latest on the blog
There are some parts of travel that you expect to become part of the story—the beautiful destinations, the meals you remember, the places that take your breath away. And then sometimes, there are the completely unexpected parts that become some of your favorite memories. For Mom and me on our recent trip to Oregon, one of those unexpected joys was our rental car.
First Time Renting With Alamo
This was actually my first experience renting with Alamo Rent A Car, and I originally chose them for a very practical reason: the price point was amazing. When I was comparing rental car options for our time in Oregon, Alamo offered an incredibly competitive rate, and the online booking process was refreshingly simple. Travel already comes with a million little details to coordinate, so anytime something is straightforward and easy, I appreciate it. What I didn't expect was how wonderful the experience would continue to be once we arrived.
The Most Fun Surprise
When we picked up our vehicle, the woman helping us was SO kind—I was greeted with a genuine warm welcome to Portland and she sweetly asked all about our travels before any type of business. She was truly excited we were both in Portland and then she unexpectedly received gifted us an upgrade to a Jeep Wrangler 4xe!
Y'all. Mom and I had so much fun with this car. We drove it throughout our adventures around Portland and all the way up toward beautiful Mt. Hood, and somehow the Jeep just fit the adventure perfectly. We received so many comments about it everywhere we went, which made us giggle and we truly just loved the fun added bonus to our adventure.
For me, there was another layer to it also. I owned a Jeep ("proey") for about a year before it needed a lot of work that I couldn't afford and eventually needing to sell it as Mom and I worked toward purchasing a new used car that we could share. Getting behind the wheel of a Jeep again brought back so many wonderful memories that I hadn't expected. Sometimes it really is the smallest, most ordinary things that become part of the memory of a trip.
The Customer Service Made the Difference
As much as we loved the Jeep, what impressed me most about our first Alamo experience was actually the people. From the kindness we experienced when picking up the vehicle to the incredibly easy return process, everything was simple.
Toward the end of our rental, Mom and I ended up needing the car for a few additional hours. It was one of those travel situations where having that extra time made things significantly easier for us. The wonderful people at Alamo accommodated us—and we weren't even charged for those additional hours.
That kind of kindness matters.
There are plenty of companies that can rent you a car. What makes you remember a company is how you're treated when you're standing at the counter, when plans shift slightly, or when you simply need someone to make one part of traveling easier. Alamo did exactly that for us.
Would I Rent From Alamo Again?
Absolutely. This was my first Alamo rental, but after this experience, they will be one of the first companies I check when booking future trips. The price was excellent. Booking online was easy. Our upgrade was an unexpected gift. The employees we encountered were incredibly kind. Returning the vehicle couldn't have been simpler. And somewhere between Portland and Mt. Hood, that Jeep became part of the story of our Oregon adventure.
I always want to be very clear when something I share is sponsored versus something I simply discovered and loved. This is NOT sponsored. Alamo did not ask me to write this post, compensate me for it, or know that I was going to share our experience. Sometimes you simply encounter a company while traveling that exceeds your expectations—and when that happens, I think it's worth saying so.
Alamo, you turned a first-time customer into someone who will absolutely be checking your rates first on future adventures. Thank you for the kindness, the incredibly easy experience, and an unexpected Jeep upgrade that gave Mom and me more laughs and memories than you could possibly know. From one very happy first-time customer: we can't recommend our experience enough.
This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Alamo Rent A Car in any way. We paid for our rental ourselves, and I simply wanted to share an experience that genuinely impressed us.
the personal finance student interest survey I use to actually get to know my students / caravan sonnet classroom
August 17, 2026
We ask students to tell us a lot about themselves at the beginning of a new school year.
What are your hobbies? What's your favorite subject? What do you like to do outside of school? What is one interesting fact about yourself?
There is absolutely a place for those questions.
But when I am about to teach a student Personal Finance, there are some very different things I want to know.
Do they have a job? Have they ever had a bank account? How confident do they feel talking about money? Are they thinking about college — and have they thought about how they might pay for it? What careers interest them? What financial topics do they actually want to understand? What are their goals? And perhaps most importantly:
What experiences with money are they bringing with them when they walk into my classroom?
Those questions inspired me to create the Personal Finance Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey for Caravan Sonnet Classroom. This isn't a generic beginning-of-the-year student questionnaire with "Personal Finance" added to the title. It was specifically created for high school and introductory college Personal Finance and Financial Literacy students to help teachers learn information they can actually use throughout the semester.
Start Your Personal Finance Course With Purpose — Not Paperwork
There is a tremendous difference between collecting information about students and actually learning about students. I don't need another piece of paper simply because it's the first week of school. I want the things I ask students to complete to serve a purpose.
A thoughtfully designed Personal Finance student interest survey can begin answering questions that will matter when you're teaching budgeting, banking, credit, careers, college costs, saving, financial decision-making, and so many other topics later in the course.
Imagine discovering during the first week that many of your students:
- Have jobs but don't understand their paychecks
- Have debit cards but aren't sure how checking accounts work
- Are worried about paying for college
- Want to learn about investing
- Don't understand credit
- Have never created a budget
- Are already thinking seriously about financial independence
- Have very different career plans after graduation
Now you aren't teaching Personal Finance to an imaginary group of teenagers. You're teaching Personal Finance to your students. And that distinction matters.
I created this resource because I wanted something more useful than a traditional back-to-school student inventory. The Personal Finance Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey helps teachers learn about students across several areas that directly connect with a Financial Literacy curriculum.
Students are invited to reflect on:
✔ Career Interests and Future Plans
What do students imagine life looking like after high school? Understanding students' career interests creates opportunities to make future Personal Finance conversations far more relevant.
Career choices connect to income. Income connects to budgeting. Education and training connect to cost. Career location connects to cost of living. Benefits connect to compensation.
Suddenly, a student's career aspirations aren't simply an interesting fact about them. They're a starting point for real financial education.
✔ Money Experiences and Financial Confidence
Students enter Personal Finance classrooms with enormously different levels of financial experience. Some students may already be comfortable discussing money. Others may know very little. Some have learned financial concepts at home. Some have learned primarily through social media. Some may have had significant responsibilities with money already. Understanding that starting point helps us avoid assuming either too much or too little.
✔ Employment and Income
For high school students especially, employment can make Personal Finance immediately relevant. Students who are already earning money have real experiences that can connect with lessons about income, taxes, spending, saving, banking, and budgeting. Knowing who is working — and beginning to understand students' experiences with earning money — can help create much richer classroom discussions.
✔ Banking and Credit Knowledge
Do students already have experience with banking? How much do they understand about credit? These are foundational financial literacy topics, but students won't all begin at the same place.
A beginning-of-course survey gives teachers an early glimpse of what students already know, what they think they know, and where future instruction may be especially valuable.
✔ Financial Goals and Money Habits
Personal Finance becomes much more powerful when students understand that the concepts we're teaching aren't simply academic requirements. They connect to goals. Helping students begin thinking about their financial goals at the start of the course gives them something personal to connect future lessons to.
✔ College Planning and Paying for Higher Education
For many high school students, one of the largest financial decisions of their young adult lives may be approaching very quickly.
University. Community college. Trade school. Career training. Entering the workforce. Each path comes with financial decisions. Knowing students' plans — and what questions they already have about paying for education — can help teachers make college-cost and career-readiness conversations much more meaningful.
✔ Course Expectations and Personal Reflection
I also want students to have a voice in the course. What do they want to learn? What financial questions do they have? What are they hoping they'll understand by the end of Personal Finance?
Those answers can be incredibly revealing. And they can help transform the course from: "Here are the things I'm required to teach you." into: "Here are the skills we're going to develop that connect with the life you're preparing to live."
