Bridal Show

Before we left for our cruise, my FMIL and I attended a bridal show at the Norfolk Airport Hilton.  I'll be honest, this bridal show left a lot to be desired.  It was heavy on the pyramid scheme-type consultants with a smattering of photographers trying to break into the industry. 

Here are some tips for anyone even remotely interested in setting up a booth at an event of any sort.

1.  Have enough of whatever you are handing out for every single person and guest that might wander by your booth.  It does you no good to be there unless you have something to put into people's hands.  If you run out of your materials, you leave one impression on the very people you are trying to convince to be your clients - unprepared.

2.  If you have any sort of photographs make sure they are both in focus and properly exposed.  This goes for vendors of any sort, but most especially for up-and-coming photographers.

3.  Make sure the people working your booth with you actually know about your business.  They need to be able to answer questions for you while you are busy speaking with other potential clients. 

These may seem like no-brainers but I can count on one hand the number of vendors represented who did not violate one of these three.  Everyone else... oooooohhh boy.


There were a few things I did like and here are some of the pictures I took.  All of these are displays by Turpin's Florist.

This is a table vase but I thought it would be a good idea for bridesmaids bouquets.   

This is very similar to my best friend's theme, but still a cute idea that I can probably personalize and make my own.

This would be a cute way to present "thanks for coming" cards since we won't have a need for menus

I love fruit in vases of tall arrangements...

This circular menu is a cute variation on something so typical at weddings.

Hamilton, Bermuda

Hamilton is one of two cities in Bermuda.  From the Cruise terminal you can take a ferry there in about... 15-20 minutes.  Its a nice little ride with views of the seaside Bermudian homes.

What you must know when visiting Bermuda is that everything - and I do mean everything closes at 5pm.  If not before.  The only establishment that stays open after this hour is a bar or resteraunt.  We wish we had known this...

Here's a pic of Jeff as a bobby while we did a little souvenir shopping.

A pretty clock tower in Hamilton.

My future FIL builds guitars as a hobby.  I snapped these pictures of a shop window with him in mind.  Check out all the bright colors!

A Royal Post Box.  I'm sorry to say it, but these are much prettier than the U.S. sort.

One of the establishments we visited for a drink.  The nachos were great.  The service was horrible.  If you wonder in and find yourself being waited on by a large, blonde, british fellow, request another server.  I wouldn't let it stop you from experiencing this little hidey-hole.  They have interesting memorabilia from another time on the walls.

A view across the Hamilton Ferry Terminal

Because we misread the ferry schedule - and weren't aware that everything closed at 5! - we wondered into this establishment for another round.

I would certainly recomment both their service and their beverages!  ps. While in Bermuda, you must try both the Dark & Stormy and the Rum Swizzle.  I prefer the swizzle but if you like ginger beer the Dark & Stormy is for you!

By the way... the more you drink, the more interesting the name becomes to remember.  By the end of our trip we had ordered Dark & Drearies and Dark & Gloomies... the locals thought we were pretty funny....

This is the view from the Pickled Onion's balcony seating.

Condiments...

Check out how yellow these birds are!

A little history for you on the Hamilton Ferry Terminal

A view of Hamilton from the terminal

This is Hamilton as we were leaving on the ferry, headed back to the Royal Dockyards at King's Wharf.

We did get a few glimmers of sunlight through those clouds!

Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda

Bermuda is known for its pink sand beaches and Horseshoe Bay is one of the most famous.  For $4 you can take a bus right to the beach.  Well, almost.  You still have to walk down a steep hill.  No big deal for us but if you have any sort of mobility issues, there's a little man who runs a shuttle up and down the hill.

This was our first view of the beach while walking down to the sand.

The water is so clear in the pools of the bay that you are able to see all kinds of fish.  You can walk right out and stand among them!

Here's a pic of Chris and I in one of the little pools created by the rock outcroppings.

These holes in the cliffside are created by birds that are native to the island.  I'm not sure if we ever heard the name but these birds are depicted on everything from currency to the sides of peoples' homes.

