A Land and Sea Adventure

As you may remember, I mentioned earlier that I traveled not too long ago and, for subscribers to my newsletter, I also mentioned that I’d be blogging about my journey. At the very end of January we spent 3 days at Disney World (yes – again) followed by a 7-night Disney cruise.

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Here’s What You Need To Know

I’m getting ready to go on a very much needed vacation. By now most of you know how the past few months have gone for me, so this is truly a needed get-away. I’ve been anticipating this trip for quite some time and it is finally time to start packing.

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Disney World Again?

Photo by P. Rickrode

I often hear, “You’re going to Disney World again? Didn’t you just go last year (or in June, or January, etc.)?” My response is always the same, “Yes, we did and yes we’re going again.” You want to know why? I’ll tell you. It’s fun!! I love Disney World. We always know we’re going to have an excellent experience, good food, clean rooms, quiet pools (we know the ones to visit), free transportation and much more. It’s money well spent (in our opinion).

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An Adventure of Firsts

Have you ever set out to cross something off your bucket list? Well, I do and recently, I did. I finally took a Disney cruise. Not my first cruise, my first DISNEY cruise!! Needless to say, I was very excited.

The entire journey turned out to be one “first” after another, starting with Thanksgiving day in New Orleans.

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All Systems Operational

Today I’m taking you on a tour of a piece of truly amazing history – the USS LST 325, the last WWII, fully operational landing ship tank. This awesome amphibious vessel docked for five days on the Vicksburg waterfront and I got to go aboard.

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Blog Interrupted, Or . . . What’s Going On In Your World?

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to talk about you. That’s right – you. As I’m beginning to discover, it’s not always about me. (I know, that’s wrong, but true.)

So, dear readers, tell me, what’s going on in your world? What little tidbits of completely useless information should I know about you?

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And We’ll Have Fun, Fun, Fun . . .

School’s out for summer!!

Alice Cooper is one of the creepiest performers around, but everybody loves this song and it’s so apropos this time of year. It’s one of those classic, ageless numbers that every generation seems to know.

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Midnight Ramblings Of An Incurable Insomniac

Image courtesy Google Images

By now it’s no secret that I suffer from insomnia. I’ve blogged about it before, not too long ago in fact. Yes, I avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol after a certain hour of the day, I don’t overeat, I avoid excitement and video games before bedtime, I drink warm milk and swallow Valerian Root capsules, but none of that seems to work for me. I’ve simply come to accept the fact that sleeping is overrated and I do my best to make the most of those dark quiet hours when the rest of the world slumbers.

Morning conversations at my house usually start with something like, “How did you sleep?” And me responding with, “I didn’t,” or “Not very well.” One day last week, my hubby asked, “What do you think about while you’re laying there awake?” I responded with, “Nothing really. I just keep telling myself to go to sleep.”

But that’s not really how it is. It’s really more like what happened one night last week, Tuesday to be precise. I decided, as I lay there awake listening to the dog snore and the heating unit click on and off, that maybe if I could go to some remote awesome place in my mind, I might drift off into la la land.

Photo courtesy Google Images

The journey went something like this: I walked barefoot in the warm sand along the beach of my private island. Then I spent several, what felt like hours, mentally visiting every island I could conjure. I settled upon Fantasy Island and decided that from there I would build a raft and sail off to The Big Rock Candy Mountain aboard the Goodship Lollipop I’d created with nothing more than palm fronds and my own superior ingenuity.

Photo courtesy Google Images

Things were going well, but as I attempted to row, row, row my boat gently down the stream, the weather started getting rough and my tiny ship was tossed. I started regretting my decision to sail, wishing instead that we all did live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine. But then I remembered how I much I really do not like being under the water. Although . . .

I certainly wouldn’t mind being under the sea, as I hear they have a hot crustacean band and rumor has it they’ve got no troubles and life is the bubbles under the sea. Bubbles? Tiny bubbles. They make me happy, make me feel fine, make me warm all over. Tiny bubbles in the red, red wine, stay close to me, just one thing makes me forget – which makes me wonder if perhaps I’d be sleeping right this very minute if I had in fact had a glass of wine.

Photo courtesy Google Images

I never found out because as dawn broke over the horizon I realized, too late, that I should never have planned to leave Fantasy Island in the first place.

And so goes another sleepless night with an explanation to my husband that I don’t think about anything, because that’s just so much easier than telling him about my fantastical journey. I’ll let him read about it in this blog.

Does your mind ever wander into strange territory? Do you make up weird stories in the middle of the night? Please share so I don’t feel so freakish and alone in my midnight musings.

Word of the Day:  Zarf

Fun Fact About me: I have double-jointed toes.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, February 2015. Photos and images courtesy Google Images.

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Beer and Brothels

Photo courtesy Google Images.

