John has a fun challenge for us this week – On the Move. He asks “How do you travel? Where do you go?”
I started my blog in 2013 as a way for our friends and family to follow us along on our four month RV journey to Alaska and back. The featured image is of our truck and fifth wheel in our campsite in Denali National Park in Alaska.
From 2006 to 2019 we spent many days on the move as we wandered around the United States and Canada in our trusty Chevy Silverado towing our home on wheels. We traveled from campground to campground, state to state, and through a few Canadian provinces. Sometimes we would be away from home for a week or two, other times for a month or more.
We towed our fifth wheel on interstates and back roads and sometimes took it on a ferry to get where we needed to go. I captured the first image in the following gallery as we waited our turn to board the small ferry to cross the Yukon River from Dawson City, Yukon. We also towed our camper on the Alaskan ferry from Skagway to Haines and on a Texas ferry on the way to Galveston.
During our RV travels we would often take excursions on different types of transportation. In Alaska we took a ride on the Alaska Railroad, rode a bus in Denali National Park, took wildlife cruises from Haines and from Seward, and landed on a glacier in a small plane.
In 2019 we made the decision to park the RV and take different kinds of trips. We went on our first ever ocean cruise 2022. We were hooked.
The Viking Sea was our home for two weeks as we sailed around the Caribbean on our first cruise.
We had some fun modes of transportation in some of the ports. We rode on a Wacky Roller bus in Dominica, an open-air Safari bus in Tortola, Henry drove us around St. Martin in a Talon 4-wheeler, and the Monster Bus in Costa Rica took us into the rain forest.
No matter how we move from place to place we always enjoy seeing new places, meeting people, and enjoying the scenery along the way.
Thanks to Egidio for taking us back to challenge #31: Landscapes last week. Your responses took us around the world with your wonderful landscapes of mountains, valleys, oceans, and so much more.
I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to John’s post Lens-Artists #374 – On the Move!.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, November 22 at noon eastern time when Patti will be hosting the challenge.
For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.
Part 1 of our Viking Mississippi Delta Explorer Adventure – Louisiana
The Mighty Mississipi River runs through ten states and is the second longest river in the United States (the Missouri is slightly longer). During our RV travels Henry and I crossed the Mississippi River many times, stopped to explore many places along the river, and camped in campgrounds next to the river so we could sit and watch the barges go by.
It had been a while since we had seen the Mississippi River so we recently took a Mississippi River Cruise from New Orleans to Memphis. We learned a lot about the history of the river and the area, ate delicious local foods, visited historical homes and battlefields, and enjoyed fantastic music from the region.
New Orleans, Louisiana
“Laissez les bons temps rouler” (Let the Good Times Roll)
Our trip started with a long travel day to New Orleans. Somewhere between home and New Orleans I managed to twist my right knee and was limited in the amount of standing and walking I could do. But, I was not about to let my bum knee keep me from having fun.
We arrived on a Thursday night less than two weeks before Fat Tuesday’s big Mardi Gras celebration. We learned that in New Orleans many people begin celebrating Mardi Gras right after New Year’s Eve. Some people leave their tree up until Mardi Gras, replacing the Christmas ornaments with Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green.
We enjoyed drinks and delicious crawfish etouffee and gumbo at Daisy Dukes Express near our hotel on Thursday night. On Friday we explored the French Quarter around Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. The day was cold and windy. Beignets and hot chocolate at the famous Cafe Du Monde warmed us up.
People were in a festive mood and many had on their Mardi Gras colors. Balconies and businesses were sporting Mardi Gras flags and decorations. As shown in my header image, even the bridges over the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans were lit up in Mardi Gras purple. The following gallery shows a few of the highlights from the day.
First night on the Viking Mississippi
Saturday morning we took an Uber to the Port of New Orleans and boarded the Viking Mississippi, our home for the week. While we waited for our stateroom to be ready we explored the ship and I walked around the port. The ship was docked on the Mississippi River underneath two bridges.
The Mother River statue at the Port of New Orleans.
Jazz musician Wendell Brunious (he has led the Preservation Hall Jazz Band since 1978) and his Swedish wife Caroline performed a Tribute to Louis Armstrong that evening on the ship. It was the first of several wonderful music performances we enjoyed while sailing up the river.
Darrow, Louisiana and a Cajun Swamp Tour in the rain
A series of levees have been constructed along the banks of the lower Mississippi to prevent flooding. The ship docked next to the levees and passengers had the option of walking up the levee or taking a golf cart ride to the top.
