Last week my parents spoiled us by taking us on a pre-med school getaway on an Alaskan cruise. It was the first time any of us had ever been on a cruise and we definitely were not disappointed. We went on the Celebrity Infinity cruise ship and were very impressed. The rooms, food, entertainment etc. were all top notch. We started in Seattle then headed up to Sitka and the Hubbard Glacier then took the inside passage down through Juneau, Ketchican, and at last Victoria British Columbia. We did some amazing excursions in each city. I thought I would break it down by each port....
Sitka: This town is a small town set among the most beautiful group of small islands. We spent the morning hiking through the incredible rainforest then we took a wildlife catamaran cruise. We were lucky enough to see whales, sea otters, eagles, and bears as well as some beautiful scenery.
Hubbard Glacier: The day we spent cruising the Hubbard Glacier is one we will never forget. Our captain broke a record by getting our ship less than one nautical mile away from the massive glacier. It seriously took my breath away. It was unbelievable!!!
Juneau: Our day in Juneau was probably my favorite day. After some shopping in the quaint little town we flew in a seaplane (my first time in one) over 5 glaciers to a remote 100 year old lodge that sits on a river bank across from the hole in the wall glacier. It was unreal how beautiful it was. We spent the afternoon at the lodge eating a salmon feast and exploring the forest. We were also lucky enough to get up close and personal with some bears. They visit the lodge often in search of food. It was so fun and a little scary to see them so close.
Ketchican: In Ketchican we decided to go on a crab hunting expedition. We went to the scenic George Inlet Lodge where they took us out and showed us how they caught crab. They even let us hold them. It was really interesting to see how it was done. The inlet was gorgeous with some amazing wildlife including a big group of seals. After the excursion we went back to the lodge for a crab feast. I will admit it was a little weird eating crab since we had just been holding some but it was by far the yummiest crab we have ever had.
Victoria: We spent our last evening in this fun Canadian city. We went our to the world famous Butchart Gardens. They were amazing! I was impressed with how creative the gardens were. After the gardens we went to an overlook of the city then spent the rest of the night checking out the beautiful European buildings in the area such as the famous Empress Hotel. I seriously want to live in Victoria one day!
Seattle: We decided to extend out trip by staying a couple of days in Seattle. We did so much in the short time we were there. We visited the Aquarium, the Space Needle, the art museum, and we did two really fun tours...the Duck tour where you ride in old World War 11 "ducks" you know the cars that are also boats, and an underground tour of the city. I didn't even know Seattle had an underground but they do. The city burned down and they rebuilt it and there are passages and buildings underground. It was really interesting. We finished off the trip with a sunset dinner on the wharf and an early morning visit to Pike's Market.
The week could not have been better. When we weren't out exploring beautiful Alaska we were on our ship playing games, swimming in the amazing lassotherapy pool in the spa, eating way too much yummy food, enjoying the great entertainment...comedians, dancers, singers, flyers, and a very quirky but highly informative naturalist. Thanks Mom and Dad for an unforgettable experience!
2 comments:
In 2006 my mom's whole side of the family went on the Alaskin cruise and had an absolutle blast. It's so good to hear that you guys had just as much fun. You wouldn't really think that an alaskin cruise would be fun right?! I can't wait to go on the next one.
That looks so fun. It is gorgeous. When do you leave for school, well I dont even know where you are going!?
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