MSC DIVINA SAILS AWAY FROM MIAMI!

MSC Divina

Leaving the Port of Miami, Florida

73-66F, sunny – rainy

Since TK knows the route to the Port of Miami quite well, we arrived in timely fashion. MSC is a new cruise line for us—the line was offering special discounts for those who were “Platinum” on other cruise lines since they are trying to break into the American market.  Since we are platinum on three cruise lines (NCL, Princess, and Carnival), we were upgraded to “Priority Guests. We were on the lovely Divina by noon and had a light lunch in the “Calumet” buffet.

Our stateroom is a bit smaller than usual, but the balcony is suitable. Storage area is definitely spare. 

Stateroom 8240

Our desk

Photo does not show that we have a bathtub (with shower), a first for us

New ship rules for us:

No water or soda can be brought on board

No room service at our level of stateroom

At 4:30 p.m., our luggage still has not arrived and the muster safety drill is scheduled for 4:45. We have walked around the ship to acclimate ourselves somewhat. The public areas are creatively appointed.

This is easily the theater we have seen on a cruise ship--there are balconies on each side too.

The ship is 1100 ft long and 223 ft high, with 18 decks. There are 4345 guests aboard and 1388 crew members. Four pools. The rest we have to figure out.

We set up Wi-Fi with a package that provides 7 gigs for 10 days. Obviously I am going to write before I log into the blog!

After muster and dinner

Muster was easy and our fellow passengers seemed friendly. Since one piece of luggage had not yet arrived, TK unpacked before dinner. The room is sort of smallish, but I think everything will fit.

We met up with Donna and Lawrence at dinner—we are so much alike. We have a table for four and our servers are accommodating, and by tomorrow night they will know our foibles. TK will switch from iced tea to soda—small glass without ice, dark dark dark. European version of iced tea. The potato gnocchi was tasty and apple crisp was very good.  TK had pork loin. The portions are smaller, but that is OK with me.

After dinner Donna wanted to show me her room and it ended up being far far away—we did not think Lawrence was there and then he jumped out and scared me. He knows my reaction will be a scream, I am glad it was their room and not ours.  Donna showed me her newly received Ancestry DNA results and we were analyzing them, but I knew I needed to get back to our room to finish unpacking. Donna also wanted me to see how Lawrence packed, a version of throwing everything haphazardly into his suitcase. She picked up a plastic bag of underwear-we laughed to think of how he packed.

Back in our room, I just finished putting everything away when Donna called to tell me that bag she showed me was actually Lawrence’s dirty underwear. Oh my Oh my. I sure hope TK never does such a demo on our dirty underwear bag.  And so it goes, we will laugh and giggle this whole cruise. I won’t be reporting everything, that is for sure.

It is 10 p.m. now, the ship left port at 7 p.m. (much later than we usually depart, but many passengers on MSC are from Europe). Announcements are made in at least 5 languages, and I like the diversity.

In the meantime,  it is freezing with a polar vortex in Erie and I sure hope our family and our house is OK. 

TK’s Takes: So many people text while driving, whether on a six lane or eight lane highway, 65-75 mph. Apparently Florida does not have a law about texting and driving.

SAWGRASS, LAS OLAS, AND FORT LAUDERDALE'S WATERFRONT!

Courtyard Marriott
A1A
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
72F, sunny

Our Wisconsin friends had never seen Sawgrass Mills Mall and both like to shop, so we picked them up and headed straight for SG Mills and our common interest, Tommy Bahamas. I won't go into the entire mall story again, but Donna and I were quite taken with the shoes at a new shoe store -- DOGO. Intrigued, we went inside because the shoes and boots were extraordinary. The shoes/boots, made in Turkey, are quite unique and this is the only store in America.

Find more at https://www.dogostore.com/en/ 

Needless to say, another day walking around the mall was very good exercise!! We were  famished and stopped at Cheesecake Factory. Why not? Our closest one is in Cleveland! After burgers all around, a piece of key lime for me, banana cream for Donna, we were ready to head to Fort Lauderdale (about 24 minutes away) and Las Olas, a boulevard with upscale shopping.  More great exercise!

