This is a continuation of our driving vacation visiting the Pacific Coast Lighthouses.
After we left Crescent City, we approached the California/Oregon border. Six miles off shore right near the border stands thr St. George's Reef Lighthouse. It is out on a rocky bluff and is only accessible by boat or helicopter. The lighthouse is made of concrete and granite and has now been restored and is a museum. It was clear enough the day we drove up the coast that we were able to see it.
Driving up into Oregon, the southernmost lighthouse we visited was at Cape Blanco. Cape Blanco is a spur that juts out one and a half miles to the coast. At the end stands this magnificent white lighthouse surrounded by grassy knolls and the blue Pacific Ocean. There is a small house that is attached to the lighthouse column which are painted white with red trim. We were lucky enough to go there on a day when there was a docent inside who let us look around. There are a few books and pictures for you to purchase downstairs if you wish. We were now allowed to go up in the tower, but we could only imagine the incredible view had we been able to get there.
Our next stop on our quest for lighthouses was to the Coquille River Lighthouse. The lighthouse is not open to the public and is in need of some repair. It appeared to be constructed out of brick and concrete and painted white. It was a small base building with several rectangle windows around for viewing - now the glass all missing - and the tower was attached on the ocean side of the building. It is located where the Coquille River meets the Pacific Ocean. It is on a cliff above a beautiful sandy beach full of Oregon driftwood.
As we drove further into Oregon, we wanted to visit the Umpqua River Lighthouse. It is located six miles off of Highway 101, and well worth the drive to get there. There is a nice park surrounding the lighthouse on the river. The lighthouse tower stands tall on a 100 foot ridge high above the sand dunes and the Pacific Ocean below. This is actually the second Umpqua River Lighthouse. The first came crashing down due to the extreme weather elements; but this was constructed in a safer place.
The most impressive lighthouse we came upon on our adventure was the Heceta Head Lighthouse. Story has it that it is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. It is located above the Oregon Lion Caves about 12 miles north of Florence on Highway 101. When you drive into the park, you must park your car in a parking lot down at sea level. We hiked up the hill to the top where we found a fabulous view of the Oregon coast and a charming lighthouse keeper's home and out buildings that are now a bed and breakfast. If you go about 1/4 miles further, you will come to this beautiful lighthouse perched right on the edge of the Oregon coastline. The view is spectacular and dramatic from the top of the hill, looking down the cliffs and out to the ocean. The tower stands over 200 feet tall and has a red tile roof on top of the while concrete structure. With the rain that this area receives all year, the grounds were green and the flowers were blooming. It was so peaceful. You could hear the waves crashing on the cliffs below and the seagulls flying around in the crisp air against the blue sky. It was simply breathtaking.
Our last two lighthouses on this trip were Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and Yaquina Head Lighthouse. These are both near Newport. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is open year round and very easy to get to and to visit. It is full of memorabilia and of course, the usual lighthouse tourist gadgets. You can actually see the Yaquina Head Lighthouse on the other side of the river. It's tower is the tallest on the Oregon Coast standing 162 feet tall. If you wish, you can climb the circular staircase to the top and have the view worth a million dollars.
From here, we turned inland and went to visit family in Portland and eventually drive back home to San Diego. Both of us feel that this was one of the best vacations we have ever taken and we would highly recommend it to anyone. It was relaxing because we had no time schedule - we merely drove until we wanted to stop. We got out and visited these magnificent lighthouses and learned about their history and heard their stories.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 12, 2009
Have you ever thought of taking a driving vacation? Jim and I have taken several; and one of the most memorable was driving up from San Diego up the coast of California and Oregon and visiting eight different lighthouses along our way.
I enjoy visiting the lighthouses because my great aunt's husband was the last lighthouse keeper of The Old Point Loma Lighthouse; so I guess I feel this family heritage somehow. Jim’s Dad had given us a book on the Pacific Coast Lighthouses, so we took that along and used it as a guide. It was quite interesting. I drove most of the way, and as we went along, Jim would read all about our next lighthouse and the area around it. It was a wonderful trip.
We drove up from San Diego on Interstate 5 and drove over to Monterey where we were able to visit with family. After our nice visit, we took off on our quest of California lighthouses.
Because we were already there, it seemed appropriate that the first lighthouse we visited on our trip was in Monterey, California. The small Point Piños Lighthouse sits alone on a grassy knoll facing the Pacific Ocean. It is similar in style to The Old Point Loma Lighthouse in that it has a small house as it's base with the tower coming out of the center of the house. It is the oldest continuous operating lighthouse in California. The grounds are nice to walk around, and inside the lighthouse you will find a very interesting museum. As we left, a couple of deer were meandering slowly across the grass and bending down to eat some grass. They were not frightened by us, and seemed very content to stay there until they were ready to move on.
Driving north of Monterey, the next lighthouse we came to was Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Though we did not take the tour out there, we could see it from where we were at Pier 39.
As we drove north of San Francisco, Highway 1 takes a turn inland and you drive for many miles on Highway 101 where we drove through the magnificent Giant Redwoods. They are just incredible. The forest is thick with underbrush of dark, green ferns and moss; and as you walk down the path, you cannot help but realize how much rain this area must get during the year. These trees are hundreds of feet tall and have enormously wide bases. After we left the Redwoods, Highway 1 meandered out to the coast again and we drove along the dramatic cliffs jutting down into the Pacific Ocean. It is so beautiful that I wanted to stop at every turnout to take it all in.
As we drove out to the Pacific Coast and approached Eureka and Crescent City; small cities right along the shore, we found more lighthouses. Near Eureka, we visited the Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse at Trinidad State Beach. The current lighthouse is a replica of the original. It was reconstructed around 1950 out of concrete; and the Fresnel lens was placed inside of it. The fog horn bell was suspended in a separate wood frame adjacent to the lighthouse as a memorial to all those lost at sea. If you continue through town to the Coast Guard Station, you will find Trinidad Head Lighthouse out on a bluff. It is quite a dramatic setting on the steep cliffs and the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing below. You can hike out to a viewing station where you get a really picture of the lighthouse on the bluff.
From Eureka we continued up a ways to Crescent City, a small fishing village on the ocean. The Battery Point Lighthouse is only accessible on foot and only at low tide. It has a Cape Code structure of brick and concrete and is similar in design to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego and the Point Piños Lighthouse in Monterey/Carmel.
Though our day was overcast and cloudy, it somehow seemed appropriate the farther north we drove. In Crescent City, we stopped at a small roadside restaurant and had some warm soup and delicious bread. It was the perfect meal for our relaxing drive that day.
Tomorrow, we shall continue our trip up the Pacific Coast and visit the lighthouses in Oregon.
I enjoy visiting the lighthouses because my great aunt's husband was the last lighthouse keeper of The Old Point Loma Lighthouse; so I guess I feel this family heritage somehow. Jim’s Dad had given us a book on the Pacific Coast Lighthouses, so we took that along and used it as a guide. It was quite interesting. I drove most of the way, and as we went along, Jim would read all about our next lighthouse and the area around it. It was a wonderful trip.
We drove up from San Diego on Interstate 5 and drove over to Monterey where we were able to visit with family. After our nice visit, we took off on our quest of California lighthouses.
Because we were already there, it seemed appropriate that the first lighthouse we visited on our trip was in Monterey, California. The small Point Piños Lighthouse sits alone on a grassy knoll facing the Pacific Ocean. It is similar in style to The Old Point Loma Lighthouse in that it has a small house as it's base with the tower coming out of the center of the house. It is the oldest continuous operating lighthouse in California. The grounds are nice to walk around, and inside the lighthouse you will find a very interesting museum. As we left, a couple of deer were meandering slowly across the grass and bending down to eat some grass. They were not frightened by us, and seemed very content to stay there until they were ready to move on.
Driving north of Monterey, the next lighthouse we came to was Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Though we did not take the tour out there, we could see it from where we were at Pier 39.
As we drove north of San Francisco, Highway 1 takes a turn inland and you drive for many miles on Highway 101 where we drove through the magnificent Giant Redwoods. They are just incredible. The forest is thick with underbrush of dark, green ferns and moss; and as you walk down the path, you cannot help but realize how much rain this area must get during the year. These trees are hundreds of feet tall and have enormously wide bases. After we left the Redwoods, Highway 1 meandered out to the coast again and we drove along the dramatic cliffs jutting down into the Pacific Ocean. It is so beautiful that I wanted to stop at every turnout to take it all in.
As we drove out to the Pacific Coast and approached Eureka and Crescent City; small cities right along the shore, we found more lighthouses. Near Eureka, we visited the Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse at Trinidad State Beach. The current lighthouse is a replica of the original. It was reconstructed around 1950 out of concrete; and the Fresnel lens was placed inside of it. The fog horn bell was suspended in a separate wood frame adjacent to the lighthouse as a memorial to all those lost at sea. If you continue through town to the Coast Guard Station, you will find Trinidad Head Lighthouse out on a bluff. It is quite a dramatic setting on the steep cliffs and the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing below. You can hike out to a viewing station where you get a really picture of the lighthouse on the bluff.
From Eureka we continued up a ways to Crescent City, a small fishing village on the ocean. The Battery Point Lighthouse is only accessible on foot and only at low tide. It has a Cape Code structure of brick and concrete and is similar in design to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego and the Point Piños Lighthouse in Monterey/Carmel.
Though our day was overcast and cloudy, it somehow seemed appropriate the farther north we drove. In Crescent City, we stopped at a small roadside restaurant and had some warm soup and delicious bread. It was the perfect meal for our relaxing drive that day.
Tomorrow, we shall continue our trip up the Pacific Coast and visit the lighthouses in Oregon.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 11, 2009
NEAR HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA
Because Jim and I have been to Halifax, Nova Scotia before and toured the city proper, we thought this time we would venture out into the countryside and take a tour of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. It was a wonderful choice!
Mahone Bay is known for being a land of wooden boats and wooden churches. There are gorgeous old Victorian homes along the waterfront with fabulous views of the bay. What was so striking about the homes was that even though winter had just finished here (average temperature in the winter is about 32 degrees), they all looked like they had been freshly painted. Each of the homes is painted a different vibrant and strikingly bright color, generally with white trim and shutters. There were pink, purple, yellow, orange, bright green and bright blue homes. There are several theories as to why the homes are all painted different colors – one is that the homes each match the color of the fishermen’s fishing boats – another is that after coming back from being a sea fishing for several days, the fishermen wanted to be able to know exactly which home was theirs – thus the different bright colors. No one really knows the true answer. But colorful they are!!
From Mahone Bay, we continued along the curvy coastal route to Lunenburg. The homes in Lunenburg are just as colorful as the ones in Mahone Bay. The only difference is that Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the restored buildings. Lunenburg is on a hill and at the top of the hill is the Lunenberg Academy – a huge Victorian style building painted white with burgundy red trim and roof – now an elementary school. From there, we went on a walk down the hill past many of the old historical homes and churches. Here, again as in Mahone Bay, we found the bright colorful homes that all looked like they had just been painted. The homes all have large yards and there are no fences anywhere. The lawns are all thick green grass that is meticulously manicured and they all have dandelions blooming throughout. The landscaping consists mostly of azaleas, which are in full bloom right now with vibrant colors of magenta and bright pink.
The one bush that was the most fascinating for us today was the “pink magnolia”. Never before have we ever seen a magnolia “bush” much less one with pink magnolia blossoms blanketing every branch. The flowers are about one-quarter the size of a magnolia blossom on a magnolia tree like we saw in Charleston. They are so beautiful, and put them next to the azaleas – oh my gosh what a burst of color! This place looks just like a constant Thomas Kinkade painting!
Once we finally got to the bottom of the hill, we were set loose to go explore on our own. Jim and I found The Dockside Restaurant and went in for a lunch. We each had a bowl of Lunenburg’s Famous Seafood Chowder – which was similar to a New England red chowder, but so full of seafood that the cup was about ¾ full with chopped seafood and ¼ liquid. Then, we split a lobster sandwich. Our tummies being full at that point, we took off to go explore some of the shops around the dock area.
We ended our walk in Lunenburg at the Fisheries Museum of Lunenburg and aquarium. Jim went through the museum while I looked through all of the maps and books that were on display. I wanted to figure out where exactly we were and where we were headed to next. It is difficult to understand where you are, when you are sitting on a bus watching the world go by one curve after another.
The bays are full of wooden boats, tall masted sailing ships and well-seasoned fishing vessels as well as old, rusted tug boats. The homes seem to be quite close to the water, and most all of them have a view of the water and have large front porches with Adirondack chairs on them for just sitting there on a summer day with a glass of homemade lemonade and watching the tourists admire them. You could almost smell the coffee brewing early in the morning and hear the bacon sizzling on the stove as another day begins. Life seems simpler and slower here. There are no fences between the houses, so the children are free to run about and play with their dogs barking and chasing them. It appears that this is a place where neighbors all know each other and visit back and forth between each others’ homes on a regular basis – share a cup of coffee or tea and a homemade cookie. I think this is someplace I would like to visit again some day and just sit and relax and enjoy a cool glass of iced tea and a homemade cookie.
Because Jim and I have been to Halifax, Nova Scotia before and toured the city proper, we thought this time we would venture out into the countryside and take a tour of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. It was a wonderful choice!
Mahone Bay is known for being a land of wooden boats and wooden churches. There are gorgeous old Victorian homes along the waterfront with fabulous views of the bay. What was so striking about the homes was that even though winter had just finished here (average temperature in the winter is about 32 degrees), they all looked like they had been freshly painted. Each of the homes is painted a different vibrant and strikingly bright color, generally with white trim and shutters. There were pink, purple, yellow, orange, bright green and bright blue homes. There are several theories as to why the homes are all painted different colors – one is that the homes each match the color of the fishermen’s fishing boats – another is that after coming back from being a sea fishing for several days, the fishermen wanted to be able to know exactly which home was theirs – thus the different bright colors. No one really knows the true answer. But colorful they are!!
From Mahone Bay, we continued along the curvy coastal route to Lunenburg. The homes in Lunenburg are just as colorful as the ones in Mahone Bay. The only difference is that Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the restored buildings. Lunenburg is on a hill and at the top of the hill is the Lunenberg Academy – a huge Victorian style building painted white with burgundy red trim and roof – now an elementary school. From there, we went on a walk down the hill past many of the old historical homes and churches. Here, again as in Mahone Bay, we found the bright colorful homes that all looked like they had just been painted. The homes all have large yards and there are no fences anywhere. The lawns are all thick green grass that is meticulously manicured and they all have dandelions blooming throughout. The landscaping consists mostly of azaleas, which are in full bloom right now with vibrant colors of magenta and bright pink.
The one bush that was the most fascinating for us today was the “pink magnolia”. Never before have we ever seen a magnolia “bush” much less one with pink magnolia blossoms blanketing every branch. The flowers are about one-quarter the size of a magnolia blossom on a magnolia tree like we saw in Charleston. They are so beautiful, and put them next to the azaleas – oh my gosh what a burst of color! This place looks just like a constant Thomas Kinkade painting!
Once we finally got to the bottom of the hill, we were set loose to go explore on our own. Jim and I found The Dockside Restaurant and went in for a lunch. We each had a bowl of Lunenburg’s Famous Seafood Chowder – which was similar to a New England red chowder, but so full of seafood that the cup was about ¾ full with chopped seafood and ¼ liquid. Then, we split a lobster sandwich. Our tummies being full at that point, we took off to go explore some of the shops around the dock area.
