CHILDREN’S VOICES WELCOME US TO DOMINICA

Friday, January 20, 2017                                             82 F / sunny

Rouseau, Dominica, W.I. / ms Oosterdam

Early this morning we arrived in Dominica, an island we have visited twice before. Our balcony faces the sparkling blue Caribbean Sea for this port. Dominica is a small volcanic based island that has not been as developed as many other islands. We were anxious to see if it had changed since our last visit.

On the pier at the shore we were greeted with “Welcome to Dominica” chanted by a chorus of 15 or so darling preschool age children dressed smartly in crisp white polo shirts, light blue pleated skirts or shorts (the boys), and the cleanest white sneakers, as they waved the green flag of Dominica with a double striped cross of white and yellow, red at the center. A teacher nearby was offering handmade paper flowers for a donation to buy books for the school.

We walked the main street just off the shore to the Rouseau Fish Market. We could not identify the fish, but they were processing the fresh catch—ten stations with sinks, five scales, and sharp, well-worn knives of all sorts. The fishing boats had returned to port already (9:30 a.m.)

Across the street 30-40 vendors artfully displayed their fruits and vegetables. What a sight! Fresh lettuce, cabbage, yellow cooking onions, eggplant, garlic bulbs, fat carrots, potatoes, short cucumbers, sweet potatoes, small green peppers and tiny tomatoes, melons of all sorts, lemons and limes, pineapples, plantain and bananas, grapefruit, oranges, and unidentified fruits too. Flour was packaged in plastic bags, as well as dried spices like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and nutmeg in the shell. Ginger root and cinnamon bark were fresh. What an experience for the senses! 

A sign reported the hours of this market-Friday, from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.! I could picture the farmers/vendors packing up their goods for the market this morning, driving in, and setting up the booth before 4 a.m. Other days the market opened at 6 a.m. These markets are not for cruise passengers, of course, because we are not allowed to take such items back on board. I wonder if the household cook visits the market each day for the food needed. I doubt they have the luxury of 20 cu. ft. refrigerators. From past experience we have seen the small cottages the islanders live in.85

Since this island has no airport, visitors must come by ship or ferry boat. We saw an English springer spaniel being used as a drug sniffing dog at the ferry entrance.

Colorful straw markets appeared in several places, along the main street, and behind it—the usual souvenirs for tourists, goods made of wood, shells, and leather, beach towels, t-shirts, skirts, summer dresses, silk scarves, bags.

By 10 a.m., the sun was really warming us up, so we decided to return to the ship. Since our stateroom was not yet ready I went to the dining room and TK went to the Seaview pool (aft).  There are three churches in view, as well as a couple older and newer hotels—all small. I am not sure what the large pillared white house is in the distance is. TK spotted a soccer stadium and homes are perched on the hills.  On the other side of the ship small boats sail or motor by. 

TK’s Takes: The pool is 85 F now. The furniture on this ship is better and more comfortable than most we have been on. (Translation: seats and lounge chairs are padded)

WARM AND SUNNY ST. MAARTEN

Thursday, January 19, 2017                                         78 F sunny

Philipsburg, St. Maarten / ms Osterdam

Last year when we visited St. Maarten, we went on a windy, rainy, and wavy boat ride tour around the island with Donna, Lawrence, Gwenda, Colin, Nancy, Brian, and Denise. It was quite an adventure, arranged by Colin. Today we had a very calm and sunny day.

I forgot that we had to take a water taxi to the main part of the town, a five minute ride ($7/per person--round trip). TK and I visited our favorite spots, but we really enjoy walking the streets and talking with the citizens. I mentioned my blog to a young lady who worked at Little Switzerland. She studied in the Netherlands for five years, came home this year, and is headed to Tallahassee’s Florida State University for school in the fall. She said she is a writer and wants to start a blog—I showed her mine.  I told her blogspot.com is really easy to set up, but I do not do the blog to make money, only to help me remember our trips and let family and friends know what we are up to.

