"Driving to Norfolk" Top 5 Page for this destination Yorktown Travelogue by grandmaR

I didn't get down to serious packing until Saturday.

The neighbor's old house being demolished

Monday, Dec 4th I went up for a dentist appointment which I thought was at noon, but was at 12:30. I got there at 1130 - an hour early. This was to be my last with the dentist in Baltimore, but I've got 3 cavities at least one of which has to be filled. So I made an appointment for January after I get back. Then I went to my (recently deceased) mom's house and did some stuff there, and then went and ate dinner with my oldest daughter and and her family.

Tuesday morning, I saw my grandson off on the school bus and then went back to my mom's house. The lady came over about 9:55 to pick up some stuff - got there about 5 minutes before Linda (the clean-out lady). I left for home about 2:30, and in spite of having almost no traffic, I did not get home until after 5:15 when it was getting dark.

I collapsed into the house and ate dinner, after which Bob kindly drove me to the doctor to get the stitches removed from the two melanomas which I had removed 3 weeks prior. The one on my back there was no problem, but he still wasn't happy with the one on the front of my shin.

Eventually he decided that the way I had my leg was putting pressure on the stitches, and they could really be taken out. But the lady couldn't find the knot end on one of them, so she had to get the doctor back. She left me to go and get him, and the tray with the forceps was there, so I gave in to temptation and was using them to pick around to see if I could find it myself. They came in and caught me, and apparently I looked really guilty.

Anyway they all eventually got removed. However the muscles in my calf keep pulling at the bandage and I have a hard time keeping it on. I've even tried duct tape to no avail. I finally used an ace bandage to wrap it.

Wednesday my cleaning lady came, and I had her vacuum the upstairs, and then we 'space-bagged' some things to go in the closets. I went up and got fuel to fill my car (which is a diesel), and picked up the books from the book shop that they didn't want. I meant to go to the bank and deposit Bob's rebate on his cell phone (he finally decided that he needed one), but drove past it without thinking. I returned books to the library, and got some more.

I did start making lists on Thursday.

Friday, I thought I had a hair appointment at 3, but when I got there I found that Polly (the owner of the shop) had gone to Florida, and she was supposed to have contacted everyone, but somehow I got missed. They found someone to cut my hair, but she didn't take much off. I couldn't have my legs waxed because of the bandage, but that's not that much of a problem as I don't have much hair there anymore. I also deposited the checks in the bank.

Saturday I really started packing. Bob was all packed already.

Sunday we went to pick up the car at Avis, and they had no record of us (this seems to have been a theme for this week). But I had a printed email confirmation, so we verified that it was the correct day, and the lady at the counter said she couldn't see the confirmation number, and I couldn't either. Bob said "There it is", and sure enough there it was in red letters about 1/3 of an inch tall right in the middle of the page.

She went into the other computer and found it, and gave us a white Malibu for $49.00/day (it ended up being $55 after taxes etc). We finished packing and Bob put all but the last suitcase for either of us into the car. I had put the Tidewater map into my big suitcase, but Bob was impatient so I didn't get it out (mistake). He took down the flag, and disconnected the car batteries and put a tarp over my car (which has started leaking again). My sister called and while talking to her, I was thankfully reminded to take my National Parks Golden Age passport.

After dinner he did the last dishes, and he put the garbage into the back of the truck (so as not to stink up the house while we are gone). He also took tomatoes, lettuce and celery over to the neighbor's, and saw their new house. (Photo is of their old house before they built the new one.)

Trash truck ahead of us

For some reason earthlink/mindspring subscribers have stopped being able to get the newsgroups (although I can get email), and I spend some time calling and looking on the internet. All I could find was that the 'engineers were working on it'. It was not resolved by the time we left.

I got a message from my daughter telling me that the hotel that we were staying at in Miami was in a bad area, so I changed that reservation to the Quality Inn.

We changed the sheets on the bed and Bob did the last wash and put antifreeze in the back bathroom upstairs, and serviced the washer and the furnace.

Our last Washington Post was to have been on Sunday, but we got one on Monday anyway. After we had breakfast, Bob turned off the water. Before he did that, I put a hanging pot in the bathtub in a container with water over the bottom rim. I put stuff in the last bag, and we got in the car and left at about 8:25 a.m.

When we turned onto 234, we got behind a truck taking trash to VA, so it was slow. When we got to the Governor Nice (US 301) bridge (about 9:00), Bob had to actually pay for it ($3) in cash, as we didn't have an EZPass on the rental car.

Our rental car - fourth in line on the Coleman Br.

We turned down 17 before 9:30 and were through Tappahannok before 1000. I had wanted to drive through Gloucester Courthouse, but before we got there, we saw a sign which said that the Coleman Bridge was going to open at 11:00. The last time we were on 17, the Coleman Bridge (which Bob correctly ID as being in Yorktown - I had forgotten the name of it) got stuck, and we had to go around through West Point.. So I didn't think we'd have time to take any side trips. What with traffic lights and all, we didn't get to Gloucester Courthouse before 1035.

