Blog.WinGolfer.com

I sailed on the Celebrity Cruises Mercury Alaska Inside Passage Cruise 7 Nights Round Trip from Vancouver, BC.  Date: July 13, 2007

Fri, Jul 13

Vancouver, British Columbia Depart 5:00 PM . We flew from JFK to SLC and then to Vancouver. There were long, long lines in customs -a t least 200 people ahead of us. Some people chose USA direct, where the cruise line takes you through, directly to the ship. In hindsight, if we had limited time to get to the ship, we should have chosen this method. It was glorious in Vancouver - nice and sunny, not too hot. We arrived at Canada Place by tai, waiting on a security line, US customs (we had only been in Canada about ½ hour, and then another line to check in. The whole procedure from getting off the plane and onto the Mercury took about 3 ½ hours!

Once onboard, an attendant took my carry

on and took us to our cabin, on the continental desk (bottom of the boat). The room, an outside cabin, was spacious, and well laid out. The bathroom, however, reeked of mold. We look around, thinking it was faulty caulking, but we could not see anything obvious. We thought of asking to change cabins since we had not yet unpacked. We instead asked at the guest relations desk to have our cabin thoroughly cleaned. While we were at dinner, it was doused with Clorox. It still reeked of mold.

I went to a cocktail party for a few minutes, and then went to the theater for a preview show. The 2 or 3 segment by the singers and dancers was good, much better than on the Millennium, so I have high hopes for the entertainment on other nights.

We had a wonderful table in the dinner room, directly in front of the Captain’s table.

Sat, Jul 14

Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising

I woke up at 540 AM, to find out that breakfast did not start for quite some time, the pools don’t open to 8AM (I was hoping for an early morning lap before anyone could see me in my bathing suit). Instead, I walked the jogging track. 12 laps= 1 mile. There were many 20 or so people there, and the first whale of the trip was spotted on the side of the ship. A few minutes in the gym, and then breakfast, which was delicious and uncrowded at 730AM. I changed into my bathing suit, but the pool was too cold even for polar bears. I was the only one in the whirlpool. A few minutes freezing on deck afterward trying to read my book.

Seminar

lunch

tea

geography trivia.

Our first formal night. Waiter made recommendations, which were excellent.

Show was fabulous. Best I have seen on a cruise. Lots of Broadway tunes, and popular songs, done with dancing. Some of the moves were a bit awkward.

Sun, Jul 15 Juneau, Alaska Docked Arrive 1:00 PM Depart 10:00 PM

Track in the fog. What a wonderful sight when the mountains suddenly broke through the fog. Snow capped, pine tress, the works.

We sailed for several house glimpsing a glacier through a passage, and seeing small boats nearby. We reached Juneau, the capital on time and waiting for the announcement to disembark. Just outside the docking area are tour booths. We choose MGT who gave an AAA discount. I wanted just a transfer to the Glacier $6 each way, but my husband choose a city tour as well. Funny commentary. We stopped at a beautiful log cabin church by the lake. Spectacular view. The vehicle was like an old city bus, but clean and comfortable. The weather was glorious. Everyone gasped with the first sight of the glacier. Awe inspiring!. Light blue, and massive. There are park rangers there to explain things. The visitors center costs $3 more. We did not have time for it. The small gift shop charges no tax because it is a non profit. I bought some local wildflower seeds. It says they grow any where. We’ll see.

Our first real shopping opportunity in town found us carrying large bags of tee shirts, hats, and fleece vest back. We were too tired to eat in the main dining room, so we ate at the buffet (Italian), and then saw a movie in the cinema.

By the way, I was wearing layers, but in the brilliant sunshine, I required only a long sleeved cotton shirt and a hat.

http://www.traveljuneau.com/planner/attractions/results.cfm

Mon, Jul 16

Skagway, Alaska Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM bus/train. We woke up to fog and rain. Really happy I bought the fleece in Juneau and had a poncho. The rain was rolling off the decks. The bonus was that we were so close to the shore on our Continental deck (lower level) cabin that we could see a sea otter frolicking on the shore just outside our cabin window.

