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Summer Review From The In-Between

We are now entering what I like to call The In-Between Time.

This is that time of year that’s a bit hard to define. For most Americans, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of Summer. Sure, we all know that there are technically a few more weeks on the calendar until the seasons change, and depending on where you live, a few more weeks of Summer weather as well.

It is beginning to wind down though. “Fall People” are breaking out their scarves, hats, and boots preparing for the change in the weather that isn’t coming along nearly fast enough for them, while us “Summer People” are holding on to every last bit of warmth and late sunsets we can get. Soon enough there will be leaves on the ground and pumpkin spiced everything. For now though, the kids are all back in school, the pools and snow cone stands are beginning to close, and we’re all in a holding pattern until the changes actually come. Thus, the In-Between Time.

So, even though Summer is not technically over (just practically), I’m going to take a few moments to reflect on this past Summer. Regular readers will recall that I made a list of goals back in May to accomplish this Summer. Nothing earth shaking mind you, but just a guideline as to how I wanted to spend Summer of 2023. Let’s go back and see how successful I was at reaching said goals.

Goal #1– I wanted to go walking more.
Started out well on this one, but I kind of petered out in late July/early August. Of course, this year we had both near record highs and flood level rains, but that only excuses so much. I have been doing better in the last week or two. Fortunately, going for a nice walk is just as much a Fall activity as it is a Spring or Summer one, so this can be a continuous goal.

Goal #2– I wanted to cook out more.
Again, kind of petered out in August, but I did manage to make a new recipe or two, and I got the grill back up and running this Labor Day weekend, so I’ll call this a success. Besides, there’s still time to do a few more cookouts before it gets cold. Who’s up for a brat?

Goal #3– More Family Fun Days.
Sadly, kind of a fail on this one. I had grand ideas about going to different spots around town once a week and really taking in all St. Louis has to offer. Unfortunately, life had other plans. I was still able to spend time with my kids both individually and together, so this was not a total fail, but things didn’t play out quite how I thought they would.

Goal #4-More SPORTSBALL
Okay, so I didn’t make it out to a St. Louis CITY FC soccer game like I wanted to. However, I did manage to take my son back to a Cardinals game earlier this month. They lost, but we still had fun, and great seats thanks to some last minute freebies coming in to my day job. This one’s a W.

Goal #5-Family Vacation
Check. It wasn’t as relaxing a vacation as I thought it would be, since there was way more driving involved than we originally planned, and more work and preparation than playtime. Still, I did learn that I am not a beach person so that’s something. I mean, I enjoyed the beach, but it’s not going to become my go-to vacation destination. I also got to spend some time with my cousin Terry and his family which was lovely. All in all, we managed to make some nice memories all around. Another W.

Goal #6-I wanted to just be.
The idea here was that I would slow down and just take in my surroundings this Summer, and try to feel some peace within my favorite season. Well, not so much. This Summer I lost a dog (RIP ELVIS) but gained a kitten. I ran myself ragged to the point of exhaustion more than a few times. I had a tooth pulled. I had a few doctor’s appointments that weren’t great news (nothing too serious-just getting older and more to deal with along those lines). There have been some emotional highs and lows, and a few false starts with some projects I’m working on. I’ve crashed out more than I’ve rested. In short, I’ve been too busy living the moment to be present in it. That’s something I really need to work on.

So, kind of a mixed bag in places, but I think the good has mostly outnumbered the bad this season, which just about all you can ask for. I hope you can say the same.

Okay, that’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. I’ll be back to the goofy stuff next week. Until then, take care of yourself and of one another, and I’ll see you back here next time for more MonDAVES.

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Summer Vacation Round Up 2023: Galveston Texas

This past week the Brink family went on our Summer vacation to Galveston, Texas. For those not in the know, Galveston is an island city on the Texas Gulf coast. It’s a big tourist spot for many Texans and other Southerners, though people come from all over to stay and play on the island. While we normally like to do a lot of the touristy things when we visit these types of areas, we kept it to a minimum this time out, spending most of our time on the beach and in our condo, venturing out mostly for food and only a few activities.

