20 YEARS!!!! how did that happen?

Kyle and I have almost been married 20 years.  I have wanted to go to Alaska for 20 years.  He hasn't.  He got to go on a fishing trip to Alaska with his brothers several years ago and decided he DID like Alaska.  So, I told him that for our 20th Anniversary, I was going to go to Alaska and if he wanted to come, he could.  Don't we sound like the happiest couple? :)

It has been a great 20 years.  He is my best friend and is so good to me.  I was really really glad he decided he wanted to come with me!
We books a cruise in May, even though our anniversary isn't until June, because - 20 years beats some practicality into you, and it was $1000 cheaper in May!
The ship left from Seattle, so we went a night early and spent the morning with our long lost college friend, Chris Shaff and his wife Jen and little boy Evan.

 This is our hotel in Seattle. It had a cool atrium in the middle with the first of many totem poles we would see over the next week.

 I worked in the Civil Engineering office at the U of U when Kyle and Chris were getting their engineering degrees.  Chris was our office go-fer and we got to be good friends. Chris agreed to pick us up at our hotel and be our tour guide and chauffeur for the day.  They took us to the iconic Pike's Place Market and to eat at Ivar's Acres of Clam.

 This is their son Evan.  He reminded me so much of George when he was 3.  He had a speech impediment and sounded just like George did.  After I showered him with gifts I was his new favorite Auntie Jo.

 Our sweet neighbor, Josh Pedersen, moved to Seattle last year and Kyle texted him.  He met us for lunch and it was so great to see him again.










It did not rain on us in Seattle which I've heard is very lucky this extra wet year.  It started to drizzle as we got on the ship.
After a great day of sight-seeing, yummy food and catching up, we boarded our ship.  Our home away from home for the next 6 days, the Eurodam.

We had a fantastic room. It was definitely the biggest room I've ever stayed in on a cruise. (Usually they are just big enough for a bed and tiny shower).  It has a great balcony and we spent a lot of time out there searching for and finding wildlife. As soon as I would wake up in the morning- which was always too early because of the time change, I would throw open the curtains to see what amazing scene would greet me.

Here are some ship highlights:

 There were a few nice shows, the comedian had a hard time staying clean, the magician was soulless but had some good tricks, the highlight was a Beatles cover band that was really really great. Kyle was fascinated with the Galley tour.

 I love the towel origami.

The food is always a fun and delicious part of any cruise, we loved trying all the different options.  This was not the best cruise food we've had but this cruise was definitely about what was outside the ship- not in.

  On our days at sea we enjoyed going to the test kitchen show and learning about different chocolate and and cheeses and watching the chef make amazing dishes right in front of us.

Our favorite thing about the ship was the classical 5 piece string ensemble that played twice a day.  We usually tried to make it to at least one of their shows.  They were incredible to experience, tucked away in a little corner of the hallway, their sound was inspiring. 

They were called Lincoln Center Stage and all of the performers were Julliard graduates and mostly in graduate school as well.  It was truly incredible. The crow's nest was a lounge at the very top of the boat and was completely enclosed in glass, it was also a library so it was a good place to chill.

 Now that the cruise ship critique (4.1 stars) is over.......TO ALASKA!

 A drizzly first few hours coming out of the Sound from Seattle. On a map the rivers and waterways around Seattle and up the coast look tiny, but they are HUGE. The entire trip I was just amazed at the vastness of everything in Alaska. 

The weather did not improve, it got much much worse as the first night went on and we had a hard time getting to sleep.

 Kyle got very nauseous but was finally able to rest. 

When we woke the next morning we were greeted by calm seas, still a day away from Juneau, we began our whale hunting! No- not hunting- but -you know. :)
The mountains and the water were just breath-taking from every angle- every day.  I took hundreds of pictures and could have taken more.

Then after a few hours we noticed some smoke coming from the base of the forested beach on our balcony side of the boat (aft leeward of the ship I mean).  Then we saw more smoke - several little fires.....

With the binoculars we realized it wasn't on land, but in the water and realized it was mists of water being shot out of whale blow holes!

It was so exciting.  We were acting like crazy people!! Our very first whales.  My little camera has an amazing zoom so these guys were easily a mile away from us but we were hooked and spent most of the day with our eyes glued to that beach, waiting for more smoke.

 We got lucky a little later and saw some much closer to the ship. Never more than a little puff of water, a hump and a tail fin.  I had no idea how massive they were until I saw a picture later of how small that tail is compared to the rest of the whale that was hiding under the water.

It was a great day for whale watching but even when there weren't any whales the landscape was nearly as amazing. The next morning we woke up in Juneau- or very nearly and by the time we got breakfast and were out on the deck we were docked.

As we were just soaking in the atmosphere I heard someone on the ship say "Eagle"- now those that know me well, know that when George was little he was fascinated with birds and we studied them a bit and he outgrew it and I did not, and I am a huge fan of birds, especially raptors (birds of prey).
I ran over to the railing and got this video.

I have now retired as a birder.  It was the pinnacle of my birding career!

 Juneau was really cute.  Lots of touristy shops but we wandered around the back streets of town.  Saw where Gov. Palin lives and went into a little grocery store to watch the locals.

 I had to sneak this picture of this adorable little native waiting patiently for her mom.  She was the only Eskimo I actually saw- and then we learned they aren't actually Eskimo here but another indigenous tribe of Indians. So.Dang.Cute.
After wandering, we took the Mount Roberts Tramway up to the top of the mountain (Mount Roberts I guess).  It was really safe- and really high -it took us 1800 feet up.

 There was a trail all around the top of the mountain and snow to pass through at one point.

There is a little visitor's center at the top and a movie you can watch about the native, Tlingit people. There was also a restaurant and a visitor's center and a gift shop.  We mostly just hiked around.