2015 - Alaska Cruise

The "Grand" Princess Cruise Ship

(view of ship in Whittier, Alaska)

Above maps show our travel plans

June 5, 2015 - Kansas City, MO to Vancouver, B.C. Canada - Six people loaded into the truck with  six suitcases and headed to the airport - Harry, