British Virgin Islands
After our 2 nights at Virgin Gorda, we sailed to north side of Tortola. Then spend 2 nights by Jost Van Dyke. Now at Norman Island. Not a lot to do here except swim, drink, and drink some more. Internet sucks around here (even paying for it) so post are far and few between
British Virgin Islands
After our 3 flights yesterday, We finally made it to the BVI. The 3rd flight was the coolest flight, aboard Cape Air Cessna 402. The aircraft only seats 9 passengers.
Take-off from St. Thomas, USVI
After our short 20min flight, we landed at Beef Island (Tortola), BVI and got a taxi to BVI Yacht Charters to board our Lagoon 46 Catamaran named MyElli
The British Virgin Islands are made of 60 islands and cays. The 4 main islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada. The main Island is Tortola, with the capital of Road Town.
By Hogweard - British Virgin Islands in regions.svg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52454166
Once we set sail today, our first stop was Virgin Gorda and a visit to The Baths. The Baths is a beach area on the island about 1.2 miles south off Spanish Town at the southern tip of the island between Spring Bay and Devil's Bay. The Baths is an area of unique geologic formations and one of the BVI's major tourist destinations.
Although volcanism accounts for much of the Virgin Islands, The Baths was formed by granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. Granite forms from the slow cooling of magma at depth nowhere close to surface volcanoes. The granite only appears at the surface after geologic ages have eroded away all the overburden covering it. Once exposed, erosion continued to isolate the granite into large boulders and round their surfaces. The boulders form natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. The largest boulders are about 40 feet long.
Since 1990, the area has been a BVI National Park as are the adjacent bays, and the area is a major tourist attraction, with swimming and snorkeling being the main attractions.
Seward, Alaska
Day 8: 9/13/24
After getting off the ship in the morning, We walked down to the Alaska Sealife Center. Located on the shores of Resurrection Bay, The Alaska Sealife Center is an aquarium and marine mammal rehab center. While there we saw more Steller Sea Lions, Puffins, and Seals.
After that we did a 4 hour Wildlife tour of Kenai Fjords. We got to see more Steller Sea Lions, a Whale, and a Bald Eagle.
After the tour we hopped on the Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic to Anchorage where we got in at 10:30pm. We did the Gold Star Service (basically First Class) which included a domed car with an upper outdoor viewing platform, dining room and kitchen, 2 Alcoholic drinks and unlimited non-Alcoholic. For this leg we had dinner. They pointed out landmarks. The views were AMAZING
Hubbard Glacier
Day 7: 9/12/24
Today was just a cruise by Hubbard Glacier. Unfortunately, It was raining and foggy out so pictures did not turn out. I included pictures from online.
“This tidewater glacier may be a bit of sleeping giant. Off the coast of Yakutat—200 miles NW of Juneau—Hubbard is certainly gigantic: it's more than six miles wide where it meets the ocean.
It’s also been very active in the past, having had two major surges in the past 30 years. Those surges were big enough to cross the bay, turning the fjord into a lake and threatening to flood the coastal town of Yakutat.
For now, the glacier isn’t surging, but you could say that it’s a pretty light sleeper— it does calve a lot. The face is up to 400 feet tall, and icebergs 3 to 4 stories in height aren’t uncommon.
Granted, most of that ice is below water, but the ice can be so thick that cruise ships can’t get too close. In the right conditions, however, your ship might be able to get within 1/2 mile of the face.
In this series of photos from June of 2002, Bruce Molnia of the USGS documented the advancing terminus of Hubbard Glacier and the channel cut into the top of its push moraine that blocked the mouth of Russell Fiord. A push moraine is sediment that, in this case, has been bulldozed from the floor of Russell Fiord by the advancing ice. In a few views, some of this sediment can be seen in contact with the bedrock on the wall of the fjord.” (https://www.alaska.org/detail/hubbard-glacier)
Skagway, Alaska
9/11/24
Day 6: Skagway, Alaska
Today we took the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway through the White Pass Summit.
You can learn more about the WP&YR here: https://wpyr.com/history/
Sitka, Alaska
9/10/24
Day 5: Sitka
We did a Sea Otter & Wildlife Tour. Got to see Sea Otters, Whales, Sea Lions, Bears and Bald Eagles. Photos below were taken by and copyright of Allen Marine’s St. Michael Crew. They were taken during our Excursion.
