Day 11: Back to Reality...well, almost :'-(

Nothing exciting. Slept until noon (local time) and spent the day in my hotel room trying to prepare myself for going back to reality on Wednesday. Missing the ship, my new friends, and a life of traveling. I’ve got to figure out how to travel the world and some how make a living…ship life would do it, but at the same time, it’s utterly impossible to have a relationship that way. Not that I have anything right now, but in the case that I did find someone, it would be twice as hard having a traveling long distance relationship. After this trip, I want even more to see the world! Prior to leaving for vacation, I was really wanting to share this trip with someone...but I’m so glad I made this trip by myself! It’s been absolutely amazing! I can’t wait for my next vacation ☺

Day 10: Bienvenue à Vancouver

A sad day for disembarkation, but I did get to spend most of the day with Mark walking around Vancouver. This is my take on Vancouver, it’s not one of those cities I’d say “you HAVE to visit”, but it’s huge, very green, very clean, nice and cool (I sported jeans, a long sleeve T, and a sweatshirt), and safe.

The cool thing, even though it’s not Montreal there is still French everywhere. You constantly see English followed by French written right beneath or right under. Which is fun for me because it allows me to test my years of studying the beautiful language. A stay in Vancouver is not complete without seeing the 2010 Olympic torch! The other thing is that it’s very similar to America but it’s still a foreign country. They have the same restaurants, TV shows, and other things, but they still have their own commercials, restaurants, music, TV shows, etc. It kinda throws you off. But it’s cool!

If I was offered a job here or an opportunity to live here, I would take it. Funny side note, we passed a gas station and I was thoroughly confused by the posted price. Mark explained it was $1.17, WHAT?! I was like, “dang, that’s cheap” and then Mark chuckled and was like “that’s per liter.” Silly me! Not only do they use the metric system here but they use coins for 1 dollar and 2 dollars…kinda throws you off if you’re quickly trying to count out money. I have to say my hotel here is a third of the price of my hotel in Anchorage and probably a million times better! C’est la vie ☺
The 2010 Winter Olympic Torch

Day 9: All Good Things Must Come To An End

Today was a day completely at sea, I spent the entire day in my bed reading, it was bliss! Our final dinner was very nice but bitter sweet. I’d made good friends with Mark and various others on the ship and was not looking forward to leaving them tomorrow. I think that’s why I spent the entire day in my room alone. Anyway, I stayed true to my nightly ritual and enjoyed my last Crown and 7 (my drink of choice for the entire trip, aside from the few glasses of wine with dinner and champagne toasts) and tunes up in the Ocean Bar. Due to the immense pain in my feet, I danced very weakly for a few short hours with my friends up in the Crow’s Nest making sure we took tons of pictures to finish off the trip.

The Crow's Nest dancers

Surfin' USA

Y-M-C-A

  

the devil went down to Georgia...and Liz showed him who's boss ;-)



Soulja Boy...CRANK THAT



Day 8: Ketchikan, Alaska

Our last port day, this time in Ketchikan. Today, I actually had time to visit the town after my shore excursion. Which I would have liked to have done in Haines and Juneau, but next time I visit I’ll be sure to make the time. We docked and I headed out for my Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast! I figure, I’m in Alaska, how can I NOT try crab?! We made our way out by bus to the lodge and on our way our bus guide pointed to old red light district, the history of the totems in the area, along with the bald eagle’s nest in the tree on the side of the road. So far we’ve seen TONS of bald eagles but this was neat because we were so close. The nest was 5 feet wide and the mama bald eagle sitting up there was 3 feet tall with a wingspan of 8 feet! HOLY COW, I didn’t realize the female bald eagle was that big. Since we saw them from such a distance they just seemed smaller. The females are much larger than the males because they have to be able to cover and protect the eggs. When we got out to the lodge, we boarded our boat and headed out to pull up a crab pot. Heidi was our guide and she gave us various information on crabs and crabbing in Alaska as well as the surrounding land and the history of the lodge. Coming back to the lodge we were shown how to crack crab and feasted away. I have to admit, the act of cracking crab and eating it is disgusting to me. The meat (aside from the very tippy top of the legs) is gross and reminds me of eating dark chicken meat (which I don’t eat because I think it’s disgusting). So needless to say, I didn’t eat very far down the legs and had to try very hard to push myself the whole meal. But, I can now say, I’ve had Dungeness crab and now I can say I’ll never have it again. The lobster was a million times better! I can say the top of the crab is very sweet and the texture isn’t so bad I think is the whole process of eating crab legs that’s probably the worst part. After our trip back to their pier I visited the local shops and then Mark took me up to one of the local bars where we killed time until 7pm. Tonight I had dinner with Rick, Sherry, Rick’s dad, and a handful of other friends they made on the trip. That’s the cool thing about cruising everyone is so friendly! Dinner was fun, though long again since we were sitting at a 10 top. Following this, I headed up to listen to and visit with The Neptunes in the Ocean Bar and headed up to the Crow’s Nest for a night of dancing (this time with shoes on☺)

