Magic at Sea - Day 3

Gulf of Mexico - This is day three of a seven day cruise on the Disney Magic.

As the sun comes up we skirt the coast of Northwest Cuba on the Disney Magic. The ship glides through the still deep blue water on the way to the Cayman Islands at 21.5 knots, or roughly 25 miles per hour. We have all day for shipboard activities since we won't reach the island, on the Southern side of Cuba, until morning.

After enjoying the ocean view we checked the informative Personal Navigator to make our plans for the day. I started with a workout in the Vista Spa Fitness Center located just above the ship's bridge. There were a number of people on treadmills and elliptical trainers with an excellent view over the bow of the ship at the Gulf of Mexico. After about an hour workout I joined the family for a late breakfast topside.

This was a good day to explore the ship and learn some interesting facts. One unique feature of the Disney Cruise Line is that there is no gambling on board, except for the jackpot bingo games. This frees up a lot of space for family activities and kid areas. Most ships the size of the Magic, 964 feet in length, have only one funnel on deck, while the Magic has two. The twin stacks give the Magic an elegant look reminiscent of the 1920's and 30's cruise ships. Only one of the stacks is functional for the emissions. The forward stack is designed for the teen area and is their hangout, no parents. It is called the Stack or deck eleven.

There are four pools, one for children that includes a slide, a family pool, an adult pool and a crew pool on the fore deck. Activities for the day included a number of seminar type demonstrations for making "dazzling desserts", volleyball, scrapbook making, plenty of photo opportunities with the Captain and crew, and of course the Disney characters that made appearances at various times throughout the ship.

In the afternoon I enjoyed an Art at Sea auction with Art historian and auctioneer Gordon Wilson of West End Gallery Inc. He was extremely knowledgeable of artists and their work. The artwork on display ranged from early Disney animation cels, Miro and Dali prints and an original Duaiv valued at $40,000. The auction lasted about an hour and covered a number of artists. I was surprised at the number of pieces sold. Gordon has a seminar on Thursday entitled "Cave Art to Pop Art" which sounds very interesting.

My wife tried the Vista Spa for a facial and gave the experience a 4 star rating (out of 4). In the early evening we ventured back to the Walt Disney Theater for the red carpet "Golden Mickey's". This stage performance celebrates the music of Disney and had incredible special effects, as good as most Broadway plays. The songs were from Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Lion King and other classics. The only downside was the volume of the sound was excruciatingly high. My daughter put rolled up napkins in here ears. With the quality of everything else in the theater they must have had someone new running the audio. Even with the loudness the performances were very good.

We had the second seating for an excellent dinner with a number of choices for the appetizer, soup, salad, main course and a desserts. Following dinner we tried the Buena Vista Theater, located mid ship to watch Bolt in 3D. The showing of Bolt was the first ever 3D movie on a cruise ship. Seeing the movie in the 270-seat Buena Vista Cinema was a great way to end the evening and get ready for a big day at Grand Cayman, British West Indies. Until tomorrow...

Circus in a Box - Kooza

Escape to the Circus of the Sun and be amazed at the physical artistry of acrobats flying through the air, contortionists twisting beyond human limits and the death defying balance and skill of those on the Wheel of Death.

Artistic director Luc Tremblay, and a large cast of creative professionals behind the stage, create a world of fantasy and adventure that upholds the excellent tradition Cirque du Soleil has built over the past nearly twenty five years. Kooza follows the main character, Innocent, as he receives delivery of a large brown box while he is out trying to fly his kite. Inside the box is another more decorated box that looks like a giant jack in the box. Sure enough the Trickster pops out from inside and the fantasy begins. The one word title of the show, Kooza, is Sanskrit for "box" or "treasure."

The special effects and live music transported me to another place where the outside world melted away. For over two hours my family and I were mesmerized by the physical prowess displayed by the performers and entertained by the slapstick humor of the clowns. We experienced the curiosity of Innocent as he interacted with the Trickster, all without words, and gasped as the man on a unicycle picked up a passenger and spun her around his head while traveling around the stage.

The show has been on tour for nearly two years with a number of cities left before the tour ends. If you are anywhere near a showing of Kooza it is well worth the time and cost to experience. You'll laugh as the clowns interact with the audience. You will be amazed as three beautiful women contort their bodies into shapes and positions that are hard to believe, even though you are seeing them live. If there is ever a Twister Olympics these women would all earn gold medals.

There are a few acts that take your breath away, like the dual high wire act, and the teterboard acrobatics of men and women who fly through the air, after being catapulted skyward from what looks like an over sized playground see-saw. Note to parents, if you have a playground nearby be sure to advise your children that the see-saw is not a catapult. Of all the acts, there is one that we agreed was at once heart stopping and thrilling to watch. I found myself, normally a bit reserved, yelling and gasping out loud with the audience as two men, dressed as demons, interacted with the Wheel of Death. Think of this act as two giant hamster wheels connected with a large frame that spins end over end, while the "demons" run inside the hamster wheels. That is incredible enough, but when one of them starts running on the outside of the wheel, and skipping rope, it is breathtaking.

I was so amazed at the skill and daring of this act I did some research on the Wheel of Death. It seems the Wheel of Death has been around since the 1930's, under the big top of many circuses around the world, but went out of favor because of the number of deaths and injuries of those who attempted this feat. When Ringling Brothers brought the wheel back a few years ago they changed the name to the Wheel of Steel to keep the show more family friendly. Whatever it's called, the daring and skill necessary to put on this performance, is visually stunning.

There are a number of other acts that make up Kooza which are equally enjoyable and inspiring as those described. The artists make whatever they are doing look so easy. Special recognition is also extended to the costume and makeup artists who pay attention to every detail and nuance. There are over 175 costumes and 160 hats in the show, and everyone looks brand new. The music has an Far Eastern mystic quality that adds to the exotic sets. The soundtrack is available at the show and online and is as creative and fanciful as the visuals. Don't miss this one.

Ten Wild and Crazy Destinations for 2009

If you want to experience more than the usual vacation to Disney World, Hawaii or the Outer Banks, check out these ten offbeat and sometimes extreme escapes for 2009. Whether it's Zorbing, skijoring or just plain geocaching the new year has a lot to offer travelers looking for something different. Some of these destinations and activities may be a bit expensive or physically taxing. However, you need to remember, with a new year you have new opportunities for fitness, fun and what the heck, take the rest of your 401k before someone else does, and live a little.

1. Zorbing

Strap into a Zorb and start rolling head over heels. Recently depicted in a Toyota commercial, these large hamster balls roll effortlessly over the countryside. Developed in Auckland, New Zeland these giant air filed balls have also been seen on the Amazing race as contestants take a Zorb ride to fulfill a task. According to the developers, no one has ever been hurt in a Zorb or even threw up inside one. For an extra thrill throw in a bucket of water for the ride, just remember to remove the bucket. Locations include, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Rotorua, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

2. Skijoring

Join the rich and famous in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the 103rd running of horses on white turf (read frozen lake). Included with the horse racing is skijoring. Competitors on skis are pulled around the track by thoroughbreds, in close proximity and at high speed. Races for 2009 are 8, 15, and 22 February 2009, but hurry, last year over 10,000 spectators attended this event. If you want to do more than observe the sport try Leadville, Colorado or four other states in the U.S. where competitions are held each year. This winter sport has evolved where participants navigate through a course of jumps and gates. Some places have replaced the horse with a large dog or snowmobile. Bundle up and have fun! By the way the sport originated centuries ago when travelers in Scandinavia attached reins to reindeer for a wild ride.