On the way down we built in an extra travel day so we could visit my cousin Terry and family who live a few hours outside of Galveston in McGregor, Texas (a suburb of Waco). While we do keep in touch through social media, I hadn’t actually seen my cousin in a while (barring a few family funerals) and I hadn’t seen his family for even longer. We had an enjoyable visit with some good home-smoked brisket, lots of laughs, and plenty of playtime with their dogs. It was great to see everyone, and I hope we can do it again sooner rather than later.

The next day it was off to Galveston for four days of fun and relaxing on the beach. Well, it would have been had I not goofed up the reservation at our resort. Instead of booking Sunday night-checking out on Friday, I booked us Sunday night, checking out Thursday. Which left us with a day long hole in our schedule. Not to be discouraged, we simply looked at the extra day as an opportunity to check off another state, so instead of heading back through Oklahoma to Missouri as we came, we decided to go through Louisiana and spend some time in Lake Charles on the way back. It made for a little more driving than I had anticipated, but wound up working out just fine. We ate dinner by the lake and had a nice evening. Besides, we decided to save the touristy stuff in town for Thursday anyway, so we still got a lot of Galveston in before we left.

While vacations are meant to be spent having fun and unwinding, they can also be times of learning. With that in mind, here are the big things that I learned on our trip.

-Beaches Are Messy
I know that there are “beach people” out there, and if you love beaches, that’s awesome, you do you. My kids loved it, especially the boy, and I found it pleasant enough while we were on the beach and in the water, though I can’t call myself a “beach” person. The thing is, I wasn’t a big fan of the sand getting absolutely everywhere, along with the mud and sticky seaweed. I have heard it said that “the beach never leaves you” and that’s true, because you can’t get rid of it. They don’t show you that part in the movies, do they? Nope. Also, the seagull poop is whole other level gross-once that stuff is on any object you own, it’s basically time to get rid of that object, because it’s not coming off. Someone should figure out how to turn seagull stuff into an adhesive-they’d be rich.

Also, you have to do a lot before you do the beach. You have to set up your chairs, towels, tents, umbrellas, cooler, and what have you as soon as you are able find a spot, after lugging all of that stuff to the beach in the first place. Then you drag it all back. That’s a lot of work, man. Too much working, not enough playing for my tastes. However…

-Hermit crabs are pretty neat
One thing I did enjoy more than I thought I would was walking along the beach collecting seashells. I didn’t have a shovel or anything so I was basically just picking up small shells I thought were pretty. Sometimes, though, there’d be a little guy (or gal) in there and I got to play with a tiny crab for a while. A little girl in the tent next to us was digging up some bigger ones with her sand toys, and noticing me and my little bitty shells, brought me over a bigger crab to look at which was one of the most adorable things I’d ever seen. The gesture, not the crab. Although it was cool too.

-Dolphins in the Gulf appear more black than gray
Usually, when you think dolphin, you think gray. At least I do. However, we rode the Bolivar Ferry out of town on our last day in Galveston, and you can see dolphins from the ship as you make the run. I was surprised by how dark they were in color, appearing almost black. Maybe that’s just how they look from a distance, or maybe there are different kinds of dolphins in different parts of the ocean. I don’t know, I didn’t research this or anything, but it struck me as interesting anyway.

-Seafood really is better by the ocean, but prep is everything
Okay, so this one is kind of common knowledge, but you never truly know how anything tastes until you experience it yourself. I had seafood in two restaurants on back-to-back days. The first was at Jimmy’s On The Pier which was located, well, on a pier. It had a cool, vacation-y vibe to it, as we ate with gulls flying overhead and the ocean underneath us. It was a fun experience and the food was good, but maybe not great. The next night we went to Miller’s Seawall Grill, located on the Seawall (kind of the main strip in Galveston), and was an all purpose American restaurant. The fish there was phenomenal, and I had basically the same stuff as I did at Jimmy’s. Both featured quality ingredients, both are recommended by me, but Miller’s was just a little better.

-Moody Gardens is a must
All right, let’s talk tourist stuff. Quality tourist stuff. Moody Gardens is a little bit hard to describe. They call themselves a “public, non-profit, education destination”, but that sounds boring, and from our experience, the place is anything but. In fairness we didn’t do everything there is to do at Moody, but what we did experience is top-notch.

Moody Gardens consists of three pyramids. Just go with it. One is called the Discovery Museum, which we were not able to do, the other two pyramids include a rainforest, and an aquarium, which we did do.

The rain forest zoo pyramid was absolutely incredible. It begins with a few caged exhibits and informational features, but then you make your way up to the top of the pyramid and step out into a rain forest! Many of the animals roam free, so birds are constantly flying overhead, and walking next to you along the paths. I hear tell that monkeys also live in the pyramid, with staff keeping a close eye on them, but we didn’t see any. A new exhibit featured a kamado dragon as well, which was actually quite beautiful. The floor of the pyramid has river beds where some big ol’ fish and turtles stay, along with parrots, and the Roul Roul birds who for some reason loved to swoop out of the trees and land right next to me, scaring the crap out of me every chance they got.

We also saw a sloth in the trees from the ground, but he was difficult to spot. The only animals caged in exhibits were the bees, ants, some lizards, snakes, and the spiders. Oh, and the fruit bats too, but their cage was right in the middle of everything where you could see them plainly. This is a truly immersive experience that deserves to be seen by all-and when you buy your ticket money goes to conservation efforts so no guilt, y’all. Just be forewarned-it’s humid as all get out.

The aquarium was a lot of fun, too. I have been to others aquariums, and they are all similar to some extent. This one had an interesting set up, as you spiraled through the pyramid to get to each new exhibit. There were tons of interesting sea creatures (and one mammoth sea lion) and since I love that stuff it was a real treat for me. It was also a treat to be in the air conditioning after the humidity of the rain forest!

As mentioned, there is more to do at Moody, with the Schlitterbahn Water Park right next door, a golf course, and a hotel, it can be a multi-day vacation in and of itself. Moody Gardens is quite pricey-so look for some discount packages if you go- but it is well worth the trip if you ever find yourself in Galveston.

-On a long car ride, there’s only so much Yacht Rock you can take
I’ll admit it, I love Yacht Rock. Yacht Rock in Summer to me is like Christmas Carols in Winter. It’s part of the charm. However, I usually listen to it in small bursts of 30 or 40 minutes tops as I run around town. On the open highway though, it got a little too relaxed. Fortunately, we were listening to satellite radio all trip and we listened to everything from early ’60s classic rock to ’80s hits, ’70s and 80s hard rock, 90s alternative, and even some modern pop music. Normally, as driver, I rule the music selections with an iron fist, but this time I loosened it up and gave everybody a little something they enjoyed. Just with a little yacht-y smoothness mixed in.

-Holiday Inn Express And Suites have pancake machines
For some reason, daughter Melody was fascinated by this machine and its workings. She even recorded a video of the machine doing its thing on her phone. Odd kid. The wife blames me. She’s probably right. Anyway, these machines are much less messy than the do it yourself waffle iron you often see at hotel breakfast set ups, and are less likely to burn the guests. Plus I love pancakes more than waffles, so I’m all for them. During travel days we stayed at these hotels and while they aren’t super fancy they are quite nice for the price. Some are newer than others, but all of them we stayed at were good, and free breakfast is always a win.

-Louisiana rest stops are intense, man
Some rest stops are really nice. Some not. It’s always good when you find a pretty, spacious one with a travel information center inside, as they are generally cleaner and more well maintained than the standard ones. Sometimes these rest stops are at the shore of a lake or pond. The one we stopped at in Louisiana had a lake, some nature walking trails, a small dock, and two signs. One sign said “Feeding Wildlife Prohibited”, and the other very specifically stated “DO NOT FEED ALLIGATORS”. Okay, Louisiana…

-Blue Bell Ice Cream lives up to the hype…mostly
Texans are big proud of Blue Bell. Like, almost irritatingly so. In fact, when there is a shortage of Blue Bell, it gets downright dangerous out there. My wife is an ice cream super fan, so she was very interested in trying Blue Bell, and since I am always up for trying new foods we bought some pints to have at the condo. I can say that when it comes to flavored ice cream (cookies and cream, mint chocolate chop, etc.) Blue Bell is top-notch and delicious. But their regular vanilla was weird. It had an unidentifiable aftertaste I did not care for, and a slight grainy texture. Maybe they didn’t mash up the beans all the way? I’m not sure. Anyway, if you get Blue Bell, skip the plain and get some kind of weird flavor concoction, you’ll have a good time.

And finally, what my regular readers have surely been waiting for:

-Buc-ee’s vs. Wally’s: I still love Wally Bear
So, as mentioned before on this blog, Buc-ee’s is kind of famous as the biggest gas stations/convenience stores in the country-mostly located in the South. Wally’s is the Midwest version. Both feature not only gas and snacks, but souvenir items, freshly made sandwiches, jerky, ice creams, barbecue, camping gear, and more. Both have passionate fan bases, though Wally’s is a relative newcomer with only a few locations.

Now, because I’m me and it’s fun to stir the pot from time to time, I walked into Buc-ee’s wearing my Wally’s hat. I then came face to face with the beaver himself for an awkward photo op. Being a Midwesterner my politeness kicked in and I happily took the picture while quietly repping my home-bear. It was funny to me, but I’m sure nobody there had any clue what I was giggling about.

Okay then, all that said, Buc-ee’s is bigger (at least twice as big with about three times the stuff for sale crammed in), there’s more selection, it’s brasher, bolder, louder, very crowded, and yes, more impressive overall. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a crowded department store during the Christmas rush. It was fun and nice, but it felt like the Corporate Overlords were in control. Wally’s on the other hand is small by comparison, but still has an independent feel to it, like they are still experimenting with the model and figuring out what works. Wally’s has heart-and it has my heart.

Also, after (quite happily) devouring like five packs of Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets, I still don’t know what the hell those things are. I mean, they’re tasty, but…what are they???

Well, there’s your snapshot of the vacation this year. If you ever get to Galveston, check out some of this stuff. Wherever your adventures may take you: safe journeys. See you back here next week for more MonDAVEs.

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Fun Fact: In All Her Years My Wife Has Never Had An Ice Cream Headache. Anyway…

Summer is almost upon us. Well, not really, I know, but Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of Summer in the U.S. and that’s good enough for me. Since we are only a few days away from kicking off the season I believe it’s time to discuss the plan for this year.

Summer is my favorite season, With as much as I go on about Christmas on this blog, you’d be forgiven for thinking I was a Winter guy, but nope. Not even close. I love Christmas but Winter is just depressing. So Summer it is.

While I enjoy most Summers, it does seem that some years are better than others. In fact, some have been taken away from me in recent years. We are all just now beginning to get back to some semblance of normal after COVID (which is not really going away, but it has lost its emergency status, so that’s something). A few years back I lost most of my Summer to a bad shoulder injury. Every year I long to have a Summer like those that I was so fond of in my younger days. Obviously being an adult limits anyone’s Summer fun, what with work, financial and other responsibilities having to take top priority. Still, I believe that if I am intentional with the way I approach my Summer, I can get close.

This Summer I plan to make the most of the season in the following ways:

-I will go walking more. I have mentioned the many park and nature trails available to me in my own town and the surrounding areas. It’s not the mountains, but for landlocked suburbia, the trails ain’t half bad. As much as I enjoy going out for long walks, I have slowed down a little bit, and I didn’t keep it up all Summer last year. There’s really no reason for that, so this year I will make it a point to try and walk all the trails available to me.

-I will cook out more. It’s just about time to break out the pellet grill again. I enjoy cooking this way, and there are a few more recipes I am wanting to try. I’m getting exited and hungry just thinking about it!

-More family fun days! What many outsiders don’t know about St. Louis is the number of free attractions we have in this city. Our zoo, for example, is consistently voted one of the top zoos in America, and it is absolutely free to get in. The much renowned St. Louis Art Museum, Science Center, and the Missouri History Museum are all free as well. Other attractions like the Botanical Gardens and Gateway Arch museums have nominal, affordable fees. Then there’s Laumeier Sculpture Park, Cahokia Mounds, neighborhoods like the Delmar Loop and Main Street St. Charles, and dozens more. We haven’t been to many of these places in the last few years so I think it might be time to get back out into the city and show some love for our hometown.

-Speaking of hometown love, SPORTSBALL! St. Louis is a big sports town, and while my interest in most sports is passing, or “fair weather” perhaps, it is fun to attend a game in person. Earlier this year my son’s school band played the National Anthem at a St. Louis Cardinal’s Game. This was back in April and it wound up being an abnormally cold day so we were freezing but we still had fun. We talked about maybe going back on a nicer day when we could enjoy the weather more, so that may be in the cards, no pun intended. I would also like to take in a St. Lois CITY soccer Club game if I could swing it and it’s not too expensive.

-Like Sheryl Crow, I’m gonna soak up the sun. A family vacation is coming, though some particulars are still being worked out. We try to do a mix of chill days and fun days wherever we go, but this one has the potential for more relaxing moments than adventurous ones. More on that later.

-This Summer I am going to try to just be. I want to try to enjoy the moments more. I want to take in the smells of fresh cut grass and smoke from the barbecue. I want to linger in the morning sounds of songbirds and the crickets at night. I want to listen to the Summer rain as it hits the roof and the concrete while I feel the breeze as I sit on my porch. I want to take in more sunsets and catch more lightning bugs. Let’s face it, there are only so many hours in the day, and the bulk of Summer is gone in just 14 weeks. When you factor in work and other commitments, that’s not much time. So this year I am really going to try to take it all in.

There are other things to do too. Visiting the pool, going to concerts, going out for ice cream, slushies, and snow cones, what have you. Whether I check off everything on my list or not, I am preparing for a wonderful Summer. I wish the same for you, wherever you may be and whatever your plans.

See you next week.

For Your Late Summer Vieweing Pleasure

Summer is beginning to wind down, and I can’t believe I didn’t think of doing this sooner, but I think it’s time we talk about Summertime movies. Not blockbusters necessarily, but movies that are either about or related to the Summer season. There’s still time to view a few of these before the weather turns, with the upcoming Labor Day holiday being an excellent chance to do so. Or, hey, save a few to watch in the middle of Winter when it’s freezing, dark, and miserable and you’re missing the Summer vibes. Kinda like watching “A Christmas Story” on July 25th.

Anyway, here’s a list featuring some of my favorite Summer flicks. These aren’t presented in any real order here, just as they roll off the top of my noggin. That’s the way things go here at MonDaves! Let’s have at it.