Day 7: Juneau, Alaska

This morning we docked in Juneau, capital of Alaska, at 8am. Did you know, the only way to access Juneau is by either boat or float plane?! They do have roads (roughly only 70 miles worth) and cars but you can’t drive out or into Juneau unless you bring your car on the ferry. My first excursion was ziplining. “This eco-adventure combines the thrill of gliding above the treetops in a rich rain forest on more than 6,000 feet of dual-cable ziplines, suspension bridges, and a ground-based trail network; plus a channel crossing aboard an expedition craft, mountain ascent on an off-road vehicle, and aerial exploration of hidden relics of a world famous gold mine. Board a high-speed vessel for crossing Gastineau Channel, passing Mayflower Island and Suicide Falls, with a beach landing at the remote Treadwell Mine site on Douglas Island and direct access to the forest outfitting base camp. Nearly a mile of dual high-tension cables linking a network of platforms mounted in carefully selected old-growth spruce trees. Your guides will progressively ease you into the forest canopy along ten ziplines. Cross two aerial suspension bridges, with breathtaking views of spectacular Bullion Creek and enjoy unique views of Juneau from the treetops. Discover the hidden ruins of the historic Treadwell Mine (1881-1917), once one of the world’s largest gold mines, and zip over a 150-foot-deep "glory hole." From above, see the ruins of the original mine refinery, where millions of dollars of molten gold was poured into ingot molds. You will be surrounded by the sights and sounds of Alaska’s rain forest throughout this award winning, nature-based adventure. The last zipline takes you to a final platform to experience the thrill of rappelling into base camp.” Joe and Clay were our guides for this excursion and it was only me the ladies from San Antonio, another Stephanie, a gentleman not from our ship. We boarded a little boat and headed across the inlet to Douglas Island and suited up for our adventure. What a cool experience! Following this excursion I ran back to the ship for a quick lunch and then disembarked to head out on the Alaska Whale’s and Rainforest Trails excursion. Leslie, was our guide for the entire excursion and she was awesome! We first boarded a whale watching boat and headed out to Stephens Passage Man were the whales active today!!! We got to an active whale area and watched the water, we spotted two whales off in the distance playing and started up the engines to head out and get a closer look. Just before we took off two whales surfaced practically right next to the boat! So we spent some time there with those two until they had dove a few times and then we decided to head out to the other ones we originally sighted. These were in rare form, laying on their sides and playing with their pectoral fins above the water. Over the course of the few hours out there we saw roughly 12 different whales, all of which were incredibly active. After we made it back to the dock we boarded a bus and headed out to another part of the Tongass Forest for a nature hike out to Mendenhall Glacier. Leslie continued to share her vast knowledge of the vegetation and wild life in the area. I’m so glad I was able to visit 3 different glaciers and see from afar dozens more. To say, once you’ve seen one glacier you’ve seen them all couldn’t be more false. Each one is so different! We spent some time here and then headed back to the ship. We were actually 15 mins late for all aboard and delayed the ship from departing for Ketchikan.

