Friday, May 17 through Thursday, May 30: Alaskan Princess Cruise, Cruisetour, and Denali

Friday morning, Tom and I dropped Libby and Kelsey off at the Cinder Hills Kennel in Flagstaff. It was here that I sprinkled some of Ramsey's ashes. He loved staying at this kennel.

We then drove to Phoenix to spend the night. We had an early flight to Vancouver, Canada. That evening, we drove to a local restaurant for dinner.

We took the 6:00 am shuttle from the motel to Sky Harbor International Airport. Our first flight was from Phoenix to Salt Lake City. Then, from Salt Lake City to Vancouver.

It was a long day. But, we arrived on the Golden Princess and enjoyed our first adult beverage in the Calypso Bar.

 After the obligatory safety drill, the ship left Vancouver harbor. It was a beautiful evening.

 Our mini-suite balcony was the perfect venue to watch us sail away.

That evening, we had dinner in the Donatello Dining Room.

The next morning, I went to a spinning class. I signed up for three days of classes, but I was not sure I would attend all three.

When I came back to my room, the door of our stateroom greeted me. It was May 19 --- my 67th birthday!

This was our first sea day. Tom and I looked at the daily paper, Princess Patter, and decided what lectures and activities we wanted to attend. There was a naturalist, Sandra Schempp, who was giving several flora, fauna, and geology lectures on Alaska.

We also went to a lecture and then a complimentary session with the acupuncturist, Brent Smith.

That evening was formal night. Tom was very thoughtful and brought his sports jacket, slacks, and tie for the event.

Before dinner, we listened to an Irish guitarist and singer, Laura Callahan.

And, we had a formal photo taken. After all, it was my birthday 😊😊😊

And after dinner, a very nice piece of cake was delivered to our table!

The next morning, we arrived at our first port, Ketchikan. The last time I was in Alaska was 29 years ago! It was also my birthday celebration. The weather was a lot better this time around.

Ketchikan is a very small, picturesque town. We did not plan an excursion for this port. Instead, we just walked the town.

We visited the Totem Heritage Center, walked through the old "red light" district, visited some tourist shops, and celebrated the day.

I did buy a unique world globe at Julie's Fine Jewelry shop.

With the use of magnets, the globe actually rotates. Can't wait to find a place for it at home!

Before dinner, we listened to some Dixieland music in the atrium. Princess Cruises is celebrating the 50 year anniversary of being in Alaska.

The next morning, we arrived at our second port, Juneau. We had our breakfast delivered to our stateroom.

We had an excursion planned for today. I booked it through Viator. It was a triple event --- whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, and a king crab dinner at Tracy's King Crab Shack.

We met our tour under the Mt. Roberts Tramway.

We took a 45 minute bus to the "whale watching" harbor. There, we boarded a large catamaran.

There were about 30 people on our tour. In the first location, we saw several humpback whales. I even caught one spouting!

The second location, we saw a mega pod of orgas. This was unusual, as orcas do not live in this area. They were deemed transitory whales --- just passing through.

After several hours, we returned to the harbor. It was then that we boarded a bus to Mendenhall Glacier. The Forest Service has a visitor center where you can view the edge of the 13-mile long glacier.

Tom and I also walked several miles round-trip to Nugget Falls.

After the visitation there, we took one of the tour company shuttles back to Juneau. There, we had a late lunch at Tracy's King Crab Shack.

The meal was included in the tour and it was delicious!

Our friends, Roger and Priscilla, said that we must visit the Red Dog Saloon. So, after the crab meal, we walked to the saloon and had an adult beverage and listened to some festive music.

That evening, a pilot boat escorted us out of the Juneau harbor.

The next morning, we arrived early in Skagway. We were one of the first ships in port. But, more came behind us.

Our arranged tour was a train ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route.

We were going all the way to the Canadian Yukon Territory, so we had to bring our passports. The train station is close to where the ships dock. The train was very comfortable.

We left Skagway around 8:30 am and wound up the mountains --- passing waterfalls and entering tunnels. Most of the infrastructure was built for the late 1890s Klondike gold rush days.

About 2/3rds of the way, we passed the USA/Canadian border.

The scenery became more barren with snow capped mountains.

We made a forty minute stop at Bennett Lake and the Chilkoot Trail. This was a vibrant town in during the gold rush days.

Before boarding the train, I wanted to get a photo of the engine!

We had another hour to get to the Yukon Territory town of Carcross. In Carcross, Tom had an ice cream at the general store.

This was the conclusion of the train trip. We were met by a van in Carcross. Our tour guide drove a few miles further east to show us Emerald Lake.

We then turned around and headed back to Skagway. We saw a black bear on the side of the road.

Our tour guide was very thoughtful in stopping for photo shoots at the Yukon sign.

We also stopped at the Alaska sign.

We arrived back in Skagway about 3:30 pm. Tom and I browsed some of the shops and then headed to our ship.

At 5:00 pm, there was a special event. A fellow who breeds dogs for the Iditarod came aboard the Golden Princess and made a presentation in the Atrium. He also sponsors Iditarod sleds.

He brought six puppies that were only five weeks old!

The puppies were so cute!

The next two days were "at sea" days. On Thursday, we cruised Glacier Bay National Park. The park rangers boarded our ship and provided commentary. I brought my national park passport book and had it stamped for this Alaskan national park.

We saw Lamplugh Glacier and the most photographed Margerie Glacier.

Only one large cruise ship at a time is allowed to get near Margerie Glacier. We spent over an hour there.

That night, Tom and I went to the Princess Theater to see the show Born to Dance. It was a very colorful production with lots of music and dance.

Friday was another scenic cruising day. I decided that it was a perfect time to toss one of my brother John's shells into the Alaskan waters.

Later in the afternoon, a pilot boarded our ship to take us into the College Fjord waters. The navigation in this area is more treacherous --- can you say Exxon Valdez???

My friends, Kathy and Doug Chappell from Mariposa, realized that some of their friends were on our ship. Tom had come down with a bad cough, so I met up with Trish and Tom Darcy. They had the same cabin number as us --- just on different decks.

Tom is a retired Yosemite Ranger and Trish used to teach at an elementary school with Kathy. Fun!

This was our final day on the ship. Tom's nagging cough was keeping him up at night. He also may have had a fever. I convinced him to see the ship's doctor.

She ruled out the flu and prescribed some antibiotics.

We arrived to College Fjord at about 6:00 pm. Like yesterday, there was commentary --- this time by Sandra, the Princess naturalist. The day with beautifully sunny. We cruised by five glaciers --- all named after Ivy League schools. There was Vassar, Skidmore, Bryn Mawr, Smith, and Harvard.

 We spent an hour at Harvard Glacier, with the ship making a 360 degree turn.

That night was the last dinner with a Baked Alaska finale. Always a treat!

The next morning, we arrived at Whittier Harbor. The only time I cruised Alaska --- 29 years ago --- we used the port of Seward. Princess and Holland America are the only companies that use Whittier.

One of the fun things about Cinder Hills Kennel --- where we board the dogs --- is the Facebook posts. I looked up the Facebook page, and sure enough, Libby and Kelsey were enjoying a walk!

While I am enjoying a nice vacation, it is always good to know that my puppies are well cared for!

In Whittier, we boarded a special train that would take us to Denali. It was a ten hour ride, but we did see Denali!

Only about 30 percent of visitors to Denali see the mountain. We made it!

Tom and I had a late lunch in the dining car. My friend Barbara Coad said that I must have a Moose Mary. Done!

We arrived at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge around 5:00 pm. I took Tom to our room to rest, while I ventured into the adjacent town for some cough medicine. We later had take-out hamburgers from the Grizzley Burgers Restaurant on property.

The tour scheduled for the next day --- Sunday --- was a narrated bus tour into Denali National Park. Poor Tom was still ill. His cough was not improving. We decided that it was best for him to stay in bed and rest. Fortunately, Tom and his son Jon had been to Denali ten years earlier. I boarded the tour bus in front of the lodge.

At this time of year, the Denali road is only open to mile 53 --- to the Toklat River Visitor Center. I got my national park passport book stamped there. I also took some of my brother John's ashes and spread them in this beautiful setting.

I asked one of the folks on our tour to also snap a photo of me in Denali National Park.

 While on the seven hour bus tour, we saw Caribou, Dall Sheep, and Moose

We even saw a mother Moose with her two recently born calves.

It was a great tour and I was so happy to finally cross Denali off my national park bucket list!

That evening, Tom and I went to dinner at Fanny Q's Saloon at the lodge. Glad we went early, as it became very busy.

The next morning, we took a bus to our next stop, the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge near Talkeetna. It was about a three hour drive.

