3700 miles later, we are home!!
Bloomington Gold Tours is awesome, a first class operation.
Bloomington Gold Tours is awesome, a first class operation.
The pictures are:
Barb at 11,000 feet
A double rainbow over the Rockies
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Day 8
The last day before driving homeThe pictures are:
50 stories down at the bottom of the canyon
Part of Bryce Canyon from the rim
On the road
The cow in the road
The Ranch at Red River
The last full day of the Tour started out very early and the temperature was only 36 degrees when we left the motel at 8:00 am to go to Br
yce Canyon National Park. Yesterday we had taken the shuttle around the entire park to see what was there and we ready to hit the best and longest trails.
We went right to the Navajo Trail which went from Sunset Point down 550 feet – that’s 50 stories! The trip down was almost total switchback paths and it was very steep.
At the bottom, we picked up another trail and eventually, after about 3 miles, made it back to the top of the rim of the canyon – what an experience we had. By the time we had finished, the temperature was almost 80 and we were tired.
We had lunch with Judy and Dale at the Bryce Canyon Lodge and then met everyone back at the Ruby Inn for a departure at 1:15pm.
We drove 114 miles to Teasdale, UT. The trip was on highway 12 which is supposed to be one of the top 10 scenic highways in the United States. What a trip, with some stretches there was no parking on the side of the road because there was no roadside on the road – either side!!! We went up to 9,200 feet in elevation and once had to stop for a cow in the middle of the road. We also had to stop for deer – wh
at a trip.
Barb adjusted to the road and heights by taking a lot of pictures out of the back of the Corvette so she didn’t have to look forward of down – but she did make it.
We finally arrived at the Red River Ranch. This is a small resort with on 15 rooms so we had the entire place to ourselves. There are horses out back and buffalo across the highway and it is very beautiful.
For our final dinner, we were bused 3 mile to the Café Diablo, named the “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” and had some great food and fellowship with our fellow tra
velers.
After dinner, everyone sat around the lodge and talked about what a great time we have had on the cruise.
Tomorrow we take off for home and we hope to be home by late Monday night.
For this trip – we say goodnight.
The Ranch at Red River
The last full day of the Tour started out very early and the temperature was only 36 degrees when we left the motel at 8:00 am to go to Br
yce Canyon National Park. Yesterday we had taken the shuttle around the entire park to see what was there and we ready to hit the best and longest trails.We went right to the Navajo Trail which went from Sunset Point down 550 feet – that’s 50 stories! The trip down was almost total switchback paths and it was very steep.
At the bottom, we picked up another trail and eventually, after about 3 miles, made it back to the top of the rim of the canyon – what an experience we had. By the time we had finished, the temperature was almost 80 and we were tired.
We had lunch with Judy and Dale at the Bryce Canyon Lodge and then met everyone back at the Ruby Inn for a departure at 1:15pm.
We drove 114 miles to Teasdale, UT. The trip was on highway 12 which is supposed to be one of the top 10 scenic highways in the United States. What a trip, with some stretches there was no parking on the side of the road because there was no roadside on the road – either side!!! We went up to 9,200 feet in elevation and once had to stop for a cow in the middle of the road. We also had to stop for deer – wh
at a trip.Barb adjusted to the road and heights by taking a lot of pictures out of the back of the Corvette so she didn’t have to look forward of down – but she did make it.
We finally arrived at the Red River Ranch. This is a small resort with on 15 rooms so we had the entire place to ourselves. There are horses out back and buffalo across the highway and it is very beautiful.
For our final dinner, we were bused 3 mile to the Café Diablo, named the “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” and had some great food and fellowship with our fellow tra
velers.After dinner, everyone sat around the lodge and talked about what a great time we have had on the cruise.
Tomorrow we take off for home and we hope to be home by late Monday night.
For this trip – we say goodnight.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Day 7
Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park
The pictures are:
Ed in Zion National Park
Driving out of Zion
Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park
One of the many canyons at Bryce (550 feet down and we are going to hike it down tomorrow)
Well we left the hotel early and took the shuttle into Zion National Park. We only had a couple of hours to explore but we had a fun time. After exploring the park, we raced to the IMAX Theater at the visitor’s center to see a movie about the park and it was amazing to see the entire park in the IMAX format.
The stop at Zion Park showed us another type of rock and canyon formation and we were in awe of the beauty of it all.
Following the movie we all drove out of the park and stopped for lunch at the Buffalo Grill just outside the park. Barb and I both had our first Buffalo burgers and they were good.
