We never know what’s coming week to week here. Why? Because Karen does not have a set schedule and it varies from week to week. Some weeks it’s a full 40 hours/5 days, other weeks there’s only 3 or 4 days to work scheduled. It makes it difficult to plan too far in advance. But! lucky for us we can be spontaneous and we always seem to have a couple alternate trips in our back pocket.

CAUTION! THIS BLOG CONTAINS PHOTO OVERLOAD!

Such is the case for this chapter of Our Red Dress World Tour – closer to home! We started out early hitting the road towards Baltimore, which will be our base for two nights at the Four Seasons. Pool time and visiting the Pennsylvania Dutch country area nearby are on the list. We are looking forward to the farm stands for home grown goodness and bakery yumminess! Not to mention the Amish cheese and ring bologna!

We were treated to a wonderful suite at the Baltimore Four Seasons, with a lighthouse view. The amenity was a BMORE cutting board with chocolate shavings, an anchor sugar cookie, a cute crab macaroon, two other macaroons and a chocolate truffle with the Four Seasons logo in gold dust as well as a bottle of Saratoga water and a bottle of red wine. So nice to be spoiled! I always look forward to the amenities as they are usually unique to the the area (hence the anchor and crab).

I’m not quite sure when it was discovered that I somehow didn’t pack my many medicines – UGH! We enjoyed the sunshine for a while and our lunch pool-side. An unplanned side trip back to D.C. to find where I had left my personal pharmacy filled our first afternoon instead of relaxing by the pool. Which by the way got progressively noisier as the time went on so it was less relaxing than planned. On our way back to B’More we stopped and picked up some salads for our dinner. Too late to do much else, we played some UNO before bed.

Thursday was all about our plans to revisit the Pennsylvania Dutch country areas. We headed to Litiz for our time entry into Sturgis Pretzel Factory – a place we visited many years ago when Karen was young. We learned, once again, about the origin of the pretzel, how to make the shape of the pretzel and how much we would have been paid to make the pretzel. It was a fun and interesting time. Afterwards, we headed into Amish country in search of farm stands, quilts, horse and buggies, and lunch. The back country roads were lined with very tall corn on both sides. We also passed a tobacco drying barn. We ate lunch while in the Bird-in-Hand area then headed up the road to Intercourse for some unique rolled ice cream. The day was fastly disappearing on us so we headed out in search of a few covered bridges. The bridges we visited were Bitzers Mill Bridge in Ephrata, Kurtz’s Mill Covered Bridge near Lancaster, Hunsiders Mill and Web’s ill Covered Bridge in LItiz. The craftsmanship boggles the mind!

We ended our day with a stop at a Mennonite Farm Market, where we finally found Amish Cheese and a few other goodies. All too soon the shops were closing so it was time to head back to Baltimore. A huge shout-out to my city kid, Karen, for navigating the hills, road twists and turns and Amish buggies while driving the back roads on our return to Baltimore. We didn’t find as many farm stands as I remembered from years ago, but we did happen upon one and brought home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, corn on the cob, a honeydew melon and an oatmeal whoopee pie. Quite the haul! The corn on the cob was grilled to perfection along with Zweigle’s red hots by Karen and complimented with Bush’s Original Baked Beans. A delicious tomato was enjoyed on a BLT for lunch. And the cucumber and tomato will be enjoyed in a chef’s salad tomorrow. The melon is chilling and will be a good TV snack later. And the whoopie pie? Well that was a load of sweetness! The sticky bun was delicious and breakfast shared with Karen the next morning.

Our late lunch did not leave us room for dinner, so we snacked on our room amenity and some cheese and crackers while we played UNO. Yes, we take our UNO cards with us every time! We enjoy the game and wish we had started keeping score when we started playing during the Pandemic.

Our plan for our last day was to sit by the pool and enjoy another pool-side lunch. But the weather was not cooperating so we headed home early instead. Our time in the PA Dutch country had come to an end.

A little blast from the past! I found our pictures from 1984 road trip to the Pennsylvania Dutch area. It just adds to the memories…

It was time for a local road trip or two, so we hit the road! Road trip #1 was local Washington, D.C.; road trip #2 was a bit further into Maryland.

