Roger and I have always wanted to travel along the coast of New England in the fall. Of course, there is the possibility of catching sight of the famous, brilliantly-colored autumn leaves. But even more of a draw for me was to experience the coastal fishing villages I have seen and heard about my whole life and to see the scenic, rugged coastline. Everyone who knows me knows my passion for fish, and, I would get to eat lots and lots of lobster and clams. Roger is equally passionate about eating lobsters and all of the other-mentioned above (except maybe eating clams), so we found a 10-day cruise and invited his siblings to come with us. Roger's sister, Chyrrl, and husband, Glynn, and his sister, Susie, and husband, Craig, signed up with us.
Off we went from the SLC airport on September 20, stayed in a Fairfield Inn in Cape Liberty, New Jersey, and boarded Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas the next day.
What a great view we got of the Manhattan skyline and of the Statue of Liberty as we sailed away!
Ship Life
We had tasty dinners every night together in the dining room and didn't ever seem to run out of things to talk about with each other!
Our ship had a large, open atrium in the middle with glass elevators that offered fun views of the common areas.
The entertainment on board was outstanding; our unanimous favorite was the spectacular ice show. Most of the skaters were Olympic hopefuls from Russia and surrounding countries.
The other big shows were held in the Platinum Theater.
There were variety shows with comedians, jugglers, dancers and singers and another favorite was an aerial show performed by Duo Quintessence, a husband and wife who performed with jaw-dropping strength and flexibility.
We also enjoyed a full Broadway show, Saturday Night Fever.
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A dance party in the atrium
Roger enjoyed an Honor the Veterans program.
We had lots of fun playing 5 Crowns and Rook together!
"Farkle!"
Craig and Susie enjoying the non-ending soft serve
We enjoyed the little towel critters each night.
Couple Pics
This cute gal greeted each person entering the buffet with hand sanitizer and a loud greeting of, "Washee Washee!"
Boston
Roger and I have been to Boston several times through the years and have walked the Freedom Trail etc., so we took a cab to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall to explore it further. We met up with Chyrrl, Susie and spouses there.
Portland, Maine
This famous harbor recalls the days of tourists arriving on steamships with its remnants of wood pilings sticking up in the water.
We rode a shuttle bus to the top of the city, then got off and walked down through town to the harbor.
It is here that we ate our first and yummiest lobster roll! Sooo delicious!
We took a guided-tour trolley ride through town, passing famous landmarks. Maine is known for its many lighthouses.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American writer and poet, was born in Portland.
We drove by lovely homes in the East and West Ends of Portland.
Below is one of my favorite-looking homes of all time!
Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in the state.
It is such a beautiful rocky coastline along Cape Elizabeth.
We viewed Portland Head Light as we left Casco Bay near Portland.
Bar Harbor, Maine
This was probably my favorite place we went, where I would love to go back because we didn't have enough time. We first took a trolley around the town to get an overview.
There were lovely, historic homes down by the harbor.
We had to take a pic of our namesake!
Bar Harbor is touristy, but, oh so charming!
The restaurant in the background is where we had our lunch of, you guessed it, lobster rolls!
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We had less than an hour to browse through the shops, which had such fun stuff!
I collect pottery from our travels, and I liked the charm of these two pieces, created by a local craftsman, Lacey Goodrich. We also had some of the most delicious rocky road fudge ever!
Some of my pottery collection
That afternoon, we traveled on the Trolley to the Acadia National Park. We were lucky to get seats, as tickets to all transportation sold out.
Chyrrl, Susie and I are posing in front of Thunder Hole on Ocean Drive.
It is in Acadia National Park where we had hoped to see the changing leaves and we were a bit early, but here and there we saw a preview of what was to come.
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Here we are at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, 1,532 feet above the harbor.
Our cruise ship is in the background.
A tender boat took us back and forth from our ship.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Sailing in to the Halifax harbor
We hired a taxi van to show us the sights in Halifax. Our driver was from Ghana, had lived in Halifax for 3 years, and had a little family. I rode up in the front seat with him and visited with him throughout our tour and he was a kind, Christian man.
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We stopped at the dental school where Chyrrl and Glynn's grandson, Spencer, received his Doctorate of Dentistry degree.
Our driver took us to the cemetery where many Titanic passengers are buried.
Dress-up Night on the ship
The theme from Rocky was playing, so Roger ran up to the top of these stairs and did the Rocky victory arm-raising gesture and we, along with those around us, got a big laugh! I marvel at my husband's spry energy!
St. John, New Brunswick
Canada's oldest incorporated city
and home to the world's highest tides
Right off the ship, vendors were selling their wares in ship containers that had been painted and turned into little stores.
We walked to Saint John City Market, entering this indoor shopping area, then walking over a sky bridge.
Gorgeous flowers were in bloom throughout the city.
King's Square was a lovely park.
City Market sold produce and local products, as well as imported food stuffs from England. There were 3 cruise ships in port, so it was quite crowded.
I loved this artist's greeting card artwork and bought a packet of them. She was so excited because it was extra busy that day and her artwork was selling well.
After we got home, Rog took a pic of the food goodies we brought home. My favorites - the maple butter and the Pal-a-Mine candy bar.
Here we are, back in the airport in New Jersey, waiting for our flight with some friends we made from Montana and Idaho.
It was so cool to see this beautiful part of our world and to be so well fed and entertained on this fun trip. And the very, very best part of it was to be with our loved ones, enjoying their company with lots of laughs and interesting and enriching moments together!
