Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam Skagway and Glacier Bay

Helicopters and seaplanes were waiting to take people up for tours.

There was a 8 hour train trip to The Yukon which was super popular.

We opted to walk around Skagway, visit the museums and explore the old town.

Vintage Train with snow removal equipment on the front.

The Gold Rush played a major role in the formation of these towns.

We stopped here for a cocktail...

there were tours of "the red light rooms" upstairs!

I love the driftwood on this building.

First Nations mask

Corrington Private Museum pieces

Trading beads

Love the signage.

After Skagway we made our way to Glacier Bay.

The glaciers were my favourite part of the cruise.

The water was turquoise...

these next photos speak for themselves.

We saw a few pleasure boats on our way to the Glaciers.

Permits are required to enter this area as it is a protected UNESCO park.

I will be back soon with more of the cruise highlights so watch for the next post.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam...Vancouver to Juneau.

We loved our week long cruise to Alaska aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam.

The weather was amazing, the seas calm, and we were able to gaze at the gorgeous natural scenery from our balcony.

Canada Place at the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal.

Large arrangements of fresh flowers were strategically placed in the public areas of the ship.

One of the many dining rooms...

we dined here for most of our meals during the cruise.

Cozy chairs and lounges which invited relaxation during the voyage.

The Atrium

We opted for room service the first morning...

we really enjoyed sitting on our balcony.

There was so much to see and do on the ship.

One could be busy and engaged all day long.

We were travelling with my husband's family 

so we wanted to interact with them as much as possible. 

We did not attend many of the entertainment options.

We walked many laps around the deck.

With so much delicious food on offer we needed to be mindful!!

Cocktails

Gala dinner

Let's start with some escargots.

a tossed green salad

Succulent lamb chops

Chocolate souffle

You can eat like this every evening if you desire.

There are casual venues where they make burgers, hot dogs, and pizza.

The Lido Market was buffet style

offering 

various salads, pastas, sandwiches, soups, and a variety of daily specials.

There are also some higher end dining options where you pay extra to dine.

We dined at the Italian themed Canaletto and Tamarind which served Asian Fusion cuisine.

The Tamarind was my favourite meal of the trip.

Juneau Alaska

We were travelling with other cruise ships.

About 4 or 5 ships were in each port 

the small towns were inundated with tourists.

The Holland America Line was recommended to us

in particular the refurbished ship Nieuw Amsterdam

 we were suitably impressed.

A popular spot to sample Alaska King and Dungeness Crab.

Mr HB loves crab!

Heritage buildings in Juneau

I was surprised by how many jewelry shops dotted the streets.

Apparently many people buy jewelry as a souvenir when they go on a cruise.

I'll be back with more on the cruise soon so please stay tuned!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

July in the Humble Bungalow Garden

We have returned from the cruise to Alaska.

  I took oodles of pictures and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen some of them.

I am catching up on the laundry and will try to put together a blog post of the highlights from our trip.

In the meantime...

Welcome to

The Humble Bungalow Garden 

The Humble Bungalow Garden

is a spot where we find respite from the busyness of life.

When I was working 

I de-stressed

pottering about in the garden.

The magic happens outside in Nature

when one is toiling in the soil troubles seem to evaporate

you can easily lose yourself

 dreaming about future plantings

 fresh air and exercise are both healthy benefits working outdoors 

Our Humble Bungalow Garden

 is an ever changing landscape of hopes and dreams.

You can see the holes munched by the hungry cutworms on this Claire Austin climber.

Some plants thrive and others fail...

I have tried growing delphiniums and hollyhocks but they never survive.

Roses are the stars here in our heavy clay soil.

Romneya Coulteri 

a stunner of a plant

it prefers gravelly soil

so we planted it out front in our driveway.

This plant came from a specialty nursery up island that is no longer in business.

It took 3 years on the waiting list to get a small plant.

Once established it seems to get bigger and better with each passing summer.

The side patio is a lush green oasis

 which features frothy chartreuse Lady's Mantle

Hostas and several limey Annabelle Hydrangeas.

Hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of the garden snapshots.

Until next time...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~