My alarm woke me at 5 this morning. I had breakfast, set up shows on two VCRs, etc. & etc. At 7:50, I found Ruth R. waiting outside her house for me. By 8:50, the bus was loaded with about 58 of us. We were headed to Sanford to spend 4 hours on the St. Johns River.
The bus drove mainly on the back roads. This enabled us to see towns that we wouldn’t have if we’d traveled on a highway. Leesburg was the first nice size old town we glimpsed from the bus window. I found it interesting looking at many old buildings & homes. It seems like a nice place to drive to someday and walk around the town taking in its history.
We drove through Mount Dora and I saw some of the buildings I hadn’t seen on a previous trip there. Sanford also had old buildings going back to the beginning of the 20th century. I liked looking at the quaint homes in these towns. Of course, walking instead of driving through them has to be more enjoyable but it wasn’t an option. Exploring these and other old towns will have to be put on the back burner. It’s something to plan for in the future.
Audrey Mangen of OTOW Travel Toppers headed this trip. At 10:30, we boarded the Rivership Romance, which is berthed at Monroe Harbor in historic downtown Sanford. Ruth R. & I chose a booth. We sat facing each other so we were both at a window. Some booths sat 6 and some 4. Rosemarie & her husband, John, sat with us. She remembers me from one of the exercise classes and introduced me to her husband as the woman who writes about OTOW in the Citizen. She looked familiar to me as well. They were a nice couple & we were with them a good part of the trip.
A table of fresh appetizers was laid out for us. While the ship was getting underway, we took turns filling a plate with 3 kinds of cheese, sticky buns, fresh fruit, artichoke & shrimp dip (which I didn’t take), and sticky buns. The ship departed at 11.
After this, and before our meal, we went upstairs and outside to the second deck. Diane, our narrator, talked about what we would see, and sometimes did, on this river. She spoke about the different birds such as the heron, osprey, egret, etc. Meanwhile, we looked out on all sides of us at the graceful large trees and ancient cypress. I saw large masses of lily pads just floating in the water. This tranquil cruise was a delightful way to spend four hours.
Then we went back to our seats to eat one of a choice of four entrees. All came with mashed potatoes and baby green beans. We had a choice of coffee or tea. I had coffee with my appetizer earlier. With dinner, I had iced tea. There was cheesecake for dessert and a tossed salad to start. As we ate, we looked at the scenery as the ship glided over calm water. The four of us got to know each other a lot better as we talked. Inside and on the level above us, a guy sang and played guitar. This added to the soothing atmosphere.
After eating, we went upstairs where Ruth, Rosemarie, and I sat near the dance floor. We were surrounded on two sides with floor to ceiling windows the better to take in the view. The fellow was still singing and strumming as a couple or two danced.
We also walked a bit outside and then sat on chairs. There was a cool breeze that made it perfect for sitting outside. At Dubarry, the ship turned around for the trip back. It was relaxing both on the ship and riding the bus. There was much to see both on the ship and while riding the bus. It was a great way to drink in beautiful scenery without lifting a finger to do so. A perfect trip.
I took quite a few pictures (which are below) and Ruth took some of me as well. The bus pulled in around 5:35.

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