End of our cruise: (06/14/09)

Well, as they say, "All good things must come to an end," and so it is with sadness, our cruise has run its' course and has come to a close.  We experienced spectacular scenery, incredible weather, glorious sunshine, awesome food, friendly people, groovy dancing, absolute serenity, and the list goes on.  

Our cruise director, Lee Childers, has been doing the Alaskan cruise season, which is April 30 - September 30 of each year, for the past twenty years.  NEVER in his experience has the weather been this incredible:  no rain, average daytime temperatures between 67 and 75, placid seas with no more than 3 foot swells.  It doesn't get better than this!

We met several Princess employees who provided outstanding service;  they were the largest contributor to the overall enjoyment of this fabulous cruise.  We highly recommend it to anyone (even though we can't guarantee weather like we've had).  Even so, others who have taken the cruise in less-than-perfect weather have still enjoyed it thoroughly and have called it the highlight of a lifetime!

We arrived home on the 14th of June, which is the date of our 35th anniversary, to find the house in order, the garden watered, the plants blooming and our kitty kats longing for our companionship.  We'll soon settle into our routines, but our life will never be the same again after having experienced a taste of the final frontier.  We'll definitely return.

At Sea: (06/12/09)

Since we didn’t have to get up early to go ashore, we slept in until 10:30 am, ordered room service and lolly-gagged in our stateroom.  The seas were a bit more rolling than when we were in the inland channels, but were nothing like that of our first cruise.  Of course that first cruise with Admiral accommodated only 750 persons and the ship was ¼ the size of the Star Princess.  

At 1 pm we met up with our new friends, Suzanne and Chuck in the Portofino Dining Room for lunch.  We had an encrusted brie cheese with apricot sauce and for the main course, I had talapia fish tacos; Susan had turkey scallopini – both excellent choices.  We were having such a good time talking and eating that we didn’t realize, until we decided to retire to the wine bar that we were the only four left in the dining room.

We visited for another hour or so in the Vines Bar and it was time for another nap.  We headed for our room, I took an hour nap and Susan washed and dryed a load of clothing at the Laundromat.

Tonight was the second formal night and tonight is the night we chose to celebrate our 35^th anniversary (even though it’s not until the 14^th).  The main attraction in the dining room was lobster and tiger prawns.  We each ordered that entrée; I gave my lobster to Susan and she gave me her prawns; it was a fair and even trade.

We dined with another couple celebrating their honeymoon.  How well we remember those first days of ignorant bliss and innocence.  Not that we would change anything, but we’re pretty happy that those days are in the past as we now live together in reality and loving each other despite our flaws.

We attended a Broadway Review after dinner – some of the singers they’ve signed on are really, really good.  This is more than likely their first of many steps as they begin their careers.  The cruise director’s name is Lee Childers, so we’re going to meet him tomorrow afternoon.

We danced the night away again with “Groove Line,” and then closed the bar down at 1 am. 

Tomorrow, we’re attending at culinary demonstration followed by a tour of the ship’s galley.

Good night!

Skagway departures & Cruising at Sea: (06/11/09)

We departed Skagway on Thursday eve at 5 pm.  I was sitting shirtless on the deck, soaking up the sun under partly cloudy skies.  The temperature was 67 with gentle breezes.

Since our departure from Juneau, we have been piloted by Alaskan Mariners who intimately know every square inch of the way as we cruised and are cruising through the Lynn Canal.   The Lynn Canal is actually a fjord and is the second longest and deepest fjord in the world.   The largest is in Argentina. 

The afternoon views of the landscape are stunning.  With our good fortune of temperate weather, the grays and blues of the morning have given way to pristine white of the snow pack, verdant emerald greens, sapphire blues and all shades in between.   We breathe in the pure air and gaze at millions of acres of scenery upon which no man has ever trod.

10 minutes after leaving Skagway, we passed Long Fall, a 1500’ vertical drop with such an immense volume of water that it never freezes.  The tips of the surrounding mountains are jagged and resemble the Grand Tetons.  Comprised of granite, slate, and other miscellaneous rocks, they range in height from 7,200 to 14,000 feet.

By 8:30 pm, we bid farewell to our Alaskan Mariners and entered the Gulf of Alaska, setting a course southward for Victoria, Vancouver Island, our next stop, scheduled in two days from now.

We chose rack of lamb for dinner paired with a lovely Kendall Jackson cabernet.  None of our table mates were savvy when it came to wine, so we had a spirited conversation about viticulture.  As a result two of the folks at the table have decided to plan a vacation getaway to Sonoma County.

After dinner, we enjoyed the Cruise Ship Personnel Talent Show.  Several of the solo acts were stellar and the grand finale was hilarious.  We then danced the night away to the sounds of Groove Line and the Star Princess Orchestra, two phenomenal musical ensembles.

We retired to our stateroom, ordered room service for a late breakfast tomorrow and were lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the ship.

Skagway, Puppies and the Iditarod: (06/11/09)

We arrived in Skagway around 6 am and shortly moored.  We had to get up early because our tour to the Musher’s Camp left the pier at 8:20 am.

The skies were mostly cloudy, but the air was balmy and the temperature was in the low 60’s.  Showers were forecast, but several cruise employees told us that if today was anything like last week’s visit to Skagway, the sun would burn off the clouds into a glorious sun-filled afternoon.  We’ve had such great luck with weather thus far, but the clouds seemed a bit foreboding so we went with our gut level hunch and wore sweatshirts.

Our tour today was to the Musher’s Camp in a valley formerly the town of Dyea populated by 10,000 people during the gold rush of the late 1890’s and all but abandoned by 1900, leaving the forest to reclaim the land that formerly had been stripped and laid waste.

Today it is the home of the Musher’s Camp, where an enterprising group of people raise and train Alaskan Huskies (not Siberian Huskies) for the world famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race.  Over 300 dogs and puppies, along with sixteen to twenty professional mushers make this their year-round home, where they literally rough-it-out.

We were pulled over rough terrain in a wheeled version of an Iditarod sled that sat six adults behind howling, barking, enthusiastic dogs, eager to give their best to ensure we had a good time.   It was an E-ticket ride as we went up and down hills, rounded steep corners and bounced over ruts and rocks as the musher yelled commands to his dogs, in a simulated leg of a race.  Incidentally, all but five of our canine team that pulled our sled are former Iditarod participants.

Afterward, we mushed to camp where we held, kissed and loved on the six new additions to the musher’s family, seven-week old puppies.  Each of these puppies will have the chance to grown up and be one of the world famous Dogs of the Iditarod.

When we left the camp, the temperature was 67 degrees and the clouds had all but disappeared.  We returned to Skagway where we shopped the various stores (nothing but souvenir and jewelry stores) before returning to the ship for lunch.

After lunch, we donned our bathing suits and walked to the Serenity Pool where we hot-tubed and sun bathed for an hour under partly cloudy 67 degree skies before coming back to our room for our cocktail hour.

 

It’s a rough life to be certain!

Glaciers and Juneau: (06/10/09)

We were not able to enter Tracy Arm because the ice was still too thick for safe passage, so the captain chose instead to cruise up Endicott Arm to the Dawe’s Glacier, which in the Captain’s opinion, is the more spectacular of the two.

When we cruised to within two miles of the Dawe’s Glacier, the pilot brought our ship around so that the starboard side had a full-on view of the glacier.  Ten minutes later, he continued the maneuver until we on the port had the same opportunity to view this magnificent natural phenomena.  We remained this far from the glacier because from the sea to the top of the leading edge, the glacier is 200’ thick and the calving of a large chunk of ice could jeopardize the safety of the Star Princess and her passengers.

Once we all had the opportunity to view the glacier, we continued on as our second mate informed us that we would be passing the Golden Princess who was behind us in queue, awaiting her turn for the view.  What is so serendipitous about this is that our friends, Chuck La Grave and Lou Kravitz, are onboard the Golden Princess, so as they passed, we videoed their passage to later give to them.  As the two ships passed, a roar from the crowds on both ships arose in our hails to each other.

We arrived in Juneau at 2 pm, and disembarked the ship under cloudless skies with temperatures in the mid 70’s.  A more warm and dry summer this region has not seen in years!

We window shopped the downtown bounty of Juneau’s tourist district and then returned to the pier for a bus trip to the Mendenhall Glacier.  We had only one hour to visit this massive glacier.  The visitor’s center is located where the leading edge of the glacier had been in 1957,  Between 1980 and 1999, it retreated an average of 90 feet a year.  Then, in 2000, it lost 300 linear feet and in 2004, 600 linear feet.  Who says there is no such thing as global warming!

After our trip to the Mendenhall Glacier, we were treated to a traditional Alaskan salmon bake.  Now I don’t want to get too puffed up, but Susan and my salmon on a plank, baked in our Weber grill is far, far better than what we consumed today and our side dishes are much more scrumptious and creative as well.  If this sounds like an invite for y’all to visit, it is.

