Cruisin' in Alaska: Ketchikan

On day 3 we arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska. At this time of year, Akaska gets A LOT of sunlight. About 21 hours per day actually. And when you see the sun go down, it still has the affect of dusk and dawn, so there really is not any time of complete darkness in the summer. (In winter it is the opposite.) When we woke up and went out to see the city on the top deck, there were bi-planes flying all around us in the sunshine! This city also usually has rain about 2/3 of the year. We were told that we were lucky that the sun was shining.

Ketchikan is know for its salmon fishing. Every year, salmon swim fro the ocean up rivers and streams trying to get as close as possible to their place of birth. Then they lay eggs. We just missed the salmon season by a couple of weeks. Dan and I went on a little tour while Donnie and Lori snorkeled. We got to see a couple of bear cubs near one of the salmon hatcheries as well as a bunch of totem poles and a really pretty waterfall. While on our tour, we saw Donnie and Lori snorkeling from a distance! Then we went to Creek Street which is a bunch of shops in the old Red Light District of Ketchikan. Dan thought it was pretty much a tourist trap, but I had fun taking pictures!

Cruisin' to Alaska: First 2 Days at Sea

When we got on the Coral Princess Monday afternoon, we did so with only our carry-on luggage. We had filled out at least three forms each for our checked bags that stayed overnight in Minneapolis. Donnie and I were freaking out about the possibility of having to go 8 days with only 2 pairs of underwear and no deodorant. His parents were a bit calmer. Thank the Lord, during our drill the first evening, Donnie ran to our rooms to call the front desk and there sat our luggage! Thank you Northwest Airlines!
The first night at sea was a bit chilly. We had been running around in the rain in Vancouver, so when we got on the ship and found our bags a few hours later, we took hot showers and went to dinner. It is so much fun to get dressed up for dinner each night and have lots of fabulous food from which to choose. (At least that's what I thought. Donnie and his dad would have rather eaten at the buffet for every meal so they could eat all they wanted and wear jeans!)
The second night was a formal evening. What a site to see so many people with white hair all gussied up. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Donnie and I were two of a small group of people under the age of 50 on the boat. Anyways, we ate dinner - 4 courses in all, and then we went dancing in the Wheelhouse Bar. We also went out into the heavy wind and took some silly pictures in our fancy get up!

And look! It's the Music man, Harold Hill, standing in front of a poster of his show!

Cruisin' to Alaska: Vancouver, British Columbia

Just a few days ago, Donnie and I got back from a trip to Alaska. The best words to describe it would be breath-taking and exhilarating. We did some adventurous activities and saw things I'd never even seen in pictures. The first night, after we figured out our luggage hadn't followed our flight, we stayed in Vancouver. We spent the next day walking around the city and on the phone with the airline.

While in Vancouver, we learned that the Winter Olympics wil have their opening ceremonies in Vancouver in 2010. A girl working in the lookout tower building told us that Vancouver is also a site for tons of movies. She said that often Vancouver plays the part of New York... We also visited China Town. It was actually the neatest part of Vancouver to me. There was a lot of bright color and I really enjoyed watching people shop for things that were different.

Check back later for more from other places we visited!

Oh Neglected Blog... and a service project!

I think it has been nearly three months since I have taken the time to say anything on this blog. Forgive me! I wonder if there is even anyone still interested in reading out there!

Well, I wanted to at least pop in and say, "Hello" just in case. so,"Hello out there!"

I also wanted to share about our visit to My Father's House in Paola about a month ago. It was an awesome day! I think the large group of us overwhelmed Jay and his son. They weren't quite sure what to have al of us do! After a bit, some of us started working outside on landscaping and clearing. Others painted inside. It was nice to get the chance to meet some new people and work together to help some others who needed it. I thought that it was a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God working together to accomplish good. Here is a link to Donnie's thoughts from the day on his blog. And here are some pictures from the day taken by Donnie and Brady.