Rocktopia

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.

Enjoy a refreshing beverage at a temperate of minus 10 degrees Celsius at Amsterdam's Icebar, the city’s coolest drinks venue! Once you’ve exchanged your voucher for a designated time slot, marvel at a building constructed almost entirely from ice. Everything from the walls and furniture to the very glass you sip your beverage out of is made of natural ice. After a welcome, freshly made cocktail in the lounge, snuggle into the provided winter wear and savor the ambient light and ice sculptures of the Icebar. Keep yourself warm from the icy temperatures as you sip on 2 free house drinks. The “cool” factor goes even further than the general climate; mood lighting and toe-tapping party tunes complete the scene

Le Trésor de Noa (El Tesoro de Noa): el nuevo espectáculo adecuado tanto para niños como adultos La Ciudad Marina le está esperando para que descubra su memorable manada de delfines. Contemple los espectáculos diarios y comparta un momento tierno y cómplice con los delfines. Le Trésor de Noa (El Tesoro de Noa) es un cuento para aprender las características de los delfines de una forma divertida (su anatomía, su comportamiento, cómo cazan, su vida en grupo...). Giros, saltos y efectos especiales se suman para ilustrar mejor la historia de Noa, la joven exploradora. Observe sus sesiones de juego en ciertos momentos del día. Luego aprofundice su visita pasando por una galería subacuática de 100 metros de largo, que ofrece unas vistas impresionantes de los delfines. Siga con la aventura pasando a través del puente de la jungla, situado a una altura de 6 metros y que mide 250 m de largo, mientras va en busca de una tribu de macacos que conviven con cerdos vietnamitas… Finalmente, descubre el nuevo Le Chemin de Brousse (El Camino del Arbusto): Esta ruta africana conocida como "Planeta Salvaje" le permite observar animales típicos e icónicos (suricatas, cálaos, grullas, ibis, dik-dik ...) en grandes áreas mientras cruza el puente de madera. El recorrido continúa con una visita a la Villa Africana, disfrute de sus cuentacuentos y de la percusión en cabañas (sólo en verano) y también encontrará jardines, animales domésticos y salas con reptiles. Luego saldrá del continente para visitar la hermosa isla de Madagascar, donde podrá observar a lémures moviéndose libremente entre los visitantes. Finalmente, la ruta le ofrece una experiencia única, ya que el camino le lleva a un mirador donde podrá observar rinocerontes, jirafas y antílopes.

Celebrate the New Year with Hornblower Cruises New York aboard the New Year's Day Brunch Cruise with tickets at great prices from ShowTickets.com

Celebrate the final turning of the calendar in true New York glamour aboard the Hornblower Premier New Year's Eve Cruise with tickets from ShowTickets.com.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. Today the Buckingham Palace State Rooms are used extensively by Her Majesty The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors. What there is to see? The Buckingham Palace State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture. Prince & Patron: To mark the 70th birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this year, visitors to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will enjoy a special display featuring a number of works of art personally selected by His Royal Highness The Garden Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake. Multimedia Guide An Multimedia guide is included in the ticket price and is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, Russian and Mandarin. There is also a family Multimedia guide (in English only) and accompanying activity trail, suitable for children 7-11 years. Changing of the Guard The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at 11:30 daily from April until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. The new guards arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30 from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the soldiers are accompanied by a band. The ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete. [The Army have not yet released the schedule for July, August or September.] Wheelchair Access If you require wheelchair access or the use of the lift, you should not book with 365 Tickets.com and should pre-book tickets directly with Buckingham Palace. Access booking line: 0303 123 7324 www.royalcollection.org.uk or email [email protected] The Royal Mews What there is to see? One of the finest working stables in existence, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace provides a unique insight into the department of the Royal Household that provides transport by road for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family.  The Carriage Horses During your visit to the Mews, you will see some of The Queen’s horses that draw the coaches and carriages in the Mews. The Cleveland Bays are used to escort newly appointed High Commissioners and Ambassadors to their audience with The Queen, when they present their formal credentials from their country’s Head of State. You may also see the famous Windsor Greys, so called because they were kept at Windsor during the reign of Queen Victoria and drew the private carriages of the royal family. They are at least 16.1 hands (1.65 metres) high and are chosen for their steady temperament and stamina. Coaches & Livery The Royal Mews houses the royal collection of historic carriages and coaches, which you may see in use during your visit. Among the vehicles on display are the Irish State Coach, in which The Queen travels to the State Opening of Parliament, and the Australian State Coach, which combines traditional craftsmanship with 20th-century technology to provide heating and remote-controlled windows. The most dazzling vehicle of all is the Gold State Coach, which was built for George III in 1762.  Weighing almost four tonnes and requiring eight horses to pull it, it has carried every monarch to their coronation since 1821. Visitors to the Royal Mews can also see some of the fine livery worn by The Queen’s coachmen. Apart from a few small details, it remains much the same as it was in Victorian times.  Remarkably, some of the tailors used for production of liveries today are the same companies employed during the reign of George III in the 18th century. Multimedia guide is included in the admission price and is available in the following languages:English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian