small ship cruises travelogue to be at blount county public library

Tom and Valerie Hendrix are retired seniors who love to travel.  Like most travelers, they sailed with the big cruise lines, but found that the large ship lifestyle just didn’t suit them.
After vowing never to sail again, they discovered small ships (100 passengers or fewer). These trips have proven to be their most enjoyable and relaxed excursions.
Tom and Valerie Hendrix will present a travelogue “Small Ship Cruises to the Mediterranean, Antarctic and the Amazon” at the Blount County Public Library on Monday, November 16, at 7:00 p.m.
Small ships can access ports and destinations not feasible to big cruise ships and they leave a much smaller ecological footprint, making them welcome in many protected areas where large ships are not allowed to go. Many people are surprised to find that small ships can be every bit as luxurious and plush as their bigger brothers, but much more casual and carefree.
Tom and Valerie have traveled on sailing ships, riverboats, ice-hardened vessels and mail/cargo boats. They have sailed through the Panama Canal, in the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Sea, the North Atlantic, and even around Cape Horn and across the Drake Passage to Antarctica. They have ventured down American, South American and European rivers.
Since they believe that the best source of information about great vacationing comes from fellow travelers, they invite any interested fellow travelers (or potential travelers!) to attend their presentation and ask questions and learn more about cruising on these lovely small ships.  They are not travel professionals and don’t endorse any cruise line or tour group.
(Some readers will remember Tom and Valerie as familiar faces during income tax season when they coordinate the local AARP Tax Preparation at the library and other locations.)
Free and open to the public, the program is at the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville.
For further information about other library programs or services, call the library at 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org.