Day 32 - Woodland, CA to Portland, OR

The title for today was to have been "Day 32 - Woodland, California to Redmond, Oregon", however it wasn't to be.

The day started out pretty much normal. After a good breakfast at the Blackbear Diner we headed north on Interstate 5. Checking the Weather App along the way, we became more and more concerned about the conditions near home. Snow was in the forecast over the passes and here we are in another rental car without winter tires. This day was beginning to sound a lot like day one when we spent hours and hours on a detour around the slides on Interstate 5. Anyway hours later we decided the smart thing to do was overnight in Portland and then try to get home the next day. We found a hotel, a meal and are now heading off to sleep, hoping we will get out of here tomorrow morning.

I tired, that's all.

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Day 32 - Portland, OR

Today we were to be home. So much for the well laid plans. Up at 5:30 AM and checking the weather on our route home. CalTrans - severe high winds. ODOT - severe high winds. NOAA - sever high winds. Sounds like it might be windy.

At breakfast I check some of the road cams. Doesn't look so good on Highway 97. Since all routes lead to Weed, California we head there first. Rain most of the way and temperature drops to 31°. We decide 97 is out and continue on Interstate 5. On the way up to Siskiyou Summit it starts to snow. I'm not driving my Jeep. I'm not driving my AWD Ford. I'm driving FWD rental car. After some careful driving we are in Ashland.

Too much snow in the passes means we spend a night in Portland and the head home through The Dalles tomorrow. Ten plus hour drive today and I'm tired.

Had rain today. Had snow today. Had hail today. Didn't have any wind, severe or otherwise.
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Day 31 - Disembark and Woodland, CA

When the alarm went off at 6:00 I took a quick look outside and found we were already at the pier. Early. We headed down for a pastry and coffee and then back to the cabin to find those forgotten items.

By 8:00 we were down with our group ready to walk off. It is really amazing how many bags some people will try to maneuver. Anyway, disembarkation went smoothly and we zipped through customs. Having an honest face works wonders.

We were down at the Enterprise pickup spot at 8:05 and not seeing their van I called. During the week they open at 8:00. Saturday's it 9:00. Can you believe that? Cruise ship docks at 6:00, passengers start off at 8:00 and they don't open till 9:00. The people waiting with us didn't understand it either.

Rest of the day was just driving. Good amount of traffic until we got out of LA and the Grapevine had been cleared of everything looking like a slide. Once down in the valley there was a heavy brown layer from horizon to horizon. And it smelled bad. No idea what it was.

Stopped for a quick lunch in Buttonwillow and gas a short time later. Right now we are sitting in a Hampton Inn in Woodland, CA. Dinner was at Red Robin and breakfast tomorrow will be Black Bear.

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Day 30 - At Sea

Up just before 7:00 to a pretty nice morning. Partly cloudy, no whitecaps in sight and 367 miles to go. Breakfast at Horizon Court and then down for coffee.

Back in our cabin it was time to pack, so out came the suitcases and in about 45 minutes the deed was done. After a short walkabout we hit the books, Barb in the sun and me in the shade. Dickens is a somewhat uneasy read because it's difficult to find a period. Sentences drag on through multiple commas, colons, semi-colons and an occasional dash before ending. I counted 73 words in one sentence and wager it's not is shortest.

After lunch in the Di Vinci dining room Barb retired to the balcony with a glass of wine. When a little shade appeared I filled my glass and joined her. It's the first day weather permitted this since leaving Tahiti.

Big lunch so we skipped dinner. Later in evening we arraigned a first time meeting with a couple who are friends of our Redmond CPA. About a half hour into our conversation we identified that we were two of four couples that shared the van tour in Apia. Small world.

Up early tomorrow so off to bed early tonight.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

031° 41' North
118° 13' West

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Day 29 - At Sea

Rough night. Lot of movement, lot of noise. Somewhere around midnight there was a terrific bang that had both of us instantly sitting up. Barb was ready to head to our muster station, but a quick look outside found the ship was motoring along just fine through significant whitecaps. Of course incidents such as this serve to magnify in the mind further sounds and movement.

We were up early to get the laundry started and then off for a pastry and coffee. By 7:30 everything was folded, put away and ready to be packed tomorrow. Last night we received our Express Walk Off ticket. I had turned in our disembarkation request form as soon as it hit our mailbox and was rewarded by being placed in the first of forty-five groups to leave the ship. Also completed the Customs Declaration form, so I think we are ready to go.

By this morning's GPS reading we have 805 nautical miles to go.

Having finished the Clancy novel I'm now full time into Charles Dickens and "Great Expectations", which was a free download from iTunes. I don't know why it was free. Perhaps an attempt to bring a Dickens classic to a larger audience. Perhaps because no one would pay for it.

Lunch today was the British Style Pub Lunch. I was hoping for Bangers and Mash, but it was not to be and I joined Barb for the Fish and Chips. With each of our three Pub meals I've had a Guinness and with each I have wondered "What is the Guinness Widget" and "What is it doing in the can." Well, the answer on the first question is its a small, hollow plastic ball. The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated, but the short version is it involves nitrogen and producing an optimal head.

After getting up at 4:45 this morning it's no surprise we were ready for a two hour nap after lunch. Then, with only one day left, it was time to open the last bottle of Pinot Gris. We will finish it off tomorrow while packing.

After a big lunch we passed on dinner and spent the night reading and watching FOX News.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

024° 43' North
123° 30' West

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Day 28 - At Sea

Interesting night. Lots of rocking and rolling, slapping of waves against the hull and noises which came from I don't know where. The few times I looked out during the night, ship's lights illuminated a sea of whitecaps. Nice sunrise, but by 7:30 it was mostly cloudy. By this morning's GPS reading, we have 1,218 miles to go.

Today is Veteran's Day, and we would like to take this time to say Thank You to all those who served in the military and thanks for protecting our freedoms. We would like to especially acknowledge the veterans in our immediate family who have served our country: Robert C. Houston, deceased Gary H. Houston, deceased Odell Homsley, deceased Bob Houston Don Homsley Loretta Farnum Jeff Gabel

International Cafe is becoming a morning habit. Convenient, decent breakfast sandwich, good coffee and plenty of seating at 6:30 AM. A short walk around decks six and seven had Barb searching for her missing sea legs.

Well, this is day 26. Hard to believe we have been living on the Crown Princess for nearly a month and in five days we will be back to real life. What? Have to make our own bed and cook our own food? No chocolates on the bed every night? No room service? Bummer. Truth is I think we will both will be happy to be back home to the real life. And there are Christmas lights to be put up.

Around 9:30 we took a little walk about and in the process purchased a shirt and Jasmine soap for Barb, as well as additional DayQuill Severe for me. After a short nap we ordered sandwiches for lunch followed by a rerun of Iron Chef.

Afternoon weather deteriorated. Whitecaps and swells continued to dominate the landscape, with gray skies and occasional light rain. No better time to relax, read and watch the discovery channel.

A quick dinner at the Horizon Court included a broadcast by the Captain about the 55 knot winds and 3 meter swells. He advised us to use handrails where available, exercise caution if venturing out onto a balcony and finished by assuring us we were all safe. Back in our cabin chocolates were in place on the bed and our steward left a note reminding us that clocks must be reset tonight. Tomorrow we will finally be back on Redmond time. And it will also be housekeeping day, which means getting up early to secure a washing machine before heading down for coffee.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

018° 45' North
127° 38' West

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Day 27 - At Sea

I was up at 5:15 and finally able to get Sunday's posting uploaded along with downloading 68 emails. This internet thing is a real bummer.

Huge rainstorm off to starboard completely blocked what might have been a nice sunrise. Actually any sunrise at sea seen from the balcony of D205 is not just a nice sunrise but a great sunrise. It was the International Cafe again for breakfast and coffee, but this time we managed to avoid the Future Cruise kiosk.

Our mini-suite manages to contain 2 flat screen TV's, 2 thermostats, a small refrigerator, a full size couch, small table with chair and 15 switches operating 18 lights. There is a good size area to hang clothes, shelves to store clothes and a safe for valuables. The balcony has 2 chaise lounge with foot rests, small table and a recently refurbished wood railing. The couch opens into a bed and there is some sort of bed that drops down from the overhead, entry to which is by ladder found tucked away with the coat hangers.

Barb finished her first true crime paperback yesterday and just started a new one, while I'm about halfway through what I though was my last e-book. Looking a little more carefully I found an unread copy of Great Expectations, so now alternating between Tom Clancy and Charles Dickens.

Barb skipped lunch today, while I brought an all beef hotdog and beer back to the cabin. I'm getting kinda attached to Blue Moon beer, brewed in Golden, Colorado and served with a slice of orange. It's a suitable substitute for a filtered wheat beer.

Not much in the Princess Patter for today. The "Body Parts Trivia Challenge" could prove interesting and there's a "Remembering the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" presentation by a fellow passenger. Think I'll pass.

Neither of us are feeling great at the moment. I've got a little tickle in the throat and cough, while Barb is suffering a case of whitecaps and swells. Think we will head down and see what OTC medications are available.

Three days to go.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

012° 08' North
131° 50' Westest

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Day 26 - At Sea

As a sign the cruise was about to end we filled out the disembarkation questionnaire and as usual selected walk off carrying our luggage. A lot quicker than waiting for the ship to unload and searching for our bags. If off the ship early enough we will head for either Sacramento or Redding and then home the next day. Otherwise we spend the afternoon at the Reagan Library and take two nights to get home. I'm partial to option one, as I can drive from Redding to Mt. Shasta for breakfast at the Black Bear.

Kinda cloudy to start the day and looks like it rained overnight, but by 9:30 it was sunny and getting hot. Too hot for Barb, who loves hot, to sit on the balcony and read. Heading Northeast we have sun in the morning, but by Happy Hour we're in the shade.

Breakfast at De Vinci was ok and then we found a table in the Atrium for mocha and coffee. And what follows coffee? The Future Cruise Kiosk, of course, and today it was Land and Sea Vacations. Barb became instantly attracted to the 22 day Europe's Imperial Treasures.

Not much happened today. A little rain in the afternoon and at 2:30 alarms went off as the ship started a one hour emergency drill. First up was a fire on deck 2 in the forward thruster area followed by an exercise for lifeboat crews.

Had another great dinner at the Crown Grill that included a bottle of Columbia Valley Merlot. Only four days left. Hard to believe 25 days have gone by already.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

006° 46' North
135° 04' West

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Day 25 - At Sea

Well, another great morning at sea. According to the Patter it will be 86° for the next few days. At 7:12 this morning the GPS put us at 1° 54' South, so we would be crossing the equator later today. Breakfast was in our cabin and then it was off to get decent coffee. I did manage to get yesterday's blog posting uploaded about 7:30. I think fewer users early in the morning makes a difference.

I continue to make progress stretching out my last book, finishing 476 of 1,224 pages. I've taken to mixing movies and music into my day to stay within 125 pages a day. Got through Napoleon Dynamite in two days and now about half way through Nebraska. I do have one other book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It", but I'm having too much fun to get into kind of stuff right now.

After coffee we headed for the Future Cruise kiosk and checked out cruises around Australia. Must be popular as some are practically sold out a year in advance. So now we have the Caribbean and Australia on our possibles list. I expect Barb to add the Mediterranean before this is all over.

Making a buck
It won't come as a surprise to anyone who has cruised that cruise ships are out to make a buck. The key to siphoning away our hard earned bucks is the Cruise Card. Its obvious use is entry into our cabin and it keeps track of us when we leave and board the ship. But beyond that there is this thing about no cash transactions on the ship. Everything is on the card. Want a designer coffee? Use the card. Want that Crown Princess t-shirt? Use the card. Want a specialty dinner? Use the card. Even a beer? Yup, use the card. No need to check your wallet and see the cash disappearing, just use the card. Of course it all comes to an end when the ship transfers all those charges from the Cruise Card to your Visa.

Life at sea III
Continuing yesterday's personal care theme we have The Celebrity Cellulite Cure, All About Eyes, Skin Care Secrets and Acupuncture Live Demonstration. Among today's Princess Picks "Trouble in Paradise - Natural Disasters of the Pacific" stands out. My Personal Pick is the Spelling Bee Challenge.

Ok, enough of the ship stuff.

At 2:48 PM we crossed the equator back to the Northern Hemisphere and have about 2,326 miles left to LA. I'm hoping over the next few days temperatures will cool, but I'll settle for less humidity in the meantime.

I'm afraid time is just about up for Barb to see dolphins. Loretta: reminds me of you and the whales! I was hoping for flying fish mostly because she doesn't believe they exist, but it looks like that won't happen either.

00°00'00.0" - Right on the Equator ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

000° 37' North
138° 39' West

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Day 24 - At Sea

Woke up to a bright sunny day. Blue water, blue sky, a few clouds on the Eastern horizon and a gentle warm breeze. Perfect.

Today is was the International Cafe for coffee, breakfast sandwich and a better WiFi signal. WiFi in the cabins is good for one and maybe two of the three possible bars. Open the door to the passageway and you move up to two and maybe three bars. Very frustrating. I usually end up going down to deck 5 for a much stronger signal at the Internet Cafe or next door at the International Cafe. Email is hit and miss, at least for Bend Broadband.

People
It is amazing how fast the public spaces fill up on the ship. The two swimming pools I understand. Surrounded by lounge chairs on two decks, bodies are everywhere gathering in the rays. Sleeping, reading and eating are popular while acquiring the much sought after tan. My guess is most have staked their claim and are there for the day. In my opinion many of these men and women should consider alternate attire when hanging out at the pools. Likewise, the interior spaces with couches and chairs along windows facing the sea fill up fast. Dressed more modestly, these are the readers, knitters, sudoku specialists, crossword experts, occasional sleepers and those who dropped $400 on an iPad to play solitaire. They too appear to have claimed their territory and are there for the duration. Interior space away from windows is the domain of serious competition. Here you find canasta, cribbage, dominos, scrabble, mahjong and more. All in all there is something for everyone, including us who are happy just to hang out in our cabin or relax on the balcony. As far as we are concerned watching the world go by is an activity.

GPS
As I do on most cruises I brought along my handy dandy Garmin Legend Cx GPS. Pocket size with easy to read color screen and a multitude of functions, it's only drawback is the rate at which it will devour batteries if I forget to turn it off. Although only having detailed maps of the Lower 48, it does show all land masses around the world, including islands in the South Pacific. What I do is lay down a waypoint several times a day. This shows up as a little flag symbol on the map and these all become a track of where we went. Once home I can download all the waypoints. I'm now using the GPS Goto function to take us back to the first waypoint in San Pedro, which at the moment is 2834.8 nautical miles to the Northeast. Just something to keep me busy.

Life at sea II
Personal care is big today with Zumba Fitness, Walk-in Foot Print Clinic, Liquid Facelift and Natural Relief for Arthritis all showing up in the Princess Patter. Today's Enrichment Lecture is "French Aviation Through World War I." I don't recall much about the French being at the forefront of aviation, but this is a Princess Pick so who knows. My Personal Pick is the Crab Sorting Competition at Neptune's Reef & Pool.

As part of our life at sea we headed out to the balcony before dinner and finished off a bottle of King Estates Pinot Gris, the first of two we were allowed to bring onboard. Just to be clear, we finished off the last or bottom half of the bottle.

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Aboard the Crown Princess

005° 57' South
142° 42' West

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Day 23 - At Sea

First of eight sea days. Slept in late and woke to a gray rainy morning. Tried the Da Vinci dining room for breakfast and it turned out pretty good. The smoked salmon with capers, red onion and tomato was excellent, however the coffee was not. So it was a mocha and another attempt to upload Thursday's post. Mocha was great, but for some reason couldn't get on the Google server.

Life at sea
So what's there to do on the ship at sea? Well, here are some of the 75 activities listed in today's Princess Patter, otherwise known as "Your daily guide to life at sea." Knitters and Natters Get-Together, Croquet Challenge, Morning Trivia Challenge, Designer Watch Event, Ukulele Music Class, Hula Dance Class, Ping Pong Challenge and for the night owls there's Dance the Night Away with DJ Jamie. How well do you know your spouse? Sign up for The Marriage Match, it's a Princess Pick. With only six Princess Picks today, this should be a significant event.

The Dining Guide lists twelve establishments serving food and ten serving adult beverages, so no one should ever go hungry or thirsty. Add the boutiques, casino, spa and salon, library, fitness center and medical center (if necessary) and there should never be a dull moment.

Money
Our first stop outside the U.S. was Western Samoa, which is an independent country with their own currency the Tala. The exchange rate looks to be about 2.52 Tala for 1 Dollar. I traded five bucks for one ten Tala bill and several coins. Issued by the Central Back, the bill is very colorful with South Pacific scenes. Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti all used the Polynesian French Franc, rather than the Euro. Exchange rate seems to vary between 90 and 100 Francs for 1 Dollar depending on where you shop. Prices can be a little intimidating until you remember to drop off the last two digits. So, the 50,000 Franc pearl ear rings become 500 dollars and the then duty free price is even less. Most places don't give the U.S. Dollar in change, so I'm taking home a few too many Francs. If for some reason you need Francs I have a very favorable exchange rate. As with the Tala, the Polynesian Francs are very colorful, sporting stingrays, turtles and birds.

Cars
Downtown Papeete was a jungle of cars. There were a few Fords, a couple of Chevys and even one Dodge pickup, but the majority were Peugeot, Renault, Hyundai, Suzuki and a dozen so I didn't recognize. Nearly all are small and most are stick shift. With all fuels being imported I suppose small fuel efficient engines rule the day. We were told by our guide that Polynesian drivers were very courteous and this proved true. No matter how fast and seemly out of control they drove they always stopped when we wanted to cross a street. And they actually signal at traffic circles, something drivers at home could try on occasion.

I'm about a third of the way through my last book and there is no way I can stretch it out for seven more days. I'm fortunate to have some movies and fly fishing videos on the iPad, as the ship's library is lacking.

Well, that's about it for today.
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Aboard the Crown Princess

011° 40' South
146° 20' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 22 - Papeete, French Polynesia

Had to meet our excursion group at 7:45, so we were up early and down to the International Cafe by 7:00 for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. Once off the ship we joined hundreds of other passengers boarding tour busses and heading for various parts of Tahiti. Our tour took us on a drive along the east coast and then back to Papeete.

We started with a stop at the James Norman Hall museum. Ever heard of him? Neither had we. Born in Colfax, Iowa, it turns out he was a pretty interesting guy. During WWI he fought for the British, French and Americans. As an American he couldn't join the British army, so he claimed he was Canadian. Later he went to France and was one of the 38 founding members of the Escadrille Lafayette. Finally he joined the American Army Air Corps. Landing in Tahiti he began writing adventure stories, many set in the South Pacific. His son was in the Hollywood movie business winning three Oscars, including one for Butch Cassidy And The Sun Dance Kid.

Next stop was Point Venus, which has a black sand beach considered to be the most popular on the island. I don't know about popular, but I have learned a few things about sand. Black sand comes from black volcanic rock broken down by years and years and years of pounding waves. In the South Pacific some of the white sand beaches come from fish eating coral and pooping out white sand. I know what you are thinking, but it needed to be said. Anyway, Point Venus is so named as it was where explorer James Cook brought his astronomer to track the transit of Venus across the sun.

The Blow Hole didn't live up to it's reputation, blowing out a lot of air but no water. The noise was pretty impressive as were the waves crashing nearby.

The view from One Tree Hill of Matavai Bay was pretty impressive. This is the bay where the Marlon Brando version of Mutiny On The Bounty was filmed and from there we could see our favorite island Moorea 13 miles away. It is said that at one time One Tree Hill had one tree. Not now though. The hill is a sea of green.

A Monument of Captain Bligh and Tomb of Pomare V gave us a chance to leave the bus for a little walk about.

Once in town I was amazed at how our driver could maneuver the bus in all the traffic. Our last stop gave us a walk through of the parliament building and nearby grounds, where the last Tahitian Queen bathed in a large pool now filled with koi.

After the bus dropped us off we went back aboard ship for a short rest stop and then it was back to town for lunch and shopping. Papeete is easily the biggest town since Honolulu and begins right at the pier, so both objectives were nearby. But first we grabbed a sidewalk table at Le Retro for a pair of Hinano beers. Later when checking restaurants we found menu options were in French and prices seemed a little on the high side. Like 25 bucks for a salad. Since we couldn't find any English friendly menus shopping moved up the to do list.

After a little back and forth Barb eventually settled on a black pearl necklace. I know black pearls wasn't supposed to happen, but once Barb saw "the" necklace, that was it. Actually the pearl thing is pretty interesting. Native divers harvest small oysters, hanging them in nets while they grow. Later Japanese specialists carefully insert the core to start the pearl and two to four years later voilà a pearl.

Unfortunately it was time to leave South Pacific and board the ship for our journey back to LA. We will always remember the beautiful Islands and plan to return .

We were back aboard and having lunch about 2:00. At about 5:00 the ship pulled away from the pier headed generally Northwest toward Los Angeles. Yup it's over except for the eight sea days ahead, which will be our time to really relax before getting back to everyday life.

Barb at one of the black sand beaches

It's Hinano Time ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

017° 33' South
149° 33' West

Posted from my iPad 2 Air

Day 21 - Morrea, French Polynesia

It was cloudy and rainy as we entered d'Opunohu Bay in Moorea and dropped anchor. How come it rains on all these islands? Oh well, we should be getting use to it by now.

Breakfast was the usual cold cereal, orange juice and coffee, followed by a coffee at the International Cafe. 10:15 saw us joining our group to board a tender and begin our five hour adventure. Once ashore we boarded a water taxi for a half hour ride out to a coral motu, which is a little island about the size of two or three city blocks. No pier here, the boat got as close as it could and then we waded ashore. Fortunately I wore swimming trunks.

The island is all sand with lots of coconut and other shade trees, tables, chairs restrooms. By this time the rain had stopped and the sun came out. Our excursion included a BBQ lunch and adult beverage, which was our first activity. After that I was in the water. You wouldn't believe how beautiful the water is!

First I joined a group watching stingrays. These guys had wing spans of about three feet and in knee deep water would swim around your feet. They don't seem to mind being touched and I thought their skin felt kinda like velvet. Schools of fish swam around me like I wasn't even there. Pretty cool! If I ever get back here I will definitely go snorkeling. The water was great; warm and clear enough to see down 12 feet or more. Finally got out, had another beer and went for another swim. All in all this was the best day of the cruise so far and if Papeete doesn't step up to the plate Moorea will take the title.

Eventually we had to head back to the ship for an early departure to Papeete, Tahiti. Dinner tonight was at the Cafe Caribe for the Mongolian stir fry.

My swimming buddies

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Aboard the Crown Princess

017° 32' South
149° 49' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Day 20 - Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Woke up to a gray sky and whitecaps, with rain predicted. Raisin bran and orange juice in the cabin followed by a mocha. About 8:00 the ship entered Povaie Bay through a narrow opening in the reef and at 8:52 anchors were dropped. If your cabin is forward like ours the anchor and what seems like miles of chain make a lot of noise.

Every evening we get the Princess Patter, which is the ship's newspaper. Not much use in it except for limited information on the next port/island. Today's tidbit is that there is no B in the Tahitian language and that Bora Bora should really be pronounced Pora Pora. It means First Born.

