Today Bruce and I are beginning our first leg of our Alaska trip on American Airlines. We began our journey by taking Lyft to Fort Lauderdale Airport. I’m finding taking Lyft saves wear and tear on our mental stability without breaking the bank. It was a $44 ride with and $8 tip. So $52 and we were dropped off in front of American Airlines. Our driver was pleasant, the trip was quick and I earn 5 points for each dollar spent on my Chase Sapphire Card, which helps with future travel!
I booked us first class using American Airline miles costing 37,500 miles each with $11.20 fee. We have TSA pre check and Global entry so shorter lines and no need to take off shoes and jackets. It was a breeze passing through the gate.
We were the first to board and were seated in row 2D and F. Lots of legroom especially for Bruce’s long legs.
The seats are nice and roomy. If you are overweight, this is the best way to travel.
Traveling First Class you get a meal. I had a Greek Salad. Bruce had a ham sandwich. Both came with potato salad and a sort of brownie.
The flight went smoothly and we arrived in Dallas on time. We had a three hour layover and I had bought as first class passengers we could go into the Admiral’s Club. However, that’s only first class internationally. So I used my Priority Pass and we went to the Club.
They had an array of salad fixings, some rice and enchiladas and brownies. Having eaten on the plane, I opted for the brownie.
If I drank, there’s a full bar and drinks are included. I get my membership in Priority Pass through my Amex Platinum which has a whopping $695 a year annual fee. It comes with a lot of perks and I want to make sure I use them to offset the high AF. So when I travel, I try to use the lounges.
The Club at DFW is a bit of a disappointment. I would have thought a major airport would have something a little better but oh well. It was what it was. On to our next segment!
The flight from Dallas to Reno was a few minutes delayed but overall American Airlines did a good job getting the plane off the ground without too much time lost. Snacks and beverages were served in First Class but overall it was underwhelming. No night kits, toothbrushes or toiletries for the domestic flights. Also no screens for watching movies on either flight. It would be hard to justify paying $$$ for these seats, although they were a bit larger with more leg room then economy.
We received a free night in Reno at the Silver Legacy, a Caesar’s property. Didn’t expect much but ended up with a nice suite.
It had a very nice view of the city and mountains.
We had coffee and pastries at a little cafe in the lobby then lost our $80 in the slots! Time to go!
Now over to the airport to pick up the car! Next up Our Visit to Truckee!
It’s been a while since our last girl’s trip. I believe it was 2019 when we took a cruise on Royal Caribbean and shortly after the world shut down. We’ve been trying to come up with something that would be a short flight and would be of interest to all. Tired of Myrtle Beach. That was our go to spot for two years; we were kind of looking for something a little more adventurous. Not a lover of Country music but open to anything and everything.
I flew Southwest -second time ever. Not a bad flight. On time and only 45 passengers. I was in row 10 without anyone near me. I read a bit and dozed a bit. It was 5:45 am and I woke at 3 am with Lyft picking me up at 3:30am. A very quick start to a long and fun filled day.
I met Lauren and Kadyn’s flight at 7 am. All of us on time and ready to go. I am using Lyft to get around. Their rates are a bit cheaper then Uber and so far no problems.
We arrived at the Holston House, a Hyatt hotel, in downtown Nashville right off Broadway. They checked us in right away and it wasn’t even 9am. I thought that was pretty good. We dropped our bags and did a quick tour of this old hotel. Especially the rooftop pool.
Afterwards we went in search of our much needed coffee. Luckily, Lauren needed her morning fix as much as I did.
We found a local coffee shop a few blocks from the hotel. Anchorhead, kind of a strange name not on the water but the coffee was good. Of course it was very avant-garde rather than your old fashioned DD. But good nevertheless. I did get a peach turnover which I shared with Kadyn. That was pretty good too!
We spent a few hours walking around Broadway. It was relatively quiet; everyone sleeping off Friday night hangovers.
Lauren and Kadyn went to Whole Foods and brought back a few salads for lunch. We ate in our room and then headed to the rooftop pool. It was very refreshing. But again it’s a party town with everyone hanging by the pool and in the pool – imbibing for quite sometime. The party had begun. This is a town for drinkers who like music. No children anywhere!
After showers and a lot of back and forth about wardrobe, I contacted Lyft and we were on our way to the Grand Old Opry. We left early so we could check out the Gaylord Opryland Resort. It was well worth a trip over to check it out.
A tropical paradise within acres of a massive glass atrium, complete with a gently rolling river, boat rides offered, and waterfalls cascading several stories, it was quite magical.
We decided to eat sushi and ate at Wasabi our table set beside a lovely waterfall. We had an appetizer of spinach artichoke dip and then several different sushi rolls. It was very delicious and satisfying.
Live music could be heard throughout the restaurant. Live music is everywhere in Nashville. Then we unfortunately stopped for gelati and cookies. We went from satisfied to stuffed. No more of that tomorrow.
We made our way back to the Grand Old Opry. Time for a photo op and to listen to some more live music before we headed into the show.
The show was great. A mixture of bluegrass, country rock, country pop with a great comedian thrown in. Loved it and I don’t like country. But now I guess I do like some of it, especially country rock and I love the fiddle!
Exhausted, we waited about 20 minutes for our Lyft driver. We made it back to our hotel and all crashed around 11 pm.
Sunday we stopped for coffee and then headed to General Jackson’s Showboat cruise for a lunch time sail. I called for a Lyft and the first driver seemed high or hungover. No way to report that in the app. We did not go with him. Finally we got our ride and all was well.
All aboard for a 12 noon sail. We sat with six other people who were not overly friendly but oh well. They served chicken, Mac and cheese and green beans. It was ok. Then we went on deck to view the Nashville skyline!
Dessert was a blueberry crumble which was tasty. The show was good but sound system had the musicians overpowering the singers for the most part. It was entertaining but a little lack luster.
The Elvis rendition was lively and fun!
After the cruise we meandered over to the mall where we checked out Katy Perry at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
Johnny Cash was there beckoning us in but we decided that we really didn’t want to go inside.
We spent a few hours by the pool in the late afternoon. It was quite crowded but I had a nice spot to start my blog.
For dinner we ate sushi at the food court. Kadyn loves California rolls. Then we walked the strip.
The Nashville scene is not for the faint of heart. The sounds of the music competing from bar to bar overpowers the frenzy of people speaking in elevated tones trying to overcome the incessant noise of traffic. And in the midst of all this chaos is the smells of yesterdays beers, the unwashed bodies of the homeless, exhaust from the cars and buses, and the occasional intermingling of vomit and dog poop! Even the sugary smell of the praline store could not stamp out these odors.
I think Lauren, Kadyn and I had enough stimulation of our senses and were more then ready to retire to our room and comfy beds at the Holston House.
Monday morning Kadyn and I went for breakfast at the crepe place while Lauren did her morning workout. I had a chicken basil crepe and Kadyn had a sweet berry crepe.
We picked Lauren up and headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
There were lots of interesting exhibits and I learned a lot about country music, its roots and its many stars.
There were two floors of exhibits, including clothing, guitars and movie clips. A collection of gold records aligned one wall.
We took a photo in front of a giant guitar and in a mock up of Taylor Swift’s tour bus.
Elvis Presley’s gold plated car was on display as well as clothes, guitars and movie clips.
Also two other cars – one a Bonneville convertible with a gun as the hood ornament and Smokey and The Bandits car.
We spent quite a few hours there before heading out to find Kadyn some Bobo tea.
We walked almost two miles to get the tea – climbed many stairs and checked out the capital building before we made it back to our hotel before the storm and the rain came crashing down.
The sky cleared a bit but we played a few games in the lobby.
We decided to go back to the food court for dinner. Kadyn and I had sushi. Lauren had Shwarma.
Then we went to the Savannah candy shop for some tasty delectables and pralines.
The food court was hosting some live music so we headed back there to enjoy the entertainment. A couple of the singer/song writers were great. One guy sounded just like Johnny Cash.
Our last morning in Nashville, Kadyn and I headed out to the Donut Distillery. These mini donuts were delicious.
Lauren, Kadyn and I walked the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. It was an easy half mile each way. Nice views of the Nashville Skyline.
Now back at the pool for some afternoon R&R.
Our last dinner out, we decided to go a little fancy and went to an Italian restaurant off Broadway, Trattoria IL Mulino.
We ordered an artichoke salad, ricotta meatballs and a pizza with balsamic glaze.
For dessert we had cappuccino coffees and shared a chocolate dessert.
And I can’t forget the delicious salted caramel gelato.
After dinner we listened to live music again at the Food Assembly. It was Anthony Michael who we liked so much last night. Kadyn even drew a picture of him and gave him a tip.
We are making it an early evening. My flight is at 7:45 am so a quick trip to the rooftop to see the city lights and then to bed! It’s been a wonderful girls trip with my two favorite girls.
We did our second Caribbean cruise post Covid and it was nothing like the first. In December the ship was 40% filled in July close to 100%. With that meant more lines, more waiting, more people people people.
Our first stop was in Grand Cayman. We made friends with another couple on the ship and decided to hire a taxi to take us around the island. June Blair was our driver.
June took us to her favorite bakery. I had pineapple coconut ice cream. It was delicious. Our friends had coconut cookies.
Grand Cayman is a very wealthy island with beautiful homes. This is a gate to one of those homes. It looked more like A1A in Glorida then a Caribbean island.
We had a lovely time on Grand Cayman. Avoided the crowds and were lucky enough not to have to wait on lines for the tender on or off the ship.
I climb volcanoes, bike ride, kayak and consider myself a very active senior. And up until this night I had never broken a bone. But my middle of the night visit to the bathroom changed all that. As I closed the bathroom door, I closed it on my thumb. Yes ouch!! It caused me to break out in a cold sweat and I thought I would be sick.
Bruce called medical but they weren’t open until 8am and I didn’t want to make a big deal about my thumb. So he found a ton of ice which I thankfully placed my thumb in and went back to bed.
They X-rayed it – I have an open fracture at the area of the cuticle and yes I will most likely lose the nail.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go on my excursion to the monkeys or snorkeling. But we did walk off the ship and visit some shops.
I spent more time than usual sitting on our balcony watching the waves and clouds stream by as I read my novel.
Bruce and I went to the shows every night.
And we met many wonderful people! So although it wasn’t an exciting cruise it was very restful and enjoyable. Now I’m back home ready to walk and eat keto again.
Sometimes I think I’m still 30 years old. I love to explore and experience different things, sometimes a bit challenging for this old girl. Today, Bruce and I headed out with eight young people to explore some of Mexico’s treasures. Our first stop was the Mayan ruins of Tulum.
Our guide, Adriana was great. She had in depth knowledge of the site plus she was very funny and entertaining.
It was unbelievably hot while we were exploring the ruins. On the drive there, the sky was overcast. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way. If you ever go, pick a day that’s cloudy.
I’ve been to Tikal in Guatemala twice. That was in the jungle. This is by the ocean and is very nice but much smaller than Tikal.
No howlers or Jaguars here but plenty of Iguanas.
And a very long fast moving snake that nobody could identify. I’m still trying to figure out what it is.
Our next stop was a cenote. This was an underground cave. The water temp felt quite chilly especially since we had been so hot. There I am getting in the water.
In order to go into the cenote we had to shower first to rinse off any bug spray or lotion on us. This is one of the ways they try to protect the waters.
Most of my photos weren’t very good. We had forgotten to pack the underwater camera and had the phone in a case which didn’t work well. Adriana shared some of her photos which I’m posting here.
It was a lot of fun but hard work. And sometimes it was pretty dark and you had to be careful not to hit your head on the low hanging formations.
Our next stop was Yalku in Akumal. It was a lagoon where we went snorkeling. Here we had to shower off as well. I’m glad to see countries concerned about their environment.
My photos were terrible but there were a lot of fish to see. This was the only part of the tour I would have changed. I like to snorkel and do my own thing. I found it frustrating to have to keep up with the tour guide. I would have enjoyed this more on my own so I could spend time observing the different schools of fish.
For our final event we went to a beach club for lunch. I had fajitas and Bruce had ceviche. All very good. Well fed and well exercised, I actually slept on the bus on the way back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel we took a dip in the pool and sat and watched the waves roll in. Then we had pizza and virgin pina coladas for supper. It was a fun but exhausting day. And we loved every minute of it.
Sometimes I think I’m still 30 years old. I love to explore and experience different things, sometimes a bit challenging for this old girl. Today, Bruce and I headed out with eight young people to explore some of Mexico’s treasures. Our first stop was the Mayan ruins of Tulum.
Our guide, Adriana was great. She had in depth knowledge of the site plus she was very funny and entertaining.
It was unbelievably hot while we were exploring the ruins. On the drive there, the sky was overcast. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way. If you ever go, pick a day that’s cloudy.
I’ve been to Tikal in Guatemala twice. That was in the jungle. This is by the ocean and is very nice but much smaller than Tikal.
No howlers or Jaguars here but plenty of Iguanas.
And a very long fast moving snake that nobody could identify. I’m still trying to figure out what it is.
Our next stop was a cenote. This was an underground cave. The water temp felt quite chilly especially since we had been so hot. There I am getting in the water.
In order to go into the cenote we had to shower first to rinse off any bug spray or lotion on us. This is one of the ways they try to protect the waters.
Most of my photos weren’t very good. We had forgotten to pack the underwater camera and had the phone in a case which didn’t work well. Adriana shared some of her photos which I’m posting here.
It was a lot of fun but hard work. And sometimes it was pretty dark and you had to be careful not to hit your head on the low hanging formations.
Our next stop was Yalku in Akumal. It was a lagoon where we went snorkeling. Here we had to shower off as well. I’m glad to see countries concerned about their environment.
My photos were terrible but there were a lot of fish to see. This was the only part of the tour I would have changed. I like to snorkel and do my own thing. I found it frustrating to have to keep up with the tour guide. I would have enjoyed this more on my own so I could spend time observing the different schools of fish.
For our final event we went to a beach club for lunch. I had fajitas and Bruce had ceviche. All very good. Well fed and well exercised, I actually slept on the bus on the way back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel we took a dip in the pool and sat and watched the waves roll in. Then we had pizza and virgin pina coladas for supper. It was a fun but exhausting day. And we loved every minute of it.
We started our day with the time share presentation which turned out delightful. No hard sell and we saw the newest units on the ocean. It was supposed to be 90 minutes but after 60 we all called it a day. Just a lovely sales person who could tell we weren’t interested but we let her do her thing. So no Marriott time share in our future although I do like some of their hotels very much
We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. One of my favorite things is yogurt, granola and fruit. They also had chia and flax seeds to add.
And then we were off to spend the day laying under an umbrella with dips in the ocean and pool.
We did spend some time enjoying the water chases but I have to be careful not to get too much sun!
We also tried a little water aerobics which did draw quite a crowd.
In the evening we ate at the Sand and Stone restaurant on site. Our table was overlooking the ocean,
I judge a restaurant by its bread. They had delicious warm bread with herb butter. As a side they gave us pickled eggplant.
I had cheese and spinach raviolis and Bruce had a seafood soup.
The night was coming on and the surf was churning.
For dessert Bruce and I shared a rustic carrot cake with tres leche ice cream. I am stuffed!
It was such a relaxing day in this beautiful Cancun!
For years, I never wanted to go to Cancun. We had a bad experience in Puerto Vallarta 15 years ago and that put me off about going anywhere in Mexico. But I was offered a great deal and if you know me, you know I love great deals.
I booked the trip several months ago but wasn’t aware that I would be having major surgery two weeks prior to this trip. But a little bit of cutting never keeps me down, of course, I didn’t cancel. My surgeon looked at me like I was nuts going to Mexico, but I said I had the utmost faith in his abilities. He did a great job and I never even needed pain medication.
So off we went two weeks to the day after my surgery and I’m having fun frolicking in the ocean and back walking my five or six miles a day.
Now to keep this trip on a budget,I did book Frontier Airlines to get here. Our first ever and we made it without a hitch. The plane was mostly on time and it was direct from Miami and $400 cheaper than American or Jet Blue after paying for seats and one checked bag. However just as we started taking off smoke or fog was coming through the cabin. I’ve never seen this before but it is fairly common in planes leaving tropical climates. But it was a little unnerving at first.
I think we look quite the dashing couple, especially me with the scarf to hide the ugly scar.
We are staying at the Westin and it’s nice. Is it the best room I’ve ever had? No but it will do and we have a view of the lagoon.
It’s quite lovely, but no balcony. Oh well. It was $249 for 4 nights and we have to do a time share presentation. I will let you know about that tomorrow. They gave me $175 to apply to a tour – we go to Tulum on Wednesday. Will let you know about that too!
We arrived early. Before 10 am and they had a room ready for us. So it’s been a day soaking up the sun and enjoying the beach and pool.
We enjoyed lunch – Bruce had a burrito and I had a Thai salad. Very tasty. And a beautiful view.
For dinner we walked off the resort to a wonderful restaurant, Navios. It was the best meal we’ve had in ages. Virgin Pina Coladas, ceviche, grouper and virgin margaritas on the house.
And a magnificent sunset. Let’s just say we underestimated Cancun. It’s actually very nice!
Our third port day was to the City of Cadiz. The weather was less than promising, predicting rain, clouds and cool weather all day.
We didn’t plan a tour but thought we would walk to the old city, find some WiFi and savor some bakery delectable. I didn’t bring my Nikon either because of the rain so all pictures were taken with my phone.
It was a quick walk into town, maybe 10 to 15 minutes from the ship. The streets and alleyways reminded us a lot of Malaga.
We walked into a Catholic Church where We said a few prayers and then wandered a long the alley ways.
As we strolled through the streets, the rains and winds were getting quite strong.
We decided to head back to the ship for some spa time and to have coffee with friends. It was a lovely little city but unfortunately it was not a nice day for walking the streets.
Friday we had a tour from Lisbon to Sintra and Estoril. Our ship sailed up the Tagus River traveling past several iconic structures. Emerald forts are at the start of the Tagus River. Fort of Sao Lourenco do Bugio looked more like a little island with a lighthouse. The first fort at the mouth of the Tagus was Forte de Sao Julião da Barra originally built in the 16th century.
Belém Tower, built in 1519, stands tall and regal on the shores of the Tagus. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Lisbon with its colorful rooftops is the backdrop for the River. There is the Palacio Nacional da Ajuda and Palacio Nacional de Belém along with several castles.
The 25th of April bridge spans the River and connects Lisbon to Alamada. Originally called the Salazar Bridge when it was constructed in 1966, it later became the 25th of April Bridge after the overthrow of the Salazar Regime on that date. It was designed by the architect of the Golden Gate Bridge.
There is a large statue of Christ, Christ the King, standing by the bridge watching over the River. This statue was erected in the 1950s and represents Portugal’s gratitude for avoiding the horrors of World War II.
Another grand statue is the Discoveries Monument, celebrating Portugal’s age of exploration in the 15th and 16th century. It opened in 1958.
Our tour guide from Spain Day Tours, picked us up at the port for a whirlwind day. Our first stop was the Pena Palace in Sintra.
It was a magical palace with Moorish influence built in the 19th century although older parts of the palace were originally a monastery built in the Middle Ages. King consort Ferdinand transformed the ruins into a palace for the Royal family. Unfortunately Queen Marie died during childbirth of her 11th child so Ferdinand lived there with his 10 surviving children.
Room where Ferdinand and his children celebrated Christmas
The rooms were decorated with furnishings from that era. The Queens room was the most opulent of them all.
From the wall of the keep we could see the Castle of the Moors which was built in the 8th century.
The town of Sintra resting at the base of the mountains was adorned with beautiful buildings and a historical palace.
We even had time to sample a local favorite pastry consisting of sugar, flour, eggs and almond.
Portugal is known for exporting cork and cork grows on trees. Here our guide showed us some samples of products.
We traveled on to the seaside village of Cascais where a large green statue of King Carlos looked out over the bay. He was the last real Royal before they became a republic.
The villages of Cascais were lovely seaside towns.
