At USA River Cruises, we truly love our clients. Every single individual who books with us – and often books over and over again throughout the years – brings a special energy to our interactions. Even more wonderful is hearing about the adventures each person, couple, or family has had on our many varied cruises.
Meet Larry and Kathy
Kathy and Larry are rolling stones that gather no moss. Having enjoyed many of our offerings, most recently a Columbia River tour, Larry and Kathy were thrilled to share a plethora of images and stories with us upon their return. Based in Texas, Kathy and Larry make it a point to travel a few times a years, and will next be touring Spain and Portugal.
The Columbia River tour was of special interest to Larry, who recently read a book about Lewis and Clark that “really made me want to see that area. [Lewis and Clark] were breaking ground that a lot of us now take advantage of.” With their group of ten, which included a mix of friends and family, Kathy and Larry spent time on and off the boat, exploring locales once unknown and returning to the ship to enjoy the artistic musings of Frank, the piano player in the lounge. “He was funny and really made the trip for us,” recounts Larry,” a real showman.”
For seasoned travelers like these two, river cruises offer what larger cruises and other types of travel often lack. “ River cruises put you inland. Rivers are the first highways, and they have been around a long, long time.” While stopping in ports can be exhilarating, spending time inland allows you to “see what the area is actually like.” Both also enjoyed the food on board, which included surf and turf offerings of steak and lobster, all in one order.
Larry and Kathy’s favorite parts of the Columbia River cruise included Spokane, Coeur d’aLene, Wallace, and observing the stunning vistas along the river at each point.
Traveling with USA River Cruises
Kathy and Larry have continued to choose our cruises for a variety of reasons. “They make you feel real comfortable when you travel. Everything is planned,” Kathy explained. She feels that traveling by small ship is an excellent way to “introduce us to Europe.” Both are quick to admit that Cindy, USA River Cruises’ owner, is as much a part of their excursions as the friends they travel with. “We wouldn’t do it as much if it weren’t for Cindy. She’s the reason we went on this – she helped us every step of the way.” The accommodations are always clean, they report, and “we appreciated the smiles,” from both staff and other guests.
All in all, Kathy and Larry were happy to return home to their small fishing town in Texas where Larry serves as a part-time fishing guide (“but not so much that I can’t travel”) and Kathy loves to tend the garden. “We can’t say it enough – we really enjoyed going up the Columbia.” Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Kathy and Larry! Next stop, Madrid!
