Coming in 3 weeks! Cant wait to tell ya! You gotta wait though :) Sorry!
ps NO I am NOT pregnant. I dont even have a man in my life! LOL
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ding Dong Stinky's GONE!
*woot* He left early!
I am celebrating - I ordered in supper. My last pig out for awhile.
I am committed to trying to find some way to lose weight. I found a clinic in the States that offers a program. I am going to take it to my Dr appt on July 9th and see if there is anything local around here like it (even in Calgary I will travel!)
Going home this weekend. Leaving Saturday after work. Have to pack 6 garbage bags full of old clothes and stuff that doesnt fit.
Frustrated at work again. UGH. When do I get a month off to leave all my problems and files without any notes and issues? huh? Every little thing is being piled on to my desk. Whatever. I am going to lose it soon.
That is all from the cheap seats for now.
I am celebrating - I ordered in supper. My last pig out for awhile.
I am committed to trying to find some way to lose weight. I found a clinic in the States that offers a program. I am going to take it to my Dr appt on July 9th and see if there is anything local around here like it (even in Calgary I will travel!)
Going home this weekend. Leaving Saturday after work. Have to pack 6 garbage bags full of old clothes and stuff that doesnt fit.
Frustrated at work again. UGH. When do I get a month off to leave all my problems and files without any notes and issues? huh? Every little thing is being piled on to my desk. Whatever. I am going to lose it soon.
That is all from the cheap seats for now.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Core Secrets
OMG I just ordered this. I cant believe I did it.....I have seen the info on TV for awhile and it is just some exercises to do on the core ball. I have one, but I thought I could really use the DVDs that go with it. It is something I can do in the living room during the summer and then in my room once I get another roomate.
I am tired of the way I look and feel. I hope this will help. We will see.
I am tired of the way I look and feel. I hope this will help. We will see.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Here it is! Its long but informative!
Call me short of time, but I copied this from my FAM report I finished at work this morning! I didnt include all the boring company deets for ya, just my shore excursions. Hope you enjoy! I will include some photos later. I just got them on CD last night (thanks Kari!). I have to go through them and pick out my faves - hard to do ;)
I flew on the red-eye flight from Calgary – Toronto and then into Boston. I would recommend clients to travel the day before, or a few days before to enable them see the slights, history and culture of the city. I would not recommend a night flight for people who are light sleepers or who have trouble sleeping on a flight. I usually don’t have issues sleeping on a flight, but I had a kid in the seat next to me who kept kicking me through out it and kept me awake the entire 4 hours.
Due to my flight, I was unable to see the sights of Boston on this trip. I was there a few years ago and was able to spend time in and around Boston Common, the Public Gardens, Commonwealth Ave, Cambridge/Harvard, Charles River and Back Bay.
Some things to do in and around Boston
· Freedom Trail http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/
· Paul Revere House http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
· New England Aquarium http://www.neaq.org/index.flash4.html
· Shows, Theater and Concerts
· Salam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem,_Massachusetts
· Cape Cod http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_cod
· Faneuil Hall Marketplace http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/
· Swan Boats http://www.swanboats.com/
· Sports Events (Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots)
· Museums – they have a very cool Children’s Museum http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/index.html and a hands on Science Museum http://www.mos.org/
· Duck Tours http://www.bostonducktours.com/
· USS Constitution http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
· Bull and Finch Pub http://www.cheersboston.com/index_bh.htm
Shore Excursions I took
Bar Harbor
http://www.barharborinfo.com/
I did a Historic Walking Tour that I booked online (through HAL) prior to the cruise. Our guide, Judy, met us on the pier from our tender. She was a wealth of information on the town, the island and the people who used to and currently live there.
Bar Harbor was originally named Eden. It was renamed in 1917 after Bar Island across the water from the town. Bar Island is accessible via a sand bar on low tide, which you can walk or drive along (Bridge street continues down to the sand bar and across to the island). 4500 people live here year round.
Bar Harbor was the summer home to some of the wealthiest Americans in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s – Fords, Pulitzers, Astors, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, etc. John D Rockefeller Jr fell in love with the area (which rivaled Newport RI for ritzy summer getaways at the time), so much so that he donated 10,000 acres of the forest, thus the beginning of Acadia National Park.
In 1840, the wealthy started to come to the area, and there weren’t any accommodations or homes for them to stay in. They began to build hotels to accommodate the guests. The Roddick Hotel was the largest built at the time with 400 rooms (some with private bath). This began the Year of the Cottages, which ranged from 2 – 100 rooms. Today there are more than 60 hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts in and around the Bar Harbor area.
We got to see the large, beautiful houses along the waterfront, which belonged to the families of the Rice’s, the Stokebury’s and the Roosevelt’s. The Rice family built 3 homes in 1902 – one for themselves, one for guests (across the street) and one for their daughter and son in law beside them. The Stokebury’s were “new money” and liked to flaunt it around. They would order in cased of crystal champagne glasses for parties to have people throw them over the cliff edge. They would also have a table of gems buried in sand and they would offer their guests shovels to dig through the sand and whatever gems they found, they were able to keep. The Roosevelt’s built a home they name “La Rochelle” at the turn of the century. In 1940, they sold the house to the Kolket family purchased. In 1992 they donated the house to the Sea Coast Mission, which travels by boat to the outer islands with a nurse and minister. If you take this tour on a weekday, you get to tour inside the home.
Past these houses was Millionaire’s Row. These homes all burned down in the fire of 1947.
The Fire of 1947 was cause by lack of rain between May and October. Ten miles north of the old dump, a fire had started and was put out twice. On the third time, there were 60 mph winds and they were unable to put it out. It burned through the town to Holland Avenue at which time the winds changed and it turned back on itself and eventually burned out. East of Holland Avenue the homes are original. West of Holland Avenue (including Millionaire’s Row) burned down. In its wake, it destroyed 75 mansions and hotels, 150 local homes and over 10, 000 acres of Acadia National Park. The leafy trees were the first to grow back and Bar Harbor now boasts some of the best fall foliage and colors due to this. At this time, the spruce/pine trees have just started to grow back. In future years, they will overtake the Park and the colors will not be visible.
Bar Harbor also has its share of Ghost Stories. In 1904 the Brigham family built a very large home they named Ledge Lawn. Today, it is a 21-room inn, all with private bathrooms. They did not have to do much conversion when it was converted. This gives you a sense of how large the “summer cottages” were built back then. In 1910, their daughter was to be married. Her fiancé ran off two days before the wedding. She went up to her room, put on her dress and hung herself. Guests of the hotel state that they see the Lady in White walking around the hotel.
St. Saviors Episcopal Church offers amazing Tiffany stained glass windows. Tiffany was a member of the church who did the windows at a discounted rate. Members were able to purchase as an “in memory” for friends and family. The stained glass is layered which is beautiful from inside the church. Because it was a Sunday, we were unable to go in as there were services going on.
There is also a lovely public park in the center of town. During 1920, the Boston Symphony would come down every week to play for the Summer Residence. They would travel with all of their instruments via the train.
In the 1950’s, people like Rockefeller Jr and Ford were finding that Bar Harbor was becoming to ostentatious and filled with “new money” so they began building outside near Seal Harbor. Martha Stewart now owns one of the homes in this area.
Halifax
http://www.halifax.ca/visitors.asp
http://www.halifaxinfo.com/
In the morning I took a tour to Peggy’s Cove, that I booked online prior to my cruise (through HAL). In the afternoon, I walked around the Harbor Front and went to the Titanic Exhibit at the Maritime Museum ($8.50 per adult and $3.75 for the 3D movie).
Once we cleared in Halifax, we continued off the ship and into the terminal building. **Note great little shops and local artisans in the terminal building. The tours were easy to find and directed us to the bus for a quick departure to Peggy’s Cove. On our way out of the city, we got a quick city tour.
Quick notes on Halifax
· Halifax boasts the 2nd largest natural harbour and the 2nd largest sea wall (2nd to Sydney Australia).
· The city was founded in 1749.
· South end housing ranges from $300,000 - $5 million, depending on size and location. Some houses have a blue/green plaque by the door and this notates a historical house, which requires special permission to change or modify. Housing in the West end runs apx $30,000 and up.
· Halifax is known as the City of Trees. The City is very protective of the trees and you need a special permit to cut them down – however they are quick to let you know that they own the trees, but in the fall, you own the leaves.
· The island also boasts 59 automated lighthouses to this date.
· Lobster fishing licences on the island are $50,000 and are good for the fisherman’s lifetime. They also tend to be handed down through the generations. Lobster season is very short – only a couple of months.
· St. Margaret Bay Road takes you out of the city toward Peggy’s Cove. It was originally mapped out by Champlain and was originally built for stage coaches.
· Bedford Basin is so large and deep that scientists believe it was the sight of a meteor. It is now a container port for cargo ships. One container ship equals as much money and jobs as 20 cruise ships.
· Nova Scotia exports blueberries, gypsum rock and Christmas trees.
· There are 2 Naval Ports located in Halifax.
· Legal Pirates (Privateers) would raid ships up and down the Atlantic coast. They would receive a letter from the King and there was a 50/50 split. Once the ship was taken by the Pirates, it would be brought back to the pier in Halifax and sold off, as well as all the goods on board. There are old warehouse looking buildings along the Harbor Front in Halifax, which the Pirates used to use to hold their payments and earnings. Today these warehouses are being refurbished into restaurants and shops.
Peggy’s Cove
http://www.peggys-cove.com/
http://www.peggyscove.ca/
There are two stories on how Peggy’s Cove got its name. The first is that geographically it is close to St. Margaret’s Bay. It may at one time have been called Margaret’s Cove and then shortened to Peggy’s Cove.
The second story is that a ship hit Halibut Rock and sank with no one surviving, except a little girl who washed ashore. The little girl’s name was Peggy. Everyone around came to see “Peggy of the Cove” and so the area was named after her “Peggy’s Cove.” Peggy remained in the Cove and married a resident. It is just recently that a descendant has returned to the Cove with proof of her Grandmother Margaret (Peggy) being the lone survivor of a shipwreck.
The first lighthouse was made of wood and withstood many storms. In 1954 it was rebuilt out of cement and steel, after a lot of damages. It became automated in 1958, but was manned before that and had room for the lighthouse keeper and his family. There is now a post office in the lighthouse and you can mail postcards from there.
There is a year round population of 40 residents. There is a one room school which continues to be used today, however, it is used for plays and concerts and the children of the Cove are bussed to the nearest town Tantalon.
Located on the drive in toward the lighthouse is a granite carving. It depicts a Guardian Angel watching over the fishermen and family. William deGarthe, a local artist carved it.
Sydney
http://sydney.capebretonisland.com/
Right off the ship, there isn’t much to do or see. You have to search the city a bit for it. There are museums, craft markets and tons of history for the area. They offer a shuttle to the mall and also to downtown for those who do not wish to walk it (apx 10-15 min). There were some people on our ship that were not impressed by this stop, but if clients take a tour in town or an excursion out of town they will learn and see a lot.
Quick notes on Sydney
· They offered a craft market of local artisans right at the pier on the day we were there. It was nice to walk around and see their items. They were unsure if this was going to run whenever there was a cruise in port or if it was only specific days.
· Apx 28,000 population in Sydney and apx 130,000 on Cape Breton
· Tourism is the #1 industry, mostly from cruises, with Fishing being the #2 industry (fishing canneries employ 400-600 people through the summer season).
· Housing in Sydney is runs on average $45,000-150,000. Outside of Sydney housing averages $30,000-85,000. There are a few homes in the area, and a new area being built by a German Investment Company, which are around $400,000-500,000.
· The “New Town” of Louisburg has a population of apx 1000 – apx 3000 lived in the Fortress (“Old Louisburg”).
· Fortress Inn (55 rooms) is the only Inn, in New Louisburg, there are some bed and breakfast and cottage accommodations available as well.
· Another popular tour in this area is the Cabot Trail. This is a full 8 hour tour, most of which was driving. A few girls in our group took this tour and found it to be a bit long for one day. They adv that next time, they will rent a car and take a few days to break it up. http://www.cabottrail.com/
I went to Louisburg Fortress, which I booked online (through HAL) prior to the cruise. It was an amazing place. There is tons of history and photo opportunities. The drive out there from the pier was apx 40 minutes and we had a quick tour of the visitor’s center and then to the Fort. Our guide gave us a quick rundown on the layout and then we had about 1 ½ hours in the Fort to Tour and visit (they do provide a wonderful map of the Fort as well)..
http://www.louisbourg.ca/fort/
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index_e.asp
Since we were there closer to the beginning of the season, there weren’t as many tours, school groups or “locals” around. The photos online show the Fort streets full of people who reside there. We had a few of the main people, but no one out and about on the streets – that could have also been due to the rainy weather that we encountered. They are there for July and August, which is their peak tourist season.
The people who work there depict the life of the 1744. They are in character while they talk to you and give tours of the buildings where they reside and work. My favorite line from the Financial Engineer was “I am of the class to be amused, not of the class to amuse.” He was telling us of the musical instruments and how they played while alone and not in front of other people – they pay people for that.
The Fort was blown up in 1760-61 and the military withdrew by 1768. The rocks of the Fort have been used around Cape Breton and Nova Scotia over the years. To this day, you can still see piles of rocks around the landscape near the rebuilt Fort. In the 1961-62, the Fort was reconstructed – only 1/5 of it has be rebuilt so far.
Charlottetown
http://www.charlottetownpei.com/
http://www.walkandseacharlottetown.com/
Currently, HAL has a short stay of apx 5 hours here due to the tides, the Confederation Bridge and the distance to get to/from Quebec City
Quick notes on Charlottetown
· $18 million construction on the pier and wharf area to accommodate more and larger cruise ships. This should be completed by August, 2007. Until then, passengers are tendered to the pier.
· St. George Street is the historical street of Charlottetown. In 1874 they walked up this street to sign the Dominion of Canada.
· 1847 the Colonial Building opened which is the Legislature Building
· A population of apx 40,000 live in Charlottetown
· Agriculture is the #1 industry in PEI – dairy, grain, fruit, vegetables
· 4.5% if PEI population lives on farms (in the rest of Canada it is 3%)
· 1908-2008 will be the 100 year celebration for the publications of Anne of Green Gables. They are planning large festivities
· The red rock is Island Sandstone and is very erosive. We went to Dunesland which is a lookout point in the Provincial Park and the scenery is beautiful, but they were saying that shortly in the future they are going to have to move the roads as in some spots the erosion is getting close to them.
· Lobster licenses in PEI are $100,000 – 500,000 depending on the area you live in. They can be handed down in the family, but there is paperwork that has to be filled out for the transfer. Usually, at the end of a fisherman’s career, they will sell off the license, boats and equipment and have enough to retire on.
· PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow is an amazing little store owned by Bruce Alexander MacNaughton. They make all of their jams, jellies, salsas, etc right there in the store. They are wonderful and charming. http://www.preservecompany.com/
I booked the Island Tour and Green Gables tour online (through HAL), prior to the cruise. The information above is what we received on the Island Tour portion of our day.
Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Maude Montgomery are a highlight for a lot of tourists to Charlottetown and PEI. There are a few different types of Anne shore excursions. I included the Island Tour, as I wanted to see and learn as much as I could in the short visit. I had to give up some of the Anne sites to do so. There is an Ultimate Anne tour, which may not show up online when booking (it didn’t for me or a few others I spoke to on the tenders). It was available to book on the ship though, and many people changed to this tour to have their entire Anne tour.
Green Gables is the part that I got to see on my tour. It was the home of Lucy Maude Montgomery’s aunt and uncle. She based Merilla and Matthew’s home on this house. Parks Canada has taken over the area and they refurbished the farm house to resemble the one that Lucy Maude Montgomery describes in her books.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/index.php3
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/index_e.asp
http://www.annesociety.org/anne/index.cfm?id=205
Confederation Bridge
We cruised under this bridge on our way from Charlottetown. Construction began in October 1993 and was completed and opened on May 31, 1997. They had a race where people biked across the bridge, the next day they walked across then bridge and then it was opened to vehicles. 20,000 people participated in both races. Bikes and walking are not allowed on the bridge now.
It is 9 miles long. It took 5000 workers to complete it and 3 people died while on site. Most parts of the bridge are 40 meters above the water, but the middle section is for ships and is 60 meters above the water. There are 310 street lights, 80 TV camera taping the roads. The speed limit is 80km/hour. The cost to cross the bridge is $40.75 + tax. This is paid from PEI. When coming to PEI there is no charge. http://www.confederationbridge.com/en/about_the_bridge/
Saguenay Fjord
http://www.pc.gc.ca/amnc-nmca/qc/saguenay/index_E.asp
The Saguenay Fjord is a great place to see Beluga and Minke whales. It is a very scenic day of cruising. There are little villages along the water and sheer cliffs of rock and trees. We had a naturalist guide on board who was extremely knowledgeable on the history of the area and the marine life. It was pretty interesting to cruise through and imagine how Champlain and other explorers saw this area. They were in canoes with out a lot of shelter along the banks incase of bad weather.
Quebec City
http://www.quebecregion.com/e/
http://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en/accueil/index.shtml
Things to see and do in Quebec City
· Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac/
· Museum of Civilization http://www.mcq.org/
· Plains of Abraham http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/
· Citadelle of Quebec http://www.lacitadelle.qc.ca/section.php?lang=en&id=4
· Basilica of Notre Dame http://www.patrimoine-religieux.com/patrimoine_en.asp?no=22023
· Palace Royale http://www.mcq.org/en/cipr/index.html
· Parliament Buildings http://www.assnat.qc.ca/
I found a wonderful walking tour for Quebec City online, which I mapped out prior to my departure. It was easy to follow (once I found street signs, which seem to be limited in the City) and covered a lot of ground. The length of this tour ranges from either 4-8 hours depending on how long you stop at each sight and if you go in to the museums, etc.
Quebec City is very easy to get around and is very picturesque right from the pier area. Make sure to have water with you depending on the time you arrive as most stores do not open until 930 or 10am. We were there and cleared by 8am.
There are a few streets with the Artists sitting by their pictures, paintings and art. The work is amazing and the prices are not too bad. The cobblestones of the old city may make walking in some areas difficult for limited mobility guests. Petit Champlain is the oldest area of Old Quebec and offers a lot of history and photo opportunities around every corner.
I felt very safe walking around on my own and tried to use my limited French when I needed to ask questions. I found that most people in the tourist area spoke very good English once they heard my attempt at French, so it was easy to communicate.
I did miss out on the history of the area by not taking a shore excursion booked through the cruise line, but I found them to be very expensive for what you got, when comparing to other areas we visited. This is why I decided to do this on my own. For the buildings and areas I saw, I am able to Google them for more information.
******************************
I flew on the red-eye flight from Calgary – Toronto and then into Boston. I would recommend clients to travel the day before, or a few days before to enable them see the slights, history and culture of the city. I would not recommend a night flight for people who are light sleepers or who have trouble sleeping on a flight. I usually don’t have issues sleeping on a flight, but I had a kid in the seat next to me who kept kicking me through out it and kept me awake the entire 4 hours.
Due to my flight, I was unable to see the sights of Boston on this trip. I was there a few years ago and was able to spend time in and around Boston Common, the Public Gardens, Commonwealth Ave, Cambridge/Harvard, Charles River and Back Bay.
Some things to do in and around Boston
· Freedom Trail http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/
· Paul Revere House http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
· New England Aquarium http://www.neaq.org/index.flash4.html
· Shows, Theater and Concerts
· Salam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem,_Massachusetts
· Cape Cod http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_cod
· Faneuil Hall Marketplace http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/
· Swan Boats http://www.swanboats.com/
· Sports Events (Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots)
· Museums – they have a very cool Children’s Museum http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/index.html and a hands on Science Museum http://www.mos.org/
· Duck Tours http://www.bostonducktours.com/
· USS Constitution http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
· Bull and Finch Pub http://www.cheersboston.com/index_bh.htm
Shore Excursions I took
Bar Harbor
http://www.barharborinfo.com/
I did a Historic Walking Tour that I booked online (through HAL) prior to the cruise. Our guide, Judy, met us on the pier from our tender. She was a wealth of information on the town, the island and the people who used to and currently live there.
Bar Harbor was originally named Eden. It was renamed in 1917 after Bar Island across the water from the town. Bar Island is accessible via a sand bar on low tide, which you can walk or drive along (Bridge street continues down to the sand bar and across to the island). 4500 people live here year round.
Bar Harbor was the summer home to some of the wealthiest Americans in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s – Fords, Pulitzers, Astors, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, etc. John D Rockefeller Jr fell in love with the area (which rivaled Newport RI for ritzy summer getaways at the time), so much so that he donated 10,000 acres of the forest, thus the beginning of Acadia National Park.
In 1840, the wealthy started to come to the area, and there weren’t any accommodations or homes for them to stay in. They began to build hotels to accommodate the guests. The Roddick Hotel was the largest built at the time with 400 rooms (some with private bath). This began the Year of the Cottages, which ranged from 2 – 100 rooms. Today there are more than 60 hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts in and around the Bar Harbor area.
We got to see the large, beautiful houses along the waterfront, which belonged to the families of the Rice’s, the Stokebury’s and the Roosevelt’s. The Rice family built 3 homes in 1902 – one for themselves, one for guests (across the street) and one for their daughter and son in law beside them. The Stokebury’s were “new money” and liked to flaunt it around. They would order in cased of crystal champagne glasses for parties to have people throw them over the cliff edge. They would also have a table of gems buried in sand and they would offer their guests shovels to dig through the sand and whatever gems they found, they were able to keep. The Roosevelt’s built a home they name “La Rochelle” at the turn of the century. In 1940, they sold the house to the Kolket family purchased. In 1992 they donated the house to the Sea Coast Mission, which travels by boat to the outer islands with a nurse and minister. If you take this tour on a weekday, you get to tour inside the home.
Past these houses was Millionaire’s Row. These homes all burned down in the fire of 1947.
The Fire of 1947 was cause by lack of rain between May and October. Ten miles north of the old dump, a fire had started and was put out twice. On the third time, there were 60 mph winds and they were unable to put it out. It burned through the town to Holland Avenue at which time the winds changed and it turned back on itself and eventually burned out. East of Holland Avenue the homes are original. West of Holland Avenue (including Millionaire’s Row) burned down. In its wake, it destroyed 75 mansions and hotels, 150 local homes and over 10, 000 acres of Acadia National Park. The leafy trees were the first to grow back and Bar Harbor now boasts some of the best fall foliage and colors due to this. At this time, the spruce/pine trees have just started to grow back. In future years, they will overtake the Park and the colors will not be visible.
Bar Harbor also has its share of Ghost Stories. In 1904 the Brigham family built a very large home they named Ledge Lawn. Today, it is a 21-room inn, all with private bathrooms. They did not have to do much conversion when it was converted. This gives you a sense of how large the “summer cottages” were built back then. In 1910, their daughter was to be married. Her fiancé ran off two days before the wedding. She went up to her room, put on her dress and hung herself. Guests of the hotel state that they see the Lady in White walking around the hotel.
St. Saviors Episcopal Church offers amazing Tiffany stained glass windows. Tiffany was a member of the church who did the windows at a discounted rate. Members were able to purchase as an “in memory” for friends and family. The stained glass is layered which is beautiful from inside the church. Because it was a Sunday, we were unable to go in as there were services going on.
There is also a lovely public park in the center of town. During 1920, the Boston Symphony would come down every week to play for the Summer Residence. They would travel with all of their instruments via the train.
In the 1950’s, people like Rockefeller Jr and Ford were finding that Bar Harbor was becoming to ostentatious and filled with “new money” so they began building outside near Seal Harbor. Martha Stewart now owns one of the homes in this area.
Halifax
http://www.halifax.ca/visitors.asp
http://www.halifaxinfo.com/
In the morning I took a tour to Peggy’s Cove, that I booked online prior to my cruise (through HAL). In the afternoon, I walked around the Harbor Front and went to the Titanic Exhibit at the Maritime Museum ($8.50 per adult and $3.75 for the 3D movie).
Once we cleared in Halifax, we continued off the ship and into the terminal building. **Note great little shops and local artisans in the terminal building. The tours were easy to find and directed us to the bus for a quick departure to Peggy’s Cove. On our way out of the city, we got a quick city tour.
Quick notes on Halifax
· Halifax boasts the 2nd largest natural harbour and the 2nd largest sea wall (2nd to Sydney Australia).
· The city was founded in 1749.
· South end housing ranges from $300,000 - $5 million, depending on size and location. Some houses have a blue/green plaque by the door and this notates a historical house, which requires special permission to change or modify. Housing in the West end runs apx $30,000 and up.
· Halifax is known as the City of Trees. The City is very protective of the trees and you need a special permit to cut them down – however they are quick to let you know that they own the trees, but in the fall, you own the leaves.
· The island also boasts 59 automated lighthouses to this date.
· Lobster fishing licences on the island are $50,000 and are good for the fisherman’s lifetime. They also tend to be handed down through the generations. Lobster season is very short – only a couple of months.
· St. Margaret Bay Road takes you out of the city toward Peggy’s Cove. It was originally mapped out by Champlain and was originally built for stage coaches.
· Bedford Basin is so large and deep that scientists believe it was the sight of a meteor. It is now a container port for cargo ships. One container ship equals as much money and jobs as 20 cruise ships.
· Nova Scotia exports blueberries, gypsum rock and Christmas trees.
· There are 2 Naval Ports located in Halifax.
· Legal Pirates (Privateers) would raid ships up and down the Atlantic coast. They would receive a letter from the King and there was a 50/50 split. Once the ship was taken by the Pirates, it would be brought back to the pier in Halifax and sold off, as well as all the goods on board. There are old warehouse looking buildings along the Harbor Front in Halifax, which the Pirates used to use to hold their payments and earnings. Today these warehouses are being refurbished into restaurants and shops.
Peggy’s Cove
http://www.peggys-cove.com/
http://www.peggyscove.ca/
There are two stories on how Peggy’s Cove got its name. The first is that geographically it is close to St. Margaret’s Bay. It may at one time have been called Margaret’s Cove and then shortened to Peggy’s Cove.
The second story is that a ship hit Halibut Rock and sank with no one surviving, except a little girl who washed ashore. The little girl’s name was Peggy. Everyone around came to see “Peggy of the Cove” and so the area was named after her “Peggy’s Cove.” Peggy remained in the Cove and married a resident. It is just recently that a descendant has returned to the Cove with proof of her Grandmother Margaret (Peggy) being the lone survivor of a shipwreck.
The first lighthouse was made of wood and withstood many storms. In 1954 it was rebuilt out of cement and steel, after a lot of damages. It became automated in 1958, but was manned before that and had room for the lighthouse keeper and his family. There is now a post office in the lighthouse and you can mail postcards from there.
There is a year round population of 40 residents. There is a one room school which continues to be used today, however, it is used for plays and concerts and the children of the Cove are bussed to the nearest town Tantalon.
Located on the drive in toward the lighthouse is a granite carving. It depicts a Guardian Angel watching over the fishermen and family. William deGarthe, a local artist carved it.
Sydney
http://sydney.capebretonisland.com/
Right off the ship, there isn’t much to do or see. You have to search the city a bit for it. There are museums, craft markets and tons of history for the area. They offer a shuttle to the mall and also to downtown for those who do not wish to walk it (apx 10-15 min). There were some people on our ship that were not impressed by this stop, but if clients take a tour in town or an excursion out of town they will learn and see a lot.
Quick notes on Sydney
· They offered a craft market of local artisans right at the pier on the day we were there. It was nice to walk around and see their items. They were unsure if this was going to run whenever there was a cruise in port or if it was only specific days.
· Apx 28,000 population in Sydney and apx 130,000 on Cape Breton
· Tourism is the #1 industry, mostly from cruises, with Fishing being the #2 industry (fishing canneries employ 400-600 people through the summer season).
· Housing in Sydney is runs on average $45,000-150,000. Outside of Sydney housing averages $30,000-85,000. There are a few homes in the area, and a new area being built by a German Investment Company, which are around $400,000-500,000.
· The “New Town” of Louisburg has a population of apx 1000 – apx 3000 lived in the Fortress (“Old Louisburg”).
· Fortress Inn (55 rooms) is the only Inn, in New Louisburg, there are some bed and breakfast and cottage accommodations available as well.
· Another popular tour in this area is the Cabot Trail. This is a full 8 hour tour, most of which was driving. A few girls in our group took this tour and found it to be a bit long for one day. They adv that next time, they will rent a car and take a few days to break it up. http://www.cabottrail.com/
I went to Louisburg Fortress, which I booked online (through HAL) prior to the cruise. It was an amazing place. There is tons of history and photo opportunities. The drive out there from the pier was apx 40 minutes and we had a quick tour of the visitor’s center and then to the Fort. Our guide gave us a quick rundown on the layout and then we had about 1 ½ hours in the Fort to Tour and visit (they do provide a wonderful map of the Fort as well)..
http://www.louisbourg.ca/fort/
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index_e.asp
Since we were there closer to the beginning of the season, there weren’t as many tours, school groups or “locals” around. The photos online show the Fort streets full of people who reside there. We had a few of the main people, but no one out and about on the streets – that could have also been due to the rainy weather that we encountered. They are there for July and August, which is their peak tourist season.
The people who work there depict the life of the 1744. They are in character while they talk to you and give tours of the buildings where they reside and work. My favorite line from the Financial Engineer was “I am of the class to be amused, not of the class to amuse.” He was telling us of the musical instruments and how they played while alone and not in front of other people – they pay people for that.