Road Trip #1 –

As many of you know, this is the second time we have lived in Arlington, Virginia. The first time we never got there, but this past Mother’s Day 2023, we finally made it to the National Capitol Columns! Honestly, not quite what I had envisioned for the surrounding area at the U.S. National Arboretum, but still interesting to see and read about the history. “The National Capitol Columns are a monument in Washington, D.C.’s National Arboretum. It is an arrangement of twenty-two Corinthian columns which were a part of the United States Capitol from 1828 to 1958, placed amid 20 acres of open meadow, known as the Ellipse Meadow.” Wikipedia

Road Trip #2a

We had read about a quaint little historical town in Maryland called Havre de Grace, on the waterfront and with a lighthouse. It seemed like a good excuse for a road trip on Karen’s day off, which coincidentally was her birthday. Our GPS took us right to the lighthouse on the harbor (Havre is French for harbor). Lots of War of 1812 activity here, with the long-standing light keeper playing a heroic part in it all. We walked around the area and out onto the dock adorned with carvings of local, regional birds. I love being on or by the water and it was a lovely sun-filled day to be out and about. Sadly, many of the stores and shops were closed on a Tuesday so after a bit of a drive around town, we decided to head to another historical town we have wanted to visit and that was on the way home – Ellicott City, Maryland.

Road Trip #2b

The town of Ellicott City has been ravaged in the past by flood waters and has fought back time and time again – once with Gordon Ramsay’s help. Once again we traveled around town roaming about the hills to explore more than just Main Street, but many stores and shops were not open on a Tuesday. Which was, again, a shame as we wanted to eat and shop!

On our way home, we stopped in Laurel, Maryland for a birthday dinner at Karen’s favorite place – Outback Steakhouse, where we ordered a Cobb salad and slice of carrot cake to go. Salad for the next day’s lunch and carrot cake for her birthday. It was a good day out and about. And a good travel experience as well.

Mobility notes:

Havre de Grace is accessible for mobility devices. Whereas I advise caution in Ellicott City due to hills and remaining flood damage but it’s not impossible but may be a challenge.

What started out as a trip to visit my 50th state and a new Four Seasons hotel, turned into an early Mother’s Day weekend courtesy of Karen. She spoiled me all weekend long!

Four Seasons Minneapolis

We received a warm mid-west welcome from the Minneapolis Four Seasons staff upon our arrival. In our room, our table was loaded with welcome notes from FS friends, an ammenity of hand-held apple pie goodness (in the shape of Minnesota!), some dried apple slices, cider and a Minnesota-shaped cutting board. But the best item was the little layer cake that Karen had sent to commemorate my 50th state visit! Our stay at FSMN marks the 21st Four Seasons property I have stayed at; some I’ve stayed at more than once (but only counted as one) all thanks to Karen.

Upon arrival and after check-in, Karen decided that we needed some pampering so off to the spa we went for mani-pedi’s and a facial for me. We stopped at the Red Cow for a beer of the world entry and a favorite local snack of warm homemade chips and onion dip. Then, back to the hotel for some RR&R before a late dinner at the Terrace Cafe, overlooking the pool area and downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful day until the sun set and then the chill came into the air. But have no fear! Our server, Kim, wrapped us in warm blankets so we could finish our meal.

Road Trip

Friday was Road Trip day to visit my 50th state – North Dakota. It was a bit overcast but a beautiful day for a drive. Our GPS took us right where we needed to be to visit 3 states at the same time – Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. As we were driving along the road, Karen was in South Dakota on her side and I was in North Dakota on my side! Getting out to get pictures of the welcome signs was a bit dicey as the speed limits in this area were 80mph! But we safely pulled over, grabbed a few quick pictures to document the events – my 50th state visit and Karen’s 40th state visit. It was a long but great day making memories with Karen. If you follow me on FB then you are familiar with our commentary regarding dirt roads and city girl (Karen). But I have to tell you she did a great job safely driving us around for four days. Lots of farms, grain silos, brown fields and a collection of “limos on a stick!” If you haven’t heard of Atlas Obscura, check it out for roadside attractions across the states. On our way home, we stopped in Alexandria, MN – not to be confused with Alexndria, VA – for dinner at Perkins. Still looks the same as it did back home years ago before they moved away from Rochester. Still flying the oversized American flag. I enjoyed my 55+ turkey dinner. Our black rental KIA got very dusty and unfortunately we missed the big rain on Saturday to wash it all off. Sorry about that Hertz!

Mall of America (MOA)

Wow! Big mall! 3 floors of stores that include urgent care, shoes, clothing, food, rides, games and more. It’s one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, attracting more than 40 million visitors annually, more than twice as many people as the world’s largest amusement park, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World ^[1].(^[1] Fun Fact: Footage stats from icsc.org October 2012). An interesting stop at an Alpaca clothing store and I left with a new warm sweater! We had a great store clerk, who shared local ties with us as she is from Newark, NY, not far from where we lived in Upstsate (Western) New York state. Our dinner was at Piada’s Italian Street Food where we enjoyed spaghetti carbonnara and ziti with meatballs. We ended the day looking over our purchases and playing a few games of UNO, where it was finally my turn to win a few hands!

MOA Fun Facts

• 7 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the Mall
• 24 rides and attractions in Nickelodeon Universe®
• 32 Boeing 747s could fit inside the Mall
• 65 semi trucks were needed to transport trees to the theme park
• 258 Statues of Liberty could lie inside the Mall

For more information on MOA visit – https://www.minnesotafunfacts.com/places-to-visit/museums-landmarks/mall-of-america/

NOTE: Everything we did or encountered during the weeked was handicap accessible for mobility impaired individuals. Sidewalks for the most part where smooth. Ramps at intersections. Scooter and wheelchair rentals are available at MOA.

And then, just like that (finger snap!) the weekend in Minnesota, visiting North and South Dakota too, was over and it was time to head back to MSP for the flight home.

Travel while you’ve got your health.
Don’t wait until you are too old to enjoy it!
Just make it work however you can.
No one wishes for more money in their last days
but experiences and memories are priceless.

–unknown

Quickly on the heels of our Panama Canal cruise comes another cruise, on Oceania Sirena this time. We have sailed on Sirena before – a much smaller ship to navigate and some more exciting ports of call! We are trading our aft cabin on NCL for a forward-facing cabin on Oceania. Let’s hope the seas are kind! We decided to depart early for Lisbon and spend a couple days in Four Seasons luxury before boarding our ship. Note: I think I actually preferred the aft cabin over the forward cabin. The bow of the ship just kept getting in the way!

Laundry is done; suitcases are packed. And we’re off on another wonderful adventure sure to be filled with great memories!

Itinerary

Lisbon, Portugal (Ritz Four Seasons Lisbon)

The start of our journey with a few days of R&R & R (Roz & Roz Relaxation) being pampered. The hotel was located on one of Lisbon’s hilly areas, providing Karen with her first tough experience with navigating the wheelchair on hilly terrain. Who knew Lisbon was hilly like San Francisco? Our first 3 days were spent exploring Lisbon, by ourselves as well as with Greyline’s HoHo bus, with a cruise thrown in. We enjoyed our tour and time spent near the Belem Tower. We caught a quick bite and did a bit of shopping at the area market.

Lisbon, Portugal

Day 1 onboard – arriving at the port by Uber, we were directed to the check-in area and before we knew it we were boarding the ship. Unfortunately, our stateroom was not ready and was eventually delayed in being announced ready to occupy. So first, we checked out the lunch offerings. They still haven’t quite mastered serving appropriately heated food choices. Cold was no problem! We finally got the all-clear to gather our luggage and enter our stateroom. Time to unpack, such as it is, hang up clothes and take advantage of the complimentary pressing of the red dresses and bag of dirty laundry to be returned in 3 days. Eventually it was time to head out to dinner and sail away from Lisbon.

Mishaps Along the Way

• Day 1 – first misadventure with the drop-down seat on the bus, which whacked my right knee (good knee) into a painful situation that prevailed throughout the trip. Climbing up and down bus steps, in and out of the wheelchair to navigate curbs with no handicap access and being bounced around on the ship’s thresholds and gangways did not help any.
• Another misadventure that occurred on the ship was getting the 3 middle fingers of my right hand caught in a quick-closing door. Lucky for me only residual pain for a few hours but nothing broken or sprained!
• And yet another mishap on the ship – my left heel coming in contact with the rapidly closing rest room door, removing a fair chunk of my heel. Good thing I planned to wear my flip flops for the rest of the trip AND brought along a first aid kit! Guess I’m not moving fast enough since I keep getting caught in doors!
• Last mishap. was last night onboard – getting a stuck suitcase out from under the bed. It made contact with my big toe and now I have an ugly blood blister growing!
• No more misadventure’s please!

Portimao, Portugal

Day 2 – We took an excursion with the cruise line on a Panoramic Portimao tour. We visited the highest point in Portugal. The highlight of the trip was probably seeing an entire field of of storks sitting on their nests. The storks reside here year round. One of our stops was a quick visit to a market where these crocheted parasols were hanging from the ceiling over a huge crocheted pumpkin. I wasn’t doing so well with the bus motion, so did not get off at the last couple of stops. Karen did for photo opportunities. After returning to the ship, we had a disappointing dinner and service in the main dining room. Usually the Terrace Cafe has similar food, just a more casual atmosphere – even though they do put tablecloths on the tables for dinner service. Lots of motion on the ocean after leaving port. Yes, I’m still susceptible to motion sickness on bus, car or ocean ship. Thankful for the Bonine we bought before leaving home!

