Tag: Alaska

Alaska – Sept 7 – Sitka

Today is our last port in Alaska – Sitka. Gone are the blue skies of the last few days and we are back to Alaska’s “liquid sunshine.” However, the temperature is still in mid 50 – to low 60 range.

Sitka, like Kodiak, has a Russian influence. In 1799, Alexander Baranof moved a s number of Russians and fur traders from Kodiak to Sitka. The Tlingit people were not happy with the invasion they attacked. They managed to burn some buildings and kill some people but Baranof returned and drove them to other side of the island in what is known as the Battle of Sitka.

In 1867, after decimating the otter population for its pelts, Russia sold Alaska to the United States for a little over $7 million dollars. Bet they are sorry they sold it now.

We had an early excursion through Holland America this morning – Birds, Bears, and Barnacles so room service breakfast was delivered at 7:15. We met our guide/driver at the pier. The vehicle was a school bus, our driver was a school bus driver who has lived in Sitka for 30 years. He was very funny and knowledgeable as he drove us to our three destinations – Alaska Raptor Center (birds), the Fortress of the Bears (bears), and Sitka Sound Science Center and Aquarium (barnacles).

The Raptor Center was currently housing 27 raptors of various kinds and sizes. We watched a film about their operations and we could see briefly inside the clinic portion. Most of them would be able to be released back into the wild once healed, but, if not, would be used for educational purposes. One of the handlers gave us a demonstration with a 2 year old eagle named Spirit. Spirit had not yet gotten his white feathers and wouldn’t until he was about 5. He was skittish today and tried to fly off of her arm a number of times today. Really spun her around with the force. Since they can pierce a deer hide with their talons, she has to wear 5 layers of leather on her arm so he can sit.

Another raptor that gets a lot of attention at the Raptor Center is the snowy owl – AKA – the Harry Potter owl. He was very cute.

We watched the salmon in the stream. We had a few minutes to go down the path to the stream but a sign said there had been bear sightings so going past the point was inadvisable. So noted and heeded.

Our next stop was Fortress of the Bears. This bear sanctuary rescues orphan cubs. The state of Alaska has no bear rehabilitation program so until the law is changed, the Dept of Fish and Game will shoot orphan cubs if the mama is confirmed dead. The Fortress of the Bear people try to get to them first.

Their latest additions are two cubs from Seward who just came to them about 2 weeks ago. They really put on a show splashing around at the salmon that were swimming in the river that runs through the compound. They didn’t seem bothered at all by the people oohing and ahhing at them.

The larger brown bears on the other side were nonchalant about the visitors also. There are signs that tell you not to feed the bears but you had to wonder if people do because one sat up on a large pile of sticks and stones and looked right at us, stretching out his paw and yawning. When he realized the handlers were throwing oranges to the other 2 larger bears, he quickly slid down the mound and joined the other two catching oranges. They didn’t look like they missed too many meals. I thought it was interesting that the handlers would soon start withholding food to encourage the hibernation process.

They also had 3 black bears who were roaming in the forested area. One finally came out of it long enough for pictures.

The last stop was the Science Center. It was originally a science building and an experimental fish hatchery for a college. One day the administration just up and left – not telling the instructors, students, or town. What a mess. The town decided to take the science building and the hatchery over as a non-profit and keep the hatchery open and the science center became a teaching aquarium. The other buildings are different venues such as museums and art stores, etc. The college administrators must have been able to hide their financial problems from the accreditors as they would not have been able to shut down suddenly like they did.

Still raining pretty hard as we walked outside to look at the hatchery process. Since only 20% of the salmon eggs in the wild get fertilized and then even less make it to adulthood, the hatchery plays an important role in keeping the wild salmon supply up. The fish remember the stream that they were raised and come back to it to spawn.

We watched the fish swimming up the stream. Once they got to the spot, where they would normally spawn and then die, they were caught up in a net and separated males and females into tubs. If the females were ready to spawn, they were killed and the eggs harvested. If not, they were tossed back into the stream to wait for a few more days. The males were killed and the sperm harvested. The fish are then either sold to the local catfood processing place or given to the Raptor Center or Fortress of the Bears. Nice to hear that the non-profits were supporting each other. It was startling to see several young people clubbing the fish and then gutting them all the while chatting and laughing with each other. It’s a job.

The eggs are fertilized and then kept in containers in the stream until they are fry and ready to release back into the wild. They will make their way back to the stream once they are grown. I am always impressed by mother nature.

We went inside to the aquarium and spent some time around the touch tank of starfish, anemones, and sea cucumbers and looking at the native fish in the large tank. Even had a skeleton of a killer whale hanging overhead. Afterwards, we walked down to look at the water and note the number of fish jumping in and out.

The driver was taking us to town where we could take the shuttle busses back to the ship. We still had time to wander the town if we wished. We parked right next to the public library so I wanted to use their free WIFI. I had hoped to be able to download a couple of more books but it wasn’t strong enough. I was able to catch up on a couple of emails. Wouldn’t you know that now the sun is coming out.

Got back in time to eat lunch. The rest of the afternoon went by pretty fast. Chuck played some cards while I watched for wildlife during the sailaway. I saw a sea otter, a seal, some eagles, and a whale. It was a beautiful blue-sky afternoon and quiet out on the deck. This was also a time I spent thinking a lot about my Dad. He passed away a year ago today. I was fortunate that he and my Mom were able to and wanted to take family vacations and show us different places. I think those times inspired my love of travel and I am forever grateful.

We listened to and danced to the music of the Ocean’s Trio before dinner. They are talented. We got a table for 2 again and the service was pretty speedy.

