Distillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, Martinique
The next stop on our Martinique tour was the Depaz Rhum Distillery. Now this was pretty nice rum, and the facility has some very historic origins. There was plenty to see and photograph there. The taste of rum was good, but was pretty skimpy, however.
Distillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, Martinique
I didn’t end up bringing home any ‘liquid souvenirs’ from this trip. Unfortunately the cruise lines are strict about bringing liquor on board. And while I could have brought it onto the ship from the port on this cruise, the rules would prevent me from taking it on the next ship. Strange but there is no getting around it – I asked ahead of time!
Distillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueTrees at the Depaz Rhum Distillery on the Island of MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, MartiniqueDistillerie Depaz, rum distillery in St-Pierre, Martinique
Tour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. Kitts
We don’t always do tours on the islands we visit, but there were several where we found something interesting to do. On St. Kitts, we took a ship tour to the Fairview Great House and Botanical Gardens for a guided visit to the estate and rum tasting. Yum!
Rum tasting during our tour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. Kitts
The rum was pretty good, but it was all flavored rum, which is not my thing. We didn’t mind the tastes, though!
Tour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsTour of Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. KittsWelcome to St. Kitts!Sailaway from St. Kitts on the helipad of Celebrity Equinox
Drawbridge carrying 17th Street/US A1A over the Stranahan River in Fort Lauderdale
Kathy & I enjoy cruises that depart from Fort Lauderdale, and we’ve done a bunch of them. The airport is close enough to the cruise port that you can see the top of the ships from the concourse. It’s an easy flight from Charlotte and the schedules usually provide plenty of choices for flights.
Drawbridge carrying 17th Street/US A1A over the Stranahan River in Fort Lauderdale
We generally arrive in Fort Lauderdale the day before a cruise and stay at a hotel along 17th Street, which crosses the Intracoastal Waterway via a drawbridge that provides a nice view of the cruise port and all of the big money yachts that sail in and out of the harbor. More money than I’ll ever have!
Drawbridge carrying 17th Street/US A1A over the Stranahan River in Fort Lauderdale
Departing the port is always fun, because a number of the residents of the high rise condos near the opening to the sea will stand outside, wave banners, blow horns and generally say ‘bon voyage.’ One of the residents even has a webcam where he will upload footage to a website and you can watch yourself sail by. Some cruise passengers go so far as to bring their own banners, wear bright colored clothing and make a point of standing on the Port (left) side of the ship facing the camera.
Yachts docked in the marina along the Stranahan River in Fort LauderdaleYachts docked in the marina along the Stranahan River in Fort LauderdaleYachts docked in the marina along the Stranahan River in Fort Lauderdale
Since we did a back-to-back sailing on the same ship, Celebrity Equinox, we returned to Fort Lauderdale 10 days later, so Part 2 will have some of the photos from our “turnaround day.”
View of the Port Everglades Cruise Port in Fort LauderdaleView of the Port Everglades Cruise Port in Fort LauderdaleNew construction along 17th Street in Fort LauderdaleDeparting Port Everglades aboard Celebrity EquinoxShadows on the Promenade Deck during departure from Port Everglades aboard Celebrity EquinoxDeparting Port Everglades aboard Celebrity EquinoxHow many motors are enough?Pilot boat during our departure from Port Everglades aboard Celebrity Equinox
For another dollar we’ll make it a smoothie. Kralendijk, Bonaire
Just being lazy. I’m most of the way through the photos from our last trip, but trying to get them all done before I start posting. In case anyone wondered about me, here is a quick post to confirm I’m still around!
Sunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky
After we finished up at Limestone Branch in Lebanon, we headed back to our motel in Bardstown. At some point during the drive I noticed that the sky held some promise for an interesting sunset. I knew that we would be passing by Heaven Hill distillery and thought it might make for an interesting foreground, but I wasn’t sure we would get there in time.
Sunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky
We probably missed the peak of the dramatic sky, but we stuck around long enough to get a little color. I didn’t carry a tripod on this trip (I know, I know, but it was about the baby, remember? ) so I had to be a little careful to balance shutter speeds and ISO.
Sunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky
Heaven Hill is a nice distillery, and we have visited there previously. Their visitor center is one of the best. We arrived well after closing time, but the parking lot was accessible so I was able wander around and get a few shots in the nice light.
Sunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KentuckySunset at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky
After our visit to Maker’s Mark, Kathy & I drove to Lebanon, KY for some lunch. Lebanon also happens to be the home of Limestone Branch Distillery, another of our favorites. It was on the way back to our motel and it was open, so of course we needed to stop. And tour. And taste. And buy!
Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky
Limestone Branch likes to say that they are currently the only distillery owned and operated by someone named Beam. Stephen & Paul Beam opened Limestone Branch in 2012, and while the distillery is fairly new in bourbon terms, they are producing some old-timey bourbon using old-timey recipes. The distillery traces its roots back to Jacob Beam in 1795, is best known for producing Yellowstone bourbon from the original mash bill. Yes, the bourbon is named after the National Park. And while it is not affiliated with the TV series, they are not minding the free publicity.
Samples! Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky
The place is not very big, and there are no picturesque acres of rickhouses on the property like the big boys, but what they lack in size they make up for in enthusiasm.
Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyLimestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyWorlds Smallest Rickhouse! Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KentuckyThieving it straight from the barrel! Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky
On our way back from Ohio we made a slight detour to Kentucky. See, they have bourbon there, and we needed to get some.
Where the magic happens. Still house at Makers Mark Distillery
Several years ago I signed up to be an “Ambassador” for Maker’s Mark. The deal was that as an Ambassador I had a barrel which was “mine,” and when the barrel was ready for use I would be invited back to the distillery and given the opportunity to buy some of the bourbon. I received my “Golden Ticket” in October, and I had until the end of March to make my pilgrimage to take the tour and buy our bourbon. Since Kentucky was kind of on the way from Ohio it was easier to go on our way home than to make a special trip.
Rickhouse at Makers Mark Distillery
As it turns out, the bourbon is regular Maker’s Mark from a batch that contained “my” barrel and not just from the actual barrel itself. No matter. It was as good an excuse as any to go there, and we always enjoy the tour. Of course we purchased a few bottles, and at the end of the tour we went to the gift shop to hand dip our bottles with the famous red wax seal. We are now well stocked with Maker’s Mark!
Print shop at Makers Mark DistilleryBottling line at Makers Mark DistilleryBottling line at Makers Mark DistilleryHand-dipping our Ambassador bottles at Makers Mark DistilleryHand-dipping our Ambassador bottles at Makers Mark DistillerySouvenirs! Our haul of Ambassador bottles from Makers Mark
Our most recent cruise was a 5 night cruise on Norwegian Prima, a nearly new ship for Norwegian Cruise Lines. We went with friends who live in Florida and are also our travel agents. They were there for a travel agency soiree, so they were “working” while we were having fun.
Artworks aboard Norwegian PrimaArtworks aboard Norwegian Prima
We only visited one port – Cozumel – since our second port stop was cancelled due to high seas and strong winds. So here are just a few random photos from the ship. It was a great time and a beautiful new ship, although being around all those travel agents is contagious!
Artworks aboard Norwegian PrimaGridwork above the Indulge Outdoor Lounge aboard Norwegian PrimaShadows aboard Norwegian PrimaGlass railings aboard Norwegian PrimaGlass railings aboard Norwegian PrimaView of the bow of Norwegian PrimaView of the bow of Norwegian PrimaShadows aboard Norwegian PrimaArtworks aboard Norwegian Prima
The Prima Speedway, 3-level go kart track aboard Norwegian Prima
Everywhere we go, people are in a hurry. They blast down the highway like they are a doctor late for a baby delivery (probably not), they slam down the first drink to get to the next (possibly precipitating the previous?), rush through dinner to get off to something else (with indigestion). But for what? To just rush on to the next thing? Sheesh! How about taking the time to enjoy each experience, each moment?
Kathy & I recently came across this article that was shared by a local writer. ‘and then?’ references someone wanting to watch a movie or listen to a podcast at 2X speed because it was “too slow.” Apparently listening to music at 2X speed is a thing on TikTok. I especially liked the statement that “The whole attitude seems to be: Let me get through this thing I don’t especially enjoy so I can do another thing just like it, which I won’t enjoy either.” That doesn’t seem like much of a way to live, if you ask me.
The Prima Speedway, 3-level go kart track aboard Norwegian Prima
Just this morning I was looking at the New York Times website and saw a link that said “The Year In Pictures – 3 Minute Read” I thought, wow, only 3 minutes? It is nearly 150 pictures (I counted but lost my place once or twice – distracted by the photos). Paging through the article without even slowing down to look at the pictures took almost 3 minutes! And yes I understand that the “3 Minutes” was probably automagically calculated based on the amount of text in the article, likely not counting the photo captions, but still. I haven’t gone back through it yet but expect that it might take me 30 minutes.
The Prima Speedway, 3-level go kart track aboard Norwegian Prima
When we travel, Kathy & I enjoy taking back roads, even if it adds an hour or two to the trip. Coming home from our recent trip to Florida, we could have made it home in a freeway-filled 9 hours, but instead chose to break it up into two days, 6 hours the first and about 5 the second. All but the last 100 or so miles were on roads that pass through small towns, past interesting scenery and occasionally a new “roadside find.” Once we got onto I-77 in Columbia, it was like stepping into a cement mixer! It was nice to get home, but I often equate the freeway experience to a cross section of society. Most people go along doing their own thing, but there are always those few who either aren’t completely involved with the task of driving or are convinced that there is a prize for getting somewhere at light speed. We made it home safely, and mostly relaxed, which was the most important thing!