Why This Information Matters Beyond the First Day of School
This may be the most important thing about this resource: Don't collect these surveys and forget about them.
Use them.
I created this Personal Finance Student Interest Survey to give teachers information that can continue shaping instruction throughout the semester. If half your class tells you they're interested in entrepreneurship, you know that. If students are overwhelmingly worried about college costs, you know that. If almost nobody understands credit, you know that. If many students are already employed, you know that.
If students tell you they're especially interested in investing, budgeting, buying a car, moving out, or becoming financially independent, you know that before you've taught the course.
Now think about what you can do with that information. You can adjust examples. You can shape discussions. You can emphasize areas of particular interest. You can connect abstract financial concepts with goals students have actually told you they care about.
You can revisit their questions later. And you can show students that you listened. That's why I don't view a strong Personal Finance Student Interest Survey as busywork.
It can become a teaching tool.
Building Relationships in a High School Personal Finance Classroom
There is another reason I love this type of beginning-of-the-year activity. It tells students something about your classroom.
Their lives matter here.
Personal Finance can become incredibly personal very quickly. Money intersects with families, opportunities, education, work, goals, fears, expectations, and different life experiences. Students are not entering our classrooms with identical backgrounds — and we shouldn't expect them to.
A thoughtful survey provides students with an opportunity to tell us about themselves without requiring everyone to stand in front of the room and publicly discuss their financial experiences. It gives the teacher an opportunity to listen first. And I can't think of a better foundation for beginning a course that will eventually ask students to think deeply about the financial decisions they will make throughout their lives.
Not Another Elementary-Style "Get to Know You" Activity
One of my priorities with Caravan Sonnet Classroom resources is creating materials specifically for high school and college-level students. Older students know when an activity feels too young for them. And a 17-year-old preparing for college, employment, military service, career training, or independent living deserves questions that reflect the reality of that stage of life.
That's why this survey focuses on meaningful topics such as:
✔ Careers and future plans
✔ Financial confidence
✔ Employment and income
✔ Banking
✔ Credit
✔ Financial goals
✔ Money habits
✔ College planning
✔ Paying for higher education
✔ Financial independence
✔ Expectations for their Personal Finance course
These aren't filler questions. They are conversations students are going to encounter in real life.
What Is Included in the Personal Finance Student Interest Survey?
The resource includes:
* 3 Page Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey (PDF)
3 Page- Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey (Microsoft Word)
Printer-friendly format
Ready to print and use
That means this is an incredibly easy resource to add to your first day or first week of Personal Finance. Print. Distribute. Learn.
And then actually use what your students tell you.
An Easy Back-to-School Personal Finance Activity With a Bigger Purpose
Back-to-school activities don't have to be elaborate to be meaningful. Sometimes one of the most valuable things we can do during the first week is simply listen.
That's what I love about this resource. While students are completing an approachable beginning-of-course activity, teachers are gathering information that can help inform an entire semester. It's low-prep for the teacher. It's meaningful for students. It's age-appropriate for high school and college classrooms. And it gives you information you can actually use.
Perfect for More Than a Traditional Personal Finance Class
Although I specifically created this survey for high school and introductory college Personal Finance students, it can work beautifully in other courses where financial literacy, careers, college planning, and life preparation are important.
Consider using it in:
* Personal Finance
* Financial Literacy
* Economics
* Business Education
* Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS)
* Career Readiness
* Career & Technical Education (CTE)
* Life Skills
* Senior Seminar
* College Counseling
* Dual Enrollment
* Introductory College Personal Finance
* Homeschool Personal Finance
* Social Work or other college courses where financial life skills are relevant
It can also become part of a larger Back-to-School Personal Finance mini unit or the opening activities of a semester-long Financial Literacy curriculum.
Pair the Survey With a Personal Finance Financial Snapshot
There is an important distinction between learning about your students and asking students to learn about themselves. That's why this Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey pairs so well with my Personal Finance Financial Snapshot Activity.
