Monday, July 13, 2015

Hot In Alaska, Pt 1: Setting Off From Vancouver

MANY ON board the Holland America Noordam sailing to Alaska perched over the railings like seagulls as they waved goodbye to Vancouver.

That included my husband enjoying a fresh breeze to ruffle his hair. Eager to leave the record-breaking heat in the southwest corner of BC, nothing sounded more deliciously cold than Alaska.

Someone on board got sick apparently before departure so sailing was delayed by an hour.

Health was our concern, too, since my husband had yet to resolve a health condition he had been dealing with for almost four years. His difficulties with speaking and eating made us hesitate to take a trip where socializing and food were keys to enjoyment and it felt a bit risky leaving the comforts of home.

We counted on cooling off, seeing spectacular scenery and possibly wildlife, experiencing what I imagined would be the unique rugged flavour of Alaska and, of course, taking pictures of new vistas. Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan would be our ports, in addition to cruising Glacier Bay National Park.

When we finally set off, hundreds of cameras came out and tourists from Canada, the US, Australia and around the world started snapping. I used my small Panasonic handheld throughout.

Anticipation grew due to the delay so when we started to drift away from the shore it was exciting. I said goodbye to Canada Place. Our car was conveniently parked there while we were on the short 7-day excursion.

People waved to us from the old-fashioned paddlewheeler.

We had a great view of the rounded restaurant and building that now houses the downtown Simon Fraser University campus. It used to be home to the BC Hydro Engineering Department where my husband once worked. The building faded out of sight as we headed beneath the Lion's Gate Bridge that looked quite frail from this perspective.

As you can imagine, I came away with hundreds of photographs during our spontaneous trip this early July. I will post a few in a series of stories to follow. It is nice to be able to share a new-to-me part of our beautiful old world.

Links to each of my Hot In Alaska cruise posts are as follows:
Pt 1: Setting Off From Vancouver
Pt 2: Settling Into The Noordam, Melting In Juneau
Pt 3: Skagway & The Historic Route To The Yukon
Pt 4: Margerie Glacier Interlude
Pt 5: Picturesque Ketchikan
Pt 6: Sunrise To Remember
Pt 7: Service With A Smile

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms
Posted by Penelope Notes at 7:00 AM
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12 comments:

  1. JoyfulJuly 13, 2015 at 11:39 AM

    Beautiful scenes. This is a trip I haven't taken but one I hope to take some day. I bet it was lovely for you and your husband to escape the high temperatures in GVRD for a few days.

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  2. eileeninmdJuly 13, 2015 at 12:21 PM

    Hello, Lovely images from the port. I am sure your cruise to Alaska was awesome. I thought Glacier bay was beautiful! Enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

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  3. mickJuly 13, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Great photos of the beginning of your trip. I especially liked the view of the Lion's Gate Bridge.

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  4. Fun60July 13, 2015 at 1:17 PM

    Sounds an exciting trip. Look forward toseeing more photos.

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  5. carol l mckennaJuly 13, 2015 at 2:02 PM

    Bon Voyage to you and hubby and beautiful photography to start the adventure!

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  6. StephanieJuly 13, 2015 at 8:02 PM

    Wow! Sounds so exciting that you and your husband went on a cruise. Looking forward to more images from the trip. Loved seeing all your images of Vancouver.

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  7. EG CameraGirlJuly 15, 2015 at 7:23 AM

    I wish I weren't so prone to seasickness as this sounds like an amazing cruise. I look forward to seeing what your lens saw. :)

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  8. Gillian OlsonJuly 15, 2015 at 8:17 AM

    A beautiful start to your Alaska trip, look forward to seeing more instalments.

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  9. TomokoJuly 15, 2015 at 10:32 PM

    Exciting and dreamy photos!So lovely!!

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  10. Sallie (FullTime-Life)July 15, 2015 at 10:48 PM

    We spent the summer in Alaska last year in a slightly less glamorous mode of transport (our camper van,). Gorgeous views of your fair city in this post and I look forward to the rest of your trip.

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  11. DeniseinVAJuly 16, 2015 at 7:35 AM

    I haven't taken a cruise to Alaska but would love to. Your photos make me want to book a trip :)

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  12. Black Jack's CarolJuly 17, 2015 at 10:27 PM

    I am really excited that you and your husband were able to do this trip. What a breakthrough after four very tough years! Looking forward to further posts. You caught some wonderful perspectives in the leave-taking. Bill and I watch the cruise ships quite often. Perhaps we even were there as you left Vancouver :)

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