The drive started out okay. I knew it was going to be a long day, but the thought of a road trip seemed kind of fun too. I was especially excited to add three states to be my "been to" list: Alabama, Georgia (just the NW corner, but still saw some beautiful countryside), and of course Tennessee. Any Texan knows that one of the longest (if not the longest) part of an out of state road trip is just getting out of Texas. So we stopped for lunch while we were still in Texas. We stopped at a place along the interstate in Lindale, TX (which just so happens to be Miranda Lambert's hometown) called Collins Street Bakery. They had a good selection of sandwiches (I had the deluxe chicken salad), soups, salads, fruit, etc plus a large delicious bakery selection. My Pecan Fancy was to die for.
Back in April, I set out on a 900+ mile road trip with my mom and sister to visit a university my sister was considering transferring to in the fall in Cleveland, Tennessee. You may ask, why on earth would we choose to drive that far? The reason we were going in the first place is because the college is Lee University, which is affiliated with the Church of God, which is the church my sister and I grew up in. As for why we drove, we actually bought plane tickets...the day before we were supposed to go. By that point the prices were over 500 dollars a person. So we decided that was ridiculous, and luckily we had purchased cancellation insurance from Delta, so we got a refund and hit the road. The drive started out okay. I knew it was going to be a long day, but the thought of a road trip seemed kind of fun too. I was especially excited to add three states to be my "been to" list: Alabama, Georgia (just the NW corner, but still saw some beautiful countryside), and of course Tennessee. Any Texan knows that one of the longest (if not the longest) part of an out of state road trip is just getting out of Texas. So we stopped for lunch while we were still in Texas. We stopped at a place along the interstate in Lindale, TX (which just so happens to be Miranda Lambert's hometown) called Collins Street Bakery. They had a good selection of sandwiches (I had the deluxe chicken salad), soups, salads, fruit, etc plus a large delicious bakery selection. My Pecan Fancy was to die for. We finally got out of Texas, drove through Louisiana, and got through Mississippi with a little bit of slow traffic due to road construction. By the time we got to the Alabama state line, it was almost dark, I was tired and ready to be there, and I had given the driver's seat to my sister. We did stop to take a picture by the Alabama sign at the Welcome Center though. (I had originally planned to take one at every state line since we were going through 6 states in a day, but that plan quickly faded when I realized how much time our stops were eating up. Plus, by the time we got to Georgia and Tennessee I was dozing in the passenger seat.) We finally got to Cleveland around 2 am local time and checked into a hotel completely exhausted. The next two days we spent exploring and learning about the Lee University campus. It is beautiful, large, and focused on Christ centered excellence. I understand why my sister would want to go there, though I'm not so sure it's worth being so far away from everyone she loves. The campus is filled with red brick buildings. Everything was clean, classy, and state of the art, which has always been my experience growing up in the Church of God, striving for excellence. Not everyone there is Church of God though, but it is very much a Christian campus. In addition to classes for their major, students are required to take religious classes, perform service hours, and study abroad (though there are domestic options too, but they recognize that students need to expand their borders). It's an amazing school that keeps the students very busy. Music is also a large part of the school. There are an insane amount of music groups for singers and musicians, all of which rise to Christ centered excellence. Every professor and student we ran into were very friendly. It seemed like most students lived on campus, and after touring the upperclassmen apartments I can see why. They're nicer than my apartment post-college! Here are a few photos from our days there, known as Lee Days (and full of fun activities!).
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“New York is a city of daily irritations, occasional horrors, hourly tests of will and even courage, and huge dollops of pure beauty.”—Pete Hamill, DowntownI just realized I've had this blog for many months and have yet to write about my all time favorite place to wander around: New York City. That is simply unacceptable. So here are a few reasons why I love THE City.
“I go to Paris, I go to London, I go to Rome, and I always say, ‘There’s no place like New York. It’s the most exciting city in the world now. That’s the way it is. That’s it.’”—Robert De NiroLiterally. We spent one night in New Orleans. So we came far from seeing everything the city has to offer, but we saw what we could. Our hotel was in the French Quarter, so we spent more time there than anywhere, but we did venture off a couple different directions. One of the main draws of New Orleans for my sister and me were the cemeteries. I always find cemeteries interesting; they're full of history and untold stories. Some people may find that strange (I don't care), but I think almost anyone would enjoy seeing the cemeteries in New Orleans. They're so different from what most of us are used to. The above ground tombs are beautifully haunting. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. On a random side note, I also got a voice mail from the principal of the school I would eventually teach at this year somewhere between getting off the cruise chip and getting to the cemetery in the Garden District. So I called him back while walking the cemetery. (It worked for me, because talking on the phone is not my thing. It helped to have plenty of quiet space to move around. I even took pictures while we spoke.) Six days later he called and offered me the job, meaning my phone call was really an informal interview. I just wasn't aware of that at the time. So I guess you could say I had a job interview in a cemetery. Here's a picture of me at my job interview. HA! Several months before the trip, my parents saw a special on TV about a restaurant in New Orleans that was known for having incredible fried chicken. After they told me about it, I looked it up and I swear my mouth was watering over pictures on the computer screen. So our first meal in New Orleans had to be at Willie Mae's Scotch House. It was delicious. It was a little too spicy for me, but what do you expect in Cajun country. (Most people will handle it fine; I'm just not good with spicy food!) Everyone was very friendly and the sweet tea was perfect. Plus I'm a sucker for macaroni and cheese. The neighborhood it was in didn't seem like the safest place to be, but there were plenty of visitors parked around the restaurant. I wouldn't drop by at night though! After lunch, we checked into our hotel in the French Quarter to stay one night. It's called Chateau Lemoyne, and it's owned by Holiday Inn. It's a very nice hotel inside former 18th century townhouses. All of the staff we encountered (valet, front desk, bellhop, concierge, and waitress) were very friendly and helpful. The pool looked nice, but we didn't have much time and it was raining so we never went in. Our room had a balcony we shared with two other rooms (though we never encountered anyone else outside) that looked right our on the street. It was a great French Quarter experience. We also had a nice breakfast in the restaurant the next morning that normally would have been very pricey, but I somehow managed to secure a free breakfast voucher with my hotels.com booking. My only complaint was the pricey cost for parking, though I suppose being right in the French Quarter I should expect as much. After checking in, I set out with my dad and sister to explore the French Quarter. We wandered from our hotel to Saint Louis Cathedral (btw, Saint Louis is my 25th Great Grandfather) and Jackson Square. It was great to walk and take in the sights. We explored the inside of the church and did some shopping at the Harley Davidson store. Later that evening, the whole family walked a few blocks from our hotel to Pierre Maspero's for dinner. I was intriqued by the history of the place; it was an old slave exchange and a meeting place for Andrew Jackson and his men. The food was good. I had my first Po-Boy. Walking back to the hotel, Bourbon Street was starting to come alive. We walked a small part of it just to see what it was like. Before we left town the next day, we did some souvenir shopping and made sure we stopped by Cafe Du Monde for their famous chicory coffee (yuck, not a fan, but I'm not really a coffee drinker so try it for yourself) and beignets (delicious and messy). While we only had one night in NOLA, I feel like I got experience of it. I would like to return someday to attend a jazz show and see the Battle of New Orleans battleground. I would also like to experience the huge WWII museum. Anything else you would suggest? Let me know in the comments below.
Our second stop on the cruise was Cozumel, Mexico. I really enjoyed it, and I could see myself going back on a vacation just to Cozumel. As soon as we (all four of us this time) stepped off the boat (and took numerous pictures with costumed people), I could tell Cozumel was going to be much different than Progreso. Even the pier looked polished and touristy with signs that said "Welcome to Cozumel." After walking through a maze of shops right off the pier, we grabbed a taxi to go downtown. The plan was much like it was in Progreso: shopping, then beach (and hopefully some Mexican food somewhere along the way). Once downtown, we were once again faced with aggressive shop owners, though it wasn't nearly as intense as it was in Progreso. The streets were lined with shops geared towards tourists, and businesses such as Cariloha, Del Sol, and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and prices listed in pesos and dollars, told me we were in an area that heavily relies on tourism. It seemed like every other store was a jewelry store drawing us in with a free charm as a way to get us in their store, but everyone was very nice. We also got great souvenirs. I was excited to get nice, big tote bags for around 5 dollars each. (Teachers can never have enough bags!) I was also pretty excited to buy nail polish at Del Sol that turns color in the sun (as do all of their products). When I checked out, I was given the option of adding a very nice canvas tote bag to my order for a low price. I'm glad I did, because I carry it to work and back almost every day now. Ironically, the nail polish was the reason I went and I haven't used it since vacation. I'm not even sure where it is. I should find that..... Anyway, also among the souvenir shops wasCariloha, a store that carries products made of bamboo. It's a little pricey (not unrealistically for the value, just more than the cheapo souvenir stores surrounding it), but they did give us all free bamboo necklaces. My sister bought a t-shirt that is so incredibly soft because it's made of bamboo. I don't know why more companies don't use bamboo; there was a display there showing how quickly it grows and replenishes itself. It seems like a really good plan. They also carry sheets that are unbelievably soft. We ended up shopping longer than we intended to, so we had to choose between finding a restaurant or a beach, so we went with a beach. There were taxis lined up along the street, so it was very easy to find a ride. It reminded me a little of New York City in that respect, except it was probably easier to get a cab in Cozumel. Just like New York, you just have to sit back and trust that the cab driver knows what he is doing. We sped down the highway at a high rate of speed, zooming around other cars, and squished together in the tiny back seat. (My dad rode in the front.) There was no air conditioning, so the windows were down the entire time. It was scenic, thrilling, and a bit dangerous. The beach that the driver insisted on taking us too= (I'm sure they had some kind of deal worked out) turned out to be absolutely beautiful. It was called Paradise Beach. They had a minimum amount of money they wanted each person to spend on food and/or drinks. That wasn't a problem, because we were hungry and I finally had an opportunity to get some real Mexican food! There was a giant pool next to a bar sitting under a hut. We didn't mess with the pool though. After renting a locker, and storing our excess stuff, we walked past the pool to the numerous palm trees. Under the trees were rows and rows of lounge chairs in the sand, and just beyond the trees was the sunny beach with clear blue water. There were also blow up activities like slides that you could use for an extra fee, but we were content to swim and let the water cool our sunburned skin. It was crowded in that there were a lot of people around but not in that we couldn't have space in the water or find chairs to sit in. We swam for awhile, and it was glorious. I could have stayed much longer, but we didn't want to be late back to the ship. So we finally settled back in our chairs under the palm trees and waved over a waiter who took our order and later brought our food right to our chairs on the beach. (Can I live here?) While we waited for the food, my sister and I spent some time in the hammocks hanging next to the chairs and took a few pictures with her camera. (I don't have much from here, because I locked my camera up in the locker.) When the food came, we sat back in our chairs and had a coke and the best quesadillas I've ever had in my life. I don't know what cheese they put in it, but it was AMAZING. Of course, the beach side service and the view (Paradise Beach is named appropriately) made it that much better. My mom and dad had some kind of nachos that were pretty good, but oh those quesadillas. About this time, I started getting really nervous about getting back to the ship on time. It seemed to take forever to get our food paid for (it really wasn't that long, I was just nervous about getting left!). I passed the time reading in my chair, which was also glorious. Despite my anxiety on the matter (I'm really not as nervous of a person as these posts make me sound!), we got our stuff gathered, our locker deposit returned, got a cab (there were several waiting outside the beach entrance), and got back to the port without about an hour to spare. We stopped by a few of the shops there to finish buying souvenirs (prices were actually pretty good there, and I had seen a shirt I wanted on the way out earlier), went back through security, and were in our rooms before the departure deadline. I went up on the top deck to watch the ship pull away, and it was breathtaking. It was one of those small moments I'll always remember. A storm was starting to move in as we pull out, so the blue sky was also filled with rain clouds. As the ship turned away, the water was several brilliant shades of blue, and a light rain began to fall. It was incredible. After we got going, I just sat in a deck chair for a few minutes alone and soaked it all in. All in all, I really enjoyed Cozumel. I would love to return here for vacation as a destination and not just a stop on the cruise. If I cruised to Cozumel again, I wouldn't do much different. I would probably spend a little less time shopping to have on the beach. I would definitely eat those quesadillas again! (I'm getting really hungry typing this. And I don't have any tortillas, so I can't make quesadillas. Sad day.) I wouldn't mind returning to Paradise Beach, though I'm sure there are other great beaches there too. So do I recommend Cozumel? YES!
On my cruise this summer, our first port of call was Progreso, Mexico. This was the first time I had ever been out of the country. (Unless you count the UN in New York City. It's technically international territory. I don't think that counts though...) It was an interesting experience to say the least. From what I was told, Progreso is fairly new as a tourist destination, or at least as a cruise ship destination. So it still has a very traditional feel to it. I felt like I was walking a town in the middle of Mexico rather than the Yucatan (besides the safety factor, crime is very low on the Yucatan). Let me back up... I was very anxious the morning we got to Progreso. My dad was so sunburned and miserable that he decided to stay on the ship, so that mean it would just be my mom, sister, and me. None of us had ever been out of the country before. None of us had been on a cruise before, so we knew nothing about the procedures of getting on and off the boat. Our plan was to take a taxi downtown (the pier is very long, so you have to catch a ride to land), do some shopping, then head to the beach. So we go down to the lower deck that was announced as the place to debark; I think they scanned our ship cards, then we stepped out onto the gangplank where they took several pictures. There were shops right there on the pier, but we had heard it was cheaper in town so we just walked through those without stopping. When we got to where the taxis were, there was also a bus with a sign that said it was free transportation from cruisers. My mom wanted to take the taxi, because she wanted to be sure to get to the shopping, but I was so nervous about getting lost. So when I saw that most people from our ship were getting on the bus, I convinced my mom that it would be best to stick with the others. I'm glad we did. It was a totally free ride down the several miles of the pier, through the border security, and a few blocks into town. It dropped us off right at the International Shops. We also drove right by the beach, so I paid close attention how far it was and how to get there so we could walk. We did a little bit of shopping there, but I think we were all unprepared for just how intense it is to shop there. I knew it wasn't like America where you browse on your own and pay the price on the sticker. I'd been told to haggle with the shopkeepers. But I didn't realize how much they were going to be fighting for my attention. Every way I turned someone was yelling "Senorita!" "I have something for you Senorita." It was very overwhelming. We didn't stay at the shops too long. We knew we would have to come back through to catch the bus back, so I figured I could buy whatever I wanted then and not have to carry it around. Plus, I wanted to see what else was around first. So we walk out on the street and realize we are seriously in traditional Mexico. It was very cool. It was also pretty scary, mostly because my mother has zero street smarts, doesn't do much traveling, talks to everyone, and doesn't know how to say no. Saying no is a very important skill when you go shopping in Mexico, because almost everyone you meet who realizes you're a tourist is trying to sell something. My mom couldn't say no and keep walking; she would stop and have a