George Robinson, Buyer’s Agent and Realtor Extraordinaire.

Is it time to move closer to the family and spend more time with the grand kids? Maybe it is more health related and your home is too big or too much to handle now? Whatever the reason that you might need to move; making the call to get some help is the hardest step. Santoro and Sons, Realtors to the Seniors, is here to help. We have resources – and by that I mean when you call us, it’s like calling the Calvary. We have estate sales companies, packers and movers, gardeners, cleaning crews, handymen … you need it, we have it. Plus we offer a discount on escrow fees, termite work, and other necessary services, just for Seniors.

Gigi Santoro, Realtor to the Seniors.

Our clients say really nice things about us, and we appreciate that because we work hard to make sure they are completely satisfied. We do things like anticipate their needs beyond just selling their home — we look at the whole, complete picture. An example would be our clients Harold and Emma Landis, who decided to sell their sprawling ranch style home, with just too big of a lot to manage anymore in Burbank — to move up north to live closer to their kids. We took the time to find out if they were able to transfer their Prop 13 tax basis to their new county. We worked with their Realtor up north to make sure they had all the important bases covered when making an offer and coordinated with their moving company. We sold their home for over asking price in a few short days. Harold said, “I had no idea this was going to be as easy as it was – from start to finish we were in good hands! I recommend Gigi and her team to anyone needing to make a move.”

Our other specialty is helping Seniors find a new home in the same area – one that is more manageable or maybe even transition into an assisted living environment. George Robinson, Realtor and “Buyers Agent Extraordinaire,” has developed a large network of resources to help Seniors discover their options and make informed choices when selling their home and moving. George also helps first time homebuyers make informed decisions and choices. Just ask his past clients – they say things like, “Without George and his experience, we would still be renting.”

Whatever your next move, don’t worry, remember you are in excellent hands, and our promise to you is simple: We represent you as if you were family. Give us a call and let us show you what being a part of the Santoro Family really means. You will be glad you did — (818) 237-5687!

Now begins the Final Round of the contest. The finalists will be numbered 1—5. Voting for the Final Round will be the same as before. It begins Wednesday, May 16, and ends Tuesday, May 22, at 10 a.m. The new columnist of The Tolucan Times will be announced in our Wednesday, May 23, edition.

There are three ways you can vote for your favorite: by email, info@tolucantimes.com; by phone, (818) 762-2171; and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TolucanTimes (be sure to “Like” us while you’re there). When voting, just notify which number (1—5) you think deserves a spot in our pages. If by email, put your choice in the subject line.

At last, the Final Round – it’s still your turn!

1: The Great Communicator

By J.P. Reynolds

My friend, Peter, was going to sit in on a communications class I was teaching at UCLA. The plan was for him to swing by my place ay 6 p.m. and we’d drive over together. At 5:45 p.m. I went down to my building’s entryway to wait for him. Minutes later, he appeared with Tony, his ten-year-old son. Peter’s wife was running late and decided to pick up Tony from my place. Since she didn’t know the building, Peter waited outside, leaving me with Tony.

I was distracted and nervous about being late. Suddenly, Tony asked, “So, you know my dad through Eddie?” I smiled. He was so polite and grown-up. Yes, it was through a mutual friend that I’d gotten to know his dad and so began our conversation.

I was impressed with Tony’s confidence. He asked questions, listened, smiled, focused on me, and even laughed at my humor. Not once did he check his cell phone!

Heck, I thought I’d dump his dad and take him to class — he could demonstrate the fine (and imperiled) art of conversation.

I’m not surprised Tony was poised as his folks are in the Biz. Still, though, I’ve been wondering why a ten-year-old was happy to engage me in conversation while so many of my clients and students tell me that they don’t like talking with people?

I think conversation is a dying art. Okay, so “dying” may be a tad melodramatic, but people seem reluctant to talk with people.

I often hear clients say, “I go to work to work and I don’t want to have to talk with people.” I’ve even had a client who was a psychologist and she didn’t like talking with people!

The reality, though, is that people only like to work with and for people they like and trust. The way we get to like people is by getting to know them and the best way we get to know people is by talking with them.

You don’t have to become drinking buddies with your co-workers and you don’t have to become their therapist, especially since that’s probably not in your job description. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t engage them in conversation, in pleasant chitchat where the stranger becomes less strange. When common ground is found, a general sense of liking and the beginnings of mutual trust are formed.

When I consider my closest relationships, my most exciting business experiences, I realize that many of them began from a chance conversation with a stranger.

