Oooh Mexico!

I'll tell you a secret..... last week I was in

I had to get away from this New England winter somehow! We chose by ship, but first we took a loooooooong drive to Florida, stopping first to have a lovely visit with the in-laws.

Some mustering the first day!

Our ship is the leeetle one, the Grandeur of the Seas. The larger one is the Independence of the Seas.

Where else but a cruise can you get food like this every morning?Or like this at midnight?

Or where a stranger folds your towels into animal shapes before you go to bed? (That never gets old)

Where you can see blue skies and aqua waters....

Or have your picture taken under a palm tree while you are sleeping?

Or play ping pong over the Gulf of Mexico?

Or spend the week relaxing with your husband?
Sign me up for next year!!!!

Newport

The Sea, Once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. - Jacques Cousteau

For our vacation/ anniversary trip this year, we took a trip to Newport, Rhode Island for a few days. Newport is famous for its "summer cottages" (castle-like mansions to us non-Vanderbilts ;) ). We stayed in a mansion that was converted into a bed and breakfast. The interior was furnished and decorated beautifully. One sitting room - where guests could play a board game, game of chess, read, or play piano


Another sitting room , with a door to the porch just out of sight to the left

The breakfast room set for the next day's breakfast

The fireplace in our room

One of the summer "cottages" at night

We had a relaxing time, going to a grass tennis tournament (seeing Michael Chang and Todd Martin), sailing on an America's Cup sailboat, reading on the beach, walking on the Cliff Walk.

Sailing! We had to do work. We were the grinders. Grind Grind Grind Grind! That just means that my husband had to turn the handle and I had to pretend that my efforts were helping too!