Saturday, July 28, 2007

West Yellowstone, MT

We arrived safely this past Thursday at West Yellowstone, MT. This is the Western gateway to Yellowstone Park. First observance is that it is a cute little town with a lot of the typical tourist trap stores that all sell pretty much the same stuff. There are two grocery stores in town, both small - no Wal-Mart etc.

Our drive here brought us through some interesting countryside and right through Earthquake Lake area, where in 1959 there was a 7.5 earthquake that formed the lake. I've posted pictures of our drive here at the picasa web site.

We are parked at the Pony Express RV Park which is behind the Hitch'in Post Motel. The sites are very close together but we got a site with 50amp, water, sewer, cable TV and wifi (when it works).

Friday we did laundry in the morning wanting to be caught up before we head into the park. In the afternoon we went to the Grizzly Discovery Center. That was a really neat experience. They have bears that for one reason or other cannot be put back into the wild so they have a habitat where they display two or three at a time for about 45 min. What they do is hide food around the habitat then release the bears and you get to watch from a safe area as they hunt for the food, just like they would in the wild. There is also a pool for them to cool off in. They also have a pack of wolves. They were out in their habitat, but were being very lazy since it was the middle of the afternoon and warm. Check out the pictures I've posted.

After leaving the Grizzly Discovery Center we decided to drive on into Yellowstone to check out where we will be living for the next week. We also figured we would surprise Garry and Jenny with a short visit. What a drive it was! I'm so anxious to get back into the park. We spotted a bald eagle about 6 miles from the entrance and then just down the road a few miles saw some female elk with their little ones. Of course there was the first sighting of a geyser with many more to come. After a little over 2 hours, we found the employee campground but arrived before Garry and Jenny got home so we went to the Lake Lodge cafeteria for a bite to eat. Talk about expensive. I'm glad I don't have a family of 4 or 5 to feed here. One family of 5 checked out behind us and their total bill was over $80.00.

We went back to the campground and Garry and Jenny were home so we sat for a short while and chatted, catching up on each other's news. We will join them tomorrow (Sunday) for a week and I'm really looking forward to it. While sitting at their picnic table, we spotted four more female elk right behind where we will be parked!

On our drive out of the park back to West Yellowstone we took the northern loop and had only gone about 5 miles and spotted our first bison. Quite a big fellow. He actually got very close to our truck (see picture) and then proceeded to walk down the road in front of us. Of course this blocked traffic - the wildlife have the right of way. Several miles later we spotted more bison with one blocking both lanes of traffic. It seems that there was one female who had already been claimed by a male but there where two other males challenging him including the one blocking the roadway. Quite interesting watching them and listening to the one male's grunts of warning for the other two to stay away.

We also passed a geyser and hot spring, and a waterfall before leaving the park. There is so much more to discover and I'm ready. Unlike most of the other National Parks we've visited, Yellowstone seems much more interactive because of the wildlife.

I don't know if I'll have internet for the next week or not. Will depend on weather we get a clear shot of the southeastern sky from the campground. If I've not posted in over a week, you will know that we didn't! Anyway, until the next post, enjoy the pictures from yesterday and know that there will be more to come.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Coeur D' Alene and the Old Mission

We parked at Blackwell RV Park in Coeur D' Alene for three nights. Not a lot of time to see the area considering we spent the afternoon that we arrived getting a new spare tire. That was Thursday. Friday we slept in late and worked around the RV. Before we knew it, the morning and half the afternoon was gone so we spent the rest of the day relaxing and attempting to catch our breath - we are at a higher elevation and I can really tell it.

Saturday morning was our last chance to drive the area so mid-morning off we went in search of the Coeur D' Alene Old Mission. After a short but beautiful drive west on I-90 there was the mission, sitting high up on a hill.

This mission was designed by Fr. Antonio Ravalli who also did a lot of work on the mission including some of the paintings, wood carvings and the alter, which is made of wood, but he painted to look like marble. Fr. Ravalli was born in Italy in 1812 and came to the Pacific Northwest as a ordained priest in 1843. The building of the mission started in 1850 and was completed in 1853. The history of the mission along with interesting facts on what type and how many tools were used to build the mission is available at: http://www.idptv.state.id.us/buildingbig/domes/cataldo.html

If you drive I-90 through Idaho, don't miss stopping at the Mission. Very worth the time.

