5/27 – Skagway – The Gateway to the Klondike

Our scheduled activity for the day was to board the train that would take us up to the White Pass right on the BC border tracing the steps of over hunderd thousand of men that headed up north in search of gold known as the Klondike Gold Rush. Out of the 100K only about 30-40 thousands actually reached the gold fields and out of those only a few hunderds bacame rich. This railroad was also known as the ‘Railroad to Hell’. This railroad was an engineering marvel for it has to climb from the sea level in Skagway to almost 3,000 feet at the Summit in just 20 miles and has many tight curves. The construction began in 1898 and was finished only 24 months later.
We really loved the train ride on this very old train and enjoyed the spectacular views it had to offer. Within the hour we found ourselves in the White Pass surrounded by over 8 feet of snow. I got to say it was lil chilly outside where we chose to stay most of the ride as we didn’t want to miss any of the sights and picture opportunities. We were also rewarded for our preseverence when was saw a black bear eating away right by the train track. I still can’t believe that the gold diggers were able to make this journey of around 600 miles on foot even before the railroad was built. That is just crazy… and they didn’t have to make the journey just ones they had to go several times as they had to transfer all of their belongings and than some – around one ton of supplies. That is determination!
After a hot toddy and lil lunch on board we headed back out to Skagway for a hike to a few lakes and a waterfall. It was somewhat steeper than we expected but Mom did really good all the way up to the lakes. Mom & Dad turned around and Lucka and us continued to the Icy Lake where Lucka decided to wait for us as we wouldn’t let her go back by herself and Chris & I literally ran the next almost a mile to the waterfalls. They were worth it… we took a few pictures and ran back to Lucka at the Icy Lake where she was truly starting to get a lil icy.
We looked around the town for a few minutes but besides the many & many jewelry shops and gift shops there wasn’t really all that much to see… especially in the icy wind that was blowing all around. It was very nice to get back to the warmth and comfort of our ship. Oh but Mom managed to find some beautiful jewelry to add to her plentiful collection.
Tomorrow we will reach the Glacier Bay National Park.

5/26 - Juneau - Two Mile Hike & Whale Watching

Today was our Alaskan capital day - Juneau. The weather wasn't perfect but at least it didn't rain.... well at least at first. We thought it would be great to escape the hoards of cruise tourists - there were four ships in port. The main attraction in town was a Mt. Roberts tram that took tourists up the face of the mountain that surrounds the city. Chris thought that it would be too boring to take the tram as everybody else did... and instead decided to take us on a 'two mile' hike. I have to admit I agreed that hiking would be much better since for a change we would get to stretch our legs a lil and get some fresh air! Our two mile hike that was supposed to be 35 minutes end up being a lil bit over an hour. :o) Our whole hike was accompanied by Lucka's complains about how steep it was and how tired she was... and God knows what else. Chris counted himself lucky that he couldn't understand her, I didn't have that advantage. Mom & Dad end up taking the tram to the top and enjoyed the same view we did... they even seen the resident eagle, who was too hurt to be released into the wild.
After lil shopping in town (mostly alcohol) and a food refill on the boat we departed on our evening whale watching tour. At this point it was raining cats & dogs so we didn't expect to enjoy it all that much... but luckily we were wrong!
The ship was very nice, they even had a wonderful buffet setup for us... yeah like we need more food after being on the boat where there is food available allllllll day!!!! but to our surprise most of the people there loaded up a full plate! Crazy! The beginning of the sail was mostly uneventful, we did see some whales but they were all too far to really see. Until..... the lil one found us!!! It was fantastic. He managed to escape his Mom, who was in his pursuit... and started to practice all of his moves. He was breaching out of the water.... smacking the water with his flippers and waving at us... and just rolling around. Eventually his Mom caught up with him and they both started to play. It was a really spectacular show. The captain said that they have not seen anything even close to what were bared witness to. Unfortunately, we had to leave eventually ... but luckily it was after the lil one got tired and was not quite as entertaining. Later on the naturalist on board explained to us that the lil one was practicing all that his Mom has taught him that he will need later on in his life and his Mom was making sure he was doing it right :o).
It was a great finish of our day. It was truly an amazing experience for all of us.
Now... Lucka & I are chilling in our room watching movies while Chris ventured into the casino.