Think of the two resources this way:
The Student Interest Survey → helps the TEACHER understand the student.
The Financial Snapshot → helps the STUDENT understand their financial starting point.
Used together, they can create an incredibly meaningful beginning-of-course experience. You're learning who is in your classroom. Students are beginning to examine their own financial habits and experiences. And you're establishing from the beginning that Personal Finance is going to be about much more than memorizing vocabulary. It's going to be about real life.
Use It Again at the End of Your Personal Finance Course
Here's another idea I love: Don't let the first week be the last time students see their answers. Save the surveys. Near the end of the semester, invite students to revisit some of their original responses. What did they say they wanted to learn? What did they believe about money at the beginning? How confident did they feel? What financial goals did they identify? What questions did they have?
Then ask:
What changed? That simple comparison can turn a beginning-of-year activity into evidence of growth. And it gives students the opportunity to recognize that financial literacy isn't just about completing a course. It's about developing knowledge they can carry with them.
Start Your Personal Finance Course by Getting to Know the People You're Teaching
There will be plenty of time for budgets. We'll talk about saving. We'll talk about banking. We'll talk about credit. We'll talk about careers, college, spending, financial decisions, and preparing for adulthood. But before we teach all of those things, there is tremendous value in discovering who we're teaching them to. That's the purpose behind the Caravan Sonnet Classroom Personal Finance Student Interest & Financial Goals Survey.
It isn't simply something to fill the first fifteen minutes of class. It's an opportunity to listen. To learn. To begin building relationships. And to gather information that can make the Personal Finance instruction that follows more relevant to the actual students sitting in your classroom.
Start your Personal Finance course with purpose — not paperwork.
And before you begin teaching students about their financial futures, take a little time to discover who they are, where they're starting, and where they hope to go.
Here's to making this an uncommon year that is AMAZING!
You can purchase the Personal Finance Student Interest Survey by click HERE!
Happy Monday friends! I hope you have an amazing start to your week!
Bible Truths at Home
Raising children who know and love Scripture takes more than good intentions. Parents need practical tools that turn everyday moments into lessons about faith, character, and truth.
Countless resources exist to help families build strong spiritual habits together. Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, there is something designed for their stage of understanding.
This guide walks through some of the most effective tools for teaching Bible truths at home. Each one offers a different way to make Scripture come alive for young learners.
Start With Age Appropriate Bible Storybooks
Young children absorb stories long before they can read complex text on their own. A well illustrated Bible storybook introduces core narratives in a way that feels engaging rather than overwhelming.
Look for storybooks that use simple language and vivid pictures to hold a child's attention. These books often break familiar accounts into short, digestible sections that a parent can read aloud in just a few minutes.
Many storybooks also include gentle questions at the end of each page. This encourages a child to think about what they just heard instead of simply moving on to the next page. As children grow older, families can transition to storybooks with more detail and fewer illustrations. This shift helps bridge the gap between picture books and a full length Bible text.
Use Interactive Apps and Digital Bible Tools
Technology has become a surprisingly effective way to teach faith at home. Many apps now offer games, quizzes, and animated stories that keep kids engaged while reinforcing biblical
lessons.
Some apps track a child's progress and reward consistency with badges or unlockable content. This kind of structure can motivate a reluctant learner to open the app again the next day. Digital tools also make it easy to personalize learning. A parent can select lessons based on a child's age, reading level, or specific area of curiosity, such as courage, kindness, or forgiveness.
Screen time does not have to work against spiritual growth. When chosen carefully, these apps become another way to reinforce the same truths taught through books and conversation.
Incorporate Memory Verse Games and Songs
Repetition helps young minds retain information, and this is especially true with Scripture memorization. Simple games turn memorization into something enjoyable rather than a chore a child dreads.
Flashcards, matching games, and verse relay races all work well for this purpose. These activities can be adapted for a single child or a larger group during a homeschool co op or Sunday gathering.