First thing this morning, TK heard rolling thunder—he looked outside the balcony and saw over 26 motorcycles with 20 riders roaring down the pier toward the port—they had disembarked from the Celebrity ship!  This was brand new sight for us!

The motorcycles return to the Celebrity ship

St. Maarten/St. Martin is the smallest island in the world with two countries, Netherlands and France. It is 37 sq. miles—need to check—that is what the boat operator said. This is my 2^nd favorite shopping island.

We had a light lunch at the Green House (restaurant), but the Wi-Fi was very poor. We continued our walk along the beach, stopping in a few shops that a caught our interest. TK spied something that Friend Donna would like so we purchased it—need to send it as soon as we get home so she has it on her Caribbean trip!

TK at the GreenHouse restaurant

We returned to the ship by 1:30 p.m.—TK wanted to go swimming and I wanted to enjoy our great balcony. There were four other ships in port and one of the onboard servers told me the RCCL Allure of the Seas has 6000 passengers. I cannot even imagine that. It is a large and glorious ship with so many outside balconies as well as boardwalk balconies (inside overlooking public areas). The Allure on the next pier over from our ship.  I watched as people began returning to the ships. The Carnival Vista and the Celebrity Equinox shared our ship’s pier. As I was people watching I decided to count the distinctive red striped bags that Little Switzerland uses (LS sells high end watches and jewelry). In a little over an hour I counted 46 bags and because of my vast experience I know those bags were worth at least $23,000 minimum, probably much more. That count does not include people from our ship because I could not see passengers boarding our ship from the balcony, nor could I see passengers for the Allure. Not bad for one day!

 Tonight’s dinner was very good, apple soup and prime rib. Dessert was strawberry crisp-TK had snickers cake. Mariyadi told us tonight that his family also grows papaya, bananas, and bamboo, as well as coconuts.

Georgia, our Windows 10 instructor, is from Leicester, England. She majored in photography and has a degree in photography from the New Hampshire School of Art.

If anyone is really reading this, I must add a disclaimer. Our life at home is not that exciting either. However, we have a lot of fun wherever we are and whatever we do.

Late addition: I was able to connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi, but I could not access any browser—not a good sign for my blog.

Lobster towel animal!

TK’s Takes:  It was hot but not humid—very pleasant today. Not many people are using the pool. 

SHOPPING AND SHOPPING IN ST. THOMAS

Wednesday, January 18, 2017                       mid 76 F, sunny

St. Thomas USVI / ms Oosterdam

It was a beautiful day in St. Thomas, sunny and warm. Someday I may be less interested in window shopping in this seaside town, but that has not happened in the past 26 years. There are so many small shops and big name shops, jewelry, watches, cameras, souvenirs, clothing, it all is just irresistible to me.  For some reason TK still likes to go with me. We try on a watch or a ring or earrings, most times not buying.

We had lunch at the Green House, where we always go-and this is one reason it is hard to make the blog exciting. We do the same things! St. Thomas (the old port) is easy to get around, level sidewalks and streets, the vendors do not push too much, there is so much variety, so many items to choose from, e.g. styles, colors, gemstones, watches. We never see this many choices in any mall we have been to, even the most exclusive. With at least 4 ships in port today that would translate to at least 8,000 visitors. Even if only a small percentage shopped, that is still a lot of people who want lots of choices in one day.

So what was different today? Today I met a designer of wooden framed sunglasses which were very beautiful. He does not use maple or willow though. TK made the first purchase-he really likes the bamboo fabric shirts, cooler and lighter. Green House Internet was not very strong and I could not download the Windows 10 update. We were back on the ship earlier than usual.

Upon our return to the ship, I had an invitation from Guest Services desk to see them about the Internet and they gave me 70 extra minutes without a hassle, thank goodness.

Dinner tonight was very tasty—chilled coconut soup, Wiener schnitzel, and rhubarb crisp. 

What I learned tonight from Mariyadi: He told me that at his home in Indonesia the family has many coconut trees. There are red, green, and yellow coconuts. He said the best were the green ones-they are sweetest. The yellow ones are very small as are the trees. He continued that his father finds a bud on a tree, slices it, then binds it to a bamboo stick and drains the sweet coconut water for several hours. Then they boil the sweet water for 3-4 hours to make a candy. Each day his father makes another slice and repeats the process for a month per coconut bud. I told him this process sounded somewhat like making maple syrup. He told me he knew what maple syrup was and that the process was indeed similar. 

After dinner we strolled the ship and enjoyed the music in various bars.

This afternoon when the Disney Fantasy (playing Disney music like “It’s a Small World” and “When You Wish upon a Star” with their air horn) and the Aidavita left port ahead of us, they turned just by us and were so close to our balcony!

TK’s Takes: The ship’s pool temperature is higher by 5 degrees today. Now we are on the Caribbean Sea headed to St. Maarten. Janie won an Effy key chain at the store’s raffle today.

WALKING AROUND OLD SAN JUAN

Tuesday, January 17, 2017                mid 76 F, sunny

San Juan, Puerto Rico / ms Oosterdam

Room service knocked at our door and we awakened to Continental breakfast, lots of fruit, and a few pastries, including croissants.  TK headed straight to the pool and I learned more about how to make Cortana my personal assistant.

We met for a modest lunch in the buffet—fresh fruit is always so plentiful on a cruise. I tried a slice of pizza and it was remarkably good. As I have said before, food on a ship is never what it seems, but the pizza and burgers are good. I am a fan of simple dishes.

The Oosterdam sailed by El Morro, the old Spanish fort from the mid-1700s and we knew we were at San Juan, about 12:30 p.m. Our balcony faced the city this time and we could see two other ships in port—cruise lines we had not seen before-Aida and Viking (Viking is expanding from river cruises).

We disembarked at 1 p.m. and walked right past the El Galeon, the Spanish ship that visited Tall Ships Erie 2016 in September.  No lines! Our family waited 2.5 hours to board this ship in Erie! I wish I had brought the El Galeon t-shirt with me that D, B, and B1 gave me for my birthday!

We visited some of our favorite shops, Del Sol (items all change colors in the sun) and Cariloha (bamboo fabric). TK did a good job of scouting for maps and information for Friend H who will be in Puerto Rico at Easter.

The traffic was terrible—old one lane streets backed up for at least 10 blocks, probably more. We were told that PR is still celebrating Christmas and tomorrow is a festival day. I’m not sure how that explains the traffic, but so it goes.

We walked up hill and downhill on uneven bricks and sidewalks without mishap to see El Morro up close. It is a U.S. National Park and we toured it awhile back. On the way back we had Pina Coladas at Barrachina Restaurant, known as the origin of the Pina Colada. We have been there before in the beautiful courtyard with lush vegetation and live parrots.

By the time we returned to the ship, it was time for dinner. We have settled into a routine with standing reservations for a table for two in the Vista dining room at 5:30 p.m. with Mariyadi and Haris, both from Indonesia. Mariyada explained that all servers are from Indonesia, all kitchen people and the cooks are from the Philippines, and the cabin stewards are from both countries.  I had Southern fried chicken and TK tried seared corvana, a delicate fish that he decided he really liked.

After dinner we decided to go to Walgreen’s right near the port to get large bottles of water – 1.5 L for $.99 vs. the ship’s 1.5 L for $3.95. The temperature is still in the 70s and warm!

I’m closing now because I have to get ready for St. Thomas tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TK’s Takes:  Donna, we went to Walgreens just for you!  Two more ships came into port in the afternoon, the new Carnival Vista and the RCCL Anthem of the Seas.  These two ships are much bigger than the Oosterdam, behemoths! We walked all the way to the fort (he did not mention his knee replacement in March 2016—so happy that he is walking well!) We really like our waiters. It is really warm.

