58º N Then Sailing South

A cool, misty Sunday morning tempted us to roll over and fall back to sleep in our gently rocking bed.  So glad we didn't.  We had entered Glacier Bay early, stopping to pick up National Park Service rangers.  As we finished breakfast, the rangers began broadcasting a commentary about what to expect in the park.  It was essentially a day at sea since the ship did not stop at any towns.  We spent most of the morning in our cabin either listening to the ranger or sitting on our balcony gazing at the wondrous scenery slipping past.

250 years ago, Glacier Bay was all ice and no bay.  As the glacier retreated, it gouged a deep channel between the surrounding mountains that filled with sea water.  Hanging between the peaks are the remnants of the ice field and over a dozen tidewater glaciers have fingers of ice dipping into the ocean.

In 1916, William Cooper, a plant ecologist, came to Glacier Bay and was inspired by its beauty.  He campaigned to have it preserved for future generations.  In 1925, it became a national monument and finally a national park in 1980.  It's only accessible by boat or sea plane which has helped keep it pristine.

As we headed north up the bay, we began passing bergy bits (3-16 feet high), growlers (size of a piano),  and chunks of ice.  When we reached the glacier (Grand Pacific Glacier), I must say I was not impressed.  It was black!  Still, we saw harbour seals on the ice floes and a sea otter swimming on its back.   At one point, I went inside to warm up.  Glen had turned on the TV so we could watch the ship's bow camera and hear the ranger.  There on the screen was a beautiful blue glacier (Margerie Glacier) off the port bow (see photo).  Surely the captain would turn the ship so those on the starboard side could see this icy beauty.  He did and what an amazing sight!  The ice sheet is a mile wide and 250 feet above the sea

As we stood admiring it (Glen confirmed we were at 58ºN), we heard a loud crack, then a roar as a house-sized chunk of ice slid down the glacier's face.  Wow!  We witnessed several calvings before heading west to the Lamplugh Glacier.  The ship inched into John Hopkins Inlet so we could see the John Hopkins Glacier where harbour seals give birth.  The pups are protected so cruise ships rarely enter the inlet.

We then headed south, dropping the rangers off at Bartlett Cove.  It was time to relax in the Wheelhouse Bar.  Had we been so inclined, we could have played a trivia game and won.  Something to remember next time.  The question we got that no one else did?  What is the element the symbol Na represents?  Obviously, no one remembered their high school chemistry classes.

Afterwards, we dressed for our second formal night and had a second set of photos taken.  We ate in the Bordeaux dining room and I enjoyed lobster tail while Glen had Beef Wellington.  Glen's dessert was all kinds of chocolate.

The Island Princess sailed into Ketchikan after breakfast.  We watched the docking from the promenade deck.  After all the tours had left, we disembarked on another 'decent' cup of coffee quest.  We found a small coffee shop across from the ship after doing a short walk around town.

Ketchikan has always been a fishing port even before Europeans came to the Tongass Narrows.  Its name means 'thundering wings of an eagle' in native Tlingit.  It's often called the 'first city of Alaska' as it's at the southern end of the Alaskan panhandle.  Locals refer to it as the 'Salmon Capital of the World'.  Five different species of Pacific salmon are found here: Chum, Sockeye, King, Silver, and Pink.

Another claim to fame are the 80 totem poles scattered throughout the city, supposedly the largest collection in the world.  I think the people of Duncan, BC would disagree as their city is officially designated The City of Totems and they also claim to have the largest collection in the world.

There were lots of activities to do ashore (I've never seen so many jewelry stores) but we decided to return to the ship for lunch.  We spent the afternoon doing a promenade walk then read or knit while watching the sea planes and boats come and go.  Supper was in the Bayou Café where I enjoyed Cajun catfish.

We left Alaska during the night and the next day spent a relaxing time sailing between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.  We did take time out to watch a Culinary demonstration done by the Executive Chef and his good friend, the Maitre D'Hotel.  We learned how to prepare three dishes while these two entertained us.  Very funny show.  Afterwards, we did a tour of the galley and watched the sous-chefs, butchers, and other staff prepare our meals.

We had a British-style pub lunch in the Bayou Café and Glen was thrilled to see steak and kidney pie on the menu.   Actually, the menu was limited to the pie, fish and chips, and bangers and mash.  I stuck with my seafood-only choice.  We heard some of 'British invasion' music before heading back to our cabin.

I spent most of the afternoon packing and organizing our clothes for the next day.  Bags are left at the cabin door before supper and disappear until you pick them up the next day.  Vietnam vets were enjoying a chat in the Wheelhouse Bar when we went down and it was interesting to hear some of their stories.  Most had been in the air force.  We'd actually chatted with one man on one of our tours so it was good to hear his story.

We headed to the Bordeaux restaurant for supper not realizing that this final meal always features Baked Alaska.  Glen had to have that!!  During our meal, the galley staff came out carrying flaming Baked Alaska desserts (perhaps fake) and we could show our appreciation for all the hard work they had done by clapping and waving our napkins.

Tipping on board no longer involves envelops stuffed with cash.  Princess Cruises adds the tips to your bill and these are divided amongst the staff.  The way you show appreciation for a job well done is either to slip some money to an individual or better still, keep track of their names and when the cruise line asks for commendations, let them know who went 'above and beyond' for you.  These remarks are used in determining promotions which benefit the individuals more.

I did a lot of hugging as we left the dining room as the staff had been so good to us as Glen made note of their names.

We were up early the final day so we could have breakfast and be in our departure lounge by 7:50 am.  While Glen showered, I witnessed the ship sailing into a dark Vancouver Harbour, the city surrounding us lit in blazing lights.  Quite an amazing sight.

After a bit of a scramble, we found our bag and with the help of a Port of Vancouver greeter, found our bus to Victoria stop.  There was quite a line waiting but the bus staffer didn't realize we all wanted on the bus.  When he began chatting to a colleague, I approached him to ask about the bus tags he had given those first in line.  Turns out we didn't need one but it did alert him to the crowd waiting to board.

The next day we bought groceries, did a laundry and didn't unpack what we weren't going to use (Glen's suit).  The next few days were spent visiting with friends as we said goodbye to everyone before heading back to Calgary.  That trip took a day longer than usual as I experience my first ocular migraine (think kaleidoscope eyes) and spent an afternoon in the hospital in Golden, BC.  Perhaps too much traveling brought it on but who knows?

See my photos here:  Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Heading Home.