September 7, 2012

Skagway, Alaska

We departed Juneau in the evening in the course of dinnertime. It was a pleasurable day while there. As far as we know, no one was left behind. LOL.

We cruised again all night and when we pulled into port in the early morning daylight I was flabbergasted, to say the least! I walked out onto the balcony with a cup of coffee in hand and immediately to my right was this colossal, incredibly stunning piece of ice. It was at least 10 times the size of our ship.

All that I could articulate was OMG! OOOOMG!  OOOH MMYYY GOODD!!!  Just then I heard laughter from all around me. Apparently there were additional passengers out at the same time. When I looked around, they all looked at me in unison. The women directly above me, looked down and said, don’t worry, we all felt the very identical way, and we just did not vocalize it. Everyone laughed again and we all just stood there taking in the magnificent, naturally wondrous beauty of the icy landscape before us.

The name of Skagway was originated from Shagwei, the nickname for Kanagu, a mythical woman transformed into stone who lived at Skagway bay. By association, Shagwei also became the name for the tempestuous seas that Kanagu caused when angered, and for the river that Kanagu “personified.”

According to Tlingit mythology as of 1882,the Kanagu rock is most likely to be Face Mountain, which looks out over Skagway bay.

Once again, this, like so many others, is a very small town. Population: 920. During the summer months it can have over 900,000 visitors.

At port

It is known for being the gateway to the Klondike, during the gold rush. At one point there were over 14,000 residents living full time in Skagway. Today it survives strictly on tourism. Medium income is just over $30K. Most of the residents are of Indian decent

Skagway is also part of the backdrop for Jack London’s book: The Call of the Wild. It is a quick, good read. It’s about an affluent young man, who gave up family fortune to explore Alaska. It is a story of his trials and tribulations along the way. It is a true story and grippingly written. The author was a reporter who happened along the young mans tragedies in a news article and then spent years from his own life investigating and conversing with any person along the young man’s pathway.

Back in town there is a scandalous bar/saloon/brothel. This one is called the Red Onion Saloon. It is in the heart of Broadway, Main Street, and a magnet to tourism. It opened in 1898 and recommends a tour of the brothel conducted by fittingly attired young ladies. Its fun, but again, a tourist trap. They do offer a pretty good lunch menu.

upstairs brother in the Red Onion

Scandalous Lady of Pleasure

As you stroll downtown (ha, ha – there is only one street), you also pass the ‘Artic Brotherhood Hall’. It is very interesting. The entire front of the building is made of driftwood.

inside Red Onion

The Arctic Brotherhood is a fraternal organization which consists of men who’s motto is: “Ordinary Men Sharing Extraordinary Adventures Since 1899”. Essentially, it’s a boys club of braggers. LOL.

Arctic Brotherhood Hall

There is a celebrated shankster that settled in Skagway and helped place it on the map to outsiders. His name was Jeff ‘Soapy” Smith. He was a con man. He moved to Skagway from Georgia in 1860. Imagine the journey way back then?

He opened a saloon in town during the gold rush and set himself up as an underworld boss and philanthropist. He would charge people money to send ‘wires’ across the telegraph back to family members. The wires never left the building and they were never actually received by anyone. It was all a fake setup.

Soapy Smiths Saloon

Once the townspeople figured him out they elected, as a whole, to arrest him. They placed one guy, Frank Reid, in the saloon – to watch Soapy - while others went to retrieve additional townsmen in order to confront the fraud. However while Frank was waiting for the return of the others, he gave way to Soapy, of their intentions.

Soapy and Frank got into a shoot out. They both shot at the same time and both went down. Soapy was shot in the groin and underwent a week long agonizing death while Frank died instantly.

incredible icebergs

There is a museum in town that the residents are extremely proud. It houses Native basketry, a woolly mammoth tusk found on nearby land, and a collection of walrus ivory scrimshaw.

Skagway is cute, quaint, but if you should pass it by, you really wouldn’t miss much. Every little town has a villain and Soapy was their claim to fame. It was a rainy and cold day while there and if we were to have remained on the ship that day, it would have been okay. Pulling in the port and waking up to the ice was the unsurpassed part of Skagway. Go there just for the shear beauty of it all.

Thanks for reading, and please click on the pictures to enlarge. In two days, I actually WASH my camera so the good pictures are here now! Once on land, the remaining pictures are all on my IPhone Enjoy!

Juneau, AK

September 6, 2012

Next stop Juneau, the State capital.

We pulled into port at 8:00am the following morning and were set to depart at 9:00pm that evening. 

leaving the port in Ketchikan

It was amusing leaving Ketchikan - but not really funny. We left behind some people.

As you enter on, and get off the ship, they scan your room key in order to keep account for all of the voyagers. 

While waiting to pull away from port in Ketchikan there were 3 announcements of 3 different couples being requested to report to the check in station. The first announcement revealed 3 couples that had not checked back in. The second announcement mentioned 2 of the three previous couples. The last announcement was just one of the three previously announced? Then we pulled away. 

AK Marine Hwy

Here's the 'not funny' part. As we were pulling away, running down the dock was a couple waving their arms, wailing in the air - WAIT!!! STOP!!!! WAIT!!!! Funny, but not funny, for them. The captain left them behind. Their only options were to either hire a bush pilot and meet us at the next port or change their plans altogether and go home. Either way, it was to cost them a lot of money, just for doing what ever it was that they were doing in Ketchikan. 

Ketchikan is believed to come from the tribe of the Tlingit. (Pronounced kling-it). Its meaning is 'thundering wings of an eagle." And estimated 19% of residents in Ketchikan are of Tlingit native Indian descent.  

Once at sea we saw a pod of Orcas blowing bubbles as they swam in circles, getting constricted and tighter as they progressed. It seemed as if they were dancing together. This was to entrap smaller fish for dinner. (Similar to the way purpose catch fish.) When the fish were in the position near the surface they all - all 9 of them jumped out of the water in unison. They were not more than 100 feet from the vessel. The choreographing was perfect. Standing on my balcony at that perfect moment was superlative.

 

whale puffing

Regrettably I did not have the camera in position to seize the photo, but trust me, it was AMAZING!!! Several other times there would be an additional whale or two blowing water through its spout. The water was very quiet. You could hear the air and water being puffed out from the whales far off the in the distance. It was carried a long way.  

There is one level of balconies beneath my cabin and 2 more overhead. It’s a lot of enjoyment when there are numerous people out at the identical time. Frequently, just about happy hour people have a tendency to to come outside enveloped in a blanket with a drink and naturally relax on a lounge chair.

When the 9 orcas  rocketed out of the water to consume what they labored so hard to acquire, there were gasps and applause and OMG’s from all who were witness. It was truly extraordinary! The whales made the journey over to Juneau memorable for an a great deal of people.

The town of Juneau is very hilly. Equivalent to San Francisco, CA with small willowy streets, multitudes of shops and bars. The governor’s mansion sits atop a hill overlooking the town. (And NO, you cannot see Russia from there!)

Back down in town there is a very well notorious bar called the Red Dog Saloon. It was a great deal of fun. Placed on the floor  is sawdust with masses of memorabilia on the walls and ceiling. Their motto is: if our standards do not meet yours, please lower your standards. They present live, old time music, lots and lots of beer, and of course food. Its a entertaining time for all and is the main stop in the town. 

There are plenty of choices of things to do while visiting Juneau. They offer tours for just about everything you can imagine, including whale watching, hiking, shopping, tram rides, zip lining, fishing, museums, etc. 

One very popular thing to do was to visit Mendenhall Glacier. It was named after Thomas Mendenhall who surveyed the international border between Canada and Southeast Alaska. You can hike several different trails to access the glacier, or take a tram ride, or even hop on a helicopter for better viewing.  

menu at red dog saloon

During our stay we again selected to walk on our own. We visited the State Capital Building, the governor’s mansion, and the Wickersham State Historical Site. The site was built in 1898. It was the home of judge James Wickersham who served as the voice of the law in over half of the state. He is the person who introduced Alaska to Congress and requested statehood.  He did this way back in 1916. It was not up until the 1950's that it came to fruition. 

Governors Mansion

The city name, Juneau, came about one evening when a vote was being held by its citizens for the naming rights. There was a man named Joe Juneau who had become wealthy from panning gold and on the evening of the vote he visited several bars. He bought all who entered a drink. He made a lot of friends that evening and in return they voted the city be named after him. He went on to be an affluent resident of the town and when the capital city was repositioned from Sitka to Juneau in 1900 it was said it was because of all the gold mining that Joe Juneau did.

Following an additional day of exploration and walking 5 miles...(maybe not 5...), we proceeded back to the ship. Once again we would navigate through the night to arrive at Skagway the next morning. 

Thanks a lot for reading - and please click the pictures so they enlarge. 

September 2, 2012

Olympic torch

Saturday morning we were up at 4 am to catch a flight to Vancouver, BC. The plane ride was long but well worth it. We arrived in BC early yesterday and have been exploring from the time  we’ve arrived.

 Vancouver is a magnificent, striking, spotless, Eco friendly city. It is vast. The population is 603,502. The cuisine here is wonderful. The weather perfect. The temperature is in the 60’s with clear skies. There are flowers on every corner. There are a million and one things to do in Vancouver. There is no shortage of activity for any visitors' diversity. 

Vancouver Port

Tomorrow we get on the big ship! But for today and yesterday we enjoyed Canada. Our hotel was only two blocks from the water so we walked the entire time there. 

Here they have electric buses, electric cars and are incredibly green. They have city workers pick through trash cans for recyclables. The air is crystal clear and when you breath in the crisp coolness you can not help but notice there is no pollution. 

sunset in Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, BC

 We strolled through the infamous Gastown, known for their beautiful trees and cafes. Went to a street festival where all sorts of Chinese foods were being served that we did not dare ask what they were made of.

 We walked through a 3 block flea market that is held every Saturday and Sunday in the streets. We visited the port and toured the stores.

We ate some of the best meals we have had in a long time.  I would definitely come back to Vancouver. It is very pretty. The buildings are all made of glass. Everywhere you look are flowers and glass. The architecture is amazing on some of the skyscrapers. Put it on your next place to visit, you will not be disappointed. 

steam clock in Gas town

Monday, Sept 3, 2012

Today is day 2 of the big trip to Alaska. We are now on the Coral Princess Ship. This is the first cruise I have taken and I am over the top excited. Sleeping on the ship has allowed us to sleep like babies. The first of the motion was felt this morning. Its not unpleasant, just unusual, almost a feeling of being tipsy. Since we hit the open waters the temperature has dramatically dropped and the skies are overcast. We will sail a full day and 1/2 through the night to reach our first port of Ketchikan, AK.

Our cabin is spacious and very nice. A considerable amount of people have told me to expect the cabins to be small and confining. This cabin is the size of a normal hotel room and along with a balcony, it is adequate, and so very cozy!

ships library my favorite room

Our first dining experience was dinner last night. We were seated  with 3 other couples, and it was a lot of fun. Prime rib was my choice of culinary delight and it was cooked perfectly. If you so choose to sit alone -  you are permitted, otherwise they call it 'sharing' at a table. There is normally 8 at a shared table. It’s a great way to fraternize with your co sailors. It is a lot of fun to listen to the stories of where people come from and the accents from all over the world. Australia seems to be prevalent, with New Zealand coming in a close second. The ship is absolutely beautiful. It is 965 feet long, has 15 decks, accommodates 1965 passengers and has 900 staff members. There are just over 2 passengers to every one staff person. The service is impeccable. We have a steward named Nelson that is fantastic. Any and everything we need, he is right there. I wish I could take him home with me! 

They offer contests everyday and today I am filing out a trivia questionnaire in hopes of wining a prize. Knowing me, and how much useless information I possess, (and not caring what I win as long as its free), this is right up my ally. They offer free giveaways all day long, everyday, at all different levels. The big giveaway today is a 5-carat sapphire, and tomorrow is a BMW. (I just want to win, I do not care what the prize is).

muster station

Today they held a martini demonstration in the atrium. You can view the demonstration from 3 different decks. The atrium is mid-ship and the epicenter of it all. The have orchestral live music, demonstrations, stand up comedy, and so many more activities for entertainment that take place in the atrium. I was chosen from the crowd (imagine that), to 'shake' one of the martinis being made. They played a club type song and I had to shake my body while holding the martini shaker. There were 4 girls chosen and it was hysterical. Afterwards, I got to drink it. Free drink, yay!! It was wonderful, even though it was only 10:30 in the morning. It was a watermelon martini.

