Rum Tasting 101

So it was a little drizzly and we were not up for swimming or staying in.  So we decided to duck over to the Golf Club to the Fiji Rum Tasting Experience.  Luckily it wasn't raining heavy and we could still walk over.  Someone may have set this up.....because she wanted to go.  Anyway the details, for a small price you can get a tasting set of 4 rums, so we got one each and tried eight different rums.  There were some 2 year old and some 8 year old (older ones were also available at extra cost) and different flavours.  We tried the banana, coffee, white, coconut...mmmm.  So I got two bottles to bring home, cheers big ears.

Here is their website Fiji Rum Yum Yum

Glacier Bay....more photos

 I'll say nothing but let you drink in the visual splendour .....

that is Glacier Bay National Park.

Now try and so some work after SOMEONE leaves me a comment!

Day 5....Glacier Bay National Park....Sunday July 15th

This was the day I had been waiting for.  Bella and I were up early for our now standard two dippy eggs, toast and bacon.  She has been eating really well this trip.  They had told us that early in the morning you might see Humpback whales then a little further on orcas as well as sea otters and seals.  Bella notice some dolphins and ea otters playing while we were eating.  Headed out on deck to see what we could see (no bear yet Mum!).

It was a little grey but the cloud had started to lift and you could see little glimpses of the sun, it was just magical.

Eventually we were joined by the boys team, who finally got out of bed. They fuelled up on Vegemite toast (got to love that they had Vegemite on the boat), pancakes and a big breaky for Daddy, the kids decided they wanted to go to Club Hal. John and I got to go up on deck and take it all in.

Then they said that a bear was sighted on the shore near the sail boat.

Sure there is a bear, ita the black blob and I am running with that!

 

Anyway this started to make up for the bear!

Other people looking, they served pea and ham soup on deck for the glacier spotting.

 

Icebergs, Rhys asked when we saw him at breakfast if we had seen any icebergs. Hadn't then but we started to now.  He had learnt about Titanic, (did I tell you a family two streets over, from where we live,  were lost in the sinking?), and was worried we might sink.

Getting bigger.....

Me and pink blankie.

Oooohhhhh

More to come, bit slow on the upload..............that's the computer not me!

Sunrise

Sometimes its worth getting up early to greet the day......is this not beautiful???

Cross that one off the Bucket List

Okay sometimes I may not have the best ideas but I do hit the mark sometimes.  This was one of them!

Admittedly driving over 600km in a day with three small children to somewhere you've never been, on the other side of the road, in a left hand drive car, with a GPS that doesn't work, doesn't sound all that great but......

When we drove down Falls Ave in Niagara and caught sight of the falls, you could of heard a pin drop and then it was ahhhhh, wow, look at that Mum and all the stress from driving was gone.  Given only moments before I was ready to leave at least two of the three kids on the side of the road

The view from the room was amazing, the website didn't lie.  Check in and all that was a breeze (more about that later), up to the room and ta-da....

Yep - that's the view from our room, not a bad shot even if it is through the window!

I didn't really know what to expect, tourist central, sure, a nice view, got that, but it was the whole (to quote The Castle) vibe!  I loved it.  The kids were amazed and could appreciate the view, right after they checked out the hotel room and put dibs on the beds, each.  (Looks like Daddy Bean and I were going to sleep on the floor).

 

A big drive does that to you...

We stayed at the Fallsview Marriott.  It can be a bit confusing as there are two Marriotts right next to each other but they are very clear when you book and also on the confirmation.  We were lucky to score an upgrade as someone has gold status - not I, I am pleb (and proud to tack onto he who does have status coat tails).  It also gave us free Internet (great for Skype) and free breakfast. 

Happy to be out of the car????

It was well after 6pm when we finally arrived and there was heaps of daylight left, good for burning a little energy off. 

Ooohhh!

So hows that for an intro to our trip?  I'll write the rest over the next few days...we have lots of photos to share.