TRAVELOGUE NO. 9
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 16, 2010
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Because our whale watching excursion was not until 12:00 noon, we were able to enjoy a leisurely morning and a nice cup of Starbucks and a blueberry muffin for breakfast before we caught a cab over to Granville Island where we would go to Wild Whales and depart on our adventure in search of those “black and whites”.
Granville Island has a fabulous Public Market, very similar in concept to Pikes Place Market in Seattle. There are fruit stands piled high with fresh vegetables. The red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers alongside the thin, fresh asparagus and huge (5”) artichokes and gigantic red and green grapes filled the counters of the vegetable and fruit stands. The fish counters were filled of king crab legs and fresh salmon along with other local varieties of fish that had been brought to the market in the morning. We found our favorite deli stand and purchased our sandwiches to take out on our excursion. We found our favorite deli counter where we bought our sandwiches for our afternoon excursion and then we set out to go explore the market a bit before we boarded the Quick Change II, whale watching vessel.
Our tour guide, Caley, along with our driver greeted us as we boarded the covered whale-watching boat. Caley was about 25 years old and though it appeared that she had a full head of hair in dread-locks, she had them tied up in a scarf around her head. She had a small nose, hazel eyes and a beautiful smile. She is had a small frame and seemed genuinely happy that we had all chosen to be with her on this exploration for go find the whales.
We took off out of the harbor at Granville Island and passed under the Granville Island Bridge and out into the Strait of Georgia, which is the main route of the Alaska Marine Highway. We passed many tankers and tug boats on our way heading south west to the Gulf Islands. As we reached Porlier Pass and Galiano Island, we passed the small white and red Grace Point Lighthouse. The base of the lighthouse is wider than the top. It had four sides that were trimmed in bright red paint and then the lighthouse lens was on top. On top of the lens proudly were two bald eagles proudly perched as if they were greeting us as we entered the Trincomali Pass heading south.
The skies above became more gray with thicker clouds, that eventually gave us a fine, misty rain as we passed through the narrow passageway of the Pender Islands. We had been in the boat about three hours at this point and still had no sightings of any whales. The scenery was breathtaking; and as is true after most rains, the smell of the freshened forest and trees was noticeable and refreshing.
Unfortunately, those black and white orcas remained silent and elusive; and we never found them. We did see a few dolphins as we headed back out into the Strait of Georgia heading back to Vancouver. As we reached the breakwater, we saw some California sea lions and stellar sea lions basking on the rocks of the breakwater. A couple of them were lifting their bodies and stretching high and barking loudly as we passed by. The staff at Wild Whales graciously issued all of us a “free” pass to come back another time (no expiration date) to see the whales – so we will tuck that away in a safe place and look forward to doing that sometime in the future.
Realization eventually set in that in only 12 hours we would be heading to the airport for our trek home – so we decided to have a nice, quiet dinner at the Sea Wall Restaurant in the lobby of the Westin Bayshore. We had a window table and were among only half a dozen or so, groups of people in the restaurant – so it was quiet and peaceful as the sun set on another beautiful Vancouver day.
And, so it ends my friends – our trip is over – I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along with us on our journey and hope you have enjoyed the trip with us. We’ll be heading out again on June 30th this year as we will go visit Alaska on a three day cruise from Vancouver to Skagway visiting Tracy Arm Fjord and the Twin Sawyer Glaciers and Juneau before we reach Skagway. From Skagway, we will leave the ship and go on a 10 day land tour up to the Yukon, Dawson, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage. Till then…safe travels to you all!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Travelogue No. 8 - Vancouver, BC - Stanley Park
TRAVELOGUE NO. 8
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY , May 15, 2010
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Sapphire Princess arrived in Vancouver around 7:00 a.m. and sailed down past Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge on to Canada Place, the beautiful cruise terminal in Vancouver. Once again, we were blessed with nice weather and a very high cloud cover. The jagged peaks of the Coastal Mountains to the north were still covered with snow, which added to the beautiful landscape that we saw. The Vancouver skyline is dramatic with numerous glass sided skyscrapers . The reflections of the city could be seen from every place you looked which gave you a different perspective each time you turned around.
Due to the fact that there were three ships in port simultaneously (The Sapphire Princess, The Coral Princess and the Holland America Zuirdam) our disembarkation process was a bit slow – but it gave us added time on board and to say our good byes to new friends - and prolonged the realization that the cruise was over.
Our motor coach came and whisked us off to our hotel. We stayed at the Westin Bayshore on the waterfront. We had a beautiful room with a bay view. The large marble shower was perhaps the most welcome features of the room as it was four times bigger than the one on the ship.
After we freshened up, we went down and grabbed a bite to eat and then walked over towards Stanley Park. There is a walkway all along the sea wall not only includes the 5 ½ miles inside Stanley Park, but it continues to the west side and past Granville Island and also continues to the east all down towards Gas Town. The path was very busy with roller bladders, bicyclists and walkers all out enjoyed the beautiful weather.
As we walked along the boat harbor, we passed by the Vancouver Rowing Club where we saw several dozen rowing sculls and hundreds of boats moored in the marina and empty tall masts. As we stood at the water’s edge and looked north, before us was a spectacular panorama. The water in the lagoon where the small boat harbor was seemed to be as calm as glass, with the reflections of the sailboat masts reflecting in the waters. The Tudor Style Rowing Club was freshly painted with a dark, burnt red base color on the main part of the building with striking white contrasts on the decorative facia. Beyond the Rowing Club, were the tree tops of Stanley Park – each seemed to be a different color of green, yellow or red. Beyond that were the green rolling hills of the Coastal Mountains. Then, in the background, far in the distance were the snow capped peaks of the mountains.
We continued on around the lagoon and up into the park where we found the Horse Drawn Trolley. We boarded our trolley and got to sit in the very first row next to our drive and tour narrator, Emma. Emma was a woman in her 50’s. Her hair was blonde and she wore her hair up underneath a beige,visor hat. She wore a small pair of wire-rimmed glasses. She had a few gentle wrinkles starting at the corner of her eyes. She wore a multi-color beige woolen pullover sweater and jeans. Her voice was articulate and clear as she began to talk about the two horses that would be pulling us around the park. “Reno” was a red, draft horse, very similar looking to a Clydesdale; and “Pepper” was a Berjeron with a salt and pepper colored coat. When she was read to take off, Emma merely said “Come on boys” and gentle tugged on the reins and off we went.
Stanley Park covers over 1,000 acres of land – which makes it larger than Central Park in Manhattan. There are two lighthouses in the park and the sea wall walkways is 5 ½ miles long and goes all around the perimeter of the park. On top of that, there are countless hiking trails and pathways through the park There is a cricket field. A game of cricket can last up to five days; but they do stop to have tea and sandwiches. We traveled slowly along the Burrard Inlet out to where we had a view of the Lions Gate Bridge and up the Capillano Valley. The park is thick and plush with numerous different types of bushes and ferns; and interspersed among the variety of green were colorful rhododendrons, rose bushes, forsythia (a bright yellow bush), and every color of azalea as well as Japanese red maple trees. Trees in the park range from the Western Red Cedar (which is the best wood to carve totem poles and canoes) to huge Douglas Firs and an occasional redwood. The colors of green cover the spectrum from a yellowish cast to the deep, dark forest green; and this adds to the dimension of the landscape.
There is an aquarium inside Stanley Park, as well as a miniature railroad that children and adults may all enjoy riding on, as well as a petting zoo and a gorgeous rose garden. Our horse-drawn trolley tour lasted an hour – which seemed to fly by and all of a sudden we found ourselves back where we started. We weren’t ready to leave the park yet; so we took off up the hill, going through the park from the seawall near the Rowing Club up through the park to the rose garden. Along the way, our paths crossed with two “black” squirrels, which were busy gathering something to munch on and then scurried away. I saw one small red-headed woodpecker and a few black birds, but not much more animal life than that. Once we arrived at the rose garden, we saw a bronze memorial to President Warren G. Harding which marked the spot of a speech he made there in Stanley Park during his presidency. Though the roses were not blooming yet, the rhododendrons, azaleas, pansies, iris, birds of paradise, hydrangeas and several other different species of flowers were all in bloom and added a variegated color display that was similar to that at Butchart Gardens in Victoria.
The grounds of Stanley Park are meticulously groomed and kept in pristine condition. Even after the big storm in 2006 which came through Victoria with a vengeance and downed over 10,000 trees, the gardeners worked fast and cleared the debris; and now there are only slight reminisces of the violent storm. What is interesting is that though the trees themselves uprooted and fell, the gardeners chose to leave the roots in place and exactly where they fell to show the visitors to the park the extent of the damage of that storm.
After our walk, we went back to our room and freshened up and then caught a cab to Gas Town. On our way there, we asked the cab driver to stop by the Olympic Flame which is outside the Pan Pacific Hotel. The structure appears to be ice-like crystals of massive proportions. The flame was not lit as it is put out after the end of the Olympics, but it is still a magnificent sight to see.
We enjoyed dinner at our favorite sidewalk café in Gas Town, the Water Street Café which is directly across the street from the Vancouver Steam Clock. As luck would have it, we sat directly across from another couple who had been on our cruise on the Sapphire; so we enjoyed a little chit-chat during our meal.
The sun does not set until 8:45 p.m. here in Vancouver; so we were able to stay outside at the café and enjoy a very pleasant evening. The people watching from this vantage point was quite interesting. Mini-skirts have made a return to the fashion industry after being dormant since the late 1960’s. Platform heals are also very popular. After our delightful dinner, we sat and just talked about our trip and commented on how it is always good to go home, but sad that it is ending.
Tomorrow we are going to go whale watching in hopes of finding some of those “BLACK & WHITES” (orcas) off of Vancouver in the Gulf Islands. That will be the final Travelogue for this trip – so one more to go!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY , May 15, 2010
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Sapphire Princess arrived in Vancouver around 7:00 a.m. and sailed down past Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge on to Canada Place, the beautiful cruise terminal in Vancouver. Once again, we were blessed with nice weather and a very high cloud cover. The jagged peaks of the Coastal Mountains to the north were still covered with snow, which added to the beautiful landscape that we saw. The Vancouver skyline is dramatic with numerous glass sided skyscrapers . The reflections of the city could be seen from every place you looked which gave you a different perspective each time you turned around.
Due to the fact that there were three ships in port simultaneously (The Sapphire Princess, The Coral Princess and the Holland America Zuirdam) our disembarkation process was a bit slow – but it gave us added time on board and to say our good byes to new friends - and prolonged the realization that the cruise was over.
Our motor coach came and whisked us off to our hotel. We stayed at the Westin Bayshore on the waterfront. We had a beautiful room with a bay view. The large marble shower was perhaps the most welcome features of the room as it was four times bigger than the one on the ship.
After we freshened up, we went down and grabbed a bite to eat and then walked over towards Stanley Park. There is a walkway all along the sea wall not only includes the 5 ½ miles inside Stanley Park, but it continues to the west side and past Granville Island and also continues to the east all down towards Gas Town. The path was very busy with roller bladders, bicyclists and walkers all out enjoyed the beautiful weather.
As we walked along the boat harbor, we passed by the Vancouver Rowing Club where we saw several dozen rowing sculls and hundreds of boats moored in the marina and empty tall masts. As we stood at the water’s edge and looked north, before us was a spectacular panorama. The water in the lagoon where the small boat harbor was seemed to be as calm as glass, with the reflections of the sailboat masts reflecting in the waters. The Tudor Style Rowing Club was freshly painted with a dark, burnt red base color on the main part of the building with striking white contrasts on the decorative facia. Beyond the Rowing Club, were the tree tops of Stanley Park – each seemed to be a different color of green, yellow or red. Beyond that were the green rolling hills of the Coastal Mountains. Then, in the background, far in the distance were the snow capped peaks of the mountains.
We continued on around the lagoon and up into the park where we found the Horse Drawn Trolley. We boarded our trolley and got to sit in the very first row next to our drive and tour narrator, Emma. Emma was a woman in her 50’s. Her hair was blonde and she wore her hair up underneath a beige,visor hat. She wore a small pair of wire-rimmed glasses. She had a few gentle wrinkles starting at the corner of her eyes. She wore a multi-color beige woolen pullover sweater and jeans. Her voice was articulate and clear as she began to talk about the two horses that would be pulling us around the park. “Reno” was a red, draft horse, very similar looking to a Clydesdale; and “Pepper” was a Berjeron with a salt and pepper colored coat. When she was read to take off, Emma merely said “Come on boys” and gentle tugged on the reins and off we went.
Stanley Park covers over 1,000 acres of land – which makes it larger than Central Park in Manhattan. There are two lighthouses in the park and the sea wall walkways is 5 ½ miles long and goes all around the perimeter of the park. On top of that, there are countless hiking trails and pathways through the park There is a cricket field. A game of cricket can last up to five days; but they do stop to have tea and sandwiches. We traveled slowly along the Burrard Inlet out to where we had a view of the Lions Gate Bridge and up the Capillano Valley. The park is thick and plush with numerous different types of bushes and ferns; and interspersed among the variety of green were colorful rhododendrons, rose bushes, forsythia (a bright yellow bush), and every color of azalea as well as Japanese red maple trees. Trees in the park range from the Western Red Cedar (which is the best wood to carve totem poles and canoes) to huge Douglas Firs and an occasional redwood. The colors of green cover the spectrum from a yellowish cast to the deep, dark forest green; and this adds to the dimension of the landscape.
There is an aquarium inside Stanley Park, as well as a miniature railroad that children and adults may all enjoy riding on, as well as a petting zoo and a gorgeous rose garden. Our horse-drawn trolley tour lasted an hour – which seemed to fly by and all of a sudden we found ourselves back where we started. We weren’t ready to leave the park yet; so we took off up the hill, going through the park from the seawall near the Rowing Club up through the park to the rose garden. Along the way, our paths crossed with two “black” squirrels, which were busy gathering something to munch on and then scurried away. I saw one small red-headed woodpecker and a few black birds, but not much more animal life than that. Once we arrived at the rose garden, we saw a bronze memorial to President Warren G. Harding which marked the spot of a speech he made there in Stanley Park during his presidency. Though the roses were not blooming yet, the rhododendrons, azaleas, pansies, iris, birds of paradise, hydrangeas and several other different species of flowers were all in bloom and added a variegated color display that was similar to that at Butchart Gardens in Victoria.
The grounds of Stanley Park are meticulously groomed and kept in pristine condition. Even after the big storm in 2006 which came through Victoria with a vengeance and downed over 10,000 trees, the gardeners worked fast and cleared the debris; and now there are only slight reminisces of the violent storm. What is interesting is that though the trees themselves uprooted and fell, the gardeners chose to leave the roots in place and exactly where they fell to show the visitors to the park the extent of the damage of that storm.
After our walk, we went back to our room and freshened up and then caught a cab to Gas Town. On our way there, we asked the cab driver to stop by the Olympic Flame which is outside the Pan Pacific Hotel. The structure appears to be ice-like crystals of massive proportions. The flame was not lit as it is put out after the end of the Olympics, but it is still a magnificent sight to see.
We enjoyed dinner at our favorite sidewalk café in Gas Town, the Water Street Café which is directly across the street from the Vancouver Steam Clock. As luck would have it, we sat directly across from another couple who had been on our cruise on the Sapphire; so we enjoyed a little chit-chat during our meal.
The sun does not set until 8:45 p.m. here in Vancouver; so we were able to stay outside at the café and enjoy a very pleasant evening. The people watching from this vantage point was quite interesting. Mini-skirts have made a return to the fashion industry after being dormant since the late 1960’s. Platform heals are also very popular. After our delightful dinner, we sat and just talked about our trip and commented on how it is always good to go home, but sad that it is ending.
Tomorrow we are going to go whale watching in hopes of finding some of those “BLACK & WHITES” (orcas) off of Vancouver in the Gulf Islands. That will be the final Travelogue for this trip – so one more to go!
Travelogue No. 7 - Victoria, BC, Canada
TRAVELOGUE NO. 7
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
FRIDAY, May 14, 2010 – Victoria, BC, Canada
It is hard to believe that this is the last day of the cruise portion of our cruise. As with most cruises, they seem to end too soon and leave you wanting “just a few more days”.
Victoria greeted us with blue skies and 65 degree temperature, much as Seattle did yesterday. Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is the largest and most metropolitan city on the island. Our tour guide told us that Victoria is second in Canada only to be outranked by Vancouver City for an average priced home. It has the mildest climate in all of Canada because it sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. They only get approximately 20 some inches of rain here. There is no humidity here either – which makes it VERY desirable.
Butchart Gardens is among the most famous and meticulously maintained gardens in the world. Other attractions here that are equally as popular are The Empress Hotel and The British Columbia Museum of Natural History. One of our favorite things to do is to walk through downtown along Government Street and enjoy the little boutiques and souvenir shops along the way.
Enjoying our beautiful weather, today we took a tour to Craigdurroch Castle and Mt. Toume. Our motor coach drove us through downtown and out to “Mile 0” which is where the Trans-Canadian Highway begins and continues for over 4000 miles out to the Atlantic sea board. We passed the tallest totem pole in Canada which is at the south end of Beach Hill Park and faces mainland Washington State.
When we arrived at Mt. Tuome, the 360 degree views were nothing short of spectacular because of the clear weather. We could see over to Mt. Baker which is north of Seattle; we could see east over to San Juan Island across Haro Strait where we had a waterfront home rented for a week with friends; we could see south across the Strait of Juan de Fuca down to Washington State and magnificently standing proudly in the clear skies beyond were the Olympic Mountain range. It was just simply a glorious view. The landscape was granite with many varieties of wildflowers growing through the cracks. And, one of the most prolific bushes is the Scottish Broom, a bright yellow bush that we were told is actually a weed and taking over the island. But – weed or not, it add a beautiful yellow brightness to the area surrounding you.
From Mt. Tuome, the tour driver drove us down the hill and through the campus of The University of Victoria where they seem to have a rampant infestation of rabbits. The authorities are now in the process of trying to trap them and neuter them.
We wound around the streets and eventually arrived at the Craigdurroch Castle. Robert Dunsmuir found his fortune in coal back in the mid 1800’s. He and his wife had 15 children. When he passed in 1879 and never lived in the castle. It is built of huge stone on the outside and some of the most exquisite and intricate wood working on the interior. After passing hands several times it finally was donated to the City of Victoria. We climbed the wooden banisterred staircase up four flights of stairs – on each floor were more bedrooms. What was so beautiful was that each room was recreated in period décor complete with mannequins dressed in the beautiful long dresses of that time. The pictures on the wall were all historical. One shadow box picture caught my attention and when I asked about it, I was told that the 3 dimensional heart filigree inside was made of human hair. Each of the dining rooms had tables that were set “properly” for a very formal occasion.
It does not take much longer than half an hour to go through the Castle. There is a gift shop when you exit as with most every tourist attraction today. We walked around the grounds and were able to take some great pictures of the exterior of the house. One of the things that you could not help but notice were the blooming rhododendrons that were completely covered in flower blooms of every color from pale pink to bright magenta to a pinkish orange and everything in between. We found these bushes all over the city.
As we left the Castle our tour guide drove us through China Town which in contrast to the city of Victoria that has it’s streets lined with lamp posts with five white globes, in China Town, the lamp posts are on a red post with one Chinese lantern on top. Very fitting for the area.
We were dropped off in downtown Victoria near The Empress Hotel on Douglas Street where we chose to leave the tour and walk around on our own. It was near lunch time and we chose to enjoy some moist and delicate fish and chips at the Bard & Banker Restaurant. The batter of the fish was crunched Ruffles potato chips. I’d never seen anything like this and when we asked the waiter about it, he told us the Chef had come up with the recipe because the potato chips minimizes the shrinkage of the fish and what you are served is plump and juicy. Their tartar sauce was some of the best I’ve ever had; and we asked if they sold it and they unfortunately said no.
We walked up and down Government Street and then down past The Empress Hotel where there was a bride and groom on the front steps having their pictures taken. On the harbor side along the sidewalk, there were several street entertainers performing. We saw Darth Vader playing the violin, a gentleman painting a picture in chalk, and a juggler as well. Along the street we past many musicians playing guitar who were sitting on the ground – but it added a nice ambience to the day as we walked around.
Many of the students in Victoria earn extra money by transporting visitors around in their pedi-cabs. We found Andrea, who is a student of environmental studies and French and she got us settled and we were on our way for a leisurely ride back to the ship. All total, it took about an hour. She peddled through town and over to Beacon Hill Park where the “rhodos” were simply breathtaking with several bushes grouped together and created this burst of bright magenta amongst the green grassy knolls and trees in the park. We passed several peacocks in the park that are allowed to roam free throughout the park. There are several small ponds with fountains and there is a bronzed bust of Queen Elizabeth (or Victoria) with a flower bed of huge pink tulips underneath. Our ride continued along the waterfront and eventually down to the cruise ship terminal where it ended all to soon (as with everything else).
As is tradition on the last night of the cruise, the Princess waiters did the Parade of the Baked Alaska and we were surprised (and disappointed) that Princess no longer lights the Alaska’s but not have battery operated flames. We said good bye to our table mates and everyone went off to finish their packing and make sure our luggage was put outside our stateroom by 10:00 p.m. so the crew could swoop it up and take it into the baggage holding areas down below and it will magically appear when we pass through Customs in Vancouver.
Don’t fret – the Travelogues are not over yet! We will be staying two days in Vancouver, so there’s still more to come!
Hope you are all well and we sure wish we were sharing this with you all! What a fun time that would be! Safe Travels!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
FRIDAY, May 14, 2010 – Victoria, BC, Canada
It is hard to believe that this is the last day of the cruise portion of our cruise. As with most cruises, they seem to end too soon and leave you wanting “just a few more days”.
Victoria greeted us with blue skies and 65 degree temperature, much as Seattle did yesterday. Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is the largest and most metropolitan city on the island. Our tour guide told us that Victoria is second in Canada only to be outranked by Vancouver City for an average priced home. It has the mildest climate in all of Canada because it sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. They only get approximately 20 some inches of rain here. There is no humidity here either – which makes it VERY desirable.
Butchart Gardens is among the most famous and meticulously maintained gardens in the world. Other attractions here that are equally as popular are The Empress Hotel and The British Columbia Museum of Natural History. One of our favorite things to do is to walk through downtown along Government Street and enjoy the little boutiques and souvenir shops along the way.
Enjoying our beautiful weather, today we took a tour to Craigdurroch Castle and Mt. Toume. Our motor coach drove us through downtown and out to “Mile 0” which is where the Trans-Canadian Highway begins and continues for over 4000 miles out to the Atlantic sea board. We passed the tallest totem pole in Canada which is at the south end of Beach Hill Park and faces mainland Washington State.
When we arrived at Mt. Tuome, the 360 degree views were nothing short of spectacular because of the clear weather. We could see over to Mt. Baker which is north of Seattle; we could see east over to San Juan Island across Haro Strait where we had a waterfront home rented for a week with friends; we could see south across the Strait of Juan de Fuca down to Washington State and magnificently standing proudly in the clear skies beyond were the Olympic Mountain range. It was just simply a glorious view. The landscape was granite with many varieties of wildflowers growing through the cracks. And, one of the most prolific bushes is the Scottish Broom, a bright yellow bush that we were told is actually a weed and taking over the island. But – weed or not, it add a beautiful yellow brightness to the area surrounding you.
From Mt. Tuome, the tour driver drove us down the hill and through the campus of The University of Victoria where they seem to have a rampant infestation of rabbits. The authorities are now in the process of trying to trap them and neuter them.
We wound around the streets and eventually arrived at the Craigdurroch Castle. Robert Dunsmuir found his fortune in coal back in the mid 1800’s. He and his wife had 15 children. When he passed in 1879 and never lived in the castle. It is built of huge stone on the outside and some of the most exquisite and intricate wood working on the interior. After passing hands several times it finally was donated to the City of Victoria. We climbed the wooden banisterred staircase up four flights of stairs – on each floor were more bedrooms. What was so beautiful was that each room was recreated in period décor complete with mannequins dressed in the beautiful long dresses of that time. The pictures on the wall were all historical. One shadow box picture caught my attention and when I asked about it, I was told that the 3 dimensional heart filigree inside was made of human hair. Each of the dining rooms had tables that were set “properly” for a very formal occasion.
It does not take much longer than half an hour to go through the Castle. There is a gift shop when you exit as with most every tourist attraction today. We walked around the grounds and were able to take some great pictures of the exterior of the house. One of the things that you could not help but notice were the blooming rhododendrons that were completely covered in flower blooms of every color from pale pink to bright magenta to a pinkish orange and everything in between. We found these bushes all over the city.
As we left the Castle our tour guide drove us through China Town which in contrast to the city of Victoria that has it’s streets lined with lamp posts with five white globes, in China Town, the lamp posts are on a red post with one Chinese lantern on top. Very fitting for the area.
We were dropped off in downtown Victoria near The Empress Hotel on Douglas Street where we chose to leave the tour and walk around on our own. It was near lunch time and we chose to enjoy some moist and delicate fish and chips at the Bard & Banker Restaurant. The batter of the fish was crunched Ruffles potato chips. I’d never seen anything like this and when we asked the waiter about it, he told us the Chef had come up with the recipe because the potato chips minimizes the shrinkage of the fish and what you are served is plump and juicy. Their tartar sauce was some of the best I’ve ever had; and we asked if they sold it and they unfortunately said no.
We walked up and down Government Street and then down past The Empress Hotel where there was a bride and groom on the front steps having their pictures taken. On the harbor side along the sidewalk, there were several street entertainers performing. We saw Darth Vader playing the violin, a gentleman painting a picture in chalk, and a juggler as well. Along the street we past many musicians playing guitar who were sitting on the ground – but it added a nice ambience to the day as we walked around.
Many of the students in Victoria earn extra money by transporting visitors around in their pedi-cabs. We found Andrea, who is a student of environmental studies and French and she got us settled and we were on our way for a leisurely ride back to the ship. All total, it took about an hour. She peddled through town and over to Beacon Hill Park where the “rhodos” were simply breathtaking with several bushes grouped together and created this burst of bright magenta amongst the green grassy knolls and trees in the park. We passed several peacocks in the park that are allowed to roam free throughout the park. There are several small ponds with fountains and there is a bronzed bust of Queen Elizabeth (or Victoria) with a flower bed of huge pink tulips underneath. Our ride continued along the waterfront and eventually down to the cruise ship terminal where it ended all to soon (as with everything else).
As is tradition on the last night of the cruise, the Princess waiters did the Parade of the Baked Alaska and we were surprised (and disappointed) that Princess no longer lights the Alaska’s but not have battery operated flames. We said good bye to our table mates and everyone went off to finish their packing and make sure our luggage was put outside our stateroom by 10:00 p.m. so the crew could swoop it up and take it into the baggage holding areas down below and it will magically appear when we pass through Customs in Vancouver.
Don’t fret – the Travelogues are not over yet! We will be staying two days in Vancouver, so there’s still more to come!
Hope you are all well and we sure wish we were sharing this with you all! What a fun time that would be! Safe Travels!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Travelogue No. 6 - Seattle, Washington
TRAVELOGUE NO. 6
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
THURSDAY, May 12, 2010 – Seattle, Washington
It generally rains 226 days in Seattle. The “rain” is actually more of a mist that a downpour of rain – but it is wet nonetheless. Fortunately, we arrived in Seattle on one of those rate 139 days that grace the city with not a cloud in the sky. It was about 65 degrees and absolutely glorious. We could not have had better weather. Because we have been to Seattle several times, we decided to just play tourist today and so we signed up for the “Grand City Tour of Seattle”. The tour consisted of three parts – a tour of downtown Seattle and Pike’s Place Market on motor coach – a harbor tour on The Argosy tour boat from Lake Union to the Port of Seattle – and, a visit to the Space Needle.
Pike’s Place Market is a public market down on the waterfront in Seattle. It consists of various food stands and vendors all hoping that they have the exact thing that you are looking for. It is very well known as the place where “they throw the fish” over your head at the seafood counters. It is also the home of the best tea that I’ve ever had, Market Spice Tea. Many years ago, when my parents lived here in the Seattle area, they introduced me to this fabulous cinnamon-orange spice tea. It is best if you steep it in boiling water for at least five minutes. The aromas that come out of one little tea bag are incredible. You take in a deep breath and smell the richness of the spices…and once you take one sip, if you are a tea lover, I guarantee you’ll think this is some of the best tea you’ve ever had. So, naturally, we had to go there and pick up several boxes of this fabulous tea to take home. It is especially delicious on a rainy day when you are staying inside, have a fire going in the fireplace and are enjoying a good book. Here is the website if you want to savor a little for yourself. www.marketspice.com
We enjoyed walking leisurely through the Public Market and just people watching. The produce and the seafood counters were gorgeous, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish caught in the morning and brought to the Market to put on display. There are small flower carts in several areas, along with this other famous Seattle drink – Starbuck’s. There are close to 600 Starbuck’s stores in the greater Seattle area. The original location is across the street from Pike’s Market.
Our tour continued as our driver took us through Pioneer Square downtown and then out to Lake Union where we boarded our tour boat, the Argosy. As we pulled away from the small pier, they announced that they had some clam chowder for purchase, so Jim went and got each of us a cup. We sat at one of the picnic type tables on the second deck right next to a window, so we had a perfect view of everything the narrator was talking about. After we finished our soup, we went out on deck. Lake Union is home for over 10 of the boats seen in the TV series The Deadliest Catch – a show about the perils of being on a fishing boat in the northwest and Alaska. It is also home to the famous houseboat used in the film “Sleepless in Seattle”.
Interestingly, that houseboat was just sold to a couple who had just seen the movie and fell in love with the movie and the houseboat so much so that they got married inside their new “home”. The houseboat sold for a mere “several” million dollars!
As we continued on our tour of Lake Union, we passed under two draw bridges and on out to the locks – where we entered and secured, then the water level began to drop and we miraculously traveled DOWN 18 feet to sea level, where the locks were opened and we continued on out into Elliott Bay and on into the Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. The small lighthouse there is in the process of being restored and, unfortunately, was all covered in white plastic. Our tour continued along the waterfront and eventually took us right past the Sapphire Princess which was proudly docked at Pier 66 downtown and almost directly below the Space Needle.
Next, we boarded the motor coach again and were taken past Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners and Qwest Field, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks. After leaving there, our next stop was the Space Needle. This was built for the Exposition in 1962 and the World’s Fair. It only takes 42 seconds to travel from ground level up to the observation deck where you will enjoy a 360 degree view of Seattle.
After the tour, we went back to the ship and cleaned up and then were off for one of the highlights of our entire trip. We met Michele, my Strategic Sale Coach from my host agency. Michele has been coaching me the past few months, and has guided me along my path as a travel agent. We had agreed to meet at Ivar’s Seafood Restaurant near Pier 57 on the waterfront. Jim and I arrived first and were standing in front of the restaurant when we noticed a gal walking briskly towards us. She had straight, long hair and was wearing sunglasses that quickly were raised above her eyes when she spotted us. I immediately raised my sunglasses as well and when she reach us, we both laughed and agreed how nice it was to meet each other after only talking on the telephone on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for the past few months.
We were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant where we had a beautiful view of the water and were only one dock away from the terminal for the Washington State Ferries. So, while we sat and chatted and got to know each other in person, we enjoyed all of the activity on the water as well. Jim had a pound of Alaskan king crab legs, while Michele enjoyed the halibut and I enjoyed my salmon. The clam chowder at Ivar’s is some of the best that we’ve ever had, so Jim and I both got a cup of that along with a small dinner salad with their house “Louis” (thousand island) dressing. After dinner, we all had dessert – again, each of us enjoyed something different – Jim had bread pudding, Michele had the apple/rhubarb crisp and I had crème bruleé. Unfortunately, we had to get back to the ship by 9:30 p.m., so we eventually had the say our goodbyes and go on our separate ways. But, I have to say that being able to meet someone who you have only talked to on the telephone for several months was absolutely incredible and really meant a lot to me.
We sailed out of Seattle at 10:00 p.m. It was still twilight outside, and so I stood on our balcony and took some beautiful pictures of the Space Needle as we left port. Our final stop will be in Victoria, BC tomorrow. It is only a short distance from Seattle, and so the Captain announced he would only be cruising at about 10 mph.
Thank you Seattle for such a glorious beautiful day ~ and thank you Michele for taking the time to come enjoy dinner with us. You truly made my day! Talk to you soon!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
THURSDAY, May 12, 2010 – Seattle, Washington
It generally rains 226 days in Seattle. The “rain” is actually more of a mist that a downpour of rain – but it is wet nonetheless. Fortunately, we arrived in Seattle on one of those rate 139 days that grace the city with not a cloud in the sky. It was about 65 degrees and absolutely glorious. We could not have had better weather. Because we have been to Seattle several times, we decided to just play tourist today and so we signed up for the “Grand City Tour of Seattle”. The tour consisted of three parts – a tour of downtown Seattle and Pike’s Place Market on motor coach – a harbor tour on The Argosy tour boat from Lake Union to the Port of Seattle – and, a visit to the Space Needle.
Pike’s Place Market is a public market down on the waterfront in Seattle. It consists of various food stands and vendors all hoping that they have the exact thing that you are looking for. It is very well known as the place where “they throw the fish” over your head at the seafood counters. It is also the home of the best tea that I’ve ever had, Market Spice Tea. Many years ago, when my parents lived here in the Seattle area, they introduced me to this fabulous cinnamon-orange spice tea. It is best if you steep it in boiling water for at least five minutes. The aromas that come out of one little tea bag are incredible. You take in a deep breath and smell the richness of the spices…and once you take one sip, if you are a tea lover, I guarantee you’ll think this is some of the best tea you’ve ever had. So, naturally, we had to go there and pick up several boxes of this fabulous tea to take home. It is especially delicious on a rainy day when you are staying inside, have a fire going in the fireplace and are enjoying a good book. Here is the website if you want to savor a little for yourself. www.marketspice.com
We enjoyed walking leisurely through the Public Market and just people watching. The produce and the seafood counters were gorgeous, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish caught in the morning and brought to the Market to put on display. There are small flower carts in several areas, along with this other famous Seattle drink – Starbuck’s. There are close to 600 Starbuck’s stores in the greater Seattle area. The original location is across the street from Pike’s Market.
Our tour continued as our driver took us through Pioneer Square downtown and then out to Lake Union where we boarded our tour boat, the Argosy. As we pulled away from the small pier, they announced that they had some clam chowder for purchase, so Jim went and got each of us a cup. We sat at one of the picnic type tables on the second deck right next to a window, so we had a perfect view of everything the narrator was talking about. After we finished our soup, we went out on deck. Lake Union is home for over 10 of the boats seen in the TV series The Deadliest Catch – a show about the perils of being on a fishing boat in the northwest and Alaska. It is also home to the famous houseboat used in the film “Sleepless in Seattle”.
Interestingly, that houseboat was just sold to a couple who had just seen the movie and fell in love with the movie and the houseboat so much so that they got married inside their new “home”. The houseboat sold for a mere “several” million dollars!
As we continued on our tour of Lake Union, we passed under two draw bridges and on out to the locks – where we entered and secured, then the water level began to drop and we miraculously traveled DOWN 18 feet to sea level, where the locks were opened and we continued on out into Elliott Bay and on into the Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. The small lighthouse there is in the process of being restored and, unfortunately, was all covered in white plastic. Our tour continued along the waterfront and eventually took us right past the Sapphire Princess which was proudly docked at Pier 66 downtown and almost directly below the Space Needle.
Next, we boarded the motor coach again and were taken past Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners and Qwest Field, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks. After leaving there, our next stop was the Space Needle. This was built for the Exposition in 1962 and the World’s Fair. It only takes 42 seconds to travel from ground level up to the observation deck where you will enjoy a 360 degree view of Seattle.
After the tour, we went back to the ship and cleaned up and then were off for one of the highlights of our entire trip. We met Michele, my Strategic Sale Coach from my host agency. Michele has been coaching me the past few months, and has guided me along my path as a travel agent. We had agreed to meet at Ivar’s Seafood Restaurant near Pier 57 on the waterfront. Jim and I arrived first and were standing in front of the restaurant when we noticed a gal walking briskly towards us. She had straight, long hair and was wearing sunglasses that quickly were raised above her eyes when she spotted us. I immediately raised my sunglasses as well and when she reach us, we both laughed and agreed how nice it was to meet each other after only talking on the telephone on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for the past few months.
We were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant where we had a beautiful view of the water and were only one dock away from the terminal for the Washington State Ferries. So, while we sat and chatted and got to know each other in person, we enjoyed all of the activity on the water as well. Jim had a pound of Alaskan king crab legs, while Michele enjoyed the halibut and I enjoyed my salmon. The clam chowder at Ivar’s is some of the best that we’ve ever had, so Jim and I both got a cup of that along with a small dinner salad with their house “Louis” (thousand island) dressing. After dinner, we all had dessert – again, each of us enjoyed something different – Jim had bread pudding, Michele had the apple/rhubarb crisp and I had crème bruleé. Unfortunately, we had to get back to the ship by 9:30 p.m., so we eventually had the say our goodbyes and go on our separate ways. But, I have to say that being able to meet someone who you have only talked to on the telephone for several months was absolutely incredible and really meant a lot to me.
We sailed out of Seattle at 10:00 p.m. It was still twilight outside, and so I stood on our balcony and took some beautiful pictures of the Space Needle as we left port. Our final stop will be in Victoria, BC tomorrow. It is only a short distance from Seattle, and so the Captain announced he would only be cruising at about 10 mph.
Thank you Seattle for such a glorious beautiful day ~ and thank you Michele for taking the time to come enjoy dinner with us. You truly made my day! Talk to you soon!
Travelogue No. 5 - Astoria, Oregon
TRAVELOGUE NO. 5
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2010 – Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is one of our favorite ports of call on a Pacific Coastal cruise because we get the pleasure of being with friends and family! We do not sign up for any shore excursions, because they take us on our own private excursions around the area – and this time was no different.
Astoria is in northwestern Oregon and a port on the Columbia River where it is a major shipping point for logs and grain and has fish and wood-processing industries. Fur traders sent by the America merchant, John Jacob Astor, founded Astoria in 1811. Astoria is the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Around 1802, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition of explorers searching for large rivers and possible road-ways through the wilderness that Captain Robert Gray had found in 1792. Thus, the Lewis and Clark journey of discovery was formed. They began their journey in Saint Lewis and after a 2000 mile trek, the 33 members of the group spent an incredibly difficult winter at Fort Clatsup in 1805.
There are several interesting places of interest in Astoria. One of our favorites is the Astoria Column – a 125 foot high column patterned after the Trajan’s Column in Rome by architect Electus Ritchfield. From the Column you have spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge and of the Willamette River Valley. You can climb up into the column as well; but we have not made that trek yet.
Another of our favorite places is the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It is located right on the waterfront and contains one of the most extensive collections of nautical artifacts on the west coast. The exhibits about the Coast Guard rescues at the mouth of the Gorge in bad weather are incredible and so interesting that you cannot help but stand and watch the entire video presentation.
Fort Clatsup is nearby and commemorates the 1805-1806 winter encampment of the 33-member Lewis and Clark expedition. This is a replica of the actual 50 X 50 fort and is nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary.
Today, however, we did not go to any of those places. Today, Jim’s daughter Jen and our good friends Rob & Christie all drove out from Portland to spend the day with us. The Sapphire Princess picked up the local pilot to help navigate us through the “bar” (which is where the Columbia River greets the Pacific Ocean) and continue on down the Columbia River to Astoria. The morning was a brisk 55° or so with a slight wind, but actually, very pleasant. After Captain Sagini gently pulled the Sapphire into its mooring spot on the dock and we got customs clearance to leave, Jim and I walked down to get in line with the passengers leaving the ship. Once we walked down the gangway and through the small flea market where the locals were selling their homemade jams and jellies and knitted scarves and such, we walked through the chain link fence to the parking lot where our three greeters were there waiting for us with open arms. It is always so good to see everyone.
And so, our adventure of enjoying the day began…we went to Pig’n’Pancake for breakfast where we caught up a little and filled our tummies with warm food and coffee and then we were off to Cannon Beach – our ultimate destination today. Cannon Beach is about one hour south of Astoria and is surrounded by the rugged natural beauty of forests, ocean beaches and rivers. We drove to Tolovana Beach, where we parked and walked out to the beach that had spectacular views of the Cannon Beach Haystack Rock which is a monolith right on the water’s edge. As we walked along the firm sand of the beach, you could not help notice that when the water swept in from the ocean and up onto the beach, there were no crashing waves, but rather the water flowed calmly up and washed across the beach. There were seagulls in front us, that seemed to be playing in the water as it reached them and they kept walking right in front of us as far as we walked. The last time we were at Cannon Beach, Jen and I both found sand dollars in the sand, but we had no luck this time. We did see a couple of broken remnants of some, but nothing in tact.
From the beach, we got back in the cars and drove back into the small community to enjoy walking through some of the boutiques and art galleries. Jim & I and Rob & Christie both bought some art at a local gallery and they will ship ours to us once we get home in a few days.
For lunch we enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the only restaurants on the water at the Wayfarer Restaurant. The view out the front picture window was spectacular of the Cannon Beach Hay Stack and beach. We sat and visited and just enjoyed everything.
Because the Sapphire Princess was leaving Astoria at 4:00 in the afternoon, after lunch we headed back to Astoria where Jen left us and headed back to Portland and we went back to Pig’n’Pancake with Rob & Christie for a cup of coffee and a quick game of Euchre (our favorite card game). Although I “feathered”, the guys still took the game – but we gave them a run for their money as the score was 31 to 29. Then, they had to take us back to the ship and say goodbye. This is the part I always hate because there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.
I don’t know about you, but I feel that way at the end of a cruise as well. No matter what we do – we always seem to say we wished we had just a few more minutes. This was no exception.
As the Sapphire pulled out of port in Astoria, the Captain pointed out several points of interest for us – one was where Free Willy was filmed. We got pictures of the area where Keiko actually was “freed” and jumped over the rock seawall. After that we passed the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse to the north and could also see further north to the North Head Lighthouse. Both of those are easy driving distance from Astoria, and if you’re a lighthouse fan like me, they are truly worth going to visit.
The Sapphire reached “the bar” and soon after, the pilot left the ship and our Captain turned the Sapphire north once again on our way to Seattle. Tonight we enjoyed another special dinner in the Sterling Steakhouse. Till next time…
Wish you were here!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2010 – Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is one of our favorite ports of call on a Pacific Coastal cruise because we get the pleasure of being with friends and family! We do not sign up for any shore excursions, because they take us on our own private excursions around the area – and this time was no different.
Astoria is in northwestern Oregon and a port on the Columbia River where it is a major shipping point for logs and grain and has fish and wood-processing industries. Fur traders sent by the America merchant, John Jacob Astor, founded Astoria in 1811. Astoria is the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Around 1802, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition of explorers searching for large rivers and possible road-ways through the wilderness that Captain Robert Gray had found in 1792. Thus, the Lewis and Clark journey of discovery was formed. They began their journey in Saint Lewis and after a 2000 mile trek, the 33 members of the group spent an incredibly difficult winter at Fort Clatsup in 1805.
There are several interesting places of interest in Astoria. One of our favorites is the Astoria Column – a 125 foot high column patterned after the Trajan’s Column in Rome by architect Electus Ritchfield. From the Column you have spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge and of the Willamette River Valley. You can climb up into the column as well; but we have not made that trek yet.
Another of our favorite places is the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It is located right on the waterfront and contains one of the most extensive collections of nautical artifacts on the west coast. The exhibits about the Coast Guard rescues at the mouth of the Gorge in bad weather are incredible and so interesting that you cannot help but stand and watch the entire video presentation.
Fort Clatsup is nearby and commemorates the 1805-1806 winter encampment of the 33-member Lewis and Clark expedition. This is a replica of the actual 50 X 50 fort and is nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary.
Today, however, we did not go to any of those places. Today, Jim’s daughter Jen and our good friends Rob & Christie all drove out from Portland to spend the day with us. The Sapphire Princess picked up the local pilot to help navigate us through the “bar” (which is where the Columbia River greets the Pacific Ocean) and continue on down the Columbia River to Astoria. The morning was a brisk 55° or so with a slight wind, but actually, very pleasant. After Captain Sagini gently pulled the Sapphire into its mooring spot on the dock and we got customs clearance to leave, Jim and I walked down to get in line with the passengers leaving the ship. Once we walked down the gangway and through the small flea market where the locals were selling their homemade jams and jellies and knitted scarves and such, we walked through the chain link fence to the parking lot where our three greeters were there waiting for us with open arms. It is always so good to see everyone.
