Prisoner of Hopes

Category: cruise

  • Chena River Discovery: Travel Goals Alaska

    Chena River Discovery: Travel Goals Alaska

    I’m making the bold claim that the Riverboat Discovery cruise is the best value in Fairbanks. I was impressed start to finish. We skipped it on our last visit, because it seemed like just a short ride up the river. We come from Mississippi River country and have been on our share of river boats…

  • Mendenhall Madness: Travel Goals Alaska

    Mendenhall Madness: Travel Goals Alaska

    Our first stop in Alaska is Juneau. The ship docked around 3pm and will leave port around 9 pm. We decide to skip the crowded city streets (and they are ridiculously crowded) and head to the Tongass National Forest to see the Mendenhall Glacier. Sounds easy enough but I don’t want a tour group experience.…

  • Zaandam: Travel Goals Canada

    Zaandam: Travel Goals Canada

    We arrive on the Zaandam excited to begin our journey to the Yukon. It will be our temporary home for the next four days, until we reach Skagway, Alaska. We are overjoyed to see that we have been upgraded to a balcony suite, complete with a deep whirlpool tub. What was meant to be a…

  • All Aboard At Canada Place: Travel Goals Canada

    All Aboard At Canada Place: Travel Goals Canada

    Today we leave our rental in Marpole and head to the Canada Place cruise terminal in downtown Vancouver. It is Canada Day (it is a 4th of July-like Independence Day celebration). The Canadian holiday celebration is sure to mean bigger crowds at the docks. We are also advised by the cruise line to get to…

  • Vancouver In View: Travel Goals Canada

    Vancouver In View: Travel Goals Canada

    Vancouver is grittier in person than the travel photos would lead us to believe. It is hard to explain because the city is clean. It just seems tired, like my first look in the mirror after I wake up. Older but not ancient. Capable of looking better with a little makeup and accessories. Good bones…

  • The Struggle: Travel Goals Norway

    The Struggle: Travel Goals Norway

    Excitement is high as we land in Tromso, Norway. It is beautiful. Mountains and fjords merge together under a cloudy sky. Dramatic is the only word to describe the landscape. Here we disembark. We wait impatiently for others to leave the ship. Many only have a few hours to experience Tromso and we will stay…

  • Into the Arctic: Travel Goals Norway

    Into the Arctic: Travel Goals Norway

    I wake up quite early and realize it has been snowing throughout the night. Steady sleet pounds the windows and I smile. Just as dawn breaks, I emerge onto the upper deck. Today we cross the artic circle and venture far beyond. We entered the boat in Bergen and will not disembark completely until Tromso.…

  • Watching the World Go By: Travel Goals Norway

    Watching the World Go By: Travel Goals Norway

    I love to be at sea. Early in the morning, I am often the only one on deck. As morning breaks over the water, at first only shadows appear. Slowly the landscape takes shape amid an orange glow. The waves are shadowy and alive. The air smells clean and the wind is brisk. It is…

  • Trondheim Pilgrimage to Nidaros: Travel Goals

    Trondheim Pilgrimage to Nidaros: Travel Goals

    We dock in the cold, cold rain. Coming down the gangway, the wind blows water into our faces. My husband struggles into his rain suit while I wrestle with my umbrella. We try to follow directions to exit the docks into the town. In the blowing rain, it is unclear which way to go, so…

  • The Arctic Awaits: Travel Goals Norway

    The Arctic Awaits: Travel Goals Norway

    Today we leave Bergen aboard the Hurtigruten Coastal Express. This ferry system has traversed the length of Norway since 1893 and is our home for the next four nights. Norway has the second longest coastline in the world (after Chile where we sailed last Spring). Hurtigruten means ‘the fast route’ because it runs 24 hours…