Busy Weekends Recap
Posted on October 4, 2026 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.
I keep falling behind on the blog due to busy Weekends so this is going to be another catch up post. First, I volunteered at our work booth at the Kansas State Fair a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t really get to enjoy the fair because Brian didn’t want to come up. That and we had Zoobile the prior weekend and a pickleball tournament in Overland Park on the second weekend. We had work in between so there wasn’t really any time to go.
I was so focused on getting to Hutchinson early that I prepared my bag the night before. However, I forgot to throw the most important thing in there–my ticket. I grabbed my bag when I walked out in the morning and didn’t realize that my ticket was still on my desk until after I parked. I figured that I would probably just have to pay for a ticket for the day but when I explained the situation to the gate attendant, she just let me in. I guess I have a trustworthy face. LOL.
Actually, she was like, “Just remember to bring your ticket tomorrow.” I wasn’t volunteering any other days, but I wasn’t going to argue so I just said, “Yes, ma’am.”
I didn’t want my ticket to go to waste so, on our way out of town the next morning, we gave my ticket to the drive-thru person at Mokas. I figured that even if they couldn’t use it, then maybe they’ll run into someone going to the Kansas State Fair who could benefit from a free ticket. We weren’t running into anyone else likely to go because we were about to get stuck in the car for two and a half hours.
We went up to Overland Park for the APP Dillons Overland Park Open. First, we weren’t planning on going up. I kind of toyed with the idea of going up to spectate and cheer for friends who were playing but wasn’t particularly committed. However, due to the low registration numbers, they were giving away free tournament entries to various clubs. I got an offer to play for free through TapNPaddles and also through the Chicken N Pickle ambassador team.
I could have played in multiple events for free but, because I was at the Kansas State Fair on Friday, I really could only play on Sunday. I decided to roll the dice and signed up for 4.0 mixed doubles without a partner. As luck would have it, a friend from Kansas City (Isaiah Peel) also did not have a partner so we agreed to team up. The down side for us was that we had never really played together before and we didn’t really get a chance to have any practice games. But I wasn’t really too concerned because I wasn’t counting on playing. I was just grateful that I could.
Brian and I caught another lucky break in that the Holiday Inn Express next to the tournament venue is pet-friendly so Saki could go with us. Here’s a view of the tournament venue from our hotel room window.
We arrived at the hotel early and our room wasn’t ready so Brian dropped me off at the tournament while he waited in the lobby with Saki. The concierge was nice and let him check in shortly after noon. After he got Saki settled in our room, he grabbed some lunch and then came out to tournament to watch our friends and hang out with me.
Dinner that night was at Nick & Jake’s. Credit to our friend Susie Ternes for organizing. The next day a bunch of us had to play against one another in mixed doubles. There were three Wichita teams in our division–Branden Stephenson (Susie’s brother) and Stacie Myers, Craig and Kelly Balzer, and Susie and Keith Lietzke. Then there’s my team which is half Wichita, half Kansas City.
There were nine teams total and so they divided the teams into two pools. The Balzers and Branden and Stacie were in the pool with five teams and then Susie and Keith and my team were in the pool with four teams. I was glad that we weren’t all in the same pool because I’ve actually had that happen in past tournaments. Anyway, the format was such that only the top two teams in each pool would advance into the playoff bracket. In the end, only teams with Wichita players got to advance so our four teams got to complete for medals. Wichita ended up sweeping the podium with the Balzers taking first, Branden and Stacie taking second, and Keith and Susie taking third. I think my team ended up falling short of the podium because we were only half Wichita. LOL.
All jokes aside, I had a fantastic time at the tournament. Our division started late so Brian and Saki actually drove back to Wichita without me because we had to check out of our hotel and the indoor venue wasn’t pet-friendly. I hitched a ride home with Susie and Branden so it worked out that we all finished around the same time.
The tournament was held AdventHealth Sports Park, a brand new venue in the Bluhawk area of Overland Park. The indoor sports facility also has an ice skating rink and a massive arcade. Naturally, we had to play some games before we left because the Stephensons (specially Susie and Branden) are quite competitive.
The following weekend our friend Tom Grace came to visit and we all got our nails done together: me, Brian, and Chris Townley (our usual group) plus Tom. Susie even joined us–which worked out great because then it gave me a chance to watch the Paddles for Plates benefit tournament for the Kansas Food Bank at Chicken N Pickle. And, then I rode with her to the nail salon.
After nails, Susie had Somewhere Fest. Tom, Chris, Brian, and I had the drone festival at Exploration Place but we grabbed dinner at the Monarch before that. On Sunday we had a surprise birthday party at TapNPaddles for Kelly Balzer. It was another fantastic weekend.
This weekend, I took my sister to the hospital on Friday for her colonoscopy. Her husband Adam works late so I agreed to take her. Anyway, I was documenting this occasion because I thought it was her first one. I was quite disappointed to find out this is actually her second because she had a colonoscopy before while in her 30s.
Our friend Laurie Adams came to visit for the weekend and we celebrated her birthday at Newport Grill. We got to meet her friends Lindsey and Doug, who also live in Wichita, and her boyfriend Cale at dinner.
On Saturday, I ran the first InPickle Nation mini tournament of the fall season (which was a little tricky as I had a couple of no shows–thankfully, Pam Browning and Branden Waldschmidt who were already there playing in Harvey’s ladder group agreed to stay and play to complete our group). Laurie and Branden got paired for bracket and took second.
Brian and I met Adam and Jenni at the movies after IPN. Jenni got us tickets to watch the Forgotten Island, a Disney animated film based on Filipino folklore. It was the first time Brian and I had been to the movies in nearly 10 years and it reminded us of why we quit going. We should be good for another decade. LOL.
All jokes aside, the movie was really good. We laughed. We cried. We were thoroughly entertained. Highly recommend you go see it. I think it’s especially relevant because there were many Tagalog words used in the movie and Brian had recently learned some of the words through his Facebook reels.
Today, we’re chillin’ at home watching Championship Sunday. Watching pickleball tournaments on the TV is one of my favorite ways to relax after a busy week.
That pretty much catches us up. Until next time!
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Home Updates and Saki’s Birthday
Posted on September 23, 2026 by Ching under Home Ownership, Life.
We had a productive Labor Day this year. We took advantage of our day off to buy some much needed things for the house: a new stove and new patio furniture.
I can’t remember if I ever complained here about our new stove woes. While it wasn’t the original stove that came with our house, we’ve had our stove for over 13 years. After 13 years, on of the knobs broke and one of the burners wasn’t working properly anymore. It’s a separate burner from the one with the broken knob. This burner just goes high or low and there’s no in between. I kind of wished the broken burner was the one with the broken knob because that burner actually works (as far as I know). We just can’t use it due to the broken knob situation.
For the last six months (maybe almost a year), we’ve just been suffering through it. However, we did remove the broken knob because we didn’t want anyone using that burner and getting burnt because they thought they turned the burner off but the knob wasn’t working.
We tried to buy a new stove on President’s Day because Lowe’s had some good sales on that day but it almost seemed like a bait-and-switch situation. We found a stove on sale that we love. We paid for it and ordered it for delivery but they couldn’t seem to deliver it. On the day it was supposed to be delivered the first time, the stove wasn’t there. So it seemed like someone else bought it and got it? I don’t know. They found it at another store and so they were going to have it transferred from that store to the East store and then deliver it to us but there was problems with that too. I was like, “Why can’t they just deliver it from that store straight to us? Why does it have to go through a store transfer first?” I don’t understand.
Anyway, since there were problems with that, they tried to get us to take the floor model and Brian and were like, “Hell no!” The dude we talked to at the store sat on the store model the entire time he was talking to us. Who knows who else’s ass has been on that thing?
