Tuesday in Skagway Alaska

This was a very exciting day. We had booked our train ride up the White Pass well before setting sail and were looking forward to this trip. Partly because Ron and Bev had already told us a bit about it and partly because it was a trip on a narrow guage railway. Our train ride started early. 8:00 am early. Actually it was 10:00 back home so it was really coffee time! The trip was over 3 hours long going both ways and we would rise almost 3000' in 20 miles! This is a steep climb for a train!

Enjoy the trip with us!

Preparing to dock - close to downtown again!

Boarding the train (first car behind the engines)

Climbing through the forest - the whole train!

Hey, who's that at the other end of the car?

That's where we are going to go!

VERY close to the cliff at one point!

Nearing the top of White Pass.

Remnants of the actual trail of 1898.

The US/Canada Border at the top.

Switching the Engines making us the last car going down!

Trestle Bridge from early 1900's.

No longer in use!

One of two tunnels through the mountain.

Incredible construction for early 1900's!

Fantastic Scenery!

Way down there is our ship!

After our all morning trip up to the White Pass we went back on board the ship to have lunch. We realized Skagway has a very noticable tide. When we left for our train trip in the morning we got off on a ramp looking like this ...

When we came back for lunch it looked like this ...

A read of Pierre Burton's book "The Klondike" will give you a vivid description of Skagway when it was nothing more than a beach and a drifters town with approximately 30 Brothels along with a notorious smooth talking scoundral by the name of Soapy Smith!

After lunch we went back into downtown Skagway to snoop around. Again there was lots of jewellery shops. Ron got some good pictures of the restored original buildings! One stood out, being covered in driftwood! Made for a unique front facade.

Ron also found one of the few empty benches on a side street waiting for Bev and I in the fabric/quilting shop down a few doors. There weren't many resting spots in the town bubbling with four shiploads of people on a warm sunny afternoon!

When supper was done Peter and I had a quiet evening on the bow of the ship waiting to cast off. We left port an hour late because a tour bus with 6 passengers meant to be on our ship was late. I'm sure it created a stir up on the navigational deck in contrast to the peaceful evening we were experiencing without a care in the world! Here's one of my favorite pictures taken that night of my favorite guy!

Monday in Juneau

First of all, I must mention the subtle reminders we got every day in the elevators on board our ship reminding us how our week was slipping away. Every day the carpet changed to let us know what day it was. For me it was just a new carpet - I ignored the time ticking away as best as I could!



MUST WE BE REMINDED!

Our day started off with us taking a brisk walk around the Promenade Deck. Four times around was the same as one mile. So we did a couple of miles. While walking along the stern we noticed the ship slowing down. A small boat was approaching the starboard side of the Statendam to let a US Pilot on board to guide our ship through the American waters. That was a cool thing to watch!



BRINGING THE US PILOT ONBOARD

Our first port to visit and disembark was the State capital of Juneau. Why Juneau is the capital we aren't sure. Maybe because it isn't landlocked. You tell my why that choice! Whatever the case, it is a beautiful little town on a hillside making it very picturesque! Right away we noticed the vibrantly painted homes. And once we grew tired of shopping in the downtown district (which we were the "lucky" ship to be docked right in front of) we wandered around the residences bordering the shopping area. We found the Capital Building which is like our legislative buildings I guess. We also found the Governor's Mansion. All along the way there were plantings of large beautifully colored flowers. They obviously have a good growing season here! Later we found out Ron and Bev were just as bored with the shopping and wandered around among the other buildings. We could have huffed and puffed our way up and down the streets together!



FIRST GLIMPSES OF JUNEAU



ONE OF THE BRILLIANT HOMES



THE STATE CAPITAL BUILDING



THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION



FLOWERS!



ANYONE WANT TO BUY A CHURCH?