conversation. Meanwhile, my sister and I are fighting off dozens of other people approaching us because we're standing still waiting for my mother. I did get to have a nice chat with a man who told me all about how he'd been to the U.S. three times. The last time he was in Miami, but drugs and fancy women were his undoing and he lost everything but his life. I wasn't sure where this conversation was going, so I was thankful I could say "It was nice to meet you, but I have to go now" as we moved on. My mom saw a market place she thought would have good shopping. We somehow ended up in a local food market where we were the only non-locals in sight. No one ever bothered us. Actually either very friendly or ignored us, but my defenses were on full alert so I really did not want to be the only tourists around.There were crates full of fruit, women making purchases, a lot of flies and heat, and a funny smell. It was really neat to see where the locals shop though. (Even though it made me thankful for the air conditioned supermarket back home!) I don't think my mom was impressed; she wanted souvenirs! So we just walked through quickly back to the street. Even though I was nervous about being in a new situation in a foreign country, no one ever made me feel unsafe. I also noticed a heavy police presence. No doubt to be sure the tourists, and our money, stay safe and keep coming back. As we got closer to the beach, the streets started to be lined with shops targeted toward tourists. They were filled with souvenirs and silver jewelry they all claimed to be real, who knows what really was. I also got offered a lot of tequila. Just like in the shops, owners yelled as we were walking by "Senorita!," "Senorita, I have a necklace for you," "Senorita, would you like some tequila." I got very good at saying the word no. Here's a conversation I had with a restaurant owner as I'm walking down one side of the street and he's yelling from the other side of the street: -"Senorita, you want some tequila?" -"No thank you." -"You want a beer?" -"No thanks." -"A margarita?" -"No." -"How about a boyfriend?" -"No." *laughing* -"You want to coochie coochie?" -"No." *officially creeped out* We did end up buying at a few of the shops on the street leading to the beach. I bought a "silver" bracelet. The two men in the shop went on and on about how it was real, how it was imported from their hometown, and how they were giving me such a great deal. They even weighed the bracelet and pretended to consult one another on coming down on the price. I don't know if it's real silver or not, but it's pretty and it has the Mayan calendar on it. So whatever, I got a cool souvenir. They also asked if I spoke Spanish. I said very little, "dos clases a la universidad." He told me about his hometown and how he hoped to see me there someday. I played along because I wanted a good deal on my purchases. The other man asked if my mother was married. Mexican men are very forward. After we left their shop, their neighbor said it was his "turn" and we bought several things there. Then we went in a shop with an American owner who told us that guy was a criminal who threatened to kill him and had been watching us. So about the time I was beginning to relax, I got creeped out all over again and thought for sure we were being followed. Oy. The American shop owner gave us several tips about visiting the town. His shop sold things made my the Mayan people. Am I the only one who didn't know they were still around?! Apparently there is quite a large population. The proceeds from this man's shop goes to help them with things like education. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not, but then I saw several newspaper articles and pictures hanging above a desk in the back corner. We finally made it to the beach! The American shop owner had told us to be aware of using chairs or tables, because many of them were owned by people who would try to charge us large amounts for using them. Also, there were no lockers in sight, and we didn't want to leave our things unattended, so we took turns sitting on the sand while the other two swam. We also didn't bring our towels because my mom had heard the beach was no good there and didn't think we would swim. Whoever told her that was wrong, the beach was great. We still had to deal with people coming up to us every couple of minutes trying to sell something, but the sand was perfect and the water was a beautiful blue color. It was very appealing. After swimming, we decided to find some food then go back to the ship. It was suggested that we should just go back to the ship where the food was free, but I wanted to authentic Mexican food darn it! Unfortunately, every where we passed either had a menu with prices that were either extremely expensive or in pesos (I couldn't tell), only had outdoor seating (it was very warm), or we couldn't communicate because I know very little Spanish. I finally gave in and agreed to go back to the ship to eat as long as we could for sure get Mexican food the next day in Cozumel. We had to take a longer route back, because my mother told too many people trying to sell things that she would come back. She knew they would hold her to it, and we just wanted to get back on the ship. For example, as we approached the beach several girls asked if we wanted massages. My sister and I said no. My mother said she might, that she would be back by. Then she gets caught up in a conversation with them and the next thing you know she's surrounded. I finally had to walk back over and physically guide her away. She just can't say no. All these girls had given her their names and made her promise she would come back to them. Here's photographic evidence. So we took some less "touristy" side streets back. Again, everyone was either friendly or ignored us. We never felt threatened. And away from the shops we didn't have people harassing us to buy things. (Though I was still a little worried we were being followed by that shop owner.) We finally made it back to the shops. We purchased a few more things then boarded the bus to ride back to the ship. This time I was facing a window on the edge of the pier, and I realized just how narrow the road was. Plus we were driving several miles out, so my introverted brain automatically goes to worst case scenario of driving off the edge and being trapped in a bus while it sinks in the ocean. My brain likes to scare me like that. Of course nothing happened. We made it back just fine. We trudged through the shops, though border security, and back to the ship. Here are a few pictures I took as we made our way back. One of my favorite photos is the one of the armed guard on the pier. He had a really big gun, and I wanted to take a picture but wasn't sure if I was supposed to. So I tried to do it quickly and discreetly. Only later did I look through and realize he's looking right at me with a slight smile on his face. He looks like a really nice person. By the time we got back on the ship I was exhausted, wet, covered in sand, and starving. So we took turns showering, ordered room service, and napped/read in our room until dinner time. Here's my room service. A turkey sandwich never tasted so good, and oh THAT CAKE.
