Cruising the Inside Passage: Icy Straight Point

We arrived in Icy Straight Point the day after Ketchikan. We hadn't planned an excursion here and that turned out to be a good choice because this is the most beautiful port for roaming around, taking in the seriously stunning view, and eating doughnuts. Okay, maybe eating the doughnuts isn't something you have on your bucket list, but you should add it right now.

Our day began at breakfast with my husband spotting whales right between the ship and shore. He's a regular Captain Ahab, apparently. Our ship was so close to shore it was hard to believe the water could possibly be deep enough for them to swim between the two but later we learned that immediately offshore the drop off is 160 feet deep. Okay, no wading then! 

We were greeted at the port by a group of teenagers demonstrating their native dances. Their colorful garb with the breathtaking landscape all around made me feel like I was in Alaska more profoundly than I had up until that moment.

We were immediately in love with this landscape. Everywhere we looked there was a level of natural beauty it is hard to describe. We were headed for a little hike through a rain forest nearby but stopped first to walk along the rocky shore. You have never seen a group of adults more excited about rocks. With every step we discovered treasures so beautiful that they looked unnatural, magical even. We picked up a few to bring home and photographed some of the beauties too big to carry. I am actually embarrassed by how many rock pictures I have. I do love details when I travel.

I'm only sharing these two. The straight lines and colors just dazzled us! 

The trail through the beautiful temperate rain forest was the perfect introduction to the area.

Sometimes you just have to take that cliche touristy photo.

The whales were visible from time to time throughout the day. When they appeared everything and everyone stopped to take in the sight.

My favorite style of photography. Some charming detail in the front with a sweeping vista in the background.

Like the rocks, there are a ton of these but I'm sparing you. 

Okay, y'all. Let's talk dandelions. Alaskan dandelions are on steroids. They are everywhere, HUGE, and treated like wildflowers instead of weeds. Maybe this is how beautiful they get when everyone isn't constantly spraying them with Round Up. Okay, so dandelions were also a theme of the day.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't do a better job of taking pictures that give you a better feeling of the beautiful and charming complex they have built at this port.

For a description and history of this area check out, Icy Straight Point/Hoonah, Alaska: Our History.
 
It was well thought and and adorably constructed. There were restaurants, the old cannery had been turned into a museum and was filled with darling shops. There were outdoor eating areas, the longest zip line in the world, and then there was this. 

This is the Salvation Army Doughnut Hut. Or as I called it, Icy Straight Mecca. They are making the tiniest most delicious doughnuts ever right there and shaking them in a bag of sugar. There are various flavors of sugar like Maple Bacon. MAPLE BACON! And apple cider, cinnamon, vanilla, and about a dozen other flavors. Here's their link on Yelp. This is where Paleo comes to die.

My favorite thing about this area was how photogenic it all was. There was a stark charm that reminded me of other arctic areas of the world. But as you can tell from the photos I really struggled with the glaring light of Alaska in May.

You can take a bus into Hoonah for a round trip of five dollars. It was so beautiful though that we walked back. Against a fierce icy wind the whole time. Walking to Hoonah and catching the bus back would have been a better plan.

We stopped into the Icy Straight Point Brewery while wondering around. So adorable.

On the walk back we passed this sweet cemetery covered with dandelions and forget me nots. Again, I have a ridiculous amount of photos of this graveyard.

Okay, maybe the walk back was worth it even with the pounding cold wind. 

I couldn't resist trying to photograph an Alaskan bumblebee. You guessed it. So many photos. 

This is one of my favorite photos of the day. I think it symbolizes Alaska perfectly.

What could possibly be a better way to end a day than this? Whales even swam by one last time while we were sitting here recounting our day and saying "We're sitting by a fire in Alaska!"

Creating a Fun Travel Photo

Recently I climbed up into a piece of artwork for a photo op with a friend. As a docent at a museum where I regularly chide people for just standing too close to the art, it felt as if I was committing some enormous crime. But I did it anyway. Let me explain. As we were exploring our ship we passed this sculpture, a version of the iconic Robert Indiana Love sculpture.

As soon as I saw it I imagined the cutest photo ever of me and my friend. I looked around for a sign that said not to touch it or, you know, climb on it.  

There wasn't one. 

 "We should get into this and have our picture made. I'll just climb up into that L and you sit there between the V and E."

Seemed easy enough.

Until I tried it. This sculpture is deep. And really slick. I tried to climb up into the L but it was impossible. There was nothing to grab onto or step on and I certainly didn't have the upper body strength to pull myself up into position. Plus in the attempt my friend and I both began laughing so hard it wasn't going to happen.

A few nights later as we were leaving we told our husbands about our failed attempt at the cutest picture idea ever. My husband thought it was grand but I told him that we'd tried and failed.

"Try again, I'll push you."

So here we were 4 adults, sort of,  all dressed up (because of course we would choose to do this on dressy night) climbing, pushing, snapping, and laughing, all while desperately hoping no one would pass by. The picture was finally taken by her husband while mine stood by laughing.  I have to say it's one of my all time favorites. My idea was just us looking at the camera but when she said "Hey look down here at me!" It was a stroke of genius.

I...well, love it. I also love the idea that you never get too old to cause a little trouble with your friends. 

Cruising the Inside Passage: Ketchikan

I've always wanted to go to Alaska. My husband will say that I've always wanted to go everywhere. Cruising makes a lot of things affordable and easy that would be expensive and arduous otherwise. Though, in this current atmosphere airline travel is certainly arduous enough for any would be adventurer and we had a harrowing time trying to get to Vancouver to embark on our ship, the Celebrity Millennium.  If you have ever wondered what a travel agent is good for, now that you can book everything yourself, you should know that we would have missed our ship had ours not been working tirelessly on our behalf all along the way.

Once we stepped on the ship all the stress and worry melted away. We ran into our friends and fellow travelers, The Travel Bully and The Food Maven, straight away and the festivities began. The next day was a sea day which meant relaxing in the indoor heated salt pool and hot tubs.

Our first stop was Ketchikan, or as my husband likes to call it Catchmeifyoucan. Like all the towns we visited including Seattle, this town was thrown up to make money off the gold rush. All during this trip I was reading a book, Mad Rush for Gold. It's the true account and tragic tale of a group of stampeders. As we went from place to place on this trip it was clear that people had no idea about the landscape they would encounter or the hardships they would endure. The landscape of each place was at once breathtaking and unforgiving. The adventurers who came to this area got much more than they bargained for in the way of hardships but very little gold.

After listening to all the stories it basically comes down to this: Alaska was founded by fortune seekers of all kinds, from prospectors to prostitutes. Throw in the swindlers and scammers and it's quite a colorful narrative. But of course, there were already people living there when the Gold Rush started. Ketchikan is home to the Totem Heritage Center. The museum houses authentic totems and covers the history and cultural significance of these Alaskan treasures to the indigenous people.

We enjoyed a little nature walk on what is clearly an easy and beneficial trail to be on. We couldn't resist taking our husbands' picture under this sign. Notice how happy they look. You're welcome, guys.  

 When you read about the history of this area once the stampeders showed up it's refreshing to see a church. Whoever built it had his work cut out for him. Later when came across a brothel that's a museum. Maybe I should say a museum that used to be a brothel, complete with tours but not demonstrations. 

There was good shopping in this area and I bought my grandson a present. It's an aviator hat, but you'll have to wait until he gets here to see it. We also bought salmon and Ulu knives here. I have used mine every day since I got home.

There is a fish ladder here in the creek here. There are several totems around town and the scenery is breathtaking in every direction, but it is remote. The easiest way to get there is by boat or plane. The very best way to get here is by cruise ship. Alaska has been on my list since I was a kid. It did not disappoint and I'll be sharing more about it in the next couple of posts.

The Charming Gardens of Iceland and Norway

I finally remembered that I told you I was going to do an entire post about the beautiful gardens that we saw on our trip to Norway and Iceland. I have to admit, I thought you might need a plan for getting through this election more. Looking at pictures of sweet Nordic gardens can't hurt either.

 In all the places we visited both homes and businesses had cheery plants at the doorway. These black petunias in Norway were stunning.


And you know how I feel about post boxes...

...and bees.

When we got to Iceland I wasn't expecting the lush gardens we found there. Plants were thriving in the cool summer temps. I loved the charming little compost bin complete with the cutest little red shovel ever. 

This pic of some cabbage is the only photo I didn't edit at all. It didn't get any more perfect no matter what I did.

The buildings in Isafjordur were sweetly stark. It showcased the beauty of even the simplest flowers to perfection.

It's traditional in the Faroe Islands to grow grass on your roof. Even on the garden shed. It's an indication of just how much rain they get.

In the city of Lerwick, Shetland Islands it was all about the fences and gates...

Do you look for gardens when you are traveling? I also love to garden hunt in my hometown. It's always fun and interesting to see what other gardeners are creating around them!

Visiting the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland

The highlight of our trip to Iceland was visiting The Blue Lagoon on my husband's birthday. It was something we were especially looking forward to. Our daughter, who can't imagine why anyone would take a vacation at a place with "ice" in the name, called one night to ask if we were watching The Kardashians.

I looked at my husband across the room on the sofa and stifled a laugh. "Um no..."

"Turn it on! They are in Iceland!"

I hung up and told my husband he had to stop watching whatever he was watching because we had to watch The Kardashinas.

Are you picturing it? 

I explained why and we eventually found it in time to see them at The Blue Lagoon doing what else--taking selfies. Turns out it was Courtney Kardashian's birthday and I immediately imagined taking pictures of my husband who would be turning 61 the day we would be there and using the hashtag chasingthekardashians or something equally amusing. To me and my daughter anyway. 

You must buy your tickets online before arriving because they limit the number of people at any one time inside. It seems like a hassle but once you are there you can see why. It would be a totally different experience if the space was overcrowded. From Reykavik you can take a bus across the moon like landscape for the 45 minute ride. The lava rock and thick moss keep you mesmerized until you see the steam rising in the distance.

 Upon arrival you check in and receive a bracelet that acts as your locker key and billing device during your stay. From there you head to the locker to strip down and put your clothes and shoes away and shower before putting on your bathing suit. There are large signs with instructions. The main thing to remember is not to drip on the locker room floor. Seriously, someone will yell at you. 

After that you can enter the water.  This is my husband's official birthday photo. #chasingthekardashians #perryandcourtneysbirthdayadventure Remember my other Kardashian experience? The Painful Kardashian Marathon.

We tried some Kardahian-like selfies but with a severe lack of cleavage.

  
 Which brings me to body image. While I was looking for a place to change and shower where I wouldn't be standing around in all my glory I felt a little silly. That's because the Japanese women and European woman were standing around having entire conversations or digging in their purses while nude. I felt a little jealous. Not because they had perfect bodies to show off but because they didn't and they seemed completely unconcerned about it. Having that kind of casual acceptance of one's self is something American women don't do very well. I tried to figure out if it's our perfection obsessed culture or our Puritan inheritance. Whatever it was the answer to it was wine. Did I mention the "swim" up bar?

 
Part of the Blue Lagoon ritual is wearing a mask made of silica, one of the main minerals found in the water. Everyone does it and no one fells silly at all. Again...wine.

This was definitely my husband's most memorable birthday to date. All of our favorite gifts involve experiences instead of material things and Iceland on your birthday is just about as spectacular as it gets. Just ask my husband.

Or a Kardashian.

A Day in Bergen, Norway

Since visiting Sweden, Finland, and Denmark 4 years ago we've been hoping to complete our tour of Scandinavian/Nordic countries by traveling to Norway and Iceland. Timing it during the two weeks when we could miss the conventions of both political parties was pure happenstance but made us feel like travel geniuses anyway.

During this trip there was much less rushing around large cities and more taking in magnificent vistas and mystical landscapes. This trip was all about the views. Our first stop was Bergen, Norway and our first priority was obtaining tickets to ride the Funicular to the top of Mount Floyen.

If you are headed to Bergen and want to do this (it's a must, really) you buy your tickets at the visitor center. And do it first thing in the morning. Race there, in fact. We arrived very early and didn't have to wait at all. When we came back down the line was out the door and down the street quite a long way. Given that proposition it is also walkable and would definitely be worth the effort. You don't want to spend your day in this charming town waiting in line.

When you get to the top the views are breathtaking. There are some shops, bathrooms, and a restaurant. There is even a playground  with a troll.

There are trolls everywhere in Norway.

We got some beautiful photos before a fog rolled in and completely caused this beautiful sight to disappear in a haunting mist.

After you take in the spectacular scenery meander around a bit. We happened upon a magical wood.

If you are an adult and your faith in fairies and elves is flagging, Norway is the cure for that.

Just when you are sure magical forests only exist in storybooks...

and trolls aren't real...

stepping into a mystical forest will make you rethink your cynicism.

Surely there is a hobbit or two here somewhere.

The trees towered overhead in a thick mist and a carpet of moss absorbed our voices. We spoke in hushed tones though no other travelers had followed us here.

So often, just steps away from a busy tourist attraction, there is an unexplored gem that most people miss. Take time to wander away from the crowds. Walk around the corner. Follow a hidden path just to see where it goes. You may just find magic