From where we where anchored we could see a resort with the grass roofed accommodations out over the water. With glass floors to see the water below, they run from $300 to over $1,000 a night. Count us in for a couple of hours.

Our excursion was to start at 12:30, so about 11:0 we headed down to catch a tender. Well, today they were handing out numbers to everyone and that number would determine when we went ashore. No problem thought I, except our number was 1,257 and they were loading 767. So I showed our excursion tickets to the officer passing people onto the tender and asked if we would make it. He let us go.

By getting that free pass we were about an hour early and that gave us time to look around the shops. Pearls. Pearls everywhere. Alaska is diamonds. Mexico/South America is emeralds. South Pacific is pearls. French Polynesia is famous for the its black pearls, which Barb will have no part of. How did I get so lucky.

The excursion was good. The tour guide was excellent. He attended high school in Richmond, California, caught a ship out of Coos Bay, Oregon in 1967 carrying lumber to French Polynesia, jumped ship in Tahiti and never looked back.

Our tour started aboard a colorfully painted "Le Truck" in the town of Valtape and wound clockwise around the island. All 22 miles. It's not a big island, but it has a number of those really neat hotels with bungalows out over the water, old deserted military installations, coconut plantations and some great beaches. The water is absolutely beautiful. It's hard to describe just how beautiful. Miles and miles of turquoise water and white sandy beaches. Our last stop was Bloody Mary's and yes I had one. We had a late lunch in town, which included a dark beer brewed in Tahiti by Hinano, before returning to the ship.

Tomorrow is Moorea.

Need to stay here someday

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Aboard the Crown Princess

016° 30' South
151° 46' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Day 19 - At Sea

Well, today started sooner than expected with the Hazmat Team showing up about 2:40AM. Barb didn't take her Dramamine in time and consequently was a little seasick. After two calls she convinced the medical staff it wasn't Norovirus and once everything was tidied up we slept till 8:30.

Today was to be a housekeeping day, which meant up at 5:30 and off to the laundromat. Didn't happen. By the time we got up to the Horizon Court it had started to empty out and we were able to get seated by a window. Getting a window table is a real competitive sport at the Court and being among the youngest on the ship gives us a real advantage. Of course we are no competition for the many scooters on board.

On the way back down to our cabin we stopped by the laundromat and spied an empty washing machine. That being a real prize this time of day we raced back to get our laundry bag and soap pod. Luckily the machine was still available. Unluckily the coin dispenser was empty. To run the washer and dryer you need special coins that you get from a coin dispenser using your cruise card the cost of said coins ending up on your account. So while Barb stood guard over the washer I went in search of coins. Five decks later I scored. By 11:00 laundry was done and put away, our cabin steward had worked his magic and we were ready to settle into another lazy day.

Barb didn't feel much like having lunch, so I ordered a sandwich in and then it was nap time. I'm not sure how we are going to handle this nap business once we get home.

For the time being the ocean has calmed down. No whitecaps and the swells we had yesterday and last night are almost nonexistent.

Got a little bad news on tomorrow's excursion. I thought Bloody Mary's meant we would have a Bloody Mary, but no. Seems like Bloody Mary's is a well known bar where we can purchase a Bloody Mary. Oh well.

Barb was feeling better so we had a little dinner at the Horizon Court and then back to the cabin for Dramamine. Looking forward to Bora Bora tomorrow.

Mr. C how about those Royals!
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Aboard the Crown Princess

015° 29' South
155° 43' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 18 - At Sea

Up at 6:05 to cloudy skies and a morning that's not quite so hot and humid as yesterday. I'm sure we will look back on Pago Pago as our least enjoyable shore day. Then again it was no worse than some days at home.

No breakfast in our cabin today. We actually got to go out and mingle with other people while eating. Waited about a half hour for the Michelangelo dining room to open, thereby guaranteeing us a table next to a window. Only thing I will say about breakfast is we won't be going back there again. Since breakfast didn't turn out so well, we stopped by the International Cafe for a small pastry and coffee.

Every time you leave a cruise ship they want to take a photo of you with a crew member in some kind of costume. Could be anything from a pirate to a porpoise. These photos are then displayed in a gallery on the ship for searching and purchasing. Something you can look back at after ten years and think "where was I and what was I doing with the pirate?" Anyway we do our best to avoid this recording of history, but then the other day in Apia we gave in. After our makeup breakfast we checked to see if our photo was worthy investment, but the gallery wasn't open yet. I'm thinking that may be a sign.

When the steward came to make up our cabin we headed back down to the photo gallery. I did a quick count of the panels holding the photos and approximate number of photos per panel and figure there must be close to 4,900 on display. Fortunately signs to indicate the location they were taken. Anyway, we found the Apia photo with the appropriately dressed Samoan natives and it now safely in our possession.

Note to Loretta: Dolphins are as hard to find as whales. Barb is getting a little ticked that she hasn't seen any yet.

Lazy afternoon. After a light lunch it was nap time, followed by a trip down to one of the clothing stores. Seems I need a pair of flip flops. Apparently there is coral, which can do a number on your feet while swimming. We have excursions at the last three ports and it looks like two may include a chance to swim.

Well, we decided to give the Michelangelo dining room a chance at dinner and it turned out great. Barb went for the shrimp appetizer and mushroom risotto, while I opted for the shrimp cocktail and a tomato base with shrimp and scallops.

Well that's it. Tomorrow is another sea day and my goal is to organize photos.

Sunset ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

015° 5' South
163° 17' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 17 - Pago Pago, American Samoa

We arrived at Pago Pago, American Samoa about 7:25 AM. At that time it was 81°, humidity was 91% and there was a light rain. All the makings of a lovely day.

Once again we started with the regular breakfast of cold cereal in our cabin. I know, not very "cruise ship". About 9:00 we grabbed our miniature AAA travel umbrellas and headed ashore.

Since we didn't have an excursion today our plan was to just walk around town soaking in all the native culture. Before we got off the pier we were into the native stalls selling clothing and other island trinkets. By the time we got through that we were into a pretty good rain and were soaking up more than culture. Out came the umbrellas and we made a dash for the main street, only to find we had to run the gauntlet of guys trying to sell tours and cab drivers wanting to take us somewhere very scenic.

Once away from the dock we were off to what the map indicated was a shopping mall. We stopped by what was some sort of outdoor market and since it offered protection from the rain we stayed awhile. Pressing on we did not find a mall, but did happen upon a combination grocery and department store. Small but had everything from peanuts to clothing to small appliances. I was most interested in finding a Samoan Lava Lava, which is what most of the men wear. And I needed to resupply the coke and rum department. I have managed to slip some of the little tiny bottles of rum through security, but those are now history. They had the coke but no rum so we were off, thinking the grass is always greener.

Well, I can tell you the grass is definitely not greener. It's hot. It's raining. It's humid. Our little umbrellas aren't working out well. Not a good day at all, so we head back to the ship. We sit around for an hour or so and the rain seems to have stopped, so we decide to take another shot at Pago Pago. It was short lived. Had we walked just a little we could have had free WiFi at McDonald's.

Back on the ship we stopped by the Horizon Cafe for a little lunch and, more importantly, several glasses of water. Oh, and one Blue Moon.

Couple of showers later and an hour and a half nap and all is right with the world. It's now 4:55 and we should be leaving for Bora Bora in about 30 minutes. Next two days will be at sea as we head for three stops in French Polynesia.

Before leaving I should mention Pago Pago is Charlie Tuna land. Harbor is full of tuna boats, which have to travel a thousand miles to find fish.
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

014° 16' South
170° 42' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Day 16 - Apia, Western Samoa

GPS says we are about 70 miles from Samoa. We stopped by the International Cafe for a small pastry and coffee and are now awaiting docking in Apia. If rumors prove true, Samoan dancers will welcome the ship off the starboard side as we dock.

