2021 Nov 14-20, Carnival VALOR 5 Day Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico

2021 Nov 14, Sunday 

Monday, Traveled to Slidell, Louisiana We stopped in North Port at Mapco and filled up with gas for $29.49. We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel in Meridian, MS I ordered pinto beans fried okra, and grilled chicken. $6.53 We also had cornbread, biscuits, jelly, and water. Bought gas at 2.99 a gallon at Mapco in Northport, Al. for $29.49 and bought gas at Texaco Carrier, MS for $3.09 a gallon. We stayed at Hampton Inn in Slidedell at 4:40 PM. We watched TV and went to bed early. We skipped supper full of lunch. 

We stayed one night at Hampton Inn 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, La 

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station  

2021 Nov 15, Monday 

Took a shower ate Reese's cup and finished my Sprite. We ate breakfast at the hotel. I ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, and cranberry juice to drink. We checked out, loaded the car, and headed into New Orleans. We ran into work traffic on 1-10 going into New Orleans. We parked on 4A in the parking deck walked to the elevators and went to the ground level to wait in line to be processed along with everyone else. A woman called out Have your boarding passes ready for inspection (not folded) We walked through several lines. We handed the inspector our passports, boarding passes, COVID cards, and the results of our Covid test that showed we were negative from the results of the Covid test. Several more lines & finally we were seated waiting to board the ship at 10:40 AM. Our rooms would not be ready until after 1:30 p.m. After boarding the ship we walked to Guys Burgers where we both ordered a hamburger and fries. I got lemonade to drink. The dressing for the hamburger was on a buffet, I got onions and fried mushrooms. When we finished we walked around the ship carrying several bags. (Camera bag with Nikon D7200, medicine bag, my purse, and overnight bag) Wanda had her backpack and her purse. Around 1:30pm we walked to our cabin unloaded everything and rested. We went back upstairs to watch the ship leave the dock and that’s when the party began. (4-5PM )We watched the sunset as the ship rolled down the mighty Mississippi and it was dark by the time we reached the ocean. We went back to our cabin and changed into nicer clothes to dine in the Lincoln Room for dinner. I started with a shrimp cocktail, followed by a Caesar Salad, the entree was Sweet & Sour Shrimp followed by Strawberry cake. (5-6PM) At dinner we sat next to a couple from Tennessee near Cookeville, they had left their 13-year-old daughter at home with her grandparents because she refused to get the Covid shot. After dinner, we went to our cabin 9268 which had a balcony, and went to bed early. 

Leaving New Orleans on Carnival Valor 

Sunset leaving New Orleans on the Mighty Mississippi River 

 Nov 16, Tuesday, Sea Day

Took a shower and we went upstairs so Wanda could get her some coffee and I got some cranberry juice. We watched the sunrise around 6Am then went to the Washington room for Brunch. I ordered a Parfait it had lots of nuts, Blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt. While we were at brunch they cleaned our cabin and left a towel art laying on the bed. I ate a small taco for lunch. Today is a sea day so we sat outside and watched schools of flying fish. Today was very windy and the water was very turbulent. It was hard to walk and at times everyone looked like they were drunk. We had dinner in the Lincoln Room no one sat next to us tonight. I ordered prime ribs with gravy and potatoes, my appetizer was cocktail shrimp and for dessert, I ordered custard pie. 

 

Sunset Gulf of Mexico (Sea Day)

Nov 17, Wednesday, Mr. Sancho's Cozumel Mexico 

Watched the sun come up and then went to breakfast. For breakfast, I ate cantaloupe, French toast with syrup, eggs Benedict (which I didn't like), and chocolate milk. Today we docked in Cozumel. We took a taxi to Mr. Sancho’s which cost us 17 dollars both ways. It is a fifteen-minute ride south of Cozumel. At Mr. Sancho’s it cost us 55 dollars for all-you-can-eat and drink. We sampled a Margarita, & daiquiris while sitting under a bamboo roof.  There was a rain shower while we were there but we didn’t get wet. We watched people swimming, snorkeling, and other activities but we decided to just enjoy the view under the umbrella. We saw several birds scavenging for food. We were brought fried jumbo coconut shrimp, with orange sauce, guacamole, salsa, and chips. We also sampled a Pina Colada, Miami Vice, Banana Mama, and Mr. Sancho’s special. Our waiter was Aldo a charming young man who said he was married with a young son. He said that we were queens for the day. He introduced us to his co-worker he said the son of another mother both were very gracious and helpful. We took the taxi back to the shopping area in Cozumel. I bought a pair of pineapple teal shorts and a Burgundy top and spent $34.50. We went back through security and loaded onto the ship around 2:30PM. We watched the ship leave port at 4:30PM. We ate dinner in the Lincoln Room. I ordered Caesar salad, steak with gravy, potatoes, & broccoli. My appetizer was a shrimp cocktail and the dessert was chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Tomorrow we will dock in Progresso. 

