This was a great year for vacations. We had the pleasure of going on a second cruise to Mexico, via Carnival Fantasy, from August 11th to August 16th. We visited Costa Maya and Cozumel and enjoyed ourselves tremendously. “We” included myself, my beautiful wife, Laura Gail, and our sons, Cody and Micheal. Much thanks to my son, Micheal, for initiating the trip, and for being our gracious benefactor. I can’t say enough about Mike. There’s not a kinder, more generous, soul on the planet. He’s a hard working and intelligent manager. He gives freely of his time and resources. He’s been a rock for his family for a long time, and I love him dearly. Thank you, son, for all you are.
If you’ve never been on a cruise, I highly recommend going. It’s a blast. The ocean is beautiful and serene. The ship has all you need and want in entertainment and interaction. The excursions are absolutely fantastic. If you’re afraid of the “big water”, don’t be. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. The sunrises, and sunsets, are incredible sights. The stars at night, from the middle of the ocean, are so bright and beautiful. It’s incredibly romantic.
When I was a boy, we had some pretty good vacations. They were usually camping, skiing, fishing, swimming and generally outdoorsy stuff. They were great. We’d been to Six Flags, Liberty Land, and many trips to see relatives in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Michigan. Mom and Dad (known today as Nanny and Pop) always made sure we had fun. Big families don’t always have big budgets for vacations, however. My kids can recall some pretty awesome camping trips and visits to the grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins, but the budgets for those were always less than lavish. We do our best with what we have. I can honestly say that our family had fun on our outings. My desire to take them on big trips to Disneyworld or (my personal favorite) Washington, DC, never materialized.
I’m so grateful to Mike for the many trips he’s financed and experienced with us. Disneyworld, Penn State (Chris’s graduation), Six Flags, and now three cruises under our belts. I hope to someday hand him tickets to some long-awaited fantasy destination for him to enjoy. Until then, I’m thankful that he thinks enough of his family to spend such quality time with us. I’ll make a point of taking him fishing again soon, before the season ends.
This is by no means an all inclusive post. I will expound upon our trip in detail tomorrow. Remember, I’m new to all of this and it’ll take time for me to get my rhythm. Till tomorrow. Bon Voyage!
Rolling Stones 