5/25 - Ketchikan - Misty Fjords

Our day in Ketchikan started super early as we only had a limited amount of time as the boat was in the harbor only from 6am until 2pm and we wanted to get in as much as possible. The first thing on the agenda for the day was a seaplane tour to the Misty Fjords National Monument. Lucka was not sure if she would be comfortable on this tiny plane so we decided that it was safer if she just joined us once we were done with the tour.
There was about 20 of us going so I thought the plane would have to be relatively big to fit all of us, but to my surprise they split us up into four groups and the four of us had our plane DHC-2 DeHavilland Beaver all to ourselves.
Misty Fjords National Monument is a 2.3-million acre piece of pristine wilderness that can really be only viewed by a floatplane; it is the only way to truly take in its majesty - soaring cliffs, saw-tooth ridges blanketed in trademark mists, sky-blue lakes, endless waterfalls, icy saltwater fjords and miles of glacier-carved gorges. The views were spectacular!!! Midway through our trip the pilot landed on this huge lake and told us to get out if we wanted to and take in the view... at first I was lil confused... cause we were in the middle of the lake... how the hell am I going to get out? Only then I realized that we were to stand on the floats... duuh! It was truly once in a lifetime experience! Mom & Chris were even lucky enough to sit next to the pilot (one on the way there, the other on the way back) and enjoy the full view from the cockpit.
We headed back to our boat for a breakfast and Lucka pick up and went back to town for a lil exploration. Unfortunately, it rained on us... but we didn't expect anything else as the average annual rainfall exceeds 160 inches at Ketchikan. We managed to walk through all that this 4th largest town (7.5K population) in Alaska has to offer in under 2 hours and all frozen return back to our boat for a hot toddy and of course more food!!!

5/23-5/24 - From the Mainland to the Inner Passage

The last two days have been a blur. Everything has happened so fast. We started our Friday early on leaving our great house on Vancouver Island and got on the ferry back to Vancouver where we were to get on our ship to start our last part of the trip. Everything went smoothly until the point where we got stuck in a huge line to get on the boat. For whatever reason they had two boats leaving from the same harbor at the very same time. You would think after all the time they have been in business of sailing ships they would figure out that having two cruise ship leave on the same day is probably not the best idea.
Our waiting time was increased even further by having a foreigner in our midst... yep my lovely sister. We all decided to go in with her and we ended up waiting for two and half hours to be finally allowed to board!
They checked us in and once we found our way to our room we started the sail off right... by blowing off the emergency orientation meeting and having triple vodka cocktails on our balcony. As if the was not enough we headed up on the upper pool deck to watch the ship set sail and leave Vancouver under the Lion's Gate bridge with many more cocktails in our hands and bellies and shortly there after... in our heads.
We had a great dinner in one of the formal dining rooms and explored the ship for a bit before we found our way back to our room. .
The following day Lucka stayed in bed while Chris & I went for a lil workout in the fitness room. It was a great way to start the day. We cleaned up and picked up Lucka from the room... only to swiftly return her back to it as she got sea sick from the ship movements. She spent most of the day in bed watching movies and trying to get better. We figured out that she was better once she finished off the bread and even the cookies that her lovely brother brought back for her. Chris & I spent the day exploring the ship and taking part in some of the activities they had going on during the day.
Tonight was a formal night so we all dressed up in our best and had yet another wonderful dinner.
Tomorrow we are heading to Ketchikan where we are to take a scenic flight over the Misty Fjords National Park.
So far the sail has been a very relaxing experience and we are still getting to know the ship a lil so we shall see what comes next. We even seen some orcas along the way.