Looks like we will be delayed again as the Captain just came over the PA and our arrival is now 1:00. We decided to go ahead and order a light lunch before going ashore.

So we left the ship about 1:30 and headed to where the cabs hung out. Our goal was to hook up with a couple or two and hire a cab for a whatever a three hour tour would show us. A half hour later we were four couples off for a three hour drive. Before going any further I will say that Western Samoa is one beautiful island. Banana and coconut trees abound and flowers you find only at a florist are everywhere. The whole island is a garden.

Anyway we headed southeast out of Apia traveling along the ocean. Right off the bat we noticed the number of churches. They are open air and they are everywhere. According to our driver, come Sunday everyone on the island goes to church. They don't work. They don't even cook. They just go to church. During our drive we saw two theological colleges. Who knows how many more there are.The second thing we noticed were the raised, open air, covered platforms that almost every house had nearby. Some were small, some were large and some were very decorative with fancy painted columns. These are areas where families gather to socialize, cook, eat and even sleep.

Our first stop was at a Methodist theological college for a short hike down some very steep stairs to the Piula fresh water cave and ocean, where turquoise water meets the white sand. Does that last part sound like me or Barb?

I'm going to take a moment to say a little about our drive today. Once you get out of the city the roads are narrow, usually without a shoulder. And they drive on the wrong side of the road, that is they drive on the left. I suppose that's more different than wrong. Anyway, they only started doing this a few years ago, so many cars still have the driver sitting on the left, including our van. Now that makes it hard for a driver to see to pass another car, but that didn't bother our driver. However, the fact that the roads were very narrow and he couldn't see didn't bother me as much as I think the van only had about 35 horsepower. Oh well, we made it.

Next we headed South over the mountains to the South side of the island, which was devastated by a tsunami six years ago. After turning East we were again traveling along the coast. A short ways down the road our driver pulled over to where a lady was selling coconuts and he bought each couple one. The lady chopped the top off with a rather large machete so we could drink the coconut water. It appeared she still had all her fingers.

Next up was a stop at Sinalei Reef Resort and Spa. This is the kind of place you see in travel magazines. We are ready to spend a couple of weeks. Heading back over the mountains to the North side we encountered a little bit of home. Road construction. The first we'd seen in two weeks. Just before getting back into Apia we took a drive into what was Robert Lewis Stevenson's home. I had no idea he had lived there.

Before returning to the ship our driver took us for a short drive around town pointing out some of the government buildings. By the time we got back our three hour tour had turned into four hours. All in all a great drive.

Here's something interesting. We passed a new school built by the Chinese. Later a big new hospital built by the Chinese. Then in town a really big new parliament building built by the Chinese. Kinda makes you wonder.

New life ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

013° 49' South
171° 45' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Day 15 - At Sea

Another great morning at sea and finally another sign of life as a fairly good size fishing boat passed off to starboard. Current GPS reading shows us to be about 520 miles from Samoa, so maybe we'll be seeing more boats today.

Tried a new place for breakfast this morning. The International Cafe is mostly pastries, but they also have a decent breakfast sandwich. Barb says this is now our go to breakfast place.

We signed up for excursions about a month before the cruise. One we wanted in Bora Bora was full, so we were placed on a wait list. Well we got the tickets. Starts at 12:30 and we are being transported on a open air wagon. Lovely. Nothing better than a hot and humid afternoon. I would regret this except for the fact that the excursion includes Bloody Marys.

Barb has decided we are down to two meals per day and is currently deciding between lunch and dinner for today. Lunch is "casual" while dinner is "smart casual", the difference being shorts or slacks.

We just got buzzed by a helicopter and after a quick circle around the ship it took off to the West. According to the GPS there is nothing in the way of land out there. Good thing it had pontoons. Shortly thereafter the Captain came on the PA system to say that the ship had to slow down due to cooling problems with the engines. Seems the cooling, in part at least, is accomplished with sea water and the current sea water temperature is 89°. The current air temperature is 86°.

Lazy afternoon of just reading and relaxing, the kind of stuff we do best. Barb watched the shipboard video on Apia and decided we will just walk into town tomorrow. No tour.

Loretta, Barb says she is having as much trouble seeing Dolphins as you had seeing whales.

Going to watch a movie now and then get ready for a hot and humid day in Western Samoa.
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

008° 21' South
169° 49' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 14 - At Sea

Another breakfast in our cabin followed by coffee out on the balcony. Blue sky, fluffy clouds and no land in sight for several days. A little rain last night, but still in the 80's. Barb continues to search for her first dolphin and I'm trying to convince her there really are flying fish.

Took a couple of walks around the ship. Got a coffee and checked the lunch menu at the Crown Grill. Wednesday at sea is English Pub day at the Crown Grill. It was very good last week, so we gave it another try and it didn't fail. In fact, it may be the best food on the ship so far.

Around 3:55 this afternoon my GPS positioned us at 00° 01' S 166° 55' W, which put us just over the Equator.

We are a little disappointed that there no towel animals greeting us in the evenings. Really amazing what the room stewards could do with towels on the Norwegian Cruise Line.

That's about it for today. Sea day tomorrow and then Apia.
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

001° 03' South
167° 17' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 13 - At Sea

With the norovirus lurking we've decided to avoid places with lots of people. Horizon Court (the buffet) is out. All those people hanging around and over the food just doesn't sound good, so corn flakes, orange juice and coffee in our cabin again.

Tried to post yesterday's update, but at the moment nobody seems to be having any luck getting on the internet. At best connection speeds are slow. Maybe it has to do with so many people using at the same time.

Finished my second book last night and starting the third this morning. Good thing I picked up another iTunes card in Honolulu and downloaded two more books. With four left I should make it back to LA. If not, there is a library on board.

Got a mocha and we headed for the future cruise computer. Checked out some Mediterranean cruises, but with all the trouble that's going on in Europe we're not too enthusiastic about spending time there.

Somewhere along the way today we are to cross the International Date Line and according to the ship's calendar tomorrow doesn't exist. However, in a few days it looks like we get it back.

Dinner tonight was the once a week, only on Tuesday, only at sea Crab Shack. Pretty good if you don't mind digging and eating with your hands. Popcorn shrimp and hush puppy appetizer and Manhattan clam chowder was followed by a large bowl of Alaskan king crab, shrimp in the shell, red potatoes and corn on the cob. All the tools for cracking and prying out the crab were provided, along with a waist length bib.

Later back in our cabin the PA system lit up calling the emergency response team to report to deck 4 zone 6. We probably weren't the only ones wondering what was going on. A short time later the Captain came on to announce a engine driving an electrical generator had a problem and shut down. Not to worry, there are four more.

That's about it for today. Just checked the GPS and at about 2 degrees North we are nearing the equator. ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

002° 26' North
166° 05' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 12 - At Sea

Today we start four sea days till our stop in Apia, Western Samoa. But that doesn't mean sleeping in. Oh no, we were up at 5:45 to do laundry. Surely there would be machines available that early. Wrong. I guess that after four port days a few of the other 3,000 guests aboard had the same idea.

So it was off to breakfast at the Horizon Court. Finally got a couple of real fried eggs instead of what Barb is sure are powdered scrambled eggs. Hash browns, watermelon, a little cottage cheese, lox and some really bad coffee rounded out the meal. I don't recall what Barb had as I held the table while she picked out her breakfast. By the time I got back she was about done. That's the way it goes when you prefer sitting while eating. The dining rooms work better for seating, but it seems to take about an hour per meal. That probably doesn't matter though since we aren't in a rush these days.

Later we hit the International Cafe for a mocha and then wandered through some of the stores before visiting Future Cruise Center. The Future Cruise Center is where you sit down at a computer and plan how to spend thousands of dollars. Which is what we did, finally settling on the twenty day Caribbean cruise aboard the Royal Princess. No money down yet, but I'm pretty sure Barb isn't going to let this one get away.