Then it was a 68 mile trip to our next destination, the Ruby Inn at Bryce Canyon. The Ruby Inn has been in operation by the same family since 1916 and it is quite a place. We dropped our luggage off in the room and made a fast trip downstairs to the sh
uttle. We took the shuttle into the park and around to Sunset Point where we listened to a talk by a Forest Ranger about the park.
Bryce Canyon is yet another type of rock formation and I don’t think we can choose which has been the prettiest.
We then boarded the shuttle bus and it took us around the park and back to the hotel.
Next was dinner and shopping and boy can Barb ever shop!! We did have a Utah stone cut in half and inside was a very pretty crystal formation. This rock was many years old and we were then the first people to ever see the inside – pretty neat!!
Well it is time to go to bed as we have a busy day planned for tomorrow – night for now.
Ed in Zion National Park
Driving out of Zion
Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park
One of the many canyons at Bryce (550 feet down and we are going to hike it down tomorrow)
Well we left the hotel early and took the shuttle into Zion National Park. We only had a couple of hours to explore but we had a fun time. After exploring the park, we raced to the IMAX Theater at the visitor’s center to see a movie about the park and it was amazing to see the entire park in the IMAX format.
The stop at Zion Park showed us another type of rock and canyon formation and we were in awe of the beauty of it all.
Following the movie we all drove out of the park and stopped for lunch at the Buffalo Grill just outside the park. Barb and I both had our first Buffalo burgers and they were good.
Then it was a 68 mile trip to our next destination, the Ruby Inn at Bryce Canyon. The Ruby Inn has been in operation by the same family since 1916 and it is quite a place. We dropped our luggage off in the room and made a fast trip downstairs to the sh
uttle. We took the shuttle into the park and around to Sunset Point where we listened to a talk by a Forest Ranger about the park.Bryce Canyon is yet another type of rock formation and I don’t think we can choose which has been the prettiest.
We then boarded the shuttle bus and it took us around the park and back to the hotel.
Next was dinner and shopping and boy can Barb ever shop!! We did have a Utah stone cut in half and inside was a very pretty crystal formation. This rock was many years old and we were then the first people to ever see the inside – pretty neat!!
Well it is time to go to bed as we have a busy day planned for tomorrow – night for now.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Day 5 and 6
Sorry we didn’t post anything yesterday, there wasn’t any internet service in the Grand Canyon.
The pictures are: 
The pictures are: Our porch on the Grand Canyon
34 steps from the cabin to the rim
The view from the rim
On the mule ride – notice the edge!
Traveling through Zion National Park
So here is the last two days.
We left Flagstaff and drove 124 miles to get to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The north rim is the rim that is harder and longer to get to and is only visited by 450,000 people a year compared to 4.5 million who visit the south rim. The lod
ge and cabins were built in the 1920’s and 1940’s and they are still in use and virtually in their original shape – very beautiful.
We had a cabin that was only 34 steps from the actual rim and the view was unbelievable! We first heard a talk by a Ranger who explained why they do not know how the Grand Canyon was formed and he gave a number of explanations. It was an interesting talk. We stood outside and watched the sunset over the canyon and it was an awesome sight. After sunset, we all ate in the restaurant of the Grand Canyon Lodge.
Day 6 - After breakfast on Thursday, we took a 1 hour mule ride along the rim of the Canyon – that was a lot of fun. In a couple of place we were literally 5 feet from the edge of the Canyon.
Following the ride, we all got into our Corvettes for the 124 mile drive to Zion National Park and our motel in the town of Springdale. First we stopped in the town of Kanab, Utah which has been the setting for a large number of movies. The tourist bureau had an employee who used to work in the movies there as an extra and she told us about a lot of here experiences. She was very entertaining to listen to.
Zion National Park was a fun drive with a lot of switchbacks; however, Barb wasn’t too thrilled with the winding road and the steepness of the mountains – but she made it.
After shopping and eating in town, we headed for the Jacuzzi and then it was time for bed.
So here is the last two days.
We left Flagstaff and drove 124 miles to get to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The north rim is the rim that is harder and longer to get to and is only visited by 450,000 people a year compared to 4.5 million who visit the south rim. The lod
ge and cabins were built in the 1920’s and 1940’s and they are still in use and virtually in their original shape – very beautiful.We had a cabin that was only 34 steps from the actual rim and the view was unbelievable! We first heard a talk by a Ranger who explained why they do not know how the Grand Canyon was formed and he gave a number of explanations. It was an interesting talk. We stood outside and watched the sunset over the canyon and it was an awesome sight. After sunset, we all ate in the restaurant of the Grand Canyon Lodge.
Day 6 - After breakfast on Thursday, we took a 1 hour mule ride along the rim of the Canyon – that was a lot of fun. In a couple of place we were literally 5 feet from the edge of the Canyon.
Following the ride, we all got into our Corvettes for the 124 mile drive to Zion National Park and our motel in the town of Springdale. First we stopped in the town of Kanab, Utah which has been the setting for a large number of movies. The tourist bureau had an employee who used to work in the movies there as an extra and she told us about a lot of here experiences. She was very entertaining to listen to.
Zion National Park was a fun drive with a lot of switchbacks; however, Barb wasn’t too thrilled with the winding road and the steepness of the mountains – but she made it.
After shopping and eating in town, we headed for the Jacuzzi and then it was time for bed.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Day four –
The pictures are:
Getting into the car at the hotel
The view from the car
Downtown Sedona
Barb at a Christmas store
Getting into the car at the hotel
The view from the carDowntown Sedona
Barb at a Christmas store
Well for the first time in what seems like months we were able to get a full nights sleep.
The fact that we got two extra hours because of the time change made it wonderful.
After Ed had a full breakfast, we headed down a very, very winding mountain road to Sedona for a very full day of shopping. Barb must have taken hundreds of pictures of the mountains and we will have to delete a lot of them, but the views were spectacular.
Sedona is a very neat little town, but it is made for tourists and we were one of them. Lots of tour buses and people on the way to the Grand Canyon stop there. We went in most of the shops and of course had to buy some things.
At noon we met Dale and Judy Hammersmith from West Chicago who we met last year on the tour and have become good friends. We also met a couple from Ohio Tom and Lynn Checki who are on the tour and joined us for lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the main street of town. After lunch, we all shopped some more and made the drive back to Flagstaff. The drive is only 20 miles but it takes an hour – it was fun.
For dinner , 4 of the couples went to a “famous” steak house called Black Bart’s, which is very close to the hotel. Black Bar's has great steaks and old-fashioned cowboy entertainment with signing wait staff.
Well tomorrow starts the actual tour – see you in tomorrows blog.
The fact that we got two extra hours because of the time change made it wonderful.
After Ed had a full breakfast, we headed down a very, very winding mountain road to Sedona for a very full day of shopping. Barb must have taken hundreds of pictures of the mountains and we will have to delete a lot of them, but the views were spectacular.
Sedona is a very neat little town, but it is made for tourists and we were one of them. Lots of tour buses and people on the way to the Grand Canyon stop there. We went in most of the shops and of course had to buy some things.
At noon we met Dale and Judy Hammersmith from West Chicago who we met last year on the tour and have become good friends. We also met a couple from Ohio Tom and Lynn Checki who are on the tour and joined us for lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the main street of town. After lunch, we all shopped some more and made the drive back to Flagstaff. The drive is only 20 miles but it takes an hour – it was fun.
For dinner , 4 of the couples went to a “famous” steak house called Black Bart’s, which is very close to the hotel. Black Bar's has great steaks and old-fashioned cowboy entertainment with signing wait staff.
Well tomorrow starts the actual tour – see you in tomorrows blog.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Day three
We made it to Flagstaff!!
The pictures are:
What most of the landscape looks like.
The gift shop.
Our room at Little America.
630 really boring miles and we finally are here. That was two long days and not much to see. The picture is a good example.
We checked into a beautiful room and then took the Corvette and washed it – it was a real mess – but came out looking just fine.
The highlights of the trip today were spending an hour in Albuquerque looking for a Mexican restaurant – we finally did.
We did have one neat surprise when we pulled into a rest stop in New Mexico right next to a new Z06. The owner had just been to Mid-America and he used to live in Bloomington having worked for Crescent Electric – it’s a small world.
Then at the border, we were told by the state visitor’s bureau that the gift shop that is pictured was the best between the border and Flagstaff, so we just had to stop – it was really a good shop.
The good news is that we are now get 2 hours more sleep as we have been on home time since we left – and we need it.
Tomorrow we will be up early and go down to spend the day in Sedona before coming back here to join the start of the tour.
Night for now.
The pictures are:
What most of the landscape looks like.
The gift shop.
Our room at Little America.
630 really boring miles and we finally are here. That was two long days and not much to see. The picture is a good example.
