I just got back from Alaska and I have to say it was absolutely gorgeous! I have sooo much I want to say about it, for the sake of those reading I'll keep it brief and limit it to one post.
Friday, July 17 :: Seattle, WA
We arrived in Seattle to a surprisingly warm and dry day. One thing I learned about the city is that it is seriously very hilly. I had no idea. We're talking San Francisco hilly. I walked down to the pier with my sister and her boyfriend to enjoy a lovely sunset, which was ruined by the walk back. I'm sure that Seattleites have no need for gyms. I, at least, felt like I had just been to one when we made it back to the hotel.
Monday, July 20 :: Juneau, AK
We had our first taste of Alaska in Juneau where it was foggy and cold. For lunch my dad and I went to the famous Red Dog Saloon for some home-style food and ragtime music.
After lunch we climbed Mount Roberts via the tramway. It was supposed to provide some breathtaking views of the city, but all we could see was fog. But we enjoyed the nature trails and a family bluegrass band in the gift shop.
Later we joined a photo tour of the rainforest. For the most part it was very rainy and I was afraid to take my camera out, but eventually I managed to snap a few photos. But the truly amazing part of the tour was when we went whale watching. I'd been whale watching in Massachusetts and I expected about the same experience, but this was something completely different. The whales used a remarkable method of feeding that is unique to Alaska called bubble netting. I'd love to explain the details of it to you, but I'd rather not bore you with them. But if you're curious (and it really is an interesting process), I'd recommend you check out the Wikipedia article: Humpback Whales. We saw two different groups of about twelve whales each and even got to hear their songs! It was an incredible experience.
Tuesday, July 21 :: Hubbard Glacier
No stops on this day, but we did get to cruise by the amazing Hubbard Glacier. Leading up to the massive glacier we had to sail through a bunch of floating ice, which kinda made me think of Titanic. The glacier itself was beautifully blue and HUGE.
Wednesday, July 22 :: Sitka, AK
Sitka is a cute little town that didn't lose its charm when cruise ships began stopping there. There's no pier for the ships to dock in so we had to tender out. I think this helped to preserve the small-town feel, since it's hard for the larger ships to tender. After a walk around downtown my dad and I joined another photo tour. We started by taking photos of the town from a pier then headed to the rainforest again.
Thursday, July 23 :: Ketchikan, AK
Ketchikan had some cute parts in the city, but overall it was much too touristy for my taste. There are over sixty jewelry stores in the town and all of them close at the end of the summer. Thankfully I left the town after an hour in favor of some rainforest canopy zip lining!
Friday, July 24 :: Victoria, BC, Canada
The last night of our cruise was spent in Victoria, British Columbia. I went with my family on an Orca whale watching. Not only were the Orcas beautiful, but the sunset was as well. It was the last time we'd seen the sun in a week! My favorite part of the city itself was these houses that floated on the pier. They were like boat houses, but attached to the pier. Sadly, I accidentally deleted the pictures I had of them, so you'll just have to take my word for it. J
If I haven't worn you out on the pictures yet check out some more at my Flickr.