ST. MAARTEN, WE LOVE YOU!

Monday, January 15, 2018--Martin Luther King Day

St. Maarten, Caribbean Sea

Sunny, 85F

When we disembarked from the Sunshine about 10 a.m., it was raining lightly, but soon St. Maarten welcomed us with its own sunshine and warmth. From our ship’s balcony I saw blue tarps on roofs, construction materials, and a little different outline on the shore, but I was shocked when we walked into the city. Some say this island suffered the worst during the two hurricanes in September 2017, Irma and Maria, an island finding itself and trying to reconstruct. Ours was the only cruise ship in port today.

Since we have visited this island many times, we knew how it had changed. Many shops are shuttered closed, others are rebuilding, and some are open. The hotels right on the beach were truly affected and some have not yet reopened. In the past we would walk along the shore on a wide sidewalk lined with palm trees. Hotels and their open air restaurants and colorful umbrellas in the sand would be filled with customers enjoying cool drinks. Now many palm trees are struggling to grow back their fern like fronds, the beaches are almost empty, and only a few hotels are open. One shop clerk told us that there has been a dramatic change for the better in the past three weeks.

Donna and I did some damage to our credit cards—she sure loves London Blue diamonds! She was buying something for her daughter and I decided to make the same purchase surprise for both our two daughters in law. TK loves the Cariloha bamboo shirts. After some significant shopping to help the economy, I wanted to see the area where we always have lunch. I was very happy to see that the Green House was doing well. They told us they had suffered water damage and our server said her home had severe roof damage. What is most remarkable about the residents is their spirit-grateful they and their loved ones survived the storms. Our server told us 200 residents died in St. Martin, the French nation that shares this island with St. Maarten, the Dutch nation.

I had my DSLR camera with me, but decided not to take any photos except one sign at the port, “St. Maarten Loves You,” on a building being reconstructed. I hope to post that photo when Internet is better.

THROWBACK SEA DAY AND A SLOTS TOURNAMENT

Sunday, January 14, 2018

At Sea

Sunny, 80F

What a lazy day today! Reading, brunch, more reading. We decided to have Sunday brunch in the dining room about 11:30 a.m. There were many choices but we settled on old standbys, steak and egg for TK and pancakes for me.

  After brunch, I read on the balcony overlooking the sea for several hours. I am the shade seeker.  TK decided to take part in a Slots Tournament and met me just before my enrichment class on the “Cloud” to tell me he came in 2^nd and that earned him a place in a $100,000 Slot Tournament on the Carnival Magic in May. He would get a discount for the cruise, but I sure was not counting on cruising for a week in May.

Tonight was another “Cruise Elegant” night and I could not believe that lobster was offered again. We have never been on a cruise during which lobster was served two different nights. Nice! We sat next to an interesting couple from St. Helena Island off South Carolina. Our snowstorms do not compare to their hurricanes, Matthew, Irma, and Maria in 2016 and 2017.

TK’s Takes:  1. Yesterday the water temperature in the main pool was 100F—he uses his watch to determine the temperature, just as at home with our pool. He mentioned this to an attendant. Today the pool temperature was 84F. Big difference. 2. Carnival has introduced the “Carnival Hub,” an app that allows passengers to communicate by text with each other via their cell phones. Cell phones are in airplane mode, but Wi-Fi is turned on.  The cost is $5/pp for the 13 days—not bad, but the service is also sketchy—although better than the Internet. 3. TK has sent out laundry twice already. Each time it was returned the same day!! (free for Platinum)

Random Thoughts: We were thinking about our friend Ann W. who is on a cruise now—hope she is having a good time in the Western Caribbean!

We hope that melting snow in Erie, Pennsylvania did not cause more damage.

We do not have much access to news and since the Internet is sketchy we have not been able to access Erie weather reports. 

Today was called Throwback Sea Day because the ship had 80s photo ops all over, there was a midnight buffet at 11:30 p.m. just like years ago, and the bands were playing 80s music.

SPICY GRENADA!

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Grenada, West Indies

80+F, sunny

I was looking forward to reaching Grenada (pronounced Gruh nay duh) because in previous visits we could smell the spices as we stepped on the island. Today the smell was that of gas and oil. Perhaps one of the two cruise ships in port was refueling, but we could still smell the oil/gas on the waterfront and the water had an oily sheen in some places.