We checked into a beautiful room and then took the Corvette and washed it – it was a real mess – but came out looking just fine.
The highlights of the trip today were spending an hour in Albuquerque looking for a Mexican restaurant – we finally did.
We did have one neat surprise when we pulled into a rest stop in New Mexico right next to a new Z06. The owner had just been to Mid-America and he used to live in Bloomington having worked for Crescent Electric – it’s a small world.
Then at the border, we were told by the state visitor’s bureau that the gift shop that is pictured was the best between the border and Flagstaff, so we just had to stop – it was really a good shop.
The good news is that we are now get 2 hours more sleep as we have been on home time since we left – and we need it.
Tomorrow we will be up early and go down to spend the day in Sedona before coming back here to join the start of the tour.
Night for now.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Day two –
The pictures are:Barb at the gift shop
The home of the free 72 oz steak
The customer trying to eat the steak
After a fun day last evening, the day started with breakfast with Jeff, Kris and their family. It had been a long time since we have spent quality time with them and we really enjoyed it. We left Kansas City at 8:00 am and headed for the interstate west bound.
650 miles later, we made it to Amarillo, TX.
We did make one must stop along the way. For about 30 miles we kept seeing signs for Cherokee Village gift shop. Of course we just had to stop.
Barb was all set to buy a genuine Indian basket when we spotted the tag “made in Pakistan” – so much for the basket. They also didn’t have the live buffalo display!!
When we got to Amarillo, we went to dinner at “one of the top 10 steak houses” – they didn’t say top 10 from where but the steaks were really good. The highlight was watching a customer try to eat a 72 oz steak with all the fixings – we left before he finished in the allocated hour. If he ate it all, he got it for free!! If not he paid $72.00.
Well it is time for bed because we have about 9 hours to drive tomorrow to reach Flagstaff. The weather has been great so the drive should be just fine.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Day one –
We packed the Corvette last night – yes everything fit into the trunk and we didn’t have to leave any of Barb’s shoes at home.
We started out at 8:oo am with the top down and it was only 61 degrees out. During the day, we were sprinkled on four times but we never put the top up. It was 84 and beautiful when we arrived at 3:00 pm in Kansas City after driving 400 miles.
We ate with Jeff and Kris and just relaxed for the evening.
No pictures today as there wasn’t anything to take pictures of!!
We will take the next two days to get to Flagstaff.
Night for now.
We started out at 8:oo am with the top down and it was only 61 degrees out. During the day, we were sprinkled on four times but we never put the top up. It was 84 and beautiful when we arrived at 3:00 pm in Kansas City after driving 400 miles.
We ate with Jeff and Kris and just relaxed for the evening.
No pictures today as there wasn’t anything to take pictures of!!
We will take the next two days to get to Flagstaff.
Night for now.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Bloomington Gold Tours
5-Day National Park Tour:
September 23-28, 2008
Northern Arizona & Southern Utah
The pictures are of Barb in her surprise Chrismas present - a 2003 50th Anniversary Edition Corvette.
As you view our blog, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.
We leave Saturday, September 20 in Barb's Corvette to travel to Kansas City to visit Jeff and Kris and our grandkids, Eathan and Molly. It has been long time since we have been there and we are looking forward to stopping.Sunday morning we will leave Kansas City and make our way to Flagstaff.
Hopefully the top will be down the entire trip!!
We plan to arrive in Flagstaff, AZ by Monday evening.
We will meet our friends, Dale and Judy from the Chicago area and a new couple Lynn and Tom from Ohio for lunch in Sodna on Tuesday.
The link to Bloomington Gold Tours is:
http://www.corvette-n-america.com/park_tour/default.htm
The Tour begins:
Day 1, Tuesday, September 23 starts in Flagstaff
Day 2, Wednesday, September 24, we drive to North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – 206 miles
Day 3, Thursday, September 25, we drive to Zion National Park, UT – 123 miles
Day 4, Friday, September 26, we drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, UT – 89 miles
Day 5, Saturday, September 27, we drive to Capitol Reef National Park, UT – 118 miles
Day 6, Sunday, September 28, we leave Capitol Reef National Park, UT and drive home
The Tour Package Includes:
5 Nights Lodging in 1st Class Accommodations
Preferred Corvette Parking at Hotels
85% of Meals (some meals not with group & are open for your choosing)
All Breakfasts (full, hot)
3 Lunches
3 Dinners (including Finale Dinner Banquet)
Activities Including a 1 Hour Mule Ride (Grand Canyon) & Giant Screen Movie Viewing (Zion)
Merchandise
Group Photo
Commemorative Tour Guide with Maps, Tour Route & Day-by-Day Schedule
Bloomington Gold Tour Award
The Tour Highlights are:
“Start Your Engines” breakfast
Grand Canyon (North Rim) National Park
Lodging at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
1 hour mule ride on the rim of the Grand Canyon
Sunset dinner at Grand Canyon Lodge – “It doesn’t get better than this!”
