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It’s Vacation Time!

The on-the-rocks margarita at Agave Mexican Restaurant in Columbia, MO.

Our second cruise was just as amazing as the first – if not more so. My parents joined Curtis, my brother Matt and his wife Chelsea and me on their maiden voyage.  It was vacation time! And we had quite the journey to make too.

 

We hit the road on Friday, January 27 ate at Agave Mexican Restaurant in Columbia, MO. Enchiladas Mexico and very strong Margarita on the rocks made for a tasty meal.

On Saturday, we headed out bright and early towards my brother’s home in Kentucky. We were blessed with having Mexican food again and it didn’t disappoint either. El Toribio in Owensboro, KY had some delicious enchiladas.

The Maker’s Mark Bourbon Burger at Rock Bottom Brewery in Nashville.

 

After a short drive, Sunday evening was spent in Nashville. For Curtis, my parents and me, this was our virgin trip and boy, did we have fun. We watched a live band at The Stage, had supper at Rock Bottom Brewery, enjoyed the atmosphere at Honky Tonk Central and sang with the rest of the bar at Swingin’ Doors Saloon.

I’d say we would have stayed in Nashville all week if we didn’t have flight to Miami to catch.

When we finally made it to the Carnival Sensation on Monday, January 30, we were starving after a long day of travel, so we went straight to the Carnival Deli to scarf down a delicious sandwich. Personally, I love the Reubens they make…not the same from a German restaurant, but still amazing!

The me, Curtis and my parents hanging out at Honky Tonk Central in downtown Nashville.

Tuesday was a Day at Sea while we made our way to our first destination of Grand Turk, but that didn’t mean we didn’t have fun. It was fancy night…woo woo! We enjoyed dinner in the Ecstasy Dining Room after taking some lovely Carnival Pixel pictures. We also enjoyed some comedy shows. If you ever get the chance to go on a cruise make sure to take in all the entertainment you can.

 

We were ready for the beach on Wednesday. After enjoying breakfast at the Lido Restaurant, we debarked at Grand Turk. Walking the long dock let us really take in the gorgeous beach. We ate a tasty lunch of Volcano Nachos and Tropical Fruit Mango Margaritas at…where else! Margaritaville! The nachos were HUGE and the margarita was STRONG!

After a few hours of shopping and wandering the beach, we practically ran back to the ship as a storm rolled in. While waiting in line we got downpoured on (and a good laugh!). While everyone else went to bed early that night, Dad and I enjoyed Hasbro the Gameshow. Once again, another piece of Carnival entertainment you should definitely partake in.

Grand Turk was a fun day of shopping, eating and walking the beautiful beach…prior to the downpour.

 

Thursday, February 2 was going to be epic. Not only were we docking at Half Moon Cay, Carnival’s own private island (AKA Little San Salvador), but it was Matt’s 30th birthday.

We had to dock away from the island so we took a double-decker boat inland and had a blast hanging out on the beach all day. We swam, we drank, some of us played beach games, we enjoyed a complimentary island lunch of jerk chicken, German potato salad and brownies. There were chickens roaming the beach, so I hope they weren’t offended by the food. HA!

Ship on a Stick… x2…’nough said.

After coming back on board, we decided tonight was a night for Matt so he got to pick the entertainment. We went to a trivia game – Celebrity Mash Up – exactly like it sounds, people. They mash the faces of celebrities together and you have to guess who they are. Well, with our powers combined, we finally won a trivia contest. And two…yes, two SHIPS ON A STICK! FINALLY! Hell, you would have thought we had won the Super Bowl, we were so excited. Now, my parents had no clue what was going on, but they and the folks around us didn’t know the trouble we’d been through trying to win one on our previous cruise. But there was always that guy…you know “that guy” who always wins everything at every trivia function. Not this time. No, sir. We won.

Tasty drinks at Lukka Kairi! Up front – My “Tropical Blend” (melon liquor, banana liquor rum and homemade colada mix); Middle – Betty’s drink, Blue Lagoon (white rum, coconut rum, blue Curacao, pineapple juice and a splash of sweet & sour mix); In the back – Chelsea’s “Kiss Me and I’ll Blush” was much better (vodka, peach schnapps, fresh mango puree, and strawberry mix).

 

Next was the Marriage Game Show, which Chelsea tried to get Matt and her on, but they definitely didn’t want to compete as bad as the other 4 couples who made it up there. Let’s just say there was some PDA from the audience I could have done without. But it was nice to see our parents cracking up.

