Alaska trip Pt. 5 -- Glaciers

Haines was our last stop of the cruise, with the rest of the cruise spent on-board: one day sailing in Glacier Bay National Park, the next traveling up the coast to view Hubbard Glacier. 

The night before, we had received the official map/flyer from the National Park, which was incredibly informative as an introduction to the Bay.  Even better was finding out the next morning that four park rangers (all young women) were now on board to provide information in person.  One staffed the ship-wide announcement system, another explained and sold literature in a lounge, and two circulated on the deck to answer questions.  They had come from the Park headquarters by boat early in the morning and climbed up a rope ladder to board and would reverse the process to go home at the end of their stint on the ship!

When the ship slowed and stopped, we were still some distance away -- at least a mile -- from the three glaciers we would have the opportunity to view.   (For all the below photos "objects appear much smaller than reality.") 

The dark "land" form below is actually the Grand Pacific Glacier, with sediment on its face, therefore looking quite different from what we expect.  This glacier, about 2 miles wide and with a 150 foot face, lies at the innermost point of Glacier Bay and is currently receding, like most of the glaciers.

The Margerie, a mile wide with a face of 250 feet, provided the most dramatic view, in my opinion, with the whitest and bluest colors on the face, appearing like a cliff dropping directly into the water,

while the Lampugh (below photo using "zoom") was crossed by fascinating lines, a top that was craggy rather than mostly flat, and had a smaller "outcropping" that seemed almost separate. This was the smallest in length, measuring about 3/4 of a mile long with the face 150 feet high. 

(Information about the sizes of the glaciers is taken from an overview of selected glaciers on the GBNP site.)

Our last glacier visit was the next day, when we stopped over a hundred miles north, to see Hubbard Glacier.  Hubbard was the largest on our itinerary with a width of over 6 miles on the ocean as well as heights on its face of up to 400 feet!   Once again, the scattering of light made it appear blue.

The next day was the final day of the cruise and we had to be up and about at 6:30 am when we docked in Seward.  We'd booked an excursion train to take us from the port directly to the Anchorage airport where we'd catch a flight to Portland, Oregon.  The train cars were specially designed for observation with windows up to the peak of the roof.   While we (I )drank our (my) much-needed coffee, we got to see some of the scenery a bit farther away from the coast.  Everyone was on the look-out for more wildlife, too, though a black bear climbing a mountain in the distance was our only success.

While I knew that I had seen only a tiny fraction of this gorgeous and amazing state, I was so grateful for the opportunity to view the sights I had seen on this trip, as well as to share it with my wonderful traveling companion!   What a great way to start off my retirement!  

Alaska trip Pt.4 -- Haines

Our final stop was to be Skagway, Alaska, where we had another excursion booked, but we were re-routed to Haines, because of a jet fuel spill in Skagway.  Haines usually hosts cruise ships once a week, on Thursdays, and a few specific times through the season.  Our ship arrived on a Friday, causing many changes in the population's plans for the day!

Many excursions were cancelled, but we were fortunate that ours was not -- in fact, it picked up additional participants from the schedule change.

We boarded a motor coach for the 45-minute ride to see the animals at the Kroschel Wildlife Center.  The inhabitants of the family-owned Center have often been used in films from Disney and other companies.  Many (probably most) of the animals are trained to some degree and all are kept outdoors in fenced areas, though the fences have large spaces between the wires so you can take photos that look like you've spotted the creature in its native, wild habitat.

This magnificent falcon greeted us at the entrance.  We went on to observe a wolf, who resembled a pet dog with the guide/refuge owner, as well as a leashed wolverine that similarly followed him and did several "tricks" on command.

The majestic lynx acted like a typical cat, wandering around his compound, unconcerned with all the people just a few feet away.

Other animals in residence were a red fox (more gray than red, as he was shedding his winter coat), several members of the weasel family, including a pair of baby sables, and at least half a dozen reindeer.

Members of the tour group were encouraged to take advantage of a photo op with a porcupine (that was MUCH bigger than I expected) and a moose.  We were happy to oblige.

The tour ended with Kitty, the grizzly bear, having a little snack of her favorite pie, blueberry, of course.  (Bear is farther away than appears; one of the few times a photo taken with the "zoom" on my camera didn't come out blurry.)

This excursion was so much fun!  I strongly recommend it for anyone -- of any age -- who is in the area whether docking on a cruise ship or visiting Skagway or Haines in some other way. 

Before we returned to the ship, we visited the local public library.  This lovely little place offers free wi-fi to all visitors -- a welcome benefit to cruise ship passengers who, for most of a week, have had the choice of no connectivity at all or having to pay a substantial fee to access the ship's network.  There was no doubt that we were visitors, rather than locals, when we sat comfortably, pulled out our phones, and began tapping away.   A donation jar sat on the circulation desk, and I happily inserted some folding money to show, in a small way, our gratitude.  Should you ever find yourself in a similar situation, I strongly urge you to do the same.  LIBRARIES RULE!

Alaska trip Pt. 3 -- Juneau

Next port of call was Juneau, Alaska's capital city.  Typical weather, we were told, was foggy and rainy, so we were certain to wear the raincoats suggested by the description of our shore excursion.  Very helpful suggestion!

Our outing included a hike, then boarding a small boat to see if we could view some humpback whales in the inlet.

The trail through the rainforest was not too challenging for me to keep up, thankfully, and we learned a lot about typical plants living in that environment, both useful and harmful.  (Ask me about spruce-tip tea...)  I was taken by the many shades of green we saw as well as the wild lupines that grew near the lake.

By the time we emerged from the forest, the rain had stopped and most of the nearby fog had lifted, a rarity at that time of year, we were told.  Unfortunately, the now-hospitable weather seemed to have used up our good luck as we headed out on the water for whale-watching.  A few spouts or tails were spotted in the distance, but none close enough to photograph or even to be able to say "Yes, we DID see a whale."  Our wildlife viewing was not totally unsuccessful, though.  We cruised past a buoy known as a resting place for sea lions.  If you can enlarge the photo, you'll see them piled on top of each other on the buoy.

When our outing came to an end, we had some additional free time to walk around the town, grab a bite to eat, and wonder why Alaska had decided to make a city which cannot be reached by land (Juneau is accessible only by air or water) its state capital.

Alaska trip Pt. 2 -- Sailing and Ketchikan

Monday was sailing day.  We walked from our hotel to the cruise ship port where three ships were docked and began the process of being checked in.  In addition to the usual baggage and passport checks, we were photographed for our ship IDs which would get us on and off the Norwegian Jewel and would also be our on-board credit card.  Though it took several hours from start to finish, the process was well-organized and mostly painless.  We found our stateroom and went to the cafeteria-style dining room for lunch.  By 5:00, rain was steadily coming down, but we could view the departure from the window, with Vancouver (and another ship) in the background.

This was our first time on a major cruise ship so we did a lot of exploring to find out what was where, how to get various places, and, which activities we wanted to join.  We found that each day an overview of the day was published and delivered very early in the morning.  From bingo to shows to cabaret-type performances, there was quite a variety of possible things to do.  Through our week, we saw a comedian and a troupe of acrobats (their performance made more challenging as the ship was traversing some rough waters at the time).  But we most anticipated the shore days, where we would get to explore, either as part of an organized excursion or on our own.  

The first stop was Ketchikan, Alaska, where we had planned unscheduled time.

When we arrived, we discovered a local bus line ran from the center of town to Totem Bright State Park.  Over a dozen poles were found in this beautiful park, with helpful explanations of their history and meaning.  

There was also a reproduction of a typical Tlingit building where groups would gather as well as a shed in which repair and restoration was completed on some of the poles. 

The park itself offered gorgeous views of the breathtaking Alaskan scenery and a serene place to wander along the trails and take in the sounds and smells of the woods in addition to the sights.

The return bus arrived on schedule so we went back to town for lunch, after which D#1 went partway back on the bus, to a stop that had been announced as a good place to find a hiking trail.   I chose to wander around the town and enjoy the surroundings. 

In a small pocket-type park, I found some of the most glorious rhododendrons I've ever seen, along with bleeding hearts that covered the area under the shrubs.  

Since most of the coastal area was occupied by tourist-oriented shops and restaurants, I shopped my way back to the dock, where I met my daughter who had thoroughly enjoyed her hike.  

Alaska Trip Pt. 1 -- Vancouver

Last winter, when my company announced that our last date of existence would be April 30, 2019, I really needed something to look forward to.  Going on a trip seemed to be an excellent way either to inaugurate my retirement, or to have a one-time-last-while-I-have-some-$ celebration.  As D#1 gets generous vacation time, we were both happy that she could join me.  After some discussion about where to go, we settled on taking a cruise to Alaska, with a post-cruise stop in Portland, Oregon, as it was one of the states that I had not yet visited.  Our ship, the Norwegian Jewel was to sail from Vancouver, BC, so we added an extra day in Canada before departure date.

Though our flights originated in different cities, we both had a layover in Toronto where we boarded the same plane for the trip west.  After an uneventful flight and an easy trip into town on public transportation, we checked into our hotel and set out to walk along the waterfront, heading toward Stanley Park, one of the largest municipal parks in North America.  After quite a distance we reached our destination, but I was tired so we didn't explore much of the park, except to look around an arbored structure with flower beds around the perimeter.

The trek back to the hotel was more direct (and a little shorter, thankfully), and after lunch, we went our separate ways for the afternoon.  D#1 wanted to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park where she could spend time literally in the trees on bridges and walks far above the forest floor.  As an agoraphobe, I opted out of that trip and walked a few short blocks to the Vancouver Art Gallery where I found they were having a special exhibit of impressionist paintings.

Though I am very fond of the Impressionists and enjoyed the show, I really wanted to see some First Nations art, given our location in the Pacific Northwest.  I asked one of the museum employees about the places to visit and he recommended the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art which was only a short distance away.

In addition to the permanent collection, which included the "story pole" above, the gallery housed a special exhibit called "Womxn and Waterways" featuring female First Nations artists in various media.

Left: three-part work with beading.

Right: close-up of one part

Left: necklace

Right: multimedia piece with photos and three-dimensional additions.











We reunited at the hotel and set off for Granville Island where we strolled through the public market with its food and crafts, walked past a variety of shops, and chose a waterfront restaurant for dinner.

A water-taxi took us back to the mainland, where we returned to our hotel and prepared for our cruise departure the next morning.