Miami to Panama Canal Cruise (November/December 2023)

Needing to use a few vacation days before the end of the year, I considered my options and selected a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines. I had planned a cruise to the Panama Canal before (as the COVID pandemic eased) but that cruise was cancelled due to lack of crew. So I selected once more to cruise to the Panama Canal.

Day 0 (Friday, November 24: Reno to Miami via Dallas/Fort Worth)

44 F / Mostly Cloudy

After an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal with my neighbors (Jeanne and Arnold) I finished packing and was ready to head to the airport for my flights to Miami. We departed from Reno on time, connected through Dallas/Fort Worth, and arrived in Miami after midnight. After I collected my luggage I caught an Uber to the hotel and settled in for a short night’s sleep before the cruise.

Day 1 (Saturday, November 25: Embark on Norwegian Joy at Miami)

79 F / Mostly Cloudy

I woke on Saturday morning before my alarm and had breakfast before meeting the shuttle to take me to the port. The drive to the port was accomplished by a driver who seemed quite comfortable using his horn to alert traffic he was coming through. When we arrived at the port passengers for the Norwegian Joy were the first to be dropped off. I left my luggage with the porters and then made my way to check in for the cruise. With room key in hand I joined my fellow passengers while waiting to board the chip. When they announced my group, I made my way onto the ship and went to my cabin to find it being readied for me. I dropped my computer bag in the room and then walked around the ship on an explore that seemed to lead me to the Garden Cafe where I had some lunch. I enjoyed being on the ship and listened to music and relaxed while waiting for our departure.

As I relaxed, I watched the dockworkers load food onto the ship.

Just after 5 PM we cast off lines, leaving Miami behind us and heading toward the Bahamas and NCL’s private island (Great Stirrup Cay).

Day 2 (Sunday, November 26: Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas)

80 F / Partly Cloudy

We arrived at Great Stirrup Cay early in the morning and by 7 AM the tendering operations were in process to take passengers from the ship to the island. I waited until after breakfast to make my way to the tenders to head over to the island. Once on the island I took time to walk around, visiting the shops, walking on the beach, and collecting a few sea shells that I intend to turn into cuff links and a tie pin.

I returned to the ship and had a salad for lunch and then watched the sun set as the ship raised anchor and turned toward the Dominican Republic.

Tonight’s entertainment: Brenda Kaye (Comedy Hypnotist)

Day 3 (Monday, November 27: At sea)

82 F / Mostly Cloudy

It seems that I lose points for following directions. On Sunday night, we received a “Time Change Notice” with instructions to “turn your clocks forward one hour”. I dutifully followed and set my watch and phone to Central time zone (one hour earlier than Eastern time zone). When I woke it was quite bright outside for so early in the morning. It turns out “forward” meant Atlantic time zone. So I was two hours off. (Fortunately with it being a sea day, there was plenty of day left for me after I woke.)

On this quiet day at sea, I was able to enjoy the relaxed pace and ate what I wished when I wished. Once more, the sunset was a delight to the eyes.

Tonight’s entertainment: Mr. & Mrs. Fefelov (dance and aerial acrobatics)

Day 4 (Tuesday, November 28: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic)

82 F / Mostly Sunny

We arrived at Amber Cove, a new cruise port in the Dominican Republic before 7 AM. After a casual breakfast I walked to the shops in the port and then enjoyed a little hike at the foot of the hills that surround the port area. The vegetation is lush and the sun was bright in the azure sky. Following my hike I returned to the shops, bought a few souvenirs before returning to the ship.

After returning to the ship I had a relaxing afternoon. The ship returned to sea just before sunset and I enjoyed watching the setting sun as we began sailing towards San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Tonight’s entertainment: BeatleStory: Tribute Show

Day 5 (Wednesday, November 29: San Juan, Puerto Rico)

89 F / Mostly Sunny

We arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico just before 9 AM and docked, providing us easy access to San Juan. I waited for the crowds to disembark before I made my way down to leave the ship. From my cabin I had seen a large fortification and made my way towards the fort. Along the way I passed a square with a column topped by Christopher Columbus. The fort I had seen turned out to be the “Castillo San Christobol”, built by the Spanish beginning in the 1500s with continued fortifications until the late 1700s helping the Spanish retain Puerto Rico, the easternmost of the Greater Antilles for almost 400 years. I explored the Castle from the cannon batteries to the dungeons before taking the walk to the west to the “Castillo San Felipe del Morro”, a smaller fortification at the entrance to the harbor. I really enjoyed exploring the forts. My walk between the forts provided a vantage point of the city walls that were part of the fortifications. And my return walk to the ship gave me the opportunity to appreciate the colors and architecture of this Caribbean city.

Tonight’s entertainment: Levity Comedy Group

Day 6 (Thursday, November 30: At sea)

82 F / Partly Cloudy

This was our second “sea day” as we sailed from Puerto Rico to Curacao. The seas were calm, and the skies were cloudy but still quite bright. As a sea day it was a relaxing day, moving at a slower pace with nothing that had to be done. It was interesting to see the Christmas decorations appear. While we were in Puerto Rico, the ship’s crew decorated the ship so all public areas have a Christmas feel.

Tonight’s entertainment: Elements (a stage production with magic, aerial acrobatics, music and dance)

Day 7 (Friday, December 1: Willemstad, Curacao)

85 F / Mostly Sunny

We arrived in Willemstad, Curacao early this morning and docked near the city. After a relaxing breakfast I walked into town and spent some time exploring. (Lisa might well have said that I spent time wandering around without a map, not knowing which direction I would take.) I walked around one of the barrios near the port and then found my way to the old part of the city where homes in the Dutch style face the water. It was a very pleasant explore, even if the day was a little warm. The combination of flowers (including bougainvillea) and cacti reminded me of my childhood home in the Arizona desert.

Tonight’s entertainment: Ashley Tate: All in a Day Dream (a female artist sings songs that inspire her)

Day 8 (Saturday, December 2: Oranjestad, Aruba)

84 F / Mostly Sunny

We arrived in Aruba and docked in Oranjestad before 7 AM and had a full day to enjoy the island. After a leisurely breakfast I made my way ashore and enjoyed my little explore. As a family, we had visited Aruba in 2001, so I did not feel a need to spend too much time in my little explore. But things have changed in the past 20+ years. The large natural bridge we visited collapsed into the sea in 2005. There is a new trolley system in Oranjestad (commissioned in 2012) that provides a free ride between the cruise port and the main downtown area. I enjoyed waling through the city and probably saw more on this visit that we did when we visited Aruba.

Tonight’s entertainment: BeatleStory: Sgt. Pepper’s

Day 9 (Sunday, December 3: At sea)

84 F / Mostly Sunny

This was supposed to be another day at sea, but due to a passenger with a medical emergency we had to divert course to Cartagena, Colombia. We were in port long enough for the passenger to leave the ship and be taken away in an ambulance, before we were once more underway toward Panama.

Day 10 (Monday, December 4: Panama Canal Transit)

91 F / Mostly Cloudy

We began our transit of the Panama Canal beginning about 5 AM reaching the Cocoli Locks about 6:30 AM. It took a little more than two and a half hours to pass through the three locks that raised us from the Atlantic Ocean level to the level of Gatun Lake. We cruised across the lake and arrived at the Aqua Clara locks before 1 PM and began our descent to the Pacific Ocean level. We completed our transit by about 3:30 PM and found a long line of ships waiting their turn to enter the canal.

Due to weather conditions (lack of rain) the Panama Canal handles only 20 ships per day (compared to about 40 ships per day when rain fall is normal).

Day 11 (Tuesday, December 5: Panama City, Panama)

92 F / Mostly Cloudy

After our transit of the Panama Canal ended, we sailed in the Pacific Ocean until mid afternoon before we docked at the new (and as yet unfinished) cruise terminal in Panama City. Once the ship was docked and cleared by the local authorities we were able to leave the ship and visit the island adjacent to the cruise terminal. (For passengers thus inclined the shuttle buses ran from the ship to the port until 2 AM.) After enjoying the shopping opportunity I returned to the ship to pack my luggage and deposit it outside my cabin door.

Day 12 (Wednesday, December 6: Panama City, Panama)

I had signed up for a tour that ended with transportation to the airport. I joined my tour group in the theater and at the appointed time we left the ship for the last time, passed through immigration, collected our baggage, and passed through customs before boarding the bus for our tour. Our guide told us about Panama and its history before taking is to the Milaflores Lock where we watched an IMAX film about the Panama Canal (narrated by Morgan Freeman). We had a chance to visit the visitor center before we boarded our bus to head to the airport.

At the airport, while everyone else headed to check in, I caught an Uber to my hotel. After settling in, I changed my clothes and headed to the LDS temple in Panama City (by taxi). I enjoyed my time there and the peace I felt. I returned to the hotel for my last night before heading to the airport to begin my journey home.

Day 13 & 14 (Thursday, December 7 & Friday, December 8: Panama City to Houston, Texas [overnight stay]; Houston to San Francisco, California and then Reno, Nevada)

My flights started with a 4:40 PM departure from Panama City, Panama to Houston, Texas, arriving at 8 PM. (The afternoon departure allowed me to have a restful morning at the hotel before travel began.) My connecting flight was the following morning at 5:15 AM to San Francisco, arriving at 7:38 AM, with a final flight at 8:25 AM to Reno, arriving at 9:35 AM.

Oahu (Hawaii) Vacation (July 2023)

This vacation started out in an interesting manner. I left work on Friday, July 7, and drove across Nevada to Utah arriving in the late evening.

I had made a hotel reservation (pre-paid) on Hotels.com and was disappointed when I arrived at the hotel and was told they had no rooms available as they were oversold. I contacted Hotels.com and the agent was able to find a room for me so at least I didn’t have to sleep in my truck.

