Won’t You Let Me Take You on a Sea Cruise….

After Dad passed away and his estate was settled, we decided that Mom needed a holiday, and a cruise fit the bill. Mag had to work so Kerri and Shauna took Betty on a trip along the East Coast, starting in New York and ending in Montreal. Hopefully, our timing would coincide with the brilliant fall foliage, some nice weather, and an opportunity to celebrate Mom’s birthday in mid October. Most important of all, however, was the establishment of a cruise theme…… and of course, what ultimately made the most sense was….. Starbucks!

Finding a Starbucks in Every Port

Our Starbucks challenge started off on a positive note, in spite of the fact that Mom tried to joke with a US Customs Officer and was firmly rebuked and reminded that crossing the border was not to be taken lightly. Suitably chastised, we carried on…..searching for a Starbucks to ease the humiliation.

The Starbucks Challenge Continues

New York was fascinating. The hustle and bustle of Times Square pulled us right in. We wandered around, taking in all the sights and were eventually accosted by Disney characters who urged us to take a picture with them. Of course they wanted money for the privilege of doing so. Starbucks in hand, Mom and Kerri had their picture taken with Goofy and Minnie, then escaped as fast as they could….just kidding! I think they gave them a dollar between the two of them…….. then they bolted!

The onboard coffee did not by any means meet Starbucks high standards, so it was usually our first priority when we docked, to find an outlet in search of Mom’s preferred drink.

Newport, Rhode Island was our first stop and the scene of our first major setback……we could not find a Starbucks, no matter how hard we searched. Finally, it occurred to us to ask, but our hopes were dashed….. On to Bar Harbor, Maine and we were met with the same sad situation. This time we decided to document our concern and disappointment. Undoubtedly this was enough to start a campaign and thanks to us, there are likely now several Bar Harbor Starbucks locations. You’re welcome Bar Harbor!

And so we forged on in our never ending quest to seek out Starbucks locations in every port. Next stop Sydney Nova Scotia..

And on to Halifax

Next stop St. John, New Brunswick……

And Charlottetown, PEI

Finally Quebec City and Montreal……

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Our cruise was a lot of fun, but the best part was that Mom really enjoyed herself, and was quite able to keep up the pace. For the first time, she could shop as much or as little as she wanted, spend as much as she wanted, within reason, and just generally do whatever she wanted. The fact that she could also, for the most part, indulge in her daily Starbucks was “the icing on the cake.” Betty loved that!

We plan to publish a new post every Monday, so stayed tuned for our next one entitled “Making Friends the Betty Way”