Another entry in the “I’m way behind” series. This trip was taken in December 2025.
China has always been on our bucket list, and we knew we’d eventually get there – but this trip offered a wonderful twist we hadn’t anticipated – China, planned entirely by our daughter-in-law, Maggie.
Maggie was born in Beijing and lived her first roughly 20 years there, which meant this wasn’t just a trip. It was a layered experience: tourist highlights, local insight, and the kind of access you only get when someone in your group knows the place.
Even better? We got to share it with Jake and Maggie—and for part of the trip, Maggie’s mom. That alone made it unforgettable.
Beijing: Big History, Bigger Contrast
Beijing felt… intense.
Our first stop was Tiananmen Square—massive, heavily secured, and hard to fully take in at first. From there, we moved into the Forbidden City, which is as over-the-top as you’d expect. Endless courtyards, sprawling buildings, and the constant reminder that all of this once existed for one emperor and his world. The concubine stories alone could fill a Netflix series.
We climbed up to Jingshan Park for a view overlooking it all, and that perspective helped—it pulled the scale of the city into focus.
Food in Beijing quickly became part adventure, part comedy. At one dinner, a “dessert plate” showed up, and Maggie walked us through it: “This one is made of peas…” “…this one, green beans…” “…this one is bean paste…” At some point I had to ask — you’ve heard of chocolate, right?
The Summer Palace gave us a softer side of Beijing—serene, beautiful, and layered with stories about an empress who didn’t exactly leave things better than she found them.
We even did a formal dress-up experience—full traditional outfits, elaborate setting, tons of photos… and one very heavy hat that I was quite ready to remove.
The Great Wall
The Great Wall is one of those places that actually lives up to the hype.
It’s rugged, sprawling, and almost hard to believe humans built it—stretching across mountain ridges for thousands of miles. Stark winter scenery made it feel even more dramatic. Standing on the Wall is something we won’t forget.
Some of my favorite moments weren’t the big landmarks. They were the smaller, more local experiences, like sitting down for family hot pot or wandering markets where someone inevitably leans in and says, “You want some tea?” like they’re selling drugs.
Beijing itself felt rigid—gray, structured, almost austere in places. In many respects, it feels ancient. And yet, the use of technology is top-notch. We saw very few other Westerners. It was surreal.
And then we took the train to Shanghai… and everything shifted.
Shanghai: Modern, Global, and Just a Bit Wild
Shanghai felt like a different country. More international, more polished, more familiar—but still distinctly China. And our guide, Jack, was a key part of the craziness of the experience there – he was, well let’s just say, a hoot.
Also, Andy became a minor celebrity because of his height. People stared. Some asked for photos. Of course, he handled his fame with a smile and always willing to take a pic.
We wandered neighborhoods, explored gardens, ate some truly excellent steamed buns (which I officially decided were my favorite food of the trip), and tried to wrap our heads around the scale of everything—endless high-rises, massive developments, and in some places… hardly anyone around.
Beyond Shanghai: Canal Towns and Quiet Moments
Getting outside the city added another layer.
Suzhou gave us gardens, silk-making demonstrations (followed immediately by a very enthusiastic sales pitch), and charming riverside scenes.
Wuzhen felt like stepping into another world—a canal town, especially beautiful at night, when everything lit up and slowed down. We wandered without a guide and just soaked it in.
Hangzhou brought temples, tea ceremonies, and peaceful water views—one of those places where you just exhale a little deeper.
The Best Part
Yes, China was fascinating. The history, the scale, the contrast between old and new—it’s unlike anywhere else we’ve been.
But what made this trip truly special was how we experienced it.
Having Maggie guide us through her home country changed everything. Having Jake there made it even better. And spending time with Maggie’s mom added a whole new layer of meaning. And doing it all at Christmas? Priceless.
It wasn’t just about what we saw—it was about how we saw it.
Through family. Through stories. Through shared moments and shared meals.
Along the way, we saw four moose including one that ran right in front of us and a bear. At about Mile 10, we were stopped by park rangers and asked to turn around because of an ‘active bear’; we later learned the definition of ‘active’ – the bear had attacked a hiker, slashing her side and biting a chunk out of her leg. 
But not this day. It was rainy and chilly, with a low fog hanging over the mountains. Still, the ride was beautiful, and we saw more wildlife – five bears including a momma and her two cubs and what apparently is a really unusual sighting – a wolf walking along the road. The trip was great and marred only by the fact that about 20 of the same group that had been on the ship with us was on the bus. They were loud, they were slow to follow rules, and they brought along smelly food that they pulled out about halfway through. After about 10 days of these folks has brought us to the point of just rolling our eyes and moving on. So irritating. The day was still great, and we topped it off with an excellent pizza at a local pub.
discovered that Anchorage is home to one of the top 10 pizzas in the United States – #3 actually – as voted by Trip Advisor. And the Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria did not disappoint. We actually discovered we’ve already eaten at the #10 spot – John’s Pizza in NYC. And that the #1 pizza in the U.S. is made by the same family that makes our fave pizza in Houston – Grimaldi’s. Trying the rest of the top 10 may just become a conquest for us!
and took a beautiful drive that took us past glaciers, inlets and through a 2.5-mile tunnel to Whittier. Our plane left Anchorage at 8:30 p.m. local time, and we arrived in Houston at 6:30 a.m., ready to be home.
