Day Trip to La Conner, Wash. + Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday in La Conner, Wash.

The tulips bloomed early this year at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and Darling Husband and I traveled up north the second Sunday of the month to enjoy the gorgeous blooms at Roozengarde.

Because we woke up as early as humanly possible to get to the tulips before the crowds, by the time we were done falling in love with stunning gardens, we needed some lunch.

When researching our tulip trip, I had read about a little town nearby on Puget Sound called La Conner. I pulled up TripAdvisor on my phone to look at food offerings. A couple of waterfront dining options caught my eye, but with my husband and crowds in mind on that sunny day, I selected the La Connery Brewery as our destination. Plus, the reviews were good.

The La Conner Brewery is easy to find. It's not on the waterfront, but the ambience was cool.

Driving the 15 minutes from Roozengarde to La Conner was a snap. I loved the century-old farm houses. A few Victorian gems are tucked away in the valley, too. Milky white snow geese lounge in empty fields.

La Conner itself reminds me of other favorite coastal towns on Whidbey Island like Langley and Coupeville. It has an artsy vibe like Port Townsend, though without as much of the Victorian architecture.

The turqouise buildings and the sea salt in the air reminded me we were on the water.

The La Conner Brewery was PACKED. It was 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday and every table was full except for one by the window. And we timed our arrival perfectly. During our meal in the restaurant there was always a line out the door.

Our beer sampler arrived on a pretty tray. The wheat and seasonal oatmeal stout were our favorites.

Dane and I ordered a beer sampler. It came on a nice tray and the wheat and oatmeal stout were the favorites. Dane ordered the pasta and I had the Neapolitan wood-fired pizza. Food came in a good amount of time and I didn't feel like we were rushed out of there despite the line. Sitting by the window provided excellent people and dog watching.

The restaurant was noisy. Its is family friendly and there were children at every table. At times, I struggled to hear Dane sitting just across from me.

The star of the meal was my perfectly sized pizza. The flavors were fresh, the crust was thicker than usual and tasty. Dane's pasta was a good, stick-to-your-ribs meal for him. If we go back again, we'll both order pizza.

I loved the surprise of a Volunteer Firefighter's Museum in La Conner. I wish it was open so we could take a closer look, but the windows allow a good view.

After our meal, we relieved our ears with a sunny walk through La Conner's downtown. There are cute shops including cooking and clothing shops for an older demographic. We checked out the really neat La Conner Volunteer Firefighters Museum. They have an old pumper used in the San Francisco fire in 1906. It wasn't open for visitors, but the engines and items could be seen from the street through large windows.

When we looked closer, we saw a boardwalk along the water. We walked it the whole length, watching tulip lovers enjoy sunny lunches outside, boats floating in to dock and even a slippery silver seal turning somersaults in the water.

As we made our way back to the car, we poked our heads into Nasty Jack's World Famous Antiques, drawn in by the wacky old memorabilia and Zoltar machine out front. A mix of old and new, Nasty Jack's has a lot of beautiful, overpriced antique furniture like dressers, tables and hall trees. Not being in the market for big pieces of furniture, we hopped in the car to head back home.

We got lured into Nasty Jack's, an antique store, because of the fun pieces out front.

We just did a day trip to see the tulips and dogs are not allowed in the tulip fields, so we left Ralphie at home. If you are bringing your dog to La Conner to stay, this is a solid listing of hotels and bed and breakfasts that are pet-friendly.

Verdict: I recommend you get to the Tulip Festival as early as you can and have lunch in La Conner after. There are plenty of benches for a picnic in the sunshine to enjoy a packed lunch. It will be hard to find a quiet restaurant during the festival, so be prepared. In La Conner, it didn't appear that there was a ton for a young couple to do. But, it would be a good spot for my mom and I to one day do some antiquing and shopping and hang out on the waterfront. This is the best resource of things to do while there if you go for a weekend.

Ride an Airboat in Style in the Everglades - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Florida Everglades is a special place. If you cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, don't miss it.

