Crown Princess Travelogue #7 - Sydney Nova Scotia - Canada/New England Cruise October, 2012

Our Travelogue
Canada/New England Cruise on Crown Princess
Day 7 – Sydney, Nova Scotia

The Crown Princess arrived once again under gorgeous blue skies, today in Sydney, Nova Scotia. As we entered port, the sun was rising on the horizon and was an extraordinary color of brilliant pink. We each had breakfast delivered in our cabin by room service as we had to be ready to leave the ship and tender into port by 8:30 a.m.

On the pier in Sydney is an enormous fiddle and bow. The city wanted something to commemorate their Scottish heritage. We boarded our coach for our tour of Sydney as well as a coastal drive and the tour guide began to tell us of the history of Sydney and its coal and steel industry. We drove past the “company store, where he told us a story of the men working in the mines during the week. When they needed to purchase something from the company store, they would go here and sign a ticket. By the end of the work week they “owed their souls to the company store” – remember that song? Each section of town that we passed through was dedicated to a certain sector of workers in the mines. The first was for the company leaders, the second for the white collar workers and then one of the regular workers. You had to have one man in the house working in the mine in order to live in one of these houses. Each of these houses today is well kept. There are no fences in Nova Scotia. The homes sit on probably about ¾ of an acre surrounded by mowed lawns and colorful gardens. I saw several people out mowing their lawns with regular, gas powered mowers – no ride on tractor mowers here! Behind the homes was a forest of trees. And they were all turning colors of red, gold, yellow and everything in between. This was the most changing of the colors that we have seen on our cruise so far. What was truly unfortunate was that once again, the driver would not stop for us to take pictures. The pictures Nola and I have taken have been distorted by the reflections through the coach windows. But, we have the memories – blurred but beautiful.

Our first stop today was at a Jewish Synagogue which is a lovely museum now, The Whitney Pier Historical Museum. Nola got to ride upstairs in a chair lift. At the top, we were greeted by very friendly locals all very welcoming. The hall was full of all sorts of period collectibles including sewing machines, old stoves, dolls, and thousands of other items. The ladies were dressed in long dresses with white aprons and matching bonnets. They served us coffee, tea or lemonade along with an oat biscuit. And, I got the recipe!!

Joan’s Oatcakes Recipe
Provided by the Whitney Pier Historical Museum
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 4 tablespoons hot water.
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups rolled oats
Directions:
Cream first four ingredients. Add soda mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll out to desired shape and thickness. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown.


As I walked outside after enjoying a cup of hot tea and biscuit, I was greeted with the sound of music coming from across the street. As I walked up to the gingerbread house, a gentlemen came down the steps and greeted me. Casimer Siepierski (Cas for short) was all smiles. He told me he had lived in this house all his life. His mother built it from the basement up and worked in the steel plant. He is 78 years old and said he plays music for the synagogue. One of the songs that played while we talked was “Good Night Irene”. On the side of the narrow steps leading up to his porch was a flat wooden plaque with a horse and covered buggy. When I left, his hands were both waving in the air and he blew me a kiss!

We traveled from there out along the coastline to the Fort Petrie Historical Museum. This was dedicated to the men who fought in World War I and World War II. The building is right on the waters’ edge and very picturesque. From there we moved on to New Waterford and Colliery Park, a memorial to the coal mine explosion that closed the mine. Off in the distance at the tip of the island, we could see Low Point Lighthouse. We then passed by the Lingen windmill farm where there were several windmills turning around and around. Each one supplies electricity to about 6,000 homes. Marconi Point is where Alexander Graham Bell’s friend sent the very first telegraph signal to Great Britain. The road was windy and full of beautiful color in the trees.

Our 3 hour tour came to an end all too soon. Once back at the cruise pier, we tried to catch a taxi, but because today was the Canadian Thanksgiving and a good number of the businesses in town were closed. We did walk up into town and past a church where they were having a Craft Fair. We made a full circle around and eventually walked along the main street along the water back to the pier. The breeze really picked up and by the time we got back to the pier, it was really blowing. Once inside, we grabbed a light lunch and then Jim and I walked through some of the shops while Nola took advantage of the free wi fi in the terminal building and caught up on her emails.

