HOLLAND AMERICA MS AMSTERDAM CRUISE 2011 -
14 GLORIOUS DAY IN ALASKA
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue
May 27-28, 2011 – Embarkation Seattle and day one cruising Inside Passage
The anticipation of a vacation is sometimes as exciting as the actual time away. One thing that made this departure especially fun and exciting for me was a surprise I had arranged with our friends, Rob & Christie who live in Portland. We surprised Jim at Seattle/Tacoma airport! As Jim and I made our way through the terminal and on to Baggage Claim where we were to meet our Holland America representative for our transfer from the airport to the ship, Rob & Christie were there to greet us and yell out “Hey Melvin – need a ride?” The look of surprise on Jim’s face was priceless and immediately turned to smiles and lots of hugs all around. We made our way from Sea/Tac Airport up to the Space Needle in downtown Seattle, where we enjoyed lunch with an incredible 360 degree view from the top! The restaurant rotates every 47 minutes and offers an absolutely beautiful view of Seattle and area.
We flew into Seattle under very cloudy skies and a light misty rain when we disembarked the plane. Miraculously the storm clouds vanished and gave way to the sun and blue skies. It was absolutely glorious! We could see out west to the snow capped Olympic Peninsula and mountains; but Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainer remained hidden behind the thick clouds to the east of Seattle.
Our lunch was delicious; and we enjoyed a glass of wine and toast to dear friends. Each of us ordered something different from the wide variety of offerings on the menu; and we were all happy with our respective choices. After lunch, we walked up to the observation deck of the Space Needle where we could see not only our ship, the Holland America MS Amsterdam in port, as well as Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, Celebrity Infinity and Carnival Spirit. After taking a few pictures of the incredible views, Christie managed to find us a table up in the snack area where we sat and played a game of Euchre – our favorite card game – and the gals got lucky today and won! Whew hew!
Our time with Rob and Christie was over all too soon; and we all felt the same about our time together – it wasn’t enough – but we loved it. They drove us to Pier 91 and after more hugs and thank you’s, we checked in and boarded the ship. There was no one in line in front of us or behind us, for that matter – so checking in a little later definitely has its’ advantages! Many many thanks again for Rob & Christie for our surprise at the airport, delicious lunch and private car transfer to the ship!
The whistle sounded loudly at 5:00 p.m. as we left the port of Seattle and headed north through the Puget Sound and up along Vancouver Island and the Inside Passage. We had a few sprinkles on the windows as we left port; but that was it for the rain! Knock on wood! Though it remained cloudy Friday evening, we could see for miles and miles and it was beautiful.
Our cabin is a “standard” verandah cabin. There is a full couch along with our bed and plenty of closet and storage space. We enjoy our balcony with the chase lounge, chair and small table – but most of the time we are standing up to see what there is to see. Our dinner companions are a mother and daughter (Mamie and Stephanie from Texas and another couple, the Andersons – also from Texas). Our table is right next to the aft windows and we have a glorious view of the wake of the ship and where we have been during the day.
Our first day was spent at sea, getting to know where things are on the ship and meeting our dinner companions and other people along the way. The skies above were solid clouds but no rain. We passed several white lighthouses with red, tile roofs at Scarlett Point and Pine Island before leaving the Queen Charlotte Strait and heading out into the open ocean of the Queen Charlotte Sound. And yes, we did see some of those magnificent black and whites gliding smoothly through the waters along Vancouver Island! It was a small pod. Not everyone on the ship saw them; so we felt lucky to have been looking out off our balcony when they passed quickly by heading south.
We joined “Darren” the fitness guy on the ship at 7:30 in the morning to walk a mile in our quest to Trek the Deck for our precious Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers for Walk for the Cure for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. We wear our denim JDRF shirts every morning and walk 3 ½ times around the deck for a mile. It is enjoyable. I walk at my own pace (slow walker here!) and the others walk more briskly than I – but we are all out there! There are several dozen walkers on the ship every morning. There’s still time to sign up to sponsor us if you go to the JDRF website!
Unfortunately, towards the end of the day as we headed out into Queen Charlotte South, the seas became quite rough and it was uncomfortable – so for a good number of passengers on the Amsterdam (me included) we suffered a bit with seasickness. Jim went to dinner without me. We ordered some room service for me; and he also was very kind to make sure I had an ample supply of ginger ale and saltine crackers. Though I have still not tried it yet; on the menu for room service for “rough sea days” you can order green apples and saltine crackers. I’ve heard this is helps but haven’t indulged as of yet.
Tomorrow is Ketchikan – I’ll be in touch when we have internet service. I am finding as I did last year, that internet service is not always available. Till next time…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #2
May 29, 2011 – Ketchikan
We were still under cloudy skies when we arrived in Ketchikan this morning. Lucky for us – no rain! The sidewalks were crowded with passengers from the three cruise ships that were in Ketchikan today.
One of the things I want to do on this cruise is to go revisit some of the places that we visited 10 years ago on our first cruise to Alaska. So, in Ketchikan we went out to Totem Bight Park. It is one of three places where you can see totem poles – both original and ones that were duplicated to preserve the originals back in the early 1930’s.
Ketchikan is on Gravina Island and only accessible by water or air. Ketchikan’s first salmon canning facility was built in 1887; and it is now known as “the salmon capital of the world”. It is also known as “the first city” – not because it was Alaska’s first city, but because it is usually the first city that cruise ship passengers visit on their way north through the Inside Passage. It is the jumping off point for Misty Fjords National Monument. Though we have not been there, I understand the glacial valley is full of waterfalls and sheer granite cliffs where the glaciers were during the Ice Age. Ketchikan gets approximately 130 inches of rain each year; and they proudly display a larger-than-life rain gauge near the cruise dock indicating how much rain has fallen as of that date.
Totem Bight Park is approximately 10 miles north of downtown Ketchikan; and Saxman Village is approximately 13 miles south of downtown. A “bight is a small inlet of water or bay. Totem Bight is home to 13 native totem poles facing the Tongass Narrows. There are 22 poles at Saxman Village. The largest collection of original poles is at the Totem Cultural Heritage Center.
Our visit to Totem Bight Park was interesting. We heard stories of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes and that there are two clans – the raven and the eagle. The other native tribe is the Tshimshian. There is a clan house where the tribe lived. On the outside of the clan house are the carvings indicating which clan lived there. The Tlingit women wove beautiful blankets and baskets from the wool of mountain goats and cedar bark twine. There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the clan house with wooden platforms around all four walls where the families slept. Clan houses are rectangular in shape and most have totems on the edges of the front corners. We saw the tallest totem in Ketchikan at Totem Bight Park and several others that were carved at the bottom then uncarved wood for two-thirds of the way up and a large animal carving at the very top.
One of the other things both Jim and I were looking forward to was indulging in some fresh crab legs at our favorite restaurant in Ketchikan, Steamers. Unfortunately, Steamers did not survive the recession and is no longer in business. The new restaurant was good - but not the same. Sitka Tex sang and played the guitar and fiddle to entertain us while we were there
After lunch we walked over to Creek Street which is the former red-light district. The wooden houses were built along the Ketchikan Creek and legend has it that the prospectors and men of the town would take the back way in along “Married Men’s Path” to go to be entertained by the ladies in the brothels. The wooden plank walkway curves and the brothels of the Gold Rush era are now home to art galleries and souvenir shops. There are a couple of Tlingit art galleries that have nice handmade Indian crafts
Ketchikan was under cloudy skies until about 5:00 p.m. when the Amsterdam got underway. We cruised south along Gravina Island down through Nichols Passage and past Metlakatka on Annette Island. The salmon derby opened in Ketchikan today; and we were told that a king salmon larger than last year’s winner had already been caught. We passed several skiffs with the anxious fishermen all standing hoping to catch the winning fish. The waters of Nichols Passage and Claremnce Strait were so calm at one point that I thought we just gliding on a mirror. The reflections of the trees on the islands glimmered in the still waters. It was low tide and therefore many of the normally submerged tiny islands were visible in the distance. The snow capped mountains of Price Wales Island jaggedly jutted up against the blue skies. Eventually, a light breeze began to blow and the mirrored waters were replaced with a little ripple. The waters remained calm throughout the night – which made dinner much more enjoyable for me!
Tomorrow – Tracy Arm Fjord cruising – till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #3
Tracy Arm Fjord and Twin Sawyer Glaciers
May 30, 2011
We woke early Monday morning – Memorial Day – and began our day with room service bringing us some hot coffee. When we opened the curtains, there was not a cloud in the sky and the waters of Frederick Sound were calm and still; and the snow capped mountains reflected in the mirrored waters below. It was glorious! This is one of God’s Greatest Majesties! We “trekked the deck” for our Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers then went back to our room to grab the camera and we were off to the Crow’s Nest – the area up on the top deck with plate glass windows and nice chairs for viewing.
This area is a rich feeding ground for the humpback whales; and several showed up to say hello as we glided down the channel towards Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glaciers. The whales kept their distance from the ship; but every now and then we could see a tale as one would dive down to feed. The other passengers up in the Crow’s Nest had their binoculars out and ready to spot anything that surfaced. We were between Kuiu Island and Baranof Island in the Chatham Strait when we saw several whales. The waters remained completely calm with not even a ripple from a light breeze. As we passed The Brothers Islands more whales were spotted in the distance; but none ever came close enough to photograph.
As we entered Tracy Arm Fjord, the travel guide on the ship, Jeannette began her narration offering lots of information about the area’s history, geography, topography and wildlife. There were waterfalls everywhere you looked that were cascading down from hundreds of feet up the steep cliffs of the fjord. The striations on the cliffs (lines on the cliffs almost like the circles of a tree trunk) showed where the glaciers had been hundreds of years ago. Every so often an iceberg would float by indicating we were getting close to the Sawyer Glaciers.
It took almost 3 hours to cruise slowly back into the “S” curves of Tracy Arm where the glaciers were. The icebergs became thicker and thicker. Some were white and some were deep colors of blue and turquoise. The ice is so dense that it reflects everything except blue. Unfortunately, the ship’s Captain and pilot did not feel we could safely cruise any farther back than the last turn before you go right to the South Sawyer Glacier. We could see it off in the distance; and we were so close – but still so far away. The river of ice was too thick; and the Amsterdam slowly turned around and retraced our route through the fjord. We saw one baby harbor seal on a bergie bit resting peacefully as its mama swam around the edge keeping a watchful eye out for safety.
We talked with several different people out and about on deck during our time in Tracy Arm and enjoyed getting to know them. It is always interesting to hear their stories of coming to Alaska and where they are from. The passengers are from as far away as Holland and all over the lower 48 states and Hawaii.
Tomorrow is Tuesday and we will be in Juneau. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #4
Juneau, Alaska
May 31, 2011
Once again we woke to clear, blue skies and felt so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy Juneau on such a gorgeous day. We cruised down the Gastineau Channel towards Juneau and arrived there about 7:00 a.m. Our hot coffee was delivered to the room by 7:30 a.m., and we began getting ready for a very special day. We had no idea how truly incredible the day would be; but as it greeted us, we welcomed it with arms wide open!
It is not often that I actually get to meet my clients. Because most of my clients come from the internet, they live all over the world! Today, however, was different. I had arranged a custom trip to Alaska for Rick & Mary from Minnesota – and as luck would have it, they arrived in Juneau to begin their Alaska adventure yesterday – and when Jim & I got off the Amsterdam this morning, we met them! Rick & Mary and their son Matt met us in front of the Red Dog Saloon and after hugs all around, we wandered over to the Paradise Café for a little breakfast.
We discovered Paradise Café with Mark and Debbie last year on our Cruise West Inside Passage cruise from Juneau to Seattle. They served delicious food then and they did not disappoint this year either! I enjoyed a delicious and light homemade frittata while others had breakfast burritos or quiche. Rick bough “breakfast dessert” – a heavenly piece of berry cobbler. While that was passed around the table so we could all indulge, we sat and talked for quite awhile and enjoyed getting to know each other. Then we took off on our adventure in Juneau.
As we walked up Franklin Street (the main street for souvenir shops), we passed an old building marked Juneau Laundry. It was concrete and 1917 was stamped into the front face of the building. Franklin Street has quite a dramatic incline. Our destination was up to 5 Street and St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. As many times as we have been to Juneau, neither of us could ever recall visiting this church. It is a small white octagon shape building with a sky blue roof and painted gold trim and cross on top. She faces downtown Juneau from her perch on the hill and has a beautiful view. The church holds 75 standing parishioners on Sunday mornings.
After visiting St. Nicholas, our next destination was the Alaska State Capital building. It is a mighty building of solid granite and also stands near St. Nicholas Church facing downtown Juneau and the Gastineau Channel. We went into the lobby briefly and saw two handsome wooden carvings on both sides of the entrance on the walls. They depicted life during the Gold Rush era. About half a block away in front of another government building, is an enormous bronze statue of a bear.
We met up again with Rick & Mary and Matt for lunch at the Twisted Fish Restaurant near the tramway building for Mount Roberts. While we enjoyed our lunch, the conversation and company was better; and before we knew it, it was time for Rick, Mary and Matt to be picked up for their Photo Safari by Land & Sea of Juneau. Meeting my clients and actually getting to know them and spend a little time with them on the trip that I had put together for them was an incredibly special thing for me. Thank you Mittelstadts for giving me the opportunity to help you with your Alaskan adventure!
Our afternoon continued with our river float on the Mendenhall River. A motor coach picked us up near our ship at 4:00 p.m. and we were taken out to Mendenhall Glacier Lake which is about 15 miles north of downtown Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier is part of the Juneau Ice Field – the fifth largest ice field in the U.S.
After putting on our yellow, rubber overalls and knee high rubber boots and life jackets, we were all assigned to our raft and guide. After the 10 of us climbed into the rubber raft, our guide, Kevin shoved us offshore and away we went. The wind was blowing strongly; there were white caps on Mendenhall Lake and for the life of me, I do not understand why they put the rafts in the water on the far side of the lake making it necessary for the guides to paddle backwards to cross the lake and enter Mendenhall River! Crossing the lake in these conditions took about 45 minutes; and we never got to see the face of the glacier!
Once we reached the head of Mendenhall River, the four guides waited for all to catch up and begin the journey down. The glacial waters were now calm and the river was quite peaceful. There are homes all along the river with large decks and spectacular views. Many people were out in their yards today and waved as we floated by. There were a couple of places on the rover with Class 1 rapids, but nothing large or dangerous.
The highlight of our river float was one of the people in the front raft spotting a bear cub in the water along the river’s edge. It was a brown bear with a spot of beige on the chest. The cub scurried up the embankment and disappeared too soon for us to get any really good pictures. But! The mama bear was nearby, and came meandering through the brush along the river and followed the edge to a clearing about 25-30 feet away from our rafts. She stopped when she got to the clearing, almost as if she was posing for us and saying she gave her approval to take her picture! We floated by all too quickly; but I guarantee you that those cameras were clicking away as fast as those shutters would let us click them! Not too much farther down river, someone else spotted a bald eagle resting on a piece of driftwood right along the river embankment. He had his back to the river and so the pictures I got did not show the handsome face of this majestic bird.
At the end of our 5 mile river float, we landed in a clearing under the bridge of the highway. We took off our rain gear and were treated to some reindeer sausage and salmon dip with crackers and hot cider to warm us up. The motor coach took us all back to the Amsterdam around 9:00 p.m.
Jim and I had dinner that night in the Canaletto Italian restaurant onboard the Amsterdam because the Lido buffet was already closed. He enjoyed Chicken Marsala while I indulged in some bowtie pasta with fresh seafood in a light olive oil and garlic sauce with freshly grated Parmesano cheese on top. I somehow feel obligated to have the fresh seafood while I am in Alaska. It was delicious!
The Amsterdam left Juneau after 10:00 p.m. while the sun was just setting in the west. The lights of the city were just starting to come on and twinkle in the twilight. We had a spectacular day from beginning to end!
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #5
Icy Strait Point, Alaska
June 1, 2011
One of the ports that we have been looking forward to on this trip to Alaska is Icy Strait Point near the Tlingit Indian village of Hoonah. Hoonah boasts the largest population of Tlingit Indians – 875! What once was a community built around the fishing industry and canning, has now transformed itself into a popular cruise port and home of the tallest and longest zip line. And, yes friends, I am going to do the zip line today at Icy Strait Point!
Icy Strait is a tender port – meaning that the ship must anchor out in the bay of Port Frederick and shuttle passengers to and from the ship to the pier by way of the ship’s tenders. We had an early breakfast in our cabin and then gathered our things to meet our fellow zippers in the lounge for our tender. There were many sea lions swimming in the waters around the ship before we got underway.
Once on shore, we had to sign a waiver and release form and receive our wrist bands showing we had paid and were approved to board the bus that would take us on a 45 minute ride up the sea level to about 1,800 feet where we would then zip down the mountain in about 90 seconds!
The bus ride was quote enjoyable with our Tlingit driver, Jimmy Dalton. He said he was a native of Hoonah; and we therefore found it peculiar that he had to read his welcome in his native language instead of actually knowing the language. Nonetheless, he was quite delightful and full of interesting tidbits about the area and his Indian heritage. The panoramic views along the way were breathtaking. Looking down on the Spaska River Valley and Port Frederick was beautiful; but after a while, we found ourselves up in the clouds with no view at all.
Jimmy let us off at the top of the mountain where we had to then hike down about 5-10 minutes to the zip line platform. There was a nice, crackling fire burning in a clearing nearby; and while others chose to go out onto the platform and wait their turn to zip, we chose to stay with Bev and Bob and Jim and Mary around the fire. Ours was the last group of six zip riders to experience the thrill of this adventure. And, let me tell you – it was a thrill!
We each had our own canvas seat where we were harnessed in tightly and instructed to put our feet out in front of us on the door of our respective gates. I was at Gate No. 5 and Jim was at Gate No. 6. I had my little camcorder in my hand and wrapped around my wrist and held up tight against the strap of my harness; and when the countdown began, it was filming! The gates opened and I was out of the shoot like a rocket! We were in the clouds for about the first third of our way down the mile cable; and then we were greeted with a spectacular view across Icy Strait over towards Glacier Bay. Incredible! Exhilarating! Exciting! I was going 60 miles an hour flying through the air but it did not seem that fast to me! 90 seconds goes by too quickly; and our ride was ended abruptly at the bottom of the mountain where the brakes grabbed and jolted us all to a stop. I did it! And, we indulged in the traditional Zipper Shot afterwards with Jim and Mary – a combination of vodka and orange liqueur. It warmed us up and felt good on my throat. I became almost instantly hoarse after my ride.
After walking through the museum a bit afterwards and making a couple of purchases in one of the local shops where I got a gorgeous Tlingit Indian silk scarf with colors of black, red and a bronze, we enjoyed some good fish and chips out on the deck overlooking the bay. The clouds above gave way to warm sunshine and we were blessed again with another glorious day in Alaska!
I am trying to figure out how to upload my 2 minute zip line video complete with screaming out of the gate! Once I do, I’ll share with all of you!
We caught a tender back to the ship and we decided to take advantage of the laundry where we did a couple of loads of wash and got that all taken care of before most of the passengers got back to the ship. That worked out really well. It costs $2.00 in quarters per load of wash with no charge for the dryers.
At 4:00 p.m. MS Amsterdam left Icy Strait Point and began our voyage up to Anchorage. Tomorrow will be at relaxing day at sea. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #6
Day at Sea
June 2, 2011
Thursday was our second relaxing day at sea. And, that is precisely what we did – relaxed. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast up on the Lido and then began our activities. We enjoyed another culinary demonstration down in the Culinary Arts Center. This time our Cruise Director, Jimmy from Australia made crab cakes. Now mind you – this was supposed to be funny, and it was; but Holland America also gave us the real recipe. Jimmy’s version included lots and lots of Tabasco sauce. In fact, he put so much in the crab cake mixture that it would have been spicy hot anyways; but then proceeded to pour it all over the cake once he placed it in the pan full of hot oil. As if that wasn’t enough, when he turned the cake which was now almost crispy black because he said he liked it crispy, he poured the other half of the bottle on the other side. Needless to say he did not get many volunteers to taste his masterpiece! However, he tried it himself and said his tongue was on fire! How odd!
We stopped by the Explorations Café and had Josalito make us a warm coffee latte and Jim read the New York Times condensed version that they provide daily to the passengers and I came down to the cabin for awhile for do a little journaling.
The day continued by attending a Microsoft Techspert hour where you could go ask your questions for the computer guy. The comedian, who performed the other night, gave a talk later in the afternoon on the Secret of Comedy which was interesting and then we stayed for BINGO. And, I won the second game! Had I been the only winner, my jackpot would have been $200 – but I split it with one other lady and so we each walked away with $100.
Before dinner we wandered up to the Crow’s Nest and played Trivia with Jim and Mary front our zip adventure and we won! We got Holland America pins. After that we headed down for dinner in the dining room and then went back up on the back of the ship to enjoy the sunset as the Amsterdam proceeded north up along the Kenai Peninsula on to Anchorage where we will be tomorrow. After not seeing much but open ocean for most of the day, around 9:00 p.m. we could start to see the white tops of the mountains. Spouts from whales could be seen far off in the distance from our table at dinner. We are still waiting for them to be closer and give us a real dinner show!
Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #7
Anchorage
June 3, 2011
A week goes by so quickly when you are on vacation! It is even days since we boarded the ship in Seattle and now, our cruise is already half over. I can honestly say that this has been a wonderful respite for me and I am completely and totally relaxed. I love Alaska – oh – but then you know that already don’t you!?
Last year the city of Anchorage dredged the channel in the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet and made way so cruise ships could actually call on the city of Anchorage now. Before this, they had to either stop at Whittier or Seward and the passengers would have to either take a motor coach or the train up to Anchorage. The port is downtown and virtually 5 minutes away from the Alaska Railroad terminal. This is where we caught our train for our all day adventure on the Alaska Railroad today.
We boarded car D and soon were heading through the port district along the Cook Inlet. The tide was low and therefore the mud flats were exposed. Though it appears that you could walk far out, these mud flats are like quick sand. You must be very cautious when venturing out there, because there is a 20-25 foot range in tide; and if the tide starts coming in, you could get stuck out there.
The train began to travel adjacent to the Sterling Highway along the Turnagain Arm. When Captain Cook came here in search of the Northwest Passage, he sailed his boat into this inlet of water and because of the tides, had to turn around and try to come back in again and again. Thus, Captain Cook named it Turnagain Arm. Across the water from the mainland is the Kenai Peninsula with its snow capped mountain peaks and thick forest of green.
We passed Potters Marsh, which is a wildlife and bird refuge with wooden walking platforms throughout the area for viewing. We continued on to Girdwood, the home of Alyeska Ski Resort. This area is also known as Glacier Valley. The turnoff for Girdwood is an area where there is still visible evidence of the results of the devastating earthquake on Good Friday on 1964. The ground dropped 6 feet and was immediately covered with the salt water for the Turnagain Arm which in turn killed all of the trees. There are three wooden roof tops that you can see from the side of the road – that is all that remains along with the grey tree trunks from all the trees that were submerged and died shortly afterwards because of the high tide from the tsunami.
The train went all the way to Whittier, although I do not understand why. We were not allowed to disembark the train to even take pictures. Nonetheless, it gave us a glimpse of Whittier – a small port south of Anchorage in the Chugach Mountain Range. The train changed direction and we began to go backwards to Portage, where we changed tracks and started out towards the Kenai Peninsula. We passed Spencer Glacier to our left about a mile away. While we were climbing the mountain to Grandview a large black bear was off to our right foraging through the bushes – probably looking for fresh berries. We were so far away that I could not get a clear picture – but I do have the shadow of the bear amongst the brush.
The further and further up the mountain we climbed, the more and more patches of snow were around us. From the bright green baby skunk cabbage and fresh ferns to the new spring shoots on the low lying brush that grew into aspen and cottonwood trees with the tender leaves blowing gently in the wind and then patches of tall pines, the valley below us was a patchwork of colors and textures because of the diverse landscape. Every now and then I saw a purple lupine sprouting up amongst the grasses. In the distance was a glacial river that meandered through the valley floor that was grayish turquoise in color from the glacial silt. It was so picturesque!
The train passed by Trail Glacier and Bartlett Glacier finally up to Grandview where we made a brief stop. By now, there was a misty rain falling from the clouds that somehow made everything fresher to me.
Every time I am in Alaska I am in awe of this spectacular great land. Seeing the snow capped mountains above the tree line is so beautiful to me and I know that I am truly in a very special place and when I visit it, I am somehow at home. Alaska is so incredibly magnificent. Each time I am here I am lucky to see new places and more astonishing views and vistas. My heart is happy here.
As I sit on the train now and jot down my notes, I cannot believe the view out my window. The clouds are high enough that I can see the sweeping rise from the valley floor to the mountain tops with the crevices of the mountain packed with snow that is now melting off with warmer weather and creating cascading waterfalls down the mountains. We saw a huge eagle nest with an eagle inside; but the train whisked by so quickly that I did not have enough time to get a clear picture. We also saw a moose in amongst the brush.
I wish I could explain how pristine and beautiful this is. I try to convey that in my journal notes and with my pictures; but somehow I do not feel even that gives it justice.
Our Alaska Railroad guide was a young man in high school and working as a guide for the summer. We spoke with him several times when he passed through the train car. The guides told us a story of Alaska Nellie who made her home in Grandview in the early 1900’s. It was quite interesting and I hope to be able to find the book about her in one of the book stores. They said that her husband was the man who held the key that unlocked her heart to love.
There have been a few people we have met on our cruise who have complained about the cold weather here. Some have said they are bored. Some have said they wanted to get to Anchorage so they could go shopping – at Walmart! To me – that is a shame and a travesty. The air may be brisk; but I think it is invigorating. It is clean and fresh and without pollution. The stars on a clear night seem so close you think you can reach out and touch them. Most of us who live in the lower 48 states have no idea how bright and spectacular the Milky Way truly is. Up here, it is larger than life. And with the Star Walk app for my iPad, I can go out on my balcony at night and hold it up towards the sky and I can see all the constellations right before my eyes. Technology is mind-boggling to me.
As we approached Anchorage on the way back to the ship, we spotted some Dahl sheep high on the jagged cliff above us. After we returned to the ship we enjoyed a light dinner in the Lido buffet and then called it a day. Tomorrow we will be in Homer, Alaska. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #8
Homer,Alaska
June 4, 2011
I visited Homer, Alaska about 15 years ago and went halibut fishing with friends from Anchorage. What I remembered as a small fishing village with a few wooden businesses built up on wooden pilings with wooden walkways and the Salty Dawg Saloon has now become a developed harbor with breakwater and condos down at the end of the “Homer Spit”. I was saddened to see that commercialism had begun to take away the quaintness of this area known as “land’s end” since I had last visited it.
The skies were overcast and the wind was blowing briskly outside. We bundled up with several layers to keep us warm along with our jackets. I wore my black, furry knit hat to keep my head warm; and several women commented saying they wished they had a hat like that to keep them warm.
We met our group in the parking lot of the marina where we walked across the parking lot and down a very steep steel ramp with treads to keep us from slipping and out to our boat where Captain Bob greeted us. Our guide today was Janet Klein – a Homer local who has written several books on the history of Homer. Both of them were delightful and shared a lot of information and stories about the area.
Leaving the marina we passed The Time Bandit – one of the fishing boats used for the TV series The Deadliest Catch. A couple of the men on board with us were elated and took several pictures.
Our first destination was 60 foot rock. It was named the men who discovered it because it stood 60 feet out of the water at high tide. While we were there, we saw dozens of sea otters playing in the frigid waters. There was even one up on the shore. I have to say that I was surprised to see this mammal out of the water. I have only seen these mammals in the water – never on land. Before me sat a furry animal with a small beige head and a black, round and quite plump body with two little hands and two little feet. I could not get over how big and round the body was. My perception has always been that sea otters have a lean body and that their fur was all beige like their head! Boy was I wrong!
Several of the otters were swimming in the waters around the boat; and one got a little closer to the boat than most of the others and was quite inquisitive. It was almost as if he stopped and pulled himself up out of the water to look right at us and said to us “okay, so take my picture!”
From 60 foot rock, Captain Bob showed us Grass Island – and yes, it was named by the men who discovered it because it has grass growing on it. Our guide, Janet, also explained that many of the glaciers around Alaska are named by the people who discovered them and perhaps lost their lives on them. There are over 100,000 glaciers in Alaska; and only 600-800 of them are named.
After leaving Grass Island and 60 Foot Rock, Captain Bob took us to Gull Island, a bird rookery that is home to thousands upon thousands of birds who come there to nest. As we approached Gull Island, there were hundreds of birds flying in flocks through the air and landing either on the island or in the waters below forming a bird “log”. There were seagulls, kittiwakes, puffin, cormorants, common murres all habituating Gull Island or flying around it. Janet said that later in the year, the stench from Gull Island is quite noticeable and unpleasant when you approach. But, if you want to see this incredible sight, you must cover your nose and tolerate it somehow.
We saw more sea otters swimming around the shoreline of Gull Island. At one end of the island, there is a huge hole almost in the shape of a heart that can be seen from both sides. It was quite picturesque. There are several grassy areas on Gull Island; and this is where the puffins were nesting. Puffins burrow in to those grassy areas to hatch their eggs while the kittiwakes and others nest on the rocks and in the crevasses.
Captain Bob turned the boat to head back in to Homer and three Japanese Navy ships passed by us on the port side. We were told that they had been doing exercises with the U.S. Navy somewhere in the area and were going to anchor out near Homer for the night. I must say, it was odd – and we did not understand why they were so close.
After our excursion was over, we were dropped in town to walk around Homer Spit a little. I was lucky enough to find one of Janet Klein’s books at a small souvenir shop; and I quickly bought it as a nice memento after meeting her and spending a few hours with her on the boat. Our day on the water in Homer was quite enjoyable and informative. Our tour guides have all been extraordinarily well versed in Alaska history and culture and quite informative. They have shared their humor with us as well which makes for some nice memories.
Our departure time from Homer was at 6:00 p.m. The staff kept paging two passengers who obviously did not make it back to the ship in time. We eventually left port around 6:30 p.m.; and we have no idea if the passengers actually missed the boat. But, it was a big topic of conversation around the ship in the evening.
We played Trivia up in the Crow’s Nest before dinner. After dinner we stopped by the casino because they were having a free raffle – and guess who won two of the prizes?! You got it! We did! We won a DVD of the cruise and also a mini-facial from the spa. The catch on the facial is that it is only for port days – and we have things booked – so I probably will not be able to enjoy that one. But, we won!!
Tomorrow we will be in Kodiak, Alaska. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #9
Kodiak,Alaska
June 5, 2011
First thing today I want to wish my daughter Stephanie a very Happy Birthday! Time goes by so quickly – your baby is born and before you know it, she is a grown woman with three sons of her own; and I am a proud Gramma! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Kodiak Island is one of the largest commercial fishing ports in the United States. MS Amsterdam pulled into the city of Kodiak around 9:30 a.m. It was partly cloudy and there was a crispness in the air; although the wind was not blowing as it was yesterday in Homer. Our ship was moored at the only place large enough to accommodate a ship this size and was about ¾ of a mile from town. We could see the rugged coastline out of our port side window. Kodiak Island did not appear to have any snow capped mountains on it from our vantage point. It did, however, have some elevated hills that were home to several large windmills that were turning regularly. They look strong and efficient against the green grass on the hills with the blue sky beyond.
Shortly after breakfast, we got word from the Shore Excursions staff that our tour had been cancelled due to engine problems on the craft we were scheduled to be on. Knowing that we did not have much time in Kodiak today (we were leaving at 2:00 p.m.) we scurried down to the Purser’s Desk to find out what other options we might have. From there we were told to disembark the ship and find Michelle of the Shore Excursions staff on the pier. Michelle was easy to find with her red windbreaker coat and walkie-talkie in hand. The only option we had we another similar marine wildlife tour. As luck would have it, they only had two seats left – and so we booked it right then. We went back to our cabin to gather our things and headed out once again.
There were eight of us in our group; and we were shuttled down to the marina in a taxi and greeted there by our Marine Biologist Swengard, from Germany. Our vessel was about a 45 foot cabin cruiser with an enclosed portion housing the wheelhouse up front, the galley to the right and a bench seat and table that wrapped around the left side from the front to the back door. On the table was a nice variety of munchies including chocolate chip cookies, potato chips and homemade salmon spread and crackers. There was coffee, tea, soft drinks and bottled water for us to drink if we were so inclined.
After our safety talk, Captain Chris maneuvered the boat out of its slip and we were on our way. There was another one of the Deadliest Catch boats in the marina. Swengard said that several of the boats used in that TV series have come in and out of Kodiak. As we moved slowly inside the breakwater, we saw another sea otter and a young bald eagle. The sun was starting to really break through the clouds giving way to another glorious day to be in Alaska and see an area we have never traveled to before.
One of the things that Jim and I had so hoped to see in Kodiak was the bears. But, we were told that of you want to see the bears, you must hire a bush pilot or sea plane who will take you about 200 miles and towards the southeast end of the island or out to Afognak Island with is northeast of Kodiak. Swengard also said that the bears do not come out of hibernation until the end of June and July when the salmon are really running. After we got beyond the breakwater, Captain Chris took us out between Woody Island and Long Island out in the Chiniak Bay. These two islands had significantly different topography than that of the other islands we have seen before here in Alaska. Most often, the islands are rugged rocks with jagged cliffs and lots and lots of trees, Woody Island and Long Island have long, black sandy beaches and many areas that are flat like valleys and acres of green grass.
Long Island is a rookery for sea lions. We were able to get quite close to hundreds of them as they were basking in the sun and yelping. Above and around them were hundreds of puffins. Gull Island out of Homer was a rookery to gulls, red legged cormorants, common murres and only a few puffin. This was quite the opposite. There were “logs” of puffins in the frigid waters along with some black legged cormorants.
What I found fascinating about Long Island and Woody Island, however, were the remnants of World War II gun mounts and concrete bunkers. Captain Chris said that during WWII, three Japanese submarines were actually spotted from those bunkers. Today when we passed, there were two bald eagles perched proudly on the grassy roof as if they were there keeping a watchful eye.
I spotted another young bald eagle or golden eagle sitting alone on top of some jagged rocks at one part of Long Island.
As Captain Chris turned the boat to head back to the marina, the deckhand grabbed a fishing pole and through his line over to see if he could get something to bite. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, he began to reel in a large rock fish. After Swengard showed us how to hold him and talked about the different fish in the area, she threw him back in and he quickly disappeared under the water.
Our excursion ended back in the marina. Six of our group wanted to go into town and do some shopping. Jim and I were met by Captain Chris’ wife who gave us a short personal tour of Kodiak taking us by the Russian Orthodox Church and the seminary – both of which are quite distinguishable by the round blue domes and gold crosses on the top. We passed by the Kodiak Museum which is housed in one of the oldest buildings in southeast Alaska and then were driven back to the ship.
We enjoyed a lazy afternoon and evening. We joined Jim and Mary up on the Crow’s Nest for Team Trivia – and we won! - not because Jim or I had anything to offer. The topic was 80’s music and songs and neither of us knew more than one or two answers. Jim and Mary, on the other hand, were the brains of the group and carried us to the winning circle!!
Tonight I enjoyed some Hazelnut crusted salmon and some beef tenderloin along with a shrimp cocktail and a very small Caesar salad. The maitre’d made some crème bruleé for our table for dessert. Jim and I both said that my recipe is much much better. But, it was kind of him to indulge us in a special dessert.
We sailed out of Kodiak and in to Prince William Sound heading for Yakutat Bay and Hubbard Glacier tomorrow afternoon. There were lots of whale spout sightings but none were close enough to get any good pictures. I went out on deck at one point to try to take a picture and the cold air and wind were too much and I quickly retreated inside. Till tomorrow…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #10
Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
June 6, 2011
When we left Kodiak, Alaska yesterday, we sailed in to the Gulf of Alaska heading south. The seas were a bit rough again, and the dining room guests seemed somehow to be fewer than normal.
The snow capped mountains of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountain Range could be seen off of the port side of the ship. This is the side our cabin is on. So, we had unobstructed views right from our balcony. We could see several large tidewater and piedmont glaciers out our window – the largest of which is the Malaspina Glacier, a tidewater glacier. We could also see Bering Glacier which is a huge piedmont glacier (its glacial ice does not meet the water but is instead land locked). Mt. St. Elias stands an impressive 18,008 feet tall.
Once again, we have been blessed with another gloriously sunny day! There were a few clouds over the mountains, but visibility was excellent. As we approached Yakutat Bay, the Amsterdam slowed down to board a couple of U.S. Park Rangers and three Tlingit natives. They gave several presentations during the day about this area, its history and native culture. When the natives arrived up in the Crow’s Nest on the Amsterdam, they were wearing hand-beaded vests with their native tribal sign delicately and intricately beaded on the back with several other native symbols on the front. One appeared to be an eagle, one was a whale and the other could possibly have been the symbol for the raven. They never told us what they were. I tried to take pictures of them through the crowd of people, but only was able to get one good one before someone moved in the way.
The natives were Tlingit and lived about 25 miles south of Hubbard Glacier. Hubbard Glacier is the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska and is within the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park that encompasses 13.2 million acres. It equals six Yellowstone National Parks. Wrangell-St. Elias, Kluane National Park in Canada and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve along with theTatshenshini Provincial Park in British Columbia are a World Heritage Site and encompass 24 million acres of protected land. Though Mt. Wrangell is still considered an active volcano, it has not erupted since 1990.
Hubbard Glacier is located in Yakutat Bay. As the Amsterdam approached the entrance of the bay, we could not help but notice Hubbard Glacier at the end. It is six miles wide; and with the sunshine that we were blessed with, we could see not only the glacier and the mountains of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park beyond it. The snow capped peaks were magnificent against the blue sky above.