After our seven-day cruise in the Western Caribbean on Celebrity Cruises, Bunny and I had decided to stay in Florida an extra 1.5 days to experience a bit of the sunshine state. We had wanted to go to Harry Potter World, but Orlando is far from Fort Lauderdale. Miami is close, so away we went!

Instead of taking a private car from the port dock in Fort Lauderdale to Miami, Bunny had the idea to sign up for one last Celebrity excursion. Doing so was less costly and the excursion dropped us right at the Miami airport.

The last day of the cruise, we woke up at 6:30 a.m. to get cleaned up and meet our tour group. This was way too early. We were headed to the Sawgrass Recreation Park in the Everglades for a ride on an airboat, but as I realized with most excursions, we got up early to wait. We waited on the ship to disembark. We waited in customs. We waited on the sidewalk at the port dock for our tour bus. 

The bus ride to the Everglades was about 30 minutes. During the ride, we were treated to facts and history of the Everglades and the alligators by our tour guide. \

I didn't expect the quietness and warm breezes in this place where alligators live.

On site at Sawgrass, we enjoyed a quick tour of the facility’s rescued animals and even met a pet skunk named Flower. We saw a couple of the captive, rescued alligators and Bunny held a baby alligator. I passed on that.

We had a quick moment for lunch, so she and I grabbed a bite at the food truck on site. I had grilled cheese and she had alligator bites. The alligator was surprisingly good! Though most things that are fried are delicious.

Then, it was time to hop on the airboats! We were given ear plugs and directed toward the boats. Bunny and I sat in the front row. The weather was lovely, but it was windy on the boat, so long sleeves and a hair tie are recommended.

Our captain had a delightful sense of humor and warned us that because it had been windy, tours hadn't spotted alligators in a couple of days. He reminded us that it was an Everglades tour, and not an alligator tour and to adjust our expectations.

The water is shallow, about 3 to 4 feet deep. And the grass is allegedly so sharp that if you run your hand across it, it will cut you, hence the name saw grass.

The Everglades are peaceful. Despite the airboats, it's so quiet. The water is shallow, about 3 feet deep, and full of straw-colored grasses where the alligators lay their eggs. I was enjoying the boat ride when the captain slowed us down to show us the small brown head of an alligator hanging out in the grass. He educated us some more about these huge reptiles and then we moved along. We were out on the water for about 30 minutes and then we were back on the bus.

Verdict: Sign up for an excursion when you are off the boat. Doing so got us off the boat in one of the first groups and we didn't have to get right on a plane and fly 8 hours in our exhausted state. Regardless, waking up that early was terrible. The Everglades was a great pick to see a Florida feature that is totally unique. There were a lot of children with their families at the Sawgrass Recreation Park, so bring your patience and please let the little ones hold the baby alligator first. And definitely pet the skunk named Flower, no matter your age. 

Don't worry! Ear plugs were given to passengers as we boarded the boars.

Jamaica Cruise Excursion: Dunn's River Falls & VIP Bamboo Beach Club

Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

Oh Jamaica. Lush green vegetation. Beautiful turquoise water. Pina coladas and pouring down rain. Jamaica was Bunny and I's least-favorite port of call because of the weather. We visited Jamaica in early February 2016 via Celebrity Cruises.

Our excursion had us awake early and down at the pier at 8:45 a.m. This was WAY too early to be off the ship. We had signed up for the Dunn's River Falls waterfall climb and VIP Bamboo Beach Club break. It was a true full-day experience and we had to be up early to fit it all in.

The port shopping area at the pier was the nicest we encountered. Shops were new and salespeople didn't hard sell us as we walked through. It felt safe and calm.

We checked in at our meeting point and hopped in an air-conditioned van. We met Olivia, our guide and hostess for the day who treated us to general information and some lesser-known facts about Jamaica as we drove one full hour to Dunn's River Falls. She taught us how to say "Ya Man" and my new adopted life philosophy: If we ain't be screamin, you ain't be screamin.

