Heading home

     The skies were grey, wind was brisk, and the seas were high as we headed back to Miami.  Big rollers rocked the ship around and made walking an interesting challenge.  We wandered around the ship and enjoyed just watching the parade of interesting people go by.  There were many languages spoken on this cruise and a wide range of age groups.  Many more children than we saw on our previous cruises as well as many folks in wheel chairs, scooters and with walkers.  Royal Caribbean seems to do a good job of accommodating people with differing abilities.
    We had many small tasks to do each of which took us closer to the end of our vacation - printing our gate passes for the flight back, checking our charges from on board expenses, and packing up our lovely summer clothing.  It is sad to be at the end of a winter break, but I was already thinking of home.  It will great to see my family again - and my bathtub.
    Getting off the ship and onto the plane was a series of lines - waiting for our number to be called, waiting in line for customs, waiting in line to get on the bus to the airport, waiting in line to get on the plane, and off, and on, and off.  I hate flying these days - so crammed into a tight spot, no food, little water.  It makes me so irritable.
    But we made it home with all our luggage, no sunburns, lots of good pictures and a few additional pounds.  It has taken a couple days to stop feeling the movement of the ship.  I was more tired from the traveling than I remember being two years ago - I guess we ARE getting older.  I usually feel about 35 but not after 12 hours of travel by plane.  Now its time to get serious about planning our trip to Oregon - always looking towards the next adventure.
   

Grand Cayman

    Another very warm and humid day!  It is a long trek from Cozumel to Grand Cayman Island so we did not arrive and anchor until 10 am.  It was nice to sleep in and have a good breakfast before taking off on the day's adventure.  We were not anchored very far off land and could see a long line of white beaches and resorts on the island.  The ride in on the tender was much shorter than in Belize.

     There are many beautiful old colonial buildings downtown and everything looks clean and prosperous.   A tour bus took us away from town along 7 Mile Beach.  The water is many beautiful shades of blue and fairly warm. Our tour was to go to "Sting Ray City" which is a sandbar about 30 minutes away from the beach by small boat.  When we reached the sandbar there were many other tour boats anchored nearby.  We jumped out of the boat into warm, waist-deep water.  Immediately dozens of stingrays gathered around to eat the shrimp that the tour boat brought to attract them.  The stingrays ranged from dinner plate size babies to adults that were over 36" in diameter. 
    We were advised to shuffle our feet so that we would not step on them, but also assured that the rays were only interested in the food.  They swam around us and brushed against our legs.  I was surprised at how soft and smooth they are.  It was great to be in the water on such a beautiful day.
    We got back to the ship mid-afternoon and grabbed a very late lunch and a well-deserved nap.  After our final formal dinner I sat out on the balcony again to watch the stars and enjoy the warm night air.  We are already heading back to Miami.

Cozumel

    After two days of heat and exciting excursions, Cozumel was our day for shopping and relaxing.  It is one of the largest cruise ports in the world. We could see 4 other cruise ships.  The day was cooler, but still sunny.   The ship was tied up at the International Pier about a 10 minute taxi ride out of downtown. 
     We caught a taxi and wandered through some of the many fancy stores selling diamonds and watches.  Then moved on to T-shirts and souvenirs that we traditionally buy.  Rick always had to add to his wardrobe of travel T-shirts. 
    We taxied back to the pier area and decided to be decadent and stop at the outdoor bar - Senior Frogs - for a drink before noon.  Soon the sun and the rum and cokes wiped us out so we headed back on board for a light lunch and some relaxing on our balcony.  Cozumel is a busy harbor and there were many boats, large and small, cruising around the area.  Another great day in the Caribbean.

Belize

The Belize Barrier reef is about 1000' off shore and part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System which is the second largest barrier reef in the world. (Do you know which is the biggest?)  We had to anchor the ship a long ways off shore and take tenders into port.  The morning was overcast but warm.  I ate and early breakfast and brought Rick some coffee so we could get to shore in time for our excursion to Altun Ha.

     The Maya ruins of Belize include a number of pre-Columbian Maya archaeological sites including Altun Ha which is located about 30 miles outside of Belize City.  We were taken there on a air conditioned bus.  The infrastructure in Belize (for old folks the original name was British Honduras) including roads, sewers, and water was put in place when it was a British colony.  It is the only country in Central America that has English as its official language.  The roads are narrow and in tough shape so the ride was exciting as the buses played "chicken" on the basically single lane streets outside the city.  At Altun Ha we saw many large temples and pyramids restored at the site.  At one time there were 3,000,000 Mayans living in Central America.

    After our tour we drove back to an outdoor restaurant on the Belize River where we were served traditional Belize beans and rice with chicken.  Yumm! my favorite food on the trip.  Then we got on a 15 passenger boat with a canopy to cruise down the Belize River back to the port.  Along the way we stopped to take pictures of many crocodiles, monkeys, iguanas, and herons. 

