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BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS ... day before yesterday for a good friend of nearly 20 years from an equine site ... yesterday was a daughter's BIG 5-0 and she called me "old" ... today for a special friend here on Stories Space that goes by name of AriesDragon. (She's still young and beautiful 😊😊😊)
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Rebellious_SoulQuote by snoopQuote by snoop
😴😴😴😴😴 WAKE UP Anna !!! You have come full circle and are now at the beginning. The END OF THE LINE is mine now 😜😜😜
I hate to burst your bubble but... you forgotten that I'm still here.
Took you long enough but I'm here now and my bubble is intact at THE END OF THE LINE!!
Active Ink Slinger
August 24 … day fourteen
We were up at 7:00 and had breakfast in the hotel dining room with new friends and left the hotel at 9:30 for a ten minute bus ride to SeaTac Airport. We had a long wait in the bus line to get unloaded. In the meantime, Diane had gone ahead and returned to give us last minute instructions of where to go, check in procedures, etc.
The airport was crowded and busy, but we made it through the check in procedures and security without too much difficulty or delay and our gate was right in front of us … NO long walk to a far gate!!
Boarding was on-time at 11:20AM and the long flight to Atlanta, GA left on time at noon. We did have to change planes to get back to Greensboro, NC and that was not difficult.
Did I mention earlier that Diane stayed with us all the way back to Greensboro, NC. She said she would have a brief overnight and then would fly back to her home in Wisconsin for “a single day off” before her next trip.
We said our final good byes at Greensboro and rode home with our friends who had left their car at the airport.
Charlotte and Kima were a welcome sight for us and she had made a pot of “SWEET ICE TEA” for us.
It is good to travel, but also very good to return home!
Good night … from home!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I’ve saved this thought written by Carol for last, as it is really so meaningful about our travel philosophy … and really possibly about life itself. I wish to thank her for the fine job she has done with her scrapbook that has been my guide in these narratives.
EXPECTATION vs REALITY
(thoughts from a seasoned traveler)
Every one of my scrapbooks has a dose of travel philosophy, whether sayings on stickers or in my own words. Wouldn’t it be ideal if all the pieces of a trip fell into place flawlessly to make it perfect? It just doesn’t happen that way! So many factors beyond your control affect the trip, but being adaptable means enjoying things as they are, even when they are not as you had hoped they would be. This Alaskan adventure, for example, was not blessed by great weather; but rain, fog, and low clouds did not ruin our pleasure. We would love to have seen more wildlife, but we were glad we were able to see a lot. You learn to “go with the flow”.
Rick's thought: Some of the most memorable experiences we've had over the years have come out of plans that went askew and off track ... where we've had to learn to "go with the flow". Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave comment(s) "good, bad, or indifferent." .... rla
We were up at 7:00 and had breakfast in the hotel dining room with new friends and left the hotel at 9:30 for a ten minute bus ride to SeaTac Airport. We had a long wait in the bus line to get unloaded. In the meantime, Diane had gone ahead and returned to give us last minute instructions of where to go, check in procedures, etc.
The airport was crowded and busy, but we made it through the check in procedures and security without too much difficulty or delay and our gate was right in front of us … NO long walk to a far gate!!
Boarding was on-time at 11:20AM and the long flight to Atlanta, GA left on time at noon. We did have to change planes to get back to Greensboro, NC and that was not difficult.
Did I mention earlier that Diane stayed with us all the way back to Greensboro, NC. She said she would have a brief overnight and then would fly back to her home in Wisconsin for “a single day off” before her next trip.
We said our final good byes at Greensboro and rode home with our friends who had left their car at the airport.
Charlotte and Kima were a welcome sight for us and she had made a pot of “SWEET ICE TEA” for us.
It is good to travel, but also very good to return home!
Good night … from home!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I’ve saved this thought written by Carol for last, as it is really so meaningful about our travel philosophy … and really possibly about life itself. I wish to thank her for the fine job she has done with her scrapbook that has been my guide in these narratives.
EXPECTATION vs REALITY
(thoughts from a seasoned traveler)
Every one of my scrapbooks has a dose of travel philosophy, whether sayings on stickers or in my own words. Wouldn’t it be ideal if all the pieces of a trip fell into place flawlessly to make it perfect? It just doesn’t happen that way! So many factors beyond your control affect the trip, but being adaptable means enjoying things as they are, even when they are not as you had hoped they would be. This Alaskan adventure, for example, was not blessed by great weather; but rain, fog, and low clouds did not ruin our pleasure. We would love to have seen more wildlife, but we were glad we were able to see a lot. You learn to “go with the flow”.
Rick's thought: Some of the most memorable experiences we've had over the years have come out of plans that went askew and off track ... where we've had to learn to "go with the flow". Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave comment(s) "good, bad, or indifferent." .... rla
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 23 … day thirteen
We were up by 6:30AM and eating breakfast at 7:00 and then on to the theater by 8:00 to wait for the “Group 2 – lime” call to disembark the Volendam for the last time. We had to use our ID cards so that the ship’s crew could tell who we were, etc. Were they afraid of stowaways being left behind?? This seemed much more organized than the previous cruise excursions she had been on in the past. As this was only my 2nd cruise, I really don’t remember much about the process being chaotic … this process here seemed very well organized and conducted in an orderly manner without being rushed.
We had actually docked in Vancouver a bit after 7:00 AM and Carol and I got to see a bit of the skyline in passing as we ate our breakfast. As you can see and surmise from these photos, Vancouver is a large, bustling, modern city: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=harborside+photos+vancouver&qpvt=harbor+side+photos+vancouver
Since we were coming from a different country (USA), we had to go through a brief customs check as we exited the ship. Canadian customs officers … in our experience … have all been pleasant, and efficient in the performance of their jobs. This was no exception.
Diane had somehow managed to get ahead of our group and was able to direct us to a waiting room for our coach to arrive. This was a very short wait and we soon loaded yet another fine coach for our journey down to Seattle, Washington, USA.
When we got to the border, we had a bit of a wait as the driver and Diane tried to get us through the crossing without much hassle. As it turned out, we had to get off the bus and go into the customs building and present our passports and our carry-on luggage / “stuff” to go through X-Ray, etc. It really is quite different coming “home” than going into Canada.
After a short drive, we stopped stopped at a large mall in Bellingham, WA to buy lunch at the food court. Carol was getting stuffier with her head cold and got some Afrin for that.
Our day of riding ended at the Doubletree Hotel adjacent to the airport in Seattle Washington. Click on “Photos” for what this place looked like. It was by far the nicest and largest accommodations of any place we’ve stayed … and it was right at the airport. However, we did NOT hear any noise from aircraft. https://www.bing.com/search?q=doubletree+seattle+wa&form=EDGHPT&qs=AS&cvid=c7cd8b82fc944d599ecf774ecd3ff308&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=ACTS
We had our FAREWELL DINNER there with a choice of beef or chicken plus wine / hard drink if desired. Carol made a toast: “...to NEW friends, OLD friends, great memories in spite of the weather, and to a WONDERFUL LEADER who kept us all moving in the right direction.” Diane was fantastic.
Good night … flying home tomorrow!!
August 23 … day thirteen
We were up by 6:30AM and eating breakfast at 7:00 and then on to the theater by 8:00 to wait for the “Group 2 – lime” call to disembark the Volendam for the last time. We had to use our ID cards so that the ship’s crew could tell who we were, etc. Were they afraid of stowaways being left behind?? This seemed much more organized than the previous cruise excursions she had been on in the past. As this was only my 2nd cruise, I really don’t remember much about the process being chaotic … this process here seemed very well organized and conducted in an orderly manner without being rushed.
We had actually docked in Vancouver a bit after 7:00 AM and Carol and I got to see a bit of the skyline in passing as we ate our breakfast. As you can see and surmise from these photos, Vancouver is a large, bustling, modern city: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=harborside+photos+vancouver&qpvt=harbor+side+photos+vancouver
Since we were coming from a different country (USA), we had to go through a brief customs check as we exited the ship. Canadian customs officers … in our experience … have all been pleasant, and efficient in the performance of their jobs. This was no exception.
Diane had somehow managed to get ahead of our group and was able to direct us to a waiting room for our coach to arrive. This was a very short wait and we soon loaded yet another fine coach for our journey down to Seattle, Washington, USA.
When we got to the border, we had a bit of a wait as the driver and Diane tried to get us through the crossing without much hassle. As it turned out, we had to get off the bus and go into the customs building and present our passports and our carry-on luggage / “stuff” to go through X-Ray, etc. It really is quite different coming “home” than going into Canada.
After a short drive, we stopped stopped at a large mall in Bellingham, WA to buy lunch at the food court. Carol was getting stuffier with her head cold and got some Afrin for that.
Our day of riding ended at the Doubletree Hotel adjacent to the airport in Seattle Washington. Click on “Photos” for what this place looked like. It was by far the nicest and largest accommodations of any place we’ve stayed … and it was right at the airport. However, we did NOT hear any noise from aircraft. https://www.bing.com/search?q=doubletree+seattle+wa&form=EDGHPT&qs=AS&cvid=c7cd8b82fc944d599ecf774ecd3ff308&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=ACTS
We had our FAREWELL DINNER there with a choice of beef or chicken plus wine / hard drink if desired. Carol made a toast: “...to NEW friends, OLD friends, great memories in spite of the weather, and to a WONDERFUL LEADER who kept us all moving in the right direction.” Diane was fantastic.
Good night … flying home tomorrow!!
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 22 … day twelve
I pretty much stayed in our cabin resting, sleeping, and reading. This was just a day of cruising toward the end of the cruise at Vancouver, B.C.
Carol writes: “ My day in a nutshell – from my journal was a day at sea. Our group met at 9:00 in the Crow’s Nest for an hour-long meeting about disembarkation (getting off the ship). Bags needed to be outside your room by midnight (not ours because we had carry-ons) and tagged with the lime green Group 2 tag in addition to the red Holiday tag that had been there from Day one. We were to meet in the theater on Deck 4 forward at 8:00 the next morning with our passports and room key card. After the meeting, I stopped in the Photo Gallery and bought the pic that was taken when we first boarded the ship. The one of us at the Gala Dinner was not very good so I didn’t buy it, and the ones someone took with my camera were blurry, so I don’t have any from that night. Next stop was the main desk to pay for any extras on board ($136). Next was some downtime in the Explorer’s Lounge on Deck 5 Aft with my iPod and my new book that I had gotten in Ketchikan. I called our friend Patty, met her in the Photo Shop so she could find her pix, then started packing before lunch. Rick and I went to the Crow’s Nest to “whale watch” but he soon went back to the room. (He and Ron were both sick along with ¼ to ½ of our group.) Whale Watch, Game Show, and Sunset described later.”
Carol also has in her scrapbook some quotations that are meaningful …
“A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely ‘un-happen’” … E. deBono
“Life is too short to put off what makes you happy.” … anon.
“You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” … Dr. Seuss
“If you want to keep your memories you first have to live them” … “Take care of all your memories for you can not relive them.” … Bob Dylan … “but you can revisit them whenever you want.” … Carol Angell
“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” … Eudora Welty
A photograph “is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” Actually this was about memory, but I wanted to change it to photos … and this is why I journal with photos … Carol
Carol spent a lot of time watching for whales and other sea life, but unfortunately did not see much more than a dorsal fin of an orca. She also saw some dolphins but not with her camera. There are a couple lines from John Denver’s song “I Want To Live” that she hoped would come true: “ … have you gazed out on the ocean, seen the breaching of a whale? Have you watched the dolphins frolic in the foam?”
After dinner again in the main dining room, we went to the theater with another couple for a quiz program. Carol hoped it would be about geography, but it turned out to be “Where on Earth”. This program was like the Jeopardy program on television. Carol was “volunteered” to go up on stage with another member of our group. The questions were mostly about animals – where they lived – what they sound like – and were True / False or multiple choice. They got a bottle of wine, but it would have had to be finished tonight and none of us wanted it. It was given to a family of heavy drinkers in our group.
After the entertaining show, I returned to our cabin and Carol went out on deck to watch a beautiful sunset show that she describes as lasting over 50 minutes. “ Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting.” … Richard Paul Evans
“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.” … anon
“At sunset, Nature is painting for us … day after day … pictures of infinite beauty.” … John Ruskin
I wish I could show you some of Carol’s photos, but here you’ll find some photos very much like what she saw. I have googled “sunset photos inner passage Alaska” and this is what came up: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sunset+photos+inner+passage+alaska&qpvt=sunset+photos+inner+passage+alaska
We both turned in a bit early tonight … I still wasn’t feeling all that well and Carol was pushing herself hard and obviously coming down with “something” from all the coughing she was doing.
See you tomorrow when we dock in Vancouver … Good night!
August 22 … day twelve
I pretty much stayed in our cabin resting, sleeping, and reading. This was just a day of cruising toward the end of the cruise at Vancouver, B.C.
Carol writes: “ My day in a nutshell – from my journal was a day at sea. Our group met at 9:00 in the Crow’s Nest for an hour-long meeting about disembarkation (getting off the ship). Bags needed to be outside your room by midnight (not ours because we had carry-ons) and tagged with the lime green Group 2 tag in addition to the red Holiday tag that had been there from Day one. We were to meet in the theater on Deck 4 forward at 8:00 the next morning with our passports and room key card. After the meeting, I stopped in the Photo Gallery and bought the pic that was taken when we first boarded the ship. The one of us at the Gala Dinner was not very good so I didn’t buy it, and the ones someone took with my camera were blurry, so I don’t have any from that night. Next stop was the main desk to pay for any extras on board ($136). Next was some downtime in the Explorer’s Lounge on Deck 5 Aft with my iPod and my new book that I had gotten in Ketchikan. I called our friend Patty, met her in the Photo Shop so she could find her pix, then started packing before lunch. Rick and I went to the Crow’s Nest to “whale watch” but he soon went back to the room. (He and Ron were both sick along with ¼ to ½ of our group.) Whale Watch, Game Show, and Sunset described later.”
Carol also has in her scrapbook some quotations that are meaningful …
“A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely ‘un-happen’” … E. deBono
“Life is too short to put off what makes you happy.” … anon.
“You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” … Dr. Seuss
“If you want to keep your memories you first have to live them” … “Take care of all your memories for you can not relive them.” … Bob Dylan … “but you can revisit them whenever you want.” … Carol Angell
“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” … Eudora Welty
A photograph “is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” Actually this was about memory, but I wanted to change it to photos … and this is why I journal with photos … Carol
Carol spent a lot of time watching for whales and other sea life, but unfortunately did not see much more than a dorsal fin of an orca. She also saw some dolphins but not with her camera. There are a couple lines from John Denver’s song “I Want To Live” that she hoped would come true: “ … have you gazed out on the ocean, seen the breaching of a whale? Have you watched the dolphins frolic in the foam?”
