Celebrating Love and Football: Our Anniversary Tailgate

Family Day at Washburn University

Saturday, September 21 was Family Day at Washburn University. This day also happened to be the 22 wedding anniversary for Carrie and me. We talked about staying in Lawrence, or Kansas City, for our anniversary, but made the decision we would attend the tailgate and game instead.

It was a hot day, but we had a good time. The game was exciting and it is always good to see friends at the tailgate. We had our spot set up with some new items which included a box fan to give some air movement in our tent, a new rug that we received as a gift for our anniversary, and then many pictures of us throughout the years that Erin did for us. We had a fun time and our corner spot was full with friends and family throughout the afternoon. It was perfect!

Box Fan for Cooling

The box fan for cooling our tent worked well. I am not sure we could have stayed throughout the afternoon if not for the box fan. Erin had seen pictures from people using this method for tent camping and we thought we would try it for tailgating. Game changer! It worked great with our chairs below and kept the air circulating through the tent. Carrie and I bought a larger tent which barely fit in our spot by the flagpole, but it worked out well. 

Beverage Station

We had a beverage station going that started our day. We got out to our spot about 9 am and while we did not have breakfast prepared, we did have the beverage station along with donuts. Carrie said at the next home game she will make us breakfast, so that is always a good way to start the day.

We lost 39 - 31 to Pittsburg State. Once again we were in this game throughout and had a chance to win, but a few stumbles and we lose again. It was a fun game with a lot of scoring, but could have used the win. We are now 0 - 3 on the season and playing at Missouri Western State University next weekend. 

Pictures of us to celebrate Anniversary

Selfie on 22 Wedding Anniversary

Brenda Joined our Tailgate

We had a fun time even with us losing. Joan and Eddie came out to join us for the tailgate and game. After returning home, unpacking the Pilot and putting things away, I took a nice long nap. I then went to bed early as it was a long day but so well worth it.

Happy anniversary, Carrie. I love you so much! Thank you for wanting to tailgate and watch football on our wedding anniversary. 

Nashville Birthday Bash: Honky Tonks, Brunch, and Bourbon Steak!

On Our Way to Nashville

Here we are in the middle of July and it is hard to believe that a month ago we were in Nashville, TN for the 50 birthday celebration for Corrie. We had a great time. I meant to write this following the trip, but we were busy following the trip and did not get it done. We had a wonderful time in Nashville and plan to go back in the future. We went to so many great spots to listen to great music, drink, and of course we ate at some great spots too. This will be a few of the places we went but not an inclusive list.

Drinks at Assembly Food Hall

We were in Nashville from June 13 - 17. We packed in a lot during our time there. We would sometimes sleep late to about 9:30 or 10, but we were out the door and doing things in Nashville everyday we were there. We would not head back to take naps or breaks, but it was nonstop and a great time. Picture to the left was a spot we ended up a few different times called Assembly Food Hall. A variety of places to eat or get drink. Fun spot!

Group at Brunch

There were ten of us total on the trip although all ten were together I believe only two days together. Picture to the right was brunch at Adele's where we went Saturday morning on June 15. We all came away stuffed and happy. I want to go back there in the future for dinner. We spent that day going between drinking spots while the ladies went shopping. 

I am jumping around a bit, but on Thursday we spent the day on Broadway going around to the various bars. It was so fun with great bands at each and every stop. Some places would have multiple bands playing at the same time, but the way the bars were set up, you could only hear one when in the vicinity of that band. Most bands would take donations with a bucket or with a QR code to send money. We did both methods while we were going around Broadway listening where we would drop cash into a bands bucket or send Venmo through their QR code.

Dinner at Bourbon Steak

The highlight of the trip was the birthday dinner for Corrie at Bourbon Steak. We had reservations for ten and we had talked about doing a private dining room but ended up leaving it in the main dining room. When we arrived, we were surprised they took us to the private dining. It was incredible with the views, the food, and the company. The picture to the left, or the others in Flickr album, do not give it justice. We had our own wait staff that took good care of us. Javier was in charge of the wine and we had three bottles of wine through the night. It was a fantastic evening! 

To see all photos from our trip, you can browse them using the images below.

Fun memories to celebrate the birthday for Corrie. It was fun hanging out with everyone to celebrate big birthday weekend for Corrie. Carrie and I hope to go back to Nashville sometime soon.

Happy July 4, 2024! Have a Happy and Safe Holiday!

t always feels like a sign that summer is half-over as July 4th weekend comes and goes. The summer is speeding by and only gets faster. I hope you have a fun and safe holiday.

