$395 down payment, per person, due with reservation.
Monthly payments available. Balance due 60 days prior to trip.
Call 207-542-4438 for details.

2010 Group Trip Schedule

with sighted guides

Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

10 days aboard the Sea Princess

Round-trip from San Francisco, May 22 - June 1

You’ll hear the cracking of calving glaciers, hike in hushed rainforests, paddle a native canoe, ride a dog sled, and sip high tea while experiencing old Alaska’s Russian culture. The Sea Princess offers us (and our friends and families) deluxe staterooms, outstanding service, fine dining, cozy lounges, a swimming pool and spa/fitness facilities, poolside Movies Under the Stars? and great entertainment. In addition, our group will get a hosted cocktail party, front-row seats in the ship’s theater, and play time, a relieving area and even life jackets for our dogs. Braille menus and sighted guiding for our onshore excursions are available upon request.

ITINERARY  San Francisco - Ketchikan - Juneau - Skagway - Tracy Arm Fjord - Victoria  - San Francisco

SPECIAL RATES  Starting at:  $1,249 Double occupancy, Single add $700.

The San Francisco, Sonoma and Napa Valleys  Wine Tasting Sensory Tour is scheduled just prior to this cruise. See below for details. Save $100 when you book both.

All rates are cruise-only, per person, based on double occupancy. Subject to availability. Government fees are an additional $117.25 per person and SFO airport/pier transfers are $58 per person roundtrip. Fuel surcharge may be added.

San Francisco, Sonoma and Napa Valleys

Wine Tasting Sensory Tour  

Four nights, May 17 - 21

The best of both worlds: San Francisco and the famous wineries to the north. Trip includes four nights deluxe accommodations, full breakfast each morning, one lunch, all wine-tasting fees, cable-car ride, Alcatraz excursion and a private coach and driver on the wine-tasting days.

Experience the clang of the cable cars, the calling of the birds on Alcatraz Island, the water under our boat on San Francisco Bay. Smell the sea air, the bouquet of chardonnays, cabernets and artisanal olive oils. Squeeze the ripening grapes on the vines as they come ready for harvest. Taste dim sum in Chinatown and chocolates at Ghirardelli Square, savor fresh bakery breads that complement our wines, and so much more . . . .

On our first night we’ll stay in the famous Fisherman’s Wharf area and begin with a walking tour to learn about the great earthquake and fire of 1906, and the architecture and history of San Francisco’s early neighborhoods. We’ll board a boat to visit “the Rock”—Alcatraz, from 1934 to 1963 the home to some of America's most notorious criminals. Then we head north to Napa Valley. After checking into our spa hotel, we’ll begin our wine explorations at the Vintners Collective, a tasting room that represents eight wineries. On the following day we visit Sonoma, where we will sample boutique and nationally known wines, and have lunch over a wine pairing session. The next day we’ll concentrate on Napa Valley, starting with a tour and tasting of olive oils. By the end of our week we will have swirled, sniffed and sipped at a dozen or more vineyards,

including—

Iron Horse Ranch and Vineyards  A tour and tasting of this nationally known vineyard, sampling reds, whites and the bubbly.

Williamson Wines  We have reservations for lunch, and one of the winemakers will give us a private lesson in matching wines to food.

Ferrari-Carano Winery  This classic tasting bar offers us a choice of four wines, such as Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and a desert wine.

Round Pond Estate  A unique olive mill in the heart of the Napa Valley, where we’ll learn about cultivating, harvesting and handcrafting olive oils and red wine vinegars. This delicious experience is a must-do for dedicated foodies. We’ll immerse ourselves in a guided tasting of fresh oils and red wine vinegar blends alongside a delightful selection of gourmet bread, cheeses and fresh organic produce.

Frog’s Leap  Serious about their wine-making, but light-hearted about everything else. We will compare the bouquet and flavor of four organic wines with complimentary hors d'oeuvres on the lovely wraparound porch.

Jessup Cellars  In Yountville, the heart of the Napa Valley, where we will have the opportunity to try Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petit Sirah or, if we time it right, the Chardonnay.

Vintners Collective  A wine selection from 18 boutique vineyards, all under one roof.  We may each choose six for a personal tasting.

SPECIAL RATES  $1,295 double occupancy; singles add $400

                         (based on a minimum of six guests)

The Alaska Inside Passage Cruise is scheduled just after this trip. Save $100 when you book both.

Glamorous New York City

Three nights, October 6 - 9

Includes luxury accommodations in midtown Manhattan.  A National Park Ranager will give us a tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the first American Immigration Center. Are you one of the 100 million Americans who can trace an ancestor back to Ellis Island? We’ll also have a private tour of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (in addition to the famous WWII aircraft carrier, there’s a submarine and 30 aircraft, including two of the fastest in the world, the secret SR-51 Blackbird spy plane and the Anglo-French luxury Concorde). We will experience Egypt first hand in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Egyptian galleries. We are invited to touch a number of ancient Egyptian sculptures of pharaohs, gods and goddesses. A special hands-on tour at MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art is also on the schedule.

Additional-fee option: the Broadway show of your choice

Additional-fee option: the Broadway show of your choice

SPECIAL RATES  $1095 double occupancy; single add $500.

Program based on a minimum of 6 participants.

The Canada & New England Fall Foliage Cruise is scheduled to depart after this trip. See below for details. Save $100 when you book both.