Yes, those are my white legs in the photo. (They got a lot tanner by the end of the cruise.) This was the first cruise I had ever taken. I went in with an open mind. I was excited by the stress free, all inclusive, lots of food, traveling to a foreign country idea. I was a little weary of motion sickness. I took plenty of medicine just in case, but it didn't bother me much. By the end of the cruise (or probably before that) I had made up my mind; I love cruising! I'm totally down for another one any time. The cruise I went on was through Carnival on board the ship named "Elation." I'm told this is a smaller ship, but it didn't seem very small to me! There was so much to do I didn't get to all of it. We sailed from New Orleans to Mexico, stopped at Progreso and Cozumel, and had two full days at sea, not counting the day we left which we spent sailing down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. It would take me forever to tell you about every aspect of the ship itself. If you want to know, check out their website HERE. So let me highlight a few of my favorite things. 1. No cell phone service or wifi! To some of you this may sound awful. I have to admit there were moments I missed it. Mostly when I was trying to find my family and couldn't call or text. We had to get by the old fashioned way of looking for each other, leaving a note, or calling room to room and hoping the other person was "home." Besides that, it was so relaxing to disconnect for a few days. I didn't realize how much stress the constant connection puts on me. I'm not really a phone talker, but no texts, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. seemed inconvenient yet maybe a needed break beforehand. By the end of the cruise I didn't really want to turn my phone back on! 2. Sitting out on the deck: I actually didn't do this as much as I thought I would for two reasons. Reason one was because there was so much to do below deck that kept me busy. Reason two was the main reason though, and that's because I got sunburned the first full day. I am usually very diligent about protecting my skin and would rather be pale than risk skin damage. However, my legs usually never burn or tan or do anything except stay so white they could blind you if you looked directly at them. I wondered if my legs had somehow lost all pigmentation. I could lay out in the sun by the lake all afternoon and nothing would happen. So I was careful to put plenty of sunscreen on my face, chest, shoulders, arms, back, etc. I neglected my legs. I figured nothing would happen, and gosh darn it if there was any chance of getting any color in them it would be laying on a deck in the middle of the gulf so I was going for it. What I didn't expect was for the tops of my thighs along the edge of my boyshort swim bottoms to burn to a bright red. (The rest of my legs did tan though. It was a miracle!) So for the rest of the trip I was careful to keep them out of the sun as much as possible. Not that it stopped me from swimming on the beaches of Mexico, but I'll get there later. Even though my legs burned so bad (the skin was sensitive for weeks afterward), I was in better shape than the rest of my family who had burned shoulders and chests. My dad was the worst. He actually fell asleep in a chair that day and burned all over. His legs were AWFUL. We were pretty sure he obtained second degree burns. (My nurse of a cousin confirmed the suspicion when we returned home.) So he was definitely out of the sun for the rest of the trip. He didn't even get off the ship the first day in Mexico, and in all of our vacation photos his legs are a nice shade of lobster. Anyway, I'm rambling off topic. (That happens to me a lot.) Just laying in a chair, with no phone, no schedule, and taking in the scenery, reading a book, or watching the Men's Hairy Chest contest (oh yeah, that's a thing) was so relaxing. 3. FOOD. I always heard about the food on a cruise, how much there was and how good it tastes. It was a little different than I imagined. I pictures 24 hour overflowing buffets. However, there was a schedule of when certain food areas were open and when they were serving what. But there was always food somewhere. Sometimes you had to stand in line, but it never took very long. In the casual dining room there was 24 hr pizza, yogurt and ice cream machines, dessert bar, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fried chicken, etc. By the pool there was a grill with burgers and such and a Mongolian grill. The breakfast was amazing with many options. Since most of the cruise passengers were from the South, there were grits every day. I love grits, but I hardly ever eat them. This trip was a different story. Every day on the ship there were grits. I've never eaten so many grits in my life. And the pancakes were so light and fluffy. And I could eat bacon AND ham. I've never been much of a breakfast person, but if it were always like this....delicious, cooked by someone else, and eaten on an outdoor deck over looking the ocean....I could get used to that. My favorite thing though, was eating in the dining room at night. I loved changing into nicer clothes, meeting up with my family, and being waiting on by the international staff. I ate things I had never tried before. Escargot, which was much more buttery and delicious than I imagined (even though it looks less than appealing), and Baked Alaska (which was good, but not as good as I imagined) were two new things. The only thing I could not bring myself to try were the frog legs. I mean, they look like...frog legs. I started off pretty adventurous, but the last day I decided to order the fried chicken from the comfort menu and it was AMAZING. The only thing I didn't like much was the turkey and dressing dinner I got one night in the middle of the cruise. Maybe I'm just used to Southern style Thanksgiving cooking, but it was a little weird. I always drank tea and water with my meals. For one thing those are free, and for another I just don't drink a lot of alcohol. I would have one drink some nights in the dance club or piano bar, but otherwise I was happy with tea and water. (And the Lo Carb Monster energy drinks I brought on board. I am so addicted.) Funny story, my mother also doesn't drink much. She drinks less than I do, which is saying a lot since I never drink at home and usually don't have more than one drink a night on vacation. She got one of the fruity frozen drinks the first day and drank less than half of it because she was afraid it would make her drunk. So imagine everyone's surprise when she eagerly buys a shot a dinner the first night. A waiter was coming around with a tray full of shots and would ask each table if they wanted one. They did this every night, but it wasn't annoying because they weren't trying to sell you anything. If you didn't want it you just said no and they moved on. This one had Kahlua, Irish Cream,and I can't remember what else in it. My mother immediately says yes she'll have one and asks if I want one too. I say no thank you, as I am mostly confused and slightly entertained by the fact my mom is buying a shot. My dad signs the bill and my mom throws it back. Okay, that's not what happened. She actually took a little sip of it and gagged. Here's the hilarious explanation: My mother owned a coffee shop up until a few months ago when we finally had to shut it down. We had Irish Cream and Kahlua syrups you could put in your lattes (non-alcoholic of course). So when my innocent little mother saw small cups and heard two flavors she recognized, she thought it was a free coffee drink sample. Imagine her surprise! She said it tasted like medicine and wouldn't drink anymore. We definitely have not let her live that one down! Also, 24 hour free room service. The day I got in from Progreso, I was tired, hungry, and wet & sandy from the beach. A turkey sandwich never tasted so good. And that chocolate cake...OMG. It was possibly my favorite food on the whole ship. After that I ordered just cake from room service. Anyway, here are more food pics. 4. Another thing I really enjoyed was the night life. I totally did not expect this. I'm not a nightlife person. A night out for me is dinner and a movie. I've never been a bar hopping, clubbing type, even when I was in college. I'm a Christian, an introvert, and a small town girl, so that sort of thing never appealed to me much. I thought I would enjoy the daily shows more (which they were great too, except the comedy, I didn't find it very funny). The first night on the ship was ladies night in the dance club with free champagne. So my sister and I thought we'd swing by. At the very least we'd stay a few minutes, try the champagne, and people watch. The champagne was terrible. Or it may have been really good and I just don't like champagne. This was only my second time to ever try it and I thought it was awful both times. So did my sister and the stranger at the next table who we talked to for a few minutes. Maybe it was cheap stuff to give away? I don't know, but it was free so we drank it anyway. We watched people dance for a while, then it got pretty crowded so we moved to a table at the other end to have a better view. My sister will not dance in public, but I pretty much have no pride in that sort of thing. So I danced to a few songs. It was so much fun. We said we would come back another night, but we never did. Because we found a spot we liked even more. The piano bar! I know what you're thinking. A bar? That was your favorite spot on the entire ship? I'm not even a big drinker, but I did have one drink one night that was absolutely amazing. It was called a Hurricane Wave. It had rum, hurricane daiquiri, and banana daiquiri. So good. Only thing was that it was frozen, and my mouth is really sensitive to the cold so it took me forever to drink. The other nights I would order a Rockstar energy or a root beer. No one cared what or if people were drinking. It was just fun to hang out, listen to the music, and sing along. (And to top it off, the bar was decorated like New York City. Of course we would gravitate to the room decorated like New York. I have a slight obsession.) It was small and comfortable, and it just sort of became our spot at night. The singer in the piano bar was incredible. Her name is Susan Erwin. (Her website is here. She also has a facebook page here.) She is a talented pianist, has an amazing raspy voice, knows tons of songs (almost anything requested was played, when she found out we were from Texas she played Amarillo By Morning, then had to explain to a British couple who George Strait is), and was just fun to hang out with. She would stop between songs and talk to everyone. As luck would have it, our last night on the ship was also her last night on the ship. So a bunch of us sat around the bar (that was around the piano) until about 1 am singing and making the most of her last night. It was a lot of fun. One night instead of Susan playing, the guitarist who usually played at the atrium bar filled in. I had a crush on him from day one of the cruise when he led my group in the safety drill. Attractive, British, guitarist, great voice, and he seemed like an all around nice guy. His music is also worth checking out. His name is Edd Carr. To go to his page click here. Even besides the musicians, the entire staff on the ship was very friendly and helpful. Our steward Lawrence was great. The second day I requested some ice to keep my Monster cold for the next morning. After that I had a fresh bucket of ice in my room every day without asking. We had towel animals, chocolates, and an itinerary left in our room daily. And he would often turn my reading lamp on it