Office work

I told Kim we had to get some photos of her in the office. 

I even snapped a few when she was on a phone call.

Grandview Train Ride

My beautiful wife

CHOO CHOO!

Out and about. We kept going to the open ends of the train cars because they had the heaters on.
What? We kept getting too hot and had to go out for cool fresh mountain air. 

Some clouds, some sunlight, and some blue skies...

Well, when you're in the tourism business and sale other companies tours or recommend them to the tourist you get to go free. Kim and I decided to take advantage of our opportunities and I am supposed to be selling this tour out at our Portage Visitor center, so I figured I had better know something about it.

Our next trip will be floating out on a mountain lake with Icebergs from the Spencer Glacier and then a float down the river. We are also trying to get up to Denali before we head down south in the fall.

Old telegraph line used prior to the rerouting of the tracks.

Hope Alaska

So Jed wanted to get out of the condo and see more of Alaska. I always get beat from working 10 hours a day that I just want to sleep. But I bucked up and got in the car and we drove to Hope, Alaska.

On the way there I slept :) and Jed stopped here and there to take some pics. Jed thought this tree was cool. He got back into the car, woke me up, said he was running from a bear, (not really) and showed me these pictures and said, you don't see a tree like this everyday. 

Ok, it is pretty cool and different and I have no idea why its like that. Dad? Maybe you can shed some light on this. It looks like a pumpkin in a tree. Halloween already?

 One thing that I have really enjoyed about Alaska is the outdoors. Now that we know we won't be living here forever, we are going to be more adventurous and go hiking and rafting and take a train ride and more whale cruises and more mosquito bites and more solstice party time.

 Yep, I had Jed take a picture of me under a dead tree. 

 Jed thought the rock was cool. Its also interesting to learn how it was formed. I didn't really like it because it was hard to walk on or even sit down on. So for the pictures below.... sorry if I have a pained expression on my face... you now know why. 

We need pictures at every angle- says Jed :)

Even one on my lap. :) This one is my favorite. Jed couldn't find a good spot because of the rock formation and then the timer ran out. 

I love this video because its proof that I don't believe what Jed says to me anymore. He was trying to scare me, but it didn't even phase me. :)

I had no idea Jed was taping me. I have never rock climbed before in my entire life, let alone go cliff gliding down a mountain side. Ok ok so it wasn't as steep or as hard as I had thought prior to going down but I thought it best to be cautious as I was a first timer. But now we have record of it. Sorry that you have to watch my backside for 4 minutes.   

I figured I would be a little more creative with going up the hill then I was going down. Now I just know that I am cheesy.

Perks of our job in Alaska

Kim and I recently went out on an exclusive "Glaciers & Guitars Tour" that a local radio station chartered out. I was the "DD" Designated Driver,  hired out for the event. We had a small group on board our coach and I am grateful to report all of our passengers still had their coordination and balance following the cruise. Though, we did have an extremely intoxicated fellow jump onto the coach and yell something out. I am not quite sure what he said and I was standing in the middle of the isle getting a head count as he came up the steps of the coach behind me. I think he was somewhat dumbfounded when he didn't recognize a soul on board and then quickly stepped off the bus.

Kim and I had a great time and I am so glad she was able to come along with me. It would've been a somewhat awkward and lonely time had she not come along. She hasn't quite gotten her sea legs about her so she does tend to get a little sick on the ocean, but the Prince William Sound is protected waters and so it tends to be very calm. And as you can see from the pictures we took it was excellent cruising conditions.

A little reflection off of the calm waters of Blackstone Bay.

Leaving the Whittier harbor

No joke, the water was calm and the scenery was breathtaking!

My gorgeous wife and our friend and office building neighbor Laura. She works the front desk at  Alaska Tour & Travel.

Blackstone Glacier (Sunny side of Blackstone Glacier)

Blackstone Glacier and falls

Icebergs from the Glacier. The crew usually fishes a chunk of ice out of the water with a net and serves Glacier Margaritas (or for us they will make it virgin or make it Sprite or Ginger Ale on the rocks).

Finally had a moment to take a photo together. Best we could do was inside the ship.
Before the Ginger Ale

After the Ginger Ale

Update on our life

So its been awhile since we have updated our blog. But we have been busy working and working over time most weeks. But we love it and are thrilled to be saving money! Or at least we are trying.

Two weeks ago was our first big cruise ship came into Seward. The company had Jed assigned to drive one of the buses and give people a tour around town.

Luckily, the company let us stay in the Holiday Inn the night before, so that we could be all rested up for a super long day. I think my favorite part of the whole thing was the guests.

Jed and I taking our quick lunch with our matching Major Marine Tours jackets

Jed and I cant get enough of the mountains!!

When I retire.....

Spring Fever Gray Whale Cruise!

We have had our hands full since March 23rd, our first day of the whale watching season. 

Currently just our Gray Whale Cruise is running. 

www.majormarine.com

Jed is driving the shuttle from Anchorage to Seward and back whenever there are guest that book and need a way down there. Seward is about 3 hours south of Anchorage, so it makes for a long day when Jed has to drive. Leaves at 8 am and gets back at 7 pm.

We both were way excited for the cruises to start that Jed went the first couple of days with the guest that he shuttled down. Then I had a day off and went with Jed to Seward and then on the cruise. Unfortuately, the day I went with Jed was super snowy and rainy that we just stayed bundled up out on the deck. It was too cold to get the camera out and we didn't want to get it wet. We figured we would have other opportunities to go on a cruise and take more pics. 

I did enjoy the cruise. It was nice to get out and have some fresh sea water air. Jed and I came prepared and we were able to stay out on the deck the majority of the cruise time (4 hours) The other guest barely had a jacket so they spent most of the time in the heated cabin. We saw a lot of wildlife and a pod of Dall's Porpoises. The last few days guest have seen orcas and humpback whales. Its so fun! 

I did get a little sea sick towards the end of the trip and couldn't wait to get back on solid ground. Doesn't look like Ill be going on Major Marines 7.5 hour, 6 hour or 5 hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruises. I'll just stick with the 4 hour Gray Whale cruise till May 12th and then we will take their 4 hour Evening Cruise. Which that is crazy. That cruise is from 6 pm to 10 pm and there is still plenty of day light. In fact the natives here say it doesn't get dark till midnight or 1 am some days during the summer. That will take some getting use to for sure. 

Here are pictures from Jeds first time on the cruise, it was our opening day! Still a little wintery up here. It will be fun to see the changes as it get warmer! 

I have never seen so many Bald Eagles in my life. I practically see one every day! So Cool! 

Jed took some pictures of the boats we use for our Whale Watching Cruises. They aren't like the big Carnival or Princess Cruise ships that we tend to think of when we use the word "cruise" but they are still fairly big. We have about 7 different cruise boats that are used for our cruises.

Jed took this picture to show the avalanche that took place. The day that Jed and I went there was a couple of big avalanches that had just happened so the water was covered with little chunks of snow, which looked like ice until you tried to pick them up. It was quite pretty. You would look ahead to see the water covered with snow and then we would slide though it as if we were ice skating. 

Oh and the water is SOOOOOO pretty. Its a rich deep aqua blue color. 

 Here is the favorite spot for the Steller Sea Lions. There are so many. Sadly the captain didn't get close to this group on this day but when Jed and I went we could reach out and almost touch them. Ok maybe we weren't that close but we could hear them growl? bawl? yawn? moo? 

What ever noise they make we could hear it really well. 

 Lots of Kittiwakes (Alaskan Seagull) 

As you can see we go quite fast on these boats, about 28 mph

At this spot where the captain stopped for viewing of the ice on the cliff, its about 140 ft straight down. Doesn't look like Ill be getting off to swim. I swim like rocks!