Got Home and Got Out!

Two days after we came home from San Diego, Mitch brought me along on one of his "Get Outs" for work. We took a short drive out of town to see Portage Glacier. I had been on the small cruise before...but never with a local celebrity. Needless to say, I was very excited (and snapped a few paparazzi shots).



Soon I worked up some courage and asked him if I could take his picture...then he offered to take mine! : )


The cruise was fun. Captain Bubbles even came out, and true to form, started blowing bubbles. I couldn't resist popping some. In order to appear less excited than the kids on board, I simply judged where the wind would blow and casually positioned myself in that vicinity. And sure enough...POP! to my hearts delight :)

On the opposite end of the life span, many of the passengers were...well, old. I have observed (particularly from my 4 years working at a tourist trap) that most visitors to Alaska are rather elderly. Apparently I am not the only person to have made this observation:


This little plaque was on each of the four benches they had on deck. I loved it so much I had to take a picture. Why call it a center? Too funny!

Portage Glacier

After the cruise, as a special treat to the media, we were taken out on a small ice-breaker boat.

Getting closer...

Our skipper--sorry, not Captain Bubbles. I didn't snap any pictures of him. Forgive me, please?

We got right up close to the glacier, and Mitch and his photographer were allowed to get out of the boat and climb up on the rocks. No one gets to do that, so we were all very excited. It was amazing how huge it is--which is much easier to tell when you get up that close and can have more of a frame of reference (person: small; glacier: enormous). Luckily no calving occurred when Mitch was out on the rocks, otherwise he may not have come home in one piece! I was a bit nervous for him...but glad that he was able to get that once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Look closely!

What more fitting way to return to my home state of Alaska?