Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 11 to 17 March 2026

  Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:












2)  IGG/DNA-Related News Articles



4)  Genealogy Apps and Software



5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:









5)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 4 to 10 March 2026.


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The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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Book Notice: "The Two John Marbachs: How an Amateur Genealogist Solved One of the Most Puzzling DNA Mysteries" by Ann Abrams

 I received this information from Ann Abrams recently:

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The Two John Marbachs: 
How an Amateur Genealogist
 Solved One of the Most Puzzling DNA Mysteries

When amateur genealogist Ann Abrams uploaded her DNA to Ancestry, she discovered a man named John Marbach who was her 2nd cousin, but she had no idea who he was or how they were related. Her quest to solve that mystery led her on a years-long search that took surprising twists and turns and reads like a tale of mystery, intrigue, double lives, and buried secrets.

In “The Two John Marbachs,” Ann Abrams provides the story of that genealogical quest, which comes with shocking revelations and a family tree that extends to three continents and hundreds of unsuspecting people. As the result of a simple DNA test, long buried secrets have suddenly come to light, revealing shocking truths about their ancestors, who they thought they were, and how the journeys of two men, decades and continents apart, affected the lives of so many people, but without modern science, would never have come to light.

For anyone interested in genealogy, family secrets, and narrative nonfiction mysteries, prepare to encounter one of the most puzzling DNA mysteries ever recorded, how one woman solved it, and what it means about the human condition and the meaning of family and identity. “The Two John Marbachs” is a true story about a DNA mystery that is stranger than fiction with more twists and turns than a mystery novel. For readers of “Buried Secrets” by Anne Hanson, “The Stranger in My Genes” by Bill Griffeth, and “A Broken Tree” by Stephen F. Anderson.


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Disclosure: Ann Abrams contacted me recently and asked me to provide a notice of this book on my blog.  I will provide a similar notice for any genealogy  or family history-related book - just contact me by email with a cover image, link to the publisher, and a book summary.

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2026.

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

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Ask AI: David Auble's Life At Age 13 in Early 1831 in New Jersey

 I wondered if the FREE AI tools could provide me with a story about about the effect of the death of my 3rd great-grandfather John Auble (1780-1831) on his son, my 2nd great-grandfather, David Auble (1817-1894) of Sussex County, New Jersey. 

 My genealogical sketch for David Auble is 52 Ancestors - Week 21: #28, David Auble (1817-1894), based on my genealogical research.

(AI NotebookLM Infographic of the life of David Auble at age 13 in 1831)

1)  My Prompt to free Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 was:  "Please write a story about David Auble at age 13 after his father's death in 1831 and how it affected him."

2)  The AI tool responded with this story (yes, it is historical fiction, but the way it might have been): 


The Apprentice

A Story of David Auble, Age 13 - Winter 1831

The frozen ground of Byram Township made a sound like breaking glass under David Auble's boots as he walked home from the family cemetery near the fence of the farm. It was January 19th, 1831, and he had just helped burying his father, who had suddenly died in the wheat field.

At thirteen years old, David was tall for his age but still gangly, caught in that awkward space between boy and man. Today, however, there was no room for boyhood. He glanced back at his mother, Anna, walking several paces behind leaning on his older brother William, with his sisters Sophia, Sarah, and Elizabeth. His mother's face was gray as the winter sky, her eyes hollow. She had aged a decade in the three days since John Auble had taken his last breath.

David was the fifth of nine children, sandwiched between older sisters who wept openly and younger brothers who didn't yet understand what forever meant. Sophia was married and had a child of her own. Nathan, who was eleven, kept asking when Father would come home. Samuel, only eight, had stopped talking altogether. Little Hampton was just four, and Robert—baby Robert—was barely a year old.

Nine children. No father. No income.

The mathematical equation was simple and terrible.

That night, David lay on the straw mattress he shared with Nathan and Samuel, listening to his mother's muffled weeping from the other room. The house in Byram was small—too small for a family of nine—and sound traveled through the thin walls like water through cheesecloth.

He thought about his father's calloused hands, strong from years of farm work. He thought about the way John Auble had looked at him just two weeks ago, when David had complained about chopping wood in the cold.

"A man does what needs doing, David," his father had said. "Whether he wants to or not."

David hadn't understood then. He understood now.

The weeks that followed were a blur of grim arithmetic. Anna Auble gathered her children around the rough wooden table and laid out their reality with the bluntness of a woman who had no time for gentleness.

"Your father left us very little," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "We have this house and a bit of land. The older children will need to work. William—" she looked at David's older brother, who was twenty-two and already supporting himself—"you must continue your trade. Sarah, Elizabeth—you'll need to take in sewing and washing, and all of you can help me with little Hampton and Robert."

Then her eyes fell on David, and he saw something there that made his stomach clench: expectation, hope, and desperate fear all mixed together.

"David, you're thirteen now. Old enough to apprentice."

The word hung in the air like smoke. Apprentice. It meant leaving home. It meant seven years of service to a master craftsman. It meant childhood was over.

"Yes, Mother," he said, because what else could he say?

Within a month, arrangements had been made. Through connections in Newton, the county seat of Sussex County, Anna had found a shoemaker named Samuel Griggs who was willing to take on an apprentice. Griggs was known as a fair master but a demanding one, and his shop in Newton produced some of the finest boots in the county.

The morning David left Byram, his mother pressed a small bundle into his hands: a spare shirt, an extra pair of socks she'd darned carefully, and a piece of cornbread wrapped in cloth.

"Write to us when you can," she said, though they both knew David's writing was barely serviceable. Then, more quietly, so the younger children couldn't hear: "Send what money you can spare."

He was an apprentice. He would earn no wages for the first few years—only room and board and the knowledge of a trade. But later, when he became a journeyman, there might be a few coins to send home. Might be.

David nodded, not trusting his voice. He kissed his mother's cheek, rough and cold as tree bark, and set off on foot for Newton, six miles away.

The shoemaker's shop occupied the first floor of a narrow building on Newton's main street. Samuel Griggs was a compact man with shoulders rounded from decades of bending over his work. His fingers were permanently stained with leather dye, and his eyes were sharp as the awls hanging on the wall.

"You're the Auble boy?" Griggs asked, looking David up and down with the appraising gaze of someone evaluating livestock.

"Yes, sir."

"Your mother says you're willing to work hard."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll see." Griggs gestured to a pile of old boots in the corner, their cracked and splitting leather testimony to hard use. "Those need to be taken apart. Save every nail, every piece of usable leather. Nothing gets wasted in this shop. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Griggs handed him a pair of pliers and a flat knife. "Get started."

The first weeks were brutal. David's hands, soft from a childhood of school and play, blistered and bled. The workshop was cold—Griggs kept only a small fire to avoid drying out the leather—and the hours were long. David woke before dawn to prepare the shop, swept and cleaned until his back ached, and fell into his narrow bed in the attic each night too exhausted to even dream.

He learned to sort leather by thickness and quality. He learned to stretch and soften hides. He learned which tools were for cutting and which for smoothing, which needles for fine work and which for heavy seams. He learned that shoemaking was not merely a trade but an art, requiring patience, precision, and an almost obsessive attention to detail.

"A shoe is a promise," Griggs would say, turning a piece of leather in his stained fingers. "A promise that when a man steps out his door, his feet won't fail him. When you make a shoe, you're making a promise. Don't ever forget that."

David didn't forget.

On Sundays, his only day of rest, David would sometimes walk the six miles back to Byram to see his family. Each visit showed him how much had changed and how quickly.

His mother looked older, thinner. Sophia, at twenty-six, had taken charge of the household with a grim efficiency. Sarah and Elizabeth did washing for the wealthier families in town. Nathan had found work with a local farmer. Even little Samuel helped where he could, running errands and doing odd jobs.

They were surviving. Barely.

"How is the apprenticeship?" his mother would ask, searching his face for signs of mistreatment or unhappiness.

"It's good, Mother. Mr. Griggs is a fair man. I'm learning a great deal."

He didn't mention the blisters, the cold, the homesickness that sometimes struck him so hard he had to excuse himself to the privy to weep where no one could see. He didn't mention how he lay awake at night, thinking about his father's funeral, about that frozen ground that sounded like breaking glass.

He was thirteen years old, and childhood was a luxury his family could no longer afford.

As the months passed and winter turned to spring, something began to change in David. The blisters on his hands hardened into calluses. The movements that had once seemed impossibly complex—the precise angle of a knife cut, the tension of a thread—became second nature. He found himself thinking about shoes even when he wasn't working, noticing how people walked, how their boots wore, where the stress points were.

One day, Griggs set a piece of fine leather in front of him and a pattern for a lady's boot.

"Cut it," Griggs said simply.

David stared at the leather, knowing it was expensive, knowing that one mistake would ruin it. His hand trembled slightly as he picked up the knife.

"Stop," Griggs said.

David froze.

"Why are you afraid?"

"I don't want to waste the leather, sir."

"Fear wastes more leather than mistakes," Griggs said. "Trust your training. You've done this a hundred times with scrap. This is no different."

But it was different. This mattered. This was real.

David took a breath, positioned the pattern, and began to cut. His hand steadied as he worked, following the lines he'd traced, keeping the blade at the proper angle. When he finished, he looked up at Griggs, uncertain.

The master shoemaker examined the cut leather, turning it this way and that in the light from the window.

"Acceptable," he said, which from Samuel Griggs was high praise indeed. "Now do the other one."

That night, David wrote his first real letter home. His handwriting was still poor, his spelling worse, but his mother would be able to read it:

Dear Mother,

I am well. Mr. Griggs says my work is improving. I cut fine leather today for a lady's boot. I did not ruin it.

I miss you all. Please tell Nathan and Samuel that I think of them.

Your son, David

He didn't write about the pride that had swelled in his chest when Griggs said "acceptable." He didn't write about how, for the first time since his father's death, he had felt something other than grief and worry. He had felt capable. He had felt like a man.

Years would pass before David Auble became a master shoemaker in his own right. More years would pass before he would form his own partnerships, marry Sarah Knapp, raise a family, and build a reputation as one of Newark’s, and then Terre Haute's, most honest businessmen.

But it all began here, in the winter of 1831, when a thirteen-year-old boy with blistered hands and a grief-heavy heart learned that a man does what needs doing.

Whether he wants to or not.

Historical Note: While the details of David Auble's apprenticeship are imagined, the historical framework is accurate based on the genealogical sketch. David's father John Auble died on January 16, 1831, when David was 13 years old. David did become a shoemaker and formed his first documented partnership in 1838 in Newton, suggesting he completed his training there. The practice of apprenticing young boys after a father's death was common in early 19th-century America, particularly in families of modest means.

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3)  Here is the Video Overview of this post by Google NotebookLM. 

4)  This is historical fiction based on the facts that are available for the John and Anna (Row) Auble family and David Auble's life.  It is historical fiction based on social history and society norms at the time and place, so it is likely realistic. David Auble became a shoe and boot maker. It might have happened this way.

5)  I had to tell this story. Each ancestor faces challenges in their life, and telling stories about them helps our descendants understand their parents lives and their own lives. 

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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Monday, March 16, 2026

Randy's Genealogy Pot-Pourri - Week Ending 15 March 2026

Here are the highlights of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week (ending Sunday, 15 March 2026). 

1)  Hosted and moderated the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Research Group on Wednesday.  We discussed RootsTech 2026, especially the new MyHeritage, Ancestry, and FamilySearch features, plus the attendees favorite classes.

3)  Curated genealogy-related articles to keep myself and my readers updated on the genealogy world in:


4)  Wrote one ABC Biography and one Life Memoir, and posted them on Genea-Musings and   Substack:
6)  Wrote an AI-assisted short story about my parents romance on Genea-Musings and Substack:
7)  Wrote an AI-assisted family story of my own memories on Genea-Musings and   Substack: 
8)  Checked out the relatively new Ancestry.com Photo Insights in Exploring Ancestry's Photo Insights Feature - Henry A. Carringer's Land Patent - Updated which worked well, but the Transcription of the document was poor.
 
9)  Updated my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Added a number of the recent Google NotebookLM Videos and Slide Shows to my YouTube channel at   https://www.youtube.com/@RandySeaver. 

10)  My AncestryDNA test now has 51,168 DNA matches (up 103 from 8 March) with 2,167 "close" matches (20 cM or more) today (up 4), with four new ThruLines.  Added Notes to four Matches, and added no new DNA match lines to RootsMagic.    MyHeritageDNA test now has 14,278 DNA matches (up 37 from 8 March) for me. 

11)  Searched for more records of ancestral families on Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage, downloaded record images to my digital file folders, and added research notes, events and sources to RootsMagic profiles.  My RootsMagic family tree now has 74,956 profiles (up 9 from last week)  and 147,975 source citations (up 2).  

