Aug. 27, 2015
We didn't really know what to expect on this trip - we're used to traveling with just the two (and now three) of us, but we'd been wanting to invite our moms on a trip for a long time. We always thought taking them on a cruise to Alaska would be perfect, and we finally suggested it a few months ago. Much to our delight, they both agreed.
We had a 7 am flight, so we had to get to the airport very early. I set my alarm for 3:30 just so I could shower, finish my last minute packing, and get Hyla ready. Nate's mom drove down the night before and stayed with us, and once we were ready, we went to pick up my mom a little before 5. My mom hadn't flown since our trip to California when I was 7 - about 30 years ago! She'd done a ton of road trips, but this was going to be much different.
We had so many bags and large items with us! A good 15, I think, so it was good we flew on Southwest, since we didn't have to pay for checked bags. I think we checked a total of 5 and dragged the rest with us. I was so glad to have the extra help with Hyla around the airport. A toddler, plus all our luggage, is quite a juggle. Our first flight took us to San Diego, but luckily we didn't have to get off the plane. We sat across the aisle from our moms, and Hyla spent most of the flights sitting with them. I got to revisit crossword puzzling, my favorite airplane pastime. Overall, the flights were great, and we got to Seattle without a hitch.
Once in Seattle, we found our luggage and then had to figure out how to contact the hotel at which we had reservations. We decided to stay one night at the Sutton Suites Hotel - they have a number of great packages for cruisers, including options to park your car there during the duration of your cruise, or, as we used, to stay one night and they would shuttle you to the cruise port, then pick you up after your cruise and take you back to the airport. After our experience in Texas with a hotel not honoring our reservation, I was still a bit nervous about this going smoothly, but once we found the courtesy hotel phone, they knew exactly who we were. They picked us up after a rather short wait, and we found ourselves at the hotel only about 5 minutes later. In fact, this may have been the closest hotel to the airport! Still nervous about our reservation, I went to check in while the rest of our party stayed with the van. The people ahead of me in line seemed confused, but eventually they got their reservations worked out. Then, when I approached the desk, the lady knew EXACTLY who I was and said she was expecting me and that everything was ready to go. Easy as that! I got our keys and headed up to our room, which was actually up a steep hill in the building behind the lobby. It turned out the kind shuttle driver took everyone right to the door and helped them bring everything into the room. Everyone was so helpful and efficient!
We settled into our room, which was a triple - 3 beds, a kitchen, bathroom, and small living area. Perfect size for all of us! Once we were settled and got Hyla into bed for her "nap," Nathan and I decided to get our rental car. It turns out that the rental location was only a few blocks up the road! It took us maybe 15 minutes to walk there, and only that long because we had to cross a busy street with a long light program. That was also very easy, and we wound up with one of those newfangled cars with the push button ignition. Not our favorite, but it would do us well for one night.
We drove back to the room and found out that Hyla hadn't really slept, so we decided to cut our losses and just get her up. We had the car and wanted to see some sights! After looking into what was around, we decided to visit the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Nate thought we were staying in Tacoma, and the zoo was near Tacoma, so we plugged it into the Garmin and headed that way. It turned out we weren't actually in Tacoma, so it was a good 30-45 minute drive, but we got to see some lovely sights on the way, particularly the enormous Mount Rainier in the distance. You could see a substantial mountain range around it, but Mount Rainier is just huge! It dwarfs anything I've ever seen! It was a little hazy (though generally sunny, luckily), so when we first saw it, it almost looked like part of the clouds...but then, once you realized you were looking at a snowcap, it was incredibly impressive. We'll have to check that out one of these days!
Once we got to Point Defiance, our Garmin was a bit confused, but we made our way to the zoo before too long. The zoo itself was extremely hilly, but we managed. We visited the carousel first, which Hyla adored. She chose to ride the walrus, and we went around and around, much to her delight. Next we visited the aquarium, where Hyla got to see rays up close. They had some nice exhibits, including jellyfish and a huge saltwater tank with sharks. Back at the zoo, we enjoyed seeing several northern creatures like my elusive musk ox, though a lot of critters were missing in action, like the caribou. Still, we had a nice time touring this interesting zoo. Once we'd had our fill, we drove around the rest of the extensive Point Defiance, looking for two geocaches and finding one. We also happened upon an adorable family of raccoons. We'd glimpsed some behind an exhibit at the zoo, and saw the keepers trying to find them, so I suppose there are lots of raccoons in residence. I wish we'd had more time to explore, but we were all getting tired, and we still had another destination in mind for the evening.
It turns out that a family friend's brother lives just south of Seattle, so we headed up there to visit him and his family. I know we were exhausted, and I wasn't sure I was up for socializing, but we went anyway and wound up having a wonderful time. I'd never met any of them before, but they were all so welcoming to all of us, treating us to a lovely pizza dinner and great conversation. Their condo is right on the water, so we were also able to enjoy a beautiful sunset and views of the Olympic Mountains about 75 miles away. Despite being so tired, we all had an incredible time, and I'm so glad we stopped for a visit. (Thanks to Karla for the sunset picture.)
From there, we were exhausted, and we knew we had another big day coming up, so we headed back to our room for a much-needed night's sleep.
Fri. Aug. 28, 2015
We got up at a reasonable hour, packed, and headed down to the lobby to await our shuttle, which would pick us up around 11. It turned out a lot more people than expected were going to the cruise port, so we didn't end up getting our shuttle until about 45 minutes later, but that was ok - we had places to sit, and Hyla was able to explore outside somewhat. Eventually our shuttle arrived. My mom sat in the front and talked a great deal with the driver. She had always wanted to visit Seattle, and this was her first chance, so she wanted to know as much as she could. Our driver was such a wealth of information, pointing out all sorts of interesting things as we passed. It was a great drive! Once we got to the cruise port, everything was pretty easy. We unloaded the shuttle, and almost immediately, port employees took our bags, and we were free to check in.
Check-in was a somewhat long process. We had to stand in a really long line, though luckily it seemed to keep moving. Our moms got to go through another line, and while it wasn't nearly as long, they had to sit and wait a while, and we were all almost done at the same time. It felt like they had to check our passports numerous times, but overall, I felt like the process (especially going through security) was a lot less stringent than at an airport. I looked around at the people nearby and was happy to see that many of them seemed in good spirits. In the line for last cruise we took, on Celebrity, it seemed like everyone at check-in (a shorter check-in, at that) wore a scowl. Here's to happier Royal Caribbean passengers!
We eventually made it through the line, got our room cards, and headed toward our ship, the Jewel of the Seas. Even though we checked most of our bags in, we still had a lot to carry, and we wouldn't have access to our rooms for a little while. We made our way up to the Windjammer buffet, managed to find an open table in the adjacent outside seating area, and grabbed a bite to eat. We set up camp there for at least an hour until I decided to go down and see if our rooms were ready.
The walk down to the room seemed incredibly long. The ship wasn't nearly as big as the first one we'd ridden, the Oasis of the Seas, but for some reason this corridor seemed to go on forever. I think a lot of it has to do with the disorientation one feels when they first board a new ship. Subsequent visits to our rooms seemed not nearly as remote. Once I got to our room, I was able to get in, so I fetched the others, and we all headed down to our rooms to unpack and settle in. Hyla was in need of a nap at this point, too, so we made sure to get her down for that. Nate decided to stay with her as she slept, and my mom and I headed up to the top to watch the boat take off. We watched Seattle slowly fade into the distance as we headed for adventures beyond.
We spent much of the rest of the day exploring the ship and becoming acquainted with its layout. We also had to go down to the safety meeting at the Coral Theater to learn about what to do in an emergency. Then we relaxed some and enjoyed the ship. We met our room attendant, Francisco, who knew our names long before we knew his. He was incredible, always greeting us with an upbeat attitude and good nature. A far cry from the attendant down the hall who, whenever I would see him and say, "Hi! How's it going?" would always answer in a stressed tone, "Excellent, for now." Oh my!
While walking around the ship with my mom and Karla, we happened upon a lady sitting at a desk, right near where we stopped to sit and rest. We talked to her a bit, and it turned out she was the ship's "shopping director." She gave us the first of several charms for a bracelet and told us about her talk the next day that would tell us how to get the remainder of the charms. Seemed easy enough, maybe…collecting free things is one of the things we enjoy most about cruising, after all.
Eventually, we made it up for our 8pm dinner at the main dining room. Our waiters were Sucorro and Melroy, both from India. They were phenomenal and so personable. I wish I had taken notes on all the lovely things they fed us, but every night was incredible. Sucorro would often bring an extra plate to our table for us to try after having served what we ordered. Since my special superpower is the ability to eat anything and everything in front of me that is even mildly palatable, I often wound up eating most of it. And when I would ask about certain meals and go with something else, he would bring me what I asked about anyway. Often when I'd ask, if he hadn't raved about it already, he'd wrinkle his nose about it, but he'd still bring it, and sometimes it wasn't bad - like the lentil soup - that was fabulous! We would have two formal nights, both of which were great, and during the second one which served lobster, they brought us a second serving! They also cut the lobster, and sometimes shrimp, for you at the table. Talk about first-class service! Oh, and one of the concierges, a lady from Romania, would stop by every night to try to win Hyla's affection - it never really worked, but I know Hyla charmed her anyway. Hyla would get different things off the kids' menu, but was never very enthused about the dining room. Some nights, she would ask to go up to the "toy hallway," a linear playroom, instead of eating. Oh well.
After dinner, we went to see the welcome show, featuring the ship's singers and dancers. It was entertaining, and they had some good talent, but honestly I don't remember the details. That evening, with the three of us in our inside room, and our moms in a balcony room across the hall and one room down, we all got a really nice night's sleep.
Sat. Aug. 29, 2015
Our first full day at sea. Honestly, I don't remember much about it specifically because the sea days seemed to blend together somewhat. We were treated to some beautiful scenery, though mostly oceanic.
Our first stop of the day was a talk by that port shopping director we'd spoken to the day before. Oh my GOD, that went on forever. It was at least an hour and a half long, and was mostly like a giant commercial for all the jewelry shops in the ports. I felt like I wasted an hour and a half of my life. It was apparent that the cruise ships must own these jewelry shops, and this is their way of snagging customers. I always thought it weird that every port, be in in the Caribbean or Alaska, had the same annoying shops like Diamonds International - most out of place in a lot of these sometimes impoverished locales. To make things worse, gathering those darned charms sounded like a complicated mess, especially since you'd have to basically treat each port like a jewelry shop-themed scavenger hunt, and with our motley crew, that seemed a bit much. I couldn't get out of there fast enough once it was over and vowed never to attend another such talk again.
We went to the art auction, and before it started, I talked to the MC about one of the interesting paintings up front that was made with silver and gold leaf and seemed to move as you did. I said it looked "alive," and he mentioned my comment during the auction. We had some free champagne and enjoyed seeing the art. I even saw a piece by the "sailboat artist" that I love, but can never remember his name. It was a good time, though Nate, Karla, and Hyla all left due to an antsy baby. My mom and I stayed, but since I was concerned about Hyla, the auction seemed to drag on and on. I was glad to be done with it.
We explored the ship some more, visiting the gift shop, which was full of Alaska and British Columbia themed items, many of which were on sale. We also admired the jewelry including a multi-stoned (aquamarine, amethyst, and peridot) necklace and earring set that was going for about $5000 on sale. I got a picture of it, anyway.
Nathan and I had hoped to try out the water slide atop the ship, but the operating hours were pretty short. Still, we would go up to check every time the hours would creep near, but during the entire stay they never opened it due to "inclement weather." Sure, it had its moments, but if the hours were extended there would have been several times the slide could have hosted people. What a shame.
We found ourselves visiting the Windjammer a lot to kill some time by eating. The variety of food wasn't nearly as good as we found on Celebrity, but it was good enough. Hyla seemed to like it, anyway, so that was good. Always something fun.
As usual we went to dinner that night and were treated to an amazing meal. They really do make you feel first class in every way. I was glad that everyone seemed to be adjusting ok to the boat, too. The rocking wasn't too bad for anyone, and although they put barf bags out on the stairwells, no one I knew needed such a thing. The boat was a bit rocky, but nothing like we experienced on our way to Hawaii. Fun sailing indeed!
That evening, Nathan and I were able to go down and see the evening comedy show, which was pretty funny. It'd been awhile since we were able to see something like that, so what a nice treat. We also finally got to see our cruise director who, with my bad eyesight, looked exactly like a white Neil Degrasse Tyson. He didn't seem as present as cruise directors on previous ships, but we'd see him a little more often after this.
Sun. Aug. 30, 2015
We woke up and met for breakfast. Then Nathan, Karla, and Hyla headed up to the playroom while my mom and I sat out on her balcony watching the world go by. We admired the majestic waterfalls, snaking high up the sides of vast and lush mountains, misty inlets, fishing boats, and foggy sea. And we saw humpback whales! Other people on nearby balconies could be heard gasping and cheering when a particularly spectacular breach would happen. After about 45 minutes, we started seeing houses dotting the landscape, and eventually a large congregation of structures appeared - Juneau! We'd finally arrived.
As we pulled slowly into the port, a number of seaplanes took off overhead, destined for points unknown. Other cruise ships were already docked, including a Silversea - a line of which I'd never heard, but apparently it is quite high end. Eventually they alerted us that we would be able to leave the ship, so we gathered our group together and made our way down to check out the sites.
Our ship was docked at the furthest spot from town, so a shuttle was required to take us to the main drag. It was $4 per person, but really worth it, and the driver was so helpful and concerned for us all. She wound up being the same driver on our way back, too!
Once in town, we had a few goals in mind including finding a convenience store to replace the reading glasses my mom misplaced. That would prove a challenge. We'd asked the bus driver if a Walgreens was around, but Juneau doesn't have one yet. We noticed that a free shuttle ran to Walmart, and we considered going there, but luckily we were told that a locally owned shop was only a few blocks off. So we stopped into the color changing shirt store where I picked up some color changing nail polish and then slowly made our way down to the convenience store. Finding it was a bit confusing, but eventually we made it! We got the glasses and some freshly popped popcorn for Hyla. Then we struck out once again, heading uphill to the state capitol building.
Deemed the "ugliest US state capitol," the Alaska State Capitol really isn't much to look at. It was quite nondescript, and really, had we not seen where it was on the map, we probably wouldn't have even noticed it. I didn't notice any signage to indicate what it was, though Nathan said he saw something. It did have a miniature bell, reminiscent of the Liberty Bell, out front. We snapped some quick pictures and headed on our way. It was cold and rainy, and we wanted to warm up and get some food before too long.
We walked a little further, admiring the cute town and the huge mountains and waterfalls that hulked above. After a little debate, we wound up going to Little Tokyo, a Japanese restaurant on a corner. The inside was very minimalist, and the service was a bit slow for our liking, but the food wasn't bad. The employees were watching Hyla from a distance, marveling at how quickly she ate up her miso and ikura (salmon roe) among whatever else we might have given her. She is quite a sushi fiend!
Once we were done, we headed back through town, happy to stop at some shops that weren't owned by the cruise ships (hopefully). Then we continued back to the ship, glad to catch our breath for a minute before we had to grab our excursion shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the day, Hyla was unable to get a nap and became extremely cranky to the point of bothering people around her. She was crying so angrily, and nothing we could do would console her, poor thing. There really wasn't much we could do about it, but luckily the bus ride wasn't too long.
My mom and I sat in the front by the driver and he would point out places as we'd pass and bald eagles as he saw them, mostly just sitting on light posts. He told us about the 6 - 7.5 foot wingspan of the eagles and asked what we thought they weighed, since they're so large. I said 7 lbs, and he was shocked I had such a good guess (6-14 is the range)- of course I didn't bother to tell him about my biology background. Apparently he and his girlfriend work here over the summer and drive shuttle buses both in Juneau and Sitka on alternating weeks - I can't imagine how having them move from town to town via plane would be cheaper than just having them stay put, but it sounded like a good way to mix it up and keep things interesting. He also talked about how expensive it is to live there, and how most people have two or more jobs to just rent a room. I wonder how their living arrangements work, moving around each week like that - perhaps the company puts them up somewhere, but who knows? Anyway, there were a lot of houses and apartments over the bridge on Douglas Island, and it seemed like perhaps more people lived there than in Juneau itself. According to the driver, there are 3 ways into Juneau: ship, plane, and birth canal. Despite that, there still were quite a lot of cars around.
Once we got to the glacier, we hurried into the visitor center, glad to get out of the cold and rain. We marveled at the view from the lookout window, and then a few of us headed down to get closer to the glacier. We hiked the short distance to an outside lookout and admired the crystal clear ponds on the way. Then we headed over to see the salmon ponds. We were excited to actually see a number of them swimming around. If Hyla wasn’t with us, we'd probably have walked a little further along that trail - even with all the bear warning signs. But we needed to get back to the dry building.
We had about an hour and a half at the glacier before our driver would pick us up again, so we had to kill some more time. We wandered around the visitor center some more, listened to some ranger talks, and attempted to watch the video, but Hyla was having none of that. We also got to touch an ice floe they recently collected - a 200 year old piece of the glacier!
Eventually our driver came back for us, and we happily got back on the bus. Hyla thankfully fell asleep again. The driver told us more about the area, telling us how early explorers would be afflicted with scurvy and the local Tlingit (pronounced "clink-it") people would give them spruce tips as a great source of vitamin C. He mentioned that a beer in Skagway was brewed with these spruce tips, and that when you drink it you could feel comforted that your beer was full of vitamin goodness. He also told us about the two Tlingit clans: Eagle and Raven, Eagles being known for strength and Ravens for intelligence, and how if clans intermarried, the children would be part of their mother's clan. It was a fascinating background on the peoples of the area.
