Well it’s been a while since, I’ve been able to post. I have draft after draft, but my schedule has been so packed that I haven’t had time to follow through with the editing, etc.
Well my latest adventure was in ALASKA. Some girlfriends and I went on a cruise through the inner passage and I must say that it is a beautiful place. The landscape is stunning and the scenery absolutely majestic.
This was my first cruise and I must say that I don’t think cruising is or me yet, maybe when I hit 60ish, it’ll suit me just fine. We had brief stays in several ports, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Vancouver B.C. As soon as you hit the docks, the main streets are riddled with vendors opened from the time we pull-in to the time we pull-out. Not my cup of tea. It’s hard to know the true culture of a town when you feel like you’ve just arrived at Disney World with 4,000 other passengers from competing cruise lines in towns whose populations range from 800-30,000. I don’t know maybe it;s just me.
Well if you know me, then you know, I wandered off of the beaten path and into the parts of town that people may not have made it to due to scheduling. In Juneau, I went to a used book store and had a chit-chat with the owner, while his little girl better known as the book monster attacked with tickling fingers and I was ordered to attack back. The proprietor referred to himself as a book pimp and coerced me into buying C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves. This was the one of the highlights of my trip.
Earlier that day, I went to Mendenhall Glacier. It was amazing. I took plenty of pictures and I will certainly attach them as soon as I find the port I need to down/upload all of my pics to the computer and then to the sight. We went to a salmon hatchery and then to a salmon bake and had a good time.
Our next stop was in SKAGWAY. We rented a Jeep Wrangler and joined a caravan that lead us through Canada and to the border of the YUKON territory. This one of the most beautiful places, I’ve ever been. It was barren and almost untouched with the exception of the road that we were driving on and the train tracks that weaved throughout. Pictures do it no justice.
Our guide, Ron, was a great servant as he told little stories over the C.B. and gave us info at each scenic stop. He comes to Alaska in the summer and lives in Florida in the winter…must be rough.
On Wednesday, we cruised through Glacier Bay National Park. I got up at 6:00 am. It was chilly and gray, but I wanted to see some critters and I did. Sea Lions were swimming, puffins were bobbing up and down, and sea otters were frolicking. It was so cool. We saw a beautiful glacier calving (breaking off). It was beautiful. My fellow cruisers roared with excitement as we witnessed it together. It was one of those things that you just had to be there to understand.
The next day we ended up in Ketchikan for a few hours. We went straight to a diner off of the tourist track. The only women in there were the waitresses. Apparently the men outnumber the women 20 to 1. Alaskan husband anybody??? LOL!!! Anyway, the food was delish and very hearty. Speaking of heartiness, I need to lose weight I just read an article about pear-shaped women having poorer memories than the apples. That’s why I can’t remember anything. (Sorry just thought I’d throw that in there.) Vacation is over…no more hearty meals for me please. To my dismay we were only in Ketchikan for a short amount of time, so we went to look at totem poles, and came back to town for 90 minutes and had to hop back on our floating hotel.
The last stop was in Vancouver B.C. I loved this place. The girls went on a chocolate, cheese and wine tour, so I was left to my own devices. I must say that it was my kind of town. It was very artsy and busy. The social scene was bumping. The climate is fabulous. Our shuttle driver said that it’s a city for the newlywed and almost dead, as it is filled with retirees and the young adventuresome types. I loved it.
Well on Saturday, we pulled back into port in Seattle and hopped on our perspective flights. I’m back home now. My hope is to rest today. We’ll see how that works out, but I’m really just chomping at the bit right now, ready to get back to work.
I really did have a good time on this trip. I was with two “old” friends and one new friend. We sat together and talked and prayed and laughed and played scrabble and pretended to be English during meals. We had an absolute ball.
So grateful to have gotten away with friends in the midst of preparing for my journey to Ukraine. I needed a break and some time to get in God’s presence. Being with my friends was very filling and I am grateful.
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