July 30, 2014 - Vancouver, BC - Vancouver, I Hardly Knew You, Eh?

About 19 years ago I came to Vancouver on a business trip. I spent three long days in a conference room and didn't get to see anything of this magnificent city. Today we had a chance to spend some quality time in Vancouver. Our ship arrived at 7:00 am and didn't leave until 4:30 pm. For 99% of the passengers! Vancouver was the end of their cruise. For us, and for two other couples we know of, it is simply the beginning of our next cruise.

As "in transit" passengers, we still had to go through customs, etc. when we got off the ship, but it is SO much easier when you don't have luggage. So we got off, put on our sunglasses, and began our walk in shorts and t-shirts. What a difference two days makes!

We started our volkswalk at the cruise ship dock and soon we found ourselves in Gastown. This is the oldest part of Vancouver. A lot of effort has been put into restoration, with good results. One of the first things we noticed was how polite Canadians are. They stop so you can cross the street, and they even wait in line at the bus stop.

One of the special attractions in Gastown is a "steam clock." It was built in 1977, but it looks much older. It is powered by steam and it emits a little cloud of steam from time to time. Every 15 minutes it makes a tooting noise.

After Gastown comes Chinatown. Vancouver has the third largest Chinese community in North America (after NY and SF). It reminded me of Chinatown in Honolulu, with lots of small grocery stores selling unidentifiable (to me) items.

 

We bought some almond cookies at a Chinese bakery, and soon came to the "skid row" area, which reminded of us of Portland, Oregon, though not nearly as dilapidated or depressing. After a bit we arrived at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens. This was a peaceful, beautiful retreat in the middle of the city. Mext to the garden was a monument to the Chinese railroad workers and dock workers who played an important role in the early history of Vancouver.

The next "town" was Yaletown. This was where the railway workers lived. It is now a residential, shopping, and cafe area, probably very expensive to live in, but fun to walk through. There was a row of beautifully restored houses that the workers once lived in.

Next we walked through a vibrant section of Downtown. There were small parks, food trucks, public art, concert halls, museums, and office buildings. The main libraby was in a stunning building designed by Moshe Safdie.

Part of one street was blocked off and there were some sculptural benches made of slices of wood. People were sitting on them, enjoying the sunshine.

One interesting thing we noticed about Vancouver is that there are lots of residential buildings in every section of the city, even downtown. Many of them are high-rises, but there are a lot of smaller buildings, too. We walked just one block away from one of the main downtown streets and found ourselves in a pleasant residential neighborhood with lots of trees and very little traffic. For a big city, Vancouver seemed very livable.

Back in the business district once again, we passed lots of coffee shops (think Seattle), and modern glass and steel office towers, fountains and mini-parks. People dressed in business attire were sitting in these parks and we didn't see any homeless people here.

Heading downhill towards the water, we finally arrived back at the cruise terminal and completed our 10k walk. We reboarded the ship without much difficulty considering this was a turnaround day, found our new cabin, and found all of our stuff had been moved to the new cabin in our absence. We enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful views of Vancouver's scenic harbor from our balcony. As the ship sailed away we watched floatplanes land on the water, we saw dolphins leaping, and as we sailed under the Lion's Gate Bridge, people on the bridge and in Stanley Park waved at us.

July 28, 2014 - Ketchikan - We Are Water

The Book club selection for this cruise is We Are Water, and that describes Ketchikan, the rainiest place in North America. We started our 5k walk before it started raining, but it soon started spritzing and that very quickly turned into a steady drizzle. We got our raincoats out just in time because the drizzle turned into serious rain and stayed that way for the rest of our walk.

After reaching the visitor's center, we proceeded to the iconic arch proclaiming this city to be The Salmon Capital of the World. There were lots of stores her selling Native art, in addition to all the jewelry stores. How do these jewelry stores survive? There is nothing Alaskan about them. Do that many cruise passengers buy jewelry when they cruise the Inside Passage? There are a number of shops that clearly indicate they are "Locally Owned," but what they don't tell you is where their merchandise comes from. Can you spell C-h-i-n-a?

This is the heart of totem pole country and a little park downtown had some nice specimens.

After enjoying the totem poles, we came to the infamous Creek Street. This is an area of boardwalks next to ________ Creek that used to be the Red Light district during gold rush times. Rather than proceeding through the extremely touristy areas of Creek Street, we took advantage of the salmon viewing opportunities in the creek. We headed towards a wooded area and up stream to a waterfall and a fish ladder. We saw a few salmon in the fish ladder.

Next we headed through a shabby neighborhood. There was a boarded-up house for sale for $53,000. According to the real estate agent's poster, it had 1 bathroom and 0 bedrooms. After a while we came to a fish hatchery and an eagle rehabilitation center, but they did not seem to be open to the public. A short distance away was the Totem Heritage Center, a city-operated museum that was open to the public.  There were some old totem poles inside, along with some other artifacts. The totem poles were in poor condition. I don't see how anything made of wood could last very long in this climate.

After the totem museum we headed back out into the rain and through a nondescript neighborhood. Well, there were  few cute houses. Many of the houses are built on steep grades and you can only get to them by walking up slippery-looking wooden staircases.

July 27, 2014 - Juneau - D'You Know Juneau?

I heard a nasty rumor that it would be 81 degrees and sunny today in Juneau. As with many rumors, it turned out to be false. It was in the upper 50's with intermittent drizzle. Perfect walking weather.

We started and ended our 10k volkswalk in heaven, otherwise known as The Alaska Fudge Company. Walking down Franklin Street, we realized that the cruise industry has brought enough jewelry stores and souvenir stores to Juneau to allow for one for each legislator. I do not exaggerate. Nestled in amongst the touristy shops are some very nice shops selling local art, Native art, quilting supplies, and Alakan Amber-themed paraphernalia. (Alaskan Amber is a locally brewed beer.)

Juneau only has a few blocks of flat land and then it rises up steeply to Mt. Roberts. As a result, this walk has a lot of climbing. The route is cleverly designed so that you climb for one block and then go level for one block and climb for one block and level for one block, etc. You start at 1st Street, and by the time you reach 8th Street, you are way up there. At 4th you pass by the State Capitol building. It was open on Sunday because there were 5 ships in port today. On the opposite corner there was a historical museum that was closed. (It was also closed the last time we were here. We think it is permanently closed.)

At the top of the hill(?) we passed several small houses where miners lived during the gold rush period. We turned inland and entered the canyon between Mt. Roberts and Mt. Juneau. This is a popular hiking area, and it was easy to see why. The road follows Gold Creek into the valley. You can see the flume built by the gold-miners, but there is little other evidence of civilization. We hiked down the road for a mile until it ended at a trailhead. There is a mining museum here, but we didn't stop in. It was beautiful here. This is a temperate rainforest and it is very different from the hiking trails in Anchorage. The trees are mostly evergreens and they are very tall.

After returning along the same road to the inhabited portion of Juneau we walked passed some interesting houses and then took a turn onto Calhoun Street. It curved around and led us past the Governor's Mansion, Cope Park, Gold Creek (again) and to the cemetery. Most of the cemetery was old and uncared for, but we passed by the cemetery of Joe Juneau, the person for whom Juneau was named.

We walked back towards "downtown" past some schools and took the bridge across Gastineau Channel to Douglas Island, then turned back to Juneau. We passed the state museum, which was closed for renovations until 2016.

July 24, 2014 - Hubbard Glacier

Our day started with room service breakfast. Ken went to a lecture on the ports and I went to the "book club" to find out what the book was. (It is We Are Water, and I have already read it.) We ate lunch in the dining room and I may have taken an afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, we sailed across the Gulf of Alaska uneventfully, and arrived at Yakutat Bay around 3 pm. By 5 pm we were near the face of Hubbard Glacier, 250 feet high. The water was littered with small icebergs, and a very cold wind was blowing off the glacier.

Tonight was the first formal night. Very few people were dressed up. After dinner we saw a production show called "Piano Man." We have seen it before, but it is a fun show, featuring the music of Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, and Elton John. I could do without Barry Manilow, but I really like the other two.

July 23, 2014 - Whittier, Alaska - The Yin and the Yang

We left the house at noon and drove down the Seward Highway toward Portage. This section of the Seward Highway follows Turnagain Arm to its end and is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway anywhere in the world. (It is also the most dangerous highway in Alaska, but that's another story.)

The tide was out, so we saw lots of mudflats - innocuous looking but very dangerous because the silt os like quicksand and the tide comes in very fast. I think the tides here are the second most extreme tides in North America, after the Bay of Fundy.

At Portage we had to stop and wait for the tunnel to open. The Anton Andeson Tunnel was built during World War II to provide access to Whittier, an ice-free port to be used if necessary to supply _____. It is the only land route to Whittier. You can get there by boat, and I think there is a small airport, but no commercial flights go there.  The population of Whittier is _________. Almost everyone there lives in one high-rise apartment building, built during WW II and known as Begich Towers. There is another large building built by the Army at that time, but it is now derelict. There is a state ferry terminal, a marina, a small hotel/restaurant, and two companies that provide day tours of Prince William Sound. It rains a LOT in Whittier.

When the tunnel was first built, it was a railroad tunnel only. You could drive down to Portage and drive onto a flatbed rail car to go through the tunnel. Some tie in the 90's the tunnel was altered to allow motor vehicles to drive through. It is only one wide line, so the tunnel is closed every half hour to allow traffic to come through from the other direction. Trains, tour bses, cars, and everything else have to wait their turn.

I have walked through the tunnel a couple of times. They allow people to walk through only one day a year, and only for a couple of hours. The tunnel is 2 1/2 miles long. There are 7 or 8 "safe houses" in the tunnel for emergencies. You have to wear a hardhat or helmet when you walk through, and you have to take the train back because they don't want to close the tunnel t traffic for more than a few hours. It is free to ride the train back. The toll to drive to Whittier is $12, but it is free to come back.

After emerging from the tunnel, it is about half a mile to the cruise terminal. Since 98% of the passengers arrive by train or bus, it was very quick for us to drop off our bags. We then hugged Scott goodbye and walked into the terminal, leaving the camera in the car. :(

The embarkation process was one of the easiest and fastest ever. We got on the ship very quickly and found our cabin. This time we booked at the last minute and so we have an obstructed view cabin. This means we have a window, but it is located between two lifeboats, so you don't get a good view. Nonethelss, the cabin is comfy and cozy and nicer than we expected.

The ship was scheduled to sail at 8:30 pm, so the mandatory muster (lifeboat drill) was scheduled for 7:45. we decided to wait and have dinner after the drill, as we figured they wouldn't seat us within an hour (or longer) prior to the drill. At 7;30 an announcement was made - the train from Denali was late, so the drill would be delayed 15 to 20 minutes and he woulld announce the drill 20 minutes before it would take place. Okay, there is already a bit of a disconnect here, as they should have been able to just announce that the drill would start at 8:05.

We knew it would take longer, so we ran down to the dining room to eat before the drill. Unfortunately, the dining room was closed until after the drill. Finally, the 20-minute warning announcement was made, but the drill didn't actually start until about 35 minutes after the announcement. By the time we were seated for dinner it was 9:30. We missed the show, but we did have a pleasant dinner.

So, the Universe gives, and the Universe takes away. Great embarkation and nice cabin vs. terrible muster experience. Of all the problems in the world, this really wasn't so bad.

July 22, 2014 - The Last Frontier

My Alaskan adventure started in 1974, and it isn't over yet. There's always something interesting going on. Last week a bear with two cubs was shot about a mile from our house. Another salmon run started this week and everyone is talking about fishing. 

Maybe this isn't the best time to go away, but we will be spending most of our time in Alaska, so it doesn't really count as going away. Instead of going to the Midnight Sun Bridge Tournament in Fairbanks, I will be going south, via cruise ship, to the Inside Passage. We will visit Glacier Bay National Park; Skagway, a Gold Rush boom town;  Juneau, the state capital; Ketchikan, the rain capital of Alaska; and Vancouver, BC.

The Spell of the Yukon

By Robert W. Service

I wanted the gold, and I sought it;

   I scrabbled and mucked like a slave.

Was it famine or scurvy—I fought it;

   I hurled my youth into a grave.

I wanted the gold, and I got it— 

   Came out with a fortune last fall,— 

Yet somehow life’s not what I thought it,

   And somehow the gold isn’t all.

No! There’s the land. (Have you seen it?)

   It’s the cussedest land that I know,

From the big, dizzy mountains that screen it

   To the deep, deathlike valleys below.

Some say God was tired when He made it;

   Some say it’s a fine land to shun;

Maybe; but there’s some as would trade it

   For no land on earth—and I’m one.

You come to get rich (damned good reason);

   You feel like an exile at first;

You hate it like hell for a season,

   And then you are worse than the worst.

It grips you like some kinds of sinning;

   It twists you from foe to a friend;

It seems it’s been since the beginning;

   It seems it will be to the end.

I’ve stood in some mighty-mouthed hollow

   That’s plumb-full of hush to the brim;

I’ve watched the big, husky sun wallow

   In crimson and gold, and grow dim,

Till the moon set the pearly peaks gleaming,

   And the stars tumbled out, neck and crop;

And I’ve thought that I surely was dreaming,

   With the peace o’ the world piled on top.

The summer—no sweeter was ever;

   The sunshiny woods all athrill;

The grayling aleap in the river,

   The bighorn asleep on the hill.

The strong life that never knows harness;

   The wilds where the caribou call;

The freshness, the freedom, the farness—

   O God! how I’m stuck on it all.

The winter! the brightness that blinds you,

   The white land locked tight as a drum,

The cold fear that follows and finds you,

   The silence that bludgeons you dumb.

The snows that are older than history,

   The woods where the weird shadows slant;

The stillness, the moonlight, the mystery,

   I’ve bade ’em good-by—but I can’t.

There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,

   And the rivers all run God knows where;

There are lives that are erring and aimless,

   And deaths that just hang by a hair;

There are hardships that nobody reckons;

   There are valleys unpeopled and still;

There’s a land—oh, it beckons and beckons,

   And I want to go back—and I will.

They’re making my money diminish;

   I’m sick of the taste of champagne.

Thank God! when I’m skinned to a finish

   I’ll pike to the Yukon again.

I’ll fight—and you bet it’s no sham-fight;

   It’s hell!—but I’ve been there before;

And it’s better than this by a damsite—

   So me for the Yukon once more.

There’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting;

   It’s luring me on as of old;

Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting

   So much as just finding the gold.

It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder,

   It’s the forests where silence has lease;

It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder,

   It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.