My second Abbi Waxman book, I really loved The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman which I read a couple of summers ago. This new book, was also fun with some recurring characters from the last book. Here is my book review Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman.
Laura Costello arrives in Los Angeles looking to get away from her overbearing mother and to start anew. After surviving a terrible car accident, she is longing for a new beginning.
But her first week in LA her apartment catches on fire and she is forced into a living situation with a new group in a communal house. And thus her adventures begins. Her new friends include a rogue bookseller and trivia lover, a friendly land lady carrying a sad weight, an energetic women hiding a secret and a gorgeous man with a love of gardening and baseball. Laura finds friendship and healing among this eccentric group.
Laura will make peace with her tragedy, her family, her past and build a new future in this sweet story of friendship, love and breaking free.
****Four stars for Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman. Thanks for reading my Book Review Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman.
In 1992 & 1993 we lived in Reston Virginian, a suburb of Washington DC. I loved Reston and loved our 20 months in the DC area. There were endless things to do and we did them all. If you are an American history buff even a tiny bit, this region will make you swoon. But despite how much we loved our time here, we had never been back, except for passing through Dulles Airport now and then. So on our road trip from Atlanta to Boston, we planned five days in Washington DC. I wanted to revisit a few of my favorites, but I also wanted to see all of the things that have changed in thirty years. So we set out to explore Washington DC – Old, New, Red, White & Blue.
1992
Today
Day One
Arriving by car, as we crossed into the district from Virginia we were greeted by the familiar and beautiful sight of The Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. Iconic images for any American. We drove down Independence Avenue and I was so happy to see these “old” friends.
The Capitol
Something “new” for us was arriving in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill to our Airbnb. When we lived here we spent almost no time in the area East of the Capitol building. So I was excited to explore and enjoy this beautiful neighborhood of historic homes, parks and small shops. Over the next few days we walked and ran all over this area, visited the wonderful Eastern Market (a favorite local attraction for food, flowers, produce and meat), and admired the architecture. I highly recommend the Airbnb we stayed in. Check it out.
Day Two
We hit the ground running on day two. First, on this sunny and cool morning, we walked from our Airbnb to the White House, which took us about one hour. I am very lucky to say this was my seventh visit to the White House. When we lived here we went twice with out of town guests, twice to see the Christmas decorations and twice for the White House Easter Egg Roll. What is “new” however is how you visit. Back in the day you could arrive and wait in a long line and then walk through the White House with lots of other visitors. Today, things have changed. You can only visit the White House with a timed entry ticket that you obtain through your Congressional representative or Senator. Luckily we knew this in advance, and thanks to our Congressman we had a 9:30am tour. It was everything I remembered and more. Truly something everyone should try to do at least once in their lifetime at least once…if not seven times!
Green Room looked much the same
Several new portraits
Looking presidential
I love this room – The East Room
Next we headed to the National Gallery of Art. This falls into the “old” category as we had visited it many times but it remains a favorite. Did you know all the Smithsonian and Public Buildings in Washington DC are free? Well, when planning a visit to DC take that into account. Compared to what you pay to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the Natural History Museum in New York you will definitely save money visiting DC.
Da Vinci
Rodin
Next was something “new” – the National Museum of the American Indian. Opened in 2016, this beautiful building houses a wonderful collection of artifacts and tells the remarkable story of the American Indian. Chronological history of the treaties, slaughter and oppression of the Native Americans as well as wonderful handcraft, carvings, beadwork and much more. I highly recommend you visit this wonderful museum.
Artifacts in National Museum of American Indian
Artifact National Museum of the American Indian
Back up to Capitol Hill we headed to have a one-on-one with our Congressional representative Derek Kilmer. This was a “new” experience for us. Although we have known Representative Kilmer since before he was in office, it was a great privilege to visit with him in his office in the Longworth Building. We can’t thank him enough for taking the time to meet with us.
Visiting with our Congressman Derek Kilmer
Back to the Airbnb for a quick freshen up and then on to something else “new”. Nationals Park, opened in 2008, began a revitalization of the Navy Yard area. Formerly a working class and somewhat rough area, today the stadium and the Washington Nationals team (World Champions in 2019) have breathed new life into this part of the city. Restaurants, bars, shops, apartments, hotels and condominiums fill the neighborhood. We had a great time watching the Nationals play the Orioles.
Nationals Park
Washington Nationals
Day Three
We had a little more time in the morning so I enjoyed a run in Capitol Hill before walking back down into the heart of the city. We could not wait for this “new” adventure today, visiting the highly acclaimed Museum of African American History and Culture. Absolutely amazing. We spent about 2 hours and twenty minutes and we could easily have spent two more hours. It’s a vast look at the story of African Americans and it is not to be missed. We see a lot of museums in our travels…this was one of the best.
Museum of African American History and Culture
Museum of African American History and Culture
Important things to know; because of its popularity you will need a timed-entry ticket. Tickets are free and you can get them online. If I had planned better, we would have done two hours on the first day and come back and done two hours the next day. Get your tickets as far in advance as you can.
Museum of African American History and Culture
We spent most of our time in the “C” sections (starting on the bottom floor), which chronologically covers everything from the start of the slave trade to civil rights to the election of Barack Obama. The upper floors include wonderful sections on music, entertainment, sports, and other cultural subjects.
