Wed, June 26: Glacier Bay National Park
Not wanting to miss a thing, we planned ahead and had breakfast delivered to our room so we could be up early to catch the entry into Glacier Bay. By 6 AM, it was already light outside, and the sights were stunning from the moment we woke up. The coolest part of the morning was when the Park Rangers hopped on board and gave us an overview as we cruised through the park. We tuned in through the TV in our stateroom, listening as they explained everything we were seeing while we spent the morning on our balcony. It was like having a personal guided tour, but with the comfort of being wrapped in a blanket and sipping coffee. Seeing Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier up close was something else. To make sure everyone on the ship had a good view, the captain actually spun the ship 360 degrees a few times once fully in Glacier Bay. We learned how glaciers carve the land as they melt, creating stunning inlets, fjords, and bays. We were lucky enough to spot seals, otters, whales, and a whole lot of birds. I’ll admit, we were a bit jealous of the kayakers who got to paddle close to the glaciers—what an experience that must have been! It was the first time we really noticed the temperature drop and the wind picking up. Even the colors of the ice were mesmerizing, shifting through different hues of blue and white, depending on the density and how the light hit it. Later, we attended a presentation by one of the rangers on the “Changing Canvas of Glacier Bay,” which was both fascinating and eye-opening. Lunch was sushi, a nice light meal after the morning’s excitement. We even got to watch the park rangers make their exit from the ship—while both our ship and theirs were moving! The day ended on a high note with dinner and a fantastic performance by Nashville singer Jenna Devries. And to top it all off? The best sunset of the trip so far. Glacier Bay was a day of breathtaking beauty, wildlife sightings, and a little bit of envy for those kayakers!
Thurs, June 27: Ketchikan, AK
We started off exploring Ketchikan with a 90 min walking tour through the town. Our guide, Meta, was part of the Kligit Tribe and very knowledgeable. The walking tour proved to be a great way to get information on the small town and facts on local shops. We found it interesting that some staircases are considered streets and maintained by the local transportation system. We walked down the famous Creek Street and “Dolly’s House”, which at one time was a large brothel area by the nearby port. The streets, houses, lampposts, shops and more all had beautiful arrangements of flowers making the city a beautiful and welcoming one. Meta shared how the totem poles around town are not just for telling stories in her culture, but can be for landmarks, celebrations, shame, or for notifying others that someone has debt owed. We got a bit of a laugh out of that. After our tour, we ate lunch at the Alaskan Fish House, which was the best fish and chips of the trip with mesquite fries. After our bellies were full, we shopped at the local places before boarding the ship in early afternoon. Tonight was a formal night, so we enjoyed taking our time getting ready and taking pictures on the boat before dinner. Dinner was yet another delicious meal, and then we watched a production show called "Rock Opera". Such great memories from today!
Today was our last day at Sea, so we kept ourselves busy with fun activities on board such as Deal or No Deal and playing in the Casino. Fortunately, Charles won $80 on Roulette since I lost about $80 between Roulette and the quarter game…ooops. After dinner, I was not feeling good, so Charles went to see the "Farewell Variety Show" and get off the ship for a few hours in Victoria, Canada between 9:00-11:00pm. While exploring Victoria, he visited the Fisherman's Wharf, the Legislative Building that is lit up by 3,500 lights at night, and the downtown area. We were sad to have to start packing that night as our Alaska adventures came to a close.
We got off the boat around 7:30am and made it quickly to hotel by 8am so we could drop our luggage. We then set out walking to explore Seattle for the day. We started with some breakfast and caffeine at Caffe Umbria with was a 10/10 stars all around. From there we walked the streets to the Pike Place Public Market, Great Wheel, Famous Gum Wall (GROSS!), Pike's Place fish market with fish throwing, and the original Starbucks. My favorite part was all the fresh flowers at the market. Most bouquets were $10-20 and would cost double of that back home. They were all beautiful and kept that side of the market smelling nice. Charles enjoyed the fresh cherries they sold by the cup. We bought a few souvenirs for the kids and family and Charles bought me a beautiful rose gold ring from the sweetest family starting up their business. I was surprised to see so many fresh oysters and fish laid out everywhere for people to try or purchase. The best was watching the men start throwing fish around to each other. It truly was a unique experience. We then rested our feet while we ate lunch at Old Stove. Once rejuvenated, we explored the waterfront and downtown area while finding 7 geocaches. We even snagged a travel bug to move along to Texas. Finally, we made one last visit to Starbucks Reserve before grabbing dinner and returning to the hotel. We decided to walk a few blocks to eat dinner at Razzi's Pizzeria which was delicious and had a little hidden courtyard to eat in. We went to bed early knowing our taxi would be coming at 5am. We ended the day with 18,000 steps, so I would say it was a productive day!
It is always sad to see a vacation come to a close, but we were both ready to see the family and sleep in our own beds. Today’s travels all went smoothly despite a long layover. We were grateful for no major delays or complications and we arrived back home around 8pm and were greeted by the kids and Gamee/Grampee. We are so grateful for the time we had together to celebrate our 20 years of marriage and for Gamee/Grampee taking care of the kids so we could have this adventure. Blessings all around!