I got together with Curtis, Brittany and Makayla for dinner on Saturday, July 8 at Texas Roadhouse. The food was good but the company was better. It was good to get together as a family.

On Sunday morning, July 9, I picked up Brittany and Makayla and we made our way to the Salt Lake International Airport for our flight from Salt Lake to Los Angeles. Our flight was on time and uneventful. We connected in Los Angeles for our flight to Honolulu and were surprised it was the same airplane that had brought us to L.A. Our flight to Honolulu actually arrived early.

We collected our luggage and met our shuttle to the hotel. (We are staying at the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger.)

After we settled into our rooms we explored the area around the hotel and enjoyed some dinner that we ate while people watching.

On Monday, July 10, I woke early and went for a pleasant walk along Waikiki beach toward Diamond Head. (The beach is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel.) I wore water shoes and because I was wading in the surf, my shoes filled with sand very early in my walk. (I rinsed the shoes and my feet when I was ready to return to the hotel.)

When Brittany and Makayla were up and ready to explore, I joined them. We made our way to some shops to find souvenirs. And we walked along the beach for a short distance. We settled on simple meals for lunch and dinner. In the food court at the Royal Hawaiian Center, we were entertained by the birds looking for easy food to steal. The sparrows were most entertaining, slowly moving closer to tables with people eating, but with unattended food near by. They were very brave, but seldom successful.

On Tuesday, July 11, I spent some time again walking along the beach in the early morning hours. (Among my observations today were the number of social media wannabes (typically young teens) wearing tiny bikinis and posing for friends taking pictures. They would review the photos and post the best to their social media accounts.) I walked down the beach toward Diamond Head, this time stowing both my water shoes and my shirt in my bag. (I learned yesterday that the water shoes are great for collecting the find sand from Waikiki beach.) Without my shoes, the sand did a marvelous job exfoliating the soles of my feet. And I dared the sun to give me a little color. In the afternoon, I caught an Uber from the hotel to the airport to pick up a rental car to help us get around the island a little easier.

Wednesday, July 12, I again started the day with along walk on the beach. My typical walk took me from our hotel toward Diamond Head. I enjoyed wading in the waters of the Pacific along my walk. By early afternoon, we made our planned visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie on the North Shore of Oahu. (The drive from Waikiki to Laie is a little over an hour.) We had paid for a guide for our tour of the islands and that turned out to be a very wise decision. Rather than having to plan which island to visit and in which order, our guide, a young man from Hong Kong, took us from island to island and encouraged us to participate in activities we may not have done left to our own devices. (We visited the islands of Aotearoa [New Zealand] [song, dance, and haka], Samoa [the importance of the coconut tree, making fire], Tonga [the drums and their rhythms], Fiji, and Hawaii [history of hula] where people native to those islands shared with us of their culture and customs. We also visited the island of Rapa Nui [Easter Island] and learned of the moai. Following our tour of the islands, we took a canoe ride that took us to the dining area for the luau and the live entertainment during that delicious meal. After the luau, we had a little time to visit the shops before the stage show (Ha – Breath of Life) that closed out our day there.

Makayla & Brittany at Polynesian Cultural Center

Polynesian Cultural Center – Rapu Nui

On Thursday, July 13, I again started my day with a walk along the beach from our hotel toward Diamond Head. In the early afternoon we visited the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. where Makayla found a relative, Erwin Leroy Searle, a Gunner’s Mate Third Class who died aboard the U.S.S. California (BB-44) during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. We walked through the museums that discussed the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and then walked through the attack the morning of Sunday, December 7,1941. This visit was more personal than our previous visits to the memorial because we now knew the name of one of the men killed that fateful day.

After our visit to Pearl Harbor we did a little shopping. We stopped at Costco to buy a suitcase for Makayla. (Her suitcase was broken on the flight to Honolulu from Salt Lake City.) I also bought some chocolate covered macadamias for neighbors and work. We stopped at Hilo Hattie’s at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. (The little shop paled in comparison to the large Hilo Hattie’s we experienced on previous visits to the islands.) For dinner, we enjoyed sushi from a small restaurant overlooking the beach.

Friday, July 14, started with my morning walk along the beach. Again, it was a beautiful morning and a nice way to start my day. After my morning routine, I picked up the car from the valet and headed toward the airport to return the car. Along the way I stopped at Costco and picked up a couple of Hawaiian shirts and some macadamia nuts before filling the car with gas. After I returned the car, I caught an Uber back to the hotel. When I connected with the girls we did a little shopping before finding dinner. Makayla wanted Mexican food, and she and Brittany had seen a food truck. I have to admit the food was very good.

Saturday, July 15, is our last vacation day in Honolulu. I started the day off with my morning walk along the beach. Saturday morning was certainly busier on the beach than any other day has been. There were rows of canoes that will be racing later in the morning. As I walked, I saw a rainbow that made me smile. (If I had been thinking things through, I would have said to myself “rainbow = rain + sun”. As I reached the end of the beach, it began to rain, just a gentle mist. As I turned toward the hotel, the rain picked up until it was pouring down. But at least I can say I was dressed for the rain.)

Saturday afternoon and evening the Waikiki Summer Festival was held in the street in front of our hotel. The celebration of flowers, sunshine, and the start of the new season was fun to explore. For dinner we enjoyed Chinese food.

On Sunday, July 16, our vacation came to an end. Our shuttle picked us up at 4 AM for a 7 AM flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles. We connected with a flight to Salt Lake City that ended up being delayed (which meant we arrived in Salt Lake at 11 PM instead of 8:30 PM). After collecting our luggage we had dinner (at Denny’s), I dropped the girls off at their home, and then I began the drive across the Great Basin towards my home. (I stopped for a nap in the rest area before Wendover, Nevada, and then stopped for a second nap at Wells, Nevada.) Other than breaks for naps, my trip was uneventful. I arrived home in time to do some laundry and wash my truck before an early bedtime.

Greece and Greek Cruise with Brittany and Makayla (July 2022)

Our vacation to Greece has begun. My travel started on Wednesday, July 6 as I drove from Nevada to Utah in preparation for air travel to Europe on Thursday, July 7. I stayed in a hotel in Salt Lake on Wednesday night to give the girls a little space as they finished packing. (We did get together for dinner on Wednesday evening.)

I picked up Brittany and Makayla on Thursday, July 7 and we drove to the airport (parking at an off airport lot we have used in the past). We checked in for our flight and had a little drama going through security when they discovered a pocket knife in Makayla’s carry on bag. (She had misplaced the knife on a camping trip and thought she had lost it.) She ended up surrendering the knife as that was the best option available to her. We flew from Salt Lake to New York (JFK) and arrived early. That meant our gate was not available so we had to transfer between terminals for our flight to Europe. We boarded our flight to Athens on time but were delayed as a passenger was taken off the flight and they had to retrieve two checked bags from the hold before we could depart. That meant we left about an hour later than scheduled.

We arrived in Athens on (Friday, July 8) about an hour late, passed through immigration, collected our checked bags, then passed through customs. Once outside the terminal we waited in a long taxi queue to catch a cab to our hotel in Athens (the Royal Olympic Hotel located within walking distance of the Acropolis).

While the girls rested (after a long travel day), I walked to the tour meeting point for our tour on Saturday. This gave me time to see the temple of Zeus and to explore the Plaka, a quaint collection of tourist shops and restaurants near the Acropolis. I returned to the area for dinner at a Greek restaurant (authentic lamb gyro) and then picked up some gelato for dessert as I walked back to the hotel.

Saturday, July 9, was our day to tour the Acropolis in Athens. After a relaxed morning we headed to the Plaka to meet up with our tour. From our meeting point it was but a short walk to the Acropolis where we started our tour. Our guide (Kate) explained the structures on the southern slope of the Acropolis and then provided excellent instruction on the building on the Acropolis. (There are three temples to Athena on the Acropolis that have survived to modern times: Athena Nike, a small Ionic temple on the south of the Acropolis; the Temple of Athena Polias, on the north side of the Acropolis with an eastern entrance supported by six female figures, and the Parthenon which was used as a temple, a Greek Orthodox church, a Catholic church, and a mosque. From the Acropolis we walked to the New Acropolis Museum (opened in 2009) to see relics from the Acropolis and the surrounding area. Following our tour we shopped for souvenirs in the Plaka and then enjoyed gelato as we walked back to our hotel.

Sunday, July 10 was our day to embark on our cruise. We enjoyed breakfast at our hotel before catching a taxi to the pier to board our ship, the Norwegian Jade. We arrived at the port early and after boarding watched the line for passengers grow for hours until it finally shrank as the time for departure neared. We sailed from Athens in early evening and travelled overnight to our first port of call, Kusadasi, Turkey.

Monday, July 11, we arrived at Kusadasi. After breakfast we met in the theater to join our tour to Ephesus. Ephesus is an ancient city that was once a port but is now miles inland. Our tour bus dropped us at the top of the city so our tour was downhill. During the course of our walk our tour guide provided good explanations about the city including the Apostle Paul’s visit to Ephesus on his third missionary journey.

Tuesday, July 12, we arrived at Rhodes, Greece. With no planned activities for the day we strolled along the beach where Makayla collected stones and sea glass before turning into the old town where we walked through the streets taking in the sights. The old town is a walled town with narrow streets lined with shops selling souvenirs to tourists and restaurants serving Greek food. The day was sunny and hot, but the walk through the old town was quite pleasant.