We tore ourselves away from this museum and headed back up the hill for our tour of the Capitol Building. Although we had toured the building thirty years ago, we really wanted to do it again. Once again our Congressman’s staff made sure we had an exceptional experience, giving us a personal tour. What a treat to not be in a group of thirty people, but instead have a personal guide. Our guide Hayden explained so many things to us about the history, art, architecture and events that have occurred in this building from when the British burned the Capitol in 1814 to the Insurrection on January 6th 2021. And through it all, the beautiful building stands, our democracy stands and we the people stand.
The former Senate Chambers
Looking up at the dome
By this time we were pretty tired, but the weather was incredible so we decided to do one more “new” thing at the end of this day. We took an Uber to The Wharf, another newly revitalized area on the Potomac River. I remember this area from thirty years ago. Kinda decrepit and somewhat unsafe. We came here to buy blue crabs from the fisherman on the pier. Well you would not even recognize it today. Another gathering place of restaurants and shops as well as The Anthem performing arts center. A boardwalk goes along the river, kids were playing in a water feature, people were kayaking…it was wonderful. We had oysters and seafood at Hank’s Oyster Bar. A perfect end to a great day.
Muscles at Hanks
The Wharf
Day Four
Something else “new” (like in many cities) is the ability to grab a bike (conventional or e-bike) or razr-style scooter all over DC. So on Day four that’s what we did. First we walked to the National Archives. We have been here before but we wanted to see it again. We made a brief visit because it was jam packed with school kids, but it’s always inspiring to gaze upon the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States.
The National Archives
On our bikes we set out to the far end of the mall to visit some old and some new. The Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool and the Vietnam Memorial are some of our favorites from the past and they never get old so we spent some time there saying hello once again.
The Vietnam Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial
“New” since we were here are the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial. We loved all of these. In honor of my dad we spent a lot of time at the Korean War Memorial looking for family names. We found one person with my birth name of Haydock and four with my married name of Lund.
MLK Memorial
WWII Memorial
We continued on the bikes along the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial and then out to East Potomac Park. We had never been out to this small island park before, where we took a break off the bikes and watched the planes come and go from Reagan International across the river, before riding the bikes all the back up Capitol Hill.
Jefferson Memorial
A quick shower and rest and then we headed to one of Capitol Hill’s thriving areas of restaurants, also “new” to us, to meet our “old” friend Mimi. I’ve stayed in touch with Mimi since we lived here and I always love catching up with her. We had a fantastic meal at a Belgian Restaurant called Belga Cafe and enjoyed every minute of it. Great food and conversation. What a great day.
With Mimi and Belgian Waffles
Belgian Stew
Day Five
Our last day in DC! It’s been fabulous! Although the weather changed and it was a bit stormy, I still squeezed in one last run, we went to the laundromat and worked on the laptop. We found a few minutes to walk to the Eastern Market, one of the coolest and “new” to us places on Capitol Hill for an outdoor farmers market. Also packed our bags, ready to take the train to New York the next day. But we had one last “new” thing to do.
Eastern Market
Eastern Market
For dinner on this night we met Arne’s second cousin and her husband for an amazing dinner. This was our first time meeting Hannah and Fatih and they took us to a remarkable Turkish Restaurant called the Ottoman Taverna. We loved meeting them and spending time together. It was a perfect ending to a perfect visit to our nations capital.
Meeting new family
Amazing Turkish Food
Washington DC – Old, New, Red, White & Blue
Whether you are American or not, this city has so much to offer…we hardly scratched the surface. So many other museums and sites. A variety theater and music. Vast outdoor activities. And endless options for great food. Come and see for yourself – Washington DC – Old, New, Red, White & Blue.
I’m a big fan of Alice Hoffman, one of my all time favorite books was The Dove Keepers a few years ago. And this novel for today’s review is an earlier work of Hoffman. I also really enjoyed it. Here is my book review The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.
Coney Island in the early 20th century was a place of freak shows and mystics. Coralie Sardie is the daughter of a sinister man who runs the Museum of Extraordinary Things. As Coralie grows and is becoming a woman, she is also becoming aware that things are not perhaps as they seem. She begins to suspect her father does not have her well-being in mind.
When Coralie turns 13, her father puts her in the freak show, as a mermaid. But one night while training in the frigid Hudson River Coralie stumbles upon a photographer bane Eddie Cohen and she falls in love. Eddie, who photographs the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire also becomes entangled in a mystery, and that mystery will bring him to Coralie’s door. And tragedy will nearly keep them apart.
Hoffman always leans towards the mystical and magical and she does so brilliantly in The Museum of Extraordinary Things. A time in New York’s history when things were changing, the characters in this novel share the struggles and triumphs of worker’s rights, women’s rights, disabled rights and much more.
*****Five stars for The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.
Thank you for reading my book review The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. We love it when you pin and share our book reviews. Thank you.
We’ve visited many of the lovely cities of the south over the years, from Charleston to New Orleans, Williamsburg to Memphis. But for some reason we have spent almost no time at all in the state of Georgia. So on our return to the USA this time, we decided to start in Georgia. I’m so glad we did. Five fabulous days in Atlanta and four fabulous days in Savannah. Both cities are full of amazing history, great food, friendly people, and lots to see and do. Georgia on My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More. Here are our recommendations.
