Three More Of Our Adventures in Alaska

We had so many great adventures in Alaska!  
Here are three more . . . 

1 - We went kayaking!

Ketchikan was our first Alaskan port, and after spending the morning exploring Ketchikan (and eating the first of many fish-and-chips-for-lunch meals) (because fish-and-chips in Alaska is amazing), Tom and I spent the afternoon on a guided kayaking expedition around the Tatoosh Islands (just north of Ketchikan).

The setting was absolutely lovely.  I wish I could share more photos of this most beautiful place and our adventure with you, but . . . I was busy paddling.

Although the water looks pretty calm, it was . . . the sea.  There were waves (which did freak me out a bit) (because although I do a lot of kayaking on our lake, there are never any waves).  And it was a windy day.  So every now and then, we would come around an island and . . . whoa!  Waves!  But for the most part, it was pretty easy paddling.  We saw deer and lots of eagles on our paddle -- including one that landed on a tree very close to us.  

It was exhilarating to be out in the kayaks.  I'm so glad we spent our afternoon on the water.

2 - We saw bears!

Although we kept our eyes open for bear sightings throughout our trip, while we were in Sitka we visited Fortress of the Bear, a sanctuary for orphaned bears in Alaska.  And there?  We saw bears!

This is just an awesome bear sanctuary.  Very well done and well maintained -- run by animal behaviorists who are passionate about their work.  It is just a beautiful spot for these bears - who would otherwise have been euthanized.

We watched 3 black bears . . . 

(I know . . . there are only 2 in my photo.  But there were 3.)

And several groups of brown bears.

It was such a treat to see the bears doing their regular bear activities:  foraging for food, climbing trees, frolicking, swimming.  We really enjoyed our time at this beautiful sanctuary.  (We never did see any bears in the wild during our trip.)

3 - We took a walk through the rainforest!

Before our trip, I didn't fully realize that we'd be in a rainforest the whole time.  I thought about mountains and glaciers and water . . . but I just didn't get the rainforest part.  In fact, for our entire trip, we were in the Tongass National Forest - part of the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion.

The contrast between the forest and the water and the mountains is just stunning.  And I especially loved all the foliage and trees.

I wish my computer had a scratch-and-sniff feature for you.  Since it doesn't, you'll just have to imagine the fresh, earthy smell of the forest for yourself.

Alaska is just an amazing place -- and I'm so glad we went on this most excellent adventure!

 

 

Taking Intention . . . On Vacation

Before Tom and I left for Alaska, I told him my one intention for the trip:  
Less screen.  More experiences.

First night on the ship, somewhere outside Vancouver.

I know that sounds kind of weird. . . less screen.  What I meant, really, was I wanted to take fewer photos.  I wanted to free myself from feeling like I needed to document every moment of our trip.  There is nothing wrong with vacation pics -- and I certainly did want to take photos.  I just . . . didn't want to experience Alaska behind the screen of my iPhone.  I wanted to experience everything around me directly.  I wanted to live in the moment of the trip.  I wanted to create my own mental memories.

And, of course, I would take photos!  Here I was . . . in one of the most incredibly beautiful places I've ever visited . . .  and I wanted to capture it.  (For later.  To inspire my art.  To document our trip.)   On the other hand, I really didn't want to miss anything . . . by trying to get the perfect photograph.

So that was my intention.  Less screen.  More experiences.

And I'm happy to say . . . it worked for me.  I took far fewer photos than I normally do on a trip.  I kept my phone in my pocket much of the time.  I looked and experienced first -- then took my camera out after that.

And you know what?  Doing that . . . experiencing first . . . actually made the photos I did take BETTER.  And I know my memories about the experience are richer -- because I didn't live them from behind a screen.  

A perfect example.

In Juneau (on the evening after our Mendenhall Glacier trek), we went on an evening whale watching cruise (which also featured an amazing "Alaskan culinary experience") (so awesome) (my first taste of reindeer!).  The setting was gorgeous -- water, mountains rising straight up, sunset, eagles soaring.  Really . . . just amazing.  The small boat had comfortable seats, HUGE windows for viewing, an on-board naturalist to explain everything we would see, and binoculars.  (Also wine.)  

It didn't take long . . . and we saw whales!  Humpback whales -- spouting in the distance.  The ship's captain steered us toward the whales, while the naturalist told us all about the humpbacks and explained what we were seeing.

I kept my phone in my pocket . . . and grabbed the binoculars instead.

We followed the whales (always at a distance of at least 100 yards for the respect and safety of the whales) for about an hour and a half.  It was amazing!  We ended up seeing something that is rather exceptional on whale-watching excursions -- something called "bubble netting", which is a cooperative feeding practice of the humpback whales.  We ended up watching a group of 8 humpbacks working together the entire time!

Now here's where I'm going to be a bit judge-y.  There were about 25 people on the boat with us.  Most of them . . . watched this entire spectacle behind the screens of their phones or cameras.  Trying to get a good shot . . . of unpredictable wildlife . . . in the water . . . from a moving boat . . . at a distance of at least 100 yards.  

As Tom and I watched, we learned to (kind of) anticipate where they might surface next.  We learned to watch for the signals -- first the spout, then the surface rise, then the ALL of them coming up to the surface at the same time, then the fluke (the tail).  The folks with their screens?  They were always behind the movement because they were limited to what they could see on their phone screen.  

Eventually, the boat made this spectacular turn . . . and the lighting was amazing and the backdrop was perfect.  Whales or not, it was time for me to get my phone out and take a few photos of an incredibly beautiful landscape.  

And then I noticed it . . . 

Spouting.

Surfacing.  (With bonus soaring eagle!)

Rising.  

Fluke.

Yep.  I ended up getting some pretty great whale photos that evening.  But I'd like to think that I was able to capture these moments . . . because I had experienced them first.  I knew what I was looking for.  And . . . even if I hadn't gotten ANY decent photos of the whales, I'd still have the glorious memory of our magical whale watching evening.  

(We also saw harbor porpoises on that excursion.)  (I didn't get any photos.)  (Didn't even try, actually.)

I'm really glad I decided to take intention with me . . . on vacation!

 

 

Glaciers Really are Blue

. . . and other things I've learned about glaciers.  
(Three things, in fact.) (Because Thursday.)

Just a tiny section of the face of the Hubbard Glacier.

When Tom and I were trying to decide just where we might want to go to commemorate our 60th birthdays, we had a lot of ideas.  Italy?  Iceland?  London?  Alaska?  So many places we want to go!  But we ended up choosing Alaska.  It seemed appropriate:  We were turning 60; Alaska was celebrating 60 years of statehood.  Although Tom has been to Alaska several times before for fishing trips, he'd always wanted to see the Inside Passage, and I've always wanted to see the glaciers (before they melt) (sad, but totally true).

So.  North to Alaska!

And we certainly did see glaciers!  Today I'll share some of our adventures -- along with three things we learned about glaciers along the way.

Thing One:   Glaciers are constantly changing.  They truly are "rivers of ice," and although they move quite slowly, they are constantly melting, advancing, receding.  (Although I learned this long ago in geology classes, SEEING it makes it so much more . . .  comprehensible.)

My view . . . from the cockpit of a helicopter.

Best view of glaciers ever!  (Highly, highly recommend a helicopter trek.)

Our helicopter landed on the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, and we were met by a scene that looked like an Arctic expedition or something.  (Freaked out much, Kym?)

No worries, though.  By that time, I was fully outfitted for my expedition. . . including hiking gear, special boots, a helmet, extra-tough gloves, and crampons (talk about footwear I never thought I'd wear!) -- and I was on my way to pick up my ice axe when Tom took this photo.

Yes, my friends!  Tom and I were about to set off for a 2-hour (guided) hike on the Mendenhall Glacier!

Thing Two:  The surface of a glacier is much like broken glass -- sharp pieces of ice of varying sizes and consistency.  The terrain varies constantly -- steep uphills, sharp drop-offs, cliffs, holes, little streams of water, canyons, caves, moulins.  The ice is actually blue, too -- because it is super dense from years of compression (like . . . we're talking hundreds, thousands of years).  The air pockets between crystals has been forced out, making the ice appear blue.  (And that's as scientific an explanation you'll get from me, folks!)

Thus . . . the crampons, helmet, and extra-tough gloves!

Our guide (who looked amazingly like a young and fit Yukon Cornelius) quickly taught our group of 6 how to walk, climb up, and (most freaky of all) climb down.  (If you're a skier, you have to forget EVERYTHING you ever learned about leaning into the slope and digging in your edges, because if you do that in crampons?  Not. Good.)  (And I was reminded - over and over again - of the power of muscle memory!)

And because we were a well-guided, adventurous group . . . we had a long way to come down!

(See the helicopter and tent . . . way down there?)

But the amazing things we saw!

This was just an AWESOME experience.  I'm so happy to have seen a mountain glacier . . . up close and personal!

We also saw a tidewater glacier, which leads me to . . . 

Thing Three:  Icebergs are pieces of glacier that have broken off into the water. Icebergs are actually called different things, depending on their size and how much they rise out of the water.   "Icebergs" rise out of the water over 14 ft.  "Bergy bits" are smaller (or melting) icebergs that rise out of the water between 3-14 ft.  And "growlers" are the smallest yet -- any glacial ice chunks under 3 ft.

It's slightly unnerving to wake up to see mini-icebergs floating past your cruise ship!  But that's exactly what happened the morning we arrived in Disenchantment Bay to see the Hubbard Glacier.  (We actually got on an even smaller boat that morning, so we'd be able to get even closer to the glacier.)

That's our cruise ship, as seen from our glacier sightseeing vessel.

It's hard to imagine how BIG this advancing, tidewater glacier really IS until you see it (or try to fit it into a photograph).

The face of the glacier is 400 feet tall (most of that is under water), and it's over 75 miles long!

There was lots of ice in the bay -- mostly "growlers" and a few "bergy bits."  We were 1/2 mile away from the face of the glacier that day, and there was a lot of "calving" activity (when the ice breaks off from the face and crashes into the water) going on.  It was . . . Very Cool.  You can hear the loud cracking and booming thunder when the ice calves.  It's amazing!  (I'm sure there were big icebergs nearer the face).

If you look at the bottom of this photo, you can see some calving going on.  (An accidental, lucky shot -- because I didn't take many photos while we were at the glacier. )

One more thing I learned?  Glaciers.  Are.  Awesome.

 

 

Mackinac Magic . . . And About That Dress Code

Last week, my sister and I spent a few days on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan.  Mackinac is truly a Michigan treasure.  (I have never met another Michigander who doesn't sigh and nod when you tell them you're headed to Mackinac . . . and then say, "I love that place.")  (And - just so you know - it's pronounced Mack-i-NAW.  You just ignore that "c." )  (Trust me.)

There really is something magical about the place.  Maybe it's the bridge . . . 

The island offers clear views of the 5-mile Mackinac Bridge joining Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas.  (You can reach the island by ferry from either peninsula.)

Maybe it's the lack of cars . . . 

Motor vehicles are prohibited on the island.  (No cars.  No trucks.  Period.)  You walk or ride a bike -- or take a horse-drawn carriage.  Even deliveries are handled by horse drawn freight carriage.  It's very quiet, except for the clopping of horses.  (But you do have to watch where you step.)

Maybe it's the fudge . . . 

Mackinac Island is America's "fudge capital," and there are fudge shops up and down Main Street.  So. Many. Fudge. Shops.  (Seriously, you can't walk 10 steps without finding ANOTHER fudge shop.)  It's good.  It's tradition.  You visit Mackinac Island, you come home with fudge.

Maybe it's the island itself . . . 

There's just something fascinating about being on an island.  And especially an island you can walk or bike around in a manageable 8.2 miles.  (My sister and I opted to walk.)

Or maybe it's the magic of the Grand Hotel . . . 