Canada & New England Fall Foliage Cruise

Seven nights, October 9 - 16

Round-trip from New York City

Treat your friends, family and guide dog to a seven-day autumn cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess along the scenic waterways and quaint towns of Maritime Canada and New England. You may walk Boston’s Freedom Trail, kayak through spectacular Acadia National Park, relax among the historic mansions of Newport, ride the famous tides of the Bay of Fundy, visit lighthouses and savor a traditional lobster bake on the beach.

 ITINERARY New York City - Newport - Boston - Bar Harbor - Saint John - Halifax - New York City

SPECIAL RATES   Starting at:   $1,085 Double occupancy, Single add $600

The Glamourous New York City Tour is scheduled just prior to this cruise. See above for details. Save $100 when you book both.

All rates are cruise-only, per person, based on double occupancy. Subject to availability. Government fees are an additional $117.25 per person and SFO airport/pier transfers are $58 per person roundtrip. Fuel surcharge may be added.

New Zealand’s South Island

Private-coach Adventure Tour, Christchurch to Queenstown

Seven nights, November 13 or 20, 2010 or February 5 or 12, 2011

Experience the stunning beauty and variety of the South Island, where alpine glaciers co-exist with coastal rain forests. We will be with sighted New Zealand guides for the full week, traveling by private coach along the length of the island, from lovely Christchurch to awe-inspiring Mt. Cook and ending in the resort city of Queenstown, New Zealand’s Aspen.

All tour travel is included, from Christchurch airport to Queenstown airport, as well as deluxe accommodations for seven nights, full breakfast each morning and four gourmet dinners. We will see Christchurch by tram and by river punt, cruise Akaroa Harbor, visit New Zealand’s famous Antarctic Centre and the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Centre, visit a salmon farm and pan for gold at the Kawarau Goldfields (where gold was discovered in 1861, triggering the Central Otago Gold Rush). We’ll have a hosted wine-tasting at one of New Zealand’s famous vineyards, then arrive at Queenstown, a stunning resort town on an inlet of Lake Wakatipu in the Remarkables Mountains, where our unique adventure continues.

A detailed itinerary follows. Note that we have two sets of dates (above) and the first guests to book will set the dates for each group. Summer ‘down under’ in New Zealand is from November to February. The dollar is strong in New Zealand—this is a great value. We also offer these optional add-ons:

Optional add-ons:

• Swim with the dolphins—an opportunity to get close to one of the world’s rarest species, the Hector’s dolphin, found only in New Zealand.

• For the brave-hearted, bungy-jumping where it all began, off the famous Kawarau Bridge.

• The famous Shotover Jet boats—skimming past rocky outcrops at close range as you twist and turn through the narrow canyons at breath taking speeds. 

• Milford Sound Scenic Flights and Tours – take a day-long excursion, cruise across glassy Milford Sound past cascading waterfalls, breathtaking fjords, dense forests, and Mitre Peak, a soaring landmark over 5,500 feet high.

• Mount Cook Ski planes & Helicopters offer the most spectacular alpine scenic flights in the world. 

SPECIAL RATE   $3,495 per person double occupancy; singles add $800.

      Program based on a minimum of 6 participants.

      Extend your stay in Queenstown: $100 double; $175 single

Tour Notes

• Except in the high mountains, New Zealand’s climate is temperate because the sea is never far away. Temperatures are mild, rainfall is generally moderate and there is abundant sunshine. Because New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, temperatures decrease as we travel south, toward the Pole. The warmest months are December, January and February and the coldest June, July and August. Summertime temperatures generally range from 68º - 86º.

• Please bring sunscreen and a sun hat, comfortable walking shoes and a wind/rain-proof jacket. Layers of clothing are useful as even in summer the weather can change rapidly. (Our schedule may change based on weather.)

• When booking airline tickets, you may find better fares on a round trip from the US to Christchurch. A reasonable one-way ticket can be purchased to take you back up to Christchurch on Day 7 to make your connection.

Independent Trip Packages

These trips, listed below, have been carefully detailed for visually challenged people who prefer to travel on their own or with friends and family. Included in the prices are accommodations and activities as listed. We can recommend other, optional activities and restaurants. Please note that a host and sighted guides are not included.

Discover the Coast of Maine

Pick your own dates

Four nights luxury accommodations at the Lord Camden Inn in the heart of Camden, a beautiful village on Penobscot Bay. Included is a lobster boat tour and a sail aboard a windjammer.

$595 per person, double occupancy; single add $300.

Santa Fe and Taos

Pick your own dates.

Four nights luxury accommodations at the La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza, trolley tours of Santa Fe and an excursion to Taos, including a guided tour of the thousand-year-old Taos Pueblo.

$695 per person, double occupancy; single add $400.

Sedona and the Grand Canyon

Pick your own dates.

Includes four nights luxury accommodations, a Pink Jeep tour and an all-day excursion to the Grand Canyon.

$795 per person, double occupancy; single add $500.

New York City Landmarks, Museums & Broadway

Pick your own dates.

Includes deluxe accommodations, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island tour, The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum tour, hands-on tours at MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Optional add-on: the Broadway show of your choice.

• Four nights  $795 per person, double occupancy, single add $600

• Two nights  $495 per person, double occupancy, single add $300.

Sighted Guide Services

We have sighted guides available to accompany you on your future travels. Expenses and a daily rate apply.

For reservations call 207-542-4438 or email sue@mindseyetravel.com

Mind's Eye Travel
4 Bonnie Brae
Camden, Maine  04843
207-542-4438 (Eastern Standard Time)
sue@mindseyetravel.com