Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Celebrating our 30th Anniversary - Family Style

Thirty years of marriage... wow. Not everyone can say that they've spent the last thirty years of their life with the same partner. But we can and we celebrate our commitment and love each and every day.




Last week we renewed our vows and celebrated with our children and their significant others onboard the Holland America Oosterdam on a cruise from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, BC. We had a blast from start to finish.Here's the fun we shared...

Our flights to Anchorage were via Alaskan Airlines and let me tell you how wonderful they were. From gate to gate the agents, flight attendants, and baggage crew were the friendliest and most helpful of any we've ever flown. We love Southwest Airlines and they are renowned for the luv they show their passengers too. But if I can't fly Southwest, I'm looking for a flight on Alaskan (www.alaskaair.com.) Great experience all around.

An overnight pit-stop was called for in Anchorage and we stayed comfortably at the Residence Inn Midtown (www.marriott.com) with pizza for dinner at Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria. This spot was highly recommended on Yelp, but I thought it was just average. You can certainly check it out yourself, but I'd keep looking. The beer, however, was cold.

The highlight for me was an impromptu flight on a 1957 Cessna aircraft with an experienced pilot/friend of Jeff's. He took Erin and I up above the clouds and over the glaciers and fjords of southeast Alaska. Wish I had a picture to share with you that could sum up this fantastic experience, but I'll just have to tell you to take advantage of this type of opportunity if it ever presents itself to you.


Our gang of funsters started off in Anchorage, Alaska after a few morning beermosas downtown. You wouldn't believe the number of people stopping by to take our picture. Hilarious! Thanks to Erin and her BF for grabbing our headgear and designing our t-shirts... love them.




Train travel is a bit of a funny story in our family, so booking the train made sense to me. The scenery was spectacular, the dining experience was pretty good, and the beverage car was amazing.  We met some lovely people on their way to our cruise as well - a shout out to Joel and Michelle and our Paradise Valley bar-keep for perpetuating the fun.








I highly recommend the train, but... we heard that bad weather washed the tracks away in a few spots the day after we sailed. Necessary repairs!!








The boarding process in Seward, Alaska was quick and convenient once off the train.

Holland America's Oosterdam is a lovely ship filled with vibrant colors, and some highly interesting artwork. We immediately spied some fairly interesting pieces and continued to be amused throughout the entire voyage.






Welcome to the Oosterdam!!

























I absolutely LOVE the towel animals each night :)






Planning for this trip began about 18 months ago and we were able to secure four balcony cabins across the aft of the ship. They were glorious! We opened the doors between our verandas and were able to enjoy our relaxing time together as we sailed along the southeast coast of Alaska. If you're interested in finding out more about Holland America, check out www.hollandamerica.com to search an itinerary that suits your fancy.








The typical Alaskan cruise visits three ports with three sea days. Ours was no exception and though our first day was a bit rough with some stormy seas it was nothing we couldn't handle. And after that... smooth as satin.


Jeff and I renewed our vows at sea with Zachary's presiding love story of Orpheus and Eurydice and Erin's recital of ee cummings "i carry your heart, i carry it in." Love you both!! Hugs and love to Mike and Maria for saying such kind and gracious things about us. Even Jeff teared up.






Glacier Bay was the destination for our second day at sea. Seriously gorgeous vistas from our balconies!










Our ports of call were Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Each port had so much to offer - lovely scenery, adventure if you care to take it on, and wildlife galore.

We hiked and kayaked in Haines...
Check out Rainbow Glacier Adventures at www.tourhaines.com.







And I even found a teeny-tiny cemetery that time has forgotten in a shady forested area outside town. There were about 25 headstones and nothing else. I love finding graveyards!!




We learned a lot about lichen from a certified lichenologist of course!







Saw the Mendenhall Galcier, and went whale-watching in Juneau.
Make your way to Gastineau Guiding at  www.StepIntoAlaska.com for more information on tours. 





Some of us snorkeled in Ketchikan.
Brrr..... Erin and Jeffery Edward!!

In each port we also visited a few watering holes to sample the local flavors with the BEST bar by far going to the Arctic Bar in Ketchikan, Alaska. They have no website to speak of according to Paula, the owner. This lady is tearing it up on the port in Ketchikan - stop in and tell her the Smith's said, "hey."





We truly enjoy cruising and traveling all around this crazy world of ours. To my favorite people in the whole world - thanks for joining us on this vacation. We are so blessed to share this wonderful life with all of you.

Until Next Time... See ya :)




Cheers to the big guy who puts up with me and indulges me on a daily basis.
Thanks, Jeff... I love you!






Thursday, June 12, 2014

How Do They Stand It??



Hubs and I got off the plane in Santa Barbara, California last Friday afternoon and giggled out loud. How do they stand it?? The weather, I mean. It was absolutely glorious! A soft coastal breeze blowing and it was about 65 degrees outside. Seriously. How do they stand it?

