Tillicum

Tis the season for Alaskan cruises.  Mark's parents and his brother, Kevin, and his family are currently on an Alaskan cruise.  Grandma and Grandpa came up a couple days before their scheduled departure so they could attend an exciting homeschool field trip with the kids and me to Blake Island/Tillicum Village.

Graham stayed with a friend for the day

Aubree and her public school class visited Tillicum last year, and she hasn't stopped talking about how much she loved it.  In fact, she and a couple friends considered the possibility of failing this year so they could be held back and be able to go on the same field trip again.  Yikes!  Needless to say, I pulled Aubree and her best friend out of school for the day so they could come with us.  

We were at the Seattle pier by 9am, and loaded onto the boat by 9:30.  On the 45 minute trip over, we were treated to a Native American play and a basket weaving explanation.  Thane huddled right next to me for most of the trip, and even consented to having his picture taken!

Once we arrived at the Island, we were immediately herded into a giant building for an early lunch.  The kids were excited that lemonade was waiting for us at our tables!

Despite the large crowd, everyone got their food quickly and easily... and their was a lot of it!

As we finished lunch, we got to watch more Native American dancing and story telling on the main stage in the lodge.  

Once the formal presentations were over, we were free to explore the village on our own.  I thought the fire pits cooking the salmon were super impressive.  

It was a lovely day to explore the totem park.  

Bryce, however, had heard the announcement that our ferry was coming back soon, and was over-eager to watch for the boat.  

Peek-a-Thane!

No one complained too much about playing on the grass and rocks as the ferry returned.  

On the ride back, we sat on the top floor of the ferry and enjoyed the spectacular weather and views. I love where we live!