Our cruise left from and returned to Seattle, WA. We flew into Seattle early Sunday, July 1. We made sure to get the early flight just in case of delays, but everything was on time...which meant we had a few hours to kill in Seattle prior to boarding the ship. Once we landed, we had breakfast at the airport before grabbing an Uber to see a few sights. We first went to the Fremont Troll. This is a creepy, random statue built under a freeway overpass in the middle of a residential district. The artist constructed the monstrosity in protest of increasing urbanization of the Seattle area. Now it sits as an icon of the Seattle suburbs.
After taking a few quick pictures, our driver was nice enough to take us to Kerry Park where we overlooked the Seattle skyline. This is a beautiful park in a gorgeous neighborhood.
Again, we didn't stay long, but unfortunately our driver wouldn't wait, which meant we hiked the nearly two miles down hill to the cruise port. It was a little rainy, but thankfully not too hot. Dad was a trooper! I'm not sure he's walked that far in over a year. Even though he was a little slow and a bit sore afterwards, he was encouraged by the strength of his heart (and will!). We stopped at a Starbucks (another iconic Seattle stop) to grab some hot chocolate (or for me, caramel apple cider) and pastries before making the final push to the cruise port.
Finally, we made it to the ship! We were able to board quickly and get settled into our rooms. The next day and a half was spent on the ship as we made our way to Juneau (our first stop). Overall, we spent two full days and 5 half days on the ship. While some people may think that's a waste of time, we enjoyed the down time after our on shore excursions. Each stop we made, we pushed ourselves to see all we could in the hours we had on shore. Plus, Jeff and I were already tired from the busy month of June...so I welcomed the rest and relaxation the ship offered. We had fun on the ship. We played cards, sat on the deck to enjoy the views (and see the occasional humpback whale, which I LOVED!), ate a ton, grabbed a few drinks, and just enjoyed being with each other. I think everyone's favorite thing to do was to sit outside and appreciate the breathtaking views...even in the cold. Alaska has a pristine beauty that is incomparable to any other place I've been. There is just something so raw and untouched about its landscape. I have seen many beautiful places (including the Oregon coast just recently), but Alaska's uninhabited islands and coastline is something to behold.
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| Getting to the cruise dock! Happy smiles!! |
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| Saying goodbye to Seattle. |
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| This is where we spent the majority of our time on the ship...looking out at the beautiful views. |
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| Early one morning, Jeff and I saw this boat approach and a man board our boat. We weren't sure if we were being taken over by pirates or what...until someone told us that it was a harbor pilot boarding to take us into Juneau. Pretty cool process! |
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| Luckily they had blankets for those times when it was just a little chilly! |
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| Mom and Dad napping. |
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| At the Main Stage to see some shows. |
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| Our captain, Fred Eversen. |
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| When we weren't looking at the views, we were playing cards inside! |
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| SO. MUCH. FOOD!! |
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| My 4th of July dinner. |
Our first stop was fortuitously the capital of Alaska...Juneau! I thought this was a perfect place to start for my parents to finally say they've been to Alaska! We got off the ship and headed straight for Mendenhall glacier. Alaska boasts nearly 100,000 glaciers (although only 616 are named). We were fortunate enough to see two such glaciers on our cruise. This first one was beautifully set on a small lake with a fresh water waterfall cascading close to the face of the glacier. Jeff and I quickly hiked back to Nugget Falls while Mom and Dad explored the photo trail and saw views from the Visitor's Center. The hike was picturesque as we strolled along a path through thick, green vegetation and small streams. Finally, we made it to the beach where the the falls thundered into the lake. The spray from the falls fanned out over the beach. It was impressive! I loved seeing the small chunks of ice floating on the lake away from the glacier. The piercing blue glacial face was stunning! (I think that's what I enjoyed most about both glaciers - the ice chunks in the water and the beautiful blue hues.) We took a few pictures (although nothing could truly capture the natural beauty) before heading back to the Visitor's Center to meet up with Mom and Dad.
Finally, we walked to the shopping district before getting back on the boat. We saw the famous Red Dog Saloon, went to Alaska knifeworks so Dad could get an Ulu knife, and browsed various other stores. It was a fun first stop...but the best was still yet to come.
