5-22-12

I just returned from a great vacation on a cruise ship that followed the west coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada. It is called a repositioning cruise because it brings the ship from its regular itinerary to a new one. It usually occurs when the calendar and the weather changes. In our case, the ship was sailing north to begin serving Alaska for the summer. It will return south when the season ends in September.

Our trip included stops in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Astoria Oregon, and Seattle. We also visited Vancouver Island and went on an excursion to Butchart Gardens. It is a former rock quarry that was transformed into the most beautiful landscaped scenery that you will ever see. I saw it for the first time a couple years ago at night. It was well lit and spectacular. On this occasion it was around 10:30 a.m. and with the natural sunlight it was even more magnificent. I would recommend this attraction to anyone that is in Vancouver (or even the Seattle area) to make an effort to visit this marvelous collection of foliage and floral delight.

My next cruise will be a 10-day trip from San Francisco to Alaska. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. It is one of my favorite destinations. I still have a lot of places that I haven’t been to, but I find Alaska to be so beautiful that it is hard to pass up an opportunity to go there. It seems to cast a spell on you once you have made your first visit.

Where are you going on vacation this year?

UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC