Monday, July 30, 2018

Alaska Family Holiday

This year we headed off with the Nisewaner family on a big trip to Alaska!  We flew up to Vancouver on June 29th to catch a cruise ship north. It was nice to see a bit of Vancouver and visit with friends in town.


But soon enough it was time to board the boat!

Part of the fun of the cruise was the family dinners every night! It was nice to dress up and hang out as a family.




After a day at sea, our first stop was Ketchikan.  We went ashore and found the Totem Pole museum, which was by a neat little fishery.  It was fun taking the bus around town and exploring.



Then we stopped in Juneau, Alaska's capitol, which is only accessible by boat or plane.  Here we went on an adventure, floating down the river from the Mendenhall glacier.  It was a fun boat ride.  



In town, we took the gondola up the hill for a view of the area and to see some local crafts, like totem pole art.




On the 4th of July, we stopped in Skagway. We were able to see and enjoy all their holiday events, like the 4th of July parade!    


We walked over to the Jewel Garden and enjoyed the flowers and an excellent strawberry rhubarb pie.  Back in town, there was a egg toss.  We didn't last long.




Then we split up.  Arne and Elsa went zip-lining.





Liam and I took in a local show and then went in jewelry shops. He likes things that sparkle. We had a few more days at sea, enjoying Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord.









In Whittier, we left the boat and boarded a train, which took us on a 9 hour journey through Alaska to Denali National Park. 






It was a beautiful day and great to see more of Alaska. 




The next day we toured the park on a park bus. We saw a moose and a bear from a distance!






Then we headed to Denali State Park, and the town of Talkeetna.  From town, we went on a dog "sled" ride.  It was a great adventure for the group.








Our final night was in Anchorage, before a long flight home after an amazing adventure.


Here is a 7 minute video of the trip.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Yosemite 2018

When school ended for the summer on June 1st, we packed the car and headed to Yosemite for a wonderful weekend in the mountains.  Ten years ago, Arne and I met on a hike that started near Mirror Lake, so it was great to return to that spot with our family.  We've been back in 2009, 2013, and 2016. On Saturday morning we explored the beautiful valley on bikes.
We stopped at Mirror Lake to play in the water and enjoy the great views of Half Dome.
Then it was back to our cabin in "Half Dome Village" and some fun time in the pool!
After water play, we went on one last bike ride before our pizza and popsicle dinner.
The next morning we floated down the Merced river on a raft.
We stopped along the way to play with the butterflies resting on a beach and enjoy the sun and cold water.
 It was a beautiful adventure to have before heading home.


A one minute slideshow with some video of biking: