Winter Escape

Our January winter escape to Florida worked out really well so we decided to go for another.  This time we picked a cruise out of Port Canaveral and we flew since we had free tickets on United.

MNM and Atlantis

Yep, Like a kid!

We arrived a couple of days early because we wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center before our cruise.  We rented a car and drove about 30 minutes to the visitor center.  There we visited the Atlantis Shuttle Exhibit, watched the IMAX show about the International Space Station and took a bus tour throughout the launch area; ending up with a visit to the Apollo/Saturn exhibit.  The entire visit was awesome and emotional; evoking tears of memories and pride in the USA at every turn.  We definitely want to come back!

Us and Our Shipmates: Randy and Mary Ann

We spent two nights on Cocoa Beach meeting up with cousins Randy and Mary Ann on the second night.  They were on the same ship and celebrating their wedding anniversary.  Next morning we headed for the port.  Randy and Mary Ann are Platinum Members of Carnival so they got expedited boarding.  We are not, so we expected an hour before we go on board.  NOT. The lines moved incredibly fast and within 15 minutes we were on board and heading for Guy’s Burgers. There we met up with Randy and Mary Ann and enjoyed the sail-away festivities.

Next morning we docked at Nassau, Bahamas.  We debarked and headed out to find a geocache.  Our target cache was located at the British Colonial Hilton where Sean Connery stayed when filming the James Bond movies.  Incredibly cool hotel and beautiful grounds….we’d love to come here to stay in this hotel!

We then wandered the streets of Nassau,

Fresh Conch!

Nassau Officers

visiting the Parliament and walking by hundreds of shops.  The best thing about the shops was the air conditioning blasting out the doors.  We stopped at Conch Fritters to have a couple of Bahamian beers in honor of our friend Trae and to use their WiFi.  Then we moved on to a little local bar right on the waterfront.  There we linked up with three crazy guys from our ship: Chris, Brett and John.  We traded stories, drinks and jokes with them for a couple hours and then made our way back to the Liberty…a little worse for the wear but happy happy happy!

St. Thomas was our next port of call.  We had a couple of errands to run before our excursion so we debarked and headed out.  First task was to find a geocache which was only about 500 feet from our ship.  Finding it took only a few minutes and then we were off to shop.  Bought our items, dropped them off on the ship and then headed back out to join our excursion on a catamaran to St. John’s.  

It was Mona's birthday and she chose to celebrate on the Champagne Catamaran excursion from Carnival because it took us to St. John’s AND it had champagne!  The excursion started with a twenty minute bus ride to the other side of the island where we took off our sandals and boarded the catamaran.  Our crew was Micky, Michael and Alex the captain.

My "Jaws Pic".  I was snorkeling and happened to look up as
the crew was boating Mona back to the Catamaran.

We sailed over to St. Johns taking about a half hour. Along the way the crew briefed us on how to use the snorkel gear and where the best spots were in the bay. As soon as we arrived I jumped in to see lots of fish, rays and spiny sea urchins. Others on our boat saw turtles, but it wasn't my day for them. Mona doesn't snorkel so the crew boated her to the beach where she enjoyed shelling and talking to other non-snorkelers.  She was perfectly happy there!

We were in the water for about an hour, then back to the catamaran. We sailed back to St. Thomas while enjoying champagne, rum punch, cheese and bread. Okay, more champagne and rum than cheese and bread.  Lots of fun sailing but no dolphins.

Mofongo!

Next up was San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This was our third visit to the island and this time we were determined to try mofongo; a local speciality made of crushed fried plantains molded into a cup shape and then stuffed with the meat of your choice.  We made our way to the Aji Dulce in Old Town  and once there we chose mofongo with pork and mojitos.  We both loved the new tastes and maybe, just maybe, the Mojitos might of helped make it taste even better.

Mona with Jack's Shack owners, Jack and Joan

Grand Turk was our last port of call.  Here, as with our last visit, we waded to the left of the pier for about a quarter mile till we came to Jack’s Shack.  This little place has a volleyball net, a bar and tables and a grill which puts out some of the best jerk chicken we’ve ever had.  We spent several hours here, talking to the owners, trading stories with other visitors and just enjoying the sun and breeze.  There’s nothing fancy here, just quality relaxation!

Our time on ship was spent watching shows, eating, playing trivia and just laying in the sun or shade as our whims dictated.  The Liberty has activities for all ages and we had no trouble finding something to do at all times.  And, since there are plenty of quiet spaces we had no trouble finding ways to just relax and listen to the sounds of the ship cutting through the water.  

The Liberty has Carnival’s new American Table Menu which we really enjoyed.  It has lots of new selections as well as many of the old-time favorites.  What we liked most was the port-specific selections which offer foods that are typical for the post just visited.  This had the effect of extending our stay on the island and we love that!

All too soon our cruise ended and we took the Road Runner Shuttle back to Orlando.  We spent several hours in the United lounge before flying back to Chicago. Our flight was delayed several times but we didn’t mind too much as we had free drinks and food.  From there we drove home to 11 inches of newly fallen snow. We are already ready to escape again!

Travel Tips

We get a lot of questions on traveling so I decided to add this new section to the blog to share a few of our tips and experiences.

Free airfare: We both flew free round trip to Orlando.  We found a promotion where you sign up for a United Airlines Credit card and you get enough miles for a free ticket.  We both got cards, charged the minimum and got the tickets.  We paid off the charges immediately so we didn’t pay any interest.  As a bonus, we both got free passes to the United Lounge which really paid off as we had a multi-hour wait at Orlando.  Free drinks and food all day!

Sleep and Park: We bought a package deal at the Elk Grove Quality Inn and Suites.  The deal included a shuttle to and from the airport plus free parking for nine days.  Essentially, we stayed for free (instead of paying for parking at the airport) plus they shoveled out our car and cleaned the windows before we got back.  Also note, this is a Choice Hotel and they have a promotion right now for a free night’s stay after two nights.  We’ll get the second night in March.

Medical Issues: On Grand Turk I stepped on a rusty nail sticking up from the deck.  (Okay, two tips here: get your shots and don’t go barefoot!)  We quickly reviewed my tetanus shot history and breathed a big sigh of relief as it’s been less than 5 years since my last shot.  When you plan your cruise you aren’t thinking about medical issues, but you need to think about what will happen if you have problems on a trip.  Carnival offers medical insurance that’s worth considering.

Thrifty Rental Cars: We had prebooked a rental car at Thrifty for our trip to the Space Center.  However, when we got there they reneged on the deal.  I surmise that they could rent the car for more to Daytona 500 visitors.  Lesson learned: I won't be booking with Thrifty again.

Booking Flights: I just learned about Google Flights.  This is an amazing tool to help you find bargains: Google Flights from Huffington Post

The Points Guy:  As always, if you’re looking for ways to maximize your frequent flyer miles we highly recommend you follow The Points Guy: http://thepointsguy.com  He also has tips on the best credit cards for travelers, ways to maximize hotel points, etc. etc. etc. The Points Guy is just an awesome reference for any traveler!

January Cruising!

The Carnival Breeze

We always wonder why we don’t go somewhere in January when it’s cold; so this year we decided on a winter cruise.  We left home when it was minus one and headed south to warmth!

A few weeks ago we were talking to our friend Carolyn about her Bucket List item of watching a rocket blast off.  We loved that idea so we added it to our list. By a stroke of luck we happened to be in Florida when we heard that SpaceX’s launch for their Falcon 9 rocket was delayed till Saturday morning.  We found a cheap hotel on Cocoa Beach and set our alarms for 3:30 in the morning.  The launch was scheduled for 4:47 AM with an immediate launch window…meaning that it would blast off exactly at 4:47 or not at all.

Our best pic.  Bad zoom and blinded
by the light.  (Sounds like a song!)

We found a vantage point across the bay from the blast site and pulled our car onto the shoulder.  We were there with a few hundred others who, like us, were standing in the dark looking at a bright light across the way.  Some of our compatriots had NASA’s broadcast on so we could hear the launch technicians talking and could monitor the countdown.  Finally, it got to 10, 9, 8…..lift off!  Suddenly, a new sun emerged and we could clearly see the launch platform and the rocket.  It didn’t seem to be moving at all, but then started to lift lift lift!  It seemed to start slowly and then it gained momentum and shot into the sky.  Shortly thereafter came the thrum of sound almost pulsating through us, like nothing we’ve heard before.  We watched it for a least two minutes before it finally disappeared.  At that point, everyone, including us, began to clap and cheer.  IT. WAS. AWESOME!  It’s still a thrill just to think about it!

This was our view, but not our pic.  Our cameras were
blinded by the light.

Our home for the week was the Carnival Breeze.  This was the big ship that we first had seen in Grand Turks back in October.  The Breeze is one BIG ship.  While most of the other Carnival ships carry about 3200 passengers, this ship carries 4500 plus a crew of 1400. Big.  It weighs in at a mere 130,000 tons and has 14 decks and is 1004 feet long.  Did I already say it was big?  It’s big! Not only is it big, it’s beautiful.  The decor is light, airy and very tropical.  We love it!  And last but not least, it has Guy’s Burgers so for us it’s practically perfect in every way!

Mona and Friends Going Up the Falls.

Our first port on our cruise was Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  We were in Jamaica for a week about fifteen years ago and somehow we didn’t have time to visit Dunn’s River Falls.  This trip we’d fix that!  At the port we boarded a catamaran and sailed to the mouth of Dunn’s River.  There we met our guide, BBG…short for Big Belly Guide.  He and his cohort told us we’d be walking in a line holding hands up the falls.  Huh?  That sounded a little like overkill.  