And so, our adventure of enjoying the day began…we went to Pig’n’Pancake for breakfast where we caught up a little and filled our tummies with warm food and coffee and then we were off to Cannon Beach – our ultimate destination today. Cannon Beach is about one hour south of Astoria and is surrounded by the rugged natural beauty of forests, ocean beaches and rivers. We drove to Tolovana Beach, where we parked and walked out to the beach that had spectacular views of the Cannon Beach Haystack Rock which is a monolith right on the water’s edge. As we walked along the firm sand of the beach, you could not help notice that when the water swept in from the ocean and up onto the beach, there were no crashing waves, but rather the water flowed calmly up and washed across the beach. There were seagulls in front us, that seemed to be playing in the water as it reached them and they kept walking right in front of us as far as we walked. The last time we were at Cannon Beach, Jen and I both found sand dollars in the sand, but we had no luck this time. We did see a couple of broken remnants of some, but nothing in tact.
From the beach, we got back in the cars and drove back into the small community to enjoy walking through some of the boutiques and art galleries. Jim & I and Rob & Christie both bought some art at a local gallery and they will ship ours to us once we get home in a few days.
For lunch we enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the only restaurants on the water at the Wayfarer Restaurant. The view out the front picture window was spectacular of the Cannon Beach Hay Stack and beach. We sat and visited and just enjoyed everything.
Because the Sapphire Princess was leaving Astoria at 4:00 in the afternoon, after lunch we headed back to Astoria where Jen left us and headed back to Portland and we went back to Pig’n’Pancake with Rob & Christie for a cup of coffee and a quick game of Euchre (our favorite card game). Although I “feathered”, the guys still took the game – but we gave them a run for their money as the score was 31 to 29. Then, they had to take us back to the ship and say goodbye. This is the part I always hate because there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.
I don’t know about you, but I feel that way at the end of a cruise as well. No matter what we do – we always seem to say we wished we had just a few more minutes. This was no exception.
As the Sapphire pulled out of port in Astoria, the Captain pointed out several points of interest for us – one was where Free Willy was filmed. We got pictures of the area where Keiko actually was “freed” and jumped over the rock seawall. After that we passed the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse to the north and could also see further north to the North Head Lighthouse. Both of those are easy driving distance from Astoria, and if you’re a lighthouse fan like me, they are truly worth going to visit.
The Sapphire reached “the bar” and soon after, the pilot left the ship and our Captain turned the Sapphire north once again on our way to Seattle. Tonight we enjoyed another special dinner in the Sterling Steakhouse. Till next time…
Wish you were here!
Travelogue No. 4 - Day at sea and the Ultimate Ship Tour
TRAVELOGUE NO. 4
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
TUESDAY, May 11, 2010 – Day at Sea and the “Ultimate Ship Tour”
Today was a special day because we signed up for the “Ultimate Ship Tour” – something that has not been offered since 9/11. One of Cruise Director’s Staff escorted a small group of 12 of us for this tour. The cost of the tour is $150 and worth every last penny; because we actually got down into the belly behind the scenes of the ship. It was fascinating!
Our first stop was in the Princess Theater where we got to actually go up on stage and look above us five floors where lights, sets, and costumes where suspended and would be pulled down when needed. As you can imagine, the floor is wooden and also has an elevator lift that takes dancers and singers down underneath if the production number requires it right from the center of the stage. We then proceeded back into one of the several dressing rooms where we met two of the dancers. Each dancer has their own make-up station and a large number of attendants who help them dress, buckle their shoes, touch-up their make up and fix their hair. There is a cleaner rack with the push button mechanism in there that they will push and recall whatever costume they need for the next dancer. Just like getting your clothes from the dry-cleaners.
From the stage we went down to the Medical Department and met the Doctor who has a staff of three nurses. There are three exam rooms and they have a full pharmacy if needed to dispense prescriptions to the staff and the passengers. They have the ability to do small surgeries such as fix a broken arm but most major surgeries would have to be done on land and so the passenger would have to be air-lifted off the ship and taken to the nearest hospital. The Doctor could not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing travel insurance for this very reason. She said that the cost of the air-flight helicopter is a whopping $50,000!
We went to the galley next where we actually got to go through one of three galleys on the ship. The chef’s were all busy preparing soup in huge 10 gallon drums. Looked like tomato bisque to me! There were some prep chefs dicing and cutting vegetables. The galley has “stores” where the different types of food are kept. We went to the “produce store” the “fruit store” and we actually even got to go inside the freezer where the meat is in one section, the chicken in another and the fish in another. I have to tell you that I truly felt like Lucille Ball when she got locked in the meat locker on I Love Lucy! It’s cold in there! Then we went over to the “Bread/Bakery” Department I found the perfect machine that anyone who entertains must have! Of course, it would not look very nice in your kitchen, but what a great thing to have! Once your dough is made and raised, it is put through this machine on a plastic paddle that looks much like an oversized deviled egg tray. You turn the machine on – it jiggles around and Whalla! Out pop 24 perfect dinner rolls! There’s no rolling, kneading, patting, or weighing to make the perfect size – the machine does it all for you! After that we were treated to some 2” size chocolate covered strawberries and small decadent butter cookies along with punch in a tall; fluted glass complete with umbrella, orange slice and cherry on top!
The Print Shop was our next stop. Here they print everything for the ship from the daily restaurant menus, to the Princess Patter (our daily newsletter) along with information about the ports we are going to visit, shore excursion information and also the daily sales from the ship’s stores. We were each given a 5 X 7 pad of paper that said Ultimate Ship Tour and had each of our names on top.
Once we left the print shop we went to the laundry. Every department on the ship works 24/7 with three shifts of 8 hours each to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. The laundry is no exception. Here I found another couple of machines that I would love to own but would not have the room to put them in my house nor would they be pleasing to the eye – but what a fabulous job that do! One of the greatest was the presser for the napkins and table cloths. The operator will put a slightly damp table cloth into the machine and when it comes out the other side, it is pressed beautifully and folded! They have another machine like this for towels! Fabulous! And, everything comes out perfect! This is also where the crew has their clothes cleaned and the Captain and his staff have their uniforms dry-cleaned.
From there we went down to the engineering control room. There’s four diesel engines and one turbo engine. The big turbo engines on the top of the ship serve no purpose other than they look cool up there.
Going to the Bridge was the highlight for everyone, as you can imagine. We met Captain Dino Sagani who was born in Trieste on the North East Adriatic coast of Italy. He is proud to tell you that he is Captain of the “largest” ship in the Princess Fleet – the Sapphire Princes weighs in at 117,000 tons. Although she does not carry the most passengers, she is 5’ wider than the Grand Princess and the Golden Princess. Captain Sagani showed us the “joy stick” and the steering wheel, which is the size of a steering wheel you would expect to see on a Ferrari. It is not much bigger than about 12 inches at most. There are two officers with binoculars standing at the front of the bridge constantly watching the horizon, and there are three more behind the center console. There is a separate control station on both sides of the bridge out on the wings which go out beyond the side of the ship about 5-6 feet. This gives the Captain the perfect view he needs to pull us perfectly alongside the piers without touching them.
Our Ultimate Ship Tour was ended with a glass of champagne and more chocolate covered strawberries. Pictures were taken of us in each of the departments with the staff. After the tour, we were each handed a folder with copies of all of the photos. Along with our personalized paper pad, it was a very nice gift. But, Princess went above and beyond and gave each of us a beautiful Princess waffle robe and chefs apron on top of everything else. It was really the “ultimate”.
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
TUESDAY, May 11, 2010 – Day at Sea and the “Ultimate Ship Tour”
Today was a special day because we signed up for the “Ultimate Ship Tour” – something that has not been offered since 9/11. One of Cruise Director’s Staff escorted a small group of 12 of us for this tour. The cost of the tour is $150 and worth every last penny; because we actually got down into the belly behind the scenes of the ship. It was fascinating!
Our first stop was in the Princess Theater where we got to actually go up on stage and look above us five floors where lights, sets, and costumes where suspended and would be pulled down when needed. As you can imagine, the floor is wooden and also has an elevator lift that takes dancers and singers down underneath if the production number requires it right from the center of the stage. We then proceeded back into one of the several dressing rooms where we met two of the dancers. Each dancer has their own make-up station and a large number of attendants who help them dress, buckle their shoes, touch-up their make up and fix their hair. There is a cleaner rack with the push button mechanism in there that they will push and recall whatever costume they need for the next dancer. Just like getting your clothes from the dry-cleaners.
From the stage we went down to the Medical Department and met the Doctor who has a staff of three nurses. There are three exam rooms and they have a full pharmacy if needed to dispense prescriptions to the staff and the passengers. They have the ability to do small surgeries such as fix a broken arm but most major surgeries would have to be done on land and so the passenger would have to be air-lifted off the ship and taken to the nearest hospital. The Doctor could not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing travel insurance for this very reason. She said that the cost of the air-flight helicopter is a whopping $50,000!
We went to the galley next where we actually got to go through one of three galleys on the ship. The chef’s were all busy preparing soup in huge 10 gallon drums. Looked like tomato bisque to me! There were some prep chefs dicing and cutting vegetables. The galley has “stores” where the different types of food are kept. We went to the “produce store” the “fruit store” and we actually even got to go inside the freezer where the meat is in one section, the chicken in another and the fish in another. I have to tell you that I truly felt like Lucille Ball when she got locked in the meat locker on I Love Lucy! It’s cold in there! Then we went over to the “Bread/Bakery” Department I found the perfect machine that anyone who entertains must have! Of course, it would not look very nice in your kitchen, but what a great thing to have! Once your dough is made and raised, it is put through this machine on a plastic paddle that looks much like an oversized deviled egg tray. You turn the machine on – it jiggles around and Whalla! Out pop 24 perfect dinner rolls! There’s no rolling, kneading, patting, or weighing to make the perfect size – the machine does it all for you! After that we were treated to some 2” size chocolate covered strawberries and small decadent butter cookies along with punch in a tall; fluted glass complete with umbrella, orange slice and cherry on top!
The Print Shop was our next stop. Here they print everything for the ship from the daily restaurant menus, to the Princess Patter (our daily newsletter) along with information about the ports we are going to visit, shore excursion information and also the daily sales from the ship’s stores. We were each given a 5 X 7 pad of paper that said Ultimate Ship Tour and had each of our names on top.
Once we left the print shop we went to the laundry. Every department on the ship works 24/7 with three shifts of 8 hours each to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. The laundry is no exception. Here I found another couple of machines that I would love to own but would not have the room to put them in my house nor would they be pleasing to the eye – but what a fabulous job that do! One of the greatest was the presser for the napkins and table cloths. The operator will put a slightly damp table cloth into the machine and when it comes out the other side, it is pressed beautifully and folded! They have another machine like this for towels! Fabulous! And, everything comes out perfect! This is also where the crew has their clothes cleaned and the Captain and his staff have their uniforms dry-cleaned.
From there we went down to the engineering control room. There’s four diesel engines and one turbo engine. The big turbo engines on the top of the ship serve no purpose other than they look cool up there.