Seville, Spain

Day 3 & 4 – Two days in Seville (Sevilla). Where we did alot of rolling over cobblestone streets and walkways. Not a smooth ride by any stretch of the imagination. (Think Bobble-head!) We hopped on the City Shuttle (provided by Oceania when in port) and headed to the Lion’s Gate and Palace area.We enjoyed the Holy Day processionals and decorations, tapas and another beer is added to the Beers of World file for Karen. What an experience! Had a great day exploring around town seeing the sites. We ended the day with a hearty walk past the Plaza de Americas back to the ship where our favorite frozen cocktail rewarded our return.

Tangier, Morocco

Another HoHo, another lighthouse! We were warned prior to this port of call about safety and food and water consumption. We had decided to get off the ship anyway and if we ever felt uncomfortable we would turn back to the ship. We spent our entire time in port…in Tangier. Seeing the sites, enjoying the people. Adding yet another memory. And another continent to my list of visits. There was a bit of a scary race to the ladies room…down a steep hill, at Caves of Hercules. And as we know, what goes down must also come back up! Karen had her work cut out for her for sure! Note: Rest stops are few and far between so either hold it or don’t drink too much! Winds and the rough seas welcomed us to Morcoco. (Thank you Bonine for getting us through a gnarly nights crossing). Other than the take-your-breath-away wind, Tangier was quite interesting and photogenic. Headed through the Straight of Gibraltar back to Spain, (though, fun fact, Melilla is still on the African coast).

Melilla, Spain

Day 6 brought us into the port of Melilla which is a Spanish territory but located on the upper African coast. A quaint little town all dressed up for Easter and a parade along the main road. We wandered about for a bit before heading back to the ship.

Tonight was red dress-up night for our specialty restaurant reservation. We shared a table with 2 other couples. It made for interesting conversation. Too bad the ship’s steakhouse doesn’t know how to cook steak to order!

Ibiza, Spain

Day 7 – This day dawned with me not feeling like going off the ship. My whole body ached from getting jostled in the wheelchair for a week and quite frankly…I was done. So off went Karen for local exploring of the city and fort with a stop for a local beer at a sidewalk cafe. Karen takes great pictures so it’s like I’m there with her.

I don’t often ask for a sea day, but sure could have used one on this trip to just catch our breath!

Barcelona, Spain

Last day is a travel home day from Barcelona, which we visited a few years ago. The flight home was way too long for me. Add in a layover in Newark, NJ and a delay because the ground crew forgot to load 48 bags and we didn’t know until we had taxi’d quite a while and had to return to the gate. Two hours later, more gas in the tank and 48 people going home with their luggage, we were on our way. We are hoping to see a credit for this delay, but won’t hold our breath waiting for it!

Handicap Note:
Sirena is not a handicap accessible ship for ease of mobiility. While some crew are happy to assist, other’s ignore the need for aid and do not hold doors, etc. Some will pull out a chair for you, some will offer to carry your plate for you to your table. The gangways in the ports are not friendly. Keep in mind that a low gangway in the morning may be a steeper one when returning to the ship due to the tide. To the person assisting you, be aware that there are long walkways in the terminal and steep ramps at the beginnning and end of the gangway. If assistance is offered from a crew member to navigate the gangways, swallow your pride and let them help you! By the end of the cruise, you will thank me for the tip and you will. want to tip the crew member who assisted you every day!

So, we love Christmas but were very disappointed to not find one Christmas shop or any locally-made ornament for our travel tree in any of the ports we visited. Best to go with no expectations and be pleasantly surprised if you find what you want to add to your holiday travel ornament collection. We will be repurposing key chains, coasters and magnets from this trip.

Both Karen and myself have been involved in guest services for years. We know we expect the best and are often disappointed when we receive less than exceptional service. A couple scenarios come to mind:

• The on board Oceania Ambassador did not listen to us or was able to assist us with our upcoming trip. We booked direct with Oceania but she continued to tell us to contact our travel agent. Refused to look anything up or basically answer any questions, telling us to call the main office after the holidays when we get home. Ambassador? I think not. Just an onboard salesperson.
• Our cabin steward did not listen to us when we asked repeatedly to not move the trash can or adjust the bed (twice a day service) so we could enter the stateroom and store our collapsible wheelchair without hassle. Instead, Karen was forced to re-adjust the bed angle and put the trash can out of her way on an almost daily basis. Also insisted on putting way too many bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion on the tiny counter space. We would remove them to a lower storage area, only to have them reappear once again in our way. We understand they have service standards to meet, but when asked they should be more flexible in honoring a guest’s request. Especially when the stateroom is so small. This stateroom and cabin steward did not compare in the slightest to our recent NCL experince, hence our disappointment.
• The quality of the food and basic food service were also in question. Our steak at the specialty restaurant, Tuscan Steak, was not cooked properly. My filet mignon was overdone and nothing was done about it. Also my baked potato never received the toppings I ordered until it went cold. Our Eggs Benedict were often more hard boiled than runny as they are supposed to be. Sorry, just disappointed.

A special hello to new friends on the ship from Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, California, Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. And, the nice couple sailing on the Holland America ship. If you are reading this, please leave a message! It was great interacting with each of you!

Karen aka Shutterbug took over 2300 memory pictures of our travels. It takes a while to go through them all, pick the favorites, crop when needed, upload them to share on the blog and try to make everything look pretty.

Interesting to note: During the entire time away, Karen and I only played UNO one night! That’s how busy and then exhausted we were!

Chapter 10 may be a while coming – travel can be exhausting, expecially when your health isn’t at its best. So, to know wnen the next chapter gets posted, join the email list at the beginning of the 20Steps cover page. You will receive the next post in your email automatically.

Chapter 10 Hint!
It will involve the number 50!

Another year…another birthday! And Karen presented me with another surprise gift! I have to watch what I say to this child of mine as she remembers and then Surprise! I’m getting to experience it!

What was the surprise you ask? Monuments by Moonlight! D.C. is such a great city with so many interesting attractions and things to experience, day or night, I’ve seen the monuments in the daytime. I have pictures of them on my living room wall. Now, I will get to add a couple more pictures to the grouping but totally different than what is currently hanging on the wall!

My birthday surprise began with Kenny, our driver for the evening, picking us up in a BMW sedan and whisking us away to our first monument as he sang Happy Birthday to me. Our first stop was the Air Force Memorial. From there, we headed to the Marine Corp Memorial aka Iwo Jima and drove past the Carillion Bell Tower, a gift from the Netherlands. A bonus stop was to the Pentagon Memorial, aka 911 Memorial. I have wanted to visit for a long time. We drive by it all the time but never seem to be able to find the right time to check it out. Even in the dark, this memorial is very sobering. A great deal of thought went into the planning and development of this memorial. A gentleman told us many interesting things in a short time, which just makes us want to return in the daylight for another visit. Isn’t it amazing when you bump into a random person who happens to be retired military and is so willing to share his knowledge at 8PM! I hope he’s there during the day the next time we visit.

Interesting Fact – the original ground-breaking of the area of the Pentagon that was damaged took place on September 11, 1941.

Next up we headed to the Tidal Basin, I was surprised to see so many buses and people after dark! It was a beautiful Sunday and the cherry blossoms were making all kinds of comments and pictures and memories. I just figured everyone would be tired and heading home. Karen aka Shutterbug was snap happy with her camera, attempting to capture just the right image. Nighttime photography can be a bit difficult…it’s a learning curve.

We ended our time with driver Kenny with a quick trip to catch a picture of the U.S. Capitol building at night. Then home for a late night birthday cake and ice cream snack. It was a special birthday as I received not 1 but 2 home-baked cakes! Both delicious! And both made with love. Special thanks to MC – loved the exploding cake!

The Tidal Basin as well as the rest of Washington, D.C. is handicapped accessible. The sidewalks and crosswalks are smooth for the most part. There are accessible bathrooms available (no porta potties needed!). Handicap parking is available but in demand. Your biggest challenge will be navigating the other tourists who are there to see the same things you are! Patience and slalom training come in handy especially during peak tourist times.

Fill your life with adventures, not things, Have sotries to tell, not stuff to show.

Unknown

Be watching for Chapter 9, coming by the end of April.

The next stop of our world tour takes us south, to Panama and the ABC Islands. We departed from Washington Dulles (IAD) at the ungodly hour of 1AM on a direct flight to Panama to board our ship, the NCL Jewel, arriving at 5:45AM. Such a deal for this trip we couldn’t say no, even though we originally didn’t have much interest in the Panama Canal. But that has all changed now! Ports of call include Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Costa Rica as well as traveling on the Panama Canal. We have a wonderful aft accessible cabin where we will definitly be spending some time in the beautiful Panama weather. Our deal included open bar, specialty restaurant reservatons, free wi-fi, airfare and transfers. And no overnight stay prior to boarding!

After my painful walk recently in NYC, Karen and I discussed my mobility options. We thought about the wheelchair, but felt that worked best more for our excursions which can end up being exhausting. I wanted independent mobility for the ship and the wheelchair didn’t cut it. Bringing my current walker as well as the wheelchair posed transport concerns on both ends of airport travel and that didn’t cut it either. So, a little googling found me buying a combination walker/wheelchair – the best of both my needs and wants. The cost of this mobility device was less than renting any mobility device on the ship and since we still have 3 more cruises to enjoy, this new mobility device should prove to pay for itself at least 3 times over! Fingers crossed!