No fireworks purchases for us this year, but we might watch some as others fire off their fireworks. Hoping our dog, Oliver, can remain calm and not be too bothered by the sound of the fireworks from neighbors. It is pitiful to watch him outside the past few nights as people fire off their fireworks. 

If you shoot something that goes into the air, please follow safety protocol. My sister, Dina, has had one too many fireworks chase after her. I remember one time it hit her and put a hole in her shirt. She was far back from the fireworks, but somehow they managed to seek her out.

Happy 4th! Stay safe and keep all of your digits.

Celebrating Javier's Journey to Citizenship

Javier in 2009

Our friend Javier recently achieved a major milestone – becoming a United States citizen! We've known Javier since his days attending Washburn University to get his MBA and then after he graduated with his MBA, he got a jot at Frito Lay. Back in 2009, we even went the extra mile to help him out with his house and finances while he was back in Costa Rica, ensuring things ran smoothly as he completed the process to work legally in the US.

Javier in 2024

Fast forward to April 27th, 2024, and the big day for Javier's citizenship ceremony finally arrived. He let us know on Thursday, and we surprised him with a trip down to Dallas, Texas to celebrate. But we weren't the only ones with a surprise up their sleeve – our friend Corrie from Houston also made the trip to celebrate with Javier! We managed to keep it a secret, making the reunion even more special.

Group of Friends to Celebrate

Javier got us a limo to take to the ceremony that then dropped us off at Rodeo Goat for a late lunch. With Corrie coming in Saturday morning and it being a surprise for Javier, we had to ask that the limo pick Carrie and I up at the hotel which was really so Corrie could ride in the limo too. Carrie, Corrie, Jess, Brock, and Kim all went to the ceremony to celebrate Javier becoming a citizen. We all had to remain outside as the event space was small and one hundred people at a time become citizens, so there is not a lot of room available within the swearing in location. We all stayed outside of the main doors and cheered when Javier, and others, came out after becoming citizens.

Javier and John Selfie

I am excited for Javier to have this completed. He can now vote in the United States elections. He is able to know that his retirement will go to him and not be seized by the government through future changes. He also keeps his residency to Costa Rica which is still in our plans to some day retire to Costa Rica, so I am glad that he keeps his residency to his home country. 

Javier, Hat, and Limo

It was an incredible experience to witness hundreds of people from all backgrounds taking this important step. The excitement was contagious as they exited the ceremony, waving American flags and met with chants of "USA! USA!"

Congrats Javier on becoming a citizen of the United States.

Celebration for 90th Birthday for Our Mom... Happy 90th Birthday Nancy Haverty!

Mom Celebrating 90 Birthday

Our family got together to celebrate my Mom's 90th birthday. She turned 90 on December 6. A few months ago, we started discussing and figuring out what we would do to celebrate her birthday. Mom did not want a huge party, so we knew we had to keep it small to our immediate family. However, Betsy had the idea of doing a card party for Mom. So, the announcement was sent out and people started sending in cards to Mom. I know Carrie and I sent nine cards and others also sent multiple cards. She loves it and getting cards daily for the past two weeks has been great. We read through some of them when we celebrated which was fun to do.

Group Family Photo

Betsy organized us into a group picture. We were missing a few family members that were not able to make the trip. This was the first time in a few years that this many of us were able to get together. We missed Spencer, Jack and Katie, Katy, and Donna.

I ended up taking the pictures with my phone as we had some technical issues with Betsy's Android phone to get it to do a timer countdown. I think we got some good pictures of the whole family.

See all the pictures from the celebration on Flickr.

Beautiful Sunset

Beautiful weather for the birthday celebration. Carrie snapped the picture to the right of the sunset. Amazing weather for December 9. Carrie and I took our fire pit and had it going most of the afternoon into the evening. It was nice to have a little heat to stand around while we were talking and enjoying one another's company. The forecast for earlier in the week was rain and snow, but that never happened and it was a great celebration.

A small group of us remained and kept Mom up late into the evening (midnight) talking and telling stories. Mom was sharing stories from when she was little which was interesting.  Tim started the question asking and then Carrie and I chimed in and started asking questions too. Questions such as how Dad proposed or favorite meals from her childhood. It was really interesting and some stories I had not heard before.

Oliver Went to Quiet Room

Oliver went off by himself at one point in the evening as he had enough of family time. He did well overall, but did not like having a one and half year old try to pet him. So, we had to keep Oliver separated from Hayes. It was so good to meet the little Haverty's that attended the gathering. 

So happy with how the celebration turned out. Mom had a great time and we kept it only to immediate family. I hope we are all able to get together again soon just to be together.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week...

Anniversary weekend in Lawrence, KS celebrating 21 years of marrige with eating, drinking, and having fun in Lawrence

Free State Patio

Carrie and I are celebrating our 21 wedding anniversary on September 21. We decided to celebrate early by getting a room at the Eldridge in Lawrence, KS. We picked this weekend to celebrate based on KU football being away and Washburn playing at home on Saturday, September 23 this was the best selection for our celebration.

Selfie on Free State Patio

We stayed two nights coming in on Friday afternoon. We have had a wonderful time eating and drinking up and down Mass Street. Friday night we decided to play it by ear and see where the night took us. We started off a Free State Brewery where we sat on the patio where we could enjoy the true spirit of drinking beer on the patio. 

Bar at 715

Following our time on the patio, we made our way to 715 for a drink or a few drinks. We hung out at 715 for a while before we headed to The Mad Greek which has been a favorite of ours for years. 

Saturday morning we slept a little later than we were planning but we were out the door by 10 am. We went to 1900 Barker on Mass which is a coffee and breakfast spot. We out there for a while eating breakfast and enjoying coffee. It was a good spot and I would go back!

Art in the Park and Popcorn

Following breakfast, we walked to the park for Art in the Park where we wandered around and bought a lot of earrings (5 sets), so I think Carrie is set for a while. I tease, but happy she finds them at art shows. It was a good way to wish her a happy anniversary by finding earrings at Art in the Park.

As we were walking back to our hotel, we decided to stop into Louise's Bar Downtown where we stayed for a while watching Missouri beat Kansas State. Had a fun time at the bar and watching the people.

Picture from our Hotel Room

We had planned to have dinner Saturday night at 715 on their patio, but it was forecast to rain in the evening, so we decided to try a new spot for us. We went to Mass Street Fish House and Raw Bar. We enjoyed our time and had a good dinner. I would go back! I know it has been on Mass Street for a while, but it was the first time we had been there.

After dinner, we down to the Wine Dive for a drink or two and then over to Merchants Pub and Plate. We have eaten at both spots, so we just wanted to stop by for a drink and get ready for our reservations John Brown Underground. 

We had reservations at John Brown Underground for 10:45. Drinks were really good but I could not tell you their names. It was a fun spot and it did feel like I was in a speakeasy. We had great seats at the bar and they took good care of us.

Ramen Bowls for Lunch

Sunday morning we were moving a little slow and slept late. We at Ramen Bowls on Mass. Delicious and perfect for helping with a little bit of a hangover. 

We had a great time on our extended weekend in Lawrence. Oliver had a blast staying at my Mom's along with my sister Dina. We were all so tired when we got home that we all took naps and went to bed a little early.

So happy to spend our 21 anniversary in Lawrence and to spend it on Mass Street with the love of my life. Happy anniversary, Carrie! I cannot wait to see what we do next year.

Happy 4th of July for 2023!

Have a Happy and Safe July 4th celebration! It seems like the past few years it has rained leading up to or on Independence Day. While we need the rain, I hope that we have nice weather to enjoy the celebration.

Be safe out there if you are firing off fireworks but also take time to enjoy family and friends during the holiday. 

In my younger days, I would be all about going out to buy fireworks and spend the evening blowing them up. Now, I am good with a relaxing evening and maybe watching a fireworks show. My dog, Oliver, does not like fireworks at all, so we have found the past two or three years where we we go driving to get him out of the house and away from the boom that scares him to hide under furniture.

Until next time, have a great 4th and a short work week.

Quick update on our trip to Texas last week with fun in Houston to celebrate friends graduation...

We flew down to Dallas, TX last Thursday which is the reason there was not an update on Sunday per usual. We went down to celebrate a graduation for our friend Corrie's son. We flew down to Dallas and then drove with Javier to Houston, TX where the party would take part. We had a great time! The weather was good with some rain, but it did not deter from the fun we had while in Houston. We even got some pool time in before the celebration on Saturday night. 

You will not be surprised that I did not get many pictures from the graduation party but we came away with some good memories and enjoyed spending time with our friends.

The last time we were in Houston was back in December for New Years and at that time we had our dog, Oliver, who joined us. The picture to the right is Cooper and Carrie with Cooper getting a belly rub. I am pretty sure that Cooper was happy Oliver was no where around his house.

A quick trip flying down Thursday and then heading back on Sunday. Our flight Thursday morning left at 7:30 am and then the return flight was scheduled for 8:20 but ended up being later which got us home to Topeka around 11:30 Sunday night. 

Short trip but a large time was had in Texas. It was good to fly down this time instead of driving which we have done the last few visits to Texas, but I also like taking my dog with me when we travel, so he was missed.

I did not get this posted on Sunday, or Monday, as I was exhausted after our trip and went to bed early Monday night. Finally feeling back to normal after traveling and a lot of fun.

Until next time, have a great week!

Happy Birthday Cruise to Carrie on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady April 9 - 14, 2023... Highly Recommend Virgin Voyages!

Sunrise From Flight

Carrie and I left for a cruise on Saturday, April 8. We booked our cruise a few months ago to celebrate Carrie turning 50. We decided on a Virgin Voyages cruise as we had a few friends who had been on the cruise and said it was great.

Our fight left at 5:18 in the morning. We got a hotel near the airport for the night before, but we still had to be at the airport by 4 am. It was great to be able to see the new MCI airport although nothing was open when we were there, or when we returned, but it is nice to have one spot to depart and arrive for the airport.

We flew into Miami and had a hotel for Saturday night, so we did a tour of Little Havana where we had a guided tour to eat, drink, and see the area. It was so fun! We had a great tour guide that was from the area. Delicious coffee, drinks, and food, plus hearing about the area was so interesting. We had a great time before we headed to our hotel.

From Balcony in Miami, FL

We had a wonderful evening in Miami where we head a balcony looking out over the inlet to the ocean with so much activity of boats, I could have spent all day watching boats entering and leaving to the ocean. It was so cool! We had reservations at The River Oyster Bar which was walking distance from our hotel which was perfect. We of course had to order oysters and they were delicious. We had six different kinds, I believe, and they were all delicious. The drinks, appetizers, and meals were good too. We really liked The River Oyster Bar and our time spent in and around Miami. 

Leaving on a Cruise

Finally, Sunday, we were ready to leave for the cruise. We were so excited to be leaving on a cruise that Carrie shouted out to the crowd gathered how excited she was to be leaving. The boarding process for Virgin Voyages was so easy as we were on the ship and had our first drink minutes after boarding. There was a guy in line with us that might have been more excited than Carrie, but it was close. He was singing and giving high fives to the staff as we were heading up the stairs. We think he had done three or four Virgin Voyages before this one as he knew everyone.

Bar We Visited Each Day

We visited the Sip Bar each of the days on the cruise. Drinks were great and the bartenders worked their butts off while helping to keep everyone happy and drink in hand. We did go to the Sip Bar each day we were on the cruise. We were sad one night when they closed at 11:30 instead of midnight, but the two bartenders were going to staff party.

There were only two ports being visited on the five day cruise. Carrie and I decided we were going to remain on the ship for the first visit. We had a wonderful time going through the ship, spending time at the pool, and enjoying the ship without it being crowded. We almost did this again the second port day, but decided we should at least say we had been to the Bahamas and put our toes in the sand. It was tempting to not remain on the boat and enjoy the spaces without the people.

Hola on Side of Ship

We did take a catamaran the first port day which was in the evening which was a lot of fun. The margaritas were not great on the catamaran, but the beer was cold and all part of the voyage. As we returned, I was able to capture a picture of ship with 'HOLA' on the side lit up in lights. While we were on the catamaran, I was able to see some fish "floating on the air" which I had only ever seen on the internet. They were all over the place on the first hour out to the open water along the shore. The way back, I only saw one fly along the top of the water. It was fun and the crew did a good job keeping us entertained and drinks in hand.

Dinner at "The Wake". So good!

We had dinner at just about all the places to eat aboard ship. One of our favorites was dinner at "The Wake". Our seats were in front of the window showing the wake of the boat which was incredible. The meal was good and our waiter was great allowing us use our own bottle of wine and not charge a corking fee. Thank you! 

"The Wake", "The Test Kitchen", and "Gunbae" were my favorites. Least favorite was "Extra Virgin" which was Italian, but it was just OK for me. Main complaint was they were out of all of their wines except for one.

The bars on board were good and we frequented a few of them. It would be nice if only beer is being ordered that would not have to wait for those getting blender drinks, but overall, we had a great time and enjoyed our time onboard. We met so many wonderful people even having dinner with some of them one night. 

Sunset from Catamaran

We liked our cruise so much that we put a payment on a future cruise that we get ship credit for and then have to book it within the next two years. I look forward to another trip and to sailing again on Virgin Voyages. It will be fun to see another ship and make new memories to new destinations. 

When we returned to Miami on Sunday morning, we had a cabana reserved for us at a local hotel. We spent the day Poolside at Surfcomber as our flight back to Kansas City did not leave until 9 pm Sunday night. Worked out great as we were able to nap, eat, drink, and be in the pool. It was really a fun spot and once again our waiter took great care of us while we were there.

I am happy that we were able to celebrate the 50th birthday for Carrie doing a cruise. We both had a wonderful time and look forward to cruising again. It had been eleven years since we had last been on a cruise and this did not disappoint. Happy Birthday, Carrie!

See full photo album on Flickr.

Trip to Aruba to Celebrate Our Twenty Year Wedding Anniversary from September 21, 2022

Carrie and John in KC Airport

Carrie and I celebrated 20 years of marriage back on September 21, 2022 (see post) and we were able to take a trip to celebrate our anniversary in November. We scheduled our trip months ago and we were gone from November 6 - 14. We were scheduled to fly out early Sunday, November 6, so we arrived at the airport at 5 am and as we were heading to the counter, we get an alert our flight is delayed. Great! Now our flight leaves at noon, so we completely miss our connecting flight in Miami, FL. The flight was delayed due to “crew rest”, so as it was the airline problem, American Airlines put us up in a hotel in Miami along with some food vouchers. 

Airport Bar and Shows

Carrie and I spent the morning at the Kansas City airport where there is not much to do hanging out at a Budweiser Bar. Drinking beer at 10:30 in the morning, reading, eating, and watching shows on our devices. It was a rather enjoyable morning even though we should have been well on our way to Miami and to Aruba later in the day. Instead, we hung out in Kansas City until our flight was to leave. We arrived late afternoon in Miami and took a taxi to our hotel. 

We talked about venturing out in Miami to see the sights, but getting up at 4 am to get to our scheduled flight had us both rather sleepy, so we decided to eat at the hotel. Expensive meal at the hotel, but it was good food and we enjoyed some delicious drinks. Following dinner, we headed back to our room for the evening. Our flight on Monday was scheduled to fly out at noon, so we went out for breakfast near the hotel. Enjoyable lazy morning although we both had hoped we would have been on the beaches of Aruba by Monday morning, we were enjoying our time in Miami.

Carrie and John First Class

For the first time ever when flying, we flew first class. Months ago when we were looking at flights and watching the prices fluctuate, we decided to do first class. It was amazing! Not sure we will be able to fly any other way on long flights. We enjoyed the space, the food, and the drinks. Great way to fly out even though our first day was delayed, we had a great time. The food on the plane was excellent! So many ways to connect devices too.

Dinner at Elements

By the time we arrived at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, it was evening, so we had dinner at Elements which is located on the Bucuti property and then headed out to the beach for an evening stroll. It was so nice hearing the waves crash into the shore as we strolled along the beach. It was good to have finally made it to Aruba. So excited for the week ahead of us and ready to start exploring plus soaking up the sun. Tuesday morning we were going to get our car rental that we would have for the week and go to the grocery store to pick up some snacks and drinks for the week. We went to our first breakfast on site and it was delicious which was a great way to start the day and time at the resort.

Eagle Beach at Bucuti Resort

We spent the afternoon at Eagle Beach which is where Bucuti is located. Enjoyed our first day beachside and everything that comes with hanging out at the beach. Tuesday night we were going to a German Restaurant that Carrie had found. Good food, but there was only one guy that could take orders for the entire place. One of those instances where we will need to go back to see if it is the same or always lousy attention on the customer. Beer was good though as I enjoyed a few different German beers. Yum!

Arikok National Park Natural Pool

Tuesday morning we had planned a very early start to the day with a sunrise walk at Arikok National Park. The hike out to the natural pool was about 1.5 miles, so it was a good hike early in the morning. The hike to the pool was dark but we are so glad we scheduled the tour and hike. It was amazing! Beautiful scenery we were able to swim in the natural pool which was incredible. I had no idea that Aruba was built from volcanos. As we were walking the trail, noticed a lot of rock that was dark and looked like volcanic rock. Sure enough, our guide said the whole island was built from volcanos although no active volcanos in the area for years. The trail was tough going at times with steep inclines, but it was so worth the journey. Our guide was great and took a number of pictures of us while we were in the natural pool.

Arikok National Park

Arikok National Park Splashing Waves

Arikok National Park as We Walk

Carrie found Fins & Feet Nature Tours which is who we used for the guided tour in the national park. Monica, our tour guide, was excellent! Knowledgeable and she said she does the hike we were doing daily. Highly recommend Fins & Feet Nature Tours for your tours in Aruba. Following our tour, back to Bucuti for breakfast. We were then headed out on the town to catch lunch and do some shopping. 

Everywhere we ate, I tried to do some type of seafood. I think I did pretty good overall as I am not sure I ate anything other than seafood everywhere we went. Here are some of the foods I was able to capture. Carrie does a much better job of remembering where I had each of these items, but the food was so good everywhere we went… I was just lucky to snap a picture before I gobbled up the delicious food.

Dinner in Miami

Romantic Dinner is Seafood

Seafood Lunch at Bistro

Shrimp at West Deck

Carrie Relaxing and Reading

We did a lot of relaxing and reading on the beaches. I only got one book read while we were in Aruba, but Carrie read four or five books. I had hoped to read more, but I am happy with the amount of reading I completed. We visited so many wonderful spots and would not have done it any other way. 

Romantic Dinner on Baby Beach

November 10, we had scheduled a romantic evening on the beach for dinner. Good food with my beautiful wife. Food was really good and we had a bottle of wine to enjoy privately while steel drums played in the background. 

Carrie and John at Baby Beach

For those that do not know, Carrie and I met on a cruise back in 2001. The cruise consisted of people from Topeka, Manhattan, Lawrence, and Kansas City with around 150 people from the area going on the cruise. I was going with friends from Washburn and knew a few people but this is the trip where Carrie and I met and fell in love. One of the ports we visited on that first cruise was Baby Beach in Aruba. One of the reasons we selected Aruba for our anniversary trip was because we had been here back when we first met and had fond memories of Aruba and Baby Beach. It was good to be back at Baby Beach which was about a 30 - 40 minute drive from Bucuti Resort. Easy drive and so worth the trip. We took a cooler full of drinks and enjoyed those while having fun at the beach. It rained briefly on us while we were at the beach, but soon the sun came out and we enjoyed our time.

Sails on Ship for Evening Cruise

The evening of November 11, which was the same day we went to Baby Beach, we went on an evening sail. Again, wow! It was amazing! So beautiful to see the shore from the sea and it had drinks that we were certainly enjoying on the evening sail. That evening, we went to a place to eat that was close to our resort and it was amazing! Probably helped we had been enjoying drinks most of the day and into the evening, but we had a great time at dinner before walking back to the resort.

Piña colada On the Beach

After spending most of the week at the beach, we decided to spend the day on Saturday, November 12 at the pool. It was nice not having to get sand off of our feet. Wonderful time hanging around the pool, reading, eating, and having Piña colada‘s. They were so good and perfect on the beach or at the pool. We had already had a few of them earlier in the week while at the beach, so it was good to have them pool side too. 

As Sunday rolled around, the sadness was starting to kick in that it was our last full day in Aruba. We went to breakfast early so we could get out to the beach earlier in the day. Another enjoyable day hanging out at the beach reading, drinking, and playing in the ocean. That evening, we went out on the town to have one last fancy dinner in Aruba. Another good spot and good way to spend our last evening in Aruba.

Lunch at West Deck

Monday, November 14 we were scheduled to fly out in the afternoon, so we made our way to town and ate a good lunch at a local favorite. Had some drinks as we had some time to kill before we needed to return the car to the rental and get to the airport.

We had a great time at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort and I would highly recommend staying there. They took good care of us in the restaurant, the bar, and throughout the resort. Getting around Aruba in a rental car is the way to go. It was cheap and easy to navigate. There are so many wonderful places to eat on the island, it was fun to try all the different places and see the different areas of the island. It was our first time at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, but I expect we will be back again in the future. 

Cheers to Carrie!

We had a wonderful time in Aruba! I cannot wait to go back. I am so happy that Carrie and I were able to make this trip, celebrate together, and enjoy time together. It was much needed and fun to disconnect, for the most part, from life and enjoy each other. Happy Anniversary, Carrie! I love you!

We are already talking about where we will go next time. Visiting Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, which was not an all-inclusive, was a fun change. I really enjoyed visiting the places to eat and seeing the island. I cannot wait to go back!

To see full album of pictures, please see below where you can go through all of our pictures.

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed visting Aruba through our trip summary and pictures. Do you have a favorite spot in Aruba, we would love to hear from you and share in your experiences.