The long drive through two parishes allowed us to see quite a bit of Jamaica. The swanky resorts were mostly tucked away and the few dilapidated homes with jagged shards of  glass set on fences as burglar protection made my heart ache.

We arrived at Dunn's River Falls and changed into swimsuits. Olivia warned us that we would be drenched from head to toe, and we needed closed-toe shoes, but not our sunglasses. I wore my Keds sneakers, planning to trash them afterward, and Bunny miraculously brought a pair of Aquasox. Flip flops would not work for this. Little stands did have waterfall shoes to rent. You could go barefoot and one gal in our group did.

There were multiple places to stop for photos while climbing the waterfall. No one rushed us. We enjoyed the high energy guide and focus on safety.

Climbing up the waterfall was amazing. We had one guide and one videographer and multiple photo opportunities. You don't climb up the side as I had thought, you jump in the waterfall at the bottom and climb up through the middle.

There are hidden rocks in the water, slippery rocks and some parts that were physically challenging. There was the option for folks to go up to the observation deck and watch family members climb. I almost turned around and went up the observation deck when I saw "the slide" where the guide was helping people down a waterslide-like drop deep into the falls. Bunny was brave and participated. I actually had on a light long sleeve top and managed to keep my top half totally dry through the climb.

It took us about an hour to climb the waterfall, but it felt like 20 minutes it was so fun. Our guide was wonderful and was very concerned about safety during the climb. As soon as Bunny and I climbed out of the water (me still half-dry) it began to pour tropical rain. In an instant, we were drenched and shivering under a cover. When our group was ready, we hopped in the van, still damp, for a 20-minute ride to the Bamboo Beach Club. We were there for 2 hours, 20 minutes and it rained for the first hour.

We would have loved Jamaica even more - if it had actually been sunny most of the time. Here is the lovely beach at the Bamboo Beach Club.

The club was lovely with cushy chairs and a constant stream of drinks and food (included). A small dance troupe entertained us. Bunny loved the pina coladas. I was wary of any food served from the little huts. And we sat there, damp and shivering. Finally, the rain stopped and I think we enjoyed some warm-ish weather for about 30 minutes and it was time to go. The restroom at the club was the worst we encountered on our trip, so you're warned.

Our van ride back to the port included one hour of pouring rain and some scary drivers, which Olivia called CJs, Crazy Jamaicans.

As soon as our ride was over, we booked it through the storm back to the ship. We were never so happy to be back on the ship. The rest of the night I was singing: "If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain ... you're in Jamaica!"

Verdict: Jamaica is beautiful. I would not sign up for such a long excursion again. Spending 2+ hours in the van was no fun. But, I'm so glad we climbed the falls. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The beach club would have been great if it was sunny. And much to my surprise, neither Bunny nor I got food poisoning from lunch that day!

Dolphin Swim Adventure + Beach Club in Grand Cayman

LOVED the Dolphin Swim Adventure in Grand Cayman!

It was quite windy when our Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship arrived in Grand Cayman. We had an announcement from the captain that we were going to try to drop anchor in a calmer cove, but it only allowed three cruise ships. Thankfully, we nabbed a spot and were able to get on the island.

Grand Cayman was the only port that didn't have a pier. We had to tender, and hop into a smaller boat, that took us to shore. What a mess this process was. We waited for 30 minutes to get on our tender, and waited some more. The water was very choppy, so everyone was moving slowly and safely. It took us more than an hour to get to shore, even though the boat ride itself was less than 10 minutes.

When we got on shore, many of the excursions had been canceled. Snorkeling, sting rays and boat rides were canceled because of the weather. People were not happy. Bunny and I's first choice of excursion had been canceled two days before, so we were already signed up for our second choice. We decided to go swimming with dolphins and then have some beach time. Thankfully, this was not weather reliant.