Walker/Wheelchair Update:

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my purchase. There are several thresholds on a ship – just tiny ones but when in wheelchair mode, it could not navigate over them. The wheels would lock up and the chair could tip forward taking me with it…several times. I have now initiated a return of this item as it was way too stressful for both Karen and myself to transport me in wheelchair mode.

Karen took over 1700 pictures that I had to wade through to find the ones that spoke to me for this blog and our eventual Shutterfly book. My child has a photo finger and loves to take pictures! She often shows me something that my limited vision did not see. And for that I’m grateful.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Embarkation, Panama City, Colon, Panama

Well, it was an exhausting day after a no-sleep overnight flight. NCL booked us with Copa Airlines. The best part was that it was non-stop flights both ways. The worst part was everything else! We arrived at the Panama City airport (PTY) to NCL confusion. Finally boarded the bus to Colon, only to find out that we were now stopping for ‘breakfast’ at our expense, along the way. When we arrived in Colon a couple hours later, the lines were as bad as I had read about in previous comments on Facebook. Luckily for me, I had completed special needs paperwork. This is the one good thing about NCL. I had escorts through the lines to the front of the lines and up and down the gangway from ship to land. Finally, we are on the ship in our spacious aft accessible cabin! Now to decide on food!

Day 2 – At Sea

We definitely needed our sea day, even though we didn’t do much more than eat, nap and play Uno. The ocean was a bit choppy. It’s a new thing with me, I guess, but I’m succeptible to motion sickness.

Day 3 – Oranjestad, Aruba

Aruba is a bustling harbor city. Someone on our ship got married in Aruba! Wow! Talk about a destination wedding! I still felt somewhat sick and decided to not participate in our shore excursion. Karen went and took pictures to show me what I missed. Interesting fun fact – there are no traffic lights in Aruba, only round-abouts. Karen scrambled up volcanic rocks to see a view of 80% of the island where there were plenty of cacti. She also walked up 190 steps to the top of California Lighthouse for another great view of the area. Afterwards, the tour stopped at an aloe farm with over 35,000 plants.The Divi-divi tree is a natural compass, always pointing west. To end the excursion, a stop was made at Eagle Beach, where Karen enjoyed a beer, ocean-side.

Day 4 – Willemstad, Netherland Antilles

Curacao as it’s also known is the Capital of the Dutch Carribean island, known for its pastel-colored town and tropical flora. Unique here is the floating pedestrian bridge that spans the the channel that splits the city’s two districts. Interesting concept! And a bit scary at the end of our walk across it! Ask us for the story! Our shore excursion today was a trolley train tour of the area with a stop at a church for a very brief visit.

Day 5 – Kralendijk, Netherland Antilles

Or otherwise known as Bonaire. Friends of ours love Bonaire and gave us things to do and see while there. Since we were only there for a very few hours, we booked a shore excursion that encompassed most of the suggested sites. Our tour took us to the salt fields, slave huts, lighthouse, flamingos, donkeys and more. Since it was a short day in port, we chose this night to dress up in our red dresses and use our specialty dining reservation at La Cucina. Good meal and good service! Today was also International Women’s Day.

Day 6 – At Sea

Our second day at sea afforded us a chance to catch our breath before our last shore excursion and transit of the Panama Canal. We continued to enjoy our aft balcony cabin.

Day 7 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Transit Panama Canal, at Sea

Our shore excursion today was a combination of bus, train, boat and rainforest walking tour. Still more motion for me to endure! But I did it and enjoyed the scenery, helpful, kind fellow passengers and our guide, Michael. Transit on the canal was interesting to experience. This was definitely the cruise to book an aft cabin!

Day 8 – Disembark Panama City, Panama

We disembarked the NCL Jewel in Panama City and met up with our driver for a tour of the city. Our flight wasn’t until 6:30PM and we just didn’t want to sit around the airport for hours as our ship transfer would have dropped us at the airport around 9AM. Edwing was a knowledgeable guide with Layover Tours and showed us beautiful buildings and beautiful people. We also experienced a true Panamanian meal for lunch, Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not too adventuresome food-wise. But chicken soup is good for the soul, right? No veggies, no noodles, just broth and a couple of chicken pieces. And was a recommendation from our guide. The empanada was beef inside a corn crust. Not the empanada I was hoping for. After lunch we went to the museum for a quick trolley ride around the ruins. Then off to the airport to catch our late night flight, arriving back home at about 2AM.

