Grand Pacific Glacier, Glacier Bay Alaska

Craig, Linda, Audrey, and me on our Oosterdam balcony, in front of the mile wide and 250' tall Grand Pacific Glacier. Moments after this picture we heard the loud canon-fire-sounding noise of the ice cracking, followed by some ice "calving" into the ocean.

Glacier Bay Alaska, Face in the Lens

My buddy Craig took my picture on the bow of the Oosterdam while in Glacier Bay. It wasn't until much later did we see my face in his camera lens.

ALL ABOARD! But first, stand in this line....and this line....and this line....and this line....etc

We were so very fortunate to be able to go on a cruise to Alaska with our good friends. We had never been on a cruise ship before, so the whole process was quite unfamiliar to us. We were more than a little surprised about how long it took to be processed for boarding the ship -- 2.5+ hours. 

But we were not alone. Our good friends were so fun to spend time with. We were very blessed to share their company.

Below is the Holland Cruise ship, the Oosterdam, as photographed through the window of the small airplane we flew in at Ketchikan.  I expected to get airsick in the 8-seater, but the flight was smooth and comfortable.

Natural leaders.

Ashley and Ned were leaders in this vacation.  

Ashley was a driving force behind the organization of this whole vacation gathering.  She did much of the research and made many of the necessary arrangements that went into coordinating the travel and lodging of our group of 26 people that came from five different geographical areas of the country.

Ned was a powerful boost of energy and quick decision-making that kept the group propelled forward when it could easily have stalled many times.

Relaxing

Lani's friendly smile captures the mood as we gathered on the back porch, with the fantastic view, and shared stories of our adventures and told lies about our own personal prosperities.

The camera is truly Ashely's friend, as she just never takes a bad picture.

Walker still looks too young to be a husband, father, and a PhD candidate.

Mauricio's grey is the perfect accent, making him look distinguished and mature in a very flattering manner -- especially love the jazz-musician goatee. 

Audrey is colorful and comfortable in the row boat as we drifted around the little lake at the ranch near Island Park in Idaho.

I really like this picture of Ruth Ann, partly because it captures the wind and open sky that characterized the ranch that we visited.  It's also a great picture of her pretty face -- it's easy to see where Audrey and her sisters get their beauty.  

Horsin' around!

We spent one day at a ranch, where some people rode horses.  It turned out that Ruth Ann knows how to take the reigns.  

 Izzy sat tall in the saddle and looked quite good on her horse.

Avery had some help from her mom, and Lyndsey was a fearless equestrian.

































Addy has experience riding horses, so she was unflustered.

Belle and Mauricio made it look easy.



































Three Strattons made horse back riding look good!

The big big bus.

Much of our vacation was spent in the "Big-Van."

One, five, twenty six.

A mother and her five children with all their families: 26 in all.

Yellowstone Bison

While visiting Yellowstone we happened across several herds of bison.  It turns out that bison are NOT the same as buffalo, and that buffaloes are not in the US.  Anyway, the bison are very large animals and very strong.  I took this picture with my cell phone from inside our van while we drove past.

North Carolina Vacation 2009, Thursday: Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain is a favorite place for us to visit in North Carolina. The mile-high swinging bridge, animal habitat, beautiful picnic area, and amazing panaramic view are highlights that make the trip worthwhile.