Icy Strait Point/Hoonah, AK
Day 4: Icy Strait Point/Hoonah, AK
Honestly there really wasn’t much to do here. Icy Strait Point is just a place for cruise ships to dock. There are 2 docks and depending on where you docked depends on access.
Wilderness Landing
The Wilderness Landing Dock has access to the Free Transporter Gondola (A), Shopping, Tour Sales, and the SkyGlider Gondola to the top of Sky Peak (B)
Ocean Landing
At Ocean Landing, you have access to the Free Transporter Gondola (A), Shopping, Food, Nature Trail to Wilderness Landing, Adventure Park and Ropes Course and the trail to the cannery (C).
Sky Peak
At Sky Peak, you have some viewpoints, access the Ziprider, hike the trail to Hidden Lake or the Mountain Top Forrest Tram.
Hoonah Cannery
At Hoonah Cannery, is the trail to Ocean Landing (C), Food, Theater, Kayaking, Shuttle to Hoonah. At the old Cannery they have a museum on how they processed salmon and canned it, along with several stores.
Juneau, Alaska
Day 2: Sea Day
Nothing special, just hang out and explore the ship.
Day 3: Juneau, Alaska
We were suppose to be in Juneau from 2:00pm - 10:00pm (Alaska Time). Unfortunately, due to engine issues we were operating at reduced speed which then resulted in our late arrival of 5:30pm (AK Time) which then means excursions were canceled. (No 5-Glacier seaplane tour for me). The ended up opening another excursion to see Mendenhall Glacier, but we decided to just walk around town and shop.
Day 4: Icy Strait Point, Alaska for 11 hours. I heard there wasn’t much to do there, so I will try to work on photos
Radiance of the Seas
Photo from wikipedia
Built in Papenburg, Germany in 2001, this 961 ft vessel with speeds of 29 mph, is the first ship of the Radiance Class built for Royal Caribbean International. With it’s homeports in Tampa (Florida), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Seward (Alaska), and Vancouver (BC, Canada) this ship offers Alaska Cruises, Caribbean Cruises, and Repositioning Cruises.
There are plenty of activities onboard including Theater, Shops, Cinema, Casino, Spa, Pools and Hot Tubs, Gym, Sports Court, Video Arcade, Rock Climbing Wall, and Mini Golf
Traveling with Children?
Most cruise lines offer activities for kids and teens to keep them safe, and so adults can have time away from them. On Royal Caribbean there are:
Babies and Tots Programs ($)
Offers nursery drop-off sessions filled with age-appropriate activities and toys. All programs are hosted by our trained youth staff.
Age Range: 6-36 months
NOTE: Nursery drop off not available on: Jewel, Adventure or Explorer of the Seas®.
Adventure Ocean (Included)
Tiny travelers ages 3-5 will have an education blast in the Aquanauts group. The Explorers program keeps 6-8 year olds entertained with activities like themed parties and more. And learning is a thrillfest for 9-11 year olds in the Voyagers group.
Age Range: 3-11 years
NOTE: Adventure Ocean space varies by ship
Teen Lounge (Included)
The Royal Caribbean® teen program isn't some structured set of classes or rules. These "almost adults" deserve a vacation all their own. So we give them the freedom to join pre-planned events throughout the day, or simply hang out in teen-only spaces with our teen staff that keeps the good times coming.
Vancouver, BC
9/5/24
Flew out to Vancouver with Service provided by Delta Airlines!
9/6/24
Visited Vancouver’s Gastown Steam Clock. Built in 1977 at the corner of Cambie & Water Streets by Raymond Saunders in Vancouver's Gastown neighborhood. Built to cover a steam grate, the clock produces a puff of steam from its top on the hour. The steam used is low pressure downtown-wide steam heating network (from a plant adjacent to the Georgia Viaduct) that powers a miniature steam engine in its base, in turn driving a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces. The steam also powers the clock's sound production, with whistles being used instead of bells to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time.
After that we boarded our cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas.
Park City, Utah
Park City is to east of Salt Lake City on the other side of the Wasatch Mountains. Salt Lake City and Park City are known for their ski resorts. Park City Resort also has summer activities for the whole family. Today, we did Apline Slide and Alpine coaster but they also have mini golf, mountain biking, and zip line.
Arches National Park: Delicate Arch
August 23, 2024
“Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in the park and a must-see for many visitors.” (National Park Service)
Today we did the Delicate Arch Trail.
This trail is strenuous and the arch is not visible until the end of the trail. For an easier view, try Delicate Arch Viewpoints.
Roundtrip Distance: 3 mi (4.8 km)
Time: 2-3 hours
Elevation Change: 538 ft (164 m)
Difficulty: Strenuous
After, we went to Double Arch
White Water Rafting…kind of & Arches National Park!
Today we starting out doing a White Water Rafting down the Colorado River with Moab Adventure Center. Being later in the season, the rapids were only a Class 1. It ended up being a nice float down the river. The guide pointed out where Jon Bon Jovi recorded his music video for “Blaze of Glory” and the set of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga”
Then we went to Arches National Park. “The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.” (National Park Service). We made a quick stop at Balanced Rock and Turret Arch before moving on to the Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. The storms started to move in and we had to make a run to the car. After dinner we went back to Canyonlands N.P. to see Mesa Arch and Grand View Point Overlook.
Arches National Park Map
Canyonlands National Park
One Park, Four Districts, Endless Possibilities
Canyonlands National Park preserves 337,598 acres of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires in the heart of southeast Utah's high desert. Water and gravity have been the prime architects of this land, sculpting layers of rock into the rugged landscape you see today.
Canyonlands preserves the natural beauty and human history throughout its four districts, which are divided by the Green and Colorado rivers. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and adventure.
Though they appear close on a map, there are no roads that directly link the districts. Traveling between them requires two to six hours by car as there are few places to cross the rivers. Get directions. Most people find it impractical to visit more than one area in a single trip. Use the maps and links below to get some ideas on places to go. (National Park Service)
Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky map
After arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC), We drove down to Canyonlands National Park. First stop was at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center for my National Parks Passport Stamp! Then we drove down to Green River Overlook and Upheaval Dome. We did the Upheaval Dome to first overlook Trail (0.6 mi).
”Canyonlands is a place of relative geologic order. Layers of sedimentary deposits systematically record chapters in the park's past. With some exceptions, these layers have not been altered, tilted or folded significantly in the millions of years since they were laid down by ancient seas, rivers or winds.
Upheaval Dome is quite a different story. In an area approximately three miles (5 km) across, rock layers are dramatically deformed. In the center, the rocks are pushed up into a circular structure called a dome, or an anticline. Surrounding this dome is a downwarp in the rock layers called a syncline. What caused these folds at Upheaval Dome? Geologists do not know for sure, but there are two main theories which are hotly debated.
Salt Dome Theory
A thick layer of salt, formed by the evaporation of ancient landlocked seas, underlies much of southeastern Utah and Canyonlands National Park. When under pressure from thousands of feet of overlying rock, the salt can flow plastically, like ice moving at the bottom of a glacier. In addition, salt is less dense than sandstone. As a result, over millions of years salt can flow up through rock layers as a "salt bubble", rising to the surface and creating salt domes that deform the surrounding rock.
When geologists first suggested that Upheaval Dome was the result of a salt dome, they believed the land form resulted from erosion of the rock layers above the dome itself. Recent research suggests that a salt bubble as well as the overlying rock have been entirely removed by erosion and the present surface of Upheaval Dome is the pinched off stem below the missing bubble. If true, Upheaval Dome would earn the distinction of being the most deeply eroded salt structure on earth.
Impact Crater Theory
When meteorites collide with the earth, they leave impact craters like the well-known one in Arizona. Some geologists estimate that roughly 60 million years ago, a meteorite with a diameter of approximately one-third of a mile hit at what is now the Upheaval Dome. The impact created a large explosion, sending dust and debris high into the atmosphere. The impact initially created an unstable crater that partially collapsed. As the area around Upheaval Dome reached an equilibrium, the rocks underground heaved upward to fill the void left by the impact. Erosion since the impact has washed away any meteorite debris, and now provides a glimpse into the interior of the impact crater, exposing rock layers once buried thousands of feet underground.” (National Park Service)
After that we drove down to Buck Canyon Overlook & Orange Cliffs Overlook.
***As of this writing, Grand View Point Overlook, Grand View Point Trail, and 0.3 mi (0.5 km) of park road will close 6 am Mondays to 4 pm Thursdays for a total of eight weeks. The closure applies to all uses, including vehicles, tour buses, motorcycles, bikes, & hikers.***
Pictures will come later on