The rain was coming down hard when we took a golf cart ride to the top of the levee at Darrow. We were dropped off in the parking lot of the beautiful Houmas House and Gardens where we boarded our tour bus. Our local Cajun tour guide kept us entertained with stories about the history and culture of the Cajun people during the 30 minute ride to LaPlace, Louisiana for a Cajun Swamp Tour through the Manchac swamp.
It was still raining when we boarded our covered pontoon boat and Captain Brian took us into the swamp. As we rode along he pointed out the different trees and plants and we learned about the folklore and history of the swamp. We learned that cemeteries were always on high ground because of flooding. We passed by a lone grave which is allegedly the burial place of Julia Brown, a medicine woman who died in 1915. Her ghost is believed to still be in the swamp.
Alligators were once almost extinct but now there is a large population thanks to licensed alligator farms. It was the wrong time of year to see many alligators in the wild but we got to meet Louie, a 2 1/2 year old alligator who will one day be released into the wild. Everyone on the boat got to meet Louie.
When we returned from our excursion we had hoped to tour the historic Houmas House and gardens but the rain was still coming down and we opted to spend the rest of the afternoon on the ship.
St. Francisville, Louisiana – tour of Rosedown Plantation
The ship was docked next to the levee in St. Francisville, Louisiana. This levee was pretty steep and we were glad to ride the golf cart to the top.
Our local guide was a former school teacher who loved history. As we traveled to the site we learned about about the history of the area and of the Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site. We passed through sugar cane fields and crossed the Mississippi River before arriving at the beautiful home and gardens. Daniel and Martha Turnbull began construction on the main house at Rosedown in 1834 and furnished it with furnishings brought from Europe. Many of the original pieces are still on display at Rosedown.
Entertainment that night was Cajun and Zydeco music by Bruce Daigrepont. He told us their costumes were “Country Mardis Gras” costumes. The music was fun and he was a great story teller.
I posted about some of our previous travels along Mississippi River at A River Runs Through It.
Next up – More of our adventure on the Big Muddy in the state of Mississippi.
After going on this same cruise itinerary in 2022 we enjoyed the islands so much we wanted to visit them all again. This time we chose different excursions so that we could experience new things on each island.
February 17, 2024 Day 8: Wandering around the port of Barbados
We had two days to explore Barbados on our 2022 cruise. We spent the first day on a wonderful Photo Tour with Ronnie Carrington. The next day Henry went for a submarine ride in the Atlantis Submarine. You can read about both days at Caribbean Islands Adventure 2022 Barbados.
For our 2024 visit we wandered around the port of Barbados on our own. We enjoyed a leisurely morning on the ship and watched the Barbados Coast Guard come and go before riding a shuttle bus from our ship to the cruise terminal. We asked the driver for a good place to eat lunch and he told us to try Millie’s Snack Bar at the port. We love eating where the locals eat so we gave it a try. We knew it must be good when we saw the local police eating there. Our lunch was delicious.
Barbados Coast GuardLunch at Millie’s
February 18, 2024 Day 9: Panoramic Dominica and Jacko Falls
Our excursion for the day started with a scenic bus ride through the capitol of Roseau. Our driver stopped at an overlook on the side of the mountain for a view of the city before continuing up the mountain into the rain forest. We stopped at beautiful Jacko Falls in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Henry and I skipped the steep steps to the bottom of the falls and enjoyed viewing them from an overlook at the top. While waiting for the more adventurous people to return from the bottom of the falls we enjoyed a rum punch before hopping back on the bus for the journey back down the mountain to the ship.
On our first visit to the island in 2022 we went into a different part of the rain forest to see some other waterfalls. You can read about that adventure at Dominica Adventure 2022
February 19, 2024 Day 10: Antigua Catamaran Cruise and Lobster Lunch
On our first visit to Antigua in 2022 we took a scenic bus trip around the island. For our latest visit we wanted to experience the island from the water.
Our six hour Catamaran cruise in Antigua was just perfect. The crew was great, the skies were clear, and the scenery was spectacular with beautiful bays and white sand beaches. The captain and crew took care of us all day. We boarded the catamaran at the dock in St. John’s and cruised along the coast of Antigua with a stop for snorkeling and swimming near where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea.
We sailed on the red Mystic Cruises catamaran A beautiful day in the waters of Antigua
The crew set up tables around the boat for lunch while lobsters were being grilled. They served us a delicious meal of lobster, beans and rice, potatoes, and a salad along with rum punch, beer, and champagne.
Grilled lobster prepared on the boatThe crew set up tables with tablecloths and served us our delicious lobster lunch
After lunch the captain pulled up to a beach so everyone would have an opportunity for a swim and a walk on the beach before returning to the cruise ship dock.
