We are in bed by the time the Captain pulled the plug on Juneau at 11PM last night. We drift down the Gastineau Channel, then down Stephens Passage. By the time we wake up and open the curtains this morning at 8:30AM the decision has been made and we are sailing up Endicott Arm with lots of good sized ice floating by.
The fjord is about 30 miles long and we are scheduled to board the catamaran at 10:45AM for our close encounter with Dawes Glacier. We head to breakfast in the restaurant. On this cruise there are a number of people that like to be served breakfast in a quite, elegant way. So far the port side window section is mostly filled every morning with between 40 and 70 people. Carolyn broke from our normal routine of Eggs Benedict today and had poached eggs and grits instead. The eggs have been perfectly runny and the bacon crisp every morning, well, except Monday. We were sitting next to a Cruise Critic member and were talking abut liking crisp bacon and the plates came out with limp bacon on them. Our waiter notices and immediately returns with plates of crisp bacon before either of us can ask! Now that is Seabourn!
We head back to the room and gather cameras, coats, hats and gloves just in case it is cold and head down to the club to meet the Allen Marine catamaran. It has been following us this morning. They get the kayaks going and then we board. The boat will hold 150, but Seabourn said they would not put more than 110 people. Not sure there are that many today. There is plenty of room on the three decks. The lowest deck is indoor seating only with a snack bar. The second deck has both indoor seating and an outside deck and the third deck is outside only. They have crab bisque, sweet rolls and small sandwiches with an open bar all during the trip.
There is heavy ice close to the glacier with some beautiful large icebergs. The ship stops about two miles from the glacier face and the catamaran takes us to about a quarter of a mile off the face. The glacier is actively caving today with lots of little splashes and two really nice shows. We really luck out with the weather.
It is misty and overcast most of the way to the face, but once we arrived, the clouds lift and the sky lightens up and the sun and some blue appear. We spend most of the time in front of the glacier before exploring the side walls and looking for wildlife.
The kayakers were also up at the face with us and looked like they were having fun. We did get to see some harbor seals hauled out on an iceberg. The catamaran has an all women crew except for a male bartender.
We get back to the ship about 1:30PM. Carolyn gets some pizza for lunch and brings it back to the room, to enjoy it on the balcony. Dick works on the 1,000+ pictures we took today and then goes to the grill for a late lunch. He also enjoys some time in the hot tub on Deck 6 with three ladies as we sail. They are out there over an hour having a wonderful conversation watching the scenery go by.
We have an invitation to join the Assistant Cruise Director’s table tonight. It is another pleasant evening. There are seven of us, one couple from Chicago, one couple from Auckland, NZ and the Asst. Cruise Director, a young man from Scotland. The conversation topics are diverse and interesting and once again we are late leaving. There is a classical pianist playing in the Grand Salon, but as usual we are sleepy and head for bed.
Tomorrow we have some scenic cruising then a stop in Wrangell.
We drifted over to Juneau during the night. This morning dawns grey and wet; no good for the guests who planned any flight seeing adventures. We have nothing planned. If the weather clears up we may do the tram ride to the top of the mountain. It is suppose to be a nice view and there are some things of interest at the top. We are in Juneau until 11PM, so if the rain continues we may just walk over to the Red Dog Saloon for drinks later today.
This morning Carolyn has room service and Dick goes to the Square for coffee and a pastry. We work on sorting pictures and some other things needing a computer. We finally got our free internet set up yesterday though, when in port, we can use Dick’s hot spot also.
By 11AM, it has stopped raining. We head to shore and check out the timing on the tram rides. Hopefully the clouds will lift later on.
For now we are headed to the Red Dog Saloon for a light lunch and some beer. Of course the main street is lined with all kinds of shops that are having a closing for the season sale. They will close Saturday, until May, when the last two ships of the 2017 season leave. Carolyn can’t walk past that many 50-70% off signs with out checking out some of them. She finds a couple of little things along with a tiny, gold nugget that a jeweler fixes for her charm bracelet.
The Red Dog Saloon is a neat place dating back to the mining days. We have always been here when there are four or more ships in town and the place was packed. Today Sojourn is the only show in town and there are only two people at the bar and one table occupied. The decor is part of the fun with all kinds of memorabilia all over the walls. Dick sends our daily text to the kids with a picture of where we are. Almost immediately our son sends back a request for a new Red Dog ball cap. After we eat we go next door and buy a cap and a pin before heading back to the ship.
One last stop to check out a place to go to dinner. Carolyn has wanted King Crab legs since we got to Canada, but they seemed expensive and we have always had king crab on our cruises. Well, not yet on this one! Now maybe we know why. There is a very nice looking crab place right on the dock by the ship so we stop and check out the menu. One....one crab leg in a paper tray with a little ketchup cup of butter is $25.95...just one! So much for King Crab!
By the time we get back to the ship it is misting so it looks like the tram ride is a wash out again today. We also see a NCL ship has just docked behind us. Back on board Carolyn heads to the afternoon movie and Dick goes to the suite to get his long lens to try and get some pictures of the two eagle’s nests across from the ship. They have put on an afternoon movie and popcorn in the Grand Salon since so many of the tours (the ones involving a plane or helicopter) were canceled today.
We go to the Observation Lounge for a cocktail then head to the Patio Grill for a steak dinner. Then, we call it a night. It is pouring rain. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow, We are scheduled to see the glacier in either Tracey or Endicott Arm.
It
was a very calm night and we slept well. When we pull the curtain open we
are greeted with a beautiful, blue sky punctuated with white, fluffy clouds drifting across the tops of mountainous islands. We are in the Inian Islands this morning for a few hours for some scenic cruising while the Seabourn Ventures team takes a group out in kayaks.
They are just leaving the ship when we get out on the balcony at 8AM. Two zodiacs with guests go by, one of the zodiacs is pulling a string of yellow kayaks looking for all the world like a mother duck followed by a line of little, yellow ducklings! They head to the shore and get set up in the kayaks as the ships takes the rest of us cruising around the area. It is beautiful. The water is flat calm and in places there is a layer of sea fog sitting on top of the water, looking like someone spilled whipped cream on the water. After about two hours we meet up with the zodiacs and their ducklings, gather them in and head to Icy Strait Point.
At 11AM, Chef Henning Giese and Criuse Director Sophie, do a cooking demonstration making Currywurst. A curried sausage dish that is served as a fast food dish on the streets of cities like Berlin. He also made Spatzle-dough which is pasta like. He showed the traditional method of forming the strands of dough and also a grater method that he uses to make large amounts. He then used the cooked Spatzle to make Kasespatzle by mixing the Spatzle with caramelized onions and grated Gruyere. This dish smelled really good.
Icy Strait Point is a privately owned cruise stop near the small village of Hoonah on Chichagof Island. It is owned by the Huna Totum Corporation which in turn is owned by about 1,350 native American people mostly, Tlingit. The stop is built around an old cannery, now an interesting museum. There are several seafood places, a gift stop, a zip line and a number of tour operations.
The shore line has a board walk and is a pleasant, short walk along the shore. When we were here about five years ago it was a tender port . Dick did the zip line that time. The dock was opened last year along with more walking trails. They also have a small shuttle that runs from the gangway to the road at the other end of the cannery where one can take a $5 ride into Hoonah.
We are doing the ATV ride today. We have lucked out with the beautiful day. There are 19 guest and we are bused to an old logging road where we get in ten, two-person, Kawasaki, red, Mules and take off. The road runs along the shore and then climbs up the side of the mountain for a nice view of the surrounding islands. Our guide is a young, naturalist type, from San Diego. We stop three times for her to tell us about the area. She is very engaging, young, cute and funny. It is a nice experience, the views are spectacular and the talks are interesting.
It
is after 5PM when we get back to the cannery area. The ship is not sailing until 8PM so we have plenty of time to wander. We spend some time taking pictures as the sun is right and everything has that golden glow. Somehow we get separated and cannot reconnect. Didn’t think about using our cell phones to reconnect. Carolyn can’t find Dick and the little shuttle pulls up so she catches a ride since it is a long walk back to the ship. Meanwhile, Dick starts walking back thinking she is ahead of him. Needless to say, Carolyn beats Dick back and Dick has very sore feet.
We have had a spectacular Alaskan day! We enjoy it as long as possible; first sitting on the balcony relaxing, then with cocktails in the Observation Lounge and finally on the outside dining area of the Colonnade. It is a Mediterranean theme tonight. They have rack of lamb which we love and baklava another favorite.
A great end to another great day!
About 1AM we started rocking and rolling to the point it felt, at times, as if we were going to be pitched out of bed. The motion woke us both up, but we soon were back asleep and didn’t wake again until we were docking. Yes, docking! Sitka has a new dock (about three years old) that can handle up to mid-size ships according to the shuttle driver. The dock is almost at the “old Sitka Dock” at the end of the road, seven miles north of Sitka.
Fronting the Pacific Ocean, on Baranof Island’s west shore, in a beautiful setting is the little gem of Sitka. Its western horizon is surround by small forested islands and the graceful cone of Mt. Edgecone, an extinct volcano, and framed in the east by snow capped mountains and granite peaks. Sitka is the home to Alaska’s Russian heritage with St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Bishops Palace. The Russians arrived in the early 1740's and stayed until 1867 when the territory was purchased by the United States. The small island is rich in Russian and Native American history and fabulous wildlife viewing.
We are docked by 8AM and go to breakfast soon afterwards. We watch the Otter Quest boat and a whale watching group leave as we eat. Today is still very overcast, but no rain. In fact it is not even very cold. When we get out later, we find the jackets too much.
Our plan for the day is to try to get out to the Fortress of the Bear. It is a rescue operation started about 10 years ago located at the south end of the road, about 7 miles from town.
The terminal area is nice. There is a fresh crab café that is closed today and a nice set of tourist shops in the permanent terminal building. Between the terminal and the dock is a mini-dry dock for fishing boats and several are hauled out getting their undersides worked on.
At the gangway there is a man in a golf cart giving rides to the terminal for a tip. A free shuttle bus is waiting at the terminal to take us into town to the Visitors Center. It is running very 15 minutes or so until 4PM. We take the golf cart up the small hill to the terminal and board the shuttle. The driver gives us a short history on the 10 minute ride into town.
It is Sunday and we are the only ship in town. Most everything is open so there is enough to do, but no crowds. There are several taxi companies giving tours and rides to different spots. We hire a taxi to take us out to the Fortress of the Bear and back to the Russian Cathedral, $18 each way plus wait time. He gives us a little extra and stops by the site of the Russian-Indian battle ground of 1806 and tells us how the natives held off the Russians for six days. This area of the National Park is at the mouth of a salmon stream and the shore is choked with birds including some eagles feeding on the salmon.
We stop at an old paper mill, now a fishing co-op, on the fjord at the end of the south road to look for whales. He said there were three playing around yesterday. Sure enough we see two.
The Fortress of the Bear, across the road, is home to 5 brown bears and three black bears. There are a sister and brother unit and an another unit of two brothers among the brown bears. All the bears were rescued as cubs less than a year old. Their mothers had been killed for various reasons having to do with interactions with humans. Alaskan law forbids ever releasing these bears back into the wild, but this group is working to change that law so rescued orphaned cubs can be released when they can care for themselves. The big female was really lording it over the males to the point they would run from her! They are very active, fun to watch and looked well cared for.
From there, we share our cab with an Australian couple and go back into town. We visit St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and do a little shopping before going back to the ship. We have a light lunch at the Patio Grill and Dick soaks in the hot tub out front on deck 6, probably our favorite outdoor space on the Seabourn ships.
This afternoon is the Caviar on Ice event at 4:45PM and a pre-dinner Conversation with John Fonseca, “Alaska’s Gold Gateways,” at 6:30PM. Dick heads to the caviar event and Carolyn joins him for the talk. Dinner is in the Restaurant at a lively table for six: us, a couple from Florida and a couple from Calgary. The most popular main is the Alaskan Halibut seconded by the beef tenderloin and a chocolate souffle with Bailey’s cream sauce for dessert. A good meal spells bed time for us to round out our Sitka day.
Tomorrow...Icy Strait Point and some scenic sailing.