and leave my book on my pillow. The little things made all the difference. So would I recommend cruising? Absolutely. To anyone and everyone. Young, old, families, singles, couples, friends, even those who suffer from motion sickness and claustrophobia (that would be me, I was fine on both). Do it! The Elation was great, but I'm sure any of the ships are fun. They are called funships after all. Although if you sail out of New Orleans, you are guaranteed plenty of grits and country music.It was my idea that in order to save as much time as possible on the trip for fun stuff, we should drive all the way to New Orleans in one day. It's totally do-able. It's about a ten hour drive from where we live in Texas, plus throw in a few hours for stops and meals. It really wasn't too bad. We set our departure time for 4 am. At 2 am I was still laying in bed wide awake and had never been to sleep. I finally just gave up and got out of bed sometime around 2:30. I figured I could take the regular Dramamine instead of the non-drowsy kind and sleep in the car. I got up to find my sister (who is also my roommate) already awake and eating Whataburger. She couldn't sleep either, so she had gotten up before me and went after food. My parents finally showed up at our apartment and we set off. We made it about a mile up the road when I realized I forgot my phone. So my dad, who was worried about making it to and through Dallas before rush hour, speeds back complaining about losing time. Uh-oh, not a good start. I was so angry with myself that I had caused a problem ALREADY. (I'm very absent minded, and I get so upset with myself!) Lo and behold, we still made it out of town and through Dallas before rush hour traffic. We stopped at an IHOP for breakfast, and all was well. (Also, that Dramamine did not work the way I thought it would. I took some on a flight from New York City to Minneapolis a few months ago, and I barely remember three hours on the plane because it knocked me out. But this time it didn't work, and I ended up sleeping a non-consecutive hour and a half the entire trip there after not sleeping at all the night before. Yikes.) I thought this first day of the trip would be a long and rather boring car ride, but I actually ended up seeing many things I had never seen before. First of all, I had never been through the east Texas piney woods. Now if you're not familiar with Texas, this might seem weird since I am a Texan. So let me just say, Texas is BIG. Anyone who lives here knows that the longest part of a road trip is getting out of our own state. (Unless of course you are vacationing in Texas, which is a definite possibility.) One of our mottoes is that Texas is like a whole other country. Have you been to every part of the United States? (Or whatever country you are from.) So I had never been to this particular area of the state. I have been to Dallas more times than I can remember, but I never drove east from there. So the Texas forest was new to me. I felt like I was driving through Colorado rather than my own state. I also had never been to Louisiana, and on this first day we drove though a large portion of it. We had one planned stop along the way, thanks to my sister, and that was Natchitoches, Louisiana (pronounced Nack-uh-tish). Tiffany (that's my sister's name) discovered that the famous Southern film "Steel Magnolias" was filmed there. Now I have to be honest, I've only watched Steel Magnolias one time ever. It was very sad, so I just didn't want to watch it again. It is an enjoyable and well known movie though, and Dolly Parton is in it so that gives it extra bonus points. Tiffany found out the location of the house from the movie (now a B&B named for the movie, here's a picture of the exterior) and the salon where many scenes were filmed (now someone's home with no way of knowing it was in the movie if it hadn't been researched beforehand). Being an unashamed history nerd, I was also excited to learn that Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. It was founded in 1714, and I totally geeked out noticing little historical things like this street being named after Thomas Jefferson (I assume). We also had lunch at a place my sister had stumbled across during her internet research on Natchitoches; apparently it's somewhat famous. There were newspaper and magazine articles about it all over the walls. It's called Lasyone's (I asked an employee how to pronounce it, but I already forgot what she said, so...sorry.) They're famous for their meat pies. I don't really know what a meat pie is, but I thought if it's so well known they must be good. Walking in it had a small town, comfortable feel. It wasn't too crowded when we arrived, and we were instructed to seat ourselves. By the time we left there was a long line of people waiting to be seated, so I guess we got there at a good time. None of us ended up ordering a meat pie. After no sleep and many hours on the road, I wanted something familiar so I got a turkey sandwich. We also ordered corn fritters as an appetizer. I didn't know what a corn fritter was. I was expecting something similar to a corn nugget, but it actually turned out to be more like a giant hushpuppy. The food was all good, and we left satisfied. Below is a picture of my parents out front. Notice the giant meat pie in the window. After eating, we found a nice little veterans memorial behind a church next door. Natchitoches is a beautiful town full of narrow streets, large Southern homes, cute downtown area, and views of the Red River (where there is A LOT more water than the part of the Red River I'm used to crossing into Oklahoma from Texas). I wouldn't mind visiting again sometime. I was also amazed by all the Fleurs-de-lis I saw. I kept texting picture to my cousin who loves the symbol. I later learned it is the state symbol of Louisiana. After