Travel date: May 28, 2024
Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
As always I traveled with my roomie/bestie, Sarah. We boarded the Vision of the Seas cruise ship in Baltimore, MD on May 25th. (We were actually the first cruise ship out of the Port of Baltimore since the Key Bridge collapsed in late March.) It was a unique and somber experience as the ship cruise through the narrow channel with pieces of the bridge still in the water.
Once we passed through the music came back on and the party turned back up. The next few days were spent sailing and lounging and drinking, with a business photography session for Kim Mogard of Cruise Planners thrown in the mix. #businessexpense
Monday afternoon we arrived in Bermuda and I spent that afternoon on the beach camera free. This vacation was so badly needed. Other than my contracted services that officially made this a work trip, I kept the camera packed securely away. BUT Tuesday morning before we departed the island to head back to America I ventured out with my trusty Canon 5D in tow to capture the sights of the beautiful Royal Naval Dockyard.
The most impactful thing was the architecture; it was so unique! A blend of caribbean with a heaping of british naval history. While Bermuda is self-governing, it is considered a British Overseas Territory and it's pretty obvious with the old-school red phone booths. Everything here seems so strongly constructed to withstand the weather I'm sure. As I learned from a local, the houses are built strong and passed down through generations with roofs that collect and filter water for drinking and bathing. Actually quite fascinating!
I love traveling to a place that really feels unique and doesn't look at all like 'my neck of the woods', to quote Al Roker.
We walked around and shopped. Sarah's favorite thing is buying souvenirs! I even got a shirt and a sticker... crazy! This fancy looking building is actually a mall. Clocktower Mall to be specific.
Of course, no trip to Bermuda is complete without seeing the iconic pink buses (and their crazy driving!) I went to Bermuda as a 9 year old and the thing I remember most was the driving! Also spotted were some wild chickens... I'm assuming they were wild. Do they find eggs in random places?
While I didn't make it to the beach with my camera, I did get to look at some boats on the water, including our ship. The island was beautiful, the water was blue & clear, and the sun was HOT.
As we headed back to the boat, we watched a school of fish in the boat yard. Again, it was something you don't get to see just anywhere. It was so amazing to watch as they moved as one and reacted to changes in the water and other bigger fish trying to eat them. I think there is something we can learn from that. Community over being a single fish in the ocean or something.
Of course, and this makes sense if you know me, my favorite tho was the weird fluffy pigeon washing itself in a dirty little puddle!
The rest of the trip was nothing to professional photograph (except some contracted group photos.) It will live in my memories as the cruise that changed my life. It made me feel empowered and confident. BEST. VACATION. EVER.
Do you want the best vacation ever? Trust me and contact Kim Mogard of Cruise Planners to turn your Bucket List into a Book It List. Cruise Planners doesn't just do cruises either! They do land, air, and sea!