As we walked through the cruise terminal, a Girl Scout troop was standing patiently with nice big smiles. We later learned that they were going to tour the Sunshine.

We walked to the waterfront via a one way tunnel with no sidewalk—the alternative was climbing the hill with narrow steps—so we bravely dodged the cars.  The Sendall Tunnel, 350 feet long, was built in 1894 and is considered an engineering milestone for the island. Since Grenada is a volcanic island, I am imagining the hill is volcanic material-rock solid. Tim said the last time we were in Grenada we took the steps over the hill. I doubt it.

Dot’s Plaza Spice Shop, a shop we visited twice before on previous trips, was on the waterfront and I did buy boxes of spices for Denise and Coleen and a couple friends (and me too!).  Nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger are all cultivated on Grenada. This time Dot’s did not have cloves. The cloves that I buy stateside do not have long enough stems for pushing into our baked ham. The cashier told me to try the nearby grocery store. What a treat that was—I love going into local grocery stores with hardworking people bustling around as they find the special items on their grocery lists. There were no cloves in the grocery store either.

After visiting the House of Chocolate/Museum-Boutique Chocolaterie-Cafe (Grenada is also know for its cacao) on Young Street, we went back through the Sendall Tunnel to the cruise ship terminal. TK said the wi-fi was very fast there and I found some things for B1 and B2. I really miss them. I also found one bag of cloves. It must not be right season, or a bad year. 

Tonight at dinner one of the dessert choices was popcorn pot de crème. TK ordered it for all of us to try because that sounded quite unique. It turned out to be basically crème brulee with caramel popcorn on top---we won’t ever have to try that again. Good thing we ordered the blueberry pie too.

TK’s Takes: 1. TK was building up takes, so here they are. 2. The people on this ship do seem to be friendly. 3. The booth seating in the dining room is too close to the ground—difficult to get out of. 4. The ship’s time stays the same no matter the time zone—this is the first cruise where we did not have to change our watches for island time zones.  I hope TK does not think that this fulfills his obligation to provide “takes.”

BARBADOS SUN!

Friday, January 12, 2018

Barbados

75 F, Sunny—a few sprinkles of rain

For some reason we are late again as we approach Barbados. I hope it isn't that propulsion thing.

We joined Donna and Lawrence for a short ride to a beach recommended by our driver, near Branson Beach. ($5/pp-one way) The fine, white sand and azure, warm waves certainly were inviting. The sun was blazing brightly-this would be a good beach day!  Since trees were sparse, I asked the attendant for an umbrella and lounge chair ($10 for me) and I stayed in the shade. Donna, definitely a sun seeker, enjoyed every ray. TK loves water and he floated in the waves for a very long time. Lawrence is very fair, and this day he got a little too much sun.

Barbados is an island of coral—we saw lots of coral on the beach and actually there was a monument made of coral in honor of the work of Barbados’ Coastal Zone Management. After 3 hours of sun, we were ready return to the ship.

Tonight we ate in the Lido Buffet, which serves the same selections as in the main dining room. The butternut squash soup was excellent, better than Panera Bread’s sweet version, and that was my dinner. Because we dined a little earlier, we were able to catch another “Dive In Movie,” Guardians of the Galaxy, #2 . There certainly was a lot of action and despite its PG rating; it certainly had a lot of innuendoes and language.  There was no rain tonight, the seas seemed calmer, and we could see the stars while watching the movie! The luxurious blankets Carnival provides for the movies are sure comfy.

THURSDAY IN ANTIGUA/BEACH DAY!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Antigua, Leeward Islands.

75 F, Sunny

Antigua is one of the 2 major islands that make up the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Ringed with coral reefs, the island is known for its many sandy beaches Admiral Horatio Nelson made his base in Antigua in the 1780s.

Area: 108.5 mi²           Elevation: 1,319′        Population: 80,161 (2011)

None of us had done any research about Antigua, an island we have not been on very often, so we all opted to trust the locals and head by van ($16/pp-round trip) to Valley Church Beach. Luckily, this beach, located on the West coast of Antigua just south of Jolly Harbor, was beautiful, with powder white sands and calm blue aqua waters in  Lignum Vitae Bay. After a half hour ride on flat land (a few hills in the distance), we had beach lounges and an umbrella near water’s edge. Clean facilities were nearby and we settled in to enjoy the fabulous sun and sea. It did rain lightly twice, but that felt quite pleasant. I walked along the beach and found a couple pieces of green beach glass, a very interesting sand smoothed piece of white pottery, some coral, and black rock--perhaps volcanic (for Brother Bill). Donna collected some sand and sea shells.

Our driver summoned us about 1 p.m. for our return to the port town and we were ready to go. Upon reflection, we could have stayed longer, but there is no missing a ship in our future!

After a short walk in the small downtown area, we boarded the ship for a little lunch, delicious fresh fruit and beef tapenades.

After a short walk in the small downtown area, we boarded the ship for a little lunch, delicious fresh fruit and beef tapenades.

Tonight after dinner we are going to see the movie, Dunkirk, under the stars!  After dinner Donna, TK, and I hurried to Deck 9 to see the movie--even though it was windy and there were a few sprinkles of rain, the warm air mitigated any of that. Dunkirk  is an intense movie and I am glad that I saw it. Since we were at sea, the rolling of the Sunshine in the ocean waves, seemed to amplify the intensity of the movie.

The Dunkirk evacuation, also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and  harbor of Dunkirk, in the north of France between May 26 and June 4, 1940. The operation started after large numbers of Belgian, British, and French troops were cut off and surrounded by German Troops around the mid-point of the six week long Battle of France. By the end of the 8^th day, 338,226 troops had been rescued by a hastily assembled fleet of over 800 boats, including British Royal Navy destroyers, Royal Canadian Navy destroyers, and a variety of civilian merchant ships, while others had to wade out from the beaches, waiting for hours in shoulder deep water. Some were ferried to the larger ships by what came to be known as the little ships of Dunkirk, a flotilla of hundreds of fishing boats, pleasure craft, yachts, and lifeboats called into service from Britain. 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation)

TK’s Takes: This is the bumpiest sail he can remember. We do seem to rock and roll a lot. 

I was trying to upload photos, but at this time the Internet is very very slow.

EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS, OH NO!

“The safest place to be during an earthquake is at sea,” says TK. Just when I thought that not much was happening and this would be a very normal cruise, we found out, according to AccuWeather:

To quote:

“7.6 magnitude earthquake shakes the Caribbean Sea, tsunami threat diminishes

By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer

By Faith Eherts, AccuWeather meteorologist

January 10, 2018, 6:23:23 AM EST

“A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Caribbean Sea early Tuesday night. As of 10:48 p.m. CST, all tsunami advisories were canceled throughout the Caribbean and Central America.

“No damage has been reported from this event, despite the high magnitude and several strong aftershocks.

“We have reports that it was felt in the majority of the country, but we don’t have reports of damage,” said Lizandro Rosales, director of Honduras’ contingencies commission.

“A tsunami advisory was issued for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Island and the British Virgin Islands shortly after the earthquake hit, but was later canceled.”

Last night after dinner TK and Lawrence went to the movie under the stars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and since it had already started I opted to simply read my very good book by Greg Iles, Mississippi Blood.  Donna did not come to dinner because she was not feeling well.

It is easy for me to get lost in such a book, but I did feel that the ocean's waves were attacking the ship with more fury after today’s calm seas.  The captain announced by intercom to all staterooms and public areas that because of the turbulence we would not be arriving in St.Thomas at the scheduled time. I did not think much about that until this morning when we found out about this earthquake. 

Anyway, we are safe and the ship is safe. I am typing this as we pull into St.Thomas for a day of SHOPPING!! 9:06 a.m. EST

We learned that today was the first day since Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017 that a Carnival ship stopped in St.Thomas.  As we disembarked from the Sunshine, we could see that palm trees had lost limbs, a fence barrier along the walkway to downtown was twisted in some places and strongly supported in others, and a few buildings looked abandoned.

Because I needed the ring resized that I bought last year, we went straight to Alpha Jewelers.  I asked Nikita (co-owner --we share birthdays) how they fared. She told me that they experienced water damage and they went without electricity for 105 days. They had a generator, but could only use it for 8 hours at a time, long enough to keep food. She said that things were not entirely back to normal yet. The ring was sized without cost. Things are done differently in St.Thomas.