No sign of Denali mountain the whole time we were there. That afternoon, we hoped on a shuttle to the town of Talkeetna. We walked the little tourist town.

And we had a hummus appetizers and adult beverages at a local brewery.

We had dinner at the lodge and breakfast the next morning. One feature on the property was a tree house built for a reality show in 2017 --- Tree House Masters. It was fun to see this property!

That afternoon, we took our final bus to Anchorage. There, we spent the night at the Captain Cook Hotel. We had dinner at Glacier Brewhouse, and I met up with Mr. Grizzly!

The next morning, we headed for the Anchorage International Airport and back home to life's reality.

We arrived back in Phoenix around 9:30 p.m. Once we got our luggage, we called the motel shuttle. My truck and our motel room was waiting for us. The next morning, we had complimentary breakfast at the motel, and we drove to Cinder Hills Kennel to pick up Libby and Kelsey before 1:00 pm in the afternoon. All was good.

Wednesday, May 1 through Thursday, May 16: Errands, Friends, and Nearby Trips

May Day, May 1st, Tom, Gus, Jon and I attended the Williams Parks and Recreation quarterly meeting. We wanted to let the group know that we were very serious about finding a good venue in town to play pickleball indoors and outdoors. It was the first time I had been inside the City Hall chambers.

After the meeting, I drove to Flagstaff for my hair appointment with Shawna. She was as eccentric as usual.

The next day, we played pickleball on the tennis courts. The surface is very worn, but we make it work.

On Friday, my friends from Salinas, California --- Barbara and Michael Penna --- dropped by to say hello. They were spending a night in Williams and then taking the train to the Grand Canyon for two nights.

Barbara and I have known each other for 45 years. Her first husband and my first husband were U.S. Army lieutenants stationed in Hohenfels, Germany, in the mid 1970s. Barbara and I bonded. We were both from Southern California and we both worked for Big Bend Community College --- teaching high school completion courses for the enlisted military.

The Pennas were staying at the local Holiday Inn. They returned several hours later to have cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres. We then went to the Red Raven Restaurant for dinner. The next morning, the Pennas came back and left their car in our garage. I took them back to the Grand Canyon Railway train station to turn in their voucher and collect tickets.

Before they boarded the 9:30 am train to the canyon, Tom took a photo of the three of us.

The first Saturday in May is the Williams Beautification Day. What that means is members of the community gather at the Visitor Center parking lot to sign-in for picking up trash across the town.

We are issued trash bags and safety vests. This year, Jon and Tom attended. We selected the tennis courts. It was a good place to pick up trash --- and to pick up all the pine needles! Pine needle collection is extra credit.

We put the pine needles in both Jon's truck and Tom's truck. At about 11:45 am, we completed the tennis court project and headed back to the Visitor Center parking lot for a hamburger and hot dog lunch. Last year, they ran out of food by noon. The same thing happened this year. But, we go there just in time. And, Dairy Queen donated ice cream Dilly-bars!

That evening our friend, Kerry-Lynn Moede, was singing at Miss Kitty's Steakhouse. We decided to go there for dinner and listen to Kerry-Lynn.

She has a beautiful voice and a good selection of songs. No band, just her computer and background recorded music. Tom and I even danced a few songs!

Sunday morning, I walked the dogs early. Tom and I were going to Prescott to watch Jon and Gus play in a pickleball tournament. The tournament was at the Prescott Athletic Club. I had never been there.

After singing the national anthem, we found out that the first match of Jon's and Gus's was a forfeit game. The other two men that they were expected to play did not show up. So, Jon and Gus warmed up solo.

Jon and Gus played their first game around 10:00 am. The games are refereed and instructions and rules are outlined before play.

Jon and Gus won their first game. The other team won the next two games. The age bracket/skill level had only five teams due to no-shows. So, it became round robin tournament play. Each team played the other four teams.

Two men were from Flagstaff. In that play, Jon and Gus won the first game. But, the Flagstaff team won the next two games.

After the tournament, Gus, Libby, Tom, Jon, and I went to the Gurley Street Grill in historic old Prescott. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, we tried two Mexican restaurants first. One was packed full. One was closed on Sundays.

Monday morning, I headed up to the Grand Canyon. I picked up my friend,s Barbara and Michael Penna, at their Holiday Inn hotel in Tusayan. I had put together an itinerary for their two night visit to the South Rim. While they will be taking the 3:30 pm train back to Williams, I wanted them to see the Watchtower at Desert View. It was fun for me, as I have not been to that part of the park for a number of years.

