Ahh, Alaska...

So, this blog thing is kind of fun. I find myself thinking about things I can write during the day. The only problem is, I usually can't remember what it is I wanted to write about. Thankfully, though, that's not the case with this one...

I've been spending time recently (and not so recently) organizing a trip to Yellowstone with some of my friends here in Vegas. Some of these guys and gals have never been before and I think that's a travesty. So I made reservations and an itinerary (which I personalized with stickers) and put the word out. We had a little planning meeting on Wednesday - I say little, but it actually took 3 hours - and made some major headway on our trip. It helped everyone to get really excited, including myself. But it also made me think about how lucky I am to have traveled so much in my short 28 years.

I love travel and everything about it, and a major portion of this blog will focus on my upcoming adventures. But, as we discussed our plans, I was reminded of last year's big trip - a family cruise to Alaska. It was one of my favorite vacations ever! For one thing, I got to be with my entire family for a whole week - just us, no interruptions, lots of bonding time, and spectacular scenery (which we always try to have on family vacations whenever possible). We also got to do things we've never done - kayak around icebergs, ride in a sea-plane, watch for whales, ride a train to the Yukon, see a glacier calving... It was an incredible experience! I decided I'm moving to Alaska... Okay, maybe not, but when I'm incredibly wealthy I would like to have a summer home there...

Anyway, here are some of my favorite photos from our adventure:

In Skagway - cute family!

Our train to the Yukon - everything was so green!!

One of my favorite photos ever! Camille and Brandon in front of icebergs on Mendenhall Lake. We parked our kayaks and went in an ice cave under the glacier - it was amazing to see all the blue ice... And hiking around in rubber boots was quite an adventure!

The South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord. It's 300 feet high and 1/2 a mile wide. That little ship in front is still pretty far away - and it's not really a little ship...

This is a view of the Misty Fjords from the sea plane. We got to land and stand out on the floats of the plane to watch a grizzly bear that I spotted on the shore. Dad said I had my "spotting gene" with me that day! Thanks for passing along the farmin' skills, Dad!