Gray Line CitySightSeeing NY - Freestyle New York VIP 72 hour Pass + 3 options [FSNBCVIP]

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.

Soak up the Greek sunshine and explore the sites of Athens at the same time in the open top double decker buses! We'll start the adventure at Syntagma Square, one of the most famous squares in Athens. Don't worry, you can't miss the eye-popping red colour of the buses. Hop-on and we'll take you straight to café Melina, named after the Greek politician, Melina Mercouri, where you can enjoy some afternoon tea and go for a stroll through the vibrant village of Plaka. Don't forget to hop-off at Bus Stop 5 to witness the breath-taking beauty of the Temple of Zeus, that began to be fortified in the 5th century. Make sure you hop-off at Bus Stop 6 to see the National Gardens too! Take a stroll through the pretty grounds and be sure to visit the Panathenaic Stadium which hosted the 1896 Olympic Games, and it is located just round the corner at Bus Stop 8. Pass through the historic treasures, the House of Parliament and the National Library as you make your way to the National Archaeological Museum at Bus Stop 11 to take a trip down memory lane and learn all about the historic tales of this beautiful city. One destination that you cannot miss is the Kotzia Square at Bus Stop 15. This town is located right in the heart of Athens and is home to many antique stores and little cafés. It even has a waterfall feature which will make for a great photo! Buy you city Sightseeing bus today and start planning your visit to Athens. Tour Stops: Athens Line: 1. Syntagma Square 2. Melina Mercouri 3. New Acropolis Museum 4. The Acropolis & Parthenon 5. Temple of Zeus 6. National Gardens 7. Benaki Museum 8. Panathinaikon Stadium 9. National Gardens 10. National Library 11. National Archaeological Museum 12. Omonoia Square 13. Karaiskaki Square 14. Thession Station 15. Kotzia Square   Piraeus Line: 1. Cruise Terminal 2. Lion’s Gate 3. Archaeological Museum of Piraeus 4. Mikrolimano Harbour 5. Planetarium 6. Marriott & Intercontinental Hotels 7. Temple of Zeus 8. National Gardens 9. Syntagma Square 10. Melina Merkouri 11. Marriott & Intercontinental Hotels 12. Planetarium 13. The Municipal Theatre   Beach Riviera Line: 1. Interchange Athens & Beach-Riviera 2. Planetarium 3. Faliro / Flisvos 4. Ag Kosmas Beach 5. Glyfada Terminal 6. Asteria Glyfada Beach 7. Kavouri / Oceanis Beach 8. Vouliagmeni Lake Beach 9. Temple of Zeus   Passengers can hop-on and hop-off at any of the 15 tour stops along the Athens Line, 13 along the Piraeus Line and 9 along the Beach Riviera Line.   If you’d prefer, stay on the tour for a full loop: Athens Line – 90 Minutes Piraeus Line – 80 Minutes Beach Riviera Line – 110 Minutes   Additional Information: Beach Riviera Line is seasonal and only operates between 1st April – 31st October Vouchers must be printed to be exchanged for a City Sightseeing bus ticket in location. The audio commentary is available in the following languages: English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Dutch, Greek, Turkish Buses are wheelchair accessible.  

Includes: Baskets Helmet and Chain/Lock Valid for 12 Hour Rental

The Big Loop is a 2 Hour open top bus tour offering a comprehensive route with 14 stops near all the top sights of Chicago. The Classic Ticket is good for 1 calendar day. ​View the Big Bus Tours Chicago Stop Map.   See these top Chicago Landmarks: John Hancock Center & 360 Chicago Navy Pier Willis tower & Skydeck Chicago Art Institute of Chicago The Field Museum Shedd Aquarium Adler Planetarium Soldier Field Michigan Avenue Bridge Millennium Park Magnificent Mile Important Information: This voucher is good for the length of time it has been purchased for. Please note, this voucher is non-exchangeable and non-refundable. Redeem voucher at Stop 1 at Fort Dearborn, E Lower Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601 or any stop location.

Please Note: Children MUST be 1 metre tall to ride Shotover Jet Pregnant women are unable to participate in any of these activities If you have any previous neck or back injuries please provide details   YOU SHOULD BRING: Warm clothes during winter periods.

At 1,353 feet and 110 stories above the streets of downtown Chicago, The Ledge at the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) Skydeck will transform any visitor's--or local's for that matter--experience with the Windy City. In January 2009, Willis Tower owners began a major renovation of the beloved Skydeck, which originally opened in 1974, and served as a premier tourist attraction throughout the skyscraper's tenure as the Sears Tower. When ownership changed hands, the fresh blood added a fresh look--and adrenaline rush--to the 103rd floor in the form of retractable glass balconies extending about 4 feet over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River below. Still the 8th tallest building in the world, and the absolute tallest in the Western Hemisphere, Willis Tower's Skydeck draws 1.5 million people a year who are eager to ascend the 110-story, 1,454 foot (443 meter) building for awesome panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. Your journey to the top of the Willis Tower starts with a walk through an airport-style metal detector, followed by a slow elevator ride down to the waiting area where visitors queue for tickets. A sign will tell you how long you'll have to wait to get up high; this is a good time to confirm the visibility. Even days that seem sunny can have upper-level haze that limits the view. On good days, however, you can see for 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers), as far as the states of Indiana, Michigan. Iowa, and Wisconsin. While you wait, you can watch a film about Willis Tower factoids. Then you'll wait a little longer before the ear-popping, 70 second elevator ride up to the 103rd floor deck. From here, the entire city stretches below, and you can see exactly how Chicago is laid out. Willis Tower, Skydeck, and The Ledge Fast Facts The hundreds of forehead prints visitors left behind each week on Skydeck windows served as this inspiration for The Ledge. The Ledge boxes can each bear about 4-1/2 metric tons of weight, and adventurers who trust that statistic enough to prove it can often be found jumping and bounding around the entirely translucent enclosures as Chicago's heavy traffic and infrastructure bustle below. The Ledge’s glass panels weight 1,500 pounds apiece, and each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. In addition to serving 1.3 million tourists per year in its 4.5+ million square feet of space, Willis Tower is home to more than 100 companies, including prominent law, insurance, transportation, and financial services. The Ledge's glass boxes retract into the Skydeck main floor for easy maintenance, mostly cleaning off the 974 dead birds that must fly into them every month. The Moonwalk is the most popular dance performed on The Ledge, followed closely by the Running Man. Riverdance clocks in at a distant third. Bringing people who are afraid of heights to The Ledge is not recommended, unless you are mean-spirited or really don't like them. In which case, you should probably just take them here. Willis Tower was known as Sears Tower for decades, until the 30th anniversary of Diff'rent Strokes, at which point it was rightfully renamed.