Our final stop before motoring on to our destination, Seward.
The Hubbard Glacier is really beyond words and pictures. But here’s photos anyway..
Our ship came in, swung in a semi-circle allowing us to see everything from the comfort of our veranda. A beautiful sunny day provided the light.
As we approached there were lots of small icebergs heading out to sea..
We had a day of rest yesterday in Skagway…well spent. Today we visited Sitka, a town with an incredible history. It’s the place where Alaska was officially signed over to America by Russia. It has an ancient Tlingit history going back a couple of thousand years.
We visited the Alaska Raptor Center, a group that cares for and rehabilitates as possible injured raptors. Then onto a Cultural Heritage Center, more beautiful and informative history and totem poles. Finally a museum, with a wide collection of historical artifacts and documentation. Kinda mind boggling after a while, but a great view into an old culture and world.
Here’s photos covering the trip from Skagway to Sitka as well as the Sitka visit. Enjoy..
Comparing boat sizes..cruise ship is biggest, midsized ship is shuttle, smaller ship on right is a tour boat.
Juneau, the capital city. We spent 12 hours here, plenty to do in the city and within walking distance of the ship.
Our excursion was whale watching and then a visit to the Mendenhall glacier, which took up the morning and into the afternoon. Whale watching was fun..our captain was great at spotting wildlife and maneuvered the boat so we could see and photograph them. We saw several humpback whales, a pod of Orcas and a sea otter. All this in the midst of incredible scenery…mountains, glaciers and forests. Here’s a few of the exciting moments…
“Thar she blows”….humpback whale
We're docked in Skagway today and we're taking a day free of excursions.
Saturday we were in Ketchikan and visited the rainforest there. Fascinating, and our guide was excellent, introducing us to the many and varied plants and living things there. No wildlife seen but really, who cares, as the environment was so immersive.
At the end of the rainforest tour we visited an old sawmill and met a native that carves totem poles. He is also one of the last to speak the native language, taught to him by his grandfather. Fascinating to hear him.
Here's a few photos from along the way to Ketchikan and during our time there..
Bear claw marks on a Sitka spruce in the rainforest..
We’re enjoying a cruise through the Inside Passageway from Vancouver to Anchorage. We flew to Vancouver last Tuesday to spend a day in the big city before boarding our ship on the 23rd. We’re cruising with Silverseas on their newest boat .. Silver Nova. Capacity of 720+. Still a small ship compared to the behemoths from other lines.
The service, food and surroundings have all been outstanding. Our kids, Lisa and Sean, are traveling with us, making for a great family adventure. They did this trip in reverse last year and talked us into joining them.
We’re signed up for excursions most days..so far we’ve experienced a walk in the rainforest and today we did whale watching. We saw several whales, multiple Orcas and a Sea Otter. Plus sunshine after a rainy first couple of days.
Here’s some photos from Vancouver and our first couple of days. I’ll post the wildlife tomorrow.
The old and the new..
Pretty quiet bird day at the refuge yesterday. Pelicans and Great blue herons were far away. Eagles posed for photos, couple of harriers hunting and a Red-tailed hawk circled to check me out. Sunny day, nice to be out there.
Eagles in their fav tree..
Saturday was Eagle Day at the refuge, a day when the staff set up viewing stations and information booths for visitors. The weather was beautiful. I went up early, not remembering it was Eagle day. I saw no eagles, hope that they came in later for the visitors.
Red-winged blackbirds, Harriers and Kestrels were the primary actors, along with the normal complement of gulls and ravens. A few ducks also. Great blue herons seem to be busy with family duties, none appeared along my way.
Here’s a few photos..
A couple of female Northern Harriers....
Sunshine in-between storms tempted me to try the refuge yesterday and it worked! There were 6+ inches of wet snow at the refuge although none at our place. Wet, sloppy and beautiful.
I was excited to see the juvenile Black-crowned Night herons again. This is about the time they show up every year. Three pairs of Kestrels - it's mating season - a pair of eagles and some harriers along with a couple of landscapes. A good day..
Enjoy!
Antelope Island - glorious in white..