We ended our walk in Lunenburg at the Fisheries Museum of Lunenburg and aquarium. Jim went through the museum while I looked through all of the maps and books that were on display. I wanted to figure out where exactly we were and where we were headed to next. It is difficult to understand where you are, when you are sitting on a bus watching the world go by one curve after another.
The bays are full of wooden boats, tall masted sailing ships and well-seasoned fishing vessels as well as old, rusted tug boats. The homes seem to be quite close to the water, and most all of them have a view of the water and have large front porches with Adirondack chairs on them for just sitting there on a summer day with a glass of homemade lemonade and watching the tourists admire them. You could almost smell the coffee brewing early in the morning and hear the bacon sizzling on the stove as another day begins. Life seems simpler and slower here. There are no fences between the houses, so the children are free to run about and play with their dogs barking and chasing them. It appears that this is a place where neighbors all know each other and visit back and forth between each others’ homes on a regular basis – share a cup of coffee or tea and a homemade cookie. I think this is someplace I would like to visit again some day and just sit and relax and enjoy a cool glass of iced tea and a homemade cookie.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
7.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 10, 2009
Today I will say goodbye to my dear Aunt Dorothy. Her memorial service will be later this morning. Because her Mom's parents were from Ireland, I thought we would go there today...and it’s seems somewhat appropriate that I might want to find out about the country they were originally from. Though I have never been there, my cousin has; and she says it is as beautiful as one can imagine. Ireland is definitely on “my” Bucket List!
Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. It was originally founded as a Viking settlement.
Dublin has an incredible literacy legacy including Nobel laureates William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett. Other influential writers and playwrights from Dublin include Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and the creator of Dracula, Bram Stoker.
Located in the heart of Dublin city, O'Connell Street forms part of a grand thoroughfare created in the 18th century that runs through the centre of the capital, comprising Carlisle Bridge (now O'Connell Bridge), Westmoreland Street, College Green and Dame Street, terminating at City Hall and Dublin Castle. Situated just north of the River Liffey. At the entrance to O’Connell Street is a memorial to Daniel O’Connell, the 19th century nationalist leader. The O’Connell Monument is one of several statues along the simple but elegant street that is similar to Paris’s Champs-Élysées, lined with retail stores including Ciery’s Department Store. The Nelson Pillar is a 121 foot high granite column erected in 1808 in honor of Admiral Lord Nelson. There is also a white, Sicilian marble statue in honor of Sir John Gray who was responsible for the Dublin water supply system.
Down the middle of O’Connell Street are
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Dublin. It encompasses 1760 acres of land and is the home of a herd of Fallow Deer. There is large white cross situated in Phoenix Park generally spoken of as "the Papal Cross". It was erected for the visit of Pope John Paul II in September 1979. At this cross he held Mass for over a million people. Phoenix Park is also home to the Wellington Monument, also known as the Wellington Testimonial, a 210 foot tall column commemorating the victories of the Duke of Wellington. Inside of the park is also the Dublin Zoo, home to over 700 animals and tropical birds. In the evening, automatic lighting gas street lamps light the main avenue of the park.
Dublin Castle is now the major Irish government building in Ireland. The Castle is now a tourist attraction and one not to be missed I understand. The Record Tower, the sole surviving tower of the medieval castle dates back to c.1228. The Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle was originally the official Church of Ireland. The exterior was finished with a fine layer of limestone and features over 90 carved heads. Inside over the chancel area are three life-size figures representing Faith, Hope and Charity. All of the interior vaulting and columns are made of timber but featured a paint wash to give the effect of stone. The Throne Room, the State Drawing Room and St. Patrick’s Hall are all decorated with lavish chandeliers and gold leaf accents.
Through the center of Dublin runs the River Liffey. It divides the city into Northside and Southside. There are roadways along the river called “quays. Some can be driven on and others are for walking. It almost gives the appearance of the canals in Venice. Many bridges cross the river along it’s path. The water appears to be as still as glass and just as mirrored as you can imagine. The river supplies much of Dublin’s water. The Grand Canal starts at the River Liffey and is the southernmost pair of canals that connect Dublin. The canals are lined with plush greenery along the banks interspersed with trees and walkways with benches to sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful area around you.
Dublin enjoys mild winters and cool summers. It receives less rain than London with the sunniest months being May and June.
According to Frommer’s, “This may not be the greatest scenery Ireland has to offer, but it's a fantastic introduction. To the north of Dublin are the remnants of ancient civilizations, at prehistoric sites Newgrange and Knowth. A short distance away, the green hills around the Valley of the Boyne are where the Irish kings once reigned with a mixture of mysticism and force. To the south, the Wicklow Mountains create a landscape of hills and peaceful monastic sites. To the east, the plains of County Kildare form Ireland's horse country.”
Someday – I hope to get to the land of my ancestors and see the beauty that is there. I picture it in my head and can only imagine the breathtaking countryside and scenery that awaits me. Someday -
Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. It was originally founded as a Viking settlement.
Dublin has an incredible literacy legacy including Nobel laureates William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett. Other influential writers and playwrights from Dublin include Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and the creator of Dracula, Bram Stoker.
Located in the heart of Dublin city, O'Connell Street forms part of a grand thoroughfare created in the 18th century that runs through the centre of the capital, comprising Carlisle Bridge (now O'Connell Bridge), Westmoreland Street, College Green and Dame Street, terminating at City Hall and Dublin Castle. Situated just north of the River Liffey. At the entrance to O’Connell Street is a memorial to Daniel O’Connell, the 19th century nationalist leader. The O’Connell Monument is one of several statues along the simple but elegant street that is similar to Paris’s Champs-Élysées, lined with retail stores including Ciery’s Department Store. The Nelson Pillar is a 121 foot high granite column erected in 1808 in honor of Admiral Lord Nelson. There is also a white, Sicilian marble statue in honor of Sir John Gray who was responsible for the Dublin water supply system.
Down the middle of O’Connell Street are
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Dublin. It encompasses 1760 acres of land and is the home of a herd of Fallow Deer. There is large white cross situated in Phoenix Park generally spoken of as "the Papal Cross". It was erected for the visit of Pope John Paul II in September 1979. At this cross he held Mass for over a million people. Phoenix Park is also home to the Wellington Monument, also known as the Wellington Testimonial, a 210 foot tall column commemorating the victories of the Duke of Wellington. Inside of the park is also the Dublin Zoo, home to over 700 animals and tropical birds. In the evening, automatic lighting gas street lamps light the main avenue of the park.
Dublin Castle is now the major Irish government building in Ireland. The Castle is now a tourist attraction and one not to be missed I understand. The Record Tower, the sole surviving tower of the medieval castle dates back to c.1228. The Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle was originally the official Church of Ireland. The exterior was finished with a fine layer of limestone and features over 90 carved heads. Inside over the chancel area are three life-size figures representing Faith, Hope and Charity. All of the interior vaulting and columns are made of timber but featured a paint wash to give the effect of stone. The Throne Room, the State Drawing Room and St. Patrick’s Hall are all decorated with lavish chandeliers and gold leaf accents.
Through the center of Dublin runs the River Liffey. It divides the city into Northside and Southside. There are roadways along the river called “quays. Some can be driven on and others are for walking. It almost gives the appearance of the canals in Venice. Many bridges cross the river along it’s path. The water appears to be as still as glass and just as mirrored as you can imagine. The river supplies much of Dublin’s water. The Grand Canal starts at the River Liffey and is the southernmost pair of canals that connect Dublin. The canals are lined with plush greenery along the banks interspersed with trees and walkways with benches to sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful area around you.
Dublin enjoys mild winters and cool summers. It receives less rain than London with the sunniest months being May and June.
According to Frommer’s, “This may not be the greatest scenery Ireland has to offer, but it's a fantastic introduction. To the north of Dublin are the remnants of ancient civilizations, at prehistoric sites Newgrange and Knowth. A short distance away, the green hills around the Valley of the Boyne are where the Irish kings once reigned with a mixture of mysticism and force. To the south, the Wicklow Mountains create a landscape of hills and peaceful monastic sites. To the east, the plains of County Kildare form Ireland's horse country.”
Someday – I hope to get to the land of my ancestors and see the beauty that is there. I picture it in my head and can only imagine the breathtaking countryside and scenery that awaits me. Someday -
Friday, October 9, 2009
6.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 9, 2009
My passion for Alaska began over 15 years ago when I visited friends in Anchorage. Not only did they drive me everywhere around Anchorage and show me all the sights, but they showed me an Alaska that few people actually get to experience. I found myself on a five day private tour to remote areas that I had only dreamed about seeing someday.
Anchorage itself is a huge metropolitan city and the largest city in Alaska with over 300,000 residents. When I arrived in Anchorage, I had a vision of snow everywhere. After all, it was “Alaska”. But, what I found was a city very much like every other American city with a Walmart, Sears, and even Starbucks. Everything is quite accessible in town, and it does not take you much time to get from place to place.
My friends, Patty and Joe, took me out beyond the city so I could experience a different aspect than most tourists are able to experience. We drove out to the “tundra”. I have to tell you that this completely took me by surprise. I guess I envisioned tundra to be frozen snow. Not so. Tundra may be frozen in the winter, but in the summer, it is a thick, mushy grass that you will sink into if you walk on it. You cannot drive on the tundra unless you are driving a vehicle with huge rolling treads that keep you above the ground. When we were in the back country, I saw many such vehicles with huge, long flat trailers. When I asked about that, I was told it was hunting season for moose and that it the only way they could haul those large animals out once they were down. It was fascinating.
After going to see the tundra, they wanted to show me “the tree line” and an actual abandoned gold mine. One thing about the mountains in Alaska is that there are not a lot of trees on them to begin with. The pine trees up there are quite different than the thick, plush redwood or Douglas Fir pine trees that we have in the lower 48 states. Alaska pine trees are known as “scrub” trees. They are tall, but scrawny with few branches and fewer pine needles. If you can picture a sad “Charlie Brown Christmas tree”, that is what they reminded me of.
The mountains in Alaska seem to jut directly up into the sky. There are no rolling hills that gradually incline to a mountaintop. It is flat, ocean level land that dramatically juts up to these dramatic mountains. If you are looking at these mountains all of a sudden you will notice there are no more trees. And, as you glance in either direction, you see that there is a definitive “line” where the trees stop and the granite continues up. The tops of the mountains seem to be pointed; perhaps this is because the weather is so harsh and cold that there is no dirt up there because nothing would grow.
After we saw the tree line, Joe took us to an abandoned gold mine near Hatcher Pass. This is north of the little city of Palmer, Alaska. Now mind you, I’ve seen mine shafts before – but I have never seen a mine shaft in the middle of a mountain that the miners would have had to climb down from the top of the mountain and rappel down to this mine shift to get into the entrance. I could not figure out why or how they determined that there was gold in them thar hills! Why there? It was amazing! Down in the little valley below the mine was a small café that was supposedly well-known for their berry pie; and Joe took us there. Our mouths were watering in anticipation of this delicious pie. We all asked for our pie to be warmed and served with a scoop of ice cream. It was delivered to the table, and we all could hardly wait to dig in for that first delicious bite. Wow! Were we surprised when we all took our bites and each one of us puckered up, looked at each other, frowned and grabbed our coffee to try to wash it down! It was so sour! Did they forget the sugar? We don’t know, but we laughed and laughed and left most of the pie on the plates at that point. Maybe it was supposed to be “sour berry pie”?
From there, the three of us visited many more places around Anchorage. They took me south of Anchorage to Girdwood and Alyeska. We went inside an Alaska Jade Factory at the Alyeska resort. I saw the largest piece of Jade I’ve ever seen! There is an aerial tram at the Alyeska Resort that you can ride up to the top of the mountain where there is a nice restaurant with a view to die for of the Turnagain Arm and over to the Kenai Peninsula.
Moose Valley is down below, and in the late afternoon, you might get lucky to see a moose grazing on the local brush and berries. The little stream running through the valley was full of salmon running up stream. The water was so clear and the most gorgeous color of grayish turquoise. Because of the clarity, it looked like the water was not as deep as it was and that I could have just walked into the water and picked up a fish!
Another place we Three Muskateers went to see south of Anchorage was Portage Glacier. Now mind you, the first time I went here was back in 1993. Things have changed since then. But, the first time I saw Portage Glacier, we drove into the parking lot near the visitors’ center and right before my eyes were the more magnificent chunks of floating ice before me. Deep blue turquoise that is difficult to describe until you’ve actually seen it. These icebergs were floating before me in a small body of water that was a gorgeous color of aqua ice water. It was incredible! It was the first iceberg I had ever seen! I understand now that the glacier has receded and you will not have the experience that I did back then. Now, 14 years later, you can take a small boat out onto Portage Lake and get up close to Portage Glacier and experience it that way. There are hiking trails around there and beautiful opportunities for some fantastic photographs.
On our way back to Anchorage, we drove along the Seward Highway following the Turnagain Arm. The Turnagain Arm was named for Captain Smith who was exploring the area and he kept going down this area and turning around hoping to get farther than he did. He did it over and over again, thus the name “Turnagain”. Driving along the highway, on the opposite side of Turnagain Arm, you see the Kenai Peninsula with its’ thick, plush green tree growth. On your right side as you are driving back into Anchorage, we came upon a wildlife sanctuary called Potters Marsh. There is a boardwalk going through the area where you can walk and observe these gorgeous birds and wildlife in a beautiful setting.
This was my introduction to Alaska. I cherish these memories. Now, 14 years later, I have been back to Alaska 9 times on land and by cruise ship. I have a love for Alaska because of its’ pristine beauty and untouched natural beauty. Living in Alaska is at a slower pace and incredibly relaxing. I hope you all get the chance some day to experience some of what I did on my first trip. You’re gonna love it!
Anchorage itself is a huge metropolitan city and the largest city in Alaska with over 300,000 residents. When I arrived in Anchorage, I had a vision of snow everywhere. After all, it was “Alaska”. But, what I found was a city very much like every other American city with a Walmart, Sears, and even Starbucks. Everything is quite accessible in town, and it does not take you much time to get from place to place.
My friends, Patty and Joe, took me out beyond the city so I could experience a different aspect than most tourists are able to experience. We drove out to the “tundra”. I have to tell you that this completely took me by surprise. I guess I envisioned tundra to be frozen snow. Not so. Tundra may be frozen in the winter, but in the summer, it is a thick, mushy grass that you will sink into if you walk on it. You cannot drive on the tundra unless you are driving a vehicle with huge rolling treads that keep you above the ground. When we were in the back country, I saw many such vehicles with huge, long flat trailers. When I asked about that, I was told it was hunting season for moose and that it the only way they could haul those large animals out once they were down. It was fascinating.
After going to see the tundra, they wanted to show me “the tree line” and an actual abandoned gold mine. One thing about the mountains in Alaska is that there are not a lot of trees on them to begin with. The pine trees up there are quite different than the thick, plush redwood or Douglas Fir pine trees that we have in the lower 48 states. Alaska pine trees are known as “scrub” trees. They are tall, but scrawny with few branches and fewer pine needles. If you can picture a sad “Charlie Brown Christmas tree”, that is what they reminded me of.
The mountains in Alaska seem to jut directly up into the sky. There are no rolling hills that gradually incline to a mountaintop. It is flat, ocean level land that dramatically juts up to these dramatic mountains. If you are looking at these mountains all of a sudden you will notice there are no more trees. And, as you glance in either direction, you see that there is a definitive “line” where the trees stop and the granite continues up. The tops of the mountains seem to be pointed; perhaps this is because the weather is so harsh and cold that there is no dirt up there because nothing would grow.
After we saw the tree line, Joe took us to an abandoned gold mine near Hatcher Pass. This is north of the little city of Palmer, Alaska. Now mind you, I’ve seen mine shafts before – but I have never seen a mine shaft in the middle of a mountain that the miners would have had to climb down from the top of the mountain and rappel down to this mine shift to get into the entrance. I could not figure out why or how they determined that there was gold in them thar hills! Why there? It was amazing! Down in the little valley below the mine was a small café that was supposedly well-known for their berry pie; and Joe took us there. Our mouths were watering in anticipation of this delicious pie. We all asked for our pie to be warmed and served with a scoop of ice cream. It was delivered to the table, and we all could hardly wait to dig in for that first delicious bite. Wow! Were we surprised when we all took our bites and each one of us puckered up, looked at each other, frowned and grabbed our coffee to try to wash it down! It was so sour! Did they forget the sugar? We don’t know, but we laughed and laughed and left most of the pie on the plates at that point. Maybe it was supposed to be “sour berry pie”?
From there, the three of us visited many more places around Anchorage. They took me south of Anchorage to Girdwood and Alyeska. We went inside an Alaska Jade Factory at the Alyeska resort. I saw the largest piece of Jade I’ve ever seen! There is an aerial tram at the Alyeska Resort that you can ride up to the top of the mountain where there is a nice restaurant with a view to die for of the Turnagain Arm and over to the Kenai Peninsula.
Moose Valley is down below, and in the late afternoon, you might get lucky to see a moose grazing on the local brush and berries. The little stream running through the valley was full of salmon running up stream. The water was so clear and the most gorgeous color of grayish turquoise. Because of the clarity, it looked like the water was not as deep as it was and that I could have just walked into the water and picked up a fish!
Another place we Three Muskateers went to see south of Anchorage was Portage Glacier. Now mind you, the first time I went here was back in 1993. Things have changed since then. But, the first time I saw Portage Glacier, we drove into the parking lot near the visitors’ center and right before my eyes were the more magnificent chunks of floating ice before me. Deep blue turquoise that is difficult to describe until you’ve actually seen it. These icebergs were floating before me in a small body of water that was a gorgeous color of aqua ice water. It was incredible! It was the first iceberg I had ever seen! I understand now that the glacier has receded and you will not have the experience that I did back then. Now, 14 years later, you can take a small boat out onto Portage Lake and get up close to Portage Glacier and experience it that way. There are hiking trails around there and beautiful opportunities for some fantastic photographs.
On our way back to Anchorage, we drove along the Seward Highway following the Turnagain Arm. The Turnagain Arm was named for Captain Smith who was exploring the area and he kept going down this area and turning around hoping to get farther than he did. He did it over and over again, thus the name “Turnagain”. Driving along the highway, on the opposite side of Turnagain Arm, you see the Kenai Peninsula with its’ thick, plush green tree growth. On your right side as you are driving back into Anchorage, we came upon a wildlife sanctuary called Potters Marsh. There is a boardwalk going through the area where you can walk and observe these gorgeous birds and wildlife in a beautiful setting.
This was my introduction to Alaska. I cherish these memories. Now, 14 years later, I have been back to Alaska 9 times on land and by cruise ship. I have a love for Alaska because of its’ pristine beauty and untouched natural beauty. Living in Alaska is at a slower pace and incredibly relaxing. I hope you all get the chance some day to experience some of what I did on my first trip. You’re gonna love it!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
5.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 8, 2009
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA -
Of all the cruise ports in Alaska, this is one my favorites -- and only because, after being tipped off by someone many years ago, we walked inland and discovered historic Ketchikan. In the process, we bypassed what essentially exists as a company town: all those same jewelry stores we had seen in Skagway and Juneau, bunched up together. There is so much more here to see and experience!
You need to take the time and venture beyond the town. Just blocks away is historic Creek Street. A former red light district, this collection of boardwalk buildings on stilts over Ketchikan Creek has a terrific collection of shops -- notably, Soho/Coho, a contemporary art and craft gallery; Parnassus Books; and Alaska Eagle Art Gallery.
Halfway up the street, there is also a tram that whisks you up a hill to a hotel, restaurant and civic center complex that has a great view of the downtown and Tongass Narrows. This is a spectacular spot for you photographers out there! But to be honest, everything in Alaska is a photo opportunity.
Also not to miss: the spectacular Southeast Alaska Discovery Center at 50 Main Street, just one block from the cruise ship dock. The displays and guided tour put everything we'd seen so far into perspective. If you have any lingering questions about natural Alaska, you'll find your answers here.'
Ketchikan lies in the heart of the 16.8 million-acre Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest, and the Discovery Center showcases the region's natural and cultural history. Among the highlights are exhibits on totem poles, ecosystems, native traditions, Alaska's rainforest and natural resources. There's also a "fish cam" where visitors can view steelhead trout and the four types of salmon that spawn in Ketchikan Creek. The center also has a terrific bookshop with a sizeable selection of books about Alaska. Ketchikan is known as The Salmon Capital of the World.
There are also three specific areas that help make Ketchikan known as The Totem Capital of the World. There you will find the largest collection of standing totem poles. The three areas to go see are as Saxman Village, Totem Bight and Totem Heritage Center. At the Saxman Native Village, you will be able to experience the rich living culture of Alaska’s Southeast Native Indians. In addition to all of the totems and The Beaver Clan House where you will see native dancers perform, there is also a carving house, where you can see the tradition of totem carving passed down from generation to generation.
Totems, skillfully carved by artists in Southeast Alaska, reflect their resources with symbolic characters carved on totem poles and on the community house at Totem Bight. There are 14 totems and a clan house located here. You will learn the interpretation of the totems as each one tells a different story.
In Alaska, one is surrounded with natural bounty. Eagles and ravens soar above, perch in treetops, and swoop to the waters below. Whales, otters and sea lions inhabit the bays and inlets. Bears, deer and wolves live in forests of tall cedar, spruce and hemlock. Berries and edible greens cover the forest floor, while salmon and halibut swim in the waters.
Very nearby to Ketchikan is Misty Fjords National Park. It lies within the Tongass National Park and encompasses over 3,000 acres of pristine wilderness. Most wildlife common to southeast Alaska may be found in Misty Fiords. One of the most spectacular adventures to take is flying in a floatplane over Misty Fjords National Park. You will be in for the treat of your life. Flying above glassy, mirrored lakes, thundering waterfalls and seeing the magnificent glacial valleys and peaks will make this a real highlight of your time in Alaska. Believe me, if you get the chance, just do it! It will be worth every penny!
Alaska's famous brown bears, black bears, the Sitka black-tailed deer, wolves, and mountain goats are the most common large mammals in Misty Fiords. Beaver, mink, marten, and wolverine, can all be found here now. Bald eagles nest in the tops of spruce and hemlock trees. Steller sea lions lay out on rocky islands at the entrances to Aialik and Nuka Bays. Harbor seals ride the icebergs. Dall porpoises, sea otters, and gray, humpback, killer, and minke whales play in the fjord waters. Halibut, lingcod, and black bass lurk deep in these waters, through which salmon return for inland spawning runs. Thousands of seabirds, including horned and tufted puffins seasonally inhabit steep cliffs and rocky shores.
I always enjoy when our cruise stops in Ketchikan. It is a very accessible town and full of so much native history. Our favorite place to dive into some mouth-watering Alaska King Crab Legs is Steamers Bar & Grill. It is located on the waterfront directly across from the cruise ship dock. Up on the second floor, you will enjoy the warm atmosphere and the delicious food and drink. The clam chowder is warm and delicious, but the crab legs are extra special. Thick, juicy and when we dip them in the drawn butter, there is just nothing better in our minds! We grab a table by the window and sit and people watch while we sip on our favorite adult beverage and we enjoy our wonderful warm meal. Enjoy!
Of all the cruise ports in Alaska, this is one my favorites -- and only because, after being tipped off by someone many years ago, we walked inland and discovered historic Ketchikan. In the process, we bypassed what essentially exists as a company town: all those same jewelry stores we had seen in Skagway and Juneau, bunched up together. There is so much more here to see and experience!
You need to take the time and venture beyond the town. Just blocks away is historic Creek Street. A former red light district, this collection of boardwalk buildings on stilts over Ketchikan Creek has a terrific collection of shops -- notably, Soho/Coho, a contemporary art and craft gallery; Parnassus Books; and Alaska Eagle Art Gallery.
Halfway up the street, there is also a tram that whisks you up a hill to a hotel, restaurant and civic center complex that has a great view of the downtown and Tongass Narrows. This is a spectacular spot for you photographers out there! But to be honest, everything in Alaska is a photo opportunity.
Also not to miss: the spectacular Southeast Alaska Discovery Center at 50 Main Street, just one block from the cruise ship dock. The displays and guided tour put everything we'd seen so far into perspective. If you have any lingering questions about natural Alaska, you'll find your answers here.'
Ketchikan lies in the heart of the 16.8 million-acre Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest, and the Discovery Center showcases the region's natural and cultural history. Among the highlights are exhibits on totem poles, ecosystems, native traditions, Alaska's rainforest and natural resources. There's also a "fish cam" where visitors can view steelhead trout and the four types of salmon that spawn in Ketchikan Creek. The center also has a terrific bookshop with a sizeable selection of books about Alaska. Ketchikan is known as The Salmon Capital of the World.
There are also three specific areas that help make Ketchikan known as The Totem Capital of the World. There you will find the largest collection of standing totem poles. The three areas to go see are as Saxman Village, Totem Bight and Totem Heritage Center. At the Saxman Native Village, you will be able to experience the rich living culture of Alaska’s Southeast Native Indians. In addition to all of the totems and The Beaver Clan House where you will see native dancers perform, there is also a carving house, where you can see the tradition of totem carving passed down from generation to generation.
Totems, skillfully carved by artists in Southeast Alaska, reflect their resources with symbolic characters carved on totem poles and on the community house at Totem Bight. There are 14 totems and a clan house located here. You will learn the interpretation of the totems as each one tells a different story.
In Alaska, one is surrounded with natural bounty. Eagles and ravens soar above, perch in treetops, and swoop to the waters below. Whales, otters and sea lions inhabit the bays and inlets. Bears, deer and wolves live in forests of tall cedar, spruce and hemlock. Berries and edible greens cover the forest floor, while salmon and halibut swim in the waters.
Very nearby to Ketchikan is Misty Fjords National Park. It lies within the Tongass National Park and encompasses over 3,000 acres of pristine wilderness. Most wildlife common to southeast Alaska may be found in Misty Fiords. One of the most spectacular adventures to take is flying in a floatplane over Misty Fjords National Park. You will be in for the treat of your life. Flying above glassy, mirrored lakes, thundering waterfalls and seeing the magnificent glacial valleys and peaks will make this a real highlight of your time in Alaska. Believe me, if you get the chance, just do it! It will be worth every penny!
Alaska's famous brown bears, black bears, the Sitka black-tailed deer, wolves, and mountain goats are the most common large mammals in Misty Fiords. Beaver, mink, marten, and wolverine, can all be found here now. Bald eagles nest in the tops of spruce and hemlock trees. Steller sea lions lay out on rocky islands at the entrances to Aialik and Nuka Bays. Harbor seals ride the icebergs. Dall porpoises, sea otters, and gray, humpback, killer, and minke whales play in the fjord waters. Halibut, lingcod, and black bass lurk deep in these waters, through which salmon return for inland spawning runs. Thousands of seabirds, including horned and tufted puffins seasonally inhabit steep cliffs and rocky shores.
I always enjoy when our cruise stops in Ketchikan. It is a very accessible town and full of so much native history. Our favorite place to dive into some mouth-watering Alaska King Crab Legs is Steamers Bar & Grill. It is located on the waterfront directly across from the cruise ship dock. Up on the second floor, you will enjoy the warm atmosphere and the delicious food and drink. The clam chowder is warm and delicious, but the crab legs are extra special. Thick, juicy and when we dip them in the drawn butter, there is just nothing better in our minds! We grab a table by the window and sit and people watch while we sip on our favorite adult beverage and we enjoy our wonderful warm meal. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
4.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 7, 2009
From the far North West I am now moving over to the East Coast of the U.S. We are going to make this fun and interesting and bounce all over the place!
Today, we’re going to be in Boston, Massachusetts –
One of the most beautiful and interesting ports that we have sailed to on a Canada/New England cruise is Boston, Massachusetts. Not only is the city filled with history, but it also is the home of several prominent art museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In addition, you can visit the Institute of Contemporary Art now located in the Seaport District and the incredible John F. Kennedy Library located at the University of Massachusetts campus. The Boston Celtics basketball team and the Boston Red Sox baseball team both find their home here. Oh – and who could ever miss a chance to partake in a delicious, creamy, thick bowl of some of the best clam chowder ever with soft, warm sourdough bread and butter? Not this gal! And to have it served by someone using that “Bawston” drawl is so much fun.
Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England. Because of the city's prominent role in the American Revolution, several historic sites relating to that period are preserved as part of the Boston National Historical Park. I have been lucky enough to go to Boston and follow the red bricks along The Freedom Trail. The Trail takes you to 16 historical sites in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America's most significant past. A red brick or painted line connects the sites on the Trail and serves as a guide. The starting point of the Freedom Trail is the Boston Common, 50 acres of land in the middle of the city where British troops camped prior to the Revolution and left there to march to Lexington and Concord in 1775.
Everything I learned back in grammar school about Paul Revere and the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. came back to me so vividly when I was walking along that path. “I” was standing in front of Paul Revere’s house, a museum now; and my head filled with imagination of what it was like to live in those times of using oil lamps for light and cooking over a wood burning stove.
As we walked further down the path, we came upon the Old North Church where two lanterns were hung in the steeple back in 1775 “one if by land and two if by sea” as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were coming! I could almost hear the clomping of the horses as Paul Revere rode his horse down the cobblestone road. This started the American Revolution. The Old North Church stands on a corner in Boston along the Freedom Trail and you should take advantage of one of its’ tours. Not only will you hear the famous story of the lanterns in the steeple, but the docent will explain the history of the magnificent chandeliers that were rushed and hung in time for the first Christmas season services; but you will also hear about the organ and the box pews. One of the pews is memorialized with a plaque saying “George Washington sat here”. He was the Father of our Country!
Further on along the Freedom Trail you will hear the stories of The Boston Tea Party when you pass The Old South Meeting House; and you will find yourself standing in the middle of a busy city thoroughfare now that back in 1775 was actually part of the harbor and the actual site of that famous tea party. Today, The Old South Meeting House is a museum; and if you are lucky, you will get to see a re-enactment of The Boston Tea Party.
In front of the Old State House, the seat of British colonial government from 1713 to 1776, you realize you are standing at the original site of The Boston Massacre. This event ultimately led to the end of the American Revolution.
Three signors of the Declaration of Independence were laid to rest at the Granary Burying Ground, Samuel Adams, Thomas Payne and John Hancock. Their gravestones are large and made of concrete. It is also where Paul Revere is buried. There is a memorial out front which reads “This tablet as a memorial to Paul Revere is erected by the Paul Revere Memorial Association…may the youth of today when they visit this old house be inspired with the patriotism of Paul Revere.”
Over the hill and at the far end of the Freedom Trail is The USS Constitution and the Charlestown Navy Yard. USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It was first launched in 1797. The ships’ greatest glory came during the war of 1812 when she defeated four British frigates which earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides," because cannon balls glanced off her thick hull. The ship was restored in 1927 with contributions from the nation's school children.
The Freedom Trail is but one small part of the history that is in Boston and its’ surrounding areas. I am honored to have been able to go to this extraordinary place and walk along the path of such great men. To be there and experience this place was an experience I shall never forget. Someday I hope to go back. There is so much more to experience and see – from The John F. Kennedy Library to Lexington and Concord. I hope to see it all. I hope that you can experience what I did and walk down a little path of our American history. It was incredible! When you’re all done, then walk over to The Bull and Finch Pub where the TV sitcom Cheers was filmed and enjoy the ambience of being “where everybody knows your name”.
Today, we’re going to be in Boston, Massachusetts –
One of the most beautiful and interesting ports that we have sailed to on a Canada/New England cruise is Boston, Massachusetts. Not only is the city filled with history, but it also is the home of several prominent art museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In addition, you can visit the Institute of Contemporary Art now located in the Seaport District and the incredible John F. Kennedy Library located at the University of Massachusetts campus. The Boston Celtics basketball team and the Boston Red Sox baseball team both find their home here. Oh – and who could ever miss a chance to partake in a delicious, creamy, thick bowl of some of the best clam chowder ever with soft, warm sourdough bread and butter? Not this gal! And to have it served by someone using that “Bawston” drawl is so much fun.
Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England. Because of the city's prominent role in the American Revolution, several historic sites relating to that period are preserved as part of the Boston National Historical Park. I have been lucky enough to go to Boston and follow the red bricks along The Freedom Trail. The Trail takes you to 16 historical sites in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America's most significant past. A red brick or painted line connects the sites on the Trail and serves as a guide. The starting point of the Freedom Trail is the Boston Common, 50 acres of land in the middle of the city where British troops camped prior to the Revolution and left there to march to Lexington and Concord in 1775.
Everything I learned back in grammar school about Paul Revere and the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. came back to me so vividly when I was walking along that path. “I” was standing in front of Paul Revere’s house, a museum now; and my head filled with imagination of what it was like to live in those times of using oil lamps for light and cooking over a wood burning stove.
As we walked further down the path, we came upon the Old North Church where two lanterns were hung in the steeple back in 1775 “one if by land and two if by sea” as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were coming! I could almost hear the clomping of the horses as Paul Revere rode his horse down the cobblestone road. This started the American Revolution. The Old North Church stands on a corner in Boston along the Freedom Trail and you should take advantage of one of its’ tours. Not only will you hear the famous story of the lanterns in the steeple, but the docent will explain the history of the magnificent chandeliers that were rushed and hung in time for the first Christmas season services; but you will also hear about the organ and the box pews. One of the pews is memorialized with a plaque saying “George Washington sat here”. He was the Father of our Country!
Further on along the Freedom Trail you will hear the stories of The Boston Tea Party when you pass The Old South Meeting House; and you will find yourself standing in the middle of a busy city thoroughfare now that back in 1775 was actually part of the harbor and the actual site of that famous tea party. Today, The Old South Meeting House is a museum; and if you are lucky, you will get to see a re-enactment of The Boston Tea Party.
In front of the Old State House, the seat of British colonial government from 1713 to 1776, you realize you are standing at the original site of The Boston Massacre. This event ultimately led to the end of the American Revolution.
Three signors of the Declaration of Independence were laid to rest at the Granary Burying Ground, Samuel Adams, Thomas Payne and John Hancock. Their gravestones are large and made of concrete. It is also where Paul Revere is buried. There is a memorial out front which reads “This tablet as a memorial to Paul Revere is erected by the Paul Revere Memorial Association…may the youth of today when they visit this old house be inspired with the patriotism of Paul Revere.”
Over the hill and at the far end of the Freedom Trail is The USS Constitution and the Charlestown Navy Yard. USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It was first launched in 1797. The ships’ greatest glory came during the war of 1812 when she defeated four British frigates which earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides," because cannon balls glanced off her thick hull. The ship was restored in 1927 with contributions from the nation's school children.
The Freedom Trail is but one small part of the history that is in Boston and its’ surrounding areas. I am honored to have been able to go to this extraordinary place and walk along the path of such great men. To be there and experience this place was an experience I shall never forget. Someday I hope to go back. There is so much more to experience and see – from The John F. Kennedy Library to Lexington and Concord. I hope to see it all. I hope that you can experience what I did and walk down a little path of our American history. It was incredible! When you’re all done, then walk over to The Bull and Finch Pub where the TV sitcom Cheers was filmed and enjoy the ambience of being “where everybody knows your name”.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
3.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 6, 2009
Has an Alaska cruise been on your “Bucket List”?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch a bald eagle take flight and spread his wings to a full six foot wingspan and fly above you?
Have you ever wanted to be beside a glacier and watch portions of it break off and calve into the waters below creating icebergs the color of deep turquoise and blue and watch as it floats away in the unbelievable blue glacial waters around you?
Nothing can quite match your first glimpse of a tidewater glacier – a glimmering crystal-blue river of towering ice descending into an ocean inlet. And, should the glacier break off and calve, you’ll hear sounds from moans and groans to cracks and splashing and everyone onboard the ship will be clapping and screaming with excitement. The inlets, islands and waterways of Alaska’s Inside Passage provide one of cruising’s most picturesque routes. They are calm and serene waters, where one moment you can be sailing in a wide bay of islands and the next you’ll be cruising through a narrow waterway flanked by towering forested walls. In the Inside Passage, the scenery is constantly changing. You’ll pass small villages, islands too numerous to count and lighthouses all along the way.
In a destination as majestically monumental as Alaska, you’ll want to soak up as much insight into the people, landscapes and culture as possible.
Experienced naturalists will join the ship throughout the cruise to provide commentary and talk about Alaska’s natural wonders with a series of lectures. A National Park Ranger will join the cruise in Glacier Bay, spending the entire day sailing here with the ship to describe in great detail all of the parks legendary glaciers and to point out wildlife you might otherwise miss.
There are port excursions and options for every interest and activity level. Some people will thrill in pushing their physical limits with kayaking along a fjord or trekking on the face of a glacier; some of you may go zip-lining across a rain forest; while others might prefer a cultural performance getting to see local performers and storytellers introduce you to their native Alaska; or you might want to go panning for gold in authentic Gold Rush style. Some of you might prefer to go fishing for salmon or halibut and some of you might prefer to go whale watching. There’s something for everyone.
One of the best excursions Jim and I have been on was to go flight seeing in Prince Rupert. We flew over the beautiful valleys and rivers and lakes all dotted with snow capped mountains and many waterfalls along the way. They have a very diversing tide here in Prince Rupert and it changes up to 24 ft. - much like the reversible rapids in St. Johns New Brunswick. As we flew over a large lake there was a beautiful, huge waterfall off to one side, so we landed the plane on the water and we were able to take some pictures. Then the clouds began to lift and up the mountain we flew - up above snow-capped mountains, way above the tree-line up to Glacier #1 and Glacier #2. Simply breathtaking views anyway you looked. Deep valleys and gulleys with rivers, jagged mountains jutting out of the earth and then capped with pure white snow. The clouds dotted the sky and we had a few spotted raindrops here and there. We were up in the air about 1 1/2 hours all total. It was spectacular to experience flying above all of those magnificent snow capped peaks. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch a bald eagle take flight and spread his wings to a full six foot wingspan and fly above you?
Have you ever wanted to be beside a glacier and watch portions of it break off and calve into the waters below creating icebergs the color of deep turquoise and blue and watch as it floats away in the unbelievable blue glacial waters around you?
Nothing can quite match your first glimpse of a tidewater glacier – a glimmering crystal-blue river of towering ice descending into an ocean inlet. And, should the glacier break off and calve, you’ll hear sounds from moans and groans to cracks and splashing and everyone onboard the ship will be clapping and screaming with excitement. The inlets, islands and waterways of Alaska’s Inside Passage provide one of cruising’s most picturesque routes. They are calm and serene waters, where one moment you can be sailing in a wide bay of islands and the next you’ll be cruising through a narrow waterway flanked by towering forested walls. In the Inside Passage, the scenery is constantly changing. You’ll pass small villages, islands too numerous to count and lighthouses all along the way.
In a destination as majestically monumental as Alaska, you’ll want to soak up as much insight into the people, landscapes and culture as possible.
Experienced naturalists will join the ship throughout the cruise to provide commentary and talk about Alaska’s natural wonders with a series of lectures. A National Park Ranger will join the cruise in Glacier Bay, spending the entire day sailing here with the ship to describe in great detail all of the parks legendary glaciers and to point out wildlife you might otherwise miss.
There are port excursions and options for every interest and activity level. Some people will thrill in pushing their physical limits with kayaking along a fjord or trekking on the face of a glacier; some of you may go zip-lining across a rain forest; while others might prefer a cultural performance getting to see local performers and storytellers introduce you to their native Alaska; or you might want to go panning for gold in authentic Gold Rush style. Some of you might prefer to go fishing for salmon or halibut and some of you might prefer to go whale watching. There’s something for everyone.
One of the best excursions Jim and I have been on was to go flight seeing in Prince Rupert. We flew over the beautiful valleys and rivers and lakes all dotted with snow capped mountains and many waterfalls along the way. They have a very diversing tide here in Prince Rupert and it changes up to 24 ft. - much like the reversible rapids in St. Johns New Brunswick. As we flew over a large lake there was a beautiful, huge waterfall off to one side, so we landed the plane on the water and we were able to take some pictures. Then the clouds began to lift and up the mountain we flew - up above snow-capped mountains, way above the tree-line up to Glacier #1 and Glacier #2. Simply breathtaking views anyway you looked. Deep valleys and gulleys with rivers, jagged mountains jutting out of the earth and then capped with pure white snow. The clouds dotted the sky and we had a few spotted raindrops here and there. We were up in the air about 1 1/2 hours all total. It was spectacular to experience flying above all of those magnificent snow capped peaks. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!
Monday, October 5, 2009
2.My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 5, 2009
First of all, today is my Dad's 87th birthday! So, Happy Birthday Dad! I was born in San Diego. What better place to start a journey than at home, here in San Diego. San Diego is the second largest city in the State of California and where I was born. It is on the west coast of the United States and lies along the Pacific Ocean. Oregon borders it on the north, Nevada and Arizona border it on the east and Mexico borders it to the south.
The first European explorer to visit this area was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay and named it San Miguel. In 1602, Sebastian Viscaino was sent to map the California coast in his ship “the San Diego” and named the area for the Catholic Saint Didacus. Father Junipero Serra built Mission San Diego de Alcala around 1769 and it is still standing today and marked a National Historic Landmark.
For the most part, San Diego has a hilly geography with many canyons and mesas. The Coronado and Point Loma peninsulas separate San Diego Bay from the ocean. As with any other large metropolitan city, San Diego has many connecting urban communities -going out as far east as the community of Alpine and beyond to the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains – as far north as Temecula and as far south as the border of Mexico.
The climate is San Diego is characterized by warm (hot), dry summers and mild winters Downtown San Diego has been undergoing a wonderful redevelopment and has been transformed into The Gaslamp Quarter with sidewalk cafés and boutique shops. We have Petco Park, the new home of the Padres and a completely renovated East Village around the stadium as well.
While San Diego has some fantastic offerings for amusement parks with Balboa Park and the fabulous museums (like the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History and the Model Railroad Museum); there is also the world famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World and Legoland, I think my favorite place is out on Point Loma near the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Once you leave the city proper and take the two-lane road out to Point Loma, you immediately find yourself driving amongst a lovely housing community with large estate homes interspersed with tract houses here and there. Many of the homes are located on the side of the hill overlooking the San Diego Bay and Coronado’s North Island Navy Station.
As I drive further down the winding road I eventually come to the rows upon rows of white grave markers at the National Cemetery at Rosecrans. On any of the federal holidays, each of the markers has a proud American flag planted in front of it waving in the wind. It is really an impressive sight. Rosecrans National Cemetery is second in size to Arlington National Cemetery.
There is a National Park Service Forest Ranger station at the entrance to the Cabrillo National Monument and The Old Point Loma Lighthouse. For seniors, if you have the Golden Age Pass for the National Parks, there is no charge to enter. You can drive from the top of Point Loma down to the tide pools at the oceans’ edge below if you like; and if you are lucky, between December and March you may catch a glimpse of a humpback whale passing on its way down to Mexico for the winter. There are hiking paths down there and benches to sit on and just watch the Pacific Ocean.
Up on top of the hill, there is a monument to Juan Cabrillo along with a very nice visitors’ center full of lots of information, pictures and maps all about San Diego. Once you walk out into the patio area outside the building, you have the most incredible view on a clear day. It is breathtaking to me every time I go there. When I look to the west out towards Hawaii, I can see San Clemente Island. To the south I can see over to Coronado and the red tile roof of the Hotel Del Coronado. If I look further south, I can see the border of Mexico and into Tijuana. As I look to the west, I see the magnificent skyline of downtown San Diego, and then beyond that I can see out to the Laguna Mountains. It is one of the most beautiful places for me to go. I can see the many sailboats and yachts coming in and out of San Diego Bay. There is usually a Navy presence at some point, either with jets flying into North Island, or a Navy battleship or cruiser somewhere offshore doing exercises. Airplanes are taking off and landing at the nearby San Diego Airport. There is lots of activity all around. It is a spectacular view and one that always makes me smile.
Of course, you cannot go out to Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument without stopping by the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. It is a charming white adobe building that has been preserved and maintained. I think this is where my fascination with lighthouses began when I learned that the husband of my grandmother’s sister was the last lighthouse keeper here. So, I feel a bit of family history and a sort of bonding when I go there. There is a separate building next to the lighthouse with great displays; and the lighthouse itself has been refurbished with keepsakes and original items from the late 1890’s. It was a very different life back then, but going through the lighthouse, somehow you can still smell the coffee on the wood stove and hear the laughter of the children as then ran around the yard outside and played while their father tended to his duties and maintained the light.
San Diego is a city with much to offer. If you ever get the chance, please take the time and visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.
The first European explorer to visit this area was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. In 1542, Cabrillo claimed the bay and named it San Miguel. In 1602, Sebastian Viscaino was sent to map the California coast in his ship “the San Diego” and named the area for the Catholic Saint Didacus. Father Junipero Serra built Mission San Diego de Alcala around 1769 and it is still standing today and marked a National Historic Landmark.
For the most part, San Diego has a hilly geography with many canyons and mesas. The Coronado and Point Loma peninsulas separate San Diego Bay from the ocean. As with any other large metropolitan city, San Diego has many connecting urban communities -going out as far east as the community of Alpine and beyond to the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains – as far north as Temecula and as far south as the border of Mexico.
The climate is San Diego is characterized by warm (hot), dry summers and mild winters Downtown San Diego has been undergoing a wonderful redevelopment and has been transformed into The Gaslamp Quarter with sidewalk cafés and boutique shops. We have Petco Park, the new home of the Padres and a completely renovated East Village around the stadium as well.
While San Diego has some fantastic offerings for amusement parks with Balboa Park and the fabulous museums (like the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History and the Model Railroad Museum); there is also the world famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World and Legoland, I think my favorite place is out on Point Loma near the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Once you leave the city proper and take the two-lane road out to Point Loma, you immediately find yourself driving amongst a lovely housing community with large estate homes interspersed with tract houses here and there. Many of the homes are located on the side of the hill overlooking the San Diego Bay and Coronado’s North Island Navy Station.
As I drive further down the winding road I eventually come to the rows upon rows of white grave markers at the National Cemetery at Rosecrans. On any of the federal holidays, each of the markers has a proud American flag planted in front of it waving in the wind. It is really an impressive sight. Rosecrans National Cemetery is second in size to Arlington National Cemetery.