The easy part of the falls

After a pep talk and everyone repeatedly shouting “Hot! Hot! Hot” at the top of their lungs we finally began.  You start at the bottom of the falls at about a 30 degree angle.  The water is rushing down the falls and you are walking on very slippery rocks with lots of holes.  Immediately, we’re glad we are holding hands in a line.  You need each of your adjacent hand-holders to help you stand!  

You slip and slide, slide and slip, slowly working your way up the natural steps of the cascade.  Neither of us fell but somehow we both got wet from head to toe!  We had gone about a tenth of a mile and finally, we were done!!! Whew!  But no, the river curved and the falls went up at about a 60 degree incline.  Up we went!  It took us at least 30 minutes to get up there, but we did it!  At the top was a sign saying we made it!  We high-fived and head back down to shore to party on the catamaran as it took us back to port.  Back in port we celebrated with jerk chicken and Red Stripe Beer…a fitting way to celebrate our conquest of the falls.

The Atrium of the Breeze

We loved cruising on the Breeze.  We even got to go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship.  We got to go into the bowels of the ship to visit the storerooms and freezers.  We also got to go to the galley where they prepare over 15,000 meals a day. Then up to the bridge to meet the captain and get our photos taken with him.  (I was told specifically not to touch anything.  Can’t figure why I was singled out.)  We went behind the stage to learn about costumes and set movements and then finally we went down to the front of the ship where the spare anchor is kept.  For geeks like us, it was the perfect tour!

Overall, this was a great cruise.  Three great ports: Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Caymans; and finally Cozumel, Mexico.  We met new friends everywhere we went and we even ran into a couple of old friends on the ship.  The ship had four great shows and lots of other entertainment including outside movies at night.  We couldn’t get everything done, but we sure tried!

Gas Station Gators

All too soon it was time to head home.  We are working on finding a geocache in every Florida county and we already have all the “outline” counties so this trip we decided to drive up through the center of the state.  This is a part of Florida that most don’t see.  It’s Everglades, Indian reservations, sugar cane fields and orange groves for miles.  Lots of wildlife everywhere including two alligators that we saw while gassing up. (They weren't fenced in...I think they were attracted by the $1.73 gas!)

After driving across the Florida panhandle we decided to visit Baton Rouge.  We spent a night there and headed to Memphis to see the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.  Our visit coincided with the MLK holiday and the 50th anniversary of the

Civil Rights Bill so there was a lot going on at the “hotel”, including lots of gospel singing and food stands everywhere. I put hotel in quotes because the National Civil Rights Museum has been built to envelop the hotel.  The lines were as far as the eye could see and too long for us to go into the Museum so we’ll have to go back for that.  

Just seeing the balcony was a very emotional experience.  I remember the day Dr. King was shot and I’ve seen that balcony in hundreds of news reports and documentaries.  Standing there you wonder at how much more Dr. King could have done for the country had he lived.  You’re also struck with how much he accomplished in just 39 years of life.  What an amazing man who was taken from us all too soon.  (Note: We saw “Selma” our first night back home.  It’s a great movie that gives insight into Dr. King and the horrible conditions in the South in the 60s.  Seeing this movie was a great complement to our Lorraine Hotel visit.)

We ended our trip the right way….with red beans and rice, étouffée and a Po Boy on Beale Street.  It’s hard to beat Memphis food…unless you're in Louisiana of course!

Now we’re home.  Our bags are unpacked, we’re doing laundry; and of course, we’re making plans for the next trip!

Remembering the Warm Tropical Nights!

P.S.  We highly recommend traveling to somewhere warm in January.  The only problem is it's so damn cold coming home!

New York New Year's

Let’s get this over with quickly, shall we?  No, we did not see the ball drop on Times Square.  There, I’ve said it!  Now let’s move on.  No, you say….you want to know why not?  Okay, here’s the scoop.  Long ago, when we first created this Bucket List item it was indeed titled “Watch the Ball Drop in Times Square”.  However, as we got into the detailed planning for the trip we found that it’s simply not that simple.  

Roll back to last September/October.  Mona was absorbed with something on her computer when she finally leaned over and said, “Hey, do you know all the details about watching the ball drop in Times Square?”  “Duh, just show up late evening and watch!”, says I (on the inside).  “No, darling.  Pray tell what are the details?”,  (on the outside).

Come to find out….and this is no joke…

   You need to claim your standing spot around 3 in the afternoon

   No backpacks, etc

   No access to restaurants

   Any food/drink you want over the next 9 hours must be in your pockets

   No access to restrooms….you leave to "go" and you can’t come back in.

   You will have barely enough room to stand; be prepared for your feet to be stepped on

   It’s freaking cold so wear many layers

   And did I say it before....nine hours without restrooms!

Well, between the four of us (Monte and Aleta went with us) our average age is about 65 and let me tell you there was no way we were going to Stand. Outside. In the Cold. For Nine Hours. With No Hot Food.  AND NO FREAKING RESTROOMS!  In no time at all the Bucket List Item was revised to say, “Spend New Years in New York City.”  Whew!  (BTW: We did talk to people who did stand out there all day and they started to give us details about Depends and whatnot….TMI!)

Caught a limo at LaGuardia

Our next tactic was to make reservations where we could watch the ball drop from inside.  Most were already booked, but we did find one nice little spot for $800 per person.  One problem, you didn’t get a chair for that $800.  Not!  Finally, after hours of searching; we found the perfect spot.  Window view of the drop.  Food and beverages.  Restrooms!  Chairs!!!  Only $15,000...

We settled on the Bourbon Street Bar/Times Square.  It’s about a block from Times Square. It was reasonably priced for NYC (aka “outrageous” by mid-West standards).  It came with food and adult beverages.  And Chairs.  And Restrooms!  We went there and had a blast.  (Note: Here’s a big shout out to my peeps, Monte, Aleta and Mona, for chaperoning me home.  Nuff said.)

Back to the rest of the trip!

Can you see Buddy?

We had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.  We jumped out of our limo.  Checked in. And then hit the streets!  First up was Rockefeller Center…This was my first time seeing it decorated for the holidays and I felt like a Valley Girl when I first saw it, “Oh my ga-odd! Awesome!”  I actually think I saw Buddy and Jovie skating!

Times Square & Friends

Then it was Radio City Music Hall, then Avenue of the Americas, and finally Times Square.  There we linked up with about 500,000 of our closest friends from all over the world.  Literally.  It was packed with people and you seldom heard English.  It was wild and this was the only the 30th!  We made it all the way down Broadway to the Armed Forces Recruiting Center and got to see ourselves on the Jumbo Tron.  Enough decorations and lights for the night…time for a beverage and bed!!!

Day 2 had a lot on the agenda so we hit a diner for breakfast and off we went.  Central Park was first up.  We took a carriage ride (No, the horse didn’t have issues like the one in Seinfeld.) through the park and the driver told us all about the sights and history we were seeing.  His Irish accent reminded Mona of Greg from Mosaic so it took a wee bit of time to get her away from there!

1 of many Saks 5th Avenue windows

Then it was window shopping on 5th Avenue.  Incredible.  Amazing.  Fantastic.  I just don’t have enough superlative adjectives to describe the window displays in the swanky/deluxe stores along 5th Avenue!  I’ve never seen anything like it!  And these weren’t just little trains and villages, no no no.  Some of these were full sized fairy tales come to life with haute couture clothes and Harry Winston jewels.  I may have to go back to New York on another holiday weekend just to see more of these incredible window displays!

It was time for lunch so we grabbed a cab and head down through the Bowery to land at Katz’s deli.  We were all hungering for a pastrami on rye.  Monte and I headed to the counter to order and Mona and Aleta went on an all-points search for a table.  I’m not sure who had the easier job because both were circus events!  In the end, I think Monte and I got luckiest because we enlisted a local to help us

The "line" at Katz Deli counter

through the protocol and we got free samples!  The sandwiches were only $19.75 and were huge so each “team” split one.  There was no pastrami left over whatsoever!  And sorrowfully, Sally wasn't there to give her rendition of the big "O".

Time to walk off lunch.  Another cab, this time with Washington Square Park as our destination to begin our walk.  If you’ve ever watched “Friends” you’ve seen this park as it’s where the fountain is.  Frankly, if you’ve watched much TV or many movies you’ve probably seen this park lots of times.  The fountain and the arch here are iconic.  We watched a guy playing his grand piano in the park then headed south.  After a few blocks we got cold and ducked into a little Greenwich Village bar for a

I guess it's normal to play your baby grand in the park;
after all, it's Greenwich Village!

warm-up drink.  Oddly all the warm-up drinks were cold, but they did the trick!

We continued our trek south through SoHo, then Tribeca and IT. WAS. COLD!  (Note: Did you know that SoHo stands for SOuth of HOuston?  And Houston is pronounced Huston?  Also, Tribeca is short for TRIangle BElow CAnal Street?  Trivia fans, you're welcome!)  Oops, got distracted.  It was cold walking those streets but it was also cool to be walking through neighborhoods that we’ve heard about all our lives.

This is the North Building Memorial

We ended up at One World Trade where the new 1776 foot tall building dominates the sky.  There is still a lot of work going on around here, but it’s still incredible to see what has regrown from the ashes of 911.  We then walked around to the south side of the new building.  There, we found the 911 Memorial where the foot prints of the twin towers are encased in water falls in tribute to the 2606 people who died here. There is much more to see here and we need to come back.

A cab ride back to our Midtown hotel and then Mona and I decided to walk back to Rockefeller Center.  We just wanted to feel more of the child-like awe of the lights and decorations.  We also stumbled upon a light and sound show at Saks Fifth Avenue where they use the entire building for the show.  A-MA-ZING.

Happy New Year!

At long last it was time to party for New Year’s Eve!  Yet another cab ride, this time to the Bourbon Street Bar/Times Sqaure.  There we did pretty much what people all over the world did to celebrate: dance, laugh, eat and drink…and use those nice warm restrooms!

We started New Year’s Day the traditional way, with a visit to an Irish Pub!  Aye, an Irish Pub that serves breakfast only on New Year’s Day.  Me, I had the “Full Irish Breakfast” with bangers and mash, blood sausages, beans, eggs and god knows what else!  Breakfast provided fuel for Aleta and I to visit the Empire State Building where we also got a simulated helicopter ride above and below New York (you had to be there) as well as a ride to the 86th floor observatory.  High winds and cold temperatures kept our outside viewing to a minimum, but we managed to see it all!

Our evening started with another stroll with a few of our friends in Times Square.  Then to Sardi’s for dinner.  It was fun looking at the caricatures trying to figure out who they were; while at the same time scanning the rest of the patrons to try to spot real-live celebrities.  Monte was pretty much convinced that Jackie Mason was at the table across the aisle.  Yeh, right.  After dinner Monte walked up to the guy and asked…and yep it was Jackie Mason.  Cool!

Even Mona could see from here!

Next door to Sardi’s is the Helen Hayes theater where we saw “Rock of Ages.”  Mona’s favorite American Idol, Constantine Maroulis, opened this show in 2009 and was nominated for a Tony, but then went on to other roles.  Much to our surprise, Constantine was there that night, back in the lead role as Drew!  He can really belt out those songs!

Rock of Ages rocked!  It’s an awesome production with lots of high-energy classic rock music that makes you want to sing along.  It’s also full of laughs especially from the character Franz played by Frankie Grande, whose friend was our waitress at Bourbon Street the night before.  This is a show I’d love to see again!

Here's a few more random pics of Times Square...there's just no way for a picture to transmit the size, sound, smell and energy of this unique spot of the world.  You just need to go!

All too soon our New York City New Year’s had to come to an end.  The four of us did a pretty good job of covering Manhattan from Central Park south to the Battery.  But of course, there is much much more to see in New York so we’ll have to go back again…hopefully, soon!  For now, it’s time to do our laundry and start planning the next trip!

Our Bucket List Ski Trip

I’ve long been a cross-country skier but have never gone downhill skiing because of my knee problems.  However, downhill skiing somehow landed on our bucket list so we had to try it!  A skiing trip was different than all our others so it took some significant preparation: particularly shopping for cold-weather clothing.  Between MCI Sporting Goods and Farm & Fleet we were able to pick up everything we needed.  BTW: Farm & Fleet has a much better selection and their prices are half what you pay at MCI.  That means all of my gear came from Farm & Fleet and Mona’s came from MCI.

We started our western expedition much like Lewis and Clark did; by starting in St. Louis.  We visited a few of our old haunts, touched base with some friends and ran into Mona’s niece, Taffy.   It’s a great way to start a trip! Note: Several people have asked if we saw any of the destruction caused by the riots.  No, we didn’t.  We drove all around downtown; out to Clayton; through Central West End, and then to and from the airport.  All was normal.  We didn’t drive through Ferguson itself but ended up driving all the way around it.  Also, we felt safe as normal walking the downtown streets.

A few of the lights in Frisco

We arrived in Denver and were met with 57 degrees of warm sunshine.  It wasn’t looking good for skiing, but we continued on our westward trek anyway. We caught our pre-arranged shuttle and settled in for the two hour drive to Breckenridge.  It’s a beautiful drive on I70 through the Rockies and you get to see great mountain scenery; some incredible highway engineering and you go through the Eisenhower Tunnel.  This tunnel is the world’s highest automotive tunnel at over 11,000 feet and is located on the Continental Divide.  

As we approached Breckenridge we started seeing snow…about two feet of snow.  About ten days earlier they had received 94 inches of snow in three days.  Since then the weather has been above freezing every day and it melted down to 29 inches on the ground.  We were relieved because it meant we would get to ski!

The View From Our Room

We stayed at Grand Timber Lodge which is at the base of Peak 7 and only about a thousand feet from the ski lift.  It’s a beautiful lodge with lots of indoor and outdoor gas fire pits as well as indoor and outdoor jacuzzis and pools.  (I loved being able to start my swim inside and to swim through an opening to the outside pool and into the crisp night air!)  The lodge is nestled into a pine woods and there’s lots of wildlife around.  In fact, we opened the door to go outside on our first night and came face to face with a beautiful fox!  He was the largest fox we’ve ever seen and he had a beautiful red bushy tail.  We were about ten feet from him and he wasn’t the least bit disturbed.  We were too dumbfounded to take pictures.  Later we found out that he’s the “resident fox” and his name is Pancakes!

Our friends, Paul and Ali, came from Denver to take us to dinner the first night.  They drove us to Frisco where we enjoyed a great meal and got to see the town’s beautiful lighting displays.  The huge pine trees were decorated with lights and they had what looked like fireworks shooting down through the trees.  We’ve never seen anything like it!

Monday morning was our ski day.  We had reserved our ski equipment there at the lodge and had arranged for all-day lessons at the Beaver Run Resort, just 1000 feet away.  All was set!  We grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the ski shop.  That’s where our troubles began.

Neither of us had ever worn ski boots before and we got quite the education.  First off, they have to fit tightly….really damn tightly!!!  After some struggling Mona got hers on.  However, I couldn’t get my feet into mine due to high arches and last year’s foot surgery.  The ski dude insisted they would fit and I insisted they wouldn’t.  After ten minutes of painful trying the ski dude relented and gave me a larger size.  Finally, I got my feet into the larger boots but even then I was in pain.  Nonetheless, we were in skis and we headed out to the slope!

Me Skiing!

Not so fast!  First we had to get on the ski trail and it was about 20 feet lower than the ski shop.  Since we didn’t know how to ski we had to figure out how to get down that slope.  I was carrying the skis (which are freaking heavy!) and Mona had the poles.  Neither of us fell, but it took us at least 15 minutes to go down that 20 feet.  Then we had about 500 feet of snow-packed trail to go on.  We walked it, neither of us thinking to put the skis on.  DUH!  Finally we got to the sidewalk for the final 500 feet.  That was even worse than the snow because of the awkward way you have to walk in ski boots and because of the ice patches.

Mona Skiing!

Finally, after about a half hour of painful struggles, we were at the ski instruction area.  We were both exhausted and frankly we were ready to quit.  But, we had come this far; we had already paid $300 for our lessons, AND it was a bucket-list item so we were determined to trudge onward.  However, we were so tired that a nice young lady took pity on us and carried our skis to the training area.  (Humiliating!)

No ski boots and loving the fire!

At last we got our skis on and we began our lessons: forming our vees, leaning forward, pushing off, etc. etc. etc.  We also had a little “carpet-lift” which we would ride up the hill a little ways and then ski back down.  Up and down; up and down; up and down.  It was fun, but exhausting and still quite painful for me.  After about 2 1/2 hours Mona said she had had enough and would just watch me from then on.  I was so relieved because I wanted to quit, too!  I was in severe pain by then and it felt as though I had rebroken my toes!   (Surprisingly neither of my bad knees hurt, but my ankles and toes hurt for days later.)

We struggled to the ski instruction office and let them know that we were dropouts.  They took pity on us and gave us a complete refund!  So, the downside was pain, but the upside was that we got to ski for 2 1/2 hours for free and we could cross downhill skiing off our list!  We called the Lodge shuttle and they came to haul us and our equipment back that 1000 feet to Grand Timber.  One of the best feelings I have EVER had was taking off those ski boots.  OMG….I could have cried with relief!

Angels Hollow

We spent the rest of the day exploring Breckenridge.  It’s filled with lots of speciality shops, restaurants and even a marijuana shop right on Main Street.  We really enjoyed the town and found a new favorite restaurant called Angel’s Hollow.  It’s a biker bar/restaurant with a CIA-trained chef and it specializes in New Mexican food.  They have Blue Coyote-worthy margaritas and their chili rellenos are the best I’ve ever had, bar none!  We ended up our day in the jacuzzi and the pools.  That’s the best way to ease the pain of ski boots!

Barney, Bess and Mona

Tuesday’s feature event was riding in a horse-drawn open sleigh.  The stables picked us up at the lodge and drove us about twenty minutes away to where our sleigh awaited.  There we met Bess and Barney; the two Belgians who would pull us through the snow.  They were properly festooned with sleigh bells which truly jingled all the way!  We loved the sleigh ride and Mona said that she didn’t realize it, but a sleigh ride was actually a bucket list item for her!  We rode in the sleigh for almost an hour and finished the ride with hot chocolate and Jameson’s by the fireplace.  We highly recommend a sleigh ride through the white and drifting snow!

