Cruisin Alaska

So for Christmas this year, my Dad gave all the adults a cruise to Alaska. I didn't really know what to expect, because when I think of Alaska, I envision snow everywhere and it just being cold. But, I must say that it was a pleasant surprise. Alaska is beautiful and green, so pristine and untouched by development with mother nature in her full element! I absolutely loved it and being with my parents, brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters in-laws was so much fun. Cruises are wonderful as you are on a moving hotel, with great food, services, gym, Jacuzzis, private rooms, rock wall, and just peace and quite with floating scenery out every window! Oh and did I mention... no babies for 8 days! (by about day 5 I started seriously missing my girls, but vacations make for better moms so I tried not to feel guilty!) So we got a sitter for the babies, borrowed some good books, grabbed our winter gear from boxes in the closet and headed for Alaska. What a wonderful trip! Thanks so much Mom and Dad. We love you! We had a great adventure and made memories to last a lifetime.

First stop... SEATTLE (yes it was raining when we arrived and I seriously thought we were doomed to have bad weather for the entire trip, but again, we got lucky and had sunny skies the rest of the trip!)

Sisters Heather and Katie with the space needle in the background

Next stop: JUNEAU. We went to the salmon hatchery, Mendenhall Glacier, and whale watching.

Getting up close and personal with the wildlife in Alaska. Yes, this was the only bear I saw while in Alaska

All the girls at the Mendenhall Glacier. My sister in law Jenn gave us matching "I heart Alaska" shirts and these cute scarves and some silly umbrella hats. We looked great and in downtown Juneau, people were asking where they could purchase the shirt!

Outside the salmon hatchery some kids were fishing and all the boys immediately left the guided tour and headed for the fish. They payed some local kids to let them "catch" or "snag" a salmon. They caught them so quickly! So here is Ryan's salmon. Good worker!

We took a whale watching excursion in Juneau and it got a little chilly as we rode around. This is Katie (my clone little sister) all bundled up so she could brave the cold! We saw orcas and humpbacks. It was amazing!
Also while in Juneau, Ryan and took this tram up this mountain while everyone else shopped and toured the town. It was amazing views and we got to see an injured Eagle that was in captivity at the top of the mountain. The views were breathtaking! On the boat they had a rock wall climbing tournaments. I got bronze, my sister Denise got Gold(for the girls), little brother John got first and brother in law John Harris got bronze!!!

Stop Three SKAGWAY: upon arriving in Skagway, we went on a ferry to Haines and went kayaking. It wasn't really what any of us thought it was going to be in terms of going in remote waters seeing lots of wildlife. We actually were on the sea and the waves were large. It was tough but everyone had a good time and now, after it is over, we can laugh at how much fun we all really had.

I am ready to go!Ryan making sure the gear worked properlyAfter kayaking, we decided that we wanted to see more of Skagway. So Ryan and I decided to do a biking tour. We were driven to the top of the white pass summit with a guide and then rode down about 15 miles back into town. You might be thinking, wow 15 miles, but literally we only peddled when we got into town on the very flat streets. The scenery was amazing and everything was so beautiful. Here we are at the summit (before the trek down)
TRACY ARM FJORD: This wasn't technically a stop, but we travelled into this small channel toward a glacier. It is just like on Planet Earth with the glaciers floating in the water. They were beautiful colors of blue and green. We just sat on the boat near a window all morning and watched the amazing scenery go by. PRINCE RUPERT: We went on a fishing excursion and I must say that our boat was one of the two that really had poor luck. Ryan caught one halibut and my brother Aaron caught a small shark and another kind of "rat" fish. To put it into perspective each person in the other 2 boats caught at least 4 fish each. I also got a little sea sick (my first time ever, and now I have a little more sympathy for those who are prone to nausea). All in all we had a great time. It was fun to be out in the boat surrounded by beautiful mountains.

My brother Aaron and Ryan with our captain and his boat in the background.

Ryan with his big catch!

Ryan and Rachelle (soon to be sister in law) just chilling on the fishing boat!

Fun Times on the Boat: Cruise ships always have formal or "PROM" night as we referred to them. We got all dressed up and went to dinner and the show. Here we are on one of the Prom Nights!
To my wonderful parents: Thank you so much for a great vacation. I had the most amazing time seeing parts of the world that I never even knew existed. I have a new appreciation for a land that I once thought of as a frozen tundra! You two are the best examples. Thank you for your love.