Wisconsin and Minnesota

A litttle while ago I visited Minnesota and Wisconsin to visit a long time friend and attend a wedding. While I was in town I managed a bit of sightseeing.

I started with a quick visit to Hudson, a cute town on the border of Wisconsin. There are many charming old houses in town. There are also two cute pink Airbnb’s marketed toward girl’s trips.

The downtown area is cute as well. I take a walk by the water and stop for lunch at a post office converted to a restaurant. I have to order cheese curds.

The wedding today is at a charming winery about 30 minutes away.

The next morning I visit Paisley Park, recording studios and sometimes residence of the artist Prince located outside of Minneapolis.

I also make a stop at the famed Lake Minnetonka talked about in the movie Purple Rain. I did not purify myself in the waters.

In the afternoon I stop by Minnehaha Falls for lunch and to admire the waterfall. The park has nice trails along the water. Coincidently today it is hotter here than my home state of Florida. Luckily I am used to a good sweat when I am enjoying nature.

Later that day my friend and I take a walk to see Willow Falls near Hudson.

We also tour downtown Minneapolis which I learned has quite a milling history. You can see all the prominent brand signs on the buildings.

We go to the observation level at the Guthrie Theater for better views.

Lastly we drive by First Avenue, the historic club known to host big acts, especially the local artist Prince when he was still alive.

I was supposed to leave a day earlier but I realize a band I like is playing in St Paul the following night. I change my flight and book a historical hotel slash old custom house in the heart of downtown St Paul. While it is a generally safe city, it looks like it is in a state of transition. I look forward to returning to see the changes in the future.

It is such a brief trip that I plan to return and try some restaurants and all the other things the city has to enjoy. Plus it is really good catching up with an old friend.

Utopia of the Seas

A couple months ago I was invited to celebrate my friend’s birthday on the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas. I had a fabulous time.

I highly recommend.

Alaska: last Day

Today is my last day in Alaska. I have a flight scheduled this evening in Anchorage. I planned on doing an entire day of sightseeing before my flight but I am exhausted. I don’t leave super early but I do have to check out of the hotel so I load the car and say goodbye to Seward where I have spent the last few days. I will definitely be back to visit.

I stop at this lovely spot of purple flowers.

Plans this morning include a wildlife conservation and then lunch on the way to the airport.

I stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, an animal sanctuary. Anything in the wild I was unable to see during my last few weeks I can see here at this rehabilitation center.

I see a black bear playing with his stick.

It’s feeding time.

I am tired and it is raining so I start the journey back to anchorage. I still have some time to kill so I stop at the Lake Hood Seaplane base to watch sea planes take off and land. There is surprisingly little security there so I am free to drive around to get a good view as long as I don’t pull out in front of a plane.

It is time for the airport so I return the rental car and eat dinner at the airport since I don’t return home until late.

Visiting Alaska is a once in a lifetime adventure that I hope to repeat again someday.

Alaska: Seward Glacier and Alaska SeaLife Center

Today is my last full day in Alaska and I pack the day with activities.

I start the morning with breakfast at the Porthole food truck. They’ve been a reliable provider of coffee the past two days.

The travel fatigue is catching up with me so I choose a short hike today to go see Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is part of the Harding Icefield, a 700 square mile ice block that feeds many glaciers. Exit Glacier is easily assessable through a short trail with just a short bit that might prove a little challenging for some. However there is a farther viewing area for those who can’t make the hike.

On my drive to the glacier I see a moose family trotting along the road. My drive is slightly delayed while I wait for them to turn off the road.

I stop to finish my coffee with a view.

Walking down the paved path to the Exit Glacier you will come across signs with years on them. The years represent how far the glacier extended during that year. It visually shows how much the glacier has receded over the years.

There are also beautiful views of the valley formed by the former glacier.

The final part of the trail.

Some glacier views

I follow the trail back and I decide to go off to the side trail that I didn’t take earlier. I end up in a large rocky area which I believe used to be part of the glacier. I walk on the rocks to get another view of the glacier.

I leave Exit Glacier and drive back in town to visit the Alaska SeaLife Center. I am not normally a big fan of aquariums but this one is highly rated so it is worth a visit. I am not disappointed. I learn so much about local sea life and come up close to sea life I am only able to see at a distance prior.

One of the great things about the museum is seeing all the sea birds up close. It is entertaining to watch them swim, fight and swaddle about. I see Common Mure, Horned Puffin, Tufted Puffin, King Eider and more.

We don’t get up close to the Stellar Sea Lion (and I am glad) but we do get to see them swim around.

I of course need to stare at the salmon. I love to eat salmon and am ever interested in witnessing spawning of salmon someday.

Another (new) favorite of mine, the King Crab; plus friends

Octopus

While at a lower level I observe the tank below the birds. I catch puffins diving. They are excellent swimmers.

Jellyfish

I finish my day with a sandwich and a view and a local spot. It is still very light out but I feel like I need a rest. The cruise exhaustion is catching up with me. Good thing I am going home tomorrow.

Alaska: Kenai Fjord Cruise from Seward

My first full day in Seward Alaska consists of a nature cruise. I have a little anxiety about going on this cruise because I have had the bad luck of not seeing much wildlife on cruises or the tour getting cancelled for bad weather in past attempts. Neither happens today. The Captain’s Choice National Park Tour goes on spectacularly. Most of the boat tours have a set itinerary but this particular tour goes where the Captain sees best and the captain is amazing. On this cruise I see more wildlife than I expected. My animal checklist on the cruise pamphlet has me check off ten out of the thirteen possible animals.

The first wildlife we see are the cheeky sea otters. They love swimming along the side of the boat. We learn how these otters were almost extinct because they used to be hunted for their unique fur. Their special fur keeps them very insulated and dry.

We next spot some mountain goats. We see a mom and a baby goat. The mother is trying to teach the baby to climb. It is endearing to watch the mom encourage the kid and the kid too scared to climb.

Next we see a glacier – Holgate Glacier. What is good about this cruise is we come very close to the glacier, something we were unable to do with the big cruise ship. It is a more intimate experience. The crew collects some floating ice from the glacier and I order a glacierita made with the ice.

After the glacier we are back to animal viewing. We first see the cormorant, a bird that is an excellent diver.

I finally see some puffins, in fact we see two types: Horned Puffin and Tuffed Puffin.

We cruise by a bunch of stellar sea lions.

I am introduced to the Common Murre.

Also seen is a beautiful bald eagle.

We also catch Humpback whales, Orcas, dal’s porpoise and harbor seals.

We arrive back at the dock and all I can think about is some more king crab legs. Luckily there is a restaurant nearby that has them on the menu.

I walk around town and back to my hotel with a view full stomach. I don’t think I have ever seen so much sea life in one day. I highly recommend the cruise.