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I love to travel. It has to be my single favorite thing to do. Seeing different places and how people live in other parts of the world is my idea of the perfect way to spend my non-working time.
Travel means a lot of different things. I like to go on an exotic cruise for a week or two as well as drive across state, stay in a hotel, and see the sites. However, I have to say my favorite vacations usually involve a beach, or two, or three...
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Cruising
If you had asked me in 1999 what is one way I wouldn't be interested in traveling, it would have been on a cruise. Just thinking about spending a week on a boat with a couple thousand other trapped people with nothing but shuffleboard to keep me occupied just did not appeal to me in the least.
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My First Cruise
That all changed in 2000. You see, my company was acquired by another company in 1998. In the following months I was offered a transfer to Florida with the new company. I accepted the transfer and was invited on a company cruise prior to my move date. I was completely uninterested in this time of togetherness with all of these people that I didn't even know yet. Worse yet, I was going to be trapped with them for a week! However, feeling that it would be a good political move for me to get to know some of the people I would be working with once I moved, so I accepted. I dreaded the trip as it got closer and closer to time. I was in for quite a surprise.
We flew to San Diego to board the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas in February 2000. After you have checked in for embarkation, they take your picture--remember this point. We were shown to our cabin and I was pleasantly surprised. I had heard about these teeny tiny closets that people were forced into on the ships, but it was actually surprisingly comfortable. It wasn't spacious, by any means, but it certainly was big enough to swing a cat. (And if you have been to New York City, about twice the size of your average $350 a night room in Times Square!)
We went to dinner in the dining room that evening and were meeting our table mates when I looked at and saw that we were moving. We had a very nice dinner and went to the big show they have for the evening entertainment. Afterwards, we stopped by the casino for a couple of pulls and then just walked around the ship before retiring to our cabin. I was surprised that so many people on one boat together weren't always running over each other and fighting for personal space to stand in. I slept like a baby that night, rocking ever so gently with the ship.
The trip was to the Mexican Riviera, which was enjoyable at the time, but I've certainly visited more interesting places since. This was my first time to snorkel which I did in Cabo San Lucas. I learned one, extremely valuable lesson that day, it's COLD in the Pacific Ocean! I really loved snorkeling, but 50 minutes in that water was plenty! I've since been many times in the Caribbean and I find it MUCH more enjoyable!
This trip we went from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, then to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and back to San Diego. We had fun walking a few blocks off the beaten path in Mexico and finding small shops that the tourists probably seldom make it to. Larry knows enough Spanish that he was able to get some pretty good deals on a few items that we brought back.
Remember me mentioning that first picture? Well, we took pictures almost everywhere. We started the cruise on Saturday and the picture from that day I was obviously stiff and pretty much looked like I already had my heart set on having a miserable time. By Wednesday, you could even see in the pictures that I was relaxing. (Of course, a half dozen Pina Coladas will do that to a fellah!) I was laying out on deck on a chaise lounge on Wednesday when suddenly all the muscles in my back relaxed with a few dozen loud pops. I don't know how many years it had been since I felt like that--if ever, but it felt good!
I was so sorry to see the trip end, but I knew it wasn't going to be my last cruise...
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More cruising
It took us two and a half years, but in 2002 we took a Thanksgiving cruise on the Celebrity Century. This was a better cruise for several reasons. First, we had some idea what to expect this time which made the whole experience more enjoyable. Second, this trip was to the Eastern Caribbean which was beautiful with nice, warm snorkeling this time.
Since then, we've been on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, the Princess ship Caribbean Princess, and the Holland America Zuiderdam. For Thanksgiving 2005, we decided to do something different and take a tall ship, the Windjammer Yankee Clipper. This cruise left from Grenada and was up through the Grenadines. This is a much smaller ship, only holding 64 passengers normally, but only had 31 on our sailing. The islands were wonderful! One thing you quickly realize when cruising the ports where the big ships always go, is that there is a Diamonds International and a Columbian Emeralds on every other corner. Not so in these islands. The merchants were mostly locals that walk down to the beach when a ship comes in to sell their wares. A very nice change of pace. We had a wonderful time on this cruise and are still in contact with several of the new friends we met on this sailing.
Currently we have a couple of small cruises planned for this year, but the really exciting one will be next year when we cruise the Greek Isles to celebrate our tenth anniversary. Once again on a tall ship, we'll be on the Windstar Wind Star. This cruise line is supposed to provide a 5-star experience and we are really looking forward to it. We'll fly into Rome to sightsee a couple of days before we sail. Once onboard, we visit Sorrento, Messina, Kythira, Santorini, Mykonos, and finally Athens. We'll stay an extra day in Athens before we return home. This will be our first time in Europe and we are really looking forward to the experience. If you either live in any of these places or have visited and want to offer suggestions/advice, please drop me an email.
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Amusement Parks
I can be a bit of an adrenaline junky. I love thrill rides, particularly roller coasters. What better place to live if you like amusement parks than Orlando, Florida?! We keep annual passes to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens. Whenever a new attraction opens up, we head down to check it out before it has been spoiled by the fannies of a million other fun seekers. We love visiting the parks for special events like Bud and BBQ at SeaWorld or the Food and Wine Festival at SeaWorld.
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Key West
In the late spring of 2006, we took our first trip to Key West with a group of people we met on the Grenadines cruise. While it is a long drive from Orlando, it was certainly a great time. If you haven't been there, but you like to take serious down time, this is the place for you. There isn't any point in being wound up too tight because down there, nobody cares! When traveling to the Keys, listen to some Jimmy Buffet on the way and try pay attention to the lyrics. It really is "changes in latitude, changes in attitude." Great food, great bars, and great water sports here. Head to the Keys for one of your vacations and see if you don't agree!
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New Orleans
Every year we made a pilgrimage, of sorts, to the Big Easy. This pretty much marked the end of the summer for us and is something we always look forward to. If you haven't been, you really should plan on visiting someday. Unlike any other city I have ever visited, it is an amazing mix of cultures that are not usually seen in America. The people are very friendly and fiercely proud of their city. There are so many unique things about the city from the cemeteries to the architecture, it is really something to see. However, my favorite reason to visit New Orleans is because I like to eat and some of the best food I have ever eaten has been while dining in this city.
We missed 2004 due to a hurricane that came through Orlando the weekend we had planned to visit and 2005 due to Katrina. We already have tickets for 2006, however, and are anxious to get back to the city and our dear friends that live there.
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