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My favorite sister Yvonne has her birthday on January 31st and this year she is 80! My birthday is on February 4th and I turned 72! Hard to believe, isn't it? So we decided to do a trip we have never done before and my friend in Austin, Viviane, suggested using her travel agent to book our tour. Also my now favorite nephew Bill had enough mileage on United from all his business travels to get us free tickets to Anchorage and back! He also gave us $2,000.00 to use against the cruise cost! Such a deal. We were to get into Anchorage the night before we take the early morning train to Whittier but I suggested we leave a day early in case of problems with airline connections and of course, getting in late and then up early and would be worn out before the trip even started. Yvonne agreed and make us reservation at the Puffin Inn for the first night and the Captain Cook Hotel for the second night. So we are ready for our trip, all online documents are complete and printed and airline reservations completed and hotels are booked. We are ready for our eight day cruise! |
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Check out this link for an overview of my favorite Sister Yvonne Burt's life! |
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Check out this link for a History of Alaska, a Map and Weather of the state. |
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Check out this link for our Flight Itinerary to Alaska. |
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Check your Passport Card in case of problems on this link. |
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1940 ~ Yvonne, Chuck and our Mother Edna Polo Illinois ----- 1943 ~ Yvonne & Chuck on Dandy Pecatonica Illinois ----- 2004 ~ Chuck and Yvonne in Arizona |
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2005 ~ Yvonne, Chuck and and Cocktails - Tucson ----- 2009 ~ Chuck and Yvonne - Cabo San Lucas Cruise |
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Daily Diary of Our Vacation: |
Departing San Francisco to Anchorage - Thursday - August 30, 2012:
I got to the San
Francisco Airport by ten a.m. and got to the gate and my favorite sister
came into the room at the same time! We had a coffee and
then off to Seattle. We changed planes and then to
Anchorage.
We got there around five p.m. and it was raining. The forecast was for rain the next eight days! Well it rained a day and a half, two days of fog but warm and then the rest of the trip was warm and sunny! Here we are waiting for a shuttle to the Puffin Inn. We were so fortunate for a great plane ride and a shuttle to the hotel!
title of photos section
Catching a Cab!
Puffin Hotel
We needed to transfer
to the hotel so we took a cab to
the Captain Cook Hotel, a fantastic hotel.
We had a room on the
18th floor overlooking the mountains. We had an 'Alaskan
Breakfast' that was great! Then sis took a nap and I walked around downtown
viewing the beautiful flowers all over.
The woman maintaining the
flowers in one park said I was lucky, in a few weeks it would freeze and
that would be it for eight months! Then I went to the Anchorage Museum and then back for
a late dinner at the hotel with sis.
Anckorage
Captain Cook Hotel
View from the Hotel.
Performing Arts Center
Last of the Fall Flowers - Next Week the Frost!
We left the
We had to laugh as
the driver lived in San Francisco and was on Haight Street during the
Flower Children era and we laughed, probable we drank and danced the
nights away with them! We took a three hour trip
on the train to Whittier and the ship. Lots of trees and
mountains and a few glaciers also. Got to the ship around one p.m. and then through
security and we boarded the ship.
Time to relax and then
have a nice dinner as the ship began it's voyage to Vancouver.
Train to the Ship!
Short but Pleasant Train Ride
Glaciers on the Mountains
Chuck Delivering Coffee for Yvonne!
To the Ship Terminal
Sapphire Princess - Whittier!
Sapphire Princess
Chuck and Yvonne - First Night on the Ship
The first day at
We were lucky as our cabin was an extra
large one and our balcony was on the same side as the views as we
traveled south.
We could sit in bed or on the balcony and
see everything. The balcony spoiled me for any other cruise I can tell
you!
Glaciers in Chile and Alaska!
Here I am in 1999, 14 years ago already, standing on a ship before a glacier at the tip of Chile - South America, Tierra del Fuego!
And almost 14 years later in 2012 on the Sapphire Princess and Glacier Bay in the back ground!
Cold Looking Mountains in the Distance at Night!
Celebrating My Birthday a Few Months Early!
Princess Cruises - Signed by the Captain!
An Aluminium Swan Perhaps - Filled with Goodies!
We were told we
were lucky as we were able to get very close to the glacier and we laid
along side of it for over four hours.
There were lots of strange crackling noises but we
didn't see any calving of the glacier. So I saw a glacier in South America, Chile/Argentina
in the Tierra del Fuego Straits and now in North America a glacier in
Glacier Bay Alaska!
So lucky to have traveled so much!
Glacier Bay
We were told it
Well we thought we would take the bus, it was only a dollar and ran every hour.
They wanted $40.00 to pan for gold, $60 for a tour of the mine and so
on.
Sis and I just walked around, saw them panning
for gold, saw the big dredging machine and so on all for free! We walked along the Skagway River and then had a
coffee at the wooden building where they brew beer. A great was to see the area for only a dollar!
Skagway - Klondike Gold Rush
Well we
saw a taxi and asked him to give us a tour.
S
He grandfather
came from Europe in 1927 and this man knew all the history.
Here we are at the creek where Juneau and the Indian
Chief traded information about gold. The chief gave Juneau a big
gold nugget and the rest was history. We saw the Governor's
Mansion and the tour was great. Since we had a private tour we gave him $30.00 but
well worth it.
Sailing into Juneau
Govenor's Mansion
Gold Strike Creek!
We had the same
The tour was expensive, we took the city bus for 50 cents
each way.
It came to the park every hour and there wasn't anyone
there to charge so it only cost us a dollar each. Such a deal! Then sis took a nap and I walked around downtown.
There were lots of shops and cafes and there were salmon swimming up the
creek right below my feet. As you can see, a perfect day!
Ketchikan - Totem Bight State Park
The Only Way to get Around in Alaska!
Salmon Run Through Downtown!
Great Place for a Coffee!
Today we had our
It was late in the evening but still very light.
I went to the bow and there saw some ripples in the water so I just took
a photo. Then I checked the image and I captured two Orcas
arching their fins out of the water.
Everyone with cameras were
impressed.
I also saw over 40 porpoise feeding and then
riding the bow waves for almost 15 minutes. What a nice way to end the last evening of the trip!
Dinner - Orcas - Porpoise
Dinner
Spectacular Evening - Warm and Whale Spotting!
Two Orcas!
Porpoise Riding the Bow Waves
More Porpoise Riding the Bow Waves
We arrived in Vancouver
early in the morning. We got through immigration within a short
period. Then off to the buses that took us to
the airport.
A huge new airport but the food prices were extremely
high. We had a direct flight to San Francisco so a nice
flight and we were in my apartment by seven p.m.
Time for a
light dinner and bed.
Sailing into Vancouver
We went to visit Patti and
her daughter Gina. I met Patti almost 40 years ago at the computer
center at Fireman's Fund Insurance. It then was
the largest computer center west of Chicago. We had main frames
and so on, we were so large IBM had maintenance men on duty all the
time. We had a nice dinner at a local family style Italian
restaurant.
I met Rosemary at Boole and
We met in the 1980
and for some reason became friends ever since!
We decided to have a nice lunch on the very large balcony surrounding
two sides of the house. We talked and laughed and finally Rosemary drove us
back to the Caltrain Station where we rode back to the City and then a
bus ride to my place. We were tired again so a light dinner and bed time.
Rosemary - Chuck - Yvonne
Sis had never been to the
San Francisco VA where I go for medical treatment.
It was foggy but it started to clear up and I did get a
photo of sis overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a ship coming in to port
behind her. We took a cab there and back home as sis was very
tired from all the running around we did. Still we were going to do more before she went home!
Sis wanted to visit the
Golden Gate YMCA and the senior center.
Here we are with my next
door neighbor Trish, playing Uno. In the center is David, one of my Wellness coaches.
He is so nice and we had a great time talking about the trip and so on.
Everyone one wanted the dirt on what I was like when
growing up! I was not amused!
Trish - David - Yvonne
Uno - Who is the Winner?
Finally the last day and we
spent it at the YMCA again. Sis got to meet Greg, the Senior
Center Director.
They hit it off right away and
we decided to play Uno again with Trish and Greg. For some reason they had it in for me and kept giving
me lots of pick up cards. I was not amused and they kept laughing
but guess what, I finally did win! Sis and I went home and decided to play a few
more hands of cards before she packed and off we went in a cab to the
airport. We gave each other a big hug and kiss and I took
the subway (BART) back home. Talk about a busy two weeks! But it was a great
trip and lots of friends to see!
Central YMCA Senior Center
Yvonne and Greg!
Uno - We loved the Card Game!
To Play or Not to Play!
Move it Brother!
Ankorage Alaska - Friday, August 31, 2012:
Train to Whittier 10:00 A.M. - Saturday - September 01, 2012:
hotel and got on the bus to the train station.
Hubbard Glacier - 3:00 P.M. - Sunday - September 2, 2012:
the Hubbard Glacier was slightly foggy but we still had a good view and
there wasn't a cold wind so nice to be on the upper deck overlooking the
glacier.
Glacier Bay Cruising - 10:30 A.M to 08:30 P.M. - Monday - September 03, 2012:
Skagway 07:00 A.M. to 08:30 P.M. - Tuesday - September 04, 2012:
was expensive to see the gold mining area.
Juneau 06:30 A.M. to 04:00 P.M. - Wednesday - September 05, 2012:
We got off the
ship and the tourist trolley came by, $36.00 for a tour.
Ketchikan 10:00 A.M. to 06:00 P.M. - Thursday - September 06, 2012:
story here. Costly to go outside of town to see the Totem Bight
State Park with very large totem poles, some 40 feet tall!
Ketchikan to Vancouver - At Sea - Friday - September 07, 2012:
final dinner and afterwards I heard there were Orcas and porpoise along
the ship.
Docking in Vancouver BC 07:30 A.M. - Saturday - September 08, 2012:
Yvonne Visiting her Favorite Brother - Sunday - September 09, 2012:
Visiting my Good Friend Rosemary in Los Gatos - Monday - September 10, 2012:
Babbage, a software company in Sunnyvale.
Checking Out the Veterans Administration Hospital - Tuesday - September 11, 2012:
Visiting the Central YMCA of San Francisco - Wednesday - September 12, 2012:
Another Day at the YMCA - Playing Uno - Thursday - September 13, 2012:
Created on: 2012.09.14
Updated on: 2020.11.20
