May 14, 2016

Day #13 - VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Ship docked in Victoria about 12:30 pm

Photos from my 5K AVA Walk of Downtown Victoria

LEGISLATURE BUILDING

EMPRESS HOTEL

FLOWER GARDEN IN HARBOR AREA

FISHERMAN'S WHARF

HOUSEBOAT AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF

HOUSEBOAT AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF

HOME IN JAMES BAY VILLAGE

Returned to the ship late afternoon, had dinner in the Indigo Restaurant, and watched Star Wars in the theater.

Tomorrow: Seattle & San Francisco

May 13, 2016

Day #12 - AT SEA

Slept late today and then explored more of the cruise ship.

Placed a deposit on a 9-day Baltics Capitals Cruise in May 2017.

Pool Deck - Level 12

Fruhschoppen Bavarian Buffet - Pool Deck

Buffet

Towel folding is a specialty of Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Here are a few my steward created for my cabin.

Very relaxing day.

Tomorrow: Victoria, BC

May 12,2016

Day #11 - KETCHIKAN, ALASKA

Ship docked in Ketchikan today about 9:30 am

WELCOME ARCH

"The Salmon Capitol of the World"

CREEK STREET

Area became red-light district in 1902

"Dolly's House" on far right

Dolly Arthur was Ketchikan's most famous madam in the heyday of Creek Street.

CREEK STREET

City outlawed prostitution in 1953 & Creek Street became mixed residential and commercial.

TONGASS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Artifacts and photos from the town's history as a Native fish camp, mining hub,

 salmon-canning and timber town.

TOTEM HERITAGE CENTER

TOTEM HERITAGE CENTER

Collection of original, unrestored totem poles from Tlingit and Haida villages.

TOTEM HERITAGE CENTER

Students created these masks as part of classes and workshops in traditional Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art to help preserve cultural traditions.

Some locals even carve faces into live trees

Tomorrow: Day at Sea

May 11, 2016

Day #10 - ICY STRAIT POINT

Cruise ship docked at Icy Strait Point this morning at 7:00 am

Walked the Nature Trail

Hoonah, AK

Tlingit community

Walkway from Icy Strait Point to Hoonah, Alaska (1.5 miles)

Church in Hoonah, AK 

Native Tlingit men building canoes

Church in Hoonah

ICY STRAIT BREWERY

Had IPA beer on the back deck

Tomorrow: Ketchikan, Alaska

May 10, 2010

Day #9 - CRUISING GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK

Glacier Bay National Park Rangers are about to board our cruise ship. 

While on board they described the amazing sights as we viewed the park from our ship.

TARR INLET

MARGERIE GLACER

JOHNS HOPKINS INLET

Park Rangers waving goodbye as they left the ship @ 4:00 pm

Weather was perfect this day. Highlight of the trip so far!!

Tomorrow: Icy Strait Point

May 9, 2016

Day #8 - SITCA, ALASKA

Sitka is the oldest city in Alaska and for 63 years was a major Russian fur trading port. 
Sitka was the site of the signing of the Alaska purchase on October 18, 1867 from Russia.

Approaching Sitka by ship about 10:30 am

ST. MICHAEL'S RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

Originally built in 1844-45

Destroyed in fire January 1966

Rebuilt as exact replica of the original 

SAINT MICHAEL'S CATHEDRAL

RUSSIAN BISHOP'S HOUSE & MUSEUM

Oldest intact Russian Building in Sitka

Built in 1842 & recently restored

TOTEM POLE - BISHOP'S HOUSE MUSEUM

SHELDON JACKSON MUSEUM

Est. 1895

Alaska's oldest museum - housed in the state's first concrete building.

Collected from 1880-1900, this has the largest collection of Alaska Native artifacts in the state.

TOTEM SQUARE

Totem pole displays the double-headed eagle of Sitka's Russian heritage.

PIONEER HOME (1934)

State home for elderly Alaskans

BALD EAGLE

Tomorrow: Cruise Glacier Bay National Park

May 8, 2016

Day #7 - SKAGWAY, ALASKA

Ship docked in Skagway today about 7:00 am

SKAGWAY

Garden City of Alaska

850 Year-Round Residents

RAILROAD BUILDING (1900)

ARCTIC BROTHERHOOD HALL (1899)

Facade is made from driftwood

CITY HALL & MUSEUM (1899)

VIEW DOWN BROADWAY

ROTARY SNOWPLOW

Built 1898

Retired 1965

Used again in 2009 and 2011

Now on display in Downtown Skagway

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

This afternoon rode the White Pass Scenic Railway 3.5 hour round-trip

 Skagway to White Pass Summit

WHITE PASS SCENIC RAILWAY

VIEW FROM TRAIN

TUNNEL MOUNTAIN

GLACIER GORGE

WHITE PASS SUMMIT

Canadian Border

Elevation: 2,865 ft.

Tomorrow: Sitka, Alaska