Denali

It was another early morning. We had breakfast, spent some time at the lodge and then were off on another bus ride to the Denali Princess Lodge. It was a cold morning and the mountain was again obscured by the cloud cover; however, we did get some views of the small peaks in front of Denali showing as black outlines peaking through the clouds.

The ride to Denali was on the Parks highway, the one and only highway in Alaska. It travels from Fairbanks to Anchorage – a north/south route. Being here, you learn so much about the culture and way of life...and minimizing roads is one of those things.

The Denali Lodge is another 'campus' of buildings. It is right along the highway just a few miles north of the entrance to Denali National Park. There is a stoplight along the highway....one of the few we saw away from the large cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks. Across the highway are many little shopping stores – t-shirts, knives, and the Harley Davidson store.

We took the shuttle into the Park and went to the visitors center. We also went to a presentation by the Parks' dog mushers and got to see and pet the dogs. Listening to the presentation and learning about life in the winter up here provides a new outlook on what I used to call dog sledding. Amazing lives these people live.

We had dinner across the street from the lodge at Prospectors. The place was packed with mostly locals, so we knew the advice on the location was good. Amazing pizza!

Land Tour – Mt. McKinley

We disembarked from the ship at what I refer to as the crack of dawn (actually it was still dark). They walk us across the dock and right over to the train. This occurred at the port in Whittier. The train is very nice with about 20 tables per car and abut 20 cars. We traveled along the water and enjoyed the mountain and glacier scenery. Each car has a narrator that provides information about the area and sights.

Our first stop was Anchorage, where a number of passengers departed. The rest of us continued on the 5 hour ride to Talkeetna. The train ride was not overly smooth...pretty jostling ride, but the time went quickly and the sightseeing kept you engaged.

At the Talkeetna station, we boarded buses and were provided the opportunity to see town or head to the hotel...we chose to visit the town. Talkeetna is famous as it is the town most climbers come to prior to starting the journey up Mt. McKinley, referred to as Denali here in Alaska. We got some lunch and wandered the little shops. Unfortunately, it was not too long of a visit as it was pouring rain the entire time. It is a very small town...maybe three blocks by two blocks.

We then caught the bus to the hotel, the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge. This lodge is about an hour's drive from Talkeetna. At a certain point along the drive, the power grid ends. The McKinley Lodge is completely run on generators...and its not a small place. There are about 20+ buildings, three restaurants, and who knows how many other staff and maintenance buildings. The lodge is only open from May through September and all staff are seasonal...many come back year after year, some are college students, others retired folks working a short time of the year.

The weather stayed cloudy through the evening and we did not get to see Denali.

College Fjord

Today is our last cruising day. We spent the day relaxing, playing cards, and just hanging out. Late in the day, we reached College Fjord. It takes almost two hours to travel up the fjord, while enjoying the sights of many glaciers. It was a gray day and very, very cold outside. We were able to enjoy the scenery and take number of photos (clothed in a warm coat, hat, and gloves).

Glacier Bay

Today was a day at sea; however, this included cruising Glacier Bay National Park. How fortunate we were that today was the day it decided to be sunny. The weather combined with the sights of the mountain peaks and glaciers was amazing.

We entered the Park early in the morning and spent most of the day enjoying the sights. The Park Service provides a few rangers for the ship who come on and provide commentary as we cruise. They point out the peaks, the glaciers, and the wildlife along the shores.

There are a number of glaciers and they are all breathtaking in their own way. Marjorie Glacier is the largest one that you see from the ship and it pretty much puts you in awe. We witnessed some calving which is spectacular and provides the sounds to go along with it.

It was a pretty great day!

Skagway / Haines

Our port today was Skagway. We docked early, it was raining again...we were off early for a tour. We decided to take a ship tour...kayaking! We have all been to Skagway before and have taken the train, so we decided to do something different.


We got off the ship and caught a small ferry boat over to Haines. In Haines, we were bussed out to Chilkoot Lake for kayaking. The guides and bus drivers provided great commentary about life in Haines and 'small town Alaska' in general. They were entertaining and shared some great insight about living in Haines and also the sights along the way. An interesting fact in this area is that they have four tides a day instead of two like we have; also the tides can vary up to 25 feet...makes a huge impact along the shoreline. They also shared that in this area that land mass is increasing. As the glaciers melt off the land, the land 'rebounds' and comes back to the surface.

We drove alongside the river just before getting to the lake. Tons of salmon are spawning, thus, great timing for seeing bears...and we were not disappointed. Just as we rounded a corner, tons of people were stopped and watching the river. There was a mama bear and her two cubs. The two cubs were playing and we got some great photos. They were eating, rolling around, and generally being playful with each other. It was so fun to watch. Then mama bear came and they followed her into the river. It was great to see!

Then it was off to the lake for some kayaking. The cloud cover kept the air cool, but not too cold and not too much rain. We ventured out in a three-person kayaking with Todd, his dad, and me. The lake is a green, silty color and not too deep along the shoreline. However, the guides shared that it is up to 700 feet deep in the middle. The lake was surrounded by forested mountains. The cloud cover shifted and allowed peek-a-boo views of the peaks as the time passed. We paddle around fort about two hours, enjoying the water, the views, and were able to get close along the shore to see salmon spawning.

Off the lake, a quick sandwich for lunch and back to the bus. Along the same route back, we saw another mama bear with her triplets. They were alongside the same river's edge and enjoying some salmon. What a treat to see two families of bears. While traveling back, we witnessed how much the tide had come up and how much land the water covers. Before getting back to the ferry, they drove us through Fort Seward. This was a facility constructed in the late 1800's/early 1900's for protecting the border from Canadians. As this was not an overly active job and the area is very snowy in the winter with not much to do, the Fort had to provide many amenities to get officers to this port. The houses/quarters were very high-end for the time period, there was electricity, many had butlers, etc. The houses still stand today and many have been privately purchased. They are very nice and have beautiful views.

We took the ferry back to Skagway, joined up with Todd's mom, and into town for some shopping and sightseeing. We wandered through the shops of Skagway and enjoyed seeing more local art and stores. We also found a 'Starbucks' type coffee shop to get a latte. They do not allow chains within the town since it is within a National Park, but since this coffee shop had been brewing Starbucks before it became a Park...they were allowed to continue (making them do a pretty good business).
 

 

Juneau

Our second port of call was Juneau. Today, the weather was a little better...some rain, with breaks, and eventually clearing off for some sights with few clouds. We decided to start by taking the Mount Roberts Tramway. This tram leaves right from downtown and heads up the mountain about 2,000 feet. We were able to get a good overlook of the city and the water...with all the ships in dock. It was pretty cloudy, but we were afforded a few good views. There's a gift shop and a nature information center at the top. They have a female bald eagle (that had been hurt) in captivity...you can see her up close and get some great photos. Right behind the nature center is the jumping off spot for a number a trails...probably some great trails and sights (with better weather).

We wandered through town, checked out lots of shops, and got lattes (chai for me!). We did venture into a couple jewelry stores...they give you free gifts just for 'stopping in'. So stop in we did and get a free charm or two. As is the tradition with traveling, we stopped and bought a few t-shirts.

For those of you that follow “Todd and the bear photos”, we have had great success of finding bear figures in each town. The collection is getting quite good!

 

Ketchikan

Our first port of call was Ketchikan. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. There were heavy rains and sideways winds...not very fun for sightseeing, or even shopping the little town. Being from the Seattle area, we packed accordingly with layers and rain jackets...so into town we went. We took a shuttle bus from the boat into town. The lady driving the bus was a local and she shared some info about the area and getting around (and a quick call home to tell her husband to empty the bucket for the leaking roof).

It is a small town with a number of little gift shops and the start of the jewelry shops. (A little commentary...the cruise ships have overwhelmed the Alaskan towns with jewelry shops. Its actually quite a shame. The tourism is good for the areas, but the jewelry shops over and over again are a bit much.) There are a number of houses within walking and viewing from downtown. Overall, this was a quick visit.

Sea Day

Today was a relaxing day at sea – sleep, eat, check out the ship, watch some scenery, eat, and sleep.

Travel Day

We started on our Alaska journey today. We drove to SeaTac, caught a bus to Vancouver, B.C., crossed the border, enjoyed a little of the Vancouver sights, and then onto our cruise ship – the Coral Princess. Todd and I are vacationing with Todd's parents...so you'll see photos of the four of us.

Thursday, June 3, 2010 - Kauai

Today was another day at the pool...great weather!! It was my mom's birthday, so we went out for dinner. We ate at Cafe Portifino overlooking Nawiliwili Harbor. It is a great beach and used by many. The locals are seen there paddle boarding; and also a large group were practicing /crewing in canoes with out-rigging. As we drove back, we enjoyed a colorful sunset.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - Kauai

Tuesday was just a relaxing day at the pool. Wednesday, we went for a drive up to the north side of the island. Our first stop was an overlook to see the Kilauea Lighthouse. Then we drove down to the wildlife refuge and walked out to the lighthouse. We continued to the northwest and drove around Princeville. This area has the majority of the timeshares and golf courses.

Monday, May 31, 2010 - Kauai

We ventured out today and went to Waimea Canyon. Its just over an hour drive from where we are staying. You travel along the south side of the island heading west and then turn north onto a windy road to climb to the top. The elevation at the top is 3400 feet. Its a beautiful canyon that is lush green and has red-orange rock sides.

On the way back, we drove closer to the shore at Poipu beach. We stopped and had lunch (great fish and chips) at a restaurant with a great view of the beach. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon!

Saturday, May 29, 2010 - Kauai

We traveled to Kauai today to spend a week at the beach. Our first day, we just relaxed, got some food shopping done and prepared for the week.