In crossing another travel adventure off their bucket list, two retirees take a fascinating river cruise and find the heart and soul of the American South.
Born travelers Al and Sunny Lockwood seized their dreams of exploring America’s natural wonders. From hiking Sierra Nevada mountain trails to photographing wildflowers in Death Valley, they’ve documented their fascinating journeys to critical acclaim.
A serious car wreck changed their lives. They stopped postponing their dreams of ocean cruises.
Now, these veteran travelers embrace a new travel adventure: a river cruise up the magnificent Mississippi.
Join Al and Sunny on the decks of an antebellum paddle-wheel riverboat as they experience the culinary delights, rich architecture, breathtaking vistas, and famous hospitality of southern culture.
You’ll visit lavish plantation mansions, honor the fallen at Civil War memorials, and be swept away by the magical beat of authentic New Orleans jazz. Before the journey ends, you’ll witness how the couple’s first impressions are challenged, changing their hearts forever.
In Cruising the Mississippi, you’ll discover:
-Fascinating histories of riverside cities
-Little-known facts about famous landmarks
-Personal reflections and insights from their daily experiences
-Tested travel tips and advice for embarking on your own river cruise adventure
-The lifelong benefits of immersing yourself in different customs and cultural experiences
-A detailed tour of the historic paddle-wheel riverboat, and much, much more!
If you like cultural exploration, American history, practical travel insights, colorful characters, and authentic personal stories, you’ll love Al and Sunny Lockwood’s illuminating exploration of America’s mightiest waterway.
Buy Cruising the Mississippi today and embark on a breathtaking adventure for the young at heart!
Al and Sunny Lockwood have traveled by foot, car, rail, air and cruise ship. They’ve camped in national parks, hiked mountain trails, photographed springtime flowers in Death Valley and wintry surf along the rugged beaches of Northern California.
They’ve watched July 4th fireworks over Lake Tahoe, explored the Taos Pueblo and ridden the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through forests ablaze with autumn colors.
They’ve ridden the amazing Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the Flam Railway in Norway and Ushuaia’s train at the end of the world.
They’ve photographed the Barbary apes of Gibraltar and Gentoo Penguins frolicking in the surf on Falkland Island beaches.
From North Carolina’s Outer Banks to New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Al and Sunny love to wander and wonder and enjoy.
Everywhere they go, they capture unforgettable moments with their cameras and notebooks, moments to share with their readers. Their work has been published in magazines and newspapers. It has been recognized with awards from the National Federation of Press Women, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards and Seven Sisters Book Awards.
“We write to encourage others to travel, to take a break from their ordinary routine and discover the many rewards of traveling with your eyes wide open,” Sunny said. “Go somewhere new, even if it’s only in the next county. And have fun exploring the sites, the sounds and flavors of the place. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you’ll have.”
Al added, “We also write to share the wonder of our own travels. To help you feel what it’s like to be on a cruise ship, or wandering the back alleys of Venice, Italy. We hope our books give readers a real sense of our travel adventures.”
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A shared passion for exploration. The Mediterranean trip of their dreams.
There’s no better time for adventure than right now.
Enthusiastic explorers Al and Sunny Lockwood treasure the challenge and excitement of travel. From train rides through the Smokies to campouts in Yellowstone, they’ve documented their travel adventures to critical acclaim. With retirement, they expand their horizons and ship off for a new adventure in the heart of the Mediterranean.
Come along with Al and Sunny as they experience the dazzling beauty of the Greek Isles, the mouthwatering delights of Italian cuisine, the unique calls to prayer chanted from Istanbul’s minarets.
You’ll hold your breath riding the sky-high Acropolis lift, marvel at the lacework canals of Venice, and lose yourself in the rich wares and aromas of the Grand Bazaar.
Their daily excursions will expand your mind and deepen your understanding as you find yourself immersed in the Mediterranean’s vibrant array of cultures and history.
In Cruising the Mediterranean you’ll discover:
– Personal reflections, insights and humor
– Intriguing facts about Mediterranean history, landmarks and cultures
– Tips for pacing your daily outings to conserve energy and maintain interest
– Ways to adopt an adventuresome spirit so that obstacles or disappointments
don’t ruin your pleasure
– The emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual benefits of travel and much,
much more!
Cruising the Mediterranean is a breathtaking travelogue for explorers who refuse to let
aging limit their adventures.
If you like warm personal stories, cultural journeys, and actionable tips for planning your own cruise adventure, then you’ll love Al and Sunny Lockwood’s inspirational memoir capturing the heart of the Mediterranean.
Buy Cruising the Mediterranean today and join them on a timeless, unforgettable journey!
Al and Sunny Lockwood met after he’d retired from engineering and she’d retired from daily newspaper reporting. They spent much of their time exploring California, Al with his camera and Sunny with her notebook and pen. But a serious car wreck changed their lives.
In 2012, while they waited at a red light, a driver paying more attention to her phone than her driving, slammed into them at 60 miles per hour. The collision totaled both cars and filled the Lockwood’s summer with doctor appointments, pharmacy visits, and endless wrangling with insurance companies.
The wreck also woke them up to the reality that life is fragile and there’s no guarantee you’ll have it for long. “We decided to stop putting off our travel dreams for some day in the future,” Sunny says. “We’ve made ‘someday’ today.”
Their first dream cruise was through the Panama Canal.
Next, Al and Sunny visited Amsterdam and cruised the Mediterranean, stopping at Venice, Athens, Istanbul, Ephesus, and various Greek islands.
Together Al and Sunny have visited more than 30 countries.
“We write to encourage people to make their travel dreams come true,” Sunny says. “We want our readers to know that travel enhances health and enriches life. So step out of your everyday routine and take a chance on adventure and fun.”
17th-century seagoing adventure. Romance and revenge.
After mortally wounding a nobleman’s son, a young French swordmaster is drugged and taken from Bordeaux aboard an English slave ship. As he gathers allies to return home he is joined by the fiery daughter of a Moroccan sheik whose sword skills rival his. Travel with them to Spain, and Morocco, through fire, pirates, and assassins to the conclusion of this award-winning epic adventure.
Rapier sharp pulse pounding action across the warp and weave of the seventeenth century. Sailing ships, pirates, and past lives contend in this first book of an award-winning trilogy.
Read The Sun God’s Heir: Return (Book One) and set sail into a time where love and life were precious and easily taken away. Where the distance to one’s enemies was measured by the length of a rapier’s blade.
Alexandre Dumas meets Horatio Hornblower and The Mummy in this sweeping, swashbuckling tale. ̶ Kirkus Reviews
The Sun God’s Heir: Return, is an epic story, taking you into a time where actions and words ripple from the past into the present and then invade the future. A truly remarkable story. ̶ Readers Favorite
In this epic fantasy, THE SUN GOD’S HEIR by Elliott Baker, readers are offered a unique and compelling story line. Baker’s vivid descriptions and well-drawn characters seem to shimmer with life. ̶ Judge, 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