During supper we were able to enjoy the view out the large window and make guesses at what sea creature(s) was jumping and splashing in the water a few docks away from our mooring for that day. I don't think we came to a real concensious on the final possibility that was probably correct. No matter what, the meal was wonderful once again and none of us are sure how we will every be able to eat at the food establishments back home - including our own homes!

After supper we had lots of time to sit at the stern of the ship and relax in the warm sunshine watching the shops wind down their busy selling day and close up for the evening when the large cruise ships prepare to slowly pull out of port. It was very peaceful and quiet in our little corner of the ship for that brief time watching the day come to an end. We were also able to spend some time on the bow of the ship being entertained by the interplay between the ship's navigational crew up a few decks from us and a couple of very inebriated town locals down on the dock of whom one insisted on talking to the captain. This is probably a regular occurrence.



RELAXING AFTER SUPPER

As we were pulling out of Juneau we watched a large bald eagle perched on another dockyard watching us leave. All this is so new to us, but for the residents of Juneau - two legged or feathered - ships come and ships go each day for the brief summer the chilly arctic waters are able to carry curious intruders into their quiet little town.

That night we were greeted in our room by another new towel animal!



DUMBO THE ELEPHANT!

Sunny Sunday at Sea!

What do you do on a day at sea? Take in the many activities around the ship of course! After breakfast we went to the interdenominational service in the Wajang Theater. Not a large congregation gathered and the music was without accompaniment. A catholic priest did the service so it was quite interdenominational! After the short service Ron went to the Van Gogh Lounge for a talk there, Bev and Peter went to the Culinary Arts Center for a demonstration on "Fabulous Pastries" and I went outside on the Promenade Deck to watch the sea go by and get some fresh air to steady my swaying head. The only days when the ship seemed to rock were the days at sea. Once I had steadied my world I caught up with Bev and Peter and did a Behind the Scenes Kitchen Tour. Ron was busy finding out about the shores excursions coming up in the week. Later that afternoon we all took in an Alaskan Wildlife lecture on Feathers, Fins & Furs, where some of us found ourselves closing our eyes in the darkened theatre and nodding our heads - but not necessarily in agreement with the naturalist speaking!



Culinary Creation - Marzipan basket and roses. All edible!



Watermellon Flower

Ron and Bev relaxing on the Lido Deck

Peter snoozing on the Lido Deck

These things along with wandering around and watching the sea pass us by seemed to fill our day and take us up to the time to get ready for our first dress-up dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room. No tie for the guys meant no entry! We watched fellows being turned away with the stewards at the door asking them if they could get a tie from anyone, anywhere? The line-up had quite a collection of dress-up attire. Some very formal and some looking like it had been retrieved from the back of some closet where it had been stored for years! Quite interesting to observe!

All dressed up in the Atrium

Our show in the Van Gogh lounge rounded out our evening - "Hits of Broadway, Designs of Mackie". Lots of music and dancing and me trying to keep my eyes open. We'd already lost one hour travelling to BC and then Sunday night we lost one more! The extra time didn't mean the body was adjusting! 6 am back home came at 4 on the ship! Early mornings were cause for snoozing during the shows!

And yes - we had our towel animal (a lobster) waiting for us on our turned down beds along with the schedule for the next day and a good night chocolate!

ALASKA - Leaving Canada Behind!

Friday morning we arrived in Vancouver at the harbor early enough to first make a visit to Stanley Park. The Delta Valley is lush and green but I wouldn't say Vancouver is a beautiful city. Maybe Stanley Park is to make up for some of that. Only blocks away though is one of the saddest areas of the city - Gastown. In it's early days it was probably beautiful. Now the once glorious buildings are boarded and dirty with years of grime and neglect. What is most heartbreaking is the lives of those hiding within those walls. Lost to crime and drugs and more than we could probably imagine.

On to other things!



ANOTHER PRETENDING TO BE OUR KIDS PICTURE!
THESE ARE FUN PICS TO TAKE!



THERE IS OUR SHIP - THE STATENDAM
ACROSS THE HARBOR FROM STANLEY PARK!