We dropped off Donna and Lawrence at their hotel and we checked in at the Marriott. Our room (still on points/no charge) is a room I could stay in for a long time!

View from our room-5th floor

Both images are views from our window--Atlantic Ocean!!

There was still time to take the water taxi so we walked to the water taxi dock where we met Donna and Lawrence. Oh the yachts, oh the mansions! Oh! The parking lot!

Gallant Lady-for sale for $39 million dollars. 168 ft long

Curvy building is a parking lot

One of the many mansions along the way.

It was dark as we returned to our hotel--we are  now reconfiguring all the luggage--no need for long sleeve shirts, jeans, and so on. Tomorrow we will drive to Miami to meet our cruise ship, MSC Divina!

TK's Takes:  Yesterday's hotel room was the best location ever, with easy access to the truck. [but it was small] Today's room has the most spectacular view!  

OH BOY ANOTHER MALL, SAWGRASS MILLS, AND COCONUTS

Hampton Inn at Cypress Creek
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
45-68F, sunny


Crisp air greeted us this morning, with a promise of warmth in a few hours. I hope Florida is getting back to normal! The weatherman reported a polar vortex in the north, including Erie. Edinboro University closed for two days because of the cold.  It is 22F in Erie now, but the forecast is 4F with a severe wind chill factor tomorrow. We are definitely better off than that!!

A three hour drive delivered us to Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida. From their website: Welcome to Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States.  With more than 350 stores, including outlet locations from Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Gap, plus value retailers OFF 5th Saks Fifth Avenue, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Marshalls and electronics superstore, BrandsMart USA, Sawgrass Mills has everything from fashion and jewelry to electronics, sporting equipment, beauty products, home accessories, toys and more.  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.  

To any reader of this blog it may seem like all we do is go to malls. In theory, I will admit that we may be familiar with almost every big mall between Erie and Naples. Is that a bad thing? Malls are very good exercise. I have two good friends who do almost all of their walking in Erie's mall!

On the other hand, I do like to look at shops we do not have in Erie and I know every piece of luggage between Erie and Florida! I am trying to find an underseater bag, big enough for my laptop and my Canon camera. Preferably with a handle on top, four  wheels, and sturdy telescoping handle.   I could not find a camera filter--I realized that I never put one on my 2018 DSLR. And I never met a Chicos store I didn't like.  It is fun to look for things!

We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and  after awhile TK was ready to head to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale, a half hour away. And, our cruise friends, Donna and Lawrence had arrived in Ft. Lauderdale from Wisconsin.  After dropping off our luggage, we headed to pick them up for dinner at their hotel. 

The time flew by as we waited for our table at Coconuts Waterfront restaurant/Seabreeze Boulevard near Las Olas -so much to catch up on! We have eaten at this restaurant before, right on the waterway. Great company, delicious coconut shrimp for all!

Guess where we are taking Donna and Lawrence tomorrow!

TK's Takes: He said he has a lot more patience driving down here than in Erie. And there isn't a traffic signal every block like in Erie.

JK's Take on TK's Take: hahaha..

DISNEY SPRINGS, WALGREEN'S, AND THE STORY OF GLASS AND QUEEN

Hilton Grand Vacation Club/Tuscany Village
Orlando, Florida
45-55F, sunny (with no wind the weather was more tolerable)

Last night TK came to the realization that he forgot his BP medication...Early this morning he called our doctor who said he would call a pharmacy in Orlando. First thing we did today was travel to the nearby Walgreen's. Prescription received. Yes! They did not have the medicadtion. No! But they called another Walgreen's and voila, we could buy it there. By the way, the pharmacist said the prescription would cost $140. What?!?? Then he said the other Walgreen's would have a coupon so it would cost $70. OK. We will deal with that.

TK located an outlet mall with his phone last night, even more upscale, so we headed there. Exercise on another cool day! Before noon we decided to head for Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney. That is a nice area and one can feel the Disney magic with free parking and no admission fee. Restaurants and shops, boutiques, and novelty shops.

The movie GLASS
Since it was cool weather, we decided to try a movie at the Disney AMC theater/dining experience. This may be the last time TK ever gets to choose a movie. I was thinking Oscar candidate movie choice, he was not. His choice was Glass, with Bruce Willis, James McAvoy, and Samuel L. Jackson. I knew nothing about the movie, he told me it was a thriller. Not quite. Three main characters, each of whom thinks he is a super hero. Psychiatric examinations. Heroes and villains have weaknesses. Kidnapping. Murder. Doctor who allegedly wants to help them.  Sympathetic family members.  This movie was probably not nominated for any Academy awards, but since its release on January 18th, it has stayed on top of the box office charts. But most of all, it is the SEQUEL to two other movies, Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). So we jumped in on the 3rd movie of a three part series.  Aargh.

On the other hand, it was our first time in a dining experience movie, but we opted for just popcorn and soda. $25/for 2 for the movie and $20 for the soda/popcorn. The theater was comfy and warm.

The movie BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
This is a little detour, but the last movie we saw was Bohemian Rhapsody. I loved that movie. I had no idea how much I liked Queen and their music. Learning their story was a bonus. I have been playing music by Queen ever since, and so has TK.

We had dinner after the movie at the House of Blues, a fine burger, and TK had a Cobb salad.  Even though there were many changes in Disney Springs, I was reflecting on our trip to Disney World with Son R, C, and B2. Years earlier we went to DW with Son B, D, and B1. I am so glad that we were able to make both those trips. I also thought of the time I was there for an NCTE national conference when Friend H and I were giving a presentation on the Medal of Honor national curriculum with Jack Jacobs, MOH recipient. Lots of good Disney memories.

TK at House of Blues

Inside House of Blues

After checking out the Star Wars shop (I guess this is going to be a bonus year for R and B), we headed to Ghirardelli's for a delicious hot fudge sundae. B1 works at Romolo Chocolates in Erie, and I bet theirs is better. I need to try one!

Ghirardelli's 

Hot Air Balloon offering rides

T-Rex restaurant--for B2

Made of Legos!!

Our last stop was Walgreen's on the way back to the hotel. Final cost of TK's meds: $24. From $140 to $70 with coupon to $24. We weren't going to ask any questions.
(Note: we had to pay outright because he had already had a prescription filled in Erie-insurance won't pay twice in one month!)

TK's Takes: He was prepared to pay top dollar for the BP med.

RAINY SUNDAY IN ORLANDO

Hilton Grand Vacation Club/Tuscany Village
Orlando, Florida
52F, rainy, very cool [2 inches of rain by 4 p.m.]

This has been an interesting day. I feel bad for those people who came to Florida with a limited timeframe and were counting on three days at Disney World, especially the small children. How disappointed they must be. The rain, heavy at times, has lasted all day.

We arrived at our Hilton Grand Vacation meeting this morning at 8 a.m. After the group presentation [I noted we were in a group of people traveling without children, most about our age], our HGVC representative started his pitch to TK and me in his office area. We were keeping an open mind and things have changed in the last 10 years. One does not buy into a property, but a point system. And, there is a difference between "HGVC Points" and Hilton Honor points (based on our charge card purchases). Benefits were described first, at length, and finally, when I queried, the bottom line was revealed. $32,000. What?  Since we totally balked at that, we were told we could get a different deal/package for about $12,000. That deal was explained, but I could not get my mind around the details.

As I have said before, TK is the best travel agent and we have done well. We feel blessed that we can travel as much as we do. Even if we could do better, we just don't feel like paying $32,000 or even $12,000 for the privilege.

I am sure that either of these deals appeals to some people. The rep was astounded that we did not want to take advantage of such an offer. TK and I agreed and we were done. Three hours.

