It's almost that time to leave for our Christmas get away, but it still seems like there are a million things to do. First and foremost on the list is to enjoy my last day at work. I plan on doing this by having a great time at my class party with the students and parents, making sure my two assistants have a relaxed and enjoyable day, and relishing the fact that by this time tomorrow I will be on my way to a much needed vacation.
I promised I would post an itinerary of sorts so here it is!
Tonight will be busy in that we have to get everything loaded up into the car- including the dogs and their luggage as well! This consists mainly of their two giant crates to sleep in, a bag of dog food, a bag of dog treats, toys for them to chew on, bones for them to chew on, towels- not for them to chew on, and other odds and ends. We almost need a diaper bag to tote all their stuff in!
We will be driving up to my parent's house in Ocala to drop off the puppies and have a nice and relaxing evening at home. I am really looking forward to being home this time and seeing our tree and my mom's Christmas village. And maybe it will make me feel less guilty about being gone for the holidays :)
The next morning we will say goodbye to the dogs (which I think will be harder for me then it will be for Chris) and then make the five and a half hour drive south for Miami. The only part about this vacation that I am not looking forward to: the drive and Miami parking, it can get a little chaotic.
The ship is scheduled to depart later in the afternoon at 4pm. I think that is the part I am MOST looking forward to (jk).
To make it easier for my parents I am just going to start itemizing this by date instead of rambling like I normally do.
December 18: Day at Sea
Sounds fun right? I think we are planning on using this day to get all our exercise in and explore the ship. They have a jogging/walking track I want to check out, and of course the El Dorado Fitness center. There's something about exercising with a view of the ocean that makes it seem like your not doing any work :)
I also plan on doing a rematch between Chris and I in a little game of shot put. And maybe he will want to go for a game of Scrabble, but I doubt it.
And of course we plan on being lazy beach bums and relaxing by the pool and sunbathing, but that's not really exciting to talk about.
For dinner that night we are planning on getting all glammed up and making reservations at the Le Bistro French Restaurant. This was hands down are favorite dining experience from last time, and I even discovered how much I loved escargot! Seriously, it's really good.
Decemeber 19: Samana, Dominican Republic
Our first destination and shore excursion on the lovely island of Hispaniola...more specifically Samana, Dominican Republic. I will have to do several shout outs for my co-workers who are from this country. I am really excited because our shore excursion consists of drinks and ATV'ing. Called the "ATV Experience" on our shore excursion sheet. This was something Brett and I did last time while Chris and Ilea went horse (mule) back riding. I am really glad that I get to do this with Chris because it was one of my favorite experiences from cruising, and probably the best shore excursion I have done to date. It's about 3 hours of off-roading all over the island including the interior of the Samana Peninsula. We will also be visiting La Cascada Lulu (a waterfall), and El Valle Beach. Our tour guide was really great last time we went, and the tour even included samples of the islanders favorite beverages.
December 20: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Tortola and is the main and largest island within the British Virgin islands. We plan on exploring for a little bit, but last time we went that didn't take up very much of our time. So...we have another excursion planned for this day called "Sail Escape to Jost Van Dyke." We will be boarding a two-deck motor catamaran and cruising to, where else, Jost Van Dyke. We will be going to one of the better beaches White Bay and visiting the Soggy Dollar Bar (so excited!! I may have to get a hat).
December 21: St. John's Antigua
We will be exploring the area in a Land Rover Jeep including the village of Buckleys and the scenic valley of Body Pond. We will also be able to do some off-roading and get into the heart of the Antigua rainforest and visiting their famous pineapple plantations. This will definitely be a bring your camera excursion.
December 22: Bridgetown, Barbados
Barbados offers a wide variety of activities for the more adventurous travelers to take in. They had everything from an aerial zipline to cruising around the coral reefs in a submarine. We settled on a catamaran tour that would take us along the Barbados coastline. It lasts five and a half hours with food/drinks included, and we are really excited about the opportunity to see sea turtles in the wild and doing some more snorkeling! I think Chris is very excited to test out his new underwater camera :)
December 23: Basseterre, Saint Kitts
We will be exploring St. Kitts on our own....beach and snorkeling are musts!
December 24: Day at Sea
Yawn.
December 25: Day at Sea
Merry Christmas!
December 26: Back to Miami!
At this point we will be returning to our home in Winter Park for a day after Christmas celebration with the entire family. But more importantly we will be reunited with our puppies which I'm sure at that point we will be them like crazy!
Looking forward to the trip...Obviously all my posts about the vacation will have to come after the trip. Paying for internet is really expensive, and I'm going to do my best just to be with my hubby and enjoy our time together.
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