Mendenhall Glacier
I didn't really take many pictures on the ship, but this was a jazz bar and Mike loved sitting here and listening to this jazz pianist/singer.
Next stop, Skagway, Wednesday, August 31, Dale's Birthday! We got to explore the quaint town in the morning before getting on our buses to go on our adventure which ran parallel to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad route. We saw beautiful views of the "Trail of 98", and stopped at Pitchfork Falls. Skagway looks much the same as it did during the gold rush. Many of the buildings have been preserved or reconstructed to look exactly as they did during that period.
It's always a special treat when we run into Mormon missionaries!
Pitchfork Falls
A creepy, cool cemetery! Someone notorious is buried there, but I can't remember the story!
Our waiters! Happy Birthday to Dale!
Thursday, September 1, we had to get up at sunrise to see the magnificent Hubbard Glacier! It is the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska and has a 7 mile long open calving face. It was incredible! We saw it "calve" numerous times which was a special treat! Calving is when huge chunks of the glacier break off and fall into the ocean. It sounded like thunder!
That night we had a final Elvis show. The entertainment on the ship was really fun. We saw a lot of great shows from the cast and the cruise activity director was hilarious!
Friday, September 2, 2016--Debarkation day. We had to get up super early and be ready to get off the ship at around 7 am!! We had to be all packed and have our suitcases outside our door the night before. We took buses from our debarkation port to Anchorage. We stopped and saw the Temple which was beautiful. We also had a couple of pretty view stops and got some nice pictures.
Our new friend, Barbara Madsen
We stayed two nights in the Comfort Inn Ship Creek. We explored Anchorage and had a nice dinner with some of our new cruise friends that night.
This is how we were all feeling at the end of the cruise!!
Our last day with our tour group! We got to see Mt. Denali, visit a dog sled camp and ride on a sled pulled by actual sled dogs. We visited the Iditarod Museum and went on a cool airboat ride out to a trapper's lodge where a park ranger gave us a short talk on what life was like for a trapper in Alaska! Rough life for sure!
Nancy and Dale and I stayed over one more night and headed home on Sunday, September 4. N & D left early and Mike and I took a taxi to an LDS church that turned out to be Tongan speaking! So funny that so many Tongans live in such a cold place! I was able to sit by someone who translated a little for me. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting so we got the gist of most of what people were saying.
Here we are at the Anchorage Airport bidding Alaska farewell! It was a wonderful trip! We had great weather, great food, great adventures and most of all enjoyed being with great people!
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