Alaska or Bust
Elsa's 50th State
and Long-Awaited Cruise
Part Two - A Week at Sea
The answer to Elsa's Dream
Princess Cruises has 17 ships. The largest holds just over 3000 passengers
The Golden Princess carries 2500 passengers and a crew of 1100
It is 950 feet long and 17 stories tall, requiring some time to figure out what was where
Boarding after Check-In
Our cabin on the 11th deck, second from the highest, was small, but quite comfortable
A chocolate-heart treat every night
Plenty of channels on the TV
Peeking from closet and bathroom entry
Generous Closet
Happy Hour on our Balcony
Our view, still docked in Whittier, near Anchorage
Leaving the dock at Whittier
Selfie, the hard way
The robes are on loan from the ship
Next morning, Buffet Breakfast at Sea
Testing the Spa
Presentation after breakfast the first day...
Where we learn this cruise is not about Alaska
It's about separating tourists from their money
Upping the energy level, the Sales Host throws a prize into the audience
The Atrium, where levels 5, 6 and 7 open up in the middle of the ship
Glacier Bay Schedule
Glacier Ahead
All Hands On Deck for Glacier Viewing
Taking the more adventuresome up to the face of the glacier
Or, if you prefer, relax in your deck chair and watch TV
The Accidental Tourists visit a Glacier
When huge chunks fall into the water...
the sound reaches you a few seconds later
The small pieces of ice between the boat and the glacier broke off
just a few minutes ago and have started to float away from the glacier
The ship was rotated so both sides got a good view
The gulls have learned to catch Cheez-It crackers in mid-air
Elsa gives it a try...
Docking in Skagway
This time, our side faces the dock
This must be Skagway, winter population less than 1500
Our Skagway City Tour Bus
The most-photographed building in Skagway
The harbor, the city and the airport runway, in front
The other end of the city and the other end of the airport
The Cruise Industry looms over the city
Each ship drops off 2000 to 3000 tourists
White Pass and Yukon Railroad runs on 3-foot wide narrow-gauge tracks
They deal with some serious snow in the winter
It took two locomotives to push the steam-powered plow through 12-foot drifts
Tides in Skagway vary by up to 24 feet
Anchorage is even higher, with up to 40 foot variation
Driving up the valley, away from Skagway
The WP&YR train passes above Pitchfork Falls
Passing into Canada momentarily to look back into Alaska
The border is at the top of the pass. The check point is 8 miles down the road
You can walk into the USA from Mexico, but you need a passport here
Boarding the White Pass & Yukon Route Train
Leaving Skagway
The river is colored white by the finely-ground sediment it carries
The trestle on the left has been long abandoned
Another train is descending to the right...
and here it passes us
A portion of the trail the gold-rush miners used to get to the Yukon
long before the railroad was built
Another Bear, for Good Luck
In the distance, cruise ships in the Skagway harbor
After a Big Day in Skagway
Arriving in Juneau at 8:00 AM
Papa Bear and Mama Bear
The tram makes a six-minute ascent of 3,819-foot
Mount Roberts from the cruise ship docks to a height of about 1,800 feet
Off to visit the Mendenhall Glacier
You Are Here! How do they know that?
It's still there, but a lot smaller than when I last visited 35 years ago
Year 1986 on the Left, Year 2012 on the Right
Bald Eagles are Everywhere
Two Salmon swimming upstream to Spawn
To spawn or not to spawn, that is the question
Two Ducks, trying out Salmon Sushi
Salmon which was once swimming upstream to Spawn
In Juneau, our side of the ship faced the water
Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, is not directly accessible by road.
Access to the city is by Air and Sea. Cars and trucks are transported
to and from Juneau by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system
Only 30,000 people live in Juneau, but it's the second largest city
in the United States by area, 2,700 square miles
The Hot Spot for Salmon
Juneau
The city has made "land" by building on pilings out over the water
More Real Estate under construction
Juneau Arrival, 6:30 AM - Juneau Departure, 5:00 PM
More than 1 million people visit every year
Plenty of Pine Trees to see, but not much else
Trial run for new Jade (the Alaskan Gem) Bear Pendant and Ear-rings
Bored with the Buffet, we tried the DIning Room. Excellent Service !
Elsa found out how fast $20.00 can disappear at the Blackjack table
After a Big Day in Juneau, TV Remote Control in her hand
We arrived in Ketchikan at 10:00 AM
The ship approaching will take a half-hour to dock behind us
We got the prime parking place, disembarking at the city center
Ketchikan, population, 8000, is "The Salmon Capital of the World"
Elsa, greeting her long-lost friend, Joan
Creek Street
The birds are waiting for fish that are tired of spawning
The city as seen from the top deck of the ship
Totem Bight Park
Community Meeting Room and Storage Area
Main entrance to the Community Room
An unwelcome visitor arrives at a physical disadvantage
due to the forced crouching posture
You can have a pole carved for you for $500 per foot
Leaving Ketchikan
Back on Board at 5:30 PM, we had only 7 1/2 hours to see it all
Ketchikan - On a Sunny Day
The High Rent End of the Ship
The Group Picture...
Forty people from as far as Australia and New Zealand traveled on the bus with us
Twenty showed up for the Farewell Picture
Arrival in Vancouver, Canada, at 7:00 AM
The population of Vancouver is 3 million, three times larger than all of Alaska
Fuel Barge being pushed into place. Fuel is purchased by the ton, not by the gallon
Passengers leave the ship in groups by destination, with all
2,500 people and 5000 suitcases whisked off in 2 hours
Our bus will tour the city for 3 hours on the way to the airport
Looking back on Vancouver from Stanley Park
Canadian Geese, in Canada, Naturally
Totem Poles are cheaper if you take the un-painted option
I'll talk after you sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement
A picture will be $3.00, cash in advance
The Lions Gate Bridge
Vancouver House - there must have been a reason...
A 1700 square foot, 2-bedroom, 3 bath penthouse will cost you $9 million Canadian Dollars
Entering China Town
The Gastown Steam Clock
The clock is electric. The hourly and quarter-hourly whistles run on steam
from the pipes under the street used to heat local buildings
On the way to the Vancouver Airport
Please Feed Me - Starving in Seattle after the 45 minute flight from Vancouver
The Last Leg - Seattle to Orange County, 2 1/2 hours
Then only 3 miles more to get home
The End...