Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes

Our day started out with a good breakfast and then on to the Park and Ride to catch the Hunt Valley Coach to New York City. We were on our way to Radio City Music Hall in the Theater District of New York City to see the Rockettes in their Specatucular Christmas Extravaganza! The bus trip only took a little over 2 hours to get there even in the rain. By the time we arrived the rain had stopped. We headed towards the theater which was a couple of blocks away. It was exciting being in NYC with the holidays just upon us. We were on Broadway and decided first to check out the Garden Theater where Mamma Mia was playing hoping maybe we would have time to see it before returning home but we didn't. That means we'll have to take another trip to NYC, maybe in the spring and maybe take a ride in a carriage around Central Park too. We stopped at Starbucks for our daily drinks. Their store reminded us a little of the way the Starbucks layout in Salem, Oregon was with large windows and a counter in front of them so you could 'people watch'. We sat at a small table instead close to the restrooms as there was a long line. This would prove to be something we'd have to get use to as everywhere we went that day to use the restroom there were long lines. We enjoyed our drinks and headed on to Radio City Theater. It was fun seeing the sights, such dazzle!


We went on inside the theater and found our seats and I took pictures of the immense theater. Before walking through the golden doors that lead us to our seats there was lots to see. First upon entering the theater was a huge Christmas tree done up entirely of Svorkisi crystals! It was beautiful! There were murals on the walls and several places selling show souviners. I bought a DVD of the show since it was their 75th anniversary and we could enjoy watching it at home too. We bought a program that had lots of beautiful pictures from the show and with our purchase we got a bonus, a sturdy canvas Christmas bag designed like a drum. Alan took a good picture of inside the theater for me before the show started and then I put the camera away and we turned off our cell phones. The show was spectacular, we wore 3D glasses when Santa told us to put them on. These special affects were great! Snow and presents all around us. The dancers and singers were top notch and watching it at the famous Radio City Music Hall was place to see it. After all it was designed especially for the Rockettes. The show even included a scene from the Nutcracker and done with giant bears. There was even a Nativity scene at the end of the show with live animals in it!


After the show we walked to the front of the Rockerfeller Center where their Christmas tree had arrived the day before. The scaffolding was up so the work on decorating could begin. It wouldn't be lit until December 3rd though. There were ice skaters skating in front of it. We went inside the Rock as it's called to find a restroom since the line at the Theater was way too long. We had the hardest time fiding a restroom inside as it was HUGE. We kept going up and down different elevators and found a restroom but it was closed so we found one of the security people and they helped us out. They knew right away we were visitors....LOL. We finally found it and yes, another LONG line but it was going fast. What a relief! Afterwards we asked another building person where we might find a place to buy batteries as my camera batteries died. It was only around the corner inside the building. We could watch the ice skaters from inside the Rock as there were gigantic windows where you could sit and eat while watching them. We didn't eat there as we had decided we'd go to Ted's for dinner. We were trying to find our way back outside which was just as hard to do as finding the bathroom but everyone was helpful and soon we were back outside. I wanted to take some pictures of the tree and front of the Rock so we walked all the way around the block till we found a place I could do that.

It was about 4:00 so we headed on to Ted's for dinner. On the way we passed St. Patrick's church, another photo opportunity. Soon we were at Ted's. It was a nice restaurant and had a bison head hanging on the wall. The place reminded us of the Black Angus restaurants we had gone to in Oregon and Washington state. Alan and I shared a shrimp cocktail. It was served with saltless crackers, something different. The restaurant was a Green restaurant and explained how it uses paper straws and drink stirs instead of plastic. The menu was interesting as it gave the calorie of each item including their drinks. We ordered the BBQ bison short ribs with mashed potatoes and green beans. Then for dessert Alan and I shared a brownie served with a small scoop of ice-cream on top of it and warm espresso syrup....boy this was wonderful and not too much. We could've oreded one each but I didn't want to be that bad...LOL.

We were done with dinner by 5 and headed towards Broadway to check out Time Square. On the way I saw a Deli that had some candy and told Alan I wanted to get some to take back for people at my work. We found some that was in shape of Poker Chips and we thought it appropriate since Slots had just passed in the election for Maryland. We didn't vote for them and told others why we thought it a bad idea. Anyway, I also found some German candy and got it for my boss who is from Germany. Night time is definately the time to see it with all the lights. We weren't the only ones who thought so either as everyone was there...and it wasn't even the start of the holiday season yet! We walked down to Time Square and even went inside Toys R Us. Boy, that was a mistake, it was head to head people so we squirmed our way back outside. It took us an hour to walk there and back to where our bus would be meeting us at 7. After dealing with all the people we decided we needed to take a break so we stopped at Applebees on Broadway and had a couple of drinks to unwind. I needed to take another potty break so I asked where it was and it was on the 2nd floor. What is it that they can't be more convenient? I took the elevator up and it took forever, those older elevators do and the restaurant had 4 floors. On the way back I thought I'd try just taking the stairs only to find it was 3 long flights down due to the high ceilings. The restaurant was decorated with all kinds of Broadway paraphnelia and so interesting to look at. We left Applebees and headed across the street to where our bus was going to pick us up. There was a street vender selling purses and Alan saw one he thought was 'me' so we bought it. It was a real leather purse for only $10, that cheaper than I could find it anywhere here. That's why people go to NYC to shop.


Our bus arrived and we hopped on just as it started to rain. We had left my umbrella at the theater as it was too big to carry with us. My handy small one was at work. On the way back the bus driver played the Christmas movie, Prancer, the story of Santa's reindeer. It was a cute story. We arrived back home by 10:15, a half hour earlier than expected. We had a wonderful time in NYC. The weather was fairly warm too, guess that's due to the fog keeping the coldness away. Our next adventure will be on December 7th. We'll be going to Lancaster, Pennsylvania on the bus to see Ebenezer Scrooge at a dinner theater there. Should be fun!

Autumn is Here

This is a picture of the front of the basket on my scooter. Yep, I have a scooter and love it! I'm able to enjoy places a lot more like the zoo and when we go to Washington DC I have no problems zooming around. This was the best investment we made this year! It was wonderful having on our last cruise and will once again come in handy on our cruise in December. The basket can hold all kinds of goodies like my bottle of water when I'm out and about. Teacup loves to go to Fort McHenry for a walk so we pack up the scooter and away we go. Everyone that sees my scooter loves the decorations. I already have the Christmas and New Year decorations ready but they won't go on until December. Now all I have to do is decorate a hat to match my basket!

A DAY AT THE ZOO-NOVEMBER 1ST, 2008

Karen has decorated the basket on her

scooter with autumn flowers and a

scarecrow. She is in front of the waterfall

at the National Zoo.

This little guy thought it was as much fun watching

us as it was for us to watch on him.

It was a beautiful day to go to the zoo. Alan loaded up my scooter and away we went. The drive to DC was gorgeous with all the autumn colors along the way. We spent the entire day there. Parking has gone up a lot since the last time we went 4 years ago but the zoo still has free admission. It was the first time we got to go through the entire zoo since I now have my scooter to get around in. We saw lots of animals there except for the giraffs. Apparently, they were sent to Florida 2 years ago. They are my favorite animal. We didn't see any elephants either, not sure where they were, certainly not in the elephant house or their outside pens. Maybe they went with the giraffs. There's a lot of construction being done where the bears and elephants should be. The tigers and lions were there and I got some good pictures of them but the best was the cheeta. The seals were enjoying sunning themselves, it was funny. We got to watch the zoo keepers feed the sea lions and they got their exercise by going after a frisbee that was tossed to them...of course they were rewarded with fish. The prairie dogs thought the visitors were as interesting to watch as we watched them. The bald eagles looked happy, one was on a branch outside while 2 more were inside a nesting box outside. The gorillas decided it was time to go inside before I had a chance to take their pictures, guess they're camera shy. The giant panda bears were the best of course. They didn't even look real as they ate their bamboo. They looked so cuddly. All in all it was a fun day at the zoo and I even got a souviner bucket of popcorn. That will come in handy to keep Teacup's treats in. The National Zoo is a nice zoo but I still can't wait to go back to the west coast to visit the San Diego Zoo, now that's a zoo to see!

Ocean City Photos

Karen on scooter by Ocean City museum on the Boardwalk


Karen's Parrot Kite in Ocean City


Gull on post by new fence on beach

Cresent moon before sunset

Alan taking a break while Karen is busy taking pictures.

Alan walkikng along the beach

Our Mini Vacation in Ocean City

OUR WEEKEND AT THE EASTERN SHORE


Alan and I decided to take a day off from work and head to the eastern shore for a mini-vacation. Here it was October 3rd and the weather was perfect, in the mid 70s and no humidity. I had packed our coats in case we needed them as the beach usually gets a bit cold in the evenings but we never needed anything more than our shirts. We dropped Teacup at the City Pet Center for his sleep over with his buddies. Little did he know that he would also be getting a ‘B A T H’. After dropping him off we stopped at ‘our’ Starbucks for our drinks and to say a final farewell to Maria. She and her husband Jon were heading to China for their teaching positions. We’ll miss her a lot. We’ve become great friends over the past year. We’ll keep in touch via emails and their BLOG. Maria and I have shared our jewelry tips and swapped beads. She even made me some special earrings as a going away gift. I gave her some Godiva Chocolates, word-puzzle booklets a pen/bubble blower, and a small wooden box with a bluebird inside that she can clip onto something as a reminder how happy she makes others feel.


The 3-hour drive to the eastern shore was pleasant and the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change to their autumn attire. We put in our Mamma Mia DVD and sang along all the way there. We arrived around 2:00 and our room at the Princess Royal was ready for us. Alan unloaded my scooter and luggage and we made a stop at our room to check it out. The room was fantastic! As we entered there was a lovely living room with a flat screen TV, a couch, and easy chair. Next there was a dining area and kitchen all set with a stove, refrigerator, microwave and everything needed to cook and enjoy your meals, that is IF you wanted to cook. Then came the bathroom all stocked with delightful lotions and soaps all sitting in a lovely clamshell holder. Finally, we came to our huge bedroom with a king size bed, two dressers, several chairs and another flat screen TV. The mattresses were awesome and I think Alan and I decided then that we’re going to find one like that to put in our trailer when we buy it next spring. The bed was a bit high for me and I ended up having to use my 4” thick book that I had brought to read. Otherwise I’m not sure how I would’ve been able to get in bed. There was even a nice balcony with chairs outside our bedroom that overlooked the ocean. Our room was located on the second floor but that was okay as there were elevators. The large inside pool was also located on the same floor. The pool atrium had not only a huge swimming pool but also a basketball hoop in the pool. There was a small hot tub next to the pool and two large hot tubs outside the atrium overlooking the beach. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the outside ones until we were getting ready to leave. But Alan enjoyed the inside one both nights we were there. There were arcade games along with a couple of pool tables, a foosball table and a banquet area. This was a fantastic set-up and we got it all for only $169 for two nights. It was the resort’s weekend special that I found in the newspaper last weekend. It included vouchers for breakfast and dinner while we were there also.


