Train and Cruise

Saturday we went on a train and cruise. It was a package deal which was a 4-hour train ride to Seward then a 4 1/2-hour tour of Ressurection Bay on a boat with a stop at Fox Island for lunch and then the 4-hour train ride back to Anchorage.* We got up at 4:00 in the morning (ouch!) and left the house to drive to Anchorage at 4:45. We got to the train station at 5:45 boarded around 6:00 and the train left the station at 6:45.It was a very early morning. We were the very first people to board because I'm in a wheelchair. So it can very embarrassing to be the center of attention and have everybody doing something because of me. Unfortunately we did not see any animals. So we got to Seward around 10:45 and boarded the boat around 11:00 (if I remember correctly) and set sail. After we got to Fox Island we got all you can eat prime rib and salmon. Plus other food...like mash potatoes and carrots and green beans...you get the idea. ;-) I will have to say though, the food was not very good. Papa kindly paid extra money to get a pound of Alaska King Crab. It didn't really seem like much crab. And know what? It was cold. Wha? Don't ask me why on earth it was cold. It just was. :-/ So we got back on the boat and headed back. Although I do believe we went around like an island to see if we could find any sea life. This time I sat on the bench seat that was against the window on the boat other than in my wheelchair in the middle of the boat where I couldn't see anything. We got to see quite a few puffin. And then...Dall Porpoises! To the starboard side...aka right side. Not the side I was on. I was on Port side...left side. But then..."nana, look they're over here too!" I said. Yay! I got to see them too. They were sooooo cute. They seriously looked like miniature Orca whales.  They kept jumping out of the water super fast so you could only see 'em for a second but still they were super cute. I don't have any pictures of them. I'll ask daddy if he has any on his phone and then text them to the iPad so I can put them on here. I think he has some pictures of other stuff too. Anyways...I'm getting off track. Then we saw two otters. Again...starboard side. But the binoculars helped me. :-) We also saw a few bald eagles...which I didn't see. So back to land. Oh, and the weather wasn't exactly the "perfect" weather for a train or cruise but I still thoroughly enjoyed them both. I especially like the rocking motion of the boat on the somewhat choppy waters. I did hear papa say a few times though that the boat cut through the swells very good. So that's good. It did get pretty rocky a couple times. It didn't actually do anything to my stomach but more to my head I think...and I was tired. Mama and Nana took a Dramamine and were working very hard to stay awake on the boat. ;-)  I may have snoozed a little too. I liked our captain very much. She sounded very sweet and she tried hard to find us animals...unless they're all like that. I wouldn't know I've only ever been on a boat with my papa. :-) When we got back to Seward Nana bought Baby Bella a toy and then we went and got coffee and ice cream. Then we stood outside in the rain for 3 minutes for the wheelchair accessible bus thingy since we couldn't walk all the way to the train. Thankfully we brought a lot of jackets so there was an extra one to cover up my cast. My cast would have gotten very wet waiting there. And that would've been bad. So anyhoo! Back on the train.  Halfway through I decided I was tired of my wheelchair and asked Mama if I could sit on her seat for awhile. There was plenty of extra room on our train car so she had somewhere to sit. The train people said there was a bear in the woods to the right (yes, I was on that side) so I whipped my head around and they slowed the train down but none of us saw it. Either it was too far into the woods, I was going half blind (but most likely not since no one else saw it) or I didn't turn fast enough. I'm guessing the first.  I got back in the wheelchair about a half hour before we pulled in at the station. Which was at 10:00 at night. So...it was a very long day but a very enjoyable day. Although...I might have had a bit of a cry session when we got home. ( hey! At least I admit the whiny stuff I do rather than pretend I always have a super duper cheerful attitude about having a broken leg) ;-) But I hope to do it again sometime when I don't have a broken leg. :-) So now that I'm finished telling you all about my super interesting day ( ;-)  ) I'll leave you with some (quite a few) pictures. 

*These times don't really sound right to me. The boat ride didn't feel that long and the train felt a little longer. The boat definitely was not longer than the train...I don't know...who cares! 

Oh and remember when I turned super whiny in this post? http://floridatoalaska2010.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-cast.html#comment-form

That was all so...whiny. Seriously. My leg must have been pretty bad. Do you guys even know what I did when they got here? Believe me a lot more than I whined about. So don't read it and feel bad for me. ;-D At all...

Ok sorry, long post...pictures!!

Here we go...a lot of them are not good quality at all. It's hard enough to take a regular picture with an iPod and then to attempt it out of a moving train and/or boat...oh well. :-)

Waiting on the train for other people to board. 

Will someone please tell me why there is a fake owl on the roof of the train station?

He was getting somewhat...very impatient.

But how can you be mad at someone so cute!? (It's easily possible actually) ;-)

Water and hills...exciting right?!? ;-P

A rushing river below us.

And I couldn't help it...we went trough a series of tunnels so I decide to take a picture of myself in the window...it was very dark. 

Yes, I look ridiculous. Yes, I'm wearing my Nana's glasses. And yes, I have ice cream. Wow, I actually look very weird. :-)

The front of the train through the window.

On the boat. I personally think the rocky hills are pretty. But it's not a good picture.

A waterfall on the boat.

I guess that's all for now. I'll see what daddy has on his phone and maybe post some of those. He may have gotten better pictures as he was up on the viewing deck often. No windows in his way. 

And please understand...PICTURES do NOT do Alaska JUSTICE. thank you. ;-) 

Leg update: my leg is fine. I still have pain and my toes are still swollen. Prayers for quick and correct healing are always warmly welcomed. :-) I really should go now. Sorry to make this post so long.