Alaska Cruise: Part 1

Hello internets! Yes, I'm still alive! And thanks to some tinkering with my meds and the removal of my Mirena (big surprise: hormonal birth control and I do not get along) I'm feeling far less anxious and depressed. It's early days yet, but I'm still hopeful that this is the beginning of a mental upswing for me. Having recently returned from an amazing vacation hasn't hurt, either! :) 

J's parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year, so to celebrate, their 6 children + spouses joined them on a cruise to Alaska. I'll be honest, J and I were both wary-- it seemed like a lot of money to have to spend on something we assumed would be a floating hotel and buffet, {Wall*E anyone?} and I didn't want to end up having resentments.

But my mother in law is persistent, and with everyone else fully on board, we knew it wasn't really an option to bow out. So we gathered the money, bribed an overqualified and soft-hearted SIL to watch the kids, and embarked with very low expectations. At the very least, I wouldn't have to cook or do dishes for 9 days, right?

King Crab Leg in Juneau, AK

Holy Freakin' Awesomesauce, did we have fun! 

Ketchikan was our first stop. The town was cute, but kinda touristy, so we took a bus to Totem Bight State Park, and admired the scenery. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and breezy with the smell of sea spray on the air. 

Every so often, J would see my expression, sigh, and say, "Go ahead. I know you want to." With relish, I'd exclaim, "Now THAT'S a mountain!!" I hadn't realized how often I tend to point out the fact that Arizona doesn't have 'real' mountains once I go home to the Northwest. 

Next was Icy Straits Point, a small island village that used to receive all its revenue from the local fish-packing plant. Now it boasts a zip-line, kayaking, whale watching, and a bear population that outnumbers humans 5 to 1! Also, the fish-packing-plant-turned-museum-and-gift-shop is actually pretty cool.

J, of course, adored the wildlife. Fifteen years ago, on our honeymoon, he got distracted by a bald eagle perched outside our window. I was left twiddling my thumbs in bed and I haven't let him live it down since. :) In Icy Straits, he spent hours snapping photos of the bald eagles. We have pictures of them flying, fishing, nesting, eating and more. Hopefully, bald eagles are finally out of his system. 

But the eagles weren't the only excitement! We watched as three humpback whales bubbled and fed. {and so did that lady-- I love her shocked expression!} They were HUGE and amazing and, since we saw them from the shore, totally worth the $300 we didn't spend on a whale-watching tour. :)

And this was only 3 days in! More to come in Alaska Cruise: Part Duex.