Tony reminded me that every encounter is an opportunity to connect. All I had to do was stop looking at my watch, stop worrying, and let a ten-year old lead the way!

2: Tales from the Heart

By Wendy Hauptman

Performance Anxiety

It’s late Saturday night, the kids are asleep, and I am trying to seduce my husband into performing one of my secret guilty pleasures. He is Rarely in the mood. I am Always in the mood. I run my fingers through his thinning brown hair: a romantic effort to coerce him into playing the game. I walk slowly, feeling his eyes upon my shifting behind. He knows I am headed toward the video cabinet. I pull out the secret stash. As soon as he spots “the box” he knows that it’s over. I excitedly bring him ten pounds worth of coupons!

As I scramble through my chronologically organized Coupon File, I lick my right index finger and hold my breath. I have learned that a little tongue speeds up the process. I am nearly breathless by the time I find the $2 Stayfree coupon, which will make the entire purchase free (equivalent to hitting the jackpot for a household full of women).

Flash to early Sunday. Since Walgreens limits the Free Maxi-Pads to two per person, I have enlisted my adoring husband. Fortunately, Walgreens has a table of specials (including the Stayfree). He picks up two, and I do the same. We meet back at the register to confer. He will go first.

He presents his products and coupons to the underpaid cashier, who looks impressed by the effort. The deafening beeps (a couponer’s worse nightmare) begin. “Sir, the weekly special does not include Wings,” she says authoritatively. “Well it was on the Walgreens Specials table,” my adoring husband explains. I am two people behind, and know full well that my adoring husband hasn’t the slightest clue what “Wings” are.

It is all unfolding slowly now. The register’s help light goes on. The underpaid employee pulls out the loud speaker. “Code Blue on Register One!” she yells. “Man with Stayfree Maxi-Pads with Wings claims it’s on special!” she announces to the entire store. Now all of the people in line behind my adoring husband are staring. He lowers his head. He is filled with performance anxiety. He does not wish to disappoint me.

I hear an urgent announcement coming from the back of the store, “Send man with Maxi-Pads with Wings to the cosmetic counter.” My adoring husband grabs the two boxes of Stayfree Maxi-Pads with Wings and holds them close. His posture crumples. Head bowed, he takes slow steps down the “walk of shame.”

My heart beats faster, it is ready to explode. I want to rush him and yell out, “There is no reason for your performance anxiety!” I realize just how much I love him. It takes a real man to use coupons for Maxi-Pads with Wings!

3: Heads Will Roll

By Mary Jean Tucker

Early one morning Tiny woke up to her dog “Big Al” whining and scratching at the front door. It was unusual and out of character for him and naturally she was concerned so she rolled out of bed. She said out loud, “What’s up boy, do you hear something?” As if he was going to answer her she just stood there and stared at him. Obviously she wasn’t completely awake yet.

She opened the door; still hazy and rubbing the schmutz from her eyes she noticed an over stuffed garbage bag sitting on her porch and it had what looked to be human hair poking through the red ties at the opening. Her eyes sprung open and suddenly she was wide-awake. She screeched, “What the hell?” She took a closer look and clearly it was hair and by the shape of the bag she could tell it was connected to a head. “Well this isn’t something you see every day.” With a smirk on her face she looked around to see if perhaps someone was playing a joke on her, but who? Who would do this? If not a joke, could it be a sign? “That’s it! It’s that shady no good son of a … Chuck the mechanic? Did he know I wanted to torch his business? What is he trying to tell me?” She quickly went back inside the house and shut the door.

Her heart was racing. “I need a smoke!” She paced back and forth scratching her head and puffing away. She says, “Maybe I should call the fuzz.” Then suddenly through the thick cloud of cigarette smoke she heard a voice — it was Spade Cooley. “You don’t need the police, Tiny; you can handle this on your own.” “But Spade, how should I handle this; what should I do?” She heard a fading evil laugh and right then she knew exactly what to do. She wanted to have another gander so like a bull in a china shop she stampeded over to the bag. “Dummy heads” she said under her morning breath that smelled of last night’s cheap whiskey and Marlboro Reds. As if that wasn’t weird enough — and unlike her hair — the plot thickens: There was a sealed box next to the bag. She gasped and yelled out, “What’s in the box, what’s in the box?”

With fear nipping at her heels she opened it anyway and to her shock and astonishment there laid a goldfish. “What?” Well I’ll tell you this … if that lousy good for nothing nudnik Chuck thinks he’s going to get one over on Tiny, he’s got another thing coming….

