ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – Like a gigantic history book with pages reaching to the sky, the Astoria Column celebrates the Oregon city’s storied past. “The column was built in 1926 and is 125 feet tall,” said Sheri Mitchell, Astoria Column director. “You can go inside and climb the steps to the top for a fantastic view. There are 164 steps going up.” And 164 steps coming back down. Take note of that before starting a climb …
ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – The book on my cabin desk got me curious. Then I saw the display in a ship corridor with a fur-fringed jacket and some photos and thought I had better look into this man Chuck West, known as “Mr. Alaska.” “He is a legend in Alaska tourism,” said Ryan Downs, heritage leader on the S.S. Legacy. “He fell in love with Alaska as a bush pilot in the 1940s and wanted to …
ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – When Kevin Martin was a boy growing up in Missouri, his childhood ambition was to become a marine biologist or an archaeologist or maybe a doctor. In a way, he has become all three. “As a ship captain, I get to do a bit of all of those things,” Martin said. Although he spent his childhood in St. Joseph, Missouri, Martin developed a yearn for distant waterways. “In college, I went …
ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – Two aluminum water bottles are lined up on the desk in my cabin. Cloth napkins on the dining table take the place of paper. No Styrofoam or plastic cups are used on this vessel. Daily menus are printed on small pieces of paper, as are daily itineraries so that paper use is minimized. Recycling efforts are everywhere. “We take our commitment to conserve and protect the environment very seriously,” said Patrick Rice, …
ABOARD THE S.S. LEGACY – As a solo traveler for many years, I’m accustomed to finding my way to most anywhere I need to go. So it was a wonderful surprise to receive detailed confirmation information weeks before my cruise on the S.S. Legacy. Seems they are going to take care of all the details from my arrival to my departure – and everything in between. Stepping off the plane in Portland, Oregon, I’m greeted by a …
On my mental map, no locator pins dot Oregon. In all my years of traveling, I have never been to that Northwest Pacific state. However, that is about to change. In a few days, I will be headed to Portland, Oregon, to embark on a fabulous weeklong cruise aboard the 88-guest S.S. Legacy. Built in 1984, the S.S. Legacy joined the Un-Cruise fleet of vessels in 2013. Appointed with period décor, the S.S. Legacy emulates the old-world …
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