Meatballs:
I pretty much have to watch this one every year. For those who may be unfamiliar, it’s a Summer Camp comedy from the late 1970’s featuring Bill Murray and a full collection of young Canadian talent. This was made back in the days before PG-13 was a thing, so it’s a bit stronger than the rating would have you think. There are a few problematic moments by today’s standards, but I think the spirit of the film and the sweetness of its central story make up for those issues.
National Lampoon’s Vacation:
This one is fairly dated and risque as well. It’s somewhat surprising that a movie featuring as much outrageousness as this has become somewhat of a beloved classic, but here we are. Still funny in between the cringe moments, and serves as a reminder of when we all still loved Chevy Chase. Also the theme song is classic, and I never tire of the performances by Imogene Coca and John Candy.
Jaws:
The ultimate Summer suspense movie. Notice I said suspense, not horror. While the shark attacks are horrific, the film plays more like an adventure movie to me. I just watched this again a few months ago, and it’s still very good. It’s just not a horror film so please stop calling it one. Same goes for “Alien”, although I’m much more willing to let that one slide. Anyway. Moving on.
The Great Outdoors:
John Candy (again) and Dan Aykroyd in a movie about two families camping, with Candy representing the traditional family values set, and Aykroyd the obnoxious business man brother in law. While this movie was panned during the initial release, cable and home video have made it a semi classic. I have never heard my mother laugh harder or longer than she did at the climax of this film.
Stand By Me:
Part drama, part comedy, all heart. A group of twelve year old boys hike out to the woods to see a rumored dead body (well, it was written by Stephen King), but along the way they learn about the meaning of friendship in a one of a kind coming of age story that is a definite classic. If you somehow haven’t seen this one, do.
One Crazy Summer:
John Cusack, Demi Moore, and Bobcat Goldthwait in a pretty bonkers 80’s teen comedy. Is it great? No. Does it try too hard? Yes. However, it’s just absurd enough that it is an interesting view, with likeable people and enough snickers in it (if not outright laughs) to make it worth a look.
That Thing You Do!:
Perhaps not a traditional Summer movie, but the bulk of the film takes place during the Summer months, and the whole thing just feels like Summer, man. It’s also one of my favorite music movies, and a favorite all around.
Summer School:
This was a Mark Harmon vehicle about a teacher and teens in Summer school and it’s just as dumb as it sounds, but I saw it about a billion times on cable and can still recite whole passages from the film so it’s on the list. Also, I still think Dave and Chainsaw should have had their own movie franchise, or at least a TV show.
Beach Blanket Bingo/Psycho Beach Party (tie):
The former is the classic, ultimate “teen beach movie”. Today it is viewed as a reminder of a gentler time. The latter is a modern parody that also throws in references to psychological thrillers and slasher films. It has also spawned a stage play. The two together make a great double feature!
Lilo And Stitch:
If you haven’t seen it, it’s better than you think. If you have, it’s better than you remember. I love all the Elvis stuff, and the voice cast is great. It mixes Disney cuteness with a manic energy for a good time that can be had by all.

Okay, there we have it, Dave’s Fave Summer Films. There are a few more, but I think this will do for now. Also, I may want to revisit this topic in the future and I need to have a few in reserve. See you next week.

North, To ALASKA! (and a few other places)

The Brink family has returned from this year’s main vacation, a cruise to Alaska on Princess Cruises, thoughtfully given by my in laws and including not only our family but also Valerie’s parents and both of her sisters and their families as well. While we did pay for our own excursions and souvenirs and what not, the majority of the cruise was covered for us. There was no way we could have ever afforded this trip on our own so a big thank you to David and Janet is in order.

I will admit that I wasn’t too keen on visiting Alaska as I am not a fan of cold or snow, and I was a little bit leery of cruising in general. I am happy to report that those doubts were quickly deemed unfounded as we had a really good time. Sure, there were a few minor hiccups here and there, and I was not a fan of every aspect of the trip but the good far outweighed the bad on this particular journey.

As mentioned, I never really understood the appeal of cruising, but I get it now. All staff on board are there to cater to you and provide anything you wish in minutes. It’s kind of like having a butler available everywhere you go on board. In particular, our stateroom attendant, Seccario, and our waiter Eugene were excellent and went over and above for our family-so much so that we insisted on eating in Eugene’s section every night. They both helped make this trip both easy and special.

The cruise director, Jody, and staff were all nice, fun, approachable people as well. We interacted with them on a few occasions. Tessa won an event during a contest with Jody by doing the splits in multiple directions (going to dance class and being 14 pays off), and Team Brink also won a t.v. based trivia contest hosted by assistant director Alistair. We participated in other trivia contests too (tying for first place in a “name that tune” style music contest), and had lots of fun as a family unit.

The food on our ship was all top notch, not only in the formal dining room, but also the buffet and specialty restaurants scattered throughout the ship. I’m going to be on salads for like three weeks to compensate for the many meals eaten on this trip.

We had a balcony stateroom (which is the only way to do it, really, I can’t imagine having an interior room be any good), and so our views were constantly amazing. I also found it extremely relaxing to sit out on the balcony when docked or traveling inland port to port with the waves gently rolling and breeze in my hair. In fact, I may not have ever been more relaxed.

Our cruise was not booked to capacity, which was good because it meant less crowding overall. There were still some pretty long lines for some pf our meals and for exiting the ship come excursion time, but crowding was kept to a minimum.