Once back, we were so glad to return to our dry, warm ship. We managed to get Hyla down for part two of her nap, and we relaxed at last. We were able to watch as we slowly backed out of Juneau and continued out through the Inside Passage. We had a quiet evening and opted to eat at Windjammer instead of the dining room this night because Hyla just wasn't up for it. Plus, all of us looked a bit like drowned rats after our very wet day on the island, and I don't think any of us were in any mood to primp. I did make sure to venture outside to see if I could glimpse any northern lights or celestial phenomena. I found myself alone on deck, regarding the surprisingly still air. It was amazing, but I let my mind wander to creepy thoughts, and I got really creeped out when I heard something that I can only imagine might have been the call of a whale - it was so haunting and weird, I had to return to my room, shuddering as I went. Sleep was most welcome that evening.
Mon. Aug. 31, 2015
We pulled into Skagway around 9am and grabbed some breakfast before they let us off the boat. They also announced that the crew would be participating in evacuation training, so much of the ship was devoid of employees early on. Once we got off the boat, we could see the lifeboats circling nearby, full of all the missing-in-action crew. Fun!
Upon hitting dry land we could see the White Pass and Yukon Railroad train ready to pick up passengers right next to the cruiseport. I rather wish we'd planned on taking it, especially if it actually made it all the way to Yukon Territory, but alas it was not to be. Instead, the five of us headed through downtown Skagway, admiring the many engines from the White Pass line, and eventually traversing the wooden plank sidewalks to visit more shops. The most interesting shop was Kirmse's, a locally owned establishment, and not one of the soulless cruise ship venues. It featured all manner of local artist, from paintings to glasswork, to bronze. We were especially drawn to the bronze frogs, which looked like they were made of glass! They were upwards of $200, and they had no smaller versions, so we had to pass, but they were amazing! Perfect for my Hyla. :)
We were also excited to come across a very nice playground run by the forest service at which Hyla could play. While the grandmas watched her, Nate and I decided to check out a nearby geocache. We wandered a bit behind the restrooms, and discovered a small creek running through the woods that was absolutely full of salmon! We watched them for a while, frantically swimming upstream in their final journey. It was amazing! Then we realized that the geocache was actually back in the park, so we returned there, did a travel bug swap, and told our moms about the creek. When I went back with my mom, we ran into a few other people who happened to have family from Chicago. The man we talked with told us his cousin lived in Alaska and used to say that salmon were so common you'd find them everywhere, including something as random as a drainage ditch, and that he didn't believe him 'til he saw it himself! Well, that would be something to look for!
We continued up to the end of the commercial district, snapping a quick picture at the brew pub and returning back to the ship on the opposite side of the street. We really didn't go into many shops, but we decided to check out Klassique since they had those coveted charms. Well, we went in, and the man with whom we spoke was not about to give us one unless we "looked around." Ummm, we HAD been looking around. He gave us such a hard time and left us with such a bad taste in our mouths that, had we been interested in buying something (which we had at other stores offering these free charms), there was no way in hay we would have spent money there. VERY bad attitude. If ever in Skagway, spend your money elsewhere. Klassique is an absolute joke.
From there, we made our way back to the ship, as Hyla was in need of a nap. We grabbed something for lunch first and think we saw a seal or sea lion swimming around far below! Then we left Hyla and her grandmas to some R&R.
Nathan and I, eager to see what else Skagway had to offer, headed back out into town. We stopped first at some salmon ponds between the cruiseport and the main drag, and watched people catch salmon with their bare hands. We also saw a lot of the salmon that had died of natural causes, some with eggs, as well as the live ones. From there, we continued up the road to the Skagway Brewing Company, where we shared a salmon plate and tried all their beers including our favorite, the spruce tip blonde mentioned by our guide in Juneau. After enjoying a lovely date there, we decided to strike out into less commercial territory.
Heading east along the railroad tracks and through a residential neighborhood we noticed a drainage ditch running alongside our sidewalk, and upon inspection, lo! There were salmon in it! How cool! We continued east and north, past more trains, toward the Gold Rush cemetery. On the way we couldn't resist stopping for another geocache at the ruins of an old train. We also enjoyed the company of a solitary orb web spider. Just a little further was the cemetery. Luckily, we managed to arrive and avoid any tourist crowds that might have been present. We walked, basically alone save for one older couple that was leaving, viewing the gravestones from those who died during the gold rush around the early 1900s. Some of the stones had been replaced, but several still looked incredibly old. The first one you come to even has a giant "gold" nugget chained to a tree.
Continuing up the path another minute or so, you come across the beautiful Lower Reid Falls. You could hear its rushing water from quite a distance. Beautiful! While Nate attempted to be the first to find a new geocache a bit higher along its treacherous banks, I stayed a bit lower, enjoying the scenery and noticing a cave, perhaps man made, across the stream from us. It was absolutely beautiful, and while we didn't find that elusive geocache, we were so glad to have ventured out this way.
On our walk back, we decided to stick to the more residential streets, but we also stopped to admire the magnificent Skagway River, raging down toward the coast. Enjoying our rare time alone, we decided to stop for one more drink at the Red Onion Saloon, an old saloon with a friendly staff. We sat at the bar, and the tender asked us if we needed to be back to the ship at a given time. We said we did and were just going to have a quick drink and head out. She said she wished more people would tell her that, and she gave us our beers and tab right away. Very nice. We drank our beers, enjoyed each other's company, and admired the old bedpans and paintings of prostitutes that decorated the walls before heading back to the ship. Haha.
Once back, Hyla woke up, and we readied ourselves for another nice evening at the dining room. We were quite a bit less bedraggled than the day before, and our wait staff was so welcoming, saying how much they had missed us.
After dinner, we had a quiet evening. We were told of the possibility of seeing northern lights at Skagway, so we each ventured out to see what we could, but unfortunately, there were too many clouds to get a good view of the sky. We did manage to get a few glimpses of the moon, though, which was beautiful. What a nice way to end our day!
Tues. Sept. 1, 2015
We were told we should be up by 7 am to witness the beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord, so we requested a wake-up call for 5:30. I was the only one who got up at that time, and I threw on some warm clothes, and made my way to the upper decks to see what I could. Talk about incredible scenery! We slowly made our way through the fjord, flanked on both sides by majestic mountains and more waterfalls. I decided to grab some breakfast, since the boat was moving so slowly, and once I returned to the front of the ship, we were nearing a turn that would bathe us in the sunlight of a new day. Ice floes could be seen dotting the water, bits and pieces of the upcoming glacier. I managed to snap a number of pictures before the sunlight made visibility difficult. By this time, I was joined by the rest of our crew. Before long, we reached the end of the fjord and were greeted to the beauty of the glacier. We stopped here as the ship made two full rotations, allowing people all around to take in the view in its entirety. Someone nearby was pointing out harbor seals on one of the floes, but I just couldn't make anything out, so I started looking through my camera's viewfinder, zoomed way in. Well, somehow I located them and got some pictures, but I never did see them with the naked eye.
Much too soon, despite probably circling for a half hour, we slowly headed back out of the fjord. We enjoyed the scenery as we ate breakfast (my second) and wandered around. We discovered that the climbing wall was open, so Nathan watched while I attempted the climb. I didn't get that high up, mostly because I don't really know what I'm doing, technique-wise, but it was fun, and I can sorta say I rock climbed in Alaska!
As we continued further, the water got wider and the land got further away. The scenery was magnificent, nonetheless, and the weather was clear and beautiful. We tried in vain to find wildlife on the shores, and I would have loved the chance to explore some of the islands we came across, but maybe we can do that someday. When we reached somewhat open water, we could see another cruise ship in the distance possibly making its way toward Tracy Arm Fjord as well, if not to other points north.
From then on, we took it easy. We ate lunch, walked around the ship, checked the waterslide to see if it would open (it didn't), and went to an art auction (free champagne - they gave us three glasses this time, really hoping to make some sales, of course). We also managed to play a few rounds of shuffleboard, our favorite! A cruise is not complete without it. I think we also played a round of pool on the self-leveling pool table, which could look pretty disconcerting and it seems to rotate and move in unexpected ways. Our table didn't seem to be acting too odd, though - in fact, it may not have been working at all, since the balls would often roll to a side.
I also managed to find an hour where I got to be by myself. I bought a pina colada and found a nice lounge chair in the solarium where I just sat and watched the world go by. It was extraordinarily healing.
That evening, we watched a show featuring show tunes from various musicals and headed up to the dining room for another great meal. I'm not sure, but this might have been the one where they gave me 3 appetizers (the escargots they offered nightly were out of this world - served like shrimp de jonghe - I would eat those and those alone if given the choice), 2 entrees, and 3 desserts. Or maybe it was the night they gave us all an extra lobster tail...Dinner time was always an adventure. Regardless, ship days all seem to blend together, nice as they are. Tomorrow would be another one!