Music is another powerful memory tool. Songs that set Bible verses to catchy melodies often stick in a child's mind long after the activity itself has ended. Many worship artists and children's ministries release albums built entirely around Scripture memorization. Playing these during car rides or meal prep turns ordinary moments into learning opportunities.
Order a Study Bible for Them
Once a child is ready to read independently, a dedicated study Bible becomes one of the most valuable tools a family can invest in. These editions include notes, definitions, and context that help young readers understand what they are reading.
An online Christian bookstore like the Pentecostal Publishing House is often the easiest place to find the right edition. These stores typically organize their catalog by age group, making it simple to filter for options suited to elementary, middle school, or teen readers.
Shopping online also gives families access to a wider selection than most physical stores can offer. You can compare translations, page layouts, and added features like maps or character profiles before making a decision. Once the study Bible arrives, take time to walk through its features with your child. Show them how to use the glossary, cross references, and introductory notes so the resource
becomes genuinely useful rather than intimidating.
Create a Consistent Family Devotional Routine
Tools only work when they are used consistently, and a devotional routine provides that structure. Setting aside the same time each day, even for ten minutes, helps children expect and look forward to this practice.
A short devotional guide can walk a family through a passage, followed by a few reflection questions. This format keeps the routine simple enough to maintain even on busy weeknights.
Consistency matters more than length. A brief, steady rhythm will likely produce more lasting results than an occasional, lengthy session that feels difficult to sustain. Consider rotating who leads the devotional time. Letting an older child or teenager take a turn can deepen their own understanding while modeling leadership for younger siblings.
Encourage Questions and Real Conversation
No tool can replace genuine conversation between a parent and a child. Encouraging questions, even difficult ones, shows a child that faith can hold up under honest scrutiny. When a child asks something you cannot answer right away, treat it as an opportunity rather than a setback. Researching the answer together teaches them how to search for truth responsibly.
Try connecting Bible lessons to real situations your family faces. If your child struggles with a friendship at school, a related Scripture passage can offer both comfort and practical
guidance. This kind of dialogue turns Bible truths from abstract concepts into something a child can apply. Over time, they begin to see Scripture as relevant to their daily life rather than distant history.
Bringing It All Together
Teaching Bible truths at home does not require a perfect system or unlimited resources. What matters most is consistency, intentionality, and a willingness to grow alongside your child.
Storybooks, apps, memory games, and a solid study Bible each play a role in building spiritual understanding. Ordering the right study Bible from a trusted online Christian bookstore can be the foundation that ties these other tools together. As your child matures, their needs will change, and so should your approach. Stay flexible, stay curious, and keep the conversation open as you walk through Scripture together as a family.
*contributed post*
Happy Friday friends! I hope that you have had a lovely week! It has been a busy week for us over here as we returned home from our river cruise on the Columbia and Snake River (which was a 30 hour trip home- not so fun!) and I went right into final preparations for college classes starting (very fun) and lots of curriculum creation work!
Here are also some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
Caravan Sonnet Classroom has been so amazing as I am listing TONS of new resources for the beginning of the school year this week and in the days to come!! Here is just one of the newest resources that are available in the shop:
This is for NEW and VETERAN teachers alike and is EVERYTHING you would need for the first week of Personal Finance! Start your personal finance course with purpose—to make this an uncommon year that is AMAZING! SAVE YOURSELF TIME in this busy back-to-school time and still set your Personal Finance course up for success with this growing First Week Personal Finance Curriculum Bundle designed for high school, dual enrollment, CTE, homeschool, and introductory college Personal Finance courses. Whether you're teaching Personal Finance for the very first time or looking to refresh your existing curriculum, this bundle provides engaging, ready-to-use lessons, activities, classroom decor, and teacher resources to help you confidently launch your course.
This is more than a collection of worksheets—it is a comprehensive, growing curriculum designed to help students build strong financial literacy skills while saving teachers valuable planning time.
This Bundle Currently Includes 18 Resources:
⭐ Complete First Day of School Lesson
* Personal Finance First Day of School complete lesson
* Professionally designed PowerPoint presentation
* Discussion prompts
* Student activities
* Teacher directions
⭐ Complete 2nd Day of School Lesson
* Personal Finance Second Day of School complete lesson (Psychology of Money / Behavioral Economics)
* Professionally designed PowerPoint presentation with Speaker Notes
* Student Guided Notes with Answer Key
* Mini Activity Included in PPT
* Instructor's Speaker Notes with Pacing Guide
⭐ Classroom Decor
* 4 complete sets of Personal Finance classroom decor (80 total posters and printable images)
* Perfect for high school classrooms, business education, financial literacy courses, and college classrooms
⭐ Classroom Activities
* Student Interest and Financial Goals Survey
* Personal Finance Game
* Financial Snapshot Activity
* Daily Spending Tracker Activity
* Personal Finance Word Search
* Personal Finance Vocabulary Workbook
* Personal Finance Budget Simulation and 30 Case Studies Activity
⭐ Bell Ringer Resources
* 90 Personal Finance Bell Ringer Questions PowerPoint
* 90 Personal Finance Bell Ringer Student Journal
⭐ Digital Classroom Resources
* Google Classroom Virtual Covers and Banners
* Perfect for digital classrooms and learning management systems
⭐ Personal Finance Editable Parent Letter
* Editable Word Doc Parent Letter to set a foundation for excellent communication and teamwork with parents
⭐ Personal Finance Editable Finance Letters to My Future Self Activity
* Editable Word Doc Back to School and End of Course Activity
⭐⭐ALSO INCLUDES A BONUS FILE: EXIT TICKETS FOR DAYS 1 and 2!⭐⭐
AND MORE!! You can purchase this AMAZING resource and so many others today by clicking HERE!
I am also SO grateful for ALL of your support of this shop. Y'all... THANK YOU. This is something that I work so hard on behind the scenes and your support, reviews, and encouragement are HUGE. Thank you so much for all of your support of the shop! If you would like to check out the shop you can find it HERE!
Can I ask 2 HUGE favors?
(1)- If you are not already following the shoppe could you please do so? Even if you are not a teacher or don't plan to purchase things the number of followers does influence potential buyers and this would show incredible support! Simply click HERE!
(2)- If you have purchased something would you please take a moment and leave a review? It doesn't have to be long, but reviews are SO helpful to TPT owners like myself! Simply click HERE!
THANK YOU!
This week I started sharing more about our Columbia and Snake River Cruise on the American Encore on American Cruise Lines.
If you missed it you can click on the links below (I will be continuing to share more each week!):
AMERICAN CRUISE LINE CRUISE (2026- Snake and Columbia River Cruise)
American Encore Ship Specific Blog Posts: *coming soon*
.jpg "heating pad")
When I was a teenager I tried to attempt a "stunt" (like I was a cheerleader- which in my defense I was so it made sense haha- please don't ask *smiles*) while I was water skiing. Suffice it to say the "stunt" went horribly wrong and I took a bad fall that hurt my back. About 7 years ago I was skiing (winter this time) and I took a very bad fall and between the two things- I can unfortunately end up in extreme pain if my back goes out... so one of the things that I have always been grateful for, has been the suggestion of THIS heating pad by one of my doctors about 12 years ago. I can't say enough good things about it and can't recommend it enough! If you have been around the blog the last decade then I also have to say that this was a huge help while I was extremely sick fighting Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and Cancer (and other things). The heating pads of this brand come in a variety of sizes (I use the medium size while my mom loves the small size).
For after my mom's knee surgery we also purchased the knee version and this was a huge help also. (You can find that HERE). There are tons of options of sizes, but if you are looking for a new heating pad definitely try these out. It definitely is an investment, but worth every single penny. Each one we have owned has lasted for about 5 years - so they last a LONG time! I just checked and on Amazon they are having a MAJOR sale today so definitely check that out!
.jpg "Top 10 Must Pack Items for a New England and Canadian Cruise")
With Caravan Sonnet turning 13 years old this year and us returning from our river cruise I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! One of the things that Caravan Sonnet developed into in the early years was a a resource for those looking for cozy luxury travel around the United States and World.
You can check out all of the travel and cruising adventures HERE!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
embarkation day on american encore on american cruise lines / columbia and snake river cruise
August 12, 2026
After spending a couple of INCREDLE days exploring the Portland area and Mt Hood (more on this coming soon!), it was time to begin our journey along the Columbia and Snake Rivers aboard American Cruise Lines' American Encore.
If you followed along with our adventures in real time on Instagram, you know that I shared each day of this experience as it unfolded on my stories. You can look and see those HERE. Over the next several posts, I want to take you along in a little more detail—sharing what our days looked like, the places we visited, and some practical things that may be helpful if you are researching a similar journey.
Our embarkation day began much earlier than the moment we first stepped aboard American Encore. In fact, before we ever saw the ship, our first day included an early luggage pickup, a bus ride through Oregon, a visit to beautiful Multnomah Falls, and our first glimpses of the Columbia River.
An Early Start to Embarkation Day
Our luggage was collected from our hotel around 7 a.m., while our embarkation group was scheduled to depart at approximately 9:20 a.m. One practical thing that Mom and I discovered as our embarkation group departed—and something we wish had been communicated beforehand—is that you can keep a carry-on bag with you rather than sending every piece of luggage ahead. Smaller bags can travel with you and be placed underneath the bus.
We really wish that this had been communicated to us as we were up very early to ensure that all luggage was all packed up and given to those collecting it to take to the ship. We were never told if we would be on the same bus, or exactly how the process worked so it created a very early morning and because there are several hours between luggage collection and arriving in your stateroom, this is helpful to know if there are medications, personal items, an extra layer, or anything else you would prefer to have available during the day.
Multnomah Falls
Before heading to the ship, we had an excursion that traveled to Multnomah Falls. Both mom and I were very excited about this part of the trip and excursion and I look forward to sharing more with you about Multnomah Falls because it was absolutely beautiful! I will note that the tour guide on our specific bus was a bit of a surprise as she started off by "welcoming us" talking all about how excited she was to drop us off at the ship because she wanted to start her vacation. It was a bit of an odd "welcome" and we had several people who were sitting by us on the bus express to us that this was not typical of tour guides on American Cruise Lines which we were glad to hear. The other strange part was that she was pretty sarcastic about previous guests questions, including laughing at how previous guests have asked what the river was that we were driving by... she "suggested" that they should look at the River Cruise that they booked and they would have their answer. I am sure that she gets all sort of questions, but people do travel far and across the country for this cruise and aren't familiar with the area so questions will range I am sure. Mom and I have traveled so much together that we just looked at each other and decided to enjoy the bus ride by seeing the beauty we were seeing and looked up on our phone some things from the area as the tour guide didn't share much about this. It would have been nice just to hear about Multnomah Falls and leave it at that. It was very off putting and truthfully not the best introduction to our cruise and I felt badly for others on the bus who also had no previous experience with American Cruise Lines that this is how our introduction was.
Thankfully we arrived at Multnomah Falls after about a 40 minute drive and it was beautiful!
Mom and I both enjoyed our time seeing this beautiful area of the world!
We had about an hour and 15 minutes at the falls so I walked up to Benson Bridge, which gave me an entirely different perspective of the falls than the view from below. From the higher vantage point, I could also look out toward the Columbia River and the surrounding landscape.
Looking down from the bridge (you can also hike higher there just wasn't time on our stop)- it is hard to see but mom is very tiny in the picture above! If you are comfortable with the walk, I thought seeing the falls from this level was well worth the climb.