Another solution was to get a different stove–same brand, but better model. I would agree to that only if we didn’t have to pay the difference. This is where it started feeling like it was a bait-and-switch situation. After multiple attempts at trying to get the stove that we had already paid for delivered, we finally just gave up and asked for our money back.
Fast forward to Labor Day and we decide it’s time to try again. We found a stove at during the Labor Day sale at Lowe’s. It was actually much cheaper than the other one we tried to get back in February. And this one has a built-in air fryer feature and you can also control it with your phone. It was a better deal all around. After our terrible experience the first time, I wasn’t holding my breath. But Lowe’s actually came through this time. It was successfully delivered and installed last week, on September 16.
Last week was a big week because Saki turned 11. Brian came home on Monday with a cute birthday cake cookie for her, which we gave for her to enjoy while we assembled the patio furniture that we ordered from Ashley Furniture. We didn’t purchase it in person but I found the sale online. Price was so good we had to jump on it. We got a set of two ottomans for less than $200 and the set of two chairs and a table was on sale for under $350. So we ordered two of the chair and table sets.
I was actually really confused because I saw the swivel chair set with no table and it cost more than the set with the table included. I studied the description carefully and the only difference I could find was the table. It was cheaper to get the set with the table. I didn’t understand this but who am I to argue?
We placed our order on Labor Day and got our boxes in two separate deliveries. The ottomans were delivered first on Saturday, September 12. We didn’t assemble it until Sunday because we had a busy Saturday with Zoobilee and all. Assembly was super easy. We knew the chairs would be more complicated to put together but we were hopeful that it would go just as smoothly.
The furniture that we got was not without issues. I actually sent pictures and all the nicks and issues we had to solutions@ashleyfurniture.com–no reply. I would be more upset had we paid full price for the furniture. I’m looking at their website now and, with their current sale, we would have to pay almost $1500 for all the items we got for less than $900 during the Labor Day sale. Maybe our items were on sale because of the imperfections? It sucks that it’s not perfect but they work fine and we don’t want to go through the process of assembling all the things again so it wouldn’t make sense to return and exchange them. I wish they would have at least acknowledge our issues, though.
It took almost five hours to get everything assembled because we took a break and went to TapNPaddles for dinner. It was almost 10 PM by the time we were done. Here’s a picture of the new patio set in the daylight.
I love how cozy the deck feels now. In case you were wondering what happened to our old deck furniture, Brian took the chairs, sofa, and tables to his work so they could have somewhere to sit outside on nice days. We ended up throwing away the loungers, though. Brian said they were no good.
We got rid of our sun shade and ordered some curtains from Amazon to replace them. I do like the look of the curtains except for it’s a new hiding place for Saki. Remember the cookie? We thought she scarfed it up but she actually only took a couple of bites. We found the rest of the cookie covered in ants tucked underneath the curtains the next day. We had to get her a do-over replacement birthday cookie. We’re only giving her a little at a time this time around so it doesn’t go to waste.
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The Weekend Recap
Posted on September 14, 2026 by Ching under Hobbies.
We kicked off the weekend at a Friday night Wind Surge game, and let’s just say the scoreboard wasn’t exactly on our side. The Wind Surge got blown out, but honestly, nobody seemed to care. We spent the evening hanging out on the Coors Light Party Porch with the Terneses and Warwicks, enjoying great company, and the night ended with an incredible 9/11 tribute drone show and fireworks display. Even with the lopsided loss, it was a fantastic way to start the weekend.
On Saturday morning, I played pickleball and (American) mah jongg with Carrie Soto and her ladies. I ate lunch at TapNPaddles because we didn’t finish mah jongg until almost one o’clock and I didn’t want to drink on an empty stomach.
Then we met some friends for drinks at the Hopping Gnome before heading to Zoobilee. Their new midnight margaritas, created in honor of Practical Magic 2, are deliciously refreshing.
We didn’t want to drive home and then drive back out to the zoo, so we decided to just go straight to Zoobilee from Hopping Gnome (since were already halfway there). I’m always grateful for the free tickets from work because Zoobilee just seems to go downhill every year and I would be really disappointed had I actually paid for tickets. It seems like there are fewer food and beverage vendors participating and more and more people attending. And the ticket price just continues going up.
Brian and I usually go early and high tail it out of there as soon as the food vendors start packing up, which seems to be earlier and earlier every year. I’m not sure if they’re just unprepared for the number of people who attend or what.
Brian and I did run into a few people though, most notably Chelsea Hawthorne who I hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. We used to part of the same close-knit Zumba crew back in the day.
We took one other selfie earlier in the evening just to show we were there (because pictures or it didn’t happen – lol) but we really haven’t been as crazy about Zoobilee as we were in our 20s. I think the Autumn & Art party at Bradley Fair was on the same night and I kinda wish that we went to that instead because it was probably far less crowded.
I didn’t get to take pics on Sunday but we were quite productive. After I got home from playing pickleball, Brian and I worked on our deck. We removed the old roller sunshade, which mostly just serves as a spot for random birds to nest (don’t worry, the birds were long gone for the season so no birds were harmed in our deck makeover project), and then hung some outdoor curtains in their place. We’re getting the deck ready for the new deck furniture we ordered from Ashley Furniture last weekend. We’ve only received the ottomans so far but we have four chairs and a couple of little tables coming. We will share pictures as soon as we get all of the furniture assembled. Check back soon!
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Learning New Things
Posted on September 9, 2026 by Ching under Hobbies.
American mah jongg is one of the new things I learned this summer. My progression has been as follows:
In July, I observed some ladies play American mah jongg at TapNPaddles.
In August, I played for the first time.
Playing in the pool was amazing and I was actually thinking I don’t know why you would want to play any other way. LOL. Since I was gone for almost the entire month of August, I didn’t get to play at all again until last night when we celebrated Carrie Soto’s birthday at TapNPaddles. She had seven tables, plus some spectators. It was so much fun.
It was her birthday but she gave away prizes. She gave winners vintage dice and matching dice dishes. She has such a generous spirit.
She let us pick from a wide array of beautiful dice and dice dishes. There were three different ones I considered but this is the one I ultimately chose.
Anyway, since the MILP team tournament got canceled, I guess I’m playing mah jongg again this weekend. This might be a whole new hobby in the making!
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Sixteen Days, Four Countries, and One Epic Voyage: Our Valiant Lady Adventure
Posted on August 25, 2026 by Ching under Travel.
Sixteen days. Four countries. Nine ports. One solar eclipse. More food, drinks, games, dancing, comedy, sightseeing, and questionable decisions than I can possibly remember.
Our adventure aboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady was far from perfect—but somehow, that made it even more memorable. From missing a riverboat in Dublin to watching the sky turn dark in the middle of the North Atlantic, from highland cows and castles to breweries and cathedrals, this was one heck of a vacation.
And, without a doubt, the best cruise we’ve ever taken.
Day 1: Let the Voyage Begin!
After all the planning, packing, and anticipation, we finally stepped aboard the Valiant Lady!
We kicked things off with the voyage kickoff party before heading to dinner at the Wake. Then came some adult coloring, a comedy show, and finally the PJ party.
Not a bad way to start a 16-day adventure.
Day 2: Getting to Know Our Home
Our first sea day was spent exploring the ship and discovering all the nooks and crannies of the Valiant Lady.
It was on this sea day that Brian discovered Virgin beer. Contrary to what you might think, it is not a non-alcoholic beer. It’s Virgin branded.
We found the pickleball court, shuffleboard, and the pink karaoke room.
There is a LOT to see and do on this ship, and we knew we had barely scratched the surface. Next up: Dublin!
