Author Archives: Sparky
CV1 Day 14: Hop 5, Orlando FL to Coral Springs FL
227 miles via I-5, FL 50, I-95 and local roads. Cumulative route miles: 1625. Cumulative auto miles: 1679. We did not use the car in Orlando. The weather was good but traffic was heavy, both leaving Orlando and approaching Ft Lauderdale. Memorial Day weekend. We made a brief stop at Plato’s Closet where Marlene found … Continue reading
CV1 Day 13: Hop 4, Acworth GA to Orlando FL
476 miles via GA 82 and then mostly via I-75 but with two major diversions, courtesy of the GPS that were too complicated to recall exactly. One was down US 41 and back to I-75 via Jackson Road, to avoid an accident. The other was through Apopka, diverting east of I-75 and entering Orlando from … Continue reading
CV1 Days 11 and 12: Acworth GA
We spent two days in Acworth (or, more accurately, a day and a half as we arrived late on Wednesday and left early on Friday), guests of Marlene’s son and his family. The purpose of the visit was to attend the high school graduation of Marlene’s grandson, Matt. We were able to do just that … Continue reading
CV1 Day 10: Hop 3, Charleston SC to Acworth GA
331 miles via SC 61, SC 7, I-26, US 301, SC 839, SC 39, I-20, I-75 and GA 92. Cumulative road miles: 921. Cumulative miles: 976. The extra miles were due to shopping and sightseeing in Charleston. This was a complicated route that included some small rural highways. But the weather was good and the … Continue reading
CV1 Day 9: Charleston SC
Our second full day in Charleston looked a bit like the first. It started with breakfast in the hotel, then we went to Goodwill to exchange a couple of the items we had purchased the day before. Then we drove into the city with the intent of touring some churches. But not many churches were … Continue reading
CV1 Day 8: Charleston SC
We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed out. But we didn’t go directly into the city. It was chilly and Marlene did not have a jacket to wear, so we went first to the Goodwill a couple of miles from us. Anyone who knows Marlene will not be surprised to hear that the … Continue reading
CV1 Day 7: Hop 2, Tampa FL to Charleston SC
The disembarkation process was more difficult than it should have been, but not as bad as it was on the Vista. We gathered in the theater, without luggage, and waited about 30 minutes before being allowed to leave the ship. But the exit, rather than being on that level or the level below, was 5 … Continue reading
CV1 Day 6: At sea
This was our last full day at sea and most of it was spent in the casino. We could have saved a lot of money if we had done other things. I had my worst casino experience ever: I lost $320 and ended the cruise down an even $600. It won’t break the bank, but … Continue reading
CV1 Day 5: Cozumel, Mexico
The day began with breakfast in the buffet and some blogging (through Day 4). Then we went ashore with the intent of going into downtown San Miguel which is pretty much the only city of any size on the island of Cozumel. But we never got there. Marlene and I had some kind of silly … Continue reading
CV1 Day 4: Belize
As you can see from the photo, it was rather hazy when we docked in Belize, near Belize City. The haze eventually wore off, but it was a hot and very humid day. Belize City is not a deep water port. Large ships need to dock about 2 miles from the city. The trip, via … Continue reading