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There is something about sea that stands out from all other wonders of nature. The vastness of waters that stretch out without end, sound of swaying waters that softly roars and echoes off into forever; its humbling, its greatness is overwhelming and seductive.

Like all other sea voyages before me, I hear call, and I’m off to give my answer, via Holland America, known for its attention to detail and style; known for its ability to create experience (an art form all its own); known for anticipating passenger desires; and known for making you happy, and on this particular cruise that would be me.

If you don’t care for happiness and pleasure, or having your every whim anticipated, you need to sail with someone else. I have no problem with devotion. It's everything I look for in a relationship, so I made date, and brought my assistant, Nick along for adventure and fun on high seas.

We sail out of Fort Lauderdale on Vista Class Zuiderdam, named for western point of compass. Holland America has been sailing seas for 131 years, so I have high expectations that their history lends them enough experience to meet challenge of even hardest to please, that would be me.

Vista Class ships are known for offering greater space, ambiance, and intimacy. The majority of staterooms have verandahs; rooms are larger, offering not only more space, but some additional features, and 85% of all rooms have ocean views.

Other features of Vista Class include modern spas, new Cabaret-style show lounge, Internet café, coffee corner, exterior glass elevators that transverse 10 decks, and a large Lido pool beneath a retractable megadome. It's simply a more pampered cruise!

Our ship sails us to Half Moon Cay, a small island owned by Holland America, then on to St Thomas, Tortola, and Nassau.

Most people remember their experiences by how they start, and how they end. Upon boarding great Zuiderdam we notice friendly attention of crew, greetings came in accents from all around world.

Our room is generous, lots of space with all comforts. The lighted vanity mirror is over a desk; a stocked fridge adds a special touch for someone like me. I linger over a drink while I do my hair, a necessity, (and after a few drinks all looks better).

A Few Details About The Cruise.

The verandah offers chairs for two. We sit out there often surveying ‘our sea’ from ‘our ship’. We end every day and start every morning getting a blast of fresh air while viewing vista; an artist's brush could not capture changing colors of sea, surging blues and greens . . . and flying fish everywhere.

It is only beginning of our cruise, and we are quick studies in assuming our roles of self importance. Amazing how comfortable we are in our roles.

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Thursday, June 4 - Burntside Lake to Fargo, North Dakota

Well, aren't I a typical American consumer. I'm sitting at bar in a "T.G.I. Friday's" restaurant in Fargo, watching a TV trivia game while I await arrival of my chicken quesadilla. At least I didn't order one of their new "pizzadillas." Criminy...

It's 9:30 and still light outside. Today's drive was short and pleasant. After leaving Burntside Lodge, I hiked loop around Bass Lake as planned, then headed down road to small town of Tower for a good sandwich at a local grill, where I chatted with bartender and a local outdoors guide.

Heading west across breadth of northern Minnesota, I was able to see landscape gradually change from wild northern woods (wolves and bears) to rolling agricultural prairie (herefords and coyotes). For me, this evolution in scenery is one of greatest pleasures of a road trip. The green hill country is dotted with small lakes and marshes, and land is groomed by plows except where thick groves of trees form boundaries between farms. Quite suddenly, about 20 miles from border with North Dakota, hills ended, and I found myself on Great Plains. I rolled into Fargo at sunset and found a place to stay on western edge of town. Fargo has a nice feel to it, as a prosperous, mid-sized, agricultural city on prairie. Out on highway trucks are hauling cattle feed, new tractors, and construction materials, giving place an aura of reality, of a strong connection to bedrock basics of life. I think that has been source of my attraction to agricultural areas. Or maybe I just love tractors.

Well, that doesn't happen very often. This guy next to me at bar has 250 head of beef cattle in western Minnesota and is in town for a farm equipment auction. We talked about tractors, hay crops, cattle breeds, and anything else farm-related. It was fun and somewhat refreshing; terms such as "second cutting" would have drawn blank stares from my coworkers back east.