During May Dave and I took an early 5th anniversary cruise to Alaska. We flew from Salt Lake City to Vancouver, BC, then sail on Princess Cruise Lines. Our first port was Ketchikan. We had a light rain, (but we worn ponchos and didn't let it dampen our spirits). We ventured into town and stopped at a Smoked Salmon shop to ship home to Jared and Mike a sampling of the local smoked salmon delights - with a sampling also going to our house for us. Then on to our excursion for the day. We visited a natural wildlife sanctuary. Our guild was very good about the local plant life. We got up close an personal with a bald eagle and an owl. We also met his father, who was a totem pole carver, and we got photos. Then back into town for more souvenir shopping, and onto the ship for set sail for tomorrow's port - Juneau The Capital of Alaska.
We landed in Juneau and once again a light rain, but we wouldn't let this dampen our hopes for a good time. Our first excursion was to the Mendenhall Glacier. Here's a photo, it was very COOL to see an actual glacier up close. Then our next trip was to a genuine Summer Dog Sled Camp. OH BOY. We boarded a bus and arrived mid morning. Our guide, was a young man of 27, who has been running the Iditarod for the last 9 years. He introduced us to one of his team of 10 dogs. To us the dogs looks so small and underfed, but he explained that these dogs
were very healthy athletes, and they eat a pound of dog food everyday. We were comparing them do our dogs at home, and our dogs are couch potatoes. We got to ride on a wheeled dog sled, (LOTS OF FUN), and explore the living camp where the trainer and the dogs were living and even hold a new dog sled puppy. Then back to town for MORE SOUVENIRS SHOPPING, EATING, and catching up with our new shipmate friends from Ohio, at the local tavern for a quick cold one to exchange stories, listen to the piano player's funny songs and stories and also make plans for dinner that evening.
Our third port was Skagway, and today was actually nice weather. No rain and a little warmer. We boarded a Yukon train for a trip through the White Pass on our way to Liarsville, (but found out we were passing through Canada and needed our passports again and Dave had to run at full speed back to the ship to get them, before the train left the station - he just barely made it back in time). Our train trip took about 2 hours, lots of wildlife to see and lots of great photos. Dave insisted on buying a souvenir ball cap, (and he never wears a baseball cap - but he's worn it several time since we've come home). We arrived in Liarsville and had a WONDERFUL salmon bake dinner with all the fixings. Dave with back for 2nds and 3rds. He even with up the talk to the chef about how he cooked the salmon over the grill. Then down to the Liarsville town to see how they lived during the gold rush, and find out how the town got it's name and see the performance. We also got a lesson in how to pan for gold and they let us try our hand at it, (we only got a couple of little flakes). He had a lot of fun, and got lots of photos. Once we got back into town, our tour bus stopped at the World Famous Red Onion Saloon, (we got to go in the backdoor and up the stairs for a tour of the brothel). We learned all about the famous brothel and saw the artifacts. Got lots of photos and met a young girl from Sandy, Utah who was working there as a tour guide. After our tour, Dave and I wondered through town doing MORE SOUVENIR SHOPPING, and as we were walking passed the Elks club, noticed that they were putting on a 2:00 pm play about "Skagway and Soapy Smith". So we bought tickets and went into the show. Very funny show and very good performers. We laughed alot. Well, after the show it was a walk down to the dock and time to get ready for a couple of days at sea.
We spend 2 days at sea as we sailed through Glacier Bay and then on to Sitka. Once in Sitak, we disembarked said our goodbyes and boards the glass rail train for Denali. The rail car trip took about 6 hours. Luckily our friends from the ship were also on the same train. We played cards, took photos, napped, ate lunch together, and made plans to have dinner together at the lodge that evening. We had dinner at the lodger - Salmon (I made it a point to have fish EVERY DAY of our vacation and sometimes twice a day - loved it, loved it, loved it). Then the four of us walked the grounds taking photos of the guys mostly doing childish things with the statues around the grounds. Oh yea, more shopping.