So if you’ve been following my blog for the past few weeks, you’ve heard me share some of my adventures from my recent cruise to Alaska. What you did not get a taste of in those previous posts, was the, let’s call it the more colorful side of our shore excursions.

Oh, I know there was the photo of me kicking up my heels on stage in a way too short can-can number at the Days of ’98 show in Skagway, but that was nothing my friends, compared to some of the other “activities” I participated in. Read on if you dare.

As the title of this post suggests, there was a wee bit ‘o beer drinking pert near every day. Suffice it to say, I love a good frosty brew. And where might this beer drinking be happening you ask? I’ll tell you. At some of Alaska’s most famous, or perhaps it’s infamous, saloons.

I’m talking, of course, about the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, Alaska

Red Dog Saloon, Juneau, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

and the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska.

Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

Oh, there’s a reason why there’s “red” in the title.  Ever heard of the red light district?

Original red light from the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

That’s right, every good old westen cowboy and mining town had one and I got to explore, up close and personal, one of “those” establishments.

Let’s start with my beer drinking visit to the Red Dog. The Red Dog Saloon originated during Juneau’s mining heyday, providing dancing and “enternainment.” In the early days “Ragtime Hattie,” played the piano in her white gloves and silver dollar halter top.  Use your imagination and conjure up a picture of that beauty if you will.

During the territorial days, Gordie Kanouse would meet tour boats on his mule, wearing a sign that said, “Follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon.” Had I been around in those days, I probably would have followed.

Here’s what the Red Dog looks like today

Red Dog Saloon, Juneau, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

 

Red Dog Saloon, Juneau, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

Red Dog Saloon, Juneau, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

and here’s an idea of what types of refreshment you can order from the menu.

The menu at Juneau’s Red Dog Saloon. Juneau, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

That’s right, you can get “shit” to fit any budget and a Duck Fart is the saloon favorite along with savory eats, such as: Klondike ribs, Motherlode burger, Iditarod Dip, Ninilchik wrap and The Nunivak, an Alaskan reindeer sausage topped with grilled onions on a sourdough Hoagie roll.

What you don’t see from my photos, is how many tables are crammed together around a miniscule stage where locals sing, tell tall tales and share some of Juneau’s mining day history. You can’t help but make friends with everybody since you’re basically at one big smushed together table.

Oh, and the sawdust on the floor. You don’t see that in these pictures either.

Okay, now on to the Red Onion. I’m not really sure why the “onion” part of the title is there, but there is no doubt about the “red” portion. After lunching on some good old fashioned comfort food (hamburgers and fries) and chasing it down with – that’s right – a dark ale, my sweetie pie and I paid our fee and ventured upstairs for the brothel tour. It should be noted that my husband was not keen on taking the tour until our waitress persuaded him.

My darling with our waitress at the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode (taken with waitress’s permission, but not necessarily husband’s), September 2014.

Before we take a look at the photos, I think it’s important for ya’ll to know how this “getting upstairs” process used to work. You see, if a gentleman wanted to spend some time – and by time I mean 15 minutes – with a “lady,” he put in his request with the barkeep downstairs. Behind the bar was a case displaying cloth dolls with varying hair colors, much like these pictures hanging over the bar today.

The bar with original diamond mirrors at The Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

The customer could request a specific girl/doll, a girl with a specific hair color, or, depending on the urgency of his need, any girl available. If the dolls in the case were standing up, the matching girl was available for “visitors.” If the desired doll was laying down . . . well . . . you get the picture.

When the gentleman’s 15 minutes was up, the upstairs “bouncer,” would enter the room, demand payment for another 15 minutes, or boot his ass out the door. When a “lady,” was finished with her customer, she’d drop the payment – in this case gold nuggets – down a copper tube. The barkeep downstairs would hear the rattling in the pipes, count the gold that fell through the tube into his waiting box behind the bar, then stand the doll back up, thus making her once again available. If the gentleman had short-changed the girl for his 15 minutes, he was stopped by another “bouncer,” at the bottom of the stairs from whence he has just descended. Pretty cool system right?

So let’s head upstairs, cuz I know this is what you’ve all been waiting for.

The staircase and “beckoning window” leading to the “rooms.” Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

On our tour we got to see one of the holes in the floor where the girls dropped the gold nuggets in addition to some other really, kind of cool, things. I didn’t get a good picture of the hole in the floor, but here is a photo of what all of the walls and the ceilings upstairs looked like. Yes, those are “hot wires,” that provided electric lighting. I don’t know about you, but I probably wouldn’t put paper on my ceiling and then lay hot wires across it, but that’s just me.

Original papered walls and ceiling and electric lighting system. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode 2014.

Here’s the hallway separating three rooms on one side and three rooms on the other.

