Retired Nomads - Part 2 : Reliving Past Travels 1987

Since travels are on hold due to the Global Pandemic, I decided to go back and relive our earlier trips. Plus, Greg is painting the dining area and to stay out of the way, I haven’t started my next jigsaw puzzle which I sprawl out on most of the table.

The first thing I noticed was how few and how bad the photos were of our early vacation days. In those days most of the photos were taken with a disposable camera and later regular cameras with film. So, they had to be developed and when we moved to Panama, I scanned them all to jpegs and created albums online. Since we both were working, we didn’t “travel”, but went on vacation to unwind. The Caribbean ports are perfect for that. To date we have been on 45 cruises & various land travels.

My first segment will start with some hiking, camping and road trips as well as early cruises. Our very first cruise was in 1990 from Arizona. It was on Norwegian Skyward out of San Juan. In those days it was a premium cruise line. As cruising grew, lines found their niches for all types of cruisers.

So, here’s 1987 – 2003 with a few photos from each port/place.

Enjoy seeing us when we were younger with weight that went up and down, different hairstyles and clothing styles. We all could use a good laugh these days……

White Tank Mountains Arizona 1987 - stop laughing....I know you are....

Hawley Lake, AZ 1988 - we snow camped on accident

Camping with a bunch of Simulation Engineers (McDonald Douglas) and we joked they would probably build us a simulated fire. There was quite a debate on the best method to use. LOL

after we took down the tent

San Diego 1988

La Brea Tar Pits 1988

Hot Air balloon ride for his birthday 1988

I was part of the chase crew for friends that owned Skyclimber for about 5 years

Sierra Anchez, AZ 1988 - we hiked and camped there often

Sierra Anchez, AZ 1988

Sunrise, AZ 1988-1989

Snowbird, Solitude & Alta Utah 1989 - 1990 - yes, that's me under all those clothes

Purgatory, Colorado February 1990

Durango, Colorado 1990

Telluride, Colorado March 1990

Norwegian Skyward 1990

Aruba - Elephant Rock at Casibari Gardens

Aruba - Casibari rock formation

Aruba - Mt. Hooiberg

Hooiberg & Divi Divi tree - postcard

Willemstad, Curacao

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Pussers Pub & Store Tortola, British Virgin Islands our driver had a drink at the bar while we shopped and had lunch

Taos, New Mexico 1991 - when I worked for America West Airlines we did a few "non-rev" trips

Carlsbad Caverns 1991

one of the non-rev trips was to San Francisco with Dad - Alcatraz 1991

why am I always in jail?

on the Golden Gate Bridge

Another non-rev trip was to DC Greg & I took Dad

Barbara Bush at the White House

Dad & I

White House

Before we moved to Florida we checked out the Silicon Valley area:

Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California 1991

1991

17 Mile Drive Monterey to Carmel - 1991

Before moving to Florida we got married in Las Vegas at Candlelight Wedding Chapel November 21, 1991. We had a small ceremony & then had a reception a couple of weeks later with more friends & family in Mesa, AZ

picking out the bouquet

Greg's brother David, their mom Betty, my Dad Don & my son Scott

Riverwalk Apartments - temporary in Orlando while we looked for a house 1992

Cypress Gardens Florida 1992 during their annual Spring Festival

First house in Oviedo, FL - 1992

weekend cruise on Premier Majestic (now defunct) 1992

Newlyweds party

we snorkeled with dolphins - Abaco Islands

Green Turtle Cay Plymouth is the capital - Abaco Islands

Great Guano Cay (private island)

Snorkeling Nassau - Greg letting me know of the Barracuda behind me

Lake Tahoe Feb 1993

Royal Caribbean Nordic Empress - 1993

Queen's Staircase - Nassau Bahamas

Nassau Bahamas

Coco Cay - private island

visiting Dad in Iowa at Arnold's Park

Dad in front of his store

1993 training after buying a "The Maids" franchise - Omaha, Nebraska

1994 fishing on the Double Eagle II near Tampa

another fishing trip from the east coast of Florida 1994

Cypress Gardens during their annual Mum Festival 1994

Bok Tower 1994

bass fishing 1994

bass fishing 1995

Greg's mom Bass fishing 1995

Lake Tahoe 1995

Lake Tahoe 1995 - our last ski trip - Greg blew out his knee and as we were sitting on a ski lift in a white out, we looked at each other and said we could be on a cruise. After our first cruise we knew we were hooked.

Norwegian Leeward - 1996

Atlantis Resort

Paradise Island - private island

snorkeling Paradise Island

Celebrity Century - Ocho Rios - 1997

Dunn's River Falls - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Stingray City, Grand Cayman

Chankanaab National Park - Cozumel, Mexico

nurse shark snorkeling Key West

snorkeling Key West

Celebrity Galaxy 1998

Antigua - it rained all day so our beach day was scrapped

Barbados

Barbados Harrison's Cave

Martinique

Martinique - we were drenched from the rain

walking around Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

SNUBA - St. John, USVI

We were supposed to go to St. Lucia, but we didn't get to dock for some reason.

We owned the franchise for about 7 years. I ran it and Greg worked at Lockheed Martin and came in and finished up the books every Friday night. Started with 1 car and eventually had 5 cars with 5 teams of 4, Sales person and Supervisor & trainer of the maids.

Janet on the left became a good friend and supervisor and Cindy on the right lead maid

we outgrew our first office

having fun at Halloween - I'm 4th from the left in back

at our second office

Sovereign of the Seas 2001

Atlantis Hotel from ship - 2001

formal night 2001

Celebrity Summit 2001 - 2 day cruise to nowhere after 9/11 everything was free for travel agents. Greg had to work so I went by myself with other independent cruise agents.

Celebrity Zenith - 2001

Costa Maya, Mexico 2001

Greg on top of Mayan Ruin - Costa Maya 2001

Chankanaab National Park Cozumel, Mexico 2001

Chankanaab Nat Park - Cozumel, Mexico 2001

snorkeling Chankanaab National Park Cozumel, Mexico 2001

cabin steward turn down for our anniversary - 2001

Grand Cayman 2001

We went to a ship's commissioning the SS Preble 2002 in Boston (for Greg's work) We met Walter Cronkite

The Constitution sailing in to sit nose to nose with the Preble for the ceremony

spent some time in Salem

back in Boston

in 2003 we went to another ship's commissioning near Daytona

USS Mason

Golden Princess 2003

St Thomas Underwater scooters 2003

St Thomas Underwater scooters 2003 (BOB)

St Thomas 2003 - after the BOB snorkel crew photo op

St. Martin 2003

St Thomas 2003 - view from Paradise Point

St Thomas 2003 - gondolas to Paradise Point

Princess Cay - Private Island 2003

Carlos' N Charlies Cozumel 2003

Carlos' N Charlies after snorkeling

Patty, Verni, Eric, Sally, Annette, Greg, Sheryl - 2003 Reunion cruise the year we all turned 50 (the girls from high school) on Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas