tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22243305251240851542024-03-17T22:03:19.141-05:00CRUISE LIKE A DAVIS The Davis Family
God is GOOD... ALL the time! The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-46872345316304356242024-03-16T13:02:00.005-05:002024-03-16T13:02:40.464-05:00Platinum Pacific Style- Long Beach<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u>Platinum Pacific Style </u></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Monday, February 19, 2024<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Embarkation Day- Long Beach, CA </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yApEtBKiEW4YvbAKb9A4F7GxCG_OMeE40qZKm4-0offZu_jnLPCKKgsjNcn4CuJg8Ld29OY21if6vqw9NrSjAWzu_zARLKsIyYA07zNZwDCUBsntsZeUqVJt8Ujr-GguhzH1t2zsEupZZHXjUzCDVWe5Z9Xle5-e3I1dseSST97M6gXnl6-qo99tSKf9/s809/IMG_5925%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yApEtBKiEW4YvbAKb9A4F7GxCG_OMeE40qZKm4-0offZu_jnLPCKKgsjNcn4CuJg8Ld29OY21if6vqw9NrSjAWzu_zARLKsIyYA07zNZwDCUBsntsZeUqVJt8Ujr-GguhzH1t2zsEupZZHXjUzCDVWe5Z9Xle5-e3I1dseSST97M6gXnl6-qo99tSKf9/s320/IMG_5925%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Embarkation Day is the BEST DAY! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Our alarms went off at 7AM and we were up and ready for Embarkation Day aboard the <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance</span></i></b>. Chris recently switched some of his medications and he did not have a great night so we were a little tired but we were not going to let anything RAIN on our parade. Except... the actual rain! It started raining around 7:30AM and it never really let up. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRo5NWMCtoxnWa160tIB3dkNBjV7jTjulT-byge-Z2n1vQ1sIIPJK41K4XFzQUJ6cGsAbiFVOjRlpf2PpzRkMF7_O1DGV9lz7l1ifzQgBdN6z1Jb_IJVs4gKHe_wPso-MCP5QPmwa2P2lRlt_82hw47EaGB47AyHbfQVmhqEOXwKuK6MJHZIN1fF87xco/s4032/IMG_5823.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRo5NWMCtoxnWa160tIB3dkNBjV7jTjulT-byge-Z2n1vQ1sIIPJK41K4XFzQUJ6cGsAbiFVOjRlpf2PpzRkMF7_O1DGV9lz7l1ifzQgBdN6z1Jb_IJVs4gKHe_wPso-MCP5QPmwa2P2lRlt_82hw47EaGB47AyHbfQVmhqEOXwKuK6MJHZIN1fF87xco/s320/IMG_5823.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Rain or Shine... We are ready to get on that ship! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lQ66wLtdXNHiFIn0Ru78BDyWOExN-6IoFFJ56WfHVOL4cBC_QU4lmHq4eJzNwtN0qffqzW2XkSJCE0_QT1DQFBDVQ6cUTDvdHLYmkd4Gv3yiuTN1gv3J7QDJMWdbSLXUWTukB7UjKFyIfiPMX3icpb7TJIE9MhurM-OwDEbkO3xy6zxe1DG3hNfCnWfC/s4032/IMG_5826.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lQ66wLtdXNHiFIn0Ru78BDyWOExN-6IoFFJ56WfHVOL4cBC_QU4lmHq4eJzNwtN0qffqzW2XkSJCE0_QT1DQFBDVQ6cUTDvdHLYmkd4Gv3yiuTN1gv3J7QDJMWdbSLXUWTukB7UjKFyIfiPMX3icpb7TJIE9MhurM-OwDEbkO3xy6zxe1DG3hNfCnWfC/s320/IMG_5826.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view from our Balcony at the Pacific Inn. </i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made our way to the 3rd floor of the hotel for the continental breakfast, which was surprisingly bountiful and pleasant. Once we finished breakfast the front desk called to let us know that the shuttle was in traffic but a LYFT had been called to take us to the <i><b>Carnival Cruise terminal</b></i> in Long Beach, approximately 20 minutes away. Our Lyft driver was not necessarily the brightest and got lost 2 times before she even picked us up and her vehicle was questionable at best. There were times in the drive we even questioned if we would make it to the terminal. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ksv2phbLgd_A2MjT7YUfyNi-9210i2o9Gyg-D5ENvlhmM5-mtAy5f59bUgwoGy5IFRVIBh5MLz5H0YR6MJifNcCWYl1nfLf3maHCQ4MVf11QIczno6EAX5-HobpIZY-PervQ9WMyG7yiRnrZkSLVEpUgcywPGIwtzXblfFwzI32NRulZoaKQSx_H-cAX/s4032/IMG_5819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ksv2phbLgd_A2MjT7YUfyNi-9210i2o9Gyg-D5ENvlhmM5-mtAy5f59bUgwoGy5IFRVIBh5MLz5H0YR6MJifNcCWYl1nfLf3maHCQ4MVf11QIczno6EAX5-HobpIZY-PervQ9WMyG7yiRnrZkSLVEpUgcywPGIwtzXblfFwzI32NRulZoaKQSx_H-cAX/w200-h150/IMG_5819.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJclmo36dCu8EX_Y_0Wm0X_kVJ_NXqFishJjJ8Iol6dBDT4njs2bW5k_w2Oa14DTQUZWC8frWh2DWiAMlR9tkQVvk_3Tze1p46uGPfCPML-du0QNx1B9CXifRJpAlgUYTaLnU3Kx1KDWrhVszJWAJ-OJlcsRQIAIW0P1UUvChN4qvYczRTtJy5crrr4OZP/s4032/IMG_5820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJclmo36dCu8EX_Y_0Wm0X_kVJ_NXqFishJjJ8Iol6dBDT4njs2bW5k_w2Oa14DTQUZWC8frWh2DWiAMlR9tkQVvk_3Tze1p46uGPfCPML-du0QNx1B9CXifRJpAlgUYTaLnU3Kx1KDWrhVszJWAJ-OJlcsRQIAIW0P1UUvChN4qvYczRTtJy5crrr4OZP/w200-h150/IMG_5820.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><b><i>We were pleasantly surprised by the amount offered at this "continental breakfast" at The Pacific Inn.</i></b> </div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB3LSpLy8-mBtwCZcYVfBl5dU6PASDv72Ld3AILo4gFwi8QzWsJPWuruRQ8PpBG-ftmU-XbcEAikQopM2Hfx7FqnxLlihAiqzB0eOX_EWcKsUoBaSO3tAmBbOXc0zXS6z92DJBExcec7EMIeA1sGadfuSXAu1qFBqWIeG3vnjmArXXNL_eM1xB_y938-3/s4032/IMG_5830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB3LSpLy8-mBtwCZcYVfBl5dU6PASDv72Ld3AILo4gFwi8QzWsJPWuruRQ8PpBG-ftmU-XbcEAikQopM2Hfx7FqnxLlihAiqzB0eOX_EWcKsUoBaSO3tAmBbOXc0zXS6z92DJBExcec7EMIeA1sGadfuSXAu1qFBqWIeG3vnjmArXXNL_eM1xB_y938-3/s320/IMG_5830.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We are on the LYFT and it's GO TIME! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tOfNEs7_dx_CiFDz1EL2oOiq4TG49wd1zm2Lwp1hqBrqqSPXFVgBT1iA0v9-yWEgp2q2I0GJAzzyHWX6eSz_gZvs7bMxONsrcQPvO6fIuZuzWHdhfggO66vZKGytyr0pTHuCFPoP3KzkUpjMgiGC-llBWpFl0KjYaLz0Q6nHR38AGDnPd1Qmx6AFSKV2/s4032/IMG_5832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tOfNEs7_dx_CiFDz1EL2oOiq4TG49wd1zm2Lwp1hqBrqqSPXFVgBT1iA0v9-yWEgp2q2I0GJAzzyHWX6eSz_gZvs7bMxONsrcQPvO6fIuZuzWHdhfggO66vZKGytyr0pTHuCFPoP3KzkUpjMgiGC-llBWpFl0KjYaLz0Q6nHR38AGDnPd1Qmx6AFSKV2/s320/IMG_5832.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>WHOA... Hello California! I better start saving now for our GAS BILL for our <br />April California trip! YIKES! </b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But a las, we arrived around 9:40AM for our 10AM arrival time. This terminal was fairly small and seemed VERY chaotic upon first arrival. There were porters on both sides of the drop off area and we were not sure if they were to help those passengers getting OFF the ship or those of us getting on. We reluctantly gave our bags (and a healthy tip) to a porter who ensured us he would get them on the ship and made our way in the pouring rain to the Check-in Line. We got in line shortly before 10 and within minutes we were told to go into the terminal. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cJ_U84IhoJcC9vseEvioIS0kUTYkTl2QY1PElB2TPlfZx16VPJD5kwKjmBj1-Vp-_jtdz72O-23Tq47JL4V6-NQiNj00yQsEQ1TnvxdkwqRQNazd9y761aoQQf1n_H3ClSUjpQSlZYzBPJngLA4qmLPpW4aiZa7UdjePP5Jz3z0LVYk_9rs0u6_JTAEt/s4032/IMG_5836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cJ_U84IhoJcC9vseEvioIS0kUTYkTl2QY1PElB2TPlfZx16VPJD5kwKjmBj1-Vp-_jtdz72O-23Tq47JL4V6-NQiNj00yQsEQ1TnvxdkwqRQNazd9y761aoQQf1n_H3ClSUjpQSlZYzBPJngLA4qmLPpW4aiZa7UdjePP5Jz3z0LVYk_9rs0u6_JTAEt/s320/IMG_5836.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This terminal was so cool... Both inside AND outside!</i></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpgWQYaXItkXk313tItWYhFduQNp4_KyqMtXXRQRh6us62Fgkah4_wDN4eaI9SAWh35nu_eSHQVsEmojqJLsUJd6RfT5uipvH_e_yUc1Sy9BbMeVMFb75FJ8zAIr6ZlX6PZmiYCdfwTP3RLd_BEJ7qJS4oOtGLYm3mYrgb-IZ-9w-XMtNiJP0yG-1ZiRt/s4032/IMG_5839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpgWQYaXItkXk313tItWYhFduQNp4_KyqMtXXRQRh6us62Fgkah4_wDN4eaI9SAWh35nu_eSHQVsEmojqJLsUJd6RfT5uipvH_e_yUc1Sy9BbMeVMFb75FJ8zAIr6ZlX6PZmiYCdfwTP3RLd_BEJ7qJS4oOtGLYm3mYrgb-IZ-9w-XMtNiJP0yG-1ZiRt/s320/IMG_5839.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I loved all the air and space decor!</i></b> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As a PLATINUM cruiser, I was able to have BOTH of staterooms get the priority treatment for check-in. However, that "priority" came to a screeching halt when grandpa was particular about the passport and documents. This was super irritating as I wanted EVERYTHING to go smooth for this embarkation since it was my first time to enjoy the Platinum benefits. I was a little annoyed with this geezer, but it turned out to be a good thing as he checked in Luke TWICE for the cruise and never checked in Chris. Since they both are labeled David Davis on the cruise documents, it was an easy oversight. Grandpa marked Luke boarding pass with "JR" and after about 15 minutes, we were pushed on to the main waiting area. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdFErP_plO3tDeyItrtwzHG94yeNJ2cfv1vriIwbueI00-Pp87YqMCMiD8g0IWkwm5dOIQgTRTm_tCGCzuIfA9ttuCnMk-z_EphB5j4FtcmCBjiYNzH2QfGLuAX9mf8BOg041RGV_lvCRcKbeJsiMa0Jcs9hADxR5qyeO5wv2-agZE7drLcIpdz2CgU_b/s4032/IMG_5841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdFErP_plO3tDeyItrtwzHG94yeNJ2cfv1vriIwbueI00-Pp87YqMCMiD8g0IWkwm5dOIQgTRTm_tCGCzuIfA9ttuCnMk-z_EphB5j4FtcmCBjiYNzH2QfGLuAX9mf8BOg041RGV_lvCRcKbeJsiMa0Jcs9hADxR5qyeO5wv2-agZE7drLcIpdz2CgU_b/s320/IMG_5841.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>We LOVE Embarkation Day photos! </b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once inside this oddly shaped dome terminal, I asked where the Platinum passengers wait and was surprised to find the Captains Lounge area where all Platinum passengers could wait. This very secluded and cute area was so COOL. I do not remember Galveston having an area as nice as this for it's premium guests. Chris and Luke were in a different cabin than me so technically they were NOT platinum and were not supposed to get these benefits. However, I just marched right in there with them in tow. <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- The worker at the entrance of the Captain's Lounge stopped us and said that usually it does not work but since this voyage did not have very many Platinum and above guests, she would allow it. This was a very interesting ordeal but I am so glad the boys got to tag along with the fun.</span></b></i> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimD4ZDGQWLBVPO-hYF6FIRcip2XzPcuQYPA5kIMYwkSMVD27ox6oDmWbTRyyL5PzpsnK_sp3Kdj7om05BccJR_VVmkq_e9BDa2a82gmnHlXmG3t-MNJodiz8ppjMwyPHxcThqYjLi4hZe2fC56sly07F04xCL0KDsF71tZ62CwKfZ1z644FVuKQdxHv169/s4032/IMG_5844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimD4ZDGQWLBVPO-hYF6FIRcip2XzPcuQYPA5kIMYwkSMVD27ox6oDmWbTRyyL5PzpsnK_sp3Kdj7om05BccJR_VVmkq_e9BDa2a82gmnHlXmG3t-MNJodiz8ppjMwyPHxcThqYjLi4hZe2fC56sly07F04xCL0KDsF71tZ62CwKfZ1z644FVuKQdxHv169/s320/IMG_5844.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Wow... I have FINALLY made it to the TOP! <br />This was so cool!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UQqsujKuqOld7DQogg9sbtNcEiMvFxyKRi4Q1aAGCeJN32GtAHm53RmoIEtEeMQZ6_pIWjEnO0_Z6ARvBI6ECZqZXv9aKPsdN17RNUqYNhEcuKSwMnreAu8MfW7R_eVIJ2WTsBsA3a1VDm6gomJ9J0frvda9ZF4UrZXu4SMij4DEhgEnNQ9Z2UC6ldTf/s4032/IMG_5846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UQqsujKuqOld7DQogg9sbtNcEiMvFxyKRi4Q1aAGCeJN32GtAHm53RmoIEtEeMQZ6_pIWjEnO0_Z6ARvBI6ECZqZXv9aKPsdN17RNUqYNhEcuKSwMnreAu8MfW7R_eVIJ2WTsBsA3a1VDm6gomJ9J0frvda9ZF4UrZXu4SMij4DEhgEnNQ9Z2UC6ldTf/s320/IMG_5846.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Look at all these low-lifes enjoying MY Platinum benefits! <br />Haha, just kidding! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nJOcONJsye1rZmnw945p7bhT4er6Gc5gXTHnYhMBd3cDvnYTbL-J4I26OqHzZf3TXhXMWs86vC3HbA-dF_m-VkOpk1h3-Spm97_TNA_TEOH8hUI6x1uml2RUeF9IbwNMs6iKXVWbkVWetZF4mi7KPDb0WpK8hMGVYfMGhK4bZJaHvdlm_uO6zf1Q03mu/s3088/IMG_5850.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nJOcONJsye1rZmnw945p7bhT4er6Gc5gXTHnYhMBd3cDvnYTbL-J4I26OqHzZf3TXhXMWs86vC3HbA-dF_m-VkOpk1h3-Spm97_TNA_TEOH8hUI6x1uml2RUeF9IbwNMs6iKXVWbkVWetZF4mi7KPDb0WpK8hMGVYfMGhK4bZJaHvdlm_uO6zf1Q03mu/s320/IMG_5850.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>I'm the REAL winner of the group! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We waited about 20 minutes before the first announcement was made at 10:31AM. Shortly after they started boarding with the MASSIVE wedding party first. Then the diamond guests and then Platinum guests around 10:46AM. We were onboard the <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance</span></i></b> and heard the first ding at 10:50AM. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3mf9To7VZhw7Sjfoe2clbHqsNoEcCFRQlXJVc79yxs3Je0_nQsYb7niArxFHRyEQOhLQZRm7c1HW_kFKUSNrzfOS5IK191D7ZDoLGcyIgquMtBHHFS2Ix49Z80c9b9JkIzAtmz5Bm5UCuX1cFFoHS3AyN0ntyoktZldQ2UgnKaA1UenrkcHhqKCKYmVG/s4032/IMG_5857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3mf9To7VZhw7Sjfoe2clbHqsNoEcCFRQlXJVc79yxs3Je0_nQsYb7niArxFHRyEQOhLQZRm7c1HW_kFKUSNrzfOS5IK191D7ZDoLGcyIgquMtBHHFS2Ix49Z80c9b9JkIzAtmz5Bm5UCuX1cFFoHS3AyN0ntyoktZldQ2UgnKaA1UenrkcHhqKCKYmVG/s320/IMG_5857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Luke "I see it. I see our ship"<br />I love the excitement that comes with the gangway walk to the ship!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4q36Xe3Q2FhEBHk6_K5TJfet5gX8hZy8ERUOavv75cqUgSYVgOc1pOV1XdQTdCJXsxh6AaOL1LVaqpNYDtrYsIuO1mleW6FihQ5C9hi8eFF6etINkXgBbq-Td5uYsbxFQjWy2_G9IMMEvW0hH87L7qt2R0Tj1hjH-YZRfLGe9xfnCiTxU3rq5bNNm1Xv/s4032/IMG_5859.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4q36Xe3Q2FhEBHk6_K5TJfet5gX8hZy8ERUOavv75cqUgSYVgOc1pOV1XdQTdCJXsxh6AaOL1LVaqpNYDtrYsIuO1mleW6FihQ5C9hi8eFF6etINkXgBbq-Td5uYsbxFQjWy2_G9IMMEvW0hH87L7qt2R0Tj1hjH-YZRfLGe9xfnCiTxU3rq5bNNm1Xv/s320/IMG_5859.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It was a very rainy and stormy day but that did not rain on our parade. </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-4MYNRgGhN0momVhsYV33B3-WlLmPEh2yje6Mu8dVIZcMlFt0iVv-09h81l165C6J9jgUse_lEwJNrHmZ87JMaJDOpyem1IT6fz80O5T1-GckFYEqPWEwgZLAdoLaFDPkhyF9aDq_KK_WPb_DsfRCm3ua6fnN1niE5KoAAP7dCjzR7KWUufiI7zTY2Wx/s4032/IMG_5862.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-4MYNRgGhN0momVhsYV33B3-WlLmPEh2yje6Mu8dVIZcMlFt0iVv-09h81l165C6J9jgUse_lEwJNrHmZ87JMaJDOpyem1IT6fz80O5T1-GckFYEqPWEwgZLAdoLaFDPkhyF9aDq_KK_WPb_DsfRCm3ua6fnN1niE5KoAAP7dCjzR7KWUufiI7zTY2Wx/s320/IMG_5862.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>DING- We are ON BOARD! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7pvM1CqKuUA" width="320" youtube-src-id="7pvM1CqKuUA"></iframe><br /><b>Our experience of Embarkation Day in Long Beach!</b> </div></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We immediately went to the atrium bar and got our Bubbles stickers for the kids. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Carnival offers a "bubbles" package of unlimited soft drinks for $6.99/ day per person. This is a good deal since each 12oz can of soda costs $3.49. Carnival only serves Pepsi products and does not offer Dr. Pepper. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After we took care of the logistics, we went up to the Lido deck to <b><i>Blue Iguana Bar</i></b> and got a few Mai-Tai and then made our way to the <i><b>Cucina de Capiano - Pasta Bar</b></i> for lunch. The kids were SO excited to try the pasta but Chris was more excited about the <i><b>Big Chicken </b></i>so he grabbed a sandwich and met us on Deck 10. The service was fabulous in the Pasta Bar and the food was good as well. We then all made our way to the <b><i>Guy's BBQ</i></b> on Deck 10 aft to get our BBQ fix. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP-</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="color: red;">This was probably the biggest disappoint of the entire cruise as far as food goes. The meat was dry and the flavor was missing. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N-zZe7_MQPcZOw8fO6H6NYZ-SDPDjeOXMsdvIps2WYAmWIA7uxJK1zk0t2lHv6w0dYEcb01R9nJMdrCDFcx4S44ryPFwHCLeiWvDGfeGrxciZt-ykrLhutx4UzjhJrRemGPUC6M3QPGTVzSwCcSP9gUEYkGrXmV2HJXB0rI4DvoS0eg5s9DYRQLHWaaI/s4032/IMG_5864.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N-zZe7_MQPcZOw8fO6H6NYZ-SDPDjeOXMsdvIps2WYAmWIA7uxJK1zk0t2lHv6w0dYEcb01R9nJMdrCDFcx4S44ryPFwHCLeiWvDGfeGrxciZt-ykrLhutx4UzjhJrRemGPUC6M3QPGTVzSwCcSP9gUEYkGrXmV2HJXB0rI4DvoS0eg5s9DYRQLHWaaI/s320/IMG_5864.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />They were SO excited about the Pasta Bar! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVplXNsKwarX6HVZRYiRwxT0x-w_z6_snMagzBarX1XFX3zDwxS01Lw5TxqEGRg-sFaSy2MSWvO0yMPJLlhUTADXBNJHQR8GT6oUpZsJEN-hXJ2pfcJa-g0nlRZ4BAIVMMWFy6InMSPk49S1-F3TPtFbpFuPnHYp8rKYiP__CnWSwWmrfGKKhFu_yXAWh/s4032/IMG_5866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVplXNsKwarX6HVZRYiRwxT0x-w_z6_snMagzBarX1XFX3zDwxS01Lw5TxqEGRg-sFaSy2MSWvO0yMPJLlhUTADXBNJHQR8GT6oUpZsJEN-hXJ2pfcJa-g0nlRZ4BAIVMMWFy6InMSPk49S1-F3TPtFbpFuPnHYp8rKYiP__CnWSwWmrfGKKhFu_yXAWh/s320/IMG_5866.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />I am excited to relax and enjoy the drink package! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMokOkf9FbCMP-9O51CbMjOFSjdNlc1WCwQDIkTH9_CviKBOSQnWHeD3Saq_pAcgcn3u6KnInwhQNpy1PZlZunA5J0P20jyHiFqkqAQVbH34YbTTvTTCi6fICPswg0pQOx5UwZ-zjTRY2Lam0mAs8tSNDGhxK6Rpd0Rs7TMFTbLMXRH1TSDKon9JExWJW8/s4032/IMG_5868.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMokOkf9FbCMP-9O51CbMjOFSjdNlc1WCwQDIkTH9_CviKBOSQnWHeD3Saq_pAcgcn3u6KnInwhQNpy1PZlZunA5J0P20jyHiFqkqAQVbH34YbTTvTTCi6fICPswg0pQOx5UwZ-zjTRY2Lam0mAs8tSNDGhxK6Rpd0Rs7TMFTbLMXRH1TSDKon9JExWJW8/s320/IMG_5868.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Luke was so hungry and he ate a LOT! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutZSG7ySX3gMNg7_Yb5cm1dR_z1tCgvFuHLPukKQm8zUjxwHF2DsoGH8qW8YVBjSCH5ujMA8ku6VzUNjIEs4TYMnNyBIQ4itGZkjsZTI5j9WeqL9aACGezjMkrh8-8fElH95DshfNmq6-hWO2iHTMis-tsSWf0KAWnXnPQH3jMg-M4nAH4n5o5911pTCH/s4032/IMG_5870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutZSG7ySX3gMNg7_Yb5cm1dR_z1tCgvFuHLPukKQm8zUjxwHF2DsoGH8qW8YVBjSCH5ujMA8ku6VzUNjIEs4TYMnNyBIQ4itGZkjsZTI5j9WeqL9aACGezjMkrh8-8fElH95DshfNmq6-hWO2iHTMis-tsSWf0KAWnXnPQH3jMg-M4nAH4n5o5911pTCH/s320/IMG_5870.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It's LUNCH TIME!</div></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pvWNrqAsGSA" width="320" youtube-src-id="pvWNrqAsGSA"></iframe><br /><b><i>A walk through of the Lido deck during the lunch rush on Embarkation Day! </i></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Afternoon </u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shortly after our lunch(es), we made our way to our Muster Station get checked in on Deck 5. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Carnival (like the other major cruise lines) are still offering the Muster Station check-in instead of the actual meeting (pre-Covid times) and this means you watch the video on your phone/app or in your stateroom and then get checked into your Muster Station. This is SO MUCH easier than actually meeting and crammed in like cattle. Thank you Carnival for keeping this new Muster Station tradition! </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After we checked into the Muster Station, I went and dropped off our carry-on bag in our stateroom then we went to the Atrium bar for live music while the kids explored the ship looking for venues and etc. The kids LOVED having this freedom and even with Natalie not having a phone, they checked in with us each hour. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcqEWqrgk5HqbHym7IEY15Sij7SX61Ml5iEcIpDQksxq74AKBf26sstJG4kZ0M-zfYSJ9ZKfhvfi_72aiskz0mQtKe99nDSTxBIYftU74pzdzxd3pzqRXK_YnzxqdhB_FCGOP7vOqRrpQR7btIL4JMkTT56Ipz-YEIsogZHGvz6p9Q9PAaT1BSkrQ0XMA/s4032/IMG_5886.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcqEWqrgk5HqbHym7IEY15Sij7SX61Ml5iEcIpDQksxq74AKBf26sstJG4kZ0M-zfYSJ9ZKfhvfi_72aiskz0mQtKe99nDSTxBIYftU74pzdzxd3pzqRXK_YnzxqdhB_FCGOP7vOqRrpQR7btIL4JMkTT56Ipz-YEIsogZHGvz6p9Q9PAaT1BSkrQ0XMA/s320/IMG_5886.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Natalie and Luke were ready to EXPLORE! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudKZieekhRjHrwBbuBDKes1U7KOiekdkblIj4OLkam34-cwfyEmmeOj-6NNpHDXvM5HhF4gR23vgwe3sf0m0UNZJBWG1h_6gI4DgChN87XW3DV4JdsJ2uc9sTt8BPFd1t1bMLYMq-0oyGbLJuOvY_WVzRhLEokotFRFefsyrLfVSEfDFYPviARwfA04Hw/s3088/IMG_5887.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudKZieekhRjHrwBbuBDKes1U7KOiekdkblIj4OLkam34-cwfyEmmeOj-6NNpHDXvM5HhF4gR23vgwe3sf0m0UNZJBWG1h_6gI4DgChN87XW3DV4JdsJ2uc9sTt8BPFd1t1bMLYMq-0oyGbLJuOvY_WVzRhLEokotFRFefsyrLfVSEfDFYPviARwfA04Hw/s320/IMG_5887.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are already LOVING the <span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance!</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKOLGVkCygBvHdZZz8q4gkiYwkFrs1HTaCwCv-ZeJ2UcHJjOcBOlRZ65DbfwOo9XyqrDwu753uuN5DX34hFL52vbHNI3rMYP26qxw6age_bHHfFpA4KHHMfJ9jpLz4j8V1ZKHCozKc-BkLk5Lhqm8NDMzAgVV-W403lPt6pzGvx81V-ZNysyLfq7FH7BQ/s4032/IMG_5925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKOLGVkCygBvHdZZz8q4gkiYwkFrs1HTaCwCv-ZeJ2UcHJjOcBOlRZ65DbfwOo9XyqrDwu753uuN5DX34hFL52vbHNI3rMYP26qxw6age_bHHfFpA4KHHMfJ9jpLz4j8V1ZKHCozKc-BkLk5Lhqm8NDMzAgVV-W403lPt6pzGvx81V-ZNysyLfq7FH7BQ/s320/IMG_5925.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Family Selfie #1... </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn8271kLqy3ELhWv6DpJFRAAixlCC6PSjxjWUAslCyPzeON5nx6Q9-8obeo3QxZPge1nACnU50nA8dsNm2YHk2wB7Qm2jV0JT-j0W9Y6gcxJXq4nwSj8s7QIfb9BK8xrTq45fLJVEsXTC82kPCvBgFW7do-497S5koiF4IoGbxe9f2DhpPNcH8C2Evboz/s809/IMG_3700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn8271kLqy3ELhWv6DpJFRAAixlCC6PSjxjWUAslCyPzeON5nx6Q9-8obeo3QxZPge1nACnU50nA8dsNm2YHk2wB7Qm2jV0JT-j0W9Y6gcxJXq4nwSj8s7QIfb9BK8xrTq45fLJVEsXTC82kPCvBgFW7do-497S5koiF4IoGbxe9f2DhpPNcH8C2Evboz/s320/IMG_3700.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>It's CRUISE TIME! </b></div></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga98A4NG4AhVzEtQHfs06V7I_ZfRVtXDleAyYAbSIePEV6KcwkoimWKyAiGzCpQznuxOAs5ZUvikBnLD3zK1MXdUH9PJxixtjyD2fA27ixlKK6v_n-BIhyphenhyphendyALdLbk5la9Cg9b_2BmIEnWWXUPoBie7nvQcG4QY4dGpNp-jOVyV4l9233TT9NkTDajRuUn/s4032/IMG_5896.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga98A4NG4AhVzEtQHfs06V7I_ZfRVtXDleAyYAbSIePEV6KcwkoimWKyAiGzCpQznuxOAs5ZUvikBnLD3zK1MXdUH9PJxixtjyD2fA27ixlKK6v_n-BIhyphenhyphendyALdLbk5la9Cg9b_2BmIEnWWXUPoBie7nvQcG4QY4dGpNp-jOVyV4l9233TT9NkTDajRuUn/s320/IMG_5896.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>Luke stopped for some Big Chicken! </b></div><br /></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I decided to go to the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> to check our dinner table and I am so glad that I did as we were originally scheduled for a table of 10. <i><span style="color: red;">We are not a fan of sharing a table as we want to spend our vacation TOGETHER and not with strangers. Many people love sharing a table but it is not our thing. The Maitre d' moved us to a private booth at the front of the dining room and I was so happy with this change. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By this time, the staterooms were ready and we were ready to get into these connecting staterooms and get unpacked. <b><i><span style="color: red;">Tip- We absolutely LOVED these cabins. They are a "sideways" interior cabin found on Dream class ships (on deck 6) and Vista class as well. They are MASSIVE and have a LOT of space. We also loved the connecting cabins (one for adults and one for kids) and we may never cruise any other way!</span></i></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s_odxcPv3-k" width="320" youtube-src-id="s_odxcPv3-k"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Seriously, these cabins are THE BEST! The space is incredible and they are the same price as regular interiors! </span></i></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As soon as we got into the room we noticed a letter stating that the order of our port days and sea days had changed due to severe weather and rough sea conditions. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Since Catalina Island was a tendered port, this meant the chance we could actually miss the port.</span></i></b> We didn't care about the order of ports, we just want to be able to get to them all. Especially since we FLEW to get here! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u> We were originally supposed to do the following route: </u></b><br />Day 2- Catalina Island <br />Day 3- Ensenada <br />Day 4- Sea Day </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>Now this was the new itinerary: </u></b><br />Day 2- Sea Day <br />Day 3- Catalina Island <br />Day 4- Ensenada </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Natalie and Luke changed into swim suits and went to the hot tubs and Chris and I took a quick nap. Our luggage arrived around 2PM and I got the suitcases all unpacked while Chris and the kids went to <i><b>Guy's Burgers</b></i>. We all met up to explore the ship together and try to watch us pull out of Long Beach! The rain was light and heavy at times and it made for a nasty Embarkation Day but we didn't care! We were on board and nothing was going to steal our joy! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd8i8l34TAguZDYepWWZO1onPEMfzV8of3GnssIBThtc0VPGcleividhzAE-8iCk0HwqkF_FyvYprm1Np_BG6bnELe4GxG1c1KJvWHhJN0yrGllpdnjhbQfMTXqxH9w6o4DcJRt2h4JzxdhNT7LWaNoD73NZ2o2IPECeV7TmWt2g982zxKNu8y-LM8mYZ/s4032/IMG_5972.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd8i8l34TAguZDYepWWZO1onPEMfzV8of3GnssIBThtc0VPGcleividhzAE-8iCk0HwqkF_FyvYprm1Np_BG6bnELe4GxG1c1KJvWHhJN0yrGllpdnjhbQfMTXqxH9w6o4DcJRt2h4JzxdhNT7LWaNoD73NZ2o2IPECeV7TmWt2g982zxKNu8y-LM8mYZ/s320/IMG_5972.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Cruise Like a Davis VIFP cards! <br />Next cruise- Chris will be Platinum and Luke will be gold</i></b>! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUrrOxHYTgLRiaYyMWQLf6yTqRf9Qwy2CT-R0t0giWWnv7P_Dqj1PufEpVv_mqXrKg6lBocD8_lpgfEpCKQMgmvYey76A5eydJY7zk9JBxYIrFuKx0ARCzbyDwKnUhP6nKr-0gZPIF_LkBXH_n2EfdCHO4lJ-iJ87dFMdQF_RiBDZj8ABcrb4L75esRSM/s4032/IMG_5930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUrrOxHYTgLRiaYyMWQLf6yTqRf9Qwy2CT-R0t0giWWnv7P_Dqj1PufEpVv_mqXrKg6lBocD8_lpgfEpCKQMgmvYey76A5eydJY7zk9JBxYIrFuKx0ARCzbyDwKnUhP6nKr-0gZPIF_LkBXH_n2EfdCHO4lJ-iJ87dFMdQF_RiBDZj8ABcrb4L75esRSM/s320/IMG_5930.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>And family selfie #2 with the Queen Mary! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCSxyJIyScxs3rqAOIT8pqoshLQyMXG-tHe1VGXX6O4QqCOyl_XOYk4pAGr-6nJrrSqdHxL7mqjIWqlI-fLkqnuQQo_J6JCEQts2fPXICO8tGzMGBzBG6YKqbwqIYS64gHS8xJp5EoicjSSOL_7ebHUFKP1zmXlQZLRfsGMsyRZpF14cUe0VDmh2uabRD/s4032/IMG_5935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b0sdFosiJeAdBqN8J4jRAWybziixUBtEmCDUzyEBl25pIapctpHLiPq5pvj8uPJf6T0MwRwSUDpNMU9p5bZkFn-oPFj8vlqiZGZM_MsaIi550cxHVyHcWBkruHiteixJGejzjhukuYwgp5ItAuNNkQ_zeBI4WJtZri5DEVJGjaQH04DXR_cv2eNU-eor/s4032/IMG_5934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b0sdFosiJeAdBqN8J4jRAWybziixUBtEmCDUzyEBl25pIapctpHLiPq5pvj8uPJf6T0MwRwSUDpNMU9p5bZkFn-oPFj8vlqiZGZM_MsaIi550cxHVyHcWBkruHiteixJGejzjhukuYwgp5ItAuNNkQ_zeBI4WJtZri5DEVJGjaQH04DXR_cv2eNU-eor/w150-h200/IMG_5934.jpg" width="150" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCSxyJIyScxs3rqAOIT8pqoshLQyMXG-tHe1VGXX6O4QqCOyl_XOYk4pAGr-6nJrrSqdHxL7mqjIWqlI-fLkqnuQQo_J6JCEQts2fPXICO8tGzMGBzBG6YKqbwqIYS64gHS8xJp5EoicjSSOL_7ebHUFKP1zmXlQZLRfsGMsyRZpF14cUe0VDmh2uabRD/w150-h200/IMG_5935.jpg" width="150" /><br /><i><b>Our traditional buoy picture! </b></i></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMGQOtudl3Yv7YIBFM_g6HcL6s5bnWTJrNXErWFle795tjkrfadRDxcGUrJwE_HmmK3q5yxQM33twBH11j25laVHTaoALdBp9r7zGWRyyk3EgtGP8IvMjPnbRXZe34QLGT021Y99KCNGvc2EpoxDcS_jFt6lp7O0DKf5MwNAmMV7r4CUQAhY1YbpgQnas/s4032/IMG_5937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMGQOtudl3Yv7YIBFM_g6HcL6s5bnWTJrNXErWFle795tjkrfadRDxcGUrJwE_HmmK3q5yxQM33twBH11j25laVHTaoALdBp9r7zGWRyyk3EgtGP8IvMjPnbRXZe34QLGT021Y99KCNGvc2EpoxDcS_jFt6lp7O0DKf5MwNAmMV7r4CUQAhY1YbpgQnas/s320/IMG_5937.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>OMG, it's the Titanic... Well, sort of! <br />The Queen Mary stays in Long Beach and currently is a museum and hotel. </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3PmX81Ye4UrnSUZKAUfyKxA9g1u55ulA8ZSsJQhcg4dCG7BU337PR8WY5_zCytFyrN9PKOM7SoNwyQeiYt80x3ea6pl9uWSClFqhLLBYopf9wou1soVZAmF-PoJwSEGogjJtI8gn0B_Gr2B1ZN8Ldh9QMs7uQnt2BkpCE4L89bcjvDFY8vQz1pPs8L4a/s4032/IMG_5939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3PmX81Ye4UrnSUZKAUfyKxA9g1u55ulA8ZSsJQhcg4dCG7BU337PR8WY5_zCytFyrN9PKOM7SoNwyQeiYt80x3ea6pl9uWSClFqhLLBYopf9wou1soVZAmF-PoJwSEGogjJtI8gn0B_Gr2B1ZN8Ldh9QMs7uQnt2BkpCE4L89bcjvDFY8vQz1pPs8L4a/s320/IMG_5939.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I am so excited for this cruise! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_B6RWT7iVsud-sKX4VtPZs6NcwP5ayh5PzRKUubhs6ipL3lM-DSMZsw2E5eR88SXT8jtGiGl_G0nylFc_PvUkh-mNaBDvFUIuUd7M_TWIW5NJqx4yXG4aNX4Cu-VWYfKM5WUkTWV0yHRxH-8nE-ff5W4KZNGPcbOGJqELSHedLi6Zbimmf2EPSBydMtw/s4032/IMG_5944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_B6RWT7iVsud-sKX4VtPZs6NcwP5ayh5PzRKUubhs6ipL3lM-DSMZsw2E5eR88SXT8jtGiGl_G0nylFc_PvUkh-mNaBDvFUIuUd7M_TWIW5NJqx4yXG4aNX4Cu-VWYfKM5WUkTWV0yHRxH-8nE-ff5W4KZNGPcbOGJqELSHedLi6Zbimmf2EPSBydMtw/s320/IMG_5944.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The weather was so bad (and cold- It was 55*) that the main Lido deck pool was emptied! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLOyY4qxDMxn6BPM3MCOSiK1Q95gvrOFY0b6JGQTLeveYeaBavOiuUojgjxa7x7Obo-8JJTVX_iqsTCwxGj7Hbhmt76EC_sWVOucbSSoBMwRqxNh8gReHokl00WVvensnHbF8PkGOZbzJKuM5cy3t99wTF6MPlmjjthlrFxJSNe7UKs4LN7bhyOVhUfgY/s4032/IMG_5947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLOyY4qxDMxn6BPM3MCOSiK1Q95gvrOFY0b6JGQTLeveYeaBavOiuUojgjxa7x7Obo-8JJTVX_iqsTCwxGj7Hbhmt76EC_sWVOucbSSoBMwRqxNh8gReHokl00WVvensnHbF8PkGOZbzJKuM5cy3t99wTF6MPlmjjthlrFxJSNe7UKs4LN7bhyOVhUfgY/s320/IMG_5947.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>A view of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal next to the Queen Mary! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvw1oQOvzRIHRpowCTRqjM7I6HScWtKD0xOu9V6OdFyeDan1cDjtDlmH9U8-s7r8EnrsV9hi3kpbod5v-QMH7QUYAeckAEn7Jk_otMRoa-xwsD7Blni7-Qv947FFqWJD0yf61qaUCDaL59h4JPKGEPIjiBb0S_iSUxfLxLZTSzpGraho-4YYMDueVlfId/s4032/IMG_5949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvw1oQOvzRIHRpowCTRqjM7I6HScWtKD0xOu9V6OdFyeDan1cDjtDlmH9U8-s7r8EnrsV9hi3kpbod5v-QMH7QUYAeckAEn7Jk_otMRoa-xwsD7Blni7-Qv947FFqWJD0yf61qaUCDaL59h4JPKGEPIjiBb0S_iSUxfLxLZTSzpGraho-4YYMDueVlfId/s320/IMG_5949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXv_rKDycisi4pFZ-aUU0POpUWCHoOeJwoI_GIcgZksdDYPeB81xXVS124FEz1e8Cb1usvFNv7q5PZk27VCHAc2MbnNGTjq7BlYXTSNXkaiLOUs73J_TGc7sSKjBnpAJIS69CYdX-0FqIBRIwmFKRoabNSE8huVjr3XQSVFo_UDGFYh1rIAlTXNMJCWJJ/s4032/IMG_5953.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXv_rKDycisi4pFZ-aUU0POpUWCHoOeJwoI_GIcgZksdDYPeB81xXVS124FEz1e8Cb1usvFNv7q5PZk27VCHAc2MbnNGTjq7BlYXTSNXkaiLOUs73J_TGc7sSKjBnpAJIS69CYdX-0FqIBRIwmFKRoabNSE8huVjr3XQSVFo_UDGFYh1rIAlTXNMJCWJJ/s320/IMG_5953.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I love this guy so much and I LOVE that he loves cruising just as much as I do! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn8at2RX9RdzBc0Ixm-KVdEDT7Ck_N7oK45u7eijVcj2t2RQtI6DsHRhuL53PmtvvhHgEsmJ_aBDFONBUq2XQCpGOfUyFGb34mw_em6bYtCuW4DCP2qWCRmTVVaMxheea9dMwm71YhKf_2_pf-WnYh-R9UJK0XQmrkWPAOAF5c8VrEKwTNYzOhNT0tqxn/s4032/IMG_5955.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn8at2RX9RdzBc0Ixm-KVdEDT7Ck_N7oK45u7eijVcj2t2RQtI6DsHRhuL53PmtvvhHgEsmJ_aBDFONBUq2XQCpGOfUyFGb34mw_em6bYtCuW4DCP2qWCRmTVVaMxheea9dMwm71YhKf_2_pf-WnYh-R9UJK0XQmrkWPAOAF5c8VrEKwTNYzOhNT0tqxn/s320/IMG_5955.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The <span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance</span> Sports Deck and Ropes Course on Deck 11 in the aft of the ship! <br /><span style="color: red;">(This is also where Guy's BBQ is located)</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then it was time to set sail. Unfortunately, it had been raining all afternoon and the rain continued so the sail away party had to be relocated to the <b><i>Atrium</i></b>. As soon as we arrived we saw the <i>Fun Squad</i> and took a picture before the deck party in the Atrium. After the party we got a great picture with Pauly the Cruise Director and this was the soonest in a cruise we had ever gotten our CD picture. Pauly was SO MUCH fun and full of energy and we enjoyed him all cruise! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HEQM7JvUMKaVnAvM5W771xUQwvh12R-iQj6JLJRIl8gjCSt_PxgcPtZU1zdfXQK8_UR7t37PEN0fGJKOcQ0vqzS3m0_EREDL4JFFnkd4CQCGnYdYufAC5OlYwoZlf4VMg5O0sY0XdrTUxXN6nGTZnXCUU2yOtQbq3fiJjO50AGC8K_n7XOwFxM0JNWKp/s4032/IMG_5959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HEQM7JvUMKaVnAvM5W771xUQwvh12R-iQj6JLJRIl8gjCSt_PxgcPtZU1zdfXQK8_UR7t37PEN0fGJKOcQ0vqzS3m0_EREDL4JFFnkd4CQCGnYdYufAC5OlYwoZlf4VMg5O0sY0XdrTUxXN6nGTZnXCUU2yOtQbq3fiJjO50AGC8K_n7XOwFxM0JNWKp/s320/IMG_5959.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Cruise Like a Davis and the Carnival Radiance FUN SQUAD!</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAJcdy5QVS2gURPgLJmplM1JLQ58FCdC8X6Dzjw_jluFHa4ed4OfA86NJBQ0GqSv_csqgFLyzjoI0qzUalTMZAiesN-k133CgDKoNhuKF5lFAMmLu7TF4_vvO11dpAZzVrE06tWzciMaZLo0cdTvghdFqJxxLs91p_sOV-VXPQNER-b-7gA7Lc8vzgDGM/s4032/IMG_5970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAJcdy5QVS2gURPgLJmplM1JLQ58FCdC8X6Dzjw_jluFHa4ed4OfA86NJBQ0GqSv_csqgFLyzjoI0qzUalTMZAiesN-k133CgDKoNhuKF5lFAMmLu7TF4_vvO11dpAZzVrE06tWzciMaZLo0cdTvghdFqJxxLs91p_sOV-VXPQNER-b-7gA7Lc8vzgDGM/s320/IMG_5970.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Our traditional Cruise Director Picture- We love you Pauly! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tjIvzF1e_hY" width="320" youtube-src-id="tjIvzF1e_hY"></iframe><br /><b>This was such a fun sail-away! Even inside! <br />Thanks Pauly for making our sail away SO MUCH FUN! </b></div></div></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Evening</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was now about 5:30PM and we still had not set sail from Long Beach. <i><span style="color: red;">We never got an answer as to why we were delayed in setting sail but we only had to travel about 100 miles (or less) to Catalina Island so it really did not matter.</span></i> Chris and I spent the evening in the <b><i>Hero's Bar</i></b> on Deck 5 just waiting for our dining time in the MDR at 8PM. <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- Hero's Bar was a great little sports bar connected to the casino and the service was fabulous all cruise. </span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I did a quick round of shopping on deck 5 with Natalie and she got a <i>Pandora </i>bracelet with her spending money. We then went back to the stateroom to get ready for dinner and just chill for a bit. Luke opted to make a stop by the ice cream machines before getting back to the room and changing for dinner. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOasGRt2WlvSmicIbV9DnJvi0szuDNToWO-RZu2PO392G-N2nPwYUpMiZ7yGXoZl7Ip4hnWGZ4qRWyNNUDiMSbN8bL1WxaJQ4ZSaPe0d28uDQl_Ju_yl6fIFGqdEW9iilF9gR-ZgRUBuSt_Sy_fPjFqscdZe00DFhwmUwsZ1YMDrp8C062NXekxOnDKyH2/s260/IMG_5978.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="260" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOasGRt2WlvSmicIbV9DnJvi0szuDNToWO-RZu2PO392G-N2nPwYUpMiZ7yGXoZl7Ip4hnWGZ4qRWyNNUDiMSbN8bL1WxaJQ4ZSaPe0d28uDQl_Ju_yl6fIFGqdEW9iilF9gR-ZgRUBuSt_Sy_fPjFqscdZe00DFhwmUwsZ1YMDrp8C062NXekxOnDKyH2/s1600/IMG_5978.jpg" width="260" /></a><br /><b><i>I love our back-of- shirt numbers! <br />How can this be my TWENTY-THIRD cruise... I am NOT that old?</i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made our way to the Deck 3 forward dining room only to find out there was some weird water damage from the previous cruise and we had to enter the dining room through the back. Due to the build of <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival </span></i></b>ships, this meant we had to go up to Deck 4 and then make our way to the back entrance since Deck 3 does not go through the middle of the ship. We got to the back of the Dining Room and finally got to our table through the chaos of people. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg26FUKgLDtxgSfM7QDZAy9h-L5ns_hfsImtUdYM-N0pAh362e9oUZi3I-MbkmNwiYM7S5C29KdZOqLubuaalhzt9H_gn0d4kzKHafAoVSvvb6EtC2gJXa5eNrCx5ITLJISgsOSCnCMt0EIMpJD09Ot6T-Ebdy_3EUvwV_RGc943jWuDqZmq3cERuI6Zr-/s260/IMG_5985.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="260" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg26FUKgLDtxgSfM7QDZAy9h-L5ns_hfsImtUdYM-N0pAh362e9oUZi3I-MbkmNwiYM7S5C29KdZOqLubuaalhzt9H_gn0d4kzKHafAoVSvvb6EtC2gJXa5eNrCx5ITLJISgsOSCnCMt0EIMpJD09Ot6T-Ebdy_3EUvwV_RGc943jWuDqZmq3cERuI6Zr-/s1600/IMG_5985.jpg" width="260" /></a><br /><i><b>Night #1 in the Main Dining Room!</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-yPx6mZONCXiJYqZ5tmn-bdpdHXjErcVUBZ2pnwZNCs0aH6ag0zFY-cOxmu4ZrNeQpBpmLSp2L9wtnP9_PrczrZE5lc0EOJQGExbNNQI0v9i_6tfF21oEn8U3sHz3qCAd3hJCqBiwzrDFZ7qFZstI-nP4Hs9qPX2lXIIr4__8JEBmP02xaQyihw2Bl5x/s809/IMG_5986.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-yPx6mZONCXiJYqZ5tmn-bdpdHXjErcVUBZ2pnwZNCs0aH6ag0zFY-cOxmu4ZrNeQpBpmLSp2L9wtnP9_PrczrZE5lc0EOJQGExbNNQI0v9i_6tfF21oEn8U3sHz3qCAd3hJCqBiwzrDFZ7qFZstI-nP4Hs9qPX2lXIIr4__8JEBmP02xaQyihw2Bl5x/s320/IMG_5986.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I love getting to share all of this with my kiddos! </b></i></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our dinner was FABULOUS! The food and the service were seriously outstanding and we were impressed. The kids LOVED being able to order additional appetizers and entrees and trying out foods they would not normally try. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We quickly made our way to the <i>Welcome Aboard Show</i> after dinner and had to sit at the very top of the theater due to so many people being at this single show for the evening. Overall the production shows were not as impressive but we still enjoyed them. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ended the night after 11PM and the kids decided to go back to the stateroom and go to bed while Chris and I were still jet-lagged (believe it or not) and decided to continue the fun at our favorite... The <b><i>Alchemy Bar</i></b>. <i><b><span style="color: red;">This place NEVER disappoints with the intricate details of ingredients and flavor. We finally called it a night shortly after midnight.</span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05rNop_EwcUWuzr8ywj2bqqGlgGU8xAYh0mWtj6c8WaDMupxoY65K0I8PB9PfTAA1psVwVG6dWAgh4IEUBZxXFdJiWVG7l-QgyYfEcBB5XXnHQdJJbqjQLquluxcyDi7cBJUREDeb5C0dLs9z05f5W0O_Anm-qd-gv5wNi0_bo-In1i5E09c8JzV75Bec/s607/IMG_5997.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05rNop_EwcUWuzr8ywj2bqqGlgGU8xAYh0mWtj6c8WaDMupxoY65K0I8PB9PfTAA1psVwVG6dWAgh4IEUBZxXFdJiWVG7l-QgyYfEcBB5XXnHQdJJbqjQLquluxcyDi7cBJUREDeb5C0dLs9z05f5W0O_Anm-qd-gv5wNi0_bo-In1i5E09c8JzV75Bec/s320/IMG_5997.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Forty is the New Twenty- I LOVE this one! <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj50D3l_3UI5Ebtdcwqz9TD-pQ00N_aXTQo_G5_sgJ4y_ZMEfw2wqi_zbXmS8Uy4AtmujS-7JA3nZubcUr2twDlMrKYy8XtuQEz1RlyRgHnzgxvlK_apLDJ3wVPcv3C36Tk6wG7LA-FYuR5oTtqKdZpyN8XdA4MVohIyHIZ7L7MICnz80xPlKcKwoTaeP/s607/IMG_5998.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj50D3l_3UI5Ebtdcwqz9TD-pQ00N_aXTQo_G5_sgJ4y_ZMEfw2wqi_zbXmS8Uy4AtmujS-7JA3nZubcUr2twDlMrKYy8XtuQEz1RlyRgHnzgxvlK_apLDJ3wVPcv3C36Tk6wG7LA-FYuR5oTtqKdZpyN8XdA4MVohIyHIZ7L7MICnz80xPlKcKwoTaeP/s320/IMG_5998.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />But the Painkiller is my absolute favorite! </div></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Overall it was a GREAT Embarkation Day aboard the <span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance</span> and out of Long Beach. The kids loved the freedom of exploring the ship by themselves and we loved getting to enjoy the whole experience together! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Up Next... Our one and only Sea Day aboard the</span> <span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance! </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-july-2023.html">Allure of the Seas- June 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman";"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><p><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-52135633650185954382024-03-12T16:51:00.003-05:002024-03-16T13:01:18.450-05:00Platinum Pacific Style- Long Beach, CA <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u>"Bruh, Where's My Phone"</u></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sunday, February 18, 2024 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Travel Day- Houston to Long Beach </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0QGtIjbfdtTA9WM6CGI9e1bZYCpMnRo7NY9_j-RbYopYeep_yw7o9lFLEMq7adiWkCL5NBmsC66ZcwVmektPbpupXLykVVxUchsrHRuCpd0EnxhO_Yp0P-O_a4yhlHNf2yQEbGb79Wwa5Pqg_lsO_94ecNthtNLpZuNggSb_cN12OEZ8bbHS1rl6blBx/s4032/IMG_5725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0QGtIjbfdtTA9WM6CGI9e1bZYCpMnRo7NY9_j-RbYopYeep_yw7o9lFLEMq7adiWkCL5NBmsC66ZcwVmektPbpupXLykVVxUchsrHRuCpd0EnxhO_Yp0P-O_a4yhlHNf2yQEbGb79Wwa5Pqg_lsO_94ecNthtNLpZuNggSb_cN12OEZ8bbHS1rl6blBx/s320/IMG_5725.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It's GO TIME! </div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">As per the usual for the 1st day of vacation, we woke up early and excited at 5AM. Unfortunately, this is literally our NORMAL as we have a school start time of 6:45AM and live about 30 minutes from our school. So it was just another day! We were out the door and waiting (AND WAITING) for our Whataburger breakfast by 5:30AM. Despite having placed the order in the Whataburger app 20 minutes before arrival, Whataburger did not have our order and we had to wait for them to make our food. <b><i>Sadly, I had already PLANNED for this slow down and despite the 20 minute delay at Whataburger, we were "right on time". </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made the 45 mile/ 55 minute trip to Houston Hobby Airport where our Southwest flight to Long Beach departed at 8:55AM. We arrived right at 7AM and had no issues and only a 10 minute wait to get through security! <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Hobby airport is so much easier to get through security than Bush Airport in North Houston. We think the additional driving time is worth it. However, we will fly out of either... Whichever is cheaper! </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- Southwest Airlines has open seating and you can sit where ever you like once on the plane. However, you must check in for your flight 24 hours PRIOR to the flight departure time. They have "boarding groups" and these are a first come first serve order of who checks in and the timing of their check in. We opted to pay the $25/ per person fee for "EARLY BIRD CHECK IN" which automatically checks everyone in 36 hours before flight time. This proved to be worth the $100 as we got boarding group A (56-59); which is basically the top 25% of the passengers.</span></b></i> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we got through security, we made our way to our gate and then got some coffee at Peet's Coffee in the terminal. While waiting for our plane to arrive, we learned that this flight was only about 70% full. We were already doing the happy dance thinking about the empty seats for our 4 hour flight. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchez0aQPAZQPKP105osi9XBjm4qaQHHS0ZfyyRuL9yI7Mwixgd1kUDjx7NEOwow-ktI7UI0Rim8jA3uAM55Sh8_tV2JN_MfaIMCuPTeWEm56dhOjoBw-yGT_Xtl6o78hyjDWXq1CRbIDmh2uvtm_vAUtmDey96oUVgN1sfFcVUS62-Sw8VIPe78s1_wXu/s4032/IMG_5725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchez0aQPAZQPKP105osi9XBjm4qaQHHS0ZfyyRuL9yI7Mwixgd1kUDjx7NEOwow-ktI7UI0Rim8jA3uAM55Sh8_tV2JN_MfaIMCuPTeWEm56dhOjoBw-yGT_Xtl6o78hyjDWXq1CRbIDmh2uvtm_vAUtmDey96oUVgN1sfFcVUS62-Sw8VIPe78s1_wXu/s320/IMG_5725.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Houston Hobby... Long time, no see</b></i>! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B3bvWFeCjytSitBAe4BFPA71cNoMc0-WtF1S97Cp7r_D9PVZ-kJbckJiz71tNrx9tA8RFp_6kHd8e1nJqS5B0FSkCLVtAhmrYfXrM_4Qvln1noK0Pc1Ult-0XE8oZzUvSQw0yKxnEXVqsC02nTZINsH9lqoxLjBv_-JMmlAY83EBURB12nCWAeVC-h73/s4032/IMG_5727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B3bvWFeCjytSitBAe4BFPA71cNoMc0-WtF1S97Cp7r_D9PVZ-kJbckJiz71tNrx9tA8RFp_6kHd8e1nJqS5B0FSkCLVtAhmrYfXrM_4Qvln1noK0Pc1Ult-0XE8oZzUvSQw0yKxnEXVqsC02nTZINsH9lqoxLjBv_-JMmlAY83EBURB12nCWAeVC-h73/s320/IMG_5727.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>This was the best thing I read ALL DAY! </b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our ride arrived around 8:15AM and we literally watched all 6 of our suitcases get onto our plane to California! Once on board, Chris and Natalie snagged the open and very spacious front row while Luke and I went back to row 12 and spread out hoping nobody would join us and we would have an open middle seat. Chris and Natalie were not so lucky and a middle passenger joined them but Luke and I were able to enjoy this long flight without a middle person! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHl83BJRf8tKVSOdKERtrNhr41oAM436WXuARAkXHIIHMHvI5U_J6UptMg4JIfTrRUvOwyh2yMRAkjPrvDVX5eDH_n0_T4BnMwQu32to_O8WJ4DN4PFmUMigcMvvH1w4w5kXDsz3U69QbpXbwxF0WuAX9GO7R6VM47vrcU8rM3mjQCMJgEldzmjzLNUOEP/s4032/IMG_5728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHl83BJRf8tKVSOdKERtrNhr41oAM436WXuARAkXHIIHMHvI5U_J6UptMg4JIfTrRUvOwyh2yMRAkjPrvDVX5eDH_n0_T4BnMwQu32to_O8WJ4DN4PFmUMigcMvvH1w4w5kXDsz3U69QbpXbwxF0WuAX9GO7R6VM47vrcU8rM3mjQCMJgEldzmjzLNUOEP/s320/IMG_5728.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Boeing 737- Take me to Cali, please! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E0Bp77ZjoKhnIiTdmidbRvPNgkifUPSHvYdr53iboVsOddD_bOWWy5weo-T0MgEKwZz2xxnWF4df-FWWojviJa9Q210tu-32pNcqgW0lbFWzrWeCTA971KYY0Go1suY5sgEHqq3zEZnsmmfg55rStwIiR0bIMsiHjhNaW6m0uSSVIqiuckjzvRd7M4Ir/s4032/IMG_5732.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E0Bp77ZjoKhnIiTdmidbRvPNgkifUPSHvYdr53iboVsOddD_bOWWy5weo-T0MgEKwZz2xxnWF4df-FWWojviJa9Q210tu-32pNcqgW0lbFWzrWeCTA971KYY0Go1suY5sgEHqq3zEZnsmmfg55rStwIiR0bIMsiHjhNaW6m0uSSVIqiuckjzvRd7M4Ir/s320/IMG_5732.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We were SO EXCITED to NOT have to share the row! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoE1bGj7-31M6OHYCboPeKtyu26JUzcCA0mhuWvjvFuBaN2S1KczZVych-sgG7Ti0YNCvqehS_1ixm34_CJfeeSPZPmdJvmVUYFeufwYLxIhS5AGWI63uTiY035k45aLoOgMg8b9IoBZSvh6gPLpNbdtZKJdWuKuqOMFr0_BDrrHrrsoReEAtkKD2eycyz/s4032/IMG_5734.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoE1bGj7-31M6OHYCboPeKtyu26JUzcCA0mhuWvjvFuBaN2S1KczZVych-sgG7Ti0YNCvqehS_1ixm34_CJfeeSPZPmdJvmVUYFeufwYLxIhS5AGWI63uTiY035k45aLoOgMg8b9IoBZSvh6gPLpNbdtZKJdWuKuqOMFr0_BDrrHrrsoReEAtkKD2eycyz/s320/IMG_5734.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>I seriously LOVE that he will still hold my hand... It may not last very much longer! <br />Please NEVER GROW UP- or at least STOP growing up! </b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The flight was fairly boring with lots of cloud coverage and not a lot of turbulence. Luke was able to see Phoenix and the Rocky Mountains in particular with his window seat. We also flew quite literally right over my in-laws property just north of Lubbock, TX. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF0sVX3gjaCAkEUYOrkddNg7dZySgpg7PW5zH-f_u_7ABaYXrUSfQi9uwxPWjjKAbG5d8Dcpx63kx4kgu5uDaJv20gr-0AIwdM26v5oxECPLSWqI6wOfC0jHSSRQBTKkCr7H7DGSL1ouXLRy9Vk_LCHyXtk1f8b0k-hFg7eXdBV-6G5GeE3zhfVtNP1J1/s4032/IMG_5735.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF0sVX3gjaCAkEUYOrkddNg7dZySgpg7PW5zH-f_u_7ABaYXrUSfQi9uwxPWjjKAbG5d8Dcpx63kx4kgu5uDaJv20gr-0AIwdM26v5oxECPLSWqI6wOfC0jHSSRQBTKkCr7H7DGSL1ouXLRy9Vk_LCHyXtk1f8b0k-hFg7eXdBV-6G5GeE3zhfVtNP1J1/s320/IMG_5735.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Goodbye Houston!</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUNgeSvu5dfCSgaZs3dDlHIIZ95_yj3AAX5Wg52-a0FOem59J9j8AgmFihSmD_YdFihsn_x7LsI2unJuCfyfV5H8MKoiGl8KJZvWB_U26KFWLAouPJHcnu3XM4jwBLX7puOj6kRg87sbhldZXXETk_jeFUYsNGwAnXuyc_hqmwOWWmeoK84HuomgccHS8/s4032/IMG_5760.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUNgeSvu5dfCSgaZs3dDlHIIZ95_yj3AAX5Wg52-a0FOem59J9j8AgmFihSmD_YdFihsn_x7LsI2unJuCfyfV5H8MKoiGl8KJZvWB_U26KFWLAouPJHcnu3XM4jwBLX7puOj6kRg87sbhldZXXETk_jeFUYsNGwAnXuyc_hqmwOWWmeoK84HuomgccHS8/s320/IMG_5760.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Southern California! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnpAzHRGPOgH4S-nbu7EMK8Yud9Fck_RjSbxAy9EWP4hDAhfp_o8byfHo9DMV4B4bM05394R9jwUjOwjIszVGDcynJh84_AGSZA9Te_Nh1-qScmqUYSZXVSjuOjUcmcTGnZuwGZrGYbVz3RFtqmQdron2J6ePW492tQ5ot8bwWYD5wunEZmZYKytX3Ffq/s4032/IMG_5767.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnpAzHRGPOgH4S-nbu7EMK8Yud9Fck_RjSbxAy9EWP4hDAhfp_o8byfHo9DMV4B4bM05394R9jwUjOwjIszVGDcynJh84_AGSZA9Te_Nh1-qScmqUYSZXVSjuOjUcmcTGnZuwGZrGYbVz3RFtqmQdron2J6ePW492tQ5ot8bwWYD5wunEZmZYKytX3Ffq/s320/IMG_5767.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Carnival Panorama was in port and headed out on a 6 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera! </b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We touched down in Long Beach about 15 minutes earlier than planned and were able to get to our gate very quickly. Long Beach airport was SO COOL. We were able to de-board the plane via stairs and even 2 exits which made the debarkation of the plane SO MUCH EASIER. This also meant a gorgeous entrance to Southern Cali as we walked from the plane to the airport terminal. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- After having flown in and out of LGB airport, I would HIGHLY recommend anyone trying to avoid LAX and flying to Long Beach. This airport was so chill and laid back and has a very California vibe that we LOVED! </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHiHJhVfUmBQMOj77tyaCdpNxwv-slGEudLFjEEnfKVGyIdZRIYpS7mnx4M2lWZN7YdJlv8KcDef6HW78-x1B9ncjhNgcYznyhimWyTojJpqIwvgUJRxRnIzjI8ngWnahASRvozzFBVCYysSRQijoue2xprnR6oZb92gZuHyWLBy3jFHbEGtazPy0-26r/s4032/IMG_5770.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHiHJhVfUmBQMOj77tyaCdpNxwv-slGEudLFjEEnfKVGyIdZRIYpS7mnx4M2lWZN7YdJlv8KcDef6HW78-x1B9ncjhNgcYznyhimWyTojJpqIwvgUJRxRnIzjI8ngWnahASRvozzFBVCYysSRQijoue2xprnR6oZb92gZuHyWLBy3jFHbEGtazPy0-26r/s320/IMG_5770.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I am not sure when the last time I got off a plane without a jetway! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was SO COOL! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg1vanIrOaFLjaCixB9k5BXsZEtjMC_HP0nB_Bz1NQgY_slUgbhIBJNwLedkqi8kO4SjT4vpz_9Y45fP9Z_XKy03rUNuIiNYxbcor9gsMGGTnud2PW9qz0BbJN2AwjlwFaDoY9NMEI5oraZc1vyrTQHtXon2alQc2qOu_FjhnzmM6aSzI6BeJzxcL4Mkl/s4032/IMG_5776.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg1vanIrOaFLjaCixB9k5BXsZEtjMC_HP0nB_Bz1NQgY_slUgbhIBJNwLedkqi8kO4SjT4vpz_9Y45fP9Z_XKy03rUNuIiNYxbcor9gsMGGTnud2PW9qz0BbJN2AwjlwFaDoY9NMEI5oraZc1vyrTQHtXon2alQc2qOu_FjhnzmM6aSzI6BeJzxcL4Mkl/s320/IMG_5776.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We LOVED Long Beach Airport! <br />#FLYLGB</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHsWC1VIqlJGbQXjZYSCNJxUdDJ1HpR6VDrSdF6HLHgByFcxz4PwE9wQfWG_JcNocoUI6DntMr37oH81UqVQt7iMjlK6nIwlhtz9ufT_PPV3hDGSAYximmje1I6JUhLQMD2aoND6M8blVHwAkm0kc93soiWTrGNoUc0ER5ZSV7TWfXM_dchVQCTSE_rFX/s4032/IMG_5777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHsWC1VIqlJGbQXjZYSCNJxUdDJ1HpR6VDrSdF6HLHgByFcxz4PwE9wQfWG_JcNocoUI6DntMr37oH81UqVQt7iMjlK6nIwlhtz9ufT_PPV3hDGSAYximmje1I6JUhLQMD2aoND6M8blVHwAkm0kc93soiWTrGNoUc0ER5ZSV7TWfXM_dchVQCTSE_rFX/s320/IMG_5777.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Waiting for our LYFT in front of this tiny airport! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0g6lQZtk-BQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="0g6lQZtk-BQ"></iframe><br />This airport may literally be my new favorite! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once in the terminal, we made our way to baggage claim and waited for our luggage to arrive before contacting our Hotel about the shuttle. This shuttle turned out to be a "LYFT" paid by the Hotel but we were happy with this "free" shuttle to The Pacific Inn, our hotel for the evening. <i><b>Our LYFT driver was a local who gave us lots of tips and tricks for our upcoming April 2024 Baseball trip to LA and Anaheim. </b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we arrived at <b>The Pacific Inn</b>, we were able to get checked in and leave out suitcases with the hotel and go and get lunch. <i>However, I learned once we started to pay that the bank had not put our vacation notice on the right day so I had to spend 20-30 minutes trying to get a LIVE person on a Sunday to take the hold off my debit card! Thank goodness for Juan in the Walmart Bank in Conroe!</i> We got it all figured out and we were on our way to <b>Schooner or Later</b>, a Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives in Seal Beach. We decided to walk to this restaurant which was about a mile from our hotel at the Alamitos Bay Mariana Center. <b><i>WOW... Southern California weather makes me SO HAPPY (and jealous). It was a gorgeous walk and we made it to this diner around 12:30. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq1bXwpXsVTMgPvgUv4VIR57euYo9nNLbwD-_tTFY122ZJz1IzSWyvyOpk9zSPaV2lUMWKgtF8cEsa-5-uO7BgAEiXK_1wNxTg9xyGFYM1y_GD0mBoTOEy6O2U9WmbURZ80LMxyPPhdLbfmaJfxjE7hEpaAkD1-1hWnQO73904a5X1l4ZMX66XLozQ_LX/s4032/IMG_5779.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq1bXwpXsVTMgPvgUv4VIR57euYo9nNLbwD-_tTFY122ZJz1IzSWyvyOpk9zSPaV2lUMWKgtF8cEsa-5-uO7BgAEiXK_1wNxTg9xyGFYM1y_GD0mBoTOEy6O2U9WmbURZ80LMxyPPhdLbfmaJfxjE7hEpaAkD1-1hWnQO73904a5X1l4ZMX66XLozQ_LX/s320/IMG_5779.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of Seal Beach near our hotel! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Zpl58THYKTCeKd8_Y3AyfgGWXxP32Jl1IcWPDzu-RqxSXAppx2buDv30Mmx5OQU9FUwITgT6QSlySLlhn_k5F3nI2wS4AyxjM9ofkgyn33hD0l0e8mYFOUQVy9zem9ZQ156_TZY-rCJFiPtsWCIS2hi21hU4CArsZaLPDw0gIdEuT-2eW80snbQ_UZGT/s4032/IMG_5781.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Zpl58THYKTCeKd8_Y3AyfgGWXxP32Jl1IcWPDzu-RqxSXAppx2buDv30Mmx5OQU9FUwITgT6QSlySLlhn_k5F3nI2wS4AyxjM9ofkgyn33hD0l0e8mYFOUQVy9zem9ZQ156_TZY-rCJFiPtsWCIS2hi21hU4CArsZaLPDw0gIdEuT-2eW80snbQ_UZGT/s320/IMG_5781.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Walking across the Marina to Schooner or Later! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJxToh2FMWMJy7CpWf0aJKxuofcTmS0XN7BTYDZ3jG0LoIJjtlhOjsM6r12ggU50BHLAqYE9cJ_7VwQdF3i78UYRE_dpAlW3uNp-Sa4x4SJRnotWxrRmgkSXQ-4sMCQFzZnmhZK8hzGpkAayiOW7XurIiU_9u7waDvS8xfxFXrC1NJ14ain3j6slHgGCV/s4032/IMG_5782.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJxToh2FMWMJy7CpWf0aJKxuofcTmS0XN7BTYDZ3jG0LoIJjtlhOjsM6r12ggU50BHLAqYE9cJ_7VwQdF3i78UYRE_dpAlW3uNp-Sa4x4SJRnotWxrRmgkSXQ-4sMCQFzZnmhZK8hzGpkAayiOW7XurIiU_9u7waDvS8xfxFXrC1NJ14ain3j6slHgGCV/s320/IMG_5782.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />1.3 miles later, we have arrived! </div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked in with the hostess to learn there was over an hour wait. We didn't care as we really love to try DDD places on vacations. The marina was gorgeous and we enjoyed some drinks on the water while we waited for our table. Once seated, the service was OUTSTANDING and the food was even better. The kids devoured their meal and Chris and I enjoyed trying each others orders as well. Overall, this was a GREAT place to visit while in Long Beach and not too expensive for California prices. We paid $100 (with tip) for our food order and right at $50 for our drinks.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxEaQ-XOD6z6C9XJcEk8AEC9A5qsG7E5W-0zP7YQUnjD2o8zysvW9DGl4vGLxTbTSjwL1gxkUhPQhIvh692jBDM_j61fKs9ICVx9tivFHejR8pIq_ZGc2-vqGRfluYG0FsWgTOs5bwmxOUcfrslxpZ3Rkxynh4z2k72mn7dGnxK6avj-o-wd0HClS33tX/s4032/IMG_5783.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxEaQ-XOD6z6C9XJcEk8AEC9A5qsG7E5W-0zP7YQUnjD2o8zysvW9DGl4vGLxTbTSjwL1gxkUhPQhIvh692jBDM_j61fKs9ICVx9tivFHejR8pIq_ZGc2-vqGRfluYG0FsWgTOs5bwmxOUcfrslxpZ3Rkxynh4z2k72mn7dGnxK6avj-o-wd0HClS33tX/s320/IMG_5783.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Ok, OK... Vacation can FINALLY begin!</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Cheers to California and CRUISING! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4op2gOoPhhE78PEA0XFE27NtsSaz2wmn2vSzzRfsvFqC848As-5YgRBoA_V7vpTNMiuJa7DIsZG2mJPJZnENvatSa6xgS5bvs8QNU5krK4CPChgnN4153E90cKssnzoSMxLdmzK0_DvUkiviPoBzZr3GEJ9sOgoYUIOPd7YlU63RBidkTNS2qTjREOia/s4032/IMG_5785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4op2gOoPhhE78PEA0XFE27NtsSaz2wmn2vSzzRfsvFqC848As-5YgRBoA_V7vpTNMiuJa7DIsZG2mJPJZnENvatSa6xgS5bvs8QNU5krK4CPChgnN4153E90cKssnzoSMxLdmzK0_DvUkiviPoBzZr3GEJ9sOgoYUIOPd7YlU63RBidkTNS2qTjREOia/s320/IMG_5785.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved the California weather- It was 65* and GORGEOUS! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE_RGnQ92i-KgMALnnGQ3_ZlWi7H6Cy_awpD9t3q_NAOM9mrMA2XYmrhtgWh3GyrtlJJLjv-DNgmAiELMtPmablJiO0SRecjgzXSfX10PP7Iy2dAQQh-8fhZ5fmki3PrGw5hjklD7q0DrKNSk0gzEJ-RuDm6MdJdZb757Iw1oVXvKOanMMByHFrPIhl0a/s4032/IMG_5786.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE_RGnQ92i-KgMALnnGQ3_ZlWi7H6Cy_awpD9t3q_NAOM9mrMA2XYmrhtgWh3GyrtlJJLjv-DNgmAiELMtPmablJiO0SRecjgzXSfX10PP7Iy2dAQQh-8fhZ5fmki3PrGw5hjklD7q0DrKNSk0gzEJ-RuDm6MdJdZb757Iw1oVXvKOanMMByHFrPIhl0a/s320/IMG_5786.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Poor Natalie had DNow weekend at church and was up until 3AM the night before!</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>She was tired! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR82lr4m8V6ioRoNCVBTLgdPYOOjfZ4iG3WnyoAnx6wlo6c6-5nW0Yc86OfW4ajnhuHZpB0d1-rqxqvMIWP9ODgEu7GCl_YQMkmIZNzvR0AvN174U72CVAIPlZ3cQoZJAhIEva0LnvWlDDyhLJ3bBHvx_otP3vW44SMY7YN0KxIPwF4T3IeGuHKSSNb-R-/s4032/IMG_5788.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR82lr4m8V6ioRoNCVBTLgdPYOOjfZ4iG3WnyoAnx6wlo6c6-5nW0Yc86OfW4ajnhuHZpB0d1-rqxqvMIWP9ODgEu7GCl_YQMkmIZNzvR0AvN174U72CVAIPlZ3cQoZJAhIEva0LnvWlDDyhLJ3bBHvx_otP3vW44SMY7YN0KxIPwF4T3IeGuHKSSNb-R-/s320/IMG_5788.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I love this guy so much! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQay2SnOWrqmmHNDAYaSm3UaGLod9X8mCFaeV_2qyXgu_5AhOZWbZQ6GDmczqXr7dBkbv-loVIsD0P_QB9X_QxZtWC7-bgQ07UMSQF0Eim8Q8hZdYlkNu2Uwz4uCwCFw5YrlV7sytCyF4vn_iHg1wWX9-V59ep9vEGGWzZGSYmYVkfax2oEmfbPdWwAR5I/s4032/IMG_5790.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQay2SnOWrqmmHNDAYaSm3UaGLod9X8mCFaeV_2qyXgu_5AhOZWbZQ6GDmczqXr7dBkbv-loVIsD0P_QB9X_QxZtWC7-bgQ07UMSQF0Eim8Q8hZdYlkNu2Uwz4uCwCFw5YrlV7sytCyF4vn_iHg1wWX9-V59ep9vEGGWzZGSYmYVkfax2oEmfbPdWwAR5I/s320/IMG_5790.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Luke and I LOVED walking this marina as we waited for our table! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGc4r1i8dm_DlY8Yl-0kwciW4_4bK6eMJu2Ht79yVcSN35O3tYixrxzKsSwaeveL77pFHzZUH0z3jrxFrWGlJM6NUXbeFNFut0xKgCS4_ERbB74WPe8EZPprg7SFu5-LDP22bxjD9-bXq15FcjIEKP91p_-8MTUZR_nMVkUPL9qblVtIaSrSxivTgDKOgF/s4032/IMG_5794.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGc4r1i8dm_DlY8Yl-0kwciW4_4bK6eMJu2Ht79yVcSN35O3tYixrxzKsSwaeveL77pFHzZUH0z3jrxFrWGlJM6NUXbeFNFut0xKgCS4_ERbB74WPe8EZPprg7SFu5-LDP22bxjD9-bXq15FcjIEKP91p_-8MTUZR_nMVkUPL9qblVtIaSrSxivTgDKOgF/s320/IMG_5794.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We are finally seated around 1:45PM. <br />TRUST ME... IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!</i></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnvlDFw_P6MghCNGYq-UWUsGjYFvaTl6mDWq5H8qNzDMdGed04WVatVLaURUeFZHYEoEO3L3u3d1irKfFKFOJSXVfana0cIZHJ15Cs9RUKnAlLHbanEPQ9k1JQN01RHy_LwYg5dXLQAF0zqY-UFcd9s0SgsJa159yKVzTUoeZabrFySZiM4XY0JqEL-0H/s809/IMG_3679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnvlDFw_P6MghCNGYq-UWUsGjYFvaTl6mDWq5H8qNzDMdGed04WVatVLaURUeFZHYEoEO3L3u3d1irKfFKFOJSXVfana0cIZHJ15Cs9RUKnAlLHbanEPQ9k1JQN01RHy_LwYg5dXLQAF0zqY-UFcd9s0SgsJa159yKVzTUoeZabrFySZiM4XY0JqEL-0H/s320/IMG_3679.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Luke ordered the "Very Berry Pancakes" and they were HUGE! <br />(He ate every bite) </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURhWwJ2anH86bmkMFkPpZIVFC8pmqVn3ECuSHvVVoJ95dolU51C6BjX5FdTupFJu011YYk_Ybj-SEHNUn_yitUHNghVF8alM582_zDu3mQa6r5ZFK5292G9vwP6K8Qh3r30LdNXoq5jT-ljTW2RIyX_p5nn1YIqELpfJEk4xyolV2_pYT82jWPlSu5tAy/s809/IMG_3680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURhWwJ2anH86bmkMFkPpZIVFC8pmqVn3ECuSHvVVoJ95dolU51C6BjX5FdTupFJu011YYk_Ybj-SEHNUn_yitUHNghVF8alM582_zDu3mQa6r5ZFK5292G9vwP6K8Qh3r30LdNXoq5jT-ljTW2RIyX_p5nn1YIqELpfJEk4xyolV2_pYT82jWPlSu5tAy/s320/IMG_3680.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Natalie's order was a bit unique for her but "Fish and Chips" for the win! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcz5MqtHt8PMnYf1ZtUWqlurfPsh0pd_Ru0QukFi5QWJqets-sV29VnZFGSuNMqe_kQ4hynzy0ieT9KNtHGa0exY7rJYdKDQYC7Wq-ROwwvo5eNw-FuiCEngIMXsaYhdB2ZzXRpE6AY6H7HmCAKkrVKBxtd-YEYYTnul2_RWPF6vF1d_Jdmsqawdzjp6S/s809/IMG_3681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="809" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcz5MqtHt8PMnYf1ZtUWqlurfPsh0pd_Ru0QukFi5QWJqets-sV29VnZFGSuNMqe_kQ4hynzy0ieT9KNtHGa0exY7rJYdKDQYC7Wq-ROwwvo5eNw-FuiCEngIMXsaYhdB2ZzXRpE6AY6H7HmCAKkrVKBxtd-YEYYTnul2_RWPF6vF1d_Jdmsqawdzjp6S/s320/IMG_3681.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i> I ordered what Guy did on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives, as I always do. </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>This Turkey Club was AMAZING! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVSrezlSFQrVm_V0GAq5NiD9jCmQ5XJWHEKhZT_zs2awOhW-prI7S0MAUY2eTvbfJfPuQ315f1hIOOiFr65VYl7P1ccSQykvnp4C-BI-5YGNVTnRUMIZOjphrweSXkaEtHFjYDSHll3KYmZ0QSIR-4L817Q_CZuM2N_W_HeGBeyQ43avxc3nK_tededfE/s607/IMG_3682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVSrezlSFQrVm_V0GAq5NiD9jCmQ5XJWHEKhZT_zs2awOhW-prI7S0MAUY2eTvbfJfPuQ315f1hIOOiFr65VYl7P1ccSQykvnp4C-BI-5YGNVTnRUMIZOjphrweSXkaEtHFjYDSHll3KYmZ0QSIR-4L817Q_CZuM2N_W_HeGBeyQ43avxc3nK_tededfE/s320/IMG_3682.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Chris ordered the "Patty Melt" and after tasting mine he wished he would have ordered the Turkey Club as well! </i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After brunch, we tried to walk and get some Long Beach souvenirs but we had a hard time finding local shops. We walked away from our hotel about .5 mile and then we got a phone call saying our room was ready so we headed back to <b>The Pacific Inn.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp6652HlRfRnrYXCHpYbt9XG1ictqTCKdRRzAebuHTQvVy83TWT7I4rNExeoAnGb4TBpqzksfsIArbJ6QTTlSkj_4vEtO7W6VMswGXwjl8mi9cSHbC-CUIr_rXT9zKnBWjefZ0qTfWyzt9s74VzGKt5-YrrKAAENWse0OdyPdIOCWxk0eIzDLHerpCYVT/s4032/IMG_5798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp6652HlRfRnrYXCHpYbt9XG1ictqTCKdRRzAebuHTQvVy83TWT7I4rNExeoAnGb4TBpqzksfsIArbJ6QTTlSkj_4vEtO7W6VMswGXwjl8mi9cSHbC-CUIr_rXT9zKnBWjefZ0qTfWyzt9s74VzGKt5-YrrKAAENWse0OdyPdIOCWxk0eIzDLHerpCYVT/s320/IMG_5798.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I found this hidden gem on Cruise Critic as a lovely place to stay before sailing out of Long Beach! The reviews were spot on and we agreed- this place was perfect! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/urYk-uPJCi8" width="320" youtube-src-id="urYk-uPJCi8"></iframe><br /><span style="color: red;">This suite was HUGE and we loved it! This is too far from our attractions we will visit in April but it would be PERFECT for an extended LA stay! We paid $259/ night and this was about $200 less than the downtown Long Beach hotels! </span></div></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got into our MASSIVE Executive suite and got settled before taking a quick nap. We were all so very tired from the early morning and the long flight! Once we got up, we opted to go towards Seal Beach for some shopping and beach time. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made it the 5 blocks to downtown Seal Beach and did some shopping before getting down to the beach around 4:30PM. This beach was gorgeous with soft sand and gorgeous views of the Pacific. The kids ran up to the high hill of sand to get a quick look (and Natalie took a picture) while we rolled up our pants to go into the FRIGID waters of the Pacific. The kids and I RAN out into the ocean while Chris stayed back with our shoes. The waters were SO COLD and all three of us came RUNNING back into shore after getting no more than knee high deep in the water (fully dressed). We got back up to the shore line and Natalie yells "Bruh, where's my phone". The rest... Is history! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3CA17DNECQu7i4CwY3a0y-Bg-UVEmLJ37f-IHjQNOtEN2LJSoZ7NF-invi-b3biK4j6DrU_smHijh1tvMRc5pDG9BP6tYNUu2KNiZBiqtrmAvmoQl2hBLHUwn6lRcORXIq_2TR85NWfpcSgYbofY5D63VuHjTrrdovXPSTs9IA8ndWsUotd03LkMpg6N/s4032/IMG_5800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3CA17DNECQu7i4CwY3a0y-Bg-UVEmLJ37f-IHjQNOtEN2LJSoZ7NF-invi-b3biK4j6DrU_smHijh1tvMRc5pDG9BP6tYNUu2KNiZBiqtrmAvmoQl2hBLHUwn6lRcORXIq_2TR85NWfpcSgYbofY5D63VuHjTrrdovXPSTs9IA8ndWsUotd03LkMpg6N/s320/IMG_5800.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The ONLY beach picture I took... Just moments before the crisis! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4rJQ0l8N1rI" width="320" youtube-src-id="4rJQ0l8N1rI"></iframe></b><br /><b>"Bruh! Where's My Phone?" </b><br /><i>Even watching this now... it breaks my heart for Natalie! |<br />It can (and could) happen to any of us! </i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We spent the next hour+ looking for her phone. We knew she had taken a picture on top of the sand hill and then we all went into the ocean at the same time. I didn't even think about her phone. She was wearing loose jogger pants with very small and loose pockets and her phone had to have just fallen into the ocean without any of us knowing. We looked all over that beach, asked 4-6 lifeguards and even filed a police report with Seal Beach police. The 1st 2 times we called her phone it rang but the times beyond that, it went immediately to voicemail. We used Life360 and her location never changed from the minute we realized it was lost. We also did the Find My app and her location never changed. We called ATT and they advice us to erase the device and remove it from our account in case it was found. Since we were boarding a cruise ship the following morning, we were very worried about identity theft and etc. <i>Chris was FURIOUS to say the very least. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span>Evening</span></span></span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We stayed on the beach trying to find the phone until about 5:45pm and then we decided to head back to the hotel to use Natalie's iPad to erase her phone. The "highs" and California/ vacation vibes were gone and were all on edge. We were not hungry but we decided to stop at the Seal Beach boardwalk to get a light dinner at <b><i>NYC Pizza</i></b>. This was anything BUT NYC pizza and was the biggest disappointment of the trip. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- <u>True </u>NYC pizza is ONLY found in New York City! This placed tried... but failed!</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="color: red;">I will admit that the prices were AMAZING for California! They offered a special of 2 large slices and a drink for only $8.95! </span></i></b>We also grabbed some ice cream at <b>Bruster's </b>in hopes of raising our spirits but we were all still super bummed. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mMyuSWL2zLh3n9SecBrp6Ce_Ja29Ne7F9JUFchXDg56zFmB1Mu1rkQFHUhqGFBEWbAAejKsvnAfSWogFt_-bmDB0YhMaQcWmGrQoN8YAJuEDRUyUHKgysBvNePmN_vsD5vRfp52zKcLXS4TWAzXM3m5gW1ZU4u3miaJ9OSq-95pNFscs7Lh-48N0hdGp/s4032/IMG_5806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mMyuSWL2zLh3n9SecBrp6Ce_Ja29Ne7F9JUFchXDg56zFmB1Mu1rkQFHUhqGFBEWbAAejKsvnAfSWogFt_-bmDB0YhMaQcWmGrQoN8YAJuEDRUyUHKgysBvNePmN_vsD5vRfp52zKcLXS4TWAzXM3m5gW1ZU4u3miaJ9OSq-95pNFscs7Lh-48N0hdGp/s320/IMG_5806.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The menu at A Slice of New York Pizza in Seal Beach! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNHSF9djNZG2oO8Mll9YjuygZA5bXrh8iXz0qOl48_ZiETCd5UxcrGQH00KzonwT7guHO9YxT97H5zCz8ja-RQ8k7YhTnLkavsyggQOdcDov_57bkaOkuUxj4vHQ9DZKcrkehLjII3deMaWgg62HNXo0KXrmzly5o0aSdT1pxLw44S7kVry7gAiPttUOM/s4032/IMG_5807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNHSF9djNZG2oO8Mll9YjuygZA5bXrh8iXz0qOl48_ZiETCd5UxcrGQH00KzonwT7guHO9YxT97H5zCz8ja-RQ8k7YhTnLkavsyggQOdcDov_57bkaOkuUxj4vHQ9DZKcrkehLjII3deMaWgg62HNXo0KXrmzly5o0aSdT1pxLw44S7kVry7gAiPttUOM/s320/IMG_5807.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The outside of this hole in the wall!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDD6JyZdrlAigiZpYg45_C_LfcwJ2aZ-2idDoRpZKL4nN9KSSzI6q7cDq2ofv8HHDagwv9hRa6XGvFw3oSdhzan3ZSPIlJjprFYnWnISsgIOIKYkXwfp2dmTtdOSZaSgGyfAEF7gdtA2gxDnv78Riqfd7W4b1fJl2LN5JeA5LNY0nY-_vw4T5tOIemcwn0/s4032/IMG_5808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDD6JyZdrlAigiZpYg45_C_LfcwJ2aZ-2idDoRpZKL4nN9KSSzI6q7cDq2ofv8HHDagwv9hRa6XGvFw3oSdhzan3ZSPIlJjprFYnWnISsgIOIKYkXwfp2dmTtdOSZaSgGyfAEF7gdtA2gxDnv78Riqfd7W4b1fJl2LN5JeA5LNY0nY-_vw4T5tOIemcwn0/s320/IMG_5808.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Ice cream makes <u>almost </u>anything better... </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We walked back to the hotel and got showered and took care of erasing Natalie's phone and deleting it form our ATT account. Right outside our suite room was the hotel pool and hot tub. It is not our style to get bathing suits wet prior to boarding a ship but honestly, we didn't care at this point! We had enough of this day and needed the relaxation. Chris and I enjoyed the hot tub while Natalie and Luke did some pool time as well. We called it a night around 9PM to get ready for our Embarkation Day aboard the <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance</span></i></b>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlAlrVroDoZOKTEdJToo9DjDXQUppylsMfozOjkMI39R8bz7TFBaTf0mQKX57tYF9ksuQr72BKpf16lyUhQ4-aTK0uk4dHY2WKpHJv83Xv79Jwtdvmf98PPjp86JSoD5sY4MKikH4BJdwFK5KRNOyH7LX0I8FJb3vEAIYxNNJtrPksmgAhbxelBC-amU4/s4032/IMG_5815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlAlrVroDoZOKTEdJToo9DjDXQUppylsMfozOjkMI39R8bz7TFBaTf0mQKX57tYF9ksuQr72BKpf16lyUhQ4-aTK0uk4dHY2WKpHJv83Xv79Jwtdvmf98PPjp86JSoD5sY4MKikH4BJdwFK5KRNOyH7LX0I8FJb3vEAIYxNNJtrPksmgAhbxelBC-amU4/s320/IMG_5815.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This was a well appointed area of the hotel and we enjoyed the hot t</i></b><b><i>ub</i></b>! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was not the way we thought our fist day would pan out but we tried to make the best of it. Poor Natalie had all kinds of emotions and I truly felt for her as she had to start HER vacation like this. However, I was so grateful that is was HER phone and not mine or Chris's as it has SO MUCH info on it and linked to our bank and credit cards! Nowadays, it is so convenient to have everything on your phone but it's these situations that remind me to keep it all close! <i>We have now learned our lesson and will be sure we have ALL devices with an adult prior to running out into the frigid Pacific waters (or anywhere else for that matter). </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">It was all ok... BECAUSE the next day we get on a CRUISE SHIP! Seriously, those are the BEST DAYS EVER!</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Stay tuned for Embarkation Day on the </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Carnival Radiance</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">!</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-july-2023.html">Allure of the Seas- June 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman";"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><p><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;" /></p></span></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-78609875818149938132023-08-25T10:35:00.002-05:002023-08-25T10:35:34.962-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- July 2023 <div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><u>Allure of the Seas </u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>July 2-9, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Galveston, TX </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUrzWiPouUnKB2rsEUnFlqjoUdbgFL1MWB8STRYFOwbitOSbbYWAjznZCqpS0AQz34pc9_LxfStKDK_ag15qg5ygFQJSdGy_iQ74zVrPQRQekojGcZSgzvpSWWq_B9uVuBcSgJ-CMqv_-uoG1vvkTe8cGmP45goUJnhI8J8qHSqXhw9ZpMqzBMec-9AL9/s825/IMG_2473.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUrzWiPouUnKB2rsEUnFlqjoUdbgFL1MWB8STRYFOwbitOSbbYWAjznZCqpS0AQz34pc9_LxfStKDK_ag15qg5ygFQJSdGy_iQ74zVrPQRQekojGcZSgzvpSWWq_B9uVuBcSgJ-CMqv_-uoG1vvkTe8cGmP45goUJnhI8J8qHSqXhw9ZpMqzBMec-9AL9/s320/IMG_2473.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our first MEGA-SHIP experience and it was one for the memory books!</i></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's hard to believe that this was my <i><b>TWENTY-SECOND </b></i>cruise but here I am... Killing it on the HIGH SEAS! This would be our <i><u>FOURTH </u></i>cruise since the restart of cruising after the pandemic and our first ever MEGA-SHIP experience. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We have cruised 12 previous times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: red;">Carnival</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, 6 times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, 2 times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #800180;">Norwegian </span></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">and 1 time with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: verdana;"><b>Princess</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">ALLURE of the Seas</span><b> as well as a highlights from Royal Caribbean's New Main Dining Room menus in each daily post. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">ALLURE of Royal Caribbean</span>, cruising on a MEGA-SHIP and even life on a cruise ship after the pandemic! </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Check Out our Cruise:</u></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-galveston.html" target="_blank">Day 1- Galveston "Mega-Ship, Tiny Cabin"</a><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-sea-day-1.html" target="_blank">Day 2- Sea Day #1 "Down By the Boardwalk"</a><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-sea-day-2.html" target="_blank">Day 3- Sea Day #2 "Fireworks in the Royal Promenade</a><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-roatan.html" target="_blank">Day 4- Roatan, Honduras "The Best of the Best</a>"</span><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-costa-maya.html" target="_blank"><b>Day 5- Costa Maya, Mexico "Massages in Mayan Style" </b></a><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-cozumel.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 6- Cozumel, Mexico "The One Lobster Workaround"</b></span></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean-sea-day-3.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 7- Sea Day #3 "Ladies and Gentlemen, We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties"</b></span></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-allure-of-royal-caribbean.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 8- Debarkation "From the Ship to the Horseshoe"</span></b></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Once again, thank you for following along and support our business! I hope this will help someone planning a cruise on the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas (Or Oasis Class Royal Caribbean Ship) </span>or planning to get back to cruising after the pandemic... Or even a first time cruiser! Feel free to reach out with any questions! </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Up Next... Surprising the kids with a CRUISE out of CALIFORNIA! (Shh... It's a SURPRISE)</span></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Carnival Radiance- February 2024</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>WE CANNOT WAIT!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-46209385341118989242023-08-25T06:50:00.000-05:002023-08-25T06:50:08.413-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Debarkation <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>From the Ship to the Horseshoe</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>July 9, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Debarkation in Galveston</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49EG_a0C8Lijwqf6gKHfU72KDVRV77cpVOq_3hJJX2wSRkxMWd7hznQR2pn9UsfZLmRcWVGM6pPkugiSlW4WWrL1O4r8of4An3HflDRYTxKPokBO0megDlXC5jMv-nBm76i7oQySamRR3MVgBIWoLDuGfmI3teiS9sab9CzeBHistoTHd4H-ax2Ock48U/s825/IMG_2548.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49EG_a0C8Lijwqf6gKHfU72KDVRV77cpVOq_3hJJX2wSRkxMWd7hznQR2pn9UsfZLmRcWVGM6pPkugiSlW4WWrL1O4r8of4An3HflDRYTxKPokBO0megDlXC5jMv-nBm76i7oQySamRR3MVgBIWoLDuGfmI3teiS9sab9CzeBHistoTHd4H-ax2Ock48U/s320/IMG_2548.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">From complete rest and relaxation to non-stop professional development...<br /> BRING IT ON! </span></div></span></b></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Morning</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">We woke up to an actual alarm as per typical for the debarkation day. We got ready and then went to eat breakfast in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b>. The lines to get a table were not actually too long but it seemed like so since so many people were carrying off their own luggage. We were seated fairly quickly and the service was much better than the previous day. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Once we finished breakfast, they were still calling off self-assist passengers so we went back to the room to gather our stuff and start to head to our holding location until our Group #7 was called. By the time we got back to our room, they were calling our group so we used the stairs and got in line to debark the ship. <i><span style="color: red;">There was a very long line to get off the ship and we had to wander through that line for about 25 minutes before we actually got off the ship.</span></i> Once in the terminal, it was a breeze with the new state of the art facial recognition software. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- You a passport when cruising if you can as it really helps speed up the process to board and debark. You can use a birth certificate if sailing a "closed loop" and returning to the same port (essentially a round trip cruise). But we have seen the past 3-4 cruises post-Covid that the birth certificate line is about 10x longer than the passport line. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">We got all of our luggage and made our way back to our parking spot in the Port of Galveston North Parking Lot. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is easily the best parking lot and location of any cruise we have ever sailed. It is a little pricey but WELL WORTH IT. </span></i>Check it out <a href="https://www.portofgalveston.com/240/onlinespecial?gclid=CjwKCAjwivemBhBhEiwAJxNWN0jx2QSlojM2i8CA9wFt17F44KcQaMaWWIRuqhUn2hnMkpDxMg_-3RoCD2IQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">I was attending a <b><i>String Teacher Workshop</i></b> in Columbus, Ohio the following week and my flight left Houston in the afternoon. The original plan was to just hangout in Galveston or south Houston and get to the airport VERY early for my 4PM flight. But during the week we realized that I left a few items at the house so we opted to hurry and get off the ship and drive 80 minutes back to our home in The Woodlands and then drive an hour back south to <b>Hobby </b>airport for my flight. This was a LOT of driving but it was the right thing to do. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chris dropped me off at <b>Hobby Airport</b> around 2PM for my flight and I enjoyed a <i><span style="color: #38761d;">Starbucks </span></i>treat while I waited for my flight. The flight was easy an uneventful. I touched down in Columbus at 7:30PM EST and made my way to <b><i>Ohio State University</i></b> for my workshop. It was SUCH a great week and you can read all about that week <a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/08/o-hi-o-string-teacher-workshop-2023.html" target="_blank">HERE!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLETu4CiQdHSX1ZYryO6DghTWY0VKHOUnVhQt4vw3M1rl3SwBmtM7gIvwlK_4mTWpqljLyt4PaBHyWP_tyFQRtLfq-N1ZAcSTc3aJiHWmgpoLvhKT3QamTFUjg21hHRkEyGBzYo5XE3c4fafAMlaXyR4lQdwwnn8tafWTrazIMwfu_xtJ0nmIGdkCVzA/s292/IMG_2561.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="292" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLETu4CiQdHSX1ZYryO6DghTWY0VKHOUnVhQt4vw3M1rl3SwBmtM7gIvwlK_4mTWpqljLyt4PaBHyWP_tyFQRtLfq-N1ZAcSTc3aJiHWmgpoLvhKT3QamTFUjg21hHRkEyGBzYo5XE3c4fafAMlaXyR4lQdwwnn8tafWTrazIMwfu_xtJ0nmIGdkCVzA/s1600/IMG_2561.jpg" width="292" /></a><br /><i><b>I have arrived and I am ready to learn! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKay0n4bIsyd5vA8eWUxF6AzjxBtYwLMBGBy_wuv6U4BzHMCFyAOILV5ylJBUylcRFQNSRgGP_5VcykjGyZO_eMEhuIu0kl9zbQbxko0czbJmBDw_1UWmt1zCndhdpgqCgZHYrvUtAk7UVxM58jpfitR1uVICPJe_m3SrbFOChvfKmv9JB4FPo8G8150AY/s265/IMG_2553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="265" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKay0n4bIsyd5vA8eWUxF6AzjxBtYwLMBGBy_wuv6U4BzHMCFyAOILV5ylJBUylcRFQNSRgGP_5VcykjGyZO_eMEhuIu0kl9zbQbxko0czbJmBDw_1UWmt1zCndhdpgqCgZHYrvUtAk7UVxM58jpfitR1uVICPJe_m3SrbFOChvfKmv9JB4FPo8G8150AY/s1600/IMG_2553.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />THE Ohio State University!</b></i></div><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span> was our first MEGA-SHIP experience. We really enjoyed the ship but there were a few things we missed. I think overall, we would like to try <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Harmony of the Seas</span> when it comes to Galveston in November 2023 but deep down I think we like the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Voyager </span>and <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Freedom</span> class ships much better. In addition, I LOVE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span> and consider myself to be "Loyal to <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal</span>" but in all actuality, I will cruise anywhere and anytime. We just go with the best DEALS or VALUE! However, this was EXACTLY the cruise we needed in our lives as we approach our busy season. The down time, rest, relaxation and mental retreat were just what the Doctor Ordered!</i></b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">What's Next?</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">This year I will be transitioning from teaching Middle School Orchestra to High School Orchestra within NCISD. All while Natalie will be a freshman in high school and Luke a 6th grader starting Middle School. We are entering what will easily be our busiest times of our lives and there, unfortunately, will not be as much time to travel as years past. <i><b>BUT... That will NOT stop us from cruising or vacationing.</b></i> We are planning to take the kids on a cruise over our February "Winter Break". <b><i>We are planning a SURPRISE (SHHHH) cruise out of CALIFORNIA! Stay tuned for that! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up Next... SURPRISE Baja Cruise out of California! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-82403256230767550192023-08-22T06:48:00.000-05:002023-08-22T06:48:08.272-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Sea Day #3 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span><i><u style="font-size: x-large;">Ladies and Gentlemen, We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties</u></i></span></b></div></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Saturday, July 8th</i><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sea Day #3 </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66yXg2_6V45UTDOChzhxDjJHpaM0VG86axltVJr86c45Nq0xaL2MDmms4xTFfz5bh0R8CS0DMZ65k6xE36QYBuLbHsYnA2tunq1RE1v3IcLlTKBewd1zNnpFX3CIQFyb005lIT1wMyzYKY8dQ6dvKVN5PVyXlMN_75Xt1j35ipC9bmwZHr6qzSj1i7c8c/s619/IMG_2520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66yXg2_6V45UTDOChzhxDjJHpaM0VG86axltVJr86c45Nq0xaL2MDmms4xTFfz5bh0R8CS0DMZ65k6xE36QYBuLbHsYnA2tunq1RE1v3IcLlTKBewd1zNnpFX3CIQFyb005lIT1wMyzYKY8dQ6dvKVN5PVyXlMN_75Xt1j35ipC9bmwZHr6qzSj1i7c8c/s320/IMG_2520.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">This is always the saddest day of the cruise... It means it is almost over!</span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Morning</u> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We both slept much better and we woke up around 8:30AM. We got ready and then went to eat breakfast in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b>. This was fairly late for a sea day so there was a line to get a table in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Carnival has REALLY stepped up their game and uses their app to reserve/ request a table and will send you a notification once your table is ready. Then you have 10 minutes to arrive. This eliminates the waiting and lines. I think with the advancements in the use of technology, </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">RCCL </span><span style="color: red;">could easily do this and for a ship that holds over 6K passengers, it would really cut down on the wait times.</span></i></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j7kw4689XXntaZexFGDHK9EUOJnsjnzce9RVaocB2SrmUk6yDs6BS6bdaeNVwH3wJVA1GCL_xI77LTnQ9y2Rf4IdOTGhz9D2RlXgRo5kNdEXYqxKaLQ2ScpUycVB8sfzdfCwBwcGnvexoyYWxN6xjhXjJ3FODCUdMIsjYuBM9mRFvbuzaP74hOkJbQ9t/s825/IMG_2515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j7kw4689XXntaZexFGDHK9EUOJnsjnzce9RVaocB2SrmUk6yDs6BS6bdaeNVwH3wJVA1GCL_xI77LTnQ9y2Rf4IdOTGhz9D2RlXgRo5kNdEXYqxKaLQ2ScpUycVB8sfzdfCwBwcGnvexoyYWxN6xjhXjJ3FODCUdMIsjYuBM9mRFvbuzaP74hOkJbQ9t/s320/IMG_2515.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Oh sweet Saturday... How I love you! </div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our breakfast was good but the service was slower than we expected. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- We did order made-to-order omelets, and those take a lot more time, but the service was just not up to par for a Sea Day in our opinion. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZWW0CbHZTG4ykOmGYS5DMNMjcNs95_IRAD0OvQsE3Z7ywjqcMbtMaw3mfgXjLvuXwu7K86UbuQWBOOnwbUYnGR1YCCIYcvrqYqlSGuHaF194D7gFUhysN4HOJw53z7Biz8a3r2YbWGSRUMvU9SYysxCq_CnmWCmo-YrAICVrZ1WCSFDD2Zs10O-AeemR/s825/IMG_2516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZWW0CbHZTG4ykOmGYS5DMNMjcNs95_IRAD0OvQsE3Z7ywjqcMbtMaw3mfgXjLvuXwu7K86UbuQWBOOnwbUYnGR1YCCIYcvrqYqlSGuHaF194D7gFUhysN4HOJw53z7Biz8a3r2YbWGSRUMvU9SYysxCq_CnmWCmo-YrAICVrZ1WCSFDD2Zs10O-AeemR/s320/IMG_2516.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The made to order omelet was SO GOOD... Just not sure it was worth the wait! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast we went back to the room so Chris could take his medication before we went to walk a few laps on the Deck 5 Promenade. We walked about 1 lap before Chris began to not feel well. <i>As I have mentioned before, this is just one of the many concerns he has living with T2D and he has one of these "lousy" days about once every 5th day and unfortunately, that meant 2 of those days on this cruise</i>. I let him rest and recuperate while I went to the <b><i>Sports Deck</i></b> to try out the <b>Zipline</b>.<i> I still cannot even fathom how a ship can get a ZIPLINE on it's top deck but it was SO COOL.</i> The line was about 10 people deep at 10AM when I did the zipline. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to wear non-restrictive clothes, closed toe shoes and take off all jewelry and hats. </span></i></b>Unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture or video but this was SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE! I know Natalie would have LOVED it!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop96fqtUKqhqz7PFvIfvz5aC6GXoBoZFQwEdpIJO53yYqh0YmtoYPWu79K766eNRQ2XeVVT1uKFlk4b9K5DP87czdHt74AuDNhqZY0sprAW21VPQtnOLWzFijtI4hEhvTBs8fwuhw6srJx06IuS7aWpASZnU0Xc_Z_gGQjg0PeTQDyQD_qk7VnKq_F6wu/s825/IMG_2517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop96fqtUKqhqz7PFvIfvz5aC6GXoBoZFQwEdpIJO53yYqh0YmtoYPWu79K766eNRQ2XeVVT1uKFlk4b9K5DP87czdHt74AuDNhqZY0sprAW21VPQtnOLWzFijtI4hEhvTBs8fwuhw6srJx06IuS7aWpASZnU0Xc_Z_gGQjg0PeTQDyQD_qk7VnKq_F6wu/s320/IMG_2517.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I seriously could just sit here all day and stare at God's gorgeous creation! </span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLf6pA6QqJU1bwkCEXDl394c1i9I2itZx2UGqDCM_ARKzTjCt_8Q8bZR8A8_7uf1nRRk4ZzQe7kZlFt4BfLr6dMyn7d8PQpd25DHzyCz43_f-_qkE9ynkG-Fmfyv6LOqnwtVpCZD_jXAUwC_Haud20qayEMFL6frVOT8mRw_pbTRBeBr-MTOTDX39fxHf/s619/IMG_2520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLf6pA6QqJU1bwkCEXDl394c1i9I2itZx2UGqDCM_ARKzTjCt_8Q8bZR8A8_7uf1nRRk4ZzQe7kZlFt4BfLr6dMyn7d8PQpd25DHzyCz43_f-_qkE9ynkG-Fmfyv6LOqnwtVpCZD_jXAUwC_Haud20qayEMFL6frVOT8mRw_pbTRBeBr-MTOTDX39fxHf/s320/IMG_2520.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />But... it's time for me to do the Zipline! </div><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After my zipline fun, I walked around the <b><i>Sports Deck </i></b>and watch several <b>FlowRider </b>wipeouts before making my way back to the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> to do a little shopping on board. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- The Shops on </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span><span style="color: red;"> are many and extravagant. They have a Kate Spade store, Michael Kors and Regalia stores just to name a few. The prices at the Kate Spade store were even lower than an outlet store and it is tax and duty free.</span></i></b> Unfortunately, I spent most of my spending money in the casino so I walked away without a new Kate Spade purse, which just about killed me! I did get our customary cruise souvenirs like the Coffee Cup and magnets! </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shortly after 1PM Chris woke up and we met in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> for lunch. The food was good but the service was somehow even slower than breakfast. <i><span style="color: red;">In fact, it was so slow that we left without our dessert. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0gz89HqsKW0RAwPBs7XyoezY2M4iaIyiy92qz1Z7mj2xhM-PoKMIEmZd79pj3hzp8axWUlqbLVDpNEIjNlilGRh5eT5Ql2dNCHhto0zn0XEkdBdT_EmIOZ2YFEt70CAEd7rzOfbdoZfmu_oR-O9y_z-hYJj-8igz4M-RcOdaeF7Ib_KDzu34HweRXPWf/s825/IMG_2522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0gz89HqsKW0RAwPBs7XyoezY2M4iaIyiy92qz1Z7mj2xhM-PoKMIEmZd79pj3hzp8axWUlqbLVDpNEIjNlilGRh5eT5Ql2dNCHhto0zn0XEkdBdT_EmIOZ2YFEt70CAEd7rzOfbdoZfmu_oR-O9y_z-hYJj-8igz4M-RcOdaeF7Ib_KDzu34HweRXPWf/s320/IMG_2522.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Sea Day lunch menu (Sea Day #3) </b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8gv0-nHioXXdPN5h4zWFJPIxEoDhNrPsNPhHGE6N4VMOF9BqzS9Qj4ECI43XDpwX0z52dGuDvZ4BSaTfTWrpnTCBPKYHbU-ZOA01u7vjqnTUUjMAtyJaw0EuMNjrFTU3j8dnhtm83WPcz5T80VR5T8aZJwtIdIbbHp8PvF9u5dW3XN__0V9RaHFRPJEE/s825/IMG_2523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8gv0-nHioXXdPN5h4zWFJPIxEoDhNrPsNPhHGE6N4VMOF9BqzS9Qj4ECI43XDpwX0z52dGuDvZ4BSaTfTWrpnTCBPKYHbU-ZOA01u7vjqnTUUjMAtyJaw0EuMNjrFTU3j8dnhtm83WPcz5T80VR5T8aZJwtIdIbbHp8PvF9u5dW3XN__0V9RaHFRPJEE/s320/IMG_2523.