After checking in and unpacking we headed for the Boardwalk. We found a parking spot within a block of it. Alan unloaded my trusty scooter and we were off. I had decorated my basket with autumn leaves, pinecones, and a scarecrow. Our first stop was to get some famous Thrasher French fries. Ocean City is known for them. We sprinkled vinegar over them and enjoyed our treat. We went inside the arcade game areas and I played a few games of Skeeball in honor of Maria. That’s her favorite game. I didn’t do well at all and gave the tickets I won to a little girl there. Alan played some shooting games; one was a Hunting one but got bored quickly. I played Miss Pacman a couple of times…that’s my all time favorite game! It surprised me seeing all the casino-like games that were there. Talk about priming children into gambling…scary! We continued down the Boardwalk and I found a great sweatshirt on sale. It had colorful splashes on the front and a picture of an angel on the back with the words ‘expect a miracle’. The rack had a sign saying $5-10 but it was the only sweatshirt everything else was t-shirts. Alan took it inside the shop and asked them and came out carrying a bag and said it was only $5.99. What a find! We went inside a doggy store next door and found a nice treat for Teacup. Further down there was a souvenir shop and I went in to see if I could find some charms to use in my jewelry. Alan found some adorable small-carved boxes perfect to use as jewelry boxes for earrings. I only bought a few of them. Maybe I can find them at an outlet for sale by the box. I did find some great charms there too. My quest was over.



Our next stop was at Dummsers Ice Cream and we both had hot fudge sundaes. I had mine with coconut-chocolate chip ice cream…mmm…good! We kept on going down the Boardwalk and went into a store to buy a kite since I had left mine at home. We found an inexpensive one that looked like a red macaw parrot so we got it. Alan told me I would have to wait to fly it like outside our hotel. I stepped inside some of the shops just to see what kind of prices they put on their jewelry and my prices were reasonable. We couldn’t get over how nice the weather at the beach was. We were wearing our short sleeve tops and didn’t need jackets at all. I took some nice pictures of seagulls in flight. There was a big black dog lying with his legs stretched out that reminded me of how Teacup looked when we were at Fort McHenry so I took a picture of him too. There were sand sculptures so I took one before the sun set. It’s amazing how long one can spend just walking down the Boardwalk. I think I tired Alan out. We were going to eat dinner at one of the places right there on the Boardwalk but they were closed for the season. So we headed back to our truck.



We decided to eat at Phillips. When we got there we chose to eat at the buffet. They put on quite the spread but you better be ready for the price as it is a bit expensive. Alan got his money’s worth though as he gorged himself with several helpings of prime rib and crab legs. I had one serving of prime rib and a few bites of Alan’s crab legs. I wasn’t into all the work. I did enjoy the fried shrimp though and corn on the cob. After our huge meal we waddled back to the truck and onto our hotel.


We had plenty of time to enjoy the pool. We grabbed our swimming suits and headed to the pool. Alan hopped in the hot tub and I decided to brave it and go in even though I knew I’d probably regret it later. Heat always causes me to react severely in an awful rash. I didn’t stay in long and went into the pool. The pool was so nice. I enjoyed shooting hoops. There was a small boy that joined me in the pool and we both took turns shooting hoops. There were several basketballs, plenty for everyone. Alan joined us and we all had fun trying to see how many hoops we could make. Needless to say we were far from professionals. Another person joined us so I bowed out and let the two guys battle it out and then several more children hopped in the pool, some brining their own different balls. I went to the other end of the pool and just enjoyed relaxing in the water and swam a little. I decided to try hopping in the hot tub again and sat there for a few minutes and then decided I better not push my luck. I didn’t want to be agonizing in itchies for the remainder of our trip.



It was so relaxing being in the pool that when we returned to our room I was ready for bed. I took a shower and got into my jimmies. Alan handed me my big, fat Eragon book so I could get into the high bed. I turned the TV on to the Poseidon movie and ended up falling asleep until it was over. Alan ended up staying up and watching another movie. I was surprised as he always falls asleep but I guess watching a movie that had scuba divers in it interested him enough to stay awake.


In the morning I woke up and decided to download all the pictures I’d taken the day before. They actually turned out really good, even the ones of the crescent moon. Afterwards I turned on the TV to see if I could find any news but didn’t. Soon Alan was up and we got dressed and decided to go to breakfast at the hotel. I enjoyed a cheese omelet with home fries and English muffin while Alan had an omelet with ham, cheese and onions, home fries, and toast. It was another gorgeous day and sitting at our table watching the waves reminded us of being in Hawaii especially seeing the palm trees. After breakfast we hopped into our truck and went to see if we could get on the beach as we’d seen trucks parked on it. Alan walked out and talked to the fishermen. They told him about the entrance a couple of blocks away so onward we journeyed, our first four-wheel ride in our new truck. The truck handled it well and we parked facing the waves. We got outside and while I took pictures of fishermen and our hotel Alan put my kite together. Soon it was ready for its maiden voyage. Alan unloaded my scooter so I could sit in it as I couldn’t hop onto the tailgate of the truck. The kite took flight and stayed. Alan took pictures of me flying my kite. I had so much fun!



