Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #8 Homer, Alaska June 4, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #8

Homer,Alaska

June 4, 2011

I visited Homer, Alaska about 15 years ago and went halibut fishing with friends from Anchorage. What I remembered as a small fishing village with a few wooden businesses built up on wooden pilings with wooden walkways and the Salty Dawg Saloon has now become a developed harbor with breakwater and condos down at the end of the “Homer Spit”. I was saddened to see that commercialism had begun to take away the quaintness of this area known as “land’s end” since I had last visited it.

The skies were overcast and the wind was blowing briskly outside. We bundled up with several layers to keep us warm along with our jackets. I wore my black, furry knit hat to keep my head warm; and several women commented saying they wished they had a hat like that to keep them warm.

We met our group in the parking lot of the marina where we walked across the parking lot and down a very steep steel ramp with treads to keep us from slipping and out to our boat where Captain Bob greeted us. Our guide today was Janet Klein – a Homer local who has written several books on the history of Homer. Both of them were delightful and shared a lot of information and stories about the area.

Leaving the marina we passed The Time Bandit – one of the fishing boats used for the TV series The Deadliest Catch. A couple of the men on board with us were elated and took several pictures. It meant nothing to us as we’ve never seen the show.

Our first destination was 60 foot rock. It was named the men who discovered it because it stood 60 feet out of the water at high tide. While we were there, we saw dozens of sea otters playing in the frigid waters. There was even one up on the shore. I have to say that I was surprised to see this mammal out of the water. I have only seen these mammals in the water – never on land. Before me sat a furry animal with a small beige head and a black, round and quite plump body with two little hands and two little feet. I could not get over how big and round the body was. My perception has always been that sea otters have a lean body and that their fur was all beige like their head! Boy was I wrong!

Several of the otters were swimming in the waters around the boat; and one got a little closer to the boat than most of the others and was quite inquisitive. It was almost as if he stopped and pulled himself up out of the water to look right at us and said to us “okay, so take my picture!”

From 60 foot rock, Captain Bob showed us Grass Island – and yes, it was named by the men who discovered it because it has grass growing on it. Our guide, Janet, also explained that many of the glaciers around Alaska are named by the people who discovered them and perhaps lost their lives on them. There are over 100,000 glaciers in Alaska; and only 600-800 of them are named.

After leaving Grass Island and 60 Foot Rock, Captain Bob took us to Gull Island, a bird rookery that is home to thousands upon thousands of birds who come there to nest. As we approached Gull Island, there were hundreds of birds flying in flocks through the air and landing either on the island or in the waters below forming a bird “log”. There were seagulls, kittiwakes, puffin, cormorants, common murres all habituating Gull Island or flying around it. Janet said that later in the year, the stench from Gull Island is quite noticeable and unpleasant when you approach. But, if you want to see this incredible sight, you must cover your nose and tolerate it somehow.

We saw more sea otters swimming around the shoreline of Gull Island. At one end of the island, there is a huge hole almost in the shape of a heart that can be seen from both sides. It was quite picturesque. There are several grassy areas on Gull Island; and this is where the puffins were nesting. Puffins burrow in to those grassy areas to hatch their eggs while the kittiwakes and others nest on the rocks and in the crevasses.

Captain Bob turned the boat to head back in to Homer and three Japanese Navy ships passed by us on the port side. We were told that they had been doing exercises with the U.S. Navy somewhere in the area and were going to anchor out near Homer for the night. I must say, it was odd – and we did not understand why they were so close.

After our excursion was over, we were dropped in town to walk around Homer Spit a little. I was lucky enough to find one of Janet Klein’s books at a small souvenir shop; and I quickly bought it as a nice memento after meeting her and spending a few hours with her on the boat. Our day on the water in Homer was quite enjoyable and informative. Our tour guides have all been extraordinarily well versed in Alaska history and culture and quite informative. They have shared their humor with us as well which makes for some nice memories.

Our departure time from Homer was at 6:00 p.m. The staff kept paging two passengers who obviously did not make it back to the ship in time. We eventually left port around 6:30 p.m.; and we have no idea if the passengers actually missed the boat. But, it was a big topic of conversation around the ship in the evening.

We played Trivia up in the Crow’s Nest before dinner. After dinner we stopped by the casino because they were having a free raffle – and guess who won two of the prizes?! You got it! We did! We won a DVD of the cruise and also a mini-facial from the spa. The catch on the facial is that it is only for port days – and we have things booked – so I probably will not be able to enjoy that one.¬ But, we won!!
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Tomorrow we will be in Kodiak, Alaska. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #7 Anchorage June 3, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #7

Anchorage


A week goes by so quickly when you are on vacation! It is even days since we boarded the ship in Seattle and now, our cruise is already half over. I can honestly say that this has been a wonderful respite for me and I am completely and totally relaxed. I love Alaska – oh – but then you know that already don’t you!?

Last year the city of Anchorage dredged the channel in the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet and made way so cruise ships could actually call on the city of Anchorage now. Before this, they had to either stop at Whittier or Seward and the passengers would have to either take a motor coach or the train up to Anchorage. The port is downtown and virtually 5 minutes away from the Alaska Railroad terminal. This is where we caught our train for our all day adventure on the Alaska Railroad today.

We boarded car D and soon were heading through the port district along the Cook Inlet. The tide was low and therefore the mud flats were exposed. Though it appears that you could walk far out, these mud flats are like quick sand. You must be very cautious when venturing out there, because there is a 20-25 foot range in tide; and if the tide starts coming in, you could get stuck out there.

The train began to travel adjacent to the Sterling Highway along the Turnagain Arm. When Captain Cook came here in search of the Northwest Passage, he sailed his boat into this inlet of water and because of the tides, had to turn around and try to come back in again and again. Thus, Captain Cook named it Turnagain Arm. Across the water from the mainland is the Kenai Peninsula with its snow capped mountain peaks and thick forest of green.

We passed Potters Marsh, which is a wildlife and bird refuge with wooden walking platforms throughout the area for viewing. We continued on to Girdwood, the home of Alyeska Ski Resort. This area is also known as Glacier Valley. The turnoff for Girdwood is an area where there is still visible evidence of the results of the devastating earthquake on Good Friday on 1964. The ground dropped 6 feet and was immediately covered with the salt water for the Turnagain Arm which in turn killed all of the trees. There are three wooden roof tops that you can see from the side of the road – that is all that remains along with the grey tree trunks from all the trees that were submerged and died shortly afterwards because of the high tide from the tsunami.

The train went all the way to Whittier, although I do not understand why. We were not allowed to disembark the train to even take pictures. Nonetheless, it gave us a glimpse of Whittier – a small port south of Anchorage in the Chugach Mountain Range. The train changed direction and we began to go backwards to Portage, where we changed tracks and started out towards the Kenai Peninsula. We passed Spencer Glacier to our left about a mile away. While we were climbing the mountain to Grandview a large black bear was off to our right foraging through the bushes – probably looking for fresh berries. We were so far away that I could not get a clear picture – but I do have the shadow of the bear amongst the brush.

The further and further up the mountain we climbed, the more and more patches of snow were around us. From the bright green baby skunk cabbage and fresh ferns to the new spring shoots on the low lying brush that grew into aspen and cottonwood trees with the tender leaves blowing gently in the wind and then patches of tall pines, the valley below us was a patchwork of colors and textures because of the diverse landscape. Every now and then I saw a purple lupine sprouting up amongst the grasses. In the distance was a glacial river that meandered through the valley floor that was grayish turquoise in color from the glacial silt. It was so picturesque!

The train passed by Trail Glacier and Bartlett Glacier finally up to Grandview where we made a brief stop. By now, there was a misty rain falling from the clouds that somehow made everything fresher to me.

Every time I am in Alaska I am in awe of this spectacular great land. Seeing the snow capped mountains above the tree line is so beautiful to me and I know that I am truly in a very special place and when I visit it, I am somehow at home. Alaska is so incredibly magnificent. Each time I am here I am lucky to see new places and more astonishing views and vistas. My heart is happy here.

As I sit on the train now and jot down my notes, I cannot believe the view out my window. The clouds are high enough that I can see the sweeping rise from the valley floor to the mountain tops with the crevices of the mountain packed with snow that is now melting off with warmer weather and creating cascading waterfalls down the mountains. We saw a huge eagle nest with an eagle inside; but the train whisked by so quickly that I did not have enough time to get a clear picture. We also saw a moose in amongst the brush.

I wish I could explain how pristine and beautiful this is. I try to convey that in my journal notes and with my pictures; but somehow I do not feel even that gives it justice.

Our Alaska Railroad guide was a young man in high school and working as a guide for the summer. We spoke with him several times when he passed through the train car. The guides told us a story of Alaska Nellie who made her home in Grandview in the early 1900’s. It was quite interesting and I hope to be able to find the book about her in one of the book stores. They said that her husband was the man who held the key that unlocked her heart to love.

There have been a few people we have met on our cruise who have complained about the cold weather here. Some have said they are bored. Some have said they wanted to get to Anchorage so they could go shopping – at Walmart! To me – that is a shame and a travesty. The air may be brisk; but I think it is invigorating. It is clean and fresh and without pollution. The stars on a clear night seem so close you think you can reach out and touch them. Most of us who live in the lower 48 states have no idea how bright and spectacular the Milky Way truly is. Up here, it is larger than life. And with the Star Walk app for my iPad, I can go out on my balcony at night and hold it up towards the sky and I can see all the constellations right before my eyes. Technology is mind-boggling to me.

As we approached Anchorage on the way back to the ship, we spotted some Dahl sheep high on the jagged cliff above us. After we returned to the ship we enjoyed a light dinner in the Lido buffet and then called it a day. Tomorrow we will be in Homer, Alaska. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #6 Day at Sea June 2, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #6

Day at Sea

June 2, 2011

Thursday was our second relaxing day at sea. And, that is precisely what we did – relaxed. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast up on the Lido and then began our activities. We were under partly cloudy skies and relatively calm seas. I did hear a couple of people complaining that they were getting seasick – but not nearly as many as the day the seas got to me at the beginning of the cruise. I seem to have my sea legs now and am doing okay – knock on wood – except for seeming to have developed a nice case of bronchitis. Yep! It got me! Luckily I brought lozenges and some cold and allergy meds along with us.

We enjoyed another culinary demonstration down in the Culinary Arts Center. This time our Cruise Director, Jimmy from Australia made crab cakes. Now mind you – this was supposed to be funny, and it was; but Holland America also gave us the real recipe. Jimmy’s version included lots and lots of Tabasco sauce. In fact, he put so much in the crab cake mixture that it would have been spicy hot anyways; but then proceeded to pour it all over the cake once he placed it in the pan full of hot oil. As if that wasn’t enough, when he turned the cake which was now almost crispy black because he said he liked it crispy, he poured the other half of the bottle on the other side. Needless to say he did not get many volunteers to taste his masterpiece! However, he tried it himself and said his tongue was on fire! How odd!

We stopped by the Explorations Café and had Josalito make us a warm coffee latte and Jim read the New York Times condensed version that they provide daily to the passengers and I came down to the cabin for awhile for do a little journaling.

The day continued by attending a Microsoft Techspert hour where you could go ask your questions for the computer guy. The comedian, who performed the other night, gave a talk later in the afternoon on the Secret of Comedy which was interesting and then we stayed for BINGO. And, I won the second game! Had I been the only winner, my jackpot would have been $200 – but I split it with one other lady and so we each walked away with $100.

Before dinner we wandered up to the Crow’s Nest and played Trivia with Jim and Mary from our zip adventure and we won! We got Holland America pins. After that we headed down for dinner in the dining room and then went back up on the back of the ship to enjoy the sunset as the Amsterdam proceeded north up along the Kenai Peninsula on to Anchorage where we will be tomorrow. After not seeing much but open ocean for most of the day, around 9:00 p.m. we could start to see the white tops of the mountains. Spouts from whales could be seen far off in the distance from our table at dinner. We are still waiting for them to be closer and give us a real dinner show!

Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #5 Icy Strait Point, Alaska June 1, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #5

Icy Strait Point, Alaska
June 1, 2011

One of the ports that we have been looking forward to on this trip to Alaska is Icy Strait Point near the Tlingit Indian village of Hoonah. Hoonah boasts the largest population of Tlingit Indians – 875! What once was a community built around the fishing industry and canning, has now transformed itself into a popular cruise port and home of the tallest and longest zip line. And, yes friends, I am going to do the zip line today at Icy Strait Point!

Icy Strait is a tender port – meaning that the ship must anchor out in the bay of Port Frederick and shuttle passengers to and from the ship to the pier by way of the ship’s tenders. We had an early breakfast in our cabin and then gathered our things to meet our fellow zippers in the lounge for our tender. There were many sea lions swimming in the waters around the ship before we got underway.

Once on shore, we had to sign a waiver and release form and receive our wrist bands showing we had paid and were approved to board the bus that would take us on a 45 minute ride up the sea level to about 1,800 feet where we would then zip down the mountain in about 90 seconds!

The bus ride was quote enjoyable with our Tlingit driver, Jimmy Dalton. He said he was a native of Hoonah; and we therefore found it peculiar that he had to read his welcome in his native language instead of actually knowing the language. Nonetheless, he was quite delightful and full of interesting tidbits about the area and his Indian heritage. The panoramic views along the way were breathtaking. Looking down on the Spaska River Valley and Port Frederick was beautiful; but after a while, we found ourselves up in the clouds with no view at all.

Jimmy let us off at the top of the mountain where we had to then hike down about 5-10 minutes to the zip line platform. There was a nice, crackling fire burning in a clearing nearby; and while others chose to go out onto the platform and wait their turn to zip, we chose to stay with Bev and Bob and Jim and Mary around the fire. Ours was the last group of six zip riders to experience the thrill of this adventure. And, let me tell you – it was a thrill!

We each had our own canvas seat where we were harnessed in tightly and instructed to put our feet out in front of us on the door of our respective gates. I was at Gate No. 5 and Jim was at Gate No. 6. I had my little camcorder in my hand and wrapped around my wrist and held up tight against the strap of my harness; and when the countdown began, it was filming! The gates opened and I was out of the shoot like a rocket! We were in the clouds for about the first third of our way down the mile cable; and then we were greeted with a spectacular view across Icy Strait over towards Glacier Bay. Incredible! Exhilarating! Exciting! I was going 60 miles an hour flying through the air but it did not seem that fast to me! 90 seconds goes by too quickly; and our ride was ended abruptly at the bottom of the mountain where the brakes grabbed and jolted us all to a stop. I did it! And, we indulged in the traditional Zipper Shot afterwards with Jim and Mary – a combination of vodka and orange liqueur. It warmed us up and felt good on my throat. I became almost instantly hoarse after my ride.

After walking through the museum a bit afterwards and making a couple of purchases in one of the local shops where I got a gorgeous Tlingit Indian silk scarf with colors of black, red and a bronze, we enjoyed some good fish and chips out on the deck overlooking the bay. The clouds above gave way to warm sunshine and we were blessed again with another glorious day in Alaska!

I am trying to figure out how to upload my 2 minute zip line video complete with screaming out of the gate! Once I do, I’ll share with all of you!

We caught a tender back to the ship and we decided to take advantage of the laundry where we did a couple of loads of wash and got that all taken care of before most of the passengers got back to the ship. That worked out really well. It costs $2.00 in quarters per load of wash with no charge for the dryers.

