Well I'm happy to report that in our case the answer to all of the above is NO. Although our cruising has been curtailed quite a bit since we made that left turn onto the Tennessee River.
As well as Tourist making a left turn so did our lives as we'd known them for the previous few years.
The passing of my Dad was the beginning of our directional change. That was followed by Pam's Dad being diagnosed with cancer and her Mom's on going battle with arthritis. That combination prompted the selling of their multi-level house and moving into an independent living facility. A hard move to make but a good one for them and peace of mind for the rest of the family.
A few months later we moved my mother into the same facility when she was diagnosed with dementia. She had been living at home alone and in general not taking care of herself. Getting her to move took a little convincing but once the move was made she hasn't looked back.
We now have my Mom and Pam's parents not only in the same facility but across the hall from one another. No one can make a move without us hearing about it!
Needless to say our focus has changed.
As far as the blog is concerned I'll try to do a few recaps over the next few months of what's been happening in our lives. There could even be some boating involved.
I covered 2016 in previous posts so I'll start randomly in 2017.
Since we've been home most of our time has been spent locally. We were able to sneak away in June of '17 for a few days to Las Vegas where we met Rick & Sarah (M/V Private Affair) and Mark & Kate (M/V Mar-Kate). Of course what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so sorry, no incriminating pictures. Let's just say we had a good time!
Pam and I did take a one day side trip to the Grand Canyon where we were able to take pictures. So here are a few.
From Hoover Dam we continued on and picked up I-40 at Kingman, Az.
Grand Canyon
Bright Angel Lodge lobby
Of Course we found the bar at Bright Angel
The big ditch
Back in Vegas the temps outside were HOT! I know. It's a dry heat so it's not that bad right? Bullsh-t! 100 degrees walking across concrete and asphalt. You can feel the soles of your shoes melting away if you stop moving.
We did however have a few fleeting moments of insanity to get a couple pictures of the Strip.
We stayed at Mandalay Bay which is on the lower end of the strip. Our room had a nice view of the airport and of what looked to be an outdoor concert venue directly across the street. Little did we realize that a few months later it would be that venue that made headlines when a shooter opened fire on the Jason Aldean concert goers who packed the grounds.
Looking south at Mandalay Bay Hotel (gold building)
One thing that struck us while we were in Vegas was the huge number of families who chose to drag their kids with them to this largely adult oriented playground. So many so that it was almost annoying. You had to keep a sharp lookout when you walked around the hotel and the town. At any moment you could get run down by a non-supervised RugRat!
All in all it was a good time. We saw some sights. Took in a show. And oddly enough, won a little money. And the best part was being able to re-connect with some boating friends.
Until the next time Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