On the ride to the Millennia Mall of Orlando [that is the way they spell it despite the fact that millennia is spelled m-i-l-l-e-n-n-i-a], TK and I air signed a pact that we would never do this again, AND, we could have afforded a regular hotel for the three days we were staying in this one.

The Millenia Mall is another fine mall, with upscale stores like Tiffany's, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Versace, and more regular mall stores. On a rainy day like today, we could get exercise, stay warm and dry, and window shop!! The main reason we headed for this mall was the Cheesecake Factory. We love to stop at CF on our travels and TK finally found our $100 gift card before we left Erie-lost for over a year [a reward from my debit card].

Cheescake Factory restaurants are always busy and today, with rain and cold and Sunday, this one was busier than usual.

In the Mall outside of the Cheesecake Factory. People are waiting for their 

pagers to light up, some are waiting for pagers!

TK had his usual meatloaf and I had the best French Toast ever. In fact, their website calls it "The "Best" French Toast Ever! Our Extra Thick Slices of Rustic French Bread Baked and Grilled Golden Brown. Topped with Powdered Sugar, with maple syrup."

From the Cheesecake Factory website-truly the best French toast I have ever had!

After the mall and a quick trip to Publix for snacks, we arrived back at the Hilton. Rain, rain go away!!

TK's Takes: He noted that when we returned to our hotel we both had the exact same number of steps on my Fitbit and his Samsung Gear 3. The odds of that are almost seismic, especially since we do not stay together at all when we are in a mall.

p.s. I had to change the spelling of Millennia--that shall not be misspelled in my blog even if they misspell it!

THE LOST WALLET STORY 2009, REPRISED, AND THE ONLY TIME I EVER DROVE ONE OF TK'S TRUCKS

Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hampton Inn Central
Williamsburg, Virginia60 F and Sunny

Yesterday we started our trek home. On the spur of the moment we decided to take the highway toward Williamsburg, Virginia, one of our very favorite destinations (620 miles/almost 10 hours). The drive was going to be quite smooth-good weather, good roads.

We stopped in South of the Border, South Carolina. While Tim was getting gas, I purchased a Diet Pepsi. By itself, this would not be a remarkable event. Then, we drove for 96 miles and stopped at McDonalds for fish sandwiches for Ash Wednesday. THAT is when I discovered that I no longer had my wallet (my 2 major credit cards, $115 cash, my driver’s license, and my bank ATM card). That is also when I found out that McDonalds charges $5 for 2 hours of Internet because I used my laptop to find the phone number of the gas station. After calling the station and finding out that luckily they had my wallet, we made the decision to return to South of the Border. I would drive. Tim was not happy about this turn of events, but he was happy that this problem was not his fault. So, three hours later, at 8:30 p.m., we were finally back at the McDonalds where we discovered my loss. Instead of reaching Williamsburg by 9 p.m., we would get there by midnight.

Normally we do not drive much at night, but I drove on. Tim took over again at our next stop for gas. We did not have reservations in Williamsburg, but we found a Hampton Inn at midnight that had just opened—a very nice hotel. Needless to say we were exhausted.

We did learn several things:
1) we can drive at least 13 hours in one day
2) when someone buys something, one must put her/his wallet back in her/his purse
3) we are very very fortunate

A GRAND VACATION IN ORLANDO

Hilton Grand Vacation Club/Tuscany Village
Orlando, Florida
54F, sunny, cool

The drive from Cocoa Beach to Orlando is not long, about two hours. Since our room would not be ready till later, TK indulged me with a stop at Florida Mall, described on their website as follows:
Located minutes from the Orlando International Airport, Walt Disney World Resort and popular area attractions, The Florida Mall is Central Florida’s largest shopping center. Spanning 1.7 million square feet and welcoming more than 20 million visitors annually, this dynamic shopping destination offers an experiential environment featuring more than 250 retail, dining and entertainment options enjoyed by domestic and international guests, local residents and families alike. Prominent department and anchor stores Macy’s, Dillard’s, JCPenney and Dick’s Sporting Goods complement best of brand retailers like A/X Armani Exchange, Apple, Tesla, Banana Republic, H&M, MAC Cosmetics, Michael Kors, Mayors Jewelers featuring Rolex, Victoria’s Secret and ZARA. 

