Daily Cruises
June and September one scheduled cruise per day about three hours. There will be opportunity for custom cruises, two to three hours.
July and August two cruises per day, two and three hours. Weather permitting we will likely also have a 1.5 to 2 hour sunset cruise.
Boomer Cruises
Close Encounter is happy to cater to the Boomer generation with our special two hour 'Around Shaw' mini-cruises. These two hour cruises are affordable and don't take up the entire day. They feature a 1950's atmosphere and music theme. You'll be encouraged to sing along karaoke style with your favorite 50's Rock and Roll and Doo-Wop tunes.
We'll cruise past the majestic Rosario Resort, pass Orcas Landing, and venture into scenic West Sound and Deer Harbor, then fly full speed through Hole in the Wall. These fun filled mini-cruises will be the highlight of your boggity boggity sh-boom island visit.
For those born between 1946 and 1964, the Boomer generation knows what made growing up in the 50's and 60's special. For those who didn't, take a few minutes to read and absorb some of what, at least to me, made those days so special.
The Boomers - 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964
My grandfather was born in Seattle in 1889 before Washington became a state. His 99 year life spanned everything from the horse and buggy era to man landing on the moon. In one lifetime, a mind boggling amount of change.
There are chapters yet to be written in the Boomer saga. Nearing retirement, many boomers are looking back and enjoying what was an era of tremendous optimism, change and fun.
For me the 50's represent tremendous confidence in the possibilities of post war America and romance of millions of servicemen returning to their loved ones, wives and girlfriends. Romance was in the air. It was palatable. The US had won a world war on two fronts in a mere four and a half years. There was a lot of personal sacrifice to accomplish this end, but for the average American, we were the good guys (and gals) in the white hats. From new technology to new trends in music, art, film and fashion, the baby boom was no accident.
A great deal of new technology came to fruition during the 'big one'. Much of that new technology was at wars end made available to everyday consumers. New technology produced synthetic textiles and television to commercial jet aviation. From the automatic transmission in your car to dishwashers and cloths dryers, all these modern products had origins in postwar America.
Popular music also went through tremendous transformation in the late 40's through the 1950's. The big band and swing era that had dominated the 40's, gave way to rock and roll, a spin off of rhythm and blues. The electric guitar was developed and artist Les Paul made significant contributions to its development and to the recording industry. It seemed like every month or two during the 50's and 60's, a completely new sound would be heard on the radio.
From a design standpoint, the 50's saw that last of the art deco movement that started in the 1930's. Curves and flowing lines and later fins borrowed from aviation and space craft dominated the automotive industry. From malt shops to jukeboxes, from locomotives to aircraft, art deco curves and streamline designs were common. From rationing of everything and austerity of the war years to an abundance of everything in post war years was commonplace. From Paris in 1947, Christian Dior's 'New Look' entered mainstream America. It was quickly copied and made part of women's mainstream fashion for more than a decade.
On the social scene, changes such as the GI Bill of Rights helped create a new and rapidly growing subgroup, the middle class. Never before had so many families enjoyed so much prosperity. Suburbs sprang up. The concept of the mall was developed. A vast superhighway system was under construction. All geared around the growing middle class.
In 1960, the birth control pill was introduced that changed forever the terms of relationships and woman's reproductive rights. We were inspired by John Kennedy, watched with amazement the development of the space program and clearly remember the first live television images broadcast from the moon.
Vietnam, the hot topic of boomers in the 60's changed the lives of millions. We don't hear or see much about the Vietnam era these days, but for thousands of boomers, they can never forget.
From the 1970's onward, the boomers matured and like other generations, home, jobs, business and family became the primary focus.
I've heard it said that it's natural to love the things of our youth. There was and is still a lot to love about the 1950's. Many of us, myself included, didn't want to see that chapter come to a close.
I've put together a small enterprise, a 50's theme cruise, a look in the mirror at a snapshot of our youth. An island cruise in a classic 50's boat, a fun and nostalgic look at the inspiring era we grew up in. The goal is to have some fun and help you celebrate your growing up in the 1950's, an era of tremendous change. I will also suggest to you where we are today and what perhaps we all need to do to insure a healthy marine environment for our children and grandchildren.
Boomers, this cruise is for you!
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