Hat Shopping in Breck

As many of you know, Mona hates snow and cold.  But even she loved this trip.  We were never cold and the beauty of the snow-covered mountains is captivating.  It’s picture perfect!  However, in addition to the ski-boot pain I must forewarn you about another issue: breathing.  Breckenridge is at 9600 feet above sea level.  Decatur is about 600 feet.  That 9000 foot difference is very hard on the lungs.  We found ourselves panting quite a bit whenever we did anything difficult…like taking a step or sitting down.  It was truly tough!  We were very glad to get down to the low level Denver (5200 feet) and breath deeply again!!!

We both loved the trip and we’re talking about going back.  We love the mountains and we love the wildlife; we saw fox, elk and bighorn sheep.  However, we won’t be skiing again….hmmm….but maybe we’ll try snowboarding!!!

The Rest of Our Trip

We spent two weeks on Sanibel Island.  We never left the island the entire time because we were too cheap to pay the $6 toll to go over the bridge. :-) Our typical day started with a quick breakfast in the condo; then shelling for a few hours; afterwards spending time in the pool talking with new friends (particularly Joan & Jerry and Pete & Mary); and then finishing the day with a seafood dinner at one of the many great restaurants on the island.  Whew, rough duty, but someone has to do it!

Who knew Lettered Olives could
write Cristie's initials?!

We loved all the wildlife we saw on the island: birds, lizards, gators and sea creatures including manatees, dolphins, mollusks and bivalves.  It was a thrill to finally see a Roseate Spoonbill in the late evening in the Ding Darling Refuge.  It was a totally different thrill to see an alligator eyeing us as we left Bowman Beach!  Most of all, we loved the shells and the creatures that inhabit them.  We were so glad we visited the Shell Museum and took the guided Shell Walk where we learned so much about these creatures.  Afterwards, we knew what to look for in the sand so we could dig down and see the live whelks, olives and other critters.  One of our favorite times on the beach was at low tide when the Lettered Olives were out…writing in the sand.  Too cool!

Roseate Spoonbill

All too soon we had to leave.  We packed our bags and headed east across Alligator Alley to Ft. Lauderdale.  The last time I drove through here it was a two lane road with Seminole “villages” along the road.  Now, it’s I75 and you speed along with no distracting alligators nor roadside stands along side the road…kind of a shame.  However, we still saw lots of ibis, egrets and even a few storks along the way.  We also took time to visit the Florida Panther Refuge.  Saw no panthers, but even the potential of seeing a panther was fun.

Our first Guy's of the Trip

Next up was our eight day cruise on the Carnival Freedom.  The Freedom weighs in at 110,000 tons and carries about 3000 passengers along with 1200 crew members.  It has 13 decks, three pools, at least 6 restaurants, countless bars and music venues, a three story inside theater, an outside movie theater, and a large Serenity Deck for adults only.  But most importantly, it has a Guy’s Burger Joint.  In our opinion, these are the best burgers we’ve ever tasted and so as soon as we got on board we headed to Guys!  Mona got in line to grab two burgers and I found us seats with a good view of the ocean.  Mona quickly made it back to the table and I thought she was going to bite off my fingers as she waited while I took pictures of the burgers.  As soon as my snaps were done she devoured her burger.  I mean, seriously and without exaggeration, it was gone in less than sixty seconds.  Mona is a little scary at these times so I lowered my head and tucked my arms around my burger so I could dine at a more human pace.  (In the meantime she got seconds!)

After Mona was sated we explored the ship.  The Freedom has the same basic layout as the Liberty which we sailed on about a year ago so it was relatively easy for us to get around.  

Something different about this ship was the productions.  The show on the first night was a tribute to 1980’s music and it was AWESOME!  This was easily one of the best productions either of us had seen anywhere in our travels.  The music rocked; the vocals were awesome; and the sets were amazing! This set the tone for all the shows for the week.  Each of them was a tribute to a different style or vintage of music and they were all good!  We talked to the Cruise Director about them and she said that these were new shows just now being rolled out to the ships.  We’re just glad we got to see them!

There were three “at sea” days on the ship.  We spent all three doing basically the same things: going to the pool, playing trivia, hot-tubbing, people-watching, dancing and dining.  Each night would end with a show or the comedy club or a movie on the big screen outside.

Our first port of call was Grand Turk.  I woke up to find we had already docked at Grand Turk…yes, I slept in and missed the docking.  I hurriedly dressed and headed to the Lido Deck. There I saw a huge building next to our ship which surprised me as I didn’t think there were any large buildings on Grand Turk.  Turns out I was right…and wrong.  There are no huge buildings on the Island; instead, that was the Carnival Breeze which at 130,000 tons is the big brother to our Freedom.

Freedom and Big Brother

We disembarked and decided to first find a cache.  Took us a few minutes but we soon had the cache in hand (and poison ivy on my ankle) and then we set out to see a little of Grand Turk.  We first visited the memorial to the 1962 splashdown of John Glenn’s Mercury Spacecraft. Afterwards we headed about a quarter mile down the beach to Jack’s Shack.  We chilled there for awhile, taking in the beach scenes and just cooling down from the tropical heat.

