The only way to travel to the cities in the Inside Passage is either by plane or ferry. Of course we had to travel by ferry.
We had to get up on Monday morning at 3:00am in order to catch the 7:15am ferry to Ketchikan. We had to be there 3 hours before departure to get your vehicle measured and go through customs. This is a 6 hour trip so after we got our car parked on the ferry we took the dog and two cats out of the car and put them into the trailer. The dog was confused and the cats were terrified, but they should be more comfortable in the trailer because they are so familiar with that space. During the ride we are not allowed onto the car deck to check on them.
When we arrived at Ketchikan it was very foggy and overcast, but we could see four cruise ships docked at the downtown port. Ketchikan is Alaska’s southernmost city that sits on stilts at the base of the Tongass National Forest. Its current population is around 7,900. Ketchikan claims to be the salmon capital of the world and is the wettest community in North America with an average rainfall of 156 to 162 inches a year. We spent the next 3 days exploring Ketchikan. We explored the historic Creek Street (Ketchikan’s thriving ‘red light district’ in the early 1900’s) and the downtown area with all the other 11,000 visiting passengers from the cruise ships. When the last cruise ship leaves port, all of the shops close up...even if it’s 2:00 in the afternoon!
Other sights we visited were the Tongess Historical Museum, Saxman Totem Village, and Totem Bright State Park. Ketchikan contains the largest concentration of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people in Alaska. This heritage can be seen in the many totem poles that populate the area.
On one of the days we did a three hour catamaran tour into the Misty Fjords National Park. It was a foggy and wet day, but we saw some beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife; harbor seals, a Humpback Whale with her baby (in the distance), a pair of Orca whales (also in the distance) and about 20 bald eagles.
July 24 - 28, 2009 – JUNEAU
This ferry trip to our next destinations was a 20 hour trip with a 3:45pm departure time. For this trip we rented a stateroom with bunk beds and a private bathroom. This time we left the pets loose in the car instead of transferring them into the trailer. The last time we did this, all the noise and traffic really terrified them. It turned out that they were more relaxed and comfortable with this arrangement. The ferry made a few stops before reaching Juneau. We were able to go down onto the car deck and check on them and even take the dog for a walk on shore during those stops. We were the first vehicle to board the ferry and they instructed us to turn around and back up the ramp and continue boarding her backwards. We could not believe it…we just stared at them. Board the ferry backwards, with a trailer and car and up a steep narrow ramp?? Are you crazy! Well we did it, but it took us a good 15 minutes. It turned out that we were not the only ones. Every vehicle had to board that ferry backwards..and it took forever to get her loaded. It must have had to do with the stops we had to make and who were getting off at each stop.
Coming into Juneau with view of Mendenhall Glacier
The 20 hours passed quickly. We relaxed in the dining area, worked on our laptops, watched a DVD on our laptop in our stateroom, checked on the pets and walked the dog at each stop and had a good night’s sleep. We had breakfast the next morning and arrived in Juneau around 10:00am.
Juneau, with a population of around 30,700, is the capital of Alaska. It lies along the Gastineau Channel at the foot of snowcapped mounts Roberts and Juneau. When Joe Juneau and Richard Harris discovered gold in 1880, they started the first gold rush in American Alaska. One of the first things we did in Juneau was visit the Capital building and Sarah’s house. But the day we visited the Governor’s Mansion was the day that Sarah Palin left office, so we waved good-bye.
We spent 4 days in Juneau exploring the city and seeing the sights outside of the city such as the Mendenhall Glacier. There are several hiking trails in this area and a creek (Steep Creek) where Sockeye salmon were running. Nearby this creek was a family of Grizzly bears (a mom and two cubs). From a bridge going across the creek we were able to watch mom and cubs nursing, napping, and playing. We visited this area each evening and were able to observe mom and cubs each time. Unfortunately, the family was behind bushes, up in the trees or too far away to get any decent pictures.
We visited some museums and explored the downtown area and on the docks we found a bronze statue with a sweet story behind it. Here is Patsy Ann’s story (click on the picture to enlarge it for better reading):
A ‘must see’ when visiting Juneau is a drink at Red Dog Saloon. This is a funky, fun, sawdust on the floor kind of place.
The McCaulay Salmon Hatchery, where 122 million salmon eggs are hatched annually, is another interesting place to visit.
July 28 – Aug 6, 2009 – FLORIDA
OOPs. How did we suddenly get into Florida? Well, while we were in Ketchikan, I (Jo) got a call from my cousin (more like my sister) Linda in Polk City, Florida. She was going to have heart surgery (valve repair) on July 22nd and she needed my help. She needed someone to be with her for at least 2 weeks after her surgery. She had no other resources and could not be left alone. So I spent several days trying to find a reasonable flight out of Juneau. There isn’t one. But I did get a flight out, even though it was a red eye and I had a 4 hour layover in Seattle. Dave was going to continue on with the trip as planned and I would meet up with him in Fairbanks nine days later.
I did have a wonderful time with my cousin and her family. While her family was at work, and in between her medication and naps, Linda and I visited and talked about growing up together and shared stories about our parents. We also discussed the world’s problems and tried to solve them, but that is going to take more than 9 days, so we put that aside for another time. Towards the end of my stay, Linda was feeling strong enough to venture out of the house. So I, along with Linda and the rest of her family, got to spend a little time at Walt Disney World before I had to return home.July 28 – July 31, 2009 - SKAGWAY
While I was in Florida cousin-sitting, Dave was exploring Skagway. Here is his adventure:
After I put Jo onto a plane bound for Orlando, I spent the remaining time in Juneau watching the Bears and other wildlife and scenery at Mendenhall Glacier.
Then it was off to Skagway by ferry. Another water trip for “our little house on the Ferry”. Unlike the last two ferry trips, the rain had stopped and it was a sunny, bright day.
It was a beautiful trip up the Lynn Canal, the longest fjord in North America, with high mountains and glaciers close on both sides. Beautiful views from the ferry.
Skagway was another gold rush city. In 1897 hordes of would-be prospectors swarmed ashore at Dyea and began the trek over treacherous mountains and down raging rivers to the Klondike. The settlement of Skagway grew into a thriving city of more than 20,000 people. Today Skagway is almost completely taken over by the Park Service and has been restored to its 1898 Gold Rush appearance and has a population of about 860 people. But during the summer months it grows to around 9,000+ each day as the cruise ships dock at its ports. So Skagway has a lot of tourist traps, but it also has a lot of history.
I spent some time touring the neighboring ghost town of Dyea which had been a competitor to Skagway during the gold rush era. Dyea died and Skagway survived due to a narrow gauge railroad built over the White Pass and on into the Yukon to Whitehorse carrying freight and Miners. Dyea also suffered a catastrophic event in 1899 when an avalanche killed 50-60 townspeople, a large number of them are buried in the old Dyea cemetery which is very unique for having many, many headstones all with the same date of death.
This is all that is left of the town of Dyea.
Another day was spent on an excursion on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. This is a vintage train that chugs across mountain rivers, chasms, and takes you quickly up several thousand feet clinging to the sides of the mountains to the Canadian Border and then back to Skagway. This rail line was built in 1898 to carry people and supplies to the Klondike gold rush.
After several days exploring here it was time to move on and so I and the critters were off again, up the Klondike Highway, over the mountains, to Carcross (Caribou Crossing), Yukon.
Stay tune for Vol 5 – North Alaska.
