As I write this, we are just 5 days from embarking on our big trip in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary. We originally called the cruise an early anniversary trip but when Richard retired, we then considered it our retirement trip. Shortly after arriving home from our Alaskan cruise, we received an invitation from PRINCESS to go on the New England/Canadian cruise in September. We looked and our anniversary occurs while on the cruise. It was a GREAT price and so we went for it.Our trip will commence with Richard taking part in a retirement symposium at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. That event will be be held on September 16-19 with our lodging and most meals paid for. SWEET. We hope to meet up with our long-ago pastor, Ray L. and his wife Ida while in the city and perhaps even attend their church on that Wednesday night. From there, we will drive back to Huntsville as Chip will have closed on his house on the 18th, and we want to help him with the move. We will be there with him for a few days before we take off to make up drive up to New York City where we will catch the cruise on Sunday, September 28.
Our cruise itinerary:
September 28: Set sail at 5:00 p.m. from the Brooklyn Pier in NY
September 29: (Our 35th anniversary) Arrive in Newport, Rhode Island at 7:00 a.m. We will take the Beechwood Mansion and Ocean Drive excursion in the morning and then the Scenes of Newport drive in the afternoon. The ship sails from Newport at 4:00 p.m.
September 30: Arrive in Boston at 10:00 a.m. We have plans to see my dear online friend Chickie during the morning hours and then will take the scenic Boston & Harbor cruise from 2:30-5:30. We depart from Boston at 7:00 p.m.
October 1: Arrive in Bar Harbor, Maine at 7:00 a.m. where we have reserved the Acadia National Park, Museum and Mansion tour from 8:30 - 12:30. We will then have time to do some sightseeing on our own before the ship sets sail at 6:00 p.m.
October 2: Arrive in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada at 7:00 a.m. We will take the Saint John Highlights tour from 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. and then get back to the ship as we will set sail at 4:00 p.m.
October 3: Arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia at 9:00 a.m. where we will visit Peggy's Cove and take the double decker trolley tour at 2:00 p.m. The ship will sail at 6:00 p.m.
October 4: We are at sea all day making our return trip to NY.
October 5: Arrive back in New York, New York at 7:15 a.m. We plan on visiting Chris High's church in New Jersey that morning.
We will then make our leisurely way back home stopping at various places of interest along the way, spending a couple of days in Gatlinburg (the site of our original honeymoon), seeing dear friends Jerry and Peggy in the Chattanooga area, and making our way back home.
We look forward to our exciting trip in celebration of our 35th anniversary!!!