The Fort was blown up in 1760-61 and the military withdrew by 1768. The rocks of the Fort have been used around Cape Breton and Nova Scotia over the years. To this day, you can still see piles of rocks around the landscape near the rebuilt Fort. In the 1961-62, the Fort was reconstructed – only 1/5 of it has be rebuilt so far.
Charlottetown
http://www.charlottetownpei.com/
http://www.walkandseacharlottetown.com/
Currently, HAL has a short stay of apx 5 hours here due to the tides, the Confederation Bridge and the distance to get to/from Quebec City
Quick notes on Charlottetown
· $18 million construction on the pier and wharf area to accommodate more and larger cruise ships. This should be completed by August, 2007. Until then, passengers are tendered to the pier.
· St. George Street is the historical street of Charlottetown. In 1874 they walked up this street to sign the Dominion of Canada.
· 1847 the Colonial Building opened which is the Legislature Building
· A population of apx 40,000 live in Charlottetown
· Agriculture is the #1 industry in PEI – dairy, grain, fruit, vegetables
· 4.5% if PEI population lives on farms (in the rest of Canada it is 3%)
· 1908-2008 will be the 100 year celebration for the publications of Anne of Green Gables. They are planning large festivities
· The red rock is Island Sandstone and is very erosive. We went to Dunesland which is a lookout point in the Provincial Park and the scenery is beautiful, but they were saying that shortly in the future they are going to have to move the roads as in some spots the erosion is getting close to them.
· Lobster licenses in PEI are $100,000 – 500,000 depending on the area you live in. They can be handed down in the family, but there is paperwork that has to be filled out for the transfer. Usually, at the end of a fisherman’s career, they will sell off the license, boats and equipment and have enough to retire on.
· PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow is an amazing little store owned by Bruce Alexander MacNaughton. They make all of their jams, jellies, salsas, etc right there in the store. They are wonderful and charming. http://www.preservecompany.com/
I booked the Island Tour and Green Gables tour online (through HAL), prior to the cruise. The information above is what we received on the Island Tour portion of our day.
Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Maude Montgomery are a highlight for a lot of tourists to Charlottetown and PEI. There are a few different types of Anne shore excursions. I included the Island Tour, as I wanted to see and learn as much as I could in the short visit. I had to give up some of the Anne sites to do so. There is an Ultimate Anne tour, which may not show up online when booking (it didn’t for me or a few others I spoke to on the tenders). It was available to book on the ship though, and many people changed to this tour to have their entire Anne tour.
Green Gables is the part that I got to see on my tour. It was the home of Lucy Maude Montgomery’s aunt and uncle. She based Merilla and Matthew’s home on this house. Parks Canada has taken over the area and they refurbished the farm house to resemble the one that Lucy Maude Montgomery describes in her books.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/index.php3
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/index_e.asp
http://www.annesociety.org/anne/index.cfm?id=205
Confederation Bridge
We cruised under this bridge on our way from Charlottetown. Construction began in October 1993 and was completed and opened on May 31, 1997. They had a race where people biked across the bridge, the next day they walked across then bridge and then it was opened to vehicles. 20,000 people participated in both races. Bikes and walking are not allowed on the bridge now.
It is 9 miles long. It took 5000 workers to complete it and 3 people died while on site. Most parts of the bridge are 40 meters above the water, but the middle section is for ships and is 60 meters above the water. There are 310 street lights, 80 TV camera taping the roads. The speed limit is 80km/hour. The cost to cross the bridge is $40.75 + tax. This is paid from PEI. When coming to PEI there is no charge. http://www.confederationbridge.com/en/about_the_bridge/
Saguenay Fjord
http://www.pc.gc.ca/amnc-nmca/qc/saguenay/index_E.asp
The Saguenay Fjord is a great place to see Beluga and Minke whales. It is a very scenic day of cruising. There are little villages along the water and sheer cliffs of rock and trees. We had a naturalist guide on board who was extremely knowledgeable on the history of the area and the marine life. It was pretty interesting to cruise through and imagine how Champlain and other explorers saw this area. They were in canoes with out a lot of shelter along the banks incase of bad weather.
Quebec City
http://www.quebecregion.com/e/
http://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en/accueil/index.shtml
Things to see and do in Quebec City
· Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac/
· Museum of Civilization http://www.mcq.org/
· Plains of Abraham http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/
· Citadelle of Quebec http://www.lacitadelle.qc.ca/section.php?lang=en&id=4
· Basilica of Notre Dame http://www.patrimoine-religieux.com/patrimoine_en.asp?no=22023
· Palace Royale http://www.mcq.org/en/cipr/index.html
· Parliament Buildings http://www.assnat.qc.ca/
I found a wonderful walking tour for Quebec City online, which I mapped out prior to my departure. It was easy to follow (once I found street signs, which seem to be limited in the City) and covered a lot of ground. The length of this tour ranges from either 4-8 hours depending on how long you stop at each sight and if you go in to the museums, etc.
Quebec City is very easy to get around and is very picturesque right from the pier area. Make sure to have water with you depending on the time you arrive as most stores do not open until 930 or 10am. We were there and cleared by 8am.
There are a few streets with the Artists sitting by their pictures, paintings and art. The work is amazing and the prices are not too bad. The cobblestones of the old city may make walking in some areas difficult for limited mobility guests. Petit Champlain is the oldest area of Old Quebec and offers a lot of history and photo opportunities around every corner.
I felt very safe walking around on my own and tried to use my limited French when I needed to ask questions. I found that most people in the tourist area spoke very good English once they heard my attempt at French, so it was easy to communicate.
I did miss out on the history of the area by not taking a shore excursion booked through the cruise line, but I found them to be very expensive for what you got, when comparing to other areas we visited. This is why I decided to do this on my own. For the buildings and areas I saw, I am able to Google them for more information.
****************************
Whew! Sorry it was long and probably sounds kinda boring cuz I was trying to describe it for work. Oh well! Once you see the photos it will be so cool.
Just got my August DT kit for Embellished Memories, which of course rocks! I have to go through my photos to see what I can find to match up with it. Cant wait.
This afternoon, I am going through my closets and drawers and packing up everything that is too small or that I havent worn in over a year. I am going to take it to Swift with me next weekend. Hopefully mom and Wendy can find something in them, otherwise it is off to charity.
I want to go through my photos this weekend too cuz I can not wait to scrapbook them. Wait, I need to go through Alaska first. Oh well. LOL No, those will be fun to scrapbook too, just on a different level.
I think that is all from the cheap seats. until later!
ps. Stinky is GONE next Saturday! *woot*
I am back!
Well I was back last Saturday but didnt take time to post until this morning. I loved the cruise. The itinerary is so amazing (Boston - Montreal). And surprisingly, I really enjoyed walking around Quebec City! Go figure (Please note - I am not racist, I hate everyone equally). It was kinda like when we went to Paris a few years ago on our tour - I really enjoyed the city and it was the one I was looking forward to least.
Stinky moves out next Saturday! *woot* So very excited!
Looking for a new roomie sucks though. I have been getting a lot of emails from people in England. Weird? I dunno. I havent replied to them. I will be honest with that. Not sure if they are legit or not. KWIM? I have had a few people look at it. Will wait and see how it goes.
So I have a full report for work that I am working on for my trip. I will be finishing it today and will forward it home to post. Seriously, who knew there was so much cool stuff and history right in our own back yard?
Thats all from the cheap seats for now. Take care!
Stinky moves out next Saturday! *woot* So very excited!
Looking for a new roomie sucks though. I have been getting a lot of emails from people in England. Weird? I dunno. I havent replied to them. I will be honest with that. Not sure if they are legit or not. KWIM? I have had a few people look at it. Will wait and see how it goes.
So I have a full report for work that I am working on for my trip. I will be finishing it today and will forward it home to post. Seriously, who knew there was so much cool stuff and history right in our own back yard?
Thats all from the cheap seats for now. Take care!
Friday, June 08, 2007
I am outta here
Well in 45 minutes!
One of the gals from work is coming to pick me up and take me to the airport around 645 and my flight is at 755pm. Cant wait to see Linda in Calgary. I have a 4.5 layover there so she is meeting me and we are going to hang out until my 1255am *yes* flight. I hope I can sleep 4 hours until Toronto. Ugh.
That is my update for the moment. See you later!
One of the gals from work is coming to pick me up and take me to the airport around 645 and my flight is at 755pm. Cant wait to see Linda in Calgary. I have a 4.5 layover there so she is meeting me and we are going to hang out until my 1255am *yes* flight. I hope I can sleep 4 hours until Toronto. Ugh.
That is my update for the moment. See you later!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Alaska Cruise Review *long*
Well, before I head off on my next adventure, I had best catch you up on my last one! I cant believe it has been almost a month since we got home. I leave on Friday for a FAM on Holland America (Maasdam New England/Canada Boston - Montreal). I wanted to get this posted so that I wouldnt forget or mix things up. Hopefully I will have my photos organized soon. I did some DT work for Embellished and used some of my Musher Camp and Puppy photos for the layouts. Turned out super cute! Hopefully she will post them on the website and blog for you to see.....if not, you will have to check out the store ;) So without further ado....here goes!
I finally have all my photos. I picked up Linda’s CDs of photos on Friday after work. I can’t wait to start ordering! I was going to begin the planning phase today but I had a nap and finished up some DT projects.
So here we go!
Alaska May 4-11, 2007
Inside Passage Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
May 3 Linda and I flew to Vancouver and stayed overnight at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. OMG if you ever get the chance to stay there take it. It is an amazing property! The beds are so comfy and the bathroom is amazing. We couldn’t figure out the lights though – but once we got that there was a little control thing on the nightstand for everything in the room it was cool.
May 4 we slept in and went downstairs to the airport food court for breakfast (we didn’t want to pay $29 for a continental breakfast in the room!). Around noon we checked out and then took a cab to the Belentyne Pier. There are 2 in Vancouver – Canada Place which is awesome and Belentyne which is just a big old warehouse lol Check in was a breeze. We had all of our paperwork done online prior to arriving and printed. There was a guy checking everyone in line to make sure they had everything. He also advised that this was their first departure of the season and that 20 out of 24 of his staff were new this season. That was all good – we moved through quickly. We chatted with our check in agent who was really nice but really nervous.
Once we got onboard we looked around. Took some photos. Headed upstairs for some lunch in the Windjammer buffet. After we headed downstairs to our :”Cave” NEVER book an inside cabin. I had sailed one before and this time gave Linda the choice which she decided to book it to use the extra money for shore excursions……after our balcony on Disney we dubbed our cabin the “Cave.” No natural light at all. We were tired all the time. Hence it will be called that for the rest of the review lol We checked out our room and then went out for the mandatory lifeboat drill. It is hilarious to see 1500 people in bright orange lifevests and all lined up pretty. Haha They are so not flattering on someone my size.
After the drill, we returned the vests to the Cave and went to Deck 10 to take photos of Vancouver as we sailed away. It was pretty cool to get photos of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge from the ship. We sailed by Canada Place and there were 3 ships there – Princess, NCL and Celebrity. The Vancouver skyline is so pretty. After our photos we returned to the Cave. It was about 6pm and both of us ended up having a nap. We did get up around 815pm and decided to head to the dining room for supper and to meet our table mates.
Tablemates - OMG what a joke! I am sure they have stories and thoughts on us, but really, I have to say they were even worse than New York from our Disney cruise!!! We were at a table of 10. So here are the descriptions. To Lindas left there was a couple from Georgia. Linda tried to talk to them but he said nothing and she said very little. Linda was in Georgia in the fall and she was asking and talking about that and I would be surprised if she answered more than one word at a time. Across the table from me was a newly wed couple from Mexico. They didn’t stop making out the entire meal! Get a room already! Then beside them (kitty corner to us) was the only cool couple at our table. They were from San Diego and she is in FBI training and they were on the trip so she had time to refresh her mind. It is pretty intense training. They were really nice, but the way the table was we couldn’t talk to them much cuz they seemed so far away. Next to me on my right was a couple of young girls (would have to be 25 or so). All they talked about was “Oh my God….I should have brought my mud pack. When I travel with my boyfriend I cant sit around with my mask on cuz he thinks it is gross, but we are friends we could totally have a girls night and sit around with the masks on……..” Like OMG I am so not feeling that conversation. Needless to say we ate at the buffet for the rest of the week! Well because of the people but also the service was kinda crappy too.
May 5 We were at sea this day. I just looked through Lindas photos and saw that she took photos of the waves and grey weather we had that day! I don’t remember it! It totally didn’t bother me. We started the day with 6 foot swells and later in the day they became 15 foot. Lots of people were lined up at the pursers desk for Dramamine but we were fine. We totally spent the day taking photos around the ship and reading.
May 6 was Juneau. What a gong show!
We arrived late. It look forever to get clearance from the officials. People were panicing to get off bc a lot of them had booked shore excursions on their own. Personel were telling the passengers to stay away from Deck 1 bc that was holding up clearance. Linda and I were up on Deck 5 taking photos, trying to stay dry. Finally the clearance came through and so we got in line. The line was all the way to Deck 5 where we joined. Insane! It took us almost 30 min to get off the ship! It was 1210 when we finally hit the dock and started to look for our shore excursion.
Looking looking looking……are you kidding me? No one knew of our tour, no one had seen it. Ok we couldn’t be the only ones on it. I continued to look while Linda ran into the info center. Apparently they were there but left without us! How rude! We talked to the info lade, she called the tour operator, they had no idea why their name was printed on the tour voucher cuz they didn’t offer this tour! LOL Oh ya……..so we go back onto the ship and to the Pursers desk to get this cleared up. They cant help us cuz it is Shore Excursions and they are – yup, out on the pier! So the Purser dude radios to the SE manager and we are to meet her out there. Ok so out we go again.
On a side note, as we were getting back onboard to get this fixed, we were behind 5 big black guys. We got to chatting with a couple of them in the elevator and they were some of the entertainment – a Tribute to the Temptations. Oh they were awesome! So nice and funny. They joked with us while we waited for them to get checked in and they even sang to us! Well not a full song but bits and pieces from misc songs – inc Who Let the Dogs Out and Just My Imagination (cuz at the time it seemed like the Musher Camp was just going to be imaginary!).
We finally find the SE gal on the pier – after searching for about 10 min….grrrr Really, as an agent, do I want to promote this company???? She was like what happened? We explained to her that we were moved from the 1230pm to the 1130am tour. Our ship didn’t clear until 1145am and we were not off the ship until 1210pm. It wasn’t like we were straggling off either. We were trying to hustle. It isn’t like we were the only ones coming off – there were still tons of people getting off the ship! Se she says “Well I don’t know what I can do” I was like “We called the tour operator, they are not operating this tour. They do not know why RCCL has their name on the vouchers. They are going to call Miami and take care of that. We spoke to so and so, so and so and so and so. You will either refund our money or you will move us to a later tour. Which one works better for you?” haha We were moved to a later tour.