While at Alpha, two younger ladies came in who were staying on the island for a week. They said last night that when the tsunami warning was announced, they were told to gather their passports and valuables and leave the hotel for higher ground for safety.  This was a real threat to the islanders, but fortunately, the warning was lifted shortly after.

After Alpha, TK and I walked the main streets. Many shops are now closed and, as Donna mentioned later this evening, the streets seemed quieter, less hectic, and maybe even somber. The hurricanes certainly took a toll here. After a soda at Green Parrot, we returned to Alpha to pick up the finished ring.

For Friend H: On our return to the ship, the cab driver ($4/pp) told us his story of the hurricane. The roof of his house was torn off and now, despite having home insurance, the insurance company is denying him recompense.  I asked him about the grand Marriott resort right on the waterfront, Frenchman’s Reef.  He said the roof was completely torn off the hotel and that it is closed. The hotel laid off 650 employees, including him—he had worked there 25 years.  I know Friend H had a fabulous time at this resort last summer.

Every night we have been going to the main dining room on Deck 3 for “Your Time” dining with Donna and Lawrence. We finally noticed that Carnival is only using tablecloths on formal night. I am sure they save a lot of money that way. For the purposes of this blog, I will not be going into extreme detail about the food—just general comments, generally. I prefer simple food and nothing on a cruise ship seems to taste like I think it will. Tonight the key lime pie was absolutely delicious.  We lingered a long time after dinner enjoying the conversation!

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE HONORS MILITARY VETERANS

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

Carnival Sunshine

At Sea

70s, Calm Seas, Sunny and Pleasant

We awoke earlier than usual and headed to the Serenity Deck for the cushioned couches overlooking the sea. Today was much warmer than yesterday and the sea was calmer, so reading on deck was much easier. This is paradise!

A lecturer, Jason R. Rich (photographer, journalist, writer), spoke about using social media—his presentation yesterday covered how to enhance photos on one's phone or iPad and I thought I would listen in today. I am amazed at how he can speak for about 50 minutes straight without any audience participation at all. To be fair, he is extremely thorough.

After Guy Fieri burgers for lunch, TK and I attended a show that honored military veterans. Cruise Director Lee handled that very well. There were over 300 men and women in the audience and everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance and one of the show singers beautifully sang the U.S. National Anthem and that of Canada. Lee asked each service branch veteran to stand—most were Army—and there was much applause for all branches. Then he mentioned each war—no World War II veteran was present, but there were a lot of veterans, men and women, from Korean, Vietnam, Enduring Freedom, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars. Since many veterans become police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel, they were honored too. My TK is a double hero!

 A woman veteran, M.D. who now works in a VA Medical Center, and a retired Navy Chief both encouraged all veterans to get checked at their local VA. Both TK and I appreciated Carnival Cruise Lines’ effort to honor veterans. The CEO spoke by video that her father and all of her uncles were veterans and now her son is in the service. Carnival has a drawing once a month for a free cruise for veterans!

ROCKET LAUNCH AT CAPE CANAVERAL--SPACEX ZUMA LIFTS OFF!

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Board Carnival Sunshine

Leave Port Canaveral 6 p.m.

60F, Sunny

I knew we were in trouble this morning when the shuttle to the ship was filled with old people.  That is when I also found out that the Sunshine  was really the refurbished, renamed ship Destiny.  Oh my! I remembered a couple years ago we had completed two cruises and were watching TV with Tim’s brother, Tom, at his home near Fort Myers.  A Carnival ship was floundering in the Gulf of Mexico for days and the passengers and crew were enduring harsh conditions, lack of water, bathrooms, food, and more. That is our ship today.

Well, we are onboard and the ship is refurbished, so I am hoping for the best. I guess TK forgot to tell me that detail.  We boarded the ship and found our stateroom, #7308, by noon. The balcony room is very small, but we will make the best of it for 13 days. We explored some of the ship and found Guy’s Burgers, part of the Guy Fieri franchise—now that is a good thing on board! Back in the room we unpacked and organized our closets and drawers.  There was enough room for everything. Generally the rooms on this ship do not have a refrigerator, but we have one for our Diet Pepsi!

