Alaska: #1 Bucket List Item – Tema Tischler

My first cruise ever and I chose Alaska – the #1 item on my bucket list. The years at LREI have just flown by so fast and while I’m not thinking of retirement yet, this trip made me rethink my plans for the very near future. This travel grant has really changed my life. I realize that I am not getting any younger and it is time to do the things that I have been putting off.

My husband and I are like two nerds, we watch every show that takes place in Alaska so going there was a no-brainer. I won’t bore you with all the little details about my amazing 8-day cruise; like booking a suite with a wrap-around deck, or a room that was almost as big as my apartment, and a butler who would appear with breakfast, drinks or just fun conversation.

We started our journey by flying to Seattle and boarding the ship from there. We were at sea for the first two days of the cruise which was the most relaxing time of my life. Just staring at that beautiful blue water and watching the dolphins jumping in and out of the water was so relaxing.

Alaska is not the place you go to for a suntan, which is kind of sad because in the summer there are about 18 hours of daylight.

We cruised through fjords that were absolutely beautiful – we had to be up at 4:00 am to see them, but it was really worth it. The ports that we docked at were very quaint and rustic, just as you would expect. It was amazing to see all the old buildings and saloons just as you would picture them to be. There were no modern skyscrapers to distract you from the beautiful views of the mountains.

We only cruised through southern Alaska so we really only got to see the more touristy areas where all the cruise ships dock – you get to mostly eat, drink and shop!! We walked through all the towns we docked at – Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria BC and did some exploring on our own.

For my husband and I this was a dream come true.

Thank you LREI!