Wednesday, July 13, we arrived at Mykonos, Greece. Again, we had no planned activities for the day so we caught the bus from the new port to the old port and explored the town. Our path took us through the quaint, winding streets until we found ourselves at the windmills overlooking the sea. We made our way back through the town (following a different route). At some point, the girls got distracted by the beach and I walked on oblivious that they were not behind me. When I got to the bus I assumed they had taken a different path and arrived there before me. Once I was on the ship I was a little concerned so I planned to head back to see if I could find them. Fortunately I stopped at the security station and asked if they were on board the ship. When the answer was “Yes” I was relieved.

Thursday, July 14, found us at dock in Kefalonia, Greece. We enjoyed a walk around the town of Argostoli and bought a few souvenirs to help us remember our trip. The day was sunny and warm, and our walk through the town on pedestrian streets was very pleasant. I particularly enjoyed the open air vegetable market and would have liked to buy some produce to enjoy.

July typically sees the start of wildfire season in northern Nevada. (We can have smoke blow into the valleys for months if wildfires are within a few hundred miles of home.) I apparently brought wildfire season with me to Greece. As we left port this afternoon, I watched sea planes fighting a wildfire on the shore opposite Argostoli.

Friday, July 15 we visited the island of Corfu. We got off the ship and while walking to the port exit I realized I had walked out without my wallet and cash. So I hurried back to the ship while Brittany and Makayla walked on to find a shady spot to wait for me. Wallet and cash in hand I caught up with the girls and we found a taxi to take us into the old town. We walked through the town, up and down stairs and along cobbled streets. We made our way to the old fort and then returned through the town (collecting a few souvenirs along the way) back to the port and the ship.

Saturday, July 16 we visited our final island of the cruise: Santorini. Santorini is the only tender port of the cruise. (We anchor off shore and were taken to and from the ship in small boats: tenders.) Having visited Santorini last year, I learned that we would much prefer riding the cable car from the old port to the town of Thira rather than walking up the 587 steps from port to town. I have to admit the cable car was a more relaxing way to make our way to the town. We walked around Thira and captured a few photos to help us remember the visit. (We also bought a few souvenirs that will also help us remember the visit.) We returned to the ship to prepare for our arrival in Athens tomorrow morning and our flight home to the U.S.

We didn’t catch as many sunsets on this cruise as we have in the past, but the sunsets we did see were breathtaking.

The towel art of the cabin stewards brought smiles to our faces.

Sunday, July 17, when my alarm went off before sunrise we were already docked in Athens. I got up, got dressed, and had breakfast so I was ready to disembark when our group was called at 7 AM. We collected our luggage and then made our way to the bus for the ride to the airport. We arrived at the airport before the Delta counter opened, so we were at the front of the line to check in when they opened. We made our way through customs and awaited our departure for the U.S. just after noon. Our flight from Athens to JFK without incident and proceeded through immigration and customs, re-checked our bags, and made our way to our departure gate. Our flight left the gate on time but we sat on the tarmac for about an hour as they rerouted our flight around storms along the original planned route. That later departure had us arrive in Salt Lake City just before 11 PM. We collected our luggage and caught the shuttle to my truck. I dropped off Brittany and Makayla and made my way toward home. (I wanted to get a few miles behind me before I slept.) Because I had gotten a little sleep on the flight to Salt Lake I managed to drive all the way home arriving just as the sun was coming up (about 6:15 AM). I got straight into after vacation chores: I started laundry, unpacked, washed the truck, and did a little grocery shopping. I finally found my bed about 2 PM and slept for a few hours. I suspect it will take a few days to get my body clock back to normal, but I am happy to be home.

Christmas with Brittany and Makayla (2021)

When I asked Makayla where she wanted to go on vacation in 2020 she asked if we could go to Disneyland. We began making plans but were quickly forced to change those plans with the global COVID-19 pandemic. (Disneyland closed in March 2020 and remained closed until April 2021.)

When we knew we would be able to travel to the parks once more we looked at the calendar and made plans to visit during the week leading up to Christmas. I drove from my home in Nevada to southern California on Sunday, December 19. Brittany and Makayla flew from Salt Lake City to Burbank, California on Monday, December 20.

We visited Universal Studios Hollywood on Tuesday, December 21 and then relocated to Anaheim to visit the Disney parks. (We experienced the Los Angeles traffic between Universal and Disney with a drive that should have taken 40 minutes taking an hour and a half.) We visited Disneyland on Wednesday, December 22 and Disney’s California Adventure on Thursday, December 23.

For Universal Studios, I had purchased their “Universal Express” ticket (which allowed us “front-of-the-line” access for each ride once during our visit. Because of the express ticket we rode everything we wanted to and didn’t have to stand in line. We started in Hogsmeade and Hogwarts and enjoyed the Harry Potter themed rides and even enjoyed the butterbeer. We rode the Simpson’s ride, and then enjoyed the Transformers and Revenge of the Mummy’s rides. (We skipped the Jurassic Park ride but enjoyed the dinosaur encounter at Jurassic world.) We enjoyed the studio tour, and then the Secret Life of Pets ride. We ended our day at the Waterworld show. On both Monday and then again Tuesday after the park we enjoyed the shops at Citywalk.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Our Disneyland experience was more traditional. We waited (and waited) in lines to ride the attractions we chose. We didn’t ride as many rides as we did at Universal Studios, but we have a wonderful day. We started in Tomorrowland with Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters and then Star Tours. We headed to New Orleans Square are waited in line for Pirates of the Caribbean (the ride was shut down before we rode) and the Haunted Mansion. We then went to Critter Country and rode the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and then Splash Mountain (where we got very wet). We returned to Pirates of the Caribbean and enjoyed that ride, too. In Frontierland we enjoyed the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room. We then made our way to Fantasyland and rode It’s a Small World. We finally made our way to Galaxy’s Edge and rode the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run and drank some blue milk.

Disneyland

Our experience at Disney’s California Adventure should have been similar to our experience at Disneyland. Unfortunately, with all of my planning I hadn’t managed to control the weather. Rain started to fall shortly after we arrived at the park and fell in a steady stream for the remainder of our visit. We enjoyed riding the Ferris wheel at Pixar Pier and the Toy Story Midway Mania. We enjoyed exploring the Avengers’ Campus (even if we didn’t ride any of the rides there) and enjoyed the Soarin’ Around the World ride.

On both of our Disney park days we enjoyed shopping in Downtown Disney. (We all found souvenirs that will help us remember the fun we had.)

On Friday, December 24 we drove together back to my home. (Because of a heavy snowfall in the Sierras we chose to come home the “long way”, driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and then taking US-95 north toward home. (This kept us in the shadow of the Sierras and allowed us a safe journey home.) (Along the way, when Makayla requested a bathroom break, the next gas station turned out to be the Area 51 Alien Center. While I filled the truck with gas, Brittany and Makayla went in to use the facilities. It was then I noticed that part of the center was a brothel. That little stop will give Makayla a story to share.)

We enjoyed Christmas at my home before I had to take Brittany and Makayla to the airport for their return flight home.

Solo Cruise to Italy and Greece

This is among my first “normal” vacations during the COVID pandemic.

However, it is still not quite normal. For almost four decades, vacations included my wife, Lisa, and often included our children. This is my first solo cruise since Lisa passed away in 2019.

My vacation began on Sunday, October 24 [Day 0] with an early morning flight from Reno, Nevada connecting through Chicago, Illinois to Rome. I arrived in Rome on Monday, October 25 [Day 1] in the early hours of the morning. After collecting my luggage I found my transport to the port. I arrived in Civitavecchia, had a COVID test, and then checked in for my cruise aboard the Norwegian Getaway.

We sailed from Italy after 5 PM Monday night.

Tuesday [Day 2] was a sea day. And it rained much of the day. (It had started out as a cloudy day, but while I ate breakfast it started to rain.) As I walked around the ship, I marveled at the waves in the ship’s pool from the rocking of the ship.

On Wednesday, October 27 [Day 3] we arrived at Dubrovnik, Croatia about 6 AM. After breakfast I caught the shuttle to the old city and enjoyed walking around and seeing the sights. (The last time I was in Dubrovnik was in 2011 with Lisa.) The steep stairs challenged me, and it wasn’t long before I felt the effects of the stairs in my knees. I made my way to the sea wall and relaxed on a bench in the sunshine and enjoyed the salt air. After my explore I returned to the ship.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

On Thursday, October 28 [Day 4] we arrived in Corfu, Greece about 5 AM. I walked into the old city and discovered that we had arrived in Corfu on a day of celebration. (October 28, is Ohi Day and commemorates the rejection by Greece of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on 28 October 1940. This rejection led to a Greek counterattack against the invading Italian forces during the Greco-Italian War, and the Greek Resistance during the Axis occupation.) Due to the pandemic, the parade had been cancelled in 2019 and 2020. But for 2021, the parade was back on. As I walked into the old city I found the marching band in place, ready for the parade to begin.

Alex at Old Fortress in Corfu, Greece

I followed the parade making my way to the old fortress. I walked through the gardens there as well as the warm sunshine. I had a pleasant walk back to the ship.

On Friday, October 29 [Day 5], I had paid to join a tour to Olympia so was up much earlier than usual. This allowed me to watch the sun rise from my balcony.

After an early breakfast I joined my tour group for the bus ride to Olympia. Olympia was the site of the original Olympic games, held without interruption from 776 BC until 393 AD. As well as being the site of the Olympic games, Olympia was also the site for the Temple of Zeus which contained the Statue of Zeus, one of the original seven wonders of the world. (The Statue of Zeus was carried away to Constantinople where it was destroyed by fire in 475 AD, ~ Excavations have be carried out at Olympia since its discovery in 1766 with work being carried out almost continuously since 1875.

We toured the ruins of Olympia which included the three temples there: to Zeus, to Hera, and to Philip. (The temple to Philip is the only temple there to an actual person (Philip the second, king of Macedonia, and father of Alexander the Great.)