Upstaris at The Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

While not the original, here is a photo of the replicas of what the available dolls would have looked like. These dolls have china heads; the original dolls were cloth with yarn hair, which was ripped off and replaced with a different color, one appropriate to the new girl’s hair color (how thrifty). You see girls would come and go faster than gold nuggets so it was important to have interchangeable hair color for whatever new girl might come through the doors looking for “work.”

The “dolls.” Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

Here’s a “working girl’s” room (believe me this bed was barely big enough for a Barbie doll). There were about 8 of us on the tour and only half of us could be in this room at one time.

One of the “cribs” at The Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

Here’s the “madam’s” room, complete with a much bigger, almost a twin-sized, bed. Notice the fancier wallpaper and bedspread. Whether or not she owned furs was anybody’s guess.

The “madam’s” room. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

Oh, and here are photos of some “lovely” garments worn by the “dolls.” This first one is pretty sexy, huh?

“Working girl” attire. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

“Working girl” attire. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

“Working girl” attire. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by P. Rickrode, September 2014.

So there you have it my friends, my adventures into the “colorful” history of Alaska. What did you think of the tour? But more importantly, what do you think of the “doll” system? Don’t be bashful, he was a dwarf. Tell me what you think. Would you have taken the brothel tour? Do you enjoy a good glass of beer?

As always, thanks for visiting today. I look foward to your comments.

Fun fact about me: This is not the first brothel tour I’ve taken.

Word of the Day: Lidar.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, November 2014. Unless otherwise stated, original photos by P. Rickrode.

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Victoria, BC – A Photo Essay

Welcome sign at the Victoria port. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

The final port stop on our Alaskan cruise was Victoria, B.C., known for it’s amazing federal building, the Empress Hotel and thousands and thousdands of flowers and plants at Buchart Gardens.

Our exploration of Victoria began with a bus tour of the city on our way to Craigdarroch Castle, a masterpiece of Victorian architecture built in the 1800’s as home to coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.

Here is a photo of the front of the castle, but I believe it might actually have been the back of the castle. You’ll see why in the second photo.

Modern-day entrance to Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

This photo looks more like the front of a home than the back to me.

Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

Here we took a self-guided walking tour of the four-story mansion complete with: an abundance of intricate woodwork believed to be western and red cedar (can you see the faint orb hovering on the right side of the arch over the door?,

Porte-cochere entrance, original main entrance of Craigdarroch Castle, which was actually on the side of the house. Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

this intercom system (speaking tubes as they called them),

The “speaking tube” intercom system in Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

massive stone fireplaces like this one in the main hall (notice the orb on the paneling near the mountain goat’s right horn,

The main hall fireplace inspribed with this phrase from Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, “Welcome ever smiles and farewell goes out sighing.” Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

amazing staircases with an oh-so-obvious orb sliding down the banister,

Me and my sweetie on the staircase from the first floor to the second. Yes, that is an orb floating just above my hand. Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria, BC. September 2014.

mosaic tile floors,

Amazing tile work floor. Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

painted ceilings,

Lovely original painted ceiling in the first floor main hall. Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

exquisite stained glass (this picture does not do this lovely nook justice),

Beautiful stained glass windows. Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

lavish Victorian-era furnishings,

A guest room at Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

and — did I mention — orbs.

It should be noted that not once on our journey to, or throughout the tour, did anyone ever mention the presence of these floating balls. It was not until I returned home and downloaded my pictures on to my laptop that I noticed an extreme concentration of the milky spheres.

While there are some orbs in these pictures, to see more pictures of Craigdarroch Castle’s orbs, visit my FB page, photo album Craigdarroch Castle.

After touring the castle, we headed into town where we opted to spend the final leg of the journey walking along the water’s edge. We enjoyed a lovely lunch of fish and chips and an amazing glass of stout beer at an authentic Scottish pub,

Bard & Banker, a Scottish Pub in Victoria, BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

wandered through the Empress Hotel

Empress Hotel, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

 

A courtyard at the Empress Hotel, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

Empress Hotel, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

and strolled along the water’s edge, past the Parliament building

Federal Building, Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

and several beautiful bed and breakfast inns,

Huntingdon Manor, Victoria, BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

back to our ship, admiring wooden boats moored in the quiet wharf

Wooden boat. Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

and watching sea planes land and take off along the way.

The sea plane taxi. Victoria BC. Photo by P. Rickrode September 2014.

All-in-all, a very relaxing and enjoyable day in Victoria.

So, what say you lovely readers: ever discover any orbs in your photos? Which picture do you think most looks like the front of Craigdarroch Castle? Ever been to Victoria BC? Ever traveled by float plane? Inquiring minds want to know so please take a moment to post a comment below. I love to know your thoughts.

Fun fact about me: I love egg salad sandwiches for breakfast.

Word of the day: Kunzite.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt November 2014. Original photos by P. Rickrode.

 

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