Cruising With Friends

Rob, me, Diane and Richard

In Halifax Public Gardens

    Following our time with family in Maine, that extended to Old Quebec City, we would board a ship in the port at Old Quebec City on October 3, for a 13 day voyage all the way to Miami. Rob and I had taken three cruises in the past, and while there were parts of all three of those trips that we enjoyed, we have pretty much concluded that spending time on a cruise ship is not our first choice for travel. However, when friends Richard and Diane asked us if we wanted to join them on this one we didn't hesitate in saying yes! They over lapped with us as campground hosts at Samuel P Taylor State Park our first year there, and for the next two years we were there. Then two years ago they moved to Alabama to help care for Richard's elderly parents. We have kept in touch, but missed seeing them in person, and a cruise seemed like a perfect way to get to spend time together. And Old Quebec City was a place we'd wanted to see, and traveling down the east coast seemed like fun too.  There would be 5 port days along the way, and 6 full sea days. 

Whoops, wrong ship!

Here's the right one!

Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady.

Rob sitting on our balcony.

Beginning to cruise past Quebec City.

And me relaxing in our hammock.

I'm usually not a fan of hammocks, but this one was very comfortable!

Leaving Quebec.

Rob insisted on getting his picture with the onboard Diva!

Sunrise in the St. Lawerence Water Way, October 5.

Other ships on the dock in Halifax, October 6.

The tender we would take to shore.

    We took the tender to shore and walked around the waterfront in Halifax before joining Diane and Richard for a private tour of the area.

Guess who!

A sailing ship in the harbor.

Rob found a friend.

    

    Richard thoroughly researched all of our ports of call on this cruise and found the Halifax Lancers in Halifax. It is the only urban non-profit riding school in Canada, founded in 1936 to make horses and riding accessible to children in Halifax. This stable was our first stop on our private tour. Richard loves horses ever since his childhood, and so that's where we headed to meet the horses and feed them some carrots.

Diane feeding a carrot to one of the horses at this unique stable.

Richard was in his element here!

Is this one saying, "More carrots, please!?!"

Rob and Richard holding up a tree in the Halifax Public Gardens.

A pretty gazebo in the gardens.

The four of us on a bridge in the beautiful garden.

The Titanic, floating in the Garden pond.

Another view of the pond.

A stop at Herring Cove outside of Halifax.

    We also visited the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site while in Halifax, and I can't believe I didn't take any pictures from this very interesting location, that included beautiful views from its strategic hill top location. Our tour guide was a retired history professor so could give a very good over view of Canadian history. Once again, as in Old Quebec City, I realized how little I really know about Canadian history!

Looking at our ship, Brilliant Lady, from the shore in Halifax.

Early mornings would find me walking the track on the top of the ship.

With an occasional stop to look beyond.

Do you see what the base of this breakfast dish is?

Watermelon!

    We ate dinner with Richard and Diane most evenings in one of the several specialty restaurants on the ship, and an occasional breakfast too. Unlike some cruise lines, the specialty restaurants are included in the cost of the cruise, but they do require reservations ahead of time. Richard made the reservations well before we sailed. There was of course a buffet with lots of choices available all the time.

Early morning on the North Atlantic, October 7, 2025.

Between Halifax and St. John's, New Brunswick - our next port.

On our sea days I enjoyed relaxing in the hammock, writing, reading, or just being.

The moon and another ship, October 7.

Richard enjoying the moonlight.

    October 8, we disembarked in St. John's and Rob and I headed out to tour the town on foot, but soon turned around because of rain. Later we boarded a bus with Richard and Diane for a drive to a Cider Mill Tour. Very interesting countryside with lots of fall colors. Surprised I took no pictures on this day, but it was a rainy day, so a good day to be on a bus going through the countryside and then inside at the mill sipping cider - the four of us all opted for the non-alcoholic versions - very tasty and very interesting tour of Yip Cider!

Eastport Maine, October 9, 2025.

Notice the whitecaps on the water.

Another view of Eastport.

Rob and Diane resting on the stairs while we waited for our turn to board the tender to go ashore.

    Unfortunately, just before we were to disembark the ship for our shore excursion to the Roosevelt Summer Home near Eastport, it was announced that the seas were too rough to safely take passengers from the ship on the tender boat, so we would end up spending the day aboard ship. By afternoon it was announced that we would leave Eastport early and head to Boston for two days in port there instead of the originally planned one day.

Here we are playing cards while we waited around near Eastport.

    We all thought we'd do more of this while on board the ship, but we kept finding other things to keep us busy, including some outstanding entertainment.

A lighthouse in Eastport as we cruised away toward Boston.

Sunrise as we arrive in Boston, October 10.

A lighthouse in Boston harbor.

    On our first day in Boston Rob and I took a Hop on Hop Off bus tour around the city. We had visited Boston many years previously and done lots of the tourist stuff there, so it was fun this time to ride around and see the sights from on board the bus, though we did get off a few places, and got some photo opts for Rob.

Near the market, I think.

Recognize the Raven, Edgar Allen Poe and Rob?

    While Rob and I rode the bus, Richard and Diane went to high tea at the Public Library and celebrated Richard's birthday that was not long before our cruise began.

An outside view of the library.

And one inside.

Richard with tea tables behind.

Diane peaking from behind the delightful tea offerings at the library.