Yakutat Bay was full of small bergie bits and so our Captain and the local Pilot proceeded very cautiously and slowly into the area. The waters of Yakutat Bay were calm and still. Most everyone onboard the ship was out on the upper decks to be able to see this extraordinary venue. And, yes, most of us had a camera or binoculars around our necks. The reflections from the mountains in the waters we passed through were like a mirror. I do not believe that I can even describe how spectacular this experience was; and I doubt that my pictures will do it justice either. There are times when things are almost indescribably; and that is how I felt about visiting Hubbard Glacier today. We have all read poems or heard song lyrics that describe the beauty and majesty – but sometimes nothing will do it justice because it is so incredibly beautiful and astonishing.
There was a mama seal and her pup floating on a nearby iceberg. Mama was asleep and the pup lay next to her. Seagulls flew above us and a few bald eagles were also seen.
From the entrance of Yakutat Bay, the valleys of fresh green grass filled the valleys with pine trees dotting the landscape. Eventually the tree line could be seen further up the mountain that gave way to purples and blues and then the snow began to fill the crevices to the mountain tops. All of this was on our way into Yakutat Bay. To the north, Mount St. Elias could be seen standing proudly.
The last time Jim and I visited Hubbard Glacier, the Captain would not venture in any further than six miles from the face of the glacier. That was quite disappointing. It was beautiful – but difficult to really experience the glacier in all of its glory from that distance. Today, our Captain took us to within about 4 miles from the face of the glacier. The further and further we cruised into the bay, the better we could see the detail of the grand vista before us. This time, we were actually able to see the glacial rivers of ice flowing to the head of the glacier from either side up the mountain valleys. And, we could see the small island that is about 2 miles from the face of the glacier. Last time, we had no idea there was even an island there.
Once the Captain and pilot took us in as far as they felt we could go, they stopped the ship and maneuvered the ship first to the starboard side and then to the port side facing the glacier. When they did this, Jim and I were up on the Sports deck along with several hundred other passengers. Many of us climbed up onto the railing around the Plexiglas wind barriers so we could have an unobstructed view. It was a lot of fun up there because everyone was so excited to see Hubbard Glacier.
Eventually, and all too soon for most people, the Amsterdam turned around and headed back out towards the Gulf of Alaska. As we left, one lone orca whale came into the bay and was seen in the distance. We all expressed our concern for the mama seal and her pup that we had seen earlier on the iceberg and hoped they stayed safe atop their ice float.
As the day ended, everyone on board was commenting on how truly lucky and blessed we have been to have such exceptional weather during our cruise to Alaska. We headed down south along the Fairweather Mountain Range where Mt. Fairweather stands tall. We have not had many sunsets along our way; but tonight when the sun set, the skies had a pink hue that cast a very peaceful hue on the snow capped mountains.
Before dinner most evenings, we have gone up to the Crow’s Nest to play evening trivia. Along with our teammates, Jim & Mary and Andie & Joe, we have managed to win several of the games. Some nights are more challenging than others; but it is fun, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Sitka. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #11
Sitka, Alaska
June 7, 2011
Last year when we were in Sitka it was rainy and foggy. Today, when I opened the curtains to our balcony, I was greeted with bright sunshine and not a cloud in the sky! This weather has just been a Godsend!
Cruising in to Sitka, you pass hundreds of tiny islands. When we were here last year, the islands were covered in fog and we could not see much of anything. Today we could see the houses that are on those islands; along with the lighthouse across the harbor and the totem poles from the Totem Village that we visited last time with Mark and Debbie. Seeing everything clearly put an entirely different perspective on where we were and where things were located.
Sitka is a tender port; and because we had booked the Rain Forest Hike as our shore excursion today, we were among the first to get off the boat and onto a tender to go into port. One of the reasons we chose the Rain Forest Hike was to add this to our list of places to do our JDRF Walk for the Cure for our grandson Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers. We wore our JDRF denim shirts today. It was very cool.
It was a short ride; and the ocean waters were as calm as could be. Our tour guide, Catherine met us at the top of the ramp. There were only four of us on this hike today – a very small group. After passing out a Sitka chocolate bar and bottled water, we boarded a small tour bus that took us out to Mosquito Loop Trail at the north end of Sitka and the end of the road.
Neither of us had any idea that this hike was going to be as strenuous as it came to be. We had been told it was a mile and a half through the rain forest. Almost as soon as we started down the path, we began our climb up and up and up. The path had some wooden plank bridges over marshy areas and small streams; and steps were put in as the trail inclined. Doing this while having bronchitis was tough – but I did it! Granted, I brought up the end of the group; but they were all patient and waited for me when I had difficulty.
Our guide, Catherine, has lived in Sitka for a number of years and was full of all sorts of information not only about the history of Sitka, but also about the rain forest flora and fauna. She told us which plants were edible and which were not. We even got to taste a spruce tip – which is very high in Vitamin C. Boy is it bitter! The Alaska Beer Co. actually makes a spruce tip beer that is supposed to be quite good. We saw a lot of Devils Club; which is a plant with spiky leaves. The natives make this into a cream which is good for arthritis. Catherine also told us that they make a tea out of the leaves that is known to reduce symptoms at the onset of diabetes.
The forest we hiked through was thick with moss – several inches thick in many places. There are nurse logs that are trees that have fallen and have been the basis for new trees to grow from them. The path, though up and down and up and down, was gorgeous. It is maintained by volunteer caretakers who live in a log home at the entrance of the trail.
Eventually, the trail led us out to the rocky coastline, where Catherine showed us hermit crabs and other sea life living under the rocks along the shore. The small inlet of water was calm and still and you could see the waterline around the edge. We continued our hike on the other side of the little bay; again climbing up and down through the forest. The views of the Sitka harbor were beautiful through the trees. There were Sitka spruce and Western hemlock trees, alders and yellow cedar trees. Each has a different bark and different needles adding to the multitude of shades of green before us.
Through the woods you could hear birds chirping. The only bird we saw was a red breasted sap sucker (woodpecker). I tried to get a picture of him as he flew past us.
The hike took almost two and a half hours. When we reached the trail head, Catherine continued our trek across a small bridge over the river where the salmon will be running in a few weeks. There is a bird sanctuary there; and a sturdy wooden walkway through the muskeg. The grass is tall in this meadow area with the winding river flowing out to the ocean.
As we ended our hike, Catherine took us down to the beach which was the location of the Clash of the Cultures hundreds of years ago. Here the Russians fought the native Tlingits and were eventually driven back to Russia.
After our hike, we walked back into Sitka downtown and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Victoria’s Restaurant which is just down the street from St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the quaintness of the restaurant and sitting at our window table as the ship passengers passed by.
We walked down past the church and went into a few stores and a bookstore where I found a book on “Amazing Alaska Women” that included a chapter on Alaska Nellie – the pioneer woman we had heard about on our Alaska Railroad trip in Anchorage a few days ago.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sitka and hated to leave. As we sailed out through the channel and turned south, it was sad, as we were leaving Alaska and our trip is almost over. Only two more days and then we’ll be heading home.
Tomorrow we have a day at sea and Thursday we will be in Victoria. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #12
Victoria, British Columbia
June 9, 2011
There were clouds up above us today as we cruised in to Victoria harbor through the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Visibility was good; and it made me happy when we passed the Race Rocks Lighthouse and I could see it standing tall with it black and white spiral column in the distance.
The Amsterdam pulled into Victoria about 10:00 a.m. We had lunch in the Lido Buffet and were off the ship before noon. Today’s adventure is an Orca Whale Watching Excursion. Being members of the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor and having adopted two of the members of J pod, the resident orca whales of the San Juan Islands, we were hoping to see “our” black and whites.
We met our tour guides as soon as we reached the end of the pier and boarded our motor coach. We only had a short ride over to the inner harbor marina where we boarded our whale watching boat. It was a 35 foot enclosed vessel with Kegan our marine biologist on board and Captain Bob at the helm.
We were surprised and thrilled to see parts of the inner harbor that we had no idea even existed. It is called “The Floating Village”, and is an area full of adorable and quaint house boats! Each boat is meticulously maintained and unique and beautiful. There are hanging pots of flowers, and wooden flower beds attached to the pier. At the upper end, a few of the house boats have been converted into small restaurants. The one that caught our eyes was “Grilligan’s Island”. Some day we want to go back and spend more time in this area that we just discovered. But alas, we were off in search of those black and whites!
Kegan gave us our safety talk and showed us where the hot chocolate was and then we settled in our seats to see what we could see. We left the Inner Harbor and headed out towards the Haro Strait which is the body of water between Vancouver Island where Victoria is and San Juan Island which is in Washington State in the U.S. Somewhere in the middle is the border.
There are a couple of different things that you are on the lookout for when you are whale watching. No. 1 is a big tall spout. No. 2 is other whale watching boats. And, that is exactly what we found today. Several boats were just sitting in the same area. The Captains all talk with each other on their radios; and so Captain Bob had a good idea where our whales would be today.
We soon saw the dorsal fins of T20 and T21. They are mother and son. These are transient whales and not our resident whales. We stayed there for quite awhile and then decided to head out to see if we could come across anything else of interest. We headed towards to the Gulf Islands to a sea lion rookery and saw several seals basking on the sun in the rocks along with hundreds of birds.
Captain Bob took us out further in the Strait of San Juan de Fuca in search of more whales, but the waves began to get larger and larger and so he eventually headed us back into shore. It was a fun couple our hours and we always enjoy seeing the orcas. Jim and I opted to be dropped off at the inner harbor and so we parted ways and were off in Victoria
After our tour we were dropped downtown at the inner harbor so we could walk around and do a little last minute shopping. One of our first stops was for a cup of coffee at Mirage Coffee on Government Street for something warm to drink and a cookie to indulge in. We walked all the way down Government Street to the Christmas Store. We enjoy walking in there because they have so much packed into such little space that we commented today on whether he ever does an inventory.
We walked down to the Empress Hotel and took pictures of the new orca whale topiary that is displayed out front and was put up in 2010. It was exceptional. We then walked over towards the Parliament Building where I took a couple of pictures. On our way walking back to where we would catch the ship’s shuttle, we passed a young man selling his paintings alongside the street. He had a beautiful watercolor of one of the lighthouses here in Victoria – and we purchased it.
After getting back to the ship, we have to complete our packing so our luggage would be outside our door no later than 10:00 p.m. We had our surveys to fill out and we had to go pick up our copy of the Cruise DVD that we won.
Once to took our showers and were more presentable we went in search of a couple of couples we had met on the ship the past two weeks and were able to find them and say our good byes. Then we headed up for one last trivia game in the Crow’s Nest – and we won! Today our team name was “Six sheets to the Wind”.
We had dinner in the dining room and were able to say our goodbyes to everyone at our table as well. We finished up our packing and Jim took the bags out to the hall right on time.
Tomorrow it will all be over and 1400 new guests will be boarding the ship for their Alaska Adventure. We wish them safe travels and beautiful weather. We will arrive in Seattle at 7:00 a.m. and will be whisked off to the airport on our transfer and will arrive home around 5:30 p.m. Till then…
Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #13
Seattle, Washington
June 10, 2011
As our journey came to an end this morning, I was standing on our balcony at 5:30 a.m. We glided into Seattle as dawn was breaking and the world here was waking up to begin another day. The only ripple on the waters was from our ships’ wake as we continued on through the still waters of the Puget Sound.
On the distant island the lights were twinkling on shore. The beacons and water markers were flashing to mark the way for MS Amsterdam to travel safely into port. There was a small tug boat pulling a barge quietly beginning its journey to wherever. A Washington State Ferry crossed our path transporting passengers and cards probably on their way to work. The lights of the ferry sparkled in the morning grey.
And, here I am on my balcony reflecting on our journey over the past two weeks to Alaska – almost like another world to me. This is a world of pristine beauty and awe-inspiring majestic mountains – jagged mountain ridges covered with white snow – glacial rivers of ice flowing through the valleys and eventually meeting the sea – a great land that is rich in history and native culture whose people are warm and welcoming and eager to share this beautiful place they call home.
Alaska, I thank you once again for rejuvenating me – for showing me that caring about others and sharing our lives is far more important and more valuable than any trinket we purchase in a store. Our true souvenir is our memories and the feeling in our hearts. We visited your vast wilderness and only got a glimpse of a few small pieces of your landscape.
I can now see the skyline of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. Lights are twinkling and it is getting lighter. High clouds are above me. All too soon we will be hustling off the ship on to a motor coach where we will be transported down to Sea-Tac Airport and eventually arrive home late this afternoon.
As for me – I am going to end my journey here in the quietness of the morning on my balcony with my memories of fabulous weather, spectacular vistas and a great land that holds a special place in my heart. Special thanks to Jim for enjoying all of this with me and for being one of the best parts of my life.
Forget-Me-Not Alaska ~ Till next time…
Our next adventure will begin on June 30, 2010 as we head North to Alaska with Holland America for a cruise and land tour! See you then!
TWELVE DAYS AND COUNTING! Published June 17, 2010
In just twelve short days we will be on the road again! We will be flying from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia and boarding the beautiful Holland America Volendam for a 13 day adventure on water and land.
As a travel agent and an Alaska Destination Specialist, this is a trip that we have been looking forward to because it will take us to places we have only dreamed about visiting.
We will start our adventure in Vancouver - the home of the Winter Olympics in 2010. As we sail out of Vancouver in the late afternoon, we will pass Stanley Park (one of our favorite places to visit in Vancouver) and our voyage will begin North to Alaska.
We will enter the Strait of Georgia and travel along Vancouver Island which is the home of a resident pod of orca whales known as "J" pod. Granny and Ruffles are the two oldest members of this pod. Granny is the matriarch and thought to be almost 90years old! Along with her son, Ruffles, they lead the pod through the waters in and around Vancouver Island. There are over 40 members of this pod. We hope to get a glimpse of them gliding graciously through the waters as we pass by!
From Vancouver we will continue on up the Inside Passage past Wrangell and Petersberg to Tracy Arm Fjord which is off of Stepens Passage across from Admiralty Island. We will visit the North and the South Sawyer Glaciers (Twin Sawyer Glaciers) and then spend an afternoon in Juneau, the capital of Alaska.
From Juneau, we will continue up Stephens Passage to Lyn Canal where we will cruise to Skagway. We will disembark the ship in Skagway and will spend the night there. That afternoon, Jim and I are scheduled to take a float plane ride!
The next morning we will board the White Pass and Yukon Railroad traveling along the same route that the gold miners hiked one after the other in 1898 hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields in the Yukon. We'll visit Lake Bennet and eventually arrive in Whitehorse, where we will spend the night and enjoy the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue.
From Whitehorse, we will board a motor coach to Dawson City and stay overnight in the Klondike National Historic Site. We will then visit Dawson City or Tombstone Park and learn more about the Gold Rush and visit the gold fields and explore where a full range of wildlife roams free.
On Day 8 we will cruise the Yukon River on the MV Yukon Queen II catamaran and hear tales of river pilors, mail carriers, prospectors and Mounties as we travel to the small Alaskan town of Eagle.
A motor coach will take us up the Alaska Range and along the TransAlaska Pipeline to Fairbanks on Day 9 where we will visit Gold Dredge No, 8 and actually give a good try at panning for gold ourselves.
On Day 10 we will board the McKinley Explorer (Alaska Railroad), and travel along the scenic byway as we travel through the heart of Alaska to Denali National Park where we will stay for two nights. Not only do we hope to get to see Mt. McKinley, we have high hopes of seeing a lot of wildlife on our Tundra Wilderness Tour. We could see Caribou,moose, grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, bald eagles and much more.
From Denali on Day 12, we will again board the McKinley Explorer and travel the rail down to Anchorage. In Anchorage, we have plans to meet up with my dear pen pal Pattie and enjoy some time catching up with her. Our last day will find us on a 26 Glacier Cruise out of Whittier that will take us into the Prince William Sound to visit 26 "named" glaciers including those in College Fjord. We will see all types of glaciers including Alpine (hanging), Piedmont and Tidewater glaciers( glaciers traveling down valleys towards the ocean). Getting up close to these towering masses of ice, we will be able to "hear" them move while they groan and crack as they move ever so slowly to the icy glacial waters below. There will be many "bergie bits" (small chunks of ice floating in the water) and the glaciers will be brilliant colors of blue and turquoise.
And, as with all vacations our time will end sooner than we want and we will find ourselves on our way home. We hope you'll join us on June 30th as we take to the skies to Vancouver and set sail on the first day of our journey. I'll be posting blogs all along the way, so you can come along if you want!
Now - I've got to start packing!
TRAVELOGUES
from our
PACIFIC WINE COUNTRY COASTAL CRUISE
SAPPHIRE PRINCESS
May 8, 2010 to May 17, 2010
Sapphire Princess in Seattle, Washington
Photo taken by Barbara Carpenter
TRAVELOGUE NO. 1
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY, May 8, 2010 – Embarkation and Bon Voyage Experience
Our day began with Jim’s brother Carl and sister-in-law Carol who drove us to the cruise terminal. We arrived at San Pedro and dropped off our luggage and proceeded into the embarkation area where we all showed our ID. Carl and Carol were given special passes to get on board with us. The Bon Voyage Experience is something new that Princess is offering to passengers that has not been offered since 9/11.; Carl and Carol along with about 100 other guests of passengers, were allowed to come on board with us.
We gave Carl and Carol our own tour starting in our stateroom. We have a balcony room on the port side of the ship near very near the aft end. In fact, we are only three cabins from the door that leads out onto the furthest aft deck. There is a small pool here that is about 12’ X 12’ along with several dozen lounge chairs around the wooden deck. On the next level up, there is an outside bar area with some more lounges and chairs under the shaded overhang. After we came back inside, we went back to midship in the Atrium. The Atrium has four elevators that have a filigree fascia which cover the elevator on the first couple of levels until it rises higher in the Atrium. There is a large marble dome in the center of the ceiling above and similar marble inlaid on the floor. The winding staircases will let you walk from floor to floor in the Atrium area.
The Wheelhouse Bar and the Explorers Lounge are the two largest lounge/bars on the ship. Both are tastefully decorated with a nautical theme and lots of beautiful wood. As we walked on the Promenade Deck we walked through the Photo Gallery and then on into a beautiful fine art studio. There are shops on three levels in the Atrium. There is also a coffee café next to the Pursers Desk. There are several areas on either side of the ship around the Atrium where you can sit and enjoy the musicians playing in the evening along with getting an “adult” beverage.
Lunch was served to us in the International Dining Room which is the main dining room for “traditional” dining. We had a delicious four course lunch. Both Jim and Carl had the beef tenderloin and Carl and I had the salmon. We all enjoyed the chocolate soufflé for dessert with its warm rum sauce poured in the middle.
After lunch we walked up to the Lido Deck, up to the very top of the ship where we had a bird’s eye view of the entire ship from aft to stern. It is a l-o-n-g ship! The Sapphire Princess holds 2600 passengers and 1,000 crew members. On the upper deck we saw two more pools, one with a retracting ceiling called the Conservatory. There is a 9-hole miniature golf course (Princess Links) along with a golf simulator. There is also a paddle tennis court way up front along with a 1/10 mile walking track. Yep – ten times around equals one mile.
At 3:00 Carol and Carl had to leave the ship and the actual embarkation process for us continued with our Muster Drill (Safety Drill). At 4:00p.m. sharp, the whistle blew and the crew threw the last of the ropes aside and we were on our way out of the Port of San Pedro. We sailed past Ports of Call Village and on to the breakwater and the lighthouse at the end of the small strip of land. The lighthouse had quite a bit of rust around the bottom, but it still blew its horn as we sailed past and out to the Pacific Ocean. We headed north and up towards our first stop, Santa Barbara.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Bon Voyage Experience and really appreciated that Princess allowed us to bring guests on board to share a little bit of our sail-away. Thank you Carl and Carol for driving us to the cruise terminal! Hope you enjoyed your time onboard the ship!
Bon Voyage! Our journey has begun!
TRAVELOGUE NO. 2
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 9, 2010 – “Mother’s Day” – Santa Barbara, CA
We arrived in Santa Barbara early in the morning after a pleasant evening sailing up the coast from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara is a tender port, so the Sapphire Princess anchored out in the harbor and began to launch the tender boats to transport the passengers to and from the pier.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was about 65° with a slight breeze. The sky was blue with only a few fluffy clouds here and there in the sky. As you looked from the ship towards the city of Santa Barbara, you could not help but notice the mountains behind the city that were still green from the winter rains. With the shadows from the few clouds, the mountains almost appeared to be covered with a dark, forest green velvet cloth.
As we entered the harbor on our tender, and came around the breakwater we were greeted by hundreds of pelicans that were lining the shore. Many more were flying above and then diving straight down into the water “going fishing”. As we arrived at the pier, it seemed that the entire staff of the visitor’s bureau was out to greet us along with the harbor patrol and the police department. Everyone wished all of the ladies Happy Mother’s Day as we walked up the ramp. There were tables near the street where we could find maps of the downtown area. This is also where we were directed to our Trolley Tour.
We chose the Trolley Tour because we have only ever driven through Santa Barbara before and have not had the good fortune to explore it much – so we thought this would be a great way to introduce ourselves to this beautiful city.
Santa Barbara is called the America Riviera and is a place where food, art, history, fashion, sunshine and WINE mix to create a delightful and unique experience. The architecture is mostly Spanish and with the warm Mediterranean climate, you can take full advantage of the charming sidewalk-cafés and beautiful seaside setting.
Our Trolley driver, Mark, was quite enjoyable and explained about the history of Santa Barbara as well as pointing out popular current attractions. As he drove us through the streets of Santa Barbara, you could almost picture yourself in the Mediterranean. The Spanish and Moorish style buildings are graced with beautiful bougainvillea which was in full bloom. The streets are lined with 900 different species of trees (all of them imported). The ficus trees give a beautiful shade cover to some streets, where others are lined with tall palm trees that have their trunks full of huge bougainvillea bushes that are climbing up. Yet other streets are lined with jacaranda trees which are in full bloom with their delicate purple flowers.
You could definitely tell that Spring was here, because the rose bushes were in full bloom. There is a rose garden up at the Santa Barbara Mission across the long lawn. As you arrive at the Mission, you pass a large wooden cross in the middle of the lawn and at its’ base are a wide array of colorful flowers. The Mission is set back in a valley and up on a hill. If you turn around, you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and out to the ocean. The hills that surround the Mission are gentle rolling hills that graduate up to the top of the range of only about 1,000 feet.
Though we were not able to get inside the Mission, we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beauty. The architecture is definitely Spanish. There are two bell towers on the main part of the church; and to the left was a row of rooms that were all lined with covered archways. There was a bronze statue out front of Father Junipero Serra and a beautiful tiled fountain.
Once we left the Mission, Mark drove us down through the town and explained that the area known as Montecito is very popular with the “rich and famous”. Brad Pitt¸ Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, just to name a few, have all purchased multi-million dollar homes here. One of the most famous residents of the area is Fess Parker, best known for his role of Davy Crocket on the Disney Show many years ago. After his show business career, he bought up quite a bit of land here in Santa Barbara and started a vineyard. Fess Parker wines are among some of the best from this region.
After our tour was over, we opted to be dropped in town and walked down State Street past the refurbished train station and across the railroad tracks. At the entrance to the station, there are curved planters with four, 12 inch ceramic tiles that form the picture of a train. It was quite interesting. We were told that once a week the red-brick lined sidewalks of State Street are steam cleaned, so they remain pristine and beautiful for everyone. The streets are lined with tile fountains and beautiful planters full of colorful flowers from bougainvillea to birds of paradise to morning glorys. Most of the stores have archway entrances which are lined with vines. We walked under the freeway and continued on down to Cabrillo Street which is directly across from the beach.
There was an art fair on the lawn adjacent to the beach where the lawn was literally lined with paintings and photographs and the artists selling their work. Across the street, we could not help but notice “Rusty’s Pizza” which was in a lighthouse building. So, in honor of our Golden Retriever, Rusty, we decided to have lunch out on the terrace. We chose to enjoy the lunch “special” which was a small salad from the salad bar, a personal size pizza with two toppings and a soft drink for $6.95 each. After lunch, we walked further down the street and out onto the pier at Stearns Wharf and then headed back to the dock where we caught our tender back to the ship.
The winds came up dramatically in the mid-afternoon and this became an “issue” for the crew as it was difficult to keep the tenders steady enough to unload the passengers coming back from town. The winds actually increased to 40 knots around 4:00 p.m. and this delayed our departure as the crew had a difficult time getting the tenders secured back on the ship.
Once we finally left Santa Barbara, we expected a “rough” night because of the high winds and white-capped seas. But, we were graced within an hour of a calm Pacific and I even saw breaching gray whales off the port side of the ship. Though they were far in the distance, I still was able to capture a picture or two.
For Mother’s Day, Jim treated me to a delicious dinner of steak and lobster in the Sterling Steakhouse. The Maitre’ d, Stefan, was quite gracious and sent us a complimentary appetizer of jalapeno poppers stuffed with a light cheddar cheese and marinara dipping sauce. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset out the window as we continued sailing north out of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a brie cheese quesadilla with mango salsa appetizer while Jim had a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then my main course was a rib eye steak and lobster tail with a baked potato and Jim had a filet mignon with lobster tail and baked potato. For dessert (which we did NOT need) I enjoyed a raspberry crème brulee and Jim had a chocolate pecan pie.
We hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed each other. We wish you were here!
TRAVELOGUE NO. 3
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
MONDAY, 10, 2010 – Sausalito and Muir Woods out of San Francisco
As we sailed north out of Santa Barbara, the Captain told us the winds were in excess of 40-50 knots. Believe me, it was a rocky night for sure. We were told that Sapphire Princess would slow down and pick up our pilot to go into San Francisco Bay around 7:00 in the morning. We were up early and did not want to miss the beautiful sight of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The weather could not have been more perfect, other than it being a bit cool up on deck with the winds blowing against us, it was a perfect morning. The clouds above us stayed away, so we had a bit of sunshine shining down on us. As we approached the harbor, we passed by The Cliff House Restaurant and Seal Rock which are perched out on a bluff south of Golden Gate Park. I was lucky enough to go to The Cliff House when I was a teenager back in the 1960’s, and I remember the view as being spectacular. On the left side of the ship as we entered the bay we passed by a lighthouse which greeted us with its shining beacon every ten seconds or so. The Golden Gate Bridge was in complete view to us and most of the passengers (I think) were either standing out on their balconies or up on deck with the rest of us to enjoy the magnificent structure we were gliding under her at about 7:45 a.m. We had a mere 38 feet clearance above the funnel of the ship when we passed under her about a mile south of Alcatraz Island. The ship’s horn blew as we passed under and couples kissed each other in true tradition of sailing under the bridge. The Captain very delicately brought us in to Pier 27 just slightly east of Pier 39 without even touching the wooden dock on either side of the Sapphire Princess.
Our tour today was of Sausalito and the Muir Woods. We chose this because neither of us could ever remember being there before. We were gathered in a group down in the Princess Theater and then walked out to the gangway where we walked through a barren metal terminal building and over to our motor coaches. Ours was a 44 passenger coach with a tour conductor, Dave and our driver, Vince. Once everyone was on board and comfortable, we headed through the Embarcadero and past Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Presidio on to the Golden Gate Bridge. Just after we came to the far edge of the bridge, we pulled into one of the viewing parking lots to get some pictures. By this time, the clouds had come in and were threatening rain above us. Just as we got off the coach, the rain began to sprinkle and those of us with umbrellas promptly opened them. Jim and I first walked to an oval granite area where a bronze figure of The Lone Sailor was proudly standing facing the Bridge with the American and California flags proudly flying behind him on a white flag pole. As we turned around to see the view the Lone Sailor had, we immediately saw the magnificent red/orange painted Golden Gate Bridge. Though it was raining and the clouds were lowering closer to the ground as if in a fog, we were still able to take a few nice pictures of the Bridge and see the full expansion of it. Both sides of the Bridge were full of commuters on their way to work to start their day. The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge, but you only pay a toll as you return back into San Francisco.
Our tour then continued north and then took off on the very winding road to the Muir Woods. It was pouring rain at this point. We climbed up a hill and then very carefully, Vince drove down the other side being careful to pull over in the turn outs so the cars backed up behind us could pass by safely. As we drove further and further down into the canyon, the trees became denser and the undercover foliage became thick with gorgeous ferns and wild flowers. We saw a few redwood trees but not many before we got to the National Park. The Muir Woods were purchased by William and Elizabeth Kent, who bought the land to preserve and protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods in this area. To ensure the permanent protection of the area, they donated 295 acres to the federal government; and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national monument. At Mr. Kent’s request, the area was named for the conservationist John Muir. John Muir wrote Mr. Kent a letter thanking him for the gift to the government and for naming it after him and said “This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all of the forests in the world.” What is ironic about that statement is that at the front entrance to The Muir Woods, there is a plaque designating a specific area for demonstrations under the First Amendment. Who would protest such a thing?
As we walked along the heavy wooden planks that marked the trail, the rain began to gently mist above us. We were somewhat protected by the canopy of the trees above; but we did pull out the umbrella as the rain began to fall harder. Both Jim and I commented to ourselves that this was the first time in years that we were consciously “walking in the rain”…and a beautiful walk it was. The wooden planked walkway is lined with redwood railings so as to keep you on the path. You are not allowed to venture off on your own. We crossed over a gently babbling brook on Bridge No. 1 and then continued through the forest. The rays of sun would gently come through the trees every once in awhile; but most of the time, it was dark because of the clouds and the rain. The forest floor was thick with luscious ferns and a small ground cover called redwood sorrel that has leaves that almost look like clover and delicate pink flowers about the size of a quarter. If you stopped and just took a deep breath, you could not help smell the freshness of the rain on the redwoods. It was completely relaxing for both of us. There was no agenda for us and no group to keep up with – which enabled me to stop and take pictures whenever I wanted. The groves of redwoods were magnificent as they seemed to reach to the sky. The shade loving undergrowth thrives under the redwood canopy above. Besides the ground cover, there were a couple of other wild flowers growing on the forest floor.
The redwoods love the rain and soak up every bit they can then release it when it is necessary for the environment. The tallest of the redwoods stands 252 feet in the air and is over 14 feet wide. Many of these trees were 1,000 years old or more; but the majority of them are about 500 to 800 years old. As we walked along the path to Bridge No. 2, the rain began falling harder and we quickened our pace so we didn’t get totally soaked. But, I still had to stop and take pictures all along the way. There was a nice gift shop near the entrance of the park along with a coffee counter where the majority of our other passengers were crowded around getting a bite to eat and something warm to drink.
As we left the Muir Woods, we headed southwest and through a valley here a very famous Zen farm is located. You can go there and “work” in exchange for your lodging or a reduced rate. The brand name of their natural vegetables and bakery goods is Green Gulch. Dave told us these items are sold all over the state – and one of the most famous supporters of the Zen Center is former California Governor, Jerry Brown.
We continued out the windy road; but the clouds seemed to be stalling, and the rain subsided. I cannot even begin to imagine driving either of these roads in the thick, San Francisco fog! In fact, Dave said there are several cars at the bottom of the gulch that didn’t make it.
Our afternoon continued by arriving in the quaint seaside town of Sausalito. With its many sidewalk cafés and homes built on the side of the hill, the view of San Francisco was spectacular. We walked down the street about two blocks to the Yee Chee Park, where there were hanging baskets full of blooming flowers above us on the lamp posts. We walked out to the edge of the concrete sea wall where we were joined by several birds looking for scraps of food. After that, we headed back along the other side of the street where we passed a park with a monument of elephants on either side of the steps going up to a large oval fountain. This was given to the City of Sausalito by its sister city in Chile. We’re not quite sure what the significance of the elephants is – but – whatever…The rain began to fall once again just before we were supposed to get back on the coach and head back to the ship. By the time we reached San Francisco and the pier, it was raining again. Several people got off the coach and went on to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy a little more shopping and some yummy clam chowder. We opted to head back to the ship to get out of our wet clothes.
Late in the afternoon before we left port, Jim noticed a double rainbow gracing us outside off of our balcony on the port (left) side of the ship. This rainbow literally started from right beside the ship and made a full circle above us over towards The Bay Bridge. Then, magically, another rainbow appeared almost shadowing the first all around. We could hear many passengers telling their friends and family to go out and see the rainbow. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
We left San Francisco and sailed out past Alcatraz Island and lighthouse and again under The Golden Gate Bridge and headed north into very rough seas. The Captain said the swells “might” be a little rough during the night. And so it was! We passed the lighthouse at Point Reyes and continued on our way.
We enjoyed dinner at Table 55 in the International Dining Room with our six other table companions. I had some delicious pasta with a red lobster sauce for my appetizer while Jim enjoyed French Onion Soup. We both had veal scaloppini cordon bleu as our main course.
Tomorrow we have a “day at sea” and will be enjoying “The Ultimate Ship Tour” – something special I purchased for Jim and me to do. We will actually get to go onto “the bridge”!!
TRAVELOGUE NO. 4
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
TUESDAY, May 11, 2010 – Day at Sea and the “Ultimate Ship Tour”
Today was a special day because we signed up for the “Ultimate Ship Tour” – something that has not been offered since 9/11. One of Cruise Director’s Staff escorted a small group of 12 of us for this tour. The cost of the tour is $150 and worth every last penny; because we actually got down into the belly behind the scenes of the ship. It was fascinating!
Our first stop was in the Princess Theater where we got to actually go up on stage and look above us five floors where lights, sets, and costumes where suspended and would be pulled down when needed. As you can imagine, the floor is wooden and also has an elevator lift that takes dancers and singers down underneath if the production number requires it right from the center of the stage. We then proceeded back into one of the several dressing rooms where we met two of the dancers. Each dancer has their own make-up station and a large number of attendants who help them dress, buckle their shoes, touch-up their make up and fix their hair. There is a cleaner rack with the push button mechanism in there that they will push and recall whatever costume they need for the next dancer. Just like getting your clothes from the dry-cleaners.
From the stage we went down to the Medical Department and met the Doctor who has a staff of three nurses. There are three exam rooms and they have a full pharmacy if needed to dispense prescriptions to the staff and the passengers. They have the ability to do small surgeries such as fix a broken arm but most major surgeries would have to be done on land and so the passenger would have to be air-lifted off the ship and taken to the nearest hospital. The Doctor could not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing travel insurance for this very reason. She said that the cost of the air-flight helicopter is a whopping $50,000!
We went to the galley next where we actually got to go through one of three galleys on the ship. The chef’s were all busy preparing soup in huge 10 gallon drums. Looked like tomato bisque to me! There were some prep chefs dicing and cutting vegetables. The galley has “stores” where the different types of food are kept. We went to the “produce store” the “fruit store” and we actually even got to go inside the freezer where the meat is in one section, the chicken in another and the fish in another. I have to tell you that I truly felt like Lucille Ball when she got locked in the meat locker on I Love Lucy! It’s cold in there! Then we went over to the “Bread/Bakery” Department I found the perfect machine that anyone who entertains must have! Of course, it would not look very nice in your kitchen, but what a great thing to have! Once your dough is made and raised, it is put through this machine on a plastic paddle that looks much like an oversized deviled egg tray. You turn the machine on – it jiggles around and Whalla! Out pop 24 perfect dinner rolls! There’s no rolling, kneading, patting, or weighing to make the perfect size – the machine does it all for you! After that we were treated to some 2” size chocolate covered strawberries and small decadent butter cookies along with punch in a tall; fluted glass complete with umbrella, orange slice and cherry on top!
The Print Shop was our next stop. Here they print everything for the ship from the daily restaurant menus, to the Princess Patter (our daily newsletter) along with information about the ports we are going to visit, shore excursion information and also the daily sales from the ship’s stores. We were each given a 5 X 7 pad of paper that said Ultimate Ship Tour and had each of our names on top.
Once we left the print shop we went to the laundry. Every department on the ship works 24/7 with three shifts of 8 hours each to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. The laundry is no exception. Here I found another couple of machines that I would love to own but would not have the room to put them in my house nor would they be pleasing to the eye – but what a fabulous job that do! One of the greatest was the presser for the napkins and table cloths. The operator will put a slightly damp table cloth into the machine and when it comes out the other side, it is pressed beautifully and folded! They have another machine like this for towels! Fabulous! And, everything comes out perfect! This is also where the crew has their clothes cleaned and the Captain and his staff have their uniforms dry-cleaned.
From there we went down to the engineering control room. There’s four diesel engines and one turbo engine. The big turbo engines on the top of the ship serve no purpose other than they look cool up there.
Going to the Bridge was the highlight for everyone, as you can imagine. We met Captain Dino Sagani who was born in Trieste on the North East Adriatic coast of Italy. He is proud to tell you that he is Captain of the “largest” ship in the Princess Fleet – the Sapphire Princes weighs in at 117,000 tons. Although she does not carry the most passengers, she is 5’ wider than the Grand Princess and the Golden Princess. Captain Sagani showed us the “joy stick” and the steering wheel, which is the size of a steering wheel you would expect to see on a Ferrari. It is not much bigger than about 12 inches at most. There are two officers with binoculars standing at the front of the bridge constantly watching the horizon, and there are three more behind the center console. There is a separate control station on both sides of the bridge out on the wings which go out beyond the side of the ship about 5-6 feet. This gives the Captain the perfect view he needs to pull us perfectly alongside the piers without touching them.
Our Ultimate Ship Tour was ended with a glass of champagne and more chocolate covered strawberries. Pictures were taken of us in each of the departments with the staff. After the tour, we were each handed a folder with copies of all of the photos. Along with our personalized paper pad, it was a very nice gift. But, Princess went above and beyond and gave each of us a beautiful Princess waffle robe and chefs apron on top of everything else. It was really the “ultimate”.
TRAVELOGUE NO. 5
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2010 – Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is one of our favorite ports of call on a Pacific Coastal cruise because we get the pleasure of being with friends and family! We do not sign up for any shore excursions, because they take us on our own private excursions around the area – and this time was no different.
Astoria is in northwestern Oregon and a port on the Columbia River where it is a major shipping point for logs and grain and has fish and wood-processing industries. Fur traders sent by the America merchant, John Jacob Astor, founded Astoria in 1811. Astoria is the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Around 1802, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition of explorers searching for large rivers and possible road-ways through the wilderness that Captain Robert Gray had found in 1792. Thus, the Lewis and Clark journey of discovery was formed. They began their journey in Saint Lewis and after a 2000 mile trek, the 33 members of the group spent an incredibly difficult winter at Fort Clatsup in 1805.
There are several interesting places of interest in Astoria. One of our favorites is the Astoria Column – a 125 foot high column patterned after the Trajan’s Column in Rome by architect Electus Ritchfield. From the Column you have spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge and of the Willamette River Valley. You can climb up into the column as well; but we have not made that trek yet.
Another of our favorite places is the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It is located right on the waterfront and contains one of the most extensive collections of nautical artifacts on the west coast. The exhibits about the Coast Guard rescues at the mouth of the Gorge in bad weather are incredible and so interesting that you cannot help but stand and watch the entire video presentation.
Fort Clatsup is nearby and commemorates the 1805-1806 winter encampment of the 33-member Lewis and Clark expedition. This is a replica of the actual 50 X 50 fort and is nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary.
Today, however, we did not go to any of those places. Today, Jim’s daughter Jen and our good friends Rob & Christie all drove out from Portland to spend the day with us. The Sapphire Princess picked up the local pilot to help navigate us through the “bar” (which is where the Columbia River greets the Pacific Ocean) and continue on down the Columbia River to Astoria. The morning was a brisk 55° or so with a slight wind, but actually, very pleasant. After Captain Sagini gently pulled the Sapphire into its mooring spot on the dock and we got customs clearance to leave, Jim and I walked down to get in line with the passengers leaving the ship. Once we walked down the gangway and through the small flea market where the locals were selling their homemade jams and jellies and knitted scarves and such, we walked through the chain link fence to the parking lot where our three greeters were there waiting for us with open arms. It is always so good to see everyone.
And so, our adventure of enjoying the day began…we went to Pig’n’Pancake for breakfast where we caught up a little and filled our tummies with warm food and coffee and then we were off to Cannon Beach – our ultimate destination today. Cannon Beach is about one hour south of Astoria and is surrounded by the rugged natural beauty of forests, ocean beaches and rivers. We drove to Tolovana Beach, where we parked and walked out to the beach that had spectacular views of the Cannon Beach Haystack Rock which is a monolith right on the water’s edge. As we walked along the firm sand of the beach, you could not help notice that when the water swept in from the ocean and up onto the beach, there were no crashing waves, but rather the water flowed calmly up and washed across the beach. There were seagulls in front us, that seemed to be playing in the water as it reached them and they kept walking right in front of us as far as we walked. The last time we were at Cannon Beach, Jen and I both found sand dollars in the sand, but we had no luck this time. We did see a couple of broken remnants of some, but nothing in tact.
From the beach, we got back in the cars and drove back into the small community to enjoy walking through some of the boutiques and art galleries. Jim & I and Rob & Christie both bought some art at a local gallery and they will ship ours to us once we get home in a few days.
For lunch we enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the only restaurants on the water at the Wayfarer Restaurant. The view out the front picture window was spectacular of the Cannon Beach Hay Stack and beach. We sat and visited and just enjoyed everything.
Because the Sapphire Princess was leaving Astoria at 4:00 in the afternoon, after lunch we headed back to Astoria where Jen left us and headed back to Portland and we went back to Pig’n’Pancake with Rob & Christie for a cup of coffee and a quick game of Euchre (our favorite card game). Although I “feathered”, the guys still took the game – but we gave them a run for their money as the score was 31 to 29. Then, they had to take us back to the ship and say goodbye. This is the part I always hate because there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.
I don’t know about you, but I feel that way at the end of a cruise as well. No matter what we do – we always seem to say we wished we had just a few more minutes. This was no exception.
As the Sapphire pulled out of port in Astoria, the Captain pointed out several points of interest for us – one was where Free Willy was filmed. We got pictures of the area where Keiko actually was “freed” and jumped over the rock seawall. After that we passed the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse to the north and could also see further north to the North Head Lighthouse. Both of those are easy driving distance from Astoria, and if you’re a lighthouse fan like me, they are truly worth going to visit.
The Sapphire reached “the bar” and soon after, the pilot left the ship and our Captain turned the Sapphire north once again on our way to Seattle. Tonight we enjoyed another special dinner in the Sterling Steakhouse. Till next time…
TRAVELOGUE NO. 6
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
THURSDAY, May 12, 2010 – Seattle, Washington
It generally rains 226 days in Seattle. The “rain” is actually more of a mist that a downpour of rain – but it is wet nonetheless. Fortunately, we arrived in Seattle on one of those rate 139 days that grace the city with not a cloud in the sky. It was about 65 degrees and absolutely glorious. We could not have had better weather. You could see Mount Rainier in all her glory with her snow capped glacier peaks and you could also see out to the Olympic Mountains to the west where the mountains peaks were also covered thick with white snow. It was breathtaking. Because we have been to Seattle several times, we decided to just play tourist today and so we signed up for the “Grand City Tour of Seattle”. The tour consisted of three parts – a tour of downtown Seattle and Pike’s Place Market on motor coach – a harbor tour on The Argosy tour boat from Lake Union to the Port of Seattle – and, a visit to the Space Needle.
Pike’s Place Market is a public market down on the waterfront in Seattle. It consists of various food stands and vendors all hoping that they have the exact thing that you are looking for. It is very well known as the place where “they throw the fish” over your head at the seafood counters. It is also the home of the best tea that I’ve ever had, Market Spice Tea. Many years ago, when my parents lived here in the Seattle area, they introduced me to this fabulous cinnamon-orange spice tea. It is best if you steep it in boiling water for at least five minutes. The aromas that come out of one little tea bag are incredible. You take in a deep breath and smell the richness of the spices…and once you take one sip, if you are a tea lover, I guarantee you’ll think this is some of the best tea you’ve ever had. So, naturally, we had to go there and pick up several boxes of this fabulous tea to take home. It is especially delicious on a rainy day when you are staying inside, have a fire going in the fireplace and are enjoying a good book. Here is the website if you want to savor a little for yourself. www.marketspice.com
We enjoyed walking leisurely through the Public Market and just people watching. The produce and the seafood counters were gorgeous, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish caught in the morning and brought to the Market to put on display. There are small flower carts in several areas, along with this other famous Seattle drink – Starbuck’s. There are close to 600 Starbuck’s stores in the greater Seattle area. The original location is across the street from Pike’s Market.
Our tour continued as our driver took us through Pioneer Square downtown and then out to Lake Union where we boarded our tour boat, the Argosy. As we pulled away from the small pier, they announced that they had some clam chowder for purchase, so Jim went and got each of us a cup. We sat at one of the picnic type tables on the second deck right next to a window, so we had a perfect view of everything the narrator was talking about. After we finished our soup, we went out on deck. Lake Union is home for over 10 of the boats seen in the TV series The Deadliest Catch – a show about the perils of being on a fishing boat in the northwest and Alaska. It is also home to the famous houseboat used in the film “Sleepless in Seattle”. Interestingly, that houseboat was just sold to a couple who had just seen the movie and fell in love with the movie and the houseboat so much so that they got married inside their new “home”. The houseboat sold for a mere “several” million dollars!
As we continued on our tour of Lake Union, we passed under two draw bridges and on out to the locks – where we entered and secured, then the water level began to drop and we miraculously traveled DOWN 18 feet to sea level, where the locks were opened and we continued on out into Elliott Bay and on into the Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. The small lighthouse there is in the process of being restored and, unfortunately, was all covered in white plastic. Our tour continued along the waterfront and eventually took us right past the Sapphire Princess which was proudly docked at Pier 66 downtown and almost directly below the Space Needle.
Next, we boarded the motor coach again and were taken past Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners and Qwest Field, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks. After leaving there, our next stop was the Space Needle. This was built for the Exposition in 1962 and the World’s Fair. It only takes 42 seconds to travel from ground level up to the observation deck where you will enjoy a 360 degree view of Seattle.
After the tour, we went back to the ship and cleaned up and then were off for one of the highlights of our entire trip. We met Michele, my Strategic Sale Coach from my host agency. Michele has been coaching me the past few months, and has guided me along my path as a travel agent. We had agreed to meet at Ivar’s Seafood Restaurant near Pier 57 on the waterfront. Jim and I arrived first and were standing in front of the restaurant when we noticed a gal walking briskly towards us. She had straight, long hair and was wearing sunglasses that quickly were raised above her eyes when she spotted us. I immediately raised my sunglasses as well and when she reach us, we both laughed and agreed how nice it was to meet each other after only talking on the telephone on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for the past few months.
We were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant where we had a beautiful view of the water and were only one dock away from the terminal for the Washington State Ferries. So, while we sat and chatted and got to know each other in person, we enjoyed all of the activity on the water as well. Jim had a pound of Alaskan king crab legs, while Michele enjoyed the halibut and I enjoyed my salmon. The clam chowder at Ivar’s is some of the best that we’ve ever had, so Jim and I both got a cup of that along with a small dinner salad with their house “Louis” (thousand island) dressing. After dinner, we all had dessert – again, each of us enjoyed something different – Jim had bread pudding, Michele had the apple/rhubarb crisp and I had crème bruleé. Unfortunately, we had to get back to the ship by 9:30 p.m., so we eventually had the say our goodbyes and go on our separate ways. But, I have to say that being able to meet someone who you have only talked to on the telephone for several months was absolutely incredible and really meant a lot to me.
We sailed out of Seattle at 10:00 p.m. It was still twilight outside, and so I stood on our balcony and took some beautiful pictures of the Space Needle as we left port. Our final stop will be in Victoria, BC tomorrow. It is only a short distance from Seattle, and so the Captain announced he would only be cruising at about 10 mph.
Thank you Seattle for such a glorious beautiful day ~
TRAVELOGUE NO. 7
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
FRIDAY, May 14, 2010 – Victoria, BC, Canada
It is hard to believe that this is the last day of the cruise portion of our cruise. As with most cruises, they seem to end too soon and leave you wanting “just a few more days”.
Victoria greeted us with blue skies and 65 degree temperature, much as Seattle did yesterday. Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is the largest and most metropolitan city on the island. Our tour guide told us that Victoria is second in Canada only to be outranked by Vancouver City for an average priced home. It has the mildest climate in all of Canada because it sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. They only get approximately 20 some inches of rain here. There is no humidity here either – which makes it VERY desirable.
Butchart Gardens is among the most famous and meticulously maintained gardens in the world. Other attractions here that are equally as popular are The Empress Hotel and The British Columbia Museum of Natural History. One of our favorite things to do is to walk through downtown along Government Street and enjoy the little boutiques and souvenir shops along the way.
Enjoying our beautiful weather, today we took a tour to Craigdurroch Castle and Mt. Toume. Our motor coach drove us through downtown and out to “Mile 0” which is where the Trans-Canadian Highway begins and continues for over 4000 miles out to the Atlantic sea board. We passed the tallest totem pole in Canada which is at the south end of Beach Hill Park and faces mainland Washington State.
When we arrived at Mt. Tuome, the 360 degree views were nothing short of spectacular because of the clear weather. We could see over to Mt. Baker which is north of Seattle; we could see east over to San Juan Island across Haro Strait where we had a waterfront home rented for a week with friends; we could see south across the Strait of Juan de Fuca down to Washington State and magnificently standing proudly in the clear skies beyond were the Olympic Mountain range. It was just simply a glorious view. The landscape was granite with many varieties of wildflowers growing through the cracks. And, one of the most prolific bushes is the Scottish Broom, a bright yellow bush that we were told is actually a weed and taking over the island. But – weed or not, it add a beautiful yellow brightness to the area surrounding you.
From Mt. Tuome, the tour driver drove us down the hill and through the campus of The University of Victoria where they seem to have a rampant infestation of rabbits. The authorities are now in the process of trying to trap them and neuter them.
We wound around the streets and eventually arrived at the Craigdurroch Castle. Robert Dunsmuir found his fortune in coal back in the mid 1800’s. He and his wife had 15 children. When he passed in 1879 and never lived in the castle. It is built of huge stone on the outside and some of the most exquisite and intricate wood working on the interior. After passing hands several times it finally was donated to the City of Victoria. We climbed the wooden banisterred staircase up four flights of stairs – on each floor were more bedrooms. What was so beautiful was that each room was recreated in period décor complete with mannequins dressed in the beautiful long dresses of that time. The pictures on the wall were all historical. One shadow box picture caught my attention and when I asked about it, I was told that the 3 dimensional heart filigree inside was made of human hair. Each of the dining rooms had tables that were set “properly” for a very formal occasion.
