My parents just got back from a cruise in Alaska. I have heard a lot of wonderful things about Alaskian cruises, and from the reports I am getting from my parents, it sounds like a great vacation.
My parents (60-somethings) decided to make the trip even more exciting by driving all the way from their home on the east coast of the US to Seattle to catch the boat. Very impressive!
My Dad recently sent me an email that I thought I would post here, in the spirt of sharing travel stories. It's a good one. Am I allowed to be jealous?
"Had a great time--you are not the only one in this family who sees some neat stuff. We went through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Mount Rainier National Parks on the way out to Seattle and thought we had seen enough spectacular scenes for a lifetime, but then took the 7 day cruise to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, AK and Victoria, BC. About all we did was eat, sleep, and watch the mountains and glaciers from our stateroom balcony. Took a jet boat from Ketchikan to see humpback whales, sea lions, seals, and more bald eagles than I had seen in my whole life put together. Went sea kayaking in a beautiful bay near Juneau. Took a train ride up into the mountains at Skagway, and a bike tour around Victoria. Whew!
"Then on the way back, we went through Glacier National Park (which I enjoyed about as much as anything else we saw) and parts of Canada. Went high points in ND, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Were going to the one in KY, but just ran out of time. Went to the 8,000 or so foot level on Borah Peak, the high point in Idaho--too far to go to the top--at around 12,000 feet if I recall right. The trip to the high point in Michigan was a real treat. We took a different route out than the one we took into the woods. Fun, fun--definitely needed our four-wheel
drive--could not have made it through several places if we had not had it.
"All in all, a super trip. Got to start planning the next one. We'll probably wait a couple of years to do another cruise, but we want to take one through the Panama Canal from Miami to somewhere in South America--Montevideo or somewhere, then fly back to Miami."
Wow! Now if I can only get my parents to start their own weblog!
