Alaska Trip: The End

It's not a cruise without a formal night. Somehow we managed to get a picture with all of us together on the grand staircase.  The photographer was pretty sure we were her biggest group ever.

A few more family photos couldn't hurt either.  Our shirts were designed by my cousin Katie.  She even incorporated my grandpa's brand from the cattle ranch.

Our exit city was Vancouver.  We had a few hours before catching our flight back home so we went to the Vancouver Botanical Garden.  It was a fun morning walking around seeing all the different plants.
And too soon we were back on an airplane headed home.

Alaska was a memorable trip, not only for the amazing places we saw, but also since we got to do it was my grandpa. It was so fun to see him everyday, to spend time on the front of the ship with him (his favorite spot,) and to take him to see everything with us.  Grandpa's since passed on so it just makes the memories of this trip all the sweeter. What a gift he gave us to have time all together as a family.

Alaska Trip: Ketchikan

In Ketchikan, we went on an expedition to the Misty Fjords.  We rode on a boat up the fjords, seeing amazing canyons and waterfalls.  We saw otters, seals, orcas, and even a blue whale breach!

Alaska Trip: Juneau

We were up early since we had a flight to catch.  A flight in a seaplane!  We flew over 5 glaciers.  We could see miles of glacier snaking down the mountains.  The blue of the glaciers is just so vivid!

We landed in front of Taku Glacier and went into the lodge to eat brunch.  But someone else was waiting out for a taste too.  In the tree right next to the grill there was a black bear hungrily waiting for some salmon.  Once we headed into the lodge to eat she shimmied down the tree and licked the grill clean.  And it wasn't long before more bears came.  I think we saw 8 bears come to lick the grill.

But back to brunch.  Because brunch was delectable.  Cinnamon peach scones.  Cinnamon apples.  Herb biscuits.  Smoked beans.  Salmon.  Oh, it was so good.  So good in fact, that 5 of us went and bought their cookbook from the gift shop.  I'm getting caught up in dreams of cinnamon peach scones right now.

After brunch, we were lead on a walk in the woods praying that we wouldn't see any of those bears from earlier.  The plants up there are insane.  They get so much moisture there that plants grow on plants!

Can you see the moose eating?

This is about 1/2 of of our crew on the cruise

On the flight back, I got to sit in the cockpit!

Once back in Juneau, Brad and I did a little trekking of our own.  We went to Mendenhall Glacier and went hiking.

But soon it was time to get sailing to our next port.

Alaska Trip: Haines

After days on board ship and eating all the cruise food, it was time for us to get moving.  Once we landed in Haines, we headed out on a hike my aunt had recommended to Battery Point.  We hiked through the prettiest forest out to a point where we could see the whole bay.  The forest had several streams running through it and even under the tree roots. We saw sweet peas, lupines, irises, columbines, and chocolate lilies, and plant leaves bigger than Evy.

While we were on our hike we got a call from my uncle.  He had broken half of his front tooth off while they were riding ATVs.  Brad didn't have any tools with him, but as luck would have it Brad knew the town dentist from residency.  Brad's friend was actually at a different clinic that day, but he was able to arrange for his office to get my uncle a temporary tooth to last throughout the trip.

That afternoon it was our turn to ride on the same ATVs that broke my uncle's tooth.  We drove up the mountain in the rain.  We watched as a bald eagle flew down into a pond and on to a lookout of the valley. After riding in the rain, which made it all the more fun, we made it to a cabin in the woods for dinner.

Then it was time to get cruising again.