Ketchikan and Saxman
We arrived in Ketchikan just in time to meet our Tlinget native guide for our tour of Ketchikan and Saxman Village. The Tlinget people are interesting as, although they are "Native Americans", they have a culture which is in many ways different from the other "Native American" tribes from Canadian and the United States. For example, the Tlinget do not live on "Indian" reservations but have established Tlinget corporations to manage tribal property. The Tlinget live among the general population in their native territory: the Alaskan Panhandle, southern Yukon Territory and western British Columbia. The Tlinget establish villages, carve totem poles and build communal lodge houses. They rely on the sea for much of their food, particularly salmon. Although once recognized as fierce warriors who aggressively defended their territory, they never engaged in warfare with the Canadian or US military forces. The Tlinget were never forcibly moved to reservations.
Juneau
We arrived in Juneau just in time to catch the bus for our short ride to Salmon Creek for what was reputed
to be a wonderful outdoor experience and tasty salmon bake at the
site of an abandoned mining operation. Salmon Creek was less than
two miles from the cruise ship dock and a few blocks from urban
Juneau. Salmon Creek was once the site of a mining operation and
rusting, decaying mining equipment was scattered about the area in
which the salmon bake was served. The salmon served was sockeye
which is less tasty than king or silver salmon. The food was served
buffet style and much of it was hardly warm due to the cool
temperature and the fact the lids were left off many of the serving
trays. Paper plates and plastic ware were acceptable as it was an
informal setting. The “native” entertainment was a woman who
recently moved to Juneau from Las Vegas and played folk guitar.
“North to Alaska” and adaptations of “On the Dock of the Bay”
would not be considered “native” Alaskan entertainment by most people.
We were expecting members of the Tlingit tribe to be providing “native”
entertainment. The highlight of the experience was the small
waterfall on Salmon Creek. We boarded the Westerdam shortly after the salmon bake and a brief walk around the Juneau wharf. We looked forward to dinner and entertainment aboard ship. At least, we didn't get rained on. The weather has been beautiful for the entire trip, so far.
Haines
Our ship approached the dock at Haines as we were eating breakfast in the Lido restaurant which provided us a great view of the city. We were soon ashore on a beautiful warm, sunny day. We toured the grounds of what once was Fort William H. Seward/Chilkat Barracks. The US Army established the fort in 1904 to maintain order and provide a military presence in Alaska. Other attractions we visited during the day were the American Bald Eagle Foundation, the Hammer Museum and the Sheldon Museum & Cultural Center. The American Bald Eagle Foundation rescues injured birds and provides educational programs for visitors. It also has an extensive display of local wildlife. The Hammer Museum has a collection of several thousand hammers designed to meet almost as many specific needs of craftsman and DIYers. The Sheldon Museum & Cultural Center has exhibits focusing on the Tlinget tribal people and development of Haines. We returned to the ship just in time for dinner. The Westerdam was underway prior to dark bound for Juneau.
Glacier Bay
We entered Glacier Bay after two days of cruising south from Seward. Park rangers boarded early in the morning as we entered the bay and provided commentary as we worked our way to the Margerie Glacier. It was very foggy and overcast as we entered the bay which caused us great concern that we wouldn't see much of the bay's beauty. Shortly before reaching Margerie Glacier the sun broke through the clouds and soon the fog disappeared. We could not have asked for better conditions for viewing the bay in all its majesty on our way back during the 60 mile return run to the bay's mouth. Holland America Cruise Lines has permission to approach very close to Margerie Glacier which gave us a chance to see and hear the glacier as it continued its movement down the mountain and deposited large chunks of ice into the bay. It was amazing how quickly this glacier advanced and retreated over the past 400 years. This undoubtedly will be the highlight day of our cruise south.
Anchorage to Seward
We boarded the Cruisetrain to our journey to Seward via the scenic Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic route. Once again, we were treated to spectacular views from the rails. A tour guide provided a running commentary as the train rolled along. The three hour trip went quickly and we were soon boarding Holland America's Westerdam for our evening meal. Our cabin was larger than others we have had on previous cruises and very conveniently located. We are looking forward to our seven day cruise back to Vancouver.
Denali to Anchorage
We boarded the Alaska Railroad's luxurious McKinley Explorer for our 8 hour journey to Anchorage. The views from the rails were spectacular and covered terrain not accessible by car. The rail cars were custom built for the Alaska Railroad to provide the utmost visibility and comfort to tourists traveling to Denali National Park. A well-informed guide provided commentary which enhanced our experience by alerting us to points of interest and providing information about Alaska and the local environment. It was a long ride but went quickly due to the ever changing scenery.
Denali National Park
It rained much of our first day in Denali National Park which was a mixed blessing as we spent most of the day on our tour bus riding along the park's nature trail looking for wildlife. Our visibility of the mountains was limited; however, the animals come out into the open on overcast, rainy days as it is cooler for them. We were very fortunate in that we saw several brown bears, numerous caribou, a dozen or so of Dall sheep, half a dozen moose and even a wolf. Our pictures weren't the greatest as cell phone cameras do have limited zoom capabilities. The bus driver had a powerful video camera which was able to get us some great views of the animals on video screens mounted overhead on the bus. The rain did not dampen our spirits and probably made our day better than expected.
Fairbanks to Denali
After a quick driving tour of Fairbanks, we were off to Denali National Park. We stopped at Gold Dredge #8 to learn more about gold mining in Alaska and pan for gold. It was a very interesting tour as the various mining techniques were demonstrated from panning to dredging. The dredge was a massive piece of equipment that literally dug to bedrock as it meandered down rivers and streams pouring tons of gravel and rocks onto huge spoil piles as it moved along. Dredge #8 operated between 1928 and 1959. Millions of ounces of gold were extracted by the dredge during this 31 year period. We panned for gold after the tour. With a little coaching by our bus driver, we were able to pan out 30 grains of gold which at current gold prices would fetch about $30. Collectively, our bus departed with about $700 in gold as a result of our panning efforts. There is no plan to reopen commercial gold recovery using the dredge due to strict environmental regulations which make operating the dredge unprofitable.
Dawson, Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska
We spent the morning in Dawson further exploring the rest of the town and taking a short riverboat cruise on the Yukon River. The buildings in Dawson are built on permafrost. As a result, they sit on pilings resting on broad based wooden platforms. The buildings must be high enough off the ground to prevent the heated buildings from melting the permafrost under them. Almost all the buildings in Dawson are of wood construction. Of interest were those covered with tin plating to provide architectural detail. The Masonic Lodge was a prime example of the use of tin plating to create a splendid structure. Jack London's log cabin was moved to Dawson and is now on display there.
Whitehorse to Dawson
It was a very long ride by motor coach from Whitehorse to Dawson. We stopped several times along the way to stretch our legs and see points of interest along the way. There were very few vehicles traveling the highway which was a bit rough in spots. The weather really takes a toll on Yukon highways. We can't imagine trying to drive this route in the winter. It took us over 6 hours to get to Dawson which was the capital of the Yukon until that honor passed to Whitehorse in 1953. Dawson was a boom town with the population reaching a peak of about 30,000 in 1898. By 1902 the population was down to 8,000 with a large exodus as the gold fields played out. Today, the population of Dawson is less than 1,000 full-year residents. The streets are still dirt with the exception of Front Street which is asphalt. Sidewalks are wooden planks. The city boasts an international airport but the runway is a short 5,000 foot long stretch of gravel. We will fly out of here for Fairbanks. Today, tourism keeps the town alive.
Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
We rode the White Pass Yukon Route Railway from Skagway to Fraser where we transferred to a touring bus for the final leg of our journey to Whitehorse, the capital city of the Yukon Territory. The train ride was all it reputed to be with steep drops from the edge of the tracks into the valleys below to towering mountains climbing straight up from the rails on the opposite side of the car. It is beyond us how this rail line was literally carved out of the mountains. Our experience on the train was much different than that of our bus ride yesterday on the highway which runs up the same valley but on the opposite side of the river. The bus never seemed like it was hanging over the edge of a cliff and the switchbacks were fewer giving us a less varied view of the surroundings. The train took 3 times as long to cover the same distance as the bus because it had to maintain a grade of less than 4% which required a much longer route and we traveled at much less speed. We are happy to have taken both excursions as doing so really presented the full beauty of the route and challenges with building roads and laying track in this vast wilderness.