Oh, I forgot to mention, that each day we never really saw a sunset. The days were getting longer, and longer. And we were continually traveling Northerly, so it was always light out until about 10:45pm and then the sun would rise again at 5:00am. Sure did mess up my sleeping habits.
We got up early the next morning and grabbed breakfast, then boarded a bus for Denali National Park. Really pretty. And the guides are so good at stopping and letting up get up close for photos of the wildlife. Then we boarded a Jet Boat and went down the river to a miner's camp. We got great photos of a mama moose and her twin 2 day old babies next to the river. (here's a photo).
We learned about from a trapper how he catches animals and earned his living, then he showed up how to pan for gold, (only got a couple of little flakes again). Then back on the jet boat and back to our bus and back to the lodge. We ventured our on our own across the highway to a small pack of shops, yea more shopping. We got some great stuff. We got a great movie about the aroa bora. Then we got dinner at a local salmon bake restaurant - Great food and really cheap. It was so much better than what we had at the lodge the night before and only about 1/4 the price. Then we hit the shops at the lodge and found several good buys. The weather up north here is so nice, in the mid 70s.
The next morning, it was time to get up and head out for Fairbanks our last city on the tour. This time by bus coach. But luckily the trip was only going to be about 4 hours. We stopped in a little town has lunch and Dave bought some blueberry fudge and cranberry fudge for our dessert on the rest of our bus ride. We walked around the town and visited with a couple of local people and sat in the town's center, (which was quite a gathering place). The weather was about 80 degrees and just wonderful. Back on the bus we both got a short nap, but my left leg had been bothering me on and off most of the day, and by the time we arrived in Fairbanks I couldn't believe how painful my leg was and my ankle was so swollen. I was starting to hobbled on my left leg so I wouldn't put too much pressure on it. Our first excursion in Fairbanks was a paddleboat ride. Nice and easy. We got seats on the 3rd deck and made ourselves comfortable. The photos are wonder, saw Susan Butcher's dog camp (1st woman to win the Iditarod). Stopped and visited a native Eskimo summer camp and saw live demos for carving wood, salmon fillets, reindeer, hunting, dog sleds, etc, etc. Saw a jet plane take off and landing demo on the river. Got lots of photos. At the end of the day, it was back on the bus and off to our lodge. By now I could barely walk. Once inside our room, I stripped off my jeans and packed my knee with ice and took a pain pill. I knew my evening was going to be spent in bed. I urged Dave to go ahead and take the Gold Mine tour, but he said he was pretty worn out also. So, he went down to the dinning room and got some dinner for us. Came back to the room, watched a little tv, (the first tv we had seen in over a week), and then did the best he could to block out the sun (at 10:30 pm), so we could both get some sleep.
The next day, my leg was still pretty swollen, do Dave called and cancelled our last day's excursion. Dave just spent the day resting, reading, watching tv, walking the grounds and taking photos, (I mostly slept from the pain pills). That evening we had to vacate the room and our bags were picked up for the airlines, so we had one last excursion to Alaska Salmon Bake. We boarded the bus and make the trip. Let me tell you, It was the BEST SALMON AND HALIBUT I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Dave and I both LOVE IT. We tell everyone, it you ever get to Fairbanks go to this place. You will love it. We got back to the lodge about 1 hour before our shuttle for the airport. Then the shuttle picked us up at 10:30pm at the lodge, and drove us to the airport. As we were driving to the airport, I pointed out to Dave, "Look, I see a little bit a a sunset finally, and it's almost 11:00pm".
We got home Friday morning at 8:45am, and the weather here in Salt Lake was so much colder than Alaska, 65 degrees on May 23rd. We were tired, ready to pick up our two dogs, drop them off at the groomers, take our showers and drop into bed for a quick nap. Then back up around 1:00pm to pick up the dogs from the groomers, unpack our bags, and start sorting our gifts for all the grand kids, so we can take them over and deliver the gifts and get our hugs and kisses.