12) Wrote 24 Genea-Musings blog posts last week (Sunday through Saturday), of which four were a press release. The most viewed post last week was Exploring Ancestry's Photo Insights Feature - Henry A. Carringer's Land Patent - Updated with over 292 views.  Genea-Musings had about  283,000 page views last week and over 1,476,000 views over the past month (lots of bots I think). 

13)  Real life events:  Visited Linda several days this past week at her memory care facility.  Went to the grocery store on Monday and Friday. Went to the cardiologist on Thursday for my yearly visit.  Finished reading Shock Wave by John Sandford and started Toys by James Patterson.  The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team was 2-1 last week, so finished 22-11 on the season, and not in the NCAA Tournament.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

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Randy’s Memories: Our October 2008 New York City and Caribbean Vacation -- Sightseeing

 I wrote several Genea-Musings posts about our vacation travels all over the United States and some foreign countries, but they are all in my "Engineer-speak" and "Just-the-facts" writing style. 

One of our most memorable trips was to New York City and a Caribbean Cruise in October 2008. I wrote a summary report after the trip.

I wondered if my AI-assistant Anthropic Claude could turn my "Engineer-speak" report into an engaging story about our 2008 vacation trip to the East Coast. 

Here is Claude's version of the story:


Our 2008 TMG Genealogy Cruise from New York to the Caribbean -- Sightseeing Summary

This is my account of the sightseeing adventures from our memorable cruise journey in October 2008, sponsored by The Master Genealogist (a genealogy software company) that began in New York City and ventured through several Caribbean islands, and ended up in Florida, offering a fascinating blend of American landmarks, island culture, and genealogical tourism. We flew from San Diego to New York City on Jet Blue to catch the cruise ship Caribbean Princess, but first we wanted to explore New York City (neither of us had been there before).

New York City: A Whirlwind Introduction

Our adventure began on Thursday, October 23, 2008, with what was supposed to be an eight-hour tour of New York City but turned into a nine-hour marathon. Linda and I had signed up for this tour the night before, and we left our hotel after 10 a.m., ready for whatever the city had to offer.

The tour packed in an impressive array of iconic locations, each offering its own unique perspective on the city's character and history. The United Nations building provided our first stop, where we navigated security to reach the visitor center and capture photographs outside this symbol of international c ooperation. From there, we moved to Rockefeller Plaza, where we explored both the interior and exterior spaces, including the famous Today show building and the skating rink that has become a winter tradition for millions.

The Empire State Building offered perhaps the most spectacular views of the day. Ascending to the 86th-floor observation deck, Linda and I gazed out over the sprawling metropolis, taking in the breathtaking panorama that has captivated tourists for generations. The gift shop provided the obligatory opportunity for souvenirs before our group continued the journey.Lunch came late, at 3 p.m., at Water Street Gourmet deli, but the wait was worthwhile as it preceded one of the tour's highlights. Battery Park served as our departure point for the ferry to Liberty Island, where we ate our deli lunches while cruising across the harbor. The Statue of Liberty, that enduring symbol of American freedom and immigration, stood majestically against the New York skyline. Though we couldn't ascend into the statue itself, we had ample opportunity for photographs and I even fed some opportunistic seagulls. One of my memorable photos captured what I like to call "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" photobombing a Liberty shot.


Ground Zero (of 9/11) provided a sobering contrast to the earlier stops. I was surprised by how compact the footprint appeared and noted how businesses around the site had resumed normal operations. The limited viewing area—requiring a 100-yard walk down a slope to a break in the fence—offered a glimpse into the construction site that would eventually become the 9/11 Memorial.

Chinatown brought the sensory experience to life with its open-air markets displaying fruits, vegetables, seafood, jewelry, and souvenirs. The vibrant neighborhood offered a stark contrast to the solemn atmosphere of Ground Zero, showcasing New York's incredible diversity.

The day's final challenge came in the form of clogged expressways, particularly the hour-long crawl from Chinatown to Elmhurst. "Arrgghh," I wrote in my journal. This traffic jam, however, provided an unexpected opportunity for me to discuss genealogy with ladies from Nova Scotia across the aisle. They were surprised that I knew where Cape Breton was—one of my CVGS colleagues has ancestry there! I told them about my Norway research and our trip to Voss in 1999. Then the traffic jam broke and we had to stop our conversation.

We got back at 7 p.m.—a full nine-hour day. The wireless connection at our hotel was crappy, and I couldn't read my email using Cox web mail that night—the pages never loaded.

Ellis Island: My Personal Pilgrimage

Friday, October 24, brought a deeply personal excursion to Ellis Island, a site of tremendous significance for genealogists like me. Linda wanted a quiet day and was really tired from all the walking the day before and cannot climb the subway stairs, so she walked to a local shopping center while I took the New York subway back to Battery Park.

My journey began at 10:30 a.m. on the R subway from Queens, and I arrived at Battery Park at 11:30 a.m. I bought my ticket, and then found the end of the line—it wrapped all the way around the park, maybe 300 yards long. I passed through security after 1 p.m. and caught the 1:30 p.m. boat, which stopped at the Statue of Liberty before getting to Ellis Island at 2 p.m.

The Ellis Island Immigration Center entrance led me into the Baggage Room, an evocative space that must have been filled with anxiety and hope for the millions who passed through it during the facility's operational years. At the west end of the room was the American Family Immigration History Center, which had the resources of the www.EllisIsland.org website on computers—visitors could look for ship manifests and ship passengers.

A particularly moving moment came when I stood and watched an excellent docent coax immigration information from a patron—and then the patron went to a computer for a 35-minute session to find and copy the ship manifest and ship's picture. Of course, the patron could buy a beautiful framed reproduction. I sensed the excitement, though. This is really ground-floor genealogy. I'll bet few of these patrons knew beforehand that they would have this opportunity.

I had limited time, so I went up to the second floor where most of th e exhibits are located. I no sooner entered than I was face-to-face with Annie Moore, the first recorded immigrant to Ellis Island. I had to get a picture of and with Annie, since I have strong feelings for her and had researched her story somewhat.

The rest of the exhibits were excellent—rooms showing the ships, the ocean passage experience, the inspection process at Ellis Island, and how the passengers left Ellis Island to meet family, sponsors, or return to the home country. I didn't have time to watch the theater shows—one was a 30-minute film "Island of Hope, Island of Fears" about the Ellis Island experience. I quickly toured the third floor too, but had to leave on the 3:20 p.m. boat in order to be back in Queens by 5 p.m.

Unfortunately, the long wait in line really curtailed my time at the Center. But it was a great hour of reading, learning, and seeing the Ellis Island experience firsthand.

This was my first time on the New York subway. I bought a one-day MetroPass for $7 and could have gone all over the system if I had time. Going back was during rush hour, and the cars filled and partially emptied several times.

Linda and I went to a restaurant down the block from the hotel for dinner. We celebrated my birthday with a big lemon meringue dessert that we shared.

Library Research as My Kind of Tourism

Saturday, October 25, demonstrated that for me, sightseeing isn't limited to traditional tourist attractions. I lucked out and dodged the rain that day to do some genealogy research at the New York Public Library. Linda didn't want to go out, so I braved the subway again and found my way to Grand Central Station and walked the three blocks to the NYPL at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street.

The imposing building, with its marble floors, tall square columns, numerous hallways, and distinctly "old world" feel, created an impressive setting for my scholarly pursuits. This was one of those buildings with lots of marble floors, tall square columns, many hallways, many rooms (each with a number), and a real "old world" feel to it. The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy is in Room 121 on the first floor.

The efficient system allowed me to look up items in the NYPL catalog on the computer, fill out a call slip, hand it in to the staff, and wait just two or three minutes for the item to be delivered at my table spot. The staff was very patient, friendly and helpful, and expert at what they do.

The computers had both the CATNYP library online catalog and access to electronic resources including Ancestry Library Edition, HeritageQuestOnline, Footnote.com, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, America's Historical Newspapers, Times of London, 19th Century Masterfile, New England Ancestors, New York County Histories Online, Origins Network and Burke's Peerage & Gentry Online.

The copying process was slightly cumbersome—I needed to buy a copy card. They cost 30 cents, but you have to put $1.00 from a bill on the card. I didn't have a $1 bill, so I had to go to the opposite corner of the building to get change (in a machine), then come back and load my card.

I imposed on one of my neighbor researchers to take a picture of me at my "place"—Table 3, Seat 24. In three hours, I got quite a bit done in resources that I might not find in a San Diego area library.

I had hoped to find the book Colonial Families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut by Herbert Furman Seversmith, published Washington DC, 1953. The NYPL had 6 volumes of it, and I checked out Volume 4, which contained information about my Lewis family. Unfortunately, it did not have information on the LaTourette family of Long Island. I copied the table of contents for all volumes and the Lewis information.

Next on my list was the LaTourette family—I copied pages from LaTourette Annals in America, by Lyman E. LaTourette, 1954. This small book seems to be the only one available for this family.

I checked Martin, Putman, Knapp, Seaver, Bresee, Scism and a bunch of other surnames and didn't see anything that I hadn't seen before. Then I remembered my Jeffrey Jones family of the 1600's in Huntington LI that went to Elizabethtown and Woodbridge NJ in the late 1600's. I found a book The Long Island Ancestry of William Jones, of Woodbridge, N.J. by Oliver D. Drake. An interesting book, but no mention of my Jeffrey. Drat. I hate it when that happens.

It was raining when I left the NYPL feeling good about my day. I ducked into the Bryant Park subway station right by the library and caught the 7 train to Queensboro Plaza, where I had to go outside and walk three blocks to the R train. I was back by 4:30 and we went to an early dinner at Pop Diner. They have a 16-ounce Angus Ribeye steak that is great!

Caribbean Islands: Sun, Sea, and Culture

The cruise portion of our journey brought Linda and me to four distinct Caribbean destinations, each offering unique character and attractions. We were at sea for five days out of New York City. There were genealogy-related events while at sea and in the evenings after dinner. Linda spent a lot of time in the sun and the pool on board the ship.

St. Kitts (Thursday, October 30) presented a vista of colorful buildings against mountainous terrain as our ship docked. We were up early because we had a hosted breakfast with Barbara Vines Little at 7 a.m. and an on-dock time of 8:20 a.m. for a tour to the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. There were eight of us at the breakfast in the Coral Dining Room but we had little time to talk about genealogy.

We went off on our three-hour tour on an 8 mile-per-hour rocking narrow gauge sugar cane train, traveling mainly past the back yards of St. Kittians, many of whom waved as the train passed, especially the school children. An onboard choir provided entertainment, adding a festive atmosphere to the scenic tour. The railway provided a unique perspective on the island—not the polished tourist areas, but the authentic residential neighborhoods where people lived their daily lives.

We were back to the dock by 12 noon, and Linda stayed in town to shop a bit while I came back to the boat for lunch. I ate lunch with Joanne from Oregon and Lorna from New Zealand, who are both TMG devotees. They extolled the virtues of TMG and I am truly convinced that it's a very powerful program that the user can bend to his or her will, but is it worth that effort? We shared research experiences and Linda joined us a bit later. She went to the pool and I explored the boat a bit more – walking the deck and exploring different rooms.

St. Kitts emerged as a genuinely poor island, but the warmth and friendliness of its people left a lasting impression on me. The narrow roads and left-side driving presented challenges for those of us accustomed to American traffic patterns, but these quirks added to the exotic appeal of the destination.

Antigua (Friday, October 31) proved slightly larger than St. Kitts and offered its own aquatic adventure. After breakfast, we went off on the Stingrays and Snorkel tour on the north side of the island, passing through the small town of St. Johns and into the countryside, arriving at a beach where we boarded small flat-bottom outboard motor boats.

The boats took us about a mile out to a fenced-in pen with a smooth bottom and sting rays swimming within the pen. We used snorkels to swim along with them. Some of the staff handled the rays and let everyone touch them. We took some underwater pictures. The experience of interacting with these gentle animals in their natural habitat created memories that transcended typical beach activities, though this was 3 hours for about 45 minutes in the water.

The drive to and from was pretty quiet—there was no tour guide, just a driver. I talked with several folks about genealogy on the way back.

Antigua shared St. Kitts' characteristics of narrow roads, left-side driving, friendly people, and economic challenges, but its larger size and the specific nature of the stingray encounter gave it a distinct identity in our overall cruise experience.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands (Saturday, November 1) offered yet another aquatic adventure. The day started in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) harbor with breakfast in the Horizon Court restaurant (usually scrambled eggs, bacon, English muffin or roll, banana, pear halves, and a Danish—hey, we had to get our money's worth! I need energy...).

Then we were off before 9 a.m. for our "Bumpy fast ride" on the top of the waves to Buck Island where we snorkeled in Turtle Cove (there were two turtles there—they spent most of their time on the bottom hiding from snorkelers) and Shipwreck Cove (where I didn't see the shipwreck, but others apparently did). Getting there was a lot of fun—two young ladies driving a 30-foot Zodiac boat (500 hp twin outboards)—we got a little wet crashing through the tops of the waves at 30 mph or so.

The water was fine, but it was rough in Shipwreck Cove. Linda had a hard time climbing back onboard the boat. We were back on the cruise ship by 12:30 p.m. and I went up to lunch (cheeseburger, fries, cookie) and ate with Lee and Gene. I was grungy and sunburned, so I went to the room and took a shower and put some coolant on my head and shoulders. Linda went to the pool.

St. Thomas presented a more developed character than the previous islands, with more extensive residential areas and superior road infrastructure. The right-side driving felt more familiar to us as Americans, and the greater number of day trip opportunities reflected the island's more established tourism industry. However, I noticed "slackers" around the tourist shopping areas, suggesting some of the social challenges that can accompany tourism development.

San Juan: Colonial Charm and Modern Complexity

Our final stop, San Juan, Puerto Rico (Sunday, November 2, arrival through Wednesday morning departure), offered a different experience entirely. As a cosmopolitan city, San Juan presented a more developed urban environment than the smaller Caribbean islands. The bilingual population reflected Puerto Rico's unique status, and the mix of road quality—ranging from poor to good—demonstrated varying levels of infrastructure investment across different areas.

The hotel accommodations in San Juan came with significantly higher price tags than we had anticipated, though the free bus system provided a n economical transportation option. Taxicab fares, at approximately $15 for a three-mile trip, fell into the moderately expensive category, consistent with many tourist destinations.

We visited the typical San Juan tourist sites, including the El Morro fort, the San Cristobal castle, and Old San Juan. San Juan represented the bridge between the laid-back Caribbean islands and our return to mainland American life, offering familiar comforts while maintaining distinct cultural character.


My Reflections on Sightseeing and Travel

Throughout our journey, several themes emerged that transcended specific destinations. The contrast between disabled accessibility in different venues proved notable—New York City tourist sites demonstrated excellent disabled-friendly design, while the subway system presented significant challenges. Linda had her walker, and we found that the cruise ship's accommodations struck a reasonable balance, with our cabin door just wide enough for the walker and staff willing to assist with meal planning to accommodate Linda's allergies.

The physical layout of cruise ship tourism created both advantages and limitations. While the ship provided comfortable accommodations and transported us between islands efficiently, I observed the logistics of moving 3,000 people through disembarkation, customs, and immigration processes, which revealed the industrial scale of modern cruise tourism.

The weather, ocean conditions, and my personal physical responses to travel all shaped our sightseeing experience. Our "rocky" cabin on the 14th deck's aft section created discomfort during rough seas. We're in the top aft portion, and the motion was disconcerting—some side-to-side and some up-and-down, though no pitching or rolling. The jittering of the boat made me nauseous in the morning, and I was sleepy in the afternoon during some of the conference sessions.

Cultural observations accumulated throughout my journey. The warmth and friendliness of Caribbean islanders, despite often difficult economic circumstances, created positive impressions. The narrow roads and left-side driving in former British colonies added adventure to our ground transportation, while the varying levels of economic development across islands provided me with perspective on historical and contemporary factors shaping Caribbean societies.

My observation was that very few researchers at the NYPL were working in the closed stack books, and hardly anyone was browsing in the open stacks. There were a few researchers in the microform room using the film and fiche machines. Perhaps 80% of those in the genealogy library area were on the Internet in the free-to-access databases.

This sightseeing journey successfully combined traditional tourism with my specialized genealogical interests, creating a multifaceted experience that satisfied both my desire to see famous landmarks and my need to access historical resources. From the Empire State Building's observation deck to Ellis Island's immigration exhibits, from underwater encounters with stingrays to railroad journeys through island backyards, the varied experiences created a rich tapestry of memories that transcended any single category of travel.

I can say that combining genealogy research with Caribbean tourism is that it created an unforgettable experience. Linda and I enjoyed the cruise immensely, even with the challenges of accessibility and my occasional seasickness. The opportunity to visit Ellis Island—a place so central to American genealogy—and then relax in Caribbean waters was the perfect combination of work and pleasure for this genealogy enthusiast.

It was really good to get home again and sleep in our own bed, even though we woke up at 3 a.m. with jet lag!


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  Here is the AI Google NotebookLM Video Overview of this story:  


Note that the video used some of my photographs that were in the report and this blog post.

Claude followed my reference document very well, and also added some interpretation and description to the narrative.  

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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