Opted out of the singer’s performance tonight although I hear she was very good with a wide range of musical selections.

Tomorrow is our last sea day so we would not have to set an alarm except that we have the Mariner’s Reception at 10:45. I know we don’t have to get dressed up for it but since we will be getting a picture with the Captain, I want to look nice so we will wear what we plan to wear for tomorrow night’s last Gala night.

Have to set the clock’s forward one hour tonight. Tonight’s towel animal is a floppy-ear dog.

Alaska – Sept 6 – Cruising Hubbard Glacier

Chuck had a very late night of cards so he was sleeping hard when I got up at 7:00. I just got dressed and took my book upstairs and had a Latte and read until 8:00. It was looking to be a gorgeous day.

Got him up and at ‘em with coffee at 8:15. We were slow moving around this morning so we missed breakfast in the dining room but had a nice breakfast in the Lido. Seemed a lot of people were having a late morning.

However, now it is foggy and the Captain is sounding his fog horn. Big question – will we or won’t we get to see the Hubbard glacier?

We did. The fog lifted and it was again a gorgeous blue sky day. The sail into Yakut Bay was picture perfect cruising between what is known as the Roof of North America. The snow-covered mountain peaks were stunning.

As we came closer to the glacier, the temperature dropped considerably and the wind picked up. Many people were on the bow. More and more ice floats in the water but the Captain was able to pull up very close. Doubt that my pictures will do it justice.

The naturalist on board was able to narrate over the loudspeakers what we were seeing. Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America and the largest piedmont glacier in the world. It performed for us as we had a giant calving on the end. Unfortunately, it happened too fast for me to get video.

We did see a small two-man boat sail closer in but it was a good thing they were not nearer the calving section or they would have been swamped with the wave that came when the chunk hit the water. I noticed that they pulled farther away from the glacier after that calving incident.

Unlike Glacier Bay last year, I did not see any seals sleeping on the ice floats this time.
After soaking in hours of the beauty of the glacier, we were ready to come in to the warmth. I think because I’m still battling a nagging head cold and Chuck’s late night, we decided that a nap was in order.

Getting to the room we discovered an invitation to the Mariner’s Reception. Being invited to the reception is no big deal. Everyone who is a returning guest gets to go to the appreciation luncheon that they hold at the end of each cruise. Everyone gets a commemorative tile. I use them as coasters.

However, this invitation was different. It stated that we are to receive a bronze medallion due to our sailing days and we are to go to the Main Stage at 10:45 to receive them prior to the brunch. I have heard about the medallions but I had no idea we were close to receiving one. We get Mariner points for the numbers of days sailed plus the amount of onboard spending. However, medallions are supposed to be just for the number of days sailed. I have to wonder if they counted correctly.

We had a table for 2 at dinner tonight so the service was pretty fast. We both had the scallops which I thought were delicious. Lo and behold, carrot cake was on the dessert menu so we both ordered it with ice cream. No wonder our jeans are feeling tight. I don’t think the laundry service is shrinking them.

Chuck played a few hands of cards while I came back to the room to get my book. I thought about going back to the Explorer’s Lounge but opted to stay in the cabin. Don’t think people want to hear me blowing my nose.

There was a message on the machine from Guest Services checking to see if we received our invitation and would we be in attendance. I called them back and told the operator we would.

We missed the movie and live music “Wild Alaska” a few days ago (food coma from Pinnacle Grill) so we went to tonight’s 10:00 showing of “Planet Earth II” with live music. Very nice presentation.

Early night tonight as we have an 8:30 Holland America excursion tomorrow – Birds, Bears, and Barnacles – in Sitka. We will have room service breakfast. Unfortunately, the forecast tomorrow is for rain.

Tonight’s towel animal looks like a dinosaur but I am really not sure.

Alaska – Sept 5 – Kodiak

I really don’t like the 7:00 – 1:30 port stops. A number of places aren’t open that early and if we are doing something on our own, I am constantly checking my watch. I know it is only one hour less than a typical 8:00 – 3:30 but it seems shorter.

We ordered room service breakfast and it was delivered about 6:45. We docked at an industrial port that seemed to be the cannery. It smelled very strongly of fish. Turned my stomach. Unlike the other industrial ports, we were allowed to walk out of it if we wanted. Some people opted to do it but there was no clear map on how to get out of there or how far it was to the town.

There were some taxis at the port but the cars looked sketchy as did the drivers. I had thought about getting a taxi at the port and going to Fort Abercrombie but I would have to rely on a taxi to come back and pick us up. After seeing them, I just wasn’t ready to do it. Especially since my phone was giving the roaming warning again.

We decided to wait for the free shuttles to take us into town. They were not scheduled to get to the port until 8:30 because the shuttles were the town’s school busses and they had to take the children to school first. The first shuttle to arrive was the one that was only going to Wal-Mart. Interesting how many people got on it. I know the crew love Wal-Mart because they can get needed items but I have to wonder what the passengers needed.

We got on the first town shuttle. It arrived at the visitor center where a person was handing out maps with different trails – cultural, shopping, and nature. We decided to take the nature trail. I was surprised at how hilly the town was as we started out.

Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States (The Big Island of Hawaii being the first). It is equivalent to the size of Connecticut. There are 6000 people who live in the city limits and another 7000 that live in villages around the island. There is a strong Russian influence in the town. They also use windmill power for the majority of their power supply. You could see the number of windmills on the top of the mountains just whirring away.

We passed by the Baranov Museum and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. We continued across the Fred Zharoff Bridge to the North End Park. There was a sign there that outlined the trails in the park but they were not marked for distance. Could have been ½ mile or 5 miles. As we were debating walking them, a lady sitting on the bench said that the loop trail would not take more than 30 minutes or if we had longer, we could take the spur to the lake area.