There is a National Park Service Forest Ranger station at the entrance to the Cabrillo National Monument and The Old Point Loma Lighthouse. For seniors, if you have the Golden Age Pass for the National Parks, there is no charge to enter. You can drive from the top of Point Loma down to the tide pools at the oceans’ edge below if you like; and if you are lucky, between December and March you may catch a glimpse of a humpback whale passing on its way down to Mexico for the winter. There are hiking paths down there and benches to sit on and just watch the Pacific Ocean.
Up on top of the hill, there is a monument to Juan Cabrillo along with a very nice visitors’ center full of lots of information, pictures and maps all about San Diego. Once you walk out into the patio area outside the building, you have the most incredible view on a clear day. It is breathtaking to me every time I go there. When I look to the west out towards Hawaii, I can see San Clemente Island. To the south I can see over to Coronado and the red tile roof of the Hotel Del Coronado. If I look further south, I can see the border of Mexico and into Tijuana. As I look to the west, I see the magnificent skyline of downtown San Diego, and then beyond that I can see out to the Laguna Mountains. It is one of the most beautiful places for me to go. I can see the many sailboats and yachts coming in and out of San Diego Bay. There is usually a Navy presence at some point, either with jets flying into North Island, or a Navy battleship or cruiser somewhere offshore doing exercises. Airplanes are taking off and landing at the nearby San Diego Airport. There is lots of activity all around. It is a spectacular view and one that always makes me smile.
Of course, you cannot go out to Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument without stopping by the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. It is a charming white adobe building that has been preserved and maintained. I think this is where my fascination with lighthouses began when I learned that the husband of my grandmother’s sister was the last lighthouse keeper here. So, I feel a bit of family history and a sort of bonding when I go there. There is a separate building next to the lighthouse with great displays; and the lighthouse itself has been refurbished with keepsakes and original items from the late 1890’s. It was a very different life back then, but going through the lighthouse, somehow you can still smell the coffee on the wood stove and hear the laughter of the children as then ran around the yard outside and played while their father tended to his duties and maintained the light.
San Diego is a city with much to offer. If you ever get the chance, please take the time and visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
1. My Daily Bucket List Travelogue-October 4, 2009
To be honest, I have not been a travel agent for very long. At the time I'm writing this, it's been less than a year. I quit my job as a legal secretary where the political and corporate struggles were great and the majority of the employees dragged themselves to work only to become frustrated by too much work, feel that they were underpaid and most sat at their desk dreaming about their time off and their next vacation.
I am a baby boomer. And, just like many of the rest of you, my parents are now having to deal with mobility issues, diseases they never heard or nor can hardly pronounce and wishing they could remember whatever it is that they forgot. Had I continued working full time as a legal secretary, I would not have been able to help my parents get to their doctor appointments, fix a meal for them or spend any quality time with them listening to them tell me the stories of their lives.
So, one day, I walked into work and handed in my resignation. Now what was I going to do?!! At the time, my parents were still well and getting around easily. (Things would quickly change) My folks are both in their 80's and we found out unexpectedly that Dad had to have a quadruple bypass surgery.
My husband Jim came into my life 10 years ago and we were married in October 2000. Jim took me to Washington DC on our honeymoon. I'd never really traveled much in my adult life except to visit frieds in Anchorage, Alaska. I LOVE Alaska. It is my passion; and we go there every chance we get. But - imagine me - seeing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States right before my eyes, when I had only learned about them in elementary school. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam Wall and Korean Memorial and spent time in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I was in awe - there is so much out there that is available to us if we get the chance to see it.
From that honeymoon vacation, I realized that I loved traveling even more. Through the next few years, Jim introduced me to cruising. Again, I fell in love. I think it is by far the best way to travel and see things and the best value! How better can it get than packing your suitcase, walking on board the ship, putting your things away and then having someone else make your meals everyday, someone comes in a magically makes your bed and leaves you special chocolates on your pillow for a bedtime snack and you wake up in a different place every day! How fabulous is that!
The whole journey from the first idea of a trip and deciding where and when you want to go to actually booking it - continues on through the excitement of planning your shore excursions and other adventures, deciding if you want to go earlier or stay later to see more of your home port - is truly exciting and fun and part of the journey itself.
The real excitement for me comes when our documents arrive and I print our boarding passes. Then I know the time is getting near! Now, I have to pack! I want to take enough but not too much. Believe me - I always take too much!
Then - the day finally comes where we load our bags into the car and off we go on our new adventure. We have an anticipation of what is about to happen for us, but we never truly know until we live the moment. And, i absolutely get chills every time our airplane takes off and we board that ship and that whistle blows! We are on our way!
I started writing my Travelogues to send home to our family and friends to let them know what we were doing on our "adventures". I sit down sometime every day and begin to write. I also started putting our pictures into Shutterfly photo books. This way our pictures are preserved and we will not lose them. We can identify the pictures and will know exactly who is in the picture or what we were taking a picture of. The Shutterfly albums are so professional and we enjoy every one that we have. They are like coffee table books.
After a couple of trips and sending home our Travelogues, my Mom and Dad said they had saved our Travelogues and thought we would want to put them inside our photo book because they enjoyed them so much. Well, I got to thinking and found a way to incorporate my Travelogues inside of my Shutterfly books - and so our memories of our travels have evolved.
It would be unrealistic to think that we could be traveling 365 days a year. Jim is still working a full time job; and I am trying to get my travel agency business off the ground. Therefore, I cannot send you a true "Travelogue" of our travels every day in my blog. But, I think it will be fun to write about different destinations every day with a brief synopsis of the area and things to do there. And, when we are lucky enough to get out there and actually travel, I will post my Travelogues here for you to read along and share our adventures with us.
Let's see where that takes us...Tomorrow if you're still with me, we'll all wake up in a new place full of new sights and adventures. Where should we go? Pack your bags and we'll be on our way!
Barbara Carpenter
Carpenter Travel
(619) 592-4628
www.carpentertravel.net
I am a baby boomer. And, just like many of the rest of you, my parents are now having to deal with mobility issues, diseases they never heard or nor can hardly pronounce and wishing they could remember whatever it is that they forgot. Had I continued working full time as a legal secretary, I would not have been able to help my parents get to their doctor appointments, fix a meal for them or spend any quality time with them listening to them tell me the stories of their lives.
So, one day, I walked into work and handed in my resignation. Now what was I going to do?!! At the time, my parents were still well and getting around easily. (Things would quickly change) My folks are both in their 80's and we found out unexpectedly that Dad had to have a quadruple bypass surgery.
My husband Jim came into my life 10 years ago and we were married in October 2000. Jim took me to Washington DC on our honeymoon. I'd never really traveled much in my adult life except to visit frieds in Anchorage, Alaska. I LOVE Alaska. It is my passion; and we go there every chance we get. But - imagine me - seeing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States right before my eyes, when I had only learned about them in elementary school. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam Wall and Korean Memorial and spent time in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I was in awe - there is so much out there that is available to us if we get the chance to see it.
From that honeymoon vacation, I realized that I loved traveling even more. Through the next few years, Jim introduced me to cruising. Again, I fell in love. I think it is by far the best way to travel and see things and the best value! How better can it get than packing your suitcase, walking on board the ship, putting your things away and then having someone else make your meals everyday, someone comes in a magically makes your bed and leaves you special chocolates on your pillow for a bedtime snack and you wake up in a different place every day! How fabulous is that!
The whole journey from the first idea of a trip and deciding where and when you want to go to actually booking it - continues on through the excitement of planning your shore excursions and other adventures, deciding if you want to go earlier or stay later to see more of your home port - is truly exciting and fun and part of the journey itself.
The real excitement for me comes when our documents arrive and I print our boarding passes. Then I know the time is getting near! Now, I have to pack! I want to take enough but not too much. Believe me - I always take too much!
Then - the day finally comes where we load our bags into the car and off we go on our new adventure. We have an anticipation of what is about to happen for us, but we never truly know until we live the moment. And, i absolutely get chills every time our airplane takes off and we board that ship and that whistle blows! We are on our way!
I started writing my Travelogues to send home to our family and friends to let them know what we were doing on our "adventures". I sit down sometime every day and begin to write. I also started putting our pictures into Shutterfly photo books. This way our pictures are preserved and we will not lose them. We can identify the pictures and will know exactly who is in the picture or what we were taking a picture of. The Shutterfly albums are so professional and we enjoy every one that we have. They are like coffee table books.
After a couple of trips and sending home our Travelogues, my Mom and Dad said they had saved our Travelogues and thought we would want to put them inside our photo book because they enjoyed them so much. Well, I got to thinking and found a way to incorporate my Travelogues inside of my Shutterfly books - and so our memories of our travels have evolved.
It would be unrealistic to think that we could be traveling 365 days a year. Jim is still working a full time job; and I am trying to get my travel agency business off the ground. Therefore, I cannot send you a true "Travelogue" of our travels every day in my blog. But, I think it will be fun to write about different destinations every day with a brief synopsis of the area and things to do there. And, when we are lucky enough to get out there and actually travel, I will post my Travelogues here for you to read along and share our adventures with us.
Let's see where that takes us...Tomorrow if you're still with me, we'll all wake up in a new place full of new sights and adventures. Where should we go? Pack your bags and we'll be on our way!
Barbara Carpenter
Carpenter Travel
(619) 592-4628
www.carpentertravel.net
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #7
Travelogue – Days 8 & 9
Catalina Island, CA (NOT) and the end of our cruise
Hello everyone! –
Friday, September 25, 2009 and Saturday, September 26, 2009
After a foggy day in San Francisco, the fog continued to follow us and got thicker and thicker through the night and into Friday morning, to the point that we were not able to go into port on Catalina Island. All of our excursions for Catalina were cancelled; and we found ourselves with an unexpected day at sea with nothing to “see” – except dense fog.
The day ended up being very relaxing and quite fun actually. Of course, we had to bring our Euchre Tournament to a conclusion. Ladies, we put our best foot forward and gave it our best shot, but the guys dominated us throughout and won overall 15-10. They deserved the trophies!
The cruise staff quickly went into action once the Captain announced that we would not be going in to Catalina and printed an additional Princess Patter for the day including many more on-board activities.
The four of us played Movie Song Trivia and came in second place; and we also played the general Trivia and we tied for First Place! All of the winners received a Princess luggage tag! Whew hew!
Because this was our last day on board the ship, Jim and I packed before we went down for dinner. Somehow packing at the end of the cruise is so much easier than at the beginning when you are trying to figure out which outfits to bring or not to bring and trying not to forget anything. At the end, you just know everything has to go into a suitcase and you’ll deal with the laundry once you arrive home.
We met up with Rob and Christie at dinner and our other four table mates, Alex (27), Peter, his mother and Gloria, her caretaker. Dinner conversation was really fun because Peter and Alex got us started playing a game. One person at the table thinks of something – anything in the world. As you start around the table, each person tells what they think the first person was thinking about. Then, the original person tells what his thought was of; and then you go around the table to each person having to justify why your answer was the best answer. It gets quite clever and very funny; and we really had fun playing that.
Dinner last night was a special Head Chef’s dinner with a pretty determined menu. You had very few choices. We mostly all started with the Goat Cheese Souffle that was absolutely heavenly. That was followed by either a salad or mushroom soup; and that was followed by a watermelon sorbet. The main course was your choice of Alaska King Crab Legs, halibut or pork tenderloin. Dessert with a
Ménage-a-Tois of a small dollop of hazelnut ice cream, a small triangle of opera cake frosted with a rich chocolate genache and the third was a strawberry cream tartlet.
We played one more game of Euchre after dinner then called it a night. We awoke in San Diego this morning to more foggy weather. We disembarked the Golden Princess with Rob & Christie graciously helping us with all of our luggage and were greeted by Clayton & Natha who picked all of us up and off we went for the most delicious breakfast you can imagine. We went to a restaurant in The Gaslamp called Richard Walkers. Both Natha and Christie had the special which is a huge apple pancake. It is delicate and light puffed pastry that is baked and filled with tender apples seasoned with lots of sugar and cinnamon. It filled their plates, and when they were served, the “pancakes” were about 3 inches tall and about 9 inches in diameter. Very impressive. We all got tastes and agreed they were delicious.
After breakfast we walked back to the car where we had to say goodbye to Rob & Christie. They were off to meet their family at Seaport Village and will get on the Golden Princess later today for their departure out of San Diego and up to Los Angeles where they will fly home to Portland tomorrow afternoon.
We had a fabulous time on both of these cruises – the one day Pacific Princess and the 7 day Golden Princess. Our two-day layover in Vancouver was magnificent and so enjoyable with all of the things we did and saw. For the most part, we could not have had better weather for being in the Northwest. Though we were disappointed in the fog and not being able to see Catalina Island, we have now added that to our Bucket List for the future.
We don’t have any other cruises booked (I know that comes as a big shocker!) – but I’m sure that will change quickly.
Until next time…happy traveling to you all!
Catalina Island, CA (NOT) and the end of our cruise
Hello everyone! –
Friday, September 25, 2009 and Saturday, September 26, 2009
After a foggy day in San Francisco, the fog continued to follow us and got thicker and thicker through the night and into Friday morning, to the point that we were not able to go into port on Catalina Island. All of our excursions for Catalina were cancelled; and we found ourselves with an unexpected day at sea with nothing to “see” – except dense fog.
The day ended up being very relaxing and quite fun actually. Of course, we had to bring our Euchre Tournament to a conclusion. Ladies, we put our best foot forward and gave it our best shot, but the guys dominated us throughout and won overall 15-10. They deserved the trophies!
The cruise staff quickly went into action once the Captain announced that we would not be going in to Catalina and printed an additional Princess Patter for the day including many more on-board activities.
The four of us played Movie Song Trivia and came in second place; and we also played the general Trivia and we tied for First Place! All of the winners received a Princess luggage tag! Whew hew!
Because this was our last day on board the ship, Jim and I packed before we went down for dinner. Somehow packing at the end of the cruise is so much easier than at the beginning when you are trying to figure out which outfits to bring or not to bring and trying not to forget anything. At the end, you just know everything has to go into a suitcase and you’ll deal with the laundry once you arrive home.
We met up with Rob and Christie at dinner and our other four table mates, Alex (27), Peter, his mother and Gloria, her caretaker. Dinner conversation was really fun because Peter and Alex got us started playing a game. One person at the table thinks of something – anything in the world. As you start around the table, each person tells what they think the first person was thinking about. Then, the original person tells what his thought was of; and then you go around the table to each person having to justify why your answer was the best answer. It gets quite clever and very funny; and we really had fun playing that.
Dinner last night was a special Head Chef’s dinner with a pretty determined menu. You had very few choices. We mostly all started with the Goat Cheese Souffle that was absolutely heavenly. That was followed by either a salad or mushroom soup; and that was followed by a watermelon sorbet. The main course was your choice of Alaska King Crab Legs, halibut or pork tenderloin. Dessert with a
Ménage-a-Tois of a small dollop of hazelnut ice cream, a small triangle of opera cake frosted with a rich chocolate genache and the third was a strawberry cream tartlet.
We played one more game of Euchre after dinner then called it a night. We awoke in San Diego this morning to more foggy weather. We disembarked the Golden Princess with Rob & Christie graciously helping us with all of our luggage and were greeted by Clayton & Natha who picked all of us up and off we went for the most delicious breakfast you can imagine. We went to a restaurant in The Gaslamp called Richard Walkers. Both Natha and Christie had the special which is a huge apple pancake. It is delicate and light puffed pastry that is baked and filled with tender apples seasoned with lots of sugar and cinnamon. It filled their plates, and when they were served, the “pancakes” were about 3 inches tall and about 9 inches in diameter. Very impressive. We all got tastes and agreed they were delicious.