Checking the laundry on the way back to our cabin we found available machines and by some stroke of luck they were still available when we got back with our laundry bag.

Once back in the cabin we were hanging out till lunch when the Captain came on the ship's PA system to announce a new guest was aboard. Yes, Norovirus had joined the passengers and crew of the good ship Crown Princess. So we got the information to wash hands regularly and call 911 if sick. Do not leave your cabin, the doc will come to you.

So with that good news we washed our hands and headed off to lunch in one of the dining rooms. No more Horizon Court for awhile. Potato soup, turkey sandwich and hazelnut ice cream for both.

Barb set us up with a 7:30 dinner at the Crown Grill, one of two speciality restaurants on the ship. Specially means cover charge and for me it was worth it. I gave it an A for the scallop appetizer, French onion soup and perfect filet. Barb didn't like her selection quite as much. The desserts were excellent as was the bottle of Oregon wine from Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Tomorrow will be another sea day.
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

009° 41' North
163° 37' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 11 - Kauai

Well, today I'm actually going to try and post on time instead of a day or two late.

Alarm was set for 6:00, but I was up around 5:30 to see the first hint of sunrise to the East. Breakfast arrived at 7:35 and by 8:00 the ship was docked. We had an excursion scheduled, so we were off to meet our group at 8:15. By 9:00 we had made it off the ship and onto what appeared to be a brand new bus. Tony would be our guide today and like most he was a talker.

Our first stop was the Kilohana Plantation. Once over 16,000 acres of sugar cane it is now 25,000 acres of organic farm land. On old narrow gauge railroad that runs through the property that once hauled sugar off to be refined now carries visitors through the farms. We saw bananas, pineapple, plums, several kinds of oranges, star fruit, coconut, lychee nut, papaya, mango and more I can't remember. There also were pigs, horses, cows, goats and hundreds of chickens.

Speaking of chickens, I don't think I mentioned the thousands that roam free on the islands. Everything is expensive here because just about everything is shipped or flown in. And that includes eggs, which car run as much as $8 a dozen. So people began raising their own chickens for the eggs. Well, finally a hurricane came along that was strong enough to blow down the chicken coops and set the chickens free. The chickens quickly imitated rabbits and multiplied like crazy. They are even down at the beaches.

Some guy named Gaylord owned the plantation and way back when built a three bedroom 16,000 square foot mansion. Now it's a restaurant, gift shop and purveyor of specialty rum. Unfortunately, you can only take wine onto the ship.

Our other stop was Opaekaa Falls State Park. A short walk with no steps took us to the viewing area. No steps. I liked this stop a lot.

So, what did we learn today. At an elevation of 5,148 feet, Mount Waialeale is one of the most rainiest spots on earth. Averaging 452 inches per year since 1912, it's personal best of 683 inches was recorded in 1982. The world has a total of 13 climate zones. Tucked away in its 562 square miles the island of Kauai has 11 of those zones. At the port of Nawiliwili one can catch a free shuttle to Walmart as well as Macy's.

We are now done with the Hawaiian Islands. I was here last 53 years ago in 1962 aboard another cruise ship the USS Ranger CVA-61. I like my accommodations a little better this time. Tomorrow we are off to Western Samoa.

______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

021° 57' North
159° 21' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Day 10 - Maui

Today started early with the island of Maui and town of Lahaina appearing off our starboard side. This would be a tender day, which meant the ship would anchor and lifeboats would be used to move us ashore. A series of long rumbling noises indicated the anchor had been let go and shortly thereafter lifeboats began being lowered. Breakfast today was corn flakes, crying is want and orange juice in our cabin, after which we headed down to catch a ride to Lahaina.

With no excursion for the day we were free to wander. By about 9:30 we were wandered out for two reasons. First, Lahaina is a pretty small place and we can stand only so many shops selling the same thing. Second, it was getting hot and we weren't going to get into another walking contest like yesterday. We did manage to see the worlds largest banyan tree, which shades about an acre of a park, and find another Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Always keeping an eye out for lunch spot.

We thought maybe we could hire a cab for several hours to show us some of the local sights. In a short time we we had a cab and driver with another couple for a three hour drive. Turned out to be a great decision.

Our first stop was a plantation where we got to see bananas, pineapples, coconuts and what are reported to be the cleanest restrooms in this part of the island. Next up we went to Iao Valley State Park and a name unknown cultural center. The park was very scenic and I appreciated that there was only a 133 step climb today. The cultural center had areas set aside for those coming from different countries to work the sugar cane fields. Our last stop was at a beach to see the sea turtles. Unfortunately they don't come up on the beach until late afternoon, so the only ones we saw were in the water. Not a good photo op.

Heading back to Lahaina we passed the only remaining sugar refinery left on the islands. And being Saturday there were surfers along most of the coast. All in all it was a three hour fifteen minute drive and probably as good as a ship excursion. The driver was knowledgeable and talked most of the time about what we were seeing.

Back in town she dropped us off to lunch with Bubba Gump and crew. Barb opted for fish and chips and I again went with Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp. After lunch we caught a tender and were back on the ship by about 2:30. It's now 8:20 and we are back at sea headed for Kauai.

Yes, that's one tree

______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

020° 43' North
157° 06' West

Posted by iPad 2 Air

Days 8 and 9 - Hilo and Honolulu

Well, I have a little catching up to do. Thursday - I was up early to watch us dock in Hilo. Somehow the Captain managed to put the ship in sideways to a space not much bigger than the ship itself. At 951 feet it was a tight fit.

We had a quick breakfast at the Horizon Court and at 9:00 headed down to meet a group for our first excursion. After boarding a bus we were on our way to Akaka Falls. At 422 feet its a nice visit, except for 400 plus steps to get to it and back. The vegetation was amazing and our guide Cliff seemed to know not only the name of each tree but what country it came from. I didn't mention to Cliff that Multnomah Falls at home in Oregon is 620 feet.

Next stop was a rain forest zoo. Apparently one side of the island gets 120 plus inches of rain, which makes it the rain forest side. For years this was sugar cane country, both growing and processing. But, as often happens Third World countries (Cliff words) did it cheaper and now it's gone. Anyway, I don't remember the name of the park, but we needed more time than the tour allowed to have a good visit. Last stop was the Mauna Loa Macadamias farm. They have over 2,500 trees, a processing plant and visitor/sales center. We left with a six pack of their finest dry roasted.

It was a long day and we were in bed at 7:30.

Friday - Going to bed that early guarantees getting up early and for me that meant about 5:00. A trip out to the balcony revealed lots of stars and the lights of Honolulu off in the distance. We didn't have an excursion, but there was a plan. First, we had ordered breakfast in our cabin and that showed up about 7:30. This was to be Barb's day at the Ala Moana shopping center

We headed off the ship about 9:00, planning to find a shuttle, bus or cab. In the end we walked the three miles, switching to the shady side of the street when we could in what was becoming a hot and humid day. Ala Moana is a four story shopping center, with three floors of stores and a fourth floor of restaurants. We covered it all and it's all open air. I was hot and tired when Barb called time out for lunch.

Without hesitation we headed for Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a place we had never been. Barb opted for Shrimp New Orleans, which was about a dozen shrimp broiled with butter, garlic and spices, and served with jasmine rice. She liked it. I had Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp, which was chargrilled shrimp and andouille sausage with mashed potatoes and bourbon sauce. I liked it. This was probably the best shrimp meals we've had since Louisiana.

It was during lunch we decided we would not walk back to the ship. We did start by walking to the beach so Barb could stand in the water. She got to about a foot while I took refuge under a nearby tree. Then we started walking in the direction of the ship thinking we would catch a cab. We didn't. Looking at a map I'm guessing we did about 8+ miles in the heat and humidity and it isn't going to get any better. A beer for me and wine for Barb on the balcony turned out to be dinner.

We leave Honolulu at 10:00 tonight headed for Maui.

