Mona and I came to the conclusion we were not Cruise People after a Disney Cruise several years ago. If anyone knows how to entertain larger numbers of people it is Disney, but jostling for position in a crowd of well over thousand people in the limited confines of a cruise ship simply did not appeal to either of us.
We had, however, considered the possibility of small ship (150 or so passengers) cruise and we had often talked about the possibility of cruising the Mississippi River. Mona mentioned cruising the Columbia as an alternative on several occasions, but we never put anything into motion.
After Mona’s death, I realized I needed some mental stimulation and began exploring the possibilities. The Bangkok to Singapore train is currently suspended, Via Canada Rail turned out to be more expensive than it was worth, a single passenger on most cruises costs almost the same as two putting many trips out of reach. Then I looked at American Cruise Lines and said to myself…
Hmmmm? Self, (that’s what I call myself) it seems pretty much everything is included. The price for a single is affordable if there is a single cabin available….
A SINGLE CABIN WAS AVAILABLE!
So I booked it and then asked again..
Why am I doing this?
And recognized that at least part of the reason was I wanted some alone time to think. But after 65 years of marriage I realized the best alone time is shared with those you love and trust the most, and sharing this journal with you all is the result...
Thank you for joining me on this journey along the Columbia River and into the rest of my life.
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