Our summer adventure begins with a non-stop to England to board a 22-day Regent cruise to the western coast of Norway. At the end of the cruise we fly to Oslo and begin our 41-day car/train/boat trip around the countryside of Norway. We will end with a flight to Berlin for 7 days before flying home in mid-September.
In August, we traveled to Alaska. It is untamed, vast and beautiful beyond description. We sailed on a Regent small ship to the Inside Passage. Our excursions included a visiting a bear observation platform outside of Ketchikan shown in the video below ; exploring the Mendenhall Glacier and parts of the Tongass National Forest near Juneau; walking the streets and visiting galleries in Skagway; hiking the forest trails around Icy Strait Point.; riding a dog sled; and flying into the Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle to the northernmost gold mining camp in North America, Wiseman Alaska (established in 1911), where residents are off the grid and use traditional self-sufficiency skills to hunt and grow their basic needs off the land. We saw the wildlife while hiking in the dense forests of Denali National Park. We did get to see a 2,000 lb. pumpkin up close thanks to Sam and Mark. Terry’s cousin, Mike and his wife showed us the highlights of Fairbanks, including the University and the “Aurora Ice Museum”. Dennis and Pat who were vacationing in Vancouver, BC dined with us prior to sailing on the cruise.
The two best highlights were flying to the base of Mr. McKinley, previously known as Denali and sailing on a small craft to the face of the Hubbard Glacier.
The Otter aircraft equipped with wheels that retracted to skis flew to the base of the snow capped peak of Mr. McKinley., This block of granite is the highest peak in North America rising over 20,000 feet above the earth’s surface. On this rare clear blue sky day we also saw the peaks of Mt. Foraker and Mt. Hunter, the two other jewels in the Alaskan Mountain range.
Landing on a glacier
The plane dropped from 10,000 feet to race uphill and land on the newly fallen, knee-deep snow. The skis made contact and glided to a stop.
Calving at Hubbard Glacier
About 35 of us left our Regent ship to board an exhibition-style boat in Disenchantment Bay to get up close and personal with a river of ice named the Hubbard Glacier. The shallow draft allowed us to easily cruise among floating icebergs near the face of the four-story high glacier painted in horizontal stripes of shades of white, gray and muted aqua blue. The glacier advances into the sea at a rate of several feet per day.
Once the boat’s motor is cut we passengers stream out into the cold to stare in silence at this surreal sight. A sharp “crack” echoed over the bay. The ice face shifts and shudders. An expansive sheet of ice “calves”. We have just witnessed the birth of a giant iceberg. Most of it disappears below the surface of the sea sending a series of waves to rock our boat.
Our summer and fall months were jam packed with changes. We sold our little home in Colorado, packed up in 21 days to return to Sun Lakes in time to pack for the cruise. When we returned we began a small remodel to our golf course home. The dust has settled and we are getting ready for our 2025 adventures. We have planned for a 22-day cruise up the coast of Norway and a 3 week land tour of the interior ending with a week in Berlin before returning to Arizona.
Every time a hand reaches out To help another….that is Christmas Every time someone puts anger aside And strives for understanding That is Christmas Every time people forget their differences And realize their love for each other That is Christmas May this Christmas bring us Closer to the spirit of human understanding Closer to the blessing of peace!
Hello Everyone! I can’t believe almost six months has gone by since we last posted.
You will remember we shared how we tried camping….or glamping….in 2021. We loved our little jewel box “Freedom”, but alas, camping for the first time in my 70’s was about 10 years too late. We sold the motor home but kept the Jeep we towed. Continue reading Off Road to Everywhere!→
The changing seasons and years are just flying by us. We are making the effort to slow down, put the brakes on this forward momentum to take a breath and be present for the joy and beauty that surrounds us. We look at each other and it is hard to believe we are in our seventies….a good friend said age is a state of mind and she believes the seventies are the new fifties!!! I’ll raise a glass to that. Continue reading Happy New Year 2023→
Hello and Happy Autumn! This has been the summer we did something we thought we would never do to beat the heat of Arizona. Over the past 10 years we traveled internationally staying in VRBO homes, hotels and with friends. Last summer we tried camping in an RV around the USA. Continue reading Summer of 2022→
Our thoughts are of home as we drive south from Lake Superior on this last month of our trip. It will take us four days to travel the 1200 miles to reach our first stop, Heber City, Utah. Continue reading Westward Ho→
Minnesota opened her arms and welcomed us with a tornado warning.
Our history of natural disasters included our stay in Lockport, Nova Scotia while Hurricane Dorian churned the ocean and his winds tore down trees and buildings along the shore; being swallowed and blinded in a violent dust storm known as a “Haboob” on a drive home through Yuma, Arizona; and watching a curtain of rain from a monsoon erase homes across the fairway from view and flood the golf course. We did not want to add surviving a tornado to our list. Continue reading Minnesota and the Shores of Lake Superior→
For the next six weeks we will be traveling by the seat of our pants. That’s the way Terry likes to travel…no reservations and decisions made on the fly. I’m just the opposite. I’ll research something to death, agonize over my decisions and then make reservations. Well, judging by our experiences In Little Switzerland, Terry may have a good point. Continue reading Little Switzerland – Iowa’s Best Kept Secret→
We did get to see a 2,000 lb. pumpkin up close thanks to Sam and Mark. Terry’s cousin, Mike and his wife showed us the highlights of Fairbanks, including the University and the “Aurora Ice Museum”. Dennis and Pat who were vacationing in Vancouver, BC dined with us prior to sailing on the cruise.
