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Exploring the Last Frontier: a Family cruise to Alaska
We left the hustle and bustle of our of our life on July second and all twelve of us converged in Seattle, Washington in preparation for our cruise to Alaska. Upon arrival at the airport, the Seattle atmosphere injected a slower pace right away…..and we are now on vacation mode. Upon boarding the Golden Princess on America's Independence Day, July fourth we were greeted by the melodic tunes of a string quartet and the most welcoming smiles of hundreds of crew members. A sumptuous lunch was served at the Horizon on Deck 14 with colorful tulip glasses of the sail-away drink, the Mucho Mango. We left Seattle's Elliott Bay and sailed north into the Atlantic Ocean towards Alaska. The first day and a half was an extensive getting-to-know your vessel. The Golden Princess is a 17-floor luxury cruise ship with state-of-the-art restaurants, lounges, theaters, a casino, two swimming pools with a Jacuzzi, an outdoor "under the stars" movie theater, a spa with a fully-equipped exercise facility, numerous shops, and an all-night discotheque. The vessel is superbly serviced by almost a thousand crew members (80% of them Filipinos) catering to about 2,500 passengers. Our most comfortable and well kept staterooms (sleeping quarters) were located on the 9th floor. The evening of July 5th was our first formal dinner at the elegant Canaletto Restaurant where we were pampered with sumptuous dishes, exquisite wine, mouth-watering desserts coupled with the impeccable service of our designated head waiter, José, and his assistant, Bilyana. This experience alone will definitely get anyone addicted to cruises. Oliver meets Juneau At around noon of July 6th, we docked at our first Alaskan port, Juneau, where we were welcomed by gorgeous mountain views. It is the capital of Alaska with a population of 31,000 people. Eight of the family went on a glacier outlook tour of the world famous Mendenhall Glacier, while the four of us prepared for our first activity of the day - a helicopter ride to the end of the Mendenhall Glacier to experience the thrilling dog sledding adventure. At a fairly small airport with only two runways, we were briefed on safety instructions and given special boots which were necessary to walk around on the glacier. Once in the sky, we witnessed the beauty of the picturesque natural terrain of Juneau and the Juneau ice field which contains the Mendenhall Glacier. Our hearts raced as we get to the end of the glacier and came in view of the dog camp which is the home of over 300 Alaskan Huskies. At the camp, they divided us into groups of three in preparation for the dog sled ride. Each group was assigned a dog sledder who explained about the glacier that was covered by 30 feet of snow and spoke of the nature of the Alaskan Huskies and how they were raised and trained. Each dog has a specific function that contributes to the team. They are set up in a special order of training dogs, strength, speed and the leader of the pack. We got on the sled and waited excitedly for the dogs to start. The sledder gave the signal, the dogs responded with a strong tug, and the ride began. The dogs ran for approximately 12 miles within an hour. It was exhilarating to watch the dogs and feel the cool air rush against our faces. Near the end of the glacier, where we paused to give the dogs a break, the view was magnificent. Before us were hanging glaciers and many, many miles of snow to the end of nowhere. It was amazing to witness Mother Nature in her winter best right in the middle of summer. But the adventure wasn't over. Another excursion awaited us at Auke Bay. Armed with binoculars, we departed from the marina under very clear blue skies, and within five minutes we saw our first humpback whale. This magnificent, graceful mammal came up around four times; then it tipped its giant tail up in the air and took a deep dive. Our tour guide explained that once the whale dives it wouldn't surface for another 15-30 minutes depending on how deep it dove. A couple of minutes later we saw a pair of humpback whales who stayed on the water surface for a while, then lifted their tails and also took a deep dive. In between whale sightings, we were treated to a wonderful spread of canapés, fruits, assorted meats, and salads on a buffet table. After a couple more encounters with humpback whales, one of our tour guides excitedly announced "Everyone, this is your lucky day; we have a sighting of a killer whale less than a mile away." We quickly rushed to the front of the ferry to witness this beautiful creature in its natural habitat. We were informed that there is only a ten percent chance of seeing a killer whale, so I was extremely happy that we saw one. But wait, it didn't end there. A couple of minutes later, there was a sighting of not just another killer whale but a pod of killer whales. They stayed visible to us for almost 