So we finally got to the Mushers Camp. It was so FREAKING amamzing!!! We took the bust to the meeting point (where the driver says “it’s a good thing you weren’t on this mornings tour bc I got lost and we were about 30 min late.” ) The van met us and drove us down the path to the camp. We then climbed into these special carts. They are like golf carts with 6 seats and seatbelts. There were 18 dogs attached and off we went! They were so fast! We drove around for about 10-15 min or so and then we got to go and tour the rest of the camp and play with the puppies! They brought 4 puppies from the Skagway litter. They were 8 weeks old and so adorable!
After our tour we went back to the pier and we took off to look in the little shops and went to the Red Dog Saloon for drinks. We had hot apple pies. They were hot cider with lots of alcohol and whipped cream. So fun!
May 7 we were in Skagway. Home of the 1898 Gold Rush. It was so cool. We did 2 tours here. In the morning we did the Street Car tour where we learned about the Gold Rush history while we toured down town (all 1 main street of it!), the Gold Rush cemetery and then up the mountain to a lookout point overlooking the town. We then went back into town and went to a multi media presentation which gave a bit more info on the Gold Rush and also traced 12 families still living in Skagway back to Gold Rush time. It was very cool. Oh and we became members of the Arctic Brothers.
After a quick bite to eat on board, we met for the Ghosts and Goodtime Girls tour. This was a walking tour around the town. We were let by the “working ladies” all decked out in costume and learned so much about the Women of the Gold Rush. They told us that women were promised jobs for $3 a day and rushed up only to find out that it cost $6 a day to live. Well, in come the madams of the brothels and help them earn that extra money. These women were not treated well. They were branded if they got pregnant or contracted a STD. it was horrific!
They showed us some of the places around town that are said to be haunted too. One of the stories was a home of a lady who moved up there. She moved up and began to bake apple pies for the men. She charged $10 ($100 by today’s standards). As the Gold Rush was slowing down, she continued her entrepreneurism and opened up a hotel. She would have a bon fire out back and tell stories of the Gold Rush. Her only rule was that there were to be no locals around. In 1949 the hotel burned down. To this day when people walk by there, they claim to smell the smoke from the bon fire and hear the laughing of the guests.
There was also a staff quarters across the street. It still stands, but is all boarded up. Apparently the family who worked at the house had a daughter who was young and got pregnant. She lost the child but claimed to hear it crying outside the windows. As she moved to one, it would come from across the room. She would walk out in the woods and look for the crying baby. Her parents sent her off to a hospital where she passed away. Then one night the father was home alone and heard a baby crying. He searched the house, the yard and the woods. He started to go crazy too, but went up into one of the upstairs bedrooms and shot himself. Very freaky.
We ended our tour at the Red Onion Saloon where we went upstairs to visit the Brothel Museum. I wish we would have had longer to poke around and see the stuff, but we were shuffled through pretty quick. I did get some cool photos though. Very exciting. After that, Linda and I just walked around and took photos. We then went back to the ship to our Cave and had a nap before supper.
May 8 was a sea day through Tracey Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier. Not much to tell here. We spent 6 hours cruising in. I was fascinated by the snow topped mountains, the icebergs in the water and the glacier. It was so serene and peaceful to sail through there.
May 9 we were in Prince Rupert. As dad says “We don’t have to go back there any time soon” It was prcturesque but nothing special. It was here that we did our $150 Not So Whale Whale Watching Tour. We saw villages, sea lions, eagles, lighthouses, islands, lots of water – BUT NO WHALES. Not that we are bitter or anything We walked around Cow Bay and had lunch at the bar and headed back to the ship. Not too exciting at all.
May 10 was a sea day. Because we were ahead of schedule, the Captain detoured and went through the islands instead of around them. There were dolphins (porpoises) jumping around the ship, beautiful scenery and lots of relaxation.
May 11 we arrived into Seattle and once we were off the ship, we stashed our luggage at the concierge desk outside of the terminal and then went touring the city. We walked to Pike Place Market. Everyone told us that we would want to spend days there. We were done in about an hour lol Lots of flowers, some flying fish (but not lots cuz they only throw when people buy) and lots of people. We walked the side streets and saw lots of neat little shops. After, we walked down to Pioneer Square. Lots of homeless people, so we quickly took some photos and then left. As we walked back to the terminal, we stopped at Red Robin for lunch. Matt was our server and he rocked! It was his 1st day but we were so surprised, we never would have guessed! After picking up our luggage we headed off to the airport and vowed never to book such a late flight again no matter how much we wanted to see the city! LOL
And that in a very long nutshell is my wrap up of my Alaska Cruise!
I finally have all my photos. I picked up Linda’s CDs of photos on Friday after work. I can’t wait to start ordering! I was going to begin the planning phase today but I had a nap and finished up some DT projects.
So here we go!
Alaska May 4-11, 2007
Inside Passage Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
May 3 Linda and I flew to Vancouver and stayed overnight at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. OMG if you ever get the chance to stay there take it. It is an amazing property! The beds are so comfy and the bathroom is amazing. We couldn’t figure out the lights though – but once we got that there was a little control thing on the nightstand for everything in the room it was cool.
May 4 we slept in and went downstairs to the airport food court for breakfast (we didn’t want to pay $29 for a continental breakfast in the room!). Around noon we checked out and then took a cab to the Belentyne Pier. There are 2 in Vancouver – Canada Place which is awesome and Belentyne which is just a big old warehouse lol Check in was a breeze. We had all of our paperwork done online prior to arriving and printed. There was a guy checking everyone in line to make sure they had everything. He also advised that this was their first departure of the season and that 20 out of 24 of his staff were new this season. That was all good – we moved through quickly. We chatted with our check in agent who was really nice but really nervous.
Once we got onboard we looked around. Took some photos. Headed upstairs for some lunch in the Windjammer buffet. After we headed downstairs to our :”Cave” NEVER book an inside cabin. I had sailed one before and this time gave Linda the choice which she decided to book it to use the extra money for shore excursions……after our balcony on Disney we dubbed our cabin the “Cave.” No natural light at all. We were tired all the time. Hence it will be called that for the rest of the review lol We checked out our room and then went out for the mandatory lifeboat drill. It is hilarious to see 1500 people in bright orange lifevests and all lined up pretty. Haha They are so not flattering on someone my size.
After the drill, we returned the vests to the Cave and went to Deck 10 to take photos of Vancouver as we sailed away. It was pretty cool to get photos of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge from the ship. We sailed by Canada Place and there were 3 ships there – Princess, NCL and Celebrity. The Vancouver skyline is so pretty. After our photos we returned to the Cave. It was about 6pm and both of us ended up having a nap. We did get up around 815pm and decided to head to the dining room for supper and to meet our table mates.
Tablemates - OMG what a joke! I am sure they have stories and thoughts on us, but really, I have to say they were even worse than New York from our Disney cruise!!! We were at a table of 10. So here are the descriptions. To Lindas left there was a couple from Georgia. Linda tried to talk to them but he said nothing and she said very little. Linda was in Georgia in the fall and she was asking and talking about that and I would be surprised if she answered more than one word at a time. Across the table from me was a newly wed couple from Mexico. They didn’t stop making out the entire meal! Get a room already! Then beside them (kitty corner to us) was the only cool couple at our table. They were from San Diego and she is in FBI training and they were on the trip so she had time to refresh her mind. It is pretty intense training. They were really nice, but the way the table was we couldn’t talk to them much cuz they seemed so far away. Next to me on my right was a couple of young girls (would have to be 25 or so). All they talked about was “Oh my God….I should have brought my mud pack. When I travel with my boyfriend I cant sit around with my mask on cuz he thinks it is gross, but we are friends we could totally have a girls night and sit around with the masks on……..” Like OMG I am so not feeling that conversation. Needless to say we ate at the buffet for the rest of the week! Well because of the people but also the service was kinda crappy too.
May 5 We were at sea this day. I just looked through Lindas photos and saw that she took photos of the waves and grey weather we had that day! I don’t remember it! It totally didn’t bother me. We started the day with 6 foot swells and later in the day they became 15 foot. Lots of people were lined up at the pursers desk for Dramamine but we were fine. We totally spent the day taking photos around the ship and reading.
May 6 was Juneau. What a gong show!
We arrived late. It look forever to get clearance from the officials. People were panicing to get off bc a lot of them had booked shore excursions on their own. Personel were telling the passengers to stay away from Deck 1 bc that was holding up clearance. Linda and I were up on Deck 5 taking photos, trying to stay dry. Finally the clearance came through and so we got in line. The line was all the way to Deck 5 where we joined. Insane! It took us almost 30 min to get off the ship! It was 1210 when we finally hit the dock and started to look for our shore excursion.
Looking looking looking……are you kidding me? No one knew of our tour, no one had seen it. Ok we couldn’t be the only ones on it. I continued to look while Linda ran into the info center. Apparently they were there but left without us! How rude! We talked to the info lade, she called the tour operator, they had no idea why their name was printed on the tour voucher cuz they didn’t offer this tour! LOL Oh ya……..so we go back onto the ship and to the Pursers desk to get this cleared up. They cant help us cuz it is Shore Excursions and they are – yup, out on the pier! So the Purser dude radios to the SE manager and we are to meet her out there. Ok so out we go again.
On a side note, as we were getting back onboard to get this fixed, we were behind 5 big black guys. We got to chatting with a couple of them in the elevator and they were some of the entertainment – a Tribute to the Temptations. Oh they were awesome! So nice and funny. They joked with us while we waited for them to get checked in and they even sang to us! Well not a full song but bits and pieces from misc songs – inc Who Let the Dogs Out and Just My Imagination (cuz at the time it seemed like the Musher Camp was just going to be imaginary!).
We finally find the SE gal on the pier – after searching for about 10 min….grrrr Really, as an agent, do I want to promote this company???? She was like what happened? We explained to her that we were moved from the 1230pm to the 1130am tour. Our ship didn’t clear until 1145am and we were not off the ship until 1210pm. It wasn’t like we were straggling off either. We were trying to hustle. It isn’t like we were the only ones coming off – there were still tons of people getting off the ship! Se she says “Well I don’t know what I can do” I was like “We called the tour operator, they are not operating this tour. They do not know why RCCL has their name on the vouchers. They are going to call Miami and take care of that. We spoke to so and so, so and so and so and so. You will either refund our money or you will move us to a later tour. Which one works better for you?” haha We were moved to a later tour.
So we finally got to the Mushers Camp. It was so FREAKING amamzing!!! We took the bust to the meeting point (where the driver says “it’s a good thing you weren’t on this mornings tour bc I got lost and we were about 30 min late.” ) The van met us and drove us down the path to the camp. We then climbed into these special carts. They are like golf carts with 6 seats and seatbelts. There were 18 dogs attached and off we went! They were so fast! We drove around for about 10-15 min or so and then we got to go and tour the rest of the camp and play with the puppies! They brought 4 puppies from the Skagway litter. They were 8 weeks old and so adorable!
After our tour we went back to the pier and we took off to look in the little shops and went to the Red Dog Saloon for drinks. We had hot apple pies. They were hot cider with lots of alcohol and whipped cream. So fun!
May 7 we were in Skagway. Home of the 1898 Gold Rush. It was so cool. We did 2 tours here. In the morning we did the Street Car tour where we learned about the Gold Rush history while we toured down town (all 1 main street of it!), the Gold Rush cemetery and then up the mountain to a lookout point overlooking the town. We then went back into town and went to a multi media presentation which gave a bit more info on the Gold Rush and also traced 12 families still living in Skagway back to Gold Rush time. It was very cool. Oh and we became members of the Arctic Brothers.
After a quick bite to eat on board, we met for the Ghosts and Goodtime Girls tour. This was a walking tour around the town. We were let by the “working ladies” all decked out in costume and learned so much about the Women of the Gold Rush. They told us that women were promised jobs for $3 a day and rushed up only to find out that it cost $6 a day to live. Well, in come the madams of the brothels and help them earn that extra money. These women were not treated well. They were branded if they got pregnant or contracted a STD. it was horrific!
They showed us some of the places around town that are said to be haunted too. One of the stories was a home of a lady who moved up there. She moved up and began to bake apple pies for the men. She charged $10 ($100 by today’s standards). As the Gold Rush was slowing down, she continued her entrepreneurism and opened up a hotel. She would have a bon fire out back and tell stories of the Gold Rush. Her only rule was that there were to be no locals around. In 1949 the hotel burned down. To this day when people walk by there, they claim to smell the smoke from the bon fire and hear the laughing of the guests.
There was also a staff quarters across the street. It still stands, but is all boarded up. Apparently the family who worked at the house had a daughter who was young and got pregnant. She lost the child but claimed to hear it crying outside the windows. As she moved to one, it would come from across the room. She would walk out in the woods and look for the crying baby. Her parents sent her off to a hospital where she passed away. Then one night the father was home alone and heard a baby crying. He searched the house, the yard and the woods. He started to go crazy too, but went up into one of the upstairs bedrooms and shot himself. Very freaky.
We ended our tour at the Red Onion Saloon where we went upstairs to visit the Brothel Museum. I wish we would have had longer to poke around and see the stuff, but we were shuffled through pretty quick. I did get some cool photos though. Very exciting. After that, Linda and I just walked around and took photos. We then went back to the ship to our Cave and had a nap before supper.
May 8 was a sea day through Tracey Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier. Not much to tell here. We spent 6 hours cruising in. I was fascinated by the snow topped mountains, the icebergs in the water and the glacier. It was so serene and peaceful to sail through there.
May 9 we were in Prince Rupert. As dad says “We don’t have to go back there any time soon” It was prcturesque but nothing special. It was here that we did our $150 Not So Whale Whale Watching Tour. We saw villages, sea lions, eagles, lighthouses, islands, lots of water – BUT NO WHALES. Not that we are bitter or anything
May 10 was a sea day. Because we were ahead of schedule, the Captain detoured and went through the islands instead of around them. There were dolphins (porpoises) jumping around the ship, beautiful scenery and lots of relaxation.
May 11 we arrived into Seattle and once we were off the ship, we stashed our luggage at the concierge desk outside of the terminal and then went touring the city. We walked to Pike Place Market. Everyone told us that we would want to spend days there. We were done in about an hour lol Lots of flowers, some flying fish (but not lots cuz they only throw when people buy) and lots of people. We walked the side streets and saw lots of neat little shops. After, we walked down to Pioneer Square. Lots of homeless people, so we quickly took some photos and then left. As we walked back to the terminal, we stopped at Red Robin for lunch. Matt was our server and he rocked! It was his 1st day but we were so surprised, we never would have guessed! After picking up our luggage we headed off to the airport and vowed never to book such a late flight again no matter how much we wanted to see the city! LOL
And that in a very long nutshell is my wrap up of my Alaska Cruise!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)