Showing posts with label Alaska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alaska. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Alaskan Cruise Posts
I just posted a bunch of entries about our Alaskan Cruise back in June. I posted them back by the first posts I made for continuity if I ever print this blog. You can see them if you click here.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Alaskan Cruise, Seattle
Our cruise ended in Seattle, and since we had a long wait before our flights, we took a bus tour of Seattle. Besides seeing the city and learning all about it, we stopped at the Space Needle,
our very tired-of-seeing-the-sights sweetheart.
and Pike Place Market.
We also saw the road where the term skid row or road (debatedly) originated. It was a steep road that the lumber mills would slide (or skid) the logs down to get to the sawmill. The men who were down on their luck would live along the road waiting to be needed with the logs. And now we have "skid rows" all over without any logs to be found.
our very tired-of-seeing-the-sights sweetheart.
and Pike Place Market.
We also saw the road where the term skid row or road (debatedly) originated. It was a steep road that the lumber mills would slide (or skid) the logs down to get to the sawmill. The men who were down on their luck would live along the road waiting to be needed with the logs. And now we have "skid rows" all over without any logs to be found.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Alaskan Cruise,Victoria, B.C.
Like Ketchikan, in Victoria we had only a few hours to walk around. It was evening and we couldn't even go to Butchart Gardens, which was one big bummer for me. Instead we took a little walk around town.
We saw the harbor,
the famous Empress hotel,
the state building,
as well as some shopping. I found out that the Winter Olympics of 2010 will be in Vancouver only 43 miles away and so I got myself an Olympic pin. Who wants to take a road trip???
As we walked home, we took a marked route. Interestingly, it took us through a less nice (touristy) part of town. We ended up on the coast opposite the harbor. It was windy and frigid, but beautiful.
It was a pretty site to see the ship as we came up on it in the twilight.
And then we boarded the ship for one final round of stuffing ourselves before we had to depart the next morning. Ahhh, that feels good.
We saw the harbor,
the famous Empress hotel,
the state building,
as well as some shopping. I found out that the Winter Olympics of 2010 will be in Vancouver only 43 miles away and so I got myself an Olympic pin. Who wants to take a road trip???
As we walked home, we took a marked route. Interestingly, it took us through a less nice (touristy) part of town. We ended up on the coast opposite the harbor. It was windy and frigid, but beautiful.
It was a pretty site to see the ship as we came up on it in the twilight.
And then we boarded the ship for one final round of stuffing ourselves before we had to depart the next morning. Ahhh, that feels good.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Alaskan Cruise, Ketchikan
Our next stop was ketchikan. We only had a few hours here, not really enough time to do much. The girls shopped, the men hiked. The men got the camera, so here you go.
Creek Street
the forest
We got back on the ship and had cell phone coverage so we called home from the promenade deck.
That night was another formal night. Here we are in all our glory.
Creek Street
the forest
We got back on the ship and had cell phone coverage so we called home from the promenade deck.
That night was another formal night. Here we are in all our glory.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Alaskan Cruise, Tracy Arm
Our cruise took us into Tracy Arm to see the beautiful mountains,
waterfalls,
glaciers,
icebergs,
and poem-inspiring wildlife. Okay, you can't see the wild life, but our naturalist told us all about the seals that gave birth on an iceberg. The icebery was saturating in blood and afterbirth. An eagle swooped down and "devoured the afterbirth. Nothing is wasted in nature." The wonderful timing of this story (breakfast) inspired this haiku that Matt entered (not really) in the haiku contest later that day.
Ravenous eagle
Devours blood red afterbirth
You want my sausage?
His talent is aweinspiring.
waterfalls,
glaciers,
icebergs,
and poem-inspiring wildlife. Okay, you can't see the wild life, but our naturalist told us all about the seals that gave birth on an iceberg. The icebery was saturating in blood and afterbirth. An eagle swooped down and "devoured the afterbirth. Nothing is wasted in nature." The wonderful timing of this story (breakfast) inspired this haiku that Matt entered (not really) in the haiku contest later that day.
Ravenous eagle
Devours blood red afterbirth
You want my sausage?
His talent is aweinspiring.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Alaskan Cruise, Scagway
Our second stop was in Scagway. We took a bus ride, instead of the famous train ride, because it went a lot further into Canada and the Yukon. It was an all day trip and so fun.
We saw a bear,
the train passing over a waterfall,
the Yukon,
the Continental Divide where one stream parts and goes two ways, one to the Atlantic or Arctic Sea and the other to the Pacific Ocean,
whales (back out at sea, this was one of the best days to whale watch),
and the Iditarod dogs, Charity got to hold a little puppy and she loved it.
Scagway was a beautiful stop on our way up the coast of Alaska.
We saw a bear,
the train passing over a waterfall,
the Yukon,
the Continental Divide where one stream parts and goes two ways, one to the Atlantic or Arctic Sea and the other to the Pacific Ocean,
whales (back out at sea, this was one of the best days to whale watch),
and the Iditarod dogs, Charity got to hold a little puppy and she loved it.
Scagway was a beautiful stop on our way up the coast of Alaska.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Alaskan Cruise, Juneau
Our first port was Juneau. Like most of our trip, it was overcast and rainy. Juneau averages over 50 inches of rain a year, while other parts of the panhandle (the only part of Alaska we visited) get over 275 inches a year!
As our ship pulled into port, along the thickly wooded hills, there were several bald eagles. They were easy to spot with their bright white heads.
Being on a cruise, you don't have a lot of time to discover the cities you stop at. We pretty much only got to choose one shore excursion or else wander around a bit. In Juneau we took a bus out to Mendenhall Glacier National Park. We walked out to the glacier and did not get to see it in action (nothing broke off, as I was really hoping).
Then we took a hike through the Tongass National Forest. It was beautiful.
We took the bus back and were back in time for a fabulous dinner. The nice benefits of a cruise!
As our ship pulled into port, along the thickly wooded hills, there were several bald eagles. They were easy to spot with their bright white heads.
Being on a cruise, you don't have a lot of time to discover the cities you stop at. We pretty much only got to choose one shore excursion or else wander around a bit. In Juneau we took a bus out to Mendenhall Glacier National Park. We walked out to the glacier and did not get to see it in action (nothing broke off, as I was really hoping).
Then we took a hike through the Tongass National Forest. It was beautiful.
We took the bus back and were back in time for a fabulous dinner. The nice benefits of a cruise!
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