The last stretch of our 16-day journey actually lasted 7 days. 3 days at sea, a quick stop at St. John’s in Canada, another 2 days at sea, then we finally set our eyes on sweet Lady Liberty from the port in Cape Liberty, NJ. For the 5 days at sea, loads of guests enjoyed dancing classes, community games, karaoke, swimming, rock climbing, and all the other fun activities offered on cruises. I, however, spent most of those 5 days in bed! No, I hadn’t contracted an illness on board, I just have TERRIBLE motion sickness.

Why you might ask, would I ever think a cruise would be a good idea then! Well, because I’m a glutton for punishment! Haha! (Actually, I would gladly suffer it again for the experiences I had.) I was prepared with some of those handy motion sickness patches AND tablets. Even with all that, out in open seas with choppy water, I couldn’t be up on my feet too long before becoming dizzy. My girl has her father’s motion sick resistant genes, but my boy got mine instead. Poor guys couldn’t take being up in the kids club, so he and I enjoyed downtime together watching movies and being brought room service via Dad and Sis.

A stopover in St. John’s was just what we needed. We strolled through the colorful homes in Jellybean Row, walked up to Signal Hill where the kids chased pigeons and foraged for wild blueberries. We wanted to try some local specialty for a snack so we took out some pretty plastic money from an ATM, and found a poutinerie! If you haven’t tried poutine, well, you’re missing out. It’s the Canadian version of loaded fries. We tried an order of bacon cheeseburger poutine, and the normal poutine fries, which is like a brown gravy over the fries. Yummy!

I’ll skip over the last 2 days of laying in bed, to say we finally arrived in the USA early in the morning to the sight of the Statue of Liberty in lights. My mother in law drove several hours to greet up and pick us up from the port. Since there’s no jetlag on a long cruise, we were able to jump right into some quick sightseeing of NYC. We parked at Staten Island and took the ferry across to Manhattan to show the kids the memorial, grab a slice, and wander around a bit. It was the first time I’d seen the memorial in person, and it was very touching, to say the least. It’s hard to grasp the scale of something from photos and videos, but to stand next to those deep holes in the ground was surreal. It was an amazing teaching moment with my children too. They will never forget what they saw.

Colorful wooden houses line a quiet street in St. John's, Canada, as a couple strolls past.

Several dark birds perched on a rugged rocky outcrop beneath a partly cloudy sky.

A family poses on a rocky cliff in St. John's while seagulls fly above them.

A woman in a purple shirt jumps on a rocky ledge in St. John's with seagulls flying nearby.

A family of four poses on a wildflower-dotted hilltop overlook above a coastal town during a cruise.
This is the beautiful family photo from St. John’s. I think I’ll frame it because THIS is what real life looks like.

A traveler watches a large flock of seabirds soar over a rugged rocky coastal headland.

Pink wildflowers bloom across a grassy coastal hill leading up to a stone lighthouse tower.

A child in a pink jacket walks along a dirt path through heather-covered moorland with green hills rising behind.

Wild blueberries ripen on a low shrub with reddish leaves amid grassy heathland.

A person holds a small cluster of dark blueberries in an open palm against a blurred green bush background.

A young boy holds a twenty euro banknote over his eyes while smiling indoors on a cruise.

A lit tugboat floats on dark harbor water before a glowing New York City skyline at night.

A girl stands at an angular window overlooking the Philadelphia skyline across the water.

The Statue of Liberty stands on its island pedestal across the water beneath a cloudy New York sky.

Tourists crowd around the Charging Bull statue in New York's Financial District taking photos.
Seriously. Why did everyone want a closeup selfie with the bull?!

The 9/11 Memorial pools in New York City with inscribed names set against the Manhattan skyline.

An American flag flies before a tall glass skyscraper rising over the New York City skyline.

A modern glass tower and an older brick building rise side by side against a blue sky with clouds.

The white winged Oculus and One World Trade Center rise against a bright blue sky in New York City.

Looking up at the white Oculus canopy and glass skyscrapers in New York City under a blue sky.

A distant city skyline sits across calm water and marshland beneath a pink and blue evening sky.

A young girl in a floral dress holds an American flag on a tree-lined roadside.

A young girl sits on a wooden porch petting a golden retriever while a beagle sniffs the deck.

A family of four poses together on a brick path beside a garden pond and lush green trees.
Happy semi-normal family photo in beautiful PA.