3. Geocaching

Here's a fun family activity, especially if you like high tech treasure hunts. Just replace the old pirate map where X marks the spot for a GPS (global positioning system). Enter the coordinates into your GPS and head out to find "caches" of trinkets, candy and other items that the sponsor or others have hidden. Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) and is growing in popularity. The official geocaching hunt site has over half a million participants with worldwide adventures and a community of adventurers. The game is a great way to explore new areas. At the Evergreen Lodge they offer two courses to help you explore the park. Following the coordinates you will be pointed to waterfalls, park vistas

4. Fly a MiG

The Mig-29 or newer MiG-31 Foxhound are ready for you to take control over the skies of Russia at over 1500 miles per hour. Jet flight only starts at $12,590, transportation and hotel accommodations in Russia are extra. While expensive where else can you fly this fast? Try Cape Town South Africa for a ride over 60,000 feet above the city in the English Electric Lightning jet. These prices include a multi day package around 18 grand.

5. Outer Space Anyone?

You have probably read about it and seen it on TV, now it's time to sign up for the ride of your life. If you thought flying a MiG over 1500 miles an hour was a rush try outer space with Virgin Galactic. Billionaire adventurer Sir Richard Branson, continues to fund Burt Rutan's technology that resulted in the first privately funded craft to reach outer space in 2004. With only a $20,000 dollar down payment, you can reserve a spot for your $200,000 adventure. There is no set date for the first commercial flight but testing continues and people are lining up to fly the first Spaceline in history. There is currently a plan for three days of preparation to enjoy the experience.

6. Meet the Emperors

Don't be put off with the few cruise ships that have had problems around the Antarctic, that can happen anywhere. Now is your chance to explore the most remote destination in the world and also a chance to meet up with the Emperor Penguin Colony. Several companies have various cruises and travel itineraries with various levels of participation. This is a chance to see glaciers and icebergs in their natural setting. Check out Luxury Tours for travel dates.

7. Bike Peru

Sacredrides, recognized by National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the best adventure travel companies on earth, offers mountain biking in the Andes and near Inca ruins. Cox and Kings also offers a variety of custom and signature tours around the world. If you're a bike enthusiast how could you pass on the opportunity to take one of the best bike trips in Peru? The tour is a combination of defined paths and narrow trails that pass through the Sacred Valley's agricultural fields, architectural sites and villages. Don't worry about curses or bandits from ancient Incas, that only happens in the movies. On this trip you'll have the opportunity to experience the great outdoors and to enjoy a day of excitement on the down-hills while stopping to enjoy the various ruins.

8. Covert Ops Adventure

An all inclusive weekend getaway, but don't plan on sipping margaritas by a pool. This three day intensive training by former military special operations personnel will have you learning evasive driving, shooting techniques, hostage retrieval (this is great if your child is late getting home, just plan a mission to "snatch" her from the party.) This Three-day programs begins on a Friday through Sunday, in Tuscon, Arizona: meals and ammunition included. The cost for this program is $3,795.

9. Skywalk to the Edge

In the United States, take a skywalk on the glass bridge at Grand Canyon West You'll be standing over a 1200 meter drop to the bottom of the canyon as you walk on the transparent bridge floor. The pricing structure is a bit complicated with an ala-carte style menu. Ticket price about 35 dollars per person then $20 per vehicle, $12 for a locker, and $40 for a photograph on the Skywalk. Interestingly photos and binoculars are not permitted on the skywalk, this may be to sell more photos. Going to the edge in Melbourne, Australia is less expensive but not as high, only 300 meters. Travel 88 stories in 40 seconds to Skydeck 88 and walk/crawl to "The Edge"- a glass cube that projects 3 meters out from the building suspended almost 300 meters above the ground! Tickets are only $12.00, a real bargain compared to some of the other adventures. There are other edge type experiences, like the new.

10. Ride the Singapore Flyer

This isn't your grandparent's Ferris wheel at the local amusement park or traveling circus. The Singapore Flyer is the world's largest observation wheel. At an equivalent 42 stories this 165m tall ride is not for those with vertigo. It is however, a great place to see the city and on a clear day you can see Malaysia and Indonesia. The ride has 28 gondolas that hold up to 28 people each. Get ready for great experience over the city by the bay.

You have read my picks for exciting travel next year tell us where you are headed in the New Year.

