Sixteen Days of Fun, Sun, and a Little Mrs. Roper!

Tomorrow is the day!

Well, actually, Friday is. But tomorrow we hit the road and head to San Pedro (Los Angeles), California, where our ship will be waiting for us.

It’s about a seven-hour drive from Mesa, AZ. UGG! Seven hours sitting in a car isn’t exactly my idea of fun, but it’s a whole lot better than paying an outrageous airfare and then having to shell out even more money for an Uber from LAX to the cruise terminal.

Besides, what’s seven hours when paradise is waiting at the other end?

WE’RE GOING TO HAWAII! YAY! 🌺

I can hardly believe it. My dream vacation is finally happening!

We’ll be sailing aboard the Emerald Princess for 16 glorious days. Have you ever sailed on her? About two years ago, we cruised on the Discovery Princess, and it was quite lovely. I’m hoping this ship will be just as wonderful.

We’ve been looking forward to this vacation for what seems like forever. For me, Hawaii has always been one of those dream destinations. You know, the kind you think about, talk about, and wonder if you’ll ever actually get there.

Well, I’m getting there!

Ken, on the other hand, is an old pro when it comes to Hawaii. He’s been there many times. In fact, he was stationed there during his military days. But even for him, this trip will be something different. It’ll be interesting to see what he remembers, what’s changed, and what has stayed the same.

I’m looking forward to hearing his stories as we explore the islands together.

Five Days at Sea? Yes, Please!

Now, some people might cringe at the thought of spending five consecutive days at sea.

Not me!

Five whole days of doing whatever I darn well please. No cooking, no cleaning, no appointments, and absolutely no responsibilities. Just me, Ken, the ocean, and whatever adventures we decide to get ourselves into.

Oh, how glorious!

And there’s going to be plenty to do aboard the ship.

Since we’re heading to Hawaii, there will be Hawaiian entertainment, ukulele lessons, and hula dancing classes. Can you picture me doing the hula? Oh boy! That should be interesting!

There will also be watercolor painting classes, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ve been taking watercolor lessons lately, and although I’m still learning, I think painting while sailing across the Pacific sounds absolutely wonderful.

Of course, there will be all kinds of other activities. Trivia contests, card games, Let’s Make a Deal, and who knows what else.

But those things aren’t really my cup of tea. I don’t play cards, and I’m not much of a game person. I’d much rather be painting, watching a show, enjoying some entertainment, or simply sitting somewhere with a beautiful ocean view.

And perhaps a cocktail.

Okay, definitely a cocktail!

Mrs. Roper Goes to Sea!

Now here’s something that should be a hoot!

A Mrs. Roper Romp Pub Crawl!

What’s that, you ask?

Oh, come on! Surely you remember Mrs. Roper from the television show Three’s Company!

Helen Roper was the hilarious landlady with the curly red hair, oversized caftans, chunky jewelry, and a husband named Stanley who never seemed particularly interested in her romantic advances.

She was a character, that’s for sure!

Well, apparently Mrs. Roper has become quite the sensation again, and people are dressing up like her for parties and pub crawls.

And we’re going to have one right aboard the ship!

Imagine a bunch of passengers wandering from bar to bar wearing colorful caftans, big necklaces, and curly red wigs.

I can’t wait to see that!

I’m sure there will be plenty of laughter, some ridiculous outfits, and probably a few cocktails along the way.

Mrs. Roper would be proud!

Aloha, Hawaii!

Our ports of call will be Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu, and Kauai.

Just writing those names makes me excited!

We’re planning two excursions, one in Hilo and another in Honolulu. I can’t wait to see the beautiful scenery, tropical flowers, mountains, and everything else Hawaii has to offer.

While we’re in Honolulu, we’re also hoping to visit the Elks Lodge in Waikiki.

From what I’ve heard, it’s an absolutely beautiful Lodge, right near the ocean. Being Elks members, we thought it would be fun to visit a Lodge so far from home.

The only problem?

We have an eight-hour excursion planned that day!

I’m hoping we’ll still have enough energy afterward to visit. Of course, after eight hours of sightseeing, we might be ready to collapse into the nearest comfortable chair.

We’ll see!

Once we’ve finished visiting the islands, we’ll spend another five days at sea before stopping in Ensenada, Mexico, and then returning to San Pedro.

Sixteen days.

SIXTEEN DAYS!

Did I mention how excited I am?

A Little Scare Before Paradise

For a while there, I wasn’t sure this vacation was going to happen.

Ken ended up in the hospital for four days, and I was getting pretty concerned. If you read my previous blog about his hospital adventure, you know it wasn’t exactly a picnic.

Especially for Ken, who would rather do just about anything than go to an emergency room!

Thankfully, everything worked out, and we’re back on track.

What a relief!

After all the planning and anticipation, I would have been terribly disappointed if we’d had to cancel.

But here we are, suitcases almost packed, excitement building, and Hawaii calling our names.

A Little Pampering Before We Go

Before we leave, we have one more important appointment.

Manicures and pedicures!

Yes, BOTH of us!

I have to laugh because it took a little convincing to get Ken to have his first pedicure. But once he experienced someone soaking, scrubbing, massaging, and pampering his feet, he was hooked!

Now he’s the one asking, “When are we getting our next pedicures?”

Who would have thought?

I guess you’re never too old to discover the finer things in life!

So, we’re off to get our fingers and toes looking presentable before our big adventure.

After that, it’s time to finish packing, double-check everything, and get ready to hit the road.

I have a feeling these next 16 days are going to be filled with wonderful memories, plenty of laughter, beautiful scenery, and maybe even a few surprises.

And you can bet I’ll have lots of stories to tell when we get home.

Hawaii, here we come! ALOHA! 🌴🌺

Gotta run!

Eydie

PS. Did I tell you that my daughter is coming to stay in our house while we’re away? She needs some peace and quiet for a while.