The following day (Wednesday, July 4) we celebrated our independence with crackles, pops, and booms of Hubbard glacier. I think this was Jeff's favorite part of the trip, but we never left the boat. We sailed into Yakatut channel to reach this massive, 76 mile long, 300 feet (at the face) tall, actively growing glacier. Jeff, Mom, Dad and I were able to consult with a few ship employees and found the best place to camp out on our 2-3 hour sailing journey to the glacier (once we entered the channel). We commandeered a few chairs and sat in awe as we partook of the visual pleasures before us. The channel itself was bordered by luscious green mountains with snow capped peaks on either side. As we got closer to the glacier, there were several chunks of floating ice of various sizes in the water (again...something that just fascinated me). Still, the glacier was quite a ways off. We could see the sharp blue hues, but it simply looked like Mendenhall glacier. I wasn't sure what was so impressive about another ice face...until we got to within 600 yards of it! This glacier was massive! It's expanse extended beyond the eye's view...and there we were, small specks of creation witnessing hundreds of years of this slow moving ice formation. I was speechless! In fact, I didn't make any noise as I took in the sounds of this impressive creation. The water sizzled and popped (like Pop Rocks). The glacier creaked and cracked...until tremendous chunks of ice tumbled to the water in a thunderous sound! We all sat in awe as our captain rotated the ship so everyone could partake in this miraculous event. We were there for about an hour before the captain turned back into the channel...and it was too short of a time. We could have sat there for several more hours watching this natural event occur. We were all a little sad when the glacier faded into the horizon. It wasn't an on shore excursion, but it was just as exciting (if not more so) as exploring the stops.
The next morning (Thursday, July 5) was an earlier one. We docked at 9:00 in Sitka, Alaska for only about 6-7 hours of exploration time. Jeff and Dad booked a fishing excursion while Mom and I headed out to see the town. (Jeff and Dad enjoyed the beauty of their trip, but didn't have much success fishing. Still, they enjoyed it more than they would have enjoyed visiting the historic sites and shops that we did.) Prior to going to Sitka, I knew very little about the Russian occupation of Alaska. While I still don't know a lot, I understand more now. The first stop we visited was Castle Hill. It was on this little hill overlooking the harbor and the town that the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag was raised after the US purchased Alaska. This was also the location where the first 49 starred flag was raised after Alaska was admitted as a state in the union. There is no castle there now. There are a couple old cannons, a few plaques, and of course, the US and Alaskan flags, but it was cool to stand on a site where history was made.
We climbed down the beautiful steps and then made our way to the grave of Princess Aglaida Ivanovina Maksoutoff, the wife of the last Russian governor of Alaska. It was just a small grave in a little cemetery with only about 3-5 other grave markers.
Adjacent to the grave site was a replica of a Russian blockhouse. These crude wooden "houses" were a part of the blockade wall the Russians constructed to keep the native people out of what the Russians deemed was their land. In fact, it has only been recently that the native Alaskan people have made peace with those of Russian descent. There was a marker embedded in a nearby stone with a carving indicating where the wall had been.
From there, we walked back into the small town towards Saint Michael's Cathedral, another Russian Orthodox church. This church was 3 times the size of the one in Juneau yet still small. It had been destroyed by fire in 1966 but later rebuilt. It had been the oldest church in Alaska. Luckily, many of the ornate artifacts had been saved by brave men and women who entered the fiery building to retrieve them.
Our next stop was the Russian bishop's house. I thought it was very interesting that the one remaining structure from that era was the bishop's house. I also thought it was interesting that there was so much care to have built religious structures and places of residence for clergy members back in a time when building was more difficult and meticulous without the use of modern technology and tools. Mom and I toured this residence. Saint Michael was a well respected and educated man. I guess it wasn't enough to only be good at one thing in those days. In addition to being the clergyman, he was also a carpenter and primitive weather man. He kept such good weather records that are still being used today.
Mom and I explored a few other places and did a little shopping before grabbing lunch.
Shortly after we ate, Jeff and Dad returned from their fishing excursion and together we walked to Sitka National Historic Park. One thing I wanted to see while I was in Alaska was the totem poles. Native cultures intrigue me. I grew up learning about the native people of the Southwest...almost to a point that I no longer valued or was fascinated with their culture or art. (I don't get giddy when I see a Navajo rug or a Kachina doll or turquoise jewelry.) However, I was excited to experience a new culture and art. I have always appreciated art and its depiction of religion, emotion, traditions, etc. I think totem poles are beautiful in the stories they tell. Well I was not disappointed. Not only were the totems beautiful and unique, but the park was gorgeous. This area of Alaska is a part of the second largest rain forest in the world and the largest temperate rain forest. There were so many shades of green and so many different types of vegetation.
