Cabo San Lucas, September 2012

Time for some sun and fun.....

We had a timeshare week we needed to use before  the end of the year, so thought we would

go somewhere HOT....well, not really Gary's idea but what could he say when I planned

it as a surprise for our birthdays and anniversary.  Yes, it was hot and humid plus we had

a tropical storm the day after we got there.  

The condo was right on the beach with several swimming pool bars and eateries.  Gary is waiting for breakfast and that was the beach bar area before the storm.  

This was the place to be during the day.....it didn't hurt to have Happy Hour

every afternoon.  Gary wasn't always in the pool....he did have to take an his

afternoon nap and did some reading in the air conditioned room. 

Our view from the top of the condo.

Yes, he did buy a t-shirt.  It was a lesson in saying NO most of the time.

The first day we took advantage of the nice beach and some refreshments to stay cool.

This is the same area after the storm...no more bar hut or lounges.  They worked on this area for the 

rest of the week rebuilding and cleaning up the mess.  We never did get to go to the beach Mexican Fiesta that week.  Oh well, we found a lot of good restaurants and the weather cleared up.

Lunch by the pool....nachos, beer and sangrias.

We got hooked at the airport, and signed up to hear a timeshare pitch our first day (something we said we would NEVER EVER do again)

We did see another lovely resort but after two hours,

we said NO.  However, we did get our freebies which included the Caborey dinner cruise on

the above boat.  Good food, drinks, and entertainment cruising the bay for 3 hours. In addition, we received the glass bottom boat tour to the Arch and $100 dinner voucher.....so I guess it was worth 

our time.  

We told them we were celebrating our anniversary, so this was our dessert.

Pelican Rock

Lover's Beach (on bay side).....on the other side is Divorce Beach (Pacific side and very rough)

A nice ending to our trip....didn't feel like walking back to condo, so we hopped on this bicycle taxi.

Enjoyed a nice ride through town....our driver never stopped pedaling! 

May 25, 2012

  San Antonio, Texas

It's time to do a little catching up on our blog.  We have had a busy May and June.  Our granddaughter graduated from the Air Force on May 24, 2012 so we went to San Antonio, Texas for five days.  It was a long 8 weeks and she survived!  So proud of her....Justin, her husband, dad Jeff, brother Zack, Kristi and Jerry, in laws and us, grandma and grandpa all attended the graduation.  We spent 5 days eating, relaxing and just visiting with one another.  It was a nice break for Markay, but now is finishing the last four weeks of Tech School in Virginia.

Proud dad and graduate!

Upon our return from Texas, our friends Hansjorg and Silke from Germany came for a visit.  Actually they came to get married in Maui.  They arrived May 17th and spent the weekend with us.  We got together with our mutual friends, Dana and Cathie for dinner and then Hansjorg and Silke went on a two week road trip to the Southwest. Dana and Cathie caught up with them after their first week on the road and continued to travel together. That was while we were in Texas.  After they saw Bryce Canyon, Zion and other National Parks, they made a stop over in Las Vegas on the way home. If you want to know about their trip go to:    http://www.gassawaysadventures.blogspot.com 

With just enough time in between trips to do some laundry and repack, the four of us left for Maui.

Dana displaying the American Flag and German Flag...hence Hansjorg's salute!

Hansjorg and Dana enjoying happy hour.

                                                     

A quick trip to La Jolla to show Hansjorg and Silke the Children's Pool......the seal lions! Of course, Hansjorg took the opportunity to get his feet wet. Actually, after a warning from Gary NOT to go in the water, we took him to Cardiff for a swim in some cleaner water.

There he goes again...in the water.

        Maui.....Kahana Beach

Now we are off to Maui.....first time for Hansjorg and Silke.  This trip was inspired last year when Gary and I were in Germany.  We had shared with Hansjorg and Silke how nice it would be to get married in Maui especially since they had been together for over 8 years.  Our son Jeff was married there last year and had a great time.  What turned out to be a little teasing and prompting to Hansjorg, he did finally pop the question and agreed a Maui Wedding would be wonderful.  Silke accepted and plans were made.

First things first....had to get the license.

A few Mai Tai's makes it all better.

The ceremony on the beach.

I did it!

