May 28th 2008
We have sailed along Alaska’s Inside Passage going between all the small islands just off the coast of Alaska. Our first stop is Ketchikan. There are very few roads but we drove them all, first travelling north stopping off at a variety of interesting stops one being the Bight Totem State Park this was a lovely walk through the forest, each Totem had a good information board with the story of that particular Totem - this included who had carved the Totem and the date also if it was a copy, a couple of the Totems were very old. Stopped at a wonderful old fashioned American Diner for lunch, the food was excellent all freshly cooked. I had fried chicken, mashed potato and corn, with gravy on the side, fresh home made coleslaw for starts, served with a biscuit, butter and honey, the biscuit is, in fact, what we would call a scone, fresh, home made and very lovely, I had mine for my pud yummy, I was very full the meal was American size. The service was brilliant our waitress was the owner/cooks mum and she was 80 years old (her name was not Edith an 'in' joke)
We had a lovely long walk in a temperate rain forest. I found a lovely little bay where I could have my “Airstream” but! Then I thought of mosquitoes in the summer and -40 in the winter decided not a good idea. We visited a couple of lakes which were still frozen over, just beginning to break up. Then we had a second night at Wal Mart!!
May 29th 2008
We took the road south today, we only have the morning we leave on the boat this afternoon, our first stop was at the Totem park/village (cruise ships call in here so everything is very expensive) the tour around the totem village was $100 so we walked on our own and tagged on to listen when a guide was telling something of interest. We were lucky enough to get into the carving shed there was a guy working on a Totem and another working on a beautiful box; these boxes are made from Cedar in a continuous piece of wood with just one join they are then painted in the traditional colours of black and red in traditional patterns, they are truly beautiful. The chap carving the Totem told us he had a letter from someone in England wanting a Totem, but he said they wanted it yesterday so…. grump grump! (he was a bit grumpy) any way he found the letter and read it out to us it was from “Blue Peter” (program for children on BBC TV) We told him what a very good program it was and how long it had been on TV and that all our children had watched it! Also that it was a very educational program. Do not know if he was going to make the Totem, he got fed up with talking to us. But if any of you see this on Blue Peter let me know!!
On our little ride towards the south we passed a tree at the side of a very small bay with a river running into it, (this was a salmon run) on the tree were around 20 Bald Eagles full grown and some juvenile, they were feeding, we watched for ages, fascinating some times they would pick a small fish up with one claw then just pop it into its mouth! larger fish they took back to the tree, it was an amazing thing to watch.
From there we went to see the old town, this is preserved and very much for the cruise ship tourist I have never seen so many gold shops, well apart from the bazaar in Istanbul !
This is a collection of ancient frame houses and shops resting on pilings over the water, joined by board walks and bordering on Ketchikan Creek, this area was the red light district where most girls had a house to themselves because then it would not be classed as a brothel and the police left them alone, it was also the only place a miner could get an illegal drink. The most famous being “Dolly’s” this house is still there as a museum along with a DollyJ
From here we went back onto the boat, tonight we sleep on the boat, and it’s a change from Wal Mart …………
The Boat.
The boats were very comfortable, very nice observation deck where we were able to sit with our binoculars watching the shore’s for bears, the water for Whales, Seals and anything else we could see, and the sky for Bald Eagles and other birds, we did not see a Bear but lots of Orca Whales, Seals and Eagles. Each time someone saw a creature everyone on the deck crowded around the same window. There was also a quiet room with comfortable loungers, on our last morning before Skagway I slept there most of the morning!
It was also a good opportunity to meet some very interesting people who have been on some great travels, we met some ladies making beautiful native craft going to a conference, Cathy and Cub were on all the same boats as us, this was really nice its good to see a friendly face, there was also another great couple Brenda and Lee from Alabama.
May 31st 2008
Yesterday we landed at Juneau. Booked a boat trip for today, We then went to see the Mendenhall Glacier, like all glaciers this is an awesome and beautiful sight the colours are amazing so many shades of blue but sadly this glacier is shrinking at a very fast speed, although it is moving there is more being lost at the front then being gained at the rear (hope that’s right!)
We did not see it calf. We have seen that in Patagonia
Spent the night at our favourite campsite Wal Mart!
Early start for a full day cruise to Tracy Arm a large Fjord where the sea is jade green, Icebergs redefine the colour blue, deep colours come with the rain and the brilliance of the sun. Granite walls reach for heavens. We cruise along in the chill air watching for bears, seals, mountain goats and of course Eagles.
We spotted a bear, lots of seals and their pups resting on ice flows, some seals very heavy about to give birth. One baby goat trapped on a ledge, the guys on the boat think the mother must have fallen off they have been watching this goat for around 3 weeks the mum was there in the beginning, the guys threw ice up to the ledge also some lettuce just to be sure the goat had water and something to eat, they told us they would let the rangers know, no one is allowed to touch wild animals. We saw lots of Bald Eagles swooping the skies, the whole day was terrific wonderful waters, beautiful icebergs, and 2 breathtaking Glaciers, we could not get very close because of the ice flow (shades of TitanicJ) however we got close enough to see the beauty of the whole thing, shape and colour awesome!
A truly memorable day which ended with a Mongolian banquet (Diane and Carol we recommend both of the above) this was followed by a sleep at Wal MartJ
June 2nd 2008
We leave our little cruise along the Alaska Marine Highway at Skagway made famous by the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 the biggest gold rush in history and the last great adventure that griped the world, 10’s of 1000’s of “Stampeders” came up the inside passage on anything that would float from Seattle to Skagway (which had been a native trading crossroad) to get to the Klondike River.
Skagway is the Klondike Gold Nation Historical Park the shops and houses have been renovated to the late 1800’s
We watched the video at the visitors centre; we walked the self guided tour of the town which was very interesting the little booklet had lots of “gold rush” stories. This is also called the Garden City of Alaska at the height of the Gold Rush people began growing vegetables, a combination of good soil, adequate moisture and long summer days translate into good crop with very large vegetables , they grow a huge amount of rhubarb!
My friend Cathy told me of a quilt in the museum made from duck necks! I could not imagine this, so off I went to the Skagway Museum, it was the first thing I saw just inside the door, beautiful.
I also purchased “Quilts of Alaska” so this is from the book about the quilt. “The lady who made it was named Jenny she came from Sweden, Jenny loved the colours of the neck feathers of Mallard, Canvasbacks, Pintails, Bluebills, Teals and others, Jenny was shown how to preserve the skins by Tlingit Indians (who used them for their ceremoniel capes and head dresses) this was done salting them and then sewing them together, she lined the quilt with peppercorns to keep away the moths, the backing of the quilt is made of old cloth, it appears Jenny used muslin to support the skins. “ A lady in the museum told me she had handled the quilt it was so very light and very warm. I have to tell you it is the most interesting and beautiful quilt, I will bring the book home so you can read and look at the picture and listen to the lovely song Cathy sings about it.
June 3rd 2008
We leave Skagway and head along the Klondike trail over the mountains and into Canada, the weather is much cooler, the drive is stunning up there with the best! We climb and twist and turn over these mountains with the river below, we see some of the trail that was used before the railway was built, wow! The people who took this trail had to carry 1 ton of goods enough to last 1 whole year, if they did not have a ton of goods the Canadian Mountie’s would not let them into Canada - you had to prove that you had enough provisions to be able to live for a year in this harsh country, can you imagine climbing over a snowy mountain pass with a ton of kit! Oh, nearly forgot they had to pay a tax on the ton of goods as wellL Well I drove over these not very snowy mountains; the Mountie asked me if I had any alcohol! That was all but it was very cold.
June 4th 2008
I left my lights on all night, flat battery this morning Les gave me a tow startJ
We drive into Whitehorse take the wrong road at a roundabout and ran (not literally) into Mary’s (from Vancouver) sister and brother-in-law, we knew they were going to Alaska but did not expect to find them so easy, they told us about Whitehorse a good place to eat and a campsite*
We had a lovely meal at their recommendation I had Halibut yummy! Then Margaret and I went to see “The Frantic Follies” good old time music hall it was great, very good infact. Then we went to sleep at *Wal MartJ
June 5th 2008
Les repaired the drain pipe on my hand wash basin!
We visited the “Old Log Church Museum” built in 1900, is still an active church showing Yukon mission activities, First Nation interacting with newcomers from 1861 to present day. We heard stories of early missionaries such as why Bishop Isaac Stringer ate his boots. While out visiting his “parish” he and his companion got lost in the winter time with a snow storm, all their supplies ran out his boots were made from seal skin so they cooked the skin up and ate it!! Saved his life!! It was a very interesting museum.
Next came S.S.Klondike. This sternwheeler represents a time when Whitehorse served a major function in transport taking miners, their families and those who wanted to take advantage of the gold rush.