Jasmine in Bloom all over! So Lovely.
Atlanta
One of the only major American cities we had never visited, we arrived wanting to see as much as possible in this historic place.
Centennial Park Atlanta
Martin Luther King and Civil Rights
MLK National Historic Park is Atlanta’s top tourist attraction and it’s free! We visited this moving and inspiring site on two different days. The first day we visited Ebenezer Church where King preached as did his father. We also visited the beautiful memorial area where both Martin and his wife Coretta’s tombs are.
Ebenezer Baptist Chuch
Tombs for Martin and Coretta
On the second day we walked back to the site along Auburn Street because we wanted to take in all the historic markers. The markers are really well done and informative as you walk through the formerly segregated neighborhood of Sweet Auburn.
The carriage MLK’s coffin was carried in
After the walk we visited the MLK museum which was so good, and actually made me cry. We walked by the home where he was born and lived until he was twelve. We did not tour the home, you need to reserve that in advance.
Bus Tour
There are many options for a bus tour, which for us was a good way to get a feel for the lay of the city on our first day. Our tour took us to the Ebenezer Church, through multiple interesting and beautiful neighborhoods, to Beltway Park and to the Ponce City Market. We had lunch at Ponce, which is a really cool food court and gathering place inside the former historic location of the Sears and Roebuck Company.
The Ponce Center, former Sears and Roebuck
Centennial Park
Very close to our hotel, The Hyatt Place, is Centennial Park. Centennial Park is home to the giant Ferris Wheel, The Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca Cola and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Centennial Park is also part of the Olympic Grounds from 1996 and the location where the bombing took place. We highly recommend the the National Center for Civil and Human Rights which takes the MLK story farther and covers civil and human rights around the world. Don’t miss it. On the other hand we felt the World of Coca Cola was not worth the $25 entrance fee. Parts of it were interesting, but, meh.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The World of Coca Cola
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Of course I loved this because as you know I love to visit botanical gardens around the world. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens are pretty compact, have a lot of natural areas as well as manicured gardens and include a children’s garden and a vegetable garden. Currently it is also home to a temporary exhibit of Thomas Dambo troll sculptures which we absolutely love his work.
Thomas Dambo at Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Atlanta Braves
We are on a quest to visit MLB Ballparks around the USA, so we made time to take in an Atlanta Braves game at the beautiful Truist Park. Truist Park is surrounded by The Battery, an area of restaurants, shops, bars and condos. We enjoyed dinner before the game.
Atlanta Braves
The Carter Center
Another quest in our USA travels is to visit as many Presidential Libraries as possible. The really amazing Carter Center, home to the Jimmy Carter Library, was our 8th Presidential Library. I learned a lot about the work the Carter Center does around the world as well as great history about our 39th President.
The Carter Center
The Carter Center
Famous Foods
Well, Atlanta is all about the Southern Comfort food – not always the healthiest, but definitely delicious. Our best meal was at Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen. You must eat here when in Atlanta. We had one fine dining meal at Lure, really delicious seafood and local southern service. On one of our long walk days we stopped in for Chicken and Waffles at the Atlanta Breakfast Club. We also enjoyed BBQ at Fox Brothers BBQ. Very greasy but an Atlanta institution (since 1928) is the Varsity Drive In…the largest drive-in in the world.
Clams at Lure
Chicken and Waffles at The Atlanta Breakfast Club
BBQ at Fox’s
The Varsity Drive In
Shrimp & Grits at Virgils
And Also Don’t Miss
We visited two amazing hotels that we learned about from our Bus Tour Guide; The Marriott Marquis has the most astonishing lobby…definitely worth stopping in to see. We also took the elevator to the 73rd floor observation deck of The Westin Peach Tree Plaza. What a view!
The view from the top of the Westin
lobby at the Marriott Marquis
Savannah
Not sure why we had never made it to Savannah before, but I knew it was a beautiful and very walkable city.
Savannah River Walk
Walking Tour
Our friends from Charleston drove over to spend a couple days with us in Savannah. We started our visit with a self guided walking tour. Using GPSmyCity we walked all over the beautiful historic area learning about historic sites, mansions, people and parks. Savannah is home to 22 parks or “squares”, as well as hundreds of monuments, statues and historic markers. The architecture of the city is wonderful and almost like walking through a movie set (which it has been many times, notably for Forrest Gump). I loved it.
So many parks and monuments
So many churches
Owens Thomas Mansion and Slave Quarters
Well worth seeing is the Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters. Built in 1819, the tours look at the life of the enslaved during this 1800’s. Their website says;
Our tours focus on the art, architecture, and history of the home through the lens of slavery. Visitors will experience an inclusive interpretation of not only the wealthy families that inhabited this home for a span of over 100 years, but of also the enslaved people who lived and labored here.
Owen Thomas House
Slave Quarters at Owen Thomas House
Telfair Museums
The Telfair Museums run the Owens Thomas House (above) and also run two other museums that we visited. The Telfair Academy houses houses nineteenth- and twentieth-century American and European art in an neoclassical historic home built in 1819.