15 minutes. While the killer whales were popping in and out of the water surface, a large male killer whale appeared. It was fascinating to watch the killer whale perform in front of my very own eyes. I was clicking my camera like crazy to capture the moment of what was almost like a dream. On our way back to the marina we were given a final treat of yet another whale sighting - a bald eagle soaring in the sky, and four (perhaps five?) seals laying down on a buoy. It was almost 10:00pm when we docked at the marina but there was still a lot of daylight - my first experience of the longer days and shorter nights in Alaska. Soon, the Golden Princess departed and sailed towards our next destination: Skagway. Mayen's Recollection of Skagway We arrived in the little town of Skagway in the early morning of July 7th. Skagway portrayed a very historical image with its early American architecture, local stores of native Alaskan merchandise, and quaint souvenir and jewelry shops which reminds you of the gold rush era. Our tour bus driver took us to the center of town, where one will see a couple of hotels, little ice cream shops and restaurants, the infamous red light district that ends at the world-famous Red Onion Saloon. Skagway is also the gateway to the legendary Yukon, which is located across the border of Canada. We climbed the White Pass summit in the comfort of our motorcoach and marveled as the scenery changes from lush rainforest to stark granite. Our tour bus driver guided us to photo stops to capture the awesome images of mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and valleys that he referred to as "the best of the best". The mountains and valleys tried to outdo each other with their beauty. At their foot, the lakes captured the different shades of blue and green from its surroundings. After our journey of 65 miles, we arrived at the Yukon Suspension Bridge located above the whitewater rapids of the Tutshi River. We experienced the dramatic walk across the bridge, enjoyed the fresh mountain air, and witnessed in awe as the river raged beneath us. At the Wildlife Gallery, we saw the impressive displays of wildlife indigenous to the Yukon: the black bear, the polar bear, the bald eagle, the caribou, the wolf and the mountain goats. We also rode the racing sleds pulled by the Yukon Quest dog mushers (all Alaskan Huskies) around the nearby forest. It was interesting to witness the Huskies taking a break half way through the ride as they drenched themselves with water in a series of mini pools. On our way back to Skagway, we stopped at a little town which was a perfect cut out of the Old Wild West: a train station that services a couple of locomotives, a crossing bridge, a general store, an ice cream shop and grocery, a hotel designed just like in the cowboy movies, and a quaint jewelry store, further enhanced by the warm smiles of the residents. Scenic Cruising through the eyes of Tonette Growing up in a tropical country, we only have this vague concept of what a fjord really is. A fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Tracy Arm is a narrow, 26 mile-long fjord near Juneau and is one of Alaska's most dramatic glacier settings. It covers an area of 653,179 acres, and one–fifth of the area is covered in ice. We bundled-up in layers of clothing and went up to the upper viewing deck just in time to see the start of our approach to the entrance of Tracy Arm. As we navigated through the waters, we saw the green lush rainforest and a variety of birds, such as the arctic terns and pigeon guillemots, flying or perching on their nests atop branches of trees. As we slowly moved forward, the greenery of the forest receded and we entered a stunning canyon of bare rocks. The panorama of 7,000-foot mountain peaks towering over the ship and nearly vertical rock cliffs was astounding. I could almost imagine a Yeti growling on top of the cliff. In every turn, we could see countless waterfalls, hanging valleys, and glacially polished rocks. We passed topaz blue icebergs that make their way to the sea in different shapes and sizes, ranging from the size of a three-story building to as small as ice cubes. It was amazing to see wildlife come and go before from black and brown bears, to deers, wolves, harbor seals, bald eagles, whales and many more. The ship went even slower as we got to the end of this remarkable waterway. Soon we came face to face with two magical and grandiose landscapes – the twin Sawyer Glaciers. From a distance, we could see the pattern of flow that pushes the ice into the open waters. The Sawyer Glaciers stretches one-third of a mile and carves icebergs, big and small. Hundreds of harbor seals dotted the floating topaz blue platforms passing us by. Over our heads, bald eagles flew in search of food for their eaglets. At the end of the waterway, the ship made a 180-degree turn to make its way back to Stephens Passage into the open sea. We carried in each of us a wonderful, relaxed