Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Glacier Day!!

Today we get to see the glacier. The captain announced early that we would not be going to Tracy Arm, but through another passage with less ice and therefore we could get closer to the glacier. We had booked an excursion (well, the only excursion available for this day and very hard to book) that involved getting on a smaller boat. While we were still a bit away from the glacier, the small boat pulled up to the ship, and we all got on - around 150 of us. We pulled away from the ship and our new captains took us close to shore to see things. Eventually we got to the glacier and it was great! And yes, a bit cold, but we had a great time. All too soon it was time to reboard the Wonder and view the glacier from a different perspective. We all took some "downtime" in our individual ways (think naps) and then ate in Tiana's, which was a delightful experience.

Headed to see some ice!

Speeding away from the Wonder!

Beginning to see some ice!

And we finally see the seals!

One of the amazing waterfalls

The Glacier Girls!

Yup - that's the glacier!

Molly doing her glacier dance

Selfies getting people getting selfies ...

Hey - shouldn't we be on that boat?


I love the reflection of the Wonder on the water!

Yeah, I don't know what I'm pointing at ...

And the sun begins to set ...

A whale!!!

Another photo with the ship's reflection
 
Molly meets a new friend at Tianas

And our room steward made us an alligator!

Bananas Foster Sundae - how else to end a great day?
And now for a final bit of business. This is the last post for this blog. Why? Because my 50s will be over tomorrow. There were a lot of decisions to make - would I even continue to blog, would I continue on this blog site, what would I name a blog, and so on. I finally decided to try a new blog site and start over for my 60s. So, tomorrow, should you wish to continue reading my posts (or lack of, or my catchups), go here: https://lalasthirdact.wordpress.com/.

And whether you decide to leave me in my 50s or continue with my 60s, I have only one thing to say - thanks for reading!
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Blessings today include: boat excursion to see the glacier and all the views we got to see; dinner in Tiana's

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Sea Day!

Today we sailed along the coast. I would have taken more photos, but it was rather foggy. Also, we ate brunch at Palo, which always means a long nap after, so there. Palo was delicious as always, and our server seemed a bit disappointed when we told him we would not be returning for dinner. Why? Because we are going to order it for our room, yo!! It's a perk of staying in the Walt Suite, so why not? And speaking of the Walt Suite, here are some videos of it via Molly - you may want to take a motion sickness pill before you view it, though!!




The rest of today was spent doing a bunch of nothing. We have a full week ahead of us, so I guess we will need today to rest up!  And here are some photos from today ...

Another cruise ship ...

After Palo, Lynnette went looking for new friends.

A rose and a decorated plate for my birthday!!

The bartender in the lounge was very proud of his card tricks.

Clearly he tricked Molly!!
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Today's blessings include: a quiet day on the water; Palo ladies brunch and a rose and a birthday plate; card tricks in the lounge

Monday, August 21, 2017

Let's Board The Wonder!!

Maribeth wanted to eat crepes this morning, so we headed back to the crepes place. Today is also the big eclipse day, and KB had brought eclipse glasses for us all. By the time we had finished our crepes, the eclipse had started in Vancouver, so as we walked back to our hotel, we stopped along the way to observe – and we shared our special glasses with strangers along the way.

Once the eclipse was over, we headed back to the room to assemble our things. Our ship had literally come in, and it was soon time to board. It wasn’t long until we set foot onboard (we were literally the first ones on the ship) and we were in our room – The Walt Disney Suite!! It’s really fabulous, to say the least!

We lounged around, took a nap, attended the lifeboat drill, had dinner, and soon went to bed. Let the cruise commence!!

My ship is coming in!!

And she's about to dock - right under my window!!

And our luggage is ready to be loaded - see my fave Mickey tote bag?

Watching the eclipse - well, some of us anyway ...

So long Vancouver - see you in a week!
.


Remember the bridge I mentioned yesterday? Here's my favorite part!!

