My 2026 began with my first ever Carnival cruise. It was a short three day Mexico cruise, to help a friend decide if she could (in the future) cruise solo. I teamed up with another friend and she booked the cruise, selected the handicap accessible room, and did the checked in for our guest. I ordered the mobility scooter. We picked up our friend, from LAX, and headed to Long Beach. The trip was a great success! Our friend had a blast and is now looking forward to solo cruising.

After arriving back in Long Beach, California, I headed to Park City, Utah. This would be my fifth and final time volunteering where the Sundance Film Festival was founded. Plus, I wanted to receive my Five Year pin, in Utah. The festival relocates to Colorado, in 2027. I’ll probably volunteer for the first festival, in Boulder, now that the forty eight year run in Utah is over.

After my final shift in Park City, I made my way to London. I didn’t really have a plan. London was my first solo destination, back in 1984. I have no idea of how many times I’ve been there since. At this point, I know my way around the city better than my hometown of Detroit. Of course, I left Detroit in 1975, when I joined the US Air Force. And, … I’ve retuned to London many more times than I’ve returned to the city of my birth.

While in London, I ran across a cruise from Lima to San Diego. I booked it. The only problem was the VPN. The NCL app didn’t recognize me as American. I was unable to book insurance for the cruise. I sent a message to NCL and was told that I would need to use a local travel insurance company, in the UK. I also did not receive any free WiFi minutes or my usual discounts on excursions. I booked a flight to Lima, Peru and arrived five days before the cruise.

My hotel was in the Miraflores area of Lima and was amazing. It was also a 15 minute walk to downtown (in one direction) and a fifteen minute walk to the beach (in another). Once there, I received a message from NCL stating that passengers would be checked at a local hotel in Miraflores. That hotel also a 15 minute walk away from where I was staying. I scouted out the hotel, twice, and was more than ready for madness to come.

Two blocks from my hotel, I discovered the Liverpool Restobar! I was definitely not ready for Beatlemania in Peru! The restaurant was one of my favorite spots in the city. Along with Beatles memorabilia everywhere, old 80s and 90s music videos played throughout the restaurant. I had a great meal, while listening to Hall and Oats, Michael Jackson, and other artists.

Across from the John F. Kennedy Park, there was a Hop On Hop Off bus stop. I decided to ride it around and get a better idea of the city. The bus made a stop at the Pucllana pyramid site. We could have hopped off there and paid for the entry to the site. It was built between 200 AD and 700 AD. I decided to just get back on the bus and keep riding around. Next, we headed along the beach area and ended at a stop at the Laromar shopping mall. The mall is built directly into the side of a coastal cliff.

After the crazy hotel check-in, 50 buses set off for the commercial terminal. The process took forever. I, luckily, made it on bus number 3! Our 17 day itinerary had stops in Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and five ports in Mexico. On the second day, the first stop in Ecuador was canceled. That same port had also been canceled, when the three hundred back to back passengers began in their cruise in Miami.

The Miami passengers went through the Panama Canal, on their way to Peru. The rest of us, sailing back to the USA, had to settle for crossing the equator. As a first time crosser, (known as a Pollywog), I attended the official ceremony with King Neptune (one of the dancers on the ship)! We were cleansed (using whip cream with blue food coloring), followed by water being tossed at us. Our final task was being presented with a fish to kiss.

The highlight of the 17 days was the empty thermal spa. I purchased a pass for the entire cruise, as soon as I entered the ship. I went every single day and almost always had both the women’s area and the shared coed space to myself. The area was very relaxing and had really good views, I think I only left the ship three or four times, during the entire 17 day cruise.

We arrived in San Diego minutes before a No Kings Day protest parade was passing by the cruise terminal. I had just enough time to make the short walk to the train station and book a ride to Los Angeles. Once there, I walked to a PodShare hotel near Little Tokyo. All the roomettes on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief were booked, so I decided to sleep over and catch the train the following morning.

Two days later, I arrived in Chicago. From there, I took an overnight train to Cincinnati. A friend picked me up and I spent a few nights in Ohio, before taking a Greyhound bus back to Chicago. After a two night stay, I was back on Amtrak and heading back to Los Angeles, then on to San Diego. The cruise ship had now completed two seven day trips to Mexico. I had now collected the tax return check that had been mailed, for the first time ever.

Once back in San Diego, I spent a few pre cruise nights in a local hostel. Cruise day, I walked back to the same ship I’d been on, since Peru, and headed to Vancouver. This eight day cruise, booked on the Peru cruise, still didn’t recognize my US citizenship. The staff at the CruiseNext desk had to make a call to NCL headquarters in Miami. So, once again, no free Internet access and no discounts on cruise excursions. After the correction was made, I booked an another cruise to Alaska.

For my first night post cruise, I booked my favorite hotel that’s a short walk from the terminal. Then, I booked five nights at the old YWCA, near the Vancouver Public Library. I really enjoyed that part of town. I’m adding it to my list of long term travel destinations. Sometimes you just need to get off the road and take a break. I will definitely return to Vancouver. Right now, I’m waiting for the next cruise (Vancouver to Whittier Alaska), at a Pod Hotel in Whistler.

I wrote to the hotel and asked for a bottom pod. With my old post Camino de Santiago knees, I knew that climbing up and into bed each night would be hard. But … I had totally forgotten how hard it was for me to get out of that pod I booked in Tel Aviv. Luckily, in Whistler, there’s almost enough room for me to stand. So, now I just crouch over and back out of the pod. It’s pretty darn funny!

So, while the ship is in dry dock, somewhere in Victoria, I will chill here, in Whittier Village, for a few days. Then, it’s back to my favorite airport hotel in Vancouver. I’ll be there for two days and then make my way back to the cruise terminal and on to Alaska. What a year … so far! I can hardly believe that it’s only been four months!

And … to answer your question .. no! I never plan! I have no clue where I’m going to for the rest of the year. I need to do more in South America and Antarctica is my final continent. Will I get any of that done in 2026? Follow this space! XOXO —GGT