Mediterranean Cruise Part 6 – Sorrento/Amalfi Coast Italy

Ahhh, Sorrento….it captured my heart and made my soul sing. I know that may sound a bit dramatic but you may have felt that same thrill before when you go somewhere new – yet if feels familiar, like you belong here. The energy of the place matches your own. You feel more alive, as well as, centered and content. It just feels like your happy place.

For me, Sorrento was my favorite place on the trip (Palma de Mallorca would be my second). Honestly, Sorrento might be my favorite place that I have ever been to – It resonated with me that much.

There are not many details that I can provide about Sorrento because our time here was pretty short (due to an accident delay on the way to Sorrento from Naples where our cruise ship was at port). The exursion we chose through Royal Caribbean was a few hours in Sorrento (A set lunch included at a specific restaurant), a short demonstration from a woodworking artisan, and then free time to stroll the streets near our meeting point location. I took the most photos here because everywhere I looked, I simply wanted a photo to remember it.

Sorrento is vibrant, full of color, flowers, breathtaking coastal views, an abundance of lemons (everything lemon flavored or lemon decorated), charm galore, and the best gelato we had on the entire trip (We tried gelato in every location even in Barcelona). They do not have a website but here are images and reviews on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187782-d3345257-Reviews-Gelateria_Il_Duomo_Sorrento-Sorrento_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

The best gelato place, Bar – Il Duomo Gelateria in Sorrento

Seriously giant lemons in this part of Italy!

Since I have already sounded on the dramatic side with my love for Sorrento, I’ll go ahead and sound overly romantic as well (I am a romantic at heart). I don’t know anything about destination weddings or great honeymoon locales. However, if I were in that industry, I would put Sorrento top on my list of the most scenic, romantic, and beautiful places to have a wedding and/or honeymoon. It has a quaint and intimate feel to it, but also so much to explore and to do.

Next, our excursion plans were to drive along the Amalfi Coast until we arrived in the town of Amalfi where we would then board a boat to sail along the coastline to a town called Salerno where we would then board our bus back to Naples to return to the ship.

The beach town of Amalfi is only 19 miles away from Sorrento. However, on a good day, with no Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend (which ours happened to be) the 19 mile journey would take at least an hour because of the extremely narrow-very winding-soaring on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean road needed to get there. For us, the journey took over 2 hours.

Because of the traffic delay earlier in the day, and the additional drive time to Amalfi, the part of the excursion we were looking forward to which included a walk around Amalfi and then boarding a boat to Salerno had to be canceled. Our guide blamed the disappointing news on choppy water but in reality, we think we were just running too behind schedule.

We did pass through multiple beautiful coastal towns on these steep cliffs which offered stunning views up close of this very famously photographed part of Italy.

View of Postiano from the bus

View of the road along the Amalfi Coast after leaving Postiano

Our view of Amalfi as we drove through it

Beautiful scene as we drove through Praiano

We wound up stopping in Maiori so that we could have about an hour to stretch our legs, get a bite to eat, and find some restrooms. Jerry and I would have loved to have had pizza or pasta on our last night in Italy. Unfortunately, we could not find anything nearby. With little time to eat before we got back on the bus and headed to Naples, we encountered a very kind bar and restaurant owner who promised us he would have fabulous hamburgers and fries made quickly with enough time to sit and eat them. He went out of his way to be very accommodating and hospitable so we, of course, decided this was going to be our last meal in Italy – burgers and fries (Which actually were indeed very yummy)!

Church in Maiori right next to the restaurant we ate our delicious burger and fries

We were back on the ship pretty late into the evening. The rest of our group had opted for another panoramic bus tour that day for Naples since they enjoyed the one in Rome so much. They said it was ok – not nearly as scenic or exciting as Rome had been. Jerry and I were so grateful to see the iconic Amalfi Coast but if we were to do it all over again, we would have opted to spend the entire day in Sorrento. I think the others in the group would have enjoyed that as well (and not done the Naples bus tour).

Had the bus trip through the coastal towns not been so arduous and taken longer than anticipated as well as having been able to do the scenic boat ride along the coast, the Amalfi Coast part of the excursion would have been very much worth it, however, all of this is subject to traffic, weather and water conditions, etc.

So, my recommendation for this part of the itinerary (Naples port) would be to choose any of the excursions that allow for a day in Sorrento. I don’t think you would be disappointed with that choice at all.

My final installment for this series will highlight some of the things we did on the Symphony of the Seas. Additionally, I will mention a few tips on what to expect when doing a cruise overseas, in particular, the Mediterranean.

Thank you for sailing along with me!

View of the Mediterranean from Amalfi

Store in Sorrento

Sorrento

Sorrento

Sorrento

Sorrento

Sorrento

Mediterranean Cruise Part 5 – Rome, Italy

Italian countryside on our way to Rome for the day

Jerry and I have traveled extensively together over the years. If we do not have set plans, we very likely have an outline or an idea of potential plans. In other words, we rarely have found ourselves just winging it, especially somewhere significant like Rome. Some level of research is always done!

However, due to last minute changes the evening before our day in Rome, we found ourselves on a Royal Caribbean excusion (Pretty much the only one left) that was a bus ride to Rome with 5 hours of free time to explore. We did not have a lot of time to research much of anything regarding distances between must-see tourist spots, waiting time to get into St. Peter’s Basillica and/or the museum in Vatican City, places to eat, etc.