This cruise cannot be complete without mentioning our cabin steward, Mun (Moon). He took very good care of us during our journey. He also made some interesting towel animals! One time, I walked into a darkened cabin and thought I saw a coiled striped snake on my bed. I do not like snakes! The next time I saw Mun, I took him to task for leaving a snake on my bed. He said it was a duck! Sure looked at first glance like a coiled snake to me! But I did eventually see the duck wearing a striped sweater. Our last day on the ship, Mun left me another surprise…a huge crocodile, with a snake in its mouth! He told me he would kill the snake! I wish he could be our cabin steward for all our cruises.

Where to next? Watch this blog for Chapter 8, coming soon! And more exciting news! We just booked the trip of a lifetime for later this year. Stay tuned as we develop our itinerary!

Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering on the unknown.

Unknown

Who is crazy enough to drive to NYC in Febraury? Your intrepid travelers, that’s who! NYC Four Seasons and a Broadway show! Thankfully the weather forecast changed from snow to rain to overcast skies and warmer weather for our trip.

Karen did a great job navigating to NYC. Our first toursit sighting was the building where Ghostbusters was filmed – Hook and Ladder 8. We were pleased to learn that our room was ready and we were in a room with double beds. Four Seasons likes to put us in rooms with one king and a sofa bed. But, that’s not our preference. As Karen likes to say, “I love my mother but we don’t share a bed.”

Because we left at o’dark-thirty, we were ready for a short nap before Karen met a friend from when they worked together in NYC. It was very nice seeing Lisa again and giving her a hug or two. Karen and Lisa went for a walk and a chat. Afterwards, Karen and I had Stage Door Deli for dinner. Excellent lean corned beef piled high on my Reuben and Karen had chicken parm. Then off to the show!

Our plan was to be dropped off at the front of the theater on time for the opening act. Unfortunately, 2 gunmen had other plans for a poor soul who was shot and killed in the Broadway theater district shortly before we arrived. The street was closed. The sidewalks were closed as the police looked for the shooters. So, we had a bit of a hike ahead of us. When we left the hotel, I decided that since we would be dropped off at the door to the theater, I’d just use my cane as my assisted device. Sure wish I’d had my walker! I was swearing a blue streak the entire walking journey. Karen kept encouraging me and we finally made it to the theater several minutes late; we were the last to arrive. The show, Neil Diamond’s, A Beautiful Noise, did not wait for us! Several times during the long, painful walk to the theater I was tempted to call it quits and get an Uber back to the hotel. I’m glad I didn’t. I enjoyed the show, even missing the beginning. Afterwards, we were then the last to leave as the line for the single accessible bathroom was very long and I was the last in line. (Thanks to others jumping the line in front of me.)

Here’s a link to the news story – https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/nyregion/shooting-midtown-manhattan.html

Back to Four Seasons Downtown, for a night cap. We enjoyed our 24-hour stay in NYC, until the drive home…lots of traffic to deal with. Sunny day with blue skies and white clouds. Traveling to NYC and back we passed through 5 states – Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey and New York. Our GPS route by-passed Pennsylvania. Gotta love rest stops!

We received a great reception by the employees of FSDowntown. What a great crew! Our send-off was equally great. We’ve never had a doorman send us an amenity before! One more FS to check off the list.

We brought home some tasty NY bagels and black & white cookies from Murray’s Bagels on 6th Ave. Just need to buy some local smear!

Remember singing 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall to pass the travel time as a kid? Well, we revised it a bit on this trip.

207 miles to go,
207 miles.
Drive on through,
Whoop-dee-do!
206 miles to go!

Silly but it was fun singing it occassionally! No, we didn’t count all the way down to zero!

Check out Chapter 7, coming mid-March!

.To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.

Aristotle

Escaping the Virginia winter and heading south, first to the Bahamas, then over to Fort Lauderdale. We will be scoping out two of the newest Four Seasons properties for some sun and relaxation.

The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas

Karen took a few amazing aerial views from the plane as we passed over on take off and on our Nassau approach. After a short flight from DCA to Nassau and an hour sitting on the tarmac waiting for a gate, our transportation from Cheryl’s Taxi and Tour greeted us after finding our way outside to the waiting spot. We were so very lucky they waited for us as the terminal posted we had arrived at a gate, when we did not. Our driver was none other than the owner of Cheryl’s Taxi and tours herself, Cheryl. A truly amazing woman who is a cancer survivor and small business survivor through the pandemic. Cheryl holds her staff to some high standards indeed. She regaled us with stories and points of interest as we drove to Ocean Club. Everyone knows Cheryl and is eager to assist her guests.

As we walked through the front doors, we were greeted with a complimentary rum drink that was delicious. I was a slow sipper however due to the medicines I’m taking. Our first floor guest room was off a wonderful open air courtyard with a bubbling fountain and conversation seating. Our lanai faced a wooded area. We enjoyed a meal out there and the usual quiet.

A short walk away was the crashing (loud and cracking) thunder of the surf meeting the sand. A refreshing Kalik for Karen and a Diet Coke for me at the bar overlooking the ocean was a good way to spend the end of the first day in the Bahamas.

Day 2 brought about ocean breezes and more relaxation, except near the pool where power washing was taking place. Karen enjoyed a walk through the Versailles-like terraced gardens while I sat absorbing the warmth of the Bahamian sun.

This was a different experience than visitng the Bahamas on a cruise ship. We avoided all the tourist traps of the island and stayed put at the resort. All too soon our time in the Bahamas was over and Cheryl herslf was back to take us to the airport for our flight to Fort Lauderdale and our stay at the new FLL Four Seasons.

Of special note: Cheryl and I exchanged lapel pins – I gave her a red dress pin and she gave me a Bahama breast cancer pin. We were both wearing both pins given on day 1 when she picked us up on Day 3. Such a special, amazing woman! Cheryl has invited us back later this year for a tour and more of her Bahamian hospitality. I hope we can make that happen!

FLL arrival day – our Uber delivered us to the hotel and as we walked through the front doors, we were rushed for a hug by a co-worker of Karen’s who was on task force there. After settling in, we met Oliver and his visiting sister from California, Holly, for a drink before they left for Four Seasons Surf Club in Miami for a short stay. We always try to avoid any glitches while staying at a Four Seasons however this time it was not avoidable. Karen’s Lobster Roll was loaded…with shells! Unacceptable.

We spent the second day at the pool, overlooking the ocean and enjoyed the warming sun – trying to soak up as much as we can to bring it back home to chilly, overcast Virginia. That night we ordered in from Il Mulino – delicious lasagna and chcicken parm enjoyed on the bacony as the sun set over the intracoastal waterway.

Just a note: All pictures were taken by KLR Images, Karen, (except one!) on an Apple iPhone.

FLLFS Note – The Accessible room was not at all what I expected. Be aware of this if you choose this room type. Happy to explain my reasons individually.

Again all too soon the sun, surf and relaxation came to an end and we were off to the airport for our return via our DCA flight.

Where will Chapter 6 take us? Think of a city where a famous dance troupe puts on shows.

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”

Hal Borland

Health Update – My trusty personal nurse, Karen, has been taking excellent care of me from cooking meals to doing laundry and everything else necessary to keep things running. She installs eye drops, opens jars, reaches for things I can’t, does many pharmacy pick-ups, splits hundreds of pills for the correct dosage, takes me to all my doctor appointments on her days off and is by my side helping me whenever I need it. All this in addition to having a stressful full time job. I’m not sure where I’d be without this wonderful daughter…in trouble I imagine! Or in a nursing home/assisted living perhaps. My heart function (CHF) is very low and inoperable. The changes in medicines and dosages are difficult for my body to accept. Something good for my heart is bad for my kidneys (CKD) or what limited vision I have left. The cardiologist NP is trying to talk me out of my world tour using scare tactics. Life holds no guarantees. I’m trying to make the most out of whatever time I may have left. However we are mot foolish and know when it’s better to stay home.

I’m sharing some of my favorite pictures from 2022 blog posts. It was a year of travel and a few other surprises. Enjoy the trip down memory lane with me… from our living room to our ‘back yard’ to Amsterdam to Bermuda to Philadelphia to Montreal, to St. Louis, to Florida and New Orleans and more!

Our 2023 pictures should be absolutely fabulous as we continue our Red Dress World Tour!

The shortest chapter so far – we have canceled this trip because of my current health situation. We are definitely ‘home for the holidays!’

• Unofficial World Tour Stats (updated each chapter going forward)
  
• Four Seasons Visited
  Montreal
  
• Countries Visited
  Bermuda
  Canada
• Bahamas
• UNESCO’ Sites Visited
  Many!

• Road Trips in Continental U.S.
  
• CruisesCompleted
  C&O Canal
  Disney
• Airlines Flown
  
  Air Canada
• Number of Days Traveled
  8
• Number of pictures taken
  A Lot!
  
  

It was a difficult decision to make to cancel our Vegas Christmas trip. We had so many plans in place to meet with some Vegas friends and get caught up on each other’s lives. It ended up being a good decision as I’ve not been feelin well for over a week.

Coming soon – Chapter 5! Sunshine and palm trees? Yes, please!