It always amazes me how quickly a year goes by. Here we are in November already and the weather is turning cold and I don’t always like it. Yes, a crisp, clear, sunny day is beautiful, but if we have the cold, wet and gray, I’m not so great.
Now, great was our little getaway in September out of Vancouver to San Francisco. That is something else that amazes me – how just a short getaway can change your mood and make things right in the world again. We cruised on the Island Princess, a medium-size ship and easy to get around. She had two beautiful show rooms with nice performances to entertain us after dinner. The shops were well-stocked, so we didn’t miss much with only one stop in Victoria. There was plenty of shopping to be done on board, especially with the sales of leftovers from the Alaska season. The food was wonderful and, as with all cruises, plentiful. The weather was perfect with a sunny day and relatively calm seas. What more could you ask for?
October brought those beautiful fall colors. A trip across Stevens Pass to Leavenworth is always a joy. The color is so vibrant on that route. It seems we just have to do it every year. Oktoberfest was going on and the town was festive. We did see some of the devastation left behind from the summer fires and certainly look forward to the regrowth that we know will come.
November has us going to Ocean Shores with an overnight at the Quinault Casino. This is perhaps the only time that I hope for stormy weather. It is always exciting to see the waves crashing onto the shore. And then we can enjoy the view from oceanfront rooms. There might still be room to join us on Nov. 15.
Next on the agenda is a cruise Feb. 7 out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for seven days to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. We will be with Royal Caribbean again, this time on Oasis. This is the sister ship to Allure that we fell in love with. It is big but never crowded. It has Central Park and the Boardwalk, an Aqua Theater, ice show, Broadway plays, parades down 5th Avenue, and something to do every minute of the day.
Also in February is a Collette adventure to tropical Costa Rica. This is a nine-day trip visiting San Jose, the Cloud Forest, Arenal Volcano, the Cano Negro Refuge and so much more.
April is the Panama Canal. This has materialized to be a very nice group and we are quite excited. It is 19 days out of Tampa, Fla. to Vancouver.
For further information and reservations, call me at 253-927-8207 or e-mail me at linda.finch@gmail.com