FLOWERING BUSHES AS BIG AS TREES!
WHAT IS IT?

After a quick drive around the park we managed to make our way back to Canada Place. (Downtown Vancouver has lots of one way streets just like Calgary!) Once leaving the truck at the carpark we were escorted over to the entrance into Canada Place to go through a lineup for security check, a line-up for US Customs and a final lineup for checking on board with Holland America. Murphy said we would be the ones at the front of the last que when all the computers would shut down for every check-in booth. So Ron and Bev were onboard, freed of their carry-on in their stateroom and on deck to watch us walk up the ramp to board our floating home for the next week!

After a quick walk about through the ship we made our way to the Lido Deck for a great lunch after which we went to the bow of the ship to wait for cast off. There is nothing like the mix of emotions - relief to be going, excitement about going, and slight apprehension over actually going and what the next week will be like.



ON THE BOW OF THE STATENDAM



AND WE ARE OFF!



UNDER THE LIONS GATE BRIDGE
AND OUT TO SEA!



DINING IN THE ROTTERDAM DINING ROOM
WINDOW WITH A VIEW!



AFTER DINNER ON THE LIDO DECK
WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY!

ALASKA - The Trip to Vancouver

Friday and Saturday morning we drove to Vancouver with Ron and Bev to board the "beautiful and elegant" Statendam! We couldn't have asked for better weather. Not too hot with some cloud cover to keep the temperatures reasonable. Not pouring rain to make the trip miserable! We actually had good weather the majority of the time we were gone! Sounds like much better than Brent and Kirstin were experiencing here in Lacombe as they kept the office running smoothly while we were gone. They did have some good days though to enjoy our yard and flowers slowly starting to establish themselves for the summer!

We left Thursday night to stay in Calgary with Ron and Bev and early Friday morning we started driving west! 6:30 I believe it was! Early enough to have breakfast in Banff at Phil's!Along the way we enjoyed the mountain scenery and changes in landscape as we moved through various communities. We saw a large cinnamon colored bear meandering along the railway tracks somewhere out there in the BC mountains! Reminisced about other trips gone by through BC and anticipated a much longed for trip to Alaska by all. Friday early evening we arrived in Chilliwack to spend one night before driving into Vancouver and the ship waiting for us!





OUR TOUR GUIDES, BEV AND RON



POSING LIKE OUR KIDS DO (IN CHILLIWACK)!

Kev's 20th!

KEV BY THE PLANE HE IS WORKING ON



SHOWING PETER THE HYDRAULIC LINES

PETER WITH HIS HEAD IN THE "HELL HOLE"

ERIC AND BECKY CHECKING OUT THE BRITISH PLANES

THE VIEW AT LUNCHTIME!

THAT'S WHERE MY _ _ _ _ WORKS!

This past weekend we went to Calgary to celebrate with Kev his 20th birthday. No longer a teenager! I didn't even use the words "my baby" when talking about this milestone in his life.

Kev is working full time for Rocky Mountain Aircraft out of the Springbank Airport west of Calgary. Right now he is working on an airplane the company pulled out of the jungles of the Congo in Africa. They have two planes but this one appears to be in better shape. The other one is quite stripped down but full of bullet holes. Holes that upon close observation enter one side and exit the other! Hmmm! The stories it could tell if it could talk!

After our tour of the hanger we had a little break before meeting back at Eric and Becky's for bar-b-que lunch. Later in the afternoon, while Eric and Becky slipped out to another birthday party, Kev and Kels along with Peter and I went browsing around in tool departments and then out to the BIG airport to watch planes land and take off. I have no idea what they were - I tried learning a few things to watch for, but I think I need more time out there watching and studying aircraft. We did see a big American military aircraft land and taxi almost down to where we were.

After a bit more guy store shopping for Eric and Becky lining up some stuff for their basement for Kev and Eric to work on, we decided we better head home to Lacombe again. I hope Kev had fun on his 20th - I sure did!