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| Mel & I in Misty Fjords |
Nobody caught any fish but Roger got some incredible video of eagles swooping down to catch fish that the boat crew were tossing to them. There was a naturalist on board the cruise ship that gave informative and entertaining talks on the history of Alaska and all the wildlife - bears, whales, eagles, sea lions - so we learned something new every day.
We awakened to beautiful blue sky and sunshine on Monday morning as we cruised in Tracy Arm Fjord to the Sawyer Glacier. Photographs, videos and words can not describe the incredible beauty of the snow capped mountains, waterfalls and the blue tinged icebergs floating in the water. Thanks to Megan's great eyesight, we even saw a grizzly bear along the edge of the fjord! This cruise was the "maiden" voyage of the Solstice into Alaska so a helicopter joined us and flew around taking marketing pictures - we got very close to the glacier and stayed longer than usual in this lovely place.
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| Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord |
Juneau was our next stop - another gorgeous day - but there were high waves out in the sea that cancelled Judy and Marilou's whale watching (we did see whales from the main ship) and Carlos and Megan's sea kayaking excursions. We took a shuttle out to the Medenhall Glacier and while we were hiking to get up closer and see a waterfall we encountered a mother black bear and her 2 cubs grazing along the trail! That stopped our trek - great to get a look at them from a distance but didn't want to get too close to a protective Momma bear! We learned that much from the talks!
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| Roger & I at Mendenhall Glacier |
Skagway was next - another gorgeous day - the crew and towns people kept telling us how lucky we were to have so many warm, sunny days in a row! Of course, the term "warm" is used differently in their world vs mine! I bought a headband knitted from sled dog hair mixed with wool - they assured me people with dog allergies would not sneeze when next to me!!
We rode the Yukon Railroad up through the mountains in Skagway - more gorgeous scenery around every turn and tunnel. Roger and Carlos road up on the train and then biked back down the mountain. They said it was fun but an exercise in braking! Megan had to cancel her plans to go with them because of her knee injury - her surgery is planned for June 14th.
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| Yukon Railroad Trip |
The next day was another day at sea to relax and reflect on all our wonderful memories. We celebrated Judy's retirement on formal night. She loved her "Celebrate a Hero" book where all her friends and co-workers wrote fun messages. The hot tub, more great food and entertainment were daily enjoyments. As was sitting in the lounge just looking out the window! Judy and Ray won some money at the casino - the rest of us were happy to break even!
The ship docked in Victoria, British Columbia on Thursday evening but Roger and I have been there before so we stayed on the ship. Poor Megan, had a kidney stone! The ship physician treated her that evening and she felt better on Friday - she either passed it or it moved to a more comfortable spot!
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| Carlos & Megan at formal night |
Our camera broke soon after our voyage began so my pictures are limited but, Judy bought a new camera and took a photography class at JCC before we left so, she was our group photographer. Anxious to see her pictures!
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