Hello, all! It has been awhile since I last posted. We have taken a few months “off” from travel (rough life, right?) but are gearing up for our next adventure. Today was a “trial packing day” for our 2-week Alaska cruise that embarks on the 15^th. I am happy to report that I can fit all of my clothes and camera equipment in a carry-on and a backpack. Woo-hoo! It is actually a bit tougher packing for two weeks in Alaska than it was for two months in the Middle East and Asia. Obviously, the clothes for Alaska are a bit heavier than the others. We have much more proficient with our packing; we are both able to meet our goal of traveling with just a carry-on each.

We leave bright and early next Sunday to fly to San Francisco. We always like to fly to our departure port at least a day early, just in case there are any issues. We have booked the Alcatraz at Night Tour for that evening. I have been to San Francisco quite a few times, but never been to Alcatraz so am really looking forward to it. We board the NCL Sun on Monday and start heading north. This will be my 6^th cruise to Alaska; it is one of my favorite places. Our itinerary is as follows: Astoria, Ketchikan, Sawyer Glacier, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Prince Rupert, Nanaimo and Vancouver, BC. The best part of the trip is having three days looking at glaciers! The last time we were in Alaska, we were privileged to see what the naturalist on board called a “shooter” – a glacier calving from under the water. I was able to get a short film clip of it: Calving Glacier. I am hoping to see lots of whales, eagles, and bears. . .wish me luck! I bought a new pair of binoculars to assist me in my search for wildlife.

I will be blogging about our adventures, of course! Check back between May 15^th and 29^th to read all about it.

Heather