After we were all back on board our bus (yes, haha with the same tour guide) we had about an hour drive to the ship. Our views along the way were stunning!
Having an excursion before actually boarding the ship was an interesting difference from other cruise embarkation experiences I have experienced. Some travelers may really enjoy beginning their sightseeing immediately, while others may prefer the more traditional experience of boarding a ship first and settling into their room. For us, it was simply one of the first ways we began to see that this river cruise experience would be different from others we had taken.
Our First Look at American Encore
We arrived at the port and had our first look at American Encore, one of the newer ships in the American Cruise Lines fleet. The walk from the bus drop to the ship could be a bit of a walk for some people and one detail that immediately stood out to Mom and me was the availability of golf carts to transport passengers between the buses and the ship. American Cruise Lines serves many older travelers, along with guests who may have mobility limitations, and I appreciated seeing this option available. It allowed passengers who might have struggled with the distance to reach the ship without having to make that walk. There was something very dignifying about that small accommodation, and it was one of the details that stood out to us on our first day. We chose to walk to the ship and just enjoy the beauty and as we approached the entrance we were greeted by the captain who welcomed us to the American Encore.
Seeing Stateroom 326 for the First Time
We made our way aboard and down to Stateroom 326, where another difference from all of our previous cruising experiences awaited us: our luggage was already inside our room- along with our keys to our room. I received some questions about this when I shared our arrival on Instagram because our stateroom door was open when we arrived. Yes—this is part of the embarkation process. Your luggage is delivered directly into your room, and your room keys are waiting for you there as well. I think the surprise to most people is questioning whether that is safe or not to just have everything "so open and available to everyone". I think for both mom and I we didn't feel that it was unsafe, but when we found someone else's backpack and water bottle in our room it did feel a bit strange as someone else had obviously been in our room. I took the backpack down to the staff on the first floor and it wasn't a big deal - but again just different. I will be doing a full review of our room, but we were impressed from the beginning at the size and amount of space in our room for the cruise.
Our First Afternoon on the Columbia River
After lunch, we began to see the scenery that would surround us throughout this journey. The views were stunning. Mom and I found ourselves repeatedly stepping out onto our private veranda just to look at the landscape passing alongside us. Mountains, water, and seemingly endless Pacific Northwest scenery surrounded the ship.
There was also an afternoon sail away party with food and drinks, and with such beautiful weather, many passengers were outside enjoying the day.
Later that afternoon, guests had an opportunity to meet members of the culinary team, including the head chef, restaurant manager, and pastry chef. As someone who travels with dietary restrictions and food allergies, I particularly appreciated having the opportunity for a direct conversation with the head chef about what I could safely eat during the cruise. If you are traveling with allergies or dietary restrictions, I would encourage you to take advantage of opportunities like this whenever they are offered and communicate your needs directly with the culinary staff. I had personally never been on a cruise where this option to speak directly to all three at the same time was offered and I thought that was a very unique and wonderful thing that American Cruise Lines offered. I will be doing a full review of the dining and food but this (meeting with the three crew at the same time) is definitely something to highlight a couple of times.
Afterward, Mom and I finally had some time to unpack and settle into our room—although we kept interrupting ourselves to step back outside onto the veranda and take in the views.
Our First Dinner Aboard American Encore
That evening, we got ready and headed to our first dinner aboard the ship. My dinner that night ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip: a gluten-free pasta filled with vegetables and finished with goat cheese.
After dinner, we returned outside. And perhaps that is the image I remember most clearly from our first evening aboard American Encore: standing outside with Mom, watching the mountains and the Columbia River landscape quietly pass by as we began making our way along the river. There would be much more to experience—and much more for me to share—in the days ahead. But for that first evening, we simply watched the Pacific Northwest drift past us and took in the beauty of where we were.
Thank you so much for reading this article! If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below or send an email! Happy Wednesday friends! I hope you have the most wonderful day!
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