Saturday, September 16 - Day 12

Up at 6:15 for a beautiful sunrise.  Met the gang for breakfast at 7:30 and we were in port.  They were making announcement for people with certain colored tags to being the process of getting off the ship.  Mo, Ron, Joan and Larry left around 8:40 and we left about 9:10.  Found our bags and got thru customs and onto the bus to head to the airport.  Easy process getting through and got our bagged checked and through security where we wait for a few hours.  Our plane leaves at 4:30.  

Joan and Larry have a hotel for tonight in Vancouver and Maureen and Ron will be leaving at 6:30 for a long journey home.

Thank you so much for following us.  I'm sorry we didn't post each but thanks for being patient. Thanks to Maureen, Ron, Joan and Larry for sharing this with us.  It was great to spend this time with you.

We will get a photo album together to share.  

See you on the next adventure!!

PS while waiting at our gate - gate 46 - Maureen and Ron walked by.  Their gate is 44.  They will be leaving at 5:30.  Safe travels everyone!

Friday, September 15 - Day 11 - heading home

Sad day, beginning our journey back to Vancouver.  It will be good to get home to see mom and dad.  They have been looking after the house and picking tomatoes while we have been gone.  Thank you.

So on board the ship in the elevators they have rugs and each day they change them.  It was sad to see Friday.  It was exciting to see last week, Saturday knowing we had the adventure ahead of us.

Breakfast, lunch and whale watching.  The whales were a good distance away so no good photos from me.  Not sure if Larry or Ron get better ones.

We had a comedian on board, AJ Jamal and he and the cruise director had a little chat.  He will be performing in the World Stage tonight.

We have been enjoying our dinners in the dining room where the food has been great.  Before dinner we like to meet in the Crow's Nest.  Tonight was different as we went to see AJ Jamal at 6.  His show was 45 minutes.  Then to the Crow's Nest then dinner.

Walked around the ship before heading to bed.  It was a beautiful evening with lots of stars.  Today was a day of packing and we have to get our luggage set outside of our doors so the crew can get it downstairs for us to assist with our debarkation process in the morning.  

Thursday, September 14 – Day 10 - Ketchikan

Dave here - It was raining constantly in Ketchikan so I elected to do something undercover and thus the Lumberjack show.  I had never seen one so here was my chance.  The seats were under a roof but the action took place in the open air in front.  My photos pretty well tell the story.  There were lots of corny jokes by the MC. The jacks were college age males in good shape.  Lots of chopping, axe throwing, log climbing and log rolling in water.  Glad I went but I won't need to go again. Nor would I ever need to return to Ketchikan.

Lisa - Up for breakfast buffet.  Mass at 8.  Maureen and I did a shore excursion to Eagle Island.  Since we were anchored, we had to take the tender ashore.  It was a 7 minute ride in rough water.  Got to the dock and boarded a bus to take us.  We were provided a paddle and life jacket and a dry bag.  We opted to not have the spray skirt.  Maureen was in the back and had rudder controls.  We went along the left shore life and a guide pointed out starfish.  We paddled across to Eagle Island and saw an eagle's nest.  There were beautiful mountains in the distance and slowly they were becoming obscured by the rain.  The rain kept getting closer and we were getting wet.  Wish we had the spray skirt!  We paddled 2.3 miles total with rests for people to catch up.  Coming back across it was windy and rainy but Mo did a good job keeping us pointed in the right direction.  One of the guides picked up a starfish and said we could name it and then relocate it.  Mo thought Patrick would be a good name for him.  We took him for a little paddle and she then put him back into the water.  Got back to dock and it was a little chilly due to the rain and wind but we did just fine.  Bus ride back to the city center and met up with Joan, Larry and Ron.  Dave went back to the ship.

Dave went to the lumber jack show and was able to get off the ship by tender.  Ron, Larry and Joan were going to use the tender but the weather was rough and at 2:30 the ship was going to come to the dock so they had to wait a while before coming ashore.

When going ashore, the tender holds 150 people and we only had 84 on board.  Glad it wasn't any more.  Did some shopping in the rain and walked along Creek Street and saw some salmon trying to swim upstream.  There was also a salmon ladder where we could watch them trying to maneuver in there.  Seeing that in person you can understand how they knock themselves out by hitting the concrete.  In the wild, they jump right into bear's waiting mouths.

All aboard is 6:30 pm and went to the Crow's Nest for drinks and around 7 the ship left the port and we begin out journey to Vancouver.

Wednesday, September 13 - Day 9

DAVE HERE: Being on Holland America is a great benefit for a trip to Alaska because on HA and Princess are allowed in there to remain for most of a day. We spent hours amongst the glaciers, most notably the Johns Hopkins. Words are inadequate to express the size and majesty of the whole landscape. The very rugged mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist, feed the ice river which ends in the ice cliffs at the oceans edge. I don’t know how high the face is but I viewed it from deck 12, the Crow’s Nest, highest viewing point on the ship and the glacier top was above my line of sight. The ship was allowed to remain within a few hundred yards of the face for hours, pivoting back and forth to give all passengers a chance to see it well.

There was also a lot of wildlife in the area: seals floating by on big ice chunks; sea otters on their backs swimming much faster than I thought they could; eagles in the air and riding ice flows.

Lisa - The ship spent a long time at the glacier and I could see it calving, where chunks of ice break off and fall into the water.  It made a noise that would indicate it was going to fall.  So beautiful.  The ship served Dutch Pea Soup out on the bow but I didn't want to lose my spot at the rail so I missed out.

Tuesday, September 12 - Day 8

DAVE HERE: We arrived at Skagway the next morning to ride the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad, started in late 1800’s and completed at beginning of 1900’s. Gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1894. The rush was on a couple years later and Skagway was the closest port to get to the gold fields but up and over a very high mountain pass. They also had to bring a years worth of food with them around 2000 pounds. Some would hike the 40 miles carrying 100lbs to the Canadian border where they would stockpile it and then return tor another load until they had all they needed to continue. A railroad obviously would make this a lot simpler so one was started. Unfortunately the rush was over before the railroad was completed. It is still a thrilling ride, often just feet from the edge of cliffs, thru tunnels and over tressles. It rises 2,888 ft. and was built with great courage and effort.

“At the peak of the Gold Rush, Skagway was the largest city in Alaska wukon ith over 10,000 residents, about ten times more than today. This area is also where Jack London got his inspiration for Call of the Wild while seeking his fortunes and where John W. Nordstrom earned enough from a gold mine stake to open his first department store in Seattle in 1901.”

Monday, September 11

We arrived in Juneau at 1 pm and got off the boat at 1:15 to walk around until our excursion to Mendenhall Glacier at 2:30.

DAVE HERE: I did the short version of the glacier tour, short walk right to the viewing area and an elevator to the visitors center. The rest of the crew walked a couple miles to see a waterfall. The immensity of the landscape, the mountains, the ocean, the glacier, is overwhelming. The glaciers are formed by snow falling on the surrounding mountains in great quantity, 100 ft or more, compressing into ice and sliding in the valleys and thence into the sea. It’s hard to take it all in when viewed. We viewed from so far away that we don’t get a good grasp of the actual size of what we are viewing but even from far away they appear immense. I guess the closest we viewed the glacier from land was a half mile. We saw people in canoes and kayaks paddling closer. Wish I had known of that opportunity. Also saw and photographed some salmon swimming upstream.

Our ship is over 900 ft long. Our rooms are near the stern and many of the activities are near the bow. I figured out that six trips is over a mile. Tough on me using a cane.

Finished excursion and went to a little bar for drinks then back to boat for dinner. All Aboard is 9:30 pm and boat will travel to Skagway overnight. We are scheduled to arrive at 7 am. 

While out on our walk, there was a beautiful waterfall that I got very close to and got some good photos. Also had a great photo opportunity to view the glacier.  Just amazing the size of it and knowing it is all snow and ice.

Saw some salmon swimming in a little stream.  I haven't seem salmon swimming around before, they are usually already filets.

Tuesday, September 12 - Day 8

DAVE HERE: as usual I was awake very early and finally got up at about 530am and worked my way up to the Crow's Nest on deck 12. I had a 180 degree view forward and could see a ray of sun peeking thru the clouds at the coast near Juneau. Took a great photo which I intend to make a hard copy of to hang on a wall. I went out on deck 9 at the bow and the wind blew the 40 degree air right thru my clothes. I guess the water temp to be no more than 40.