Great turnout today at the first Festival of Hope.
It has been a while since we have had a real break. This short trip seemed to be exactly what we needed.
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| From Bahamas 18th Anniversary 2011 |
We stepped from the gangplank and onto the ship around 1:30 Friday afternoon. We were ready for 2 1/2 fun days at sea as well as a day in Grand Bahamas and a day in Nassau. We took a very unconventional approach to this trip. The port was chosen for convenience and price, but we do have a history with this ship. Carnival’s Fantasy was the ship that we spent our honeymoon on 18 years earlier. We are a family of 6 with children ranging from 5 – 16 years old and this would be the first vacation without the kids in over 8 years. The purpose of this vacation was relaxation. We did very little planning, no excursions were booked. We planned to simply do as much or as little as we wanted at any given moment. We were simply looking for a chance to be away and carefree.
Our first stop after boarding the ship was with our Maitre d. We were able to switch from a table for 8 to a table for 2. The meals and service were unbelievable each evening.
The days at sea were enjoyed on the Serenity Deck. This is the child free, adult retreat on the back of the ship. It provided sun or shade, plenty of chairs, two hot tubs and very little noise. It was most enjoyable during the rain on the day we departed.
We booked no excursions. As we disembarked in the Bahamas we would look for transportation. Each day that turned out to be scooters/mopeds. After returning to the boat in Freeport we discovered that Carnival does not recommend using mopeds because “they are very dangerous”, but we are rebels and did it again the next day. The mopeds combined with the geocaches that I had printed before we left home provided a great adventure. The caches had been placed on the paths less traveled. In most cases these locations were both deserted and breathtaking.
I would recommend taking a look at CruiseCritics Secret Tips to cruising. There was a lot of good information though some of it has changed over the years. On this ship they no longer provide free playing cards at the pursers desk.
I am constantly amazed at how simple ideas can make huge changes in our daily lives. I feel that we really don’t take time to think and problem solve any more.
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| From 2011 Breakaway to the Beach |
The Mid Atlantic Chapter of the National MS Society has done it again. This is my third year participating in this event and as always it was a pleasure. The route was great and the support provided by the staff and volunteers was second to none. I was only able to ride on Sunday this year, but I did manage the 100 mile route.
It is never to late to make a donation for this organization. For now my Participant Page is still active. Later you can donate here.
First time on Jackson Bluff Trail System this weekend and it was great. In 43 minutes I made 2 loops taking a few minutes to stop and look at the Cox Ferry Lake Recreational Area. It was a great workout compared to riding on the road.
I’m not sure about cycling through this area with the little ones, but I am looking forward to walking the trails with them.
For more information, check the following links.
