It was all a go.. or so we thought

It was all a go. - Or so we thought.. We were headed to ALASKA! 

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BUT, the night before we were to leave, we got a contract on our house, at 10 p.m. From 10 p.m. until about 2 a.m we spent much of the time we reserved for packing and last minute responsibilities with the real estate agent. When we finally collapsed in bed around 5 a.m. we weren't even sure the contract would go through after all. 

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We actually left not knowing.

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Whether due to the lack of sleep, last minute stress or whatever, I ended up with a major migraine headache. The flight was a total of about 13 hours of travel, and I left with ice packs which melted by the time we hit our first layover. I took baggies and asked the flight attendant to fill them w/ ice throughout the trip. It was not exactly what my dear sweet husband imagined (or myself ;). 

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I need to interject a very special thank you to my friends Angie and Brittany. They kept our Elizabeth for us as we felt she would fare better in familiar surroundings being only 2. The travel agent advised strongly that this trip would not be suitable for children under age 4-5 and looking back, we concur. Elizabeth adores her Miss Angie and Miss Brittany and we felt totally assured she was in loving hands. We took John and felt this would be a great time for some one on one before he started Kindergarden about 8 weeks later. We also met up with some travel buddies at our first stop! We were going with some family members, and friends which made our trip that much more memorable. 

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One very special person going with us was my Mom. I was so thankful she felt up to the trip. I learned that my Dad had been looking into this trip for the two of them just prior to his very sudden passing a few years ago. It was something he had always wanted to do. I thought of him constantly.

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Our first stop was the port of Vancouver Canada. It was where we would board the ship for our exciting cruise to the Inside Passage. We arrived a day or so early and did a little sightseeing in Vancouver, with a must see visit to Vancouver's China Town! Every weekend during the summer there is a Chinese Marketplace and it was actually the first time I've felt like I was back in China. The smells ;), the vendors, the music... It was VERY fun!

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We had dinner at the Seasons restaurant one evening. This restaurant is in Queen Victoria park overlooking the city of Vancouver. You could eat in your own private dining area outside complete with it's own fireplace. Ahhhh. 

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In Vancouver, it was raining almost the entire time we were there. I actually loved it. It was rather cold and I've never seen so many coffee shops! NO JOKE, there was either a Starbucks, or some other more 'local' establishment such as Blenz (my favorite) on every block! There was something special about the coffee.... 

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Finally, it was time to board the ship!