Temple of Philip, Olympia, Greece

We also had the opportunity to explore the archeology museum at Olympia that contains many of the artifacts discovered there during the countless excavations. This includes the statue of Nike and the statue of Hermes.

Statue of Nike

Statue of Hermes

Saturday, October 30 [Day 6] saw us arrive at Santorini. This is our first tender port. In the past, tenders have been provided using the ship’s life boats. In Santorini, tenders were provided by local boats. We anchored in the caldera of the volcano. (There are a handful of islands remaining from the eruption circa 1600 BC, forming a ring around the cone of the volcano which is now a small island.)

The tender dropped us off at the old port and we could choose to (a) walk to the top, (b) ride donkeys to the top, or (c) ride the cable car to the top. I, of course, chose to walk.

Before I reached the top, I was rethinking my decision. At the top in the village of Thira I rested on a park bench and then enjoyed walking around the village.

All too soon it was time to head back to the ship. The walk down was easier in some ways (no loss of breath), but I felt it in my knees before I reached the old port. From the port I hopped on the next tender and returned to the ship.

Alternative to walking from the old port to Thira

The zig-zag trail from the old port to Thira

While I was in Thira, another ship arrived: the Norwegian Jade. (Lisa and I sailed on the Norwegian Jade from Venice in 2011 to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey. Brittany and Makayla will join me aboard the Norwegian Jade on a cruise to the Greek Isles next summer.)

Sunday, October 31 [Day 7] was our last Greek isle, Mykonos. After a leisurely start to the day, I caught the shuttle bus from the new port to the old port. I enjoyed walking through the twisting streets of the old town. Each turn brought a new sight.

The low buildings (no more than two stories tall) surrounded the quaint harbor.

I did not intentionally seek out the windmills set on a hill overlooking the town. Instead, I found them by making a choice at each turn I came to, and without even knowing where I was headed found these windmills.

This stop proved to be most enjoyable. On my way back to the ship, I chose to walk the entire distance (only a few kilometers). I counted shuttle buses on my way back to the ship. (They were supposed to be 10 minutes apart, and I was passed by five buses. But it didn’t feel like I had walked for almost an hour.) The breeze was refreshing as I walked, and I felt like I was able to more fully observe the town by walking rather than by riding on a bus.

Leaving Greece, I think of words from the great philosophers:

TO BE IS TO DO … Socrates

TO DO IS TO BE … Plato

DO BE DO BE DO … Sinatra

We leave Greece tonight with a day at sea tomorrow before we arrive at our first Italian port of call: Naples.

Tuesday, November 2 [Day 9] was over visit to Naples and my tour of Pompeii. (Lisa and I visited Pompeii in 2013 with her brother Chris and his wife Sue, so this was a “re-visit”) We were picked up by tour bus from dock side and were taken to the entrance gates of Pompeii. My visit was a bit of an adventure. Due to COVID, they are not handing out maps of the site. So we were left to follow signage as we toured.

The site hasn’t changed significantly since our previous visit. However, it did feel that there were additional places open to the public that had either been closed in 2013, or perhaps had not yet been opened for public viewing.

Touring on my own gave me the option to choose the direction I went and where I stopped to visit a site. In the end, it was a rewarding visit.

(Sadly, while I took my compact camera with me to Pompeii, I left the memory card in my computer on the ship. I fortunately had my phone with me and was able to capture images of the site with the camera on my phone.)

Overnight, we travelled to Livorno (with access to Florence and Pisa). As I had visited both sites on multiple occasions, and as the tours available in the “COVID bubble” did not include the museums that I would have enjoyed visiting, I’m treating Wednesday, November 3 [Day 10] as another “sea day”. As I have begun packing for my travel to home tomorrow, I have enjoyed watching showers from my balcony. (I’m glad I’m not out walking in this weather.)

Tomorrow, Thursday, November 4 [Day 11], I leave the ship at 7:30 AM to catch my ride to the airport in Rome. My reservations call for me to fly from Rome to Munich to San Francisco to Reno with my departure from Rome at 1:25 PM local time and my arrival in Reno at 11:49 PM local time. I feel fortunate that I am not scheduled to return to work until next Monday which will give me a bit of time to recover from the flights home.

Fall Break with Makayla

Brittany had Makayla for fall break this year, so we made plans to get together. I proposed a trip to see Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota), Devil’s Tower National Monument (Wyoming) and Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming), but when Makayla looked at the map and calculated the distance and driving time, she asked for closer destinations, requesting Colorado specifically. We planned accordingly.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019:

After work on Wednesday, one of my colleagues drove me to the Amtrak station in Reno where I caught the California Zephyr train to Salt Lake City. (I had figured that the train ride would provide me the opportunity to sleep so I could be rested for the drive the next day. This proved to be true.) The train departed on time, just after 4 PM and arrive in Salt Lake City about 30 minutes late, around 3:30 AM.

Thursday, October 17, 2019:

I walked from the train station (340 South 600 West) to a nearby Denny’s (250 West 500 South) for breakfast, and then walked to the Trax station at the Courthouse (500 South & Main Street) where I caught the Green Line to the airport to pick up a rental car. I arrived at Brittany’s apartment just after 6 AM and woke up Brittany and Makayla to start their day early.

We set out from Salt Lake City late in the morning for our drive to Cortez, Colorado. (The late start was due in part to stopping by the Fabric Center to buy materials to make Makayla a quilt for her birthday.) Shortly after we got on the road, we stopped in Lehi, Utah at Culver’s for lunch. (I was first introduced to Culver’s when I worked on a project in Wisconsin, and have always enjoyed the food and really enjoyed a scoop of the flavor of the day.)

We arrived in Cortez and checked into our hotel, then set out for dinner. We decided to walk, and made it as far as the Denny’s next door where we had dinner.

Friday, October 18, 2019:

On Friday morning we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and then drove to Mesa Verde National Park where we explored the visitor center before waiting in line for more than an hour to enter the park. As it was a particularly busy time at the park, we were unable to get tickets to visit any of the cliff dwellings, but we had more than enough time to drive first to Westerall Mesa where we hiked to the Step House, and then to Chapin Mesa where we stopped at a number of view points along the way starting with Spruce House. The ranger at the visitor center recommended driving Mesa Top Loop stopping at the sites starting with “S”. So we stopped at Square Tower House, Sun Point View, and Sun Temple. (Each stop gave us wonderful views of cliff ruins along the canyon.) We had time so we drove the Cliff Palace Loop and saw Cliff Palace and Balcony House.

As planned, we took the opportunity to scatter some of Lisa’s ashes at Sun Point View, helping us remember her on this trip even though she wasn’t able to make this trip.

https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Saturday, October 19, 2019:

On Saturday morning, we made the short drive to Teec Nos Pos, Arizona where we visited the Four Corners Monument (where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet). Makayla enjoyed sitting in four states at once!

From Four Corners, we drove to Moab, Utah for our planned visit to Arches National Park. When we arrived, the park was closed (due to heavy traffic) so we checked into our hotel. Fortunately, when we checked on the park status over the Internet we saw on the park webcam that cars were being allowed into the park. We returned for our little explore. We drove through the park stopping at points that allowed us to see some of the wonderful geologic formations there. Our first stop was the Windows Section where we took the short walk to Double Arch, and then to the North and South Windows and Turret Arch. The weather was perfect for our hikes and views.

We continued to Wolfe Ranch and drove to the Delicate Arch viewpoint where we hiked to both the lower and upper viewpoints. (We scattered some of Lisa’s ashes at the upper viewpoint.)

We continued back towards the visitor center, stopping at Park Avenue Viewpoint where we hiked a short distance along the trail.

https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm

We found a fun barbecue restaurant (The Blu Pig) in Moab for dinner.

Sunday, October 20, 2019:

Sunday morning we drove back to Salt Lake City, not knowing what kind of traffic we might encounter. (We have returned home at the end of school break weekends and had bumper to bumper traffic from Spanish Fork to Salt Lake. This time, traffic flowed smoothly the entire way.) When we arrived back in Salt Lake City we met up with Curtis for a family dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (in Taylorsville). (It was nice to get together as a family.)

After dinner, I made my way back to the airport to drop off the rental car, and then caught Trax (Green Line to Blue Line) to the Amtrak station where I caught the train back to Reno. The train from the east arrived early allowing me to board and settle in before my 11:30 PM departure to Reno. The ride was uneventful, and we arrived in Reno a little early (just after 8 AM), and I called Uber and arrived for my day at work.

All in all, it was a wonderful fall break!

Western Caribbean Cruise with Brittany and Makayla (2019)

This cruise is not quite as originally planned. When we scheduled this cruise, we planned for it to be the four of us: Alex (Presh) and Lisa (Nana), Brittany and Makayla. Then, a little more than two weeks before the cruise, Lisa was admitted to the hospital with an intestinal blockage.

After Lisa was discharged, it looked as if “Plan A” would apply. But a week later, Lisa was readmitted to the hospital and only discharged on the Friday before the cruise was scheduled on a liquid diet while awaiting surgery.

We went between “Plan B” (Brittany and Makayla cruise on their own) and “Plan C” (Alex cruises with Brittany and Makayla), with several variations. (I spent over an hour on the phone with NCL trying to get the girls moved from an inside cabin to our balcony cabin without success. In the end, with Lisa home from the hospital, she sent me to join the girls on the cruise. I drove over from the Reno area to Salt Lake City in time to catch the flight from Salt Lake to Miami with the girls.

We spent a night in Miami before we made our way to the port and boarded our cruise ship, the Norwegian Breakaway. The girls are in our balcony cabin and I am in their inside cabin.

We set sail from Miami on Sunday, June 23, 2019 on our Western Caribbean cruise. We spent a day at sea before arriving at our first port of call, Roatan, Honduras. We had planned on having a port day, walking around to see what we could see. We met a young man as we left the port area and he walked with us around the town (telling us about the island he was born on and had never left). After our explore, we returned to the ship. Along the way, we stopped for Makayla to have her hair braided.