It was picture perfect!

After the wedding ceremony, we went out to breakfast at the Wailea Golf Resort followed up with an evening at the Old Lahaina Luau.

The rest of our Maui trip included a day to Haleakala, and long winding road to Hana (which we never did get to the end) and a visit to Iao Valley.  We had many great Mai Tai's and meals watching the beautiful sunsets in Maui.  We did take an exciting parasail ride outside of the Lahaina harbor.  It was so peaceful and beautiful to be up in the air.

Our last day was the only day we planned to do nothing.....a little snorkeling at Kapalua Bay and relaxation.  Our last night's dinner was a Kimo's in Lahaina.  We would really recommend people to go there. Great food, drinks and atmosphere.

Having a good time at Kimo's.

Got our Hilo Hattie necklaces on!

On the way to the airport, met up with the Maui police.
Time to exchange some police patches.

How about a ride...that's Hansjorg inside.

Additional pictures:

Un-Belize-Able

BELIZE

Our Belize trip this year is in a new spot for us. We are traveling with our friends,

Dana and Cathie. Dana did the research for the trip and our final destination will be

Placentia.

Sixteen miles of natural sandy beach, a virgin mangrove-fringed lagoon, a wonderland of coral-studded cayes, nearby jungle rivers and pristine rainforest Garifuna, Creole and Mayan cultures and ancient Mayan ruins make Placencia the ideal location for vacationers.

We arrived in Belize City late afternoon. We stayed in this Bed and Breakfast for one

night before the 4 hour drive to Placentia, our final destination.

Breakfast on the patio at the B and B.

A nice drive on the Hummingbird Highway with a few stops

along the way, we arrived at the Maine Stay in Seine Bight.

This is our home for the next week. Placencia is located on

a peninsula...the bay on one side and the Caribbean on the other.

Just chillin'

Cathie catching some Belizean sun on our private beach....watch out...

the sun is very intense.

Standing on our deck.....getting all the ins and outs.

We had two cabanas connected by the deck....one had the kitchen

and the other had the laundry room. Quite nice for two couples.

FOOD, FOOD AND MORE

One of the favorite restaurants in Placencia.

Many good meals out.....one of our first meals in Belize City where

Dana got to experience first hand the hot hot habanero sauce....

rather by accident. He was sweatin' be the end of the meal.

The local fruit and vegetable truck.

We had the traditional Belizean stew chicken, beans, and rice

at a roadside stand. Ohhhh, Cathie was having pizza!

Another fine meal out in Placencia.

I think this was Gary and Dana's favorite breakfast meal.... a stuffed fry jack.

SNORKEL TIME

Our snorkeling trip to Laughing Bird Caye. A small beautiful

island where rangers actually stay for two weeks and then go home for a week.

We snorkeled all around the island, had a Belizean BBQ lunch, and then relaxed

on the beach.

Prince was our captain and guide in the waters. We saw some

amazing fish, lobsters and barracudas.

Here's Cathie's lobster dinner!

Dana, our wagon master, making sure we are where we are suppose to be!

Doesn't get much better than this!

Some chips and salsa after the snorkel dive.

Yeah, Dana, that's where we were.

A great day of snorkeling.....Laughing Bird Caye

in the background.

Time for Gary's nap......

Walking the "street".....a little shopping.

CAVE TUBING

We're ready for a cave tubing adventure. It was a little bit of a hike to get to the cave,

walking through a jungle, with our guide explaining the different types of

plants...saw a huge termite nest in a tree and of course, some biting bugs.

Into the cave we go.....

THE VILLAGE

In the village just outside of Placencia, you see many colorful houses.

A very wealthy area........

to a very poor areas....less developed. As we drove to and from town,

many of the locals were just hanging outside on the streets,

sitting on their so called porches and curbs. They seemed to be happy and

friendly.

Hopkins....about an hour away from us...

Took a drive to the town of Hopkins....a building under

construction.

Found the bakery but nothing available. She went shopping the day before

so she didn't have time to do any baking. Come back tomorrow.

Hopkin's local fruit stand....we did try some plums.

Off to the the barrier reef for our last snorkel trip. Congrats to these two--they have been retired for ten years!

UN-BELIZE-ABLE