Today we go on the Caribbean Cruise We are down for breakfast at about 08:00 and we eat outside overlooking the ocean, watching the world go by. We are in the sun and it is really hot, by the end of breakfast we are just about melting. We go up to our room and finish packing and check out of the hotel at around 11:00, despite my initial impressions of the hotel I now quite like it. We get a taxi to the Cruise liner terminal. When we see the ship “The Allure of the Seas” it is enormous, there is so much of it above the sea-line, it looks like it is liable to topple over- hopefully not! As with our limited previous limited experience for checking in for cruises – it is organized chaos, ... read more

Today we fly to Miami from San Francisco. We are up at 06:30, even though our airport shuttle does not leave until 09:10. We get packed up, I am still blogging - trying to catch -up! We go down to reception and check-out.We have a twenty minute wait for the airport shuttle. Both Di and I have chosen shorts and sandals in which to travel - could be a mistake! The weather has gone a little cooler and our feet are freezing - I think that I have frostbite in some of my toes. The San Francisco weather is a little strange, somtimes it is foggy and really cold, sometimes it is really sunny but windy and can still be a little cool, other times it is really warm - and all of these can be ... read more

Today is a free day! Di is up early to get all the laundry done in the hotel washroom. I have a bit of a lie-in.We catch-up on a few things, and then head-out at around 10:30. We have decide to make today a shopping day, I need some things for the cruise. We skip breakfast and walk down to the shopping area which is called Union Square. We spend quite a lot of time in Macy's. There are two separate stores, one for men and one for women. We spend 2-3 hours shopping. We then decide to go to Fishermen's Wharf for lunch and catch a tram that takes us right down there. We eat at a real nice restaurant that overlooks the Bay called "The Francescan". We have a good lunch. I have Crab ... read more

We are up early at around 05:00 and get packed up and put the cases outside the room for the allotted time of 07:00. Di goes off to rustle up some breakfast and returns with Coffee and Danish. (We are beginning to get tired of cooked breakfasts – plus we are getting expanding waistbands). I spend some time updating my blog and Di reads her magazine until it is time to meet the rest of the group in reception for our train journey to San Francisco. A group photograph is organized in front of the Queen Mary; we then make the journey from Long Beach to Los Angeles Union Station through the rush hour traffic. We arrive at the station with time to spare, board the train and settle down for the journey. We have hardly ... read more

Today we are back into the old routine with a 08:00 start. We are going to the Grand Canyon. We take the coach to Williams; which is about a 45-minute drive, some of it along the famous “Route 66”. We arrive at Williams and go to a Cowboy shoot-out between the “Cataract Creek Gang and the Marshall, with a bit of audience participation. (This group of cowboys will show-up again later in the day!) The train journey from Williams to the Grand Canyon South Rim takes about 2-1/4 hours. The scenery through the window of the train is not too interesting. There is some entertainment on the train – Clarence Clearwater; a Native American Indian sings us some old Indian songs. We arrive at 11:45. The first sight of the Grand Canyon is truly awesome; it ... read more