Boston - Day 3, John Adams...Cheers!

It bears repeating that Boston is one of my favorite places, and the area virtually oozes United States history. I hope you'll accompany me down memory lane for this retrospective look, from a trip in 2002. My relatively unedited travel diary is detailed in places that were of special interest to me and skimpy in places that might be of more interest to you. I've added links so you can easily read more, if you like. Here we go!

Monday, July 29

John Adams Birthplace
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Wonderful news! My husband just had to work the morning shift and was off for the whole afternoon! We went to lunch at Bugaboo Creek (which is very much like Claim Jumper back home, with antler chandeliers and everything), and then we decided to drive to Quincy to visit John Adams National Park. Having just read John Adams, by David McCullough, this prospect was thrilling!

John Adams home
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

We toured the house John Adams was born and grew up in, the house his son, John Quincy Adams, was born in, and the Old (New) House that the Adams family occupied after John's ambassadorship and presidency. We also saw the church where they're buried, which was unfortunately closed.

Home of the President
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The first two houses are situated close to the street and each other, for convenience in both cases. Who knew fire engines and motorcycles would come along, making being close to the street not quite as good a thing? Both homes are modest farmhouses, an interesting contrast to the Old (New) House, which is full of wonderful antiques, paintings, china, silver, and the like, all having actually belonged to the Adams family. Even the wallpaper!

John Adams worked
at this desk. Wow.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

The Adams family occupied the home for generations, up until 1927. Then it became a historic site, with tours and everything. Most historic homes I've visited were filled with period things “perhaps having belonged to the family,” and it created quite an impression on me to realize that these were their actual belongings. The home is quite large, equipped with every modern convenience (including servant bells), and surrounded by beautiful grounds.

The Library. Ahhhh...
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

There's a separate building for the thousands of books kept there. The aroma of the library is fabulous! There's nothing like the smell of old books, except maybe the smell of very old books.

The Library building
and garden.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

United First Parish Church
Burial place - John Adams
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Once I was able to tear myself away from the Adams property, we went for a drive down Adams Street, which is lined with gorgeous homes. It seems that at least half of the homes around here have date plaques on them. Back home, these plaques would say “1890” or something, and we'd all think that's awesome. Which it is, until you see these plaques, which say something more like “1670” or earlier! A house built in the 1800's is “new.” The houses have settled a bit, necessitating some shaving off of the tops and bottoms of the doors so they don't stick. But, for the most part, these homes appear to have been lovingly maintained.

Cheers!
Photo by Harry.
All rights reserved.

Since it was rush hour time, we decided to go into Boston proper to hang out for a while to let traffic die down before heading back. We thought we would go to Cheers, just because. With my husband driving and me navigating, we made quite a good team and were able to find the place with minimum effort and no aggravation. Hooray!

So, we enjoyed a pint of Sam Adams, walked around Boston Common, and ate at Olive Garden on the way back to the hotel. We arrived quite late, and neither one of us had a problem getting to sleep!

John Adams National Park
Imagine yourself back then, sitting there, in front of the window...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Boston - Day 2, Beyond Walden Pond

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, a friend is about to go to Boston. I'm excited for her! Boston is one of my favorite places, and the area is positively dripping in United States history. I hope you'll accompany me down memory lane for this retrospective look, from 2002. This is my relatively unedited travel diary, so it's detailed in weird places and skimpy in others. But I've added links so you can read about the history easily. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 28

We slept in this morning, so we got a bit of a late start and missed breakfast at the hotel. After a hasty stop at McDonald's (I know, I know...), we drove around Milford so my husband could locate the building where he'll be working tomorrow. And then we headed east in search of adventure:

Walden Pond, Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

 First stop, Walden Pond. The big surprise for me was how big it was. It's no pond; it's a lake! The water is lovely, and I was also surprised that there's a public beach with lifeguards and everything. I guess it has lost some of its solitude since Henry David Thoreau's day, but I was still expecting it to be a lonely spot, hidden away from civilization.

Thoreau quote, Walden Pond
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The area where Thoreau's cabin was is some distance away from the beach, in the woods near what's called Thoreau Cove. There's a big pile of small rocks, some painted, that people have left as a memorial tribute. So I guess it's okay to do that, if you're so inclined.

At the gift shop, I gave serious thought to purchasing “Simplify, Simplify” shirts for the kids, then realized that would “Complicate, Complicate” my packing! That thought made me chuckle to myself.

Old North Bridge, Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Next, we headed to Concord proper, starting our Battle Road tour at Old North Bridge, where “the shot heard round the world” was fired. What a bucolic, lovely spot. A more serene location would be difficult to find. It's seriously hard to imagine a battle happening here.

 

Civil War buffs having fun.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

There happened to be a Civil War re-enactment going on, which was interesting to watch. We have those back home, too, but it seems strange to me to have Civil War re-enactment in California, where no Civil War battles were fought. On the other hand, Californians did go east to fight, so there you go.

"Thoreau" was in character.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Oh, and “Thoreau” was there, too, chatting with folks. My husband engaged him in conversation for some time and seemed engrossed. What fun it would be to “become” a character from history, but how much homework you'd have to do! It isn't just researching your particular character's style of dress, mode of address, and life, but also studying his or her times...to know what was going on in the day locally, nationally, internationally. That's a lot of information to master and incorporate.

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women
here. Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We poked around Concord for a while and saw homes of famous personages in American literature, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and others. Isn't it interesting that they all worked in this one town? And, wow, the homes here are amazing. If I took pictures of all the great old houses, I'd not be able to afford the film [Yes, film. This was before I had a digital camera. I took a lot fewer photos back then!]. It's mind boggling. And a brief stop to gaze at some photos on a realtor's window was also mind boggling, as well. Ouch! A rock-bottom fixer-upper was $600,000 [in 2002], with others ranging into the $2 - $3 million area. But you can totally pick up a cute place for a million and a half [in 2002].

That's me with the
Minute Man. Lexington, MA
Photo by Harry.
All rights reserved.

We followed Battle Road through Minute Man Park to Lexington, passing “just a couple” of landmarks along the way, such as the spot where Paul Revere was captured by the British during his midnight ride. The Minute Man visitor center is very cool, with a fascinating film about the events of that day in April, 1775. They do their very best to present the patriots' view of the tyrannical British rule, robbing British subjects of their rights. Incendiary stuff! If you were a loyalist back then, I imagine you'd have called the patriots dangerous revolutionaries, or even terrorists.

When we got to Lexington, there was a huge downpour. We got soaked, as our umbrella was in the car. But it was a nice, warm sort of refreshing rain, so it didn't matter.

Harvard U
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

At this point, it was too late to go to Salem as we had planned, so we headed to Cambridge and Harvard University. So, I guess you could say I went to Harvard. It's huge, with lots of charming old brick buildings, beautiful lawns, and huge trees preventing decent picture taking of said buildings. Naturally, we went to the shop to look for souvenirs.

We ate some very tasty Thai food at a little place in Wellesley on the way back to the hotel. I'm still working on the commuter train thing, and there's a thunderstorm going on at midnight (another treat, as we don't get many of those at home). All in all, a very satisfying day!

Boston - Day 1, Dashing through New England

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since my 2002 trip to Boston, yet I haven't included it in Adventures in Paradise! But a friend is going there next month, and I promised to post this for her. I hope you like it, too. Here goes a pretty-much-unedited, retro look at Bean Town, the Hub of the Universe, America's Walking City, the Cradle of Liberty, Athens of America, the City on a Hill...I hope that covers the nicknames...from July, 2002:

Saturday, July 27

We arrived at Logan Airport on United Airlines at 6:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. our time), having slept a grand total of two or three intermittent hours on the red-eye along the way. The flight was bumpy in spots, but not overly so. Seat 12A was filled by a very personable young man named Fred, a Boston native. So, the hubster and I, Seats 12C and 12B respectively, took advantage of our great good luck and asked a lot of questions. I found out, for instance, that I should not walk alone in a place called Roxbury (which reminds me of a movie title, but never mind that). It sounds like such a nice place, too.

