360 Chicago - Sun & Stars Pass

Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009. The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn. East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.

Sail within 100 feet of the Statue of Liberty for the best photo ops.  Stunning panoramic views of midtown and lower Manhattan.  Cruise under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges.  Insightful narration by Circle Line’s world famous guides Onboard café with a freshly prepared menu of sandwiches, salads and snacks + full bar serving up hot and cold beverages, beer, wine and cocktails Onboard amenities including outdoor deck space, heated/air conditioned indoor seating with large windows made for sightseeing, and restrooms.  CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS Statue of Liberty One World Trade Center Empire State Building Pier 54 (Titanic Pier) Batter Park Ellis Island Governors Island Wall Street South Street Seaport Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Bridge Williamsburg Bridge Chrysler Building East Village United Nations USS Intrepid Pier RULES AND REGULATIONS  All School & Camp Groups MUST be accompanied by at least 1 adult chaperone (18 years of age or older) for every 10 students/children. Running is not permitted anywhere in the attraction. Food and beverage can be purchased on site. Outside food and beverages are strictly prohibited with the exception of special dietary needs. Security and First Aid may be obtained by contacting any staff personnel. Buses are not allowed to park and wait by the entrance once the group has been dropped off. (Please see bus parking information below.) Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises reserves the right to remove any individual or group that does not comply to these guidelines NEW CIRCLE LINE SKYLINE NAVIGATOR APP OFFERS OUR GUEST TOURS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, PORTUGUESE, AND MANDARIN CHINESE - IN ADDITION TO LIVE ENGLISH NARRATION.  Download the Circle Line Navigator App Before Your Cruise           

30 Minute Scenic Nature Tour Discover territory that remains unaltered by man in the wilderness of the Central Florida Everglades. Let the experienced Master Captains take you into the breathtaking beauty of natural wonders, including wetlands, cypress trees, and wildlife. Ride with a certified U.S. Coast Guard Captain and see Florida Alligators, turtles, birds and more in their natural environment. This safe, exciting and educational airboat ride is filled with surprises and fascination. View wildlife on a U.S. Coast Guard Inspected 17 passenger airboat. Each airboat tour is a unique experience and never the same. You will enjoy whisking across the surface of the water at speeds up to 45 mph while shooting between walls of tall grass. NOTE: The best time to see alligators is early in the morning (before 10:00) during hot weather and later in the day in the cold. You don't have to be a space junkie to enjoy NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the only spot in the United States from which humans have been hurled into space. The plethora of hands-on exhibits, IMAX movies, and sheer magnitude of the shuttles will surely impress the most passive fan. Space Shuttle Atlantis℠ Your journey begins in the Atlantis theater where we bring to life the story of the people who dared to do the impossible. Gaze in wonder at a close-up view of Space Shuttle Atlantis, displayed in mid-flight glory. With more than 60 interactive exhibits, it's a moving celebration of humankind’s greatest achievements.  Twin IMAX® Theater 3D Films Two incredible, five-story 3D presentations tell stories certain to inspire. One explores breathtaking images of Earth in A Beautiful Planet, and the other details projects that NASA is currently working on, like sending astronauts to Mars. Shuttle Launch Experience® Shuttle Launch Experience immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and feelings of a Space Shuttle launch, an incredible journey of launching into space and orbiting Earth aboard a Space Shuttle. Guest crewmembers strap in and go vertical for launch in a one-of-a-kind custom-designed crew cabin. Meet an Astronaut You’re invited to meet a veteran NASA astronaut at the live Astronaut Encounter show. Offered multiple times daily, this exciting presentation features an astronaut every day with more than 30 of the approximately 500 hundred men and women who have flown in space scheduled throughout the year. Numerous Shows and Exhibits*   Space Shuttle Atlantis℠ Exhibit  Your journey begins in the Atlantis theater where we bring to life the story of the people who dared to do the impossible. Gaze in wonder at a close-up view of Space Shuttle Atlantis, displayed in mid-flight glory. With more than 60 interactive exhibits, it's a moving celebration of humankind’s greatest achievements. Appollo/Saturn V Center  Relive the wonder and excitement of the Apollo era in this one-of-a-kind exhibit that celebrates the unprecedented achievement of putting man on the moon and the joy felt in that moment by all humankind. Rocket Garden  At NASA, it is often said that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Rocket Garden. Behind every rocket you see are great men and women engineers and astronauts, designers and thinkers who turned dreams into history. It is here you find the first rocket to break free from gravity. Eyes on the Universe  Journey through time and space to the farthest reaches of the universe at “Eyes on the Universe: NASA’S Space Telescopes,” the newest and only 3D 4K resolution show at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA Now   After discovering the history of America’s space program at Kennedy Space Center, view the NASA Now exhibit in the West Gallery of IMAX Theater building to explore the future of NASA’s Commercial Crew program and the Journey to Mars! Astronaut Memorial  At the Astronaut Memorial, we honor NASA’s fallen heroes, those among the elite astronaut corps who gave their lives in the pursuit of knowledge that lies beyond our Earth. Journey To Mars:  Explorers Wanted  The future of space travel lies with you. Learn more about what it takes to explore Mars in this inspiring show. Exhibits provide a look at prototypes and designs that will launch the next generation to Mars and beyond, including rovers, simulators, and the Orion crew capsule. Children's Play dome  Imaginations will soar at the Children's Play Dome, a one-of-a-kind space-themed playground. With the majestic Rocket Garden as a backdrop, children can take off in a spacecraft, climb a moon rock wall, crawl through rocket tunnels and slide to the surface of the Moon. KSC Bus Tour  There’s no better way to get a glimpse of Kennedy Space Center than on one of our daily tours, departing by bus every 15 minutes from the Visitor Complex. Our experienced tour guides will take you past some of the most iconic NASA landmarks.  

Highlights Explore and absorb all the major classic sights of Warsaw - Wilanów Palace, Warsaw Rising Museum and Royal Castle, the Palace of Culture and Science Ticket Includes Bus ticket Ticket Excludes Food and drinks Hotel pick up   

Anyone yearning to geek out inside a multimillion-dollar science museum with the added bonus of booze should head to Golden Gate Park on Thursdays for Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences. Since 2009, the Academy has stayed open late once a week to give the 21+ crowd full run of the place, with an ever-changing series of themed events and several temporary bars spread throughout the gigantic building. Entertainment / Music Multiple DJs and/or live bands performing in a variety of styles tied to the night’s theme, from house to swing to everything else under the sun. One hundred thousand square-foot museum packed with incredible exhibits, aquariums, a replica of a rain forest, and the largest all-digital projection screen on the planet in the planetarium. Food / Miscellaneous Food stands offer a handful of snacks and entrées that can change weekly but usually include items like pork buns, chicken with fries, and vegetarian dishes. Private lounge available for rental. What to Wear / Dress Code Casual to trendy: everything from white t-shirts and jeans to dolled up duds. Hot Nights / When to Go Only open on Thursdays, but patrons should arrive early to avoid the lines and to check out the rainforest, which closes at 20:00.

Highlights Guided tour of the Red Light District Red Light Secrets - museum of Prostitution   Ticket Includes 2 Hour walking tour Visit of Red Light Secrets - museum of Prostitution Guided tour in  English, Spanish & German Please note: Must be 18 years or older.   Ticket Excludes Food And Drinks Hotel Pick Up Full Description Amsterdam is well-known for it's erotic arts and with the  Red Light District Walking Tour, you will discover everything there is to know about the hidden history. You will gain knowledge on the oldest trade in the world. During your visit you will visit Red Light Secrets, the only museum of prostitution in the world and uncover what goes on behind the scenes.