Not much happening on board on a port day. The Jacuzzi and Thalassotheray pool were closed. I was a bit sorry that we had prebooked a trip independent of the trip (no refunds), because the weather was not conducive to a trip. I guess it was better than having booked a bike trip! The poring rain was lighter by lunchtime, when we boarding our train to the summit.

Booked Chilikoot Charters independent of the ship. http://www.chilkootcharters.com They picked us up at the dock and took us to the main station to board the White Pass. We had a private car just for our small group. We could move from right to left as the views changed. Lots of empty seats. The rain made the rivers and waterfalls very active. I can’t imagine how the gold miners ever survived life outside in this for months at a time! The bus ride back to town was uneventful. The town is colorful - both in the color of the buildings and the personalities of the eccentric locals. Since this excursion enters Canada, US and Canadian citizens must carry a passport or birth certificate with photo ID. Guests of other nationalities must bring their passport.

Tue, Jul 17

Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) Cruising Arrive 10:00 AM Depart 1:00 PM Arctic blue ice moaning and groaning. When you get to the glaciers, you’ll see calving (parts of the glaciers falling into the water) and can actually hear the glaciers move! We went right up to the face of the glacier, much closer than I ever thought we would.. The best view ( and the warmest) was from the treadmill in the gym- right at the front of the ship. We went outdoors as well to hear the naturalist on board do here commentary. There were seals nearby.. Later when exiting the bay, we was pairs of dolphins swimming towards the ship and jumping along the way.

Wed, Jul 18

Ketchikan, Alaska Tendered Arrive 1:00 PM Depart 8:30 PM You can also walk in the town on the well marked city walking trail. There are many totems in the town, in parts and elsewhere. The lumberjack show is good, not too hokey, or so we were told by some who attended. We chose to walk through the town and do a bit of shopping. There are good shops for buying native crafts here as well.

The weather was fabulous again. Some of the local kids were spending their afternoon jumping from the bridge into the - cold - water. In the same area, fisherman were catching large fish. Formal evening again. Good entertainment, too. http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/ThingstoDo/ToursandActivities/tabid/99/Default.aspx

Thu, Jul 19

Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising. So many activities on board that it was hard to choose - a film, a cocktail party, talks and lectures, and more.

Fri, Jul 20

Vancouver, British Columbia Arrive 7:00 AM

Tips – the best tip I can give is to do as many of the activities as you can on the ship and at ports of call. Some people spend most of the cruise relaxing in their cabins or sitting pool side. Well, they can do that anywhere….

Each night you’ll be given a schedule for the next day’s activities. Pick out a couple of things and be sure to attend. Don’t miss the nightly entertainment—most of the shows are quite good. Get there early for the best seating.

When you’re in Glacier Bay, be sure to be outside on the front deck for most of it. Dress

warmly—even if it’s a nice day, while the ship is still moving you can feel quite chilly. You have a good opportunity to see wildlife (bears, eagles, etc.), so bring your binoculars and camera. When you get to the glaciers, you’ll see calving (parts of the glaciers falling into the water) and can actually HEAR the glaciers move!

What to bring: Layers - everything from shorts and tee shirts to long sleeved shifts and a fleece. If you forget something warm, you can always buy something there. My husband a I both bought winter jackets really cheaply. -available in all sizes and colors Before we boarded the ship in Vancouver, we had gotten these free coupon books at the port. They proved to be a great benefit - free gifts in most stores we would have gone to anyway - everything from Alaska hats to souvenir mugs and tee shirts with a purchase.

The Mercury is a mid sized ship, much more to my liking than the mammoth Millennium that I sailed on in May through the Mediterranean. No long lines anywhere. The staff were excellent, the cabins a good comfortable size, and the entertainment good and activities very varied. It lived up to Celebrity’s 4 star reputation.

When it comes to college life, we all agree that studying is the most important part of it. But there is also another aspect to consider, the financial one. Expense control during college years is something that we should always keep a close eye on and part of this is to pick the right credit card for your needs.

Even before you start to earn any college credits, you get bombarded with offers of financial credit. When you’re away from home, having credit is very important for basic expenses as well as traveling from home to campus, depending on how far away you move.

Of course, credit also helps you trick out your dorm room from that awful, institutionalized look to something that resembles your personal style. Getting the credit you want starts with completing a student credit card application.

You will find banks and credit card companies vying for your business all over campus. Some offer food (Can you believe that?), some give away magazine subscriptions, and others toss trendy tee shirts at you if you sign on the dotted line.

But none of those so-called gifts are the reason you should choose a credit card. Every college student likes freebies, but this decision has a far-reaching, long-term impact on your life. This is too serious to base your decision on a cheap freebie.

Don’t rush to complete the first student credit card application that’s thrust into your hands. Get at least three applications and compare the deals offered to you; or better yet, shop online, where there is no pressure from anyone to apply, and compare benefits.

These financial companies are all willing to give you credit, perhaps the same initial amount of credit. So what features matter most? First, you need to know what the credit card will cost you (or mom and dad if they’re footing the bill).

One cost is the annual fee and the other is the interest rate on your balance. Your best choice is a student credit card with no annual fee. Why pay this when you don’t have to? Taking time to shop around for a good deal will turn up a no fee card.

Typical interest rates range from 12% to 18% on your balance. The term APR refers to annual percentage rates. There are more features that can attract you to a specific credit card company.

You may be able to get an affinity card, which is a student credit card with your college or university logo. Other groups also have affinity cards - including political, environmental or social causes.

Some credit cards offer points that can even be used for travel or gift rewards. You earn these points by paying your minimum balance on the due date and keeping within your credit limit.

If you frequently shop at stores, restaurants or travel sites that offer reward points, then you can get more for your money with this type of credit card. Other cards offer cash back - based on eligible items purchased from grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores or discount stores.

It’s okay to eat the snacks and listen to the pitch from the on-campus credit card presentation. Just remember that some of these companies hire students who only know a few sales lines and don’t really have all the answers that you need to make an informed decision.

As you can see, when it comes to select the right credit card for your college years, there are many options to choose from. Take the time to shop around, listen to the offers, go online and compare and select the one that better suits your needs as it will be time well spend.

You know that golf events are a great way to promote your business or corporation. You can network with others in your industry, negotiate big contracts with new clients, and strategize with coworkers while playing the game. But planning these tournaments and trips is not easy. Just stop for a moment and think about all of the details you will need to consider.

A year before your tournament, you need to outline all of the objectives you have for the event. How many people do you wish to attend the tournament? Who is going to be in charge? You will want to recruit a team of people that will help you plan. It’s important that these people are on the same page as you, understand your objectives, and are highly organized individuals. Having these objectives in mind will help you as you promote. One problem you may find, however, is that there are no people in your company that are organized and experienced enough to help you plan your tournament.

Golf events take a tremendous amount of organization and forward thinking. At least six months before you plan to host your tournament, you need to choose the date and a budget. Once you have chosen the date, start mapping out the things you need to accomplish before that date. This is also the time to choose a location for your tournament, if you have not already done so. If you do not book your location early, you will lose the chance to get the best courses, tee times, and dates. You are going to quickly find that there is far more to do than you ever dreamed possible.

As your event draws closer, around three months before the tournament is scheduled, the work gets even more frantic. This is when you want to advertise. There are many venues you can use to advertise golf events, including press releases, promotional materials, incentives, and free giveaways. You are going to find that golfing promotional materials are quite expensive. This is also the time to choose the awards that you will give the winning players or teams and the structure of your tournament. You may be surprised how many different options there are for structuring your tournament.

As the tournament gets closer, you need to make sure you have planned not only excellent golfing for your guests, but also meals, accommodations, and entertainment for the rest of the day. On average, there will be eleven hours during a typical day of golfing where your guests have nothing to do. You need to provide then with interesting, golf-related activities to fill this time. That way they will not leave with a poor impression of you and your company.

Does it sound like planning golf events may be too daunting of a task for one person to handle? If you feel this way, you are probably right. De Winter Golf Enterprises is a company with twenty years of experiencing planning and organizing tournaments across the globe. They can come alongside you and take care of all of these details. They can also give you an amazing discount on your promotional materials. If you would like their help planning your tournament, visit them at http://www.dewintergolfenterprises.com today to get the best courses and the best dates.

