Spring Bluegrass Festival at Sertoma Youth Ranch

We enjoy taking our two lane adventures to Bluegrass Festivals! We are enjoying an Ernie Evans production this weekend at the Sertoma Youth Ranch, in Brooksville Florida.

We arrived on Thursday and enjoyed the open mic time. Neither Charlie nor I are musical, but we really enjoy listening to those that are. We watch two of the future stars of Bluegrass. The first brave participant in the open mic night was 7 year old Emma Biesack, she was ready to shine! She played three songs accompanied by her Dad on the guitar. She was joined on stage by her 10 year old sister, Sarah. They played a few tunes together and then Sarah was left to finish out the set on her own. Sarah is a two time Florida State Fiddlers Association Champion for her age bracket. After hearing her play, it is evident why! The 15 minute Mountain Men came up next. They got their name because they have been together for 15 minutes! Their newest member is a woman; they might need to change their name!

Little Girls and Dreadful Snakes

Thursday night campfire sings were limited due to the on again off again showers! Friday came in with some overnight showers and a little sunshine in the early morning. Music resumed at 1 pm on Friday with “Little Lady and the Dreadful Snakes” a local band from Plant City. Our son knows one of the band members, Charlie Boone. They played a mix of contemporary Bluegrass and some new stuff that they wrote. How do you categorize their music? They categorize it as “A little Bluegrass? A smidge of Country? Part Americana? Not sure what we are, but folks sure do tend to like it .... it's Y’all-ternative.” We call it very entertaining and enjoyable!

Swinging Bridges plus One

They were followed by “Swinging Bridge.” Swinging Bridge is a group of five talented gentlemen from the Venice area of Florida. Today they had a sixth member, that they really wanted to play with. The band has been playing together for more than 14 years and performs regularly throughout the southwest region of Florida. The band’s first CD project "Rough Edges" remains a hit with their cadre of fans. Their great lead singing, tight harmonies, dazzling instrumental breaks, and dead-on timing puts them on a par with some of the foremost nationally known bluegrass bands. The band has a great on-stage personality too. They have a repertoire of songs and instrumentals that draw from traditional and contemporary Bluegrass, Country, and other genres to create a show that is a treat for any bluegrass fan. This is a bluegrass group that gathers around the mic to create the tight harmonies, we really enjoy those groups the most. The rain started again, near the end of “Swinging Bridge’s” set, since the stage is under a large covered pavilion, we all could just stay put and enjoy the music.

The Boxcars

The Boxcars were up next. Several musicians in the Boxcars played with Alison Krauss as members of Union Station. For nearly seven years, they lived the life of high profile musicians, as the band earned Grammy awards and IBMA trophies, toured extensively, made national TV appearances and recorded albums that reached far beyond the core bluegrass audience. They left the band and successful ventures with other bands, until they came together to form The Boxcars. When one of their founding members departed the band, he was replaced by the youngest member of this group. He plays Dobro and is just out of his teens. B he can play the Dobro with the best of them. The rain stopped during The Boxcars set and according to the Doppler Radar, the rain should be over for us this weekend!

 

Nothin’ Fancy was the last band in the first set. Nothin’ Fancy formed as a bluegrass band in 1994 to compete in a bluegrass competition. Since then, they have grown in popularity. They have released 11 full length albums, and continue to perform at festivals all across the United States, Canada and Norway including the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, and Lincoln Center in New York City. They have successfully hosted their own Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival every year since 2001 in Buena Vista, Virginia. Mike Andes is the leader of the band, will tell you his talent is God given, because he by ear and has never had any lessons or professional training. Mike is the perfect MC for the band and keeps the show rolling from song to song with his wit and charm. The band has a mandolin, a banjo, a fiddle, upright bass and guitar. They stick to traditional Bluegrass mixed with a few other genres to keep it entertaining. They do crowd around the microphone to get the classic Bluegrass harmonies.

The same groups played a second set after the dinner break. None of them played the same thing twice, which made the second set just as enjoyable as the first set. Without the rain, you could hear the campfire songs floating in the air from all directions until the wee hours of the morning. Which is probably why the stage entertainment does not start until 1pm, the musicians have to sleep sometime!

Labadee, Haiti - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas - Day Seven of the Cruise

On our ninth vacation day, we stopped at our third and final port. On the north coast of Haiti sits a tropical haven of Labadee. It is set amid spectacular mountains and lush foliage it is reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests. Although it is privately owned, this breathtakingly beautiful destination still retains much of its local flavor. In 1492, the island was originally discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World. Originally named “La Isla Espanola”, it was later colonized by the French, whose influence is still prevalent in both the culture and the language.

Several members of our group booked different activities to enjoy while on Labadee. Two couple took a leisurely kayak tour off one of the many beaches. Four of the guys in the group signed up to Jet Ski, but just before their start time the water got too rough for the jet skis. So their excursion was cancelled. Instead they decided to drink! Imagine that!

Another group of us decided to do the zip line. To call it a zip line, is a bit of an understatement! It is the Dragon's Breath Flight Line, probably because the warm trade winds are whipping in your face like a fire breathing dragon! We certainly unleashed our sense of adventure as we soared down the side of a mountain. 

We were attached to a 2,600-foot long zip line. We had a weigh-in, information briefing, orientation to the zip line, and we tested our mettle on the shorter "Little Dragon" zip line. After we successfully navigated the “Little Dragon” we climbed onto custom-made safari vehicles and road up the mountain to the take-off point. This, by the way, is 500 feet above the beaches of Labadee, Haiti. The zip line experience literally sweeps you off your feet before we landed at Dragon's Breath Rock at the end of the line. I have to say that it was a once in a lifetime experience!

While we were on the island, we enjoyed a barbeque lunch and a quick trip to the Artisan’s Market. The Artisan’s Market was too intense for me. It was like walking the gauntlet. Every vendor was hollering out to you, trying to get you to look at their items or into their shops. The shops were all built along a cat walk, which Tracy and I did not venture onto. Tracy is a true shopper and she was just as anxious to leave the market as I was. Pete got “caught” by one of the vendors and before he could get out of there he spent twenty bucks on two bracelets and an engraved shot glass.

We got back on the ship and relaxed before our casual dinner service. After dinner we enjoyed some Elvis trivia. Randy is the Elvis trivia king, he got 14 out of 15 song titles right! Another team also had fourteen correct, so there was an Elvis song title lightening round. Randy got that song title correct too and was crowned the winner! It was another great day on our cruise. It is starting to sink in that, in a little over twenty four hours our ship will dock at the Port of Everglades and our cruise will be over. Oh, perish the thought!

San Juan PR - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Six of the Cruise

Our vacation day number eight started at sunrise when we docked in the port of Old San Juan. The view of the sunrise was spectacular from our balcony and there was a small airport where we watched many planes take off and land, before we hits the streets of Old San Juan. Charlie and I enjoyed a stroll around old San Juan. We did notice that the hues of the blue cobble-stoned streets are common in Old San Juan. I love to walk the old cobble-stoned streets, whether it is in Plant City Florida, East Amherst New York or Old San Juan Puerto Rico. It has no beaches, no resort hotels, and not a whole lot

of natural beauty. What it does have is over 500 years of history, beautiful colonial architecture literally splashed with tropical colors. Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. As we walked, we say many statues and busts, that could be a whole blog itself! We did view simple busts (Elfante D Henrique) and statues (Al Inmigrante), but the highlight of detailed statues was at Colon Plaza. A statue of Christopher Columbus, it features him standing

regally on top of a pillar with ships and sea serpents coming out of the base. A fountain surrounding the statue shoots streams of water towards the base of the statue. The statue commemorates the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the new world. Christopher Columbus originally named the entire island of Puerto Rico to be San Juan Bautista, however the island was later renamed and only the capital city of San Juan retained the name. Bronze plaques on the base of the monument provide pictorial representations of the ocean journey and arrival of Christopher Columbus and the meeting of the indigenous people.

The Fort of Castillo San Felipe del Morro & Castillo San Cristobal, although technically two separate forts constructed separately, these two Spanish military installations are connected both literally—by less than a mile of city wall—and figuratively. Together they made San Juan a strategic stronghold and defended the city against attacks by the English, Dutch, Americans and others for centuries, and today they represent the bulk of the San Juan National Historic Site. The older of the two, informally known as El Morro, was built starting in 1539 on a rocky point of land guarding the entrance to San Juan Bay. On either side of a quarter-mile walkway connecting the city and the fort is a sprawling, green esplanade, the space is supposed to serve as a reminder to visitors of just how intimidating the fort would have been to attacking soldiers, who had to cross a wide-open field of fire to reach its walls. The fort itself has six levels and a lighthouse, with impressive views of the bay and Atlantic Ocean.