Totally living up to it's name, the historic Grand Hotel is, well. . . pretty darn grand!  We splurged by staying at the Grand Hotel for our time on Mackinac.  Here's a little peek inside:

The lobby . . . 

The Cupola Bar . . . 

Our room . . . 

(We squealed when we saw the canopy beds.  We always wanted canopy beds when we were little girls . . . )

All VERY . . . Grand!  So in the spirit of Three on Thursday, here are Three Things About the Grand Hotel:

1 - The Porch

The porch of the Grand Hotel is truly fabulous.  Guests of the hotel can sit in the rockers and sip a drink while enjoying some of  the most spectacular views on the island.  It is such a treat.  (Folks who aren't staying at the Grand Hotel can enjoy the porch, too.  But they have to pay to enter the hotel.)  Personally, the porch at the Grand Hotel is my favorite thing about Mackinac Island.

2 -- The Geraniums

The red geranium is the official flower of the Grand Hotel -- and you find it everywhere . . . in planters, in flower boxes, on the carpets, in each room, on stationery, in the lotion and shampoo in the bathrooms.  Everywhere!  (Maybe next week I'll do a post on all the geranium carpets I found in the hotel.)

3 -- The Dress Code

Yep.  There it is.  You must "dress" for the evening at the Grand Hotel.  Or . . . you can't eat dinner there or hang around in the main areas of the hotel after 6pm.  (You really do kind of feel like you've stepped back in time . . . with the clopping of horses and the dressing for dinner.)  It's pretentious and off-putting . . . and pretty lame.  (Because, trust me, just because you slap on a tie and wear a jacket . . . or put on a dress . . . doesn't mean you're more presentable than my sister and I in our "slacks.")  Anyway, we got around it by not eating dinner at the Grand Hotel, and then we just hung around in the Cupola Bar (which is not included in the dress code) or our room after eating dinner elsewhere on the island.  It's weird.  But I will trade the dress code nonsense for the porch any day.

So.  What do you think?  Have I sold you on the magic of Mackinac?

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Be sure to head over to Carole's for more Three on Thursday posts today!

 

 

Catching Up . . . In Three Photos

We had a perfect California get-away last week.  It was ideal, really -- a quick trip with only one objective:  spend time with Erin and Keith.  No side trips.  No schedule.  No expectations.  We loved it!

Erin gave us a personal, guided tour of the LinkedIn campus when we arrived.  I have visited LinkedIn before (back when Erin was an intern), but Tom hadn't been there yet.  It's very cool to see where your kid works . . . and it's super interesting to see one of these tech companies from the inside!

We had a lot of fun just hanging out . . . sampling California beer (so many great ones to choose from!) and eating what turned out to be a lot of amazing gourmet hamburgers.  Erin and Keith introduced us to Mochi ice cream.  (I'll just say . . . some flavors are better than others, but the texture takes some getting used to.)  And we also visited Psycho Donuts -- Silicon Valley's "gourmet donut asylum."  Great fun.

We played a lot of games.  Erin and Keith love games and puzzles of all kinds -- everything from sophisticated video games to Uno around the dinner table -- and we were happy to play along with them.  They introduced us to a couple of new board games, we went mini golfing.  We even did an escape room, which was WAY fun.  (Basically, it was like a real-life video game where walls move and things happen when you solve the puzzles.  Very exciting!  Highly recommended for family fun.)

We had a fabulous time.  It was so nice to just relax for a few days with Erin and Keith.  I'm so happy that Erin has a job she loves, and has settled so well into her new life with Keith in California.  
(It's just . . . so far away.  Y'know?)  
(But a great place to visit.  So there is that.)

And here's a bonus photo (because this one just kind of sums up the whole trip) . . .

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Head over to Carole's to read more Three on Thursday posts today!

 

 

Sometimes Mondays

. . . look a bit like a travelogue.

Tom's been on an extended fishing trip . . . to Patagonia!  He just returned yesterday, and I've really enjoyed hearing all about his adventures and looking at his trip photos.  

Want a little peek at southern Argentina?

Tom was at "fish camp" -- a remote fishing lodge featuring comfortable accommodations, excellent food and wine, and knowledgable guides.  (They were a rugged 5-6 hours from the nearest town.)

While he could see mountains in the distance, he was located in the high plains.  Rugged.  Windy.  Desolate.  Starkly beautiful.  (Think eastern Wyoming. . . but with water.)

The Patagonia winds are crazy, and can get this still water churning with waves quickly.  The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are both nearby, stirring up strong wind currents -- that blow down from the nearby Andes Mountains.

The fishing was rough -- but rewarding!

Beautiful, BIG rainbow trout!

And LOTS of them.  Tom fished for 7 days -- catching 30-40 fish just like this each day.

He was in fishing heaven!

Tom had fun watching the non-aquatic wildlife, too.  He got a real kick out of seeing rheas (ostrich-like birds), which were abundant.  He also saw many guanaco -- in the llama/alpaca family.

Mostly, Tom fished in inland lakes and lagoons, but there was also a nearby river cutting through a canyon where he was able to fish one day.  Fishing was even tougher here -- it's super windy and narrow, with treacherous footing.

But . . . worth it!

(It's hard for me to believe that a fish that big came out of water that narrow!)

 I'm happy to have Tom back home -- but I'm even happier that he was able to have this Grand Adventure . . . fishing in Argentina.

 

 

 

Three Tourist-y Things

16/30

Vicki and I  didn't just hang out at The Factory this past week on our big adventure.  We also visited a few area hot-spots and had some tourist time.  Here are three things we did: 

1 -- Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall (Te-lah-nay's Wall)

This wall (one mile long and 4-6 feet high) is the largest unmortared wall in the United States.  Tom Hendrix (who died earlier this year) built the wall to honor his grandmother, Te-lah-nay, who walked for 5 years back to Alabama from Oklahoma, where she had been displaced by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (Trail of Tears).

The wall is quite amazing.  Powerful.  Spiritual.  It feels like holy ground.  Visitors leave offerings along the way.

It's an amazing place -- and I'm so glad we took the time to drive out and wander the path.

2 -- The Swampette Tour

To set the tone, let's have a bit of a soundtrack (click here).  (This is some 1974 Lynyrd Syknyrd realness here; kinda fun.)
Did you catch that third stanza there???

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

I had always wondered what the heck they were talking about.  Muscle Shoals? Swampers? Huh?

Well.  Now we know!

There were two major recording studios in Muscle Shoals (Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio), and the Swampers were the studio musicians with a unique and awesome sound.  R&B, gospel, country, and rock stars from around the world came to Muscle Shoals to record with with Swampers.

We toured the studios (Fame is still in operation; Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is now a museum) where so many (SO, SO many) hit songs we all know and love were recorded.  It was AWESOME.

(Want to learn more?  There is a great documentary out there called Muscle Shoals that tells all about the studios and the Swampers.  Fascinating.  Tom and I watched it as soon as I got home.)  (Here's a link to the trailer.)

3 -- Cheekwood Estate and Gardens

When the workshop was finished, we drove to Nashville for a couple of days.  We spent Sunday afternoon at Cheekwood Estate, visiting the gardens -- which are beautiful in any season.

The gardens were in the midst of their holiday transformation when we were there -- with staff installing amazing light displays on the grounds.  So . . . half-price admission.  Bonus!

It was a lovely afternoon -- so nice to get out in the fresh air and walk around for a bit.  Time in a garden is always restorative.  We also visited two special exhibits in the estate, and they were wonderful.  (Unfortunately, the estate museum itself was closed for holiday decor, so we missed out on seeing that part of the grounds.  From what we glimpsed from the upper levels, it looks wonderful.)

It's always fun to play tourist in a new place!

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Join Carole for more Three on Thursday posts. 

 

 

 

TGIF

We're back from our trip.  And it's Friday. . . just in time for TGIF.

