Diary of the Traveling Pairs

2018 Year-In-Review Last year was a year of amazing places and amazing people. I thank God for the wonderful world He created. Travel for me is like air. I don’t just like it. I need it and have needed it since I was 4 years old when I packed my suitcase and told my parents thank you but I am leaving now to travel the world. I never knew what, when, or how but I knew I wanted to see it all. I still have so much to see but each year we are making great progress. My husband also loves to travel and have new experiences as does my sister (through love not blood). Both co-author this blog with me. We have found that the world is an extremely complex, extremely large place with never-ending opportunities to learn. We have learned that watching on TV and listening to what others tell you about the world is misleading. There are many great and wonderful countries in this world and many great and wonderful people. We may have different cultures but as human beings, we are all more al...

In December, for our 6th wedding anniversary, we cruised the Caribbean again.  Only this time, we cruised on the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian's new ship with 20 decks, laser tag, and go cart course on the top deck.  Wow!  It was an amazing ship.  We were so spoiled.  This was the first time that our cruise package included an open bar and wifi at no extra cost and boy did we take advantage of that.  I love morning mimosas!  This ship was AMAZING! It was 20 decks of fun.  There was always something going on and often we felt torn between two and three different events happening at the same time.  We have been on large ships before and often there are food lines, event lines, and no chairs to be had anywhere for sun bathing.  This was not the case on the beautiful Bliss.  The gym was large and had a full and holistic weight section.  We worked out every day and always had machines to use as well as the weights available for our wo...

The art deco buildings... The Christmas lights... The cars... The food... The drinks... The vibes...  It has to be South Beach Miami! We spent two days and a night in Miami before our cruise and boy did we have fun. The night life in South Beach is always poppin!  We are older and enjoy the lounges more so then the club scenes.  Mostly we walked along Ocean Drive and in the South Beach area. There are so many lounges and a number of exceptional restaurants to eat at on Ocean Drive. It's been a while since either one of us has been to Miami's South Beach area and so much has changed.  But one thing remains the same, people get done up to go gallivanting on Ocean Drive. Folks are dressed to impress and driving some pretty amazing cars to match.  Cruising down the drive is still a favorite based on the traffic pace and the amazing rides passing by.  We enjoyed sitting outdoors, indulged in amazing food and drinks, and people watched.  Sitting outdoors ...

Every time I return to New Orleans or NOLA, I am reminded why I love it so much.  It almost makes me feel like I'm in a different country but I'm not.  The Bayou people are full of southern charm and an eclectic energy that is unprecedented.  The food is to die for and definitely puts a few pounds on you if you aren't careful.  Every time I come, I always make a point to walk down Royal Street toward Jackson Square.  I really enjoy the art galleries and the outdoor artists that you see on this street.  They always amaze me with their new, creative, and inspiring artwork.  I enjoy walking around the French Quarter and bumping into all the street performers.  It's important to always have a few small bills with you so you can tip the entertainers.  Another must do when coming to the Bayou is the French Market, where you can stock up on Louisiana spices and hot sauce.  We always pick up a few t-shirts that we enjoy using while working out ...

In September, we took our favorite cruise out of Puerto Rico to the southern islands of the Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination.  We stopped at St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Martin.  We absolutely love these islands!  We were offered a great casino rate and our family and friends couldn't pass up the offer so we were a group of 10.  Most decided on an interior room since the price was so low and we spend so little time in our cabins but Kevin and I love a balcony room.  We enjoy arriving at the port in the morning and being able to enjoy the views from the balcony.  We celebrated my father in law's birthday a few days into the trip as well and it was lovely. We enjoyed the beach at almost every island.  In St. Thomas, we went to Coki Beach and it was an  amazing day of swimming, snorkeling, and sun bathing.  In Barbados, while everyone did an island tour, Kevin and I enjoyed a day to ourselves at the Boat Yard beach....

We had a marvelous time in Italy this August.  We spent a few days in Rome, hopped over to Portugal via Oporto for a wedding celebration, spent a day exploring Lisbon, and then returned to Italy to explore the country side via train and Venice for a day.  Rome was amazing.  We did a lot of walking around, savored the amazing food, sampled a number of wines, and embraced the European cafe lifestyle. We really enjoyed the hop on hop off buses. It made it easy to pack in a lot of sightseeing in one day both in Rome and in Lisbon.  In Rome, we booked a half day private tour that allowed us to skip the long lines and explore the Vatican City, St. Peters Basilica, Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum.  I highly recommend doing this or getting there extremely early as the lines are long and move slowly.  Rome is definitely one of the hottest cities we've every visited.  The sun seems to just beam down on you and their is no breeze to speak of.  It makes yo...