Alaska: Day 5 (06-28-10) Juneau

Adam and I forced our eyes awake at 5:45 this morning in order to do some early-morning whale watching. We stood at the bow of the shop on the eighth floor and stood (well, shivered) for about twenty minutes until we had our first sighting. Two humpback whales were off the starboard side. Later it seemed that about every 15 minutes or so there would be a sighting of one or more humpback or killer whales. Most of the time, we only saw the spouts of water rising up from the whales’ blowholes but a couple of times we caught their tails out of the water. Once the tails went up, it meant the whales were diving deep so they wouldn’t surface for another 20 minutes or so…long after our ship had passed. It was cold out there –upper 40’s maybe? – but not unbearable. We also saw a couple schools of dolphins pass by. That seemed strange as I always think of dolphins in warmer waters.

We pulled into the Juneau port about two hours later. Being the state’s capital, I had expected it to be larger, but Juneau has a population of only 30,000 people and is completely landlocked. Their longest road is twenty-something miles with dead-ends in both directions. We did a little shopping before taking the tram up to Mount Roberts. The view from Mount Roberts was spectacular. The sun had come out and many of the clouds cleared up and you could see many miles in both directions. The air was crisp but warm, and eagles soared all around us. We spotted numerous bald eagles and golden eagles both flying and sitting in trees. At one point, I counted 17 in the sky at one time.

Once we took some photos at the top of the tram, we walked over to the nature center, where they had a bald eagle that was being rehabilitated for the wild after being shot. The bird was much larger than I expected, standing maybe two and a half feet tall with a six-foot wingspan. The guide said this particular bald eagle was named Lady Baltimore and was actually 25% smaller than most. She was truly majestic.

Lady Baltimore... Next, we did some hiking up to the top of Mount Roberts. Every time we would round a bend, we were rewarded with an even more beautiful view than the last. It was truly breathtaking. At the top stood a simple wooden cross, a poignant reminder of the One who created all the beauty before us.

I love this picture...

You have to watch out for all of the wild animals in Alaska...

Check out the crazy Alaskan daylight hours and warm weather (18 hours and 12 minutes of daylight)...

It doesn't get more beautiful than this...

After we hiked to the top of Mount Roberts...

The cross at the top of the mountain...

Hiking down the mountain...

The porcupine we spotted on our hike...

After a prayer of thanks, we went back down the mountain and spent about a half an hour walking through town. We ended up in the Red Dog Saloon. After entering the saloon through the swinging doors and treading on the sawdust floor, we sat at a small table and ordered some drinks. After our first round, we decided to reward ourselves for our exercise with some Juneau hometown favorites – reindeer sausage pizza, smoked salmon, and clam chowder.

Next, we loaded on to a bus and drove to the Mendenhall Glacier. We had a terrific tour guide who informed us of how lucky we were to have such beautiful weather. It was sunny with clear skies in the sixties….our guide told us that yesterday and today were the only clear days they’ve had in a month!

On our way to the glacier, our guide pointed out more eagles and told us about the history of Juneau and it’s early growth from a Gold Rush in the 1880s. After 20 entertaining minutes, we arrived at the Mendenthal Glacier. What an amazing site! It was a huge wall of ice spanning many miles with small chunks of ice breaking off and floating into the lake below. We spent almost an hour at the glacier snapping pictures and gazing in wonder before loading the bus to go to downtown Juneau.

The Mendenthal Glacier... Pieces of ice breaking off from the glacier and floating downstream...

Family Photo...

It was getting late, so we stopped to have a bite to eat at Tracy’s Crab Shack, famous for being one of the restaurants that serves crabs from the fishing vessel on The Deadliest Catch. Just as its name suggested, the restaurant was an open-air tent reminiscent of a southern fish camp. We had the Alaskan king crab, crab cakes and she-crab soup. It was scrumptious!

Anne Marie...just, being Anne Marie...love her!

We headed back to the boat to talk about our day and make plans for tomorrow. It’s going to be another early day so we turned out the light about 12:30 and went to sleep dreaming about the beautiful landscape that surrounded us all day.

Alaska: Day 4 (06-27-10)

Okay so I realize that the above photo of my dilated eyes looks pretty creepy. Here is the story...

Before I left I for the trip I called my doctor to see if they could give me some medication for my motion sickness. I usually just take a ton of Dramamine but it makes me very drowsy so I thought it would be a good idea to get a prescription for something else. My doctor gave me Tramadol.

