In Vancouver, you're never out of sight of towering peaks--or of the sea. It is a prosperous city adorned with flowers lining the streets and lush greenery like Stanley Park. Museums offer fine collections of the dramatic Northwest native arts. Vancouver's Chinatown is the second-largest in the world. The waterfront Gastown district recalls the city's colorful past as a premier Pacific port since the days of the Clipper ships.
Prim and proper, neat and clean, friendly little Victoria island is like a breath of fresh air. Its British heritage is apparent in the double-decker buses, the Royal British Columbia Museum and High Tea at the Empress Hotel. Go out to the renowned Butchart Gardens, where sunken floral beds reflect international themes.
Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco's broad bay will surely be a highlight of your cruising life. Once docked along the Embarcadero, you're just a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, North Beach and other attractions that make this one of the world's favorite cities. The scenic Napa Valley wine country is nearby, too.
Hollywood discovered this little fishing village back in the 1960's, and since then luxury resorts and bougainvillea-covered villas have flourished in the delightful seaside climate. Yet hints of past tranquility remain: cobbled courtyards where the locals hold their markets, and superb sport-fishing just offshore.
Puerto Quetzal has become the destination of choice for historians interested in looking at ancient Mayan ruins. The ancient city of Tikal is nearby, and its ruins are remarkably well preserved. Once you've seen the ruins, take it easy along Guatemala's Pacific shore. The beaches here attract Guatemalans from all over the country.
Spend an unforgettable day cruising the Panama Canal, a fifty-one-mile waterway through the rainforest that is one of the world's engineering masterpieces. The ship glides down the canal with inches to spare, through locks that raise and lower it like a toy. Along the way it crosses enormous Gatun Lake, and the amazing Gaillard Cut, blasted out of a solid mountainside.
Charming Cartagena is one of the most fascinating towns in South America. The old city, almost completely surrounded by lagoons, bays and the Caribbean Sea, is still girded by its 17th-century fortifications. Once these guarded the gold and treasures of the New World, bound for Spain; now they shelter ornate churches and convents, the dramatic Palace of the Inquisition, and other historic gems.
Originally a fort built by the U.S. Army in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, Fort Lauderdale welcomes visitors with broad, palm-fringed beaches and an easy pace of life. Stroll along fashionable Las Olas Boulevard with its stylish shops or enjoy a sightseeing cruise through the city''s canals, boasting more waterways than Venice. Or, venture out and explore the cosmopolitan city of Palm Beach, or the wildlife sanctuary of the Everglades.