4: Frank Talk

By Frank Sheftel

This week’s Frank Talk takes a vacation from local issues and comes to you all the way from Tel Aviv to Toluca Lake. I’m writing my column while sitting on the beach in Israel. It’s my first time in the Middle East. I’m here with my parents. It all began innocently enough when at my mothers 80th birthday last October at Marie Callender’s in Toluca Lake (they tore it down, but that’s for another column) I toasted my mother and mentioned how nice it was to see her and my dad still enjoying a life together and still traveling the world. I said I was concerned about their trip in May to Israel because at their age traveling alone such a far distance was worrisome for my sister and I but we knew their spirit of adventure wasn’t about to ground them. Well the next day when my father called to invite me to go on the trip with them I was surprised. “Consider it the Bar Mitzvah trip you never had,” he told me. “You can keep an eye on us and we’ll keep an eye on you and it’ll be an adventure — our treat”. Well, how could I say no to an offer like that? Fast forward to today and here we are in Tel Aviv. The trip of a lifetime!

My parents have been here many times before. They are taking great pride and joy introducing me to our many relatives on both sides that I have never met. I will admit I was nervous about spending three weeks traveling with my folks. Would we get along or kill each other before we got home? Well, so far so good. We are having a wonderful time, and I am cherishing every moment. It’s a little hard for them physically to get around. Walking any distance is tiring, but they grin and bear it very well. Overhearing my dad lament that this is probably the last time they would see these relatives brought a lump to my throat. I feel like they are passing the torch along to me making sure I know my roots and relatives near and far. Sharing this time with my parents is giving me memories that will last forever. From the start of the trip when the limo never came for us (thanks Randall Allen for the last minute ride to the airport) to the plane full of Chasidic Rabbis that prayed standing in the isles all the way from NY to Tel Aviv despite pleas from the attendants to take their seats (actually I was somewhat comforted cause surely God wouldn’t crash a plane full of praying Rabbis) this trip is already giving us great stories to tell our friends, relatives, and now readers back home. Next week Frank Talk will report from Tiberias to Toluca Lake. Our family adventure continues.

5: Don’t Allow Health Insurance Companies to Make Medical Decisions

By Mark S Vass

We’ve all experienced the frustration of our doctor’s inability to get medical treatment approved through our health insurance company. This is attributed to medically uneducated representatives playing doctor at our nation’s insurance carriers.

When our doctor prescribes specialized medical equipment, medications, rehabilitation, etc., it’s our insurance company’s responsibility to approve his “written request of necessity” (order).

More often than not, those who have the power to allow and disallow medical necessities at our insurance companies have no further medical training than you or I. All they have in front of them is a standards policy and procedures manual. They have no reasons for why, or how — just follow the book. This isn’t their fault. It’s just the way the company operates — how much does it cost today! Is this fair? No. Did you or I ask to get sick? No.

Common sense tells us that if a post-surgical patient’s rehabilitation (maybe $2,500) is denied, there’s a good chance that another surgery costing well over $35,000 may again be necessary. All this because the original post-op rehab order wasn’t granted. I’ve dealt with this for over a decade. Just because this is the norm, it shouldn’t be accepted as normal.

The following is an invaluable way of helping yourself through this.

Your first step is to write a letter. Don’t waste your time writing to your insurance agent, or the agent who interfaces with your employer. You need to contact an internal area within your insurance company that most people aren’t aware of — the Issue Coordination Department. Before mailing your letter, ensure that you have all documentation such as copies of orders, letters from doctors, etc. Mail everything certified for proof of receipt.

Below the heading of your letter, list your member number, policy number, and group number. In the body, outline the facts. What happened to force you to write this? What’s been denied? Below your signature, carbon copy your primary doctor, your employer’s personnel department, and most importantly, your State Board of Insurance. Mail your package to everyone!

Our Board of Insurance is located in Los Angeles (www.insurance.ca.gov). Insurance boards have one main goal: To investigate the failure of providing acceptable service to the insured that isn’t consistent with public health and welfare.

Over the past fourteen years, my doctors have written tons of orders for surgeries, medicine, and equipment that my insurance company initially refused. Not after I did what I’m telling you.

Dealing with the medical community for any reason while paying skyrocketing premiums is frustrating enough without having to deal with red tape. You alone have the final responsibility for the quality of your healthcare.

Until next time, good luck and good health.