 

The ship is  rolling a lot today. It is extremely foggy out and the captain has blown the foghorn several times so far today. I love that sound. It is almost as comforting to me as hearing the sound of the train horn while lying in my my old  bedroom on LI. The train would pass over Straight Path Rd. From my house about a mile away, it would be very faint, but audible. I miss that sound, (along with the boiler kicking in, in the middle of the night, or the Fire house whistle at noon). Okay, enough reminiscing.

This afternoon I watched a documentary film about Alaska and how the railroad was brought about. It was outside on the lido deck where they have a humongous screen for outdoor viewing of movies. It was cold at first, but they offer  flannel blankets. It was very relaxing lying on a lounge chair all wrapped up and drinking hot chocolate. While I was doing my own thing, Tommy went to a presentation of Kathy somebody and her life story of growing up in Alaska. She is a naturalist and way too boring for my taste. He said he was too embarrassed to get up and walk out so he fell asleep. LOL.

There is a daily program of events to keep you full of activity all day, every day. Some of the happenings are hokey but its all fun. There is always something to do or see or play or watch, for everyone. The food is nonstop and the entertainment is continuous.

Naps are developing into a ritual each afternoon. We have made friends with several crew members of the fun and games department. Callie is the head of entertainment. He hosted, and I played, musical trivia one night. I came in second. Because I am so good at music trivia, I was being very competitive. Only to find out someone, as it happens, knew more about it than me. He won a bottle of champagne, which was acceptable because I would have given it away nevertheless. That night Callie and I became pretty good buddies. We laughed a lot at each other. A number of other times he would mention something relating to the 80's (which is the time era of the music trivia we played) towards our table in other circumstances. He was funny and we had a blast with him. We played BINGO, danced, saw comedians, watch shows, ate, drank, and ate some more. It was a terrific time.

the sanctuary

In the morning we should be in Ketchikan and I cant wait to explore! Oh, and did I mention the scenery along the way? INCREDIBLE!!!!! Thanks so much for reading and Ill try to keep this going, as long as I have a signal!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Ketchikan, AK

Cute, cute, cute, little town. Once dis-embarkment took place we were on own for 8 hours.

There are a lot of touristy things to do while visiting Ketchikan. One is The Great Alaskan Lumber Jack Show. They carve tree trunks and throw logs along with other manly stuff. We did not engage, but several other passengers commented that they enjoyed it very much.

There is a fish hatchery to visit where they educate you on the 5 different types of salmon that are available in Alaska. They are Chum, Sockeye, King, Silver and Pink. King Salmon is amongst the all time favorite, but Sockeye is the best known.

We, of course, went the opposite way of the crowds and explored the 'real' Ketchikan. We hung out with some locals and had lunch in an out-of the-way place. We  hid out there for almost 2 hours just talking with the residents, having fun, and learning what it was really like to live there year round. The community is very close nit and are willing to help anyone, at any time, without question.

After a while we decided to tour the part of town we were 'supposed' to see. We walked the 'walking trail' backwards so we did not have to follow anyone. We stopped several times to watch the salmon do their thing and work like hell to get up stream to spawn. They return to the exact same hole where they were born to spawn. (Like a Sea Turtle, just amazing, the GPS they have built in). Several hours after giving birth to new fish, they swim to the shallow waters and die. It is sad, but part of the circle of life. Some of the streams are horrendous and there are 'ladders' made to help assist the climb. It is amazing how they know to use these ladders, and without them, I have no idea how they can endure the current against them. The tenacity is outstanding.

catching salmon

salmon ladder

We also walked along the famous Creek Street, which was used mainly to supply men with 'their needs'. Dolly's house was the most frequented. The entire street is built on stilts and a boardwalk. It dates back to the early 1800's and is very impressive. They have a back way to enter this street, appropriately named Married Man's Trail, so the men could sneak in and out of the brothels and not be seen by the townspeople.

Creek Street

Most of the homes in Ketchikan are built on a hill one behind the other.There are so many stairs to reach your home it seems impossible. Imagine in the winter climbing or descending? Crazy!!!

look at the stairs

There are a million and one jewelry stores and tee shirt shops all along your pathway. Without tourism, and salmon, Ketchikan would never survive economically.

We headed back towards the ship around 4pm just in time for a nap. Once again, we stuffed our faces, drank a bottle of wine and had many many laughs. Ketchikan was a good day!


Thanks so much for reading and remember to CLICK on the pictures, they will enlarge and you can see them as a slide show.