The most spectacular gift today was the launch of a rocket out of Cape Canaveral at 8 p.m. About 100 passengers gathered on the deck to watch, including Tim, Donna, Lawrence, and me. Despite the wind and a little chill, we were warmed by the amazing lift off and after burn that we witnessed. According to CNN Money, "SpaceX kicked off the new year with a mystery-shrouded mission to deliver a government spacecraft, called Zuma, into orbit. After more than a month of delays, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket vaulted toward the skies at 8 p.m. ET Sunday with the secretive payload. It launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force. Just over two minutes after liftoff Sunday, the first-stage booster separated from the second stage and fired up its engines. The blaze allowed the rocket to safely cut back through the Earth's atmosphere and land on a pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.



For Donna: For an observer on the ground with eye level at about 5 ft 7 inches, the horizon is at a distance of 2.9 miles.. For an observer standing on a hill or tower 100 feet  in height, the horizon is at a distance of 12.2 miles.

Seeing the rocket launch today made me think of that beautiful summer day in 1985 with my sons and Tim when we traveled to Florida to see the Space Shuttle Discovery launched. An Erie East HS graduate worked for NASA and gave us VIP passes to see the launch. We were as close to the liftoff as observers can be and it was an awesome site, very historical.  I will always appreciate science and technology.

Donna's Take: There were not many people observing such an amazing sight as the rocket launch (it was announced on the ship).

Monday, January 08, 2018

Carnival Sunshine

At Sea

60sF, Cloudy, even Foggy-rough seas, Winds at 51 knots

We tried to sit at the “Beach,” but after 3 hours, I decided it was just too cool and windy. To warm up, we had lunch-handtossed pizza for me, burrito for TK. Donna and Lawrence  joined us, and now the three of them are in a Slots Tournament. TK paid $20 for the tournament and won $18 back, not bad for an afternoon’s entertainment.

We attended the Veterans Meet Up together and sat with a U.S. Army veteran Gene and his wife Becky who happened to be from Pittsburgh. Serving cucumber tea sandwiches just seemed odd for a group of veterans, but it was a nice gathering.

Formal night tonight meant lobster and prime rib. We met up with Donna and Lawrence for our delicious dinner. Afterwards, we strolled the decks and ended up in the atrium listening to Motown music. The ships’ show dancers were encouraging guests to dance. By 10:30 we decided to call it a night.

And while I was trying to figure out how to connect to the Internet this cruise, I made an astounding discovery! Carnival no longer charges by the minute!!!! 

WISCONSIN FRIENDS AND DIXIE CROSSROADS PART II

Hilton Hotel
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Saturday, January 6, 2018
57F, Sunny

First thing this morning we called Son Brian to catch up on Poppy John's condition in the hospital and his bout with the flu and that of our snow covered house. Both seem to be OK. We wish John a speedy recovery!

We moved from the Homewood Suites to the Hilton Hotel on the beach where our truck will be parked for the next two weeks. TK is an expert on using Hilton Honors points, so  we have not yet paid for a night's stay. We can see the ocean from our room.

Our dear Wisconsin friends, Donna and Lawrence, arrived about 2 p.m. after their flight in. Everyone was hungry so we headed to Dixie Crossroads, where else???

Again the meal was perfect. This time TK had Royal Red shrimp, as did Donna and Lawrence. I had  the medium brown shrimp again. Our waitress said both kinds were fresh from the Gulf. Donna was a bad influence so we had Key lime pie this time--of course we had already eaten lots of corn fritters. The pie was as good as any we have had in Key West. We forgot to take a photo to document our visit!

Back in Cocoa Beach we stopped at Ron Jon's. Donna liked my new RJ jacket so she bought one just like it! Both of us bought sarongs after the saleslady showed us how to make a beach cover-up with it. We both love soft turquoise!

From our hotel room, we could see the NCL Epic leave port tonight--tomorrow we cruise!

TK's Takes: not too many people on the beach--no one in the water.

IT'S DIXIE CROSSROADS DAY!

Homewood Suites
Cocoa Beach, Florida
45F, Sunny
Friday, January 5, 2018

The temperature was 42F when we left St. Augustine and TK had three stops planned: Publix for a sale on Diet Pepsi, a Riverboat car wash (the car wash was built like a riverboat-honest), and Staples because he forgot his lanyard/credential holder. His directional skills are over the top! Since Cocoa Beach was not that far from St. Augustine, he decided to drive leisurely along the Atlantic Coast on A1A.

By the time we arrived at our favorite restaurant, Dixie Crossroads, we were starved.

