Cruisin' at 60

A clear day at Glacier Bay Nat'l Park

 Nancy and I joined my sister, Vicki, her husband Ric, and three of their couple friends for a cruise of the inland passage to Alaska.  We left Vancouver August 25 (one day after my 60th birthday) on the Sapphire Princess and sailed up the coast. With three stops--Ketchikan, Juneua, and Skagway--and sightings of whales, harbor seals, puffins, sea otters, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and ice blue glaciers calving into the sea, the cruise was as fabulous as its reputation.
 
Seven days after leaving Vancouver, we docked at Whittier and took the Alaska train 8 hours north to Denali National Park. Hour after hour we went through the vast tracts of wilderness.

Denali was beyond beautiful as we hit the peak of autumn colors. Russet and burgundy tundra flaunted forrest green stands of spruce and golden quaking aspen, with snow-capped peaks behind them. We understand how people could fall in love with Alaska.




The highlight was taking a small plane to see Mount McKinley/Denali up close in its full glory.








Bull moose in Denali National Park

Observing this huge moose in the wild was a thrill.

What a way to usher in a new decade!!