At 4:00 p.m. MS Amsterdam left Icy Strait Point and began our voyage up to Anchorage. Jim and I played afternoon Trivia today - the topic was Alaska. Guess who won! You got it! I guess it would be pretty bad if an Alaska Destination Specialist didn't win Alaska Trivia huh? We won Holland America coasters! Tomorrow will be at relaxing day at sea. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #4 Juneau, Alaska May 31, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #4

Juneau, Alaska
May 31, 2011

Once again we woke to clear, blue skies and felt so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy Juneau on such a gorgeous day. We cruised down the Gastineau Channel towards Juneau and arrived there about 7:00 a.m. Our hot coffee was delivered to the room by 7:30 a.m., and we began getting ready for a very special day. We had no idea how truly incredible the day would be; but as it greeted us, we welcomed it with arms wide open!

It is not often that I actually get to meet my clients. Because most of my clients come from the internet, they live all over the world! Today, however, was different. I had arranged a custom trip to Alaska for Rick & Mary from Minnesota – and as luck would have it, they arrived in Juneau to begin their Alaska adventure yesterday – and when Jim & I got off the Amsterdam this morning, we met them! Rick & Mary and their son Matt met us in front of the Red Dog Saloon and after hugs all around, we wandered over to the Paradise Café for a little breakfast.
We discovered Paradise Café with Mark and Debbie last year on our Cruise West Inside Passage cruise from Juneau to Seattle. They served delicious food then and they did not disappoint this year either! I enjoyed a delicious and light homemade frittata while others had breakfast burritos or quiche. Rick bough “breakfast dessert” – a heavenly piece of berry cobbler. While that was passed around the table so we could all indulge, we sat and talked for quite awhile and enjoyed getting to know each other. Then we took off on our adventure in Juneau.

As we walked up Franklin Street (the main street for souvenir shops), we passed an old building marked Juneau Laundry. It was concrete and 1917 was stamped into the front face of the building. Franklin Street has quite a dramatic incline. Our destination was up to 5th Street and St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. As many times as we have been to Juneau, neither of us could ever recall visiting this church. It is a small white octagon shape building with a sky blue roof and painted gold trim and cross on top. She faces downtown Juneau from her perch on the hill and has a beautiful view. The church holds 75 standing parishioners on Sunday mornings.

After visiting St. Nicholas, our next destination was the Alaska State Capital building. It is a mighty building of solid granite and also stands near St. Nicholas Church facing downtown Juneau and the Gastineau Channel. We went into the lobby briefly and saw two handsome wooden carvings on both sides of the entrance on the walls. They depicted life during the Gold Rush era. About half a block away in front of another government building, is an enormous bronze statue of a bear.

We met up again with Rick & Mary and Matt for lunch at the Twisted Fish Restaurant near the tramway building for Mount Roberts. While we enjoyed our lunch, the conversation and company was better; and before we knew it, it was time for Rick, Mary and Matt to be picked up for their Photo Safari by Land & Sea of Juneau. Meeting my clients and actually getting to know them and spend a little time with them on the trip that I had put together for them was an incredibly special thing for me. Thank you Mittelstadts for giving me the opportunity to help you with your Alaskan adventure!

Our afternoon continued with our river float on the Mendenhall River. A motor coach picked us up near our ship at 4:00 p.m. and we were taken out to Mendenhall Glacier Lake which is about 15 miles north of downtown Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier is part of the Juneau Ice Field – the fifth largest ice field in the U.S.

After putting on our yellow, rubber overalls and knee high rubber boots and life jackets, we were all assigned to our raft and guide. After the 10 of us climbed into the rubber raft, our guide, Kevin shoved us offshore and away we went. The wind was blowing strongly; there were white caps on Mendenhall Lake ¬ and for the life of me, I do not understand why they put the rafts in the water on the far side of the lake making it necessary for the guides to paddle backwards to cross the lake and enter Mendenhall River! Crossing the lake in these conditions took about 45 minutes; and we never got to see the face of the glacier!

Once we reached the head of Mendenhall River, the four guides waited for all to catch up and begin the journey down. The glacial waters were now calm and the river was quite peaceful. There are homes all along the river with large decks and spectacular views. Many people were out in their yards today and waved as we floated by. There were a couple of places on the rover with Class 1 rapids, but nothing large or dangerous.

The highlight of our river float was one of the people in the front raft spotting a bear cub in the water along the river’s edge. It was a brown bear with a spot of beige on the chest. The cub scurried up the embankment and disappeared too soon for us to get any really good pictures. But! The mama bear was nearby, and came meandering through the brush along the river and followed the edge to a clearing about 25-30 feet away from our rafts. She stopped when she got to the clearing, almost as if she was posing for us and saying she gave her approval to take her picture! We floated by all too quickly; but I guarantee you that those cameras were clicking away as fast as those shutters would let us click them! Not too much farther down river, someone else spotted a bald eagle resting on a piece of driftwood right along the river embankment. He had his back to the river and so the pictures I got did not show the handsome face of this majestic bird.

At the end of our 5 mile river float, we landed in a clearing under the bridge of the highway. We took off our rain gear and were treated to some reindeer sausage and salmon dip with crackers and hot cider to warm us up. The motor coach took us all back to the Amsterdam around 9:00 p.m.

Jim and I had dinner that night in the Canaletto Italian restaurant onboard the Amsterdam because the Lido buffet was already closed. He enjoyed Chicken Marsala while I indulged in some bowtie pasta with fresh seafood in a light olive oil and garlic sauce with freshly grated Parmesano cheese on top. I somehow feel obligated to have the fresh seafood while I am in Alaska. It was delicious!

The Amsterdam left Juneau after 10:00 p.m. while the sun was just setting in the west. The lights of the city were just starting to come on and twinkle in the twilight. We had a spectacular day from beginning to end!

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #3 Tracy Arm Fjord and Twin Sawyer Glaciers

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #3

Tracy Arm Fjord and Twin Sawyer Glaciers
May 30, 2011

We woke early Monday morning – Memorial Day – and began our day with room service bringing us some hot coffee. When we opened the curtains, there was not a cloud in the sky and the waters of Frederick Sound were calm and still; and the snow capped mountains reflected in the mirrored waters below. It was glorious! This is one of God’s Greatest Majesties! We “trekked the deck” for our Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers then went back to our room to grab the camera and we were off to the Crow’s Nest – the area up on the top deck with plate glass windows and nice chairs for viewing.

This area is a rich feeding ground for the humpback whales; and several showed up to say hello as we glided down the channel towards Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glaciers. The whales kept their distance from the ship; but every now and then we could see a tale as one would dive down to feed. The other passengers up in the Crow’s Nest had their binoculars out and ready to spot anything that surfaced. We were between Kuiu Island and Baranof Island in the Chatham Strait when we saw several whales. The waters remained completely calm with not even a ripple from a light breeze. As we passed The Brothers Islands more whales were spotted in the distance; but none ever came close enough to photograph.

As we entered Tracy Arm Fjord, the travel guide on the ship, Jeannette began her narration offering lots of information about the area’s history, geography, topography and wildlife. There were waterfalls everywhere you looked that were cascading down from hundreds of feet up the steep cliffs of the fjord. The striations on the cliffs (lines on the cliffs almost like the circles of a tree trunk) showed where the glaciers had been hundreds of years ago. Every so often an iceberg would float by indicating we were getting close to the Sawyer Glaciers.

It took almost 3 hours to cruise slowly back into the “S” curves of Tracy Arm where the glaciers were. The icebergs became thicker and thicker. Some were white and some were deep colors of blue and turquoise. The ice is so dense that it reflects everything except blue. Unfortunately, the ship’s Captain and pilot did not feel we could safely cruise any farther back than the last turn before you go right to the South Sawyer Glacier. We could see it off in the distance; and we were so close – but still so far away. The river of ice was too thick; and the Amsterdam slowly turned around and retraced our route through the fjord. We saw one baby harbor seal on a bergie bit resting peacefully as its mama swam around the edge keeping a watchful eye out for safety.

We talked with several different people out and about on deck during our time in Tracy Arm and enjoyed getting to know them. It is always interesting to hear their stories of coming to Alaska and where they are from. The passengers are from as far away as Holland and all over the lower 48 states and Hawaii.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and we will be in Juneau. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #2 - Ketchikan

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #2

May 29, 2011 – Ketchikan

We were still under cloudy skies when we arrived in Ketchikan this morning. Lucky for us – no rain! The sidewalks were crowded with passengers from the three cruise ships that were in Ketchikan today.

One of the things I want to do on this cruise is to go revisit some of the places that we visited 10 years ago on our first cruise to Alaska. So, in Ketchikan we went out to Totem Bight Park. It is one of three places where you can see totem poles – both original and ones that were duplicated to preserve the originals back in the early 1930’s.

Ketchikan is on Gravina Island and only accessible by water or air. Ketchikan’s first salmon canning facility was built in 1887; and it is now known as “the salmon capital of the world”. It is also known as “the first city” – not because it was Alaska’s first city, but because it is usually the first city that cruise ship passengers visit on their way north through the Inside Passage. It is the jumping off point for Misty Fjords National Monument. Though we have not been there, I understand the glacial valley is full of waterfalls and sheer granite cliffs where the glaciers were during the Ice Age. Ketchikan gets approximately 130 inches of rain each year; and they proudly display a larger-than-life rain gauge near the cruise dock indicating how much rain has fallen as of that date.

Totem Bight Park is approximately 10 miles north of downtown Ketchikan; and Saxman Village is approximately 13 miles south of downtown. A bight is a small inlet of water or bay. Totem Bight is home to 13 native totem poles facing the Tongass Narrows. There are 22 poles at Saxman Village. The largest collection of original poles is at the Totem Cultural Heritage Center.

Our visit to Totem Bight Park was interesting. We heard stories of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes and that there are two clans – the raven and the eagle. The other native tribe is the Tshimshian. There is a clan house where the tribe lived. On the outside of the clan house are the carvings indicating which clan lived there. The Tlingit women wove beautiful blankets and baskets from the wool of mountain goats and cedar bark twine. There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the clan house with wooden platforms around all four walls where the families slept. Clan houses are rectangular in shape and most have totems on the edges of the front corners. We saw the tallest totem in Ketchikan at Totem Bight Park and several others that were carved at the bottom then uncarved wood for two-thirds of the way up and a large animal carving at the very top.

One of the other things both Jim and I were looking forward to was indulging in some fresh crab legs at our favorite restaurant in Ketchikan, Steamers. Unfortunately, Steamers did not survive the recession and is no longer in business. The new restaurant was good - but not the same. Sitka Tex sang and played the guitar and fiddle to entertain us while we were there.

After lunch we walked over to Creek Street which is the former red-light district. The wooden houses were built along the Ketchikan Creek and legend has it that the prospectors and men of the town would take the back way in along “Married Men’s Path” to go to be entertained by the ladies in the brothels. The wooden plank walkway curves and the brothels of the Gold Rush era are now home to art galleries and souvenir shops. There are a couple of Tlingit art galleries that have nice handmade Indian crafts.

Ketchikan was under cloudy skies until about 5:00 p.m. when the Amsterdam got underway. We cruised south along Gravina Island down through Nichols Passage and past Metlakatka on Annette Island. The salmon derby opened in Ketchikan today; and we were told that a king salmon larger than last year’s winner had already been caught. We passed several skiffs with the anxious fishermen all standing hoping to catch the winning fish. The waters of Nichols Passage and Clarence Strait were so calm at one point that I thought we just gliding on a mirror. The reflections of the trees on the islands glimmered in the still waters. It was low tide and therefore many of the normally submerged tiny islands were visible in the distance. The snow capped mountains of Price Wales Island jaggedly jutted up against the blue skies. Eventually, a light breeze began to blow and the mirrored waters were replaced with a little ripple. The waters remained calm throughout the night – which made dinner much more enjoyable for me!

Tomorrow – Tracy Arm Fjord cruising – till then…