Memory Monday: Alaska

I've been to Alaska before...but never on a cruise. My hubby had promised to take me on a cruise on our 25th anniversary and he is a man of his word.  

Departure: Seattle  

The room was amazing- the entire ship was incredible. (another post with all those pics at a later date)

First stop on our itinerary was Ketchikan.  It was a Sunday, so naturally we looked around for a church to attend. We chose a small church which was walking  distance from the Ship. It was lovely meeting with people from the town. I noticed a smart little car parked on the road...with the keys still in the ignition. I commented,"boy this place must be safe for someone to leave their keys in the car"
My comment was met with laughter and a quick explanation that there was no where to drive to! 
Aside from shops- lots of diamond shops- fur shops-trinket shops- there was not much to see in town. We boarded the ship with the promise that our next destination would be to see the Glaciers. This was truly breathtaking! 

I thought this ice looked like a sinking ship

 I can't begin to explain the awe and majesty of the scenery. The ship sliced ever so quietly through the waters as my husband and I sat out on the balcony drinking in the scenery.

the Glacier

Amazing scenery

 Heads popped out of windows and over railings as everyone attempted to get the best view of the glacier and the mountains. I'm not sure why, but I kept whispering to my husband, "This is so beautiful"...it was almost like I didn't want to disturb the beauty with my voice. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite parts of the journey.

The next stop along the way was Juneau. There seemed to be an endless stream of planes flying in and out of the harbor. Since I've been to Juneau before, we opted to stay on the ship and enjoy a day of rest. We did important things like experiment taking pictures of ourselves in the ship's elevators. Needless to say, it was a great choice.

 We did get off at Skagway, yes to explore all seven blocks of the town. This was a very intriguing town. Skagway is known as the gateway to the Klondike and thus there are a myriad of stories which surround this borough. I'm sure there will be a few more posts about this place.

Aside from learning a bit about its history, we mailed some postcards from the wee post office and ate some ice cream.

 We walked up one side of the town and down the other. We explored dirt paths and finally decided we would head back to the ship. As we sauntered back to the ship, I could not help but notice how crisp the air was. 

On our journey, we had several delightful surprises...there will be plenty of time to talk about those later. I think my favorite surprise was our next stop, Vancouver Island...specifically Victoria!  I said to my husband, "Why didn't we just come to Victoria and spend the whole time here..."

"Who knew!" (I'm sure he was thinking it would have saved a lot of money) :)
 
 I won't say too much more about Victoria because it definitely deserves a post all of its own. If you ever have a chance to visit this charming place, don't think twice...do it! 

All in all, the cruise was amazing. We met interesting people, saw wonderful new places, and enjoyed spending time with each other. When it came time to disembark, we were quite happy to be getting home...but we have promised ourselves a return trip to Victoria...this time we will take the ferry.