Now this was right up my alley and it was an opportunity to get some exercise after all time spent in the truck  these last several days. Anyway, that is what I told TK.  I do like power walking to window shop and made a few stops along the way, luggage stores, Dillards, Chicos, Macy's.

For B1

VANS Shoes! I loved the design, and the pink was gorgeous!!

After a few purchases (e.g. a Valentine card for TK), I headed to the American Girl store. If American Girl dolls and stores were around when I was a child, I think I  would have liked dolls a lot more. I found something for B2, not a doll nor clothes.  What could it be??

Another stop I enjoyed was the M&M store, but I just looked, no purchases there. I would love to have such a store near us -- the tubes of M&Ms in every color fascinate me. I could buy Pittsburgh Steelers colors, and Seahawks for TK!

TK dragged me away from the pleasures of shopping by saying our room was probably ready so off we went to the Hilton. As we passed familiar sights in Orlando, I  enjoyed remembering the time we met Randy, Coleen, and B2 for a brief stay at Cape Canaveral and then a trip to Disney World with a five year old!

TK and I opted to listen to the magical time share presentation so we could bridge our getaway a few more days. We paid $150 for three nights and a speech, which is definitely cheaper than any Hilton room. TK is a skilled travel planner and uses our earned credit card points for hotels along the way. So far we have not paid for any hotel room this trip.

That said, we are bracing for the lilting voiced magical time share presentation tomorrow morning at 8:15 a.m. If we do this right, we will have the rest of the day to enjoy the cool and rainy weather forecast for tomorrow (that Florida Mall may be a destination again).  There will be a report tomorrow! [as an aside, TK and I have signed on for two time shares in the past: the Poconos on our honeymoon 34 years ago, and this very same Hilton about 9 years ago. Both times, we changed our minds and unsigned the contract the next day. Thank goodness.] Stay strong, Janie!!

Exterior of the building our room is in. Grass and palm trees for Friend H!

Imagine this. After eating at Uno Chicago Pizzeria and Grill, we walked to the outlet mall (Orlando International Premium Outlets), a very short  distance from our hotel.  Tommy Bahamas, luggage, and more of course. The most important part of this paragraph is Uno deep dish pizza--I love it and finding Uno is darn near impossible.

One store had a fabulous display of vintage sewing machines. My mother had a Pfaff sewing machine and she  made my clothes when I was in grade school and high school. This brought back memories!

A vintage Pfaff sewing machine

Firster and Rossman-I love the beauty of vintage craftsmanship. 

There were at least thirty vintage sewing machines, mostly Singer.

The book I finished last night--kept me engaged and I am grateful that I can read while riding in a car.

TK's Takes:  "Look before you leap."  This is his new  mantra after he called the front desk to report that we had no ice bucket. Then he found it in the cupboard.  I called the front desk back to tell them we did indeed have an ice bucket. Then he could not get the TV to work with the remote. He called the front desk again. A licensed electrician came to our room quite quickly and said the remote TK had was the one for the DVD player. The electrician looked at the end table by the bed and there was the TV remote. Thus, look before you leap! LOL  Then he said he felt bad and now he better buy a time share....hahaha.

"DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY" IN COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA!

Marriott Residence Inn
Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach, Florida
55F, sunny with a chill

This little fellow, a katydid, I am quite sure, was outside the hotel's exit door on the sidewalk near our truck. TK thought he was compromised because of the colder temperature. I was able to move him to a safer area.

Presumably a katydid  

We had a leisurely ride, mostly along Rt. 1A from St. Augustine to the Cape Canaveral area.  Of course, we stopped in Titusville, Florida, for lunch at Dixie Crossroads, another great restaurant that features fresh shrimp.  Their corn fritters are fabulous too!

It isn't a trip to Florida without a trip to Dixie Crossroads!

I could eat a boatload of corn fritters.

And I probably would if the shrimp was not so fabulous!!

I will admit it is chilly today, but Erie is under another snow emergency and I am wearing sandals, a sweater, and a fleece jacket. No boots!! No heavy jacket!!

Another tradition is visiting Ronjon's and this photo, taken at the Cocoa Beach Surf Company across the street from Ronjon's, is for B2--we love the huge aquarium there!

TK's Takes:  It's a little too cool to do much outdoors. He wants to wear shorts, but he can't. There are a lot of people at this hotel getting ready for a cruise out of Cocoa Beach, either Disney, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival!

ST. AUGUSTINE AND O'STEEN RESTAURANT'S SHRIMP

Fairfield Inn
St. Augustine, Florida
70F, sunny

As soon as we arrived in St. Augustine about 3 p.m., we headed for the Old St. Augustine area and a stroll along the shops. Since my friend Judy lives in St. Augustine now, we have seen many historic places in the past few years. Tim needed a new Tilley hat and we knew the Panama Hat Shop carried that brand. He wore his "old" one constantly on all cruises, in the pool, and on the go--nice hats, they are. We won't mention who may have opted to put that one in the dryer after washing, but let's just say, it was not quite the same size ever again. He still wore it, but I knew he wanted one that fit. Voila!

We had not visited the O'Steen Restaurant in a few years, but that is where the locals go and we were nearby for dinner. O'Steen's gets its shrimp fresh from the shrimp boats everyday and that is evident at first bite. Located on A1A, just over the Lion Bridge from Old Town, we drove right there and were not disappointed. The hush puppies are great too!

After eating we went to the Outlets--Tommy Bahama did not disappoint.  Tim scored a colorful shirt at a very low price and I bought items for R and B--TB t-shirts are very soft with cool designs!

I am also looking for an underseat piece of luggage (for flights) so we looked at the luggage shops too. On Wednesday morning just before we were leaving my wheeled overnighter's handle would not collapse down, so I had to change to another piece of luggage--not happy happy as we were about to leave Erie. I had to grab another piece I do not like as much, so I am looking for a replacement there too. The lady in the luggage shop suggested I take the piece to our nearby outlet and ask them to help--they may be able to fix it.

All of the above does not sound too interesting, so I will try to pep this up a bit tomorrow!!

TK's Takes: TK wondered what the difference in population was between Charlotte and Jacksonville. Jacksonville does not seem to have the horrendous traffic jams that Charlotte has. It turns out that Jacksonville has about 33,000 more citizens that Charlotte.

Jacksonville, Florida: 892,062 (2017)

Charlotte, North Carolina: 859,035 (2017)

Some more photos as we arrived in Florida:

Florida Welcome Center

Everyone is offered fresh Florida orange juice or grapefruit juice. We never pass this welcome center!

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

January    24, 2019 / 1 p.m. on I-95/Georgia
68F, sunny

WiFi in the truck is slick and I am able to write this as we go. I am not the driver. TK has never let me drive this truck. In fact, I have only driven one of his trucks and that was quite a story of years ago—-we were driving home from a JanFeb Florida/Cruise trip.  I left my wallet at one of the stops in South Carolina and did not notice it was missing until miles and miles and miles up the road. It was one of those “You’re gonna drive now” moments.  I told him on Wednesday that it would be a good idea for me to practice driving in this truck, but he still isn’t going for that and I am not going to leave my wallet somewhere just to get the chance.  [see below--I found the lost wallet story]

At our recent rest stop I noticed a Georgia/MIA-POW plaque honoring all veterans, especially those of Georgia. This reminded me of our friend Virginia D., Georgia resident, who was on our August World War I trip to France.

We are headed for St. Augustine right now—about 45 minutes away!!

From February 26, 2009:
Yesterday we started our trek home. On the spur of the moment we decided to take the highway toward Williamsburg, Virginia, one of our very favorite destinations (620 miles/almost 10 hours). The drive was going to be quite smooth-good weather, good roads.

We stopped in South of the Border, South Carolina. While Tim was getting gas, I purchased a Diet Pepsi. By itself, this would not be a remarkable event. Then, we drove for 96 miles and stopped at McDonalds for fish sandwiches for Ash Wednesday. THAT is when I discovered that I no longer had my wallet (my 2 major credit cards, $115 cash, my driver’s license, and my bank ATM card). That is also when I found out that McDonalds charges $5 for 2 hours of Internet because I used my laptop to find the phone number of the gas station. After calling the station and finding out that luckily they had my wallet, we made the decision to return to South of the Border. I would drive. Tim was not happy about this turn of events, but he was happy that this problem was not his fault. So, three hours later, at 8:30 p.m., we were finally back at the McDonalds where we discovered my loss. Instead of reaching Williamsburg by 9 p.m., we would get there by midnight.

Normally we do not drive much at night, but I drove on. Tim took over again at our next stop for gas. We did not have reservations in Williamsburg, but we found a Hampton Inn at midnight that had just opened—a very nice hotel. Needless to say we were exhausted.

We did learn several things:
1) we can drive at least 13 hours in one day
2) when someone buys something, one must put her/his wallet back in her/his purse
3) we are very very fortunate

SMOOTH TRUCKING TO ROCK HILL, SC

Fairfield Inn
Rock Hill, SC
49F

Bye, Bye Erie. 23 January 2019

It was a long day for TK who expertly drove his GMC Sierra through the hills of West Virginia and Virginia, through North Carolina, and just over the line to South Carolina from 8:13 a.m./Erie to 6:35 p.m./Rock Hill, SC.  I have the easy job as passenger. How did we amuse ourselves while driving? We started listening to the psychological thriller on tape, Girl on the Train. That lasted about an hour. We both decided that this book, while it might interest us in another venue, was not the right fit as we drove.

Our favorite, traditional stop, New River Gorge National Park was closed due to the government shut down, so TK promised me a stop at Tamarack so we could eat our tuna pita sandwiches. Tamarack, The Best of West Virginia, is the all time best rest stop, but TK does not like to stop there because I dawdle too much. The stop features WV glass makers, quilts, and so many other arts and crafts done solely in West Virginia. Beauty abounds and I was excited--we had not stopped there in years. To my dismay we were greeted at the door by a man who told us the dining and rest room areas were open, but the rest was closed for inventory. Are you kidding me?????? TK agrees to stop and the most beautiful arts and crafts are not accessible to me. Aargh!! Did TK know in advance? No, I am sure he did not!!

Our selfie, Tamarack, West Virginia 

Tamarack, the Best of West Virginia

After we ate our delicious sandwiches (made by Chef TK), TK got back on the road and turned the radio to 70s music and I read magazines, the Erie newspaper, Erie Reader, and then I  turned to the USA Today crosswords I save over the year.

TK has WiFi in the truck so I read my email and Facebook. I checked out Words with Friends, but Friend Heather was working and sadly did not drop everything to set up a few words!

The temperature in Pittsburgh was about 49F and just a few miles into West Virginia it was 60F. That was a great surprise. Last year we saw snow all the way through to North Carolina. My winter coat, my Cuddl Duds, and boots became heavier and heavier. By the time we got to Charlotte, NC, the traffic did not disappoint. At least we were never completely stopped in traffic.

TK had the hotel programmed in and the ETA was quite accurate--we arrived at our hotel at 6:35 p.m. TK said he was fine, not tired. He did a great job driving. The roads were mostly dry and just an occasional sputtering of rain. It is a bit cooler now, but no more boots, winter coats, etc.!!!

TK Takes:  It was like springtime on the way down, not January!

ALMOST PACKED!

TK has our Winter Travel down to a science. He looks for a cruise deal and books it (He even has a cruise booked for Jauary 2020!) This year he found a deal on the MSC Divina, a new cruise line for us. MSC was offering the same reward status to those who cruised on other cruise lines. For example we are "Platinum" on Princess, Carnival, and NCL cruise lines. MSC offered us the best "status" based on our  "status" on those cruise lines, which includes on board credit, free soda card, and so on.  We will give MSC a try.

