CALIFORNIA CRUISE

 ON march 29 2025 myself and my sister ROSEMARY boared the HOLLAND AMERICA LINE ship KONINGSDAM in SAN DIEGO CA after beening in SAN DIEGO for 3 days. we left SAN DIEGO at 5pm and was heading north long the california coast to SAN FRANCISCO it was nice send off we had sunny skies when we left and as we headed out of san diego  bay we could see MEXICO just south of us not far from downtown SAN DIEGO . on first day at sea it was very rough at times and very heavy seas like high as 20 feet but the ship handeled it very well and could not see the coast line of CALIFORINA because we were lest 30 miles away from the coast but it was intresting to see that part of the pacific coast of the USA . on march 31 we arived in SAN FRANCISCO at 7am and came under the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE wich was a  sight to see and came in to san francisco bay wich was intresting to see wich i have been to SAN FRANCISCO before but not  on a cruise like i was on . after we got off the ship in SAN FRANCISCO we took a tour of SAN FRANCISCO BAY on one there tour boats and went all the way to the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE and pass ALCATRAZ ISLAND wich is a very old prison and now a NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE operted by the NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE of the USA it was intresting to see ALCATRAZ ISLAND upclose  but not place very every one to see if they dont like prisons . after the tour of SAN FRANCISCO BAY we got on our tour  bus and went to GOLDEN GATE PARK and saw the GOLDEN GATE BRIGE at the base of the bridge from the south end. the bridge is tolled and only has one sidewalk on the east side looking towards OAKLAND and downtown SAN FRANCISCO the other side of the bridge is the side used for the maintance i was told but we got great vieuws of the bridge and san fancisco bay . after that the tour of the golden gate bridge we went on through golden gate park saw one of there beaches next to the park and onto onther place i never heard  of before when i was last in SAN FRANCISCO in sept 2002 was TWIN PEAKS wich gave us great vuiews of the city and the bay area wich we could see north towards OAKLAND and BERKELEY and south towards SAN JOSE and SANTA CLARA onwards wich was great to see. then after we left TWIN PEAKS we heaed back to downtown and back to our cruise ship long the way we could see this city is very hilly city with lot hills that realy high and maybe hard to drive around . on APRIL 1 we went back into town and walk along the waterfront of SAN FRANCISCO and got on one of there cable cars . the ride on the cable car was great we went up one street that was very hilly and long the way got great view of the downtown of san francisco and saw there chinatown long the way and the way . the cable car took right to dowtown and MARKET STREET wich is one san francisco main streets in downtown san francisco . after we got off the cable car at market street we walk long the street and got to see downtown san francisco wich was intresting . then we got on street car on market street and took us right back to the waterfront and our cruise ship wich was very handy. overal i like our time in SAN FRANCOSCO wich we were there for  1 night but we got to see lot during that time and was intresting to see then at 8.30pm we left san francisco and headed for ASTORIA OR . wile at  sea on our way to ASTORIA OR i could see bit of the coast but not lot but i could tell we were long way from the coast and it was nice cruise to ASTORIA time chopy and windy and sunny at time but enjoyable . on april 3 we arived in ASTORIA at 8am and it rained overnight from what i saw on the streets but that did last long because it got sunny for the rest of the day wich was great wile we were in ASTORIA we went to the COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM and looked around and that museum was worth seeing including the light ship COLUMBIA wich was lightship at the mouth of the columbia river and at the columbia river bar  from 1951-1979 wich is now part of the columbia river maritime museum. going on that ship as part of our addmision to the museum was worth it i never been on a lightship and seen it was very intresting to see and hear how they worked and operated. after that we went back to our ship and saw lot of downtown ASTORIA but there was not lot to offer and not lot to see in this town because lot cruise dont come here alot only on reposioning cruises wich  i was told but it was place worth  seeing wich i been to before on other trips . when we left ASTORIA at 6pm we heaed out of the columbia river and onto the pacific and north to VICTORIA B.C. on our way out of ASTIORIA a pilot boat came long us and fowled us all the out to the columbia bar wich i was suprized to see and went by a  lighthouse on the WASHINGTON  side of the river CAPE DISAPPOITMENT wich i saw before on my last trip to ASTORIA in sept 2002 wil i was with one my friends heaed north for SEATTLE but it was intresting to see it from the river and got great vieuws of it . the next morning april 4 wile  were in JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT and i could see vancouver island on one side of the ship and the other was  WASHINGTON STATE  wich was great to see and see SOOKE BC.  when we got close to RACE ROCKS lighthouse they were two bulkers heaed of us waiting  for there pilot to board but the PILOT BOAT PACIFC GUARDIAN came and put our pilots on first then went to the other ships after  that  and were bound for vancouver and ROBERTS BANK from what i saw . after that we came into VICTORIA and walked around town . i come to this town alot and know it very  well but from what was told there were passangers on the ship that never been to VICTORIA and got to see very intresting city. then at 10pm we left VICTORIA and heaed for VANCOUVER and home we arived in VANCOUVER at 6.30am and had breakfast on the ship and got off and went home overal this cruise on the KONINGSDAM was a intresting cruise and got to see a  part of CALIFORINA i never seen before wich was great and see the pacific coast of the USA was great to so it was great cruise to go long the coast of the USA and home to CANADA .

MALAHAT SKYWALK

 ON AUG 9 myself and my sister ROSEMARY went to VICTORIA and went to see the MALAHAT SKYWALK wich is hour north of VICTORIA and has been opened for 4 years now . when we got to VICTORIA we boared a bus that took us from downtown victoria to the malahat skywalk wich i heard about on check tv news and the shuttle took us to the skywalk and only took us hour to get there when we got there we check in and got on to wooden walkway that took us all the way to the skywalk when we reach the skywalk it was very impresive looking tower to see and when we got on to the skywalk we went all the way to the top wich had great views of the MALAHAT and saanich inlet wich we could see BREANTWOOD BAY and all the way to the san juan islands and north to the gulf islands wich was amazing to see and the top of the skywalk was amazing to see to wich had intresting things like  a wooden eagle and slide wich goes from the 7th floor of the skywalk wich the skywalk is 10 floors high and on located on cliff wich i noticed . so after beeing on the top of the skywalk for a long time we heaed down to the base of the skywalk and headed  back to get the shuttle back to VICTORIA and on to home . the skywalk is worth seeing and amazing atraction on vancouver island  and having that shuttle that took us from downtown victoria to the skywalk made this trip worth taking and i recomed others see this skywalk it worth seeing on sunny day wich we had . for more info on the malahat skywalk go to there web site at www.malahatskywalk.com

NIEUW AMSTERDAM EXPEDITION

 ON JULY 7 myself and my sister ROSEMARY boared the NIEUW AMSTERDAM at WHIITER ALASKA and left for hubbard glaicer in YAKUTAT BAY . we left WHIITER at 7.45pm and on our way  out of WHITTER we went by PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND and saw were the tanker EXON VALDEZ ran aground in march 1989. but there was not lot to see inculding the town of VALDEZ in the disstance but it was intresting to see that part of ALASKA i have never seen before. the next morning we came into YAKUTAT BAY and onto HUBBARD GLACIER wich we did not come close to but a boat named ST .THEODOSIUS came and pick up some of our passengers and took them very close to the hubbard glacier but we did not pay for that but got good vieus of it and YAKUTAT BAY on our way out back in the gulf of alaska . the next day we came into GLACIER BAY and saw hupback whale near us and other wildlife and got close to the glacier at glacier bay wich we went to on our last cruise to alaska but has not change much in the last year we were there and glacier bay is worth seeing and very well protected  since it national park under the US PARK SERVICE . then atfer that we came to SKAGWAY and had to take a tender to get into town because of slide that happened next to the dock it was very crowded in the tender boat and it was intresting trip in it since i have never been in ships liferboat but it very short trip only took less 10 min to get to the other dock and back to the ship . wile we were there there were onther ships in town wich were the NORWEGIAN ENCORE and the SAPPHIRE PRINCESS wich were dock just across from us . wile we were on the NIEUW AMSTERDAM i got to look around the ship and see things that were intresting including the plaque of her beeing christing by the PRINCESS OF THE NETHERLANDS on july 4 2010 in ITLAY were she was built and other historcal things to do with the NIEUW AMSTERDAM wich is the 4 one built in the history of HOLLAND AMERICA LINE and other historcal photos of there ships long each deck of cabins wich was worth seeing. then after we left SKAGWAY we arived in JUNEAU and were only in town for only few hours because we been here many times seen ever thing but i was nice to see JUNEAU  and see if anything changed since we were a year ago but nothing has changed in this city from what saw . then after that we went onto KETCHIKAN were i got to see some ALASKA FERRIES wich one them was laid up wich was the COLUMBIA wich i rode on her from KETCHIKAN to BELLINGHAM WA in june 1999 wich was very intresting trip but since the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY has been have financial problems in serveral years now there laid yp the COLUMBIA and her sister ship MATANUSKA too wich i saw her there in town that to bad the AMH has been having financial problems i hope the GOV of ALASKA get this shoreted out since the people  of ALASKA depend on the ALASKA MAINE HIGHWAY to get to were they need to go. the next day after we left KETCHIKAN we sailed south in hectate strait for VANCOUVER and just as we got close to PINE ISLAND the cruise ships CELEBRITY SOLSTICE and the BRILLANCE OF THE SEAS right behind us and followed all the way home to vancouver wich was great to see. when we passed PINE ISLAND at around 3.30pm the pilot came onboard from the pilot boat R.D RILEY and after he drop off the piolt for us they went onto the CELEBRITY SOLSTICE and the BRILLANCE OF THE SEAS wich we behind us . on the way to johnstone strait we passed a US cargo ship the COASTAL PROGRESS wich was on it way to ALASKA wich owened by COASTAL TRANSPORTION of SEATTLE wich use to see ads about them in shipping magainzes . then we entred johnston strait we came by two hupback whales and one came right up to the ship wich i have never seen one that close i was very big thing to see but the whale moved very quickly since he or she know there ship going by and had to get out of the way that pat of the coast you wil see whale and dolphins too wich i did further down johnstone strait and when we got just north of seymour narrows around  9.15pm i went to bed. the next morning we arvied in VANCOUVER wich was great to se were home and breakfast on the ship before we got off and headed for home overall the cruise on the NIEUW AMSTERDAM was worth doing because we got to see part of ALASKA we never seen and i got onther holland america ship wich had lot history of HOLLAND AMERICA and it home country of the NETHERLANDS  on this  ship and i found intresting so the cruise on the NIEUW AMSTERDAM was intresting and very ejoyable