Juneau to Skagway
Once again, we had perfect weather for our passage from Juneau to Skagway. We arrived in Skagway shortly after sunrise. We disembarked at 8 and had a quick tour of Skagway to include its historic cemetery and Reid Falls. We grabbed a quick lunch before heading off on a bus tour which took us into Yukon Territory. The scenery was everything we expected and then some. Once again, we had the rare luck of bright sun and few clouds. Our bus driver/guide said this was only the fourth time this year he had to wear sun glasses. It was a comfortable 68 degrees with a slight breeze.
Vancouver to Juneau
We traveled the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Juneau with a slight detour to Tracy Arm Inlet to view the glacier. The weather went from clear to very foggy and we had smoke from the British Columbia forest fires still impacting on the air quality and visibility for the first day of our trip. Carla was able to get a couple of glimpses of the glacier and ice in the Tracy Arm when the fog and clouds parted momentarily. Visibility improved later in the day and surprisingly, we saw two 38 - 42 foot long sloops motoring south as we headed north. They were a long way from any port so far as we know. The waters were very still and there was hardly any breeze. So, they were motoring.
Boarding the Volendam
We ate a leisurely breakfast and did a load of wash before heading to Canada Place to board Holland America Cruise Lines, Volendam, for the first leg of our Alaskan/Yukon tour. The boarding process was quick and uneventful. We were soon in the Lido Restaurant getting a late lunch. The ship is much smaller than we have been on in the past which is fine with us. At dinner we were seated with Robyne and Jim who are from Sarasota, Florida. Karen and Cheryl rounded out our table for six. Our table was close to but not directly at a window. Cheryl spoke to the restaurant manager and got us moved to a window table for the remainder of the trip. We enjoyed our first meal together and followed dinner with the introduction to the ship's singers and dancers at the main theater. We headed to our cabin after the performance as we were tired and ready for a good night's sleep.
Seattle to Vancouver
We passed the day taking a leisurely breakfast with Keith before heading downtown to catch our bus at the train station. We parked our car in a parking garage which a friend of Carla's had a spot available for us while we were on our cruise. Keith traveled with us to the garage and from there we went to the Pike Place Market see what might be happening there and to get some lunch. Carla took a video of the fish mongers throwing salmon. Dwayne and Keith had their picture taken with a monk fish which hung off the ice table with its mouth wide open. The fish mongers had a pole attached to it which ran under the ice. They occasionally would push/pull the pole to startle people who came up to the monk fish to take a close look. It was all entertaining as intended to amuse the tourists - to include us. We had lunch overlooking Puget Sound before Keith ran us to the train station where we caught our bus to Vancouver. The ride to Vancouver went quickly and we were in for the night by 6.
Kamloops to Seattle
We left Kamloops after our breakfast at the motel. During breakfast, we had a nice visit with a young fellow who makes his living as a member of a highway construction crew. Parts of the Trans Canada Highway are being widened to 4 lanes (2 each way) and this project will take several more years to complete. In the mountains, the work crews put in 12 to 18 hour days during the 4 to 5 months when the weather allows work to be done. Camps are established by the construction company near the work to reduce the amount of time commuting to the job site. The workers get a housing/subsistence allowance which is tax free. Workers with camp trailers get about $110 per day to cover their expenses. We wondered what arrangements were made since the distance between towns with lodging facilities was great and there were many men working on the highway.
Cochrane to Kamloops
We drove straight trough from Cochrane to Kamloops a distance of 365 miles which was the longest distance traveled by us in one day in Canada. It was raining when we left and continued to do so through most of the early afternoon. It was much needed rain. We were hoping it would remove some of the smoke from the air. Visibility did not improve much as clouds hung low in the mountain valleys, as well as, the smoke. We took turns driving and made good time. Along the way we observed an interesting sight which was a series of bridges over the highway which were built to provide animals in the area a "natural corridor" to cross the highway without being in danger of the fast moving vehicles on the highway. We wondered about the effectiveness of this effort.
