Alaska!

For years, George and I have wanted to visit Alaska.  Well, this summer, we finally were able to go there.  In addition to wanting to see this beautiful state, George and I wanted to get closer to filling in the last three check-marks on our "Seeing every state in the union" chart.  We are now down to Vermont and North Dakota.  But really, we were mostly looking forward to being with my dad and my six siblings and their spouses for our yearly cruise which my dad provides for us and we look forward to all year long!

Top:  Blair (brother), Doug (brother-in-law), Larry (brother-in-law, Ted (brother-in-law)

Middle:  Denise (sister-in-law), Dad, Mark (brother-in-law), George (husband!), Jerry (brother), Shelly (sister-in-law)

Front:  Joyce (sister), Natalie (sister), Laura (me), Beverly (sister), Beth (sister)

All in all we seven siblings and our spouses have 38 children and 60 grandchildren--with new ones being born every other month!

 

My dad with my two brothers:  Jerry and Blair

My dad with the five daughters:  Laura, Beverly, Joyce, Beth, and Natalie

Laura and George

Beverly and Larry

Doug and Joyce

Shelly and Jerry

Blair and Denise

Ted and Beth

Mark and Natalie

Day 1.  Our ship was docked at Seattle, Washington.  We departed at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 6th, for eight glorious days aboard the Celebrity Infinity.

The dock at Seattle

And we're off!

I guess this little seagull wanted to go with us!

These were our beautiful rooms.  The travel agent Joyce worked through upgraded us to balconies for no extra cost!  We were spoiled!

Views from our balcony.

The first night we were able to celebrate my brother, Blair's birthday.

Day 2.  Saturday was spent at sea, but that didn't stop the fun.  George brought along the Rook cards which we found indispensable on our trip to Australia with the Wildes, so we had great fun teaching those who hadn't played it for many years.  We played the Rigby Rules which my Grandmother and Grandfather Rigby had probably learned from their pioneer parents (if it was around then).   Mark turned out to be the "gutsy" one, and let's just say at times I may have been a little "outrageous" in my bidding.  (I think I learned that from my grandson, Parker.  Hah!)   Anyway, we had great fun, and it involved most of the family! 

Day 3.  Sunday, we arrived in Ketchikan at 7:00 a.m.  We all could hardly wait for our first land adventure or should I say "sky" adventure.  Ketchikan is a tiny town which is squeezed between the mountain and the sea.  Therefore, everyone and everything must come by air or sea.

Loading up to be taken to our first adventure.

Our tour started on a float plane to the magnificent Misty Fjords Wilderness which is composed of "glaciers, waterfalls, lakes and sheer granite cliffs that rise thousands of feet above narrow waterways carved during the ice ages, centuries ago."  (As quoted in Celebrity Today) 

George and our pilot.

Larry and Beverly - (Brother-in-law and sister)

We flew right past our ship.

We flew out over the little town and then out to the more remote areas.  It truly was breath-taking to fly over these rugged mountains and look down below at some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.  (One of my siblings remarked, "And this is only the Telestial Kingdom!") 

 

The pilot then landed on a pristine lake where we got to get out and stand on the pontoons to get a closer look around.

It was so fun to see the other plane that had the rest of the family aboard.

And all too soon it was over, and we were back.

A couple of interesting items we saw at that dock:

Just a "modest" yacht with its own helicopter aboard.

This is the ship that they do "The Deadliest Catch" from.  We were told they were filming in Alaska at the time, and that's why it is in the dock here. 

The waterfront of this little town is built on pilings over the sea.  Great little shops are located along this Creek Street.

The stream was filled with all kinds of fish.

In addition, one of the fascinating places along the boardwalk was Dolly's Historic Museum (which we did not visit!)  This place of business was along the former red-light district and was a well renowned establishment which has fully been restored complete with a satin-covered four-poster brass bed and elegant tapestried walls.  The thing that made it so interesting was the lady who started it was "Dolly Copeland."  Read a little about her.  We all had a good laugh about this!

We then went to a very entertaining lumberjack show which showed us how the original logging men cut down the lumber, and how this has actually become big-time competition for many of the logging men of Alaska.  After dividing the group into two, we all cheered for our logging men to win!

And everywhere we went, George kept on the lookout for Diet Dr. Pepper--his newest drink of choice!  (Not available aboard the ship!)  But thanks to Mark who had an eagle eye for it, he got some for George on nearly every stop!

But ice cream always was available on board--even freshly churned ice cream of all types--and of course, a cookie or two!

Everyone was so kind to always watch out for George and make sure he had his ice cream, too!