We took a 20-minute van ride through Grand Cayman to the Dolphin Swim Adventure center. We arrived, put our swimsuits on and locked our valuables. We each got a life jacket and watched some other groups finish up their time with dolphins. We were broken up into small groups of 10 and led to our area in the tank. The water was cool and the bottom was slimy. Be warned!

The whole premise of the excursion was to meet the dolphins and get your photo taken. They had a paparazzi on the side of the tank catching every moment. The trainer worked with the dolphin for great photo poses and had it splash us, wave and took us for a couple of rides. For the first one, we held onto the dolphin's fins while it was belly up and pulled us across the tank. On the second one, we hopped on a boogie board and it pushed our foot to launch us forward through the water.

The trainer was great about getting everyone their turn quickly and I was happy that all dolphins got a break after our visit. We headed into the gift shop and purchased our photos. Holy cow! $28 for one photo! But, I was a sucker and knew I couldn't live without it. There was only one photo taken of me where I didn't look terrified, so that was the one I chose!

We enjoyed a beach break at the Royal Palms Beach Club. It was pretty busy, but when you're on a cruise, you'll never be by yourself. I now know why 7-Mile Beach is top rated in the world! Photo courtesy of the beach club.

The Royal Palms Beach Club was next! Another 10-minute van trip to 7-Mile Beach and we were treated to 1.5 hours at a fancy private beach club. 7-Mile Beach is stunning. Beautiful turquoise sky and water. Huge waves, so be careful with little ones. The beach club restroom was clean. Bunny and I just grabbed chairs on the beach and relaxed in the sunshine. It was perfect.

One thing we figured out through our excursions is to always have an extra dry change of clothes in your tote bag. Those who swam at the beach got back on the van wet and that's not desirable.

Getting back on the ship was much easier. We showed our sea passes to security and hopped on our tender. The sea was much less choppy this late in the afternoon, but we still got off the tender onto the ship very slowly because some people had mobility issues and needed extra help.

Verdict: I didn't initially want to swim with dolphins, but I'm so glad I did. There were no small children in our group - I pictured kids screaming for hours on this excursion. It was a real highlight of our trip and Grand Cayman was one of our favorite ports of call.

Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting in Cozumel, Mexico

The most beautiful, golden sunrise I have ever seen in my life in Cozumel, Mexico. Thanks Bunny for the photo. Sorry I woke you up so early to see this!

After a full day at sea on the Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship, I awoke the next morning and threw open the curtains to greet Cozumel, Mexico.

It was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen - golden yellows of all shades and hues with a touch of blue from above and below against a city skyline. No pink and purple like other places, just gold.

With that greeting, Bunny and I got up and made our way down to the pier to meet our excursion group. We had scheduled excursions for each port we visited so we could see more. If we didn't, I was worried we would just walk off the boat into the same touristy shops at all four ports of call. We signed up for a Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting in Cozumel.

It was windy when we got off the ship and I'm so glad I had a jacket on. Another passenger offered me $50 for my jacket, but I declined. Bunny bought a beautiful aquamarine ring from a vendor while we waited, She haggled him down from $350 to $100 and was pretty pleased with herself.

When our group was assembled, we met Carlos our guide and hopped into vans for a short drive to the Discover Mexico building. We looked at a map and learned a bit of Mexican history and saw baby agave plants for a comprehensive explanation on how tequila is made.

Our tequila tasting was set up beautifully. 

For the tasting, we were sat in an air-conditioned room on high stools. It felt like a very classy pirate drank tequila there and the tasting was set up beautifully with three glasses filled with different kinds of tequila and a plate with coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, lime rind and crackers.

The pours were very generous and most of us did not consume all of the tequila we were provided. Ninety-three-year-old Helen behind us kept us giggling and she exclaimed "I'm great but I'm seeing double!" The Jose Cuervo tequilas presented were aged various lengths, from months to years, but even with Carlos' tutelage, I have to say I like tasting wine or beer a lot better.

