Going to Alaska - Part One

Mt McKinley/Denali, shot from the dome train

Alaska -- it was of course a long way to travel.  Starting from Durango we drove west, planning to spend two nights with friends Steve and Donna Bierut in Groveland near Yosemite.  Unfortunately they were not able to join us but Shannon and I still managed to enjoy Yosemite, hitting spots we had not been to previously.

Half Dome from Glacier Point

We drove north from Yosemite to Lassen Vocanic NP....

And on to Crater Lake NP.

Wizard Island way over there

That Amazing Color!

Then we visited my cousin Christine in Bandon OR.

Windy Beach at Bandon

Next we visited friends from the Ft Defiance days, Sean and Kaori Donohue, at their home in colorful Portland OR.

Fantastic Japanese Gardens in Portland

Zen Rocks.  I won't clutter up the blog with all my pics of stone lanterns.  Love stone lanterns!

Kaori, Sean, and Shannon at the historic Pittock Mansion

Multnomah Falls, east from Portland along the Columbia River

Then on to Vancouver BC.

In Vancouver we boarded the Holland America Noordam (above Shannon's head) for the cruise up the Inside Passage to Valdez AK.

                                     Click for Part Two