tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89908113015347914392011-06-06T19:50:22.739-04:00a travel-blog, family-blog, life-blog, us-blogRobynnoreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-9785495242400226252008-05-04T14:45:00.001-04:002008-05-04T14:47:29.161-04:00

If you are looking for worthy organizations to donate to, check out Charity Navigator.

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-16895157004509035102008-04-12T13:20:00.002-04:002008-04-21T16:16:31.341-04:00

Saturday, June 21 from 11am to 4pm.Go to our customized Marriott website. Invitations coming soon.For those who have asked about Civil Unions, read What's The Difference?

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-22693005790421669842007-10-26T13:18:00.000-04:002007-10-26T13:55:17.410-04:00

And on the last day we went to Victoria...blah...blah...blahWe've been home from our Alaskan vacation for more than a month now, and the memories of our adventures are melting faster than the glaciers. Since our return, we've been working hard at our respective offices; I've been ignoring my thesis while watching my self-imposed deadline tick away; we've been to a few parties, including the 1st

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-43294548223190791452007-09-14T22:19:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:56.534-05:00

Okay, sorry for the hokey title but I just cracked myself up. Hopefully it will amuse some of our visitors. Actually, this day was one we had all been anxiously awaiting with pure unadulterated excitement. After my death defying feats of rock climbing and repelling ;-) I was feeling pretty sure that this wouldn't have the same "fear factor" component as my Skagway excursion. However, it was a bit

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-27642638466961431922007-09-13T22:24:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:57.268-05:00

This cruise had a great itinerary. We left Seattle late Sunday and Monday was a full day at sea, allowing us ample time to get acquainted with the boat. The ship has lots of activities so you are never bored at sea, and we wound up playing Wii tennis on a giant movie theater-sized screen.Thursday was the second of our two sea days for the vacation but we spent the

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-8065988755269035652007-09-12T22:48:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:57.600-05:00

Dan left early for her horseback riding, canoeing, rock climbing and rappelling excursions, while I opted to do the Glacier Point wilderness safari with Howie, Stef, Becky (who took these great photos), John and Lenny. Before we left for our trip, I took a walk by myself through Skagway (or, at least, the inauthentic part of the town where they sell T-shirts to tourists). It was another bright,

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-17466398837808414252007-09-12T21:42:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:57.943-05:00

Knowing I would have a good part of the day in front of me when I returned from the Yukon, I planned a second excursion for the day. Well, maybe not quite as much time as I thought cuz I missed the bus by 7 minutes. The NCL rep at the excursions booth immediately got on her walkie-talkie and tried to get them to come back for me. Not happening. Instead, they sent a van for me! And on the way to

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-47755896963915645902007-09-12T19:59:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:58.723-05:00

Our group met up with our wranglers, a gal who was a seasoned competitive rider with a killer Stetson and her husband, and donned our helmets [Helmets?! I wasn't about to get on a bike, I was getting on a horse! What the heck was this about?] to reduce risk and liability. Even in the Yukon they're concerned about litigation. Hrmph! My trusty steed, Ice, was the youngest of the fold with limited

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-90834727147591681652007-09-12T11:19:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:59.118-05:00

This was the day I had been waiting for (ok, all the others were great too but this one was particularly exciting). I would forgo my now early morning ritual of stretching and aerobics classes. Instead I made a b-line for the Garden Cafe for a(nother) hardy breakfast. Then I dashed off to meet my excursion mates at the end of the pier @ 7:20am. We were all Yukon Ho! bound, where we would paddle

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-4972097182515642882007-09-11T21:30:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:59.679-05:00

The day started with a 9/11 memorial service on the ship, led by a rabbi who would be performing Rosh Hashanah services later in the week. Six years later, I can still feel all the emotions of that morning: the anxiety of tracking down Howie and friends; tremendous grief for the victims and families; and the pain of losing the buildings that were at the centerpiece of a treasured childhood memory

Robynnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-35238486786976010342007-09-10T20:39:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:49:59.910-05:00

We had a full day of sailing in front of us so we had plenty of time for a BIG breakfast (which just happens to be my favorite meal of the day). They turned me loose on the buffet, which was a very dangerous thing. For openers I had a bowl of cream of wheat with fresh blueberries, raisins and almonds, accompanied by a plate of fresh pineapple, honeydew and cantalope, and a glass of orange juice.

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-38058488103782091562007-09-09T23:20:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:50:00.304-05:00

386 pictures later...... we were heading to our ship. There she was, the Norwegian Pearl, colorful and sparkling under sunny Seattle skies. We breezed through the embarkation process (passports, ID photos, room keys, etc.) and quickly set out for the gangway. It wasn't long before we found our 10th floor cabin and swung open the door, immediately heading to our balcony to take in the view of the

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-85461777827383559462007-09-08T23:02:00.000-04:002007-09-21T00:05:36.749-04:00

Could a visit to Seattle be complete without a walk through Pike's Market, a view of the fish-catching show, a bowl of chowder and a cup of coffee from the first Starbucks?Hype and commercialism aside, I found myself falling for the city. It began when we made the back-and-forth trek to replace the camera and I

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-65752512544467286802007-09-08T22:53:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:50:00.456-05:00

From the balcony of our room at the Warwick we had a perfect view of the Space Needle erected in 1962 for the World Fair. Very cool sight. After returning from a lovely dinner with cousins Larry & Linda at their beautiful home (with spectacular views!), we took full advantage of an amazing (albeit unusual) Seattle night and walked around the city. It's funky, eclectic vibe was accented by

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-38854815266097837822007-09-08T21:46:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:50:00.575-05:00

Saturday morning, we walk to town with Howie and Stefani while Becky and John train for the upcoming NYC Marathon. Along the way we encounter many old, rusted locomotives on their final resting tracks, along with brilliant flowers being prepared for open market and small shops closed until mid-morning, all against a backdrop of mountain peaks and lush greenery. Another perfect day.After our walk,

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-7724924642158182812007-09-07T22:09:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:50:00.755-05:00

The first trek down to the falls found us at the bottom with a brand new, suddenly non-functioning, Nikon D80. Gasp! (stay calm, cool heads will prevail) We took our time, enjoyed the beauty and wonder of the vista and then meandered our way back to the top (much faster coming down than going back up!) A call into Nikon Tech Support left us stunned when after numerous and varied attempts to reset

Daniellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990811301534791439.post-40560768939753755772007-09-07T21:29:00.000-04:002008-11-13T09:50:00.961-05:00

On an unusually sunfilled morning, absent of all clouds and raindrops, we arrive in beautiful Seattle. Armed with our carry-on bags, a print-out from Google Maps and in our rented little Saturn we drive to Salish Lodge to meet Howie, Stef, Becky and John on their return from Vancouver. The six of us will stay here through Saturday afternoon when all the grown-ups (and Aidan) arrive.Continually

Robynnoreply@blogger.com0