Back from Vacation...bummer

Well, we're back from our Bahamas Cruise. Boy did it get cold in Nebraska while we were gone. What did you do? We left you here with temps in the mid 70's, and when we got back it was in the 30's! That was a shock to the system after a week in the Bahamas with highs in the mid 80's and lows in the lower 70's. Next time we leave town, we expect you Nebraskans to hold the temps a little more steady. Got it?

Our trip was great. We left on Sunday to fly into Miami. We stayed overnight there and boarded our ship the next day. R was thrilled to be on a really really really big boat. She thought that having the pool and the massaging pools (i.e. hot tubs) was really neat. Our first stop was Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. The port is really industrial, but a quick cab ride with a fare of @ $30 for the 5 of us took us to a nicer resort area. There we spent half the day on the beach and the other half shopping in the local straw market. SJ had quite the time and left the market with quite a few of her "Straw" finds. Daddy and O'W took R for a stroll and let her get a braid in her hair. She was quite amused by her braid for the rest of the trip. She liked making the beads swing around when she'd move her head. We stopped at Xanadu beach for a photo by the sign for me. (It's all about me you know...and Xanadu was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I liked to dress up and dance around the living room to the music...hey, I was a kid. Cut me a little slack.) The beach we played at was Lucayan beach near a couple of the larger resort hotels. It was a very nice beach. White sand, blue water, sun shine...you know, the perfect photo beach. (see photo-it's that simple)

Our next day was in Nassau where we had a city tour that took us around the city with a great tour guide that gave us a good history lesson on the Bahamas and Nassau. We toured a couple of the old British forts that were built there to protect the island. Also had a stop off at the Pirate's Museum. It was a little corny, but informative about the history of the Bahamas and the Pirates that frequented the islands. They had a few artifacts in the final room, but it was more of a gimmicky kind of museum than a "real" museum. But it was still fun. Of course they make you exit through the gift shop, so we HAD to buy a few trinkets there to commemorate our experience.

Our final day was spent at The Great Stirrup Cay. Let me tell you, they don't call it "Great" for nothing. It's the day that we most look forward to. Pretty much all you do there is get off the boat and pull up a beach chair and sit. Enjoy the view, enjoy the sun, enjoy the water and well....enjoy! We rented a floaty tube to float on (imagine that) for the day for $25. It was vacationing at it's best. There is great snorkeling around the rocks at the Cay. NCL owns this island, so anything you rent or buy as far as equipment or drinks are charged to your room. Food is all included and is available most of the day. They do allow locals from neighboring islands to boat in and set up a small straw market that sell t-shirts, jewelry and other islandy things. But mostly they leave you alone if you aren't wanting to purchase anything. They don't spend the day prowling the beach asking you every 5 minutes if you want your hair braided or if you'd like to buy a necklace. (you get a lot of this on the public beaches at the stops and from vendors near the port in other places.)

So, would I do it again. OH YEAH! Just get me to Miami, and I'm off to sail away! I love cruising! J didn't get seasick this time. R had a blast, and for the most part (aside from the lack of a normal sleep schedule) was very well behaved. We learned a little more about vacationing with a little one, and will do a couple of things differently next time, but all in all it was a terrific experience for all of us.

I'm really glad that SJ & O'W were able to go with us. It was nice having adult time with them for dinner in the evenings, and I think R really liked riding around on O'W's shoulders. Thanks O'W for that BTW.

Until next time...take care!