After dinner again in the main dining room, we went to the theater with another couple for a quiz program. Carol hoped it would be about geography, but it turned out to be “Where on Earth”. This program was like the Jeopardy program on television. Carol was “volunteered” to go up on stage with another member of our group. The questions were mostly about animals – where they lived – what they sound like – and were True / False or multiple choice. They got a bottle of wine, but it would have had to be finished tonight and none of us wanted it. It was given to a family of heavy drinkers in our group.
After the entertaining show, I returned to our cabin and Carol went out on deck to watch a beautiful sunset show that she describes as lasting over 50 minutes. “ Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting.” … Richard Paul Evans
“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.” … anon
“At sunset, Nature is painting for us … day after day … pictures of infinite beauty.” … John Ruskin
I wish I could show you some of Carol’s photos, but here you’ll find some photos very much like what she saw. I have googled “sunset photos inner passage Alaska” and this is what came up: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sunset+photos+inner+passage+alaska&qpvt=sunset+photos+inner+passage+alaska
We both turned in a bit early tonight … I still wasn’t feeling all that well and Carol was pushing herself hard and obviously coming down with “something” from all the coughing she was doing.
See you tomorrow when we dock in Vancouver … Good night!
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 21 … day eleven
We were up in time to be eating breakfast in the Lido Cafe and watch the scenery pass as the ship eased into the harbor at Ketchikan at 10:00 AM. This was to be just a day time mooring and would leave at 5:30PM. We did have time to get off and see a bit of Ketchikan.
This small town sure has a number of interesting sights to see … for a “price”. Almost greeting us when we got off was a statue called “The Rock”. This actually is a very informative piece of art about the history and settlement of Alaska. From the writing of Patricia Jordan from West Coast Living: “A Tlingit woman sits with her drum and sings her song of KetchiKan. She sings of how loggers harvested the trees, miners mined the gold, fishermen dared the sea for salmon and halibut, and pilots braved the sky to carry people beyond the reach of roads. The pioneer woman arrives to find opportunity in this new land. Atop The Rock stands Chief Johnson, who greeted the travelers arriving on the ships from Seattle and San Francisco. He offered them trinkets for sale, thus beginning a cultural exchange that continues today. Ketchikan was founded by the vision and heroic efforts of these pioneers.” You will find this quote and some closeup pictures of this statue here along with other photos of this town. Please let the photos cycle through: https://westcoastlivingcanada.com/2013/04/06/ketchikan-welcomes-you/
The town / city of Ketchikan itself is Alaska’s 4th largest city. Originally a Tlingit fishing camp, the natives called this place “kitschk-hin” which means “thundering eagle wings creek”. Non-native settlers, drawn to the mild climate and rich resources, took over the area in 1885, opened numerous fish canneries, and relocated the Tlingits to nearby Saxman Village. Lumber / pulp mills opened to provide timber for companies supplying goods to the miners during the Gold Rush. After these businesses closed in the 1990’s, Ketchikan became dependent on tourism and is a major stop for ships cruising the “Inside Passage.” The 2010 census recorded the population at 8,050 residents.
Carol and our friend did some shopping in town and returned to the ship for lunch. I had stayed in our cabin resting. We had a trolley tour to catch at 1:00PM that all four of us had signed up for. This was a city tour via the trolley and was $30 per person and was about an hour and half or so long. I would not have been able to have walked that much even though the town is quite small.
We were greeted by Lindsey who was our driver and guide for this tour. She certainly was lively in talking about Ketchikan as she pointed out certain buildings and gave us a humorous running commentary about their significance. She took us to the Saxman Village and explained a lot about totem poles and their significance.
Saxman Village … a Tlingit Indian village … was established in 1894 and is named for a school teacher, Samuel Saxman. He was one of three men lost in December 1886 while scouting for a new location for people of Tongas and Cape Fox villages. There are totems here comprising the world’s largest collection, including poles moved from Pennock, Tongass, and village islands and from old Cape Fox Village at Kirk Point. Many are poles restored under Federal Works Project directed by the US Forest Service beginning in 1939. Lindsey explained to us that even though the totems looked scary, they really told a story of historic significance.
As an example, there in the park were three totems erected that had an eagle on top with wings spread. Each of these totems was facing a different direction. According to a legend, three small boys were lost and the three eagles are looking for them in three directions. One searched the land, one the air, and one the sea.
Colors were made from charcoal, copper, iron oxide and other natural components. I was surprised to learn that the “cedar” poles rot from the inside out, but can be saved by hollowing out the center and putting another tree inside. There was a totem being restored that we could see up close … some parts and pieces were held together by wooden pegs. There was an elderly native artisan there working carefully on one totem inside the building. It was fascinating (and heart warming) to see the care he took while working on the restoration project … truly a labor of love. This will give you some more facts about the park: http://www.experienceketchikan.com/native-american-totem-poles-5.html and here you’ll find more photos of the totem park. See if you can find the man wearing a top hat … there really is one! As an aside, totems do not represent the dead, but rather emphasize the living: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=saxman+totem+park&qpvt=saxman+totem+park There was of course the obligatory “gift shop”. I do NOT enjoy crowds of people in tight confines so I kept to myself outside while Carol made the rounds inside … she purchased a post card!
When Carol had returned to the ship before lunch, she had packaged up some fabric (quilter gal that she is!), souvenirs, and a sweatshirt in a large microfiber envelope she had brought from home. This is another part of traveling in one small bag – mail stuff home so you don’t have to crowd your bag. She writes: “After lunch and the trolley tour, I took the package to the P.O. / FedEx / UPS place that was just a couple blocks from the ship, only to find it was no longer there! I knew there was another P.O. quite some distance along the the harbor and asked a local which bus I needed. The “green” bus drove on every single street in Ketchikan and after 30 minutes dropped me off at the the right place in fairly heavy rain. After handing over the package, I asked the P.O. clerk if it was possible to get a cab, and she said she could give me her phone so I could call one. The woman in line behind me asked where I needed to go and said she would be glad to take me in her car!! She let me out at Tongas Trading Company right next to the ship and she would not let me pay her. I guess it will be a “pay it forward”. There really are nice people everywhere.” She made it back in time before the ship sailed again around 5:30PM.
Dinner was again in the main dining room and our group enjoyed sharing stories of the day in Ketchikan.
What will tomorrow bring ….??
August 21 … day eleven
We were up in time to be eating breakfast in the Lido Cafe and watch the scenery pass as the ship eased into the harbor at Ketchikan at 10:00 AM. This was to be just a day time mooring and would leave at 5:30PM. We did have time to get off and see a bit of Ketchikan.
This small town sure has a number of interesting sights to see … for a “price”. Almost greeting us when we got off was a statue called “The Rock”. This actually is a very informative piece of art about the history and settlement of Alaska. From the writing of Patricia Jordan from West Coast Living: “A Tlingit woman sits with her drum and sings her song of KetchiKan. She sings of how loggers harvested the trees, miners mined the gold, fishermen dared the sea for salmon and halibut, and pilots braved the sky to carry people beyond the reach of roads. The pioneer woman arrives to find opportunity in this new land. Atop The Rock stands Chief Johnson, who greeted the travelers arriving on the ships from Seattle and San Francisco. He offered them trinkets for sale, thus beginning a cultural exchange that continues today. Ketchikan was founded by the vision and heroic efforts of these pioneers.” You will find this quote and some closeup pictures of this statue here along with other photos of this town. Please let the photos cycle through: https://westcoastlivingcanada.com/2013/04/06/ketchikan-welcomes-you/
The town / city of Ketchikan itself is Alaska’s 4th largest city. Originally a Tlingit fishing camp, the natives called this place “kitschk-hin” which means “thundering eagle wings creek”. Non-native settlers, drawn to the mild climate and rich resources, took over the area in 1885, opened numerous fish canneries, and relocated the Tlingits to nearby Saxman Village. Lumber / pulp mills opened to provide timber for companies supplying goods to the miners during the Gold Rush. After these businesses closed in the 1990’s, Ketchikan became dependent on tourism and is a major stop for ships cruising the “Inside Passage.” The 2010 census recorded the population at 8,050 residents.
Carol and our friend did some shopping in town and returned to the ship for lunch. I had stayed in our cabin resting. We had a trolley tour to catch at 1:00PM that all four of us had signed up for. This was a city tour via the trolley and was $30 per person and was about an hour and half or so long. I would not have been able to have walked that much even though the town is quite small.
We were greeted by Lindsey who was our driver and guide for this tour. She certainly was lively in talking about Ketchikan as she pointed out certain buildings and gave us a humorous running commentary about their significance. She took us to the Saxman Village and explained a lot about totem poles and their significance.
Saxman Village … a Tlingit Indian village … was established in 1894 and is named for a school teacher, Samuel Saxman. He was one of three men lost in December 1886 while scouting for a new location for people of Tongas and Cape Fox villages. There are totems here comprising the world’s largest collection, including poles moved from Pennock, Tongass, and village islands and from old Cape Fox Village at Kirk Point. Many are poles restored under Federal Works Project directed by the US Forest Service beginning in 1939. Lindsey explained to us that even though the totems looked scary, they really told a story of historic significance.
As an example, there in the park were three totems erected that had an eagle on top with wings spread. Each of these totems was facing a different direction. According to a legend, three small boys were lost and the three eagles are looking for them in three directions. One searched the land, one the air, and one the sea.
Colors were made from charcoal, copper, iron oxide and other natural components. I was surprised to learn that the “cedar” poles rot from the inside out, but can be saved by hollowing out the center and putting another tree inside. There was a totem being restored that we could see up close … some parts and pieces were held together by wooden pegs. There was an elderly native artisan there working carefully on one totem inside the building. It was fascinating (and heart warming) to see the care he took while working on the restoration project … truly a labor of love. This will give you some more facts about the park: http://www.experienceketchikan.com/native-american-totem-poles-5.html and here you’ll find more photos of the totem park. See if you can find the man wearing a top hat … there really is one! As an aside, totems do not represent the dead, but rather emphasize the living: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=saxman+totem+park&qpvt=saxman+totem+park There was of course the obligatory “gift shop”. I do NOT enjoy crowds of people in tight confines so I kept to myself outside while Carol made the rounds inside … she purchased a post card!
When Carol had returned to the ship before lunch, she had packaged up some fabric (quilter gal that she is!), souvenirs, and a sweatshirt in a large microfiber envelope she had brought from home. This is another part of traveling in one small bag – mail stuff home so you don’t have to crowd your bag. She writes: “After lunch and the trolley tour, I took the package to the P.O. / FedEx / UPS place that was just a couple blocks from the ship, only to find it was no longer there! I knew there was another P.O. quite some distance along the the harbor and asked a local which bus I needed. The “green” bus drove on every single street in Ketchikan and after 30 minutes dropped me off at the the right place in fairly heavy rain. After handing over the package, I asked the P.O. clerk if it was possible to get a cab, and she said she could give me her phone so I could call one. The woman in line behind me asked where I needed to go and said she would be glad to take me in her car!! She let me out at Tongas Trading Company right next to the ship and she would not let me pay her. I guess it will be a “pay it forward”. There really are nice people everywhere.” She made it back in time before the ship sailed again around 5:30PM.
Dinner was again in the main dining room and our group enjoyed sharing stories of the day in Ketchikan.
What will tomorrow bring ….??
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 20 … day ten
Carol writes: “I heard the engine start at 9:00PM and was aware the ship was moving. While we slept, she cruised down the Lynn Canal and up into the beginning of Glacier Bay National Park, where a Park Ranger (2??) boarded the ship from a tender. She gave a “ranger talk” 7 – 7:30 in the Crow’s Nest at the front of Deck 9 and then did a running commentary on the P.A. system about what we were seeing all day.”
From the AAA Tour Book: “Glacier Bay, 65 miles long and 2.5 – 10 miles wide, was filled with ice 5,000 feet thick until 200 years ago. The tide water glaciers flow from the Fairweather Mtns. Into fjord-like inlets.”
This wikipedia site gives us some history about this national park:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_Bay_National_Park_and_Preserve When I finally woke up and looked out the window, I was able to see some of the ice wall from the glaciers. Here you’ll find some stunning photos of this beautiful area. Be sure to also click on the button / icons just above the pictures for even more close up photos. They really are stunning:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=glacier+bay+national+park+and+preserve&qpvt=glacier+bay+national+park+and+preserve
Although she did not see any of the glaciers actually breaking off (calving), she tells me she heard a number of sharp cracks. She writes: “ The captain kept the ship here for an hour to gives us a chance to see a “calf”. “Calving” is when a large chunk of ice breaks off from the glacier’s face and falls into the water. We heard “rifle cracks” and thunderous booms, but did not see a calving take place. “Traffic” in the Bay is limited to small boats and mid-sized cruise ships, like the Volendam.” Check this series of short videos for some “action” like we did NOT see: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lamplugh+glacier&qpvt=lamplugh+glacier&FORM=VDRE
Tonight was “Gala Dinner” (used to be Formal Night). Ladies wore dresses and the gents wore a dress shirt with tie. We all had a delicious steak and lobster tail with veggies and a great dessert. Fortunately I was “recovered” enough from being in bed all day to enjoy this fine meal. I think I might actually live!! After dinner, Carol and our friends went to see a magic show and I returned to our cabin and went to bed.
Even though this day’s narrative is short in length, it was actually quite a full day of sight seeing from the decks … even through the rain and inclement weather.
Tomorrow will come soon enough and hopefully will be a better day for me.
Good night ….
August 20 … day ten
Carol writes: “I heard the engine start at 9:00PM and was aware the ship was moving. While we slept, she cruised down the Lynn Canal and up into the beginning of Glacier Bay National Park, where a Park Ranger (2??) boarded the ship from a tender. She gave a “ranger talk” 7 – 7:30 in the Crow’s Nest at the front of Deck 9 and then did a running commentary on the P.A. system about what we were seeing all day.”
From the AAA Tour Book: “Glacier Bay, 65 miles long and 2.5 – 10 miles wide, was filled with ice 5,000 feet thick until 200 years ago. The tide water glaciers flow from the Fairweather Mtns. Into fjord-like inlets.”
