Happy Anniversary!

Princess Cruises is celebrating 50 years! We thought it was appropriate to celebrate our 40th anniversary on board the Golden Princess north to Alaska. Forty years! It was an arranged marriage, she was 6 and I was 9. Insert smiley face here!! ;)

Happy Fifty Princess Cruises!

 One of our favorite things to do on a cruise ship is eat! My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and the Golden Princess is a great place to eat it. I like to have two breakfasts! Breakfast number one is at 630 a.m. in the Piazza with coffee drinks and pastry.

Cappuccino Piazza Golden Princess Alaska

Pastry! Golden Princess Alaska

 Breakfast number one proceeds walking the decks for me, and Zumba for Avril. Got to work up an appetite for breakfast two at 1030! I have not had grits in many a day. So many breakfast choices in the Horizon Court Buffet!

Buffet Breakfast Golden  Princess Alaska

Home Away

We had business in Fremont a few weekends ago. We booked a room at the Marriott Residence Inn, our choice place to  stay. We like them because you get what is equivalent to an apartment, a home away from home. We had two rooms, two giant televisions, lounging couch, kitchen, work desk, free Wi-Fi and dining table. On the grounds there is a fitness center, pool-hot tub and a barbecue. Best of all,  breakfast was included! I do love my breakfast.

Marriott Residence Inn Fremont, Ca.

I am a student of the science of maximizing an included breakfast. Being a avid cruise ship buffet veteran has honed my skills.  Let me give you a few hints.

 Check out the food and the competition. 
Walk the buffet and see what is available. Stroll  the seating area looking for a table and to see what others are eating. This can be a bit of a competitive experience, know the other players. If it is busy, secure your table and have your partner go for coffee, juice, required napkins and condiments. When  he/she returns individually go to the buffet and make selections. Do not overload the plate. Instead make return visits so you can add to your breakfast as foods are replenished.

Drop the toast.
I am a big toast fan and know that buffet toasters take forever. If you start toasting up front it will be hot and ready when you select your hot entree. The same method works for waffles. I have never  had someone steal my finished toast but I have caught someone trying to snatch my just finished waffle. Keep an eye on your waffle!

Take up space.
I learned this skill on the S.F. Muni! Stand tall and keep you arms out. This keeps marauding invaders from cutting lines. Be warned that being courteous may be a sign of weakness to some.

Leave room for dessert 
I always get my coffee in a go-cup so I can take some back to the room. Fresh fruit makes a nice dessert that can be enjoyed later as well.

A word of caution to photo bloggers: As you style and photograph your food others are watching. You may be creating food envy in those around you. They will offer to let you photograph their plates. To some it is a conquest to see how much food they can secure. Don't play that game.

Breakfast Marriott Residence Inn Fremont, Ca.

Breakfast Included Marriott Residence Inn Fremont, Ca.

This location was particularly nice because it was adjacent to a Raley's Market. We secured sandwich fixings, drinks, snacks and wine for meals later in the day. Like eating at home this substantially reduced our dining costs.
The only meal we had out was at Popeye's Chicken. I had heard rave reviews and had employees that would drive fifty miles round trip for dinners. It was located a block from the hotel so we checked it out. I had chicken strips, mashed taters and a biscuit. Loved it!

Popeye's Fried Chicken

Wrap It Up

I don't know why but when I end a series of blog posts from a trip, the last one is always tough. I  guess I hope that the vacation feeling will never go away. We are planning new adventures and need to bring this one to a close. We end it all with a shopping and downtown sightseeing tour. Last time we visited Victoria  we were on the return leg of our first Alaska cruise. We stumbled upon She-She shoes in Trounce Alley but it was closed then. We thought it fitting that we stop by on this visit. The shoes they have here are works of art. We did not buy shoes but Avril is the new owner of some really stylish polka-dot tights.

She She Shoes Victoria B.C.

We wander about town and could not help but take lots of photos of the marina. The upcoming weekend was a Canadian holiday and boats were filling the marina with color.

Marina Victoria B.C. 

We returned to Trounce Alley and lunched at The Tapa Bar. We ordered hearts of palm salad,  mixed olives,  margarita pizza, Cuban chicken sandwich and some Kettle Valley Pinot Gris. What a lot of food! We smartly carried a doggy-bag back to the hotel. The meal provided a huge lunch and an encore dinner.

