On July 27, DH and I left Seattle for a 7-day cruise to the Tracy Arm Fiord in Alaska; we were celebrating our 39th anniversary and my 60th birthday. At dinner the first night out (our actual anniversary), DH surprised me by asking me to marry him again and presented me with a beautiful diamond engagement ring (we were young and poor when we got married and he had always regretted not giving me an engagement ring).
Our first port of call was Juneau; our shore excursion there was a zip-line tour through the canopy of the Alaskan rainforest -- pretty scary, but a lot of fun too. After returning to Juneau, we explored the harbor shopping (I have never seen so many jewelry stores in such a small place) where I managed to find Changing Tides Quilt Shop where I purchased bone needles, a star-shaped bundle of fat quarters and many quilty t-shirts all designed by Alaskan designer Barbara Lavalee, and some activity books for my granddaughters ( Wildflowers of Alaska and Alaskan Children). Lunch was Smoked Salmon Chowder and Alaskan Amber Ale at the Red Dog Saloon.
In Skagway, we canoed to the toe of the Davidson Glacier and then shopped in Skagway. At the Rushin' Tailor's, I bought 3 FQ of northern lights fabric, a pattern for a Raven's Tale lap quilt and a small needle case. Lunch was provided by the Glacier Point Safari tour guides so no Skagway dining experience.
From Skagway, we sailed south to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. We did not take a commercial shore excursion there; instead we went to the Tourist Center and asked for hiking recommendations. We ended up hiking the Butze Rapids Trail which was beautiful. After the hike, we explored downtown Prince Rupert. We LOVED this town -- totem poles scattered throughout the downtown area, beautiful gardens, very friendly people -- a real town, not a tourist trap. There I found The Fabric Boutique where I bought an appliqué pattern called Canadian Pride -- British Columbia and five pieces of fabric of assorted sizes to use in a "river-washed stones" quilt. We ate pan-grilled halibut cheeks at Smiles Seafood Cafe and then headed back to the ship for a much needed nap.
From Prince Rupert it was back to Seattle where we stayed on for several days to explore Pike's Market and the Space Needle and readjust to non-cruise life. There I found Undercover Quilts at Pike Place . There I purchased an additional 9 fat quarters to use in the stone quilt. A visit to the very first Starbuck's Coffee Shop netted two mugs, a bag of Pike Place Blend (available only there), and a bag of Yukon blend. Best food experience -- the crab eggs benedict for breakfast at the Edgewater Hotel. Anthony's at Pier 66 was also quite good, both the diner and the upstairs restaurant; we were not terribly impressed with Ivar's.
This was our first cruising experience, our first visit to Seattle and our first trip to Alaska but hopefully not our last -- we are thinking of trying Anchorage next!
It's good to be back, but boy, do I miss the cool temperatures of Alaska!
Elizabeth in Spring, Texas (where it is HOT today!)