OUR MAY-JUNE 2010 VACATION TO ALASKA
Day 1 May 28, 2010 Thursday - Heading North
As usual, we had an early departure from Sacramento (6:20 a.m.) and enjoyed driving through the rain to Ashland, Oregon. Our first stop was at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park where we walked across the Sundial Bridge. Ben had seen this discussed on the Charley Rose TV Show and wanted to see it. It was a nice surprise for me. The floor of the bridge was glass – much like block glass and the owner of the coffee shop (which conveniently opened at 9:00 a.m. when we arrived), said the sundial is a working dial.
He joined us while we enjoyed one of his specialty coffees and biscotti and explained he had sold his $1,000,000 + home in Brentwood and moved up here to operate the café. He wanted his children to be raised in a different environment. Well, he did buy it and didn’t intend on running it, but with the downturn in the economy ($40,000 less than last year), he has to. All of the fires they had last year didn’t help either. This area is worth exploring more when it isn’t raining.
When we drove past Shasta Lake, our spirits were restored to see that the red “sideburns” of a shrinking lake had once again been covered by the near capacity level of the lake. It has been a long time since we have seen it topped off. Mt. Shasta peaked through the clouds as we passed and she was elegantly covered in snow. The clouds draped the mountains like angel hair on a Christmas tree and later, as it warmed up, the “clouds’ looked like smoke ascending from a fireplace nestled in the trees.
We have never spent much time in Ashland, (only lunch and gas) so this trip has given us more time to explore this cute place. We registered in our hotel and went to town to check it out. Lunch at the Breadboard was very good – all bread and meals prepared from scratch in the restaurant - how novel. Ben enjoyed biscuits and gravy and an order of homers (fried potatoes) and my pastrami sandwich was good. We strolled the town for two hours (limited by the time allowed in our parking spot). The shops are unique. For desert, we went into a florist/chocolate shop where fresh chocolate was being made. There was no milk or cream in it – just fine chocolate into which we could dip pastry sticks and then drink what was left over! Very unique.
Soon, my classmate Bob Hendricks and his wife Ginger will arrive from the Salem area and we will enjoy dinner together tonight and a play at the Shakespearean Festival tomorrow.
Day 2 May 28, 2010 Friday in Ashland, Oregon
Bob and Ginger arrived last night in time for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant and I couldn’t finish my spinach salad. They couldn’t finish their entrees either so we all brought leftovers back to our room – like we’re going to have time or the desire to finish them with all of the new restaurants to explore in the area.
The Econo Lodge is fine – nothing fantastic but it does have a full complimentary breakfast and free internet service. For breakfast, I stuck with an apple and juice while the others made waffles.
Parking in Ashland was a real good deal. We pulled into the lot downtown about 11:00 a.m. and could park until 2 a.m. Saturday morning for $3.00 so we had lots of time to explore the specialty stores and restaurants. Ginger had done some research and chose some nice restaurants for us prior to and after our 1:30 p.m. show. Before going to the play, we went to The Black Sheep where I enjoyed a plate of fruit, brie cheese, marinated pearl onions and good bread.
“Well” was an interesting play with subtle overtones. It was funny yet quite emotional as the main character dealt with a mother who had been sick most of her life and blamed everything on allergies. The daughter, on the other hand, was well but learned that we can’t blame others for our lot in life without being in their skin for awhile. I don’t summarize plays well, (no pun intended) but did come out of the theater feeling like we are all one and the things we criticize in another could be our frailties as well. Good acting. We’d like to come to Ashland again and take in a Shakespeare play. Maybe we’ll return this time next year when we come north for my 50th reunion. Did I say 50th?
After the play, we went to a brewery for pizza and walked the streets a bit before heading back to our room. The sun was shining this afternoon and was welcomed with big smiles. Ahh, the sun.
Bob and Ginger came to our room where we shared more stories and now it’s time to hit the sack.
We’ll do breakfast here and then head on up to Canyonville. Ginger says they’d like to stop in Wolf Creek for lunch at an old stagecoach station before arriving at CBA for our reunion.
Day 3 May 29, 2010 Saturday
Traveling up I-5 to Canyonville, Oregon is always a thrill for me and there is nothing like seeing the Rhododendrons, Scotch Broom and the lush green mountains after a heavily rained upon spring season.
Ben and I had never stopped at Harry and David’s before and one could create some really nice gift baskets here. Key word – “could”. We didn’t, but it was a nice stop in Medford, OR.
We followed Bob and Ginger to our first stop – the old stagecoach inn in Wolf Creek. What a charming place. Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, Jack London and other figures from the past have stayed at this inn. We had lunch in the dining room after taking a self guided tour of the inn. Wolf Creek is within a few miles of CBA (my high school) and it was hard to stop this close to our destination, but I’m glad we did.
When we drove onto campus, we immediately saw members of the class of 1960 who had come to celebrate their 50th high school reunion. Others who had attended during that time also came. I hope I don’t leave anyone out. We saw Sandra Murphy and her husband Don; Fred Waugh and his wife Vonis, Sharon Stein, Gladys and Pete Blum, John Steinman, Del Fairchild, Rosalie Frost McCullough and Gary Hammond. From other classes we saw Esther, Roger and Adele Shaffer (Beck), Shirley Ayers Vanek, Bob and Ginger Hendricks, Mary, Bob Frost, Leslie Abel, Darrell and Char Lake, their daughter Kim who was celebrating her 20th reunion and others who didn’t share the time when I was there. Ray Cox, my American Problems teacher came. He was also the boys coach.
Reuniting with the kids we shared school, dorm, church and social life with is always a special time. They were our family away from home.
We gathered in the chapel to hear about the upcoming schedule of activities and soon my schoolmates adjourned to classroom #5 to watch a video taken by Ted and Norm. This video was a result of film to VHS to DVD progression. We had lots of laughs watching all of us 50 years ago!
The next gathering occurred when we had lunch together at the Creekside Café. We had a private room and I was able to catch up on the 30 years since I had seen John Steinman and 50 years since seeing his cousin Fred. There is never enough time to hear all of the stories.
In the evening, we attended a banquet in our old cafeteria. The food was excellent (considering what we used to eat) and was served by students who had remained on campus to serve. How nice. We enjoyed a nice program where Gladys Lake was given the Alumnus of the Year Award for her outstanding contributions in the field of Real Estate and community service in Salem, Oregon. Leslie Abel was given her rightful place as the Valedictorian of her class after it having been erroneously assigned to another student.
Rosalie and I went up into the girl’s dorm to use the restroom and I checked out the room I had my senior year. Not too many changes. We spoke with three women – one from Mexico, one from Viet Nam and one from Africa. It was fun comparing notes on how things had changed. CBA (now called CCA, but I’m a slow learner) has found a new niche – international students. It’s amazing what they will pay for tuition in America which I understand will enable them to attend universities here. The woman from Mexico had attended the school earlier, gone on to complete here studies at a university and subsequently returned to CBA to be the girl’s coach. She had been an outstanding athlete in Mexico.
The reunion continues tomorrow.
Day 4 May 30, 2010 Sunday
Sunday morning at the Best Western breakfast gave us an opportunity to have another visit with Bob and Ginger Hendricks before they left Canyonville for their home near Salem, Oregon (I don’t know how they spell Keizer). Darrell joined us from his stay at the nice RV Park in Canyonville and then we headed back to the school to catch up with other schoolmates.
By the way, Saturday had been an absolutely perfect day. The sun shone all day long and being inside or outside was a great choice. As we gathered at the PX (kind of a soda fountain on campus) we enjoyed the wide assortment of fruits, yogurt and bagels. I don’t remember having fresh fruit when we attended school…and certainly no bagels or yogurt. Anyway, I had a chance to catch up with more people before caravanning with Darrell and Char to a park in Eugene where we joined his sister Gladys and her son’s family at their campsite. It was so nice of them to invite us to their family gathering for BBQ hamburgers, hot dogs and all the good food that goes with eating out in the fresh air. It was overcast which made it very comfortable to sit around the campfire –to be lit later in the evening, I’m sure. Darrell had given us a “walkie talkie” when we left CBA and it was so much fun chatting with him while following in the wake of his big motor home all the way to Eugene. He is so funny and we kept up the friendly chatter all the way. Darrell had created a beautiful scrapbook of their trip to Alaska last year and we read through his detailed description – a good intro into our upcoming trip as we followed them to Eugene.
We left the campsite around 3 p.m., got gas at Costco and were soon on our way to Renton, WA. When we arrived at Larkspur Landing, we were impressed with the Washington apples and warm cookies that greeted us. Well, actually, it was a desk clerk who greeted us, but you know what I mean. Our room is wonderful – nice soft cushy bed, large desk area, flat screen TV, kitchen and the best part – free parking for the 15 days we will leave our car here as well as a free full breakfast. “Traveling with Alan” arranged this site and we’re impressed. After a good night’s rest, we will get to see Steve and Harriett who will be taking us to the ship. It will be good to share Memorial Day with them.
Day 5 May 31, 2010 Monday
This is the day we get to see my son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Harriett. She is stationed in Everett, WA where they live and Steve works in Seattle. Nine months without seeing their dear faces has been just too long.
They drove down to meet us, have lunch and take us to the ship. We had a nice visit in the hotel lobby where she presented Ben with one of her paintings – a lighthouse. How appropriate. He always dreamed of being a lighthouse keeper and had fantasies of actually being one when he saw a sign advertising for a light house keeper in Sacramento. His dreams were dashed when he read the small print – they wanted someone to do dusting, moping etc. A light housekeeper was not what he had in mind.
As time got away from us, we left for our pre-boarding lunch with Steve and Harriett. We decided to get near the port so that any unexpected traffic would not create stress in getting to the ship on time. We found an absolutely wonderful restaurant at the marina.. Palisades offered some of the best food we have had. We could see our ship beyond the many boats that lay in wait in the marina for a ride. Boarding started at 11:30 and we were advised to be there no later than 2:00. After lunch, we said our goodbyes, gave the porter our luggage and felt very strange that no other cars were dropping off passengers. It only took us a few steps to realize that the porter had our two bags, and also our passports (inside). We fortunately thought of that and retrieved them before he disappeared with the bags. As we entered the terminal, I noticed a large clock – 1:59. We made it. Actually, this was a good way to go because no one else was in line and we scooted right through security. The scanner beeped as I passed through and I presumed it was my underwire bra, but alas, it was just a pen in my pocket and that was easily removed. We called Steve and Harriett from the deck where we could see the restaurant where we had had lunch and they had just gotten home.
We checked out our room and Ben discovered a surprise. I had upgraded to a veranda so we sat out there for quite awhile and could see the view from the other side of the ship which included the Seattle skyscrapers and the Space Needle as well as one of the stadiums. Our deck has a chair, chaise lounge and table. I called my brother and sister-in-law (she grew up in this area) and they told us about their experiences as we basked in the sunshine. While out on the deck, I heard a familiar voice and peeked around the wall into the adjoining deck. The voice belonged to Norma Sherry, a long time friend of my family. She was talking to her sister and we didn’t know we had rooms next to each other.
