Libby Riddles

Princess Cruise line has the exclusive opportunity to have Libby Riddles on on board. I had the wonderful pleasure to meet Libby Riddles. She is the first female to ever win the
Iditroid dog sled race. If you have never heard of Libby Riddles after her 1 hour talk you will be amazed, inspired and truly in ah over this incredible woman.

In 1985 Libby Riddle is the first female to win the Iditroid. The Iditroid dog sled race covers over 1,100-miles of treacherous terrain. Her thrilling details of her journey, love for her dogs just made you want to stand up and cheer. Libby has been named sportswoman of the year and picked by the vets on the Iditroid as treating her dogs the best.

Libby has written several children's books "Storm Run and Danger: The Dog Yard Cat" . My favorite "Race Across Alaska" her journal about the year she won the Iditroid. Check them out they are great! www.libbyriddles.com

Panning for Gold & Breweries

Simon the Brewmaster

Klondike Gold Rush - White Pass and Yukon Route

Skagway, Alaska - Town

Skagway is a small town approximate population of 800 people. They have 1 school (grades k-12 average 107 students), library and bank. There local paper is published twice a month " The Skagway News" and will cost you $1.00. The town relies on tourism from May-September.

Outside facade is made up of over 20,000 pieces of drift wood.

In 1887 the "Red Onion Saloon" was Skagways most exclusive bordello. Today, this saloon and brothel museum are on the National Historic Building registry. Stop by and enjoy and drink and some local history. Noted as a favorite hot stop for Skagways visitors.

Ice Bergs ...Straight Ahead!!!

This is the view from our Balcony. At 4:50 am All you could see around us was Ice Bergs! I had to check two watches and call the pursers desk to make sure I had the time right. These pictures don't begin to show how beautiful it really was.

When Husbands Pack Themselves

When I read the tempeture was going to be in the 40's-50's I knew it was going to be cold.

This is why men need us girls.

Traveling thru Tracy Arm Passage. At 6am the sun was up and is was now 48 degrees.

Musher - Jillian Rogers and Dog Camp

Jillian Rogers was the musher I trained with. She is Awesome ! Finding her true calling she packed up leaving corporate life behind and moved to Alaska. Currently she lives up on the glacier with her 30 dogs and are training to their 1st Iditarod Race.

Check out her blog @ wannabemusher.blogspot.com

The dog camp is an incredible place. As you can see from the photos everything is white and blends in. The dogs and the Mushers live up on Mendenhall Glacier 5 months out the the year. They each get 24hrs off per week to go into town for baths, computer time & talk to family/ friends. Yep! you read right .. Baths. They have an outhouse, cook & share bunks/ dome looking cabins. But there is no television, Internet or cellphones & no alcohol. Most mushers are up there with there own dogs. Several mushers will take the summer season off & let there doggies go to camp.

All the dogs live & sleep in the white wooden boxes. They run /workout several times day. The dogs eat a high protein diet 3 times a day. I was told they train & eat just like athletes. Think of them as marathon runners. I was amazed on how thin,fit and muscular each dog was.

Dog Sledding is Awesome!!

Dennis mushing at the base of Mendenhall Glacier
My view - The bumper sticker is so true. If your not the lead dog your view is always the same.

Dog Sledding is like water skiing just with a brake. The black dog is wearing a lite weight white coat to reflect the sun. Worn to prevent overheating.

My New Best Friends

These dogs all belong to Jillian Rogers - Musher there are 30 dogs in her camp

Mendenhall Glacier - Juneau, Alaska

A 30 minute helicopter ride & mountains that soar upward of 7000 ft. we flew to Mendenhall Glacier for a day of dog sledding. This breathing taking view & dog sledding experience was worth every penny.

Totem Poles

Totem Poles can be seen all over Alaska. Each one tells its own story. The totem poles represent life, death, weddings, and even births.

Totem Heritage Center, located on the outskirts of Ketchikan includes the world's oldest and tallest (50 ft) totem poles.

Whales

As we sit on our balcony it still amazes me on how close the wildlife gets. There is a naturalist on board the ship. Periodically she will make an announcement of where you can see the wildlife from the ship.

Lumberjack Show- Ketchikan, Alaska

A great show fun for the entire family! Definitely something we don't see in Georgia.

In 1898 the Old Ketchikan Spruce Mill was the largest spruce mill in the world. Providing lumber to Alaska's fish canneries & Gold Rush. Currently today the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is located on that very site. This outdoor event gives you a chance to see world champions in action. What does a real lumberjack do? In the show you will see and understand of how each lumberjack plays a crucial roll. In this 60 minute show you will be able to cheer for your favorite lumberjack, be amazed by their skills, and maybe even be the lucky one chosen out of the audience to take a bit of Alaska spruce pine home. I got 2 pieces - photo of me with the lumberjacks & wood chips. http://lumberjacksports.com

Ketchikan, Alaska

After a wonderful day at sea we arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Day 2 - Pier 91

At 9am we leave back to the airport to check in with “Shuttle Express” to pier 91. Shuttle express is a local service that can be pre arranged by internet. By setting up a round trip drop off & pickups each way had an additional savings & only cost $27 each way for 2 people. Shuttle express was easy to find, little wait & very organized. We shared a mini Van with 6 other adults all going to the same pier. Trip was approximate 20-30 minutes.
Seattle has 2 cruise ports. Pier 66 - Located right downtown (Norwegian & Royal Caribbean cruises. Pier 91 is a new port is on the out skirts of town home for Carnival, Holland American & Princess Cruises.
Our paperwork said that the check in began at 12 noon. We arrived at the port 10:30 am and was thru security and in the room by 11:30am. Out of all the cruise ports we have been to Seattle was one of the top 3 a far a fast & easy.
The remainder of the day was spent relaxing. Checking out the boat & heading up on the top deck for sail away. 5:00pm the ships horns blow a loud 3 times and we were off. As Seattle’s down town sky line got smaller the snowcapped mountains in the distance it is 55 degrees & snow on the mountains.

Day 1 - Savannah to Seattle

– Our trip is finally hear! We have printed Princess Cruise & Delta boarding passes. (Now days everything is paperless.) Arriving 2 hours prior to our Savannah Flight. It’s time to have a drink and relax. We actually booked this cruise back in December of 2009. It seems so long ago.
Our Delta flight was scheduled for 38 minutes, but you know how that goes. Hurry up and wait on the Tar mat. Thank god that we have a 1& half layover. No running for me. Once in Atlanta with time to spare we grab drinks & food. I haven’t decided which is better purchasing on the plane or air port. Our connection from Atlanta to Seattle was Alaskan Air an Delta affiliate, however all together different company. They did not expect our Delta drink coupons. Meal choices were cheeseburgers & chips / picnic sets / beer & wine $6.
Flight from Atlanta to Seattle was 4hours/ 40 minutes. The flight went by rather fast with only a 3hr time difference. We landed Seattle time 8:38pm – Savannah 11:38pm.
Marriott had a pre cruise special @ Town Place. It’s a king size room w/ sofa bed & kitchenette complimentary breakfast /shuttle between airport & hotel. What else do you need for late at night

Off to Alaska

I can't believe how fast time has flown by. We are leaving for our Alaskan Cruise. This trip we are cruising Princess Sapphire and staying in a mini suite. My husband is very excited the room has not 1 but 2 televisions. Stay tune I send pictures. I have a feeling it's going to be awesome!

Category AE - Mini Suite with Balcony Deck: Dolphin

Description: Category AE Mini-Suites have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, with two twin beds that can be converted to a queen-sized bed, considerable closet space, a private bathroom with shower, as well as a separate sitting desk area with drawer space and sofa bed. Each stateroom also has its two televisions, thermostat controlled air-conditioning, refrigerator, individual safe, and 24 hour room service.

Special Amenities: Mini-Suites have upgraded features including luxury mattress and pillows, welcome glass of champagne, and massage shower head.

Square Footage: 290 sq ft Balcony Square Footage: 64 sq ft

Alaska .. At Last!

We have just finalized the details of our May Alaska trip. With a little organization and planning we were able to use our Carnival Fun Points, Delta vouchers, and Marriott's points. At this time our 7 night Alaskan Cruise is costing us nothing.
Carnival cruise line has a MasterCard program called "Fun Points" where every time you make a purchase you earn dollar for dollar. If you purchase a Carnival Cruise or use your MasterCard on board the ship you will earn 2 for 1 points www.BarclaycardUS.com.
Delta is now overbooking every flight. If you are not in a hurry and willing to get bumped it can work out to be very beneficial. We had a party for 6 coming back from Tahiti in August. Delta offered us $600 credit each for anywhere Delta or its partners fly, a hotel room at the Hilton and meal vouchers for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Our original fly from LAX to Atlanta was coach we ended up flying 1st class. It was definitely worth the wait!
If you can always use the same company for your hotel travel. I go between Marriott & Hilton. By banking up points & perks many times I can get the hotel of choice by using points or getting upgrades. Hotels like loyal customers.