We continued our drive on Rt. 3 (a scenic drive) and detoured to Harrison where we had great burgers at One Shot Charlie's, a combination bar and grill that is housed in a very old building. Harrison is a very small town, don't blink when you drive through, but was bustling with people as it has a large mooring for boats and all the boaters seem to like coming to Charlie's.

From there we continued our drive and connected back with highway 90 which our campground is on. Heading back north toward Coeur D' Alene we passed so many wheat fields and they were all very large. I was really surprised at just how much wheat is grown in this area. Some where already baled and stacked, others baled while others were waiting to be mowed and baled. With all the views of the lakes and rivers in the area and they wheat fields it was a absolutely beautiful drive.

We are now in Butte, MT where it is so smoggy from the wildfires in the area. Fortunately there are none nearby - otherwise we would be moving. I'll be glad to move though as I find it harder to catch my breath. Not sure if it the smoke or the elevation - over 5,000 ft. Maybe it's the weight, but I'm not going there - LOL! Besides I have no problem at sea level!

Pictures from Coeur D' Alene will be posted soon at the picasa web site.

Friday, July 20, 2007

We're On The Move...

Tuesday morning we bid farewell to Sequim, WA. It was a rainy day, one of those that makes you want to stay in bed, but, alas, it was time to move on.

Our route to Tacoma took us over the brand new "Narrows" bridge. It opened to traffic on Monday. The west bound traffic used the old bridge while we got to go on the new one. Kind of scary though because on Monday night news they were saying that work was not completed on the bridge - I had to wonder - just wasn't done?

After getting on I-5 through Tacoma then onto Highway 18 over to I-90 we finally got out of the rain - yea!

Our drive to Ellensburg, WA was uneventful. We stayed two nights at the Ellensburg KOA and did very little while there except catch up on the laundry - seems like it's always catch up time for laundry.

A couple of words about the Ellensburg KOA - Don't stay there! It's really the pits and I don't understand why KOA hasn't pulled their franchise. The owner was very rude, there is no wi-fi even though they advertise it (only about 4 sites get it), and you have to choose if you want elec. water & sewer or elec. water & cable - just weird. Mostly gravel with big rocks mixed in.

Yesterday, Wed. we left Ellensburg heading east on I-90 with Coeur d'Alene, Idaho our stopping point. We had made it to just about 10 miles west of Spokane and decided to get some fuel since we were down to a quarter tank. Saw a truck stop advertised for the next exit and off we went. Dean got out to pump the fuel and I went back to the RV for a drink. While inside I heard him talking to someone, so I went out to see what was going on. He said that a lady had followed us off the interstate to tell us that we had lost our tire tread off the RV! I looked at the rear tire on the drivers side (of the RV) and sure enough - no tread - just the sidewall. We certainly had a guardian angel with us as the tire never lost pressure! We pulled away from the pumps and parked in the lot where I called Good Sam ESP. What great service - the repair man showed up within 30 min. and one hour after coming off the interstate, we were back on, heading for our destination for the next three nights.

That brings me to now - we are parked at Blackwell Island RV Resort in Coeur d'Alene, ID. This is a really nice park. Paved streets, gravel pads and some grass (we were told it's really hard to grow in this area), full hook-ups with 50 amps, cable TV and wi-fi that works. There are no shade trees, but that's OK with us as it makes it easier getting our dish up and working for both TV and internet.

There are a couple of sights we want to see while here and will probably go tomorrow to check them out. Today we are just loafing after having a trying afternoon hunting for a tire replacement.

From here we will head toward Butte, MT and then to Yellowstone.

Come on back when you can.....

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Victoria, BC

We drove from Blaine, WA to Sequim (pronounced squim), WA. We are at GilGal RV Park right on the edge of town - a nice park with paved roads and sites and full hookups w/50 amp, cable TV and DSL internet at each site.

On Saturday we took the ferry from Port Angeles, WA, just down the road, to Victoria, BC. The ferry ride took an hour. Surprisingly it was a very smooth ride.

Dean and I decided before going to Victoria that we were just going to tour the city by using a jump on, jump off tour bus. We purchased our tickets for the Big Bus upon arrival in Victoria and rode the full route deciding where it was that we wanted to get off and explore on our own.

Chinatown and Government Street were musts. Also the harbor area along with the Capital Building and the Cultural Center. The other areas, and there are many, we saw most of what we wanted from the bus.

Funny, I hadn't thought about Victoria being British Columbia's capital since it's on a island. Their capital building is really beautiful and very large. It is a popular place for tour groups to have their picture taken. I believe there must have been 15 bus loads of students from Japan in town with us. Every time we passed by the capital building, there was a large group, in uniform, having their picture taken. The lawn in front of the building seems to be treated as a park with people just relaxing there.

I did find Victoria a very interesting city with a mixture of cultures. Walking the streets is the way to tour this city. By doing this you can get the real Victoria - a truly international city. Chinatown had it's street vendors with fresh fruits and vegetables while Government Street had many high end designer shops. Languages varied from English, French, Japanese, Chinese, German and many more that I didn't recognize.

We enjoyed a great lunch at an open air cafe right by the busy harbor with it's sea planes coming and going, the many ferries and the whale watch boats. What a great place to people watch to!

We returned home by ferry early evening and retired early as it was a long day with a lot of walking which I have to admit, we are not used to. There is much more to see in Victoria and we hope to return one day.

Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

Last Day In Blaine, WA

I'm a little late in writing this. We stayed busy after returning from the cruise, catching up on laundry, picking up our kitty, cleaning etc.

On our last day in the area I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures of Blaine, WA. We took a drive over to the town where I snapped a few pictures. Not really much in Blaine, but it's a very clean little town. Most of the "action" in town is out by the interstate, no big name stores, but there is a grocery and pharmacy there along with a Burger King.

Pictures are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Back To Reality - Waaaaaa

This morning we were in the dining room for breakfast at 7 am. Really to early for me to eat much. We sat at a table with 6 others and all complained about being put off the ship today. I don't think I heard any complaints during the whole seven days from anyone.

After breakfast we returned to our cabin to pick up our carry off suitcase and went to the "private departure lounge" that is made available to those who have cruised on Royal Caribbean five or more times. It was nice not to have to wait in the lobby and lounges with the other 1800 passengers.

We finally got off the ship around 9:15 am, caught the shuttle to the parking lot, got the truck loaded with the luggage and headed back to the US.

We were told that Highway 15 crossing (the truck crossing) wait time would be a lot shorter than coming back on I-5. Well, that was a laugh. We sat in line for over 2 and 1/2 hours waiting to get to the boarder. Once through we made it back the the Mobile Suite in about 20 minutes.

In closing this portion of our 'New Adventure' I have to say that we were disappointed that we didn't see any elk, moose, more bears and other wildlife, but here again, just another reason to return by RV when we can take our time and not be on a schedule. That was the hardest part of taking a cruise - everything is scheduled!

Hope you enjoy reliving our cruise with us through these posts and pictures.

Till next time...

Alaska Cruise Day 7

Sigh, it's the last day of our wonderful Alaska cruise. Where did the time go? I think this day is the only thing I hate about cruising and I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF!!! :(

We didn't do much today. Walked back through the shops for the last look at everything. Started sorting stuff to pack. I went to the final Art Auction and won another $95.00 print. Thank goodness they are not big, probably measure 11 x 14, so they fit in the suitcase.

I have to tell you that this is the first cruise that we have taken where we boarded with one carry on and checked only two medium suitcases in. I couldn't believe we could pack for seven days in so few suitcases, but then we are part of the "blue jean" crowd now and don't have the clothes we used to have when we had the stick and brick house. Sure made the decision of what to take easier - LOL. We had bought a $39.99 set of luggage at the PX at Fallon NAS and it was expandable, thank goodness. We came off the ship with everything in the three pieces of luggage including all the stuff we bought.

OK, back on track. I also spent a good bit of today on our balcony just watching the scenery go by. I never tired of doing this as it was so pretty and changing.

After dinner and bidding farewell to our table mates, our waiter and bus boy, we went to the final show and again stopped by the casino. They aren't dumb, we had to walk through the casino to get to the balcony of the theater, where we preferred to sit. After the show we returned to the cabin to finish packing, showered and got ready for bed. Tomorrow morning is another early day as we have to be out of the cabin by 8 am. So, goodnight.

Pictures for the entire cruise are available at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

Alaska Cruise Day 6

Oh my, 5:30 am came early even though it was daylight and the sun was up. Our tour in Juneau began at 7:15 am, so we had to be on the pier by 7 am. Way to early, but our day is short in Juneau, so everything started early including breakfast.

We boarded our tour bus and headed for Mendenhall Glacier. The drive there was about 20 minutes and took us through downtown the capital of Alaska. Our driver was very good in pointing out buildings of interest including the state capital building. She said it was voted the second ugliest in the U.S. with the one in Tallahassee, FL taking first place as the ugliest.

As we approached the parking lot at Mendenhall Glacier, we were greeted by a brown bear cub. Naturally, my camera was in the tote - another missed picture. All of us were excited by the bear and the bus driver was surprised as well. She said it's the first she ever heard of a bear in that area. Being cautious, the driver wouldn't let us off the bus until the cub left the area, as she was sure the mother was nearby and she didn't want any of us to have a confrontation with her. Good decision on her part although there were groans on the bus.

Mendenhall glacier was a lot different from Hubbard Glacier in that it was much dirtier. Lucky for us though, it had calved the night before and since it was so overcast (and drizzly at time) the blue color really came through. Much of the ice flow also had a beautiful blue hue to it. This glacier is receding at the rate of up to 200 feet a year and some time in the future will probably disappear unless we enter another ice age.

After watching a 15 minute movie on the history of Mendenhall Glacier at the Visitors Center and spending about one hour glacier looking, we boarded the bus for the whale watching cruise portion of our tour.

By the time we reached the boat dock in was raining, but not hard, just annoying. The boat for our whale watching cruise was two story mostly enclosed and about 80 feet in length. We lucked out and got inside seats on the upper deck which also had access to a outside deck area.

The cruise started out slowly, but after about 15 minutes the first whale was sighted. For the next two hours, we spotted many humpback whales, some dolphin, some sea lions and bald eagles. I was disappointed that we didn't see any orca whales, but was told by our guide that even thought there were "resident" orcas in the area, they travel in a 250 mile radium so seeing them is rare.

This tour was enjoyable in spite of the continuing rain and gave us even more, the desire to return to Alaska by RV in the future.

On the return trip to our ship, we passed a marsh area and there were about 15 bald eagles sitting on mounds of dirt. A really neat sight.

We sailed from Juneau at 3 pm and spend the rest of the afternoon resting then getting ready for the second formal night in the dining room.

We went to the show in the theater, stopped by the casino and had a drink at the atrium bar. Jose, the bartender there, I found out several days ago, makes the best BBC's! Had to have another one before turning in for the night.

Alaska Cruise Day 5

Today our port of call is Skagway, Alaska. The first known homesteader was Capt. William Moore who, in 1887, staked out a 160 acre claim at the mouth of the Skagway River and waited for the much anticipated gold rush. Gold was discovered on the Klondike River in 1896. When the first shipload of prospectors anchored off Moore's homestead in 1897, they swam ashore, seized Moore's land and had his cabin thrown into the mud flats. Within months, the population of Skagway exceeded 20,000 residents. During the gold rush years Skagway was know as "hell on earth" because of the living conditions and unsavory people living there. Today, Skagway's downtown is much like it was in the early 1900's with false-front buildings and boardwalks. It retains much of the 1898 gold rush atmosphere. It is also home of the infamous White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

After breakfast in the Windjammer we went ashore around 8:30 am to do some shopping and to watch the July 4th parade down Main St. The parade was not made up of big fancy floats, like they have for Mardi Gras, but pickup trucks decorated and a lot of people dressed in costume walking. There were a few bands and some kids groups along with several old cars with one having the "town madam" riding in it.

After the parade we came back to the ship to get ready for our tour - The White Pass and Yukon Railroad which would take us to Fraser, BC where we boarded a bus for the return trip with a stop at Liarsville.

The train ride is a NOT TO BE MISSED tour. The views are fabulous and the train cars are very old so it makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. The train follows closely part of the trail that was used by the prospectors. We also passed by Bridal Veil Falls, Dead Horse Gulch (where over 3000 horses/mules lost their lives during the gold rush), Inspiration Point, the tunnels, the steel bridge which was build in 1901 and was the worlds tallest cantilever bridge (used until 1969) and a wooden trestle bridge, just to name a few. We also saw rapids, lakes, other waterfalls and lots of snow. The train took us just over 27 miles and climbed 2,865 feet from sea level. What a ride, one of the best train rides we've had.

Our stop in Liarsville, on the way back to Skagway, included some hot cider and cookies, a skit put on by some resident actors and panning for gold. Of course we found so much gold we needed an armored truck to bring it back to the ship - NOT! Just a few little flakes, but at least we did find some.

Liarsville was named during the gold rush days. As the story goes, the press, always looking for a good story, came west during the gold rush and when the reporters found that they would have to travel 500 miles and endure many hardships to reach the miners camps, they set up camp just outside Skagway. From there they would interview the miners that came back from the field and make up stories for their editors, making them sensational (sounds like this hasn't changed - LOL), thus came the name Liarsville.

Upon returning to the ship, we were both tired and hungry. We had dinner in the Windjammer then came back to the cabin where we retired early, around 9 pm. Tomorrow morning is Juneau and we have to be dockside for our tour at 7 am!

Alaska Cruise Day 4

We got up early this morning and went to the Windjammer for breakfast - today is Hubbard Glacier Day!

We entered Yakutat Bay around 8:30 am and got our first glimpse of Hubbard Glacier - this was going to be a awesome day even though the temperatures where in the 40's. I guess because we were close to so much ice.

Our captain said that he would get us as close to Hubbard Glacier as he could and he didn't fail us. We were within 500 yards of the unnamed glacier beside Hubbard and less than a mile from Hubbard Glacier itself. It looked like a short mile to me!

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Coming into the bay we started passing small icebergs, here and there, but the closer we got to the glacier the heavier the ice became. I was afraid that we wouldn't get close because of the ice flow, but we kept on going. We were outside at the rail and saw the ship brush against a rather large iceberg. You could hear it cracking and just a short while later up from below the water came a big chunk of ice making a loud whoosh and a big splash. It had broken off as the ship brushed against the iceberg. After getting as close as he could, the ships engines where shut down to allow us to hear the glacier moving - what a sound! Like thunder with squeaks. Also scary, in a way, to think about all that ice moving toward you. We also saw Hubbard Glacier calving. It was so awesome, much better in person than watching it on TV.

Our ship was the first into the bay so we got to stay the longest. The Celebrity Mercury and Holland America's Oosterdam were waiting for us to leave so they could go in. As we left, I looked back and noticed that the Celebrity ship was already heading out - they sure didn't get the view that we did - good job Captain.

The rest of the day we went to a couple of the activities and rested. I'm not sure why the days go so fast when you are at sea. We watched lots of whales playing in the waters of the Inside Passage late into the evening. It's so nice to have a private balcony, you don't have to worry about a front row seat for the action!

Pictures for the first four days are available for your viewing at: http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

Alaska Cruise Day 3

This morning was overcast again. It looked like it wanted to rain, but I said a quick prayer that it would stay away - guess it worked, no rain today.

We arrived at Icy Strait Point mid-morning. This is a new port for Alaska and they allow only one ship a day in port. Good thing because it's a small place.

Icy Strait Point is home to members of the Tlingit Tribe who have inhabited much of Southeastern Alaska since 900-1400 AD. Because of advancing glaciers they were forced to move to what now is the village of Hoonah, just a mile from Icy Strait Point.

Icy Strait Point was the home of the former Hoonah Packing Company. At it's peak the company would turn out 150,000 cases (48 1 lb cans to a case) of salmon each year. The cannery closed in 1953 and is now a museum. They have added restaurants, shops, a theatre/culture center and a new dock to attract tourism.

Dean and I elected to take in the show in the theatre/culture center. It was very nice, with a grandfather of the tribe telling us the tribal story of the Raven. They also performed tribal dances and told what the meaning was of each one. After the show they included a bus ride to Hoonah, but we passed on it so I could do some shopping.

After returning to the ship we spotted a bald eagle flying between us and land. Of course, my camera wasn't in my hand, so I missed a great photo op, darn! We watched him as he flew into a tree top and sat there until the ship sailed. Unfortunately, he was just to far away for me to get a good picture, but I did keep an eye on him with the binoculars.

As we cruised away from Icy Strait Point we saw many whales, all humpbacks I think and all to far away for pictures. This happened yesterday as well. Oh well, I'll get those pictures yet!

The evening was spent having dinner, watching the show in the theater which was a singer/dancer who was very good, testing out the casino again, where I won $2.00 and a cruise video. As long as I stay ahead in the casino, I'll be happy.

After returning to our cabin we spotted our first glacier as we sailed toward Hubbard Glacier - really neat. There are so many glaciers in Alaska, I'm not sure that they have a count.

Alaska Cruise Day 2

This morning was overcast with pretty heavy looking clouds. No fog though so we could see land from our balcony. A beautiful sight to wake up to - calm seas and snow capped mountains.

After breakfast in the dining room we strolled back through the shops on board ship. Every day they put special sale merchandise out in the Atrium, so of course, this required checking it out daily - don't want to miss out on that special bargain.