I woke up this morning unable to focus on anything up close. I looked down at my hand and found myself blinking like crazy to try to make my eyes adjust. No matter what I did it still looked like I had 10 fingers on one hand. I told Adam that I couldn't see and he said "well, no wonder, your eyes are extremely dilated." We went to go eat lunch and I couldn't see the words on the menu. Adam had to read it to me. I looked like a blind person staring off into space while nodding for him to move on to read the next item. After lunch we went to visit the doctor on the ship. He stated he had never seen eyes as dilated as mine as they didn't even twitch when he shone the light into them. It turned out that I had a rare reaction to the motion sickness medication.

Unfortunately, the symptoms lasted for a few days. The above picture was taken a few days later. The first day, you could not see any blue in my eyes at all! The downside of the dilation is that your eyes are extremely sensitive to bright light (i.e. the ice on a glacier or the glare off of the water) so I am the only one in many of the photos wearing sun glasses. I realize I am giving off the "I am way too cool for this family trip" look in them but it was the best solution I had!

Now on to the rest of the trip...

Tonight was one of two formal nights on the cruise so we took some time to get ready before going up to take some pictures. We enjoyed a great dinner before going to a bar to watch Karaoke and then see a great band. After some dinner and drinks, we finally turned in after another great day!

Alaska: Day 3 (06-26-10)

After a quick hotel breakfast, we loaded up the car and drove from Bellingham down to the dock where the cruise ship was awaiting our arrival. Dand and Adam dropped off the rest of us with all of the luggage while they returned the rental car and took the light rail back into Seattle. When they arrived at the cruise ship terminal, we went through the long line to board the Golden Princess of Princess Cruise Lines.

Once onboard, we went straight to our cabins to check them out. It was a pleasant surprise to see that these were the biggest cabins we've ever stayed in. (This was my fourth cruise. I've had some really small rooms but this one came complete with a queen-sized bed and ample storage.) We unpacked and settled in a bit before going to grab a quick bite to eat at the afternoon buffet.

Next, we started a self-guided tour of the ship. We started at the top of the ship and worked our way down. The ship has multiple pools, hot tubs, nightclubs and dining rooms. We checked out almost every corner of the ship from the fitness room to the spa facilities before heading down for our first sit-down dinner on the ship.

First things first...a drink for the boys while the girls take pictures...

Inside the ship

A beautiful sunset to end the day...

Alaska: Day 2 (06-25-10)

We left Bellingham in the morning and drove north until crossing the Canadian border. Knowing that we wouldn't have much time in Vancouver, we drove through downtown and visited several of the neighborhoods surrounding the city. One "must see" we had heard about was an area called "Granville Island." After a few twists and turns, we finally found it tucked away under the Cambie Street Bridge.

We parked the car and wondered through the Granville Island Public Market, which turned out to be a feast for the senses. People hustled and busled through the bright covered stalls, where local vendors were selling their wares. The savory smells of international food offerings were enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Lunch was scrumptious and we did a little shopping before leaving Vancouver. It was a quick trip but we were glad we got to see some of the city before we drove out to catch the ferry to Victoria, Canada.

We drove onto the ferry and walked to the back of the boat for a beautiful hour and a half ride to Victoria. Even though it was a little chilly on the deck, the views made standing outside worth every minute. We floated between the difference islands with each view seemingly more beautiful than the last. At one point, we even saw a group of whales swimming off the port side.

The ferry wove through small islands off the Canadian coast with gorgeous views on both sides of the boat.

This lighthouse was so picturesque...

Once we got to Victoria, we drove over to the Butchart Gardens, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Originally a barren limestone quarry, a woman named Jennie Butchart began using her passion for gardening to transform the area into a floral wonderland. From the sunken garden to the Japanese garden, every pathled to a new discovery of beautiful colors and floral masterpieces. It was absolutely gorgeous.

It was like a fairytale

Mom in front of the first of many totem poles we saw on our trip.

The most beautiful rose garden you have ever seen...

The Sunken Garden was my favorite...

When we finished touring the gardens, we drove back to the ferry station and took the same ferry back to Vancouver. The way back was even colder than the first trip so we stayed inside after enjoying the magnificent sunset.

A fishing boat floating in the serene bay...

Adam and I...

The moon looked huge as it rose from behind the islands...

Joey and Anne Marie enjoying the sunset...

The colors in the sky seemed to change every couple of minutes...

The sunset reflecting off the ship...

We had dinner on the ferry before disembarking and driving back to Bellingham for the night. It was after one in the morning when we arrived so everyone was exhausted and ready for bed!