UPDATE: First, when I logged in yesterday I found that my Internet usage was over 150 minutes for 3 times uploading my blog. HAL does not have an Internet desk, but I am investigating this issue with customer service. I have logged off each time and all that I do is download the document into the blog and place the photos in, timed at 17-20 minutes per day. We shall see what develops. This is not a huge concern in the scope of things.

We are at the Green House in St. Thomas with sketchy Wi-Fi and I am trying to download the Win 10 update, hahaha.. However, without Donna and especially Gwenda, I am shopping and shopping, oh no!

If I do not continue the blog, you will know that my technical difficulties have not been resolved. Stay tuned!

SEA DAYS FOR RELAXATION~

Sunday and Monday, January 15, 16, 2017                          mid 70s, breezy

At Sea, aboard the ms Oosterdam

Sea days are made for exploring the ships, relaxing, reading, eating, and napping! It was a sleepy sunny day.

On Sunday, TK and I did make the Cruise Critic meet and greet despite never posting on the board. Fellow cruisers were friendly. I talked about World War I with a woman from Delaware who recommended an author, Charles Todd, who writes historical fiction based on World War I. Every once in a while I need a break from nonfiction books on WWI.  This was a good tip.

This same lady talked to me about river cruises in Europe and mentioned one of the first dishes she had on the ship was cream of mustard soup. That took my breath away. I cannot begin to imagine such a dish. I need to look that up on Google when the Internet isn’t costing me $.40/minute.

Aside to Son R and family—I really really like the book, From Sea to Shining Sea, by James Alexander Thom that you gave me for Christmas!  Historical fiction about George Rogers Clark and family before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.   

I guess we are cruising on such a beautiful ship so that we can become more familiar with Windows 10.  It is amazing how packed the classes are with at least 30 people, and Georgia, our warm and welcoming teacher, repeats the classes three times per cruise. Today I learned how to bring photos to life with the editing features in Win 10.

Sunday was Gala night, so we dressed for the special occasion. At dinner TK observed that the iced tea is made at the server station with a premade syrup. I’m sticking to diet soda. Choices are Diet Coke (fountain) and Coke Zero

TK's iced tea on the left in the small glass :) 

The shrimp cocktail was very good. An extra accompaniment as an appetizer was chilled corn chowder served in a small juice glass.  The carrot soup was delicious too and the pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta cheese was super. The lemon meringue cheesecake was OK, hard to surpass the Cheesecake Factory.

Nowadays TK packs a jacket and wears it with no tie. This is very acceptable for Gala night. This is very different from when he rented a tux from home or on board the ship. I no longer take gowns either.  Makes for easier packing and more comfort!

After dinner (we are eating at 5:45 p.m. most days), we went to the Main Stage Show, “Off the Charts,” with 11 singers and dancers, accompanied by 4 musicians. They sang and danced to Pop hits from the late 50s to present. The stage graphics were clever, e.g. piano keys projected onto the stage, from all sides.

On Monday, TK headed straight to the fresh water pool, mid ship while I headed to two Win 10 workshops, “Organize Your Photos with Windows 10” and “Make Windows 10 Your Own.” I have learned so much already, and I need to download Photo Gallery from Microsoft. Of course my laptop needs an update, but again, I am not paying $.40 a minute to do that. We really take for granted the fact that we can use the Internet so lavishly at home. I hope that Internet access is always so.

The rest of the day I read on our balcony—an even warmer gentle breeze. The sound of the ship sailing through the waves. Grand luxury!

I could not resist two soups at dinner tonight, chilled mixed berry and twice baked potato soup.  The roast turkey was good, but that is one dinner I think I do well anyway. TK had pork medallions with spaetzle. We observed the bustle of the dining room, servers carrying 5-6 covered and stacked dinners at a time, conversations buzzing, and the light sound of piano keys, tables with 2, 4, or 6 diners. Three different HAL people stopped by to ask if we were enjoying our dinner. TK and I are dining alone, we learned long ago that talk can turn to politics quite easily and we prefer not to engage in that. 

After dinner we walked to the Main Stage to hear Paul Pappas, pianist. I have never seen a pianist who could sit, stand, and jump around while playing everything from Beethoven to Ragtime to Michael Bubules to TV theme songs.

Finally, I was glad to see that the Pittsburgh Steelers won last night. TK says he does not think they can beat New England.

TK’s Takes: He now thinks there are younger people than he first thought (under 70), maybe even 20%.  

The pool temperature is 80 F, it is fresh water, and not many people are using them. The room stewards seem a little lethargic. 

WE WARM UP IN TO KEY WEST

Saturday, January 14, 2017      72 F, warm breeze and sunshine

Aboard HAL MS Oosterdam

The bright full moon last night cast a wonderful light on the Gulf as we cruised south. Our wakeup call this morning was breakfast-ham and cheese omelet for TK, and pastries, juices, and coffee delivered to our door. We were not due to arrive in Key West until 10:30 a.m., so we decided to go to a Digital Workshop on Windows 10-about Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and the Action Center. Georgia, the teacher, has been trained by Microsoft. TK and I decided we could benefit from learning more about MS WIN 10, so we may as well take advantage of the classes.

By 11:00 a.m. we were walking the interesting streets of warm Key West, chickens and all. We found our favorite Key Lime Pie Co. for an exquisite taste of this special treat.  We strolled past Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Hog’s Breath Saloon, Hard Rock Café, and many other familiar places. Roosters’ crowing offered a backdrop that reminds visitors this town is very colloquial and laid back.  The hop on hop off trolleys were doing a good business. The architecture is reminiscent of Spanish and Old World influence.

Our ship, HAL MS Oosterdam

Key Lime Pie Company

Sloppy Joe's Bar

A little friend we encountered

We never had a gnome before-he is so cute!

Even though we returned to the ship for a late lunch on the Lido deck, we could not resist spending the rest of the afternoon on our port side balcony that overlooked three small islands off the coast of Key West. We could see parasailers in the distance and hear the buzz of jet skis passing by. Schooners, catamarans, ferry boats, small sailboats, even the Appledore (a schooner that visits Erie often in the summer, especially during Tall Ships) sailed on by. Helicopters and small planes, and a bi plane flew overhead while I read.

At dinner (chilled coconut/pineapple soup, prime rib, and baked potato), TK and I talked about how very laid back this cruise is. For example, there were no photographers taking photos as we disembarked. We are definitely among the youngest cruisers, with the exception of a one year old. The shops, bars, and casino seem empty. That means good service for us! I will say though the black coffee is worse than the strongest coffee in Europe. Tim cuts it with cream and sweetener, but that is not my style. Oh my gosh it is awful.

We lose an hour of sleep tonight--we will need that strong coffee tomorrow!

TK’s Takes: His iced tea was delivered in a juice glass at dinner—a very funny sight. Maybe they did not have spare glasses?  He said they played 50s music on the Pool Deck. This cruise makes the Panama Canal and Alaska cruisers look like teenagers. He did not want to say much more about the average age of cruisers on this ship, but they make him feel awfully young. It turns out that the photographers for this ship missed the cruise in Tampa-they will join us in San Juan.

HOW SWEET IS OUR OOSTERDAM SUITE!

Friday, January 13, 2017                     78 F

Tampa, Florida / Aboard the MS Oosterdam / At Sea

Our journey continues! TK ordered an Uber and within 4 minutes we were picked up for our ride to the Port. TK did the request so quickly that he forgot to ask for a bigger car. Fortunately everything fit into the Nissan Sentra! The young driver was born and raised in Tampa and certainly knew how to get to the port quickly. Cost: $8

We were checked in and aboard the Oosterdam by noon and when we saw our suite, #6106, we could not believe it. Spacious, full of amenities, a spa bathtub with shower, a separate shower, two marble sinks, a long desk, a vanity with bright mirror, a long couch, two chairs, a stool for the vanity, even binoculars, a queen bed, a 65 inch flat screen TV, so many drawers, shelves, and closets that we could have brought all of our clothes from home. Perfect lighting everywhere, night stands, coffee table, I may never get TK off the ship. Our balcony has two chairs that double as lounge chairs, as well as another chair, and a table. It is larger than any we have ever had.  My desk has a window overlooking the sea. It seems silly to go on and on about the room, but after the Getaway and our inside cabin, this suite is the complete antithesis. TK’s faith in cruising has been restored.