We headed back to the port and boarded the boat for a picnic lunch and to support our friend in the Belly Flop contest on board the ship. We watched the staff set-up. prepare, cook and create a massive amount of food. They moved deck chairs and set up right on deck 11, just below where we were seated. It was very interesting watching them create ... we till are not sure what they created. But, we all ate it and it was good! But really ... look at the size of the cooking implements! I can honestly say, I have never seen a wok so big! Have you?

The International Belly Flop contest was held on board the ship today. We supported our hometown hero! Captain Tsunami, AKA Randy Fitzsimmons. He has been training for this event for two years, working hard to vindicate his defeat on the Oasis of the Sea. His fortitude would be tested today, as he matched bellies with the best of the international best. In preparation for the main show he designed his attire, actually his finance, Sheila Greer, was the head seamstress of the wardrobe. Prior to signing up for the contest, he paraded around the decks in his cape and mask. He was definitely working the crowd, to garner support in advance of the competition.

Work it, come on, work it!

His cheering section was stationed at the Sky Bar on the upper deck, with a great view of the pool. They secured these prime seats at 11am, one hundred and eighty minutes before the event. Naturally, there was drinking involved in holding these precious seats! All of them were up for the challenge, and they were successful, a bit sun burned but successful! Back to the big belly flopper, he signed up for the event. But another eager contest almost toppled Captain Tsunami as he raced to be the first to sign up! With the sign up closed, there were 6 able bodied men up to the challenge! The largest of the competitors towered over Captain Tsunami by a good foot and outweighed him by one hundred pounds!

No fear in CPT Tsunami's eyes!

Yikes, there was fear in the eyes of his fans, but none in Captain Tsunami's eyes! The flopping order was set and the competition began! The first flopper, was a real amateur, hailing from the cold northern state of Vermont! His flop barely scored him a three! The next contestant came from a bit warmer state, North Carolina, but he still lacked the necessary prep time in the pool and only scored a three point five. A few others made gallant efforts, but none came close!

Look at the cast of characters that has to hold the hurt box!

CPT Tsunami was the second to last competitor. He worked the crowd before he climbed onto the “hurt box” to make his flop! The cruise director had to get reinforcements to hold the “hurt box” down while CPT Tsunami prepared for his flop … he took his stand on the very front edge of the box. He spread his arms and his cape fluttered in the breeze as he jumped his and long on his perfect flop! The scores were tallied and he came out at 4.973 … come on … it was a 5! The last competitor stepped up, he was the biggest of the floppers … he had a t-shirt on, which he never took off. FOUL, is what we all said … half of

Getting ready for the FLOP!

the “fun” of the belly flop contest is the “hurt” from the flop! Anyway, he flopped and was awarded a 5 … a 5 … he had a t-shirt on! Wuss! Okay, it looks like CPT Tsunami got robbed again, but at least he placed second! He has the second place medal to prove it! CPT Tsunami cannot retire yet, he will have to avenge his loss on his next cruise!

As we backed out of the docks after the Belly Flop contest concluded, the Captain informed us, we were stopping after we backed out and were going to wait.

CPT Tsunami, the splash felt round the ship!

The largest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet was coming around the end of the fort and pulling into the berth we had just left. Quantum of the Seas was going to dock. Everyone crowed to the railings to catch a picture or two. The Quantum has a sky diving simulator, a jewel-shaped capsule that gently ascends over 300 feet above sea level providing breathtaking 360° views of the sea and your destinations and all new entertainment venues. They also have bumper cars, roller skating, and circus school. Amazing! We counted 15 decks of balcony rooms ... WOW!

Quantum of the Seas, docking in Old San Juan

Saint Kitts - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Five of the Cruise

On vacation day number seven we docked in the port of Basseterre, Saint Kitts, also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island. It is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Where the two bodies of water meet, you can see the waves going in opposite directions. A ring road goes around the perimeter of the island with smaller roads branching off of it; the interior of the island is too steep for habitation. The highest peak is Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano.