Dr. Christopher Tosh of Chiropractic Bodywork.

Dr. Christopher Tosh is an experienced Chiropractor and is a specialist in a wide variety of techniques. He is a practitioner A.R.T., S.O.T., Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy, and Kinesio taping. This broad expertise gives Dr. Tosh a unique understanding of the body, and his specific combination of muscle work and chiropractic allows him to tailor a treatment that is highly effective and unique to each patient.

Sacro Occipital Technique (S.O.T.) is a very gentle chiropractic approach, ideal for patients with certain pre-existing conditions or for patients that may simply be uncomfortable with traditional chiropractic adjustments. It is a safe and effective technique that helps restore the body and nervous system back to healthy state.

Active Release Technique (A.R.T.) is a highly specialized muscle treatment. It is ideal for treatment of high-level athletes as well as those with jobs or life styles that require repetitive activities or prolonged seated positions. ART feels much like a deep tissue massage and involves breaking up unwanted adhesions within the muscles and fascial layers. When fascial layers adhere to one another, muscle function and range of motion become limited and eventually cause pain.

Dr. Tosh combines all of these techniques to create comprehensive Chiropractic Bodywork that is very safe and effective. He is known for taking his time with patients and for getting results others may not been able to achieve.

To learn more, visit www.chiropracticbodywork.com, or call (818) 981-BODY [2639].

Members of Belmont Village Senior Living’s Circle of Friends™ participate in a scrapbooking activity. The Circle of Friends program is an award-winning, research-based enrichment program for residents with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Most of us wake up and think about the day’s activities, and for many, this includes daily physical exercise to keep the body fit. But how many of us put an equal emphasis on exercising the brain?

“It’s more important than you think,” said Beverly Sanborn, LCSW, gerontologist and program developer for Belmont Village Senior Living. “Just as we build muscle strength to keep our bodies fit and youthful, we need to build new neuro-connections for our brains to keep our minds active and hold off memory loss.” Research indicates that mental fitness along with a healthy diet and a combination of aerobic and strength-training builds cognitive reserve.

Building cognitive reserve early is important because Alzheimer’s disease can start decades before any symptoms show. Also, it is estimated that as many as 10-20 percent of people age 65 and older have Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), characterized by mild but measurable and noticeable changes in thinking abilities. Studies have shown that work-outs that engage mind and body in specific ways can help maintain, and in some cases, improve function, even in those who have been diagnosed with MCI.

Six years ago Belmont Village developed Circle of Friends®, a research-based enrichment program for residents with MCI. It is a 7-day-a-week program of group activities and physical exercise led by specially trained staff. “Since we launched this program, we’ve seen a tremendous difference in our residents: It opens them up and renews their confidence — they begin to engage again,” Sanborn said.

For more information about Circle of Friends, call Belmont Village Burbank at (818) 972-2405 or visit www.belmontvillage.com.

I remember my dad whistling a familiar tune whenever he worked around the house. There was no need to ask why he whistled, it was obvious he was happy and this little habit made his chores a bit easier. Have you noticed that today people rarely whistle? Do you wonder why? The reasons may surprise you.

Could it be we enjoy life less? Are we so rushed that we don’t take time to relax and just do what’s in front of us rather than trying to finish as quickly as possible and get on to the next item on the list? Maybe people are so engaged with their regular jobs that they hire others to do the menial work? Perhaps, with the iPod plugs stuck in both ears and the music blaring away, there’s no need to whistle? Or, is whistling a lost art?

As a pre-boomer, I wanted to learn how to whistle, because it was a sign of being grown up. Besides my dad, the other men in my life whistled: my grandfathers, uncles, and the men in the neighborhood. During WWII people on the home front kept busy and money was tight. There was defense work, volunteer activities such as air raid warden, helping the lady down the street whose husband was away serving the country, tending victory gardens, and more. Times were tough, but attitudes were generally positive and there was faith that America would prevail in the conflicts in Europe and the Pacific. Patriotism ran high, even though we paid a hefty price for the victory: the lives of those brave men who never returned.

What’s this have to do with whistling? Plenty. Those of the Greatest Generation, which is what our parents’ generation is called, knew how to be grateful in the face of adversity. They made it through the depression, a divesting decade of self-sacrifice and extreme national and personal hardship, only to be faced with world war. Folks back then could take whatever came their way and keep moving ahead without complaining, believing things would be OK. Maybe that’s why so many of them whistled while they worked.

