Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise...

I have been on lots of different types of vacations and I must say that I have really taken a great shine to cruises. Now my experience is limited to just one Eastern Caribbean cruise. However my wife and I have done quite a bit of research for the cruise line, ports of call, and excursions. So we have a bit of knowledge on the subject. I will just give you my own opinion, take it in the way it was intended.

First off, consult a professional (my trusty AAA travel agent Theresa and Mary). These folks have extensive knowledge on ALL the cruise lines so they can direct you to the right one. This is important because if you are wanting to relax, perhaps the Spring Break Carnival Cruise with tons of college kids isn’t what you want. A travel expert will be able to let you know what the facilities will be on the ship, if the ports of calls are dockside or tendered (this is when they take you from the ship to a little boat and then to the dock..Most cruise lines will NOT assist you with this). The more information you can get the easier it is to start doing your own research (and you will need to do research).

So the great thing about cruising is that you only have to unpack once. For most lines the food and most of your entertainment in also included in the price of the ticket. All this plus there are partner airlines that will offer deals for your airfare. It is a great deal.

As I said I took an Eastern Caribbean cruise on Disney Cruiselines and I had an incredible time. We booked last minute but it was still a pretty great deal that included airline and a hotel for the night before the ship left. We ended up splurging on a wonderful couples massage (I totally reccommend if you can swing it. I was totally spasm free at the end of it). I have made some inquiries on other lines and have heard that Princess ships going to Alaska even hook up with an accessable rail line to their own private resort. Royal Caribbean is the nice halfway point between Carnival Cruiselines and Norwegian Cruise lines.

Now here is the beautiful thing. If you don't feel like getting off the ship to battle the throngs of shoppers most lines offer discounts on shipboard services. You may even find duty-free liquor and other goodies for the same prices as at the island shops. Just something to think about. I will talk more about this in detail in another post.

Lunch at the Convention

Just wanted to give these folks some good buzz. I have a savory crepe with goat cheese and roasted red pepper. If you are in Seattle by the convention center stop by and have some great food. Also if like me you have your camera batteries die mid picture Kinko has batteries for reasonable prices.

Man I feel normal.

OK so it is no secret that I am a huge comic book fan, and even though it is a little late I wanted to post about the Emerald City Comic Convention. I must say this is a very fun day trip even if you are not into the four color books. The people watching is fantastic, and thanks to it being held at the Washington State Convention Center the food choices were pretty good to. (WSCC is just a few blocks from Pike Place Market, and very near awesome shopping of down.) The whole place was very nice and extremely accessible. Lots of parking in both buildings, and there are plenty of elevators. My only complaint was that the building that I was parked in locked up right at the time the convention closed. Enjoy the pictures of the folks in costumes.

Great weekend away (5th anniversary)

I have just gotten back from a great weekend trip celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary. We went and stayed in Seattle down by Pike Place Market (after taking a mandatory adoptive parenting class). We stayed at the Inn at the Market which is a nice modern boutique hotel located half a block from the from the Market and very close to lots of neat shops and entertainment ( The Showbox, Benaroya Hall, Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Art Museum). It all started when we pulled to the valet parking which was on the street and the great valet name Lance offered to let me unload in their underground parking lot. I checked in and the great people at the bell desk held our bags so we could head out into the city. My wife is a huge book freak so we went to Elliot Bay Books and poked around for a while. Afterward we went to an amazing restaurant, Pan Africa Market. The food is Awesome I had the Spicy Lamb stew, curried split pea, and Yams. This is love on a plate spicy, sweet, and smokey. If you are in Seattle ever, check out this out you won't regret it.

We hit the SAM and checked out the Yale traveling exhibit, and hit the market. Now if I haven't let it be known one of my guilty pleasures are comic books, and at Pike Place Market there is a pretty great comic shop there (Golden Age Comics). Really what a comic shop should be smells of decaying paper, lots of choices in both mainstream and Indy comics, lots of toys and posters. Lots of fun really. We wandered in and out many cool and eclectic shops and stalls (Chukar Cherries).

Pros and Cons.

The Inn at the Market is a great hotel. It has a great bunch of disabled rooms located on the 3rd floor it is very luxurious, it has a large open bathroom and a great staff. Cons are that like all of the waterfront there are many hills and if you are on wheels you will need to have help or be in very good shape (I am speaking as someone who is in OK shape and got winded several times).

Pan Africa Market has great food and amazingly friendly service. the prices are cheap and the portions are good. The accessibility is very good for an older building. No real cons in my opinion.

Pike Place Market. This is a landmark of Seattle that has been around for a century. While they have made great strides at accessibility it is still an old structure which means very steep ramps, and very small elevators. Plus there are cobble stones in most of the walkway so if you are in a walker this may be a problem.

Overall if you are in good shape, or if you are with a good group willing to assist you the waterfront is a fun and romantic destination. Go and have fun!!

Take a trip to fantasy land..

Here is what I mean by short trips being extremely theraputic. My wife's boss planned a belated Christmas party at a very funky, and fun place called Teatro ZinZanni (in Seattle). This is a amalgam of a caberet show, vaudeville comedic acts, live music and singing, sprinkled with a little Cirque du Soleil or Broadway, oh and there is also dinner (a 5 course meal that was excellent). I must admit I was a bit unsure what to expect because their website doesn't really tell you much (they don't want to ruin anything). This show was amazing and well worth every penny. What I found to be really great was that it was well performed but it had some mistakes. The table in front of us (right by the stage) had a juggler pin accidentally dropped on it getting everyone wet, and in the grand finale my wife got meringued (you just have to go to see what I mean).

So here are the nuts & bolts for us mobility impared folks. It is an older building but they have nice ramps to get in, and there are ramps throughout the inside of the building. You will need to book the main floor and it probably would be good to let them know a wheelchair is coming. The mens room had one accessible stall for when you need to use the restroom (and you will the performance is long), and I have been told the ladies room had much the same layout. Overall it was great and it was nice to be right down in front instead of shoved off in the corner like wheelchairs so often are.

Bottom line: hilarious, tons of fun, great food, and somewhat awe-inspiring. Check it out!

Wordless Wednesday

Wish I were here.

Sick day

Well folks, here I sit in my recliner thinking about getting away. No big trips recently but I did do kind of a cool day trip. The Seattle Science Center was hosting the Lucy exibit (I am kind of a geek so I thought this was fun). It was linked with the Hidden Tresures of Ethiopia. There was so much about that Country I didn't know. The reason I bring this up is because I am in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. This means I will also be traveling to that country. I do not have to say that it is not very wheelchair friendly but I will do better at keeping you involved in trips.