We were fortunate to be on the maiden voyage of the Viking Orien through the icy narrows of Glacier Bay National Park. We could see most everything from our stateroom balcony but also chose to venture to the top deck for a broader view. We experienced Johns Hopkins Glacier, heard the crash of ice, saw dolphins and an Orca, plus navigated around chunks of ice that were not big enough to be icebergs. Instead, they were referred to as berg-bits. We cruised near Lamplugh Glacier, Russell Island, and Composit Island, as well as Grand, Drake, Willoughby, Beardslee, and Strawberry islands. Mountains and cascading waterfalls provided the background for this spectacular tour before we headed off to Sitka, the former Russian capital.

We’ve been at sea now for a full seven days with brief stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, In the next few days we’ll land in Valdez, Seward, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor before the week-long trek to Kauai. As I write this, Hurricane Ian is headed to Florida and expected to hit in our area. Heavy rain and sustained wind will threaten our home. Construction still continues on our outdoor kitchen but most of our lanai is safely stored in the garage. We’re, of course, hoping for a direction change but prepared for some damage. Maybe it will only be a little bit while we’re safe and dry in Alaska?