Going to the Bridge was the highlight for everyone, as you can imagine. We met Captain Dino Sagani who was born in Trieste on the North East Adriatic coast of Italy. He is proud to tell you that he is Captain of the “largest” ship in the Princess Fleet – the Sapphire Princes weighs in at 117,000 tons. Although she does not carry the most passengers, she is 5’ wider than the Grand Princess and the Golden Princess. Captain Sagani showed us the “joy stick” and the steering wheel, which is the size of a steering wheel you would expect to see on a Ferrari. It is not much bigger than about 12 inches at most. There are two officers with binoculars standing at the front of the bridge constantly watching the horizon, and there are three more behind the center console. There is a separate control station on both sides of the bridge out on the wings which go out beyond the side of the ship about 5-6 feet. This gives the Captain the perfect view he needs to pull us perfectly alongside the piers without touching them.
Our Ultimate Ship Tour was ended with a glass of champagne and more chocolate covered strawberries. Pictures were taken of us in each of the departments with the staff. After the tour, we were each handed a folder with copies of all of the photos. Along with our personalized paper pad, it was a very nice gift. But, Princess went above and beyond and gave each of us a beautiful Princess waffle robe and chefs apron on top of everything else. It was really the “ultimate”.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Travelogue No. 3 San Francisco, Sausalito and The Muir Woods- Wine Country Coastal Cruise Sapphire Princess
TRAVELOGUE NO. 3
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
MONDAY, 10, 2010 – Sausalito and Muir Woods out of San Francisco
As we sailed north out of Santa Barbara, the Captain told us the winds were in excess of 40-50 knots. Believe me, it was a rocky night for sure. We were told that Sapphire Princess would slow down and pick up our pilot to go into San Francisco Bay around 7:00 in the morning. We were up early and did not want to miss the beautiful sight of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The weather could not have been more perfect, other than it being a bit cool up on deck with the winds blowing against us, it was a perfect morning. The clouds above us stayed away, so we had a bit of sunshine shining down on us. As we approached the harbor, we passed by The Cliff House Restaurant and Seal Rock which are perched out on a bluff south of Golden Gate Park. I was lucky enough to go to The Cliff House when I was a teenager back in the 1960’s, and I remember the view as being spectacular. On the left side of the ship as we entered the bay we passed by a lighthouse which greeted us with its shining beacon every ten seconds or so. The Golden Gate Bridge was in complete view to us and most of the passengers (I think) were either standing out on their balconies or up on deck with the rest of us to enjoy the magnificent structure we were gliding under her at about 7:45 a.m. We had a mere 38 feet clearance above the funnel of the ship when we passed under her about a mile south of Alcatraz Island. The ship’s horn blew as we passed under and couples kissed each other in true tradition of sailing under the bridge. The Captain very delicately brought us in to Pier 27 just slightly east of Pier 39 without even touching the wooden dock on either side of the Sapphire Princess.
Our tour today was of Sausalito and the Muir Woods. We chose this because neither of us could ever remember being there before. We were gathered in a group down in the Princess Theater and then walked out to the gangway where we walked through a barren metal terminal building and over to our motor coaches. Ours was a 44 passenger coach with a tour conductor, Dave and our driver, Vince. Once everyone was on board and comfortable, we headed through the Embarcadero and past Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Presidio on to the Golden Gate Bridge. Just after we came to the far edge of the bridge, we pulled into one of the viewing parking lots to get some pictures. By this time, the clouds had come in and were threatening rain above us. Just as we got off the coach, the rain began to sprinkle and those of us with umbrellas promptly opened them. Jim and I first walked to an oval granite area where a bronze figure of The Lone Sailor was proudly standing facing the Bridge with the American and California flags proudly flying behind him on a white flag pole. As we turned around to see the view the Lone Sailor had, we immediately saw the magnificent red/orange painted Golden Gate Bridge. Though it was raining and the clouds were lowering closer to the ground as if in a fog, we were still able to take a few nice pictures of the Bridge and see the full expansion of it. Both sides of the Bridge were full of commuters on their way to work to start their day. The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge, but you only pay a toll as you return back into San Francisco.
Our tour then continued north and then took off on the very winding road to the Muir Woods. It was pouring rain at this point. We climbed up a hill and then very carefully, Vince drove down the other side being careful to pull over in the turn outs so the cars backed up behind us could pass by safely. As we drove further and further down into the canyon, the trees became denser and the undercover foliage became thick with gorgeous ferns and wild flowers. We saw a few redwood trees but not many before we got to the National Park. The Muir Woods were purchased by William and Elizabeth Kent, who bought the land to preserve and protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods in this area. To ensure the permanent protection of the area, they donated 295 acres to the federal government; and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national monument. At Mr. Kent’s request, the area was named for the conservationist John Muir. John Muir wrote Mr. Kent a letter thanking him for the gift to the government and for naming it after him and said “This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all of the forests in the world.” What is ironic about that statement is that at the front entrance to The Muir Woods, there is a plaque designating a specific area for demonstrations under the First Amendment. Who would protest such a thing?
As we walked along the heavy wooden planks that marked the trail, the rain began to gently mist above us. We were somewhat protected by the canopy of the trees above; but we did pull out the umbrella as the rain began to fall harder. Both Jim and I commented to ourselves that this was the first time in years that we were consciously “walking in the rain”…and a beautiful walk it was. The wooden planked walkway is lined with redwood railings so as to keep you on the path. You are not allowed to venture off on your own. We crossed over a gently babbling brook on Bridge No. 1 and then continued through the forest. The rays of sun would gently come through the trees every once in awhile; but most of the time, it was dark because of the clouds and the rain. The forest floor was thick with luscious ferns and a small ground cover called redwood sorrel that has leaves that almost look like clover and delicate pink flowers about the size of a quarter. If you stopped and just took a deep breath, you could not help smell the freshness of the rain on the redwoods. It was completely relaxing for both of us. There was no agenda for us and no group to keep up with – which enabled me to stop and take pictures whenever I wanted. The groves of redwoods were magnificent as they seemed to reach to the sky.
The shade loving undergrowth thrives under the redwood canopy above. Besides the ground cover, there were a couple of other wild flowers growing on the forest floor.
The redwoods love the rain and soak up every bit they can then release it when it is necessary for the environment. The tallest of the redwoods stands 252 feet in the air and is over 14 feet wide. Many of these trees were 1,000 years old or more; but the majority of them are about 500 to 800 years old. As we walked along the path to Bridge No. 2, the rain began falling harder and we quickened our pace so we didn’t get totally soaked. But, I still had to stop and take pictures all along the way. There was a nice gift shop near the entrance of the park along with a coffee counter where the majority of our other passengers were crowded around getting a bite to eat and something warm to drink.
As we left the Muir Woods, we headed southwest and through a valley here a very famous Zen farm is located. You can go there and “work” in exchange for your lodging or a reduced rate. The brand name of their natural vegetables and bakery goods is Green Gulch. Dave told us these items are sold all over the state – and one of the most famous supporters of the Zen Center is former California Governor, Jerry Brown.
We continued out the windy road; but the clouds seemed to be stalling, and the rain subsided. I cannot even begin to imagine driving either of these roads in the thick, San Francisco fog! In fact, Dave said there are several cars at the bottom of the gulch that didn’t make it.
Our afternoon continued by arriving in the quaint seaside town of Sausalito. With its many sidewalk cafés and homes built on the side of the hill, the view of San Francisco was spectacular. We walked down the street about two blocks to the Yee Chee Park, where there were hanging baskets full of blooming flowers above us on the lamp posts. We walked out to the edge of the concrete sea wall where we were joined by several birds looking for scraps of food. After that, we headed back along the other side of the street where we passed a park with a monument of elephants on either side of the steps going up to a large oval fountain. This was given to the City of Sausalito by its sister city in Chile. We’re not quite sure what the significance of the elephants is – but – whatever…The rain began to fall once again just before we were supposed to get back on the coach and head back to the ship. By the time we reached San Francisco and the pier, it was raining again. Several people got off the coach and went on to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy a little more shopping and some yummy clam chowder. We opted to head back to the ship to get out of our wet clothes.
Late in the afternoon before we left port, Jim noticed a double rainbow gracing us outside off of our balcony on the port (left) side of the ship. This rainbow literally started from right beside the ship and made a full circle above us over towards The Bay Bridge. Then, magically, another rainbow appeared almost shadowing the first all around. We could hear many passengers telling their friends and family to go out and see the rainbow. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
We left San Francisco and sailed out past Alcatraz Island and lighthouse and again under The Golden Gate Bridge and headed north into very rough seas. The Captain said the swells “might” be a little rough during the night. And so it was! We passed the lighthouse at Point Reyes and continued on our way.
We enjoyed dinner at Table 55 in the International Dining Room with our six other table companions. I had some delicious pasta with a red lobster sauce for my appetizer while Jim enjoyed French Onion Soup. We both had veal scaloppini cordon bleu as our main course.
Tomorrow we have a “day at sea” and will be enjoying “The Ultimate Ship Tour” – something special I purchased for Jim and me to do. We will actually get to go onto “the bridge”!!
Safe travels!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
MONDAY, 10, 2010 – Sausalito and Muir Woods out of San Francisco
As we sailed north out of Santa Barbara, the Captain told us the winds were in excess of 40-50 knots. Believe me, it was a rocky night for sure. We were told that Sapphire Princess would slow down and pick up our pilot to go into San Francisco Bay around 7:00 in the morning. We were up early and did not want to miss the beautiful sight of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The weather could not have been more perfect, other than it being a bit cool up on deck with the winds blowing against us, it was a perfect morning. The clouds above us stayed away, so we had a bit of sunshine shining down on us. As we approached the harbor, we passed by The Cliff House Restaurant and Seal Rock which are perched out on a bluff south of Golden Gate Park. I was lucky enough to go to The Cliff House when I was a teenager back in the 1960’s, and I remember the view as being spectacular. On the left side of the ship as we entered the bay we passed by a lighthouse which greeted us with its shining beacon every ten seconds or so. The Golden Gate Bridge was in complete view to us and most of the passengers (I think) were either standing out on their balconies or up on deck with the rest of us to enjoy the magnificent structure we were gliding under her at about 7:45 a.m. We had a mere 38 feet clearance above the funnel of the ship when we passed under her about a mile south of Alcatraz Island. The ship’s horn blew as we passed under and couples kissed each other in true tradition of sailing under the bridge. The Captain very delicately brought us in to Pier 27 just slightly east of Pier 39 without even touching the wooden dock on either side of the Sapphire Princess.
Our tour today was of Sausalito and the Muir Woods. We chose this because neither of us could ever remember being there before. We were gathered in a group down in the Princess Theater and then walked out to the gangway where we walked through a barren metal terminal building and over to our motor coaches. Ours was a 44 passenger coach with a tour conductor, Dave and our driver, Vince. Once everyone was on board and comfortable, we headed through the Embarcadero and past Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Presidio on to the Golden Gate Bridge. Just after we came to the far edge of the bridge, we pulled into one of the viewing parking lots to get some pictures. By this time, the clouds had come in and were threatening rain above us. Just as we got off the coach, the rain began to sprinkle and those of us with umbrellas promptly opened them. Jim and I first walked to an oval granite area where a bronze figure of The Lone Sailor was proudly standing facing the Bridge with the American and California flags proudly flying behind him on a white flag pole. As we turned around to see the view the Lone Sailor had, we immediately saw the magnificent red/orange painted Golden Gate Bridge. Though it was raining and the clouds were lowering closer to the ground as if in a fog, we were still able to take a few nice pictures of the Bridge and see the full expansion of it. Both sides of the Bridge were full of commuters on their way to work to start their day. The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge, but you only pay a toll as you return back into San Francisco.
Our tour then continued north and then took off on the very winding road to the Muir Woods. It was pouring rain at this point. We climbed up a hill and then very carefully, Vince drove down the other side being careful to pull over in the turn outs so the cars backed up behind us could pass by safely. As we drove further and further down into the canyon, the trees became denser and the undercover foliage became thick with gorgeous ferns and wild flowers. We saw a few redwood trees but not many before we got to the National Park. The Muir Woods were purchased by William and Elizabeth Kent, who bought the land to preserve and protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods in this area. To ensure the permanent protection of the area, they donated 295 acres to the federal government; and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national monument. At Mr. Kent’s request, the area was named for the conservationist John Muir. John Muir wrote Mr. Kent a letter thanking him for the gift to the government and for naming it after him and said “This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all of the forests in the world.” What is ironic about that statement is that at the front entrance to The Muir Woods, there is a plaque designating a specific area for demonstrations under the First Amendment. Who would protest such a thing?
As we walked along the heavy wooden planks that marked the trail, the rain began to gently mist above us. We were somewhat protected by the canopy of the trees above; but we did pull out the umbrella as the rain began to fall harder. Both Jim and I commented to ourselves that this was the first time in years that we were consciously “walking in the rain”…and a beautiful walk it was. The wooden planked walkway is lined with redwood railings so as to keep you on the path. You are not allowed to venture off on your own. We crossed over a gently babbling brook on Bridge No. 1 and then continued through the forest. The rays of sun would gently come through the trees every once in awhile; but most of the time, it was dark because of the clouds and the rain. The forest floor was thick with luscious ferns and a small ground cover called redwood sorrel that has leaves that almost look like clover and delicate pink flowers about the size of a quarter. If you stopped and just took a deep breath, you could not help smell the freshness of the rain on the redwoods. It was completely relaxing for both of us. There was no agenda for us and no group to keep up with – which enabled me to stop and take pictures whenever I wanted. The groves of redwoods were magnificent as they seemed to reach to the sky.
The shade loving undergrowth thrives under the redwood canopy above. Besides the ground cover, there were a couple of other wild flowers growing on the forest floor.
The redwoods love the rain and soak up every bit they can then release it when it is necessary for the environment. The tallest of the redwoods stands 252 feet in the air and is over 14 feet wide. Many of these trees were 1,000 years old or more; but the majority of them are about 500 to 800 years old. As we walked along the path to Bridge No. 2, the rain began falling harder and we quickened our pace so we didn’t get totally soaked. But, I still had to stop and take pictures all along the way. There was a nice gift shop near the entrance of the park along with a coffee counter where the majority of our other passengers were crowded around getting a bite to eat and something warm to drink.
As we left the Muir Woods, we headed southwest and through a valley here a very famous Zen farm is located. You can go there and “work” in exchange for your lodging or a reduced rate. The brand name of their natural vegetables and bakery goods is Green Gulch. Dave told us these items are sold all over the state – and one of the most famous supporters of the Zen Center is former California Governor, Jerry Brown.
We continued out the windy road; but the clouds seemed to be stalling, and the rain subsided. I cannot even begin to imagine driving either of these roads in the thick, San Francisco fog! In fact, Dave said there are several cars at the bottom of the gulch that didn’t make it.
Our afternoon continued by arriving in the quaint seaside town of Sausalito. With its many sidewalk cafés and homes built on the side of the hill, the view of San Francisco was spectacular. We walked down the street about two blocks to the Yee Chee Park, where there were hanging baskets full of blooming flowers above us on the lamp posts. We walked out to the edge of the concrete sea wall where we were joined by several birds looking for scraps of food. After that, we headed back along the other side of the street where we passed a park with a monument of elephants on either side of the steps going up to a large oval fountain. This was given to the City of Sausalito by its sister city in Chile. We’re not quite sure what the significance of the elephants is – but – whatever…The rain began to fall once again just before we were supposed to get back on the coach and head back to the ship. By the time we reached San Francisco and the pier, it was raining again. Several people got off the coach and went on to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy a little more shopping and some yummy clam chowder. We opted to head back to the ship to get out of our wet clothes.
Late in the afternoon before we left port, Jim noticed a double rainbow gracing us outside off of our balcony on the port (left) side of the ship. This rainbow literally started from right beside the ship and made a full circle above us over towards The Bay Bridge. Then, magically, another rainbow appeared almost shadowing the first all around. We could hear many passengers telling their friends and family to go out and see the rainbow. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
We left San Francisco and sailed out past Alcatraz Island and lighthouse and again under The Golden Gate Bridge and headed north into very rough seas. The Captain said the swells “might” be a little rough during the night. And so it was! We passed the lighthouse at Point Reyes and continued on our way.
We enjoyed dinner at Table 55 in the International Dining Room with our six other table companions. I had some delicious pasta with a red lobster sauce for my appetizer while Jim enjoyed French Onion Soup. We both had veal scaloppini cordon bleu as our main course.
Tomorrow we have a “day at sea” and will be enjoying “The Ultimate Ship Tour” – something special I purchased for Jim and me to do. We will actually get to go onto “the bridge”!!
Safe travels!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Travelogue No. 2 Santa Barbara - Wine Country Coastal Cruise Sapphire Princess
TRAVELOGUE NO. 2
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 9, 2010 – “Mother’s Day” – Santa Barbara, CA
We arrived in Santa Barbara early in the morning after a pleasant evening sailing up the coast from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara is a tender port, so the Sapphire Princess anchored out in the harbor and began to launch the tender boats to transport the passengers to and from the pier.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was about 65° with a slight breeze. The sky was blue with only a few fluffy clouds here and there in the sky. As you looked from the ship towards the city of Santa Barbara, you could not help but notice the mountains behind the city that were still green from the winter rains. With the shadows from the few clouds, the mountains almost appeared to be covered with a dark, forest green velvet cloth.
As we entered the harbor on our tender, and came around the breakwater we were greeted by hundreds of pelicans that were lining the shore. Many more were flying above and then diving straight down into the water “going fishing”. As we arrived at the pier, it seemed that the entire staff of the visitor’s bureau was out to greet us along with the harbor patrol and the police department. Everyone wished all of the ladies Happy Mother’s Day as we walked up the ramp. There were tables near the street where we could find maps of the downtown area. This is also where we were directed to our Trolley Tour.
We chose the Trolley Tour because we have only ever driven through Santa Barbara before and have not had the good fortune to explore it much – so we thought this would be a great way to introduce ourselves to this beautiful city.
Santa Barbara is called the America Riviera and is a place where food, art, history, fashion, sunshine and WINE mix to create a delightful and unique experience. The architecture is mostly Spanish and with the warm Mediterranean climate, you can take full advantage of the charming sidewalk-cafés and beautiful seaside setting.
Our Trolley driver, Mark, was quite enjoyable and explained about the history of Santa Barbara as well as pointing out popular current attractions. As he drove us through the streets of Santa Barbara, you could almost picture yourself in the Mediterranean. The Spanish and Moorish style buildings are graced with beautiful bougainvillea which was in full bloom. The streets are lined with 900 different species of trees (all of them imported). The ficus trees give a beautiful shade cover to some streets, where others are lined with tall palm trees that have their trunks full of huge bougainvillea bushes that are climbing up. Yet other streets are lined with jacaranda trees which are in full bloom with their delicate purple flowers.
You could definitely tell that Spring was here, because the rose bushes were in full bloom. There is a rose garden up at the Santa Barbara Mission across the long lawn. As you arrive at the Mission, you pass a large wooden cross in the middle of the lawn and at its’ base are a wide array of colorful flowers. The Mission is set back in a valley and up on a hill. If you turn around, you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and out to the ocean. The hills that surround the Mission are gentle rolling hills that graduate up to the top of the range of only about 1,000 feet.
Though we were not able to get inside the Mission, we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beauty. The architecture is definitely Spanish. There are two bell towers on the main part of the church; and to the left was a row of rooms that were all lined with covered archways. There was a bronze statue out front of Father Junipero Serra and a beautiful tiled fountain.
Once we left the Mission, Mark drove us down through the town and explained that the area known as Montecito is very popular with the “rich and famous”. Brad Pitt¸ Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, just to name a few, have all purchased multi-million dollar homes here. One of the most famous residents of the area is Fess Parker, best known for his role of Davy Crocket on the Disney Show many years ago. After his show business career, he bought up quite a bit of land here in Santa Barbara and started a vineyard. Fess Parker wines are among some of the best from this region.
After our tour was over, we opted to be dropped in town and walked down State Street past the refurbished train station and across the railroad tracks. At the entrance to the station, there are curved planters with four, 12 inch ceramic tiles that form the picture of a train. It was quite interesting. We were told that once a week the red-brick lined sidewalks of State Street are steam cleaned, so they remain pristine and beautiful for everyone. The streets are lined with tile fountains and beautiful planters full of colorful flowers from bougainvillea to birds of paradise to morning glorys. Most of the stores have archway entrances which are lined with vines. We walked under the freeway and continued on down to Cabrillo Street which is directly across from the beach.
There was an art fair on the lawn adjacent to the beach where the lawn was literally lined with paintings and photographs and the artists selling their work. Across the street, we could not help but notice “Rusty’s Pizza” which was in a lighthouse building. So, in honor of our Golden Retriever, Rusty, we decided to have lunch out on the terrace. We chose to enjoy the lunch “special” which was a small salad from the salad bar, a personal size pizza with two toppings and a soft drink for $6.95 each. After lunch, we walked further down the street and out onto the pier at Stearns Wharf and then headed back to the dock where we caught our tender back to the ship.
The winds came up dramatically in the mid-afternoon and this became an “issue” for the crew as it was difficult to keep the tenders steady enough to unload the passengers coming back from town. The winds actually increased to 40 knots around 4:00 p.m. and this delayed our departure as the crew had a difficult time getting the tenders secured back on the ship.
Once we finally left Santa Barbara, we expected a “rough” night because of the high winds and white-capped seas. But, we were graced within an hour of a calm Pacific and I even saw breaching gray whales off the port side of the ship. Though they were far in the distance, I still was able to capture a picture or two.
For Mother’s Day, Jim treated me to a delicious dinner of steak and lobster in the Sterling Steakhouse. The Maitre’ d, Stefan, was quite gracious and sent us a complimentary appetizer of jalapeno poppers stuffed with a light cheddar cheese and marinara dipping sauce. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset out the window as we continued sailing north out of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a brie cheese quesadilla with mango salsa appetizer while Jim had a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then my main course was a rib eye steak and lobster tail with a baked potato and Jim had a filet mignon with lobster tail and baked potato. For dessert (which we did NOT need) I enjoyed a raspberry crème brulee and Jim had a chocolate pecan pie.
We hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed each other.
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 9, 2010 – “Mother’s Day” – Santa Barbara, CA
We arrived in Santa Barbara early in the morning after a pleasant evening sailing up the coast from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara is a tender port, so the Sapphire Princess anchored out in the harbor and began to launch the tender boats to transport the passengers to and from the pier.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was about 65° with a slight breeze. The sky was blue with only a few fluffy clouds here and there in the sky. As you looked from the ship towards the city of Santa Barbara, you could not help but notice the mountains behind the city that were still green from the winter rains. With the shadows from the few clouds, the mountains almost appeared to be covered with a dark, forest green velvet cloth.
As we entered the harbor on our tender, and came around the breakwater we were greeted by hundreds of pelicans that were lining the shore. Many more were flying above and then diving straight down into the water “going fishing”. As we arrived at the pier, it seemed that the entire staff of the visitor’s bureau was out to greet us along with the harbor patrol and the police department. Everyone wished all of the ladies Happy Mother’s Day as we walked up the ramp. There were tables near the street where we could find maps of the downtown area. This is also where we were directed to our Trolley Tour.
We chose the Trolley Tour because we have only ever driven through Santa Barbara before and have not had the good fortune to explore it much – so we thought this would be a great way to introduce ourselves to this beautiful city.
Santa Barbara is called the America Riviera and is a place where food, art, history, fashion, sunshine and WINE mix to create a delightful and unique experience. The architecture is mostly Spanish and with the warm Mediterranean climate, you can take full advantage of the charming sidewalk-cafés and beautiful seaside setting.
Our Trolley driver, Mark, was quite enjoyable and explained about the history of Santa Barbara as well as pointing out popular current attractions. As he drove us through the streets of Santa Barbara, you could almost picture yourself in the Mediterranean. The Spanish and Moorish style buildings are graced with beautiful bougainvillea which was in full bloom. The streets are lined with 900 different species of trees (all of them imported). The ficus trees give a beautiful shade cover to some streets, where others are lined with tall palm trees that have their trunks full of huge bougainvillea bushes that are climbing up. Yet other streets are lined with jacaranda trees which are in full bloom with their delicate purple flowers.
You could definitely tell that Spring was here, because the rose bushes were in full bloom. There is a rose garden up at the Santa Barbara Mission across the long lawn. As you arrive at the Mission, you pass a large wooden cross in the middle of the lawn and at its’ base are a wide array of colorful flowers. The Mission is set back in a valley and up on a hill. If you turn around, you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and out to the ocean. The hills that surround the Mission are gentle rolling hills that graduate up to the top of the range of only about 1,000 feet.
Though we were not able to get inside the Mission, we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beauty. The architecture is definitely Spanish. There are two bell towers on the main part of the church; and to the left was a row of rooms that were all lined with covered archways. There was a bronze statue out front of Father Junipero Serra and a beautiful tiled fountain.
Once we left the Mission, Mark drove us down through the town and explained that the area known as Montecito is very popular with the “rich and famous”. Brad Pitt¸ Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, just to name a few, have all purchased multi-million dollar homes here. One of the most famous residents of the area is Fess Parker, best known for his role of Davy Crocket on the Disney Show many years ago. After his show business career, he bought up quite a bit of land here in Santa Barbara and started a vineyard. Fess Parker wines are among some of the best from this region.
After our tour was over, we opted to be dropped in town and walked down State Street past the refurbished train station and across the railroad tracks. At the entrance to the station, there are curved planters with four, 12 inch ceramic tiles that form the picture of a train. It was quite interesting. We were told that once a week the red-brick lined sidewalks of State Street are steam cleaned, so they remain pristine and beautiful for everyone. The streets are lined with tile fountains and beautiful planters full of colorful flowers from bougainvillea to birds of paradise to morning glorys. Most of the stores have archway entrances which are lined with vines. We walked under the freeway and continued on down to Cabrillo Street which is directly across from the beach.
There was an art fair on the lawn adjacent to the beach where the lawn was literally lined with paintings and photographs and the artists selling their work. Across the street, we could not help but notice “Rusty’s Pizza” which was in a lighthouse building. So, in honor of our Golden Retriever, Rusty, we decided to have lunch out on the terrace. We chose to enjoy the lunch “special” which was a small salad from the salad bar, a personal size pizza with two toppings and a soft drink for $6.95 each. After lunch, we walked further down the street and out onto the pier at Stearns Wharf and then headed back to the dock where we caught our tender back to the ship.
The winds came up dramatically in the mid-afternoon and this became an “issue” for the crew as it was difficult to keep the tenders steady enough to unload the passengers coming back from town. The winds actually increased to 40 knots around 4:00 p.m. and this delayed our departure as the crew had a difficult time getting the tenders secured back on the ship.
Once we finally left Santa Barbara, we expected a “rough” night because of the high winds and white-capped seas. But, we were graced within an hour of a calm Pacific and I even saw breaching gray whales off the port side of the ship. Though they were far in the distance, I still was able to capture a picture or two.
For Mother’s Day, Jim treated me to a delicious dinner of steak and lobster in the Sterling Steakhouse. The Maitre’ d, Stefan, was quite gracious and sent us a complimentary appetizer of jalapeno poppers stuffed with a light cheddar cheese and marinara dipping sauce. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset out the window as we continued sailing north out of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a brie cheese quesadilla with mango salsa appetizer while Jim had a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then my main course was a rib eye steak and lobster tail with a baked potato and Jim had a filet mignon with lobster tail and baked potato. For dessert (which we did NOT need) I enjoyed a raspberry crème brulee and Jim had a chocolate pecan pie.
We hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed each other.
1. Pacific Coastal WineCountry Cruise Sapphire Princess
TRAVELOGUE NO. 1
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY, May 8, 2010 – Embarkation and Bon Voyage Experience
Our day began with Jim’s brother Carl and sister-in-law Carol who drove us to the cruise terminal. We arrived at San Pedro and dropped off our luggage and proceeded into the embarkation area where we all showed our ID. Carl and Carol were given special passes to get on board with us. The Bon Voyage Experience is something new that Princess is offering to passengers that has not been offered since 9/11.; Carl and Carol along with about 100 other guests of passengers, were allowed to come on board with us.
We gave Carl and Carol our own tour starting in our stateroom. We have a balcony room on the port side of the ship near very near the aft end. In fact, we are only three cabins from the door that leads out onto the furthest aft deck. There is a small pool here that is about 12’ X 12’ along with several dozen lounge chairs around the wooden deck. On the next level up, there is an outside bar area with some more lounges and chairs under the shaded overhang. After we came back inside, we went back to midship in the Atrium. The Atrium has four elevators that have a filigree fascia which cover the elevator on the first couple of levels until it rises higher in the Atrium. There is a large marble dome in the center of the ceiling above and similar marble inlaid on the floor. The winding staircases will let you walk from floor to floor in the Atrium area.
The Wheelhouse Bar and the Explorers Lounge are the two largest lounge/bars on the ship. Both are tastefully decorated with a nautical theme and lots of beautiful wood. As we walked on the Promenade Deck we walked through the Photo Gallery and then on into a beautiful fine art studio. There are shops on three levels in the Atrium. There is also a coffee café next to the Pursers Desk. There are several areas on either side of the ship around the Atrium where you can sit and enjoy the musicians playing in the evening along with getting an “adult” beverage.
Lunch was served to us in the International Dining Room which is the main dining room for “traditional” dining. We had a delicious four course lunch. Both Jim and Carl had the beef tenderloin and Carl and I had the salmon. We all enjoyed the chocolate soufflé for dessert with its warm rum sauce poured in the middle.
After lunch we walked up to the Lido Deck, up to the very top of the ship where we had a bird’s eye view of the entire ship from aft to stern. It is a l-o-n-g ship! The Sapphire Princess holds 2600 passengers and 1,000 crew members. On the upper deck we saw two more pools, one with a retracting ceiling called the Conservatory. There is a 9-hole miniature golf course (Princess Links) along with a golf simulator. There is also a paddle tennis court way up front along with a 1/10 mile walking track. Yep – ten times around equals one mile.
At 3:00 Carol and Carl had to leave the ship and the actual embarkation process for us continued with our Muster Drill (Safety Drill). At 4:00p.m. sharp, the whistle blew and the crew threw the last of the ropes aside and we were on our way out of the Port of San Pedro. We sailed past Ports of Call Village and on to the breakwater and the lighthouse at the end of the small strip of land. The lighthouse had quite a bit of rust around the bottom, but it still blew its horn as we sailed past and out to the Pacific Ocean. We headed north and up towards our first stop, Santa Barbara.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Bon Voyage Experience and really appreciated that Princess allowed us to bring guests on board to share a little bit of our sail-away. Thank you Carl and Carol for driving us to the cruise terminal! Hope you enjoyed your time onboard the ship!
Bon Voyage! Our journey has begun!
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY, May 8, 2010 – Embarkation and Bon Voyage Experience
Our day began with Jim’s brother Carl and sister-in-law Carol who drove us to the cruise terminal. We arrived at San Pedro and dropped off our luggage and proceeded into the embarkation area where we all showed our ID. Carl and Carol were given special passes to get on board with us. The Bon Voyage Experience is something new that Princess is offering to passengers that has not been offered since 9/11.; Carl and Carol along with about 100 other guests of passengers, were allowed to come on board with us.
We gave Carl and Carol our own tour starting in our stateroom. We have a balcony room on the port side of the ship near very near the aft end. In fact, we are only three cabins from the door that leads out onto the furthest aft deck. There is a small pool here that is about 12’ X 12’ along with several dozen lounge chairs around the wooden deck. On the next level up, there is an outside bar area with some more lounges and chairs under the shaded overhang. After we came back inside, we went back to midship in the Atrium. The Atrium has four elevators that have a filigree fascia which cover the elevator on the first couple of levels until it rises higher in the Atrium. There is a large marble dome in the center of the ceiling above and similar marble inlaid on the floor. The winding staircases will let you walk from floor to floor in the Atrium area.
The Wheelhouse Bar and the Explorers Lounge are the two largest lounge/bars on the ship. Both are tastefully decorated with a nautical theme and lots of beautiful wood. As we walked on the Promenade Deck we walked through the Photo Gallery and then on into a beautiful fine art studio. There are shops on three levels in the Atrium. There is also a coffee café next to the Pursers Desk. There are several areas on either side of the ship around the Atrium where you can sit and enjoy the musicians playing in the evening along with getting an “adult” beverage.
Lunch was served to us in the International Dining Room which is the main dining room for “traditional” dining. We had a delicious four course lunch. Both Jim and Carl had the beef tenderloin and Carl and I had the salmon. We all enjoyed the chocolate soufflé for dessert with its warm rum sauce poured in the middle.
After lunch we walked up to the Lido Deck, up to the very top of the ship where we had a bird’s eye view of the entire ship from aft to stern. It is a l-o-n-g ship! The Sapphire Princess holds 2600 passengers and 1,000 crew members. On the upper deck we saw two more pools, one with a retracting ceiling called the Conservatory. There is a 9-hole miniature golf course (Princess Links) along with a golf simulator. There is also a paddle tennis court way up front along with a 1/10 mile walking track. Yep – ten times around equals one mile.
At 3:00 Carol and Carl had to leave the ship and the actual embarkation process for us continued with our Muster Drill (Safety Drill). At 4:00p.m. sharp, the whistle blew and the crew threw the last of the ropes aside and we were on our way out of the Port of San Pedro. We sailed past Ports of Call Village and on to the breakwater and the lighthouse at the end of the small strip of land. The lighthouse had quite a bit of rust around the bottom, but it still blew its horn as we sailed past and out to the Pacific Ocean. We headed north and up towards our first stop, Santa Barbara.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Bon Voyage Experience and really appreciated that Princess allowed us to bring guests on board to share a little bit of our sail-away. Thank you Carl and Carol for driving us to the cruise terminal! Hope you enjoyed your time onboard the ship!
Bon Voyage! Our journey has begun!
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