FALLING ILL WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

I was sick so I could only admire the Icelandic fishing town Isofjordur from the deck

The most unfortunate thing is to get sick when you are traveling. In our sixteen years of travels, I remember three occasions when that happened to my husband and me.

 A Two-Week Cruise that Was Disrupted

 The first was during the Enrichment Voyage cruise, the two weeks when adults are allowed to join Semester at Sea, the program that enables college students to earn credits on board a cruise ship to get global experiences required for their degrees. Whenever we were at sea, the college professors held courses on politics, economics, and geography of the next country we were to visit.

 Before embarking in Sweden, we had just finished a tour of Norway, Finland, and Russia. After a port call in Copenhagen, the cruise ship proceeded to Reykjavik, Iceland. En route to the small fishing town of Isofjodur in western Iceland, we developed chills, fever, colds, and cough. By then, the small clinic on the ship had become as busy as the buffet stations. Some virus was going around. My husband braved a walking tour of the town but, feeling worse, I stayed on the ship, taking photos from the deck. It was good I was well enough to join the excursion at Akureyri in northern Iceland.  

 A Disney Vacation that Didn't Happen

 On the first week of December 2011, we parked our RV in Orlando, Florida, seven miles from Disney World. Finally, at 63, I was going to the theme park for the first time! The next morning, right after breakfast, Bill felt severe chest pains. We hurried to the Urgent Care Center right outside the Resort. They quickly told us to go to the Heart of Florida Hospital, about fifteen minutes away. The surgeon immediately performed an angioplasty, inserting three stents into two of Bill’s arteries, one 100% blocked, the other, 75%.

 Would you believe I had to endure a TV show about preparing for a funeral while in the waiting room? Later, I had to go back and forth between the hospital and the campground when I hardly knew how to drive. I did not know anyone at the Park. Without a support system, within a week, hives broke out all over my body. My dream Disney World vacation turned into a horror story.

 The Consequences of Long Drives

 In 2013 we made a long road trip to visit our children in Idaho, Alberta, Washington, and Colorado. To be more comfortable we opted to take the car and left the RV in storage in Mesa, Arizona. The first stop was Boise, then Calgary. From there to Seattle, my husband drove twelve hours straight. Not even two days later, we left for a nineteen-hour drive to Denver.

 That’s where a painful knot behind my husband’s left knee progressed to his whole left leg, from the hip to his foot, feeling numbness, tightness, and pain. At the nearest hospital, they found several blood clots on that leg. He was given injections to break them down and tablets to thin out his blood. It took a week before the doctors allowed him to drive back home. Again, I had a flare-up of hives. They must be caused by stress. After this incident, we set six hours as our maximum driving time in a day, with a good stop after the first three hours.

 Falling ill during travel is inconvenient at best; it can be tragic at worst. We were lucky that both cardiovascular problems happened in American urban centers. Just imagine how terrifying and costly it would have been if we had been elsewhere where Medicare was not available, the healthcare system was not good enough, and we didn’t know anybody who could help us.

With health issues becoming more serious as we age, there are several things we must do if we want to continue traveling. Our travels should be safe, convenient, and comfortable. We must also keep our insurance up-to-date and comprehensive. But the most important thing is to keep ourselves as healthy as possible, ready to face the rigors of life on the road.

 

 

 

Choosing Planes, Ships, Trains, Buses or Automobiles

Our six-week European Swing was designed around my daughter’s wedding in Scotland’s Guthrie Castle. It was indeed memorable. But it was also highly educational. It gave us a great view of the differences among the different modes of transportation.

The first two weeks were in Scandinavia and Russia through a combination of airplanes and a ferry (from Finland to Russia) to transfer from one country to another. We used public transportation in Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm. In St. Petersburg, we were on a bus excursion from the ferry. We found that car rentals and fuel were sky-high.

The next two weeks were spent on an MV Explorer cruise through Denmark, Scotland, Iceland, Ireland, and England. We embarked in Stockholm, Sweden, did city walking tours in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lerwich, Scotland, Isofjordur, Iceland, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, and took bus excursions for Rekjavik and Akureyri, Iceland.

The last two weeks were in the UK. We disembarked in Southampton, England. It was a Sunday and car rental companies were closed during the season because their entire fleet would have been rented out for the weekend to be returned only on the following Monday.  So besides car rentals, we used trains (and other modes) for road trips across the UK.

First, when it was just my husband and I, we walked the towns and used trains from Southampton to Brighton, Brighton to Canterbury, and Canterbury to Gatwick. That’s the airport where we picked up my daughter and her two daughters.

The five of us then rented a Renault Captur, big enough to carry us and five bags. In two days, we covered Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Bath from our hotel  in Warminster. Then we toured the Cotswolds and southwestern Wales from an Airbnb in Cheltenham for the next two days. On the last day, we visited Windsor Castle from Heathrow Lodge.

Third, after my daughter’s wedding, we joined our BFFs and partners using trains, buses, a private car, cabs, and the tube, whatever was appropriate and available, touring London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh. 

Here is what we learned. Cruise ships can be the least expensive mode, especially if you get a highly discounted one like we did through Groupon. Organized excursions, however, can dramatically raise the cost. Use them when necessary and explore by yourselves, whenever possible. The biggest drawback, however, is you get the least sense of a place and people with just 8 hours at port. But if you are a foodie, you can get the best variety and quantity of food on a cruise ship. There is also a ready like-minded community to travel with. Finally, there is no need to pack or unpack!

Planes, trains, cabs, and buses are less convenient, having to haul luggage through different means of transfers, especially on windy, damp, and cold days. But these road trips can give you the best sense of place and people because you can stay as long as you want. The longer you stay, the cheaper the lodging becomes.

Even if you must drive, a road trip by car may be even more cost-effective (car rentals become cheaper the longer the period), as long as parking fees and the cost of fuel aren’t exorbitant. But maybe not in the UK since driving is on the wrong side of the road, the back roads are very narrow, and the speed limits are higher than those in the US. It can sometimes be quite scary!

We concluded that a road trip gives you the best sense of place and people. We always prefer to travel by car but if fuel and parking costs are not reasonable or driving conditions are unfamiliar, then trains, buses, and planes are the next best. We will reserve cruise ships only as an exception. One such exception is short ferries from one country to another. But when in town, walk around and use public transportation!  

            

Great Lifestyles Perfect for Those Who Love Traveling

 

It’s almost the beginning of another year, the time we think about priorities and how we want to move on. You may be preparing for retirement or want to make a change in how you work from home, especially since there are many portable careers available now. It’s time to make another pause.

My husband and I have used such pauses well over the years. In 2007 we met and married more than a year later. We retired embracing one retirement lifestyle; in 2013, made a change; and in 2017, went through another. Now it’s time to do it all over again. Here are the lifestyles we tried and what we dream of doing next.

Full-time RVing

About six months after we married, we decided to live in an RV full-time. We rented out our homes, sold some of our belongings, gave away others to family, and stored the rest in the garage of my daughter’s house and the shed of my condo in Seattle. We set out to conquer North America.

For the first three months, we simply tried it out and bought a small used 24-ft. Class B motorhome. When we were convinced it was the lifestyle we wanted, we bought a membership at a national campground network and upgraded our “home” to a 37.5-ft Class A. The network enabled us to stay at a campground (one of almost 200) for three weeks at a time (daily camping cost turned out to be less than ten dollars).

Fulltime RVing is perfect for the avid travelers that we are. We cris-crossed the continent six times in five years, staying in all 49 American states, ten Canadian provinces, and six Mexican states. We visited 35 national parks, 34 national monuments, and hundreds of other national, regional, and state landmarks. It was even more perfect for me: I had just retired and migrated to the US. I felt I truly deserved the citizenship I was granted.

We also found out that it was a very economical way to live as long as you invested in a good brand second-hand RV from a national chain, joined a reputable campground network spread out over the continent, mostly dined in with the majestic backdrops you found, and loved the outdoors and its bounty.