From Roatan, it was an overnight sail to our next port of call, NCL’s private island, Harvest Caye, Belize. We enjoyed walking along the beach exploring the island. We found some fun places to take pictures to remind us of the memories we were creating. We had our share of rain during the day. On our way to the beach, the heavens opened and torrential rains fell. But after a few minutes, the rain ended. Later in the afternoon when Brittany and Makayla were enjoying the pool on the ship, the heavens opened again.

From Belize we sailed overnight to Costa Maya, Mexico. We had an organized tour scheduled to explore the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben. We had an early(ish) start, so we left the ship as soon as it was cleared by the Mexican authorities. (Our timing leaving the ship was perfect. While we walked along the pier, another cruise liner arrived in port and they temporarily discontinued disembarkation until the other ship tied up.) We walked into town to join our tour and had an informative bus ride to the archaeological park. Chacchoben is about the same size as Chichen Itza, but is much less restored (perhaps only 5%). We walked around the site and explored the ruins, and even saw spider monkeys in the trees by the temples.

Our final port of call was Cozumel. We enjoyed exploring the port although the day was hot and humid.

After Cozumel, we had a sea day on our way back to Miami. We enjoyed the ropes course on the ship, and prepared for our return to non-vacation life.

Once back in Florida, we joined an excursion to the Everglades and an alligator park on our way to Miami International Airport and our journey back to Salt Lake City.

We arrived in Salt Lake City just before midnight on Sunday night. After dropping Brittany and Makayla at their car, I started the long drive back to Reno. With a couple of stops along the way to catch a little sleep, I made it safely home about 9 AM, and after a shower and short debrief with Lisa, I made my way to work, formally ending my vacation.

Visiting England with Makayla

Our holiday to England started off with a recipe for sleep deprivation: after work on Thursday (May 31) Lisa and I packed the car and drove to Salt Lake City arriving at 3 AM local time on Friday (June 1). After a few hours of sleep, we ran a few errands before picking up Makayla and heading to Salt Lake International Airport for our flight to London. Our flight left shortly after 5 PM and we arrived in London just before 10 AM local time on Saturday (June 2).

Berkshire & Wiltshire

We picked up our rental car from Hertz and headed west on the M4. We stopped at Sainsbury’s in Theale to stock up on savory treats, and then stopped in Donnington, Berkshire for a picnic at the castle.

Makayla and Lisa at Donnington Castle

Learn more about Donnington Castle at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/donnington-castle/history/

We then made our way to Hermitage to visit Lisa’s mother and brother.

Carol, Robin, Mum Williams, Makayla, and Lisa in Hermitage

After a long day, we finally made it to our hotel in Swindon.

On Sunday (June 3) we set off on a neolithic explore. We drove first to Avebury and spent hours exploring the stone circles there. We walked along the stone avenue making the acquaintance of the cows pastured there. We stopped for ice cream before continuing our explore.

Lisa and Makayla at the Avebury Stone Circle

Learn more about the Avebury Stone Circles at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/history/

We next drove north to Uffington and White Horse Hill. Upon seeing the steep incline of the hill, Lisa decided to wait in the car. Makayla and I climbed the hill in search of the white horse. We made it to the old castle (an iron age hill fort) and roamed around the top of the hill looking for the white horse. When we finally gave up the search and walked back down the hill, we climbed nearby Dragon Hill and were finally able to spy the White Horse (circa 1740 BCE).

Back at the car, we told Lisa about our trek and she assured us that her choice (to remain in the car) was the better choice. As we followed the GPS directions back towards the hotel, we passed by the parking lot mentioned in our research of the site. A brief stop there and a five minute walk allowed us all a view of the White Horse.

Makayla and Lisa at the Uffington White Horse

Learn more about Uffington Castle and the White Horse: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/uffington-castle-white-horse-and-dragon-hill/history/

Monday (June 4) continued our neolithic explore. We drove through Avebury to Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge. We spent hours exploring the site at Stonehenge as well as the accompanying exhibits.

Lisa and Makayla at Stonehenge

Lisa and Makala discover it takes more than two people to move a stone monolith

Learn more about Stonehenge at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history/#

After our neolithic explores, we made our way back to Swindon and spent an enjoyable afternoon and evening with Lisa’s brother Chris and his wife Sue. After catching up, we walked around a local lake and then had dinner together.

Makayla receives a drum lesson from her great uncle Chris

We started Tuesday (June 5) with a visit to the shops before we made our way to visit Chris and Sue at their coffee shop in north Swindon. The coffee shop is a charitable outreach from their church, providing a place for people to drop in and socialize.

Visiting Chris at Kingdom Coffee

After visiting Chris and Sue, we returned to the Newbury area and popped in to visit Sarah and Emma, Lisa’s ex-sister-in-law and niece, in Thatcham. We made our way back to Newbury and enjoyed a nostalgic stroll along the Kennet+Avon Canal, watching a long boat pass through a lock and then waiting to cross the canal while the boat passed a swivel bridge. On Northbrook Street we passed by Camp Hopson on our way to the clock tower.

Makayla and Lisa along Kennet+Avon Canal

We ended the day by going to dinner with Chris and Sue at the Churchill pub near our hotel in Swindon.

Dorset, Devon & Cornwall

Wednesday (June 6) was a travel day as we relocated to England’s southwest coast. We drove from Swindon towards Cornwall, driving through Bath (Jane Austen country) and then on to West Bay for a break at the sea side. (West Bay was a filming location for the TV series “Broadchurch”.)

Makayla and Lisa at West Bay’s Jurassic cliffs.

We made our way onward from West Bay to Newquay and checked into our hotel. After getting our luggage into the room, we walked down the hill and bought fish and chips, and then settled in on a bench in the park to enjoy our meal …

Lisa and Makayla enjoy dinner from the chippy.

… on a bench overlooking the Celtic Sea, that is …

Makayla and Lisa enjoying dinner at Newquay Harbor

… surrounded by a flock of new friends!

Lisa and friends at Newquay

Thursday (June 7) began with a drive across Cornwall from Newquay to Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula. (We first visited Kynance Cove with Curtis and Brittany more than 25 years ago.) We enjoyed the short hike from the car park to the beach and spent several hours enjoying playing in the sand and water. The cool water temperatures precluded swimming, but we paddled in the breaking waves.

Makayla and Lisa at Kynance Cove

From Kynance Cove we drove to Marazion across the bay and had lunch while we waited for the tide to go out so we could walk across the causeway to St. Michael’s Mount. We made our way across to the island that sits just off shore just before the causeway was completely clear. (We tiptoed through the receding water.)

Makayla and Lisa on the causeway to St. Michael’s Mount

After our visit, we made our way back to Newquay.

On Friday (June 8) we set out to explore the north coast of Cornwall. We first drove to Port Isaac (which stands in for Port Wenn on “Doc Martin”.) We enjoyed our stroll around the picturesque village, taking in the sights that have we have seen so often watching “Doc Martin”.

Lisa and Makayla in Port Isaac

From Port Isaac we drove along the coast to Tintagel to visit the castle there. The castle at Tintagel is linked with King Arthur. We enjoyed the walk down to the beach overlook. (With the tide in, we chose not to climb down to the beach.) We then climbed the very steep stairs to visit the castle.

Alex, Makayla and Lisa at Tintagel Castle

Learn more about Tintagel Castle at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle/history-and-legend/

From Tintagel we drove to Restormel Castle. This castle played a part in the English Civil War (as did Donnington Castle). All that remains is the well preserved circular shell keep. (We arrived after last admissions, but appealed to the good nature of the English Heritage staff be able to make a quick visit, and she allowed us in.)

Makayla and Lisa at Restormel Castle

Learn more about Restormel Castle at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/restormel-castle/

Throughout our travels, the GPS in the rental car seemed to direct us down smaller and smaller “connected roads”. (In the U.K., motorways are M roads; main roads are A roads, secondary roads are B roads, and smaller roads are “connected roads”.) Some of the roads we traveled we barely wide enough for a single vehicle. When we encountered another vehicle, one of us needed to reverse until we reached a location wide enough for the vehicles to pass. As the day went on, it almost seemed like a game. The GPS directs us onto a “connected road” that we take. The next turn was often onto an even smaller “connected road”. At times, the foliage on the hedge rows that towered above us brushed both sides of our rental car.

Cornish “connected road”

On our last day in Cornwall (June 9), we turned our planning over to Makayla. The first item on her plan: visit the beach. We drove from Newquay to Mawgan Porth beach. Only four miles from Newquay, we parked across the road from the beach and enjoyed exploring the broad sandy expanse.

Makayla and Lisa at Magwan Porth beach

After the tide came in we returned to the hotel for item two on her plan: swimming in the pool. (The water at the beach is very cool. Makayla wanted to be able to swim, and knew the pool at the hotel was heated.) We enjoyed swimming and playing at the pool.

London

Sunday (June 10) was another travel day as we relocated to London. We drove from Newquay towards London, stopping first in Swindon to visit with Lisa’s niece, Lucy, and her family, and then in Thatcham to visit with Lisa’s niece, Emma, and her family.

With Lucy and Sarah, we drove to Lydiard Park in Swindon where Makayla enjoyed playing with Lucy’s children, Katie and James. We enjoyed Cornish ice cream in the park before we returned to our onward journey.

We stopped for a visit with Emma and enjoyed meeting Sophie (daughter) and Tony (husband).

We continued onward, finally arriving at the hotel after crossing London (being careful to avoid the congestion zone and its accompanying fee).