The only issue I had with our ship was that it wasn’t operating at full power. There was a problem with one of the engines which, while still perfectly safe, adjusted our times, speed, and overall schedule of the cruise. I understand that it wouldn’t be easy for Princess to just stop cruising and fix the issue-they have already missed two years of cruises and so from a financial and staffing standpoint, delaying things further would be a disaster for them, so I get it. However, we did have to deal with some of our excursions being cancelled and replaced by ones that were maybe not as nice. I also think that the engine issue (and one technical delay) meant that when we were on the open sea it meant that the boat had to move faster than it normally would, and on one of our days at sea I got motion sickness, which I have never experienced before. Everyone agreed that the ship was rockier than it should have been, so no one really was surprised, but it did put me out of action for most of the day as I just slept a lot. The next day though, I was right as rain.

As for our destination, I was NOT looking forward to going to Alaska. I am a warm weather guy, and anything below 60 degrees is considered cold to me so I was trying to have a good attitude, but I’m not sure how successful I was. Turns out, Alaska was pretty darn HOT.

Our first days at sea were in the upper 50s/lower 60s, which I expected, but in Juneau it was 75 degrees and in Skagway we hit 85! It was actually warmer that day than it was back home in St. Louis! Trouble is, our excursion that day was all about a sled dog/ gold mining experience and we were warned to dress warmly in layers. So we did. Mistake. We were sweating buckets, and the poor dogs didn’t really know what to do with this unexpected heatwave. Nor did the actors who had to dress the parts of Klondike gold miners, now that I think of it. Everybody was kind of miserable, but we still got to pan for gold (which is super touristy I know, but you kind of have to do it) and we did get to see a presentation of the sled dogs briefly going around the training track. We also got to pet the dogs and hold sled dog puppies which was the cutest thing ever and totally worth it.

We enjoyed all of our ports, I got some fantastic fish tacos in Juneau, which is where I fell in love with Rockfish, and some fresh and delicious crab in Icy Point Straight (where we would have loved to spend the day as there are tons of things to do but we had only a few hours) and the kids dipped their feet in the cold, cold ocean.

Perhaps my favorite stop though was going to Victoria, British Colombia, Canada. On July 1st, Canada Day no less. Some of my favorite musicians are from Canada, and two of my favorite television comedy series as well. I have always wanted to visit (in Summer, of course) and I finally did! Again, we were only there for a few hours but we were able to walk through the outer parts of the town through the Fisherman’s Wharf area and to the edges of downtown. So we didn’t actually participate in any Canada Day celebrations but it was a pleasant walk (though considerably chillier than we were used to) and fun for me. As Bob and Doug would say, “Beauty, eh!”.

Also, our cruise took us through Glacier Bay National Park. The day was in the lower 60s, bright, clear and sunny. We could not have ordered better weather. I took over 150 pictures there alone. Every minute felt like Bob Ross had had a hand in designing the scenery. We saw several otters swimming around, bald eagles, seagulls, and even a few whale spouts, though no actual whale bodies. It was a truly beautiful afternoon.

Our last day of vacation was spent in Seattle after disembarking and before waiting for our evening flight. The tour we were on had no tour guide as she had called in sick with Covid (of course). We were still treated to a trip to the Space Needle, which is cool and interesting, though not quite as tall as our own St. Louis arch. We went to the Pike Place market and watched fish being thrown, had a snack at the chocolate shop, and soaked up the big city atmosphere. Seattle is a cool city. It is green-minded, largely progressive, and has a really good, open vibe. It’s not the prettiest city I’ve ever been in, but I liked it a lot and would definitely consider going back.

After our quick tour we had a few hours to kill in the airport, which can be frustrating and quite boring. Fortunately for me there is a Sub Pop record store in the airport, because it’s Seattle so of course there is, and I was able to spend dome time shopping for CDs and merch. Had I known this existed I would have saved a little more souvenir money for this store, but then I probably spent too much at Sub Pop as is, so I guess it’s just as well.

Our flight back had a little turbulence but not much, however we did change time zones so it wound up being 12:30 am by the time we landed here in STL, and probably after 2:30 when we finally got home to sleep.

All in all it was a really nice vacation filled with memories to last us all a lifetime and a good time was had by all.

Until next time, safe travels.