Wandering Wallaces

WELL, WE MAY NOT UPDATE MONTHLY...BUT WHEN WE DO....

JUNE FOUND THE WANDERING WALLACES CHECKING OUT OUR 49TH STATE, ALASKA, ON A LAND-CRUISE EXTRAVAGANZA PRODUCED BY ROYAL CARIBBEAN...AND WHAT AN EXCURSION!

JUNE 20...FLIGHT FROM ATLANTA TO FAIRBANKS...SIGNING INTO THE PINE WATERFRONT LODGE WE FOUND WE WERE TIMELY FOR THE MIDNIGHT SUN FESTIVAL (summer solstice...longest day of the year) IN FAIRBANKS. DID WE GO? YOU BETCHA! THE CITY FESTIVAL GAVE JIM A CHANCE TO "FISH" FAIRBANKS STYLE (for all of nine minutes!), CHECK OUT GAS PRICES UP NEAR THE NORTH POLE (thank God for Floridian favors!), AND REALIZING THE SUN WAS NOT GOING TO SET...THE ENTIRE NIGHT...AND, OF COURSE, WE TOO HAD TO KEEP GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING (harbinger of our 14 days to come which kept us constantly on the the go)!

June 21...WE "MUSH" LUNCHED AT SOAPY SMITH'S PLACE ( the Alaskan King of Con from the gold rush days)...THEN ON TO OFFICIALLY FREEZING OUR BIBBIES OFF AT THE ICE PALACE (how do those Eskimoes "igloo do it?")...THEN DIVA FRAN AND "GIT HER DONE" STEVE JOINED US FOR AN EVENING OF BASEBALL (one that went 15 innings,ended at 3AM and nary a light was lit for the game!)

JUNE 22...AND WE ARE ON THE MOVE...RIVERBOATING ON THE CHENA RIVER WITH OUR SIGHTS ON THE SEAPLANE TAKE-OFF AND LANDING, SLED DOGS WORKING OUT SUMMER STYLE (pulling the engineless four-wheeler around the compound), AND VISITING ANATHABASCAN (Alaskan Indian) FISH CAMP (where sodden roofs were the norm and adorned coats of animal skins the warmth). BUSSING IT TO McKINLEY VILLAGE LODGE, WE HAD A CHANCE TO VIEW THE PIPELINE ABOVE GROUND (a warming "line" for animals in the winter chills). A CABIN NIGHT FAMILY STYLE DINNER ALLOWED STEVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO "ENJOY" THE SURROUNDINGS...AND "KITTY" CAME THROUGH PLANTING TWO COLORFUL KISSES ON STEVE, ONE PER EACH FACIAL CHEEK!

JUNE 23...WE WERE UP AND BUS-LOADED...DENALI (Mount McKinley) HERE WE COME...WHAT A SIGHT TO SEE...NO PEOPLE OR PLACES TO BLOCK THE "WONDER OF THE WILDERNESS"...FROM MOUNTAINS TO ANIMALS TO MEMORIAL TREASURES!
LAND BY DAY...GLACIER "WILD-RAFTIN" IN THE PM...A FIRST FOR WE FOUR! WHAT A RIDE!

JUNE 24/25...FOUND US AT THE MARRIOTT IN ANCHORAGE FOR THE NIGHT...UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN TO MOTORCOACH BY RAIL TO SEWARD...THE OBSERVATION UPSTAIRS/BREAKFAST DOWNSTAIRS TRAIN TOOK US THROUGH THE ALASKAN SIGHTS IN STYLE...WINDING AROUND ALL THE MANY MOUNTAINS ND GLACIERS AND WATERFALLS.

JUNE 25...THE RADIANCE OF THE SEAS WELCOMED US ABOARD

JUNE 26... ENROUTE TO THE HUBBARD GLACIER (largest of its kind) THE SEA LIONS BY THE HUNDREDS WATCHED OUR PATHWAY...AND THEN...HUBBARD IN ITS BLUE GLORY (blue because the sun cannot reflect the color blue so that is what we see)

JUNE 27...IN PORT IN JUNEAU...THE CAPITAL...A SIGHTSEEING DRIVE, A CAPITOL VIEW, A "RUN-IN" WITH TH NATIVES...AND OF COURSE, LUNCH AT THE RED ONION (brothel of reknown that survived the Gold Rush...but now just serves up the burgers!)

JUNE 28...SKAGWAY, THE DESTINATION...BUT "THE BRIDGE" THE IDEAL...AS WE TOURED IT IN STYLE..EVEN TAKING OVER THE CAPTAIN'S PERCH

JUNE 29...ICY STRAIT POINT...A CANNING STOP THAT JIM AND I MANAGED TO SLEEP THROUGH...GOD BLESS THOSE RCL BEDS AND THE DARKENING CURTAINS! THE PACE WON, FOR NOW...WE HAD TO REST UP FOR THE FUTURE STOPS!

JUNE 30...KETCHIKAN....AND THE TOTEMS ABOUND! THE STORIES THEY TELL...THE BLESSINGS THEY GIVE...SO VERY INTERESTING (I do believe we will be seeing one of them in our own backyard before the year is up!)

JULY 1/2 INSIDE PASSAGE AND VOILA, VANCOUVER...THE TRIP ENDED, BUT THE MEMORIES AND THRILL LIVE ON!

AND SO, WE PUT FAMILY TO REST WHEN WE DEPARTED SANDESTIN 6/19 (leaving Robyn/John in our home and KImberly, Jeff, Logan and Carter in our condo), BUT ARRIVED BACK HOME 7/3 TO A FAMILY GREETING (Kelly, Matt and Molly awaited us to celebrate our country's birth on the 4th!)

WE CERTAINLY HAD A "RUN FOR OUR MONEY" WITH SIGHTS, MEMORIES AND FAMILY SURROUNDING THE EXPERIENCE..WHO COULD HAVE ASKED FOR MORE! AND SO THE WANDERING WALLACES UNPACK FROM ALASKA..BUT...THE WIDE WORLD BECKONS AND I AM SURE WE WILL LISTEN AND FOLLOW!