We caught our tender back to the ship and then came upstairs to the buffet and enjoyed our window table overlooking Sydney. There is a heavy chop on the water below with white caps. The skies remained clear all day with just a few puffs of white here and there. What I find so charming about this area is that the islands do not have large mountains but are rather low rolling hills. As the hills gently reach the ocean, the houses follow the mountain up to the ridgeline. You can see the large lawns and each distinct farm. It is a charming area and one I hope I can return to someday.

Tomorrow we shall be on Prince Edward Island and we’ll be in Charlottetown – the home of Anne of Green Gables. Till then…

Crown Princess Travelogue #5 - Saint John, New Brunswick - Canada/New England Cruise October, 2012

Our Travelogue
Canada/New England cruise on Crown Princess
Day 5 – Saint John, New Brunswick

We arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick at about 8:00 a.m. to glorious blue skies up above once again! We are so blessed with the weather on this trip!

New Brunswick is a small province in Canada that links Nova Scotia to the rest of Canada. Saint John is perhaps most well-known for have the highest tide range in the world because of the Bay of Fundy’s funnel shape.

Our American Revolution history lesson has continued here. After the American Revolution, there was an influx of colonists in 1783 when 14,000 Loyalists fled the United States. Samuel de Champlain discovered New Brunswick in 1604 and the French settled the area around 1625. In the 1930’s there were 34,000 farms – in 2011 there are only 2,600 farms.

We left the boat around 10:00 a.m. and grabbed a taxi up to town to the top of the Saint John City Market. Similar in concept to Pikes Market in Seattle, vendors set up their stands with fresh produce, baked goods and the like hoping to have a good day selling their things. In addition to the fruits, vegetables and other food items, there is also one stand that we have always visited in Saint John and that is Pat, the linen lady. Her tablecloths and napkins have decorated our holiday table since we first came here in 2005. She is a very friendly and warm woman. This year we purchased new placemats and a runner for our Thanksgiving table.

After we walked through the market we meandered across the street to Barbour’s General Store which is an authentic country store. Inside, it is much like a museum with the original wooden floors and cabinetry that we were told was stained with goat’s milk. The shelves are filled with authentic merchandise of the Victorian era including a delicately handmade Christening gown along with a top hat and several pairs of ladies shoes.

From there we walked back to the pier and caught our tour at 12:30 p.m. We enjoyed our riverboat ride down the Saint John River. The weather was outstanding. We found bench seats along the starboard (right) side of the boat up front near the bow. It was the perfect place for us to be as it was out of the sun. The day was warm and we did not need our jackets, though we had them with us just in case.

The Saint John River is where you will find the reversing rapids. Twice a day at high tide, the bay forces the river to churn through the gorge and the sight is quite remarkable. After we left the small dock, we headed up stream and soon passed our first lighthouse – Greenhead Lighthouse – which is the largest on the river. The guide did not know how many lighthouses were on the river, but during our adventure, we passed three – Greenhead, Kemnebecasis’s and the Bayside.

The river freezes in the winter and becomes an ice road in the dead of winter. The banks of the river are full of maple and pine trees. The natural color of the maple trees is orange, red or yellow. The leaves are overcome by photosynthesis and chlorophyll in the summer which turns the leaves green. The leaves return to their “natural” color in the fall. Again, we saw some bits of color along the shore, but not much.

Our ride down the river was so peaceful and pleasant under the blue skies and warm 72°. Homemade cookies were served on the boat; and you were asked to “leave a donation” for the lady who had baked them. You could purchase bottled water, coffee or soda if you wished. We were on the river for about 2 hours.

As we made our way back to shore near the end of our time on board, the Captain took us down to the bridge where we had begun and we could see the tide coming in and the effects of the reversing rapids. At that exact point the waters became very turbulent with waves crashing and spray flying high above. We only observed it from a distance as it is quite dangerous to negotiate through with the currents and rough waters. It was a great way to end our day on the river.

We were up on the deck 16 for sailaway around 5:00 today. The air was still warm and quite enjoyable. Dinner tonight for us was dinner in the Crown Grill. Nola treated us to a lovely evening. We enjoyed our table by the window in the corner of the restaurant which is located on the Promenade Deck 7. Every once in awhile we would see some people walking past the window, but for the most part the decks were empty.

After dinner we took in the show in the Princess Theater. Tonight we were entertained by Mark Preston, a member of the Lettermen. He has not lost his voice at all though he has been singing with the Lettermen for 45 years. He sang many familiar songs and we enjoyed him. He did a medley of Lettermen hits including Put Your Head on My Shoulders and Summerplace.

Crown Princess Travelogue #4 - Bar Harbor - Canada/New England Cruise October, 2012

Our Travelogue
Canada/New England cruise on Crown Princess
Day 4 – Bar Harbor, Maine (pronounded: Baaaaa Haaaa baaaaa)

We are continued to be blessed with glorious weather here in New England. We arrived in Bar Harbor early at 7:00 a.m. and enjoyed breakfast in International Café before we got off the ship. We took our time as we didn’t have an excursion until 12 noon. We disembarked about 9:30 so we could walk through some of the shops near the waterfront. Unlike many other cruise ship ports, the New England cities have been able to retain their quaintness and individuality without the plethora of jewelry stores. There are many souvenir stores, don’t get me wrong, but they carry local merchandise and are just trying to make a living like you and me.

There are only 5,000 year-round residents in Bar Harbor. The coastline of Maine is rugged and dramatic; and, as you know, Maine is known for its lobster fishing. As we entered the small harbor, hundreds of buoys dotted the waters marking each individual spot where someone had put down their pots. Bar Harbor itself is nestled back in a small cove and is a tender port because the ships cannot negotiate the tiny islands and narrow passages. We anchored out and the tenders were lowered to begin carrying all of the passengers into town.

Once we got off our tender, we took our time walking through several of the shops. Nola and I each purchased a couple of beautiful Pashmina scarves in one boutique. We stopped by a local deli to grab a bite to eat before our tour began.

Today, we were being taken to the Cranberry Islands and to Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain. Arthur (pronounced Aaaathaa) was our guide for the day and he was delightful. He told us about some of the history of the area including how Samuel de Champlain discovered Mount Desert Island in 1604. Champlain originally named the island “Barren Mountain” because of the barren peaks worn smooth by the erosion of centuries. We heard stories of how Maine became a state in 1820, even though the northern border was still disputed by the British and Americans. Toward the end of the 1870’s, Bar Harbor attracted some of the wealthiest families in America because of its stunning beauty. John D Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulizer and the like all had mansions here. Most were destroyed in the fire of 1947. Rockefeller promoted the preservation of the island as well as establishing Acadia as a National Park in 1919.

Arthur guided our motor coach driver through the area out to a small cover where we boarded a small tour boat that took us out to Little Cranberry Island. The scenery was incredible in that only a few puffy white clouds dotted the skies above. The waters were calm as we glided across the water passing Sutton Island out to a small island where the sea lions were found basking in the sun. A few bald eagles were seen flying high in the pine trees. Our guide on the tour boat was a National Park Ranger named Betty. She was about 5’4” tall and very slender. She wore the standard olive green park ranger uniform along with her hard, wide-brimmed ranger hat. She wore no make-up. You could see her brown short hair just under the brim of her hat. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and gave us a lot of history about the glaciers and how they formed the fjords around us. Interestingly, we learned about the difference between a fjord and a fjard. The fjard has a narrow opening that was shallow and that is what we were in. The cliffs are dramatically straight up layers of granite dotted here and there with plants and trees. The impressive thing about what we saw were all of the huge homes. Each sits on acres of property – some with manicured lawns that I hoped they had a ride-on lawnmower to keep it groomed.

We stopped at Little Cranberry Island and were given the opportunity to walk about the tiny town of about 75 residents. It was up quite a hill so we got off and admired it from a distance. There were several apple trees along the path. There were also the remnants of an old wooden footbridge just sitting alongside the road that had seen better days. Residents on Little Cranberry are for-the-most part summer residents and quite well set monetarily. These are mostly second and third homes for them. There are two EMT’s on the island; but if you have a real medical emergency, you must be air lifted off by helicopter to the mainland.

After our cruise tour of Cranberry Islands, we once again boarded our coach and set out on a quest to Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern seaboard. The view from the top was (as Nola says) “brilliant”. We could see forever it seemed. The coastline is jagged and rugged and the horizon was dotted with small islands. It was late afternoon by now, and rather brisk on top of the mountain, so we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate when we left. Every so often you could see some color in some of the trees. We’ve been told that full cover will be in about 10-15 days from now due to their lack of rain this year. Throughout the vegetation were low mountain ash trees full of red berries. Several of the sugar maples were beginning to turn to yellow and bronze that added to the beauty and gave the opportunity to see some beginnings of the fall colors across the valleys.

The Crown Princess pulled away from Bar Harbor at sunset. The skies were brilliant shades of pink and orange and the three of us enjoyed it from our balcony while we toasted another beautiful day.

We continue to be blessed by the incredible weather we have had. Tomorrow is to be another such glorious day that we’ll spend in Saint John, New Brunswick. Till then…

Crown Princess Travelogue #3 - Canada/New England Cruise October, 2012

Our Travelogue
Canada/New England cruise on Crown Princess
Day 3 – Boston, Massachusetts

We cruised into Boston harbor later than the originally scheduled time of 10:00 a.m. After a VERY rough night at sea where we were shakin’, rockin’ and rollin’ we were happy to get inside protected waters where we had smooth sailing for about an hour.

Our tour today was an all-day tour out to Lexington and Concord, then back to Quincy Market for lunch, then on to the Old North Church and finally out to Cambridge and Harvard University.

Ernie was our driver and Steve was our tour guide for the day. As we drove out of Boston, Steve began to give us the history of Boston and its’ ties with the American Revolutionary War.

Boston was founded by a group of Puritan colonists from England. It was the location of several major events during the American Revolution including the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Boston Tea Party and you can walk along the historic path on the Freedom Trail in Boston proper. You can also take the tour that we took out to Lexington and Concord to hear again the story of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

The drive out to Lexington takes about an hour. The rolling hills were full of trees beginning to change color; but we were told we were about a week early for the peak of the “changing of the colors” in New England. It was still beautiful. The roadways are green with manicured grasses that back up to acres and acres of multi-colored trees. The trunks of many of the trees were white which gave way to a dramatic color change once you looked up to the tops of the trees which looked like puffy pillows, each a different color of green, yellow, gold and a few had turned to rust. There are numerous varieties of trees including hemlock, spruce, sugar maple etc.

When we arrived in Lexington, Steve continued with our history lesson and took us to the Lexington Visitor’s Bureau where there was an incredible miniature diorama protected by glass inside that depicted the events of the Revolution. It also serves as a souvenir shop. Outside was a memorial to the 78 Minute Men who battled the British. Across the street was a beautiful white steeple peeking out through the trees which belonged to the Congregational Church. The church steeples are quite prevalent in the landscape as you gaze across the valleys and hillsides. There are memorials in many places indicating where soldiers lost their lives (British and American).

From Lexington we continued on to Concord and through the quaint New England town out to the Old North Bridge where the first shot of the Revolution was fired – “the shot heard round the world”. We got off the coach and walked down a path lined with rock fences indicating where the farmers had portioned off their property. It was these very same rock walls and barriers that the colonists used to hide behind when the British were coming.

The path had a slight incline and at the crest of the hill, we could see down into this beautiful valley with a small river running through it. Across the river stood a beautiful arched wooden bridge with handrails. The original bridge was washed out by rains and floods many years ago; but this new one was built and is a replica of what once was there during the Revolution. The trees along the river had more reddish color to them than did the trees in the surrounding acres. Nestled off to the left of the bridge was an old wooden boat house. The wood was old and grey, but it had so much charm to me; and I knew that it had many stories to tell if the walls could only talk.

There is a memorial to the commemoration of the “event” and the fact there had been bloodshed there so many years ago. It was an obelisk and stood about 20 feet tall. It marked the death of two American militia men and two British soldiers. As we walked across the bridge, the river waters were moving but very calm, and the reflection of the trees was beautiful in the blue water. Across the bridge was another memorial, this one was to the Minute Men.

After this, we traveled back into Boston, to Quincy Market where we had lunch and were able to walk around a little. From there we went over to The Old North Church which became famous back on April 18, 1775 when the colonists (including William Daws and Paul Revere) came up with a signal to alert John Hancock and Sam Adams who were out in Lexington and Concord, that the British were coming! Two lanterns were hung up in the steeple of the Old North Church for only one minute on that night – and that is all that was needed to let the Minute Men know the British were crossing the river by boat because it was shorter.

The Old North Church is on the Freedom Trail in Boston and well worth seeing. Behind the church in the courtyard is a bronze statue of Paul Revere on his faithful steed. Our tour guide recited the entire poem by Longfellow as we stood around the statue. From there we walked up towards the church where we passed a memorial to the men and women who have lost their lives in Afghanistan. Trellis type frames were built behind a lovely garden of flowers. On each rung of the trellis hung hundreds of blank military dog tags. When the wind blows, the tags make an incredible wind chime.

Inside the church we sat and listened to a docent tell us once again the story of that faithful night. It was quite interesting as she told the history of that story and several others after that.

From there we walked down the street past an old cemetery and also could see Old Ironsides in the harbor. Then we were back on the coach and on our way out to Cambridge and Harvard. Harvard University was where several of our President’s went to school including John F. Kennedy. It is also the school where some rather famous people dropped out only to make millions on their own – including Bill Gates, Matt Damon and the founder of Facebook.

Harvard Yard is an area inside the campus that is surrounded by many old, brick and granite buildings and now where the students gather to study under the trees on the lawn. The granite library with its tall columns and massive steps were the inspiration for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC. We saw the dormitory where JFK once lived. Several of the buildings originally were the home of military officers.

It was a long day, and once we were back on ship we enjoyed a slice of pizza for dinner onboard and then it was off to sleep for all of us. The weather was beautiful and about 65 degrees. We couldn’t have asked for anything better. Tomorrow we are off to Bar Harbor. Till then…

Canada/New England Cruise October 2011 - Travelogue #1

Our Travelogue
Canada/New England cruise on Crown Princess October, 2011
Day 1 – Embarkation – New York City

4:00 a.m. came very early for us on October 3rd, but we were up and at ‘em and ready for our adventure. We loaded up the car and off we went to the airport. We grabbed our Starbucks once we were checked in and got through security at Lindbergh Field/San Diego. Our flight was on time and before we knew it we were in the air and on our way to New York City.

Our flight was very smooth and uneventful. The views out of my window on the left side of the plane were extraordinary. I could see the Grand Canyon as we passed over into Arizona – then east over landscapes of red clay and dramatic mesas in Arizona and on to the White Sands of New Mexico. Then we were flying over hundreds and hundreds of miles of farmland across mid-America. Each farm was significantly different from the air, I suppose because of the variety of crops being grown on each one. Some of the parcels were square and some were circular. We crossed over the Missouri River and then to the Might Mississippi and up towards Chicago and Lake Michigan. The skies were clear all this way. Lake Michigan was enormous and quite interesting to see all the cities around the shore. Soon after we passed Lake Michigan the clouds filled the sky and remained that way to New York.

After gathering our luggage and finding the Princess Cruise representative in Baggage Claim, we were directed to our ten passenger shuttle to the Intercontinental Hotel on 44th Avenue between 7th and 9th near Times Square in Manhattan. We checked in and found our friend Nola who had arrived earlier in the afternoon. After saying our hellos and freshening up a bit, the three of us meandered out onto the streets of New York for a quick bite of dinner. There was a light misty rain which made the streets damp. We found ourselves at Smith’s Bar and Grill. It was a very noise “joint”, but we found a booth in the back and were able to catch up on Nola’s adventures.