Hilo

Diamond Head in the morning

Lunch with Forrest

Barb at Waikiki ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

021° 18' North
157° 51' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Days 6 and 7 - At Sea

Tuesday - Today was the day all first time Princess cruisers got to meet the Captain and hear about all the benefits that come with signing up for more Princess cruises.

Tonight we opted for a late dinner/snack at the Horizon Court. Horizon Court is a fancy name for the buffet, which seems to draw most of the passengers. For each of three three meals there choices, choices, choices. If you stick to a salad, maybe a chicken dish or perhaps one of the oriental offerings you will do ok. And there is plenty of fruit, breads, cheese and a couple of dozen different desserts.

Got a photo of a great sunset and maybe I'll figure out how to post it. Had this all figured out at home, but today it's long gone. We finished off the evening with an ice cream cone.

Wednesday - More sleep last night as we crossed into another time zone.

The day started with coffee and pastries delivered to our stateroom. We had planned to eat out on the balcony, but it must have rained a little during the night and the chairs were still a little wet. A leftover rainbow hung below clouds to the North.

Mid-afternoon the captain made announcement about hurricane Olaf, which is somewhere Southeast of Hawaii. Still 800 miles away we can expect some larger swells and maybe higher surf at the islands.

The next four days we be off the ship doing stuff in Hawaii, so after breakfast it was laundry day. Barb ran the washer and dryer and I ran the iron. After the housekeeping we did a little shopping and put another punch in Mike's coffee card.

Barb hasn't made a decision on dinner tonight.

Just another morning ______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

021° 58' North
149° 21' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Days 4 and 5 - At Sea

Sunday -

Breakfast this morning was at one of the main restaurants and we were not impressed. It will get a second chance tonight. After breakfast Barb headed for the excursion desk and signed up for "Highlights Of Tahiti". So now we have excursions scheduled in Hilo, Nawilwili, Moorea and Papeete. Hopefully I'll figure out how to get photos posted.This relaxing at sea is really hard work. We wound up taking a two hour nap in the afternoon.

Barb made a 7:30 reservation at the Botticelli dining room for dinner and although it wasn't the fastest service the meal was good. At least mine was. Scallops and shrimp covered with mashed potatoes. I know, sounds weird but it worked. Barb was a little under the weather with a bit of motion sickness and didn't eat much. We will see how Dramamine works for her.

Monday - Got an extra hour of sleep last night by moving one time zone West. After our experience with breakfast yesterday, we headed to the Horizon Court today. Nothing wrong with scrambled eggs and lox.

Because we are on a Princess ship there are 24 hour a day "Love Boat" reruns, which Barb is watching off and on. I'm 414 pages into 1049 pages of Tom Clancy's "Full Force And Effect", one of six books I downloaded on the iPad just for this cruise. If one is interested, there are dozens of shipboard activities, but we for the most part stay away. Our time is basically sit back and relax.

Before lunch we took a couple of laps around the ship on the Promenade Deck. This is one of our shipboard activities and something we will be doing everyday. Unlike Norwegian Cruise Line, they don't have markers telling you how far you walked, so I'm guessing maybe fifteen miles. Then again maybe not quite that far. After our walk I stopped by the International Cafe and got a free Mocha courtesy of neighbor Mike, who gave me a practically unused coffee punch card from his last Princess cruise. Thanks Mike! Lunch was two slices of what could likely be the worst pizza we've ever had. Actually it was the worst.

Next up was a nap after which Barb made a reservation for the Crab Shack. Popular place, we couldn't get in till next week. Now we are just sitting out on the balcony watching the world go by.
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

027° 33' North
134° 15' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 3 - Boarding and At Sea

Well, today went much better than yesterday. Although we couldn't board until 1:00 that didn't keep us from getting up early. Some things never change.

Turned the car in about 10:30 and caught a ride with Enterprise to the Cruise Terminal. Couldn't believe how smoothly checkin went. Dropped off the large suitcases at the curb and took only two overnight bags, each of which had a bottle of wine. One bottle per adult allowed. Anyway, checkin was a breeze. No line, no wait. Since we were early we had about a 1 1/2 hour wait.

Finally out group was called and about 40 of us made for the ship. Check our passport photo, show our ship ID, have a photo taken and we were in. We have a mini-suite, forward on the starboard side. Barb thinks it's a long way forward. And it is. Most everything is aft. A long ways aft.

Our room was ready and suitcases had already arrived. Unpacking was interrupted by the required emergency drill, so we were off to our muster station with life vest in hand.

Not wanting to change out of shorts we opted for dinner at the Horizon Court and spent the rest of the evening in our cabin. By lights out there were white caps and most of the night we had a gentle roll.

Well, that's it for now.

Leaving Los Angeles
______________________

Aboard the Crown Princess

031° 42' North
122° 24' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 2 - Sacramento, CA to San Pedro, CA

Well, what should have been an easy day started out fine and then went south. Really south. What should have been a 6 1/2 hour drive turned into 13 1/2 hours of anything but fun.

But first the good stuff. Up at 5:30 and downstairs for a couple of Embassy Suites best omelettes. Headed out of town on I 5 while most traffic was coming into town. Quick stop in Stockton for the usual Starbucks. All is well.

Somewhere down around Patterson there was one of those portable highway signs flashing something about road closings. At 75 I didn't quite catch what was about to happen to us. Later a second sign said I 5 was closed at The Grapevine and to take an alternative route over to highway 101. So we stopped for gas at whatever interchange has the Anderson Split Soup restaurant and I ask a couple getting gas next to us about what was going on. Seems like a huge rainstorm blew through and a larger than life mudslide took out the highway. Highway 152 is suggested.

Ok, turns out 152 is a nice four lane highway, which eventually turns to two lane and ends at 101. Heading south again everything is still fine. We pass Camp Roberts, where Barb's dad did some time with Red Skelton during The Big One (WW II), lots of farms and even a few palm trees.

Somewhere around Goleta traffic started slowing. And it slowed and slowed until it came to a stop. Santa Barbara drifted slowly. 5 MPH became speeding. All the hundreds of trucks that travel I 5 now materialized on 101. It wasn't until somewhere around Ventura that things began to thin out a little. Somewhere along the line we pulled off to find dinner. Choice boiled down to Subway or never before tried In-N-Out Burger. We went with never before tried.

Unfortunately the delay got us right into the middle of LA rush hour. By now it was getting dark and all that could be seen were headlights and tail lights. Back down to 5 MPH. I truly don't know how people do it.

Anyway, around 8:40 we pulled into our hotel in San Pedro.

So now it's Saturday morning and I've been trying to get this post up for several hours. Our hotel for the night was not only long in the tooth but had almost non-existent WIFI. Now at Starbucks with a drink and a strong signal.

In an hour or so we will turn in the rental car and head for the Cruise Terminal.
____________________

033° 44' North
118° 18' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 1 - Redmond, OR to Sacramento, CA

The plan was to be up at 6:00 and on the road by 7:00, but as usual we were a little ahead of schedule and hit the road at 5:28. We've been waiting over a year for this day, so to say we are anxious is a bit of an understatement.

First stop, of course, was Starbucks for an Americano and Mocha and then it was South on highway 97 headed for California and an overnight in Sacramento.

Rather than taking our own car and paying parking for 30 days, we're in a rental car from Enterprise. A 2016 Chrysler 200 with 1,445 miles. Very Cool. For the day we averaged 38.8 MPG. Thanks Tristina!

The drive South on Highway 97 isn't very exciting, except in the dark when a flashing sign just South of La Pine is warning about migrating deer crossing the highway. And crossing they were. I suppose many made it, but five didn't. Most of the deer had been hit multiple times, which makes dodging parts difficult, especially at night. Ok, enough of the graphic stuff.

I spent a half hour or so driving around Klamath Falls looking for the Fred Meyer store. Those of you who have been with us before know it's not unusual for me to do a little off route sightseeing now and then. Barb calls it being lost. Did manage to find a State Police office and a kind lady gave flawless directions. Barb made me promise not to go anywhere unless I knew where I was going. Figure that one out.

Stopped in Mt. Shasta City at the Black Bear Diner for lunch. We went with the old standby turkey sandwich, which was excellent.

The rest of the drive into Sacramento was uneventful. Lake Shasta was as low as I have ever seen it and down in the valley it was smokey from burning the rice paddies.

After checking into the Embassy Suites we took a walk through Old Town. Disappointing for several reasons. Too many candy and toy stores. Too many "I Love Sacramento" t-shits. Too many people handing out a free something. But my main issue was walking on cobblestones and old wood boardwalks in sandals. Just doesn't work for me and it hurts.

Back to the hotel for happy hour and then to Fat City for dinner. Barb opted for a chicken stir fry while I, being a meatloaf aficionado, dove into what is now my #2. Now back at the hotel I'm finishing up this post and will then work on tomorrow's drive. 

What lies ahead for us.

______________________

038° 35' North
121° 30' West

Posted by iPad Air 2

Day 2 - Oregon Coast

Started the day with breakfast at McMenamins and then headed north to Fort Stevens. Built near the end of the American Civil War, it was to guard the mouth of the Columbia River. Not much to see there other than empty gun mounts. We took a short drive out the Jetty Road and then headed to Astoria.

Once in Astoria we took the bridge across the Columbia to Washington. At this point the river is quite wide and the bridge, which is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America, totals just over 4 miles. On the Oregon side there is clearance of nearly 200 feet for ships traveling upriver to the Port of Portland.

Our first stop was Fort Columbia. Finished in 1904, it was to guard the Columbia like Fort Stevens across the river. This fort has many of the old buildings and is well worth a visit. Then it was off to The Depot in Seaview, Washington, which we were told had the best ever clam chowder. Well, it may have the very best clam chowder, but not today. Closed.

So it was back to Astoria. Many times we have driven past the Columbia River Maritime Museum, but not this time. If you are in Astoria and you like ships do not pass this place up. Great exhibits. Great videos. Great history of the river.

We stopped at a little place in downtown Astoria for a bowl of B- clam chowder and then headed back to Gearhart and the hotel. As a Cosmic Tripster we have happy hour prices on beer for one year, so we sat out on the deck overlooking the golf course and took advantage. While there we spied our neighbors finishing a round of golf and they soon joined us.

We finished the day by splitting a burger. All in all a nice day. Too bad we have to go home tomorrow.

Fort Stevens

Fort Coloumbia

Posted from my iPad 2 Air

Day 1 - Redmond, OR to Gearhart, OR

Ok, today should have started with an alarm going off at 5:15AM. Should have except for a 5:05 beeping from Barb's phone, indicating a new text message. Someone on the East coast has a Left Coast Right Coast problem. Anyway, once awake we were up and moving a little earlier than planned.

Heading out at 6:45AM we still weren't sure which route to take to accomodate Barb's two shopping stops. Route 1 was Santiam Pass, while route 2 was over Mt. Hood. Breakfast at Black Bear in Madras gave the edge to route 2.

Having made this drive a 100 plus time over the last 10 years we expected nothing new. Surprise. The recent fire on the Warm Springs Reservation had burned well over 64,000 acres and the highway ran right through it. It's been a bad year in the Northwest.

After a quick stop at Bridgeport Plaza and Washington Square for shopping and a bowl of clam chowder we headed out to the Oregon Coast for a two night stay at McMenamins's Gearhart Hotel. Due to our Cosmic Tripster status, earned by completing the McMenamin's Passport challange, this and four other nights in the future would be free. McMenamin's is made up of pubs, breweries, wineries, hotels and more in Oregon and Washington. Checkout the Passort challange at www.McMenamins.com/Passport.

After checking in we took a drive around Gearhart and Seaside, both of which proved uninteresting. Barb suggested we head back to McMenamin's for a beer, which we did. Ruby for her and Terminator for me. Later we had dinner at Dooger's in Seaside.Barb had sole and I went after pan fried oysters. Not just any oysters mind you, these were local Willapa Bay oysters and they were great.

Now back at the hotel I'm settled in with a little Myers Rum and coke while reliving the day.

Posted from my iPad Air 2

Day 14 - Las Vegas, NV to Home

OK, this day was to be a drive through Death Valley and then an overnight in Bishop, California. So much for plans.

The day started off at 6:30, with packing, loading the car and checking out of the hotel. Not liking the looks of the continental breakfast we found The Original Pancake House about a quarter mile away. Our favorite place for Sunday breakfast in Redmond, it did not fail us in Las Vegas.

Finding highway 160 we headed for Pahrump and Death Valley Junction. The latter is home to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, an intimate theater and historic hotel. At that point temps were already in the low 80's, so our first stop at Furnace Creek Inn included a bottle of cold water as well as a walkabout. Next up was a stop and walk around at the Harmony Borax Works. Borax was refined on site by boiling cottonball borate ore and then hauled by the famous 20-mule teams 165 miles to the nearest railroad.

It was about here that the day started to go south on us. We both were a little anxious to get home, so we considered changing the overnight from Bishop to Carson City and then heading home, thus saving one night. With poor cell service in Death Valley Barb wasn't able to check on a reservation change until I got us out of Death Valley and over to highway 395. Once there she found nothing available in Carson City. So we arrived in Bishop at 2:00, way ahead of schedule. Our reservation there was a place we had stayed 20 plus years ago and age had not been kind. I was parking the car when I got a text from Barb saying the place was a dump inside, so I told her to cancel. Manages said she couldn't and we would have been stuck but for a copy of the email conformation saying we had till 4:00. Before leaving the Bishop area I want to mention some very dedicated high school students. They were standing by the road with signs and I took it to mean there was a car wash ahead. Not so. Upon closer examination the signs read "Senior Class Worm Sale". Yes worms. Seems there was some sort of fishing activity going on and worms must have played a big part. Being a fly fisherman I have no idea what part that would be.

So off we went toward Carson City and Reno with no reservation. Once in Reno I suggested, for some unknown reason, we just drive on. By then the "get home" fever was strong and a miscalculation suggested we could be home by 2:00 am. So we headed out on 395 to Susanville. Arriving in Susanville just before the 9:30 closing time at Starbucks we managed a pair of drinks and made tracks for Alturas. Tracks was going to become an appropriate description.

Several miles out of Susanville we encountered a very light snow/rain mix. Nothing to be concerned about. At about the halfway point, 50 or so miles out the snow was heavy and collecting on the roadway. Speed was down to about 25 MPH. The road was anything but straight. Elevation signs were in the 5,000 foot range. This sort of thing doesn't usually bother me much, but I wasn't too sure about summer tires even with AWD. Anyway, we struggled into Alturas way behind schedule. By that time the snow had let up a little and while Barb was thinking of getting a room for the night I was leaning more towards continuing on. While stopped deep in discussion a police cruiser made a quick u-turn, pulled along side and rolled down his window. Before he could get out the "what are you doing out here" question I told him we were trying to get home to Oregon. He said the storm was moving in and should be in Alturas in about 3 hours. He seemed to agree heading to Klamath Falls would keep us ahead of the snow, so off we went. Sure enough, while we had a little more snow/rain mix on the way most of the drive was a breeze. Of course we took the wrong highway, which added a very unnecessary 1:08 and and 51 miles.

So, 2:00 am we arrived in Klamath Falls rather than Redmond and 2:00 am is the magic for the bars to empty out. I gave every car a wide berth. We stopped in Klamath Falls at a Denny's for a cup of coffee and english muffin. Interesting crowd at 2:00.

The rest of the trip up highway 97 to Bend was uneventful. Somewhere near La Pine the sun came up and by the time we got home it was about 6:30 am.

980 miles today and 3,885 for the trip.

Harmony Borax Works

Posted from my iPad2