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Tomato Soup- 4.5<br />It was rich and creamy. <br />Mozzarella Sticks- 3.5<br />These were standard cheese sticks. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQFGEmGmgI9b6aZClSe3v_0Anl09QdGEkBePxKH16kNicIYPnHjKQs0Nm7VnD07Q8JMP-r5zJSO1pEEumqdLB9x0DqqvkoDcSiyQURgIUyxxZ61qIb38JEkwaiUJTbUPifl9vfTx4zoHa67sVegx2sV9dFdXMjEPuWYyQOZazeC5spQ3WGBNrVPt4aI07/s825/IMG_2526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQFGEmGmgI9b6aZClSe3v_0Anl09QdGEkBePxKH16kNicIYPnHjKQs0Nm7VnD07Q8JMP-r5zJSO1pEEumqdLB9x0DqqvkoDcSiyQURgIUyxxZ61qIb38JEkwaiUJTbUPifl9vfTx4zoHa67sVegx2sV9dFdXMjEPuWYyQOZazeC5spQ3WGBNrVPt4aI07/s320/IMG_2526.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Lasagna- 4.5<br />RCCL really knows how to do this right. </b></div></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then spent the next 3-4 hours in the <b><i>PUB </i></b>talking to the great bartenders and learning all kinds of things about <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b> and the life onboard as a crew member. This was one of the best conversations we have ever had with crew members. <i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to talk to the crew members you see frequently throughout your cruise. Remember, they are onboard for 7+ months at a time and away from family. Oftentimes, just talking to them helps them relieve some of the depression that comes with being away from your family for so long!</span></i> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made our way to the very top of the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> on the Sun Deck 14 to get a <i>Titanic </i>type picture since the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span></i></b>does not allow passengers on the helicopter pad like other <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal </span></i></b>ships. It was a very hot and muggy day but we loved getting to see the open ocean! <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is somewhat hidden and if you do not know to look for it, you will miss it. Go to Deck 14 and go INTO THE cabin hallways and then go all the way forward. It is a gorgeous spot to admire God's beautiful creation! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went back to the room to take showers, get ready for dinner and unfortunately, pack our bags as we were getting on the ship the next day. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- There are two options for getting off any cruise ship; luggage assistance and self-assist. In recent years, it seems the majority of the passengers choose to do self-assist and wheel off their own luggage. This means there are fewer people choosing to participate in the luggage assistance and for that reason, we have opted to pack our bags early and leave it out the night before (by 10PM).</span></i></b> This allows for an easy "walk off" the ship and we can not have to drag all of our stuff with us to breakfast. Every cruise line and ship are different but we find this works best for us. <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean </span></i></b>also does not require numbers tags for debarkation. They call you based off your muster stations. We packed out bags and left them outside our room around 5:30PM. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- We purchased alcohol while on board and it was delivered VERY early at 4:30PM. </span></i></b></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then made our way to <b><i>Vintages </i></b>for one last evening sipping wine and eating delicate cheese and talking to <b>Roger </b>and other guests. This proved to be my personal absolute favorite thing about this cruise and I was so sad to leave this tradition. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsXOiGleHG7jmmUp6dcrNC-0ne2F8ZJi2Kt_bm-7g9iFn7Jas13ouoHOSBYtVSHqvFMZRcxJKnLYnjCXfTf4g_DFFP5ZpQySwT-QpsdvkcKHrKijeZijx7tJi6AjpcxIAi9t0rpIHW-NaVmgtpDcttgqKpp3oP4Ud1WVHA6yUwY7zg_hFZZbq28iU_qNP/s825/IMG_2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsXOiGleHG7jmmUp6dcrNC-0ne2F8ZJi2Kt_bm-7g9iFn7Jas13ouoHOSBYtVSHqvFMZRcxJKnLYnjCXfTf4g_DFFP5ZpQySwT-QpsdvkcKHrKijeZijx7tJi6AjpcxIAi9t0rpIHW-NaVmgtpDcttgqKpp3oP4Ud1WVHA6yUwY7zg_hFZZbq28iU_qNP/s320/IMG_2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The larger than normal Tapas Cheese plate. <br />There was a very light turnout for the Wine Tasting in the afternoon so they had leftovers! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We went to dinner early so we could go to the 9PM <i>Ocean Aria</i> show in the <b><i>Aqua Theater</i></b> that was postponed from the night before. Our waiter, <b>Oliver</b>, was accommodating and was able to get us in and out in time to get great seats for the <i>Aqua Show</i>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUva856HIoVsERqnCikmjeYcjG3wjx-G2Z_OfBXtJcNLhGKaI-3oKY86R-l3NFHMSxcRV0mNf4YT82FPra0bg018JzKpE0atQIXS72j1P5yaR35Z1TJEFVtfpuFdkiquiEDiD_xeZnlYbL3AraNodeOUc9kQuFwBXv9PPsyCOCLH-v4qkQZFZ4oZMowmk-/s619/IMG_2530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUva856HIoVsERqnCikmjeYcjG3wjx-G2Z_OfBXtJcNLhGKaI-3oKY86R-l3NFHMSxcRV0mNf4YT82FPra0bg018JzKpE0atQIXS72j1P5yaR35Z1TJEFVtfpuFdkiquiEDiD_xeZnlYbL3AraNodeOUc9kQuFwBXv9PPsyCOCLH-v4qkQZFZ4oZMowmk-/s320/IMG_2530.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Night #7 Bon Voyage Menu </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZk1YCUNlk4y1R25ftTtuTYEPmzFHXeria8keaKya_-gvlf998k6jBFNalpHUvdQnaxmdErtLt_0cppV1dfe1mq_OnSOdEIDDD5bIyqlte_ufUH5HLLa-pmJrXu-JRDyBy9bLo50Zgzt3ihTcZbMRyF0_RweCIr7htexNyeGllxU_us08ZUBxcEmsJhvh/s825/IMG_2531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZk1YCUNlk4y1R25ftTtuTYEPmzFHXeria8keaKya_-gvlf998k6jBFNalpHUvdQnaxmdErtLt_0cppV1dfe1mq_OnSOdEIDDD5bIyqlte_ufUH5HLLa-pmJrXu-JRDyBy9bLo50Zgzt3ihTcZbMRyF0_RweCIr7htexNyeGllxU_us08ZUBxcEmsJhvh/s320/IMG_2531.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The French Onion Soup- 5.0<br />I love this SO MUCH! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2J9OxV439OyXAiuKG9owzwBy2Ta5LGkqisosW5bjGN0NJ-hCzSyOeB0EuFHMNXp6-7mkN6vFxEn5UuEGFCpHUTtXeOkdZlzAZI5dAK1bCgCqWxsin3PGD_gt3jIeukXFnU13EYtXx_65ZsH5AyatbsdvKUD7-tNTn58AR2bTjgsRKdfjD55u5XTsTCCy/s825/IMG_2532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2J9OxV439OyXAiuKG9owzwBy2Ta5LGkqisosW5bjGN0NJ-hCzSyOeB0EuFHMNXp6-7mkN6vFxEn5UuEGFCpHUTtXeOkdZlzAZI5dAK1bCgCqWxsin3PGD_gt3jIeukXFnU13EYtXx_65ZsH5AyatbsdvKUD7-tNTn58AR2bTjgsRKdfjD55u5XTsTCCy/s320/IMG_2532.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Seafood Cake- 4.0<br />This was good and had lots of fresh seafood chunks! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYSJCaRzKmSBrMdrlxYLj9-a0Mn8buLQ9J9pXSZO14UYrEXQz-I8Cf3K8YzMbfLUPqS8P7aNiOrwz6mVNdzwxyE4k9IE3KnwYEZ4IIGbqnnqul4KsoL9TjhoI1Zwz2Pja132gciR_F49blV0TbStGv-UwGGMnS_6L3uSEDcNTcDgAeffq6xm9Fh608iKT/s825/IMG_2533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYSJCaRzKmSBrMdrlxYLj9-a0Mn8buLQ9J9pXSZO14UYrEXQz-I8Cf3K8YzMbfLUPqS8P7aNiOrwz6mVNdzwxyE4k9IE3KnwYEZ4IIGbqnnqul4KsoL9TjhoI1Zwz2Pja132gciR_F49blV0TbStGv-UwGGMnS_6L3uSEDcNTcDgAeffq6xm9Fh608iKT/s320/IMG_2533.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Mediterranean Tapas Plate- 4.0<br />I am not a humus fan but this was really good. </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFfd7yVW2E9VR7nza0_lTHsv7lCaC04HzKyecuCPdxievc-fNFL4r6Kpe14ZkJC1uCyF1hhAdf89g7kdzTao6ZQWymWSmPAvNHEMqRoVOgYNmHkAOFWNQ8HODZtdmfmfAiuo0vsi1A3R4ciza4_Ourg-L0zupVQ4AHTK8Xscr0i2B3INpl54v79FKNMhp/s825/IMG_2534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFfd7yVW2E9VR7nza0_lTHsv7lCaC04HzKyecuCPdxievc-fNFL4r6Kpe14ZkJC1uCyF1hhAdf89g7kdzTao6ZQWymWSmPAvNHEMqRoVOgYNmHkAOFWNQ8HODZtdmfmfAiuo0vsi1A3R4ciza4_Ourg-L0zupVQ4AHTK8Xscr0i2B3INpl54v79FKNMhp/s320/IMG_2534.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Grilled Mediterranean Steak-4.0<br />This was a good cut of meat and the sauce was great. </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The show started right at 9PM and it was going really well. But at 9:22PM the Cruise Director came over the intercom and said <b><i>"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are experiencing technical difficulties</i></b>". Chris and I looked at each other and we knew what this meant. A short time later, they started the show back up again, only to stop again a few minutes later. They eventually had to cancel the rest of the show for the safety of the performers as the seas were beginning to roll yet again. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be flexible with the Aqua Show (on any Oasis Class ship or higher) as they truly do depend on the weather and the sea conditions. I would encourage you to reserve seats for the very first show of the cruise as well. </span></i></b>The show was cancelled with only 3 minutes left in the performance but once again, the safety of the performers is the top priority! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYR7rHwkjLDfmhbonkXyQpOOUrHvP7JFB4nREoIIXtW0ESOQsaQ3Q6GqTJ_6WgctzAu2vjIindltl16LPZlDDot0Mjm3ket2mMClQq-wm3XZpWp6u83PrytH0jlwtvUTIGiUPXV_2TU0YTEqZQliG9HsPRgRNCixzXCNfVlr1kThm4i-vBj60fMNn6UFKX/s825/IMG_2536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYR7rHwkjLDfmhbonkXyQpOOUrHvP7JFB4nREoIIXtW0ESOQsaQ3Q6GqTJ_6WgctzAu2vjIindltl16LPZlDDot0Mjm3ket2mMClQq-wm3XZpWp6u83PrytH0jlwtvUTIGiUPXV_2TU0YTEqZQliG9HsPRgRNCixzXCNfVlr1kThm4i-vBj60fMNn6UFKX/s320/IMG_2536.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It was a gorgeous (not so humid) night in the Aqua Theater! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vln_BxX5fIwf7lNPaulmb4Nzr7bAqlK6qZXk30RrmK0NK-J4uHQuY_TPAMeVrMynZ1_eJ8VG_NpXhp9RNU_wVhpVEStPf12BvT20ItJWCtEis02srGiYCNZjLrEuD1OMEi5pLN-0O0P-wPpaSxaTVKqE5JHQkk7v6Big13XBF7vh-h0z1NhZnDl7IK3l/s825/IMG_2537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vln_BxX5fIwf7lNPaulmb4Nzr7bAqlK6qZXk30RrmK0NK-J4uHQuY_TPAMeVrMynZ1_eJ8VG_NpXhp9RNU_wVhpVEStPf12BvT20ItJWCtEis02srGiYCNZjLrEuD1OMEi5pLN-0O0P-wPpaSxaTVKqE5JHQkk7v6Big13XBF7vh-h0z1NhZnDl7IK3l/s320/IMG_2537.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The acrobatic performers! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifMQCIPEdRNXFijHZLyVCIJKLLRTE7amHEFiLTF6TVVzQOji2De_cnWyxzH8VJ2GO60ZFskUVj2mt7MOER6A6GbDzhsilYuMYZYWfrjXONpCBBuZXgI4OfSeXeNptI9MmqsJghM9QSD5M6FSglbElQ5WA1knUTICy3yjWcFOIgiwd93K0DibyzcJsqosx/s619/IMG_2539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifMQCIPEdRNXFijHZLyVCIJKLLRTE7amHEFiLTF6TVVzQOji2De_cnWyxzH8VJ2GO60ZFskUVj2mt7MOER6A6GbDzhsilYuMYZYWfrjXONpCBBuZXgI4OfSeXeNptI9MmqsJghM9QSD5M6FSglbElQ5WA1knUTICy3yjWcFOIgiwd93K0DibyzcJsqosx/s320/IMG_2539.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This was SO IMPRESSIVE! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ended the night in the <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> with <b>Iputu </b>and <b>Matthew</b>. We learned about all of the bartender rotations for the next cruise and the Coast Guard inspection that would happen the next day. <i><b>In fact, the July 9th passengers were told to arrive 3 hours LATER than originally planed due to this inspection. I am so very glad this was the NEXT cruise and not ours!</b></i> <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This happens FREQUENTLY we learned. Remember, a cruise is what you make of it and the key is to be flexible! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichj6n2w8tsa18Ir5l3TMt5ziQ91mrboytskDne8c3Q10W1qJ8ZrbNkpkOWFCmBu3YGwj6r-64PpkEVguGkCAFh21wXufJw_PyZlGbfHbg0VmiKJhfyGHPWLVhQDeLRkySR4M1OZDXoa5lPPeK1v872yFePLTBVWV73HVii13zuK9e7yueNBFKT7xpRg4e/s619/IMG_2542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichj6n2w8tsa18Ir5l3TMt5ziQ91mrboytskDne8c3Q10W1qJ8ZrbNkpkOWFCmBu3YGwj6r-64PpkEVguGkCAFh21wXufJw_PyZlGbfHbg0VmiKJhfyGHPWLVhQDeLRkySR4M1OZDXoa5lPPeK1v872yFePLTBVWV73HVii13zuK9e7yueNBFKT7xpRg4e/s320/IMG_2542.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />These strawberry mojitos were my jam this cruise... I had to get another one (or two). </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We went to bed a little earlier shortly after midnight as we had a long day ahead of us and I flew to Columbus, OH for a Teacher Workshop and Chris got ready for the 9 hour drive to pick up our kiddos in Lubbock from Gigi and Grandpa! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>This cruise was absolutely incredible and just what we needed as we head into what is sure to be the absolute busiest time of our lives. Thank you <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas and Royal Caribbean</span> for another excellent week on the high seas! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up Next... Debarkation in Galveston. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-91104409379442903232023-08-21T16:50:00.000-05:002023-08-21T16:50:32.829-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Cozumel, Mexico <p style="text-align: center;"> <b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i><u>The One Lobster Work-Around<br /></u></i></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Friday, July 7th <br /></b></i></span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Cozumel, Mexico </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI52eBHbpOlgTBV6Sas8-aYcXGf1i-62agqZJ6704zYgo_aKp_A7MiLCYbyzN35q7rt-NTpwOtoXZFBepD3SThgIVznal_9IoH9YMVDfCKxFf1tjHOqP5Ap1STKaz2kiUSUwAqK5kIQnpPA3pORsH1iz2GSyfhqxF-Vd3pgvdL0jaDKIQC-61PXWMzxapn/s825/IMG_2469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI52eBHbpOlgTBV6Sas8-aYcXGf1i-62agqZJ6704zYgo_aKp_A7MiLCYbyzN35q7rt-NTpwOtoXZFBepD3SThgIVznal_9IoH9YMVDfCKxFf1tjHOqP5Ap1STKaz2kiUSUwAqK5kIQnpPA3pORsH1iz2GSyfhqxF-Vd3pgvdL0jaDKIQC-61PXWMzxapn/s320/IMG_2469.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Welcome Home... It's been too long! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">After a decent night's sleep, we both woke up around 8:15AM and got ready for our day in Mexico. We opted to go to <b><i>Johnny Rocket's</i></b> on the <i>Boardwalk </i>for breakfast. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Johnny Rocket's is an additional charge restaurant; except for breakfast which is FREE. It does <u>not </u>require a reservation and you can walk right in. Be aware there often is a line, though. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1q_flTenW3Xr2YU_0lqL0e0oA1HQWe_hCAgpNxA4cu721cytclLf32Ju6exmxj9ruKr2rL1tnaxUwcoKfmsdryJa1zwNeTadB0GKYbBTbqURecEpNZGEhqnvZqsDQ2QDpvrybUeIYmVB9G9vmhr_Oo9EjVDSCX5RkkeBUI5G517s4jAsaQivWGx53ZXa/s825/IMG_2431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1q_flTenW3Xr2YU_0lqL0e0oA1HQWe_hCAgpNxA4cu721cytclLf32Ju6exmxj9ruKr2rL1tnaxUwcoKfmsdryJa1zwNeTadB0GKYbBTbqURecEpNZGEhqnvZqsDQ2QDpvrybUeIYmVB9G9vmhr_Oo9EjVDSCX5RkkeBUI5G517s4jAsaQivWGx53ZXa/s320/IMG_2431.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Friday... I love you! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28QL-IQDjDD_sUohqCSsorJ31Ew0gwjLyUwnFP7rF6Tr8wrAZTbTwcR5-95YckKDSI89vHKdZgoYM_8sgvd-t6SQrieoDDiZDYXi9zQHG53BKLOiUp6Qnaq2HRLLcgcRX6KoxkQpfFQiUS3UTlk85-0NZuyD_XHkIkE9GnVo-vxS4dZmzlaBn_Tj18H-x/s619/IMG_2435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28QL-IQDjDD_sUohqCSsorJ31Ew0gwjLyUwnFP7rF6Tr8wrAZTbTwcR5-95YckKDSI89vHKdZgoYM_8sgvd-t6SQrieoDDiZDYXi9zQHG53BKLOiUp6Qnaq2HRLLcgcRX6KoxkQpfFQiUS3UTlk85-0NZuyD_XHkIkE9GnVo-vxS4dZmzlaBn_Tj18H-x/s320/IMG_2435.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />We are excited to try Johnny Rocket's for BREAKFAST! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY6XidbRvjsJWPlFS0WQ_v9sgPv7Ts67yrpJf8u8p2gyRDuvNMQeqLQ1IqlVysc2NnLXqowCwh0a1aCEzTS5Kaqmt3Gfqfy_pXo7i5YLZerzr3OGSTe77aP2qUJfr2iM3TeCQB0miCdQySu4-d3AXHNU-Gs7nuwZzl-I88UW3BBjRsOAamlYsVKCpRQoA/s619/IMG_2438.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY6XidbRvjsJWPlFS0WQ_v9sgPv7Ts67yrpJf8u8p2gyRDuvNMQeqLQ1IqlVysc2NnLXqowCwh0a1aCEzTS5Kaqmt3Gfqfy_pXo7i5YLZerzr3OGSTe77aP2qUJfr2iM3TeCQB0miCdQySu4-d3AXHNU-Gs7nuwZzl-I88UW3BBjRsOAamlYsVKCpRQoA/s320/IMG_2438.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Johnny Rocket's on the Boardwalk!</div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a great experience and we would do it again in a heartbeat; <i>especially on port days</i>. The food and service were exceptional. I had the Bacon and Cheese Lover's Scramble and Chris had the Work's Scramble. The Work's included chili and it was a bit overpowering for Chris but one statement to the waiter and within 3 minutes Chris had a new dish in front of him. I could not believe they were that fast and efficient. <i>We left a very hefty tip! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU90gji0y2cV5K2UylmtXIQGQVQHTRE8PaOwE4102IzMQTpSi8hXHbhc_2_ffGLJ3apY6OYqVeDAknP1UW17wtVOzsjh3NY_dEb6X3AbOc8m98rWgMe7cG6G3A9Uq4N62ptLZ1an7rW8cdgnfA_mr09ASB48Ym3pSKguw8U6xkb88pBN5GuGki0D9tHYGp/s825/IMG_2433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU90gji0y2cV5K2UylmtXIQGQVQHTRE8PaOwE4102IzMQTpSi8hXHbhc_2_ffGLJ3apY6OYqVeDAknP1UW17wtVOzsjh3NY_dEb6X3AbOc8m98rWgMe7cG6G3A9Uq4N62ptLZ1an7rW8cdgnfA_mr09ASB48Ym3pSKguw8U6xkb88pBN5GuGki0D9tHYGp/s320/IMG_2433.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I loved this scramble! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZhYPKlhYs1756rjIyPFIrtlJVXAwWP5HWIrAa94rVOhi7sDZvqkk_om5JKlPwMmAe9BNGJ3Ce-i3BNH0oId-NaUaILzTWVcrEGkkowGBIkIBNT8Da3h3H53sa3VuORnpKik_sFvxQmJLnIACKUNHl_vYBo6pSe2OsFiXZ5QM2FLIklgCH6tWoYbLgUBw/s825/IMG_2434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZhYPKlhYs1756rjIyPFIrtlJVXAwWP5HWIrAa94rVOhi7sDZvqkk_om5JKlPwMmAe9BNGJ3Ce-i3BNH0oId-NaUaILzTWVcrEGkkowGBIkIBNT8Da3h3H53sa3VuORnpKik_sFvxQmJLnIACKUNHl_vYBo6pSe2OsFiXZ5QM2FLIklgCH6tWoYbLgUBw/s320/IMG_2434.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Chris's Works Scramble was a little too "chili heavy"! </b></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast we made our way down to the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> to get a specialty coffee at <i><b>Café Promenade</b></i>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Reminder, these ARE INCLUDED in your Drink Package on Royal Caribbean. </span></i></b>We then went back to the room so Chris could take his medication for the morning before we got off the ship. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIygEy13dSTStM1PsoSf0NcoQSng2Oz9slAICHsW1dg_mPNa1tmlYQ3PMs9NCLVcx7fy61ByfyqrkkCjFygwIhk2PcxMv6ctg1kjC3AhljM-qSMJHTi5s2rxfxdxnuNb5l42001nGoo59yPSl96cyE4lfsZho9hV4Cx76Fumvy9ZIF1PQWYiFPEMZdkc0/s825/IMG_2439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIygEy13dSTStM1PsoSf0NcoQSng2Oz9slAICHsW1dg_mPNa1tmlYQ3PMs9NCLVcx7fy61ByfyqrkkCjFygwIhk2PcxMv6ctg1kjC3AhljM-qSMJHTi5s2rxfxdxnuNb5l42001nGoo59yPSl96cyE4lfsZho9hV4Cx76Fumvy9ZIF1PQWYiFPEMZdkc0/s320/IMG_2439.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The free coffee (for all passengers) in Café Promenade</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3w9sKpBSQ03uyxf36SQ44T2WRQmRIYhlf0jZmcLg7HyGvaZcwScEG_wRQz_7RbGdqZlivAwYTQqHOeAlOsVlnidQiwmzoeOpB4j3WPj4Gv0mfkdPASZOmUPcMejSfxsFR5k8-yQrhkRJXRb-HMSL6GHOUCh2rtRJbZHVQHaLPOa5jWuh7XI0Sxdi-_ri/s825/IMG_2440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3w9sKpBSQ03uyxf36SQ44T2WRQmRIYhlf0jZmcLg7HyGvaZcwScEG_wRQz_7RbGdqZlivAwYTQqHOeAlOsVlnidQiwmzoeOpB4j3WPj4Gv0mfkdPASZOmUPcMejSfxsFR5k8-yQrhkRJXRb-HMSL6GHOUCh2rtRJbZHVQHaLPOa5jWuh7XI0Sxdi-_ri/s320/IMG_2440.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Starbucks Specialty Coffee (included in all DRINK PACKAGES) </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2mCfBxHs3bUrWfMf04S0bSk0KgUpq4a_j0S8C8Kdl7bxbZHI70kzKolrV3l-2m5689fX4xcJG2wH618zBSziS3A_T9lBapeHJg8IWJJLyzxSeQw4LsdOH3CvxSsIWWgqa9rJ6KL1-xJtSBTcZGEQbTvJ5mXxU3h0Lguj4LMofhnX_nwbt4j14wVBhbdW/s619/IMG_2443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2mCfBxHs3bUrWfMf04S0bSk0KgUpq4a_j0S8C8Kdl7bxbZHI70kzKolrV3l-2m5689fX4xcJG2wH618zBSziS3A_T9lBapeHJg8IWJJLyzxSeQw4LsdOH3CvxSsIWWgqa9rJ6KL1-xJtSBTcZGEQbTvJ5mXxU3h0Lguj4LMofhnX_nwbt4j14wVBhbdW/s320/IMG_2443.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This is SO NEEDED... I am feeling the tiredness! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got off the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> right after 9:30AM and made our way through the <b>International Cruise Terminal</b> to look for a local massage spa that a crew member told us about. It was located near the <b>Royal Village</b> tourist area just beyond the <b>International Terminal</b>. This turned out to be a true hidden gem. The massages were very well priced and more professional than those offered in Costa Maya, <i><b><span style="color: red;">plus offered a cooler environment as well. </span></b></i><b><i><span style="color: red;">We would HIGHLY recommend this if you are in Cozumel and looking for a good massage. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCyWcOsO8agaEj2UW409IunCgFKaGCmXlMM8mrPliON98yHFpfbzkFzmDFaPxFUyumhQOsJ9ZmF0s3bHYP8O0UlGlgwwO6Wke0exMzEjQeos-Wu3lq-ZYWB132zqkEZSs6gQvgY-oidEvYF03tnbf2hCspoDDAHPGVGazJJTVAA_-lRQ2YYWhq7rxTErA/s825/IMG_2447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCyWcOsO8agaEj2UW409IunCgFKaGCmXlMM8mrPliON98yHFpfbzkFzmDFaPxFUyumhQOsJ9ZmF0s3bHYP8O0UlGlgwwO6Wke0exMzEjQeos-Wu3lq-ZYWB132zqkEZSs6gQvgY-oidEvYF03tnbf2hCspoDDAHPGVGazJJTVAA_-lRQ2YYWhq7rxTErA/s320/IMG_2447.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It was hard to believe but there were ZERO Carnival cruises in port with us! <br />There were 2 other ships at the downtown terminal... </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDbXSRLqvaOTgPZhzzck3oURQ6bPNGbZFWlza9sjSR8Wx3Eax-KbOusLQar1IIkbtmOuJlc50XvVHiQ7rjys_UKhGkmWIIt-4xJlA9FYsMYG-NW6j5cQu20UlO9yS4EAH018g_QfaM-A1OvTSMXOq8uhLDi1OzV8qW-y1-UqZ-DrVrjwZq7Y_Bdc3p4DE/s825/IMG_2453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDbXSRLqvaOTgPZhzzck3oURQ6bPNGbZFWlza9sjSR8Wx3Eax-KbOusLQar1IIkbtmOuJlc50XvVHiQ7rjys_UKhGkmWIIt-4xJlA9FYsMYG-NW6j5cQu20UlO9yS4EAH018g_QfaM-A1OvTSMXOq8uhLDi1OzV8qW-y1-UqZ-DrVrjwZq7Y_Bdc3p4DE/s320/IMG_2453.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We love COZUMEL and the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span>! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3SO1thHf76R8OM5PFjLzGZTtinsPc-gLF2k20w2rnImFl0ebOIUF_Xr-bFk8P9hYnmpl_s4O3lh1YkajEbwFnHB4nTvis1ezG3MzmoQfhG8ueFaip3AbOx-YkBLYF_ZwPh2M1WfXrEp8BJvriYMGB0ZceJy81NtGA0J4HJhO5VTqD45sccifBY61g661/s825/IMG_2457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3SO1thHf76R8OM5PFjLzGZTtinsPc-gLF2k20w2rnImFl0ebOIUF_Xr-bFk8P9hYnmpl_s4O3lh1YkajEbwFnHB4nTvis1ezG3MzmoQfhG8ueFaip3AbOx-YkBLYF_ZwPh2M1WfXrEp8BJvriYMGB0ZceJy81NtGA0J4HJhO5VTqD45sccifBY61g661/s320/IMG_2457.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Mexican Massage room. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkn7hKWBh5WPnBlUKdWRHYHi3OFsCLQIxGfRWGisedgkwcxBnSYaA-Us2_pQJfyw5M_ToRTmDcIH5YJyQ2OTMnY01JWq354s9LikVoizFdnjLTc5vX5ZPVWWJ37pFZJAZxRoO3sd_M8Ud6yhNUG0BA5UrHd0WOtT62Si5jDOEXsebezVH77G9seL2ErZZ/s825/IMG_2458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkn7hKWBh5WPnBlUKdWRHYHi3OFsCLQIxGfRWGisedgkwcxBnSYaA-Us2_pQJfyw5M_ToRTmDcIH5YJyQ2OTMnY01JWq354s9LikVoizFdnjLTc5vX5ZPVWWJ37pFZJAZxRoO3sd_M8Ud6yhNUG0BA5UrHd0WOtT62Si5jDOEXsebezVH77G9seL2ErZZ/s320/IMG_2458.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Time for massage #2. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1duNiDNtJVaVmW13TpkTpdBFa_QJpLkVKSnzG6p8Ts52dC_lhl3BgB9MD2KDremDw_rr2s4Jn2ThQAWOPBkFsikXVnIsaHUMyiF7rm9N-6AZ8UOZNsxObC2wiIGyT7WYFvWO_4UatJWHhj5HcUsBKPHqAseuQYbQsQWNOijmwXahyBJ_JdseZGhX09Nbl/s825/IMG_2462.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1duNiDNtJVaVmW13TpkTpdBFa_QJpLkVKSnzG6p8Ts52dC_lhl3BgB9MD2KDremDw_rr2s4Jn2ThQAWOPBkFsikXVnIsaHUMyiF7rm9N-6AZ8UOZNsxObC2wiIGyT7WYFvWO_4UatJWHhj5HcUsBKPHqAseuQYbQsQWNOijmwXahyBJ_JdseZGhX09Nbl/s320/IMG_2462.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved this place and WILL BE BACK! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzY-wd2c5xvi28XIEkTEVViCBQp8NgqFMn3IS7OUIGNYJYj-8RkX9KggenCcQ7q3U_NbqD-gzeg_WhHpY_ECtROv5rVKeGUrWguk8gBp0bPXtRsceHrKPQ-EnhDmludTJ6ai-7L4vviL-ZDKattZ4YM6YaA1PX5o1p4s2vp-1MELmEYpUtSePZ7Z1LBgY/s825/IMG_2465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzY-wd2c5xvi28XIEkTEVViCBQp8NgqFMn3IS7OUIGNYJYj-8RkX9KggenCcQ7q3U_NbqD-gzeg_WhHpY_ECtROv5rVKeGUrWguk8gBp0bPXtRsceHrKPQ-EnhDmludTJ6ai-7L4vviL-ZDKattZ4YM6YaA1PX5o1p4s2vp-1MELmEYpUtSePZ7Z1LBgY/s320/IMG_2465.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Right in front of the Royal Village area near the HUGE Shark... You cannot miss it! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once done with our massages, we wondered around the <b>Royal Village</b> area to look for souvenirs for our kiddos and parents before heading back towards the ship. This was in the middle of the day heat and that walk was VERY SWEATY and hot! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8slDasUtntr7RdvXHsD8rVCxC7Txn_oUAdkIw9XmP-LQmyVQZerMnw5kLQNVtrFw6D6xlfpnP3KiPsRfVTg4bmXSRY2cgg7Bt6ctrwF_FJe0sPn9FpInSj1gI025zf915vZkJnMhoov--yLJiNsaHSeaivswodWCRZ0bBb1gM4NJhF3acIJqMRHEh9VKq/s619/IMG_2466.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8slDasUtntr7RdvXHsD8rVCxC7Txn_oUAdkIw9XmP-LQmyVQZerMnw5kLQNVtrFw6D6xlfpnP3KiPsRfVTg4bmXSRY2cgg7Bt6ctrwF_FJe0sPn9FpInSj1gI025zf915vZkJnMhoov--yLJiNsaHSeaivswodWCRZ0bBb1gM4NJhF3acIJqMRHEh9VKq/s320/IMG_2466.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This is a GREAT photo op outside of the Royal Village. In 17+ times of coming to Cozumel, we have never made it here! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIk3t2uzakhIjuLwtfbQgGGtEPm9DU92VhzS4CjnN5SgiCQk25hu8InYC3JBdNyYkU1EPAnb-hfBPOJGmL0ixKYL_DJrRvRM7dUIBFeGUoX1wqUvwVvF33ibWe93XaIYqTxkZmKt0MyVX1Irz_XNzfSibCupDG9zaAnKIRnCMl3ExnNJvIs7_GrbgDhkJ/s437/IMG_2472.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIk3t2uzakhIjuLwtfbQgGGtEPm9DU92VhzS4CjnN5SgiCQk25hu8InYC3JBdNyYkU1EPAnb-hfBPOJGmL0ixKYL_DJrRvRM7dUIBFeGUoX1wqUvwVvF33ibWe93XaIYqTxkZmKt0MyVX1Irz_XNzfSibCupDG9zaAnKIRnCMl3ExnNJvIs7_GrbgDhkJ/s320/IMG_2472.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I LOVE this souvenir shop in the International Terminal. It is ran by the sweetest family and it has the cheapest gifts <u>that are still high quality! </u></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMKJXGB_N_d3oV3kD3NNd8M3Cf1etf_ZDgEVNE4NbnoiCEsZEnj6eW_P55ztuSzkSofnBTGNoClNrRxfLOaBHBh_k3A5XCzvaLv3tb3018F2oqIS8JYWQf1ndbu6JbvBtH0rYxpH39fEx7k6QmL_UjU2GhKowMbfyrOvwUHo0yZyapcS1t2PG5XlvAC-t/s825/IMG_2473.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMKJXGB_N_d3oV3kD3NNd8M3Cf1etf_ZDgEVNE4NbnoiCEsZEnj6eW_P55ztuSzkSofnBTGNoClNrRxfLOaBHBh_k3A5XCzvaLv3tb3018F2oqIS8JYWQf1ndbu6JbvBtH0rYxpH39fEx7k6QmL_UjU2GhKowMbfyrOvwUHo0yZyapcS1t2PG5XlvAC-t/s320/IMG_2473.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Time to get back on this beauty! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OTOm7zkZb1226wWu5i_V2ftqKn95MV98iLCSGmbGE0sTpE93lFiik3UEHvLKvT-5tSGlqjifa_icx04GD3zv_fsMg51pE4-HUiIuoSBShux1b-hX8QDl_I4SqDU_OXkj8MLe3v2LBRJI7nwYJaX8vig1YK9rx1ttkmK6Cls4GIBF4XZHJEcnto_fYyrE/s825/IMG_2480.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OTOm7zkZb1226wWu5i_V2ftqKn95MV98iLCSGmbGE0sTpE93lFiik3UEHvLKvT-5tSGlqjifa_icx04GD3zv_fsMg51pE4-HUiIuoSBShux1b-hX8QDl_I4SqDU_OXkj8MLe3v2LBRJI7nwYJaX8vig1YK9rx1ttkmK6Cls4GIBF4XZHJEcnto_fYyrE/s320/IMG_2480.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It is all coming to an end... NO! We are loving this cruise! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Once back onboard we got into our swimsuits and then made our way to the <b><i>Solarium Pool</i></b>. As I mentioned on previous blogs, the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> <i><b>Solarium Pool </b></i>is <u>very </u>small for the amount of passengers it holds <i><u>as well as a very oddly shaped pool</u></i>. We spent the next 2+ hours between the pool and the hot tubs, just enjoying our Drink Package. We went to the shade level of the <b><i>Solarium </i></b>on Deck 16 to lay out and dry off right before getting a late lunch.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutmcIZaa7uOd7KYd6xqS96xA7Wh6aS4M9Rkbutg5BSCL2JvV5O0F_cyPl3wM3qc6MyThd-GlVmcSktYhFz0axcRkE9zRXavXD7g3q33ECnha6bskrZKNafiZ9KRZUJVVeVuaYRMYXIsQGTabFgH9y0cx0wHiKoo9D3lbESZB37U2pt2mSOSTz5MhUTZJk/s619/IMG_2486.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutmcIZaa7uOd7KYd6xqS96xA7Wh6aS4M9Rkbutg5BSCL2JvV5O0F_cyPl3wM3qc6MyThd-GlVmcSktYhFz0axcRkE9zRXavXD7g3q33ECnha6bskrZKNafiZ9KRZUJVVeVuaYRMYXIsQGTabFgH9y0cx0wHiKoo9D3lbESZB37U2pt2mSOSTz5MhUTZJk/s320/IMG_2486.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Vian did such a great job with this towel animal! </i></b></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipclaQ5okSFrjp1HLxU_nrW5-LqgX2PwpPMkM4EpF_JrcYnFTzzXNjwp_cke3rNNB6RgUqbXYS_qMcjiIyATPM5i5vRm2QkAd_1S_xUve2NmcXI_Pb0F07NdaQQQO9XzAb2Qzwa9FRk1Sht54XryMUN1RCVk7CL7Nll5ejnW4MGj_-HCLyJqDxBEbyyeFK/s825/IMG_2489.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipclaQ5okSFrjp1HLxU_nrW5-LqgX2PwpPMkM4EpF_JrcYnFTzzXNjwp_cke3rNNB6RgUqbXYS_qMcjiIyATPM5i5vRm2QkAd_1S_xUve2NmcXI_Pb0F07NdaQQQO9XzAb2Qzwa9FRk1Sht54XryMUN1RCVk7CL7Nll5ejnW4MGj_-HCLyJqDxBEbyyeFK/s320/IMG_2489.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello shaded Solarium... You're my favorite! </b></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We grabbed a late lunch in <b><i>Park Café </i></b>around 3PM but we tried to eat very light as we knew Formal Night in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> would be a very heavy meal. After a quick lunch we went back to the room to take showers and naps before the evening activities. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Around 4:45PM we went to Deck 5 to try and watch the sail-away and look for pier runners but it seemed this was a very responsible crew and all passengers were back on board early and the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> made it departure for Galveston around 4:50PM. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- I really do <u>not </u>like the Promenade Deck of the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span><span style="color: red;"> and the lack of area to watch sail-aways from the lower deck. I really miss the large are of the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Voyager </span><span style="color: red;">and </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Freedom </span><span style="color: red;">class ships. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We grabbed another coffee at </span><b><i>Café Promenade</i></b><span> before going to our nightly pre-dinner spot at </span><b><i>Vintages</i></b><span>. We talked to </span><i><b>Roger </b></i><span>and learned so much about red wines on this night. We left </span><b><i>Vintages </i></b><span>around 6:20PM for the <i>Ocean Aria</i> show in the <b><i>Aqua Theater</i></b>. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sy6Sb1eqyYGcN4GssIBw1aVbaMbU8D3Po3tl8yqJUKib_PWEYplVWIcmI9k2d8zJfY0ZvsHsW3kNEp50AmNvN9T5dsrgyZUAdNdDlOqiN-gX0TDxowoxhQ2oepdjbW8Rk94n4k1HL588bFs7dM7yUyc73W8NQJJJapOrNZ4Xy0fS35_h_4IfvrMl4Qoo/s619/IMG_2493.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sy6Sb1eqyYGcN4GssIBw1aVbaMbU8D3Po3tl8yqJUKib_PWEYplVWIcmI9k2d8zJfY0ZvsHsW3kNEp50AmNvN9T5dsrgyZUAdNdDlOqiN-gX0TDxowoxhQ2oepdjbW8Rk94n4k1HL588bFs7dM7yUyc73W8NQJJJapOrNZ4Xy0fS35_h_4IfvrMl4Qoo/s320/IMG_2493.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready for Formal Night #2. <br /><span style="color: red;">Notice how "relaxed" we are with this "formal" night. <br />It really is whatever makes you comfortable!</span></b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We got there early and were able to get great seats on the aisle. However, as we waited for the show to start and the crowds started to form, we noticed the ship swaying a LOT and sure enough, around 7:07PM, Cruise Director Steve (from Canada) said the show would be delayed for safety. <i>And then around 7:25PM, the show was officially cancelled.</i> During that time of waiting, we saw GIGANTIC amounts of water sway out of the <b><i>Aqua Theater</i></b> pool so I am sincerely glad they called the show for the safety of the performers. They would try the show again on the following night and all ticket holders would be guaranteed seats.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi0pD0TyteXklNvML9NFZ4OoRcCkLXNAkQVxzgTEFpynpij0uG3o50kJ1vUakXAlH0KPq35wIimO2s9-2ZLTy8rKkSpU1Jpqs1LoHpe1a4utHL59CseAqqzON7Q1AjdKzfNzuBZ4239q783E5I6XiF1jkaIuc1tOB7PEJDBjubDbG2fQ_pcRSSo1jv7pq/s825/IMG_2494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi0pD0TyteXklNvML9NFZ4OoRcCkLXNAkQVxzgTEFpynpij0uG3o50kJ1vUakXAlH0KPq35wIimO2s9-2ZLTy8rKkSpU1Jpqs1LoHpe1a4utHL59CseAqqzON7Q1AjdKzfNzuBZ4239q783E5I6XiF1jkaIuc1tOB7PEJDBjubDbG2fQ_pcRSSo1jv7pq/s320/IMG_2494.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready for the Aqua Show! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzJaepAOB89uPp-ljVTQVKO7jDPr8joFnNaAGt87SYu_0cw8pPDe7z271Y8HVh-I_aIX-NLC1OrN2ZE5UG1ZyBuVbuvO04pSIQqkhnSvZpn3IGhEBY0tneI66DP_4PY0ypSW5ETRXiwO-mxI6o3vIKeBEUYiaH2B5L-xsVgTPrmfuK3ubYIB2AYPnfVsb/s825/IMG_2496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzJaepAOB89uPp-ljVTQVKO7jDPr8joFnNaAGt87SYu_0cw8pPDe7z271Y8HVh-I_aIX-NLC1OrN2ZE5UG1ZyBuVbuvO04pSIQqkhnSvZpn3IGhEBY0tneI66DP_4PY0ypSW5ETRXiwO-mxI6o3vIKeBEUYiaH2B5L-xsVgTPrmfuK3ubYIB2AYPnfVsb/s320/IMG_2496.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>CD Steve (from Canada) confirming that the show will be rescheduled! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We were pretty bummed about the cancelling of the show but we completely understood the safety of the performers. We went down to the promenade level on Deck 5 to watch the sunset over the aft of the ship. This is always one of my absolute favorite parts of ANY cruise; <b><i><span style="color: red;">however, this lack of seating on the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span><span style="color: red;"> made this experience not near as good as other cruises. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboaYySV58BS8T6fXvktb0P5hghG3pG1Ii9SmP4x3m4VHmLqsRbgkzlT-zunUNZ4bXSkXjf2WmrZ6y43LRp0qYJBuO9N3S9l06cRRODMaTEOCKD8HeavNrwNAcJhTweuocKCE_SOmquoCtUpT8nECsB_RVzmp2Tlza0940k16z7H3DZJLEKwacyotlG4-y/s825/IMG_2498.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboaYySV58BS8T6fXvktb0P5hghG3pG1Ii9SmP4x3m4VHmLqsRbgkzlT-zunUNZ4bXSkXjf2WmrZ6y43LRp0qYJBuO9N3S9l06cRRODMaTEOCKD8HeavNrwNAcJhTweuocKCE_SOmquoCtUpT8nECsB_RVzmp2Tlza0940k16z7H3DZJLEKwacyotlG4-y/s320/IMG_2498.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Even with the clouds, God sure does paint a pretty picture! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP04nKDbZpCZZg1Em-iF55jAf37PfhdxRs-e8TmA53bIJzWwfsODy_Y5loRsfQbL-2h_B9ZPOuPJHOCCVBciXrUruTFE17XbEDC8QwmX-uXzZcoPJDF1mqL4JULlAH7VXeHaEGm6jPqAZ9mHac1fFgnAkZ7tAqoRIymjYfdpxiAA_CjopUmo51s728aw56/s825/IMG_2500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP04nKDbZpCZZg1Em-iF55jAf37PfhdxRs-e8TmA53bIJzWwfsODy_Y5loRsfQbL-2h_B9ZPOuPJHOCCVBciXrUruTFE17XbEDC8QwmX-uXzZcoPJDF1mqL4JULlAH7VXeHaEGm6jPqAZ9mHac1fFgnAkZ7tAqoRIymjYfdpxiAA_CjopUmo51s728aw56/s320/IMG_2500.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This view is PERFECT! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFShDx9RuhTK76qb9kj-KGS9j_e8xCgzkHSTBc3rKTTrYsVdvuPB-9yJ1N6lceB95a7cbzm1z8UYbB8HDriU04OHR1NwJCi0y2qh_bBKGWkqXbdpjMnfB8LnKyru5xoNeSdG-xjh8ZUT15TKtLoX9c03QQSVmYilFZsGEDuRna21_1L363T9IQSIgdhd1v/s825/IMG_2501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFShDx9RuhTK76qb9kj-KGS9j_e8xCgzkHSTBc3rKTTrYsVdvuPB-9yJ1N6lceB95a7cbzm1z8UYbB8HDriU04OHR1NwJCi0y2qh_bBKGWkqXbdpjMnfB8LnKyru5xoNeSdG-xjh8ZUT15TKtLoX9c03QQSVmYilFZsGEDuRna21_1L363T9IQSIgdhd1v/s320/IMG_2501.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I love this wake view... it doesn't get much better than this! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We then made our way to dinner in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> a little early since it was Formal Night. Once again we sat at our exquisite table and the service was incredible. It was LOBSTER night in the MDR and the crowds were arriving. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Royal Caribbean had a change in it's dining policy in 2023 and now only allows ONE Lobster per passenger at this Formal Night. If a passenger wants an additional lobster, they have to pay a $16.95/ per lobster fee. </span></i></b>This was a bummer as Chris and I LOVE Lobster Night and in the past have ordered two or three. The rest of the menu was fantastic and we were pleased with just one lobster tail. </span>However, we did notice many passengers and tables getting around this new rule. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq6ITYaq5I-gFkmQi3ThLqFtI_ZjsC5x2PkofRTt_6Otq31abacwzTsX307Ev3iBPLA5IF48kZiMuoQVpIkanwdOK5o_pdTe8KCizt0l6E7Ah-D26oUwnktlmVHg5z0yd5NPWGDllubCeO49k1Ef1a8yUklPwN2eWArDVHDf_nqQwgKr-Vw6idMT-8s49/s706/Screenshot%202023-08-16%20163033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="706" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq6ITYaq5I-gFkmQi3ThLqFtI_ZjsC5x2PkofRTt_6Otq31abacwzTsX307Ev3iBPLA5IF48kZiMuoQVpIkanwdOK5o_pdTe8KCizt0l6E7Ah-D26oUwnktlmVHg5z0yd5NPWGDllubCeO49k1Ef1a8yUklPwN2eWArDVHDf_nqQwgKr-Vw6idMT-8s49/s320/Screenshot%202023-08-16%20163033.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Night #6- Formal Night Menu</b></i> </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We were sitting around 3 different large party tables and many had several kids, even toddlers, at their table. These tables would order 1 lobster PER person. It didn't even matter if the 2 year old (or the 95 year old Grandma) wanted lobster... <b><i>They were ordering it.</i></b> In fact we heard this sweet innocent Grandma tell her son "<i>But, I don't like lobster</i>" and he replied "<i>I don't care, you're ordering it</i>". I think Chris and I nearly spit out our drinks trying to not laugh out loud. We watched as this just became the norm for the tables around us. And sure enough, the lobster would get delivered to Grandma and she would just pass it right down to the other adults. We thought this was hilarious and for a brief moment, we were jealous we did not have our kids on board with us. <b><i>So that is how you get around the "One Lobster" new rule. Just make your toddler order it for you! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our dinner was spectacular and we really enjoyed the food and <i>service especially.</i> <b><i><span style="color: red;">We were in and out of the Main Dining Room on a FORMAL NIGHT in less than 80 minutes</span></i></b>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBK02cm92eCWfYXVMwG4Y4ERjtWjXf-nLePWp6JGDt6kcE__MKfQhy_Uu0Iy5r6EsynwjHiAZJhPOgiu226HtzHbt0vDhy-8suq6quE6HjBbGiSiB05qG7b-pYE5uLISYpGl-_Q87yA3IT7EaTZ_QbTt0E8u-dIh8gfD_OGEmgvqSxU3kePkEPhTCBVE_/s825/IMG_2506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBK02cm92eCWfYXVMwG4Y4ERjtWjXf-nLePWp6JGDt6kcE__MKfQhy_Uu0Iy5r6EsynwjHiAZJhPOgiu226HtzHbt0vDhy-8suq6quE6HjBbGiSiB05qG7b-pYE5uLISYpGl-_Q87yA3IT7EaTZ_QbTt0E8u-dIh8gfD_OGEmgvqSxU3kePkEPhTCBVE_/s320/IMG_2506.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Vidalia Onion Tart- 4.0<br />I do not know why, but I always really enjoy this! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_f1nBxz_uX_YNkpeBDxPvvymlYKzeqO95CdXvnExClhiXzeI0XlQsMv2IHOFSXTe0EN4wft2JJ3vP7ixrNxUxvhrlXDKn3FyMHgegL-5n8l3J4AXiI1MJqMzVyaD1u8IthBPcDcK3rFS5lITi8P5Zs6rTb8Y6fEkrwV34XthcdJY_qZbdWcFaxbbEXe3g/s825/IMG_2507.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_f1nBxz_uX_YNkpeBDxPvvymlYKzeqO95CdXvnExClhiXzeI0XlQsMv2IHOFSXTe0EN4wft2JJ3vP7ixrNxUxvhrlXDKn3FyMHgegL-5n8l3J4AXiI1MJqMzVyaD1u8IthBPcDcK3rFS5lITi8P5Zs6rTb8Y6fEkrwV34XthcdJY_qZbdWcFaxbbEXe3g/s320/IMG_2507.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Escargot- 5.0<br />LOVE THIS! GET IT... TRUST ME! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPPK-YfNCu9GOlhzJ8WA7T1MyylNSD4i_PLkTHXGQSjSEYpq5HlTmqRnqIwv6eSB0HmooEUUwa4wOKAa68o-bhGm4hLv2HolFB3cew72b0P4_Izox84LSJK__hI0mMAaZZK4NxDpIXYKsHpGr4QSUMYwp2TAmcJSkLfF8zU0SgguVShoD1nZh_gIEqu2e/s825/IMG_2508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPPK-YfNCu9GOlhzJ8WA7T1MyylNSD4i_PLkTHXGQSjSEYpq5HlTmqRnqIwv6eSB0HmooEUUwa4wOKAa68o-bhGm4hLv2HolFB3cew72b0P4_Izox84LSJK__hI0mMAaZZK4NxDpIXYKsHpGr4QSUMYwp2TAmcJSkLfF8zU0SgguVShoD1nZh_gIEqu2e/s320/IMG_2508.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />LOBSTER TAIL- 5.0+ <br />Too bad I cannot get a 2nd... </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47v6ynbYYt6DYGt1dRjEa9QMq0C5tOgDQWKgs5A3dOHW0VTXbKbWKYDT3MWj8Xarn9iK_16JJf11WW6M_zr8_rrUS9e1PmBRB1XuiQEvq5UdWeQTZw98i1iz3EwkOnTEf0muy9WWhhP-o6ATdh8vFh_fAjsL4H1X-H8hw6e8xkTMOw2mgtdyE8JM7gfPC/s825/IMG_2509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47v6ynbYYt6DYGt1dRjEa9QMq0C5tOgDQWKgs5A3dOHW0VTXbKbWKYDT3MWj8Xarn9iK_16JJf11WW6M_zr8_rrUS9e1PmBRB1XuiQEvq5UdWeQTZw98i1iz3EwkOnTEf0muy9WWhhP-o6ATdh8vFh_fAjsL4H1X-H8hw6e8xkTMOw2mgtdyE8JM7gfPC/s320/IMG_2509.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Cheese Tortellini Pasta- 4.0<br />This was good and rich.</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMlHpNH9B2A-M_sfLoDYYSpGSJ6fdQscmF5e1xxnwWMrk9PxpNnFI30p6tag8Whh57a-WWG5oAbKOHuRZuiWCrcnBFnH1LJ41Q3YGmJkLop_FDzHyMALi1IXf1AyvT0JZGUW29IbpJ6S8L_mL__VmtOv9X1tga54iWrSW1QC95wsLA1-5MDyca3dYxH8Z/s825/IMG_2510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMlHpNH9B2A-M_sfLoDYYSpGSJ6fdQscmF5e1xxnwWMrk9PxpNnFI30p6tag8Whh57a-WWG5oAbKOHuRZuiWCrcnBFnH1LJ41Q3YGmJkLop_FDzHyMALi1IXf1AyvT0JZGUW29IbpJ6S8L_mL__VmtOv9X1tga54iWrSW1QC95wsLA1-5MDyca3dYxH8Z/s320/IMG_2510.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Baked Alaska-4.5<br />This is a true staple of any good cruise! It was light and delicate! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkoWSasiBBQnSyKGXn76uGugKCm4FSOi39n52HlRbc227PSpq0co8O4Iz1hN6oKtQJ6WjAukVZHQ_8VOp4HSFxzcAr1Wq00d4weU2aDXW_Tm8rwTs3IThup6Wb88WxfHZNZRsLw3OUMowX4Dc83J7IiY75Uh4VAJHKPaDihNQGUsE-5_zxSqn1SSYx_R2/s825/IMG_2511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkoWSasiBBQnSyKGXn76uGugKCm4FSOi39n52HlRbc227PSpq0co8O4Iz1hN6oKtQJ6WjAukVZHQ_8VOp4HSFxzcAr1Wq00d4weU2aDXW_Tm8rwTs3IThup6Wb88WxfHZNZRsLw3OUMowX4Dc83J7IiY75Uh4VAJHKPaDihNQGUsE-5_zxSqn1SSYx_R2/s320/IMG_2511.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Strawberry Shortcake- 4.5<br />This was a new addition to the menu and I thoroughly enjoyed it!</b></i> </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> After dinner we went back to the room so Chris could take his medication and then watched a replay of a comedy show before making our way to Studio B for the <b><i>Battle of the Sexes</i></b> and quite possibly our favorite entertainment of any cruise...<b><i> The QUEST</i></b>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We arrived late for the <i><b>Battle of the Sexes</b></i> but it is always a funny show. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to have a GREAT sense of humor and NOT BE SHY if you plan on volunteering for this show.</span></i></b> Then we got ready for the <b><i>QUEST</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is an adults only scavenger hunt. The Cruise Director will split everyone into teams and then call out completely RANDOM items to bring to them, These items can be things like: a printed cruise compass, a "flip" phone, money with a specific president on it, and etc. Or they can be completely risque' items like; a jock strap, padded bra, false teeth and so much more. Be sure to come ready to be offended! </span></i></b>We never participate but we think it is hilarious and this round of the Quest was another hilarious night laughing at the stupidity and boldness of other quests! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa6TSd4eLd2OI8riCeFVOk_yIrhyYFXl4gnSNN9ferY4gZKI_WDeoz-Hr0P6kotdVQcItHcKpOaFYL6scU19BjkHWakRc-JDYS4KcZbX_yS-ISJuWGSwCfdZ_nbDgRKgyXNSdKdvGSnT916OUz0rypx8SJNF73WVgLjLdObuCn6jpbecw6iLRBHolh7gx/s825/IMG_2514.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="825" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa6TSd4eLd2OI8riCeFVOk_yIrhyYFXl4gnSNN9ferY4gZKI_WDeoz-Hr0P6kotdVQcItHcKpOaFYL6scU19BjkHWakRc-JDYS4KcZbX_yS-ISJuWGSwCfdZ_nbDgRKgyXNSdKdvGSnT916OUz0rypx8SJNF73WVgLjLdObuCn6jpbecw6iLRBHolh7gx/s320/IMG_2514.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It has been a GREAT day aboard the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas! </span></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ended the night back in the<b><i> Schooner Bar</i></b> and closed it down with <b>Iputu</b>. He is such a great server and we love the atmosphere of this bar. We closed down the <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> and then went to <b><i>Sorrento's </i></b>for some late night pizza. We finally went to bed around 2AM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">This was a GREAT day spent in our Caribbean "Home-Away-from-Home"- Cozumel, Mexico! We love this island! <span style="color: red;"> </span></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">Up Next- Sea Day #3 and our last day aboard the Allure of the Seas!</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-2271564079543623502023-08-17T12:52:00.002-05:002023-08-17T12:52:59.223-05:00O-HI-O... String Teacher Workshop 2023 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>String Teacher Workshop 2023</u></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">The Ohio State University </div><div style="text-align: center;">Columbus, OH </div></span></b><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have always had a special place in my heart for Ohio State. When I was a freshmen in High School, I began watching college football more and saw their band on the TV and was beyond impressed. I even got to see their band perform live in DFW one summer before a DCI competition. In fact, I liked Ohio State so much that I asked for an Ohio State sweatshirt for Christmas my sophomore year of High School. <b><i>Oddly enough, my SOONER BORN AND SOONER BRED uncle Mike got it for me.</i></b> <i>He gave it to me kicking and screaming but he gave it to me! <b>Thank you Uncle Mike! I love and MISS YOU. NEVER FORGOTTEN!</b> I'm sure it is still somewhere in my parents house in a storage box.</i> (Full disclosure, I also had a Michigan hoodie during this crazy time of my life). So for whatever reason, Ohio State has always had a special place in my heart despite my <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">University of Oklahoma</span></i></b> degree <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#BOOMER</span></b>. I had always heard it was a magical place, but I had never been. Until now... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Day 1- Sunday, July 9th</span></u></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">After spending 7 GLORIOUS days on the <i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></b></i> with Chris, sipping drinks, eating luxurious meals and doing pretty much absolutely NOTHING, I boarded a plane to Columbus, OH to attend <b><i>The Ohio State University String Teacher Workshop</i></b> with <b><i>Dr. Gillespie</i></b>. My flight was supposed to leave Hobby airport at 3PM but it was delayed and I did not arrive into Columbus until after 7PM. <i>This meant I had to watch the first 2 session happening that night LIVE online. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Sw22mHY5FnAUii3P_Dt1sXJ_1tk9rfw1Y8bFBEtz8DDO_Q8R57Gf-HyAoMLfyII1I3PHOcjaoVeB1nudt0mcq9hqC93GCfSV00d0PzLz6uTHnJhaA9dEDgTJCom_KCNvtEFZbI2HHn24mlP7rgSLerAEapBRjTlH83_zgnQpCEiey1AQfK2tXsnf0mGl/s511/IMG_2548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Sw22mHY5FnAUii3P_Dt1sXJ_1tk9rfw1Y8bFBEtz8DDO_Q8R57Gf-HyAoMLfyII1I3PHOcjaoVeB1nudt0mcq9hqC93GCfSV00d0PzLz6uTHnJhaA9dEDgTJCom_KCNvtEFZbI2HHn24mlP7rgSLerAEapBRjTlH83_zgnQpCEiey1AQfK2tXsnf0mGl/s320/IMG_2548.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello Columbus... I think it is going to be a GREAT WEEK! </i></b></div></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once I got to Columbus, I got my luggage and got into an Uber to take me to the campus housing I would be staying at- <i>Bowen House.</i> This dorm was near all of the "<i>newer</i>" dorms at OSU and looked really good... <b><u>From the outside.</u></b> Once you got into the room, it seemed dated and was <i>SO DIRTY.</i> They provided "<i>sheets</i>" and "<i>towels</i>' <u>if that is what you would call them.</u> They were thin and stained pretty bad. Plus there was a very large pile of them just laying all over the floor near the elevator, so you wonder if they were even clean. <i><b>I very quickly realized that if I was going to survive the next 6 nights, I would have to go and get my own towels, sheets and other items. So I walked to the nearby "Campus Corner" Target and let me just go ahead and say that was the best $75 I have EVER SPENT. </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEJIONMsoQMQ8sjaKY3wlUBJJj7Kx9uDrexMTTeY-kzGfbpvALDZ7JHAjrtLXfC2s0KPsaVtKCzR2FTxhyF-WUtMuo_NE6kOZXTV1thWu8LviWtQCZT4U3EZfu481SWO3BwcoX3SUwsrFPXW-P1gKtgk4HgAz8WyQEdMAGmnQC__CxlNz_3vltf4MyuUN/s757/IMG_2551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEJIONMsoQMQ8sjaKY3wlUBJJj7Kx9uDrexMTTeY-kzGfbpvALDZ7JHAjrtLXfC2s0KPsaVtKCzR2FTxhyF-WUtMuo_NE6kOZXTV1thWu8LviWtQCZT4U3EZfu481SWO3BwcoX3SUwsrFPXW-P1gKtgk4HgAz8WyQEdMAGmnQC__CxlNz_3vltf4MyuUN/s320/IMG_2551.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This place looked GREAT from the outside... But the inside told a MUCH DIFFERENT STORY! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3urYYEPdA0qCkSbyF7w4sOgL59QuOV8mrArTZhk8GcmSzFg6OoIGUaXj2PQrVQh8h4GYMtnQLjGCJ3IR0o3-WQqRA6b_7SnkbFp8lz8s4TbMaZL1o-jyaqhG55I8PYcJ4Sbu04aXCno8jc78p0vfaEd6yZFHeE62BItKQQfsiOHSXonE7J89hGRDS-kT/s757/IMG_2553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3urYYEPdA0qCkSbyF7w4sOgL59QuOV8mrArTZhk8GcmSzFg6OoIGUaXj2PQrVQh8h4GYMtnQLjGCJ3IR0o3-WQqRA6b_7SnkbFp8lz8s4TbMaZL1o-jyaqhG55I8PYcJ4Sbu04aXCno8jc78p0vfaEd6yZFHeE62BItKQQfsiOHSXonE7J89hGRDS-kT/s320/IMG_2553.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of campus from the Target on High Street! </div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first night was pretty rough, despite being COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED from all of the traveling, but I survived and was ready for a VERY FULL DAY at the workshop! <br /><b><i>What doesn't kill you... Only makes you stronger! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDlPqhKSHe0ucE7RCBLO66V1alKPGoMKiGojxolJXv-ALr3cjU0tLzPQGDtAvYW32u_byVZcpnhFb4We02MftkvrKqn1Z58J1cuVfNgq6F8CEkjkUZRtSRjshVyvltfYNBeZ122pFIs-qt_YDHYaP5hFI9nzXF8HXex8NS8Mk2UCrZbDxryCPp28dXHyO/s757/IMG_2555.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDlPqhKSHe0ucE7RCBLO66V1alKPGoMKiGojxolJXv-ALr3cjU0tLzPQGDtAvYW32u_byVZcpnhFb4We02MftkvrKqn1Z58J1cuVfNgq6F8CEkjkUZRtSRjshVyvltfYNBeZ122pFIs-qt_YDHYaP5hFI9nzXF8HXex8NS8Mk2UCrZbDxryCPp28dXHyO/s320/IMG_2555.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I am officially TOO OLD, TOO FAT, TOO SHORT and TOO high maintenance for this! Lord help me! </b></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Day 2- Monday, July 10th</span></u></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">I woke up really early so I could meet the administrator of the workshop to finalize my registration and get all of my materials to get the day started. I checked out the OSU violin and cello instruments and was ready for the day. I signed up for the <b><i>Non-String Player</i></b> track which would place me in classes meant to teach non-string players how to TEACH strings.<i><b> I <u>needed </u>this 4 years ago but it proved to be perfect even as I enter the High School level of playing/teaching. </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoeu2DOYPSIXZ1sLvVgSzhHTXytPp8BYRZ_o1hPeY1FTtqjaxsMuVI_W2-1XAxTVltE4aPViWwsm0tZElIUj8xfuu4lcMQKuci2TpeWNGnAHz_ysm3cC3vJ244EfMMGtgqDcK5E15dvK-pE37Kj3RhV8m166U9g_l5Hzbfmh59_iy0SmNMAYhZitUlhzY/s757/IMG_2560.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoeu2DOYPSIXZ1sLvVgSzhHTXytPp8BYRZ_o1hPeY1FTtqjaxsMuVI_W2-1XAxTVltE4aPViWwsm0tZElIUj8xfuu4lcMQKuci2TpeWNGnAHz_ysm3cC3vJ244EfMMGtgqDcK5E15dvK-pE37Kj3RhV8m166U9g_l5Hzbfmh59_iy0SmNMAYhZitUlhzY/s320/IMG_2560.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>It's GO TIME- Let's get this <strike>Party </strike> workweek started! </b></div></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My first session was Beginning Cello with <b>Matt Hawley </b>and I learned a ton of information that will be beneficial even for teaching high schoolers. My second and third morning classes were a secondary lab with <b>Matt Redspinner</b> about setting up your beginning (and beyond) orchestras for success. <i><b>This was a little lower level than I CURRENTLY need but he knew my situation and specially gave information for teaching high schoolers. </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeo5H150NrKTx4rFNimNVldJqi2jUkLatGzPY70WP0yVQawmUskyKflNHNXjvHZ5mknSKda5GYARnO8YFQXeMBM801snS1OQpQTSWO61HefER2g4FoAoBb-UtZOt6I-wKl9ZmXvA0ijOtot_zUuX4nMb4YNrAb4zMvLILGtqn9CL41aecC6izIlMYxwHJ/s568/IMG_2563.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeo5H150NrKTx4rFNimNVldJqi2jUkLatGzPY70WP0yVQawmUskyKflNHNXjvHZ5mknSKda5GYARnO8YFQXeMBM801snS1OQpQTSWO61HefER2g4FoAoBb-UtZOt6I-wKl9ZmXvA0ijOtot_zUuX4nMb4YNrAb4zMvLILGtqn9CL41aecC6izIlMYxwHJ/s320/IMG_2563.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>I need a <u>lot </u>of work on cello so this class was right up my alley! </b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then it was off to lunch at <b><i>Traditions </i></b>in Scott Hall. This was the traditional college cafeteria and was set up really nicely with a lot of various food options. It was also PACKED with students and parents of incoming Freshman Orientation. But the workers did a GREAT job of keeping it clean and fresh on most of the food lines. <b><i><span style="color: red;">*This was included in my package of "Room and Board" for the week. It was $524 for 6 nights of dorm room and 2-3 meals per day in this cafeteria. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zVCA5MABLDDQk89_NgevKqiorSko8QtTy74luoHaUcOAp0XvcWX1VZ5f3rwosNmdFq8U0CXuZ2lRw0oVVlM7laJq9EwJnpjwDcTTzVE9zQjZ6eIgEazvoRf3nNlL0eXiKZpDKKqttmA3wLk2mdk6_tQdswj1HtHXaPzMlXJZtb1BDotBn86Hx9Wxd6hG/s757/IMG_2565.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zVCA5MABLDDQk89_NgevKqiorSko8QtTy74luoHaUcOAp0XvcWX1VZ5f3rwosNmdFq8U0CXuZ2lRw0oVVlM7laJq9EwJnpjwDcTTzVE9zQjZ6eIgEazvoRf3nNlL0eXiKZpDKKqttmA3wLk2mdk6_tQdswj1HtHXaPzMlXJZtb1BDotBn86Hx9Wxd6hG/s320/IMG_2565.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Outside of Scott Hall.. WOW, this campus is seriously GORGEOUS! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Vb_LPKECA2u4DddwNwnE2kxuqYXpRiQGYy9lIr9wVjdEY2wIlX1JdME3XGZ7sophlcFrVkfACtEf29YY8-K81WBXF_hNH3hh5Dys29RZe1lyBDZAF2K8-zI3-9heuYhxEWDB_71ha48f6js2zgHxH9d-TVT6-hQa7VP7ydSrf0vJffre4EviFxawC0Bu/s757/IMG_2570.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Vb_LPKECA2u4DddwNwnE2kxuqYXpRiQGYy9lIr9wVjdEY2wIlX1JdME3XGZ7sophlcFrVkfACtEf29YY8-K81WBXF_hNH3hh5Dys29RZe1lyBDZAF2K8-zI3-9heuYhxEWDB_71ha48f6js2zgHxH9d-TVT6-hQa7VP7ydSrf0vJffre4EviFxawC0Bu/s320/IMG_2570.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Inside Traditions- The set up was NICE and food was decent but absolutely NO variety! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch it was a very busy afternoon loaded with incredible sessions. It began with a conducting seminar led by <b>Miriam Burns</b>. She has an incredible resume which includes conducting the <b><i>New York Philharmonic.</i></b> I learned A LOT and really wish I was able to be a part of her conducting lab as well.<i> (I signed up too late for this track as it was full).</i> <b><i>This was my favorite session of the day! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was immediately followed by 2 reading sessions with <b>Robert Longfield</b>, who is a famous composer/ arranger for Hal Leonard cooperation in the Orchestra division. I have played several of his songs in just my 4 short years of teaching orchestra. <i><b>This was SO COOL and despite sounding like a scratchy mid-level Middle School violin player, I did decently well playing along with this songs. Plus I now have a list of songs I can play with my High School Orchestras. </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jbX1VN5NIvD--oF87P-8QQuqZdBxr8k31DBtrGTNiyiuJ0LaUtWC95wglpqsgANH3vJL9CTaRvfm2XbJ6MqLWAhZg8qTlciNUfXhEepfkMdvtCGY-DPP37lLFnRqqLw1tAY6iwtIDZ5NUksbfpaKrFfZCHiX2GsRfJZYZKdwE2gtizguVO6XdCXuaY19/s757/IMG_2568.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jbX1VN5NIvD--oF87P-8QQuqZdBxr8k31DBtrGTNiyiuJ0LaUtWC95wglpqsgANH3vJL9CTaRvfm2XbJ6MqLWAhZg8qTlciNUfXhEepfkMdvtCGY-DPP37lLFnRqqLw1tAY6iwtIDZ5NUksbfpaKrFfZCHiX2GsRfJZYZKdwE2gtizguVO6XdCXuaY19/s320/IMG_2568.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>This was SO COOL to be able to be a PART of a reading session AND with the composer! <br />Robert Longfield was SO laidback as well! I loved this! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknH3NBpezbPVEm3O6nmOVtFxXwOyO9-q_r-obY8NXFPSHMcLijGdBRgJRwZRX0kvSmsVuTSzN7X9Vv2rKNHADh9yPKsGYt9l37s1ZtklWmY5B16y6DkOapDTji-qGGaP1JJkVxMw1HdFAl2ywgr6Ms6-xvTeeM1p2DGc4oB6ZUl0MlVYxmViIYGkD896f/s568/IMG_2567.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknH3NBpezbPVEm3O6nmOVtFxXwOyO9-q_r-obY8NXFPSHMcLijGdBRgJRwZRX0kvSmsVuTSzN7X9Vv2rKNHADh9yPKsGYt9l37s1ZtklWmY5B16y6DkOapDTji-qGGaP1JJkVxMw1HdFAl2ywgr6Ms6-xvTeeM1p2DGc4oB6ZUl0MlVYxmViIYGkD896f/s320/IMG_2567.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Thank you Mr. Longfield. This was the highlight of my day, even though I could not play all the songs! </b></div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last afternoon session was Chamber Music Connections with <b>Debbie Price</b>. This was a really neat session about connecting with the kids on a unique small group level that can be applied to the small and large ensembles as well. <i>I didn't connect with this one as much as the previous sessions. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the afternoon sessions, I went back to the dorm to rest for just a tiny amount of time before it was time to go back to <b><i>Traditions </i></b>for dinner. I met a really nice woman from North Carolina who was staying in the dorm and we shared our terror stories of the first night! <b><i><span style="color: red;">Misery loves company! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My evening ended with 2 other sessions totaling 3 hours of a Conducting lab with <b>Miriam Burns</b>. <i>Even though I was not able to be a part of the 8 people who got to conduct the orchestra, I still learned SO much and would LOVE to get to study with Mrs. Burns privately or at a conducting symposium. Seriously, this was AMAZING and reminded me of my true passion for conducting. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a day that was spent at the Music Hall from 7:30AM to 9:30PM... <b><i><u>Literally</u></i></b>, with only minimal 10-15 minute breaks. I have never been this tired from a conference- but this is SO WORTH it. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Here's to hoping the 2nd night at the dorm is a even just a "little" better than the first! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Day 3- Tuesday, July 11th</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">This day started a "<i>little</i>" later than the previous day but I was up and at the music building ready to start this SUPER LONG day at 8AM. I started by changing my class from the "<i>Beginning Cello</i>" to "<i>Intermediate Bass</i>" since I will now be teaching High School. <i><span style="color: red;">This seemed like a great idea but many others thought the same and had already checked out an OSU bass, so I was left without one to play. I stayed in the class and observed and took notes but it was not the same. </span></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC4_wq1ARP9UsPO3PuWQT6WeJocuZfbjwZXH12t5TJSGqy0UqQrlz9wjGJds0HQLqad7T7Ic5s5WBEFBr0ueXL948Ajg0gZv2xDvjZ5pZu-JvQX8p09A3ufZPPw697kHxSNamnyjkT-IRD_fYuAUTINy3bmmh4gWdXgPY_y7dafwTKxrjAzgesphTgYBQ/s568/IMG_2574.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC4_wq1ARP9UsPO3PuWQT6WeJocuZfbjwZXH12t5TJSGqy0UqQrlz9wjGJds0HQLqad7T7Ic5s5WBEFBr0ueXL948Ajg0gZv2xDvjZ5pZu-JvQX8p09A3ufZPPw697kHxSNamnyjkT-IRD_fYuAUTINy3bmmh4gWdXgPY_y7dafwTKxrjAzgesphTgYBQ/s320/IMG_2574.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>Day 2... LET'S DO THIS!</b> </i></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next it was time for my 2 hour "<i>Non String Player</i>" course led by <b>Matt Redspinner.</b> This class is not necessarily what I need right <u>NOW </u>in my career but rather something I needed 4 years ago as I transitioned into teaching orchestra; however, I learned on this day that this was a GREAT way for me to tweak some things to fit high school and even more importantly, <i>it is a great reminder to me that I DID DO A GREAT JOB at Keefer.</i> Especially since I did all the things this guy suggested to do. I spent the morning feeling good about myself <i>which is rare it seems in this workshop.</i> Plus, <b>Matt </b>has been exceptional is teaching a concept and then adapting it for me to use at the high school level. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A local music store provided a FREE pizza lunch and it was AWESOME. This pizza place is a local "HOT SPOT" (<b><i>Donato's Pizza)</i></b> and had the weirdest flavors. I tried an alfredo, chicken spinach and a spicy chicken with jalapenos, fried chicken wings and ranch. They both were amazing. Thank you<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Baroque Violin Shop </i>for the lunch... It was GREAT! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EP99N2ObaAAauV62LgA2Hqq49ssfjeRMgGjYAcTBsNpPuEkQbONiFH-LCb5CgTE5U6MJRlNtVM1iMObKDaPA6U7Ne_yfv6RFTIazxmzNzQxFfxELydeq8pWuhWN37kkRYjsVowQQM1w7Ik2uLslgRzeg8G0rVrUP2rciowmonNr041H5W9dyLXzPhbmq/s757/IMG_2577.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EP99N2ObaAAauV62LgA2Hqq49ssfjeRMgGjYAcTBsNpPuEkQbONiFH-LCb5CgTE5U6MJRlNtVM1iMObKDaPA6U7Ne_yfv6RFTIazxmzNzQxFfxELydeq8pWuhWN37kkRYjsVowQQM1w7Ik2uLslgRzeg8G0rVrUP2rciowmonNr041H5W9dyLXzPhbmq/s320/IMG_2577.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Fried Chicken Wing Pizza was... interesting! I'd order it again! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch I went to 2 clinics led by <b>Dr. Robert Gillespie </b><i>(OSU Orchestra Director and Hal Leonard Essential Elements author)</i> based on building effective warm-ups. <i>This was not at all what I expected- which I thought was a session with handouts full of already created warm-ups.</i> Instead this was clinics about how to create them yourself and how to go about doing that. In the long run, this is a much better clinic as I will leave with not just 1-3 things but the knowledge to create my own for years to come. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got a small 30 minute break- <b><i>Hello COFFEE...</i></b> And then it was time for my favorite part of the entire workshop- <b>Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. Dr. Tim</b> is a LEGEND in the music education field. When I was in college in my MUED classes, <i>Dr. Raiber</i> told us we HAD to go and see him at OMEA that year. He said he was an incredible speaker and really knew how to motivate you to be a better version of yourself. I did just that in 2003 and ever since then, <b>Dr. Tim</b> has been a favorite clinician of mine. I have seen him MANY times at TMEA, TBA and TODA. He really is incredible. <i>I always leave feeling completely inspired and motivated to be the absolute best! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLE7GLXXTdmwWCT8qrAEET5vIsADnf4Xx3tHO20uNUxEqI3tcE9JaCUfckHWAJjRygA6f8Q0-esVYABNYg9SZ3vZKs7E5BpUk1UXeqEqU0rCAWsbK-GkvgMw59cmumv6GyXmy_eLAKNoAKKLpQUYqSKeLWLkMm_nmpVhBRXkF6QCiUH2-iw-CZcdgOYoY/s757/IMG_2583.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLE7GLXXTdmwWCT8qrAEET5vIsADnf4Xx3tHO20uNUxEqI3tcE9JaCUfckHWAJjRygA6f8Q0-esVYABNYg9SZ3vZKs7E5BpUk1UXeqEqU0rCAWsbK-GkvgMw59cmumv6GyXmy_eLAKNoAKKLpQUYqSKeLWLkMm_nmpVhBRXkF6QCiUH2-iw-CZcdgOYoY/s320/IMG_2583.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser is SERIOUSLY the best motivation speaker and MUED guy I have ever heard! He ALWAYS speaks to me! </span></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Except this time... it really meant even more. This entire 3 hour session was about how to create a culture of excellence. He based this upon <u>not</u> the content knowledge needed to have a successful orchestra (or band or choir) program <u>but the attitude and mindset</u> of the person leading the program. This really spoke to me since I may not have all of the content knowledge right now for high school orchestra <b>but I can lead</b>. I can build relationships. I care about my students, I believe in them and I create a climate of mutual respect. I created a culture of excellence at Keefer, that is why we were so successful. I had to ask colleagues ALL THE TIME for help with shifting or fingerings or just about anything. But when you walked into my classroom at KCMS, there was a climate of excellence. After listening to <b>Dr. Tim</b> and him leading, showing and playing games to show us that it is all about the <b><u>TEACHER </u></b>not the content, <b>I left feeling like I can and WILL do the same thing at New Caney HS. Excellence... Here I come! </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We broke for a very brief dinner time, where I went to the cafeteria for a quick soup and salad then back to the music building for 2 more sessions. <b>Mrs. Lofdahl</b> led a great session about bringing in a variety of cultures to your program. We learned songs from Ireland, the Middle East and China. In some Aerobic genres, there is a "Double Flat" and your finger is just off the tape. Let me just say... I played this one PERFECT. <i>Who knew all I needed was a terribly sounding note to be able to play a song. All I needed was the "wrong" note to actually be right and I actually sounded good. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkpWDNOigAXjdYPKPGWSX_jhYaw_K6tij_2DyqAR_O23HV4d9FlbrpJ1N-CQ2FEsh_IJZnpierDrVvcdh8MoXoufWS-uinEzuuru_MeGBwUbKeILDgdcAC54_kotMEd2O2nofcaNRyzckWrfRe8YKg26BoxS09oEwshEEg_c5BWtKawjXrtRFPWH1RlhB/s757/IMG_2584.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkpWDNOigAXjdYPKPGWSX_jhYaw_K6tij_2DyqAR_O23HV4d9FlbrpJ1N-CQ2FEsh_IJZnpierDrVvcdh8MoXoufWS-uinEzuuru_MeGBwUbKeILDgdcAC54_kotMEd2O2nofcaNRyzckWrfRe8YKg26BoxS09oEwshEEg_c5BWtKawjXrtRFPWH1RlhB/s320/IMG_2584.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I really enjoyed Heather's clinic! I went in thinking "I want to go back to the dorm, I'm so tired." But I left with a TON of information and really enjoyed the session! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last session of the evening was the "<i>My Favorite Orchestra Piece</i>" session. This is where all of the attendees brought their favorite song they play with their groups and we all played through them. This was very helpful to hear all of these songs. I was able to walk away with several options to buy for the school year. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This night ended at 9:40PM and I was completely exhausted. I was so tired but was not looking forward to coming back to the TERRIBLE, dirty and loud dorm room. I stopped to get a milkshake at a local restaurant with hopes of me just crashing as soon as I got back to the dorm. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUXkDtv3ttaOv2t1Qhyisil-PoIA7qlCjRjtFV-lvE-k7j1tvkAyThy7h5Fd70XFAff3_z0o1JdOdJb9OBDqnqor6eC8pmsPUQ45c1b6zgr6R5CLv-nNKq1GTdZpsqZOTqi4apbOVlX8C1CtRt7tAJ5wuH6IfVmHTwQCz-nMBrOt3BnHENsb-9l_GpTz2/s568/IMG_2586.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUXkDtv3ttaOv2t1Qhyisil-PoIA7qlCjRjtFV-lvE-k7j1tvkAyThy7h5Fd70XFAff3_z0o1JdOdJb9OBDqnqor6eC8pmsPUQ45c1b6zgr6R5CLv-nNKq1GTdZpsqZOTqi4apbOVlX8C1CtRt7tAJ5wuH6IfVmHTwQCz-nMBrOt3BnHENsb-9l_GpTz2/s320/IMG_2586.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Walking back to the dorm after 9:30PM... It felt AMAZING outside! Not hot at all and <u>NO HUMIDUTY! </u></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvF3p95Ns_aLYYL3Nrx4jtOCOG3_MhQOmVLFIfZbT5K1rbP2ChmEwB9yb3SNP2uFtJO5X0PqhPBpWdfEXfN7sfqtfQT_zO6X_RBmrlsRuam4Q6A6Vw-Beco25nGmNULoreOGmXAY8mneW0Q8YIZSYozumGpVrQwoo9qfd12HKaT8ycbKgNepuJ58cu95Y/s568/IMG_2589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvF3p95Ns_aLYYL3Nrx4jtOCOG3_MhQOmVLFIfZbT5K1rbP2ChmEwB9yb3SNP2uFtJO5X0PqhPBpWdfEXfN7sfqtfQT_zO6X_RBmrlsRuam4Q6A6Vw-Beco25nGmNULoreOGmXAY8mneW0Q8YIZSYozumGpVrQwoo9qfd12HKaT8ycbKgNepuJ58cu95Y/s320/IMG_2589.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>This was an impulse buy... I just went in for toilet paper for the dorm bathroom! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq6Srk9TFdryJHAINd2lJqWQLLQGNZ67Fat7u2A59DnwnvUoOCBaPFpdnGjbKV66vF43gZrYBvd8q1hzYrIQznFVaB_csQw6IG_4KDnmaILH_hvaViCvfoAqUeuTcu3KNXt8FjWbCkzIXwioWBhARDGRx-m35DiKibfW_12uXu57XGhOlv2h_F06gDGsd/s757/IMG_2617.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq6Srk9TFdryJHAINd2lJqWQLLQGNZ67Fat7u2A59DnwnvUoOCBaPFpdnGjbKV66vF43gZrYBvd8q1hzYrIQznFVaB_csQw6IG_4KDnmaILH_hvaViCvfoAqUeuTcu3KNXt8FjWbCkzIXwioWBhARDGRx-m35DiKibfW_12uXu57XGhOlv2h_F06gDGsd/s320/IMG_2617.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of my floor as soon as your step off the elevator. This bag of towels had not moved and were SO DIRTY. You could see the stains and dirt on them from the bag! YUCK! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeekbh2Tqb6hBBIZdDAdDLw0FS2WzeLE4A7Yz-yjgynXNYNWrxFGkBGrNPCQbHPIqHYtZ0ChofHrpXR-Wai0rCOB85EmpnUH4NxuFbKYj9WsOEW5dVsszjiFygpwQXroH7dfT2kvv0nqtKeXq5byH5LOqIsuwysW1RmGfF94LgA8xottpZMsMAcBE8KHX/s757/IMG_2618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeekbh2Tqb6hBBIZdDAdDLw0FS2WzeLE4A7Yz-yjgynXNYNWrxFGkBGrNPCQbHPIqHYtZ0ChofHrpXR-Wai0rCOB85EmpnUH4NxuFbKYj9WsOEW5dVsszjiFygpwQXroH7dfT2kvv0nqtKeXq5byH5LOqIsuwysW1RmGfF94LgA8xottpZMsMAcBE8KHX/s320/IMG_2618.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Wait a minute... Am I back in New York City where they just place full bags of trash everywhere! Can you imagine having to LIVE here more than just 5-6 days! NOPE... Not happening! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYD0kQHIf6l6l8Aep9bdhcX3qXeHAu9z-L4Z47ULlx8i-ZAnqfzvPIQPB0vtRZjrsr_kRMRs_y5vA0-W3N-AkFhrx9V4F35b095wT6GjMebJTPiLS0s-_SIKw0d-dQS6tmwsLn4_rcUe2_7AfPJ4u8AiN6zrx_4Aj1qhxodefAKjfOoC2E9FbeiGdrNRZ/s757/IMG_2619.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYD0kQHIf6l6l8Aep9bdhcX3qXeHAu9z-L4Z47ULlx8i-ZAnqfzvPIQPB0vtRZjrsr_kRMRs_y5vA0-W3N-AkFhrx9V4F35b095wT6GjMebJTPiLS0s-_SIKw0d-dQS6tmwsLn4_rcUe2_7AfPJ4u8AiN6zrx_4Aj1qhxodefAKjfOoC2E9FbeiGdrNRZ/s320/IMG_2619.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Another view of my hallway, full of trash, random towels and just yuckiness! </div>I truly believe this was the worst part of the whole experience and could easily make or break the overall workshop! BE SURE TO STAY IN A HOTEL! <i><br /></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Day 2 was a success.. Day 3 is the featured day for High School and I cannot wait! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Day 3- Wednesday, July 12th</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">I woke up early on this day but then accidentally hit the "<i>stop</i>" button instead of "<i>snooze</i>" so I was hustling to get ready to make it to the first session at 8:30AM. I went to the beginning cello set-up class and was reminded that I did it right for the last 4 years which felt good. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrqss4TkCB8NPztFetSuAQS3ha1PfZiDwU2wayK3V-KlpuzCPIhPhVzttfnJa28JcfGrjwu8OgLLIrXA38qWy-4MVgsle_Mf3K47ojorHdhtMzkCTHnb9UJCwgnK5jWldEu_vwjSYMFYJczjAu1ZmNJZPt2TR2zsmYGeQhuVVnoXI5owGgZP3mMRTp39c/s625/IMG_2590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrqss4TkCB8NPztFetSuAQS3ha1PfZiDwU2wayK3V-KlpuzCPIhPhVzttfnJa28JcfGrjwu8OgLLIrXA38qWy-4MVgsle_Mf3K47ojorHdhtMzkCTHnb9UJCwgnK5jWldEu_vwjSYMFYJczjAu1ZmNJZPt2TR2zsmYGeQhuVVnoXI5owGgZP3mMRTp39c/s320/IMG_2590.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Gotta stay hydrated and get some protein for the day as well. </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I went to day 3 of the "<i>non-string player</i>" track of the morning sessions with <b>Matt Redspinner</b>. This was BASS day and I really enjoyed it. I <u>did </u>learn a few good new things and realized I have been setting up my bass students slightly off the past for years but I can fix that quickly even as they enter high school. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The second hour of this class was reaching the intermediate level of the violin/viola and I was getting into the level of violin playing I am currently at. <b>Matt </b>did a <u>GREAT </u>job of adjusting the topics to help me correlate them to high school. <i>This daily 2 hour session has literally been the saving grace of the entire workshop thus far.</i> In reality, I came into this workshop thinking that<u> this 2 hour session</u> would be the theme ENTIRE workshop. And as I reflect upon it all, I think it SHOULD be the entire concept of the workshop. Even if that meant that only the 10-15 of us that are truly NON STRING players did this. Out of the 80+ people in attendance, I would say less than 10 are truly NON string players. The rest are orchestral musicians who are here to further develop their orchestral abilities. Many are playing on "secondary" instruments but I have been in this business long enough to realize that the 4 string instruments are INCREDIBLY similar. <b><i>Imagine an alto sax and a baritone sax.</i></b> Maybe I am just tired and worn out from it all (this is incredibly intense and the most demanding professional development I have ever attended) but it was today that I realized, I am just a fish out of water. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCRVJdhcWEWXHyDQod2-bBK5d--XhvhvTUI6yunGRPTIq-f8iR8BVaQHlbhEHrS-g3qD0ezeBZ7UZBjhyYnVITfquA6zu3vjkujPCMpoSsKyRRcXQ96Uc5gchpuePdQ9EdqCZHFMtwMUe2KyxC2BxSyo7wBxAEKZo5n1FFz0PLNCWhRRAArqjcWBvWjtI/s568/IMG_2597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCRVJdhcWEWXHyDQod2-bBK5d--XhvhvTUI6yunGRPTIq-f8iR8BVaQHlbhEHrS-g3qD0ezeBZ7UZBjhyYnVITfquA6zu3vjkujPCMpoSsKyRRcXQ96Uc5gchpuePdQ9EdqCZHFMtwMUe2KyxC2BxSyo7wBxAEKZo5n1FFz0PLNCWhRRAArqjcWBvWjtI/s320/IMG_2597.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I look tired, sad and just blah (kinda felt that too) but I tried hard and learned a lot! <br />Thanks Matt! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I meandered down to <b><i>Traditions </i></b>for lunch and had another day of soup and salad. <i>The variety in the cafeterias has been, well... non-existent.</i> I then went to two more sessions about building your program to be unified. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSls0jX5bjavyDMWfDexjD_SP7sRiIT_RELqVTOXQmc47hSMASCDSTKge0r8Ge09JTAEzvyu1pjKtHNU_R0xraJC_QKToySV0zRD20sSocO_JrR3s6EtumSXzLtvQNFZ2MuKJzidBZqWvtSTVUwXrMU8XwfYbgRyjGgPa-F60tBGVbGIatOG4Ggw_V1R/s757/IMG_2627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaSls0jX5bjavyDMWfDexjD_SP7sRiIT_RELqVTOXQmc47hSMASCDSTKge0r8Ge09JTAEzvyu1pjKtHNU_R0xraJC_QKToySV0zRD20sSocO_JrR3s6EtumSXzLtvQNFZ2MuKJzidBZqWvtSTVUwXrMU8XwfYbgRyjGgPa-F60tBGVbGIatOG4Ggw_V1R/s320/IMG_2627.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Salad and Fruit... It's what's for dinner (And lunch)! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was the only day on the schedule where we got to have a "<i>real</i>" break (more than 15 minutes) and I used that break time to clear my head and take a walk around campus. I was able to go to the Horseshoe stadium, where the Buckeyes play football, the library, the student union and the massive OVAL. The campus truly is GORGEOUS and I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the fall and how pleasant the temperatures must be.<i> In fact, that was the best part of the day; it took me nearly 25 minutes to even start sweating. In Houston, I would be sweating by the end of the block! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY7fn762bLVUYiC_pJfhvSMIvc5ciGe22bhJx5CRXg9JviN2QdfDsboVppuU3VllwblbQyZkk1vBdhBs-cI-I6EpG4pxzxE4RXbWSWUjvx3e6miGRvXEZiuZjgbsH7pKwCgLIBoAjVej489ecY_cCNRhVAxqD-ZUKJVYVsDLtpjSiWWPgxzprKC2ikVbL/s757/IMG_2599.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY7fn762bLVUYiC_pJfhvSMIvc5ciGe22bhJx5CRXg9JviN2QdfDsboVppuU3VllwblbQyZkk1vBdhBs-cI-I6EpG4pxzxE4RXbWSWUjvx3e6miGRvXEZiuZjgbsH7pKwCgLIBoAjVej489ecY_cCNRhVAxqD-ZUKJVYVsDLtpjSiWWPgxzprKC2ikVbL/s320/IMG_2599.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>My first view of the "horseshoe"! This is a classic, iconic College Football stadium and even from the outside, was AWESOME! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXM_UmK639wya6pVVN5PM3s_Fx08Acnx8pca5rms318eDoY1QeGjSg2SgmRi8s01iyfwe3KbC3dVzYeAOvP7Dgxp4IJAOq3GgtOnBISLYoyPHa7vodJcERItqXnVk_obYfsyLcmD7N-zef3NsRgC5AnBIatLuMPeuHb0OTphHBMvqinF6zq_9S5UD5JoP/s757/IMG_2604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXM_UmK639wya6pVVN5PM3s_Fx08Acnx8pca5rms318eDoY1QeGjSg2SgmRi8s01iyfwe3KbC3dVzYeAOvP7Dgxp4IJAOq3GgtOnBISLYoyPHa7vodJcERItqXnVk_obYfsyLcmD7N-zef3NsRgC5AnBIatLuMPeuHb0OTphHBMvqinF6zq_9S5UD5JoP/s320/IMG_2604.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I am in NO WAY an Ohio State Fan but just a COLLEGE FOOTBALL FAN! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewAcwcPAKo01F6fLhjNwoZJbDfUxOqXXAmoTQz5vu4NHKr2h1YMl2-S6pTUJ6ve-7HpLz3ltKUV4a8reL3RuRWqIsjINUM0ZQ2bLFRzPNkM8qwqkNgUBLC6zmVC5dTBamu9n3YOgXy6Ix7QojJ2KrE8WWvofPKw6avlSa__ECZPY38JuQAxNlSNs36_X_/s757/IMG_2605.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewAcwcPAKo01F6fLhjNwoZJbDfUxOqXXAmoTQz5vu4NHKr2h1YMl2-S6pTUJ6ve-7HpLz3ltKUV4a8reL3RuRWqIsjINUM0ZQ2bLFRzPNkM8qwqkNgUBLC6zmVC5dTBamu9n3YOgXy6Ix7QojJ2KrE8WWvofPKw6avlSa__ECZPY38JuQAxNlSNs36_X_/s320/IMG_2605.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Showing my TRUE COLORS! <br />#OUDNA #BoomerSooner </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLEutDaJNeMbOTEq2BiMQ6_xLTL3ypdSFpTQOF9ES6Qs-WyEAYFn0lt2EJWRHrfz-_E7vrXOyQg3Wcn8GA7nk_y-EMzh1v_rV1nn8oWsaO7dGZmWE8p2Ktgb5snCexhxNEhBu9zFEjiOK_MKofsDUXZqvVJ_a9kLWg56csiMv_ZwRtf7W_uobl7NAkYCR/s757/IMG_2612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLEutDaJNeMbOTEq2BiMQ6_xLTL3ypdSFpTQOF9ES6Qs-WyEAYFn0lt2EJWRHrfz-_E7vrXOyQg3Wcn8GA7nk_y-EMzh1v_rV1nn8oWsaO7dGZmWE8p2Ktgb5snCexhxNEhBu9zFEjiOK_MKofsDUXZqvVJ_a9kLWg56csiMv_ZwRtf7W_uobl7NAkYCR/s320/IMG_2612.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A walk back to the music building via the OVAL. <br />Wow, this area of campus was GORGEOUS and so green! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SoKWbUwUKvKpniSCYEyCQ71k80Ax5HD9TgeqVCWLVqoMii_d_Gfa01_snLEkFJz2LJORzf8q4YflL6BfPZcykHRFjbVJKquLD5ArqYizeIlSDFxyjzG1nvZzJR7RrwQSg5JzBokiV-eaBXtPlamnQis4ikzO2Qvb1MTNphBA6c7fQ78NEOSEIsSp5IMs/s757/IMG_2615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SoKWbUwUKvKpniSCYEyCQ71k80Ax5HD9TgeqVCWLVqoMii_d_Gfa01_snLEkFJz2LJORzf8q4YflL6BfPZcykHRFjbVJKquLD5ArqYizeIlSDFxyjzG1nvZzJR7RrwQSg5JzBokiV-eaBXtPlamnQis4ikzO2Qvb1MTNphBA6c7fQ78NEOSEIsSp5IMs/s320/IMG_2615.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of the Physics building on my way back to Timashev. </i></b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the break was a general session with <b>Jim Palmer</b>, who is a famous string musician, educator and author. His first session was about reflecting on your personal and professional goals and he then shared what has worked and what has not worked in his career.<i> He had some GREAT insight. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWrCO441omOgLNym0DooGuv9x8Rr1GREN6B93PBJ4jDPiQhV3k96Qj7OhStViCgwInxGXtm8B1n04UdGnNtC5M0Yliwzpag6dnSVrO5F8DAUuCaCJR0lKZFjpZDL66kIOAkzrD_fZKeQEsALb2g4XC9R2KvTrp9BBRMQVn960BW--3h25Ts7Udk4cGYbS/s757/IMG_2620.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWrCO441omOgLNym0DooGuv9x8Rr1GREN6B93PBJ4jDPiQhV3k96Qj7OhStViCgwInxGXtm8B1n04UdGnNtC5M0Yliwzpag6dnSVrO5F8DAUuCaCJR0lKZFjpZDL66kIOAkzrD_fZKeQEsALb2g4XC9R2KvTrp9BBRMQVn960BW--3h25Ts7Udk4cGYbS/s320/IMG_2620.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I got so involved and deep into his sessions that this is the only picture I was able to get. Thank you Mr. Palmer for some GREAT insight! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mr. Palmer's</b> last 2 sessions were geared towards High School and I was looking forward to it all day. It turned out to be a little different that what I expected but I got a LOT of great ideas, concepts and knowledge to take back home and apply to my new orchestra. Plus he teaches high school orchestra on a block schedule as well and offered his email and contact info to ask questions whenever needed. <i>Be careful what you wish for Mr. Palmer, I may be spamming your inbox near daily with all my questions! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ended the evening rehearsing with <b>Dr. Robert Gillespie</b> for our end of camp concert on Friday. We are playing 7 songs, all of which are grade 2+. I sat in the VERY back of the 2nd violin sections and sounded absolutely atrocious. <i><b>I am not even exaggerating either.</b></i> That is also where the other 5-7 band director transplants sat and we had a great time laughing at how bad we are. But in all seriousness, this is really just a concert for a bunch of orchestra directors to play in. THIS is where I felt like a fish out of water and literally felt like crying. It was very embarrassing and while none of the directors, clinicians or even other musicians said anything, I still felt their looks and judgement. <i>I really enjoyed reading through the songs and I like many of them but I am legitimately scared for my addition to the performance on Friday. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireeqtz5XYKQDPUTHZDzXHpV6cdsrxjjgncoYoHvuzzyG0KMCRscBjRgdM_vRwRZm6_Y58-xodGx6ad-SvvXq6Qt5u9NS_8a3qgWQEtaQQr21Uwj21wDbK67oxI0WNqqaS53ZPGpPATXoH6P3qHiFg5rc9cBLO-0PqZH88fSFgGSZC2PgYG1BmTcs7iSTT/s757/IMG_2621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireeqtz5XYKQDPUTHZDzXHpV6cdsrxjjgncoYoHvuzzyG0KMCRscBjRgdM_vRwRZm6_Y58-xodGx6ad-SvvXq6Qt5u9NS_8a3qgWQEtaQQr21Uwj21wDbK67oxI0WNqqaS53ZPGpPATXoH6P3qHiFg5rc9cBLO-0PqZH88fSFgGSZC2PgYG1BmTcs7iSTT/s320/IMG_2621.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Despite being AWFUL and sounding terrible, I was still able to sit in an ensemble led by Dr. Robert Gillespie. That is HUGE thing for a <strike>string </strike>musician! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For whatever reason, this was a <u>very </u>emotional day for me and I went through a complete 180* of all of the various "<i>feels</i>". The night ended after 9PM with the last rehearsal and I walked back to the dorm hoping I could just fall asleep and sleep the day off. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Tomorrow is a new day! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Day 4- Thursday, July 13th</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I started out this day in the <i>beginning cello</i> class and it was once again a great way to start the day. I then went to the <i>Non String Player</i> 2 hour session with <b>Matt Radspinner.</b> Once again, this class has been the best part of the day. Today <b>Matt </b>went over intermediate bass techniques and the 2nd hour was all about budget and how to purchase the correct instruments and supplies. <i>This was perhaps the absolute BEST part of the conference thus far as I may know a lot about music but the essential brands and company options are so far from the realm of my knowledge.</i> Thank you <b>Matt </b>for all this info. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After a very rushed lunch in the <i>Traditions cafeteria</i>, it was back to the stage for a reading session with <b>Katie O'Hara LaBrie</b>. She is a new up and coming composer and I have played several of her songs with my middle school kids. However, experiencing her live and directing these songs was just so awesome. Her personality and style was amazing and I really enjoyed her 2 sessions. The later session was all about <b>Randall Standridge,</b> another new composer, and his new orchestra arrangements and songs. <i>This was so cool and Natalie would have LOVED it as she is seriously in love with this guy. She has written him emails about songs and he has responded! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqdVaFMb4m0X3hkRnmWwxNECFRfv9LrIY15bIRvz3BZ91MjuJ3NvdL77-XfVypgXY3I_pRq6xwuv-zyM7L-LfJtkynqc5QjOG_rX1SheL5f9a8wJNB2kNPN9vQyYswYogvw5s-_T3945ij32azAvh1IKRo7OM3OgtmG2ix0sc5vwqej8NmLWOUPKaR6pu/s757/IMG_2629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqdVaFMb4m0X3hkRnmWwxNECFRfv9LrIY15bIRvz3BZ91MjuJ3NvdL77-XfVypgXY3I_pRq6xwuv-zyM7L-LfJtkynqc5QjOG_rX1SheL5f9a8wJNB2kNPN9vQyYswYogvw5s-_T3945ij32azAvh1IKRo7OM3OgtmG2ix0sc5vwqej8NmLWOUPKaR6pu/s320/IMG_2629.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Katie O'Hara LaBrie was simply amazing. She was so chill and laid back but gave complete background about all of her pieces. I really enjoyed getting to know her! </b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last session of the afternoon was with <b>Charles Laux</b>, of whose name I did not recognize but once I saw him in person I quickly realized I knew him and knew him VERY WELL. This guy has a HUGE website <u>(www.orchestrateacher.net)</u> and has all kinds of things readily available to use. From videos, worksheets, etudes, lesson plans and so much more. I am not even kidding when I say I use stuff from his website on a weekly basis. In fact, we watch so many of his videos in class that my beginners think he is FAMOUS and would freak out if they knew I met him! <i>I tried to get a picture but after his 2nd session after dinner he had to hurry out with his family waiting in the lobby!</i> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last sessions of the evening were a concert rehearsal for our Workshop Concert on Friday and the final reading session of "<i>My Favorite Orchestra</i>". This is a great way to share songs we all know and like with each other. This session had all of the grade 3-4-5 songs so I was not really able to play (very well) along with the group but I did get some great songs to try playing with my high schoolers. We finally ended the night after 9PM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This workshop has been great but I am so exhausted. This has been the most intense professional development I have ever experienced in 18 years and I certainly have gotten my money's worth. I have been in clinics every day, all day from 8AM to 9PM most days with very little breaks. It has been mentally and emotionally exhausting... <b><i>But I have learned so much. </i></b>I have so many things that I can even file away to pick up later. But I am REALLY tired. And I also really miss my two kids. I have officially not seen them for 2 whole weeks and my heart hurts SO MUCH! I just want to hold them and give them a hug! Not to mention it has been freshman orientation week and as the days have passed I have realized that this is going to be me in just FOUR SHORT YEARS! Where has the time gone? Where has my baby gone? I'm not ready! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQHKzaZYn5E-VbPTvqFvPPImRqDAkPi4aN8jDP_sOjHlVs9bS_14hzD44aLVvVkWmjjAHEcqUZBSEO5J7NTs4qX36IOSEXmtK9YhiHdg7HwEaubj5C4cjJZtxCzsRAmzRtkyu8MjV0rHRA6be6p0s1G4X0q3zbSNJWAlHnGrLrHWCymLjZG0Y21ixiEon/s568/IMG_2639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQHKzaZYn5E-VbPTvqFvPPImRqDAkPi4aN8jDP_sOjHlVs9bS_14hzD44aLVvVkWmjjAHEcqUZBSEO5J7NTs4qX36IOSEXmtK9YhiHdg7HwEaubj5C4cjJZtxCzsRAmzRtkyu8MjV0rHRA6be6p0s1G4X0q3zbSNJWAlHnGrLrHWCymLjZG0Y21ixiEon/s320/IMG_2639.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>It's 9:15PM and I have been going since 8AM... But I am still smiling! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b><i>It was a better day than the day before and I learned a LOT! Tomorrow is the last day for the Non String Player classes and our workshop concert! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Day 5- Friday, July 14th<br /></b></u></span><span style="font-size: medium;">This day started out with a maintenance and repair session with the local instrument shop. This was very helpful as I learned a lot about keeping instruments taken care of. I then went to the last non-string player session with <b>Matt Radspinner</b>. This was very helpful as we continued to dig deeper into the intermediate and advanced techniques for strings. I learned a lot that I can take back with me and use DAY 1 at the high school. We then learned more maintenance and this was so very helpful.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These non-string player sessions are not really what I need RIGHT NOW in my career (having taught 4 years of orchestra already) moving to the high school, but they were the saving grace of the workshop. They made me feel like I actually did something right and that I actually knew something. Plus <b>Matt </b>did an exceptional job differentiating the information so I could use it at the high school level. Thank you <b>Matt</b>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTyP8mSURg031IajQhWjudaUxjqSe-Gs0yJXdh9a8CAY795hfg6QNh3Ee5eEt-QDLhVLwmM498UGQNJlD83RTjI2KbUqW40Auyw2wGwdnYzs5Pd8vlIchf89SCbpE9QiyD2E7M17q6AgeHdaVqjf1VyAv0Tz2RxZPgNwSZOQss7AmTaOPI4nczIL_p6qV/s568/IMG_2643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTyP8mSURg031IajQhWjudaUxjqSe-Gs0yJXdh9a8CAY795hfg6QNh3Ee5eEt-QDLhVLwmM498UGQNJlD83RTjI2KbUqW40Auyw2wGwdnYzs5Pd8vlIchf89SCbpE9QiyD2E7M17q6AgeHdaVqjf1VyAv0Tz2RxZPgNwSZOQss7AmTaOPI4nczIL_p6qV/s320/IMG_2643.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Thank you Matt for all of your help! <br />You truly MADE MY workshop! Had it not been for you... I may not have made it! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X-9QtNaUuZ30Tqe4Kz_0PWuQfBnsz-m5CGYyX0c9X2Z9hR1ULTuNimMGOUXUwzX0_KkxuELmUlN60qQNPEUvjlyKjfE9CYHg2bKMX_VfbSgiH1VFiZAlvO3qCmUPkz57dhvzUgwWRGjF58A86gz94gEzxqRLty7z_-zYPmdI30qcRaRptKbC-OseCJjX/s757/IMG_5341.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X-9QtNaUuZ30Tqe4Kz_0PWuQfBnsz-m5CGYyX0c9X2Z9hR1ULTuNimMGOUXUwzX0_KkxuELmUlN60qQNPEUvjlyKjfE9CYHg2bKMX_VfbSgiH1VFiZAlvO3qCmUPkz57dhvzUgwWRGjF58A86gz94gEzxqRLty7z_-zYPmdI30qcRaRptKbC-OseCJjX/s320/IMG_5341.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The CORE Non-String Players (Band/Choir directors)</i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then it was CONCERT TIME. We all walked down to the Ohio Union to give an afternoon concert for everyone, including those attending Freshman Orientation. We played 7 songs, all of which were grade 3.5+ (9th grade) or higher. And we only had 3 rehearsals. So as a non-string player, I did terrible and was decently embarrassed. BUT... I got better from the 1st rehearsal to the concert so there's that! Plus, I found a few new songs to try with my new high schoolers. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAaz6mGpZ7Y0j6g6yG3p2fj16ACBfjZ2LrrtYIUaK1NPfneam-2XHgC-Z0365TCKtr5a7XfCTgRC83XfTkgzwv63_sCeZY5L_iVRjgoawyz6u0rfQVep8bgnfOHj2yIxaBC1e5wAFr8jzHuoe_s8EfBf3YXvp9iyIJfUd9nVfmuxxKdBNgcDw4UzKAG5j/s757/IMG_2646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAaz6mGpZ7Y0j6g6yG3p2fj16ACBfjZ2LrrtYIUaK1NPfneam-2XHgC-Z0365TCKtr5a7XfCTgRC83XfTkgzwv63_sCeZY5L_iVRjgoawyz6u0rfQVep8bgnfOHj2yIxaBC1e5wAFr8jzHuoe_s8EfBf3YXvp9iyIJfUd9nVfmuxxKdBNgcDw4UzKAG5j/s320/IMG_2646.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>This was such a cool experience! <br />YES... It was HOT but nothing compared to Houston humidity! <br />Plus getting to perform with Dr. Gillespie is just priceless! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1_vRkRH3Txjx4IQKQ4AguBISdnFx841V0dj-M3GEzt4_A2os54PYyEbJSN19HSis9tL-pj0MOnZHoigiDaYSU1PzDaCRSP7wUXnryrSq97cNgx4ufejg9YM7y6l7BSHPuMMNWJUcJIr5LO4SxnB4KU9CcjHlGOT2rapO_M8ko_4LIenkaoUY581X1qnX/s757/IMG_2647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1_vRkRH3Txjx4IQKQ4AguBISdnFx841V0dj-M3GEzt4_A2os54PYyEbJSN19HSis9tL-pj0MOnZHoigiDaYSU1PzDaCRSP7wUXnryrSq97cNgx4ufejg9YM7y6l7BSHPuMMNWJUcJIr5LO4SxnB4KU9CcjHlGOT2rapO_M8ko_4LIenkaoUY581X1qnX/s320/IMG_2647.