We were fortunate that the the other 3 in our group secured spots on a panoramic bus tour around Rome with options to get off at certain points of interest (Again, another Royal Caribbean excursion). Jerry and I would have done this but there were not enough available seats. His parents and friend gushed about how much they thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and they felt they got to see all the highlights of Rome – They would definitely recommend that excursion especially if you want to limit your walking time and be able to see most of the tourist destinations Rome offers.

Partial view of The Vatican in St. Peter’s Square

View of the Basillica

Our bus dropped us off near Vatican City and our guide walked us to a gift shop inside St. Peter’s Square. This was our meeting point 5 hours later to return back to the ship. Jerry and I decided that we would purchase Hop On and Hop Off bus tickets and see what we could that way.

Since we were already at St. Peter’s Square we debated getting in line to at least see the Basillica. While mulling over the time situation (We knew the Hop On and Hop Off would take at least 90 minutes to get around the city even if we just stayed on board the whole time. We were warned though with Rome traffic prepare for at least 2-2 1/2 hours).

Stunning view of the Vatican gardens

As we were quickly trying to factor in a nice lunch in Rome, the possibility of standing in line at the Vatican, and when we should get on the Hop On and Hop Off bus, we were approached by a gentleman with a nametag that said they do private tours and can get us into the museum and Basillica within the next 30 minutes and the tour would take 2 hours. He said the current waittime for these locations was at least 2 hours so if we did the private tour, we would be out before this line even got to the entrance.

We told the guy we needed a minute to think this through. He pressured us a little bit but not enough to be a turn-off. We crunched the time numbers and decided we would take the risk with the private tour. Seeing the Sistene Chapel and the Basillica would be wonderful and we were already right there. We weren’t sure if we were making the best judgment call, but we decided neither of us was getting warning bells so we went for it.

Hall of Maps in the Vatican museum

Turned out, thankfully, that the tour was legit. There were at least 12-16 other people in our group including a young couple who happened to be on our ship as well. We did walk a few blocks away and then went in “the backdoor” of the museum. This took a bit of time because of security measures and then outfitting everyone with headsets. Once inside, it was relatively smooth sailing. We were among the masses for sure so staying together with our guide was the only challenging part.

The tour guide took us through many hallways that showcased artifacts, artwork, hall of maps, and the big finale of the Sistene Chapel. You can take your time in the Sistene Chapel but it is very strict, organized, and a bit intimidating with all of the security handlers managing the crowd. While it was beautiful to see, neither of us felt the need to sit and gaze at it since we wanted to also see the Basillica and time was ticking. By the way, no photos allowed in the chapel.

Layers of beauty on the ceiling of the Basillica

Getting into the Basillica was quick and easy since we had already by-passed the main line waiting outside. Jerry and I were in awe. The magnitude of this place left us speechless. Photos cannot capture the scope, detail, or feel of its presence but we both decided that it was well worth the risk we took with the private tour to see all of what we did (especially the Basillica) and still have some time left to do something else.

Our biggest decision now was, do we grab a snack and dash for the Hop On and Hop Off? We would have just enough time to safey do it with our time constraints but that means no enjoying a leisurely lunch. Or do we choose to do something we have not had a chance to do in any of the previous locations yet – just be….sit, eat, relax, take it all in for a while. We opted to do just that.

Just inside the Basillica – This is a mere fraction of its size

Now, where to go? We did not have a clue what was around us and did not want to risk going too far since we had a strict time to be back in this area. We started walking outside of the Vatican. Jerry decided to ask one of the security members (Not the Swiss guards – haha!) if they had a recommendation for something nearby. They nodded and then flagged down another man. They told us to follow him. We did.

We were taken a few blocks away to a little hole in the wall family restaurant. Perfecto – Exactly what we wanted! We were able to decompress, linger over red wine, scrumptious pasta, bruschetta, and dessert. We were pleased and relieved with how our day was unfolding.

Jerry savoring the Italian cuisine

We had about 45 minutes left before meet-up time, so we chose to walk around outside and see a little bit of Rome by foot. We both really enjoyed the feel of the city and soaked in as much as we could before heading back to the gift shop to reconnect with our guide back to the bus.

Jerry and I thought it was an ideal way to spend the day and we were grateful that we did not try to cram the Hop On and Hop Off tour in lieu of slowing down and enjoying a good meal and the experience that came with it. We also decided that hopefully we would be back in Rome someday since we were loving the city so far, and we could always check out the things we were unable to see this time around.

Neighborhood near the Vatican

Sidenote: When you take a cruise, there may not be enough time to see all points of interest of any given place. You are simply given an opportunity to get a taste of it. In retrospect, beginning the cruise in Rome instead of Barcelona would have been ideal. This would have given us an additional day to explore Rome. Royal Caribbean does offer that option of boarding the ship in Rome for the same itinerary we were on. Ours happened to start in Barcelona.

When our group reconvened on the ship, everyone expressed their gratitude for having a wonderful day in Rome and were delighted with how “plans/not having plans” worked out. While Jerry and I did not make it to Trevi Fountain to toss a coin in, we most definitely wish to go back to Rome someday.

Last stop in Italy, Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast. Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but I left mine in Sorrento…

Janice in St. Peter’s Square

Lovely little area outside of the Vatican

Mediterranean Cruise Part 4 – Pisa, Italy

We arrived in Italy to the charming town of La Spezia – In hindsight, I think I would have opted to explore this port town.  It was stunning and looked idyllic, not only from the ship, but also as we drove through it via bus on our way to and from Pisa. 

La Spezia, Italy. View from our ship at port.

Instead, all five of us opted to go see the leaning tower of Pisa.  The weather put a chilly and rainy damper on the day,   However, even if the weather had been lovely, this famous tourist destination probably would have still felt a bit anticlimatic.

Our excursion sounded lovely and exciting (booked through Royal Caribbean). However, the boat ride up the Arno River to Pisa was not very picturesque or scenic.  It only got interesting near the end as we entered Pisa and could see the architecture of the town. I would have a hard time recommending this part of the excursion. A lot of it certainly had to do with the dampness of the day but there was a very long walk from the bus to the boat through a desolate park. It was odd and a little daunting for anyone that may have trouble walking, especially having to dodge pooling water and mud.

View from our river boat as we enter Pisa, Italy

When we disembarked in Pisa, we took a trolley to the plaza where the tower is. Our trolley was like nothing we had ever seen before – there were at least 4 to 5 “cars” with bench row seating (like a tram) in each car. The individual cars were connected together essentially via bungee cords! I tried to get a photo of this but due to the steamy windows and rain, it is hard to make out how we were joined. I had an image in my head of the beloved movies featuring Herbie the Love Bug sailing through streets out of control if our bungee cords somehow came loose on our ride!

Our trolley in Pisa

Beautiful residential building in Pisa

Had it been a clear day, we could have seen the town of Pisa better via trolley but it was raining.  However, I did see some very pretty buildings near the plaza (Square of Miracles). 

As for the actual experience of seeing Duomo di Pisa and its famous leaning tower, if it wasn’t leaning, I’m not sure people would flock to it.  Both the church and tower are beautiful pieces of architecture and history for sure.

Part of our excursion included gelato from a nice restaurant and gift shop in the plaza. We also indulged in our one and only time of having slices of pizza while it Italy – it was yummy! Jerry’s father is an expert deal finder/negotiator so we also picked up some nice sweatshirts as souvenirs from the line of vendors in the plaza.

As I said, this was an overall good experience to see an iconic landmark. It just felt anti-climatic. You cannot control the weather so that certainly hampered our ability to fully take in the sights of Pisa from both boat and trolley rides.

Am I glad we saw a famous landmark – yes – would I like to revisit it – no.  Do I wish I had seen/experienced a bit of La Spezia – yes. 

The next day in Italy finds us having last minute changes in our plans. So now we are unexpectedly roaming around Rome. It turned out to be a great day for all of us. I will fill you in on that day in the next post. Arrivederci!

Duomo di Pisa

La Spezia port

Mediterranean Cruise Part 3 – Luberon Villages in France

Our next destination on the cruise itinerary was Marseille, France. We opted to take an excursion that went to 3 small villages in the Luberon Provence region of France as well as touring a lavender essential oil factory. 

Even though this meant quite a bit of bus time, it was well worth it.  These villages are beyond charming and it felt like being on a movie set!  Each one was more delightful than the next.  To get an idea of how lovely these 17 villages are throughout the Luberon region of Provence, check out this brief overview of each village: https://www.theluberon.com/journal/the-best-villages-of-the-luberon.

Janice enjoying the village of Lourmarin

These villages provided a great cultural experience. We found most of the shop owners and residents friendly to and accommdating of the influx of touists to their quaint and idyllic villages.

None of these villages were constructed to have tour buses descending upon them. In fact, there were quite a few hair-raising moments navigating the impossibly narrow streets of these cliff dwelling villages. One woman instictively screamed in fear nearly scaring our bus driver, Frederick, to death while he seemingly did the improbable manuevering of our bus. Frederick, deservedly received applause from us numerous times for his expertise and quite possibly magic he was performing behind the wheel.

In between the villages, we were able to experience the beautiful French countryside with its abundance of poppy fields – It was all so picturesque everywhere you looked.

One of the many fields of poppies

Our last stop of the day was to Le Chateau Du Bois, which is a fine lavender farm and factory making essential oil and various products from the fine lavender that only grows in this region of the world. (https://www.lechateaudubois.fr/en).

The presentation and tour were both very interesting. In the presentation, our guide shared how healing this fine lavender is so when we had a chance to peruse the gift shop, I bought several souvenirs containing the essential oil, as well as a small bottle of the essential oil itself. I can attest it actually cleared up something on my skin within a day or two that wasn’t responding to a medicinal cream – I highly recommend their products – the scent and the quality of the essential oil properties are outstanding.

Lush beauty of the French countryside

The bus ride to and from Marseille and the Luberon region was under 2 hours each way which makes for an all day excursion.

The opportunity to see these charming quintessential French villages and to learn about the fine lavender, unique only to this area, made for an incredible day.

We agreed we were two for two on picking excellent excursions with Royal Caribbean thus far – We were having the cultural experience we were hoping to have all while being immersed in scenic beauty.

Our next day would bring us to Italy – pretty much everyone in our group’s favorite country – Ciao for now!