By 3:15, we were on a tour of the ship. It is quite amazing the services and opportunities they provide. After the tour, we went to the Crow’s Nest to observe our surroundings and then settled in at the Lido Deck where the live music was about to begin. Orders for drinks soon started. Our tour guide told us that everyone was welcome at any of the lounges to listen to music without feeling compelled to buy a drink. Soon waiters were walking around offering free tidbits, so of course we did accept that. The singer was very good and was backed up with 8 other musicians. What a treat. When I saw Matt, our tour guide, talking to one of the bartenders, I went across the room to inquire about the evening schedule. We wanted to make sure that since there was only one show on the first night that we’d be able to take in our first dining room dinner at eight and still catch the show at 9:30. He assured me we’d have no problem. The bartender told me he could have answered that question. I said, “Well, I can ask you a question and before I could even realize what I said (Can you dance?) he had me out on the dance floor. Boy did he call my bluff. I kicked off my sandals and had the dance of my life. I don’t know how to dance, but Ben said I looked good since the bartender was a good leader. Ben doesn’t take pictures but he did grab the camera this time and actually got some pictures. The two of us were the only ones on the dance floor. It was quite a deal and I’m still laughing and we hadn’t even left port yet! At one point I told him, “I’m done” but he insisted on finishing the dance. I guess I should at least learn his name. Darrell would say I have met my 3rd best friend after having met the first two in Mexico!
As the music continued, we watched Seattle drift away, along with any worldly cares.
We got to the dining room at 7:45 and waited until 8 to enter. You would think we were hungry! The transition from early seating to the late seating went smoothly and we were ushered to table 85. Norma and Thelma came by to let us know they were going to retire early and that they had already eaten, but they did sit with us for awhile and of course we had to tell them about the dance. While they were there, they noticed a rainbow out of the window behind us. We turned and looked. It was beautiful. In order to see all of it, we left our table and walked across the room. The rainbow was a complete half circle. It started on land, continued on up high into the sky and down the other side into the water. I have never seen anything like that. After oohing and aahing, we returned to our table where we were met by Alan (of Travel with Alan, our travel agent). In the last week or so, we had decided to take another cruise in September to New England and Canada since Alan was offering a deal we couldn’t refuse. Two of my cousins and my brother and their spouses have also decided to join us since we had just been talking about doing a family reunion together. What a way to go. Anyway, Alan said we could fly out of Sacramento instead of coming up to Seattle to join his group and just meet at the hotel in New Jersey the night before departing.
We made it to the show, following dinner. The theater is smaller than the one on the Radiance of the Sea and has a nice intimate feeling to it. The cruise director introduced the cast that will be entertaining us throughout the cruise and had some of the cruise guests participate in some games – one of which was making a bed contest, complete with a towel animal, within one minute. I couldn’t tell which couple should have won!
Day 6 June 1, 2010 Tuesday
The bed – absolutely wonderful. I slept well until 4:30, and not wanting to miss a thing, got up to observe the lights on the shoreline. Now, it’s 5:30 and daylight. The moon is half full and the sky is somewhat overcast with clouds below the snow covered mountains. I have no idea where we are, but as daylight increases, so does the pink color on the broken up clouds above. The ripples on the ocean/bay/sound are so slight, much like when one drops a pebble into the lake. I just saw us pass a second orange ball. Could they be the droppings a previous ship left in its wake for us to follow? I went outside to take a few pictures and was the only one hanging out over the railing. It is so beautiful outside. There are layers – water, shoreline, a trail of low clouds, then snow capped mountains ad finally another stream of pink highlighted clouds broken up with patches of blue sky all stacked up like a Neapolitan pastry…and we have only just begun.
There is a slight rocking motion underneath - very subtle, like a mother rocking her baby to sleep but more like a slow vibration. Sleep escapes me. My eyes just can’t let go of the changing landscape. We just passed another orange ball. I will have to inquire about that. Now I see a sea gull. Oh, you may be tired of all of these details, but I want to remember everything, so I will type on.
Norma told us yesterday that she and her sister met a man on the ship who had been in Auschwitz – he even showed them his tattoo and when she told him that her brother had been a prisoner of war for over 3 years, they immediately bonded. I’m sure we will hear the stories of many while we cruise these beautiful waters.
Ben has been up and is asleep again. He has such a good on and off switch. Mine seems stuck on “ON”.
This must be part of the inside passage. I’m certainly enjoying the view. With the aide of my binoculars, I see what looks like an airport tower on land. After Ben awakens again, I’ll turn on the TV to the channel which displays information about sunrises, sunsets and other pertinent information about the trip.
Did you know seagulls fly faster than our ship can sail? I never thought of that before.
At 7 a.m., the air temperature is 53 degrees, humidity 80%. Next sunset is at 10:09 pm Pool 80.1 degrees and the Jacuzzi is 83.1 (not very hot). (Subsequent note: The hot tubs were very hot and the pool actually warmer than what we think is comfortable so the information on the ship’s channel was not correct).
After breakfast, we sat out on our veranda and when we came back into our room, the attendant had already come in and made up our room. Now that’s quiet service.
The food service (at least for the first few days) is different. At the Lido where we went for lunch, much of the food is prepared right on what I would call the cafeteria line. It’s not like a buffet where you help yourself to the food. It is prepared and served to you. After getting our fresh pineapple, we joined a black man from Florida. His wife was in the casino and he was rather quiet. When we returned from getting our entrée, he was gone and we were quickly joined by two couples from southern California. Carol and Lloyd have a granddaughter attending UC San Diego on a softball scholarship so we had plenty to talk about since Ben’s granddaughter Hannah also plays on a traveling team and has some of the same aspirations. We visited with the four of them for several hours and got to see a few whales not far from the ship.
