The Tulips Are Coming

 

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That’s right; before we know it spring will be here. And what happens over in the Netherlands in the spring? Tulips of course. Have you heard of the Keukenhof Gardens? It is a spectacular garden that has more than 7 million flowers on approximately 79 acres. This is then broken down into smaller themed gardens, such as the historical garden which transports you back in time to a castle garden where you will enjoy rare historic varieties of flowers.

The Floriade World Horticultural Expo will be held this year, an event that is held once every 10 years and has about 2 million visitors. This year’s theme is ‘Be part of the theatre in nature, get closer to the quality of life’. What can you expect to see and do at Floriade? Aside from what you would expect, the flowers and nature exhibits, there will be international entertainment, like music and theater. Learn about different cultures and sample foods from various countries at the Restaurant World Show. There are numerous activities that go on throughout the day making it a wonderful day trip. Check out www.floriade.com for complete information.

If this all sounds like a dream vacation think about taking a river cruise. You will get to visit these attractions and others while sailing in the comfort of a river cruise ship that accommodates around 150 guests. Small ships with great service, all with riverview rooms, most with balconies. This can be a wonderful relaxing vacation full of beauty and culture.

Off To the Races

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In continuation of my last blog about the Great American Steamboat Company’s river cruises, I thought I would mention a couple of their themed cruises. First up is the Kentucky Derby 4-night river cruise. If you’ve ever dreamed of going to the Derby this is a great opportunity to do it. Included in the all-inclusive price of the cruise fare is general admission to the Derby itself. Or if you’d rather, you can join the Derby party at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel. Premium box seating is available for extra and is limited.

If you are a Civil War history buff you have a couple of different cruises to choose from. You’ll visit battlefields and if you are on the Epic Civil War cruise there will be impersonators, guest lectures and reenactments all included giving you an immersive historical vacation.

There are quite a few different cruises to choose from that will let you experience southern hospitality onboard a luxurious Victorian steamboat. Nightly entertainment in the Grand Saloon, which is a replica of Ford’s Theatre, and cuisine from an award winning chef, will make this a cruise to remember.

Southern Style River Cruises

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One of my all time favorite books and movies is Gone With the Wind. Although romance books themselves are not my thing, historical fiction is. And who doesn’t love this book.

So recently I’ve come across a new cruise line that will be debuting this spring and it always makes me think of GWTW. It’s a river cruise line right here in the US, which is a rare find. For the most part, if you want to river cruise you need to go to Europe, Russia or China. But now we have the Great American Steamboat Company.  You can’t look at this ship, the American Queen, and not envision Scarlett and Rhett on their honeymoon to New Orleans. In fact, its maiden voyage is a 6 night roundtrip cruise from New Orleans. With a visit to Oak Alley Plantation, basically think Tara, your GWTW trip is complete.

The Great American Steamboat Company offers many different themed cruises and different itineraries. If you are interested in history and southern hospitality it might be the perfect cruise for you. I’ll give more details about this new river cruise line next time.