alaska

I finally got around to editing my favorite photos from the Alaska trip I went on in May. We flew to Vancouver (see last post), hopped on a seven-day cruise, and finally ended the trip with a few days exploring Seward. I narrowed it down from 600 or 700 pictures to the following 66...it was so hard choosing my favorites because everything was so beautiful! Disclaimer: the photos do Alaska no justice and this trip should be on everyone's bucket list. Also, if you're planning an Alaskan trip, please don't make the same mistake as I did. BRING A WINTER JACKET, not just a sweatshirt. Even in May.

Lumberjack show!

 First wildlife sighting

 Whale watching...so exciting. 

 White Pass Rail Road

Granddad making friends with the conductor. 

Almost impossible to tell, but you can see our ship docked in the ocean below!

 Through the window: where America and Canada meet

 Hubbard Glacier...amazing.

 The outdoor pool was reserved for insane people only.

 This was a cake-icing contest on the ship. I loved the nightly shows in the theatre, bingo and the entertainment on board in general! 

 Our waiters in the dining room

 Always entertaining us.

 And how about that "new menu"...

 Alaskan sunsets are the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

 Made it off the ship in Seward, Alaska

An inspirational dumpster

Perfect day for a hiking adventure!

I really could feel the glacier "breathing" on me. Nature has a beating heart.

My first-ever raw oyster at Chinook's 

Riding the Alaska Railroad up to Anchorage to begin our day-long trip back to Georgia.

 It was an unforgettable vacation between the sheer beauty of Alaska, the memories we made on the ship, celebrating my parent's 25th anniversary and being with my grandparents as they visited their 50th state. So thankful I got to go on this trip with my family!

vancouver

May 30-31 was spent in Vancouver. This was my first time ever in Canada, and I was surprised by how much character this particular city had! There were cute restaurants, shops and bars in every direction. After a long plane ride, we checked into our hotel and went out for pizza around 7 pm. I wanted a salad, so I trekked across the street to a different bar/restaurant to buy a salad to-go. I will NEVER forget how crazy this place was for that early in the night. The music was blasting, it was absolutely packed, and drinks were being poured in every direction. In the corner of the bar were non-Canadian students studying in Vancouver that apparently couldn't speak English very well. The bartender was getting so worked up explaining that they were being WAY too loud, but if he told them that, they wouldn't understand him. The scene/struggle reminded me of Italian times. The salad was great, and not too long after dinner, we went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up relatively early to walk around with the family and my camera. We discovered Gastown, the world's first steam-powered clock, lots of great architecture, and a laid back city vibe. I could see myself spending more time in Vancouver in the future. The weather was comfortably cool--a perfect median between the sweltering heat of Georgia that I've always known, and the frigid temperatures of Alaska that I would discover just a mere few days from then.

XO