feeling the rest of the day as we prepared for our formal dinner at the Canaletto Restaurant on Deck 6. Our excellent waiters, José and Bilyana, surprised us with a special ordered dish: kare-kare (Filipino stew). Ketchikan as Vincent Remembers My memory of the city as we came in to dock on that early, nippy morning of July 9th was a rustic scenery: an industrial pier with warehouses, specialty shops, and hotels. The scene reminded me of the charm of old pictures from times gone by. I was in awe of the lush hills covered in fog. My eyes wandered around to see hundreds of boats parked in the marina. I even caught a glimpse of a lone American bald eagle circling the overcast skies. Standing on the docks of Ketchikan, Alaska 's first city and salmon capital of the world, you couldn't help but feel the sense of nostalgia in the air. As we boarded our bus to Totem Bight State Historical Park, I felt anxious and excited and was looking forward to feasting my eyes on century old totem poles. En route towards the historical park, we passed area streams where salmon from the sea swim upstream to spawn their eggs at this time of the year. I also learned from our tour guide that after they lay their eggs in fresh water, they never survive their return to sea. As soon as we arrived at the park, we were greeted by a six foot seating eagle totem pole. The carving was right at the entrance of the park, giving everyone a sense of welcome. Inside, we were surrounded by 8 to 10 totem poles, some of them towering at 15 to 30 feet high. I was mesmerized by my surroundings. The old red cedars and the hemlock, the wild flowers adorning the path way, the clan house, the different totem poles, each one with a story to tell and, as if this was not enough, I looked up to find a male bald eagle, beaming with pride, perched on one of the gigantic hemlocks. On our way home, our group decided to go to the main commercial area so we could partake in some local shopping. One thing we had in mind to get - delicious smoked salmon. While navigating Main Street, we ended up on Mission Street where we found this hole in the wall with a sign that said, "Salmon Etc." We were enticed by the sight of a platter filled with canapés. Once inside, we were treated to the best salmon in the world, the Sockeye. To our surprise, we found out that the Pink salmon, which is more familiar to us, is way below on the chart at number five. The store owner explained that Pink salmon, though good, is not as tasty and rich as the Sockeye and Wild salmon. As we headed back to the cruise ship, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholic yet at the same time grateful for the opportunity to see such wonders of nature. We waved at our last port in Alaska filled with vivid, wondrous memories of the last frontier that will warmly linger with us for many moons. Bong's Visit to Victoria We arrived at our last and final port around noon on July 10th. Victoria, ah so picturesque and quaint! Just as I imagined. It lived up to its claim as the "Garden City". There were beautiful flowers in bloom everywhere. We headed for the hundred year old, and still family owned, Butchart Gardens, which sits on 55 acres of land. Late in the afternoon, we took our time going around the various themed gardens. After sunset, the gardens were transformed into an "enchanted forest" with its night illumination and a live band playing on the lawn. Strolling around the Inner Harbor was like being lost back in time—horse-drawn carriages, people walking around in period costumes, ferries and yachts transporting people, and Victorian houses. Two landmarks provide the background for Inner Harbor—the Provincial Legislature building and the Fairmont Empress Hotel. We took our sweet time (2-3 hours) enjoying the high tea at the famous Fairmont Empress Hotel. It was pricey but well worth the treat! Walking farther north from the Inner Harbor, I learned that its Chinatown is the oldest in North America and has the narrowest road in the world called Fan Tan Alley. It is 36 inches wide – I could stretch my arms across! I was kind of sad to leave Victoria. Our short stay was not enough to enjoy the slow pace of life, its gorgeous gardens, and just people watching. We will definitely come back to Victoria someday. Homebound We re-boarded the Golden Princess for the final leg of our cruise as we sailed back to Seattle to catch our flight home to the Northeast. Our last night at sea was filled with nostalgia as we said our goodbyes to our new found friends among the outstanding crew members of the Golden Princess -our head waiter, José, his assistant, Bilyana, our funny waiter, Robert, our fantastic room steward, Elmer, all our deck waiters, our spa attendants and masseuse. These are our un-sung heroes who made sacrifices to make for us a home away from home. To them, we tip our hats and raise our glasses. Till we meet again… |
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