We disembarked and made our way to Avis to pick up our rental car. Why, oh, why are rental car reservations always messed up? Then we had a really good time going round and round in circles, trying to find the right road north. We were sleepy. We were tired. We were cranky. It did not go well, which about sums up that experience. You can fill in the blanks.

Harry checking out the goods at Kittery Trading Post.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We were tenacious, though, and eventually made our way past Bunker Hill on our way to Maine, where we had decided to go sort of on the spur of the moment. We thought we would head just across the border to Kittery. Fred said there was a great outlet mall there, which there was, and he said it would be a pretty drive, which it was. The traffic, however...oy!

Thick, green vegetation.
And lots of water. Maine
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Be that as it may, it was a beautiful drive. Neither one of us had been to New Hampshire or Maine, so, hey, why not? The foliage is dense, the trees are thick, the roads are absolutely lined with forest, seemingly the whole way. I must someday see this in the autumn!

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We stopped in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (“our place”) for breakfast at the Hampton Beach Restaurant. The food was very affordable (cheap, even) and rightly so. At any rate, it was a pretty beach town with surfers and everything. Kind of like Santa Cruz in New England, if that makes any sense. Traffic was awful leaving there, so we thought we'd better hop on the toll road to save time. Bad idea. It was backed up for miles. So, we got off again, and traffic was slower than molasses. Sigh. All those folks with SUVs and canoes, going away for the weekend. It felt just like home.

The Bush Compound, Kennebunkport, Maine
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

So, as long as we were in Maine, we thought we'd drop by the Bushes' place in Kennebunkport. It's a nice place, pleasantly situated right on the coast, on a rocky point. It's just so confining, with all those security people hanging around all the time and folks with telephoto lenses trying to get a picture to sell to the tabloids. Honestly, I just don't see how a person could get any privacy at all.

There are lots of gorgeous, expansive (and no doubt expensive) homes in the area. It makes one wish for a place on the coast...

After our all-too-brief visit, we found our way back to 95 South and didn't even mind paying a few tolls. Getting back to Boston only took about a third the time as going up to Maine. I suppose fewer vacationers are in-bound.

We enjoyed a wonderful, tasty, delicious meal at Naked Fish in Waltham. We started with crab cakes for an appetizer, then the hubster had scallops in balsamic vinegar glaze (outstanding!) with garlic mashed potatoes and glazed carrots (and a Samuel Adams beer, of course). I had coconut encrusted haddock with orange-rum cream sauce, asparagus, and fried plantain. Ooooooohhhhh. It was so, so good. Yum!

So, here we are at the Courtyard Marriott in Milford, Massachusetts. The suitcases are unpacked, and we're ready to to. I just discovered that there's no public transportation “out here” (too far from Boston) and that a cab ride to the nearest commuter rail station (5 or 6 miles away) will be $20. That's not good news, but we're good at problem solving around our house. I'll think of something tomorrow.

The pool has been invaded by seriously noisy kids, the hot tub is out of order, and the exercise room has been taken over by an army of 8-year-olds. Sigh. Seems like as good a time as any to go to bed!

Class Reunion Eastern Caribbean Cruise - The Last Dance

Isla Verde Beach, Puerto Rico
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The last day of a wonderful vacation is always hard for me. It was especially so this day, because I knew it would be a long while, probably, before I would see a lot of the people I had just spent some of the best days of my life with: carefree days full of sea and sunshine and fabulous food and laughter and memories.

We'd had some grandiose ideas of how to spend this last day exploring the island or going to Casa Bacardi or getting in a bunch of last-minute sightseeing. In the end, we decided that the sight we really wanted to see was each other, and the time we had left, we wanted to spend together. And so we decided to walk to Isla Verde beach, which, as I mentioned before, was maybe ten minutes from the hotel.

