Honeymooners Go to Alaska
Reality has set in. Married are we, back to the daily grind of 4:15 am mornings, Ben being 300 miles away for the remaining three weeks before he starts nursing school, and Huck taking up Ben’s place on the bed – hogging what would normally be Ben’s pillow and mom (ie: me) doesn’t have the heart to boot him to his basket after abandoning him for 12 days.
And by abandoning him I mean he was spoiled like a small child, made a new best friend in Maeby, ate an entire cake himself after a rogue counter surfing incident and completely forgot I existed…
Yup – life is back to the way it always was. Ben and I are home from Alaska and all we got are these ridiulous pictures. I mean t-shirts. Well Ben got a t-shirt. Or two. It would have been more, but after I just made him throw out about half his stash collection before we left for the wedding, I wasn’t about to let them all pile up again.
Married life – it’s about compromise. Or something.
The wedding was wonderful and when I get more pictures you’ll be the first to see them. But here is one teaser that our out of this universe photographers sent the night of our rehearsal dinner. Jaw dropped. In love. Slay me now.
I’m wearing what was the tan version of the bridesmaid dress from the wedding. It can only be compared to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Bridesmaid dress, becasue when Beka and I found them – it fit us both like a glove. And with me nothing but hips and ti…insert inferences here – and her being tall, leggy and a freakin’ bombshell, it was just destined to be “the one” for the girls to wear. And really I wanted to make sure they could all wear these dresses again.
Have you ever worn one of your bridesmaid dresses again? My point exactly. These, we’ve all worn multiple times.
So Sunday morning, we woke up from our post wedding hangover (I had one glass of wine and no cupcakes at my own wedding! Travesty! – it was a hangover of exhaustion, not booze.) and drove back to Seattle to catch our ride on the Norwegian Pearl to the Great White North.
First stop – The bar. Hey! Look at that thing on his hand. Mine, all mine baby!
After two days on the boat getting up to Juneau our first stop, we did everything we could and avoided the buffet line unless it was absolutely necessary. Cattle call anyone?
So we snapped pictures with the sunglasses covering the panic in my eyes, worrying that Ben would “accidentally” take the iphone for a swim…
When we reached Skagway, our second stop we were finally able to get a decent cupa’ jo-oh-oh. Coffee on board was the equivalent of watered down dirt in a mug that passed by a coffee grove. Yes, I’m picky. Why do you ask? I’m from Seattle after all.
And after meandering the streets of Skagway, dodging angry bears, learning all we could about gold, hookers and avoiding the jewelry shops promoting tanzanite like its the next big gold rush, we stopped at Skagway Brewing Company for a bite, tasting the local noms (a salmon burger for me) and downing lots of beer for the both of us. Trying to savor my burger was a lost cause, because I basically went 3-year old on it, shoveling as much as I could into my pie hole without embarrassing Ben as much as humanly possible. He’d probably say I failed.
Hooray Hookers at the Red Onion.
Wanna know three things about Alaska? Gold, Salmon and Hookers. That’s all you need to know. After catching Ben sneaking of the back stairs of a local establishment I was seriously thinking that the wedding gift of a new BBQ was severely misguided…
Our favorite excursion of the trip was the jeep and canoe safari in Ketchikan. I almost want a Jeep now. But with my mountain goat of a Civic, I can hold off for a while longer. Don’t laugh. That Civic has gotten me up roads that even some pickups had to be in four wheel drive for. Front wheel drive is an amazing thing. And I felt a certain sense of smugness doing the roads in two wheel drive in this jalopy.
In every town we stopped in we found the obligatory Harley shop. Let’s never mind the fact that Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan all have about 50 miles of road in each of them. The only way in or out is by plane or boat. But you’ve got Harley shops in each. I guess that really means that eve non that little stretch of road the odds are your Harley will need repairs pretty soon from something fallin’ off… Maybe you should’a bought a BMW? (Sorry – shameless Harley/BMW motorcycle rivalry joke in there…)
And if you didn’t need a Harley shop – you could always stop into the Holy Church of Palin Gift Shop.
Apparently I’m the devil because everything in my soul was burning after walking in here. I’m not political either way – really. Even with a degree in PS. I just can’t stand extremists of either political party and had to turn on my heels and remove myself from its walls. Anxiety attack? Check.
The last stop of our trip was to Victoria, B.C. Never mind it’s taken me four years to get Ben to hop on over here, an island that’s a three hour ferry ride away, but it was by far the sunniest and hottest day of our trip. A whopping 75. I know, whew!! A heatwave. Or the biggest one since our wedding – where it was 103!!!
And at the Empress hotel you always must remember – Pinkies up at tea time! I don’t think they would have been too keen on our Romeos, and skinny jeans at high tea. Ben thought he got out of it for good – but I’m an elephant. I never forget. Except I can’t remember what I had for dinner two days ago..
Sunday we were back in Seattle bright and early.
All in all, Alaska was the place to be for our honeymoon. But we are back in reality now – me back to work and Ben 300 miles away for the next few weeks until he starts nursing school. I can’t wait for the rest of our lives to start.
