North to Alaska!

Brian and I had the pleasure of going on a cruise with his family to Alaska. It was so much fun and absolutely beautiful. After some rough seas we arrived in Juneau on Monday morning. It rained in the morning but cleared up for us later. We went on a tour of Juneau and we were able to see our ship across the way. We also saw about a dozen eagles and the famous Mendenhall Glacier.

The next day we spent some time in Skagway where we rode the train up through the Yukon Pass. We rode through the mountains on a narrow railroad that had you a couple of feet away from the sheer mountainside and another couple of feet away from the cliffs on the other side. Waterfalls were everywhere.

After our train ride Brian got to go on a wildlife excursion to Haines. Haines is famous for its eagle population and Brian got the chance to see why. While standing in one spot, he saw 21 eagles, but the real treat was seeing the bear along the banks eating fish. Brian went on the excursion with his brother, Dean, who has some professional camera equipment. Brian had his nice binoculars so the other people on the excursion wanted to know which magazine they worked for. While the boys played I pampered myself with a massage and facial at the spa onboard the ship.

The next day we sailed though a narrow pass to Traci Arm Fjord. All around us were icebergs of the most brilliant turquoise. We went all the way in to see the galcier and watch icebergs calf off of the side. Gorgeous!

A place we wish we could've spent more time in was Ketchikan. It is such a pretty little town. We were able to catch the lumberjack show and walk around town to see some totem poles. We were quite fortunate not to have it rain on us while we were in port. It rains about 200 inches a year in Ketchikan but not on us!

Apparently, I was in charge of providing the entertainment for our family on the cruise. After being hypnotized, I gave everyone a good laugh by dancing around the stage and making funny faces. Then I participated in the "Princess Pop Star" contest, which is the cruise's version of American Idol. I won the first qualifying round and got to come back for the finale. Against some tough competition, I sqeezed out a victory! It was very fun and exciting to be in my "element." I was grateful for the support of my fans and family.

All in all, we had a great time. The food was awesome, and there is no way we could eat that way on a daily basis for a long stretch of time. We met some really nice people and had a great time with our family. We were also glad it was over so we could be on dry ground again and go home to see our kids. It is an experience we will never forget!