Alaska: Day 9 (07-02-10) Victoria

The next day the boat docked in Victoria, CA. We were glad that we had visited the Butchart Gardens prior to boarding the Golden Princess as we only had a few hours to spend there today.

It is a beautiful area...

A captured moment...

Many years ago, my mom and dad took a trip to Seattle and they visited The Empress Hotel. When they returned from their trip my mom took out the fine china and prepared tea and crompets. Anne Marie and I got in our Sunday-best and we had a tea party. I was very young at the time but it is a fond memory that I have. My mom also loves watercolors and she bought one of this beautiful hotel and surrounding area which we have had hanging in our house for over 15 years.

I was very excited to finally visit The Empress Hotel!

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers and we could not resist a photo shoot.

A glimpse inside The Empress Hotel...

Having tea on the deck...

A windy evening...

We then headed back to the ship after a long day...

Alaska: Day 8 (07-01-10) Ketchikan

The boat docked in Ketchikan, Alaska at 7am so we got off the boat and walked into the small town. We were very lucky that the sun was shining as Ketchikan is known for its rainy weather year-round. It was a small community on an inland that, like several of our other stops, seemed to be built up primarily for the tourists who came in on the cruise ships.

Mom climbing the totem pole...

There was cute area called "Creek Street" that was filled with shops.

Family photo...

The Alaska Wildlife Center had an exhibit in Ketchikan

Female American Bald Eagle...

The cutest owl I have ever seen...the Western Screech Owl. It averages 8.5 inches tall fully grown.

We headed back to the ship and got ready for another formal dinner.

After dinner we all went to see a show onboard. Then we played cards in the lounge.

Party on the Golden Princess...

Alaska: Day 7 (06-30-10) Glacier Bay

This morning we woke up at eight and even though we were still tired from a late night, we wanted to be sure we didn’t miss the sights in Glacier Bay. Wearily, we trudged out of bed and out onto the eighth floor viewing deck. There were a lot of people already there listening to the announcements made by a park ranger explaining the wildlife and facts about the glaciers.
The air outside was definitely the coldest we’ve felt on the ship. Even in a jacket, gloves and earmuffs, the sharp wind cut through the ship and caused everyone to shiver. Before too long we cruised through the Tar inlet and arrived at the Margerie Glacier. From the ship, the glacier didn’t look too overwhelming but then we learned just how massive the block of ice. You can’t fully tell from the pictures the size and scope of the glacier which is one mile across and 250 feet high – the height of a 25 story building. You also can’t tell that the Glacier extends for 20 miles.

While we were watching, we were lucky enough to see several large portions of ice that cracked off the glacier and plummeted into the ocean below to become small iceburgs. The park ranger referred to this act as calving.

Eventually, I headed to grab a quick breakfast and a large mug of hot chocolate to warm up. As the ship turned and made its way into the John Hopkins inlet, we saw other wildlife as well. There were several whales and seals out in the frigid waters. Once we reached the end of the inlet, we saw the John Hopkins Glacier, named for the university attended by some of the scientists who studied it.

The last major glacier we passed was the Lamplugh Glacier. On this one, you could really see the blue color shining through. The ice is so compact that it absorbs all the other colors of the light spectrum, leaving only light blue.

We left Glacier Bay a little after lunch time so we headed up to the sushi buffet on the lido deck.

Alaska: Day 6 (06-29-10) Scagway

It was another early morning as we got up at six to be off the boat in Scagway at 7:15. The six of us chartered a small boat to spend a half day Salmon fishing. The owner, Captain Joe Warchuck, was terrific. Not only did he look the part, but he also kept us entertained with his stories of his travels around the world.

Once we left the small boat harbor, we set out four lines and started trolling the fjord, which sits in a valley carved by the glaciers. At its center, the lake reaches a depth of over 2,400 feet. After a while, there was a bite on the line and Joey reeled in a beautiful wild Alaskan King Salmon. It weighed 24 lbs and was 37 inches long. Unfortunately, the rest of us didn’t fare as well. That ended up being the only catch of the day…unless you count the 5 inch baby salmon that mom caught.

After a couple of hours, you could see the water rippling in the distance and the sheen of the water seemed to turn a bright green. The green rippling wall got closer and once it hit, the wind picked up and the air turned cold. We tried for another couple of hours but it seems that luck was only with Joey today.

Joey about to reel in a big one...

Anne Marie's catch of the day...oh, wait...that's the bait!

Can you see the green water? That was the wind coming in with the tide. As soon as we hit the green water, it got cold and windy….

My turn...

·Mom caught the only other fish of the day…

When we got to the docks, Captain Joe cut off the head and tail of the fish and discovered that Joey had caught an ivory salmon – one out of four King Salmon in Scadway (and only 1% of all King Salmon) are this rare type which is supposed to be more flavorful. He had his catch sent off to be filleted and shipped home so that they could enjoy it later.

Our family with Captain Joe from Fat Salmon Charters...

Once our fishing expedition was over, we headed back to the ship for lunch and a quick rest before heading back into downtown Scagway. The small town has only 896 residents and was formed during the gold rush of 1898.

In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. Many of the shops had Russian-made Matryoshka Dolls...

Adam and I decided to venture back out into Scagway while we were at port. We walked around downtown and then stopped into the Red Onion Saloon.

The waitress...

We roamed the streets for a while and then did a little shopping before returning to the Golden Princess for dinner. We finished our day with a trip to the casino, where we donated money to the roulette wheel and slot machines…how generous of us! Next it was off to bed so we could enjoy the views of Glacier Bay tomorrow.