May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 9

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Good morning all!

A buy morning today but by afternoon it should ease up...and it is 43 degrees! COLD!~
 
Airfare taken care of including seat assignments!
I no longer have a 7am flight, it's now 1:30pm. Later than I would have liked but scared if I didn't take it I would be stuck with 7am flight. Should put us in Cocoa Beach around 4:30 if luggage and car arrives on time! Returning from Lax on 29th at 12:30 direct flight! Now to make the limo ressie. But first I'm off to shop and have lunch with a friend!
 
We had a crazy morning today because we were running late. We get in the car, drive to school, and pull into an EMPTY parking lot. I never thought to check the news to see if schools were closed because the snow stopped quite early Sunday, so the plows had time to clear things out. Roads were clear. The thought never crossed my mind school would be closed. :headache: I suppose maybe the outlying areas didn't get plowed yet, I don't know. So I had to call work and tell them I can't come in. I was so upset because I can't afford to lose a day of pay with the 4 other days I'll already be missing for the holidays. :eek: Have to find someplace free to go so we can get out of the house before I go stir crazy. Need to go buy winter gloves so we can make a snowman later. Might go to the museum Tyler likes so well or the library for something free to do. BUT.....since I was bad and stayed up until 2am, I need to see if Tyler will watch a long movie and I'll nap on the couch until it's done! :rotfl2:
 

Might get some cleaning done too. Or make Christmas cookies. ANYTHING to avoid having to play GI Joe with Tyler! He's got a couple of the figures out with all their accessories and tools & stuff. :rolleyes:
 
Aaaw Holly, you were awake dreaming weren't you?:love:

Shame about the snow day - hope you manage to find some good free things to do today.

I've done some Christmas food shopping, tidied, more Christmas food shopping and am going to iron, before I get a pile as big as I had last week.
 
Might get some cleaning done too. Or make Christmas cookies. ANYTHING to avoid having to play GI Joe with Tyler! He's got a couple of the figures out with all their accessories and tools & stuff. :rolleyes:

Better be quick, if the GI Joe is already out he has plans!!!:lmao:
 
Aaaw Holly, you were awake dreaming weren't you?:love:

Shame about the snow day - hope you manage to find some good free things to do today.

I've done some Christmas food shopping, tidied, more Christmas food shopping and am going to iron, before I get a pile as big as I had last week.
I just couldn't sleep because of my excitement. But now I'm too tired to be excited about anything! :rotfl2: Well....you've had a busy day today!
 
Better be quick, if the GI Joe is already out he has plans!!!:lmao:
:rotfl: Well, I got lucky....he didn't play with them long and has put them away again! :thumbsup2 I think we're going to McDonalds so he can run like crazy in the playland (after my attempt at a short nap), then we'll go buy some gloves for me, then come home to make a snowman. Then maybe some cleaning after we come in to warm up.

Bye for now!
 
Need to eat unfortunately!!!!

I get so annoyed at this time of year because the 'use by' dates are ridiculour. In our good supermarket you can buy the packaged cheese with a use by date well into Jan, but if you want to buy a special assorted pack for Christmas it is use by 24th Dec!!!

Many other items are the same too, meaning we all have to rush in close to Christmas.
 
Hey - Those are fighting words! :lmao: My hair is grey!


I'm sure yours is beautiful because it's probably all silver grey, which I would not dye. But mine is dark with a grey streak down the front and I look like Lilly, Herman Munster's wife. Believe me, it's not attractive. If I was all silver grey I wouldn't dye it.

Truce!

 
Well John and the kid took the day off today....couldn't move the truck at 5am when they regularly leave the house. The sun has been out and it's warmed up some so he's out there trying to plow us out now.

I've got a Christmas tree to decorate today! YEA!

 
Hello everybody

I cannot believe to see Holly's photo of snowing as how much of snowing. Funny, in Edinburgh, Scotland I never see it since when I was little. I remember how much of snowing that my brother and I made a snowman. But nowaday not much snowing, always come for up to 3 days then melt.

I was amazing to see the photos, I said OH MY GOD!! lol

Ella good to hear that you had decorations the tree, as it would be nice for evening with light on.

About grey hair, every two months I go to hairdresser to have colour my hair as I have lots of grey hair when I was young!! Think I give it up when I will be 50 ya ya:scared1:

My husband is grey hair too, he never dye it :confused3

Scottishwee35
 
Oh, you know I will! :goodvibes I hope you all don't think I'm nuts, but it just seems romantic to me. :love: The mystery of not knowing what may come of this. :goodvibes


Are you kidding...we don't think you're nuts. This is the stuff romance novels are made of...a long lost loved, reconnecting later in life and then live happily ever after. It's adorable!!! :love:
 
all the tickers are ticking away the time util our cruise!

My dad asked me if we want our passes renewed or money for the cruise...I don't know what to tell him. I was planning on a break from WDW next year, but then John is adament we go to ESPN the weekend. Decisions, decisions.
 


I'm sure yours is beautiful because it's probably all silver grey, which I would not dye. But mine is dark with a grey streak down the front and I look like Lilly, Herman Munster's wife. Believe me, it's not attractive. If I was all silver grey I wouldn't dye it.

Truce!


I am so envious of blondes or light brown haired women who can grow grey gracefully and look wonderful. I am very dark, and the grey just looks awful. I guess I am a like you there Deb! I hate to keep having it coloured, and I think soon I will have to find a way of slowly allowing the true colours to come through as you can't be too dark when you are too old!!!:eek:

Hello everybody

I cannot believe to see Holly's photo of snowing as how much of snowing. Funny, in Edinburgh, Scotland I never see it since when I was little. I remember how much of snowing that my brother and I made a snowman. But nowaday not much snowing, always come for up to 3 days then melt.

