American Cruise Lines Mississippi Riverboat Cruises

American Cruise Lines announced back in August 2015 the successful launching of its newest paddlewheeler "America" three weeks ahead of schedule. "America" is being built for the Mississippi River at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland. The launching, which took place this morning, was picture perfect. Immediately after being launched seamlessly, tugboats skillfully nudged the new riverboat into Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s East Outfitting Basin where the upper decks and outfitting will be completed.

The launching comes just a few weeks after the joining of the two hull sections. With the installation of the upper decks, the new riverboat will come together quickly, and upon completion will be the third new riverboat built for the Mississippi River by American Cruise Lines. Construction of the new "Queen of the Mississippi" is also underway and is slated for delivery in 2017.

The newest paddlewheeler "America", will have a capacity of 185 passengers and will introduce features never before seen on a riverboat. American built, American flagged and American crewed, this new vessel symbolizes the true all-American experience provided by American Cruise Lines. It is scheduled to begin navigating the Mississippi River and its tributaries next spring.

About American Cruise Lines: American Cruise Lines is the largest U.S. cruise company and operates the newest fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships on more than 35 itineraries around the country including the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, New England, the Southeast and the entire Mississippi River system. The line is known for working closely with guests and travel agents before, during, and after a cruise to create a highly personalized experience. Long established and deeply experienced in cruise travel, American Cruise Lines has been honored with multiple awards, including Porthole Reader’s Choice Awards in 2014, World Travel Awards “World’s Leading River Cruise Company” in 2014, “Gold Award Winner” for Travel Weekly’s 2014 Magellan Awards and a 2014 finalist for Condé Nast Traveler's Reader’s Choice Awards. To learn more about American Cruise Lines visit their website online or call 800-814-6880.

Smithsonian Channel: Aerial America Southeast Collection DVD

Several weeks ago I had the chance to review a Smithsonian Channel travel DVD and today I am back with another one. We love to travel and traveling through the Southeast is one of our favorite travel destinations. It is a really beautiful are of the country.

Title: Aerial America: Southeast Collection
By: Smithsonian Channel
Release Date: August 19th, 2014

Take off for a first-class, window-seat view of the South's most-beautiful sceneries in this brand new DVD release from Inception Media Group.

Aerial America: Southeast Collection takes you soaring over the South's breathtaking landscapes and landmarks while exploring its compelling, complex role in American History.

In North Carolina, witness the barrier islands and learn about first in flight history. In South Carolina you can experience elegant charms and extraordinary past and in Georgia's hot cities and haunted graves. Flights over Mississippi and Alabama reveal where Civil War battles were lost and the civil rights movement was born. Florida shows off its stunning beaches, lavish lifestyles and what makes the state so magical.

My Thoughts: If you plan on visiting any of the Southeast states for the first time, this DVD is a must-have! You will learn about hot spots and spots off the beaten path that you never heard of before. Not only that, some of the areas they feature on the DVD will give you new travel destinations to check out, ones that you would of never considered visiting until you saw them on this DVD.

We are planning a big 2 week trip to North Carolina next spring so we really appreciated the North Carolina part of the DVD. The photography is just amazing from start to finish and we were amazed at all of the aerial views that we got to see.

Several times we have watched this collection and every time we watch it again we see something new or learn something new about each state that is featured. Thanks to this DVD...we are adding a trip to the great state of Alabama to our travel bucket list in 2015. We have never been there and thanks to this DVD...we will definitely be visiting!

Disclaimer: A free copy of this DVD was provided to me for this review. No monetary compensation has been received. My thoughts & opinions on this item are 100% my own and are unbiased. Your opinions & views may differ.

Visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Perfect Family Vacation

Are you looking to plan a family vacation this year to the Gulf Coast and not sure where to go? If so, I would love to tell you all about the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If you have never visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast you are in for a real treat!

They have some of the prettiest beaches on the gulf coast with pure white sand, warm sunshine, cool gulf breezes, beautiful blue water, and there are a ton of fun family-friendly activities for you and your family to enjoy.

You can enjoy some Southern hospitality while checking out the following activities:

* Play a few rounds of golf at some of the prettiest golf courses in the nation. Many golf experts rate their golf courses as "the best" on the gulf coast. If you want to spend some time golfing with the kids, there are several nice local miniature golf courses too!

* If you love fishing, they have plenty of charter boats available with expert charter boat captains to take you out in the gulf for a nice day of deep sea fishing. If deep sea fishing isn't your thing, there are several local piers that offer pier fishing too!

* If your family loves water parks, there are several in the area where you can enjoy an afternoon of fun-filled water slides and rides. We all know how much kids (and adults too) love playing at water parks!

* My family loves to visit museums and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has several nice museums that you and your family can visit for some great educational fun.

* I love seaside communities that offer a lot of shopping opportunities and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has hundreds of big stores and little mom and pop stores that you can visit, and shop to your little heart is content.

* If you love dining, there are plenty of options for that too! You can find everything from little seaside cafes, pizza shops, take-out restaurants to full scale 4 star seafood dining. I just love visiting places that have great dining options and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has some of the best food around!

I just love planning Gulf Coast Vacations for me and my family and we are all looking forward to heading back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast later this year. Have you ever been to the Gulf Coast? If so, what are some of your favorite places to visit? We would love to hear all about it so please feel free to leave us some comments below. Thanks!