Every picture tells a story, so here are a few stories for you:

Girls just wanna have fun!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Three Amigos
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

These little guys were all over
our spot in the shade. Can't blame them!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It's a nice expanse of beach, perfectly suited for a long walk.
Isla Verde Beach, Puerto Rico
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Everybody is having a good time,
and Alan's cup (RIP) is in the photo!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

At lunchtime, we ate at a little restaurant across the street called Don Jose, where we ordered traditional dishes and had a great time in the air conditioning. Actually, the air conditioning was blowing us out of the room. But maybe that's because we had started to become acclimated to the heat and humidity. Not sure what to order when you're there? Here's an article you might enjoy. I had mofongo. It took quite a while for our food to come, and we were pretty happy with it when it did.

Come on in, the water's fine!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Hanging out at the Hampton Inn.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We spent the afternoon back at Hampton Inn, hanging out by the pool, swimming, soaking in the hot tub, and chatting. Everyone was reluctant to leave the group for any length of time, so we took turns doing laundry and packing our bags and returning to the group. It was a lazy, relaxed, nostalgic kind of day.

Beautiful flowers in the pool area.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The hot tub was just right.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

What a bonding experience this trip was. In fact, we've decided to not wait five years until our next reunion. We're splitting the time in half and cruising to Alaska next fall. Why not? If you want to come with us, the more, the merrier. It turns out that we're still a fun bunch, and we've turned out to be pretty awesome grown-ups. Well, most of us, anyway...

Oh! And...I have to go back for another visit to the Isle of Enchantment, because I have still not been to Bacardi!

The last sunset...
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Class Reunion Eastern Caribbean Cruise - Old San Juan

Ready for an adventure!
All rights reserved.

And the next day, there we were back in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Some of our classmates were going straight from the ship to the airport and home, but a group of us had decided to extend the vacation to enjoy more time together and also to hang out on this beautiful island, relaxing.

Cobbled streets of OSJ.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

The delayed gratification of Old San Juan awaited, but first we had to check in at the Hampton Inn in Isla Verde again. It was kind of like coming home, and some of the folks who had stayed downtown before the cruise decided to come on over to our place for this last installment of our reunion. If you're gonna hang out together...hang out together, right?

Before we knew it, we'd piled into a taxi van and were on our way to Old San Juan, where we planned to tour the San Juan National Historic Site, most notably El Morro. We had assumed we would be dropped off at the entrance to the fort, but no. The drop-off point was at least a mile away. We were told to grab the free tram that goes around in a loop around the tourist area, and that there's one that goes by every few minutes. Sweet! 

And they did come around every few minutes, but they were always full. Totally full. Absolutely full. Never an available seat. So, we decided to start walking. After all, it looked pretty close. And that's the thing about the tropics. Things look pretty close, and they are, but it's hot and it's muggy and the sun is beating down on you, even through the clouds. Long story short, not everybody was able to make it out to the fort, which disappointed me greatly. After all, El Morro is the Big Draw. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's a World Heritage Site. To miss it while being so close to it is a shame. But if your feet are hurting and you're thirsty for something icy and you're just exhausted, there are vendors and park benches and shady places to hang out while you wait for your group to come back.

From El Morro to Condado.
What a view!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

"Battle of San Juan"
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

For those of us who were able to proceed to El Morro, it did not disappoint. It is alive with history. On this particular day, it was even more alive with history than usual. There was a re-enactment going on of the Battle of San Juan in 1797. We watched the costumed players for a while and then made our way inside the fort, where we enjoyed beautiful views of the surrounding area, took photos, explored, and imagined what it would have been like to wear all that heavy clothing in this climate. Did I mention how hot and humid it was? Be prepared. Stay hydrated. Wear sun protection. And be sure to check out the deep recesses of the Castillo, where you'll experience actual coolness!

San Juan Cathedral
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Continuing our walking tour of the area, we stopped at the Cathedral of San Juan, which has been around for 500 years (1511). Yes, there are buildings in the New World that are old! Naturally, it isn't like the great European cathedrals, but it is still impressive and serves the community well. Puerto Rico is a very Catholic place. There was a small wedding going on by the altar, so we did our best to be respectful, disappearing into the background. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Enjoying a pina colada (yes, they make "virgin" ones, too)!
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We proceeded through Old San Juan's picturesque streets to the commercial areas of the town in search of souvenirs and a opted for a mandatory pina colada at Barrachina, where the drink was first served. Don't you agree? But we were starting to get hungry, and we'd promised to gather together with our whole group for dinner at the Courtyard. Sadly, it was time to go. Until next time Viejo San Juan. And there will be a next time!

Until next time, OSJ!
Don't even think about finding a parking space here.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Links to other  San Juan posts:
Arriving in San Juan
All Aboard the Celebrity Summit
Anniversary Cruise:  Puerto Rico, Day 1
Anniversary Cruise:  Puerto Rico, Day 2
Anniversary Cruise:  Puerto Rico, Day 3

Class Reunion Eastern Caribbean Cruise - St. Thomas

Approaching St. Thomas. Smooth sailing!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Day was dawning as we neared St. Thomas, and the ship entered the harbor at Charlotte Amalie on such silky-smooth waters, it was hardly believable. It was a spectacular day, the last full one of this cruise. [To read about our previous trip to Charlotte Amalie, click here.]

We had scheduled one last snorkel adventure, to Turtle Cove at Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge. There, we saw a surprising number of sea turtles (must be why they call it Turtle Cove!) and other marine life in waters that were incredibly clear, calm, and just the right temperature. The hubster did very well, in spite of his toe, still swollen from the Antigua snorkel.

Thank you so much, Bob!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Bob and Karen are so much fun to snorkel with. They know the name of everything that lurks under the sea, it seems, and can find unusual, exotic creatures that escape the notice of those with less experience such as myself. And so, I appreciate them and their encouragement to explore coral reefs and rock formations in search of species both rare and plentiful.

Beach break! Honeymoon Beach, Water Island, St. Thomas
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

After the snorkel, we motored over to Druif Bay and Honeymoon Beach at Water Island for a beach break, burgers, and drinks. The beach was lovely and secluded (if you don't count the sailboats at anchor in the bay). There are sailboats at anchor all over every available bay in this area, it seems. It's understandably a favorite destination for boat dwellers. Who can blame them?

She said yes! The captain proposes
via cell phone. Why not?
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Back at the ship, it was time to start packing our bags between visits to the pool area and the buffet. We prepared to go to the dining room for our farewell meal. You know, sometimes, it just is what it is: I have no idea what caused it, but just before dinner, I started getting the worst acid stomach ever. I ordered some food, then I excused myself to go to the little on-board store to see if they maybe had some Tums or other quick antacid, but they were completely sold out. I was desperate. All they had was an over-the-counter pill that can take hours to start working, but what could I do? I bought some, took one, and returned to the table to try to eat. But I just couldn't.

The poor waiter! He fretted and fussed over me (I'm sure he must have thought I was seasick, which was not the case) and offered to bring me all kinds of other dishes that he said would be no trouble at all. “Doesn't Madam like the dinner?” “Would Madam prefer something prepared differently?” “Would Madam like some food brought to her room?” Every time I got up to walk around in hopes of feeling better, I would come back to the table to find he had covered my food so it wouldn't dry out or get cold. What a sweetheart he was. But honestly, I couldn't eat a single bite of anything. Every sip of water caused a rush of acid. One spoonful of soup was all I could manage, and that was a huge mistake, throwing me into fresh agonies.

There was just nothing to be done but to hope the next day would bring relief. What a lousy way to end such a fantastic cruise! Which just goes to show, even someone with a cast-iron stomach such as myself would do well to be a little more careful. But what are vacations for, but to throw caution to the wind? Note to self: Don't forget the Pepto-Bismol! 

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

By the way, I've recently come across a website called Tom's Port Guides. It includes a wealth of information about various cruise ports and the nearby excursions and sights that are available. It'll make my next cruise vacation so much easier to plan. Check it out! My friends did, and they are still thanking me for telling them about Tom.

Class Reunion Eastern Caribbean Cruise - St. Maarten

Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Sint Maarten is the Dutch side of the island of St. Martin, and Saint-Martin is the French side. It's kind of a small piece of real estate to have belonged to two countries, but there you are. This is the island I was least looking forward to, since reports from friends who had visited previously were heavy on the shopping and crowded beaches. I am neither a dedicated shopper nor an avid sun worshiper (especially in a crowd). In spite of my initial lack of enthusiasm, I have to admit that I enjoyed our relaxing, low-key day in St. Maartin. But I'm getting ahead of myself again!

The ship docked in Philipsburg. It was the kind of blazingly hot and sunshiny day that says, “You know you want to jump in the water, right?” And the water here is the most ridiculously surreal shade of teal. So, yes, you do want to jump in it! But not from the ship. That would hurt.

The view from the water taxi. St. Maarten
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

After breakfast, Harry and I joined Fred and Cathy for a little dockside souvenir hunting, after which we all took a water taxi to the beach. It wouldn't have been an impossible walk, but the water taxi was too cheap to pass up, the weather was hot, and Harry's toe was swollen from Antigua's snorkel boat issue.

Your chair awaits you. St. Maarten
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It took just a few minutes to get from the ship to town and the beach that lines it, where we discovered that lounge chairs with sun umbrellas were available for rental from local entrepreneurs. The going rate seemed to be $20 for the day and included two chairs and an ice bucket with five drinks of your choice (soda, beer, or bottled water). Our particular entrepreneur could have made a few extra bucks bringing us another bucket of drinks, because we were extremely thirsty due to the heat. On the plus side, however, we were able to get some fried conch without too much trouble, though it was tepid and soggy by the time it arrived. This led me to be a little nervous about eating it. But I was hungry and I love conch. So, I ate it. I know.

Shopping in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The shopping area in Philipsburg was convenient to the beach, new-looking, and well staffed with enthusiastic salespeople. The Dutch Caribbean culture was evident, and so I was reminded of Aruba. Right away, I warmed up to the island. As you know if you've read my blog posts at all, I love Aruba! Cathy and I enjoyed a marathon “free shopping” (Cathy's term for going from shop to shop picking up the freebies only) expedition, where we left with everything we had come for. But I am constitutionally unfit for shopping that's totally free, apparently. Well, you have to have something to take home for yourself that reminds you of your travels, right?

Count the conveyances! St. Maarten
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We returned to the beach and waded out into the water for some “salt water therapy” (Cathy's term for a nice soak in the warm sea). Ahhh. Wow, it felt like heaven. So refreshing. So relaxing. The guys napped under the sun umbrellas. It was a restful and fun afternoon. If you look at a map of the island, you will see that there are beautiful beaches everywhere. Obviously, we only went to the closest one. If we were to stay on the island for a week or so, though, I'm sure we would visit a lot more of them. And that sounds like something I might like to do.

Romantic dinner for two.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Back at the ship, we hot tubbed and rested until it was time to get ready for dinner. When you select “anytime” dining, you have maximum flexibility as to when you'll eat and with whom. But things don't always work out the way you planned. That's what happened this particular evening. A bunch of us were hoping to eat together, but our group was broken up between several tables. So, it wasn't the party we'd hoped for; however, we had a grand time anyway. And Bob and Karen had a romantic dinner for two right next to a window, with a view of the full moon rising. Come on. That's awesome!

What we ate: I started with the shrimp cocktail, followed by wildberry soup (cold) and a proscuito-tomato-arugula salad with balsamic dressing. Then came the lobster tail. Okay, lobster tails. Keep 'em comin', boys! And for dessert, baked Alaska. He had blue cheese souffle, tomato soup, the same salad, the lobster tail(s), and the baked Alaska. It was a superb meal.

Just one more look at that water... St. Maarten
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We joined a large group of “us” in the theater for “Stars in Their Eyes,” which showcased the dance skills of the performers very well. In fact, it was the best production of all. And that was followed by “Beyond the Honeymoon,” a “how well do you know each other” game for newlyweds and not-so-newlyweds. The Claytons participated, and they had been married the longest. Oh, the things we found out about them! They were hilarious! What does he say when he's “in the mood?”... “Brace yourself!” And there was much, much more, but these are their stories to tell. And they did. Thank you for entertaining us so well, you two.