Back home in Nevada, we were pleased to see that our business was still standing and that all the employees had done an excellent job in our absence.
As I started doing this web site, all the memories of the trip were brought back into focus.
This was our third “small ship” cruise with the first one being thirteen years ago with Cruise West on the Spirit of Discovery. This was a “traditional Alaska” trip starting in Juneau and cruising to Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm and then working our way south to Seattle. It was a wonderful trip that lived up to our expectations but I keep feeling that the naturalists, although knowledgeable, the depth of the presentations could have been more.
Our second cruise in Alaska, a couple of year later, was with Glacier Bay Cruises on the Wilderness Adventurer, now defunct, was a different type of cruise in that we left Juneau cruised Tracy Arm, Frederick Sound and Glacier Bay but never return to a city until the end of the cruise. The focus of the cruise was to kayak in the morning and cruise to another location in the afternoon. It was a great trip and we really enjoyed the kayaking. On this cruise I met Todd Smith, who was a naturalist on the Wilderness Discoverer, and he mentioned that he “wintered” in Lake Tahoe as a ski bum (my words not his). Years later I was researching for another small ship cruise and came across AdventureSmith Explorations in Tahoe City California. While taking to the owner about his experience, I realized that we had met Todd before on the Wilderness Discoverer.
I now I wanted a small ship experience in Mexico but felt that I wanted more from the naturalists. Chris at AdventureSmith Explorations recommended Lindblad Expeditions and was he right on the money. Speaking of money, they are more expensive but well worth it.
Earlier this year my sister and her husband went to the Galapagos Islands. In the description of her experiences, there was an underlying theme. Yes the Galapagos Islands are a remarkable place to visit but that was not the underlying theme. The theme was the wonderful experience of being on a Lindblad expedition.
Lindblad takes care of every little detail and yes Cruise West and Glacier Bay Cruise also did but not with the same degree of quality and finesse. There were the staff at the airport, staff and crew on the ship, the margaritas and appetizers before dinner the first night, appetizers every night before dinner, complementary wine with some dinners and tequila tasting the last night.
All these were great but it was the Expedition Leader and the naturalists also know as the lecturers that made this cruise so spectacular.
Captain Mark Graves and Expedition Leader Michelle Graves
Sharon Grainger who had a personal relationship with the White Pelicans in the Boca de Soledad and took the extra effort to show us the red dye for the Dactylopius coccus insect.
Berit Solstad took the effort to collect different jellyfish to show us and explain why we did not want to get stung by them. I never figured out her specialty, she seems to be knowledgeable in all aspects of nature. Maybe it is her 16 years with Lindblad.
Bryan Gates “the Queen’s personal birder” who would say “that is a yellow-crowned night heron” and then would describe the nesting, plumage, feeding habits and migration of this heron.
Bette Lu Kruse who went into great detail about the mangroves of El Barríl and the difference between the Black, Red and White mangroves and how they use different methods to get rid of the salt form the seawater as well as identify bird species as we pointed at them.