It is 9:19 and the sun is still up outside, although it was a rather cloudy day in Skagway. I am in between production shows. Tonight we are performing Southern Nights. The first audience was very receptive to the show. There were even a few guests that had a little too much wine that REALLY enjoyed the show! I was so full of pizza during the show because before getting back on board the Zaandam I ate at the Red Onion. It is a famous little saloon in Skagway where they serve local brewed beers and fantastic pizza. I hung out there with some people from the shore excursion office and some locals. We ordered 2 huge pizza’s that were made with goat cheese, mozzarella tomatoes, mushrooms, and spicy sausage… they were delicious! I enjoyed my pizza with a porter stout from the Alaskan Brewery. The beer tasted like a delicious cup of dark, rich, black coffee

Before ending at the Red Onion, I had been out hiking with my friend Sterling, who works at The Klondike Gold Mine Dredge. We went out to Smuggler’s cove. It was a beautiful hike through the woods. When we arrived at the point of the cove, we sat on the rocks and looked out over the bay. I had the pleasure of seeing sea lions and eagles. It is awesome to see these creatures in their natural habitats as opposed to the zoo’s where I am from. Also in Skagway I met this girl from California, Alyssa, in the Yukon and Whitepass Coffee Shop. Leave it to me to always strike up conversations with friendly baristas. I told her I worked on the Zaandam and she got all excited because her DAM SHIP mug had just broke. I told her I would get her a new one next time I came into port, which wont be for two weeks. You would have thought I told her she won the lottery! She was so excited and that made my heart extremely happy! When I got back on board I ran to the shops to make sure they had the mugs…luckily they did! I am writing about this experience mostly to remind myself to get the mug in a couple of weeks for Alyssa. I have to purchase it in advance because the ship shop closes in port, therefore I cant wait till our next Skagway day.

(2 day break) I pick back up in Seward, AK

Skagway is really a great little town. I enjoy my visits here. There is an excellent cupcakery there as well. It is called Sugar Mama’s. I believe I have talked about it already. Sterling had brought the shore excursions team a whole box of cupcakes and they saved me a chocolate one. It was delicious…if you know anything about me it is my divine love of sweets….mostly baked goods and not candies…but I always enjoy sharing a good dessert with a friend. This reminds me of a story. My old roommate Kylene and I use to watch the movie New In Town. It was about this Southern California business executive that gets moved to Wisconsin to cut cost at a production factory. The saving grace of the movie is the Midwestern accent and some of the locals that the main character meets along the way. There are some great one-liners throughout the movie. Any ways Kylene and I use to make tapioca pudding and watch the movie because in the movie there is a lot of tapioca. Sad to say, we are not the greatest makers of tapioca…I believe it flopped more times then actually turned out. Nevertheless we always enjoyed our dessert together.

Recently I have been drinking a lot of yerbe mate (YER-BAH MAH-TAY). For those of you who do not know what it is I will fill you in. Yerbe mate is a holly tree native to the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It is brewed just like coffee and tea. Traditional yerbe mate blends boasts a rich and robust mate flavor, toasty aroma, and a balanced finish (it is like green tea but really taste so much better by itself). Some benefits to drinking mate include:

·      Stimulates focus and clarity

·      Improves physical energy

·      Traditionally used to support weight loss programs that include a balanced diet and exercise

·      Antioxidant properties higher than green tea

·      Aids in elimination

I enjoy drinking it hot but you can have it iced or even make a mate latte! There is as much caffeine in mate as a single cup of coffee except there is no crash. Mate has also been proven to reduce stress…big bonus! I think I have been drinking it so much because the coffee on board is so terrible. When I want to drink something that makes me feel cozy on the inside…like a hug on the inside…I brew my mate. I finish it off with a touch of Agave nectar…ahhh it is perfect. I am sipping on a mug of it right now.

Today in Seward I went to a really cute diner with Todd, Damian, and Ashley for breakfast. It actually reminded me of Flapjacks in Pigeon Forge. The entire restaurant was made of natural wood…kind of like a cabin feeling. I was really excited because they had Frank’s Red Hot sauce and literally I eat that $#*% on everything=) (That is their campaign slogan) My mom got me hooked a few years ago to putting in on my eggs. Now I eat it on potato chips, chicken, fish, pasta. It is such a great little condiment to kick up the dish a bit. Breakfast was fabulous. I had homemade French toast with farm fresh eggs (totally beats the eggs we eat in the Lido that come out of a HUGE carton) and some sausage. It was a homey little breakfast and the 4 of us had a good time. If you are ever in Seward look up Nellie’s… you wont be disappointed!

Well I need to get ready for boat drill! It is in about 15 minutes and then I get to perform Let Us Entertain You. I really wish the show was not as cheesy as it is, but what can you do? I need to find the silver lining in the show…it would help;) I hope everyone is doing well! Miss you all! Take care and until next time!

-bradley