So off we go into a very dense fir forest. I have to give it to Georgia. Their parks are well marked with signs and the trees have painted spots on them so you always know what path you are on. This trail, not so much. There were also little side trails that you didn’t know if it was a trail or just a shortcut that locals had made. Made the main trail hard to follow.

I wasn’t worried about coming up on a bear as the Kodiak bears live in the 1.3 million acres of the Refuge which is only accessible by plane or boat. I did start wondering about moose. We also hadn’t seen any other people on the trail. I started to get a little panicky especially when a couple of the paths seemed no wider than pig paths.

We did get back to the beginning of the trail and more people were coming into the park. Frankly, I was glad to leave it as it was a pretty dark dense park. Once out of the park, I was able to take some video of 2 bald eagles flying around.

We hiked back over the bridge and found the McDonalds. I wanted to use the free WIFI to check in. I was surprised that you could get a cup of coffee for one dollar. I know that is what is advertised but in Alaska everything is more expensive so I figured it would be $2. Chuck got coffee and I got a diet coke. They have a 30 minute time limit but nobody seemed to be checking. I was not the only one who had the idea to use the WIFI. It was pretty crowded but the WIFI worked well.

We then visited the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Naturally, its theme was Kodiak bears and salmon. Interesting exhibits.

Got back on the shuttle and rode back to the ship around noon. Had lunch in the Lido and then spent some time on the sea view deck enjoying the sunshine. Lots of people milling about it too.

We pulled away from the dock at 1:30. We’ve been able to pull away at the all aboard time at every port instead of having to wait the 30 minutes for stragglers. Seems everyone is cognizant of the time and we have no pier runners and the captain has not had to blow the warning horn. Big difference from the Carnival cruises that stop in Cozumel where there is always someone staggering in after the all aboard time.

I was feeling like I may be coming down with a head cold. I have a slight cough and was feeling very tired. Decided to lie down for “just a bit.” Chuck decided to go to the casino.
I didn’t wake up until 5:15. Got in the shower and was feeling better. Chuck came in and we decided that we would just eat dinner in the Lido. I wasn’t feeling very hungry and we just didn’t want the long wait time. I ended up with just a bowl of soup and some fruit, ice cream for dessert. We tried our hand at blackjack and my luck on the ship wasn’t any better than the last time at the casino. I was queen of the 16’s.

Also found out why the pool closed – it was leaking and needed to be resealed. Should be back open soon.

Chuck switched back to his regular game and I got my book and some hot tea from the Explorer’s Lounge. Read until time for the main show. He was a funny comedian named Frank King who interacted with the audience quite a bit. Afterwards, we went to the Ocean’s Bar to listen to and dance to music from the Ocean’s Trio. Wasn’t long before the “Pub Crawl” group came in and the place got crowded.

I called it a night and Chuck went back to the casino.

First time today we have had trouble with the laundry and it happened twice in one day. First time, I opened the bag this afternoon to put up our clothes and found a sweatshirt that was not ours. Then I realized that Chuck’s green button-down shirt was missing. Trip to Guest Services to turn in the sweatshirt and report our missing shirt. Got back to the room at 11:00 and we had our shirt but we also had a basket of clothes meant for another room. The number looked like ours except if you looked closely, the “5” was actually a “6”. Another trip to Guest Services to return the basket of laundry. Hope the room didn’t need the clothes for in the morning as I expect they won’t get them until then.

Tomorrow we cruise to Hubbard Glacier so I don’t plan to set the alarm. Tonight’s towel animal is a rabbit “with an attitude” (arms crossed as if he is a rapper). Funny.

Last note – When checking my phone with the WIFI, the sad news came in that my assistant and friend, Jeri Ann, passed away from her battle with cancer yesterday evening. She was a wonderful woman and I’m thankful I got to hold her hand and talk with her before I left. I don’t know that she heard me but I want to believe that she did. Her celebration of life ceremony will be Monday night. She was only 46.

Alaska – Sept 4 – Homer

Another day of brilliant blue skies and highs in the low 60’s. Beautiful day in Homer. Time in port is 9:00 to 6:30.

Homer is a new port for us. It is located on the shore of Kachemak Bay and has the nickname of the “halibut fishing capital of the world.” There were several tours today that involved going fishing. Outside of the town of Homer is the Homer Spit which juts out 4.5 miles into the Bay. We docked on one side of the Spit at the Homer Boat Harbor but you had to be bussed to the other side of the Spit, unless you were willing to swim between the 2 areas. We were not.

Historians believe the Spit was created from the glaciers moving dirt and evidence of Pacific Eskimos have been discovered. It sank during the 1964 earthquake but has been restored. The locals have to continually work on maintaining it as the winter storm winds try to erode it every year.

I was on plan B for the day. Plan A was to take a taxi to the Wynn Nature Center and hike some trails but before we left home I discovered it closed on Labor Day. So Plan B. I was going to inquire at Mako’s Water Taxi about their tours to Gull Island. The website said you had to have 2 people for the $50 tour or 3 people for the $75 tour. However, the receptionist said it was 3 people for the $50 tour and 4 people for the $75 tour. Nobody else seemed to want to do it so we were out of luck.

Just looking around the Spit area were sea kayaking tours, fishing or sea plane tours – none of which appealed to us. Otherwise it looked like it was going to be just perusing the shops. Just then, a red hop-on, hop-off trolley pulled up and we decided to get on it. Figured we would at least get a history of Homer. Plan C it is.

