This year is a big year. I turn 50 in November, John and I just celebrated our 30th anniversary, and Mom turns 80 in December. Mom, Aunt Betty, Mark and Jan Risley and John and I went on an Alaskan cruise the first week of September to celebrate, and it was fantastic. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere you look you see ocean, snow-peaked mountains, glaciers or something else equally beautiful. Our ports were Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia.
We went whale watching in Juneau and saw humpback whales, seals and bald eagles. The whale watching was great, ending with 2 humpbacks diving right outside our window. They were about 100 feet away from the boat, and we got to see both of their tails. It was great. We went up into the mountains into Canada while in port at Skagway, and rode a vintage train back down. We followed the trail through the mountains that the miners used to walk. In Glacier Bay, we were on the ship, but we were only a few hundred yards from the actual glacier. Mom, Aunt Betty and John and I stood on our balcony and watched as the glacier “calved” 4 or 5 times. I cannot describe how cool that was. It was very loud too. It was my favorite part of the trip.
Needless to say, we ate more than we should have, but that is what cruises are for. Right? Anyway, it was a great trip, and I am so glad that Mom got to share it with me.