Next, we were given some time in the gift shop to buy souvenirs, taste reserve tequila and chocolate liqueur and then we were shown a short film with clips from Mexican traditions and geography. This is where things started to get a little dull. I liked the artifacts in the museum we walked through, but none of the pieces had dates on them, so they seemed less authentic. But, when we walked back outside there was a donkey named Sophie ready for photo ops.

Things livened up a little bit when we were treated to blended mango margaritas and authentic Mexican tacos. I really like spicy salsa, so it was fun to test my taste buds and try the spiciest of all. None of the meat was dry and the flavors were bold.

The grand finale: A rain dance performed by the Papantla Fliers. This was amazing. Yes, they're hanging upside down.

The grand finale of the excursion was a performance of a Mexican rain dance by Papantla Fliers. Five men in beautiful costumes with streamers flowing from their heads scampered up this very, very tall pole, played music, and swung around the pole upside down as they descended to the ground. It was quite the sendoff.

We bid Carlos farewell and headed back to the boat. I had woken Bunny up too early, "the sunrise!" and I was still feeling the effects of jet lag so I opted to lay by the pool on board.

Verdict: The Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting experience at Discover Mexico was a little slow at times, but I learned so much about Mexican culture and traditions that I have no regrets. I would have liked to make this excursion shorter and add in some beach time, but that wasn't an option through Celebrity at the time. The excursion is not for children, but is great for all ages of adults, regardless of mobility. Plus, you can take home a photo with Sophie the donkey and get a certificate celebrating your newly acquired tequila education.

There were plenty of photo opportunities at Discover Mexico. Isn't Bunny adorable!?

How to survive a road trip by yourself + Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Don't miss the shows at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival! Perfect for couples, girlfriends or solo.

My friend Marcia has the coolest job in the world. She has been working this year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as a wig master. Yes, this sweet, red-haired cheerleader I met at Linfield College majored in chemistry and then moved to Cincinnati to pursue a theater career.

Marcia moved to Ashland, Ore., in early 2015 from Abingdon, Virginia. Suddenly, she wasn't a plane ride away, but a car ride away! I vowed to come visit her in the calendar year and I got to spend four days with her in early October. 

I was a little nervous about making the drive south by myself - 7 hours. Darling husband usually drives when we travel. Plus, it was the first weekend of October and I was worried it would pour down rain. It didn't. The weather was gorgeous.

This is post no. 1 of 2 about that amazing trip that taught me a lot about myself, rekindled an amazing friendship and helped me press the reset button on my everyday life.

How to survive a 7-hour road trip alone:

1) Leave early in the morning. Grab a coffee and hit the road. Before you know it, you will have driven two hours. Something about the morning hours makes time go faster. 

2) Plan time for stops along the way. On the way down I-5 from Tumwater to Ashland, I planned stops about two hours apart the whole way. I did some shopping (the Loft outlet at Woodburn, Ore., is amazing).

3) Call mom on one of your stops. She's just awesome and will make you feel competent and like you're never alone.

Image for "Head Over Heels" courtesy of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

What all of the tourists are talking about: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

I finally got to Marcia's apartment in Talent, Ore., and she fed me dinner and whisked me off to "Head Over Heels," a rock ‘n’ roll musical in the old Elizabethan style theater. The crowd was diverse: older couples, school groups, hippie parents and their children and one couple in their 30s that was quite affectionate during the first half and didn't return after intermission…

The show was fun, celebrated love of all kinds and it was seriously cool to be in the outdoor theater. That was a first for me. 

The wig room at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

The morning after the show, Marcia treated me to an all-exclusive backstage tour of the festival. The costumes up close were a little more ragged from wear, but beautiful nonetheless. Marcia's work in the wig room left me in awe. They sew on hairs one at a time people! Respect!

The second show Marcia treated me to was "Guys and Dolls." It was an afternoon show at the indoor Angus Bowmer Theater and it was classic and fun. Again, lots of school groups for this show.

Marcia let me go on stage at "The Lizzy" theater the morning after my first show.