We enjoyed the ride and did get off at the Alaska Islands and Ocean museum. Walked around it and looked at the exhibits. Then we took the boardwalk through the marsh area and down to the Bay. Saw many birds and even a young eagle. We could see glaciers in the distance. Really a pleasant walk. They warned us that Moose had been sighted but we didn’t see any. We did see a lot of weeds that had been tramped down along the boardwalk so that could have been evidence of them. Hunting season has started so the Moose have started drifting into town again. They will go back to the Mountains once the season is over and then will come back in the Spring to give birth, away from predators. Pretty smart.

One place we stopped but didn’t get off was “old Homer” some of the original buildings of the town. I was fascinated by the artwork that was created with hundreds of plastic bouys that drifted to their shore from the Japanese tsunami some years ago.

The tour guide said that several of the RV parks closed yesterday and several were shutting down this week. I still thought there were quite a few RV’s parked all around. There is even a ferry that will take people, cars, RV’s, and transfer trucks to Kodiak and beyond. Homer is 200 miles away from Anchorage so I guess people really like driving to the end of the road.

Homer was named for Homer Pennock. Apparently, he established bogus coal and gold mining companies and then went back East to sell stock in them. He retired comfortably in New York, a rich man while the stockholders who came out to claim their portion of the coal and gold got nothing. But, many had to stay as they spent all their money getting there. Why would you choose to honor the man who cheated you by naming a town after him?

After getting back to the Spit, I took a couple of pictures of the Salty Dog, a bar that has thousands of dollar bills stapled on every surface. Weird. I heard the bar was also featured on the TV show “The Deadliest Catch” but since I’ve never watched it, I really don’t know.

Got back on the shuttle to the ship. Had a sandwich and salad for lunch and then did a couple of laps on the promenade deck. Could not walk all the way around as they were working on some of the lifeboats. The Lido pool is still closed too. Still get a whiff of varnish when you walk near it. I have to say that people are constantly working and cleaning this ship. Saw rolls of carpet stored so they are probably going to replace the hallway carpets. I know that our hallway carpet is very worn and needs replacing.
First time my phone has given me the “roaming” warning. I believe that I could still make a call or text but having any data download would exceed my plan. I just put the phone back into airplane mode. Will try again in Kodiak and Sitka but I expect I will get the same message. My plan doesn’t cover Canada either so it may be Seattle before I get data access again.

Did a few abbreviated laps around the promenade. Abbreviated because they were working on a section of it and had it blocked off. We had to just stop and turn around.
Ate in the main dining room with a very nice couple from Texas. Went to see the Zaandam singers and dancers perform “Rock Legends.” We have seen this show before on previous cruises both Holland America and Carnival. Always outstanding. They did a great job tonight too.

Hard to believe in 60 days we will be departing on the Zuiderdam on a 10 day partial Panama Canal out of Ft. Lauderdale. First time to see the Panama Canal.

Called it an evening as tomorrow is a very early port – Kodiak. Tonight’s towel animal is an elephant.

Alaska – Sept 3 – Anchorage

The tour speaker said despite that it being Labor Day most all the attractions will be open today. There may be a few small shops closed so people can get in the last of the camping and fishing for the season but larger places will be open. I was surprised to hear the number of people who plan to make a run to Walmart.

The forecast in the daily program calls for sunny skies and high of 65 degrees. Keeping our fingers crossed. No big plans today. The last time we were in Anchorage, we arrived by train from Denali at dinner time so really all we had time for was dinner and a brief walk around the block. We had an early tour the next morning so we didn’t stay up late.

Today we had breakfast in the dining room and sat with 2 other couples. One couple was from Michigan. They were very familiar with Adrian. I don’t think the other couple ever said where they were from. We were all pet lovers so we spent most of the time talking about our pets. I had the eggs benedict again but today the eggs were a little cold so that was disappointing.

Best day weather-wise that we have had. Started out with blue skies and 42 degrees. Temperature rose to a high of 61. Just gorgeous. Chuck opted for shorts and wore his light jacket. I wore jeans and had my heavier jacket.

Since we docked at an industrial dock, we were not allowed to walk through it so we had to board tour busses that took us downtown to the Convention Center. Right around the corner, at the Visitor Center, we boarded the 1 hour trolley tour.

The tour guide was a retired teacher who had lived in Alaska since 1977. She and her husband, who had been born in Alaska, raised 5 boys. She was very knowledgeable and had a good number of stories. We saw the Moose Gooser, a little engine that would travel in front of the coal trains to shove the moose off the tracks so the big train wouldn’t hit them. We saw EarthQuake park where you can still see the rolling mounds that formed when the earthquake hit and swallowed up some homes. Since the 9.2 earthquake hit on a Good Friday in 1964, many buildings were closed so only 19 people in Anchorage died, mostly those who had houses that got swallowed up.

After the park, we drove through some neighborhoods that had houses for sale at around $500,000 which in La Fayette would go for about $125,000.

She talked about the moose problem in Anchorage. Though we didn’t see any, she said they roam throughout Anchorage as they wander in and out of the mountain ranges. We did see a lot of moose crossing signs. People who plant apple trees must pick or clean up all of their apples before they are fermented as the moose will eat them, get drunk, and run amok. She had a story of a local Moose that the newspaper named “Buzz Winkle” because he seemed to have every apple tree location memorized and would stagger from tree to tree around the city. They even had a picture of him leaning against a wall of a tavern and not far away was a drunk man leaning on the same wall. One time he got tangled up in Christmas lights and had them wrapped around his antlers. I would like to have seen that sight.

She told a story that she had walked through the woods to borrow some eggs from a neighbor and when she was walking back, she realized 2 baby moose were following her. She started running as she knew Mama was not going to be happy. The Mama came crashing out of the brush and she had to crouch down between her car and the garage but the moose was ramming her car. Her 8 year old heard the commotion and was smart enough to start throwing fire crackers at the moose which scared her away. She really doesn’t like moose.

After that tour was over, we waited for the Zoo shuttle. We rode it out to the Anchorage zoo. It is not the largest zoo we have seen nor the smallest. It specializes in animals native to Alaska. We enjoyed strolling through it, eating our popcorn (coupon compliments of the trolley tour), and looking at the animals. Some were asleep in the sunshine (polar bear, brown bears, tigers), some were roaming their enclosures (wolves, snow leopard), many were eating (goats, musk ox, camels), and one was not in sight at all – the wolverine. Many of the information signs said that the animals either came to them as found orphan animals or were injured and could not go back to the wild. Others were on loan from other zoos. It was a well kept zoo and seemed to have a lot of patron sponsors, both people and corporations.

We got back to the ship early afternoon and ate at the Dive In burger place. Enjoyed the sunshine and music on the back of the ship.

Tonight between 11:00 and 1:00 was supposed to be the best time for a sighting of the Northern Lights. We decided that we would eat an early dinner in the Lido and then take a nap until 11:00. We would then go out on the back of the ship and wait for the lights.
Everything went off like clockwork. Chuck had the special tonight – clam and corn chowder with spare ribs. I had the sea food pot pie. We rarely eat dinner in the Lido but we are always pleasantly surprised at how good the food is. After enjoying a little more sunshine on the back deck we headed for our room. Luckily, the stewards had already serviced it. Set the alarm for 11:00.

At 11:00, got up and dressed and back up to deck 8. There were several hardy souls doing the same thing. Unfortunately, I heard someone say that the conditions didn’t turn out that good for the Lights like had been predicted. With hot cocoa, we made it to midnight but decided to give it up. Back to bed we go.

Tomorrow is Homer. Tonight’s towel animal is a turkey.

Alaska – Sept 1 – Icy Strait Point

Hard to believe we started this adventure one week ago with the shuttle to Atlanta. Time flies when you are having fun.

In Juneau, we had 13 hours in port. For ISP, we had 5 and ½ and it was 7:00 to 1:30. ISP is a new port for us so I was not thrilled with the time. The village that the port supports is called Hoonah and is populated by only 1000 people, mostly Tlingit Indians. There are only two villages on this island called Chichagof Island.

Hoonah’s main industry was the salmon cannery until it closed in 1953. Cruise ships started coming in 2004. It is home to the world’s longest zipline (5330 feet long with a 1300 foot vertical drop reaching 60 miles per hour in speed). And the Indians share the Island with 4000 coastal brown bears.

We had breakfast the other day with 2 ladies who said they were signed up to go ziplining. One was 80 and the other 82. Wonder if they did it. One lady was worried that her hearing aids would fly off. They had already been warned to take off their glasses before zipping. You go girls!

We were going to go find some of those 4000 bears today. I signed us up with Hoonah Adventure Tours for their 8:30 to 11:30 Wilderness Adventure and Brown Bear Search tour. I was pretty excited about this tour.

We had room service breakfast brought at 7:00 as we were docking. By 8:00, we had walked off the ship and followed the directions to meet the tour group. There were 8 of us from the ship. We left promptly at 8:30.

Similar to whale watching, there appears to be some popular spots (streams) for bear activity and all the tour guides know where these stops are and are in contact with each other to help out the tourists. Otherwise you could drive around for hours and never see anything except trees and bushes. Very dense forests.

We stopped at 4 different spots and ended up seeing about 5 bears. The last stop being the most productive because they were out in the stream so we could get good pictures. The other bears preferred to hide in the shrubbery along the banks. I did get one really good video of a bear ripping up a salmon. Also got a couple of eagle photos.

The driver / tour guide told us a lot about this family as they are Tlingit and he is actually an elder in their clan. Interesting stuff – his mom could speak Tlingit, Russian, and English and taught school so she helped translate a lot of historical documents. He is the 12th of 14 children.

He went over his tour time helping us find bears so we didn’t get back to the ship until almost 1:00. There was not enough time to walk the nature trail that was close to the port. I would have liked to have done it too. But it was a good day, the rain held off, and it was around 55 degrees so I was comfortable with my jacket.

We set sail at 2:00. We ate a light lunch at the Lido buffet. Chuck wanted to play cards since he didn’t get to play at all yesterday. I found a nice spot to work on my travel journal. As I was writing and watching out the window, I spotted several sea otters and some seals. I was glad I had my binoculars.

Eventually I made my way back to the room and got cleaned up for the dinner hour. Chuck came in an hour later and I was pleased to see that he had won some money. We had a couple of drinks at the Oceans Bar, and listened to the Ocean’s Trio play some easy listening songs. During that time, we spotted a pod of orcas that appeared to be swimming together to catch some fish. Normally, they hunt alone. Not too long after that, we saw some dolphins. Chuck spotted what looked like a glacier but I was convinced it was just clouds playing a trick. Turned out it was the largest glacier in Alaska so Chuck was right. A really great day for nature.

Only low point was having to use the outhouse at the end of one of the trails during the tour. The women had to stand in line and then hold your breath while inside the one-hole facility. I was wishing the whole time I had not had that 2nd cup of coffee. The men just did what the bears do behind the building and the trees.

Got another bag of laundry ready to be picked up. Will have to check tomorrow to see if the charges are straightened out.

Had a nice table for dinner. One couple from England and a couple from Washington. We laughed quite a bit. We did manage to push ourselves away from the table before dessert. I have to say this was the fastest service we have experienced. We were done by 60 minutes.

