Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Sisters in San Francisco- Day 5

This is 42!
September 4, 2024
San Francisco to Dallas


I seriously LOVE being on a trip on my BIRTHDAY!  

Morning
We woke up to a very heavy FOG view from our hotel room. We could barely see anything and all I could think of was "Thank God we didn't have this fog when we were driving the PCH or at Baker Beach to see the Golden Gate Bridge". I was also very grateful we had a later afternoon flight and didn't have to deal with all this fog trying to fly out of San Francisco. 

A view from our hotel room as we woke up... Heavy Fog! 

 Our flight was not until 4PM so we had plenty of time to make it a casual morning and prepare for our flight home. We got ready for the day and then we got on a Cable Car right outside our hotel and went down the steepest street in San Francisco to get to our Brunch restaurant, Sears Finer Foods. Allison LOVES brunch and it is sort of her thing so I decided what better way to spend out last day and my BIRTHDAY than eating brunch with her! 


I loved riding these cable cars everywhere in San Francisco! 


The fog was lifting and it was going to be a beautiful day! 


This is 42! 

Once we got to Sears Finer Foods, we got seated right away and were able to review the menu before making our selections. This restaurant was known for it's silver dollar pancakes and Allison got those while I went way out in left field and tried a shrimp omelet. I now know I do not like seafood for breakfast; the omelet was good but just not my cup of tea. The pancakes that came with the omelet were phenomenal and just what I would have expected for a fancy brunch restaurant such as this! 


Sears Finer Foods on Powell Street!

The Sears Finer Foods Menu
(Very extensive and offered something for EVERYONE!) 


My Shrimp Omelet and (MASSIVE) Pancake! 

After brunch, we took the Cable Car back UP that crazy steep hill all the way to the end of it's tracks in Ghirardelli Square. We got off in Fisherman's Warf and walked around a bit enjoying our last views of San Francisco before going inside the Ghirardelli Store to get some souvenirs and a classic Hot Chocolate for Allie. 


A view from the back of a Cable Car looking back at Powell Street. 
I would NEVER want to walk that... either way! 


The gas in San Francisco (September 4, 2024) 
GOD BLESS TEXAS! 


One last fling in Fisherman's Warf! 

Afternoon
After our souvenir shopping and last minute pictures, we boarded the same Cable Car back to our hotel in Nob Hill where we would pack up and then walk to Philz Coffee about 7 blocks from our hotel. TIP- Philz Coffee was introduced to Chris and I in 2021 from his sister, D'Ann, who has been to San Francisco many times. It has to be the BEST COFFEE we have ever had! When on the West Coast, be sure to find a Philz Coffee Location! It truly is the best! 


I am so very glad we got to ride the Cable Cars! 
This was such a cool experience! 


A view of Alcatraz from the Powell Street Cable Car as we boarded in Fisherman's Warf! 


Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge as we passed by on the Cable Car! 


Philz Coffee near Lombard Street


Best cup of coffee I've ever had! 

After our coffee stop, it was officially time to end our trip and we grabbed our luggage and checked out of the hotel. We grabbed an UBER to the BART Station in Union Square, where we would take the BART to Oakland Airport.  TIP- I mentioned before the various airports in the San Francisco metro area but be sure to check for the lowest prices. We flew into San Jose and out of Oakland as this was the cheapest. Oakland airport is accessible by an extension of the BART track in Oakland. We saved about $72/ person by flying out of Oakland and not a round trip out of San Jose. I have also found in my research that San Francisco airport typically is the most expensive of them all and is still 15 or so miles from the actual downtown San Francisco. 


A final view from our hotel room... What a gorgeous day in the Bay! 


Union Street BART station... It was BUSY as we were arriving and having to haul our luggage from the street down the escalator to the BART station! (This was not an issue but I am not sure I would do this with kids or "a lot" of luggage!) 

I loved getting to pass back by the Oakland Coliseum one last time on our way to the Oakland Airport. She is the reason I came and it was nice to have a little closure; not just for the trip but for my entire Bucket List competition. 


One last final look at the Coliseum- MLB's last DIVE BAR! 


This will always hold a special place in my heart! 


PEACE OUT OAKLAND- It's been REAL! 

Once inside the Oakland Airport we walked far from our gate to find a location with a plug in and then sat and chilled waiting for our 4:45PM flight but I was able to get a full battery in the meantime which is great since Southwest does not offer plugs for devices. 

Evening
We had to travel around a rain storm so we were delayed a bit getting back to Dallas but we touched down in God's Country around 9:15PM central time. We were able to get all of our stuff and get back to the car in minimal time and then I was able to get Allie back to her apartment in North Dallas shortly after 10PM. 

I had earned birthday points with Hilton and was able to use them on a FREE Embassy Suites room near the Galleria in Dallas. This was nice as I did not want to make the 3 hour drive home at 10PM but I also did not want to bombard Allison as she was arriving back to her apartment and going back to work the next day. I was able to spend my birthday night in a hotel room by myself in peace and quite (no kids or husband, or puppy). This truly was the BEST GIFT EVER! 

I woke up the next morning and got out of town quickly to get home to my family. It is always nice to go on vacation but in my old age, I love coming home as well! But it was back into the swing of things REAL QUICK as Natalie had a THURSDAY NIGHT Football Game and was marching at halftime. No rest for the weary! 

This was one of the BEST BIRTHDAYS EVER and this trip was nothing short of AMAZING! Thank you so much Allison for offering to go with me. This was so very special and I hope I can return the favor in 2025- #NYCforAllie 

UP NEXT- Anthem of the Seas 
ALASKA with the kids (Summer 2025) 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

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Saturday, March 4, 2023

20 for 40- The Carnival Breeze September 2022

20 for 40- Happy 40th Birthday, Kellie 
Carnival Breeze 
September 2022 


The Carnival Breeze in Costa Maya, Mexico

It's hard to believe but we have been on TWENTY cruises and this cruise was a BIG one as Kellie celebrated the BIG 4-0 onboard the Carnival Breeze. With the cruising industry back in full swing and the requirements and standards for cruising continuing to go back to what we would call "normal", we decided celebrating Kellie's 40th on a cruise ship seemed PERFECT! 

This was my 20th cruise and Chris's 19th cruise! We have cruised 11 previous times with Carnival, 5 times with Royal Caribbean, 2 times with Norwegian and 1 time with Princess. 

This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the Carnival Breeze with lots of tips, tricks and insiders info for cruising on the Carnival Breeze and after the pandemic. Thank you SO MUCH for following along! We appreciate your support and clicking of our blog! 

Check out our trip:

Day #1- Last Day of "Thirty Something"

Day #2- Forty is the New Twenty

Day #3- So This is What Forty Feels Like

Day #4- The Joe Biden of Resorts

Day #5- Enjoy One Last Day

Debarkation- 90 Miles an Hour from the Sunrise

Once again, thank you for following along and support our business! I hope this will help someone planning a cruise on the Breeze or planning to get back to cruising after the pandemic... Or even a first time cruiser! Feel free to reach out with any questions! 

Up Next... The kids get back to cruising! 
Adventure of the Seas- February 2023

WE CANNOT WAIT! 




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Sunday, October 16, 2022

20 for 40- Debarkation

90 Miles an Hour from the Sunrise 
Debarkation- Galveston, TX 
Thursday, September 8, 2022 

Morning
We woke up before our alarms went off to the motion of the Carnival Breeze pulling into the Galveston terminal. We looked out our Cove Balcony and sure enough, they were starting to tie the ropes and the cruise was now officially over. We were sad but knew we had to get back to reality. And this time, the reality was a RUDE AWAKENING. Usually we cruise during breaks or summer and have some time before we have to get right back at it... not this time. We got off the ship and then had to get back home real quick to be ready to pick up the kids from school and a full afternoon/ evening of volleyball for Natalie Grace. 

We got ready and then went and had breakfast in the Main Dining Room for the port express breakfast. This was only offered from 7-8:30AM and we arrived at 8:15AM. This was pushing it just a bit but they seated us and we were able to enjoy somewhat of a chill morning. 

Despite arriving into Galveston before 7AM, the ship was still not cleared from customs at 9AM when we got done with our breakfast. This seemed really odd to me but we went back to the room to finalize our packing before vacating the stateroom. As per the usual, we were kindly asked to vacate the room shortly after 9AM and we obliged. 

Debarkation Information 
Passengers can choose to carry their own luggage off the ship, or they can send their luggage the last night of the cruise and have a more relaxed morning getting off the ship. If you choose to do the "regular/ relaxed debarkation" you have to go to the Lido deck on the last day at NOON and get the ZONE TAGS- Zone 1-30, and that is how you will get off the ship on debarkation day. We got zone 26 at 3:30PM on the last day at sea. Get there earlier if you want a better zone number! *Rookie mistake... and we are anything but rookies! Set an alarm on your device to get a better zone number! 

The Carnival Breeze uses MUSTER STATIONS for the Debarkation process instead of the traditional DECKS. (We learned ALL Carnival ships now use musters instead of decks now). This means that if you choose to do "Self-Debarkation" and take off ALL of your own luggage, you will be called by your muster station. We realized several years ago that the "self-debark" option is not as fast anymore as so many people are using this as a means to get off the ship. (It's like that secret from Disney World, you want to share it but then EVERYONE will do it. That is "self-debark" nowadays. Approximately 75% of the passengers use this option). This means that 3K+ people are walking around the ship with EVERYTHING they brought on board and often times MUCH MORE. It is a HOT mess. 

We waited in the Casino Annex area for a while and then got off the ship with the "Self-Debarkation" group when they called our muster station. We had our carry-on suitcase so we fit the part. It was a HOT MESS due to the delay of customs clearance and we really needed to get off the ship quickly. 


One of my favorites (and least favorites because that means its over) signs of the cruise! 

We were off the ship and BREEZING through customs, literally, by 10:15AM. The customs process is a BREEZE now... LITERALLY. The US government has really stepped up their game and has tablets that do facial recognition for US entrance. That means no papers to fill out and literally just walk up to the tablet and SMILE... Then you're done! TIP- This is only a valid option if all guests in your party have PASSPORTS. If anyone is traveling with a birth certificate, they will need to complete the paperwork and meet with an agent. We didn't realize it at the time of boarding and check in but they created our facial recognition right then and there. It is REALLY COOL and easily one of the best changes since COVID. 

The line for those without passports (birth certificates) 

The line for passports! 
If I was only given ONE TIP for cruising after the pandemic It would be GET A PASSPORT! The facial recognition software is AWESOME and it is SO WORTH IT! 

10:15AM was VERY LATE per the usual cruise debarkation times. This also meant that the oncoming passengers would feel this delay. As I mentioned in the embarkation post, we opted to park at a new facility that offered a shuttle so we had to wait for the shuttle and this, too, was a slight delay. We were at our car and headed north around 10:50AM. 

Afternoon
We got to our home in The Woodlands around 12:30PM and unloaded the car and started to unpack. Jackie and Oxford were right there waiting on us! THANK YOU SO MUCH JACKIE for taking care of not only the kids but the dog too! We appreciate you more than you'll know! 

After unpacking and starting a load of laundry, we were out the door to go and get Luke from school early so we could make the drive to Barbers Hill South for Natalie's volleyball game. This was about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our home and just at an hour from New Caney. We grabbed Luke and were on our way to Barbers Hill. We arrived around 3:30PM and were able to have a nice sit-down meal with Jackie before the game. 

Natalie's team ended up losing this game but she had a REALLY good game with 4 aces, 2 AWESOME hits and even a block up front! Way to go Natalie Grace! We didn't get back to our house until about 8:30PM and we were exhausted but what a day it was! 


Thank you Jackie for coming to take care of the kids
AND support Natalie and Luke at all their events! 
You are seriously the BEST CHEERLEADER EVER! 
We appreciate you! 


We love you Natalie Grace! 
And we are SO PROUD OF YOU! 

This was an INCREDIBLE cruise and it was so fun to get to celebrate the BIG 4-0 onboard a ship. I never thought I would be able to do that with a mid-year birthday! Thank you Chris for a great cruise! 

Thank you for following along! 

Up Next... Adventure of the Seas (with the kids)
February 2023





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Saturday, October 15, 2022

20 for 40- Sea Day #2

Enjoy One Last Day
September 7, 2022 
Sea Day #2


Carnival Breeze and gorgeous Caribbean... So perfect! 

Morning
I woke up shortly after 7AM and quietly went to the balcony to enjoy the calm seas and beautiful views. Chris woke up about an hour later and we went to get coffee from Blue Java Coffee Bar before going to Sea Day brunch in the MDR. 


A view from the Cove Balcony... I swear this is the most perfect cabin EVER! 


Another view from the balcony! 


A view of the Lido Deck main pool area around 9AM. 


A view of the Waterworks area as it opened at 10AM. 

We decided to be CRAZY on this brunch and we each got a few really weird things from the menu; like fried cheese sticks from the kids menu and a salmon Caesar salad. This was really fun to try but there were no big winners for us! 

We then went and played our traditional putt-putt golf game on the Carnival Breeze Sports Deck area on Deck 12. I was ahead for several holes but in the end, Chris won! AGAIN... Gosh, I have to win one soon! Maybe on the Adventure of the Seas? This is always such a fun tradition for us and despite it being a Sea Day it was not crowded at all.  


Time for mini-golf! 
C'mon Kellie... Try to win one! 

After our golf fun we went to the Atrium Bar to play cards and try and relax as we knew once we got off the ship on the following day, it was literally right back to work and being parents. We enjoyed our drink package again and played some trivia in the Atrium. We tried to do well on the Carnival 50th birthday trivia but some of the opponents were using their phones to get answers and we were not able to win. We played a few other trivia with a large group and Chris was able to help his team with the "Wheely Big Trivia" and earned another Carnival Medallion. 

I was very excited to be able to play FRIENDS trivia yet again and hopefully get a perfect score and get an additional Carnival Medallion but that was not the case. Unfortunately, for the first time in 5 Carnival cruises and 7 cruises overall, I was not able to come up with a W on the FRIENDS trivia! It was fairly depressing but this was a legitimate trivia and the winner deserved the medallion! I only scored 17/21 questions but these were TRUE Friends fans questions. I wish I would have written them down because I think even some of my best friends who are FREINDS geniuses would not have done well on these questions! 

After the FRIENDS Trivia fail, we went to the Main Theater to check out the Q&A session with Jasper. As I mentioned before, we were NOT a fan of our CD, Jasper,  but we love a good Q&A with the CD. We were hopeful this would be a "good" one but it was anything but that. Once again, Jasper turned this into a chance to just talk about himself. We were disgusted with the questions that were being answered but more so by the "just one little story" answers he was replying with.

Afternoon 
We went to get a late lunch at Guy's Burgers and then went back to the Casino Annex Bar. We really enjoyed this during the day time as it was the only place that offered EPSN on the ship. While we were sitting at the bar, we met the Hotel Director for the Carnival Breeze and were able to talk to him for a while. He was so very nice and even gave us a "drink on the house" which was very hospitable.


Trying to stay hydrated today! Water is definitely the KEY! 

Afterwards, I ventured back to the actual casino but was once again, not successful. This time on Roulette. I was able to go back up about $50 but opted not to stop and then lost it all again! "That's how they get you"! 

Chris went back to the room to take a nap and I went up to the Lido deck in hopes of finding a deck chair in the shade. I was able to find one and spent a few hours just watching the ocean sail by and it was absolutely GLORIOUS!  

I made my way back to the stateroom to start the packing process. In our later cruises, we have decided it is actually easier to NOT carry off our luggage and instead place it outside your room the night before disembarkation. We have noticed MORE AND MORE people are doing the self-assist disembarkation and that means a long wait so we opt to do the regular debark and we got off just as fast, if not faster than most. That means you have to have ALL your bags packed and outside your room by 10PM so you have to pack it up before dinner. It is SO depressing but really works for us! 


The COVID hallway on Deck 2 forward. 
(I learned this is a customary location on ALL Carnival ships). 

After I got our luggage packed, we just chilled on the balcony so we could catch the sunset at 7:15PM. It was STUNNING! It just doesn't get much better than a sunset on your balcony of a cruise ship! That is simply PERFECTION! 


Sunset on a cruise ship... It is one of my favorite things EVER! 
And this one was so clear and near perfect! 


Another view from our Cove Balcony! 


The seas were smooth and calm! 
This was about 4 minutes from the sun actually setting and disappearing into the horizon! 

Then we took a quick shower and went to another PG comedy show in the Comedy Club. This comedian was just not as funny but we enjoyed having a clean show. We then went to our last dinner aboard the Carnival Breeze. We gave our servers our tip and gift and told them thank you. One of our servers was going to go home in 2 more cruises so we were so happy for her! 


Soup and salad for the healthy win! 
I wish I could make salads like this at home! So fresh and so healthy! 


Of course, it was all followed by Baked Alaska so it was a wash! 
Haha... I am so glad Carnival has brought this back for their 50th Anniversary Celebration menu! 

After dinner we went back to Alchemy Bar for another round of drinks before getting in line for the last adult comedy show of the cruise. We were able to get in line and then get in the Comedy Club to get fairly decent seats for this final show. The Comedian was hilarious and we enjoyed this show very much! Then it was time to go back to the room and get to bed so we could face reality in the morning. 

This day and this cruise had been AMAZING but all good things must come to an end! It's been real Carnival Breeze! Until Next time! 

Up Next... Debarkation of the Carnival Breeze!




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