After cleaning up and getting pretty for our second formal dinner I headed up to my fabulous table for one and couldn’t passed on choosing the Surf and Turf, filet mignon and lobster tail! Another seafood first for me, the texture of the lobster was different but boy was it good! I proceeded to follow the rest of my nightly ritual and because of all the dancing (barefoot every night thus far) I’d done, I ripped open blisters on both of my feet (and they happened to be on my big toes and the balls of my feet since I dance virtually on the balls of my feet the each night). But the pain has been totally worth it!
Unfortunately my camcorder holds all the pictures and videos of the whale watching trip...I'll post them as soon as I can upload them.

Day 6: Haines, Alaska

Today was our first day in the port of Haines. I opted for the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion, amazing! The weather was 53 degrees and rainy. First, we (those of us participating on this excursion) boarded a boat and headed out to Glacier Point. Our guide was, Jen from Austin and she was very knowledgeable! On our way out we saw Humpback and Orca whales along with playful Steller sea lions. Then we transferred to a supped-up all terrain bus and made our way through the vegetation to our canoes. Here we changed our shoes for rain boots, and donned full rain gear. Did I mention it was COLD! From here we hiked a short ways to the river (glacially fed) and split into 5 canoes of 10 people each. Our canoe brought up the rear of the expedition. Megan was our guide for this portion of the trip. For a short while we had to paddle and then the river became deep enough (up to 100 feet deep) for Megan to switch to our motor. As we neared Davidson Glacier it got even colder, windier, and rainier, but getting that close to the glacier was unbelievable. We made our way around to the lagoons where the weather was better and were able to see the different stages of vegetation as the glacier recedes as well as a different angle of the glacier. We were also privileged to see one of the guides nearly get taken out by a mama bird because he didn’t see the newly hatched chicks and he took his canoe in to close to the nest. During this time we heard a massive calving. We maneuvered the canoe to see if we could see the newly changed glacier. We could barely see and Megan decided to take our canoe back around to the face of the glacier to see if we could see it better. What a change, a MASSIVE chunk had calved into the river and due to the shallow area and the size of the ice it drastically altered to flow of the river. It was very cool to see such drastic change. We headed back to wrap up the tour. I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion! Everyone should get a chance to get up close and personal with a glacier! This evening I stuck to my evening ritual of dinner (this time at an even better table), Ocean Bar, and the Crow’s Nest. Due to my early start tomorrow, I decided to get to bed by midnight.

Unfortunately everything from today is on my camcorder and at this time I'm still unable to extract anything from it. I'll post once I'm able to.

Day 5: Another Display of God's Majesty

Two hundred years ago, Glacier Bay was visited by Captain George Vancouver who observed it to be a large open bay, blocked at its northern end by a giant wall of ice. Since then, the ice in Glacier Bay has slowly receded, uncovering a new waterway 65 miles long containing many fjords and inlets. Today, we had the privilege of witnessing the calving, large portions of ice splitting off the glacier (places that are bright blue shows the places of newest calving), of this massive glacier, a slowly moving mass of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles. We also saw a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish and fly back to his iceberg whilst being chased by two gulls. There are not words to express the awesomeness of Margerie Glacier. It was an indescribable experience. We even had US Park Service Rangers on board to narrate over the PA system and share their vast knowledge of the glaciers with us. After showering and getting warmed up (spent nearly all day outside with the glacier on the decks in 30 degree weather) I headed up for my evening ritual of a few hours up at the Ocean Bar, followed by dinner, and then dancing the night away (literally until 2am, 3am, even 5am) in the Crow’s Nest. The first evening at Ocean Bar I met a couple from California who were marvelous dancers and ended up being regulars with me at this bar every night before 8pm dinner. John, the husband, was kind enough to teach me how to Cha-cha. This evening for dinner I was able to get a table on the second level of the dinning room with a pretty good view got to enjoy dinner by myself. The Assistant Dinning Room Manager, Nugie, was kind enough to offer me a better table for the rest of the week. Tonight I tried Halibut….tasty! I also ran into Rick, sat next to me in the spin class the other day, and his wife, Sherry, who invited me to join their table for a big Friday night dinner. True to form I headed upstairs after dinner to the top deck for hours of dancing!
Video and more photos posted to http://gallivantingrunnersteph.shutterfly.com/