As we wandered through the park, Jeff and Mom both expressed a desire to see some wildlife. Jeff desperately wanted to see a bear (up close...which was not my desire) and Mom wanted to see a bald eagle. We were discussing these desires when all of the sudden we heard some splashing down at the river below. We made our way to the trail's edge to see what was down there when we saw a Beagle! I kid you not! We didn't see a bear or an eagle, but a beagle. We all had a good laugh about that.
Since we were down by the water, Jeff and I climbed down to the river for a picture. As we looked up for Mom to take the picture, a bald eagle soared over head! It was so majestic. I thoroughly enjoyed our stroll through the park. I actually didn't want to leave Sitka.
Ketchikan was our next stop and I fell in love with that town just as I fell in love with Sitka. Up until that point, our Alaska weather experience had been rather abnormal. It was hot in Juneau but sunny and pleasant in Sitka. Today was a more typical summer Alaskan experience - rain! It rained all while we were on shore, but never more than a slight drizzle. I actually didn't mind. I think it added to the beauty of the day. When we got off the ship, we caught a bus to Totem Bight State Park. I know...more totems? Yes! At first, Jeff was questioning why we were even going, but it ended up being his favorite part of the day. It was much like the totem park in Sitka. We strolled through rich, green vegetation while admiring towering works of art. This park had a clan house as well.
Finally, we hopped on the bus and headed back to the downtown area. We then walked to the infamous Creek Street. This street is picturesquely placed on a creek. During salmon season, there are reportedly thousands of salmon swimming upstream and hundreds of fishermen trying for a bite. Today there were no salmon swimming, but we enjoyed the shops and the sordid history. During the early gold rush days, this was the red light district of Ketchikan. What I found the most amusing is that next to the most frequented brothel was the preacher's house! A little ironic. We enjoyed browsing in the shops. Jeff was hunting for an affordable, desirable piece of mammoth tusk. The ones he kept loving were way out of our price range!
We finally made it back to the ship to relax for the evening and morning before our final stop - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I have never seen a more beautiful city! Sitka and Ketchikan were gorgeous, but they were little towns. Victoria is a rather large city (the capitol of BC) and it was clean. Not only that, but it felt safe. (Evidently it has a very low crime rate.) Prior to the cruise, I actually booked a private tour with a local tour guide. She came and picked us up at the cruise port then dropped us off after 3 hours of exploring. I thoroughly enjoyed our evening and really want to go back to explore some more. Melanie (our guide) first showed us a rather strange residential area - Fisherman's Warf. There are several eclectic houseboats that make up this intimate community. While it was interesting to walk through, I would hate to live there with so many tourists walking through the "streets".
Next, we headed downtown where we saw the Parliament building, the Empress Hotel, and browsed several shops. (Of course we had to buy some famous Victorian chocolate.) I loved the energy of the downtown area. The Parliament building and Empress Hotel were gorgeous. Melanie shared the history of her beloved city as we walked the streets, occasionally stopping for the prime photo stops.
After we explored downtown, she drove us through and to several other locations. We drove through Beacon Hill park. This park was created by the same man who designed Central Park in NYC. It was breathtaking! I think I could spend several hours just roaming around the park. They even had several wild peacocks and a few deer running around.
From there, we drove to the Lt. Govenor's home. This is an elected official that is essentially the Queen's representative in BC. (Canada is still a part of the British Commonwealth.) We then drove through a neighborhood where we saw a house with flowers everywhere as we headed to Craigdarroch Castle. This "castle" was built by a wealthy coal baron in the late 1800s. He wanted a way to show off his wealth, but he actually died before he was ever able to occupy it.
Next, we wound through beautiful neighborhoods as we made our way to Mount Tolmie with a 360 degree view of the sun setting on beautiful Victoria, BC. It was the perfect way to cap our tour. I really want to come back to explore!
Melanie finally drove us back to board the ship one last time. On the way, she quickly drove us through their Chinatown (which used to be the second largest, next to San Francisco).
As we boarded the boat one last time, I was a little sad. It had been a fun, memorable experience with my parents. I loved how much we laughed, what we saw, and the overall experience. Still, it was time to make our way home. Every time we were able to talk with Jonas, he would ask if we were coming home "today". I was so happy when I was finally able to tell him yes.
Sunday (July 8) we docked back in Seattle. I purposefully booked a later flight so we could have a little time to explore some of the iconic Seattle spots before going home. Mom and I visited Seattle almost 2 years ago, but Dad and Jeff hadn't been to the Space Needle or Pike's Place Market. We checked both those off our list, plus visiting Chihuly's Glass Garden and driving along the boardwalk.
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