My second trip to Paris was actually 3 tourist days appended to a work trip. My plan was to take more time to soak in Paris, and not overload myself with an ambitious plan.
My work included a scenic dinner cruise on the Siene
I reserved the timed entry to the Eiffel Tower a few months in advance
Going upGoing down
I used Uber to get across the city for my timed entry to Palais Granier Opera – I was early so was able to check out the famous Galaries Lafayatte and the awesome views from the terrace and tourists posing
Gallery LafayattePalais GarnierThe Phantom’s Box
The opera house was beautiful- my experience slightly dampened by the many many women posing for extended photo shoots.
After returning to the 6th to my hotel, I sauntered along the Seine
I had not planned to visit Notre Dame for a few more days but could simply not resist
For dinner I stood in line at Brasserie des Prés on a Friday around 7 – my wait was about 30 minutes and was seated at a wonderful spot where I could see the Cour de Commerce and the lively kitchen
Brasserie des PresDark Chocolate and Banana was recommended and delicious The underground entrance to the Louvre The 9:30am crowdFamous because she was stolenDirectly behind the Mona Lisa and much less of a crowdCrazy CrowdsSaturday afternoon Luxemborg Gardens was livelyNotre Dame- Sunday afternoonPantheonÉglise Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Lone Cypress – 17 mile drivePiccadily ParkCarmel BakeryCarmel BeachCarmel Beach Carmel SunsetAlong Scenic DriveCarmel beach from scenic driveCypress Inn – very pet friendlyLa Bicyclette Restaurant Better for breakfast than lunchPiper_99 living his best life
This was our second time aboard the Discovery princess, doing this same itinerary. Our last trip in 2022 was disappointing because we could not go into the fjord due to fog. Our main reason for going on an Alaska Cruise was for the glacier viewing so we called this our do-over cruise and at each port planned excursions that we missed out on in prior cruises
We flew out of Santa Rosa to Seattle and had a clear view of Shasta out the window
We enjoyed the Summer Views cruise from Argossy and the Alaska Airlines parade after some delicious crab cakes at the Crab Pot
Shasta from our flightArgossy Summer Views CruiseViews from the Harbor CruiseSpace NeedleMt RainierMisty Fjord National Monument
The first port was Ketchikan. Our excursion boat took 2 hours to arrive at Misty Fjord National Monument which is normally covered in Mist. We enjoyed perfect conditions and saw a pod of Orcas on the return (not quick enough for photos)
Misty FjordsEagles everywhereDawes Glacier
We were lucky to be among the 200 or so guests who booked the Glacier Explorer excursion early on.
The small boat pulls up next to the cruise ship while in the Fjord and brings you up close to the glacier for an hour of up close viewing- the captain keeps spinning the boat for views and the crew collects glacier ice for drinks
We enjoyed many great views on the trip back to meet the ship in Juneau
Endicott ArmDawes Glacier
In Skagway we enjoyed the Ocean Raft excursion – where you dress in orange suits and spin donuts while spotting eagles, seals and waterfalls- more great weather!
In Victoria I was looking forward to an evening experience at the Empress hotel but the excursion was cancelled by the cruise line because not enough people signed up. I went to the teahouse at Abkhazi Garden for a traditional high tea
VictoriaBack in Seattle
Back in Seattle we had a late flight out so enjoyed lots of Starbucks and braved the crowds at Pikes Place Public market
I am not an NCL fan but chose this cruise for the itinerary. I prefer a port-intensive cruise and this one had only a single sea day. I was happy to do something different and was anxious to see the Fall Colors and the east coast. It was a bonus to be cruising out of New York, which afforded the opportunity for a pre-cruise mini-vacation.
The sail away was misty and our first port was Newport Rhode Island.
Port #2 was Portland, Maine
My Favorite Port was Bar Harbor Maine and Acadia National Park. Wishing I would have taken the hop on/hop off bus as our NCL excursion did not allow any time for exploring the park – which was the highlight of the trip for me.
We made it to St. John – Bay of Fundy in Canada where one of the top attractions is the reversing falls – water flows from the bay up river and then turns around later to flow into the bay.
Our Final Port was Halifax, NS – and the very popular Peggy’s cove with lunch in Lunenberg
