Faces...These things are Everywhere

Everywhere we go there are these things....

From the aviation and space museum in Ottawa.

Biodome

Outside the RCMP shop in Niagara Falls.

Ben and Jerry's in Vermont

Summer in Mont Tremblant.

So we did what you have to do, lined up and took silly photos!

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!

Skagway...White Pass and Yukon Route

When we booked the cruise, of course there are heaps of add ons and shore tours.  It would be quite easy to double the cost of the cruise with extras!  BUT since its a once in a lifetime chance, we decided to have a look at what was available.  Having three kids is also rather expensive as it had to be something they could do.  We found out that you can leave your kids in the kids club on port days but we do prefer their company, most of the time.  (Although I would like them to sleep in their own beds, as Biz snored, H wiggles a lot and Mr R well he just has to tuck himself under you and he also kicks off the blanket)

Skagway has an old railway that is reported to be very scenic and good for kids, given we have a train mad little boy and don't mind the odd trip ourselves, this is what we decided to do, more about it here.

The White Pass and Yukon was built in 1898 to service the gold rush that was happening in the Klondike and it took just over two years to build, not too bad!  It goes from Skagway, where the ships would arrive with supplies for Yukon and also take mineral concentrates out.  The railway was closed in 1982 due to economics but given a new life as a tourist attraction when it reopened in 1988

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Here she is, most of the time it is pulled by diesel locos but they do have a few steam engines for special occasions.  As you go past the workshops you can see them and a few others who are no longer in service or out of action for good.  Each of the cars are restored and given a name from the local area.

Tickets please! 

Not long after she fell asleep and didn't wake up to the halfway point!

This is how the coaches are kept warm!  We picked a seat close by.

Beautiful rivers race through the landscape.  The round trip takes about three hours and turned around just after the Canada-US border.

The jagged peaks show where the glaciers have been in the past.  If it is jagged it stood above the ice, valleys with a rounded u shape have typically had glacial movement.

The old bridge.  Didn't go on this one!

We did go on this one. 

 They have a special rotary snow plow that clears the tracks that looks like a massive fan.  This a a great clip from you tube.  It is over 100 years old!

On the way out, just as you pass through the town, there is an old steam engine rusted and worn with its snow plow still attached and beside the tracks, down a gully another lies wrecked and slowly decaying, taken over by the surrounding woods. 

They were doing track maintenance near one of the smallest police stations I've ever seen

These are the Bridal Falls and the shot doesn't do it justice. 

This cantilever bridge is one of the worlds engineering masterpieces along with the Eiffel Tower. 

This is where the train decoupled and chuffed around to the other end to. make the return journey.  We had to flip the seat backs over so we would be facing the other way

Was it worth it?  Yes.  Would we do it again Yes, even with the kids. 

Vancouver Aquarium

Everything you read about Vancouver and kids say to go here.  Its at Stanley Park, which is huge and incredibly beautiful.  When you walk in, there are all these display tanks with different marine life.

Pretty cool jellyfish.

Bubble Boy!

Nurse Bella

Serious business this fixing seals.  Apron goes well with the sparkle shoes.

Now what do we have to do?

Nope cant hear anything.

Two seals...

Beluga

Fishing game.

I'll admit I was a little disappointed with some of the animal displays, they were pretty small and I kept thinking about seaworld on the Gold Coast.  Which is a really bad thing to do when you are trying to experience something different....

Then we stumbled across the downstairs viewing area for the beluga show.  There are three belugas we saw.

This one saw Bella and came back for a closer look.

and again.. It did it several times and even pressed its head up against the window to get close.  Guess it liked Bella and all we heard for the next day was Beluga, Beluga....and I thought it was great.  Sometimes its more about the experience and the moment than the size or cost.