We selected to go on the “Rail & Sail” excursion, but we got tickets for the “Rail” excursion by mistake, oh well … we make whatever we do fun! This excursion is one of the highlights was the island of St. Kitts. The narrow gauge railroad was constructed beginning in 1912 to connect the island’s many sugar cane fields and sugar mills at sugar plantations.  The finished product was then loaded onto ships that transported the sugar to markets around the world.  The St. Kitts sugar industry declined and after 350 years the industry died off.  With sugar cane shipments almost dormant, investors opened the St. Kitts Scenic Railway to offer sightseeing tours of the island beginning  in 2003.  The owners of the railway modeled the tour train after the White Pass & Yukon train operation at Skagway, Alaska.  As with Alaska’s train tour, the cruise industry has been a boom for St. Kitts Scenic train. Today the train ride covers 18 miles as it circles from the northwest coast, along the northern coast, to southeastern St. Kitts.  Along the way the tracks pass sugar cane fields, tropical forests whose canopies encircle the tracks, villages of colorful houses and stone churches, and ravines crossed by tall steel trestles.   Ocean views are plentiful during the journey as are friendly locals who enthusiastically wave at the train.

The trip starts right at the dock aboard shuttle buses painted and lettered for the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. We climbed onto a bus, it is a bit odd to see the driver’s seat on the other side of the bus! Our bus driver was Eustis Franz. He narrated the scenic highlights as we pass through several villages, a tree filled with egrets, and a scenic spot where we can see Brimstone Hill Fortress high above on a hillside.  The fortress is part of the island’s history which saw it change hands multiple times between the British and French. We learned about “Bloody Point.” In 1623, Sir Thomas Warner brought his family and others, to an island inhabited only by native peoples. Less than two years later Pierre Belain d'Esnambue led a small group of French settlers to the island. Within a year, blood flowed. This eruption of violence wiped out the entire native population of Arawaks and Caribs. It was an out and out massacre at what is now Bloody Point. Once the English and French had the island to themselves, they expanded their sugar and tobacco plantations at will, and began bringing in African people to serve as slaves. This is why St. Kitts's rich culture was influenced by the peoples of Africa, Europe and the Caribbean itself. He was a very friendly and informative driver. His favorite sayings were "All is well, Mon" and "We be OK, Mon." I think he said them at the end of every sentence!

Eustis dropped us off at the community of Fig Tree, where we boarded the train.  Our train consisted of five double decker cars, pulled by a petite diesel engine and assisted by a power car that provides electricity to the passenger cars.  The 500 horsepower engine came from Romania while the power car was built in Colorado.  The passenger cars were constructed in Seattle especially for the St. Kitts Scenic.  Passengers can choose to sit in the open air upper level which contains padded bench seats along each side of the car or downstairs in wicker chairs at tables where they can enjoy air-conditioning and large picture windows.

Our departure point at Fig Tree is located on a balloon track which allows trains to reverse direction without having to run around a wye.  We leave and can see Mt. Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, to the east.  Later the rails pass through sugar cane fields that once were part of the island’s leading industry.  Soon we pass stands of coconut palms and note various forms of wildlife.  Some passengers spottted monkeys roaming the forested terrain as over 40,000 monkeys make St. Kitts their home.   We travel the coast near Willet’s Bay and pass through the village of Dieppe Bay a few minutes later, where the black sand beaches from the volcanoes are visible.

The winding line rail offers many opportunities to watch the diminutive engine with its steam engine-like drivers moving its wheels.  Our car attendant delivers complimentary piña coladas and rum to passengers as we see the Atlantic coast and set a southeasterly course.  She also offered locally produced sugar cakes to everyone. A trio of local singers entertain the guests on our car’s upper level with a medley of local songs. 

Soon the tracks pass through a grove of almond trees and emerge near the village of Tabernacle.  As has been the case for most of the journey, the ocean is on the left side of the railway while mountains dominate the view to the right.  A sharp curve reveals the impressive 300 foot long Christ Church Bridge, one of four steel trestles in the final 60 minutes of the trip.  Each of these towers over a ravine below and the rails navigate around a curve entering and/or leaving each trestle. 

The second trestle, set among a banana grove and views of a black sand beach appear to the left after exiting the structure. Grange Bridge is traversed a couple minutes later and we learn that it is 90 feet tall and 200 feet long.  The train travels over the fourth bridge and soon the sights become more industrial as the rails turn inland. We pull to a stop at Needmust, close to the island’s international airport; this stop also is built on a loop.  Within minutes we board the same buses that we rode from the ship to Fig Tree and within ten minutes we are back in Basseterre where “Independence of the Seas” is docked.

St. Kitts Scenic Railway is a great way to view the island of St. Kitts.  The hospitality of the on board personnel coupled with nice scenery provide a unique Caribbean activity.  The tour guides of the railway gave us a beautiful tour of the area.

Since sugar was once the most important crop to St Kitss, I want to talk about it a bit more. It was used to make molasses and rum, and to sweeten the cuisines of people around the world.  And because sugar cane grows in warm, tropical climates, the Caribbean islands were the perfect places to grow it.  European settlers from England, France, and Holland came to the region, cut down the islands' forests, and planted sugar cane. St. Kitts with its rich volcanic soil and an ideal climate, made growing easy. Annually St. Kitts yielded a fortune in sugar and rum for its wealthy, mostly absentee,

landholders. By around 1775, the time of the American Revolution, 68 sugar plantations existed on St. Kitts, one for every square mile.  The plantation owners sold their sugar products to American, British, French and Dutch customers. They are also credited with production innovations that led St.Kitts to become the world leader in sugar cane cultivation, and a catalyst for the industrial revolution. The persistent arguments, outcries, and writings of three prominent English residents of St. Kitts, are said to have influenced the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 more than any other factor. And with the total elimination of slavery throughout all the British colonies in 1834, came the end of the sugar industry. Europe's beet sugar undersold Caribbean cane. Depressed market prices could not offset the production and transportation costs for an island crop. In 2005, due to plummeting profits, the Government closed both the cane fields and sugar factory. The sugar train railway is now home to the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, a unique tour that takes visitors through many of the plantation ruins.

It was a very enjoyable day on a beautiful island.

St Maarten - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Four of the Cruise

Vacation Day Six we docked at St Maarten on a beautiful sunny day! We were so ready to hit the beach after two days at sea! Our travel agent arranged for a private excursion for our group to Sunset Beach. We got off the boat early and had a little time to shop at the port while we located our transportation.

Transportation and our driver was located and we crammed 14 of us into a 15 passenger van. Can you say C-O-Z-Y?!

 As we drove, I noticed many traffic circles and every traffic circle had statues in the middle. I picked a couple interesting ones I could get pictures of to share with you. We came upon the Salt Pickers Traffic Circle. Did you know that there is a Great Salt Pond located in south-central St. Maarten, north of Philipsburg. It is bordered on all sides by downtown Philipsburg and its suburbs. It is the largest permanent saline lagoon (saltwater pond) on the island. Great Salt Pond serves as a natural water catchment basin for much of the runoff water from surrounding hills. It is unprotected, and its shorelines have been completely cleared of their native mangroves and grasses for urban development. This site is primarily used for landfill and land reclamation purposes. Great Salt Pond was designated as a national monument based on its cultural and historical significance. The area was heavily used for the production of salt from the 1630s to the 1920s and many artifacts of this salt-production era remain, such as the rock walls throughout the pond.

The next interesting traffic circle was named Osborne Kruytoff, or Traffic Man Circle. There is a roundabout at the bottom of the Cole Bay Hill where there was a terrible T intersection previously. Getting through that T intersection was not easy. The most aggressive drivers went full speed, cutting everyone off, while the more timid ones waited patiently to hope they could get out. The roundabout eased these traffic issues. By why is it named after Osborne Kruythoff? Many of St. Maarten’s residents don't even know who he was. The old timers sure might remember him though. He was one of the special St. Maarten characters. Some have heard of the "traffic man" when visiting the island. Mr. Osborne Kruythoff of Cole Bay, dressed up with his safari hat and carrying all his worldly possessions in two canvas bags hanging to his side, would be on the square directing the traffic with his machete and incessantly blowing his police whistle while the tourists snapped photos of him. Added to his colorful costume were flowers hanging from his hat, his canvas bags and also from his machete which was used as a traffic baton. The Lt. Governor Mr. Beaujon made the mistake of saluting Osborne one day. He promptly quit his job as cleaner on the beach and for the next few years until the day he died Osborne directed the traffic on the square or anywhere along the road to Cole Bay, where he lived. He directed traffic wherever he was at the moment, and to him it was not important whether it needed directing as long as he could blow away on his whistle and point the cars ever onward with his machete. See, there is a job for everyone, somewhere!

