More photos from Dog Camp, Mendenhall Glacier

Accommodation at Dog Camp - some staff were doing their 12th Winter!

On arrival

Note the other sled team in the background - so hard to gauge the incredible vastness of the landscape

 

Linda the Musher

Choppers return - an unreal sight when all three were flying in

Whale Songs by Sam

 

Goodbye Seattle, USA and holidays

Wow.  What a fab time we have had.  We can't thank Kevin and Joan enough for their hospitality, generously sharing their space, time, friends, wine and tour guide expertise!  We will both have to take out second mortgages if we ever attempt to match their generosity when they visit Australia.

We can't wait to return when Joan's Exclusive Tours becomes a reality.  Joan would love to take tours of people for a personal, real experience of the "real" Canada, to the hidden gems only the locals know about.  Sam and I talked our way into being essential personnel - me as IT consultant and I can't remember what Sam settled on after nominating several areas of expertise.  So we agreed on an elite support team and then realised there would only be room for about two paying guests.  At the same time Joan realised she doesn't want to do tours with just anyone, so the idea of Exclusive Tours was born.  Paying guests will need to apply for the privilege :)

Wednesday we strongly women went to see the Mariners play - my first baseball game!  Very exciting.  Australians and Americans still have different definitions of the word "root".  Hence some hesitation in joining in the crowd song/chant of "we root, root, root for the Mariners".  Please, we've only just met.

Our last night we went to Jazz Alley, home of Blues and Jazz in Seattle. A dinner and live music venue, it was exactly the stuff of movies. Candle lit tables and booths, in a circular arrangement around the stage. Too good. We saw Ana Popovic - remarkable guitarist and singer. In November, Leo Kottke is playing. If I was there for that I would have died from pleasure - in a good way.

Of course Ana wanted to have her photo taken with us after the show

So we come home with a few more debts, a few more kilos and I have the bonus of the phone number of the young hip hop artist who assured me Americans like curvy women and provided his number in case I found myself lonely. :)
And Sam has an extra "Parolee" paper in her passport.   After all the drama and paperwork to get the special waiver, no immigration officer cared and it remains a fixture in the emergency passport.

Chihuly Glass and Garden - spectacular

Chihuly Garden and Glass is an exhibit in the Seattle Center showcasing the studio glass of Dale Chihuly, and it's like nothing I have ever imagined, let alone seen.  Joan and I went on Tuesday, and I returned with Sam the next day.  There are indoor and outdoor exhibits, some combined with gardens and other outdoor features.  Simply remarkable.   Please excuse the number of photos, it was so hard to choose.  I understand it is open at night as well and imagine the outdoor exhibit with lighting would be even more striking.  I couldn't get over that glass, a hard substance, could be so fluid and alive.  In other news, I think I've now settled on The Glasshouse for my wedding venue.

A pure fairy tale scene

The Glasshouse

Labor Day in Seattle

On Labor Day, Joan and Sam strolled down to Pike Place and then arranged for a car to deliver the less mobile one.  We visited a number of markets, enjoying the perfect weather and tried to pick up tips as we watched the mysterious Joan buy secret ingredients for the night's dinner :)

Elephant Garlic - beside normal size tomatoes

Truth in advertising - quirky and eye catching

People do not mind queuing here, notably for the original Starbucks store, the deliciously scented Piroshky Piroshky and Beechers handmade cheese store. 

Cheese-making in action

  

Piroshky delights - we returned for some on Thursday

Not being noted liner-uppers, we instead chose Rachels's Ginger Beer, yet another buzzing and energetic place serving a fabulous product.  We figured the fresh ginger and guava would be beneficial for Sam's cough, the frozen texture soothing, and the vodka because why not?  Three frozen mules it was, though Sam and I may have to do a return trip for the Boozy Floats - aka Spiders.  We still find it unusual to have to provide ID for all those you are ordering drinks for, or be able to point out the other suitably aged drinkers.

Frozen Mules all round!

Sam and I continued to ooh and aah at every bunch of fresh flowers at the markets, which are so, so cheap. This bunch of sixteen stems for $14. 

Back home for a wonderful dinner (thank you, Joan) with Kim and Scott joining the party. Kevin and Kim had us in stitches with tales of their various altercations and escapades growing up.  The day was capped off with having a great view of Mt Rainier and the Space Needle lights from our balcony. Photos by Sam, with Joan's camera. 

Churchill revisited

I never did a follow up post for Churchill, hoping I would work out how to post videos. But I'm not sure I've even retrieved the videos I took so here's a few photos to record the fantastic time I had there. Not brilliant pics but good enough to get a sense. No belugas I'm sorry. They're all on video but there's 3 short videos on FB.

    Mumma polar bear and cubs Tundra buggy day 1

    Big fella biding his time 

    Bald eagle

    Caribou

    Arctic fox

    Another mumma and her cub - Tundra Buggy day 2

    Tundra Buggy 

    The Tundra