It has been on my bucket list to travel to the icy wonderland of Alaska. I cruised the inner passage this year on the majestic Queen Elizabeth, stopping at Ketchikan, cruise by Glacier Bay, Haines, cruce by Tracy ford, Juneau, Sitka, Cruise by Misty ford, Victoria and back to Seattle.

We left on a sunny day, with a magnificent sunset, heading into clouds, rain and mist for our first port day. After that we were amazingly lucky, with clear weather, able to enjoy the colors and amazing scenery of the glaciers, fjords and mountains as we cruised through them.

I have hundreds of photos, and have chosen a few favorites to share with you. I did get a bit obsessed with the patterns of the waves the cruise ship was making as well. The photo with the small boat gives you a frame of reference for how large the chunks of ice were!

Each day, mixed in with viewing the amazing sights, eating fantastic food (including British style afternoon tea with scones) , listening to lectures and talks from the onboard naturalists and the many activities, I managed to sit and draw on my iPad. I have a nice collection of memories of the colors and feel of each place we visited.

I also made some time for learning and trying something new - glass pulling at a glass studio in Sitka, and playing with a watercolor set, with hand made watercolors in Alaskan hues bought from a little shop in Haines.