Chairperson's Message

We’re back! We’ve returned from our 2006 Chairman’s Cruise. It was a fantastic 12-day trip where we visited the Baltic countries of Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden (including the island of Gotland), Russia and Estonia. The wonderful AAA Central Penn members on our cruise were great travelers and pleasant people to get to know.

The weather during our entire trip was quite nice. The majority of the days were warm, pleasant and sunny with temperatures in the mid 70s to the low 80s.

We spent our first two days overseas in Copenhagen after our overnight direct flight from Newark, N.J. That helped us to adjust to the time change. Copenhagen is a marvelous mini-metropolis full of charm and friendly Danes. We found it to be an easy city to navigate with as many people traveling by bicycle as auto.

In each of our ports of call, we were exposed to new and unique experiences. However, a very special one took place in Helsinki, Finland. There we had the opportunity to host the U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Marilyn Ware. The ambassador, who is from Lancaster County, visited with us aboard the Amsterdam. She was nominated by President Bush as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Finland on Oct. 26, 2005, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 20, 2005.

Madam Ambassador Ware was very generous with her time and shared with our AAA group the many ideas she has for promoting the United States and Finland in a mutually beneficial manner. Her visit was one of the highlights of the Baltic experience for all of our Chairman’s Cruise guests.

Helsinki is a city of a half million people, and it has a character quite different from other Scandinavian capitals. For years the city served as an outpost of the Russian Empire. During the last half century, Helsinki, with its impressive architecture, has become a showcase of independent Finland. It is often called the "white city of the North," due to the light-colored granite of many of its buildings. Helsinki is also home to Finland’s best museums, academic institutions, theaters and orchestras. It’s also becoming an important center of commerce and culture.

St. Petersburg, Russia, was another important stop on our trip. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St. Petersburg served as the capital of the Russian Empire for two centuries. One of its major attractions is the Hermitage Museum. Founded by Catherine the Great, the Hermitage houses a collection of more than 3 million pieces on exhibit. That total rivals that of the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Prado and the British Museum combined.

We were also impressed by the progress Berlin has made in building and restoration since the fall of the Communist regime.

Old Town Stockholm, with its winding narrow cobblestone streets and beautiful medieval structures, provided another great visit for us.

Tallinn, Estonia, is the flagship of Baltic reformation. At the end of the Soviet era in 1991, the hardy Estonians were very much aware of what a "western economy" should look like. Since that time, they have been putting together a prosperous economy as fast as possible. It was exciting to experience the environment the Estonians have established. They consider themselves a Nordic nation of solid, hard-working people, and they’re willing to go the extra mile, so they can enjoy the comforts many Scandinavian countries take for granted.

My wife and I want to thank all our fellow AAA Central Penn travelers for being so nice to us and making our trip so enjoyable.

Next year’s Chairman’s Cruise will be hosted by Nancy and Wilson Aungst. The cruise will be from May 17 to 30, 2007, and will visit cities in Italy, Monaco, Spain and Tunisia. Ports of call include Rome, Monte Carlo, Florence, Pisa, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, the Balearic Islands, Tunis, Carthage, Palermo and other parts of Sicily. Holland America will once again be the cruise line and the ship will be the Westerdam. It promises to be another first-class cruise experience you will remember forever.

As the holidays approach, please travel safely and enjoy the season by spending time with family and friends. All of us at AAA Central Penn want to wish all of our members a safe, merry and happy holiday season.

R. Mac Reeves, Chairperson
AAA Central Penn