If you have a baby girl, you would probably spend hours trying to figure out what to make her wear, in order for her to appear cute and cuddly. Nothing beats the joy of having a little girl since you can dress up in almost anything and she will still appear adorable. What is more, there are thousands of beautiful baby girl clothes available in the market. You can take a pick from cute dresses with ribbons and huge bows. Or else, you can go with sundresses that have delicate laces. The colors of girl’s clothes are also endless, from pale pink to the brightest yellow.

Fashion is not only applicable to teens and adults. You can also make your little girl fashionable and stylish with designer baby girl clothes. Recent styles and designs of clothing for girls are every bit as trendy as clothes that are made for the women and young ladies. These include pretty layettes, cute dresses, shirts, onesies, sweaters, skirts, jumpers, pants, and adorable shorts. If you know the best place to shop for fashionable baby girl clothes, you will find it a joy to know that you have a lot of choices to select from. But before you rush off to the nearest baby store or log on to your favorite online store, there are important reminders that you have to consider.

The first pointer, when shopping for baby girl clothes, is to keep in mind the comfort of your kid. It does not matter of the dress is stylish and that it matches the eyes of your baby perfectly. If it is not comfortable enough for her and she fidgets around a lot just wearing it, it means that this is not the right kind of clothing for your baby girl. Keep away from garments that have itchy tags, scratchy or itchy laces, closed necklines, and tight elastic waists or cuff lines. You should also remember that there are suitable clothes for each season. In the summer, baby girl clothes should be soft and airy. Winter baby girls usually consist of satin and woolen sweaters. On the other hand, spring dresses may have pastel or light colors.

There are times when fashionable clothes seem to take a lot of effort to take off or put on. Since you are dealing with a little girl, you need to consider her age, when buying for clothing. This means that you have to refrain from shopping for dresses or clothes that have tight or closed necklines. If you want to buy her dresses, there are styles that come with ribbon straps. This clothing style does not take too much time to wear or undress. There are plenty of clothing stores that sell comfortable clothing for babies and toddlers, plus, discount baby clothes.

The fit of baby girl clothes also matter. If you want your toddler or infant to feel the utmost comfort, do not buy clothes that are stifling. Sure you want her to look like Gwen Stefani with punk rock tees. However, you have to remember that t-shirts are not suitable for baby girls. You have to remember that this type of shirt are not that comfortable and may be too hot for your young one. The best clothing for your baby girl should be light. What is more, the fit should be perfect for her.

There are several stores that sell clothing for baby girls. Some of these offer their apparel at very expensive prices. But if you are looking for discount baby clothes, go online for diverse selections.

Any rookie fan is sure to have questions about the game of basketball. They want to learn all about the game that made the NBA famous. They see the NBA trademark on everything from tee-shirts to jerseys and hear about all of the fine basketball players that very vividly earn their salaries on the court each week. Seeing the game action firsthand, however, requires them to understand what is going on in front of them.

There are so many things to consider when they enter an NBA arena. They have to become educated on the basketball game court because there are so many lines and half circles and so much distance between the two hoops. They might even wonder if the players will ever be able to reach the hoops and that thought will quickly change when the team comes out of the back and runs across the court.

Fans will quickly realize that professional basketball is dramatically different from the basketball that they experienced at their school gym in high school. They might even have to find out the new rules for fouls and other violations that have made NBA Basketball so thrilling on television. So many games have been one by one free throw from an NBA player who was violated in some way on the court.

A true understanding of the game that made the NBA so famous will come only after a fan has a thorough understanding of the positions of the NBA players and all of the terms that are used throughout the game. Some of these terms are used by the officials of the basketball game and others are uttered by the announcers of the game. The daily newspapers is sure to use a few well placed words to talk about the game too and getting the full affect of the game they saw makes it all worthwhile.

When learning about basketball, fans will usually realize that there are many different styles in play on the court. Some of the styles will come through the influence that coaches have on a players time on the court. There are other styles in place that are indicative of which conference the team plays in. Some of the styles are the NBA basketball player’s signature moves, and those are what have made the player so famous thus far in their NBA playing career.

