Cruise Panama: From the Big Blue Sea

The workings of the Panama Canal are a sight to behold whether or not you're a history buff or mechanically inclined. The Panama Canal was completed in 1914, at the cost of 30,000 people's lives and funding from two nations.

Today, most of the original innovations and machinery is still utilized. However, there's no better way to tour the canal than in a firsthand experience through its passage.

Touring the Panama Canal by cruise ship makes for an amazing vacation and a historical adventure. It takes about eight hours to make the passage through three locks, which raise the ship solely through gravity through the manmade canal over Central America. Head for the deck to watch your ship line up in the morning to pass through the canal. A canal historian aboard the ship will serve as your guide and provide a running commentary of interesting details and fascinating facts about the Panama Canal's construction and operational history.

The best part of about cruising the Panama Canal is that you not only take in Panama's ports like Colon, Cristobal, Isla San Telmo, or Isla de Coiba and the Canal's amazing views but that these tours usually include several stops at glorious in-route ports of call, which may include Mexico's Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, or Acapulco, the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica's Limon, Caldera, or Guanacaste, and even Jamaica's Montego Bay.

Read the full Panama cruise article by Adam Lenk.

Escape to the Old City: St. Augustine, Florida

As the temperature climbs, the mind drifts to thoughts of relaxing days spent by the ocean – white sand between your toes, a soothing lullaby created by the gentle surf, and the tranquil azure-blue water that seems to stretch infinitely before you. The appeal of the ocean is universal and beach vacations have been a favorite of travelers for generations. As pristine beaches become harder to find, St. Augustine remains absolutely beloved by travelers for one very simple reason - here you feel a sense of renewal and peace that can’t be found anywhere else.

St. Augustine was discovered in 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon, sailing along the Atlantic coast in search of the fabled fountain of youth, came ashore somewhere in the vicinity and claimed the continent for Spain. Nicknamed “The Old City,” it is the oldest continually inhabited settlement in America – that’s right, it was settled before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock – and remains one of the most charming and quaint beach towns in America. In addition to its historical ties to the Spanish Empire, the town also boasts many remnants from the Flagler Era, when Henry Flagler’s vision of a luxury resort community added marinas, golf courses, and luxury hotels to the landscape in the late 19th century.

Each day, the area’s delightful historic district, with its cobblestone streets and its quaint cafes, bars, unique shops, and bed-and-breakfast inns, comes alive with locals and tourists setting out on foot to explore the multiple landmarks located in St. Augustine. Five you won’t want to miss are:

The Castillo De San Marcos, a national monument with an elaborate double draw-bridge entrance, has been both a mighty fort and a fearsome prison. An outstanding reminder of the power and might of the early Spanish empire in the New World, it is commonly referred to as “The Fort.” The Castillo de San Marcos is entirely made of coquina, a virtually indestructible limestone comprised of seashells and coral, and took more than 23 years to complete. Since its completion in 1695, the monument has remained impenetrable to both enemy fire and violent pounding by hurricanes.

Read the full St. Augustine, Florida article by Nicole Brownfield.