Telfair Academy
The Jepson Center is a modern architectural building and home to a collection of modern art and changing exhibits.
“The stunning live oak lined avenue beckons visitors to Wormsloe State Historic Site, whose abundant cultural and natural resources have been, and continue to be, shaped by the influences of the many inhabitants of the Isle of Hope through the centuries including those of Native American, African, and European descent.“
Live Oak Entrance at Wormsloe
Wormsloe
We enjoyed several hours in this parking, hiking through the quiet forests, bird watching and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Savannah Riverboat Cruises
On our final day in Savannah we enjoyed a sunny tour aboard the Georgia Queen with Savannah Riverboat Cruises. Thankful for the perfect weather, we sat on the open air top level and enjoyed the narrated one and half hour tour along the Savannah River. I highly recommend this when in Savannah.
Georgia Queen Riverboat
Riverboat Tour
Where to Eat
I didn’t realize what a popular destination Savannah is, and so missed the opportunity to get reservations at some of the more well known restaurants. That said we had some outstanding meals (and one mediocre, at Common) during our visit. We enjoyed The Ordinary Pub, located “under” the city and popular for local southern specialties and pub fare. We had a fantastic meal at Fleeting, located in a newly developed river front location a short walk from the historic area. And our final meal was at The Pirates House, operating as an inn since 1753 and serving up low country fare and great service.
Fleeting
The Ordinary Pub
The Pirates House
Since I had to have some Pecan Pie before we left Savannah we also visited the Pie Society. Don’t miss it. Leopold’s Ice Cream is really popular…but I was unwilling to stand in an hour long line for ice cream…but it must be good because lots of people do every day.
Pie Society
Leopold’s line for ice cream
Georgia On My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More
We loved our time in this beautiful state and highly recommend a visit to Georgia. You will find friendly people, excellent food, astonishing history and gorgeous scenery, Georgia On My Mind – Southern Charm and So Much More.
I recently read Geraldine Brooks most current book Horse and enjoyed it. I decided to try her first novel Year of Wonders and I am so glad I did. I actually enjoyed it even more than Horse, and I’m not sure why it did not receive more praise. Here is my book review Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.
Loosely based on Eyram Derbyshire, a real village that had to quarantine itself during the black plague. Brooks creates a fictional village in 1666. When an infected bolt of fabric makes its way to the isolated village from London, the protagonist Anna’s life will change forever.
Brooks tells a beautiful but sad tale of loss, fear, love and superstition. Anna will find herself thrust into a caretaker and healer, while much of the village dies, mourns the dead, and reverts to long-held superstitions and witchcraft to try to ward off the plague.
As the year of quarantine wanes and death visits every door, Anna, the local priest and his wife, will work themselves nearly to death trying to care for both the physical and spiritual bodies of the village folk.
Brooks writes with a profound emotional voice, with great detail, sharing the journey of this period of history through the thoughtful heroine Anna will become. The ending was, for me, unexpected but fulfilling. I loved this character Anna, her strength and perspective on life. Thank you for reading my book review Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
*****Five stars for Year of Wonders
See last week’s book review Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
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At the end of this seven month travel itinerary, we found ourselves on board a cruise ship for the first time in five years. Over the past thirty years we have cruised about a dozen times. There are some really great things about cruising….and some not so great things. But overall our one week aboard Rhapsody of the Seas Southern Caribbean (Royal Caribbean) was a good experience, and a relaxing week after our whirlwind in Bolivia.
Rhapsody of the Seas
Let Me Be Honest
So I’m going to be brutally honest about the things I enjoy about cruising and the things I don’t. So if you are a big fan of cruising fair warning…you might get defensive. But this is my opinion and you can take or leave it, so here we go.
Rhapsody of the Seas
Not Like It Used to Be
Alas, cruising is just not like it used to be. Our very first cruise, in 1992, still to this day remains one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. The service was impeccable. The food was unforgettable. The ship, though small (we were on Norwegian Cruise Line) was spotless.
In port in Grenada
Today service and food both are not near up to the standards of that first cruise. Unfortunately I would say the food on this cruise on the Rhapsody of the Seas was the weakest I’ve had. And although our nightly wait staff ( Emily and Princess) were lovely…the dining room seemed understaffed and a bit harried. Our room steward on this cruise was Roxanne and she was great.
I loved our balcony
Today the cruise lines nickle and dime you for everything. Years ago a cappuccino was part of breakfast…not anymore. Pay extra. Years ago yoga or cycling class was free in the fitness center…not anymore. Pay extra. Years ago room service was included if you wanted it. Not anymore…pay extra (except for continental breakfast). Back in the day everyone dined in the dining room and a buffet was a special event…now its a cafeteria style all day long feast where people over indulge to excess. But at least you don’t pay extra.
We had a great room steward
Relax and Enjoy
Today we cruise from time to time (last one was pre-pandamit in 2018) and when we cruise we approach it with low expectations. We enjoy the pool and always get a room with a balcony if possible. We love sitting on our private balcony. We enjoy the dining room, but are not fans of the buffet. We enjoy the Broadway style shows, but aren’t big fans of comedians or magicians.
There were a couple of good shows on board
Itinerary
This seven day cruise on board Rhapsody of the Seas Southern Caribbean departed from Barbados where we had spent a relaxing week in an Airbnb. We docked in five island ports over the seven days; Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao and Trinidad & Tobago. Three of these were new to us, bringing our country total to 125.
