Off Cruising in the Bahamas

 Traveling seems to find lots of impromptu adventures along the way. We’ve been enjoying the gracious hospitality of Christa’s cousin Joan and her husband Gene in Jacksonville, Florida. Naturally when they suggested taking a cruise to the Bahamas together we couldn’t resist.

Yippee ...  Strawberry Daiquiri Time

After returning from a whirlwind week at Disney World, one day later we are off cruising in the Caribbean aboard the Carnival Fascination ship.




Nassau and Freeport are two ports of call for disembarking off the ship. 

Nassau Straw Market stalls along the pier

At Nassau there is lots of bartering in the open Straw Market for souvenirs with vendors. 

Joan and Christa off to support the local economy

However the place is so crowded through the narrow corridors that if one lit a match it could easily  become a death trap. 

"My dread knots have been growing for 7 years,"

This outfit is much too big to smuggle home on the ship

We all took a boat excursion to visit the famous casino resort hotel of Atlantis amongst tropical clear blue waters.


The Royal Towers architecture of Atlantis relives the story of the powerful lost Atlantic civilization through magnificent murals encircling the colossal lobby dome. Dominating the dazzling décor of the largest casino in the Caribbean are the brilliant glass masterworks of artist Dale Chihuly.

Giant shark

A guide led us by foot on a journey through the lost city of Atlantic to view mythical artifacts and stunning marine life in large aquariums. We discovered ancient passageways, hieroglyphics, Atlantean inventions, and life in the oceans’ depths.

A school of string rays

A conch emerging from its shell

Witnessing a giant stingray, jellyfish, exotic fish swimming and a male conch mollusk hang off its shell has been exciting.

Trainer whistles for a dolphin to clap

Gotta love being kissed by a dolphin

At Freeport on Grand Bahamas Island, Christa and Joan did an excursion seeing the countryside by bus and inlet waterways by a taxi boat. They enjoyed a Dolphin Encounter experience petting dolphins in a pool and afterwards held parrots.

 

The Carnival cruise ship is so relaxing and filled with lots of fun activities.The accommodations and dining meals are incredible. The Didja (Did you ever try) appetizers of escargots, alligator tail fritters, frog legs, and sushi tantalize the taste buds during evening dining. 

Hot tub dancing at dust

It is no wonder that JR has been found spending lots of his time soaking in the hot tubs aboard the ship. 

The last evening aboard brought the most amazing sunset ever as a surprise

The cruise has been a terrific grand finale wrapping up eight months of road travel on the east coast this past year for us. Sharing the voyage with Joan and Gene has made the adventure even better and more fun.

Enjoying Good Times at Disney World in Orlando, Florida

Spending five days having fun at Disney World and Epcot Center for the first time is a blast at any age. It seemed to be the perfect time to go in the fall as the weather wasn’t so hot. As luck would have it, each of the four theme parks was beautifully decorated and lit up for the holidays.

Cinderella Castle changes colors at night in Fantasyland

Epcot’s Showcase pavilions for eleven countries around the world was interesting, but geared more to adults.

Japan tiko drummers

Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios were both very exciting and entertaining as well. We captured several candid snapshots of animals and studio action stunt shows there.

Circle of Life Tree

Tiger 

Kimodo Dragon

Everyone should go to Disney in Orlando at least once in your life and if we could give any one tip it would be to wear comfy shoes (being on your feet for up to twelve + hours will take its toll).

The place is a national treasure as far as we are concerned, with more to do on one vacation than even the most seasoned traveler can cram into one trip. Out of all the Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom was a favorite. It is a hoot to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, and all the Disney characters in extravaganza parades each day bringing out the kid in everyone.



The castle at Fantasyland is spectacular lit up at nighttime along with amazing fireworks each evening. All we can say is Disney World is truly the most magical place in the world, and if you have an opportunity you should go and truthfully enjoy it! Stay on their property, they do all the driving and let you immerse yourself in Disney magic.

Fall in the Golden Isles of Georgia

After leaving Savannah, we began our trek down scenic Highway 17 to Brunswick, St. Simon's Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island. The Golden Isles are barrier islands that can be found along the Georgia coast.

They're named the "golden isles" because of their vast marshes that turn a beautiful golden color in the fall. Most of them are especially dramatic when lit by the setting sun.

We caught several great photos one early evening while out on the Lady Jane “shrimpin” on a shrimp boat trawler. While cruising along,  passengers were treated to all the fresh shrimp one could eat (after the shrimp were boiled). 

As folks snacked on the shrimp, the nets on the boat were lowered. After about 15 minutes, the nets were raised to dump the catch. and a marine biologist identified all the organisms for us.

An amazing variety of sea life was put on a sorting table and folks got a surprisingly educational experience about all the sea life caught.

 While we were on the boat, they caught horseshoe, spider and blue crabs, flounder, stingrays, pufferfish, two beautiful sharks and, of course, shrimp. Best of all, we could touch a lot of the sea life if we dared. 


                                    Blue crabs?,,,  Yes indeed.

 The views were magnificent with lots of sea gull action off the stern of the boat.

Sunset at the end of Shrimpin' on the Lady Jane was grand.

Jekyell Island known as the heyday resort of the Millionaires Club between 1890-1947 is still a tranquil and serene spot today. Its historic village has the grand Jekyell Island Club Hotel, old cottage mansions of wealthy gentry families like J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller, Joseph Pulitzer, and Goodyear, and the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center.



On St. Simon’s Island we enjoyed a long walk on the beach, checked out Christ Church, and visited the ruins of what was Fort Frederica and its colonial village settlement-- an early-1700s British outpost built, mainly, to defend Savannah to the north from Spanish Florida in the south.



Tiffany stain glass window inside  Christ Church













Frederica Fort sits as tabby ruins today


Heading to the town of Historic St. Marys has wrapped up our last days in Georgia. It allowed the chance to board a ferry for the day trip to visit remote Cumberland Island. 
The largest of Georgia’s barrier islands, it was the one most filled with romance, history, and intrigue. Cumberland Island is a preserved national seashore which does not allow any vehicle traffic other than the National Park Service.

We spotted some of the 200 wild horses on Cumberland Island
 A six hour National Park Service tour of the island by van on unpaved roads for 17 miles became quite an adventure. It enabled us to learn about the wild horses, loggerhead sea turtles, wild turkeys, armadillos, sand dunes, maritime forests, and salt marshes there.
Plum Orchard stands as the former home of George and Margaret Carniege on the Island

The island's past tells a tantalizing story of the Timucuan Indians, the French, the Spanish, pirates, wars, steel magnates, cotton plantations, Dungeness ruins, and the Greyfield Inn. Her fame spread internationally when, in 1996, JFK, Jr. wed there in this tiny First African Baptist Church.
 She is an island of pristine sandy beaches and beautiful ancient oak canopies. There is a mystical sense of wonder and quiet splendor here which only visitors are able to carry away in their heart.

As we cross the Georgia-Florida border to Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach next, does that  define us officially as snowbirds? Well perhaps, at least through the month of November in Florida, until we take wing to fly home for the holidays and nest awhile.