Snowbirding and World Travel

In 2013, when we discovered some health issues, we had to tweak our retirement lifestyle. We shifted to snowbirding, staying put for a few months, and having annual check-ups with a team of doctors. Starting that Christmas season, we parked our RV at the Viewpoint RV and Golf Resort and wintered in the Phoenix area. The rest of the year, we stored the RV and visited family, held family reunions, and took off to explore the rest of the world.

To do this, we invested in two timeshare memberships: one that gave us many resort options around the world and another that had extensive properties all over the US. As a result, traveled Europe extensively, spending a week in different towns, making them bases for wandering around and touring nearby countries.

The other allowed us to host week-long family reunions for each of our families in many scenic states. And, since our children’s homes are spread out over three countries and four states, we have gotten to know those locations and their adjoining areas well.  

Resort Living

We loved this snowbirding phase so much that we decided to stay permanently in Viewpoint and sold our RV. In Christmas 2017, we gifted each other a brand new three-bedroom unit. Three months later, we moved into our new home, getting “lost” in the 1,200 sq. ft of space, having lived in a cozy 350-sq. ft. RV for eight years.

Viewpoint has everything you need for an active 55+ lifestyle. I choose from two fitness centers every day; after which I go to the pool, hot tub (there are four available), and sauna. We tried our hands at the tennis courts (there are ten) and when we did not do well, contemplated a shift to pickleball (also ten courts).  Bill settled on golf and I, writing. We take walks around the park in the evening. There are movies, bingo, concerts, dinners, games, parties, and about 50 clubs to choose from. I chose the Photography, Writing, Painting, Texas Hold’Em, and the Computer Clubs.

With a big kitchen, I have enjoyed cooking more; tending to my plants has been a new pastime; and I have enjoyed time with valued friends. Staying home has allowed me to get renewed for the demanding and exciting world travel and family visits ahead.

Making Another Country a Second Home

In 2017, one timeshare reminded us that we still had three weeks that we would lose if we didn’t use the points by the end of the year. We quickly decided to spend that Christmas season in Cozumel. On that Caribbean island, we got a chance to change our retirement lifestyle yet again.

The truth is Bill would love to retire full-time in Mexico. It was where he had enjoyed months with his family before his first wife passed on. As a compromise, we gifted ourselves with an all-inclusive three-month leased timeshare we could use in any of the seven resorts in Mazatlan, Puerto Morelos, or Cozumel. This has turned out to be more practical than maintaining a house in a foreign land.

In 2018 and 2019 (impossible in 2020), and 2021 we went to Mazatlan where we never had to cook or clean, with ten restaurants available, a country club, and a short drive to downtown Mazatlan.  In 2022 we shifted to a resort on the Riviera Maya in Puerto Morelos with nine restaurants and many new landmarks to explore. We are returning there this December.

Long-Term Cruising for Life-Long Learning

In 1926 its first ship sailed from New Jersey for a voyage of seven and a half months to 90 ports. It was called the University of Seven Seas; later it came to be called the World Campus Afloat. Then the Institute of Shipboard Education shifted to its successor program, Semester at Sea. We had a taste of this when we sailed the Baltic countries, Iceland, and the UK in 2015.

The program was made available for non-students, as Enrichment Voyages first and then the Lifelong Learning Program. For a minimum of 30 days, visits to ports are complemented by seminars or workshops: political, economic, historical, geographical, and art and architectural discussions of the ports/regions, while at sea. The same professors with PhDs in their fields who teach the students are the seminar leaders. Some workshops include arts and crafts, writing and book clubs, dance, yoga, tai chi sessions, etc.

The ship’s facilities may not be as luxurious as regular cruise ships but adequate for the 700: 10 classrooms, 1 large seminar/showroom, another large seminar/ballroom, a piano bar, two dining rooms (buffet and waiter service), a pool and poolside bar, three viewing decks, a gym, spa, sauna, and massage wellness center, a library, a computer lab, a cruise ship store, and a medical clinic. Wifi facilities were formerly very limited but now that problem has been solved.

Other cruise lines have followed suit and offer living options on cruise ships. This new lifestyle has attracted some.

Making Another Country A First Home

This is what we have not yet tried. There are places where the cost of living is such that you can pretty much live at the same cost as home but be at the backdoor of other dream destinations. You can stay at a Spanish “castle,” a French chateau, an Italian vineyard, a South American pueblo, or “own” an island in the Philippines! But, at 75 and 80, Bill and I may have run out of time for this last lifestyle. What we can do is still dream!

PREVIOUS POST

We Sold Our RV and Bought a New Traveling Lifestyle

TRAVEL AWAITS: 11 Reasons This Unique “Semester at Sea” Program Is The Best Way To Experience Iceland

This article originally appeared in Travel Awaits on June 30, 2022.

In 1926 a historic ship, the first of the “University of Seven Seas,” sailed from New Jersey and visited 90 ports in seven and a half months. As explained by its then Dean: ‘This is not a mere sightseeing tour but a college year of educational travel…to train students to think in world terms…’ Later, it was called the “World Campus Afloat.” Today it is “Semester at Sea.”

For the last 59 years, the Institute of Shipboard Education has been conducting this world study program. Luckily for my husband and me, they opened it to non-students; it was called the Enrichment Voyage, available in 2 or 4-week segments. It has since been renamed the Lifelong Learning Program with a minimum of 30 days with three to five days at a port, not just one. Here’s why we absolutely loved this best way to experience Iceland, and actually, the world.

IT WAS NOT EXPENSIVE

Groupon junkie that I was, we stumbled upon the ad that offered an interior cabin and all-inclusive amenities for just $1,399 per week for two. The first week included Copenhagen and three ports in Iceland after embarking in Stockholm. On the second week, it was to three ports in the UK, disembarking in Southampton.   

THE FACILITIES WERE ENTIRELY ADEQUATE

MV Explorer was the name of our ship and we didn’t know it was going to be its last voyage. Although not as luxurious as the cruise ships we know, it was entirely adequate for its 700 passengers. We had ten classrooms, one large seminar/showroom, another large seminar/ballroom, a piano bar, two dining rooms (one for buffet and another with waiter service), a pool and poolside bar, three viewing decks, a wellness center including a gym, spa, sauna, and massage rooms, a library, a computer lab, a good-sized store, and a medical clinic. Even if WIFI facilities were limited, it was also adequate for emails and seminar materials.

THE CREW WAS WORLD-CLASS

A former Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization once said that Filipino seamen were the “unsung heroes” of an “unsung industry.” The Philippines has more than 500,000 manning vessels around the world. In fact, 70% of our 218 crew was Filipino and two of the five on the Captain’s senior management team—the Purser and the Executive Chef—were Filipinos, as well as one of the ship’s doctors and all the nurses.  I felt well cared for and at home. I beamed ear-to-ear every time I heard one complimented by fellow passengers.

IT WAS A COMPLETE ICELANDIC EXPERIENCE

It took two days at sea before we reached Reykjavik from Copenhagen. Lying between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans, Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe—325,000 people in an area of 40,000 square miles of sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, and glacial rivers flowing to the sea. Its climate is wonderfully temperate despite being just outside the Arctic Circle because the Gulf Stream warms it. Our cruise took us to Reykjavik in the south, Ísafjörður to the west, and Akureyri in the north.

WE GOT TO SEE A LOT OF REYKJAVIK

The excursion we chose took us first to Þingvellir National Park, a continuously evolving volcanic area, and Haukadalur, included in the Golden Circle, where geysers and other geothermal features have developed on a rhyolitic dome. Then we proceeded to Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. The tour also gave us the chance to take a dip at the famous Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa in Grindavík. It formed in 1976 from the wastewater of a geothermal plant, healing powers were discovered in 1981, and the separate public bathing facility was opened in 1992. Our tour ended with photo-ops of the Viking World, the Sun Voyager, the Harpa, the Perlan, and Hallgrímskirkja.  

WE REACHED THE SMALL FISHING VILLAGE OF ISAFJORDUR

We could never have reached Ísafjörður if we were not on a cruise. I will never forget my time on deck when we arrived; sunlight was peeking off the hill that lords over the sleepy town, inviting all of us to walk off the ship and be amazed. The village is on a spit of sand on Iceland’s western coast where the waters of two fjords meet. Fishing is the main industry and the small town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. Despite a small population of 2,600 and isolation from the rest of the country, it has an urban atmosphere with a school of music, a hospital, a cultural center with a library and showrooms, and a distance learning center for the 7,000 residents of the entire Westfjords area.

WE REACHED THE NORTHERN CAPITAL OF ICELAND, AKUREYRI.

From there we proceeded to northern Iceland and its second-largest urban area and northern capital Akureyri. With a population of about 18,000, it’s also an important port and fishing center. The bus tour took us to one of the country’s most spectacular waterfalls, the Goðafoss, “Waterfall of the Gods.” Located in the Mývatn district of North-Central Iceland, the Skjálfandafljót River falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. Then back in the city, we had to climb 55 steps to reach the Cathedral of Akureyri up on a hill. It has a large 3200-pipe organ and a ship suspended from the ceiling, [art of an old Nordic tradition to protect loved ones at sea. Later we enjoyed simply walking down the main street and meeting statuary folkloric “trolls.”

THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT SEA WERE FANTASTIC

It was like being back at school but in splendid classrooms. They were always filled to capacity; students go to regular classes; the older adults chose what they wanted to do. Before reaching Iceland, we spent the two days in seminars learning about the Vikings, the origins of the country and its people, and the current economy and development. The seminar leaders were those who also taught the students and usually had PhDs in their fields of expertise. Workshops, on the other hand, are about arts and crafts: writing, book club, dance, yoga, tai chi, etc. Those who did not want these offerings were free to organize their own games.  

THE SPECIAL SIGHTINGS WERE REALLY SPECIAL

The crew was also very good at notifying us about special sightings. Right at the beginning, we had a spectacular introduction to the 16-km-long Oresund Bridge between Stockholm and Copenhagen. And for the first time, I got to see offshore wind farms like the Middelgrunden with 20 turbines three and a half kilometers off Copenhagen (now closed). There were also many birds and whales. But I loved most the island of Surtsey just before we reached Iceland. Formed in a volcanic eruption 426 ft below sea level in November 1963 and continuing for seven months afterward, it is now just half its peak size of one square mile because of wind and wave erosion.  

There was a noticeable difference among the seas we sailed. The Baltic Sea, Denmark Strait, Irish Sea, and the English Channel quietly defined the countries they surrounded.  The North, Norwegian, and North Atlantic Seas are much bigger and often rougher seas. Around Iceland we experienced two to four-meter swells, giving some of us a level of seasickness. And those huge seas are a large source of the world’s petroleum. A highlight for me was seeing a huge oil rig and platform, a lone industrial structure thrust in the middle of the big, blue sea.

WE HAD ENGAGING SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

There were special activities like the tour of the Bridge (the navigation center of the ship) and demonstrations of the intricate maneuvering for each docking and leaving of a port.  And just like on the regular cruises, I loved dressing up for the Captain’s Dinner. We enjoyed “Two’s Company,” a Variety Show by a Scot and I laughed long, loud, and often at a comedy show about Icelandic history. There was even a Magic Act, an Irish duo, and a “New Year in June Party.”

But the best one was when we all gathered in the Gazers’ Lounge with large floor-to-ceiling windows to celebrate crossing the Arctic Circle after leaving Akureyri. At precisely the right time, the Captain announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, look to the left of you.”  We all looked. Then he said, “Look to the right of you.”  We all looked. Finally, he said, “There is really nothing.” And the room erupted into shrieks and laughter. Soon we all drank and danced the night away!

IT IS AN INSPIRATION FOR ANOTHER RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE

The cruise left me even more captivated by Iceland. But more importantly, it led me to one of the six spectacular retirement lifestyles I wrote about. It is one where, even as we get older, we can continue to call on many ports around the world in style, comfort, and convenience while learning about the places and people we visit every day of the year.

We were so pleased with what we had just experienced that my husband and I gladly signed a petition to find a new sponsor and academic partner to continue both the Semester at Sea and the Lifelong Learning Programs. And thankfully, they did; and I predict, they will continue to do. 

FOR THOSE ON MOBILE, THE SHARE BUTTONS APPEAR WHEN YOU CLICK WEB VERSION AT THE VERY END AFTER COMMENTS.

PREVIOUS POST

Beyond Banff: 12 Other Amazing Places in the Canadian Rockies

Seeing Thriving Wildlife in Estuaries and Sanctuaries

Mazatlan boasts of 80 kilometers of coastline and seven islands that dot its scenic bay. It is thus home to a lot of interesting aquatic activities. We had opportunities to go on day trips to the Turtle Sanctuary, to do a Sunset Bay cruise, and to frolic at one of the islands. The fun touristy activities were plenty but it was seeing the thriving wildlife that was most heartwarming.

Catamaran on a Sunset Bay Cruise

The Sea Turtle Sanctuary

I was already getting sad. Somebody told me that the turtles come to Mazatlan during the months of July to November on their annual migratory patterns. We were given this free Pronatour turtle sanctuary tour as Elite members and we had come during the wrong month! Then I heard that a few stragglers wander to Mazatlan’s shores during the odd months and the tour was available once a week!

El Verde Camacho

So, one Friday, together with about nine other adults and three children, we went on a day trip to El Verde Camacho, the marine turtle station just outside of Mazatlán where researchers have been monitoring and collecting data on the sea turtle nesting and stranding activity for almost 40 years. The tour includes round trip transportation from the hotel in an air-conditioned van and lunch.

turtle release ceremony

Imagine my delight when, after lunch, the tour included a ceremony when each one of us was given a 6-hour old sea turtle to release back to sea. The station collects the eggs and enables a higher percentage of them to hatch in incubators instead of being left alone on their natural sand habitats to be savagely preyed upon. I named my baby Memo, short for Guillermo which is Mexican for William in honor of Bill.

An Estuary by the Beach

beneath the mangroves at the estuary

The day trip also included a special boat trip through the Estuary beside the station. Immediately, we saw baby crocs hiding amongst the leaves and tiny hermit crabs scurrying around our boat when it was being launched. We rode through and under thick white and red mangrove trees piled onto the murky waters inhabited by lots of fish. As a result, there were many large birds flying all around.

a bird up close

I loved all the swooping and swishing of the wildlife from under and above the water. I also cherished all the opportunities I got for photographing the birds in a wonderful ecology so bountiful for them to thrive. I never had seen them fly so close to me before. It was a great side trip of the tour.

Some Rock Sanctuaries

Mexican icebergs, the bird sanctuaries

On our Sunset Bay Cruise, before the sun actually set, our huge party catamaran took us to the rock islands that are called Mexican icebergs. They jut out of the blue waters like their Arctic counterparts but their white color does not come from ice. They are bird poop. These rocks are great bird sanctuaries, along with Bird Island. 

the sea lions' rock sanctuary

Near the two is a different kind of sanctuary. It is a small rock, home to more than a dozen sea lions, happily frolicking between the rock and the waters around them. Some of us on the catamaran imitated their unique grunts, hoping to strike an animated conversation, before taking off for our sunset gazing time

An Island Sanctuary

Deer Island is the other island where the animals called men, women, and pets get their own frolic time. I feel compelled to include this day trip as an example of seeing another kind of thriving life. This island is a nearby refuge from the busy city which we just left behind for half a day. They are so near each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IMAGES: 

Share buttons appear automatically to the right on laptops. On mobiles, please scroll to the bottom of the post, past the comments. Click "view web version." Share buttons appear on the bottom. Click the last button for more options, then the Pinterest Share button. Select the image you want to pin. Thanks for pinning this post!

The Riviera Revival, ST Wine, and Value Shopping: Not Just Another Day in Ensenada, Mexico

For our second port of call on our Carnival Imagination Cruise, we had a hard time deciding which shore excursion to take. There were more than twenty options. At first, we wanted to see La Burfadora, a blowhole, but we had seen such things in our travels and dreaded the thought that the water does not blow or blows too short. The girl at the desk said it depends on the tide. Then we spotted “A Scenic Tour of the Gold Coast of Baja California” but we had seen a lot of gold coasts, too. We ended up with a City and Shopping Tour because we did not want to finish the tour and now know anything about Ensenada.

Riviera del Pacifico

from the top, clockwise: the imperfect tile, the wooden ceiling and chandelier,
the great corridors, and part  of the elegant bars

The first stop was the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural and Convention Center. The landmark was built and then opened in 1930 in response to the American Prohibition. North Americans needed a place south of the border for entertainment and alcohol (Tijuana, then Rosarito, and finally Ensenada). The end of the Prohibition spelled doom, however, after which it intermittently operated, and then was put to military use in WWII. At the end of the war, the only remaining owner fell in love with Marjorie Plant, an American, and gave the property to her. She ran it successfully for 15 years but legal troubles arose between Marjorie (and the man she finally married) and the original owner. The property was thereafter taken over, closed, and partly demolished by the government.

When it was going to be demolished, the townsfolk clamored to save its historical and architectural icon. Rebuilt in 1978, the hotel has reopened and includes a theater, a historical museum, and rooms for a variety of functions. The dome’s wooden ceiling and the largest of the chandeliers were thankfully preserved. It was interesting to note some imperfections such as the bizarre tile on the floor. But the large bar has retained its elegance. It is where margaritas were said to have been first served as a drink (Marjorie is Margarita in Spanish). And that’s what we were served at the tour's end!

Santo Tomas Winery wines and olive oils

The second stop was Santo Tomas Winery. The Santo Tomás Mission, founded by Jesuit priests in 1791, had reactivated large-scale production of wine in Mexico. In 1843, Dominican priests also began growing grapes at the nearby Guadalupe Valley, one of the few in the world, along with Napa Valley in California and Rhone Valley in France, for growing premium wine grapes. 

In 1888, the former lands of the Santo Tomás Mission were sold to a group that established the first large-scale commercial winery. Today, it is the earliest winery of its kind still in continuous operation in Mexico. It was then called Bodegas Santo Tomás and was producing low-quality wines. 

But today, its dessert wine just won in the 2017 San Francisco Wine Festival. In fact, Baja California now produces 90% of Mexican wine. The wine and a white, a rose, and a red plus six different olive oils with bread and cheese were served for us to taste. I liked the dessert wine so much, we brought one bottle home.

one of the wraps we considered

The third stop was what I had been waiting for. I had one big mission: to find a wrap I could wear over my swimsuit for the next day’s return voyage when we would have a whole day at sea. We were given about an hour and a half but that wasn’t enough time for getting a flavor of Mexico so we told the tour guides not to wait for us. 

Bill had a heyday, fending off the creative and insistent ways vendors tried to get us into their store to buy jewelry, clothing, and crafts. Actually, he played the good guy and I played the bad guy. He would always escape with “I am just following her.” And I would go on walking as if I was in earnest search of things other than what they were offering. Pretty soon, I found my wrap, pareos they call it, for $8.

one of the restaurants we considered

Satisfied with the bargain we found, we looked for a place to have our authentic Mexican lunch. My daughter, who was with the previous cruise at the beginning of the week, recommended the Taverna de Madrid. Unfortunately, it was closed. We finally chose the place to which a lot of the vendors told us to go. 

El Charro was on the ground floor of a beautiful old Spanish style building we had noticed early on. The chile rellenos and rez machaca were both great choices. But I couldn’t eat the Nacho chips. The salsa was oh-so-hot! But the best part is that my romantic husband got me a long-stemmed red rose for all of fifty cents!

And the day was complete. At around 3 pm, well before our ship’s departure time of 5:30 pm, we walked to where the public shuttle buses could be found. That’s when we realized the Riviera was just outside the dock. We didn’t have to pay for the $30 pp excursion fee charged by Carnival! We could have taken the shuttle, toured the Riviera, skipped the wine tour, walked to the shopping square, and eaten with gusto our Mexican lunch for just $2 each way pp or a total of $8! 

But, no, I like my souvenir wine, however expensive it turned out to be!

see the great Mexican food and the rose?