Our next stop was a visit to what was once a monastary but is now a cathedral.
When the monastery closed, one of the monks collaborated with a local baker and since the 1800s the bakery has been selling these delicious pastries.
We continued our journey to central Lisbon and were treated to famous cod cakes.
We walked many miles today but learned a lot about Portugal, it’s heritage and it’s food.
The streets were tiled with limestone. Over the years the roads started to deteriorate. The Portuguese have started a program to train people in this lost art of tile work.
One shop struck Bruce’s eye! I wonder why?
We fell in love with Portugal and would love to come back and spend sometime. Eight hours was hardly enough!
The trip to Casablanca was canceled but was not a surprise to many of us. Whether it was Covid cases, paperwork or air space that the Russians use, we did not get the real answer. As far as I could tell, Casablanca had not excepted any cruise ships into the port and we were supposed to be the first ones. Whatever the reason, we didn’t go and ended up going to Gibraltar. When I heard they have free roaming apes there, I was thrilled.
We booked an excursion with the ship, which I normally don’t do. We had to be in the theatre by 8:30am. As we all were herded in there like cattle, with our little sticky numbers, we were told that one tour was canceled and my tour was not going to the top of the rock. With that meant no visit with the apes. Bruce and I quickly decided that we didn’t want the half tour so we bailed out.
We quickly left the theatre and left the ship. No waiting. Yay! A tour guide was waiting outside the terminal ready to take us and six other passengers to the top of the rock for half the money it cost with the ship.
Two of our fellow travelers were Steve and Kim Costa. They own a travel agency, S & K Cruises and Adventures. They mostly do cruise traveling and points of interest at different ports.
We stopped part way up the rock to see the views. Here we came to a monument called the Pillars of Hercules.
Our first stop was St. Michael’s Caves. These caves are a network of limestone producing stalagmites and stalactites with a creative light show and set to music.
The passageways lead to an underground amphitheater which can accommodate over 100 patrons.
After we finished in the caves we met our driver Robert. I also saw my first ape.
Our guide Robert was very knowledgeable and friendly.
We climbed up on the skywalk and took in the breathtaking views.
Our next stop was the ape den where they had just put out food for the apes. These are the only free roaming primates in Europe and are known as the Barbary apes.
The apes and some of the babies kept leaping on to our van. Unfortunately they were so quick I could not get a photo. All in all I was happy with the primate visit.
Our next stop was the tunnels which were created by the British to defend the island.
After the tour, Robert left us in town to walk around. We quickly found a cafe so I could write my blog.
We visited an old graveyard which was quite lovely.
The old mailboxes and phone booths were of an era gone by.
Window boxes on historic old buildings were all around.
We finally headed back to port after a fun day on Gibraltar.
We missed the stop in the Azores but were delighted to arrive on the tenth day in Madeira. I woke early before sunrise to see the first bit of land we encountered in our long Transatlantic crossing.
As a member of Cruise Critic I usually join the roll call for my voyage so I can check out any important information regarding our sailing. One of the members scheduled a tour for Madeira and I quickly signed us up.
We all met on deck five at 8am and our group was the first group off. We had a very nice group of six. Two couples and two singles. Our driver Daniel loves his country and was a very enthusiastic and entertaining guide.
Our first stop was Camara De Lobos, with a beautiful view of the coast. We stopped a looked around the fishing village and saw a statue of Winston Churchill.
We traveled on to Cabo Girao also on the south coast.
A few kilometers ahead we stopped at picturesque Ribeira Brava before heading into the mountains.
We made several stops in the mountains and at one point we could see both the north and south sides of the island.
Large mountains loomed everywhere and long tunnels extended up to two miles through the mountains. Remnants of the old roads were still visible and they looked quite treacherous.
We stopped for lunch at an ocean view restaurant in Porto Montez. We ate fish and fried banana. It was delicious.
The north side of the island had beaches and man made tidal pools where people were actually swimming.
Heading back to port we stopped at several overlooks on the north side seeing magnificent waterfalls.
Our trip back to port was much shorter since we took a quicker leases scenic road. The entire trip was from 8:30 until 3:30, a long day with a cost of only 27 Euros per person.
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