The Last Frontier

 We just returned from Alaska.  One week on the land and one week on the cruise ship.    I took this self portrait in our stateroom.

 Trains planes buses and automobiles.  We saw so much!  We flew up to Fairbanks and toured the city. Next we rolled down to Denali where we went on a sternwheeler tour and then a tour of Denali National Park, which is the largest in the US.  (Six Million Acres!) We enjoyed a dinner theater production of Mt. McKinley's history which was nice as we didn't get a single peek at the mountain.  Living between two mountains, I understand that they often get shy.  I think they fed us moose stew.

 We saw mushing dogs and their trainers,  Susan Butcher's home.  I liked this because she was always on my bulletin boards during the month of March. (Women's history month.)  She won the Iditarod several times.  We also went to some old cabins and watched the native people cut up their salmon for smoking so they can get through the winters.  (I couldn't figure that one out since their whole yard is a freezer!)

 We saw many beluga and orca.  I think the orca were trying to eat the beluga.

 Behind Rich is a calving glacier.  They pop and crack like guns going off! Then part falls off.  Very exciting!

 Our train went through Wasilla, where what's-her-face lives.  We could not see Russia.  Oh, but in one bar they had a drink called "I can see Russia from my house."  I did not order it.
                       On to Anchorage... We visited the Alaska  Wildlife Conservation Center, where we were able to see animals in captivity.  They were orphaned as babies so they can't rejoin their friends in the wild.  See this guy below? Hold out your arms in a circle in front of you touching your finger tips together.  That's how big his head is.
       

             Glacier Bay.   More calving glaciers.  I think this one was called Marjorie. Yes. Really.

 This sign was outside of a pub in Skagway.

 We got on the Diamond Princess at Whittier,  Went to Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan,

 through the inside passage, and on into the beautiful Vancouver, BC, where we toured the city in a bus and let us out where they wanted us to eat.  Princess Cruises owns all  of the accommodations we visited, I believe.  They were very nice but they                                                                                                                          didn't let me stop at Starbucks for mugs ANYWHERE!

 They also didn't let me meet up with Lori E. :(

 My favorite little village was Talkeeta.  All of the scenery was breathtaking!  We visited with a lot of the local people in the many pubs we stumbled into.  The next week will be the last one for tourists and many of the workers were heading for the lower 48 for the winter.

 Here's to the good friends with whom we shared this trip.  Linda and Joe.  I have known Linda for over 40 years!  There was a time when she was married to Richard's brother and the only difference in our names was "Da" so I still call her that.

This was a nice sight to see after two weeks away!