A reminder sounded on my phone just now… ‘Boarding at 1 p.m.’

Today was the day we were to board the cruise ship for an Alaskan Cruise. Sadly, it’s not happening. Pneumonia decided to attack my husband’s lungs, so rather than soaking up the beauty of the Alaskan glaciers, we’ll be soaking up the beauty from our own deck. 

When planning an adventure, part of the joy is the anticipation. We didn’t miss out on that. In fact, because we had taken a similar cruise several years ago, we had already been revisiting the memorable time we had exploring the magnificence of that area.

In a previous blog, I talked about taking time over the summer to reflect. For me, one way to do so is to look at pictures from past adventures, absorb every detail, relive the moments, feel the emotions, and let my mind remember and be there once again.

For our Alaskan cruise, I didn’t need to look at pictures to remind me of the moments, the emotions, the awe-inspiring creation all around. This is actually a good thing because I can’t find our pictures from that trip; I still had a Blackberry at that time!

First of all, the weather was perfect and the cooler temperatures were most welcome in the midst of a hot Okanagan summer. The scenery from the ship was simply breathtaking! And the glaciers…wow! Our cruise was at the end of July, and we were fortunate, (according to the Captain), to have perfect weather, the most calving activity they had ever witnessed, all presented under the deepest blue skies I think I had ever seen. 

However, the most vivid memories that come to mind are the two excursions we took: kayaking on a glacier lake, and biking to Mendenhall Glacier. 

We love kayaking, but to that point, our ventures were mostly on local lakes in British Columbia, with a couple of paddles around the coast off Vancouver Island, which were truly lovely. But never before did we experience the calm, turquoise waters of a glacial lake! I have since learned that the specific blue hue, the glacial blue can only be found in glaciers.

But it wasn’t just about the glacial lake–the guide reminded us to look up and around. What we saw appeared to be hundreds of golf balls stuck in the surrounding trees. We had no clue what we were looking at…until we saw the majestic eagles taking flight. What appeared to be golf balls were actually the heads of bald eagles! We were speechless. And seeing them in flight was truly a sight to behold. We learned that Alaska is home to over 30,000 bald eagles, many living in the trees around inland lakes. And we were blessed to see them in their natural habitat. Unbelievable.  

What can I say about Mendenhall Glacier other than wow!!! Mendenhall flows from the Juneau Icefields into Mendenhall Lake. We were up close and personal as we biked along lakes, glaciers, mountains, and local swimming holes. Yes, kids were actually swimming in the lake then climbing out on the rocks to warm up in the intense Alaskan sun. The ride was about 14 km, nice and easy, truly affording us the privilege of taking in all the sights along the way. 

Our final destination on that excursion? A brewery where we were treated to some of the most delicious beer from around Alaska, accompanied by an interesting presentation delivered by a knowledgeable local historian while we imbibed the rich brew.

What a wonderful trip down memory lane to revisit a world so different from our own. I can’t wait for our friends to come home and share the joys of their discoveries and adventures on the Alaskan cruise we will have to retake another time.