This was the first time I felt a little woozy and as we passed the pool and spa (we haven’t been in yet) the water was sloshing around. We paused to ask a young couple in the spa if it was warm since the reported 83 degrees didn’t sound very warm to me. They assured us that yes, it was warm. We rested in the afternoon and by show time, I didn’t feel like dressing up for the first formal night so we attended the show in our casual clothes. I don’t know what the median age is on the ship, but it appears to be up there. We sat in an alcove area of the theater and I enjoyed watching other senior citizens pass by in all of their finery. I felt like Cinderella – before she met the fairy godmother! We passed up the free champagne for the Captain’s toast and enjoyed the show. After the show started, a man with his walker bumped into the table in front of us and proclaimed that he couldn’t see “in this lighting”.
Since it was a formal night, we couldn’t go to table 85 in the dining room and opted for the Lido, once again, only to discover that it had closed at 8:00. It was now 8:15 and we were directed to an Italian restaurant. What a find. I wanted something light but tolerated the Antipasto, Minestrone soup, Chicken Marcella and three tiny scoops of different flavored gelato. I’m feeling better. We visited with two couples from the Seattle area who were long-time clients of Travel with Alan (6 years) and had traveled all over the world. They had a bottle of wine with their dinner and had the remaining portion re-corked. They said it would be saved for them and brought out at another meal.
Day 7 June 2, 2010 Wednesday
If yesterday and today mean anything, it looks like my internal clock is waking me up at 4:30 a.m. But today is different. It is actually 3:30 since we turned our clocks back one hour last night. We will be arriving in Ketchikan at 7:00 a.m. and we are looking forward to seeing the daughter of Sandy, a former co-worker from the IRS. I can talk about it now, but when we used to work there, we’d just say we worked for the “Government”, ha. Katrina and her sister both live in Ketchikan. Katrina is a midwife and has delivered over 150 babies. Her sister Tasha is a school counselor and hopes to be able to join us for lunch. We might even get to meet some of Sandy’s grandchildren. Anyway, it was so nice of Katrina to offer to take some time off work and give us a personal tour. When my son Steve graduated from high school in 1987, we went to Puerto Vallarta with Sandy and Tasha.
It’s still dark outside. Maybe I can catch a few more winks. Oh, I have not been e-mailing daily reports since the use of the internet is quite expensive – 75 cents per minute, unless one wants to buy 250 minutes for $100.
Our traveling speed is about 25 mph (they use nautical miles) so we are probably about 75 miles from Ketchikan. Through the darkness, I see something – a mountain, island or big bump of some kind on the horizon. We did have some rain yesterday but even out on our deck, we were protected and Ben didn’t even notice it was raining.
Some of the “real” seniors say they like this cruise line the best since it is smaller and harder to get lost. At any rate, it is wonderful to see so many white haired people having the time of their life. We’re glad we didn’t put off this experience any longer.
4:30 a.m. I just saw an exciting event. A small tug boat was coming close to our ship so I went outside to see what was happening. It kept getting closer and closer until it was traveling right along side our ship. Soon I saw a man come out of a door and climb a ladder onto our ship. When I told this story to Ben, he wanted to know if the man was wearing an eye patch. He thought all of the pirates were in Pittsburg! Fortunately I had read in the “Daily Program” the following:
“Overnight our route took us into the Revillagigedo Channel and toward the Twin Island Pilot Station where we embarked the first of our Alaskan Pilots. The Pilot takes the ‘conn’ of the ship and leads us into Tongass Narrows in the early morning and toward our assigned dock in Ketchikan. We expect to be all fast by 7:00 a.m.”
The mountains, once again have snow on the top third and I can read, without the aide of any lighting in the room. Smaller “islands” appear between us and the tall snow covered mountains and these lower land masses are covered with trees. No sign of life yet and the waters are very smooth. We’re just gliding along. When I went outside, I could imagine what it must have been like to have the breeze blow in the face of the actors in the movie “Titanic”. The fresh air was wonderful.
“With 14,000 inhabitants, this community is known as “Alaska’s First City” because it is the first town travelers reach when ferrying north. The city was established in 1887 when a salmon cannery was built at the mouth of Ketchikan Creek”. (Daily Program).
Yesterday morning, we had a “hanging over the balcony” visit with Norma and her sister Thelma but haven’t seen them since. They are meeting an in-law relative this morning for a private yacht cruise. That should be fun.
I think it is raining now. It’s hard to tell and certainly doesn’t obscure the view. We’re supposed to meet Katrina on the north side of the Visitor’s Center near the rain gauge (which she referred to as the “Liquid Sunshine Gauge”) at 10:00 a.m. We’re getting closer to the tree lined shore. I’m going back outside.
4:41 p.m. We had breakfast with Norma and Thelma and then got off the ship to explore Ketchikan. We found some reversible windbreakers (with hoods) in one of the shops and that worked out well for the off and on rain we experienced today. At 10:00, we met Katrina at the liquid sunshine gauge and began our tour with her. She took us to the Totem Pole Park and it was like walking on the coast of Oregon. It is very lush and green. We caught up with a tour guide and heard his story about the origins of totem poles. Katrina took us to her sister’s home where we got to meet Tasha’s three daughters. Their home faces the narrows and the “beach” is their front yard. Binoculars adorned the front window and we later learned that they often see eagles and have even had a bear show up on their front porch, looking through the window in their door. We took two of Tasha’s girls with us to lunch and when Tasha got off work, she met us at the Ocean View café for lunch. As we sat at the table, I spotted my first view of an eagle. I hope my pictures turn out. Then Katrina took us to the Lumberjack Show where 4 men demonstrated log rolling, log cutting, axe throwing, pole climbing and other skills. It was very entertaining. We found an eagle ornament for our Christmas tree in one of the shops and were impressed by the prices of the souvenirs. Many of the Christmas gift items that we use to sell were represented in the various stores.
What an afternoon and we appreciated having time with Sandy’s daughters and granddaughters so much. One of her granddaughters turned 12 today. Sandy will be up from Washington later in the week. Katrina said that the cruise ships go right past Tasha’s home as they leave Ketchikan. I took note that Tasha had a tetherball pole in her backyard (beach side) and looked for her house as we cruised past, but I could not identify her home – or the tetherball pole!
After 43 hours on the ship, it was good to be out walking around in the fresh air. At the present time, there are four cruise ships here – our ms Amsterdam (Holland America), Radiance of the Sea (Royal Caribbean), Zamdam (Holland America) and Island Princess. I asked Katrina if the locals got tired of the tourists. Of course the economy is enhanced by our visits, but she does try to avoid this area when she is on her way to work. She also pointed out an island that is in habited by the local Indians and others cannot come there except by invitation. She is a midwife and delivers her babies in a local Catholic hospital. There are no abortions on the island and some women have reported that they did not plan their pregnancy; however they didn’t use birth control either. She loves her job and is happy to be here to raise her own family. Her family will be taking a cruise to the Mediterranean this summer. Her husband works for the Princess line and that will enable them to have a discount on the cruise – but not the airfare to get to Europe.
Tasha said that her daughter is quite the swimmer and sometimes they go to Fairbanks for a meet. The plane lands and takes off four times before they can get there. No quick and easy way to get off this island.
Day 8 June 3, 2010 Thursday
Sitka is a lovely town and we spent quite a bit of time here, exploring shops and enjoying the scenery. We saw a pair of eagles resting in the top of a tall tree. St. Michael’s Cathedral is a beautiful structure exhibiting Russian influence.
We returned to the ship to enjoy the hot tub and swimming pool. The pool was almost too warm. I met a 6 year old girl named Maya. She was enjoying her 14th cruise (her older brothers have been on 17). She was very bright and entertaining.
Our evening entertainment was by Elliot Finkel, a delightful pianist, and we topped off the evening with a nice steak dinner at table 85.
Day 9 June 4, 2010 Friday
It’s getting easier to get a full night’s sleep. If I sleep until 6, it has been a good night. Today we arrived in Skagway and from our balcony we can watch the helicopters and small planes take off with visitors going on aerial tours. This morning, after breakfast we went on our first coach tour with Alan. The bus was very comfortable and took us up the White Pass and Yukon Route of the narrow gauge railroad built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. We passed the US/Canadian border and were actually in the Yukon Territory.
I asked Alan about the advantages of the train vs. the coach and for the money, he felt like the bus was the best buy and had more stops. We did enjoy our guide/driver who told us stories about Skagway. Only 800 people live in Skagway, it boasts one school (K-12) with graduates often topping 15. One year, only 4 boys graduated so the Junior Prom had its difficulties! No doctor or hospital here – if you get sick, you have to be flown out. The dentist visits every other week. One bedroom apartment goes for $1000/month, a two bedroom home costs $200,000. The visitors come from May through September and tourism is the main industry. We stopped at the Gold Rush Cemetery where the town hero was buried. Seems he shot the man who ran a soap scam here (promising money in some of the bars of soap he sold) after being shot in the lower groin. He died 10 days later from an infection. Beyond the grave yard was a beautiful waterfall.
The coach brought us back to the ship around noon and we may take a walk down to the town this afternoon. We don’t leave Skagway until this evening. I spotted a Starbucks downtown and they might have internet service.
Day 9 June 4, 2010 Friday
It is now 10:45 p.m. and I can look out past our veranda to see the water passing by, along with the snow capped mountains and scattered clouds. I wonder when the sun actually sets. We are now leaving Skagway.
We had a wonderful dinner tonight at table 85. It started out with a basket of assorted rolls, crab legs and cocktail sauce, Italian Wedding Soup, Coho Salmon and since I wasn’t sure if their Crème Brule would be up to snuff, I also ordered watermelon sorbet. All was good. On this cruise, cappuccino is also offered at no extra cost.
We had a wonderful day in Skagway today. Several times we were asked how we were enjoying the wonderful sunny weather. It was a special day indeed.
Starbucks did not have computer access, but I was directed to a cyber café and was able to buy 30 minutes for $2.50. On the ship, 30 minutes would have cost $22.50! (Ben hauled my computer in a canvas bag for me and I was able to send my last journal and receive my incoming e-mails). Ben reported that Skagway has one grocery store, one gas station and 23 jewelry stores. Mail is not delivered to homes here – people have to claim their mail in the post office. We met a couple who told Ben they had been on 73 cruises and over 50 of them had been on our ship – Holland America. Their 2nd favorite ship was Royal Caribbean – the one we took to Mexico. Guess we’ll never catch up with them. I think they took 9 cruises in one year.
We also walked past Elliot Finkel, the pianist who performed in the Queen’s Lounge last night. We chatted for a bit with him. (Sure wish I had my camera with me so I could prove to Darrell that I made a new friend).
We didn’t have time to get in the pools today (did lay out in the sun a bit on our balcony) and went to the evening entertainment – dancers and singers. They sang songs we knew and it was fun. Tomorrow night we will have Judy Garland’s daughter – not Liza but the other one – Lorna Luft.
In the morning, we have a Forest Ranger and a Native American coming on board to discuss Glacier National Park. We will all be outside to enjoy the glaciers as he gives us his talk. In the afternoon, Alan is hosting a cocktail party for those traveling with him, and then we’ll attend the show and finally dinner. The days are full and I’m not complaining.
Thank you for your e-mails. It’s nice to hear from home when I have access. I’ve enjoyed the Facebook messages (even though I only read them as e-mails).
Most of the cruise has been smooth, but last night, we were rocking and rolling. As we walked from the show to dinner, we felt like drunken sailors. For the first time, I noticed that barf bags were in a holder near the elevators. They were gone today…because they were not needed, not because they were used.
We’re leaving Skagway after a wonderful day in the sun. Took pictures of the not so setting sun at 10:15 p.m.
Day 10 June 5, 2010 Saturday
We spent all day in Glacier Bay, surrounded by the mountains and glaciers. What a treat to have the ship just sit in this place so we could take in the beauty all day long. The ship made slow 360 degree rotations so that the beauty could be observed from any portion of the ship. When we saw the glaciers, we felt like we were in a very special place. I think others felt the same as there seemed to be a hush over the spectators.
We ate outside and had their pea soup followed by an Alaskan luncheon, featuring many fish from this area. In the afternoon, Ben and I participated in the Glacier Bay Polar Bear Swim and received certificates of accomplishment “For an Outstanding Display of Athletic Ability”. Some saw “calving” where large chunks of the Glacier fall into the water.
What an awesome day. Okay, before you think we have completely “lost it”, our dip in the Glacier Bay Polar Bear Swim occurred in the ship’s heated swimming pool which was uncovered and out amongst the glaciers in Glacier Bay. Hope we had you going for awhile.
The evening entertainment was followed by another delicious dinner at table 85.
Day 11 June 6, 2010 Sunday
Today we were at sea and didn’t see any mountains until tonight. After the evening show and dinner, we decided to take a stroll and ran across the best singer/piano player we have ever heard – WT Greer. As we sat in the piano bar, we could see the mountains slowly passing and it wasn’t until we got to our room at midnight that I was finally able to take some pictures of an almost setting sun. It’s 12:20 a.m. and it still hasn’t set. Guess those stories of long days are true.
This morning I took a digital picture class with a techy guy from Microsoft. He taught us how to make panoramic pictures by stitching four pictures together so I tried that tonight and I’ll see how it turns out when I have a chance to use the program.
Well, tomorrow is a long day in Anchorage – the largest city in Alaska. According to the Daily Program, “Anchorage was founded in 1915 as a railroad camp. On March 27, 1964 there was an earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter Scale. Anchorage constitutes more than 40 percent of the state’s total population.” I’d better get some sleep. Good night.
Day 12 June 7, 2010 Monday - Anchorage
This morning, I didn’t get dressed until 10:30 (due to taking the time to tell myself I didn’t need to keep the headache that woke me up) and I missed my first meal. We had lunch at the Lido Restaurant before exploring Anchorage.
Anchorage is what they call a tide port. The tide raises and lowers 30 feet in a day and the gangway has to be adjusted accordingly. We didn’t have any excursions planned in this city. My only private mission was to find the sister of a friend. When we worked for Magi Marketing, we sold products for Imagine, a gift line owned by Jim and Joy. Joy had written to me about her sister-in-law who had a quilt shop and a gift shop here and another sister-in-law who owned a dress shop so finding them was my mission. We took the free shuttle bus from the ship to town and Jana’s gift shop and quilting shop were within walking distance from the visitor center so we headed there. Jana was in the store and we were able to bring her greetings from Jim and Joy. We didn’t make it to the other sister’s dress shop since we didn’t have a car. That would have been fun to explore.
Almost next door to the Jana’s shops was a chocolate shop and when I saw someone sitting at a counter with her computer, I thought this place might offer internet access. It turned out that access was available – free, but of course we wanted to buy some drinking chocolate and biscotti so this session cost us a little over eight dollars. Have you ever heard of getting internet access as an excuse to eat chocolate?
Ben patiently waited for me to complete my correspondence but ultimately returned to the ship for a nap and I actually got back to the ship all by myself. It was fun to be on Facebook for the first time since sailing and I connected with Darrell and Char who informed me that they have also booked the New England cruise that we will be taking in September. Yes, 3 in one year is excessive but isn’t that what retirement is all about? My brother and sister-in-law and two of my cousins and their spouses will also be on that cruise so a good time is in store for all of us. What a way to have a reunion! I am so glad Darrell and Char (our Mexican Cruise companions) will be able to join us. They are so much fun.
Back on ship, we rested until time for dinner. We did not go to table 85 tonight, but opted to go to the Italian restaurant, Canaletto. We have had Dana as a server before, but tonight he was Sala. Another waiter had Gelato as his name. It seems they take on Italian names when working in the Italian restaurant. If one had been drinking, one could really be confused. We left a message on Norma and Thelma’s phone so they would know why we wouldn’t be at table 85 and were surprised when they ended up joining us and were able to be seated right across from us. This time, we had a surprise after our gelato – a big dollop of cotton candy. We never heard of that in a restaurant before.
We returned to the piano bar to hear W. T. Greer again. He is so good. He had a whole hour dedicated to Lionel Ritchey and told stories about how the ones that really make it in the music industry are the ones who write the songs. By 11:30, he sang his last song as we pulled out of port. Another program “Filipino Crew Show” was still in progress as we headed to our room, so we caught the last part of the crew putting on this show before getting to our room at 12:30. Give Ben some good entertainment and an afternoon nap and he can stay up all night. Ten o’clock bedtime doesn’t exist on a ship.
Day 13 June 8, 2010 Tuesday - Going to Homer
Twelve thirty to two thirty a.m. is not what I call a good night’s rest. I gave myself until 3:30 to see if I could go back to sleep and since my body did not cooperate, I got up to see if the sun was setting or getting up too. I still don’t know, but I did go out on the veranda to take a picture. The moon looks like a sliver and it is very light outside. I wonder if I’ll ever catch the sun setting. The T.V. channel reports it setting before 11 pm but that’s hard to believe since the glow seems to never die.
Well, once the rest of the ship awakens, we will be spending a day in Homer. I’m not sure what to expect, but I do know that not very many if any other Alaskan cruises include Homer and Kodiak (our next two stops) on their itinerary. According to the “In Port” publication, “Nothing you have read or seen will prepare you for Homer’s serene beauty. Plenty of artists have been attracted to the small “South Central” town. Surrounded by snow capped mountains, glaciers and generally serene Kachemak Bay, it is no wonder that many visitors have become residents”. You know Tom Bodet – the guy from Motel 6 who says he’s going to leave the light on for you? He lives in Homer. Homer was spared from the 1964 earthquake so canneries and fishermen moved to Homer from the nearby Russian outpost Seldovia. “Seward 130 miles northeast is already a pretty remote place, but the Sterling Highway (read:”paved road”} ends at Homer. Bodet lovingly called Homer “the end of the road”, and it is truly found at the end of the long road that lines the Kenai Peninsula. It was the literal stopping point for Bodet, who is a Sturgis, Michigan native, but a Homer adoptee.” Homer looks like the place to take hikes, but with so little sleep, can I manage? Maybe sleep will greet me as I return to bed.
The shuttle took us to the spit and we walked back to the ship after checking out this part of Homer. Probably the best part was playing with a golden lab that never tired of retrieving s stick I threw into the bay. It had to be cold but if I stopped to give him a rest, he whined. We checked out the Salty Dawg, an old tavern with dollar bills tacked all over the walls. We saw a few eagles sitting on the tall light fixtures and also saw the nesting grounds of what I would call sea gulls. Later, when we were back on the ship, I saw an eagle fly right by us, but unfortunately I did not have my camera with me and the cell phone camera was too slow. Ben took a nap in our room and I fell asleep on the chaise lounge by the pool. When I woke up, I saw ten seniors sleeping on the lounge chairs with their mouths gaping open. Then I realized my mouth was probably open too when I fell asleep. The sun was so warm and comforting.
Norma and Thelma found us by the pool and we made arrangements to meet for the illusion show (with Jonathan Neal, as seen on the Tonight Show) and dinner tonight. Then we’ll probably stay up to hear WT Greer sing Elton John songs until midnight in the piano bar.
Day 14 June 9, 2010 Wednesday - Going to Kodiak
Kodiak is the second largest island in the U.S., surpassed by the Island of Hawaii. It is the home of over 2,000 Kodiak bears and is generally a foggy, rocky place and when the misty veil lifts, one sees a lush and beautifully rugged landscape. Today was a beautiful sunny day and we could clearly see the tops of the mountains that remain covered with snow all year long.
Our ship docked in an industrial fishing area and no shuttles were available to get us to “town”. It was a 15-20 minute stroll to the main area of town which definitely is not a tourist trap unless you consider the Visitor’s Center as such. That center was so informative and interesting. As I entered, I looked up through the glass ceiling to see a massive gray whale skeleton. I went upstairs so I could check it out. It turned out that the whale died on the island ten years ago and a group was formed to bury it. A big trench was dug and the fins of the whale were wrapped in order to keep the bones together. Four years passed and a check was made to see if enough time had passed in order to excavate the whale, later named “Gordy”. He was reconstructed and is a mighty specimen indeed. We spoke with Ms. Studebaker whose father had worked on the excavation project and for whom the whale was named.
I took pictures of the eagles, bear and fish, but of course it was during the showing of a film in the center. I just have to take pictures when I can, ha.
There are so many activities on ship each day so choosing what to do is done by either planning or by default. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the hot tub, Ben swam and of course there is always chatting. Before getting off the ship we stopped by a table where Norma and Thelma were having breakfast. They were sitting next to a couple who they had learned were from the Sacramento area. That sparked our interest and after realizing that Ben’s daughters and their children all attended Bella Vista, we learned that the gentleman was into sports and was wearing a Cal T-Shirt (my son attended Cal and their son is there now) and Ben finally asked him “What is your name”? He replied “Terry Battenburg” and it was then that Ben realized he was a year ahead of Terry at Rio Linda High School. Terry admitted he had had a crush on Jennie Rae, one of Ben’s classmates and was a cheerleader. Terry’s wife’s family was on the cruise for a family reunion and her brother is the ship’s physician for this cruise. Terry was in the same class as Ben’s sister Dobbie.
We only had a few hours on Kodiak Island. When we got back on the ship, the crew was preparing a Salmon bake with an extensive array of fresh fruit, salads and desserts out on the deck
The formal dinner was delicious. I had a shrimp cocktail, crab legs as my entrée and a raspberry sundae for dessert. We went back to the piano bar to listen to W. T. Greer. What a voice. The evening was culminated by visiting the Lido deck where a dessert buffet was offered until midnight. The creations were stunning.
Day 15 June 10, 2010 Thursday - Going to Hubbard Glacier
Alan stopped by our dinner table last night and said the glaciers we will see today will undoubtedly be the highlight of our cruise. The glacier is 350 feet high and 7 miles wide and over 70 miles deep. Alan also encouraged us to go to the Indonesian Tea this afternoon where the women will wear their native dresses. The movie “It’s Complicated” is showing several times today but that is something we could see at home. Then there are the computer classes, but again, there is so much to see. Forest rangers will be coming on board today to answer questions about the glacier area and a Native American will be speaking as well.
The Hubbard Glacier was impressive. We spent most of the afternoon there and listened to a ranger from South Carolina answer our questions. The sound of the glaciers calving into the bay sounded like thunder, but by the time we heard the loud crash of part of the glacier into the bay, it was too late to see it coming down. One time, after gazing patiently at the glacier, we did see one calving. It was windy and cold when we went out onto the bow of the ship, but soon, it was very comfortable being out there and such a wonder to behold.
We had lunch a little later and then did make it to the Indonesian Tea Ceremony. Tonight we will see the Indonesian Crew Show. Most of the servers on this ship are from either Indonesia or the Philippines where they go through a ten week program by Holland America. They work about ten hours a day, seven days a week, for about 10 months at a time, and they were still smiling at the end of our two week sojourn with them.