Great place for a swimAn old fort on top of the hill overlooking the beach
February 20, 2024 Day 11: Tortola Safari Bus Trip to Cane Garden Bay
In 2022 we had a great day cruising in the waters around Tortola on a catamaran. This time we wanted to see more of the island itself. We boarded the bus at the cruise ship dock in Road Town. It was a slow, bumpy ride on narrow, twisting, steep Ridge Road up a mountain and then back down to the other side of the mountain to a beautiful bay and beach.
This Safari Bus was our ride for the daySpectacular views from the road
As we traveled up the mountain we drove by a wall painted with the Ridge Road Mural. Several different artists created these scenes of life on Tortola. Our driver drove slowly as we went by because the road is too narrow for the bus to stop. There is more information about the mural in this article Behind the Ridge Road Mural.
We had about an hour to relax and enjoy the scenery at the Cane Garden Bay. We sat in the shade at the beach side restaurant enjoying the view before going back up the mountain to return to our ship.
February 21, 2024 Day 12: St. Thomas on our own
In 2022 we went for a catamaran sail to a beach in the U.S.V.I. National Park. This time we enjoyed watching the activity on the water from our ship before going ashore to wander around the Charlotte Amalie cruise terminal. The header photo shows the bay as seen from our veranda.
Dinghies at the yacht receptionHarbor at Charlotte Amalie
February 22, 2014 Final Destination: San Juan, Puerto Rico
After a relaxing and adventure filled cruise we arrived at our final destination of San Juan, Puerto Rico early in the morning. We disembarked about 6:30 a.m for our ride to airport. After two flights and a drive from the airport to our home we arrived relaxed, rested, and with many happy memories.
After a rough start to 2024 Henry and I were more than ready to take off on an adventure to nine different Caribbean islands. A month before our departure I tripped and fractured my left arm. I did the happy dance when my doctor gave me the ok to go on our long awaited West Indies Explorer cruise on the Viking Sea. We were looking forward to the warm weather, turquoise waters, beautiful islands, and some new adventures.
We did this same cruise in January, 2022. We enjoyed the islands so much we wanted to visit them all again. This time we chose different excursions so that we could experience new things on each island.
February 10 – 13, 2024 Days 1-4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Our adventure started in San Juan on Saturday, February 10, 2024, the day before the Super Bowl. Our travel day started about 3:30 a.m. in order to get to the Savannah airport in time for our 6:30 departure. I couldn’t carry anything with my left arm so Henry had to manage all of our carry on bags through two airports. We enjoyed two nights at a beautiful resort before boarding our cruise ship the Viking Sea on Monday morning. The header image was taken at the beach at the resort.
I spotted the small iguana on the beach as he wandered next to people lounging on beach chairs. I soon saw a large iguana on the beach. I met a woman from Panama who told me she was the mama iguana in search of the baby. I don’t know if they ever found each other.
Later in the afternoon we enjoyed a Pina Colada at the pool bar. We were photo bombed by one of the servers.
After two enjoyable days at the hotel we boarded the Viking Sea on Monday. We spent most of the day on Tuesday relaxing on the ship. We took a stroll along the waterfront by the cruise ship docks and enjoyed watching the sunset from the ship as we cruised away from San Juan.
February 14, 2024 Day 5: Valentine’s Day on St. Martin
A bus tour around St. Martin was a fun way spend the day. Our driver Leroy drove us around the island pointing out points of interest including the many salt ponds. We stopped at a beach along the way and at the open air market in Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island. Once back at the cruise ship dock in Phillipsburg we walked around the port on our way back to the ship. We ended the day with a delicious Valentine’s dinner at Manfredi’s onboard the ship.
Henry enjoyed driving a 4×4 Honda Talon around the island on our 2022 visit to St. Martin. We had a great time watching the airplanes landing at the airport. You can read more about that adventure at Caribbean Islands Adventure St. Martin.
February 15, 2024 Day 6: Safari Island Drive around St. Kitts
Our colorful guide Christopher had many fun stories to tell as he drove us around beautiful St. Kitts in his safari vehicle. We passed by ruins from a sugar cane plantation and stopped to see black volcanic rocks. At our last stop we were treated to rum punch, the best we tasted on the entire cruise.
February 16, 2024 Day 7: Coastal Cruise to St. Lucia
A trip to the Caribbean is not complete without at least one boat trip. A coastal cruise to see the Pitons was a perfect way to spend the day in St. Lucia. Our ship was docked in the capitol of Castries in the northern part of the island. After boarding our tour boat we cruised south along the shore while our guide pointed out fishing villages, bays and other places of interest. The weather was perfect with blue skies and calm seas.
Our destination was the Pitons which are the two volcanic peaks named Gros Piton and Petit Piton located near the town of Soufriere. The Pitons are a UNESCO World Heritage site and glorious to see. The captain slowed the boat as we approached the Pitons and moved the boat around so everyone could have a good view and take a photo.
On our return trip to Castries the captain took us into Marigot Bay for a view of the harbor. There was music, dancing and rum all the way back to our ship. What a beautiful day in the Caribbean.
This was our fourth visit to St. Lucia. On our first two visits we stayed in a house near the town of Soufriere. Our main reason for going there was to go scuba diving in the beautiful reefs around St. Lucia. Our third visit to St. Lucia was in January, 2022 on our first West Indies cruise on the Viking Sea. For a look at the northern area of St. Lucia visit Caribbean Islands Adventure 2022.
With my wounded left arm it was difficult to hold my camera. Most of these photos were taken with my cell phone. Getting in and out of the buses and on and off the boat was challenging but the drivers and boat crews were very helpful everywhere we went.
Coming soon is a post about our adventures in five more islands.
In November we spent two exciting weeks on a cruise to the Panama Canal and Central America. The cruise was filled with relaxing sea days and tropical port destinations.
Our adventure began in Ft. Lauderdale where we enjoyed a night at the beach before boarding our ship the Viking Mars.
There were two relaxing days at sea before we arrived at our first destination. It took us most of those two days to sail around part of Cuba. As you can see in the image below there were times we were close enough to see land.
Rain was coming down hard as we arrived at our first port of Montego Bay, Jamaica. After traveling in a small bus up a narrow, rocky, dirt road we arrived at Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary where the rain came down all around us but we were cozy and dry on a small covered terrace. We were surrounded by rain forest with native hummingbirds flying all around us. I even had one land on my finger to feed from a small bottle of nectar.
Our ship docked for a day in Colon, Panama near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The excursions for the day were all cancelled because of large demonstrations which caused wide scale disruptions in the country of Panama. We were able to set foot in the country of Panama by visiting the duty free shops at the cruise ship dock. Later in the day Panamanian dancers came to the ship to put on a fabulous show.
The main event was traveling through the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal. These locks are over 100 years old and the gates are the original gates. New locks were opened in 2016 so that the new, larger ships can travel through the canal. The ship traveled from the Atlantic into the Gatun Lake and then turned around and went back through the locks to return to the ocean.
Passing through the Gatun Locks on our way to Gatun LakeA cargo ship was going towards Gatun Lake as we made our return trip through the locksAs we traveled back to the Atlantic this huge container ship was right beside us in the new canalLush tropical landscape beside the canalOur ship passed under the Atlantic Bridge going and coming
Our next port was Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The Monster Bus, a custom made six-wheel drive air conditioned vehicle, was our transportation into the rain forest and through a banana plantation. Our journey took us through small villages and farms where we saw water buffalo, pigs, and other animals. I was on the lookout for sloths and howler monkeys the entire time. We could hear the monkeys high up in the trees but all I could see was the leaves moving as the monkeys moved through the treetops. On our way back to the ship the bus driver stopped so we could get a look at a sloth in one of the trees.
In Roatan, Honduras we boarded a small bus and traveled up narrow roads to visit the Carambola Botanical Gardens. We learned about the plants and medicinal purposes of many of them. The first image below shows different stages of the cacao beans.
Thanksgiving day started with a boat ride up the Belize River. Our wonderful guide Melissa pointed out wildlife and told us a about the history and customs of Belize. Just outside the mouth of the river we saw West Indian Manatees surface to take a breath but they didn’t cooperate for a photo.
Later that night we enjoyed a wonderful traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. In the gallery below is a Great Blue Heron, an Iguana, a Crocodile lying beside the river in someone’s front yard, and a Black Howler Monkey watching his us as we rode by.
The port of Cozumel was crowded with several other large cruise ships and the temperature was in the 90’s so we oped to skip our excursion for the day. I wandered around the shops at the port to pick up some Mexican Chocolate and other goodies to take home.
In between ports we had several sea days. Many activities were available while at sea. We enjoyed a tour of the bridge, a galley tour, had high tea one afternoon, and I got a massage one day and took a cooking class another day. We both enjoyed the many beautiful places to sit and read or just relax. We stared off into the ocean in search of whales but what we mostly was were birds such as the brown booby shown below. The chefs prepared some special meals with foods from the region. One afternoon we sipped coconut juice fresh from the coconut – with or with rum. I enjoyed the pools and the Nordic Spa every day.
We arrived back home the week after Thanksgiving relaxed and ready to enjoy the holidays.
Wandering Dawgs 