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Concert Selfie time! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the concert, I walked back to the dorm to try and cool off before the afternoon sessions back at the <b>Timashev Music Building.</b> The first afternoon session was led by Dr. Charles Laux and was about taking over at a new position. This seemed like exactly what I needed. Dr. Laux did a great job at this session and I have a lot of things I will take back with me. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7HIVrrWxbV5fhiBCKv6od5E1UaPIFjL_I7Ig1sc96H4RMgQZXU78GpXz74g_u_r1s4NmSA-LxAtPXAF36hZsFZUkpwRpoxw8yKIQA84g0YAzjAf_2dPrLSK4Go01SHIwB81EJSHOzJjP7YW9of4Mxim_rsrIWkXlQlUDsAgWG-dnRLE9874kGmMwEJQf/s757/IMG_2644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7HIVrrWxbV5fhiBCKv6od5E1UaPIFjL_I7Ig1sc96H4RMgQZXU78GpXz74g_u_r1s4NmSA-LxAtPXAF36hZsFZUkpwRpoxw8yKIQA84g0YAzjAf_2dPrLSK4Go01SHIwB81EJSHOzJjP7YW9of4Mxim_rsrIWkXlQlUDsAgWG-dnRLE9874kGmMwEJQf/s320/IMG_2644.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's been my home for the last 6 days! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzPXdLxxfqefclhfz8LCpe8IZS4A59I_A34-ZJHp-SbMWYyo_uc1n_TJK2sBM1wmIqA22JY48zWV90yWVoqki4ha0jue5cSNxk-o5jQrnRzpSOA33yvNbWx9nkFGK_CHXeXc3Uf45O5l_hAwutRUPXdZl8jqu3c-mq9OezfcYWLY0IlRGnksmYkRvwfJH/s757/IMG_2653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzPXdLxxfqefclhfz8LCpe8IZS4A59I_A34-ZJHp-SbMWYyo_uc1n_TJK2sBM1wmIqA22JY48zWV90yWVoqki4ha0jue5cSNxk-o5jQrnRzpSOA33yvNbWx9nkFGK_CHXeXc3Uf45O5l_hAwutRUPXdZl8jqu3c-mq9OezfcYWLY0IlRGnksmYkRvwfJH/s320/IMG_2653.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This session was almost BUILT for me! Thank you Dr. Laux! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we had our final reading session and playing time with Dr. Gillespie with new Hal Leonard songs. Once again, all of these songs were beyond my playing ability but I walked away with a few song choices to look into. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was then time to "rest" and go back to the dorm and pack to get ready for my travel day on Saturday. After a brief packing time, it was time to go to the Party hosted by the String Teacher Workshop at Schmidt's Sausage House. I rode with a friend to this restaurant about 20 minutes away and we had a great time. The food and drinks were great and there were some door prizes given away as well. In fact, Hal Leonard sponsored the dinner and gave away every single song that was in all of our reading sessions. There were so many songs, we each got 2 door prizes. Thank you OSU STW and Hal Leonard. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf0WshP03eZKbWMHJbywYPJXBMpbuIPPLG-Qa42wtrvkPX_pPiWd2l_4RK9EPqQ_NFdYAPruCuhXYrp8NWnWwLuAWm-57NYh9QbChISNi5f4G0afcGuidpwobUh8JefaMz_EWry3BmlJv4U7dzJG1QzIUZ9ZRDuQf0i2uezyA4iFbbah2vNVYBLgo0F-S/s757/IMG_2655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf0WshP03eZKbWMHJbywYPJXBMpbuIPPLG-Qa42wtrvkPX_pPiWd2l_4RK9EPqQ_NFdYAPruCuhXYrp8NWnWwLuAWm-57NYh9QbChISNi5f4G0afcGuidpwobUh8JefaMz_EWry3BmlJv4U7dzJG1QzIUZ9ZRDuQf0i2uezyA4iFbbah2vNVYBLgo0F-S/s320/IMG_2655.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The German restaurant in Columbus</b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMLCoXWchLKuLHv4dddM2VTWh8RZWoYGftkKsIwigFyfowOtHPzvMY374LuBfkvh7-PNtIJ8IZnQtdOVtuUl2DUHEHSZ76jIoIovkeDkcq4F0R1Gn2YJyE-0_9fJYIsmPivtub55QC2sl2pXkhoFV-McLROQye_1N-2QtHhUh8fvEpAehGZl86XEoQmFP/s757/IMG_2662.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMLCoXWchLKuLHv4dddM2VTWh8RZWoYGftkKsIwigFyfowOtHPzvMY374LuBfkvh7-PNtIJ8IZnQtdOVtuUl2DUHEHSZ76jIoIovkeDkcq4F0R1Gn2YJyE-0_9fJYIsmPivtub55QC2sl2pXkhoFV-McLROQye_1N-2QtHhUh8fvEpAehGZl86XEoQmFP/s320/IMG_2662.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Dr. Gillespie handing over the "baton" to Dr. Lafdahl as she will take over the OSU String Music Education department. I learned talking to her that there are only 14 students in this String MUED program; which seems shockingly LOW! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYFH0XkVBnSBB7leE4W0I-KaMD_aDInpLIeOKLca4mi3p3xjmIfYrHNDDX5YnlkkJ1GcqrVujm5rptpJdlZuHDM93d4AtM4STEifOPxltxVhjo3DxS2HYAH17_6pBkz141MmlbKdT6bJNxnjlql5U5OKLmuBFX18xzKB33x_OZD7-cYTHwM821vOCaxtZ/s568/IMG_2665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYFH0XkVBnSBB7leE4W0I-KaMD_aDInpLIeOKLca4mi3p3xjmIfYrHNDDX5YnlkkJ1GcqrVujm5rptpJdlZuHDM93d4AtM4STEifOPxltxVhjo3DxS2HYAH17_6pBkz141MmlbKdT6bJNxnjlql5U5OKLmuBFX18xzKB33x_OZD7-cYTHwM821vOCaxtZ/s320/IMG_2665.jpg" width="293" /></a><br /><b><i>Thank you Dr. Gillespie for a great week and the door prizes! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtBldFITY5zg2eU-ldfSlgxRQZwTrVPpehcGxIxjZvcQW0O-CveJmpjHWtjsehOrWZlCJzE0UtT4DGimtLX8xq4QNINAzoknUmtOFrWeb-4hjOTxm5yr5JE71yIuMp8i1UP3ahS7ij34kUCfxIEFP4TxpGL7XlgN3iH47nUrsDM_VCKohmuXNdsyO_n2y/s568/IMG_2666.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtBldFITY5zg2eU-ldfSlgxRQZwTrVPpehcGxIxjZvcQW0O-CveJmpjHWtjsehOrWZlCJzE0UtT4DGimtLX8xq4QNINAzoknUmtOFrWeb-4hjOTxm5yr5JE71yIuMp8i1UP3ahS7ij34kUCfxIEFP4TxpGL7XlgN3iH47nUrsDM_VCKohmuXNdsyO_n2y/s320/IMG_2666.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I got to sit down and talk with Katie O'Hara LaBrie for a while after the dinner and just LOVE HER! I really wish I would have thought about getting one her pieces as the door prize as she was signing them all! </i></b></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif24nB9t42JDcRPhQHY8K95awyCG-4sMst4ROH5fA6AqlOCBlPuZT71-kpJRmPvJJ0gBiZKImc7J0p7P3_-7PaXhtXJOyDKqggbAjuzfQovBI93QIQCgA4UU-vJK6xDndZZ_n_jQbYZQBhlhsTpsENVJo2vTH4nAAlM8N9AlRmbz9_yl1owu5dsi933wn3/s757/IMG_2670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif24nB9t42JDcRPhQHY8K95awyCG-4sMst4ROH5fA6AqlOCBlPuZT71-kpJRmPvJJ0gBiZKImc7J0p7P3_-7PaXhtXJOyDKqggbAjuzfQovBI93QIQCgA4UU-vJK6xDndZZ_n_jQbYZQBhlhsTpsENVJo2vTH4nAAlM8N9AlRmbz9_yl1owu5dsi933wn3/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The CORE Non- String Players! <br />LOVE YOU GUYS! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We didn't get back to the dorms until after 10:30PM due to construction traffic on our route back to campus. I tried to pack as much as I could to get ready for my journey back to God's Country! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was a good day and despite sounding terrible, I enjoyed the concert and really enjoyed the social party. But I have never been more ready to be home. It has been a very intense, long and exhausting week. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-decoration-line: underline;">Day 6- Saturday, July 15th</b><br />I woke up early in anticipation of getting home. It had been over 2 weeks since I saw my two children and I was beyond anxious just to get a hug from them. Plus this workshop had been so very intense and demanding. I got everything packed up and made my way one last time to the <b>Timashev Music Building</b> for the last few sessions. All three of these sessions were good and I left with even more information. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcb6NurdzMpcZEhl51JlBvQXF6FXVlwU4vQ_7IB3qADYkHjlKp94jkyarPo70Bb0ZY4O2UucqruocAM7_8HVH4_rKH9L3QV9fwoJexPg-ARtntes3CBHu7WHpdvPvVVRqfnQLyy72zrzdHEQU7WFY8UcC8eNuIS5pY8o7byUJ-mKHF3b__mWR91pGITE9/s275/IMG_2676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="206" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcb6NurdzMpcZEhl51JlBvQXF6FXVlwU4vQ_7IB3qADYkHjlKp94jkyarPo70Bb0ZY4O2UucqruocAM7_8HVH4_rKH9L3QV9fwoJexPg-ARtntes3CBHu7WHpdvPvVVRqfnQLyy72zrzdHEQU7WFY8UcC8eNuIS5pY8o7byUJ-mKHF3b__mWR91pGITE9/s1600/IMG_2676.jpg" width="206" /></a><br /><b><i>I kept this in the suitcase ALL WEEK but it was time to pull it out and REPRESENT! <br />#BoomerSooner #OUDNA #OUGRAD <br />I was tired of all the buckeye stuff</i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I grabbed lunch on High Street before getting in an Uber around 12PM to beat the rain to the airport. The Uber driver insisted on sharing his life story and I was just done for the day. I got to the airport and sat in the Chili's restaurant with a cocktail for 4 hours until my flight left at 4:45PM. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- You cannot turn in checked luggage until 4 hours before your flight. I had to sit at the entrance of the actual airport until 12:45PM just to turn in my two suitcases! I never knew this was a rule! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-eZF1ewGm8xRvFwmMPojtOFT2zZtdniDK9WiJBdGnKYG9PzA1EC2Zdpw8BZgWrx8qM4WMQkQ-vKWs-N87QDoiNaY2YTdZM4XK2DBrJWD2UiglGkf0iIbOUVetEaNdwQ21ly-lFeDmJo5NJm0AmNxZdf9xoG8ZRY-xkPcg2q4EK-Q5sFBxcnXOtkCrW7c/s757/IMG_2678.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-eZF1ewGm8xRvFwmMPojtOFT2zZtdniDK9WiJBdGnKYG9PzA1EC2Zdpw8BZgWrx8qM4WMQkQ-vKWs-N87QDoiNaY2YTdZM4XK2DBrJWD2UiglGkf0iIbOUVetEaNdwQ21ly-lFeDmJo5NJm0AmNxZdf9xoG8ZRY-xkPcg2q4EK-Q5sFBxcnXOtkCrW7c/s320/IMG_2678.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This local place on High Street was really good! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My plane arrived around 4:10PM and shortly after I was on board and in the air back to Houston. The flight was not even sold out and I had a seat in the front of the plane without a middle passenger. The flight was VERY rough but it could have been worse! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq9HfM8d35YATwetrIeJnbHPqJ8X7VXCXQI0M_3sBZdpJovhrV7h-E72eqbIIY8pMDg59Mbs4jZZBYc1HJTkArQBBv2PObYnaJ2a_cNrSHVx64Gi_G4ggF_yXn8SQCAIy7Gj4pttpDEyReWwlcm9JPy5UwOheQjKN_nGcsDnAdwSLaNDa-ZpS3mxJN2IR/s757/IMG_2682.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq9HfM8d35YATwetrIeJnbHPqJ8X7VXCXQI0M_3sBZdpJovhrV7h-E72eqbIIY8pMDg59Mbs4jZZBYc1HJTkArQBBv2PObYnaJ2a_cNrSHVx64Gi_G4ggF_yXn8SQCAIy7Gj4pttpDEyReWwlcm9JPy5UwOheQjKN_nGcsDnAdwSLaNDa-ZpS3mxJN2IR/s320/IMG_2682.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My ride has arrived... See you in 3 hours Texas! </i></b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I got home and grabbed my luggage before Chris and the kids greeted me in the parking lot of the Hobby Airport! I MISSED THEM ALL SO MUCH! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a good week and a very unique professional development workshop. I am not sure it was exactly what I thought it would be but it was beneficial to me and my career move to teaching High School. I am not sure I would go back EVERY YEAR but I think it is a quintessential workshop for Orchestra Directors, especially traditional string musicians. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Thank you Mr. Chuter (past NCISD Fine Arts Director), Mr. Woodard (colleague at NCISD), Mr. Powell (NCHS Principal) and Mrs. Chelette (NCISD finance) for allowing me to attend this workshop and for paying for this incredible experience. I am beyond grateful to each and every one of y'all and I know my students will benefit for years to come for my attendance. Thank you so much for EVERYTHING! </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Thank you JESUS for this amazing week and the unbelievable opportunity you have blessed me with at New Caney High School. I owe it all to YOU! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is good... ALL THE TIME! </i></b></span></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-82842135452478757182023-08-16T14:48:00.000-05:002023-08-16T14:48:02.963-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Costa Maya <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Massages in Mayan Style</u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Thursday, July 6th </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Costa Maya, Mexico </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdQWAvDs_fvrdUl2JKJj6jAt4KJez9kplSJ2RbOj2pKHxiN5LwObfMERobDe3ztV9uK5xptTdHbYalpptDcM0LZj_c_WY_IYg3xCSk7E-T5UPq_oe0rYpqCWIpJgFXDbZGS5czNyK8prKI_dQ_QZOMiYyiZYDKdzV5qUSBq8TXh6QN4K71XGA2sRAJpLh/s757/IMG_2357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdQWAvDs_fvrdUl2JKJj6jAt4KJez9kplSJ2RbOj2pKHxiN5LwObfMERobDe3ztV9uK5xptTdHbYalpptDcM0LZj_c_WY_IYg3xCSk7E-T5UPq_oe0rYpqCWIpJgFXDbZGS5czNyK8prKI_dQ_QZOMiYyiZYDKdzV5qUSBq8TXh6QN4K71XGA2sRAJpLh/s320/IMG_2357.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Costa Maya! </div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Morning</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up around 7:30AM and Chris was not having a great day at all. <i>Unfortunately, he has one of these days about every 5-6 days and this was the day.</i> We got up and got dressed and then went to <b><i>Boardwalk Donuts</i></b> for a very light breakfast. The donuts were fresh, cake like and not at all greasy. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to visit this at least once on your sailing. They are open most days 7-9AM. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnKRE4YBOBH4I1HuUP07uEGmCEj0nkZ7L3nok_JP8wJVsm3Q4DDf20M19UFzuZWDw4Bv1Hg2Yw_-YMogRh4HBuwZ4_8Q5K-4WWU9ViqcvNGYewCBrJ3uKLc-NXK8ESwQ3sKndDwR8u0uE53dEUcvFvWq8glYYs-CPPmbTWHF7tJyxBVJS4d2AUP-4gO6q/s833/IMG_2352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="833" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnKRE4YBOBH4I1HuUP07uEGmCEj0nkZ7L3nok_JP8wJVsm3Q4DDf20M19UFzuZWDw4Bv1Hg2Yw_-YMogRh4HBuwZ4_8Q5K-4WWU9ViqcvNGYewCBrJ3uKLc-NXK8ESwQ3sKndDwR8u0uE53dEUcvFvWq8glYYs-CPPmbTWHF7tJyxBVJS4d2AUP-4gO6q/s320/IMG_2352.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Thursday... We are on the back half now! It is always a little sad to be on the tail end of a vacation! </div><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sJAJc-dDreJrtyX2JI3QsZ3Tkl0oRLtZxsVpFH-IWLUxDgjCKGIK0YluGNLn37rT2OusMs_xCWZ9aypp5i6w0_8suwcY4fxKjYCZ3H6hlPOTk1lmaCnIznSKhPwKdFE-ndz3ZuhSeAb--CYq_23pNUc1m5llADiyiE-7ugIuhpl9RGV04pkrL6EjaH2F/s625/IMG_2353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sJAJc-dDreJrtyX2JI3QsZ3Tkl0oRLtZxsVpFH-IWLUxDgjCKGIK0YluGNLn37rT2OusMs_xCWZ9aypp5i6w0_8suwcY4fxKjYCZ3H6hlPOTk1lmaCnIznSKhPwKdFE-ndz3ZuhSeAb--CYq_23pNUc1m5llADiyiE-7ugIuhpl9RGV04pkrL6EjaH2F/s320/IMG_2353.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />One of the two donut selection areas. There is a crew member helping you get the donuts! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2MnyF8do4ni3hReh3p9bd3jzbLGBlVCQ_aeulvB3ZUUu-luo2jBCnfwCLd_F7gon3CdJE7ZuXZ2i6BCAtmSB_gHjbo7-gH96MF8DZ_PadT61qez7I1tRY_NB5GC8Vi5c8VHq5BGxMHf2b5QkevN1fa_YxfKftCMPAoNf6ecJoJHktqFpaEOml6tEJTZQ/s568/IMG_2354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2MnyF8do4ni3hReh3p9bd3jzbLGBlVCQ_aeulvB3ZUUu-luo2jBCnfwCLd_F7gon3CdJE7ZuXZ2i6BCAtmSB_gHjbo7-gH96MF8DZ_PadT61qez7I1tRY_NB5GC8Vi5c8VHq5BGxMHf2b5QkevN1fa_YxfKftCMPAoNf6ecJoJHktqFpaEOml6tEJTZQ/s320/IMG_2354.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Our morning breakfast- It was yummy! </div></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast, we went back to the room for Chris to take his medications and for us to get all of our belongings to get off the ship in Costa Maya. It was about 8AM and they were allowing passengers to get off so we opted to go ahead and get off while it was still not too hot. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- The walk from the ship to the port is VERY long. The port does offer a shuttle that will take passengers from the to the port FOR FREE but we always walk to try to get in our steps. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyA7PY0v5z6ollSVcuSPK4PB11X9h048OWbeoJHmCqIuspvLWYnPZy7YSPes0BTMBzgsgdV-5UrCPmyfBOay0ZysvRNA5XilRgPkizzxBw3fa16ue970AYFzQ_UOzAL1oCzS7b0Rhaf-rh38xuSbLkAB9jz7he-tgr_8soVOLa8xfqmDSmQUGFsNxPbhX/s757/IMG_2357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyA7PY0v5z6ollSVcuSPK4PB11X9h048OWbeoJHmCqIuspvLWYnPZy7YSPes0BTMBzgsgdV-5UrCPmyfBOay0ZysvRNA5XilRgPkizzxBw3fa16ue970AYFzQ_UOzAL1oCzS7b0Rhaf-rh38xuSbLkAB9jz7he-tgr_8soVOLa8xfqmDSmQUGFsNxPbhX/s320/IMG_2357.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We have loved our time on the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas. </span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFboyoeLZUD6dN8C86XCmo0dopVf7kh7U0J4JZ1N8hJM-q9wXfEWUMKdtsdgyXFl4Tczc9ulePaz86xJPDDXoTpEudk_Mv5VIuMZfy7coazEgUlWfrnNR29Oerjsz9uVf66_ZM8RiRVltwPMh-vmZm6bhgkLocZ1hkA2yJqfj2fdayURtkEDACYyn_7aaZ/s757/IMG_2359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFboyoeLZUD6dN8C86XCmo0dopVf7kh7U0J4JZ1N8hJM-q9wXfEWUMKdtsdgyXFl4Tczc9ulePaz86xJPDDXoTpEudk_Mv5VIuMZfy7coazEgUlWfrnNR29Oerjsz9uVf66_ZM8RiRVltwPMh-vmZm6bhgkLocZ1hkA2yJqfj2fdayURtkEDACYyn_7aaZ/s320/IMG_2359.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />She is gorgeous but she is truly a BEAST! SO HUGE! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKeZIaR6XRYm98hCDQ628FkJe_1RlB23shrBfvUC46bQYG4kMiGBOXhr_wM_mVpoZebrYdUeYA7K9D9-h20-a5pADK1ZMvN7Ya3nxJwb1Rqi2xR0BuGvrHCQk9REuFeMNycPdnnJr7LaiAg5-yRawnFh-jU-I_wgSTRUpBf-YzpZXRc4GV28tx1LtI3Xt/s757/IMG_2364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKeZIaR6XRYm98hCDQ628FkJe_1RlB23shrBfvUC46bQYG4kMiGBOXhr_wM_mVpoZebrYdUeYA7K9D9-h20-a5pADK1ZMvN7Ya3nxJwb1Rqi2xR0BuGvrHCQk9REuFeMNycPdnnJr7LaiAg5-yRawnFh-jU-I_wgSTRUpBf-YzpZXRc4GV28tx1LtI3Xt/s320/IMG_2364.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Costa Maya port entrance! There are LOTS of little photo prop areas if you have never been! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aVRpuiL0NNyA7KKqASiJXeYKlROfxO5CamXaDOYTytkshB8_OFm4ozPOL9MlqF5xli7hywu29_18hoQ4O1F0R_vA5xlzKBrK98YB6CqW86SJD2UTol1MPmFbHgPZ2HRYSniPZR1ObkhDlUMFJg5wj3iLhqM4jpTnU45eJqps8oSqtCg2bVqi6COu5sTF/s757/IMG_2368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aVRpuiL0NNyA7KKqASiJXeYKlROfxO5CamXaDOYTytkshB8_OFm4ozPOL9MlqF5xli7hywu29_18hoQ4O1F0R_vA5xlzKBrK98YB6CqW86SJD2UTol1MPmFbHgPZ2HRYSniPZR1ObkhDlUMFJg5wj3iLhqM4jpTnU45eJqps8oSqtCg2bVqi6COu5sTF/s320/IMG_2368.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We have made it to Costa Maya- It's time for our massages! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSWQHfpPKOwLmnpRT7kqRMX4exDt09hcP6r4cNwgYCqYdJr6XqBMCuDZqWhlRHm5Lw2tUKtUnwY_9oWuTAio94bDqI5jY3wKLrHUc__EhNztvrTd1XUIRB24w7CLUU79tNdaKD4U6DQI1dO82Ixx2KxRB-b3c5KIeUn8a2GAXMLf1wkRBUe6ECMS2QSf/s757/IMG_2375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSWQHfpPKOwLmnpRT7kqRMX4exDt09hcP6r4cNwgYCqYdJr6XqBMCuDZqWhlRHm5Lw2tUKtUnwY_9oWuTAio94bDqI5jY3wKLrHUc__EhNztvrTd1XUIRB24w7CLUU79tNdaKD4U6DQI1dO82Ixx2KxRB-b3c5KIeUn8a2GAXMLf1wkRBUe6ECMS2QSf/s320/IMG_2375.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Another view of the long pier to get to the port area. </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once inside the Costa Maya port area, we immediately walked to the <b><i>Mayan Ritual Spa</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is a favorite of ours and we have visited this spa about 4-5 times in the last few cruises. It offers incredibly CHEAP massage that are near full service and right on the beach. </span></i></b>We both got the 50 minute Swedish massage for $55/ each. Our massage therapists were great and we should have just asked for the double the time becasue we did not want to leave. <b><i><span style="color: red;">The entire excursion PLUS tip was $140 and our winnings at the Casino a few days prior paid for the entire thing. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7DhlOBA0LlOI51BVEBUciXbKG-RG8BuVGJgneH8odaBJLwIHCCu64BUGAPGYYptey2Zka5HjDH3-Pfd4VVLltBAD43CwoogMGWbIz18cjBF2F4Pb8_fTEJGm-0NH2VAsC1W0x7SmRplhJSnonPsjn8aCeY1Vk4fO_ZQUGeIZo0pslWYhaMbLo9ALd6ai/s568/IMG_2363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7DhlOBA0LlOI51BVEBUciXbKG-RG8BuVGJgneH8odaBJLwIHCCu64BUGAPGYYptey2Zka5HjDH3-Pfd4VVLltBAD43CwoogMGWbIz18cjBF2F4Pb8_fTEJGm-0NH2VAsC1W0x7SmRplhJSnonPsjn8aCeY1Vk4fO_ZQUGeIZo0pslWYhaMbLo9ALd6ai/s320/IMG_2363.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Mayan Ritual Healing Spa menu prices. </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our massages, we went to the center of the port area to try and get Wi-Fi and call our kids who were at Chris's parents house in Lubbock. The Wi-Fi didn't work but we were able to use our International calling plan with AT&T to get ahold of Chris's Dad and ask about the kids. They were doing well and having fun on the farm with Gigi, Grandpa and cousins. <i>(Once again, thank you Dan, Jackie and John and Leeanna for hosting them).</i> We then started to make the trek back to the ship as it was brutally hot!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmabfKLViGdIEuZBi0u7whB_T7EOWkemgjyVD7_piZne5AEdc-IitjWprY8NyJRBElipAugxWnvZlgE1tw9_ZmeFRDEQsTdKw-VsqyyElQoVkpAY09EIiVoN-t5XZskncu8dLll-r7RvZ9I0iyq_SCXqHk8yY-oo3OOBeREoB4L55ZdxNLnUAiewviZoy/s757/IMG_2365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmabfKLViGdIEuZBi0u7whB_T7EOWkemgjyVD7_piZne5AEdc-IitjWprY8NyJRBElipAugxWnvZlgE1tw9_ZmeFRDEQsTdKw-VsqyyElQoVkpAY09EIiVoN-t5XZskncu8dLll-r7RvZ9I0iyq_SCXqHk8yY-oo3OOBeREoB4L55ZdxNLnUAiewviZoy/s320/IMG_2365.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Another view of our home away from home! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYK2k1lTEYd9s7SUgcKOgxOiPdQjB9vp4UK1Fr08GAJ6j_UhUyl4VzTEgeyI32ImZzeLMUUxB6rVwAPLIHrJdhehbR7l3n-1_fyHhR4bVpCknGfFt7eM_-uYNiQAVSSrpfeqe1vaza_G_nzRVK5X3HkBkh_iDhT2cogtqCtEJUz76SBQrvE2FHmPeqksX/s757/IMG_2376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYK2k1lTEYd9s7SUgcKOgxOiPdQjB9vp4UK1Fr08GAJ6j_UhUyl4VzTEgeyI32ImZzeLMUUxB6rVwAPLIHrJdhehbR7l3n-1_fyHhR4bVpCknGfFt7eM_-uYNiQAVSSrpfeqe1vaza_G_nzRVK5X3HkBkh_iDhT2cogtqCtEJUz76SBQrvE2FHmPeqksX/s320/IMG_2376.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><i><br />The light house in Costa Maya is just gorgeous and makes me feel at home! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwPYio7PQvo6YoZDm8utgofzZOWaEahF4HIT2IIV4me6aAJ5g0qel4p2cvZv0ZopfLp7c-SQwZKdyfDWMBVGu9QMf5BpCPcLCo_BGGQsNHnOM9SLwXZyqCnIi7rIyZR9KjL103LgQDJIsU1FtxAhic8iqKcP4ILOHjQk6AFji3MJG8S6zH5j7ibUgCJrm/s757/IMG_2377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwPYio7PQvo6YoZDm8utgofzZOWaEahF4HIT2IIV4me6aAJ5g0qel4p2cvZv0ZopfLp7c-SQwZKdyfDWMBVGu9QMf5BpCPcLCo_BGGQsNHnOM9SLwXZyqCnIi7rIyZR9KjL103LgQDJIsU1FtxAhic8iqKcP4ILOHjQk6AFji3MJG8S6zH5j7ibUgCJrm/s320/IMG_2377.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Literally the ONLY OTHER SHIP we saw in port at ALL of our ports was <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Grandeur of the Seas</span>. <br />She came in from Tampa. We usually see ships and try to guess when we will sail on them... NOT THIS TIME! This is a very old and run down ship in the Royal fleet and I do not see us cruising on her in the future. (near or far) </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG4d4zK0ygfRPO2bga73WDPhz51H2-RxWIp7mBJ1SyUNkZUvtjeBX9NMEpOE_1NIysPLDUlaEs4acxo72N_UZ_wYLd6XB6i19s8Q0SW0lSg4jDiTV4Kg3P532cuVM2oMgDcPKuSaBlUafy046zw9O1HHOkFu1TrSdBo7kxeco36vw_k4vEwsNGBYzYCgA/s757/IMG_2382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG4d4zK0ygfRPO2bga73WDPhz51H2-RxWIp7mBJ1SyUNkZUvtjeBX9NMEpOE_1NIysPLDUlaEs4acxo72N_UZ_wYLd6XB6i19s8Q0SW0lSg4jDiTV4Kg3P532cuVM2oMgDcPKuSaBlUafy046zw9O1HHOkFu1TrSdBo7kxeco36vw_k4vEwsNGBYzYCgA/s320/IMG_2382.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I am loving the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas! </span></b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once back on board we got changed into our swimsuits and went to the <b><i>Sports Pool</i></b> in the Aft of Deck 15. This pool offered shade at this time of the day, which really helped with my sunburn. We stayed in this pool for about 2 hours before going to the <b><i>Windjammer </i></b>for another light lunch since we had reservations at <b><i>Giovanni's </i></b>for dinner.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch we went to the mini golf to have our traditional match. The 1st 3 holes we were tied but then the rain came and by the time we got to hole #7 it was POURING down rain and I lost my edge. Chris ended up winning AGAIN by 2 holes. <i>I swear one of these days I will actually beat him! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmax4D8CCCP1gQvEOFX7yJzf9wtGWW8Mi045HZFOuUKBDv0oCOyHCJuZIysSSP0htRcomH-EQLson7B4ju1JngiIYlUBwtccEqDY7Fle2Iiajqouhx_ivHaUxWinwq5QVtho8aNb2-0MiFHHNNIVj1sK4ogzQdqpfLOAJfpV0CmZ_B93bvSsmhFjXTh8q/s757/IMG_2393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmax4D8CCCP1gQvEOFX7yJzf9wtGWW8Mi045HZFOuUKBDv0oCOyHCJuZIysSSP0htRcomH-EQLson7B4ju1JngiIYlUBwtccEqDY7Fle2Iiajqouhx_ivHaUxWinwq5QVtho8aNb2-0MiFHHNNIVj1sK4ogzQdqpfLOAJfpV0CmZ_B93bvSsmhFjXTh8q/s320/IMG_2393.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We had a great game going... Until the rain hit! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2h_7kpIQ0aWutYS6SfWyaE5CJmES2L04E_U8Zpd8M5as5VWskSF213aJ9tqtRuoaa9n1Kd6NWLFDB2zEE4Eokcf-D5gt2GjGGgBOlWDWdVTDdRMuRgVD6lEVuViEGnSSQfTXS1ygaw04zH6q_ZUjoXrE0c6UUr8s0mY6_xZtwkyY4300iaQqZT2rMLQN/s757/IMG_2394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2h_7kpIQ0aWutYS6SfWyaE5CJmES2L04E_U8Zpd8M5as5VWskSF213aJ9tqtRuoaa9n1Kd6NWLFDB2zEE4Eokcf-D5gt2GjGGgBOlWDWdVTDdRMuRgVD6lEVuViEGnSSQfTXS1ygaw04zH6q_ZUjoXrE0c6UUr8s0mY6_xZtwkyY4300iaQqZT2rMLQN/s320/IMG_2394.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The rain had arrived and it was... well, fun! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4iu8iLx3RgWXex_Am8lD8swV83ZqZo5uCBppDjAAhRcCQ7Zs4Fpgobl5_TYf5UpFbSMFszfaBQdtHAM3nJUsBx0fAmm3RUS1rOGSot6kW5MP9QljsOtmA4ht7dHZ-Aqk_9pq9YA_xVyRWOHSfQMwtZIuOHtYxnMRpOkgy1LionywoBfpv3FUlGJtn34d/s757/IMG_2405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4iu8iLx3RgWXex_Am8lD8swV83ZqZo5uCBppDjAAhRcCQ7Zs4Fpgobl5_TYf5UpFbSMFszfaBQdtHAM3nJUsBx0fAmm3RUS1rOGSot6kW5MP9QljsOtmA4ht7dHZ-Aqk_9pq9YA_xVyRWOHSfQMwtZIuOHtYxnMRpOkgy1LionywoBfpv3FUlGJtn34d/s320/IMG_2405.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We won this game... Maybe I will win next time. <br />He has won the last 4-5 times. </i></b></div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our game of mini golf, we ventured into the<b><i> Infinity Hot Tub</i></b> on the outskirts of the <b><i>Solarium</i></b>. This HUGE hot tub was one of my favorite things on the <a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Liberty of the Seas</a> and I enjoyed it on this cruise as well. <b><i><span style="color: red;">However, I believe the placement of this hot tub is TERRIBLE on the Allure of the Seas. This type of amenity was BUILT for adults and on Allure of the Seas it is OUTSIDE of the Solarium and 9 times out of 10, there are MANY kids in these hot tubs. Allure really missed the mark with this one.</span></i></b> We enjoyed our time in this hot tub and spent most of the afternoon enjoying the warm temps with minimal kids involved. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_vOI3mP2NHyNUhZV0yNqzD9UlQFzaYIXrsiQTeFFW1XCfqKCG2ErZuQxDt8Z07SXRcJy5xAp04nsGjp4kcMeQ9n13V5TJ_TB5R-FnP_JY_0Kh-51ZVJSkxt0OaAkji-hRkY7Jw2eWTd0A5foqZbINYGYhMFTeNuOr05tjIRg_9IfjJTfx7NqF65x-gGN/s757/IMG_2408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_vOI3mP2NHyNUhZV0yNqzD9UlQFzaYIXrsiQTeFFW1XCfqKCG2ErZuQxDt8Z07SXRcJy5xAp04nsGjp4kcMeQ9n13V5TJ_TB5R-FnP_JY_0Kh-51ZVJSkxt0OaAkji-hRkY7Jw2eWTd0A5foqZbINYGYhMFTeNuOr05tjIRg_9IfjJTfx7NqF65x-gGN/s320/IMG_2408.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Another view of the Boardwalk on the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas.</span> </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80sY4Bpwr92XYJg4f-bmjH117u98WXnfXFJcJh6iqdazab9Olq9yIwPkT4Jup8-G29iEGBvqMj1hP9eU6jvh1r33I2o9wkhpPVpnD99NM5VTVOVHIGWcXaFPGNsL_3rkJ1L1-Fi2rx2hSM_SI2YkXXWsaiS4GD9LDZHaPMepqLpeoPWS6f0r2_7jZS1Kf/s757/IMG_2409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80sY4Bpwr92XYJg4f-bmjH117u98WXnfXFJcJh6iqdazab9Olq9yIwPkT4Jup8-G29iEGBvqMj1hP9eU6jvh1r33I2o9wkhpPVpnD99NM5VTVOVHIGWcXaFPGNsL_3rkJ1L1-Fi2rx2hSM_SI2YkXXWsaiS4GD9LDZHaPMepqLpeoPWS6f0r2_7jZS1Kf/s320/IMG_2409.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I really enjoyed this AFT area of Deck 15 overlooking the Boardwalk. <br /><span style="color: red;">It offers the mini golf, teen hangout area, basketball courts, the Flowrider and so much more! </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XwL7DIJRAzILjALDcCMMF8Nu7uj4jm9mG3EBeLr6vHP1GSuxQPxcVQPKpnDW6appNovp36fqyPVsBZiyjkCv8d0t5dApkne9kaX157TiOEUJ_rBFyjRvdH6J5Ouw38ln3iMmiP8Evq69GU-sVcO43akNmNla_2xljuHY-TYVabtXR-jboxSdhKmYJhaI/s757/IMG_2410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XwL7DIJRAzILjALDcCMMF8Nu7uj4jm9mG3EBeLr6vHP1GSuxQPxcVQPKpnDW6appNovp36fqyPVsBZiyjkCv8d0t5dApkne9kaX157TiOEUJ_rBFyjRvdH6J5Ouw38ln3iMmiP8Evq69GU-sVcO43akNmNla_2xljuHY-TYVabtXR-jboxSdhKmYJhaI/s320/IMG_2410.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are ready to CHILL OUT in the infinity hot-tub before the crowd comes back. </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We went to <b><i>Wipe Out Café</i></b> around 2:30PM and got just a small plate of nachos and quesadillas to hold us over until our 8:30PM reservation at <b><i>Giovanni's</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- I mentioned it before, but this is one of the best FREE dining venues on the ship and at the top of all our cruise ship experiences. They are open daily with shortened hours while in port! Do not sleep on this one... I'm sure it will impress you like it did us! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went back to the room to take showers since we were still drenched from the rain and our hot-tub session. We then took some brief naps before I got up and went to <i>Friends Trivia</i> in the <b><i>Schooner Bar.</i></b> This trivia was scheduled at 4PM and I arrived at 3:45PM and there were no seats available. Since Chris was asleep I had to do this one solo and I lost my streak of winning <i>Friends Trivia</i>. I only missed one question but it was enough to lose. <b><i>(What is the name of the "girl at the copy place" that Ross sleeps with while they were ON A BREAK?- I said Amanda but the answer is KHLOE).</i></b> I won't miss that one again! I grabbed a drink and then went back to the room before we went to watch sail-away from Deck 5. </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We watched a hurried sail-away from Deck 5 and then went to <b>Schooner Bar</b> to see <b>Matthew </b>and <b>Iputu </b>before going for our nightly pre-dinner wine and cheese plate at <b><i>Vintages</i></b>. We had reservations for <i>Blades- The Ice Show</i> on Deck 3 for 7PM and we were able to get great seats towards the top of the venue with a great view. I really enjoyed this show as the music was spectacular. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to catch this show, especially if you have never seen an ice show. You will be SHOCKED at how cool it is to see an ice rink ON A CRUISE SHIP and these athletes are just nothing short of incredible. You will need to reserve tickets in the app. These reservations open about 2-3 weeks prior to sailing but even if they are "sold out" prior to the cruise, there are plenty of seats for walk up reservations. If you do not have a reservation, arrive about 10 minutes before show time and you will more than likely still be able to get in to any of the show. The comedy show is the only one that is tricky since the venue only holds about 80 people. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK79Vt37Ub7EDiz71ABzzNEzq5MYVVQlMj2ym7BxWLObmYRg0pQ55En6Ee-2DUtyEWiOvmxMzLVOiV13E6uTlv7O5FDvZtpSVoItGGEe3b0hr3OXy5E9ByAEoHGffBrQGKOUPB4WnFcNXL_iuq7kv3VApsypnkGfb7ILCOwlnycxyZJB8FYGMmVvY2gwlp/s757/IMG_2413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK79Vt37Ub7EDiz71ABzzNEzq5MYVVQlMj2ym7BxWLObmYRg0pQ55En6Ee-2DUtyEWiOvmxMzLVOiV13E6uTlv7O5FDvZtpSVoItGGEe3b0hr3OXy5E9ByAEoHGffBrQGKOUPB4WnFcNXL_iuq7kv3VApsypnkGfb7ILCOwlnycxyZJB8FYGMmVvY2gwlp/s320/IMG_2413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our nightly ritual. <br />As I type this blog, I seriously miss this! I love the calmness of it all. I feel like during the school year it is just "go-go-GO" all the time. I love the casual entrance into dinner time. <br />I guess I will have to wait for this until February 2024 for our next cruise. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE_YkekIoYuQzzHFzEiSDw78lOQL605ePwYqfSspNeHyGSuzMNAD70XPFPzdPwfzUdHiYXCFfA6kYN8fJnZlh88OQsIu5gxLBBVah3g1yiokwkQpB-6wF8MstEqbiaqvOODL0YloswXZK_T3vau1SS31nf6xAF2DqiSVfWgRW_9SsuLbecKS0c20T1zV9/s757/IMG_2416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE_YkekIoYuQzzHFzEiSDw78lOQL605ePwYqfSspNeHyGSuzMNAD70XPFPzdPwfzUdHiYXCFfA6kYN8fJnZlh88OQsIu5gxLBBVah3g1yiokwkQpB-6wF8MstEqbiaqvOODL0YloswXZK_T3vau1SS31nf6xAF2DqiSVfWgRW_9SsuLbecKS0c20T1zV9/s320/IMG_2416.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Blades- Ice Show in Studio B (Deck 3) <br /><span style="color: red;">Seriously... GO SEE THIS! It is AWESOME! </span></div></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the <i>Blades Ice Show</i> we strolled around <b><i>Central Park</i></b> and listened to the live music before going to <b><i>Giovanni's </i></b>for dinner. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Giovanni's is a classic Italian restaurant featuring very bougie dishes and sides It is offered for lunch and dinner and can be a part of a dining package.</span></i></b> Once again, we tried to eat light all day and Chris was still not feeling 100% but we made the most of it. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWTxA454mGIS4Cw9JuvhKlwIPhmP8iz4qoEt07nEWADFcyxTfNwXYiePx8aHMGE4UM0U1RubbG8cTb3mNlxKsPTdQrZIAzDNNPt0WSfo3uWYRi7xRTzzuoB-YLtXxvMzFMlv108TFk7s0z3wdtixRGLNtLOtuaj9KlFZp9aLUVbYJSHHcP3WavxxqTHqS/s757/IMG_2418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWTxA454mGIS4Cw9JuvhKlwIPhmP8iz4qoEt07nEWADFcyxTfNwXYiePx8aHMGE4UM0U1RubbG8cTb3mNlxKsPTdQrZIAzDNNPt0WSfo3uWYRi7xRTzzuoB-YLtXxvMzFMlv108TFk7s0z3wdtixRGLNtLOtuaj9KlFZp9aLUVbYJSHHcP3WavxxqTHqS/s320/IMG_2418.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Giovanni's in Central Park (Midship) </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizX530pMj1zRAcjJjW6azxCK-hfODFAiABC3i76QnYsHEu30Yuc_iPJPRUnjb6Brvf_9fZuLaPpwkdSEdV2vunI5nJfSJNLo9inhcm43IlrTKnNEqnwgyO30Z7xsCvOvxZeKMRTAw2rV820dT2Zx_tm4Scdkwr6JwypE0tigpJWwQbXmSsXh7ZOTgHDNA/s568/IMG_2419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizX530pMj1zRAcjJjW6azxCK-hfODFAiABC3i76QnYsHEu30Yuc_iPJPRUnjb6Brvf_9fZuLaPpwkdSEdV2vunI5nJfSJNLo9inhcm43IlrTKnNEqnwgyO30Z7xsCvOvxZeKMRTAw2rV820dT2Zx_tm4Scdkwr6JwypE0tigpJWwQbXmSsXh7ZOTgHDNA/s320/IMG_2419.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>The Giovanni's Menu </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyqNmZ1_WoRZvlspYZqDE9eqNHXOZmFkl_Q9GsFhwxnaQXBOG_z_9CcBABgQk0vo5tNXL6Po3uP8VPKxo7vIONxd7ZBp_7RLXSzBp5DdPh2Yb25dQ507ZNEqbsm-NSmgcxWLiQVM9Aj2Biand5_lartRrv46n0Zxp4Va2bbBsGyjZUbYzkYTA11j54-PY/s757/IMG_2421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyqNmZ1_WoRZvlspYZqDE9eqNHXOZmFkl_Q9GsFhwxnaQXBOG_z_9CcBABgQk0vo5tNXL6Po3uP8VPKxo7vIONxd7ZBp_7RLXSzBp5DdPh2Yb25dQ507ZNEqbsm-NSmgcxWLiQVM9Aj2Biand5_lartRrv46n0Zxp4Va2bbBsGyjZUbYzkYTA11j54-PY/s320/IMG_2421.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>One of the only Specialty Dining pictures we took all week. </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwaLQ51yBmj02-HPSeB9pTofU71cFC1QKf6in1wtIVmiBi5RQEYYGTCpvdrGyj4fxzsZvVpZlgo2kW4l1-4JNQMmuTV69PV9IMsVHezzr8Bt4QoJwpoKSD8Cw6NYRKQ1IzrA1ajdLD-6uxFrfDb9iGbiGZgM7RJtt1Rr1B5J0wOCCVj55No5JtcyBNc0z/s757/IMG_2424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwaLQ51yBmj02-HPSeB9pTofU71cFC1QKf6in1wtIVmiBi5RQEYYGTCpvdrGyj4fxzsZvVpZlgo2kW4l1-4JNQMmuTV69PV9IMsVHezzr8Bt4QoJwpoKSD8Cw6NYRKQ1IzrA1ajdLD-6uxFrfDb9iGbiGZgM7RJtt1Rr1B5J0wOCCVj55No5JtcyBNc0z/s320/IMG_2424.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Beef Carpaccio- 4.0<br /><span style="color: red;">This was really good and so very tender! </span></b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1iu6rL2rTUqpWsLbsfCuU_TQPn1QIGAhygTwBM0sH5vM_MZZoVV5rifwJa7wV9ZgVbJBjqiWK1Hw7-wNEqHim7bvgLcEITo4PHxBxnW0kMBLwGOWWiKlSLuoT0jada0YZLgmUwBTmFM9fMQ2CG1jaxohXapxHytjyNQXzp0jzZSZQPPJbDxYhj5fDBh0/s757/IMG_2425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1iu6rL2rTUqpWsLbsfCuU_TQPn1QIGAhygTwBM0sH5vM_MZZoVV5rifwJa7wV9ZgVbJBjqiWK1Hw7-wNEqHim7bvgLcEITo4PHxBxnW0kMBLwGOWWiKlSLuoT0jada0YZLgmUwBTmFM9fMQ2CG1jaxohXapxHytjyNQXzp0jzZSZQPPJbDxYhj5fDBh0/s320/IMG_2425.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Crispy Calamari- 5.0<br /><span style="color: red;">WOW... This was SO GOOD. It tasted SO FRESH and just melted in your mouth. </span></b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbSZOCpp7ztyEzMOCe9HU0eh_RY9iv4_zF6YnDsRDeIml8rTesiUp1H3ce3YTOEMPN6JJZepUXhc2Buz69qvkr8qczACjwhtwvaYuNRwPF4TsLAS0coqG5XQsO2rHsPv2r2bU7qPU9duhuyDHW3BCAVYv0CcFTmt9yn3Q3Hnl7WTMoPdF3EW0Q5qx0SB2/s757/IMG_2426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbSZOCpp7ztyEzMOCe9HU0eh_RY9iv4_zF6YnDsRDeIml8rTesiUp1H3ce3YTOEMPN6JJZepUXhc2Buz69qvkr8qczACjwhtwvaYuNRwPF4TsLAS0coqG5XQsO2rHsPv2r2bU7qPU9duhuyDHW3BCAVYv0CcFTmt9yn3Q3Hnl7WTMoPdF3EW0Q5qx0SB2/s320/IMG_2426.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Ossobucco- 4.0<br />This was good but I didn't come here for this dish. In fact, we both kinda just ordered it as a "funny" from The Office.<br /><span style="color: red;">The meat was very tender and just fell off the bone. It was seasoned very well but the polenta side dish had a very weird texture.</span> </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXmfOfMqJLnAvi81Oj_FOOQ1FhBW1DSB0uuw097YboNqZfyIVTila-_GHnwKLf_zjLf4lqsG4mY_Mtbh7Npfxjo5pEyxFlpUFZwsBDOeOAUBMLVcm6iNxX6WG2H4-wmKsdxQ_jA9RyFPw2T_HuF4180vTn8vCqz1o8CA56Yj7AKkWTw2YeibImkk42EzQ/s757/IMG_2427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXmfOfMqJLnAvi81Oj_FOOQ1FhBW1DSB0uuw097YboNqZfyIVTila-_GHnwKLf_zjLf4lqsG4mY_Mtbh7Npfxjo5pEyxFlpUFZwsBDOeOAUBMLVcm6iNxX6WG2H4-wmKsdxQ_jA9RyFPw2T_HuF4180vTn8vCqz1o8CA56Yj7AKkWTw2YeibImkk42EzQ/s320/IMG_2427.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The SPECIAL Pasta made by our waiter- 5.0+ <br /><span style="color: red;">WOW... HOLY MOLY, this was INCREDIBLE! It was similar to a Vodka sauce but so much better. The flavor was just amazing! </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTAoPonZ9iNl0Hmush0eSVzcKqzOeWCyP7cwagRd1nxASHWNNynty3leAir8L9fXuTkgaslCe7tBywREEAdGeECRUjTIGKOr34sYxMLpJ8mhqm55LioX4v4MzbvtG_YfxJZboctSyuQ7iUiNvfS81F54f8n1wqMIyEs48BLl8ZOuF2LWeyoV3n5_4FdUx/s757/IMG_2428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTAoPonZ9iNl0Hmush0eSVzcKqzOeWCyP7cwagRd1nxASHWNNynty3leAir8L9fXuTkgaslCe7tBywREEAdGeECRUjTIGKOr34sYxMLpJ8mhqm55LioX4v4MzbvtG_YfxJZboctSyuQ7iUiNvfS81F54f8n1wqMIyEs48BLl8ZOuF2LWeyoV3n5_4FdUx/s320/IMG_2428.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Mushroom Risotto- 5.0+ <br /><span style="color: red;">THIS is why I came to Giovanni's. This dish is heavenly and melts in your mouth. <br />It is easily one of my favorite dishes OF ALL TIME and I just HAVE to get it when on RCCL.</span></b></i><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPd0fA8z926BV4gu2TgSce3BYSA4QSQpqg3-R-6iLLcAQHJk1jeT0HESFU5WcUwwiqhSdmVEmE-yoFPo5E_IKgUrDchBzoL8mpOI3BU5SA6J6Z23tv-Lb9AdDsJb6dUAgL88Sfoko3tFXBcjgFIakNSq2p4ubArpaN7CWy1xU-qr-qLIbE14Cg32Y-V_M/s757/IMG_2429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPd0fA8z926BV4gu2TgSce3BYSA4QSQpqg3-R-6iLLcAQHJk1jeT0HESFU5WcUwwiqhSdmVEmE-yoFPo5E_IKgUrDchBzoL8mpOI3BU5SA6J6Z23tv-Lb9AdDsJb6dUAgL88Sfoko3tFXBcjgFIakNSq2p4ubArpaN7CWy1xU-qr-qLIbE14Cg32Y-V_M/s320/IMG_2429.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Tiramisu and Cappucinno-4.5<br /><span style="color: red;">This was a great ending to our meal but I was so stuffed from everything I didn't even finish it!</span> </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This dinner was nothing short of spectacular and delicious. Each course that came was even better than the one before. We had met a waiter of <b><i>Giovanni's </i></b>on our first night in <i><b>Vintages </b></i>and he promised if we came and sat with him he would make us a "<i>one of a kind</i>" pasta dish. <b>Agru</b> came through and delivered a specially made pasta like no other and we devoured it. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner we came back to the room to take Chris's meds and we laid down before going to our 11:30PM comedy show reservations. This comedy show was good but not near as good as ones we have seen in the past, especially on Carnival. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is really one of the biggest differences in RCCL and Carnival and one of the only categories (in my opinion) that Carnival wins. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the Comedy Show we went to- take a guess... <b><i>Schooner Bar </i></b>to see <b>Iputu </b>and <b>Matthew</b>. Once again, we stayed late and shut the bar down after 1AM. And then despite being stuffed from dinner, we went to get a very late night snack at <b><i>Sorrento's </i></b>before they closed at 2AM. It's always fun to eat greasy pizza in the middle of the night! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">It was a great day of rest, relaxation and Mayan Massages. We always love Costa Maya and this time was much of the same. Tomorrow is our last port day and a stop in our Caribbean Home- Cozumel, Mexico! </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Up Next- Cozumel Mexico</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-83257631837731825702023-08-11T06:25:00.000-05:002023-08-11T06:25:32.797-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Roatan, Honduras <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>The Best of the Best</u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Wednesday, July 5th</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Roatan, Honduras </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5SNr2lTvuMOEmYR3meHnZkVB5w-y7odvYFyETeBd7TuQrqHgYfC0LfGIqcmdgDjtZOede6qfZvXjrpiqy72369f8z0hIPhlNxlGujnvbDdXnKi7KTlvkygUfywuoNTqm3GKECik1kDKI_xhpjVL_npUaSDPRDeF3-i5KmEABif1mY4XT8DkUwQfhFkIi/s757/IMG_2335.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5SNr2lTvuMOEmYR3meHnZkVB5w-y7odvYFyETeBd7TuQrqHgYfC0LfGIqcmdgDjtZOede6qfZvXjrpiqy72369f8z0hIPhlNxlGujnvbDdXnKi7KTlvkygUfywuoNTqm3GKECik1kDKI_xhpjVL_npUaSDPRDeF3-i5KmEABif1mY4XT8DkUwQfhFkIi/s320/IMG_2335.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Coxen Hole, Roatan is truly a GORGEOUS port! </span></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up around 8:45AM and got into our swimsuits for the day. We have been to Coxen Hole, Roatan a few times when sailing with <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean </span></b>so we decided to stay on the ship in hopes of fewer crowds at all of the venues on the ship. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW-wXipT65steZocuJg--TZfJlZaGwGgAC1vft_cSFdy8mwv4-N4V5H7qSYDVScJNME9fNzjjeNcdCg7Wen2GAH3kwOSNMKc1skb1j9iu9ymYIs5BVYeIr3esgWNRPxitQu5kLWeV_1GUGN0OiCOMWUOYP7w59ixDOJgcosGWA2Ricp4Wnig98nmZa7Go/s366/IMG_2307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="366" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW-wXipT65steZocuJg--TZfJlZaGwGgAC1vft_cSFdy8mwv4-N4V5H7qSYDVScJNME9fNzjjeNcdCg7Wen2GAH3kwOSNMKc1skb1j9iu9ymYIs5BVYeIr3esgWNRPxitQu5kLWeV_1GUGN0OiCOMWUOYP7w59ixDOJgcosGWA2Ricp4Wnig98nmZa7Go/s320/IMG_2307.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Wednesday! This always means that the cruise is HALFWAY OVER! NOOOOO! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleAtyS1zGxURxkIQ92TsPpUhZJ_4U_07JkOc0F7e288Qe8koEIBRKMC1_yURptmH_AnzwwsRJ2N9hby67CuNIGSUsgliriLX3SQRrIsliVGQpsQlhQZgkF36yzLjSdkJcRmTDYhOWvxOgRfAUqHqQUNVrj9UR-FrnLGEKIsEwzxEYb2YptijgIaY9HHwX/s757/IMG_2309.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleAtyS1zGxURxkIQ92TsPpUhZJ_4U_07JkOc0F7e288Qe8koEIBRKMC1_yURptmH_AnzwwsRJ2N9hby67CuNIGSUsgliriLX3SQRrIsliVGQpsQlhQZgkF36yzLjSdkJcRmTDYhOWvxOgRfAUqHqQUNVrj9UR-FrnLGEKIsEwzxEYb2YptijgIaY9HHwX/s320/IMG_2309.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The elevators on <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas </span>were SWANKY! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made our way to the <b><i>Solarium Bistro</i></b> for breakfast as we knew the <b><i>Windjammer </i></b>would still be busy since we were not able to dock until 10AM. This proved to be a GREAT choice at the <b><i>Solarium Bistro</i></b> was not crowded at all, offered the same variety of food PLUS an omelet station. It was also much quieter and cleaner than the regular <b><i>Windjammer</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to check this place out, especially on busy port days! It is Deck 15 Forward in the Solarium. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then lathered up with the sunscreen and spent the next several hours in the <b><i>Main Pool</i></b> of the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b>. We kept the drinks flowing and really enjoyed the empty pool scene. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- If you have been to the port several times, this is a great opportunity to stay on board and really enjoy the ship as most often the ship will be at 30% capacity or less; especially on the 1st port day!</span></i></b> We went back and fourth from the<b><i> Main Pool </i></b>to the hot-tubs. <i>But despite putting on a TON of sunscreen, I still ended up burnt on my shoulders and back.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY9dy5BEvWMK-XgU_t3DVnvrhfsxTw_QpxFrCYTguIFGe5VxVSjaPKHhvCi7DunVapb71VX2bQ6PRadrESp4tSueO19IlFHlM4YI2AkTEb6zZjje-wvzpElxbkOA-rA0kQdY_fNqR2GAXvEAMI8lNX8h_NsjVni1b9w61t3bYeb92QrwitmRcAUDO8oCK/s757/IMG_2310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY9dy5BEvWMK-XgU_t3DVnvrhfsxTw_QpxFrCYTguIFGe5VxVSjaPKHhvCi7DunVapb71VX2bQ6PRadrESp4tSueO19IlFHlM4YI2AkTEb6zZjje-wvzpElxbkOA-rA0kQdY_fNqR2GAXvEAMI8lNX8h_NsjVni1b9w61t3bYeb92QrwitmRcAUDO8oCK/s320/IMG_2310.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello gorgeous! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUafzZCMfL3ANGrjbHwAc4C4WFoZXbwNLUfqCDuA4ZbX6f2vKinTgvCvwpPTWaptUtkCA4qbDomiYvf6vGmm7K_ogQmO-IXLuJn3CebGatHGVaIEn24VgcKTxAsoncjC574fUIWmhTedLv-4vVNPrLj3WzLu723LkJ3B8C1P1rAGEle8Z1_aPzu0oN3P_/s757/IMG_2313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUafzZCMfL3ANGrjbHwAc4C4WFoZXbwNLUfqCDuA4ZbX6f2vKinTgvCvwpPTWaptUtkCA4qbDomiYvf6vGmm7K_ogQmO-IXLuJn3CebGatHGVaIEn24VgcKTxAsoncjC574fUIWmhTedLv-4vVNPrLj3WzLu723LkJ3B8C1P1rAGEle8Z1_aPzu0oN3P_/s320/IMG_2313.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Sports Pool- Deck 15 Midship.<br /><span style="color: red;">This was at 10:30AM on a port day! EMPTY! </span></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxcilLnXjWQmFlgzYaJc1-zagawFM0M-7HUb4cfgn2Kktlr4i_SwvHKaWkSd6qyOmU1UI1FgVWnatTIde07hopmAi65qU1UQZ6flyC-qPDn0zUD0P5TozisB8O59ag5EXnN-GOzkvJSll6LGxio0crxMRCDFbhuwY8fqqpktAr0Pau0PTfdKSGQLl5zU1/s757/IMG_2315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxcilLnXjWQmFlgzYaJc1-zagawFM0M-7HUb4cfgn2Kktlr4i_SwvHKaWkSd6qyOmU1UI1FgVWnatTIde07hopmAi65qU1UQZ6flyC-qPDn0zUD0P5TozisB8O59ag5EXnN-GOzkvJSll6LGxio0crxMRCDFbhuwY8fqqpktAr0Pau0PTfdKSGQLl5zU1/s320/IMG_2315.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>And our home for 3+ hours.. The MAIN POOL! I seriously LOVED this pool! <br />It was HUGE and offered walk-up water like an actual BEACH</b>! </div><br /></i></span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We took a break from our swim time and went to the <b><i>Windjammer </i></b>for lunch around 1PM. We had reservations at <b><i>Chops Grille</i></b> at 8:15PM but we wanted to eat as little as possible as <b><i>Chops </i></b>is always our favorite meal of the cruise. The options for lunch in the <b><i>Windjammer</i></b> were plentiful and we each found a small plate of options before heading back to the <b><i>Solarium </i></b>to try and lay out. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqpy-TgR4tlAXCMMtVYsmvVQCdZXTV2V7VHdEOu_b1FggXDdLR5xb7p2y1VeohTg4G521DgFZfLy1VGg0Ndga--wsiqXWbPTFsht6T15wnh7z8x3NdwR1N-Fim178aikgmzNAysEpvaikT2pLqqjvY27tmWXHccdkIspzDvLYCuZGrIRBwRjc76eEKz20/s757/IMG_2318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqpy-TgR4tlAXCMMtVYsmvVQCdZXTV2V7VHdEOu_b1FggXDdLR5xb7p2y1VeohTg4G521DgFZfLy1VGg0Ndga--wsiqXWbPTFsht6T15wnh7z8x3NdwR1N-Fim178aikgmzNAysEpvaikT2pLqqjvY27tmWXHccdkIspzDvLYCuZGrIRBwRjc76eEKz20/s320/IMG_2318.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It's time for lunch! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLQRK_FXPecgURJf6xhnVZx-RnkiX03adWdk2a_vyGzkOuXXxP-J-zomOLbtgcbOObW7IO9aahV0IPQXce11xqJaX0WuqkwyjGirVWYoATOXvfsrNgDVtdONfxYw0QNuA7s55AfKNE__E--VEZEpNq6UUf460e819N2UcXyPl-hpwAfIOnH8wDb7Pg7fo/s757/IMG_2319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLQRK_FXPecgURJf6xhnVZx-RnkiX03adWdk2a_vyGzkOuXXxP-J-zomOLbtgcbOObW7IO9aahV0IPQXce11xqJaX0WuqkwyjGirVWYoATOXvfsrNgDVtdONfxYw0QNuA7s55AfKNE__E--VEZEpNq6UUf460e819N2UcXyPl-hpwAfIOnH8wDb7Pg7fo/s320/IMG_2319.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We love Coxen Hole- just not enough to get off the ship this time! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTsPXLcZT-5IeP_9JXQHJP5BEswmS-ABg7Pt_3YPnsRYzRfLuW0s0LeeFVKTqQdM3cA3eN2ry7Q5ixQs3zn___hjs2C2vRXM9yL_rXRJWAItzVffUbUDaI2LebI-kiR1Nleyy4pAll_zp33895gEDAlWvwIryu0_eghSSodhD0B0LHBDueEAWF94nTQP4/s757/IMG_2323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTsPXLcZT-5IeP_9JXQHJP5BEswmS-ABg7Pt_3YPnsRYzRfLuW0s0LeeFVKTqQdM3cA3eN2ry7Q5ixQs3zn___hjs2C2vRXM9yL_rXRJWAItzVffUbUDaI2LebI-kiR1Nleyy4pAll_zp33895gEDAlWvwIryu0_eghSSodhD0B0LHBDueEAWF94nTQP4/s320/IMG_2323.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Selfie time! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJVJi0ZftXnkG7BJGOgruCgpN1zerVE8KrMlmwK-D065xG12lA3CVs-7zDALUAdh2uu1oxoDKcXI8XO6R9r_S_u-7eDoyr6EDxhjtlXMJ5GKgXstie4aRREdcQffjNICKSQp0lXl0BcJ4LAgt2LS-tXpYzkBW66IbKgDlPf0OW6Ht9_fWILfO9Wu0w83I/s757/IMG_2327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJVJi0ZftXnkG7BJGOgruCgpN1zerVE8KrMlmwK-D065xG12lA3CVs-7zDALUAdh2uu1oxoDKcXI8XO6R9r_S_u-7eDoyr6EDxhjtlXMJ5GKgXstie4aRREdcQffjNICKSQp0lXl0BcJ4LAgt2LS-tXpYzkBW66IbKgDlPf0OW6Ht9_fWILfO9Wu0w83I/s320/IMG_2327.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">A view of the Coxen Hole port area. There's lots of little shops and a few restaurants! </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">The </span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Solarium</i></b><span style="font-size: large;"> on the </span><b style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"> is HUGE but is not shaded hardly at all. We ventured up one deck to Deck 16 in the </span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Solarium </i></b><span style="font-size: large;">and found a HUGE bar and about 20 chairs IN THE SHADE! It was PERECT and we laid out here for about 3 hours before realizing it was time to go back to the room and get ready for dinner. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3ZIwa_W6K-k5M8uRItaEOIK4mt3Z0Lq019U70dq2BL7eMz9qvPzFshp7raoDNP1_EtKsbvAgD0O5IpqEM0vTg5D4Adj7iYhHpUdRKuV1g5YaHV5eg4RmgoOXjiaU0HFIISY8d_L8vr1n4Fzlban-a3WNhvhUB28zAWpxFHOJPJl46j81ZwTEdPXr3ABY/s568/IMG_2331.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3ZIwa_W6K-k5M8uRItaEOIK4mt3Z0Lq019U70dq2BL7eMz9qvPzFshp7raoDNP1_EtKsbvAgD0O5IpqEM0vTg5D4Adj7iYhHpUdRKuV1g5YaHV5eg4RmgoOXjiaU0HFIISY8d_L8vr1n4Fzlban-a3WNhvhUB28zAWpxFHOJPJl46j81ZwTEdPXr3ABY/s320/IMG_2331.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>It's time to LAY OUT! I loved this area of the Solarium! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got ready for dinner and then tried to call the kids via signal from the nearby port WIFI but it was not successful. <i>We were able to get a few texts but could not re-send them.</i> We then went down to <b><i>Vintages </i></b>for our Pre-Dinner wine and cheese. <i>This turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the entire cruise and we loved meeting new couples and trying new (and our favorites) wines every night. </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We left <b><i>Vintages </i></b>a little early to go to the <i>80s Trivia</i> in <i><b>Dazzles </b></i>on Deck 8. We sat at the bar due to lack of seats but had a GREAT spot to see and hear all the songs. We only scored 18/25, which is very low for us but we still had a GREAT time. We left <b><i>Dazzles </i></b>around 8PM for our reservations at <b><i>Chops Grille</i></b>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Chops Grille</i></b> is my absolute favorite dining experience on a cruise and perhaps EVER in my life. The food, service and atmosphere are phenomenal and cannot be beat. <b><i>TIP- This is Royal Caribbean's most popular Specialty Restaurant and a great value of $49.99/ per person. We used this as one of our 3 Night Specialty Dining Package. It is a GREAT value!</i></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYABfe2dX4-AOF1UPj8m6ffJWpL06T1pm5Naq8YsJtQQcu3RFkP_18249J8xB_sUulFbQG5N_Qawz0PIG6yBFISimyEVoT8o6pff1sdceJkYzZlhs5Cs3jy1tXelSAiqjj_fuVRP7oegrR91H_1aKHIDAQ1HqLLFPLsWp9KtNPB_cd6R-Z74SKvqgqL6y/s757/IMG_2339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYABfe2dX4-AOF1UPj8m6ffJWpL06T1pm5Naq8YsJtQQcu3RFkP_18249J8xB_sUulFbQG5N_Qawz0PIG6yBFISimyEVoT8o6pff1sdceJkYzZlhs5Cs3jy1tXelSAiqjj_fuVRP7oegrR91H_1aKHIDAQ1HqLLFPLsWp9KtNPB_cd6R-Z74SKvqgqL6y/s320/IMG_2339.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Chops menu <br /><span style="color: red;">They say one item per section but they have allowed us to order a soup AND salad every time we have asked including this time! </span></i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZQJ_05j2VZmXDsNpzdOUli2EqxmTAMXAmZkUOqT7xbxBueAojju_h02exhpHOeoIqGTnc6IL7Gg2q-IUjY95HkuZyhXTfO_RqKd9c3R8yqMKa4m4CgSJNG0TaCumNVINptci7zZZ0YHTScQM6MmVTh2q08q6Vx4FnBhgUHjP6LxxiWGcsGsF77h_mTZG/s757/IMG_2340.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZQJ_05j2VZmXDsNpzdOUli2EqxmTAMXAmZkUOqT7xbxBueAojju_h02exhpHOeoIqGTnc6IL7Gg2q-IUjY95HkuZyhXTfO_RqKd9c3R8yqMKa4m4CgSJNG0TaCumNVINptci7zZZ0YHTScQM6MmVTh2q08q6Vx4FnBhgUHjP6LxxiWGcsGsF77h_mTZG/s320/IMG_2340.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Chops Signature Pretzel Bread- 4.5</b><br /><b>Try not to eat more than ONE BITE! <span style="color: red;">(Seriously, you'll need the space)</span></b></i></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY2UzntetCu0tWo2wKdS7kYCTEzR_LbvyFRZ3FVmjrtionOt59jSnuLSPQQk70jLS8E5vyNqkOtrMA2c4OOLRgeNBGU1VDbxc-ri3mn4q_9jGyCWaMp-8zVP77ZTcKkG4AF6aJC2KPNPY04uOyZNKpKIw29LjHzt4dFs9xyArwcnwsM5D-q09UQbr0MyH/s757/IMG_2341.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY2UzntetCu0tWo2wKdS7kYCTEzR_LbvyFRZ3FVmjrtionOt59jSnuLSPQQk70jLS8E5vyNqkOtrMA2c4OOLRgeNBGU1VDbxc-ri3mn4q_9jGyCWaMp-8zVP77ZTcKkG4AF6aJC2KPNPY04uOyZNKpKIw29LjHzt4dFs9xyArwcnwsM5D-q09UQbr0MyH/s320/IMG_2341.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Jumbo Lump Crab Cake- 5.0<br />This is PERFECTION! It tastes as if it had been caught THAT DAY! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM4K4AJyvvPa_TJrW-kYUmUUWOWoMpsIb8TDoNnx1dLYeHtvB_Bcl3nBrgxaRQw_YNrtYQccLLaIVJEZYrIYrVGwwHBoN6V9DHbFM2N390H1H-t0UDZp9ypO2Pnn29Hvtr-M4B-vA2oPlJleXcuA9iSiZCrM4ZMDKQYSAHqYiK7Ex84f5wE8cEIHMgwpw/s757/IMG_2342.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM4K4AJyvvPa_TJrW-kYUmUUWOWoMpsIb8TDoNnx1dLYeHtvB_Bcl3nBrgxaRQw_YNrtYQccLLaIVJEZYrIYrVGwwHBoN6V9DHbFM2N390H1H-t0UDZp9ypO2Pnn29Hvtr-M4B-vA2oPlJleXcuA9iSiZCrM4ZMDKQYSAHqYiK7Ex84f5wE8cEIHMgwpw/s320/IMG_2342.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Wild Mushroom Soup- 5.0<br />Easily the BEST soup I have EVER had! Creamy, rich and velvety perfection! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinjEMV_ahrYEFYOSaUn4S_xaj6kGszgqU0510pEYxpqTwbrd3ZM91e_-EO2FL3WZp1-OwFOMBpWClYq1H9Oyv0Q88Z58D-3wso9EVL0G-PZvVQ5eMcjV_ckzGx3eHLOIGx6YnyPIcRcupBXScCD0XPXlWOYfbHfgTsWd_dy55wQSnM2l448W3fR_yXdbr/s757/IMG_2343.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinjEMV_ahrYEFYOSaUn4S_xaj6kGszgqU0510pEYxpqTwbrd3ZM91e_-EO2FL3WZp1-OwFOMBpWClYq1H9Oyv0Q88Z58D-3wso9EVL0G-PZvVQ5eMcjV_ckzGx3eHLOIGx6YnyPIcRcupBXScCD0XPXlWOYfbHfgTsWd_dy55wQSnM2l448W3fR_yXdbr/s320/IMG_2343.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Crispy Goat Cheese Salad- 5.0<br />And perhaps the best salad I have ever had as well. The goat cheese is a surprise and just a perfect addition to the crispy apples and crunchy pecans! WOW... SO GOOD! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29b_rlvA1nba3CAGbo7EA4tmdz93yo0VsghDOPHBmpoCiKQbQiyKwXlSCqpQS3fRtti-6k7YyP9PItp2vjhBeZRTuEfLrUYFa3aV7-a2-QCSS6Z6TR5KCGLShT8rznC4_hDHbj-Xb8rKKF6BOczDQBMKKRD3QUHvDc5RH_hWkEBS0FdV89eWDHxJR4Kvu/s757/IMG_2344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29b_rlvA1nba3CAGbo7EA4tmdz93yo0VsghDOPHBmpoCiKQbQiyKwXlSCqpQS3fRtti-6k7YyP9PItp2vjhBeZRTuEfLrUYFa3aV7-a2-QCSS6Z6TR5KCGLShT8rznC4_hDHbj-Xb8rKKF6BOczDQBMKKRD3QUHvDc5RH_hWkEBS0FdV89eWDHxJR4Kvu/s320/IMG_2344.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Chops Filet- 5.0<br />HOLY MOLY this was cooked PERFECTLY and melts in your mouth! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We tried incredibly hard to go into chops "<i>hungry</i>" and we thought we did. But 5 courses later and we left food on the plate and needing a wheel Barrell to get back to our room. In fact, we were SO FULL that we opted to get our desserts to-go! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>TIP- When you book a cruise, the cruise line will ask what you are celebrating.</i></b> We almost always answer "<i>Anniversary</i>" as we do celebrate this on our cruises but this <b><i><span style="color: red;">also means that the cruise line will help you celebrate one night of the cruise on board. This is usually a cake or dessert of some kind and singing</span></i></b>. On our last cruise on the <a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas</a> we learned that we really don't need the cake or singing. I forgot about this and <b><i>Chops </i></b>asked us if we were celebrating and I explained we had already celebrated. But at the end of our meal while we were waiting for the ticket and our desserts to go, our waiter brought over a plate decorated and they all sang to us. <i>It was so sweet and even though we didn't need it or really want it, it was really special to me. <b>Thank you Chops! </b></i></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjdFK9oxg__NmwHvLfN4WA99hb6C8IAiVktFmUC-M-hb2NjXyU0d1Kie4f88Hxl3VeonMiHsB5UGqZLP1L7mEDyU7EtSVxJRsj6y8HZeM1toLi5tLvoABxo5Rxg0Sy6W1C8Cs8-Ut5t9zdIWv1Jbfl6BrQV6JzOc_Vef5L00-QxYr7ORVpdN8G_KkLval/s568/IMG_2345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjdFK9oxg__NmwHvLfN4WA99hb6C8IAiVktFmUC-M-hb2NjXyU0d1Kie4f88Hxl3VeonMiHsB5UGqZLP1L7mEDyU7EtSVxJRsj6y8HZeM1toLi5tLvoABxo5Rxg0Sy6W1C8Cs8-Ut5t9zdIWv1Jbfl6BrQV6JzOc_Vef5L00-QxYr7ORVpdN8G_KkLval/s320/IMG_2345.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Chops Dessert Menu </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj28VQBBBpL6eNsAgk8WczQfgh6pxTGR2isz2U4L81puXSzR8xndFsYkaZ0M7vMZ3lBOLR2KIM_sEstIk4IGDR1K6ddQHfXhENmDFYcB0lLpUCJ8l_RpIJ9MSZxSwOH5AVmjkqPip_SxhSITCuHn86blZlUGEsOgmq32ccM6iQh8kRdwrOFVJ12GALhh4D/s757/IMG_2346.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj28VQBBBpL6eNsAgk8WczQfgh6pxTGR2isz2U4L81puXSzR8xndFsYkaZ0M7vMZ3lBOLR2KIM_sEstIk4IGDR1K6ddQHfXhENmDFYcB0lLpUCJ8l_RpIJ9MSZxSwOH5AVmjkqPip_SxhSITCuHn86blZlUGEsOgmq32ccM6iQh8kRdwrOFVJ12GALhh4D/s320/IMG_2346.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Our Anniversary dessert! CHOPS DID THIS SO WELL! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner we walked around <b><i>Central Park</i></b> (just one small lap to the opposite elevators this time) and then went back to the stateroom for Chris to take his medication and of course, we passed out! In fact, we slept right though our reservation for "<i>Blue Planet</i>" in the <b><i>Main Theater</i></b>. We <b><u>did </u></b>wake up in time to go and see <b>Iputu </b>in <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> and once again shut the place down shortly after 1AM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fwgyVmDPuU4pVsAWlyElEQOpAjZgoeSTf1620fQ8Bis-aPAuEBH5URHbiGF1FxsSmEv6ykRfrInQtyJyQyrcUrlmfWgt53uplZLzM0EJjnPhLpZwe-kR3wOB_jHXf4S-8ucZ3fSDTRPJSFeYu_LRAP7tsPDhCHcgGoF0XHYWIyxoUlgrbqduJBydzBfP/s568/IMG_2348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fwgyVmDPuU4pVsAWlyElEQOpAjZgoeSTf1620fQ8Bis-aPAuEBH5URHbiGF1FxsSmEv6ykRfrInQtyJyQyrcUrlmfWgt53uplZLzM0EJjnPhLpZwe-kR3wOB_jHXf4S-8ucZ3fSDTRPJSFeYu_LRAP7tsPDhCHcgGoF0XHYWIyxoUlgrbqduJBydzBfP/s320/IMG_2348.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Our 2nd towel animal of the cruise! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk1idYKCuZJq3CImEKXUB8ob62sVGAku1slNYbZgK8jTa6i1gvLJ4FCGK92Kq8E7FgQKxtkZNLtsypNITSKQ_EPDIaLpJ5mIJ4JSp1RCBVfhgXHjB1A0hH3oFyQlOVLNzXLBSDaZmaoADiBCi68f5Sevq9ZvEAJy3Bt6p5_L3AMa5Gyh4wg0Nw9qntZ6L/s757/IMG_2349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk1idYKCuZJq3CImEKXUB8ob62sVGAku1slNYbZgK8jTa6i1gvLJ4FCGK92Kq8E7FgQKxtkZNLtsypNITSKQ_EPDIaLpJ5mIJ4JSp1RCBVfhgXHjB1A0hH3oFyQlOVLNzXLBSDaZmaoADiBCi68f5Sevq9ZvEAJy3Bt6p5_L3AMa5Gyh4wg0Nw9qntZ6L/s320/IMG_2349.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Our nightly tradition... we LOVE this bar and the live music! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ww75wpJrlQc0MkaX9ijJNNhHVZznO7Fx5hqR_Q3G_dn2nsUrlOGCRjSatPShTsjSF1rKW6qN5YMG3_OQd8ZiPqYpQrbsBqcMdcKSUT3i4M06HXEK8gw9bXG-5sOhmts5EZp4REOiOkuUS2SwF0w7eY6s-cMysEs_s3twb3MmIyIIUupR9eK6sHaIKRU8/s568/IMG_2350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ww75wpJrlQc0MkaX9ijJNNhHVZznO7Fx5hqR_Q3G_dn2nsUrlOGCRjSatPShTsjSF1rKW6qN5YMG3_OQd8ZiPqYpQrbsBqcMdcKSUT3i4M06HXEK8gw9bXG-5sOhmts5EZp4REOiOkuUS2SwF0w7eY6s-cMysEs_s3twb3MmIyIIUupR9eK6sHaIKRU8/s320/IMG_2350.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />PERFECTION- Made by Iputu</i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUTgVfvWSuwhvdRZG_yhdy-oOrCExz601dcMjPRN9rVgjECyzIUc7TCzkLrRXmHlKiT1TAIqRfTfRSX7xTq3xpB7JFgQqw_ymTEStou9ZwLEpkz8XkHuA-jXJeMDOUIaaOkGv_qA5t8y1F3WIBkLbvTZrgO-c6pa45Isu8WcSSRO50Y90yhzTBfFJhINs/s568/IMG_2351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUTgVfvWSuwhvdRZG_yhdy-oOrCExz601dcMjPRN9rVgjECyzIUc7TCzkLrRXmHlKiT1TAIqRfTfRSX7xTq3xpB7JFgQqw_ymTEStou9ZwLEpkz8XkHuA-jXJeMDOUIaaOkGv_qA5t8y1F3WIBkLbvTZrgO-c6pa45Isu8WcSSRO50Y90yhzTBfFJhINs/s320/IMG_2351.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />It's 1:30AM and we are still smiling!</i></b> </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was a GREAT day on board the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> experiencing the BEST OF THE BEST with not only the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Main Pool </i>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Solarium</i> area but my favorite experience of them all at <b><i>Chops Grille</i></b>! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up Next- Massages on the Beach in Costa Maya </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-6496375014672878602023-08-10T05:58:00.000-05:002023-08-10T05:58:48.420-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Sea Day #2<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Fireworks in the Royal Promenade </u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Tuesday, July 4, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Sea Day #2 </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFpsoi3vm4n7Kb-naABHqx0w7Z6VdkLVew2kQy2SJBuvwfyOK_82fwbA0sd3CvzjSv_5XQhy5Fy-a30YPw-_x0VeU4vrInX3Ih42jFksCOgRAeh_6r_WBX96uT1Mx0npTGSb4N7epzHooKPw67XD4iYZPTpj1HBKQirV_Tpy8rOJtQ7hNV6_xMECGjvrY/s568/IMG_2212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFpsoi3vm4n7Kb-naABHqx0w7Z6VdkLVew2kQy2SJBuvwfyOK_82fwbA0sd3CvzjSv_5XQhy5Fy-a30YPw-_x0VeU4vrInX3Ih42jFksCOgRAeh_6r_WBX96uT1Mx0npTGSb4N7epzHooKPw67XD4iYZPTpj1HBKQirV_Tpy8rOJtQ7hNV6_xMECGjvrY/s320/IMG_2212.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Another PERFECT DAY at sea! </div></b></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">We both slept so much better than the night before- Thank you <b>Vian</b>! I woke up earlier than planned and Chris was still sleeping so I got ready in a hurry and then went to sit in the aft and just be at peace! <i>I've said it before but this truly is where I am most happy and most at peace! The aft view can truly heal my soul. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2Cmsz4uVNcUr0K32cPViSVQ_Cnj8P_g5Vru91r_Vn8Iocw7I0KlkqW83Y22_VPN0Gd5aL46kWWkBi0LnsqWQMZ93H5wRf7tu3G_5dsiljnHtU6nNwN6dlrM5azuXOJr10QGW8YgSBEBZxJ5CEqyP6NiGNH9iGCWZKPAq14IlK5o26Twdz6_dLs4qhSml/s568/IMG_2215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2Cmsz4uVNcUr0K32cPViSVQ_Cnj8P_g5Vru91r_Vn8Iocw7I0KlkqW83Y22_VPN0Gd5aL46kWWkBi0LnsqWQMZ93H5wRf7tu3G_5dsiljnHtU6nNwN6dlrM5azuXOJr10QGW8YgSBEBZxJ5CEqyP6NiGNH9iGCWZKPAq14IlK5o26Twdz6_dLs4qhSml/s320/IMG_2215.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Seriously... I should just sleep HERE! It is peaceful and almost as comfortable as the bed! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlOsMKymjgSmsTtfCRYMXru1B2hWG5IAI9WmW1EIC5yNXcOQoi00UgizGDgwXt2TZveWPP5dE56T0YHCuK6bDny79z624l1az5WP-vrCUXmdC_Nu73OXvYQf05IevKxX6uROEyM62qNom9-oTvGkplNeddALggvB5jNNbo6yIeN-jlk5dbvwEcFi92gPY/s757/IMG_2216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlOsMKymjgSmsTtfCRYMXru1B2hWG5IAI9WmW1EIC5yNXcOQoi00UgizGDgwXt2TZveWPP5dE56T0YHCuK6bDny79z624l1az5WP-vrCUXmdC_Nu73OXvYQf05IevKxX6uROEyM62qNom9-oTvGkplNeddALggvB5jNNbo6yIeN-jlk5dbvwEcFi92gPY/s320/IMG_2216.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Thank you JESUS for this gorgeous creation. The crystal clear blue waters truly have powers to heal my soul and give me a peace! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZkCdXB-nB66duPa0wvOjtPrZy6xaOuZxmY3v1qdI61Y-gIIcRUb5hTJ0F-c-7TAZk7jtcef5d-8gafd9ttsxpPNY8r8_J7eZH8r_ZiwNBPdLN6eKq5gIegzFi-k5gIiq26JpPgDVnZ3fz9KK66cdal9OieNqfO2IbpcvMsW5D56a9wrHHIroCec3fs4V/s1010/IMG_2219.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZkCdXB-nB66duPa0wvOjtPrZy6xaOuZxmY3v1qdI61Y-gIIcRUb5hTJ0F-c-7TAZk7jtcef5d-8gafd9ttsxpPNY8r8_J7eZH8r_ZiwNBPdLN6eKq5gIegzFi-k5gIiq26JpPgDVnZ3fz9KK66cdal9OieNqfO2IbpcvMsW5D56a9wrHHIroCec3fs4V/s320/IMG_2219.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are hundreds of miles from land and here is a boat... It was weird! </i></b></div><i><br /></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">After taking some time in the aft, I made my way to the <b><i>Boardwalk Donuts</i></b> to grab a light breakfast, <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- These donuts were SO GOOD. I was seriously shocked how good and fresh these were, plus very fast service. Be sure to check this out at least once on your sailing. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwttO55giMeqNOMWX5IEN3svPCWgWLcqUsPTfn6kY0zWy4zcvzLoHADRHhC3r10ucZrFANwG7Y1CP6d8oLfzvFKfeB5P6oQdHrxHTracp8a4tsp0QyrqF_qvhWsCNUzD9-_-aMKVsifoH9KKIZJ2nuSurNfXQCRRF0wnnqAcv6jF6_xiMdjAR5HW0N14U/s757/IMG_2208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwttO55giMeqNOMWX5IEN3svPCWgWLcqUsPTfn6kY0zWy4zcvzLoHADRHhC3r10ucZrFANwG7Y1CP6d8oLfzvFKfeB5P6oQdHrxHTracp8a4tsp0QyrqF_qvhWsCNUzD9-_-aMKVsifoH9KKIZJ2nuSurNfXQCRRF0wnnqAcv6jF6_xiMdjAR5HW0N14U/s320/IMG_2208.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Seriously... THESE WERE AMAZING! </i></b></div><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk4xzv5hbqyMYUdJsujfawwfyRgf9YKrvRw2EW_YAhgfLb7r1UZx-TBctxr-MPXb4276y7RZGH0d0v1WBqnZX1-9lDkYxjr7595n-z4riYMGZJ4_xGDFR1GV8Ks3NxRDLF0-xXDBGqKNYt4Qhto0xAo_NJHz8MOAo4UscKtlb40tyS-m0f5QHuy2tXn1I/s757/IMG_2209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPk4xzv5hbqyMYUdJsujfawwfyRgf9YKrvRw2EW_YAhgfLb7r1UZx-TBctxr-MPXb4276y7RZGH0d0v1WBqnZX1-9lDkYxjr7595n-z4riYMGZJ4_xGDFR1GV8Ks3NxRDLF0-xXDBGqKNYt4Qhto0xAo_NJHz8MOAo4UscKtlb40tyS-m0f5QHuy2tXn1I/s320/IMG_2209.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Aqua Theater ready for July Fourth! </div></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Chris woke up and messaged me on the app letting me know he was going to the <b><i>Windjammer</i></b>. I met him around 9:45AM and got a few small samples of the breakfast at <b><i>Windjammer</i></b>. <i><b><span style="color: red;">There was not an omelet station, that I could see, and both sides of the buffet offered the same stuff.</span></b></i> </p><p style="text-align: center;">After breakfast, we made our way down to the <b><i>Aqua Theater </i></b>for the "<i>Top Tier"</i> Event with the Captain and other <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> officers. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is an invitation ONLY event for Platinum and Above Crown and Anchor members. Crown and Anchor is the loyalty program with Royal Caribbean and you will accumulate nights/ points for every cruise. </span></i></b>This was our 2nd cruise being Platinum on <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b> but the first time we were invited to the Top Tier event (due to cruising with our "gold" kids in February). <i><b>WOW... This event was AWESOME. We got free drinks and a preview of the Aqua Show- </b>OceanAria<b>. We really lived it up during this event and afterwards we got to meet several of the higher officers and even the Captain. This will be a MUST ATTEND for us from now on. Thank you <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean. </span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AnNVHtDCiElbMY27xmgQonJfuLuG5FkZwbsPIcUA8KeKlegSrbGEwVEGwCWx9hGztRoKBpwQv5Hvva53Z1cuTXhgYcjTOnnvHuXhinjDt4b8bhNHMp4Ffo31eNDNLj1-6s8_NAl47jhge0LGQdFYT49UMwmzmooprz4IRdvCHmgja8tYqoclSjs9WvW3/s757/IMG_2223.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AnNVHtDCiElbMY27xmgQonJfuLuG5FkZwbsPIcUA8KeKlegSrbGEwVEGwCWx9hGztRoKBpwQv5Hvva53Z1cuTXhgYcjTOnnvHuXhinjDt4b8bhNHMp4Ffo31eNDNLj1-6s8_NAl47jhge0LGQdFYT49UMwmzmooprz4IRdvCHmgja8tYqoclSjs9WvW3/s320/IMG_2223.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />They rolled out the Red Carpet just for us! <br />THIS WAS SO COOL! </i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3OT0xwV8d24zT2uHbh29gHDNW1ZlG_Hp2Ve9_LZQ5iQEEvu0G56i4Z6X22ZDtQ3yFWmZhDBUWcctPVNMEFr2WqneB_IDKgX_lVUn2kRw6mJG3MjSKSOW--osG1jv1nrI8PQjolWYFuHD0yYLrs3bi72wcF_sfDHMkxe2oRj7OTuyODP8hVdy7mCY2Erm/s757/IMG_2224.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3OT0xwV8d24zT2uHbh29gHDNW1ZlG_Hp2Ve9_LZQ5iQEEvu0G56i4Z6X22ZDtQ3yFWmZhDBUWcctPVNMEFr2WqneB_IDKgX_lVUn2kRw6mJG3MjSKSOW--osG1jv1nrI8PQjolWYFuHD0yYLrs3bi72wcF_sfDHMkxe2oRj7OTuyODP8hVdy7mCY2Erm/s320/IMG_2224.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Welcome drinks on the Boardwalk! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimczaaDBEW_SdzjOLpeF-g38ZMyqAe4r_e9LL_97LFhJ5gsTAMNVdqW5sxa6B5ck8I39M5MXsfvcQMFyH-PWYJ04dv0o-W9VhLY-30nijFlJ1H2C6LNxjtfqaI8b1vaLQSnk2S_LbCWryW0TMURpQ5s_5Z4Pq-2X0g4D3Djn5KfxW_UVFruaLhEGB46CMl/s757/IMG_2225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimczaaDBEW_SdzjOLpeF-g38ZMyqAe4r_e9LL_97LFhJ5gsTAMNVdqW5sxa6B5ck8I39M5MXsfvcQMFyH-PWYJ04dv0o-W9VhLY-30nijFlJ1H2C6LNxjtfqaI8b1vaLQSnk2S_LbCWryW0TMURpQ5s_5Z4Pq-2X0g4D3Djn5KfxW_UVFruaLhEGB46CMl/s320/IMG_2225.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I feel so lucky to have this invitation! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuBSmq9ShDPDp6OigcctfhSAK-OIwzIvMjCeJa4gAthQ2jsy9bfGWMgr6na6J2mckHmWFOMcbqmhVGvbpQhD-cCSc2LxTmvkCHH0EduyBCJhyrqc1LNztMQxEXn8cADbnKKf2eNqE_j__Nq_MpI_hBvfy7ZP_XdephyOK8nvTpPsgAKto7Sa5quNNMlWq/s757/IMG_2227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuBSmq9ShDPDp6OigcctfhSAK-OIwzIvMjCeJa4gAthQ2jsy9bfGWMgr6na6J2mckHmWFOMcbqmhVGvbpQhD-cCSc2LxTmvkCHH0EduyBCJhyrqc1LNztMQxEXn8cADbnKKf2eNqE_j__Nq_MpI_hBvfy7ZP_XdephyOK8nvTpPsgAKto7Sa5quNNMlWq/s320/IMG_2227.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We have FINALLY made it! We feel so bougie! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qwIEai1HF7YCXrsdJTEhCc9bqGZ0C0tg0HdgRyUrtmCNCv7aEFkD8wxjnDqzRu-BvnbaMyhF0d_DXbPxqbQNaDCIMwp-OOOaWoDw07sTd0kIYKW_V01NEgcg2V236ydThijShd2steJAg3fqMF2Scd7iPlU1C8qzblLlsVKPrPg6m-fAcpI6nGg_BQ3v/s568/IMG_2228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qwIEai1HF7YCXrsdJTEhCc9bqGZ0C0tg0HdgRyUrtmCNCv7aEFkD8wxjnDqzRu-BvnbaMyhF0d_DXbPxqbQNaDCIMwp-OOOaWoDw07sTd0kIYKW_V01NEgcg2V236ydThijShd2steJAg3fqMF2Scd7iPlU1C8qzblLlsVKPrPg6m-fAcpI6nGg_BQ3v/s320/IMG_2228.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Yep... I feel so special! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi9lu8RqPCLJNW39GBKieT-PUSDtuhEdq7xAT8smlpgXGJxZha52sxN5sIMK7Uk7LZ8tXtp4KXn2AN2hVUiBxKvCpb9qct3ayEPq6oL0BM1n5vERj6-uqcfvRRbpwYrfP61QVU2MNgCNM0nwEenGfNLizL5MkdBUylhwBIoVAQ5JVCLvPFxFkJpi_0R4P/s757/IMG_2231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi9lu8RqPCLJNW39GBKieT-PUSDtuhEdq7xAT8smlpgXGJxZha52sxN5sIMK7Uk7LZ8tXtp4KXn2AN2hVUiBxKvCpb9qct3ayEPq6oL0BM1n5vERj6-uqcfvRRbpwYrfP61QVU2MNgCNM0nwEenGfNLizL5MkdBUylhwBIoVAQ5JVCLvPFxFkJpi_0R4P/s320/IMG_2231.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Cast members from the OceanAria Aqua Theater show. <br />Wow... This was really impressive! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNnu6B2P-wuPBlFnjk0LSo19bOLlbOmMWrWsNMFe0-tSbbzPLVKfyuNuWYC6Wa0BUXb1bcsMXJ_MZUgKmXcO9MxdSkVqkP_C254kdTiFGGPVuGHTwrLo1qUofr5y_fvWscVpdzCFeJse2k3lmpAQOURU2b34anhC8NkkcqeESR6wUEELwT3w1kyANnmSC/s757/IMG_2247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNnu6B2P-wuPBlFnjk0LSo19bOLlbOmMWrWsNMFe0-tSbbzPLVKfyuNuWYC6Wa0BUXb1bcsMXJ_MZUgKmXcO9MxdSkVqkP_C254kdTiFGGPVuGHTwrLo1qUofr5y_fvWscVpdzCFeJse2k3lmpAQOURU2b34anhC8NkkcqeESR6wUEELwT3w1kyANnmSC/s320/IMG_2247.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The full cast from the OceanAria show! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJIWtCXbXC_vkSNyRY9blpSHZkmVt_fGUEw5KO0YxMYUcp2v3-Xrq1YeG8AUIgKm5TuQXUEMUQrLvEyTXLBEnqy06exKoZ8Z-O-o7e3UIk7tD7N2en22xCPGsKoSbse5X0isIy8QHohOB0H2cNl0MPVjUD0KnzXGzojkfA1bJr0zpQ2hNrLbQbXgAfyzP/s757/IMG_2248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJIWtCXbXC_vkSNyRY9blpSHZkmVt_fGUEw5KO0YxMYUcp2v3-Xrq1YeG8AUIgKm5TuQXUEMUQrLvEyTXLBEnqy06exKoZ8Z-O-o7e3UIk7tD7N2en22xCPGsKoSbse5X0isIy8QHohOB0H2cNl0MPVjUD0KnzXGzojkfA1bJr0zpQ2hNrLbQbXgAfyzP/s320/IMG_2248.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The numbers of the Crown and Anchor members on board this sailing! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOdWj616QltKRXnSKOkzptJPGMHKv3Xp3ZUWU_qxBoj-Yu41VKFiFV_d0x81fDTcbiY-WI7NcEcfxJF876CiXqlSEJPExStvJJDEC5PqCXhlUQHDjjawLCl1RbKvDY6o708nX16eHy5UpdkXouO2j7KJJuBsaRAzxKirqR6ABq16A6yn7vwrylhpZaRxJ/s757/IMG_2254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOdWj616QltKRXnSKOkzptJPGMHKv3Xp3ZUWU_qxBoj-Yu41VKFiFV_d0x81fDTcbiY-WI7NcEcfxJF876CiXqlSEJPExStvJJDEC5PqCXhlUQHDjjawLCl1RbKvDY6o708nX16eHy5UpdkXouO2j7KJJuBsaRAzxKirqR6ABq16A6yn7vwrylhpZaRxJ/s320/IMG_2254.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The TOP cruisers from our sailing.. #Goals!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hS3NNMJnpj5e3FNCOrLwl2h6DwXTnUB9G2ZPmregG15JwmJ08fHRtEewOOtdHMYMIH5O9oZDN1qi5FeFYzkjhW7marl93tCulEpHspm6zcs5d3M_N_o73reOkkPO6wDg5GT-IvzH8TSj2Sb7WE7cMyMxmOCwX0lzggdvp-mAQ9XICQKQuqp25gLOdvq/s757/IMG_2255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hS3NNMJnpj5e3FNCOrLwl2h6DwXTnUB9G2ZPmregG15JwmJ08fHRtEewOOtdHMYMIH5O9oZDN1qi5FeFYzkjhW7marl93tCulEpHspm6zcs5d3M_N_o73reOkkPO6wDg5GT-IvzH8TSj2Sb7WE7cMyMxmOCwX0lzggdvp-mAQ9XICQKQuqp25gLOdvq/s320/IMG_2255.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Captain! <br />This was so cool and it's been several cruises since we have been able to get a picture wtth the Captian! Thank you RCCL! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa1sORblZ1UOdjRhI82TnUowJKAYt9V4Wdm7JIaVv1OSI50upgCm2TB8kdX7lB6qye1iHIlzsjTqnQUzco9dIoK3cVptgUUWdTDH-7ietgZ9Itr52y4ZPJjniyKwXfLXTVxXmM4ouW61zgHPtIYImbIUir21mPhSZN9AsIzYG3-MK3I3r1iHXKb64i5ZD/s757/IMG_2258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa1sORblZ1UOdjRhI82TnUowJKAYt9V4Wdm7JIaVv1OSI50upgCm2TB8kdX7lB6qye1iHIlzsjTqnQUzco9dIoK3cVptgUUWdTDH-7ietgZ9Itr52y4ZPJjniyKwXfLXTVxXmM4ouW61zgHPtIYImbIUir21mPhSZN9AsIzYG3-MK3I3r1iHXKb64i5ZD/s320/IMG_2258.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Brass Big Band set up in the atrium of the Boardwalk! <br />This group was REALLY GOOD! </div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">After this event, we went to the <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> to listen to some live music before getting lunch at the <b><i>Park Café</i></b> on Deck 8. <i><span style="color: red;">We loved this option for sea day lunches especially since it was less crowded and a much lighter fare option. </span></i>After our lunch we strolled around <i><b>Central Park</b></i> and the <b><i>Boardwalk</i></b> before going to the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> to do some shopping. We then made our way to the <i><b>On Air Sportsbar</b></i> for the <i>Around the World Trivia.</i> <i><span style="color: red;">We thought this was about world trivia but it really was all about where Royal Caribbean sails and explains all of the world cruises and destinations they offer. We did not do too well but it was still fun. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLG2soeGp79-nXENmtzxEOLM3xnNwx7GK-3hvLqC4qW5lwhZQXA88716_vcQQ4-nJMak4MbPL2MmlhmP9C0CFh3ibT-949orpXSmM-5IiAD-owhRZJojioapSxo32KHgVJhbC3cObrowfXG1q5cTuO1pmLtwVG4fBmxX1E8Locdnh161sVKjbLfeZysPMb/s757/IMG_2275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLG2soeGp79-nXENmtzxEOLM3xnNwx7GK-3hvLqC4qW5lwhZQXA88716_vcQQ4-nJMak4MbPL2MmlhmP9C0CFh3ibT-949orpXSmM-5IiAD-owhRZJojioapSxo32KHgVJhbC3cObrowfXG1q5cTuO1pmLtwVG4fBmxX1E8Locdnh161sVKjbLfeZysPMb/s320/IMG_2275.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />My favorite part of Park Cafe is the made to order SALADS! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: normal;">After this trivia, we stayed at </span><b style="font-style: normal;"><i>On Air</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"> for the </span><i>Anchors Aweigh </i><span style="font-style: normal;">parade in the </span><b style="font-style: normal;"><i>Royal Promenade.</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"> This allowed us to have a front row seat for this really cool parade. </span><b style="font-style: normal;"><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is a free event and kids would love it since it offers HUGE floats and props and even pirates! It is usually on one of the 1st 2 Sea Days and is scheduled during mid-afternoon. </span></i></b></div></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncqpWd8CoqNuMGWLd4GWO5CLXOvUjNh96_wCjzxbDBrUEaR6ibUnt8m-m_IBTe5a2mNkne3t8Y0OXGh_wxwnwMV0ZDtDwkgMIrYqK_BN3kZzxa2Cgx3GKk2RcImVpP62Z6Vhyyq6m1uxQeEpXg_cs4Ma26VT0CkIaE-Fa2wDr5sbFC8u6NQItvDz0-FWf/s757/IMG_2261.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncqpWd8CoqNuMGWLd4GWO5CLXOvUjNh96_wCjzxbDBrUEaR6ibUnt8m-m_IBTe5a2mNkne3t8Y0OXGh_wxwnwMV0ZDtDwkgMIrYqK_BN3kZzxa2Cgx3GKk2RcImVpP62Z6Vhyyq6m1uxQeEpXg_cs4Ma26VT0CkIaE-Fa2wDr5sbFC8u6NQItvDz0-FWf/s320/IMG_2261.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It's time for the Anchors Aweigh Parade. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQr46tvfavxeiEvc54rbdM-ZkDU_63qvCXdDIbJu72SnXZOsrppVuoOEVfwxmGTR3AsZsbMMwlvVNZKppneWY9zhlCNXBKQ_clv1KIXvxeE2h13QazC7m65O4jYdhr39TrxvYl3OQuXlm-RYGgF3G03aJKXSt-e3ZygvfieY8p0oYWa9sR6unmaG0ONp_/s1010/IMG_2266.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQr46tvfavxeiEvc54rbdM-ZkDU_63qvCXdDIbJu72SnXZOsrppVuoOEVfwxmGTR3AsZsbMMwlvVNZKppneWY9zhlCNXBKQ_clv1KIXvxeE2h13QazC7m65O4jYdhr39TrxvYl3OQuXlm-RYGgF3G03aJKXSt-e3ZygvfieY8p0oYWa9sR6unmaG0ONp_/s320/IMG_2266.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />These crew members really get into character and it makes for a great way to spend an afternoon. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvfmquUxOXl2aVyNeppDsIiwvAdp6xWMIJLkXtK9eTWhVkzxVNIWiZNks14mwKO1xcAaK7D73YZO3FZF5c9BgJI8uOHZiY46DxP0V1u06v06PhOe_U8ab2ymIsRWmzad7uXmr5kw-OkV9N6Y-20NHuT-oi4dO59AgPAgqkerE9VOVsx60Rgd8DJO0N35w/s757/IMG_2274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvfmquUxOXl2aVyNeppDsIiwvAdp6xWMIJLkXtK9eTWhVkzxVNIWiZNks14mwKO1xcAaK7D73YZO3FZF5c9BgJI8uOHZiY46DxP0V1u06v06PhOe_U8ab2ymIsRWmzad7uXmr5kw-OkV9N6Y-20NHuT-oi4dO59AgPAgqkerE9VOVsx60Rgd8DJO0N35w/s320/IMG_2274.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved this! </div></i></div><p style="text-align: center;">We then decided to take a ride on the <b><i>Rising Tides Bar</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">This was a really cool bar that raised and lowered between the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 to Central Park on Deck 8. It was a neat experience but in reality it was just a gimmick! However, be sure to do this at least once while you're on the Allure of the Seas. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b1scV3TG19flHtzHs8rcPU847XrHFu3tdXzIwPcfgqTKvul7Ph4VNd-3Hy9xkujOjVl8ozvP9W18RsX6vjkdn-MuFwzqFBSJdGgaRcTQhROAS8hJAOSsAGaiEWbYam4NzCTsxVIi5NYa9BgIY6oy33rD1itEjfM7gzDJYgjRHo7FNs4NmQdEBpvbfunf/s361/IMG_2279.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="361" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b1scV3TG19flHtzHs8rcPU847XrHFu3tdXzIwPcfgqTKvul7Ph4VNd-3Hy9xkujOjVl8ozvP9W18RsX6vjkdn-MuFwzqFBSJdGgaRcTQhROAS8hJAOSsAGaiEWbYam4NzCTsxVIi5NYa9BgIY6oy33rD1itEjfM7gzDJYgjRHo7FNs4NmQdEBpvbfunf/s320/IMG_2279.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello from the Rising Tides Bar! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our ride on the <b><i>Rising Tides Bar,</i></b> we went down to the Casino on Deck 3 to try our luck at <i>Blackjack</i>.<b><i><span style="color: red;"> TIP-</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b> <span style="color: red;">offers one of the only NON-SMOKING casinos at sea</span>. This area of the ship is on Deck 3 Forward and in a very small room near the <b><i>Comedy Live</i></b> venue. <b><i><span style="color: red;">It offered about 4 tables, including Blackjack, Roulette and others, as well as about 15-20 slot machines and their own cashier. </span></i></b>We played Blackjack in this non-smoking area for about 2 hours and both came out AHEAD. Chris was up $130 and I was up about $30. (Of course, if I would have stopped about 6 hands earlier, I could have been up over $200. But that's how they get you. "just one more hand") <br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">The blackjack table minimum was $15.</span></i></b> </span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">We then went back to the room to take a brief nap before getting ready for dinner and all of the July 4th events happening on board. We made our way to <b><i>Vintages </i></b>for our pre-dinner wine and cheese tapas. We LOVED this tradition and especially loved getting to talk to <b>Roger </b>and several other couples we met throughout the week. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4HdlmFUGcPjyReBJNF5i4cFNjRUZXbKPduUby7ZG2D5_4eM2wURCJACCUpalLm2nhM7CnLO3pMs-MRWnW_HTkxeyR7PmcEp2Zy90xMxAF-MAh0XNo0VkeumJUunSrUjhXpiWitw2Ns8YdM9rzEf4vY6PqYul2E3kiotrM7XJKZpUMVUG9XusRlyvHwmD/s757/IMG_2281.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4HdlmFUGcPjyReBJNF5i4cFNjRUZXbKPduUby7ZG2D5_4eM2wURCJACCUpalLm2nhM7CnLO3pMs-MRWnW_HTkxeyR7PmcEp2Zy90xMxAF-MAh0XNo0VkeumJUunSrUjhXpiWitw2Ns8YdM9rzEf4vY6PqYul2E3kiotrM7XJKZpUMVUG9XusRlyvHwmD/s320/IMG_2281.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's time for my favorite part of the day... Vintages! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">We left <b><i>Vintages </i></b>early to go to the <b><i>Aqua Theater </i></b>to try and get standby tickets for the <i>OceanAria </i>aqua show. <i>We have tickets for the 6th day but the seas were SO CALM so we opted to at least try in case the weather is bad in a few days!</i> We got there at 6:45PM and unfortunately, there were not ANY seats. We went to deck 7 near the rock wall but we still did not have a great view! We will try on our actual ticket day on Friday. We then went to Dazzles to listen to the Brass Big Band! <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- We loved this venue on Deck 8 Aft and the seating was GREAT! </span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kYmDtQXPfCT7LsknV63x75FrF0tmzCwtfNSM_XQwvTpNHUQRJt1khDnju_vcr6kXkNfxHB_IFxw2L2Po5GoIR90m4emoZ-wx7BOAzwSs8VcNQNacrYkFjS2puoSKx3b0-9CtqUqqqlNaPCMOTYr5fxQtGuG1f4y7jiek_dNelWfgO4seg6QZzIMCBOpj/s757/IMG_2282.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kYmDtQXPfCT7LsknV63x75FrF0tmzCwtfNSM_XQwvTpNHUQRJt1khDnju_vcr6kXkNfxHB_IFxw2L2Po5GoIR90m4emoZ-wx7BOAzwSs8VcNQNacrYkFjS2puoSKx3b0-9CtqUqqqlNaPCMOTYr5fxQtGuG1f4y7jiek_dNelWfgO4seg6QZzIMCBOpj/s320/IMG_2282.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="color: red;">If you like LIVE music, Royal Caribbean does it SO WELL and this is one of the best venues we have experienced! Be sure to check out the music in Dazzles on your Allure of the Seas cruise! </span></b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Our All-American dinner was in the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> and was a special menu featuring All-American food such as brisket and cheesecake. <i><span style="color: red;">The food was surprisingly good and the service was once again phenomenal. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXX5Bqrn3kX0bmhtCN6f8_c3AZGwjq8T9cQBKlnuRQzmkwXqGHprK-NefjBIDyYUtDRmSnTReuJcUxcwwAjpsXOW6Kcqr0OC0H3WoDTJiWdvnbBuS__tYDi2rg0mXNT-rQzt3spTHoMLjTfzMybQ_s8jJQ0EEqC5ZfZwnocQfAGl8Vd_Mc5Xvmhpslyf_/s568/IMG_2286.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXX5Bqrn3kX0bmhtCN6f8_c3AZGwjq8T9cQBKlnuRQzmkwXqGHprK-NefjBIDyYUtDRmSnTReuJcUxcwwAjpsXOW6Kcqr0OC0H3WoDTJiWdvnbBuS__tYDi2rg0mXNT-rQzt3spTHoMLjTfzMybQ_s8jJQ0EEqC5ZfZwnocQfAGl8Vd_Mc5Xvmhpslyf_/s320/IMG_2286.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Special July 4th menu in the Main Dining Room. </i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-njmIlE4_baTDvZBDPfbDLiypYLwN5PgI_RuZCjmioiUZMGuQ0hKczgsYEVHa1zjMNqR6Q4Iov7QICEdIUeqmWUfM0VYdtwCbDnT3PEmsypbX-tZ0e0dLYm8JvWb5Mo01TuCkIC7fRFB16ZChr_iln9opT_C7JWn4yLxQd0d-7sC4Yzw0IWVku7D1yhBx/s757/IMG_2287.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-njmIlE4_baTDvZBDPfbDLiypYLwN5PgI_RuZCjmioiUZMGuQ0hKczgsYEVHa1zjMNqR6Q4Iov7QICEdIUeqmWUfM0VYdtwCbDnT3PEmsypbX-tZ0e0dLYm8JvWb5Mo01TuCkIC7fRFB16ZChr_iln9opT_C7JWn4yLxQd0d-7sC4Yzw0IWVku7D1yhBx/s320/IMG_2287.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Classic Caesar Salad-4.5<br />It never disappoints!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r10Kd8WnyHx36e3eYVSyom0KjqqjBQE30ZJg33CRU1LJiiRQTp0N11IhC-3pH-RlAF9NZr6Ojpn5tWEgcqmb4R6BO8lfagQ2oBfpE68b2-K944-rq9UJhmoujX49WSVDIpzhMF0Z3O3vE9YDEuR9dLDW5yo4jQqHMGntJD9xQegd9FcNRNTkLlY0u6xo/s757/IMG_2288.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r10Kd8WnyHx36e3eYVSyom0KjqqjBQE30ZJg33CRU1LJiiRQTp0N11IhC-3pH-RlAF9NZr6Ojpn5tWEgcqmb4R6BO8lfagQ2oBfpE68b2-K944-rq9UJhmoujX49WSVDIpzhMF0Z3O3vE9YDEuR9dLDW5yo4jQqHMGntJD9xQegd9FcNRNTkLlY0u6xo/s320/IMG_2288.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Baked Potato Soup-4.5<br />This was really good and creamy. Both Chris and I enjoyed it! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLHJY1dOd9PzSwkzdEOpNPB8PlAAszUlsycFS5i5ouWACNnYIoSiSdiohIcL7CoGqQbfDyIo-JDA5Iytn90I5JeGjZSzikkbWjSFd5dpxj_X_9Sz-qEsfLjvI14CirlxeVTZ7PeOeIkkzlPYYyJUH0jatVY1cZKWwCAExLEjVgL0HFjAjSwqLoaGwQzjz/s757/IMG_2289.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLHJY1dOd9PzSwkzdEOpNPB8PlAAszUlsycFS5i5ouWACNnYIoSiSdiohIcL7CoGqQbfDyIo-JDA5Iytn90I5JeGjZSzikkbWjSFd5dpxj_X_9Sz-qEsfLjvI14CirlxeVTZ7PeOeIkkzlPYYyJUH0jatVY1cZKWwCAExLEjVgL0HFjAjSwqLoaGwQzjz/s320/IMG_2289.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jambalaya-4.0<br />This was surprisingly good and very Cajun flavorful! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QunyKQU6HCpRBhgZC2TMJIsQHGDjv6U7lZ2Bm3JEeNhQU9gCSFOUxIW3RbK0A6DaPEIPcK0YdWeBpYDLUZWR7R8DO6JYTfPAisyksjteAYmszjtAf-aHidufbeiGJQHKW48YOdSQjy96Y3I4KJMuEC8bRg6A9_LklLoI-08z-eHfpjFUWPHVPtHlVIWT/s757/IMG_2290.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QunyKQU6HCpRBhgZC2TMJIsQHGDjv6U7lZ2Bm3JEeNhQU9gCSFOUxIW3RbK0A6DaPEIPcK0YdWeBpYDLUZWR7R8DO6JYTfPAisyksjteAYmszjtAf-aHidufbeiGJQHKW48YOdSQjy96Y3I4KJMuEC8bRg6A9_LklLoI-08z-eHfpjFUWPHVPtHlVIWT/s320/IMG_2290.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Beef Brisket-4.5<br /><span style="color: red;">We're from SOUTH TEXAS and this was still impressive! <br />I mean not a TOP TEN in TEXAS but surprisingly good! </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBRuMqI4xLQ24u0i3PVWqhf3IeGfnaFi_6zmwjw2a4v95XLZ9LXP39GweZI13c2XSmwpwfZ1iHSoJiBsAbWtNvaP5a7iPT4s2Qd_U_ArywG_f4EqowQRud0f_ybq1EOFpwr21gnflRoto7Wn_30KCg6ruEv1s7BcHqSViui92Zqxd1r3i9t1GKb95nxYC/s757/IMG_2291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBRuMqI4xLQ24u0i3PVWqhf3IeGfnaFi_6zmwjw2a4v95XLZ9LXP39GweZI13c2XSmwpwfZ1iHSoJiBsAbWtNvaP5a7iPT4s2Qd_U_ArywG_f4EqowQRud0f_ybq1EOFpwr21gnflRoto7Wn_30KCg6ruEv1s7BcHqSViui92Zqxd1r3i9t1GKb95nxYC/s320/IMG_2291.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Strawberry Shortcake-4.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was light and flavorful. </div></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">We went back to the room to take meds but of course we fell asleep and missed the ventriloquist show in the <b><i>Main Theater.</i></b> Although, we made sure to get up and hit up one of my favorite events that <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i>Royal Caribbean</i></span></b> hosts... <i>The 70s Disco Inferno in the Royal Promenad</i>e.<b><i><span style="color: red;"> TIP- Be sure to check this out. Royal Caribbean does this so very well and we dance the night away. Next time we will get costumes or at least wigs, it is just SO MUCH FUN! </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7UgjXVmj8e-2m1BWLN4WIWPVQaFfiW6BIp53dFOm9MIcY24zpS4J_eUoRL1KToB0Lkp54CJ8IV56ktkOrmYn3Va91r3q9158heP4epwdpcXRlAXQ8VpOipEbGIoLPltQAeY_XCM-F1uwr4SlLcev1w6Vi526ze_6VzJf3ghkquv6C6uQ1Lo5viCdo6FX/s757/IMG_2292.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7UgjXVmj8e-2m1BWLN4WIWPVQaFfiW6BIp53dFOm9MIcY24zpS4J_eUoRL1KToB0Lkp54CJ8IV56ktkOrmYn3Va91r3q9158heP4epwdpcXRlAXQ8VpOipEbGIoLPltQAeY_XCM-F1uwr4SlLcev1w6Vi526ze_6VzJf3ghkquv6C6uQ1Lo5viCdo6FX/s320/IMG_2292.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Getting ready for the July 4th Balloon Drop on the Royal Promenade! </i></b></div><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCzl27tQRPgT_QkthFWuJhKD6Aqt8QjLoX7VRBa0B2ItYW4FOdhjuV3URnNsQ2odkAOlrcmYD746eTsD5A51AQg0vUCi3wxbA5MlceGpt9IyKMI_3TjMfsA6oz3GaomQ9SXd_UFu2bTAT_rF6goNqm4Cqa4m-RQdy4-iKI206wCg2uEZ5m6Yc90vAqdyu/s1010/IMG_2294.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCzl27tQRPgT_QkthFWuJhKD6Aqt8QjLoX7VRBa0B2ItYW4FOdhjuV3URnNsQ2odkAOlrcmYD746eTsD5A51AQg0vUCi3wxbA5MlceGpt9IyKMI_3TjMfsA6oz3GaomQ9SXd_UFu2bTAT_rF6goNqm4Cqa4m-RQdy4-iKI206wCg2uEZ5m6Yc90vAqdyu/s320/IMG_2294.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />Steve, our CD from Canada, DID THIS SO WELL! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rpecNR3TcFg55GDLn5EzzhxWiZzkhsPnbds5-Eby95cN2qgjugPNCNxwJe23BSyHBlyY7m1I0xGLqU6YuG7Pl8tt7mafHp0M64BUZe-KlRIpX_a8DZSAs9sV5ibqDevwOh0cByq1sAzQIZK8xUECxWI3cSkdAuv_SmiHAC5m-fEffUKNxVG3HEevGqbr/s568/IMG_2300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rpecNR3TcFg55GDLn5EzzhxWiZzkhsPnbds5-Eby95cN2qgjugPNCNxwJe23BSyHBlyY7m1I0xGLqU6YuG7Pl8tt7mafHp0M64BUZe-KlRIpX_a8DZSAs9sV5ibqDevwOh0cByq1sAzQIZK8xUECxWI3cSkdAuv_SmiHAC5m-fEffUKNxVG3HEevGqbr/s320/IMG_2300.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />We love the 70's Disco Inferno! <br />Sweating to the oldies... WE LOVE IT! </div></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">After the 70s Inferno, our Cruise Director Steve (from Canada) had a HUGE July 4th party with a red, white and blue balloon drop, the singing of the <i>Star Spangled Banner</i> and so much more! <i>I truly got goosebumps singing the National Anthem alongside at least 1,000 other guests belting out the words and singing with pride. We loved this event! </i></p><p style="text-align: center;">We then went back to the <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> to see <b>Matthew </b>and <b>Iputu </b>for our nightly cocktails and piano bar singing. In fact, on this night we shut the bar down after 1AM. We then went and got a few slices of pizza from Sorrento's before going to bed near 2AM. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvM55lW8hYHa49-RAQ2DVGHjuoDNrVGDJpFE3NPJEZ7hp0fBCfoxeDZ96nDY2n2MjWJFFK1oLySHvDALl9wF95hbVIcGT0INTctr-dEyZV3lCgJDA9S4pugSWpB-Lb81TGreZ4resoLrX43Kv2Rcq8CJpxFubV6EJj0ktRkQcosGH8qwCkurgRAe7-zXn/s757/IMG_2301.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvM55lW8hYHa49-RAQ2DVGHjuoDNrVGDJpFE3NPJEZ7hp0fBCfoxeDZ96nDY2n2MjWJFFK1oLySHvDALl9wF95hbVIcGT0INTctr-dEyZV3lCgJDA9S4pugSWpB-Lb81TGreZ4resoLrX43Kv2Rcq8CJpxFubV6EJj0ktRkQcosGH8qwCkurgRAe7-zXn/s320/IMG_2301.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Its 1:37AM and we are still going strong! <br />I guess that is what 2 naps do to you!</b></i> </div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">This was a GREAT Sea Day and another AWESOME way to spend the <span style="color: red;">4th of July! </span></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">Up Next- Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-38173744197616243462023-08-06T14:46:00.000-05:002023-08-06T14:46:46.691-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Sea Day #1 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Down by the Boardwalk</u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Monday, July 3, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sea Day #1 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM1ELt2IodRLDOzExyshQmekIADsmnxdaXfx-6ktquiAIZ5p2fZTwIlVvqEeEQldO-1RZBhlyIY7fjn8FGZmiiOZmjvo91p3t3tI5YHun2pcearcCUiCPB4gAmCngb7Oy6RGoT6UJ8K_LXy2j416DFEyUZOaKnOfvT1IyOxzZC3clCOq5h8h6l_NEl1eX/s757/IMG_2186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM1ELt2IodRLDOzExyshQmekIADsmnxdaXfx-6ktquiAIZ5p2fZTwIlVvqEeEQldO-1RZBhlyIY7fjn8FGZmiiOZmjvo91p3t3tI5YHun2pcearcCUiCPB4gAmCngb7Oy6RGoT6UJ8K_LXy2j416DFEyUZOaKnOfvT1IyOxzZC3clCOq5h8h6l_NEl1eX/s320/IMG_2186.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span> Boardwalk! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Think of the 1990s Chevy commercial "<i>Like a Rock</i>". Can you imagine it? Can you sing it? Now take those words and that is how we felt when we woke up. Not only was our cabin tiny, but the beds were rock solid hard. We're talking <a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Navigator of the Seas</a> hard and unbelievably uncomfortable. Neither of us slept well at all and were literally in pain when we woke up shortly after 8AM. <i>In fact, Chris said it was so hard he doesn't think he slept at all on this night. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdcqq8hrHrqjOK9d3zKtm_496X5yNkmDzHZ_M3UblVi41KyqXUyJMbiMeA8r4IT4o5eGVHxFf-gofJnnBFNblW7bWc1wG1zeOAO7EfX9AjXEbgMdStK339-NvPmE0J9f8CGyFwvd7Wgkbra-lrusrX1cqviXPyTlH0NiQkjoQ1Bxa4Y9xO2nhAjDFy2la/s757/IMG_2193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdcqq8hrHrqjOK9d3zKtm_496X5yNkmDzHZ_M3UblVi41KyqXUyJMbiMeA8r4IT4o5eGVHxFf-gofJnnBFNblW7bWc1wG1zeOAO7EfX9AjXEbgMdStK339-NvPmE0J9f8CGyFwvd7Wgkbra-lrusrX1cqviXPyTlH0NiQkjoQ1Bxa4Y9xO2nhAjDFy2la/s320/IMG_2193.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Monday on a cruise ship doesn't bother me!! </i></b></div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got up and got ready for the day and made our way to the<b><i> Main Dining Room</i></b> from breakfast. The service was very fast and the food was really good. We then went to<b><i> Park Café</i></b> on Deck 8 and got our specialty coffee of the day and a stroll though the gorgeous <b>Central Park.</b> <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- These are included in the Drink Package and unlimited and available at Park Café and Café Promenade. The only specialty coffees that cost are at the <span>Starbucks </span>kiosk in the middle of the Royal Promenade. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEKFm_cTiBjGmnZDlUisLKKpNxckmU924kIbe0WU7CESDsPCS2bdxPDmjpp_H_C2ro-ea-PErbmPI3X_ipIPIuEeaL26SV9FIUVU2zqHkNRoVFcu_1A9-sbBkvekBX5KoF1XFc0EQrg1TFNPe12g5v5nPpgiCZspltXLESc62IhbWRm8kjjvLhHGsw0wu/s313/IMG_2141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEKFm_cTiBjGmnZDlUisLKKpNxckmU924kIbe0WU7CESDsPCS2bdxPDmjpp_H_C2ro-ea-PErbmPI3X_ipIPIuEeaL26SV9FIUVU2zqHkNRoVFcu_1A9-sbBkvekBX5KoF1XFc0EQrg1TFNPe12g5v5nPpgiCZspltXLESc62IhbWRm8kjjvLhHGsw0wu/s1600/IMG_2141.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />The Main Dining Room breakfast menu. </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8wer84Ts_j9tNZmsNFmuNHF3d4walMJ6d4rYXz05xpBOI8o4bzDpEkAiO6fIv3P9kFd-MpSVjkmcnkCgstKCp1y-WhB--jxKRMPn2mT5cy-4tL7Osw6mXH7sqLvm5Dd4QyjSC-IDWqEpcPbw4tAzyuno0wxd4aLbF5yFT9kAll3kvqnlueYxB478RhYo/s757/IMG_2143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8wer84Ts_j9tNZmsNFmuNHF3d4walMJ6d4rYXz05xpBOI8o4bzDpEkAiO6fIv3P9kFd-MpSVjkmcnkCgstKCp1y-WhB--jxKRMPn2mT5cy-4tL7Osw6mXH7sqLvm5Dd4QyjSC-IDWqEpcPbw4tAzyuno0wxd4aLbF5yFT9kAll3kvqnlueYxB478RhYo/s320/IMG_2143.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The breakfast burrito- 4.5<br />This was a GREAT find and I really enjoyed it! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__ZrLlFiXNxHLNu9mrHuup0nHzz4HkyQn7FNZZlmD8MLn-ZYw0cbwumBUi0O0WU6lo74MwOr71zaQ1ieK_a4BKHX9od5ohAsm3lrEySARtwhvyrah4T1jXmS0vXR2DXXFye32uBs-9VLfGEaLSwK_bY107_01KHvpZVVQ2Re6iO3zuR_aEZ2YNe05DKUt/s757/IMG_2145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__ZrLlFiXNxHLNu9mrHuup0nHzz4HkyQn7FNZZlmD8MLn-ZYw0cbwumBUi0O0WU6lo74MwOr71zaQ1ieK_a4BKHX9od5ohAsm3lrEySARtwhvyrah4T1jXmS0vXR2DXXFye32uBs-9VLfGEaLSwK_bY107_01KHvpZVVQ2Re6iO3zuR_aEZ2YNe05DKUt/s320/IMG_2145.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of the Park Cafe in Central Park <br /><span style="color: red;">These ladies were ready to make you made to order bagels!</span></div><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZCiM0WIkYD762XLNACxVjEVsab9mE_juN2_MEUG4E7VH2YhvaYRAQkTBUgOrjw6KrRzCmKeSd8-4NSY5wszsLxMP-3DkIyGKjb35uGhnbw4bJJEoGM9pyK07JjwU19zGrpjxwoIbUIdW1Eoo6srodEug9lxh5iFg0rywk7MAcw3ZuLzGDYZ4_DFEitEE/s757/IMG_2147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZCiM0WIkYD762XLNACxVjEVsab9mE_juN2_MEUG4E7VH2YhvaYRAQkTBUgOrjw6KrRzCmKeSd8-4NSY5wszsLxMP-3DkIyGKjb35uGhnbw4bJJEoGM9pyK07JjwU19zGrpjxwoIbUIdW1Eoo6srodEug9lxh5iFg0rywk7MAcw3ZuLzGDYZ4_DFEitEE/s320/IMG_2147.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Hello Central Park... I love you! </i></b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9AtC8vITBMkzJSTsZJBQeQAsy3_n-QSUr_t-I0ebUf79tGm-EkUoZw5nseFB_N75r2kyEXZfwSLl3rLr7TmsgkiM0W0fiz1lJpavHc9UTFyycpGbWjGYPB1DFMGoPXwgrNJ_rZvg7bLxnE4sfFtn6eb5pzBE1dOsI7wFIbbzIiRkoMh3Dja6UsmrDPiS/s757/IMG_2149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9AtC8vITBMkzJSTsZJBQeQAsy3_n-QSUr_t-I0ebUf79tGm-EkUoZw5nseFB_N75r2kyEXZfwSLl3rLr7TmsgkiM0W0fiz1lJpavHc9UTFyycpGbWjGYPB1DFMGoPXwgrNJ_rZvg7bLxnE4sfFtn6eb5pzBE1dOsI7wFIbbzIiRkoMh3Dja6UsmrDPiS/s320/IMG_2149.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The live plants were GORGEOUS! <br />You would have never known that all these plants had to be re-planted this spring due to the major freeze this winter. They looked GREAT! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZgDEBUORthuo5BtFbyLjviUZb7im-2EtxNASiIpkgRgGDjU3Du3rKcF6kOpIqdUUiSvdtJWxf_sNzQaRIPnf4t-sxF0pB7CNcDoryYm-Q0dFhaR6fUbM8mvlpgGmij-cgK2VgNOkJNQgMWfgC7Emnp1kzMpBDYJ3DJ-I7n2EqQl68dfVkHm7gqGXJG6-/s437/IMG_2151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZgDEBUORthuo5BtFbyLjviUZb7im-2EtxNASiIpkgRgGDjU3Du3rKcF6kOpIqdUUiSvdtJWxf_sNzQaRIPnf4t-sxF0pB7CNcDoryYm-Q0dFhaR6fUbM8mvlpgGmij-cgK2VgNOkJNQgMWfgC7Emnp1kzMpBDYJ3DJ-I7n2EqQl68dfVkHm7gqGXJG6-/s320/IMG_2151.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Another view of Central Park from the Lido Deck (Deck 15). </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our coffees we went to the <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> for morning trivia where we scored 23/26 which was not enough to win unfortunately. We then went to the room to get our hats so we could lay out the rest of the morning. <b><i><span style="color: red;">Unfortunately, the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas </span><span style="color: red;">is the least shaded cruise ship we have ever been on. I would say 90-95% of their deck chairs are in direct sunlight.</span></i></b> Now imagine having to find 2 chairs in the shade with a ship of 6K+ people... It was difficulty but we found 2 chairs in a very odd location near the <b><i>Solarium </i></b>elevators on Deck 15. The flow of traffic did not allow a very somber rest time so Chris went back to the room to try and get a nap while I went and did walkthrough videos of the <i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas.</span></b></i> <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This would be a HUGE complaint of ours for the Allure- the lack of shade. Allure offers a HUGE Solarium but it is 95% in the direct sun.</span></i></b> <b><i>No one likes a shady beach... Except gingers! We LOVE them!</i></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_71U57tow6WmbD4vuPrIGbWnt75yYXBOVpCginU_itzbhrtfoyk21MTvIo6X8np-GS8UtGez0BOE3_8BzRvcrD4cKMOvRCiYjGTR3ZGrlH5Ld7uozfeiqOmHonJmArQZWJus0XakvaU-ERyPVLxUci3FcZ8ps2pUjmmPm6YMbGNemoBlGz_nKmDDutSN/s1010/IMG_2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_71U57tow6WmbD4vuPrIGbWnt75yYXBOVpCginU_itzbhrtfoyk21MTvIo6X8np-GS8UtGez0BOE3_8BzRvcrD4cKMOvRCiYjGTR3ZGrlH5Ld7uozfeiqOmHonJmArQZWJus0XakvaU-ERyPVLxUci3FcZ8ps2pUjmmPm6YMbGNemoBlGz_nKmDDutSN/s320/IMG_2152.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">A view of the Solarium "pool". This adults only pool was a terribly weird set up and this was the least crowded we saw it on SEA DAYS! (On port days, it was much lighter crowd). </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnp_Shh3m0HPtAk1li6qs8SjgotCq3KSAqBylB8mzvhfMfN1EF9UtjmY39RwrL4Mc8SuTgn-D586ZBaxFsmFtRXttyZVwNGbHrm5_SPcX8EqcPhfrrgBFVy-waq4rWQe7VWn0Mf8ZPhoFTv7ebJFnaGTC2pCB3Iki4g8hi6SM0SmpyfKr0vTzsa3ANI90m/s757/IMG_2155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnp_Shh3m0HPtAk1li6qs8SjgotCq3KSAqBylB8mzvhfMfN1EF9UtjmY39RwrL4Mc8SuTgn-D586ZBaxFsmFtRXttyZVwNGbHrm5_SPcX8EqcPhfrrgBFVy-waq4rWQe7VWn0Mf8ZPhoFTv7ebJFnaGTC2pCB3Iki4g8hi6SM0SmpyfKr0vTzsa3ANI90m/s320/IMG_2155.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Samba Grill inside the Solarium. <br />This "Specialty Restaurant" is a Brazilian style steakhouse at night but offers Seaday lunch and breakfast for a MUCH LIGHTER crowd and similar offerings to the Windjammer. </i></b><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcu8jFWu6C6NGEezEp-caNqJ9q9lcpMAYHu8yeY9nZoDAbiZRzyl77eo5a1cQDnTgiskDlgZt9XBT7LH8iupV0efmGKZX7vNwDQpCr24H6VtV4eSpzzhRyXTI5cOnYzR0KXsMcCIFenW30Wy5CikLLq3xKVj71ky-1c7ie87FflWYq9tKdbz06y4B-UUE/s1010/IMG_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcu8jFWu6C6NGEezEp-caNqJ9q9lcpMAYHu8yeY9nZoDAbiZRzyl77eo5a1cQDnTgiskDlgZt9XBT7LH8iupV0efmGKZX7vNwDQpCr24H6VtV4eSpzzhRyXTI5cOnYzR0KXsMcCIFenW30Wy5CikLLq3xKVj71ky-1c7ie87FflWYq9tKdbz06y4B-UUE/s320/IMG_2157.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the massive hot-tubs near the Solarium entrance. <br /><span style="color: red;">This was not crowded for this time of day.</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT4zR6FCXWKrBk2v36HN-r6UiFwi-yE_Pf1T-AOVcKPXJyNgKN3qhDLcwPA13FRJmOe-sbAzRukCzv6VanZL1HLpfqQOa4VznsTAHidRA8yazrrgmxlu_KLrlBdWLB9MaOuYrK6AS9o0N3a5KMpnyauXG3JqMO0-SdxLkJ4UM0H8mxQ_prhZYnIc3AAVu/s1010/IMG_2160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT4zR6FCXWKrBk2v36HN-r6UiFwi-yE_Pf1T-AOVcKPXJyNgKN3qhDLcwPA13FRJmOe-sbAzRukCzv6VanZL1HLpfqQOa4VznsTAHidRA8yazrrgmxlu_KLrlBdWLB9MaOuYrK6AS9o0N3a5KMpnyauXG3JqMO0-SdxLkJ4UM0H8mxQ_prhZYnIc3AAVu/s320/IMG_2160.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the MAIN POOL on Deck 15 around 1PM on the 1st Sea Day. It was busy... ALWAYS! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRalQOVrdV96s9-RJZhlVmRjd4z2ZDax0nluLLTNlXR_r1n2pdBo35pQ1t-Bqu6AgQiiqGpziDQA9H_b9b73GUjjCXVPK4rnB1QL7p6VzMTCOtNmHJzARB7HijApFU9S-8AHKdrYD935P1RD5xUPLV_yS3p6OxCYPHslKDx-xt5WkPjZWEs8SwFCp7iz6/s1010/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRalQOVrdV96s9-RJZhlVmRjd4z2ZDax0nluLLTNlXR_r1n2pdBo35pQ1t-Bqu6AgQiiqGpziDQA9H_b9b73GUjjCXVPK4rnB1QL7p6VzMTCOtNmHJzARB7HijApFU9S-8AHKdrYD935P1RD5xUPLV_yS3p6OxCYPHslKDx-xt5WkPjZWEs8SwFCp7iz6/s320/IMG_2161.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b>A view of the KIDS POOL on Deck 15 aft. <br /><i><span style="color: red;">This was also VERY BUSY all the time. PLUS, there was not a lot of seating for adults in this area. We did not have our kids with us so we didn't notice firsthand but if you have small children who will be in this area, be forewarned. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2jRXtwuIP-LbbMMmLAB89z5Sn8KStXrzNf_3LKv-Of6VGvervxkrYpa9CFIHQk3XYzzZq8yPzSJFhPOevY09YTUQpTrQcDXRX-I-RfKMcUePMmXS4qGGJjG4Z4WsPcjzcCHj-ejx1CccS8VABclXUIk-9l6q6uZs22s1SxsegsCEJK41b2rPqUUWd0I-/s1010/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2jRXtwuIP-LbbMMmLAB89z5Sn8KStXrzNf_3LKv-Of6VGvervxkrYpa9CFIHQk3XYzzZq8yPzSJFhPOevY09YTUQpTrQcDXRX-I-RfKMcUePMmXS4qGGJjG4Z4WsPcjzcCHj-ejx1CccS8VABclXUIk-9l6q6uZs22s1SxsegsCEJK41b2rPqUUWd0I-/s320/IMG_2168.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />A mid-afternoon wake view= PERFECTION! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQEqHVrxOK4E9IOMSFrVH2mycFz5yq-hChfin6t9ZId0c13Eu39dpIupYF6W_DCS5m85C0JAbdab2RzbNgCyeb9Ba3bkd8MQdOZ6wRrFSjaUWY1YwL79smCZb_64Ve1eUgT_xBVzwF7ujBV7q0lm70mJcBVSY9PX7zLAegq5UDGiz8X3Qlzrnxee-anzV/s757/IMG_2171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQEqHVrxOK4E9IOMSFrVH2mycFz5yq-hChfin6t9ZId0c13Eu39dpIupYF6W_DCS5m85C0JAbdab2RzbNgCyeb9Ba3bkd8MQdOZ6wRrFSjaUWY1YwL79smCZb_64Ve1eUgT_xBVzwF7ujBV7q0lm70mJcBVSY9PX7zLAegq5UDGiz8X3Qlzrnxee-anzV/s320/IMG_2171.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This truly is my HAPPY PLACE! <br />When I am here... I feel the absolute BEST! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI-DDP_gPxXcWcOPzeYNkWnwqFz__3kGkz0CjvEuj4S4MrU_um-IiqvThSvtr8AFWNWn8IZNUI0OmNy_LGkjMxckalk6xf8NEdYyVTPIjXDlK18c1ivlUHxC6MhJ2y2tD8m1JLL-zWpCLHm0IG0iG1Rzg__tfU8nRCLRpztTRDdm7T9zqX63CPhSll3i4/s757/IMG_2173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI-DDP_gPxXcWcOPzeYNkWnwqFz__3kGkz0CjvEuj4S4MrU_um-IiqvThSvtr8AFWNWn8IZNUI0OmNy_LGkjMxckalk6xf8NEdYyVTPIjXDlK18c1ivlUHxC6MhJ2y2tD8m1JLL-zWpCLHm0IG0iG1Rzg__tfU8nRCLRpztTRDdm7T9zqX63CPhSll3i4/s320/IMG_2173.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Pure perfection! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCrC4DHcxzkZB3Q8GM5-Sts5VLd1OIh5gp_zPKmrU8tOW4vCEoGp4pQr2Phl2jV4qpGIq8Q4cn6nmYvDLWngpKnXh8O86fJmJzGPhrIxdhUZ0FOG4EZI3EHTYsgXXkNEW6lLPUKH9V3uOyzeHx66gchnusTLvLji2-AVtA_kI6JvWOcY3P2UVYXyUBQTv/s757/IMG_2175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCrC4DHcxzkZB3Q8GM5-Sts5VLd1OIh5gp_zPKmrU8tOW4vCEoGp4pQr2Phl2jV4qpGIq8Q4cn6nmYvDLWngpKnXh8O86fJmJzGPhrIxdhUZ0FOG4EZI3EHTYsgXXkNEW6lLPUKH9V3uOyzeHx66gchnusTLvLji2-AVtA_kI6JvWOcY3P2UVYXyUBQTv/s320/IMG_2175.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Yep... this is where I belong! </div></i></b></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We met for lunch at <b><i>Sorrento's Pizza</i></b> at 2pm and the line was not long at all. We then spent several hours at the <b><i>Pub </i></b>with <b>Francisco </b>and listening to the live musician. After a few drinks we opted to try out the <b><i>Boardwalk Dog House</i></b> on the Boardwalk on Deck 6 Aft. This turned out to be the PERFECT lunch or mid-afternoon snack. <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is a FREE option that is available for lunch on sea-days and open most of the afternoon. They offered bratwurst, hot dogs and specialty sausages. We tried several and enjoyed them all. </span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQHRLHR59P_gM_YP8Vxl51BDt0NuVqz6GjUJ_SkPHryh3keJe8EV_3MeBrBy15ZQesPzwic6wYTsO0HIot65SHFq8kD7dNWq5_6KVok6abZrnILowmtHEBufq6fTPZSsgXPR0zmHTtccV5_iOHLm5mg_4AJdFJO3-einvUqrKthel6oVsISZ9BBcTiiJv/s757/IMG_2177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQHRLHR59P_gM_YP8Vxl51BDt0NuVqz6GjUJ_SkPHryh3keJe8EV_3MeBrBy15ZQesPzwic6wYTsO0HIot65SHFq8kD7dNWq5_6KVok6abZrnILowmtHEBufq6fTPZSsgXPR0zmHTtccV5_iOHLm5mg_4AJdFJO3-einvUqrKthel6oVsISZ9BBcTiiJv/s320/IMG_2177.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Sorrento's Pizza <br />This is easily the best pizza at sea! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRabAEnfD851KPS42Ju-FPc5yqfzNmO5kkNtz_XZZCqpeJDNn-ZoohE0ZaLFz9voYsKHyPMVUO_l3-sMYDbzwwDCLrnDRzcTKrosVSFb76FJM21XwCgFqqcgbu2YeO0u-0DsX1AXoy1d91gcnof2eyuiy8Mbt2B2QTk9NGbl6xySEW0a_LmTCK5EhEQYIv/s757/IMG_2178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRabAEnfD851KPS42Ju-FPc5yqfzNmO5kkNtz_XZZCqpeJDNn-ZoohE0ZaLFz9voYsKHyPMVUO_l3-sMYDbzwwDCLrnDRzcTKrosVSFb76FJM21XwCgFqqcgbu2YeO0u-0DsX1AXoy1d91gcnof2eyuiy8Mbt2B2QTk9NGbl6xySEW0a_LmTCK5EhEQYIv/s320/IMG_2178.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Starbucks KIOSK. <br /><span style="color: red;">This is NOT included in any drink package and regular SB gift cards and points do not work here. Remember, the Cafe Promenade and Park Cafe serve the same specialty coffees. (Teas and other "pink drink" style offerings are NOT at Cafe Promenade or Park Cafe.) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kCRqAQ9DXgXUMrDtym3YXVNLa8moCMZRU_gaUOiY-OBckBhKdZwEFGqmy7TCMqJlAZPjH-IKN1BsmZq8HqSRZ6LArQMX7_98Wfi7jH2IIanvFEIdkcS37vaPnMS-r0kFuaMamGfBab7IiEz_N0MqJ7rZKDPdA-3lx0tFGtzjhCEk-U00E31fGXN2BT2D/s418/IMG_2053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kCRqAQ9DXgXUMrDtym3YXVNLa8moCMZRU_gaUOiY-OBckBhKdZwEFGqmy7TCMqJlAZPjH-IKN1BsmZq8HqSRZ6LArQMX7_98Wfi7jH2IIanvFEIdkcS37vaPnMS-r0kFuaMamGfBab7IiEz_N0MqJ7rZKDPdA-3lx0tFGtzjhCEk-U00E31fGXN2BT2D/s320/IMG_2053.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Boardwalk Dog House on <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n5jYcvLOyTYjxSczKrH4kqvJuCS4iJEIUE8aFDGOdMQ7e9_2FQDLSFMvLaPlwSueHzVT5SYwjWW4az5cnqAkfiCWjPJp2oH-I8sI84Bix8R7_N0o_2MmVlg6ymw2BGVLTiAKudppN7VeY-FzIw49M5mJMp5aY1r_6t1B19BKkl5NdKAyP8bv1v95lIc7/s757/IMG_2054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n5jYcvLOyTYjxSczKrH4kqvJuCS4iJEIUE8aFDGOdMQ7e9_2FQDLSFMvLaPlwSueHzVT5SYwjWW4az5cnqAkfiCWjPJp2oH-I8sI84Bix8R7_N0o_2MmVlg6ymw2BGVLTiAKudppN7VeY-FzIw49M5mJMp5aY1r_6t1B19BKkl5NdKAyP8bv1v95lIc7/s320/IMG_2054.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The set up of the Boardwalk Dog House</div></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_WaoTtp8KBKUSP0YcvoCrUPICfcHPFxH5Gta7dH6ubKe3eIZBuZsXv3K6vQ1sVCSvxRPjW0gIKePEnu_Hrs7XYXg2DNu5hxuoosiXxJXFSoJR_Ip8aRRCh-SQxsEZiCI61C45pjIFPxmy796XNGJzbcNPwLjIRdPm3T0ZaRojaZt2utHQTqUxvdhC_IL/s757/IMG_2179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_WaoTtp8KBKUSP0YcvoCrUPICfcHPFxH5Gta7dH6ubKe3eIZBuZsXv3K6vQ1sVCSvxRPjW0gIKePEnu_Hrs7XYXg2DNu5hxuoosiXxJXFSoJR_Ip8aRRCh-SQxsEZiCI61C45pjIFPxmy796XNGJzbcNPwLjIRdPm3T0ZaRojaZt2utHQTqUxvdhC_IL/s320/IMG_2179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Boardwalk Dog House standard "DOG". <br />This was really good and I was surprised it played so well! <br /><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went to ride the Allure <b><i>Carousel </i></b>in the middle of the <i>Boardwalk</i>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is another FREE option and it is open daily, even in port days. We enjoyed this and I know kids of all ages would love to ride this multiple times a day! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyjhfZMYtCQDkR3qXaQEXb-rrggVIdv4ax0AF0Z-5BlpUSrXFRwjezqCFOira9pBY3qAMpoz-Pw12SkWpcb33VDXey5N3BAjX9_fQ5V9TBagaXvZcfTJ9Tz0_E6LFXVsBOoHb5W1U-q8dpeplrZUeCtQ5ezf0fTQTrscNB5QJvJehiP3eqOnFa0YJHLJ0/s757/IMG_2182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyjhfZMYtCQDkR3qXaQEXb-rrggVIdv4ax0AF0Z-5BlpUSrXFRwjezqCFOira9pBY3qAMpoz-Pw12SkWpcb33VDXey5N3BAjX9_fQ5V9TBagaXvZcfTJ9Tz0_E6LFXVsBOoHb5W1U-q8dpeplrZUeCtQ5ezf0fTQTrscNB5QJvJehiP3eqOnFa0YJHLJ0/s320/IMG_2182.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span>Carousel</i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXZO94No-FydeEBP5Aud8_UMgDn69X0VQndtZoJkvotK5PDAzi0KGHTi2QSMqs7Hm78wsbRCSWfMR9krGRvSbeAQry8b9-pDDMG538yKtwY3cM9zVJLLF_edgAI7Gsuhpau6zSFPqMmNX943GkCRKXOfgmswtXxofreKSjrASB7GLujco91AE3W5OSjks/s757/IMG_2186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXZO94No-FydeEBP5Aud8_UMgDn69X0VQndtZoJkvotK5PDAzi0KGHTi2QSMqs7Hm78wsbRCSWfMR9krGRvSbeAQry8b9-pDDMG538yKtwY3cM9zVJLLF_edgAI7Gsuhpau6zSFPqMmNX943GkCRKXOfgmswtXxofreKSjrASB7GLujco91AE3W5OSjks/s320/IMG_2186.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Us "mid aged adults" are ready for this kids attraction! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oE-AYKoP6Qdkj1vVGC5VJtzFV6G4G0YEBRXuqOnk4y3wunavJwHA4j8fR0GpHczSEBxagd5DAydm2WfLcy4ESKX0wPbzqb3SskQO5cLCu3DW9Zoi4qZb6-kAuszThO6wbMxF_RnYcMxCht2dMch-k3C87YHjCJQRpy6c50Jb3wTZNfPNObXxkBeZio0z/s757/IMG_2187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oE-AYKoP6Qdkj1vVGC5VJtzFV6G4G0YEBRXuqOnk4y3wunavJwHA4j8fR0GpHczSEBxagd5DAydm2WfLcy4ESKX0wPbzqb3SskQO5cLCu3DW9Zoi4qZb6-kAuszThO6wbMxF_RnYcMxCht2dMch-k3C87YHjCJQRpy6c50Jb3wTZNfPNObXxkBeZio0z/s320/IMG_2187.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We rode on the "bench", haha! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our late afternoon snack and carousel ride we went back to the room to try and get a brief nap before we had to start getting ready for Formal Night. We both were able to get a 30-45 minute nap which helped with the exhaustion. </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening </span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got ready for formal night and did not go "<i>all out</i>" but rather just dressed up comfortable. We made our way to <b><i>Vintages </i></b>around 6:30PM for our pre-dinner drinks. <b>Roger</b>, our waiter, became a staple on our cruise. <i><span style="color: red;">He offered us a great FREE cheese plate and gave us great insight to some exceptional wines onboard. We loved going to Vintages NIGHTLY and Roger was just incredible. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnGcBueArY2TmPMyGLN1dDWiqARCSKXG4UgPPB-Q3EppGc4sUgNrMk-tRvP2BPm4DXBJT53bzM7g4t08L7qjViJDfi98hGjM6R6g7CnRRRjSgcwuR4gTH9hihpy-uaLbat4wKeRK9mrrI--M3_rL1P3jE27RS8M9Eq6nN1c9fOt7iZERe_3xJvq8YebjR/s568/IMG_2200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnGcBueArY2TmPMyGLN1dDWiqARCSKXG4UgPPB-Q3EppGc4sUgNrMk-tRvP2BPm4DXBJT53bzM7g4t08L7qjViJDfi98hGjM6R6g7CnRRRjSgcwuR4gTH9hihpy-uaLbat4wKeRK9mrrI--M3_rL1P3jE27RS8M9Eq6nN1c9fOt7iZERe_3xJvq8YebjR/s320/IMG_2200.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready for formal night! </b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlxb8X7IU04VVEdmRmLoGIeyoirH8Fui_nlw9fVXB_YdZg81MB5XIFxLBTNIYn5BQCShuqxwtRG-g6-pa8hi-S7_19OyyQTzQlxFhandimaLGv9w4OoZdRu2bvLsXbYTcwVjA4D98whbsNpJXE3LbcpSawgnHFvQDo_5WYok_pavoHkSc0nCWtM5005ds/s757/IMG_2196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlxb8X7IU04VVEdmRmLoGIeyoirH8Fui_nlw9fVXB_YdZg81MB5XIFxLBTNIYn5BQCShuqxwtRG-g6-pa8hi-S7_19OyyQTzQlxFhandimaLGv9w4OoZdRu2bvLsXbYTcwVjA4D98whbsNpJXE3LbcpSawgnHFvQDo_5WYok_pavoHkSc0nCWtM5005ds/s320/IMG_2196.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>I LOVE all of the LIVE music in Central Park. <br />This sailing featured both a saxophone soloist and a BRASS BIG BAND! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqqStolRg_kRc0xelg0_35jFPORSKZk_D6esNqLKvJJMwg37UwC_WtSgMt7XuUsKEPgcfJ52OUqMpZYqe6FOZRJMlbDKmKeQs2sc9wKq0-pk1-fTeTw9oUZ7NPj9I3eMwxoHE82Yi4ImKH4o9ZhAxkbz5soA0dwq6eXSUaTm84Ccjj5wcicolLJK_4JmF/s568/IMG_2197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqqStolRg_kRc0xelg0_35jFPORSKZk_D6esNqLKvJJMwg37UwC_WtSgMt7XuUsKEPgcfJ52OUqMpZYqe6FOZRJMlbDKmKeQs2sc9wKq0-pk1-fTeTw9oUZ7NPj9I3eMwxoHE82Yi4ImKH4o9ZhAxkbz5soA0dwq6eXSUaTm84Ccjj5wcicolLJK_4JmF/s320/IMG_2197.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>The Vintages cheese tapas plate (FREE)</b></div></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then made our way to the <b><i>Main Dining Room</i></b> for formal night dinner. Our waiter, <b>Oliver </b>from Kenya, was really good and did a great job with time maintenance. We arrived at 7:50PM and we were out the door shortly after 9PM, <i>which is practically unheard for a formal night on a cruise ship. </i>The food was really good and we enjoyed the new menus <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean </span></i></b>recently started across the fleet. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjao796XosIMbH-Dui_RCDeqYirovag8SM9SJDfVtnikZTtvW6FF-AVpG_Tzf5vORSYh5HIFR7aIWDaMdsT_TD9rRoyqGgdCARh_ICLVP8flMH_lEB6uezdjDTC2BIaXs8n1ROZf5m2UnPXBR2L53A8ieme6KYPLNVB3fzl7SUJ4ip6CcJdozR7kbbvaZra/s568/IMG_2202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjao796XosIMbH-Dui_RCDeqYirovag8SM9SJDfVtnikZTtvW6FF-AVpG_Tzf5vORSYh5HIFR7aIWDaMdsT_TD9rRoyqGgdCARh_ICLVP8flMH_lEB6uezdjDTC2BIaXs8n1ROZf5m2UnPXBR2L53A8ieme6KYPLNVB3fzl7SUJ4ip6CcJdozR7kbbvaZra/s320/IMG_2202.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>The Main Dining Room Night #2 (Formal 1) on<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Allure of the Seas</span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT--iC-ZqPlUOuaBgqHL-RZPizrBxAwbdaYKLYA9eHk2ea5Cs-gy-g2x_zv0gwLdC_QpYQ2CW0uC_3Bo1nQCl6AUiHX0rCFXK1Z-7HZrYEkAumeKlOieCDY0R855Su-rJHVfUtX51TP3r2Yk2gwoSQIra6VoOoz_LXc0z7-Q-xgcAAnNfaZa4T6FSCCwvE/s757/IMG_2203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT--iC-ZqPlUOuaBgqHL-RZPizrBxAwbdaYKLYA9eHk2ea5Cs-gy-g2x_zv0gwLdC_QpYQ2CW0uC_3Bo1nQCl6AUiHX0rCFXK1Z-7HZrYEkAumeKlOieCDY0R855Su-rJHVfUtX51TP3r2Yk2gwoSQIra6VoOoz_LXc0z7-Q-xgcAAnNfaZa4T6FSCCwvE/s320/IMG_2203.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Calamari- 4.5<br />This is always a WIN for us </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXHpuXI_ktwZm3KnQT3fxmU3juXpYk9vJCQfRsARU89cCG36VKGp3ehePdiRPDG3nIaebZvQy8dCOaOLFxRjaom_xj_Fpd38upC4QMSWJPeq8HcQYeDnZ3v15vN57s9M7wMfxyoAGt8sIHgiaQ9ziNn77xOfCV4JSmLXqGKGAC7qCsIyfSjPlNOaiPm3P/s757/IMG_2204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXHpuXI_ktwZm3KnQT3fxmU3juXpYk9vJCQfRsARU89cCG36VKGp3ehePdiRPDG3nIaebZvQy8dCOaOLFxRjaom_xj_Fpd38upC4QMSWJPeq8HcQYeDnZ3v15vN57s9M7wMfxyoAGt8sIHgiaQ9ziNn77xOfCV4JSmLXqGKGAC7qCsIyfSjPlNOaiPm3P/s320/IMG_2204.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Classic Caesar Salad- 4.0<br />This always hit the spot</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSxnsivxQEl8pxQZzHsOhS2a5zvjEiawDeIGadGKN5_8YChDeh2j8mi29iAYOl6dsICHWyuDAXHykMIq642A5AXNwXoi4RRo7x3bsnq5KMYfoRUZXw7uPqd7GJ-3gOKy59Z70xcLTX8tSpTWqPcTJuwE758AEL_Pa1NzuZjL0VeXGD9wp1NPhyF4bCqWb/s757/IMG_2206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSxnsivxQEl8pxQZzHsOhS2a5zvjEiawDeIGadGKN5_8YChDeh2j8mi29iAYOl6dsICHWyuDAXHykMIq642A5AXNwXoi4RRo7x3bsnq5KMYfoRUZXw7uPqd7GJ-3gOKy59Z70xcLTX8tSpTWqPcTJuwE758AEL_Pa1NzuZjL0VeXGD9wp1NPhyF4bCqWb/s320/IMG_2206.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Roasted Beef Tenderloin-4.5<br />This was really good but not anywhere close to the one from the previous night in Park 150</i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-JtymXPjgaHvUgvUHfNqr5GkcmpzZ-MEcwRaj-vIVKZPKZJEwDmgbaCNMBXZy4_x1n9MjfbJG0p8AFSt1Y9qh0y0iC73QUtd3PiDLYI0KI9gnGpuMGMJMgU-ix4iAGWpeQcKZI2PDJWJec2jhkK7wW3hdjl8cRdrdOOo-4wDilAU5csIgrn4p9PgEPNG/s757/IMG_2207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-JtymXPjgaHvUgvUHfNqr5GkcmpzZ-MEcwRaj-vIVKZPKZJEwDmgbaCNMBXZy4_x1n9MjfbJG0p8AFSt1Y9qh0y0iC73QUtd3PiDLYI0KI9gnGpuMGMJMgU-ix4iAGWpeQcKZI2PDJWJec2jhkK7wW3hdjl8cRdrdOOo-4wDilAU5csIgrn4p9PgEPNG/s320/IMG_2207.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Creme Brulee-4.5<br />One of my all-time favorites of <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean. </span></b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner we took a short walk around the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> before going back to the room so Chris could take his meds. We were determined this time to NOT fall asleep so we were only in the room for about 15 minutes before going to the <b>Schooner Bar</b> to see <b>Iputu </b>and try and listen to the piano player. <i><span style="color: red;">This piano player turned out to be the worst musician we have EVER heard on a cruise ship</span></i> but we enjoyed sitting at the bar and talking to <b>Iputu</b> and <b>Matthew</b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Iputu makes the BEST strawberry mojitos. We stayed here talking to Iputu until well past midnight and then called it a day. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got back to our room, <b>Vian</b>, our steward, had added and additional layer of "comfort" to the bed and we were ready to try again for better sleep. We would settle for even a slight improvement. Thanks <b>Vian</b>! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">This was a very chill day but it was just what we needed. The older we get and the more we cruise, the more we choose to just rest, relax and not rush the sea days! </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">Up Next- Sea Day #2 and JULY 4th spent at sea! </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-56039355869458143222023-08-05T18:00:00.000-05:002023-08-05T18:00:46.863-05:00The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Galveston<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u> Mega Ship- Tiny Cabin</u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sunday, July 2, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Embarkation- Galveston</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcfIEGrgomArEGgc6x3zvGWgKfFR6nxe5b7g99kak-P5Qm6mbRKW1KU7rzzKPocO1kHQtXxEu-gdvySB1JbVE8ZFjASVvKuocRV7gE_DGCb1zWSGVtcCWw3C2nZbeX_7ZdT98Fp29udtJ1Srs26iJZBUNUcJh3aJATHnz0400vCRprr_E5HTuTx-1EXAX/s418/IMG_2098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcfIEGrgomArEGgc6x3zvGWgKfFR6nxe5b7g99kak-P5Qm6mbRKW1KU7rzzKPocO1kHQtXxEu-gdvySB1JbVE8ZFjASVvKuocRV7gE_DGCb1zWSGVtcCWw3C2nZbeX_7ZdT98Fp29udtJ1Srs26iJZBUNUcJh3aJATHnz0400vCRprr_E5HTuTx-1EXAX/s320/IMG_2098.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's CRUISE TIME... Cruise #22 HERE WE COME! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was finally embarkation day and we were so excited. <i>This cruise was planned somewhat short notice for us and it proved to be quite the pain near the start of the trip.</i> We did <u>not</u> take the kids as we normally cruise alone during the summer while the kids are with their grandparents and this cruise was no different. Except that Chris's dad, Dan, fell and broke his arm about a week prior to our cruise. This meant plans had to be rearranged and at one point I wondered if it was all worth it, but it all worked out. <br /><i>(And Chris's dad has now had surgery and is doing well). </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We left the house at a much later time of 8:45AM as we had an arrival time of 11:30AM, <i>which is about an hour later than we like to arrival at a terminal</i>. We made our traditional stop at <i style="font-weight: bold;">Kolache Factory </i>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Buccee's</i> and were on the island by 10:30AM. We reserved parking with the Port of Galveston at the North Parking lot near terminal 10. <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- This parking is AMAZING and so worth the extra $25-30 in our opinion. There is no need to drop off luggage and you can literally walk to the terminal from your parking spot faster than you can even get on a shuttle from the other lots. We paid $156 for the week; which I will admit is VERY pricey but we have learned in the last year of cruising out of Galveston that ALL of the parking has gone up about 30-40% across the board.</span></b></i> <br />Book HERE- <a href="https://www.portofgalveston.com/240/onlinespecial?gclid=CjwKCAjwh8mlBhB_EiwAsztdBGQycr4PGuUnZ0eUYNLkMhnkkeXwq-s-6ObGkfmDj97LmkaSBT_psxoCBrwQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Port of Galveston- Parking</a><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEtgX3KnM0RNlQkCH69DryKJZMxopDRgDeuAmvQUJkKBjcMOdLjfoKU3SVkArpSGi3KxQLZnCmcCAECxkozkVKGFm_voRTDYbEOPeWJVMl14mcMBFBdh47Im9t2yFjgP1n2LJ8DkV1TJkHIbMh3sgZdJ6gq5K2oi6lK1E9NsLgVsz1p7Y5m664r0huj-E/s625/IMG_2041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEtgX3KnM0RNlQkCH69DryKJZMxopDRgDeuAmvQUJkKBjcMOdLjfoKU3SVkArpSGi3KxQLZnCmcCAECxkozkVKGFm_voRTDYbEOPeWJVMl14mcMBFBdh47Im9t2yFjgP1n2LJ8DkV1TJkHIbMh3sgZdJ6gq5K2oi6lK1E9NsLgVsz1p7Y5m664r0huj-E/s320/IMG_2041.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>You know what this means... We are ALMOST there! <br />This sign always gives me a real HIG</i></b><i><b>H</b></i>! </div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We were parked and walking into the cruise terminal at <b>11:02AM</b>. We literally <i>blew </i>right through security, check in and were on the ship hearing the first DING at 11:15AM. We never stopped, not even once. This may be our new routine sailing out of Galveston as this was probably the EASIEST embarkation we have EVER had! <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- the check in for a cruise opens 45 days prior to sailing date and it opens at midnight (MIAMI TIME). If you want a good arrival time, it might be wise to stay up late to reserve the arrival window you want. We usually opt for the earliest time available but this 11:30AM time slot was GOLDEN!</span></b></i> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we were onboard the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b>, we walked on to the ship right at the center of the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> and immediately got in line to settle our pre-purchased Specialty Dining Package. <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- We purchased the 3 night Specialty dining and a "courtesy" reservation was made for the 1st night. We wanted to ensure we got not only the times we wanted for all 3 dinners but I was a little worried on a ship of over 6K passengers we may not get the actual restaurants we wanted.</span></b></i> We had to wait in line about 10 minutes we got all 3 restaurants and times we wanted: <i><b>150 Central Park</b></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">, Chops Grille </i>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Giovanni's Table. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After we finalized our reservations we strolled around the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> and then made our way to deck 6 aft for the <b><i>Boardwalk</i></b>. This was a very good time to stroll through here as the ship was still very empty and we got great pictures of this cool area. <i>However, it WAS Texas and it was 105* so it was very hot. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Ahsmo2jF-AlJxEuUGVJT4o4Ysmmdz-uZLUr_EirnKc6UEv4Cy5-xhZsGlXST4xInlF8iSfUGex7O7PsACKwF7uA_rng5d_rSAKKSTUPin3YSSNGJBjyO4ukpQZxE20WDpgSRyRlv4mCaZ8uLg1YjMvm5xxtWR1q3Vr3doIv5I0L2YdCp578xcycoasK/s757/IMG_2050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Ahsmo2jF-AlJxEuUGVJT4o4Ysmmdz-uZLUr_EirnKc6UEv4Cy5-xhZsGlXST4xInlF8iSfUGex7O7PsACKwF7uA_rng5d_rSAKKSTUPin3YSSNGJBjyO4ukpQZxE20WDpgSRyRlv4mCaZ8uLg1YjMvm5xxtWR1q3Vr3doIv5I0L2YdCp578xcycoasK/s320/IMG_2050.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We loved this area of the ship! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglp1mqodsyByTCd_TprarZ_rPe7-gc-mDpw9_Ewtyl7EuE72sIQCAqKgAaxSWPakdbGj_EF5QsXrgdMqYuFKxJd6HzGfC3cKubP9EtEkMyF9Vpvn6f6DWlc6Cmqz24WuTsdKcFGArGw8xehkGtJKB0FW3UwrMyTHOsd4hJQz8HAId-JaupbA6bYh_8fSEj/s568/IMG_2052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglp1mqodsyByTCd_TprarZ_rPe7-gc-mDpw9_Ewtyl7EuE72sIQCAqKgAaxSWPakdbGj_EF5QsXrgdMqYuFKxJd6HzGfC3cKubP9EtEkMyF9Vpvn6f6DWlc6Cmqz24WuTsdKcFGArGw8xehkGtJKB0FW3UwrMyTHOsd4hJQz8HAId-JaupbA6bYh_8fSEj/s320/IMG_2052.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello from our first MEGA-SHIP! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXJG30nBHWli69l0hV04rnkMMzU56s9ZkmonnyP6AFo7aVmxzGh5mkiPoZdy-lKc3RU21SLbwDGUSpYRa-3ATJg647yAZTKI7kLwCzPuM_2J2glP9STPR2eixArtemWrU9v2UdhZX8Famk1TNQeXaMhGXFkrwgq7LQ2Cpa9LzpGRv3OM_rkYXBziEpwGG/s757/IMG_2053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXJG30nBHWli69l0hV04rnkMMzU56s9ZkmonnyP6AFo7aVmxzGh5mkiPoZdy-lKc3RU21SLbwDGUSpYRa-3ATJg647yAZTKI7kLwCzPuM_2J2glP9STPR2eixArtemWrU9v2UdhZX8Famk1TNQeXaMhGXFkrwgq7LQ2Cpa9LzpGRv3OM_rkYXBziEpwGG/s320/IMG_2053.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Boardwalk Doghouse- Deck 6 Aft <br />I will discuss more in Day 2 but this is a GREAT option for lunch and the dogs were GREAT!</i></b> </div></span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we made our way to <b><i>Central Park</i></b>, we stopped at <b><i>Tullis Bar</i></b> and got our first drink of our drink package. <i><span style="color: red;">TIP- We decided to go ahead and get the drink package as it really is a good deal if you are going to drink on average 5 drinks per day AND the bottled water, specialty coffee and sports drinks; all of which we had multiple times a day. Royal Caribbean drink packages are priced fairly high at $82/ person/ night (plus tips) but it is literally ALL inclusive and again worth you money if you are going to be having a few drinks throughout the day, at dinner and enjoy a good specialty coffee and bottled water. <b>Also, RCCL often has sales on their drink packages but I have rarely seen it lower than $73.99/ person/ day. Other cruise lines offer a LOWER set daily cost but they also LIMIT the number of drinks you can order! We never really reached that limit in the past but something to keep in mind!</b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsua8wvmGQOIvCgNRv9jut-Mh-BEjzCur6gqISLMSUjL641IHZZkWvdd3jDEnNgYMdkFVXxdAAqRpus1_ONP4wUU-IpeMcawkGzCLaVHyUkV7NfiSMdlQBimOs2lLZ3OBGDA89gEWNnrMo5DM7m7F3RGb-t9zE-_qK6fvYVXSpUfX17OHN6_q5v3CoCp0X/s757/IMG_2055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsua8wvmGQOIvCgNRv9jut-Mh-BEjzCur6gqISLMSUjL641IHZZkWvdd3jDEnNgYMdkFVXxdAAqRpus1_ONP4wUU-IpeMcawkGzCLaVHyUkV7NfiSMdlQBimOs2lLZ3OBGDA89gEWNnrMo5DM7m7F3RGb-t9zE-_qK6fvYVXSpUfX17OHN6_q5v3CoCp0X/s320/IMG_2055.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A very quiet and uninterrupted view of Central Park <br />11:30AM Embarkation Day</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFuaI-Nh2y5zYHEjgQKHWS8fzxaFm8958Fg9WiiPRqunEC4XTSmKx_w1EvbEIH6YHYmMIhzStFgHMFLGqEOJ_KM--QHDAWhH1GWtumpc6h5kjQrBnyfhBfa3nHvjYoZPDD8N-F_yUJN337t9xgayLNgvLLjn_5ZaCn5OlEPhEN_eXafVspUSlEzFqUHTl/s757/IMG_2057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: red; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFuaI-Nh2y5zYHEjgQKHWS8fzxaFm8958Fg9WiiPRqunEC4XTSmKx_w1EvbEIH6YHYmMIhzStFgHMFLGqEOJ_KM--QHDAWhH1GWtumpc6h5kjQrBnyfhBfa3nHvjYoZPDD8N-F_yUJN337t9xgayLNgvLLjn_5ZaCn5OlEPhEN_eXafVspUSlEzFqUHTl/s320/IMG_2057.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Seriously Central Park is SO GORGEOUS! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMxw9-lazWL5TS40c7mXEGFVJ2yJNuTQvWB4vclQqyG2czwpn5zp3K8BKFqsxmwHTSs8A0Olfzovh4sgId3y8anNW1LXcEsIWeBeLwMOwPfLb-TosQnEQ1c6NKzCnXCVc_BYeQZK1h8BCZJIiA6khG68Bv7r2wuPxfgeBL0Wep5eCHcQX8mqvDiQR-83w/s568/IMG_2063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMxw9-lazWL5TS40c7mXEGFVJ2yJNuTQvWB4vclQqyG2czwpn5zp3K8BKFqsxmwHTSs8A0Olfzovh4sgId3y8anNW1LXcEsIWeBeLwMOwPfLb-TosQnEQ1c6NKzCnXCVc_BYeQZK1h8BCZJIiA6khG68Bv7r2wuPxfgeBL0Wep5eCHcQX8mqvDiQR-83w/s320/IMG_2063.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="color: red;">The Texas Drink menu <br />*Texas law requires only TEXAS liquors to be sold in Texas waters. This means no "top-shelf" but we don't care! This is still a great variety. </span><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then made our way to the <b><i>Park Café</i></b> on Deck 8 inside <b><i>Central Park</i></b> for a much more relaxed embarkation day lunch. This café offered made to order salads (think Salata), hand carved meats for sandwiches, soups and lighter fare. Plus they offered specialty coffees and teas all of which included a MUCH lighter flow of traffic. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to check this place out for breakfast and a quick port day lunch as it was hardly EVER crowded and the food was excellent! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By this time it was past noon but the staterooms were still not ready so we found our way to <b><i>Boleros on Deck 5 Midship</i></b>. We sat in this bar enjoying the Latin vibe and music until they announced rooms were ready at 1PM. We then went to our stateroom- Deck 10-679; an inside stateroom. This was booked through our travel agent as a "<i>guarantee</i>" room but was a block of rooms for <i>Cruises Only</i> with Cheryl our agent. It was a GREAT location just a few rooms from the elevator. However, it was a TINY inside room and <u>not </u>the standard inside cabins that are found on the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Oasis </span></i></b>class ships. In fact it was so tiny that our steward suggested separating the beds to make more space. Furthermore, it did not offer the cruise industry standard of 3 closets, drawers and other organizing factors. Nope... It had 1 closet with 2 shelves, zero drawers and that's it. We were flabbergasted at how tiny it really was. <u>BUT, it was COLD.</u> And it remained pretty cold (for a cruise ship cabin) throughout the cruise. All of our luggage arrived by 1:45PM and I had the room unpacked and ready (in other words just piles of clothes this time) by shortly after 2PM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went up to the "<i>Lido</i>" deck and meandered around the pool deck seeing what all the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span></i></b>had to offer. This truly was a MEGA ship as it was so large and offered SO MUCH. There were literally 4 pools onboard and while we watched the videos at home, I thought the pools were tiny but<i><span style="color: red;"> they were surprisingly big!</span></i> We then wondered upon the <b><i>Wipeout Café</i></b> on Deck 15 AFT. This was a quick café offering tacos, nachos, quesadillas and other "tex-mex" options and snacks. I expected it to be awful but we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the quesadillas especially. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Don't sleep on this one. It is WAY better than the buffet and FASTER. It is only open certain hours each day and very few hours while in port but SO GOOD! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeksSnzX8bgAy7FLhYp9ZPERBK5f7nOzLJhxBvJVvIUWI1TONkJtr0dZtLY13ANZyYhF4ZmbJTtWNplJST8jvMRJ9ZCRbqmV-kee90ygv-J2hO_664W9tfcaAsIxhvW9DGKOSHHIpPadSxeuaWthOmrF32R5QBbZO9e-IfouxRWF6pR0dXPrdWEDGzqRC/s1010/IMG_2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeksSnzX8bgAy7FLhYp9ZPERBK5f7nOzLJhxBvJVvIUWI1TONkJtr0dZtLY13ANZyYhF4ZmbJTtWNplJST8jvMRJ9ZCRbqmV-kee90ygv-J2hO_664W9tfcaAsIxhvW9DGKOSHHIpPadSxeuaWthOmrF32R5QBbZO9e-IfouxRWF6pR0dXPrdWEDGzqRC/s320/IMG_2068.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />The Wipeout Cafe on Deck 15 AFT.<br />WE LOVED THIS PLACE! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QHM6-q7pDRvJeBzppdzUS7ZVEmw9YXFYwdjohSbsIz-6xzx3GUteeZGcEiukN7EhuAJrU-S_5Kq030haPRrIfKQ-Hz2tF3C03uAXZt_fdejFjq3PXxuB1hmf3LXXVSmHQpZzdxbXaojm1IBJu2VhN_-DYIXT_PEYSP9rHT_xqbXlJs8-9i509qmpFy97/s1010/IMG_2071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QHM6-q7pDRvJeBzppdzUS7ZVEmw9YXFYwdjohSbsIz-6xzx3GUteeZGcEiukN7EhuAJrU-S_5Kq030haPRrIfKQ-Hz2tF3C03uAXZt_fdejFjq3PXxuB1hmf3LXXVSmHQpZzdxbXaojm1IBJu2VhN_-DYIXT_PEYSP9rHT_xqbXlJs8-9i509qmpFy97/s320/IMG_2071.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />There's lots of great options here! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMHofXZmqn_7uhipXGBi5kt6Nv17diIjhkt-2M-4qnI6GIBrJonNlqNqsx5ZVLt1VDMl6d2_eP48xEcadYGKHtz1Krw7s7siZFDz3WVubZVYvyF-xBWNCAB_1n22oGYLxlfjnNQGjCwqy5lVFpEOTo1Y8upEjYJII2h69wyYkZt9GOkztoCB_790mbPSr/s757/IMG_2073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMHofXZmqn_7uhipXGBi5kt6Nv17diIjhkt-2M-4qnI6GIBrJonNlqNqsx5ZVLt1VDMl6d2_eP48xEcadYGKHtz1Krw7s7siZFDz3WVubZVYvyF-xBWNCAB_1n22oGYLxlfjnNQGjCwqy5lVFpEOTo1Y8upEjYJII2h69wyYkZt9GOkztoCB_790mbPSr/s320/IMG_2073.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved the nachos! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_7knTXjdQKxDAJP5QnogT60R-WVKuFpNoPFsplyLhLzq0DSvWHbQBtPBYV9b9lEdGBrxNRnEVNxVktPaWfEtqGixjVROcOKiEQhEHFWjoLEVnAECW9-QVThnyYskZeS3LqAgcL9F3tSva21spvR2J9KDH2dwsi9cit_NCtZGbeNyDOF80-By8DH8quTu/s757/IMG_2074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_7knTXjdQKxDAJP5QnogT60R-WVKuFpNoPFsplyLhLzq0DSvWHbQBtPBYV9b9lEdGBrxNRnEVNxVktPaWfEtqGixjVROcOKiEQhEHFWjoLEVnAECW9-QVThnyYskZeS3LqAgcL9F3tSva21spvR2J9KDH2dwsi9cit_NCtZGbeNyDOF80-By8DH8quTu/s320/IMG_2074.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It is almost sailing time, we are ready! </div><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoe1_GsEqVE4_l01MrBT0326UCd8uE9SCMwqROmgQGoQHMkYPvsCQnCUSmV76ZZjSPmERgoluhNht7KYNctHYL0xM9RCULvI75fm5F85KnxmCD0mjHfI45ZlRIE-xUpzpL3sJp5BbXfghENBF_P6VTUHrD56cQy7svF-l1EuI7AZvqBb0NJ8QTjhFk5KK/s757/IMG_2075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoe1_GsEqVE4_l01MrBT0326UCd8uE9SCMwqROmgQGoQHMkYPvsCQnCUSmV76ZZjSPmERgoluhNht7KYNctHYL0xM9RCULvI75fm5F85KnxmCD0mjHfI45ZlRIE-xUpzpL3sJp5BbXfghENBF_P6VTUHrD56cQy7svF-l1EuI7AZvqBb0NJ8QTjhFk5KK/s320/IMG_2075.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Wipeout Bar near the Flowriders in the very back of the ship! I love the double Flowriders and the ample seating available. <span style="color: red;">It is NOT shaded but it is nice to have additional seating if your kids are at the FR non-stop! </span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ucj5sPKJKqcIH11vpzankAmRW4GRwZqlZlHgy_Mm1JfV8_-X7ZfdFKUISgMyePIQWWztIqVp_De9z2p_PRjvjMTZwZ1Hc6wXfeOv7nOEFtzXn-lGxrhLRQeqomR_Sbio9N-hc3zuJcQWf3hnqlzz_9pq9GFn8Icl-De3Tb-mXzDqIa3fwOVnSaz2kuS/s757/IMG_2076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ucj5sPKJKqcIH11vpzankAmRW4GRwZqlZlHgy_Mm1JfV8_-X7ZfdFKUISgMyePIQWWztIqVp_De9z2p_PRjvjMTZwZ1Hc6wXfeOv7nOEFtzXn-lGxrhLRQeqomR_Sbio9N-hc3zuJcQWf3hnqlzz_9pq9GFn8Icl-De3Tb-mXzDqIa3fwOVnSaz2kuS/s320/IMG_2076.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of the Aqua Theater from Deck 15 above. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry5WT4pJh_w18qGo5hRPu2pSg1pJNizb4vyZWgVYVEaPW5DLEZkqf7I1K0cbtsgUsCwQsVtRdnjTnzRbGvY3CGIcNNqDg3PYzTeIzgYBxzlL6TAn_AhyRDiAWvTk2fRajfAwIMARS_ugaS1M4D7_VqunVKYOdzX6_3Qku1ElU2TNDbc7XZy9qTm1i8dIs/s757/IMG_2078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry5WT4pJh_w18qGo5hRPu2pSg1pJNizb4vyZWgVYVEaPW5DLEZkqf7I1K0cbtsgUsCwQsVtRdnjTnzRbGvY3CGIcNNqDg3PYzTeIzgYBxzlL6TAn_AhyRDiAWvTk2fRajfAwIMARS_ugaS1M4D7_VqunVKYOdzX6_3Qku1ElU2TNDbc7XZy9qTm1i8dIs/s320/IMG_2078.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span>Dunes<br /><span style="color: red;">TIP- If you want to play a round, do this EARLY in the cruise as 6K+ others want to play as well! </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxL_pBNlgzIuA2juuc9iQ5ecwVX9UebPXpHZRiackwo4EUOmG-EqXFdwIzXHvhcTS8NrPqsBjGlqjeTpj8K0Dotglcy-BQZHWRqEb9uUIfUBklrCMwLRtnnCM_Zwek3VQeMn-C37GjFmfL_VNiW9InkozizSMNi0W6TA4CIPXhPd3b0Mv4_IMZE3L4Elzq/s757/IMG_2079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxL_pBNlgzIuA2juuc9iQ5ecwVX9UebPXpHZRiackwo4EUOmG-EqXFdwIzXHvhcTS8NrPqsBjGlqjeTpj8K0Dotglcy-BQZHWRqEb9uUIfUBklrCMwLRtnnCM_Zwek3VQeMn-C37GjFmfL_VNiW9InkozizSMNi0W6TA4CIPXhPd3b0Mv4_IMZE3L4Elzq/s320/IMG_2079.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view of the Boardwalk area and Aqua Theater from Deck 15 aft. </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The rest of the afternoon we spent exploring the ship and trying to get a feel for the layout prior to even setting sail. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is probably my biggest suggestion, especially for a MEGA ship, is to get the layout and feel for the ship EARLY in the cruise so you are not constantly asking "Which way is XXX".</span></i></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIr6lefwUWgjg4y5_e4Y7I9wh2Kr4R_pJKaPtYpNAQmAqts8okoa5sMQ32p5VtmR5p844f4iWID7G5xHVHf30O1zAVQSn06Wyi_OCGMCGP1XfRccpPJ8AgH_dcP_ShP5JiTBwA9hiv5eMu-m5Fg8CdY1ckKoEF-3eCVZSuhVclE_Q8I6_L4Hd4M9zUJoE/s757/IMG_2081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIr6lefwUWgjg4y5_e4Y7I9wh2Kr4R_pJKaPtYpNAQmAqts8okoa5sMQ32p5VtmR5p844f4iWID7G5xHVHf30O1zAVQSn06Wyi_OCGMCGP1XfRccpPJ8AgH_dcP_ShP5JiTBwA9hiv5eMu-m5Fg8CdY1ckKoEF-3eCVZSuhVclE_Q8I6_L4Hd4M9zUJoE/s320/IMG_2081.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>A RARE view of the ginormous hot-tubs near the Solarium! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qtWWSGMjwpokeVnn6qL1yQLFrgLw6ka8NMKoMgRpJLQbemPGncLHMBJRASx0q_caQ3S2e2zW663WJnZMDmGHusf1X-zfbYsPMnY4eMr4PBCAOyixFrbUqbXpXM1xRFJTCtxQ3LViXJPvnROVpBih2dRut1tX5MLf-f6p_n2HX1Ue5og85zp54_i4ipX7/s757/IMG_2082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qtWWSGMjwpokeVnn6qL1yQLFrgLw6ka8NMKoMgRpJLQbemPGncLHMBJRASx0q_caQ3S2e2zW663WJnZMDmGHusf1X-zfbYsPMnY4eMr4PBCAOyixFrbUqbXpXM1xRFJTCtxQ3LViXJPvnROVpBih2dRut1tX5MLf-f6p_n2HX1Ue5og85zp54_i4ipX7/s320/IMG_2082.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The Solarium Bistro<br /><span style="color: red;">I will discuss this more on Day 2 but this is another HIDDEN GEM and was quiet, clean and never crowded! </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12_1OIiyurwb5uOSrc2JNFQDVBLTu5Cdf6vEyfcDSLrmgNXUeOYWPiZvzXTqQ8qp9wgSMKGw6i7XNatfcN94EqWw4yLuKnMQvV_UYuS1s3T8un4d6XkaYrAHuZ1GO3DPIzy3fSPabUGqgCEcmAXIx2tuoq33F4QYxcwXxXm_dP93OjfsUxriLG_gwwK24/s757/IMG_2084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12_1OIiyurwb5uOSrc2JNFQDVBLTu5Cdf6vEyfcDSLrmgNXUeOYWPiZvzXTqQ8qp9wgSMKGw6i7XNatfcN94EqWw4yLuKnMQvV_UYuS1s3T8un4d6XkaYrAHuZ1GO3DPIzy3fSPabUGqgCEcmAXIx2tuoq33F4QYxcwXxXm_dP93OjfsUxriLG_gwwK24/s320/IMG_2084.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the Main Pool from Deck 16. <br />This is the largest of the 4 pools and is on Deck 15 midship (PORT) side. </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW24mKqar8ZJPoZ3YYdMhB7Ma1xYWvDwPigT8uCNZ9IuEq5olwzXyZ7x8fB_qeC1TJjTAtRNzUCm-cGcduM8Xmww7LvIgUGnUzUdFGQ78OdN2fdl_bSw39dWoXwnu6G0x5A8W_Rwqq79hdL7rs0prmVCaKR8O8Vci5AG-DbnKhMHVFboOcKrpaY4O1QQmT/s757/IMG_2090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW24mKqar8ZJPoZ3YYdMhB7Ma1xYWvDwPigT8uCNZ9IuEq5olwzXyZ7x8fB_qeC1TJjTAtRNzUCm-cGcduM8Xmww7LvIgUGnUzUdFGQ78OdN2fdl_bSw39dWoXwnu6G0x5A8W_Rwqq79hdL7rs0prmVCaKR8O8Vci5AG-DbnKhMHVFboOcKrpaY4O1QQmT/s320/IMG_2090.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>A view of the Royal Promenade and the Rising Tides Bar. </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the things we did <u>not </u>like about the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span></i></b>was the lack of a real "<i>lanai</i>" deck. They offered a jogging track on Deck 5 and it was covered but it did not have ANY chairs and no real space to stop and admire the ocean as you sailed by. This is one of my favorite things about the <b style="color: #2b00fe; font-style: italic;">Voyager </b>and <b style="color: #2b00fe; font-style: italic;">Freedom class RCCL</b> ships and almost all of the <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival </span></i></b>ships. This was non-existent on the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span></i></b>and perhaps the biggest disappointment of the ship in our opinion.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOSr-MZSJ5QkfMw6qBQ0ODWTeTlVirkaHtOU9aK7Mz8clvPZ4RmfvqtoMDg8-RrcTa4EpAi4fWPrQAMB5o95rdggphMNgGQR3Whd_RTdNDrV2eRLwARp-TRtHKxOGi5boHc7hAkzsgyfA0ufBG6hbAVZSIDIxlxy4_zLOqfNEQ0MhHRbkzaugNYut3FX8/s757/IMG_2089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOSr-MZSJ5QkfMw6qBQ0ODWTeTlVirkaHtOU9aK7Mz8clvPZ4RmfvqtoMDg8-RrcTa4EpAi4fWPrQAMB5o95rdggphMNgGQR3Whd_RTdNDrV2eRLwARp-TRtHKxOGi5boHc7hAkzsgyfA0ufBG6hbAVZSIDIxlxy4_zLOqfNEQ0MhHRbkzaugNYut3FX8/s320/IMG_2089.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready to set sail... Let's do this! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM3ui6GKa5HnXbQP0jt8YQQw23pDMMn1fIGnOSA3uGLbTZNWXmxPKHdFeEhhDUB8oruQ7cl09CUFOL44MpcSpBTTmr1Hk5v4fS24C30faF3G4knFtwnJIeyr7SHy8Nza3eg4kLewfGBLGu2rBPZzABWyUhIgtmUv-PNbB6AZFeiR9SUvcMCcavvZK3UeO/s568/IMG_2105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM3ui6GKa5HnXbQP0jt8YQQw23pDMMn1fIGnOSA3uGLbTZNWXmxPKHdFeEhhDUB8oruQ7cl09CUFOL44MpcSpBTTmr1Hk5v4fS24C30faF3G4knFtwnJIeyr7SHy8Nza3eg4kLewfGBLGu2rBPZzABWyUhIgtmUv-PNbB6AZFeiR9SUvcMCcavvZK3UeO/s320/IMG_2105.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the jogging track on Deck 5. I enjoyed the cute sayings near the lobby doors but you can see how narrow it was and how little space there was to view the ocean. </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We grabbed a few drinks at <b><i>Schooner Bar</i></b> on Deck 6 before going back out and calling the kids before sail-away. They were in Tyler with my parents for a few days before making their annual trip to the "farm" in Lubbock with Chris's parents. We did a quick Facetime with them and before we realized it, we were sailing towards Honduras. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmdHwFMZliG0iyq2blRGnayifY3enk9VBrWx9_mkLPk2XB1HpggyXHPMeYdAXIGPtAmVv1eybH1aS0rlutyXpShREeFScW6LezkXmbi_3oYih1aAhsvYpeD2zAN4t3KSrLBgJUdr0juEx21YxWD72ekUtgLSlq55H-aYLLpIBpMz7VNYoTgbBEOBBuEdb/s437/IMG_2096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmdHwFMZliG0iyq2blRGnayifY3enk9VBrWx9_mkLPk2XB1HpggyXHPMeYdAXIGPtAmVv1eybH1aS0rlutyXpShREeFScW6LezkXmbi_3oYih1aAhsvYpeD2zAN4t3KSrLBgJUdr0juEx21YxWD72ekUtgLSlq55H-aYLLpIBpMz7VNYoTgbBEOBBuEdb/s320/IMG_2096.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Goodbye Galveston... </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAnV0_mShGRb95qsRNKlspgsolCvEWDH_uP8THuCcM6eTkFXvtAb201Y9hA6fJNruM2BUIj_kheMs-iItoNadQgXub74ZLSsyinX9M3c1dFDOID2B-fcvqu6-5212mkbfG_Fkjc4Ms_fxbVwgAkrWoQKIQw9YiE9-1wkbEfKnf0ZPl2pLlKR-jTIblnFi/s568/IMG_2101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAnV0_mShGRb95qsRNKlspgsolCvEWDH_uP8THuCcM6eTkFXvtAb201Y9hA6fJNruM2BUIj_kheMs-iItoNadQgXub74ZLSsyinX9M3c1dFDOID2B-fcvqu6-5212mkbfG_Fkjc4Ms_fxbVwgAkrWoQKIQw9YiE9-1wkbEfKnf0ZPl2pLlKR-jTIblnFi/s320/IMG_2101.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Hello crystal clear blue waters!! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>This truly is my HAPPY PLACE!</b></i> </div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to do our walking before dinner and got in 2 miles on the jogging track (about 10 laps). Both of our watches clocked us in as walking 1 mile in 4 minutes as we were moving "with" the ship and we thought that was funny. In reality, it was a very relaxed pace! We then took some showers and got ready for our first dining experience on the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></i></b>- <b><i>150 Central Park. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>While we were getting ready we watched the Welcome Aboard show on TV and recognized the Cruise Director- Steve from Canada who is the only legally blind CD in the fleet, which is kinda cool. Believe it or not, we actually saw him on the FIRST DAY and got our traditional CD picture within an HOUR of sail-away! This is unheard of! </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAZhoQpJB7CSdRISfeLLuxggPVz1e2ahd4NjwMQuLpIirQkI0lLQpTYm1yag9qjOBG-Z5jz0gvc9nIHvh3V495XhapHbh_nbtNhhnzso604g2-frQzVj-SyjLKCnN5hF_kmHXoUxrB2lBQYjATeUEaoedeXDG8gvgAWG2WVuILr7crB8TgyX-5u6pW8Ba/s568/IMG_2108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAZhoQpJB7CSdRISfeLLuxggPVz1e2ahd4NjwMQuLpIirQkI0lLQpTYm1yag9qjOBG-Z5jz0gvc9nIHvh3V495XhapHbh_nbtNhhnzso604g2-frQzVj-SyjLKCnN5hF_kmHXoUxrB2lBQYjATeUEaoedeXDG8gvgAWG2WVuILr7crB8TgyX-5u6pW8Ba/s320/IMG_2108.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Our cruise has officially been made... We can go home! <br />Just kidding; we would never! But this was a HUGE success! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank you Steve from Canada...We really enjoyed you! </div></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a few pre-dinner drinks in my favorite bar of all time- <i style="font-weight: bold;">Vintages </i>in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Central Park</i> before going to <b><i>150 Central Park</i></b> at 8:15PM for our dinner reservation. <i><span style="color: red;"><b>TIP- Vintages is such an amazing bar and is so quiet. It is tucked away in Central Park and even has doors that close off the noise and music from Central Park. Even if wine is not your thing, be sure to check this place out. The service and ambiance is the BEST! </b></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozzgN6VWMO0zxhhGR4zaCbZxo_Fa_w2JVQcm-6LjynA22VPXzPAXvT6BrjupmNC_JXnkd5B2n97tyFZoIVr4ziyJdAAB5X8vQMRl6IlFfHm7V5vnH8fZGM9L5qSF7Lq7Pral5uHlBi9igYmdR5yt_EjPZD3CwL868hK8RwTAY7iemVx58H-yxLonKIAaW/s757/IMG_2109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: red; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozzgN6VWMO0zxhhGR4zaCbZxo_Fa_w2JVQcm-6LjynA22VPXzPAXvT6BrjupmNC_JXnkd5B2n97tyFZoIVr4ziyJdAAB5X8vQMRl6IlFfHm7V5vnH8fZGM9L5qSF7Lq7Pral5uHlBi9igYmdR5yt_EjPZD3CwL868hK8RwTAY7iemVx58H-yxLonKIAaW/s320/IMG_2109.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We found Vintages on our first <a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Liberty of the Seas</a> cruise in 2018 and fell in LOVE! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuWK_cNeE-7mKKz3cOHgWhjYvRsRIKPNI1AMgwi7PyJgL2Fm4G5IhJvy9Q3rPCG-qlwUUoryUD5jf8UKV6esEPaA1Bh7P1sJlW5cTFdfJ1DwCfTSmLqbUQXQbxQ2HBQ4-sGSciqG5j8h1CVRv1VXqwuCExzUFwwrLDUS8CWFKXw5dokR06czstHF__O1M/s401/IMG_2114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="401" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuWK_cNeE-7mKKz3cOHgWhjYvRsRIKPNI1AMgwi7PyJgL2Fm4G5IhJvy9Q3rPCG-qlwUUoryUD5jf8UKV6esEPaA1Bh7P1sJlW5cTFdfJ1DwCfTSmLqbUQXQbxQ2HBQ4-sGSciqG5j8h1CVRv1VXqwuCExzUFwwrLDUS8CWFKXw5dokR06czstHF__O1M/s320/IMG_2114.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We LOVE Vintages! </div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then made our way to <b><i>150 CP</i></b>. We expected it to be packed but due to the Broadway production of <i>Mama Mia</i> happening on the 1st night, we practically had the place all to ourselves. Our waiter, Allen, was incredible and even gave us a free plate from the head chef. In fact, it was an entire entrée plate- <i>the Beef Tenderloin for Two</i>. This was unbelievably good but we barely even made a dent. <i><span style="color: red;">The food and drinks were exceptional. It was a GREAT way to start off our cruise! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Our 150 Central Park Experience</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUi688-3GQw2X9L2uXvL5L6EOYJOPVSAK6SoxTEeAbgqmXh9f8BsD591LrWDbtN8VP1tWvPJjfRysNzLv7oc4681L_qUfyUMW8eEXDW3OidBdHuW1gwmUmtHN1vIKsRkBnNzTtoxVxnk_DnJkq3JdpRYkHUMJeuc_4sbEdGr7fol05KbF8UStrRmI-Fyy/s568/IMG_2118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUi688-3GQw2X9L2uXvL5L6EOYJOPVSAK6SoxTEeAbgqmXh9f8BsD591LrWDbtN8VP1tWvPJjfRysNzLv7oc4681L_qUfyUMW8eEXDW3OidBdHuW1gwmUmtHN1vIKsRkBnNzTtoxVxnk_DnJkq3JdpRYkHUMJeuc_4sbEdGr7fol05KbF8UStrRmI-Fyy/s320/IMG_2118.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The 150 CP menu </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkuv3fSfL4-40BwTEAKT_VYBccOfcShEm5yj_3Vn3TmpfH1dt3zzrgLMQLxzH-kbeKvCusYcC7FUgpD3bCablnfYl-FWYEgInLsHCLOT39dR20ku8jQ6RvqWU_3ck67eWZSZTDUDYcaHyvxZOIITtheU7-3XdI26wiYe6W_szvYk10fiYGLTg9o5mfDCj/s757/IMG_2120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkuv3fSfL4-40BwTEAKT_VYBccOfcShEm5yj_3Vn3TmpfH1dt3zzrgLMQLxzH-kbeKvCusYcC7FUgpD3bCablnfYl-FWYEgInLsHCLOT39dR20ku8jQ6RvqWU_3ck67eWZSZTDUDYcaHyvxZOIITtheU7-3XdI26wiYe6W_szvYk10fiYGLTg9o5mfDCj/s320/IMG_2120.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Garlic Knots- 5<br />HOLY SMOKES these were incredible! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg842q4cVJVSMgd97RomBSS2Ay9tbUelry4o2fVayYF6FX8byAsQon97J4MvVyfnvB8lhFhpKRInVSWeuT7HZFbJfoOalsFQf4QMOnoLm3Cg30R58poujYCYqxhSRFe8BEc_B1ayBr2HJyftANtNkECWkajmpRxjdMg76Yf6r6u6URrIVRSJnKRgasRgt_k/s757/IMG_2121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg842q4cVJVSMgd97RomBSS2Ay9tbUelry4o2fVayYF6FX8byAsQon97J4MvVyfnvB8lhFhpKRInVSWeuT7HZFbJfoOalsFQf4QMOnoLm3Cg30R58poujYCYqxhSRFe8BEc_B1ayBr2HJyftANtNkECWkajmpRxjdMg76Yf6r6u6URrIVRSJnKRgasRgt_k/s320/IMG_2121.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Seared Honey Glazed Scallops-5<br />WOW... These were heavenly and so delicate! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo7SCoiHx7RGLJvOtsZ2AXc_vAFwxLnecNWGKKosHpF-EXvbJVJM9zy03k2Njkb80DbmxsYl3kks6vPFgS1anKjyEviNhaqOIooRxMTJUj_MdlcFGdnHQMFVYBAYOnu6IykDiSAuRsx1iP0wZp7lOkSYRpbHkdOADF-QL5EWWDydxVJaoQpmTpywdCTKQ/s757/IMG_2122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo7SCoiHx7RGLJvOtsZ2AXc_vAFwxLnecNWGKKosHpF-EXvbJVJM9zy03k2Njkb80DbmxsYl3kks6vPFgS1anKjyEviNhaqOIooRxMTJUj_MdlcFGdnHQMFVYBAYOnu6IykDiSAuRsx1iP0wZp7lOkSYRpbHkdOADF-QL5EWWDydxVJaoQpmTpywdCTKQ/s320/IMG_2122.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Braised Short Rib -4.5<br />The meat literally fell off the bone... It was delicious. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N--W8Lbt-EtH7T3dN3iS8D8SMmX8DhkTJP0Y0ltwfUcMFYA1B1zUWiblkf2jHnNq0pwCZVB9B8lKI0nYW_ZKUG413mffw5VhiYD8TGAUCnWo8fCMe-lRNY9iAE6x3ihai8fykoZ7kIh0X5ipX6_fOAZin0KdE6wSvnUKuPW-GHfg93iLOiOnwWMdD5A2/s757/IMG_2123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N--W8Lbt-EtH7T3dN3iS8D8SMmX8DhkTJP0Y0ltwfUcMFYA1B1zUWiblkf2jHnNq0pwCZVB9B8lKI0nYW_ZKUG413mffw5VhiYD8TGAUCnWo8fCMe-lRNY9iAE6x3ihai8fykoZ7kIh0X5ipX6_fOAZin0KdE6wSvnUKuPW-GHfg93iLOiOnwWMdD5A2/s320/IMG_2123.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Lobster Thermidor-5<br />Wow... This was the most <b>bougie </b>food I have ever had <b><u>and I LOVED IT! </u></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx_4pEH5l_lh6IonNNK9F4IUgCe38NXgCeIj0-PRMnTeiSefwoIIMF32xiEfDaosmxjGLgJKXdqqWdLu-PzqVBfHOLEGT4a5vPQSBU4M7J_hMpQ6GEx9RUC0fvJNAbLmsokdzq2mDtHCl36_mP6rLKocvDjVslaxEQAzBPzGn1XL60rGhrmJ-k8BoFR0U/s757/IMG_2124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx_4pEH5l_lh6IonNNK9F4IUgCe38NXgCeIj0-PRMnTeiSefwoIIMF32xiEfDaosmxjGLgJKXdqqWdLu-PzqVBfHOLEGT4a5vPQSBU4M7J_hMpQ6GEx9RUC0fvJNAbLmsokdzq2mDtHCl36_mP6rLKocvDjVslaxEQAzBPzGn1XL60rGhrmJ-k8BoFR0U/s320/IMG_2124.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Beef Tenderloin for TWO-4.5<br />Thank you Allen and head chef! We really enjoyed this! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGMOJTsFxXXyKgK9QdM2kWuh_KCMMlMbwVCdQRu99ptfVUxwbpuxp9tRUykcTYjWHSoZcsQIFeadMcmJ0-WzQ6dQ9D63tcLr9rd-38iPAAqHQ6TnrzO9PFn-xySt9E4qNfBqJBsdPr0mIuT0Dd6PHUf-xOWFWU5qop_SXdRBNGzUNp8JmH6aZhyXu2F2K/s757/IMG_2125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGMOJTsFxXXyKgK9QdM2kWuh_KCMMlMbwVCdQRu99ptfVUxwbpuxp9tRUykcTYjWHSoZcsQIFeadMcmJ0-WzQ6dQ9D63tcLr9rd-38iPAAqHQ6TnrzO9PFn-xySt9E4qNfBqJBsdPr0mIuT0Dd6PHUf-xOWFWU5qop_SXdRBNGzUNp8JmH6aZhyXu2F2K/s320/IMG_2125.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Fried Cheesecake-3.5<br />This is not really my thing but the flavor was good. <br />Chris loved them! <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi43ufoC7GbQmTZFN1NpiooJY_OFIoQ3XiRts5pNrb1660sWvI5kyjfMAw47jmq0B2G3RcnkJeEN0Xrb5Xw5VgYApR5PV0maVkRZI5oJF6F_Yn2U4lHioexArmp17VgHERMO19SL_O-s1MKy3ViWYnmMYohdp9bnGSR_e2FVW_ChLkb34Job1bL_PiRVUr/s568/IMG_2129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi43ufoC7GbQmTZFN1NpiooJY_OFIoQ3XiRts5pNrb1660sWvI5kyjfMAw47jmq0B2G3RcnkJeEN0Xrb5Xw5VgYApR5PV0maVkRZI5oJF6F_Yn2U4lHioexArmp17VgHERMO19SL_O-s1MKy3ViWYnmMYohdp9bnGSR_e2FVW_ChLkb34Job1bL_PiRVUr/s320/IMG_2129.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Thank you 150 Central Park! <br />WE LOVED our experience! <br /><b><span style="color: red;">Do not sleep on this one and try to get it in a dining package as it is SO MUCH CHEAPER this way! </span></b></div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner, we were STUFFED and needed to walk off our dinner. We did a quick stroll around <b><i>Central Park</i></b> before realizing we had to go back to the room for Chris to take his medicine. We got back to our room and Chris took his meds and we sat on the bed for a minute- which turned into an hour and a half nap. <i>It was crazy how that happens but I kid you not, that has been our "new tradition" on the first night of a cruise. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up around 11:30PM and quickly got up and made our way to the <b><i>Royal Promenade</i></b> Deck 5 to watch the Embarkation Balloon Drop. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This happens weekly on the Allure and it was REALLY cool. Be forewarned that a LOT of people are in a very small location so if you are claustrophobic, it may not be for you but we LOVED IT!</span></i></b> We then started our nightly tradition of ending the night at Schooner Bar. We loved <b>Iputu </b>and <b>Matthew </b>who took care of us from day 1. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHqpk9dfUbY5AcVzUsjohtSvcuUcKQJteeIB1rq7eJeJ_1EbqKgBL6mw7Aju_YVAU_CnJ8pAq56yzcU25aSEEsWMawYOEeV7VPBhJQdLTBin8Yo2u7RiCdY3wHw1nArDFMZC6E1gOJWEi-XrllUaVcfDrbGHSDbbCxMVjeFbn2hayN6SCTFVCjnnNab2D/s757/IMG_2132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHqpk9dfUbY5AcVzUsjohtSvcuUcKQJteeIB1rq7eJeJ_1EbqKgBL6mw7Aju_YVAU_CnJ8pAq56yzcU25aSEEsWMawYOEeV7VPBhJQdLTBin8Yo2u7RiCdY3wHw1nArDFMZC6E1gOJWEi-XrllUaVcfDrbGHSDbbCxMVjeFbn2hayN6SCTFVCjnnNab2D/s320/IMG_2132.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are ready for the balloon drop! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SJczOn-n5HH9n54rOKfNKKy203U4_MJ1CUFPhsXOocbPa6V8Q9wjKcEmnaWP2d8p-GnW1TKlZhVCR5yeVbvQtgVw6-6VoK0-SL8yJZPJ76XKpWOhpt8LyQ0mDcU9MT0gQcvfX5SNjcOu9YvRk5ufQ9G7kASdj-YldovEQxqrVA_yGDtk9_NL-tHJ1y8G/s1010/IMG_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SJczOn-n5HH9n54rOKfNKKy203U4_MJ1CUFPhsXOocbPa6V8Q9wjKcEmnaWP2d8p-GnW1TKlZhVCR5yeVbvQtgVw6-6VoK0-SL8yJZPJ76XKpWOhpt8LyQ0mDcU9MT0gQcvfX5SNjcOu9YvRk5ufQ9G7kASdj-YldovEQxqrVA_yGDtk9_NL-tHJ1y8G/s320/IMG_2138.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- DROP! <br /><span style="color: red;">This was really cool. I think kids and adults alike would LOVE IT!</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">This embarkation day was as smooth as the seas we were sailing and we knew this was going to be a GREAT cruise! </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Up Next... Sea Day #1</i></span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-adventure-of-seas.html" target="_blank">Adventure of the Seas- February 2023</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> (Kellie's 40th) </span></i><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-91313937828954271512023-06-13T13:20:00.000-05:002023-06-13T13:20:49.690-05:00The Manhattan Project- New York City 2023 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><u>The Manhattan Project </u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">New York City, NY </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Spring Break 2023 </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU6PGm_Ja8O4v7JiYP01vvBmVjpJprOq-zT1T4HpZdQNpv57GtEc4n_QQecLZbeo1rXulc6rz2kVXxuWYqupUba8C1CTepT51IMnoXHFODKeaPpai_JmkL5PF5w5-nPttY7XOyqDw3HTN5fj4joFqFSuWuBRBpuYvf0aUI_KnZ3osBcZWC7VbO3rBlA/s431/IMG_0375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU6PGm_Ja8O4v7JiYP01vvBmVjpJprOq-zT1T4HpZdQNpv57GtEc4n_QQecLZbeo1rXulc6rz2kVXxuWYqupUba8C1CTepT51IMnoXHFODKeaPpai_JmkL5PF5w5-nPttY7XOyqDw3HTN5fj4joFqFSuWuBRBpuYvf0aUI_KnZ3osBcZWC7VbO3rBlA/s320/IMG_0375.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">New York City- My FAVORITE! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we continue to make our Baseball Bucket List a reality, we are getting to travel to one of the most traveled cities in the WORLD... New York City! This was the first time Chris and the kids had been to New York City but Kellie had been several times in her teenage years. This was a TRIP of a LIFETIME and we splurged on just about EVERYTHING! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">We have highlighted our daily activities and travels through NYC as well as our path to 2 new stadiums for ALL FOUR OF US since Kellie visited Old Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium! These blog posts have tips, tricks and pictures to help you plan your own vacation to NYC. Once again, we appreciate your continued support of our blog by clicking on the daily posts. We wouldn't be as popular or successful if it weren't for you all. Thank you so much!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Check out our DAILY BLOG POSTS BELOW:</u></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-1.html" target="_blank"><i>Day 1- Easter Sunday in Houston and the Big Apple</i></a><br /></u></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-2.html" target="_blank"><i>Day 2- Parks, Skyscrapers and Ballparks, OH MY</i></a><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-3.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Day 3- An Empire State of Mind</i></b></a><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-4.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Day 4- The One with Lady Liberty</i></b></a><br /></span></p><p><i><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-5.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 5- On Top of the World </span></a><br /></b></i></p><p><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-6.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 6- Darling, I Love You but Give Me 5th Avenue</span></b></a><br /></i></p><p><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-manhattan-project-day-7.html" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 7- Goodbye Subway... Hello I-45</span></i></b></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu6ogZNtMuoEa1f6IelaibDTCMBzeBEwbQPK9KxQjJw80SmL9fYMfSuV4Yhb0eLiRcd_ubWNeY1P83n3quMa1fQ_XoH86jRA3pzAWVWptHdX1ML5l0maLRhNsC5EuHEPrEYRfVtvkjIjgEzEg3c511veohY85R_U-wk8bKdKPHhBlrd-2F4OK3xTJrQ/s288/IMG_9839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu6ogZNtMuoEa1f6IelaibDTCMBzeBEwbQPK9KxQjJw80SmL9fYMfSuV4Yhb0eLiRcd_ubWNeY1P83n3quMa1fQ_XoH86jRA3pzAWVWptHdX1ML5l0maLRhNsC5EuHEPrEYRfVtvkjIjgEzEg3c511veohY85R_U-wk8bKdKPHhBlrd-2F4OK3xTJrQ/s1600/IMG_9839.jpg" width="216" /></a><br /><b><i>We LOVED this trip SO MUCH! <br />We will be back... NYC has my heart! </i></b></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>This trip had it all</i></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> and was absolutely fabulous! We are so grateful to have the school calendar we have and be able to travel during the early part of baseball season! <b><i>Where will April 2024 take us... California, take 3? Let's wait and see! </i></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Up Next</b><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas- July 2023</span></span></span></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Once again, thanks for following along! </span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stay Safe and HEALTHY! </span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">&</span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Keep Calm and TRAVEL ON! </span></i></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div></span></div></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-52527093970950647902023-06-10T18:01:00.000-05:002023-06-10T18:01:00.230-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 7 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u> <b>New York City- Day 7 </b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Goodbye Subway- Hello I-45</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Saturday, April 15, 2023 </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw5LZT7HL6A8IHGL-5k_FtTCow13qTlWfVwcbSm2zjxS6Fv5H0qOyAg7fxnmmSew0hw8HnYZY9C7LzEUgsHlDyTqV8KxJ8n6miA--DTMGPej0R8c9Ki0Hbj8pFehzN3evlt_7xDYStronJDW2GCBcPD2ib8NjRKa_GOcMk_nt558mnBIrJgeCI5vrKA/s568/IMG_0632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw5LZT7HL6A8IHGL-5k_FtTCow13qTlWfVwcbSm2zjxS6Fv5H0qOyAg7fxnmmSew0hw8HnYZY9C7LzEUgsHlDyTqV8KxJ8n6miA--DTMGPej0R8c9Ki0Hbj8pFehzN3evlt_7xDYStronJDW2GCBcPD2ib8NjRKa_GOcMk_nt558mnBIrJgeCI5vrKA/s320/IMG_0632.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>This city will ALWAYS HAVE MY HEART! <br />I love NY!</i></b> </div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up a little earlier than previous days just so we could eat breakfast and then get all of our suitcases packed and ready for our trek and flight back to <i>God's Country</i>. After we ate breakfast and got our suitcases all packed up, we meandered the streets of lower Manhattan and the area around the <b>One World Trade Center </b>one more time. This allowed us to get a few last minute souvenirs we were lacking as well. <i>We grabbed a coffee and we were on our way back to the hotel to load up and go to the airport within 90 minutes. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0cUia4qCp5TwZXWZkGjO-PQKvjbaWtdQbORMUIjS7FJdBp6JAKlPoc3LL8mQj3IYoxGCoR4BYxnmcxKwuPWGK9vGJEQ6Qfjgsc97hHjwhekRQq-_BWYWMKol0JBDsXNoF8FODpu621Z3iqa0m2EhwwcY08gWOVjeya53W5no-LqD5ovj4uROtrUoRA/s625/IMG_0627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0cUia4qCp5TwZXWZkGjO-PQKvjbaWtdQbORMUIjS7FJdBp6JAKlPoc3LL8mQj3IYoxGCoR4BYxnmcxKwuPWGK9vGJEQ6Qfjgsc97hHjwhekRQq-_BWYWMKol0JBDsXNoF8FODpu621Z3iqa0m2EhwwcY08gWOVjeya53W5no-LqD5ovj4uROtrUoRA/s320/IMG_0627.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>A view from Maiden Street just outside our hotel. <br />This view NEVER GETS OLD! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyuTRJPS-YMFMGrpgQRM7aG88IJaTdtUj35hcrWi76Sq4Uq_T6xrg6j3dB9KT6LdeWD8ry3dn5FmK4_ITDY5lD1p1vYpQaC7qJ_Swte_g-Q8fvkIVeRFyZifi8MIo9vJQledPQPziHxq1sJF6d2yCGBzQxCvaLvytKFIUvFX8p1NcUpOJY41NaRCCNw/s568/IMG_0630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyuTRJPS-YMFMGrpgQRM7aG88IJaTdtUj35hcrWi76Sq4Uq_T6xrg6j3dB9KT6LdeWD8ry3dn5FmK4_ITDY5lD1p1vYpQaC7qJ_Swte_g-Q8fvkIVeRFyZifi8MIo9vJQledPQPziHxq1sJF6d2yCGBzQxCvaLvytKFIUvFX8p1NcUpOJY41NaRCCNw/s320/IMG_0630.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Priceless memories! </b></i></div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once back at the hotel we got a phone call that the car I arranged with <b><i>Airport Taxi Service</i></b> was already waiting for us about 30 minutes early. We warmed up our Chinatown <i><b>Wo-Hop</b></i> leftovers from a few days prior and had a quick lunch before heading to the airport- <i><span style="color: red;">We were trying to save money! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked out of the hotel around 11AM and loaded up in a <i>Cadillac Escalade</i> to make our 1:15 minute trip to JFK Airport in lower Brooklyn. Our driver was superb and the ride was smooth. It is always sad to leave a city, despite being ready to get home, but New York just hit me different and I was legitimately sad to go! We tipped our driver REALLY well and we were in the airport by 12:15 for our 2:20PM flight back to Houston. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZQ6CWxb-BUaBwv8A8g8v2IQZ64kN9gyLvyapKfSoJhBSLdbvTcXBm8sINdcfGfmNwvdkzeQUcdiVLF39xzfkHfoTw2NTfLBOt1cNNlwpXxixVgqhGFmSj2-8OklGl0X-6BeHVh7J5zHfKC_Rn9LlqEyu8Z8SR-fioXMaosAXm7DuPcFgAzPLClrnBA/s757/IMG_0657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZQ6CWxb-BUaBwv8A8g8v2IQZ64kN9gyLvyapKfSoJhBSLdbvTcXBm8sINdcfGfmNwvdkzeQUcdiVLF39xzfkHfoTw2NTfLBOt1cNNlwpXxixVgqhGFmSj2-8OklGl0X-6BeHVh7J5zHfKC_Rn9LlqEyu8Z8SR-fioXMaosAXm7DuPcFgAzPLClrnBA/s320/IMG_0657.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello Escalade! We are rolling home in STYLE! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0sMBKWBHbHoWFvFbEmj_btHy0d-xYkKtYmPjOF_RJ8nnPWtiyLvyH6MtuNxHSwhp8ZwtvzFwwRq0XrTGtV3jNaw_BxCYBN8JNJP8JwPQaHpdu198hxz0zIvKbhtjKjwudqHYy71VGMe6je9N1RJNiaIl95aDXXwjHQUKGAoyJyWp7iBQj7gYKBXMgw/s757/IMG_0658.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0sMBKWBHbHoWFvFbEmj_btHy0d-xYkKtYmPjOF_RJ8nnPWtiyLvyH6MtuNxHSwhp8ZwtvzFwwRq0XrTGtV3jNaw_BxCYBN8JNJP8JwPQaHpdu198hxz0zIvKbhtjKjwudqHYy71VGMe6je9N1RJNiaIl95aDXXwjHQUKGAoyJyWp7iBQj7gYKBXMgw/s320/IMG_0658.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We will probably NEVER see the inside of a decked out Cadillac Escalade ever again... So might as well take a picture! It will last longer! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh182BpDKjB2fMRozLDVKWgpo9ts_8B4v1CAf-vv7ESs_fzDSQNCdwtHpmZiYQoefRf4uAqiIAok-PCyxP1OwzxmYwYq3o4cNZ_UK0vBPJWLSDDgTWpTh0wT-ARB-0lWkKZ4R611i9ijbD9dV6qhTM_7N7zICQKX50cPxD4r19iuiqcLLA_bS6XRIzodA/s757/IMG_0660.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh182BpDKjB2fMRozLDVKWgpo9ts_8B4v1CAf-vv7ESs_fzDSQNCdwtHpmZiYQoefRf4uAqiIAok-PCyxP1OwzxmYwYq3o4cNZ_UK0vBPJWLSDDgTWpTh0wT-ARB-0lWkKZ4R611i9ijbD9dV6qhTM_7N7zICQKX50cPxD4r19iuiqcLLA_bS6XRIzodA/s320/IMG_0660.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's time to <strike>drive</strike> ride across the Brooklyn Bridge!</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfz-2QnfuutKFBwoFoM-u620HZ25E0t4HysH8YLpy8HLIOyo2kg86-Uqap8wmYtNuAKbtfEKFv4wkKcFdkqBc2SUWZf1aT1AvnbUx0lLvIXXWDx6DQ92_gcA5xZZ4z9bQ0EvrggQVkv0eXt2XY2PLPxXlkjdmkyqp9TAohtdpM6i2f0PT5h5oKg7lBA/s757/IMG_0665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfz-2QnfuutKFBwoFoM-u620HZ25E0t4HysH8YLpy8HLIOyo2kg86-Uqap8wmYtNuAKbtfEKFv4wkKcFdkqBc2SUWZf1aT1AvnbUx0lLvIXXWDx6DQ92_gcA5xZZ4z9bQ0EvrggQVkv0eXt2XY2PLPxXlkjdmkyqp9TAohtdpM6i2f0PT5h5oKg7lBA/s320/IMG_0665.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Goodbye Manhattan... it's been real! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuTbc802rBMbUMqaqJo21Yv9nWskQ9MNvz_14lJCJh_NsrIfuXAQHEsmG_yYq6odik25jc7YIWHcPh_FigqPYfqZ2mGLvDwOQo5PqQMfZTX_5PMT-TdWVMydBV7ZSvvtMevi4boQKfoNep4lsB_-5xYE9Ir4pYGQsXdOhwtCSnJZ20S3sxCrYqS80FQ/s757/IMG_0668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuTbc802rBMbUMqaqJo21Yv9nWskQ9MNvz_14lJCJh_NsrIfuXAQHEsmG_yYq6odik25jc7YIWHcPh_FigqPYfqZ2mGLvDwOQo5PqQMfZTX_5PMT-TdWVMydBV7ZSvvtMevi4boQKfoNep4lsB_-5xYE9Ir4pYGQsXdOhwtCSnJZ20S3sxCrYqS80FQ/s320/IMG_0668.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>One final look at Manhattan! </b></i></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We loaded up on water and snacks in the airport, <i><span style="color: red;">for almost as much as I paid for the ride cross borough to get to the airport- I seriously cannot believe how expensive airport food is</span></i>! Our plane arrived on time and we were on the plane before 2PM. However, the airport was experiencing some weather issues and we were delayed in taking off for over an hour. It is so aggravating when you are ON the plane and have to wait just to take off or get into your parking spot! The kids were not bothered by this as they had their iPads but I was getting anxious with the whole ordeal.<i> We were airborne around 3:25PM and had to take a different route than originally planned due to rain all over the central US. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJSYZmeuw-lFaJq74MLCpXMNAyIElYzz1czWQXoVktalk5KNFLsr4fbSBjbrCYk2169W3TG8-QLHoiZyCMNsuVpJwpODGL7zd_7MZ2AA2pA_QZ10i3GDB0O8WLUG6S0y0SHN041MkTtCX53NOU8xq-POdK4ffCi4yPCJPZsS6bvM9jdDnVRUcgf7BlA/s757/IMG_0674.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJSYZmeuw-lFaJq74MLCpXMNAyIElYzz1czWQXoVktalk5KNFLsr4fbSBjbrCYk2169W3TG8-QLHoiZyCMNsuVpJwpODGL7zd_7MZ2AA2pA_QZ10i3GDB0O8WLUG6S0y0SHN041MkTtCX53NOU8xq-POdK4ffCi4yPCJPZsS6bvM9jdDnVRUcgf7BlA/s320/IMG_0674.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Our ride has arrived... let's go home! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw6gp9KipShr0B4qURiWuEDzUq46DVMbeVeEkomAzdzuKhn3fQpTlFlU85Q3jW0Q52KHE4SR6MK3vUlpbquB-bJYg44dUFRNXDfLhbO3sMmQj8iIDbK3KOpXoKdj9qt2x-9TVxkMAmnE1NjWSXt43et6p_YJnNwQ16g9fPBmxzLqhRoQ2gKtTXn7Csw/s757/IMG_0675.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw6gp9KipShr0B4qURiWuEDzUq46DVMbeVeEkomAzdzuKhn3fQpTlFlU85Q3jW0Q52KHE4SR6MK3vUlpbquB-bJYg44dUFRNXDfLhbO3sMmQj8iIDbK3KOpXoKdj9qt2x-9TVxkMAmnE1NjWSXt43et6p_YJnNwQ16g9fPBmxzLqhRoQ2gKtTXn7Csw/s320/IMG_0675.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>All smiles as we loaded up for take off... (excuse the crazy hair, I was tired) </i></b></div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The flight was very uneventful, which is always a good thing, and we were back in <i>God's Country</i> before the sun set. As with any trip when you check luggage, it took us nearly an hour to get out of the airport and <i>back on I-45 toward our house in The Woodlands but we were home shortly after 8PM. </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was the <b><i>TRIP OF A LIFETIME</i></b> and I am so glad we saved the extra money to do this trip right. We splurged on SO MUCH from the hotel room to the Yankees Tickets to the shopping on 5th Avenue but I think we made some memories that our kids (and us too) will NEVER FORGET! <b><i>I love New York City and always have... I will be back! And hopefully soon <br />(Hint, hint Chris... Birthday trip, maybe). </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkxG1q6gsCi8bm1LpvXTQCvXTzyL_xnOCvudtyaqR5XpGgU45SUy_T3ZRW6dAmmfzJG7XbgHr_U9ENgban2KmS_MNyrOiAyRT-nuAWm1KLEbyCIu6AbBPS27pfFrdk1KYcgodtW45it6u2OcA06AoBm-bEXsQYB_FhwpCPEAEtZnWaFv5527k5fUA7g/s568/IMG_9291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkxG1q6gsCi8bm1LpvXTQCvXTzyL_xnOCvudtyaqR5XpGgU45SUy_T3ZRW6dAmmfzJG7XbgHr_U9ENgban2KmS_MNyrOiAyRT-nuAWm1KLEbyCIu6AbBPS27pfFrdk1KYcgodtW45it6u2OcA06AoBm-bEXsQYB_FhwpCPEAEtZnWaFv5527k5fUA7g/s320/IMG_9291.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />NYC will ALWAYS have my HEART! </b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for following along! We do <u>not </u>have a massive family SUMMER TRIP planned since Natalie is SO BUSY with band camp, youth camp, mission trip and now HIGH SCHOOL Marching Band and Volleyball commitments. <i>(I still cannot believe she will be a FRESHMAN in August, where has the time gone?)</i> And Luke has a full summer season of baseball and a World Series again. <b><i>I am so grateful that New Caney ISD has the bonus Spring Breaks and we are able to take this BASEBALL TRIPS in April each year!</i></b> As much as we spent on this week, I know it would be SO MUCH more if we had to take it in June or July! <b><i><span style="color: red;">I do not know where April 2024 Baseball will take us but I imagine it will be OUT WEST- I only lack Dodgers, Angels and Oakland! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chris and I will be sailing on <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas</span></b> in July and we are VERY excited to finally sail on a MEGA-SHIP! Stay tuned for details about this voyage! <i><b>You do not want to miss this! </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQeGIHvq5Fg8WXH636d5CIn-tLoOB9Q3hnumnE8it-tyipvmuj7BMackMsk8AwwGUwW0Z4R35hq7pW1yxuT7-wEHzfXd2yZwl6fF8Xhbm6xuiPntT7Yhsu2lTbhlx-R3hvk4AnCxpqaXJ9zl89P5M663I9q1qNdkFgfgoplyrLWYBxgqyJdQg2_ic3A/s568/IMG_1432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="555" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQeGIHvq5Fg8WXH636d5CIn-tLoOB9Q3hnumnE8it-tyipvmuj7BMackMsk8AwwGUwW0Z4R35hq7pW1yxuT7-wEHzfXd2yZwl6fF8Xhbm6xuiPntT7Yhsu2lTbhlx-R3hvk4AnCxpqaXJ9zl89P5M663I9q1qNdkFgfgoplyrLWYBxgqyJdQg2_ic3A/s320/IMG_1432.jpg" width="313" /></a></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Up Next... Allure of the Seas- July 2023 </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Until Next... Keep calm and TRAVEL on! </b></span></p><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-50310042452354232102023-06-09T18:56:00.000-05:002023-06-09T18:56:59.313-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 6<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>New York City- Day 6 </u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Darling, I love you but give me 5th Avenue</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Friday, April 14, 2023 </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg287DkWay37s8XVCT1WP30DEwVfHAbWyYej48x5Zygwy0mBNAGpMeU8mFEcjHzCgmWRyhzIWN3rc2nn0Pzgh8oZqJtcpm7LaM6mcpTXyIbEA_FArdE5dAK49UIx14qTUc1qqSg-mzJNlsLP-4FKfGJ14ossxXA2BzOscZmifiu0hI628SUBlnkJbVBng/s568/IMG_0452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg287DkWay37s8XVCT1WP30DEwVfHAbWyYej48x5Zygwy0mBNAGpMeU8mFEcjHzCgmWRyhzIWN3rc2nn0Pzgh8oZqJtcpm7LaM6mcpTXyIbEA_FArdE5dAK49UIx14qTUc1qqSg-mzJNlsLP-4FKfGJ14ossxXA2BzOscZmifiu0hI628SUBlnkJbVBng/s320/IMG_0452.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />It might have been our last day but we made the most of every single minute! </div></b></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Morning</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We each had a very good night's sleep and we went and got breakfast in the hotel shortly before 9:30AM. The breakfast was great again and we then made our way to<b> Fulton Street Station</b> to get to <i>5th Avenue</i> to do some shopping. We started at <b><i>Macy's </i></b>shortly after they opened their doors. Natalie LOVED this experience and so did I. We got some super cute clothes from the <i>Backstage </i>area of the 5th floor for Natalie and a cute blouse to wear to work for me. <i>Chris spent this store at Starbucks inside <b>Macy's</b>. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4bpQO_ptx8tXww-PDBCjrRUukLhrn5elYmhKHHeipCnQ-hERJXPY-YR32jQ1p6v24NR6OQvQWhCqgXNCMGh9JpOVKsfc9SLacsqqQWM5BrPGWc1_bu55F4BNFut_69g0AfOtRIkApa2iFsmVKCzldXnN9nspCX6tdjicGdKcy8ZpNnifSJrNX3PQlA/s568/IMG_0422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4bpQO_ptx8tXww-PDBCjrRUukLhrn5elYmhKHHeipCnQ-hERJXPY-YR32jQ1p6v24NR6OQvQWhCqgXNCMGh9JpOVKsfc9SLacsqqQWM5BrPGWc1_bu55F4BNFut_69g0AfOtRIkApa2iFsmVKCzldXnN9nspCX6tdjicGdKcy8ZpNnifSJrNX3PQlA/s320/IMG_0422.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7017Fh_EaE5YBkhVbDmCiUdZ2yQWO6Es95R0bUpnlkaBM6cie2eeJ0Sgjd0i1P-AzJXtp47_IxOPN49w8sB1ozMOOJ9YF5QfdevJiSmWp1SF5qshNAMkv4TBZLZbIjuNia4M65JPdTxPvGxw79rUHaohB4etIDnji-_t2Jnz5R1EAuKL1HgfZ0xE0Q/s568/IMG_0420.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7017Fh_EaE5YBkhVbDmCiUdZ2yQWO6Es95R0bUpnlkaBM6cie2eeJ0Sgjd0i1P-AzJXtp47_IxOPN49w8sB1ozMOOJ9YF5QfdevJiSmWp1SF5qshNAMkv4TBZLZbIjuNia4M65JPdTxPvGxw79rUHaohB4etIDnji-_t2Jnz5R1EAuKL1HgfZ0xE0Q/s320/IMG_0420.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>We LOVED getting to shop on 5th, 6th and 7th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan! <br />These are some of my favorite shots of the kids in NYC! </i></b></div></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_i8WBVHCZLo6Bm0_hE13NHbHq8rzVJe3zzDkJ6RPnk5cm7jgBDpNthE9NgA2Iph6eZDePMeRn36T7p4QkzmS8RAVS5NAkKkYBQcPxy3ADxKL1H2ynkcLL4iaN0U1MONSeaAzMzFEI7C1hVqvK9pxtYAYU1LceVaQO_VuE8zONS7weJWxa0B39vCJag/s285/IMG_0424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="214" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_i8WBVHCZLo6Bm0_hE13NHbHq8rzVJe3zzDkJ6RPnk5cm7jgBDpNthE9NgA2Iph6eZDePMeRn36T7p4QkzmS8RAVS5NAkKkYBQcPxy3ADxKL1H2ynkcLL4iaN0U1MONSeaAzMzFEI7C1hVqvK9pxtYAYU1LceVaQO_VuE8zONS7weJWxa0B39vCJag/s1600/IMG_0424.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />This girl was so excited with her first NYC purchase!</div></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then kept walking south on 5th Avenue and stopped at the <b><i>Crocs Store</i></b>. My kids, like 99% of American kids these days, LOVE Crocs and wear them constantly. We did <u>not </u>buy any Croc shoes but we did get 10 croc charms which they LOVED. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eTZ5Y-x4N2gUqWzhfrGO86dMaVIzwlobFBI9cHlPqH91OQgQy4b7tXcCVVcg3SEmPvFWHzbs7Z_YD5IpmVCl1uRQYkJLuPrF38ppwhwzrLH9ijMzKmnGQmYuhK64q50kFNnAB_L1Ath05iNKWolOGc0pIWdr-GgmqSKNsW1HVR1mw9MK3eitZ9GKzw/s568/IMG_0425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eTZ5Y-x4N2gUqWzhfrGO86dMaVIzwlobFBI9cHlPqH91OQgQy4b7tXcCVVcg3SEmPvFWHzbs7Z_YD5IpmVCl1uRQYkJLuPrF38ppwhwzrLH9ijMzKmnGQmYuhK64q50kFNnAB_L1Ath05iNKWolOGc0pIWdr-GgmqSKNsW1HVR1mw9MK3eitZ9GKzw/s320/IMG_0425.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>This 3 story store was pretty cool. Too bad we already had 27 pairs of Crocs each! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the <b><i>Crocs </i></b>store we went into the <u>MASSIVE </u><b><i>H&M</i></b> Store on 5th avenue. I remember going into my first <b><i>H&M</i></b> in NYC back in 1995 and I was blown away at the cute styles and very reasonable prices. <i>I remember saving up money for my 2nd and 3rd trip to NYC just to go in this store! </i>We stayed in this store for a little while and Natalie got a haul of cute clothes (seriously like 5-6 things) and I got a cute summer maxi dress... <b><i>All for less than $100.</i></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKTLLlW_s7S97HZHKO79dHnZvwJ6Vjy4vDDNOnb8TB2maQeo8YXUuQu07ajeyONDvXq_i_sMCJaUS7-S1DuvQva-qqyyiJbsbHAvB_ThqcvzjuAe99yRwLTjY14xT8lWEDshTtaFiMMB6_l7lFWAMPGdDyvP1ALTLJ_cm9nx2U0jHGok0nbuiK4Q8Zw/s568/IMG_0426.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKTLLlW_s7S97HZHKO79dHnZvwJ6Vjy4vDDNOnb8TB2maQeo8YXUuQu07ajeyONDvXq_i_sMCJaUS7-S1DuvQva-qqyyiJbsbHAvB_ThqcvzjuAe99yRwLTjY14xT8lWEDshTtaFiMMB6_l7lFWAMPGdDyvP1ALTLJ_cm9nx2U0jHGok0nbuiK4Q8Zw/s320/IMG_0426.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I love H&M... I think we may go and shop at the one in Houston this summer! <br />I've always found great deals! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After <b><i>H&M</i></b> we went to Natalie's favorite store... <b><i>AMERICAN EAGLE.</i></b> This store was HUGE and Natalie was in heaven. She found 2 pairs of jeans she had been eyeing and got them at 55% off what she would pay for them at the AE in our mall. <i>She was VERY HAPPY (and so was Chris- raising a teenage daughter ain't cheap) </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWZQQ-jauAn9f2m0VxGYP3aivC2dFMZe_brTH9F1im869B3kGs-t2BsLaNergcnjT4FEAWug2F_0dgdxDnrWzJfFDY_hSqrOh42f2Pntk6ldM0nh55lsg1s89DpOOzDj1gfQRtlZpIZEXhxDasVOFP-XktzHTzty70WEDvMLYZiNU7UstmlRDX3p3QA/s328/IMG_0427%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="246" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWZQQ-jauAn9f2m0VxGYP3aivC2dFMZe_brTH9F1im869B3kGs-t2BsLaNergcnjT4FEAWug2F_0dgdxDnrWzJfFDY_hSqrOh42f2Pntk6ldM0nh55lsg1s89DpOOzDj1gfQRtlZpIZEXhxDasVOFP-XktzHTzty70WEDvMLYZiNU7UstmlRDX3p3QA/s320/IMG_0427%20(1).jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>2 jeans and 2 shirts... It was not cheap to say the least! </b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLc99YSXwdAM_-4JizhvZXR7bW1y8N6ZQZabsf0B97rUgYhc1xDQOhrVlk0H0Q2gMfrh-Lhc4rPNiGhWb3TAJUaDh-X3SDgil8pOs5n9560xH75bahvRkTUJ6BlwRfuJygf_FCrDtI8qDR4bYxdLJEldOWwda6NIJPtn0xQxhFi__fPaeXZ3RyQytZLA/s757/IMG_0428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLc99YSXwdAM_-4JizhvZXR7bW1y8N6ZQZabsf0B97rUgYhc1xDQOhrVlk0H0Q2gMfrh-Lhc4rPNiGhWb3TAJUaDh-X3SDgil8pOs5n9560xH75bahvRkTUJ6BlwRfuJygf_FCrDtI8qDR4bYxdLJEldOWwda6NIJPtn0xQxhFi__fPaeXZ3RyQytZLA/s320/IMG_0428.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">This American Eagle store was HUGE- Between 5th and 6th Avenue on 34th Street! </span></i></b><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As soon as we left the<b> American Eagle</b> store, it was time to spoil LUKE so we made our way back towards the <b><i>MLB Flagship</i></b> store off of 6th Avenue. We knew about this and had went inside on day 1 while waiting for our <i>Top of the Rock</i> time but Luke did not have a chance to really look around. He was in heaven and wanted just about everything they offered. He spent all of his money from Gigi and Poppy, all of his allowance money he brought and a few "early" birthday money as well. He got all kinds of stuff but his favorite was the <i>MLB NYC shirt</i> and a <b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Houston Astros</span></b> hat. <i>He spent as much in this ONE store as Natalie did at all the other stores.</i> You only live once in NYC and I really wanted to treat the kids as best I could. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2q5aO6dW6qR_6Fa8qEUdQHiT_n_iL7wgDuOn5c3ZZXtIcd8JrBlFziIL7QaYdumDsRk1h1IW88IHoD9LoRCjqtyq0vkoj0PIPv3pJth2fF2Ah0L695aRF2CmbBIxNv7HtyT4kNQV6icj8tV7Z_fzTbKBysAtm1yaQpWk9-A571RxFLhmxvJXQumLtg/s757/IMG_0430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2q5aO6dW6qR_6Fa8qEUdQHiT_n_iL7wgDuOn5c3ZZXtIcd8JrBlFziIL7QaYdumDsRk1h1IW88IHoD9LoRCjqtyq0vkoj0PIPv3pJth2fF2Ah0L695aRF2CmbBIxNv7HtyT4kNQV6icj8tV7Z_fzTbKBysAtm1yaQpWk9-A571RxFLhmxvJXQumLtg/s320/IMG_0430.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved the downstairs area of the MLB store... It had some AWESOME memorabilia! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9b4kEZ4ZpaZ8_NVtH_IXRwXo275Ln6XVoyoXycfMEbxB9XbrAAmCmJeynCrPpcdt31Uf52_G21OeEF1TqY9Sm23_-h_80l4r8AOpHB2rqngjyUogmFjm7x3ZBnlUUhfxO8XAzF3cTDle_uJjd21GX-30n3TBpIzOrTE1JuuAxsFEl2500rxCwPU8jQ/s568/IMG_0432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9b4kEZ4ZpaZ8_NVtH_IXRwXo275Ln6XVoyoXycfMEbxB9XbrAAmCmJeynCrPpcdt31Uf52_G21OeEF1TqY9Sm23_-h_80l4r8AOpHB2rqngjyUogmFjm7x3ZBnlUUhfxO8XAzF3cTDle_uJjd21GX-30n3TBpIzOrTE1JuuAxsFEl2500rxCwPU8jQ/s320/IMG_0432.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">This was the shirt... Has all of the MLB team and is sold ONLY at the MLB Flagship Store in NYC! <br />$39 shirt... For a KID! </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhRGTXxejByalI9-J2plDV4_P8RNhNfJrQwFjCtlHgGxqdM8qbn0drxn2GZJ4JQKKD8JbYHbNLUKATwsT44X5mMVTY2XHaA8apdLJH0Q5g_qRCUtAJ4dBUEAcaC2hoFj_P20Ozn1Z2qy-oGTjVRNi4vK5nteyq6B3kiqxXcqC9pUbwZ4CFL1ZVNN7yQ/s757/IMG_0433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhRGTXxejByalI9-J2plDV4_P8RNhNfJrQwFjCtlHgGxqdM8qbn0drxn2GZJ4JQKKD8JbYHbNLUKATwsT44X5mMVTY2XHaA8apdLJH0Q5g_qRCUtAJ4dBUEAcaC2hoFj_P20Ozn1Z2qy-oGTjVRNi4vK5nteyq6B3kiqxXcqC9pUbwZ4CFL1ZVNN7yQ/s320/IMG_0433.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I love his reaction seeing even more stuff at the check out... "I want that"! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMfrhwcgCz8eS7nJwthuZYkISC5zh3Q3CqeqrQ06MF-d7tKWhXjUrL8CA0ZJVgD03EM1II9HPegsNBE7EfxNNC7SJGFTX2iZXVrkBlIlquJJOXDlV08VX0zPZxN21wO5lKH0p4G3Oh4J2PTQ5N9cCCowO7piIusaRQHwLnUFae-HnLtlxCOdcjIDHZg/s757/IMG_0434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMfrhwcgCz8eS7nJwthuZYkISC5zh3Q3CqeqrQ06MF-d7tKWhXjUrL8CA0ZJVgD03EM1II9HPegsNBE7EfxNNC7SJGFTX2iZXVrkBlIlquJJOXDlV08VX0zPZxN21wO5lKH0p4G3Oh4J2PTQ5N9cCCowO7piIusaRQHwLnUFae-HnLtlxCOdcjIDHZg/s320/IMG_0434.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This was one of the things he saw... <br />"I would cut the veggies everyday if we could get an Astros one"! <br /><span style="color: red;">I was intrigued... Until I saw the price tag- $90</span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrl4RW5jZjUiWBc2HT0TBNNELKmrSfy0zdLNIaZcugQAcSBp92HiZkLNVAd-fguvIkA9C0e7dRKVbKn1_zlTFO4DrtzG3rlSXaAMJOcxt4T1ZbZD6mhcgemY62bweoYUNlOOlYEd0c1lCXgdLAwPdH_xJlU8LJMTZLbCgnuZ2R-IdvuvEDfs0aAar6A/s757/IMG_0435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrl4RW5jZjUiWBc2HT0TBNNELKmrSfy0zdLNIaZcugQAcSBp92HiZkLNVAd-fguvIkA9C0e7dRKVbKn1_zlTFO4DrtzG3rlSXaAMJOcxt4T1ZbZD6mhcgemY62bweoYUNlOOlYEd0c1lCXgdLAwPdH_xJlU8LJMTZLbCgnuZ2R-IdvuvEDfs0aAar6A/s320/IMG_0435.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I would say his shopping spree was a SUCCESS! <br />PS- Chris also got a great souvenir here too so he was not left out! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then got on the subway to go back to the <b><i>Harry Potter</i></b> store to really enjoy it. We took the subway back to Broadway and 22nd street and immediately got in line for a Butter Beer. <b><i><span style="color: red;">WOW... These were SO GOOD (No alcohol, just has the "beer name). They were $13 each and WELL worth it since you got to keep the plastic cup. </span></i></b>Luke did not want the Butter Beer so he got Butter Beer infused ice cream and he really enjoyed that. After our snack, we then walked around store more leisurely than before and Natalie ended up getting her very own Elder Wand and Luke got a few Knick knacks and pencils for school. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUIw_T2tOikIjrmvZVcaQXOfX3aFPsOgS2UqiON2ynE3jfS_4z5SPNExU2PtBX8jgA2QXJ0k19j1Mk6e-xmHGcJkojHEh_9onk94OZGjZ8YZcAv5ZEmtwSB9CP6QomFRvteaQLC8U6_C3Bn-eAlRtZZwvMr04pkRuzMuqEyLVyQDla7spalpYPSphkg/s757/IMG_0439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUIw_T2tOikIjrmvZVcaQXOfX3aFPsOgS2UqiON2ynE3jfS_4z5SPNExU2PtBX8jgA2QXJ0k19j1Mk6e-xmHGcJkojHEh_9onk94OZGjZ8YZcAv5ZEmtwSB9CP6QomFRvteaQLC8U6_C3Bn-eAlRtZZwvMr04pkRuzMuqEyLVyQDla7spalpYPSphkg/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Seriously DO NOT miss out on the Butter Beer... This stuff was SO GOOD! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9q8FTnsd5K2X0Ka1-uKFpfBzVck9ywtdqFfb3AkdsHcWqpXOaInsnOJNLW3vTZZTTaI4q1txQM5tr2-qH-I2vrqWmA4g0nBiAd49L1CZE6OD2PNbum-KbJux_ablPxN-zxLTrzwwU2uJZeK9NuBvQHS6a4u3z44cqDEjaxKNQ8IcKuJsDehZuIj2uQ/s568/IMG_0441.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9q8FTnsd5K2X0Ka1-uKFpfBzVck9ywtdqFfb3AkdsHcWqpXOaInsnOJNLW3vTZZTTaI4q1txQM5tr2-qH-I2vrqWmA4g0nBiAd49L1CZE6OD2PNbum-KbJux_ablPxN-zxLTrzwwU2uJZeK9NuBvQHS6a4u3z44cqDEjaxKNQ8IcKuJsDehZuIj2uQ/s320/IMG_0441.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I snuck a bite of Luke's Butter Beer flavored Ice Cream and it was really good too! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>After </span><b><i>Harry Potter,</i></b><span> we got back on the subway and went over to Brooklyn to see </span><b>DUMBO</b><span> and enjoy lunch in this borough. </span><i><span style="color: red;">The subway over to Brooklyn was very fast and not at all busy coming from mid-town Manhattan on a Friday afternoon.</span></i><span> Once we arrived in Brooklyn we casually found our way over to the </span><b>DUMBO </b><span>area of Brooklyn to see the Brooklyn bridge. Then we went to </span><b><i>Time Out Marke</i></b><span>t to look for lunch and get a restroom break. </span><i><span style="color: red;">We really wanted to have Brooklyn style pizza IN Brooklyn and we ended up eating lunch at<b> Ignazio's Pizza.</b></span></i><b> </b><span>WOW... This was a </span><strike>home run </strike><span>grand-slam! This pizza was SO GOOD and cooked absolutely perfect. We got a margarita pizza and a calzone to share and they were both superb! </span><i><span style="color: red;">We really enjoyed Ignazio's and when we return, this will be on our list to go to again! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPt-Tu1w24BZHeFX4HP_q4lF1UCRfdg8rcLplnniEvHeSXQ6ZbDE1S8zkVSKvS5zaKsFGiqIGrau5Wi3wqj5wlKBMGKfIVL4bIy-VYJk60LxC64gXHNZlWQdVa-CdPjkZXXunNz04DbqmGr2woT-xEkDsYwyvHXm5EnMUZQT-RBdaiiyTi65XtNT_Ow/s568/IMG_0445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPt-Tu1w24BZHeFX4HP_q4lF1UCRfdg8rcLplnniEvHeSXQ6ZbDE1S8zkVSKvS5zaKsFGiqIGrau5Wi3wqj5wlKBMGKfIVL4bIy-VYJk60LxC64gXHNZlWQdVa-CdPjkZXXunNz04DbqmGr2woT-xEkDsYwyvHXm5EnMUZQT-RBdaiiyTi65XtNT_Ow/s320/IMG_0445.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />It took us a quick minute to find the "DUMBO" area... We thought this was it but it was not the picture-perfect area. </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGVWlnvai8_tLTuoCzkqs2IUyYbsPPj0BK9UtXRKJ_qxsZ6MvEFhYfgK9cM8Z1WAGCpxOcv-fha38ub2ZldP7y9zX6gdOkkp5v2mGkCgs0_xOIWtbzzHzlgbtXm2kQirCggjyTFhPkMnxtacPTV5vHOWlgNeJux3Htp9dbP6DJraXNCSrRHhuaszM_A/s568/IMG_0447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGVWlnvai8_tLTuoCzkqs2IUyYbsPPj0BK9UtXRKJ_qxsZ6MvEFhYfgK9cM8Z1WAGCpxOcv-fha38ub2ZldP7y9zX6gdOkkp5v2mGkCgs0_xOIWtbzzHzlgbtXm2kQirCggjyTFhPkMnxtacPTV5vHOWlgNeJux3Htp9dbP6DJraXNCSrRHhuaszM_A/s320/IMG_0447.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><b>Another view of the REAL DUMBO area! <br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxihHwUVEGIBVMgYtVWtTH4NyddGuVdiMZyPuIlTPZt03hPbJt-XwxuPvQrhF0bC2feDrl13RfPvccbMY9nhfDH3XqlVpYz7BDI5zT0xVA656KW8kNa0mQgw83ia-3Bd8RrYCb6gsZL5HKi9l-5G-ZVterdlGH1wsHfWQBxqN3wEwZw64PwAPdZ_Qznw/s568/IMG_0449.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxihHwUVEGIBVMgYtVWtTH4NyddGuVdiMZyPuIlTPZt03hPbJt-XwxuPvQrhF0bC2feDrl13RfPvccbMY9nhfDH3XqlVpYz7BDI5zT0xVA656KW8kNa0mQgw83ia-3Bd8RrYCb6gsZL5HKi9l-5G-ZVterdlGH1wsHfWQBxqN3wEwZw64PwAPdZ_Qznw/s320/IMG_0449.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Be still my heart! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxajkO43Ws3fTADYpBRkgONB5FRz36GU28wGey48fGyXaJy04QbZ9IrBKKm798uaXdKLHKO14VGmfoio_dlIgiOrZYnYb3j-65rH38bTrlOnUKFsvTLVOjl_inxuAbCNKNYTiwct_chtpNRV3ec4elc0DzoHCmlzwkkpwABIKTcJwp1n5qM5ht2pbfRg/s568/IMG_0452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxajkO43Ws3fTADYpBRkgONB5FRz36GU28wGey48fGyXaJy04QbZ9IrBKKm798uaXdKLHKO14VGmfoio_dlIgiOrZYnYb3j-65rH38bTrlOnUKFsvTLVOjl_inxuAbCNKNYTiwct_chtpNRV3ec4elc0DzoHCmlzwkkpwABIKTcJwp1n5qM5ht2pbfRg/s320/IMG_0452.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>We really enjoyed this area and I am so glad we made the trek out here! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b9ml7UGoCjjk8HkgOaMhEzoKIyQrghenQPbkgYwewzxDOoEMa11qH2tfOIUzWuI3AVmOpuTaa4x056U8q31DBdYY0DaMh90e9dr_KeP_dro6i2_enWW5w2v_cBVhCz5yxMUE98a9RnX0ku0Hs6DMgxeLs6VvoY_Z15JFbGUnipl-xERljoiCRIHfVg/s757/IMG_0455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b9ml7UGoCjjk8HkgOaMhEzoKIyQrghenQPbkgYwewzxDOoEMa11qH2tfOIUzWuI3AVmOpuTaa4x056U8q31DBdYY0DaMh90e9dr_KeP_dro6i2_enWW5w2v_cBVhCz5yxMUE98a9RnX0ku0Hs6DMgxeLs6VvoY_Z15JFbGUnipl-xERljoiCRIHfVg/s320/IMG_0455.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Making the pizza in the Brick Oven... Wow, it was so good! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYGUmVyI07jGygwG4tealEliigC8MW9Ur1_1od0_ynwvRznLeacr-YB4J0vx0tZ894SZNUGJnrdTX7dFGyjDbtKByMHT3xUIZPu1HH75tv5OQw8_yv1FD4n6RAz9LjcpQw-fNYa-OdPiZVIg5yYmfGiD0tpzawvRnLb0teoiOlgPnoh8BFnBi9pCffA/s757/IMG_0456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYGUmVyI07jGygwG4tealEliigC8MW9Ur1_1od0_ynwvRznLeacr-YB4J0vx0tZ894SZNUGJnrdTX7dFGyjDbtKByMHT3xUIZPu1HH75tv5OQw8_yv1FD4n6RAz9LjcpQw-fNYa-OdPiZVIg5yYmfGiD0tpzawvRnLb0teoiOlgPnoh8BFnBi9pCffA/s320/IMG_0456.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Calzone... WOW, I was a little worried the kids would not like it but they DESTROYED IT! The ricotta was excellent! </b></div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuzygVFQOmXdTqseVX2F3r1bKlonuf5MMabf2TyVER7gMnLUHSiacyF4o3Yvz5W5cV3PCK5LV0yCKaBWZIBx6HN6VgaT8yD2nl_tC49Pzj45TPMlBqw6EHUMFbIxUJUbr-T7QFGRynIKyXYpzTWl32mZiqitXHzRRG5nG1ExuvOLGNoAJ7gw4IqlpBw/s757/IMG_0457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuzygVFQOmXdTqseVX2F3r1bKlonuf5MMabf2TyVER7gMnLUHSiacyF4o3Yvz5W5cV3PCK5LV0yCKaBWZIBx6HN6VgaT8yD2nl_tC49Pzj45TPMlBqw6EHUMFbIxUJUbr-T7QFGRynIKyXYpzTWl32mZiqitXHzRRG5nG1ExuvOLGNoAJ7gw4IqlpBw/s320/IMG_0457.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The classic "margarita" pizza... <span style="color: red;">This was some of the best pizza I have had <br />In. MY. LIFE! </span></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp960ZuIupe65uZaAXPndDcQ_9MZC_1NF6W5nsJajr0wKIO5VSsQIKuVUi_3wPZWomB45Cby7hXYB5qLClwKXIqkuhyc-kg3Fjp7yp5hsdhBvAXATpvHdgdVj5kr11h76G_zv5W9uZ2kVdhMPJqOf13UpU7IiayusRL7SdrM_IMIn587epmNJTWcbAg/s568/IMG_0458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp960ZuIupe65uZaAXPndDcQ_9MZC_1NF6W5nsJajr0wKIO5VSsQIKuVUi_3wPZWomB45Cby7hXYB5qLClwKXIqkuhyc-kg3Fjp7yp5hsdhBvAXATpvHdgdVj5kr11h76G_zv5W9uZ2kVdhMPJqOf13UpU7IiayusRL7SdrM_IMIn587epmNJTWcbAg/s320/IMG_0458.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>New York City AIN'T CHEAP! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-zduf1sZoeuHylvgyD3sGmB_JGhpn7NWufKHMhFM7tSlcXljs5vQ5mmahFOopbr0mAFBfkzk_I3JftAdhsgcaPESz4lJajV03nogGLt65wrm2q7BFvMD4NAgthJ6P6aMQYgX-LCpx-UlyURzJVtiErcZZWdpL8W5YWQYRQNvmN-w3KYSYx2j1XAijw/s757/IMG_0459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-zduf1sZoeuHylvgyD3sGmB_JGhpn7NWufKHMhFM7tSlcXljs5vQ5mmahFOopbr0mAFBfkzk_I3JftAdhsgcaPESz4lJajV03nogGLt65wrm2q7BFvMD4NAgthJ6P6aMQYgX-LCpx-UlyURzJVtiErcZZWdpL8W5YWQYRQNvmN-w3KYSYx2j1XAijw/s320/IMG_0459.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>We love Ignazio's! We WILL be back! </b></div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch we made our way to the start of the <b><i>Brooklyn Bridge</i></b> to walk back into Manhattan. This was a bucket list item I REALLY wanted to do since Chris and I have walked across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and LOVED that experience. Once on the bridge there were all kinds of vendors selling <strike>stuff </strike>crap and we purchased some great T-Shirts and other tourist souvenirs on our walk back to Manhattan. <i><span style="color: red;">TIP- The items OFF the bridge in Brooklyn were better priced than on the bridge. Luke got a Yankees Next Era cap for only $15. Natalie paid $37 for the SAME hat inside Yankee Stadium the night before. It was VERY crowded at 2PM on a Friday but we still got some great pictures</span></i>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbUb4ViCfbqtgxEjRYyAH4u5bfam38OaszUXUTujh5Wx10erbBU-LIhbL1HMgcspgMSTZ8OooZMA7nQwOLreqyabctfNqQAoNfUQYwxFsNMDJAfnfsQ3t8DaBDJwOwIkSBjZw6EcSsUw16hXXHMnWej8riCz4DYJPSvcKWf5mS2fnBi1P6gmq4sk2JQ/s757/IMG_0464.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbUb4ViCfbqtgxEjRYyAH4u5bfam38OaszUXUTujh5Wx10erbBU-LIhbL1HMgcspgMSTZ8OooZMA7nQwOLreqyabctfNqQAoNfUQYwxFsNMDJAfnfsQ3t8DaBDJwOwIkSBjZw6EcSsUw16hXXHMnWej8riCz4DYJPSvcKWf5mS2fnBi1P6gmq4sk2JQ/s320/IMG_0464.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The start of the walking path of the Brooklyn Bridge! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3jdTYwI1FkCWS9TzpdrWmsWRKNk_53cUvPnTCBIzTWStQp85Mo_jqym7QJ0JmUJ-fos0TbNUwm_lY_WmWxnCM8Qn1Td0hRY0phj1rWhsvDSf4XGX9oLndOasrDI5oPkYXh2t-kaUyKwPcx-Jfkpq-mT0ht9ZznEqCEC45qfHjJN1g6BD2LmPDDSc1g/s757/IMG_0465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3jdTYwI1FkCWS9TzpdrWmsWRKNk_53cUvPnTCBIzTWStQp85Mo_jqym7QJ0JmUJ-fos0TbNUwm_lY_WmWxnCM8Qn1Td0hRY0phj1rWhsvDSf4XGX9oLndOasrDI5oPkYXh2t-kaUyKwPcx-Jfkpq-mT0ht9ZznEqCEC45qfHjJN1g6BD2LmPDDSc1g/s320/IMG_0465.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This guy really liked this journey back into Manhattan! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo1wm_i0nZtH0w6WTRBt3nYI1KqAC-z4HhzS7cV9Wj87FA5kEHKbkvEAp9OLGhjDtQGX5RkQuNajp7K4axyYTqlAem4hM3lM-VOLkH0fBYn1oNVs21xoQqoaR3cIeVchjdt1WY7LQ8waclg-zZ545huDPnnjjYNv97hOLrsHfggPgVoz46gS9ZHZknQ/s757/IMG_0469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo1wm_i0nZtH0w6WTRBt3nYI1KqAC-z4HhzS7cV9Wj87FA5kEHKbkvEAp9OLGhjDtQGX5RkQuNajp7K4axyYTqlAem4hM3lM-VOLkH0fBYn1oNVs21xoQqoaR3cIeVchjdt1WY7LQ8waclg-zZ545huDPnnjjYNv97hOLrsHfggPgVoz46gS9ZHZknQ/s320/IMG_0469.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Another Bucket List check-off!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L1pBGxNoXZrpJe_ytnNxqzqv8alx9v2U7aiyPda6lp_-CCH7hCWp6Wn2BEttpq9W_vBiHseGl2Sjat5P1I-snydYqIJIeiYG1f-IkOtVKa6lgxnYpf_QEmaHMXSh9mYKxmCBGloQ_S74H-8pSOsM5UZokh6LGJiZYC0S-N8J8ZE1P_m4qA2HdL8zGg/s757/IMG_0472.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L1pBGxNoXZrpJe_ytnNxqzqv8alx9v2U7aiyPda6lp_-CCH7hCWp6Wn2BEttpq9W_vBiHseGl2Sjat5P1I-snydYqIJIeiYG1f-IkOtVKa6lgxnYpf_QEmaHMXSh9mYKxmCBGloQ_S74H-8pSOsM5UZokh6LGJiZYC0S-N8J8ZE1P_m4qA2HdL8zGg/s320/IMG_0472.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I loved getting to share this with my boy! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjYHamYQzcbTHUxIptbTHm-iQf9GFtCIQFadDwduJmrj13-UbRWnkjbRIbSywJkC2GxWdjLipXeqlJ2FzxxYjcY4xcDFILDrNrEKjyMiiAkVWu3eSpmv3WXHstzZV1gjnbRf4aVo9suSffPCPPBBGV7FR5ZbmGdxTpDDEwoYvNzqNGiIyjHWrdfFmGg/s757/IMG_0477.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjYHamYQzcbTHUxIptbTHm-iQf9GFtCIQFadDwduJmrj13-UbRWnkjbRIbSywJkC2GxWdjLipXeqlJ2FzxxYjcY4xcDFILDrNrEKjyMiiAkVWu3eSpmv3WXHstzZV1gjnbRf4aVo9suSffPCPPBBGV7FR5ZbmGdxTpDDEwoYvNzqNGiIyjHWrdfFmGg/s320/IMG_0477.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I have said it practically every other paragraph but I LOVE THIS CITY! <br />This view NEVER, EVER gets old! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_v5t5rIqQqHQDgDSHbL7I5QgJwjt9yYFjGTD-3qvulqJIALxozjtUaIzfqMXQrg2Ukvy9f2kC4ghMYf6sAe2hWcKy6xD2SL0PAPsZuKSyvvyqkdLr56u7wjFTKqXdr1HqBezFcWqvHzDRdPhT8DZi_Z1jmy5OhsQ0m4wNSS2VBiFUfnKBPHpgu0www/s757/IMG_0481.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_v5t5rIqQqHQDgDSHbL7I5QgJwjt9yYFjGTD-3qvulqJIALxozjtUaIzfqMXQrg2Ukvy9f2kC4ghMYf6sAe2hWcKy6xD2SL0PAPsZuKSyvvyqkdLr56u7wjFTKqXdr1HqBezFcWqvHzDRdPhT8DZi_Z1jmy5OhsQ0m4wNSS2VBiFUfnKBPHpgu0www/s320/IMG_0481.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Another view of midtown Manhattan! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHRxgsEXs55RCj7NqA6EzMFWT3922cSdILYGnZSrPBkGa6LiwmUqelyR2kF1CRDqID6gyE0SgJz4H4kQlSsIWjPqMOyUn9gQw1ETImomjTZC9q3mda23CEp_11V-WYPWwm_jlIZz1vDCq5oytzwHN7XRlBg7DrrhmLpen_YEFse0iK26oTNFtZJdiXA/s757/IMG_0482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHRxgsEXs55RCj7NqA6EzMFWT3922cSdILYGnZSrPBkGa6LiwmUqelyR2kF1CRDqID6gyE0SgJz4H4kQlSsIWjPqMOyUn9gQw1ETImomjTZC9q3mda23CEp_11V-WYPWwm_jlIZz1vDCq5oytzwHN7XRlBg7DrrhmLpen_YEFse0iK26oTNFtZJdiXA/s320/IMG_0482.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>She allowed me to take a picture with her on the Bridge! <br />*By midweek she was just about over the pictures! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAmB-YuSKxnjAeFINQQu85nob-jvdg5zquhG8gUKL6WGrh54s6P2BznMj6U_eTndl0H82y3VvPCaTg3wTmsZgsDxavRTmZVz8nlxJvPVKvDqsK_szZ-Fm2SATCZAedOnQNevl_QtH6to1I9g2cYxLBUIGg6hZP0ZnMIyA_JVcxKf67OlKvV40Rmk0Xg/s757/IMG_0485.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAmB-YuSKxnjAeFINQQu85nob-jvdg5zquhG8gUKL6WGrh54s6P2BznMj6U_eTndl0H82y3VvPCaTg3wTmsZgsDxavRTmZVz8nlxJvPVKvDqsK_szZ-Fm2SATCZAedOnQNevl_QtH6to1I9g2cYxLBUIGg6hZP0ZnMIyA_JVcxKf67OlKvV40Rmk0Xg/s320/IMG_0485.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This is a CLASSIC shot of the Brooklyn Bridge with OWTC and American Flag in the background! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGlLyGZuEzzpBNYeAJYOa9lydOvBQ-lSFOGzVk9HxAeR0L9dzrJis8JVaogia4iK0123wXffGz7ZiOPzeCkkN8ll88aEuJqhDxK18OhLWRCnV3xyjyj7OVo1TASfNSDpM07kVSi6uCtWxPs7Ltz5nLybb3cyJP90ZvDukMJxARzDbOQF1865kPePoYg/s757/IMG_0491.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGlLyGZuEzzpBNYeAJYOa9lydOvBQ-lSFOGzVk9HxAeR0L9dzrJis8JVaogia4iK0123wXffGz7ZiOPzeCkkN8ll88aEuJqhDxK18OhLWRCnV3xyjyj7OVo1TASfNSDpM07kVSi6uCtWxPs7Ltz5nLybb3cyJP90ZvDukMJxARzDbOQF1865kPePoYg/s320/IMG_0491.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Family Selfie! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4WJJHPQLf1i3yapVLXJ__sWI7A_FHK0z168ZLYjsqCplEfzgaLf4j3WavCbWpl7s1M12tGwupjDqrMwrli3oLDSZ7eEkFduAL-qka56yY6umBDhuFduV03-tAU5XE8BelDW3NjCisJzm0qRIn6OkAfnQ9dj7E1b1DkuXdptlfY-w6CsT4Yt06cpWfA/s757/IMG_0494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4WJJHPQLf1i3yapVLXJ__sWI7A_FHK0z168ZLYjsqCplEfzgaLf4j3WavCbWpl7s1M12tGwupjDqrMwrli3oLDSZ7eEkFduAL-qka56yY6umBDhuFduV03-tAU5XE8BelDW3NjCisJzm0qRIn6OkAfnQ9dj7E1b1DkuXdptlfY-w6CsT4Yt06cpWfA/s320/IMG_0494.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We did not find a "Welcome to NY" sign so this was close enough! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq8O1KFuBFkN4u91vzr2OYkToqDF0IumaJNexpzy3ZgbFITWpNsxlmAu7ijguB6sJ3tqy-O3nUNucD4lJ8kJeHbzvjObt_IiiV3IOkHlKQSr6LGEVENWMNWpYiEiA4hGIR_AFoRxe_lpOfmmZ4KqGNQVsrpUqkIxTLL096I6qIvl78N2Qd-f-yZppRQ/s757/IMG_0495.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq8O1KFuBFkN4u91vzr2OYkToqDF0IumaJNexpzy3ZgbFITWpNsxlmAu7ijguB6sJ3tqy-O3nUNucD4lJ8kJeHbzvjObt_IiiV3IOkHlKQSr6LGEVENWMNWpYiEiA4hGIR_AFoRxe_lpOfmmZ4KqGNQVsrpUqkIxTLL096I6qIvl78N2Qd-f-yZppRQ/s320/IMG_0495.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Chris wants to get pictures at all of the "Welcome" signs. <br />We have now failed at California AND New York! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once back in Manhattan we were HOT as it was 93* on this day and we were sweating a lot so we wanted to take the subway back to our hotel which was only 4 blocks away. <i><span style="color: red;">This was a mistake as by the time we go to the right subway, we could have just walked to our hotel.</span></i> But nonetheless we arrived at our hotel around 3PM and rested for a while before all taking showers and getting ready for our second Yankees game that night. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we were all ready, we made our way back to </span><b style="font-size: large;">Fulton Street Station</b><span style="font-size: medium;"> and got on the subway to <b><i>Yankee Stadium</i></b>. We arrived around 5PM and the gates did not open until 5:30PM so we walked around the stadium and nearby stores killing some time. We knew we had seats in the upper decks of the outfield so we went towards Gate 8 to get in the stadium. <i>There was a random line that had formed on it's own and we asked what it was for. Someone said "Company X is all going in this side gate". We looked at each other and decided to chance it. It worked out as we were able to get inside the stadium around 5:40PM shortly after they opened the gates and they NEVER asked for our company ticket. We all 4 got Tino Martinez Bobbleheads as well! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0rykNUXrmDxesZIsq1XBeUu2W92kCxhtAd-4u9d2WvHPJxGdabmSsyJfRaHaixal6WscfVL26ZBZ1rDcjUWSCEJs8tZTecXCa6gWp370Cgw0fY_ZjgxnKufe9tcGps47R88jK-wu-B6nFMW0IEHUgDYXmMZ174oqkF1rAhN-7JseSwUOKutoZ22feQ/s757/IMG_0505.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0rykNUXrmDxesZIsq1XBeUu2W92kCxhtAd-4u9d2WvHPJxGdabmSsyJfRaHaixal6WscfVL26ZBZ1rDcjUWSCEJs8tZTecXCa6gWp370Cgw0fY_ZjgxnKufe9tcGps47R88jK-wu-B6nFMW0IEHUgDYXmMZ174oqkF1rAhN-7JseSwUOKutoZ22feQ/s320/IMG_0505.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It was rare we ALL FOUR got to sit down on a rush hour subway! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3fiszcJz9j8biXhbgxPBl6YVRzDaMV6bR3scNuFt2YUJDIVX8KOfzEz_Oz29-pl5bIpv3oNJU6W5TeA5Lb_4EhM1uKGwE2tiiRBO5s25vhmIiuQwUf4s9DrswaGXIY3nOH1s4hhn5JxX1cpfFpmGQzZhDjFhoGFQ7VhDyR0hSnwLlYxNtK6hQ0IyqQ/s757/IMG_0506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3fiszcJz9j8biXhbgxPBl6YVRzDaMV6bR3scNuFt2YUJDIVX8KOfzEz_Oz29-pl5bIpv3oNJU6W5TeA5Lb_4EhM1uKGwE2tiiRBO5s25vhmIiuQwUf4s9DrswaGXIY3nOH1s4hhn5JxX1cpfFpmGQzZhDjFhoGFQ7VhDyR0hSnwLlYxNtK6hQ0IyqQ/s320/IMG_0506.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Gorgeous... Seriously LOVE this place! <br />TOP THREE Stadium (Hands down) </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1m-OGgRoOqGJz9psqz8jQ4iAHK0LNlLvTk176eZs8phQERxe6vf2mz_oXBOW-l1GbzVuK6MY9Vh6X4PLv0XULUmys4GsSLscXsHdebjxjieYIiCIbsTp4wwhquGYHbKDeLNdmA8FGXRCU6rYyyRrqEkJDcWT5of3p2nsNbrD-nKYqSQGhF-SQI3sQ/s568/IMG_0508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1m-OGgRoOqGJz9psqz8jQ4iAHK0LNlLvTk176eZs8phQERxe6vf2mz_oXBOW-l1GbzVuK6MY9Vh6X4PLv0XULUmys4GsSLscXsHdebjxjieYIiCIbsTp4wwhquGYHbKDeLNdmA8FGXRCU6rYyyRrqEkJDcWT5of3p2nsNbrD-nKYqSQGhF-SQI3sQ/s320/IMG_0508.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>We're BACK! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZwTC16UJDut-NoRNICZqOgEA1eRzDb2ge7IgN3FYZ6z588MCsHWZI-LtCLbZVQ0CQSeVkSwPIaahKI1YO9gqRa7SwImOjbspuwur5Cd1UG954R2GAVfG68GJhWQe8igk4vMAuoe6NvhjIvkxjj5YjQZedgLbul7a-ZpFbgfj5W5dhSmO7tP5Miyg6Q/s568/IMG_0511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZwTC16UJDut-NoRNICZqOgEA1eRzDb2ge7IgN3FYZ6z588MCsHWZI-LtCLbZVQ0CQSeVkSwPIaahKI1YO9gqRa7SwImOjbspuwur5Cd1UG954R2GAVfG68GJhWQe8igk4vMAuoe6NvhjIvkxjj5YjQZedgLbul7a-ZpFbgfj5W5dhSmO7tP5Miyg6Q/s320/IMG_0511.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>She got her Foam Finger to add to her collection! </b></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once inside <b><i>Yankee Stadium</i></b> we went straight to <i>Monument Park</i> in the outfield. <i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Monument Park is an area in Center Field of Yankee Stadium that honors the MANY greats of Yankee history. Being a HUGE Yankees fan all my life, this was SO COOL! This area is FREE and be sure to check it out when you visit Yankee Stadium but it is only open the 90 minutes before the first pitch! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4n-KpTTSq2ajI8ecdqNDlvTIZBsJQI8j8dQu7DlI0ANGkKJy7POWstmJ_oshXrU2mHd8PeHt2jaQ3rLpiFQrITBhj2raTeql4f0vPxhmZpHf_r4-QPWBHTmOnoJPAMmpXZl-IrHd4ZJkDbsU_H0An1GQH7sChhYC_Rg4v8k_Kyxo6X7hQfwRRN5GrQ/s568/IMG_0513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4n-KpTTSq2ajI8ecdqNDlvTIZBsJQI8j8dQu7DlI0ANGkKJy7POWstmJ_oshXrU2mHd8PeHt2jaQ3rLpiFQrITBhj2raTeql4f0vPxhmZpHf_r4-QPWBHTmOnoJPAMmpXZl-IrHd4ZJkDbsU_H0An1GQH7sChhYC_Rg4v8k_Kyxo6X7hQfwRRN5GrQ/s320/IMG_0513.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>This is such a COOL experience! <span style="color: red;">DO NOT MISS IT! </span></b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b8kadp1KogGIzoKsK9WhvnMfVZq9976VBD7FhKIyT-tjgFH948_ZlWgIp9j9FuwjlbNl5qd3jLYsxWR4RetClvgTtoWJHzXzpPquz5e94lPMkglj_eNgKrv7qVBprB6YN5Mi7ZKqCwUfDb8YxVZrdX9bg1-qNKV1XBfRQh3zO2imMOInLVIs4m_xLw/s568/IMG_0514.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b8kadp1KogGIzoKsK9WhvnMfVZq9976VBD7FhKIyT-tjgFH948_ZlWgIp9j9FuwjlbNl5qd3jLYsxWR4RetClvgTtoWJHzXzpPquz5e94lPMkglj_eNgKrv7qVBprB6YN5Mi7ZKqCwUfDb8YxVZrdX9bg1-qNKV1XBfRQh3zO2imMOInLVIs4m_xLw/s320/IMG_0514.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />He wants to be a pitcher like Andy Petite. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA4ny-cRsny3x-a-2deqzZqBCg_eh2Z9K2cw8EZSJHLxSpdHtwk9WfFjXhyroPfm9vUWOORefTa4wS5PEoEZ_q2yvxBH7JVa1dsMuWU74kxy1SZFpBAO1TCOUeWKBySJFukZORMOmeh5KcqhqDCJVZiGlomFplib1Ljgj2IER0HjNhJfE2UjxT1IF4A/s568/IMG_0515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA4ny-cRsny3x-a-2deqzZqBCg_eh2Z9K2cw8EZSJHLxSpdHtwk9WfFjXhyroPfm9vUWOORefTa4wS5PEoEZ_q2yvxBH7JVa1dsMuWU74kxy1SZFpBAO1TCOUeWKBySJFukZORMOmeh5KcqhqDCJVZiGlomFplib1Ljgj2IER0HjNhJfE2UjxT1IF4A/s320/IMG_0515.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>My favorite YANKEE catcher of all time <br />My ALL TIME FAVORITE CATCH is PUDGE Rodriguez! <br />Best Catcher Ever... Change my mind! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaXVJKy7ywIgCbs7DHdsGXZgA8ksYH-M9zAeavBRhSj6gc9BuhBSESY__rm6tUrlQf-OP8s6818Rh3KrPCItNnLqqCzSFDag7q25dgKuyq2f_W4L8EKER9d5glCyH3BwdzslFwpBkCVKPlFFAh5tCWiCN1X0FuiiAkHlyH-4Zn8-rxdAs1ieUww2uxw/s757/IMG_0516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaXVJKy7ywIgCbs7DHdsGXZgA8ksYH-M9zAeavBRhSj6gc9BuhBSESY__rm6tUrlQf-OP8s6818Rh3KrPCItNnLqqCzSFDag7q25dgKuyq2f_W4L8EKER9d5glCyH3BwdzslFwpBkCVKPlFFAh5tCWiCN1X0FuiiAkHlyH-4Zn8-rxdAs1ieUww2uxw/s320/IMG_0516.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>I was in YANKEE heaven! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XW1aoCwEu7LElTlqAgObkitkJEKi8uYV28IVjhjlyeiYbwSMh03AIBE1cEoxA6teOs6pi1DbExfCxbjCJYEo2-ishHzGr6_6XPVRNHoHTDUkfon4i6FfswJjHyOa-Bac1Vocu_VNB4XdKaYW-GLmHTaH1zG3SFmWxaFoT4R9vNGC_kKsW55yOGGUwA/s568/IMG_0519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XW1aoCwEu7LElTlqAgObkitkJEKi8uYV28IVjhjlyeiYbwSMh03AIBE1cEoxA6teOs6pi1DbExfCxbjCJYEo2-ishHzGr6_6XPVRNHoHTDUkfon4i6FfswJjHyOa-Bac1Vocu_VNB4XdKaYW-GLmHTaH1zG3SFmWxaFoT4R9vNGC_kKsW55yOGGUwA/s320/IMG_0519.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>The reason he wears #2... The greatest player of all time- Derek Jeter! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIH8SJH0dcX7tGHV8RTLt9j4MZflWBEqeEscWZZYnwGul-Ttp-82n7hHk2lWYGUgAs1MPUYxOw6IKof_G_6bMJ8eFvyQQvEOryudlvfVvT3EHE17JL-NPpAp4AmUoQo8ZoD-7khDB2IkulbixHl1AXL-PXA-nQHQgrQpM-IFNAYnWNiU1fs9nJg2lMQ/s568/IMG_0521.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIH8SJH0dcX7tGHV8RTLt9j4MZflWBEqeEscWZZYnwGul-Ttp-82n7hHk2lWYGUgAs1MPUYxOw6IKof_G_6bMJ8eFvyQQvEOryudlvfVvT3EHE17JL-NPpAp4AmUoQo8ZoD-7khDB2IkulbixHl1AXL-PXA-nQHQgrQpM-IFNAYnWNiU1fs9nJg2lMQ/s320/IMG_0521.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />I love this guy! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__GyXW1ljkPWxu-M3sDSD-SsyCaup3HDY08ZuSqojzCe4sHA028IXey_UrfKi5kiIPxHvq-juI7L7j28l1sDVrWtnid2z-hx5brWuA7Nx8Tpu7wsJ_ERwDu7cnOadS0FjHt9loMU4RMb4j9ruCo7NuR5-IaCyCSpz5abmkvd4gHasQ0uwUKJGCR79dA/s757/IMG_0522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__GyXW1ljkPWxu-M3sDSD-SsyCaup3HDY08ZuSqojzCe4sHA028IXey_UrfKi5kiIPxHvq-juI7L7j28l1sDVrWtnid2z-hx5brWuA7Nx8Tpu7wsJ_ERwDu7cnOadS0FjHt9loMU4RMb4j9ruCo7NuR5-IaCyCSpz5abmkvd4gHasQ0uwUKJGCR79dA/s320/IMG_0522.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>More of Monument Park! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNEoQVnoTNYJae7yES7TfiRDuLOQT_jnpEZFmalAaeXxD4oK-CLEAzs64KZrpCqm1Q76pBiGE3FVjTXn4ARwBwaf5mUaEKXTz9osrkdxFCd92DUsGLcZQ1gX-XJfwIE1rVo079BLa1QGLZNQd015iVgLsFoh1103IMrnK4k4PeJYUoHDFOv2eP8Wd_g/s568/IMG_0526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNEoQVnoTNYJae7yES7TfiRDuLOQT_jnpEZFmalAaeXxD4oK-CLEAzs64KZrpCqm1Q76pBiGE3FVjTXn4ARwBwaf5mUaEKXTz9osrkdxFCd92DUsGLcZQ1gX-XJfwIE1rVo079BLa1QGLZNQd015iVgLsFoh1103IMrnK4k4PeJYUoHDFOv2eP8Wd_g/s320/IMG_0526.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>The BABE! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6pW1MZREYUsgQGG8iISXdVdza4sA45rk2UJfnSaUFycLRjcae2HrZgKOqq52iIG0MBoz1x3rbCBAIhVhAVldEi2xqLcl0gzxa8huoImQ05iUZTbRQrb9-aOS-Z_mooOSo4Ld3aCHa3N4897kiMgn8YiV34yK_T7lTh5IV_aWIA6ege2a5-ICVt-6tg/s568/IMG_0530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6pW1MZREYUsgQGG8iISXdVdza4sA45rk2UJfnSaUFycLRjcae2HrZgKOqq52iIG0MBoz1x3rbCBAIhVhAVldEi2xqLcl0gzxa8huoImQ05iUZTbRQrb9-aOS-Z_mooOSo4Ld3aCHa3N4897kiMgn8YiV34yK_T7lTh5IV_aWIA6ege2a5-ICVt-6tg/s320/IMG_0530.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>And easily the greatest CLOSER of all time... Mariana Rivera! <br />I have seen him pitch 4 times! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFL9pgW3iQGooQHDAZAM1qqd6G_uaJJ_TzmSLoxgKlH3guQW7Fa5MgfXtc2q8dKDyIv02mZw5S9GHHBv7XAKnHHSkBgvkHF3_hbJgThYg63s0utmgdVBwsWdWZ9FFRRGO5WgLnjl9N210Wt6JxlteIXmsdl7PvFjceH7KaFKiYbhWyJQAACnN1yjjBeA/s568/IMG_0532.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFL9pgW3iQGooQHDAZAM1qqd6G_uaJJ_TzmSLoxgKlH3guQW7Fa5MgfXtc2q8dKDyIv02mZw5S9GHHBv7XAKnHHSkBgvkHF3_hbJgThYg63s0utmgdVBwsWdWZ9FFRRGO5WgLnjl9N210Wt6JxlteIXmsdl7PvFjceH7KaFKiYbhWyJQAACnN1yjjBeA/s320/IMG_0532.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>His number-sake! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv9omyjUEU9GfmtUSpKShyYwu0ifn1ZAXcD8tOXNLQBhxTQZEqetFPpT1R44eF3CNPtx3e5pY0waC7hHv_TAXe2q5bgXOnhodibmtzfz1Y2ApgidOuobfqI6zp7xuV6YoN4PKkgiR7uLjC9d8YY6uaYrfHlftkdwPSBxzTvCIrr1HYacGY89mnT4GAg/s568/IMG_0533.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPv9omyjUEU9GfmtUSpKShyYwu0ifn1ZAXcD8tOXNLQBhxTQZEqetFPpT1R44eF3CNPtx3e5pY0waC7hHv_TAXe2q5bgXOnhodibmtzfz1Y2ApgidOuobfqI6zp7xuV6YoN4PKkgiR7uLjC9d8YY6uaYrfHlftkdwPSBxzTvCIrr1HYacGY89mnT4GAg/s320/IMG_0533.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>TINO... We loved the Bobbleheads! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWd0GnEQTwvFOw9eWulJh2-_IoYdiFCm-dSTzhk1YnG4JHkTO6hLWJh9gUh3TRVxYr-CZ3Qc4RPwb_HWsa9SkTVw2-jUZ7BxDS6-cz-D87B46s_MDhEJcjtS6N1VXqbSl63SjOUZJ4nw54KH81aOZAoNmo58B1EXuPoedU836TusIURgYFWKQEK8l9w/s757/IMG_0587.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWd0GnEQTwvFOw9eWulJh2-_IoYdiFCm-dSTzhk1YnG4JHkTO6hLWJh9gUh3TRVxYr-CZ3Qc4RPwb_HWsa9SkTVw2-jUZ7BxDS6-cz-D87B46s_MDhEJcjtS6N1VXqbSl63SjOUZJ4nw54KH81aOZAoNmo58B1EXuPoedU836TusIURgYFWKQEK8l9w/s320/IMG_0587.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Monument Park as seen from Section 409</span></b></div></div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our tour in Monument Park, we walked a little bit more in the lower decks of the outfield since we did not get the chance on the previous day! We then went up to the upper decks to try and get some food before the first pitch. We landed at a basic concession but it offered a $24.99 "Bucket of Chicken and Fries". <i><span style="color: red;">WOW... This was a HUGE bucket of chicken strips (10-12 strips) and more fries than even a family of four could eat. This was EASILY the BEST VALUE at Yankee Stadium and since I paid with my Mastercard (sponsor and official Credit Card of Yankees), we got a FREE 1 liter of Pepsi as well. This basically fed by entire family dinner and it was WELL worth it! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclTk9IXZwc0kGpSwSBmt5jN8yF2ja6qZmnHz8Nt6-QoA7iv1_zBmA-iiDlRyz5B-JcPRhpiQuYZg0Wfd0osbnEjs1RJQOaJU_lXTQgLfCQSO1ryxaYQ_MDmVrYP5s-qOGdMtwfHPKUTHOK4kwMEYUF8Z5rsGHdoId75XJ1U1o9K87A7NcdXP-dnALyA/s568/IMG_0540.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclTk9IXZwc0kGpSwSBmt5jN8yF2ja6qZmnHz8Nt6-QoA7iv1_zBmA-iiDlRyz5B-JcPRhpiQuYZg0Wfd0osbnEjs1RJQOaJU_lXTQgLfCQSO1ryxaYQ_MDmVrYP5s-qOGdMtwfHPKUTHOK4kwMEYUF8Z5rsGHdoId75XJ1U1o9K87A7NcdXP-dnALyA/s320/IMG_0540.jpg" width="240" /></b></a><br /><b>Frame Worthy! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w5F5tm8qnyrh-V6eAR4rntYStr-xnXkiLK0k2KIIFHGZSMQ3U3sAy6OmUPJ3XZpyUe1PGiAKcKgRrI_6hO8z_ObAgP7H4uCKj1dGUPwqoGpbYVF39S1R_PwRVSs542dpRweitFU3ke_WojDLkhFYP_J-SXEz2_QoyfvlzSStjp0toFEzoGLVj0BHHw/s568/IMG_0543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w5F5tm8qnyrh-V6eAR4rntYStr-xnXkiLK0k2KIIFHGZSMQ3U3sAy6OmUPJ3XZpyUe1PGiAKcKgRrI_6hO8z_ObAgP7H4uCKj1dGUPwqoGpbYVF39S1R_PwRVSs542dpRweitFU3ke_WojDLkhFYP_J-SXEz2_QoyfvlzSStjp0toFEzoGLVj0BHHw/s320/IMG_0543.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>This girl was loving her SWAG! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITauA_ZhM9d8TCOnSXcwhVfJUnnKnCNMopIC1Ktm6gwMP6AzPaltdpEw_nUlYGj9icLAGw8Lc2Hk_ky07DVr2sSdLdQQgo64HH1-rHMqUo3VT_FN2KQFkOQb1ArtnkIBUSqoG6cUcie6NesFzCz2Cqyin61YdIFMNsXFQxujPLSB0lUNTL0PVwi0AJw/s568/IMG_0544.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITauA_ZhM9d8TCOnSXcwhVfJUnnKnCNMopIC1Ktm6gwMP6AzPaltdpEw_nUlYGj9icLAGw8Lc2Hk_ky07DVr2sSdLdQQgo64HH1-rHMqUo3VT_FN2KQFkOQb1ArtnkIBUSqoG6cUcie6NesFzCz2Cqyin61YdIFMNsXFQxujPLSB0lUNTL0PVwi0AJw/s320/IMG_0544.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>It was 95*... It was HOT and I needed to cool down! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxGGO0JbDyYAJdUlZh7U_BGmmUL5JNoyCunwWdOnXt_gE0E-ZH5SlSZo299U3rLTyUsQ-beAhjGijGtlfnh-nrETs-A34nu5P_-GX1spf4WixD4mK3avG3w_ZGgEstVvBBTQfdDAAzGgIbrRVhEQ-Go3QUVecf-fI-wNGoOzLWNlQ3d9HE1g1eODuJQ/s757/IMG_0545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxGGO0JbDyYAJdUlZh7U_BGmmUL5JNoyCunwWdOnXt_gE0E-ZH5SlSZo299U3rLTyUsQ-beAhjGijGtlfnh-nrETs-A34nu5P_-GX1spf4WixD4mK3avG3w_ZGgEstVvBBTQfdDAAzGgIbrRVhEQ-Go3QUVecf-fI-wNGoOzLWNlQ3d9HE1g1eODuJQ/s320/IMG_0545.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>We opted to take the elevator to the top! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3Gi6KXGheyJM43aRdxMJMswLjL_0mRTg3TSwRkCB7zPiIDaALRuuVLN9w7XV-oxaQjgtxHQasXAx3RQ3TTvKF4m_R2fr62vDH_gwIhfJP4NO6CkC0S6OXEYJwWG4F-C6FW1SvRBXxe1nx3CbDNPB4CnIbJD800Fw6DUi8nHZ275NbmkmDC2HswcCuw/s757/IMG_0549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3Gi6KXGheyJM43aRdxMJMswLjL_0mRTg3TSwRkCB7zPiIDaALRuuVLN9w7XV-oxaQjgtxHQasXAx3RQ3TTvKF4m_R2fr62vDH_gwIhfJP4NO6CkC0S6OXEYJwWG4F-C6FW1SvRBXxe1nx3CbDNPB4CnIbJD800Fw6DUi8nHZ275NbmkmDC2HswcCuw/s320/IMG_0549.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Pepsi Concession on the upper decks! <br />Concession prices are OUTRAGEOUS... Except the VALUE BASKET which is reasonable!</span></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVurrbhIICARknGdH26HmsAFJd4ogPy_7wO6ZxpeLMfFeRvWfaGULETtrVSEzCOOsnDKpbxCBzbOi5nPjv6i6zbyo3cG43TIhRRMQDYRKbp73xjjbyilYADoHk8mcxKrIjml0UTz9aRtbukknpVpm84WB-8N941R1vQwq8TNYjGHHvgwLC1aQH1C6mQ/s568/IMG_0550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVurrbhIICARknGdH26HmsAFJd4ogPy_7wO6ZxpeLMfFeRvWfaGULETtrVSEzCOOsnDKpbxCBzbOi5nPjv6i6zbyo3cG43TIhRRMQDYRKbp73xjjbyilYADoHk8mcxKrIjml0UTz9aRtbukknpVpm84WB-8N941R1vQwq8TNYjGHHvgwLC1aQH1C6mQ/s320/IMG_0550.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>This boy was hungry and truly believed he was going to eat ALL of this... He made a 5 strip dent! </b></div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ck-9gEOVqhY" width="320" youtube-src-id="ck-9gEOVqhY"></iframe><br /><b><i>The Star Spangled Banner from YANKEE Stadium... It doesn't much more AMERICAN than this! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once in our seats we enjoyed a MUCH better game. The Yankees were hitting well and we <b><i>even got to see Judge hit Home Run # 5 of the 2023 season.</i></b> This was a LIFE EXPERIENCE and I will never forget Luke's reaction to this home run! We also got to see Anthony Volpe and Stanton hit a Home run as well. <b><i><span style="color: red;">It was a MAGICAL night at Yankee Stadium and we LOVED it! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhJhkIctz83ccEbSSdVsDYuc7QtYxUfn9X6dLtX_HC-Bib5qXYy757t9ddlcxnhJpABOT9a1mEfe6qveWd4fJB8ZZd70_4w5v73tf_Pxrg0n0yr1yiPoUslBpHQrIR-uCY_GZlM1CDhxG06vofx46PNWN3eTX1gAeWC5S7G3OAZz4Luc4y6qMi40BqQ/s757/IMG_0551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhJhkIctz83ccEbSSdVsDYuc7QtYxUfn9X6dLtX_HC-Bib5qXYy757t9ddlcxnhJpABOT9a1mEfe6qveWd4fJB8ZZd70_4w5v73tf_Pxrg0n0yr1yiPoUslBpHQrIR-uCY_GZlM1CDhxG06vofx46PNWN3eTX1gAeWC5S7G3OAZz4Luc4y6qMi40BqQ/s320/IMG_0551.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">A view from our seats in section 409. These seats were MUCH cheaper at only $26/ ticket. </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJo86bWKbSeumACAWiFID8kuAknOvkqXxDbe0W-dzGRxd84_j5ONxmXa1bZdiTIzUnS1hwhZmyyIHrhiSqmPDZHPTRHBYI5Ffoiu1kZ2HQfJAEJmTpI2-q1b927wHsHMnIAVCkTtiaxbr5ZTtZQSOmj73R5ipbThAtx7dcazE5RWMnD1EpVX7UdjCcw/s757/IMG_0552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJo86bWKbSeumACAWiFID8kuAknOvkqXxDbe0W-dzGRxd84_j5ONxmXa1bZdiTIzUnS1hwhZmyyIHrhiSqmPDZHPTRHBYI5Ffoiu1kZ2HQfJAEJmTpI2-q1b927wHsHMnIAVCkTtiaxbr5ZTtZQSOmj73R5ipbThAtx7dcazE5RWMnD1EpVX7UdjCcw/s320/IMG_0552.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the field from our seats... It may not be great but it had the classic Yankee Stadium awning view which I enjoyed! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMNXS0UO9mGBFlHmgEZEPXwX_5vAtxhp0dgns75S7oqtPA61oO-1J7DqhVQoj0nzYFf1lhjqgvf7P3vh5KGdFiZI4dEb5rk3dKr3849Z2MMVQ62DNtvz42EVq6jWW2NNOdLlakmD1u0dsMVI382KZF8Cc41uSu-NtmjqRnPMsfldKl0051wVqlWFRBg/s568/IMG_0556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMNXS0UO9mGBFlHmgEZEPXwX_5vAtxhp0dgns75S7oqtPA61oO-1J7DqhVQoj0nzYFf1lhjqgvf7P3vh5KGdFiZI4dEb5rk3dKr3849Z2MMVQ62DNtvz42EVq6jWW2NNOdLlakmD1u0dsMVI382KZF8Cc41uSu-NtmjqRnPMsfldKl0051wVqlWFRBg/s320/IMG_0556.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">I was wrong... The absolute BEST VALUE in Yankee Stadium is this $1 bag available at the TEAM STORE! </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjMOcc-w_vhpFQV_q02hgqZN5_K5T-lImeG97pZzjqvuR-DzHVKpZqQDEYZNb_bhLYrN4ejfh3UmRH5N73KEj9Pf8npZihuYYgRfMk17_A42o-gjW3m26D4I2ExHUMoEky1VhCcFp1l9bPhrn9oe71zndMhqBFjIv-ImCMzeQEr_28_M0sKcTAywDnQ/s1010/IMG_0560.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjMOcc-w_vhpFQV_q02hgqZN5_K5T-lImeG97pZzjqvuR-DzHVKpZqQDEYZNb_bhLYrN4ejfh3UmRH5N73KEj9Pf8npZihuYYgRfMk17_A42o-gjW3m26D4I2ExHUMoEky1VhCcFp1l9bPhrn9oe71zndMhqBFjIv-ImCMzeQEr_28_M0sKcTAywDnQ/s320/IMG_0560.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Raising him right... We stand for the National Anthem! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd39vmYoEckQHnf9eEw-pzb1ih6ckQBcjHOXUNbW0KU9CgbD-2XtKKMwDqARIHmPeX_ha2hQqBfB8GukHQbSShrXlrP8hfTGC_jnHjf0jrhSQKauYlABsPWI_j989pqQc3s9pxNVH922thIkwPWpcSpvgJlJ5F1Ea0dZOMXZGZ4jS4fl-Zqa6eDoCaxA/s1010/IMG_0563.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd39vmYoEckQHnf9eEw-pzb1ih6ckQBcjHOXUNbW0KU9CgbD-2XtKKMwDqARIHmPeX_ha2hQqBfB8GukHQbSShrXlrP8hfTGC_jnHjf0jrhSQKauYlABsPWI_j989pqQc3s9pxNVH922thIkwPWpcSpvgJlJ5F1Ea0dZOMXZGZ4jS4fl-Zqa6eDoCaxA/s320/IMG_0563.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>MLB is doing a GREAT job with this as well... Entire teams STANDING! <br />Gotta love MLB! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP-Y2cEs0_aRyDioVuX94H0Joz52zGZZ61nvjniKp2BRTGZvWVYUPn75C-HwdXb2_okh2zzgW-0D33eMq05kOmq1-ETF5FhaD03GS3W5Lupuk5RpdjL-AOiVKgeiV6Gkv78czHByF_unYF6pXqiQbdinAlyfi7uijjpIhJLoGdCgWdrtYOKANMdYPFg/s757/IMG_0572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP-Y2cEs0_aRyDioVuX94H0Joz52zGZZ61nvjniKp2BRTGZvWVYUPn75C-HwdXb2_okh2zzgW-0D33eMq05kOmq1-ETF5FhaD03GS3W5Lupuk5RpdjL-AOiVKgeiV6Gkv78czHByF_unYF6pXqiQbdinAlyfi7uijjpIhJLoGdCgWdrtYOKANMdYPFg/s320/IMG_0572.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Picture Perfect! I LOVED sharing this with Nattie! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEMmXtZYpZYXy-JsXVP5Qzc-KfzdtZrgk_QEJyopiTJ727rY7ovmAW5ERZs4H2z8hips_Q2DtEkgA7Ec4WBviJPBOJeKRm6fqu8TrBhCRNSoQ6CgJo6_uJFNlVgKwD9PiuyB8m642SbosG9uRq9aWRCWfL12QHFk0o3OX63Tg-fAN9TMuC2I5I2oEgA/s568/IMG_0573.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEMmXtZYpZYXy-JsXVP5Qzc-KfzdtZrgk_QEJyopiTJ727rY7ovmAW5ERZs4H2z8hips_Q2DtEkgA7Ec4WBviJPBOJeKRm6fqu8TrBhCRNSoQ6CgJo6_uJFNlVgKwD9PiuyB8m642SbosG9uRq9aWRCWfL12QHFk0o3OX63Tg-fAN9TMuC2I5I2oEgA/s320/IMG_0573.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>This was EXCELLENT! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQWo4hD1ZChLpnPNqsqjJykOwXCosro4iYUM1H9fzEdHW7GhEVz4li5TuCFG7SSc-jQKNkdnTJAKlQ1vtPpCGyCBMv_oTp1We7RWd7di94wOE_8g7McvY0RnJCA8Ch06IodvxwuIKp-JMFIey4stpObkouWGP1LOLwzgQ8fn7DO4ShxDJ9_PoSzJNFA/s757/IMG_0579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQWo4hD1ZChLpnPNqsqjJykOwXCosro4iYUM1H9fzEdHW7GhEVz4li5TuCFG7SSc-jQKNkdnTJAKlQ1vtPpCGyCBMv_oTp1We7RWd7di94wOE_8g7McvY0RnJCA8Ch06IodvxwuIKp-JMFIey4stpObkouWGP1LOLwzgQ8fn7DO4ShxDJ9_PoSzJNFA/s320/IMG_0579.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was THE BEST WAY TO END OUR TRIP! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ42_GdLjO_vhKNEVhSZYMILf2iqy5RrCN5MEmG2wprVxZXqEzAWmY0w5ujrBvlKNGnelrNx9dRPwk7JZWLuOOt5nzrsZlrYjR3ljbYNbK11VIPF0OwkR6sj7X4BGRAtD1lz_MbI44bwnwhabEqR6blrlEfz2sFdokV9YzAOQYnBorqTR87h7_pQLtw/s568/IMG_0580.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ42_GdLjO_vhKNEVhSZYMILf2iqy5RrCN5MEmG2wprVxZXqEzAWmY0w5ujrBvlKNGnelrNx9dRPwk7JZWLuOOt5nzrsZlrYjR3ljbYNbK11VIPF0OwkR6sj7X4BGRAtD1lz_MbI44bwnwhabEqR6blrlEfz2sFdokV9YzAOQYnBorqTR87h7_pQLtw/s320/IMG_0580.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Silly one! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We stayed the entire game this time but we left our upper level seats towards the end of the 8th inning to get a few last minute pictures and memories inside <b><i>Yankee Stadium</i></b>. <i>I think Chris was getting a little upset with me as I just did not want to leave</i>. The nostalgia and memories were just PERFECT. We boarded the very busy (but NOTHING like the previous night's) train back to Manhattan at 9:25PM and we were back in our hotel shorty after 10:30PM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2uP-pGAt8kg" width="320" youtube-src-id="2uP-pGAt8kg"></iframe><br /><b><i>I LOVED this game so much! It had ALL of the classic baseball and YANKEE feels! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD39FNllzMr2xUjtLiaKgxYzcXq1rGDSc-tb8bsE63BSwmSRDKEP1qlQDyDNotq-4Kv2olZ437HrsrJQL0KRgdKj4_dZeBfvNQyCk_KzADIvparyp0IpAEEYZ-vvIov7HABvkCLuKe5YMqXMTONxMEjx1izRxIpvu_zVCVSrrj5cbLixXCsi9MayMkA/s757/IMG_0591.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD39FNllzMr2xUjtLiaKgxYzcXq1rGDSc-tb8bsE63BSwmSRDKEP1qlQDyDNotq-4Kv2olZ437HrsrJQL0KRgdKj4_dZeBfvNQyCk_KzADIvparyp0IpAEEYZ-vvIov7HABvkCLuKe5YMqXMTONxMEjx1izRxIpvu_zVCVSrrj5cbLixXCsi9MayMkA/s320/IMG_0591.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>On Level 200</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIX9KskiW_Y4dntNAWdHgVNSAhttJGTUawWnZ4-hZWCQTAlXMCePfbHAecl__VqQIRjfOjtHK9EVSGbv3q6-kgg65l7WK0yfeSIByjzRPdrbdviA8jEcJ54sVywzyNXZIx0F0UbndLoWSKn8xV6DBH5imo7HVGom5DsqYBN7CpkOz3qz4sXTSagdmgg/s757/IMG_0593.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIX9KskiW_Y4dntNAWdHgVNSAhttJGTUawWnZ4-hZWCQTAlXMCePfbHAecl__VqQIRjfOjtHK9EVSGbv3q6-kgg65l7WK0yfeSIByjzRPdrbdviA8jEcJ54sVywzyNXZIx0F0UbndLoWSKn8xV6DBH5imo7HVGom5DsqYBN7CpkOz3qz4sXTSagdmgg/s320/IMG_0593.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I loved this area too! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhhzr7Y_wxESbxLa1xVzjc7L83vEMiRc1a3kzdm0uIRs0Y2czDdFb3pjV5iur7h_WI8q_-RcGn77NBQxMVhqBYuUTBRqpWLcHKq9-j-mAx-2rdk9Y95AIAa2LyUDLhjPeJhHLi9RCztlTFzJYxvlvPLYvkYRgmsGzPHen9m7bytHOtT7LP4RmhAIB6g/s757/IMG_0595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhhzr7Y_wxESbxLa1xVzjc7L83vEMiRc1a3kzdm0uIRs0Y2czDdFb3pjV5iur7h_WI8q_-RcGn77NBQxMVhqBYuUTBRqpWLcHKq9-j-mAx-2rdk9Y95AIAa2LyUDLhjPeJhHLi9RCztlTFzJYxvlvPLYvkYRgmsGzPHen9m7bytHOtT7LP4RmhAIB6g/s320/IMG_0595.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Once in a lifetime trip... </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BaXx1C3DV6ny92chAPqbdPjrSAZXlt-3VoPPGMo4XXwtAyN-jkFK8VX6sQiCoDDjoZ1qqR0VD3XP7RpmM_wY-9qtoIFJyJOBmpjRGNhJOG4E5ZCjvOIf7akkQlpqRekFAwtYxndl4PLjJ9vY51tJpaiggyQafkoGmTO9j8Lh3fydqeWasSweRl3UCA/s757/IMG_0600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BaXx1C3DV6ny92chAPqbdPjrSAZXlt-3VoPPGMo4XXwtAyN-jkFK8VX6sQiCoDDjoZ1qqR0VD3XP7RpmM_wY-9qtoIFJyJOBmpjRGNhJOG4E5ZCjvOIf7akkQlpqRekFAwtYxndl4PLjJ9vY51tJpaiggyQafkoGmTO9j8Lh3fydqeWasSweRl3UCA/s320/IMG_0600.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Thank you for sharing this with me! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29hgEvR9wb1rYo4MYHHQ-p2wPH2TwX1NGaLO2yvfSZwpmKZ7cxRIwYGF-CGIr7ARx_CBVNwzD3hdUbwGUOJuYD7Zj8W6tHqKhbGMfuAM3NWsFb47Go_QKduyTYAuU8BDPjp3Q69mc-gsPLlfbWJjV4Rc2JsKxwWBDb4nCz8dPMBpF-xyuP1z3xQ6noA/s757/IMG_0604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29hgEvR9wb1rYo4MYHHQ-p2wPH2TwX1NGaLO2yvfSZwpmKZ7cxRIwYGF-CGIr7ARx_CBVNwzD3hdUbwGUOJuYD7Zj8W6tHqKhbGMfuAM3NWsFb47Go_QKduyTYAuU8BDPjp3Q69mc-gsPLlfbWJjV4Rc2JsKxwWBDb4nCz8dPMBpF-xyuP1z3xQ6noA/s320/IMG_0604.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This boy was sad to leave... he loved Yankee Stadium! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfMpcCZObA0kTCRyADBOjdnoXl-_rtEFVcqB7O3S61OzE-WqBn5yL2i6bX0xqjM2dip-zElQUOGaEet2SZ4BkWPaOC-W67JpADsP67GAA-tbmZpz0YmGQhZ5lOK4A1mkkkP_8zCyqiAcc5n3hGYMucTG8waRdlH3nzUAAfhPQdDa5fERx1eizkPtFfw/s757/IMG_0607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfMpcCZObA0kTCRyADBOjdnoXl-_rtEFVcqB7O3S61OzE-WqBn5yL2i6bX0xqjM2dip-zElQUOGaEet2SZ4BkWPaOC-W67JpADsP67GAA-tbmZpz0YmGQhZ5lOK4A1mkkkP_8zCyqiAcc5n3hGYMucTG8waRdlH3nzUAAfhPQdDa5fERx1eizkPtFfw/s320/IMG_0607.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Thank you Chris... Love you! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJsx0L9vdK6R3d04hyqWnHW9VpnX8T4HuCxti652qYI64Z7LUpSXwE4WLYp7nPQLr1M5hGfwd1Agaj9qVUydoH7bhh2ma2Ftd2AnkXy6RrhB_252-M1ma1Xh1L9c4KbZdjZ9qufHVT6mgHBf7YNEBqEBhjScuI9PX5y2LQczWKWe9wWnrz6sN0GCGAQ/s757/IMG_0614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJsx0L9vdK6R3d04hyqWnHW9VpnX8T4HuCxti652qYI64Z7LUpSXwE4WLYp7nPQLr1M5hGfwd1Agaj9qVUydoH7bhh2ma2Ftd2AnkXy6RrhB_252-M1ma1Xh1L9c4KbZdjZ9qufHVT6mgHBf7YNEBqEBhjScuI9PX5y2LQczWKWe9wWnrz6sN0GCGAQ/s320/IMG_0614.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's so hard... To say Goodbye! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsptgFRu_b8kgC3znWQn25h66QVTmlCBUOL7iHcqqd9e_Pe3-I4tyKmdDuVkurh1q9tpASGuecwYDaKx-0fsFWflgO8z6QIL-wDq2veXKDMExx9ye4KhEcL1CkqNDXbbkhK7x-PmgfghVjCAXeyag7oN_iG46kgXiGzae766WtyLSVg8Dul74RKH8XQ/s757/IMG_0617.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsptgFRu_b8kgC3znWQn25h66QVTmlCBUOL7iHcqqd9e_Pe3-I4tyKmdDuVkurh1q9tpASGuecwYDaKx-0fsFWflgO8z6QIL-wDq2veXKDMExx9ye4KhEcL1CkqNDXbbkhK7x-PmgfghVjCAXeyag7oN_iG46kgXiGzae766WtyLSVg8Dul74RKH8XQ/s320/IMG_0617.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>She is just a beauty! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrTHn7AnBG3AnrIaGfFDN_6FtD6cx6WiwtdVGNtr8cjwnymcTi1_clq9mbO-Vcxr0Q6IAEc4ds95EdtVgLT6_PcT7dFMUS_EfRQZkd_14Ee0XBjyYnuylk2TQckk6CzlkY99KLZA6-skNTkXrQKFnqm3NAhK8mwLYB3qiJaOZJGauj8nmzUuhGmiruQ/s757/IMG_0621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrTHn7AnBG3AnrIaGfFDN_6FtD6cx6WiwtdVGNtr8cjwnymcTi1_clq9mbO-Vcxr0Q6IAEc4ds95EdtVgLT6_PcT7dFMUS_EfRQZkd_14Ee0XBjyYnuylk2TQckk6CzlkY99KLZA6-skNTkXrQKFnqm3NAhK8mwLYB3qiJaOZJGauj8nmzUuhGmiruQ/s320/IMG_0621.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>You can't tell but I was crying... literal tears! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>This was such a GREAT day and I LOVED every minute of it! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5xPpE6N9jOSDZEIxTs2SohPZfk_RCfsByUYkJ9JfMXxG5Ledg2rmkINGkLpGXKACKy4Cf-x_tvLkmo7hq59XwFbAFGvhUs2KyqLfylz_R4KhIF7vrvOUR-Zqf54Zbv_IBHABmCtBkIRdn3rCDuHNvTKaIqCpVRBCrxXAqPm9Yok0dsWpz9-beVuX-w/s568/IMG_0669.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5xPpE6N9jOSDZEIxTs2SohPZfk_RCfsByUYkJ9JfMXxG5Ledg2rmkINGkLpGXKACKy4Cf-x_tvLkmo7hq59XwFbAFGvhUs2KyqLfylz_R4KhIF7vrvOUR-Zqf54Zbv_IBHABmCtBkIRdn3rCDuHNvTKaIqCpVRBCrxXAqPm9Yok0dsWpz9-beVuX-w/s320/IMG_0669.jpg" width="237" /></a><br /><i><span style="font-size: medium;">All that shopping helped increase these numbers!!!</span></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Up Next... our last morning in NYC and our flight back to God's Country! </b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-70926753175062789362023-06-08T11:33:00.001-05:002023-06-08T11:33:24.714-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 5 <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>New York City- Day 5</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>On Top of the World </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thursday, April 13, 2023 </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDFRFjmihhztpX6c4Rk91eAf-LTKTClgkPQwEHdmyCMu0BM_noNkdk_FZ0oZbhTYy9_w-g1dBbJP94Fo06-n2E8jO1G3aQomEIvk9lxYG5svl5_QzUggRa21UrQQQ8mHRR3_y3FsInjs-2bsP-nip7O1vQ0wxPWAoJeGrao36uNpczy6Ytho1WWy93g/s431/IMG_0375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDFRFjmihhztpX6c4Rk91eAf-LTKTClgkPQwEHdmyCMu0BM_noNkdk_FZ0oZbhTYy9_w-g1dBbJP94Fo06-n2E8jO1G3aQomEIvk9lxYG5svl5_QzUggRa21UrQQQ8mHRR3_y3FsInjs-2bsP-nip7O1vQ0wxPWAoJeGrao36uNpczy6Ytho1WWy93g/s320/IMG_0375.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was BY FAR my favorite day of the trip! <br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">Yankee Stadium HAS MY HEART! </span></i></b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After a late night in <i>Chinatown </i>we got a great night's sleep and were ready to tackle what would end up being our favorite day of the trip. <i><span style="color: red;">We grabbed our morning breakfast in the hotel, which was once again, near perfect for our needs</span></i>. We then left our hotel to walk towards the <b>One World Trade Center</b> for our 10:30AM observation deck appointment time. It was only 9AM so we knew we could take our time getting there. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As we got out of our hotel and started walking towards the <b><i>One World Trade Center</i></b>, we noticed a lot of commotion, people, large crowds and eventually we noticed cameras. As we walked closer we started to ask locals what was going on and one told us "<i>Donald Trump is coming in for his arraignment today and passing by soon</i>". We thought this was cool so we waited a bit to see if we could see him. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOYe_B0u90ecAHvd7L4gc1yxUINopgFpQTkqcx_XWHmfIkgOXGnZzer8iSx1p3pdjKWzO5NatsshSXWlQ--tk-0z1oDx3b6cr2jzI921ndKey5fH0bdcpjNJqA0fx6eN8bUE6OYnyYhdYNwBfcbLatzH9hFn2uaTEMiVcQbG9gexD_bYrQYKoR-HkeA/s403/IMG_0065.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="403" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOYe_B0u90ecAHvd7L4gc1yxUINopgFpQTkqcx_XWHmfIkgOXGnZzer8iSx1p3pdjKWzO5NatsshSXWlQ--tk-0z1oDx3b6cr2jzI921ndKey5fH0bdcpjNJqA0fx6eN8bUE6OYnyYhdYNwBfcbLatzH9hFn2uaTEMiVcQbG9gexD_bYrQYKoR-HkeA/s320/IMG_0065.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our first view of the madness on Maiden Street. </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0dFxKVr1b3a-wvVuFkopi4zyOb9WzkZfmFXAKoOchfSaD_WibBMFwoQv3aTjKaR2ijX1AAu34Asd1evzbnA9BKxeeUD_PguboY7O8Xn61ykMP7UZpkZcU2vtjHFouwZYowBpUW2vZTsGDdJncHQG7RmbyufPnwI4FnkR7wrmv76590UjYkPWcx01yg/s517/IMG_0068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="517" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0dFxKVr1b3a-wvVuFkopi4zyOb9WzkZfmFXAKoOchfSaD_WibBMFwoQv3aTjKaR2ijX1AAu34Asd1evzbnA9BKxeeUD_PguboY7O8Xn61ykMP7UZpkZcU2vtjHFouwZYowBpUW2vZTsGDdJncHQG7RmbyufPnwI4FnkR7wrmv76590UjYkPWcx01yg/s320/IMG_0068.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />This group of people were absolutely CRAZY. <br />Yelling, cursing, mob mentality... Everything you'd expect! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4HGiLKT6ydK08DGrSvGwwTm3CUMRN_EJlTFeOIadyxQBwkOcovhvsJGuV1reok8hXe8ABmmiErgCmYGAMmtuK_rtP6ZNfCK3l-3YaZ4htkqexM3V2z38ZT78s9ZnHwdIqCldp3_mgSjHuuf6_i9iNuZzd3_tGcB6PtaftIUnMWB-YEZW2W9MoCQxCQ/s431/IMG_0072.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4HGiLKT6ydK08DGrSvGwwTm3CUMRN_EJlTFeOIadyxQBwkOcovhvsJGuV1reok8hXe8ABmmiErgCmYGAMmtuK_rtP6ZNfCK3l-3YaZ4htkqexM3V2z38ZT78s9ZnHwdIqCldp3_mgSjHuuf6_i9iNuZzd3_tGcB6PtaftIUnMWB-YEZW2W9MoCQxCQ/s320/IMG_0072.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are here to see what happens! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsN6paAM_G804wOHcviVoiD5v8o5XAf9yICcTHMH556f5H1xit_yEs5xfPriOLXLBcbBWbO_lgKmL2lQOBwRvxl2_bKQzTtgj0pPyPVYI9YLddPJ2N7z7dZjkiiRdelvpjwmJWHX3cAvdufDBmdyPnmLpVFHLOatOUU4ymX2-NPfPQFptWEIorYvB4MA/s431/IMG_0075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsN6paAM_G804wOHcviVoiD5v8o5XAf9yICcTHMH556f5H1xit_yEs5xfPriOLXLBcbBWbO_lgKmL2lQOBwRvxl2_bKQzTtgj0pPyPVYI9YLddPJ2N7z7dZjkiiRdelvpjwmJWHX3cAvdufDBmdyPnmLpVFHLOatOUU4ymX2-NPfPQFptWEIorYvB4MA/s320/IMG_0075.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The one lonely Trump supporter!</i></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This turned into about an hour of waiting and watching to see if President Trump was going to arrive at the NYC Courthouse. The people who were protesting were INSANE. They were yelling and mocking him and honestly just acting like a bunch of idiots. It was quite comical. In fact, at some point there was a photographer who kept trying to take our pictures but we would turn around to not allow him to get our faces.</span><i style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> We stayed close enough to see what was going on but far enough to not really be involved.</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> Like President Trump, or not... I don't care but I do not want my name or face anywhere near this type of media ordeal. We ended up walking west one block and waiting with the </span><i style="font-size: large;"><b>"Inside Edition</b></i><span style="font-size: large;">" crew as they reported about Trump arriving in NYC. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopdyZO8umMROZq_52-OYYIcgsiT9wIW87EVr8F_6IdD1aay-lfIJaUGIYjEoyPpLuXlXw-knax-hxAEaMnT8PPfM1uYqq7KfqSBg8axEDrL0gtxgRSMXuF71tOG448aM7LFn4_4CYE_RZeWDZG0FRXT2zFX0ctGugf2DNDq8WUXchQiWHAHnlsTWYmw/s648/IMG_0082.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="648" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopdyZO8umMROZq_52-OYYIcgsiT9wIW87EVr8F_6IdD1aay-lfIJaUGIYjEoyPpLuXlXw-knax-hxAEaMnT8PPfM1uYqq7KfqSBg8axEDrL0gtxgRSMXuF71tOG448aM7LFn4_4CYE_RZeWDZG0FRXT2zFX0ctGugf2DNDq8WUXchQiWHAHnlsTWYmw/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our view from further west on Maiden Street. </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiBCfcPMNc2j28ibAn6yE5QOX7A8nuA4UWXLoc2V3gD8g6Q-isGfWaIYMbc_rB-Y4DNii-11A6_qxYOeIIXB3QPSOpHmCvypRy5kCQXKTUlDaYNFr89TCvmL4doo0_8R9zsLBoJmxpNt7GDTGFFwrQPxbjRk3LpTs_-O8DJhzQ11CApG2CYG5l5Y7qg/s1010/IMG_0089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiBCfcPMNc2j28ibAn6yE5QOX7A8nuA4UWXLoc2V3gD8g6Q-isGfWaIYMbc_rB-Y4DNii-11A6_qxYOeIIXB3QPSOpHmCvypRy5kCQXKTUlDaYNFr89TCvmL4doo0_8R9zsLBoJmxpNt7GDTGFFwrQPxbjRk3LpTs_-O8DJhzQ11CApG2CYG5l5Y7qg/s320/IMG_0089.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />President Trump has arrived... </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDoDfPmiy5NJzVJZVru2P5GjbXeDfRAM06J9i-pWgkb-tsMRyIf6-BL_rKMQGiJjBxk9Y9APGIVbNJZ7zDrDeSceh7muDkjOEcKQ24WQU_dZyi23mYETLRSct8DFGOKggVwQcxgApRTpb8GpndX7Exv6y3ZZAOwjafw808teKAk5fNnzTjCZWEK7rpA/s649/IMG_0099.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="649" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDoDfPmiy5NJzVJZVru2P5GjbXeDfRAM06J9i-pWgkb-tsMRyIf6-BL_rKMQGiJjBxk9Y9APGIVbNJZ7zDrDeSceh7muDkjOEcKQ24WQU_dZyi23mYETLRSct8DFGOKggVwQcxgApRTpb8GpndX7Exv6y3ZZAOwjafw808teKAk5fNnzTjCZWEK7rpA/s320/IMG_0099.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>There were CHOPPERS EVERYWHERE! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cAk_hb-xBiLlr9ebDx6eM0q0AQt3trXbmgRQesPFFWg7xXi2LpwaLIalTPn0m-0wEVx5QPzbCvj6XEJam5bnpMN8lTv4V_1wSE7otC882F5oddVUlOYWwTcjOhuTFArG1hX6ND2HdHGPLzoMk-qvBNSMIh5sKgW5PIjH2t2GouEso6rwW1no806XVg/s757/IMG_0103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cAk_hb-xBiLlr9ebDx6eM0q0AQt3trXbmgRQesPFFWg7xXi2LpwaLIalTPn0m-0wEVx5QPzbCvj6XEJam5bnpMN8lTv4V_1wSE7otC882F5oddVUlOYWwTcjOhuTFArG1hX6ND2HdHGPLzoMk-qvBNSMIh5sKgW5PIjH2t2GouEso6rwW1no806XVg/s320/IMG_0103.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We survived the mob and this experience! </i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a "<i>once in a lifetime</i>" type of ordeal but once President Trump's motorcade passed by and went into the NYC courthouse parking garage, we walked away. Overall we stayed at this location trying to get an idea of it all for about an hour. We <u>did </u>arrive in time for our 10:30AM arrival time and we were on our way to the <u>TOP OF THE WORLD</u>! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJUkWYPr3N3qNaGSEaxELf0rzMFloWdmU9iBG8yH6E5QEEhRn2nswExShtR3x9XZiTR6T752ccXQB2G4dJI9ErN0RM8E8itYmr6L5HIa07_A94scqoDToi9mAnueJ6xc33be-mEBB31NWUwr1TVJ1bO2rjz3BcqfvL8BjI5RgaVpeAAhkn8jdv6jqwQ/s568/IMG_0105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJUkWYPr3N3qNaGSEaxELf0rzMFloWdmU9iBG8yH6E5QEEhRn2nswExShtR3x9XZiTR6T752ccXQB2G4dJI9ErN0RM8E8itYmr6L5HIa07_A94scqoDToi9mAnueJ6xc33be-mEBB31NWUwr1TVJ1bO2rjz3BcqfvL8BjI5RgaVpeAAhkn8jdv6jqwQ/s320/IMG_0105.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>She gives me all the feels every time I see her! </i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I had been inside the Twin Towers in summer of 2000 and had been on top of the North Tower with my family. Growing up, when we visited large cities, we would ALWAYS go into a Skyscraper as one of our daily attractions in the new city. I have been to buildings like the Sears Tower (Chicago), Empire State Building and World Trade Center (NYC), CN Tower (Toronto) and Space Needle (Seattle). These are just a few of my favorites from growing up. I LOVE skyscrapers and I was so excited to share my all-time favorite (The World Trade Center Twin Towers) successor with my family! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoxv1Yrese7-S5DcSbVG6nQsl59cA84TEsXuFN2fCrHfJ6dEgcNKPzxJ0mXti9TcZUbePz-rZg24xeJLXPc0xwKxLo4BPORV30fGq1wb30JEaneVN6QaYZnNNWg-G1ehX2Yq5v1fAcNwLLHWMV2vtMe_EgpFiY1LP7eXdcd9msIVxEDISOr-o730yeQ/s757/IMG_0107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoxv1Yrese7-S5DcSbVG6nQsl59cA84TEsXuFN2fCrHfJ6dEgcNKPzxJ0mXti9TcZUbePz-rZg24xeJLXPc0xwKxLo4BPORV30fGq1wb30JEaneVN6QaYZnNNWg-G1ehX2Yq5v1fAcNwLLHWMV2vtMe_EgpFiY1LP7eXdcd9msIVxEDISOr-o730yeQ/s320/IMG_0107.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I am ready... Let's do this! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkj3IFlB1WZpQIKtjueXcphlyDi8sweMmHKxvW5lYLo6pi2h1RULQmUPdae1_qsvAIWPNb_cOi3rigHrLNH9nIAdNvIDRHZ0IXMtaaBb3UtoSdzWn0g9W0hbqfFGZ3F878D4WlTOg7QxRBYDf-2ddGPXYGO-jQXmcA3TzFr7-DNIcJ6Ey0aCUQv_jxA/s568/IMG_0108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkj3IFlB1WZpQIKtjueXcphlyDi8sweMmHKxvW5lYLo6pi2h1RULQmUPdae1_qsvAIWPNb_cOi3rigHrLNH9nIAdNvIDRHZ0IXMtaaBb3UtoSdzWn0g9W0hbqfFGZ3F878D4WlTOg7QxRBYDf-2ddGPXYGO-jQXmcA3TzFr7-DNIcJ6Ey0aCUQv_jxA/s320/IMG_0108.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Luke really enjoyed reading about the limestone beneath the earth that the OWTC is built upon! SOLID ROCK! </i></b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Immediately upon checking in, I got goosebumps and started tearing up. It just hit me differently having been up to the North Tower before. Much like the<b> Empire State Building</b>, the elevator ride to the top of the 100th floor and the start of the observation deck. This starts with a brief visual and audio ride through <i>SEE FOREVER THEATER</i> which describes the <b>World Trade Center</b> and it's impact on NYC and America. The tears would NOT stop here... As the movie ended, they lifted the screens and you saw the Statue of Liberty live in the Hudson River. WOW... Just wow! This was absolutely INCREDIBLE and I was just in awe of it all! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the video presentation you could meander through floor 100 before going up to floor 101 and getting 360* view of New York City and surrounding areas from atop of <b>One World Trade Center</b>. Hands down, this was my favorite observatory of the trip and is now my favorite Skyscraper I have been to. The nostalgia and historic aspect alone is enough to make this rise to the top but they did a GREAT job with this observatory inside and out. I do like the outside deck of <b>ESB </b>and <b>Top of the Rock</b> but overall I liked the OWTC better. I highly recommend NYC visitors as a MUST DO while in NYC. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- I got discounted tickets off of Groupon for $18/ per person which is about half of the regular $42 cost. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgD3nR7OQPL6XaryL9qtEjJ96hWYVQjSQ4u2CaSvkUBFm8r1-Z1_QisUinBQMmG4D-07mZKnkQDBvMAIHiTcXYjsEYBYOzMhopwsudSjy3aIRF9Rq2fOI6pCHz42Inq7tyorKnmtw4tXp5zFsJenrrRITLKLqhlHyGxw6pjkTolKRj1zZ7ErTkRZOCw/s431/IMG_0114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgD3nR7OQPL6XaryL9qtEjJ96hWYVQjSQ4u2CaSvkUBFm8r1-Z1_QisUinBQMmG4D-07mZKnkQDBvMAIHiTcXYjsEYBYOzMhopwsudSjy3aIRF9Rq2fOI6pCHz42Inq7tyorKnmtw4tXp5zFsJenrrRITLKLqhlHyGxw6pjkTolKRj1zZ7ErTkRZOCw/s320/IMG_0114.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The VERY first thing you see when they lift the screens... GUT WRENCHING! <br />I LOVE THIS! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYsHP_jU-j5kxjoES16X9ZsKh3iphDoNRvbug3cuC_3CgXSdZIA4ljzCZcgKQGmcBpzpRb_rqXmg-5ouT_UumtQrcrO1fnlvc4s7wmz2NtDutM2rZvAqK9ArrJ0tP83xJRgEK3P_db_I5Ei7AQKRQcOrgKXELD63tKAJXc2Mm6orhT6j7nebQzU_mJw/s757/IMG_0117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYsHP_jU-j5kxjoES16X9ZsKh3iphDoNRvbug3cuC_3CgXSdZIA4ljzCZcgKQGmcBpzpRb_rqXmg-5ouT_UumtQrcrO1fnlvc4s7wmz2NtDutM2rZvAqK9ArrJ0tP83xJRgEK3P_db_I5Ei7AQKRQcOrgKXELD63tKAJXc2Mm6orhT6j7nebQzU_mJw/s320/IMG_0117.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Ellis Island</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0qpBg52s9evmNV_LZ6fzyVaQi06300NxnAgg1FlhlAB3NQ82EhAX4BBN_cx2ZpeRWoWsZgtAy9UcKO5aSQT1Vrq9k2IBhEeeAcRD3eBeazSM_ZU_q4Jq7VAt8e-3plP0AoqfNcZPrk4OkAhUWkT_L-RCilPDukLK3y79e4Gp4uvfwUC5zajgWqjLKA/s568/IMG_0118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0qpBg52s9evmNV_LZ6fzyVaQi06300NxnAgg1FlhlAB3NQ82EhAX4BBN_cx2ZpeRWoWsZgtAy9UcKO5aSQT1Vrq9k2IBhEeeAcRD3eBeazSM_ZU_q4Jq7VAt8e-3plP0AoqfNcZPrk4OkAhUWkT_L-RCilPDukLK3y79e4Gp4uvfwUC5zajgWqjLKA/s320/IMG_0118.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />A view of Midtown Manhattan </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2j3HRsqgcBtTlSQP0luxbxJJremoh3sgkooD4GGfhdHdcuCKCURFBYaTloKcPN_fqL0-pmBKn2sQdkQfcQR27yR6Wy1hWnQgBvgLXRNBUFhAlVx-QUo0LuNFqBDAwDtnf7zZXcwxnS13duYcFlR4urfvkBqjwSra8nr-ujpweqxi8jX71XH6929SYw/s261/IMG_0123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="196" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2j3HRsqgcBtTlSQP0luxbxJJremoh3sgkooD4GGfhdHdcuCKCURFBYaTloKcPN_fqL0-pmBKn2sQdkQfcQR27yR6Wy1hWnQgBvgLXRNBUFhAlVx-QUo0LuNFqBDAwDtnf7zZXcwxnS13duYcFlR4urfvkBqjwSra8nr-ujpweqxi8jX71XH6929SYw/s1600/IMG_0123.jpg" width="196" /></a><br />Isn't she a beauty! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ6dqP7vkIDv0kvubW4wvPFJ8nUErz3WIlx5yWZq9AyOpPlGlbQsacdsQZ_avVJJY-ZQJob1BYcpDyJ8wiILa1bML8PCk4w90_VDawKTYDfKfitAmtWooPKYNg-QsJOYT_fkOj1pWft1Z5wkogGGJcWz98csZpw4VqFT76Ewbk9ePotpR1IG2ljYGbQ/s757/IMG_0124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQ6dqP7vkIDv0kvubW4wvPFJ8nUErz3WIlx5yWZq9AyOpPlGlbQsacdsQZ_avVJJY-ZQJob1BYcpDyJ8wiILa1bML8PCk4w90_VDawKTYDfKfitAmtWooPKYNg-QsJOYT_fkOj1pWft1Z5wkogGGJcWz98csZpw4VqFT76Ewbk9ePotpR1IG2ljYGbQ/s320/IMG_0124.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /> I LOVE NY! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmDYwzohD2qxxPbDeOi9lBMQc4JD9znGe3cGn_HJO3u0I9f9WjxfCN37lhn74G2Mi3Goz6k7UhwkLyuDJy6dRd7xOe7yOIUbAo8B62jESazlbrR2BG148AB8n7zHLxORKnEeGMiyTZ_VJ8AOgn1v1pLn5n3zvIlyNnX0gTZ7zmd7DyjqK0VZzDq9Sw/s431/IMG_0128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmDYwzohD2qxxPbDeOi9lBMQc4JD9znGe3cGn_HJO3u0I9f9WjxfCN37lhn74G2Mi3Goz6k7UhwkLyuDJy6dRd7xOe7yOIUbAo8B62jESazlbrR2BG148AB8n7zHLxORKnEeGMiyTZ_VJ8AOgn1v1pLn5n3zvIlyNnX0gTZ7zmd7DyjqK0VZzDq9Sw/s320/IMG_0128.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I loved getting to share this with my kiddos! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuK6jH7w4yjIgc76DurzbXveRYB2BEbX9Zn4MyycC7aivgPNvdoaFqnth0AYMm_wJpBrfQ_PDFPy8HziwptckeiNpQhi0iGcxD9A4Sf_9xxC3yDtkMyURBkqDOfTEviS6apfhyqecuvnyExfWClkdBq0Cm1miir2vnxP6mdlWuJh6kkqUzWKDITiVgQ/s757/IMG_0143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuK6jH7w4yjIgc76DurzbXveRYB2BEbX9Zn4MyycC7aivgPNvdoaFqnth0AYMm_wJpBrfQ_PDFPy8HziwptckeiNpQhi0iGcxD9A4Sf_9xxC3yDtkMyURBkqDOfTEviS6apfhyqecuvnyExfWClkdBq0Cm1miir2vnxP6mdlWuJh6kkqUzWKDITiVgQ/s320/IMG_0143.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />New Jersey from above! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezHvkLqJ95EK5tdOoDi7GWmX4m_hl51ThcokdB2FglYakpExcfh1Q5Vd_WBEH9-UTHgJzjlHST2Lp8dpHkk-rEIlR9NltLqJ7IZUPobWUdLRPgJVu7RWLf6nI2eiGEEw5KPdpGNujWkYLnHvxMmV1EKbWDqbzhUjqeNMOJ94OIc5vQKxUtHUD_tjCmw/s757/IMG_0146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezHvkLqJ95EK5tdOoDi7GWmX4m_hl51ThcokdB2FglYakpExcfh1Q5Vd_WBEH9-UTHgJzjlHST2Lp8dpHkk-rEIlR9NltLqJ7IZUPobWUdLRPgJVu7RWLf6nI2eiGEEw5KPdpGNujWkYLnHvxMmV1EKbWDqbzhUjqeNMOJ94OIc5vQKxUtHUD_tjCmw/s320/IMG_0146.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hey... We've been there (Statue of Liberty) </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhtx20ISJ-LEMLG-wfcfh_YeJ61Pu8wjJYJ3Gs9K9NuWfDjD68tLqjEu99hGFDBou6Xxb_a8qtEw9tukk9JSRcsVNJmluL6FVpejtD89dGAQ02_JxkNwgNyF6HWnouKfkFq8xqhHYxRoPKOvWe5fQK4loKUWgLhTr6kuxPAQSJPHgKGbnAGCG_fj9xw/s757/IMG_0148.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhtx20ISJ-LEMLG-wfcfh_YeJ61Pu8wjJYJ3Gs9K9NuWfDjD68tLqjEu99hGFDBou6Xxb_a8qtEw9tukk9JSRcsVNJmluL6FVpejtD89dGAQ02_JxkNwgNyF6HWnouKfkFq8xqhHYxRoPKOvWe5fQK4loKUWgLhTr6kuxPAQSJPHgKGbnAGCG_fj9xw/s320/IMG_0148.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Battery Park and lower Manhattan</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0loLfN0jgfx-3DaZGV6yuTO-coIfEl0TSb4UiYdP1nNnTTViSvaawepJ7MJIUQo30oqmveGYt0x4TyX5r8WZJ_XMamM5VbDDEoTef-6bmz2B38DIpqEMV-Z4a7r0M3_QDRUojyj90f0RH4vflKG3AMS6hZAT2Zlihgud9D0u8OQFYOGrTuqyIkJTMw/s757/IMG_0149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0loLfN0jgfx-3DaZGV6yuTO-coIfEl0TSb4UiYdP1nNnTTViSvaawepJ7MJIUQo30oqmveGYt0x4TyX5r8WZJ_XMamM5VbDDEoTef-6bmz2B38DIpqEMV-Z4a7r0M3_QDRUojyj90f0RH4vflKG3AMS6hZAT2Zlihgud9D0u8OQFYOGrTuqyIkJTMw/s320/IMG_0149.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Looking towards Brooklyn and Queens. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkp4eDDzKQ3bG_HIf2jL40FpMmnMfNCty1tjLZwNpvab6LvedhxuLvu5VtN7A9pb0kxjQqmr0uAzbdBBl5o3jMSDKLtf1vHcAPAiwu1op3AZMckUTXzxtwHPY6Hzm6Uk9kE2q6WDLVbgnioeY4POT5IPcs9CUGjPXL2grOxgKTMCYiaKVpdpluFco-A/s757/IMG_0150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkp4eDDzKQ3bG_HIf2jL40FpMmnMfNCty1tjLZwNpvab6LvedhxuLvu5VtN7A9pb0kxjQqmr0uAzbdBBl5o3jMSDKLtf1vHcAPAiwu1op3AZMckUTXzxtwHPY6Hzm6Uk9kE2q6WDLVbgnioeY4POT5IPcs9CUGjPXL2grOxgKTMCYiaKVpdpluFco-A/s320/IMG_0150.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq0QKpBwaP6C2mPTmePb4kcqu9lzjjhDNj-geBAjkQhPc1mtdhSOknxVqCEitNYWsuqTGZaY5tRHxHPjEDxP1DRsn2_jgcuWs5T-3TN4vmFa9YnWPvQVyBC98mjCRCtWF_3teOK4APtL2dej6SoyWhlQXy7yrqb3G2YwN6gfsOhsV8TVxjzpwodZwLA/s568/IMG_0156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq0QKpBwaP6C2mPTmePb4kcqu9lzjjhDNj-geBAjkQhPc1mtdhSOknxVqCEitNYWsuqTGZaY5tRHxHPjEDxP1DRsn2_jgcuWs5T-3TN4vmFa9YnWPvQVyBC98mjCRCtWF_3teOK4APtL2dej6SoyWhlQXy7yrqb3G2YwN6gfsOhsV8TVxjzpwodZwLA/s320/IMG_0156.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Oculus... Such an architectural phenomena. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBOcds1sth8q3IsmuX4IdzonqZw3iyIZQ_BK8GDczEFHBiBSzGdfjGNxfjlFGbEepMrS9P959IZ-_G3SUi217ybPBN8IMCI9aWM_z9bxkkQ5vM_gSTx6HBSBiJT-OgmsntV33akVaIvGFEPcv0jBSe4-Mw68TL3Slfq4n1aQW4vFaCcUE8Bdrvfom6w/s757/IMG_0160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBOcds1sth8q3IsmuX4IdzonqZw3iyIZQ_BK8GDczEFHBiBSzGdfjGNxfjlFGbEepMrS9P959IZ-_G3SUi217ybPBN8IMCI9aWM_z9bxkkQ5vM_gSTx6HBSBiJT-OgmsntV33akVaIvGFEPcv0jBSe4-Mw68TL3Slfq4n1aQW4vFaCcUE8Bdrvfom6w/s320/IMG_0160.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />WE LOVED THIS SO MUCH! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEW879l8UcbCLeMbKc5V33_JXIaZdbqpzuvTzs1nqwrkbl98kLqircN9uH1UakgAMHCK3RlmgQfYwPf-mRhCSl7hmwXrsbeUfDNq9nomybtPK1n_qmyoiAonypFf7RGrdMG-TMcwewFOzwRFeokc7WS0wf2xV5rcbmonfLetIvPbU-mUeJint7FNrEA/s296/IMG_0163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="222" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEW879l8UcbCLeMbKc5V33_JXIaZdbqpzuvTzs1nqwrkbl98kLqircN9uH1UakgAMHCK3RlmgQfYwPf-mRhCSl7hmwXrsbeUfDNq9nomybtPK1n_qmyoiAonypFf7RGrdMG-TMcwewFOzwRFeokc7WS0wf2xV5rcbmonfLetIvPbU-mUeJint7FNrEA/s1600/IMG_0163.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />Luke loved this skyscraper as well! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT0XxGqyPw8MF_v_OyqZDUawq1Unm71ZrcEaUeqmrSWygrMdrUVsJJ9zlx6V1zzWv2wLW10vlzhIPhauOwqz5IYl8iR9RZgPjLCid_EMSYPbiCP9R-Sklu8A2xYdfUL5ORMTX7hQHu0RBDkm5u6jUvfoJJP6hq4kS_xucfX-dbPrWspFVh9ITS1Lcrg/s568/IMG_0170.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT0XxGqyPw8MF_v_OyqZDUawq1Unm71ZrcEaUeqmrSWygrMdrUVsJJ9zlx6V1zzWv2wLW10vlzhIPhauOwqz5IYl8iR9RZgPjLCid_EMSYPbiCP9R-Sklu8A2xYdfUL5ORMTX7hQHu0RBDkm5u6jUvfoJJP6hq4kS_xucfX-dbPrWspFVh9ITS1Lcrg/s320/IMG_0170.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Be still my heart! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zzU6ddSRAA48JTX_F9BKmYzM_dd5L0CQXY3QsCBTB4xlmt_hABTQXrTez0oWDt7-v7O5xInAJLfF2stuFtv5KQKjhp3hiIx9O5Ffz9nIePv2eU-G6T-9QNdr5brsZJwz5kvrTU2-Stg7yqllNNIogPGVWESM-ka30tdIsusYMGLwG6ph4orJh_UPZw/s431/IMG_0173.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zzU6ddSRAA48JTX_F9BKmYzM_dd5L0CQXY3QsCBTB4xlmt_hABTQXrTez0oWDt7-v7O5xInAJLfF2stuFtv5KQKjhp3hiIx9O5Ffz9nIePv2eU-G6T-9QNdr5brsZJwz5kvrTU2-Stg7yqllNNIogPGVWESM-ka30tdIsusYMGLwG6ph4orJh_UPZw/s320/IMG_0173.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Maybe a Christmas Card picture... Be on the lookout! HAHA! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf37nMG4HAIQ_Ho3Tqa83gQNlhhR1WiBdTqQdhHO2YgGBFyDY0Jz_yHDa1S8pKMbEF__PHlflnoqPsfjEGwaR9R7JysQtbX9BB62R8iM-rkAvz2d-og2e1xNEG5mVEnc_F07Wqole-EuDgClL8ot6jp_868EMrqm0BKfCmN3ygJ5lGeDnfBKtAtnFDPQ/s568/IMG_0176.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf37nMG4HAIQ_Ho3Tqa83gQNlhhR1WiBdTqQdhHO2YgGBFyDY0Jz_yHDa1S8pKMbEF__PHlflnoqPsfjEGwaR9R7JysQtbX9BB62R8iM-rkAvz2d-og2e1xNEG5mVEnc_F07Wqole-EuDgClL8ot6jp_868EMrqm0BKfCmN3ygJ5lGeDnfBKtAtnFDPQ/s320/IMG_0176.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />LOVE THIS! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTl1rmm2qddx_ivGDbDrydnTrvnEym9CKuEu7MnM7qFdNIsi4ndsyM6EopjOygMvDxaCDNFKNS5sechBZ4cKgIR0s3rxhXDFfwgSOeNPX2iiqZ2OIyvEYdTaJCF9YX0bzEH28GRL9YDtlZhkFSAVVRQ7KbzINEivfJJfd8Asirm9-G0X0d1_R-s5FKzw/s757/IMG_0183.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTl1rmm2qddx_ivGDbDrydnTrvnEym9CKuEu7MnM7qFdNIsi4ndsyM6EopjOygMvDxaCDNFKNS5sechBZ4cKgIR0s3rxhXDFfwgSOeNPX2iiqZ2OIyvEYdTaJCF9YX0bzEH28GRL9YDtlZhkFSAVVRQ7KbzINEivfJJfd8Asirm9-G0X0d1_R-s5FKzw/s320/IMG_0183.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was funny because Natalie was wearing teal blue pants and I was wearing teal blue shirt so on this "green screen" you could not see our pants/ shirt! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh91Ut2YJuE_FFclsyOLNm5W4u95Frhi_LgAHGrK7GxFd_lZXVa32K8-vJ0VdeTPmlKd0JrBywUC_5fXpF9smAjXD4K-S3xZkheD-1izO4I_DglZBJBrQPYLvvUksMT76cVs5Cswuz9nmPrtWlOp6NIw5V6k7sAuwO14iX_3UbW1pPIMKBGLqkATyVg/s284/IMG_0188.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="213" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh91Ut2YJuE_FFclsyOLNm5W4u95Frhi_LgAHGrK7GxFd_lZXVa32K8-vJ0VdeTPmlKd0JrBywUC_5fXpF9smAjXD4K-S3xZkheD-1izO4I_DglZBJBrQPYLvvUksMT76cVs5Cswuz9nmPrtWlOp6NIw5V6k7sAuwO14iX_3UbW1pPIMKBGLqkATyVg/s1600/IMG_0188.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />Love this guy and this picture! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wOmbePYdCnOYX1dgsnFEG7fXoZQQNB4_4RnfgF4yaVvYWY22my7bXPD9DYp_sFCmLq4QMZTaWT6sLyMQ0ulOVV0ZZNbQkRZAU437uH5zYlwdUbJLAaaaTz9KgYEfD3gatpGI9D07CyahNuOTdnu_dW-lx_g2ATeQWlxCwbQPSv8BD5gEZ2b-4Scm-g/s568/IMG_0203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wOmbePYdCnOYX1dgsnFEG7fXoZQQNB4_4RnfgF4yaVvYWY22my7bXPD9DYp_sFCmLq4QMZTaWT6sLyMQ0ulOVV0ZZNbQkRZAU437uH5zYlwdUbJLAaaaTz9KgYEfD3gatpGI9D07CyahNuOTdnu_dW-lx_g2ATeQWlxCwbQPSv8BD5gEZ2b-4Scm-g/s320/IMG_0203.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Thank you Chris for sharing all of this with me! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJY9SO1hdpg7q3p01RM1CNpdCOa79t9tytvR-RCGxtwF_Aidtw_G5Z7CFfPDyjxjuHz44f0O88H-kH60Xpv9_GOVgV7zrqkmZT3BtTLsK213IboK0MnpoiM7kK4B52aDU-IRc5voDJ3uJEUftDYtRUbr9rxGV0h-zZQ9wDR_aCE0oZND4Q8-Wa_lEsg/s1010/IMG_0214.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJY9SO1hdpg7q3p01RM1CNpdCOa79t9tytvR-RCGxtwF_Aidtw_G5Z7CFfPDyjxjuHz44f0O88H-kH60Xpv9_GOVgV7zrqkmZT3BtTLsK213IboK0MnpoiM7kK4B52aDU-IRc5voDJ3uJEUftDYtRUbr9rxGV0h-zZQ9wDR_aCE0oZND4Q8-Wa_lEsg/s320/IMG_0214.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />One final view of NYC... I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k1dlKyg5MHk" width="320" youtube-src-id="k1dlKyg5MHk"></iframe></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I LOVE THIS PLACE! Check it out for a FULL WALK THRU! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After we spent about 2 hours at the Top of the <b>World Trade Center,</b> we went back to the <b>Oculus </b>to get a coffee before getting on a <i>PATH </i>train to New Jersey. We wanted to get Chris and the kids another state to their "Bucket list" and this allowed us to do that.<i><span style="color: red;"> We paid $2.75 per person, each way and arrived in Hoboken, NJ about 30 minutes later.</span></i> Once in Hoboken, we walked down to <b>Pier A Pergola</b> to get a spectacular view of Manhattan. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This was and INCREDIBLE view and worth the $6 (RT) fare ALONE! The kids and Chris touched grass in NJ and crossed off another state on their list! </span></i></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcncjpd8Hek_jjH0wg8rr3u11bKbrRCXG9M5f4jZZqBfiNYDAFqIIBgCRLTkyCRvyqs7rmAegBHNXY9VH770ly5DsvwmBEs17g86DLS-hIv0nKnTQAjVmADB-XWu9y3MfWnsFrL3pgfc1y3xPrhnbT-e7wd95-9AC-Ndrast7mirYyqLfE6KXsic8sQ/s431/IMG_0227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcncjpd8Hek_jjH0wg8rr3u11bKbrRCXG9M5f4jZZqBfiNYDAFqIIBgCRLTkyCRvyqs7rmAegBHNXY9VH770ly5DsvwmBEs17g86DLS-hIv0nKnTQAjVmADB-XWu9y3MfWnsFrL3pgfc1y3xPrhnbT-e7wd95-9AC-Ndrast7mirYyqLfE6KXsic8sQ/s320/IMG_0227.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We are SO EXCITED to get to Jersey! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WbwDBkp8rSkU4UG6k3zRAswIFQPwjtlpze_lLfbYLCt9guJCwolBtpbaj7surTOcJnyaiYeV7EGZZFHcApMSOZYbz34w9ci6TVuQBL88BRnVn4ggMCorXaiv1G8EzmCcA1QdQfgtA4xSJXsCFBlvvWOinI_1UfF7NU4Ry_iR2ksDDD74qsaGzqyv5A/s757/IMG_0229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WbwDBkp8rSkU4UG6k3zRAswIFQPwjtlpze_lLfbYLCt9guJCwolBtpbaj7surTOcJnyaiYeV7EGZZFHcApMSOZYbz34w9ci6TVuQBL88BRnVn4ggMCorXaiv1G8EzmCcA1QdQfgtA4xSJXsCFBlvvWOinI_1UfF7NU4Ry_iR2ksDDD74qsaGzqyv5A/s320/IMG_0229.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello grass... We have officially arrived in New Jersey! <br />#27 for CHRIS! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQWO1d74zmgMe8TYJ0zGRoZHpV5fAEzwxamv3kSKl5sRfzeV4sDRh7Cxour6hV5Ae_R3EpKxSlw8owkdAKgo9_xiDijmU5rTs9_IYCmPj3LDr_K9xY9lSty9K9kM9fyTh1mRIyTjSyFltBhAfjRbJORTbPoSAFoElLpZKGbO_k1KMCE5ehUdrL-UBQw/s757/IMG_0231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQWO1d74zmgMe8TYJ0zGRoZHpV5fAEzwxamv3kSKl5sRfzeV4sDRh7Cxour6hV5Ae_R3EpKxSlw8owkdAKgo9_xiDijmU5rTs9_IYCmPj3LDr_K9xY9lSty9K9kM9fyTh1mRIyTjSyFltBhAfjRbJORTbPoSAFoElLpZKGbO_k1KMCE5ehUdrL-UBQw/s320/IMG_0231.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />What a view... This place is AWESOME! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkzjNU8riK9bcOXgyIBSFkD0KPkYqs1_NBzEPaWVO72EL9r1MP0W0Y-7tIGmAY8kg-jCYUZx3ZQB6AKez9swbheYsfSdXYHDW0hptrbGnwYWbVTKdBEhreej0lQc2otGNPzYG_uAHBi9-ammZ7N5Blgy0pnz7AH1mhmOfAVR9-w57EVo8T72-bZ4U4A/s757/IMG_0236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkzjNU8riK9bcOXgyIBSFkD0KPkYqs1_NBzEPaWVO72EL9r1MP0W0Y-7tIGmAY8kg-jCYUZx3ZQB6AKez9swbheYsfSdXYHDW0hptrbGnwYWbVTKdBEhreej0lQc2otGNPzYG_uAHBi9-ammZ7N5Blgy0pnz7AH1mhmOfAVR9-w57EVo8T72-bZ4U4A/s320/IMG_0236.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Family selfie time in Jersey! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWZNPMq_j9yHl9EaoYWWeZIjbsVctNgjqxNsI4Tz8gR-3Ihzh7mv98NvHDZ0iHgKxrfPNsZ9sWV95zWqlHwoCOiTem5GeBCDhzLxOPZx7uzNCWYZUGlnmKX5rA4vQQJ9qKBmwtwY3D8sJ3pLBuLQS2Mu02i07yX_kn2Ur9gCapdVVxBZ9ie2qxdcSDw/s757/IMG_0243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWZNPMq_j9yHl9EaoYWWeZIjbsVctNgjqxNsI4Tz8gR-3Ihzh7mv98NvHDZ0iHgKxrfPNsZ9sWV95zWqlHwoCOiTem5GeBCDhzLxOPZx7uzNCWYZUGlnmKX5rA4vQQJ9qKBmwtwY3D8sJ3pLBuLQS2Mu02i07yX_kn2Ur9gCapdVVxBZ9ie2qxdcSDw/s320/IMG_0243.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Thank you Chris for taking me! </div></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After enjoying the view of Manhattan in <i><b>Pier A Pergola</b></i>, we walked to downtown Hoboken to grab some lunch. We landed at <i>Sticky's Chicken </i>which prided themselves on being the "<i>Best Damn Chicken</i>" and while it was good, we were not really that impressed. <i><span style="color: red;">We think Raising Canes is much better but we enjoyed trying a local favorite.</span></i> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgott3HXkvRANrdSDYpGQNyrxBI_HbscnGnAe9pAUQH6RBgKEHSQMWxqeN2dSoJVVAcM6SCxZSbqw2L7Eeg8oZqTKuzejm32qn8VQ4RO8dJr3dYaBsx8xdFyuZFO9dIJyt39unESK7OJ_H0GRUuW1ftu_8ChaTIyYKThWUXvMnVi2iatDwc1UX-C55FXQ/s757/IMG_0250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgott3HXkvRANrdSDYpGQNyrxBI_HbscnGnAe9pAUQH6RBgKEHSQMWxqeN2dSoJVVAcM6SCxZSbqw2L7Eeg8oZqTKuzejm32qn8VQ4RO8dJr3dYaBsx8xdFyuZFO9dIJyt39unESK7OJ_H0GRUuW1ftu_8ChaTIyYKThWUXvMnVi2iatDwc1UX-C55FXQ/s320/IMG_0250.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Sticky's Menu options! </i></div><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv42fIR3Lwyry1Jff3d-Cxx31d9lDj-s5UaXfM5wzCI4WJsjON05F7Fi1xN38nEIXE-LVfbi2cEFj4o0ub2jYjlZyKmar1NK2Sk585rMcjwQf6JkDitHRMcJt5N0Ma_DZ20LqVmmMSztISjppexTBAQc0GrNp6jghA0TrJwonwzoowGuBNdIJDukPpvA/s757/IMG_0251.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv42fIR3Lwyry1Jff3d-Cxx31d9lDj-s5UaXfM5wzCI4WJsjON05F7Fi1xN38nEIXE-LVfbi2cEFj4o0ub2jYjlZyKmar1NK2Sk585rMcjwQf6JkDitHRMcJt5N0Ma_DZ20LqVmmMSztISjppexTBAQc0GrNp6jghA0TrJwonwzoowGuBNdIJDukPpvA/s320/IMG_0251.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We all got the nuggets/ strips! <span style="color: red;">It WAS filling but we still prefer Raising Canes!</span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch we rode the subway back to the <b>Oculus </b>and the <b>World Trade Center</b> subway station so we could have an afternoon at the reflecting pools. This was such a special and emotional moment for us to be able to walk the base of the original twin towers and read all of the names of the lives lost on that tragic day on September 11th. Even the kids were able to reflect upon this day and it's meaning to our country. We were also able to see the Survivor's Tree, which was in bloom and gorgeous! <i>Next time we come to NYC, we would like to go to the 9/11 museum. We were not sure if the kids would be able to handle it at this age but Chris and I want to come back and get the whole experience. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjQULKVsAYSb13hQIRESgy2jrumoTaIeu1Urj3aftL7XrKEUVAazIGx1ne6SQw2kTp5HJVZDvcq8NW3t0Cx5qCpA3Y2OW0ZlQuEgrBom3AUJYLv0feFwvkYcqtpUMvPVJ2f8iFhRK_VM2drZDtdNDvywYI4nN8kbrL9irdkOlJCJ3Nkg4eKSm4Fbvhw/s757/IMG_0256.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjQULKVsAYSb13hQIRESgy2jrumoTaIeu1Urj3aftL7XrKEUVAazIGx1ne6SQw2kTp5HJVZDvcq8NW3t0Cx5qCpA3Y2OW0ZlQuEgrBom3AUJYLv0feFwvkYcqtpUMvPVJ2f8iFhRK_VM2drZDtdNDvywYI4nN8kbrL9irdkOlJCJ3Nkg4eKSm4Fbvhw/s320/IMG_0256.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Be prepared for all kinds of emotions. <br />They did this memorial SO WELL! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnk2JGs-1zYnzYWLcRZAsr7GZ_y8TzKKRsG2lQjcjEu68gJoFIfbsiQu1ekF9b26SiajvdYVLWpMaUZrLK40MRv5LDVXc2Ula1KhoimA3dwq14e2_cYqJrDDo_sso7dply5hqdKs_XykNAwmWGB_EPdhEyoOjoML4mvhnQ4jAsYg4J2291z7GTkhke1Q/s568/IMG_0258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnk2JGs-1zYnzYWLcRZAsr7GZ_y8TzKKRsG2lQjcjEu68gJoFIfbsiQu1ekF9b26SiajvdYVLWpMaUZrLK40MRv5LDVXc2Ula1KhoimA3dwq14e2_cYqJrDDo_sso7dply5hqdKs_XykNAwmWGB_EPdhEyoOjoML4mvhnQ4jAsYg4J2291z7GTkhke1Q/s320/IMG_0258.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>May we NEVER FORGET... </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxO4pRvDeco_1_wG1eQwQvUuChG7PACiM0SfNWcLdl11gMQFYKtWeQyNa5OAnhiiaJKVfu-a_s8pUn5_4U1lL0RHjmB2uDWF-vgfVv69Ky5T1Ul1Sm1Kq214FpRtNRnM61d17NB88ffmp0Qnok_i22fmbcZJlCWypatdHOh8HTA7US_BiFgdI84MrUSA/s568/IMG_0267.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxO4pRvDeco_1_wG1eQwQvUuChG7PACiM0SfNWcLdl11gMQFYKtWeQyNa5OAnhiiaJKVfu-a_s8pUn5_4U1lL0RHjmB2uDWF-vgfVv69Ky5T1Ul1Sm1Kq214FpRtNRnM61d17NB88ffmp0Qnok_i22fmbcZJlCWypatdHOh8HTA7US_BiFgdI84MrUSA/s320/IMG_0267.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNCCyxD-LCMkF21l1LT6z5Uz0_LwaywMV48r6-Ds50AKPAhmMAXwJKRKTGVOJeUiAJ5uR_GdbrITqSuKh6dxOn3lU9fQBZwDsNRLpN67FJx7nMO1Sor7cZV2CbnXu_7WGzcJdNZiaAqNGrEb89Uc2Ppm-rUut9d2Ovde_A1ESOVB0zuikkzk4UnaMTQ/s412/IMG_0272.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="412" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNCCyxD-LCMkF21l1LT6z5Uz0_LwaywMV48r6-Ds50AKPAhmMAXwJKRKTGVOJeUiAJ5uR_GdbrITqSuKh6dxOn3lU9fQBZwDsNRLpN67FJx7nMO1Sor7cZV2CbnXu_7WGzcJdNZiaAqNGrEb89Uc2Ppm-rUut9d2Ovde_A1ESOVB0zuikkzk4UnaMTQ/s320/IMG_0272.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Even looking at this now after the fact, it makes me tear up! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yaXdIwEDO1i4LHDJX4aopflNz_38m1iu13xklqX9e89MWvYURzXRrwO65VfdaAu-48FMuuLUgG9qx3LzyqYOT837Y2H-7s4e8fIO3TTExJvntQDPyxSdCP4hVcnMsjz5YNGoD74v6tW2HbOl_wXZIpwasWTV8Mw-O5PQkPLtPyHLqjNhGQXWMfu6xg/s568/IMG_0276.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yaXdIwEDO1i4LHDJX4aopflNz_38m1iu13xklqX9e89MWvYURzXRrwO65VfdaAu-48FMuuLUgG9qx3LzyqYOT837Y2H-7s4e8fIO3TTExJvntQDPyxSdCP4hVcnMsjz5YNGoD74v6tW2HbOl_wXZIpwasWTV8Mw-O5PQkPLtPyHLqjNhGQXWMfu6xg/s320/IMG_0276.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>The survivor tree</i></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lp1zm-TAWKE" width="320" youtube-src-id="lp1zm-TAWKE"></iframe><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">This was done SO WELL... May we NEVER FORGET! </span></i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once done at the reflecting pools, we walked the few blocks back to our hotel and the boys took a quick nap while <i>Natalie and I got a $15 smoothie nearby our hotel</i>. We all got changed and then made our way back to the Fulton Street Station to ride the subway to Yankee Stadium! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFvYYHv6VYLwPGyyWTustRKg7MXmCMG-dM13yFlzmFynuVpGKZIKjzwnl_5f0oDn8EElrWfFQ4bvsWzs92j-eIHp0oq9EqnkPLquyk0asLMp0J4YS1zn5kk-34a9vk6FbnEnhNONe6SDZDEjOkx7aRGgOlh4-uUaSlAXboBDp9fkYqO24mMslrYvlFQ/s568/IMG_0286.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFvYYHv6VYLwPGyyWTustRKg7MXmCMG-dM13yFlzmFynuVpGKZIKjzwnl_5f0oDn8EElrWfFQ4bvsWzs92j-eIHp0oq9EqnkPLquyk0asLMp0J4YS1zn5kk-34a9vk6FbnEnhNONe6SDZDEjOkx7aRGgOlh4-uUaSlAXboBDp9fkYqO24mMslrYvlFQ/s320/IMG_0286.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>We are ready to go to the Bronx... Let's GO! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWQRu3V1baO1sID-Fj1-nWi4JfEYNDWbPseoZ_9nVbpuV0iBHlAub-PKxWTDWozDv92eMrnrsSjV1XZzYO-Hke7xULpDG04NN860J-WMZ1Msm2AQsKa_q2wzvwvwig4-AWvJhHdHywFdUN-6JJ4mz3ZTtUHmG47vH-H4HKUzlG0HsRX6POwFpMtGzIw/s387/IMG_0415.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="387" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWQRu3V1baO1sID-Fj1-nWi4JfEYNDWbPseoZ_9nVbpuV0iBHlAub-PKxWTDWozDv92eMrnrsSjV1XZzYO-Hke7xULpDG04NN860J-WMZ1Msm2AQsKa_q2wzvwvwig4-AWvJhHdHywFdUN-6JJ4mz3ZTtUHmG47vH-H4HKUzlG0HsRX6POwFpMtGzIw/s320/IMG_0415.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Fulton Street Station... Getting ready to go to Yankee Stadium! </i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening </span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode the train all the way from <b>Fulton Street</b> to 161st Street and <b><i>Yankee Stadium</i></b>. The subway was crowded but not near as crowded as it was the day before or on Monday on our way to <b><i>Citi Field</i></b>. We arrived around 5PM and the gates were not open yet so we wandered around the stadium. <i>We got in line around 5:30PM and while in line we saw Steve Schirripa from the Sopranos and Blue Bloods going into the game! </i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ2m-RaF5sxaBouVZWteJGhyDvYLn896B5Rdm3-xEQFWViMkJU4vdh6QD66PdQBqNjBAcLD4sAqZl4UnAYmKeMM0NPsR59JIW6pW1eEAsI4AbL4zj9u58EPB5VO1fA132d7fTqDK0gUgj41r0AXi0h6ksymFQwDf-D6XmzUOm_aj_zn3UQ_GXHjd0-w/s304/IMG_0293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="228" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ2m-RaF5sxaBouVZWteJGhyDvYLn896B5Rdm3-xEQFWViMkJU4vdh6QD66PdQBqNjBAcLD4sAqZl4UnAYmKeMM0NPsR59JIW6pW1eEAsI4AbL4zj9u58EPB5VO1fA132d7fTqDK0gUgj41r0AXi0h6ksymFQwDf-D6XmzUOm_aj_zn3UQ_GXHjd0-w/s1600/IMG_0293.jpg" width="228" /></a><br /><b><i>My heart started racing the moment we got off the train! I LOVE THIS PLACE! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx3y_eXigGBm1krqsxUK-K-2M-AolKqA_XQ8OL5TNSTikT4VuI2ZAa0G8aC507eyfoT0EpAzLvQcV_vfUgcLB1ONzUX25vC0oeBZfBFQeV6NIijzPTzdDlE0UDLwXBW-E6I1cRTBIWfE_SR3C7ZN9g6S0Q2ytMHVosn0P1c0JXTQFRpYI3nVLRRLOCg/s568/IMG_0296.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx3y_eXigGBm1krqsxUK-K-2M-AolKqA_XQ8OL5TNSTikT4VuI2ZAa0G8aC507eyfoT0EpAzLvQcV_vfUgcLB1ONzUX25vC0oeBZfBFQeV6NIijzPTzdDlE0UDLwXBW-E6I1cRTBIWfE_SR3C7ZN9g6S0Q2ytMHVosn0P1c0JXTQFRpYI3nVLRRLOCg/s320/IMG_0296.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>I was SO HAPPY! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hvnltiH3RdtbFV5GzoqFIZsZ-UgdhUEmjuoiAjZ7GC1m9ov2a-_VkmgHox3sytV7WQKM2DvTHKkCO-yuMwJR1AwUHq7ft6vhbQ77wOkxvsDpt578-zjT2Phubee1Zq7Sp_KjY8e_xXhTSrk7f9hNnuTM4oDVacSxW7xvnbrk4sdkUIidps8O5xnS1A/s757/IMG_0300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hvnltiH3RdtbFV5GzoqFIZsZ-UgdhUEmjuoiAjZ7GC1m9ov2a-_VkmgHox3sytV7WQKM2DvTHKkCO-yuMwJR1AwUHq7ft6vhbQ77wOkxvsDpt578-zjT2Phubee1Zq7Sp_KjY8e_xXhTSrk7f9hNnuTM4oDVacSxW7xvnbrk4sdkUIidps8O5xnS1A/s320/IMG_0300.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Greatest Baseball Stadium EVER!</i></b> </div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once in the ballpark, we immediately went to section 210 to get in line for the Judge #99 Burger. This is a one of a kind WAGYU beef burger made fresh to order inside <b>Yankee Stadium</b>. They only make 99 PER GAME (although we later learned they now make 199) and we wanted to ensure we got at least 1. We waited in line to order for about 30 minutes and were able to snag #62 and #63 Judge Burgers for the night! About 45 minutes later we got our two FRESH Judge Burgers and they were INCREDIBLE! <i><span style="color: red;">I realize paying $20 PER BURGER is kind of insane and the wait is INTENSE but this is an experience we wanted to have and it was WORTH IT! In fact, it was worth every minute and penny! The kids DESTROYED their 1/2 burger and we wished we would have gotten at least a third if not a fourth. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJXHrXuv9BzgmGjo49AdU5EKvFz872aP-lhl8TjVThzTF4QXpQ4ZI1OA0wCbd58GqBkk_zuDizO7P7Y7mWPKAwWfu_bCvxrR3GaEcepe92FqWbiRMEmDLLdWsqtd5JPQPDZ4GGETrpL5fbKAXhreJ_-uT90Iyw2LCAiJ81SPQx-WfD1rQzX3l6vZxGQ/s757/IMG_0304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJXHrXuv9BzgmGjo49AdU5EKvFz872aP-lhl8TjVThzTF4QXpQ4ZI1OA0wCbd58GqBkk_zuDizO7P7Y7mWPKAwWfu_bCvxrR3GaEcepe92FqWbiRMEmDLLdWsqtd5JPQPDZ4GGETrpL5fbKAXhreJ_-uT90Iyw2LCAiJ81SPQx-WfD1rQzX3l6vZxGQ/s320/IMG_0304.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The line for a Judge #99 burger when we arrived. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_M6KnUnNK_VJrZVwCAv24SOnqSzzdLyilEc5zESahEOHWk3F2_IB52ZtzVmO1PF7v3Pif4C9VM7re5CzpvClgMmu1Iyfnw3kzyQpJ0r9abtghYJBS6Qs6o4cFhWzVl57UZo0u99YF97BOubbzdL_CzhjGxayuSfjI4EKdDaZvZCaaoXR52rBgt6QIA/s757/IMG_0308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_M6KnUnNK_VJrZVwCAv24SOnqSzzdLyilEc5zESahEOHWk3F2_IB52ZtzVmO1PF7v3Pif4C9VM7re5CzpvClgMmu1Iyfnw3kzyQpJ0r9abtghYJBS6Qs6o4cFhWzVl57UZo0u99YF97BOubbzdL_CzhjGxayuSfjI4EKdDaZvZCaaoXR52rBgt6QIA/s320/IMG_0308.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />30 minutes later we were at the front of the line watching them make FRESH burgers with WAGYU BEEF! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYwrx1_SluBwAyz_UzwhQHvpPKzApVL7ikQ6s4OYk4SmPkdImGbqkvk_oFzlDc4WXyClTft0lZ04AoJw3axeTfpsqe5JCOFX1oS2H0U7SHx-u-s1fh70tE8DfdoacOfq05a44OeQzeQXeBbzaSqFriSa-yY6hj8O31voxCancr65spNJI8wMcam3PGg/s757/IMG_0310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYwrx1_SluBwAyz_UzwhQHvpPKzApVL7ikQ6s4OYk4SmPkdImGbqkvk_oFzlDc4WXyClTft0lZ04AoJw3axeTfpsqe5JCOFX1oS2H0U7SHx-u-s1fh70tE8DfdoacOfq05a44OeQzeQXeBbzaSqFriSa-yY6hj8O31voxCancr65spNJI8wMcam3PGg/s320/IMG_0310.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We were # 62 and 63!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWwnfDgxjLApJn1kbrqkFDqL2WLpswiOgFcrIK0z0B4VpAejQfhbbdQyDYSmdWUxBra72BMuDeQp5JcHV8042saHtHwECzD2sGQnpcvnS5JxsHfMCEyzlLv6yJD7uYyzl5DgUli0spzkc4FTcVbEcqnBYzsMRlsZu8-c1bKR4reLhjYV-vDox1Jj5dg/s412/IMG_0357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="412" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWwnfDgxjLApJn1kbrqkFDqL2WLpswiOgFcrIK0z0B4VpAejQfhbbdQyDYSmdWUxBra72BMuDeQp5JcHV8042saHtHwECzD2sGQnpcvnS5JxsHfMCEyzlLv6yJD7uYyzl5DgUli0spzkc4FTcVbEcqnBYzsMRlsZu8-c1bKR4reLhjYV-vDox1Jj5dg/s320/IMG_0357.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />THIS WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY AND EVERY MINUTE! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our burger, we continued to walk around the concourse and then make our way to our seats in section 420 right behind home plate. We really enjoyed these seats and while they were high up, they were very centralized and had GREAT views of the game. <i><span style="color: red;">We paid $72/ ticket, which is OUTRAGEOUS but it fit in our budget and worked out really well for us! </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolv6UKxzSGQJzIM-zWJP-4bBrjD9mL4bVGWt49RYn1bAeYmYhrUyROjaRPvkZhVvE0G7UM1oux2L3WSa66noOlO18qFtLRlxz6tpR2JIBBaScJ5s6wFzjCMOPHzqzePGIc7qhUUEoAG2VOnvqFfLSrFz5Bg4scUOnkNxT_gM5TsptXaL8KzkbbeNAiw/s757/IMG_0317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolv6UKxzSGQJzIM-zWJP-4bBrjD9mL4bVGWt49RYn1bAeYmYhrUyROjaRPvkZhVvE0G7UM1oux2L3WSa66noOlO18qFtLRlxz6tpR2JIBBaScJ5s6wFzjCMOPHzqzePGIc7qhUUEoAG2VOnvqFfLSrFz5Bg4scUOnkNxT_gM5TsptXaL8KzkbbeNAiw/s320/IMG_0317.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>This boy was in HEAVEN... He loved this Stadium too! </b></div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwd-uTBCYyRqIw5RoigrnG-VN1zNqBtUFMDd_GMV4Nb12ryLEPmMUGq7_7Zq4V6IzA1e-ekgZGSV5jc7uS6pSl-TC8P4CYv97m20BXDztw59bJ2SJxZGS1zd52uHfD_2R7_XE1TGbdyyDZvxxOUaNxngn4DkPMenLudAfU9wk4mstl8GzLE9rXudbtw/s361/IMG_0319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="361" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwd-uTBCYyRqIw5RoigrnG-VN1zNqBtUFMDd_GMV4Nb12ryLEPmMUGq7_7Zq4V6IzA1e-ekgZGSV5jc7uS6pSl-TC8P4CYv97m20BXDztw59bJ2SJxZGS1zd52uHfD_2R7_XE1TGbdyyDZvxxOUaNxngn4DkPMenLudAfU9wk4mstl8GzLE9rXudbtw/s320/IMG_0319.