Alaska (2009)

Prolog

On April 16 I was told by my employer, Cherry Aerospace that I must take a two weeks furlough, as the economy had hit our company very hard. On my way home, I called Tova telling her the sad news and suggested that we should take a vacation for this period. At the end we settled on an Alaska cruise as prices by Princess Cruises, were slashed by half. I made all the necessary reservations and planned excursions for each on the towns we were about to visit. We were set to fly to Anchorage, Alaska on May 14th.

When I read all the online sources and brochures, I found out that the “Tourist Season” starts in Alaska on May 15th. This fact turned me on tremendously as it added a new dimension to our trip.

On May 7th I met with my old time friend Brian Chisick for lunch, and when he heard about my plans he got interested in the trip and called his wife, Sarah, for confirmation. Sarah approved and when I got home I made few phone calls and email some of the company I dealt with, and finally I was able to make the reservations for Brian and Sarah.

Day 1: May 14th, 2009

We woke up at 3:30 am and at 5:00 we were at the Chisick's home. Forty five minutes later we were at Long Beach Airport, boarding our flight to Seattle, where we picked up our connection flight to Anchorage, Alaska.

We landed around 2:00 pm and after renting a nice SUV, we headed to our hotel, The Westmark Hotel in downtown Anchorage. To our delightful surprise we were upgraded to an executive suite. The room was spacious and overlooking the east side of the city.

We checked in and a short while later met in the lobby and decided to go for lunch. The hotel receptionist recommended the F street Station where I found the food to be excellent. The service was nothing to complain about either. Food arrived quickly, and was delicious.

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As we exited the restaurant we found the City Tour Trolly, next to Log Cabin Visitors Center.

We boraded the trolley and as we started our 45 minutes journey, the driver had told us some facts about Alaska in general and Anchorage in particular:

The population in Alaska is about 620,000 where 40 percent of them live in Anchorage (about 250,000).

Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million by then Secretary of State William H. Seward and entered the Union on Jan. 3rd, 1959, as the 49th state.

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Alaska has the tallest mountain in North America: Mount McKinley at 20,320 feet and is the largest state in the union at over 580,000 square miles (approx. 365 million acres) (about 1/5 the size of the contiguous 48 states).

On March 27th 1964, an earthquake devastated much of South Central Alaska. The Good Friday Earthquake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale - the strongest ever recorded in North America.

Alaska is closer to Russia than the 48 contiguous US states and is almost as close to Tokyo, Japan as to New York City.

The bus drove through the city, which was born as a railroad-construction camp, and then became a boomtown when oil was discovered in 1957.

We saw the Eisenhower Memorial, the Railroad Building and Station, Lake Hood, Earthquake Park, a local airport, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

At the end of the tour we gave it a poor score as it seems that the time allowed (45 minutes) to see the attractions was quite limited and we felt as the driver was in a rush to finish the tour.

After a coffee break at the local Starbucks, we continued our day and shopped for a while at the downtown mall and the streets stores.

At 6:00 we were back at the hotel where we watched the Los Angeles Lakers playing against the Houston Rockets and then fell asleep.

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Day 2: May 15th, 2009

We woke up at 6:45 to a cloudy skies and rain. Temperatures were in mid 40’s. After a great breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant we headed out of town and stopped at Fred Meyer’s supermarket to purchase few things and then took Hwy 1: The Seward Hwy known also as Alaska Scenic Byways.

We drove the first 50 miles of the Seward Highway at the base of the Chugach Mountains and the shore of Turnagain Arm. The remainder of the drive coursed through the mountains, offering dramatic views of wild Alaska. We stopped at Beluga Point Scenic Overlook capturing panoramic views of Turnagain Arm and then at Twentymile River, which stretches northeast creating the view of a ribbon of water flowing throught the valley.

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The cloudy weather added to the dramatic views as we passed along beautiful scenery heading to the town of Hope. On the way we saw a moose crossing the road and disappear in the forest, different kind of birds and breathtaking snow-covered mountains as we entered the Kenai Peninsula.

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We arrived at Hope, which was a gold rush town. The buildings and flavor of the early days just added to the scene. We found stores who has been serving customers since 1896. Hope and the surrounding area swelled to 3,000 souls long before Anchorage existed, and now counts but a couple hundred (!). Hope is Located at the end of the road on the southern shores of Turnagain Arm.

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We entered the Tito Discovery Café’ and had a delicious apple pie and coffee. A funny scene happened in the cafe': We were waiting to enter the restroom, which was occupied; A short while later a man and a woman got out of the restroom and without even looking at any one, just left the place. They seemed very happy :)

We continued our trip and headed to Portage Glacier.

When we arrived we found out that the glacier was hard to see but it was much easier to see where it has been. In the last few years the glacier face has begun retreating from the lake it created. A small section in the center has exposed bedrock but much of the glacier face is still in the water and extends down more than 100 feet into Portage Lake.

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Portage Glacier is still considered a valley glacier.

Nearby we saw several "hanging glaciers," that is glaciers that come part way down a mountainside. We learned that glaciers that reach the sea are called tidewater glaciers and glaciers that end in lakes are also called -- yes, freshwater glaciers.

We wanted to continue to the town of Whittier and take a cruise around the glaciers but after we talked to a ranger in the toll booth we found out that the cruises season start tomorrows and since we were scheduled to be there tomorrow anyhow, to board our Princess Cruise, we decided to postpone the visit.

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We headed back to Seward Hwy and found the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC).

AWCC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through public education. It takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center. AWCC provides visitors with the opportunity to view Alaskan wildlife up close.

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We drove around the compound and discovered wood bison, plains bison, 3 grizzly bears, a couple of black bears, a bald eagle, elks, mountain goats, a coyote, moose, a wild bull, caribou, and many other wild animals.

When we arrived to the grizzly bears territory we discovered that one of the bears had found a T-Shirt and was actually trying to put it over his head. It was hilarious. At one point one of the other visitors jumped over the security fence to take a closer look at the bear when two other bears approached with anger toward him. As I was helping him to get out of the trench, I kept shooting photos of the angry bear.

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We spent about an hour in this amazing place and continued our day driving towards Alyeska Aerial Tramway, hoping to take the trip to the top of Alyeska Mountain, but found out that the tramway is closed for repairs. We drove into Girdwood, nestled among the breathtaking Turnagain Arm and spectacular Mt. Alyeska; Girdwood has evolved from a gold mining town into Alaska's only year-round resort community.

We stopped one of the locals and asked him about a good place to eat. He recommended two restaurants. We entered the first one but after looking at the menu we did not find anything there to satisfy our hunger and decided to walk out and found the Bake Shop where they serve ‘All U can Eat’ New England Clams Chowder, chilli, huge sandwiches and salads. We loved it!!

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We headed back to Seward Hwy and stopped at the Bird Point Scenic Overlook. The wind at this point was gusty and strong. I climbed to the top of the overlook and watched a bald eagle as he was soaring over my head. It was awesome!

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Our last stop before entering Anchorage was at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, extends for a distance of 16 miles, but is best known for that portion located between the Old and New Seward highways called "Potter Marsh”, where we saw a diversity of water birds. We saw among others: Canada geese, mallards, northern pintails, northern shovelers, American wigeons, canvasbacks, red-necked grebes, horned grebes, yellowlegs, and northern phalaropes.

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We stopped once again at Fred Meyer's humongous supermarket and purchased some other goodiesand and then entered the city, visiting the Eisenhower Memorial (this time to read and take some pictures) and another stop at the Alaska Railroad Company.

We were back in the hotel at around 6:00 and then met for dinner at Orso Restaurant, located outside of our hotel, on 5th Avenue. We ate delicious fresh fish, salads and soups and for dessert a complimentary chocolate cappuccino moose (to die for!)

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We walked down to the west end of the city on 5th Avenue and arrived at a small park next to the ocean. The time was 10:36 pm and the sun has just started to set down in the horizons. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever experienced.

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We were back at our hotel at 11:15 pm. When we went to sleep there was still day light outside.

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Day 3: May 16th, 2009

We woke up at 6:30 and after packing we headed to the restaurant of the hotel for a delicious breakfast.

We decided to head towards Wasilla, home town of the famous governor of Alaska: Sarah Palin.

We drove on the Seaward Hwy northbound and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We arrived to Wasilla about an hour later and decided to take a side road to view the beautiful homes.

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We started our way back to Anchorage by visiting Palmer, a city that was established as a service city of the miners in 1916. The views were unbelievable as the green of the trees mixed with the black and white mountains.

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We arrived at Anchorage International Airport at around 12:00 and boarded a Princess Cruises bus, which had taken us to Whittier, to our awaiting ship: The Diamond Princess. After registration we decided to try our luck and went to the harbor to find a “Glaciers Tour”, but as it turned out, all the cruises left earlier and after a short walk on the pier we boarded the ship.

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We found our cabin on the 11th deck on the “Port side” of the ship. Brian & Sarah had their mini suite cabin on the 9th deck.

We met on the 14th deck for a late lunch and then walked around to explore this beautiful vessel. We found luxury everywhere: the 7th deck promenade offered few boutique shops, a duty free store, jewelry store and more. The Internet Café’ was the biggest we have seen on ships and so was the casino. There were few dining rooms on the ship, all decorated with shiny chandeliers, expensive carpets and had a personal touch. We found a chapel, a library, many bars spread out around the ship, few different night clubs and a huge theater.

After a delicious dinner at the International Dining Room we joined the rest of the passengers

for a mandatory drill and then returned to our rooms to unpack our luggage.

We met at the theater and enjoyed an hour of laughter as we watched a funny comedian, followed by the cruise company of dancers and singers.

We then returned to our cabin and enjoyed sipping red wine while sitting on the balcony covered with blankets as the chill of Alaska got into our bones.

What a life!!!

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Day 4: May 17th, 2009

I woke up at 6:30 as the ship entered the Prince William Sound. I left the cabin to watch the wonders of the College Fjord.

I decided to skip breakfast, grabbed a large cup of coffee on the 14th deck and when I stepped outside on the 15th deck, I felt the cold temperature and the icy breeze maneuvering into my body through the three layers of cloths I had on.

The loudspeaker of the ship spoke softly as it described the Fjord.

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We learned that our ship was the first one to enter the fjord this year.
The Fjord was discovered during an 1899 expedition (named Harriman Expedition) funded by Ivy League colleges. As a result, all of the glaciers were named after the various schools in their honor. In 1964 College Fjord was the epicenter of the Good Friday Earthquake, the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history.

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The water, at some places was still half frozen and the ship sliced the ice as it advanced forward. When I reached the front of the ship, the temperatures including the wind factor were around 15 degrees

Fahrenheit, but it was nothing compared to the beautiful scenery discovered right in front of my eyes. I was greeted by a small (brave) crowd and for some reason we all felt like old friends when we pointed out to several sights along the way.

The spokesperson on the loudspeaker told us that the Glaciers on the northwest side of the Fjord are generally named after 19th century "women's colleges." Vassar Glacier is located north of Wellesley Glacier and south of Bryn Mawr Glacier.

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The highlight was the Harvard Glacier, a tidewater glacier (glacier that terminates in water), at the end of the fjord. We noticed its very active calving. It was awesome. While more than 90 percent of all glaciers in Alaska are retreating, the Harvard Glacier is actually slowly advancing. We also saw Smith Glacier, located south of Harvard Glacier.

At one point I saw an otter holding his baby in her mouth, while moving in the water. We also spotted some humpback whales but they were too far for a really good shot by my camera. What a sight though!!

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All along the fjord we saw hundreds of sea birds, which seem to not really care about our presence.

I met Tova, Brian, and Sarah for lunch and then took a two hour nap. The afternoon was spent on some shopping on the 7th deck and then we all dressed up for a formal dinner.

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Right after dinner we all met at the theater to watch a marvelous piano man, who entertained us with popular melodies, followed by the cruise's dancers and singers group, which dazzled us with beautiful songs and dancing. Right after the show we all sat down at Churchill Bar to enjoy drinks and cigars, while watching a basketball game, featuring the Lakers and the Rockets.

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I woke up at 6:00 and rushed to the dining room as I wanted to finish breakfast before we enter out next destination: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

At around 8:00 as we entered the bay, a “Pilot Vessel” hooked up to our ship and 5 Park Rangers joined our cruise.

Once again I found myself on the 15th deck in the front of the ship. The crowd from yesterday was already there as they greeted me as a long time friend.

The scenery breath taking, as we passed tall snow top mountains, in a middle of a rain forest.

A couple of hours later I joined many of the passengers, who gathered in the main theater to listen to one of the Park Rangers briefing us of what to expect in this marvelous place: As its name implies, much of Glacier Bay National Park is water. Most of the land within the park is mountainous, covered with dense rain forest, and without roads or trails. While a few hardy travelers hike, raft, or climb the mountains, the vast majority of visitors (like us) travel by salt water. Despite the lack of roads, there are over 300,000 visitors per year, most on cruise ships. Glacier Bay is a natural waterway from Alaska’s Inside Passage (a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands) to the tidewater glaciers that are the park's main attraction. Its numerous branches, inlets, lagoons, islands, and passages offer virtually limitless opportunities for exploration.

I was walking all around the ship to get glimpses of all angles possible as I bumped to an old friend: Denny Sibbert, a fellow we met while touring the South Pacific in 2007. We embraced each other and it was actually kind of nice to meet unexpectedly someone from a different trip.

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My camera has not stopped for a minute as we passed the Reid Glacier, which is the fastest moving of the tidewater glaciers, averaging about 8 feet a day and then we had a wonderful view of the Johns Hopkins Glacier, which is the only major tidewater glacier that is advancing further into the water.

I returned to “my post” on the 15th deck to view the most beautiful glaciers, which highlight the bay: Margerie and Lamplugh Glaciers.

The Margerie Glacier is an excellent example of a tide-water glacier -- that is, a glacier that extends into a body of water. The ship made a stop and turned 360 degrees to give all the 2,300 passengers a chance to view this amazing glacier and its adjacent (dirty) Grand Pacific Glacier, which at 2 miles wide, is the widest of the tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay. It then continued to the fast receding Lamplugh Glacier, where a waterfall jetted out of the middle of the glacier's tidewater boundaries.

At around 5:00 PM the rangers departed the ship, once again with the same techinque as they had joined us: a small boat hooked up to our ship and they waved goodbyes, while boarding their little pilot boat.

After dinner I rejoined the crowd on the 15th deck as we entered an area known to be a hangout for hampback whales. At any signal of a whale, we cheered as we moved from one side of the ship to another. Most of the whales were spotted far away from our position and we were able to spot them with our banaculars, until we got lucky: a huge whale was rising from the water about 100 feet from the ship. It was an amazing sight. I was able to take a great picture of its tail.

One of the passengers, standing alongside me had a 500 fixed lens. He let me see some of the pictures he had taken and my mouth dropped, as I saw the clear images of the whale in midair, with water drops fall off his body. (I made myself a note to buy this kind of lense)

I waited for the sun to set down in the west and will never forget the beautiful colors of the skies and water while the sunset took place.

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Day 6: May 19th, 2009

Once again I woke up early. This time I witnessed the ship entering Skagway. We met with Brian & Sarah for breakfast and then found our way out to the port of this beautiful city.The skies were absolutely gorgeous with blue color all around and the temperatures were comfortable.

On the rocks, right next to the port, we found all kind of painted signs. We found out later on that every ship, which arrives to Skagway, “leaves” its "signature" on the rocks.

A few minutes later our ride arrived. We met Mike from Frontier Excursions, driving a Ford Explorer 4X4, and the couple who have joined us to this tour Julie & Matt from New Hampshire.

Our first stop was at a panoramic spot where the city and the harbor were displayed to us as on a plate.

We then proceeded to Lake Dewey where we spotted a bald eagle waiting for the gulls to catch a salmon so they can take it away from them. We also spotted an otter in the water.

We continued our day and arrived to Taiya River, a 17-mile-long river running from the border with British Columbia, Canada, to Skagway. Mike explained to us that the river is unique as it passes through a number of different ecosystems over a short distance.

The Taiya River is historically significant with its role in the Klondike Gold Rush. (sometimes referred to as the Yukon Gold Rush or Alaska Gold Rush), after gold was discovered there in the late 19th centuryAt the banks of the river we spotted many birds and different kind of fauna, but our attention was to three bald eagles, which seemed very active and actually dove into the water looking for food.

After a 30 minutes break at the river, we climbed the jeep and drove through a beautiful scenery as we approached the Canadian border and the Yukon Trail.

Wedged between Alaska and the Northwest Territories on each side, Yukon Territory is bounded by British Columbia, to the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

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We stopped to take some pictures underneath the famous sign and spotted a couple of mountain goats across the road. The views, once again, were astonishing as we witnessed the beauty of the White Mountains, the blue lake and the green forest.

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Our next stop was at Carcross in British Columbia, home to both the oldest operating store in the Yukon, and the oldest operating hotel.

Mike told us about this place: originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of about 450 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, the first nation in the Yuokon Territory. The languages originally spoken by Carcross/Tagish people were Tagish and Tlingit.

We entered a “resort”, which included a restaurant, a souvernirs ship, a museum, a bakery, an ice cream parlor, a dog cart area, and more.

We were treated to a delicious lunch and then climbed aboard one of the dog carts and had an adveterous ride though the narrow paths, lead by 10 energized huskies. At the end of the trip we entered to the “next generation” dogs section where we were greeted by a dozens or so puppies.

We started our way back to Skagway and stopped at Carcross Desert, which is often considered to be the smallest desert in the world, measuring approximately 1 square mile.

Mike explained that it is ommonly referred to as a desert, but is actually a series of northern sand dunes; the areas' climate is too humid to be considered a true desert. The sand was formed during the last ice age, when large glacial lakes formed and deposited silt. When the lakes dried, the dunes were left behind. Today, sand comes mainly from nearby Bennett Lake, carried by wind.

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We made a stop at Kluane Lake, where few “Oh My God” came from everyone as the boulders along the beach, the snow covered peaks in the background and the calm waters of the lake were tinged with soft, pink colors created by the sunset. The mirror images of the surrounding landscape in the lake were some of the most dramatic views I have ever seen.

Our next stop was at Emerald Lake. With another “Oh My God” coming out of my mouth I watched a scenery that was nowhere near as dramatic as what I have seen to that point. Mike explained that the the wide range of colors that characterizes Emerald Lake are a result of blue-green light reflecting from the white layer of sediment – a material that settles to the bottom of the lake. The brilliant white color results from deposits of marl which consists of fragments of decomposed shells mixed with clay and is usually found in shallow freshwater lakes that have low oxygen levels during the summer months.

We entered the US borders into Alaska and then stopped at yet another panoramic view. Once again we were mesmerized by the beauty of the area.

We entered the town of Skagway.

Mike told us, as we entered the town, that in its heyday, Skagway was the boomtown gateway to the Trail of 1898 and the Klondike gold fields. The population has dwindled from 20,000 (!) gold seekers to about 800 year round citizens. Streets were once choked with gold-crazed gold seekers anxious to get on to the Klondike and strike it rich.We said our goodbyes to Mike, who without a doubt was an excellent tour guide with his subtle sense of humor and his excellent knowledge of the area.

We visited the local bar for a traditionally cold glass of excellent local beer and then walked on the main street, which reminded all of us a typical main street we accustomed to watch in many westerns on the big screen.

We stopped at the most photographed building in Skagway: The AB Hall on Broadway Avenue. The building contains 9,000 pieces of debris on it.

To the left of the AB Hall we found the Red Onion Saloon, located on the corner of 2nd & Broadway, the Red Onion was built in 1897, and operated as one the finest bordellos in Skagway.Our last stop was at the historically train station: The White Pass and Yukon Railway, established in 1898.

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We returned to the ship with memories that will last a lifetime. We decided to try the Savoy Restaurant, for a change and had a delightful dinner, though in my opinion, was no different than the International dining room we were accustomed to.

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Day 7: May 20th, 2009

When we woke up at 6:30, the ship already docked at Juneau. After a hearty breakfast we started exploring the Capital of Alaska.

Our first stop was at Mount Robert’s Tram.

This unforgettable adventure began at the dock where we boarded a tramcar adorned in colorful Tlingit artwork. The 10 minutes ride provided an exhilarating ride through the Southeast Alaska Rainforest to the 1,800 foot level of Mount Roberts.The view that was displayed in front of our eyes was unforgettable.

The skies were clear and the horizons were as far as the eyes could see: from the Chilkat Mountains to the north, down the Gastineau Channel to the lands and waterways of the south, west to Douglas Island, and east into Silver Bow Basin where gold was discovered near the head of Gold Creek in 1880.

We reached the top of the mountain and at one point saw a bald eagle, which was injured by a hunter and was adopted by the crew of the mountain’s resort.

We then climbed the snow covered mountain-side and arrived to a couple of vista points where the city and the bay were underneath us as they were laid on a plate, waiting for someone to just come over and take it away.

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We spent about an hour on top of the mountain and then used the tramway to get down to the base of the mountain where Sarah and Brian, who opted not to take the ride, were waiting.

We booked ourselves to a combination tour, which started at the Capital downtown. The driver, an Indian Native of Alaska, was very fluent with knowledge about the city. We learned that Juneau is Alaska's third largest city with a population of 30,000. It is also the only state’s capital that has no roads leading to and from it; the only way to get here is either by air or sea.

The bus crossed the city and we saw the following interesting buildings: The State Capitol (looks like a high school), the Russian Orthodox Church, a tiny octagonal building on a back street not far from the capitol and The Governor’s Mansion (really just a big house with columns on it).. The driver told us that the citizens of Juneau are upset with Governor Palin, as she chose to have her offices in Anchorage and not in Juneau.

We crossed a river and arrived to our first stop, Homestead Park on Douglas Island, where we watched the city, Mount Robert and the bay.

We then left town and proceeded to the Eagle Eye’s View where we saw the famous Mendenhall Glacier on the horizons with green fields leading to it.

A 20 minute ride took us to the Mendenhall Glacier’s Visitors Center, where we saw up close the glacier glowing in bluish white.

Mendenhall glacier is one of many "rivers of ice" in southeast Alaska formed during the Little Ice Age which began about 3,000 years ago. The unique climate and geography of this region allowed glaciers to survive long after they began receding from other places in North America. The most famous of the glaciers in the Juneau Ice Field, was named for Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, who served on the Alaska Boundary Commission that surveyed the international boundary between Canada and Alaska. The Glacier is 12 miles long and 1-1/2 miles wide where it stretches across the Mendenhall Valley. Its ice can be 400 to 800 feet deep.

The huge Mendenhall Glacier is unique in that it is the lone glacier located within the limits of any city in North America, which makes it the most easily accessible glacier in Alaska and the state's third-most visited attraction.We walked to the lake, formed in front of the glacier to get the best look of the glacier and then used the path, which lead us to the front of the glacier. To the right we spotted a huge waterfall.

It was time to return to our bus and reluctantly we started our walk towards the parking lot. As we approached the bus, I noticed a black bear crossing the road just in front of us. I started to run towards him but he disappeared behind the tall bushes on the right. However, when I looked up to the left, I saw the bear’s “friend” up on the rocks. I aimed my camera and got a good shot of him. That whole scene created a “riot” as many visitors started to run to the spot where I stood, chasing the black bear away to the forest.

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We returned to the dock and the driver recommended having lunch at a local favorite: The Hanger on the Wharf Restaurant and Pub. We entered the beautiful restaurant, located in the wharf shopping mall just north of the cruise ship piers.

The driver recommended ordering the Halibut Fish & Chips: “It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it” he added. We looked at the menu and did not see the famous dish. The waiter, however, knew exactly what we wanted and 30 minutes later the food arrived along with beers. I have to admit that it was one of the best Fish And Chips I have ever eaten in my lifetime. When the bill arrived we all started to laugh as we understood why this item was not on the menu to be seen: the price for 4 plates plus 3 beers was a whopping $120.00. I think this was my most expensive lunch ever!

We were back in our cabins at around 3:00 and I had an unusual afternoon nap for the next couple of hours.

Dinner tonight included a delicious lobster tail and I found myself having “seconds”. It was really yummy!!

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After watching the cruise’s singers and dancers performing “Do You wanna Dance” we joined the “Newly Wed Game”, which was funny and then sat down in a club enjoying the comedy routine of Steve Moris, who has performed on hundreds of the largest stages and venues, with the most famous singers and groups. He was really funny and we were rolling on the floor laughing. I liked his “shadow puppet” routine to the sounds of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

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Day 8: May 21st, 2009

We woke up at 8:00 and while having breakfast we called Emly to wish her a Happy Birthday, using Sarah’s phone.

The ship was approaching Ketchikan and we watched the sea plane taking off and landing as were having breakfast on the 14th deck.

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Once the ship docked at the port, we found our way to our next adventure: The Misty Fjord Cruise. We boarded a nice double deck high-speed vessel and sat on the upper level.

The fjords are described by many as one of the most majestic creations on earth and we were about to discover why. The crew included a knowledgeable naturalist, who provided us in-depth commentary on the natural history of the area: Remote and wild, Misty Fiords National Monument supports many nearly untouched coastal ecosystems and covers about 3,570 square miles. Several major rivers and hundreds of streams are fed by misty rain and snow each year, as well as by melt water from glaciers that begin near the Canadian border. Mineral springs and volcanic lava flows add to the unique geological features.

Misty Fiords is known for the number and size of fish found in its lakes and streams. It provides habitat for all five northeastern Pacific species of salmon: the Chinook, or King Salmon, the Sockeye Salmon, the small Pink Salmon; and the Silver, or Coho Salmon. Nearly half of all king salmon spawning and rearing streams in southeast Alaska are located within these Fiords. Most wildlife common to southeast Alaska may be found in Misty Fiords. Bald eagles nest in large trees near rivers and shorelines, where pairs share the raising of young during the summer.

We visited many points of interest, such as an active eagle’s nest, a mysterious Native Pictograph, and Punchbowl Cove with its columnar basalt formations and the colorful Mossy Wall bird rookery, and the towering volcanic spire known as New Eddystone Rock, which is a testimony to the dramatic geologic forces that shaped this area six million years ago.

I stood most of the time on the second deck taking many pictures of this unbelievable fjord and its surrounding mountains.

Lunch was provided and we enjoyed a delicious New England Clams Chowder and a bowl of chili. Coffee, tea and hot coco were provided all along the cruise.

We returned to the town five hours later and started our walking city tour. We first visited the Alaska Fresh Seafood Factory where I saw a bald eagle dives into the water to bite on some leftover salmon.

We then climbed the steep stairs of Elliott Street to get a beautiful panoramic view of the harbor.

We continued and arrived to the downtown area of Ketchikan as we passed Eagle Park, where a huge statue of an eagle is erected. The statue was carved by a local artist Nathan Jackson. We continued walking and arrived at the sign which proclaim Ketchikan as the “Alaska first City” (meaning it is the first city to be reached when sailing north of the USA) and “The Salmon Capital of The World”.

We also spotted a sign which declares that the rain quantity in this town is measured by feet and not by inches. In a matter of fact we were told again and again how lucky we were to have a pleasant weather as Ketchikan has rain 80% of the year and today the skies were blue with plenty of sunshine.

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We continued and arrived at a small Totem Park where we saw several beautiful totems (monumental sculptures carved from large trees, usually cedar) and then continued to the number one attraction and the heart of downtown: Ketchikan Creek; where the earliest visitors, Tlingit natives, set up summer fish camps along the river.

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We visited Creek Street, a pedestrian thoroughfare consisting of wooden boardwalks. During prohibition and in later years, buildings on the street housed several bordellos. Today, restaurants, galleries and gift shops replaced them to cater for the visitors.

When we looked at our watches we got a bit scared as the time approached for the ship to leave. We zoomed through the downtown main street, walked along the historical tunnel 35 and in fifteen minutes we were on the ship's bridge.

After dinner we watched the ship’s crew performing freestyle, as the crew members showed off their talents. The highlight was the customary “If I Was Not a Sailor At Sea”.

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Day 9: May 22nd, 2009

We woke up rather late as today was a day at sea with all activities on board the ship.

We joined a culinary class of how to make an Italian tiramisu and then took the kitchen tour.

After lunch we enjoyed a “Dessert Buffet” on the 14th deck, featuring around 30 different cakes and other sweet plates.

After an afternoon nap, we joined the Shabbat services in the chapel, where we met nice people from the four corners of the world and then joined Sarah & Brian for our last dinner on the cruise. We decided to have our last dinner at the Steakhouse as we heard people raving about it. Well, they were right! The food was delicious and the service was perfect.

We returned to our cabins and for the next hour we packed our luggage and then lined them up in the hallway to be picked up by the crew.

We attended the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” show and then joined a Karaoke competition.We went to sleep at around midnight.

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Day 10: May 23rd, 2009

We woke up at around 7:00 as the ship made its last maneuvers to dock at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

We had our last meal on the ship, a hearty and delicious breakfast and then boarded the bus, which took us through the beautiful downtown to the International Airport.

We arrived back home at around 3:00 pm.

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Alaska (2009)

Monday, June 1, 2009

Alaska (2009)

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