Day 4.  The cruise director who helped Joyce and Natalie arrange everything for this cruise worked so hard to get us all upgraded to balcony cabins on the ship for no extra cost.  Wow was that nice!  We had never been on a balcony cabin (except when we went down the Yangtze River Cruise where every cabin is a balcony.)  Anyway, it was so nice to see so much of the scenery right from our cabin. 

As we awoke, we started seeing pieces of iceberg in the waterway beside us.  As we started getting closer to the glaciers (Tracy Arm Fjord), the pieces started getting larger and there were more of them.  We learned that this is called "calving" when chunks of iceberg fall off into the water.    It was really cold out on deck, but we just didn't want to miss any of the scenery which was literally all around us!

Some of the ice was a beautiful blue color.

You can just start to see the iceberg between the mountains.

We were able to get up really close to it.

We were all looking for my dad on the ship, but he had found the perfect place to see this amazing iceberg--a little windowed area to keep the wind off, but perfect for enjoying this awesome sight.

About 2:30 p.m., we docked in Juneau, the capital of Alaska which was founded during a gold rush in 1880.  I was truly shocked to see how tiny Juneau is--only 30,000 people live there.  Its economy is based on government, tourism, mining, and fishing.  I was so surprised how small the state capitol building was and how literally you drive right by the steps that lead to the governor's mansion.  It all looked so cozy and not anything like many of the big city capitols and governor mansions where you have to stay so far away from them.

Right in the center of town is a little saloon called "The Red Dog Saloon."  It had sawdust on the floor and a great piano player playing a honky-tonk piano.  We just had to look inside, although they didn't let us stay long because we weren't buying anything.  Hah!  That's okay.  We got some great pictures!

Yes, and we got to see a bear . . .

Walking the streets of Juneau, we saw another bear . . .

A mother bear and her bear cub--it reminded me of Kent and Craig!  (Family joke!)

In Juneau, we were shuttled to Auk Bay where we boarded a boat with a captain and a naturalist who took us on a hunt for whales and wildlife.  We saw both! 

As we were coming down the ramp to get on the boat, we looked down and saw this huge carcass of some type of fish.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It was probably four feet long!

Here is the boat we took out to see the Alaskan wildlife.

All of us laughed and had so much fun wherever we went!

We were so excited when we saw some sea lions on the buoy just "chillin'."  But the big event was actually seeing whales!

What a thrill it was to see those huge whales coming up for air and then diving again.  (I took a really cool video of this, but can't get it downloaded on this blog.  I'll try putting it on a blog by itself.)

We then went to a camp where we had a most delicious salmon bake and all the fix-in's with it.

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After we ate, we walked a little ways from the camp where you could actually pan for gold and take in a beautiful waterfall there.

A shaft of the old Chilkoot Mine.

Just before we got aboard the ship, Mark and George go to find their Diet Dr. Pepper again.

Day 5.  Today we docked in Skagway about 7:00 a.m.  This town became the largest town in Alaska within 10 years after the first gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1887.  Tens of thousands of "stampeders" passed through Skagway using the steep and dangerous White Pass to reach the gold rich Canadian Yukon.  If the prospectors made their way through the mountains, an even more rigorous test awaited them--600 miles across the Yukon's frozen terrain to the Klondike gold fields.  Many died, but the wealth of the lucky few who struck it rich, was very real--over $50 million in gold was pulled out of the Yukon in just four years.

In order to see more of the terrain that the prospectors had to face, we travelled on the White Pass Railway which was completed in 1900.  As we climbed higher and higher (and it became colder and colder), we could really see the difference in the vegetation.

Across the way you can see where we are going.

The conductors on the train and me (with the bad hair day!)

And now you can see where we have been.

Dad gets a new hat--on the Alaskan Railroad

He looks pretty great in it, don't you think?!  (He wears them until they are ready to fall off his head, so he really did need a new one!)

We soon cross over into Canada and have to show our passports.  This felt like the top of the world and absolutely the coldest spot in the world.  It was freezing!

Notice how little vegetation is here.  It reminded us of Craters of the Moon in Idaho.

We rode a bus down so that we could stop at many scenic locations, overlooks, and falls.  But mainly, we heard about how our love-sick bus driver had been jilted by one of the girls who worked for the railroad and was in the exact car we had just exited!  Everyone was giving him their opinions as to how to get her back!!!

A waterfall that split in two.

A look-out point where you can see our ship below.

After boarding the ship, the rest of the day was spent cruising the inside passage which is basically the stretch of water between where the icebergs have melted and revealed a long strip of land.  The ship sails between them, so basically you have land on both sides of you.  As always, we looked forward to meal time, whether we were hungry or not.  Sometimes we weren't quite sure what we were eating!

Unfortunately, this doesn't pass the smell test--does anyone want this?  (But mostly the food was fantastic!!!)