Monday (June 11) was our first day of touring in London. Following a leisurely start, we caught the train at Limehouse for Tower Gateway. Our first stop of the day was the Tower of London. We spent hours exploring the environs of the Tower including the Crown Jewels.

Makayla and Lisa at the Tower of London

Learn more about the Tower of London at https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-story-of-the-tower-of-london/#gs.A=I_t08

From the Tower, we made our way to the Monument. There, we climbed the 311 steps up to the viewing platform and then back down.

Lisa atop the Monument (to the Great Fire of London)

Learn more about the Monument at http://www.themonument.info/history/introduction.html

From the Monument we crossed the Thames on London Bridge and made our way to the Shard. There, we took the elevators to the 68th floor where we had wonderful views of London in all directions.

Makayla and Lisa at the Shard

We enjoyed dinner in the City before catching the return train to Limehouse.

On Tuesday (June 12) we returned to London for another day of sightseeing. After catching the train to Tower Gateway, we caught the Hop On / Hop Off Bus to make our way around the city. We started out following the Thames towards the Houses of Parliament where we hopped off to tour Westminster Abbey.

Lisa and Makayla at Westminster Abbey

After our explore there, we walked through St. James Park to view Buckingham Palace. From the palace, we hopped on the bus to head north and paid a visit to Sherlock Holmes residence at 221B Baker Street.

Makayla and Lisa at 221B Baker Street

We made our way back to hop back on the bus to make our way to the British Museum. (I was interested in seeing the Rosetta Stone, key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens.) From the museum we walked toward Trafalgar Square and had dinner, took photos at the square, then caught the Underground to Tower Hill and then the train back to Limehouse.

Lisa and Makayla at Trafalgar Square

Wednesday (June 13) was our final day of touring in London. We started out once more by catching the train to Tower Gateway where we caught the City Cruise for our cruise along the Thames. Our cruise along the river took us first east to Greenwich, and then west to Westminster. Along the way, we saw many of the sights of London from the river.

Cutty Sark (at Greenwich)

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Houses of Parliament

London Eye

Leaving the river, we made our way along Whitehall past Downing Street and the Horse Guards towards Trafalgar Square. Just past Trafalgar Square Makayla and I made brass rubbings at St. Martin in the Fields church.

Makayla doing a brass rubbing at St. Martin in the Fields church

From our brass rubbing we made our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral where we attended Evensong.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

We walked from St. Paul’s Cathedral past Monument and Tower of London to Tower Gateway and our return to our hotel.

On our final full day in England, we set out in the morning for two stops on our way to Heathrow Airport. Our first stop was the London Temple where Lisa and I were married 38 years ago. We enjoyed a walk around the grounds in soft rain.

Makayla and Lisa at the London Temple

From Surrey we continued on the M25 and made our next stop at Windsor where we walked around the castle and spent a little while doing some souvenir shopping.

Lisa and Makayla at Windsor

From Windsor we continued on to our hotel near Heathrow Airport. After checking in we returned the rental car and settles in for our final night in England.

Friday (June 15) marked the end of our adventures in England and our return to the United States. We caught an early morning taxi from our hotel to the airport where we checked in for our flight home. We had time to do a little shopping before our flight for some last minute souvenirs.

Lisa and Makayla with the Harrod’s bear

Makayla with our airplane

East Coast Trek (2017)

We continue our pursuit with Makayla of visiting the “15 Places That Every Kid Should See Before 15”. This year, we have planned a visit on the east to collect five more places: (1) Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA; (2) Ellis Island in New York City, NY; (3) The Freedom Trail in Boston, MA; (4) Fenway Park in Boston, MA; and (5) Niagara Falls in NY. This will be our most ambitious trip with Makayla, with 1,306 planned miles crossing eight states (Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts) with perhaps a foray into Canada.

Our trek started (for us) on Saturday, July 29 with a drive over to Salt Lake City from Sparks after completing packing and dropping our new old dog (new to us, but 12 years old), Molly, with friends. We arrived late that night, but were able to stop and visit Curtis. On Sunday morning, July 30, we picked up Makayla, paid a short visit to her mother, and then flew to Baltimore, MD. We arrived late and had dinner at Denny’s (one of the few options available after midnight). After breakfast on Monday morning, July 31, we headed towards Philadelphia.

Monday, July 31

The drive from Baltimore to Philadelphia took us across Maryland and Delaware before crossing into Pennsylvania. A missed direction from Google resulted in us crossing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge into New Jersey. A quick turnaround and we were back in Philadelphia. We found parking under the Independence Hall Visitor Center where we picked up our tickets for our tour.

Lisa and Makayla at Independence Hall (Philadelphia, PA)

Lisa and Makayla with the Liberty Bell (Philadelphia, PA)

We really enjoyed the time we spent at Independence Hall. Our tour guide (a National Park Service ranger) provided an excellent overview of the “State House” and the Continental Congress sessions that took place there beginning in 1774, leading to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and later to the Confederation Congress that resulted in the Constitution for the new nation in 1787. Makayla particularly enjoyed her visit to the Liberty Bell. We all enjoyed the film “Independence” (from the 1976 bicentennial of the American Revolution) that shared more of the story of the founding of our nation. I particularly enjoyed the reflections of Benjamin Franklin. During the Confederation Congress, George Washington, as President of the Congress, sat in a chair with a carving of the sun. Franklin was said to have wondered if it was a rising sun or a setting sun. After the Constitution was drafted and approved by congress, Franklin said he now knew it was a rising sun and not a setting sun.

George Washington’s chair from the Confederation Congress with the carving of the sun.

For dinner, we found cheese steak within walking distance of the hotel and really enjoyed this regional taste.

Makayla and Lisa with our Cheese Steak dinner (Philadelphia, PA)

Tuesday, August 1

Tuesday, August 1, was planned as a travel day (from Philadelphia to New York City). We decided to take a detour to Atlantic City, NJ to enjoy some time at the beach on this summer day. The drive on the expressway reminded us that toll booths would be our friend. Lisa, as keeper of the purse, reluctantly parted with money for each toll. (Most reluctant when $15 was required to cross the Bayonne Bridge as we crossed from New Jersey into New York.)

Makayla and Lisa on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ

In Atlantic City, we found a place to park near the Boardwalk and enjoyed strolling there. But on a day when temperatures were over 90 degrees F, the Boardwalk was quite hot, so we made our way to the beach and waded in the warm water under the watchful eye of the lifeguards. (The lifeguards were in beach towers and also in small boats just off shore.) The water and sand were wonderful and allowed us to recharge our batteries after time in the city.

Lisa and Makayla enjoying wading at the beach

We stopped at the Boardwalk on the way back to the car and enjoyed the fried treats available there.

Makayla enjoying her funnel cake on the Boardwalk

Our journey to New York took us along the Golden State Parkway to Staten Island, and then into Brooklyn where we found our hotel. As we crossed the bridges into New York, we spied Lady Liberty standing majestically in the harbor. We look forward to Thursday when we will visit Liberty Island.

Lady Liberty at sunset

Wednesday, August 2

Wednesday, August 2, was our day to explore Manhattan. We rode the subway from Brooklyn into the city, choosing to start our explore at Rockefeller Center.

Lisa and Makayla on the MTA

Makayla and Alex found the Lego store next to the skating rink, with an elaborate Lego depiction of the area. From Rockefeller Center, we passed Saint Patrick’s Catedral as we headed to Grand Central Station. Makayla quipped that it looked just like the station in the animated film “Madagascar”. She even saw the clock that Melman got stuck in. We continued our walk to Times Square where Makayla enjoyed a hot pretzel from a street vendor’s cart.

Makayla and Lisa at Times Square

We continued on our hike, finding Macy’s at 34th Street, and remembering “The Miracle on 34th Street” that we enjoy each Christmas. We passed by the Empire State Building and marveled at its height. We then passed by the Chrysler Building and enjoyed its art deco styling. Rain began to fall as we made our way to the United Nations. We tried to wait out the rain under an awning, but the rain persisted and we ended up buying an umbrella. (We hope we don’t have to use it, but it is good that we have it.)

Makayla and Lisa at the United Nations

We stopped for pizza at an Italian restaurant and enjoyed our meal. After dinner, we walked back toward the subway station and passed by the New York Public Library along the way. We caught the subway back to Brooklyn, and were eager to rest our tired feet.

Makayla and Lisa at the New York Public Library

Thursday, August 3

Thursday, August 3, was our day to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We made our way from Brooklyn to Battery Park via subway (F line connecting to R line) and caught the ferry to Liberty Island. Our tickets included access to the pedestal (crown access was not available even though I booked tickets weeks in advance). We chose to ride the elevator to the top of the pedestal and enjoyed views of the surrounding area. We looked up as we left the pedestal to see the metal frame provided by Gustave Eiffel that supports Auguste Bartholdi’s statue.

Lisa and Makayla with Lady Liberty’s Torch

We enjoyed seeing the exhibits that included the torch and Lady Liberty’s left foot.

Makayla in Lady Liberty’s big toe

We walked around the island and captured views of Lady Liberty.

Makayla and Lady Liberty

From Liberty Island we caught the ferry to Ellis Island. We walked through the exhibits to better understand the process the immigrants went through as they arrived there with hopes of finding new lives in America. In the Registry Hall, we talked about my great-grandfather, Jens Christian Fonnesbeck, who passed through Ellis Island in May of 1892. We wondered about his experience, but knew he was one of the 98% admitted and not one of the 2% denied entry.

Ellis Island

After catching a ferry back to Battery Park, I walked the short distance to the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center plaza. It was sobering to remember the loss of life that day, as well as the sacrifices made by NY firefighters and police officers as they raced into the World Trade Centers when most would have run away. It was touching to see the fire company whose engines are housed within sight of the memorial.