Jerry and his mom, Janice, in the village of Roussillon

Jerry in front of a darling residence in the village of Roussillon

Jerry and I at a picture-perfect overlook onto the French countryside

Mediterranean Cruise Part 2 – Palma de Mallorca

View from our ship of Bellver Castle

Palma de Mallorca – Such a surprise!  I didn’t know what to expect but in a nutshell it is a beautiful island with an abundance of personality and charm.  (https://spainguides.com/top-destinations/palma-de-mallorca) We absolutely loved our day on the island and could not have been happier with the Royal Caribbean excursion we chose.

The first part of our day began with a sightseeing bus tour through the city of Palma on the island of Mallorca off the coast of Spain. We drove around the city and saw points of interest. Our tour guide pointed out (actually gushed about) that Rafael Nadal, the famous tennis player, is from Mallorca.

View from the grounds at Bellver Castle overlooking the port

Our first stop that morning was to the 14th century built castle and fortress which was a royal residence and safe place named, Bellver Castle (www.spottinghistory.com/view/8394/bellver-castle). It was not open for tours that day but we were able to walk the grounds which provided stunning views. The 700 year old structure was very impressive.

Impressive doesn’t even come close to describing the Cathedral in the heart of the capital. (https://xmallorca.com/mallorca-churches-cathedrals/cathedral-palma-catedral-de-mallorca). It is another 14th century marvel in Palma and is one of the tallest gothic structures in all of Europe. It’s presence is simply magnificent along the waterfront.

14th Century Catheral in Palma de Mallorca

We then headed just outside of the city past groves of 1,000 year old olive trees on our way to House of Son Amar. (https://sonamar.com). This venue is a must see/must do if you ever travel to Palma de Mallorca. It is a destination location on a 16th century estate. This venue hosts performances, outdoor concerts, events, features haute cuisine, and gorgeous scenery. I agree with their description of the place – it is spectacular!

Part of the estate at Son Amar

16th Century Son Amar Estate Architecture

Our experience there included a fabulous authentic Spanish meal which contained olives from the ancient olive trees nearby. I am personally not an olive fan, but I found myself not sharing my olives because they were simply delicious! The 3 of us could not stop raving about (or drinking) the sangria – We wished we could have bought bottles of it. The tapas were wonderful as well. We were pleasantly surprised with how tasty everything was.

The flamenco show was a whole other level of spectacular – the performers were incredible and they gave it their all for well over an hour. We walked out of the venue stunned by the quality and beauty of the show, the estate and the aesthetics, and the delicous food. It was a 4 star event and experience for all of us (and not even close to 4 star prices). The 3 of us gave that excursion an 11 out of 10 – well worth it since it certainly exceeded our expectations.

We were back on the ship in the mid to late afternoon which allowed us to rest a bit and enjoy the ship for a while. We raved about our excursion to our other 2 group members who chose to explore Palma on their own. After seeing our photos and hearing about our day, they remarked that they should have joined us on that trip. We wholeheartedly agreed!

Next up, day 3 takes us to Provence, France, exploring darling storybook French villages and a lavender essential oil farm and mill. See you in Provence!

Leaving Palma Port (Looking at the massive Cathedral) and heading for France

Mediterranean Cruise Part 1 – A day in Spain

My year started off in January with an unexpected invite from family friends to join them on a Mediterranean cruise (which had always been top on my dream vacation list) and I did not think twice about shouting a resounding YES!

The itinerary was exciting to me except for the port where the cruise began and ended – Barcelona, Spain. Having had the great fortune of previously visiting many swoon-worthy places in Spain 3 decades ago, Barcelona was not a city that enchanted me in 1988. However, I was optimistic that my memory of it would possibly change seeing it 35 years later in a new perspective. At the time (and currently), I really did not think anything was all that special about Barcelona. I did not understand all the buzz about it, especialy remembering how magnificent the Andalusia region in southern Spain is, as well as Madrid.  So, I’m going to be honest that for me (and our group) that not-so-enchanted feeling still holds true at 52. 

Beautiful former bullfighting arena but not the best location to be dropped off with all of our luggage searching for our hotel…

Part of it stems from getting off on the wrong foot with the transportation from the airport to our hotel right after a long day and night of traveling overseas. We had pre-bought our tickets with Auerobus (https://aerobusbarcelona.es) that advertises a bus shuttle from the airport to your hotel. Needless to say, this was not the straightforward scenario we anticipated and expected (and I wholeheartedly do not recommend this service/company).

The bus workers at the airport refused to look at my ticket and the address of our hotel and hurriedly ushered us onto the bus assuring us they will get us there. I wrongly assumed they would ask everyone for their hotel destination once seated. When that did not happen, I talked to the driver and he said for me to come back up after the first stop and he would show me which bus to switch to for our hotel. This was frustrating (being tired from jetlag) but it didn’t seem terrible until we realized he was dropping us off on a busy street and told us to cross it to catch a public transportation bus (not a bus with the company for which we had our tickets)!

I could write paragraphs about how nutty it was navigating this debacle with 5 people, a lot of luggage, only one person (me) with limited Spanish trying to talk to the public bus driver about where we needed to go, etc. A kind Spanish woman could see my distress and devised a plan to alert me when my stop would be nearest to our hotel Without her, we would have been riding the bus indefinitely. We still had to walk at least a half mile to our hotel from the bus drop off point.

View from our hotel room

Once at the hotel, Porta Fira, https://www.hotelbarcelonaportafira.com, things did not go any smoother with trying to check in. Hours went by before they gave us rooms despite others being checked in (They said they were trying to get all of our rooms next to each other which we did not request – we just wanted rooms as they became available). The staff was overall not very hospitable no matter when we interacted with them.

At this point, we are very tired, hungry, and a bit frustrated. Sidenote: The hotel is a one of a kind – architecturally speaking. It is a deep red color and shaped somewhat like a cyclinder (the website says it is lotus shaped which I’m not really sure about that…).

You should check out the link above just to see how uniquely modern it is. Their breakfast was outstanding – we could not get over the high quality, quantity, and exceptional taste of everything they offered. As Jerry’s father remarked, “It was first rate and world class!”

We decided that while waiting for our rooms to be ready, 4 of wanted to do the Hop Off and Hop Off bus tour. We had to take a taxi to La Rambla area since that was a starting point for the bus tour. Another sidenote: the taxi driver purposely turned off the meter so he could charge us more – our exact route home via taxi was substantially less expensive and he left the meter on. These things happen on occasion while traveling but it just added to a feeling of the city not being very friendly to foreign tourists.

Enjoying the beauty and points of interest at La Rambla

Colorful candy as far as you could see at the market at La Rambla

We wandered around La Ramba which is very inviting with the different shops and eateries. We spent the bulk of our time in the massive market taking in the sights and sampling some food. 

While this was very interesting, it was incredibly packed and a bit chaotic.  This is also where pickpockets thrive.  Barcelona, we were warned, has a terrible problem with pickpockets (even at our hotel, the concierge told us to watch a certain guy that was loitering where we were resting saying he was a con man). 

We were grateful for the warm weather and sunny skies on our bus tour which took about an hour to see a fair amount of Barcelona. Even though it was hard to hear the tour through our earbuds, we could easily relax and take in the scenery.

By the time our wandering around and bus tour were over, we headed back to the hotel to get in our rooms and crash early knowing we wanted to be well-rested for the next day. Everyone seemed to adjust pretty quickly to the time change after the first day.

Our hotel was situated near both the airport and seaport so our taxi ride was pretty quick. We had 2 taxis due to having 5 in our group and luggage – cars are smaller in Europe!

View of the Barcelona Seaport

While cars may be smaller in Europe, we were getting on the second largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. It was nothing short of spectacular! If you ever get a chance to sail on this ship, take it! (www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/symphony-of-the-seas). I could have spent a week on this ship and never gotten off – there was so much to explore and to do.

Symphony of the Seas

Boardwalk

Once on board (boarding was actually swift and easy), all of us were ready to enjoy the ship’s many amenities which included hanging out on the Boardwalk taking in the ambiance and riding the carousel. Jerry had purchased the Key program which allowed us to check in early, have 2 fabulous meals at Chops Grille, and gave us access to other perks and venues during our weeklong cruise.

Jerry and his mom enjoying the ride!

We capped off our first day on the ship with a Broadway worthy production of Hairspray. It was truly a great day and it set the tone for a fun and amazing week on the ship and seeing Palma de Mallorca, Provence in France, Pisa, Rome and Naples region in Italy. Suffice it to say, I did NOT want to come home!

I’ll provide more information on each day of the cruise and the excursions we chose at each port of call in forthcoming installments. Hasta luega!

Hard not to be happy on a carousel
on a beautiful cruise ship!

A “Golden” 24 hours in Chicago

There have been a few different reasons that have brought me to Chicago in the past (American Girl Store, Lacrosse Tournament, Work Conference) but this time, it was the Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen and it was certainly a must see for me!

The Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen is making a big splash in 4 U.S. cities this year and I was thrilled that my daughter, Anna, was willing to join me on a mother/daughter adventure to Chicago for 24 hours to share the Golden Girls experience with me. (bucketlisters.com/experience/golden-girls-kitchen-chi).

I bought our tickets 2 months in advance (They have been selling very quickly since it has become a destination event for the 4 cities hosting the re-creation of the Golden Girls set, themes, food, and ambiance).

On the Lanai at Golden Girls Pop Up

When you purchase your tickets online, you have the choice to be at the bar (Rusty Anchor), have a meal (which you preorder) in one of the house set locations of the restaurant’s choosing. We were on the lanai which was staged on the rooftop. The meal was actually very generous in portion size (and they do offer GF and vegan options). Our food was yummy and had we been hungrier, we could have eaten a lot more but it was just too much food at 2:15 in the afternoon. The meal also comes with 3 cheesecake flavors to pick from as well as 2 other dessert options.

After we ate, we took our time wandering the various rooms that had been designed for photo ops and the nostalgic feeling of being on the real set. The kitchen, family room, and Blanche’s bedroom were all there to enjoy.

Anna on the phone in the Golden Girls Family Room

Our allotted time was 90 minutes and we used every bit of it. The staff was very friendly and one merchadice staff member in particular made sure to get extra photos of my daughter and me and sincerely made an effort to make sure we were having a great time. If you are remotely a Golden Girls fan (who isn’t!?!), I highly recommend this limited time opportunity – It truly was a unique and special event! If you cannot make it to Chicago, I believe they have opened a location in San Francisco already and Miami is on the list as well to host.