The Santa Barbara Airport (www.flysba.com) is marvelously small. The Spanish Mediterranean exterior fits in admirably with the architecture you'll find throughout Santa Barbara. There are just a few gates, a few places to snack, and the friendliest people you'll find in any small airport in the country. Even the people at Budget Rent-a-Car were uber-helpful. As you can see, the airport looks almost like a country club!


We were in town for a wedding - the wedding of the year, in our humble opinion. Our very dear friends' daughter was married on a hilltop outside Los Olivos, California. Romantic, graceful, rustic, and just plain beautiful. No pics to share, but I can tell you that it was magical.



Friday night found us at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos for a pre-wedding happy hour. I'd return to this place in a hot second. Great vibe out back with a cool little Tab trailer holding the cocktails, expert service, a good fire glowing in a giant kettle, bean bag toss, and bocce ball as well. This is a perfect location for a rehearsal dinner, party, even a wedding reception I bet. A quaint establishment and easy to find in the heart of Los Olivos. Check them out further at www.matteistavern.com.

We stayed the weekend at the Marriott in Buellton. There are tons of choices when staying in this area, but this Marriott is centrally located and that's what we needed. Spacious, clean rooms throughout and a welcoming atmosphere everywhere we turned. You can rent bikes here, stroll through town, hire a driver to visit the wineries, or just relax. The breakfast buffet wasn't too bad either (www.marriott.com.) These pinot noir grapes were growing beside the hotel, as was the gorgeous yellow rosebush (there were hundreds of blooms!)





Saturday morning found us out for a walk - hell, the weather was amazing! We circled the little downtown area of Buellton for about an hour or so.







Have you ever seen the Sleepy Hollow Motel??
We've never noticed it before. Cute name.








Or how about Andersen's for Split Pea Soup and a good night's rest? This place is so adorable!










 Can't resist taking our pictures as Ha'Pea and Swee'Pea either!


The village of Solvang beckoned after breakfast and we happily strolled about the town. We've been here many many times and enjoyed the food, the shopping, and sunshine. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (one of the first national stores) is still hopping 32 years after our first visit here. We had to pop in for a piece of chocolate and you should too. They're right on Copenhagen (the main shopping street) or on their website at  http://rmcf.com/CA/Solvang50032/. We made a few shopping stops into some cute little dress and souvenir shops, but came out big when we visited the Thomas Kinkade Gallery. Thanks Jeff for the lovely canvas!! It's going to hang nicely in our living room. 

Exhausted from all that shopping, we headed over to Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company for a frosty adult beverage. Love that place. The aroma of fresh hops smacked us in the face as we entered - delish! They were brewing and stirring and adding hops to one of their tanks and it smelled like a beer bakery in there. Lots of choices on tap here, but no food to speak of. There was a hot dog cart out front and some bagged potato chips to snack on. No worries for us, but be forewarned - we loved it here. 





The wedding was Saturday afternoon and evening and as I said before it was truly magnificent. There are brides, and then there are brides! I can only compare this lovely young woman to Grace Kelly in her gorgeous gown and ethereal veil that danced in the breeze behind her. The setting was out at Zaca Creek Ranch, near the mid-point of the ranch. No idea how this locale was found, but it was a gem. Great food, great music, great friends, great wedding. 

Sunday morning found us up and out pretty early as we had heard about a place called Jeannine's in downtown Santa Barbara. Our friends from Yelp were so right - it was fantastic! Jeannine's is on State Street in a little strip mall. Again, the scent of freshly baked pastries was all around us. Scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fruit tarts, all looked delectable. We settled on fresh fruit bowls with Salmon Eggs Benedict smothered in a dilly Hollandaise. Oh, and we shared a scone and some almond hot cocoa. Wow. Can't wait to get back to Santa Barbara to sample another little smidgen of something tasty. You should head over there directly! Check them out at www.jeannines.com for bakery and restaurant information. 

Jeff suggested the Santa Barbara Zoo for a walk following breakfast and I thought it a magnificent idea. I love zoos and this one is a pure delight. It's clean, spacious, and easy to navigate. We spent a few hours here catching up with some of our favorite zoo animals and learned a few things from the keepers too. This zoo is very ecologically minded with helpful tips at every encounter that encourage us to be kinder to our local environments and the global world we inhabit. Loved it and loved the animals too! Check 'em out.

 

 




That baby giraffe was too darn cute. 

Our short weekend came to an end so quickly, but we loved every minute of it. Can't wait to get back to this area sometime soon and bask in the ocean breeze. We have some friends who when asked about retirement mention the Santa Barbara area. Great idea I think... I hope they do. 

Until next time - wherever the road may take you...
:) Deb