The Tapa Bar Victoria B.C.

We slept great that night and boarded the Victoria Clipper back to Seattle the next day. On the way out of the harbor we spotted a Princess Cruise ship in port and strained our heads to see it off the port side. Just then Avril tugged at my sleeve and whispered "that's Ryan Gosling next row over!" I looked over and sure enough it was. I fired off a stealth photo of him. It is a lousy telephoto side shot because I did not want to invade his privacy. I have shown the photo to a number of people and some say it is not him. I have a keen sense of facial recognition, honed in earlier life experience. He is a Canadian and we are in Canada so it adds to the evidence.  If it is not him then he has a doppelganger that is making all the women on the boat giggly-squirmy.

Ryan Gosling sighting??

In Seattle we have a reservation at the Silver Cloud Stadium Hotel and cab it there. The front desk upgrades us to a suite! The room is bigger than big and overlooks the Mariners Safeco Field. We make dinner out of happy hour at Jimmy's on First located in the hotel.

Silver Cloud Hotel - Stadium Jimmy's on First

The next day we take the free hotel shuttle to the King St. Amtrak Station. After some quick drama, a car attendant who wrongly informs us that our sleeper car is broken and removed from the train, we find our room and kick back. We decided to upgrade to a roomette on our return. The roomette price is higher but includes meals. The seats turn into bunks and privacy curtains block the light so sleeping is much easier. I haven't slept in bunks since the military so it is an experience. I gave Avril the upper bunk and she may never forgive me, but we had fun anyway. She is more the nimble athlete than I.

Lunch Amtrak Coast Starlight Parlor Car

Dinner Amtrak Coast Starlight Parlor Car 

We skip breakfast the next morning and depart in Emeryville. Home again!

Victoria Butchart Gardens

We are up early, have breakfast and wander the marina area of Victoria before we jump a bus for a twenty minute ride to Butchart Gardens. I was not really sure I wanted to spend hours wandering in a garden but upon arrival I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. Take along a extra memory card there are so many photographic opportunities!  I've somehow managed to edit a couple hundred photos down to a manageable slide show.


We wandered for hours and finally caught the bus back to downtown. Just our luck it was time for happy hour and we were drawn to a restaurant called The Docks. They had beautiful outdoor seating but we had been in the sun most of the day and opted for an inside table. I had a great order of fish and chips and Avril tuna sliders. Good wine and company left us ready for a long walk back to the hotel.
We have more exploring to do in Victoria tomorrow.

Victoria Here We Come!

After a short but fun stay in Seattle we head a few blocks to Pier 69, home of the Victoria Clipper Ferry, for a three hour cruise to Victoria,  British Columbia. It is a little overcast but the water is smooth as we enjoy some snacks and wine. The menu is limited and I see some passengers have carried on picnic items. We chose a snack plate of cheese and crackers which calms our appetite. I booked our entire stay in Victoria through Clipper Vacations,  the parent of the ferry operation. It was a heck of a deal. Three nights lodging, round trip ferry, bus transportation, city tour and admission to Butchart Gardens was just over $600 U.S. dollars. I played on line and found that just the Gardens and Ferry crossing alone would have been about $300. We were housed at the Embassy Inn across from the ferry pier. The price included hot breakfast and wireless. The Embassy Inn has a few years on it but it is clean and meticulously kept. Our large room had a full kitchen, big TV and two comfy chairs I wanted to take home. It was larger than our first apartment. Next door the  British Columbia Legislation Building cast a regal presence.

 Snacks Victoria Clipper Seattle 

Carriage Rides and Legislation Victoria, B.C.

After checking in we wandered off to find dinner. It was past the golden time called happy hour and we were starved. After checking out a few places we landed at Pescatores Oyster Bar. I had the tuna tataki salad and Avril the Thai Steamers. Pinot Gris was our wine choice as we watched the beautiful group at the next table get their party on. Back at the hotel we found the Canadian Food Network on TV. Life is good!

Pescatores Oyster Bar Victoria B.C.

Next up our trip to the Butchart Gardens.

If It's Tuesday This Must Be Seattle!

I boosted the title of this blog post from an 1969 movie If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium. I thought of this movie during our trip and while I write about it now. In retrospect I realize that I spent a lot of time on travel logistics and not enough time on enjoying travel.  Note to self:  Just visit one or two places during a ten day trip, quality not quantity travel.

We are awake early in Astoria and drive our rental car two hours back to Enterprise in downtown Portland. The rental agent gives  us a ride to Union Station (PDX.) We are ahead of schedule so we check our luggage, drink coffee and enjoy the building's old lines. There are neon signs to photograph and a bank of phone booths to admire. Phone booths seem like an anachronism in today's cell phone world.

 Union Station Portland - PDX

We boarded the Amtrak Cascades for a scenic ride to Seattle. This train is more modern,  but a little less plush than The Coast-Starlight. It has a smooth ride and electronic displays showing location, time, and speed. I caught a couple of  peek a boo photos of the scenery at over seventy MPH.

Photos from Amtrak Cascades

We arrived in Seattle and grabbed a cab to the Ace Hotel. I had scouted Seattle hotels on the internet for location and price. The Ace Hotel had lots of great reviews and is in a wonderful location. On top of that it is artsy and hip, that's all good. Maybe I'm too old to be hip. As I stood in the doorway of the hotel, there was a long steep stairway; I looked about for an elevator and didn't see one. I had tons of luggage including many pounds of camera gear. Like a Sherpa I hauled butt up to the reception desk and told Avril I would find the elevator. I asked the desk person "where is the "old people's elevator?" She said there is no elevator, as she kindly jumped up and ran down to help Avril with her luggage. Apparently the hotel is a heritage building and an elevator was not required during conversion. We had booked an upgraded room with our own bathroom-shower instead of shared / $199 plus-plus .  Our overall stay was very good. The desk staff were all nice and helpful. The bed was comfortable and clean and there is kick-ass coffee and a killer waffle machine for the included breakfast. The decor is minimalist-recycled-green chic, which I get. Some things I didn't get.  There is no place to stow luggage, hang clothes ( OK there was two hangers on a pipe), paper towels instead of cloth for the sink and that piece of black melting "soap", ugh. A few inexpensive changes / additions would make a difference for us old, un-hip, money to spend guests.

The Ace Hotel Seattle 

Waffle! Ace Hotel Seattle

We only had a short time in Seattle so we chose to visit Pike Place Market. What a great place I wished we had a kitchen to take the beautiful food back to.

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market 

Next up ferry to Victoria.

Princess Hawaii Cruise Escape Completely

Princess Cruises, as a part of their logo, has  the  trademarked slogan "escape completely." I had pretty much dismissed this as marketing hype but after one day on board the Grand Princess;  I really had escaped. The hardest decision I have to make is what to eat.  I can do whatever I want when I want. Love it!

Travel Photography - Epiphany

  I have been shooting photos from many years, starting originally with film and  now digital. I own a collection of cameras that would put me into the pro category.  I've hauled many pounds of gear on trains and ships when I traveled,  capturing some great shots. On recent trips I have relied more and more on my point and shoot that I carry in a small case on my belt. It is always handy and is very stealth. In many situations you don't want to draw attention to your expensive gear. A few weeks before this cruise I dropped it and the screen shattered. I knew I needed a replacement so I searched for "travel cameras."  I selected the Panasonic Lumix ZS 25 on sale at Costco for under $200. I brought it on board and loved it instantly.  It is smarter and quicker than me,  making exposure decisions in a heart beat. I had a photo epiphany of sorts, you don't have to carry many pounds of camera stuff to get great pictures. My aching back thanks you! Another escape, I no longer need to be a pack mule.

We are up early to photograph the sunrise and eat some breakfast.

Sunrise from The Grand Princess Hawaii Cruise

Sunrise Grand Princess Nov. 2013

This next photo reminds me of a scene from the movie 'City of Angels' when the angels turn toward the setting sun.

Passengers on The Grand Princess Hawaii Cruise watch the sunrise

My Breakfast selection - Grand Princess Horizon Court Buffet

Let me show you a few more photos taken with  my new stealth travel camera.

Alfredo's  Pizza Grand Princess

Passing Storm

Waterfall Fun Hawaii