Weary from today’s journeys, we retired to the ship, ordered a bottle of wine, and even as we post this, we are sitting on our balcony at 10:30 pm with no coats, enjoying a balmy 68 degree Juneau evening.

Harbor Seals: (06/10/09)

The only wildlife we saw were harbor seals which were numerous as the sea gulls at Pier 39 in San Francisco.  We were privileged to watch a seal give birth to her pup as we cruised within 50 feet of the floe upon which they lay.  Moments after birth, both the mother and pup slipped into the icy waters and skirted the floe until after we had safely passed.

Ice Floes: (06/10/09)

This morning I awoke at 6 am to the sound of our on-board naturalist narrating something.  I remembered that we were to be cruising through the Tracy Arm this morning and had set our alarm for 7 am so as not to miss anything spectacular.  I quietly got out of bed and parted the curtains.  I saw we were already in the fjord but nothing else of any significance was evident so I closed the curtains and went back to bed.

Thirty minutes later, I heard some ooohs and aaahs from the patios adjacent to ours and once more our naturalist was narrating some aspect of our journey.  This time when I parted the curtains, we were afloat in a sea of ice floes, some as small as a square foot and others as large as a small house.  It was every bit as surreal as the scene from the Titanic as they drifted through the field of ice floes.  The growlers, as they are called ranged in color from snowy white to  blue green with as many shapes and sizes as there are entrees on a cruise buffet. 

I wakened Susan so she too could share in this magical moment.  Our patio juts out farther than those above, so she had to restrain herself from coming out onto the patio until after she was properly clothed.

In anticipation of this morning, we ordered our breakfast last night for this morning’s delivery and for the next three hours, stood in wonder and awe of the power and majesty of God’s universe.

Ketchikan, Dungeness Crab, Bald Eagles and Totem Poles: (06/09/09)

This morning we arrived in Ketchikan and docked at 6:30 am. Ketchikan is Alaska’s third largest city and is on an island, situated in the Tongass National Forest -- the largest in North America. The weather was cool with a slight breeze.

We had a Wilderness and Crab Expedition planned for today and the advice was to dress warmly in layers. We dressed in regular clothing, hooded sweatshirts and jackets over them; Susan even brought gloves. Since Ketchikan is the rainiest city in the United States, averaging 13 feet (yes feet) a year, we also took along an umbrella.

After a nice breakfast, we headed to the tender area, disembarked and walked one block to the old Ketchikan downtown area. What soon became apparent was that we had dressed too warmly. After a brief souvenir shopping spree, we returned to the ship, stripped off the layers and then headed out again.

The high was to be only 59, but we ended up with a beautiful sunny day with temperatures hovering in the mid -60’s. One of the locals told us that today was the 9th consecutive day without rain, and since over half of the 13,500 residents depend on the rainwater to fill their cisterns for daily water use, a state of drought has been declared.

We headed by motor coach to the George Inlet Lodge, our destination to begin our wilderness and crab exploration. Both drivers on the way to and from, gave several interesting facts regarding tides in southwestern Alaska, which change the sea level by 20-24 feet four times daily.

We learned about totem poles, what they represent, the different kinds, that they are made of red cedar and how anyone can have a custom totem made for him or her ranging anywhere from $500 for one carved by a novice to $3500 per foot for one that is master carved. We learned about Dungeness crab, the five different species of salmon and the three different appearances each takes during their life cycle. Fascinating. We’ve heard that during our trip, we will see bald eagles as plentiful as seagulls along Pier 39. While we have seen about a dozen today, they still remain elusive.

We arrived at the lodge and boarded a pontoon boat that motored us to a secluded

bay where fresh water from the mountains mingles with the salt of the Pacific. It is in these brackish waters where Dungeness crab thrive. We checked several crab pots, all of which yielded a catch of crab and in one, a red sea star.

Our pilot, Rusty and guide, David, instructed us in the finer points of sexing a Dungeness, determining whether or not the female was brooding and sizing the male version for the boiling pot of sea water.

After working up an appetite, we headed back to the George Inlet Lodge and were treated to an all-you-can-eat crab fest. Our hosts challenged each table of four to build a skyscraper of nothing but discarded shell casings of the crab. He announced that the tallest would yield a prize for the architecturally savvy group. The meal was capped off with homemade cheesecake drizzled with wild blue berries and sauce from the island. We’re glad that our dinner reservations are for 8 pm and not earlier.

