Alaska Cruise - Day 6

Each morning we start the day off in the Cruise Ship's gym.  It is a little different on an elliptical or treadmill while at sea, but very necessary since there is amazing endless food available at all times of the day and night.  We had a lot of free time today, which helped us to get some novel reading done, as well as ping pong, hot tubing, and just relaxing. In the afternoon we arrived at Glacier Bay.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a 3.3 million acre park.  The scenery is spectacular, with snow covered mountains peaks, ice-sculptured fjord, and the massive tidewater glacier. The glacier has been receding at a rapid rate, but non the less it is massive and astonishing.  We were asked not to bring any straws, or paper products on the ship's deck while we were visiting the Preserve since it is a protected park.

The wildlife and marine life is abundant in Glacier Bay. We were able to see, at a distance, a large brown bear prancing around the mountain. It is always fun to see wildlife out in their natural habitats.  We were hoping to see more, but weren't so lucky.

Alaska Cruise 2015 - Day 5

Today we enjoyed a relaxing Sunday at sea. We explored the beautiful Star Princess with it's endless entertainment.  The ship has 3 swimming pools, two outdoor and one indoor.  Believe it or not, there were a few crazies that swam in the outdoor pool.  They didn't last long before jumping in the hot tub.  You could watch outdoor movies on the big screen while basking in the hot tub, or while bundled under a blanket with hot chocolate. We chose the latter.

Each night there was live entertainment, from magicians, to plays, to vocalists. We never watched a show in the Princess Theatre, but heard that they were wonderful.  We spent a lot of time playing ping pong, reading, and enjoying the indoor pool.

Today Lizzy and I went to a class on skin care.  The esthetician chose Lizzy to be her model for the class.  She loved the extra pampering.  We enjoyed our mini facials, and learned a little about skin care.

In the afternoon we arrived at Hubbard Glacier. Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America.  Is measures 76 miles long and plunges 1,200 feet into the depths of the bay.  It is beautiful, and it's blue hues are enchanting.  I learned about glacier calving, which is when ice expels from the glacier and icebergs plunge into the ocean.

You might see a lot of "selflies" during my glacier viewing.  I might have got ditched by the kids.  I was fascinated with the Glacier, my kids, well, they were more interested in a game of ping pong.  They did come out for a moment or two.

Each night we spent dining in the fine dining room.  We were assigned to a specific table with 2 other couples.  One of the couples was from Bountiful, and the other West Valley.  The Bountiful couple seemed familiar to me.  I finally remembered meeting Cheryl on the MPJ track late one night as she was walking with a friend.  We had struck up on conversation on the track.  What a small world.

Day 4 - Alaska 2015

Today we traveled from Kenai to Whitter.  Whitter is the port for many cruise lines, and was the destination for our cruise departure. Whitter is such a small town. The total population is just over 200. Most everyone employed, works with the cruise lines getting ships in and out of Whitter.

We traveled along the Sterling Highway, connecting into Seward to Whitter.  The scenery along the way is stunning.  Towering glacier topped mountains, with vibrant green pines cascading down them, with nature made waterfalls, lavish rivers, and turquoise lakes at the base of the mountains, are a few of the natural wonders you will see.

On our way to Whitter we stopped at Portage Glacier, which is located in the Chugach National Forest.  It is a designated U.S. Forest recreation area, and is one of Alaska's most visited attractions.  It was a cold and rainy day, as we drove through the park, stopping just for an occasional picture or two. This glacier is surround by Portage Lake.  It has receded significant over the years, but is still one of the most well visited glaciers.

Upon entrance to Whitter, we traveled through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.  This tunnel is the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America.  The tunnel is shared by cars, and trains, with a single lane of traffic.  You wait in line to receive the go ahead to travel through the tunnel.  With my claustrophobic nature, the kids were watching to see if I would be able to drive through this long tunnel without incident.  I was pleasantly surprised how calm I was.

In Whitter, we returned our rental car.  Ben and Mike went on a hike up Portage Glacier, while Lizzy and I explored the Star Princess Cruise Ship.

We spent the evening fine dining, playing ping pong, and watching The Age of Adaline, under the stars late at night.