The day after our wonderful wedding we departed Houston for Anchorage. We arrived late, so we didn’t get to do much sightseeing the first day.
aaaahh!
After sleeping late the following morning, we headed out to see some sights on our way to Whittier, where the cruise terminal is located.
But first we had to make one quick pit stop at the Anchorage Wal-Mart, which has the biggest selection of Alaska souvenirs on the planet. Caps, shirts, moose dropping earrings, ulu knives.. you name it, they have it. (To those of you reading this who got a gift upon our return.. we bought your gift from a local craftsman in the Alaskan wilderness. Er, right.)
So, after the serious business of souvenir shopping was over, we continued down the scenic Alaskan highway, stopping a couple times to take short hikes and view wildlife. One place where we got to see many of the big Alaskan animals was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a non-profit organization that rescues injured animals. There we saw bears, elk, moose, and more.
The next stop was the town of Whittier, where our ship was docked. Upon arrival we dropped of the rental car and boarded the Princess Dawn. We waved bon voyage to Whittier and stopped by the buffet before calling it an evening.
Moose at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Elk at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Wilderness south of Anchorage
During the next two days our cruise took us to College Fjord, which is home to 16 glaciers named after Ivy League Colleges, and Glacier Bay, which is home to massive glaciers and a plethora of sea life. Annette was particularly excited when we got to see puffins. Did you know that a group of puffins is called an improbability? This is what the onboard naturalist told us. Apparently it is true. In Glacier Bay the captain parked the ship a couple hundred yards away from a glacial wall so we could all watch and wait for the glacier to calve. Unfortunately while we were there we didn’t see any major ones.. only a few ice cubes plopping into the water below. As we continued southward we did get to see the first of many humpback whales. We were often close enough to the shoreline to see black bears foraging on the beaches.
College Fjord
Annette whale watching
Did we mention it gets cold in Alaska?
Glacier Bay
Day 4 brought our first stop in the town of Skagway. Annette and I decided to pass on the organized tours and instead took a walking tour of town and the neighboring wilderness. We were rewarded with beautiful views of waterfalls and the bay, and streams full of red and brown salmon swimming upstream to their breeding grounds.
Skagway
Skagway
Waterfall near Skagway
Hiking near Skagway
Beach near Skagway
Our ship
Our next stop was Juneau, the capital of Alaska, where we took a tour to the Mendenhall glacier and learned more about how glaciers form. We found out that many of the glaciers in Alaska (including Mendenhall glacier) are receding, while others are actually advancing.
Next we departed for a whale watching tour in the waters around Juneau. At first the whales eluded us, but we enjoyed the chance to see bald eagles and harbor seals. Finally the captain found a pod of humpback whales and we were able to watch them feeding in the bay. Later, back on the big ship, we decided to jump in the hot tub and watch the world go by.
Mendenhall Glacier
Whale watching outise of Juneau
On day 6 we arrived in Ketchikan (future home of the $200 million ‘bridge to nowhere’), where we had a real adventure in store – sea Kayaking! Annette was a bit apprehensive at first, but I promised that I would not tip over our two-person kayak. After all, the water is a bit chilly in Alaska. Once we arrived at the outfitter, we suited up in rain gear and life jackets and boarded an inflatable boat that took us to a remote island in the Tatoosh wilderness. There we were given some brief instructions before we squeezed into our kayak and set off. The waters were mostly calm as we paddled around the small wooded islands. There were many bald eagles nesting in the tall pine trees. Below us we could see brightly colored starfish. One of the tour guides retrieved a starfish for us to examine more closely. On our way back to our home beach we were visited by dolphins that were feeding around us. We never tipped over, but Annette did accuse me of making her do all the paddling. Not true! The inflatable boat ride back was even more fun since the seas and wind had risen a bit while we were kayaking. We were forced to huddle up as sea spray and cold winds battered us all the way back. Ok, so Annette did not think it was that fun, but to me it was a true Alaskan experience.
Back in Ketchikan, we toured the town and visited the Totem Heritage Center, which preserves totem poles and educated visitors about their history.
Getting ready to kayak near Ketchikan
Wes has a Starfish
Annette - pro kayaker
Totem Heritage Center
Who is scarier?
That evening, back on the Dawn, we dressed up for the second formal night. This was also the evening that the ship’s staff set up a ‘champagne waterfall’ by stacking hundred of glasses in a pyramid configuration. Then they poured champagne into the top glass so that it would cascade into the glasses below. Annette thought it looked like fun so she decided to take part by pouring some champagne with the help of the head maitre d’.
I suppose I should also mention some of the entertainment offered on board – each night there was a Broadway-type show put on by the ship’s entertainment team. These were about what you would expect from a cruise ship but were adequately amusing. One evening we attended a magic show and I got to take part in the juggling act. Annette was so proud. The art auctions were also a big draw. We did not buy anything but we did find it entertaining to see which passengers were willing to spend large sums of money on some of the tackier pieces, for example a painting of a green olive snow skiing.
Champagne Waterfall
Cruising the inside passage
On our final full day aboard the ship we sat on the deck and enjoyed views of the inside passage. We were again rewarded with humpback whale sightings, and also several killer whales. The day was capped with a beautiful Alaskan sunset.
The next morning we arrived in Vancouver Canada. After disembarking we had time to tour downtown and Stanley park before heading to the Airport.
Alaska exceeded our expectations; we greatly enjoyed the cool weather, beautiful scenery and wildlife. It is definitely on our to-do-again list.
Annette makes friends with the wildlife
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