We turned in rather late but were up fairly early to begin our day. Our luggage had to be ready for pick up and transport to the ship by 9:00 a.m. After asking one of the Princess reps where we should go to find a good local place for breakfast, the three of us headed out of the hotel which is right down the street from the Majestic Theater where Phantom of the Opera is playing, and turned left on 9th street where we found The Westside Diner. The place was bustling busy with people at all of the tables and booths – most of them texting on their iPhones or Droids or the like. Some people actually had a newspaper in hand too! We got a booth near the back and enjoyed sitting down in a little quieter place than dinner last night. Nola and Jim enjoyed their pancakes while I enjoyed my cheddar cheese omelet. I must say though, the New Yorkers cook omelets a little differently than I am used to. Their omelets look like two eggs that were cooked separately and then put a slide of cheese in the middle and put another egg on top. Wholla! Omelet!!

Once our tummies were full we had some time and wanted to show Nola Times Square; so we walked up a couple of blocks and there we were in the heart of Manhattan! We could see all the neon lights of Broadway and the ticker neons on all of the billboards around Times Square. The street was busy with hundreds of taxi, honking horns and people scurrying off to begin their day. There were numerous New York City Police Officers everywhere – some in cars – some on horses – and others on foot.

We ventured in to the huge Disney store and picked out a couple of souvenir sweatshirts and t-shirts for our special grandkids then we walked around a bit more down to where Dick Clark used to host the New Year’s Eve show. There is a bronze statute there of George M. Cohen and also one of Father Duffy. Behind them are the grandstands and the stage for New Years. It is a permanent set there.

Once we got back to the hotel, we got our things together then had to gather down in the lower ballroom to wait for our motor coaches to shuttle us to the ship. By now, it is about 12:00 noon. We finally boarded our coach about 1:30 p.m. and our trip took us through Manhattan down past Chelsea Market which is the home of the Food Network, then on past the Holland Tunnel then past Ground Zero. It was a somber moment. Two huge American flags hung flat on the side of one of the buildings. There are police cards and security everywhere. We could see in to where the Memorial was but could not actually see it. We passed by all too quickly. About ten minutes later we were entering the Port of Brooklyn where we met our ship.

Now is where the story turns to humor. YOUR travel agent – yes, that would be me – made the biggest bad decision of her life this morning when I decided to go ahead and send one of our carry-on bags to the ship and not take it with us. I wasn’t thinking – I don’t know WHAT I was thinking!!! That bag had our passports in it!!

We got up to the check in counter a little after 2:00 p.m. and we couldn’t go any further. Nola was all checked in and ready to board and we were instructed to sit in some chairs and wait until they could send someone onto the ship to find our luggage and bring it to us. Well, time marched on and on and on. Supervisors were talking to the ship on their walkie talkies. Supervisors were talking to us. And, all the while, all the rest of the passengers for the Crown Princess passed by us one by one. Finally – and I mean finally – after 5:30 p.m. Monika came walking towards us with our bag! We dug for the Passports and went right to the counter and checked in. (I only broke down twice in the three hours we were there waiting).

We finally made it on board the ship about 6:00 tonight. We ran to our cabin then scurried down to Nola’s cabin and all three of us went up to the Lido where we were directly across from Miss Liberty in the harbor and could also look back at Manhattan and the gorgeous skyline. We could see the new building going up at Ground Zero. It was a magnificent sunset. Then we meandered down through the Lido Buffet where we decided to have dinner. We finally got to our cabin about 10:00 and then unpacked. It made for a long day – but we were so happy to even be on the ship at that point it didn’t matter!

So – chalk this one up to the travel agent who didn’t follow her own advise!!

Dedication to my Father-in-Law

I dedicate my Travelogues through today to my Father-in-Law, Mel. He was my biggest Travelogue fan and really enjoyed reading about what we did each step along the way of each journey we took. He looked forward to our Travelogues and was always so complimentary when he read them. The last day of his life, he was reading our Travelogues and knew we were going to be in Fairbanks. I know deep in my heart that when he passed on July 10th and we were on the train from Fairbanks to Denali - that was no coincidence. We were where we were meant to be. "Fairbanks" was the code name for the ship that both he and my Jim served on. And, he loved trains. I know he's on a great train ride now - and he's the Conductor!

Melvin James Carpenter
January 16, 1920 to July 10, 2010 - (90 years) A long life well lived

12 days and counting!

In just twelve short days we will be on the road again! We will be flying from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia and boarding the beautiful Holland America Volendam for a 13 day adventure on water and land.

As a travel agent and an Alaska Destination Specialist, this is a trip that we have been looking forward to because it will take us to places we have only dreamed about visiting.

We will start our adventure in Vancouver - the home of the Winter Olympics in 2010. As we sail out of Vancouver in the late afternoon, we will pass Stanley Park (one of our favorite places to visit in Vancouver) and our voyage will begin North to Alaska.

We will enter the Strait of Georgia and travel along Vancouver Island which is the home of a resident pod of orca whales known as "J" pod. Granny and Ruffles are the two oldest members of this pod. Granny is the matriarch and thought to be almost 90years old! Along with her son, Ruffles, they lead the pod through the waters in and around Vancouver Island. There are over 40 members of this pod. We hope to get a glimpse of them gliding graciously through the waters as we pass by!

From Vancouver we will continue on up the Inside Passage past Wrangell and Petersberg to Tracy Arm Fjord which is off of Stepens Passage across from Admiralty Island. We will visit the North and the South Sawyer Glaciers (Twin Sawyer Glaciers) and then spend an afternoon in Juneau, the capital of Alaska.

From Juneau, we will continue up Stephens Passage to Lyn Canal where we will cruise to Skagway. We will disembark the ship in Skagway and will spend the night there. That afternoon, Jim and I are scheduled to take a float plane ride!

The next morning we will board the White Pass and Yukon Railroad traveling along the same route that the gold miners hiked one after the other in 1898 hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields in the Yukon. We'll visit Lake Bennet and eventually arrive in Whitehorse, where we will spend the night and enjoy the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue.

From Whitehorse, we will board a motor coach to Dawson City and stay overnight in the Klondike National Historic Site. We will then visit Dawson City or Tombstone Park and learn more about the Gold Rush and visit the gold fields and explore where a full range of wildlife roams free.

On Day 8 we will cruise the Yukon River on the MV Yukon Queen II catamaran and hear tales of river pilors, mail carriers, prospectors and Mounties as we travel to the small Alaskan town of Eagle.

A motor coach will take us up the Alaska Range and along the TransAlaska Pipeline to Fairbanks on Day 9 where we will visit Gold Dredge No, 8 and actually give a good try at panning for gold ourselves.

On Day 10 we will board the McKinley Explorer (Alaska Railroad), and travel along the scenic byway as we travel through the heart of Alaska to Denali National Park where we will stay for two nights. Not only do we hope to get to see Mt. McKinley, we have high hopes of seeing a lot of wildlife on our Tundra Wilderness Tour. We could see Caribou,moose, grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, bald eagles and
much more.

From Denali on Day 12, we will again board the McKinley Explorer and travel the rail down to Anchorage. In Anchorage, we have plans to meet up with my dear pen pal Pattie and enjoy some time catching up with her. Our last day will find us on a 26 Glacier Cruise out of Whittier that will take us into the Prince William Sound to visit 26 "named" glaciers including those in College Fjord. We will see all types of glaciers including Alpine (hanging), Piedmont and Tidewater glaciers( glaciers traveling down valleys towards the ocean). Getting up close to these towering masses of ice, we will be able to "hear" them move while they groan and crack as they move ever so slowly to the icy glacial waters below. There will be many "bergie bits" (small chunks of ice floating in the water) and the glaciers will be brilliant colors of blue and turquoise.

And, as with all vacations our time will end sooner than we want and we will find ourselves on our way home. We hope you'll join us on June 30th as we take to the skies to Vancouver and set sail on the first day of our journey. I'll be posting blogs all along the way, so you can come along if you want!

Now - I've got to start packing!

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!

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!

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!