After breakfast we walked back to the car where we had to say goodbye to Rob & Christie. They were off to meet their family at Seaport Village and will get on the Golden Princess later today for their departure out of San Diego and up to Los Angeles where they will fly home to Portland tomorrow afternoon.
We had a fabulous time on both of these cruises – the one day Pacific Princess and the 7 day Golden Princess. Our two-day layover in Vancouver was magnificent and so enjoyable with all of the things we did and saw. For the most part, we could not have had better weather for being in the Northwest. Though we were disappointed in the fog and not being able to see Catalina Island, we have now added that to our Bucket List for the future.
We don’t have any other cruises booked (I know that comes as a big shocker!) – but I’m sure that will change quickly.
Until next time…happy traveling to you all!
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #6
Travelogue – Day 7
San Francisco, CA
Hello everyone! –
Thursday, September 24, 2009
We arrived in foggy San Francisco this morning. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we headed off the ship to our tour bus for the Sonoma wine country. The fog stayed with us most of the morning and finally broke up at least an hour out of San Francisco. As we passed along the two lane road heading out to our first vineyard, we passed acres and acres of grape vines laden full with rich, ripe grapes ready for the picking. This is actually grape picking season – so most of the vineyards are quite busy gearing up for a great season and creating some delicious wines.
We passed through the small square in Sonoma and headed out further to the oldest vineyard in the area, Buena Vista since 1857 founded by an Hungarian immigrant Augoston Haraszthy. He is referred to as the Father of California Viticulture. The tour guide dropped us off in the parking lot and we walked about a couple of hundred yards away from where we were greeted along the side of the dirt road at a wooden stand. One of the owners of the vineyard was there and was pouring a few different varieties of wine. We were under the enormous eucalyptus trees that lined the property – some which had tree trunks as large as six feet across. There were also blossoming crape myrtle trees in full bloom, which gave some nice magenta color to the area.
We walked down to the “vault” where we could look inside and see the enormous barrels of wine and where the temperature was a cool 56-57°. The wine was stored there because it is cool inside there. The building was made of rock and clay with very thick walls and a dirt floor keeping the temperature contant.
Our next stop was at an area called Cornerstone where we tasted several wines from three different tasting rooms as opposed to wineries. Each room had several wines that we could taste and we liked a few of them and purchased a couple for our wine rack. We had never heard of them, Rochambo and The Grange.
The tour driver then took us back into the Sonoma Square where we only had 45 minutes for lunch and had to get back on the bus headed to the ship. Lunch found us at the Sonoma Cheese Factory where we enjoyed some nice sandwiches.
We were back in San Francisco at 3:00 and the ship left port in the thick fog at 3:30. We had no cell service or internet service while we were in San Francisco. Once we passed under the Golden Gate bridge (that we could barely see the bottom of as we passed under it) we were headed out to the Pacific Ocean and headed south towards our next port of call in Catalina.
The Euchre tournament continued – and the guys are still dominating – much to the gals dismay. We heard the ship’s fog horn all during the night, indicating that the fog had not let up.
San Francisco, CA
Hello everyone! –
Thursday, September 24, 2009
We arrived in foggy San Francisco this morning. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we headed off the ship to our tour bus for the Sonoma wine country. The fog stayed with us most of the morning and finally broke up at least an hour out of San Francisco. As we passed along the two lane road heading out to our first vineyard, we passed acres and acres of grape vines laden full with rich, ripe grapes ready for the picking. This is actually grape picking season – so most of the vineyards are quite busy gearing up for a great season and creating some delicious wines.
We passed through the small square in Sonoma and headed out further to the oldest vineyard in the area, Buena Vista since 1857 founded by an Hungarian immigrant Augoston Haraszthy. He is referred to as the Father of California Viticulture. The tour guide dropped us off in the parking lot and we walked about a couple of hundred yards away from where we were greeted along the side of the dirt road at a wooden stand. One of the owners of the vineyard was there and was pouring a few different varieties of wine. We were under the enormous eucalyptus trees that lined the property – some which had tree trunks as large as six feet across. There were also blossoming crape myrtle trees in full bloom, which gave some nice magenta color to the area.
We walked down to the “vault” where we could look inside and see the enormous barrels of wine and where the temperature was a cool 56-57°. The wine was stored there because it is cool inside there. The building was made of rock and clay with very thick walls and a dirt floor keeping the temperature contant.
Our next stop was at an area called Cornerstone where we tasted several wines from three different tasting rooms as opposed to wineries. Each room had several wines that we could taste and we liked a few of them and purchased a couple for our wine rack. We had never heard of them, Rochambo and The Grange.
The tour driver then took us back into the Sonoma Square where we only had 45 minutes for lunch and had to get back on the bus headed to the ship. Lunch found us at the Sonoma Cheese Factory where we enjoyed some nice sandwiches.
We were back in San Francisco at 3:00 and the ship left port in the thick fog at 3:30. We had no cell service or internet service while we were in San Francisco. Once we passed under the Golden Gate bridge (that we could barely see the bottom of as we passed under it) we were headed out to the Pacific Ocean and headed south towards our next port of call in Catalina.
The Euchre tournament continued – and the guys are still dominating – much to the gals dismay. We heard the ship’s fog horn all during the night, indicating that the fog had not let up.
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #5
Travelogue – Day 5 & Day 6
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada & Day at Sea
Hello everyone! –
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
We arrived early in Victoria, BC and because we were only in port for about a half a day, our tour of Butchart Gardens, Wine & Chocolate left around 9:00 a.m. The day was gloriously clear and about 70° outside with no winds.
The ride out to Butchart Gardens was quite enjoyable with our tour guide, Mike. He was an elderly Irishman who was full of information about the area giving us tidbits of history and all sorts of information interspersed here and there with a cute joke. He made the 30 minute ride from Victoria out to Butchart Gardens quite enjoyable.
Butchart Gardens is about 18 miles outside of Victoria. It was started by the Butchart family and was initially a limestone quarry. They used the limestone to go into making cement. Mrs. Butchart started planting the trees in 1904 to try to keep the dust from getting into the house. Once the quarry was played out, she kept planting more and more after that. They hauled in something like 150 wagons of top soil and people started wondering what she was doing and so the let them come to see what she was doing. During WWII, the gardens fell into disrepair; and then grandson, Ian Ross took over the caretaking of the gardens and finished the vision of his grandmother.
Many of the plants are those that we will all find in our own gardens, such as chrysanthemums, roses, etc. The plants are arranged by predominant flower colors. There are over 50 gardeners now that maintain the property and it’s exquisitely manicured lawns and flower beds.
We followed the path down to the “sunken garden” passing every color of flower you can imagine. The chrysanthemums were either in full bloom or about to bloom and the flower beds were all lined with them. Each bed has a row of flowers in different colors and heights to give the gardens magnificent depth and color. The varieties of the flowers are unbelievable. For instance, the different colors of coleus, magnolias, roses, zinnias, begonias and dahlias were everywhere in a multitude of colors from solid white to deep reds and purples, orange and pink.
The sunken gardens are also where the beautiful water fountain is that does not repeat any pattern. It is similar to the floating water fountain at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but I’m sure this one was there long before Bellagio put there’s in! We walked all along the paths of the sunken garden and back up to the totem poles where we also had a view between the trees out through the gardens to the ocean. It was spectacular and couldn’t have been any more beautiful. Wee continued on through the zinnia garden and over to the rose garden. Many of the rose were just absolutely perfect buds and so fragrant I wanted to stop and smell all of them. You have to stop and smell the roses! Our time ran short as we approached the Japanese Garden and so we briefly glanced in there, but were not able to spend any amount of time.
We did have a little bit of time to stop in the fabulous gift shop on our way out and did find a couple of treasures.
From Butchart Gardens we again boarded our tour bus and headed to Church & State Winery. It was a small winery outside of Victoria proper and just delightful. This was the “Wine & Chocolate” part of our tour. We walked into a beautiful tasting room with one wall full of oak barrels stacked as high as the ceiling, a very nice tasting counter; but we were directed to the back of the tasting room to a small dining area where tables were all set up for us with four taste glasses of wine for each of us, paired with some delectable chocolate truffles. We tried a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and something like a Cabernet (we can’t remember). They were all really nice and the owner’s son presented the wines to us with a wonderful explanation of their facilities and operation. It was very enjoyable and we all purchased some wines! How odd!
Once we got back on board the ship in the mid-afternoon, we continued our Euchre tournament. And girls, I have to tell you, the girls are now doing so well! We are lagging, but trying to hold our own.
As we left port in Victoria, we stood up on the top deck of the ship to be able to see the San Juan Islands and watch as we passed a lighthouse near Victoria and then the real fun began! Those wonderful BLACK & WHITES (Orcas) were there along with what we believe was some minke whales and a humpback or two. I was in heaven! And, we did get some pictures, although the whales were at quite a distance from the Golden Princess, so I am not sure how the pictures came out.
The further south we went and once we entered the Pacific Ocean, the whales disappeared and the fog surrounded us. The ship’s horn blasted the fog warnings all night long.
Wednesday was a day at sea. We were lazy and slept in late. We enjoyed playing more cards and just enjoying the ship.
Tomorrow we will be in San Francisco and will have our tour of Sonoma. Our time will be quite short in San Francisco, only about 4 ½ hours.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada & Day at Sea
Hello everyone! –
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
We arrived early in Victoria, BC and because we were only in port for about a half a day, our tour of Butchart Gardens, Wine & Chocolate left around 9:00 a.m. The day was gloriously clear and about 70° outside with no winds.
The ride out to Butchart Gardens was quite enjoyable with our tour guide, Mike. He was an elderly Irishman who was full of information about the area giving us tidbits of history and all sorts of information interspersed here and there with a cute joke. He made the 30 minute ride from Victoria out to Butchart Gardens quite enjoyable.
Butchart Gardens is about 18 miles outside of Victoria. It was started by the Butchart family and was initially a limestone quarry. They used the limestone to go into making cement. Mrs. Butchart started planting the trees in 1904 to try to keep the dust from getting into the house. Once the quarry was played out, she kept planting more and more after that. They hauled in something like 150 wagons of top soil and people started wondering what she was doing and so the let them come to see what she was doing. During WWII, the gardens fell into disrepair; and then grandson, Ian Ross took over the caretaking of the gardens and finished the vision of his grandmother.
Many of the plants are those that we will all find in our own gardens, such as chrysanthemums, roses, etc. The plants are arranged by predominant flower colors. There are over 50 gardeners now that maintain the property and it’s exquisitely manicured lawns and flower beds.
We followed the path down to the “sunken garden” passing every color of flower you can imagine. The chrysanthemums were either in full bloom or about to bloom and the flower beds were all lined with them. Each bed has a row of flowers in different colors and heights to give the gardens magnificent depth and color. The varieties of the flowers are unbelievable. For instance, the different colors of coleus, magnolias, roses, zinnias, begonias and dahlias were everywhere in a multitude of colors from solid white to deep reds and purples, orange and pink.
The sunken gardens are also where the beautiful water fountain is that does not repeat any pattern. It is similar to the floating water fountain at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but I’m sure this one was there long before Bellagio put there’s in! We walked all along the paths of the sunken garden and back up to the totem poles where we also had a view between the trees out through the gardens to the ocean. It was spectacular and couldn’t have been any more beautiful. Wee continued on through the zinnia garden and over to the rose garden. Many of the rose were just absolutely perfect buds and so fragrant I wanted to stop and smell all of them. You have to stop and smell the roses! Our time ran short as we approached the Japanese Garden and so we briefly glanced in there, but were not able to spend any amount of time.
We did have a little bit of time to stop in the fabulous gift shop on our way out and did find a couple of treasures.
From Butchart Gardens we again boarded our tour bus and headed to Church & State Winery. It was a small winery outside of Victoria proper and just delightful. This was the “Wine & Chocolate” part of our tour. We walked into a beautiful tasting room with one wall full of oak barrels stacked as high as the ceiling, a very nice tasting counter; but we were directed to the back of the tasting room to a small dining area where tables were all set up for us with four taste glasses of wine for each of us, paired with some delectable chocolate truffles. We tried a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and something like a Cabernet (we can’t remember). They were all really nice and the owner’s son presented the wines to us with a wonderful explanation of their facilities and operation. It was very enjoyable and we all purchased some wines! How odd!
Once we got back on board the ship in the mid-afternoon, we continued our Euchre tournament. And girls, I have to tell you, the girls are now doing so well! We are lagging, but trying to hold our own.
As we left port in Victoria, we stood up on the top deck of the ship to be able to see the San Juan Islands and watch as we passed a lighthouse near Victoria and then the real fun began! Those wonderful BLACK & WHITES (Orcas) were there along with what we believe was some minke whales and a humpback or two. I was in heaven! And, we did get some pictures, although the whales were at quite a distance from the Golden Princess, so I am not sure how the pictures came out.
The further south we went and once we entered the Pacific Ocean, the whales disappeared and the fog surrounded us. The ship’s horn blasted the fog warnings all night long.
Wednesday was a day at sea. We were lazy and slept in late. We enjoyed playing more cards and just enjoying the ship.
Tomorrow we will be in San Francisco and will have our tour of Sonoma. Our time will be quite short in San Francisco, only about 4 ½ hours.
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #4
Travelogue – Day 4
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone! – This is being sent to you on Tuesday morning as we had no cell phone coverage in Nanaimo.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Last night around 5:00 p.m. we sailed out of Vancouver and headed up the coast for awhile after passing under the Lions Gate Bridge going through the narrows alongside Stanley Park in Vancouver. There was a huge sail away party; the majority of people were up on the Lido deck along with the band playing the Macarena and YMCA and them all dancing and having a grand time. Many more of us were alongside both sides of the railings as we passed through the narrows and out along Bowen Island.
Because Nanaimo is only about 40 miles from Vancouver, we barely moved through the calm waters north of Vancouver. We all stayed out on deck and took in the beauty of the jagged cliffs up towards what we think was Whistler. Only one mountain top had a bit of snow on it. We passed by majestic estates along the waterfront all of the way up to where we eventually crossed over to Nanaimo and to Horseshoe Bay where we set anchor at 11:00 Sunday night!
We awoke once again to gorgeous crisp, clear skies in Nanaimo. We were up early because we had to take the first tender in to town for our Wildlife and Waterfalls tour. We had breakfast up in the buffet and then we were off for our adventure. And, an adventure it certainly was! We boarded a motorcoach with about 50 other people and we were off the see the waterfalls at the Qualicom River. The waterfalls and the scenery around them were stunning with thick, plush undergrowth due to the abundance of rain they have on Vancouver Island (about 24 inches a year). We took off on our “hike” winding down a nicely troddened dirt path down and down and down to the river. It was beautiful with the clear waters rushing over the rocks. It looked so clear that you thought you could reach out and touch the boulders in the clear waters of the river, but we thought best of that and did not try that! The water turned green and turquoise as they rushing over the massive boulders and then settled in the ponds below. The Spanish moss hanging from the trees and the moss growing on the ground along with the huge ferns everywhere underneath the canopy of pine and cedar trees made a very dramatic picture.
Because we had to go “down and down and down” to reach the river, we then had to go “up and up and up” to reach the top. There was an elderly couple that was hanging back at the end of the group and it appeared that he really was having problems negotiating up the hill. (Personally, we all felt he should have never been allowed to take the hike down to the bottom in the first place – but the tour guide allowed him to do so). There were a total of 6 of us who stayed with the couple. One oriental gentleman, Mike took Jerry’s right arm and Jim and Rob took turns as the path and conditions allowed to help Jerry on his left side lifting and guiding. The rest of the group was already at the bus when the tour guide finally came back down to find out where we were and told us we were only half way back to the bus. I asked if she had any water, and she did not; but she ran back to the bus and got some for them. Then she told us to take another path that would take us more quickly back to the road where they sent the bus to pick us all up.
Though Jerry and Jenny said they did “okay”, when it came to the next waterfall and hike at Englishman River, he stayed behind. The scenery was much more of the same and you could not help but just stop along the way and take it all in – even the fresh outdoor smell. We hiked and hiked again. Honestly, I didn’t think “I” was going to make it – but I was the little caboose that could and I trudged along. My lungs and throat are quite dry and I sound like a rough frog this morning. Although every bone in my body hurt last night, I am not hurting this morning and am ready to take out on our next adventure.
The Golden Princess stayed at anchor in Horseshoe Bay until 11:00 p.m. last night even though they brought the last tender in at 6:30 p.m. While the ship’s stores were open, the casino remained closed – so we probably saved a lot of money!
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone! – This is being sent to you on Tuesday morning as we had no cell phone coverage in Nanaimo.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Last night around 5:00 p.m. we sailed out of Vancouver and headed up the coast for awhile after passing under the Lions Gate Bridge going through the narrows alongside Stanley Park in Vancouver. There was a huge sail away party; the majority of people were up on the Lido deck along with the band playing the Macarena and YMCA and them all dancing and having a grand time. Many more of us were alongside both sides of the railings as we passed through the narrows and out along Bowen Island.
Because Nanaimo is only about 40 miles from Vancouver, we barely moved through the calm waters north of Vancouver. We all stayed out on deck and took in the beauty of the jagged cliffs up towards what we think was Whistler. Only one mountain top had a bit of snow on it. We passed by majestic estates along the waterfront all of the way up to where we eventually crossed over to Nanaimo and to Horseshoe Bay where we set anchor at 11:00 Sunday night!
We awoke once again to gorgeous crisp, clear skies in Nanaimo. We were up early because we had to take the first tender in to town for our Wildlife and Waterfalls tour. We had breakfast up in the buffet and then we were off for our adventure. And, an adventure it certainly was! We boarded a motorcoach with about 50 other people and we were off the see the waterfalls at the Qualicom River. The waterfalls and the scenery around them were stunning with thick, plush undergrowth due to the abundance of rain they have on Vancouver Island (about 24 inches a year). We took off on our “hike” winding down a nicely troddened dirt path down and down and down to the river. It was beautiful with the clear waters rushing over the rocks. It looked so clear that you thought you could reach out and touch the boulders in the clear waters of the river, but we thought best of that and did not try that! The water turned green and turquoise as they rushing over the massive boulders and then settled in the ponds below. The Spanish moss hanging from the trees and the moss growing on the ground along with the huge ferns everywhere underneath the canopy of pine and cedar trees made a very dramatic picture.
Because we had to go “down and down and down” to reach the river, we then had to go “up and up and up” to reach the top. There was an elderly couple that was hanging back at the end of the group and it appeared that he really was having problems negotiating up the hill. (Personally, we all felt he should have never been allowed to take the hike down to the bottom in the first place – but the tour guide allowed him to do so). There were a total of 6 of us who stayed with the couple. One oriental gentleman, Mike took Jerry’s right arm and Jim and Rob took turns as the path and conditions allowed to help Jerry on his left side lifting and guiding. The rest of the group was already at the bus when the tour guide finally came back down to find out where we were and told us we were only half way back to the bus. I asked if she had any water, and she did not; but she ran back to the bus and got some for them. Then she told us to take another path that would take us more quickly back to the road where they sent the bus to pick us all up.
Though Jerry and Jenny said they did “okay”, when it came to the next waterfall and hike at Englishman River, he stayed behind. The scenery was much more of the same and you could not help but just stop along the way and take it all in – even the fresh outdoor smell. We hiked and hiked again. Honestly, I didn’t think “I” was going to make it – but I was the little caboose that could and I trudged along. My lungs and throat are quite dry and I sound like a rough frog this morning. Although every bone in my body hurt last night, I am not hurting this morning and am ready to take out on our next adventure.
The Golden Princess stayed at anchor in Horseshoe Bay until 11:00 p.m. last night even though they brought the last tender in at 6:30 p.m. While the ship’s stores were open, the casino remained closed – so we probably saved a lot of money!
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #3
Travelogue – Day 3
Boarding Golden Princess in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday morning was gorgeous in Vancouver when we woke. There was blue sky above with a few spotted clouds. It was a leisurely morning for Jim and me as we chose to sleep in a bit and then go to Starbucks for a little breakfast before meeting up with Rob and Christie for the four of us to head off to board the Golden Princess.
Rob and Christie what sounded to be a really nice walk back down to Gastown and then stopped at a local place for breakfast. Once they got back to the hotel and we all got ready to head downstairs, we called the bellman to come get our luggage. We headed out the front door of the beautiful Westin Bayshore Vancouver and were able to get a taxi van that held all of our luggage and all of us and off we went to Canada Place where we boarded the ship.
Actually embarkation went quite smoothly despite having to wait a little because Canadian Customs was performing an inspection on the Golden when we got there. After all was said and done, it only took us about 30-45 minutes to actually get through the embarkation process and onto the ship. Not bad at all!
Rob and Christie are up on Aloha deck and we are on Dolphin Deck (3 decks below them). They are on the starboard (right) side and we are on the port (left) side.
We spent much of the afternoon wandering around the ship, unpacking and going to the mandatory muster drill for emergency procedures. After taking off our lovely orange life vests, we headed up to the Lido deck where we stood along the rail and the party began!
There were four cruise ships in Vancouver yesterday. The first one to leave was the Norwegian Sun, followed by the MS Statendam and then by the MS Veendam and then the Golden Princess took off in last place.
We sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge near Stanley Park and the first narrows. Then we followed a path northward for a short while sailing along the coast of British Columbia then sailed around Bowen Island where we reached our anchorage early on around 11:00 p.m. here in Nanaimo. We dropped anchor and stayed here peacefully all night.
The sunset last night was spectacular with the horizon dotted with numerous islands and mountains and the sky turned a set of brilliant set of bright oranges, purples, magentas and every color in between. It was stunning to say the least.
We had dinner last night. We were sat at a table for six, but there were only the four of us for dinner. We called it a night early as we were all tired for unpacking!
Boarding Golden Princess in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday morning was gorgeous in Vancouver when we woke. There was blue sky above with a few spotted clouds. It was a leisurely morning for Jim and me as we chose to sleep in a bit and then go to Starbucks for a little breakfast before meeting up with Rob and Christie for the four of us to head off to board the Golden Princess.
Rob and Christie what sounded to be a really nice walk back down to Gastown and then stopped at a local place for breakfast. Once they got back to the hotel and we all got ready to head downstairs, we called the bellman to come get our luggage. We headed out the front door of the beautiful Westin Bayshore Vancouver and were able to get a taxi van that held all of our luggage and all of us and off we went to Canada Place where we boarded the ship.
Actually embarkation went quite smoothly despite having to wait a little because Canadian Customs was performing an inspection on the Golden when we got there. After all was said and done, it only took us about 30-45 minutes to actually get through the embarkation process and onto the ship. Not bad at all!
Rob and Christie are up on Aloha deck and we are on Dolphin Deck (3 decks below them). They are on the starboard (right) side and we are on the port (left) side.
We spent much of the afternoon wandering around the ship, unpacking and going to the mandatory muster drill for emergency procedures. After taking off our lovely orange life vests, we headed up to the Lido deck where we stood along the rail and the party began!
There were four cruise ships in Vancouver yesterday. The first one to leave was the Norwegian Sun, followed by the MS Statendam and then by the MS Veendam and then the Golden Princess took off in last place.
We sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge near Stanley Park and the first narrows. Then we followed a path northward for a short while sailing along the coast of British Columbia then sailed around Bowen Island where we reached our anchorage early on around 11:00 p.m. here in Nanaimo. We dropped anchor and stayed here peacefully all night.
The sunset last night was spectacular with the horizon dotted with numerous islands and mountains and the sky turned a set of brilliant set of bright oranges, purples, magentas and every color in between. It was stunning to say the least.
We had dinner last night. We were sat at a table for six, but there were only the four of us for dinner. We called it a night early as we were all tired for unpacking!
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #2
Travelogue – Day 2
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone!
Friday, September 18, 2009 – continued…
Friday in Vancouver continued for us after we all rested a bit and then went down on to the lovely outside patio overlooking the marina and the pool here at the Westin Bayshore where we played some Euchre and the guys have now taken the overall lead in games 3-2. Christie and I will have our work cut out for us now for the rest of the trip! Keep your fingers crossed for us girls!
After we played cards for a couple of hours, we decided to take a walk over to Stanley Park, which is right next to where we are staying. The sun was about to set in the west and the sweeping clouds against the blue sky were impressive. The water in the marina was just like glass, and the masts of the sailboats were standing tall and straight as there was no wind to speak of at all.
The path going over to Stanley Park is about 12 feet wide, half for walkers and half for roller bladders and bicyclists with a nice rail in the middle to divide the two sections, keeping everyone safe. Along the way, there were several dozen Canadian geese just grazing on the lawn and very content to just talk amongst themselves. The pathway was landscaped with hydrangea bushes that had the remnants of beautiful purple and pink and blue puffs of flowers. It must have been magnificent when they were in full bloom, as the pathway would have looked like something out of a Kinkade painting.
The pathway winds around and down under the main street through a tunnel for the walkers going into Stanley Park. Off to the north of us we could see the mountains up towards Whistler and in between us and the mountains is the waterway leading back out to the ocean where a Celebrity cruise ship, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and our Pacific Princess all passed us gliding through the canal headed out on another cruise for some lucky people.
In the marina there were four-man skulls gliding seamlessly across the glassy water along with a few kayakers. They were all enjoying the calm, still waters of the bay.
Once we got through the tunnel and walked a bit further into Stanley Park, we cam upon The Lost Lagoon. It is a beautiful setting. We first had to cross a bridge where lily pads with bright magenta colored lilies were gently laying in the still waters below. Next to the little lily pond were ducks and geese all enjoying the beautiful afternoon and an artist was sitting on the side of the slope painting in watercolors. As we walked a little further, we were greeted by this beautiful lake that has a walking path going all around it. There was a while swan gliding through the waters in the distance and several ducks swimming around where we were. Across the lake was a beautiful water fountain that had one setting where it went up like a short geyser and then a couple of others that sprayed in patterns.
We walked back to the hotel and went to dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel called Cardero’s. I had some of the best trout that I can ever remember having, but the portion was huge and I could only eat about half. Jim had cajon ling cod which he said was very good. Rob had a seafood stew and Christie had Wok prawns that both of them said were very good as well. After that, we were all tired and so we called it a day.
Saturday – September 19, 2009
After grabbing our Starbuck’s for breakfast in the morning because we did not want to spend $40 for breakfast in the restaurant for oatmeal and wheat toast (Can you believe those prices!!), we hopped on a tour bus headed for Grouse Mountain (the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics), the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Capilano Fish Hatchery. Our tour/bus driver was Jack and he commanded full attention from everyone on the bus or else he would not talk.
Our first stop was the Fish Hatchery. It was quite interesting and just a beautiful setting in a small canyon actually right in a residential section in North Vancouver. We were only there for about half an hour but were able to see the ladders with the salmon jumping to head up river to spawn.
After the fish hatchery we drove only about 5 minutes to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It was originally built in 1889 and is 230 feet above the floor of Capilano Canyon and spans 450 feet across. The bridge uses 2’ steel cables capable of supporting two fully-loaded 747’s. It moves quite a bit as you walk across it, especially if you have a young boy about 4 years old behind you who is laughing and thrilled at the fact he is jumping all the way across the bridge! We saw one oriental gal who was almost on her knees crawling across and laughing all the way. There are waterfalls cascading down the cliffs to the rushing waters far below. The forest is mostly cedar trees which appear to be the size of many of the redwood giants we’ve seen in California along with Douglas Fir and hemlock trees. The tree bases are all protected with a wire netting and the tops of each of the posts that line the pathway from the suspension bridge up to the Treetop Adventure are all covered with a plastic so no one will get splinters and the wood will be protected.
The Treetop Adventure is a succession of winding paths and elevated timber frame boardwalks high above the forest floor that give you a bird’s eye view of the rainforest. It is 650 feet long and made up of a series of cable bridges suspended between platforms that reach as high as 10 stories. And, yes friends, I did it!!
The scenery there was breathtaking with the thick, dense rainforest and green trees forever it seemed. We completely lucked out on the weather. The day began quite overcast and the ground was wet and puddle from rain the night before. But, after we began our tour, the clouds broke up and gave way to the deep blue sky and the puffy white clouds dotting the sky. It was a gorgeous day!
Our next stop on the tour was Grouse Mountain, one of the sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We boarded an aerial tram up to about midway on the mountain, where most of the activity was. One side note here, is that you can climb up this mountain from where we boarded the tram to mid point. That climb is called the “Grouse Grind” and for those who are in really good shape, they can make it in about an hour. However, today is the “race” to mark the end of summer and the record is 24 minutes!
Once we got off the tram we headed for the restaurant for lunch and were lucky to get seated right next to the window with a view of Vancouver that was unbelievable. Not only could we see the harbor and Canada Place where there were three cruise ships in port yesterday, but we could see the whole city from end to end, up north towards Whistler and across over to Victoria and Vancouver Island. It was beautiful with the sky so blue and just a few clouds in the sky.
After lunch we headed up to take the chair lift up to the very top of the mountain. While on the chair lift, we looked down at the Grizzly and Brown Bear habitat just in time to see a massive grizzly bear moving slowly through the forest. HUGE! But what a thrill to see him! When we got to the top of the chair lift, the view was even more spectacular than from mid level. You could see farther, and it was just gorgeous. Off to one side of us we could see over to another mountain range full of ski slopes that will be used in the Olympics; and all around us the mountains and trees were simply spectacular. It was much cooler up on the top of the mountain, so we were all happy to have brought our jackets with us. We eventually took the chair lift back down to the main area where we met up with the rest of the tour group and then headed back down on the tram and eventually back to our hotel.
After such a wonderful day, we sat in the Bar & Grill downstairs in the afternoon and played cards with Rob and Christie until about 8:30. We had a delicious warm crab and cheese dip appetizer served on crispy French bread that was thinly sliced. We all sipped on our favorite “adult” beverages – but personally I thought mine was the best – a Baileys, Kahlua and coffee with whip cream! It was warm and so yummy! After 8:30 we ordered some dinner and sat in there and just visited and reminisced about our beautiful day.
Tomorrow morning, Rob and Christie are going out for a walk (we are not because I am SORE!) and then we will meet up around noon to head over to the Golden Princess and start the next portion of our adventure. It is another gloriously crisp, clear morning here in Vancouver. We could not have had any better weather while we were here. It has been spectacular and we all wish we could have had a little more time.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hello everyone!
Friday, September 18, 2009 – continued…
Friday in Vancouver continued for us after we all rested a bit and then went down on to the lovely outside patio overlooking the marina and the pool here at the Westin Bayshore where we played some Euchre and the guys have now taken the overall lead in games 3-2. Christie and I will have our work cut out for us now for the rest of the trip! Keep your fingers crossed for us girls!
After we played cards for a couple of hours, we decided to take a walk over to Stanley Park, which is right next to where we are staying. The sun was about to set in the west and the sweeping clouds against the blue sky were impressive. The water in the marina was just like glass, and the masts of the sailboats were standing tall and straight as there was no wind to speak of at all.
The path going over to Stanley Park is about 12 feet wide, half for walkers and half for roller bladders and bicyclists with a nice rail in the middle to divide the two sections, keeping everyone safe. Along the way, there were several dozen Canadian geese just grazing on the lawn and very content to just talk amongst themselves. The pathway was landscaped with hydrangea bushes that had the remnants of beautiful purple and pink and blue puffs of flowers. It must have been magnificent when they were in full bloom, as the pathway would have looked like something out of a Kinkade painting.
The pathway winds around and down under the main street through a tunnel for the walkers going into Stanley Park. Off to the north of us we could see the mountains up towards Whistler and in between us and the mountains is the waterway leading back out to the ocean where a Celebrity cruise ship, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and our Pacific Princess all passed us gliding through the canal headed out on another cruise for some lucky people.
In the marina there were four-man skulls gliding seamlessly across the glassy water along with a few kayakers. They were all enjoying the calm, still waters of the bay.
Once we got through the tunnel and walked a bit further into Stanley Park, we cam upon The Lost Lagoon. It is a beautiful setting. We first had to cross a bridge where lily pads with bright magenta colored lilies were gently laying in the still waters below. Next to the little lily pond were ducks and geese all enjoying the beautiful afternoon and an artist was sitting on the side of the slope painting in watercolors. As we walked a little further, we were greeted by this beautiful lake that has a walking path going all around it. There was a while swan gliding through the waters in the distance and several ducks swimming around where we were. Across the lake was a beautiful water fountain that had one setting where it went up like a short geyser and then a couple of others that sprayed in patterns.
We walked back to the hotel and went to dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel called Cardero’s. I had some of the best trout that I can ever remember having, but the portion was huge and I could only eat about half. Jim had cajon ling cod which he said was very good. Rob had a seafood stew and Christie had Wok prawns that both of them said were very good as well. After that, we were all tired and so we called it a day.
Saturday – September 19, 2009
After grabbing our Starbuck’s for breakfast in the morning because we did not want to spend $40 for breakfast in the restaurant for oatmeal and wheat toast (Can you believe those prices!!), we hopped on a tour bus headed for Grouse Mountain (the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics), the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Capilano Fish Hatchery. Our tour/bus driver was Jack and he commanded full attention from everyone on the bus or else he would not talk.
Our first stop was the Fish Hatchery. It was quite interesting and just a beautiful setting in a small canyon actually right in a residential section in North Vancouver. We were only there for about half an hour but were able to see the ladders with the salmon jumping to head up river to spawn.
After the fish hatchery we drove only about 5 minutes to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It was originally built in 1889 and is 230 feet above the floor of Capilano Canyon and spans 450 feet across. The bridge uses 2’ steel cables capable of supporting two fully-loaded 747’s. It moves quite a bit as you walk across it, especially if you have a young boy about 4 years old behind you who is laughing and thrilled at the fact he is jumping all the way across the bridge! We saw one oriental gal who was almost on her knees crawling across and laughing all the way. There are waterfalls cascading down the cliffs to the rushing waters far below. The forest is mostly cedar trees which appear to be the size of many of the redwood giants we’ve seen in California along with Douglas Fir and hemlock trees. The tree bases are all protected with a wire netting and the tops of each of the posts that line the pathway from the suspension bridge up to the Treetop Adventure are all covered with a plastic so no one will get splinters and the wood will be protected.
The Treetop Adventure is a succession of winding paths and elevated timber frame boardwalks high above the forest floor that give you a bird’s eye view of the rainforest. It is 650 feet long and made up of a series of cable bridges suspended between platforms that reach as high as 10 stories. And, yes friends, I did it!!
The scenery there was breathtaking with the thick, dense rainforest and green trees forever it seemed. We completely lucked out on the weather. The day began quite overcast and the ground was wet and puddle from rain the night before. But, after we began our tour, the clouds broke up and gave way to the deep blue sky and the puffy white clouds dotting the sky. It was a gorgeous day!
Our next stop on the tour was Grouse Mountain, one of the sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We boarded an aerial tram up to about midway on the mountain, where most of the activity was. One side note here, is that you can climb up this mountain from where we boarded the tram to mid point. That climb is called the “Grouse Grind” and for those who are in really good shape, they can make it in about an hour. However, today is the “race” to mark the end of summer and the record is 24 minutes!
Once we got off the tram we headed for the restaurant for lunch and were lucky to get seated right next to the window with a view of Vancouver that was unbelievable. Not only could we see the harbor and Canada Place where there were three cruise ships in port yesterday, but we could see the whole city from end to end, up north towards Whistler and across over to Victoria and Vancouver Island. It was beautiful with the sky so blue and just a few clouds in the sky.
After lunch we headed up to take the chair lift up to the very top of the mountain. While on the chair lift, we looked down at the Grizzly and Brown Bear habitat just in time to see a massive grizzly bear moving slowly through the forest. HUGE! But what a thrill to see him! When we got to the top of the chair lift, the view was even more spectacular than from mid level. You could see farther, and it was just gorgeous. Off to one side of us we could see over to another mountain range full of ski slopes that will be used in the Olympics; and all around us the mountains and trees were simply spectacular. It was much cooler up on the top of the mountain, so we were all happy to have brought our jackets with us. We eventually took the chair lift back down to the main area where we met up with the rest of the tour group and then headed back down on the tram and eventually back to our hotel.
After such a wonderful day, we sat in the Bar & Grill downstairs in the afternoon and played cards with Rob and Christie until about 8:30. We had a delicious warm crab and cheese dip appetizer served on crispy French bread that was thinly sliced. We all sipped on our favorite “adult” beverages – but personally I thought mine was the best – a Baileys, Kahlua and coffee with whip cream! It was warm and so yummy! After 8:30 we ordered some dinner and sat in there and just visited and reminisced about our beautiful day.
Tomorrow morning, Rob and Christie are going out for a walk (we are not because I am SORE!) and then we will meet up around noon to head over to the Golden Princess and start the next portion of our adventure. It is another gloriously crisp, clear morning here in Vancouver. We could not have had any better weather while we were here. It has been spectacular and we all wish we could have had a little more time.
Pacific Coastal Cruise Travelogue #1
Travelogue – Day 1
Seattle, Washington
Hello everyone!
Greetings from Vancouver! Our travel day yesterday could not have been better. We took off from San Diego at 10:30 a.m. and flew directly up the center of California, Oregon and Washington. After about an hour in the air, I could see Half Dome in Yosemite Valley and then directly below us appeared Lake Tahoe. The lake appeared to be full and was gorgeous colors of green, blue and turquoise all around the shore on the east side of the lake.
Flying north from Tahoe, we passed over several lakes in Nevada and Northern California that were dried up with no signs of any water at all. Even the rivers appeared to be dry. Once we got into Oregon, we flew over the Three Sisters peaks; and only one of them appeared to have a few small patches of snow, while the others were completely barren. Mt. St. Helens had no snow on it to speak of, but Mt. Rainier near Seattle did. It was mostly a beautiful blue, sunny day with a few fluffy clouds hear and there.
Once we landed in Seattle, we were greeted by the Princess Cruise Lines representatives down at baggage claim and were immediately put into a taxi cab headed towards the Pacific Princess. The ship was up at Pier 91 in Seattle, almost directly across from the Space Needle. Rob and Christie were already on board when we got there.
We were both upgraded to mini-suites when we checked in; mostly because the ship was only about 2/3 full with only about 425 passengers of the 670 capacity. Our staterooms were spacious and very nicely appointed. We were on the port (left) side of the ship, while Rob and Christie were on the same deck but on the starboard (right) side of the ship.
We sat out on the pool deck and enjoyed a refreshing drink and then had to get ready for our “muster” drill – emergency life jacket drill. After that, we headed up to the upper deck where we stayed as we sailed away from Seattle and headed into the Puget Sound. It was just absolutely a perfect sail-away, with a few clouds in the distance, but otherwise perfect weather – about 75° and no wind. Every once in awhile a Washington State Ferry would pass in the distance; and there were only a few small sailboats out on the water enjoying the beautiful day. The sunset was beautiful looking towards the jagged peaks of the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic Mountain Range.
Darkness set in about 7:30ish and we were off to dinner at 8:00 p.m. Jim enjoyed his veal scaloppini while I enjoyed my salmon. For dessert, the staff surprised us with an anniversary cake (a month early so not quite sure why they did that), but it was nice and we shared with Rob and Christie and the other couple at our table.
We have already started our Euchre tournament and the girls took the first game! We were the only people in the Card Room on the Pacific Princess playing cards before dinner.
After dinner we were all tired and so we turned in around 10:00 or so. This morning we had to disembark the ship at 8:15 a.m., so we met Rob and Christie for breakfast and went to the buffet on the upper deck and ate outside on the back deck where we had a nice view of Vancouver.
We got off the ship in relatively good time and each loaded our luggage and ourselves into a taxi cab and off we went to the Westin Bayshore Vancouver. Our rooms were not ready, so we checked our luggage in with the concierge and grabbed another taxi and headed off to Granville Island where we walked around the Granville Market and took in many of the art galleries that were over there. We were a bit disappointed with the selection of galleries this time, and so around noon we all decided to head to Gas Town for lunch and a little more shopping.
Directly across the street from the old steam clock on Water Street in Gas Town is a nice little restaurant and outdoor café called the Water Street Café where we had lunch outside and a nice table along Water Street and directly across from the Steam Clock. After lunch we walked up and down the street a little more going in a few shops and then we hailed a taxi and headed back here to the hotel where we were finally able to check in.
The weather in Vancouver is as beautiful as the weather was in Seattle yesterday. It is just gorgeous and so pleasant to walk around. The sky seems so blue. Our room at the Westin has a marine view and as I am sitting here typing this Travelogue a lone sailboat is motoring out of the harbor. There is a small marina down below us and what appears to be a nice walkway where many people are taking advantage of the nice weather and either roller blading or walking along the path.
We have the sliding window open in our room right now and there is a really nice breeze cooling us and Jim is sitting here reading his book while I am typing my Travelogue.
We will get together for more Euchre around 3:00 this afternoon and then this evening we are planning on going out for a nice dinner. Tomorrow we have reservations for a tour of the Capillanos Suspension Bridge and Park and if we have time, we may take in part of Stanley Park as well. Sunday we will get up leisurely and have breakfast and then will head off to board the Golden Princess around noon.
This area is starting to show its’ fall colors with several of the trees already turning gorgeous shades of deep orange and burgundy red. The marina and bay here in Vancouver are calm and just like a mirror.
Seattle, Washington
Hello everyone!
Greetings from Vancouver! Our travel day yesterday could not have been better. We took off from San Diego at 10:30 a.m. and flew directly up the center of California, Oregon and Washington. After about an hour in the air, I could see Half Dome in Yosemite Valley and then directly below us appeared Lake Tahoe. The lake appeared to be full and was gorgeous colors of green, blue and turquoise all around the shore on the east side of the lake.
Flying north from Tahoe, we passed over several lakes in Nevada and Northern California that were dried up with no signs of any water at all. Even the rivers appeared to be dry. Once we got into Oregon, we flew over the Three Sisters peaks; and only one of them appeared to have a few small patches of snow, while the others were completely barren. Mt. St. Helens had no snow on it to speak of, but Mt. Rainier near Seattle did. It was mostly a beautiful blue, sunny day with a few fluffy clouds hear and there.
Once we landed in Seattle, we were greeted by the Princess Cruise Lines representatives down at baggage claim and were immediately put into a taxi cab headed towards the Pacific Princess. The ship was up at Pier 91 in Seattle, almost directly across from the Space Needle. Rob and Christie were already on board when we got there.
We were both upgraded to mini-suites when we checked in; mostly because the ship was only about 2/3 full with only about 425 passengers of the 670 capacity. Our staterooms were spacious and very nicely appointed. We were on the port (left) side of the ship, while Rob and Christie were on the same deck but on the starboard (right) side of the ship.
We sat out on the pool deck and enjoyed a refreshing drink and then had to get ready for our “muster” drill – emergency life jacket drill. After that, we headed up to the upper deck where we stayed as we sailed away from Seattle and headed into the Puget Sound. It was just absolutely a perfect sail-away, with a few clouds in the distance, but otherwise perfect weather – about 75° and no wind. Every once in awhile a Washington State Ferry would pass in the distance; and there were only a few small sailboats out on the water enjoying the beautiful day. The sunset was beautiful looking towards the jagged peaks of the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic Mountain Range.
Darkness set in about 7:30ish and we were off to dinner at 8:00 p.m. Jim enjoyed his veal scaloppini while I enjoyed my salmon. For dessert, the staff surprised us with an anniversary cake (a month early so not quite sure why they did that), but it was nice and we shared with Rob and Christie and the other couple at our table.
We have already started our Euchre tournament and the girls took the first game! We were the only people in the Card Room on the Pacific Princess playing cards before dinner.
After dinner we were all tired and so we turned in around 10:00 or so. This morning we had to disembark the ship at 8:15 a.m., so we met Rob and Christie for breakfast and went to the buffet on the upper deck and ate outside on the back deck where we had a nice view of Vancouver.
We got off the ship in relatively good time and each loaded our luggage and ourselves into a taxi cab and off we went to the Westin Bayshore Vancouver. Our rooms were not ready, so we checked our luggage in with the concierge and grabbed another taxi and headed off to Granville Island where we walked around the Granville Market and took in many of the art galleries that were over there. We were a bit disappointed with the selection of galleries this time, and so around noon we all decided to head to Gas Town for lunch and a little more shopping.
Directly across the street from the old steam clock on Water Street in Gas Town is a nice little restaurant and outdoor café called the Water Street Café where we had lunch outside and a nice table along Water Street and directly across from the Steam Clock. After lunch we walked up and down the street a little more going in a few shops and then we hailed a taxi and headed back here to the hotel where we were finally able to check in.
The weather in Vancouver is as beautiful as the weather was in Seattle yesterday. It is just gorgeous and so pleasant to walk around. The sky seems so blue. Our room at the Westin has a marine view and as I am sitting here typing this Travelogue a lone sailboat is motoring out of the harbor. There is a small marina down below us and what appears to be a nice walkway where many people are taking advantage of the nice weather and either roller blading or walking along the path.
We have the sliding window open in our room right now and there is a really nice breeze cooling us and Jim is sitting here reading his book while I am typing my Travelogue.
We will get together for more Euchre around 3:00 this afternoon and then this evening we are planning on going out for a nice dinner. Tomorrow we have reservations for a tour of the Capillanos Suspension Bridge and Park and if we have time, we may take in part of Stanley Park as well. Sunday we will get up leisurely and have breakfast and then will head off to board the Golden Princess around noon.
This area is starting to show its’ fall colors with several of the trees already turning gorgeous shades of deep orange and burgundy red. The marina and bay here in Vancouver are calm and just like a mirror.
Travelogue
I am a home-based travel agent in San Diego, CA - Carpenter Travel. I love traveling, especially cruising. My husband and I just returned from two Princess Pacific Coastal Repositioning cruises. One on the Pacific Princess for one night from Seattle to Vancouver. The next on the Golden Princess for 7 nights from Vancouver to Los Angeles.
Every time we travel, I send my Travelogues home so our family and friends can know what we are doing and seeing. So, I shall post my Travelogues here, so that you can follow along too.
Enjoy!
Every time we travel, I send my Travelogues home so our family and friends can know what we are doing and seeing. So, I shall post my Travelogues here, so that you can follow along too.
Enjoy!
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