Isn't this a cute photo? It looks like TK fits right in.

Why is Dixie Crossroads so special? First of all, the restaurant runs its own shrimp boats on the Atlantic and that means the shrimp is extra fresh. They also offer many species, including rock shrimp, white shrimp, red shrimp, and brown shrimp. Today our server said the shrimp they were catching was much larger than usual. Even though the parking lot was full of vehicles from all over the nation, this restaurant accommodated us in 15 minutes. After we ordered, our server brought us the corn fritters we love. This is the way I always want to eat my vegetables!

I already ate some corn fritters out of this dish. We finished them.

Our shrimp baskets with fried  medium brown shrimp and my 

favorite coated fries were delivered soon after. 

My shrimp (12). I did not eat all the fries.

I observed that the couple near us did not eat any of their corn fritters--how could that be??  I asked TK to signal them to send their fritters over to our table. He wouldn't do it.  Maybe that was why they were much thinner than I, teehee. Our server knew what I was talking about so she gave us another basket of fritters to go.

Our drive continued uneventfully and we arrived in Cocoa Beach about 3 p.m. Our first stop was Ron Jon's, a two floor shop stocked with beach wear, surf boards, sun lotions, and everything else one needs for the beach or even a cruise. Since I forgot to pack a light jacket, I bought a Ron Jon fleece. Tim wanted to head for Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill [http://fishlipswaterfront.com/] to see today's cruise ships leave Port Canaveral. Disney Dream did not disappoint.

TK's photo of the Disney Dream looks like a postcard.  

We could hear the children aboard squealing with joy as the ship passed by. 

TK's Takes: The drive today was much less stressful.

WAZE SAVED THE DAY!

Fairfield Inn
St.Augustine,Florida
January 4, 2018
45F

Since we knew it would be best to let the South Carolina road crew take care of the roads before we got started this morning, we didn't leave Rock Hill until about 9:30 a.m. The temperature was 28F and there was no snow. Gasoline was $2.09/gallon at Sam's Club and TK took advantage of it.

I was using Waze (an app) on my phone and TK put Google Maps on the truck's navigation screen. Let the competition begin! Both apps said there was heavy traffic, as well as a 2 hour delay on I-26 and I-95, but since we could better understand what Waze was showing, we decided to follow those directions. Thank goodness! We traveled on Route 601 toward Savannah-the roads were bare and there was a light dusting of snow on the ground.

As we passed through Bamberg, South Carolina  where we saw a big sign announcing that  it was the home of Nikki Haley,  there were about 2-3 inches of snow and slush on the road. Virtually no traffic, but TK observed the speed limit--no tickets for us!

We were then guided to Route 601 and again hardly no one was on the road--fewer homes, with swamps, woods, mangrove trees, and two lanes--even though we were only traveling at 55 mph, we figured we were doing better than those people on the Interstate.

Finally Waze took us back to I-95 at Hardeeville, South Carolina. I mentioned to TK that it would be best to stop at a gas station "rest stop" because we did not know what to expect on the road. Inside the gas station several men were saying unkind things about I-95. e.g. "I just got off the  highway from hell."

There was some traffic headed south, but the cars and trucks going north were backed up for 8.5 miles from the ramp where we entered. We checked and that backup went both ways until Hardeeville, so Waze saved the day!! And saved TK from saying lots of bad words.

Of course we stopped to get orange juice at the Florida Welcome Center. Most travelers looked quite weary, including us.

See how happy TK is!

We reached St.Augustine by 4:30 p.m. with 49F and TK was energized enough to visit Tommy Bahamas and another of their fantastic sales!

Observation: I am grateful for TK's skillful driving!

TK's Takes: Routes 301 and 601 looked the Twilight Zone--nobody on the road.  SC is a mess in the light snow. It was very sunny today.

WE MADE IT TO ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA! WE ROCK!

Hampton Inn
Rock Hill,South Carolina
January 3, 2018

By 8:00 a.m. TK had the truck packed and we were on the clear roads with a temperature of 5F.  We each have two suitcases and one carry-on, so we did not do too badly with packing this year as we head to a blizzard in Savannah! The sun was shining brightly!