We also stopped at the Visitor Center. Barbara wanted to pick up some souvenirs and purchase a National Park Passport book.

I love having my passport book! She received a nice stamp honoring the park's centennial (1919-2019).

On the way back to the village, we stopped at the trailhead to Shoshone Point. While I wanted to show them that viewpoint, it was a little too long of a walk. So, we turned around after about a half mile.

I dropped the Pennas off at the El Tovar Hotel, so that they could walk down the hill to the train station.

Several hours later, I met their train at the Grand Canyon Railway train station in Williams.

Our first stop was the Holiday Inn, so that Michael could check-in to their room. Then, we went back to my home for dinner. Tom made a delicious beef stroganoff dinner! We had a great final visit --- even talking politics --- as Michael is very conservative as well!

While I was in Israel, one of the couples was from Wisconsin. They raved about a fast food concern called Culver's. It was started in Wisconsin and is now in 26 states. Flagstaff has an outlet. So, Tom and I had lunch there on Wednesday. The beef is never frozen, and the food is cooked to order. We liked it!

That afternoon, I received a call that Ramsey's remains were ready to be picked up. I had him cremated so that I could spread his ashes in special places that he loved to visit.

Since I was going to Flagstaff the next day, I took my bike to Flag Bike Revolution for a tune-up. It has been over four years since I had this done. They recommended that I also replace some of the break wiring system.

After dropping off my bike, I stopped by Canyon Pet Hospital and got the "Ramsey" package.

Included in the package was a plaster print of Ramsey's paw. I put that in the window sill.

I decided that it was time to get back to my gym, Results Fitness Center. I had seen in the Williams/Grand Canyon paper that the personal trainer, Lucas, was once again a "full time" employee. He is conducts fitness classes three or four times a week. So, I went on Thursday. The class is okay, but I feel so good afterwards!

On Friday, I joined Tom and Jon on a field trip to look for elk antlers that are annually shed this time of year. We headed north on Highway 64 toward the canyon and turned right on a county road north of Valle. To look for shed, you just have to select a location and start walking. Tom found a tree branch that looked like antlers.

And, I found an interesting log to pose on!

We did not find any shed on that stop and the next stop, but Jon did find a mule deer antler on the dirt road heading back to Williams.

That afternoon, I took the dogs for a walk in the neighborhood. I saw that KC Hilites had the logo signs back on the building.

The Williams/Grand Canyon paper had a notice about Pioneer Day at the Ash Fork Historical Society on Saturday. Last year, Tom and I went to that museum for a great talk on Arizona's Route 66. Travel writer, Roger Naylor, spoke about its history and the efforts to make Route 66 a national historic road.

Tom and I went to the Ash Fork Pioneer Day. It began with a parade down Route 66.

I had told Libby Beatty about the event. So, she and Gus joined us at the museum for a Chili Cook-Off lunch.

I had the pulled pork sandwich option. Tom enjoyed his bowl of chili and the homemade piece of pie!

After the Pioneer Day celebration, Tom and I drove back to Williams. The city held a silent auction in the Rodeo Barn, to rid itself of old equipment, trucks, and machines.

The bidding had concluded and people were queued up to pay for their goods.

That Sunday, I went to church and then joined others for pickleball on the tennis courts. Jon went back out in search of shed. His jeep took on a lot of mud!

One of the things I like about where we live are the clouds. On a walk with the dogs to Cataract Lake, I took this photo!

Tom and I enjoyed the spa one afternoon. A pesty bird kept chirping and squawking at us. I later noticed that she had built a nest behind a garden house feature. When we were in the spa, we were too close to her nest.

I was going to get rid of the nest, but noticed that she had layed some eggs. So, I left her, and the eggs, alone.

At Tuesday's pickleball play, Jon showed off the efforts of his work on trying to find antlers. He has a collection of 10-12!

After pickleball, I joined the Highland Meadows ladies group at Lulu Belle's BBQ in Ash Fork. It was my first time at this restaurant. The brisket is a specialty. It was yummy!

All day Wednesday, Tom and I packed for our vacation. On Saturday, we are flying to Vancouver and boarding the Golden Princess for Alaska. It is for my birthday --- #67. After the seven day cruise, we will spend several nights in Denali. Can't wait!