We stayed for about an hour before heading on up to catch the Lewis-Cape May ferry. It was a lot further than I remembered, about 35 miles north but we weren’t in any hurry. We found a gas station selling gas for $3.29 a gallon so we stopped and filled up. While we were there I bought a Power Ball lottery ticket. Maryland doesn’t sell them and we thought, why not? We got to the ferry as one was coming in so we didn’t have a long wait at all. We decided to park our truck and just walk on since we weren’t planning on going anywhere on the other side. It would be a 3-hour trip. The water was so calm. We got a couple of hot dogs and drinks and found a table to sit at. I had forgotten my cap at the hotel room so I went to the gift shop and found a Cape May ferryboat cap. I also found some post cards with pretty pictures on it to send to our grandkids in California. Then I saw a dice game called Lighthouse for only a couple of bucks and bought it. It was a lot of fun. Instead of ones on the dice they had lighthouses. The object of the game was to go past 100 pts. as high as possible. There were 3 dice and you took turns throwing them. In your turn you could choose to keep on going or pass it. If you threw one lighthouse you lost your pts. for that turn. If you threw 2 dice you lost all your pts. you had gotten so far in the game and had to start all over. And if you threw 3 lighthouses you were out of the game. We played several games; Alan won 4 out of 7 games. I was beginning to get real sleepy as I had been taking Benedryl for my itchies. I had blisters and had to keep putting ointment on them. It’s a good thing Alan got me some Benedryl and ointment early so I could start treating it early or I wouldn’t have enjoyed myself much the rest of our trip. I found a pressed penny collector album on the ferry but didn’t see any machines but figured maybe there would be one at the gift shop when we got off the boat. I bought it and sure enough there was one. Between Alan and I we had enough change to get all four pressed pennies. I put them into the album and will send it to our daughter as she collects them. I put the ones I could find from Hawaii in it for her too. She has others I’ve gotten for her from Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and other places we’ve gone to.


By the time we returned from the ferry ride it was around 5 so we headed back to the hotel for dinner. It was their All-you-can-eat Prime Rib night. Once again we sat at a window table. Alan indulged in prime rib again. I ate my fill but made sure I had room for dessert. There was lemon cake and it was quite yummy. After dinner we decided to go to a put-put golf course. We decided on the Dragon one. We had a blast! I actually did better than I’ve ever done and made it 8 under par! It was 9:30 by the time we finished and were amongst the last ones there. I looked at my phone and noticed I’d missed a call from Barbara and called her. She informed us we were great grandparents again. Anna Lynn was born around 5 that morning. We headed back to our hotel so Alan could get in a few minutes at the hot tub. Too bad we didn’t notice the ones outside because they were open for another hour later than the one inside. Alan did get in 8 minutes so that was better than nothing. We stayed up and watched TV for a bit before going onto bed. I was beginning to fall asleep so we headed back to the bedroom but since the TV wasn’t on I couldn’t sleep so Alan turned it on and I quickly went to Dreamland.


In the morning I woke up and turned the TV on to an infomercial about shoe inner soles that claimed to help with backaches. I figured I’d give them a try and ordered them, we’ll see. They weren’t expensive since I said ‘no’ to all the other stuff they tried selling along with it. We gathered out stuff, making sure we didn’t leave any of our goodies behind. We decided to eat breakfast at The General’s. They’re known for their fabulous chipped beef and gravy over toast. We had to wait awhile for a table but they get you and out so quickly that we were seated within ten minutes. From there we went back to the Boardwalk so I could buy some salt-water taffy. One cannot go to the beach without getting some. Then we went to the Starbucks outside Ocean City before heading back to Baltimore. We had another beautiful day for a drive. The traffic didn’t get bad until right before the Bay Bridge. It took us an hour just to go 5 miles due to drivers’ stupidity; they played pole position trying to shove their way through. Cops should be on motorcycles handing out tickets to those aggressive drivers. It was around 3 by the time we got back home and decided to do our grocery shopping before picking Teacup since we had a couple of hours before the place was open. On Sundays they’re only open 5pm-7pm. He was thrilled to see us and looked so pretty after having his bath.


Our mini-vacation was just what we needed and now can endure another month before our next day trip. We’ll be going to New York City to see the Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular!

Gas Prices Coming Down

When we went to Williamsburg, Virginia last weekend August 23rd, we were surprised how gasoline prices had dropped. The prices there were about 8 cents a gallon less than what we're paying.

Just think how high prices got before starting to come down. Here in Baltimore, Maryland it got up to $4.13 a gallon but today, August 30th, we're seeing it for $3.35. Today we're driving down to Virginia so we'll probably see it for even less. People on the west coast are still paying a lot more than we are though, over $4 a gallon still. Hopefully, their prices will be coming down a lot more. There's really no reason for us having to pay such ridiculous prices but I'll be thankful that the prices are still lower now!

Colonial Williamsburg

Benedict Arnold overtaking the town.

General George Washington walking by us, thinking about his army and war.

General George Washington riding into town.

Reading of the Constitution

Townswoman at Capitol gate.

Stagecoach

Townspeople.

Basketweaver.

Rooster and his basket.

Baptist preachers.

Alexander's wife pleading for help.

Alan was caught without his wig.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Alan and I decided to take a ride down to Williamsburg, Virginia and see the historical town. There is actually a triangle that consists of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg but we only had time to see Williamsburg. We started out around 8:00 Saturday morning after dropping Teacup at City Pet Center where he would enjoy a couple of days with his buddies. The drive down was casual and we did hit a few slow downs. One was due to a gawker’s block. A van had broken down so everyone in it got out of it and was standing around until someone came to fix it. It’s strange how drivers will slow down to a crawl just to gawk at something like that. We arrived in Williamsburg around 1:00 and checked into the Super 8 Hotel. It wasn’t by far the Hilton but it had the necessities. The air was stagnant so I turned the air conditioner on and by the time we returned that evening it was cooled off and smelled better.

