Gorgeous Glacier Bay

Wow! What a glorious day. After all the excitment of the day trips it was just great to glide through the magnificent Alaskan waters. The noise of the glacier was just thunderous and amazing to watch the icebergs float by.

Saw puffins and sealions on icebergs, orcas and humpback whales. So lucky to have experienced this.


If you can't access the movie will post some other photos as a back up.

Had a great day travelling up from Scagway with a fab driver who was just so wacko..knowlegeable and great fun. Loved the poetry. Heard the stories of the Gold rush. How did those guys climb up those stark mountain sides with packs so huge. The Mounties saved the day (as they do). They were worried about thousands of people starving up on the mountain and brought out a regulation so that everyone had to have enough food and goods to last them a year. These guys had to carry this huge cache up the mountain...no trail in those days and we are talking about mountains like the ones behind Roger and I. They were not allowed through if they did not have every item on the list.

It took most people 2 years to get through to the goldfields by which time the "Rush" was well and truly over.

Our trip did not compare - spectacular views from our luxury coach , lunch on the ranch and then onton horses for a fabulous ride through the wilderness. Then back to the ranch for canoeing and back to Scagway and the boat.



A real bonus was seeing bears on the way back. Loved the horse riding........whew! glad mine didn't run! Scenery breathtakingly beautiful.

Snorkelling in Alaksa - well who would have thought it would be so great!

A bit apprehensive as we set off through a rainy but pretty Ketchikan. Out of the 3 ships (4,000 people ) there were only 15 people who thought this might be a good idea - not reassuring!

We donned thick, thick wet suits, hoods, boots and gloves and off we went. It was suprisingly warm. Hard to show in the photos but it was full of life. Sea urchins, halibut, crabs and vast fields of beautiful sea grasses and kelp flowing in the tide. Roger saw a 4ft octopus ( mmm probably a bit glad I didn't!).

Amazing to get out and see the gorgeous snow capped mountains. If you ever get a chance go do it!!!!

Arrived in Vancouver to beautiful sunshine and with the warm sun on our backs boarded the Veendam. I must admit I have never wanted to do a cruise but this was just great. What I loved most of all was the fact that from our room we could watch the mountains drifing by. A nevcr ending and ever changing landscape. The food was fab and there was enough to do without it being over the top.

They had a great quartet that played chamber music, a well stocked library where you could read while wildlife watching (Yep we saw orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, eagles, puffins, arctic terns to name but a few). We spent three days on shore at Ketchigan, Juneau and Scagway before disembarking at Seward.

Snorkelling, rafting, hiking, horseriding and canoeing as well as sightseeing the towns made the trip great fun.

Middle photo is of our waiter "Julie" great amusement as we shared our name. Was unsure whether to share with him that traditionally Julie is a girl's name. Each day we got delivered to our cabin a copy of the hightlights from the New York Times and as we were Aussies news from Oz along with detailed information about the next port.

Photos of excursions to follow. Remember if you want to enlarge the photos just click on them. Also you can now comment on the photos so that everyone can read them or just keep sending emails to dawsonoz2@gmail.com. Love getting them and hearing your news

Washington DC

After Boulder we had a 3.00am wake up call because we had to be at the airport to meet the Gunnison students and Cindy Mckee, the Gunnison Middle School Teacher who had organised the trip to Washington. WoW!!! what a trip. Non stop, visits to museums, monuments, Mount Vernon, Williamsburg and James Town. All absolutely fabulous. The students were amazing and great to have parents as part of the trip.

One of the students captured my heart. He spent the whole trip working out how to do tricks with his hat (just like Caleb) and of course he was never looking at the same things or in the same way as the rest of the group!!

Loved Williamsburg - a great way to put American history into perspective.

My favourite place though (sad but true) was the National Archives. No it wasn't seeing the Magna Carter or the Declaration of Independence (Great as they were) but the public archives which had a fantastic facility which allowed access to databases via computer. So interactive it was great... so ...........m..if you were interested in Watergate or the sufferage movement or whatever, you simply glide your computer along under the data files and access what you want - original sources such as journal entries, photographs, movie reels, tv, radio interviews. So my kind of thing. Would just love to take students there.

As always I am cut up by all the monuments to war. Arlington broke my heart. 35 funerals a day ............of course not all from the current wars but still seeing hundreds of rows of white crosses really brings home the hundreds of thousands of people affected by all the conflict.

Love to see some peace monuments and some different messages going out to kids. In fact there is a new peace monument which is having all sorts of bureacratic problems. As I would say in my new all American accent "Go figure"

Still had an amazing time. Could have spent 3 weeks just in the Smithsonian. Americans really do know how to do philanthropy and to create these amazing institutions.

Arrived back in Denver after delays cos of weather at 2.30am to find our shuttle bus wasn't working. Got the grumpiest cabbie of all time. Next morning realised I had left my lovely journal behind. Ah well Vancouver and Alaska tomorrow

Summer's here and the living is easy

Couldn't believe we were back here. When we were 23 we decided to get a Greyhound bus and travel across America. We had no money but our thinking was that once we had bought a bus ticket we could sleep on the bus and hey who needs to eat anyway!

So we finally reach Boulder and realise there are a few flaws in our thinking! BUT, we hired a car and drove as far as we could go before the roads were closed by snow (It was April). So here we are in June starting our summer holidays and guess what........the roads were open but there was snow in abundance. Just loved it!

If you want to enlarge the pictures just click on them.

Love from the USA

Julie & Roger

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First day of our holiday....Boulder, Colorado. The last time we were here was in April 1974 - 35 years ago!!! I stood in Flagstaff National Park and said "I could live here" Well Boulder has changed enormously, but it is still so beautiful. We had breakfast at a marvellous place "The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse"
What an incredible place, artisans in Tajaikistan carved the roof, pillars and walls and it has been rebuilt here on 13th st. AND in the best of Russian traditions they make the most fantastic tea. Breakfast was huge and wonderful. Totally over- indulged and then wandered through the farmers market buying fresh bread and herbs. Off to Flagstaff National Park tomorrow. Whoo Hooo!!!

Rafting the Gunnison

Hey! We really are in the yellow raft......how about that!

rafting the gunnison river (video)

look out for us ....we are in the yellow raft click below.


Can you believe we did this? Loved it so much we are going to have another go in Alaska

Spring is still springing!

I know I keep posting Spring has Sprung type pictures but it really is amazing here... Birds are nesting all around the house and there are hundreds of different flowers around the town and on our walks. Did a Great walk to Beaver Creek and had a look at old Irwin cemetary and YES there was still snow!!!!!!!