Category: Alaksa

Ketchikan and Seattle

~ Wandering Cindi ~ Leave a comment

Ketchikan, Alaska. Between Glacier Bay and Alaska, our port was Ketchikan. Cruising in and out of this city was beautiful. As was the way this trip, the skies were cloudy and a bit foggy, and there was a light rain for some of the time. None of those things diminished the beauty.

Cruising into Ketchikan

Our last excursion in Alaska was on a hovercraft. It was so exciting to hover over the water, moving at a pretty high speed. We had an excellent tour guide and an excellent captain. The captain gave us a thrilling and safe ride to a small black sand beach alcove. Along the way, we saw eagles and their nests and learned about the marine life and wildlife in the area. We also learned about the industries in Ketchikan. The main industries there are fishing and processing of the fish, and tourism.

My Favorite Shot of the Whole Trip

An eagle with a fish in its talons. It is a little blurry due to my excitement of being so close and having the opportunity to catch such a beautiful bird of prey in action.

Here are some eagle shots I captured of a juvenile eagle. The guide explained that young bald eagles do not grow white feathers until they reach maturity. I was also able to catch a photo of one of the eagles’ nests.

My sister-in-law, Angie, was able to photograph one of the eagles flying to a tree.

We were also able to see some seals!

The cove we landed on had a black beach and then a forest. There was a nice trail leading a little way into the rain forest, but I took too long on the beach and only had about 5 minutes to walk on the trail. On the beach, there were bald eagle feathers. Fortunately, our guide warned us that it is illegal to collect eagle feathers. Each feather could be a fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in jail. We really enjoyed the beauty of the cove.

After the tour, it was time to head back to the cruise ship and depart Alaska. We enjoyed the sights of Ketchikan from our balcony on the way out. I found an alternative to our nomadic living. There are small islands with one home on each that would be perfect to settle in for the spring and summer. We also saw a huge logging vessel and a giant cross on the shore.

Into Seattle

We had beautiful views cruising back into Seattle of Olympic National Park, commercial shipping traffic, and even a killer whale spotting!

Seattle

Our ship arrived in Seattle early in the morning, and we were not flying out until the next day. We decided to book a tour of Seattle to end this amazing trip. We had a great tour guide that showed us the sights. Seattle is a beautiful city with lots of artistic influences, tons of different cultures, and even a troll under a bridge. We saw seals, birds, and salmon heading upstream to spawn.

The City and Its Art

After such a fantastic trip, it was time to get back to Aaron, Murphy, and the camper. Seeing a minute bit of Alaska and a brief overview of Seattle has inspired me to return to both with Aaron to explore each in much more detail.

Glacier Bay National Park

~ Wandering Cindi ~ Leave a comment

Our cruise ship spent one entire day floating around Glacier Bay National Park. This is why we wanted a balcony room! We ordered room service for breakfast and lunch so that we enjoy the majestic beauty of the bay without interruption. The national park sent park rangers to the ship to narrate what we were seeing and give information about the glaciers and the wildlife in the park. It was broadcast over the television so that we could listen to the information and view the park at the same time from the comfort of our room.

National parks are set aside and preserved for a reason. They protect natural wonders, wildlife, and historically significant sites for all to experience and enjoy. I feel so fortunate to have been lucky to get a small glimpse of Glacier Bay. I hope eventually, Aaron and I will manage to make the trip to Alaska so that we can further immerse ourselves in its beauty and experience some of what this beautiful state has to offer.

We saw so many breathtaking sights. I will start with photos of the glaciers, next the many waterfalls, then the animals we saw, and finish up with some landscape shots.

The Glaciers

Taking pictures was a challenge. It was foggy, misty, cold, and not much sunlight. Some of the pictures will have a blue tint to them. In editing, I was trying to bring out the blue in the glaciers that we experienced, but the camera did not capture. Also, we were usually half a mile to a mile away from the shoreline. One thing to keep in mind is that these glaciers were huge. Some of them were more than a mile wide and many, many miles in length.

Glaciers are made of snow that condenses into ice, and as they move, they carve out land due to their massive weight and size. They pick up rocks, boulders, soil, and minerals. These materials are deposited into the water as the glacier breaks apart (calves) and slowly melts. The soil and minerals enrich the water and feed small marine life, which in turn feeds larger marine life, and so on. Glaciers are a massive part of the formation of the landscape and the oceans.

This last photon is in black and white to show the dramatic detail of this amazing glacier.

The Waterfalls

Everywhere we looked, there were waterfalls. To see them so far from shore means that they are very large and powerful.

Sea Otters and Birds

Landscapes

I was mistaken last week. I had forgotten about our hovercraft experience in Ketchikan. So, I will finish up our Alaskan experience next week with the hovercraft trip. I will also include the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. Lastly, I will cover our Seattle tour. Thank you to each one of you who takes the time to read this blog.