Tim won't let me stop at the best rest area in the Eastern US, Tamarack in West Virginia--I spend too much time looking at all the great arts and crafts of Appalachia. Sometimes he does indulge me with a stop in Flatwoods,WV, where I can shop for Fiesta seconds. However, he informed me that we would stop for lunch at New River Gorge and stop at Flatwoods on the way home. That's OK because we can take a selfie there! New River Gorge National Park is worth the stop and TK's tuna sandwiches make it even better! By 1:30 p.m. I was ready for lunch! From NRG we have about 240 miles left on our journey.

Janie at New River Gorge, West Virginia

Just down the road a piece, Tim pointed out a very nice road marker honoring Hershel Woody Williams, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. He was awarded the MOH for his valor in Iwo Jima-he used his flamethrower to make way for Marines on the island, by himself, for hours. The documentary, "Sons of Guns," featured Woody. His flamethrower was restored and he demonstrated its use at 87 years of age! Woody and I worked together in Huntsville, Alabama, at a local middle school while we were attending an MOH gala event. Woody, originally from Quiet Dell, West Virginia, is now 94 years old!

By 3 p.m. we were in Virginia-no snow, 32F, and by 4:15 p.m. we were in North Carolina--again no snow, 31F.

Rock Hill: 6:30 p.m., a long haul.

Observations:
I saw a bald eagle perched in a tree along the way, surveying the snow dusting the woods. A maple sugar house sat deep in another woods, waiting patiently for a January thaw.

I love little creeks that wind through the woods, reminding me of our childhood in the country--playing in the brambles and brush,  our Springer Spaniels joyfully leading us. We made tents with branches, carried our lunch of peanut butter sandwiches--and collected wild flowers, rocks, and fresh strawberries.

TK's Takes: Lots of cars, campers, and pickups headed south. He noted we passed the 38th Parallel. He is studying the weather tonight for tomorrow--the news was featuring Savannah and Myrtle Beach covered in snow. Our route tomorrow takes us closer to the coast.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

Happy New Year 2018!! 

This has been one heck of a month and I am thankful we are OK and cozy in our nice warm homes.  This year our delicious pork and sauerkraut dinner was enjoyed at Brian and Denise's with John and B1. Denise always fixes up an ample tray of shrimp, as well.

On Wednesday, January 3rd, TK and I are driving out of this madness to head for warmer climes! In the meantime, we hope that the snow melts slowly and comes off our roof (and everyone else's) easily with no drama. I am taking our insurance agent's phone number just in case.

Our itinerary looks something like this:

Wednesday, January 3: Leave Erie about 8:00 a.m. We will probably stop south of Charlotte, NC

Thursday, January 4: St. Augustine, Florida

Friday/Saturday, January 5, 6: Cocoa Beach, Florida

Sunday, January 7: Board Carnival Sunshine for a 13 day cruise out of Port Canaveral!                            Stateroom #7308

Monday/Tuesday, January 8, 9: At Sea

Wednesday, January 10: St. Thomas

Thursday, January 11: Antigua

Friday, January 12: Barbados

Saturday, January 13: Grenada--the Spice Island

Sunday, January 14: At Sea

Monday, January 15: St. Maarten

Tuesday, January 16: San Juan

Wednesday, January 17: St Kitts

Thursday/Friday, January 18, 19: At Sea

Saturday, January 20: Port Canaveral

Saturday/about Sunday, January 20-28: Dade City, Florida with MaryLou and Scorchy

About January 28-31: St. Augustine with friend Judy

February 1, 2, or 3: Erie, Pennsylvania

And away we go!

STOP, SNOW, STOP!

Erie, Pennsylvania
Saturday, December 30, 2017

This is the day we were able to celebrate Christmas with our family! We recreated our December 25th dinner--
The ham baked, the Polish sausage cooked, the ox roast warmed, the chocolate pie cooled, the carrots peeled and sliced for the relish dish, and there was still snow falling on . Cookies were arranged on special Christmas plates, Santa's gifts were under the tree, and the stockings hanging from the mantel were stuffed with goodies. Tim was still fretting and worrying about the street plow and our  driveway plower.

By now, Saturday, December 30 (Randy’s birthday), we had a snow total of over 120 inches! But this time, both families were here to celebrate! 

We ate dinner first and as usual, B1 and B2 finished quickly and went to check out the gifts. We could hear them giggling in the other rooms.  This was a joyous day of enjoying family together.  This time Denise's dad, who had just gotten out of the hospital, had to stay at home, but we packed food for him, too. My brother and Marge opted to stay home in Waterford this day, too.