After lunch and the safety drill, we are a little more acquainted with the ship. The Oosterdam accommodates almost 2000 guests and over 800 crew.  There are 11 guest decks, 6 restaurants and cafes, 8 entertainment venues, 10 lounges and bars, 2 outdoor swimming pools-one with a sliding glass roof, a spa, a salon, fitness center, shops, Internet Café, casino, and sports courts. 

By 4 p.m. we were leaving Tampa. Captain Willems announced that the sail through Tampa Bay would take about 4 hours. By 6:30 p.m. we saw Friend MJ’s bridge, near where she takes the most beautiful photos of sunsets when she and Joe stay here.

Dinner for two at the Vista Dining Room-Tomato and Goat Cheese Tartlet, NY Strip Steak, Key Lime Pie. Cruise food is never as good as it sounds.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tartlet--not a pizza!

After dinner, we explored some more of the ship—digital workshop Windows 10 Q&A, just what I needed. First day! We are ready for more!

TK’s Takes: Newly remodeled state room, the best we have had. Lots of storage. It seems like we may be the youngest people on board.

INTERNATIONAL PLAZA MALL AND CHEESECAKE FACTORY!!

Thursday, January 12, 2017                 75 F

Courtyard Marriott Airport / Tampa, Florida

This morning TK and I had coffee on the beach-our Hampton Inn had beach access. The gentle roar of the waves and the feel of sand vs. snow and ice and slush. Hmmm. Throw in some sunshine, even a balmy breeze, and 60 F at 9 a.m. Count us in!

TK and Janie with their new friend at Hampton Inn, Cocoa Beach

TK on the Atlantic Ocean at Cocoa Beach, Florida

The two hour drive to Tampa was uneventful, so we were at a grand mall, International Plaza, complete with Nordstrom’s, Neiman Marcus, Dillard’s, and so many other of my favorite stores, and I had things to shop for! Actually, we both made purchases. We easily checked into our hotel (where we will be parked for 2 weeks/$5 per day) and made arrangements to meet cousin Geri, her son Kevin, and her very congenial 10  year old grandson Cade for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory at the Mall. Lemon meringue cheesecake was sold out, much to my chagrin, but we settled for 2^nd favorite, strawberry shortcake. It was great catching up with Geri and family—they have lived in Florida since the 80s. She is going to share the family cookie recipes with me!

There was really no controversy or excitement today—sun, warm weather, traffic not overwhelming. I did forget to notify credit card companies that we would be traveling in the Caribbean and the southern states, but I was able to make a few phone calls to confirm those details.  We reorganized our bags, ready for takeoff tomorrow.

I still have not figured out how to make the blog exciting for R and B. For some reason the football game channel is not working tonight. That would cause some excitement if they were here.  

TK’s Takes:  I thought Janie was going to sleep in her new hat last night-she had it on while working on her computer. She had it on first thing this morning too.  People in Florida have still not learned what to use their turning signals for. The Cheesecake Factory should stock up on lemon meringue cheesecake when Janie is in town.

NEBRASKA TO ST. AUGUSTINE, FL

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 10-11, 2017                       70 F

Fairfield Inn (St. Augustine) and Hampton Inn (Cocoa Beach)

Our trip from Rock Hill to St. Augustine was uneventful, a little dusting of snow in South Carolina, but the temperature was quickly warming, to 68 F. We met up with my friend since 1967 when we went to school in France. Six weeks ago Judy, a retired school administrator, packed up her house in Nebraska, sold it, and moved to St. Augustine where two of her daughters live. Her new home is very comfortable and she is getting acquainted with the area. She drove us to Clark’s Fish Camp outside Jacksonville, “a seafood shack where stuffed wild animals preside over this popular eatery,” a very interesting restaurant with great atmosphere that overlooks a bayou.  www.clarksfishcamp.com   We were Judy’s first out of town visitors!