Tomorrow we will be in Juneau and will have a 3 hour deluxe city tour and Mendenhall Glacier Tour.
Since we will be in the port from 8-5, I may be able to get my next journal transmitted.
Day 16 June 11, 2010 Friday - Juneau
We met with our tour group at nine and boarded one of Alan’s chartered buses. It took us up to the Mendenhall Glacier and we were able to be within one mile of it. In 1935, the glacier reached the Visitor’s Center where we were now standing. A board listed the fact that in all but one day in June, caving had occurred. The visitor center had an interesting feature. A video camera had been placed in the den of a beaver and we could watch the activity within the den from the comfort of the visitor center.
Our tour included driving all around Juneau, the Capital of Alaska. I didn’t get a very good glimpse of the Capitol, but it has been voted the ugliest U. S. Capitol. I got a better view of the Governor’s Mansion and our guide assured us that Russia was not observable from there.
After completing our tour, I went to the library where I was told Wi-Fi was available. It was nice sitting on the top floor of a parking garage, right next to where cruise ships were docked. As one ship began to move, it appeared it just might be coming into the library.
Either my computer is too slow or the connection wasn’t very good, so I’m not sure how much I actually got sent. I think my incoming messages came in three times!
After a little frustration, I went back to the ship for our evening entertainment and dinner. I think this was the night of the Indonesian Crew Show. It was fun seeing Frans play the keyboard and Putra, play the part of a dancing monkey. They were our waiters. Lots of talent and their naïve like demeanor made their presentation even more special.
Day 17 June 12, 2010 Saturday - At Sea
To say we spent this day at sea would be an understatement. We had gale force winds and rocking and rolling held a new standard. The swimming pool and hot tubs had been emptied and I think if I could have raised my arms a little higher, I might have taken flight. Talk about woozie! We didn’t get sick, but I don’t think anyone slept much that night. We went to the dining room (table 85) for lunch for the first time and visited with a couple who had been married for 57 years, had a son living in Roseville and had completed 7 years of RVing after having sold their house and “stuff” years of collecting. They have now settled near Sedona, AZ where they live all year (except when they are cruising).
Ben attended a class on towel folding and bought a book so our grandchildren can have fun duplicating the treasures left on our bed each night by our room attendants. He also attended a magic class but it appears some of those tricks will take lots of practice.
The last entertainment program by the ship’s dancers and singers featured music from many decades. I can’t imagine where they stow all of the beautiful costumes. Our evening dinner was very special. Every guest was given a chef hat to wear and the waiters came into the dining room dancing all along and waving the napkins which ultimately rested on our laps. The dinner was capped off with Baked Alaska. We moved our clocks up one hour and retired.
Day 18, June 13, 2010 Sunday - Sailing to Victoria, B.C.
This morning, I skipped breakfast and have just been luxuriating in our room. The sun woke me up at 6:00 a.m. I thought Ben had been up and left the light on. It was so bright. We sat out on the veranda for quite awhile, trying to take in the vastness of the ocean. We saw a few sea gulls and wondered where in the world they would land. From time to time, we see tankers heading north.
We will have a short stay in Victoria (4 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and are not sure just what we will elect to do in that brief stay.
Today will also be packing day – but at least we haven’t had to do that since we left Seattle on May 31st. We put our suitcases out in the hallway tonight and just keep the things we will need in the morning.
It’s hard to believe this vacation is on the short side.
Today at lunch, I chatted with the “star” of the evening entertainment. He said he came on ship in April and won’t be through until January. That’s quite a commitment. Roomey, one of the beverage stewards is so excited to go home to the Philippines on Monday to be with his family for 3 months. So many stories.
We’re just about packed now – good thing we didn’t buy much on this trip. I think everything is going to fit.
We’ll do Victoria this afternoon and leave Seattle in the morning. We have been invited to spend Monday night with Bob and Ginger (my classmate) in Salem, OR.. It will be good to see them again and it will also break up what would be an 800 mile drive home.
We’ll get home Tuesday evening and be back to work at the River Cats on Wednesday evening.
June 15, 2010 Tuesday
We’re home. Victoria was brief, but nice. It was good to see the Empress Hotel, Parliament Building, Chinatown and get in a good walk. We had our final dinner in the dining room and had a good nights rest before getting off the ship.
We got to Salem in the late afternoon and were spoiled by Bob and Ginger with a lovely dinner, time in their yard and a night on a bed that didn’t vibrate! In the morning we had breakfast with them and had the joy of meeting their daughter’s family.
The ride home went well and by the time we got to Canyonville for lunch, we had seen a deer – something we didn’t see in Alaska. The weather warmed up and we were able to ride the rest of the way home with the top down. That was especially nice as we passed Mount Shasta and Lake Shasta. There is still a lot of snow and it was so beautiful.
We made it home by 8:15 and I have been wide awake – going through e-mails and finally getting my computer to work. I think my almost 1000 pictures had it overloaded.
We went 1600 miles by car, 3901 by ship and a few more miles by bus.
It’s almost 2 a.m. on Wednesday and past my bedtime.
My thanks to all of you who enjoyed taking this trip with us. It was nice having you along and I hope you have been inspired to go see Alaska if you have not yet made that trip.
Love to all,
Esther
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After looking at my X-rays, my doctor informed me that my knees were almost bone on bone but he could not even refer me to orthopedics for possible knee replacements until I lost 70 pounds! Losing that much weight seemed insurmountable!
I do not have any pain in my knees and do not need knee replacements. I no longer take medication for high cholesterol, pain or sleeping pills and have reduced my thyroid meds twice. I have lowered my blood sugar and am no longer pre-diabetic. I have not had a day of constipation since starting this program. My blood pressure is now normal. And as an added benefit, my vision has improved twice in the past year! My energy level is high and I want to spread the good news to everyone.