    

    On Day 2 in Boston, October 11, Rob stayed on board Brilliant Lady while I ventured out alone to walk the streets of Boston. I took a map along, but I was glad for the bus ride the day before to orient me. I had a wonderful time, taking my time exploring on foot. I did have some destinations in mind including the Boston Commons, the Public Garden,  Trinity Church and the Library. After hearing about it from Richard and Diane I wanted to see the library for myself.

There was much to attract my attention on the Greenway's display of art.

Like this piece made of ice chests.

And here is the backside of it.

Another colorful display.

One of my destinations on my solo walk was the ducklings in the Public Garden.

Somehow Rob and I missed them the day before, but I wanted to find them.

There were too many children climbing over them to get them alone.

Part of the pond in the Public Garden.

A statue in the garden.

I saw and went in several churches along my saunter. 

This was the first.

Inside

Beautiful description of a true church!

Trinity Church

Inside Trinity Church.

    After visiting Trinity Church I walked across the street to see the library, a truly impressive sight!

Lots of people, some tourists, some patrons.

Ceiling in the library.

And no, this is not a church, it's in the Library too.

After visiting the library I crossed a different street to come to Old South Church.

Inside South Church.

I loved these historical vignettes all across the back of the church.

South Church began as the Cedar Meeting House in 1670 to be a more inclusive place of worship than others in Boston at the time. The history of this church has always been about welcoming all.

On my way back to the ship, more colorful street art.

Old and new at Dewey Square.

Back at sea, October 13, on our way to Charleston.

    We had two days at sea between Boston and Charleston, and as luck would have it we headed through a Nor'easter on our way. Seas were pretty rough on October 12, and Rob and I hardly ventured out of our room. We did make it to the galley for some toast a couple of times, but mostly we just rested in our room, waiting until the seas calmed which they did the next day. Unfortunately Diane contracted a virus and ended up with bronchitis and multiple trips to the ship's doctor. Her last few days aboard ship were pretty miserable.

Rob and I spent a good part of the day on October 13 doing this puzzle.

Notice a few missing pieces.

Rainbow as seen from the outside deck, October 13.

And water spouts the same day.

Calmer seas as we approach Charleston, early on October 14.

Arriving in Charleston.

Looking over the city from our docked ship.

    On the morning of the 14th I once again disembarked the ship alone to do a solo walk about. I really enjoyed my two "choose your own adventure" outings - here in Charleston and in Boston.  Diane texted me that I should find the "Pineapple Fountain." When I tried to find it on google maps, the map program I was using must have had me in a different part of the city because it showed it was over 7 miles away, so I figured I wouldn't find it, but I set out to find other interesting things.

Here is a water fountain at an entrance to the Joe Riley Waterfront Park.

And here is a view of our ship from the park.

And Voila! 

Right around the corner was the Pineapple Fountain!

When I wasn't even looking for it.

The walk along the sea front.

I saw evidence of water cresting the walkways in this park from the previous days' storm.

I learned Charleston is doing many things to try to mitigate rising sea levels.

One of many historic houses along my way.

A statue commemorating the Confederates in the park.

Looking through a gate to a fountain.

A closer view of the fountain.

Seasonal display.

Getting ready for Halloween.

St. Michael's Church

Inside the church.

Circular Congregational Church.

    I also walked the full length of the Charleston City Market, and even bought some note cards there. It was lots of fun to wander the streets and discover things that Rob and I would later here described on a bus tour we took around Charleston in the afternoon.

Pelicans on a railing as I headed back to the ship.

Early morning, October 15 in my balcony hammock.

You can tell by my bare feet that the weather has warmed as we move south.

On our way to our final stop in Miami.

Sunrise, on the North Atlantic, October 15..

Where Rob rested while I took another lap around the ship.

Arriving in Miami, early on October 16.

Passing the luxury liner, the Queen Elizabeth.

Virgin Voyages home dock where we would land.

Sun is rising.

Downtown Miami with the former tallest building over taken by skyscrapers.

Rainbow over Miami before we depart the ship for the last time.

The red top of the ship is just visible as we wait for our Lyft ride to the airport.

And a rooster nearby.

Reminded me of all the chickens in Key West!

Flying over our ship on the way back to California.

There she is, Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady.

Thank you Richard and Diane for inviting us along!

And now, the critters back in California:

Onny, who resides at Big Basin State Park with daughter Erin.

Onny requested to be included in my next blog!

Daphne, walking the rail. 

Ellie, the cortortionist.

Elsie - is she glaring, or just staring?

Joy, Ruth's faithful companion for over 8 years.

    While on board the ship we learned the sad and shocking news that Joy was taken by a mountain lion from our Colfax property around 4:00 AM in early October. Ruth had let Joy out because she was restless, maybe with a tummy bug. When Ruth got up later she could not find Joy in the fenced yard. She thought she had somehow gotten out of the yard and wandered off, though she never had in the past. Ruth posted signs in the neighborhood and a neighbor responded by saying they had heard a strange animal noise around the time Ruth had let Joy out. Ruth searched the yard more thoroughly and found the tracks of a large lion and evidence of a skirmish just a few feet from the end of the house. She called in the county trappers and they came to the property and concurred that a mountain lion had been there and most likely taken Joy away. We have had mountain lion activity on our property in the past when Ruth had goats killed by a lion, but never anything so close to the house, and never involving a household pet. For many years we had dogs that lived in the yard, day and night, with no problem. The lions are apparently becoming more bold.

Meet Roxie!

3 months old when Ruth and Jody adopted her at an SPCA shelter in October.

More about her in a future post.