Friday, June 13, 2014

Alaska Journal #1: How Our Cruise and Land Tours Came About

While visiting us last August, my second cousin, Lynnette, asked us to join her and Alice on an Alaska land and sea journey in 2014.  Lon and I had talked seriously of going to Alaska in the past but had never followed through.  This invitation was all we needed.  We jumped at the chance to see Alaska and to experience it with two of our favorite people.

We had to get passports since the Holland America cruise ship we were taking was disembarking from Vancouver, B.C.  On May 31st, Lon and I flew to Vancouver and spent the night at a Days Inn.  Lynnette and Alice flew from Ohio on the same day and stayed at the same hotel.    

Here are Alice, Lon and Lynnette, at the Days Inn, early on June 1st, awaiting the shuttle to the cruise ship.

Me, Alice, Lon and all of our luggage.

I know I was feeling very excited (can you tell?) and in awe that here we were, about to hop on a cruise ship for the first time and to travel "north to Alaska."

Our itinerary for the next 11 days was as follows:

11 DAY DOUBLE DENALI LAND AND SEA
ABOARD THE HOLLAND AMERICA SHIP--THE STATENDAM
June 1-11, 2014

Cruising
June 1 Vancouver, B.C.
June 2 At Sea
June 3 Ketchikan, Alaska
June 4 Juneau, Alaska
June 5 Skagway, Alaska
June 6 Glacier Bay
June 7 At Sea

Land Tour
Jun 8 Denali National Park
Jun 9 Denali National Park
Jun 10 Anchorage
Jun 11 Anchorage

If you're up for an adventure, I invite you to come along and I'll share it with you here on my blog.  I took nearly 3,000 pictures so it will take me a while to go through them and to narrate the trip.

Thank you for allowing me to relive the fun and to share it with you.  Nothing enhances an experience better than this!!


7 comments:

Linda McMann said...

Oh boy - can't wait!!

Cheryl Peters said...

LINDA: Thanks for visiting here. I'll do my best to share everything I experienced; with 3,000 pictures to chose from I should have plenty!

Cap said...

I have to chuckle .. I KNOW what it is like to have a LOT OF PHOTOS and then have to decide what to do with them. Gullible has helped me enormously .. I never tired of Penguin photos. My readers may be tired of Ice Hockey photos but I keep posting them. HOW NEAT you two got to see one another along side of the Seward Highway! Smiles from Cap and from Patti ..

Cheryl Peters said...

CAP: Thanks for the sympathy regarding being buried in mountains of photos. I have no control over my index finger when there's something exceptional in my view!!!

It is truly incredible that Gully and I were actually able to see each other "in the flesh" after years of being online friends. The bus driver and other travelers got a kick out of it too.

It's been fun visiting with you, Cap.

Annie said...

I was watching Life Below Zero and thought of you!! So I am starting at the beginning of your wonderful journey!

Nancy Gadzuk--a/k/a Natasha Alexander said...

Finally sitting down to enjoy the whole dang trip!

Cheryl Peters said...

NANCY: It'll be some time before you can enjoy the WHOLE trip. Nearly 3,000 pictures is a lot to get through!!! Who ever heard of such a thing???

Yup, it's going to be a long haul to the end. Unless, heaven forbid, I don't post every single one of them.

I venture to say that I may grow weary at some point and pass over some. I sure hope so anyway!!