Sea Princess

     The last week or so has been pretty hectic around here. Three families whom we’re friends with are either moving or preparing to move. One of the families is being transferred with the Coast Guard and leaves on Sunday, so today we took their oldest daughter, who is also our daughter’s best friend, up the Mt. Robert’s Tramway. She had never been before, so we thought it would be a special treat to ride the tram up Mt. Roberts, explore the trails, gift shop, have lunch, and take a few photos.
     We checked the cruise ship schedule this morning and discovered that there was five cruise ships due in Juneau today. Once we got downtown, there were only four in port and the fifth was on it’s way out. We figured the line, at the Tram, would be horrible, but instead we were able board one of the tramcars after only waiting a few minutes, thanks to the tram running every 5 minutes.
     After spending 3 hours at the top, we had to wait in line to make our decent, so I took the opportunity to photograph the four cruise ships in port.  The Sea Princess (the one anchored in the Gastineau Channel) was the same ship used for the “Love Boat” episode in 1981 when Julie McCoy (played by artist Lauren Tewes) was married aboard the Love Boat. When researching which ships were used during the filming of the television series the “Love Boat,” which ran from 1977 to 1986, I learned that a total of six different cruise ships had filming take place on them. Apparently it depended on the episode trip (ex. Europe, China, Caribbean, etc.).

If you would like to see more photos from those participating in Watery Wednesday, just click on the link.

Surprise

For Mother’s Day, my husband and our two children surprised me by taking me up the Mt. Roberts Tram for a hike and then out to lunch at the Timberline Bar and Grill (located at the top of the mountain). We were fortunate to have a window seat, which enabled us to watch the tram cars go up and down the mountain every five minutes plus look down on Juneau. I took this photo while we were waiting for our food to arrive. My husband and I had seafood quesadillas (with halibut, salmon, crab, and shrimp), which is riddled with delicious jalapenos. If your not a fan of hot, spicy food, I wouldn’t recommend it. Our kids each had a giant nacho platter. They were so large that they could have shared one. You should have seen the look on their faces when the waitress brought them. It was priceless. It was definitely a very special Mother’s Day.

Sloped

Sky Watch

Today was a glorious day all around. Our kids were off from school today because it was “Take Your Kid to Work Day,” so after our daughter’s eye appointment, in the morning, we met up with their Dad at the Goldbelt Hotel. He had spent the morning in a business meeting. He's a Network Administrator for the Goldbelt Corporation.
      After we had a wonderful lunch at the Hanger, my husband needed to do some work on the computers at the gift shop at the top of the Mt. Roberts Tram. The kids and I were invited to come along since it was "Take Your Kid to Work Day." Wow! What a wonderful opportunity for them. I must say, as a photographer, I wasn't complaining.
      What an amazing day especially for Sky Watch Friday. It was a partly cloudy day, with off and on rain showers in the morning, but it didn't rain once on our adventure. I’m so grateful we are able to experience the view. Thanks Goldbelt!
      If you would like to see more Sky Watch photos from around the world, just click on the link.

Mt. Roberts Tram

The Mount Roberts Tram has already begun making preparations for the upcoming tourist season. The tramcars take passengers up about 1800 feet to the top of Mt. Roberts where you can enjoy spectacular views of Juneau and the surrounding area, learn about the Tlingit culture, have lunch or dinner at the Timberline Bar and Grill, shop at the Raven Eagle Gifts, or hike the scenic trails. It definitely makes the top 10 list of things to do and see when visiting Juneau.

Today is also “Theme Day” for the City Daily Photo Community. This month’s theme is the color red.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

To see more Sky Watch photos from around the world, just click on the link.