Here’s how it worked – men would come into the saloon downstairs and “choose” their working girl by motioning to one of the dolls behind the bar. The dolls apparently resembled the girls, in hair, eye and dress color. That doll would then be laid down, indicating that girl would be busy for the next 15 minutes. The man would head upstairs to visit his chosen girl for $5 for the 15 minutes. (the tour guide joked, “wonder what they did for the other 13 minutes?”) . The rooms were tiny and the beds minuscule, as shown at right; the bed was a normal length but probably only 3/4 of the width of a twin bed. After the “activity” was completed, the girl would send the $5 coin down a money hole in the floor, and this would indicate to the bartender that he could sit up the doll. The girl was available again. These girls worked 12-hour shifts. Holy cow, what a life.
Thursday morning dawned cloudy and rainy, and it was our day for the big glacier viewing. We had been told the best viewing would be 7-9 a.m., so we were up super early, had a quick and warm breakfast, and put on all the clothes we could manage. We headed out to the bow of the ship (through the ship’s theater!), and came out onto a breathtaking scene of calm water with chunks of ice floating in it. (the rain had stopped and it was clearing) As we neared the glacier, the crowd and the excitement grew. 
We were plowing through increasingly large chunks of ice; we learned that there are four categories of ice chunks – up to 3 feet above water are called brash, 3-7 feet above water are called growlers, 7-15 feet above water are called berry bits, and more than 15 feet above water are technically icebergs. And of course, as we’ve all heard, the part above the water is just 10 percent of the total piece of ice. We didn’t go through any icebergs or berry bits, but we did see them. 
And we plowed across many brash and growlers. We were told we were extremely fortunate to get so close to the glacier – about 1/2 mile from its face. Hubbard Glacier’s face is nearly 7 miles long, and we could see the whole thing. We saw the glacier calving and heard the popping and cracking of the ice. When a glacier calves, there’s a delayed thundering sound. It was so beautiful, and we stood on the bow of the ship (kings of the world!) for the full hour it was in view. The captain was great, and turned a full 360 degrees so every person on the ship could have a chance to see the glacier before we started our trip back out of the bay. The whole experience was amazing, and that word doesn’t really cut it. Full-on trip highlight.
On to the bucket list – mushing a dog sled! I was beyond excited to do this, and it did not disappoint. After a quick ride to the heliport, and getting a safety briefing and weird ice shoes, we got on the helicopter. 
A 15-minute helo ride later, we were standing on the Mendenhall Glacier. The scenery was beyond stunning. The dogs – about 150 of them – were barking and super excited to pull the sleds. These Alaskan Huskies are bred and trained expressly for this purpose. These dogs are all being trained for competitive mushing; many of them have or will run the Iditarod. We also met two men who are signed up to do the 2017 Iditarod. This is their summer training camp and part of how they are raising money for the race. We got their card and will definitely be following them next March as they make the grueling 1,000-mile run.
One other quick note about the beauty of the scenery in Alaska in general.
at Icy Strait Point. The natives here started a corporation for the sole purpose of showcasing their culture and opening to cruise ships. It’s a lovely, largely unspoiled and very small port. Everything is brand new.
out after lunch to explore the area. I was excited to put my fingers in the cold water,
so we walked along the beach trying very hard not to step on the thousands of mussels clinging to the rocks.
Alaskan towns have histories of salmon fishing and canning, as it was their main source of income for generations. We’ve seen many old and a few still functioning salmon fisheries and canneries. At Hoonah, we toured a small cannery museum, then decided to hike the nature trail. The minute we stepped under the canopy, the light took on a beautiful luminescent quality. It is actually considered a temperature rainforest. Reminded me of the Forest Moon of Endor, where the Ewoks lived. 
Our 4-hour train ride from Seattle to Vancouver was largely uneventful. We met two nice Kiwi couples whom we continue to run into on the ship. And we took lots of pictures of the pretty scenery as the train made its way north.
We have discovered our favorite area to sit. It’s a combination coffee/wine/dessert shop. Bonus! That’s where I’m typing this right now, enjoying a glass of champagne and the violin/cello duo that’s playing nearby. We spent much of our first day here. It rained most of yesterday, an “at sea” day, so it was a great day to curl up and read a book. Which I did lots of. We also ate and drank waaaay too much. So much for keeping to the diet.
It was a fun show, though. Then we did a tour of a nature preserve and got a demonstration of totem pole carving and storytelling. Interesting stuff. The city here is extraordinarily clean and really well suited for and welcoming of cruise ships. After all those stops in Mexico and the Caribbean, it’s refreshing to not be accosted the instant you step off the ship. Oh, and there are TONS of bald eagles here. They’re everywhere. The locals act blasé about it, but we thought it was very cool.
The Biker's Wife 