Cochrane to Lake Louise and Return
We drove to Lake Louise hoping the smoke had cleared some but were disappointed to discover it was actually worse than yesterday. Traffic was terrible and parking was almost non-existent. We lucked out and found a parking spot less than a block from the lake and ranger information center. Most people were arriving on the shuttles which went to remote parking lots as far as 5 miles from the lake. The fare for a round trip shuttle was $10 per person. We saved $20 and got a primo parking spot. How lucky can you get? Of course, we've been losers as much as winners.
Calgary to Banff and Cochrane - Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff Park Museum and Lake Minnewanka
We drove directly from Calgary to Banff. Our first stop was the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum where we learned more about the First Nation people who inhabited the area. Each of the museums we have visited featuring exhibits on the First Nation people has provided us additional information which is contributing to a better understanding of the rapid changes and challenges faced by the native people with the arrival of the White man.
Caronport, Saskatchewan to Calgary, Alberta - Blackfoot Crossing Historical Site
On the way to the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Centre we passed the largest teepee in the world which is located in Medicine Hat. This teepee was constructed for the 1988 Olympics and moved to Medicine Hat after the games. It is over 20 stories high and overlooks and ancient buffalo jump which was also the site of a major battle between the Blackfoot and Cree tribes. We didn't have time to do more than take a quick picture as we drove past. We wanted to get to Blackfoot Crossing to have ample time to explore the museum dedicated to the Blackfoot tribes.
Caronport, Saskatchewan to Medicine Hat, Alberta Delayed Due to Car Repair
We got an early morning call from Jay at the auto repair shop. He advised us that the nearest alternator he could locate for our car was in a town 4 hours away but he had arranged to have it put on a truck heading our way and if all went well the alternator would be on hand for installation around 3 p.m. Jay felt he could have us on the road by 4 or so, provided they didn't send the wrong alternator. We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. We used the time waiting to get laundry done, catch up on the blog, read emails, watch some TV and get a nap before hitting the road again. Jay called shortly after 4 and our car was ready. We checked out of the Pilgrim Inn Motel, topped off the fuel tank and bought some sandwiches for the road. We drove straight through and arrived in Medicine Hat just before 9 p.m. Everyone in Caronport was very welcoming and helpful.
Regina to Caronport - Royal Canadian Mounted Police Depot Sergeant Major's Parade and Car Problems
We got up early to be able to take in a tour of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building and still get to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Center for the Sergeant Major's Parade and a tour of the base. First, we stopped to tour the Saskatchewan Legislative Building. The legislative building is quite impressive as it is located in a vast park 3 times the size of New York City's Central Park and it stands overlooking Wascana Lake. Construction began in 1908 and the building was completed in 1912. Its architecture is in the Beaux Arts style and was the tallest building in Saskatchewan for many years. The exterior is of Manitoba Tyndall stone. The interior is most impressive as marble from Canada, Italy, Isle of Cyprus and Vermont decorate the entrance and rotunda. The building's recently renewed copper dome is 56 meters high, The legislative chamber was quite interesting as the chairs for the assembly members sit facing each other on tiered floors and the chairs are movable so if one party loses seats they are moved across the aisle to join the seats of their party. Additionally, the mace, representing royal authority, sits on the Parliamentary table with the head of the mace resting upon a beaver pelt and facing the majority party. The mace's staff end faces the opposition party. Chairs for former assembly members and prime ministers line the walls should any former members wish to attend a session of the assembly. Of course, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of Canada, is prominently hung above the prime minister's chair. The opposition party is greatly outnumbered by the Saskatchewan Party.
Brandon, Manitoba to Regina, Saskatchewan The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Center
We drove straight through from Brandon to Regina hoping to arrive in time for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant's Major Parade at the RCMP "Depot" Division which provides training for all members of the RCMP. We arrived in plenty of time since the parade was cancelled due to a Civil Holiday. The first Monday of August is a national holiday in Canada but without any significant event being commemorated. We noticed almost every business other than fast food and fuel stops were closed for the holiday. When we asked the locals what was being celebrated, no one could give us more information other than the Canadian government decided Canadians would get off the first Monday in August resulting in a three day weekend. Later we learned, some provinces have designated a name for the holiday rather than just call it Civil Holiday. For example, in British Columbia it is British Columbia Day (what else would they call it). The RCMP Heritage Center was open. So, we toured the facility and were impressed with the history and service provided by the RCMP. We will come back tomorrow to view the Sergeant Major's Parade.
Winnipeg to Brandon - The Royal Canadian Mint
We slept in and finally got around to having breakfast at Tim Horton's which is a Canadian chain restaurant that is a mash-up of Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Paneras. We got some donuts and coffee before heading off to The Royal Canadian Mint. There we were amazed to learn about modern minting techniques. The mint has even developed a coin that glows in the dark. We also learned that the Winnipeg mint produces coinage for numerous foreign countries. Over 75 countries have had contracts with the mint and billions of foreign coins have been shipped from Winnipeg to locations around the world. Carla learned what a "loonie'" and "toonie" were. Dwayne got to heft a gold bar which at today's spot market was valued at more the $700,000 Canadian. Of course, there was a guard standing by to make sure no one did more than heft the bullion. We had a great guide and enjoyed our tour. We made a stop at Portage la Prairie to visit the heritage park there. It was also interesting with numerous historic buildings collected from the local area to depict life from the late 19th to mid-20th Century. We neglected to take any pictures. It was worth the visit.
Fargo, ND to Winnipeg, Manitoba Hjemkomst Center and St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park
We departed Fargo heading north on I29 so as to have ample time to tour the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota and still get to Winnipeg well before dark. The Hjemkomst Center houses one of the finest museums dedicated to preserving and interpreting Scandinavian culture and heritage in America. Two unique exhibits are the Hjemkomst, a reproduction of a ocean-going Viking ship and a Stavekirke, Norwegian for stave church. Additionally, there was a very interesting section of the museum dedicated to the experience of local residents and the impact on their lives during World War I. Lastly, a section of the center provided us with an education on the social customs and norms of alcoholic consumption in Norway. Skol!
Morton, Minnesota to Fargo, North Dakota - Runestone Museum
We made just one museum stop during our drive from Morton to Fargo. In Alexandra, Minnesota we learned about the earliest European explorers to America - the Vikings. The first Scandinavians to come to Minnesota were a band of Vikings who left a record of their visit in 1362 by leaving behind what is now known as the Kensington Runestone. This artifact was discovered in 1898 by Olof Ohman while clearing an aspen tree from a field on his farm. It records the death of 10 Vikings who were apparently massacred by Indians while separated from the main body of their Viking band. The runestone is on exhibit at the museum, as well as, other Viking artifacts found in the area.
Exhibits – Runestone Museum
Blair, Nebraska to Morton, Minnesota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Sergeant Floyd Monument, Fort Atkinson and "Sod House on the Prairie"
In Sioux City, we visited the Lewis
and Clark Interpretive Center.
It
is a very modern museum with robotic mannequins to portray key
figures who through their monologues reveal important facts about the
expedition. President Thomas Jefferson provides visitors with
an overview by repeating his instructions for Meriweather Lewis and
charging him with organizing and leading the "Corps of
Discovery". There was an extensive display of Indian
artifacts and exhibits related to Indian life and relations with the
American explorers. It is well worth the time invested in this fine
interpretive center. A few miles away is a 100 foot tall obelisk marking the gravesite of Sergeant Charles Floyd, Jr. who was the only man of the "Corps of Discovery" to die during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Leavenworth, Kansas to Blair, Nebraska - Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Sergeant Floyd River Museum
It is off to Alaska via Canada. We are taking a road trip to Vancouver where we will begin our journey north to Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The first leg of our driving tour took us from Leavenworth to Blair, Nebraska. We are avoiding the inter-state highways as much as possible and covering about 250 miles or so per day. We made several stops on this leg. We visited the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Sergeant Floyd River Museum, Sergeant Floyd was the only member of the Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery" to die during the over two year long expedition.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Leave A Comment...