The final event of the night was Quest (or the adult scavenger hunt) and guess who won!? That’s right…us! We were unstoppable! Two times in a row! Woo woo! We kicked ass! I will not tell you all the crazy things we had to do, but let’s just say it was worth it. While we weren’t blessed with another Ship on a Stick, we did receive three bottles of champagne (one of which we shared with the pervy old dude, who became a part of our team). By the way, I think my parents may be scarred for life.

Our final full day was at Nassau. This was one of the ports we visited the last time but we finally got to snorkel. We took a catamaran out to Eileen’s Island and got to swim with the fishes for about an hour. It was truly one of the coolest things I have ever gotten to do, although I will say I was hesitant at first to jump in the deeper ocean water. It was beautiful with all sorts of colorful fish swimming below. There was even a stingray! We almost lost my stepmom – she got a little carried away following some fish – but we all made it back to the catamaran to enjoy some rum punch and learn about the celebrities who own houses nearby. Christina Aguilera. Chuck Norris. Michael Jordan.

Lunch was at Lukka Kairi where we enjoyed some fantastic burgers and tropical drinks. We visited with the cruise director – Mat – and then shopped in the Straw Market and nearby vendors where we got some amazing wood carvings and paintings.

On Saturday, February 4, we ported back in Miami, and soon made our way back to Kentucky. After spending some family time (like we needed any more) we hit the road the next day. Our journey was over…but never forgotten.

 

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50 Happy Things in My World

Edited Nebraska rainbow pic_edited-1So I’m almost certain if I wanted to I could come up with much more than 50 things in my small little world that make me happy, but for today I’m going to start with 50 – in no particular order.

  1. My husband – Well, he probably truly is #1.
  2. Camping – We still tent camp & I love it.
  3. Writing – Duh.
  4. Nice people – Because mean people suck.
  5. Antiques
  6. Grilled food – But don’t ask me to grill…eek!
  7. Being on my grandparents’ farm
  8. Christmas cookies
  9. My dog – Most of the time.
  10. My cat – When he isn’t hacking up hairballs.
  11. Music
  12. The smell of a bonfire
  13. Penguins – Love it when the waddle.
  14. Wine/wineries – ‘Nough said.
  15. Beer/Breweries – Please see #14.
  16. Nebraska
  17. Taking pictures
  18. Fall – My favorite season.
  19. Bookstores – Especially used ones.
  20. The East Coast
  21. My hometown – Clarks, Nebraska.
  22. My house
  23. My craft time
  24. My sister
  25. Vacations – Anywhere…even a staycation is fantastic!
  26. Swimming pools
  27. Chocolate – That’s a given, especially dark chocolate.
  28. Reading
  29. A clean house – Wait…haha!
  30. German food
  31. Disney movies
  32. The smell of leaves/fresh cut grass
  33. Cruising – Either in a car or on a ship…doesn’t matter to me!
  34. My dad
  35. Coffee – If I could place a coffee IV in my arm I probably would.
  36. Green – Anything…unless it occurred by a bodily function.
  37. Ice cream – New York vanilla is best with all kinds of toppings
  38. Big Macs – Yup.
  39. Storm chasing
  40. My nieces & nephews
  41. Fudge
  42. The smell of cinnamon
  43. Baking
  44. Making my husband laugh or smile
  45. The county fair – Grew up with the Merrick & Boone county fairs.
  46. All natural products
  47. My favorite TV shows – Gilmore Girls, Reign, That ’70s Show, Friends…the list could go one
  48. My friends
  49. Thanksgiving dinner
  50. Memories of my mom
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Wine about it – a Midwest adventure

If you’ve never taken the opportunity to check out Missouri Wine Country – do it!

This year marks the third year my husband and I have enjoyed the beautiful German community of Hermann and we plan to continue doing so every year we have left.

The first time we visited was by accident. We were on our way home from St. Louis with some friends in the fall of 2013. We had just visited the St. Louis downtown, the Budweiser Brewery and, of course, The Arch, which was closed due to the government shutdown.

Our friends were taking a cat nap in the backseat when Curtis decided to find his own way home. Thus, we got to know the area of Hermann, Missouri. It was Oktoberfest and we fell in love with the entire atmosphere.

We loved it so much, we convinced some of our family to go for an adults only vacation the following June. After branching out to a few more areas – Jeff City to visit the State Penn and New Haven to visit a distillery – we decided to make it an annual adults only trip.