T - Thinking About

We just spent a week in Colorado -- half of our time in Boulder, visiting Brian and Lauren, and then I spent the other half in Fort Collins, getting together with my sister while Tom visited his family in Cheyenne.  Tom and I lived in Fort Collins for several years in the early 80s.  He was in grad school at Colorado State University; I worked there.  We got married when we lived in Fort Collins.  Our life together . . . began in Colorado.  But visiting now?  I have to really search to find The Familiar!   So much has changed in 30 years . . . Every now and again, as we were driving around, my "spidey-sense" would tingle, and I'd know I was close to something familiar.  If you want a sense of time-marching-on, well . . . there's nothing quite like a visit to your old stomping grounds.

G - Grateful For

Spending time with people I love!

I - Inspired By

While in Fort Collins, my sister and I made a visit to The Loopy Ewe.  I've never seen a more organized, neat yarn shop!  So. Much. Yarn.  We had a great time.  I ended up with enough Wollmeise to knit a sweater (soon. . .), and my sister cast on for a Churchmouse Easy Folded Poncho that very afternoon.  If you're ever in the vicinity, I highly recommend a visit.

F - Fun

While in Boulder, we had a great time playing disc golf with Brian and Lauren.  Tom is a long-time disc golf player - starting with his grad school days at CSU (and he actually introduced Brian to the game years ago, back in Kalamazoo), so this was a real treat.  (Disc golf . . . really needs it's own blog post; maybe next week. . .)   We also sampled lots of Colorado microbrews and played pinball -- so there was plenty of fun!

TGIF!
Enjoy your weekend, everyone.

 

 

California Dreamin'

A busy, whirlwind trip to California has left me a bit "lagged" and kinda foggy . . . but with great memories of 4 fun days with Erin.

As you may remember, Erin is doing a summer internship with LinkedIn -- and that's what brought me to the Silicon Valley. . . LinkedIn Intern Day last Friday.

It was really fun to spend a day on the LinkedIn campus, learning about the company, meeting Erin's "team," and being totally WOWed everywhere I looked.  (What you hear about tech companies?  Pretty much all true.  It's like a wonderland . . . )  Probably what I liked best, though, was the Intern Fair -- where each intern presented their summer work to the rest of the company.

The LinkedIn interns work on "real," meaty projects during their tenure.  They work very hard!  Erin works in the engineering department -- doing internal software documentation.  I think my favorite part of the day was watching Erin explain her project to engineers.

This internship has been a great experience for Erin -- she's learned a lot, lived independently in a new place far from home, and set herself up for future success.  (Even though she misses Keith and her kitty terribly, and whines about her roommates incessantly.)  It was great to be able to see Erin "in action."  Burst-your-buttons-Mom-pride is still a Thing . . . even when your kid is a grown-up 28!

After the Intern Fair, I stuck around for the weekend so Erin and I could spend some time together and take a couple of day trips.

First, we took the train in to San Francisco and spent a day sight-seeing.  (I've been to San Francisco many times, but Erin had never visited.)

In true San Francisco style, what started out like this . . . 

ended up like this!

We had a great time on Fisherman's Wharf, eating sundaes at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory and sourdough bread at Boudins, sipping Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista, and taking a whirlwind tour of the city from the top of an open-air bus.  It was a really fun day . . . plus THIS just never fails to thrill.

The next day, we decided to drive down the coast a bit on famous Highway One to visit some California beaches.  We stopped in Santa Cruz for brunch (so many surfers!), and then headed further south to Monterey.

(And, no.  We didn't have time to visit the aquarium.  We'll save that one for next time!)

Erin loves beaches.  (Loves.)  So she made the most of our brief time in Monterey.

We really had a great time together, and I'm so glad to have had this chance to go out for a quick visit.  (The only thing we didn't do that we had hoped to do . . . was shop for jewelry for her to wear for her upcoming wedding.  Oh, well.  There's still time . . . )

This week, you can be sure I'll be humming California Dreamin' all the time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off Again

By the time you read this post, I'll be up here . . . 

flying across the country to visit Erin in California!

See you in a few days.