Clark;s Fish Camp near Jacksonville, Florida

After much conversation with Judy, TK and I headed back to the Fairfield (note to Donna and Lawrence: TK now owns two more TB shirts J) 

This morning Judy picked us up for her “tour” of Old St. Augustine, now celebrating its 450^th year.  TK and I have visited before, but we had never toured the Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marco, now part of the National Park Service.  I was most intrigued by the very thick walls made of coquina stone—there are over 400,000 blocks of stone, all cut and set by hand. Coquina is a sedimentary rock that is composed almost entirely of the shells of mollusks, trilobites, and other invertebrates. One can actually see the shells in the wall’s blocks. 

Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida

Block of Coquina stone

We strolled the streets of the old town, its small shops stocked with interesting jewelry, handbags, hats, shoes, and tourist items. Gelato and ice cream stores are numerous. 

Two educators at the first schoolhouse in America

New Tilley hat

We enjoyed lunch at Harry’s Seafood, Bar, and Grill. We sat outside in a terrace area. Judy introduced us to green fried tomatoes, which TK and I had never tried before. We are sold on that as appetizer!

TK at Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill

After lunch we left Judy with a promise to return, perhaps we will see her on a July cruise to Bermuda, but we will visit her again in St. Augustine!

We drove to Titusville, Florida for dinner at Dixie Crossroads, definitely a seafood favorite, then went on to Cocoa Beach to the Hampton Inn and our annual visit to RonJon’s.   www.dixiecrossroads.com

Dixie Crossroads!

In Titusville we stopped at a Staples Super Store for advice on technology. As I knew, the laptop needed to update Windows 10, but the Internet service at the hotels is very poor. The tech person told me if I had good Wi-Fi I would have no problem with the download. Tonight the Hampton Inn assured me their Wi-Fi was strong, and so it is. I think I also resolved the Yahoo problem—I am a guest author on the blog with my gmail account (for one month). I am sure that R and B are so relieved that the blog lives! What can I say?

TK's Takes:The shrimp in Florida tastes better than the shrimp in back home. The stone blocks of coquina are pretty cool. He was very pleased to go to the car wash and near the Outlet Mall and they hand washed his truck. He likes his truck to be very clean and polished.

GOOD BY ERIE, HELLO SUNSHINE!

Monday, January 9, 2017 / Hampton Inn /Rock Hill, SC / 33 F

The Chevy Avalanche was loaded last night and we only had a few things to do before we left, so departure was prompt at 7:30 a.m. The roads were wet, but clear, and the temperature was a warm 15 F.  Near Pittsburgh there was only some snow. West Virginia was cloudy with some sun, dry roads, but snow on the ground, with 18 F.

Even with Brad Thor’s Foreign Influence audiotape to make the miles pass by, West Virginia seems way too long and way too hilly. The Internet is sketchy and our phones have to be set on airplane mode so we are not charged with roaming. Usually we do not see so much snow after Meadville.  As we were passing the steep hills, we could see the 5-10 foot icicles hanging of the huge rocks by the road. However, we made a special stop at Flatwoods—the Fiesta Outlet store always seems to call our name.  I quickly made a few purchases (beautiful colors, good quality). We ate TK’s famous tuna pitas in the truck and away we went.

Everything Fiesta Shop at Flatwoods, WV Outlet Mall

Virginia still had snow, a rare site for us, but the gasoline was $2.15 a gallon in Wytheville, VA. By North Carolina the snow was 4-8 inches deep on the ground, but the roads were dry. Yesterday my cousin Jill left Gettysburg at 6:30 a.m. and did not get to her South Carolina destination until 10 p.m. because the snow and accidents were so bad. This fact worried us some, but we really had smooth driving. They traveled I-95 and our route was I-79 to I-77.