Castillo de San Cristobal watchtower and cannon embrasure

The next day we were in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The ship docks at old town San Juan so it’s easy to just get off the ship and start exploring.  Here, we had booked an excursion to take a three hour walking tour of old San Juan.  Mistake.  Don’t get me wrong, the tour itself was great…we walked all through the city and learned so much.  We also got to climb up to the highest point of Castillo de San Cristóbal which is one of the oldest forts in the Americas and a marvel of 17th century engineering.  We also got to go inside several buildings including the capital and the Spanish House which reminded us of Spain.  All that was good.  What was bad was the heat.  All that climbing in the heat was exhausting!  Even Mona sweated (Is that a word?)   and by the end of the tour we were drenched.  Ugh!  On the other hand, our tour guide was dressed in long pants and a long sleeved shirt with a tee over it and she was perfectly dry.  How can that be!?!?

After the tour was over we found a geocache, had a quick drink and headed back to the ship to cool in the pool.  I think the pool steamed as we let our hot bodies finally chill!

Our next port of call was St. Kitts.  This time we decided we would just relax.  But of course we had to find a cache first.  The nearest cache was 2 1/2 miles from the port so we hired a taxi to take us there.  We had a wild ride on the wrong side of the road to the Veterinary College where the cache was hidden.  Interesting that most of the students at this college are Americans!

Let's hear it for the monkeys!

We then had the driver take us to the opposite end of the island to The Shipwreck Bar.  This place is literally built with pieces of wrecks that have landed on the island.  Here we relaxed and watched all the monkeys and mongooses (what is the plural of mongoose?).  The monkeys are Green Vervet monkeys originally brought here by the French as pets but now they run wild on the island.  There were lots of them near Shipwreck until about 1:00 when they all disappeared.  I guess they were on lunch break.

Our final port of call was Sint Maartens.  Actually, this island has two countries on it…the Dutch Sint Maartens and the French Saint Martin.  These two countries have shared this island since 1648, most of the time peacefully.  The ship docks in downtown Phillipsburg on the Dutch side.  Here we had booked another excursion; this time to do a 90 minute photographic scavenger hunt.  Need I say the word “Mistake” again?  Yes, we had a blast solving the mysteries and taking pictures of the solutions.  Yes, we learned a lot.  But damn, it was HOT!  We finally were so worn out we ducked into a McDonalds to cool down and have a beer.  Yep, McDonalds sells beer here…and of course it’s Heinekens.  Due to our McD’s chill down we came in second on the scavenger hunt. 

Oh well!

Mona loves Orient Beach!

We found a geocache on the Dutch side then hired a taxi to take us to the French side of the island to find a cache there and to see how the French do islands.  We quickly found the cache and landed at Pedro’s, an island bar right on the beach sands.  Here we chilled, listened to island music and watched people….and oh, the people we watched!  This was indeed the beach for people watching! 

Finally, our cruising days were over.  We docked, debarked and then as usual Mona got in trouble at Customs and had to pay a fine (No, I’m not telling why.) Finally, we were on the road north much to Mona’s dismay.  She kept pleading with me to turn back and let her find just one more shell.  Nonetheless, we landed in Savannah, Georgia for our first night back in the real world.  We checked in to our hotel and then walked down to River Street for Shrimp n Grits.  Mmmmm...good!  Next morning we drove through the historic district and reminisced about our stay there last year.  We ended our visit by bidding farewell to Forrest Gump’s bench and hit the road north.

Our trek took us across South Carolina and to Asheville, North Carolina.  There we got on the Blue Ridge Parkway which travels 469 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The Parkway was a Depression-Era construction project to link the Shenandoah National Park with the Smokey Mountain National Park.  It winds up and down and side to side of the mountain tops with breathtaking views at every turn.  There are lots of tunnels blasted through the mountains and pulloffs seemingly every mile where you can stop and take in the vistas.  The trees are just beginning to turn color making the views even better.

Some early splashes of color on the Parkway

We were on the Parkway for several hours and it started to rain.  Frankly, we were tired and ready to stop looking at breathtaking views and instead look at the views from a comfy bed. However, you don’t simply get off the Parkway.  There aren’t a lot of exits and we had reservations in Boone for the night so we had to keep going.  Unfortunately, for me, Mona was driving and she began pushing the speed, especially on those hairpin curves….going downhill…in the rain…with no guardrail on my side.  White knuckle time!  At long last we found our exit and made our way to Boone and much needed rest.  Whew!

Now, our trip is basically over, even though about once an hour Mona says she wants to find a shell. Tonight we’ll visit Lexington, Kentucky and then head home.  It’s been a great trip but it’s time to go home, visit our family, do our laundry and make plans for our next trip.  

Till then I'll say goodbye!