Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - 4th of July Fireworks Cruise Premium Experience

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.

Click here for a complete list of current attractions included with the San Francisco Explorer Pass Frequently Asked Questions Is this just a discount card? Will I still need to buy tickets? No. Passes include admission to each attraction; no need to pay anything at the gate. Some attractions may offer upgrades or special exhibits for an additional fee. Do I need to choose my attractions in advance? Nope, choose as you go. The pass is good for any combination of the number of attractions you purchased. My child is under 3 years old. Can I get them a San Francisco Explorer Pass? Child Passes are recommended for children ages 3-12. Many attractions offer free admission for younger children. Please consult the attraction websites for more details. How will I get my pass? When your order is complete you will receive an email with printable and Smartphone version of your pass. There is nothing to Redeem, you can go right to first attraction you want to visit and start using your card immediately. How do I activate my pass? Easy: simply visit your first attraction! Is the pass valid all day? You bet! Feel free to visit the attractions any time of the day as long as they are open or operating. How much will I save? Compare the price of the pass to the gate prices of the attractions you want to visit to see how much you can save. Many customers save 50%. We give you the flexibility to create your own itinerary and choose the attractions you want to visit depending on your interests. Can I visit an attraction more than once? No. Your pass includes only one visit per attraction. Does a San Francisco Explorer Pass expire? Yes. You have one year from the date of purchase to begin using your pass. After one year, it will expire. Do I need to make reservations to visit the attractions? Attractions that require a reservation will display a symbol on the guidebook page.  Some attractions require a credit card to hold a reservation. In these cases, your credit card will not be charged unless you do not show up for your reservation. Can I use my San Francisco Explorer Pass to ride the cable cars? Your San Francisco Explorer Pass may be used for a 1-day Muni Visitor Passport, which includes a full day of unlimited rides on the cable cars, muni trains, and muni buses. However, be sure to pick up your passport prior to boarding. There are two locations to do this — one in Fisherman's Wharf and one in Union Square. Both are just a short walk from the cable car boarding locations. Can I use my San Francisco Explorer Pass® to visit Alcatraz Island? No. The Escape from the Rock Cruise option does not include a visit to Alcatraz Island but does circle the island and include a narrated account of the most feared institution in the American penal system. What’s the catch? There’s no catch. San Francisco Explorer Pass has a partnership with all of the participating attractions to make your visit to San Francisco as memorable as possible and to help you save time and money. Can I share my pass with a friend or sell it? No. The San Francisco Explorer Pass is non-transferrable and may not be re-sold. What happens if an attraction is closed or a tour is cancelled due to weather or other problem? While we do our best to ensure that all attractions are available, events happen that are out of our control. The great thing about a San Francisco Explorer Pass is that there are so many attractions to choose from. If an attraction is closed, or cannot be visited for some reason, we know you'll find a fun alternative in your guidebook!

Save money on Gate Price! A must see! Are you ready for an unprecedented, exciting experience? A new, going under the skin  and exciting adventure through historic Berlin awaits you from spring 2013 in the capital! 9 infamous Berliners will take you on a journey through the history of the old Berlin in 9 scarily funny shows with amazing special effects and historical scenes. Experience over 700 years darkest Berlin history, from the Middle Ages to the 19th Century. Walk with friends on the fine line between fun and scare. Meet the limping monk Father Roderick, the legendary white woman or Berlin's most notorious serial killer,  Carl Grossmann. Test your nerves on the raft that floats with you through the murky, dark waters of the Spree while trying to escape the deadly plague that has spread across the capital. This attraction is a must see for visitors and Berliners. It breathes life into the stories of the Hohenzollern, the City Palace, the Cathedral, the Silesian Station and many other places. The Berlin Dungeon opens it doors to history in the heart of the city, between Hackescher Markt and Alexanderplatz. A unique experience!  You were never so close to the real story before! You can choose between German and English shows!  

MARDI GRAS WORLD: WHERE MARDI GRAS IS MADE! There are plenty of tours in New Orleans, but only one offers a real, behind-the-scenes look at New Orleans Mardi Gras, and that’s the Mardi Gras World tour. Mardi Gras World gives you an authentic Mardi Gras experience all year round, whether you visit while sightseeing in New Orleans, enjoying a New Orleans family vacation or taking a break from your business trip. Take our day tour to see what it takes to bring Mardi Gras to life year after year. Our tour allows you to see firsthand the hard work and extensive planning that goes into this grand event. Since 1947, Blaine Kern Studios has built the breathtaking parade floats for major parades not only for Mardi Gras, but for parades all over the world. Mardi Gras parades would be nothing without the fantastical floats that line the parade route year after year. The hard work that goes into making these spectacles is what makes Mardi Gras in New Orleans the greatest show on Earth! Our knowledgeable guides take the mask off Mardi Gras with an all-access Mardi Gras tour, winding through the massive studio where these magnificent floats are built from the ground up. You’ll learn about the history of this unique and festive tradition and go beyond its reputation to get a deeper understanding of the real Mardi Gras. The whole family will love the experience of touring the space where our artisans create spectacular floats for over 40 parades each year. There are plenty of opportunities for photos in front of floats, with props, or wearing a traditional Mardi Gras costume on this New Orleans tour. This is an experience you will want to document, so don’t forget to bring your camera! A FREE shuttle is provided with ticket purchase, and has pick-ups at 20 convenient downtown locations. Just call 504-361-7821 to see where our designated pick up locations are. Call when you are at one of our many locations and we will quickly pick you and your party up.  If you do not wish to use our complimentary shuttle, the closest parking is available in Lot J across from the Mardi Gras World entrance. ($15.00/vehicle, owned by the New Orleans Convention Center, subject to change) Wandering through the magical float den is an exciting experience for kids and adults alike, so come join us for the best Mardi Gras tour around.

Central Park Sightseeing bike rental is an excellent choice to rent a bike for your next adventure. They will offer to make your Central Park adventure easier by providing na illustrative map, a nice color helmet a chain-lock for your convenience, and a helpful basket. All this equipment is included in this bike rental offer. Central Park Sightseeing presents a variety of high-quality bikes as comfort, hybrid, mountain, tandem (for two people) bikes, baby seats and baby trailers. The team members are pleased to offer recommendations of specific routes, must-see attractions, and special food place options. So, pack some light snacks, get a bottle of a water and burn your calories!     •    All necessary equipment including an illustrative map, a nice color helmet, a chain-lock and a basket for your convenience     •    Well-maintained bikes for men, women, and children who dream of enjoying Central Park

Take in the impressive views and explore the facilities and attractions before heading up the chairlift to the start zone of the Skyline Luge. The Queenstown Luge is a unique wheeled gravity ride that provides riders full control over their descent on two purpose built tracks, scenic or advanced. Enjoy five Luge rides at your own pace before riding the Gondola back down to earth. YOU SHOULD BRING: Sunglasses Hats Warm clothes during winter periods