Cruisin'

Warning: Lots and lots of photos! 

I didn't even remember this until we were on our way. 28 years ago my roommate and I started planning a trip to Mexico. I ended up going on my mission to Honduras instead. So this trip was kind of fulfilling a dream for me. 

The first evening we drove to Twin Falls and stayed with my sister. Friday morning we went to the temple with her and then headed south through Nevada. We stopped in Ely for lunch because Tom's great grandfather had passed away there.  

We finally arrived in Las Vegas a couple hours ahead of everyone else, so we took the shuttle to the strip. We watched the show at the Treasure Island casino, and joked about the For Strength of Youth violations. James and Hannah both said, "I've heard about Las Vegas all my life and now I'm here I see it's fake." The next morning we read Helaman 15:1 and just had to laugh. 

Saturday we traveled to the LA area and spent some time with Tom's brother and sister and their families. 

Sunday we boarded the ship.

Setting sail in LA, California

We learned pretty quick that it was good we were eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's about the only time we ever saw James and Hannah. 

Kimball Majors: I'm so tired. 

Water, water, everywhere...

Tom

Tom, as we approached Cabo San Lucas. Behind him you can see "Divorce Beach." It's called that because the Pacific side of Land's End has dangerous riptides and waves. 

Land's End: The big rocks and the arch

Lover's beach. The back side of the beach is Divorce Beach. 

Tendering to land...Hannah and James

The arch

Snorkeling: Tom and Hannah

Our ship: Splendor

That's my girl. On this trip she played with a snake and an iguana. 

Para sailing

James, Ann and Tom

Hannah

We asked the owner of the tour company where to eat. He asked, "Where you eat or where I eat?" We said, "Where you eat." He directed us to a "cart." It was a cooking truck. Delicious tacos!

And we learned a trick...a little bit of salt really tones down spicy food. All the food I ate in Mexico was just right. The spice was added in hot sauce. 

At the "cart" we asked how to get to a beach without a water taxi. The man joked with us. "There is a beach about 5 minute walk from here. We call it the Mexican beach...no tourists allowed. But you can go there." Five minute walk and we were on a very nice, uncrowded beach. 

Sunset

The whole group

Back row, left to right: Dale, Ada, Brittany Majors, Christi Majors, Khadijah, Carla Rae (almost hidden), Hannah, Julie and George Majors, Marian Bergeson, Greg Shaffer, Me, James, Tom, Bruce and Jillian Majors, Audrey Majors 

Front row: Carl Majors, Courtney Majors, Sydney Bergeson, Kaitlin Bergeson, Jeremy Bergeson, Anya, Kenny Majors, Kimball Majors, Trevor Bergeson, Presley and Alex

See the iguana?

Ann, Hannah, Tom and James in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a very pretty and clean city. It is filled with good, honest, friendly people. Wish we could have spent more time there. One day in Cabo and two in Vallarta would have been perfect. 

James and Hannah holding a macaw. 

Carl entertaining Kimball

Kaitlin and Jeremy

Puerto Vallarta--I had so much fun trying to talk to them in Spanish.

That evening a Mariachi group came on board and did a show for us. They also had some dancers doing folk dances. It reminded me so much of Honduras, and I was overcome by my love for the Hispanic people. Everyone else was excited, but I was crying. ha ha!

Among, our steward from Indonesia. He was fabulous. He knew our names from the beginning and even knew the names of the others of our group that he was helping. 

Among, left amazing towel animals for us every night. 

Sunset in Puerto Vallarta

Our last sea day started out rough. 

That was the morning they provided barf bags by the elevator just outside of the dining room. 

Trevor enjoying his second entree. 

Our amazing waiters

They got to know us so well that they didn't offer coffee, tea or alcohol after the second night. They could almost guess what we would order...including the 10-12 chocolate melting cakes our group ordered every night! 

Max, from Ecuador. He said he had been working since 1986. 25 years. 

Here's the breakdown of our group: 

George and Christi Majors (mom and dad--Christi is Tom's sister)

Jeremy, Marian (daughter), Trevor, Sydney and Kaitlin Bergeson 

Dale (son), Brittany, Kimball and Ada Majors

Bruce (son) and Jillian Majors

Audrey (daughter) Majors and her kids Anya, Presley and Alex

Julie (daughter) Majors

Kenny (son) Majors

Courtney (daughter) Majors

Khadijah (neighbor of the Majors)

Greg Shaffer (neighbor of the Majors)

Carla Rae (George's sister)

and those crazy Jensons

Girls only

This was my first trip to the Oregon Coast. I've been to the beach in San Diego and Santa Cruz once each in my 47 years. Tom always talks about how much fun the beach is and how much he misses it. I finally started thinking to myself, "He misses the beach the way I miss the mountains." That's the only way I could relate for a while. I'm beginning to see what the beach means to people. When we finally got to the beach, I didn't care it was only 60 degrees...I was in that water as fast as I could reasonably get there. LOL...I felt like a kid, running down the beach just to get my feet wet.

At the beach in Manzanitas, Oregon

I went with my two friends, Lynda and Donna. They are both 10-14 years older than I am. I felt like a teen as I jumped in and out of the Yukon and walked circles around them. I never thought when I met Donna and Lynda through Dr. Phil's message boards that I'd have lifetime friends. They both live in town. Lynda and I walk together twice a week at the mall. We get with Donna once a month to visit and work on whatever project we have going at the time. Lynda needed companions on this trip to Oregon to pick up her grandma's desk. Donna volunteered herself and me to make the trip. We talked, teased, joked and talked some more. We enjoyed it so much that we are planning another trip in three years to Manzanitas, and we'll just relax and play together for a few days.

Donna, Ann, and Lynda at Seaside, Oregon

And we can't forget the Tillamook Cheese Factory where I experienced Squeaky Cheese for the first time. I'm the face of the cow.

On the way home we took a scenic drive and saw all the falls on the way down the freeway. This is the trail at Bridal Veil Falls. I loved the greens of the trees. Gorgeous!

Me at Bridal Veil Falls

At Multnomah Falls Donna and Lynda waited for me as I walked up to the bridge you see in this photo. The trail to the top was another .8 miles, and I went a little ways, but I didn't want to make them wait 2 hours for me so I didn't go too far. I love how strong I've been feeling, and I knew the hike wouldn't be a problem for me. No worse than the Timp Cave or Wind Cave hikes! As I walked along I thought, "I LOVE doing this. How I've missed it!"

Horsetail Falls

The Quest

Here's the bunch that tried to hike Mount Timpanogus. They decided after five miles that the snow was too dangerous so they didn't make it all the way. They had a great time, though, and are looking forward to another attempt later. Early September was always the best time when Tom and I hiked it before.

James, Tom, Hannah, Aseana, Sean and Roscoe

After camping with the Grubers we met a friend of mine from Junior High and had lunch. Then we visited Tom's sister in Salt Lake City for a night. Tom's mom is living with his sister and it was good to spend some time with them.