Geo: 55.3542, -131.691So that there is no unfounded lingering " eager anticipation" here, our lucky numbers did not come up in the onboard Paradise Lotto so Mac's investment of $8 paid no dividends.But, we still had the winning feeling because today was Ketchikan shore day. There were so many adventures and activities to choose from: kayaking, hiking, rope challenges, zip lining, snorkelling, canoeing or sport fishing. All the activities are rated for physicality from Level 2 through to Level 3. For our first foray we chose a Level 1 "Active and Adventure Tour" and "just because" we haven't eaten enough on the ship our adventure was The Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast. The tour began with a narrated bus tour and our driver and guide was Kevin, a native of the Bear and Raven clan. This ... read more

Geo: 49.2605, -123.114It's cruise day and there was a lot of packing and repacking of the repacking this morning. The luggage allowance specified we could have two bags each but no single bag was to be over 24 kgs. Thank goodness for the backpack because after the rearrangement, I was able to skinny zip my suitcase (no expander needed) and the back pack was fully expanded.The taxi was hailed at 11.00 and the drop off at the pier was 11.15. Again, the process was so easy. There was a baggage handler who took our colour-coded deck and stateroom labelled luggage and within two minutes we were through the gates and in the checkin line. There were plenty of staff around to get you moving in the right direction but it did take about 90 minutes to ... read more

Geo: 49.2845, -123.122And yes, we did make it to the Lake on Day 2 of Whistler. Another absolutely stunning day with clear skies, a bright sun taking the temperature to a cracking 29C.Mindy and Ian were in charge of the organisation of the morning activities and picked us up at 10.30 for a ride up to Lakeside at Alta Lake in The Four Seasons car. They were carrying bags with a blowup boat, two paddles and a picnic lunch supported by the ever present lemonade plus... lovingly referred to as Mike's.A shady spot was secured, all the non essentials were left on shore and in the blink of an eye, we were aboard and pedalling towards the centre of the lake for a floating lunch. Very nice!The pedal boats were easy to manoeuvre and we pedalled ... read more

Geo: 50.1187, -122.945Sadly then, Quesnel was a non event but it did mean that I was awake for Day 2 of the trip which of course would culminate at Whistler! Mac did a quick lap around the train station and held up the departure by 20 seconds taking a few Quesnel shots. And this was back to familiar changes in landscape rather than the monotony of the Cariboo Plains.Again, the food and drinks are endless. Think we both set new records today for scotch, rum and Baileys. The menu changes for lunch on the trip and I think today was my all time favourite. Mac had a tenderloin steak cooked to perfection that just melted under the knife and I had a dreamy, creamy Prawn Goyozo that I think I could eat for months. Our new ... read more

Geo: 52.8736, -118.083Lake Louise welcomed us to an overcast day but even the clouds could not dim the serene beauty of the lake. I did get up at 5.00 am to watch the light spill on the still waters and yes, even under dark skies, the lake shone back in beautiful shades of blue and green.It was a 9 am departure and we greeted lots of familiar faces in the lobby of The Chateau. We are gathering names and are getting to recognise lots of the passengers and we have come to know the speedy passengers who get to the front of the line first for the front seats, the jocular ones who like a laugh and the trivia buffs who seem to hoard the crazy facts about the animals and vegetation. We enjoy spending time ... read more