Alaskan Cruise - Juneau

It took a full day of traveling to reach Juneau, our first port to visit on our Alaskan cruise.  This time was used finding our way around the cruise ship and taking in the beautiful scenery along the way.  We enjoyed a lot of time on our balcony and walking around the promenade deck not wanting to miss anything on either side of the ship.  We constantly saw beautiful mountains and waterfalls.  We were always on the lookout for whales and were not disappointed.

As we neared Juneau we saw the Tracy Arm Inlet and were excited to see our first glacier. Our first clue was the floating blue ice that was as big as some of the sightseeing boats in the area.

Juneau is a pretty port with 

mountains all around it.  We didn't spend much time actually in the city except on a bus being transported to our excursions.  We did learn the only way to get to Juneau is by boat or by plane. Also, there are as many eagles as there are people in Juneau.  We saw several eagles sitting on the street lights as we traveled down the highway. 

The excursion we chose was the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest.  We were out searching for  whales for about two and a half hours and saw several humpback whales and also sea lions and eagles along the shore.  

 Then it was back on the bus for a trip to Mendenhall Glacier.  We made the most of our hour there but could have stayed twice that long.  The glacier and the waterfall nearby were beautiful and we wanted to get as close as possible.  

 

It had been a busy day so we were ready to get back on the ship for a delicious dinner, fun entertainment, and the nightly surprise waiting in our room.

Vancouver June 2016

Canada Place

 

Our Alaskan cruise began with two days in Vancouver.  Vancouver turned out to be a great choice of cities to begin and end a cruise.  There was lots to do using the waterfront Canada Place area as our base.  Our cruise left from this area but also all the city transportation picked up at this location.  
 

Nearby  a constant stream of seaplanes were landing and taking off in the Burrard Inlet.

The popular and historic Gastown area is only a few blocks from Canada Place and offers lots of places to shop and eat. The famous Gastown Steam Clock is located there.  It is powered by steam and whistles music to signal the time.

 



We soon found out why Vancouver is know as the city of glass.  All of its many skyscrapers are made predominately of glass.  On a sunny day this is quite a sparkly show!

Using one of the Hop On Hop Off trolleys we visited many places around the city beginning with Stanley Park where we saw displays of totem poles and beautiful views of Coal Harbor and the Lionsgate Bridge.

 
We enjoyed lunch at the Teahouse in Stanley Park and watched the eagles flying in the park area nearby.




We continued our tour around the city with a stop at the Vancouver Art Gallery to view their visiting exhibit of Picasso.

 

We finished our city tour on the Hop On Hop Off trolley seeing many places we would have liked to visit that would have to wait for another day.  There is a lot to do in Vancouver!

There is also lots  to do in the surrounding area near Vancouver.  Top on my list was the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.  I had been looking forward to walking across this bridge since I first saw its pictures  on Pinterest.  

It lived up to all my expectations!

It was long and super shaky with rushing water far below.  It was perfect!

On the other side of the suspension bridge begins the Treetops Adventure.  An elaborate series of walkways, seven suspension bridges, and many, many stairs gets you to the tops of the huge trees of this rain forest.  It was such a great experience that we didn't even complain about knee pain until the next day.

  

 

But the adventure is not over.  After crossing the bridge back to the other side of the canyon we went to the Cliffwalk part of the park.  This is a series of walkways and steps clinging to the granite cliff high above the canyon with a section that extends off the cliff for a super view of the bridge and canyon.

 

It was such a fantastic experience we might have done it all over again it we had been 20 years younger!

Grouse Mountain is another fun adventure only 20 minutes from Vancouver.  After a free shuttle bus ride beginning at Canada Place you begin your adventure with a scenic ride on the Skyride tram to the top of the mountain.  You could easily spend the whole day with all the activities offered.

During our afternoon at Grouse Mountain we enjoyed watching the Lumberjack Show, following the grizzly bears around the Bear Habitat, watching the Birds of Prey demonstration, and soaking in the beautiful mountain scenery. 

After two busy days in Vancouver it was time to repack.  After all, we were there to begin our Alaskan cruise.  That's right! 

It is time to get on the cruise ship!  Bon voyage!

Broadway 2015-2016 in Houston and New Orleans

Sadly, we did not have season tickets for the Saenger Broadway Season of 2015/2016.  However we were able to get tickets to three great shows during this season.

During December we got to enjoy some of the Christmas festivities of New Orleans and also see Newsies at the Saenger Theater. 

We saw Matilda the Musical at the Hobby Theater of Performing Arts in Houston.

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We finished the season with one of my favorites, Wicked, at the Saenger.  We saw Wicked in New York several years ago and it was wonderful again in New Orleans.
  

Springtime in the Smoky Mountains

Usually when we visit the Smoky Mountains it is Summer or Fall or around Christmas.  This year we visited during early Spring and saw the mountains as they were waking up from winter.


On our arrival in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg we found spring flowers and trees everywhere in the landscape and decorations.

 Trees covered in these pink flowers were all over Galtlinburg.




Dogwoods were plentiful in both towns and also in the mountains.







 As we began to explore the mountains we found wildflowers everywhere-under the trees, beside mountain streams, by the road side and trail paths.

This early in the season there was less undergrowth around the mountain streams which made it easier to explore.  I noticed a lot more moss growing on the rocks which makes the pictures of the streams even better.

Because of spring rains the  streams are full of water and sometimes even new waterfalls created.

 

The Smoky Mountains is a great place to be in the springtime!