Barbara Sutton - Gold Travel Counsellor

04/09/2026

Glaciers, waterfalls and whales 🐳
A sunrise start yesterday as we cruised the Endicott Arm dodging the icebergs to view the Dawes Glacier. A stunning spectacle!

Then an afternoon arrival into Juneau the capital of Alaska. Whilst not the most picturesque of towns it was our gateway to visit the Mendenhall Glacier and breathtaking Nugget Falls.

We then went in search of whales, a bit more elusive than in Vancouver but we were eventually rewarded with a couple of sightings plus a viewing of an enormous all-male sea lion colony.

Another truly gorgeous sunny day☀️

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

Our 2nd port was the historical town of Skagway. Famous as the base town for the Klondike Gold Rush and the White Pass Railway.

We toured up into the Skagway valley and mountains crossing back into Canada and the Yukon visiting the Yukon Suspension Bridge (more modern and not as wobbly as Capilano🤪). We then descended back down to Skagway on the famous scenic White Pass train.

Skagway town is steeped in history and has been preserved in the old goldrush style.

Back on board we then donned our swimsuits to enjoy a fantastic afternoon of sunshine on top deck (and a couple of cocktails 🍹🍹) - it felt more like the Med than Alaska ☀️☀️☀️😎

03/09/2026

What a glorious day for our first port of call, Icy Straight Point ☀️
We didn’t book a tour here but took the shuttle into the tiny village of Hoonah and walked the coastal path enjoying the sunshine, tranquility and some of the locally brewed b**r 🍻

Amazingly we were treated to a school of whales passing by in the bay 🐳Sadly no flips or flukes this time but then a pod of seals came to play in the sun as well!🦭

A truly memorable afternoon…

02/09/2026

We departed Vancouver onboard the lovely Celebrity Soltice. Celebrity is one of my customers’ favourite cruiselines for a stylish but relaxed stay at sea.

We had at day at sea before reaching Alaskan waters which gave us time to explore the ship, re-charge our energy batteries and enjoy some top class entertainment with shows and our favourite duelling pianos.

Initially the weather was damp and cloudy but as we began our piers of call it definitely improved as you’ll see on my next posts ☀️🐳

31/08/2026

On our final morning in Vancouver we squeezed in a last bit of adventure which didn’t disappoint!
We booked a rib boat trip from Granville Island to view the city from the sea and the local seal population 🦭
However we got a massive bonus of witnessing whales playing in the bay!! Rarely witnessed so close to Vancouver. 🐳 A true privilege to witness at first hand in their natural habitat.

🇨🇦 Canada has blown me away! The beauty, the nature, the adventure, the people and the wildlife. Now for the final part …..🛳️

31/08/2026

Final land stop in Canada is Vancouver 🇨🇦. A stunning city! We entered via Lion’s Gate Bridge, a replica of the Golden Gate but green.
We stayed right on the Harbourfront with views across the bay to Stanley Park and the float planes which work as public transport to Vancouver Island as well as some of the more remote islands.
We enjoyed a city tour that took in Stanley Park which is larger than New York’s Central Park and can be explored by bike, on foot or horse drawn tram. We explored Granville Island, home to an amazing market and food hall plus artisan shops, then to Chinatown and Gastown with its famous steam clock.

29/08/2026

After our ziplines adventure we departed Whistler and headed down the Sea to Sky Highway towards Vancouver.
En route we stopped off at 2 of north Vancouver’s main attractions, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain.

Capilano has one of the world’s oldest suspension bridges which spans 140m over the Capilano river and 70m high and boy does it wobble!😱🤣. The park also hosts a large connection of treetops walkways and a cliffwalk. It is situated in a stunning forest of ancient trees some up to 800years old.

Grouse Mountain is further up the same mountain road and is a ski area during the winter and adventure park during the summer. Several of the gondolas and chair lifts take you to the highest point overlooking Vancouver and out to Vancouver Island. There are mountain bike trails, birds of prey and lumberjack displays and a grizzly bear sanctuary.

29/08/2026

Whistler is a great compact resort not just for winter ski. During summer it is the perfect destination for outdoor adventurers. Apart from the ziplines that we tried there are mountain bike trails, canoes and white water rafting. The village is mainly pedestrian with a choice of quality hotels, restaurants and bars. It has a great young vibe about it.

28/08/2026

So today we did a thing 🤣😱
Ziptrek Ecotours run the best zip lining options in Whistler, high in the treetops above the ski resort and over the Fitzsimmons Creek.
This is a must-do activity for all ages -we even had a 6yr old in our group!