5/22 - Sunrise to Sunset

Today was the first day that I actually saw a sunrise!!! Chris was trying to be mean and woke me up to show it to me, expecting me to just roll over and ignore him... but man was he surprised when I sprang out of the bed and armed with my camera headed for the balcony. It was beautiful... I took several pictures and headed back under my covers....
Despite it's early start today was a slow day. We didn't have a precise plan, we were just going to do a couple of hikes in the local parks and finish the day off in Sooke. It was another beautiful day on Vancouver Island - 70+ (20) and not a cloud in sight.
After Dad's two hour bike ride and our wonderful breakfast we packed up the crew and let Heidi find our way to Goldstream Provincial Park. There we hiked to see the Niagara Falls... yep I always thought they were on the east coast....but hey what do I know. Well they were nothing to be compared to the real ones... but it was nice just the same. After Niagara falls we wanted to find yet another hike to falls... but somehow Heidi has failed us and we were only able to find our way out of the park into a residential area. We didn't let that stop us and continued to Sooke where we wanted to hike the Whiffin Spit in Sooke. It was a nice hike where Lucka collected washed out glass, Mom talked to all the strangers along the way and I tried unsuccessfully for the most part setup the camera to take the perfect group shot - it is like herding cats.. and the boys were just along for the ride ;o). It was a nice walk after which we were in need of some nourishment. Well, I just needed alcohol... but Mom was in mood for a soup.
We found this wonderful place right on the water... and we had some snacks... soup... and of course wine!
Once we returned back to the house we split up - Mom & Dad headed for a hike and we went to explore the surrounding areas to see where we could hike up to. We were very surprised when we on an accident drove up this park and after a short hike found a 360 view of the whole island. We intended to return there for the sunset and so we did. It was beautiful... even though a lil chilly. Luckily my sister was kind enough to put some red wine in a plastic bottle to keep me warm.
Tomorrow is our final day here... we are heading back to Vancouver to board our cruise ship... our home for the next 7 days... hopefully they will have Internet so I can continue my rambling.

5/21 - Butchart Gardens

Today was a Butchart Gardens day where we were to celebrate parent's anniversary and enjoy my name's day. The weather was once again perfect - around 75 (20) or so and sunny. We arrived in the gardens around ten and spent the next three hours walking around these beautiful grounds. They have several main areas out of which the Sunken Garden was my favorite. Until about 1906 this area was used as a limestone quarry and once the limestone was exhausted the wife of the entrepreneur, Mrs. Butchart converted the depleted land into beautiful gardens and piece by piece she established the base for what is there now. The Sunken garden is where the bottom of the quarry once usde to be.

We were lil worried that there wouldn't be too much to see, but we were pleasantly surprised by the colorful masterpice that awaited us. There were blooming tulips, forget-me-nots, rhododdendrons, lilacs, pansies, azaleas, magnolias... and that's jsut a few that I knew the names of.

Mom admired all of the wonderful japanese maples and by the end of the walk she convinced Dad to add four more trees to her collection of 27 (at least I believe that was the last count) japanese mapels that she already has.
We had reservation for an afternoon tea at one so we had to end our tour through the gardens and find our way to the restaurant. I have personally never had high tea... but it was a wonderful experience. The girls enjoyed the tea and all it involved while the boys decided to stick with the regular lunch menu. The food was wonderful and it was a fantastic experience. Although we did agree it was good that we didn't opt for the High tea at the Empress hotel where the atmosphere is lil bit more uptight... that realization was based on my husband taking Lucka's plate and wanted to lick it so she couldn't use it and Lucka in turn taking his forks and knife and pretending to wipe her arm pits with them... yep... over all a very classy company we are :o).
In the afternoon Mom & I took a nap while Lucka and Chris went to get me flowers for my name's day and after that... Lucka took a nap while Chris & I went for a two hour bike ride, this time up north while Mom & Dad enjoyed a wonderful walk around the neighborhood discussing fiture japanese maple purchases.