We arrived at our destination and were ready for some fun in the sun in a very unique environment! The beach area at Sunset beach is narrow, especially at high tide, and there is a large empty spot in the center of the beach. If you are a newbie to the beach, you might head there … but avoid it! Stick to the outer edge! We found an empty umbrella and two chairs. We “rented” them for the day and started to enjoy the sun, sand and environment. Okay, here is the environment; the Sunset Bar & Grill is at this beach. It has a 24 hour web cam, the food is really good, and topless women drink for free. I will tell you, that members in our group drank for free …

we got a cooler of drinks with our excursion package … so, we did drink for free, just not from the bar for free! Along with the Sunset Bar & Grill, the local airport runway is two lanes of traffic away from the beach. Actually the end of the runway is two lanes of traffic away from the beach! When a plane is revving its engines for take-off you can watch unsuspecting people’s items blown right off the beach into the water. Some really “smart” people, even try to hang onto the barrier fence … they get blown off too! The other piece of the environment is that when the arriving planes are lining up their final approach, they will fly just feet above the heads of everyone on the beach, before they touch down on the runway.

It was a great day! The waves were a bit strong closest to shore, but once you swam out over them, the water was perfect! We soaked and swam in it for most of the day. A day filled good friends, a few burgers, a few more beers, a little rum punch, some shopping, and too much sun, made it a perfect day all around!

Cruising South - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Two and Three of the Cruise

Vacation Day Four and Five –

What do you do while your boat is at sea for two days straight? Lay in the sun? Check.

Drink? Check. The drink of the day was the Captain’s Bahama Mama. It is a refreshing blend of orange and pineapple juices, hand shaken to combine the subtle hints of vanilla and caramelized sugar found in Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum, topped with a sweet splash of grenadine.

Explore the ship? Check. We found the “activity” deck. This is where the rock wall is located, the miniature golf course, the basketball court, the golf simulator, and the Flowrider. Several of our group sat and watched the Flowrider. Dana went on the Flowrider, but several “tricks” he could do on the Flowrider the last time he cruised, he was not allowed to do any more, so his experience was not as much fun!

Learn about the upcoming shore excursions? Check. Well some of the ladies in our group did that. They went to learn about all of the great jewelry deals available in St Maarten. What they learned was it was 90 minutes of their life that they could not get back! They would not go to another seminar like that!

Take pictures? Check. We posed for serious and funny photos alike!

We did enjoy, and I will use that term loosely for all the men in our party, the first formal dinner. Every one of the men complained about the suit or tie or the getting dressed up in general. All fourteen of us met up before dinner to get our first of several group photos taken. The men in our group complained about that too! But we got them to put semi smiles on their faces and had the ships photographer snap a few. In order to get us all in, we had to split up couples, stand too close together and suck in our few extra pounds. But in a few hours we could see the results on the photo monitors.

We headed into dinner, Randy was sweating up a storm from all of his formal attire, and he stepped out on the deck for a little air. What we all did not know was, he was putting a special plan in motion. When we arrived at our table our two tables were not side by side, but another table of eight had been placed in between us. Randy finally joined us in the dining room, looking a little less flushed, but was still sweating up a storm. His first comment was “who are they?” referring to the odd table of people next to us. Charlie talked to the waiter about our tables being separated. Ash, advised us he would look into it. We ordered our drinks, appetizers and meals and started sharing what we had done that day. We finished our meals and ordered our desserts. The head waiter came by and said we have a special dessert for you, and placed it in front of Shelia. It was a beautiful napkin design and a small blue box. Shelia glanced down quickly and thought she saw chocolate cake. It was not until Randy took her hand and asked her to marry him did she realize that it was a ring box on her plate! She said yes, as she opened the lighted box displaying an antique setting diamond ring. After all the congratulations and hugs went around, she started peppering him with questions. When did you do this? Did you pick it out? How did you get it on the boat? Does my mother know? The boys? One by one, he answered all her questions. The funniest answer being, how he got the ring on the boat. He hid the ring in his CPAP machine, because it was the only piece of luggage that would be with him all the time. Sheila admitted to us, that he seemed very protective of his machine, the whole trip. Before they got to the airport in Rochester, he told her “I will take care of my CPAP, because they will want to see it all apart.” No, problem. Well, Randy goes on to tell us as he was putting on his belt, Sheila hands him his CPAP machine and it is all closed. He worries that the surprise is blown and he will have to propose in the Rochester airport. But nothing is said, so his little surprise is still secure in its hiding place. Remember earlier, I told you about the day we arrived on the ship and stopped at the Barks and Bubbles, or whatever the name of that Irish Pub is? Well Shelia took Randy’s CPAP machine up to the room and when she came back, he questioned her about where she put the machine and what she did with it. At the time, it seemed kind of odd, but now it makes perfect sense!

