Star Princess Cruise November 12-16, 2015 from Los Angeles

Catalina Cruise Nov. 12-16, 2015

by Tom P. Blake

Last February, a travel agent friend, Ann Ronan, San Juan Capistrano, asked if I’d be willing to have a four-day “Tom Blake Loving Life after 55” ocean cruise from November 12-16 aboard the Star Princess out of San Pedro, California. We’d promote the cruise in my “On Life and Love After 50” newsletter and newspaper articles.

My partner Greta and I love cruising and thought it would be fun.

 

Star Princess anchored off of Avalon Catalina Island - a large ship

 

The ship is enormous; it's longer than 3 football fields--950 feet. There was a crew of 1,100 and close to 3,000 passengers. It has 17 levels (decks) and more elevators than Macy's. Multiple Broadway shows every night. I counted 35 desserts at one lunch buffet.



Thursday, November 12

In our experience, Greta and I have found that checking in for a large cruise is always a jam-packed event. There are, without, fail long lines of people, and waiting is the norm. So, instead of arriving at 12:00 p.m., the initial check-in time, we decided to arrive at 2 p.m., after the crowd had gone aboard.

Greta, her daughter Tina Skelton of Murrieta, California, and I drove from Dana Point to the embarkation port in San Pedro (near Long Beach). On the way, we received a text message from the Star Princess stating that embarkation would be delayed until 2 p.m.—a two-hour delay. The problem began with the disembarkation from the ship’s incoming cruise from that morning.

But, we were already on our way so what could we do? Just bite the bullet and get in line. So, we parked in the terminal lot near the ship for a reasonable $16 per day.

When we got inside the building, there was an enormous backlog of people, at least 1,000, who were in line to sign in. And then there was an announcement that the sign-in was temporarily suspended. We simply took a seat and decided to wait until the line shortened. People were getting pretty frustrated.

After an hour or so, Tina talked to an official near the sign-in window, saying something about "her parents''" age, and gosh, we got checked in right then, but that was just the first step.

 

Once signed in, you went through security, and then I had to go to a table to "register" the two bottles of wine we were allowed to bring on board. And then into to another waiting room from which you boarded the ship. That room had another 1,000 people or so waiting. People were really getting antsy.



Cleared to board but ship not ready at 3 p.m., 3 hours after the check-in time



The ship handed out free water; the trash can was beyond its limits

We finally boarded about 4:15 p.m. Greta and I have learned that when traveling, there are going to be times when you've got to be patient and this was one of those times. That's the nature of travel, especially when visiting foreign countries. I was able to use the internet with my Verizon Mi-Fi device.

Before the ship sailed, everyone on board had to attend the safety demonstration on how to put your life jacket on. This is mandatory.

 

Greta holding life jacket before drill began

Our group, which totaled 13 people, met at the Wheelhouse Lounge, on the 7^th level of the ship, for cocktails and to get to know each other.



Thursday night group first get together

Then, Greta, Tina and I had dinner at Sabatini’s, one of the speciality restaurants on board—where we paid $25 per person. There are a few of these speciality restaurants aboard where you pay, but tons of other choices of restaurants where the cost is included in the cruise price. Later, we were pretty wiped out and hit the sack by 9:30 p.m.

Friday, November 13 – Avalon, Catalina Island

A beautiful, sunny day greeted us as we were anchored off of Catalina Island. This guy was perched on our railing:

 

Johathan Livingston Seagull

 To go ashore, passengers had to ride one of the ship’s water taxis, called tenders, into Avalon. You gather in one of the dining rooms and get a boarding ticket with a group number. When they call your group number, about 110 of you carefully board the tender. This can be a little tricky because the swell from the ocean can make the footing a little unstable.  

Port of Avalon with tender on left approaching ship. Concert pavilon on right



A ship's tender waiting to take passengers into Avalon
 

For Greta and Tina, the visit to Catalina is always a little nostalgic. All four of Greta’s children were born on Catalina, and Tina is her youngest child. The three of us strolled around ashore for a couple of hours and, they shopped, while I checked my internet messages. An Avalon classic old bar:

 

Marlin Club has been in Avalon forever

 

We returned to the ship for lunch and a leisurely afternoon on board. These cruise ship lines make the onboard lifestyle so enticing it's easy to just stay on the ship and be pampered.

That night, our group gathered again in the same place in the Wheelhouse Lounge, and then we all went together to dinner at a restaurant called Porto Fino, which was one of the ship’s regular dining rooms, where there was no extra charge.

 

Saturday, November 14 – At sea the entire day

Our group gathered that morning at 10 a.m. for a 1 and ½ hour seminar that was a part of the “Loving Life After 55” package. I was the moderator but all of us got to share our dating and romance experiences. It was informative to hear how the couples in the group met and to also hear the internet dating experiences that our members willingly shared. This photo was taken after our morning session.

 

Our group after the Saturday morning session

People were free to do as they pleased the rest of the day—the ship offered endless things to do.

That night, most of the group got together again for dinner. I was pleased to see how many new friendships were being formed among our members.



Sunday, November 15 – Ensenada, Mexico

On our final day, the ship arrived early in Ensendad, Mexico.

 

Most of our group went ashore, not together, but in smaller pods at different times. Greta, Tina and I walked into the city and enjoyed window shopping and we even stopped at a Starbucks (believe it or not) for a cup of coffee.

 

Hotel row in Ensenada

Hotel rooms start at 270 pesos, or about $16.00. The cost of living is dramatically less than in the states.

 

I got a kick out of this sign outside a pharmacy in Ensenada. In a newsletter two weeks ago, someone mentioned that in the USA, Viagra cost $44 per pill. In Mexico, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper:

Viagra sign outside Ensenada pharmacy

 So 5 pills in Mexico cost about $12.00. Could this be true? $44 in the USA; $2.50 in Mexico.

 

Now, I am not saying that the these Viagra pills are of equal strength as those in the states, or are even the real McCoy, but who knows? The truth be told, I did not purchase any (thought about it, but well...you know).

On the walk back to the ship, we passed this magnificent flag of Mexico. It was huge:

Flag of Mexico

Back on board, I watched a NFL football game on the big outdoor screen at the aft end of the ship around the pool.

Sunday night dinner

That night, most of us dined together again and promised to keep in touch with each other. Some of us attended the “British Invasion” musical production put on by the ship’s entertainers. It was terrific with music from the Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Rolling Stones, and Hermit’s Hermits, to name just a few.

Later that night, there was a dramatic change of weather, as the ship was sailing north to Los Angeles. The wind starting blowing and the ship started rocking. One big wave hit the port side and shook the entire ship. The winds reached 100 mph across the bow.

Greta and I had packed our suitcases the night before. When the wind picked up, the hangers in the clothes closet had no clothes on them. They were big wooden hangers and were banging so hard against the partition that we had to lay them on the floor. Even the water in the toilet was swishing around and spilling over ever so little. It was one rocky night.

We arrived in San Pedro by 6:30 a.m. and I think most everybody was happy to have the ship tie up to the pier. The three of us were off the ship and in our car by 8:45 a.m.

What a nice four-day experience and cruise we’d had.

Travel agent Ann Ronan's contact information: www.sjctravel.com

 

3 days in Sonoma County - November 3-6, 2015

My life partner Greta and I took a four-day road trip from Dana Point, California, where we live, to Santa Rosa, California, where we own a rental property. We needed to check on some proposed maintenance and repairs to the property. It had been more than a year since we had been in Sonoma County.

On Tuesday, November 3, we left Dana Point at 5:30 a.m., which we discovered was perhaps a half hour later than we should have left, as the traffic was already slow on the 405 Freeway from Long Beach through Los Angeles to Sunset Blvd., near the UCLA campus.

Our road trip took 10 hours, which included a half hour lunch break at a Carl's Jr. in Santa Nella, a major crossroad on the I-5, a little over two hours south of San Francisco. Be prepared for lots of semi trucks when stopping there.

Greta belongs to a website called Home Exchange. She traded visits with a family who lives on Sonoma Mountain Road in the Bennett Valley area south of Santa Rosa, where we stayed; the family will stay at her home in San Clemente next month.

Our accommodations were a studio suite on the side of the family's home. As we approached the entrance to our place, 10 deer were feeding in a wooded area 20 yards from our entry door.

We were exhausted from the long drive so we decided to stay in that evening. I found a Safeway store five miles away on Yulupa Street and picked up a few things for dinner and, of course, Sonoma County Chardonnays from Chateau St. Jean and Kenwood wineries.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The main purpose of our trip was to visit our property in Oakmont, an age 55+ retirement community about four miles east of Santa Rosa. Our tenants, Vern and Judy, take such good care of the home that we barely recognized it. The property is located on Twin Lakes Circle, on the 10th fairway of the Oakmont executive golf course (no par fives).

View of the 10th Fairway from living room patio

We discussed a few needed repairs and then the four of us went to lunch at the Quail Inn, which is in the heart of Oakmont. Our tenant Vern works there helping out with banquets and wedding receptions. I had one of the best corned beef sandwiches ever, very lean and tasty.

On the way back to our studio apartment, we stopped at Matanzas Creek winery on Bennett Valley Road.

Matanzas Creek Parking Area

Matanzas Creek Fountain

What a pleasant surprise. The winery is known for its elegant wines and fields of lavender. It is owned by the Jackson family, the same family that owns another well known Sonoma winery, Kendall Jackson.

Greta with lavender plants

We purchased a couple bottles of their wines to take home and save for a special occasion.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

In the morning, we awoke to all kinds of deer activity just outside of studio. The bucks were having at each other:

Bucks locking horns

I have been coming to Sonoma County on a regular basis since 1977, when I purchased a small home for my mom, where she lived for nearly 32 years. During that time, I never visited the historic Jack London State Park in nearby Glen Ellen.

We stopped as we left the property to take a picture of this cute guy:

 

Bennett Valley, California, Donkey

Greta and I took Bennett Valley Road to Warm Springs Road and then went into Glen Ellen. Shared a hamburger at the Jack London Saloon, eating outside on the back patio. Both Greta and I recalled having a nice meal there with my mom 7-8 years ago.

In front of the Jack London Saloon

Then we drove up the hill to the State Park, about a mile and a half from the center of town. There is a fee to enter the park but our annual California state park pass got us in for no cost.

The whole state park is known as the Jack London Ranch. Our first stop was the cottage where Jack London and his wife lived for a few years.

Cottage is white building. Entertainment area for guests is on the left

To get into the cottage, which is staffed by volunteers, the cost was two bucks each for seniors. Well worth watching the video and then touring the house. The docent, Judy, a former teacher, loves her volunteer work and was very knowledgable.

In the adjacent guest entertaining area, to the left in the picture above, when we saw the kitchen, Greta said it reminded her of the kitchen up the road a piece in Asti, where the Italian Swiss Colony winery used to be. Our friends, the Rossi's, own the home where the vineyard manager used to live. It has 13 bedrooms, all on the same floor, a single story preserved home.

Judy commented that she knew the original family that owned the winery.

Jack London died at age 40 due to kidney failure in the cottage house. Both London and his wife Charmian were interesting people.

Then we drove to a different parking lot within the Ranch where we took the half-mile hike through the woods to the Wolf House, a mansion that London had built but never lived in. Just a short time before the house was ready for occupancy, it burned to the ground. The cause of the fire is thought to be from spontaneous combustion from rags left by workers with linseed oil on them. 

When you walk through the woods, you are constantly reminded by posted signs to beware of rattle snakes, poison oak, and bobcats.

Warning signs on the walk to the Wolf House

When you arrive at the Wolf House, you are sad and amazed at the same time. You see the size of the house, and the windows and fireplaces, and then you realized the dream house of Jack London and his wife went up in flames.

Autumn tree a few yards before the Wolf House

 

Beans holding up chimmneys in Wolf House

One of many chimmneys

Interior of burned out Wolf House
 

A gentleman from Glenn Ellen was visiting the Wolf House and offered to take a picture of Greta and me in front of the building.


Greta and Tom at Wolf House in Jack London State Park



That night, we drove to Petaluma, a half hour away, to have dinner with my sister, Christine, and her friend, Bill. We dined at the Central Market, 42 North Petaluma Boulevard. This is a really good restaurant that has an outstanding reputation in Petaluma, which is booming with retail activity in that part of this cute, historic city.

http://www.centralmarketpetaluma.com

Friday, November 6, 2015

Our short visit to Sonoma had come to an end. It was time to drive home. We stopped in Pleasanton to visit our friend Bob Rossi, who owns the Sunshine Saloon off of Santa Rita Road. It is Bob's family who at one time owned Italian Swiss Colony in Asti and whose family still owns the 13-bedroom historic home there.

Bob and I worked together at Victoria Station, the prime rib and boxcar national chain in the 1970s. I wrote a book about it, titled, "Prime Rib & Boxcars. Whatever Happened to Victoria Station?" Of course, Bob Rossi is included in that book.

Bob started the Sunshine Saloon some 30 years ago and still works there with his son and daughter.

www.SunshineSaloon.com

It is a very popular sports bar. He was able to spend a few minutes with Greta and me, but then, had to attend to his customers.
Greta took this picture of Bob and me outside when we left.

Old Victoria Station buddies - Bob Rossi and Tom

We arrived in Los Angeles at 5:30 p.m. That is not the time, particularly on a Friday, to try to pass through that enormous city. It took us two hours as every freeway was packed. We will plan that differently on our next trip to Santa Rosa. We chose the I-5 as the traffic reports on KNX radio indicated problems on the 405 and 210 freeways. But, we exited the I-5 and took the 710 to Long Beach and then came home on the 405 and 73 toll road. About 12 hours transit time from Santa Rosa.