     At some point one of the boats two Yamaha motors failed.  Eventually we pulled along shore and a repairman jumped into the croc-infested water to change out the propeller.  As we started up again the motor seemed better, but not completely fixed.  We stopped at the mouth of the river to look for manatees.  We saw several swimming in the brackish water, but mostly just their snouts. 

     We were still a long way from the pier and it was getting late - after time lost in fixing the motor.  Our guide tried to get the boat to plane on the ocean waves but it wallowed slowly and sprayed water into the boat.  We were now about 30 minutes before the last tender left for the ship.  Another boat in the area saw us floundering and came along side.  We climbed over the gunnels into this new boat and made it back to shore in time to catch a ride back to our ship.  What a day!

Costa Maya

     Big swells all night and lots of ship movement.  I am feeling sorry for folks who get seasick but we are doing fine as always.  Our stop is along the Gulf Coast of Mexico at a port which is primarily a cruise stop not much of a town.  It was hit by a 2007 hurricane and we could see large areas of flattened trees and deserted cement shells of houses which have not been rebuilt.
     The cruise companies have built a nice area with many small shops, bars and restaurants.  The center of the area has a large, shallow swimming pool.  Folks can swim up to the bars for a drink and just loll in the sun.  It was very hot and humid at the port and a LONG walk down the pier to the port.

    We signed up for a jeep excursion with a group of 7 jeeps.  The drive took us out of the port through the countryside which had a few small shacks and businesses.  Very poor and shabby.  We drove out along a beach road - very rough and bumpy - to a shelter with palm trees, picnic tables, hammocks, and a nice beach.  After a nice lunch and some swimming we headed back through waves of heat to the ship. 
    It was a fun outing.

Crusing Day

     We woke to sunshine and warmer weather today.  I could see Cuba along our port side.  It is very mountainous.  The ocean here is 3300' deep and has pretty good size rolling waves today.  We spent the day relaxing on the pool deck.  There is a good Jamaican band playing and lots of sun.  The pool is chilly but the hot tubs are wonderful.  We are both careful with sunscreen and staying in the shade.  Lots of folks already look pretty red.
    Late in the afternoon we went to a show on the small ice rink on the ship.  It was amazingly good despite the small area and the rocking ship.  Tonight dinner was formal so we dressed up and had dinner with folks from Michigan, California and Venezuela (not much English).  As darkness fell the boat began to speed up which means that the stabilizers couldn't be used.  It was pretty rocky, but I love to stand on the balcony and look at the stars with waves just surging along the side of the ship.  Must be my Norse ancestors coming out in me.

On the Liberty of the Seas

     Our itinerary said that we could board the ship after 2 pm, but we had to leave our hotel at 11:30 to get a ride to the port - All shuttle buses were going to be used for Super Bowl guests after 1 pm.  It was cool and breezy - about 68.  After checking onto the boat and looking at our balcony room which was going to be our home for seven days, we went up top and watched the sailing out of the Port of Miami.  The bays along the port were lined with huge houses, but the beach was almost empty - too cool and a Super Bowl on TV, I guess.  The ocean was choppy with a strong breeze.  Hopefully the weather will warm as we head south.
     We signed up for "My Time" dining which meant that we were not locked into a specific dinner time and would be seated each night with a different set of travelers.  Tonight we shared dinner with a couple from the Dominican Republic who were on their honeymoon.  It was so interesting to hear about what happened to them during the earthquake in Haiti.  They said that they had quakes on their side of the island as well but no damage.  They also said that all the hotels were full of people who had fled from the devastation in Port au Prince.
     After dinner we took a walk to see more of the ship and then went to the "Welcome" show in the Platinum theater on the ship.  It was a little preview to many of the shows coming later in the week.  Although we had not done much we were beat and happy to retire to our room and listen to the ocean.

Miami

After a long day of travel we made it to our Comfort suite.  Everything smells of smoke.  i have forgotten the smoky haze when there is smoking allowed all over.  Despite the storms north of Miami we had smooth flights and no delays.  We flew in over the water and saw lots of boats.  I am sure that the Super Bowl has added to the already busy port,
We can get on the ship after noon tomorrow.  I can't wait.

Heading South through a snowstorm

     Snow is predicted for Minnesota for the next 5 days.  It is a good time to leave town.  Weather channel says that there is a historic storm on the East Coast.  We stop in St. Louis on the way to Miami, but it looks like neither town has been hit by the big storm.  We will see how bumpy the ride is through the southern end of the storm.
     With any luck by 9 pm tonight I will be walking outside with my sandals on!  Hopefully the luggage will arrive with us and we will be just hours and a few miles from hopping on the Liberty of the Seas.

