Sunday, July 29, 2012

Wow...where to start? Valdez.

First of all...the roads are pretty good with an occasional...
OK, more than occasional slow down
because of loose gravel or construction.
But the scenery makes any slow down that much more enjoyable.
 The approach to Valdez was....breathtaking!
Around every corner was a gorgeous waterfall.
But wait...another one!
 While in Valdez we took a glacier cruise to the Columbia Glacier.
On the way...Sea Otters everywhere!
 It was, shall we say, chilly!
Ice everywhere!!!
The map shows you where we went.
  We were able to approach within a mile of the face of the glacier....first time this year, according to the tour guides. 
They were super excited! 
 Some of the critters we saw.

 Saw no bears...none...tho the local assure us they are there. 
 In fact a Mama Bear and four (4) cubs were seen around the hatchery where we battled Japanese tourists for the best view.
Lots of fish!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

At George & Pauline's

I neglected to share some of Pauline's great wildlife pictures from their lake house in Chase, B.C.
These are actually from HER YARD!


 This is the bear that waited until the cherries were ripe....and waited til we had left!... before making an appearance.
 Yummmmmy cherries!
Hi George.


Chicken and Great Scenery!

Yes, we made it to Chicken. 
A piddling little wide spot in the road, miles from no-where! 
 Whoever decided Chicken was a must-see in Alaska!?

We ate chicken, which seemed appropriate...

bought a hat and a t-shirt, and called it a day!

Before that, on our way north from Skagway,
 we had gorgeous, post card scenery...

Some of us had matching t-shirts. 
 Here Bill is checking to see one was Annie.
 One of the most beautiful campgrounds EVER...Cottonwood RV in Destruction Bay on Kluane Lake.
Missy was invited for lunch.
 Me...'cause I'm hardly ever in the pictures.
 Alaskan graffiti.
Isn't Bill romantic?

Friday, July 20, 2012

Skagway

At long last...our last ferry ride.
Annie & Bill walked Missy for the last time
before we arrived in Skagway.
 Skagway...one of the bases for the gold stampede of 1898.

We shopped and dined our way up one side of the street and down the other, dodging gdt from the FOUR huge cruise ships!

 Fish and chips...beer...yumminess!
 Bill and Jim were in boy-toy heaven.
 Lunch at The Red Onion Saloon!

And a ride on The Yukon & White Pass narrow gauge railway.
This is the actual path...still visible...
that the gold seekers wore into the pass.
 Gorgeous scenery....
And to cool you off, how about a glacier?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Juneau

After yet another long ferry ride we have arrived in Juneau to visit with my sisters, Patti & Christie...

 and to be GDT's (ask Barry & Joey what that means!)

Have eaten crab,


shopped, gone up the tramway to the top of a mountain,

seen museums, been educated on Tslingit culture...had a wonderful....COOL...time.
Tomorrow, very early, we board the ferry for our last leg of the inside passage...to Skagway.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Sitka

We went for a damp walk through an enchanted forest,
expecting elves and fairies to appear....
mossy and green and wonderfully eerie. 


 What did appear were Banana Slugs...
interesting in a repulsive way.

 But the beautiful wild flowers more than made up for the ickiness.


 And the scenery was breathtaking...
We've explored many totem parks and learned quite a bit about their meaning and histories. 

 This one I think is quite appropriate for Sandpipers....
maybe in the grassy field?
Here is very interesting one. 
We had to search thru the rain  to find it hidden on a beach.
A Japanese photographer was mauled to death by a bear on this very spot a dozen years ago.  His bereaved family commissioned this totem as a memorial.  It has a camera, a Japanese flag and the image of the slain men engraved on the totem.
So basically we hiked through the woods, in the pouring rain, to find the spot where a man was killed by a bear...and at the beginning of the trail was a sign saying,
"Beware, Bear Activity Here"!
 Were we worried? Not with such fearsome protectors by our side!