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This is what it is ALL ABOUT! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndrpscdRciG5W81wFMxtO68QmQEOw6pf3sXpzpJg_-tybtXZ8KcYdkEm8tMMRsYlIy8-8IXIy9wWyRzb_U12MDun-OtpSlkWjrE73rsKGEboEDJMSjNXq6IrJsxc7fu4Y4GhGZeGDY0BWyi46Bb_XccoE50l3w-HJ_8KQOwaWZs5Kmb7AnvgwGPex5w/s757/IMG_0321.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndrpscdRciG5W81wFMxtO68QmQEOw6pf3sXpzpJg_-tybtXZ8KcYdkEm8tMMRsYlIy8-8IXIy9wWyRzb_U12MDun-OtpSlkWjrE73rsKGEboEDJMSjNXq6IrJsxc7fu4Y4GhGZeGDY0BWyi46Bb_XccoE50l3w-HJ_8KQOwaWZs5Kmb7AnvgwGPex5w/s320/IMG_0321.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>I promised Luke when he was a TODDLER I would take him to Yankee Stadium for his 10th Birthday! We were about 10 months late but we made it happen! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkObfg7yDlYIqawQSNf0jY6cOAkyX-E90F2S_nopIv8uCvcOh1QOoWV2ihPcIIDRJljS6TjPZhrNXGo3NM7a0VGR0NOI39CyJSpvV3grKIcmzgmtUkfaF9SBPQAWJq9Z6i1L38bYk_u4CKi7v2uchhilWEQuxGOoA8snkEqlQomouDaL5CbcuOhCdbQ/s361/IMG_0325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="361" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkObfg7yDlYIqawQSNf0jY6cOAkyX-E90F2S_nopIv8uCvcOh1QOoWV2ihPcIIDRJljS6TjPZhrNXGo3NM7a0VGR0NOI39CyJSpvV3grKIcmzgmtUkfaF9SBPQAWJq9Z6i1L38bYk_u4CKi7v2uchhilWEQuxGOoA8snkEqlQomouDaL5CbcuOhCdbQ/s320/IMG_0325.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Happy 10th Birthday Luke </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Happy 40th Birthday ME! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55ohzg3a8SxSGJMvpPj-v5o97pwPZSQse_dzMXrzj-BwTC3R6yZzW7YOkfLYTkrgbJcCp3WkRTdO2fzP365hj30e8XdefVRMrm-dSNDnkT7V6ZugvMXxwjsKVVh0bxrNEOao-G0rlkwsY8ngPfZv7vhUYxlmztSyilcbFQDO3Vb_PXgLUjRjGs5Xb0A/s757/IMG_0329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55ohzg3a8SxSGJMvpPj-v5o97pwPZSQse_dzMXrzj-BwTC3R6yZzW7YOkfLYTkrgbJcCp3WkRTdO2fzP365hj30e8XdefVRMrm-dSNDnkT7V6ZugvMXxwjsKVVh0bxrNEOao-G0rlkwsY8ngPfZv7vhUYxlmztSyilcbFQDO3Vb_PXgLUjRjGs5Xb0A/s320/IMG_0329.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="color: red;">Just 3 more stadiums to go!! <br />(Dodgers, Angels and Oakland As) </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV2c0qGsrNuucFtESSGQiBwd9ZO1ZqOuvFu_-ZicWA77Z0p-ZapabKe1A7x6TNDkbXEF4C3L1dHfkNiI-8P-xfg7moJfkA5IMMLmCjE9co7vQxWl8AGjZ2RV_yiI13K5oj17J3SfhcoDKf-1kNlnyn3mVq-QLySPFya-Jk5sd2xTbZAbi05G6twM-0Q/s568/IMG_0338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV2c0qGsrNuucFtESSGQiBwd9ZO1ZqOuvFu_-ZicWA77Z0p-ZapabKe1A7x6TNDkbXEF4C3L1dHfkNiI-8P-xfg7moJfkA5IMMLmCjE9co7vQxWl8AGjZ2RV_yiI13K5oj17J3SfhcoDKf-1kNlnyn3mVq-QLySPFya-Jk5sd2xTbZAbi05G6twM-0Q/s320/IMG_0338.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>She loved this Stadium too! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpka7xxyxHZZs_zjFS9lJdTZdPZOx5TJqWx2UdyVO8Uvu5YpLY18ZqogO5JODohLo2bAby3C6Fn8pwJoWFsMsz_aOfUA8eu4HAnVJ_g7DfxzZ4HqSNjD7H-OmH3ltnn5O8FXttiQlui7UklhLpaPUqmSeZXxAJJBnGRpa94IXr8ngT_KPZehUq8RlMQ/s431/IMG_0340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpka7xxyxHZZs_zjFS9lJdTZdPZOx5TJqWx2UdyVO8Uvu5YpLY18ZqogO5JODohLo2bAby3C6Fn8pwJoWFsMsz_aOfUA8eu4HAnVJ_g7DfxzZ4HqSNjD7H-OmH3ltnn5O8FXttiQlui7UklhLpaPUqmSeZXxAJJBnGRpa94IXr8ngT_KPZehUq8RlMQ/s320/IMG_0340.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Life doesn't get much better than this! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-q1-o8IzAiPpna3Ld5gGdcjjByCIKylL_LFgC9_Pn4f9oHrefsjPMUBM3KeRR9tbIHBub9tSvPsrngRm5en0bl9-fgDpnstFL4Y6J77uyEj3bA0MaYS48RFRcOMl-uPAQxjS7i2mzKFT87oKppSL3G70RxZrYl1yba3N6QIO5b33X2RiYCrTBKinTIw/s361/IMG_0349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="361" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-q1-o8IzAiPpna3Ld5gGdcjjByCIKylL_LFgC9_Pn4f9oHrefsjPMUBM3KeRR9tbIHBub9tSvPsrngRm5en0bl9-fgDpnstFL4Y6J77uyEj3bA0MaYS48RFRcOMl-uPAQxjS7i2mzKFT87oKppSL3G70RxZrYl1yba3N6QIO5b33X2RiYCrTBKinTIw/s320/IMG_0349.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>I had been waiting for this for 13 years...</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRcf_nC-agZMHhERlJ5MmUdaT_r4MUieDT85T1GZLDxGc7oOqfMyBdFOnSk9KT0q5h5EE-xnmNQnhoUHcdbuj00ory7TSMfqCm_7X5YZjRoRFw5HDGYuomc6iesJK8f2XYvwoBGXK0s46O1iFNcbhV7I9MMkx3KzrslNAJddojtO1buC95jl0JD4TZA/s431/IMG_0375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRcf_nC-agZMHhERlJ5MmUdaT_r4MUieDT85T1GZLDxGc7oOqfMyBdFOnSk9KT0q5h5EE-xnmNQnhoUHcdbuj00ory7TSMfqCm_7X5YZjRoRFw5HDGYuomc6iesJK8f2XYvwoBGXK0s46O1iFNcbhV7I9MMkx3KzrslNAJddojtO1buC95jl0JD4TZA/s320/IMG_0375.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>I have always wanted to take MY family to Yankee Stadium and it was PICTURE PERFECT! </b></div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fdtQRHebcqT8P0di3pzuAP6agMO2acQIJEq5zPrqSEjQEzrtpv3afBmfh97AKodQJqt5y8YZxGJaAh9dmU3JF1o5MimT9oBajF2KFHgAfy8rZwZFH-eSlhSb9oOrUEv6pkO_4--YSXblKsLfMbMmXitnmvramKmKLl6Q2HQ8i-Qa0pfzAmnksilbzg/s757/IMG_0377.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fdtQRHebcqT8P0di3pzuAP6agMO2acQIJEq5zPrqSEjQEzrtpv3afBmfh97AKodQJqt5y8YZxGJaAh9dmU3JF1o5MimT9oBajF2KFHgAfy8rZwZFH-eSlhSb9oOrUEv6pkO_4--YSXblKsLfMbMmXitnmvramKmKLl6Q2HQ8i-Qa0pfzAmnksilbzg/s320/IMG_0377.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view from our seats! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ml1jFNUkDnfCibHFDgrsm0O89fztozj5Y1e2ROWMVtaq-Hfyzl9RhZ3oRZ7X2k0l0zGRS5JV1CYUBMZZQSgYAuDLQON3LVeIKsn1gZcXQsQ6cPxhUpWa1B0TvkJYCh6r74FFrKqmx0PYxS3Z__KkgSe0sEtW0qTD6NVpQzwOLfqXo5QunRDPxnpigw/s388/IMG_0381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="388" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ml1jFNUkDnfCibHFDgrsm0O89fztozj5Y1e2ROWMVtaq-Hfyzl9RhZ3oRZ7X2k0l0zGRS5JV1CYUBMZZQSgYAuDLQON3LVeIKsn1gZcXQsQ6cPxhUpWa1B0TvkJYCh6r74FFrKqmx0PYxS3Z__KkgSe0sEtW0qTD6NVpQzwOLfqXo5QunRDPxnpigw/s320/IMG_0381.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The perfect evening! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDyQhJcpcKCHFGGZs4bbSoREnZ4qSO5TpXuEQWTAukXr2OxjFQq2hUNHPNGlqHuPx6H-7Buc-aRxp0gDIZUnBSr5b75c34UiSV81sky1reenL54CXxv8BYIkGXYSQULjKXG7vtY9Q2-rCjByPIipOUeSZAHgW9IsO1wQVKihXGkEogUfI1hElbZHISg/s757/IMG_0387.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDyQhJcpcKCHFGGZs4bbSoREnZ4qSO5TpXuEQWTAukXr2OxjFQq2hUNHPNGlqHuPx6H-7Buc-aRxp0gDIZUnBSr5b75c34UiSV81sky1reenL54CXxv8BYIkGXYSQULjKXG7vtY9Q2-rCjByPIipOUeSZAHgW9IsO1wQVKihXGkEogUfI1hElbZHISg/s320/IMG_0387.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>This was PERFECT! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH98SxMhaHJd0OFb9UALvRYR5p6B0-r2HYyZ4VXs4GUgDhmuHbxbngG5E5oym5rlyicoINyTaUch9mT5vqRb5mhwin_qDX2L6tuXnxGOyauAtDh-LhVmuN9RRB7W1c1yGiZ0SUDIy07cau9ZnyqqZoGaeiAeQAvmHWGDfryXtJ1EGTfGFg-MKJ5Nt0g/s1010/IMG_0407.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH98SxMhaHJd0OFb9UALvRYR5p6B0-r2HYyZ4VXs4GUgDhmuHbxbngG5E5oym5rlyicoINyTaUch9mT5vqRb5mhwin_qDX2L6tuXnxGOyauAtDh-LhVmuN9RRB7W1c1yGiZ0SUDIy07cau9ZnyqqZoGaeiAeQAvmHWGDfryXtJ1EGTfGFg-MKJ5Nt0g/s320/IMG_0407.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The 7th Inning Stretch and God Bless America in Yankee Stadium... <br />ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! </b></div></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The game was a BLOW OUT and the Yankees lost 11-2 against the Twins and Carlos Correa hit 2 home-runs! <i>Unfortunately, Judge struck out twice!</i> My heart was SO HAPPY and I was right at home. Yankee Stadium has ALWAYS been a favorite of mine and NEW YANKEE STADIUM did not disappoint. It is in the TOP THREE of my favorites of ALL TIME! This turned out to be MY FAVORITE day of the whole trip! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nlzDuU694c8" width="320" youtube-src-id="nlzDuU694c8"></iframe><br /><b><i>This day was PERFECT! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xWxl3kyt47g" width="320" youtube-src-id="xWxl3kyt47g"></iframe><br />Our night at Yankee Stadium! </div></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the game continued to go south for the Yankees, we decided to leave at the bottom of the 8th inning in hopes of having a less crowded train back to Manhattan. Boy were we WRONG! This train was loaded SHOULDER TO SHOULDER but provided some of the best entertainment of the entire trip and Luke did SO WELL! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MwSlGY2A4Fc" width="320" youtube-src-id="MwSlGY2A4Fc"></iframe><br /><b><i>A classic NYC subway ride... This was SO COMICAL! </i></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We got back to our hotel at 11:30PM and we were EXHAUSTED but had a GREAT DAY! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1euGvovf03qTDWwG69sJGvJW3DmF7EDtIsDPICORS6HlZ9xbj2Tg0LmyFlO--o4m-Wqq2eUpgi2FxxlqrrVmp9ap5QIgv3UcyaDX90Ij75X5VmQ8mw-gc5QRj8pb2MJDwGvktonUfmpksSJj_l6-PgJUXDDiNXVQuNCG2bHtbCNWAAIq9etK2y__Cw/s568/IMG_0670.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1euGvovf03qTDWwG69sJGvJW3DmF7EDtIsDPICORS6HlZ9xbj2Tg0LmyFlO--o4m-Wqq2eUpgi2FxxlqrrVmp9ap5QIgv3UcyaDX90Ij75X5VmQ8mw-gc5QRj8pb2MJDwGvktonUfmpksSJj_l6-PgJUXDDiNXVQuNCG2bHtbCNWAAIq9etK2y__Cw/s320/IMG_0670.jpg" width="234" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Whoa... I didn't even break 20K? How? </i></b></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Up Next... our LAST full day in NYC and another evening spent at Yankee Stadium!</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-23084562752540186582023-06-07T10:02:00.000-05:002023-06-07T10:02:15.647-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 4 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>New York City- Day 4 </u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The One with Lady Liberty</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wednesday, April 12, 2023</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8pnCxXfC4AWO4M6lFHpGMJck87bjMhhs-dBZRIntkNSzrjH4-RDSmlC1q0rkDGIoh85ZbvYWJaf__TrIQw2Uucf80ZuW--MKgUDr23b_2SvayJxbUIx5Q3VERCkTkjFqtcCltpZM1Ic_r-QjXB7u863rraHzEqDDn7PiThjvtw97Tqlb2gVkf51gBg/s437/IMG_9914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8pnCxXfC4AWO4M6lFHpGMJck87bjMhhs-dBZRIntkNSzrjH4-RDSmlC1q0rkDGIoh85ZbvYWJaf__TrIQw2Uucf80ZuW--MKgUDr23b_2SvayJxbUIx5Q3VERCkTkjFqtcCltpZM1Ic_r-QjXB7u863rraHzEqDDn7PiThjvtw97Tqlb2gVkf51gBg/s320/IMG_9914.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>A highlight of our week... FRIENDS! </b></i></div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up and finally felt rested after a good night's sleep. We went to another wonderful breakfast in the hotel and then made our way towards <b>Wall Street</b>. We were able to see the <i>New York Stock Exchange </i>and other buildings near the <b>Financial District</b> before making our way to the <i>Oculus </i>and<i> One World Trade Center</i>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cX1QotUTBzY-XWAkOp3eE5seQRsFBiq9_KPIMFSDf8fTASkKs2q_Yujq0FiIFh6FoQDnakwzG84GDaY_h7TIurrIgEn4EM0ayOkTmUvjDdT9zFlzMDObzSilAbKhXz8KemT9j_FU6wMW_SZAmMHySZGlk97Z_b4oSsJ9ghBq6Qtn9jYYFFhB0o8YSw/s757/IMG_9715.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cX1QotUTBzY-XWAkOp3eE5seQRsFBiq9_KPIMFSDf8fTASkKs2q_Yujq0FiIFh6FoQDnakwzG84GDaY_h7TIurrIgEn4EM0ayOkTmUvjDdT9zFlzMDObzSilAbKhXz8KemT9j_FU6wMW_SZAmMHySZGlk97Z_b4oSsJ9ghBq6Qtn9jYYFFhB0o8YSw/w200-h150/IMG_9715.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUHmLe5IJoKZNp41F5sSzXjfLWWYFN3v48ezBLyAbmwbvfm9PS7xBRgr7N20PsWaIOFdNnHYXyBFHalx2yhYI3QHJl-TwxUtAyr-atnM-CKTPNLmYHBF2zw4j4a6EPidr7hRWvV3kH46iJn1wTeRqmMXABVFhWjNuESSmWY6nn_HWU_zMmGavtZIwWQ/s757/IMG_9716.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUHmLe5IJoKZNp41F5sSzXjfLWWYFN3v48ezBLyAbmwbvfm9PS7xBRgr7N20PsWaIOFdNnHYXyBFHalx2yhYI3QHJl-TwxUtAyr-atnM-CKTPNLmYHBF2zw4j4a6EPidr7hRWvV3kH46iJn1wTeRqmMXABVFhWjNuESSmWY6nn_HWU_zMmGavtZIwWQ/w200-h150/IMG_9716.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><b><i>The hotel and cold offerings daily at the hotel breakfast! </i></b></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4REveO0uSUHKAhB6pZ3_Z5CWCOyKcMlN1KdLrf3xTdgzLE6xhBNVdoqFM17YEN2tLky1pjesFx_W_9WO0w6As-ZwKLeCqd1cIfpXzbj6Ke1FZCGQMYAAurrQsshbYi_Dj0pRUSK9r2WE84R1P3EDoj4E6zKYRnQpdOCY6LIpH3lePV1o8x6atF_l3kw/s568/IMG_9717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4REveO0uSUHKAhB6pZ3_Z5CWCOyKcMlN1KdLrf3xTdgzLE6xhBNVdoqFM17YEN2tLky1pjesFx_W_9WO0w6As-ZwKLeCqd1cIfpXzbj6Ke1FZCGQMYAAurrQsshbYi_Dj0pRUSK9r2WE84R1P3EDoj4E6zKYRnQpdOCY6LIpH3lePV1o8x6atF_l3kw/s320/IMG_9717.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Trinity Church in Downtown NYC! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4r7S9vaEMMcME8iWAZkxTMBOn-MQAg9FhIVb4QntotSChLfC1cMGQkamE0vqHDJBm5gSN7MBchF6gNQGuvdwXX3lhKpiwLwzlCDZWrtQw7mTYLR86BFYQZOs_j9UUQWLHmntznw-NtGZtIy7dD_OEG-tygpoQ3eeiHyt9sOPk6oM0celADD47THMIJQ/s757/IMG_9720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4r7S9vaEMMcME8iWAZkxTMBOn-MQAg9FhIVb4QntotSChLfC1cMGQkamE0vqHDJBm5gSN7MBchF6gNQGuvdwXX3lhKpiwLwzlCDZWrtQw7mTYLR86BFYQZOs_j9UUQWLHmntznw-NtGZtIy7dD_OEG-tygpoQ3eeiHyt9sOPk6oM0celADD47THMIJQ/s320/IMG_9720.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The NY Stock Exchange flies the TEXAS flag since Hurricane Harvey! <br />This was SO COOL and we had no idea they still did this! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjB2H3xDP4QZx_f-w_4vCE1pUBK7YODCu0zKiVHP2_4hirpNSDDyJ_izgZG0lSTwGvjv0wOUV5-ZXASOPqc-EfPgVJBUOZWMM-qJih0dAv0HYt1qKR9Y9aBwzb7QHvTQUPA3xqi0QagK6b-Qs7B8-1hbdiPYOEPeaVxzGnq4GfFsiaObJWdWkdMvDbw/s568/IMG_9729.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjB2H3xDP4QZx_f-w_4vCE1pUBK7YODCu0zKiVHP2_4hirpNSDDyJ_izgZG0lSTwGvjv0wOUV5-ZXASOPqc-EfPgVJBUOZWMM-qJih0dAv0HYt1qKR9Y9aBwzb7QHvTQUPA3xqi0QagK6b-Qs7B8-1hbdiPYOEPeaVxzGnq4GfFsiaObJWdWkdMvDbw/s320/IMG_9729.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>The NY Stock Exchange! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvFFmgoKQKunWrWFeDPbsf2mfk1MrWq_MWDiWeeFwgG-UIVfurPCIvCCyHH0s9BIHlAe7X_x4RWzt3p16V6fQpSVz7VrBfEQQ0y1Ra2i8YzL3LgCqRBxhtWKLBnaXpZAiR70xsXou2QqHQLe1T8b6wL9_wp7HfkTX_hBbISWWT5SMc-R9q0t8BfkrLw/s418/IMG_9738.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvFFmgoKQKunWrWFeDPbsf2mfk1MrWq_MWDiWeeFwgG-UIVfurPCIvCCyHH0s9BIHlAe7X_x4RWzt3p16V6fQpSVz7VrBfEQQ0y1Ra2i8YzL3LgCqRBxhtWKLBnaXpZAiR70xsXou2QqHQLe1T8b6wL9_wp7HfkTX_hBbISWWT5SMc-R9q0t8BfkrLw/s320/IMG_9738.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I loved Trinity Church.. It really reminded me of the London architecture. </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The </span><b style="font-size: large;">Oculus </b><span style="font-size: large;">is a large shopping mall at the base of the </span><b style="font-size: large;">One World Trade Center.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> This is very similar to the mall that was underground from the Original Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. </span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>The architecture of this is nothing short of incredible</i></b><span style="font-size: large;">. I was completely blown away but not just the outside of the </span><i style="font-size: large;">Oculus </i><span style="font-size: large;">but the inside as well. We walked through the open area before exiting right in front of the memorial pools of the One World Trade Center. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_F040PMimkt9w1uqRdFbz__tsi69aoQV4X7EmIEySbv2QujBl_vDOO4hAMjpQOfpwsI8t78iMTgZKD495Qba3V1m0O2p23quTb6czyRNmW4_VckFW5utlMef0dg6intwFKc0-7B5P4NGp37QEOcmlz5BgvuspiTFEuJIjd8pMbymBDluTDuJNNEiA/s367/IMG_9741.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="367" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_F040PMimkt9w1uqRdFbz__tsi69aoQV4X7EmIEySbv2QujBl_vDOO4hAMjpQOfpwsI8t78iMTgZKD495Qba3V1m0O2p23quTb6czyRNmW4_VckFW5utlMef0dg6intwFKc0-7B5P4NGp37QEOcmlz5BgvuspiTFEuJIjd8pMbymBDluTDuJNNEiA/s320/IMG_9741.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Oculus! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUVEtZ4Rqphh7mNiEzAAThx-1BAS4qXTlj9g4BtdJnv3xcHLeS90_oHbSklo0XwjMRV1einFYUQOYG6UBZGiF6NDX9u8ggm4e22J5kf71ARa0WIrzu3n26YbazKktd1fWOD9ssIbCjmk2RK640tNhGQZr6eVgptka3YFr1MbWajqaKQDbukE2Va0o3A/s365/IMG_9746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUVEtZ4Rqphh7mNiEzAAThx-1BAS4qXTlj9g4BtdJnv3xcHLeS90_oHbSklo0XwjMRV1einFYUQOYG6UBZGiF6NDX9u8ggm4e22J5kf71ARa0WIrzu3n26YbazKktd1fWOD9ssIbCjmk2RK640tNhGQZr6eVgptka3YFr1MbWajqaKQDbukE2Va0o3A/s320/IMG_9746.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This is a frame worthy picture of the Oculus and One World Trade Center! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbbwkylH9hlom2-FanrrN2AwuOKDcd0E3ygXe3ydibGJ-zFUQiUWqFUJvcX8LLx2S_GAIxVF85RR4sufBP8Q2jMa94qzzrHFjL0-7mIfdnGg0h2aAsSEGFGF2fGxTQ9NsKnihzV-IDjR2-jyYaw7ahkAa0RSQdQABqatQ2qv-9Jrd6sFHiqwPfgDsMg/s418/IMG_9750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbbwkylH9hlom2-FanrrN2AwuOKDcd0E3ygXe3ydibGJ-zFUQiUWqFUJvcX8LLx2S_GAIxVF85RR4sufBP8Q2jMa94qzzrHFjL0-7mIfdnGg0h2aAsSEGFGF2fGxTQ9NsKnihzV-IDjR2-jyYaw7ahkAa0RSQdQABqatQ2qv-9Jrd6sFHiqwPfgDsMg/s320/IMG_9750.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Inside the Oculus on the 3rd floor. This was an absolute BEAUTY! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXuQw4tKMO9VH_El4qNK63V2izFCr4ghOeDjGHAO6TcsRxXpQJMoY-ciZjaYFOilJXGa8901JBFMnQ34bUx43-4uByTcZyJSPyumzyz8uG_wOhv91y5oMeoabNSd8dtBTmtlhscESz1bJi4FNX14O6qnh7XgBU2xMh_j-K2-RjYBbh88RBOvRNIOihw/s400/IMG_9752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXuQw4tKMO9VH_El4qNK63V2izFCr4ghOeDjGHAO6TcsRxXpQJMoY-ciZjaYFOilJXGa8901JBFMnQ34bUx43-4uByTcZyJSPyumzyz8uG_wOhv91y5oMeoabNSd8dtBTmtlhscESz1bJi4FNX14O6qnh7XgBU2xMh_j-K2-RjYBbh88RBOvRNIOihw/s320/IMG_9752.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We loved this place! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I mentioned in previous posts, I had been to NYC many times in my teenage years but I had not been back since 9/11 so this was the first time seeing the OTC close up and the reflecting pools. <i><b>It is a humbling experience to say the very least and even just approaching the pools I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.</b></i> September 11th truly is a "<i>you'll never forget where you were</i>" moment in my generation and having been up in the <b><i>World Trade Center </i></b>north tower in 2000, it just hit differently for me. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgban2SrC1rxBQjILh7KdSNW5-NZlpVDX4Dv5NwIZAeNQiK_SHMofMnk32tiNF24i2Fwp2qjnxAGoy8NgmnudOWR3nCI004Z2SetNw2M5fJ4c52-mj5uPps30Z_AgDmPjjtie_txlxEsaf4cOQVIZmkRqgxFSOG-D3Ivm8MYSMgCI8stxtgMDQQL_49-A/s568/IMG_9754.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgban2SrC1rxBQjILh7KdSNW5-NZlpVDX4Dv5NwIZAeNQiK_SHMofMnk32tiNF24i2Fwp2qjnxAGoy8NgmnudOWR3nCI004Z2SetNw2M5fJ4c52-mj5uPps30Z_AgDmPjjtie_txlxEsaf4cOQVIZmkRqgxFSOG-D3Ivm8MYSMgCI8stxtgMDQQL_49-A/s320/IMG_9754.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>The following day confirmed this for me but OWTC was my favorite part of NYC! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We stayed at the reflecting pools for a brief minute but we were planning to come to them on the next day when we visit the <b><i>One World Trace Center</i></b> so we continuing walking downtown towards <i>Battery Park.</i> We grabbed a coffee at <b>Bean & Bean Coffee </b>and it was delicious. I loved that we had a casual not rushed morning before we had to get to the <i><b>Statue of Liberty. </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkHhvlNSx8aWIPaqsP1CEIVqm2tlQNuIlDNEOs58-Zv2LeGJuJtZLso65lv6mCn78-bMyFS_2ShZjWL4x_veiKLv7XkN10AhJEw5TVdgQp1VdVlWqL_Ty7ywHbyS7MD63Fx05OxutaarQQAmLBzg0o2Qf9d6tQg2SbqyqipiXBPxkygONHf_1sl6djA/s275/IMG_9757.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="206" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkHhvlNSx8aWIPaqsP1CEIVqm2tlQNuIlDNEOs58-Zv2LeGJuJtZLso65lv6mCn78-bMyFS_2ShZjWL4x_veiKLv7XkN10AhJEw5TVdgQp1VdVlWqL_Ty7ywHbyS7MD63Fx05OxutaarQQAmLBzg0o2Qf9d6tQg2SbqyqipiXBPxkygONHf_1sl6djA/s1600/IMG_9757.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />Good ol' fashioned ICED COFFEE (for only $3.50)! </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our coffee we were able to pass by the <i>Charging Bull</i> just to the north of <i>Battery Park</i>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- There is a LONG line to get inside the gate and take a picture "with" the bull but you can stand outside the gate and in between people get just as good (if not better) photos of the bull. </span></i></b>We took some pictures and then continued towards<i> Battery Park</i> and ventured into the garden of the <b><i>Museum of the American Indian</i></b> for some absolutely gorgeous tulips. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgd28pJ_qNPrTWXEIkM5Dwst-CaX-kkJk4TydOtVgCStaA-agdaun4vG-zJzPi1eqJBmawUZD7z-EHfhzney0unl6vYJ0h3u73PEqitHFMQsHeJ4CYXZ6ujutPOleLt7uvMrKb1JoUEbsGI3P2rRTAPU6JedEZIa7hoSySbltvJbMcKM-zVnsz3f--w/s437/IMG_9761.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgd28pJ_qNPrTWXEIkM5Dwst-CaX-kkJk4TydOtVgCStaA-agdaun4vG-zJzPi1eqJBmawUZD7z-EHfhzney0unl6vYJ0h3u73PEqitHFMQsHeJ4CYXZ6ujutPOleLt7uvMrKb1JoUEbsGI3P2rRTAPU6JedEZIa7hoSySbltvJbMcKM-zVnsz3f--w/s320/IMG_9761.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I didn't wait in that line.. I just snapped quickly between people! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozOW3QMqV2nSiqrlZse6FwNJ_0GKvRuerlnAAYDrAk9ZhqyX6jfe7UjBcb8D57rIzRo6WBf4hVrCiyU2HqBoH4K_zjcG0qF6gWD9lI7Hnwb79czUAHoz1ZO6Z_Heeu6MuP2FbW203Q9tjXM4ZppjSmZV2MpL863tMHX77BOJfwlAuOZFp9kwt9EgpCg/s757/IMG_9764.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozOW3QMqV2nSiqrlZse6FwNJ_0GKvRuerlnAAYDrAk9ZhqyX6jfe7UjBcb8D57rIzRo6WBf4hVrCiyU2HqBoH4K_zjcG0qF6gWD9lI7Hnwb79czUAHoz1ZO6Z_Heeu6MuP2FbW203Q9tjXM4ZppjSmZV2MpL863tMHX77BOJfwlAuOZFp9kwt9EgpCg/s320/IMG_9764.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>One of my favorite pictures of the trip! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Gorgeous flowers and my gorgeous daughter! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went on to <i>Battery Park</i> to get checked in for our Pedestal and Crown tour of the <b><i>Statue of Liberty</i></b>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to book these tickets WELL in advance. I think I booked out April 12th tickets in December and did not get a "good time". Also be sure to book via Statue City Cruises/ National Park Service as they are the ONLY way to get tickets to the Pedestal or Crown.</span></i></b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I had been to the Statue of Liberty in previous trips and even climbed to the top of the crown and I knew it was a MUST DO for my family... so despite Chris's foot condition, we booked these $26 tickets again and we climbed the 374 steps to the top of Lady Liberty's crown <b><i><u>and it was INCREDIBLE!</u></i></b> <i><span style="color: red;">I highly recommend everyone do this AT LEAST once in their lifetime. <b>TIP- Your "arrival time" is 30 minutes before your scheduled time to climb to the top and that "arrival" time is at the base of Lady Liberty. You will need to be at Battery Park at least an hour before that during peak season as the boat ride is 15 minutes to get to Liberty Island. </b></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We verified our tickets and got our passes before going through the toughest security of the entire trip at the entrance to the <b><i>Statue of Liberty</i></b>. Chris even made the comment<i> "The museum to memorialize immigration has higher security (or any) than our actual current US immigration" </i>and sadly, he nailed that comment! After security, we waited to board the <b>Lady Liberty boat</b> to get to <i>Liberty Island</i> in the sun and heat. We were able to get on the 2nd boat that arrived and we were able to get on the bottom level to see our approach to <b><i>Liberty Island. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclT_eHdCat1NfPwmXsKIhvsLRvmcd9qiy_vl7l3II9eFwWLztCzymmX486bJePWHgmy4GWgRw2bgziFSbx0e1VMeQj8SQb892orXyiS4yJNg15x7ZAWPQnefnkMNCBEWd2jS2mH5fiWTSMlw0OMbsQkJpsAxLIi6J7eGbZOivtP5zNZ6XO8MmFgfxGg/s437/IMG_9769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclT_eHdCat1NfPwmXsKIhvsLRvmcd9qiy_vl7l3II9eFwWLztCzymmX486bJePWHgmy4GWgRw2bgziFSbx0e1VMeQj8SQb892orXyiS4yJNg15x7ZAWPQnefnkMNCBEWd2jS2mH5fiWTSMlw0OMbsQkJpsAxLIi6J7eGbZOivtP5zNZ6XO8MmFgfxGg/s320/IMG_9769.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We are on the Lady Liberty boat to Liberty Island! </b></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once off the ship, we VERY QUICKLY made it to the check in spot for our Crown Ticket arrival appointment for 11:30AM. <b><i><span style="color: red;">We checked in and then put all of our belongings (except our cell phones) in a locker (REQUIRED) and went through another security check point to start climbing to the top.</span></i></b> We passed through security #2 and then got on the only elevator on the island to get to the base of the <i>Pedestal</i>. Once on the pedestal we walked around the parameter and then started our ascent to the top of the crown... 374 steps to the top! The steps were TINY and very narrow, exactly how I remember them, but with a few "pit stops" on the landing areas, we made it to the top without any issue. <i>In fact, going up was NO PROBLEM! The going down was a bit more of a concern as the stairs were curved and so very narrow. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LhBHn4--ESE0zKn5VNINxN3svdsnjz9gSBdYvnyXdbZb4Ra0gdmR1XT_cz7iVw-oiEqoRYRYjqI6GnlcvrX-nLXK91cyNibvoTCyedQVhIz7sJ6s0HjAyxbID9smQ7I-sy07CeuKrLYuP-joK6lj8_z9BMAQlIxQvj8lGqmlSvSwYs1P95pBlrd71Q/s437/IMG_9780.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LhBHn4--ESE0zKn5VNINxN3svdsnjz9gSBdYvnyXdbZb4Ra0gdmR1XT_cz7iVw-oiEqoRYRYjqI6GnlcvrX-nLXK91cyNibvoTCyedQVhIz7sJ6s0HjAyxbID9smQ7I-sy07CeuKrLYuP-joK6lj8_z9BMAQlIxQvj8lGqmlSvSwYs1P95pBlrd71Q/s320/IMG_9780.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready to conquer these steps! <br /></b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZPWxFOyzy3WMT5FB7ornTwPRP1_LgMP--aQ6py36i4TqBNOm0KbKnyQTNvdci6CvdE7iJqCpyGMlE_fSHxCvtISyc6oIt4tZtaikOhzLmU6HhHtgKUCnAO63AYFyawnjxBXHmDFEpt1Z-3oJuMgQYddG9cVScb_N9v3Z-WCML66bxrKZrEpSIUrWxQ/s418/IMG_9790.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZPWxFOyzy3WMT5FB7ornTwPRP1_LgMP--aQ6py36i4TqBNOm0KbKnyQTNvdci6CvdE7iJqCpyGMlE_fSHxCvtISyc6oIt4tZtaikOhzLmU6HhHtgKUCnAO63AYFyawnjxBXHmDFEpt1Z-3oJuMgQYddG9cVScb_N9v3Z-WCML66bxrKZrEpSIUrWxQ/s320/IMG_9790.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />At the base of the pedestal before climbing to the Crown! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizojJa2h4v_Y7YNsi-VBiZ58YpmJpgTWD2krPvOqR2rqV1eLEifZ25qJ4-5kfotkCybmArZ4kdkQJtMzkw7FnkvhMn-oLDMSbhl5ttSsfj8Ks17A_QnC4-of0wfMWB9_l77PrGZwtMgT0sB1NQwsdqTM8OahLoj37D6xqDkTma0q-vEslOkSNg3L3QUw/s437/IMG_9794.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizojJa2h4v_Y7YNsi-VBiZ58YpmJpgTWD2krPvOqR2rqV1eLEifZ25qJ4-5kfotkCybmArZ4kdkQJtMzkw7FnkvhMn-oLDMSbhl5ttSsfj8Ks17A_QnC4-of0wfMWB9_l77PrGZwtMgT0sB1NQwsdqTM8OahLoj37D6xqDkTma0q-vEslOkSNg3L3QUw/s320/IMG_9794.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I loved this view of Manhattan! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NYkZormUlJqVOumD0peGxLs4PmrW7qgvVQ5iU2BVqory-ik6ZkK_lkdEOsN981w-D4SuIV_DJG9s_-8QCQ-alvUWVHaVR0ptOrOapY3fcczbq_WUtCWtqMY8zJopDxxAkVJcHzBmH-wqDTpkWqaeHKHcYoMD0Ff2Ojvgbo-umuRnuAJoviMAm0fOAg/s367/IMG_9798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="367" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NYkZormUlJqVOumD0peGxLs4PmrW7qgvVQ5iU2BVqory-ik6ZkK_lkdEOsN981w-D4SuIV_DJG9s_-8QCQ-alvUWVHaVR0ptOrOapY3fcczbq_WUtCWtqMY8zJopDxxAkVJcHzBmH-wqDTpkWqaeHKHcYoMD0Ff2Ojvgbo-umuRnuAJoviMAm0fOAg/s320/IMG_9798.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The BEFORE PICTURE! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianqUCMcDkaf0uac0-6Nsk-WL5xvGq3ioXly_o0B18v3czIrtsOhmMMW3wgyf7-Jn8eHAbPlxLou5du0SiQy_qhI9CM6wOJEZPAbqNP38-Ge5Lx4GTNRKNvvemSZ0_4a0E7pZaTJbR4J5u2VmvU-VdX7e80CI7eXSosjGt9hbERzUlOFVeonZqvLf1AA/s347/IMG_9801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianqUCMcDkaf0uac0-6Nsk-WL5xvGq3ioXly_o0B18v3czIrtsOhmMMW3wgyf7-Jn8eHAbPlxLou5du0SiQy_qhI9CM6wOJEZPAbqNP38-Ge5Lx4GTNRKNvvemSZ0_4a0E7pZaTJbR4J5u2VmvU-VdX7e80CI7eXSosjGt9hbERzUlOFVeonZqvLf1AA/s320/IMG_9801.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>About 200 steps in and we had to take a "break" on a landing spot! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NVx2P9lsfSXHwWriHFWnX96o1jvMYrOXa5gbbAjkwTwxRrAps2EVnpl-K6FCncjG3RrXmWZ28LaNKx1-c6F-5GsSkATPZybH-SMVJuDJCAOIple7o23vA-_Uk_AnAg7FNFgiVUs74SqS9imBfR39ogv-QSTYruVji4jALqy-yzt8FSKggNF30ybhig/s393/IMG_9805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="393" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NVx2P9lsfSXHwWriHFWnX96o1jvMYrOXa5gbbAjkwTwxRrAps2EVnpl-K6FCncjG3RrXmWZ28LaNKx1-c6F-5GsSkATPZybH-SMVJuDJCAOIple7o23vA-_Uk_AnAg7FNFgiVUs74SqS9imBfR39ogv-QSTYruVji4jALqy-yzt8FSKggNF30ybhig/s320/IMG_9805.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We made it... Now hurry outta here! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxBW9i7tq2Md4-qEQ1P8_jUpsi2EtyPChhZtqupVt8FcMBeGsSOp-NYhnj4uD3dTX7XA5rzJ0YTvS3mpueN5z12d8Qkj_JzbdyYzjCJHEof5IwoPeifp0wciAdqqasQWEr0FvU_wz1o0q4AiYY0VJMQ5SpEiqKGRgHZZsF0v99w7KevO7ocNyjdMxdA/s347/IMG_9811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxBW9i7tq2Md4-qEQ1P8_jUpsi2EtyPChhZtqupVt8FcMBeGsSOp-NYhnj4uD3dTX7XA5rzJ0YTvS3mpueN5z12d8Qkj_JzbdyYzjCJHEof5IwoPeifp0wciAdqqasQWEr0FvU_wz1o0q4AiYY0VJMQ5SpEiqKGRgHZZsF0v99w7KevO7ocNyjdMxdA/s320/IMG_9811.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>I may be 40 years old but I've still got it! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>The last time I did this... I was SEVENTEEN! <br />This was PERFECT way to remind me of my youth! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5GKA8clU9AtoAyEyAH-Xyh9NjxcN-x7SqYcFyNAGZr_es71v21P7F938MSBe9zOUQLat-BCcYdZVGGMfbOdoii2XsuaSLDam7Rq3UWWKvKSiIYZ0iw0WGp_8Nr1qJ9C39DU-Ft79c5dPPeWjTAdP-qqSvMMg8yC4RPXPvcb8HxJMsmpsx05hcyI5gA/s437/IMG_9815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5GKA8clU9AtoAyEyAH-Xyh9NjxcN-x7SqYcFyNAGZr_es71v21P7F938MSBe9zOUQLat-BCcYdZVGGMfbOdoii2XsuaSLDam7Rq3UWWKvKSiIYZ0iw0WGp_8Nr1qJ9C39DU-Ft79c5dPPeWjTAdP-qqSvMMg8yC4RPXPvcb8HxJMsmpsx05hcyI5gA/s320/IMG_9815.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /> <b><i>A view from inside the crown looking back at Manhattan! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAuWwdXOAVxmnX7ovduxyrNW8oux6ygTfO0Qs4F4cWfzJKoylDX9uH5sHn3exbT_dQabrNEuz0MWK_XOaMu-LxkMni50pfbRmsjFgslDvfgQFqgQ-dYcDGGYKIZBXy3RNA9IshBMciOhdEIgx6VA3FPkgPSTL7APY3oo6DwgYilf-ahuNqcBLITzuWw/s288/IMG_9817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAuWwdXOAVxmnX7ovduxyrNW8oux6ygTfO0Qs4F4cWfzJKoylDX9uH5sHn3exbT_dQabrNEuz0MWK_XOaMu-LxkMni50pfbRmsjFgslDvfgQFqgQ-dYcDGGYKIZBXy3RNA9IshBMciOhdEIgx6VA3FPkgPSTL7APY3oo6DwgYilf-ahuNqcBLITzuWw/s1600/IMG_9817.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />She's a BEAUTY! </i></b></div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We crossed off another bucket list item and got back down to the base of the<b><i> Statue of Liberty</i></b> and then walked around the island for near an hour before getting in line for one of the remaining few boats back to <i>Battery Park</i>. We had to wait for 4 boats before getting on board and heading back to NYC. <i><span style="color: red;">We did not get off at Ellis Island but that is included with your ticket if you do choose to explore that area. </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCOOko68H0R2RPspwfAXSJYDFuM-nnwankAtBvgUpaOa5xeRQkjOp67yNVEBi2mK-LRa3FiJYlHKb2as0kWIDKmxZixslzIuqirB4l2AORRTP8ZD3p01kMwN3kE4kWxSjQ_goWGqsBTFE-GjxSv276h0_-KNrnmirqND2O1HqGS7FBMhEmAMPmUX5Mw/s288/IMG_9828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCOOko68H0R2RPspwfAXSJYDFuM-nnwankAtBvgUpaOa5xeRQkjOp67yNVEBi2mK-LRa3FiJYlHKb2as0kWIDKmxZixslzIuqirB4l2AORRTP8ZD3p01kMwN3kE4kWxSjQ_goWGqsBTFE-GjxSv276h0_-KNrnmirqND2O1HqGS7FBMhEmAMPmUX5Mw/s1600/IMG_9828.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />Be still my heart... My girl is growing up SO FAST! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveb8SZJdwqjvQW24aJpqXO5u_YiJAsrd3GnwB8tWs8_SDxZNr0Ad0cRghHLCzULBoA9ZTrv9TUlpw2W7ihL6l5SfKyqY4eLbp6fiQ5W4NywrBv--7tjbvcwz2_4tLgE9PtSJl8vv0N48r29PUQi0sSJ0Zc4CxgyWMV3TQbk_gjTYcUOk41c6RQmJ4Gw/s568/IMG_9830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveb8SZJdwqjvQW24aJpqXO5u_YiJAsrd3GnwB8tWs8_SDxZNr0Ad0cRghHLCzULBoA9ZTrv9TUlpw2W7ihL6l5SfKyqY4eLbp6fiQ5W4NywrBv--7tjbvcwz2_4tLgE9PtSJl8vv0N48r29PUQi0sSJ0Zc4CxgyWMV3TQbk_gjTYcUOk41c6RQmJ4Gw/s320/IMG_9830.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />And this little guy... STOP GROWING UP! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDHUps46fhgemUFEHeBnOVcnKwcPl6geVhnTFNlXvk8cySSsMumMIPRsHjR8owwEe6-4RR-xDDF_jfr4oDKw-bKtBpYyDvEsdeVloeWXq9nRu3P2yazebugDdgHsU5ZhzgNuC28mkxRkfXToLdY4eaVtFVq0pTIi_m2rdv9sR2vK2pOPAUEAe6h09RQ/s288/IMG_9833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDHUps46fhgemUFEHeBnOVcnKwcPl6geVhnTFNlXvk8cySSsMumMIPRsHjR8owwEe6-4RR-xDDF_jfr4oDKw-bKtBpYyDvEsdeVloeWXq9nRu3P2yazebugDdgHsU5ZhzgNuC28mkxRkfXToLdY4eaVtFVq0pTIi_m2rdv9sR2vK2pOPAUEAe6h09RQ/s1600/IMG_9833.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />I love my family! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7OisXmkPGanTXCROkmXdCtsDw-RvjTY9jcP0COzCnZRFraQVJie_rigvStisADZBTMyzUD3XHcV2kF44jOFePZZIbeZYET5UAdIoCy9H3m4EPTSRGIbYgVOhqlae59nfPyrDQsj4zZPEGObIsYVQBlA4lzz4JQMO36AF93OxCEMPvUxCBJ4suyOAiQ/s288/IMG_9839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7OisXmkPGanTXCROkmXdCtsDw-RvjTY9jcP0COzCnZRFraQVJie_rigvStisADZBTMyzUD3XHcV2kF44jOFePZZIbeZYET5UAdIoCy9H3m4EPTSRGIbYgVOhqlae59nfPyrDQsj4zZPEGObIsYVQBlA4lzz4JQMO36AF93OxCEMPvUxCBJ4suyOAiQ/s1600/IMG_9839.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />Frame Worthy! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrAz-XqKF1o_U7apiVK10RqjCSb_ea1tj4qhrWcAUMgOtQKhiz3tAu1gkWjoXj1suAzbIdimPO6ZQcBoLD5ZLB2Mx7wQmjJznnFO2uUrSyI22LIcUZY156VeNiweVxnpFgfFkC-pGyubdlqaVhqGQvpSA6IqpyjbTCh8RQq2gxTJOFsj1V68DsfUzfA/s288/IMG_9861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrAz-XqKF1o_U7apiVK10RqjCSb_ea1tj4qhrWcAUMgOtQKhiz3tAu1gkWjoXj1suAzbIdimPO6ZQcBoLD5ZLB2Mx7wQmjJznnFO2uUrSyI22LIcUZY156VeNiweVxnpFgfFkC-pGyubdlqaVhqGQvpSA6IqpyjbTCh8RQq2gxTJOFsj1V68DsfUzfA/s1600/IMG_9861.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />I love you Chris Davis! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESiGbpzSDKtqsaLrDG1n8h7Bcn4M--uun2_SkpJbP87LZSzQnhoADUVkeJIW8KsDXkvaGh2rhM1Azm8ZUUjY0U_kIkJulmJVzdgxPijCmFVjM5vVnT7zxA4lzfC4NpQTulZj-cnAv--VohhJIS3ONWnOOSlS-rgtG7-2hOj5N32vF0iM0yCBCKvKBSQ/s313/IMG_9869.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESiGbpzSDKtqsaLrDG1n8h7Bcn4M--uun2_SkpJbP87LZSzQnhoADUVkeJIW8KsDXkvaGh2rhM1Azm8ZUUjY0U_kIkJulmJVzdgxPijCmFVjM5vVnT7zxA4lzfC4NpQTulZj-cnAv--VohhJIS3ONWnOOSlS-rgtG7-2hOj5N32vF0iM0yCBCKvKBSQ/s1600/IMG_9869.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />I LOVE this picture of our American Flag on Liberty Island with Manhattan in the background! Oh Beautiful for spacious skies! </div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AjLzmnLvVE8" width="320" youtube-src-id="AjLzmnLvVE8"></iframe><br />This day WAS AWESOME! </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We grabbed a snack on the boat and once back on land we got a hot dog from a street vendor!<i><span style="color: red;"> I highly recommend you eating from a street vendor while in NYC... It is a quint-essential tourist thing to do! </span></i>The<b><i> Nathan's Hotdog </i></b>was really good and we all enjoyed it! <i>Luke did not eat as he was just too hot and tired from the day's activities but this is not uncommon for him! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9gzi_lETsG4VC3R_2IC1gltKa-pBRr9o-_kikK4mjnJ0rIWYR8bRNU5fqVmbkXw8NCbuK_6ScKZiaK-eSfpE1UHz62Hfpd5qoFRiBioAi1F_ND3npRwNk6M2U-FpiqvglG2ENtAovqztA75hofOc2P6gWClxIZoCP9TnGOp-mQsH-S1ZiLzUCcrMMA/s418/IMG_9880.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9gzi_lETsG4VC3R_2IC1gltKa-pBRr9o-_kikK4mjnJ0rIWYR8bRNU5fqVmbkXw8NCbuK_6ScKZiaK-eSfpE1UHz62Hfpd5qoFRiBioAi1F_ND3npRwNk6M2U-FpiqvglG2ENtAovqztA75hofOc2P6gWClxIZoCP9TnGOp-mQsH-S1ZiLzUCcrMMA/s320/IMG_9880.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">You only live once... JUST DO IT! Best $6 lunch of the trip! </span></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch we took the subway back to Midtown to explore the <i>Hudson Yards</i> area. I had wanted to walk the "highline" as it was not around back in 2000 when I last visited, but we opted to check out the <b><i>Vessel </i></b>and the <i>Hudson Yards</i> mall instead. We went indoors to enjoy the AC and sat down for some drinks and food at <i>Anita's</i>. The kids destroyed the nachos! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyIbZ4EUj0IhL2fU6otbIurbV5JstlVwMOsQwcHUCzmV1bOGqO0d5vqobGePt6XwZnmfLsgtbGvYvNYTaojI8EVWbRLhrhiMza0yAbwXHzHSBJzCb2MrIdKMCl4prz6HUkHCh45zcdr1NZfGITbibK3zUOfQx8CnMvTGhgIh625Q90x8tdYa5Sokthw/s313/IMG_9882.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyIbZ4EUj0IhL2fU6otbIurbV5JstlVwMOsQwcHUCzmV1bOGqO0d5vqobGePt6XwZnmfLsgtbGvYvNYTaojI8EVWbRLhrhiMza0yAbwXHzHSBJzCb2MrIdKMCl4prz6HUkHCh45zcdr1NZfGITbibK3zUOfQx8CnMvTGhgIh625Q90x8tdYa5Sokthw/s1600/IMG_9882.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><b><i>The Vessel outside of Hudson Yards!</i></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ROlFA4bxSM_C-zj74JCILTlMTBeKT2zwrnB6pL89WvtBE5W40y8_cX65J8hbajVYQZ-LTSl9_p6TlsSYZhj76xMFlXrohz-OXIdj3B5D_qwYsF-YVkVqGlqkszmpCxmW-UBSr4UI-UzP02A51So1rVnFPIEp251tjsMaXlcSpiYd1qhycBzPLfJSgw/s418/IMG_9884.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ROlFA4bxSM_C-zj74JCILTlMTBeKT2zwrnB6pL89WvtBE5W40y8_cX65J8hbajVYQZ-LTSl9_p6TlsSYZhj76xMFlXrohz-OXIdj3B5D_qwYsF-YVkVqGlqkszmpCxmW-UBSr4UI-UzP02A51So1rVnFPIEp251tjsMaXlcSpiYd1qhycBzPLfJSgw/s320/IMG_9884.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The $8.50 Happy Hour Nachos at Anitas! <br /><span style="color: red;">The queso was surprisingly good</span></i></b><span style="color: red;">! </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went to a hit given to us by Aunt D'Ann in <b><i>Dylan's Candy Bar</i></b> inside the <i>Hudson Yards</i>. This was a very fancy candy shop similar to what you used to see in shopping malls all over the US and currently on cruise ships! The kids got another massive bag of overpriced candy and Chris and I enjoyed oldies such as a "Crunchy Bars". </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmlUktZIPMR3TrOFnIQMdgJCSIbtwSWajMNLuJwjM9uHceiZKCYC1Mju-_aNeNCMJRs99Feh8WnxiRZd-u_PmeHqzGX2Dhifu5I7__PwPqdswXp8E-Oiq4ctBuDCuPV1GeomlmyJzO4T_beMrJ6lhRWXLtJONKSLX9Fs3tYVvWg3B0lWqOFlkCxXZjA/s757/IMG_9896.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmlUktZIPMR3TrOFnIQMdgJCSIbtwSWajMNLuJwjM9uHceiZKCYC1Mju-_aNeNCMJRs99Feh8WnxiRZd-u_PmeHqzGX2Dhifu5I7__PwPqdswXp8E-Oiq4ctBuDCuPV1GeomlmyJzO4T_beMrJ6lhRWXLtJONKSLX9Fs3tYVvWg3B0lWqOFlkCxXZjA/s320/IMG_9896.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Thanks Aunt D for this recommendation! <br />We all really liked this store and the candy! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After we splurged in Dylan's Candy Bar, we tried to get back crosstown to 23rd street for our Friend's Experience Tour. During rush hour this proved to be a NIGHTMARE. The subway was jam-packed and we couldn't even get down to the platform near 42nd street. We opted to get off and try at another station. It was WILD! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hb3MQQDRfWk" width="320" youtube-src-id="Hb3MQQDRfWk"></iframe><br /><i><b><span style="color: red;">This IS New York City Subway! </span></b></i></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then rode the subway back cross town to the <i><b>Friends Experience</b></i> off of 23rd street. We had 6:30PM tickets and we were able to walk right in and enjoy this attraction. I had been to the <b><i>Friends Experience</i></b> in Dallas, TX with one of my besties, Aubrey but this was going to be Natalie's (and the boys) first experience. <b><i><span style="color: red;">It did NOT disappoint! It is a CLASSIC for any FRIENDS fan and I loved every minute of it! In fact, we ALL DID! Even Chris and Luke! </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh797TkUxOsxTtqMElOEGlrIxXPEk0zgeBLl5evlsQ2lz_5v0AJ8fNBDijHU0S4ONxdqP9fXOMvFFuZywRvnP-QsAtNUtUBjYNbGa_v_nkNkiEosuy_bCQXWP6spx-R8CDD3RQDefBV4jx0v-g0uz-9QOdXpstCdR9g6dxWKl0gIqZtVolN05d0M1vuRw/s437/IMG_9905.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh797TkUxOsxTtqMElOEGlrIxXPEk0zgeBLl5evlsQ2lz_5v0AJ8fNBDijHU0S4ONxdqP9fXOMvFFuZywRvnP-QsAtNUtUBjYNbGa_v_nkNkiEosuy_bCQXWP6spx-R8CDD3RQDefBV4jx0v-g0uz-9QOdXpstCdR9g6dxWKl0gIqZtVolN05d0M1vuRw/s320/IMG_9905.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Despite the rush-hour traffic on the subway... We made it in time for our tour! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25lCI_ikTwBigojmMdMu83Z6gBezZHSKghevqd53Kbz-LjsrCCL5tK6TqObgH9Tax-JYRX4VccnzaXC_C2jVzEV2yLg2xkuRwXxwPDq46ZllJKxhrZsUPrOf2SpthVXvvqqgms8QtKz9G65wo2Me5ccsmuW0HaajZ5oGewbDxA1iLE8bL_XMOcBNNSw/s300/IMG_9909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25lCI_ikTwBigojmMdMu83Z6gBezZHSKghevqd53Kbz-LjsrCCL5tK6TqObgH9Tax-JYRX4VccnzaXC_C2jVzEV2yLg2xkuRwXxwPDq46ZllJKxhrZsUPrOf2SpthVXvvqqgms8QtKz9G65wo2Me5ccsmuW0HaajZ5oGewbDxA1iLE8bL_XMOcBNNSw/s1600/IMG_9909.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />She was SO EXCITED! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFzLG3elccxJgls4KTPacrPhhPj4CVhErqutcs6tjsO9PMl8L-AmAeSEJj5MAYlBOPJzt3jIH_eYBTI6qAO3sKFoYjFrJyXZiasF1NigXIwjl-PqVGpCewykVrwcKud9oYj7LdgJQSVy7eL25qqxFZNe_zZWwY_gIeBqiv6pfNQEcBsVJ6vTKLspjLw/s437/IMG_9914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFzLG3elccxJgls4KTPacrPhhPj4CVhErqutcs6tjsO9PMl8L-AmAeSEJj5MAYlBOPJzt3jIH_eYBTI6qAO3sKFoYjFrJyXZiasF1NigXIwjl-PqVGpCewykVrwcKud9oYj7LdgJQSVy7eL25qqxFZNe_zZWwY_gIeBqiv6pfNQEcBsVJ6vTKLspjLw/s320/IMG_9914.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I'll be there for YOU! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT_-SAAVfcY5K9laXZcPuwghEnJz0yKgwAhH6CzzDszsRwQKYPTMfpZhbI5nC4aSMQpVnOEQGkU92mmLDJP1tgwJWUetarO4QIoPyyGBnn8tYHk8SvDu5HX7wfSwfVCnkYSKZ6Z3QA14GBcRzIqBdN4rq81HGvknbefvRQr6_C_CxSbWTkqACTyECug/s272/IMG_9928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="204" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT_-SAAVfcY5K9laXZcPuwghEnJz0yKgwAhH6CzzDszsRwQKYPTMfpZhbI5nC4aSMQpVnOEQGkU92mmLDJP1tgwJWUetarO4QIoPyyGBnn8tYHk8SvDu5HX7wfSwfVCnkYSKZ6Z3QA14GBcRzIqBdN4rq81HGvknbefvRQr6_C_CxSbWTkqACTyECug/s1600/IMG_9928.jpg" width="204" /></a><br />Luke LOVES penguins so Naturally HUGSY was his favorite part! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDXqAhFHxgcfWopqtFBTk5rBSIdfhIK6uZ45uwpsu4Zmm3G5sFxSK992yvBFgpHwvIja5EmnSgdLJHsoSPJ0JJNre_JHEmHQ829AZvZHJgY5_UZOUG_FCpROmpk4q-AJ-v8ooPItFKieMbQppiXh4oR5s7NLUYKh1SIjh9JomRIAda4x7lQ4k4bkYZQ/s382/IMG_9942.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="382" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDXqAhFHxgcfWopqtFBTk5rBSIdfhIK6uZ45uwpsu4Zmm3G5sFxSK992yvBFgpHwvIja5EmnSgdLJHsoSPJ0JJNre_JHEmHQ829AZvZHJgY5_UZOUG_FCpROmpk4q-AJ-v8ooPItFKieMbQppiXh4oR5s7NLUYKh1SIjh9JomRIAda4x7lQ4k4bkYZQ/s320/IMG_9942.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Classic! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iaYbhNQ1QPyoOi0uL5b3Hj8R3mb8B-FMKaZfGEjDl8v5aPSZntgCL0HPSjuyK8fR0tsAqWqzVxQQx6RuE98u9c040JKLWdNN_kxs4jukgBqbRn8cADvRAWG8yxY0ZC-SB7BMu5iRPo5ZRDIB4kMuEoOa5woUL1rm-cv4X-YLUzKOppYAlDhUOkozEw/s437/IMG_9947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iaYbhNQ1QPyoOi0uL5b3Hj8R3mb8B-FMKaZfGEjDl8v5aPSZntgCL0HPSjuyK8fR0tsAqWqzVxQQx6RuE98u9c040JKLWdNN_kxs4jukgBqbRn8cADvRAWG8yxY0ZC-SB7BMu5iRPo5ZRDIB4kMuEoOa5woUL1rm-cv4X-YLUzKOppYAlDhUOkozEw/s320/IMG_9947.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Look... It's Monica and Rachel in their apartment! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Seriously... I AM SO MONICA and Nattie... Yep, she's Rachel! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVrglAz-871w6hcVQh9mRJDRe4RO36MRD5zjY_OndsQRvhfbTRSTyWJmgQRGnryQ4_7427itHY8MSKOVye2xG5l90qblsaZa_1Fx6ZaFIajJzeHLXDhToQqMV9jGfmKudVK-auj8la75-B5ci599R9-WuuWPrysW1Tw2Chl2SVAUOsUQsrovHu5nN0g/s393/IMG_9962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="393" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVrglAz-871w6hcVQh9mRJDRe4RO36MRD5zjY_OndsQRvhfbTRSTyWJmgQRGnryQ4_7427itHY8MSKOVye2xG5l90qblsaZa_1Fx6ZaFIajJzeHLXDhToQqMV9jGfmKudVK-auj8la75-B5ci599R9-WuuWPrysW1Tw2Chl2SVAUOsUQsrovHu5nN0g/s320/IMG_9962.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I loved sharing this with not just Natalie but the boys too! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk4BTQc2hpDPzPnDMw9d6FikW01e6ozA9-fA9qVS87N-YXSVcL_MORJHZciV_fn8rPA2GR7goxtkSzRykckBUhatNizHP1ml91W0AuuuKy295AP-6VFleFpgMoENYEREqKjUPnFVebLlVzZoIRt3YuGvYRMGKvubDttdEgcsisCR_RM35Jq2CwAZiGw/s324/IMG_9975.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk4BTQc2hpDPzPnDMw9d6FikW01e6ozA9-fA9qVS87N-YXSVcL_MORJHZciV_fn8rPA2GR7goxtkSzRykckBUhatNizHP1ml91W0AuuuKy295AP-6VFleFpgMoENYEREqKjUPnFVebLlVzZoIRt3YuGvYRMGKvubDttdEgcsisCR_RM35Jq2CwAZiGw/s320/IMG_9975.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />I'm LUKE... Could I BE wearing any more clothes! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXy_1Am_fXDsDTVrZCVMo5CHohbVEPnead5AQkQbRduIRChn-OpceJl77NljV0qcPRnmfMdNisvj_JB6bImop-WfbZKe-JNYwjCWYvJo_A0HXWOXExvW7WCD-15BZxCRCXHmeet7dkbMGlIZWI5whhqu62eiafVzzWhxJ4OV0WDsnn-QpyEKYpOKnWg/s568/IMG_9994.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXy_1Am_fXDsDTVrZCVMo5CHohbVEPnead5AQkQbRduIRChn-OpceJl77NljV0qcPRnmfMdNisvj_JB6bImop-WfbZKe-JNYwjCWYvJo_A0HXWOXExvW7WCD-15BZxCRCXHmeet7dkbMGlIZWI5whhqu62eiafVzzWhxJ4OV0WDsnn-QpyEKYpOKnWg/s320/IMG_9994.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Davis family with PAT the dog! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLDhnoOHnGiRc71hZxQWnyzZkgkbTashp04nT8XOF_0ItOmO9Gwz4_5nhZsM8AC5yg7heP6hW0jsBLycsywr_-fnh35vdjxiVw8U7bTAs9_meglBIqQTW15Q9fatFd9PTcUtNNyXwdT0Ow_Vqz4rndenGJFyAYAPeTHX1-4LKTKXr3eeYWxeTLXBC3A/s437/IMG_0012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLDhnoOHnGiRc71hZxQWnyzZkgkbTashp04nT8XOF_0ItOmO9Gwz4_5nhZsM8AC5yg7heP6hW0jsBLycsywr_-fnh35vdjxiVw8U7bTAs9_meglBIqQTW15Q9fatFd9PTcUtNNyXwdT0Ow_Vqz4rndenGJFyAYAPeTHX1-4LKTKXr3eeYWxeTLXBC3A/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Time for living on the streets in NYC! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbWs38OCK4ujwEA-8Gugnh6PYepmorbPWcGXFwVOLEUfLbwKjoxsDPBWTFCGp91gwWJzr9tPoavo4hlylUurg5-Ko0vlNZYPT_VCA1vcntBtnoXCTpQdvkPYjZz_qhfIcELymv_BxwPQtW7z9q8UV24uP6hiYms4npGpNVP-K8L0BMQt-WKl3KeLiGA/s757/IMG_0013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbWs38OCK4ujwEA-8Gugnh6PYepmorbPWcGXFwVOLEUfLbwKjoxsDPBWTFCGp91gwWJzr9tPoavo4hlylUurg5-Ko0vlNZYPT_VCA1vcntBtnoXCTpQdvkPYjZz_qhfIcELymv_BxwPQtW7z9q8UV24uP6hiYms4npGpNVP-K8L0BMQt-WKl3KeLiGA/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />"The Angelica.. Go, Go!" </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnq35skNlwN21EHR1gBfdlBLvSATJHzcQL7lUa7ATiN1zsvPEmPquFWxSO9Y5J-Rm0A-2y80EVK-g9kyaHkQOeb-k3rV8xPLud-m3aSLbDLAPWwCfSndnTU-i7Mry4cRebe2T8DkeUx_XGpb4tSbcMnsnNMaXbvSIG4difyU2IqfsmwYzfu1eX4OWcg/s401/IMG_0022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="401" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnq35skNlwN21EHR1gBfdlBLvSATJHzcQL7lUa7ATiN1zsvPEmPquFWxSO9Y5J-Rm0A-2y80EVK-g9kyaHkQOeb-k3rV8xPLud-m3aSLbDLAPWwCfSndnTU-i7Mry4cRebe2T8DkeUx_XGpb4tSbcMnsnNMaXbvSIG4difyU2IqfsmwYzfu1eX4OWcg/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Time for some coffee in Central Perk! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4eqm91_aIg" width="320" youtube-src-id="O4eqm91_aIg"></iframe><br />I'll BE THERE FOR YOU! <br />Best tour EVER! </div></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our <b><i>Friends Experience tour, </i></b> we grabbed some coffee at <i>Central Perk</i>, which was SO COOL, and then made our way back towards Midtown to try and find some real dinner. By now it was after 8PM and while we didn't mind walking at night, we didn't have a clue what we wanted to eat or where we were going. I knew we wanted to try something in Chinatown so we opted to hail a cab. <i><span style="color: red;">This was such a cool experience since Chris was able to hail a cab in NYC! There's a first time for everything! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgXfwdAYgcf7oYIZ4AFox6yPz7TDC8N9hxDRACFyxs8zGiXxj07i2OL2F6Fl5UoH2_0xU2wdmTvrn6YB1LYC21EMyGGQPqswtcpP62tGTjGJsFRZjDuIaC44v9y8gm0DXfDTENXyfBh4FPEUfWmUlPF9FynG-YNsEbBjuHNyoqjfMb7JhMJ8wWaE5ww/s436/IMG_0029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="436" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgXfwdAYgcf7oYIZ4AFox6yPz7TDC8N9hxDRACFyxs8zGiXxj07i2OL2F6Fl5UoH2_0xU2wdmTvrn6YB1LYC21EMyGGQPqswtcpP62tGTjGJsFRZjDuIaC44v9y8gm0DXfDTENXyfBh4FPEUfWmUlPF9FynG-YNsEbBjuHNyoqjfMb7JhMJ8wWaE5ww/s320/IMG_0029.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Another PICTURE PERFECT moment in Central Perk! </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQyCUEhWepo" width="320" youtube-src-id="CQyCUEhWepo"></iframe><br />Chris hailing a CAB in NYC! </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_JUiLaPWFAse6OPbEPlXaNjUOV6TEJcy_tGdJh0SK4W7RuaJKBfI-SXJwFp7GKLljZbOqFP5-SXWQFiDIf9Gp4JdqsAUfmpwtDpoqiI4DRWaGc1HBDq405UoEm-YbZHSv7JIWsn1wrxlrxT3uzC-tVIeiIVb0pSBE5BR-bV4s5WnGdEzQh5Vl_FmxQ/s757/IMG_0045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_JUiLaPWFAse6OPbEPlXaNjUOV6TEJcy_tGdJh0SK4W7RuaJKBfI-SXJwFp7GKLljZbOqFP5-SXWQFiDIf9Gp4JdqsAUfmpwtDpoqiI4DRWaGc1HBDq405UoEm-YbZHSv7JIWsn1wrxlrxT3uzC-tVIeiIVb0pSBE5BR-bV4s5WnGdEzQh5Vl_FmxQ/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><span style="color: red;">It was a SMALL cab but we survived! </span></b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our cab driver took all my money (<i><b><span style="color: red;">$56)</span></b></i> and dropped us off at a local favorite- <b><i>Wo Hop</i></b> in central <i>Chinatown</i>. I had read about this place in the NYC Travel Tips Facebook Group and it was INCREDIBLE! <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Always look for social media groups that can offer tips and tricks for cities you are visiting! It is SO HELPFUL!</span></i></b> Dinner was delicious and SO FILLING. We ordered SO MUCH not knowing that the serving sizes were HUGE and practically TEXAS serving sizes! We ALL took a doggie bag back to the hotel to eat later in our trip! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbxMTStQk_3yUHApuH9aVIVdRm0Gt9jPHETLQvBD3l99FAsjSNCPAK8J0CN3ikm15Vx2v7MIJ9VDOqVRpn6GmMOsXIV4bDtxCsJZcxcXPfLjx6BAVCKiuRE9EkuumcindgSxmQ0TGyjFkDHJkWXE8WfMycWdIWl45TctGDdfjqS4DaTjjPgLzZ9uWSw/s313/IMG_0057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbxMTStQk_3yUHApuH9aVIVdRm0Gt9jPHETLQvBD3l99FAsjSNCPAK8J0CN3ikm15Vx2v7MIJ9VDOqVRpn6GmMOsXIV4bDtxCsJZcxcXPfLjx6BAVCKiuRE9EkuumcindgSxmQ0TGyjFkDHJkWXE8WfMycWdIWl45TctGDdfjqS4DaTjjPgLzZ9uWSw/s1600/IMG_0057.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><b><i>We have arrived... We love trying LOCAL favorites! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrTDYGPqou_FyKnh2xxsd05Ot3OtFDhS1G8ECY3F3Fioe3BGFNxu04y6KCX5ybfWTGes-X9PUgWWrSG_dSpgc5oJvC_C-idO5Asa_-32grJa4ymuAc09_wNugrYB-OcIMt6B1eClpi8iuOVh1wI3XYRRDxi5VbD74c62Kqabg1_wlBiGd6BD7a6p65w/s418/IMG_0052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrTDYGPqou_FyKnh2xxsd05Ot3OtFDhS1G8ECY3F3Fioe3BGFNxu04y6KCX5ybfWTGes-X9PUgWWrSG_dSpgc5oJvC_C-idO5Asa_-32grJa4ymuAc09_wNugrYB-OcIMt6B1eClpi8iuOVh1wI3XYRRDxi5VbD74c62Kqabg1_wlBiGd6BD7a6p65w/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It was 10PM and we were HUNGRY! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-F_XMKwKD7OR7MAloJJ26GJmTSUcRmhiRqPPBQtgtTfM3KKtM_ouZq_NsMpy3Mw93sYDReWf4R_3ITx9J_W_iXPaRsNNTMLvfbHsav1hGnGsNx64xRCAWahLDDeBO2cdec1Cp7duxwvR3wN7UPiuDvDXcjYdViSzNNt8rsZ13Y2mzMrcsGkYac0dxA/s757/IMG_0053.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-F_XMKwKD7OR7MAloJJ26GJmTSUcRmhiRqPPBQtgtTfM3KKtM_ouZq_NsMpy3Mw93sYDReWf4R_3ITx9J_W_iXPaRsNNTMLvfbHsav1hGnGsNx64xRCAWahLDDeBO2cdec1Cp7duxwvR3wN7UPiuDvDXcjYdViSzNNt8rsZ13Y2mzMrcsGkYac0dxA/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Time for dinner! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4v0mMi9rt71XXVQItCB-o3Fy8aT-3QewwYYKFO05JBc-VVDteH_tMYUvO-K5lNmUVavDvk-SA58MG1ggMzwzBHdJX6xRQr6afo38mGwGMgQlCRAdHfITkOYUxsZLozyeCfjDFTEEPv61rnPVi5vToPprzbDhK511UVsab1JQbrL4ic4YRJgkO8BGqw/s757/IMG_0055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4v0mMi9rt71XXVQItCB-o3Fy8aT-3QewwYYKFO05JBc-VVDteH_tMYUvO-K5lNmUVavDvk-SA58MG1ggMzwzBHdJX6xRQr6afo38mGwGMgQlCRAdHfITkOYUxsZLozyeCfjDFTEEPv61rnPVi5vToPprzbDhK511UVsab1JQbrL4ic4YRJgkO8BGqw/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The 4 plates plus appetizer we ordered! <br />Total- $77 WITH TIP! Best value of the trip!</b></i> </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner we continued our nightly tradition of "<i>walking it off"</i> and walked from <i>Chinatown</i> (underneath the base of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges) back to our Financial District Hotel. <i><b><span style="color: red;">And to be honest, it wasn't even a "sketchy" walk! We felt safe the entire time! </span></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b></b></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFWSzs7d5dRkxbKc7l45lwdeiT2TVfw8sVIpY6R0NXj578VVOzB_ectMzT4Kg0FXmVzh0V4weDy3a5TKRjo1dkDvv9GeO_W9zUY48l9eLtfH87vOUhi89OzxAYqYzkR0tDnGLwej39wH-lcP_wBpmcvjiFBEahyOT3N7adY56CKlcrFrOKtooOcjvsg/s568/IMG_0058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFWSzs7d5dRkxbKc7l45lwdeiT2TVfw8sVIpY6R0NXj578VVOzB_ectMzT4Kg0FXmVzh0V4weDy3a5TKRjo1dkDvv9GeO_W9zUY48l9eLtfH87vOUhi89OzxAYqYzkR0tDnGLwej39wH-lcP_wBpmcvjiFBEahyOT3N7adY56CKlcrFrOKtooOcjvsg/s320/IMG_0058.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />We are ready to walk the near 1 mile back to the hotel... At 11PM! <br />You only live once... Or die! I wasn't sure at the time! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRZoHIy6THrN37fk4nZlPr8BecZHKLAQhUPy9S40Ezt9WjoofBB8BN7B0HGv8tjg9QYi4MgWm-_m0u5-hIFNhudg56_92r_HNTGbazNb4bcn8pNZkUsWwc53sWXb9K7ZZVdPGHvf-8IecGNs9_pHabi3qZwkjmWNvpnnpXHMhwoCp8riGyhzqQq7UMQ/s568/IMG_0062.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRZoHIy6THrN37fk4nZlPr8BecZHKLAQhUPy9S40Ezt9WjoofBB8BN7B0HGv8tjg9QYi4MgWm-_m0u5-hIFNhudg56_92r_HNTGbazNb4bcn8pNZkUsWwc53sWXb9K7ZZVdPGHvf-8IecGNs9_pHabi3qZwkjmWNvpnnpXHMhwoCp8riGyhzqQq7UMQ/s320/IMG_0062.jpg" width="272" /></a><br />Another 20K+ step day! </div></b></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>It was a day CRAM PACKED of awesome and amazing experiences but we were now halfway through our trip! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up next... IT'S YANKEES TIME! My favorite day of the entire trip! Stay tuned for details! </i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"></span></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-62608050928883147802023-06-06T15:09:00.000-05:002023-06-06T15:09:10.332-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 3 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>New York City- Day 3</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>An Empire State of Mind </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tuesday, April 11, 2023 </span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We enjoyed an extra hour of sleep and made our way to breakfast around 9AM. <i><span style="color: red;">Once again, the hotel breakfast was hot, fresh and not at all crowded.</span></i> We were very pleased with this hotel's breakfast options daily. We then went to <b><i>Fulton Street Station</i></b> and made our way to the <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b> for our 10:15AM observation deck appointment time. This was part of our <i>C3 City Pass</i> and allowed us to pre-book an arrival time for the 86th floor observation deck. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8foxQaRKp3LIticdSR3WGhSfsnPYTVHMGZLt1F5fJw4uWKFa-NLn1sur2edQS_bZ_jqQmAssBfPkJO3_m5clSzrzucXq8bGtqiAs6QLAHdAl-HhRfxNkztUbFVT-iF189teg2B2BxB88sO16S8yJacDRBY5Xvh_ineshrWZ2f9kx_ndlA330-eehjg/s390/IMG_9381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="390" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8foxQaRKp3LIticdSR3WGhSfsnPYTVHMGZLt1F5fJw4uWKFa-NLn1sur2edQS_bZ_jqQmAssBfPkJO3_m5clSzrzucXq8bGtqiAs6QLAHdAl-HhRfxNkztUbFVT-iF189teg2B2BxB88sO16S8yJacDRBY5Xvh_ineshrWZ2f9kx_ndlA330-eehjg/s320/IMG_9381.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We enjoyed riding the subway during LESS crowded hours like 9:30AM! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b> was just as grand and spectacular as I remember and Chris and the kids were blown away at it's magnitude. We went through the many security lines and got on the elevator to the 86th floor observation deck. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Be sure to look up during the elevator ride... That part is SO COOL! </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JG_pBDwD6jM" width="320" youtube-src-id="JG_pBDwD6jM"></iframe><br />DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once at the top, we were greet with hospitality workers in full old style uniforms who showed us the inside and outside observation decks. We roamed the inside reading all of the information about the ESB and then walked the outside deck 2-3 times. <b><i>The Empire State Building truly is one of my favorite skyscrapers of all time and every time I go up to the top, it takes my breath away! </i></b>The kids LOVED it and it was hard to pull us all away but after 2 hours at the top, we ventured back down to ground level Manhattan. But our first stop once back on the street level was the <i>Starbucks Reserve</i> at the base of the <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b>.<i> Natalie especially loved this experience but her $12 latte was "nothing special" as she says. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK24WoRbZX3yN_EAc8aaBqMzuDplePwz9lAxS_y86SCGNxlS0pmSgfJMR-Bh5oS7nJNGGyr-ucmjDdtPxGY8q1E1UrMZqNjYlKcjg9mlL93mMVr4cyYVPrN9RNvBrf69ek-Bh6Qghw_TKmpVVeKQd4ToHnpWLpnsoAxu2cm9glAASntL1L6sKkhkcow/s568/IMG_9390.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK24WoRbZX3yN_EAc8aaBqMzuDplePwz9lAxS_y86SCGNxlS0pmSgfJMR-Bh5oS7nJNGGyr-ucmjDdtPxGY8q1E1UrMZqNjYlKcjg9mlL93mMVr4cyYVPrN9RNvBrf69ek-Bh6Qghw_TKmpVVeKQd4ToHnpWLpnsoAxu2cm9glAASntL1L6sKkhkcow/s320/IMG_9390.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The lower level of the Empire State Building lobby </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uQx3vvPxZVp-GCzYaFQ-DQ7mpRh-prQokloTiiK02TuXYpXX1E8YJDzfzIrMIDJdKisEFoSuuY2h4ddfshitfUx4fXulNUn3Sn3QwET9JLBF7ZYg0QmV6GIW7RY9ppv3DFxLwLvxs4jYKyRIGYrWDqVuf0Ijd4FzHMb6JUcLe9KhdbkeVC291_48gQ/s757/IMG_9392.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uQx3vvPxZVp-GCzYaFQ-DQ7mpRh-prQokloTiiK02TuXYpXX1E8YJDzfzIrMIDJdKisEFoSuuY2h4ddfshitfUx4fXulNUn3Sn3QwET9JLBF7ZYg0QmV6GIW7RY9ppv3DFxLwLvxs4jYKyRIGYrWDqVuf0Ijd4FzHMb6JUcLe9KhdbkeVC291_48gQ/s320/IMG_9392.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was right before the security section of the lobby! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF7PSWKsYEsPYGXagAdrIAdvckwdzKvuU39iyzclzMKAXtDKXS7GWNX6wwe5hZd1TYneBdyEemFgfWnupx0mlJiLn5S_cy8-PxmzvWWoVcsEGbhy-w5wInfur7ItDNwroFZTCbX_SLCrIWbhXKhpTVKNeSkhHsCL-yE6-3jxjqmRiYq55Xhw5o9jueA/s757/IMG_9394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF7PSWKsYEsPYGXagAdrIAdvckwdzKvuU39iyzclzMKAXtDKXS7GWNX6wwe5hZd1TYneBdyEemFgfWnupx0mlJiLn5S_cy8-PxmzvWWoVcsEGbhy-w5wInfur7ItDNwroFZTCbX_SLCrIWbhXKhpTVKNeSkhHsCL-yE6-3jxjqmRiYq55Xhw5o9jueA/s320/IMG_9394.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />LOVE THIS! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiQPnhBdOvWes77i8aT1wJgQUeGMyPDHEzSCoPtbFSO4W5N8krX3oW50Yz8PiNm-VJU5XaPnOj4m8xAR3g_8xEA7bCTm1NK5bQEwlJelHRqJ3Z6HIJu6S_7OuawMhIuFJY1S2cf9XS3wTw8AYTph16h2kQEsDmvKdiqf3c5B7_vV-fRX8oUXEiiQlGQ/s313/IMG_9402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiQPnhBdOvWes77i8aT1wJgQUeGMyPDHEzSCoPtbFSO4W5N8krX3oW50Yz8PiNm-VJU5XaPnOj4m8xAR3g_8xEA7bCTm1NK5bQEwlJelHRqJ3Z6HIJu6S_7OuawMhIuFJY1S2cf9XS3wTw8AYTph16h2kQEsDmvKdiqf3c5B7_vV-fRX8oUXEiiQlGQ/s1600/IMG_9402.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />Opening Day for the ESB was May 1, 1930 (just 48 short years before Chris's OPENING DAY)! We thought this was SO COOL! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PHCV-JsmOHLIf9CI5gqOKiYg6x5nENWzTYP5N7kr-vrsmjJ_t9CbMv_p_hNa9QArXQdGCQD26hbHMfuGh7OwgUgKKiXQk-g_Yosm89C07HPvKOuiAm54HeT4mp3ouCq1DZ2U8h-JukMqsAL-Q0qykWR9oSushNEsFnidrlM6skwhSDbFNXhIaj5lNg/s400/IMG_9408.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PHCV-JsmOHLIf9CI5gqOKiYg6x5nENWzTYP5N7kr-vrsmjJ_t9CbMv_p_hNa9QArXQdGCQD26hbHMfuGh7OwgUgKKiXQk-g_Yosm89C07HPvKOuiAm54HeT4mp3ouCq1DZ2U8h-JukMqsAL-Q0qykWR9oSushNEsFnidrlM6skwhSDbFNXhIaj5lNg/s320/IMG_9408.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our 1st view from the top... Looking west towards New Jersey and THE EDGE! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Iv77WVcsMzQ5lG8TbRk-smEmk_sh_rXZkvMQeVS2Wb7yvb9472Kif5M1mgcMW9RW85ZSCROaQP3JvIV4VbN5tOVC4T7x6-ebqRi0CUJ_eK_PuntGV5lAMJJhMKYHkLcblPYsxZjBqGgA-wVaQIc5yfLsX0aa4lk3C5a-UZxSoAG49L1Z8MujdYFEcA/s436/IMG_9417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="436" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Iv77WVcsMzQ5lG8TbRk-smEmk_sh_rXZkvMQeVS2Wb7yvb9472Kif5M1mgcMW9RW85ZSCROaQP3JvIV4VbN5tOVC4T7x6-ebqRi0CUJ_eK_PuntGV5lAMJJhMKYHkLcblPYsxZjBqGgA-wVaQIc5yfLsX0aa4lk3C5a-UZxSoAG49L1Z8MujdYFEcA/s320/IMG_9417.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Looking south towards the One World Trade Center and lower Manhattan! <br />I legitimately miss the Twin Towers! That is how I remember NYC... in 2000 on my last trip! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmB9Uhm000i7NULeyKAADWLpPmk7jjfs95iJjeDYA4ZNg-NC6wP1oibbMdp9eev04ZzU-ElNJh4TRXpuBsIclpiaA3vFVX2_odOtGu63olD3lnwT69IrSaNMRomBuk-fbEF3RJKiRs2_1FcpjdsYH8X8OarNBWUcWYCSrIwdfQhQv-bMyhXGAK398Dxw/s418/IMG_9424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmB9Uhm000i7NULeyKAADWLpPmk7jjfs95iJjeDYA4ZNg-NC6wP1oibbMdp9eev04ZzU-ElNJh4TRXpuBsIclpiaA3vFVX2_odOtGu63olD3lnwT69IrSaNMRomBuk-fbEF3RJKiRs2_1FcpjdsYH8X8OarNBWUcWYCSrIwdfQhQv-bMyhXGAK398Dxw/s320/IMG_9424.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Inside the 86 Observation Deck area. </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJXTk1phVNZ1bMgnb9bkFzNY8vD_xdbQ_E1viULwbAebVqpnCm3GMdmT1yAM45M4IiZaTKVqAy4hJg0_iDX4BncZ-cpse_fEbnhk_BGsEubRD12iy-_WZzga-7MkjX_siz-hqxrz5H18AuneNJqP0Z5p7VDRcSF1QkeI_muEUbwlpAq8tSC_OWTn0xQ/s313/IMG_9434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJXTk1phVNZ1bMgnb9bkFzNY8vD_xdbQ_E1viULwbAebVqpnCm3GMdmT1yAM45M4IiZaTKVqAy4hJg0_iDX4BncZ-cpse_fEbnhk_BGsEubRD12iy-_WZzga-7MkjX_siz-hqxrz5H18AuneNJqP0Z5p7VDRcSF1QkeI_muEUbwlpAq8tSC_OWTn0xQ/s1600/IMG_9434.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />Hello Chrysler Building! I LOVE this architecture of this building! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-NjtcRLbpMhuu8emU23OvQGlALhX75Kr8509jwOEOM3a7I1OsDfN-P5C7bxZFMWdIjP1jGtpmKOoQriKLUx_lXEmyniShqZM16sxFt9D9esx57NMCXVVAzWwZx3gMfaOFe2Vl2y2ilvZgnjkCkzQOR8seSsaIDjbGJVejHuHy1_kdFKQJ2loEJrSSQ/s568/IMG_9448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-NjtcRLbpMhuu8emU23OvQGlALhX75Kr8509jwOEOM3a7I1OsDfN-P5C7bxZFMWdIjP1jGtpmKOoQriKLUx_lXEmyniShqZM16sxFt9D9esx57NMCXVVAzWwZx3gMfaOFe2Vl2y2ilvZgnjkCkzQOR8seSsaIDjbGJVejHuHy1_kdFKQJ2loEJrSSQ/s320/IMG_9448.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Be still my heart! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKolPgFDfoJnWbLjiJ1gM6TGlDosoEgYUtOEI89kQNSOaqtNjs0Ov5X7c2lzZqLHegJatT1XxLWrhQOlJpWhVQqARVkJ1d3KtCc8q2osrZksMDCVrI-hSOGVKhYn-XJ2XbaPSARU8g_c6P1GDyvgicr8ChnLPdvGbM5x6b_bcaAi8gObgb9Qz5_i6RyA/s437/IMG_9464.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKolPgFDfoJnWbLjiJ1gM6TGlDosoEgYUtOEI89kQNSOaqtNjs0Ov5X7c2lzZqLHegJatT1XxLWrhQOlJpWhVQqARVkJ1d3KtCc8q2osrZksMDCVrI-hSOGVKhYn-XJ2XbaPSARU8g_c6P1GDyvgicr8ChnLPdvGbM5x6b_bcaAi8gObgb9Qz5_i6RyA/s320/IMG_9464.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We loved this view! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK0RGa4Vfffe9IymwOm-0PHNMgS4gYSADZvHG0RPnwRMyvbzaJbPbayMJPQqdjMm3l9l1Fu8yJAA7w8_V_mpDWmXfub2g_IBX6va_ZdxJ3PthlvwkSGAw_fw_YYCBLOi6TU_qeaLjGczgo7Z6ZWNHIz4lbPINMmEM0ZjyzJDD9vm68xJnpDMB5c3cXg/s757/IMG_9474.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK0RGa4Vfffe9IymwOm-0PHNMgS4gYSADZvHG0RPnwRMyvbzaJbPbayMJPQqdjMm3l9l1Fu8yJAA7w8_V_mpDWmXfub2g_IBX6va_ZdxJ3PthlvwkSGAw_fw_YYCBLOi6TU_qeaLjGczgo7Z6ZWNHIz4lbPINMmEM0ZjyzJDD9vm68xJnpDMB5c3cXg/s320/IMG_9474.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Family Picture time! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJflvqu_MYHDMDtiKshnGcVzz297_MZUkBUaNlpEsSzID8DGfpXxEF3cENP9V04d9XeX5sQczhH58W44XOXBk9qZcW5IQYc2cH0RiJK9pvVshp0fMqI4OB2dVGAxPsVTfgC9BR5LbFycxxYSdH70VHpqsLGQhi5AOHnPveBHiGKvkenqSIeiCvFvIZQ/s568/IMG_9475.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJflvqu_MYHDMDtiKshnGcVzz297_MZUkBUaNlpEsSzID8DGfpXxEF3cENP9V04d9XeX5sQczhH58W44XOXBk9qZcW5IQYc2cH0RiJK9pvVshp0fMqI4OB2dVGAxPsVTfgC9BR5LbFycxxYSdH70VHpqsLGQhi5AOHnPveBHiGKvkenqSIeiCvFvIZQ/s320/IMG_9475.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Luke LOVED these binoculars all over the upper decks!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy26gSm-RaHxUt0GRUNuR4qe6d4cdpVnEzLrAdikbF8ypsD5lUxCYoheASpiGsfZBK_VGFIYDeZluU6s93vA3_gCscFT5eEpYDgNRF_XJjUdcpeItKOEo1pkbLKO0GhDG3dMAS3P_GYoEkMP9Aqka6A7_stm0QRt7eemTCDOq3biAljt_InOxfrUgtQ/s568/IMG_9481.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy26gSm-RaHxUt0GRUNuR4qe6d4cdpVnEzLrAdikbF8ypsD5lUxCYoheASpiGsfZBK_VGFIYDeZluU6s93vA3_gCscFT5eEpYDgNRF_XJjUdcpeItKOEo1pkbLKO0GhDG3dMAS3P_GYoEkMP9Aqka6A7_stm0QRt7eemTCDOq3biAljt_InOxfrUgtQ/s320/IMG_9481.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>You know me... I had to be silly! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-hsqZ5CrNf9IquBXjOhxfFBiZZRuBMwpb-40KYQ6LgqhGN3223JqrnEMcCNB_CrgL8PjAlrXW_4pSzUbeNkMnZw54uzSdwSy6Ije8BuGYxYosltRPiiTByHFYMUs4-0nTQ5XFU9rTe97IkLTQhsWzxlU4H4hyOAbfQ0UHkjGXimVaA4O2nnRYjv83w/s366/IMG_9499.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="366" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-hsqZ5CrNf9IquBXjOhxfFBiZZRuBMwpb-40KYQ6LgqhGN3223JqrnEMcCNB_CrgL8PjAlrXW_4pSzUbeNkMnZw54uzSdwSy6Ije8BuGYxYosltRPiiTByHFYMUs4-0nTQ5XFU9rTe97IkLTQhsWzxlU4H4hyOAbfQ0UHkjGXimVaA4O2nnRYjv83w/s320/IMG_9499.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The botanical garden area of the SE corner of the observation deck! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufOBuCnz1ToOh15S-HTXTogtp73majTBI8zjt9tmH_YdkarLykcTOwswjbsG3ewleeVIQzaTIB3XVP47qpPF1y6DofmCcohDzMZu98MCXrXB0Sbw7Q9T1gPou3nfzC3VxGGnBYCVQFz247JChVNQaiPonDjK49b_Ndz7jNdmydOJkNrK_b5X6i7gkRw/s313/IMG_9513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufOBuCnz1ToOh15S-HTXTogtp73majTBI8zjt9tmH_YdkarLykcTOwswjbsG3ewleeVIQzaTIB3XVP47qpPF1y6DofmCcohDzMZu98MCXrXB0Sbw7Q9T1gPou3nfzC3VxGGnBYCVQFz247JChVNQaiPonDjK49b_Ndz7jNdmydOJkNrK_b5X6i7gkRw/s1600/IMG_9513.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><b><i>17 years married... and I still love you Chris Davis! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9VG6VwZI_JTQ1_s3A3HsJrVItqDkdrnzmEdt9EBMmFD3Pl8GzBvxzpKinacw1yX_6pT9xZRvVyWDiQ6Frs_rq2T8JyYyYVwsmrB72wUswDpH4hrrJHmx3Gsz_3xyJG00fn97Zziy7vrNVrINoAKvczWQZDAAbszZ-JxyXV8LXl8_eJh3FciJqTxDMg/s568/IMG_9521.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9VG6VwZI_JTQ1_s3A3HsJrVItqDkdrnzmEdt9EBMmFD3Pl8GzBvxzpKinacw1yX_6pT9xZRvVyWDiQ6Frs_rq2T8JyYyYVwsmrB72wUswDpH4hrrJHmx3Gsz_3xyJG00fn97Zziy7vrNVrINoAKvczWQZDAAbszZ-JxyXV8LXl8_eJh3FciJqTxDMg/s320/IMG_9521.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>That was a HUGE success! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qzRJz3RrJygj0g9acs6rsSUb7tmY_EHZPcqxL_X8kbh1D6ZQFtNdrI0DeiG8iM0posepLfsbeWfGVtXf03rPLlrkcJzz23IpkDYgx4YHlW9CVQ_BvA12Epo5eEIJ0CJTJzJtnW7kmNfhlAKIHUD9uLPknXQZqEVXQ5ojcyiHqbR3lAsi_FU38oe4JA/s757/IMG_9525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qzRJz3RrJygj0g9acs6rsSUb7tmY_EHZPcqxL_X8kbh1D6ZQFtNdrI0DeiG8iM0posepLfsbeWfGVtXf03rPLlrkcJzz23IpkDYgx4YHlW9CVQ_BvA12Epo5eEIJ0CJTJzJtnW7kmNfhlAKIHUD9uLPknXQZqEVXQ5ojcyiHqbR3lAsi_FU38oe4JA/s320/IMG_9525.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello Starbucks Reserve... And $12 coffee! </i></b></div></span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our full morning of Manhattan views, we rode the subway to the Hudson River for our <i><b>CircleLine Cruise Tour</b></i> of Manhattan Island. I first took this tour in 1996 during my first family visit to NYC and I have LOVED it ever since. <i><span style="color: red;">In fact, the last time I was in NYC in the 90s, I promised this would something I "take my kids on" and I wanted to ensure they were able to experience this AWESOME attraction while we were in NYC. </span></i>We grabbed some lunch at a random "<i>Greek House</i>" since we were running late and it turned out to be wonderful. Chris got a gyro and the kids and I had more massive NY pizza slices. </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got in line at 1PM for our 1:30PM tour time and I sincerely thought we were not going to have a seat on the tour, there were so many people in line. But low and behold, we boarded the boat and got prime time seats on the lower level on the inside of the boat. <i>I was a little upset at first since we could not get a seat on the upper deck but this was a THREE HOUR TOUR and the space we had on the inside and the window views we had, turned out to be perfect for Luke and Chris especially. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2a5voGbtsKGjFPWg6DWIp0VqXBGXVPmtgOyLwrHDYmiEKQJ0SyZnxOfnt1NaEknC6pspEgcTLrm1M-IniTa8xDd8rGpbxfphVM8LB3JbUzQMLGkHxeeVC2BWN_pjdpnSNSS46_m0KFnP39fT5QFJyHOiL0qI0PpZIWz6wZxIeWqvUXAec8scE5yuMg/s757/IMG_9536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2a5voGbtsKGjFPWg6DWIp0VqXBGXVPmtgOyLwrHDYmiEKQJ0SyZnxOfnt1NaEknC6pspEgcTLrm1M-IniTa8xDd8rGpbxfphVM8LB3JbUzQMLGkHxeeVC2BWN_pjdpnSNSS46_m0KFnP39fT5QFJyHOiL0qI0PpZIWz6wZxIeWqvUXAec8scE5yuMg/s320/IMG_9536.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our seats on the lower deck inside the boat were PERFECT! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The tour was a FULL CIRCLE of Manhattan Island and highlighted pretty much EVERYTHING in Manhattan. It was one of our 3 attractions on our <i>C3 City Pass </i>and we paid $5/pp to upgrade to the "<i>Deluxe Full Manhattan Island Tour</i>". <i><span style="color: red;">In hindsight, we could have stayed with the 90 minute "Highlights of Manhattan" but we all thoroughly enjoyed this tour.</span></i> We were able to see Midtown, downtown, the <b><i>Statue of Liberty</i></b>, Harlem, Queens and even Yankee Stadium from the boat!<b><i><span style="color: red;"> I highly recommend this tour when visiting New York City. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQyt1n31W1EK-Ww3o-FnRwFG_roxd4lBPLpmNh18rkkjCJbfABEhqXcTO2durD_gkfwHnv86L9t8eb2g_m5gA8pAMQe5gift_4FCdN49MDM9SU6F5QRGPS2AU3ZDx7eGg0vInx6_T7X4JmIm3b7ZYounBBNWLB1ffndYw3_nvEty6jSIkoJNX-O9sHg/s313/IMG_9564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQyt1n31W1EK-Ww3o-FnRwFG_roxd4lBPLpmNh18rkkjCJbfABEhqXcTO2durD_gkfwHnv86L9t8eb2g_m5gA8pAMQe5gift_4FCdN49MDM9SU6F5QRGPS2AU3ZDx7eGg0vInx6_T7X4JmIm3b7ZYounBBNWLB1ffndYw3_nvEty6jSIkoJNX-O9sHg/s1600/IMG_9564.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />This boy looks GROWN in this picture! <br />His first glance at Lady Liberty and he LOVED IT! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFtl4DWLGKOutUWUrsauSXh-mBbITxzhtlCsKmjcG6Geq3sDpBQHHuh6n8vtsh1HtgoiM0bonFh-bEXWvM9W2jOlLrGUIxwRw6VX98PUbslb8CvnIgrvRUpsV_93diIesBaEQ19Q50y4c4pvQrWmCnxzQZcsWmFUmgFzgePBCR7FSnnM1niOcN5Lvew/s288/IMG_9569.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFtl4DWLGKOutUWUrsauSXh-mBbITxzhtlCsKmjcG6Geq3sDpBQHHuh6n8vtsh1HtgoiM0bonFh-bEXWvM9W2jOlLrGUIxwRw6VX98PUbslb8CvnIgrvRUpsV_93diIesBaEQ19Q50y4c4pvQrWmCnxzQZcsWmFUmgFzgePBCR7FSnnM1niOcN5Lvew/s1600/IMG_9569.jpg" width="216" /></a><br />We loved this part of the tour! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdxOXdCXOEFVRdoE_eSUev1oE2nxI6flVf3dRQiepFr02CjfgTk8PVEWLui56Q0PtXYyszG3j5NFILNP9uCWIo8bB_tISa-LvZX5I9o952SSROu6ltwKokdA9PXzHx7KT-HSnfyO5p0U4jH88Uil_OjgzuMvaplLa8gTzBGiGoCyz65F2CpusZOVjsQ/s437/IMG_9576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdxOXdCXOEFVRdoE_eSUev1oE2nxI6flVf3dRQiepFr02CjfgTk8PVEWLui56Q0PtXYyszG3j5NFILNP9uCWIo8bB_tISa-LvZX5I9o952SSROu6ltwKokdA9PXzHx7KT-HSnfyO5p0U4jH88Uil_OjgzuMvaplLa8gTzBGiGoCyz65F2CpusZOVjsQ/s320/IMG_9576.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />A view looking back towards Manhattan and the One World Trade Center! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZILlWVFHi8o0TxNNagTy9mmK1gfrGsNOTROqXwD_X9_a6KZAjgD9Kvv93uGciF4pRDPpDzB9y83UucN9Dq7PV6fLDQMaZgCH4lLlUzN6VbhrNFiiLrLjs-OjUGfi5fmZ76ZTEszg_Ns2f1oiHME-xwyc10JN10a8YbBUWgBFelytRwNLGYdqUqBh3qg/s757/IMG_9589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZILlWVFHi8o0TxNNagTy9mmK1gfrGsNOTROqXwD_X9_a6KZAjgD9Kvv93uGciF4pRDPpDzB9y83UucN9Dq7PV6fLDQMaZgCH4lLlUzN6VbhrNFiiLrLjs-OjUGfi5fmZ76ZTEszg_Ns2f1oiHME-xwyc10JN10a8YbBUWgBFelytRwNLGYdqUqBh3qg/s320/IMG_9589.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Lady Liberty... again! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgVjcKyJJFFtSE-gnyTl34dTSLs6-5EBhOFlvbwMsnuUnW1rau9V045BOW6C5f02omzK61JBn3O66Drp0E5PTX114asYA3VMxsGxC278Va-sdv9Pi19A_Lu1tmJrH1Vh5xVuGEWfslkzi4UZY17ns9Bno_blRkjRmFq7qj_W_3j8axhzHPJ4OR-H6MQ/s313/IMG_9594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgVjcKyJJFFtSE-gnyTl34dTSLs6-5EBhOFlvbwMsnuUnW1rau9V045BOW6C5f02omzK61JBn3O66Drp0E5PTX114asYA3VMxsGxC278Va-sdv9Pi19A_Lu1tmJrH1Vh5xVuGEWfslkzi4UZY17ns9Bno_blRkjRmFq7qj_W_3j8axhzHPJ4OR-H6MQ/s1600/IMG_9594.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />I love this one! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwkvxa5XS9T8Jw0x4MA5TqeDzYX5qtxtqPhSXsj2LxZ20c81qcakrvzzfuO7Btjj2bpDGHzeaXbcHPpwtfxK4yTkhSANeXcEu7j-iwRcNDqytQTkVSNkx7544ktVc0q8Ld3YGXnsH1U2m5_KRgwEy6U-yd7OT2ZL6ryHsTlilL0dh9Tx1NvtKNlXoyw/s418/IMG_9609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwkvxa5XS9T8Jw0x4MA5TqeDzYX5qtxtqPhSXsj2LxZ20c81qcakrvzzfuO7Btjj2bpDGHzeaXbcHPpwtfxK4yTkhSANeXcEu7j-iwRcNDqytQTkVSNkx7544ktVc0q8Ld3YGXnsH1U2m5_KRgwEy6U-yd7OT2ZL6ryHsTlilL0dh9Tx1NvtKNlXoyw/s320/IMG_9609.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Brooklyn Bridge... An American ICON! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-zK83EPI9jWfEdQKQld6eLYJMlvcZtNvYZbcVQuNQpjf1DieT9WD3AI63n4Rso-kzm1uC5ldc1p2PMqkNV8kMyXQ5x7kOevwLhGcDWH9ExdhU1tqBv5jtk9Oc4hxW_FhwRWohbo4EPBpPCJae7jLTdaX7RwyEh0ScrQQ07yiwkK-aPh8EGdLT3qqlA/s757/IMG_9614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-zK83EPI9jWfEdQKQld6eLYJMlvcZtNvYZbcVQuNQpjf1DieT9WD3AI63n4Rso-kzm1uC5ldc1p2PMqkNV8kMyXQ5x7kOevwLhGcDWH9ExdhU1tqBv5jtk9Oc4hxW_FhwRWohbo4EPBpPCJae7jLTdaX7RwyEh0ScrQQ07yiwkK-aPh8EGdLT3qqlA/s320/IMG_9614.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />There she is... In all her majesty! <br />I. LOVE. YANKEE. STADIUM! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our Circle Line Tour, we took the subway back towards lower Manhattan to check out <b><i>Washington Square</i></b>. I was not familiar with this area of Manhattan but it is featured in Friends so I wanted to check it out. <b><i>BOY... We were a FISH OUT OF WATER!</i></b> This place was NOTHING like I imagined it <i><b><span style="color: red;">and of all of the places we visited in our 7 days in NYC, we felt the most unsafe here.</span></b></i> There were people smoking pot and weed, drugs everywhere and people half naked just dancing around or falling off skateboards. <i><b>Nothing like what is pictured on Friends. </b></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9X5O9lckwd28atCF_TgHsW3jDqcK8MwOXbb5DePAPMYCiGkzOWFGu4mOHh-JU-86BBAKv5RfjxrTsv_YeXSCgqEXHMk5keNDNp6PBaqJ969vkrgqVrsbiDF18_7U9AVJiCG7V6I59iz_UdZgXDr9e8BpKFOmrB-iQVUR8s4aVuaoxvtnKH1POSl4cg/s313/IMG_9632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9X5O9lckwd28atCF_TgHsW3jDqcK8MwOXbb5DePAPMYCiGkzOWFGu4mOHh-JU-86BBAKv5RfjxrTsv_YeXSCgqEXHMk5keNDNp6PBaqJ969vkrgqVrsbiDF18_7U9AVJiCG7V6I59iz_UdZgXDr9e8BpKFOmrB-iQVUR8s4aVuaoxvtnKH1POSl4cg/s1600/IMG_9632.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><b><i>This was a PICTURE perfect moment... But it was insane behind the camera! </i></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IEDJHXFdyT8" width="320" youtube-src-id="IEDJHXFdyT8"></iframe><br />We were TRULY a fish out of water! </i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After that "life experience" walking through <i><b>Washington Square</b></i>, we walked to <b><i>New York University</i></b> to check off our college for Natalie and then walked to the <i><b>Friends Apartment</b></i> on Bedford Street. This was one of the coolest things about the ENTIRE trip and while it literally was just a picture it was still a highlight of my week.<b><i><span style="color: red;"> I HIGHLY recommend you meandering to this location when in NYC. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYymUf7jo6u6AGFsgmlBPM9ep_4IvacCjRUjoImRqt8N6zdDsqr5wklFSEalO8igNt1XALqDEfTCXFhjrSM5qvtRuegIE1hMKMeyZyezFjAHOMEKTua8umia3WLTneqV6Ccpabl7IkblwiyXytN_htpfnLfCDErhbARsTaov_xFrWxvhU4EtGhhVmKYw/s401/IMG_9639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="401" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYymUf7jo6u6AGFsgmlBPM9ep_4IvacCjRUjoImRqt8N6zdDsqr5wklFSEalO8igNt1XALqDEfTCXFhjrSM5qvtRuegIE1hMKMeyZyezFjAHOMEKTua8umia3WLTneqV6Ccpabl7IkblwiyXytN_htpfnLfCDErhbARsTaov_xFrWxvhU4EtGhhVmKYw/s320/IMG_9639.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was worth the walk to Bedford Street and we all (even Luke) LOVED IT! </i></b></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then rode the BUS to 12th Street for our dinner at <i>John's of 12th Street.</i> This is a Diner's Drive-ins and Dives restaurant in lower Manhattan that featured homemade Italian food and pasta. We made a 6:30PM reservation and were able to get right in when we arrived at 6:20PM. <i>The restaurant was not busy but was very small so I am glad we made a reservation. </i>We all enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal... with a little entertainment. Not from the waiters, but from LUKE! <i>While chowing down on his pasta, he accidentally put his cloth napkin in the live candle and caught the entire napkin and tablecloth on fire. The waiters had to come and throw a pitcher of water on it. It made for a very comical end to our dinner. Luckily, nobody was hurt and the pasta did not get any of the water so we were able to finish eating but we sure did make some memories at John's of 12th Street. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0_vvGlpGSzXO7IAAsP6g-f0Do7OphlM-v6qHrxDkXCEPMNs1niS5jyPMUb_87a9bPiCCJMxfJrAMBywhMUr73v56ktigS5iSZx9V7DHoU365bUmUzSRLdXcW2aZSMaXkuPDmK1KNMolnN-MrBo39AA8WesJti2gyGr7eyewU6W2Ot1j0G7wTw-fW8w/s449/IMG_9645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="449" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0_vvGlpGSzXO7IAAsP6g-f0Do7OphlM-v6qHrxDkXCEPMNs1niS5jyPMUb_87a9bPiCCJMxfJrAMBywhMUr73v56ktigS5iSZx9V7DHoU365bUmUzSRLdXcW2aZSMaXkuPDmK1KNMolnN-MrBo39AA8WesJti2gyGr7eyewU6W2Ot1j0G7wTw-fW8w/s320/IMG_9645.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>You have not experienced NYC unless you've traveled by BUS! <br />Thank God we went while not BUSY! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPT7SiQcibKRm424O5UTcz6h7WqVDBmmba9YJ4XLOE4ZK4ST4QhjUdK8veUpFPJc8JXQYTykRutmJvjgt9d2W3dtZpg33gevi2YMEXSIFhtUaepuO62zVgIUk9xGptA3KhfRWt_qpa_19F1cQEFhJ_sYtcnVW3IiablTezF6XKutuyd6Etlc_2yAOhg/s757/IMG_9646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPT7SiQcibKRm424O5UTcz6h7WqVDBmmba9YJ4XLOE4ZK4ST4QhjUdK8veUpFPJc8JXQYTykRutmJvjgt9d2W3dtZpg33gevi2YMEXSIFhtUaepuO62zVgIUk9xGptA3KhfRWt_qpa_19F1cQEFhJ_sYtcnVW3IiablTezF6XKutuyd6Etlc_2yAOhg/s320/IMG_9646.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Our table at John's of 12th Street <br />(notice the cloth tablecloth)!</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiVuUzgnFO12D-YNsGgI-WiCtvxgGPD6R5QZz_7CxlCd0ZCWEvGxiS-v1EtntB4wBjNYDw79N9UEG3mvyEFBzmREaz6h4_7gWLDrOaxY01nn2wCTCjIkeDItR1Rl4IyXO-18kWOOSdvm8W5geNJ-VUbc3WrXuIfUQSs-EsJF2wqZ0hUtV5lOPt0tJYw/s568/IMG_9649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiVuUzgnFO12D-YNsGgI-WiCtvxgGPD6R5QZz_7CxlCd0ZCWEvGxiS-v1EtntB4wBjNYDw79N9UEG3mvyEFBzmREaz6h4_7gWLDrOaxY01nn2wCTCjIkeDItR1Rl4IyXO-18kWOOSdvm8W5geNJ-VUbc3WrXuIfUQSs-EsJF2wqZ0hUtV5lOPt0tJYw/s320/IMG_9649.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NpioqiDIVd15RQpLOPMS46aPX55-cJAPZ2pUGAKBoO91RIZPbGO2wa6CMKd2HCAe1pei_frgTqX72qL2WxcvzUA1ncZpPrIUGFDH-wQ9f795gXxldsqMYqqMYNP89JE5uG49FpzcRBwgQ5mEM-bFw7coliQmCKRpjyYRVkXLP_ViksGOfJwfsya5VQ/s568/IMG_9647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NpioqiDIVd15RQpLOPMS46aPX55-cJAPZ2pUGAKBoO91RIZPbGO2wa6CMKd2HCAe1pei_frgTqX72qL2WxcvzUA1ncZpPrIUGFDH-wQ9f795gXxldsqMYqqMYNP89JE5uG49FpzcRBwgQ5mEM-bFw7coliQmCKRpjyYRVkXLP_ViksGOfJwfsya5VQ/s320/IMG_9647.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyHNpk4zDWLvdsG4aLQCMKgp19b-oom4ujeW0zmIsNXnfRgcJ_j9Kmrgj5Lq7y-_QpJZKM6Iqv67i6uN7LvS_4b5QTV7lOrZ2aQImIfoFBms4ksO2thsNvvT-XJazTGpgYcQy-xz3qxMusN1s0Dti7YDcuy39gX9OfnoiO5vxhTNcTSYWMQcF8GS4hA/s568/IMG_9648.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsXRwJouDa5TnxPjOBgmb1p1QT7ekFp9jrHUfg4EGpdVwYfmVIUNjbQtipBXKfBfwdKsw58aVPOkyp_BWI6x9vfnk54HHxP2ho0mVfyoSlz4WIdp2vYZce0VIf8sYoTxknVYVk2bzZtCPEeIf5Pu_Jhge9uyUejTEFjvXwaiEIxSkkP8JmBJXXFqODA/s320/IMG_9650.jpg" width="240" /></span><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyHNpk4zDWLvdsG4aLQCMKgp19b-oom4ujeW0zmIsNXnfRgcJ_j9Kmrgj5Lq7y-_QpJZKM6Iqv67i6uN7LvS_4b5QTV7lOrZ2aQImIfoFBms4ksO2thsNvvT-XJazTGpgYcQy-xz3qxMusN1s0Dti7YDcuy39gX9OfnoiO5vxhTNcTSYWMQcF8GS4hA/s320/IMG_9648.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />John's of 12th Street Menu</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VzCxc9ZJ9LrPPtBYfCpcdUqOkk6oyncLbRFicPwK5sVnZbngseXmRBzsRZnov5LFl5vJU86CVyQBlcwbdpnSBlTcd03d9a7Zl78gcfAMzTazSEnR1OiyFGlAGs3fva9Si6MWD70HbYztb4tBLhezhoGS0laOW_F-4D5xrBtowwqBTWez4oOXZqUc_w/s568/IMG_9653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VzCxc9ZJ9LrPPtBYfCpcdUqOkk6oyncLbRFicPwK5sVnZbngseXmRBzsRZnov5LFl5vJU86CVyQBlcwbdpnSBlTcd03d9a7Zl78gcfAMzTazSEnR1OiyFGlAGs3fva9Si6MWD70HbYztb4tBLhezhoGS0laOW_F-4D5xrBtowwqBTWez4oOXZqUc_w/s320/IMG_9653.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>We LOVED this place! </b></i></div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner, we made our way back towards the <i><b>Empire State Building</b></i>. With Chris being recently diagnosed as a diabetic, we knew that heavy carbs were not ideal for dinner but per his doctor's orders, <i>a walk after dinner will help lower his blood sugar</i>. We took this advice and walked the 15+ NYC blocks (those are not "Regular" city blocks but 2x the size) back to the <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b> from <i>John's of 12th Street</i>. We made a pit-stop about 2/3 of the way there at the <b><i>Harry Potter Store</i></b>. <i>This store was UNBELIEVEABLE but we knew we would have time to fully enjoy it so we kept walking towards the ESB. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpPVnR3uZYe9VE0tS42x5IS-jvSyUQnZ14LknbkRG-BMyeBepe_pKQodkyAQq72bR2wCi8FcUOThcOk-6iBiUNkaBPh44vzvU_JYn2IJOU5DJAmiaR3qAGsEC_c9HV6WvxWMtAFVwYibVYqdI-Z_wZxEc91IywEOAIjH_irgDS8JnT2Q97del_9X28A/s568/IMG_9661.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpPVnR3uZYe9VE0tS42x5IS-jvSyUQnZ14LknbkRG-BMyeBepe_pKQodkyAQq72bR2wCi8FcUOThcOk-6iBiUNkaBPh44vzvU_JYn2IJOU5DJAmiaR3qAGsEC_c9HV6WvxWMtAFVwYibVYqdI-Z_wZxEc91IywEOAIjH_irgDS8JnT2Q97del_9X28A/s320/IMG_9661.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>This was after about 3 blocks! They were having fun! </b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dPSK_09vvoQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="dPSK_09vvoQ"></iframe><br /><b>I love this boy and his sense of humor! </b></div></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNpqnLMeOcQ01fJzxZUniRG4Rof25_T6aTQcgk4uVoq-Y0u5RXL7qXP13pneZEtu3YlurHYD7Tr42Dg2Cx98S7tgMbb7v771ELNFEz6KTyYEVSfq4RsFQ7b4j1tQsoJrkq6Lf6wbavbgEnQTlJS0AGmur7NeeTqL-Xu1AGrpsqMiId9CmalzwM-a6Vg/s324/IMG_9667.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNpqnLMeOcQ01fJzxZUniRG4Rof25_T6aTQcgk4uVoq-Y0u5RXL7qXP13pneZEtu3YlurHYD7Tr42Dg2Cx98S7tgMbb7v771ELNFEz6KTyYEVSfq4RsFQ7b4j1tQsoJrkq6Lf6wbavbgEnQTlJS0AGmur7NeeTqL-Xu1AGrpsqMiId9CmalzwM-a6Vg/s320/IMG_9667.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>She was LOVING this Harry Potter Store! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhgXrP6r2z6Rfeb3T4zdhcdS6CLBAeHy5ZuUcggQ7cQbOCQsMLaQXVDE0OBzNQ6f39YuP9k0gdNVbqE1Igg81e9xoU816xF2jhrVJbG0Ug4yFf5ArYMPKyVSr6-vqu3lm_AkRC0_bgVkTVT7P_Oki6whokWyYBFUwLCvqzpM1asWfcP5MFY0snLjsPA/s300/IMG_9670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhgXrP6r2z6Rfeb3T4zdhcdS6CLBAeHy5ZuUcggQ7cQbOCQsMLaQXVDE0OBzNQ6f39YuP9k0gdNVbqE1Igg81e9xoU816xF2jhrVJbG0Ug4yFf5ArYMPKyVSr6-vqu3lm_AkRC0_bgVkTVT7P_Oki6whokWyYBFUwLCvqzpM1asWfcP5MFY0snLjsPA/s1600/IMG_9670.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />Love this! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBYhXSkgihEY8453F8ZBGqyL6AtD5WOIPbJS208HtKjAh2BN7nlBlQSAP7uR7_cR9_Ha-6pqjNZaK-79Z08pEyEXs6QksmcTl0p14n09qFObHciEP8NZxq2uucyHbve1N8fmY3md9BsxQFAsptR_DIKSzCPCnzK6RmszidceK-i9RElDBshMJ4Hnjuw/s568/IMG_9671.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBYhXSkgihEY8453F8ZBGqyL6AtD5WOIPbJS208HtKjAh2BN7nlBlQSAP7uR7_cR9_Ha-6pqjNZaK-79Z08pEyEXs6QksmcTl0p14n09qFObHciEP8NZxq2uucyHbve1N8fmY3md9BsxQFAsptR_DIKSzCPCnzK6RmszidceK-i9RElDBshMJ4Hnjuw/s320/IMG_9671.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>I will be honest... I was loving this too! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZW0bXns0HA" width="320" youtube-src-id="tZW0bXns0HA"></iframe><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Even if you are just a "minor fan"... Be sure to go to this store! IT IS EPIC! </span></b></div></i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once back at the <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b> shortly after 9PM, we showed our <i>C3 Pass</i> to the ticket booth monitor and it all went south from there. As mentioned on the <i>City Pass website</i>, a City Pass allows ticket holders to visit the <b><i>Empire State Building</i></b> during day AND NIGHT hours on the SAME DAY. No ticket is needed for the night visit, just show your City Pass. However, this was not the case at the <i><b>ESB</b></i>. They refused to allow us to go up to the observation deck since we had already used our <i>C3 Pass </i>for the <b><i>ESB </i></b>that morning. I kindly showed them the <i>City Pass</i> website that showed we were allowed TWO visits in one day but the <b><i>Empire State Building </i></b>workers would not allow it. We called a supervisor, who was ANYTHING but nice to us and basically told us to "shove off". (Of course, he did not say that, he chose other words). After 30 minutes of trying to prove our point of what we paid for on the <i>City Pass</i> website, we chose to be the bigger person and walk away. <i><span style="color: red;">I have filed a complaint with City Pass about this misprint and as of May 13th, the clause that said TWO VISITS in ONE DAY is now not on the City Pass website. </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPORa0ePXQmyLqFRUYYyO-uZ7FLTeW1Tc9xOR5Dy5i8gpE6xePYAwQIXK7yfFojZO3Un7nYYprQpCkOo5b3TpSPfayakKbNqbqxBNP4dhunUxkuwdVuB9nNvk9anINQJ5Jhnn_46m7iLIbBazqI2gCeTWT7tBEK9z7zDsHljaBTLCSM084OZNGiiELQ/s568/IMG_9681.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPORa0ePXQmyLqFRUYYyO-uZ7FLTeW1Tc9xOR5Dy5i8gpE6xePYAwQIXK7yfFojZO3Un7nYYprQpCkOo5b3TpSPfayakKbNqbqxBNP4dhunUxkuwdVuB9nNvk9anINQJ5Jhnn_46m7iLIbBazqI2gCeTWT7tBEK9z7zDsHljaBTLCSM084OZNGiiELQ/s320/IMG_9681.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The weather was PERFECT and gave us EPIC shots as the sun set! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIBlC55azwm0jPGz6voj2P2oCcrvt9rrlFEaZXkAi2J1RaZ-2Ongvo9kpe_-gEdscx0BebOemQTIlTGgRvwVH5GP_8rdVn3n0zReDzFqvRu-h5AZHFR0A4PXKDTpFOkGs2uEoVTPYHb2m1GvULY4uED_zEqpaFGKvwN6YUfkfTGNvZjCmknpYQhUnFA/s568/IMG_9685.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIBlC55azwm0jPGz6voj2P2oCcrvt9rrlFEaZXkAi2J1RaZ-2Ongvo9kpe_-gEdscx0BebOemQTIlTGgRvwVH5GP_8rdVn3n0zReDzFqvRu-h5AZHFR0A4PXKDTpFOkGs2uEoVTPYHb2m1GvULY4uED_zEqpaFGKvwN6YUfkfTGNvZjCmknpYQhUnFA/s320/IMG_9685.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Picture perfect! </div></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was HIGHLY disappointed as in all of my many visits to New York City, I had not been to the <i>Empire State Building</i> at night. The only time I had seen NYC from above at night was in 2000 when we missed our observation deck time at the <b><i>World Trade Center</i></b> and Jorge took us privately to the <i><b>Top of the World Trade Center.</b></i> <i>I guess I was secretly hoping something similar would happen but we left in tears. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I wanted to make up for this "<i>miss</i>" so we walked back towards <b><i>Time Square</i></b> to see it all lit up at night. It was SO COOL to see <b><i>Time Square</i></b> at night and while Luke did not like the large crowds, we all enjoyed walking the lit-up streets. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU_64ye-uWgyFL9ySUIwWkrmPRj8BVSB1YzuZv-G7_1r-JLEmGwtUi9tQtj692L9sNX-ZzV43eXcs6qyFSx9uNpGnYETDB4-T8CaOM4VfQ5IDNuQ2Hyhoz8PMcU792iDBAv8lFsbGMaZqLnLCZSUc6NoVJ98BJc2caZcXiAZOdhP0sfOtYepsANyxpA/s568/IMG_9693.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU_64ye-uWgyFL9ySUIwWkrmPRj8BVSB1YzuZv-G7_1r-JLEmGwtUi9tQtj692L9sNX-ZzV43eXcs6qyFSx9uNpGnYETDB4-T8CaOM4VfQ5IDNuQ2Hyhoz8PMcU792iDBAv8lFsbGMaZqLnLCZSUc6NoVJ98BJc2caZcXiAZOdhP0sfOtYepsANyxpA/s320/IMG_9693.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Time Square NEVER disappoints!</i></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuXZYLNQHHzSSQyWD3Egxbx0QhA1mMc5SODRzQB7zv9kyJ6wgG3UJW14phU2Jdnc_MAXQ5UM0awBnQ1YYfNLWnOGLsk-zclAQrwuLz21Dy7NwAV0sZdLfMeCX231xQ7QNwUGj4okJZppb03tERjzwF0TqQN2R5xi8cYy-ln_8VtBJJMemfUjkny7Org/s757/IMG_9696.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuXZYLNQHHzSSQyWD3Egxbx0QhA1mMc5SODRzQB7zv9kyJ6wgG3UJW14phU2Jdnc_MAXQ5UM0awBnQ1YYfNLWnOGLsk-zclAQrwuLz21Dy7NwAV0sZdLfMeCX231xQ7QNwUGj4okJZppb03tERjzwF0TqQN2R5xi8cYy-ln_8VtBJJMemfUjkny7Org/s320/IMG_9696.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Another bucket list item CHECKED OFF the list! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ended the night at the<i> M&M Store</i> in <i><b>Time Square</b></i>. I spent WAY TOO MUCH MONEY on 4 bags of special M&Ms but it was a memory. Before we went back to the hotel, I insisted on getting a hot and ready donut at <i>Krispy Kreme</i> and it did not disappoint. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu_KMfKxEkbghQIZuleO32KAXP77VXA64FCoqnzq0hLQx6QJJB0LzOkMZzWvifePOSAjmJmyxr48RWC0QB2WpuOkZl0yCXw3KTE88fwK8F6XgHVrr2e6rOYgT4_TIKfQFP_r0HcIC6WwvL12LQdNM9Lyg8b723mv5pJIijlLeUKqnJSUONmZVi231cg/s568/IMG_9704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu_KMfKxEkbghQIZuleO32KAXP77VXA64FCoqnzq0hLQx6QJJB0LzOkMZzWvifePOSAjmJmyxr48RWC0QB2WpuOkZl0yCXw3KTE88fwK8F6XgHVrr2e6rOYgT4_TIKfQFP_r0HcIC6WwvL12LQdNM9Lyg8b723mv5pJIijlLeUKqnJSUONmZVi231cg/s320/IMG_9704.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>$62 later... </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwyXRVVcMlqBGoUFMZPETlmO0L5g0-7BGyG0wmfv3y7PKBJy-Spibydscm1ZgqwVTb-h60-2xTdLhgrja1_M8bOM70Q5joWjMFqGyUUXpsPDQM00kF0asMKV3REXtVsU4MtHvmCuAdelmQI9qFoKvvNqIko6nS7qXidKCYfapvMs1d00s7LhI8a7TDQ/s757/IMG_9706.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwyXRVVcMlqBGoUFMZPETlmO0L5g0-7BGyG0wmfv3y7PKBJy-Spibydscm1ZgqwVTb-h60-2xTdLhgrja1_M8bOM70Q5joWjMFqGyUUXpsPDQM00kF0asMKV3REXtVsU4MtHvmCuAdelmQI9qFoKvvNqIko6nS7qXidKCYfapvMs1d00s7LhI8a7TDQ/s320/IMG_9706.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>This reminds me of my teenage years getting HOT donuts while on vacation! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode the subway back to <b><i>Fulton Street Station </i></b>and walked back to our hotel with a pit-stop at the local CVS to get some late night snacks for the hotel room. It was a VERY BUSY day but we loved every minute. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqQTaZXIfj-lT9qQ2ZrYezZJxiT4ksgK9CHEvrKvaqV-rb8Z7kowWyD9Ict56ggpSiZBxJuRyUe_eGFLxMb5xXo9gYk95cIuYh9_VYzvvy0JmFUtOjNLGFQJxLHz_85MzaVLQC2pJA5NtW0VFlsu1_N8wB5mqTtkEwTSqTMK1ZC5vuS-zp_LAHWFYhQ/s568/IMG_9714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqQTaZXIfj-lT9qQ2ZrYezZJxiT4ksgK9CHEvrKvaqV-rb8Z7kowWyD9Ict56ggpSiZBxJuRyUe_eGFLxMb5xXo9gYk95cIuYh9_VYzvvy0JmFUtOjNLGFQJxLHz_85MzaVLQC2pJA5NtW0VFlsu1_N8wB5mqTtkEwTSqTMK1ZC5vuS-zp_LAHWFYhQ/s320/IMG_9714.jpg" width="202" /></a><br /><b><i>Even more steps than Monday! 23K steps... Heck yeah! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Up next... Another bucket list day with American Icons and FRIENDS! </b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div></span></div><p><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-88662041175251550282023-06-05T08:47:00.000-05:002023-06-05T08:47:15.790-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 2 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>New York City- Day 2 </u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Parks, Skyscrapers and Ballparks... Oh My </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monday, April 10, 2023 </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ix-JaMs497DM99hcwzyOkxvrKo1PCBc5f-Sbt6w9zZxXKZnZmAtvTEX-EMnuFoiKCDIrN0R46tUqHHA_wM1o1fbPEmkDlcmErk9nuEy1Y5boKIwuIuctBk7H1JG07uV1NkWDvCQAAXTUu593xKyEF-lomnXoJbPDNsqPPmZ5M0eM_B7AAZdkQkaKrg/s568/IMG_9291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ix-JaMs497DM99hcwzyOkxvrKo1PCBc5f-Sbt6w9zZxXKZnZmAtvTEX-EMnuFoiKCDIrN0R46tUqHHA_wM1o1fbPEmkDlcmErk9nuEy1Y5boKIwuIuctBk7H1JG07uV1NkWDvCQAAXTUu593xKyEF-lomnXoJbPDNsqPPmZ5M0eM_B7AAZdkQkaKrg/s320/IMG_9291.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello BIG APPLE! </i></b></div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Morning</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We woke up around 8AM and while tired, we were all ready to get going and explore NYC. We made our way to floor 4 for the hotel breakfast, which was surprisingly good. We stayed at the <b><i>Residence Inn by Marriot Financial District</i></b> off of Pearl St. <b><i><span style="color: red;">This hotel was absolutely PERFECT for what we needed for 2 "teenagers" staying in New York City. The room was a 2 QUEEN room, which is very hard to find in NYC and within 3 blocks of a MAJOR subway station, Fulton Street Station. It also featured a small kitchen and even a couch. In addition, it featured a FULL breakfast of hot and fresh items that changed daily! We had a corner room on the 31st floor and as mentioned above, it was PERFECT! I would HIGHLY recommend this hotel for families with teenagers or siblings who do not want to sleep in the same bed. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxghdlgTIbtUusRLvFT32_LrtdKbAcehyES2sMsOMIZxTyv1uCOYK1c_JJYU30QSZG_AStSYOEJj9VcoEykJCDVdjRbrpvp4NReUwtVP54vyPDq4ACjitmxjzr0L1xDFNQhXGSsfdtv5pbZRlIEG7SpYKfpb_eLEOXDcQaZ8x7SHXyj_-5nVm3ElDCBw/s437/IMG_9140.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxghdlgTIbtUusRLvFT32_LrtdKbAcehyES2sMsOMIZxTyv1uCOYK1c_JJYU30QSZG_AStSYOEJj9VcoEykJCDVdjRbrpvp4NReUwtVP54vyPDq4ACjitmxjzr0L1xDFNQhXGSsfdtv5pbZRlIEG7SpYKfpb_eLEOXDcQaZ8x7SHXyj_-5nVm3ElDCBw/s320/IMG_9140.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />After just a few short hours of sleep... We are ready for NYC! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqK0h3-OFv2RS-zOYcDZUY8cXd0OoVYIutRUhzajTduymvISKBoRIx1gbNYCCZCKFYJWgfk4r_SiFr0cjSfWYCBqsRC6kCbRanxkZAKAwPNjDERkDkGyMoPgGBtboK9czQy20g2v-yPTgWC8Je4vPCLpmqaQnzqrouuShoQkOF4q95a5EMFCLLAIx9A/s568/IMG_9142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqK0h3-OFv2RS-zOYcDZUY8cXd0OoVYIutRUhzajTduymvISKBoRIx1gbNYCCZCKFYJWgfk4r_SiFr0cjSfWYCBqsRC6kCbRanxkZAKAwPNjDERkDkGyMoPgGBtboK9czQy20g2v-yPTgWC8Je4vPCLpmqaQnzqrouuShoQkOF4q95a5EMFCLLAIx9A/s320/IMG_9142.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />The Residence Inn by Marriot Financial District <br />215 Pearl Street</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEdnJE9WTcsK8OP419QQWtt6MahJvQToSOudQPlABkK4gG1NhYMmwKP-QtHuQvjk-KaS-OL7E09zO3YiJRZyahWhp46FU_lVrOtTomcILFoQZOyHvQt0DVyDiOR885UqJyxBIfjEDhhi-iHcRaRUKM8iEbfUwYBqU2g6Fd7skcJko3jB4x9Nq6euD0w/s313/IMG_9212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEdnJE9WTcsK8OP419QQWtt6MahJvQToSOudQPlABkK4gG1NhYMmwKP-QtHuQvjk-KaS-OL7E09zO3YiJRZyahWhp46FU_lVrOtTomcILFoQZOyHvQt0DVyDiOR885UqJyxBIfjEDhhi-iHcRaRUKM8iEbfUwYBqU2g6Fd7skcJko3jB4x9Nq6euD0w/s1600/IMG_9212.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />Looking west from our hotel you could see One World Trade Center! </div></i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast, we made our way to <i><b>Fulton Street station</b></i> to grab a subway to Central Park for our Biking Excursion. This was the first time Chris and the kids had ever been on the NYC subway and their initial experience was near perfect, and typical for NYC. The streets leading up the station had trash bags everywhere, dogs peeing on the street and people smoking weed. Chris referenced <b>The Office </b><i>"I always imagined less manure, I mean a little manure, just less".</i> <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6VKTXaFT0tM" width="320" youtube-src-id="6VKTXaFT0tM"></iframe><br /><i><b>This was SO MUCH FUN! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made it to the 51st and Columbus subway station and then walked to <i>Unlimited Biking</i> off of 51st street to redeem our Groupon for our biking excursion.<i> I had found this on Groupon for 2 bikes for 4 hours for only $26. I was able to purchase two of these vouchers during a sale and got all 4 bikes for only $39 total.</i> <i><b><span style="color: red;">TIP- Always look at Groupon for the city you are visiting as you never know what attractions will be offered! We almost ALWAYS find something available! </span></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We walked our bikes to the start of Central Park just south of Columbus Circle and then we were off. This turned out to be the most unique experience of the trip and a true bucket list item for me. In all my many trips to NYC, I had never been to Central Park and biking it was such a cool experience. <i>Chris and I have done several different biking excursions; including biking from Canada back into USA during our Alaska Cruise in 2016. </i>We planned on just biking the central areas of Central Park but we missed a street option and ended up biking THE ENTIRE PARK, which was over 8 miles. By the time we made it back to Columbus Circle, we only had 20 minutes left on our rental and we were so tired and sore. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsMmi47Rb9I96FKOUmyYyzsmLuRxpn9R9cT0dv_D2oKBrpuTx9PKw3R5EK5nb4msgxnoeUdUIGZKA_ZJ5r8w5S_OIGpBO3hJZ7Jx5RVNjMJjI3VhaP8OBRvvLx728KxFhpCrg3G2lZ7smdKCFscvln_MCWv_1QM1LOGSkE5L7mOhnH1ZkRcD8sT4BFg/s390/IMG_9146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="390" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsMmi47Rb9I96FKOUmyYyzsmLuRxpn9R9cT0dv_D2oKBrpuTx9PKw3R5EK5nb4msgxnoeUdUIGZKA_ZJ5r8w5S_OIGpBO3hJZ7Jx5RVNjMJjI3VhaP8OBRvvLx728KxFhpCrg3G2lZ7smdKCFscvln_MCWv_1QM1LOGSkE5L7mOhnH1ZkRcD8sT4BFg/s320/IMG_9146.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Columbus Circle at the entrance of Central Park. </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwPBoM0x6rNGltDBbs3IelPkUzdd8jlgItEkWesnG8CSS13ieqQokxImzxykP2lPAXTi5VPXvcyqgeK_3sF6eWn1DIzlBlD63cMaJvK6BGs8_bEcGuiQgOTApLakz3iBofo0NlINfJnPWoA7E_8dyftjcJnSMn1l_P2LC6UEUIADxovsbOG9ZvQ9emQ/s568/IMG_9149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwPBoM0x6rNGltDBbs3IelPkUzdd8jlgItEkWesnG8CSS13ieqQokxImzxykP2lPAXTi5VPXvcyqgeK_3sF6eWn1DIzlBlD63cMaJvK6BGs8_bEcGuiQgOTApLakz3iBofo0NlINfJnPWoA7E_8dyftjcJnSMn1l_P2LC6UEUIADxovsbOG9ZvQ9emQ/s320/IMG_9149.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />We were SO LUCKY it was Cherry Blossom season AND they were in bloom! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvLl46mSbp20M7ZobuVlZEuNw2bGc0d0dGFQppIl0oOqaDeLgLmWqji8c40R42FVTU8_u5GyDPIT-r1RaIucl4a5bEzVCI6CZVqmKbCHJ4t6nngU_J9XH23xxeTBAMCl2vCjGzEVBpQa12orhiSZyJ-kXkBkW21QSRfkpvR69W9kkUiK3jfqOkYsWmg/s757/IMG_9163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvLl46mSbp20M7ZobuVlZEuNw2bGc0d0dGFQppIl0oOqaDeLgLmWqji8c40R42FVTU8_u5GyDPIT-r1RaIucl4a5bEzVCI6CZVqmKbCHJ4t6nngU_J9XH23xxeTBAMCl2vCjGzEVBpQa12orhiSZyJ-kXkBkW21QSRfkpvR69W9kkUiK3jfqOkYsWmg/s320/IMG_9163.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was PRICELESS! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAvLjlIfuhLrEWrR7cGP00ytrMiZvxHEVc9_OjHrwu3eKF9CIpQ8MWcKqS3R5YYjtVGwZVxkt_j2yIWvgqakUXM7ECHOZ-loSTvhb2B91A9gtljQzjZIByBl_hhhuCkQ5GyOZfRPHBYM0Fs1ONHcwpRjKBTAsK1gkOqar4w6ZTvYg7YW_KL5oZjKKZw/s757/IMG_9165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAvLjlIfuhLrEWrR7cGP00ytrMiZvxHEVc9_OjHrwu3eKF9CIpQ8MWcKqS3R5YYjtVGwZVxkt_j2yIWvgqakUXM7ECHOZ-loSTvhb2B91A9gtljQzjZIByBl_hhhuCkQ5GyOZfRPHBYM0Fs1ONHcwpRjKBTAsK1gkOqar4w6ZTvYg7YW_KL5oZjKKZw/s320/IMG_9165.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Seriously GORGEOUS scenery! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrDqjmmmPW1xVW-YwLJxI5075rcqnG7MjBimaH-0zh3YZe9vFBl7Om9g-L19mq9GB4B-tZXq_mEvlzF-S3kEgV6pxEcdlxF8X3A4r0NiCPRCItouaWxerf69ex02DURPN-tcqQHTBFrY29FW7P5hcPJta1H8cZWbgfUT33jO2DVWLuVGtF156mH3jyA/s568/IMG_9172.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrDqjmmmPW1xVW-YwLJxI5075rcqnG7MjBimaH-0zh3YZe9vFBl7Om9g-L19mq9GB4B-tZXq_mEvlzF-S3kEgV6pxEcdlxF8X3A4r0NiCPRCItouaWxerf69ex02DURPN-tcqQHTBFrY29FW7P5hcPJta1H8cZWbgfUT33jO2DVWLuVGtF156mH3jyA/s320/IMG_9172.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkmMLNCi3mI7OvPoaxjJFmRYdxWCtzS4xAVg-x9QSQNe6wpimmHU_cwZCLpLkkvRqMf4C4o5UP7qERhHBWOPVizPP3S5uUheT_PXXcV4Q2Jw9odjTTOcXK1g5Y2ltPgm-iCWBAI3dtsnm8ToSg8PiYeqIcoYVGfV3UyMJl96zhycxCOka7TLipSadhQ/s757/IMG_9187.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkmMLNCi3mI7OvPoaxjJFmRYdxWCtzS4xAVg-x9QSQNe6wpimmHU_cwZCLpLkkvRqMf4C4o5UP7qERhHBWOPVizPP3S5uUheT_PXXcV4Q2Jw9odjTTOcXK1g5Y2ltPgm-iCWBAI3dtsnm8ToSg8PiYeqIcoYVGfV3UyMJl96zhycxCOka7TLipSadhQ/s320/IMG_9187.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />I LOVED this experience SO MUCH! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0wG8tqU1JLtz2JYDW47BPI7dO0u9MTNwqryk-j-UIL-8X08VIWfWUfTFBmF8fItwmdZqE6tzQibVweTFWbCz4doNEtHd-ucrWrtUWZ5Ek8QM4w3p4IeKhIV-QKkJweeJz2pROJMpR8_OD8MfzMifs8aPmWNUDFBpa_ZpIFAJuzlBxC4yf1HE_L22gQ/s418/IMG_9191.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0wG8tqU1JLtz2JYDW47BPI7dO0u9MTNwqryk-j-UIL-8X08VIWfWUfTFBmF8fItwmdZqE6tzQibVweTFWbCz4doNEtHd-ucrWrtUWZ5Ek8QM4w3p4IeKhIV-QKkJweeJz2pROJMpR8_OD8MfzMifs8aPmWNUDFBpa_ZpIFAJuzlBxC4yf1HE_L22gQ/s320/IMG_9191.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />40 and 44 years YOUNG and still got it! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhry1bPCP-x8GEH9HQuyjH0ffwWvOCncpHHxHg-X8yFZyBY7Gy1yzSuAI8Z9_Oxng83KaKkhx5Lgkxx49fAemknAejpSp-njuBHz241WOed4ZVIBPTVI52jjeqEKlnxtlgMyOj3h2oH4HWFMG_619H2qC4nNa1Uw3WIUXuulLnjk2qqkiPHELpPtMHFBw/s568/IMG_9193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhry1bPCP-x8GEH9HQuyjH0ffwWvOCncpHHxHg-X8yFZyBY7Gy1yzSuAI8Z9_Oxng83KaKkhx5Lgkxx49fAemknAejpSp-njuBHz241WOed4ZVIBPTVI52jjeqEKlnxtlgMyOj3h2oH4HWFMG_619H2qC4nNa1Uw3WIUXuulLnjk2qqkiPHELpPtMHFBw/s320/IMG_9193.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />One of my favorite pictures of the whole trip! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YNbfIxkgDQQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="YNbfIxkgDQQ"></iframe><br /><b><span style="color: red;">This was one of the most AWESOME experiences of my life! <br />I am so happy I got to share it with Chris and the kids! </span></b></div></i></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Afternoon</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We returned our bikes to <i>Unlimited Biking</i> and then rode the subway back to our hotel to shower and change clothes for our Mets Game. We stopped to get a snack inside the 59th Street Subway Station at a place called <i>Doughnuttery </i>which offered mini-doughnuts made fresh. We shared a dozen mini doughnuts and they really hit the spot. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSA0VahkztH3MtvFf9u1vzsUDA4OYi2Q3XDWKDyLgw5HhU6w27cKkg5CQ9lL8HSC1a0NWdJpvdlGJxCKx8OG6WAi5bqJNS4VB9Hx7R9JzvlOyn5_r9-GAPOfGeJQfJcmecWqdED7r703Z9vxvgOAI7fHq304MZEvGemkXJthOsoITl7kb5EfLF44fGQ/s437/IMG_9208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSA0VahkztH3MtvFf9u1vzsUDA4OYi2Q3XDWKDyLgw5HhU6w27cKkg5CQ9lL8HSC1a0NWdJpvdlGJxCKx8OG6WAi5bqJNS4VB9Hx7R9JzvlOyn5_r9-GAPOfGeJQfJcmecWqdED7r703Z9vxvgOAI7fHq304MZEvGemkXJthOsoITl7kb5EfLF44fGQ/s320/IMG_9208.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hot and fresh right from the fryer at Doughnuttry! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got back to the hotel and showered and got changed for the rest of our first day in Manhattan. We stepped outside our hotel and it was absolutely picture perfect with <b>One World Trade Center</b> right in our view. We stopped to get lunch at <b><i>Tradita's Pizza </i></b>just outside our hotel and it was SO GOOD! The kids each ended up get TWO massive NYC pizza slices and they were set for the rest of the afternoon. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROpFrLaJkrtRhnuWwsCmuo-3bn1RZxnCR5JM7976fW0HZEPVYKxyNysZjfLtl480FNZZ7ccAV8H6LLl7Ajv5askuvuKrMpRV91Mh0SNXU3EPpn21sKHg_nCtYnD1hrgRJjCxU0iWEM9Q2IdDBubVkZAFlOaUYw_T7h9MLKNrUCYVGFO2aGwZ9bSNogQ/s757/IMG_9213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROpFrLaJkrtRhnuWwsCmuo-3bn1RZxnCR5JM7976fW0HZEPVYKxyNysZjfLtl480FNZZ7ccAV8H6LLl7Ajv5askuvuKrMpRV91Mh0SNXU3EPpn21sKHg_nCtYnD1hrgRJjCxU0iWEM9Q2IdDBubVkZAFlOaUYw_T7h9MLKNrUCYVGFO2aGwZ9bSNogQ/s320/IMG_9213.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>These slices were HUGE! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEUFx22LtxsEzPuE173g4d5_JL6CdNR2CRpXrBN0EtLjMdQ-P6EJjID5NjxytIFGaeDRJmZBEq6Wmp95Ovu-r8cVLgiO2VkQkVsSlr_H7GZOf_OEE2J3Jsa2oZazTVAne7cUmmn6AQ7VYITzUqYgzM99iVsN-Kkd7DKOvbHRnK_4rNYGRTnr8DBodJw/s390/IMG_9215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="390" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEUFx22LtxsEzPuE173g4d5_JL6CdNR2CRpXrBN0EtLjMdQ-P6EJjID5NjxytIFGaeDRJmZBEq6Wmp95Ovu-r8cVLgiO2VkQkVsSlr_H7GZOf_OEE2J3Jsa2oZazTVAne7cUmmn6AQ7VYITzUqYgzM99iVsN-Kkd7DKOvbHRnK_4rNYGRTnr8DBodJw/s320/IMG_9215.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Its time for an afternoon of Skyscrapers and BASEBALL!</b></i> </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode the subway back to <b><i>Rockefeller Center</i></b> to go to the <b><i>Top of the Rock</i></b> using our NYC <i>C3 City Pass</i>. I had been to many of skyscrapers in my many trips to NYC but had never been to the Top of the Rock so I was excited to get a GREAT view of NYC. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- We purchased the C3 Pass from City Pass and it worked out pretty well. There was a minor issue with the Empire State Building but more on that later. It was $370 for ALL FOUR of us and featured 3 major attractions that could be pre-booked which was a HUGE advantage compared to other attraction passes. I did a lot of homework and this proved to be the best option for what we wanted to see in NYC. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once at <b><i>Rockefeller Center</i></b> we had to wait until our exact entrance time of 3PM so we roamed around Rockefeller Center, Radio City Musical Hall and nearby attractions off of 5th avenue. Once 3pm rolled around we were on an elevator to the <b><i>Top of the Rock</i></b>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwoDL6io7mS_MuvtJlXrlOcB7-HmaoLRv7XBQGlROlMsIw_lNpECPQFHwpQLA0xFdBS2om8XHjV5chT1yA_hEXcAf5Et4Ke4hCIMRgGyIbVFd895wwIqHxhOvbOHszaASYnWOORQDBs8uGaee-r3pjRRyX3Rxhdc4r6VzteI0ZDCodxkTL86t2OVoSA/s313/IMG_9224.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="235" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwoDL6io7mS_MuvtJlXrlOcB7-HmaoLRv7XBQGlROlMsIw_lNpECPQFHwpQLA0xFdBS2om8XHjV5chT1yA_hEXcAf5Et4Ke4hCIMRgGyIbVFd895wwIqHxhOvbOHszaASYnWOORQDBs8uGaee-r3pjRRyX3Rxhdc4r6VzteI0ZDCodxkTL86t2OVoSA/s1600/IMG_9224.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><b><i>This girl is going places and Radio City Music Hall may just be one of those places! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>#NattieGraceontheHorn</i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <b><i>Top of the Rock</i></b> was everything I had always heard and exactly how I imagined it being with the most crystal clear view of midtown and downtown Manhattan AND an unrestrictive view of <i>Central Park</i>. This was the perfect thing for our afternoon since we literally biked around the entire perimeter of <i>Central Park</i> that same morning. We were also able to see <i>Yankee Stadium </i>and<i> even Citi Field</i> from the <i>Top of the Rock</i>. We spent over an hour on the observation deck before heading back down to get on the subway to <i>Citi Field</i> for Game 1 of our 3 game New York baseball bucket list trip. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v5Gp8CSerMuz5yj5wu86rykBDxCjRrdHqhsdyVq4pNBJnXs-h5ubIdRQ0_P_dmMtD_MfAWPyn6rIu_zrgriB-pWFp933TYhVorYk1utK1aqJb26BA5GubbH_cRid__URLZiuP7toQKW3lKPL3w7J1QtMMPt3EXE7KLGh1N9yc7n-DlsGLdz-_2R1WQ/s757/IMG_9229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v5Gp8CSerMuz5yj5wu86rykBDxCjRrdHqhsdyVq4pNBJnXs-h5ubIdRQ0_P_dmMtD_MfAWPyn6rIu_zrgriB-pWFp933TYhVorYk1utK1aqJb26BA5GubbH_cRid__URLZiuP7toQKW3lKPL3w7J1QtMMPt3EXE7KLGh1N9yc7n-DlsGLdz-_2R1WQ/s320/IMG_9229.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our initial view from Top of the Rock! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgX6XHJpSfXxz5ql7TAEmp_P-cJoA9MGXSw3UhLUDAXSYQSfaWYx5zUHynmmuSqyQZS_3j3GX7MTowwqC3ap9UOhQGCU9JaLABr9QA8jTyaD9Mb9kgFZ7g6NtYnw2B9pwds_MAZTdvsr6VnRhzOBsPWaK9Ke9laZFAzE3oyQLaKkLTy53EEUex-VLXw/s757/IMG_9232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgX6XHJpSfXxz5ql7TAEmp_P-cJoA9MGXSw3UhLUDAXSYQSfaWYx5zUHynmmuSqyQZS_3j3GX7MTowwqC3ap9UOhQGCU9JaLABr9QA8jTyaD9Mb9kgFZ7g6NtYnw2B9pwds_MAZTdvsr6VnRhzOBsPWaK9Ke9laZFAzE3oyQLaKkLTy53EEUex-VLXw/s320/IMG_9232.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Luke's first words were "Whoa... This is DOPE!" </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZijYw30YkyvpqeL79fy0qRj-FA3rPmCMGRKjKiB_ehP2BHhj3TgU8iD2vhypxbXH4VoC5m2lZBNOp3aaxFaMOBtV-HhEyYYsiVRx7J35_vjmoTt_Axj0EgzWla6uDedjDRffd-UJp9A1AK_MWam8GUsszmAeQ-EaFlKvGAd9yr_iplm4xiDtYDQ_ug/s757/IMG_9233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZijYw30YkyvpqeL79fy0qRj-FA3rPmCMGRKjKiB_ehP2BHhj3TgU8iD2vhypxbXH4VoC5m2lZBNOp3aaxFaMOBtV-HhEyYYsiVRx7J35_vjmoTt_Axj0EgzWla6uDedjDRffd-UJp9A1AK_MWam8GUsszmAeQ-EaFlKvGAd9yr_iplm4xiDtYDQ_ug/s320/IMG_9233.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was one of my favorite parts of the trip! <br />A very underrated observatory! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tn4jUwUPD5MvigWf0Is5NZVlFrqr0c1DzlZ1Osm-xDMc_SlZo5_M20ZbQFbDmtJIzKEBewzIqTYOjWhesoBSpVP5BL0SlhvPA-jLy0Xuq5rqXAv_5gDDhmjLwKPEI9J6YXlGZJpQg00b8CBrA1O58_MAtkZVHD5kX9ffx0YnTsYwZIXGEbnNcAnOqw/s367/IMG_9254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="367" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tn4jUwUPD5MvigWf0Is5NZVlFrqr0c1DzlZ1Osm-xDMc_SlZo5_M20ZbQFbDmtJIzKEBewzIqTYOjWhesoBSpVP5BL0SlhvPA-jLy0Xuq5rqXAv_5gDDhmjLwKPEI9J6YXlGZJpQg00b8CBrA1O58_MAtkZVHD5kX9ffx0YnTsYwZIXGEbnNcAnOqw/s320/IMG_9254.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Selfie #110 (HAHA... it's only Day 1) </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1P9U86GwtDFcqS-odY1LYOSFY2uNWx6Sst4mHWQKuBML2GMPGC8QCcBKuciG6VLRovr6h22ZGTl9nIF8BwQX1O2vwNoAvy7vl6SkLhIFr6cV173LyI6CvKoch4jc7RqWNejEqSDTu_Zo5mJpKteJxiRkKABW98wws79FREp2JGIWgwpkXuyGsGUVaA/s393/IMG_9263.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="393" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1P9U86GwtDFcqS-odY1LYOSFY2uNWx6Sst4mHWQKuBML2GMPGC8QCcBKuciG6VLRovr6h22ZGTl9nIF8BwQX1O2vwNoAvy7vl6SkLhIFr6cV173LyI6CvKoch4jc7RqWNejEqSDTu_Zo5mJpKteJxiRkKABW98wws79FREp2JGIWgwpkXuyGsGUVaA/s320/IMG_9263.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>#111</b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Oh3ae-6VwKCit6hVTHCVqXctfyA_OElt4kycpM8bEJO8WlYrO77i4dcjAfHDMgiLNPI-_Wf4r_4UJzgqyHoZXgyQj6EuwsuIEMpV5IFCLl_yQY5K31wOaWrMa7UbmaYyXc2Z7zYiCnW0ke4HI_yKnhraQ0nrZqyJcwNLDvcGZ50lradr4DyU7Sk0KQ/s288/IMG_9273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="216" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Oh3ae-6VwKCit6hVTHCVqXctfyA_OElt4kycpM8bEJO8WlYrO77i4dcjAfHDMgiLNPI-_Wf4r_4UJzgqyHoZXgyQj6EuwsuIEMpV5IFCLl_yQY5K31wOaWrMa7UbmaYyXc2Z7zYiCnW0ke4HI_yKnhraQ0nrZqyJcwNLDvcGZ50lradr4DyU7Sk0KQ/s1600/IMG_9273.jpg" width="216" /></a><br /><i><b>I love this one! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliqHqyB13hiCwXCgiBP1ibPJrm2w6aEi9zTcTabiw7fPVsq2WBIDpZiX-Du8w-5ptT7PAyZfIPe1ueP3qIK5jaNG8CkQSK6WPOd1ht2HIYtGSzk4GPMkht9a6n7ttx_GwXEBQPTJ5MFdGkwX3zGsoXtnfYF57Pc-ttkEiU5IYm7nOMj0sB9ti6mEafA/s300/IMG_9277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliqHqyB13hiCwXCgiBP1ibPJrm2w6aEi9zTcTabiw7fPVsq2WBIDpZiX-Du8w-5ptT7PAyZfIPe1ueP3qIK5jaNG8CkQSK6WPOd1ht2HIYtGSzk4GPMkht9a6n7ttx_GwXEBQPTJ5MFdGkwX3zGsoXtnfYF57Pc-ttkEiU5IYm7nOMj0sB9ti6mEafA/s1600/IMG_9277.jpg" width="225" /></a><br /><i><b>Postcard worthy! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F89CvcHGGiwbiymGoRA1-0bkkfdRCme_LhznM3VsT77cl5RM2O0nsMlDay00NPeW3jWlBvvDDuLFc7__lhJKRNpDDOXUxkNKGGWxczI2b6T00rArymRkl-HCo86QPaSY4iDubccI5CDFArFiWnn1qeNFcNIT-zepSlK3GFo2_De_3Icv388AxxmmBA/s568/IMG_9291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F89CvcHGGiwbiymGoRA1-0bkkfdRCme_LhznM3VsT77cl5RM2O0nsMlDay00NPeW3jWlBvvDDuLFc7__lhJKRNpDDOXUxkNKGGWxczI2b6T00rArymRkl-HCo86QPaSY4iDubccI5CDFArFiWnn1qeNFcNIT-zepSlK3GFo2_De_3Icv388AxxmmBA/s320/IMG_9291.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>One of the best family pictures to date... Too bad we are in hideous Mets gear! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyiRKHhcXZ2p3QNXsY27O7ii63LpFkvUXTItIP0ufGXj_77FhZc-BJ73W5QusFCkqHsy7Rn0gVBPFJAtD7jpURsqjNH8g7HLp6nGNM7Q5i9NrfgFsqznfTCUtDL1va6RxfzoBzhlV5suVor2irtODszWYIPS8Ast_TJNXkoqQ9cT4I4cTqvWYvpZoBA/s377/IMG_9308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="377" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyiRKHhcXZ2p3QNXsY27O7ii63LpFkvUXTItIP0ufGXj_77FhZc-BJ73W5QusFCkqHsy7Rn0gVBPFJAtD7jpURsqjNH8g7HLp6nGNM7Q5i9NrfgFsqznfTCUtDL1va6RxfzoBzhlV5suVor2irtODszWYIPS8Ast_TJNXkoqQ9cT4I4cTqvWYvpZoBA/s320/IMG_9308.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We biked that... ALL. OF. THAT! </i></b></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode the subway all the way to <i>Citi Field</i> with only 1 transfer. This was during rush hour on a Monday and nearly an hour ride from Central Manhattan so we were PACKED on the train but we survived and made it to the <i>Citi Field</i> stop on the purple line by 5:15PM. We grabbed a few drinks and souvenirs before going into the stadium just minutes after the gates opened. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzX9xqtiDrzi5khcXk8_VwYDoXhn7XTJwL-YxwXkzhSnFnjTyUMsEhTCL-Pwq-tHh-nJdoGFNOKLwJxf9TsR0ZOSYc5ZPEWf_32wMBCCeqDOPv7u3NkkGSuGKvAxt3kDb-G8fFcRYCFVOlgZI6aVLJ1XqB-KPZNpRPAKaKy7oU-FvgRlqSdkjR3ASPA/s568/IMG_9313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzX9xqtiDrzi5khcXk8_VwYDoXhn7XTJwL-YxwXkzhSnFnjTyUMsEhTCL-Pwq-tHh-nJdoGFNOKLwJxf9TsR0ZOSYc5ZPEWf_32wMBCCeqDOPv7u3NkkGSuGKvAxt3kDb-G8fFcRYCFVOlgZI6aVLJ1XqB-KPZNpRPAKaKy7oU-FvgRlqSdkjR3ASPA/s320/IMG_9313.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Apple from Shea Stadium! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMxMfgRcKKvGpE4_sactnajT2msO8_uGkV0SeCeRwXzF1hQJaBVjpMgguSNMQ-EnmqQB7__hHV_uQ3nrehO1Xw5IwfLAkGsr1rt-A5zN49viXP_jsSrJhl_B6QBWWts1PLmRR_E21q6QD8DX5iQLwW56ayjT-tZE4aBNJWTs3d9_0vGGb7fGiyBfNNA/s437/IMG_9323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMxMfgRcKKvGpE4_sactnajT2msO8_uGkV0SeCeRwXzF1hQJaBVjpMgguSNMQ-EnmqQB7__hHV_uQ3nrehO1Xw5IwfLAkGsr1rt-A5zN49viXP_jsSrJhl_B6QBWWts1PLmRR_E21q6QD8DX5iQLwW56ayjT-tZE4aBNJWTs3d9_0vGGb7fGiyBfNNA/s320/IMG_9323.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We have arrived and I am in love! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OxjbxoMTvATL9syKEIz4asxIpTbGWQSvbcp-Jjs6LKp-l0LLBR_X4EH4fOiglEH6mjn3b7532TYfjBhQqfjfZlTVqfITCqqPlCChYJJgtZRJir9W5KBBYq48D4b5ShabFHJ41a3tguNMNimwgCpySNbpc8SsK36zbkxn81-4zOhu4YqGcJkAoG4jdg/s436/IMG_9334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="436" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OxjbxoMTvATL9syKEIz4asxIpTbGWQSvbcp-Jjs6LKp-l0LLBR_X4EH4fOiglEH6mjn3b7532TYfjBhQqfjfZlTVqfITCqqPlCChYJJgtZRJir9W5KBBYq48D4b5ShabFHJ41a3tguNMNimwgCpySNbpc8SsK36zbkxn81-4zOhu4YqGcJkAoG4jdg/s320/IMG_9334.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The original bridge from Shea Stadium! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was HIGHLY impressed with <i>Citi Field</i>, especially the rotunda area at the home plate entrance. <i><b>In fact, this area completely blew me away.</b></i> We roamed around the concourse levels for a while before making our way to our seats in section 510. These seats were HIGH but a great view of the game. However, it was SO COLD at 42* and us Houstonians were not as prepared as we should have been so we opted to move to a sunny area of the stadium in hopes of staying warm. That helped but when the sun went down, we were FREEZING. We ended up buying a blanket for Chris to stay warm as he was wearing shorts! <b><i>Looking back... it was kinda comical! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvsDqnztFYKJLtbeY4cIVKyM4IddmWTCFtXaiis_skS05KDd47at-7-JNblrTM2mBq4TyMWUiXWgfJO9et0fE3HOiz0qU80--ae0_fcNDagn9F2Px33fsqloS6uT8SNtYhdcm_AnMMTdkJwKR3LeEa_wlZRh6yPwtQ5bkIK3VDgDPL_RwsgQuG3e2Cg/s757/IMG_9336.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvsDqnztFYKJLtbeY4cIVKyM4IddmWTCFtXaiis_skS05KDd47at-7-JNblrTM2mBq4TyMWUiXWgfJO9et0fE3HOiz0qU80--ae0_fcNDagn9F2Px33fsqloS6uT8SNtYhdcm_AnMMTdkJwKR3LeEa_wlZRh6yPwtQ5bkIK3VDgDPL_RwsgQuG3e2Cg/s320/IMG_9336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtOIlexxF-g7BpWDhcO_YaoUvBAaiq4jTjjprYQWL2EbjWVzdsbL3ryWmaABv2gMwq47XGsiJ6STYLMTdWPdUXpXKoh7BEzsOfZiL86EmfsrAZ-VdVPeQM0gbRxQSekflsV7THdfdywDSSRXDrRU8cuBJ5rLigEN0afHKSnAiVjyudvpyiz_Xtx9yLg/s436/IMG_9340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="436" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtOIlexxF-g7BpWDhcO_YaoUvBAaiq4jTjjprYQWL2EbjWVzdsbL3ryWmaABv2gMwq47XGsiJ6STYLMTdWPdUXpXKoh7BEzsOfZiL86EmfsrAZ-VdVPeQM0gbRxQSekflsV7THdfdywDSSRXDrRU8cuBJ5rLigEN0afHKSnAiVjyudvpyiz_Xtx9yLg/s320/IMG_9340.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I just HAD TO try the steak sandwich. <br />It was good... But WAY OVERRATED and OVER PRICED! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RGJEILOZnYI-3sIOs509V5HS7l7cYFMB5AHTlAteqrw-1agp4FRm8xUTsM-kZcnWnY4fwdziNy0eFclEMbZtV682GNgLXRFmUvQVsvpi1AXsZpFmz40l42iAMC-4VpuLfgmXhcQ23sAEqRINXCm0kf3CwKubV1gyZ9MS_yuUZEANpJn7P7S0ItiqIA/s568/IMG_9349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RGJEILOZnYI-3sIOs509V5HS7l7cYFMB5AHTlAteqrw-1agp4FRm8xUTsM-kZcnWnY4fwdziNy0eFclEMbZtV682GNgLXRFmUvQVsvpi1AXsZpFmz40l42iAMC-4VpuLfgmXhcQ23sAEqRINXCm0kf3CwKubV1gyZ9MS_yuUZEANpJn7P7S0ItiqIA/s320/IMG_9349.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Luke was SO HAPPY! Baseball stadiums is his happy place!</b></i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zN4xc3llhLg" width="320" youtube-src-id="zN4xc3llhLg"></iframe><br /><b><i>My traditional Star Spangled Banner video at a new stadium! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6prAPtJF_nPfq4t1dokOFE1vxDDAcnXrZkyteiwwuCHQUNx-JNRQ1_EO4khrcd2V2_5bk7jCCpZ0R_o_NO3x47vjgfbdxZepZPWKZeYjEnif14o-aF_xmYms2euoZ0dQxfX96bV3dx8Yfd1sGISWO_Cs4WVnWgKG7xluO8br13fna2PGltVsclTXUw/s357/IMG_9352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="357" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6prAPtJF_nPfq4t1dokOFE1vxDDAcnXrZkyteiwwuCHQUNx-JNRQ1_EO4khrcd2V2_5bk7jCCpZ0R_o_NO3x47vjgfbdxZepZPWKZeYjEnif14o-aF_xmYms2euoZ0dQxfX96bV3dx8Yfd1sGISWO_Cs4WVnWgKG7xluO8br13fna2PGltVsclTXUw/s320/IMG_9352.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Be still my heart! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3ZC_4vfzOBthlgT81cBY5Qmc0op7O2GRVZaTmAAqsg8Slr4racYVVMycJYHf5sEuemXWIkhjejv_QZBn00rMx_ANnuZgTiZfjCLTFTCrBQD4dPPfeq3Tvmcjnsb5tUwYhaKKo72JYYLZ6xzYrIerF7UXp7RF_c_SalJ3zIxP8oBE7CHfVUrVhK8PpQ/s437/IMG_9361.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3ZC_4vfzOBthlgT81cBY5Qmc0op7O2GRVZaTmAAqsg8Slr4racYVVMycJYHf5sEuemXWIkhjejv_QZBn00rMx_ANnuZgTiZfjCLTFTCrBQD4dPPfeq3Tvmcjnsb5tUwYhaKKo72JYYLZ6xzYrIerF7UXp7RF_c_SalJ3zIxP8oBE7CHfVUrVhK8PpQ/s320/IMG_9361.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We were SO COLD but all smiles!</i></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTm87zMOoU9aeaa1pFbaL98VBXc_9w-rEyXtisCGEJjC6wSwXhA6qlqYUDCs_47nMsDArHFNqt56oiko-1vq0qC9MScpUaHXS9vr_Xk4Mhy5SrZV04LDnv2Ts39zQnDTmURAM4VGkzFB1t75FO4J5mQIQd8OipJIlwbJXy_do3VBC8qzvAKEJ4Aw2-g/s757/IMG_9363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTm87zMOoU9aeaa1pFbaL98VBXc_9w-rEyXtisCGEJjC6wSwXhA6qlqYUDCs_47nMsDArHFNqt56oiko-1vq0qC9MScpUaHXS9vr_Xk4Mhy5SrZV04LDnv2Ts39zQnDTmURAM4VGkzFB1t75FO4J5mQIQd8OipJIlwbJXy_do3VBC8qzvAKEJ4Aw2-g/s320/IMG_9363.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It was an EPIC night at Citi Field! We loved EVERY MINUTE OF IT!</i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We enjoyed the game and stadium but opted to leave in the 9th inning to help avoid crowds on the subway as we quickly learned in our 1st 24 hours in New York City, that Luke was not necessarily a fan of crowds (which we already knew) and got claustrophobic on the train ride to Queens for the game. That... and we were SO COLD! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It took about an hour and 1 transfer to get back to our hotel in the <i>Financial District</i>. Due to the new pitch clock rules of baseball, we were back in our hotel room around 10:30PM. We decided to change our Empire State Building arrival time for the next day from 9AM to 10:15AM in hopes of catching up on the sleep we missed from our late arriving flight the night before. <b><i>We were showered and in bed, asleep by 11PM. We were tired. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cONiq2o3Av7MqlQ3g3yzgso3C07ETlnxG9NvzOZljLDLkCwsN6sEtu0UThAy5ajN1TUrcAApIZO1FU6GDe6nLg90V5AGlyFGl01iZB0kB050tPTxSJF-NIjNhwp2_I_8jgNzU064lBykm6K4H1NkBGSOkKuVdPrSPqFRrv5U4lf5EPZTA__1_sjEYA/s568/IMG_9369.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cONiq2o3Av7MqlQ3g3yzgso3C07ETlnxG9NvzOZljLDLkCwsN6sEtu0UThAy5ajN1TUrcAApIZO1FU6GDe6nLg90V5AGlyFGl01iZB0kB050tPTxSJF-NIjNhwp2_I_8jgNzU064lBykm6K4H1NkBGSOkKuVdPrSPqFRrv5U4lf5EPZTA__1_sjEYA/s320/IMG_9369.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>A view as soon as you leave Fulton Street Station... PRICELESS! </b></i></div><i><b><br /></b></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvn70C85ZnNA6KFRULmklSN9i-FGqJyicp-49Yucj5ORLCustqO9_0lKgd2SYugRiVPzFheJr8jhh2H1EW8wfP5wKueG_cOWjHG1DLoHAnzlYcOqfxsPn2n8J-740-pp3M3qohM29l0xJuH-vPnMryXCoqz2tD-g56jUt9BDCW8yRdbWyOSt6-OiYPZw/s568/IMG_9377.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><b><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvn70C85ZnNA6KFRULmklSN9i-FGqJyicp-49Yucj5ORLCustqO9_0lKgd2SYugRiVPzFheJr8jhh2H1EW8wfP5wKueG_cOWjHG1DLoHAnzlYcOqfxsPn2n8J-740-pp3M3qohM29l0xJuH-vPnMryXCoqz2tD-g56jUt9BDCW8yRdbWyOSt6-OiYPZw/s320/IMG_9377.jpg" width="211" /></b></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>I "believe" I got all my steps in... HAHA! </b></i></div></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up next... Another day in New York City and a day full of bucket list items. Stay tuned for DAY THREE! </i></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022</i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;" /></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-39285868752900359732023-06-04T18:43:00.002-05:002023-06-04T18:43:18.937-05:00The Manhattan Project- Day 1 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>New York City- Day 1 </u></b></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Easter Sunday in Houston and The Big Apple </i></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sunday, April 9, 2023 </span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSkT7pmgT7HsaSYubHegbn9ydC5OHVKUJmpReG5Hv4_2cesP61S4dorhhBdFDrGj3Sftm3-dU-PS1f8cwewOLdQ02P_-Ujfyuspz1Etq93YoelUdsRjvNEBuSRamtYdpxGJzAFDbe2Vw6Fui9nj3lpt3P5Mu_TGc-NcN5G7iJtAgidL99CSMdWDmRtQ/s437/IMG_9113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSkT7pmgT7HsaSYubHegbn9ydC5OHVKUJmpReG5Hv4_2cesP61S4dorhhBdFDrGj3Sftm3-dU-PS1f8cwewOLdQ02P_-Ujfyuspz1Etq93YoelUdsRjvNEBuSRamtYdpxGJzAFDbe2Vw6Fui9nj3lpt3P5Mu_TGc-NcN5G7iJtAgidL99CSMdWDmRtQ/s320/IMG_9113.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello GORGEOUS! </b></i></div></div></div></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Morning</span></u><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy EASTER 2023! We spent the morning at church worshipping our Risen Savior. After the service, we grabbed a quick lunch and then went back to the house to get ready for our flight. Once we got home, we got an email saying our flight had been delayed nearly two hours. Our original departure time was 5:15PM and now we would not depart until nearly 7:30PM. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxJD4R-SMycboh1O1cq1ib6394BGtyjN_vRwPXR7NujfJkwsOoVwL_a4B-HsITmgvcBbOsPrwTyjgmRZLPewftQfnNCLweOavb5jWWPy7La-27NmwfMLtpyMuxbGS2Tmv9D__4D0kYI12maSwy-_16LCx5hDFcxLls9t6b_Dr5CNT1GN3bxT2m0nw9Q/s1011/IMG_9048.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1011" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxJD4R-SMycboh1O1cq1ib6394BGtyjN_vRwPXR7NujfJkwsOoVwL_a4B-HsITmgvcBbOsPrwTyjgmRZLPewftQfnNCLweOavb5jWWPy7La-27NmwfMLtpyMuxbGS2Tmv9D__4D0kYI12maSwy-_16LCx5hDFcxLls9t6b_Dr5CNT1GN3bxT2m0nw9Q/s320/IMG_9048.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We serve a RISEN Savior! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX49H-30-kDBp-BAbADYE9HEfjuNfJPSVvNvjN6xV4jMOJTqPv1Lg0-nbDOLMdkHmtQheZQEtvw9omGrX9vO-ihEDthidt14qABK9Z2ZptqXgttulQEfSTqB6yNd63GK1qNQ3Z-5Fsu93lPMfGFpBfy6881TwoRrQpa4Dz4NAOnHtlzInS1rAz9fPevA/s757/IMG_9051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX49H-30-kDBp-BAbADYE9HEfjuNfJPSVvNvjN6xV4jMOJTqPv1Lg0-nbDOLMdkHmtQheZQEtvw9omGrX9vO-ihEDthidt14qABK9Z2ZptqXgttulQEfSTqB6yNd63GK1qNQ3Z-5Fsu93lPMfGFpBfy6881TwoRrQpa4Dz4NAOnHtlzInS1rAz9fPevA/s320/IMG_9051.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />My babies are GROWING UP WAY TOO FAST! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGqVkQC5NdgGk5siWLKEkWRGISFsKPvFZJZeKTQF-gKDsd7iNr8ljTh1wakbticUghGKMCafIh7U56TBn5ukTI57x6YNXsI_o8O9vDYpdAm6KH02PQ1eEpdsHETMgawFdYwVbuFNQogs2xgPsiJiYI377MMwYR4vbCbYTO8_588TR5_4d8pA8-UZQ9Q/s568/IMG_9059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGqVkQC5NdgGk5siWLKEkWRGISFsKPvFZJZeKTQF-gKDsd7iNr8ljTh1wakbticUghGKMCafIh7U56TBn5ukTI57x6YNXsI_o8O9vDYpdAm6KH02PQ1eEpdsHETMgawFdYwVbuFNQogs2xgPsiJiYI377MMwYR4vbCbYTO8_588TR5_4d8pA8-UZQ9Q/s320/IMG_9059.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Bright and early 7AM worship service! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Afternoon</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to still leave the house around the original 2:30 time we had planned in case there was traffic or other concerns. We arrived at the airport parking lot around 2:45PM and made our way to the terminal to get checked in for our JetBlue flight to JFK. This was the first time we flew with the kids out of George Bush and we all agree we like this airport better than Hobby (on the south side of Houston). </span></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-cdKByAyyLg_Z6gM_19ksBy0Xa1_5H0Pi9ispN26K1ayW6SYwF7iINw5N5-dxY81FKgEgVFAaKWz8EtAzWAbYb2SYWQsOG6CZAe9BTaetNUvJA1r2uTUZhvcQgqrpW5IQ97HUtTv11jO_4Xaw_XrfgLhPW0u9_CRVSXniK7bAvifsZwzy0PNu7OETQ/s833/IMG_9065.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="833" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-cdKByAyyLg_Z6gM_19ksBy0Xa1_5H0Pi9ispN26K1ayW6SYwF7iINw5N5-dxY81FKgEgVFAaKWz8EtAzWAbYb2SYWQsOG6CZAe9BTaetNUvJA1r2uTUZhvcQgqrpW5IQ97HUtTv11jO_4Xaw_XrfgLhPW0u9_CRVSXniK7bAvifsZwzy0PNu7OETQ/s320/IMG_9065.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We have arrived at IAH! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BKe67r44E51w55heZ5L06QOh3hlwyQQuN5pe6c4GImpbuswDHp3kUg3WfYQ_HqZJTUtWv9slzeKv9pO3B8Dtg1-6NuDzgYvWtAYCOU5lkzLbW65VYiO1EWq3eUJrqPGJ4t--sn0TXDV4nx1Ar8oQLXbc5xZVmvIMUFtUcaHK3AjWdyF9TXnJ2YDqyw/s757/IMG_9066.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BKe67r44E51w55heZ5L06QOh3hlwyQQuN5pe6c4GImpbuswDHp3kUg3WfYQ_HqZJTUtWv9slzeKv9pO3B8Dtg1-6NuDzgYvWtAYCOU5lkzLbW65VYiO1EWq3eUJrqPGJ4t--sn0TXDV4nx1Ar8oQLXbc5xZVmvIMUFtUcaHK3AjWdyF9TXnJ2YDqyw/s320/IMG_9066.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />First Family selfie of the trip! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc25FwYHOgs4nXzLLh6IPxlN5yn8NTsYQWsq5oC_Z5WNVrXNvagcIZcojl2jbo0UixXvpAlPxEng1FZFuFcyah46c7eYckDiPl1d_PnMSb2DiXOKB-e6erUmN9QnCj2xsTl8lJSW8IfZ5v1E_Fp24FLYjt5Yesei22bdJMNFYzfDBlH1bM4XO1oRd-Q/s757/IMG_9067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc25FwYHOgs4nXzLLh6IPxlN5yn8NTsYQWsq5oC_Z5WNVrXNvagcIZcojl2jbo0UixXvpAlPxEng1FZFuFcyah46c7eYckDiPl1d_PnMSb2DiXOKB-e6erUmN9QnCj2xsTl8lJSW8IfZ5v1E_Fp24FLYjt5Yesei22bdJMNFYzfDBlH1bM4XO1oRd-Q/s320/IMG_9067.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Our ride has arrived! </i></b></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Evening</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our flight took off from IAH around 7:07PM and we were airborne for the <b><i>Big Apple</i></b>. The flight was fairly uninteresting and the kids did very well. JetBlue offered light snacks, drinks and in flight entertainment in the TVs on the seatbacks which was all a step up from our previous 2 trips on Southwest. During our flight we flew over many large cities including, Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia. We were also able to see Manhattan at night from the air, which was really cool! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PFplkKm5SD-YM0aPQXyP1oQLnjA6N1SJ7l50a7y6RFoeh501PC6iLQgmyp6r2uq3v21xwo_inyq3DZL5WVWM3r6-2TPGCZbuuwKS5Ra0CHVlyJotsButdSqZ6zwSl_xnYcrahOpreDhkh7r4vkxsxeEjHAybCso2VvD4Yyo8jLPhlD6KDb2iKj8Ihg/s757/IMG_9082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PFplkKm5SD-YM0aPQXyP1oQLnjA6N1SJ7l50a7y6RFoeh501PC6iLQgmyp6r2uq3v21xwo_inyq3DZL5WVWM3r6-2TPGCZbuuwKS5Ra0CHVlyJotsButdSqZ6zwSl_xnYcrahOpreDhkh7r4vkxsxeEjHAybCso2VvD4Yyo8jLPhlD6KDb2iKj8Ihg/s320/IMG_9082.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It is seriously crazy how we saw ALL of these cities from the air! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEM14EaubJpz5pZU-lZjcsTG9cl815COXYRNqDpFduoWpeUZ8Z8Duj-fy7x_39MytWLLMl-eVtMDvBfO5Jw5oo6f-QhItfg1LcxXoPSaz6irr2QliUDVHlMSgxmEEPsXpOC275uI1FqkSnQ7fC4-rNaG6tdzxGTfvnbFwnAzDz3U0PYTmHIsyGUhVkw/s393/IMG_9090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="393" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEM14EaubJpz5pZU-lZjcsTG9cl815COXYRNqDpFduoWpeUZ8Z8Duj-fy7x_39MytWLLMl-eVtMDvBfO5Jw5oo6f-QhItfg1LcxXoPSaz6irr2QliUDVHlMSgxmEEPsXpOC275uI1FqkSnQ7fC4-rNaG6tdzxGTfvnbFwnAzDz3U0PYTmHIsyGUhVkw/s320/IMG_9090.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>And Philly too! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabo1l8-zqjOjD5raCYxQ4yKqULpIP5KG1B8JY3zj4StYmSGr3K9sADkMNELDAtHabagZS9qgxDNV5MGHVkcBLDZhhsfO4Nln44FG3VvhtL7X5a12IKsBOuk9c-yNeKTTNOlRsJem4pTNCsrM_K1tPJZOlzI-o7JAQg8q5-cDrtBJklbV_KPdhyhlnRw/s437/IMG_9113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabo1l8-zqjOjD5raCYxQ4yKqULpIP5KG1B8JY3zj4StYmSGr3K9sADkMNELDAtHabagZS9qgxDNV5MGHVkcBLDZhhsfO4Nln44FG3VvhtL7X5a12IKsBOuk9c-yNeKTTNOlRsJem4pTNCsrM_K1tPJZOlzI-o7JAQg8q5-cDrtBJklbV_KPdhyhlnRw/s320/IMG_9113.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>And then to see NYC from the air... Priceless! </i></b></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_zN_ccrdVVk" width="320" youtube-src-id="_zN_ccrdVVk"></iframe><br /><i><b>This was a GREAT flight! </b></i></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made it to JFK by 11:30PM and were getting our luggage from baggage claim right before midnight. I had pre-booked transportation from JFK to our Financial District hotel with "<b><i>Airport Taxi Transfers</i></b>" for $116. Our driver was waiting for us and got us to our Manhattan hotel before 1AM. The hotel front desk was very busy for this time of night but we were in our room and in bed before 1:30AM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmDWP4lnjzZxgWK9U3b35r8RU8KiAyIvNZU6h_I53BwkhXZnba5nYO1rt5MpEIZo05SGO70r1H_dyUltN6bnpag9w488l5CakSKTWkfWs7vxrag6FXWoQAu6sx15kc5xkBe28IfN09MBYo7Eo6VkGxrbrsPc094dXWSFZTBzHae4ZHPhZrgna9Zl4Gg/s353/IMG_9136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="353" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmDWP4lnjzZxgWK9U3b35r8RU8KiAyIvNZU6h_I53BwkhXZnba5nYO1rt5MpEIZo05SGO70r1H_dyUltN6bnpag9w488l5CakSKTWkfWs7vxrag6FXWoQAu6sx15kc5xkBe28IfN09MBYo7Eo6VkGxrbrsPc094dXWSFZTBzHae4ZHPhZrgna9Zl4Gg/s320/IMG_9136.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello Home away from Home... 215 Pearl Street! </i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgw_QMLJWzgY32nN9QU0omFxYbtMV2BSziiP90gG-5bDp4vSwFgtWu7Tz6-tnvLtMpDfM_OPK_Gg_jVHbDWUuHaS87my7qj8avgirQnai0I6a7YWTWAh4NQ_gEjqGSMGzh8lcDKQE03tnB6T0m4rgAIxiHQZDI_8c6WANbk-PaSVt1v02hyeamP7zww/s757/IMG_9137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgw_QMLJWzgY32nN9QU0omFxYbtMV2BSziiP90gG-5bDp4vSwFgtWu7Tz6-tnvLtMpDfM_OPK_Gg_jVHbDWUuHaS87my7qj8avgirQnai0I6a7YWTWAh4NQ_gEjqGSMGzh8lcDKQE03tnB6T0m4rgAIxiHQZDI_8c6WANbk-PaSVt1v02hyeamP7zww/s320/IMG_9137.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It seriously is SO HARD to find 2 QUEEN beds in Manhattan! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>It was a very long day but we could NOT WAIT to hit the ground running in New York City in just a few hours! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up next... Our first FULL DAY in New York City! <br />And what an EPIC DAY it was! </i></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>God is GOOD... ALL THE TIME! </i></span></b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Check out ALL of our LAND travels:</span></u></b></o:p></p><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/fall-break-great-wolf-lodge-grapevine-tx.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Howl-oween at Great Wolf Lodge- Fall Break 2022 </i></b></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/panama-city-beach-where-to-begin-june.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Where. To. Begin- Panama City Beach, FL Summer 2022</b></i></span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/06/california-dreaming-april-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><i>California Dreaming- San Diego 2022</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/07/from-baltic-to-bay-june-2021.html" target="_blank">From the Baltic to the Bay- Bay Area Summer 2021</a><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-desert-surprise-april-2021.html" target="_blank"><b><i>A Desert Surprise- Arizona with the kids 2021</i></b></a><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2021/01/last-minute-to-las-vegas-december-2020.html" target="_blank">Last Minute Las Vegas- December 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/07/plan-f.html" target="_blank">Plan F- Fredericksburg, TX July 2020</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/las-vegas-2019.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas Revisited- July 2019</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/01/fabulous-forty-vegas-4-fabulous-days-of.html" target="_blank">Fabulous Forty Vegas- Chris's 40th in Vegas- May 2018</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/06/baseball-and-bulls.html" target="_blank">Baseball and Bulls: Luke's 5th Birthday Trip- Dallas, TX June 2017</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest; Seattle & Vancouver- June 2016</a><br /></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div dir="auto" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/08/deep-in-heart-of-texas-san-antonio-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep in the Heart of Texas; San Antonio- July 2015</i></b></span></a></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;" /></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-13110949955045525992023-04-18T09:57:00.000-05:002023-04-18T09:57:06.789-05:00Our Royal Adventure- Adventure of the Seas- February 2023 <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><u>Adventure of the Seas </u></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>February 20-25, 2023 </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Galveston, TX </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZMqTyRyzV5Ar2o6Hxo-YBmGy15oQvAZxB2e56VFquSDByW9Mc65h5d1x0vxz2cQCytYYGrCAtruXw07eh1n3oEd_3HM3ZBB84cFovrglHGKRbhJi03enr-a3UMksMeS97ZLgs-yKhHb9wQ0BJZvNJkRY6aNpWzxNERBVhUvf1cGxrf--3L5uODbfcg/s1111/Ship%20Picture.JPG" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1111" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZMqTyRyzV5Ar2o6Hxo-YBmGy15oQvAZxB2e56VFquSDByW9Mc65h5d1x0vxz2cQCytYYGrCAtruXw07eh1n3oEd_3HM3ZBB84cFovrglHGKRbhJi03enr-a3UMksMeS97ZLgs-yKhHb9wQ0BJZvNJkRY6aNpWzxNERBVhUvf1cGxrf--3L5uODbfcg/s320/Ship%20Picture.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">In 21 cruises, we have never seen a ship AT NIGHT <br /><span style="color: red;">(Be sure to follow along for the details) </span></span></i></b></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's hard to believe that this was my <i><b>TWENTY-FIRST</b></i> cruise but here I am... Killing it on the HIGH SEAS! This would be our <i><u>THIRD </u></i>cruise since the restart of cruising after the pandemic and the FIRST cruise for the kiddos in nearly 5 years. <i>Luke has practically DOUBLED in age since the last time he stepped foot on a cruise ship!</i> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We have cruised 12 previous times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: red;">Carnival</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, 5 times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, 2 times with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #800180;">Norwegian </span></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">and 1 time with</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: verdana;"><b>Princess</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Adventure of the Seas</span><b> as well as a "Foodie Blog" highlighting all of the food options the </b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Adventure of the Seas</b></span><b> offers. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure</span>, cruising with kids and even life on a cruise ship after the pandemic! </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Check Out our Cruise:</u></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/our-royal-adventure-galveston.html" target="_blank">Day 1- Galveston "Majority Rules" </a><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/our-royal-adventure-sea-day-1.html" target="_blank">Day 2- Sea Day "Deck Adventures" </a><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/our-royal-adventure-cozumel-at-night.html" target="_blank"><b>Day 3- Cozumel at Night "Adventures in the Dark"</b></a><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/our-royal-adventure-cozumel.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 4- Cozumel "Adventures in the Sun" </b></span></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/our-royal-adventure-sea-day-2.html"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 5 - Sea Day "Deck Adventures" </b></span></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/04/out-royal-adventure-food.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Adventure of the Seas - The FOODIE Blog </b></span></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Once again, thank you for following along and support our business! I hope this will help someone planning a cruise on the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure </span>or planning to get back to cruising after the pandemic... Or even a first time cruiser! Feel free to reach out with any questions! </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Up Next... It's time to FINALLY time to sail on a MEGA SHIP!</span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure of the Seas- July 2023</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>WE CANNOT WAIT!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- KELLIE's 40th September 2022</a><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-55791942234134496772023-04-18T09:56:00.000-05:002023-04-18T09:56:02.904-05:00Out Royal Adventure- Food <p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></u></b></i><span><i><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Foodie Blog- Royal Caribbean New Menus </span></u><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span>- February 2023</span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chris and are such FOODIES and dining on a cruise ship is one of our favorite things about cruising. We love trying all of the weird and exotic menu options and we LOVE the casual and relaxed dining that cruising brings. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">On this cruise we were able to try out the BRAND NEW (only been on AOS for 3 weeks) menus that <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">RCCL </span></b>is pushing out fleetwide. These menus were extensive without being overly dramatic and the options were very good. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This cruise we were also cruising with a "label"... <i><b>Diabetic</b></i>. For the 1st time since his diagnosis in December, we went on a cruise and for the most part had to follow a low-carb, low-sugar and diabetic friendly menu. <i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i> was beyond accommodating and Chris was able to find something EVERY NIGHT. Thank you <i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">RCCL</span></b></i>! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large; text-decoration-line: underline;">Cafe Promenade- Deck 5 Forward <br /></span><span style="color: red;"><i>(FREE 6AM-11AM and 11:30 to 3AM)</i></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH8m4sFowmrCA_5TzAcY1OKjZs6uz0AUYTNaE6c5swOUedA1gqq_klo_oCCVqC9M5famIGgJC85pWSUQNNlt8A-ZqWyfEW3fZYFi_x_hnuGQ29QojLgfTaDE63afTC5gxxQR4PQZyIIC4FTMF-0PjY1K336HMKNZuptmAC4dYahK0NgJMX-mGsq3bJw/s757/CP%20pastery.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: underline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH8m4sFowmrCA_5TzAcY1OKjZs6uz0AUYTNaE6c5swOUedA1gqq_klo_oCCVqC9M5famIGgJC85pWSUQNNlt8A-ZqWyfEW3fZYFi_x_hnuGQ29QojLgfTaDE63afTC5gxxQR4PQZyIIC4FTMF-0PjY1K336HMKNZuptmAC4dYahK0NgJMX-mGsq3bJw/s320/CP%20pastery.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><span style="color: red;">Breakfast pastries offered 6AM to 11AM </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYv5JfL4Sts5p2SFNTU45L-PHOydevPiMoqHzGVj2tEydWA5V7A_G1RcjJIcVMIS8073xIrIYIBA4pi2alQ0WbdJHZdeAV1DzPtHzKNfWxy9_UbvwKRU9YmM7jzfMZC9JmfPMPoVTtR7GOYE0K0b8HLRUQCG3kc_3YmYD-eQI0VKYIJnvybS8XtQGDeg/s757/CP%20breakfast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYv5JfL4Sts5p2SFNTU45L-PHOydevPiMoqHzGVj2tEydWA5V7A_G1RcjJIcVMIS8073xIrIYIBA4pi2alQ0WbdJHZdeAV1DzPtHzKNfWxy9_UbvwKRU9YmM7jzfMZC9JmfPMPoVTtR7GOYE0K0b8HLRUQCG3kc_3YmYD-eQI0VKYIJnvybS8XtQGDeg/s320/CP%20breakfast.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />More breakfast options! </div></i></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K74jVi9PwYtNz91dwAwA-96aIXp35_YCmmN9D9rL17anIHyo9XES03GCmUFZRZtxcdGp4NTeh_BQOVRamepKyGVNqM68X36Zonkd0WP_moaGe2Y-s4pbMrtin3aE8j7VQuq5TAaDImuC4zGdtbHaWrLUpZptsdRPYTXHCCS39OMES-xnpwtszDVd5A/s757/CP%20Pizza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K74jVi9PwYtNz91dwAwA-96aIXp35_YCmmN9D9rL17anIHyo9XES03GCmUFZRZtxcdGp4NTeh_BQOVRamepKyGVNqM68X36Zonkd0WP_moaGe2Y-s4pbMrtin3aE8j7VQuq5TAaDImuC4zGdtbHaWrLUpZptsdRPYTXHCCS39OMES-xnpwtszDVd5A/s320/CP%20Pizza.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Fresh (usually piping hot out of the oven) pizza! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPRTEpcG5NScYeDnk09iodpIeVzNGczPEEuIfmjaqf1y3kYk_N3aQ5i8jhky01XDW7M0t5sUyZHDU5Tb-uaJUFg9sYpiCuoKsTh2YXguCuVvDwXEopA8AatUH3BKWuBPrT3uSYYG1vQ7SRjd0w_bbWEZAL1RHHXerVp9Twj4lUAebIHoEfiQK8QdTSQ/s757/CP%20sand.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPRTEpcG5NScYeDnk09iodpIeVzNGczPEEuIfmjaqf1y3kYk_N3aQ5i8jhky01XDW7M0t5sUyZHDU5Tb-uaJUFg9sYpiCuoKsTh2YXguCuVvDwXEopA8AatUH3BKWuBPrT3uSYYG1vQ7SRjd0w_bbWEZAL1RHHXerVp9Twj4lUAebIHoEfiQK8QdTSQ/s320/CP%20sand.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Variety of sandwiches. <br /><span style="color: red;">The Tuna and Chicken salad were fairly good! </span></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Embarkation Day- Galveston </u></span></i></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Main Dining Room- Welcome Aboard Menu </b></span></i></div></span></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fQ6uPVftiWHgmsGbtLt-btQnHf_63ekFLFKEYtyStyRuZCQOjaZeH3fmE3gIsYyB4QK7WB9uLXMjMQEUOxtSnfkDD1hPvhK6wSd1NESp1iNHONBJvfvk1NiXKXHCRg0pcfvPLX6b7AcUOeBiMMG27Bii8bHembd4SeTscIAY92QGyidTdBO7JIC4mg/s568/Welcome%20Menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fQ6uPVftiWHgmsGbtLt-btQnHf_63ekFLFKEYtyStyRuZCQOjaZeH3fmE3gIsYyB4QK7WB9uLXMjMQEUOxtSnfkDD1hPvhK6wSd1NESp1iNHONBJvfvk1NiXKXHCRg0pcfvPLX6b7AcUOeBiMMG27Bii8bHembd4SeTscIAY92QGyidTdBO7JIC4mg/s320/Welcome%20Menu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Welcome Aboard Menu</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiREryp-GHUmVbzyvzY_TI2RTnQ_lICeKNUzWOb5PZ3Tz3Bwrp74EP9n1NlI6JfGOzS2gNvrAyGTHMhn5a72MDfuOTfwqKhd9F2JhwdR1F66jcioCzvSNIBbYpRx7m1LzlzP0tPdXYvUizgyR98DFe8Vrl9v1OHTkQh_jfjbvD_0K0pQlSVWTHjkceJQ/s757/Spinach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiREryp-GHUmVbzyvzY_TI2RTnQ_lICeKNUzWOb5PZ3Tz3Bwrp74EP9n1NlI6JfGOzS2gNvrAyGTHMhn5a72MDfuOTfwqKhd9F2JhwdR1F66jcioCzvSNIBbYpRx7m1LzlzP0tPdXYvUizgyR98DFe8Vrl9v1OHTkQh_jfjbvD_0K0pQlSVWTHjkceJQ/s320/Spinach.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Spinach and Artichoke Dip </b><br />This was lacking a bit in my opinion and the chips were "stale" tasting! </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOqtHInWyj-H7pKSHm7PI-HswnVPtFSBPVKD2zv3gc32R2QmyuI9sYZ1_999OynPWfR3iDj1oCti9gyxYr_XeXYU5q50EjUO3LZvKyOM4tSTW1Vm3hrkd4OiBHGtumdgaGn9FOjbd1UxtISv80cutScQRJPcq1ZwobsvqInF6KT2WymFA_W1xdnWVog/s757/Caesar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOqtHInWyj-H7pKSHm7PI-HswnVPtFSBPVKD2zv3gc32R2QmyuI9sYZ1_999OynPWfR3iDj1oCti9gyxYr_XeXYU5q50EjUO3LZvKyOM4tSTW1Vm3hrkd4OiBHGtumdgaGn9FOjbd1UxtISv80cutScQRJPcq1ZwobsvqInF6KT2WymFA_W1xdnWVog/s320/Caesar.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Caesar Salad</b><br />The kids ate this every night! IT was AMAZING!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAASdARwvKs6MR5YbZfmJytzg7T3eikEFdF5sTrmhL3nRleWlB5v86V2Y3ZJTMVjdnhWA2rx05i-dyCACiiVhE-Zhd0sra_IULnRqOdzE5cHc-q05nVfNvFeJf0uVnoKQ43Ci8KLk0Wa0DK5m5QB94Qj40y91sexVBO4x-Fy6IUkftiHGpOu1W6AWNHA/s757/Tomato%20Soup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAASdARwvKs6MR5YbZfmJytzg7T3eikEFdF5sTrmhL3nRleWlB5v86V2Y3ZJTMVjdnhWA2rx05i-dyCACiiVhE-Zhd0sra_IULnRqOdzE5cHc-q05nVfNvFeJf0uVnoKQ43Ci8KLk0Wa0DK5m5QB94Qj40y91sexVBO4x-Fy6IUkftiHGpOu1W6AWNHA/s320/Tomato%20Soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Tomato Soup </b><br />I love tomato soup and this one did not disappoint! It was rich and very flavorful! <br /><span style="color: red;">Do not miss this one!</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32r8kzZBDDMVMDnaIPlz3anIpfHVMW5Gxn6f8GYKNEO7Y3VImgEjTnzT6aveVHaWEZVCp_eyM2OoA5fboco9EsTgDgp3L7fRaaRchC9s2avZpEXauDWJJAEEHiSXMS8tXImAnLa1P2egLdLtY1JX1Rwcf6Q8NbahkcSET4iTH1M-45TwSMowbaZ6Oqg/s757/Crabcake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32r8kzZBDDMVMDnaIPlz3anIpfHVMW5Gxn6f8GYKNEO7Y3VImgEjTnzT6aveVHaWEZVCp_eyM2OoA5fboco9EsTgDgp3L7fRaaRchC9s2avZpEXauDWJJAEEHiSXMS8tXImAnLa1P2egLdLtY1JX1Rwcf6Q8NbahkcSET4iTH1M-45TwSMowbaZ6Oqg/s320/Crabcake.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>New England Crab Cake</b><br />This was so fresh it tasted as if they caught the crab the same day! <br /><span style="color: red;">Do not miss this one... And order TWO! </span></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lw9x2xc-T-BoOca2PN96pXqBiugJZtAQtDPDebUJpvZk-GNKIoatpOQEpfONJDiIYXcODKe_ggPTOxhYnfAy2hPfD1a_69iwaynqBifZlnnshldLeE-kFyuzOVSPK4OICaa8MkhohVILNjedAh_RAVI55DvC3rkLJpIm9MqzvmwemMo7ae-0L1KA-A/s757/NY%20Strip.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lw9x2xc-T-BoOca2PN96pXqBiugJZtAQtDPDebUJpvZk-GNKIoatpOQEpfONJDiIYXcODKe_ggPTOxhYnfAy2hPfD1a_69iwaynqBifZlnnshldLeE-kFyuzOVSPK4OICaa8MkhohVILNjedAh_RAVI55DvC3rkLJpIm9MqzvmwemMo7ae-0L1KA-A/s320/NY%20Strip.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>New York Strip Steak </b><br />This is offered EVERY night and it really good. <br />Luke ordered this almost nightly! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwll1apWUl92vMWPKTiW9KGun4yBf_z5cuZgj32J91_LsPbCmbuRoIuXHN5E2wBam7V4BYy-kPXoacEpAE6eogSxAWaz-Lq-MAxMqWMeK9cUnUC10b3oCTi_ZIpc0H7tZcSjVHG90nbI-FOzaV8jKzRpgDmqTMPcmO_x4QtGNJHEZxgXCR5SWduT5eUA/s757/Prime%20Rib.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwll1apWUl92vMWPKTiW9KGun4yBf_z5cuZgj32J91_LsPbCmbuRoIuXHN5E2wBam7V4BYy-kPXoacEpAE6eogSxAWaz-Lq-MAxMqWMeK9cUnUC10b3oCTi_ZIpc0H7tZcSjVHG90nbI-FOzaV8jKzRpgDmqTMPcmO_x4QtGNJHEZxgXCR5SWduT5eUA/s320/Prime%20Rib.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Prime Rib </b><br />This was delicious and Chris LOVED it! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMQFbzTDzE3AYyYqMvFzBcPmDtNHV-TBILmd9o2nkWe9_M44kjctpx6VFBy7QY8DmpqJQEnvUC-CnfUR3paRBlqxNsoGDowmIheOy-0rzjJmxzCEb0mshSbHEe9hRyczvOrGowO9PU5mljwFmD0IzMoud69DBrxmC3q09qjXGQbexZ51Vznjrpt6S-g/s568/Spag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMQFbzTDzE3AYyYqMvFzBcPmDtNHV-TBILmd9o2nkWe9_M44kjctpx6VFBy7QY8DmpqJQEnvUC-CnfUR3paRBlqxNsoGDowmIheOy-0rzjJmxzCEb0mshSbHEe9hRyczvOrGowO9PU5mljwFmD0IzMoud69DBrxmC3q09qjXGQbexZ51Vznjrpt6S-g/s320/Spag.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Spaghetti</b><br />Luke ordered this nightly! Not much to "write home about" but it was really tasty!</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkKu-AkRjy36H5nbVMTxDNbKK3y-bGmom5o6dmoun4XXnvLnqfVCE_SVrvuRtv_DkoXhLiiJ8atAyHwyA5Q7yffnaMD547Z7peSADn9yzcpATQyLX-c0J4gfxVvVlwfNsWufnLrLu5Fd-YEYuvHUJrTuWNYJlFAqKXJZ70mFe544oOVxS-0FQYJJF5Q/s757/Choc%20Mouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkKu-AkRjy36H5nbVMTxDNbKK3y-bGmom5o6dmoun4XXnvLnqfVCE_SVrvuRtv_DkoXhLiiJ8atAyHwyA5Q7yffnaMD547Z7peSADn9yzcpATQyLX-c0J4gfxVvVlwfNsWufnLrLu5Fd-YEYuvHUJrTuWNYJlFAqKXJZ70mFe544oOVxS-0FQYJJF5Q/s320/Choc%20Mouse.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Sugar Free (Diabetic Friendly) Chocolate Mousse </b><br />Chris really enjoyed this and said it tasted GREAT! </i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI-YOxAUDT5fG8sxBWd3jTcqX5j7F4HKaMJnZXVZHRcSiXBw23zMyS58cnWkHa7YpbqA7gSsUM99mFDy8KEzbTL8yBD-HUqAIMj7LbpJZ8BqDTwIrkUAhC4PCiRzSDv8BjhFwpUkbyKlBXEz2Qi6BZMq6ew1yUdMq6BT3Rtjy_F-9GP7wGhPJ88gOzw/s757/Dessert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI-YOxAUDT5fG8sxBWd3jTcqX5j7F4HKaMJnZXVZHRcSiXBw23zMyS58cnWkHa7YpbqA7gSsUM99mFDy8KEzbTL8yBD-HUqAIMj7LbpJZ8BqDTwIrkUAhC4PCiRzSDv8BjhFwpUkbyKlBXEz2Qi6BZMq6ew1yUdMq6BT3Rtjy_F-9GP7wGhPJ88gOzw/s320/Dessert.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Boston Creme Pie </b><br />This was a GREAT dessert! It was light and moist and rich! <br />Do yourself a favor and get this one!</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Day 2 - Sea Day </u></b><br /><u>Main Dining Room Breakfast 8-9:30AM </u></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z3DGfstUbDPwZbauo_7XWfbub987EP8fqVu5rZUZSfiB1zK7rHEsp9A528STkzQK4cgsbgU5L8Xxk8eM4e6DIZaB-mvlH5rpPTDOonDYEiJQoZgrCP3Mf-xac9MYojOn2FQaAnpEgWH8U56iCJRlTmAXSjkAI1RrRGg22QG7DovRUPWyRA6yTZ9oIg/s757/Breakfast%20Menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z3DGfstUbDPwZbauo_7XWfbub987EP8fqVu5rZUZSfiB1zK7rHEsp9A528STkzQK4cgsbgU5L8Xxk8eM4e6DIZaB-mvlH5rpPTDOonDYEiJQoZgrCP3Mf-xac9MYojOn2FQaAnpEgWH8U56iCJRlTmAXSjkAI1RrRGg22QG7DovRUPWyRA6yTZ9oIg/s320/Breakfast%20Menu.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>MDR Menu </b><br /><span style="color: red;">The food was GREAT but a full service dining option. It took us about an hour! </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx7MJyhlT0HNuTRZpProkfRWdIp6smPu5BJ0Q4n78wp6Q_44OWPiJUOXVA8j4wm21vKmTlPw-UJvIE2R5SIOrGmrK4cdrGxpSqNMuXunGRTgVS_HoxfdeamUOhzSVXYPV3cRpTmzLEtD0PqAryzmA34DVG82bgsfeuM-FZ3K7drm1kfe28TL2yBf3MQ/s757/Mozz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx7MJyhlT0HNuTRZpProkfRWdIp6smPu5BJ0Q4n78wp6Q_44OWPiJUOXVA8j4wm21vKmTlPw-UJvIE2R5SIOrGmrK4cdrGxpSqNMuXunGRTgVS_HoxfdeamUOhzSVXYPV3cRpTmzLEtD0PqAryzmA34DVG82bgsfeuM-FZ3K7drm1kfe28TL2yBf3MQ/s320/Mozz.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Mozzarella Sticks</b> <br />These were REALLY good! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0LTCVZ9v8UksGna_jqW4-FKERJBs6fU9P0hr_3_l_jj8XMIsHXU97ks3qFjlFK2vY-MwuuboZda9ry6reDasKqSeTKpmXHalYhIouKXVfecgtyYJXF7lxWQuPmiONeZXSKKBzW0wHcQtAqxHwmjSSOMsvhAk6s-7IFxAuyjOtIZ2mzCzFPCAH6ZEmA/s757/Chick%20Sand.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0LTCVZ9v8UksGna_jqW4-FKERJBs6fU9P0hr_3_l_jj8XMIsHXU97ks3qFjlFK2vY-MwuuboZda9ry6reDasKqSeTKpmXHalYhIouKXVfecgtyYJXF7lxWQuPmiONeZXSKKBzW0wHcQtAqxHwmjSSOMsvhAk6s-7IFxAuyjOtIZ2mzCzFPCAH6ZEmA/s320/Chick%20Sand.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Steak Sandwich </b><br />Chris really enjoyed this and said it was similar to a "Dairy Queen" steak sandwich. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSG5wfaRA5bgJ6FaE-t-ZZINT3FeJxdxdKpUpm413ui66rocswQAxrbJ8pne5A0uSl3pHfG66oYDFrcZ2VAcOMJPb8D7O0Qw82vwDaJcrQqUZm3qMAcCJ6HkjpVPVApZ0xHkv6qA3BbX0acFOlF2cnzn4iKydyaugoVH4tckSk-rTqPzKAradVKwyvg/s757/nocchi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSG5wfaRA5bgJ6FaE-t-ZZINT3FeJxdxdKpUpm413ui66rocswQAxrbJ8pne5A0uSl3pHfG66oYDFrcZ2VAcOMJPb8D7O0Qw82vwDaJcrQqUZm3qMAcCJ6HkjpVPVApZ0xHkv6qA3BbX0acFOlF2cnzn4iKydyaugoVH4tckSk-rTqPzKAradVKwyvg/s320/nocchi.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Mushroom Gnochi </b><br />This was WOW... So good! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH8RYjbtkT5KFT57yVNLC76YrhwxIzc3ia-FnodmvYDnSQZQuPFE14cLCKcdnK634REKxl4g9aUQPcc91JuPZbZSWWaNLasqmMzHfqcWl-FM9ZWKHQ_lQmXs4PRkyV1IqMR3stwg7zvG0yF7XOHOPgCNTgMbdhRqdSs5d6go48ccNI6W-WGV5kFhYwQ/s757/Rissoto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH8RYjbtkT5KFT57yVNLC76YrhwxIzc3ia-FnodmvYDnSQZQuPFE14cLCKcdnK634REKxl4g9aUQPcc91JuPZbZSWWaNLasqmMzHfqcWl-FM9ZWKHQ_lQmXs4PRkyV1IqMR3stwg7zvG0yF7XOHOPgCNTgMbdhRqdSs5d6go48ccNI6W-WGV5kFhYwQ/s320/Rissoto.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Butternut Squash Risotto</b><br /><i>I LOVE the risotto that RCCL makes and this one was good but not phenomenal like I was expecting! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4uP-oO4vFeXZ6vS-yHUtO8wAj_2c20VbrHy2kwv_BN8HujtwgAw4XJkK46EfTLSIukBE11hdMyzU_CC92njKXSLoMY9b2jg4cUERolMom3eWl0wLtp9UyHrP-Wc4dU-sTsU3Pjotc--Zg_YtcWKOdG4RhGhDyb3E8NQ_npeQuVFSKwLC5R2UtFwHOg/s757/Spag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4uP-oO4vFeXZ6vS-yHUtO8wAj_2c20VbrHy2kwv_BN8HujtwgAw4XJkK46EfTLSIukBE11hdMyzU_CC92njKXSLoMY9b2jg4cUERolMom3eWl0wLtp9UyHrP-Wc4dU-sTsU3Pjotc--Zg_YtcWKOdG4RhGhDyb3E8NQ_npeQuVFSKwLC5R2UtFwHOg/s320/Spag.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Spaghetti <br />Luke LOVED this!</i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRzNElks0P4zlozjlExgM4dPwvm8UV69jFcL-w6btnmYVcw71MEabSyII7DrKR_t1MFuwRUfRrktiSGQziasP-DvNbiA290kP1HXXe6iWyGAY5t8100BPgXT2R4mFr4pWTcxn_GPADSl4oaHTSwUsXr0JLNhcBBq_PCJeYKFDAB5q0JoCBsOuU9PSJA/s757/White%20Mousse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRzNElks0P4zlozjlExgM4dPwvm8UV69jFcL-w6btnmYVcw71MEabSyII7DrKR_t1MFuwRUfRrktiSGQziasP-DvNbiA290kP1HXXe6iWyGAY5t8100BPgXT2R4mFr4pWTcxn_GPADSl4oaHTSwUsXr0JLNhcBBq_PCJeYKFDAB5q0JoCBsOuU9PSJA/s320/White%20Mousse.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>White Chocolate Mousse </b><br />Wow... This was absolutely stunning. The texture and taste were SPOT ON! <br /><span style="color: red;">Be sure to try this... It is only on the Sea Day lunch menu. </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Main Dining Room- French Night (Formal Night)</u></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06EEC6136aTA68GNQdHUOHVAF9UWZwbWonP8umyXAeK6oKg4JZx16G0voHkBuAOm7CSapXGGzDFqWBoFh0WW4MBjDp_4rrLL8LRpXQYzhSSB93-LarrZb3TS1p0cpJ9qYsrbUojr7KSkgGP9BxlTuAygY53Rd4RokkvZSx7wh-rNBYqsPkJKM-SeWJQ/s568/French%20Menu.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06EEC6136aTA68GNQdHUOHVAF9UWZwbWonP8umyXAeK6oKg4JZx16G0voHkBuAOm7CSapXGGzDFqWBoFh0WW4MBjDp_4rrLL8LRpXQYzhSSB93-LarrZb3TS1p0cpJ9qYsrbUojr7KSkgGP9BxlTuAygY53Rd4RokkvZSx7wh-rNBYqsPkJKM-SeWJQ/s320/French%20Menu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">The French Night Menu <br />(Formal Night- Lobsters are no longer on the menu for cruises shorter than 5 days) </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IEE2ocOXkPuZR4wgYlv-9o9guzl8E4o46y_H2zPL4oJkWP3XlTYh_8xFWeHZ8sonood7dx5ZzII2JtU-Dp8pP3nqbeU4n-OnWLeJX598kjqI_M_RJKxrcKBd2MUaY0HiFbmELcqXJGUaV98yG1Yhh0gk9_Zf5mBjVguKWgMP8zBU_5GHOICO2RGt3w/s757/Caesar.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IEE2ocOXkPuZR4wgYlv-9o9guzl8E4o46y_H2zPL4oJkWP3XlTYh_8xFWeHZ8sonood7dx5ZzII2JtU-Dp8pP3nqbeU4n-OnWLeJX598kjqI_M_RJKxrcKBd2MUaY0HiFbmELcqXJGUaV98yG1Yhh0gk9_Zf5mBjVguKWgMP8zBU_5GHOICO2RGt3w/s320/Caesar.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Caesar Salad </b><br />Someone in our family ordered this every single night<b>. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5laaaaLSa5GDUIILczjeslp0ysoKtaFN5JcqUSbPUalJU7CfWF6AJCXPDb306Ie0Y68GR873zWbICRoNmq2GQFI_8jUNo3Z06V2zmxVVLQfUoTbE7jYS9fp-78bEFAH3iJXcCoL4lZxOZCiS0eSVfMiviNH9UPhk7FTycbRiPlAHnU23n8OGbrRGdDw/s757/Calimari.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5laaaaLSa5GDUIILczjeslp0ysoKtaFN5JcqUSbPUalJU7CfWF6AJCXPDb306Ie0Y68GR873zWbICRoNmq2GQFI_8jUNo3Z06V2zmxVVLQfUoTbE7jYS9fp-78bEFAH3iJXcCoL4lZxOZCiS0eSVfMiviNH9UPhk7FTycbRiPlAHnU23n8OGbrRGdDw/s320/Calimari.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Crispy Calamari </b><br />This was exceptionally well done<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11NBH2QxKKwWRJSlJlSclRHReiOli0-9wIY8FbTc5y-_-PVDddnxh9GSzOh7TuvpvbxLwMMsW7o52cEpcDehQ8Vuc8ekRxOIhbmgDC3Ed7ECW-gPcR8bOQBjwPcK4yr4QpG31gmEIjCIAI2W5EjKEM41mph3vJbmXLRqEL-3rATH-bwBii_7TU5eTKg/s757/Onion%20Soup.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11NBH2QxKKwWRJSlJlSclRHReiOli0-9wIY8FbTc5y-_-PVDddnxh9GSzOh7TuvpvbxLwMMsW7o52cEpcDehQ8Vuc8ekRxOIhbmgDC3Ed7ECW-gPcR8bOQBjwPcK4yr4QpG31gmEIjCIAI2W5EjKEM41mph3vJbmXLRqEL-3rATH-bwBii_7TU5eTKg/s320/Onion%20Soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The French Onion Soup </b><br />This is always a hit in my family and RCCL did this well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kTQUO6CcfV9DBg1iizBFf2_PelukH3tdmt6Sa36jhlsAefCnwIbPPZj3GKAEnO_TS25Ejlv7t6x6k05zmTRWo9m_ixbqX7Ee2QJpSbvymxqu6wlRHowLP83U-6lXcr6bJCVTnzRK7RO4qfagH0u5KqhCUOr52grKD62OD-bwnUSslVqDScLkHcZCGQ/s757/Seafood%20Pasta.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kTQUO6CcfV9DBg1iizBFf2_PelukH3tdmt6Sa36jhlsAefCnwIbPPZj3GKAEnO_TS25Ejlv7t6x6k05zmTRWo9m_ixbqX7Ee2QJpSbvymxqu6wlRHowLP83U-6lXcr6bJCVTnzRK7RO4qfagH0u5KqhCUOr52grKD62OD-bwnUSslVqDScLkHcZCGQ/s320/Seafood%20Pasta.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Seafood Linguini</b><br /><span style="color: red;">Natalie and Luke devoured this. I personally thought it was a little dry and could use more sauce. But the seafood was very fresh<span style="font-size: x-large;">. </span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOVW1iRlefdEy3VDH9Pb8L3qhFG43Htw9BY_tiU6nxMwsk4NiKoCBa43SBMp4mHvZ-gbv80A1JFQ3cOm91BBU4hDoXCO2dRUNi0KwaNXFUDlATpKGbuctpuTMopPbkMi15HKN5c87RNW4SX0vF82f3-90txrnoULSY8h3PQMS2Mt3OuUzIGh8-9apBg/s568/Cord%20on%20Blue.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOVW1iRlefdEy3VDH9Pb8L3qhFG43Htw9BY_tiU6nxMwsk4NiKoCBa43SBMp4mHvZ-gbv80A1JFQ3cOm91BBU4hDoXCO2dRUNi0KwaNXFUDlATpKGbuctpuTMopPbkMi15HKN5c87RNW4SX0vF82f3-90txrnoULSY8h3PQMS2Mt3OuUzIGh8-9apBg/s320/Cord%20on%20Blue.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>The Chicken Cordon Bleu</b><br />Chris really liked this entrée </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LnuFp8ZnuQbeau1gEVxE_r65qAAIFZrVC-yNfRKO2nAnqSpJrE0r_YIXSmcqgRsOzmLk9zoWcmtgNFfJVDjMa6PyLRwQ11c5zMw-7CgPTmdLju385Zu8Me0eOnsM4AVZM2z_bGLuuCwARzsbj6QGETLZ7mWuF717SM7tqzhrgzR1qaBTzGeHnCNnCA/s757/FIlet.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LnuFp8ZnuQbeau1gEVxE_r65qAAIFZrVC-yNfRKO2nAnqSpJrE0r_YIXSmcqgRsOzmLk9zoWcmtgNFfJVDjMa6PyLRwQ11c5zMw-7CgPTmdLju385Zu8Me0eOnsM4AVZM2z_bGLuuCwARzsbj6QGETLZ7mWuF717SM7tqzhrgzR1qaBTzGeHnCNnCA/s320/FIlet.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Beef Tenderloin Filet </b><br />Chris and I both really enjoyed this plate. <span style="color: red;">The meat was incredibly tender and full of flavor. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ41yfGHTmYJvxsNumfy2Z-LV1iymTHSfkMjXVNjB9HcuNrRVQTKzKFrgD5D3Fp5Bec-q3sV2LQ80VQeTyFaCGNYbq03x_i1QfeCgrLVzEB83ymVosPldjNuBa45_oNyEa-eSE5V7FPZlaT2Kyzl7SKtH0cxeolZM1aVM0yFBoQcsmxzEYbTHbgWjHA/s757/Creme%20Brulee.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ41yfGHTmYJvxsNumfy2Z-LV1iymTHSfkMjXVNjB9HcuNrRVQTKzKFrgD5D3Fp5Bec-q3sV2LQ80VQeTyFaCGNYbq03x_i1QfeCgrLVzEB83ymVosPldjNuBa45_oNyEa-eSE5V7FPZlaT2Kyzl7SKtH0cxeolZM1aVM0yFBoQcsmxzEYbTHbgWjHA/s320/Creme%20Brulee.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Crème Brulee </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;">This is always a fan favorite and one of RCCL best dessert options.<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Day 3- <strike>Costa Maya </strike>Cozumel at Night </u></b><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">Main Dining Room BRUNCH Menu </i><br /><span style="color: red;"><i>This is only offered on late arrival port days</i></span><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuKFiVRK97yWyVWwbbrJm9tsEK_kSAvbUhc2G_st64foBHlWr9ALD-d8BIyLV2sA0ngD9L2Q7Fv9Djtoq6iItlbZVMj3Mws4QrJ3NOuFny3i8dA5DMae-vZfL0Daj2-OcDwEvMgPr7pBIGzS0sjYZt4UtDYQxf5hTAtKpWEXwLUs46jZrYhsgmeYylg/s568/Brunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuKFiVRK97yWyVWwbbrJm9tsEK_kSAvbUhc2G_st64foBHlWr9ALD-d8BIyLV2sA0ngD9L2Q7Fv9Djtoq6iItlbZVMj3Mws4QrJ3NOuFny3i8dA5DMae-vZfL0Daj2-OcDwEvMgPr7pBIGzS0sjYZt4UtDYQxf5hTAtKpWEXwLUs46jZrYhsgmeYylg/s320/Brunch.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Brunch Menu </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was extensive enough to offer both breakfast and lunch options! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtEnvXiLdmV5aWu6iUFv7f-oWneWXSMnODvZ920yd9LyMFswV1KjEnaZUP5uDC4Dfnh2OpmblVgvmZgSaJ0zxowSk4b17WUPs22uSDQSCz_S2nMr3NXKpxFL4vI6-f03jBn5MM5uKeMsOpG7ukxP1zfa27p45jbnwkT4IJGaEcPaHUBCwxbgQGz3jXQ/s757/Deli%20Meat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtEnvXiLdmV5aWu6iUFv7f-oWneWXSMnODvZ920yd9LyMFswV1KjEnaZUP5uDC4Dfnh2OpmblVgvmZgSaJ0zxowSk4b17WUPs22uSDQSCz_S2nMr3NXKpxFL4vI6-f03jBn5MM5uKeMsOpG7ukxP1zfa27p45jbnwkT4IJGaEcPaHUBCwxbgQGz3jXQ/s320/Deli%20Meat.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Charcuterie Plate </b><br />This was light and delightful!</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kb9lwL8ZBuxMl1Wv4HSsZDNGnPpEpOax_c2avkam18ZMLA3QrlRC760qTcnO0W8_x3Ae4I7Xl34ub1NqOY6mBv6L1OgV4hw2-MS3DkH47dhQrjZ9gMQ2syzRi6SeCHWajWYLt2FGZfaS2LJDvTZ7cLp4f2qC27kR3HtsgP36EPr20UccwZNYJ5MAZA/s757/Fruits.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kb9lwL8ZBuxMl1Wv4HSsZDNGnPpEpOax_c2avkam18ZMLA3QrlRC760qTcnO0W8_x3Ae4I7Xl34ub1NqOY6mBv6L1OgV4hw2-MS3DkH47dhQrjZ9gMQ2syzRi6SeCHWajWYLt2FGZfaS2LJDvTZ7cLp4f2qC27kR3HtsgP36EPr20UccwZNYJ5MAZA/s320/Fruits.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The Fruit Plate <br /></b>Luke loved the pineapple and strawberries </i></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtbiKVfj7mCsmlL4txl1xPyxzorYJAe6YXMzMb0-_lhGeOmAqe47bXbxcgVtIIiGxxMP5FP7owBJ5eH3ElqgfkO8jUq5a3nK4WVuCkjTVEYfwjLhKaN-C6vaRFee9naeO2MQMTu_cKhx8K1HS6lXGN2dUdj3G25mCZHgrnhEcO6EOsuV-qH0rS54Xig/s757/Potatoe%20Soup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtbiKVfj7mCsmlL4txl1xPyxzorYJAe6YXMzMb0-_lhGeOmAqe47bXbxcgVtIIiGxxMP5FP7owBJ5eH3ElqgfkO8jUq5a3nK4WVuCkjTVEYfwjLhKaN-C6vaRFee9naeO2MQMTu_cKhx8K1HS6lXGN2dUdj3G25mCZHgrnhEcO6EOsuV-qH0rS54Xig/s320/Potatoe%20Soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Potato Soup </b><br />This was not as big of a hit as Luke wanted it to be when he ordered it. </i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-511WsDD5EmAiumWKyHPKx11T6upyieunSciLsxKwNPmjQiRmKsZIUVTwQVXTdAnIO3ya8B0fAGl7r3vdEtAf1Y-WYbrwBi9Xsr0ybEVfIyYGAvHSnUVgEJfds96WswMNbKNHmLBgdmrKF8iGc5WssIxBHoC3Cz5A0UmjuNpbpfhDLSjwHGfPEgPhDQ/s757/OMelet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-511WsDD5EmAiumWKyHPKx11T6upyieunSciLsxKwNPmjQiRmKsZIUVTwQVXTdAnIO3ya8B0fAGl7r3vdEtAf1Y-WYbrwBi9Xsr0ybEVfIyYGAvHSnUVgEJfds96WswMNbKNHmLBgdmrKF8iGc5WssIxBHoC3Cz5A0UmjuNpbpfhDLSjwHGfPEgPhDQ/s320/OMelet.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></b><i><b>Loaded Omelet (Made to order)</b> <br />This breakfast is ALWAYS a hit and so very fulfilling. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf9atD5QJ62FrhKzEhGVPi8UTcX7dyQDpMwg3kOLOKfjYf1WBjL3UUGEytiVAFflbgLEiRsiUau2E8988FiIj06h0l63l-3l4QgGBhcqMJoQ1fZvnKUIpQHfgPIY1DvbkKuj6caTXRboPoIC0JeVBQJD8VW6oXMzfsd7dIbA_cX-CuP67Qjpwtfr4_Q/s757/Risotto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf9atD5QJ62FrhKzEhGVPi8UTcX7dyQDpMwg3kOLOKfjYf1WBjL3UUGEytiVAFflbgLEiRsiUau2E8988FiIj06h0l63l-3l4QgGBhcqMJoQ1fZvnKUIpQHfgPIY1DvbkKuj6caTXRboPoIC0JeVBQJD8VW6oXMzfsd7dIbA_cX-CuP67Qjpwtfr4_Q/s320/Risotto.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Butternut Squash Risotto </b><br />This was available again and we wanted another try. <span style="color: red;">It was better on this day!</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtO5S8i4W9Im7wtpNa_MvoFMscFKGdYZPT4bS1PD025Du0-KibDmqlm2zj8QO6iujl4En6EqvJ02W0ydCu7h-WX1stF4Zqgvj3CpOCLgrYrUsr3slSGUoCz0y1b843y5C4JAE7Ixe2d4ArAm-M5DEepTbC6EmJAIZbIvmkA_t5wyhHSmtdm-6BcR1hQ/s757/Key%20Lime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtO5S8i4W9Im7wtpNa_MvoFMscFKGdYZPT4bS1PD025Du0-KibDmqlm2zj8QO6iujl4En6EqvJ02W0ydCu7h-WX1stF4Zqgvj3CpOCLgrYrUsr3slSGUoCz0y1b843y5C4JAE7Ixe2d4ArAm-M5DEepTbC6EmJAIZbIvmkA_t5wyhHSmtdm-6BcR1hQ/s320/Key%20Lime.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Key Lime Pie </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>We all enjoyed this dessert option. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Main Dining Room- Caribbean Night </span></u></b><br />We had reservations at Izumi so we did not get to try any of these menu options. <br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUVTE9qBGKVNO_2BIQoOHZKDLPwa7hcG6BEodOvFBBJW6UN3NxFiMvbtp4CQbATVofGa0UEUOI02A9enVuAaiY7xPm9Yt5a-Ef02n6wHIUyV5rcAV7f374TOf-IT9sGfJXX_S9KxJZhDC2AJ8HSLXk-PfOOhdRhMRTNWC6DJKa_E_eXrtPfY0UVLrww/s757/Caribbean%20Menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUVTE9qBGKVNO_2BIQoOHZKDLPwa7hcG6BEodOvFBBJW6UN3NxFiMvbtp4CQbATVofGa0UEUOI02A9enVuAaiY7xPm9Yt5a-Ef02n6wHIUyV5rcAV7f374TOf-IT9sGfJXX_S9KxJZhDC2AJ8HSLXk-PfOOhdRhMRTNWC6DJKa_E_eXrtPfY0UVLrww/s320/Caribbean%20Menu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>MDR Caribbean Night Menu </b><br /><i><span style="color: red;">(Supposedly it is the favorite of the new menus based off a fleet wide poll. <b>Mexican </b>is the favorite of guests sailing from Galveston)</span></i> <br /><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Izumi</u></span><br /><span style="color: red;">Izumi is a Specialty Restaurant on Voyager Class and above ships. It offers a la carte' or Prixe Fix menu options. We opted to order the Prixe Fix menu and an additional 2 rolls for our family.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav_VYbXIq_R84Y0Xml7AqA6BL68tzjuAY_hu5SH7Tqkj66P7nxlczV8ia4d4MCGZn2_u1wUwSLdvZziKO5uVtnTpy_n-hNfb0gKiWO6_FrOsL-e620YIGqmlahu3x1ylAp102nSFaKvUXkZKa9ZyswtpzqvySKhKoFzpbj_RGPRWFpBFVcV4QrDmapg/s568/IZ%20menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav_VYbXIq_R84Y0Xml7AqA6BL68tzjuAY_hu5SH7Tqkj66P7nxlczV8ia4d4MCGZn2_u1wUwSLdvZziKO5uVtnTpy_n-hNfb0gKiWO6_FrOsL-e620YIGqmlahu3x1ylAp102nSFaKvUXkZKa9ZyswtpzqvySKhKoFzpbj_RGPRWFpBFVcV4QrDmapg/s320/IZ%20menu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Izumi Menu </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSP39L9OGH15LxZ6rQ65SvZi3uOBPWH9plcHRYwkB1bL8xnUZulSroEIPJ6QWc2G-yScQzHlDkQUlu7gh151zjMvFj-3keh3Sp2F5P3YSs5J5xG0uqBnRz1NsKor1w7dSOaMi8Zzg6ptbskLDr_oAbDk_uEYEEmbMlgiVBR_z5L-3fDARjGsKFR3f8g/s757/App.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSP39L9OGH15LxZ6rQ65SvZi3uOBPWH9plcHRYwkB1bL8xnUZulSroEIPJ6QWc2G-yScQzHlDkQUlu7gh151zjMvFj-3keh3Sp2F5P3YSs5J5xG0uqBnRz1NsKor1w7dSOaMi8Zzg6ptbskLDr_oAbDk_uEYEEmbMlgiVBR_z5L-3fDARjGsKFR3f8g/s320/App.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Firecracker Shrimp appetizer<br /></b>Chris really enjoyed this one but said had it not been on the fix menu he may not have ordered it. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02-kWDLGXjqKsIiTc8KcvyleJGh4jCxwnxRUBw9vwtVgqhEnOV2CVtWHEH6wcWdtgY7kE_dr2Y7jepORfREGkvtpfCB-6uQv3zseZOFQjVq_S05dK3i4kgFtKihDzeUNxoypxOdoRpalMgad6AnjC8Q9KBslS7Joq33EN1uK5fnW-LqbzhOE7zoUjDA/s757/Egg%20Rolls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02-kWDLGXjqKsIiTc8KcvyleJGh4jCxwnxRUBw9vwtVgqhEnOV2CVtWHEH6wcWdtgY7kE_dr2Y7jepORfREGkvtpfCB-6uQv3zseZOFQjVq_S05dK3i4kgFtKihDzeUNxoypxOdoRpalMgad6AnjC8Q9KBslS7Joq33EN1uK5fnW-LqbzhOE7zoUjDA/s320/Egg%20Rolls.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Shrimp Spring Roll </b><br />This was a traditional spring roll but LOADED with flavor.</i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZElD_ht3hAzs1jq7hVhwiUozLvALjIH0TCuwsVv-hztogTLus42wHtn3TZbpuTWgs21TLY9B1UlWbrSxxWx1U0-XDbN7nBYQ9UczbWM55uA0CfLm0CvIgSV_9Os2laMPcZ-PoS7a5SvWzV9Uqwb21FHB-VBdOVZbZim3BjAMWBO5XUSbtjFuCCi1U7w/s757/Fried%20Rice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZElD_ht3hAzs1jq7hVhwiUozLvALjIH0TCuwsVv-hztogTLus42wHtn3TZbpuTWgs21TLY9B1UlWbrSxxWx1U0-XDbN7nBYQ9UczbWM55uA0CfLm0CvIgSV_9Os2laMPcZ-PoS7a5SvWzV9Uqwb21FHB-VBdOVZbZim3BjAMWBO5XUSbtjFuCCi1U7w/s320/Fried%20Rice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vegetable Fried Rice <br />Nothing too special! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF30wJ6vpMFf9DJCmhVk-WnesbvKLWd-hThrvcweY4TsxSwe-A2MvmttuvxXHkm9UnCy5IFbrIysXXd3l3BVqPRU_YSS7-HzNH0n9X7V4OyYnYfIHNJ7GrzTBox3NNjQ6Kst23mXNmTvqE4JYnOeDI5O9QjwQk3c0ryfGti9QGuqE-QZUFhNUxmTs-Kw/s757/Sushi%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF30wJ6vpMFf9DJCmhVk-WnesbvKLWd-hThrvcweY4TsxSwe-A2MvmttuvxXHkm9UnCy5IFbrIysXXd3l3BVqPRU_YSS7-HzNH0n9X7V4OyYnYfIHNJ7GrzTBox3NNjQ6Kst23mXNmTvqE4JYnOeDI5O9QjwQk3c0ryfGti9QGuqE-QZUFhNUxmTs-Kw/s320/Sushi%201.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Luke's Shrimp California Roll and Salmon Lovers Roll </b><br /><span style="color: red;">He devoured these almost as fast as I snapped the picture. </span></i><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuztCexaZ0ITJ6hoAGtFATHn8WmnK6oA9fQCoO_AxPwd2SgweNLQP2a6E8CUTsG8J0OExntlBTy0Rfal4ddbXJCo2dg9VGkuAN76Lsi8qXjKTm--e41I47e4R98pQDnwnKMwClfAf7GwZkKjgWLoz8EveYzLa649d24InGYpubYSdBlXf9Ntvrq9LoA/s757/sushi%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuztCexaZ0ITJ6hoAGtFATHn8WmnK6oA9fQCoO_AxPwd2SgweNLQP2a6E8CUTsG8J0OExntlBTy0Rfal4ddbXJCo2dg9VGkuAN76Lsi8qXjKTm--e41I47e4R98pQDnwnKMwClfAf7GwZkKjgWLoz8EveYzLa649d24InGYpubYSdBlXf9Ntvrq9LoA/s320/sushi%202.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Natalie's Lobster Champagne and Salmon Lover's Roll</b><br />She especially liked the Lobster roll.</i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHQGICGutx-PlFUOoylhBgpBkmy1H0hKwHjExKPSLwUw7b3FKKZLC5bUI6tdbF5715yaUFD-FTX41AvReRCmKrphb4NGir0CdoG4QLPrYOUmGkFjc-1AmkwkWCmKnAejXzBUdOqqZdc-NvqcSZtNA6oylOLioIIJ7HbeXAQcCYcpUzos-05BEneaTgg/s757/sushi%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHQGICGutx-PlFUOoylhBgpBkmy1H0hKwHjExKPSLwUw7b3FKKZLC5bUI6tdbF5715yaUFD-FTX41AvReRCmKrphb4NGir0CdoG4QLPrYOUmGkFjc-1AmkwkWCmKnAejXzBUdOqqZdc-NvqcSZtNA6oylOLioIIJ7HbeXAQcCYcpUzos-05BEneaTgg/s320/sushi%203.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>My Dynamite and Futotaki Rolls </b><br /><span style="color: red;">These were some of the best sushi I have had in recent memory.</span></i><span style="color: red;"> </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjDhPhXWRJrDB7ILVNoFzBbS4r59pKQtLLSzrMSiLsLyuFezNcoqIC_HZxGIgoZY1Q-y_qBw3grbYppynS_gfSV3yYFvdIDtt-w83Bd5xL96b9WuYVO52-T1jBxnk-y6Lv_8cg8WunM-G2NwXlGpyJIGmRdtMCjGx4J_QnoYAyZLCoAjqgQrNjyAxRg/s757/dessert.jpg" style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjDhPhXWRJrDB7ILVNoFzBbS4r59pKQtLLSzrMSiLsLyuFezNcoqIC_HZxGIgoZY1Q-y_qBw3grbYppynS_gfSV3yYFvdIDtt-w83Bd5xL96b9WuYVO52-T1jBxnk-y6Lv_8cg8WunM-G2NwXlGpyJIGmRdtMCjGx4J_QnoYAyZLCoAjqgQrNjyAxRg/s320/dessert.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream </b><br />I know this is a new "fad" but these were just not for me. Way too weird of a texture. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GQeizDLHAzynf497nWJLPicXmUBNK9HYIIfxoNDmvGhkj9M1FhZYHyZtJB19Q5rcKitezDXkSKblozaGuKysVBdK7Jhn682kOTmbTf_vWJIEPHRLOcsRhzrCSqEkcgzdTp1NKztQrZeiA3kiklDYMgpfa00_laDyIWppnqiUKATVrFGlylb-hjB9zA/s757/lava%20cake.jpg" style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GQeizDLHAzynf497nWJLPicXmUBNK9HYIIfxoNDmvGhkj9M1FhZYHyZtJB19Q5rcKitezDXkSKblozaGuKysVBdK7Jhn682kOTmbTf_vWJIEPHRLOcsRhzrCSqEkcgzdTp1NKztQrZeiA3kiklDYMgpfa00_laDyIWppnqiUKATVrFGlylb-hjB9zA/s320/lava%20cake.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b>The Chocolate Lava Cake </b><br />Luke LOVED this dessert! </div><br /><u style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Day 4- Cozumel </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">MDR- Mexican Night </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XzWNGNuDEBOfkeQtEGE6L2TD1p7yj_csUg22xAmswjRqqsuKIuXkdVOHrKUUaWs76RjdkA0UR6X5sM6Yf3XhJiKK1C0mV7qn530kvkqCGgBfw03R2Jtj_cSm6fOJ-ZwejSEPWLeE_A4ElkAeFfacB6eAi-58po0mtD6plKBO4soFQO8-JGB_6sArmg/s568/Mexican%20Menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XzWNGNuDEBOfkeQtEGE6L2TD1p7yj_csUg22xAmswjRqqsuKIuXkdVOHrKUUaWs76RjdkA0UR6X5sM6Yf3XhJiKK1C0mV7qn530kvkqCGgBfw03R2Jtj_cSm6fOJ-ZwejSEPWLeE_A4ElkAeFfacB6eAi-58po0mtD6plKBO4soFQO8-JGB_6sArmg/s320/Mexican%20Menu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>MDR Mexican Night Menu </b><br /><span style="color: red;">(Keep in mind this is Mexican and not Tex-Mex)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCaE24iCEbVbzr8btRaZ2h6ZtL6cvD6HXC1IcMwio3b0RM4RK__fYDIovtWep-2U9EE-6a5LNQfqlLJFC71hPrfOyroVZj8NQTZH-wdA_kb51C9fR0KPkiOKahXr00try8a3c2_Gj7AnXfbow-DaAPxx_nq5nnFaTZr1-JsjFjNFpmrVXdnoicxEckg/s757/Green%20Soup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCaE24iCEbVbzr8btRaZ2h6ZtL6cvD6HXC1IcMwio3b0RM4RK__fYDIovtWep-2U9EE-6a5LNQfqlLJFC71hPrfOyroVZj8NQTZH-wdA_kb51C9fR0KPkiOKahXr00try8a3c2_Gj7AnXfbow-DaAPxx_nq5nnFaTZr1-JsjFjNFpmrVXdnoicxEckg/s320/Green%20Soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup </b><br />This was not a winner for me but Chris enjoyed it. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA-pc3x1DmBwpksLHTm7xb8MxqXHGSD6DNPzzX5WLF5yS5Z6BPiNusdowhQGrl5yNFlb-CQ0uMMfj6v6bFVaWVS4M9PhPYv0sQG-lsQUlxBNRzzKe6sqDaHFxCBr77NlkiJjH90FcG3NIZWoJHlF1671oStgrpg87X7vGWFhFNqX3jj7EKp705nAeXw/s757/Shrimp%20Cocktail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA-pc3x1DmBwpksLHTm7xb8MxqXHGSD6DNPzzX5WLF5yS5Z6BPiNusdowhQGrl5yNFlb-CQ0uMMfj6v6bFVaWVS4M9PhPYv0sQG-lsQUlxBNRzzKe6sqDaHFxCBr77NlkiJjH90FcG3NIZWoJHlF1671oStgrpg87X7vGWFhFNqX3jj7EKp705nAeXw/s320/Shrimp%20Cocktail.jpg" width="320" /></b></a><br /><i><b>Chilled Shrimp Cocktail </b><br />A fan (and my family) favorite. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4Qz12Me1jOD_eEDkKPpWOJY-6_6vdVZM6-27vW7B0pkONJdB5zjkN6lTDc7ilCIMHbeQCj2XcU5xgMcbq10DazGRAROnlIC1x-mrQGOuVZZpYBftans1SAxJiND_imwJQqH5UMb6ijEO44SrCNF8lXKRMhCcf-CArwkgdQLYlk4LYtzjKrlaAlkU7w/s757/Tortilla%20Soup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4Qz12Me1jOD_eEDkKPpWOJY-6_6vdVZM6-27vW7B0pkONJdB5zjkN6lTDc7ilCIMHbeQCj2XcU5xgMcbq10DazGRAROnlIC1x-mrQGOuVZZpYBftans1SAxJiND_imwJQqH5UMb6ijEO44SrCNF8lXKRMhCcf-CArwkgdQLYlk4LYtzjKrlaAlkU7w/s320/Tortilla%20Soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Tortilla Soup </b><br />This was a good, rich and rather spicy soup. Luke and I enjoyed it very much</i>! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfUgh-jYpTVYkJjAhZLShP5avMXaYxvhO7cHIEicZt9_V4nT3nJQf2Qt_-jyUmoMP7I0QG1ZfAWiC5QYDy6_1HUmbWPIWLeUB37yifz8OmRfeEU-TaiXjtpSzJx0hHhWTOtecItaLcVNcsJUyWw5WPuWtPc_Nl-K1yJ2Gz7ZlUemaK-YpzOZkKEOnfA/s757/Enchilada.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfUgh-jYpTVYkJjAhZLShP5avMXaYxvhO7cHIEicZt9_V4nT3nJQf2Qt_-jyUmoMP7I0QG1ZfAWiC5QYDy6_1HUmbWPIWLeUB37yifz8OmRfeEU-TaiXjtpSzJx0hHhWTOtecItaLcVNcsJUyWw5WPuWtPc_Nl-K1yJ2Gz7ZlUemaK-YpzOZkKEOnfA/s320/Enchilada.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Pulled Pork Enchilada </b><br />I am not really sure what I had pictured in my head as to what this would be... But it wasn't that. I ate maybe 3 bites and was done. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7y8YGaiCTMPOJJGdz8rZDvg5lMZQg_JRcmtDZwPfcT4dJZvtJkm05HvjWVjD9grJD_VvzFZINa_YBQznNoKchGMBYRmn9nJpXKwzmTruRhmRkOfI8hH6WOGOHr_sQPCvBIZI3muyGIUnfXdCmbD7zoko7nfd3Yd8W9qLuaqiPlQCGPslw0lZD6wvrQ/s757/Salmon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7y8YGaiCTMPOJJGdz8rZDvg5lMZQg_JRcmtDZwPfcT4dJZvtJkm05HvjWVjD9grJD_VvzFZINa_YBQznNoKchGMBYRmn9nJpXKwzmTruRhmRkOfI8hH6WOGOHr_sQPCvBIZI3muyGIUnfXdCmbD7zoko7nfd3Yd8W9qLuaqiPlQCGPslw0lZD6wvrQ/s320/Salmon.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Chile- Lime Crusted Salmon<br /></b>This was a good salmon but not a huge fan of the Mexican flavors. If it ain't broke... Don't fix it! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50JdHT42Hnx6ufQJVjj4Wf4a-LV-iOxCVe3xYLzTTgGDFYKo8eDbglKvgmxQD5cr2GABAu5XHK_P8rwxwLcaTRwr08bhPAXWljtC5jgjpqr0Nkx54Qz0rYukcfSTDq9B6mpR9gASHhd7bMgxwooysoGT3WhhkkGEdHUEKkspdQkIvtKlena6i-QCtAw/s757/Spag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50JdHT42Hnx6ufQJVjj4Wf4a-LV-iOxCVe3xYLzTTgGDFYKo8eDbglKvgmxQD5cr2GABAu5XHK_P8rwxwLcaTRwr08bhPAXWljtC5jgjpqr0Nkx54Qz0rYukcfSTDq9B6mpR9gASHhd7bMgxwooysoGT3WhhkkGEdHUEKkspdQkIvtKlena6i-QCtAw/s320/Spag.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Spaghetti Bolognese</b><br />Luke ordered this every single night. I guess when we can't have it at home due to diet restrictions, the kid just wanted it! And he ate every single bite every time. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy--_QvMalTyP-i2wAFIjhi2MwfKcOucEGaEKjF518qyuRU93mzIZzzye-_KZEyqqn6jvsjpOEZR_54ivWOQuODJB1XHlsWtqBYlex2ZbHuKs8-pjPkDPmiGfqTDMLDXHKZ6s35OQ8ffqhQOO40RsFQa7Hmwnv93fHH6WVb1TllKzCe2OZi5lgZ0RelA/s757/Steak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy--_QvMalTyP-i2wAFIjhi2MwfKcOucEGaEKjF518qyuRU93mzIZzzye-_KZEyqqn6jvsjpOEZR_54ivWOQuODJB1XHlsWtqBYlex2ZbHuKs8-pjPkDPmiGfqTDMLDXHKZ6s35OQ8ffqhQOO40RsFQa7Hmwnv93fHH6WVb1TllKzCe2OZi5lgZ0RelA/s320/Steak.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Carne Asada </b><br />This was a traditional Mexican dish and it really hit the spot! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeKBqVlpddGEVNFB8OKXvu8OvKJdjZpGnGffDDrX8HLtFqk7aITV_VHJbv_7Z8A_ASUdPxRRSdN60H7jdr5QcdyUT_h6SoiFdqNx0hRPEAktTo0aEh3PxKq8sJhdaWf8X2w2mmlbbCkPgazjmqBHPG9nwyNZTOoyAiIyT0gx6DMLqlzfNTml0vC3CxQ/s757/Tres%20Leches.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeKBqVlpddGEVNFB8OKXvu8OvKJdjZpGnGffDDrX8HLtFqk7aITV_VHJbv_7Z8A_ASUdPxRRSdN60H7jdr5QcdyUT_h6SoiFdqNx0hRPEAktTo0aEh3PxKq8sJhdaWf8X2w2mmlbbCkPgazjmqBHPG9nwyNZTOoyAiIyT0gx6DMLqlzfNTml0vC3CxQ/s320/Tres%20Leches.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Mexican Tres Leches Cake </b><br />This was easily the BEST dessert of the entire cruise. I said in the moment "I should ask for one to go" and as I type this, I really wish I would have. It was incredible! <span style="color: red;">DO NOT sit on this one! </span></i><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Day 5- Sea Day </u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Main Dining Room- Italian Night</u></i><b> </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Eu2z3CCSrfAbf4HU3U_C80TP2x5WkSF-Lpu-P8xQx2N415KdaxcMW3pSpJGACQfCi5tmyK8whoi_PiHUPZaimUF7tfEbBtjOa032xnMxrGhXjNYUex24FLbG9j6WFuGW72qUtq5jgWTHHILSVzMY7KT_Rx_ycrMWwrgGYaM2AYx1TDtssS84HtvYnw/s568/Italian.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Eu2z3CCSrfAbf4HU3U_C80TP2x5WkSF-Lpu-P8xQx2N415KdaxcMW3pSpJGACQfCi5tmyK8whoi_PiHUPZaimUF7tfEbBtjOa032xnMxrGhXjNYUex24FLbG9j6WFuGW72qUtq5jgWTHHILSVzMY7KT_Rx_ycrMWwrgGYaM2AYx1TDtssS84HtvYnw/s320/Italian.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Italian Night Menu </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiea99-rWoISQ2KRGf1hSoT_MEXG5PZYVxGTikOf61nnO4ddqyDnVjIm5qvAuHRXxZNMbpHDR491Nb9vVz-modujfilDMUC_SuRTBgMt_Y4zTW8BF4qFVoy9akjubNuRzD_Ha2biMEahPBfJLDrmIsyr2z9XEi9rwSlvD4k94e8VppGfucjhg8fciOA/s757/Arranci.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiea99-rWoISQ2KRGf1hSoT_MEXG5PZYVxGTikOf61nnO4ddqyDnVjIm5qvAuHRXxZNMbpHDR491Nb9vVz-modujfilDMUC_SuRTBgMt_Y4zTW8BF4qFVoy9akjubNuRzD_Ha2biMEahPBfJLDrmIsyr2z9XEi9rwSlvD4k94e8VppGfucjhg8fciOA/s320/Arranci.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Crispy Arancini </b><br />These "rice balls" were good and worth ordering again.</i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhLbbyR9vnDYb3r75MQSAWhABQFaSCx3iJ5W9VtdulV-WI1St8gldnNVAkA6rjqDJCW7A-Fypk821xm-bLNXkdtfHBNwADxf_c9O8t58oLV4tJX1Jn7b6jG9BwG2kBSL2oFZwBqhar1B5y8O-wmR5wytpBwy2h5jNP2vCSWx5nHNO6UJrY2Q-RmytTw/s757/Minestrone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhLbbyR9vnDYb3r75MQSAWhABQFaSCx3iJ5W9VtdulV-WI1St8gldnNVAkA6rjqDJCW7A-Fypk821xm-bLNXkdtfHBNwADxf_c9O8t58oLV4tJX1Jn7b6jG9BwG2kBSL2oFZwBqhar1B5y8O-wmR5wytpBwy2h5jNP2vCSWx5nHNO6UJrY2Q-RmytTw/s320/Minestrone.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Minestrone Soup </b><br />This was good but not great. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_dw33o84AdvLw5Z3HENFwAKBwHIPmyt_I9yD66OMY1C_qGSlcy7sF0otmjgk8ZEReok6GOrQ5P9Z-2E955O3dUT_HOMQjCWlmKF6pP0iUmc_mjjpBMDL2g7PcTZGEAC0BykKcY7Y3U_7Ui4028vf0w3cYhQ74fnv06kWNswgjL4HQYCEzOXUn-KOmg/s757/Chick%20Parm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_dw33o84AdvLw5Z3HENFwAKBwHIPmyt_I9yD66OMY1C_qGSlcy7sF0otmjgk8ZEReok6GOrQ5P9Z-2E955O3dUT_HOMQjCWlmKF6pP0iUmc_mjjpBMDL2g7PcTZGEAC0BykKcY7Y3U_7Ui4028vf0w3cYhQ74fnv06kWNswgjL4HQYCEzOXUn-KOmg/s320/Chick%20Parm.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Chicken Parmesan </b><br />This was a very good but Chris agreed that Olive Garden (or the like) was just as good. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSBlkFUdzFJAtTjqy-3nseGZ_N-0e_fI95g6QI9yQALsHRUSfWTGrdlOl6GLccZOZc5G5c_snDLj4zsazuxCFJS97qkLsZDZU_S5TvCY9aL-b_dNa20olcB37X1s5dbZGFBnJg6oPZecnsDrX8_GRl5kKkI3g4xXbxsk80He5BO9NzEqptNAUI7CjTg/s757/Lasagna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSBlkFUdzFJAtTjqy-3nseGZ_N-0e_fI95g6QI9yQALsHRUSfWTGrdlOl6GLccZOZc5G5c_snDLj4zsazuxCFJS97qkLsZDZU_S5TvCY9aL-b_dNa20olcB37X1s5dbZGFBnJg6oPZecnsDrX8_GRl5kKkI3g4xXbxsk80He5BO9NzEqptNAUI7CjTg/s320/Lasagna.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Lasagna </b><br />This was SO GOOD! Be sure to order it if you like lasagna! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVNMwDvLm04QBnX-oLSgDYIeIrfBV-Mqtc-4GiGyFWoc46BKXJxVib1xeUVCNJK1WP_ZS00n1n05uT8DB44wxNPNyFdaQlDc8XuVQZzPaXST4DLEti_6vuBWvWN4flBIw8EEATbgMYF48a8eyLTo8pWqn1GjxAHYfW9xf-GoKGxyhPUr04Wt5BAxksw/s757/Mushroom%20Risotto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVNMwDvLm04QBnX-oLSgDYIeIrfBV-Mqtc-4GiGyFWoc46BKXJxVib1xeUVCNJK1WP_ZS00n1n05uT8DB44wxNPNyFdaQlDc8XuVQZzPaXST4DLEti_6vuBWvWN4flBIw8EEATbgMYF48a8eyLTo8pWqn1GjxAHYfW9xf-GoKGxyhPUr04Wt5BAxksw/s320/Mushroom%20Risotto.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Mushroom Risotto </b><br />HOLY MOLY... Best dish of the entire cruise. I was so full from the previous appetizers, I didn't even get to fully enjoy it! This was phenomenal. </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgRXAfdfAFl5nGpUZJKLuaEQPyNR_x5hIY5c4OVu_cnw7K_5EHr2-uZfMRA3WItaHDL_VjCalMKB93JPxHkWx7Dy8p1Wo1Nl9duN-eR5albCcLdu351rKIRZtUFClb8CqcFTSAwZgkamLtYYl2hZ1pym-WzP5wrTdjDI1BlVBbOdXbGTX_iGJ1Z1vIQ/s757/Strip%20Steak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgRXAfdfAFl5nGpUZJKLuaEQPyNR_x5hIY5c4OVu_cnw7K_5EHr2-uZfMRA3WItaHDL_VjCalMKB93JPxHkWx7Dy8p1Wo1Nl9duN-eR5albCcLdu351rKIRZtUFClb8CqcFTSAwZgkamLtYYl2hZ1pym-WzP5wrTdjDI1BlVBbOdXbGTX_iGJ1Z1vIQ/s320/Strip%20Steak.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>NY Strip Steak </b><br />This became a staple for Luke but this night it also featured a delicious sauce as well. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13wXe99hGZdzNtVpptWGWejqCPqzGOELs_75D1d-_tu1H312Ojtw3slLnYtyOUOxwFyMBQFpz1nAPu0hU-ZRdG35QtWquUUF08bgtreoCPEp7lfGwfh8F18Kw9xKSjxP7zOrWY6aRPr2dKFW9E8dj0xJsD6rnUgPRRixkdLbf0xGc0MoueCf8PgJEKA/s757/Tirimisu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13wXe99hGZdzNtVpptWGWejqCPqzGOELs_75D1d-_tu1H312Ojtw3slLnYtyOUOxwFyMBQFpz1nAPu0hU-ZRdG35QtWquUUF08bgtreoCPEp7lfGwfh8F18Kw9xKSjxP7zOrWY6aRPr2dKFW9E8dj0xJsD6rnUgPRRixkdLbf0xGc0MoueCf8PgJEKA/s320/Tirimisu.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Italian Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake </b><br />This was interesting but good </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NjEXKL-RAabl9i6yfFtykoCXJGAH5oy0C58pQDI9g3sEdITuSi-K973X-FVBfSegq6deEJk0s7htyjMRiFPHU89jt4Ty2rCoIvGrausBk8lmULayViTU07KKO77v7VvLn5Ycw8a9haWtF_65D87TYJ4JSHevDBlbSDq6twwdkvwripzgZixaroB5aA/s757/Tira.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NjEXKL-RAabl9i6yfFtykoCXJGAH5oy0C58pQDI9g3sEdITuSi-K973X-FVBfSegq6deEJk0s7htyjMRiFPHU89jt4Ty2rCoIvGrausBk8lmULayViTU07KKO77v7VvLn5Ycw8a9haWtF_65D87TYJ4JSHevDBlbSDq6twwdkvwripzgZixaroB5aA/s320/Tira.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Tiramisu </b><br />Wow... Just wow! I asked the waiter to bring us another one, it was SO GOOD! </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Debarkation</i></b></span><i><b> Morning</b></i></u></span></div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u>MDR Port Day Breakfast </u></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvFwwu-xNrBvNFmAM05ERUR79wQ4Z28pfsSohpQJZhBjxxuf9kDUMCB2uy-cFk9rdYHMZM1AP39XA5S9HACvOMprDc-g2RCTazvEk6Y06q06vxy5T3gzz_ekOEq40qS_9yv8uiNdrRDQVfWrdvWbdh9EHfYMOrpdspHMgOlKABmo0eiNfZjf904hThw/s568/Debark%20B%20meu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvFwwu-xNrBvNFmAM05ERUR79wQ4Z28pfsSohpQJZhBjxxuf9kDUMCB2uy-cFk9rdYHMZM1AP39XA5S9HACvOMprDc-g2RCTazvEk6Y06q06vxy5T3gzz_ekOEq40qS_9yv8uiNdrRDQVfWrdvWbdh9EHfYMOrpdspHMgOlKABmo0eiNfZjf904hThw/s320/Debark%20B%20meu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Port Day MDR menu </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdSfuljsT73titx9IytQtf6pY5J5zpua8Ef_YeOUDlZjoPeUtG2HgclUD9OmBkt9B466vByTKvbbo_QLI-3WbqjHhiUWopsrtQxICbAIM_H6naE3jT6vbkyjxIzo-KQEAMveWDDtH6Ssmu4OrYY4kjN-9Cp5gXDW9HTy_0tqk1qT9BIKEqFSs1bOMZQ/s757/Burrito.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdSfuljsT73titx9IytQtf6pY5J5zpua8Ef_YeOUDlZjoPeUtG2HgclUD9OmBkt9B466vByTKvbbo_QLI-3WbqjHhiUWopsrtQxICbAIM_H6naE3jT6vbkyjxIzo-KQEAMveWDDtH6Ssmu4OrYY4kjN-9Cp5gXDW9HTy_0tqk1qT9BIKEqFSs1bOMZQ/s320/Burrito.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Breakfast Burrito </b><br /><span style="color: red;">WOW... This was crazy good. I really wish I would have found this earlier in the cruise! </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5CVjyg76LcNRSlWJ976q8z0IIMHf8u0tOLViU7tr_AJySgmQvHlMUZPKmf4WH6og5iLnPcFnn_R4JPBYGwvpVFVpoANUcUae5KDiy_LPjf7IALcl67ToVnU_icVf7MRyNHEWfoUK3YGXFztkEAkU4RPY9hZLmgbAKItLgcTmpNsWO0SaW_h905p6OA/s568/Pancakes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5CVjyg76LcNRSlWJ976q8z0IIMHf8u0tOLViU7tr_AJySgmQvHlMUZPKmf4WH6og5iLnPcFnn_R4JPBYGwvpVFVpoANUcUae5KDiy_LPjf7IALcl67ToVnU_icVf7MRyNHEWfoUK3YGXFztkEAkU4RPY9hZLmgbAKItLgcTmpNsWO0SaW_h905p6OA/s320/Pancakes.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Luke's pancakes... This boy LOVED the RCCL pancakes!</b></i> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The food overall on this cruise was as to be expected for </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> but the service was much slower overall. The dinners often took 2 or more hours; </span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">which is common for formal night but regular dinners should NOT take this long. A typical night in the MDR is 90 minutes.</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> Our formal night dinner clocked in a 2 hours and 12 minutes. At that rate it is hard to even be able to catch nightly entertainment. However, we still LOVED our MDR experiences and cannot wait for our cruise on the </span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;">in July. <i>I believe we will indulge in a Specialty Dining package for that cruise. </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />Thank you for following along and supporting us! I hope you were able to see the new <span style="color: #2b00fe;">RCCL </span>menus in a new light and maybe gain some perspective about dining on a cruise ship! </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Up next... ALLURE OF THE SEAS- July 2023</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- KELLIE's 40th September 2022</a><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><u style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"><br /></u></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></p>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-75698579991267159422023-04-17T11:56:00.000-05:002023-04-17T11:56:08.363-05:00Our Royal Adventure- Sea Day #2 <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u><i><b>Deck Adventures</b></i></u></span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i>February 24, 2023</i></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i>Sea Day #2</i></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiVAKcsM7qmFlR7wc2gieefS-gkhXmbFtJTIwVR6fRAxHEM0xNWEiqMU5MqXpDISmNoI5lrbcBvD8DYDJ1Rq6Y94_57sGkCnzKee8tKkcQEvFGYbtVxq6nJ3c9Q-jVhJPLyYAv719YyGphtQ0YwRhGyldTQqR4auMhbvfQTZrhHMusl6HDwzakDbJxQ/s833/IMG_8518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="833" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiVAKcsM7qmFlR7wc2gieefS-gkhXmbFtJTIwVR6fRAxHEM0xNWEiqMU5MqXpDISmNoI5lrbcBvD8DYDJ1Rq6Y94_57sGkCnzKee8tKkcQEvFGYbtVxq6nJ3c9Q-jVhJPLyYAv719YyGphtQ0YwRhGyldTQqR4auMhbvfQTZrhHMusl6HDwzakDbJxQ/s320/IMG_8518.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's the last day on board... Say it isn't so! </b></i></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We slept in a bit (8:30AM) and woke up to more choppy seas but they were not near as bad as the cruise outbound. We met the boys at the </span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Windjammer </b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;">around 9AM and it was surprisingly <i>not that busy</i>. It was a typical sea day crowd <i><span style="color: red;">but we ventured to the back and the crowds were much smaller. </span></i>The food was typical and we were not impressed but it worked for a quick breakfast. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went to the <b>Royal Promenade</b> for the "T-Shirt" sale at the shops. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This used to be a 2/$20 sale and now it is 2/$35... Be prepared</span></i></b>. We all got a Royal Caribbean port shirt and <i><b>$70 later</b></i> we were in business. It was during the sale that Chris found "<i>Tornado Tana</i>", the Cruise Director, and we were able to get the coveted CD picture with the family in fact. <b><i>Thank you Tana</i></b>. </span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKh0tJVPWXBW10VImNEw8QUQu79mCtjRtAYZ9lP9HPFO4N_pUVLbTxnhLwxpZVCQBIO_fZmuOvb2l0vG62S0l50A30aUEmXX1jZMaIprySKDDHkMcV7rU0V1QtR_ivIWrq2phhLbjPwWmfbK7l0bG1v-rBS_8U7uST6l0rLwgFQ7tMRQG1zvT6VfW1w/s568/IMG_8522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKh0tJVPWXBW10VImNEw8QUQu79mCtjRtAYZ9lP9HPFO4N_pUVLbTxnhLwxpZVCQBIO_fZmuOvb2l0vG62S0l50A30aUEmXX1jZMaIprySKDDHkMcV7rU0V1QtR_ivIWrq2phhLbjPwWmfbK7l0bG1v-rBS_8U7uST6l0rLwgFQ7tMRQG1zvT6VfW1w/s320/IMG_8522.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>It's a tradition! And it hasn't failed since cruise #4!!! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">After we met and talked with Tana a bit, we went to the </span><b style="font-family: georgia;">Duck and Dog Pub</b><span style="font-family: georgia;"> in the </span><b style="font-family: georgia;">Royal Promenade</b><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and participated in the </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Sports Trivia</i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. This was, once again, well attended and a larger venue would have been better but we survived. </span><b style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- The SPORTS trivia questions were very "European" and featured a LOT of soccer and not-as-common sports. </span></i></b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Luke and Chris did extremely well and tied with a neighboring table of adults. <i>These adults were nice enough to give Luke the medal instead of the highlighters.</i> Luke was SO excited he (mainly Chris) won and we continued our success of bringing home a trophy/medal. <b><i>Way to go BOYS! </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIu_ylnMXf-h-h-0Buzv8qtGyUJxP-9_S1wZQr9eZtqYstBPFgYSSwyILm3X8Id5Sbmg4i1szCeDUZAd2TAkTSbWxZExqBMjRkcd_Uw8wjKetzMYaD1lMXpz9TsA0K6zR1VV_XPDjJmdSj5c7wxI7X-8ZOLCVdpuEwm6gt6RfAPGQHoB4JCFl2ugfOg/s568/IMG_8524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIu_ylnMXf-h-h-0Buzv8qtGyUJxP-9_S1wZQr9eZtqYstBPFgYSSwyILm3X8Id5Sbmg4i1szCeDUZAd2TAkTSbWxZExqBMjRkcd_Uw8wjKetzMYaD1lMXpz9TsA0K6zR1VV_XPDjJmdSj5c7wxI7X-8ZOLCVdpuEwm6gt6RfAPGQHoB4JCFl2ugfOg/w150-h200/IMG_8524.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWshyvaBnYhGYYBwhQThhKzi9-FbpNAv8aKCdQxNKMq6NflAVR3OU8trtzdBFw-Dsr3akCCGZGpov7jmMPZpk722XzS6G2jo9uEZ73V6PFFWPLEOwHOeTDx3Jx73oHfWYIkJjln4BXqVhq2C08lR8GjqBrm-8sjR8rIwLyuZy0OySMPb6U1u_TERr5GA/s568/IMG_8525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWshyvaBnYhGYYBwhQThhKzi9-FbpNAv8aKCdQxNKMq6NflAVR3OU8trtzdBFw-Dsr3akCCGZGpov7jmMPZpk722XzS6G2jo9uEZ73V6PFFWPLEOwHOeTDx3Jx73oHfWYIkJjln4BXqVhq2C08lR8GjqBrm-8sjR8rIwLyuZy0OySMPb6U1u_TERr5GA/w150-h200/IMG_8525.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />Luke LOVED winning his medal for sports trivia! </div></div></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the sports trivia we had to make another stop at <b>Cafe Promenade</b> as Luke had not had his daily pizza and brownie fix. <b><i><span style="color: red;">We stopped by right around noon and it was not crowded at all. </span></i></b>We also ran by the <b>Windjammer </b>around 12:30PM to see what lunch menu items were offered but none of us were impressed</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">. </span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJhqDarc7r1zK3VHmnooqGHJ6qk4kPjkWursSQcTLejq3aaC7GVVscowICnf0e-gvZp6qHkzq0MRUFbUOI5eVNwMeZ89xR7lp-x43_6mm78nXosLalfh9WzH9CUPv6PdIXTOeqIOJjvXvQROoeWduZVUQBySlhSO7iSrHzLFiLqnivtTw7J3NpiSE7w/s568/IMG_8526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJhqDarc7r1zK3VHmnooqGHJ6qk4kPjkWursSQcTLejq3aaC7GVVscowICnf0e-gvZp6qHkzq0MRUFbUOI5eVNwMeZ89xR7lp-x43_6mm78nXosLalfh9WzH9CUPv6PdIXTOeqIOJjvXvQROoeWduZVUQBySlhSO7iSrHzLFiLqnivtTw7J3NpiSE7w/s320/IMG_8526.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Luke... making sure he got some pizza! <br />This was his 1st trip of 5 for the day!</b></i> </div></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Afternoon</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">We knew we wanted to catch the Ice Show at 1PM so we got there early to get seats in Studio B. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- The RCCL Ice Show is NOT TO BE MISSED. It is offered on Voyager class ships and above with Studio B Ice Rinks. It is usually ONLY OFFERED ON 1 night and 1 sea day. Be sure to get there early to be sure to get a seat because once it is full, they close the doors to audience members. </span></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Ju2xkbxpRfEHZTwEORI8l_PtVH0W2nE1QQLjltjO16JJPcBpi0oJgXYNdrBPzmyarl5ItWfKBbeo3uJsoMNSn32mE5so8KecgVVp94NnsJCWQ8gsgmq3USTY_2o8oZtHeHJVX8VOA_mx25tTaoAiacjbIqLqW4tzeq-FGpp-l40OHM0KGxplVYdLg/s757/IMG_8528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Ju2xkbxpRfEHZTwEORI8l_PtVH0W2nE1QQLjltjO16JJPcBpi0oJgXYNdrBPzmyarl5ItWfKBbeo3uJsoMNSn32mE5so8KecgVVp94NnsJCWQ8gsgmq3USTY_2o8oZtHeHJVX8VOA_mx25tTaoAiacjbIqLqW4tzeq-FGpp-l40OHM0KGxplVYdLg/s320/IMG_8528.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Studio B... It is SO GORGEOUS! <br />And on Voyager class and above! Be sure to check it out! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf1z7kJ8u_IBFFgGJQFqHAkqBeOee65NfXXJOdGHrfd0SX0k7416D0If93Opk48XPkbyua8jOO8XoU4od_Lu8JfeiNF2oUJpkVDAXRIjedsg9ntCLUf2KkudqdONZoGYVdeuSzrf7XQG7QoRzYZkEv4hzKRyV8qLW_KCFbcVak_7z7JUprxzlh5PLhQ/s757/IMG_8529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf1z7kJ8u_IBFFgGJQFqHAkqBeOee65NfXXJOdGHrfd0SX0k7416D0If93Opk48XPkbyua8jOO8XoU4od_Lu8JfeiNF2oUJpkVDAXRIjedsg9ntCLUf2KkudqdONZoGYVdeuSzrf7XQG7QoRzYZkEv4hzKRyV8qLW_KCFbcVak_7z7JUprxzlh5PLhQ/s320/IMG_8529.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello from the ICE SHOW! </div></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Ice Show was absolutely INCREDIBLE and the cast was phenomenal. The storyline that went with the beautiful ice skating was excellent. Even Luke LOVED IT! </i></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRSwXa_1nTzNzLXwe573aJRdy33rQc7DhRr6pdTbp7z_sWRla7yujNgLbeHrBEhcKbiGCLiJwB7kqg5PAxgsrn1qYTpWr-tO5-OHJKGSyI6csSXg6PVXkVOzMwlmGZOXpQ3WPJatm32Mt46WkPHQuqvEQ2sTcpcOcFeI4mqgdk1tamYC860KiGDDaXQ/s757/IMG_8530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRSwXa_1nTzNzLXwe573aJRdy33rQc7DhRr6pdTbp7z_sWRla7yujNgLbeHrBEhcKbiGCLiJwB7kqg5PAxgsrn1qYTpWr-tO5-OHJKGSyI6csSXg6PVXkVOzMwlmGZOXpQ3WPJatm32Mt46WkPHQuqvEQ2sTcpcOcFeI4mqgdk1tamYC860KiGDDaXQ/s320/IMG_8530.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><span style="color: red;">These skaters were ATHLETES! They did a remarkable job and the show was just incredible!</span></i> </div></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the Ice Show we went back to the room to get into swimsuits so the kids could enjoy the <b>Main Pool</b> and <b>Hot Tub</b> Area. Chris and I knew the Solarium would be jam packed so we opted to go to the <b>Viking Crown Lounge</b> on Deck 15 to read a book while still watching the kids in the hot tub. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is such a HIDDEN GEM on most RCCL ships. It offers some of the best views on the ship and has a BAR. How could you go wrong?</span></i></b> </span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqULTqQ_PkcdlvUczV4pvf_vRsr23mK0T1RIn_Ctx9u4D4OgjorEhIXuuGit3IdZLEc7CpfcQpc7b_i2W2rxghCUu3hJWpJW9EdSR6UO9H0OrQiRFefvJ1WbQxxwXrf_umI7HLQu5Nfa1OzFs50tC2nbIK4CLZNiJGlhmdBjEinhmmMPkAgdp6LKPiqA/s757/IMG_8531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqULTqQ_PkcdlvUczV4pvf_vRsr23mK0T1RIn_Ctx9u4D4OgjorEhIXuuGit3IdZLEc7CpfcQpc7b_i2W2rxghCUu3hJWpJW9EdSR6UO9H0OrQiRFefvJ1WbQxxwXrf_umI7HLQu5Nfa1OzFs50tC2nbIK4CLZNiJGlhmdBjEinhmmMPkAgdp6LKPiqA/s320/IMG_8531.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><span style="color: red;">This was the LEAST full of kids we EVER saw the main hot tub area. <br />I am not sure if this is just the "new norm" but the amount of kids in the main pool and hot tub area were ASTONISHING at times. We didn't think it was a busy time for kids but we were WRONG... 956 "junior cruisers" is just too many!</span></i> </div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmF4xRTTtW50BBi8eN5RVpg5SWSu_7hy0IqPltpkOZIykdPHl0SGsSwRVQhapdpfBndbCpBgcPVrvYmPka4HEmKlTamtjHzxd1Kq81A99mFjTH-4N1AwrEkcJO_YVc4bKx8ieN4ZoHuYS6kKGo7xsi8cbnP6o4tYRomjD8P59o3vQVCuDT2w4RBjnCQ/s757/IMG_8535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmF4xRTTtW50BBi8eN5RVpg5SWSu_7hy0IqPltpkOZIykdPHl0SGsSwRVQhapdpfBndbCpBgcPVrvYmPka4HEmKlTamtjHzxd1Kq81A99mFjTH-4N1AwrEkcJO_YVc4bKx8ieN4ZoHuYS6kKGo7xsi8cbnP6o4tYRomjD8P59o3vQVCuDT2w4RBjnCQ/s320/IMG_8535.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A view of the Adventure of the Seas Main Pool deck from the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 15!</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The kids enjoyed swim time for about 2 hours and then change and joined us in the <b>Viking Crown Lounge</b>, making a pit stop at <b>Cafe Promenade</b> of course.<i> I am so glad they are at the age that they can go and change and grab snacks on their own. It made for a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise overall. </i></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGj1-SDOwU-Cg_USmzGp6_ivQFvLiBqcZ3E4iaMf3UeT6LOFO4iS6TsvUW7DRBt-GXYIgzg4e2n1hFm25qcroivbkLDcc90VTFLQfWt-Dt4lBZO5uKJHQv0MRVvsUHAqEWV6Pyrslhai-3ngqdpVjCvjFTDK28jgNoEBg2oIHNCpf_9VK-dI9-Oq7SQ/s757/IMG_8537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGj1-SDOwU-Cg_USmzGp6_ivQFvLiBqcZ3E4iaMf3UeT6LOFO4iS6TsvUW7DRBt-GXYIgzg4e2n1hFm25qcroivbkLDcc90VTFLQfWt-Dt4lBZO5uKJHQv0MRVvsUHAqEWV6Pyrslhai-3ngqdpVjCvjFTDK28jgNoEBg2oIHNCpf_9VK-dI9-Oq7SQ/s320/IMG_8537.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYkppC9KUeFkuhKzkbRYqStCH0G6BjSwXNblDAMmZLsPWKLqFW3N7J0NXU3xD6Wts23PpEVAPolgLx51Vab8wslKytp0OkCx0BS6lvVkXyHVTqAhdl_5zJ0sZ3j26YS4CJU3qn5pb9C5PQtgHLeF8b58qqnOGv4_tlY-eS_igeA7-Yx62gbS_kQA8Uw/s757/IMG_8538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYkppC9KUeFkuhKzkbRYqStCH0G6BjSwXNblDAMmZLsPWKLqFW3N7J0NXU3xD6Wts23PpEVAPolgLx51Vab8wslKytp0OkCx0BS6lvVkXyHVTqAhdl_5zJ0sZ3j26YS4CJU3qn5pb9C5PQtgHLeF8b58qqnOGv4_tlY-eS_igeA7-Yx62gbS_kQA8Uw/s320/IMG_8538.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The kids enjoying themselves as they're walking back from changin</b></i>g! </div></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We stayed in the <b>Viking Crown Lounge </b>until early evening when we went back to the room to pack our suitcases for debarkation. This is always my LEAST favorite time of the cruise but all good things must come to an end. I threw the suitcases together and then we went back out to try and catch some of the live entertainment in the <b>Royal Promenade</b> before going to the <i>Farewell Show</i> in the <b>Main Theater</b>.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GwgeAY6vOnThSKz5RrJxpTWknnqreeLXQOu3fqNST1rIsOdNHdawjPLYjen0rEeckO97alc3piUbja8V0KIKWEkj1o5JbW2nANMiRW7D8bbDrS0YzFIKfZGArmeA4DmVwE-M_dk6Au6HOsXOhOTtO2-KnZrH1VDKZZmrs3L_rdVNI1T0KIVySF-R3Q/s568/IMG_5648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GwgeAY6vOnThSKz5RrJxpTWknnqreeLXQOu3fqNST1rIsOdNHdawjPLYjen0rEeckO97alc3piUbja8V0KIKWEkj1o5JbW2nANMiRW7D8bbDrS0YzFIKfZGArmeA4DmVwE-M_dk6Au6HOsXOhOTtO2-KnZrH1VDKZZmrs3L_rdVNI1T0KIVySF-R3Q/s320/IMG_5648.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />I've gotta get just one more look of this gorgeous wake view... I'll see you again in July! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD_e0lBg_UFBvS75iOUa0JNninkZHnAP9uQ-Y7T_XooC_pKply_X5FlCFzMPPiEyWCQhEbsp2gWCxz7-koONeFOC7HxexofJQ31v3wuknfoEe7zYHWpmjWni2XkIIuNp9T1GfcMqphpBDdcoA4GWQ-Du9KFoa3kH_XUjj-VJ2af0QnZbmLLrGZtOd_Q/s757/IMG_5656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD_e0lBg_UFBvS75iOUa0JNninkZHnAP9uQ-Y7T_XooC_pKply_X5FlCFzMPPiEyWCQhEbsp2gWCxz7-koONeFOC7HxexofJQ31v3wuknfoEe7zYHWpmjWni2XkIIuNp9T1GfcMqphpBDdcoA4GWQ-Du9KFoa3kH_XUjj-VJ2af0QnZbmLLrGZtOd_Q/s320/IMG_5656.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>And yet another beautiful sunset... We were SO LUCKY on this cruise to have a stunning painted sky every single night of our voyage! Thank you Jesus, it's gorgeous! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Evening</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">We enjoyed the <i>Farewell Show</i> and then went to our last meal in the <b>Sapphire Dining Room</b> which was <i>Italian Night</i>. We were all looking forward to this so much as we LOVE pasta. <i><span style="color: red;">The food was once again done very well, but the service could use a little improvement. </span></i>It took us about <b><i><u>90-100 minutes</u></i></b> from start to finish, which is fairly slow for the last night of a cruise.</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzcWDdK1Ga77xVMRklymNxVuvl7ygSo7Z8w2IbMnM2yjUKhwU7UwaLQ7Bs1Y3JRBxP4VMFtmdGYEQLCPZD-J9K0yNwjFhw7YVH8y1OjV7TM5LY28z6ad9rrhWSy8dPgrmK12RSrqbaCgTWxW3YY0x7eNGYo7ipj-ORHL1ieFkjZ7PWm0gPcGEbauszg/s757/IMG_8548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzcWDdK1Ga77xVMRklymNxVuvl7ygSo7Z8w2IbMnM2yjUKhwU7UwaLQ7Bs1Y3JRBxP4VMFtmdGYEQLCPZD-J9K0yNwjFhw7YVH8y1OjV7TM5LY28z6ad9rrhWSy8dPgrmK12RSrqbaCgTWxW3YY0x7eNGYo7ipj-ORHL1ieFkjZ7PWm0gPcGEbauszg/s320/IMG_8548.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><span style="color: red;">The Farewell Show in the Main Theater was sort of a "catch all" of the various shows and performers from the week! </span></i></div> </span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrktigzpgfTxARSC5fcFmMGXW74fuUmxb7DenRONVIbI0HmOIyAOsRrIVb68JyBzuEUFxiGrWJm3JSXdUik5SCK2l-Fus1njIn4Gpgl3uiqnK0aAE_AxM7NY2sjvQ6KQP2d-qTJzmq2fTTWstXTLrV2a3Z8uHJXxFRzBdXcF4pkKZk6JwO3saRMlaYZA/s568/IMG_8549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrktigzpgfTxARSC5fcFmMGXW74fuUmxb7DenRONVIbI0HmOIyAOsRrIVb68JyBzuEUFxiGrWJm3JSXdUik5SCK2l-Fus1njIn4Gpgl3uiqnK0aAE_AxM7NY2sjvQ6KQP2d-qTJzmq2fTTWstXTLrV2a3Z8uHJXxFRzBdXcF4pkKZk6JwO3saRMlaYZA/s320/IMG_8549.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The Italian Night (new menu) in the Main Dining Room! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ6WCsKUMocOdmbLtEe484Cc2QDaeKNNKMS2f33ot_xT7dDSWod8eiHj3tiHoL7ZnUPx4IyXslwU5pztWN_cRikrrDYsTcxVIafiKC5WEPHULFg_1bp08vZ-Skum7YSAP4aXFKue8zCwHcsYQ1E6hWMAebVmX-r5R17c-qaZcHlG0aZ2N_Du6gNwz3w/s757/IMG_8558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="757" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ6WCsKUMocOdmbLtEe484Cc2QDaeKNNKMS2f33ot_xT7dDSWod8eiHj3tiHoL7ZnUPx4IyXslwU5pztWN_cRikrrDYsTcxVIafiKC5WEPHULFg_1bp08vZ-Skum7YSAP4aXFKue8zCwHcsYQ1E6hWMAebVmX-r5R17c-qaZcHlG0aZ2N_Du6gNwz3w/s320/IMG_8558.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I LOVE Royal Caribbean with the GIANT Texas flag on the ships that sail from Galveston! </i></b><b><i>They really know how to speak to their audience!</i></b> </div></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After dinner we roamed around the ship enjoying the smooth seas and eventually called it a night around 10:30PM. <b><i>It was the end of an AMAZING week aboard the Adventure of the Seas and we are ALREADY planning our next cruise with the kids! </i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Up Next... Debarkation in Galveston! </i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Thank you SO MUCH for following along! </i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- KELLIE's 40th September 2022</a><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></div></div><div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-72297588372707948342023-03-23T14:31:00.000-05:002023-03-23T14:31:20.717-05:00Our Royal Adventure- Cozumel <p style="text-align: center;"><u style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Adventures in the Sun<br /></b></span></i></u><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">February 23, 2023<br /></i><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Cozumel, Mexico</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tov6s2NZkqGewZx4CjWc3B11JLNPynsmTK6PVzXbmAbMwaZIvKOjfGexvARMPxVqNxxZFTj1MjT5IkD2TYrg8MdwkPaya52343s-cy6JB8BfEQNhKPCmZTcS5wcjapOp6Qas1R65F4qXjxpIRNSDVb64Wwbsrezbpk4kMc6rRbXwA_rLbMS7y3cqZA/s758/IMG_8455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tov6s2NZkqGewZx4CjWc3B11JLNPynsmTK6PVzXbmAbMwaZIvKOjfGexvARMPxVqNxxZFTj1MjT5IkD2TYrg8MdwkPaya52343s-cy6JB8BfEQNhKPCmZTcS5wcjapOp6Qas1R65F4qXjxpIRNSDVb64Wwbsrezbpk4kMc6rRbXwA_rLbMS7y3cqZA/s320/IMG_8455.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Our most visited cruise port and even after 16 visits, it is still a favorite! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Morning</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">For the first time of the cruise, we woke up to an alarm going off at 7AM. <i>Unfortunately, I did not sleep well due to a UIL nightmare so it was a rough night.</i> We all got up and got ready and then made our way to the <i>Windjammer </i>for our breakfast. <b><i><span style="color: red;">It was not at all crowded at 7:30AM ship time</span></i></b> and we were done and back in the room getting ready to get off the ship shortly after 8AM.<i><span style="color: red;"> (Keep in mind that passengers were allowed to get off all night so this was probably a factor in it being less crowded. A typical Cozumel arrival is 8AM so plan for it to be MUCH busier). </span></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwu7WU5-VazLSZ-zZlOADcVAOrNtSCBWFPyOOSCHeiipBIyBs4e2fVEU3dtMPlSi4VEy_cUALWFs7zpg_zzvg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />Hello <b><span style="color: red;">Carnival Dream.</span></b>.. Nice of you to join us! </i></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjlw5dR-kDRiGbDdjpCTS-c9-5o3E6DaWnHsxFwL79iHNkpMp2mQK67sPSXN0Z1a3mHdEkkePTih1p10Jx43uiF2XCYhVRlM-bKIfWMmAJIoPgx6KYTaRlL-lvvubPJx_uUHFKmOWsVDGZGpcn3uh6kJI71EmvCaipQQeDJ2Uqo3tl-Weyw3zXYuEyA/s758/IMG_8463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjlw5dR-kDRiGbDdjpCTS-c9-5o3E6DaWnHsxFwL79iHNkpMp2mQK67sPSXN0Z1a3mHdEkkePTih1p10Jx43uiF2XCYhVRlM-bKIfWMmAJIoPgx6KYTaRlL-lvvubPJx_uUHFKmOWsVDGZGpcn3uh6kJI71EmvCaipQQeDJ2Uqo3tl-Weyw3zXYuEyA/s320/IMG_8463.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Hello Thursday! </i></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We got all of our stuff ready for a beach day and then made our way to Deck 1 to get off the ship. It didn't take much time to make our way to the back of the <i>International Cruise Terminal</i> to the taxi stand. We were at <b><i>Playa Mia Beach</i></b> and checking into our day reservation within 20 minutes.<b><i><span style="color: red;"> TIP- Cozumel offers FLAT RATE taxi fees from the International, Puerta Maya and Downtown cruise terminals. Be sure to tell your taxi driver where you are headed and ask for the quote before you get in the taxi.</span></i></b> We have NEVER had an issue and it has always been very easy and cheap. Our taxi to <b><i>Playa Mia</i></b> was $17 each way... Don't forget to tip your driver. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVie5Dt6S3DEybCQHFyfYvSxz-YQEIk1L2TylvcOaggi_2ZoJN8VN72w5fkBe2TR5CgeyMltSwRoMSB1uo7jbWm15-1N7xxxMRYHIPBNXK2-42zLZs2q7ZgXSyG4LW86xddbUpxwz4DWjc3sPEIGBXBVjxOuRxI6qgjCM3zu9jwyU5drHpUs-8UrCyEQ/s568/IMG_8363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVie5Dt6S3DEybCQHFyfYvSxz-YQEIk1L2TylvcOaggi_2ZoJN8VN72w5fkBe2TR5CgeyMltSwRoMSB1uo7jbWm15-1N7xxxMRYHIPBNXK2-42zLZs2q7ZgXSyG4LW86xddbUpxwz4DWjc3sPEIGBXBVjxOuRxI6qgjCM3zu9jwyU5drHpUs-8UrCyEQ/s320/IMG_8363.jpg" width="240" /></a><i><b><br />We love walking the pier at Cozumel! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeA_o8EWnH66v1VJJzBuBH8KHXaXb-kL6bx6Hw9mCCa7e2BltZ4GZ-8qItkO21r-VxZbvz7dPb9oGnvT73-KwVIy88KzTaJsXR3mmNmAPdcBdN8RTzThtVe2qwtHt0cd4Twz8Zg1Li9BvoxVC8PW2vqIFsJA7U5tfzYCaV2NB9zZ1yw78DxV_oxX1Xw/s758/IMG_8364.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeA_o8EWnH66v1VJJzBuBH8KHXaXb-kL6bx6Hw9mCCa7e2BltZ4GZ-8qItkO21r-VxZbvz7dPb9oGnvT73-KwVIy88KzTaJsXR3mmNmAPdcBdN8RTzThtVe2qwtHt0cd4Twz8Zg1Li9BvoxVC8PW2vqIFsJA7U5tfzYCaV2NB9zZ1yw78DxV_oxX1Xw/s320/IMG_8364.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We are ready for a GREAT day in Cozumel! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGPyUItXOQCcjYk6LxoWoGj08JeV93Ww8y0IDAenHHfkBYblxN1sYYu58Q-ebMGSw2x7FgKKK90055hAe4wn5KG1v0W8NmCIKuP2urMAWm86TSt3oGXCnIkwBB9TVMD6tvHmrP3h94H26HQSxYX2_VeHyoDX9SULH6Au3-hpdIaQgPoNRRrN172bvsQ/s758/IMG_8370.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGPyUItXOQCcjYk6LxoWoGj08JeV93Ww8y0IDAenHHfkBYblxN1sYYu58Q-ebMGSw2x7FgKKK90055hAe4wn5KG1v0W8NmCIKuP2urMAWm86TSt3oGXCnIkwBB9TVMD6tvHmrP3h94H26HQSxYX2_VeHyoDX9SULH6Au3-hpdIaQgPoNRRrN172bvsQ/s320/IMG_8370.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Hello from our "tiny taxi". There's never a dull moment in a Cozumel taxi! </i></b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Once we arrived at <b><i>Playa Mia</i></b>, we signed into our beach reservation and then made our way to lounge chairs for the day. Unfortunately, <i>due to the high winds</i>, the resort was not allowing beach umbrellas so we opted to sit towards the back of the beachy sand area near an awning in hopes of the shade covering. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbTtmkP0pvOhU-1eBEsEKpbMv5S0MusV9FeHVUITeyfzdb6QqfztfD3RLSLSxvxsLvM2tucU4Z1q4g_nK65m-1n2Dvo8hSYt8PdH3y63prgmrWQkBpuJE77CQEPpdxaevecETEqsOChFj-ONT7eJPlHHEjdZtbEjNMnNEqxjwb-xxc_LVNo1VTJHt9A/s758/IMG_8388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbTtmkP0pvOhU-1eBEsEKpbMv5S0MusV9FeHVUITeyfzdb6QqfztfD3RLSLSxvxsLvM2tucU4Z1q4g_nK65m-1n2Dvo8hSYt8PdH3y63prgmrWQkBpuJE77CQEPpdxaevecETEqsOChFj-ONT7eJPlHHEjdZtbEjNMnNEqxjwb-xxc_LVNo1VTJHt9A/s320/IMG_8388.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>It's Finally BEACH day! </b></i></span></span></div><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6zGm5slNDK_uKuPqek4Ki0a_yqk78-l2TReVXvbeNFaVu9yEHyr-ArW3qNPV8lrKZ3u47zGaVy5kbdHyFJ7rE4Ibl-igYEFZmIIabvLQHPU7eycNbu_qJvRdDvZZVZDS8igaODvOoyj4EwczP034XiYJCE-1kWXvD2oWPuJBjvduwK5nLdYX7V5Wrg/s758/IMG_8393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6zGm5slNDK_uKuPqek4Ki0a_yqk78-l2TReVXvbeNFaVu9yEHyr-ArW3qNPV8lrKZ3u47zGaVy5kbdHyFJ7rE4Ibl-igYEFZmIIabvLQHPU7eycNbu_qJvRdDvZZVZDS8igaODvOoyj4EwczP034XiYJCE-1kWXvD2oWPuJBjvduwK5nLdYX7V5Wrg/s320/IMG_8393.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>We were all so excited to get here! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmtLnTBz_RMzekAulwIOdL6z_LhtNJSE33oBjt9mA29mHPCooMOA6_1aZ6zM6icjfO1R2liYz-ej6n55n1bJsrbn6qtXXze-RiA6sf_b836ff7ajIQjz_qkEU5gAa9CczhnnILrDmEjeYCuF0Y5_cutqEIi3pJw6sW9q73AZfk9-qj9jP75B1cHIEkg/s758/IMG_8394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmtLnTBz_RMzekAulwIOdL6z_LhtNJSE33oBjt9mA29mHPCooMOA6_1aZ6zM6icjfO1R2liYz-ej6n55n1bJsrbn6qtXXze-RiA6sf_b836ff7ajIQjz_qkEU5gAa9CczhnnILrDmEjeYCuF0Y5_cutqEIi3pJw6sW9q73AZfk9-qj9jP75B1cHIEkg/s320/IMG_8394.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I am in my HAPPY PLACE! </b></i></div></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Playa Mia is an all inclusive resort on the southeast side of Cozumel island and offers lounge chairs, a very large and somewhat smooth beach access as well as numerous other amenities such as ocean inflatables, a large pool and a massive waterpark with 2 waterslides and a kiddie area. This is probably the most "Family Friendly" resort we have been to in Cozumel. However, I would not say it was my favorite as it was very "family and kid" populated. As per the usual with these "all inclusive" resorts, the cocktails were watered down and not that good. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhIUzmyNgpUnFSZ8fqysu01aIp3OaK0kbJH8kBFoOl_kEQmmHAAHPQuX0VTpRS8SbKolxzXxgThFVsQU0rN2k1MQ5ZNrZVXc8JWP_mdUmwgwraFZVPmRr41uq22lrZn9FT11DqL_wn_GI-lsEYvmUkwLT8F-ZaxWDOplWry8l9na5Iy4xbm8Volk7ig/s758/IMG_8399.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhIUzmyNgpUnFSZ8fqysu01aIp3OaK0kbJH8kBFoOl_kEQmmHAAHPQuX0VTpRS8SbKolxzXxgThFVsQU0rN2k1MQ5ZNrZVXc8JWP_mdUmwgwraFZVPmRr41uq22lrZn9FT11DqL_wn_GI-lsEYvmUkwLT8F-ZaxWDOplWry8l9na5Iy4xbm8Volk7ig/s320/IMG_8399.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The Pool area of Playa Mia. </b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We loaded the kids up with sunscreen and they were on their way. They tried out the ocean bicycles and then spent over an hour on the inflatables. Chris and I enjoyed watching them in the shade with a cocktail in hand. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1nPjIkG3gj0xrOaIjHvKrFI83vXmPBNbE7zJ900nb2IfGfGgrNVlh0ZzuOckiHdLhpUife_S99tQFDWeForMc_Ag7T9Y6AlH7ffRQ1Q0G8X9tVCwFb3yW3cDASQ-KweygOTGSpr2PGdNJ_L6bUfTqS78XMpMJRq1gdyfesBOoQbphIkt3KE48OOUBw/s568/IMG_8372.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1nPjIkG3gj0xrOaIjHvKrFI83vXmPBNbE7zJ900nb2IfGfGgrNVlh0ZzuOckiHdLhpUife_S99tQFDWeForMc_Ag7T9Y6AlH7ffRQ1Q0G8X9tVCwFb3yW3cDASQ-KweygOTGSpr2PGdNJ_L6bUfTqS78XMpMJRq1gdyfesBOoQbphIkt3KE48OOUBw/s320/IMG_8372.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>They are ready for the Ocean Bicycle. </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_H-GzvxGBwYrgF4kHoKbH1L40uYkn0s4wJJqQm0_NQEmn0hUqFsgKsiBpMIiGVtzf5xBCzxYDKqnX_9jCigtPF2pIXAOlaNauqLUZVXQlz0x0vz-M_u_-nfQxnfdBZoiDhzOf2s0z05oXUa57G2K5EU7eVUsnOjwKMj4v8wsHPJhw1fJWILWNLfR_Q/s568/IMG_8373.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_H-GzvxGBwYrgF4kHoKbH1L40uYkn0s4wJJqQm0_NQEmn0hUqFsgKsiBpMIiGVtzf5xBCzxYDKqnX_9jCigtPF2pIXAOlaNauqLUZVXQlz0x0vz-M_u_-nfQxnfdBZoiDhzOf2s0z05oXUa57G2K5EU7eVUsnOjwKMj4v8wsHPJhw1fJWILWNLfR_Q/s320/IMG_8373.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Chris is reading and enjoying the shade! </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYygFZKyI5x7BebxhXcsP2VIM9uHHviNd2v-93ICiAt6E_GOv85KOtlQZV_Yr0Dt6_hGKMEPo9xgIXEacxEuhBt3iEC6Ia2kKCHrW7I2w1OyROaxM_3YJl_Oz9m3_OA55vwrjDcXYqaMg_ERLJv2XGXkK1g1PCCwo3lrkeWVhDeHFQB6Ye-Gl2PhAM3Q/s758/IMG_8377.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYygFZKyI5x7BebxhXcsP2VIM9uHHviNd2v-93ICiAt6E_GOv85KOtlQZV_Yr0Dt6_hGKMEPo9xgIXEacxEuhBt3iEC6Ia2kKCHrW7I2w1OyROaxM_3YJl_Oz9m3_OA55vwrjDcXYqaMg_ERLJv2XGXkK1g1PCCwo3lrkeWVhDeHFQB6Ye-Gl2PhAM3Q/s320/IMG_8377.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The LOVED the inflatables! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixraUFX0U9Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="ixraUFX0U9Q"></iframe><br />More inflatable fun! </div></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">We spent the morning in the ocean and then decided to get in the pool while we waited for our lunch.<b><i> TIP- Order your lunch early at any of these resorts as there are many passengers from all cruise lines. We have found ordering around 11AM helps ensure good delivery timing and allows you a more relaxed afternoon instead of feeling rushed due to late arriving food. </i></b>We ordered a wide variety of food and all enjoyed the quesadilla the most. But like I mentioned above, the food left much to be desired. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjP-pKL7PDloSJkcUYIeG2_Itm--yC8KjCme0zxcCBlm8iq0Nd7w9XX9ElILj04uE3jkAN9-TeeIJQVpFq37dD5X4a7OGHgkCzjjmJzp4THVW2DsGjbetNqr3MO9YOWcNhmblXj3qhS8Zl3VtdIm4R7CKzUa5isOycalnfPBeMs1F5ApKYGpC6ToQBg/s758/IMG_8401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjP-pKL7PDloSJkcUYIeG2_Itm--yC8KjCme0zxcCBlm8iq0Nd7w9XX9ElILj04uE3jkAN9-TeeIJQVpFq37dD5X4a7OGHgkCzjjmJzp4THVW2DsGjbetNqr3MO9YOWcNhmblXj3qhS8Zl3VtdIm4R7CKzUa5isOycalnfPBeMs1F5ApKYGpC6ToQBg/s320/IMG_8401.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>POOL TIME! </b></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwG2ywGbTpIjyqYKWspcLulCqdrXa2oe3QDMJVwKSskhbU0Chhb2jMTohmzDpCqgXutdPalEKvd5K1cNlMaRPnmYShA2VNgBH5v3nEgcRzNbTTrOr7sCtJ0E8OHv_6s8b_UwP0w-KD0Yy70SW3POpbqBSJbfcqpP_t3QOpG1BT4VJ3Vj6oXvfAhjFFg/s758/IMG_8407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwG2ywGbTpIjyqYKWspcLulCqdrXa2oe3QDMJVwKSskhbU0Chhb2jMTohmzDpCqgXutdPalEKvd5K1cNlMaRPnmYShA2VNgBH5v3nEgcRzNbTTrOr7sCtJ0E8OHv_6s8b_UwP0w-KD0Yy70SW3POpbqBSJbfcqpP_t3QOpG1BT4VJ3Vj6oXvfAhjFFg/s320/IMG_8407.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>The kids liked the pool area a lot! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOnyF_DMb7fG6fySwPGNPpYcWJ3LZMBKmnG_tRfL55gtlv3YhMeWFfyWwF8pfnsokxA0NLy_9TfpPZTyE2Myuxh59T5LQ0sJ7IRY9HTQRiUI021TFnHBFGlC4ODZKYtHd261SRXDQGsxGNgRKPcq3tQ3HikRg9yce_6dXOZ72i6ZeZqpopavWGK4vKw/s758/IMG_8409.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOnyF_DMb7fG6fySwPGNPpYcWJ3LZMBKmnG_tRfL55gtlv3YhMeWFfyWwF8pfnsokxA0NLy_9TfpPZTyE2Myuxh59T5LQ0sJ7IRY9HTQRiUI021TFnHBFGlC4ODZKYtHd261SRXDQGsxGNgRKPcq3tQ3HikRg9yce_6dXOZ72i6ZeZqpopavWGK4vKw/s320/IMG_8409.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Sibling fun! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ymMVnq0lhhO-1uN2g9GzvymH6Qv9abd_qxagzNjHgxDa-lX8jkCRDbKlXxHjXKD4Grvb6tPxUvam9gbiURGHhZbfKLwA0ejIuwxLkcLqyQT4gH04U0AFv_KmbLbt6CIFOMhlJGyoL9nFGSriuTrDIiy5pxWSONG5F0rcYXkdViC7MzsQ4KByoX1k4w/s758/IMG_8417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ymMVnq0lhhO-1uN2g9GzvymH6Qv9abd_qxagzNjHgxDa-lX8jkCRDbKlXxHjXKD4Grvb6tPxUvam9gbiURGHhZbfKLwA0ejIuwxLkcLqyQT4gH04U0AFv_KmbLbt6CIFOMhlJGyoL9nFGSriuTrDIiy5pxWSONG5F0rcYXkdViC7MzsQ4KByoX1k4w/s320/IMG_8417.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>My not-so-little mini- me and I at Playa Mia! </i></b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We enjoyed our lunch and then Luke and Chris did the water bicycle while Natalie and I enjoyed the serenity of the shaded lounge chairs. Shortly after that the kids spent the rest of their time on the ocean inflatables. <i><b>Playa Mia </b></i>made an announcement at 2PM local time (1PM ship time) for all <i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span></i> passengers to start closing out their tabs. <b><i><span style="color: red;">This was the first we have experienced this type of reminder and I think it is very helpful. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YV54UxDDfk-xU-Qqc1L7hMJI2esiZuFgUuh7hI2khkXyXSS108sffgo3VxXWHv6b9Sc1vULHtozc1kFmsUpxI6mmf0K-MB_G9rLbUIZ8fkj_J5_bsBha-qW65ErlY1CIes3Mele6p3KUrC0dHlBIibak31z1BgHxUEYWTiUBFe3lw_PBLWNhtiKHCw/s568/IMG_8396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YV54UxDDfk-xU-Qqc1L7hMJI2esiZuFgUuh7hI2khkXyXSS108sffgo3VxXWHv6b9Sc1vULHtozc1kFmsUpxI6mmf0K-MB_G9rLbUIZ8fkj_J5_bsBha-qW65ErlY1CIes3Mele6p3KUrC0dHlBIibak31z1BgHxUEYWTiUBFe3lw_PBLWNhtiKHCw/s320/IMG_8396.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Chris's face when Luke asks him to do the Ocean Bike! <br />Chris- That means I will have to do the bulk of the pedaling! </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldUnITzSG_SoYHJIwVM7OxA48xqZiPSF1Nyv1P93iDwuDNJxkwJR6-2bfLrwROE7cXBZbupRoWZdaZZGqydoyOsGV2uuBfUv_l0yUofMYjEezzGl4U7kHOujdLnS4WPeusr64EHRJ0z5g2KaaghM6GozCT2N-unKM2CM7ppAgBE9jfpC_v4YKBpNASA/s758/IMG_8425.jpg" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldUnITzSG_SoYHJIwVM7OxA48xqZiPSF1Nyv1P93iDwuDNJxkwJR6-2bfLrwROE7cXBZbupRoWZdaZZGqydoyOsGV2uuBfUv_l0yUofMYjEezzGl4U7kHOujdLnS4WPeusr64EHRJ0z5g2KaaghM6GozCT2N-unKM2CM7ppAgBE9jfpC_v4YKBpNASA/s320/IMG_8425.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The boys lasted about 20 minutes on the Ocean Bike! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3yQ4duYzPplzEJDr6sZrExJjoE4y1EfJ7amGLB9CqgTB3aDTxk3iOcAmWU3EPZw5RmSiQVUKeuLhTr_gD7Rfm6uOGCiT10tYfZKBOxArz9aQmVybt6ci0zBACHJ-NWvb8ts8teW42kvVucdS_UfO0zzhu2DYUu2Elz7Cmyd2ApQG7JtCGPvQ5bmKKw/s1010/IMG_8431.JPG" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3yQ4duYzPplzEJDr6sZrExJjoE4y1EfJ7amGLB9CqgTB3aDTxk3iOcAmWU3EPZw5RmSiQVUKeuLhTr_gD7Rfm6uOGCiT10tYfZKBOxArz9aQmVybt6ci0zBACHJ-NWvb8ts8teW42kvVucdS_UfO0zzhu2DYUu2Elz7Cmyd2ApQG7JtCGPvQ5bmKKw/s320/IMG_8431.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />But they had a LOT of fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Itjp5CYKVEY" width="320" youtube-src-id="Itjp5CYKVEY"></iframe><br />Chris sure did a LOT of the pedaling but it was FUN! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gVprsqDZWO_bi3LdXqFn7Y_Pv0KDvnAwWzH5mr1wt5ff9ohfvlK5arxZQa4uN0adpO2qkLBDEQ36D-X1E3O2N2XlSFj0sbDaGgdM2fokikC6wbj5a4eu8kLoWfaPzQzAv5uwTiLeegwHQNb3GHrRl43faRPk5Bs5tdNg0WfArxSbe1KKsQjPGsadog/s568/IMG_8447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gVprsqDZWO_bi3LdXqFn7Y_Pv0KDvnAwWzH5mr1wt5ff9ohfvlK5arxZQa4uN0adpO2qkLBDEQ36D-X1E3O2N2XlSFj0sbDaGgdM2fokikC6wbj5a4eu8kLoWfaPzQzAv5uwTiLeegwHQNb3GHrRl43faRPk5Bs5tdNg0WfArxSbe1KKsQjPGsadog/s320/IMG_8447.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMtADIpgYhHlWppiDVzceydN4yTMcOZqRC5bdAPFq7vgw-zGBvBVFcsU8XGavb0CbobtAQbvgdEFmAsvJUc5lT1yVJNgGGv937GF3TuMlIc_Crf2_cKzWiS0nrS2KrmYVPPNO_XrP2PTd06QbEpWHUdKWbJHfVjfsyfHVj4E28Kdq3KEe5IXZqg6tHw/s568/IMG_8445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMtADIpgYhHlWppiDVzceydN4yTMcOZqRC5bdAPFq7vgw-zGBvBVFcsU8XGavb0CbobtAQbvgdEFmAsvJUc5lT1yVJNgGGv937GF3TuMlIc_Crf2_cKzWiS0nrS2KrmYVPPNO_XrP2PTd06QbEpWHUdKWbJHfVjfsyfHVj4E28Kdq3KEe5IXZqg6tHw/s320/IMG_8445.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />WE LOVE BEACH DAYS! </div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vuMoFOaIit46liNfbFVB9Q-y6rur6MfTfNu0Njsa3wanCdh6i8rnzIo2BpEqT1y1Q2xcb2sMHPm6HyhO9mouaRolBNCrtmgu1eiayYD3lvdl6OwlbIkn-_Zq8qNbwhj8lQud99wgNmyWCBELzhTeX6cBpGwX6gbsM6m6ae-MZECcxsNirQme12Kvmg/s758/IMG_8455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vuMoFOaIit46liNfbFVB9Q-y6rur6MfTfNu0Njsa3wanCdh6i8rnzIo2BpEqT1y1Q2xcb2sMHPm6HyhO9mouaRolBNCrtmgu1eiayYD3lvdl6OwlbIkn-_Zq8qNbwhj8lQud99wgNmyWCBELzhTeX6cBpGwX6gbsM6m6ae-MZECcxsNirQme12Kvmg/s320/IMG_8455.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Goodbye Cozumel, you have been good to us! </div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We were in the taxi and back at the <i>International Terminal</i> by 2:30PM local time. Since we had gotten off the night before, we did not do a lot of souvenir shopping so we were back on <i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span></i> shortly before 3PM local time (2PM ship time). </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga4k036DhoUjZsrylcnf0CdNdVgYk8PdeY8R3Nkm4at_X-_miXPdBnVUWg8BSQhV5jyfkJyoLUawR9D7FNg2dgOgrlNzvOQH0MJA_3yqPfBn60LbdRTes8Q_VXXCGoVjDpTjejbTCeV9xgz6J-yEcBiP_q3mOQ0x7MSEHmKHINDKvGYLAkNdqvD31RQ/s758/IMG_8456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga4k036DhoUjZsrylcnf0CdNdVgYk8PdeY8R3Nkm4at_X-_miXPdBnVUWg8BSQhV5jyfkJyoLUawR9D7FNg2dgOgrlNzvOQH0MJA_3yqPfBn60LbdRTes8Q_VXXCGoVjDpTjejbTCeV9xgz6J-yEcBiP_q3mOQ0x7MSEHmKHINDKvGYLAkNdqvD31RQ/s320/IMG_8456.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>A picture perfect view of your ship from the International Cruise Terminal. <br /><span style="color: red;">TIP- This is right behind the COZUMEL sign on the north side of the terminal near Senor Frogs. </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVDYfxjwwg_CxvFAroQxuQQC69tm2BjpiSIobamekC_cS5w1fZtvXT5io3_sF7VE0PF8JitoC2K-R_G8wwpMdc1Bc6Tx9cK3o_64fK2Th5QKR-w-Z9GvtvwXUkSDAloTRF6fLi4CQn10MkWWyfYsuAdqYusJWSKMjjwHdXqkHGZk0GhPqAD11bRH7uQ/s568/IMG_8457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVDYfxjwwg_CxvFAroQxuQQC69tm2BjpiSIobamekC_cS5w1fZtvXT5io3_sF7VE0PF8JitoC2K-R_G8wwpMdc1Bc6Tx9cK3o_64fK2Th5QKR-w-Z9GvtvwXUkSDAloTRF6fLi4CQn10MkWWyfYsuAdqYusJWSKMjjwHdXqkHGZk0GhPqAD11bRH7uQ/s320/IMG_8457.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>We tried to have the kids do some swimming in this area but it was a little too rocky for their liking. They were also really tired from a day of playing at Playa Mia and some minor sunburns!</i></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY91AS6HA4SoUkf0H25KGwcccivdo8tNvERVLtSwnFzpNw2Yv5cMCZVNNgVosP5ZQ77r5mZ2OcH2MAgT4MLsiKanZMnfIjUbHtk4L7LvqeHyKLfogpLrsG12yFc3C1gPRZAaexbrMHm_sO1cWXiPO8gOWwH-7oRLHsiG_eecarat06Kcij-n3f7QOdLg/s758/IMG_8460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY91AS6HA4SoUkf0H25KGwcccivdo8tNvERVLtSwnFzpNw2Yv5cMCZVNNgVosP5ZQ77r5mZ2OcH2MAgT4MLsiKanZMnfIjUbHtk4L7LvqeHyKLfogpLrsG12yFc3C1gPRZAaexbrMHm_sO1cWXiPO8gOWwH-7oRLHsiG_eecarat06Kcij-n3f7QOdLg/s320/IMG_8460.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Hello Adventure... We're BACK! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once back on board, Chris and the kids went to take showers and naps while I went to enjoy the <i>Solarium </i>before the majority of the passengers got back on board. The <i>Solarium </i>was not crowded at all and in fact, I was in the hot tub all by myself for almost 30 minutes. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- We have also notice the hot tubs and whirlpools are MUCH hotter and overall better maintained on port days as well. We highly recommend enjoying these type of ship facilities on a port day, especially if you have been to said port before. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Shortly before sail-away time at 5PM, I went back to the room and showered and got ready for the evening. We went back to Deck 4 outside promenade to try and spot pier runners but it seemed as if all of the <i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span></i> passengers were already back on board. <b><i>(This was completely different from our Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze experiences just a few months prior. Royal Caribbean truly is a different clientele).</i></b> The <i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span></i> set sail for Galveston, TX at 4:58PM. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">After waiting to watch pier runners without any luck, we went down to <i>Schooner Bar</i> for Pre-Dinner Trivia. I didn't expect to do well but Chris knew many of the answers and ended up winning in a Tie-Breaker at the end. We all got a </span><strike style="font-size: large;">medal </strike><span style="font-size: medium;">keychain. <span style="color: red; font-style: italic;">(Overall, I was a little disappointed in the SWAG offered by </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-style: italic;">Royal Caribbean</span><span><i style="color: red;"> for trivia games). </i>Then we went to catch another EPIC sunset on Deck 4. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMzPWKEgUwpe7QFVJAt4oQMoxhM6rfQ52eM6Ma8Am80Ggy-kys04kr8b49-WgUaM26ylr3SA55k_fQMIxjyuBTo7Cz0b8GXixwrUrYkKMH97w9w8bTKGG_vaDDrN5HA4yTARACEGD5MP3eYCeLabbIMgfyc5roaoDG7r_jvba5OFn925opBOp4p8SDQ/s758/IMG_8467.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMzPWKEgUwpe7QFVJAt4oQMoxhM6rfQ52eM6Ma8Am80Ggy-kys04kr8b49-WgUaM26ylr3SA55k_fQMIxjyuBTo7Cz0b8GXixwrUrYkKMH97w9w8bTKGG_vaDDrN5HA4yTARACEGD5MP3eYCeLabbIMgfyc5roaoDG7r_jvba5OFn925opBOp4p8SDQ/s320/IMG_8467.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Another GORGEOUS sunset aboard the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span>! </i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0srAfCpLQo3ujRW5S2z60Ij-bNiaM_9ss2yvyiqtPcMj0WvL_kd5mdMdbVBx8dlDPWZtfQQiIU0XfJR-iDlVhGuG-eRtI1JiYFQezswod5ND735zIX_DVR5GlsmMkatPNbwdH10X2A_BHVdNAbTl8ML0q7fh43jeFUIGeWSvvInmvanh3cv18TQvBjw/s758/IMG_8472.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0srAfCpLQo3ujRW5S2z60Ij-bNiaM_9ss2yvyiqtPcMj0WvL_kd5mdMdbVBx8dlDPWZtfQQiIU0XfJR-iDlVhGuG-eRtI1JiYFQezswod5ND735zIX_DVR5GlsmMkatPNbwdH10X2A_BHVdNAbTl8ML0q7fh43jeFUIGeWSvvInmvanh3cv18TQvBjw/s320/IMG_8472.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>God sure does paint a pretty picture! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OEkN51uQaCk" width="320" youtube-src-id="OEkN51uQaCk"></iframe><br />This was such a PERFECT sunset! </div></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrwAAFQ_Mkbt09uRrYAJrmnSNUml-BSm8S0YoTvo-q8Ub0yVRwOzUFBW-Y55M287xq3CokCHrEbos5owkq1Dinvc72JWud3OUMEDofSILROtuHhryoM5Qkx1zrGzYaM-slhd-sgQaW6XY3CoiiUHHvHFw5Z1w72VZZkI4zqOcKI3iJ1rtqTScYY_7Uw/s758/IMG_8482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrwAAFQ_Mkbt09uRrYAJrmnSNUml-BSm8S0YoTvo-q8Ub0yVRwOzUFBW-Y55M287xq3CokCHrEbos5owkq1Dinvc72JWud3OUMEDofSILROtuHhryoM5Qkx1zrGzYaM-slhd-sgQaW6XY3CoiiUHHvHFw5Z1w72VZZkI4zqOcKI3iJ1rtqTScYY_7Uw/s320/IMG_8482.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Silly times on board!</b></i></div></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5zw1SpKUQLl4IaaTV9ejqlXjw6yiyvDUPMbS8zMhl9j26Z8SgMpLaaMOOOjR82H-5gosybt49TNaUXEwEZogfCDyBjN-oJtxHWGe57SuzKM1sDdSIy1tH6fEPgphLWJL_5zeCNqfiB4HzdUhNgXXpmGfC5HdnXrkx9AdCMBTJQ7ilMkTqqC92RDYMw/s758/IMG_8490.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5zw1SpKUQLl4IaaTV9ejqlXjw6yiyvDUPMbS8zMhl9j26Z8SgMpLaaMOOOjR82H-5gosybt49TNaUXEwEZogfCDyBjN-oJtxHWGe57SuzKM1sDdSIy1tH6fEPgphLWJL_5zeCNqfiB4HzdUhNgXXpmGfC5HdnXrkx9AdCMBTJQ7ilMkTqqC92RDYMw/s320/IMG_8490.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>The <span style="color: #800180;">Norwegian Bliss</span> sailing back to Miami! <br />Will this be our next ship??? Alaska 2024, maybe! </i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6C-H6mJFOjDy1z30rADRcMqOH_MBP-h99CV3wRgTz6AMQfmb28tizZHR8JLRs-MYzmDs3qOizBXgZMjJSCIb6PgOxsXn1Pm_82UNB6552h5I5vbFhHHJHZOZVJMyuzOKQr2skPna6mz6CNssMN1edgkUnclf1L8UfXEVCvksBteBetektxhWK0GLPA/s758/IMG_8492.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6C-H6mJFOjDy1z30rADRcMqOH_MBP-h99CV3wRgTz6AMQfmb28tizZHR8JLRs-MYzmDs3qOizBXgZMjJSCIb6PgOxsXn1Pm_82UNB6552h5I5vbFhHHJHZOZVJMyuzOKQr2skPna6mz6CNssMN1edgkUnclf1L8UfXEVCvksBteBetektxhWK0GLPA/s320/IMG_8492.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Absolutely no filter needed! </div></b></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We tried to go to the Family Gameshow "60 seconds or less" in the <i>Imperial Lounge</i> before dinner. This was a great option for kids of all ages but it was TERRIBLY managed and ran by the cruise director's staff. There was a challenge to do in 60 seconds and kids could come up and try to get selected to play. The crew wasn't really choosing who would play but rather allowing kids to run and cut in front of others just to get to play. Within 4-5 rounds of Luke waiting and raising his hand to play and not being chosen, he was completely done and wanted no part of it. <i>Sadly we heard parents telling kids "Just run them over and get up there so you can play". I could get on a whole separate soapbox about how kids these days behave and how we, as a society, are raising the future leaders of our country. It is actually appalling. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We then went to Mexican Night in the <i>Sapphire Dining Room</i>. We arrived early and were seated early but the service was still SUPER slow. I had told <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b> we were celebrating the kids birthdays upon booking and it seemed this was the night they would recognize their birthdays. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- You can specify just about any celebration and Royal Caribbean (and most cruise lines) will recognize the birthday or other celebration with a cake or dessert of some kind in the main dining room completely free of charge.</span></i></b> Little did I know that the kids <u>did not</u> want to be sang to and get a dessert. I had mentioned it to Luke when the waiter reminded me at the entrance and Luke wanted no part of it. <i>So much so that when the waiter asked who had a birthday, I randomly said "Me". </i>So the wait staff brought me a cake and sang to me at the conclusion of our dinner. <i><span style="color: red;">The coconut cake they brought was SUPERB and I enjoyed it a lot. </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After dinner we went to the "<i>Can't Stop the Rock</i>" show in the Main Theater. This was a pretty good cruise ship show and Natalie especially enjoyed it. <i>Luke, on the other hand, took a nap.</i> He was wiped out from a day in the sun. After the show, we went back to the cabin as Luke was just so tired. Chris and I LOVE the 70s Inferno that <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b> offers so we put the kids to bed and then went back out to the dance party in the <i>Royal Promenade</i>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Bring a wig and 70s clothes. This event is NOT to be missed and is SO MUCH FUN! </span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Chris and I danced the night away and then got a few cocktails before heading back to the room for the night shortly</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> after midnight. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBzYbMKQ0LcVbNqkjxar5nLELUg_yTRvk4_6ZKGEi4JvSXjODAmHHS2MNrctja0bU-jMD3_Cw1bt15Uk7BguBPVpTXS0m48L1cV0tSNC2JmUNOwYTeyJdtIFdn5ZUT9mCrYhsYweAln3YIHOQdHGGf424jemXyP-oplTZVdDxjU6RlnERtjMr9bgs3g/s568/IMG_8516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBzYbMKQ0LcVbNqkjxar5nLELUg_yTRvk4_6ZKGEi4JvSXjODAmHHS2MNrctja0bU-jMD3_Cw1bt15Uk7BguBPVpTXS0m48L1cV0tSNC2JmUNOwYTeyJdtIFdn5ZUT9mCrYhsYweAln3YIHOQdHGGf424jemXyP-oplTZVdDxjU6RlnERtjMr9bgs3g/s320/IMG_8516.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>This boy was tired... A sunburnt! </b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mihTN2_IIaw" width="320" youtube-src-id="mihTN2_IIaw"></iframe><br />Just a small taste of the Disco Inferno! It is SO MUCH FUN! </div></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>It was a great day in our "home away from home" Caribbean port! We LOVED the crystal clear blue waters and a gorgeous day at the beach! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>Up next... Our final day aboard the <br />Adventure of the Seas! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- September 2022</a><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224330525124085154.post-4545535273158674702023-03-12T19:08:00.003-05:002023-03-12T19:08:34.668-05:00Our Royal Adventure- Cozumel at Night <p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Adventures in the Dark<br /></b></i></u></span><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">February 22, 2023<br /></i><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><strike>Costa Maya-</strike> Cozumel at Night</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrOJui7iTODwF4VvhNEt8fTRIA7TrqwSo3vY0H9pwJiCYxyseDh_emhvMQcXwQs0bnWL8haTFBp5YPWho1Nz94reBB-bB9B8ikMzOojwUSegGcs-xqb0OvwiQQ6nimlQzGA09UeAaW30Hwz3_hYvPWpZNYZ4GBMI5VHDMAXiPzwVrc88ONvhp90aYSw/s758/IMG_8336.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrOJui7iTODwF4VvhNEt8fTRIA7TrqwSo3vY0H9pwJiCYxyseDh_emhvMQcXwQs0bnWL8haTFBp5YPWho1Nz94reBB-bB9B8ikMzOojwUSegGcs-xqb0OvwiQQ6nimlQzGA09UeAaW30Hwz3_hYvPWpZNYZ4GBMI5VHDMAXiPzwVrc88ONvhp90aYSw/s320/IMG_8336.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>Even after 21 cruises, this was a FIRST! </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Morning<br /></u></b></span><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This turned out to be a very rough night at sea and we were "rocking and rolling" all night. <i><span style="color: red;">I was so very grateful we had an Oceanview cabin and the beds were set up to be perpendicular to the ship; meaning our beds were rolling front to back and not side to side.<b> TIP- If you are prone to seasickness, be sure to look for inside or Oceanview cabins that have beds perpendicular to the ship</b>. </span></i>We woke up around 7:30AM and one look out our window proved the seas were not so calm anymore. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-wqbCLABFeq3kkXT5xxO-HnFU-5hIEdv9-skNc7rqbykYLG4NQUBNo4tGaV0S2RAdGJiR_4bOkV9bg0qxyecYw-_ySQlSZ4jtTRQnaFZyWJeuLWR4pfX2mSWKqfg-nBV2kbZ5vDgTt6aVB0VirGLxNo-xMYqATQgpAP3757_6kWw6LSXFUX2-8MaLQ/s1010/IMG_8200.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-wqbCLABFeq3kkXT5xxO-HnFU-5hIEdv9-skNc7rqbykYLG4NQUBNo4tGaV0S2RAdGJiR_4bOkV9bg0qxyecYw-_ySQlSZ4jtTRQnaFZyWJeuLWR4pfX2mSWKqfg-nBV2kbZ5vDgTt6aVB0VirGLxNo-xMYqATQgpAP3757_6kWw6LSXFUX2-8MaLQ/s320/IMG_8200.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It was a pretty rocky night's sleep! </i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WYFecU2b3wA" width="320" youtube-src-id="WYFecU2b3wA"></iframe><br /><i><span style="color: red;">This gives you an idea of how bad the seas were. </span></i></div></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWel_EqHTaTihWVQAdAtK_rh3JTPbr1H53BrcLtNa30CTsg_ULyPastvQd3uYqaqYxf1_IrzXH_fvOJZLdyPuqYcroy6Hp1WSuuI7-nttU9xTXtR2QYaRW6IG0fAdC3KlnkHHdMlKGsdj5TYejDMvQBY8VVzX-Dk2BaSBMHjR4jNGObLtbHdYJq0tWw/s758/IMG_8205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWel_EqHTaTihWVQAdAtK_rh3JTPbr1H53BrcLtNa30CTsg_ULyPastvQd3uYqaqYxf1_IrzXH_fvOJZLdyPuqYcroy6Hp1WSuuI7-nttU9xTXtR2QYaRW6IG0fAdC3KlnkHHdMlKGsdj5TYejDMvQBY8VVzX-Dk2BaSBMHjR4jNGObLtbHdYJq0tWw/s320/IMG_8205.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>OH NO... This means the cruise is about halfway over! NOOOOO!</i> </div></b></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>On this day we were not supposed to get to Costa Maya until 12PM so the morning was similar to a sea day on board.</i> We met the boys for breakfast around 8:30AM and decided to try the Brunch in the <i>Sapphire Dining Room.</i> <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- This brunch menu was different than both the breakfast and lunch MDR menus and featured great options for both breakfast and lunch. It is only offered on "late arrival" port days.</span></i></b> The service in the <i>Main Dining Room</i> was fantastic... At first. And then suffered a HUGE slow down towards the end of our experience. <i>(I was a little disappointed in the turn around time).</i></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfjJ2bRm41CyvtpLXRRIhhWcAsBMimnzrk2srDR-GW9igd_vz1YGtBkpBzsjeVShFNkSCY9s2TjaarmLh3PLxguioaDkQtcLyh4ifq5uG08CmW8wyxTNgldCJADrfYblgh7MZLiXKNBjenixdnkTuyeuAdgtuvprH8fdHFC5NTy71uuejKXlqdU6Nhw/s568/IMG_8206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfjJ2bRm41CyvtpLXRRIhhWcAsBMimnzrk2srDR-GW9igd_vz1YGtBkpBzsjeVShFNkSCY9s2TjaarmLh3PLxguioaDkQtcLyh4ifq5uG08CmW8wyxTNgldCJADrfYblgh7MZLiXKNBjenixdnkTuyeuAdgtuvprH8fdHFC5NTy71uuejKXlqdU6Nhw/s320/IMG_8206.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>The "Brunch" menu. <br /></b></i></span></span></span></div><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCrtI2jBYygViOM_x61IRRtU7Wz9akyX8MQUd2MeGEsUmSLoOJCNuVZ0v9MAfgoD3vVQb6FgnykP4bfHWWxKPtIcL7jdGNEYlFls4bzWX_jLErcqyYzTl6GpEBCLI80OM-6tXs_Sa5LL9FSEnXNpkUIItjd5tbKGQ_vYxt0NCYLsgZ8inqoTp4O2BrQ/s758/IMG_8208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCrtI2jBYygViOM_x61IRRtU7Wz9akyX8MQUd2MeGEsUmSLoOJCNuVZ0v9MAfgoD3vVQb6FgnykP4bfHWWxKPtIcL7jdGNEYlFls4bzWX_jLErcqyYzTl6GpEBCLI80OM-6tXs_Sa5LL9FSEnXNpkUIItjd5tbKGQ_vYxt0NCYLsgZ8inqoTp4O2BrQ/s320/IMG_8208.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I seriously LOVED the meals in the MDR. <br />Even with slower service, I still prefer this over the crowded Windjammer.</b></i> </div></span></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast, Chris was feeling a bit jittery and took some more medication and decided to lay down for a bit while the kids and I went back down to Deck 4 to walk around outside. However, when we got to Deck 4, it was so windy outside that the port side of the ship was completely blocked off and crew members were outside tying up the lounge and deck chairs. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbF3h53NUkk" width="320" youtube-src-id="LbF3h53NUkk"></iframe><br /><b><i>The seas were CHOPPY! </i></b></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfnSVvB7ngPpOZztf6yfZAhvbCbnqwopzdbUIBCmhz-GWlkEBuQR6anP4VVCqiqKAByrEyNJi8y3YvKatJss928XkWBeCF9lj02DJxsLrM6aMR8yHYL_Uv4_K1ZaCEGDuNFjwjQQ0DZiEKaCwTDLdgwCmJ5lUpssLAqiw1EDfxvwQ3pMFXXpVnnhetQ/s1010/IMG_8226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1010" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfnSVvB7ngPpOZztf6yfZAhvbCbnqwopzdbUIBCmhz-GWlkEBuQR6anP4VVCqiqKAByrEyNJi8y3YvKatJss928XkWBeCF9lj02DJxsLrM6aMR8yHYL_Uv4_K1ZaCEGDuNFjwjQQ0DZiEKaCwTDLdgwCmJ5lUpssLAqiw1EDfxvwQ3pMFXXpVnnhetQ/s320/IMG_8226.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>It is hard to tell with this gorgeous picture but the winds and seas were CRASHING hard against the side of the shi</i></b>p.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTrSYUaMHyJeEqPfCt_oDYEu1ZpG6r1M4wS-t08pjY5elbXrp3ZE8uK35l0chL6mZKZm5R4VC_cPTKAWJ1lXDPSC5IPvgPLilkwrx7IgRD5ReLweqK1Gfy8ZGmR8ZtwrPDNmBrpLs5BN2cYJfs60qYmzdl0tJ2dX6V1LViEZajC3Odv8XrZypXPgwMg/s758/IMG_8235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTrSYUaMHyJeEqPfCt_oDYEu1ZpG6r1M4wS-t08pjY5elbXrp3ZE8uK35l0chL6mZKZm5R4VC_cPTKAWJ1lXDPSC5IPvgPLilkwrx7IgRD5ReLweqK1Gfy8ZGmR8ZtwrPDNmBrpLs5BN2cYJfs60qYmzdl0tJ2dX6V1LViEZajC3Odv8XrZypXPgwMg/s320/IMG_8235.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>Even with the winds and choppy seas, this morning was PERFECT! </i></b></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We went to <i>Boleros </i>for another round of <i>Morning Trivia</i> and this time we got 14/20, but once again, did not win. We made our way to <i>Café Promenade</i> to get our daily <b><i>Starbucks </i></b>and had a few more drinks before going back up to Deck 12. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhORDeLawNr6khQ0xhtS_-DTvoHZM4F4Ath-IyIsd_LxAP3l1YKba3F0CyVnji5Y964Uvr53edUThFBFXVrFYQsQqUeqauIHSEwg5ffHG4Dxx7GI_FDWzRj3hRswjgMOx6sTJyGEWhePRmf2ACTHl8Il17A6N5uK_7swVEEkK8KVcHgCIpaCx42EC8cA/s568/IMG_8218.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhORDeLawNr6khQ0xhtS_-DTvoHZM4F4Ath-IyIsd_LxAP3l1YKba3F0CyVnji5Y964Uvr53edUThFBFXVrFYQsQqUeqauIHSEwg5ffHG4Dxx7GI_FDWzRj3hRswjgMOx6sTJyGEWhePRmf2ACTHl8Il17A6N5uK_7swVEEkK8KVcHgCIpaCx42EC8cA/s320/IMG_8218.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>She definitely got her money's worth with the FREE Starbucks on the Bubble Drink Package. </i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz3bEWdrS0guunx5CuPq-aA_3S2HU2Gr02rD3ZayefCospiTK-80s9DEWmPsE5XXV7OzStos6_oV1TrwIPobBkVe7Zz5Gq4fAvUc0Hpi_0R4T8tezlHLdnJacFajVAbp3_d9rpwJpwYjKyg2wmKF3W2_ngUMYYFXe0EXYdIObLIgjLNZIif3uJpJ--A/s758/IMG_8232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz3bEWdrS0guunx5CuPq-aA_3S2HU2Gr02rD3ZayefCospiTK-80s9DEWmPsE5XXV7OzStos6_oV1TrwIPobBkVe7Zz5Gq4fAvUc0Hpi_0R4T8tezlHLdnJacFajVAbp3_d9rpwJpwYjKyg2wmKF3W2_ngUMYYFXe0EXYdIObLIgjLNZIif3uJpJ--A/s320/IMG_8232.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Morning Trivia time in Boleros!</i></div></b></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We knew the waterslides would be open from 9 to 12PM so we wanted to see if the kids could ride them as we knew most people would be getting off the ship in Costa Maya. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- Typically, over 80-85% of the passengers will get off the ship on port days. Especially the first port of a cruise. We try to plan the BEST things on the ship for the 1-2 hours prior to a "late arrival" port (such as Costa Maya) knowing many people will be making last minute preparations for getting off the ship. </span></i></b></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Due to the CRAZY high winds, many of the attractions on the open decks were closed. This included the basketball/ sports court and the mini-golf but the waterslides remained open. The kids went to the waterslides around 11AM and there were not many people in line. <i><span style="color: red;">I think they rode each of the two slides about 20-30 times during this time block! </span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHJWYuCdw6cHcN7dzqnbponZ19lILFzx11NIZndlsRrpSZOMh-gyoAkTDMhSwGdI4GZfnKIdNajOUO31g0rKoqGCSWtQ98k7rO9jglcc5y8KVAozjJNRvxELsF015X7PbmO66trXodqTp8ZHj27i_lgCksMpIH20aFBPDOfFizvFBBm9FayvmNc0xEA/s568/IMG_8272.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHJWYuCdw6cHcN7dzqnbponZ19lILFzx11NIZndlsRrpSZOMh-gyoAkTDMhSwGdI4GZfnKIdNajOUO31g0rKoqGCSWtQ98k7rO9jglcc5y8KVAozjJNRvxELsF015X7PbmO66trXodqTp8ZHj27i_lgCksMpIH20aFBPDOfFizvFBBm9FayvmNc0xEA/s320/IMG_8272.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>Waterslide time for the kids! </b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IffepE0KHWM" width="320" youtube-src-id="IffepE0KHWM"></iframe></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>THEY LOVED THESE SLIDES! </b></i></span></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We were making our way to Costa Maya and the seas were VERY CHOPPY. Another cruise ship, the <b><i><span style="color: red;">Carnival Celebration</span></i></b>, was already docked at Costa Maya as we were making our final approach. <i>But around 11:30AM, the ship started to make a complete 180* in the ocean and I knew something was going on.</i> Shortly after that, the captain made the announcement that the winds were too strong to be able to dock at Costa Maya safely and we would have to miss this port. We were going to be able to get to Cozumel by 5PM but would miss Costa Maya. <i>This was the 1st time we have had ANY trouble with Costa Maya. But this would also be the first time we were able to be in Cozumel at night. <br /></i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzr8k4aLXxnsb8NBUQktZr6fyPIgUIYx36o4XDDBBZEbWRrm7owrvSx_KmtZyBePEVazmwX_stjdM2d4sbaDDcT2oFVWws6T8t9tykkK6I6cNMiPb1VSor446l43kNU00YzytrdYIyOr7mZBmz1bpUi9R9Fq-daoiJDM_zjrBCyG-WZ9w9RZX9xlwfQ/s758/IMG_8244.jpg" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzr8k4aLXxnsb8NBUQktZr6fyPIgUIYx36o4XDDBBZEbWRrm7owrvSx_KmtZyBePEVazmwX_stjdM2d4sbaDDcT2oFVWws6T8t9tykkK6I6cNMiPb1VSor446l43kNU00YzytrdYIyOr7mZBmz1bpUi9R9Fq-daoiJDM_zjrBCyG-WZ9w9RZX9xlwfQ/s320/IMG_8244.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>We were SO close... We could see the land and this MASSIVE <span style="color: red;">Carnival</span> ship! </i></b></div><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-8VMVX3Rlj7DqTdikUl-i4YYPOZdbPJGXFT23BJD0lZXzl-rJ8KeWlkbixCVP1XXeaiDZ9Q2eoEevFo4io5dRa-YSycZRy4PLzbv049AOVOv6yxulalLZRYDO2PHDEzfVreSkhDTK7Qflx9uSiHoSOiWO5aZCcUeU7wy6xH_G49qS_65z3tYPsCa8Q/s320/IMG_8237.jpg" width="320" /><br /><b><i>Then all of the sudden we did a complete 180* in the ocean... Yep, something weird is happening! </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QaQdoqO-WNw" width="320" youtube-src-id="QaQdoqO-WNw"></iframe></span><br /><i>A view from the Flowrider area of the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Adventure of the Seas</span> as we exit Costa Maya due to high winds. </i></div></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Cruise Director, "<i>tornado Tanya</i>" followed with announcements about lots of activities being updated for entertainment purposes and within 30 minutes, the <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span></i></b> app was updated. <b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span> did extremely well with this set back</i></b> and for the most part, it did not affect us at all as we did not have a traditional or formal shore excursion planned in Costa Maya but rather our usual Mayan Ritual Massage and Spa Day. <i>I was so sad to miss this! </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Afternoon</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Once this turned into a sea day, we were back at the <i>Solarium </i>and the<i> Main Pool</i>. The kids joined in the fun as the <i>Main Pool</i> area turned into a GIANT wave pool as the ship was just rocking back and fourth. Chris and I enjoyed the peace that only the <i>Solarium </i>can give with cocktails in hand. We all enjoyed the "free sea day" in the <i>Main Pool </i>and <i>Solarium </i>areas for about 3 hours before getting a random lunch from the <i>Windjammer</i>. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span><span style="color: red;"> adjusted the opening and closing times of all restaurants and foods to accommodate for the change in schedule.</span></i></b> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VqZIyqmFlG4" width="320" youtube-src-id="VqZIyqmFlG4"></iframe><br /><i><b>This was SO COOL for the kids! </b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The kids then decided they were done with the pool and we all went and changed to get ready for my favorite event of any cruise... <b><i>FRIENDS TRIVIA!</i></b> Once again, the <i>Schooner Bar</i> is way too small for a trivia such as this! Due to the time change in Mexico and "ship Time" the Cruise Director's staff was not at the <i>Friends Trivia </i>and we had to wait for them to arrive. <i>I had full intentions of winning this trivia but 1 wrong answer costs me the <strike>trophy </strike>keychain. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VPPp3dGzvLdfGBpAllaiCsq6iPRztGzp9Onso3ZrpKzWw_xbHwJa3Dzqo7FDCEjOI7l7amWwDiqt5RwSdZhtucBHzqx843SNvObCMo9hbxc1FnfUfWzAkAnsePGda5d_CWJG8SnSVK_NVAIL24ktoKzZ6bDM651LgPsm12TbDQ9TLJmRkNB4N1am3w/s568/IMG_8279.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VPPp3dGzvLdfGBpAllaiCsq6iPRztGzp9Onso3ZrpKzWw_xbHwJa3Dzqo7FDCEjOI7l7amWwDiqt5RwSdZhtucBHzqx843SNvObCMo9hbxc1FnfUfWzAkAnsePGda5d_CWJG8SnSVK_NVAIL24ktoKzZ6bDM651LgPsm12TbDQ9TLJmRkNB4N1am3w/s320/IMG_8279.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b><i>This girl wanted to try the Friends Trivia by herself. She scored 17/20... The winner got 20/20 and I scored 19/20. </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">At the conclusion of the delayed <i>Friends Trivia</i> we got another coffee and cocktail and went to the outside Promenade on Deck 4 for the kids to play shuffleboard. <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- As mentioned before, this is such a great area and truly a hidden gem on Deck 4.</span></i></b> As we got closer to Cozumel, we watched the approach from the helicopter pad on Deck 5. It was so fascinating to watch us pull in back in to Cozumel as the sun was beginning to set. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Evening </span></u></b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">As we got parked and the majority of passengers began to try and get off the ship, we stayed on Deck 4 to watch another sunset. <b><i>Like the previous days, God sure does paint a GORGEOUS picture!</i></b> As the sun went down and the ship began to clear of passengers, we meandered around the ship and made a pitstop at <i>Café Promenade</i> for some pizza. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9NqZTg_hx5uMXKYTzMSsku6sTKxg1i9Hsn9xCZkjY33WRSpOvvkojih2khJ6NLOzeICdQX5FdeoeYv9-dStqNwUxJEiTa4sjAaa6nosmMk2bSRfl23rv-NkQPq_wRGvMOb0r2x9TlbveoyX9smBpTBgCRIG8SGWITqSZ21_8b6XJxyRWfsHOdg9J7Q/s758/IMG_5608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9NqZTg_hx5uMXKYTzMSsku6sTKxg1i9Hsn9xCZkjY33WRSpOvvkojih2khJ6NLOzeICdQX5FdeoeYv9-dStqNwUxJEiTa4sjAaa6nosmMk2bSRfl23rv-NkQPq_wRGvMOb0r2x9TlbveoyX9smBpTBgCRIG8SGWITqSZ21_8b6XJxyRWfsHOdg9J7Q/s320/IMG_5608.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />Picture perfect evening... There is NOWHERE I would rather be! </i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlpsahEltIciXhvVRpZYhd2-AQZT8lNCDaO4fD1ABw5OvSc08QyRnBI-Fu92cBE0yCAxLTHkvWdw7obwRumWSqr_yFVNGigN73gUvBtJe_BvZSTRz8dx7z3SCA8-IyxMo1eoo39wgezxwexkT6PWJtxMrLOU1FG-t73b3sqvkaQAQlSmOcMsrqzd8Qg/s758/IMG_5612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlpsahEltIciXhvVRpZYhd2-AQZT8lNCDaO4fD1ABw5OvSc08QyRnBI-Fu92cBE0yCAxLTHkvWdw7obwRumWSqr_yFVNGigN73gUvBtJe_BvZSTRz8dx7z3SCA8-IyxMo1eoo39wgezxwexkT6PWJtxMrLOU1FG-t73b3sqvkaQAQlSmOcMsrqzd8Qg/s320/IMG_5612.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />But time needs to stop... My baby is growing up TOO FAST! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQlpmB2v7GzMj62W-msxNy_CyQ8WYSHAOyl99GqCgEY771TO2QNrb_6-BPpCWVQFsJAYlH_-ExFyG7pcW4i0ZT2eiae_l1P8C_vD-QbqEwsjyBY7CV3frJQWo4HjPaykTo_QlRoSwhD0gd3Xr2y22va9rlbtFX9cKD8clyZ5o0vfhIrkzLt-mHY68tQ/s568/IMG_5614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQlpmB2v7GzMj62W-msxNy_CyQ8WYSHAOyl99GqCgEY771TO2QNrb_6-BPpCWVQFsJAYlH_-ExFyG7pcW4i0ZT2eiae_l1P8C_vD-QbqEwsjyBY7CV3frJQWo4HjPaykTo_QlRoSwhD0gd3Xr2y22va9rlbtFX9cKD8clyZ5o0vfhIrkzLt-mHY68tQ/s320/IMG_5614.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Hello Cozumel! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IQZn9grJQ5o0ufuUvtprmOam4K5reHwcS53oBe2TPRQb8bE4pPtoF4VXiGdGYECPxP1IipY11982svT9NgfkPmK1W2L46Ng540m8iM-un5EyxDjHmD2uSR5x4Y_-tX13l96j5tmYJ6AirBqLGOEOv4KbcRF5b3zxt6uLASbagDM75DGXNJmqV137gw/s758/IMG_5624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IQZn9grJQ5o0ufuUvtprmOam4K5reHwcS53oBe2TPRQb8bE4pPtoF4VXiGdGYECPxP1IipY11982svT9NgfkPmK1W2L46Ng540m8iM-un5EyxDjHmD2uSR5x4Y_-tX13l96j5tmYJ6AirBqLGOEOv4KbcRF5b3zxt6uLASbagDM75DGXNJmqV137gw/s320/IMG_5624.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />We all loved watching the approach into Cozumel and having a great time on deck! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyoTw94FSG_q1BcmhE5elAzTWcMLrL6dmEUXAH2btP4TgsumtL1okDZsbM4gAdYzCbgRt-g9Bp-Oawv-TK7LVbwlb7U19MQHO5BVEHtITcHf74gPmUnHVxVkt9jBGdF-1w9oTaLnw5GxfcC-mAtHCWXRf3TWQBjBoTYV7cRRImCGNIP5JzqDbwLomwQ/s758/IMG_5630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyoTw94FSG_q1BcmhE5elAzTWcMLrL6dmEUXAH2btP4TgsumtL1okDZsbM4gAdYzCbgRt-g9Bp-Oawv-TK7LVbwlb7U19MQHO5BVEHtITcHf74gPmUnHVxVkt9jBGdF-1w9oTaLnw5GxfcC-mAtHCWXRf3TWQBjBoTYV7cRRImCGNIP5JzqDbwLomwQ/s320/IMG_5630.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />BE STILL MY HEART! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Then we went back to our room to get ready for our specialty dinner at </span><b style="font-style: normal;"><i>Izumi</i></b><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">. </span><b style="font-style: normal;"><i><span style="color: red;">TIP-The more I cruise, the more I LOVE the specialty restaurants. We originally thought we would take the kids to CHOPS (Arguably the BEST steak at sea) but we decided to try Izumi since we all LOVE sushi. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYxbPy4ge-7VTXUBD6V54GWbXuhy_9cqfA3zVuq7MwC6jccwmuKa7Qjrr3thzEii461YW6WnDPJwSaKtpuswdmMYALO15ol_0-tk3uagmXJRwTScIBrP5rNaXwwqjbh8v6h-cHcL2KP4Ns1gacp_pgnA7nl1dmSGWiD_u-3KwHSgfqH0xr5oFEpOW3A/s568/IMG_8285.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYxbPy4ge-7VTXUBD6V54GWbXuhy_9cqfA3zVuq7MwC6jccwmuKa7Qjrr3thzEii461YW6WnDPJwSaKtpuswdmMYALO15ol_0-tk3uagmXJRwTScIBrP5rNaXwwqjbh8v6h-cHcL2KP4Ns1gacp_pgnA7nl1dmSGWiD_u-3KwHSgfqH0xr5oFEpOW3A/s320/IMG_8285.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />Specialty Dinner Night! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqA9mqUC39Nzp4GzglMnVPX0SiZIPo_ve2cLVXJBGCuSQH3K9K2iiWHbIyXJV-F6mwapnCfM6pJLs0cj1oaHR29G-xC5Vi6ZoJzRBP5WmbwOEZNxuta86y0W28d85pJlLs0AJExnBm1_9dV_pFXDzkP95E5ciRyorWbFF5qEudVEfMbdXqYQUqPB9SQ/s758/IMG_8293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqA9mqUC39Nzp4GzglMnVPX0SiZIPo_ve2cLVXJBGCuSQH3K9K2iiWHbIyXJV-F6mwapnCfM6pJLs0cj1oaHR29G-xC5Vi6ZoJzRBP5WmbwOEZNxuta86y0W28d85pJlLs0AJExnBm1_9dV_pFXDzkP95E5ciRyorWbFF5qEudVEfMbdXqYQUqPB9SQ/s320/IMG_8293.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />This was at 7PM on the Royal Promenade! <br />The ship was practically EMPTY!</div></i></b></div></i></b></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Our dinner at <b><i>Izumi </i></b>was VERY good. We opted to all get the "<i>pre-fixe</i>" menu for $34.99/ person. This included an appetizer, 2 small portions sushi rolls and 1 dessert. <i><span style="color: red;">The service was good but honestly<u> no better</u> than the main dining room, which is unusual as our experience had proven to be exceptionally better in the specialty restaurants. This meal experience took about 110 minutes and there were only 4 other tables being served at the time. The food was really good but for a final cost of $165 (with tip), we were <u>all </u>left wanting a little bit more. I think if we did Izumi again, we would just several LARGE specialty rolls.</span></i> <b><i><span style="color: red;">TIP- If I had to compare Carnival and </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span><span style="color: red;"> Sushi restaurants, I would have to give the edge to </span>Carnival's Bonsai Sushi<span style="color: red;">. The overall value for your money is much better. We will try Izumi again on the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Allure </span><span style="color: red;">of the Seas in July since we have the "Ultimate Dining Package". </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0vyi8oLxsUoPXS4UWK7ry5fKzROKsSRbZHEqVhOkoAdLDBdBmz2ohr7m486y9Z-L4aJMNUpAOlkmLMH-qYGOf6dbAyRhVGTPdXAe9ek0-DtjR01I_-FBuEMoHd9hIswV0IRA4vGXkvHfcKfXBNFMRRqmXiz67Hu_zi-ZFT8yaAKdF7J-ViRGP1gJMA/s758/IMG_8299.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0vyi8oLxsUoPXS4UWK7ry5fKzROKsSRbZHEqVhOkoAdLDBdBmz2ohr7m486y9Z-L4aJMNUpAOlkmLMH-qYGOf6dbAyRhVGTPdXAe9ek0-DtjR01I_-FBuEMoHd9hIswV0IRA4vGXkvHfcKfXBNFMRRqmXiz67Hu_zi-ZFT8yaAKdF7J-ViRGP1gJMA/s320/IMG_8299.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />It's dinner time! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HQw-n6MBIn3rLffGDOaCXiwLfT5RkkWEtmvoy9NKekHXMgSC_ki1JYjEzMLzy2Gz3lQH-yoh5cS8FRL0Xl7XFLjtBTGBlWZYbHHGeMrRyvexcyPswKmIJHBRJ8LWHgZf76FjlKdOELfNhDC96CkPMWy6-JKp5ljLtSA17GSmRWYcQ8biSyIHExpMHA/s568/IMG_8304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HQw-n6MBIn3rLffGDOaCXiwLfT5RkkWEtmvoy9NKekHXMgSC_ki1JYjEzMLzy2Gz3lQH-yoh5cS8FRL0Xl7XFLjtBTGBlWZYbHHGeMrRyvexcyPswKmIJHBRJ8LWHgZf76FjlKdOELfNhDC96CkPMWy6-JKp5ljLtSA17GSmRWYcQ8biSyIHExpMHA/s320/IMG_8304.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This little guy was in HEAVEN! He is such a sushi fan and probably enjoyed this just as much as Chris and I! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aHogA_Y-Ak4-I0bMKWrOk68m7j271AbCyJ4dHUHrK6ihwqcf-h0zCgVZtA4g-7S_vqX3jmvASFqYz-s_gb21BwlK5fiaajmWwclNg4akq2M50XKD8Aft8V4dcylzmPES_Zpv-WhkwKRVdvKwASfIyfiS47XMjTeBUF3SJfYGO-Wt0YSEdP8sDmGveQ/s758/IMG_8307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aHogA_Y-Ak4-I0bMKWrOk68m7j271AbCyJ4dHUHrK6ihwqcf-h0zCgVZtA4g-7S_vqX3jmvASFqYz-s_gb21BwlK5fiaajmWwclNg4akq2M50XKD8Aft8V4dcylzmPES_Zpv-WhkwKRVdvKwASfIyfiS47XMjTeBUF3SJfYGO-Wt0YSEdP8sDmGveQ/s320/IMG_8307.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="color: red;">The Champagne Lobster Roll and the President's Royal Sushi. <br />These were superb and so delicate! </span></div></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After dinner we went back to the room to get our personal items to get off the ship and allow Chris to take his medications. Then we walked down to Deck 1 and got off the ship in a dark <b><u>but very lively</u></b> Cozumel. <b><i>Chris and I had been to Cozumel 16 other times but NEVER at night.</i></b> This was a first for all of us and were excited just to see what was open. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD04LN9whbM1RDCES1IyQzUUJxvSabO2MnECZyZ0b4fL_1Drq_kmxrJSlInMMekxa9MHDdV5MQNgy_F5iaMjMy1PnFr2Hn92jm1JTSlbfFy71EBflA9P4QXsL9ep3jhN4QcZAPz9_dIIqSHue17yX8yy3MxmW48dkZ632NPP5ZOcxM2KbjQuJC1QX5Q/s758/IMG_8292.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD04LN9whbM1RDCES1IyQzUUJxvSabO2MnECZyZ0b4fL_1Drq_kmxrJSlInMMekxa9MHDdV5MQNgy_F5iaMjMy1PnFr2Hn92jm1JTSlbfFy71EBflA9P4QXsL9ep3jhN4QcZAPz9_dIIqSHue17yX8yy3MxmW48dkZ632NPP5ZOcxM2KbjQuJC1QX5Q/s320/IMG_8292.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>We are ready to check out Cozumel at NIGHT! </i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once off the ship, we got an exceptional view and picture of the ship at night and got to wander around the port shopping area of the <i>International Cruise Terminal</i>. The regular bars and restaurants were open like, <i>Senor Frogs, Margaritaville, Fat Tuesdays</i> and many small shops stayed open. We had NEVER seen the port area this vacant. We made a few stops for souvenirs and took a few pictures but we were back on the ship within an hour or so. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUgAK61wieh2Q1SGHk1wQxKWHqU4oA5yodtMXP1bbpQrinnUVzSz8OuqQUEcZQgATpy2fh3NsVp5GeC_RYoCegVsOw_NT_WSq-IYhkxQZjrhJIATT7GTNEiwDU3KEne8syr-NDXiY-PoyTFBSmtey44emoRBxwXNtMVIODxLLVX1dt0f_TyQDnq7eIA/s758/IMG_8313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUgAK61wieh2Q1SGHk1wQxKWHqU4oA5yodtMXP1bbpQrinnUVzSz8OuqQUEcZQgATpy2fh3NsVp5GeC_RYoCegVsOw_NT_WSq-IYhkxQZjrhJIATT7GTNEiwDU3KEne8syr-NDXiY-PoyTFBSmtey44emoRBxwXNtMVIODxLLVX1dt0f_TyQDnq7eIA/w200-h150/IMG_8313.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TRS4L2x1_W8TcRMUDo42Un6szaY0udKQNoBk6hgLXqNi5iIOEICxcvpo2ZcrEAgTBJGdFQPgrS9xqzZIWi4I8nB8jhTQ9ZHhldLVTdM_5hObKEW5Yi4UhcQRx8unPBmMQtVi7kQaiCRmp5wejmq4pgG7PI8DHgfy7dBx2sJ-DdhcEc0ggBYv978lQw/s758/IMG_8318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TRS4L2x1_W8TcRMUDo42Un6szaY0udKQNoBk6hgLXqNi5iIOEICxcvpo2ZcrEAgTBJGdFQPgrS9xqzZIWi4I8nB8jhTQ9ZHhldLVTdM_5hObKEW5Yi4UhcQRx8unPBmMQtVi7kQaiCRmp5wejmq4pgG7PI8DHgfy7dBx2sJ-DdhcEc0ggBYv978lQw/w200-h150/IMG_8318.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><b><i>This was SUCH a cool experience and another FIRST for us! </i></b></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0tWXyRLSNuBygbAg9SkKtFr-yN49U1kI42sJiHz3hHH6tvySIW7Dx4WRygF03uO3KPTQP8-pjQfEp1K34ZUjscr5pYY8P4v7aXxPIaG6okNcPEgQkdaTb1SGhFAdTtMQ_NkSOXVFw9WXA4NhAwsnuakBgysTqSJceUaljLTWLxtj3nyUzYIZWVOaKA/s758/IMG_8325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0tWXyRLSNuBygbAg9SkKtFr-yN49U1kI42sJiHz3hHH6tvySIW7Dx4WRygF03uO3KPTQP8-pjQfEp1K34ZUjscr5pYY8P4v7aXxPIaG6okNcPEgQkdaTb1SGhFAdTtMQ_NkSOXVFw9WXA4NhAwsnuakBgysTqSJceUaljLTWLxtj3nyUzYIZWVOaKA/s320/IMG_8325.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>She truly is a BEAUTY! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53_1Yw-wWtkN6uy3Wcpj9YdCp1wzlCkx6vmW7Fj6hcxW64XPWcYMgUTT_1y4KAkHkE5Acuq_svgNtsAv3XyxfXrXGD6UW4jGcsto_UrwZUYA1BEeJ-JewvQ8jhXnJLW9m7WyK8S5LKfikjDk9wjmbWej769mnqj5VuhoyjvlN46g6tPmfJ8ZEWaWkRQ/s758/IMG_8327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53_1Yw-wWtkN6uy3Wcpj9YdCp1wzlCkx6vmW7Fj6hcxW64XPWcYMgUTT_1y4KAkHkE5Acuq_svgNtsAv3XyxfXrXGD6UW4jGcsto_UrwZUYA1BEeJ-JewvQ8jhXnJLW9m7WyK8S5LKfikjDk9wjmbWej769mnqj5VuhoyjvlN46g6tPmfJ8ZEWaWkRQ/s320/IMG_8327.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>I. LOVE. CRUISING! That's all... I love it! </i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9FuxoF67CwOIFm8pdNHkaTyRZMOTGnn1DLzTVyFjOOdzjUFFl9W2jSrh-Ic-j4N9Ee1gWQ2QnpCXyga-L1grpm1ouOe8I4Q5-ksYKD5rbHV0KgYJHINbZGmF8jnfo2Vy46WC4zm9M1DsX0IJ6cIbpY_xuYeeIguJ7nFVx-8lEqBTiDAN_7fOuISfsw/s758/IMG_8328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9FuxoF67CwOIFm8pdNHkaTyRZMOTGnn1DLzTVyFjOOdzjUFFl9W2jSrh-Ic-j4N9Ee1gWQ2QnpCXyga-L1grpm1ouOe8I4Q5-ksYKD5rbHV0KgYJHINbZGmF8jnfo2Vy46WC4zm9M1DsX0IJ6cIbpY_xuYeeIguJ7nFVx-8lEqBTiDAN_7fOuISfsw/s320/IMG_8328.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i><b>I am so glad we got to have this experience with the kids! </b></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz7q1Ie1cwpWc7ONaiVBuSFd3FXELJBCUplN-3aUZTkmADVBDbKpxhzWPE3ijd6sEvHB08Y0kdxKzBZhz5EuAP2T3RKVYoal0Ms68mofKYOhJFabM-zeYhTo6mtfig8nJlSHQQG_3_vZJIhIM5GJuu8VYgEClRUasiiJvwRSLKnfKQwbZ0DIXKbrUZg/s758/IMG_8334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz7q1Ie1cwpWc7ONaiVBuSFd3FXELJBCUplN-3aUZTkmADVBDbKpxhzWPE3ijd6sEvHB08Y0kdxKzBZhz5EuAP2T3RKVYoal0Ms68mofKYOhJFabM-zeYhTo6mtfig8nJlSHQQG_3_vZJIhIM5GJuu8VYgEClRUasiiJvwRSLKnfKQwbZ0DIXKbrUZg/s320/IMG_8334.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i><span style="color: red;">I love this photo op near the International Cruise Terminal. </span></i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC4QacBRN2juUBarCfxgaFyuwYshqcjafod5CCwWehsTYUXnLBDNGTFjltJ3fstDhGKSRLZ8Jrhdolvm_qlcAcdwzItFgCki_2gxCy_uNICMBuQ68nYy2SbKmgUwouRcBg17hiERohqik-ekyXE87xYkObqcVEOs8v3aHZi-hEGg88avs8Xq6hc9NbA/s758/IMG_8336.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC4QacBRN2juUBarCfxgaFyuwYshqcjafod5CCwWehsTYUXnLBDNGTFjltJ3fstDhGKSRLZ8Jrhdolvm_qlcAcdwzItFgCki_2gxCy_uNICMBuQ68nYy2SbKmgUwouRcBg17hiERohqik-ekyXE87xYkObqcVEOs8v3aHZi-hEGg88avs8Xq6hc9NbA/s320/IMG_8336.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><b><i>In 16+ trips to Cozumel, we have never been to this photo op! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MeewsKcTptw" width="320" youtube-src-id="MeewsKcTptw"></iframe><br /><i><span style="color: red;">This was such a cool experience! </span></i></div><i><span style="color: red;">CHECK IT OUT! </span><br /></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once back on board, we made to play our traditional friendly golf competition at the mini-golf. Chris has won the last 5 out of 6 matches and I was determined to win. <b><i>Well, I guess not determined enough because despite having a HOLE IN ONE... I still lost by 2 strokes. REMATCH TIME on the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">ALLURE</span>! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeiSldrCYK8JjCajoMpwQxo2xSkoYx0PKC88cWehfHmbzHJtQC8wG5KRL8SNS78Bj8BK_i2tSOEXIGA8Okmt1Q-GevbwToVK3awVggJCj1V0pjcq-gwBOp22AHxUu5o6TW7MKv62KJHoSJYfW6NMGA2odpuj9N2i2hIh-9Sum1xvrQhOOVOK205gdYw/s758/IMG_8348.jpg" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="758" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeiSldrCYK8JjCajoMpwQxo2xSkoYx0PKC88cWehfHmbzHJtQC8wG5KRL8SNS78Bj8BK_i2tSOEXIGA8Okmt1Q-GevbwToVK3awVggJCj1V0pjcq-gwBOp22AHxUu5o6TW7MKv62KJHoSJYfW6NMGA2odpuj9N2i2hIh-9Sum1xvrQhOOVOK205gdYw/s320/IMG_8348.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Luke was a little competitive and tried to win the match as well. But nonetheless, Chris was the winner once again!</i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We went back to the room to get ready for bed as it was already about 11pm. It was then I realized that I had in fact printed off our "<i>resort for a day</i>" passes for Cozumel the next day. <i>I know I printed them off... But they were no where to be found.</i> I called the <i>Guest Services</i> about printing them off and they assured me they could. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once I got to <i>Guest Services</i>, they explained they could print off our passes but in order to access them (on my email) I would have to pay for the 24 hour internet. <b><i>This seemed insane to me as all I needed to do was email them to the Guest Service manager.</i></b> The crew member then told me <i>"just get off the ship and walk 4 blocks to XXX and they have free Wi-Fi"</i>. I gave him a crazy look I am sure! But it is after midnight (Cozumel time) now and I am a single woman. I asked to allow me 5 minutes of internet to email them the passes and they said no. I had hoped to be able to get access and then they could "reverse" the Wi-Fi and payment but that was not an option. <b><i>So I opted to pay $34.99 for 24 hours of internet service.</i></b> I paid for it at 11:33 and by 11;38, I was completely done with the internet. Serge did in fact print off my passes but I was not happy. I spoke with the guest services manager and he would not back down saying <i>"even if you only use for 5 minutes, we charge you</i>".<i> In true <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Royal Caribbean</span> fashion, they Nickle and dime (and $34.99) you</i>! <b><i>I am LOYAL TO <span style="color: #2b00fe;">ROYAL </span>but this was not good customer relations. However, I would not let this minor issue and $35 ruin my vacation or even my night. </i></b>We grabbed a cocktail and listened to some live music in the <i>Royal Promenade</i> before calling it a night around midnight (ship time). </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>This was an unexpected day but we did get another first... COZUMEL at NIGHT! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Up next... Our first experience at Playa Mia in Cozumel.</span> </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">God is Good... ALL THE TIME! </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></i></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:</u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2023/03/20-for-40-carnival-breeze-september-2022.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- KELLIE's 40th September 2022</a><br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2022/10/vacation-vaccination-vista-nation_9.html" target="_blank">Carnival Vista- July 2022</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nights-of-enchantment-enchantment-of.html" target="_blank">Enchantment of the Seas- February 2020</a><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2020/02/dreams-do-come-true-carnival-dream-2019.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream- June 2019</a></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/07/crown-royal-and-anchor-society-liberty.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019</a></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2019/03/breakaway-from-holiday-norwegian.html" target="_blank">The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018</a></u></i></b></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="https://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/07/liberty-royal-treatmentthe-liberty-of.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018</a></u></i></b></span> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/04/pearls-of-wisdom-norwegian-pearl-2018.html" target="_blank"><b>Norwegian Pearl- 2018</b></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2018/01/girls-gone-cruising-carnival-valor-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor (Girls Cruise)- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/08/breezing-through-summer-carnival-breeze.html" target="_blank">Carnival Breeze- 2017</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/04/living-dream-carnival-dream-2017.html" target="_blank">Carnival Dream 2017</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2017/01/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-valor_16.html" target="_blank">Carnival Valor- 2016</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-legendary-trip-north-to-alaska_10.html" target="_blank">Carnival Legend- ALASKA</a>- 2016</i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/07/north-by-northwest-6-magnificent-days.html" target="_blank">Land Vacation- Seattle, WA and Vancouver<br />"North by Northwest"</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2016/04/this-is-not-your-grand-daddys-cruise-oh.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Princess- 2016</a></span></i></b></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/12/triumphant-thanksgivingthe-carnival.html" target="_blank">Carnival Triumph- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><u><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/07/do-you-believe-in-magic-carnival-magic.html" target="_blank">Carnival Magic- 2015</a></u></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/03/lifestyles-of-rich-and-famous_31.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015</a></i></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/somewhere-beyond-sea-navigator-2014.html" target="_blank">Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014</a></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2015/04/fun-in-sun-carnival-conquest-2013.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2013</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chrisandkelliedavis.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-6-davises-storm-carribean.html" target="_blank">Carnival Conquest- 2006</a></span></i></b></span></div>The Davis Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721631407874908815noreply@blogger.com0