EXPLORING THE WORLD: December 2019

Monday, December 30, 2019

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM FORT LAUDERDALE! ORANGE BOWL TONIGHT

December 30, 2019, A Special Day!!!!

Wyndham Garden

Sun, some rain

80F

Sun and a few sprinkles followed us to Sawgrass Mills Mall, about 2 ½ hours from Cocoa Beach. Travelers rocked the roads yet again, maybe speedily driving to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and environs for the Orange Bowl tonight at 8 p.m., Florida Gators vs. Virginia Cavaliers. They sure were in a hurry.

TK’s GMC Sierra is a good match for traffic and since he drove a firetruck for a living, he can handle just about anything. His one wish is for a siren and an air horn though.

Sawgrass Mills Mall was more crowded than ever. We negotiated the crowds and made a few quick purchases. It is a huge mall that we both enjoy. I noticed lots of glittery gowns on sale, especially for New Year’s Eve!

From their website: “Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States. There are more than 350 stores, including outlet locations from Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Gap, plus Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg, GUCCI, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo Company Store, Tory Burch and Versace. There is something for everyone in this enclosed, air conditioned and climate-controlled mall located just 30 minutes from Miami International Airport and 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.” https://www.simon.com/mall/sawgrass-mills/about

Oasis Court, outside Sawgrass Mills Mall

After lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, we headed to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale. By the way, all of our hotels so far have been paid for with points, no charge.

We unloaded our luggage into our room to prepare for tomorrow’s flight to Los Angeles, sorting out what to take and what to leave for the next cruise and the trip home. We did fairly well this year compared to our 2010 Panama Canal cruise, with only three large suitcases between us and we each have a carry-on bag. My carry on will have my DSLR camera, lenses, binoculars, my laptop (14 inch), and my iPad. Those are items I never leave to chance in checked luggage.

We called Son R to wish him a happy birthday—I am sorry to miss his big birthday this year.

TK’s Takes: As he was returning to the hotel room from the lobby, a man on the elevator asked TK if he was going to tailgate at tonight’s Orange Bowl. Not so much.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

HARMONY IN PORT CANAVERAL!

Marriott Residence Inn

Port Canaveral, Florida

Sun, some rain

80F

Our jaunt this Sunday morning was only two hours, from St. Augustine to Port Canaveral. We enjoyed driving U.S. 1 for a while, watching Florida life pass by—the traffic was incredibly heavy again on both I-95 and U.S. 1. Where are these people going?? I spent two hours pondering that, making up stories in my head.

Titusville, FL to Cocoa Beach, one of our favorite stops

Orlando is west of this area

TK spotted the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas in port, now the world’s 2^nd largest cruise ship. Behemoth.

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas in the background

photo taken off our hotel room balcony

Our first stop was Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, which is celebrating being in business for 60 years! It is always worth a stop, but today was the busiest I have ever seen it.

After checking in to our hotel and getting gas, we headed back to Titusville for lunch at Dixie Crossroads, the restaurant operates its own shrimp boats-direct supply!! Red shrimp are available now and that is what we had! Great shrimp, my favorite fries, and hush puppies. That was breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Our friends Donna and Lawrence are driving to Chicago from Janesville, Wisconsin today-they will fly into Los Angeles tomorrow out of O’Hare. We will meet them in LA on Wednesday.

TK's Takes: He was very happy to see so many cars leave I-95 for I-4 and head to Orlando. Lots and lots of people were headed that way!

Saturday, December 28, 2019

WARMTH WELCOMES US ALL THE WAY TO FLORIDA!

Fairfield Inn

St. Augustine, Florida

73F

Even though December is the earliest we have ever departed for our winter getaway, it is the warmest weather ever all the way. Sandals and no jacket this morning, first thing!

Last night (Friday, December 27) was interesting in two ways—first TK received an email from Princess Cruise Lines offering to fully refund our money if we would take an inside stateroom on the same cruise. They would send a check to us in February. TK and I disagreed about this, to put it mildly. The email stated we would have to pay port fees and taxes (no amount mentioned) and did not state if we would receive our onboard credit for military and other amenities for our booking that included all gratuities paid. Also, it did not state the size of the inside stateroom, which would have no windows.

Dear Readers, consider what you would do!?

A balcony stateroom for a Panama Cruise is ideal because one can see the canal and locks up-close and personal. I remember in 2010 when we wanted to see the whole scale of the canal (our first PC cruise), I could barely get to the rail on the top deck and I am a “tall person always in front of me so I can’t see” magnet. We bring binoculars as well as my DSLR camera. On our 2010 PC cruise I saw a whale breech right in front of me off our balcony on the Pacific. That would not be possible in an inside stateroom (I hope).

Janie also thought this offer was an insult—why not offer an UPgrade, to a suite, not a DOWNgrade?? We have been upgraded one time on a Princess cruise, and this one would be our 12^th Princess cruise, 120 days of cruising with them.

We have been looking forward to this cruise for about a year, always with a balcony stateroom in mind. To do another PC cruise “the right way” would take another year and I believe in doing things while we are healthy and able. I can’t see into the future. The money returned to us would not cover another “exotic” cruise, like the Mediterranean, and certainly does not cover airfare in addition.

TK showed me that others received the same offer and they mentioned it on Cruise Critic, a website where cruisers discuss such things. Many thought it was a great idea, others did not. However, no Cruise Critic member who was online last night took the deal. Apparently, this kind of offer happens often.

Anyway, we did not take the deal. End of story!

The second interesting item was that our Hilton Garden Inn was accommodating busloads of unsupervised children about middle school age last night. Apparently, there was a basketball tournament in Rock Hill this weekend. Readers, you can only imagine the noise, slamming doors, running, shouting, laughing. Thankfully TK can fall asleep easily—he is the driver! Several phone calls later and several visits by hotel staff to our floor, and the noise was finally subdued. There were adults with the children, but I guess they had their own party going on.

This may be the most negative blog day I have ever done.

After 7 hours of driving and "crawling in traffic," we arrived in St. Augustine-the Premium Outlet Mall and Tommy Bahama’s-no purchases this time! Dinner at Cracker Barrel at 7 p.m. We are pushing ourselves too much, but from here it is easy. I appreciate TK’s driving skills!

Our traditional stop at the Florida Welcome Center, orange juice not available today?!?

I did skim David McCullough’s Path Between the Seas to refresh my memory of building the canal-I read and annotated it thoroughly in 2010. Such an amazing feat! This year we will sail the new canal, finished in 2016.

TK’s Takes: He has never seen so much traffic as we travel. North and South Carolina highways (VA and WV too) are four lanes, two each way. People are crazy drivers, darting in and out of lanes, jostling with semi-tractor trailers, children in the car. We were slowed down by at least 3 accidents and got off the highway twice for detours—I-77, I-26, and I-95. Georgia and Florida have 6 lanes of traffic, 3 lanes each way. Anyone reading this knows the routine!

TK said he would take the offer if he was traveling alone. [JK take: I hope that doesn't mean he has something in mind]

Friday, December 27, 2019

ROCKIN' IN ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA

Hilton Garden Inn

Rock Hill, South Carolina

58F

What a planner and driver TK is! We left Erie at 7:17 a.m. and arrived in Rock Hill, SC at 5:25 p.m. with only four gas/rest stops along the way. It was about 55F when we left Erie with dry roads, and hardly a snow patch in sight for the whole way, 650 miles.

The only hazards were those lane hoggers and a few slowdowns, even on the hilly windy roads of West Virginia and Virginia, two lane traffic headed south almost the whole way. That said, we really flew through the infamous Charlotte, NC area—a lot less traffic, no construction, and Express Lanes finally open!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, those Express Lanes are worth the cost, but we don’t know how much! We have EZ Pass so we will find out later.

I do think this was the earliest we ever arrived at our first destination. Anyway, we made our usual stop at New River Gorge, West Virginia, for our photo op and lunch, about 12:30 p.m.

We are on vacation!!

Janie and TK at New River Gorge, West Virginia. The winter coat was not needed!

TK’s Takes: He was a little surprised at the Pilot gas station when a woman dressed in her Christmas pajamas walked into the store. It was the easiest drive ever through Charlotte.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

ALMOST PACKED!

Erie, Pennsylvania
December 26, 2019
55F-some clouds

What a whirlwind the past month has been. Sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas was packing, gift buying, gift wrapping, Christmas cards, more packing, TK's planning, World War I work (including a meeting with a potential printer), baking cookies, DAR reports, and so much more! I know this is a busy time of year for everyone!!

I am almost packed-TK told me that all bags must be in the truck by today. Uh oh. I still have Christmas cards to do.

Our Christmas was great--our family was in Jamestown, New York this year, a great setting and easy travel with dry roads. The wonder of it is that R and B and their daughters B1 and B2 are skiing and snowboarding today at Peak n Peek! At least there is snow where it belongs, a ski resort!!

I better get back to packing, but here are wonderful images of FAMILY!

Thanksgiving 2019 / Erie, PA

Thanksgiving 2019 / Erie

The Pie Bakers, B2 and B1!