Grenada
We chose to do only two excursions during the week. We did a bicycle tour in Bonaire, which was really beautiful but difficult due to the high winds. And we did a kayak bird watching tour in Trinidad & Tobago which we loved. On the kayaking tour we saw an astonishing array of birds and wildlife in Caroni Wildlife Sanctuary on the island of Trinidad. In the other ports of call we enjoyed just strolling around the colorful Caribbean ports.
Cycling on Bonaire
Kayaking in Caroni Wildlife Preserve
My favorite cruise itinerary was eight years ago when I took my mom on a cruise for her 75th birthday. My sister came too and we visited St Petersburg Russia, Copenhagen, Sweden, Estonia and Finland. It was great.
The longest cruise I’ve ever done was 28 days! This was when my husband and I used a cruise ship that was repositioning to get from Australia to Seattle. Even though it was LONG, it still was one of the funnest, most relaxing and most interesting cruises we have done. We made stops in Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Hawaii. I would consider a repositioning cruise again.
My Favorite Things on Rhapsody of the Seas
This ship is one of the smallest in the RCL line. For a short cruise like this one I like a smaller ship. I loved our dinner wait staff, but like I said before the food was unfortunately just mediocre.
Some pool time
Our room was very spacious and surprisingly had a lot of storage. I am always amazed how they squeeze storage into every nook and cranny in these rooms. We were very comfortable; thebed was great and the balcony was awesome. Our room steward was fantastic, and the room was very quiet.
We only went to a couple of the shows, but the ones we saw were just okay. I think the larger ships tend to have better entertainment. On our one day at sea the cruise staff had so many different things to do and that gave us lot of choices. I enjoyed the cake competition and the parade of flags the most.
Cake Competition
Over sixty countries represented in the crew Parade of Flags
Everyday we played trivia at least once, it’s one of our favorite things to do on board any cruise.
Trivia
I love formal night in the dining room, although most people don’t dress to the nines like back in the day. But since I don’t really have much of a reason to get dressed up very often, I like to have fun in a pretty dress. On this seven day cruise we actually had two formal nights on board Rhapsody of the Seas Southern Caribbean.
Formal Night
My Least Favorite Things
The buffet is annoying to me…people get so worked up over food. I only ever had the salad bar in the buffet during this cruise because fighting for food is not my idea of a good time. There was never a line for salad bar…hmmm. I must point out though, this buffet on this smaller ship was extremely small compared to some ships, so that played into my annoyance.
I’m not a big fan of dining with strangers, so we always try to get a table for two in the main dining room on our cruises.
Great sunsets
Anytime you throw a couple of thousand people together there are going to be people who are entitled. This is a big issue for me in any group situations…loud, pushy, or just plain rude. I do my best to take a deep breath and move along.
The ship seemed understaffed, particularly in the dining room during breakfast. One morning we waited 45 min for our food. Not acceptable.
On the final day disembarking was the most disorganized I have ever seen. What a cluster! No signage and no helpful personnel as we tried to find the right bus to the airport.
Royal Caribbean
I’ve cruised enough times on RCL to have Platinum status. It’s a low ranking frequent cruiser status that comes with a couple of minor perks. But the really big time cruisers are Diamonds and they get some awesome perks. Because cruising is not something I want to do very often, I have no plans to reach Diamond. But for those who do love cruising, all cruise lines have great loyalty programs including Royal Caribbean. I suspect we would choose Royal Caribbean again, although we usually choose based on itinerary not cruise line.
Platinum status perk
For the price, cruising is an economical way to explore multiple destinations and is particularly good for families, singles or the elderly. It has a lot of advantages, and despite some of the disadvantages you can’t beat the price per day for what you get. It’s also really nice to wake up in a new place each day without having to pack your bags. However, a short port of call will never give you the opportunity to really get to know a country deeply – which is something we value highly. So we will only cruise occasionally.
Caribbean sunsets
Thanks for reading my post Rhapsody of the Sea Southern Caribbean. However you like to travel, it’s time to get back out there people…start making some travel memories today.
Our next stop is the USA. We begin with a three week tour from Atlanta to Boston before returning to our home state of Washington for the entire summer. Looking forward to being home in the USA for four and half months before heading international again mid September. Blog posts coming about our Eastern USA stops.
This book was a national best seller before it even was available. So I was excited to read it. But I came away underwhelmed. I still recommend it, it was very good. But it wasn’t the spectacular read I was expecting from all the hype. Napolitano is the author of the highly acclaimed Dear Edward. This is her next novel. Despite some misgivings I enjoyed it nonetheless. Here is my book review Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.
Fissures in the Family
Sisters. Sisters who are so closely bound together nothing could possible tear them apart…and yet…
William – a lonely childhood ignored by his parents, basketball is the one thing that kept William sane…an yet
When the eldest sister Julia meets William in college, she sets her sights on a future with him…manipulating him to be what she wants him to be. Meanwhile Julia’s three sisters are forging ahead with their own lives, finding out who they are individually without being under the constant watch and demands of eldest Julia.
But when Charlie, the sisters father dies unexpectedly, the family ties begin to unravel even as Julia continues to try to control all aspects of her life, William’s life and the lives of her sisters. When mother Rose sells the family home and moves to Florida leaving the sister behind Julia continues to believe she can hold the shattered family together.
But William is reaching his breaking point…after decades of neglect from his own parents, a hidden tragedy never spoke of and a career ending knee injury. William will walk away from the only family he has ever know.
Regret
This family is fractured…broken…and Julia will make a selfish and unexpected decision.
Napolitano explores the issues of mental illness, gender identity, unmarried mothers and more than anything family ties in Hello Beautiful. The story is a long saga of selfish choices, and a sad narrative on pressure to be someone we can not be. How will love and loss reunite this broken world? Who will regret all they have done and everyone they have hurt? Find out in Hello Beautiful.
Thank you for reading my book review Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.
I’m breaking my normal rule for this island…if you only go to the beach I think it’s okay. Because the beaches here are world-class. Turquoise blue and so ridiculously warm. There are some other things to do on this island, but the beaches are the big draw and it’s no surprise. But if you do drag yourself away, here are a handful of suggestions for Barbados Beaches and Beyond.
Worthing Beach
Barbados
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720, Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president. Source CIA.gov
Chamberlain Bridge
Beaches
The best beaches are on the West facing side of the island. From the ritzy Sandy Lane in the northwest to Miami in the SW, the white sand and crystal blue water is amazing. The east side of the island you will find a very different kind of beach, with big waves and fast current. Surfers like it at Bathsheba, but only experts should hit the surf here. We enjoyed Carlisle Beach, Rockley Beach and Worthing Beach.
Worthing Beach
Bathsheba Beach
Rockley Beach Boardwalk
Bridgetown
The capital and largest city on the island, Bridgetown was founded in 1628 by the British. The historic core and garrison are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The once glorious colonial charm is faded and crumbling, but the town is worth a walk-about. Guided tours are available, but we used GPS My City and did a self-guided walk, hitting the highlights of the former colonial town. Don’t miss Savannah Race Track with horseracing on Saturday. Chamberlain Bridge is a perfect photo spot. We found the Screw Dock interesting and the Saint Michael’s Cathedral beautiful. The Parliament Buildings are also well preserved. We walked Swan Street to see the local people going about their daily business of shopping and marketing.
St. Michael’s Cathedral
Screw Dock – how they used to lift the ships out for repair
Island Tour
It’s actually hard to rent a car for only one day, but we managed to find a place and spent one entire day touring the island. Our favorite things on this tour day were Hunte’s Garden and Saint Nicholas Abbey Plantation and Distillery. Hunte’s Garden is a beautiful compact botanical garden built in and around an ancient collapsed cave. Years of work has created a fabulous garden paradise. Saint Nicholas Abbey is a 350 year old plantation which is still a private home and operating rum distillery. It was beautiful and interesting. Both I recommend highly. We also enjoyed the views from above the Flower Animal Cave and the upscale neighborhoods in the Saint Charles and Sandy Lane stretch of coast.
Hunte’s Garden
Saint Nicholas Abbey
Sandy Lane
Food and Drink
Our week went by quickly and we only ate out a couple of times. We did find two really good restaurants in the Rockley Beach area as well as a Microbrewery near the town of Oistins. If you spend time on the south west coast be sure to check out;
Tapas – We enjoyed a late afternoon lunch here with a beautiful view and delicious food with a Mediterranean twist.
Tapas in Rockley
Naru – Our final night we splurged on a really nice dinner here again with a beautiful view, great service and an Asian twist.
Naru in Rockley
Dreadhop Brewery – just outside of Oistins this very American microbrewery had great beer and great prices.
Dreadhop in Oistins
Worthing Square Gardens is a food truck garden, very popular and inexpensive options.
Oistins Bay Garden is a very popular place to eat, where you can walk around and choose from dozens of outdoor fish fry eateries. We did not eat here but it was busy and looked like fun.
Oistins Bay Garden
Barbados Beaches and Beyond
But if you only want to go to the beach…well, I think that’s okay too. It’s a small island, just sit back, relax and enjoy Barbados Beaches and Beyond. Learn more about this shining island at Visit Barbados.
I was a tiny bit hesitant to read this book. Because I LOVED Reid’s book Daisy Jones and the Six but wasn’t so impressed with her last book Malibu Rising. But so many people were loving on her new book so I decided to tackle it. And I am really glad I did. Here is my book review The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Evelyn Hugo, former Hollywood starlet turned recluse, has agreed to an interview. Vivant Magazine is the lucky publlication that will feature the first interview Hugo has done in years. But Evelyn Hugo, as always, has strings attached. She will only be interviewed by an unknown writer named Monique Grant. It’s Monique or nobody. But why?
Monique spends weeks with Evelyn in Evelyn’s swanky apartment hearing Evelyn’s truth about her relentless pursuit of stardom, her loves and losses, scandals and triumphs. But as the long interview begins to wind down, Monique realizes that her own sorrowful past is connected to Evelyn in a way she could never have imagined. Will the truth set them both free? Evelyn from her burdens and Monique from her sorrow?
Reid pulls this story together in a tidy package and I enjoyed this read way more than I thought I would. Daisy Jones is still my fav, but Evelyn Hugo gives her a run for her money. Of course she does…that is just the kind of women she is. Thank you for reading my book review The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
*****Five stars for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
When I was in grade school, one of my favorite subjects was Social Studies. I loved learning about cultures from faraway lands, the history, costumes, traditions, and way of life. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this interest at a young impressionable age would become a lifelong obsession – to learn and understand the meaning of life for peoples of the world. And this is how it came about for A Very Big Bolivian Adventure.
Llama – for wool, for food, for transport
In fifth grade, one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Guerske, introduced our class to a Social Studies unit on Bolivia. I was beyond fascinated as I spent hours reading and looking at the photos of the hard-scrabble life of the Andean people. For decades after, Bolivia was filed away in my mind as a destination I needed to see.
Bollivian woman with baby llama
A Very Big Bolivian Adventure
And so it was in year seven of The Grand Adventure we made our way to Bolivia and A Very Big Bolivian Adventure. You might be surprised to learn that Bolivia is one of the world’s fastest emerging tourism destinations. However, the Covid period took a toll on tourism in the fragile country. As tourism rebuilds, Bolivia is currently experiencing serious economic problems and political unrest due to low pay and political dissension. During our visit we witnessed countless protests and strikes and a lack of access to US dollars available in the banks. For the most part these things did not affect our visit, except in one serious case which I will elaborate on below.
Vicuna are like llama and alpaca, but are the only ones of the three that have not been domesticated, making their wool very valuable.
Intrepid Travel
We wanted to cover a lot of territory in Bolivia, and didn’t feel confident to handle those logistics as independent travelers in this country. So we took a recommendation from a fellow full-time traveler and booked our tour with the highly regarded Intrepid Travel. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Intrepid, and particularly our guide Wendy, who made this tour the once in a life time experience it was. She is amazing.
With Wonder Woman Wendy from Intrepid Travel
The Group Day One
Our ten day tour began in La Paz (see our post Living in the Sky – La Paz Bolivia), where we met the 10 other guests who would be traveling with us. The weirdest coincidence though, eight of the twelve guests are from the greater Seattle area. What are the chances?
Perfect Travel Companions
It’s rare we travel in a group, or even with a guide, but as I said before, this country warrants it. In the past we have had some group tours where there is always that one difficult person…the complainer or the whiner. Not this group. These people were outstanding, adventurous, educated, fun and well-traveled. I now consider each and every one a friend.
Variety is one of the main attractions for visitors to Bolivia
Highlighting the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
We covered 1800 km (1100 miles) during our ten day tour. It was a lot of driving. And we saw some incredible things. I can’t possibly talk about it all, so I am choosing to give you the highlights – the good, the bad and the ugly. So here we go;
Day Two La Paz to Uyuni
We took a private and comfortable bus for what should have been an eight hour drive to Uyuni. Our guide Wendy had told us there was a possible teacher strike that may block the road, but we were proceeding anyway. After a pleasant and uneventful six and a half hours we came to a roadblock. Not teachers however. It was a protest regarding the lithium miners demands for more of the profit from lithium extraction in the salt flats. Learn more about it here.
While we waited at the road block, we saw how quinoa is grown. I was fascinated by this. Quinoa is an important crop for Bolivia.
The road block was actually two – one where we came to a stop and another 20 mile ahead. There was no getting through. We waited for two hours and when it became clear the protestors had no intention of opening the road, Wonder Woman Wendy went to work. She contacted the 4-wheel drive operators in Uyuni on the other side of the two road blocks. Using their vehicles they came to us off-road through the desert. It took them two and half hours to reach us. When they were close we unloaded our bags from the bus, walked solemnly and quietly through the strikers per instructions from Wendy. There was some concern they might harass us but they did not.
Once we got through the strikers, suddenly the 4-wheel drive vehicles appeared, the drivers threw our bags on top, we jumped in and were off, no headlights into the bush. It was another two hours through the desert to reach Uyuni. I was never so grateful to see a bed. Wendy ordered pizza for everyone but it was midnight and I was beat. No pizza for me.
I snapped a quick photo as we crossed the strikers after dark
A side note – this road block continued through the next day. Anyone traveling on their own or in the larger regular express busses that make their way between La Paz and Uyuni had to sit there for two days.
Day Three Happy to be Here
As a result of most people still being stuck on the road, on this day we saw few tourists. Today was the Bolivian Salt Flat day, the raisin de ‘etra of our tour. And after last night, we were looking forward to some fun.
This day was warmer than I expected, in fact hot, so all of our cold weather clothes we have been hauling around the world just for this experience went back into the suitcase.
Gorgeous.
The massive Bolivian Salt Flats are the largest salt flats in the world. I had to keep reminding myself it was not snow. Everything about it confuses your brain. It’s bright and white and stretches as far as you can see. Google says ;
Salt for as far as the eye can see; this pedestal is made of salt blocks
Salar de Uyuni, amid the Andes in southwest Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt flat. It’s the legacy of a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind a desert like, nearly 11,000-sq.-km. landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands. Its otherworldly expanse can be observed from central Incahuasi Island. Though wildlife is rare in this unique ecosystem, it harbors many pink flamingos. ― Google
And some fun….
All the local guides have learned to have fun with the photo opportunities the flat and endless salt plain provides and we had a fascinating day.
Incahuasi Island
Despite how incredible the endless salt flats were, the unexpected outcrop known as Incahuasi Island was beyond anything I could have imagined. Absolutely stunning to find this cactus-covered rock protruding from the miles and miles of white.
Incahuasi Island
Incahuasi Island
Salt Hotel
We ended this remarkable day at one of several salt hotels. These structures are made from salt blocks cut from the flats. People have been known to lick the walls just to be sure…I declined but it was a fascinating and also very rustic place to sleep for one night.
Salt Hotel
Day Four Pretty in Pink
We traveled away from the salt flats and into the Altiplano and enjoyed views of volcanoes in every direction we looked. The road was long as we rose higher and higher but we stopped often for photos and potty breaks. But the most scenic part of this day were several stops we made to see the flamingoes. Bolivia is home to several kinds of flamingoes who do not migrate but live permanently in this region feasting on the red-hued algae abundant in the volcanic lakes. Who doesn’t love seeing a pink flamingo in the wild?
Pink Algae and Pink Flamingoes
Pretty in Pink
As we finished this day we reached our highest altitude for the trip, and also the highest altitude I have ever been at on earth… 16,100 feet above sea level. And we felt it with every step we took.
Our accommodations on this night were rustic dorm style but the view from the dining area was other-worldly.
That view. Wow.
Day Five – The Ugly
Was it something I ate or the altitude? I doubt I will ever know. But the ugly reared its head in the middle of the night and I was very sick; diarrhea, bloating, chills, headache and unable to breath. Unfortunately this was a ten-hour-drive day in the 4×4. My car mates and my husband and of course Wonder Woman Wendy did everything possible to see to my comfort as I slept and moaned through the day. Arne did manage to take a few photos of some of this day’s scenery. I was so relieved to arrive back to our hotel in Uyuni. Please note – Wendy was monitoring my oxegen level and if necesary, would have evacuated me if I was in danger.
Grand Canyon of the Altiplano
Day Six – Potosi
We took a bus to Potosi, a silver mining town in the hills of Bolivia. Although I still felt sick I was at least upright. I attempted to go on the silver mine tour with group but bailed at the last minute and went back to the hotel. The next day however I did enjoy the really well done National Mint, a museum of mining and silver known as the Casa Nacional de Moneda.
The National Mint Museum
The National Mint Museum
Day Seven to Nine – Sucre
Another bus; this day to Sucre. Both Sucre and La Paz are considered capitals of Bolivia, it’s a strange system. Wikipedia says;
“La Paz was established as the seat of government for the legislative and executive branches, while Sucre retained the seat of the judicial branch of the Bolivian government. To this day, Sucre remains the only official capital of Bolivia, but La Paz is considered by many as the de facto capital.“
Hiking
Sucre is a more modern, colonial city compared to La Paz. It is flatter and very beautiful. We enjoyed a fantastic hike outside the city on a portion of the Inca Trail. I was so glad I was up to doing that, even though I still wasn’t 100% myself. One of my favorite things we did.
Our group on the Inca Trail
Inca Trail and great views
Wonderful day
Mercado
Sucre has a large and colorful mercado which we toured and learned from Wendy a lot about the products of Bolivia and the way of life for the people of the mercado.
Such colorful fruit
Bread and other carbs is a big part of the diet
History
The Textile Museum Museo de Arte Indigena, was a fascinating story of the indigenous textiles of Bolivia. I am always interested in textiles and I am so glad we took time to do that on our own. I also was able to purchase a small and beautiful item made by a local women to take home as a souvenir.
The little beauty I bought
Local women creating another masterpiece
We visited the dinosaur footprint park, Parque Cretacico, which was honestly far more interesting than I expected. A cement manufacturing company scouring the mountain for raw material stumbled upon the dinosaur footprints estimated to be 68 million years old. This is the largest collection of dinosaur footprints in South America with over 5000 prints of at least ten different species. The tectonic uplift of the former lake bed creates this strange and eerie phenomenon, so it appears as if the dinosaurs walked up the side of the mountain like a gecko might today. The limestone face of the wall secures the footprints for eternity. Fascinating.
Walking where dinosaurs once roamed
On our final night in Sucre – our Very Big Bolivian Adventure was coming to an end. We celebrated together as one of our group was leaving in the morning, while the rest of us boarded a flight in the morning back to La Paz.
The best travel partners…and Wonder Woman too
Farewell
Over the ten days we have grown close with our new friends as we all endured the joys and hardships of a ten-day overland tour of Bolivia. Back in La Paz we said our farewells, enjoyed one final dinner together, and thanked our amazing guide Wendy for her incredible guidance during A Very Big Bolivian Adventure. Then it was time to reorganize our bags once again for our next destination.
Volcanoes everywhere
Bolivia is truly a remarkable, beautiful and culturally rich place, despite some issues it is dealing with. I want the best for the wonderful people we met, and all those we didn’t. I hope for better relations between the USA and Bolivia, and I hope more visitors will come to experience the color, culture and geology of this extraordinary country.
I wish I could tell Mrs. Guerske how I have fulfilled this lifelong dream. Viva Bollivia! Gracias.
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