I spent the first week of July on a cruise to Alaska with my parents, sister and niece. The weather was great, meaning no rain, which is amazing for Alaska! The seas were also calm. On past cruises I have always enjoyed the best nights' sleep, as the ships ever so slightly rocking motion makes it feels like you are sleeping on a cloud. However, this cruise could be described as "Sleepless at Sea." We noticed a plaque on the wall of our stateroom about noise and vibrations that are normal and not to be alarmed, it did not say anything about the lack of sleep we would experience. When we visited mom and dads stateroom it always smelled of fresh baked bread, they were located above the pantry! All in all, it was a good cruise, the food and entertainment were super! Alaska is a beautiful place to visit and a cruise is the best way to experience it, even with a couple of zombies on board.
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| We sailed out of Pier 91 at Seattle on July 1, 2012 |
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| We'll be cruising on Holland America's Oosterdam |
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| Stateroom 1086 |
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| Little did we know.....this would be a sleepless cruise for us! This plaque was on the wall in our Stateroom |
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| Even the chocolate didn't help us sleep |
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| The first day was a sea day and Tour of the Galley |
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| My niece, Jordan checking out the goodies |
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| Outside glass elevator and "The Elevator Girls" |
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| I always get plenty of exercise on cruises using the Promenade and taking the stairs.......I am not an elevator person |
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| The Promenade deck is a fun scenic walk around the ship |
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| On the back, or aft of the ship with my sister Sandy |
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| We are cruisin' along |
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| A glimpse of an iceberg from our window |
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| Cruising Tracy Arm to Sawyer Glacier |
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| Pretty in every direction |
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| Harbor seals on an iceberg |
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| Sawyer Glacier calved while viewing it with a thunderous roar |
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| Mom and Dad just celebrated their 59th Anniversary on June 27 |
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| Sandy and Jordan, my roomies |
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| The Norwegian Jewel was headed to Tracy Arm as we were leaving |
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| Docked in Juneau, the Capital city of Alaska |
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| Patsy Ann was a deaf Bull Terrier who greeted the ships in the 1930's |
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| 4th of July Parade |
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| I am headed 1.1 miles through Juneau to the Mt. Robert's Trailhead |
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| Cute name for a park, there were no chickens |
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| Alaskans love their staired sidewalks, lucky for me I got a lot of practice on the ship |
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| Here's where I started the trail |
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| It was a mucky trail, Juneau has had a wet summer |
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| After hiking for about 5 minutes I came upon this sign showing the way |
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| I met a family form NY and hiked with them. They could not believe that I would venture out by myself |
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| Views from up high |
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| The trail climbed 2000 ft. in 2 miles |
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| For $10 in merchandise from the Tram giftshop you get a free ride down the mountain......what a deal! |
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| Day 4 Sailing into Sitka |
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| Cute Lighthouse |
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| Mount Edgecombe an extinct volcano |
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| We took a short tender ride to Sitka |
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| Sitka has a beautiful harbor |
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| I visited a few of the local attractions during my time in Sitka |
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| Totem poles are common in Alaska |
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| View of our ship from the beach |
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| I walked out past Merril Rock and gathered a few neat rocks and shells |
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| Merril was a photographer in the 1920's who devoted a lot of time to the park |
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| Peaceful and serene |
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| Through the years this served as a school, residence and a place of worship |
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| A pretty church in Sitka, a sign said they were serving scones and tea |
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| I walked up to Swan Lake, it's just north of downtown |
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| Swan Lake |
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| We docked right in downtown Ketchikan, it was a 5 ship day |
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| Every year this is a popular place to see the salmon |
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| Creek Street is a quaint little spot east of downtown Ketchikan |
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| I took this path up to view the fish ladder |
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| I didn't see any fish use the ladder, but there were some huge salmon swimming upstream besdie it |
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| Rubber Ducks waiting for the tide to come in, Ketchikan has an annual 4th of July Duck Race |
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| Salmon berries were growing throughout Creek Street |
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| A fun path behind Creek Street |
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| The boardwalk goes up or down, that is a lot stairs |
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| Whether you go up or down, that is a lot of steps |
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| Bald Eagle watching over Creek Street |
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| Ketchikan has a pretty Harbor |
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| Float planes coming and going all day long |
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| Fishing boats are a common sight in Alaska |
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| I took a walk out on the bulkhead at Victoria, B.C |
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| Three ships were docked at Victoria |
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| The end of the path |
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| A nice sunset for our last night on the cruise |
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| Cruise memorabilia |