This year, our exclusive group expanded by two – my sister and her husband. I believe the quote of the weekend was from my sister, who left her three boys at home with her in-laws, “I’m having too much fun, this makes me uncomfortable.” And fun we had.

Even though we didn’t get camp set up until the afternoon we still found our way into town. While there, we let our taste buds wander through Tin Mill Brewery. Some in our group enjoyed the sample platter, but if you haven’t tried their Midnight Whistle I would strongly suggest it. And then we ventured into Hermanhof Winery down the road. They are home to the most delicious cherry wine I’ve ever tasted – and trust me, I’ve tasted plenty.

Hermannhoff Winery 6-5-15

The next day started a little sooner but this time we found ourselves meandering toward the Capitol of Jefferson City. Our first stop was Canterbury Hill Winery, which as the name implies is on the top of a hill. There is quite the view with a small pond and forest area to one side and then on the other side of the patio is the view of the highway traffic down below with the city rising up in the distance.

We had visited this same winery last year before our adventure at the Missouri State Penitentiary and it was fondly remembered by all in our party for not only the tasty wines, but the scrumptious appetizers and other drinks. So once again we enjoyed our lunch made up of some of their numerous appetizers. My favorites – the spinach artichoke dip and potato skins. The men enjoyed the winery’s brews while the women sipped on the wine. I enjoy most varieties of wine but am partial to a dry red so my “go-to” there is the Red Towers.

Canterbury Hill wine 6-6-15

Next we made our way to Prison Brews just a few blocks away from the State Penn. This place was a first for us and we weren’t disappointed. Once again, we grabbed ourselves some appetizers (enjoying ourselves makes you hungry) and a sample tray of their beers. Once we all found our beer destiny, we ordered our own pints. I do enjoy many kinds of beers – ales, pilsners, IPAs – but I found myself drawn to the Prison Town Brown, an English-style ale. Incredible!

The rest of the brews were aptly named for the fortress they represented such as Reformatory Rye Stout and Maximum Sentence IPA. And the overall atmosphere was to die for…pun intended. The staff was kind and slightly entertaining, and of course, they played up the prison scene with cell bars throughout. A great spot to stop – and hopefully, we will again in year’s to come.

Prison Brews 6-6-15

Our final day was bittersweet, with the idea in our heads that we’d be heading home the very next day, but that didn’t stop us from making the most of it.

We went back into Hermann and swung into Missouri’s oldest winery – Stonehill. There some of us checked out a small car show, while the rest went into the main building and started browsing. We went on a tour of their five wine cellars. This is a tour I would strongly recommend. It was incredible to hear about the history of the winery and see how the owners continue to keep the famous wines fermenting to perfection, plus, it didn’t hurt that it was 50-degrees down there during some 90-degree weather outside.

Then after hitting up a number of cute antique stores we ventured into a beloved spot for us – the Hermann Wurst Haus, known fondly for their “Best of the Wurst Deli”. There I got a Carmelized Pear & Gorgonzola bratwurst on a bun with chips and a pickle, but of course I went for the sauerkraut edition. I’m in a German town…what do you expect!? I topped it off with a Wurst Haus original, Butcher’s Block Lager. The combo was magnificent.

I would suggest going over to the sample station first before picking out your brat in the deli. Other highly recommended brats – Asiago & Chive and Andouille. Other highly recommended brews – the house’s Steamboat Smoked Ale and Crown Valley Brewing Strawberry Cider.

While half of our party made their way back to camp, the others made our way to Pinckney Bend Distillery in New Haven, MO. No suggestion here, just an order – Visit this place! We went last year; we went this year; we’ll go again next year. No contest.

Pinckney Bend 6-7-15

For $5 you get to take a tour of the facility and also a “tour” of their spirits, plus a lovely little glass. Our tastebuds were wowed with their gin, vodka and various whiskeys, including my new favorite – a limited edition Port Whiskey.

Pinckney Bend sign 6-7-15

Afterwards, we ventured on to find 2nd Shift Brewery in Cedar Creek, MO, and took a tour of some of their delicious brews in the western saloon on site. Brew Cocky was my personal favorite.

Our adult vacation was coming to a close the next day but we all vowed to make a point to continue the now annual adult-only vacation to Missouri Wine Country.

If you’re in the area, check them out! And of course, be safe while doing so!