Sunday, September 8, 2013

Sunday Salon: September 8, 2013

The Sunday Salon.com


 I can hardly believe we are a full week into September already - we even had some crisp weather this weekend signaling that Fall will surely be here soon. I got a little taste of cooler weather during the week before Labor Day when I went on a cruise to Alaska. Alaska has been "on my list" of place to visit for some time and when my Mom revealed she also wanted to go, we planned a trip. We sailed from Seattle and spent a few days there before our cruise started. Although I had been to Seattle for work, I had never spent any significant time there and never any as a tourist. We had a fun few days touring the city; by far, my favorite sight was the Chihuly Garden and Glass. I missed the artist's exhibit in NY a few years ago so I knew I wanted to see it when I got to Seattle - and I wasn't disappointed. The beautiful pieces mixed into the gardens were stunning.






We also made the trip to the Public Market - despite the fact that it was super busy, I loved it!  Stall after stall of beautiful flowers, gorgeous fruits and vivid vegetables. It was the flowers that got me - the bouquets were beautifully arranged and so affordable! I wish they had bouquets like that here - I would have fresh flowers in my office and home every week.



We made 3 stops in Alaska - Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. By far, my favorite part was one we didn't stop in - Tracy Arm Fjord.  We cruised through the fjord early in the morning for about four hours and it was just stunning - well worth the 5 am wake up call!



All the all, the trip was excellent.  We had active excursions in each port - we hiked in Ketchikan and kayaked in Skagway.  In Juneau, we hiked down to Nugget Falls at the Mendenhall Glacier.  It was a great way to close out the summer!

What destination is on your list?


16 comments:

  1. Looks like a fantastic trip. We are heading to Seattle for the first time next May -- now I'm even more excited. Enjoy autumn in NY, my absolute favorite time in my home town!

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    1. Enjoy Seattle! Fall is my favorite season here too - I can't wait!

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  2. What a fabulous vacation! I did my master's research in Alaska but never made it to the inland passage - it looks gorgeous. I'd love to go back one day. Seattle is a fun city too. Enjoyed your Bryson review below - I love his writing. It's hard to find the right book to listen to on CD while driving. Story matters but so does narration and it can't be too distracting.

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  3. I love your photos; they are amazing! What a great trip and the Chihuly is so vivid. I have never been to Seattle and would like to go some day. We just returned from Jamaica, where we had the most relaxing, peaceful 60-hour vacation. We never left the resort.

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    1. You photos from Jamaica looked amazing - sometimes the vacation where you never leave the resort are the absolute best!

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  4. Your trip sounds fabulous! I bet that garden is gorgeous. The little art museum in Auburn has some Chihuly glass and I used to love going to see it.

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  5. What a lovely journey...your shots are fabulous. I am now drooling and longing to visit those places.

    Here's MY WEEKLY SUNDAY/MONDAY UPDATES

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  6. Wow, what a wonderful trip. One of these days I'd love to visit Alaska, too. Your photos are amazing!

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  7. Wow, thanks for sharing your Alaska pics. It's on my bucket list. I'm a fan of Chihuly - caught his exhibit in my city several years ago. I also saw a PBS show that featured installations around Venice, Italy (outdoors!).

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    1. They showed part of that PBS special at the theater in the museum - I would love to see the whole thing. I loved seeing in the video how collaborative Chihuly was with the team that does his installations - he seemed like a real team player which is not always a trait of artists.

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  8. That's an amazing trip! I'm off to persuade the husband that we need to go to Alaska sometime. It's high up on my bucket list. The photos are awesome!

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  9. Wowwww.
    I love your Alaska pics.
    I'm itching to go there.

    Great pics.

    I love the market photos too.

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  10. Looks like a stellar trip on all fronts. What beautiful pictures! I can't help thinking that if the pictures look that good, it must be *staggering* in person. I'd love to see Alaska someday!

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  11. Your photos are breathtaking, especially the fjord! Alaska and Seattle (the entire Pacific Northwest, really) are on my list of places to visit, too. How nice you could take a trip with your mom!

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  12. Having grown up in the Seattle area I loved looking at your photos! So glad you had a good trip!

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