It does not take much longer than half an hour to go through the Castle. There is a gift shop when you exit as with most every tourist attraction today. We walked around the grounds and were able to take some great pictures of the exterior of the house. One of the things that you could not help but notice were the blooming rhododendrons that were completely covered in flower blooms of every color from pale pink to bright magenta to a pinkish orange and everything in between. We found these bushes all over the city.
As we left the Castle our tour guide drove us through China Town which in contrast to the city of Victoria that has it’s streets lined with lamp posts with five white globes, in China Town, the lamp posts are on a red post with one Chinese lantern on top. Very fitting for the area.
We were dropped off in downtown Victoria near The Empress Hotel on Douglas Street where we chose to leave the tour and walk around on our own. It was near lunch time and we chose to enjoy some moist and delicate fish and chips at the Bard & Banker Restaurant. The batter of the fish was crunched Ruffles potato chips. I’d never seen anything like this and when we asked the waiter about it, he told us the Chef had come up with the recipe because the potato chips minimizes the shrinkage of the fish and what you are served is plump and juicy. Their tartar sauce was some of the best I’ve ever had; and we asked if they sold it and they unfortunately said no.
We walked up and down Government Street and then down past The Empress Hotel where there was a bride and groom on the front steps having their pictures taken. On the harbor side along the sidewalk, there were several street entertainers performing. We saw Darth Vader playing the violin, a gentleman painting a picture in chalk, and a juggler as well. Along the street we past many musicians playing guitar who were sitting on the ground – but it added a nice ambience to the day as we walked around.
Many of the students in Victoria earn extra money by transporting visitors around in their pedi-cabs. We found Andrea, who is a student of environmental studies and French and she got us settled and we were on our way for a leisurely ride back to the ship. All total, it took about an hour. She peddled through town and over to Beacon Hill Park where the “rhodos” were simply breathtaking with several bushes grouped together and created this burst of bright magenta amongst the green grassy knolls and trees in the park. We passed several peacocks in the park that are allowed to roam free throughout the park. There are several small ponds with fountains and there is a bronzed bust of Queen Elizabeth (or Victoria) with a flower bed of huge pink tulips underneath. Our ride continued along the waterfront and eventually down to the cruise ship terminal where it ended all to soon (as with everything else).
As is tradition on the last night of the cruise, the Princess waiters did the Parade of the Baked Alaska and we were surprised (and disappointed) that Princess no longer lights the Alaska’s but not have battery operated flames. We said good bye to our table mates and everyone went off to finish their packing and make sure our luggage was put outside our stateroom by 10:00 p.m. so the crew could swoop it up and take it into the baggage holding areas down below and it will magically appear when we pass through Customs in Vancouver.
Don’t fret – the Travelogues are not over yet! We will be staying two days in Vancouver, so there’s still more to come!
Hope you are all well and we sure wish we were sharing this with you all! What a fun time that would be! Safe Travels!
TRAVELOGUE NO. 8
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SATURDAY , May 15, 2010
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Sapphire Princess arrived in Vancouver around 7:00 a.m. and sailed down past Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge on to Canada Place, the beautiful cruise terminal in Vancouver. Once again, we were blessed with nice weather and a very high cloud cover. The jagged peaks of the Coastal Mountains to the north were still covered with snow, which added to the beautiful landscape that we saw. The Vancouver skyline is dramatic with numerous glass sided skyscrapers . The reflections of the city could be seen from every place you looked which gave you a different perspective each time you turned around.
Due to the fact that there were three ships in port simultaneously (The Sapphire Princess, The Coral Princess and the Holland America Zuirdam) our disembarkation process was a bit slow – but it gave us added time on board and to say our good byes to new friends - and prolonged the realization that the cruise was over.
Our motor coach came and whisked us off to our hotel. We stayed at the Westin Bayshore on the waterfront. We had a beautiful room with a bay view. The large marble shower was perhaps the most welcome features of the room as it was four times bigger than the one on the ship.
After we freshened up, we went down and grabbed a bite to eat and then walked over towards Stanley Park. There is a walkway all along the sea wall not only includes the 5 ½ miles inside Stanley Park, but it continues to the west side and past Granville Island and also continues to the east all down towards Gas Town. The path was very busy with roller bladders, bicyclists and walkers all out enjoyed the beautiful weather.
As we walked along the boat harbor, we passed by the Vancouver Rowing Club where we saw several dozen rowing sculls and hundreds of boats moored in the marina and empty tall masts. As we stood at the water’s edge and looked north, before us was a spectacular panorama. The water in the lagoon where the small boat harbor was seemed to be as calm as glass, with the reflections of the sailboat masts reflecting in the waters. The Tudor Style Rowing Club was freshly painted with a dark, burnt red base color on the main part of the building with striking white contrasts on the decorative facia. Beyond the Rowing Club, were the tree tops of Stanley Park – each seemed to be a different color of green, yellow or red. Beyond that were the green rolling hills of the Coastal Mountains. Then, in the background, far in the distance were the snow capped peaks of the mountains.
We continued on around the lagoon and up into the park where we found the Horse Drawn Trolley. We boarded our trolley and got to sit in the very first row next to our drive and tour narrator, Emma. Emma was a woman in her 50’s. Her hair was blonde and she wore her hair up underneath a beige,visor hat. She wore a small pair of wire-rimmed glasses. She had a few gentle wrinkles starting at the corner of her eyes. She wore a multi-color beige woolen pullover sweater and jeans. Her voice was articulate and clear as she began to talk about the two horses that would be pulling us around the park. “Reno” was a red, draft horse, very similar looking to a Clydesdale; and “Pepper” was a Berjeron with a salt and pepper colored coat. When she was read to take off, Emma merely said “Come on boys” and gentle tugged on the reins and off we went.
Stanley Park covers over 1,000 acres of land – which makes it larger than Central Park in Manhattan. There are two lighthouses in the park and the sea wall walkways is 5 ½ miles long and goes all around the perimeter of the park. On top of that, there are countless hiking trails and pathways through the park There is a cricket field. A game of cricket can last up to five days; but they do stop to have tea and sandwiches. We traveled slowly along the Burrard Inlet out to where we had a view of the Lions Gate Bridge and up the Capillano Valley. The park is thick and plush with numerous different types of bushes and ferns; and interspersed among the variety of green were colorful rhododendrons, rose bushes, forsythia (a bright yellow bush), and every color of azalea as well as Japanese red maple trees. Trees in the park range from the Western Red Cedar (which is the best wood to carve totem poles and canoes) to huge Douglas Firs and an occasional redwood. The colors of green cover the spectrum from a yellowish cast to the deep, dark forest green; and this adds to the dimension of the landscape.
There is an aquarium inside Stanley Park, as well as a miniature railroad that children and adults may all enjoy riding on, as well as a petting zoo and a gorgeous rose garden. Our horse-drawn trolley tour lasted an hour – which seemed to fly by and all of a sudden we found ourselves back where we started. We weren’t ready to leave the park yet; so we took off up the hill, going through the park from the seawall near the Rowing Club up through the park to the rose garden. Along the way, our paths crossed with two “black” squirrels, which were busy gathering something to munch on and then scurried away. I saw one small red-headed woodpecker and a few black birds, but not much more animal life than that. Once we arrived at the rose garden, we saw a bronze memorial to President Warren G. Harding which marked the spot of a speech he made there in Stanley Park during his presidency. Though the roses were not blooming yet, the rhododendrons, azaleas, pansies, iris, birds of paradise, hydrangeas and several other different species of flowers were all in bloom and added a variegated color display that was similar to that at Butchart Gardens in Victoria.
The grounds of Stanley Park are meticulously groomed and kept in pristine condition. Even after the big storm in 2006 which came through Victoria with a vengeance and downed over 10,000 trees, the gardeners worked fast and cleared the debris; and now there are only slight reminisces of the violent storm. What is interesting is that though the trees themselves uprooted and fell, the gardeners chose to leave the roots in place and exactly where they fell to show the visitors to the park the extent of the damage of that storm.
After our walk, we went back to our room and freshened up and then caught a cab to Gas Town. On our way there, we asked the cab driver to stop by the Olympic Flame which is outside the Pan Pacific Hotel. The structure appears to be ice-like crystals of massive proportions. The flame was not lit as it is put out after the end of the Olympics, but it is still a magnificent sight to see.
We enjoyed dinner at our favorite sidewalk café in Gas Town, the Water Street Café which is directly across the street from the Vancouver Steam Clock. As luck would have it, we sat directly across from another couple who had been on our cruise on the Sapphire; so we enjoyed a little chit-chat during our meal.
The sun does not set until 8:45 p.m. here in Vancouver; so we were able to stay outside at the café and enjoy a very pleasant evening. The people watching from this vantage point was quite interesting. Mini-skirts have made a return to the fashion industry after being dormant since the late 1960’s. Platform heals are also very popular. After our delightful dinner, we sat and just talked about our trip and commented on how it is always good to go home, but sad that it is ending.
Tomorrow we are going to go whale watching in hopes of finding some of those “BLACK & WHITES” (orcas) off of Vancouver in the Gulf Islands. That will be the final Travelogue for this trip – so one more to go!
TRAVELOGUE NO. 9
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 16, 2010
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Because our whale watching excursion was not until 12:00 noon, we were able to enjoy a leisurely morning and a nice cup of Starbucks and a blueberry muffin for breakfast before we caught a cab over to Granville Island where we would go to Wild Whales and depart on our adventure in search of those “black and whites”.
Granville Island has a fabulous Public Market, very similar in concept to Pikes Place Market in Seattle. There are fruit stands piled high with fresh vegetables. The red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers alongside the thin, fresh asparagus and huge (5”) artichokes and gigantic red and green grapes filled the counters of the vegetable and fruit stands. The fish counters were filled of king crab legs and fresh salmon along with other local varieties of fish that had been brought to the market in the morning. We found our favorite deli stand and purchased our sandwiches to take out on our excursion. We found our favorite deli counter where we bought our sandwiches for our afternoon excursion and then we set out to go explore the market a bit before we boarded the Quick Change II, whale watching vessel.
Our tour guide, Caley, along with our driver greeted us as we boarded the covered whale-watching boat. Caley was about 25 years old and though it appeared that she had a full head of hair in dread-locks, she had them tied up in a scarf around her head. She had a small nose, hazel eyes and a beautiful smile. She is had a small frame and seemed genuinely happy that we had all chosen to be with her on this exploration for go find the whales.
We took off out of the harbor at Granville Island and passed under the Granville Island Bridge and out into the Strait of Georgia, which is the main route of the Alaska Marine Highway. We passed many tankers and tug boats on our way heading south west to the Gulf Islands. As we reached Porlier Pass and Galiano Island, we passed the small white and red Grace Point Lighthouse. The base of the lighthouse is wider than the top. It had four sides that were trimmed in bright red paint and then the lighthouse lens was on top. On top of the lens proudly were two bald eagles proudly perched as if they were greeting us as we entered the Trincomali Pass heading south.
The skies above became more gray with thicker clouds, that eventually gave us a fine, misty rain as we passed through the narrow passageway of the Pender Islands. We had been in the boat about three hours at this point and still had no sightings of any whales. The scenery was breathtaking; and as is true after most rains, the smell of the freshened forest and trees was noticeable and refreshing.
Unfortunately, those black and white orcas remained silent and elusive; and we never found them. We did see a few dolphins as we headed back out into the Strait of Georgia heading back to Vancouver. As we reached the breakwater, we saw some California sea lions and stellar sea lions basking on the rocks of the breakwater. A couple of them were lifting their bodies and stretching high and barking loudly as we passed by. The staff at Wild Whales graciously issued all of us a “free” pass to come back another time (no expiration date) to see the whales – so we will tuck that away in a safe place and look forward to doing that sometime in the future.
Realization eventually set in that in only 12 hours we would be heading to the airport for our trek home – so we decided to have a nice, quiet dinner at the Sea Wall Restaurant in the lobby of the Westin Bayshore. We had a window table and were among only half a dozen or so, groups of people in the restaurant – so it was quiet and peaceful as the sun set on another beautiful Vancouver day.
And, so it ends my friends – our trip is over – I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along with us on our journey and hope you have enjoyed the trip with us. We’ll be heading out again on June 30 this year as we will go visit Alaska on a three day cruise from Vancouver to Skagway visiting Tracy Arm Fjord and the Twin Sawyer Glaciers and Juneau before we reach Skagway. From Skagway, we will leave the ship and go on a 10 day land tour up to the Yukon, Dawson, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage.
Till then…safe travels to you all!
Barbara
The Golden Princess departing San Diego
TRAVELOGUES
from our
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE
September 17-26, 2009
Pacific Princess
Seattle to Vancouver
and
Golden Princess
Vancouver to San Diego