9/11 Memorial

From the memorial, I walked over to Broadway and past Wall Street to find the Charging Bull and the Fearless Girl.

We ended another long tour day by enjoying street food (middle eastern cuisine tonight) before catching the subway back to Brooklyn and our hotel.

Street Food for Dinner

Friday, August 4

The morning of Friday, August 4, began with a thunderstorm in Brooklyn that was so intense that it repeatedly set off car alarms outside the hotel. We set out on our journey towards Boston and found heavy traffic and road construction most of the way. Our trip across New York City was slow but uneventful. We crossed into Connecticut and found the traffic and construction much the same as in New York. On our drive to Boston, we elected to take a side trip to Plymouth to see the landing site of the Pilgrims from the Mayflower.

Makayla and Lisa at Plymouth, MA

The town of Plymouth was very pleasant. It is a small coastal town, and at the harbor, we found a convenient parking place for a short explore. We walked to the shelter that protects Plymouth Rock, engraved with the year 1620. It was fun to talk about the journey of the Pilgrims while standing there. After our visit to Plymouth, we continued on to Boston and checked into our hotel with thoughts of our planned explores.

Plymouth Rock

Saturday, August 5

Saturday, August 5, was planned to include a tour of Fenway Park and a stroll along the Freedom Trail. However, Lisa’s health which had been troubling for the entire week finally came to a point that required intervention. We drove in the rain to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center where they determined more specialized care was required. Lisa was transferred by ambulance to Boston Medical Center where she spent the remainder of the day in the ER receiving hydration therapy along with other therapy to balance her blood chemistry. By evening, they decided she needed to be admitted for a day or two, so we helped her settle into her room and then returned to our hotel.

Sunday, August 6

Makayla at Fenway Park (Boston, MA)

Sunday, August 6, was a make up day, visiting the sites planned for Saturday. After a visit to Boston Medical Center and finding Lisa would be spending the day in the hospital, Makayla and I started our tour at Fenway Park. It was a game day (Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox) so the streets around the ballpark were very busy. We walked all the way around the ballpark admiring the statues and the pennants representing the Red Sox victories through the years. We noticed the gap in World Series victories between 1918 and 2004 and were happy to see a winning trend continues. (BTW, Boston won 6-3.)

Makayla at Fenway Park (Ted Williams statue) (Boston, MA)

We walked from Fenway Park to Boston Common to begin our walk along the Freedom Trail.

Freedom Trail Marker (Boston, MA)

Freedom Trail Map (Boston, MA)

Starting at Boston Common, we passed by the State House and the Park Street Church.

Makayla at Boston Common (Boston, MA)

Adjoining the Park Street Church is the Granary Burying Ground. Famous patriots (Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams) are buried here. But included is Mary Goose, reportedly “Mother Goose” of nursery rhyme fame.

Granary Burying Ground (“Mother” Goose)

We passed King’s Chapel and Burying Ground and the statue of Benjamin Franklin at the First School Site. We passed the Old South Meeting Hall (where the Boston Tea Party was launched in 1773), the Old Corner Bookstore, and the Old State House. At the Old State House, Makayla posed for a photo with a red coat.

Makayla with Red Coat at Old State House (Boston, MA)

We stopped at Faneuil Hall, and then passed by Paul Revere’s House. We rested in the shade beside the statue of Paul Revere.

Paul Revere Statue along Freedom Trail (Boston, MA)

We enjoyed the tall spire of the Old North Church where lanterns were hung at the dawn of the Revolutionary War (one if by land, two if by sea) to let riders (including Paul Revere) warn the patriots that “The regulars are coming!”

Old North Church (Boston, MA)

When we reached Boston harbor, Makayla threw a tea bag into the harbor in remembrance of the Boston Tea Party.

Makayla’s Boston Tea Party (Boston, MA)

From the harbor, we viewed the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution across the Charles River.

Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution (Boston, MA)

It was a long but educational walk.

We returned to the hospital to report on the day to Lisa, and then returned to our hotel after stopping for dinner. We plan to pick up Lisa in the morning from the hospital so we can continue our planned journey, driving tomorrow to Niagara, NY.

Monday, August 7

Monday, August 7, we broke Lisa out of the hospital to be able to continue on our journey. (The doctors really wanted to keep her in at least one more day, but they had reduced care to little more than observation.) We set forth from Boston toward Niagara Falls. The route in New York follows the Erie Canal. We crossed the canal a number of times along the way. Because of our late start, we didn’t arrive in Niagara Falls until just before midnight. The day had been rainy (off and on), but the weather did not have too much impact on the journey. We made sure we stopped as often as needed for food and drink so we don’t have to include another hospital stay during this trek.

Tuesday, August 8

Tuesday, August 8, we began our explore of Niagara Falls. The walk from the hotel to the river was a few hundred feet. We walked along the river towards the falls and could both hear and feel that we were getting closer to the falls.

Makayla and Lisa at Niagara Falls, NY

One of the first To D’s on our list was the Maid of the Mist. We arrived at a good time of day and had little wait in the ticket line and in boarding the boat. Lisa made her way to the top deck at the aft which made for a good viewing platform for us. (We were away from the crush of people at the bow, and had excellent views of the falls, particularly as we returned to the dock.) We got wet, but were protected with our rain ponchos. On such a sunny day, it felt like liquid sunshine!

Makayla and Lisa on Maid of the Mist

Niagara Falls, NY

We walked over to Goat Island to observe the falls from another angle. To stand at the brink of the falls and listen to the roar of the water was heavenly.

After exploring the American side of the falls, we crossed over Rainbow Bridge to Canada (and both Lisa and Makayla straddled the International Border, standing in two countries at once). We enjoyed dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, and then wandered along the Canadian side of the river. (The Canadians have a better view of the falls than do the Americans. Just saying, eh?)

Before bed, we walked back to the falls to watch a magnificent fireworks display over the falls. All in all, a very good day.

Fireworks over Niagara Falls

Wednesday, August 9

Wednesday, August 9, was a travel day as we drove from Niagara Falls to Baltimore to catch our flight home. Before we left Niagara Falls, Lisa and Makayla took some bread out to feed the squirrels (and the seagulls as well as other small birds).

When we looked at the map on Tuesday, we noticed that our route between our two end points would take us close to Hershey, PA, so we added a stop to our drive to visit the Hershey factory and take their factory tour. That stop provided a nice break in the day’s travels, and we found the tour to be very educational. We also enjoyed shopping in the h*u*g*e candy store.

Lisa and Makayla at Hershey’s

Our trip was uneventful, and we arrived late at our hotel in Baltimore and fell into bed.

Thursday, August 10

Thursday, August 10, was a travel day (by air this time) from Baltimore to Salt Lake City. Our flight was uneventful, and we were happy to be back in Utah with Makayla.

Friday, August 11

Friday, August 11, was our final travel day from Salt Lake City to our home in Nevada. Our drive across the great basin was pleasant, and we arrived home without incident.

Route map for our trek

License Plates

During the course of our trek, we were on the look out for license plates. We found license plates for 41 states (plus the District of Columbia) as well as 4 Canadian provinces.

License Plates

Baltic Capitals (2016)

Timing is everything, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. We made travel plans for a cruise to the Baltic capitals last spring while still employed by eLogic. I lost that job and we spent months out of work before joining Hamilton Company in January. Among our conditions of accepting employment was that we would still be able to take our planned vacation.

Fast forward to May, and while our home had sold in Utah, we were still living in an apartment in the Reno area while we moved towards closing on a home there. In addition, with a joint ERP implementation project between Switzerland and Reno, our Swiss team chose the week we planned to leave for vacation to visit Reno to discuss “operational synergies”.

But after a call to NCL confirmed that to change plans at such a late date would incur full cancellation fees, we decided to proceed with our planned vacation.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

After finishing our packing, we drove from our apartment in the Reno area to a hotel in Salt Lake City. The drive was uneventful, and we settled into our hotel.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Although we had officially moved from the Salt Lake area only a month ago (April), we took the opportunity to get together with our children, Curtis and Brittany, and our granddaughter, Makayla, for a family dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Following dinner, we were able to have Makayla join us for a sleep over at the hotel.

Monday, May 30, 2016

On Monday morning, we drove into Salt Lake and paid a visit to Temple Square with the particular aim of taking pictures in front of the Christus statue at the Visitor Center. Our trip to Europe included time in Copenhagen where were planned to visit the original Thorvaldsen Christus statue. We wanted to be able to capture images of both statues.

Following our visit to Temple Square, we stopped at City Creek while Makayla splashed about in the fountains and on the splash pad. (Our time there planted the idea that perhaps we would better enjoy a splash pad at our new home than a swimming pool.)

We checked out of the hotel and checked in for our flight to Europe. We departed from Salt Lake shortly before 5 PM on our flight to Amsterdam.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

We arrived in Amsterdam before 11 AM and made our way (by hotel shuttle) to our hotel and a well deserved rest. Unfortunately, our hotel room was not ready until 3 PM, so we rested in the lobby (with a number of other travelers). Once the room was ready, we rested for a few hours until it was time to return to the airport for our flight to Copenhagen.

Our flight departed on time just after 9 PM arriving in Copenhagen after 10 PM. We collected our luggage and made our way to our hotel by taxi.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

After a continental breakfast at the hotel, we made our way to the Metro station at Oerstrad and caught the Metro into Copenhagen. Our first destination was the Church of Our Lady. While the direction we had were a little fuzzy, with the help of a DHL deliveryman, we were able to find the church.

As we walked into the church, the last of a group was leaving. For a time, we had the church to ourselves. We made our way to the front of the chapel and took photos in front of the original sculpture of Christus by Bertel Thorvaldsen. Slightly smaller than the Christus at Temple Square (10.5 feet tall versus 11 feet tall) we noticed subtle differences between the sculptures.