An African Safari in Baltimore

With the economy in turmoil, now is a good time to get out and enjoy a cost saving adventure. All you need is a little creativity and a trip to your local zoo. You will undoubtedly learn more about our world and the many rare and exotic creatures that live here. I took a day trip to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore with my kids and found that it’s a great way to connect with nature, your family and even yourself. Most large cities have a zoo and if you haven’t visited one lately there is plenty to see and a variety of activities to educate and entertain.
The Maryland Zoo’s African Journey is the largest exhibit area on the 160 acre zoo, dedicated to the animals and birds of the African continent. A few of the many exhibits include leopards, cheetahs, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, lions, chimpanzees, vultures and West African cranes.

A new feature in the African Journey is the giraffe feeding plaza where you can feed the giraffe’s everyday between 10:30 and 3 pm. We ventured past the rhinos, vultures and camels to Further into the African Journey is an expanded area for the African elephants. On March 19, 2008, Felix, a 24 year old elephant gave birth to the first ever baby elephant at the zoo. Sampson, the 290-pound newborn, was named by vote.

The Maryland Wilderness is featured in the Children's Zoo and represents the animals, birds and reptiles of the state. Included in the exhibit are domesticated animals like goats and sheep and typical farm animals. This part of the zoo has a lot of interaction to keep young kids interested in discovering more about animal and their habitat. They have plexiglass enclosures to watch river otter’s underwater, a cave to see bats and snakes and even an ecological tree built with stairs that you walk up inside. At the top of the tree is an optional slide, a favorite with the kids.

One of the first exhibit areas in the zoo, after taking the tram from the entrance, is the Polar Bear Watch. From here you can see the largest predators in the world, Alaska and Magnet, and their newest addition, Anoki. This year the zoo added Anoki to the exhibit in hopes of breeding with Magnet. Anoki is on loan from the New Mexico Biological Park in Albuquerque. A unique aspect of this exhibit is an actual Tundra Buggy that is air conditioned and overlooks the water and bear habitat.

Not only is a trip to the zoo a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends it is an opportunity to learn about and discuss how we take care of animals and our surroundings. The zoo is a good day trip that can be educational in many ways. Who knows what you may see the animals doing that will spark questions from your kids, leaving you stuttering, or checking

Wikipedia from your iphone. On my last visit, my daughter asked me who was faster, a cheetah or a leopard. I now know it is the cheetah, running at up to 70 miles per hour for long distances compared to about 40 miles per hour in short bursts for the leopard.

Many people stay away from zoos because they don’t like to see the beautiful animals caged or restricted from running, swimming or flying free. Zoos have been around at least 3500 years and so have the debates on whether zoos are sanctuaries for the protection of the species, educational centers, or circus sideshows, where animals are held captive against their will. There is enough evidence to support all of these arguments and that is where visiting a zoo can help you to connect and reflect on your own feelings.

Day Trip Specifics:
The zoo is open everyday ten months a year, from March through December, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The hours are 10 am to 4 pm and costs $11 for adults and $9 for children, weekends slightly higher. Parking is free and souveniers abound.
Special note for those who join the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, or are members of participating zoos, there is most likely a Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP) that lets you can gain free admission to other zoos in the association. For example Friends of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. can get free admission to the Maryland Zoo and vice versa. Check your membership for details.

Biking Through History - The Civil War Northern Campaign on a Bike

I arrived nearly 150 years too late for the battle of Antietam. The signs of war however were still evident across the Maryland landscape. Burnside Bridge still crosses Antietam creek, General Stonewall Jackson’s artillery pieces still stand and the soldiers, they’re still there too. Being an armchair historian and a weekend bike rider, I signed up for the five day bike ride across Virginia and Maryland billed as the Civil War Odyssey. This ride through history would give me some insight about the people that traveled through this part of the country in the 1860’s.