At the close of the formal meal, we all went to change out of the fancy clothes and met on deck 14 at the Olive or Twist. It is a quiet bar with a panoramic view. We celebrated Randy & Sheila’s engagement as a complete group with two bottles of Champagne.

Day Two at Sea involved more of the stuff we did on day one, plus a few different things. We did enjoy the drink of the day, a Margarita Azul. It is a refreshingly sweet blue Jose Cuervo Gold margarita, hand shaken with triple sec, sweet & sour, and blue curacao. I did enjoy a few of them! Some of us attended the welcome back reception in the theatre, where we enjoyed singers from the “Showtime” production, colored champagne and information from the Captain and his crew. We learned that you should talk to any crew member you meet, because there are over 60 nationalities onboard. After dinner, we all enjoyed the 70’s party on the Royal Promenade deck. Too bad we all did not pack our 70’s attire … we would have fit right in with all the crew!

We headed to bed in anticipation of our big day tomorrow on St Maarten.

All Aboard the Ship - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day One of the Cruise

Vacation Day Three - I thought the hotel lobby and pool area was mobbed the last few days, it is a zoo when the weather is bad! We woke up to rain this morning and had to fight to find a dry spot to stand with our luggage to wait for the 11:30 shuttle to the port. We rode the KSA bus limo hauling a cargo trailer for luggage to the port. The trip to the port is only about 10 miles, but it took us almost 50 minutes to get there! The port traffic is awful! Charlie and I were thinking about driving the truck to the port, glad we decided against that!

Naturally, where the shuttle dropped us and our luggage off was under some cover, but not enough! The rain was beating down on us and the luggage as we verified our luggage had made it to the porters. We skirted under the cover of the luggage area for a while and then had to make a mad dash between the drops to get to the terminal. Of course we all got wet! After you pass through security and get to the check-in desk, the first thing they want to do is take your picture! We all looked like drowned rats! So, the pictures were oh so flattering for all of us. Good thing the only people seeing them were the entire staff of the ship! Every time you swiped your seapass card the employee looked at the picture to verify that it was you. Nice, very nice!

The rain changed many of our initial plans. We had wanted to enjoy the pre-departure time on the deck of the Independence of the Seas, in the sun enjoying our drink packages while we waited for our rooms to be ready. Since that was not possible, we settled for a pub located on the Royal Promenade deck. It is called Hounds and Badgers; it is an Irish style pub.

Independence of the Seas is a Freedom-class cruise ship operated by the Royal Caribbean. The 15-deck ship can accommodate over 4,300 passengers and is served by over 1,300 crew members. At 1,112 feet long and 154,000 gross tons, she joined Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas as some of the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels built. Oasis of the Seas, the first ship in the Oasis-class, displaced the Freedom-class as the world's largest passenger ship. Like the other Freedom-class vessels, Independence of the Seas features an interactive water park, the H2O Zone, a dedicated sports pool for volleyball and basketball, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides. It houses an internal shopping "street", the Royal Promenade, lined with shops, pubs and wine bars. The Promenade features a "sky bridge" which can be lowered from the ceiling to provide a performance space above the crowds during parades. There is also the two story Alhambra Theater, seating 1,200, and a complete conference center. The show cabaret lounge, called the Pyramid Lounge, is themed to ancient Egypt. On a lower level is an ice skating rink named Studio B, which home to a series of professional ice shows and is also available for personal skating. This facility was first featured on the Voyager-class and Independence of the Seas is the eighth ship to feature a rink. The ship also features a range of eateries, Wi-Fi connectivity throughout, and flat-screen televisions in all staterooms. Independence of the Seas is also the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature heated, fresh water pools. On the Sports Deck, there is a rock climbing wall, a basketball/hockey court, a mini golf course, and a FlowRider for surfing. It also has 3 seating areas around it to allow people to watch. Okay, enough about this little ship we are on, back to our trip.

