Alaska...The Last Frontier!

Jimmy and I took 2 Alaskan cruises this month! The first was from Vancouver, BC, to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Park, College Fjord and Whittier. The next was the same in reverse. The coastline reminded me of South America--going South along Chile's rocky shoreline with occasional human habitation. We were on a Princess Cruise and I must say that they did everything possible to make the cruise delightful. The food was superb and the staff was most accomodating. My brother, Roland, and his wife, Karen, consider cruising as their favorite vacation pasttime. It is great getting to spend time seeing each other without anyone having to clean or cook. Roland is a character. He delights (as do I) in playing a tough game of Trivia. Why we seem to learn all these points of interest and random facts is beyond me but we both do it. I guess it is a throwback from our childhood as military brats. You had to land on your feet and learn as much as you could about a place as fast as you could. Roland, Karen and I played Trivia on the ship almost every time it was offered. We won countless luggage tags, a Princess ball cap, a tote bag, a passport holder, etc. Karen is the whiz at showtunes and music. One night we played "Name that Tune" at the bar with the most incredible piano player I've ever heard--Ray Cousinns. We tied with 2 other teams and won it in the playoff. A bottle of awful champagne. But we did have fun! I took lots of photos. To use an old saying...Alaska--It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.