You Can Relive the Old Hollywood Charm on Catalina Island, Just Off LA

our ship from the top of the hill

Yes, it may be in the waters where Natalie Wood was found dead near her dinghy, but it is one island we didn’t expect to be as charming as we found it. True, gasoline is a staggering $6.75 per gallon, but the main means of transportation are golf carts, so it works! There are thousands of them for the 4,000 residents and for the million tourists a year, about 300,000 from cruise ships like Carnival Imagination which comes twice a week and 700,000 from ferries that arrive from LA every day.

This was our first port of call on our Carnival Imagination Cruise. There were two ways we toured the island. First, after being transported from our ship to the shore on the tenders, we joined the Avalon Scenic Tour, one of the many excursions offered by Carnival Imagination. There was an overflow from the air-conditioned tour bus so eight of us had to be at an open air extreme jeep. At first, I didn’t like the prospect of my hair getting messed up by the wind and dust but, later, I liked that I could take photos better, sans the glass windows.

view of Avalon from the top of the hill

The tour took us to the highest point from where we saw our Carnival Imagination docked and the harbor that is the smaller and less luxurious version of the one in Monaco, another playground of the rich. As the jeep negotiated the at times steep zig-zag road on the little mountain, we saw the stone stacking and pet burial sites of the locals. Several deer sneaked upon us; they flourish on the island since there is no predator larger than the small fox. So at certain days of the week, deer hunting is legal.

Wrigley's Mansion

On a bend of the road going down the hill, Wrigley’s mansion made its appearance. The chewing gum magnate purchased the island in 2013 and, although he was once buried there, his body was transferred to the mainland and the tomb is now a simple Memorial to the man who created the tourist destination. I understand his family stays at the mansion two weeks of every month. In fact, the old Chicago Cubs’ residential houses still remain. The team used them when they trained on the island during spring. But the diamond is no longer there. Wrigley owned the team at one point in time.

Avalon Casino

Down the hill, on the other side of the harbor stands Avalon Casino, the island’s icon. It is not a real casino. The original meaning of the word is a “gathering place” so there is no gambling there. It is a 140-ft tall circular building made up of two parts, encircled by water. On the top floor is the Catalina Casino Ballroom with a 20,000 square foot dance floor. It is the world's largest ballroom with a 180-foot diameter dance floor that accommodates 3,000 dancers. I would have loved to do the foxtrot, waltz or tango there! The old Hollywood glamor is recreated there.

the Movie Theater

The movie theater on the ground floor is the first in the country to feature talking movies. With a seating capacity of 1,154, it has such great sound insulation that speakers on stage do not need a microphone to be heard. Murals created by John Gabriel Beckman decorate the theater walls. Its original 4-manual, 16-rank pipe-organ is now one of the oldest organs in the country. Sample clips of the time the stars and celebrities gushed about the island were shown, underlining its old Hollywood charm.

the murals of the movie theater

At the end of the tour, on the flats, the homes and inns are pastel-colored wooden structures. Some of them were the old homes of Hollywood greats like Marilyn Monroe, another item contributing to the island’s old charm. We started to walk around the small downtown area. As usual, I shopped for a tank top. I always do to remember a place I thoroughly enjoyed. Bill found his treasure at a shop that had a 50% off sale on select Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts, Bill’s favorite brand. They are so well-made, the fabric doesn’t wrinkle, and they never age. One of his two old ones was what he wore when we first met.

the small pier

the tile fountain

Then we walked the small pier and had what else but fish and chips! We watched the beach scene, busy with water activities like parasailing, kayaking, and trips to the Lovers’ Cove. Finally, we lingered for a little while at the unique fountain in the middle of the coastal strip. It is made of the lovely tiles that the town of Avalon, the island’s only incorporated city, is known for. Reminiscent of those made in Mexican, Spanish, and Portuguese towns, the colorful tiles decorated the plaza, buildings and other public places.

I’m sure you can feel how much we were charmed by Catalina Island. We were sad when, at 3 pm, we had to board the tenders. The ship was to depart at 4. We vowed to return, make that six-hour road trip from Phoenix, ride that one-hour ferry, and stay the required minimum of two nights at a charming B&B.