Day 4: We All Live In A Yellow Submarine (or the Statendam for a week)

Today we were at sea, traveling through College Fjord. If you’re curious, a fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between mountains formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. I have to say, during my Geology course this past semester I was thoroughly excited not just because I really enjoy Earth Science but because of our study on glaciers (Glaciology) and knowing I was going to get to actually experience this in a few short months. So going through and seeing all the things I’d recently studied was very cool! I participated in the spin and Pilates classes in the fitness room later this afternoon and had a great time! This evening was our first of two formal dinning dinners. After getting all pretty I headed up to dinner and was seated with a 9 top. Not terrible but definitely a little slow…two hours to eat stinkin dinner with a table of strangers. But it wasn’t all that bad just long. I was able to finish in time to catch the show that evening (Bob Mackie’s Broadway). The singers were pretty good and I enjoyed listening/singing along quietly to the showtunes ☺. Mark was up in the Crow’s Nest spinning 50s and 60s music so I went up there after the show to dance the night away…and that’s exactly what I did!!! I love dancing and had a blast dancing with a bunch of the other passengers. I met a couple (Don ran the marathon in Anchorage) from Arizona, a few ladies from San Antonio, and a wonderful family from Michigan (Mike's currently living on the East coast) who all (except Patrick, brother, and Ann, mom) ran the marathon as well. The ladies and the family ended up being dancing regulars with me for the duration of the cruise.

Day 3: Bon Voyage!

This morning I took the shuttle back to the airport and waited for my coach out to Seward. I love being a runner. I met a sweet Asian couple, the husband is a fellow runner and happened to run the half marathon the day before...but super cool thing about it...he's 73 and came in 1st for his age group! While I was waiting I met a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary accompanied by their two children and their spouses all hailing from OK and TX! Since we were a few hours early we were given a heads up to sit on the opposite side of the driver for a better view on our 3 hour ride out to the ship. Super happy about the tip! WHAT A DRIVE!!!!! It was beautiful. As we traveled down the Cook Inlet toward Seward it was low tide and we were able to see all the silt deposits along the shoreline. Our driver told us so many people a year die from walking out on the "mud flats". The silt acts kinda of like quick sand and begins to slowly wrap around the person as they sink and then when high tide comes in they drown. But it was really neat to see all the silt. All along the left side of the bus were the mountains and since it’s summer the snow up on top of them is melting and as it does waterfalls develop all over the slops, again beautiful! We came to an area where after the 1964 9.2 magnitude earthquake had caused the land to drop 8 feet, as a result when the tides came in it killed off a ton of the vegetation of all that newly covered land. As we drove there are a bunch of naked dead trees and due to the change in sea level there is vegetation slowly growing back. When we finally got to the pier I was thrilled to find out my cabin had been upgraded! I made my way through to my stateroom and was stunned at how awesome it was. It’s like a mini hotel room on steroids! My bags were yet to be delivered so I made my way around the ship exploring. My parents had said it’s like a little city on water, but I had no idea until I actually experienced it myself. I ran into one of the Lifestylists, Nick, and he invited me to join the tour of the ship he was about to give. WOW! So many places and so many things to do!!! After this, since I still hadn’t received my bags, I decided to head up for dinner. I got to enjoy a table all to myself and opted for the Salmon. I figured might as well get started on trying things now! The main dinning room offers 5 courses (complimentary)…and most nights I eat all 5. DELICIOUS! Now, I didn’t pig out on the cruise I generally left a little bit on each plate so I would actually have room to make it all the way through all the courses without stuffing myself. Post the delicious first meal I went back to my cabin and unpacked everything. The Ocean Bar had intrigued me earlier and decided to go back there to enjoy the jazz trio and the view. The Crow’s Nest had a 10pm singles and solo travelers champagne toast. I met Amber the Events Coordinator and she introduced me to the DJ, Mark, who’s also from Texas. He and I hit it off spent the rest of the evening chatting away.

I'm having difficulty getting the still pictures and video off my camcorder, I'll update once I do.

Day 2: Race Day!!!

Starting the morning off with the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon. It was an overcast and chilly (51 degrees) morning...perfect for a marathon! On the shuttle ride to the start I spoke with a fellow runner about our various races and style of running. He was a seasoned trail runner and casually mentioned to me that this race has 9 miles of gravel....WHAT?! Yeah, he even wore his trail running shoes for the race...YEESH! So, I prepared myself for another challenge on the course. As we started off, I felt really great about the run. We started in one of the high school parking lots and proceeded out onto one of the main highways in Anchorage and as we made the first turn I realized I left my camera in my bag at the bag check van! MAN! The views were AWESOME! No question our Creator exists and is beyond our understanding. Such beauty! We ran along an Alaskan Army base and turned toward the mountains. After we crossed over the highway we turned onto military property and headed into the great trees on the mountains...and hit the gravel...At first it wasn't too terrible. Rough, no doubt, but do-able. Well a few miles in, running on gravel up-hill was going to be more of a challenge than expected. My knees started to tell me to take it easy maybe even walk some...but no, I refused to listen to my body and pushed myself to run the entire 9ish miles (I think it was only 7 or 8 miles of gravel and 1 or 2 or trail) only slowing for water. Worst thing I could have possibly done. As we were ascending, the light drizzle turned to rain. 50ish degrees, up-hill, on gravel, in shorts and a tank top, wishing I'd remembered to grab my camera and keep my long sleeved running shirt on. The only thing you can expect in a marathon is the unexpected. The good thing, I now know how to be even more prepared for future races. As I came to the end of the miles of gravel my knees screamed so bad I had no choice but to walk. A few feet further and the gravel turned into a trail...unpaved trail...up-hill! I attempted to run again and immediately had shooting pain through my left knee. Running was completely out and I was only at mile 13! I walked the entire rest of the marathon...boo! I met a few Ft. Worth women running with Team in Training, another from Houston, a couple who were from Austin and a part of Hill Country Trail Runners, and the neatest guy....running with a 45 lbs. military bag on his back in honor of his two close buddies who were critically injured in Iraq. One lost his left leg and the other suffered brain damage and broke nearly every bone in his body. And this man was running, for them...made me cry. The course is the most beautiful, amazing, and challenging course I've run thus far. I even met a guy who was completing his 50th State and the guy running with him had completed all 50 twice and was now working to complete all 50 in one year...this race was his 36th state for the year! Within the next 5 years, I will return to take the course on again. It's a quiet course, very minimal water stops (but each one provided everything needed for the runners!) and few spectators. I finally finished 6:23:08. I managed to force myself to run (more of a quick shuffle) for the last .2 miles over the finish line. By far my worst "run" ever but still absolutely amazing. After getting situated and rested up, I decided to head down to the Moose’s Tooth (local pizza place and pub proudly serving local ales) for a quiet evening. As the cab pulled into the parking lot I was overwhelmed with how busy it was with tents and everything else set up just outside of the place. The cab driver told me it was because of the Solstice celebration going on all weekend. I put my name on the list for a table (1 hour wait) and got in line for the bar to get a tasty beer. While I was waiting I struck up a conversation with the couple behind me. They asked if I was there for the 311 concert, I told them no and that besides not knowing they were even playing I had come to the Moose’s Tooth expecting to grab a table in the corner and enjoy a quiet evening. I got my beer and went out and sat on the patio to wait for my table and figured I would just come back out to the patio after eating to catch the concert since that’s what all the adjoining tents were for. As I was sitting there a guy came up and asked if anyone wanted a free ticket to the concert because he was giving his away. I asked him if he was serious and when he told me yes, I jumped on is offer. Following my wonderful pizza and beer... ...I joined the rainy concert and rocked with 311 for 2 more hours. What a great way to finish the day!
For more pictures from the marathon and 311 concert visit http://gallivantingrunnersteph.shutterfly.com/