I was amazing to see the photos, I said OH MY GOD!! lol

Ella good to hear that you had decorations the tree, as it would be nice for evening with light on.

About grey hair, every two months I go to hairdresser to have colour my hair as I have lots of grey hair when I was young!! Think I give it up when I will be 50 ya ya:scared1:

My husband is grey hair too, he never dye it :confused3

Scottishwee35

I was always going to just go grey, but It was so horrible with my hair colour that I couldn't. No need to give up colouring at 50 though.
 
http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/googlemap/

First you will want to see Arikok National Park. From the cruise pier you are simply going to head south out of Oranjestad towards the southern end of the island following the main road 1A (southbound)/1B (northbound). The first major sight on the right hand side is going to be Queen Reina Beatrix International Airport. Not worth a stop I know, unless you have somewhere more important to be, or like some Aruban friends, enjoy watching the planes take off and land (bench and shade are provided ) but at least you will know you are heading in the right direction.

Continue heading south past the Desalination Plant and Balashi Brewery using the same roadway. Once you get to the southern end of the island you will see the oil refinery, you can wind your way down from the highway through downtown San Nicolas to Rodgers Beach and Baby Beach. Baby beach is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike for swimming and snorkeling. Save the snorkeling for later in the day. Get out take your pictures and keep on touring. Rodgers Beach, although closest to the refinery, is very picturesque. Just try to look south and not north to keep the Refinery out of eye sight.

For a short version of this tour, skip the rest of Arikok National Park, turn around after Rodgers Beach and Baby Beach. Pick up the tour again in Oranjestad heading north (see below).

From Baby Beach, to continue the tour towards Arikok, once back upon the main road you can make your way east towards the dirt path which will take you on a circuit around the southeastern coast of Aruba. This is the windward side of the island and swimming on this side is extremely treacherous and discouraged due to the winds and currents. The large flat building surrounded by barbed wire is the prison with an oceanview, IMHO, not as nice as the one in Grenada. Though never actually stayed in either one.

The first small beach along this route is Bachelors Beach and the second expansive one is Boca Grandi. Continuing along the coastline you will
encounter Fontein, which at one time was open to the public, although I am not so sure it still is. Although other spots on the island had wells for water, this is the only spot on Aruba which provided fresh spring water.

Next, heading northward on the map you will see massive sand dunes. These are known as the White Sand dunes. The beach here is called Boca
Prins. It is however mislabeled on the map as "Dos Playa". Zooming in on the map you will see one building in the "middle of no where" just to the
south of Boca Prins. This is a small bar where one can stop for refreshment.

To get to the next stop on this tour, from Boca Prins you need to follow the path inland a bit to get around the sand dunes which as part of Arikok
National Park are protected. Once past the dunes, continue to follow the path northward along the coast. This next sight is Dos Playa. If anything it is a great photo opportunity and one of my favorite natural treasures on the island. In order to get to the second beach one would need to hike
across that portion of the park. I have never done it myself, but have always suggested this is the ultimate spot for a romance, a picnic and
sunbathing au naturelle. Just remember to glob on the sunscreen! There is parking at both Boca Prins and Dos Playa.

In order to get back to Oranjestad you again must retrace the same path from which you came. While driving through Arikok National Park be on the
look out for goats and wild donkeys.

Once back upon the main road, if you wish to make a short detour, you will see a sign for Lourdes Grotto. This is a Roman Catholic shrine built into
the side of a small cliff in 1958.

Otherwise you can continue driving north back towards Oranjestad. Now you have a couple of options. Stop the tour and continue later in the day from whichever beach you are at, do a quickie visit of the sights at the northern end of the island, come back to Aruba another time to finish the tour.

Either way to drive up towards the north past Oranjestad, to get a feel for Druif, Eagle and Palm Beaches, take the coastal road past all of the resorts, beginning with the Tamarijn. Turn right at Brickell Bay Hotel in Palm Beach to get back out onto the main highway which will then take you along the coastline to the Lighthouse/Malmok/Arashi (just follow the signs). You can end the tour here OR...

From the Lighthouse, click on the "plus sign" to Zoom in on the map and you will see the well worn dirt trail which you can follow along the coastline to get you to the former Natural Bridge and Alto Vista Chapel.

As a first time visitor, I would suggest taking in the Natural Bridge and Alto Vista. The Lighthouse can be just a "drive by".

For snorkeling, you can easily stop at Arashi or Malmok and head back to the ship from there. Sorry I cannot give you a timeframe on all. Cannot go by me, because I make dh stop every mile to take pictures. Also depends on traffic.

NOTE: Heading southeast on the map, you will see the next sight is the Natural Pool. You cannot access it from the Natural Bridge. That is unless you are on horseback. Otherwise you can get there by 4 x 4 coming from the inland rout. It is a long difficult trek to get there and would not fit into your timefrare.


this is what I found on cruise critic....
 
Are you kidding...we don't think you're nuts. This is the stuff romance novels are made of...a long lost loved, reconnecting later in life and then live happily ever after. It's adorable!!! :love:


Ya know, back in my 20s I was told....Cinderella doesn't exist, the Prince is dead and there is no horse. I lived in Manhattan. I never wanted to believe it. In my 30s I found out they were wrong because I found my Prince.....now, we don't live in a castle and we don't have a horse (but my neighbors do)....but DH is every bit of a Prince in my life.....and no matter what the circumstances, we do live happily ever after.

We do believe in fairy tales and romance and it does come true!

Holly, have you kissed a lot of frogs? If you have, then you're ready for your Prince to come. It will happen.

So happy we could all share it with you!!!
 
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