Home Again!

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Our Alaskan adventure was a blast. This was our first cruise and I guess I never realized how much they feed you. Constantly. I don't think we every actually had a chance to even get hungry before another meal rolled around. The food was good but the best part of being on the ship was having someone at your beck and call at all times, for whatever you needed. Want coffee at 7:30 in the morning? Just ask. Want cheese and fruit as a pre-dinner snack? "Coming right up." Need extra towels? "I'll be right there." That was AWESOME! I never knew I needed a butler, now I'm wondering how I could afford one all the time.

Alaska is beautiful and we were blessed with good, albeit cold, weather during our entire trip. Apparently any day that it doesn't rain is a beautiful day in Alaska. It was cold by our Southern standards, however. Highs in the upper 50's pretty much describe an Alabama winter! We didn't complain. It was a great break from the sweltering summer heat at home.

The rugged natural beauty of Alaska is almost impossible to describe. Even photos don't really do it justice. It's impossible to capture the breathtaking 360 degree views. Gorgeous snow-capped mountains that seem endless. The incredible blues of the glaciers. The sight of eagles in flight. All of which must be seen to really appreciate their amazing beauty. Oh and then there are the whales! A-ma-zing! The humpback whales calling to their calves was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

After our week cruise was over, we went to visit my parents. They were living in Alaska for the summer, volunteering at a camp. I'm glad we got the opportunity to see more than just the touristy part of Alaska. The cruise was fun but at the stops there would be anywhere from 2-5 cruise ships docking and unloading. These tiny towns of 900- 2000 in population, are suddenly inundated with up to 10,000 people! I know the tourist mean money in their economy, but at times there were simply too many people for these small towns.
Spending a week with my parents in a more remote area, we were able to get a sense of how real Alaskans live. We meant some neat people. One of the families we meant, lived in a house that could only be accessed by boat or ATV. They lived in a beautiful log home which they generated all there own power for through water and wind. They invited us to their home one evening for dessert. They served us delicious homemade rhubarb pie. It was outstanding!  I loved getting to see how other people live. They truly live another life and I'm not sure I could do it, but we enjoyed getting to know this family.

This is their home. The rhubarb she used in the pie is the green plant growing by the house.

This is the view from their front porch...wow!

Although you can't capture the wonder that is Alaska fully in a photo, we gave it a great effort. I think we came back with 500 plus photos! Thank God for digital cameras!! So here are just a few of those photos. If you get the chance to go to Alaska, take it! It's worth it!