Back on board, we retired to the sun deck and bid Ketchikan farewell as we departed and headed northward.

Formal Night: (06/08/09)

Tonight is formal night.  When we began preparing for the cruise, I was intent on taking my tuxedo, but alas, these past few months have found me packing on a few more pounds so it no longer fits.  From experience, most men wear a suit and tie anyway, so that’s the approach I took.  Susan chose an elegant black sequined dress.

 We had our professional photos taken and while waiting in line, met another couple, Suzanne and Charles.  We hit it off with them immediately and decided to meet up to dine together this evening.

The food was fantastic and the service attentive.  From braised mignons of beef to halibut to shrimp newburg, we did not go hungry.

During our dinner, we discovered that Charles is a retired police officer from the City of San Gabriel in Southern California!  What is it about cops?  Do they just naturally gravitate toward each other.  Strange indeed.

Susan and I strolled the lounges until we found a four-piece combo named “Grooveline,” featuring a Black lead singer with a voice like velvet who played and sang our danceable styles of music.  We danced until 1 am.

 

A Day at Sea: (06/08/09)

Today was our first full day at sea.  For the past 24 hours, we’ve been cruising along between 17 and 20 knots.  We navigated the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the assistance of a merchant marine pilot who left the ship around 9 pm and turned it over to the command of our pilot, Captain Craig Street.

We’ve been cruising in calm waters with a headwind of around 23 knots, making for a brisk breeze as we walked the outside Promenade Deck.  We were thinking of doing a recreation of the scene from Titanic as Kate Winslett becomes the maidenhead of the ship, but it was too chilly, so we went back inside.  We had a late night, dancing in the Traveler’s and Skywalker Lounges, closing them down at midnight.

We awoke this morning to thick fog that remained until we finished a 30-minute workout in the ship’s Fitness Center, followed by coffee and fresh pastries around 10 am.

At about 11 am, WE SAW OUR FIRST WHALE, rather we should say we saw part of a whale.  It surfaced directly in front of our stateroom about 50 yards away and exposed its blowhole and a body surface area four feet in diameter, about the size of our kitchen table.  Our friends from Texas who are occupying the St. Thomas suite in the port aft, saw a school of five dolphins frolicking in the ship’s wake.

After a delicious sushi lunch, we both took a two-hour nap.  It’s just a lazy day at sea.

Our first of two formal nights is this evening.  We’ll attend the Captain’s Champagne reception at 7 pm followed by dinner.  We haven’t decided yet if we’ll sign-up as contestants for the “Newlywed or Not-So-Newlywed Game” or if we’ll attend the stage show, “Cinematastic,” or if we’ll go to the Gala Ball – decisions, decisions, decisions.

Tomorrow we arrive in Ketchikan.

A Serendipitous Stress Free Day (06/07/09)

Amazing is the best word to describe the Princess experience so far.  It took only minutes this morning to “preboard the ship” at the hotel.  Reps scanned our passports, passed out our boarding passes and transported our luggage. They drove us on motor coaches to downtown Seattle and the cruise piers.

We had to stand in a couple of queues to actually board the ship but they moved quickly and we made our way through the maze of halls and corridors to our mini-suite complete with queen bed, full bath, sitting room, refrigerator and best of all, a balcony with four lounge chairs and a table where we can relax and watch the world float by.

 

On another note, we met a friendly couple from Houston and their two teen kids at the airport. We hit it off immediately.  Déjà vu or whatever you might call it, they stayed at the same hotel and also were anticipating their upcoming cruise on the same ship.  We kept running into them everywhere we went, so suggested they try Salty’s restaurant for dinner last night.  They joined us on the van and we dined. Then we learned their room accommodations had been upgraded like ours – theirs from a mini- suite to a full suite.  What makes it so serendipity is that their “old” mini-suite is the same room we now occupy.  Furthermore, David whipped out his camera and asked if he could take their picture for our blog.  They replied, “Sure as long as we can ask someone to take a group shot of us all.”   Shari pulled a camera from her purse – and yes, it’s the exact same make and model as ours.  We’re sure we’ll have more fun times with them before the cruise is over.  In fact, of the 75-100 land cruises available, we are booked on the same one Tuesday afternoon. Both families made the reservations months ago.

Because it took the crew several hours after boarding to deliver everyone’s bags to their staterooms, Princess invited us to join fellow passengers in a Scavenger Hunt.  Every time we visited a specific lounge or shop or service for a preview, they stamped a card, which later became a ticket to a drawing.

Just before the ship set sail, they encouraged us to head one of the sundecks for embarkation where they drew passenger names for 11 prizes.  Susan won a $25 gift certificate to any port gift shop.  With today’s economic conditions, that just might be enough to buy a sweatshirt!

Later at dinner, our table mate was George and his two children from Orlando.  Conversation was somewhat awkward to begin with, but he finally warmed and the talk flowed.  Turns out -- (another coincidence?) he is a retired police officer.  But wait, there's more.  He went to the Phoenix Police Academy (the same academy David attended in 1974) but graduated just nine months earlier  They both had the same drill instructor and both agreed he was a jerk to put it nicely.  We had a few laughs.

And that's not all, George, like David, has a second career as a motor coach driver!  What a scream.  We finished dinner, he ran off to do his thing and we ours.

Night Clubbin' at Maxi's: (06/06/09)

For the past three months, we've been taking private dance lessons, learning the Night Club Two-Step.  It's an elegant dance suited for many genres of music including country, boy bands and pop.  We've been working hard at perfecting the steps to the rhythm but nothing we did could have prepared us for our night at Maxi's.

After our great dinner, we thought a night of dancing would help us work off the extra calories imbibed.

Maxi's is located on the 14th floor of the DoubleTree with panoramic views of Sea-Tac and Mt. Ranier.  We arrived at 9 pm and were greeted by security who wouldn't allow us in until they had seen our ID.   Susan was charmed by the request; I was a bit off-put because we had to go back to our room to get her ID.  

When we finally made it back and past the checkpoint, we entered a spacious bar with several side rooms, ceiling to floor glass windows and a dance floor half the size of a basketball court.  Two ladies of the night were bellied up to the bar and the DJ, aloft in his corner control room was busily working on the play list for the evening.

We ordered a glass of wine and after choosing a table, I walked up to the DJ and asked if he had any two-step, In Sync, or country.  I thought my request was legitimate but he looked at me as if I had asked him out on a date.  He brusquely replied, "No way man.  R&B and Pop, that's all I play -- none of that other crap!"

With my tail tucked between my legs, I retreated to our table and gave Susan the news.  We'd already payed $15 each as a cover plus $3 each for the wine, so we thought we may as well enjoy our wine and then make our way back to our room.

But, that's when things started happening.  All of a sudden, a two-step began to play so we took to the dance floor.  Our lessons didn't fail us and we flawlessly danced the entire tune.  During this dance, two or three other couples trickled in.  We then sat back at our table, listened to a couple of more tunes and then a song with a cha-cha beat played so we took to the dance floor again.  Four or five more couples trickled in, and so this pattern played out until about 10 am when the place began to fill.

The music started bumping a notch louder, the drinks started costing a bit more, R&B was replaced by Hip Hop and we realized we were the among only seven white folk in a crowd of 200.  The DJ announced that we were celebrating our 35th anniversary and played the Hip Hop tune "Happy Anniversary," and we danced while the crowd hooted and clapped.  Isn't America great?!

As the night progressed, things got louder, people got friendlier, Susan was befriended by a lovely young black lady, Angie, who sought advice on how to get her man to propose and then how to keep him.  We ended the night trading phone numbers with Angie and Christian.  What a great night!

Salty's Seafood Grill: (06/06/09)

Once settled at the DoubleTree, we took a short walk around the area to see what was available in terms of food, entertainment, etc.  In a word, Nothing.  Denny's, Jack-in-the-Box, a few gas stations and tons of airport park and rides.

Disheartened, we returned to the hotel and spoke with the concierge who recommended Salty's, located a mere 15 minutes away in Redondo Beach.  Yes, you read it right, Redondo Beach.  

Salty's caters to the cruise clientel and provides free shuttle service to and from the restaurant.  The concierge gave it good ratings and so we thought we'd go ahead and give it a try.

We were not disappointed.  Susan had some of the best clam chowder ever and instead of ordering a menu entree, we ordered three appetizers:  Dungeness crab cakes, coconut crusted prawns and fried calamari.  It was a feast.

In the Air - Self-Portraits

Mechanics did their wizardry on the faulty plane, and we re-boarded and flew to Seattle exactly two hours beyond our original departure time. Smooth flight - free Chex mix - free Chardonnay (after all, we live in California Wine Country). We're staying at the Doubletree and were greeted with warm chocolate chip cookies upon arrival, the hotel's trademark. Now the hotel van will shuttle us downtown to explore the Seattle waterfront. Pike Place Market will be our first stop.

A Nice Day in Santa Rosa

Well, we're still on the ground. Our pilot informed us that the plane failed its pre-flight check not once, but three times. We just deplaned and are back in the terminal awaiting a decision. We're glad that our cruise doesn't leave today and that it's a beautiful day here.

We're busy packing' but in the interim' I'm fiddling around with my blog link from my cell. Way cool!

Foreign Exchange Students

Over a period of ten years, our family hosted/facilitated the visits of many exchange students from other countries.  Twelve of these students particularly impacted our life.  They were from Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and Ecuador.

During this time, we worked for various exchange agencies and eventually became district representatives.  We are the ones who interviewed prospective families in an attempt to forge the "perfect match" between exchange students and their furture host families.

One evening, after returning from work, Susan and I listened to the messages on our answering machine.  One of them was from a man who wanted to host a student who lived in a country known for wildlife, fishing and hunting.

Everyone who has ever hosted a foreign exchange student hopes that a lasting bond of friendship is formed.  And ... if the bond is extremely positive, a visit to the student's home country is nearly assured.

We should have known to anticipate a problem when responding to this particular message because the strains of "Deliverance" were playing in the background and the man sounded as if he may have denture deficiencies.

Even so, we called him, and methodically went through the initial intake list, asking the obligatory questions.  He sounded like a man's man -- a kind of a red-neck guy who likes white socks and Blue Ribbon beer -- the kind of a a guy who has a 4WD pickup with a Hemi, heavy-duty shocks, heavy-duty bumpers, a hoist on the front and a camper shell.  The kind of a guy who wears plaid shirts, Levis, steel-toed boots and a ball cap.

After completing the list of questions, Susan asked him, "Now with all this background information, from what country were you thinking of finding a student?"

His reply, "Alaska."

And so during this last Presidential race, we understood more clearly how it is that Sarah Palin can see Russia from her kitchen window.

Upgrades

The weather in Santa Rosa for the past two weeks has been unseasonably cool -- Saturday's high reached only 69.  We're being acclimated for our cruise.  Here are the high/low temps for three of the cities we will visit:

Skagway  73/44 clear

Ketchikan  76/46 clear

Juneau  83/44 clear

We received a booking summary/confirmation e-mail today that requested a double-check to verify all information and to make sure that required documentation had been rendered.

When we initially booked our cruise, we reserved a smaller, port side, twin-bed stateroom configuration with a two-person teensy tiny balcony.  Imagine our surprise to learn that our stateroom had been upgraded to a mini-suite with a separate sitting area, two television sets, a refrigerator, full-size bathroom with tub and shower and a four-person balcony.

Perhaps because we are celebrating our 35th anniversary while on the cruise, or perhaps because the economic recession has the ship sailing with empty rooms.  Either way, we're getting more bang for our buck and more room in which to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy each other.

Here are a few facts about our ship:

Class and type:	Grand-class cruise ship
Tonnage:	109,000 gross tons
Length:	951 ft
Beam:	118 ft
Speed:	22 knots service speed 24 knots max
Capacity:	2,600 passengers
Crew:	1,200 crew

Next Sunday at this time, we will already be in our stateroom with bags unpacked and settled in, all comfy cozy, for the next seven days. We will either be exploring our vast playground or maybe just settle into our balcony chairs as we enjoy a glass of wine, while our ship, the Star Princess, prepares to disembark Seattle at 4:00 p.m.

There is a cyber-cafe onboard, so we'll be sure and update with daily reports and photos.

ALASKA the final American Frontier

We have wanted to visit Alaska for sometime and only recently decided to make the trip in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary.  Sounds like a good reason for a celebration!

Less than two years ago, Horizon Airline began serving Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz Municipal Airport.  This proved to be lucky for us because we can catch a direct flight out of Santa Rosa to Seattle, WA where our cruise aboard the Star Princess begins on June 7th.

We've taken two previous cruises (both out of Long Beach to Santa Catalina, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico) and enjoyed both, but this will be a cruise on a much grander scale.  Our first cruiseliners had a passenger capacity of less than 750.  The Star Princess has room for 5,000 passengers.  Wow!

We've carefully studied ports of call and land cruise options and of course chose land cruises with a culinary bent.  How does a wild salmon feast on the Mendenhall glacier sound?  We also couldn't resist a vist to the musher's camp and kennel where husky puppies are raised and trained to compete in the legendary Iditarod.

We've also been taking private dance lessons for the past three months so we can dance under the dusky skies of an Alaskan summer!