We escaped completely... for a week anyway

So what did Joel and I do while the girls were at the coast with my mother and grandmother?  We were on a cruise to Alaska and, as Princess Cruises advertises in their motto, we escaped completely.

It was wonderful.  The weather was perfect, the sights were amazing, the wildlife cooperated, the pools were warm, and I didn't have to cook or clean anything.

If you want to see the full album, there are about 200 photos in this web album, otherwise I'm posting my favorites of my favorites here in a few posts.

This is actually the view of the Olympic Mountains from Joel's uncle's house before we boarded the ship in Seattle:

The "plaza" in the ship was three stories tall.  They had a variety of performers and activities there, including a lovely string quartet.

It was also the location of the International Cafe, where we could get salads, sandwiches, and our favorite desserts anytime we wanted!

One of the reasons for the cruise was our 10th anniversary!  Unfortunately this is the only photo we have of the formal nights or any of the evening activities and entertainment.  We had such a great time that I didn't think to take pictures!

And what cruise would be complete without a pastry buffet extravaganza?

But we weren't there only to eat dessert, and I was terribly excited to see several humpback whales our first day at sea: