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So, you may wonder what happened to me on the blog.  Well, it started the last few days of our cruise.  The ship was stricken with NORO virus and plenty of people caught it including Peggy and myself.  We were sicker than dogs and there was no getting out of bed or our cabin.  At least we weren't sick at the same time.  The last day of our cruise we found out that AMTRAK had cancelled our train out of San Francisco due to the flooding on the Nebraska border.  So, when we got to our hotel on Thursday, I swung into gear trying to get us on another train.We were able to get on the Zephyr and ride at least to Denver, but no further East.  I managed to find a hotel in Denver that was half way between the train station and the airport that had a free shuttle to the air terminals.  That was important because we had to rent a car on Sunday morning and nothing was open except the rental agencies at the airport.  So, we checked into the Double Tree hotel on Saturday night around 9PM...had dinner...and went to bed.  The next morning at 5AM we were up on the shuttle to the airport.  We rented one of the last cars in Denver and headed towards Illinois.  We drove straight through and got back to Quincy around 9:30PM Sunday nite.  I put Peggy on the train Monday morning at 6 AM and I think she is home now.  What an adventure.  Notwithstanding the Noro virus, we had a great time.

Harv, Marv and the Whales

We are finally home and I thought I would post some of the whale watching photos.  We boarded a very small whaler in Juneau and spent 30 minutes going out to sea to the spot where we could see the most whales.  Harv and Marv are the two Alaskans who own the ship we were on.  They taught us how to look for the whale's "blow" and how to spot these humpbacks when they breached.  This was a fascinating experience watching these huge animals slide in and out of the water.  Ships can only come within 100 yards of the whales because they are a protected species.  There were only 7 other people on our small whale spotter and we had two very knowledgeable guides that told us all about these critters.

Anyone Need Any Ice?

This glacier, the Marjorie, is HUGE...we were able to stand on deck to get a really good look at it.  We also went up to deck 14 so we could snap this photo.  

Glacier Bay

We spent one whole day just floating around in Glacier Bay National Park. As you can see, the glaciers are huge. They are also receding quickly.  The Park Rangers got on the ship and spoke to us all about these glaciers for hours.  That was extremely enlightening because I don't know much about glacier formation.  And, now I know, when the snow fall exceeds the snow melt, then glaciers form.  Of course, that is a very simplified version of what the ranger told us...but, that is how I will remember it.  Climate change is alive and well in Alaska.  We saw it at the Mendenhall Glacier, as well.    

Saxman Village and their Totem Poles

Saxman Village in Ketchikan, Alaska, is home to the indigenous people,  the Tlingit Indians.  This was a real treat because we got to see the clan house and watch the native people perform their welcome dances.  Their garb was gorgeous and was very colorful.  These totem poles were everywhere and each one had a story attached.  Of course, that is what totem poles depict...duh.

Catch me if you can, Ketchikan...

Here we were in Ketchikan.This is prior to being stricken with the dreaded Noro virus.We toured the Beaver Clan's house and were treated to their ancient ceremonial dances.They asked for volunteers to come on stage and don the dance clothing and join in the festivities.So, you know I just couldn't pass that one up.Peggy took a video of that and I will try to post it on YouTube.  This was a great tour.These indigenous people have carved the totems poles all over that location.  Fascinating.

Today has been a Lost Day

Last night we left Ketchikan, Alaska, and swung out into the Pacific ocean.  The sea was high during the night and when I woke up we were rocking and rolling again.  I took some Bonine and ginger and went back to bed.  When I woke up again Peggy was up and she was sicker than a dog.  She has been in bed all day long.  I gave her some Bonine and a green apple...and I also brought her some ginger ale.  But, she is still off her feet.  She hasn't eaten much else today.  Lots of people on board are sick again because the sea is so wonky.  The other day I had an acupuncture treatment for sea sickness, and it seems to have worked for me.  I will keep you updated on how she feels tomorrow.