Skagway, Alaska

The second port of disembarkation was Skagway, Alaska. We took the Skagway train excursion to the mountain top bordering Canada. I thought the train would stop for us to explore the Yukan valley but no, it didn't, to my disappointment. However I/we got to see beautiful mountains sights from the train though. It was a good ride all together. After the train excursion, we ate lunch and roamed the Skagway town. Roy painted at certain section in town, while Martha and I went shopping for souvenirs.

All excited inside the Skagway train for your mountain pass excursion.

Skagway train tracks

Flower path......

Wild flowers along the sides.

Mountain pass.

See the front stretch of the train entering into the tunnel? We were advised to sit at the last car where the view was more beautiful. Indeed it was.

Entering the tunnel.

Canyon view.

USA bordering Canada.

Back to Skagway town

Roy painted while his father looked on.

Nice little town. Enlarged copy of the family picture.

The mountain, the town and the trains behind us.

It was getting late, got to go back to the ship. Another nice, wonderful day in Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska

In Juneau, Alaska; Lucas, Martha and I went around the quaint town and took the cable to the mountain top for a sky view, while Roy went to Friendship Bridge to paint with his artists' group. In the afternoon, Roy came back to go on an excursion with us to Mendenhall Glacier. He continued to paint in there, while the three of us trekked the trail to Nugget Fall. The scenery was superb. It was a stupendous experience to see the glacier.

Crown Princess docked at the first port -Juneau, Alaska. Everybody was excited.

It was a rare beautiful sunny day in Juneau, Alaska.

 Took a picture with the bear at the visitor center.

We ate lunch from the food trucks. Martha had halibut fish and chips. Really delicious!

Alaska has a big number of Filipino community. Here's a Rizal bust at the center of a garden square.

Excursion to Mendenhall Glacier.

A close up shot of the glacier

A chunk of glacier remained at the center of the body of water.

Closer view.

 

The glacier and the fall yonder. Having ample time, we decided to go to the fall.

It was a long walk but worth it. Took picture while approaching Nugget Fall......magnificent scenery.

Mother and daughter enjoying the mists of the fall and the air; touching the cold water and absorbing the beautiful sight.

Great view! A wonderful day!

With Roy at the visitor center. It was a nice beautiful day. So happy to be here....

And I was able to pick my precious nuggets too. Hehe. Priceless!!!

Crown Princess Voyage

On June 25th, 2016, Lucas, Roy, Martha and I took the Crown Princess Cruise from Seattle to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan towns in Alaska and to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Roy and Lucas signed up with the plein air artists group headed by Karen Whitworth and Talya Johnson, while Martha and I were family guests of the painters. Below are pictures taken inside the ship.

My stateroom.

Pool and jacuzzis area

My favorite pool area was at the rear end of the ship ( I didn't dip in though ), where many plein air gatherings were held. It was a beautiful place where less people congregated.

It was cold there out on the deck. One of our favorite hang outs. Hehe.

Relaxing/sketching at one of the many lounging areas.

More lounging places.....

Feeling sleepy...hahaha

 With Martha, participated the line dance and latin salsa dance classes.

Eating and snacks and coffee at the buffet area,

Formal dinner

Another formal night.

Artists at work.

More portrait painting sessions.

Martha posed for the artists.

On deck, viewing the glaciers.....

Lunch at Da Vinci dining room.

Lunch at Crown Grill - Special English pub day.

Enjoyed eating, dining, snacks, eating, dining etc.......hahaha

You can order and eat as much as you want to. Hehehe......

Thank God for the wonderful holiday. Thank you for my first cruise ship vacation and thank you so much for a safe and enjoyable voyage.

In Seattle and Redmond, Washington, USA

At downtown Seattle, Martha getting her caffeine fix inside a Seattle coffee bar.

At Redmond Town Center

Posing with summer flowers and greens at the outdoor mall.

Happy to be in USA. Hahaha.
More pictures to follow.

Three Weeks in United States

I went on a holiday with my husband Lucas and my daughter Martha to USA on June 20 for a three week vacation to visit my son Roy. We stayed in Redmond for the first week. On the second week, Roy had arranged for us a 7 day cruise to Alaska via the Crown Princess. For the cruise, he signed up with the plein air artist group. He also signed up his father as an artist and Martha and I as guests. They had painting sessions and seminars on the ship, and more paintings when the ship docked on ports. Lucas painted a few but he could not handle the cold air. Although he was all bundled up but his exposed fingers could not do the work. So Lucas, Martha and I, we just took pictures mostly and explored the ports and towns and/or went on paid excursions inland. There were several activities on board liked bingo, casino, gym, dance class, shows etc. But I was mostly interested only with dancing and Martha went to the gym once. At sea, we simply liked to hang out at the lounge or dining area or explore the decks and look at the sea and watch out for whales or dolphins. It was interesting meeting Roy's paint group, and we loved to watch the artists at work. Eating was our main preoccupation and food, it was plentiful. Hahaha.

Indeed, it was a new and enjoyable experience for us on cruise. Pictures will follow on my next posts.