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If you are planning a cruise vacation this winter…don’t be left standing on the pier watching your ship sail off. And if you live or travel through winter related areas, keep these simple tips in mind.

Leave a day early. This gives you a buffer in case there are delays. Plus you can start your vacation with less stress.

Take a non-stop flight if you can, eliminating connecting flight issues. If non-stop is not an option, leave a minimum of one hour in between your connections.

Try for the earliest flight out in the day. That way if something goes wrong, you have options.

If something does go wrong, don’t panic. Try to be friendly to the airline personnel. Your bags just might end up with you for your destination in Miami instead of some remote spot in Alaska!

Keep your itinerary with reservation numbers, flight numbers, and phone numbers to the airlines as well as the cruise line. Instead of going to the long line at the airline counter you can sit down and make some calls. Usually you will get some resolution quicker than standing in line.

Check out trip cancellation lost baggage insurance. It may save you some money or in some cases will pay for you to reach your embarkation port or fly to another port to meet your ship.

Waves were still rolling in late in the afternoon and towards sunset.

Sun is starting to sink.

And when it goes…it just drops into the sea.

Roll after roll of large waves hit the beach in Monterey, CA.

Surfers would have been busy…except for the rocks.

Sea spray could not be avoided. And these really did thunder as they hit the rocks.

The rolling just didn’t stop.

Exposed rocks…for now. Wait a few seconds and another round of waves will hit.

Water colors range from bright blue to blue-grey.

When in Carmel, CA, take time to visit and reflect at the Carmel Mission. Built in 1771 this mission includes an “Indian Cemetery”, which honors the Native Americans who worked and helped the Padres.

Stones, shells and simple headstones mark graves in the back courtyard.

There are five museums and a working church within the Mission grounds. This National Historic Landmark is a place to visit as you learn more about the Spanish and Mexican influence on the history of California.

With a busy Christmas and New Year’s travel schedule ahead of us, here are some tips learned from travel gurus.

Check out airlines that you would never expect to travel to your destination. For instance, did you know that many times a flight from JFK in New York to Vancouver, British Columbia is cheapest on Cathay Pacific Airlines? Best of all…it’s non-stop. Going from LAX to London? Take a look at Air New Zealand. Great flight…and they serve New Zealand wines on the flight, even in coach. Ever thought about taking Korean Air from LAX to Brazil? They fly non-stop Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Bureau of Transportation tells us these are the most inexpensive airports to fly in or out of: Long Beach, CA, Dallas Love Field, Orlando, FL, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, tells us the three dirtiest things in a hotel room are the bedspread, the TV remote and the telephone handset. With all the flu issues it wouldn’t hurt to use some anti-bacterial wipes the next time you’re in a hotel room.

Bella, one of the winery dogs, shows off her “fancy” collar.

Fall has set in at The Terraces Winery. Leaves have all changed colors and some are dropping.

Golds and oranges are the colors in the vineyard now.

Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates 25 years with exhibits about seahorses, otters, jelly fish and so much more. If you are close to this area, it is definitely worth a stop. Plan on spending at least a half a day there.

This otter was hiding in and out of his pool.

Even though these sardines look blurry in the photo…they looked even more blurry as we watched them swim past us.

One of many “jellies”.

Another jelly

Coral and fish

Seahorse swimming through the tank…look at his “fan” on his back.

Hanging over the Fisherman’s Wharf area, greetings are issued as Monterey gets ready for Christmas.

Overlooking Cannery Row this large festively decorated Christmas tree joins the palm and the flags.

Even Santa gets into the Christmas spirit with some boat trips in Monterey. Do you suppose the glass bottom boats will come across mermaids dressed like elves?

Walk along the Path of History in Monterey, CA and find yourself back when the California Constitutional Convention was held.

These preserved adobes represent Old Monterey.

California heritage is not only represented in adobes…check out this tree.

Pelicans flying overhead in formation.

Waves along the Monterey Coast were higher than normal Friday, due to off shore storms several days prior.

You can tell the day was overcast with grey seas. Cold salt spray stung as it hit your face.