Day 6.  Today was spent at sea.  On this day, Natalie reserved a little theater room where we watched "Angels and Demons" just as a family.  What fun!  We were only missing the popcorn!  Again, a lot of Rook was played,

books were read, church talks were prepared,

and eating was done, and eating was done, and eating was done!!!

Do you see George on the left with his Gator shirt on?

The presentation of the food and the ice sculptures were just something to behold!

Even a chocolate dipping pot!

My brother, Blair, looking at all there was around.

In the evening, the chefs all marched through the audience with everyone clapping, then our waiter presented our fantastic dessert--what else but . . .

Baked Alaska!

Day 7.   This day was the only disappointment to all of us because we had so looked forward to seeing Victoria, Canada, and more especially, Butchart Gardens.  But we didn't arrive until 7:15 p.m.  We took a wonderful, but quick tour, of the city while going to the gardens, but by the time we got there, it was dusk, and we could only stay for an hour and a half. 

For lunch--a barbecued pig!

Even in the dark, the Sunken Gardens just took your breath away with its beauty!

Every flower was the biggest and most beautiful flower I have ever seen!

The totem poles were always unique.

What a sad thing--first of all to see some of the most beautiful flowers and plant life in the world, but to have to see it in almost dark for only such a short time!  We vowed to come back again!

Day 8.    The next morning we docked back in Seattle about 7:00 a.m.  We couldn't believe the time had gone by so quickly.  You know how it is, you look forward to something for so long, and then it's over far too quickly! 

Natalie had arranged for a limo to pick us up since there were 15 of us and all of our luggage.  We barely fit inside with so many suitcases--but we did.

 After taking the luggage to the hotel, we took a side tour of the Boeing Airplane Plant and Museum.  We all were excited to see it, and we knew our dad would love it!  He could tell us about any plane in World Ward II since he was training as an engineer on bomber planes in the Air Force.

Our son Kent and daughter-in-law Natalie (not to be confused with my sister, Natalie) live in Washington, so, Natalie drove over with the three kids and her mother who was visiting, to Seattle.  They met us there because they wanted to see "Great Grandpa Rigby," and their aunts, and uncles.  The kids had a great time. 

Ethan and Great Grandpa were so happy to see each other.

Papa George, Ethan, and Ella pose in front of a plane that had a tiger on it--just for Cassie.

Papa George, Great Grandpa Rigby, Grandma Laura, Ethan, Natalie, and Ella

Ethan and Ella with their two grandmas.

Afterwards, we bid "Good-bye" to my dad and all the brothers and sisters.  We had thoroughly enjoyed being with everyone, and it definitely was "parting with sweet sorrow." 

The kids were getting hungry, so we left with Natalie, her mom, and the kids for lunch.

 

Little Cannon is absolutely the sweetest little guy.  He just goes along and doesn't cause anyone any trouble. 

George commenced to tell Ella that his Dr. instructed him to drink Dr. Pepper as his medicine, so that's why he had to have it.  Ella listened so intently to the whole story, and probably wondered what Papa had that he needed it so badly that a doctor would recommend it.

But Ethan wasn't buying it.  He and Papa started playing a game of who could get the bottle cap the nearest without letting it fall off.  Ethan definitely won the contest!

George then talked Ella into eating her corn dog by saying he would buy her a milk shake if she ate it all.  I think secretly he just wanted a milk shake himself!

Kent came in time for dinner, and we took the kids to a fun activity center which had both inside and outside games. 

The first thing the kids wanted to do was go in the motorized cars.  Ethan goes with his dad--

Ella goes with her mom.

Notice how Ella and her mom are out front to start with.

Kent tells Ethan to not worry--that they will definitely pass them. 

"Oh, no they won't," says Natalie.  And you thought Kent was the competitive one!

Kent lets them have their little fun, then puts on the gas.

Just as Kent and Ethan get ready to pass, Natalie and Ella slam them into the side!

And Natalie and Ella are victorious!!!

Then it's on to miniature golfing for the guys . . .

Ella rides the merry-go-round with her mommy . . .

and the swing.  But the outside park was closing, so we played a few games inside and then had to leave.

We were so glad to spend some time with Kent and Natalie and their little family (and Natalie's mom.  She is such a sweet lady who truly loves our son and grandchildren just like we love her daughter and grandchildren, too!) 

After staying the night in a hotel in Seattle, we left the next day for Jacksonville.  We seriously went from night to day on the weather side.  We wished Alaska could have had a little more warmth and Jacksonville a little more cold, but it's always nice to see a contrast, I guess. 

Thanks to everyone who made the cruise so special!  George and I love our brothers, sisters, and in-laws so much.  We always have a great time together.  And to my dad, thank you so much for making it possible to get all of us together.  It is such a treat to enjoy each other's company this way each year!