Natchitoches, we pretty much drove straight to New Orleans, only stopping at a few convenience stores along the way. As we got to southern Louisiana, it got very swampy. The only swampland I ever remember seeing is the little patch traveling between Arlington and Dallas on I-30, so this was another new thing for me on Day 1. It was neat to see how the highways were located solely on bridges for miles. (And also a little scary to think about what would happen if a wreck were to occur.) We got stuck in awful traffic before and all through Baton Rouge, so that slowed us down a little. While in Baton Rouge, I experienced another first, crossing the Mississippi River! This was especially exciting to me after teaching fifth graders the historical significance of the river during my last two years as a Social Studies teacher. I knew it was a large river, but I didn't realize just how wide it is until I saw it in person. WOW. We finally made it to New Orleans around six-ish that evening. We checked into our hotel for the night and set out for some food. Ironically, we drove all the way to New Orleans from Texas and went to Texas Roadhouse for supper. I know, I know, but we were hungry, tired, and it was close and easy to get to. Texas Roadhouse is usually one of my all time favorite places to eat, and my food that night was delicious, but I was so darn tired after no sleep the night before that I could barely enjoy it. And my dad ordered a big rib eye steak that came out over half fat. The manager tried to tell us that was normal. Umm no, we've eaten plenty of steaks (we are Texans after all), and while rib-eyes are usually a little fatty this one was excessive. My dad filled his entire roll plate with fat. They didn't offer to take it off the tab, a discount, or even an apology. My dad tried to be nice about it and paid for it without much complaining. If I hadn't been so tired I may have pitched more of a fit. Actually, it was my dad telling me to calm down that stopped me. I don't usually complain very much, but when people mess with my family....well they better just be thankful I was exhausted. As soon as we got back to the hotel and I had a shower, I was out for the night. Even the excitement of the cruise the next day couldn't keep me awake. So I recently embarked on a 10 day vacation. Now I've taken a few long trips in the last few years, but I usually travel with friends, cousins, my sister...people my own age with similar interests. However, this trip was my family. Yes, my parents, my sister (who is also in her twenties), and I took off for the first "family vacation" we have taken since my sister and I became independent adults. How did this happen? Well, my mother has wanted to go on a cruise for a few years. My aunt, some of my cousins, and many of my mom's friends have become frequent cruisers and she wanted to go too. The last few years I have been traveling with my sister (aka my BFF) and friends several times, and I decided it was time I did the right thing and took my mom on the trip she was dying to go on and my dad refused to take. (Plus, a cruise sounded like fun to me too!) So my mom, sister, and I start planning and before you know it my dad decides this sounds like fun and he wants to go after all. Okay, that's great. I love both of my parents dearly, I love my sister so much (once again, she's basically my best friend), I love to take vacations, but I'm not so sure the four of us can survive vacation TOGETHER. You know how family road trips go, they start out fun and exciting, but after a few days you're all sick of being around each other, you can't agree on a restaurant, everyone is tired and cranky, someone is carsick or just sick of riding in the car, and eventually someone loses it and the whole mood of the trip changes. At least that's my experience. Anyone else? So needless to say I was a bit skeptical we would all make it back alive. Now fast forward ten days to the end of the trip and I am pleasantly surprised, no not surprised, astounded. We made it through ten days, several thousand dollars spent (my dad paid for our meals, gas for the whole trip, and all the hotel rooms. Dad of the Year award?), many many many hours together, and time restraints without one argument fought, one tear shed, and everyone was alive. Now everyone gets a little testy now and then (like trying to shop in Mexico with my mother...but that's another story I'll get to later), but besides a few minor "Oh Mother, you're seriously killing me right now" moments, we had a great trip. We drove from Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana, took a five day cruise to Mexico, spent time in New Orleans, drove to and spend time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and drove home making a few other stops along the way. That's a long way to go with your family as an adult woman, but it turned out to be great! I was able to completely unwind and have a good time, my sister had fun, my mom got her dream vacation, and my dad had a fun, relaxing time while seriously proving he's the best dad around. (Not that money is everything, but he seriously spend A LOT of money he didn't have to for us to all have a good time and never complained about it.) I want to write ALL about the trip, but it was very long. We covered a lot of ground. So let's break it down day by day. Day one we set out to make the 10ish hours road trip to NOLA... ....to be continued |
AuthorI love to travel as often as possible. I like taking day trips around North Texas, weekend road trips, flying cross county for a week or two, or jumping on a cruise ship for a foreign country. This year I've driven across most of the Southern United States. I have a slight obsession with New York City (and am due for another trip soon!). Archives
July 2015
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