Vacation Highlights

This week's Friday 5 theme is a day in the life. Instead of picking just one day I thought it might be fun to share a few days of my recent vacation.


I traveled to Florida with my friend Heather who I actually met through running and blogging. We spent the first couple of days in Florida doing Disney Stuff, Outlet Shopping, and taking our first run on the Disney New Balance Trail.  After that, the real adventure began.........

1.On Monday we arrive at Port Canaveral and set sail on our cruise.
cruise to the bahamas
                                    We loved the sunsets at sea. So beautiful!


2. On Tuesday we had all day at sea.
 I think our favorite activity was the trivia. Each afternoon/evening in one of the lounges there would be some sort of trivia. Think of this as a huge family game night!  We played Harry Potter Trivia (which I stunk at but Heather was pretty good), a few different Music Trivias ( like name that tune) and TV Theme Song Trivia which we rocked at ( 90210, Melrose Place, Dallas, ER, Different Strokes,  We knew them all, except MASH).

3. Wednesday we visited Nassau in the Bahamas. I've been to Nassau several times before and it's not exactly the most beautiful place on earth. They try, but it's really rather a sad place because of all the poverty that may not be that apparent to visitors.
 
atlantis resort on paradise island
Anyway, I generally take a $4 ferry boat ride over to Paradise Island. This is where the Atlantis resort is and that indeed IS beautiful.  Paradise island is a much nicer place and I don't think many tourist know about it because they are all too busy shopping on Bay Street and trying to find deals in the straw market.   I have been to Atlantis several times and have watched the dolphins swim, caught a bit of the aquarium, and watched the kids play at the huge pyramid water slide.  However, all that has changed now.  There were guards everywhere and we weren't allowed to view any of that unless we were staying at Atlantis as a guest or bought a day pass for $60. We hadn't planned on staying there that long so we passed on the day pass and took a walk down to the public beach before making our way back to the ship to make our own fun!

4. Thursday was my favorite day of all. This was the day that we spend at Royal Caribbean's Private Island Coco Cay.
 
bahama islands

The weather wasn't looking too favorable but it held out enough for us to have a little fun.  I had been on this island before but have never explored all the way around it like we did this day.  It is absolutely a beautiful island. We discovered a nature trail with chickens on it and wondered if it was a coincidence that lunch that day was barbecued chicken?...lol.

coco cay bahamas
                           
                             We also discovered a fitness trail that had little activities to do.

 I loved that they had this "look out" that you could see out over the ocean and a lot of the island.
By the time we finished our loop around the island it started to rain and we knew it was time to go back to the ship.

5. Friday was our departing day. One of our favorite activities all week was looking at the dinner menu for that evening! Cruise dinner are absolutely scrumptious.

One of the many dessert buffets.

 Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of my food (we were sitting with other people and I didn't want them to think I was weird...lol) but I was trying to remember some of the meals I had.  Monday-Seafood Spaghetti, Tuesday -Seafood Ravioli ( this was my favorite meal all week), Wednesday-Turkey and cranberry sauce, Thursday-Chicken Marsala.  Friday- We were only there for breakfast before departing the ship.      Where did you vacation this summer?  -M


We are linking up with the gals from the Friday Five!

29 comments:

  1. Port Canaveral is almost my backyard. Almost! Is it odd that I have lived here my whole life and never been on a cruise?

    No vacation this summer -- saving for a European vacation next summer!!

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    1. Aww, you really should do a cruise since you are so close!

      Europe will be fun!

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  2. Ahh, it sounds like you had a wonderful vacation. Cruises are always relaxing and fun. I agree with you about Nassau. The last time we were there we got off for about 15 minutes to buy something at the pharmacy! We leave today for our river cruise and I can't wait to get on with it. The anticipation is always great, and the packing, but the actual travel days are not my favorites. We have 3 flights to get to Vienna and that will not be fun!

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    1. Yea, I caan understand why some people don't even get off the ship on that day.

      3 flights does not sound fun but I bet your trip will be amazing.

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  3. that does sound like a lot of fun! To bad about the trip over to Atlantis - that kind of stinks! We have a long beach weekend coming up next weekend and then I am saving for our Italy adventure in September!

