Skagway, Tracy Arm fjord, Victoria, Canada

So tonight I thought I would finish the blogging on my trip to Alaska. Here we go....

Skagway, Monday - 8-11-09



Beautiful little western style town. I believe it was the town where the Gold Rush started in the 1800's. When we got off the ship we walked into the town. It was about a 1/2 mile walk. The town looks like an old western town but it has a lot of tourist shops. We walked around a little bit and then took a bus to the summit and into the border of Canada. The people in Alaska are very friendly. Our bus driver was very informative. On the way to the summit he talked about Alaska and about Skagway. The following pics are of Skagway, the summit and right past the border of Canada. Enjoy!


















Us at the Summit close to the Canadian Border






















This is the road going further into Canada. I wanted to go there but this is where we turned around and went back to Skagway.










Tracy Arm fjord - Tuesday - 8-12-09

What can I say? Absolutely beautiful! This is not a place where you can get off the ship but a place to view the Sawyer Glacier. When I went to the top deck the scene was breathtaking. And something I noticed, it was so QUIET! You would see birds every once in a while and my brother Nate was able to snap a pic of some seals hanging out on an iceberg. The following pics are of Tracy Arm. They can never express exactly how beautiful it was but it will give you an idea.


Seals on the icebergs - Nate took this one!




This is the Sawyer Glacier.
What an awesome display of God's creation!
























Victoria, Canada - Thursday - 8-13-09


After Tracy Arm, we had another night and day at sea before docking in Victoria. Tuesday night was another formal night on board. Then, we docked at Victoria. This was another bittersweet visit for our family because the last time we were here in 2002 Dad was with us. So, we took a walk around the town and also walked to the hotel we stayed at the last time we were here. Some of the following pics are of that hotel. Victoria is a very beautiful town. The Parliament of British Columbia is located here and we got to tour that building. Beautiful. So, these pics are of Victoria.

When we got back on the ship from walking around Victoria we went to dinner. While eating, the ship completely stopped so of course we were wondering why. We never really found out but we thought that since Seattle was only a little distance away from Victoria, the ship just drifted all night until we got to the Seattle port. Victoria was our last port of call before going back to Seattle.

The trip was a beautiful experience but you know how it is....I was ready to start coming back home! I'll never forget this trip and I do plan on going back to Alaska! So now it's back to the old grind. I finally got a job offer so in September it's back to the workforce! But that's okay. God is good and I'm glad I will have a job now since I've been unemployed since January. I'm grateful.


The flowers in Victoria are beautiful and mom just loves them. Had to get a pic with her beside some of them.

This is us in front of the hotel we stayed at in 2002.













I hope you enjoy all these pics and I hope you enjoyed the blog about my trip.....until next time, when I have something else to say....:)

Kimmie

Juneau, Alaska - August 10, 2009

So, continuing my journey in Alaska: on friday August 8, 2009, we got on the Rhapsody of the Seas and departed Seattle. The boat departed around 4:30 friday afternoon and we wouldn't arrive in Juneau until Sunday morning. So, we were out on the open seas all night friday and all day Saturday. Saturday night was our first formal night so we got all dressed up for dinner. However, the seas had been a little rough all day and I was getting a little queasy. I went up to Deck 4 to take pics of all of us, then I went back to my stateroom and didn't make dinner that night. The boat was rocking and rolling, man, but after a little while I was okay.

When you board the ship you go to your stateroom or you can go up to Deck 9 for the buffet. Guess what we did? We found our stateroom and then booked it to Deck 9 for buffet! We were ready to get started on our foodfest.... We actually got on the boat around 12:00 so we had plenty of time before dinner at 6:00. At dinner, since our party was of 7 people, we were sitting with 3 people we didn't know. But, that was okay, because we got to know them. Three ladies that were very nice. Two teachers and one lady that works at a juvenile detention center. We met Rhonda, a teacher from Tennessee, Karen, the juvenile detention worker from Virginia, and Crystal, a teacher. They were all friends travelling together. Very nice people. It was fun to get to know them. Karen and Rhonda were going back to their homes in Virginia and Tennessee but Crystal was going to a remote village in Alaska to teach after the cruise. This cruise, we met a lot of people from all over the world. We even sat with a family at breakfast one day from South Africa. When I heard their accents I thought they were going to be from England but surprisingly they were from South Africa. Cruises are so much fun..you get to meet a lot of people.

After dinner we attended the Broadway Melodies theatre and saw the show. The first night was a comedian. Sorry, I forgot his name. He was really funny. These shows are usually along the lines of a Broadway (hence the name Broadway Melodies) show and they are entertaining. One night we were extremely surprised when they had the original Drifters on board. What a show that was! They were very entertaining. If you don't know who the Drifters are they are a Du-wop group from the 50's. I loved it!

