All Aboard!

We made it to Boston and got the hotel shuttle from the airport to the Embassy Suites.  The warm humid air made us once again remember why we chose to cruise north this summer and get out of the heat and smoke from summer forest fires.  The hotel was lovely and we had a comfortable and large suite!  We both slept soundly knowing we didn’t have to get up early.  The package deal we got from our travel agent included airfare, the hotel and transfers, breakfast, an upgraded balcony room and three speciality dinners.  When we went down for breakfast Alan was there!  I had never met the man or seen his photo.  He was probably in his late 50’s and walked with a slight limp.  He had flown in the night before from Washington state to meet the group of us.  I heard him say there were 240 of us!  He had us organized and lined out as to the order in which we would board the large buses for the ship.  Out boarding time was 12:30 and it was evident we wouldn’t get on any sooner than the scheduled time.  All went smoothly and we were soon on the bus, off loaded with our luggage and made our way into the terminal where we picked up our room keys, maps and welcome aboard information.   We met up with a few of the Arizona folks that we met from the Grand Asia and enjoyed a light lunch.  We took the time to check out our room and then explore the ship.  The ship recently (within a few months) had undergone a face lift getting new carpeting, furniture and updating in the cabins.  Everything was perfect!  Our first port would be Wednesday July 31st when we would tender into Bar Harbor, Maine.  We would have our first excursion here with a lady that was on the Cruise Critic site out of California, Charlene Compson.  She organized almost all the tours we signed up for on this 35 day cruise.  You’ll hear more about that excursion on my next posting.  Enjoy a few of the photos from our first day/night onboard the Zuiderdam, prounounced Ziderdam like Cider.  


A bottle of champagne also from our travel agent!  

Dan’s favorite, a bathtub!!

Our daily guide with all the important information.

Our balcony facing the port of Boston; we don’t leave until 10:00 pm.  

New flat screen tv’s in our rooms which provide access to the menu’s, your bill, movies, music, outside camera’s, booking your shore excursions, etc.  

And another thing that put a smile on Dan’s face, the pickleball court!!

The Lido pool area with sliding overhead roof and the polar bear and her cub :)

A hallmark of Holland America is the beautiful fresh flowers placed around the ship and always exquisite arrangements.  

Looks like a Viking statue also for our trip.  

They have a BB King Blues Club which hosts some fabulous bands and performers.

Holland also has a Test Kitchen just like on TV where you can watch them stir up delicious recipe’s of which you can get copies of.  

New to us is the Lincoln Center Stage area where classical performers entertain.  They often perform three times a day on sea days and sometimes an evening concert.  

More fresh flowers!

That night leaving Boston....and to all a good night!

Tomorrow We Ride!!😂✈️

Tonight we are in a cute hotel in Spokane, WA with two large suitcases, two carry-ons, a backpack and my backpack and things strewn across the bed and floor trying to repack and apply the weight limits to our suitcases.  I already have my pajamas on at 7:18 pm!  Ha ha.  Just getting our camper stored, packing, saying goodbye to Todd and his family and getting our friends Mike and JoAnn Curtis to give us a ride to our hotel and join us for dinner has us pooped :).  

I think for a change Dan is ready for this trip.  Usually he drags his feet a little and I know he does these things because I want to do them.  But I think he is ready to recreate and kick back.  No cooking or planning, no driving or setting up the camper, and no packing and unpacking for 35 days!  Doesn’t that sound enticing????  

Tomorrow we ride on that big Delta jet leaving the northwest and heading to the east coast.  We have a stop over in Minneapolis and arrive in Boston around 7:00 pm.  We stay at the Embassy Suites courtesy of the package deal we got from Travels With Alan our travel agent and have a free transfer to the ship.  

Here are a few photos from our time in Osburn; the Pulaski Trail hike and fun times with Zoey.  

Next posting will be onboard the Ms Zuiderdam!

Zoey getting the postcard we sent her loaded with photos of her ...

On her new bed quilt we got her for her bed in the shop loft !

Can you eat watermelon and ride a scooter??!!😂

Her jazzy shirt she wore to breakfast ..

Loving the playground 


Ready to slide!!  

Spring 2019 Adventures

Sometimes it’s difficult to remember all the special times and events that happen to us when somebody asks, “Well what have you been up to since we last spoke?”  If you like to document all those times with your camera then that miraculous cell phone camera can tell you when and where you had fun!  Just scroll through the dates and enjoy the memories all over again!  I won’t go into a lot of detail but our spring took us to several places with family and friends. In March we went with Zoey, her mom Krista and Tessie on a five day Carnival cruise out of New Orleans.  I think Zoey had the best time as she enjoyed the kids club, swimming in the pool, hot tub and the ocean, having ice cream and meeting lots of kids to play with. 

In April we took our camper to Rocky Point , Mexico with a group of fellow campers from our community.  We stayed st Playa Del Oro right on the beach. We got to enjoy friends, lots of food, exploring the area and relaxing with a good book for a week. 

May came and we met Todd and his family in Arkansas where we rented a VBRO in the Buffalo River area.  Todd took us on some great hikes, to several cute towns, and for a wonderful canoe ride down the Buffalo.  Dan discovered new birds, more snakes, and frogs. Zoey enjoy new playgrounds, the hot tub several times a day and more ice cream treats!  

As summer approached Dan took off with the camper for North Idaho to help Todd make his shop livable for next summer.  That was a full time job putting in a loft, stairs, work bench, windows, fencing and gate, plumbing, wiring and most importantly getting the well and septic system connected.  I got to enjoy Zoey and also spend some time connecting with old friends in the Coeur d Alene area. 

But soon this time will come to an end and we will store the camper and pickup with a friend and then take off for a 35 days Voyage of the Vikings cruise on the Nieuw Statendam out of Boston!  When I talked Dan into this I told him this was a sure bet to avoid the heat of August and the smoke from forest fires.  And now it also means his long work days at the shop will end :).  I think he had enjoyed helping Todd and working along side him for these 6 weeks or more and I know Todd haa appreciated it.  

We are basically packed for this adventure and have just a few loose ends to tie up. I’ll try to give you some history and information on our ports but for now enjoy the map and itinerary.

Last stop, Enjoy Ensenada.

It sure has taken me time to finish up this trip but here it goes!  After 5 days at sea we docked at Ensenada on Wednesday January 2, 2019!  We were there from 8-4:30.   I haven’t really loved this port but I will say it is improving and was cleaner and more updated than in past visits. We did our own thing here. The ship was offering excursions to La Bufafora which is a large marine geyser that can spout upwards to 100 ft!  We had been there before too.  There was a winery tour to Bodegas de Santo Tomas but we aren’t really wine connoisseurs so we skipped that. There was a Mexican Folkloric show which featured a lively mariachi band but we have experienced that also.  Two other wineries were also featured.  

They say the population of this town is about 414,000. The days was pleasant with a slight breeze blowing. We walked the  streets to get our steps in but didn’t buy a thing.  We didn’t want to have to pack one more thing in our suitcases.  I limit my souvenirs now to a pair of earrings or more cards, something useful and small!!  

The Main Street here for tourists is called Avenida Lopez Mateos.  The town was initially named San Mateo in 1542.   Sixty years later it was named Ensenada by the next conquerer.  Many Americans came here during prohibition to get their liquor.  Plush resorts and casinos were built to accommodate the lavish lifestyles.  Now they call this area the Cinderella of the Pacific. Olives and grapes are the main export here. There are three major research centers here which really surprised me : they focus on physics, earth sciences, education, telecommunications and oceanography.  From late December to early April whales pass through on their annual migration to and from the Baja region and her warm lagoons. 

Once we finished our exploring it was back to the ship. We finished packing and that night stayed  up for the final competition of the Voice of the Ocean.

Debarkation was a longer process than usual but we got it taken care of. We did our own picking up our suitcases on the pier. We called a Uber and got through security at the airport quickly.  

Tess picked us up at the airport in Phoenix.  All in all it was a great time.  Everything was good at our house except that the bushes and trees needed a good trimming. Slowly but surely we got everything done.  

Our next trip is in March when Tessie, Dan and I meet Krista and Zoey for a five night cruise in New Orleans!!  

Keep traveling and make a positive difference 

Seemed like a new sign to us 

This had water fountains and music. Many were enjoying this including us !

Seemed also like newer walkways with more building for the port areas. 

The river through town running to the ocean. We sure would like to see it free of the debris 

Downtown. 

Water flowing in and out with the tide

Another fountain close to the pier

Our ship at the pier