Fri, June 21: Flying to Seattle, WA
After dropping Caelin off for her last day of horse camp and the truck at the paint shop, we headed to the airport to start our journey. We had a quick layover in Las Vegas and then landed in Seattle around 5:30pm. We checked in at hotel and took a brief stroll downtown to South Lake Restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we walked a few miles to the Starbucks Reserve. The Strabucks Reserve is an upscale coffee bar where you can order handcrafted drinks not typically found at Starbucks. We tried a flight of espresso martinis, which we were not found of. I was excited to try a chai flavored one, but that was also not good. Ha…at least we can say we tried something new. Charles then tried 2 whiskey barrel samples (Knob Creek and a cold brew) and really enjoyed those…success! We then explored downtown area and walked about 2 miles in the cooler weather. Off to bed early as we are so excited to set sail tomorrow!
Sat, June 22: Bon Voyage!
After grabbing some breakfast on our way out, we made it to the Shipyard to check in around 10:30am. Boarding was smooth and we were able to go right to our Stateroom when we got onboard. Our room was much larger than those we had been in on other cruises, which was nice. It even had a spacious closet for all our clothes and shoes. The ship was immaculate and had so many levels to explore. We were impressed by the buffet offerings and took lots of pictures on the upper decks of the ship. They even had a putt putt course on the top deck. The ship uses medallions as room keys and it was awesome how it worked with an app and you could pretty much order anything from anywhere on a ship and have it delivered to your location. The ship left port at 3:30pm. We watched and celebrated as we left and then got ready for dinner at one of our reservation meals at the Crown Grill. Dinner was fantastic as we dined on lobster, steak and scallops. Once stuffed, we enjoyed a Hypnotist show before heading off to bed. What a great way to start our journey.
Well our first day at Sea was not exactly what we envisioned. I woke up around 4am with stomach problems and was not feeling well. Charles tried to get some medicine onboard and was told to call medical for some over the counter drugs. As it turns out, the medical team insisted that I could have a more serious illness (even though I knew it was just stomach issues from the rich foods), and put me in a 24hr quarantine where I could not leave our state room. I was NOT HAPPY to say the least and quite irritated to miss the formal night we had planned to celebrate our anniversary on. Thankfully, God reminded me that I have so many other things to be grateful for and gave me beautiful weather and waves to watch as I spent most of the day on our balcony in the sunshine. Since I was in quarantine, I had to order my meals to the room, but the crew called to check on me often and brought me the same meal as what was served in the dining rooms for formal night. Charles was a champ and dressed up in his suit without me and I insisted that he go enjoy dinner and the production show while I watched the sunset on our balcony. While it certainly was not the day I was expecting and emotions were irritated, God softened my outlook and gave me gentle reminders throughout the day that everything was going to be alright. I am looking forward to a new day tomorrow.
Day three on the ship was packed with anticipation as we geared up for our first port stop in Juneau. The highlight of the day was supposed to be our Glacier Trek excursion, but as it turns out, Mother Nature had other plans. The clouds rolled in thick, and for safety reasons, the trek was canceled. But even though our big adventure was off the table, the day still turned out to be pretty magical. Instead of moping around (well there was a little moping), we quickly signed up for a whale-watching tour—and wow, did that decision pay off! We saw whales, and not just at a distance—these giants were right up close, practically brushing against the boat. Even the guides and captain were blown away by how close they were. They would even pause to take their own pictures. On top of that, the number of bald eagles we saw was insane. At one point, we counted over 30 perched in a single tree, looking like a Christmas tree decked out with white ornaments. God was definitely using nature to show off. After our time on the water, we wandered through historic downtown Juneau. We made a stop at Devil's Club Brewing for a drink and then hit up the Red Dog Saloon, where live country music filled the air, and sawdust covered the floor. When our adventure in town was over, we headed back to the ship, freshened up, and got ready for dinner and the evening show. Dinner was another hit, and the show was a piano player with a great sense of humor who had everyone laughing and singing along. All in all, it wasn’t the day we originally planned, but it ended up being a day we won’t forget!
Tues, June 25: Skagway, AK
Hard to believe we're already on day four of our journey! Today, we docked in Skagway, a small town with a big history. We decided to skip the excursions and set out on our own adventure, hiking to the famous Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Falls. The cemetery was a great reminder that even though Alaska is a young state, it’s packed with history and wild stories from its early settlers. The surrounding countryside was nothing short of breathtaking, and the lower falls were simply gorgeous—definitely worth the trek! We took a lot of pictures while enjoying the falls. After our hike, we wandered around downtown Skagway. We stumbled upon Olivia's Bistro and Bar, where we decided to eat outside. The place was a gem, with plants and gardens that gave it a unique and cozy vibe. We couldn't leave Skagway without a stop at the famous Skagway Brewing Company. We enjoyed a quick flight of beers before heading back to the ship, just in time for dinner. And what a dinner it was, followed by a mind-blowing Illusionist Show. The things this guy did are still leaving us scratching our heads. The grand finale? He made a motorcycle appear right in the middle of the stage—no idea how he pulled that off! Skagway was a perfect mix of adventure, relaxation, and a little bit of magic. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
No comments:
Post a Comment