Verdict: If you ever have the chance to go to the festival - go! It is great for couples, girlfriends or even solo. Recommendation: check the content before you bring your children. Children under 6 are not permitted. Some parts of "Head over Heels" explored more adult concepts. And no, you can't bring in your friendly pup.

So much for couples to do in Astoria, Ore.

Dane and I LOVED our trip to Astoria, Ore., in August 2015. We stayed at the Cannery Pier Hotel right by the Astoria Bridge and took this photo behind our dinner spot, Breakwater Bistro.

I love my husband. My husband loves food. 

He is more than a homebody than I am. But when Sunset Magazine recommends a foodie destination in the Pacific Northwest, I can most of the time talk him into tagging along.

In August 2015 Dane and I made the two-hour drive from the Olympia area down to Astoria, Ore. It was sunny, fun, romantic and beautiful. Here is what I loved the most.

1) Bow Picker Fish and Chips - tuna is delicious! Yes we stood in line for 30 minutes (and we got there early). The chips were frozen then fried, but the fish was not greasy and I could not tell it was tuna. Yum!

2) Trolley! I could have ridden it all day. This is the best way to tour the city. The older gentlemen who drive and tell stories of the area were entertaining. Plus it's $1 per person and dog friendly.

3) Columbia River Maritime Museum - spendy but good for couples and families. Working everyday at a museum, I like to check out others for inspiration. Loved the history and stories of our local heroes - the U.S. Coast Guard. Plus I enjoyed learning Robert Gray was the first person to successfully cross the Columbia River bar. All roads always lead back to Aberdeen, y'all. Dane LOVED this museum and is now convinced he needs an even more dangerous job - to be a bar river pilot or to join the Coast Guard.

4) Cannery Pier Hotel - this is where we stayed our one night and it was awesome! Beautiful room, free cheese, crackers and wine at 5 p.m. and we sat on our little balcony and watched huge cargo ships go by on the river. Amazing. Plus the room TV played local historical films about the salmon and tuna industry and building the hotel. This nerd loved that!

5) A Manhattan cocktail at Breakwater Bistro - within walking distance of our hotel. Love the live piano player, white table linens, views and food and drink. So romantic. Prices were decent for an upscale spot. 

6) Sunset at Astoria Column - the column was under construction but we drove up to the top anyway to take in the sunset. Inexpensive and memorable.

The view from the Astoria Column on Saturday night. 

7) River walk - free! Perfect walk on a beautiful morning.Nice, paved path along the downtown waterfront. Got pooped on by a seagull, but Dane came to my rescue. This path is also great for runners, cyclists, families and dog walkers. 

8) Farmers Market - spent an hour smelling and buying hippie soap and lotion, bought a beautiful photograph of Yaquina Head lighthouse from a surfer dude and a custom dish towel with a print of the Astoria bridge. Dog and family friendly for sure. 

9) Fort George Public House - loved the atmosphere and Divinity beer. Slower service so don't be in a hurry. Dog friendly on the patio. Not as kid friendly, but there were LOTS of families there with young children. 

10) Flavel House - I'm a sucker for gorgeous old homes. This one was built by the first official Columbia River bar captain. Didn't feel haunted, but was full of original artifacts. Hard to imagine a real family living there. Kind of spendy, but good for history buffs. 

We packed a ton into our Astoria weekend. We really lucked out with the weather, 75 and sunny. This was a great spot for doers to vacation. There was so much to do at all times. But, I would have been happy just riding the trolley all day.

We spent an hour on the waterfront trolley. We saw the "Goonies" House, learned the history of the area and enjoyed the views of the river.

We walked for about an hour Sunday morning on the River Walk. Behind me is a Columbia River Bar Pilot Boat that had been used by our amazing U.S. Coast Guard.

This is the view from our room at the Cannery Pier Hotel.

Dane and our beer sampler at Fort George Brewery.

Loved that the old building had been a car shop for many years and had survived the biggest fires in Astoria history.