The location of the pop up kitchen is in Bucktown which is about 3 miles from the Magnificent Mile Shopping District where our hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown, was (www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/chifd-fairfield-inn-and-suites-chicago-downtown-magnificent-mile).

Sidenote: Every hospitality staff member we asked about transportation preferences suggested taking an Uber or Lyft to and from the venue (cheaper rates than a taxi). However, between the 2 of us, neither of our Uber apps was working (or at least no drivers were working in the areas) so we wound up using a taxi app that Anna downloaded (www.gocurb.com/cities/chicago) and it was easy and quick to use. Both fares to and from our hotel and pop up kitchen were around $13.50 for the 3+ miles each way. It was well worth it since the other apps kept saying no drivers or cars were available. Both of us felt safe and the taxis arrived quickly.

I also highly recommend our hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown. It was a lovely, clean hotel with a friendly and accommodating staff (I was so grateful they accommodated our early arrival and one hour later than check out departure). I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The perk of staying Downtown near the Magnificent Mile is location, location, location. You are within walking distance of the Riverwalk (www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/chicagoriverwalk), Navy Pier(navypier.org), and countless restaurants and shopping.

Our favorite meal was from Burritio Beach, (www.burritobeach.com). We both thought the ingredients were fresh, flavorable and very affordable. In fact, nothing felt like price gouging at the restaurants and bakery that we frequented twice! (Finding affordable delicious food when traveling is always a bonus!) Since vegan and gluten free are necessities for Anna, we had plenty of options all within a few blocks of our hotel. Even the bakery offered over-the-top-good vegan and GF sweets, which perpetuated our desire to keep going back! (sweetmandybs.com).

Anna and her Red Panda at Lincoln Park Zoo

Our main reason for going to Chicago was the Golden Girls Pop Up Kitchen, so we left the rest of the trip open to walking to certain points of interest especially since our weather was picture perfect. We walked to the Navy Pier and had a great time people watching and enjoying the iconic Chicago landmark. Free salsa dance lessons for the public were even going on that evening. We thought about taking a skyline or architectural tour boat ride (which we have done before) but we were windng down for the night.

Anna leading the way on Lake Front Trail

The next morning, (after researching walkability) we decided to walk the 2 miles to Lincoln Park via Lakefront Trail (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/lakefront-trail) which was a fabulous scenic way to start the day. Once in the park, we headed to the zoo, which is free (www.lpzoo.org). It has a nice variety of animals (and we were fortunate to see the lion cubs romping around up close and personal). The zoo is compact so it is easy to see everything relatively quickly (and the gardens at the zoo are lush and provide a lot of shade).

We walked back along the same route. Our kind concierge thought it was too far to walk but said it was definitely safe – which it was – we felt very safe walking there (and walking around the night before to the Navy Pier). Besides the Golden Girls event, the morning excursion walking along the beachfront of Lake Michigan, through Lincoln Park and the zoo, and along the Magnificent Mile was the highlight of our trip. We loved it and would enthusiastically suggest doing that for a terrific way to experience Chicago’s beautiful scenery.

Had we stayed another night, we definitely would have taken a boat ride as well as walked along the Riverwalk, and possibly made our way to Grant Park. Chicago has many things to do Downtown and offers much of it for free. Anna and I agree that Chicago is incredibly welcoming and a fun, vibrant city. I know we will partake in its Midwestern charms again, even after the Golden Girls have already packed up and moved on – Chicago simply has a golden place in our hearts.

Golden hour at the end of Navy Pier

Getting ready for Golden Girls time!

South Beach and Coco Cay Cruise Part III (Final Installment)

View from our balcony

Yay! It is finally cruising day! Despite being a bit overly tired for about 3 days in a row, I had the energy to be excited about cruising for the next 3 days. I was very grateful that our friends were willing to try a cruise for their first time and it was fun showing them all of the great perks when it comes to a cruise vacation.

I have only sailed with Royal Caribbean (this was my 4th cruise with another upcoming one in May of this year), so my knowledge is limited to this particular cruise line. I am very partial to it though (Clean, friendly, interesting itineraries, plethora of activities, delicious food, consistently an enjoyable experience, etc.).

Let’s briefly talk about food (I am sure you heard, no one is ever hungry on a cruise ship)! I am pretty content always eating at the casual dining restaurant, Windjammer, where it is a buffet. There are always plenty of options, old favorites and new things to try, as well as being able to eat when I’m actually hungry (and not wait for my reservation time). With that said, I completely understand how nice it is to have other dining experiences on board such as a hibachi, pizzeria, Johnny Rockets, upscale dining, and so forth.

“Our Table”

Our friends were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food in Windjammer and they enjoyed the many choices offered. We had “our spot” every day at the back of the ship by the windows so we could always have a view – especially of the sunset each night.

Ready to enjoy a pub on the

We also had a great time taking in a musical theater show on Saturday night and a pretty hilarious comedian on Sunday evening (I was truly in tears laughing at the comedy show). I tend to be a homebody in the evenings so when I am on a cruise, I am motivated to attend shows in the evening, walk the promenade, play trivia, and/or listen to music at a pub, etc. Everything is so easily accessible – Just walk up or down a couple of flights of stairs and so much entertainment is at your disposal. I’m all about convenience, comfort, and being casual – all of which a cruise ship encompasses.

Bright and early heading to the island to secure the best spot!

This particular 3 day cruise only made one stop to their private “island”/cay in the Bahamas and then we had a full day at sea to relax after playing on Coco Cay. So, I’m going to highlight a few of the things we did on the island.

One tip is to ALWAYS leave early to get to the island (or for any event concerning a cruise for that matter). We were off the boat and heading to the island by 8:30 a.m.

Lagoon in the Chill Island section of Coco Cay Bahamas

We found our ideal place by the lagoon in the section called “Chill Island.” We were ideally situated by the water and a short distance to the Chill Grill restaurant, island shopping, and restrooms. Here you can rent paddle boards, floating mats, kayaks, and snorkeling gear. It was definitely a chill area – quiet and peaceful.

Our friends had rented 2 floating mats (which they loved). We played in the Caribbean water for hours (My inadvertent sunburn can attest to that!). The food was excellent at the Chill Grill and we thoroughly enjoyed our day in the sun, sand and water.

Afterwards, our friends wanted to explore the island a bit since it was their first time there. Jerry encouraged me to check out the hot air balloon ride that I said I really wanted to do but he knew I was too chicken to do it on my own. Pushing oneself out of a comfort zone is MUCH easier when someone else is with you!

There wasn’t much of a wait to ride the tethered hot air balloon and the cost was reasonable for the experience so we decided to end our day giving it a try. The balloon goes 450 feet into the air which makes it the highest point in the Bahamas. I was questioning my decision about half way up, but having Jerry with me certainly helped (He later admitted he was questioning internally if I was going to be ok as we were ascending)! Turns out, it was worth doing!

The view was spectacular and we learned and saw things we would not have, had we not ventured onto this ride. Side note, last year on this island, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to join our kids ziplining….glad I did it, but you won’t find me writing about that this time around.

While one of the best parts about cruising is being able to see other countries and cultures, this time around was mainly about introducing the cruising experience to our friends (who both agreed they would do another in the future) – So, that was a success!

Another cruising tip is if you plan to cruise the Caribbean, Jerry and I have found that January through Mid-February is ideal. The waters are calm. The weather is generally wonderful and warm (not too hot or stormy). And the crowds are typically at their lowest before Spring Break and the summer crowds hit. This was the latest we had ever cruised in the winter and we noted the uptick in crowds. We did notice though it was a very international group of passengers so perhaps last week of February is a “break” time for many other countries around the world before it is spring break time in the U.S.

Overall, showing our friends South Beach and the cruising life went as best as it could have gone (fabulous weather certainly didn’t hurt). They were already entertaining spending more time in Florida and willing to take future cruises before the trip even ended – win, win all around!

Thank you for joining me on this series. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask, I’m happy to share what I have learned with you.

I’ll be writing next about our upcoming Mediterranean Cruise in May. See you soon!!!!

South Beach and Coco Cay Cruise Part II

Now for the fun and yummy part of our trip!

We had a variety of food during our time in South Beach. There is no shortage of excellent cuisine (although you may find yourself in a cash shortage quickly!). I am going to highlight some of the favorites we had.

Jerry and I arrived much earlier than our friends did so we ventured out to Burgermeister, (https://burgermeistermia.com) for lunch. Both of us love burgers so we figured that was a good place to start!

As you can see from this photo, his burger was shockingly enormous! Both of our burgers were great and the truffle fries were especially delicious.

Everything about eating in Miami is typically about the atmosphere (sitting along the sidewalk), people watching (People definitely want to be noticed in South Beach) as well as lingering as long as possible at the restaurant. There is never a push to usher you out and turn the table over quickly. In fact, you are usually searching for your server in order to receive your check. We think it is both a “casual/no hurry vibe” but also, the restaurants love the appearance of looking full/busy.

Once Keo and Melinda made it from Minnesota late in the day, they were starving so we walked to Ocean’s 10 (http://oceanstensobe.com) for dinner.

Jerry and I were still full from Burgermeister but we split a small meal and sampled some of our friends’ food and noted how incredibly good it was. He and I went back there for lunch on our last day and the meal did not disappoint.

I had the cobb salad (I never order salads but Melinda did the night we were there and it looked so fresh and amazing so I ordered it for lunch). Jerry had a burger (He began the trip with one and ended the trip with one!). We both had a frozen drink (which were huge!). It was one of my favorite meals of the trip.

Again, we had the outdoor dining (lots of fans and shade to keep us cool). That said, the meal came to $120 (Yep, salad, burger, fries and 2 drinks)! There are loads of extra fees at restaurants which seemingly double your bill everywhere you go. As long as you know this ahead of time, it is not a big deal but when you are not expecting it, it is hard to wrap your head around. (That is part of what I am not thrilled about when going to South Beach – the soaring high prices).

We had a delicious breakfast at Cafe Americano, (https://www.cafeamericano.com) one morning.

We were both pleasantly surprised with how good our food was as well as how generous the portions were for breakfast. It has an inviting ambiance and even the plates made me smile.

Another gem that we went to was Casa Latina (https://casalatinasouthbeach.com) a Columbian restaurant. Jerry’s daughter and her friend joined us that night and all 6 of us were big fans of our food. It made me wish we had a Columbian restaurant home back in Louisville (At the very least, I need to research if we have something comparable to it). I had the Ropa Vieja which equaled Latin comfort food to me. I am already craving and missing it!

Casa Latina with Jerry’s daughter and her friend who live in Miami joining us.

There were 2 places we went for food and activities/the experience. Our friends suggested seeing Key Biscayne Beach which is part of the National Park Service in Florida. (https://www.nps.gov/bisc). This was a lovely change of pace and contrast to the South Beach experience. It even had the biggest food surprise of the day.

Dining choices in a national park are slim and not typically known for excellent food. However, the Lighthouse Cafe on Key Biscayne Beach, was terrific! (https://lighthouserestaurants.com). It only has an outdoor dining option on the covered deck. Extremely casual ambiance and understated appeal yet the food (and the prices) were fabulous – all of us were very happy to have discovered this little place.

The Lighthouse on Key Biscayne Beach

Serene Key Biscayne Beach

Jerry walking the crystal clear water at
Key Biscayne Beach

Loving the weather and the view

Lastly, there is a famous club and restaurant named, Mangos, (https://mangos.com/mangos-miami-beach) where Jerry’s daughter works. It is a destination visit unto itself. Known for colorful shows, great drinks and food, and lots of dancing until 5:00 a.m.! If you want to have a fun time and step out of your comfort zone, you need to check out the salsa and mojito party (https://www.salsamia.com).

Here you will take salsa lessons (You will also learn the bachata dance and eat yummy appetizers like empanadas) and drink their signature mojitos. The instructors, staff, and ambiance were all high energy, entertaining, and truly a delight. We had a blast (and a workout!).

Our class was enormous because a company thought it would be a good idea for its employees to corporate bond over Latin dancing…..They cut out after the bachata before the salsa lessons realizing this is really awkward to do with co-workers!

We were all proud of ourselves after learning the bachata and ready for our mojitos!

Food and entertainment are plentiful in South Beach. It is not possible to be hungry or bored no matter what time of day it is!

See you soon for the final installment in this series all about our day on Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, as well as the cruise itself.

Apparently, it is popular to get a photo with this Mango’s man….
when in Rome (or South Beach)….

South Beach and Coco Cay Cruise – Part I

I was fortunate to travel with 3 friends to South Beach for 4 days and take a 3 day cruise the last week of February. Full disclosure, I had been to South Beach twice (for about 24 hours each time before a cruise) and it had not made the best impression on me either time. For various personal reasons, I was content never making South Beach a getaway again but decided to go along with the gang when that was the destination of choice for a much needed winter vacation and friend time. If I am being honest, I was pretty much only looking forward to the cruise because Jerry won me over a while ago with his enthusiasm for cruising.

Best friends since childhood, Keo and Jerry

I am going to focus on logistics in South Beach for the first part of this blog. We were there 2 full days before the cruise and 2 full days afterwards. This was enough time to experience places, restaurants, and activities that I previously had not. Perhaps it was the gloriously weather every day, or being in great company with our friend group, or finding myself focusing on the positive things I liked about South Beach (Perspective is everything!). Whatever it was, I can sincerely say that I enjoyed my time in South Beach this time around which is probably a shock to those who know how I felt it before this trip!

Me and Melinda (Keo’s wife)

It’s all about location and our hotel, The Kent, (thekenthotel.com) was ideally situated a block and half walk to both the beautiful beach and active Miami Beach Boardwalk. Here is a map of the boardwalk to give you an idea of expansive it is www.miamibeachboardwalk.com/miami-beach-boardwalk-map.

I highly recommend The Kent (which was recommended to us by a family friend). The customer service was consistently top notch. The rooms and lobby here clean. The staff made us feel comfortable and welcomed by being so accommodating and treating us like friends/family. Jerry and I both agreed that we would certainly stay there again and we left a positive review on Trip Advisor.

The hotel was about 10.5 miles from Miami’s airport (average drive time is 30 minutes because of traffic) and just under 6 miles from the seaport if you are cruising.

The Miami Beach Boardwalk is a must see. It is a pathway 7 miles along the beach with lush scenery as well as being near retail and food establishments. It is hard to find “chain restaurants” in South Beach but you will find Starbucks along the Boardwalk! We walked this every morning that we were there. You will spot sunrise yoga on the beach, muscle beach enthusiasts, (www.instagram.com/musclebeachsouthbeach), rental bike stations, walkers, joggers, and photographers. This is one of my favorite locations in South Beach.

At the end of South Point Pier

At South Pointe Looking at Shipping Canal

I walked to South Pointe (the end of the boardwalk) twice and went to the 450 ft long pier which is along the ship canal. Walking to South Pointe from The Kent is 1.25 miles each way. Truly my favorite way to start each day in South Beach!

From what I have seen of Miami Beach in general, it is always kept very clean. It is a lush tropical environment with many plants and trees (unlike other parts of Florida where vegetation seems sparse). Since Keo and Melinda barely made it out of Minnesota ahead of a winter storm and Jerry and I were coming from Kentucky, we were thrilled with the abundance of tropical scenery!

The architecture has an Art Deco vibe (Miami is an aesthetically beautiful city from buildings to beaches). It is also culturally diverse and energetically vibrant. For a bit more information on South Beach for planning purposes, here is their website, (www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/south-beach).

In Part II, I will touch on food (excellent but expensive!) as well as activities that we tried. See you soon as we continue in the Sunshine State!