We got to the Coleman Bridge at 1054, and just as we were on the approach a school bus yellow crew cab truck blocked the bridge by parking across it. We were about the fourth car in line. There was a destroyer waiting on the other side so they had opened early

This is a swing bridge which has a toll only going north just like the Governor Nice 301 Potomac bridge has one only going south. I got out and took some pictures. The bridge managed to get itself shut by about 1115.

We came into Norfolk, and stopped and got gas, and the car got 34 mph for the total trip of about 170 miles.

Bob absolutely refused to go to the terminal and drop our luggage off, and insisted that we would get a cab from the Avis office. So the next thing was to find that. I had printed out the map from the computer, but it didn't show all the streets. Here is where the tidewater map would have helped.

I knew the office was on 11th street, but 11th didn't go all the way through to the street we were on (US 460 - Monticello Ave), so we had to circle around. The cruise ship parking was across the street from the Avis place.

Bob started to take the luggage out of the car, but I went in to the office and asked the guy at the counter how we could get to the docks, and he said he would drive us. So Bob put all the luggage back in, and then gave me the tickets. He tipped the Avis guy $5.00, and also gave the lady with the luggage cart something since she seemed to be expecting something.

He kept one bag with his medications, and I just kept my pocketbook (which had my medications in it) and sent everything else including the computer bag in to the bag lady. The line was almost out to the curb. Outside, I could sit in benches along the way.

Photographers

There was a plastic quonset hut type place where we were to be processed - there was a lot of construction on the pier and by Nauticus. We got to the door of the processing building about 1300.

Inside was a zoo. I stood for a little while, but my back began to be very painful, so I found a chair to sit in over by the photographers where people were going in, and let Bob inch through the line. That took about 20 minutes.

When we went to check in, we found that we had been upgraded. Normally this would not have been a problem, but since we had booked back-to-back cruises, on the assurance that we would NOT have to change cabins, this WAS a problem. They made this my fault because I made the reservations with two different agencies. But I wasn't happy with the first agency, so when I looked for low fares for the second cruise, I didn't consider them. And they didn't have the lowest rates anyway.

I said I absolutely did not want the upgrade - I had booked inside low and in the center of the ship on purpose (and also it was the cheapest cabin) and had talked to HAL and both travel agencies, and they had assured me that I would not have to change cabins. They said they couldn't UN-upgrade me because the persons in the room we were supposed to have had already checked in.

So --- eventually after some phoning, they decided to upgrade us for the second cruise too. Not in the same cabin, but at least on the same deck. They told me to go to the 'Office' on board the ship and ask them to switch rooms for us for the second cruise.

Although it seemed like it took forever, we were actually walking on the ship in about 10 minutes (by 1330). Someone took Bob's carry-on and carried it up to our room and Bob tipped him too although I don't think either carrying his bag or tipping would have really been necessary.

We were concerned about our bags getting taken to the right stateroom (particularly because we found that there are three other people named Beasley aboard which she first asked if I was Margaret Beasley), but the check-in person told us that the bags would not be taken on board until we had checked in. That was the reason that we could have left the bags off first - they don't take our bags on until we've checked in. (Bob had one large hanging bag and 2 small bags in addition to his carryon, and there was a joint duffle with snorkeling equipment etc in it - I had one very large bag, one computer bag, and one small pocketbook type bag and my pocketbook that I carried.)

Bags on the pier waiting to be loaded

We went up to the Lido deck (deck 11) for lunch about 1400. You can't get your food yourself at most of the stations, and the people behind the counters didn't seem to be that interested in serving you. When we finally got some food, we ate at a table next to the window overlooking Norfolk harbor.

Afterwards (1430) I spent about half an hour walking around the deck and taking pictures of the Norfolk harbor. Waterside seemed deserted. I stopped by the Explorer's cafe (which is a combination internet area, game area and coffee bar) and got a sheet with directions for doing the internet and also stopped by the office, and explained the room problem to the desk officer. He said he would see what he could do.

By the time we got back to the cabin, my computer bag, my small bag and the duffle bag had come, and there was one bag for Bob. Bob went to take the ship tour, but he was back before we had the lifeboat drill at 4:15.

That was really awful. We put our PFDs on in the cabin. I almost couldn't get the PFD tied in the front. The directions said to dress warmly but Bob said I couldn't put my coat on over the PFD, and so I carried it and I didn't need it.

We were all packed against the wall and roll was called. My back was really starting to hurt badly, so Bob put me back against the bulkhead so at least I could lean against it. I would have sat down on the deck except I was afraid of being stepped on.

Also the announcements were SO loud that it hurt my ears. I spent the whole time anyone was talking on the public address system (and during the whistles than announced the drill) with my fingers in my ears.

Shortly after that my large bag and Bob's hanging bag came. The cabin steward came by and introduced himself and asked if we had all our luggage, and I said no that there should be at least one more item. It was Bob's bag with all his clothes in it (like underwear). I checked the excursion tickets and they were correct. We made out our Bahamas immigration forms and I put my money and wallet in the safe.

We also found a 'gift' of four bottles of wine, two glasses and a corkscrew. We later got a gift of an 8 x 10 photo from the travel agent.

Our room

We are on deck 6 on the port side of the ship about halfway between the bow and stern elevators so we are actually still in the center - just on the outside center. We have a big window and under it is the headboard of two single beds together - so it is king sized, which I don't care for because if I can stick my foot out (which I have to do) I'm too far away from Bob. That also means that you have to sit on the bed to look out the window. The bedspread has a kind of peacock feather design and maroon decorative pillows.

There is a cabin width ceiling light over the head of the bed. The phone is on Bob's side and has a faulty message light. It is blinking, but we don't have any messages. There are fake curtains (you can't draw them across) of a beige and green trellis material at the foot of the bed, and the bathrobes are hung on each side. I've hung my calendar on the bathrobe hanger, and on it I've marked which are formal and informal nights.

This cabin has MUCH less storage than the NCL Crown did. We've each got a night table with two SMALL drawers in it. Maybe 6 x 14". There is a small dressing table with a maroon stool on one end and three drawers on one side - about 20" wide and 8" deep. Over the table is the TV and a CD player, and under it is an ice bucket and glasses, and the 'for pay' sodas and bottled water.

Opposite the dressing table is a white and dark green check love seat with a little table in front of it and a small maroon side chair. There is a pastel colored picture of a windmill over the love seat. The rug is a blue/green tweed with beige flecks. All the wood is limed oak.

On one side of the hall area leading to the door is the bathroom. No storage in there either, although we have a tub with a detachable shower, a toilet and a sink with a narrow shelf above it. Even the sink counter is skimpy and is mostly taken up with a little plastic holder which has small bottles of shampoo etc in it.

On the other side are four closets. One of them just has shelves and the safe in it. One of the life preservers is on the top shelf, and the shoe basket (for putting your shoes out to be cleaned) is on the bottom. One closet has two spaces for hanging short things top and bottom. Another one has a shelf for the other life preserver, and a long hanging space. The last one has short hanging, and the a high shelf, and the bottom area has the blankets etc. This one also has a full length mirror. I brought some hangers, but there are plenty here.

I wanted to take a picture of Cape Henry lighthouse, but I realized that if we didn't leave until 5, that it would be dark. I thought we could go in to dinner at 5:30, so about 5:20 we left to go up to deck 8 as we had the upper early dinner which was to start at 5:45. We were at table 32 which turned out to be a table for 6. I looked on the diagram and saw it was right at the stern by the window. Well at least I would be able to see the lighthouse if we went past it during dinner.

They didn't let us into the dining room early as the plan of the day said they would. The dining room was mostly deserted. I don't know why as the cruise was fully booked. Maybe they went to the Lido deck to eat there or maybe they tried the Pinnacle Grill which may have been cheaper on embarkation day.

They played the chimes to announce dinner, and I thought they would take us to the table, but they did not - we had to find our way by ourselves. Two people were already there at the end seats away from the water. They were Al and Linda from Williamsburg. I took the seat next to the window and Bob sat next to me. Finally the third couple arrived - Larry (next to the window across from me) and Rona. Rona spoke so softly that I often couldn't hear her. They were from Baltimore and were about 10 years older than we are. Al and Linda are younger.

The shades were down over the windows, and I got them to pull them up. The waiters hold your chair for you, and then unwrap the napkin with a flourish for the ladies.

Last photo of the day

For appetizers, I had some kind of cold crab salad, but it wasn't at all what I expected, and I didn't care for it.. Bob had a fruit compote which looked good. Al had the mussels with ginger, garlic and lemon grass and I like the look of that. Several of us including Rona, Bob and I had the cold blueberry soup for the next course - very good.

As a main course, Bob and Al and Larry all had the mahi mahi, and I had prime rib. Linda had the roast rack of pork, and Rona had the eggplant, which she didn't like as the skin was on the eggplant. My prime rib was cooked exactly as I asked and was quite good and ample in quantity.

During dinner, we noticed that we were still at the dock. The captain announced that the engineer had seen an electrical fault in the port engine and they were going to stay at the dock until it was fixed.

They brought around the dessert menu, and also a sample dessert tray to show us. Bob and Linda and Larry all had the apple strudel. I was tempted by the coconut blanc manger but wasn't sure what I would get, so I had lemon sorbet. Rona ordered the black forest cake, but they brought her the regular chocolate cake instead, and she insisted that we all try a little of it - it was good. They also brought her a black forest cake, and she wanted everyone to try that too.

At the end of dinner we noticed the shop was moving. The Captain said he would go up the river to the turning basin and then turn around, and that was what he did - very very slowly.

After dinner, Bob went to the show (he wasn't impressed) and I went to the internet cafe to sign on. I was on the internet 19 minutes, which was part of the extra free 20 minutes for signing on during the first day. I took the $100 package of 250 minutes.

After I finished I went out on deck and took a picture as we went past the Hampton Bridge Tunnel - the Fort Wool end. It was too chilly and I was too tired to wait until we got to the lighthouse, so I'm hoping I can see it when we come back in. Then I came back to the cabin and edited my photos. Bob was already in bed - he's brought an eye mask so that he can put out the light and sleep while I'm still up

Next - a day at sea and Half Moon Cay (which is really Little San Salvador Island) in the Bahamas