The hotel wasn’t far from Colonial Williamsburg, only about a mile. Since it was lunchtime we headed to the colonial town and found a good parking spot close to what is referred to as the Market area. Alan took my scooter out of the truck and we proceeded to find a restaurant. We decided to eat at Seasons. The different sections in it were decorated in Colonial fashion. The room we sat in had a large fireplace with a wood mantle and the chairs were upholstered in a mint green scallop pattern. The silverware matched the décor in a shell pattern. Alan ordered a sliced roast beef sandwich that came with au jus and slaw. I had a Rueben sandwich with slaw and a kosher pickle spear. We decided to order dessert, which we never do. I had the crème Brule and Alan had a rich chocolate cake with vanilla ice. We were quite pleased with our meals!
The colonial town was just as it was in the 1700s and no cars were allowed in. If you wanted to get around you could ride in a horse and buggy carriage or walk. I was glad I had brought my scooter or I would’ve ended up not being able to hustle to all the activities. After having lunch, we walked over to the ticket booth to see what kinds of tickets we wanted. We decided on the Capitol City Pass, which gave us admission for one day to most of the historic sites including Revolutionary City. It also included: Orientation at the Gateway Building, Shuttle Bus, Visitor Center movie Williamsburg-The Story of a Patriot, Free parking at the Visitor Center, The Capitol, Revolutionary City area and programs, DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, Abby Aldrick Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and Bassett Hall. We could’ve paid a little extra and gotten the Palace/Capitol City Pass, which included admission to the Governor’s, Palace but we passed on it. I ended up purchasing a book that had pictures of all the places. That came in handy since I couldn’t get inside most buildings due to steps. I was able to go into the Capitol building as it did have a ramp but I couldn’t go up the stairs to see the rest of it. The book showed pictures of how it looked. Alan had gone so when I showed him the pictures he agreed that the pictures depicted the inside of the buildings perfectly. Since it was almost 3:00 by the time we finished lunch and got to the ticket booth we had to wait till 3:30 to purchase tickets for the next day. We could, however still walk around town even though we didn’t have tickets as most things were closed by then. We were going to purchase tickets for the Cry Witch program for that evening but it was already sold out. It would’ve been fun to participate in a re-creation of the dramatic trial of The Virginia Witch. We strolled around town for a bit and saw quite a lot. Since I hadn’t charged the batteries in my camera earlier I had to wait till the next day to take pictures. We did go into the Capitol and listened to how the Constitution was written and why. The Revolutionary War was all about Freedom from England. There would be a lot of changes for the people since they would no longer be relying on England for purchases of salt, spices, cloth, and weapons. But Freedom always came with a price. There were 3 problems with the colonial armies: undisciplined men, not enough money, and not enough money. Using native Indians was not an option since they would just assume kill the colonists than fight for them. It was interesting listening to the process of writing the Constitution as it had never before been written down. After visiting the Capitol we headed back down Duke of Gloucester Street and checked out a small outside market. There were ladies’ wide brim hats along with gentlemen’s black colonial hats with feathers in them. There were also handmade soaps and fragrant powders, colonial instruments, like recorders and Jew’s harps, bird jars (used as bird houses), dolls, and other interesting items of the colonial times. I bought a couple of miniature colonial dolls.

It was getting to be time for dinner so we left and went in search of a family restaurant. There was a Mexican restaurant next to our hotel but Alan’s stomach wasn’t in the mood for spicy food. We went on a quest looking for a Cracker Barrel restaurant as we had never been to one and I had seen a lot of billboards advertising them. We found one and there were all kinds of handmade wooden rocking chairs sitting outside for sale. When we entered the restaurant we thought we were at the wrong place as it was a store but the people inside said it was a restaurant too so Alan put our names down. While waiting I looked at one of their menus to make sure they had food we’d like, otherwise we would’ve gone across the street to a steakhouse. The food choices looked good so we stayed and only had to wait 5 minutes. We were seated at a wooden table. A lot of the tables had small games on them. Alan and I both ordered the pot roast dinner with mashed potatoes and carrots. The meat was so tender as it had been slowly cooked for 14 hours. We also decided on corn muffins instead of biscuits and berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. The history behind the name of the restaurant was actually pretty simple. In olden days crackers were sent in large barrels and after they were empty the barrels would be used as a stand that could be used for a checkerboard. People would play checkers in the store. Thus, the name Cracker Barrel is the name of the store and restaurant. When this store was created in the early 60s the thought of having a country store where folks could gather and share stories while playing a game was incorporated with combining a country store with a place where folks could eat.

After a filling dinner we stopped by a 7-11 to buy a couple of small bottles of milk and bottles of water for morning. We kept them in the refrigerator in the hotel room and when we went to drink them the next morning they were ice cold. We watched TV in our room and I ended up falling asleep as usual. I slept good until Alan turned the TV off, then I was wide awake. The mattress on the bed was a lot softer than the one we have at home and my back started hurting really bad. I didn’t have any Ben Gay with me either. I finally fell asleep and woke around midnight to the alarm clock going off. I couldn’t figure out where the off button was but it finally turned off when I pressed one button…but it went off again later and each time I kept hitting the same button. It did that four times before Alan finally got up and unplugged the clock. I tried to get back to sleep but it was no use so I stayed up sitting in the chair so I wouldn’t wake Alan. I finally went back to bed and fell back to sleep but kept waking up throughout the night. I finally got up when I saw it was 6:30 and woke Alan up. We watched some news and saw that it was going to be a nice day but a little humid. We decided to eat at the Pancake House just down the street. I had eggs, grits, and ham. I figured since I was in Virginia I’d try the grits. They were okay but the country potatoes looked better. There was some apple cinnamon jelly, which I tried on my biscuit. It was so tasty that I had Alan put some in his pocket to take home. I saw some interesting booklets that told about things that happened in the year you were born. I picked out one for 1953 and 1959 and we read about the movies, songs, and ads that were out during the time we were born. I found one for my sister-in-law who will be celebrating her 50th birthday this year. I thought she might get a kick reading it. I also found a light blue cap that said Williamsburg Virginia on it so I bought it since I hadn’t brought a cap to wear. There were plenty of postcards to choose from so I found some to send to my mom, grandkids in California and mother-in-law. She didn’t know anything about Williamsburg so thought I’d send her a postcard. I find getting postcards is a safety net for me in case my camera doesn’t work. There was a jar at the register to donate for the health of a dog that had been found, starving and needing medical attention. Alan generously gave money since we’re dog lovers. We ran into a lot of people in Virginia that had a strong dislike for Michael Vick, the football player who was charged with a major dog-fighting ring. How could anyone do that? I’m glad he got convicted; more should’ve happened to him like him being tied up and beaten to a pulp.

