Ketchikan, AK

The first port the cruise ship stopped in was Ketchikan. Ketchikan is a small port town that can be reached only by sea or air. 

Our cruise ship stayed at port until 2pm or so which might or might not be enough time to explore depending on what you want to do and see. If you go on 2 tours, it probably won't leave you enough time to wonder around town. Another thing to be prepared for is rain. For us it rained most of the morning, so we didn't get out until it eased of, and then we went on a tour at about 11am, so unfortunately I didn't get to see as much as I wanted to. Hubby didn't feel like he missed out on anything so it really depends on what you're into.  

Ketchikan, like every other port town we visited, is full with jewelry stores, which, as it unsurprisingly turned out, are owed by the cruise ship companies. I didn't care for them in the slightest and I don't quite understand why people suddenly want to buy jewelry when they go on a cruise or to Alaska or whatever. Anyway, there isn't much to see in town but the couple of places I didn't get to go to...

One place worth going to is Creek Street. It is in town but a bit of a walk from the dock. I had a glance at it from the tour bus and it looks cool and very photogenic. Also, I heard later that people saw some sea lines over there.

The second place I wanted to go to and didn't have the time is Saxman Village. It has some large totem poles and should be interesting for those who are interested in the natives' culture. One thing I didn't realise is that it's a fair way out of town and more more like a bus ride rather than a walk away. 

After the quick walk around town we had to go back to the port for our tour. I guess this is the time to mention that tours in Alaska are expensive and totally overpriced, in my opinion anyway. You can find alternative to the tours offered by the cruise company but I didn't find them to be that much cheaper. Another thing to keep in mind is that you're better off pre-ordering the tours as the price of the tours goes up once you're on but if you pre-order you can still cancel it once you're on the ship. This is the case with Princess Cruises anyway. Also, once you get off the ship there are companies offering their tours directly (some of them are the same ones as offered by the the cruise company) and I imagine that their prices might be cheaper or at least the same as the cruise pre-order price. 

Totem pole in Ketchikan - bringing salmon to town

We went on a Rainforest Canopy & Zipline Expedition and it was lots of fun! Some of the ziplines and suspension bridges are located over a creek/river and this is where some bears live and feed on the salmon! I saw a mum and a cab when we went on a suspension bridge but those that were quick enough to look down while ziplining saw more bears. It was really cool!  

I guess you'll have to take my word for it, that there was a bear down there.
This is the least blurry photo I have.

View from the trees

NOTE for those who want to bring a camera. Before you go out ziplining the guides stripe your camera to your gear so it is secure when you zipline so make sure you have the strap on your camera. Also, keep in mind that it might rain and take a cover for your camera or have pockets with zippers. As you can see a DSLR is a bad idea on this tour and I'm not sure they'll even let you take it. Before going to Alaska I bought a cheap compact camera and I'm glad I did. It was very handy on this tour and another tour I took, also in a rain forest. 

This is it for Ketchikan. Next port was Juneau, which is the state capital of Alaska and pronounce nothing like it's spelled. 

Vancouver, BC

The trip to Alaska actually started in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The cruise ship for Alaska was leaving from Vancouver and I convinced hubby to take an extra day off work and arrive in Vancouver a day earlier, so we ended up with 2 half days in Vancouver.

I loved Vancouver! It's dynamic and multicultural and in my opinion is the Canadian version of Melbourne. I'm more of an outdoors person but it's hard to ignore the energy of Vancouver and not enjoy it. Definitely recommend to visit although you probably don't need more than 2-3 full days.

We arrived in Vancouver around 10am and had most of the day ahead of us. We stayed at a hotel downtown (YWCA Hotel) and although it's quite expensive staying downtown, you can pretty much walk to most of the places a tourist is likely to go to and the public transport is very accessible and convenient as well.  

One place I really wanted to go to in Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge Park so this was our first destination. The entry is quite pricy, $33.95, but I think it's worth it, obviously depending on what your interests are. The Park is famous for the suspension bridge, which is quite impressive but I personally enjoyed the least. It moves a lot and when I crossed it the first time, I got stuck behind a family that was walking VERY slowly while one of the members was recording them on a video camera. It made me quite motion sick and since it was really busy I couldn't just pass around them and end my misery. So yeah, try to avoid crowds while on the bridge.

After you cross the bridge you get to the Treetop Adventure, which I liked the most. It consists of small suspension bridges and platforms going between the trees. Seeing squirrels is almost guaranteed... no, seriously, it's really cool.

The first part of the Park, unless you go straight to the bridge, is the Cliffwalk. It's pretty cool and since I'm not sure how best to explain the structure, just have a look at the website here.

One part of the Cliffwalk overlooking the trees and the river below

The suspension bridge, view from Cliffwalk

Treetops Adventure

There are a few ways to get to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. We caught a SeaBus (it's the name of the ferry there) from downtown to Northern Vancouver and from there a bus to the park. On the way back we took one of their free shuttles.

SeaBus, photo taken from ship

From Capilano Suspension Bridge Park we took it easy and went to a restaurant by the water at Canada Place. This is probably the time to mention that Vancouver isn't cheap. Expect Aussie prices and don't forget to tip. Tipping is the same as in the US: 15% expected and 20% for great service (or if you're just as kind...)

Finally we walked to Gastown. It was in the evening so most shops were either closed or closing but it looked like a great place for shopping (including for shoes, ladies!). Saw a couple of alternative clothing shops there with nice pinup dresses but they were both closed... There are also restaurants in the area but I haven't got into any so can't recommend. The steam clock, which I guess is kind of the main touristy attraction in Gastown, didn't impress me but hey, that might be just me.

The next morning we headed to Granville Island. There is a bus going there but it was the weekend and not many buses around so we just walked there. It wasn't too far away for us and the walk over the bridge was really pretty. On the way back we took a ferry and it was the shortest ferry trip ever!

Granville Island is really nice. There are markets with fresh produce, cafes and souvenir stands. It seemed popular for both tourists and locals. Out of the markets there are little shops with different galleries, art stores of different kinds and alike. If you're after mass produced stuff, you'll be disappointed. If you have the time, it's a nice place to visit.

Granville Bridge

Granville Islad, photo taken from the bridge

Granville Markets

This was pretty much the end of our visit to Vancouver. There are a few more placed I would have liked to visit but we really didn't have the time. Text time on my list are Stanley Park, the Aquarium and Chinatown with a return visit to Gastown for shopping and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

View from the ship. Not a great photo but I still like it.

What can I say?

Notes if you plan to visit Vancouver
Expect to see many homeless people in Vancouver, just so you don't think that you're in a dodgy part of town or something. They are everywhere downtown. It's really sad...

Granville Street is one of the main streets downtown and if you're staying in the area, like we did, you'll be able to walk or catch one of the public transports to pretty much anywhere a tourist is likely to go.

Weather: It's supposed to rain a fair bit in Vancouver but the weather was sunny and lovely both days we spend there. Probably the sunniest days of our whole trip!

From Airport to downtown: don't waste your money on a taxi. There is a SkyTrain going from the airport downtown. If you stop by the info desk at the airport, they'll give you a map and will advise where to get off. The fare is about $8 and you can use your international Visa card to pay for it.

Money: International cards seem to be accepted with no problem but if you want cash, there is an ATM at the airport.

And last but not least thanks to Patrick who was totally awesome and gave me some great tips for Vancouver!

Bandelier National Monument

I finally got to edit the photos from New Mexico!

After leaving Grand Sand Dunes National Park we continued our drive to Santa Fe through Alamosa. This way, turning west from the I-25 to Alamosa is longer then going on the I-25 all the way from Denver to Santa Fe but the road is MUCH more scenic and is definitely worth it if you're not in a rush.

When we finally arrived to Santa Fe (we stayed at Residence Inn - Marriott) it was too late to do anything and we were too tired to bother. At that point we didn't have any plans for the next day (it was a spontaneous trip, did I mention?) but luckily there was a book about New Mexico with some great ideas. There is truly a lot to see in New Mexico but because it's quite a large state I reckon it would take a week of driving around to have a good look around, as long as you plan your road trip well.

I wrote down a few ideas for places to see and mapped then on Google Maps. If you plan on visiting New Mexico, have a look at this map.

View Explore New Mexico in a larger map

We had pretty much one day to explore the area so we couldn't drive far, this is why we chose to go to Bandelier National Monument. It is about one hour drive from Santa Fe and has beautiful scenery and archaeology, both things I like. Currently you have to take a bus to Bandelier from a designated car park in Los Alamos. The bus and the parking are free and the bus leaves every 20 minutes so it's quite convenient. I won't expand much about Bandelier as you can get all the information from their website but shortly speaking, there are a few hikes, the main one is called the Main Loop as it takes you around the pueblo. It is quite easy as it is pretty much designed for the general public. Near the end of the loop you can go on another hiked called the Frijolito Trail. This trail is pretty steep and much harder than the Main Loop. You can do the Frijolito Trail as a loop but we just returned the same way we came. I didn't find the ruins at the top very interesting and wouldn't recommend going up just for the sake of the ruins. The steepness provided a good challenge though and the view to the other side of the hill was beautiful.

Here are some photos. Enjoy!

Overlooking the Kiva

Original carvings

View from the top of the Frijolito Trail

View from the other side of the hill, Frijolito Trail.

After the visit to Bandelier National Monument we had a quick look around Los Alamos, a town near Bandalier. The bus driver that took us to Bandelier suggested going to a look-out and this is what we did. Unfortunately I actually don't remember the name of this lake.

Hope you enjoyed the virtual trip to Bandelier! This pretty much sums our trip to New Mexico. On the way back we drove straight up on the I-25 and the views are all the same... If you have the time, find somewhere to visit on the way and to have a proper break from driving. Unfortunately we were in a rush and didn't have the chance.

The small images look really blurry, which drives me crazy! Please enlarge! 

Great Sand Dunes National Park

At the Great Sand Dunes

We had a very spontaneous trip to Santa Fe. We decided to go on Monday, hubby got his leave approved on Tuesday and on Wednesday I got a hotel booked and a suitcase packed. We didn't really have a list of places to go to and just decided as we went. I am quite obsessed about planning so this was a truly awesome experience for me!

To get from Denver to Santa Fe you pretty much need to stay on I-25 all the way. It's like the easiest trip ever if you don't count the exhaustion of driving for 6 hours. While driving we decided to go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park so at Walsenburg we turned onto US-160 W towards Alamosa. It makes the drive to Santa Fa longer but the dunes are worth the visit and the drive is much more scenic. 

The entrance to the park is $3 per adult. We stayed there for about an hour and I think it was money well spent. The park's main attraction is the sand dunes but there is more to do if you have the time.  

On the way to the Great Dunes National Park

Have you seen the panoramic photo of the dunes from the previous post? If not click here. 

The dunes are spectacular and climbing them is an interesting experience as you loose the sense of perspective. We started climbing the dunes and once we reached a top of a hill (see photo of me on top) we realised that there is a huge drop. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to climb to the top but I'm sure the view from the top is amazing.

For those going to the dunes and plan on climbing to the top or a fair bit up, bring lots of water and closed shoes as the sand is very hot. The walk to the dunes starts with some flat area which looks like a beach except the obvious lack of water or even a fresh, sea-smelling breeze. 

For those interested in the photography, all photos are taken with my one and only camera Nikon D40x and a kit lens 18-135mm. I used exposures of 1/60-1/80 (less than isn't recommended unless you use a tripod) and the closest aperture possible (to get as much of the photo in focus), ISO 100. I love landscape photography and can't wait to get a wide angel lens. 

Next post will be about our wonders around Santa Fe. 

Cheers!

Teaser - A trip to New Mexico

I came back from Santa Fe yesterday and have so many photos to process! I promise to upload the best ones of the bunch once I'm done but for now here is a little teaser for you - a panorama from Great Sand Dunes National Park. They are in Colorado but are on the way to New Mexico and were worth the visit even though we spent there only an hour or so.

Click to Enlarge

Photo taken with Nikon D40X, kit lens 18-135. Exposure 1/60 sec at f/20, ISO 100. 

Golden - Views & Brewery

Last Sunday hubby and I went to Golden, which is about an hour drive from Aurora, where we live. Golden is a small town near Metro Denver. They actually call it a city but with a population of about 20,000 people I just can't see how they qualify as a city.

We started our trip by going to Lookout Mountain which has a good view on the town. This is also where the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave are located. The museum is pretty small but I found it very informative and enjoyable. If you hear the name of Buffalo Bill Cody for the first time, like I did, make sure to visit the museum as he was a really interesting man.

View from Lookout Mountain

The road to the top of the mountain is very popular among cyclists and as the road shoulders are tiny they just go on the road itself meaning that you are likely to have a long and slow drive.
Take it easy and enjoy the views. 

Buffalo Bill Cody & his wife's grave

After visiting the museum and the grave we headed towards the town to visit Golden City Brewery. There are two breweries in Golden: one is Golden Brewery, which is one of the largest single-site breweries in the world; and the second one is Golden City Brewery, which is a small privately owned brewery. They advertise themselves as "second largest brewery in Golden" which is perfectly true as there are only two breweries in town.

Golden City Brewery, also known as GCB, is located at a private house and has a relatively large yard with tables for people to enjoy their beer and weather. To be perfectly honest the whole place is pretty shabby (but clean!) but the setting is so peaceful I've really enjoyed it! This brewery is also located a few blocks away from Washington St, the main street it Golden as far as I could tell.

Washington St if full with cafe's, grill restaurants and small stores and everything has a historical feel to it. I really enjoy this kind of settings and enjoyed the stroll along the street. Hope to come back next time and enjoy some hot chocolate and a muffin in one of those small cafes or maybe a steak in one of the restaurants.

After the visit to GCB, where we enjoyed some cold beer and a pizza, we went on a tour to Golden Brewery, a very large brewery that belongs to MillerCoors. It seems like the free tours to the brewery are one of the main attractions of Golden so they are very popular. There are mini buses that take you to and from the brewery. At the entrance they give you a phone guide and you pretty much can walk the tour on your own listening to it. Mine didn't work which I wasn't impressed about so you might want to check your while still at reception.

The pleasant surprise for me about this brewery was that it makes my favorite beer - Blue Moon. I wanted to go to the Blue Moon brewery but had no idea where it was until we arrived at the Golden Brewery and saw the Blue Moon logo around the place. Awesome! While at the brewery I tried Coors Banquet, which is also a light beer like Blue Moon but tastes differently. It is very refreshing and I really liked it. I wish I could try a few of the other beers but I really didn't feel like it, mainly because I already had had beer at the GCB and was quite full.

Wall of old posters at the Coors Brewery Lounge

Can only imagine how old this ad is...

At the end of the tour you come to what they call a lounge (I'd call it a bar) and can enjoy 3 free beer. I was quite happy with one (see my previous note) but there were people lining up for the next round while still holding full glasses in their hands. Pathetic if you ask me. Anyway, I think this kind of tour is great for a group of friends who enjoy beer, care to find out about the process of brewing and then enjoy some beer together. 


If you go to Golden and plan on the brewery tour I'd recommend doing this: 
Start early and go to the Lookout Mountain or go on a short hike. Then go to one of the cafe's on Washington St and have some morning tea, you don't want to be trying beers on an empty stomach. Afterwards go on a tour and make sure to try 3 different beer. Next walk to one of the grill restaurants for lunch or go to the GCB for more beer and lunch. 



After the brewery tour we headed back home but I plan on coming back, this time for hiking. 

Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon - one day trip

with Chaos & Nyx at the Red Rock Canyon

Yesterday was my first trip outside the city. The whole family of hubby, myself and the dogs went to Colorado Springs for a day trip and we had an amazing time!

Americans aren't huge of Easter and most people don't have Friday or Monday off, unlike Australia where you have a 4 day long weekend. Luckily hubby got the day off and I figured that Monday will be the perfect day to go for a trip as it won't be as busy as going on the weekend. This was the right decision so if you get a day off when most people don't, use it and go for a trip!

We started our trip at the Garden of the Gods, which is only an hour and a bit away from Aurora, where we live. The views there are spectacular with red rocks in different shapes and the snowie Pikes Peak in the background. Garden of the Gods offers hiking trials, rock climbing, cycling and even just by driving through you are sure to enjoy the views. We did one hike starting at Parking Lot 7 and going around, had a snack and then drove to the Red Rock Canyon, which is only about 5-10 minutes drive from Garden of the Gods. 

Entrance to Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak in the background

Tree growing in the rock

Red Rock Canyon also has magnificent views and great for hiking and cycling. We did one longish hike which surely exhausted myself and the dogs. 

Dogs on a leash are allowed into both attractions, which is fantastic! Chaos and Nyx seemed to enjoy the trip although they were exhausted and slept for the rest of the day after the trip and the whole night!

Red Rock Canyon

All the pictures in this post belong to me so please don't use them without my approval. Thanks!