We departed Fairbanks aboard the Alaska Railroad in the Royal Celebrity dome car. The views were phenomenal. Breakfasted with John & Amy. The food was superb. The staff was fun. And the drinks were extraordinary. We lunched at a restaurant in Denali National Park then boarded a green school bus for an absolutely incredible Tundra Wilderness Tour. Our driver Bill Berry was most personable and had a terrifically sharp eye for spotting wildlife. We saw ptarmigan, caribou, Dall sheep, and grizzlies. We got some little peeks at the great peak Denali (Mt. McKinley) but for the most part it stayed shrouded in clouds. We ended the day with a delicious dinner and some great beer at the Denali Lodge with Chris & MJ.
By deliberate choice we were in Medina for all the winter holiday festivities from Candlelight Walk in the days before Thanksgiving through A Christmas Carol and A Celtic Christmas as well as an Alex Bevan Concert and a historic house tour all the way through Medina’s 31st Ice Festival but perhaps the highlight was the town hosting hundreds of folks whose homes and lives were devasted by Hurricane Helene at the A Promise of Christmas Event the middle of January. It’s an honor to be a part of this amazing community!
The warmth we anticipated when we headed to the Caribbean in mid-January didn’t really materialize but the fun we had with our dancing friends and the great crew of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander more than made up for the not so favorable weather.
Aboard Jewel of the Seas, a favorite ship of ours, we enjoyed a foray into the history and geology of Canada’s Atlantic coast while enjoying the joys of friendships, longtime and new. Now we’re looking forward to returning to the same ship for further adventures!
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