And here we are!!
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Blessings today include: crepes with the girls; watching the eclipse and the people watching the eclipse; watching the Wonder come into port; boarding the ship and seeing our "spot"; meeting Selina and later, our dining team

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Vancouver Fun!!


Molly found a crepes place for us to go eat breakfast. While it seemed much closer that it actually was, we all trekked to the place and had a delicious breakfast. We went back to the hotel and decided to try the Vancouver hop-on hop-off bus. We lasted on the bus for a bit (in other words, not the entire tour) before deciding to get off downtown. We shopped around a bit before returning to the hotel, stopping for lunch on the way.

Soon Maribeth was on her way to the hotel. Once she got there, we watched a wedding take place beneath us. Then Maribeth decided to do some sight-seeing on her own. KB and I went back to the mall while Molly and Lynnette took a siesta. Maribeth ate dinner on her own while the rest of us found a spot to eat at. We all reconvened at the hotel and called it a day – tomorrow we board the ship!

Crepes for all!!

Vancouver from the bus (and the park).

My favorite Vancouver bridge - especially when I am cruising underneath it!

So some people seemed to get a little chilly on the tour ...

The wedding happening underneath us!

And the gawkers watching from above!

Apparently in Vancouver, they have free pianos for the playing around town.
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Blessings today include: crepes with the crew; shopping in Vancouver; Maribeth's safe arrival; watching the wedding; dinner on the waterfront; riding FlyOver Canada

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Hello Vancouver!


By the time I made it to breakfast this morning, the word came out that we were now officially seven hours late! We were supposed to arrive around 9:30, but are now looking more at a 4:30 arrival. It wasn’t all bad – we got to see a lot of scenery that normally we would have slept through. Since the dining staff wasn’t prepared to serve lunch, they had to come up with something, and they did – an open-faced ham and cheese Mexican Pizza, or lentils and rice, or a barbeque chicken salad. While it certainly wasn’t their best, I applaud their efforts in making do.

Eventually we did make it to Vancouver! Molly had already arrived last night, and KB and Lynnette had already arrived today by the time my train pulled in. They were all at the hotel, waiting for me. We pulled into the train station, and then it was time for me to figure out how to get to the hotel.

I figured there would be a local train shuttle to the waterfront area, but rather than try to figure that out with my full-of-bricks backpack and tote bag, I opted for a taxi. I stood in the line until eventually it was my turn and I climbed in. I told the driver where I wanted to go and he looked a bit alarmed. He told me that there was some sort of bicycle race going on and the traffic was terrible. He said that it would probably take him 30-40 minutes and the train shuttle would only take 5-10. I informed him that I didn’t know where that train shuttle place was and he said he would take me and promptly made a u-turn and deposited me at that station – which was across the street from the rain station I came in to!

Anyhow, I managed to purchase a ticket and haul my belongings up the stairs and onto the train. Technically I barely made it on the train, but my backpack kept the door open long enough to get me in. Soon I was checked into my hotel!

Molly, Lynnette, and KB came to my room and we decided to go eat dinner. Once we had done that, we decided everyone was ready to return to the hotel and go to bed. The group is almost all here!


The haze is smoke from the forest fires to the north. This lake is amazing.

Just to give you an idea of the length of our train.

View of a train across the lake - with more cars than ours!

Another view of our long train!

Going into a tunnel - the views are great from the dome car,
but maybe not for photos on a rainy day!

Some campers along the river.


An added treat - an eagle in flight!

Headed into a tunnel - they were never very long.

Just another river view!

Some tents up on the ridge.

This was fascinating - a place where two rivers come together.
One is dark and one is light - you can clearly see the dividing mark!


Crossing a bridge ...

Okay, so I LOVE the landscapes!!!

I'm sorry - did you not read the last photo's caption?

Some travel via camper ...

Finally - the last bridge into Vancouver!

And I'm off the train - for the last time!

My new view - from the hotel!

And this pretty much sums up how we feel tonight!!
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Blessings today include: extra hours on the train; resourcefulness of the dining team; beautiful scenery along the way; cab driver help; managing the city train; great hotel room and meeting up with the girls