On Sunday we arrived in Juneau, Alaska. Things I didn't know about Juneau: It is the capital city of Alaska. for some reason, I thought Anchorage was the capital city. So, guess what, the governor's mansion is in this city. I was hoping to see Sarah Palin but alas, she wasn't there. Also, you cannot get to Juneau by road. You have to get there by boat or plane.

What a pretty town Juneau is. Me, Tim, Nate and Stephanie took a bus to the summit in Juneau and saw the Mendenhall Glacier. What a beautiful place! Amazing! On the trail to the glacier we saw a bear in a tree. I took a picture but you can't really tell what it is so I won't post that one. The glacier was magnificent. When a piece of the ice falls off you can tell because the ice will be a little more blue where it fell off. Something about Alaska I noticed is all the waterfalls. These are waterfalls that come off the glaciers. Absolutely beautiful! My pics and my words can never express how beautiful this place is. And, just think, God created all this...

This past Sunday the Adult Ensemble group sang a song called, "How Great You Are". It really made me think about all the beautiful things I saw in Alaska. God is awesome that He created such a beautiful place.

How Great You Are
How Small I am
How awesome is your mighty hand
And I am captured by the wonder of it all
And I will offer all my praise
With all my heart for all my days
How Great You are, How Great You are, How Great You are

So, until next time, more about the trip....Next stop, Skagway, Alaska.

Kimmie

My Alaskan Cruise - August 7-14, 2009

Well, it's almost 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night and I'm going to attempt to blog a little bit about my week in Alaska!

Let me tell you that if you ever get a chance to go on an Alaskan cruise....GO! My words and the pics I took cannot even give it justice!

I took this trip with my mom, my brothers Tim and Nate, and my aunt and uncle Don and Ellen. When we arrived in Seattle we went straight to the hotel. Then, we took the shuttle van to downtown Seattle and Pike's Market. This trip was a journey back in time for us as well as a new adventure to Alaska. In 2002, this same group (except my sister was with us at that time. She couldn't go this time since her and David moved into their new house) went on a long driving journey to Victoria, Canada. My dad was with us also then but we lost him in 2004 to cancer. Being in Seattle this time was bittersweet. Arriving at Pike's Market, we took a pic in the same spot where we took it in 2002 (the first pic on this blog). Wish Dad could have been with us. I miss you still, Dad. I always will!
Seattle is a very pretty city. I should know. I think we walked all over downtown and finally decided after Chinatown to call it a day. I was TIRED by the time we got back to the hotel. I enjoyed going to the market, though. We ate at the Waterfront and I had the chowder in a bread bowl. Very good.

My impression of Seattle? A very busy city and it sort of reminds me of San francisco. You would definitely think that when you walk around the city. Very UPHILL at times! :) I would say it is entertaining to go to Pikes' Market. You just never know what you may see. Several people on the streets there playing guitars and singing. If you take their picture, they want you to donate to their talent. So, guess what, I only took the pic you see here. This guy was far enough away that he had no idea I was taking his pic. No offense, but, guess what, I don't have much money either so I really couldn't contribute to their lifestyles. That's another subject for another day...:)

So, we arrived in Seattle the day before our cruise began so we did get the ultimate tour of the city. Very interesting and tiring day but I loved it. Loved being with my family in this city and exploring all it had to offer. Well, maybe not ALL, know what I mean, but we did see a lot of it....:)

Until next time, more to come about my trip....:)

Kimmie

Cruise 2009 - Alaska! Yay!

Well, I'm on the open seas on my way to Juneau, Alaska! I'm on the Rhapsody of the Seas with Royal Caribbean. Outside it's cold and cloudy but it is beautiful! Can't wait to get to Juneau.

The flight to Seattle was uneventful but a little bumpy. We arrived safely thank God. Yesterday was taken up with the muster drill which everybody has to do. And then after that we went to dinner where I had caeser salad, sirloin steak, and a chocolate cherry cake. It was so good! This morning I just ate breakfast and the day will be spent in and around the ship just hanging out. We won't be in Juneau until tomorrow. And, when we hit Juneau, I will be taking a LOT of pics! When I get back I will post those pics! I'm on the ships internet and I'm going to try to blog two or three more times but they wont' be very long. This costs 0.55 a minute! Anyway, just wanted to keep everybody up to date with my trip and of course, when I get back I will post more stuff!

So, until next time, take care,
Kimmie