Caribbean Cruise preparation

     Once again we are getting ready for a vacation.  This time we are leaving the RV at home and taking a Caribbean cruise for a week.  It seems odd to be pulling out summer clothes while the temperature outside is in the teens.
     We have our passports, cruise documents, airline reservations and a room in Miami for the night before the cruise.  The last item (the room) was a challenge as I found out AFTER making the cruise reservation that it will be SuperBowl weekend in Miami and everything is really booked up.
     Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will not have flight delays.  We get in to Miami at 8:35 pm and need to be on the ship by 2:30 pm the next day.  That SHOULD be enough lag time.
     I am not bringing my trusty laptop along so we will see how many posts I get done with this blog.  6 more days and I will be able to walk outside without a coat!

Home – What a trip!

     We only had 200 miles to go this morning. We dumped our tanks for the last time and pulled some things out of the cubby holes all over the RV. It was a quick drive home and raining as we unloaded. I am happy to be back in my lovely house, but already planning for our next trip!
     In one month we traveled 3400 miles through 7 states and 2 Canadian provinces. We saw all of the Great Lakes and drove over each of the waterways between the lakes. 15 days we spent mostly traveling – our longest drive was 320 miles of bad Canadian roads. Except for a few hours in grocery stores and doing laundry we were within 10 yards of each other for the whole trip – and are still speaking to each other!
     For us it isn’t the destination, but the journey. We enjoy the changing countryside – the trees, hills, lakes and farms. We like to learn about what we are seeing – the geography, birds, landscape and history. We love to arrive at a new campground to check out a new “home.” We like spending so much time outdoors – either sightseeing or just hanging out around the campsite.
     We agreed that we would go back to see more of Vermont and New Hampshire, but not Acadia or Cape Cod. They were great, but there are many other places to go to. My favorite campground was called Moorings and was right on the ocean. Favorite food was the Succotash soup at Old Sturbridge Village. We agree that the highlight of the trip was our ride on Maid of the Mist.
     I hope you have the chance to do this sometime. Be sure to travel with an interesting and compatible companion. Be ready to change your plans according to the weather and your energy level. Get a good map and a GPS. Find a skillful, unflappable, patient driver/mechanic. Put a great, cushy mattress pad on your bed. Bring lots of books and a good camera. Keep a journal and record both the big events and the small pleasures. It is just wonderful to look back and revisit a great trip. I enjoyed all of your comments and was delighted to be able to share some of our experiences with you. I look forward to seeing you all in person.

Michigan and Wisconsin

     There are sand dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan and wide sand beaches. The Lake today is silver grey and smooth as glass - reflecting a bunch of little white clouds. I would like to go back here. Eventually the road took us into the farmlands of Wisconsin. There wasn’t a direct way to go west so we needed to work our way on little county roads which took us through some deep woods and right along the edge of farms.
     We drove the same mileage as yesterday, but went through so many little towns that it took us a hour longer to get to our campground. Once again there is almost no one here except for the “seasonal” campers. We have found many campgrounds looking more like trailer parks with 80% or more of the sites occupied by relatively permanent setups. Some of the campgrounds do a good job of keeping high standards so that the environment is still very nice. This one seems to have a lot of trailers way back in the woods. But we found a short term site near the office and had some great sunshine for our afternoon relaxing.
     I cleaned the stove and microwave in preparation for storing it for the winter. We will do the winterizing when we get home. I hate to see our house on wheels covered up with its tarp and put away until spring. We have so much fun on our travels.

The Last Big Bridge

     We drove almost 300 miles north today into hardwood forests that are abundant with color. As a quilter I love to see patterns of color working together. The hills and valleys of Michigan created a beautiful quilt. I began to name the colors as if they were in my box of Crayolas – Quaking Aspen Gold, Sumac Red, Autumn Birch Yellow, October Oak Bronze, Sugar Maple Magenta, and Cinnamon Stick Ash – Add to my list!

     Our last big bridge of this trip was over the Straits between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan – The Mackinac Bridge. It is five miles long – when it opened to traffic in 1957 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Now it is the third longest. The bridge joins Upper and Lower Michigan. It was under repair as was almost every other bridge we have driven over. I think that the fall of the 35W Bridge has stimulated a huge effort to maintain these aging bridges. I’m not sure that all the repair work improved my confidence in driving over them – especially attached to 12,000 pounds of trailer.
     As we drove over the bridge I added two blues to my list of colors – Lake Michigan Azure and September Sky Blue. We saw Mackinac Island in the distance with its distinctive white Grand Hotel. We would like to take the Ferry to Mackinac Island when we drive around Lake Superior (and a bit of Lake Michigan). We took advantage of the last few hours of sun by sitting outside in an almost empty campground. I am savoring the last few days of this trip.