Another view of the rocks that create the pools for the fishes... ;)

A lovely shot of Jeff and Jenn.  Don't they make such a good looking couple?

Chris and I, in the water.  Note to self, must get an 85mm polarizing filter... thanks to my sunglasses and still getting a feel for the new camera... every one of these shots is soooooo blown out...

Pink sands and turquoise waters... I wish we had some nicer weather while we were visiting.  I can only imagine how these shots would have looked on a nice sunny day...

Silly boys.  Which way is the beach?  How big is that beach ball you've lost?

Chris, my closet romantic, drew this in the sand.

There was a storm that was really starting to brew as we left the beach.

These are the birds mentioned above.  Look at how colorful they are... subtle but pretty.

King's Wharf, Bermuda

King's Wharf, Bermuda, is where the cruise ships now dock.  Its also called the Royal Dockyards.  They used to dock in Hamilton but the boats are too large now.  A new marina was built on the other side of the island specially for the cruise ships.  (This is to say... a tourist trap was built for the cruise ships)

Here's a view of the marina with some of the historic buildings of the old British stockade.  These have now been mostly converted to shopping malls and museums.

This is a Bermuda Moon Gate.  Many people on the island incorporate these gates into their back yards and gardens.  If you make a wish while passing through it, the wish is likely to come true. 

There are only a few resteraunts in King's Wharf - two if I remember correctly.  We chose to try the Frog & Onion Pub. 

They feature a 52 ounce beer and a 57 ounce margeritta.  As you can see, Jenn and Jeff were big fans of their drink choices.

Chris also went all out, while I decided to play it safe and go with a more "normal" sized beverage. 

This is a pretty fountain that's incorporated into the "square".

Snorkel Park Beach - if you book the beach excursion with snorkel, beach chair, and umbrella, this is where they take you.  I wouldn't waste your money.  Its a tiny beach made from blasted limestone.  You can pay the $10 admission yourself if you want to go and take a towel from the boat. 

We only had an hour before we had to be back on the boat to get ready for dinner so the woman at the gate let us in for half the price. 

There isn't much here except for overpriced drinks.  If you're determined to get in the water after spending two days on the boat, head on down.  However, if you want to spend a day at the beach, take the bus to one of the "pink" beaches such as Horseshoe Bay.

National Museum - this wasn't much a museum but may be one day... they seemed to be in the middle of constructing spaces for the exibits. 

However, this is where the dolphin marina is located.  For $10 each we were able to sit and watch the dolphins for as long as we wanted.  Note to anyone travelling to Bermuda, if you want to swim with the dolphins, its $60 cheaper to book at the museum rather than through your cruise excursion coordinator.

This statue of Neptune was located in the courtyard of the museum.  It was a little piece of home for us Virginia Beach residents!

Royal Glass Works - absolutely beautiful displays of hand blown glass as well as glass-blowing demonstrations.  Its free to watch and certainly worth taking a peek.

The flora around King's Wharf was beautiful.  Even in April, there was quite a display for the eyes.

North Rock Beacon - the "lighthouse" of King's Wharf

Departing from Baltimore

This is a view of an old fort in the middle of the Baltimore Harbor.

This picture was taken off the aft end of the boat.  You can see how brown the waters of the Chesapeake Bay are.

Let  me explain what you're seeing here...

As we sailed down the Chesapeake Bay, we had to pass under two bridges.  This is "radio" of the ship as we passed under the first.  We cleared this bridge by inches...

In this picture you are better able to see just how close we were to the bottom of that bridge...

Here, we're coming up on the second bridge - which is actually a pair of bridges.

Let me introduce you to our lovely traveling partners, Jeff and Jenn.  This was their first trip since their honeymoon, 4 years ago!  Let's just say, it was well deserved on their part - and long over-due!

In this picture you can see the water is finally turning blue as we exit the Chesapeake Bay and enter into the Atlantic Ocean.