Mémorial de Caen - Following the American Footsteps - D-Day Tour

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.

City Sightseeing offers 13 stops to cover it all, from the most prominent museums to the local Aquarium! Right after the Skolten Cruise Pier, our route will take you to Bus Stop 2, the Bryggen & Hensa Museum, to get a grasp of the local cultural heritage. Or hop-off at Bus Stop 9, to visit the Bergen Museum. Bus Stop 7 takes you to The National Stage, one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway.  Follow the steps of Amalie Skram, a Norwegian author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing, and visit the Norwegian fortress Fredriskberg at Bus Stop 6. Enjoy the view from our open-top red busses and just hop-off whenever you spot something you would like to explore further. Whenever you are ready, just wait for the next bus and hop back on. No need to deal with complicated (and expensive) public transport system. Book your 24h ticket with City Sightseeing today and make sure you get to see it all!  

There are 6 color coded course that get progressively more challenging as you go:
Green = Minimum Elevation/Minimum Skill
Blue = Medium Elevation/ Medium Skill
Silver = Advanced Elevation/Medium Skill
Red = Advanced Elevation/Advanced Skill
Tickets and Height Requirement Notes Kids 7-11 Children on these courses are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 4’7″ (140cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground Junior 9  Height Requirement: Adventurers on the Junior Course are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 5’9″ (175cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground. Adult 12  Height Requirement: Adult Course adventure seekers are required to be able to reach the tips of their fingers to a height of 5’11” (180cm) while keeping their feet flat on the ground (An adult 18 must accompany any minors 12-14 on the Adult courses) What To Wear Long hair MUST be tied back so as not to get caught on any equipment.  Sturdy closed-toed sport sandals/shoes/boots are required and should be worn securely.  NO jewelry. Necklaces/bracelets can get caught in equipment.  Avoid loose clothing. Fitted apparel, worn tight to the body is best to climb. Note: Guests not wearing the appropriate clothing may be refused access to activities to ensure that safety guidelines are met.   DON’T FORGET WAIVERS: Please fill out your waiver so you can experience the thrill of our tree top adventure. All Climbers must have signed waiver. UNDER 18: Waiver must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.  SAFETY EQUIPMENT- Climbers must have a 44 inch waist or smaller to be able to use our required safety equipment. WEIGHT LIMIT There is no weight limit to participate on our courses.

The trained guides will help you to spot the incredible variety of sea mammals inhabiting the waters around Tenerife. Common bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales are just two of the 28 species that make these waters their natural habitat. Make sure you have your camera ready to capture the beautiful mammals as they play in the waters around your boat. Then after spending time in the company of these amazing animals we'll continue sailing along the south coast and depending on the excursion, we'll head for the breathtaking cliffs at Los Gigantes."  Relax on the spacious sun decks or opt for a swim and a snorkel in the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The return trip will give you the chance to enjoy a different view of this spectacular coast with its sophisticated resorts, volcanic beaches and secluded coves, as we sail back down to Puerto Colon, where the voyage will come to an end. An unforgettable day out for all the family. What´s included: - Meal - Transport from some locations - Assistance or guided tour Meal: The morning cruises includes a sandwich and a fruit. The afternoon cruises includes paella and a fruit. Beer, wine and soft drinks also included. Languages: Spanish, English, German and French.

Take to the streets of New York with a local expert guide to explore neighborhoods once home to notorious criminals, learn how the city was ruled in waves by various immigrant crime rings and finding out what modern crime looks like in the city. On the Lower East Side, you’ll see tenement buildings where Irish immigrants lived in subhuman conditions. The most notorious area here was the ‘Five Points’ - a junction so infamous for its gang crime (rumor has it some even lived in burrows under the streets!) that Charles Dickens came to check it out himself on a trip to NYC, not believing it could live up to its reputation. It did, of course, as your guide will tell you. Irish gangs weren’t the only group to terrorise the Lower East Side however. Throughout the 1900s the Italian mafia kept Little Italy in a choke hold, while the 1970s and 1980s were dominated by Chinese turf wars that were so bloody you’ll hardly believe the stories. From the city’s earliest rag-tag gangs to the mafia empires of the 20th century, you’ll separate the truth from from  myths popularized by movies like Gangs of New York and TV shows like The Sopranos. You’ll also learn about the city’s most notorious criminals; from Captain Kidd and Boss Tweed, to John Gotti and Leona Helmsley. The neighborhoods you visit are much nicer today than they were in the past but has NYC really cleaned up its act? As part of your tour, you’ll visit lower Manhattan, in particular Wall Street and the Financial District, to learn about modern, white collar crime (and the going rate for a get-out-of-jail-free card). New York City crime tours don’t get any better than when they are developed with the help of NYPD police officers and detectives. Lifetimes of studying NYC’s criminals are synthesized into a truly unique experience that will teach you how crime is inseparable from the history of this great city.  Inclusions: Guided tour of the Lower East Side & Wall Street Expert tour guide Small groups of 15 people or fewer Exclusions: Gratuities Hotel pick-up/drop-off Sites Visited: Wall Street Lower East Side The old “Five Points” neighborhood Chinatown Little Italy Important Notes: Gratuities to guides are appreciated but never obligatory.  This tour may not be suitable for young children, as subject matter may be graphic and disturbing. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Please note, this tour is in English only.  

Our tours offer you the company of a knowledgeable English-speaking monitor, a comfortable and easy to ride bike, useful tips and advices about what to do and see while in Madrid and a fun and informative outdoor experience. You’ll finish our tour with the feeling that you’ve seen the sights and gotten to know a bit about Madrid, while having a fun, entertaining and social experience in the process. Get to know the “must see” places and also spots away from the typical paths in a short time and a relaxed way. We ride to the most important sights of Madrid: Templo de Debod, Royal Theatre, Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, Plaza de la Paja, Town Square, Plaza Mayor (Main Square), Puerta del Sol, St. Ann´s Square, Paseo del Prado, Prado Museum, Retiro Park, Alcala Gate and Cibeles Square. Our monitors will introduce you to the heart of Madrid and we will ride mainly on cycling paths, pedestrian zones and parks. Of course we will make stops to take some photos and to have a drink. You’ll finish our tour with the feeling that you’ve seen the sights and gotten to know a bit about Madrid, while having a fun, entertaining and social experience in the process. JUST DO IT! You will never forget this great experience.