Glacier Bay

This first picture is Grand Pacific Glacier. It is a black glacier. It is black because of all the dirt adn rocks that it has pushed for years. The debris gets caught up in the glacier and then becomes part of the glacier. This glacier is so big it reaches all the way back into Canada. The second picture is Margerie Glacier. It is actually right next to Grand Pacific Glacier to the left of it. This glacier is over a mile wide and it move 7 feet a day. While we were there we saw it calve 4 times. National Geographic was there also filming for a documentery. In Glacier Bay there are many pods of Orcas that live nearer the mouth of the bay.

Parental Units

When we decided at the last minute to go on this cruise our children couldn't go with us. So we decided to take my parents. It was nice to have them along. They have always wanted to go to Alaska but have never been. With their health and age getting up there I am glad they came along to see Alaska and we could share it with them. Thanks for coming along and sharing them memories.

Our bus ride

After a fun filled day in Anchorage we boarded a bus that took us out to Whittier to board our ship, the Island Princess. It was a beautiful drive. We saw some wildlife, Bryan Glacier, drove through a tunnel that actually is only big enough for one car to go through at a time. For 20 minutes the tunnel has traffic going one direction. For the next 20 minutes the traffic goes the other direction, the next 20 minutes the trains run. The speed limit is 10 miles an hour. Very close quarters.

The bay that we drove along side to whittier was going out. Did you know that the shore line around alaska, when the tide is out, the land is bigger that all of Texas.

Shauna and John

Our first day in Anchorage we had breakfast with John's cousin, Shauna and her daughter. What a great way to start the day out.

Flight Museum

Next stop in Seattle was the Flight Museum. Thanks Dawn for the suggestion. The museum is at Boeing field between SEA-TAC and Seattle. What an amazing afternoon. There are planes from all era's From the beginning of flight to the present. There is even a Black Hawk and a Gemini.

You can try your skills in a flight simulator, which John did and his skills were great.


They had a control tower we went up in and you can here the flight controllers at the airport telling the planes what to do. There was a screen that showed all the planes currently in the air and where they were. Great place to spend an afternoon.

Pike's Place Market

After Steamers John and I walked up the Harbor steps to Pikes Place Market. Yet again another place John had never been. The market place was having a cheese tasting. We went from vendor to vendor to taste cheese of the world. John was in heaven. Me on the other hand, I am not a fan of cheese so it was just taking up valuable shopping time! The market was a mad house as usual but the sights and smells are always so intreging. What a beautiful day it was. No clouds, mild weather. Lots to do and see. After all the cheese I took him to the flying fish. What a sight. It is fun to see the guys throw the fish around and all the chanting they do. Tasting the smoked fish and checking out the huge lobsters and shrimp. John purchased some smoked salmon to take with us.


Of course I had to go to post alley and check out the fun shops there. I bought some Welsh Brew tea for my dad in a cute little tea shop.

Alaska, Land of the BEAUTIFUL

John and I have been anticipating a cruise to Alaska for years. We purchased our cruise 3 years ago and found out in April that it was expiring in August. WOW. We scrambled to find a week to be able to take this long anticipated trip. As it turned out May was the lucky month. We left from SLC and flew to Seattle for a 10 hour layover. It was awesome. We rented a car and went into the city. The first stop was "steamers". My favorite place to have chowder and cod. John had never been there before. I was more than happy to take him.