Spectacular cruise through Zion National Park
Giant screen (Zion National Park) 45-minute film
Lunch at the Buffalo Grille & Ranch
Bryce Canyon National Park
124-mile cruise on Utah’s Highway 12, labeled an All American Road and “the most scenic drive in America” according to Car & Driver Magazine
First rate hotel accommodations including a stay at “1 of the 25 best American lodges” according to Travel & Leisure Magazine
Capitol Reef National Park
4 National Parks in 5 days
Finale dinner banquet with views of beautiful Capitol Reef National Park
The most spectacular scenery in the world
Great Corvette camaraderie
Friday, September 12, 2008
Home - At Last
Traveling Home
We’re going home!!! Up at 6:00am and this is the picture of sunrise over the Port of Dover as we arrived.
We’re going home!!! Up at 6:00am and this is the picture of sunrise over the Port of Dover as we arrived.
Ed had breakfast on the Lido deck and then we met Bob and Sheila for the van ride from the Port of Dover to London’s Heathrow Airport.
The ride took 2 hours and we relived memories before arriving at the airport. Bob and Sheila were then staying overnight and flying out tomorrow.
Our plane left on time and arrived at 5:00pm Chicago after an 8 hour flight. Thank goodness Stacey at Suzie Davis was able to get us exit row seating.
It was 77 when we arrived in Chicago and that was warmer than any place we had been on the entire trip.
After a short wait, we took the flight to Bloomington and everything would have been perfect except we were over an hour late taking off. We have been up for 23 hours.
But the big thing is:
We are home and have some wonderful memories!!
The ride took 2 hours and we relived memories before arriving at the airport. Bob and Sheila were then staying overnight and flying out tomorrow.
Our plane left on time and arrived at 5:00pm Chicago after an 8 hour flight. Thank goodness Stacey at Suzie Davis was able to get us exit row seating.
It was 77 when we arrived in Chicago and that was warmer than any place we had been on the entire trip.
After a short wait, we took the flight to Bloomington and everything would have been perfect except we were over an hour late taking off. We have been up for 23 hours.
But the big thing is:
We are home and have some wonderful memories!!
Bye for this trip.
Barb & Ed
Barb & Ed
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Amsterdam
Wednesday, September 10, 2008The pictures are:
Arriving down the canal at daybreak
The palace of the Queen
We took a petal cab again
One of many canals in the city
Fireboat salute upon leaving
For the first time on the trip, we awoke to sunshine. That’s true; we have not had a morning with sunshine all trip. As a matter of fact, we probably have only had a few hours of total sunshine all trip, up until today.
But, we have not had any rain and it has not been cold so we are very thankful for a great trip with good weather.
The ship passed into the city through the locks before 7:00am so we were not up to see it. It took until 9:30am before the ship finally made it to the city docks and we were allowed off the ship.
Our first impression was not very good, but as we traveled the streets we liked the city more and more we came to enjoy the city. We spent 3 ½ hours on a walking trip seeing the sights of the city. “Grass” and prostitution are legal and so it was a rather strange walk throu
gh the city especially seeing the red light district and the “coffee houses” which were places where you could buy drugs – and they were everywhere.We then walked around on our own until it was time to walk back to the ship. After getting on the ship at 5:00pm, we ate pizza on our deck as we watched the rest of the passenger’s board. At 6:00pm we sailed away to a fireboat with its water cannons blazing!
Tonight is our last night so it will be sad leaving new friends but we will have great memories.
It took us until dinner time to pack and set the bags outside the door for pickup later in the evening.
We went to the casino and played for awhile and then said our goodbyes to the staff.
Setting the clock back for the last time – a perfect time to pick up an hour of sleep.
Tomorrow is a travel day and we are ready to be home. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and the next report will be in person.
Night, night.
Love - Barb and Ed
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Our last day at sea
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
As we cruised towards Amsterdam, we did almost what we did yesterday.
As we cruised towards Amsterdam, we did almost what we did yesterday.
The pictures are:
One small part of the prep kitchen
Barb and Sheila
Barb being paid for her jackpot
Barb slept in to try and get rid of the “flu” like symptoms that she has and then we met our friends from Florida, Bob and Sheila for a tour of the kitchen. We had seen it before but they had not.
Then we changed our bag tags so that we could leave together and get our van fast when we land at Dover. It is hard to believe that we only have two days a
nd nights left as the last few have really gone fast. But we are both ready to get back to friends, family and work.
After lunch, we all played in the slot tournament and Ed lost out as someone in the very last qualifying group beat him out.
Then it was on to a session in the casino where Ed hit again twice out of four times on black 20 on roulette and as he went to tell Barb, she hit for a great jackpot in slots.
We then went on to bingo, where Barb won one of the bingo games.
Ed played again in the casino while Barb rested before getting ready for the evening.
What a wonderful day to just relax at sea. The weather was a typical day here, 65 degrees but cold because the sun was not out. I do not t
hink we have seen more than 30 minutes of sun on the entire trip – but at least we have not had bad weather – we just brought too many bathing suits and shorts!
Barb slept in to try and get rid of the “flu” like symptoms that she has and then we met our friends from Florida, Bob and Sheila for a tour of the kitchen. We had seen it before but they had not.
Then we changed our bag tags so that we could leave together and get our van fast when we land at Dover. It is hard to believe that we only have two days a
nd nights left as the last few have really gone fast. But we are both ready to get back to friends, family and work.After lunch, we all played in the slot tournament and Ed lost out as someone in the very last qualifying group beat him out.
Then it was on to a session in the casino where Ed hit again twice out of four times on black 20 on roulette and as he went to tell Barb, she hit for a great jackpot in slots.
We then went on to bingo, where Barb won one of the bingo games.
Ed played again in the casino while Barb rested before getting ready for the evening.
What a wonderful day to just relax at sea. The weather was a typical day here, 65 degrees but cold because the sun was not out. I do not t
hink we have seen more than 30 minutes of sun on the entire trip – but at least we have not had bad weather – we just brought too many bathing suits and shorts! A great dinner, followed by a comedian that most walked out on - he was not really funny so we went to the casino and played for just a little while.
Time for bed because tomorrow is Amersterdam - our last port and everyone is looking forward to it.
Bye for now
Somewhere at sea
Monday, September 8, 2008The pictures are:
Inside the dome overlooking one of the pools
One of the several buffet stations
Barb and our casino host, Clauidia
We are sailing on to Amsterdam. The ship is really traveling because the Captain wants to get to Amsterdam in time for a major lock to be available for the ship to pass into the harbor. Apparently we go through a series of locks before we get to our port at Amsterdam.
Well Barb enjoyed the morning by sleeping late and she deserved it. She woke up with a little chest congestion so we have her on cough drops and Vicks liquid (which she really loves)! It appears that a lot of peo
ple on the ship have caught something.The day was peaceful. We all played in the blackjack tournament but only our friend Bob qualified for the finals and he didn’t place. We then went to play bingo and Bob won $150 and the rest of us had fun.
While Barb rested and tried to get rid of what she caught, Ed played blackjack and won.
In the early evening, while waiting for Barb, Ed played roulette and hit on black 20 for $100 net. Roulette is a boring game, but a fun way to kill a little time.
Tonight was formal night and Barb looked stunning as the picture shows. Tonight the show was a huge singing and dancing production of r
ock and roll music and it was really fun.After dinner we went to the casino and did great – missed the grand midnight buffet but the casino was fun and we really were not hungry. Today was a restful, lucky day.
Tomorrow is another day a sea - see you tomorrow.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
September 7
If it is Sunday, it must be Helsinki, Finland
The pictures are:
Lunch stand at the market
Reindeer Lunch
Steps up to the Lutheran Cathedral
Inside the Rock Church
The pictures are:
Lunch stand at the market
Reindeer Lunch
Steps up to the Lutheran Cathedral
Inside the Rock Church
We set our clocks back so we woke up with finally enough sleep and looked out our deck at the port of Helsinki. Ed’s heritage is Finnish so going to Helsinki was something he was looking forward to. 
We slept in a little and left the ship at 9:00am and took the ship’s shuttle to the center of the city. From there we walked down to the main market square where all the easy-ups were being set up by the vendors and the food stands were already selling their food.
