Monday, June 25, 2018
End of the journey...
We've spent the last two days here in the Banff-Lake Louise area enjoying the beautiful vistas. Traveling down the Icefields Parkway from Jasper were multiple spots to see waterfalls,glaciers and majestic mountains. It was stunning to see the volumes of water racing down the rivers from glacier melts. Farther downstream the power is harnessed and water is diverted to potable form.
At Lake Louise we me the Rees again after their visit to Glacier NP. That lake is stunning and visited by thousands of people from all over the world.
We found the parking at Moraine Lake full so decided to go on to Banff and enjoy a nice dinner and get a full night's sleep. After checking with the concierge we are breakfast at Toololos as soon as it opened. Then off to Moraine Lake again ....not! There had been an accident on the road in to it and hundreds were waiting for the reopening. The lot would be full in a flash so we gave up and drove back to Banff and parked at Bow Falls to see that one and visit the other Fairmont Chateau. It was a beautiful day and soon became too hot to hike much. The stop for a beer and your of the hotel was nice though.
Since we still hadn't had lunch we regrouped and determined Chinese food was up. Wouldn't you know the best restaurant was right back near Bow Falls!!
After a pretty good meal George and I decided that we'd had enough going back and forth to Moraine Lake but the others went back and did manage to hike and see the lake. It looks beautiful in Dennis' s photos. We were happy to do our hike around Banff and visit some galleries.
Now we will enjoy another breakfast then head to a tour around Lake Minewanka then on to Calgary to fly home tomorrow.
It's been a great trip and we've seen some beautiful places but home is where we want to be for a while now.....until the next trip!!! Sicily in September!!!!!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Lake Louise, Alberta
Beautiful lake with mountains framing the view. Victoria Glacier feeds the lake from high above. Fairmount Chateau is lovely in this setting. And the sun peaked out eventually!
Friday, June 22, 2018
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Jasper National Park
It was a very long drive up to the park today, winding through snow capped mountains and rushing rivers. And trees, lots of spruce trees. Very beautiful!
We had planned to visit a falls but after stopping in Jasper and speaking to a ranger we drove to a lake road to hopefully hike. It took a long time, too long, then the dark rain clouds covered the sun. So we turned around and headed to our hotel. Our travel agent said it was only 20 min. from Jasper...ha! It was about an hour and a half! Not good. We tried to cancel tomorrow night but cannot because the agent booked it. Lesson learned...book direct!!!! So tomorrow we have a two hour drive to see what we want and two back for the night.
It is beautiful here though and we did get in a walk around a beaver pond after dinner!
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
On the road again!
We are in Kamloops B.C. for the night after debarking the ship. It was a nice sea day yesterday with sunshine but cooler. A couple games of cards..girls won! Today it was really hot and sunny!!! Locals are loving it.
We drive to Jasper tomorrow and plan to hike to a falls and plan the next day of seeing things along Icefields Parkway.
The mountains are beautiful with thousands of spruce trees. Up here it is a more desert look which is surprising. Kamloops has three forks of a river and climbs the hills. Roads go every which way and are very confusing. After much turning around and missing turns, we decided to eat very near the hotel instead of going back to city center. Red Robin provided a very good supper with only a coup!e missed turns. I sure hope Jasper isn't like this!!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Last day of luxury...
We've had a nice cruise visiting the ports on the inside passage. Beautiful scenery surrounded us as we glided last of traveled inland via railroad and coach. The long, long hours of daylight have us lots of time to see it all.
Ketchikan was so nice in the sunshine. Locals were out in droves enjoying the first sunny day of the year!!! Imagine your town being invaded by an extra 12,000 people for a day. ..how many passengers there were from the cruise ships in port!
Our little group took a shuttle to the totem heritage center to learn about totem pole central to the native culture here or First Nation. Very interesting. A nice walk took us down the hill to the historic area on the creek. It was a swift,Rocky waterway that fills with salmon jumping when they spawn and swim upstream. What a sight it must be. Today only passengers crowded the area now filled with shops.
Pizza was calling our names and a cold beer sounded good so it was back to the ship conveniently docked at the foot of the hill.
