Strait to the Mountains

Our final evening in Victoria brings a beautiful golden moon posing beside the magnificently lighted Parliament House - a perfect send off.




















The Coho Ferry whisks us away this morning and bring us back home to these United States. The route takes us across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, crossing the same waterway we've walked and beached for the past week and we arrive in the city of Port Angeles, gateway to the amazing mountain range at Olympic National Park.









A climb up Hurricane Ridge for a picnic in the same mountains we've eyed across the waterway is a surreal experience. The clear skies offer a view which feels like we can actually reach out and touch these soft peaks. It's breathtaking. The only way for a picnic!

Vancouver to Victoria

Flying from Anchorage to Vancouver presents some truly spectacular mountain vistas from the plane windows. A fond farewell and reminder of the majesty we've witnessed these past few weeks.



Vancouver is really lovely and seems like we've been away from here so much longer than the only two weeks it's been since we sailed. Our dear friend, Kimberly, is flying in from Orlando and meeting us this evening. We are so excited to have her join. Dinner in downtown Vancouver at a recommended pub begins our "catch up" session and the three of us rest extremely well this first evening after all of our long journeys to reach each other.


Morning brings more beautiful skies and the 1 and 1/2 hour ferry ride to Victoria is absolutely breathtaking. Mountains reign all around the crystal clear waters of the Sound and Orca whales are spotted often. A good sign of what's in store.


We are all in awe of the beauty surrounding us everywhere. The excitement is mounting as we plan for our fun week ahead!

Ferry to Bainbridge Island

More family to see and today a trip on the Washington State Ferry out of Seattle over to Bainbridge Island is our start. The skies are relatively clear for this area's standards and the route over presents some beautiful city scapes. It is truly a gorgeous sail.










Celeste's nephew, Sal, meets us at the dock on the Island side and begins a grand class tour of his haunts. He is an expert guide and I really enjoy this little town. Very green, very pretty.





The views of the Olympic Mountain range are evident everywhere and Puget Sound spectacularly frames. I'm thinking this is the best of both worlds here. A charming island, beautiful landscape, water and a quick ferry over to Seattle - this is the place!


We have a little picnic at a charming waterfront park and continue our afternoon back at Sal's home where we meet the ruler of the nest, Rocky, an adorable parakeet who entertains us thoroughly.


We're soon joined by yet another nephew, Tony, and the party begins.


Sal's adorable girlfriend, Demi, is the birthday girl today. Sal decorates her cake, we all gather and head to meet a great group for a celebratory dinner. A great, fun crowd and we all enjoy thoroughly. Celeste is in her element with all of her family around.

It's another full day and evening and we just miss an earlier ferry, so we have a bit of a wait to return to the mainland. (This, I guess, is one of the downfalls of this otherwise perfect place.) The lighted skyline welcoming us back is all we've heard rumors of and certainly worth the late hour.

We've managed to have the perfect send off for our ultimate journey ahead. Bags are packed and Vancouver is our destination for our sail away to the start of the ultimate Alaskan adventure.

Can you believe it? We're almost on our way!!!!

The Crossing

We have one more family visit in Michigan before we head across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. Celeste's oldest sister, Kathy, and daughter, Angela are a welcome find after a 3-hour rainy trip northwest to Morley. They greet with a great med dinner of lamb and veggie kabobs, couscous and corn. Wine, catching up stores, and laughter make up the perfect evening. Angela is planning her Disney wedding and it sounds perfect!


The brief visit is full and a morning ferry time from Ludington has us on the road very early. Crossing the lake on the SS Badger takes four hours, but this is nothing compared to what a land traverse would have cost in time, so we don't complain. It is a beautiful sunny day although a bit brisk. We land in Wisconsin just in time for lunch overlooking the path we've just taken and then begin our trek up to Door County.















The scenery in this region is gorgeous and the drive along the peninsula is a real treat. We find our home in Fish Creek this afternoon.

After settling in from the long day's journey, we ready for one of the highlights of our Door County trip. A Fish Boil!! Within walking distance of our hotel we find Pellitier's serving up a special evening of white fish and the fixins. What fun is had here! Our chef is a master of this fine art, very personable and provides quite a show for us diners. The result after the great show is equally great food. We enjoy every morsel on the outside deck overlooking a beautiful rock formation. Just spectacular.

A further stroll lands us at Sunset Park for a beautiful end of day show overlooking Green Bay. We couldn't ask for a more perfect end to our introduction to Wisconsin.

Central Park to the Battery

Central Park is truly bustling this afternoon, the perfect park day. The carriages are very busy and picnics are found at nearly every turn. Everything Central Park should be on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We zigzag our way around the zoo and artists, playground and ball fields, traverse little bridges and meander back out through a tunnel escape into the Upper West Side area. A bit hungry, we find an adorable eatery that is just perfect, Le Pain Quotidien. Fresh baked breads fill the welcoming bakery entry. Small and family style tables dot the small restaurant area, filled with locals, always a good sign. A fellow diner heartily suggests the mediterranean sampler platter, loaded with a variety of those breads we passed and spreads of hummus, babaganoush and taboule. A huge platter, easily shared, we added one of their interesting tartines and a cup of soup. Beer and wine accompanied and we were more than happy. Our walk has caused us to work up a bit of an appetite and the indulgence is wonderful.




















A taxi ride from here brings us down to the battery for the obligatory Statue of Liberty viewing. Our driver takes us by Carnegie Hall and through the financial district en route. The three of us board the Staten Island Ferry for a closer view as we sail by and subsequently encounter an amazing New York skyline on the return trip. Right out of the movies, folks! We are not alone on this journey, as you can imagine. The views afforded make it well worth the crowd. Upon our departure, we stroll along the shore for one final glimpse toward Ellis Island. Time does not allow a trip out, unfortunately. We've made the best of our time on this quick tour and catch a final taxi back to the train station. We pass under the Williamsburg Bridge we found ourselves on two days ago on the way to the Hamptons, and also the Brooklyn Bridge (we can almost see Steven and Amanda meeting halfway across!)

Back at Grand Central, we find time for a final cocktail and some oysters at The Grand Central Oyster Bar. This is the perfect end to our day here. Evening is coming in and the place is starting to fill, patrons waiting to catch trains and locals in for a bite, some on their way to the theater. We can feel the city night start to come to life. Alas, it's time for us to catch our train back to Connecticut.


Returning home, we extend our evening a bit longer sitting out by the water. It's so peaceful. Though it's a bit chilly, we toss on jackets and sip some wine, reflecting on the fun and full day. The quiet is a stark contrast to the busy city we've just left. It's amazing! This is the perfect place. The calm beauty of the sound in Connecticut on one hand and a short train away the city that never sleeps. Who could want for more?!