To round out the education about the game of basketball, fans will typically pursue a thorough understanding of the NBA Draft and they will be sure to mark their calendars with the dates that the NBA Playoffs are supposed to be televised. Some might go as far as learning all about the NBA All-Star game. With a continual learning curve applied, fans can become very educated about basketball by the end of the basketball season.

We all know that among all the human beings that walks this earth, the women are among the most complicated being that god has ever created. Women are among the few that requires that all of the things around them must be perfect. A tiny slip and you would go for a ride of a life time with all the things that the women can say to shout to you.

Women are especially picky with what they wear. All that they wear must coincide with the other clothing or accessories, all must be in harmony. This is why the women have been called as the most complicated creature of all.

Fashion makes a woman as they say, fashion is what makes our world lively and exciting, fashion defines the culture of ones country. There are two classification of fashion in our world, the fashionable and the unfashionable, every human especially the women doesn’t want to be called unfashionable.

There are a lot of clothing lines out there that can satisfy a woman’s needs of style and fashion, and one of them is the mudd apparels. The mudd apparels ranges from tees, jeans, shoes, boots, sandals, bags, caps and many more.

There are a lot of shops out there that can provide you with some mudd apparels. There are also some places that can give you some discounts on some of those mudd apparels. The mudd apparels don’t only serve clothing lines and accessories to women, but also some clothes for men and children.

With the mudd apparels, women can now rest assured that all of their needs from the clothes can be fulfilled by the mudd apparels.

What you wear reflects the type of person you are. Your fashion sense has always been considered to be something that is uniquely you. Nowadays, there are a lot of fashion styles that may range from simple and classy to eye-catching and trendy. Unfortunately, most of the brands do not make you stand out in a crowd. If you want to get attention and at the same time, like people to admire you for your fashion sense, you should consider Ed Hardy Clothing.

There is no limit to the amazing styles of Ed Hardy Clothing. Their own products are designed for the young and fashionable. You will have difficulties choosing among the wide selection of caps, shirts and hoodies. Manufactured using the most durable and comfortable material, you are guaranteed of excellent quality at affordable prices. If you can not believe that such excellent quality and stylish design can come from the same label, here are some descriptions of Ed Hardy Clothing products:

Hats/Caps
Offering one of the biggest selections of caps, consumers will have a delightful time choosing one that will go with their personality. The Ed Hardy Peace Hats Collection, for example, shows a selection of styles that include Butterfly Poly Print, Tiger, Love Kills and Cross Rhinestone. You will certainly be noticed by that girl you have been eyeing. In addition to this, the hats come in a single size that fits all!

T-Shirts
You will not believe that something as understated as a shirt will grab so much attention. Individuals who choose to buy one of these Ed Hardy T-shirts can not help but feel cool and hip. With vintage-inspired designs that make these tees quite fashionable, you will surely be that talk of the party. In fact, these T-shirts have become quite popular that even celebrities are wearing them!

Hoodies
The coolest of the cool can be seen wearing these multi-functional hoodies. Of course, you can expect Ed Hardy hoodies to be as fashionable as the others. Most of the hoodies come in vintage designs, making them perfect for everyday wear. You can wear it in school, at the mall or even when just chilling out with friends at local hang-outs. These hoodies are perfect for any weather – lightweight and durable material guarantees comfort and protection. You can check out the great selection of styles that come in different colors.

Ed Hardy Clothing is the label for you if you need to feel comfortable with your own personality. And you do not even have to spend so much since these apparels are offered at reasonably affordable prices. Being able to show your personality through your clothes is very important. You will surely feel more at ease with yourself knowing that people want to get to know you because of who you really are.

If you want to check out the great selection of shirts, hoodies and caps, you can conveniently do so online. Just visit www.raininghollywood.com. You can also complement your shirt, caps and hoodies with shoes from popular manufacturers like Nike®, PUMA ® and Timberland ®. There are also jeans from well-known designers like Abercrombie and Fitch ® and BBC. With all these products in one site, online shopping has never been this easy.

For more convenience, you can order online and also avail of the discounts and free shipping. All transactions are guaranteed to be safe. All the details of your credit card will be protected and kept confidential. So the next time you feel like adding to your collection of hip clothes, do not forget to check out the latest from Ed Hardy.