This wikipedia site gives us some history about this national park:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_Bay_National_Park_and_Preserve When I finally woke up and looked out the window, I was able to see some of the ice wall from the glaciers. Here you’ll find some stunning photos of this beautiful area. Be sure to also click on the button / icons just above the pictures for even more close up photos. They really are stunning:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=glacier+bay+national+park+and+preserve&qpvt=glacier+bay+national+park+and+preserve
Although she did not see any of the glaciers actually breaking off (calving), she tells me she heard a number of sharp cracks. She writes: “ The captain kept the ship here for an hour to gives us a chance to see a “calf”. “Calving” is when a large chunk of ice breaks off from the glacier’s face and falls into the water. We heard “rifle cracks” and thunderous booms, but did not see a calving take place. “Traffic” in the Bay is limited to small boats and mid-sized cruise ships, like the Volendam.” Check this series of short videos for some “action” like we did NOT see: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lamplugh+glacier&qpvt=lamplugh+glacier&FORM=VDRE
Tonight was “Gala Dinner” (used to be Formal Night). Ladies wore dresses and the gents wore a dress shirt with tie. We all had a delicious steak and lobster tail with veggies and a great dessert. Fortunately I was “recovered” enough from being in bed all day to enjoy this fine meal. I think I might actually live!! After dinner, Carol and our friends went to see a magic show and I returned to our cabin and went to bed.
Even though this day’s narrative is short in length, it was actually quite a full day of sight seeing from the decks … even through the rain and inclement weather.
Tomorrow will come soon enough and hopefully will be a better day for me.
Good night ….
I'm stubborn and hard headed and I AIN"T GONNA BUDGE 
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 19 … day nine
We were up at 7:00, but had a lot of time before we had to take the coach to the ship docks and board the MS VOLENDAM. We ate breakfast at a small cafe called the Sweet Tooth that was a couple blocks away from the hotel. The weather was cool, but pleasant and the brisk walk helped stimulate my (ahem!!) appetite. This place was nothing fancy at all, but served its purpose nicely and seemed to be a place that “locals” enjoyed. Be sure to give it a moment for the “18 pictures” to load and you’ll see what it was like: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-tooth-cafe-skagway.
Carol and our friends did a brief shopping excursion and also visited the Skagway Centennial Statue. I think you’ll find this interesting: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8WEF_Skagway_Centennial_Statue_Skagway_Alaska Unfortunately, I’d begun sniffling and coughing some in the preceding days and I went back to the hotel to stay out of weather and rest a bit before we had to load the coach and depart for the ship.
Part of Carol’s exploring was to see a stream with lots of salmon in it. She writes this about the Salmon: “Adult Pacific Salmon return to their birth streams to spawn after 2 – 3 years at sea. In this stream, Chinook come in early summer, Pink in mid-summer, Coho in the fall. Spawning occurs within days or a few weeks after entering fresh water. All Pacific salmon die soon after spawning; their decaying bodies return nutrients to streams and lakes and provide ready meals for eagles, ravens, and other scavengers.”
We boarded the coach for the short drive to the ship MS VOLENDAM. (As an aside, tomorrow was Larry’s birthday and Diane had passed around a card yesterday for us all to sign, and we sang the Happy Birthday Song to “dear Larry”. He put on his head set and thanked us all for the gesture … I think he really appreciated it. ) We were right on time and said our thanks and goodbyes to Larry … he took time to shake each hand.
Our boarding time was 11:00 AM and we were right on time. A n ID card was issued for each passenger and we were to use this card for exit and re-entry as well as a “credit card” while on board. When the card was scanned, the computer pulled up an identifying photo to properly ID each person.
Our cabin was on the lowest deck starboad (right side) with our friends in the next cabin to us. This was a great spot just around the corner from the aft (rear) elevators. Most of the places we went to on the ship seemed to be towards the aft of the ship. Another advantage for being on the low deck is that any wave action would be felt less. Since we were going to be sailing the “inside passage”, we were already naturally protected from much ocean action.
After the crew brought us our luggage, we went to explore the ship a bit to familiarize ourselves with it. The lido cafe was of special interest to me. We grabbed some lunch and while Carol and our friends explored the ship more, I returned to our cabin and went to bed … dang head cold and sore throat!!
We had a mandatory safety drill in the afternoon, and I returned to bed. Diane had us all meet in the main dining room for dinner each night. This was not a requirement, but all 46 of us complied with her request. Dinners were very good and we had some choice about the entrees as well as desserts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Volendam I’m not really satisfied with the web sites, but this will show you plenty of the exterior of the ship. If you’ll scroll down to the first line of “small pictures” and then scroll left to right, you’ll find some interior photos. We were in a “cabin” and not a “suite”: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ms+volendam&id=0732FAD0F662B8E559BF55CBA7DB0AA79BBD2447&FORM=IARRTH
After dinner, I was back in bed by 7:30PM and was not aware of the ship leaving port at 9:00PM. I “hope” to see you tomorrow as I plan on staying in bed.
Good night.
August 19 … day nine
We were up at 7:00, but had a lot of time before we had to take the coach to the ship docks and board the MS VOLENDAM. We ate breakfast at a small cafe called the Sweet Tooth that was a couple blocks away from the hotel. The weather was cool, but pleasant and the brisk walk helped stimulate my (ahem!!) appetite. This place was nothing fancy at all, but served its purpose nicely and seemed to be a place that “locals” enjoyed. Be sure to give it a moment for the “18 pictures” to load and you’ll see what it was like: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-tooth-cafe-skagway.
Carol and our friends did a brief shopping excursion and also visited the Skagway Centennial Statue. I think you’ll find this interesting: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8WEF_Skagway_Centennial_Statue_Skagway_Alaska Unfortunately, I’d begun sniffling and coughing some in the preceding days and I went back to the hotel to stay out of weather and rest a bit before we had to load the coach and depart for the ship.
Part of Carol’s exploring was to see a stream with lots of salmon in it. She writes this about the Salmon: “Adult Pacific Salmon return to their birth streams to spawn after 2 – 3 years at sea. In this stream, Chinook come in early summer, Pink in mid-summer, Coho in the fall. Spawning occurs within days or a few weeks after entering fresh water. All Pacific salmon die soon after spawning; their decaying bodies return nutrients to streams and lakes and provide ready meals for eagles, ravens, and other scavengers.”
We boarded the coach for the short drive to the ship MS VOLENDAM. (As an aside, tomorrow was Larry’s birthday and Diane had passed around a card yesterday for us all to sign, and we sang the Happy Birthday Song to “dear Larry”. He put on his head set and thanked us all for the gesture … I think he really appreciated it. ) We were right on time and said our thanks and goodbyes to Larry … he took time to shake each hand.
Our boarding time was 11:00 AM and we were right on time. A n ID card was issued for each passenger and we were to use this card for exit and re-entry as well as a “credit card” while on board. When the card was scanned, the computer pulled up an identifying photo to properly ID each person.
Our cabin was on the lowest deck starboad (right side) with our friends in the next cabin to us. This was a great spot just around the corner from the aft (rear) elevators. Most of the places we went to on the ship seemed to be towards the aft of the ship. Another advantage for being on the low deck is that any wave action would be felt less. Since we were going to be sailing the “inside passage”, we were already naturally protected from much ocean action.
After the crew brought us our luggage, we went to explore the ship a bit to familiarize ourselves with it. The lido cafe was of special interest to me. We grabbed some lunch and while Carol and our friends explored the ship more, I returned to our cabin and went to bed … dang head cold and sore throat!!
We had a mandatory safety drill in the afternoon, and I returned to bed. Diane had us all meet in the main dining room for dinner each night. This was not a requirement, but all 46 of us complied with her request. Dinners were very good and we had some choice about the entrees as well as desserts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Volendam I’m not really satisfied with the web sites, but this will show you plenty of the exterior of the ship. If you’ll scroll down to the first line of “small pictures” and then scroll left to right, you’ll find some interior photos. We were in a “cabin” and not a “suite”: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ms+volendam&id=0732FAD0F662B8E559BF55CBA7DB0AA79BBD2447&FORM=IARRTH
After dinner, I was back in bed by 7:30PM and was not aware of the ship leaving port at 9:00PM. I “hope” to see you tomorrow as I plan on staying in bed.