We decided to take the ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress, which is an island fortress guarding the port. The fortress was built in the 1700’s when Finland was part of Sweden. It is
also an island home now to 900 residents; however, we only saw a couple of people – it was a little eerie. The military only stopped using it 30 years ago.
Then it was back to the market where we had a wonderful lunch of reindeer sausage, reindeer "meatloaf", potatoes and salad.
We then took a walking tour through the central city, including the Lutheran Cathedral and then the Rock Church, a beautiful church carved right out of rock. It was very spiritual inside.
Back to the shuttle bus to the ship and it was time to relax before looking at pictures and on to dinner.
We slept in a little and left the ship at 9:00am and took the ship’s shuttle to the center of the city. From there we walked down to the main market square where all the easy-ups were being set up by the vendors and the food stands were already selling their food.
We decided to take the ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress, which is an island fortress guarding the port. The fortress was built in the 1700’s when Finland was part of Sweden. It is
also an island home now to 900 residents; however, we only saw a couple of people – it was a little eerie. The military only stopped using it 30 years ago.Then it was back to the market where we had a wonderful lunch of reindeer sausage, reindeer "meatloaf", potatoes and salad.
We then took a walking tour through the central city, including the Lutheran Cathedral and then the Rock Church, a beautiful church carved right out of rock. It was very spiritual inside.
Back to the shuttle bus to the ship and it was time to relax before looking at pictures and on to dinner.
Dinner of course was fine and then it was off to the show. Tonight it was amateur night and there were four acts and three out of four were really bad. The cruise director had the exact same bad jokes that he had on our last cruise. Sometimes amateur night is good sometimes bad – this was the bad night.
Then it was on to the casino where Ed had his biggest loss (he is still ahead) and Barb was another winner.
The good news is that we set the clocks back for the second time on the cruise tonight and tomorrow is a day at sea – so good night for now.
Then it was on to the casino where Ed had his biggest loss (he is still ahead) and Barb was another winner.
The good news is that we set the clocks back for the second time on the cruise tonight and tomorrow is a day at sea – so good night for now.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
St. Petersburg, Russia
Friday and Saturday, September 5 & 6
We are in Russia for two days
The pictures are:
The back of the Peterof Palace
The Church of Resurrection of the Spilled Blood
The front entrance of the Palace of Catherine
Inside the Hermitage
Friday
It’s St. Petersburg, Russia and would you have every thought that
you would get to Russia – we didn’t, but we are here.
The day started out a little cold and cloudy but improved as the day went on. We booked a two-day tour lasting all day, each day, because you could not get off the ship unless you were on a Carnival tour or had a visa. We did not have a visa.
Getting off took a little time, but no problems. The entire two days we have felt like everyone is watching us. This has been a very strange city to visit, unlike any that we had been to in the past. No matter what, this is still a communist country. They only moved to a free market society less than 15 years ago. The first thing that everyone wants is a car and traffic is terrible. This is the first country that we have visited in Europe in the last three years that really wants dollars for payment, or Euros. Even for the price of a magnet, $2.00, they will convert the price to dollars.
Anyway, after we got to on tour bus, we went one hour to Peterof, the most brilliant to all the former summer residences of the Russian Tzars. The gardens, the fountains and then inside was breathtaking.
Then we went to the Yuspov Palace, where the assassination of the monk Rasputin took place. Following that palace, we went to a restaurant which was very quaint with an all brick interior ad lots of arches. Ed ate his first caviar and really liked. Later he found out that he only liked it when it was cold, not hot.
Then we went to the Church of Resurrection of the Spilled Blood, again another beautiful church
Then we had our worst experience on the cruise. We signed up to take a 1 hour bus ride in the evening to see the Palace of Catherine; however, because of traffic, the one hour bus ri
de there took three hours!!
Built in 1710 on 1400 acres it was beautiful. During the tour of the palace, we drank campaign while we listened to music and watched dancing from the period and then dinner. The ride back was only 45 minutes. It had been a long day, so we went to bed.
Saturday
Saturday was a continuation of the tour from Friday. We started out with a canal boat ride down the canals and river of St. Petersburg. It was a little cool, but fun. After that we went to the museums of the Hermitage. These museums, which some were palaces are bigger than the Louve. We were told that if you stopped at each exhibit for only 1 minute, it would take you 9 years to visit everything in the museum. We were only there for a couple of hours, but our guide gave us the highlight tour and it was fun.
Then we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress and a guided tour inside the main cathedral which served as a burial place for the Tzars.
