Alaska Bound!

I’ve finally done it! I have been on a cruise! This was one of my life goals, and thanks to Heather’s family, it’s happened. Heather’s family this year wanted to do a cruise for our vacation, and since Cheri and Chris live in Fairbanks, we decided Alaska would be a fun adventure. And it was.

Here’s a photo-sequence of our trip:

VANCOUVER, BC
It was 7 blocks from our hotel to the pier, so the kids formed a train and "chug-a-choo-choo"-ed most of the way there. It was hilarious!








Camera duel! I think I lost.




AT SEA
We did a few of the competitions on board during our sea days. One was a mini-golf tourney. None of us made it past the first round, but we had fun. I did win the basketball competition. Of course, it was me against 8 men over 70 and we played horse from the free throw line. Oh well; at least I didn't lose.


Heather and I also played speed chess on the giant chess board.




Our first formal night on board.


KETCHIKAN









The Logger's Competition Show. Very fun to watch, but still weird to think that people train for these events like athletes train for track events. Strange place, Alaska!






JUNEAU
We were greeted in Juneau by the infamous Mooning Eagle of Juneau. Some state symbol! (Juneau is the capital of Alaska for all who weren't aware.)




Mendenhall Glacier.


While at Mendenhall, Heather and I had a very close up encounter with a mom brown bear and her two cubs. We were very close to the action, as you can tell in the photos below, and at one point, I accidentally got close enough to reach out and touch the mom. Needless to say, I stopped moving at that point.










The famous hoary marmots of Juneau. We actually saw one pretty close up but didn't get any good pictures of it.




Here I'm getting in touch with my Native American side.




While in Juneau, Heather and I went sea kayaking and saw all sorts of things, like bald eagles (including a young one), seals, and a salmon spawning ground.


This is Mendenhall Glacier from where we sea kayaked.


SKAGWAY
This is pretty much the town. It was tiny!


Here we are at the cemetary in town.






Dave wanted really badly to buy this shirt. I told him he was a pansy for not getting it.


While at Skagway, the whole family did a 4x4 adventure. We had to take a ferry to Haines first, and then we road up and all over these beautiful mountain paths. That was one of the best excursions we did.






In the middle of our 4x4ing, we came across this beautiful meadow, and it was just too perfect for frolicking, so that's what I did. It was amazing.













GLACIER BAY