Latest adventures
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the amazing life of humpback whales
Prior to my Alaskan cruise, the only whales I’d seen on whale-watching excursions had been orca, which I’d seen on two separate excursions in the Salish Sea, courtesy the highly recommended Puget Sound Express. In Alaska, I desperately wanted to see some other varieties of whales. As I mentioned in my first Alaska post, I…
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all about alaska’s glaciers
When people ask me how my trip to Alaska was, my quick, flippant response is, “a lot of glaciers and whales.” Which may sound as if I’m being dismissive of the experience, but the truth is, the glaciers and whales were both amazing. More to follow on the whales in my next post. Today, we’re…
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the towns of southeast alaska
Our seven-day northbound Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Millennium made four port calls: in Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, and Skagway. Each one boasted its own culture and history, although sometimes we had to work to find it amid all the kitchy cruise ship shopping. Personally I avoided all the duty-free jewelry shops that seem…
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alaska: a tale of whales and glaciers
I awoke on our first morning at sea and snuck out onto the chilly balcony. The sun rising behind spotty clouds gilded the sea in ribbons, while further in the distance, a mountainous landscape drifted by. Up on the tenth deck, I got distracted on my quest for coffee and joined other bundled passengers at…
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wandering vancouver
“It’s the perfect drink for a hot day like this,” said the server at the Fairmont Waterfront of the Harborside Spritz, helping me decide which cocktail to order. We both laughed when I observed, “I love that this is considered a hot day in Vancouver.” The entire day had been sunny while barely topping 70…
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practical tips if you’re planning a trip to dominica
You definitely should plan a trip to Dominica if… You are the type of person who enjoys slightly more off-the-beaten track travel and don’t mind being deprived of some of the comforts of home. If that’s you, and you enjoy hiking, snorkeling, or diving, there are tons of options. We only hit a couple of…
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the end of the island
On our last day in Dominica, we headed south again… all the way south this time. We returned to Roseau, where we visited the botanical gardens. This was on the wishlist of my travel companion, and we had run out of time to visit on Wednesday, our previous day in the south. the capital, roseau…
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the best $2 we’d ever spent
When we looked out from our house in Calibishie, and from various points around town, we could see an expanse of red rocks beside the ocean. We had not yet found an obvious way to get to them, so after a restful morning, we set out to explore the sights closer to home. calibishie’s red…
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the waters of dominica
Our tour books said that as long as no cruise ships were in port in Roseau, we would not encounter large crowds, even at the larger tourist attractions like Trafalgar Falls. (Tip: cruise ships stop calling in May and don’t return till October. Yes, it’s hurricane season, live a little!) Wednesday of the first week…
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the one where nothing goes as planned
In my experience, on every trip, you’re almost guaranteed to have at least one day that doesn’t go as planned. Where everything is harder than it should be. On this trip, that day was Tuesday. We knew many things would be closed on Sunday, and Labor Day on Monday, and we planned accordingly. We expected…