Cruises and Beyond

I know it has been a little while since my last blog. This one is going to be long. I mentioned in my last entry about Yosemite that my next destination was going to be Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Well, I just returned from there in fact. The trip wasn’t just these two National Parks however, as I also visited 3 others: Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Feel free to read the blog! -Sherri Barber

Day 11 - Log 1.11 - Yosemite Thoughts Can anyone believe it is August already? I am sure everyone would like to have a restart of 2020 if we could. Though I feel very fortunate to have traveled to South America this February before all hell broke loose with COVID-19. After 4 months of staying home, my travel bug inside has become a monster - I needed to get out! So this past weekend I spent a couple of days in Yosemite to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Don’t worry, we kept o...ur group less than 10 people including our family dog, Munchie. My nephew rented a beautiful house on top of a hill through Airbnb for his mother’s special occasion. Such an experience through Airbnb is my first time and frankly I was excited to try it. Besides some hit and miss details of the house when compared with staying at hotels, the arrangement was perfect for family occasions and reunions. We had to do some preparations in planning our meals, but the time and effort were all worthwhile. We had BBQ and hotpot for dinners on the deck overlooking the vast landscape with beautiful sunsets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to have reservations in order to get into the park. Unfortunately, we could not get the reservations after many attempts. It is such a popular place, especially now. Because of the controlled number of visitors, we did not find it overcrowded anywhere. Being safe was my concern because of the pandemic. Although face masks are not compulsory, people put them on and kept their social distance with each other. So without the reservations, we decided to go to the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, a place I have wanted to visit for so many years. It was such a fantastic outing. Besides learning the history of the reservoir and the dam, we took a 5 hour hike roundtrip from the dam to Wapama Falls. It was adventurous and exhausting, but I would not trade it for anything else; the surrounding flora and fauna were just absolutely stunning. I could feel and admire the force of mother nature everywhere I turned. Two days visiting Yosemite were short but so enjoyable and memorable. I can honesty say that I came back home refreshed and changed for the better. It has been an arduous and challenging year, but I am glad that I did not let my hesitation stop me from taking this trip. And now I want to announce to you that I am moving onto a bigger destination very soon -Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. You have the opportunity to join me! Click the link and journey with me to another wondrous location... https://www.cruisesandbeyond.net/ou/grand-teton-yellowstone

Day 10 - Log 1.10 - July 4, 2020 Recent events and spikes in Coronavirus cases are certainly a setback to the progress of reopening small businesses. I don’t think we are doomed yet. As we emerge from the government’s lock down, businesses will eventually come back. Certainly, the travel industry will take a longer time for it to get back to pre-COVID-19 normal. There are thousands of people in this industry and government agencies, working tirelessly toward the common goal t...Continue reading

Day 9 Log 1.9 Jun 19, 2020 Father’s Day I paid tribute to my mother on Mother’s Day and now I should be fair and do the same for my father. While my mother was with strong character, my father was the nice gentleman in the background supporting her, letting her do what she wanted. I told you before that my father was not around much while I was growing up. I can only link up the bits and pieces that I can remember. After all, my father passed away more than 35 years ago. Even...Continue reading

Day 7, Log 1.7 #MemorialDay There are so many days that are important to us each year: birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, religious days.on and on. A lot of these days are for celebrations circulating ourselves, not others. Memorial Day is not quite the same. As it is called, it should be a day for everyone to solemnly remember all those who sacrificed themselves for the betterment of others’ lives, in hard times like wars and the crisis w...Continue reading