Add TeamHovis to the long list of people who will rave about an Alaskan cruise. Today was fantastic, start to finish! We let all the cousins crash in one room last night so it was an early morning of giggling and tomfoolery. Em was not pleased with the hijinks – girls need their sleep. By the time we got everyone moving in the right direction, it was 8:45am. Time for breakfast.

Ummm… Coach was dumbstruck by the view for a few moments, gaping open-mouthed. The channel into Juneau is beautiful. We ate a wonderful breakfast by huge windows overlooking the sound. We saw bald eagles and whales. The peaks were socked in by fog adding to the unique Alaskan atmosphere. After breakfast, we got dressed in our warmest and most watertight clothes to prep for the day’s adventures.

We got in line to disembark from the ship. Gman figured out a funny joke and began asking anyone who would listen, “Do Ju Know it’s raining?”. Never got old. Not once. Not even after the 20^th time.

TeamHovis selected mostly activities for all ages, but we went for the big time this morning and PJ was too young to join us. So she hooked up with the rest of the family on a Mendenhall Glacier Hike and Museum Visit. (Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!) The eldest members of TeamHovis boarded a shuttle to Fritz Cove for a few hours of sea kayaking.

A constant rain with silky smooth waters and air temps in the 50’s and 60’s drove home the temperate nature of Alaska’s rain forests. The guide company geared us up in orange weatherproof overalls (AKA “Alaskan Tuxedos”), PFDs and rain boots. We excitedly headed down to the beach. Gman and Coach loaded up in one kayak while LadyCoach and Em loaded up in the another. We shoved off!

Adrenaline pumping, we headed out into the water. After about 100 yards it seemed something was wrong with the ladies’ kayak. It could only turn left. No matter how many times LadyCoach yelled “I am paddling on the other side!!!” it only made lefts. Clearly we had a defective kayak. Our guide tried to assist but to no avail. Only lefts. Coach tried to assist. Only lefts. Em cried and complained. Only lefts. The rest of the group of strangers groaned and sighed. Still lefts. It was really quite impressive. By the time we reached 500 yards into the cove the ladies had rowed a good 2000 yards. Circles will get you every time. Gman and Coach began pondering how long before this nightmare for the ladies would be funny to them. The boys may have sniggered a few times, but they hated themselves for it. Only lefts. Our eldest ladies hate nothing if not attention so this “Only Lefts” defective canoe was not too pleasant. Finally LadyCoach threw in the towel. She began to turn back. But not too soon after… she turned back toward us, then back toward shore again, then toward us… you get the idea. The guide finally called the motorized boat to rescue the damsels. Gman and Coach resigned themselves to finishing the tour without their ladies. The ladies refused to let us quit just because of an equipment issue. Gman and Coach enjoyed seeing harbor seals and birds of all kinds dip and dive around us for about 15 minutes. When hark! A joyful noise – the guide was yelling “Everybody hold up. They’re rejoining us!”. What do you know? Behind us a few hundred yards, Lady TeamHovis was making a beeline straight for the group. Had they switched kayaks? A high school geometry professor would have loved this direct line they were taking. It turns out the guide installed a rudder on their kayak. Foolproof steering no matter where and how you paddle how defective the equipment. All was right in the world. Great views of bald eagles and a harbor seal swam right up to the ladies’ kayak. We could see Mendenhall Glacier and it was spectacular. After another hour or so we paddled our soaking wet selves back to the beach. Generous tips were given to the patient guides and the “Only Left” phenomenon was a thing of the past. Nobody will remember the hilarity of the “Only Lefts” kayak and the steering wheel that had to be installed to fix said kayak.

The warmth of the shuttle bus back to the ship was glorious. We put on some dry clothes and reunited with PJ and the extended family for lunch. It seems everyone had a great time. We decided to go for a walking tour of Juneau.

Souvenirs were bought and smiles were had despite the constant rain. Em and PJ had had about enough when we talked them into grabbing a root beer at the famous Red Dog Saloon. They got excited only to be let down when it was too full to get a table. We walked on in the rain to the next option – also too full. We headed back to the ship. All was saved when we stopped in the fudge shop and discovered IBC root beers for sale. We’ll take four!

All smiles from there. Even PJ – who was convinced she wanted a Sprite. Coach asked her to trust. Her first root beer was a game changer. The rain no longer held power.

Grandpa was kind enough to remind us all of the speaker back on the boat at 8pm, Libby Riddles, the first female Iditarod winner. She was fantastic and Em was on the edge of her seat hearing about how the older smart sister with a love for animals gave up a normal life to pursue adventure in the wilds of Alaska.

PJ fell asleep during the presentation – we know we’ve done our jobs on these trips when they start dropping like flies. LadyCoach took PJ back to the room for some shut-eye. Coach and Gman shared a great dinner together and discussed the happenings of the day. Em joined up with the extended family and ran to the magic show starting at 9pm. Apparently, it was AMAZING! She got to sit on the floor down in front of the stage because they were out of seats. She loved it.

Well, its all quiet on the boat now and Coach is enjoying the quiet that only comes when all the children and LadyCoach are sound asleep. Tomorrow looks to hold even more adventure in Skagway! Until then.