Goodbye Summer

Summer will officially be gone after this weekend, not that you would know it here in Houston where the temperatures still reach the mid-90's every day.

We just returned from an end-of-summer cruise aboard the Carnival Ecstasy where we traveled from Galveston to Cozumel and back to Galveston. It was our first cruise, and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a four day get-away! The family and I spent a week in Cozumel last year, but we still managed to find new things to do during our day long excursion on the island. We rented dune buggies and drove to Carlos and Charlies - another place I highly recommend - for several hours of fun on the beach. There was ample shady seating along gorgeous white sandy beaches,and the staff made perfect drink and entertainment recommendations. The kids (adult and younger) played in the crystal blue water and jumped on a floating trampoline anchored in the ocean just a short swim away. We then went parasailing aboard the Hakuna Matata II, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't the least bit scary, and the bird's eye view that you get of the island ocean while up in the air is worth every penny...or peso as the case may be.

We next drove to Coconuts on the rocky side of the island for a late lunch. Although the "inside" of this restaurant is covered with t-shirts and signs that were of a decidedly graphic nature (enough to make me put my hands over the youngest child's eyes), the outside seating overlooking the rocky shore is spectacular. And the same can be said for the food - spectacular. It's all simple stuff, nothing fancy, but full of flavor and had me literally licking my fingers to get the very last bit of flavorful goodness! The pico de gallo served with the homemade chips had quite a kick (enough to make my eyes water) but, again, the flavor was SO good that I just couldn't resist having one more bite. A word of warning to anyone wanting to eat at Coconuts (and you really should give it a try if you are visiting Cozumel), they do NOT take credit cards - but they do take dollars.

As my little tribute to the end of summer, here are some layouts I completed over the past several months - all of which are appropriately themed.