8 years ago, on August 4, 2001, Tiffany and I were married in her Grandparents backyard outside of Richmond, Virginia. We are always amazed at how fast time flies, but even more amazed that it has been 8 years. It is also amazing to see how much two people change over time and how close we continue to grow.
Since I spent last year working on my anniversary, we decided that a proper vacation was in store this time around.
The first part of the adventure took us to Sea World in San Diego (I think this was our 3rd or 4th time being there). Our friends Emily and Sarah came along with us since we all bought season passes. We had a fantastic time watching all of the Summer Nights special shows. I also enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pass that I bought for the day (Probably not the wisest choice for the waist, but there definitely was not much waste...).
The next day was partially spent enjoying the sights, sounds and activities of Balboa Park. Our first stop was to the Museum of Man. I have to admit that we were all severely disappointed with the Museum and expected a lot more (especially for the price). We had a good time, but expected more bang for the buck.
After Museum, we bought hot dogs and nachos from a street vendor. Sometimes, the simple lunches are the best!
From lunch, we took a short stroll over the the Spreckels Organ. On Sunday afternoons, there is a free concert. That was a treat for sure. The organ and pipes are amazing and the atmosphere of an outdoor venue is fantastic!
The International Houses are also open on Sunday, so we enjoyed walking through the various countries represented while eating some good food and enjoying live music.
The weather was the most amazing part of the day!
In the evening, Tiffany and I went to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott resort. One of the benefits of traveling so much for work is the points I have been able to build up for FREE lodging. We enjoyed our evening at the resort and on the Island.
On Monday, August 3, Tiffany and I made our way to the Carnival Elation cruise ship in San Diego. Balboa Park and Sea World were appetizers for the adventure that we enjoyed on the cruise. Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first time to Mexico. The cruise was 5 days and ports of call were Cabo, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico.
In Cabo, we enjoyed some snorkeling and walking around the city (It was hot and I burned the top of my head!). In Ensenada, we did some shopping and enjoyed some street taco's. The two cities are very different from each other.
On board, we enjoyed most of the amenities offered. We ate plenty of food, visited the spa, read a book on deck, swam, watched shows, window shopped for stuff we could not afford and met some new friends. We had a fantastic time on our cruise and will plan another one for sure.
On our anniversary, we were able to get a table for two. Our waitstaff even brought us a cake and sang "Happy Anniversay" to us. It also happened to be formal night on the ship, so we were dressed up for some professional pictures.
After the cruise, we did not want to drive home. Instead, we drove up to Irvine to spend the night with a friend. We needed a good night of sleep to recover from the trip. I always find it odd that vacations require a recovery day... Go figure.
All in all, the vacation/anniversay trip was excellent. We had a great time and highly recommend San Diego and the Carnival Elation!