Back on board at 4:00pm, to get ready for the evening.
Tonight the show was at 7:30pm rather than 10:45pm.
As usual, the show was good, a singer as was the food.
We then went to the casino where Ed did well and Barb didn’t but we had a lot of fun.
We set the clocks back tonight for the first time so maybe we can get some good sleep before we get off on our own in Helsinki, Finland.
We are in Russia for two days
The pictures are:
The back of the Peterof Palace
The Church of Resurrection of the Spilled Blood
The front entrance of the Palace of Catherine
Inside the Hermitage
Friday
It’s St. Petersburg, Russia and would you have every thought that
you would get to Russia – we didn’t, but we are here.The day started out a little cold and cloudy but improved as the day went on. We booked a two-day tour lasting all day, each day, because you could not get off the ship unless you were on a Carnival tour or had a visa. We did not have a visa.
Getting off took a little time, but no problems. The entire two days we have felt like everyone is watching us. This has been a very strange city to visit, unlike any that we had been to in the past. No matter what, this is still a communist country. They only moved to a free market society less than 15 years ago. The first thing that everyone wants is a car and traffic is terrible. This is the first country that we have visited in Europe in the last three years that really wants dollars for payment, or Euros. Even for the price of a magnet, $2.00, they will convert the price to dollars.
Anyway, after we got to on tour bus, we went one hour to Peterof, the most brilliant to all the former summer residences of the Russian Tzars. The gardens, the fountains and then inside was breathtaking.
Then we went to the Yuspov Palace, where the assassination of the monk Rasputin took place. Following that palace, we went to a restaurant which was very quaint with an all brick interior ad lots of arches. Ed ate his first caviar and really liked. Later he found out that he only liked it when it was cold, not hot.
Then we went to the Church of Resurrection of the Spilled Blood, again another beautiful church
Then we had our worst experience on the cruise. We signed up to take a 1 hour bus ride in the evening to see the Palace of Catherine; however, because of traffic, the one hour bus ri
de there took three hours!!Built in 1710 on 1400 acres it was beautiful. During the tour of the palace, we drank campaign while we listened to music and watched dancing from the period and then dinner. The ride back was only 45 minutes. It had been a long day, so we went to bed.
Saturday
Saturday was a continuation of the tour from Friday. We started out with a canal boat ride down the canals and river of St. Petersburg. It was a little cool, but fun. After that we went to the museums of the Hermitage. These museums, which some were palaces are bigger than the Louve. We were told that if you stopped at each exhibit for only 1 minute, it would take you 9 years to visit everything in the museum. We were only there for a couple of hours, but our guide gave us the highlight tour and it was fun.
Then we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress and a guided tour inside the main cathedral which served as a burial place for the Tzars.
Back on board at 4:00pm, to get ready for the evening.
Tonight the show was at 7:30pm rather than 10:45pm.
As usual, the show was good, a singer as was the food.
We then went to the casino where Ed did well and Barb didn’t but we had a lot of fun.
We set the clocks back tonight for the first time so maybe we can get some good sleep before we get off on our own in Helsinki, Finland.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday, September 4
Tallinn, Estonia
Well we woke up to a very beautiful old walled city, in the mist. The weather is 55 and misty, but we are here and are going to set out to walk the town. The church with the tallest steeple is St. Olav’s and dates back to year 1000 and in 1500 was at a height of 520 feet, the tallest building in Europe!
The pictures are:
St. Olav’s church
The view from the top
The Russian church
Barb buying one of her many scarves (it is the year of the scarf)
We took the Carnival shuttle bus to the old town and set out on our own with Bob and Sheila from Florida. We spent the next 6 hours walking and climbing around this medieval town and learning about its history. Lots of winding streets and little alleys to visit throughout the city.
We stopped at noon in the city square and had lunch and watched others having lunch. After that, Bob and Sheila shopped and we went back to St. Olav’s church to climb to the top. It was 258 steps to the top in a very winding spiral stairway. In addition, the steps were 12 inches high. We also visited the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin and The Russian Cathedral – all
magnificent houses of worship.Then a little gambling once we got back to the ship and then a wonderful dinner.
Both Ed and Bob qualified 1 and 2 in the blackjack tournament and then in the last round, Barb also qualified as one of the 7 in the finals.
Bob won the tournament and Ed need not to bust in the last hand.
Then Barb hit a nice jackpot in slots to end the evening 'cause tomorrow we are in RUSSIA!!
Night
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