Cruise Ship News:
"It was wonderful to combine the cruise and a walking vacation."
"Dock and Walk"
The Canadian Volkssport Federation's Dock and Walk Program is becoming very popular amongst volkssporters who would like to participate in walking events at ports of call where local clubs have a permanent or Year Round Events (YRE's). These walk events are usually within a reasonable walking distance from where the cruise ship has docked. Depending on the port the walk can start and finish immediately at the dock, as in the case of the Sydney program.
The Cape Breton Island Hoppers sponsor a "Dock & Walk" program for cruise passengers who just happen to be volkssporters as well.
During this past cruise season we have had several individuals and couples participate in our CVF- 59, Sydney YRE.
Passengers (walkers) wanting to to do a walk event in Sydney or any port where there is a walk event must contact the participating club before arriving in port.
The club will provide, (usually by email/attachments) walk directions for the event and registration/sign in forms.
Once the participants depart the ship (Joan Harris Pavilion/"the big fiddle area") at the port, they proceed on the walk event. First, taking in the boardwalk and then proceeding through Wentworth Park, Baille Ard Trail, downtown Sydney and the historical North end of the city. On this self-guided tour they return to the ship at their own time and pace and possibly seeing more of the city then other regular tourist from the same ship.
Recently one of the very last cruise ships to arrive in Sydney at the end of October had some passengers from the New York and New Jersey area aboard. Some of these folks arrived back home to find their neighborhoods in devastation after Hurricane Sandy.
However our New Jersey walker Kathy was spared the worst of the storm and the following is excerpts from our emails:
Hello,
We walked this YRE (Sydney) ........ We really enjoyed the walk. A lovely city and the weather was perfect!
Thank you
Kathy O'Hagan
POC Atlantic City, Cape May and Titusville, NJ
Hello Kathy,
I was very pleased to know that the weather was good when you did the Sydney YRE as we have had a spell of rain since early September.
We here in Cape Breton had been spared the major effects of hurricane "Sandy", however I noticed you are from New Jersey area! Hope everything is OK with you folks; the photos and newscast from New York and the Jersey shore area are almost unbelievable.Please take care and hope that you can visit us again. Roland
Kathy wrote>>>Thank you, Roland. We are fine here in NJ, although, we are now in throes of a N'easter with rain, snow and wind. We live outside of Atlantic City and were very fortunate. We hope to get out this week and see if our walks are still in place. Princeton Area Walkers put all of our walks on hold as many are on the coast and in NYC. I hope to get out this weekend and check out Atlantic City, Cape May and some others.
I ....look forward to a future visit. It was our first time up there and enjoyed the walks. A very nice city. I was pleasantly surprised with the Maritimes! Thanks for your help in starting at the pier. It was wonderful to combine the cruise and a walking vacation.
Happy Trails!
Kathy....and from our friend Lee Lazaro who sent the following information
Sandy on the New Jersey coast...before and after..
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/sandy-before-and-after-photos/957846
wait a minute after opening for the photos to load.
" The Big Fiddle" at the Joan Harris Pavilion port of call for cruise ships arriving in Sydney harbour and the Start Point for the Sydney YRE Dock and Walk Program.
REMINDER:
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Note change to our AGM
SATURDAY 10 November, 2-4 PM
Click the site below to see More Details @
http://www.capebretonislandhoppers.com/event.cfm?eid=792
Walk for Fun,Fitness & Friendship with the
Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club