The snow sure made this holiday and this day memorable.

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA BEATS SNOW RECORDS

When we drove to Brian and Denise’s home to ride with them to Blessed Sacrament on December 24^th for the 5 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass, I had no idea what was in store for us. I needed no boots, but I did have my down coat on—it is winter after all!

Weekend news is sparse in Erie and the special holiday weekend made it doubly so.  We returned home after Mass and snow began to fall about 7 p.m. And it snowed and snowed. I was in complete denial because I awoke early on Christmas morning to begin dinner preparations. It was almost like I didn’t believe what was happening. By noon, Skyline Drive was full of snow and our driveway has over three foot of snow.  While the ham baked, the Polish sausage cooked, the carrots peeled and sliced for the relish dish, the snow fell. And fell. Cookies were arranged on special Christmas plates, Santa's gifts were under the tree, and the stockings hanging from the mantel were stuffed with goodies Tim was fretting, and I knew he could not shovel all that snow. I don’t know what time I made the call to Randy but when we heard that I-90 was closed in sections for accidents, it was time to call off our Christmas celebration.

Tim went out to shovel and stuck the yardstick in the snow instead!

From goerie.com:

“A stationary lake-effect snowband off Lake Erie dumped an incredible 34 inches [note: that reads THIRTY-FOUR INCHES] of snow at Erie Airport on Christmas Day alone, quadrupling its previous record-snowiest Christmas Day – 8.1 inches in 2002 – as well as smashing its all-time snowiest single day on record by over a foot – 20 inches on Nov. 11, 1956. 

“The heavy snow continued into Wednesday morning, bringing its storm total since 7 p.m. EST Christmas Eve to an incredible 65.1 inches of snow – MORE THAN FIVE FEET OF SNOW – in about 60 HOURS.

“Erie snowfall records go back to 1893. This prolific event shattered all previous multi-day snowfall records in, according to the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, including:

·         “Two-day snowfall: 26.7 inches (Nov. 24-25, 1950; the "Great Appalachian Storm")

·         Three-day snowfall: 30.2 inches (Dec. 29-31, 2002)

·         Seven-day snowfall: 39.8 inches (Dec. 27, 2001 - Jan. 2, 2002)

·         13-day snowfall: 52.8 inches (Dec. 31, 1998 - Jan. 12, 1999)

“That's not a misprint. Erie picked up more snow in less than 36 hours in this event than its previous 13-day snowstorm record.

“Needless to say, the 102.1 inches of snow so far in December, through Wednesday, is the city's snowiest single month on record, crushing the previous record of 66.9 inches in December 1989. This is also more snow in one month than Erie averages in an entire winter season – 101 inches.”

On Christmas evening, Brian, Denise, and B1 drove up to Skyline in their pick up for dinner. We elected not to exchange gifts until we were with Randy, Coleen, and B2.

Erie is used to a lot of snow, but snow plows were sparse and our driveway snow plower told us it was unsafe to send his crew out with poor visibility. Finally, on December 26^th, about 8 p.m., our street was plowed, and our driveway was plowed early Wednesday morning about 1 a.m.

December 27, 2017

 December 17, 2017

Compare Tim showing off his TB shirt just 8 days earlier

Unbelievably the Erie Millcreek Mall was closed for two days—the busiest days for after Christmas sales.

I am grateful that we had food in the house (those who know me, know that is not the usual story), and the furnace and electricity were working. On Wednesday we shoveled the snow off the balcony, but we are worried about our roof.

And if all that was not enough, we have this going on today, Friday, December 29.

From the National Weather Service:
Lake Effect Snow Warning

Pennsylvania

5 hours ago – National Weather Service

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST
SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy lake effect snow occurring. Travel will be very
difficult to impossible. From late this afternoon through the
night expect to see 6 to 8 inches of snow. Saturday into
Saturday night should see additional amounts of 3 to 7 inches.
This will produce storm total amounts of 9 to 13 inches, with
localized amounts up to 15 inches.

* WHERE...In Pennsylvania, Northern Erie and Southern Erie
counties. In Ohio, Lake and Ashtabula Lakeshore counties.

Stop, snow, stop!!