Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - 30 Minute Thrill Ride - The Beast

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.

"What's Included in this Adventure" Complimentary round trip (shuttle) transportation from any Las Vegas Hotel A photo opportunity at the Hoover Dam Two to Three Hour ATV adventure through Lake Mead National Park 15 minute photo opportunity at the Colorado River World Famous Burger (Half pound), fresh cut fries and a soft drink at onsite restaurant Come join us for this Spectacular Adventure!! Comfort and Safety on ATV Tours: The minimum age for shooters is 12 years old and must be at least 5 feet tall. All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent and/or legal guardian.The minimum age to ride the ATC is 16 years old. Children under the age of 16 can ride as a passenger on the ATV. If the tour guide determines that the child is unable to ride by themselves then the child must ride as a passenger with a parent, legal guardian, or tour guide. The scenic motorized tour is very physical and requires tasks including 300 feet of trail hiking/climbing to reach the Colorado River in order to swim. This is a scenic tour with a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. All riders are required to follow a tour guide down the trail and follow all rules and regulations. Closed toed shoes are required. Customers wearing flip flops, high heels, or sandals will be unable to ride on the ATV. All safety equipment is provided (helmet, goggles, gloves). Backpacks are allowed to be brought on the tour with any personal items. Swim suits are encouraged and must be worn underneath clothes. Customers are advised to eat a big breakfast due to the long trail ride as you will not get to eat for a few hours.

Our first stop on this wonderful day tour is the famous Ghost Town of Rhyolite, a long abandoned gold mining community and the set for many movies and documentaries. Next is the wonderful panorama from Hell's Gate then to Badwater at 282 feet below sea level. We also visit Zabriskie's Point and the Devil's Gold Course, Furnace Creek Museum, the Salt Lake, the Sand Dunes and Artists Pallet.

Flagship's harbor cruises are the most beautiful, comfortable, educational way to enjoy the best of San Diego. Take in the sights, sounds and stories of the bay on a relaxing cruise. Enjoy a unique perspective on San Diego that you can only get from the water. Your professional local guide will share entertaining facts and history that helped to shape our city’s distinctive waterfront. Our luxury ships feature three levels with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, 360-degree views, and an onboard snack bar serving snacks, soda, beer, wine and cocktails. Our North Harbor and South Harbor tours explore unique scenic waterfront architecture, landmarks, sea life and spectacular photo opportunities. Now with free WiFi onboard.

Additional Info: Visiting Gulliver’s Gate Location: 216 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036 (between 7th & 8th Avenue) Hours of Operation: Open Daily. 10am - 8pm. Duration: There’s a lot you’ll want to see at Gulliver’s Gate and we want your guests to take their time enjoying our miniatures. A typical visit is 1.5 to 2 hours but you are welcome to stay as long as you’d like! Inclusions: Your ticket includes general admission, a lanyard & key that will allow you to interact with our models (i.e. turn on lights, move cars within our models, etc.), and a complimentary map. Guests have 6 months from the date of purchase to redeem their ticket.

Explore the magic, beauty and wonder of San Francisco Bay at Aquarium of the Bay.  Your visit will take you through three main exhibit areas that display the amazing riches that lie beneath the surface of the San Francisco Bay and surrounding waters.  Aquarium of the Bay partners with The Bay Institute to protect, restore and inspire the conservation of San Francisco Bay and its watershed, from the Sierra to the sea. Their passion and their work are locally-focused, but have a broad impact that touches upon every major challenge facing our global environment. They focus on water, beginning at the heart—the very depths—of San Francisco Bay.  The facility boasts 300 feet of crystal clear acrylic tunnels holding 700,000 gallons of carefully maintained bay water that sustains approximately 20,000 animals, from octopuses to eight-foot native, sevengill sharks.  Visitors are also treated to mesmerising walls of jellies and a chance to touch bat rays, skates and “splash zone" animals. Red and White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise Departing in the heart of Historic Fisherman’s Wharf, at Pier 43 ½, sail past the San Francisco skyline and view the lively neighborhood of North Beach, the famous swimming clubs of Aquatic Park, the historic vessels at Hyde Street Pier, the San Francisco Maritime National Park, and numerous other exciting sights. As you head west towards the Golden Gate Bridge, cruise along Fort Mason and the Marina District which was devastated in the 1989 earthquake. Next, enjoy views of Crissy Field and the lush hillsides of the Presidio—both former army installations—that are now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Don’t miss incredible photo opportunities when sailing directly under the massive 4,200-foot span of the 746-foot tall San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. As you steam back into the Bay, travel past the wildlife reserves of the Marin Headlands and the legendary town of Sausalito, once home to the 1960s’ flower generation. With Angel Island State Park to your left, slowly cruise around the infamous Island of Alcatraz. On your way back to Fisherman’s Wharf, see the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and Coit Tower in the distance. After a full hour of exciting sights on Red and White Fleet’s Golden Gate Bridge boat tours, the barking sea lions at Pier 39 welcome you back to Pier 43 ½. Here, you can visit two National Historic Landmarks, the WWII submarine USS Pampanito and merchant vessel USS Jeremiah O'Brien.