Am back after nearly two weeks on the road and on the high seas. In Detroit, about 800 folks turned out for my national security lecture for the Downriver Town Hall series. At the Restoration Weekend in Boca Raton, the highlight was meeting Swift Boat Vet John O’Neill. And the National Review cruise was quite an adventure.

The atmosphere on the ship was both ebullient and sobering. NR speakers and cruisers alike savored the election victory, but shared, among other things, candid grievances about Specter-gate, mixed feelings about a Condi Rice 2008 presidential bid, and deeper concerns about the future of conservatism. It was a privilege to be among so many sharp, engaged conservatives. (Spoons and his lovely wife took pictures. And here’s a thorough account by ChronWatch writer Lester Dent. He and his beautiful wife roomed next door to my mom’s cabin.)

The best features of the cruise were the nightly dinners, with cruisers rotating tables each evening; the indispensable NR staff and ever-hospitable Holland America staff; the beautiful beaches and weather; and the food, glorious food. The worst features, alas, were the seasickness and fog-headedness that plagued me for much of the trip. I was unusually sedate because I was unusually sedated. Meclizine. Bonine. Dramamine. Scopolamine. The patch finally did the trick on the sixth day of the trip. (But beware of this side effect, which hasn’t worn off yet.)

All in all, it was a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience. My son celebrated his first birthday on board; my daughter kissed a dolphin; and my husband and I greatly enjoyed the company of hundreds of right-thinking kindred spirits. If you are looking for a stimulating vacation next summer, check out NR’s 50th anniversary cruise. Book early. Based on what I heard from delighted cruisers last week, the cabins will be snatched up quickly.

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