Day 3: Dublin… or How We Literally Missed the Boat
I’m not one to complain, but Dublin was a bit of a disappointment.
We had high hopes because we had booked a riverboat tour. Unfortunately, getting off the ship required tenders, and the tender operation was running WAY behind.
By the time we finally made it ashore, we were an hour late. And, well… We literally missed the boat. Instead, we got a bus tour.
After sitting on a bus for a couple of hours, my period cramps were making me miserable and my butt was officially over bus seats. Brian had hoped to find a local pub for a proper pint, but by the time the tour was over, we just wanted to get back to the ship.
I took some Tylenol and decided to sleep it off. And sleep we did. We napped so hard that we missed several lectures I had really wanted to attend.
Thankfully, we eventually dragged ourselves out of bed in time to listen to some music before joining our group for a super fun dinner at Gunbae.
Dublin, we’ll be back. Do-over required.
By the way, we found out later that the delay had nothing to do with the tenders. A technical glitch caused several passengers to disappear from the ship’s system just as sailors were trying to disembark. Everything had to stop until the issue was fixed. Because of a special passport process, the ship was holding everyone’s passports while we were in Dublin, and our wristbands were also needed to reboard. If guests left before the system was restored, they could potentially be unable to get back on the ship—or even return home. So, frustrating as the delay was, it was absolutely critical that they resolved the problem before anyone could leave the ship.
Day 4: Highland Cows, Loch Lomond & Bagpipes
Scotland more than made up for our disappointing day in Dublin. We started with breakfast and a view before heading out to see highland cows and Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest freshwater loch (I think we call them lakes) by surface area, surrounded by dramatic mountains, forests, and picturesque villages.
We rode a motor coach (we call them tour busses in the US) to Monty’s Farm Park at Ardardan Estate in Cardross, Scotland. We saw various farm animals like sheep and goats but the highland cattle (they look like shaggy cows with horns) and adorable belted galloways (shaggy cows that look like big dogs) were the main attraction. Or should I say “mane” attraction? I’m such a dork.
After exploring the farm and enjoying some coffee, tea, and biscuits in the Ardardan tea room, we went back on the coach to go to Loch Lomond. The Saturday market was happening while we were there so there were lots of vendors and people. Brian got to sample some whiskey from one of the booths and we also witnessed some wrestling. It was an interesting day at the loch.
Afterward, we stopped for drinks at Scott’s at the port for some bevvies (Brian wanted a pint) before heading back to the ship.
Our return was perfectly Scottish: we were serenaded by bagpipers as the ship readied for departure. We got to watch the performance from our port-side balcony (Virgin calls them sea terraces) as we got ready for our dinner reservation at Test Kitchen. I’ll write a completely separate post about Test Kitchen because it was a really interesting dining experience.
Day 5: Liverpool on Foot
We decided to skip a formal excursion and explore Liverpool at our own pace. And what a day it was!
We started at Royal Albert Dock before walking to Liverpool Cathedral, which was easily the largest and most impressive cathedral we had ever seen.
From there, we wandered along Bold Street, saw the entrance to Chinatown, stopped for photos at St. Luke’s “Bombed Out” Church, and walked to the Beatles Story Museum.
The line was long, though, and our feet were getting tired, so we decided to skip the museum. Sometimes the best travel decision is knowing when you’ve had enough.
Back on the ship, Brian enjoyed his favorite beer at the Dock while I had a sangria. Then we napped—hard (again).
Dinner at Extra Virgin followed, along with the Griffin and Jones comedy/magic show. Fantastic day overall.
Day 6: Belfast & a Game of Thrones Adventure
We spent the day docked in Belfast, exploring the city and Northern Ireland countryside on our way to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.
It was another great port day, but the fun didn’t stop when we returned to the ship.
We celebrated our anniversary with a special dinner at Ariya, followed by Around the World with the Diva, one of Valiant Lady’s many entertaining shows.
After four consecutive port days—Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool and Belfast—we were MORE than ready for a sea day. And maybe… just maybe… I’d finally get to play some pickleball!
Day 7: Pickleball, Chess & Way Too Much Clam Chowder
Sea day! The highlights included pickleball, chess, and several rounds of “Go F** Yourself” before dinner.
But my favorite story of the day involves a reservation mistake. When I booked our brunch and dinner reservations, I apparently forgot that I had already booked the Wake. So we had brunch at The Wake…
…and then dinner at the Wake. Twice. In one day.
Honestly, though, I’m not even mad because I love their clam chowder, and yes, I had it at both breakfast AND dinner.
After dinner, we watched the Magnets perform in the Red Room. We figured the late show wouldn’t be as crowded. We were wrong. It was packed.
I also missed the official Scarlet Night dance lesson earlier in the day—but that didn’t stop me from learning the dance anyway.
Day 8: Halfway There—and Eclipse Day!
Somehow, we were officially halfway through the voyage. And this wasn’t just any day. It was solar eclipse day!
The skies were cloudy where we were, so we didn’t get the spectacular view we had hoped for. But there was still something incredibly cool about watching the day turn into night for about four minutes.
Standing on a cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic while the world briefly went dark? Pretty unforgettable.
And now it was time for Iceland. Three ports. Three days. Let the adventure continue!
Day 9: Siglufjörður
Siglufjörður was our first Icelandic port.
We spent the day exploring at a leisurely pace—checking out a bakery and brewery, walking around the harbor, visiting the Herring Era Museum and Folk Music Center, and taking in the scenery.
We also squeezed in a comedy show before wandering around the ship and calling it a day. Small town. Big scenery. A very Icelandic kind of day.
Day 10: Whalebones, Rainbows & Breweries
In Ísafjörður, we walked around the harbor and discovered the famous whalebone arch. Of course, we had to take pictures on the rainbow path. And, because apparently every Icelandic port needs a brewery, we found another one.
Back aboard Valiant Lady, we had dinner at Extra Virgin, caught the early show, and ended the evening watching the sunset. Iceland was definitely delivering.
Day 11: Reykjavík & Scarlet Night
Our final Icelandic stop was Reykjavík. We packed a LOT into this day: Rainbow Street, the cathedral, the Phallic Museum, the Sun Voyager sculpture, Harpa, and plenty of wandering around the city.
Back on the ship, we had dinner at the Wake before seeing the Miss Behave Show.
We also learned the story behind the mysterious octopus tentacles.
And then came Scarlet Night. Dancing, music, costumes, and all the wonderfully chaotic energy that makes Virgin Voyages feel different from any other cruise line.
Day 12: Astronauts, Ice Cream & Dirty Laundry
Sea day—and somehow I spent most of it at the Manor. We started with brunch at the Wake because, naturally, I needed more clam chowder.
They also serve a layered crepe cake at breakfast, so obviously I had to try that too. Brian doesn’t really care for breakfast at the Wake, but he was a good sport and humored me.
Later, Becca and I took a Dance Remix class with Christian “the Spark” while the boys got creative with some art. Jay was painting with coffee while Brian colored.
Then came one of the coolest experiences of the entire trip: a lecture about the construction of the International Space Station presented by actual NASA astronauts Tony Antonelli and Pam Melroy. I totally geeked out.
Lunch was at the Pizza Place, where I finally tried the pizza after nearly the entire voyage had passed. Brian was happy because they also serve Virgin’s beer—which has officially become his new favorite. Then we grabbed ice cream at Lick Me Till Ice Cream.
Later, we returned to the Manor for the “Pay Attention!” game show, which was hilarious. Then came Dirty Laundry at the Social Club with Happenings Cast members Caitlyn “the Gamer” and Sammy “the Hype.”
Brian even earned a free drink for spilling some personal tea.