We were able to get into our rooms by 1:00pm and left off our carry-on bags and opened all the balcony dividers between our seven rooms. That gave us a long balcony area to enjoy as we cruise! I took this opportunity to apply my herbal motion sickness remedy, trying to avoid the sea sickness that usually accompanies me on a cruise. The rain had stopped by then, but it was still overcast so we ventured onto an upper deck. We located the Solarium bar and remained there until the ship left the port.

After the ship was underway, we all headed to our rooms to get ready for our 6pm dinner seating. Only a few couples had their luggage, so we all remained in our casual attire and headed to the Macbeth dining room. We were greeted there by a warm and welcoming wait staff, Ash will be our head waiter for the cruise, Rose is his assistant waiter and Albert is a bar staff for dinner. Speaking of eating, some people get their sea legs right away, others it takes a little time. I am one of those people that it takes a little time. We order our dinner and the appetizer arrives. I manage to get through that course, with one trip out to the deck for fresh air. The main course arrives and I get a couple of bites down before I decide that I had better head back to the stateroom. I excuse myself and make it to the elevators, praying that the wave of nausea passes quickly. I get back to the cabin and crawl into the bed. Funny thing is; I fought the sea sickness off longer this cruise than the last one … at least I got through the appetizer this time! After dinner, Charlie brings me ginger ale the bar staff gave him. He decided not to let my steak go to waste, he ate that. I think this cruise is going to be filled with too much food and liquor for sure!  It was an early night for some, while others enjoyed exploring the ship and its bars and features. Some have plans to be sure that we visit every establishment on the ship that sells alcohol and partake in a little liquid libation!

Ft Lauderdale Adventure - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas

Day Two
Actually this blog begins at the end of Day One. We picked our friends up from the Ft Lauderdale Airport and headed back to our hotel with them. We are enjoying this cruise with a pair of old friends, Shelia Greer and Randy Fitzsimmons, the ones we picked up at the airport. We are also meeting 5 other sets of Randy & Sheila’s friends that are going on the cruise with us.

We spent last night enjoying dinner at Dockside on the water. We were trying to get a table for 10, but the wait was too long, so we broke it up into six and four. The four of us sat on the back deck and enjoyed watching the planes land to the north of us and the views to the south. It was late when we ate at the very popular restaurant, Quarter Deck. We had the calamari and chicken wings for appetizers and both were fantastic! They served the calamari with some fried peppers and it was amazing! We have been wanting chicken wings since the last time we went to Scotland Yard... it was very good food! But we were hungry and of course we ate too much!

We all headed back to the hotel and enjoying a cocktail around the pool. We were waiting for one more couple to arrive. As soon as they arrived, we said hello and headed to our room for the night. Having a traveling home of our own, it is very strange to stay in a hotel room! Trying to remember everyone’s names … Dana (that is a guy) and his wife Dawn; David and Brenda; Rob and Shelia (another Sheila) and Pete and Kristi were the last to arrive tonight … got it … until tomorrow and then I will have to remember them all over again!

We are planning on spending the day tomorrow touring around Ft Lauderdale and getting more acquainted with our new friends. Tomorrow should be a great day! The Quality Inn at the Airport/Port of Everglades is a very busy place! It seems to be a popular place to spend the night before you head out on a cruise or when you return! The lobby and the pool area always busy! We enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel. Some of us enjoyed walking and shopping at the nearby stores. It is funny, I was looking for a stain stick, and that was the only item I could not find! It is amazing that when you are used to traveling with everything you need in your RV, that it is so difficult to find one item. Naturally, there was no grocery store close by! I did get a new suitcase, the old one we was falling apart from the inside out. It has been several years since we used them, so I am not surprised! We did have a great time! Charlie and I shared our noon meal at the busiest Taco Bell we have ever eaten at. Not sure if it was due to the hotel guest, the local area being so busy or a combination. It was good, but not sure if it was worth the 30 minute wait … no such thing as fast food in Ft Lauderdale!

We did enjoy more adult beverages around the pool at the hotel during the afternoon too. We made early dinner reservations at a local restaurant called Tropical Acres Steakhouse. It was a fantastic meal and some great company. We got to meet Sheila’s Mom, Rob’s Sheila, she lives down here and they got to spend some time with her while they were down here! It is amazing how well we have hit it off with the rest of the cruising couples! We enjoyed a few more cocktails at the pool bar and then turned in for the night. Tomorrow is the day we head to the port and get on the boat! It is going to be a great vacation! See you all tomorrow!