The music coming through those earplugs does not encourage whistling nor does having others do the work while both the man and the woman of the house are doing overtime elsewhere. Being in a hurry to complete mundane chores certainly does little to motivate whistling. But I believe the real problem is people simply don’t enjoy life like those before them did. Boomers are not used to tough times, some individuals can handle today’s stress and strain, but as a whole the Me Generation is sailing in uncharted waters. So there’s no whistling for them. Gen X and Y probably never learned to listen in the first place. And trailing generations are following the lead of this directly in front of them.

So, pre-boomers, it’s up to us to bring back the whistle – not the kind to hail a cab – I’m talking about the kind of whistling from our childhood. It made us feel that everything was OK. The place to start is with our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Let them see that a little whistling can be fun and how a happy tune can help pass the time instead of needing to depend on outside influences. They’ll find a unique inner peace that comes from the simple, therapeutic act of whistling. So will you.

Medals will be awarded in each age division for first, second, and third place and T-shirts will be given to all participants. This is a great event for the whole family!

There are many finish lines yet to cross, and the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley community effort has helped the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Greater California take positive steps in the fight against ovarian cancer. OCC appreciates the generous support in previous years, and looks forward to even greater participation and support in 2012. OCC’s funds go to support education, research, and the Women’s Valley Clinic in the greater Los Angeles area. There will be many special guests participating in support of this great cause. For more information go to www.ovariancancercalifornia or call OCC at (818) 985-0288. Tune in to our sponsor 105.1 Go Country!

Register early for the Walk/Run and go to www.active.com, or register the day of the event at CBS.

On a daily basis Kurz, who will turn 61 in June, goes to the Life Time Fitness in Rockville, Md., to enjoy everything from boot camp to yoga. Her favorite day is Monday, she says, when she goes from kickboxing to indoor cycling class to boot camp. “Each year, I seem to up the number and types of routines,” she boasts.

Kurz’s attitude is counter to the majority of her peers. Just 30 percent of people between ages 45 and 64 say they engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 National Interview Survey. As people get older, they move even less: 25 percent are active between the ages 65 and 74 and only 11 percent of those 85 and older say they are active.

That’s a problem because studies indicate there’s a correlation between activity and a lower death rate in older adults.

“Healthy aging is the ability to maintain your mental, physical and cellular health,” says Jason Stella, a personal trainer at Life Time Fitness, The Healthy Way of Life Company. “The process of aging is inevitable, but the choices you make, good or bad, throughout your lifetime dictate the rate at which you will age and the positive or negative health affects you develop.”

In particular, Stella says behaviors that sabotage healthy aging include eating processed foods, taking too many medications, not controlling stress and inactivity.

“I have had almost no injuries and very few aches and pains other than when I push myself too hard,” Kurz says. In addition to staying physically active, Kurz is a lobbyist for a grassroots advocacy organization, a wife and mother of two sons, ages 19 and 21, as well as a volunteer with several organizations.

“A few years ago, I fell down a flight of stairs and, other than a few bruises and scrapes, did very little damage to my body,” Kurz says. “I have to believe exercise had a great deal to do with that.”

Regular exercise and physical activity are critical to helping older adults stay independent as they age. Strengthening bone and joint health to protect mobility is all the motivation most active older adults need to exercise.

Kurz appreciates those benefits, too, but likes the added challenges. In February she competed in the Life Time Fitness Alpha Showdown, a national competition that tests the body’s core energy systems: power, strength and endurance. Most competitors were much younger than Kurz. “I did not win,” she says, “But I don’t think I came in last either, which was an achievement.”

Firmly in the second half of her life, Kurz is certain she has never been healthier or felt stronger. Life Time Fitness is part of her health aging program, but the facilities, programming and events cater to all ages and abilities, from those new to an exercise routine to those who are emphatic believers in exercise as good medicine, like Kurz.

“Every checkup, my doctor asks me, ‘Still exercising like crazy?’” she says. “And then he adds, ‘keep it up.’”

Identity theft among Americans 50 and older is rising, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 2010, more than 3.5 million households headed by people 50 and older experienced identity theft, according to bureau figures.

Identity thieves find seniors attractive targets for a number of reasons, according to the FBI, including for their financial stability. Seniors are more likely to have savings, own a home and have good credit. Fortunately, taking precautions – including monitoring one’s identity and credit through products like ProtectMyID.com – can help seniors reduce their risk of identity theft.

Two types of identity theft that have targeted seniors in the past are phone scams and medical fraud.