After dinner, Chuck wanted to play cards and I wanted to do more writing. I got him for the 10:00 comedian show – Jeff Burghart. He did some cute jokes and good impressions. We didn’t stay for the crew show.

Tomorrow is a sea day so no alarm to set. Tonight’s towel animal is a turtle.

Alaska – Aug 31 – Juneau

Today is a very long port day: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm. The weather calls for rain but you never know. In 1880, two prospectors – Richard Harris and Joe Juneau – struck gold in this area and thus started the Alaskan gold rush. Juneau was first named Harrisburg, then Rockwell, and finally Juneau. In 1906, the capital of Alaska was moved from Sitka to Juneau. The city is between Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts. It is home to Mendenhall Glacier and is known for whale watching.

Last year, we did a whale watching tour and had a great time. Today we hope to take the tram up to Mount Roberts and hike some of the trails. Depends on the weather. We may just end up taking a city tour.

Update – After a breakfast in the dining room where we sat with one couple with whom we had lunch with the other day and then another couple from New Mexico, we put on our rain gear and headed out. It was raining but not too hard. We bought tickets for the Mt Roberts tram to take us up. We went through the clouds to the top. Since it started to rain a little harder, we decided to only walk the ½ half mile loop trail from the nature center. We had thought about taking the trail from the trailhead in town and go up but it is 2 miles and the weather was just not cooperative.

The nature trail was a nice easy trail with only an elevation change of 150 ft. The rain was not too annoying. The longest trip which would be 6 miles round trip to Roberts Peak that was a 1900 ft elevation change and estimated to take 6 – 7 hours. We were certainly not equipped for that trail – not to mention the distinct possibility of bears. Mt. Roberts was mined for gold from 1897 to 1944. The rock that was dug up looking for the gold makes up the land that most of Juneau is built on at the Gastineau Channel. Before it closed, the mine produced over $80 million in gold.

After the hike, we watched the movie explaining the history of the Tlingit people. Their clans are the Eagles and the Ravens. They traded with Russians and then with Americans. They were almost wiped out from diseases brought in by the Russians.
After the movie, we paid a visit to Ms. Liberty, the injured bald eagle. She had been shot and was blind in one eye and one wing injured so she has to stay at the facility. They estimate her to be 17 years old. She graciously posed for a picture.

Once we came down, we walked back to the ship and had some lunch from the Lido. Finishing, we donned our rain gear again and took a trolley tour around the city. There were 2 stops (Fish hatchery and capital museum) that you could get off and then wait for another trolley but it was late in the day so we opted to stay on. He did let us off for pictures at whale park which depicts a huge sculpture of a breaching whale. Periodically, water flows out around it and spews up. We did see two eagles sitting on top of a utility pole.

Back to the ship, I stopped by and got the information from the medical visit. Wasn’t as bad as I had feared. The visit and the medicines came to less than $170. There were instructions with the bill on how to file it with your medical or travel insurance. I will give it a try when I get home. However, money well spent. Chuck says he is not in any more pain. I also tried to get our laundry package straightened out. I showed them that I paid for the unlimited laundry but they keep charging me by the piece which is much more expensive. Luckily, I had the copy of my order form. I will look again on Sunday to see if it is cleared up. Last stop was the Future Cruise consultant to pick up a form that lets you put down a nominal deposit (typically a $100 or $300 pp deposit) without booking a specific cruise. You have 4 years to pick a cruise.

We were notified that the air conditioning would be worked on today and I noticed that the room was a little stuffy. I hope it cools off pretty soon or I will have a hard time sleeping.

Now it is time to get cleaned up and get ready for our Pinnacle Grill reservations. The PG is Holland America’s upscale restaurant which costs extra to dine in. However, we each got a free meal in the PG as part of the promotion that we booked. The dinner was fantastic. I had the jumbo shrimp cocktail, the king crab legs, sautéed mushrooms, and cheesecake. Chuck had the shrimp cocktail and the cedar-planked halibut with crab cakes and shrimp with whipped potatoes and cheesecake. We were so stuffed, we waddled back to our room. I meant just to rest until I could go to the main show which was an Alaskan nature movie set to music. I saw it last year and it was very good. Alas, I did not get up from my food coma and missed it.

Tonight’s towel animal is a frog.

Alaska – Aug 30 – Cruising Tracy Arm

The morning trend continues. Awake at 6:00, coffee at 7:00. Today we will be cruising into Tracy / Endicott Arm. The bow will be open at 9:00 and we are supposed to be able to see the glaciers at around noon. The current sky looked gray and the TV said the temp was 50 degrees.

Unfortunately, Chuck’s ear is still hurting so I am not sure what he plans to do.
Breakfast in the dining room again. Tablemates were a couple from Idaho and two women friends traveling together both from the Seattle / Tacoma area. It was interesting that they were all retired medical professionals – 3 nurses and one paramedic. I tried the kabota figs and had the French toast. Very good.

Put on my jacket and rain slicker to brave the outdoors. First tried the sea view pool area and it was raining so much that we had to stay under the shelter but the windows were foggy so not good for picture taking or using the binoculars. Next, we tried the promenade deck which was much better. We could walk from side to side, staying under shelter, but being able to lean out if needed. Still cold but bearable. Of course, it was made even a little more bearable by the coffee with Baileys I bought. Servers also came around with small bowls of salmon chowder which was very good and very warm.
The rain let up after a while. The ice chunks floating by were amazing. Some were the size of dinner plates and others liked like the size of cars or bigger. Some were so blue like a sapphire. I thought the water had a nice blue green look to it. Never saw any seals floating on it but there were many birds who floated by on the ice chunks.

There were a number of small tour boats that raced by us to get to the Sawyer glacier. We got as close as we could but the ice was getting worse so the Captain didn’t want to take any chances. I think I got some decent pictures. However, nothing like as close as we got to the glaciers in Glacier Bay last year.

About 12:45, I stopped by the casino to get Chuck for lunch. He seemed to be holding his own at cards. We got to the dining room just a little after one but they left us come in any way. We had a great table that afforded us some close up views of the mountains and waterfalls. I was surprised at how close the Captain could get us to the shoreline. No bears were sighted.

After leaving Tracey Arm we headed back out with the destination to Juneau. By now, Chuck is flinching and groaning from the pain in his ear. He said pain would come and go but when it hit, it was bad. I think he just wanted to lie down but the stewards arrived to clean the room so we went up to the Lido Pool. He finally decided he would see the ship doctor when they re-opened at 3:00. Did turn out that his ear canal was red and swollen. I regret us getting in the pool yesterday since I know he always has trouble with his ears. He got antibiotic drops for that ear, wax removal drops for his other ear, and advil for the pain. Not sure how much that bill will be. I will try and see if I can submit it to our medical insurance or our travel insurance when I get back. For now, the charges, whatever they are, will be billed to the room. I hope the drops work fast as we still have a number of days to go and he will be pretty miserable if the drops don’t work.

Back to the room stewards. They are both very friendly guys and have done everything we asked – pieces of fruit, delivering the laundry, ice for the ice bucket. However, I can remember the days that we would go to breakfast and by the time we would be back, the room would be cleaned. We called them room ninjas. Over the years, the stewards have been given more and more rooms to clean so the result is that our room being one of the ones at the far end doesn’t get cleaned until about 2:00. I assume that they get a couple of hours off and then will start over again, turning down the rooms for the evening. Our room didn’t get turned down until after 9:00 last night. Just makes it hard to come and go. But, I was glad for the interruption today as it seemed to prod Chuck into seeking medical attention. The ear would not have cleared up on its own.

After taking the medication, Chuck went back to the casino and I changed for dinner. Sat with another couple from Arizona. They were from Tucson so it was interesting to remember information about the city. A lot has changed since I lived there but it has been 38 years.

We finished around 8:00 and Chuck decided he was done for the evening and wanted to go to bed. Luckily the stewards had already turned down our room. I caught the last part of the evening show – Jason Black. He was a talented pianist and should have played more than talked. I got a cup of Chai Tea Latte and read in the Explorer’s Lounge for a while before calling it a night.

The towel animal was a seal. Tomorrow is Juneau.

Alaska – Aug 29 – Ketchikan

We actually had fairly pleasant weather in the Rain Capital of the World today. The average annual rainfall of Ketchikan is 200 inches. Ketchikan was founded in 1885 as a salmon cannery site. There seems to be a fair amount of fishing boats but I would guess that tourism is the number one industry now.

Woke up before the alarm at 6:00. Read for a while and then got dressed to go get coffee. It was much busier at the Explorer’s Café than yesterday at 7:00. I guess more people are finding it. I could see that the day was gray with some very low hanging clouds.

We docked prior to 8:00 and the gangplank was located on our floor very near the elevators we take which was very convenient for us. We were going to eat in the Lido for breakfast but it was very crowded. Since we had no big plans for the day, we opted for the main dining room. Sat with some nice couples from Texas and Wisconsin. I had apricots and an omelet. Chuck had his American breakfast again. While we were there, we watched the Celebrity Millennium take the berth in front of us. That ship dwarfed the Zaandam. I wonder how many people it holds. We could see a big outdoor screen on the top deck showing underwater scenes.

We went outside and decided it was cool enough for jackets and our rain gear. Chuck opted for shorts and a t shirt and only needed his rain jacket. I wore my fleece jacket. When we disembarked I realized there was a heavy mist so I put my rain jacket on too. We got on the free downtown shuttle and took it a short way to the Married Man’s Trail which supposedly is the same trail men used to sneak into and out of the “sporting houses” of the Creek Street red light district.

By the time we got to the start of the trail, it had stopped misting and the sun was coming out. I was warm so I took off the rain slicker and the jacket. We climbed up the trail through some enormous fir trees. It was lush. However, the flowers that were so huge in June were non-existent now.

The trail led to the Cape Fox Lodge and we took another trail back down to the creek. I had hoped to ride the funicular down but it was not operating. The creek was flowing fast. In June last year, there were no fish at all in the creek that we could see and the water level was low. Today there were a lot of salmon both live and dead in the stream. Gulls were picking at the remains.

I had hoped that the shuttle would take us to the Totem Bight State Park but it only went to the Totem Heritage Center that we saw last year. It was interesting but didn’t feel we needed to do it again. I didn’t want to wait for the regular bus that could take you there and didn’t feel like paying for a tour. So we took the shuttle back to the ship and stopped and looked around at the Tongass Trading store. They had very good end of the season sales but neither of us needed anything.

Got back to the ship and I took my laptop back to the Visitor Center hoping I could use the Internet to upload some of these documents. No luck. Maybe Juneau or Anchorage. I did have very good cell service so I caught up on emails and a couple of text messages. Even tried using my telephone as a hot spot but still no luck. Phone seemed to work but the computer couldn’t pick the service up. Not sure if it is a problem with the computer or just operator error.

By the time I got back on it was time for lunch. I had a grilled cheese, chips, and a salad. Chuck had the grilled chicken sandwich from the Dive In burger place on the Lido deck. They had the cover over the Lido pool area except for one small opening to let in the slight breeze. It was so nice that we decided to get in the hot tubs.
They were great. Very hot. I can’t stand the ones that feel like bath water. We then tested the pool water and it was not too cold. There were only 4 of us in the pool. After the pool, I took one more turn in the hot tub before getting out to dry off.