Then TK checks out our rewards points with Hilton and Marriott and books hotels accordingly for the days we need hotel rooms.

Packing is a science too.Long ago I made a packing checklist in Adobe InDesign--3 columns of very specific items. Since this is a month long trip and we are driving, I have a lot of leeway on how much I can take, but I try not to go overboard!! I use one 27 inch, one 24 inch, and one 20 inch bag, all with spinner wheels. I also use an over the shoulder bag for my laptop and iPad that I can loop over the small wheeled case, but when we board the cruise ship, I place those items in that 20 inch with my Canon SLR, jewelry, and meds. In other words, I leave my travel clothes/winter clothes in the truck and shift items in my luggage.

TK packs his own luggage, but he takes the same amount of luggage as I do.


Here is a sample of my list:

MJK’S PACKING CHECKLIST-Jan 23-Feb 23, 2019

o LL Bean Sunglasses/Extra Sunglasses
o Tote Bags--Del Sol (St. Kitts)/VB
o Tide to go/ Tide/(TK)
o Febreze
o Alarm Clock
o Reading material/6 books, magazines
o Journal/Pens
o Desk Kit/stapler, clips, manila envelopes
o MJK 2019 calendar and passwords
o MJK Bullet Journal
o Postage Stamps / Addresses
o TILLEY HAT

PANTS/SKIRTS

o 1 beige, 2 navy, 1 blk, 2 jean capris

o 1 pair Chico So Slim  +wear 1 pair jeans

o 1 Chico blue and 1 Chico tan pants

JACKETS

o Blue Sweater--wear

EVENING WEAR

o Chico sapphire pants/blk pants

o           Chico jazz blu tank/gr tank/blk tank tops

o 2 Navy blue capri and tank top set

o Pashmani-turquoise

o Blk dressy long sleeve top

o Blk glitter tank

o Slinky Shrug-bl gr yel/Chico shrug bl gr sequin

TOPS

o 1 grn, 1 turq, 1 blk, 1 blue top

o 5 short sleeve tops-printed

o 2 mid length sleeve tops-printed

o Erie FF pink/Mediterranean tees

The bottom line is that I am packed except for a few things. This year I have prepped to take my work on my great uncle Archie with me. I hope that I do have a chance to work on some of it. I outlined his  World War I letters written from France and refined the time line. I did not mention the extra tote bags that will carry this work, but except for my notebooks, I kept the work to a minimum. Most of my work is scanned or transcribed to files.

Almost ready!!

GET READY FOR TAKE OFF!

Our 2019 adventure will soon begin. TK has planned another fine journey that takes us to sun and warmth.

Basic Itinerary, subject to change:
Wednesday, January 23:  Leave Erie about 8 a.m. and travelt hrough West Virginia, Virginia,  North Caroline, first night in South Carolina.

Thursday, January 24: St. Augustine for overnight

January 26--28: Orlando

Tuesday, January 29: Cocoa Beach area

Wednesday, January 30: Fort Lauderdale

Thursday, January 31: Board the MSC Divina

February 1-2: At Sea

Sunday, February 3: St. John's

Monday, February 4: St. Kitts

Tuesday, February 5: Guadeloupe (new island for us)

Wednesday, February 6: Tortola, British Virgin Isles

Thursday, February 7: St. Maarten

Friday, February 8: St. Maarten

February 8-9:  At Sea

Sunday, February 10: Miami to Fort Myers area

Monday, February 11: Fort Myers/Naples/Estero

Tuesday, February 12: Fort Myers/Naples/Estero

Wednesday, February 13: Dade City

Thursday, February 14: Happy Valentine's Day! Dade City

Friday, February 15: Mt.Dora/Renningers Antique Show

February 17-19: Dade City

February 20: Leave Dade City

February 21: Erie, Pennsylvania