It looks like you had an awesome time on your honeymoon! I’m so jealous of all the places your visited…they look so pretty! Also, lets talk about this totally adorable (can I say hot?) wedding rehearsal picture!?!? Those dresses are adorable! I cannot wait to see the wedding pictures!!!
Congrats on your wedding! It looks like you had an amazing honeymoon! I cannot wait to see your wedding photos because the one from your wedding rehearsal that your photographer took looks amazing!
What a wonderful honeymoon! I would be terrified of the Palin gift shop too…that Rosie the Riveter/Palin thing is beyond freaky.
I am in love with that dress! Can you tell us where you got it?
Hey Mads!! Here’s the link to the dress! The girls’ on my side got it in the Baltic color. Michelle (Ben’s sister) got the tan one like I did. She was a groomschick so she wore tan like the guys – it’s the Putty color.
And it’s on sale right now!!
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/suzi-chin-for-maggy-boutique-asymmetrical-neck-belted-sheath-dress/3287123?origin=PredictiveSearch&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Cerise&resultback=7512
You two are so adorable! Big congratulations on your marriage and what a fun honeymoon in Alaska! Can we see some wedding photos?? 🙂
Congrats on getting married! You both look so lovely and glad to read your honeymoon stories. All those places look so wonderful, esp. Victoria B.C. And yeah, married life is all about compromise. Agree! 😀
You two are super adorable. Can’t wait to hang once I move up to Seattle. If that Eeeeeeeeever happens. Seriously, why doesn’t the Pacific Northwest want me? Is it because I’m a Dodgers fan?
Thanks for sharing! And congrats again!! 🙂
You two obviously have such a great time together, these pictures are so fun!
He DOES look sneaky on those back steps doesn’t he? Looks like a beautiful trip, thanks for sharing these pics! That
I’m just (literally yesterday) coming out of the other side of a similar situation to what you’re in/heading further in to. Moved to Seattle, got married in Portland a month later, had 2 days of freedom after the wedding, then husband was in paramedic school until he finally started his normal job yesterday. A long slog and now we’re ready for our damned honeymoon!
Congratulations to you and good luck!
Unfortunately my skin color is exactly “putty”, so I would probably look like the Emperor’s New Clothes in that dress. BUT I just bought the black!!! Thanks for the recommendation!
yayy brewery time on your honeymoon. Your whole trip sounds fun! 🙂
I’m so jealous that you went to Skagway Brewing, it’s on my bucket list!
What a FUN honeymoon! Sounds fantastic! And isn’t it the BEST seeing the ring on your husband’s finger? I remember it always gave me butterflies in the beginning. Enjoy being newlyweds! xox
Congratulations! Looks like you had a blast on your honeymoon and a fun time figuring out married life so far. There’s so many more great times to be had, just wait!
I literally just texted you but
1. I LOVE that dress and it’s 33% off & it comes in PURPLE. This is so tempting.
2. I LOVE ben’s ring. it’s so bold and ugh, FANTASTIC! I can’t wait to see Jason with his band on! We got it in the mail the other day and it’s so amazing.
3. Uh, we’re totally twinsies. I have that same tank top and i’m bringing it to seattle and wearing it with green crops. oh yes i am!
4. I loved these pictures and I’m so glad you gave us a peek into your honeymoon!!
5. I have a civic too..can we be more alike, please? 🙂
Oh, I love this! It brings back such great memories from my honeymoon two years ago. We did a Princess cruise to Alaska and stopped at many of the same places and of course, I stopped at all the Harley stores to get shirts for my dad. Such a fun trip!
Congratulations, enjoy being a newlywed! Your pictures are amazing and now I want to go to Alaska. I’ve never worn a bridesmaid dress again, but I have left them at the hotel and used one as a halloween costume…absolutely LOVE your choice!
Congratulations again my dear!! So excited for you two! I hated the week after our wedding – I was so sad everything was over!! I’m glad you guys got a honeymoon in – it looks like it was so much fun!
Congrats! Sounds like a wonderful trip! Brings back memories of m Alaska Cruise on Celebrity…all those towns! It all looks so great and fun!!
First of all – congrats on your wedding! I literally stumbled on your blog today and was so happy to see this post. My hubs and I are hitting up Alaska on a similar cruise in a couple of weeks (on Princess- but we hit up all the same stops). I didn’t even consider the Palin merchandise – oh the gift possibilities there!
Great pictures and great blog. You have a new reader in me!
Gold, salmon and hookers – I cannot wait.
Im still in love with that picture of you two on your rehearsal dinner night – gorgeous! Good photographers are totally worth the $. btw I’d have seriously died in that Palin gift shop. Ridiculous.
The honeymoon looks like it was AMAZING.
More superficially: I have yet to be in a wedding, but I bought the bridesmaid dress for mine (it was black). I have worn it to two weddings (Madelyn’s being one of them) and my bridesmaids have worn it again also.
And seriously, is this magic dress of yours something I should be sourcing?!
Congrats, congrats, congrats to you!
It’s a good thing our pooches are such great snugglers…isn’t it? They’re good husband stand ins when required.
What a fantastic honeymoon! I need to go check out that dress asap, and any post with It’s a trap references is the BEST!
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