This vessel was employed primarily as a cargo vessel taking mainly 1st class passengers it could carry in excess of 272 tonnes of cargo, Whitehorse to Dawson took 36 hours with one or two stops for wood; she would consume two cords of wood per hour, wood stops were provided along the river. From Dawson to Whitehorse her cargo was mostly silver or gold, the work for deckhands was so heavy/hard they seldom came back for a second season. If you could not afford the 1st class fare your bed would be down stairs with the cargo, but women had to sleep in a tiny cabin on the 1st class deck because a woman could not sleep where the men were!
We then did laundry and paid a visit to a small farmers market, this is new, just getting started we were too late for the food!
Then we slept at…….Wal MartJ
June 6th 2008.
We leave Whitehorse continuing along the Klondike Highway to Dawson City.
Driving a very beautiful road with forest on each side, we go up hill and down dale whilst we twist and turn along the Klondike River this is very high and fast flowing not as much snow on the mountains as we have been seeing. There are markers at the side of the road telling of the forest fires 1953, 1958, 1965 and 1995 its very interesting to see how each area is recovering. The seeds for new trees need fire; they are stored for decades in a pod that is sealed with resin the heat of the forest fire opens the pod enabling the seeds to drop onto the new revitalised soil, sprouting new trees, there’s clever and interesting.
There are several “Road Houses” most of which are derelict, in a small town “Carmack” the Road House has been restored, not much to see a 2 story log cabin we could not go inside, there are also a couple of old prospectors log cabins. These Road Houses were used in the winter when the river was frozen and the Sternwheelers were laid up in Whitehorse. Horses pulled carts/sledge carrying mail, goods and people from Whitehorse to Dawson City, the conditions must have been terrible, with huge snow drifts in temperatures well below zero, this is real wilderness country,
In the summer months the sternwheeler we visited yesterday took its cargo up and down the Klondike River between Whitehorse and Dawson City, as well as mail, goods and people the boats take gold and silver from the mines, she carried these cargos until 1952, when the train line was finished (I hope I have got that right) from then until 1955 the Klondike Sternwheeler was a cruise ship up and down the river.
Surprise, Surprise today we met with our friend “J” (from Moab folk festival and a couple of weeks ago) we thought he was in Alaska did not expect to see him again, he had come from Alaska to Dawson City over the “Top of the World Highway” We parked in a lay-by (pull in) for a hug and a chat but again we were nearly eaten alive by mosquitoes so into Les and Margaret for a nice cup of tea! It was lovely to see him again; we have the offer of leaving our trucks at his place in Reno, Nevada when we come home later in the year.
8th / 9th June 2008
Dawson!
This is were it all started the Klondike Gold Rush. August 1896 3 “Sourdoughs” (so called because they have seen the ice freeze and melt on the Klondike River thereby becoming old timers, a newcomer is called “Cheechakos”) found gold in Rabbit Creek, later renamed Bonanza Creek. It was a whole year before it reached the out side world it was July 1897 when a steam ship carrying scruffy miners and thousands of dollars in gold reached Seattle.
By 1898/99 Dawson became a city of tents, shanties and log cabins with a floating population of some 20,000 people, this was a wild town but the mounted police kept order, no guns were allowed, nothing was open on a Sunday and the “girls” were allowed to be there but had to behave J the red light district was on the other side of the river. We were told that it was from Dawson that the Mountie’s got their tag “They always get their man” there is only one way out not only of Dawson but Canada to take another route would mean certain death.
This is a huge gold field which is still being worked, (we didn’t find any) we did go visit Bonanza Creek. For 60 years the ground was dredged by huge machines the same machine that dredges a river bed or harbour, there is one that tourist can visit it is huge worked 24 hours times 7 times 52 extracting gold from the ground, there were numerous of these machine that worked the valleys of the goldfields, around Dawson today are 100’s of mounds containing rock and stone left by the machines
When the Sternwheeler started to cruise the Klondike River in the 1950’s bringing tourists to Dawson they were greeted by a small groups of locals dressed in 1890s costumes “The Klondike Tourist Bureau” wanted to give people a feel of the old “Gold Rush Town” this is still done today all the tours we went on the guides were dressed as 1890s they work hard at tourism which makes it great fun.
10th June 2008
Spent the morning doing chores including emails left Dawson City after lunch for the Dempster Highway which will take us to the town of Inuvik on the east channel that leads into the Beaufort Sea…………………………….
Please Note - not having the tech know how to send my own photos my daughter has used images from the web to illustrate some posts, check out this web site for more amazing pics
Hicker's animal and travel photography
1 comment:
You are using copyright protected images without permission on this blog.
it is clearly copyright infringement and could cost you up to 150,000 $ in fines.
If you would be at least as fair and put a photo credit and a link to the photographers website.
A couple of the images above are from this website:
Hicker's animal and travel photography.
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