October has always been special to me and my sweetheart. This year is no different. We are so blessed to have spent 51 years together as man and wife. Married when we were young we are still able to enjoy spending special vacations to commemorate our long lasting love. We decided to take a trip to Hawaii for our anniversary this year. We both needed easy travel plans for our adventure this year. So off we went on our two week trip to Los Angeles by air and then a cruise to the islands of Hawaii. A cruise is always so relaxing and we both looked forward to resting as we cruised the beautiful Pacific.
We arrived the day before our cruise, and made plans to stay on the Queen Mary that is now a hotel. Having been on the Queen Mary 2, Grayden really wanted to visit the original. On a previous visit when our daughter was a one year old, she and I boarded this vessel within the first year of its docking in Long Beach. It's been renovated and spruced up a lot since then. We were not disappointed! How wonderful to explore this historic vessel and spend an evening on board.
After checking into our state room we marveled at the size and the Art Deco decor that has been preserved. I'm not sure what class stateroom we occupied, but it is much larger than the ones we've occupied on other ships.
As I sat at this vanity, I couldn't help but wonder what faces of the past have stared into this mirror!
Upon leaving our stateroom we began to wander around this beautiful old ship.
Many famous folks enjoyed transatlantic crossings aboard the Queen Mary.
The Queen Mary is not only a floating hotel but quite a museum full of her history.
For all you Susan Branch fans (and who isn't ?) this little doll reminds me of Joe's Petey!
We noticed that there are tours one can take and we decided it would be fun to take the "Glory Days" tour to learn more.
How interesting and informative our guide made the days of the Queen Mary's life come alive.
The Queen Mary was a class ship full of opulence and over the top decor in the Art Deco manner. She is especially known for her beautiful different tiger wood and inlaid woodwork.
Children enjoyed this playroom back in the day. Even Princess Elizabeth played in this room as a child!
We learned that the Queen Mary was longer than the Titanic! She carried over 750,000 troops during WWWII! She was known as the Grey Ghost during that time as she eluded the German torpedos by out running them as she safely protected her precious passengers. She was painted grey so she would not be recognized.
Grayden really enjoyed this tour. He worked for the US Navy his whole career. We both felt honored to be walking along the same passages as the famous and the amazing soldiers who made their way from and back to safety.
The Queen Mary is still undergoing renovations as she is an old queen now. I'm so glad that by staying with her we are helping to keep her alive a little longer.
Our ship to Hawaii is parked next door to the Queen Mary so in the morning we walked over to our next adventure to Hawaii. I'll be posting a little about that trip. If you are interested, please stay tuned. ♥
Your opening paragraph had me weeping. What a wonderful marriage you two have shared, full of happy memories, and still making yet more happy memories. What a scrapbook and journal you must have.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen Mary is one of the old school ocean going liners, and I wonder how you compare her to the others you have sailed on? Did you miss the lulling rocking of the ocean waves?
Looking forward to Hawaii next!
~~~Waving~~~Deb in Wales xoxo
Oh Deb, we both are so blessed to share our lives together. We both can hardly believe we've been married 51 years. How can it be?
DeleteThe Queen Mary is in a class alone in our opinion! She is a Grand Old Lady that will never be duplicated! As we learned on the tour she was referred to as "Rolling Mary" so I'm kind of glad not to be crossing with her. The days before stabilizers would not be kind to my stomach. Grayden says they call this a "fast cruise" as we are tied "fast" to the pier. I think I prefer our "fast cruise" on the wonderful Queen Mary to an actual one.
Love to you, my friend. xoxo ♥
Well, you brought this Grand Old Lady alive with your super photos Martha Ellen. What a great place to spend your special anniversary. We were living in Long Beach and it hadn't been there long - I don't think - when we went on board. My parents were visiting and our son was in a stroller. Thank you for sharing her again with us, it's been lovely to look at them all. What a history! A Very Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise! It sounds like we both went to visit her about the same time. She is such a beauty and no ship will ever compare with her lovely appointments. Her history truly gives me goosebumps! ♥
DeleteWhat a wonderful trip to celebrate your Anniversary Martha Ellen 🌹
ReplyDeleteIt sounds amazing and the Ship so interesting and Historical.
The photos are stunning.
Looking forward to hearing more.
Belated Congratulations to you Both xx
Glad you had such a good time xo💙
You are so kind, Fiona. Our trip was lovely. We were so relaxed and enjoyed the restful times. The Queen Mary was so beautiful and enjoys such a rich past. It's nice to share it here with my friends. Thanks for always stopping by. xo ♥
DeleteWell I knew that you two were up to something! I thought it might be another trip to England. And, in a way, it sort of was. Of course, I will be back to read more about your cruise to Hawaii. 🚢
ReplyDeleteVee, you are right, it always seems to be about England. We can't help it, we love British history and the Mother Land. ♥
DeleteBelated Anniversary wishes and what a trip you have had. It as a joy to be able to share the tour of that amazing ship. It is one of the reasons I love the blogging world I get to see things I can only dream of. Thank you for sharing this amazing experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind wishes! I totally agree about blogging--Sharing with my friends here is a joy. I would never know about life in the Hebrides if I didn't read about your life there. ♥
DeleteHow grand it was that you could spend the night on Queen Mary 2's predecessor! Did you keep feeling like you were about to "get under way?" The size of your room must have felt like you were part of the upper class of days gone by. The history part would be my cup of tea, too. Who knows who actually occupied your cabin! Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteCathy, spending the night on the Queen Mary was a wonderful experience for us. She is in a class of her own! If we had been a passenger back in the day, we probably would have been in steerage, so it was fun to dream about life with those who came and stayed where we did. ♥
DeleteI loved this post! I hope to do a cruise of the Hawaiian Island one day, and now I want to stay in the Queen Mary for one night when I do! We were fortunate enough to sail on a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 from New York up New England into Canada in her maiden year for our 30th anniversary,and enjoyed the ship and cruise very much.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat! Having been on the QM2 , you would really appreciate her namesake. The QM2 is a wonderful ship as well and we hold her in high regard. It was a great beginning to our adventure to the Hawaiian Islands. ♥
DeleteOh wow- I would love to do just this! I’m not keen on long flights so I’ve envisioned heading to England on the new Queen Mary II. I love the beautiful details inside the Queen Mary. I hope I can get a chance to tour it some day soon! Can’t wait to see more pictures of your vacation.
ReplyDeleteLiz, travelling by ship to destinations is a relaxing more civilized way to go. I remember when airline travel was really nice. Folks dressed up and we even had a menu for cross country flights! You and Dan should make plans to travel.♥
DeleteI suspected that you and Grayden were off celebrating your years together, so I didn't worry about you as much as I did last year! And what a lovely celebration you had on the Queen Mary 2! Yes, I'll be following along!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, I'm always afraid to announce online about being away. When we travel I focus on our trip and don't do social media, just make "right now" memories. Glad you are following along! ♥
DeleteMartha Ellen, I totally agree with the need for privacy, as well as the joy of living in the moment when you're traveling!
DeleteI'm over the moon reading your wonderful post of the old Queen Mary. What you did not know is that I'm fond of cruiseships as I used to be secretary of the board of directors of Holland-America Line in a distant past and I visited cruiseships very often when they were in Rotterdam. I also have old photos of the Queen Mary when I was in Southampton. So you will understand I love this post with the beautiful photos of the interior. Thank you so much Martha Ellen.
ReplyDeleteOh Janneke, I'm so glad you shared your past experience with me here! I hope you will maybe share your old photos of the Queen Mary when you were in Southampton! We love Holland America! Our experiences with her have been wonderful! Thank you for sharing here. ♥
DeleteHappy Anniversary, Martha Ellen. Wow, 51 years, that's very special, indeed. Hawaii is a wonderful place to go for your anniversary trip. Your stay on the Queen Mary sounds fun and interesting. Being a California gal, I'm very familiar with Long Beach, as you mentioned. The old pictures through the windows are charming, and I especially liked Audrey. What a beauty she was. I love that little doll, and the playroom is delightful. The Queen Mary is a grand ship, and just the right one to stay on for a grand anniversary.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
ps.....I always love your comments, Martha Ellen. I didn't know that was called a pedestal dish. You always seem to know the names of china and dishes, and I learn a thing or two when you visit. Thank you for that. : )
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, Sheri. We enjoyed our short visit to California and then on to Hawaii. So many famous people used the Queen Mary for transatlantic crossings. We were so happy to begin our adventure by spending a night on this historical ship!
DeleteSheri, I called your pedestal dish that only because it has a pedestal. I love dishes and china, but am far from knowing the proper terms of them. ♥
Happy Anniversary! What a grand tour you took us on. Enjoyed every minute. Longer than the Titanic, what a massive ship. What you said about staring in the mirror and thinking about how many faces of the past did the same made me wonder the same. I like that thought.
ReplyDeleteOur three grands live in Hawaii, I don't think they will move back where we are. My husband lived there for 4 years in the military. I have never visited. A beautiful place for sure.
Thanks, Betsy. I think I hear a good reason for you to take a trip to Hawaii.
DeleteLooking in this vanity mirror gave me shivers thinking about all the faces that have looked into this glass! ♥
What a beautiful introduction to your post Martha Ellen! To have a love for over 50 years is truly special and it should be celebrated! Wonderful pictures, it looks like you had a great time! Wishing you an amazing week!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pilar! We are blessed to have each other. I hope I never take it for granted. Have a wonderful week. ♥
DeleteThat is very wonderful.. Happy anniversary to both of you.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the wonderful pictures of queen Mary..
Thank you, Krishna. It's nice hearing from you! ♥
DeleteHow wonderful! The old Queen is a beauty still. I so enjoyed learning more about her. Happy anniversary to both of you.
ReplyDeleteWe were so happy to see the Queen Mary being taken after so well. She deserves it! Thank you for your wishes. ♥
DeleteOhhh.. how wonderful! I'd love to stay there and also to cruise to Hawaii! Maybe we'll do that for our 50th anniversary in 2020!! I so look forward to your post about the cruise and the islands. I lived on Oahu and Maui when I was 18 and 19. My hippie glory days. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteTeresa that would be a wonderful trip for your 50th! Although you would hardly recognize Oahu. I'll be writing about that more later. ♥
DeleteHappy Anniversary!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for sharing the photos and lovely commentary of your experience so far.
I learned so much and enjoyed every picture.
Cannot wait for more!
Thank you for stopping by, Billie Jo, and for the wishes! ♥
DeleteWOW....now you have done it....I want to cruise! I have not been on one since 2009! And Hawaii, that would be a great cruise. My daughter in law has put in for her internship in several states. It will probably be a yr before we know which hospitals tag her and want her but Hawaii was one state. Told them if they go there I will be making a visit since they will be there for a yr!!! But....I figure it will not be there. Course to be nice to my son she applied at a couple of hospitals in TN also. It is a wait and see thing now. Great pics...I love cruise ships and the last time I cruised it was at Halloween always wanted to do a Christmas time cruise. Bet those ships are decorative to the top! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletePam, I hope you have an opportunity to cruise to Hawaii. It was fun and so relaxing! Good luck to your daughter in law on her internship appointment. ♥
DeleteMartha, how wonderful that you got to stay on the Queen Mary! Several years ago I was able to experience their afternoon tea with a couple of friends on holiday, and we all thought it would be such fun to stay overnight, but that just wasn't on our itinerary. Thank you for your well wishes last week (getting better every day).
ReplyDeleteJean, I'm so glad to hear you are better! Take care as you recover.
DeleteWe were disappointed that they no longer serve afternoon tea. I bet that was fun. It was nice exploring though, and staying the night. ♥
How fabulous! And you are right...who else has looked into the mirror you looked in! What wonderful history. Some of the books you read that have this ship in it will mean even more to you now! Happy Anniversary to you both! You celebrated in style!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane. We love world history and especially about Great Britain. One thing leads to another as we learn more. ♥
DeleteWhat a nice way to celebrate your anniversary! I have never been on a cruise, and actually have never had any inclination to travel the great oceans for days on a boat. But you're definitely making me think twice about this. I would love to tour the Queen Mary. Your post was so full of great photos and information. I'm sure that Hercule Poirot would have loved the decor! :-) I really enjoyed this post, Martha Ellen.
ReplyDeleteOh, he would have felt right at home, Judy! We love the easy pace of taking a ship to destinations. Airline travel is certainly not what it used to be. The Queen Mary is such a wonderful ocean liner of days gone by. Her service during WWII touches my heart deeply. ♥
DeleteA most special way to celebrate your Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous post you have provided, full of lovely pictures and great information.
Thank you.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much for stopping by, Jan. The Queen Mary is a ship your country must be mighty proud of! ♥
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