After being away for five days, we were anxious to return to California and see how our job site was doing, given the huge rains while we were away.
Final breakfast at St. Maarten.
After returning home, Bryan had to develop a strategy (fast) to address the blazing inferno in front of him.
It was our last day on the Volendam. The weather continued to hold and we played several hands of bridge. Cruises often have a ‘winner take all’ bingo game on their final night.
Good luck!
John, Joy, Darryl and Elaine playing bridge. You can see Bryan's notebook computer in the background. (Can you believe how Elaine sorts her cards?)
The winning bingo! Elaine encouraged Nik, Kate and Joy to pool their cards and split any winnings equally. They did. And they won $2,100! A very nice way to end a successful cruise to Alaska.
Three generations went fishing today. John, Bryan John and Nikolas John. And then we had the celebration dinner.
Having three generations go fishing on a beautiful day in Alaska was memorable. Ketchikan receives over 13 feet or rain each year and there aren’t many sunny days. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky today.
After the successful fishing trip, we had the ’50-75-80′ celebration dinner, complete with cake. Bryan’s sister, Joy, turns 50 this year, their mother, Elaine, turns 75 and their father, John, turned 80. Hence, the 50-75-80 celebration cruise to Alaska.
Successful fishermen!
Dinner in the dining room on the Volendam.
Joy (left) and Melanie (right).
The 50-75-80 celebration cake!
It was spectacular! We had a great day cruising in Glacier Bay. Beautiful sunshine, watching whales, seeing the glacier ‘calve’.
We spent 90 minutes enjoying the views of the glacier from the Volendam. It was magic!
Nickolas Spiller and Nikolas Mekechuk. Nick played on the Canadian team in the 2008 Little League World Series.
It was a big day today. Joy, Bryan, Darryl and Melanie rented bikes to get some exercise and see Skagway.
Bryan took his bike on the White Pass Train to Canada and rode back, and Joy, Darryl and Melanie biked up to the U.S./Canada border and rode back.
Nik and Kate in front of the Volendam in Skagway, AK.
U.S. / Canada border.
Bryan reaches the Canada/U.S. (B.C./Alaska) border. A bit more uphill then all downhill to the Volendam!
Bryan stops to document the snow at the side of the road.
Dinner after a long day (Melanie, Darryl, Mark and John).
It was spectacular.
Cruising in Alaska. Wow!
Mark, Joy, Bryan, Kate, Nik and Jo-Anne in front of the Mendenhall Glacier.
Mendenhall Glacier and falls.