As we were leaving NC to drive into SC, we saw the most beautiful sunset. This is what it looked like out the windshield at 70 mph.

Sunset near Charlotte, NC.

We are thankful to be safe and sound. TK is an excellent and confident driver.

I promised Randy and Brian that I would be succinct this year, hahahaha. The blog is only required reading for our sons—B1 suggested that this year I actually give them a test when we get home. What a great idea!

TK’s Takes: There should be more Rest Stops in West Virginia, open rest stops, that is. The Charlotte traffic was not too bad today at 5:30 p.m., but it is almost as bad as driving around DC. There is no easy way around Charlotte, but 3-lane I-485 South makes it a little easier.

P.S. Tonight the Internet was very difficult to access and then getting into the blog requires signing out of Gmail and into Yahoo. Yahoo requires that I verify with an access code sent to my phone. Since I will not be able to use my phone on the cruise, I may not be able to blog. Oh No! I will try to research on the Internet that I can barely access.... A  lot of hoops!

ALMOST READY!

All packed! Ready to roll! Right now the temperature in Erie is 19 F, feels like 5 F! The snow has stopped falling and TK  said that our departure tomorrow will be OK.

We will enjoy Football Sunday at Son Brian's in about an hour--we will need to referee the Steelers vs. Dolphins game! We heard that Denise, Miami fan, fixed turkey dinner-we can't resist!

Today's photo of  our backyard (1-8-2017)! 

You cannot see the extra food in the feeders for the birdies, thanks to TK!

Left to Right: Our shared suitcase (believe it or not!), my medium suitcase, and my large suitcase.

Not pictured are my carry on, my tote bag, camera bag, computer brief case, tote for the car with crossword puzzles and my journal, and my purse. King Packer TK's bags are not pictured either. His other 3 bags are neatly arranged, ready for the trunk! Obviously we packed LIGHT for this trip!

WARMTH AND SUN, HERE WE COME IN 2017!

TK, resident travel planner, has planned another great trip again! Despite his trepidation after last year's cruise aboard the NCL Getaway, he booked a two week cruise on Holland America's Oosterdam. 

Monday morning (Jan 9), bright and early, we are leaving Erie to head south--and I am ready! Currently it is 22 F and that is just too darned cold for  human beings to survive.
First stop will be south of Charlotte, NC on Monday night, then on Tuesday we will visit Nebraska friend Judy who just relocated to St. Augustine to be near two of her daughters and their families. Wednesday we will stay in the Titusville/Cocoa Beach area so we can eat at Dixie Crossroads, a favorite in Titusville!

Here is the itinerary:
2017
January 9-leave Erie, arrive Charlotte, NC
January 10-arrive St. Augustine, FL
January 11-arrive Cocoa Beach, FL
January 12-arrive Tampa, FL

January 13-board HAL Oosterdam--we were upgraded to a sweet suite!!
January 14-Key West
January 15-16--At Sea
January 17-San Juan--we will scout for friend HK!
January 18-St. Thomas--keep me away from the jewelry stores! No Donna to encourage me! No
                   Gwenda to corral me!
January 19-St. Maarten-jewelry stores are still in danger!
January 20-Dominica
January 21-At Sea
January 22-Curacao
January 23-Aruba-aloe!
January 24-At Sea
January 25-Grand Cayman
January 26-At Sea
January 27-Tampa to Ft. Myers area, FleaMasters Flea Market, here we come! Firefighter friends!
January 28-More friends and shopping!
January 29-Koenig reunion with Tom, Carol, Mary Lou, and Scorchy, maybe more!
January 30-Naples to Dade City and Travelers Rest Resort-TRR
February 1-3-Unplanned
February 4-Erie County Dinner in Zephyrhills
February 5-10-Unplanned, but we know we will be going to flea markets, antique shops, and good restaurants with Mary Lou and Scorchy!
February 111-12--Dade City to Erie, PA!

TK's Takes: He is on a path--not to be disturbed. Focused and determined, he is!