There wasn't much happening in the morning that we wanted to participate in, so I spend it writing notes about the cruise while Dean took a morning nap. At noon we went to the talk about the ports of call and where all the "hot" shopping spots were. Sounded just like the ones from the Caribbean, only different named ports!

After a quick bite in the Windjammer we went to a lecture on "Glaciers of the Pacific Northwest". Very interesting information and I think that we will be able to look at Hubbard Glacier through different eyes now.

I also went to the art auction this afternoon, but as I promised Dean, I didn't purchase any. I did get a "free" $95.00 piece of art for attending. If I could get the $95.00 I'd sell it - It looks like something my 10 year old granddaughter could draw!

The evening, just like the day, passed quickly with dinner in the dining room (formal tonight) and the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers show in the theater. When we came out of the show at 10 pm it was still daylight with the sun still visible - can't get used to that, but got some great sunset pictures.

Alaska Cruise Day 1

Hearing about the long lines at the US/Canada boarder, we decided to get an early start this morning on our drive to Vancouver, BC to board ship. When we arrived at the crossing, surprise, there were only three cars ahead of us, so getting into Canada was a breeze.

We arrived at the parking lot where we were leaving the truck around 8:30 am - early. But no problem, they let us park and offered a shuttle to town so we could get some breakfast - how nice! So far this day has been great.

The shuttle dropped us off in front of Canada Place and told us where we could catch it back to the lot when we were ready to return. We took off in search of breakfast - since we left so early we hadn't had anything to eat. Crossing the street I spotted a nice looking restaurant with big windows looking out toward Canada Place and the harbor - looked good to me so in we went.

After about a 5 min. wait we were seated at a table right by the window where we could watch the entertainment of all the buses, taxi's etc. picking up cruise passengers, tour buses picking up for city tours, trucks picking up luggage bound for the airport and the normal mix of local traffic thrown in, all on a street no wider than three lanes!

Looking at the menu, we survived the initial sticker shock and decided to go for the buffet. Only a mere 23 Canadian dollars - PER PERSON! The food was good, but we felt like we should sit there until lunch just to get our monies worth - the bill totaled $60.00 with tip added. This certainly was the most expensive breakfast we have ever had.

After eating our "gold" plated breakfast we went into Canada Place to explore and get some local information. This is a really pretty place, but there is a lot of construction going on so it restricted the views. We decided to get the shuttle and head to the ship via the parking lot.

We arrived at Ballentyne Terminal around 11 am and figured we would have to wait an hour or so to board ship as boarding usually doesn't start until noon at the earliest. We checked in with out SeaPass (Royal Caribbean's on-line boarding pass) and were told we could go on board ship immediately - another pleasant surprise to a great day.

We couldn't get to our cabin until 1 pm so for the next hour + we roamed the ship, becoming familiar with our new home for a week. We ended up at a nice table in the Windjammer Cafe watching the sea planes, helicopters, and boats taking off, going by, etc. Around 12:30 they announced that the buffet was open. Well, dummy me, after 35+ cruises, you would think that I would remember the welcome aboard buffet. If I had, we certainly would not have had our "gold" plated breakfast! Neither of us were hungry, but after awhile I couldn't take it any longer and had to go look and see what they had. I found the pizza and had a slice and was immediately reminded how good Royal Caribbean's pizza is - yummy. Thus began seven days of non-stop food!

At 5 pm we set sail for Alaska. There were other ships in port and we were the second to leave. Ahead of us was Holland America's Zuiderdam and following us was Princess' Sapphire Princess. We sailed under the Lion Gate Bridge (I think that was the name) and past Stanley Park, a very large park in Vancouver. To the north of us where lots of snow capped mountains and North & West Vancouver. A beautiful sight as we sailed away.

At 6 pm we went to the dinning room for our first dinner. Our table mates were from Chicago, IL and New York, NY. They were fascinated about us being full time RV'ers. We spent dinner answering lots and lots of questions.

After dinner we strolled through the shops, stopped by the casino where I came out $4.00 ahead and ended up in the Schooner Bar where I had a BBC and Dean had a Bloody Mary. Since it had been a long day, we passed on the evening show in the lounge and headed for our cabin and bed sure of a good nights sleep.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

We're Back

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are now back home from our wonderful Alaska cruise. I'm not going into detail on this post as I'm having wifi problems but as soon as it is resolved I'll be posting several entries telling about the cruise, the ports of call and all the wonderful sights we took in. Check back again soon.