The FBI advises seniors to be wary of telemarketers and phone solicitations, since money lost through a phone call is very difficult to get back. The bureau recommends taking precautions when doing business over the phone, including:

• Asking for written material before committing to any charitable request or special offer. If you receive written material, review it with someone you trust.
• Avoid dealing with companies you don’t know, and research unfamiliar companies through consumer agencies like the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general or National Fraud Information Center.
• Know who you’re talking to. Ask for the person’s full name, business title, phone number, physical address, mailing address and business license number. Verify the information before any transactions take place.
• Don’t pay in advance for services, and be wary of high-pressure tactics that require you to act immediately in order to receive a special price or offer.

Medical fraud is another area of particular risk for seniors, who tend to have more doctor visits, hospital trips and prescriptions, and since Medicare can be confusing and complicated.

It’s important to protect your identity by guarding Medicare and health insurance information, just as you would your bank account number or Social Security number. The FBI offers these tips for avoiding health insurance fraud:

• Never sign blank claim forms or give a medical provider blanket authorization to bill for services.
• Make sure you understand what your medical providers will charge and how much of it you will be expected to pay out of pocket. Review your coverage with your health insurance company so you understand what your financial responsibilities are.
• Don’t do business with anyone selling medical equipment door-to-door or over the phone, or who tell you that you can get services or equipment for free.
• Provide your insurance or Medicare information only to those who have given you a medical service.
• Keep accurate records of all your medical appointments and prescriptions.

Finally, if you’re having trouble keeping track of your medical information, ask for help from a trusted friend or family member. Navigating Medicare, health insurance and health care can be challenging. Getting assistance and staying on top of your medical information are key steps toward protecting your identity, and help minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

The problem with the direction our society is taking is that, like paper-thin slicing of salami, the erosion of individual rights is nearly invisible. The press, the great potential savior of last resort, has been absorbed by the entertainment industry and multinational corporations and therefore is not likely to remain as inquisitive or aggressive as it should be.

The United States, mankind’s great gift to itself, is indeed never far from losing its magic formula. Ours is not a natural form of government. It is an aberration of political history.

Keep the pressure on, Mr. Crosby. And, again, thank you.

The Grand American Queen cruises down the Mississippi River.

There’s never been a better time to rediscover America. And the Great American Steamboat Company has the perfect way to explore the heartland of our great nation — aboard the grand American Queen, the only authentic overnight paddlewheel steamboat in America

Steamboating is a unique blend of American beauty and history, acclaimed cuisine, lively showboat-style entertainment, and the adventure of exploring Mark Twain’s riverside America. You’ll discover a side of our country that few ever see, from the indescribable perspective of the river.

Grand staircase.

The largest steamboat ever built, the grand American Queen is a gracious and elegant triumph of American ingenuity. Although filled with today’s modern amenities, her rooms and accommodations display all the opulence of the American Victorian era. Glistening woodwork, fresh flowers, and antiques adorn her interior spaces.

Steamboating Adventures allow you to choose the vacation that matches your interests. Explore the battles between soldiers in blue and gray. Dance to the music of your favorite era. Experience the colors of fall, or enjoy Victorian-style old fashioned holidays. The American Queen has the vacation voyage your heart desires.

Fares aboard the American Queen will include:

• The only authentic overnight paddlewheel steamboat in America
• Exciting voyages for three to 11 nights on the American Queen
• All staterooms feature gourmet coffee brewers and Starbucks coffee
• Gracious, friendly service from a professionally trained all-American staff
• Elegant-casual attire throughout your voyage; no formal wear required
• Professional showboat–style entertainment and dancing nightly
• Shore excursions to fascinating river towns and cities
• One-night luxury hotel stay and transfers before or after your voyage included in price.
• Complimentary bottled water and soft drinks
• Complimentary wines and beers with dinner
• An array of sumptuous dining options including regional cuisine by famed American chef Regina Charboneau
• Captain’s Champagne Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner
• All regular shore tours included in the price of your voyage.

So step on board and experience America in style as the American Queen takes you on a journey that you will never forget.

Special offer to Senior Citizens! Lakeside Travel is offering special benefits to senior citizens who book a cruise aboard The American Dream.

To view the brochure for The Grand American Queen, visit www.lakesidetravel.net. Click “Cruises” then “Great American Steamboat Company.”

For Reservations and Information, call Lakeside Travel, Inc., at (818) 774-3778 or email lakesidetravel@sbcglobal.net.