Alan dropped me off by the Capitol building while he parked the car. He was able to find a good place to park close by and it was free! Some locals that were walking down the street told Alan about it. He met me shortly and we found a place to stand by the Capitol.
The first colonial person we listened to was General George Washington. This was an interesting interview with him. He answered audience’s questions pertaining to the war. The actor portraying the general was well read in history to be able to answer the questions in such a way as if the real Washington was there in person.

Many test and trials befall the people of America as they create a new self-governing society. Several key events move the people of Virginia toward founding a new independent republic. We were able to join the people in Revolutionary City and experience the turmoil and challenges that confront citizens while shaping a new society and government in the midst of war.

(The date is July 25th 1776) and the reading of the Declaration of Independence is read to the citizens of Williamsburg. This news arrives only a few weeks after Virginia’s representative have adopted their own Declaration of Rights and a Constitution for the new state. There was a small fife and drum band that walked down the street prior to the reading.

(The date is June 18th, 1779) Henry Hamilton, the British governor of Detroit, and other prisoners of war are being held in the Public Gaol (jail). The charges against them are vague, and no evidence has yet been supplied. Hamilton resents being treated as a common prisoner, without the usual provisions allowed for officers and prisoners of war. It was thought he was supplying Indians with goods in exchange for scalps, a lot of them were from children who had been scalped.

(The date is September 15th, 1780) Barbry Hoy, a local woman who followed her husband southward with the army, returns to Williamsburg. Her husband Alexander was captured in the siege at Charleston, and she now seeks work at the King’s Arms Tavern. She tells the story of the war in South Carolina and of the Americans’ grim defeats.

(The date is April 20th, 1781) The town is taken and the British occupy Williamsburg. The American turncoat-now British Brigadier General-Benedict Arnold seizes Williamsburg. Redcoats raise the British flag over the Capitol and announce the rules of occupation.

(The date is July 4, 1781) Running to Freedom. As Lord Cornwallis and the British army prepare to leave Williamsburg, Eve and other enslaved people prepare to go with them. Can Eve convince others to join the more than 600 former slaves who left their rebel masters in the Carolinas to follow the British northward?

(The date is September 28th, 1781) The Promised Land, or A Matter of Faith. Gowan Pamphlet, an African American Baptist preacher, talks about his hopes for the future in a new society where all citizens are equal and where there will be no state church connected to the government as the Church of England had been. A young soldier confronts him with questions of faith in the face of war and world-changing events. Citizens were required to attend one service a month at the Church of England (Catholic Church). They could attend other churches but still required to attend the Church of England.

(The date is September 28th, 1781) On to Yorktown, and Victory. General Washington addresses the citizens of Williamsburg as he prepares to leave for Yorktown.

As you can see, we were kept busy running around town to hear all these events. By the time it was over it was lunchtime. I wanted to go to hear Mrs. Washington speak about life after retirement from the presidency but then we wouldn’t have had time to eat, as it was a 105-minute talk. We went to Seasons again for lunch and ordered the sandwiches we had eaten there the previous day but didn’t have the slaw. Instead, Alan and I shared a chicken quesadilla…it was so good! We didn’t have dessert this time either. After lunch we walked around the Celebration store in Merchants Square. I found a wonderful straw hat like the one I use to have especially when I was on vacation. Since I had thrown it away after getting ruined in the Barbados rainforest, Alan bought it for me. After all it WAS his fault it got ruined. I told him we should’ve bought some rain ponchos. Alan found a vacation hat also. At first he wasn’t going to buy it so I told him I would buy it. He then agreed since he had bought mine. The store I my hat in had all kinds of goodies in it and Alan referred to it as a ‘woman’s store’. There were some Amish clothing and jewelry, little girl infant dresses, and other fun stuff. There were some funny little old wrinkled lady marionettes too. From there we went to the Barnes and Noble bookstore to check out books on Williamsburg. There were so many to choose from and I had a hard time deciding on one. I kept asking Alan for help but he just told me to pick one. I ended up buying the first one I had looked at. It has a lot of pictures and interesting facts in it. I opened the book and as we passed different buildings I was able to find out what it was and how it looked inside without actually going inside.

We passed by a Colonial Garden and Nursery. They had all kinds of vegetables and plants including pomegranate trees. Other buildings we passed were: the Shoemaker, Lumber House, Magazine & Guardhouse, Harness & Saddle maker, Courthouse, Printing Office & Bindery, the Geddy Foundry, Milliner & Taylor, Raleigh Tavern (eatery), Coffeehouse (just discovered), the Kings Arms Tavern (eatery), Silversmith, M. Dubois Grocer, the Mary Stith House, Gunsmith, Wigmaker, and Blacksmith. We also visited the Bruton Parish Church and Churchyard where there were old cement tombs. Some had even been brought over from England. A couple of gravesites belonged to a couple of unknown Confederate soldiers. Since we hadn’t bought the pass that included the Governor’s Palace we walked down the gravel path leading to it, hoping to catch a glimpse inside the gate. It has a small pond outside and the grounds looked beautiful according to pictures in the book I had bought. There was a circular drive in front of the Palace and a long Palace Green that went all the way past Nicholson Street to Duke of Gloucester Street. I couldn’t really see much through the gate. From there we walked along Nicholson Street and passed a small park where a couple of horses were resting under the shade of a large tree while taking a break from carrying passengers in the carriage. More horse carriages were coming out and even a surrey and stagecoach. We passed a townswoman making different bandages out of linen. Some even had eyeholes that were used on the faces of burn victims. I stopped to talk with another townswoman weaving a basket. One unusual round basket was sitting on the other side of the steps from her. I asked the gentleman standing there what kind of basket it was and he said it was for the rooster that was tied next to him. It even had a pouch to keep the chicken feed in. The lady described how she prepared the strips for weaving when the white oak bark was green but waited till the oak was dry before working with it. It was beginning to get hot so we headed to the bakery to get a couple of ice-cold root beers. They were the best I had ever had!