5/20 - Victoria Day

For whatever reason I was actually awake before Chris and all I could think about ever since I woke up was how much I wanted to go for a bike ride and explore this unbelievable area. Luckily, maybe by the sole strength of my willpower or maybe due to lil probing and poking Chris woke up not too long after me. :o) It didn't take much convincing to get him to agree to go for a bike ride, especially after his father told us how beautiful it was when he went for his bike ride at 5:30 this very morning... oy... thought I was an early one at 7:30.
This area is filled with bike/running paths that will take you just about anywhere. We opted for the one towards Victoria and we were not disappointed. Although I was surprised how many people actually use their bikes for commuting.
Once we cleaned up after our bike ride and got everyone on the same page we took the scenic route to Victoria (this time by car). Prior to our arrival within the downtown we managed to see beautiful neighborhoods, several gardens, beaches... and even a castle!The downtown itself was breathtaking. I felt like I have crossed the ocean and end up in England! The vibe of the town was so great. People everywhere, everybody happy... I guess it also helped that they had one of their first non rainy days in a while and we were lucky to be enjoying it! We walked around all of the main attractions ... and of course we had to stop in an outside cafe for a bottle of wine and lil relax time after such a hard day of vacationing... it does tire one out!!!
On the way home we stopped by a fish market and picked up a fresh halibut that Chris bbqed for us on our balcony. Tomorrow we are off to Butchard Gardens to celebrate parents' 42 anniversary.. and in a lil part my name's day... can't wait!

5/19 - From Vancouver to Vancouver Island

Today was a traveling day. We made the journey from our hotel in Vancouver to our beautiful rental house near Victoria! What did people do before VRBO.com? We had to make a stop on Granville Island to pick up some fresh pastry and produce - especially the carrot muffin for Mom. We took the scenic route down to the ferry terminal and boarded the biggest ferry that I have ever been on, I believe it fit 208 cars and I didn't see the number for the trucks and people.... While waiting in line we called to check in on our puppies, only to find out that we had the biggest wuss. She was too afraid of the big dogs so they had to put her in with the lil ones ;o( our poor baby!!! I mean the big dogs were too afraid of her... yeah right... anyway...
Once on Vancouver Island we let Heidi (our GPS) show us the way to our home for the next four days on SeaPearl Place. This house is absolutely fantastic and the area is just breathtaking. We didn't really do much for the rest of the day. We made a wonderful dinner at home and went for a nice hike to the beach. We managed to get lil lost so our small hike that I promised Lucka has turned into an hour plus scramble through the surrounding areas. Where was Heidi when we needed her!!!
This whole island is so very beautiful I could see myself living here. Both Lucka & I were saying how much the climate reminds us of our home! Everything is so green and lush and fresh... ahh.. miss that in Cali! Oh this is the view from our living room.

5/18 - Our first full day in Vancouver

We started our day semi early by scouting for a bagel shop my friend recommended only to realize that it was in the middle of an island. All of sudden we were faced with a dilemma of how to reach this magical island (Granville Island)... luckily they have a very handy boat taxi service that leaves every few minutes just a few blocks from our hotel. The public market that we found on this island was great! Ton of produce, meats, pastries... anything you want. I loved that it felt lil bit like an European market... and they had very similar things that I was used to from back home. Even a poppy seed pastry!!!
After our breakfast and the island exploration we picked up Lucka, who had a headache and had to stay back, and headed for Stanley Park. It was supposed to rain later on that evening but we got relatively lucky that we managed to stay mostly dry on our hike throug the park. It was so beautiful, they did a great job with this park. We also spotted a cruise ship in the harbor and Lucka just couldn't believe that they can really be so big.
Once we got our fill of Stanley park we found our way to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Lucka didn't think she could manage to cross the bridge that stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above Capilano River. But same as with me, Chris decided to help Lucka conquer her fears by herding her across the bridge. At some point she had tears in her eyes and shouted something incoherent in our direction but in the end she managed to cross it only to find herself entering into canopy tour. She wasn't too pleased when Chris ran after her and shook the bridges :o).
Once we were done with this unique park we decided that it was time for an early dinner in a local brewery and we called it a day and relaxed in our hotel.
Tomorrow we are embarking on our second part of our journey, this time to Victoria.
I really enjoyed this town and I could see myself living here. It is very relaxed and so pretty.