Another glorious day at sea was the viewing of the College Fjords and Hubbard Glacier. I love how the water creates a mirror image reflection.
Back to Alaska part eleven
Category: Nature
Back to Alaska part nine
Our at-sea day of viewing Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve was one of my favorites. Starting with hot chocolate and cookies delivered to my suite, I prepared myself for the most spectacular 180° views as the ship slowly rotated a full 360° over the course of several hours. To sit on my balcony and bear witness to this magnificent place is hard to describe. The mirror-like reflections in the sea made for stunning photos.
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Back to Alaska part eight
Our next stop was Skagway and we took one of their most popular excursions, the Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion
You board the train in Skagway and travel 20 miles from tidewater to the Summit of the White Pass – a 2,865-foot elevation.
Traveling in vintage passenger coaches you retrace the original route to the White Pass summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch. We enjoyed viewing mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites along the White Pass Railroad. The railroad cars are each heated with a potbelly stove and we were comfortable.
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Back to Alaska part seven
Our second port was Juneau where we took a tour of Glacier Gardens Rainforest and the Whale Park.
Glacier Gardens Rainforest, a local gem established in 1998. Nestled within the heart of the Tongass National Forest is a floral sanctuary boasting a vibrant Alaska botanical garden. Aboard a covered tram we took a guided journey into the ancient splendor of Thunder Mountain’s old-growth rainforest at an elevation of 580 feet above sea level, overlooking Juneau.
Overstreet (Whale) Park, photographing the life-sized breaching whale statue and fountain, named Tahku, and the stunning views of the Gastineau Channel.
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Spring Flowers
We’ve had a very warm spring so far with lots of rain and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to buy plants to add to my garden of 2026.
If you know you know. 🌺🌹🌸
I bought 5 new perennials – Delphinium, Bleeding Heart, Champagne Bubbles Iceland Poppy, Columbine and Dianthus. After a heavy rainstorm last night I got them in the ground this morning while it was cool and damp. It felt good to put my hands in the dirt.
The next time you see these beauties they will be in full bloom, stay tuned…
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Experiencing nature up close…
As Spring approached this year, I purchased a new wreath for my front door. After a few days, I noticed a robin’s nest built into the wreath just below my peephole. So began several weeks of up close viewing including the thrill of watching the first fledgling leave the nest and the other three flying out simultaneously the next day. It was an incredible experience.
Growing so quickly
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The Aviary at JW Marriott
The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort has an Aviary where I got to visit these stunning birds.
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ABQ Biopark Tingley Beach
On our final afternoon in Albuquerque we found this park and went on a nature walk leading us to Tingley Beach. Lots of folks were fishing and enjoying a perfect day. It was the perfect wind-up to our vacation in New Mexico.
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Road trip to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu
The scenery between Santa Fe and Abiquiu made this day trip drive memorable. It was pure majestic beauty combining mountains, desert and brilliant blue sky. I’m so in love with New Mexico after this trip.
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Natural beauty on the High Rd and Low Rd routes
There are basically two ways to travel to Taos from Santa Fe, the High Rd or the Low Rd. So we did what (in our opinion) felt like the best option – took the High Rd to Taos, returning on the Low Rd, essentially seeing the best of both! What neither of us counted on was the fall colors which wereespecially prevalent with the golden Cottonwood trees lighting up long stretches along the Rio Grande (and virtually everywhere we turned) juxtaposed against the shifting colors of the mountains and the brilliant blue sky- it takes your breath away.
