Puerto Vallarta Trip Report - August 30th - September 6th, 2013

I (48) last visited Puerto Vallarta in June 2004 with my son (we stayed at the Grand Marival in Nuevo Vallarta that trip).  This time I went with a good friend (37) from work.  We knew it was rainy HOT & HUMID season there but we just wanted to get away and enjoy a 5-star resort.  Quite honestly, as time inched closer, I was really uncomfortable with the hot and humid thoughts that continually occupied my mind.  I swore after last visit, I would NEVER return in summer, but never say never, right?

Cincinnati Trip Report - May 26 - June 2, 2013

The friend I was going to visit in Ohio, I met when I was twenty-one (1986) on a Caribbean cruise, my first adventure on a ship on the ocean.  She was in the Army and on her honeymoon and I spent some time on the cruise with them.  Her and I wrote letters for years and were always in touch.  We have exchanged visits a few times as well.  We have remained good friends all this time, now twenty-seven years later.  When we talk or see each other, time stands still and we're as close as we've always been.  I consider her a true friend and am happy she is a part of my life.

New Orleans Trip Report - April 21 - 28, 2013

Do I need an excuse to return to New Orleans?  NO!  I have been pining to return since my last visit in Nov. 2010 (my first blog post too).  So, an invite from the people I cruised with last year in April was taken seriously and I told them I would join.  I ended up not doing the cruise portion because my friend(?) bowed out of doing this trip altogether after committing to it, and she was to be my roommate. She was also paying half so that hurt me financially.

Nashville Trip Report - April 16 - April 21, 2013

I so much liked the new friends I met on my Alaska cruise last September that live in Nashville, I decided to add Nashville to my itinerary when I was going back to New Orleans in April.  I wanted to see them again and I've always wanted to see Tennessee so this seemed like a good plan.

Las Vegas Trip Report - November 29 - December 3, 2012

My 22 yr. old son was sitting at his computer one night in October and turned to me and said, "Do you think you could get a better deal at a hotel rather than $600 for four nights at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas?"  My brain came to full attention...Las Vegas?  Did he just ask about Las Vegas?  I told him I could and then asked who he was going with.  He said no one, he just wanted to attend something called "IPL5" and it was four days long and at the Cosmo.  Turns out it has something to do with some game he plays called League of Legends...some sort of gamer tournament convention...His VIP pass was $250!!!!  (Really???  Nerd!)  :-)

Alaska Cruise with Two days in Seattle Trip Report - Sept. 9 - Sept. 18, 2012

So, I'm going to be honest...I had ZERO interest in seeing Alaska.  As it turned out, I cancelled my Paris/Nice trip and instead sent my son on a one month Contiki tour to Europe.  I thought he would enjoy that more, being twenty-two and all...so all of a sudden I was free to go somewhere else, after losing about $300 in pre-paid stuff in France that I had no way to recover...So, I snuck in a great solo trip to Vegas when he left but knew I would still want something more for vacation this year...

Las Vegas Trip Report - July 15 - 20, 2012

This was a quickly decided SOLO getaway.  My son was heading to do a Contiki tour in Europe for a month so I decided to make a return to Vegas to try and de-stress from the craziness at work and just unwind...My last visit was in May of 2011 for my son's 21st birthday.  We stayed at the MGM and I knew that this trip I wanted to stay mid-strip.  I had absorbed myself in Trip Advisor trip reports before leaving (love them!) but the one thing I always wanted to know while reading, was how old the writer was...so...I'm 47 for what it's worth...

One Day Cruise Vancouver to Seattle Trip Report - May 5 - 6, 2012

My friend Pia who I went on the San Diego Carnival Cruise with offered to take me for free on this one since she would have to pay the single supplement anyway.  The ship was the Holland America Oosterdam.  She also said she had a free dinner credit for two in HAL's Pinnacle Grill restaurant and a free credit on Amtrak from Seattle back to Vancouver that would cover me as well.  How could I say no?  I felt special!  :-)

San Diego - "Pacific Coast Cruise" Trip Report - April 26 - May 1, 2012

I booked this trip in November 2011 on the suggestion of my friend Pia who was taking this Carnival cruise on the "Spirit" after it finished dry dock.  I learned that meant it was getting "rejuvenated". Since I have been to California numerous times before (nine), but never to San Diego, I decided to accept her offer. It was not a bad price - I got an inside cabin all to myself for $318 ($359 after tax -total). There was a further price drop later, so I ended up getting a $45 "on board credit" as well.  This cruise was first labelled as "Cruise to Nowhere"...San Diego to Vancouver with no stops.  I also liked that the cruise ended up at home.   I booked two days in San Diego pre-cruise.  In hindsight, I would have booked longer, at least four days, but I just did what my brain told me to do at that time.

First visit to Europe Trip Report! London, Barcelona & 13 day TransAtlantic Cruise - Nov. 22 - Dec. 11, 2011

I got an email about a CruCon deal in May that told me of a 13 day TransAtlantic cruise leaving from Barcelona that was $799 per person for a balcony room with a $200 onboard room credit!  It ended in Ft. Lauderdale, FLA.  First I had to convince my son to go on the cruise with me.  We have only been on one together previously and he hated it!  Swore he would NEVER do another again.  I knew I had some work in store for me...I also needed to do some research about airfare too as first bat at Expedia told me the airfare was $6000!