| Page Views: 1,929 Last Visit to Alaska: July, 2006 | North to Alaska! by starship - last update: Nov 30, 2006 |
This Time Around --- In July, 2006, we made our third trip to Alaska by cruise sh1p and sailed from Seattle once again. Each time we return to Alaska, it gets better!! We planned some new activities and everyone had a great time. We saw Hubbard Glacier for the first time and the continual calving of the glacier was amazing. While sitting in Disenchantment Bay, an enormous face sheering off the glacier and the resultant wave actually rocked the sh1p. My husband & son went salmon fishing, we hiked "down" Mt. Roberts in Juneau, explored Sitka in greater detail, saw much more wildlife and we thoroughly enjoyed the warm & sunny 6 days we spent in Alaska. The last day, we stopped in Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Scores of people walked out on the long jetty to see us pull in during twilight. It was quite an unforgettable scene!! I hope that in 2008 we will return to Alaska once again!
Alaska ~ 2002. 2004, 2006
In July, we returned from our 3rd visit to Alaska and a great cruise beginning in Seattle! We couldn't have asked for better weather which was fantastic everyday in port. BUT, on sailing from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, we were caught in a gale with 65 knot winds and seas 15 - 18 ft.!! It's the worst weather I've ever encountered at sea. If you want to know a simple method to avoid seasickness, it is eating green apples---no joke!!
The days went by swiftly but here are a few highlights of my trip:
HUBBARD GLACIER: Extraordinary day!! Warm & sunny. While the ship stopped for an hour or so in Disenchantment Bay, a huge wall of ice sheared off the face of the glacier creating a wave so powerful that it rocked our 88,000 GT ship.
JUNEAU, ALASKA: Sunny and temperature in the high 80's F. An expensive ride up Mt. Roberts, but a rather tortuous 2 mile climb down (felt like 20 miles) with another mile back to the ship! Our 14 yr. old daughter fairly ran down carrying all our day packs. We now call her our Sherpa!!
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA: Missed the 4th of July here this time around. Warm and can you believe it---SUNNY! Short day in port. Creek Street ramble, funicular to Cape Fox Lodge and "Circle of the Clan" Totems! Shop, shop, shop.
Victoria, Vancouver Island ~ British Columbia, Canada: Delayed arrival due to last night's storm put into port about 8pm!! Daylight waned as we were leaving the ship. Beautiful twilight tour of the shore area and town, and a special "High Tea" at the delightfully British Empress Hotel.
Note: Our trip really began in Seattle where we arrived a day and a half before our cruise. The weather was sunny and mild during our stay in the city; the downsize was I arrived with a very bad case of Bronchitis!! Had a more in depth look at Pike Place Market and took quite a bit of time to enjoy the sights of Elliot Bay this time visiting Seattle. Unfortunately for Seattle, I noted the city's homeless population and panhandler problems, not to mention the horrible stench in its alleys, seem to have worsened. How sad this is because Seattle is really a great city!!(This was the week that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet announced their billion dollar were directed overseas.)
Last Time Around --
On our return to Alaska by sh1p in June, 2004, we sailed from Seattle where we spent a few days before sailing. On this trip we were able to see Alaska in a different light---it was called "the sun!" On our previous trip in 2002, we saw Alaska through a veil of mist and low clouds. It certainly was great to see this beautiful state in all its shining glory and with temperatures ranging into the high 80's, it was a Alaska with quite a different side to her. Everywhere we went, Alaska was lush and verdant...a truly breathtaking place. The steep mountains jutting up from the water's edge dwarfed everything man-made. Somehow I couldn't help but feel the exalted freedom and sheer wonder that such a beautiful place exists on earth--could this really be what Heaven is like?? |
The First Time in Alaska --- In July, 2002, we flew to Vancouver, British Columbia to meet our ship for a cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage. We planned to spend 3 nights in Vancouver before boarding our ship. It was easy to get around Vancouver on foot or by public transportation which was great because we did not rent a car. We certainly could have spent more time in Vancouver, but we were limited in time and bucks. Vancouver, like many large cities can be expensive for a family.!
While on this cruise we went as far north as Skagway (just south of the Yukon Canadian Province), then south to Glacier Bay, Juneau and Ketchikan. The mild but rainy weather somewhat dampened our spirits but not enough to keep us on the ship.
The vastness of Alaska's great wilderness is contrasted by the relatively small towns and settlements along the shores of the Inside Passage. Most often the throngs of passengers from the several cruise ships that anchor in their harbors dwarf the town's permanent population thus crowding the sidewalks, restaurants and shops that blanket these towns. Tourism plays a major role in the economy of these towns during the summer and while it isn't always pleasant, it may just mean survival for the inhabitants.
My favorite town was Skagway which is also known as the "Gateway to the Klondike." Skagway just happens to lie at the foot of one of the two best passes (White Pass and Chilkoot Trail) into the Klondike. For many hundreds of years before the Klondike Gold Rush, the Chilkoot Trail was an important trade overland route used by the coastal Tlingit tribe to trade with the interior Athabascan peoples. The Chilkoot Trail is one of only three glacier-free corridors to the interior of the Klondike in Southeast Alaska and Canada. This trail which is 33 miles long is accessible only by foot. The Trail climbs 3,525 feet to the Chilkoot Pass via the "Golden Stairs" and ends in the Canadian forest near Lake Bennett. |
The Value of Cruise Ships Often younger, adventureous and self-aggrandizing individuals going to Alaska lament the advent of the growing number of cruise ships plying the waters of Alaska and bringing hords of "tourists." While everyone's dream is to see nature unspoiled, the reality is the number of people who can venture into Alaska's wild by hiking, camping and other non-intrusive means is small. It is quite selfish to wish to want to deny others the chance to see this magnificent state simply because they are too old or less adventureous than what you are. What more traditional tourists bring to places formerly out of reach of the larger population, is not only economic growth but the impetus for those communities, states, or countries (in general) to develop a means of relaying to others the history, the culture and geography of the place. Museums are born, histories are written, parks are created, preservation becomes reality all in the effort to share with others the uniqueness of that particular spot on earth.
When you visit someplace you consider unique, you probably learned about it because someone else was there before you and has written about it, and sparked your desire to go there as well. |
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| Pros: | "Magnificent sights, wildlife, adventure, and a feeling of freedom" | | Cons: | "Bring your rain gear!" | | In A Nutshell: | "Breathtaking!" |
starship's Alaska Travel Tips
 Comments for starship about Alaska | | | | |
iwys Tue Feb 3, 2009 16:22 UTC
What a great page. North to Alaska! | csordila Thu Jan 22, 2009 17:46 UTC
Some experiences I already collected from the stories of Jack London. You have updated my memories. Best. L. | mikelisaanna Thu May 1, 2008 04:02 UTC
We loved Alaska, and reading your Alaska page brought back pleasant memories. | Daja123 Wed Sep 19, 2007 19:32 UTC
Absolutely delightful Alaska page. Wonderful photos too! Thanks so much for your visit to my Mali Losin pages...;-) |
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