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  4. Sounds like you and Heather had a great girls getaway! Which part of the New Balance trail did you run on while at Disney? We're thinking about running around the Boardwalk area when we're there in two weeks.

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    1. We did do the boardwalk portion of the trail including running by the water to Hollywood studios. From a past trip I did I remember the signs off past that trail and wanted to look for that path but I could not find it this time so we just turned around and did a loop.

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  5. Cruises are the best! It looks like you had so much fun! We have been taking short trips all over this summer and it's been so fun. Disney, Vegas, D.C. next weekend :)

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  6. It looks like a lot of fun! Good job there was a fitness trail with the dessert buffet. Dessert buffets are my weakness.

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  7. you're more polite then me - I always tell everyone, "Sorry, I'm a blogger, I have to take pictures of random things" :)
    What a beautiful trip...
    & love your pigtails :)

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  8. that sounds like such fun! i really need a good vacation where i can relax!

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  9. That looks fun - and I love how you and your friend spent time exploring the island like that!

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  10. I love Coco Cay been there a few times on cruises and it's my favorite place to stop. Looks like a fun trip

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  11. I have never been on a cruise but it looks like something really fun to do with a gal friend! I have heard food on cruises is awwwwwesome. I would have been embarrassed to take a picture too! Glad you had a ton of fun. I didn't know RC had their own island!

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  12. Ahhhhh - cruises are the best!!! They do such a great job of pampering you aboard the ship. Your pictures of the scenery are beautiful! I would have been embarrassed to take pictures of the food in front of others, too. =) That is too bad that you can't go into Atlantis anymore unless you are a paid guest. That was always such a highlight of visiting the Bahamas!

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  13. Sounds like a really fun trip! We're going on a Royal Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral in September.

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  14. Sounds like you guys had a fun cruise! Love trivia...so much fun! I've been to Atlantis in Nassau once but we mainly just walked around the resort. It was a very pretty place!

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  15. This sounds like the same cruise that I went on with my husband's family many years ago. We had so much fun at the time and I'm glad that you did too. My only complaint was that there was so much to do I had no time to sleep. :)
    I would love to stay at Atlantis one day. We had considered it for our honeymoon, but it's a little pricey. The water slide sounds like such fun!

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  16. this trip looks SO FUN! I am so glad you had a good time.

    the only vacations I did was Walt Disney World in June and a quick trip back to Texas for my cousin's wedding. I am however going wine tasting tomorrow!

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  17. I ran on Disney's New Balance Trail in the Fort Wilderness area in February. I liked it. We've been to Disney and to the beach. I'm not sure where the rest of the year will take us. We were going to go to Scotland but I think we've changed it to next year. I know I'm going to Chicago in October and back to Disney in January for sure! Your cruise looks great. We went to the Bahamas ages ago on our first cruise.

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  18. Great list. Sounds like you had an awesome time! I've never been to the Bahamas, but it's on "the list". Have s great weekend!

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  19. Looks like a ton of fun! I'm not a huge fan of cruising, but the beach and island look fantastic!

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  20. Looks like a great trip! I'm really sad I didn't have time to play on the beach this summer!

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  21. Sounds like such a fun trip!
    When I visited the Bahama's my friend and I walked to this pirate museum which meant walking through or past some sketchy area's. So I know what you mean about the poverty. But I expect it's like that anywhere if you get into the badder area's of towns, even in America.
    I love Paradise Island, I am glad you got to go there! First time I went I took a cab, not a wise choice the cab driver was listening to an American hate station and took us through what I swear were like streets in the movies tourists get murdered in. Luckily we made it:)
    But the 2nd time we took the ferry, so much better!
    Love all your picture's, it does look like you guys had a great time!

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  22. It sounds like a great trip! I agree - it can be weird to take photos of your food around strangers. :)

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  23. Looks like a really fun trip! How great that you met someone through blogging and were able to forge an in-person friendship.

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  24. I did an Alaskan cruise this summer and it was truly amazing! I would do it again.

    I agree with Nassau. I've been to Atlantis twice and we took a trip to Nassau and I found it really depressing. Atlantis is really cool. I'd love to go back.

    Glad you had s good time!

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  25. Haha I love looking at the dinner menu for the evening as well :)

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