Wed. Sept. 2, 2015
Another quiet day at sea meant a lot of eating and keeping Hyla entertained. We did manage to go to an art auction, and I sat next to my mom, worried when she'd move around that she'd inadvertently bid on something - and I even blocked her from doing it once when she actually meant to. Well, I felt awful, though baffled, since even though Nate and I go to these things, we never actually found something we wanted to buy. Well, they had a mystery painting up, and the routine is that everyone bids on it, and if you don't like it, you don't keep it. So we put up our cards, but it turned out that it was a piece by an artist we both really thought was unique, and the price was right, so my mom wound up getting it! It was a painting by the artist I'd discussed with the MC on the first day, with the metallic paintings that seem to move as the light hitting them changes. What a crazy thrill to have finally gotten something at one of these events! We'd meet with them later that evening to confirm, and we'll be getting it in the mail 6-12 weeks after our trip concluded. Exciting!
Shopping was done by many of us on the ship that day. I got a few articles of Alaska-themed clothing at the discount sale, and Karla bought some lovely pictures of our family taken around the boat. Wonderful keepsakes!
I think Nathan and I also managed to go on another date that evening, visiting one of the ship's lounges and quietly relaxing together. It was wonderful. A nice end to a day at sea.
Thurs. Sept. 3, 2015
We got up at a reasonable hour and went up top to watch the ship pull into Victoria, British Columbia. It was misty and beautiful out, but there were many patches of blue which would stay overhead as the day wore on. Victoria looked lovely with its trees and hills and modest buildings. Soon, we headed down to breakfast with our moms. My mom decided to take it easy and stay on the boat while Karla, Nate, Hyla and I ventured out to see the sights.
Once off the ship, we headed south along a seaside sidewalk, admiring the water, the distant mountains on the other side of the water, seabirds, seafaring vessels, and nature in general. After about a half mile, we found ourselves at Beacon Hill Park, a fabulous city park with lots of things to do. We began by climbing up a very steep hill, stopping to ponder about the adjacent Aboriginal marker, one of the seven Signs of the Lekwungen found around the city. Very little explanation for this marker could be found at the site, but it turns out that this one stands for a location of cultural significance for the first peoples of the area. This was the a popular spot for rest and play, much as it is to this very day.
We slowly headed down the north side of the hill, which was considerably less steep, and as we emerged from the woods, we were greeted to some spectacular gardens: water features, sculptures, flowers, and peacocks all abounded. It was magnificent! We lingered here for a while, marveling at the beauty of it all, and then crossed the street to visit the petting zoo. Hyla enjoyed the immersive finch exhibit and running down the mild hill between the barn and the mouse exhibit. We also visited the goats, and she got to pet and brush several of them. We saw one guy sitting down on a stump while a small goat climbed him like a mountain! It was too funny!
From there, I ran off to grab a quick geocache, and in the process saw one of many horse and carriages go by. Then I met up with everyone, and we found the playground for Hyla. She had a fun time there, as always. After a while, I ran off for another quick geocache. By then, it was getting toward Hyla's naptime, so we had to start making our way back.
We hiked through the woods some more, marveling at the gigantic maple leaves. They dwarfed any other leaves around. We also saw a deer lurking in the woods. Karla hadn't seen much wildlife up until this point and was disappointed that the one thing she did see was something she often finds in her yard.
After some searching, we managed to find the base of the giant totem pole - we could see it from a distance, but finding its exact location was a bit tricky. At 127 feet tall, it's the world's largest totem pole. Just magnificent.
At this point, we really had to be going. We continued on through the park, briefly admiring the ponds full of ducks and a log full of turtles. Then we made our way through the streets of the city, trying to find the British Columbia Legislature Building. When we finally did happen upon it, I couldn't get over its size! Massive doesn't even come close, and none of the pictures I took could do it justice. I would have loved a chance to walk around and see more, as I understand the grounds are home to some more beautiful gardens. But we really had to get back to the ship.
Once back, we were all quite tired. We managed to grab a quick lunch before putting Hyla down for her nap. Then, with rekindled energy, Nathan and I headed back out to explore more of this wonderful city.
This time we opted to head north instead of south and see what sights could be seen. Our first stop was Fisherman's Wharf. Talk about quirky and unique! Not nearly as commercial as the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, we were greeted by a few small vendors and restaurants, but this was also a residential community. There were about three piers, each of which were flanked by the neatest little houseboats you've ever seen. Not one was alike, and each one had charming and unique decor. I could have admired them all day! We walked up and down each pier, imagining how life in a houseboat would be. There was even a B&B, and we both agreed it might be fun to come back and check that out sometime.