Coming back to the room, I opted to get cleaned up and change so I could watch the sailaway at 4:30. Chuck opted for a nap. The laundry was returned so I got that put away.
I came back to the Explorer’s Café and got a Chai Tea Latte and sat in one of the comfy chairs to watch the sailaway. Seems like a number of boats and seaplanes were returning this afternoon. Some of those planes flew very close to the ship. The skies were gorgeous blue with big fluffy clouds. So very different than this morning.

Came back to the room and got the evening’s laundry ready for pick-up. Met up with Chuck and went to the Ocean’s Bar. Dinner that evening was with a couple from Louisville Kentucky and another couple who currently live in Denver but had lived all over the world due to his job as a computer consultant. They had some very interesting stories. I had the crab cakes, roasted zucchini soup, coconut shrimp salad, and a fig and yogurt dessert. We finished up at 8:00 so Chuck decided to play cards and I went back to the Explorer’s Café to read and have some hot chocolate.

I got him at 9:45 so we could go watch the comedian/magician perform at 10:00. As we sat down, he said his ear was hurting so he went back to the room. I watched the show and realized that I had seen him before on a previous cruise, either the Hawaii one or last year’s Alaska cruise. He was kind of corny but I liked the magic. I hope Chuck’s ear clears up or a visit to the medical center will be in order.

Tonight’s towel animal was a hermit crab.

Alaska – Aug 28 – Cruising Vancouver Island

The itinerary called today “a scenic view of Vancouver Island as you sail past it”. The program called it a Sea Day. What it actually turned out to be was a day so foggy you didn’t know where you were. There could have been an island or sea out there but I had to take someone’s word for it. But, scenic cruising or regular sea day – didn’t matter to me. I like sea days. You can do as much or as little as you want.

I did manage to sleep until about 6:00. I read until almost 7:00 and then got up to go to the Explorer’s Café for a latte for me and coffee for Chuck. I did sleep well and understand why Chuck likes the inside cabins so much. Very dark and very quiet. Only light was the light coming in from the hallway under the door.

However, because we are in an inside cabin and I didn’t turn the TV to the ship channel, I did not realize it was not going to be a “scenic” day until I was getting our coffees. The fog was so thick and swirling around. Then I heard the captain blow the fog horn for the first of many times today. It was an ear splitter.

We tried walking on the promenade which is one of our favorite activities. But I t was way too windy and cold so we only did one lap. Decided that breakfast in the dining room was a better option.

Shared a table with a gentleman for California and a couple from Tasmania, Australia. They were all very well traveled and were very enthusiastic about European river cruises. Might be nice to try one of them one day. They both agreed that the Budapest to Amsterdam trip is the one to go on if you think are only going to do one river cruise. I had the apricots and an eggs benedict along with my favorite – the raisin bun. Service was slightly slow but we were not in any hurry.

Typical activities for a sea day – art presentations, shopping, future cruise presentations, Microsoft workshops, slot tournaments, etc. People were even in the pools and hot tubs. You could see the steam rising from the pools and tubs. We spent most of the day people watching and talking with other people. I did go to Guest Services so they could log me into the Navigator account on my phone. I kept getting an error message when trying to register. I always forget that for some reason Holland America puts a space between the Mc and Cannon so I was not typing in my name “correctly.” I was also able to call the Pinnacle Grill and get our reservation changed from 5:00 tonight to 7:30 on the 31st.

I thought the oddest thing I saw today was a woman carrying what looked like a two foot Barbie-type doll with the hinged joints at the elbows, knees, and feet. However, that sight was topped by then seeing a man posing the doll (which was in a one piece bathing suit) in various poses along the edge of the pool and taking pictures with a professional type of camera. Selling on Ebay? Performance Art? Weirdo? I guess I will never know. Never did see the woman who had been carrying the doll again.

Had a salad for lunch, did some more people watching and the fog was beginning to lift some, and then decided that a nap was in order. Did I mention I like sea days?
Slept for about an hour and then got cleaned up. Tonight is one of the 3 Gala nights so you are supposed to step up your attire for dinner. Chuck looked very nice in his dress shirt, slacks, and sport coat. I wore one of my “former” work dresses. Since we flew in, we left the tux and the gowns at home. However, I saw several men in tuxes and the women in long gowns. Very elegant. Listened to the piano player in the Ocean’s Bar for about 30 minutes and then went to dinner. We passed on having our picture made.
Sat with 2 other couples both from California. One couple from San Diego have been traveling the United States in an RV since January. Their son is living in and taking care of their house. They said they are tired of California and were considering other states to live. They ruled out the South because of the humidity although they have a daughter who lives in Nashville. Idaho and Utah are their current favorites. I would want to stay a winter there before making final plans. I’ll take humidity over bitter cold any day. I had the shrimp cocktail, carrot soup, yellowfin sole filet with cheesecake for dessert. The service was fine up until the dessert which took forever to come out.

After dinner, Chuck played cards while I worked on this journal and then we went to the show – Variations – which was performed by the Zaandam singers and dancers. Not really sure what the theme of the show was but I thought they performed OK. I thought the men sang better than the women. Chuck said it all sounded the same to him.

The card table was full after the show so we decided to call it a night. We set the clock back one hour tonight so there is an extra hour of sleep. We are due to arrive in Ketchikan tomorrow at 8:00. No big plans for the day. The weather forecast is scattered showers but you never know. We might get lucky and it will just be cloudy.

Our towel animal tonight is a lobster.