The Church of Our Lady is also the home to sculptures of the apostles (including Paul) by Thorvaldsen.

Outside the church, we ran into two Mormon missionaries (from Utah). We visited for a short time and then made our way to see the Little Mermaid.

Although I had last been in Copenhagen in 1977, I thought I could find my way without difficulty to the statue. (I was wrong.) Distracted by the round tower, we crossed the inner harbor and then followed streets north towards the Little Mermaid. We made our way to the Opera and discovered we were on the opposite side of the harbor from the statue.

In the heat of one of the nicest days in Copenhagen in the past two years, we made our way back to the city center and then back (along the correct side of the Inner Harbor) to the statue. As we arrived at the Little Mermaid, we found her surrounded by a Chinese tour group. We waited for a break in the crowd and then took our photos.

Returning to the city center, we caught the metro back to the hotel.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

After a restful night’s sleep, we packed and checked out of the hotel catching a taxi from the hotel to the Ocean Quay to embark on our cruise to the Baltic States. The taxi ride was not without its “charms”. We passed along the harbor; then, when traffic came to a standstill, we took a shortcut through an official looking courtyard (complete with royal guards) and finally arrived at the pier. We boarded our ship, the Norwegian Star, for our cruise to the Baltic capitals.

Friday, June 3, 2016

After departing from Copenhagen, our first port of call was Warnemunde, Germany. This was our first visit to the former Eastern bloc. While many people from the ship joined tours to Berlin, we enjoyed a restful morning before venturing into town for an explore. We walked along the harbor to get photos by the lighthouses that marked the entry to the harbor. We walked through the town to see the larger lighthouse, and then saw preparations for a beach polo match. We watched people flying kites on the beach; we spent some time watched a living statue (and his antics with the passing crowds) before returning to the ship.

Warnemunde, Germany

Saturday, June 4, 2016

We spent our first “sea day” in rest and relaxation. After dinner, as we sat in the atrium and listened to a trio perform, an older lady joined us and we ended up visiting with her for some time. (She had lived in Germany with her husband where they were teachers at American schools for children of US servicemen and women.)

Sunday, June 5, 2016

We arrived in Tallinn, Estonia in the morning and Lisa surprised me with a birthday card. (NCL surprised me with a small cake and a card, as well.) An American Navy ship was docked across from us and we enjoyed seeing the American flag flapping in the breeze. Too soon, the American ship left the port.

After breakfast, we walked off the ship and into the town. The 14^th century church (once the tallest building in the world) and city walls were an easy walk from the ship, and we enjoyed strolling around the ship. Lisa took particular note of the many varied doors we passed as we walked along the streets of the town. When we reached the town park, a brass band was playing music and we sat and listened to the band for some time. As we got up to walk away, the band played music from Star Trek that was familiar to our ears.

We found a few simple souvenirs to remind us of our brief time in Estonia.

Monday, June 6, 2016

After arriving in St. Petersburg, Russia, we enjoyed breakfast before getting ready for our tour. Unlike any other seaport we have visited, in St. Petersburg, we were required to pass through passport control to enter Russia. (A visa is required to enter Russia; our tour tickets provide a single entry visa for each tour.)

Our first tour was “Cathedrals of St. Petersburg.” We were met by our guide after we passed through immigration and set off from the port by bus toward the center of St. Petersburg. Our first stop was the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, state church and burial place of many members of the Romanov royal family.

From the fortress, we were taken by bus to the Church on Spilled Blood. This church was built in memory of Alexander II on the site where he was assassinated. The walls are covered with mosaics depicting the life of Christ plus nearly three hundred saints.

Our final visit was to St. Isaac’s Cathedral, built in the first half of the 19^th century. (It is the third largest domed cathedral in the world, after St. Peter’s [Rome] and St. Paul’s [London].)

Our evening show back onboard the ship was a troupe of Russian folklore performers who shared song and dance of Russia.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

For our second day in St. Petersburg, we planned much as we did on Monday. It turned out that passing through immigration was much simpler now that we had entry (and exit) visa stamps in our passports. When we made our way to the boarding area for our bus, the bus had already departed. (And we really were early.) The tour organizers called our bus and it returned for us (and another couple).

While our bus took us through St. Petersburg, our guide provided a history of the city. Founded by Peter I (the Great) in 1703, it was the seat of the Romanov dynasty until the last tsar was assassinated in 1918 by the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution. St. Petersburg became Petrograd and then Leningrad before reverting to St. Petersburg after the end of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Peterhof was Peter the Great’s copy of Versailles. The gardens and fountains were formal gardens in the French style. But Peter the Great expressed a little whimsy. Along some footpaths were fountains that splashed passersby if they stepped on the wrong stone or sat on the wrong bench.

After our tour of the gardens, we returned to St. Petersburg via hydrofoil to the pier nearest the Winter Palace before returning to our ship for our departure from Russia.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Helsinki turned out to be the first rainy day of the cruise. With cool temperatures and rain off and on throughout the morning and early afternoon, we stayed close to the ship in the harbor for our explores. Before we departed, the skies cleared and would have provided good conditions to venture into town, but it was too close to our time to sail away to take advantage of the improved conditions.

Among the things we discovered on this cruise is that this is the season of “white nights” this close to the Arctic Circle. From mid-May through mid-July, the sun sets late at night, but darkness never settles in. Throughout the night, there is the light of dusk, followed by the light before dawn. The white nights would certainly require getting used to. (And they make you think about the opposite effect in the mid-winter months when the sun would never quite visit.)

Thursday, June 9, 2016

At breakfast, Lisa looked out over the city and remarked how different it was from St. Petersburg. Stockholm is a city of color, with pastel colored houses, filled with happy people in brightly colored clothes and all the things that were missing from St. Petersburg.

Just as we were leaving the ship to head out on an explore of Stockholm, we ran into the older lady who we met on our first sea day returning from a disappointing bus tour of the city. When she learned of our intention to go for a wander, she asked if she could tag along.

We walked from the port toward the city center following the blue line on the sidewalk. We crossed the river at the first bridge we came to and entered the old town. The streets were narrow and cobbled, filled with interesting sights. As the noon hour arrived, we heard a bell carillon from one of the churches and stopped to listen. We walked on and heard a band, so we followed the music to the royal palace and caught glimpses of the changing of the guard. Lisa commented that the guards’ uniforms were not as pristine as those at Buckingham Palace, but we also noted than many of the guards at the palace in Stockholm were young women. The band we had heard was a mounted band, playing on horseback. (I don’t think I have ever seen that before.) We circled the palace and made our way back to the ship at a leisurely pace.

We stopped for a rest at a bench along the river and watched the ferries taking passengers from the town center to the amusement park. We watched a cormorant in the river diving to catch fish. While we sat on our bench, an American film crew arrived and declared this the perfect spot for filming, with good views of the old town: Stockholm-y enough. (They were preparing to film a commercial for Microsoft.) They set up their cameras and patiently waited for us to vacate the bench so they could film.

When we returned to the pier, we used the free WiFi and discovered that our closing documents were available for review. I retrieved my computer from our cabin and we sat with the crew and other punters from the ship taking advantage of the free WiFi. We executed a final addendum for the house purchase (and forwarded the addendum to our mortgage broker), and we downloaded the closing disclosure for review. Before boarding, we sent a wire transfer to the title company to be prepared for a Tuesday (June 14) closing. Back on board the ship, we read through the closing disclosure and found nothing amiss. We visited the Internet Café where the manager printed our document for us to sign, then scanned the signed document for us to upload to complete the disclosure process.

As we sailed away from Stockholm, we passed through the Swedish archipelago with countless islands just off the side of the ship. The homes on the islands were charming and picturesque. It was a very pleasant evening.

For many reasons, Stockholm was the nicest day of the cruise.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Our final sea day was relaxing as we made preparations to return to day-to-day life from our cruise experiences.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

The ship arrived in port in Copenhagen a little ahead of schedule and we disembarked for the last time just after 8 AM. We were taken by bus to the airport where we began the process of hurry up and wait. We checked in for our flight, and then dropped our luggage off. Before passing through security, we used the WiFi at the airport to finalize the wire transfer that would allow us to close on our home in the Reno area on Tuesday. Through security, we opted on an Irish pub for breakfast / lunch and watched a broadcast of the Queen’s (Queen Elizabeth II) 90th birthday events from London. In Stockholm, I mentioned that I had never before seen a mounted band. While watching the trooping of the guard at Buckingham Palace, I saw my second mounted band. It had gone from a rare occurrence to common place in a matter of days.

On the plane from Copenhagen to Amsterdam, they served a snack. I made the mistake of requesting orange juice to drink. When the flight attendant shook the juice container, she didn’t realize the cap was off. That resulted in Lisa and me being covered in orange juice. While sticky, it provided a nice citrus scent for the remainder of the day. As our flight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam was delayed, once we were in flight, I began to wonder about the implications. Fortunately, KLM had it all under control. We were greeted by a concierge from KLM holding a sign saying “Atlanta”. She collected the 16 passengers from our flight heading to Atlanta and escorted us through passport control and on to our gate. Even our luggage made the flight. In Atlanta we passed through immigration and customs and rechecked our bags to Salt Lake City. Our flight to Salt Lake was uneventful, and we arrived at our hotel just after midnight. (We were very tired, but as we had left the ship in Copenhagen just after 8 AM local time, we had been on our journey for more than 24 hours.)

Sunday, June 12, 2016

After a well deserved night’s rest, we had breakfast and then paid visits to our children, Curtis and Brittany, before heading out on the final leg of our trip. Because it had rained on Saturday, we were able to take photos of the mountains reflecting in the shallow water on the salt flats. We had a pleasant drive across the Great Basin, arriving at our apartment just after 7 PM. The journey was at its end.