet long. It holds 1,918 passengers.
- A perfect vacation — Part 2
- November 16, 2011
- Last week we began this article telling how we decided to take a fall vacation in Europe. We felt October offered the best weather in the cities and countries to be visited and many of the tourists would have returned home. This was the case. We departed early October arriving in Rome where we did some sightseeing in this important city for history and culture. Our plan was to also take a three-week cruise on Holland America Lines’ lovely Noordam covering the Greek Islands, Turkey, Croatia as well as several stops in Italy, Sicily, principal Mediterranean ports and Tunis in North Africa.
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Question of the week
Do you think the community should be involved with the selectioin of a new School Board Superintendent?
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