Maiden voyage... or maidens on a voyage

Well, after three and half weeks on the road, it is time for our mid-vacation vacation. Amy & I have now farwelled Tyler & his trusty beast of a car for a somewhat bigger vehicle... the Golden Princess.

(Photos: Left- The view out of cabin window; and Right- Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska with another boat in the foreground)

As you may well imagine, the demographics of our cruise are different to the category that Amy & I are classified in. I think about 95% of our fellow travellers were either retired or on their honeymoon. With many people choosing 07/07/07 to be married, our cruise was a popular wedding & honeymoon destination.

Amy & I held the "Maidens of the Voyage sports tournament" on one afternoon. After a game of checkers (we didn't know how to play chess), miniature tennis & putt putt golf, Amy & I secured equal first overall on the podium!

With the ability to eat at anytime, anywhere & with anyone, the buffet sitting areas was a great way to meet our fellow travellers. On one particular evening, we were joined at our table by a solo traveller. Trudi, with her 82nd birthday this Sunday, was on her 80th cruise!! Amazing!! Trudi had the ship's honour of being the person on the ship with the most number of cruises under her belt. Amy & I must have left her with a decent impression as Trudi then invited us to be her special guests at the Captain's special cocktail party where she was given an award for her efforts. What an honour! Below is a photo of Amy & I with Trudi and our ship captain, David Calabrese.

Being Prepared

So, Amy & I are traveling for 7 weeks. As you can imagine, packing for this length of time and for several different climates can be quite difficult. Amy & I adopted the "layering" approach to packing clothing - i.e. we would wear several lighter layers of clothing if the weather was to turn cooler.

This method would ordinarily suffice however.... we have been traveling in a "special" car. It's minor ailments include: the drivers' window being stuck shut (not good when you are crossing international borders and need to hand over the passport while "remaining in your vehicle") and the front passenger window being stuck open. In terms of temperature control, both of these ailments have their advantages and disadvantages. On any average temperature day, it provides a great air flow in the vehicle. On any hotter day it means the driver and their companions need to ensure adequate hydration replaces the mass fluid loss. And, on the cooler (to freezing) days, it means the driver and their companions use all available clothing (two to three jackets each, beanies etc) to keep hypothermia at bay.

We should have taken this approach to staying warm on our visit to Athabasca Glacier. Taking into account the name of the passage we were visiting (i.e. Iceland Parkway) and that we were visiting a glacier, we should have had a clue that our summer wardrobe would not provide adequate coverage. Below are two photographs: The first shows both Tyler & I forcefully smiling as we take a photograph of us freezing on the glacier. The second photo shows an aussie dressed in shorts (vs other more prepared tourists in the foreground), with the outside temperature being close to zero degrees celsius.

So wrong, but oh so right

Ok, there are several things that are different in the US, compared with down under. One of the most significant details is driving on the right hand side of the road.

Under the expert tuition of both Mike & Tyler, Amy & I have both managed to conquer the art of driving on the wrong side of the road without too many dramas. We are just thankful that we were able to learn on the easy highways rather than in LA (what a mess!). Our key line to remember when approaching an intersection is.... "LONG LEFT".

Doing it tough and not so tough

Tyler, Amy & I have now concluded our tour of the Canadian Rockies. In summary, the spectacular scenery and vastness of the wilderness far exceeded my expectations.

We spent 5 days traveling from Calgary to Kamloops, via both Banff and Jasper. We completed many short to medium length walks during these days and viewed several lakes & scenic spots, including the famous Lake Louise.

Taking into consideration that we are in fact on holidays, we did ensure that we did relax appropriately after a few hard days of hiking... We took advantage of every hot spring, hot tub, spa & pool available to us. With the water temperature at 39 degrees celsius, the Banff Upper Hot Springs were certainly a favourite.

Wildlife, geysers & rainbows...

Welcome to Yellowstone National Park...

Nestled in the USA state of Wyoming, Yellowstone offers a variety of things to watch in ore of wonder.

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**
The main thing to know when entering a national park or driving around nature is to observe the other vehicles on the road. For example, if you see one car parked on the side of the road it general means that someone in the car required a pit stop. Therefore, don't look. If, however, there are two or more cars parked on the side of the road, it means that there is something to watch and/or take a photo of. For example, an elk or bison.

Highlights of our day in Yellowstone include: Observing the geysers resting on the shore of Yellowstone Lake; Stopping on the side of the road to take photos of elks & bisons; and seeing a beautiful rainbow over the top of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon.