Victoria

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Nanette Harter

We departed Skagway Thursday evening sailing through the Lynn Canal and the Chatham Strait surrounded by a gorgeous sunset reflecting off the clouds and granite mountain peaks. We had two days at open sea as we headed back toward Seattle and this was the first time I felt the slightest roll of the ship. We got in one more formal night along with a Captain’s cocktail reception (as we were traveling with the Captain’s Gold Circle frequent cruiser members Audrey and Bill.) The culinary demonstration Friday included a tour of just one of the many shiny stainless steel kitchens. Probably one of the most memorable tastes we had aboard was an aperitif: lime sherbet infused with strawberry and thyme! An incredibly tantalizing experience with the tart, then sweet, and just the hint of thyme revealed at the end. I am still trying to reproduce it in my Vitamix!

As we traveled into the Juan de Fuca Strait between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, we saw a variety of marine life from orcas to humpback whale pods. Victoria, Canada, was our stop in a “foreign port” and sadly we only had a few evening hours here. We watched the docking process with the evening light and Neil spotted an eagle that sat perched right on top of the huge parking lot lights. And by moving to the far end of the observation deck, Neil was able to frame it against the green copper dome of the Capital Building.

Somehow, during our two days at sea, the camera received a major dent. We still can’t figure out when but the camera now vibrates every time the lens cover is open. (Neil has since taken the camera apart, removing one by one the tiny printed circuit boards and lens assembly, and repaired the dented casing but once back together, it still vibrates. We are looking into replacement cameras.) Even on the gorilla tripod, the vibration shows through on the night exposures. We decided to include a few of the blurry night shots of Victoria because it was so pretty with all the lights haloing the buildings and harbor.

Skagway

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Nanette Harter

The town of Skagway came into existence almost overnight when gold was discovered in the Klondike region (Canada.) What kept it from becoming a ghost town like nearby town of Dyea after gold fever died out is the railroad. Originally conceived to transport miners to the minefield, the rush to the fields was done by the time the rail was completed. Even so, the railroad prospered for many years as the workhorse hauling gold and ore down to the ships. Later, it was used to supply the US Army’s Alaska Highway projects. It was actually the completion of the highway into Skagway on the opposite side of the valley that eventually led to the closing of the railway in 1981. Happily, it reinvented itself as a tourist railroad and reopened in 1988.

The town itself is being restored to the turn of the century facade much through the efforts of the National Park Service and the Visitors Bureau. Mom, Neil and I spent the morning wandering through the town, part of the time following a Park Ranger tour as she pointed out the most notable buildings and colorful history. The most photographed building in town is the Arctic Brotherhood Hall which has over 8,800 pieces of driftwood making up the front exterior. Neil commented that at least the town retains its charm even with all the tourist commercialism.

After lunch including a lovely piece of smoked salmon that Neil had procured from the local market, we boarded the White Pass & Yukon Railroad for our afternoon excursion. The train climbs 2,865 feet through incredible scenery with breathtaking views in all directions to the top of White Pass. The terrain, tunnels and trestles are a true feat of engineering especially considering this was accomplished in 1897. Please click through the gallery below on the webpage to get a good idea of the beauty we experienced.

Juneau

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Nanette Harter

Juneau is of course the capital of Alaska. One of its novelties, like Honolulu, is it can only be reached by sea or air. Although there isn’t a road connecting the city to the “mainland,” that lack doesn’t prevent tons of cars and buses from being shipped in for use on the local roads. More fun is the Mount Roberts Tramway.

We visited Juneau in the afternoon following our sail through Tracy Arm. This is the stop where the ship excursion desk really pushes all the evening Salmon Bake tours, and although we had the option of an Alaskan Luau (yes, the flyer shows both Alaskan and Polynesian food and performers), we opted to go the scenic route and travel high above Juneau on the tram for the view and hike. We got positioned by the windows as the crowd filled the tram and we soon started getting the views we were hoping for.

Checking in at the naturalist deck at the top of the tram, we were told the hiking trail to the top of Mount Roberts was still covered in snow about a mile beyond the loop trail (lucky for me or Neil might have wanted to hike the whole 8 miles up.) We hiked the nature loop trail and some spurs off it which took us through the forest and out onto the alpine meadows above timberline. The emerald green grass and the numerous delicate wildflowers were a treat to view as we hiked. We reached a rocky outcropping which provided a scenic overlook of the channel, the town, and our cruise ship! We hiked past patches of snow still on the mountainside but the weather was lovely enough for short sleeves. We ran into some small critters (including a small snow bear 😉 and get a glimpse in the distance of a mother bear and her two clubs frolicking on the snow just before they went over the edge and into the forest far below us.

We were impressed with the totem in the Tramway lobby. Neil found a article in the Juneau Empire newspaper about the carver Stephen Jackson and the totem pole meaning. It took Jackson two years to complete the intricate detailed carving. “The story is about the supernatural gift of the constellation of the Big Dipper to the Big Dipper House of the Auk Kwan. A creature symbolizing this gift is one of five design elements in the pole. At the top, Raven’s folded wings seem to hug the surface. In the center is a totemic frog figure. Toward the bottom, a woman — the ribs of her back strikingly evident — stretches down to embrace an infant.”

All this wonderful air and exercise made us ready for another decedent dinner aboard ship. Not salmon that night but we did have it later on the cruise!

[One more note about viewing the full size photos and Neil’s witty descriptions. If you click on any photo in the text portion, you will only be able to arrow through the five photos included in the text. However, if you click on a photo in the gallery below, you will be able to move through all ten.]

Photos and commentary by Neil

Tracy Arm

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Nanette Harter

Most people have heard of Glacier Bay, Alaska, as the place to go see tidewater glaciers. I do recall it as quite impressive twelve years ago. This trip was the first time I had heard of Tracy Arm Fjord as an alternative choice for cruise ships to view tidewater glaciers. Although we couldn’t get quite as close to the front of the glacier as the ship had in Glacier Bay (due to a rock island creating a narrow passage), the scenery entering and exiting the fjord was stunning. We sailed through the 3000-foot steep granite walled fjord while icebergs and seals floated around us, the walls spouted waterfalls plunging into the sea, and cirque glaciers clung high up in the small depressions of the rock left shaped by the retreating glaciers. I think it is best to let the pictures speak from themselves.

[Click on any photo to see the full size image. Then click on the left or right arrow below it (or use your keyboard arrows) to move through all the other photos.]

Photos and commentary by Neil.

Ketchikan

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Nanette Harter

First, in answer to many questions about that last post: Yes that really is Neil in a suit and tie!!! That image is not photoshopped! The suit (and some of our other “warm” clothing for the trip) was purchased at a thrift store in Seattle the day before the trip. The suit coat and vest have since been passed on to Neil’s son-in-law Greg who is delighted to have them. (Greg looks great in them, by the way.)

After a day at sea, our first stop was Ketchikan, Alaska. Ketchikan is known for fishing, timber, and rain! It is listed as Alaska’s wettest city, with on average, 13 feet of precipitation annually. And it didn’t let us down. Neil, Mom and I donned our rain coats and headed out. We even bought an umbrella later on (yep, we found a thrift store in Ketchikan). That purchase was well worth it since it brought us the gift of sunshine for the rest of our trip!

The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian were native to this part of Alaska. Their culture is honored in town with parks and some exhibits such as the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, the Totem Heritage Center and the Salmon Hatchery and Eagle Center. We enjoyed touring through the informative Discovery Center with its exhibits on the natural environments, flora and fauna, as well as the area’s cultural and developmental history.
Mom then headed off to shop and we continued our walking tour, off to see the famous, or should I say infamous, Creek Street. Many of the streets used to be wood-planked due to rain and mud. And the available places to build were limited by the mountains surrounding the town. So they just built one of the streets out over the creek with houses right on the wood planks. Creek Street became the red-light district in the early town history. Today it is filled with tourist shops and restaurants. But Dolly’s house, home of one of the most famous madams in the heyday, has been refurbished for touring. We skipped the tour but a scantly clad “lady” was in the doorway to tempt you inside as we walked by. The creek itself was incredibly picturesque with the moss covered rocks lining the sides. We just stood and listened to the water flow by this gorgeous view.

It was raining so heavy through much of our walk around town that we didn’t dare get the camera out. Our photo journal is a little limited here.

We celebrated Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, as we sailed away from Ketchikan while viewing the stunning panorama of the town and Gravina Island on the other side.

Nan Harter

Sharing my adventures with family and friends

Tag Archives: alaska

Victoria

Skagway

Juneau

Tracy Arm

Ketchikan