We are going to condense several days in to this BLOG. After leaving Tracy’s Arm we travelled south stopping in Ketchikan for several hours. There we took a nice walk through the town taking time to pick some fresh raspberries and visit a Totem Center display.
Then it was on to Victoria, one of the most beautiful cities you’ll ever see. Everywhere you look there are beautiful flower arrangements and many artisans displaying their handywork or showing off their talents.
After several hours in Victoria, we got back on to the ship for the last leg of our trip down to Seattle. After debarking in Seattle, we drove to Vancouver where we stayed the night with a friend. Below is an assortment of some of the photos we took along the way.
Vancouver is also a very picturesque city with so much to do. Ken really enjoyed taking a 10 mile run this morning from Kitsilano Park along the waterway. We had a lovely time with our most gracious guest, and then it was off to Kamloops. Tomorrow we drive to Jasper where we are looking forward to even more glorious mountain scenery. Below are some photos taken along the way from Ketchikan to Kamloops.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
Ken and Monique at Sabbatini’sKen and Monique at Sabbatini’s
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- Aug
- 13
Tracy’s Arm
Wow, Tracy’s Arm which is a fjord carved out by the Sawyer Glacier was everything and more than what we expected. Finally, the sun came out and even though it was still very cold especially with the wind chill factor, we were both truly awe struck by the beauty and grandeur of this magnificent fjord and glacier.
We took dozens of photos only a few of which are displayed to give you an idea of what we experienced. It really needs to be seen in person though, so if you ever get a chance to visit Tracy’s Arm, we highly recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
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- Aug
- 07
Skagway
This morning when we woke up, we found ourselves in the port city of Skagway, a small town of 800 full time residents which explodes to 2100 during the busy Summer Season. Tourism is the mainstay of their economy. During mid-week, there are usually 4 large ships in port with 8000 tourists.
In the afternoon, we took a bus tour up to the Summit of the above where glacial streams feed in to the Skagway River. Unfortunately, we were not blessed with clear weather so we couldn’t see the glaciers themselves, but the scenery was spectacular nonetheless.
It was also very interesting to learn about the history of the gold rush. At the peak of the gold rush in 1898, there were as many as 20,000 people living here. Actually, the gold was not here, but it was a starting point from which they had to climb over a pass on steep trails, build rafts to float upstream to the area where gold was found….a distance of about 400 miles.
We have uploaded a few of the photos from today’s tour. Hopefully, we will have better weather tomorrow when we travel up to Tracy’s Arm in Glacier Bay which is supposed to be the highlight of the cruise.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
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- Aug
- 07
Travel to Juneau
After travelling 900 miles from Seattle, we arrived at Juneau, our first port of debarkation. We had planned to take a helicopter tour of 4 different glaciers; however the weather did not cooperate.
Instead, we took a bus tour to the Mendenhall Glacier which was truly impressive despite the somewhat socked in conditions. Our tour guide is a full blooded Klinkit native who gave us a great deal of background not only on present day Juneau but also of the history of the Klinkit tribe.
Last night was formal night, so we dressed up and had a spectacular dinner at Sabatini’s, one of the premium restaurants on board. What a meal!
It is really great to unwind and not have to think about work. Maybe we should go away more often because Greg and Jeremy have been slammed with offers and showings ever since I left. Certainly hope that this is not a fluke and that indeed the Maui real estate market has turned the corner. Considering how slow things were before I left, any upturn is greatly appreciated.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
Monique with Seattle Skyline in Background
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- Aug
- 04
Days 3 and 4
Days 3 and 4 were mostly about going grandparent things. Taking Ruby and Zella to Laurelhurst Park where we played on the swings, slide, see-saw, and watched the migrating ducks that are current residents in the pond.
We also had the opportunity to catch up with a few clients/friends for lunch. Another highlight was riding the new tram up to OHSU (Oregon Health Science University) where we were able to visit with Rachel who works in the obstetrics department.
It was a clear afternoon and one could easily see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and the Portland skyline. Tomorrow we off to Seattle where we will start our cruise to Alaska. One slight change is that we will need to rent a car to drive up there as the Amtrak trains were cancelled.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
Ruby Loving Her Little Sister Zella
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- Aug
- 02
First Two Days in Portland
It is wonderful to see our Daughter, Rachel, son-in law, Henry and our two adorable granddaughters, Ruby (22 months) and Zella (10 months).
Portland is such a beautiful city and so very family oriented with many things for both young and old to enjoy. On our first day, Ken went to Oak’s Bottom Amusement Park which is open from 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. for the really young children. Besides that, we took them to a park right around the corner from where they live.
Today (Day 2), the temperature warmed up in to the mid 80’s, so we went down to the Pearl District in Downtown Portland where we had a great time playing in a plaza where water fills up to a few feet and then drains in continuous cycles every five minutes or so. We all had a great time.
Below are links to some photos (we took lots more) to give you a flavor of our first couple of days on vacation.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
P.S. Greg and Jeremy are doing a great job helping out all of our clients. Of course, as usually happens when one of the team members goes away, it has gotten quite busy. Thank goodness because vacations certainly aren’t cheap.
Rachel, Auntie Sahn, and Ruby in the Fountain
Zella - Just too Cute for Words
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- Jul
- 29
Getting Ready for Our Trip
We are one day away from taking off on vacation, so we thought that we would give you a heads up on our Itinerary, so that you might follow along on our adventure.
July 30th - Fly from Maui to Portland (Looking forward to seeing our grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law, and friends).
August 4 - 11 Cruise to Alaska
August 11 - Drive to Vancouver, BC
August 12 - Kamloops, BC
August 13 - 14 Jasper National Park, AL
August 15 - 16 Lake Louise Area, AL
August 17 - Spokane, WA
August 18 - 20 Back in Portland with Family
August 20 - 25 Orcas Island, WA
August 27 - Return to Maui
We are planning on taking photos and uploading them to the BLOG, so if you’d like to travel along with us in spirit, please check in from time to time.
Aloha,
Ken and Monique
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