Good night.
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 18 … day eight
Carol writes: “Bags out at 7:30AM – left at 8:45AM after a great breakfast. Today was a very short (88) mileage day, but we packed a lot of great places into it. Fascinating pre-history … gorgeous scenery … deserts and mountains … canyons and pristine lakes … an historic train ride … see what I mean by PACKED ?! Plus I did a load of laundry at the hotel in Skagway for $2.50.”
After a good breakfast, I went for a short stroll to find a TIM HORTON’S for my second cup of coffee. I’ve heard so much over the years about Tim’s coffee being so good and I just had to try it while I had the chance. It WAS good coffee !! A bag of Tim Bits came out with me also. This treat is equivalent to Krispy Kreme doughnut holes!!
We hardly got settled on the coach when we arrived at our first stop of the day … the Beringia Interpretive Centre. This was a very interesting, and informative stop that told about and displayed pre-history. One of the brochures states: “ One of the highlights of the Centre is a reconstruction of the Bluefish Caves where carbon dating suggests humans were in the Yukon 24,000 years ago, some 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. If so, this would be the oldest archeological site in North America.”
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
Whitehorse
Imagine a world where the vast steppe stretches unbroken as far as the eye can see. Envision a place where predators of staggering proportions compete with human hunters for food in a cold, dry, treeless expanse. Explore the mysteries of that world within the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and watch Beringia come alive.
This multimedia exposition features life-size exhibits of ice age animals, interactive exhibits and dioramas depicting the unique landscape, flora and fauna of Beringia. Highlights of the centre include a full-size cast of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered in North America and a reconstruction of the Bluefish Caves archaeological site, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Yukon. The centre also features the Yukon Horse exhibit. This display contains the 26,000-year-old remains of the most complete and best preserved specimen of a mummified extinct large mammal ever found in Canada.
There was a 30 minute (??) movie shown prior to being permitted to explore the indoor displays of reconstructed artifacts. Both the “yellow” and “red” tour groups were here at the same time and we (reds) went outside first to see and learn some stuff that could not be readily shown inside.
What is an atlatl (pronounced as “attle attle”? This clever device allowed our ancient ancestors to throw a spear much farther, which then allowed them to hunt huge prey from a safer distance. “An atlatl is essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear on the other. The flipping motion propels a spear much faster and farther than by hand alone.” Those of us that wanted were given a chance to demonstrate their new skills / abilities. If you (the reader) were depending on me and my atlatl skills to provide a bison for dinner … well … I strongly suggest you go to your favorite super market and buy a roast!! This is an ancient, but effective tool found just about the world over: http://waa.basketmakeratlatl.com/?page_id=177 There doesn’t seem to be a “set pattern” for this tool as you can see: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=atlatl&qpvt=atlatl
After our outside activity, the yellow and red groups exchanged places and we got to see the inside displays.
We made a brief overlook stop at Emerald Lake : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Lake_(Yukon) You’ll find a lot more pictures of this beautiful, colorful lake in this website. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=emerald+lake+yukon+territory&qpvt=emerald+lake+yukon+territory&FORM=IARRSM
In my humble opinion, our next stop … for an included lunch … was a bit “touristy”, but really turned out to be fun and informative as well as serving a good meal. This would be the. Caribou Crossing / Carcross Trading Post. It also is obviously a regular stop for all manner of tour coaches as well as other tourist traveling through. See this site … and the video … for a glimpse of what was there. The pup-dogs could be heard all over the grounds!! There were several very good displays about Alaskan life as well as a good meal. Our meal was served cafeteria style and was a large piece of barbeque chicken and cole slaw as well as one half of a baked potato… and a delicious Alaskan doughnut. Iced tea or coffee were offered for beverage. http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/
Carol writes: “the sounds of the sled dogs and puppies drew me to their end of the property. I don’t know how old the puppies were, but they were absolutely adorable. Nearby, the crew was in the process of harnessing adult dogs to the wheeled “sled” for visitors to ride ($$). The dogs were so anxious to run, many were jumping straight up and down; their harnesses wouldn’t let them go forward.”
The little town of Carcross was our last stop before our train ride and was a neat little village / community with a lot of artists’ shops … plus … Diane had arranged for us to have a FREE ICE CREAM CONE!! (I had strawberry!!) Carol wanted to wander around and I was tired so we got separated. I’m sure she had chocolate without even asking!! This wikipedia will tell you more about the history and significance of this small town: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcross and you can scroll through the photos here for scenes around the area. Note please the ice cream shop where you entered and then exited through the store. I guess they wanted to give everybody an “excuse” to do some shopping LOL!! : http://www.yukoncommunities.yk.ca/carcross
ALLLL – A-BOARRRRD!! for the White Pass & YUKON Scenic Railway that would carry us along a 28 mile scenic route to Skagway!! This was one of the featured activities on this tour that we really wanted to see and experience. This historic narrow-gauge railway was constructed in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. The railroad features comfortable, vintage parlor cars and truly incredible scenery. We were able to see some gorgeous panoramas of majestic mountains, deep gorges and some waterfalls. Again, I was impressed with the obvious construction difficulties that had been encountered and conquered through the solid rock terrain. Fortunately this was a slow moving train and we were able to see a lot.
Unfortunately, there were some clouds and fog that prevented us from seeing some more distant views and glaciers. There was a live commentator on speakers and that kept us entertained and informed about what we were seeing. We even had a stop for passport checks when we crossed back into the USA. This wikipedia will give you plenty of background information about this storied railway’s history. Please take a few minutes to at least skim over it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pass_and_Yukon_Route Carol writes: “On ‘my balcony’, I chatted for quite awhile with one of the conductors. Before he went ‘back to work’, he reached in his pocket and gave me a WP & YR pin! How nice!” .There are many photos here of the scenery and area. Just don’t get lost!! : https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=whitehorse+yukon+scenic+railway&qpvt=whitehorse+yukon+scenic+railway
As far as I was concerned, we arrived in Skagway, Alaska too soon. I would have enjoyed another leisurely train ride! I don’t know how long the road trip was, but Larry met us with the coach to carry us to the Westmark Inn in Skagway. He would meet us again in the morning to carry us down to the ship docks. Carol was able to do some laundry and it was … believe it or not … actually CHEAP!! Only $1.50 for a load of wash and $1.00 for 45 minutes of dryer time. She had packed (at home) laundry detergent and one dryer sheet as well as a roll of quarters for just such an occasion. We were now set for the remainder of the trip.
Author unknown: “A journey is the beginning of one thing … and the end of something else. It’s the road which leads you away from home … and the path which brings you back to where you belong. You will encounter many adventures along the way and each one will mold you into the person you will become.” Even though we would officially say goodbye to Larry in the morning, many of us took this time to express our thanks and regards to him for a job well done. He has done an excellent job of tending to our comfort and has been the consummate coach driver. I’d be honored to ride the road with him again. When I read the above quote, my thoughts turned to Larry the driver and I include this quotation in his honor.
See you tomorrow!!
August 18 … day eight
Carol writes: “Bags out at 7:30AM – left at 8:45AM after a great breakfast. Today was a very short (88) mileage day, but we packed a lot of great places into it. Fascinating pre-history … gorgeous scenery … deserts and mountains … canyons and pristine lakes … an historic train ride … see what I mean by PACKED ?! Plus I did a load of laundry at the hotel in Skagway for $2.50.”
After a good breakfast, I went for a short stroll to find a TIM HORTON’S for my second cup of coffee. I’ve heard so much over the years about Tim’s coffee being so good and I just had to try it while I had the chance. It WAS good coffee !! A bag of Tim Bits came out with me also. This treat is equivalent to Krispy Kreme doughnut holes!!
We hardly got settled on the coach when we arrived at our first stop of the day … the Beringia Interpretive Centre. This was a very interesting, and informative stop that told about and displayed pre-history. One of the brochures states: “ One of the highlights of the Centre is a reconstruction of the Bluefish Caves where carbon dating suggests humans were in the Yukon 24,000 years ago, some 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. If so, this would be the oldest archeological site in North America.”
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
Whitehorse
Imagine a world where the vast steppe stretches unbroken as far as the eye can see. Envision a place where predators of staggering proportions compete with human hunters for food in a cold, dry, treeless expanse. Explore the mysteries of that world within the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and watch Beringia come alive.
This multimedia exposition features life-size exhibits of ice age animals, interactive exhibits and dioramas depicting the unique landscape, flora and fauna of Beringia. Highlights of the centre include a full-size cast of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered in North America and a reconstruction of the Bluefish Caves archaeological site, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Yukon. The centre also features the Yukon Horse exhibit. This display contains the 26,000-year-old remains of the most complete and best preserved specimen of a mummified extinct large mammal ever found in Canada.
There was a 30 minute (??) movie shown prior to being permitted to explore the indoor displays of reconstructed artifacts. Both the “yellow” and “red” tour groups were here at the same time and we (reds) went outside first to see and learn some stuff that could not be readily shown inside.
What is an atlatl (pronounced as “attle attle”? This clever device allowed our ancient ancestors to throw a spear much farther, which then allowed them to hunt huge prey from a safer distance. “An atlatl is essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear on the other. The flipping motion propels a spear much faster and farther than by hand alone.” Those of us that wanted were given a chance to demonstrate their new skills / abilities. If you (the reader) were depending on me and my atlatl skills to provide a bison for dinner … well … I strongly suggest you go to your favorite super market and buy a roast!! This is an ancient, but effective tool found just about the world over: http://waa.basketmakeratlatl.com/?page_id=177 There doesn’t seem to be a “set pattern” for this tool as you can see: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=atlatl&qpvt=atlatl
After our outside activity, the yellow and red groups exchanged places and we got to see the inside displays.
We made a brief overlook stop at Emerald Lake : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Lake_(Yukon) You’ll find a lot more pictures of this beautiful, colorful lake in this website. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=emerald+lake+yukon+territory&qpvt=emerald+lake+yukon+territory&FORM=IARRSM
In my humble opinion, our next stop … for an included lunch … was a bit “touristy”, but really turned out to be fun and informative as well as serving a good meal. This would be the. Caribou Crossing / Carcross Trading Post. It also is obviously a regular stop for all manner of tour coaches as well as other tourist traveling through. See this site … and the video … for a glimpse of what was there. The pup-dogs could be heard all over the grounds!! There were several very good displays about Alaskan life as well as a good meal. Our meal was served cafeteria style and was a large piece of barbeque chicken and cole slaw as well as one half of a baked potato… and a delicious Alaskan doughnut. Iced tea or coffee were offered for beverage. http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/
Carol writes: “the sounds of the sled dogs and puppies drew me to their end of the property. I don’t know how old the puppies were, but they were absolutely adorable. Nearby, the crew was in the process of harnessing adult dogs to the wheeled “sled” for visitors to ride ($$). The dogs were so anxious to run, many were jumping straight up and down; their harnesses wouldn’t let them go forward.”
The little town of Carcross was our last stop before our train ride and was a neat little village / community with a lot of artists’ shops … plus … Diane had arranged for us to have a FREE ICE CREAM CONE!! (I had strawberry!!) Carol wanted to wander around and I was tired so we got separated. I’m sure she had chocolate without even asking!! This wikipedia will tell you more about the history and significance of this small town: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcross and you can scroll through the photos here for scenes around the area. Note please the ice cream shop where you entered and then exited through the store. I guess they wanted to give everybody an “excuse” to do some shopping LOL!! : http://www.yukoncommunities.yk.ca/carcross
ALLLL – A-BOARRRRD!! for the White Pass & YUKON Scenic Railway that would carry us along a 28 mile scenic route to Skagway!! This was one of the featured activities on this tour that we really wanted to see and experience. This historic narrow-gauge railway was constructed in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. The railroad features comfortable, vintage parlor cars and truly incredible scenery. We were able to see some gorgeous panoramas of majestic mountains, deep gorges and some waterfalls. Again, I was impressed with the obvious construction difficulties that had been encountered and conquered through the solid rock terrain. Fortunately this was a slow moving train and we were able to see a lot.
Unfortunately, there were some clouds and fog that prevented us from seeing some more distant views and glaciers. There was a live commentator on speakers and that kept us entertained and informed about what we were seeing. We even had a stop for passport checks when we crossed back into the USA. This wikipedia will give you plenty of background information about this storied railway’s history. Please take a few minutes to at least skim over it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pass_and_Yukon_Route Carol writes: “On ‘my balcony’, I chatted for quite awhile with one of the conductors. Before he went ‘back to work’, he reached in his pocket and gave me a WP & YR pin! How nice!” .There are many photos here of the scenery and area. Just don’t get lost!! : https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=whitehorse+yukon+scenic+railway&qpvt=whitehorse+yukon+scenic+railway
As far as I was concerned, we arrived in Skagway, Alaska too soon. I would have enjoyed another leisurely train ride! I don’t know how long the road trip was, but Larry met us with the coach to carry us to the Westmark Inn in Skagway. He would meet us again in the morning to carry us down to the ship docks. Carol was able to do some laundry and it was … believe it or not … actually CHEAP!! Only $1.50 for a load of wash and $1.00 for 45 minutes of dryer time. She had packed (at home) laundry detergent and one dryer sheet as well as a roll of quarters for just such an occasion. We were now set for the remainder of the trip.
Author unknown: “A journey is the beginning of one thing … and the end of something else. It’s the road which leads you away from home … and the path which brings you back to where you belong. You will encounter many adventures along the way and each one will mold you into the person you will become.” Even though we would officially say goodbye to Larry in the morning, many of us took this time to express our thanks and regards to him for a job well done. He has done an excellent job of tending to our comfort and has been the consummate coach driver. I’d be honored to ride the road with him again. When I read the above quote, my thoughts turned to Larry the driver and I include this quotation in his honor.
See you tomorrow!!
Active Ink Slinger
EDIT: Nov.2, '17 : I just realized that some of the links are not doing what I had hoped when clicking on the "highlight" portion. You may have to do a copy/paste thing to include the entire link and not just the highlighted portion. Sorry for that.. And thanks for reading.
August 17 … day seven
This day turned out to be a long day … of riding and riding and riding … with 400 miles of the Alaskan Highway and very little to see except plain wilderness.
We started with orders (from last evening) to have our luggage outside by 6:30AM … eat breakfast … and be boarding the coach by 7:30AM. Our destination was Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (Canada). We did have a few rest stops along the way but it nevertheless was a long, tiring day. There were no motels or hotels along the way and (very few camp grounds either) thus there was no way the trip could have been broken up with an overnight stay.
Our local TV personality / celebrity … Wanda … is a professional news anchor and she took the mic each morning to give us a news report from “back home”. It was quite a challenge for her, because nobody wanted to “bad news” while on vacation. She really had to search for some good items, which occasionally meant she was talking about the weather and how HOT NC was while we were enjoying cool 60F temperatures. Wanda is really a fun and lovely lady and I think we all enjoyed her presence on this tour. Her hubby, Ron … well … he’s just a fun guy also and very quick with a quip.
We had about a 30 minute rest stop at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center … it was right on the highway and convenient. Here you’ll find some photos of the center and a few scenic views:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tetlin+national+wildlife+refuge+visitor+center&qpvt=tetlin+national+wildlife+refuge+visitor+center As you can tell, the building was new and attractive.
Proceeding on for a short distnce, we stopped very briefly for any that wanted a photo op at the Alaskan / Canadian border. There was a granite bench with a line engraved that was the actual border line. This was suitable for sitting or standing on with one foot in each country. I think several folk took advantage of that for photos. Just a couple or so miles down the road, we stopped again and turned in Customs Forms we had filled out and showed our passports. This was also the time to reset our watches to Pacific Time.
The following is a list of “Alaska Facts that Diane shared with us to keep us occupied and entertained during the long ride:
– Long-time Alaskans are called SOURDOUGHS, while people from the outside are called CHEECHAKOS. We were not told how long a new resident has to be in Alaska before they are considered as “sourdoughs”, but apparently it is years according to Larry!!
– Alaska has the easternmost place in the US as the western end of the Aleutian Islands crosses the Date line.
– Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the US and also has ½ of the glaciers in the world.
– Of course in comparison to the other states, Alaska is a giant. It is 425 times the size of Rhode Island, 12 times larger than North Carolina, and some 5 times the square miles of Texas. Alaska is 1/5th the size of the lower 48.
– The Alaskan Highway has 133 bridges and 8000 culverts and is constantly under construction because of being built on permafrost, which breaks up the surface of the road.
– A thirteen year old boy designed the state flag, which is of the Big Dipper constellation with the two stars forming the end of the cup pointing to the (slightly larger) North Star.
We drove by Kluane Lake and Larry / Diane pointed out that this was once a very large lake (the Yukon’s largest) but was now in danger of disappearing. The lake is fed by the Slims River, which is fed by the runoff from a glacier. Apparently now the glacier has retreated (a results of global warming??) to the point where its melt is now going south towards the Pacific instead of north in Kluane Lake and on to the Bering Sea. What we saw of the lake bed was a vast area of dried lake bed with dust blowing. What a devastating sight … the Yukon’s largest lake is in danger of disappearing. These are some “pretty pictures” of a visitor center and the lake: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kluane+national+park+visitor+center&qpvt=kluane+national+park+visitor+center
Our arrival at the Westmark Hotel in Whitehorse was around 7:00PM. Carol writes: “The color of this hotel is as unusual as its layout. It has had numerous additions through the years, but it was comfortable and quiet (after the small kids in the next room settled). We ate in the hotel dining room for $35Canadian...” Whitehorse became the Yukon capital in 1953. Prior to that, it had been in Dawson City. I give you this just for the overall picture of this town. Population is in the 30K range and it is a pretty town with the river down the middle:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/yukon-territory/whitehorse
Tomorrow will be a short day as we head out toward Skagway. Luggage out by 7:30 and boarding by 8:45AM . G’ Nite!!
August 17 … day seven
This day turned out to be a long day … of riding and riding and riding … with 400 miles of the Alaskan Highway and very little to see except plain wilderness.
We started with orders (from last evening) to have our luggage outside by 6:30AM … eat breakfast … and be boarding the coach by 7:30AM. Our destination was Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (Canada). We did have a few rest stops along the way but it nevertheless was a long, tiring day. There were no motels or hotels along the way and (very few camp grounds either) thus there was no way the trip could have been broken up with an overnight stay.
Our local TV personality / celebrity … Wanda … is a professional news anchor and she took the mic each morning to give us a news report from “back home”. It was quite a challenge for her, because nobody wanted to “bad news” while on vacation. She really had to search for some good items, which occasionally meant she was talking about the weather and how HOT NC was while we were enjoying cool 60F temperatures. Wanda is really a fun and lovely lady and I think we all enjoyed her presence on this tour. Her hubby, Ron … well … he’s just a fun guy also and very quick with a quip.
We had about a 30 minute rest stop at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center … it was right on the highway and convenient. Here you’ll find some photos of the center and a few scenic views:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tetlin+national+wildlife+refuge+visitor+center&qpvt=tetlin+national+wildlife+refuge+visitor+center As you can tell, the building was new and attractive.
Proceeding on for a short distnce, we stopped very briefly for any that wanted a photo op at the Alaskan / Canadian border. There was a granite bench with a line engraved that was the actual border line. This was suitable for sitting or standing on with one foot in each country. I think several folk took advantage of that for photos. Just a couple or so miles down the road, we stopped again and turned in Customs Forms we had filled out and showed our passports. This was also the time to reset our watches to Pacific Time.
The following is a list of “Alaska Facts that Diane shared with us to keep us occupied and entertained during the long ride:
– Long-time Alaskans are called SOURDOUGHS, while people from the outside are called CHEECHAKOS. We were not told how long a new resident has to be in Alaska before they are considered as “sourdoughs”, but apparently it is years according to Larry!!
– Alaska has the easternmost place in the US as the western end of the Aleutian Islands crosses the Date line.
– Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the US and also has ½ of the glaciers in the world.
– Of course in comparison to the other states, Alaska is a giant. It is 425 times the size of Rhode Island, 12 times larger than North Carolina, and some 5 times the square miles of Texas. Alaska is 1/5th the size of the lower 48.
– The Alaskan Highway has 133 bridges and 8000 culverts and is constantly under construction because of being built on permafrost, which breaks up the surface of the road.
– A thirteen year old boy designed the state flag, which is of the Big Dipper constellation with the two stars forming the end of the cup pointing to the (slightly larger) North Star.
We drove by Kluane Lake and Larry / Diane pointed out that this was once a very large lake (the Yukon’s largest) but was now in danger of disappearing. The lake is fed by the Slims River, which is fed by the runoff from a glacier. Apparently now the glacier has retreated (a results of global warming??) to the point where its melt is now going south towards the Pacific instead of north in Kluane Lake and on to the Bering Sea. What we saw of the lake bed was a vast area of dried lake bed with dust blowing. What a devastating sight … the Yukon’s largest lake is in danger of disappearing. These are some “pretty pictures” of a visitor center and the lake: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kluane+national+park+visitor+center&qpvt=kluane+national+park+visitor+center
Our arrival at the Westmark Hotel in Whitehorse was around 7:00PM. Carol writes: “The color of this hotel is as unusual as its layout. It has had numerous additions through the years, but it was comfortable and quiet (after the small kids in the next room settled). We ate in the hotel dining room for $35Canadian...” Whitehorse became the Yukon capital in 1953. Prior to that, it had been in Dawson City. I give you this just for the overall picture of this town. Population is in the 30K range and it is a pretty town with the river down the middle:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/yukon-territory/whitehorse
Tomorrow will be a short day as we head out toward Skagway. Luggage out by 7:30 and boarding by 8:45AM . G’ Nite!!