It was about 4:00 and time to head on home so we called it a day and said goodbye to Williamsburg. We had a great time and it was a wonderful way to spend our weekend. We walked to the car and I took one last picture of Shields Tavern. I thought my sister-in-law would get a kick out of it. We drove to a Wawa for gasoline since it was only $3.36 a gallon. We went inside and bought a couple of large plastic cups filled with soda for our long drive home. I took a picture of the gasoline prices to send to our daughter who lives out in California and paying around $4.50 a gallon. We had a pleasant drive home. Traffic wasn’t bad either. We had a couple of slow areas. One was caused by a fender bender in the center lane and people were standing outside their cars in the middle of the freeway…how stupid. We got back in the Baltimore area around 7:00 and started looking for a place to have dinner. We didn’t feel like McDonalds. Alan got off the freeway and headed down Hwy 1 and we proceeded to look for a restaurant. We found an Applebee’s that was open so we turned into the mall and parked. We ordered a small steak with shrimp, mashed potatoes and a salad. The Olympic Closing Ceremonies was on TV so we were able to watch some of it. The sound was turned down so we couldn’t hear the 226 children from around the world singing the Olympic Anthem. The ceremony was just as grand as the Opening Ceremony had been two weeks earlier. Poor Alan was served a bad steak so I gave him mine. I’m not much on steak anyway and the potatoes tasted like paste so we didn’t eat them either. The salad was very good so at least I had enjoyed it. Alan told our waitress about the food and she did make an adjustment to our ticket. The glass of milk filled me up so I was good to go. It was around 10:30 by the time we got home since Alan had to stop and buy some eggs at the store for our breakfast. We had driven by his work and saw that his rig wasn’t out of the shop yet so he wouldn’t be working Monday. That meant we could enjoy breakfast together! All in all our mini vacation weekend was a fun one. We got to get out of Baltimore and enjoy some historical places, enjoy good weather and each other’s company.

Our Do-Over Day, A Bonus

Saying goodbye to Hawaii, parting is such great sorrow....

Alan enjoying some shade at the zoo hut.

Kamoto Dragon

Lions

Termite Mounds

Osterich

Zebra and Giraffe enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Dama Gazelles

When I saw these doves eating side by side this large

tortoise I thought, "now this is what sharing is

all about, isn't it?

This is what you call a lazy pig...warthog actually.

Elephants enjoying some company. Not many visitors

on a hot Monday afternoon.

These cute critters kept looking at

us as if we were their entertainment for the day.

Can you believe the name of this strange bird

is the Secretary Bird?

The zoo had lots of birds, these were sun conures.

Minagano gum trees grow very tall.

Alan standing looking at a mindano gum tree.

These large bird statues almost look real, don't they?

Entrance to the zoo.

Pigeon nesting. Alan and I watched as she and her

mate worked on the nest until it was just right. We watched it

from the day we first arrived in Hawaii and again on the day we left.

What a beautiful place to say 'I do'

Bride and groom having pictures taken right on the beach.

Local surfers meeting.

Surfing instructor, care to take a lesson?

Surf's up!

Here a father and son are swimming in the protected area by the

sea wall on the beach and see the fish as we toss some food in the water.

We visited this Starbucks which was right across

the street from the beach at Waikiki.

One of many colorful sailboats on a beautiful day in Waikiki.

A protected swimming area where families gathered. This was

located at the end of Waikiki Beach. People on the pier

could enjoy watching small fish swarm around any food tossed to them.


Day Ten-Our ‘Do-Over’ Day

We woke up refreshed and went to the dining room for our breakfast and chose seats opposite the Oceanarian. The buffet was fabulous! There were all kinds of eggs, fruits, pastries, cereals, juices, potatoes, and of course coffee. We took our time eating and enjoyed the morning. Afterwards, we went over to the beach. Alan had his swimsuit still so found a nice place to we relax in the park and I watched as he inched himself into the refreshing coolness of the ocean water. There were lots of want-to-be surfers taking lessons and I was able to get some great shots. Alan finally relaxed in the water and floated on his back, enjoying the sun. This was the only real beach day we’d taken. I chose to not go into the water; after all I was the photographer.

After his dip in the ocean we went to the Honolulu Zoo and enjoyed going around looking for the animals that were trying to keep cool in the shade. My favorite stop was at the tortoise house where I got a kick watching birds feeding right next to a huge tortoise. I made sure to get a picture of it too.

From the zoo we went to the International Market to see if I could find a sticker to replace the one I had bought earlier that was coming off the front of my scooter. We found some and I decorated my scooter with all kinds of Hawaiian stickers. I also found some pressed penny machines and got several pennies for Diana. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find them to mail to her as I put them someplace when I got home. They’re probably with the black pearl I can’t find. While at the International Market Alan asked if I would like something to eat since we wouldn’t get anything on the plane but I declined. Later I wished I would have gotten something to eat as we ended up eating some lousy Chinese food at the airport. We went to the ABC store by the hotel where Alan found a tee shirt to wear on the plane since our luggage had been sent the previous day. I also found some neat gold key rings that had names in both English and Hawaiian. They were really neat key rings so I got one for both of us. I should have gone ahead and gotten ones for Diana, James, Emily, Derek and Michael at the same time. I ended up looking up the phone number of the ABC store in Honolulu and ordering them after we returned. They mailed them to me after checking with other stores, as they didn’t have all of the names I requested at one store. It was kind of exciting getting a package from Hawaii. Alan’s name is Alena and mine is Kalena. Interesting how our names are so much alike.

When we got to our Gate we had to wait for awhile before the doors were opened. We were both hoping we might be able to spend another day in Hawaii but alas we didn’t and had to end our time in Paradise. We boarded our plane and once up in the air were served meals. I went into sleep mode or at least tried to on the way to Houston. There was a crying baby and prayed that it would calm down as it was sitting right next to Alan and me. Now that’s something to remember whenever you’re on a plane. Pray if there’s an annoying person sitting next to you like a child or baby and believe me God will answer your prayer. Be sure to pray in a positive way though. I prayed that God would calm the child and that its ears wouldn’t hurt and that it would be able to fall asleep…it worked! When we got to Houston we got a bite to eat at the airport and once again it was gross. Why does airport food always taste so gross? I got a muffin at Starbucks so that was at least good. We both took short naps and arrived back in Baltimore around 2:30pm. Our luggage had arrived the day before and was safe. Now it was back to reality but we’ll have lots of memories to cherish and will definitely be returning to Hawaii again someday soon.

ALOHA~UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

H TI MEE AGAI H

Back in Honolulu

Painting of native Hawaiian dancers, another

paintinng by our cabin.

Another Hawaiian painting that hung by our cabin.

A painting of adorable Hawaiian children.

The grill outside the Hukilau Cafe was a popular spot

especially in the morning serving up any kind of omelet you desired.

The Hukilau Cafe where casual dining was held.

One of many Hawaiian murals on the ship.

Day Nine-Honolulu A poem called I’ll Remember You by Kui Lee was in the Freestyle Daily with these words dedicated to the Officers, Staff and Crew of the Pride of Aloha:

I’ll remember you
Long after this endless summer is gone
I’ll be lonely oh so lonely
Living only to remember you
I’ll remember too
Your voice as soft as the
Warm summer breeze
Your sweet laughter
Mornings after
Ever after, I’ll remember you
To your arms someday I’ll
Return to stay
Till then…
I will remember too
Every bright star we made
Wishes upon
Love me always, promise
Always;
You’ll remember too
I’ll remember you.

The last day of our cruise just happened to be Mother’s Day and I thought it would be nice to find a place to enjoy a nice brunch. We disembarked and had to call Thrifty Car Rental to see about getting a shuttle. We finally got there and we ended up being there for 2 hours trying to get everything straight. Apparently since Alan wasn’t the one that reserved the car but was driving it they had problems with the paperwork. We didn’t have problems at any of the other times we’d gone to Thrifty on this trip. It was so frustrating and finally they gave us a discount for having to wait so long. We got on our way late and we had originally planned to go to the Hawaiian Cultural Center but when I found out how far it was I told Alan that we could cancel that. We then tried looking for a restaurant and it was hard to find one since we were already on the highway and there weren’t any signs of a restaurant anywhere. We found lots of fast food places but I wanted to go to a nice sit down restaurant. We stopped at a Starbucks and had our latte and frapaccino and asked if there was one close but they didn’t know of any. While we were there I was able to buy a couple of Starbuck gift cards that had Hawaiian hula girls on them. Marie, who works at the Starbucks in Baltimore we go to wanted one so we got one for her and then I decided I’d like one too. After leaving there we decided to head on back to Waikiki and try to find a place there. At least they had a Denny’s that we knew we could go to. We drove down the road to where we saw a sign saying Mother’s Day Brunch so we pulled over and asked if they were still serving it as it was 11:30 and the parking valet said yes so we handed him the keys, got my scooter and away we went. It was a very nice hotel and we found the buffet area only to find out that it was closed so I ended up ordering some fish tacos. YUK! I couldn’t eat them, as they were too spicy. We had waited over an hour for it to be delivered so by that time the luncheon buffet was open so I got some salad from it. It seemed like everything was empty from the buffet. This just wasn’t my day and it seemed like everything was going wrong. We left there and went over to the Royal Hawaiian and had some drinks and that seemed to help. The first drink I had was a Shirley Temple since the drink had been created at that hotel especially for Miss Shirley Temple, then I had another drink that was a little more grown up. I began to feel better.

It was getting hot so we headed on down to the beach. We found a parking spot close to the park and walked down towards the little food hut. Alan went to Starbucks to get biscotti to feed to the fish. We always enjoyed feeding the fish. We headed back to Thrifty Car Rental to turn in the car and on the way stopped at Hilo Hattie’s to exchange the shirt Alan had bought the first day we arrived in Honolulu, the one that was a woman’s shirt. They had no problem exchanging it. Then we were on our way to the airport. We walked on to our Gate and then were told our plane was being switched so we had to hustle to another Gate. It sure was a good thing I had my scooter. Shortly after arriving at the Gate there was an announcement that there weren’t enough seats for everyone since it was a smaller plane and asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to stay in Hawaii. Alan asked if I wanted to and I agreed it was a good thing. He went up to the attendant and told her we would volunteer. They put us up in a 4-star hotel in Waikiki right on the beach across the street from the beach with an ocean view! They also gave us vouchers for all our meal since we wouldn’t be leaving until the following night and a $600 airfare voucher towards a future flight with them. I had to call my boss and let her know I wouldn’t be at work on Tuesday but that wasn’t a problem. It seems after a day filled with so much going wrong we were given a ‘Do-Over’ day. It was around 9:30pm by the time we arrived back in Waikiki and we were able to relax and brush off everything from the day before.