1. Marjorie Glacier Calving
2. Humpback Whale Breaching
3. Orcas jumping next to our boat
July 1, 2008
More about Alaska...
Here are some cool videos we got while in Alaska:
1. Marjorie Glacier Calving
2. Humpback Whale Breaching
3. Orcas jumping next to our boat
1. Marjorie Glacier Calving
2. Humpback Whale Breaching
3. Orcas jumping next to our boat
Alaska
I'm going to apologize in advance for the length of this post. We had a fantastic time on our trip. In fact, Mat had such a great time that he was ready to move to Alaska! The pictures we have don't do the beauty justice! We spent the first day cruising down the Alaskan coastline. Monday was another day at sea, but we spent a lot of time in a National Park called Glacier Bay. We were able to sail up fairly close to some beautiful glaciers and watch them calve. (watch HUGE chunks of ice fall off into the water)
What you can't tell from this picture is that this glacier, the Marjorie Glacier, rises about 200 feet above the water. It was absolutely amazing.
On Tuesday we made our first stop in Skagway. We took an excursion with the entire family on a train up the White Pass & Yukon Route. This was a trail that was used during the Alaskan Gold Rush. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain we took a bus into Canada to see the Yukon Suspension Bridge. Heights are not my favorite thing (especially heights that don't feel so sturdy!) but it was a neat bridge. After the bridge we headed back into Skagway and to the Jewel Gardens. During the summer months, Alaska has very few hours of darkness each day. Gardeners are able to grow record setting plants such as a 23-foot corn stalk and a pumpkin that weighed over 1,000 lbs! We didn't see anything like that at the Jewel Gardens, but they were beautiful.
Wednesday was spent in the capital city, Juneau. We spent the morning out on a boat doing some whale watching. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters, and bald eagles. The population of Juneau is about 30,000. The bald eagle population is about 20,000! We were able to spend some time in the city before heading back to the boat. We headed towards the capitol building and took a tour. It was a very small building. The halls were lined with pictures taken throughout Alaska's history as well as newspapers from when Alaska became a state.
Thursday we made our last stop in Ketchikan. The only thing we had planned for the day was a Lumberjack Show, so we had a lot of time to spend in the city. At first, it seemed just like any other tourist town, but we talked to some locals about where to eat and saw a completely different side of the city! We left the harbor area and headed further into town. We found Creek Street, which is actually just a boardwalk of old shops along the creek. It was beautiful. From Creek Street, we took a tram up a mountain to the Cape Fox Lounge. We had a wonderful view of the city and some delicious seafood chowder! The Lumberjack Show was very touristy but a lot of fun. We saw axe throwing, log rolling, and a race up a 20 foot tall tree.
Another one of my favorite things from this trip was all of the wildlife and scenery that we saw as we were sailing along the coast. We saw bears, bald eagles, humpback whales, dolphins, and even orcas. The captain would come on and tell us which side of the boat the animals were on and then slow down the boat so that we had the opportunity to spot and watch these animals. The last night, we were out on the deck watching the sunset and there was a pod of dolphins feeding in the wake of our ship. It was a wonderful ending to a great trip! Here is a slideshow of some of our pictures.
What you can't tell from this picture is that this glacier, the Marjorie Glacier, rises about 200 feet above the water. It was absolutely amazing.
On Tuesday we made our first stop in Skagway. We took an excursion with the entire family on a train up the White Pass & Yukon Route. This was a trail that was used during the Alaskan Gold Rush. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain we took a bus into Canada to see the Yukon Suspension Bridge. Heights are not my favorite thing (especially heights that don't feel so sturdy!) but it was a neat bridge. After the bridge we headed back into Skagway and to the Jewel Gardens. During the summer months, Alaska has very few hours of darkness each day. Gardeners are able to grow record setting plants such as a 23-foot corn stalk and a pumpkin that weighed over 1,000 lbs! We didn't see anything like that at the Jewel Gardens, but they were beautiful.
Wednesday was spent in the capital city, Juneau. We spent the morning out on a boat doing some whale watching. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters, and bald eagles. The population of Juneau is about 30,000. The bald eagle population is about 20,000! We were able to spend some time in the city before heading back to the boat. We headed towards the capitol building and took a tour. It was a very small building. The halls were lined with pictures taken throughout Alaska's history as well as newspapers from when Alaska became a state.
Thursday we made our last stop in Ketchikan. The only thing we had planned for the day was a Lumberjack Show, so we had a lot of time to spend in the city. At first, it seemed just like any other tourist town, but we talked to some locals about where to eat and saw a completely different side of the city! We left the harbor area and headed further into town. We found Creek Street, which is actually just a boardwalk of old shops along the creek. It was beautiful. From Creek Street, we took a tram up a mountain to the Cape Fox Lounge. We had a wonderful view of the city and some delicious seafood chowder! The Lumberjack Show was very touristy but a lot of fun. We saw axe throwing, log rolling, and a race up a 20 foot tall tree.
Another one of my favorite things from this trip was all of the wildlife and scenery that we saw as we were sailing along the coast. We saw bears, bald eagles, humpback whales, dolphins, and even orcas. The captain would come on and tell us which side of the boat the animals were on and then slow down the boat so that we had the opportunity to spot and watch these animals. The last night, we were out on the deck watching the sunset and there was a pod of dolphins feeding in the wake of our ship. It was a wonderful ending to a great trip! Here is a slideshow of some of our pictures.
June 21, 2008
Leavin' On a Jet Plane
Mat and I are off for a week on an Alaskan cruise! We're making 3 stops on our cruise: Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. We will be going on a whale watching cruise, taking a train inland to some gardens, and even getting to see a Lumberjack show! I know that we'll have TONS of pictures (which I'm already excited about scrapbooking)! We've always wanted to visit Alaska, and we can't wait to see all of the beautiful sites.
June 19, 2008
What NOT to Wear
I'm currently procrastinating packing for our trip and watching "What NOT to Wear". The girl that is on today is from Austin (it seems like there are a lot of people from Austin that end up on this show) and wears a raccoon tail (with a bell on it to draw extra attention) everywhere she goes. She is a pretty girl with eccentric tastes, and I'm excited to see what she looks like at the end!
**Update** This was one of the best makeovers I've seen on the show. I've looked for pictures to post or link to, but I can't find any. You'll just have to take my word- she looked great!
**Update** This was one of the best makeovers I've seen on the show. I've looked for pictures to post or link to, but I can't find any. You'll just have to take my word- she looked great!
June 18, 2008
Happy Anniversary!
Today Mat and I celebrate 3 years of marriage. The Lord has blessed us with many happy memories, and I am looking forward to many more years with my best friend! I love you sweetheart.
June 14, 2008
Father's Day
My dad is an amazing man and has taught me so many things! He is one of the smartest men I know, and he has always had an answer for any question I asked. (Sometimes, his answers were much more involved than I had hoped for!)He would be my "phone a friend" if I was ever on Millionaire! In high school, he loved spending time with me and my friends. He would sit in the living room with all of us and tell us stories and random facts and we all loved it.
My dad taught me to love the Lord and to trust in Him. (He still reminds me of that when my worries get too big.) He gave my sister and I an excellent example of what to search for in a husband. He loves the Lord, takes care of his family and puts us first. Thanks Dad for all that you do for us! I love you.
My dad taught me to love the Lord and to trust in Him. (He still reminds me of that when my worries get too big.) He gave my sister and I an excellent example of what to search for in a husband. He loves the Lord, takes care of his family and puts us first. Thanks Dad for all that you do for us! I love you.
June 4, 2008
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