2008 Vacations Tentatively Scheduled

After a much needed break from our busy 4th quarter 2007 excursions, our batteries are recharged and we're ready for more new and exciting sites and adventures in '08! We've sat down with the calendar, spun the globe and have come up with an '08 that's sure to be great..

An international journey is kicking things off and it will be a Memorial Day weekend trip to Jamaica. We've decided that before we get married we want to visit each other's "true roots" so we're starting with a trip to the island where Cynthia spent her first 15 years. Spanning 5 days, we'll tour the island, from the plush resort areas of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Dunn's River Falls and the like to less commonly known parts as her hometown of May Pen. This trip will be filled with memories that most vacationers can only dream of. (May 22-May27)

It'll be 2 countries in 2 months when we join Cynthia's sister Melese and brother in law Dale as well as nephew Nate on their trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It'll just be a quick trip with family but jam packed with incredible sights and sounds. John hasn't been to "The Falls" since he was a teenager and Cynthia has never been but has always wanted to go. The roaring falls and picturesque landscape will surely be breathtaking. (June 20-22)

Next up, we are planning to take a bite out of the Big Apple for July 4th weekend. One of Cynthia's long time best friends, Michelle, lives in NYC and we've been promising to come visit her. What better way to celebrate our nation than to be in it's most vibrant and exciting city on it's most celebrated day? Unfortunately for John, his beloved Mets are out of town that week so we won't be able to catch a game, but maybe next time. Fireworks at Central Park, shopping, a trip to the Hamptons (Diddy, can we come to the BBQ?) possibly a show and who knows what else await us in "The City". (July 3-July 6)

Continuing traditions are the theme for the next 2 trips. Each year, John's closest friends the Williams, the Whitmores and the Anglins all take a beach trip for a week at the end of July/early August. This year the location will be the coast of South Carolina. While some details are still being ironed out, there are certain aspects of the trip that never change. There will be plenty of laughter, great food and lots of love in the house this year again. There's also the small matter of the John & Derrick vs. Steve & Chris golf game that remains unsettled from 2007 in Panama City. A furious back 9 comeback fueled a tie at the end of 18 holes that was left unbroken. Get on those sticks boys, no excuses this year! (Dates TBD)

Labor Day 2007 took us on one of our most memorable trips of last year. We embarked on a 7 day cruise to The Bahamas, St. Thomas & St. Marteen. We decided on that trip that we would make that a yearly ritual. This Labor Day we are cruising out of Miami and headed out on the Western Caribbean. The cruise we've chosen will take us to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, Roatan Island in Honduras, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico before returning back to Miami. These destinations are unchartered territory to us both of us so we're looking forward to exploring and experiencing things we can only, to this point, imagine about. (Aug. 30-Sept. 6)

Keeping up with the holiday theme, Columbus Day Weekend has us traveling to the great Northeast. John grew up in Schenectady, NY, about 3.5 hours north of NYC. Since his family moved in 1990, John's been back only twice, most recently in 2004. This 'homecoming' is a chance to revisit some of his favorite places from his childhood. Elmer Ave. Elementary School, Central Park Middle School, Linton High School, Union College, "The Warehouse", Northside Little League, Friendship Baptist Church, possibly a trip to the apple orchards that held so many memories of fresh cinnamon sugar doughnuts with warm apple cider and of course, his childhood home. While there, a trip to Homestyle Pizza and picking up a few boxes of Friehofers Chocolate Chip cookies, a local favorite, are a must! After spending some time in Schenectady, we're going to spend a couple of days in the mountains of Vermont, just a short 3 hour drive away. The fall foliage is breathtaking in pictures and even more amazing in person. Waking up to beautiful sights, a crisp Northeast fall morning and breakfast with fresh maple syrup has anticipation for this trip at an all time high. (Oct.9-Oct.13)

Just a couple weeks later, a celebration of love takes us to the island of Nassau, Bahamas. John's sister's best friend Dawn Jones and her fiancee Wayne Roberts are getting married on the same island of their engagement on October 25th at the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau. The wedding traveling party is cruising out of Port Canaveral outside of Orlando, but we're going to take the short flight over and meet everyone there. Cynthia is working closely with Dawn to coordinate events the day of at the hotel. The day is sure to be full of emotion as Dawn and Wayne unite as one. While John's sister Cindy won't be there in person, she will be smiling one of her biggest smiles ever as she watches it all from heaven. (Oct. 24-26)

In late November, South America comes calling. For Thanksgiving and Cynthia's birthday we're heading to Brazil. It's a place we've both talked about going to visit since we started dating. Brazil is a country of amazing sights, music, food and culture and we want to soak in all that it has to offer. Among all of the sights to be seen, Cynthia wants to see Cordordova Mountain and Sugar Loaf Mountain while for John, visiting the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer is a must. (Nov. 26-Dec. 2)

For the Christmas holiday we'll head back up to the (relatively) cold weather in Delaware for the season. It's always a blessing to be able to spend time with family, especially at that time of year. Plans are to spend New Years in DC to ring in 2009 so we'll be able to enjoy lots of time in the MD, DC, VA, DE area. (Dec. 24-Jan. 2)

As always we plan to travel to DE for John's nephew (May 18) and niece (November 9th) birthdays. In addition, there will be weekend trips to Atlanta, a trip to NC for Maggie Valley & The Biltmore Estate in Ashville, visits out West to Las Vegas to see the Grand Canyon, and Utah to see Monument Valley and other US destinations we may want to see along the way.

We love the travel and love the company of our friends so you are welcome to join us on any of our travel adventures!