 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Past Articles
|
|
|
|
|
- Sunday, July 04
- Spring Break in Shenandoah
- Tuesday, April 20
- Easter 2010
- Wednesday, March 10
- Family Fun and Run in Disney
- Monday, February 15
- Valentine's Day
- Saturday, January 16
- A Cold Snap to Remember!
- Friday, January 08
- South Tahoe- A Winter Wonderland
- Wednesday, January 06
- Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr
- Monday, December 07
- Thanksgiving 2009
- Ozark Mountains , Big Cedar Wilderness Club
- Tuesday, October 13
- Beach Hotel Visit
Older articles
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
End of Summer Cruise
Posted by Tina on Sunday, August 29, 2010 - 09:47 PM
(2 Reads)
|
|
|
|
|
Tina writes " The last week before heading back to school Gene and I joined the Armands , Aba and Abu for a 7 night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Celebrity Solstice. This was Alexa's and Paul Andrew's second cruise - by the end of the week they had advanced to experienced cruisers. Paul Andrew greeted the cabin attendants with a "Hi there" as we strolled down the hallway and the glass elevator was a constant fascination- no fear of heights with these children! Alexa enjoyed the visits to the Fun Factory where she played with other children on board and especially enjoyed visiting the deck pool with Booie.
The weather at our first port of call, Puerto Rico, was rainy so after one attempt to walk around the port we gave up and spent the day on board. The Solstice is a very lovely ship with lots of places to relax and take a leisurely stroll. Our next stop was St. Thomas and we lucked out- the weather was fantastic! We took an open air taxi to Magen's Bay which is considered to be one of the top ten beaches in the world to visit. The lovely turquoise water and the tree covered hillsides enclosing the bay definitely make this beach a destination worthwhile to repeat again and again. An added bonus was a school of friendly squid that appeared when we snorkeled near the rocks.
St. Maarten was very hot ! We took the water taxi over to the beach near one of the shopping areas. Fortunately, there were chaise lounges and umbrellas to use when we came out of the water. As we looked over the ocean we could see the island Saba in clear view. St. Maarten is actually a great place to island hop to some very lovely less populated islands.
The food and service was phenomenal at the Solstice's Tuscan Grille and the entertainment on board was very good. I was very impressed with our cabin's appearance and size.
It was a wonderful week and all too soon we were back home to Florida.We thoroughly enjoyed our cruising with all the family and brought home some very special memories!
"
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Memorial Day and July 4th Beach Fun
Posted by Tina on Saturday, July 10, 2010 - 09:11 PM
(11 Reads)
|
|
|
|
|
Tina writes " It is always a pleasure to get together with the family for holidays . Even with Paul's extremely busy schedule he managed to squeeze in time for some beach time over both these holidays. Dan fortunately was able to make it down for July 4th and take a break. Lori and Dave had made already 2 trips down to SW Florida in the last few weeks so they had already done their share of driving the full length of the state!!
It was great seeing all of Gloria's family for the July 4th holiday at Siesta Key . Even though the weather was less than perfect for part of our visit it did not dampen our spirits and we had a wonderful visit! After their full week at Siesta Key it was good to hear that Alexa and Paul Andrew are very comfortable in the water! In the years to come hope to teach them how to snorkle ...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heading Home to Pennsylvania
Posted by Tina on Saturday, July 10, 2010 - 08:42 PM
(12 Reads)
|
|
|
|
|
Tina writes " Within 5 days after school ended Gene and I were on a direct flight to Pittsburgh! During our 8 day visit we visited Gene's 3 brothers and families and explored the beautiful northwest corner of PA. Throughout our visit we enjoyed catching up with family and dining at some very good restaurants. Our first overnight stop was in Greenville where Gene's brother Paul resides . It was lovely relaxing out on his back deck in the evening air- the yard lit up with a multitude of fireflies.Unfortunately in Florida we spray for mosquitoes which affects so many more species...
We revisited several places we have visited with the sons such as Jake's Rocks and Kinzu Dam. This trip we spent several days in the Allegheny National Forest and Cook Forest - hiking in areas new to both of us. We stayed in a cabin 2 nights and also stayed with Gene's college friends Tom and Sue Curtin.
We headed eastward and stayed near several state forests- this time our accommodations was a 1830 Bed and Breakfast in Lock Haven. In Holidaysburg we visited with John and Malinda and of course shared pictures of grandchildren!
The last leg of our trip was back to Pittsburgh. We spent the afternoon visiting the Phipps Conservatory with Gene's brother Steve and our niece Stephanie. I have to say that in the last decade Pittsburgh is " new and improved"! Definitely, we had a wonderful time on our visit and would love to return the hospitality to family and friends that made our entire Pennsylvania visit perfect!!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Georgia on our Mind
Posted by Tina on Saturday, July 10, 2010 - 02:07 AM
(10 Reads)
|
|
|
|
|
Tina writes " My dear husband has has Northern Georgia on his mind as a travel destination for 2 years. I figured my birthday was a perfect time to explore the Georgia mountains!! Our cabin near Helen, Georgia was beautifully decorated- definitely the nicest we have ever rented. It was built on pilings over a pond and our accommodations included a free frog concert every evening- Ribbitt...
We enjoyed all the beautiful waterfalls- especially Anna Ruby Falls, Amicacola Falls, and Tallulah Falls with its 1,000 ft. Gorge. The Georgia mountains reach up to 4,784 ft. and in the valleys pristine rivers are so delightful and contain some very large rainbow trout! We panned for gems at Crisson's Gold Mine and strolled through a 3 story home built in 1876 that now houses thousands of antiques and collectables . I bought at the Martin's House some very lovely hand crocheted table scarves. Dining on Lake Burton provided both scenic view and delicious cuisine while Unocoi Lodge was the spot for all you could eat trout buffet. We hiked in the location where the Appalachian Trail southern entry point is located and have many many more waterfalls, trails, train ride, horseback riding, and maybe some river tubing for our next Georgia mountains adventure..
"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alexa's Birthday at " Minnie Land"
Posted by Tina on Monday, July 05, 2010 - 01:19 AM
(9 Reads)
|
|
|
|
|
Tina writes " Alexa and everyone who attended will long remember her " Minnie Mouse" birthday party - it was so much fun!! The bounce house/ slide was a big hit - at the end of the party the " big kids" were sliding down and it was tough deciding who was having more fun! Paul Andrew easily kept up with Alexa- he was like Spiderman as he climbed back up for the next slide down. Dan and I had a blast just trying to videotape all the action.
Alexa and all the little girls were so cute dancing with their Minnie ears and skirt. The surprise visit of Minnie Mouse brought big smiles- these children could not believe their eyes..... Yoyi indeed transformed the Armand homestead into a Minnie Land for a day and it will be one birthday that will be long remembered!"
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Who's Online
|
|
|
|
|
There are 1 unlogged user and 0 registered users online.
|
|
|
|
|