We ended the night at Club Caliente with a salsa and bachata lesson led by Sammy in his alter ego, Captain Caliente, and Megan “the Glow” aka Mami Caliente.
Another sea day. Another ridiculously full schedule.
Day 13: Dancing, Games & Happenings Cast Magic
This sea day was all about dancing and games. After breakfast, I headed to Zumba with Danica “the Balancer,” who I believe is taking over for AJ “the Balancer” from Happenings Cast 11.
Later, I played trivia hosted by Caitlyn “the Gamer”—not once, but twice. We lost both times. But we had fun, which counts for something, right?
We also played “Ready, Set, Draw,” caught part of “Sink Oar Swim,” and joined Lili’u “the Flare” for Dancing Through the Decades.
That evening, Brian and I watched “Love, Love, Love,” a show centered around love languages.
One of the unexpected highlights of this trip has been meeting the Happenings Cast 12 cast members who are taking over for their Happenings Cast 11 counterparts.
Every cast member I’ve met has been absolutely fabulous, and future Valiant Lady sailors are in for a treat.
Day 14: Edinburgh!
We finally made it to Edinburgh. Our all-day excursion included a panoramic bus tour of the city, lunch at Twenty Princes Street with an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle, and a tour of the castle itself.
And thank goodness for that bus! Edinburgh was absolutely packed with thousands of people attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The streets were INSANE.
Our coach driver, Barry, somehow maneuvered those narrow streets like a professional.
Back on the ship, we had our final dinner at Pink Agave, watched a piano show and comedy show, and picked up a little souvenir. Another fabulous day aboard Valiant Lady.
And by this point, one thing had become very clear: This has been, hands down, the best cruise we’ve ever taken. Not perfect. But absolutely unforgettable.
Day 15: One Last Day
And just like that, our final day aboard Valiant Lady arrived. We weren’t going to waste it.
I played pickleball, squeezed in a workout class and a line dancing class, watched a comedy show, played games, listened to live music, and basically tried to absorb every last bit of the ship.
We finished with one final dinner at Extra Virgin. It was bittersweet.
This trip had been so much fun that we were already looking forward to doing it all again in February.
Day 16: Salisbury, Stonehenge & Goodbye
We disembarked from Valiant Lady—but our vacation wasn’t quite over yet. We took one final excursion to make the most of our last day in England.
First stop: the medieval city of Salisbury, where we visited the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral and saw the Magna Carta.
Then it was off to Stonehenge.
The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative. It rained for about half the time we were there. But hey—it’s England. You can’t have the full experience without a little rain, right?
After Stonehenge, we headed to our hotel and found a local pub for a quick dinner before finally calling it a day.
Sixteen Days Later… Looking back, this trip had pretty much everything.
- We missed a riverboat in Dublin.
- We saw highland cows in Scotland.
- We explored Liverpool on foot.
- We celebrated our anniversary in Belfast.
- We watched the world go dark during a solar eclipse.
- We explored three Icelandic ports.
- We walked rainbow streets, visited breweries, chased sunsets, toured castles and stood among ancient stones at Stonehenge.
- We played pickleball, danced, laughed at comedy shows, played games, listened to music, ate our way through the ship, and met an incredible group of people.
- We even managed to eat clam chowder at The Wake for both breakfast and dinner on the same day.
And while not everything went according to plan, those unexpected moments became part of the story. That’s what I love about travel. The perfect days are wonderful. But sometimes it’s the missed boats, rainy afternoons, tired feet, wrong reservations, unexpected naps and ridiculous stories that make a trip unforgettable.
Sixteen days. One incredible ship. So many memories. And the best part? We’re already looking forward to doing it all again in February. We’ll be on Valiant Lady’s sister ship Brilliant Lady for the Sisters at Sea rendezvous. If you’re looking to sail on Virgin, follow this link to get $150 toward your bar tab.
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