Day trip to Cozumel 

Our waiter Aldo at Mr. Sancho's Beach

Nov 18, Thursday, Progresso Mexico 

Ate breakfast and saw towel art everywhere around the pool area. We docked at Progresso and embarked around 9AM with my boarding pass around my neck and my iPad in my hand. We loaded into a van, and there were 14 of us. We rode about an hour to Celestron where we used the restrooms and loaded into three boats. There were 4 in two boats and six in one boat. Wanda said I hope we don’t turn over because I cannot swim and our guide Misael said the water is only two feet deep. We saw pink flamingos at a distance. Flamingos eat small shrimp that live in shallow waters. They also eat algae & crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. These pigments are found in the shrimp and blue-green algae that they eat. Next, we rode a short distance and saw Blue Herons, osprey, American Anhinga, and pygmy kingfisher. We rode through a tunnel of Mangroves where we saw several termite mounds in the mangrove Yucatán peninsula biodiversity. We stopped at a boardwalk where we saw a pygmy kingfisher. We rode back to where we had parked the van, exited the boat used the rest-rooms, and looked at the trinkets that were for sale. We loaded into the van and rode to the beach area where our meals were being prepared. At the restaurant, we ate chips & guacamole dip, smoked fish, veggies, and a margarita. We stayed on the beach for about 30 minutes. 

Loaded back into the van for an hour-long ride back to the ship. Our guide played the movie "The Big Year" a nature movie about two bird enthusiasts trying to defeat the cocky, cutthroat world record holder in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

We loaded onto the ship and watched the ship leave port at sunset. We dressed for dinner, cocktail shrimp, Cajun shrimp, bread, and dessert We went to a show for about 60 minutes. 

Island of Progreso 

                                                                  

Some of the birds that we saw at Progreso 

 Nov 19, Friday, Sea Day 

Sea Day we are on our return trip to New Orleans. We ate brunch in the Washington room, I ordered bread and sausage with cheese grits. We went upstairs and got in line to purchase an item that benefits St. Jude where I bought a build-a-bear. We watched the Carnival Valor Family & Mardi Gras giveaway with Matt the cruise director. That night in the Lincoln room I ordered fried shrimp, salad, ribs, green beans, potatoes with gravy, and a dessert. Watched a Dean Martin special on TV, then went to sleep. 

Friday's Sunrise 

Nov 20, Saturday, Travel Home 

 Packed the night before, making sure we had everything. We went to eat breakfast a couple of pastries, with two chocolate milk. Grabbed our bags and met the Silver & Platinum sailors in the Lincoln Dining room. Loaded into the elevators and walked to our car our level 4A. Began our journey home. Filled up with gas at Love's in Sandersville, MS $28.31 We ordered a sausage, and cheese muffin at McDonald's. For lunch, we stopped at Arby’s for a beef & cheddar sandwich with Curley fries and a Coke. We were at Wanda’s by 4:30pm but hubby had not gotten home from work so we sat around and talked until hubby picked me up.

Hampton Inn 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, La

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station 

2002 November 7-12 Trip to Washington DC with my Grandson Jake

2002 ~ November 7-12 Washington, D.C

Rode bus to Washington D.C. the weekend of Veteran’s Day with a group of gifted kids from the Lauderdale county school system. 
All the kids and parents, grandparents had to meet  at the board of Education in Florence, Alabama. At 4:30 p.m. where we load into a tour bus.  

Day 1: Thursday, November 7, 2002  

We left Florence, Alabama on highway 72 heading to Huntsville, Alabama. 60 miles

565- Huntsville we took I565 East 2.4 miles to 72 easts for 37.7 miles, 

35 south merge onto veterans drive for 2.1 miles toward Fort Payne, 

35 souths turn right onto Al-35 South for 23.4 miles.

59 North – merge onto I-59 via the ramp on the left toward Chattanooga for 41.9 miles

24 East –merge onto I-24 toward Chattanooga for 17.4 miles.

75 north- merge onto I-75 North via exit 185 B on the left toward Knoxville, Tennessee. 

40 East- take I-40 east toward Knoxville, TN.

81 north – merge onto I-81 north via exit 421 on the left toward Bristol crossing to Virginia.

66 East- merge onto I66 East via exit 300 toward Fort Royal Washington crossing into Virginia. 

We traveled all night on the bus and most of the kids slept. We swapped drivers sometime during the night for drivers cannot drive non-stop for twelve hours.

Day 2: Friday, November 8, 2002

We arrived early the next morning and our first stop was the Arlington National Cemetery. 
We watched changing of the guards.
Arlington National Cemetery

Changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery 

We saw all the graves of the unknown soldiers, the eternal flame of President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and his brother Robert Kennedy.
We saw the memorial for the seven crew members who lost their lives when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.
On January 28, 1986, Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds after blasting off, killing  Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe. 

Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe

Also inside the Arlington National Cemetery is the Arlington House formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion it was the former home to one of the most famous southern generals, Robert E. Lee.
Arlington House The Custis Lee Mansion

Arlington National cemetery is located on 500 acres site in on the East side of the Potomac River. 

We saw the Pentagon, which is on the West side of the Potomac River.
Pentagon

Pentagon, on the West side of the Potomac River

Arlington National Cemetery 

 Smithsonian National Castle  

We visited the Washington National Cathedral Church located on 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC. The Gothic Cathedral with dramatic architecture, soaring vaulting magnificent stained glass sculptures carvings, gargoyles, peaceful gardens, and daily worship. 
The Cathedral is the sixth largest Cathedral in the world offering magnificent views of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are has 57 acres. 
Washington National Cathedra

Washington's National Cathedral  

Jake in front of the Washington's National Cathedral 

We went to the National Zoological Park located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW it has 1000 exotic animals, including the Panda Bear. 
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

It was getting close to time for the zoo to close when we arrived but I did get to see the two new Panda Bears before they closed.

Day 3: Saturday, November 9, 2002

We walked along the gates of the White House; we stood in line for over and hour to get tickets to go into the Capital Building. 
US Capitol Tours

Tickets are free and are on a first come first serving basis. 
Distribution began at nine and we arrived there about 7:30. A.M. 

US Capitol Building with our school group 

Ticket to see Washington Capitol

We came back later that day for a 45 minute guided tour.
Inside the capitol building were statues that represented every state of the Union. 
The statue that represented Alabama was General Joseph Wheeler from Pond Springs, Alabama.

There were painting on the walls and ceiling. 

The constitution of our country was under glass in the capital building. 

Washington National Capitol building is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC.

The white House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW DC. 

To visit the White House of a party of ten or more only – request must be made through ones member of congress 6 months in advance. 

We went to the Ronald Reagan building for lunch. 

Ronald Reagan Building

We used the restroom in the US Botanical Gardens.
The United States Botanic Gardens
We visited in the Smithsonian History Museum.

The Smithsonian Museum of National Air and Space Museum is located on 6th street and Independence Ave SW. 
Inside the National Air and Space Museum is many icons such as the original Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louise, Space Ship one, the Apollo II Command Module and a touchable Luna rock. 

smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

We saw the Jefferson Memorial a 19-foot statue of our third president. 
Jefferson Memorial

We saw the FDR Memorial with four out door “galley rooms” featuring ten bronze sculptures depicting the life and times of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his beloved dog “Fala”

National Park Service

We saw the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument all of these are in the West Potomac Park.

Ticket Washington Monument

Day 4: Sunday, November 10, 2002

We went to Mount Vernon, (Washington’s home in Virginia) which is 16 miles South of DC.
George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon 

Ticket to visit Mt Vernon

We ate lunch at the Fashion Center at the Pentagon City of 100 shop.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

We also visited the house were Lincoln our sixteenth president died. 

We shopped in some of the gift shops on the same street were Lincoln died. 

We went up in the elevator in the Lincoln Memorial, and I had a sick stomach and had to rush back down to find a restroom.
Lincoln Memorial District of Columbia
We saw FDR memorial and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt.

 FDR Memorial

We saw the Gettysburg address where Lincoln was sitting; he was the size of a two-story building. 

Gettysburg Address

We could see across the Potomac River to the White House. 

We ate lunch at McDonalds. 
We saw Fort Knox where they make money. 

We saw where the terrorist had destroyed the building in D.C. and it being restored. 

Pentagon being repaired after 911

We saw dinosaur bones in the Smithsonion Natioanl History museum. 

That weekend they were having a memorial and was reading of the names written on the Vietnam Wall. 

My stomach stayed tore up the entire weekend and I think I used every restroom in DC. 

We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel. 

There were four to a room and the parent or grandparent had to sleep with the child. 

We ate lunch and dinner at several different places in Washington DC.

Day 5: Monday, November 11, 2002

We started our trip back and my stomach started hurting the minute we got on the bus. 
I was having hot flashes, and I felt the urge to throw up.
I told my grandson to get me a Wal-Mart bag to barf in.
He brought me one but it had a hole in the bottom needless to say my barf went in one side of the bag and out the other spilling all over the bus floor.

It smelled awful so the driver of the bus found a place to stop and everyone got out so he could clean the bus.
Everyone went inside the store where we stopped and I went to the restroom, barfed, and pooped again.

Someone gave me some medicine for motion sickness and sick stomach. 

I slept until we stopped at a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee for supper.

My stomach was now settled down so I went shopping at the Disney store, where I bought my granddaughter a Lelo stuffed animal. 

I also bought the movie Snow Dogs that everyone on the bus watched on the way home.
I went back to sleep and I slept the rest of the way home.
A fun trip but no one will forget the time I barfed on the bus on our return trip home.