Posted by David Porter on December 21, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – Arizona
Google Map
When we moved to Arizona from Michigan in 2006, one of the things that struck me as we explored Arizona was the vast number of archaeological sites that remain as the result of the region’s arid climate.
The harsh Michigan climate destroyed ancient civilization sites in short order, but here at Wupatki, I find myself walking in a structure built by one of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples perhaps dating around 500 AD.
The Wupatki National Monument is roughly an hours drive northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. And, on the way, you should also stop at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
Here is a photograph I shot of the Sunset Crater Volcano.
This area would make a fun day trip from Phoenix. Get an early start, have breakfast in Flagstaff, and then head to both of these monuments for some easy hiking, eye-popping beauty, and a better understanding of the rich history found in Arizona.
To learn more about what to do in the Flagstaff area, visit the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau by CLICKING HERE.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on December 17, 2018 · 2 Comments
Cave Creek Museum: TB, Consumption, and the White Death
When Carol and I are in town, it is not at all unusual to find us out and about “roaming” in our own hometown.
I have been listening to the audiobook Ancient Civilizations of North America on Audible lately. While listening, it is not uncommon for me to follow along with Google searches as Dr. Edwin Barnhart is describing the various ancient civilization found in archaeology sites around our country.
As I was poking around, I found myself on the website for the Cave Creek Museum which is just a few miles up the road from our home. So, after church on Sunday, we found ourselves in Cave Creek exploring this museum.
This small-town museum has an eclectic mix of archaeology, the history of local mining, information on local ranches from a bygone era, the Historic First Church of Cave Creek, and a “Tubercular Cabin”.
I remember watching cowboy movies as a child and I recall quite a number of characters coughing up blood and dying of something called consumption.
As I learned on Sunday, consumption is actually tuberculosis (sometimes called the white death) and was responsible for a great many deaths over the centuries until a cure was found in the 1950s.
One article I read stated that there hardly existed a family that wasn’t touched by tuberculosis in the early 1920s. And, tuberculosis had been a worldwide problem with even 5,000-year-old mummies found with tubercular lesions on their bones. The painting above by Christóbal Rojas Poleo (1886) depicts a dejected husband alongside his dead wife recently succumbed to TB.
Evidently, prior to the cure, the common practice was to isolate people in sanitoriums to allow them bedrest and to prevent them from spreading the contagious disease to others. Well, it seems that Cave Creek (because of its arride climate) was a popular place for people with tuberculosis to recuperate. And, further still, the Cave Creek Museum has Arizona’s last remaining Tubercular Cabin.
Note: click the photo below for a larger, more readable version.
Well, thanks to my visit to the Cave Creek Museum, I now understand quite a bit more about that scar on my left arm from a TB shot I received when I was a child.
While there is a great more to see at this small museum, understanding why all of those cowboys died in the movies is what seemed to stick out for me the most. Although, I do plan to do a little more research about the projectile points from the Archaic Period, which is what brought me to this museum in the first place. 🙂
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Posted by David Porter on December 15, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Exotic Lands
Expand your definition of vacation
Venture to those exotic destinations you’ve yet to check off your bucket list and embark on adventures you’ve only read about.
Connect with hill tribe villagers in Chiang Mai. Swim with whale sharks along the Ningaloo Reef. Or watch Sawau tribesmen walk painlessly over searing hot coals in Fiji. Travel safely and luxuriously to the remote corners of the globe, and take full advantage of your special status as a Virtuoso guest.
To explore Exotic Cruises, Hotels, Resorts, Travel Packages, and Destinations, CLICK HERE.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on December 14, 2018 · 2 Comments
Viking River Cruises: Flash Sale
Viking River Cruises is cleaning out the last of their river cruise inventory for 2019 with a Flash Sale.
Please know that you will not see these prices on their website. This is a special flash sale and is not widely advertised across their brand.
This special flash sale is available through 12/31/18 on stateroom category E & F staterooms or until the ships are filled. The inventory is very limited and if you are interested, you must call us right away.
Here are the available cruises under this special flash sale:
Rhine Getaway
This 8-day river cruise is from Amsterdam to Basel (or reverse). The Viking River Cruise website is showing these staterooms starting at $3,339/person + $599/person air. Under this special flash sale, we can offer you the following terms:
- $2,999/person for E & F category staterooms
- FREE roundtrip air
- May and June 2019 dates available. This sale is good through 12/31/18 or until the staterooms are sold out.
- An 8-day European vacation for $6,000 with free air is unheard of. Hurry while supplies last.
Romantic Danube
This river cruise is from Nuremberg to Budapest (or reverse). The Viking River Cruise website is showing these staterooms starting at $3,299/person + $599/person air. Under this special flash sale, we can offer you the following terms:
- $2,999/person for E & F category staterooms
- FREE roundtrip air
- May and June 2019 dates available. This sale is good through 12/31/18 or until the staterooms are sold out.
- An 8-day European vacation for $6,000 with free air is unheard of. Hurry while supplies last.
Grand European Tour
This 14-day river cruise is from Amsterdam to Budapest (or reverse). The Viking River Cruise website is showing these staterooms starting at $5,899/person. Under this special flash sale, we can offer you the following terms:
- $3,999/person for E & F category staterooms
- FREE roundtrip air
- May 2019 dates available. This sale is good through 12/31/18 or until the staterooms are sold out.
- A 14-day European vacation for $8,000 with free air is unheard of. Hurry while supplies last.
How to Book
As I mentioned above, the available staterooms under this special flash sale are very limited, so time is of the essence. Also, please know that these offers are strictly for new bookings only.
To check availability and to book one of these exciting special offers, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
Posted by David Porter on November 29, 2018 · Leave a Comment
How to get the Best Rates on AmaWaterways River Cruises
If everyone takes a big swallow of truth serum, one of the things that you will learn is that the price of a river cruise is the price of a river cruise.
Travel agencies, all of those alleged offers on the Internet, will all wind up at the same price. That is of course if everyone tells the truth and there is no sneaky business going on.
Because of our relationship with AmaWaterways, we are privy to special unadvertised “private sale” offers that come out from time to time.
AND, I’m excited to share that Roaming Boomers Travel has just purchased 5% off future cruise options for our clients and readers.
That means that not only will we get AmaWaterways best available offers, plus our complimentary VIP Virtuoso perks on every sailing, but now we can offer an additional 5% off of the cruise-only price on select AmaWaterways sailings. Sweet. Right? 🙂
Exclusive 5% Off Savings on AmaWaterways 14-Night Magnificent Europe River Cruise
Here’s how it works:
As of this writing, the 14-day AmaWaterways Magnificent Europe river cruise on July 28, 2019, starts at $5,899/person + $364/person port charges which equals $6,263/person. Now, we reduce the cruise-only fare by 5% and that will drop the price to $5,604/person + $364/person port charges which equals $5,968/person.
That’s a savings of $589.90.
PLUS, our Virtuoso Voyages perks will bring you either a complimentary half-day excursion to Rothenburg (normally $72/person) or full-day excursion to Salzburg (normally $84/person).
So, in this case, and as of the date of this writing, we are saving you nearly $600 off of the cruise fare + giving you complimentary excursions that could total $168.
So, in conclusion, when you book with us, you’re not only being guided by one of the nation’s largest booking travel advisors, but you’ll get another $768 of discounts and perks to boot.
To learn more about the 14-day AmaWaterways Magnificent Europe river cruise, CLICK HERE. Then, give us a call to claim your additional 5% savings plus our perks.
For more information or to book a fun AmaWaterways river cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
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