The journey was also a personal test of my mental and physical fitness. Could I at midlife, a desk jockey and never much of an athlete, complete a journey of nearly 250 miles in five days? As I biked past the now deserted artillery, memorials, and gravestones, I couldn’t help but compare the heat of this June day with what it must have been like for the soldiers wearing wool uniforms and carrying their weapons and gear.

I joined 1800 other riders for the Bike Virginia tour several years ago. Each day we would ride more than I had ever ridden. The journey was more than I expected in many ways, from the physical demands to the mental challenge of conquering miles of hills and heat.
On the first day out it was crowded. A nice warm morning that that would heat up to about 92 degrees as we headed for the far off Blue Ridge mountains. Pedaling uphill, just before the rest stop, I was on my knees in the middle of the road. I had cramps in my thighs so bad my left leg went straight and wouldn’t bend at the knee. I had to hobble off my bike, while other riders swerved around me. I pounded the back of my leg with my fist several times to make it bend, and then I slumped to my knees and some relief. Many bikers asked if I needed help or encouraged me that the rest area was just over the next hill. I finally made it to the first official rest stop at the Oasis Winery. I wanted to stay there. Only twenty miles from the morning start and I was ready to go home.

After a refreshing rest I was ready to get back on my bike. I was wondering if I had made the right choice when I heard the sound of an ambulance coming our way. As I departed the rest area, I discovered that a fellow biker had hit a large pothole in the middle of a downhill run sending him flying into a nearby ditch with a concussion and neck injuries. This was just the beginning, as a number of other accidents would happen throughout the next few days sending some people home or to the hospital with heat stroke, dislocated shoulders or minor scrapes. At times, I wondered why I was doing this to myself.

As I began 1,350-foot climb over the Chester Gap I thought of the marching soldiers and men on horses who traveled this same area with Lee, Longstreet and Hill. During the first few hours of my journey, I learned some lessons that weren’t written in the brochure. Lessons that only experience can provide. Being a photographer for much of my life, I figured I would document my adventure and the scenic beauty of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. On my first day out I loaded my new, removable bike pack, with a few items for the trip. My packing list included a much too heavy camera, zoom lens, 20mm wide angle lens, rain jacket, Band-Aids, map, 2 power bars, patch kit, power inflator, spare inner tube, and a hand pump. I also loaded up with two bottles of water and a 70-ounce camel back to keep me hydrated. Obviously, I had never ridden with all this gear or I wouldn’t be contemplating burying it near the roadside after fifteen miles.

My feelings of getting rid of my precious gear made me think of the soldiers who came this way carrying water, guns and ammo in this heat. Moreover, I wasn't wearing a wook uniform and didn’t have an enemy firing at me, although at times I thought the road and heat were out to kill me. I also jammed a few other items into the pack, a spare t-shirt and of course sunblock and lip balm. For the second day of biking, I only carried the water and spare tube. This experience helped me to understand the stories I read about soldiers leaving their equipment and packs along fencerows or just dropping them in the field. There comes a time, I realized, that material things just don’t seem so important when faced with exhaustion and heat stress.
Our organizers were like an army of logisticians. The entire trip was the most well planned and executed sport event I have attended. Rest stops were provided every ten or fifteen miles with Gatorade, water, snacks and fruit. There was constant monitoring of the course by the organizers with vans that would pick up or assist anyone having bike problems, injuries or just too tired. Seeing someone in distress the volunteers would pick them up, put the bike on the roof and take them to the next rest stop. At each stop, there would be bicycle repair trailers for adjustments or overhauls.

The average age of the riders was 45. The youngest rider was 8 and the oldest 78. Although there were a few younger riders being pulled along in custom carts as families came out to enjoy the countryside. One couple with a newborn would split the days’ ride in half. One would ride 20 or 30 miles in the morning while the other would take care of the baby. There was even a blind rider, who passed me - He was riding with a friend on a tandem bike.

I finished each day in total exhaustion but with a feeling of satisfaction, having moved closer to completing a goal that at one time seemed insurmountable. I gained a new appreciation for those who lived through the Civil War and look forward to riding with the people from Bike Virginia in the future.