George and I went back out to get internet service as ship connections were scattered. Hopefully eventually my photos will send! We all met back in the card room for a game in our on going tournament. Guys are in the lead so far...grrr.
It's nice and sunny 🌞 so far and pickleball and a k5 are on tap. We'll spend the day enjoying the ship and packing up for the next leg. First to Kameloop, BC then Jasper, Alberta.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Yukon train from Skagway
Up early and out to meet the tour on a very chilly and windy dock. We rode a bus to Cargill then boarded a train for the return trip. The day cleared up in the afternoon which allowed us to see the beautiful lakes against the mountains. Learning of the travails of the Klondike gold miners we've decided we would have stayed home! What a terrible ordeal they went through!
Tomorrow Mendenhall glacier and whale watching.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Kenai National Park
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On Board
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Sailing...
This morning we loaded the car once again and drive back to Anchorage to return it. A shuttle dedication us to Whittier where we boarded the Coral Princess. It was an experience driving through the 2.5mile tunnel built by the army during WWII. It only runs one way at a time and shuts to motor traffic when the train comes. Cars actually ride on the tracks as it is very narrow.
This ship is smallish and cozy. We like it so far though with the buffet restaurant in the front of the ship we get really mixed up. It is a beautiful view there to eat but sure to be filled fast.
We all retired after the show and plan for a slow start to the day tomorrow. Several lectures about A!aska and Hubbard glacier to see will keep us busy until formal dinner and a show.The
Judy and Dick boarded soon after we did and are acclimating to shipboard life. It's a lot to learn!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Last day...
Forecast rain...reality, beautiful!!! Up and away on the Kenai National Park boat tour. The early departure gave us lots of time to see the wildlife and the glacier up close. Whales, sea lions, puffins , sea otters, orca whales, porpoise flew or swam into view as we glided down Resurrection Bay from Seward. The otters are really cute as they float by on their backs. Sea lions are huge, like sweet potatoes with fur!
The glacier was thundering and cracking as the boat sat 1/4 mile away. It calved off small icebergs to add to those floating in the fjord and the boat had to sail carefully through them. The beautiful glacier blue shone clear. It's milky blue is a wonderful shade. Seals floated in the new icebergs to rest.
We had a lunch and motored back to the dock about 2pm. This gave us enough time to drive to Exit Glacier near our lodge and hike up to the viewpoint. It was still sunny and nice so we enjoyed our exercise.
Back at Windsong we had a glass of wine on the balcony then dashed off to dinner at Chinook near the docks. Happily fed, it was packing time and set the alarm for a travel day once again. Off to turn in the car in Anchorage and shuttle to Whittier and the Coral Princess. It will be nice to cruise for the next week...no driving or decisions!!!
Re: Out the window at chinooks
On Jun 12, 2018 6:26 PM, Michele Buelow <kzooartist@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Monday, June 11, 2018
Kenai pennisula
A slower start to the day was nice for a change! Down at the marina area we found a place for breakfast in an old train car and enjoyed the leisurely meal while deciding what to do. We've seen several of these cars repurposed for other uses.
So off we went toward the West and sunshine....at least for a while. The scenery was beautiful as we traveled near the Reserection River. Salmon fisherman plied their boats and stood along the banks hoping to catch a big one. Rafts floated down the river and over rapids.
We decided to hike to Silka lake, over the hills and down the dales to a beautiful lake. A group of kids and counselors passed us up but met at the lake. I hustled along so as not to look too old and decrepit!! Dale can run rings around all of us and is in her element!
On the return we took a different leg and came across a fresh scat from a bear!! Yikes! Then the rain began!
Back in the car finally we decided to cut the day short since it was not getting any better. Despite having a few minutes of sun 🌞 it turned out to be a good decision. We got dry, had some snacks and a nap then took our wine to the lodge for a game of cards....girls won!!!
Back out in the rain for dinner at a Greek restaurant where we had Italian food!
Another early start tomorrow as we take the Kenai National park boat to see glaciers, whales and hopefully otters.
photos to follow
Sunday, June 10, 2018
On to Seward!
Today was a travel day south to Seward where we will be for three nights. We set off early to have time to stop in Girdwood and take the tram. It's getting to be a challenge to pack the car with the extra odds and ends we are gathering!!
A few moose along the way waved goodbye to us and reminded us of the Denali adventure. As we drove we made contact with the Rees who were driving north from Anchorage. Trapper Creek was the rendezvous point to meet them as breakfast was served. It was a real local restaurant, liquor store, laundry and grocery/hardware store. Such fun to meet up with them here in Alaska! Judy and Dick will be meeting us on the ship Wednesday....their first cruise!
Alyeska is a beautiful resort hotel on the side of a mountain. The tram took us up to the top where seven glaciers were on view as well as the ski runs, some still snow covered. Lunch in front of the window in view of the mountain and Turnagain arm was beautiful!!! The arm is a fjord surrounded by snow topped mountains. Driving along the coast from Anchorage was spectacular and one we will make two more times on this trip.
We left Alyeska and continued down the highway to Seward and the Windsong lodge. Our rooms are nice with a deck overlooking Resurrection River and some mountains ...the perfect place for a glass of wine!
A recommendation by Sue sent us to the Cookery for supper. All of us ate light since we ate late at Aleyska but the fresh salmon George and I split was delicious and Dennis liked his seafood platter.
We are slowly moving to Alaska time but these long hours of daylight and early start times are playing havoc with our sleep. Maybe tomorrow we'll catch up as a slow start to touring here is planned.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Kantisha Experience
It was another early start for us today. The bus left the park station at 6:15 and we wanted front seats for the day so off we went. Since there are only four hours of darkness it was bright out already, making it a little easier.
The day was long...about 11 hours on the park road all the way to the end. We went up and down and around the mountains, over tundra and rivers. The braided rivers fed by glaciers flowed alongside the road. It was beautiful to see the dark mountains striped with snow belted by the spruce and willows. The topography is interesting. The old glacier path is very flat gravel yet a glacier made of soil accumulation is convoluted and vegetation covered, not looking like a glacier at all.
Moose wandered munching willows, snowshoe hares hopped by, caribou grazed, and finally grizzly bears loped by. It was exciting to watch a distressed moose pacing as a grizzly and her cub made a meal of her baby. We felt sorry for her. Farther down the road, at a hairpin turn, we found a mother and her two cubs pawing the tundra for roots to eat. We kept very quiet as they we about 15 feet from us. As we started to continue down the road they all came up on the road. Mom laid down for a nap. Cubs kept wandering around as we passed on our way. Talk about up close and personal!!
Our guide Peter was a fountain of knowledge and kept us entertained with information and stories. The weather was good with a few sprinkles whose clouds kept us from seeing Denali well. Luckily we had stopped coming in to the area for a beautiful long range view of the mountain. It was a long time in a bus but we all decided that the trip was worth it!
Dinner was good back at 49th State Brewery again but this time we knew to split our dinners!!!
Off to Seward tomorrow with a stop in Girdwood to take the tram up to the top of Alyeska.
Denali in clouds
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Denali Bears
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Friday, June 8, 2018
Denali
We arrived yesterday to sunshine!!! What a nice surprise after reading all the rain forecasts!
After picking up our car we drove up to Healy to our very basic hotel. We found the gas station grocery and stocked up on food and drink for the upcoming days here. Since we had eaten well on the way up, just lite munchies sufficed for supper then we hit the pillows. It was 12:30 body time!! A very long day!
Rain was predicted but the sun peaked through and continued until we left the park at 5. We hiked the Savage River loop and another short one to view the mountains then stopped at the kennels to watch the sled dogs and see them run. Surprisingly the dogs are sweet and friendly as well as hard workers. The ranger explained the huge contribution these animals make to the park, especially in winter when they are the only transport in protected areas.
Menz's did another hike while we explored the visitors center and had a great time getting up close to a moose.
We capped off a nice day with dinner at 49 th state brewery, good food in huge quantities, then to bed for a 4:45 alarm tomorrow. The tour loads at 6:15 at the park and takes 11 hours!!! A very long day!
Thursday, June 7, 2018
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