Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025Location: Victoria, British Columbia ⚓ Opening HP was already awake, standing by the balcony, watching the shoreline come into view. “We’re here,” she said. I stepped out beside her. The city was quiet in the early light, just beginning to stir — like it had been waiting to greet us. OurContinue reading “Day 7: Victoria – A Perfect Finale”
Category Archives: At the Forge
Day 6: At Sea – Music, Food & Stars
Eric nudged me before the tasting even started, already grinning.“I’m sending this to Spaulding,” he said, holding up his phone like proof we’d somehow made it here. Scott just laughed, leaning back like he’d been waiting for this moment all week. And that’s the thing about this trip — somewhere along the way, it stoppedContinue reading “Day 6: At Sea – Music, Food & Stars”
Day 5: Endicott Arm – Dawes Glacier Unveiled
After several days of open ocean and port adventures, today brought one of the most unforgettable sights of the entire cruise. The ship turned quietly into Endicott Arm — a narrow fjord of ice, cliffs, and waterfalls — leading us to Dawes Glacier. It felt like sailing into another world.
Day 4: Skagway – Trails, History & High Spirits
Mist, mountains, and quiet moments — Day 4 reminded us that Alaska’s beauty isn’t loud; it whispers, and if you listen closely, it stays with you.
Day 3: Juneau – Alaska’s Capital of Wonders
Alaska reminds you what’s fleeting and what lasts. The glaciers melt, the whales move on, but the wonder stays. Somewhere out there, the glacier still breathes, the whales still rise — and Juneau’s lights fade quietly behind us.
🌿 Spring Letter – 2026
Day 1 Boarding Day – Setting Sail
I thought Day 0 would be the warm-up. It turns out boarding day has a personality all its own — equal parts excitement, exhaustion, and moments you don’t expect to remember later, but somehow do. This was our first full day aboard. Welcome to our 7-day adventure. It begins with Day 0 travel to Seattle,Continue reading “Day 1 Boarding Day – Setting Sail”
The Polar Bear Plunge!
A split-second of panic, a ten-foot drop into 39.9°F water, and a lesson I didn’t know I still needed.
My first Polar Bear Plunge didn’t just steal my breath — it reminded me what resilience really feels like.
Pedal Optional: The Rise of the Electric “Bike”
I wanted exercise. I found technology. Somewhere between sweat and smugness lies the modern commuter’s dilemma — a place where effort meets innovation, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of magic.
An Old Light, Still Burning, for Altruism
For centuries, faith and science walked hand in hand. Monks brewed beer with chemist’s precision. Sisters ran hospitals when no one else could. And somewhere between a prayer and a telescope, humanity learned how to ask questions that mattered.
This essay isn’t about religion. It’s about curiosity — about how devotion once meant studying the world, and how maybe, in a new form, it still can.
Dennis D Montoya 