We continued walking along the waterfront trail until we could see the Fairmont Empress Hotel across the water. It was amazing, as are most if not all Fairmonts. We worried we were running short on time, unfortunately, though it would have been nice to see more. We made haste and still made it back to the ship in plenty of time, though. We really enjoyed what we saw of Victoria. It seemed like a very pedestrian-friendly city, which we like. And, as with most of Canada, it seemed friendly in general. We would love to go back.
Once back on the ship, Nathan and I took a minute and hung out on the upper decks. We looked across at the Celebrity ship parked alongside us and noticed that there were a ton of people on their top deck dressed in red. We're talking people in capes, men in dresses, and a guy with a pope's hat - every getup you could imagine! It really wasn't clear what that was about, but we watched them awhile, fascinated.
Once we pulled out of Victoria, our ship was met with a beautiful rainbow. A perfect end to a wonderful voyage!
That night, we had to pack up our things and set them out in the hall for pickup. It was hard to believe our trip was nearing its end already. We ate dinner in the grand dining room one last time wondering how we would manage not having someone to cut our shrimp for us. Hehe. Really, though, our staff was incredible. Hyla didn't want to sit still, though, so Nathan and I took turns with her while the other ate. I think we might have managed to have one last date that night, but really, I didn't take notes so that's kind of a blur. Regardless, with the frenzy of packing, we were all a bit stressed and glad to be done with it when we were. It was a great trip, but it would be nice to get back to the comforts of home.
Fri. Sept. 4, 2015
My mom's birthday!! And also the last day we would be aboard the Jewel of the Seas. Our disembarkation time was around 9, I believe, so we grabbed a quick final breakfast and got off the ship. Since we had so many people and various mobility issues, a few of us stayed to get help off the ship, but that was a big mistake. We wound up exiting with group 18 (even though we were group 9) since they forgot about us, and didn't offer any actual assistance anyway. Lucky we didn't have an early plane to catch or anything. Regardless, we reunited with the rest of our party and made it to the pick-up platform before too long. Customs was no problem at all, and we didn't have far to go. We called the Sutton Suites Hotel to let them know we were ready for the shuttle to the airport, and we only had to wait for about 45 minutes after that (due mostly to the crazy traffic at this location). While waiting, we had to bundle up, as the weather had turned quite chilly. We kept smelling cigarette smoke, though we couldn't pinpoint its location, but it was most annoying. We were so glad when our shuttle arrived.
We boarded with two (probably) retired couples, and it was a wonder that everyone's luggage fit, even though it was a big van. On the drive to the airport, we talked with one of the couples about our experiences cruising. They said they'd been on over 140 cruises! Good grief! Are they ever home? They'd be off on their next within 3 weeks - through the Panama Canal! It was fascinating to talk to them. What a life!
Once we made it to the SeaTac Airport, we were still several hours early and couldn't immediately check in, which was fine. Rather early than late! We found a cart and managed to bring our things to the right level, at least. We passed the time by running to the bathroom, which was clear across the terminal, several times for several people. Then we dealt with spilled milk and just managed our ridiculous amount of bags. Finally, we were able to check in. Karla and Hyla went first, and then the rest of us went. Security was a bit of a juggle, but we somehow managed. The nice people behind me were so understanding and even helped as they could. We were so happy to just get to our gate. Each little bit closer we'd get in our journey home was welcome.
We passed the time in the terminal by taking Hyla to the play room and grabbing a quick drink at the brewery, and before we knew it, it was time to board. We once again were seated right across the aisle from each other, and our flight to Phoenix was relatively uneventful. Once in Phoenix, though, we'd have to change planes unlike on our flight out.
Despite being in the same terminal, as is usual every time I've gone through Phoenix, the distance between gates seems astronomical, especially when you have luggage, not to mention all the people! Thank goodness for their moving walkways. Hyla did great getting on and off them - I think this was her first experience with them, in fact! Once we found our gate (which wound up changing once, though luckily not TOO Far), we spent time chasing Hyla and talking to fellow mothers with kids around the same age (neither of which were with, though). The last leg of our flight took about 45 minutes. They didn't manage to get drinks to the entire cabin, and honestly, I'm surprised they bothered at all for that short time, but I was happy to get my tomato juice. Finally, we arrived in Albuquerque around 10:30 or so at night.
Glad to be mostly back, we still had to make our way through the airport and get our remaining bags. Luckily, that went smoothly. Then the four of us waited by the curb as Nathan went to get our car. That took a long time, but we were entertained by people with dogs and were kept busy trying to keep our stuff safe from some suspicious types that kept edging closer to our stuff. Luckily, Nathan got there before anything was taken, and we were able to make it home a little before midnight (or was that after?). It had been an exciting trip, and yet home never felt so wonderful.
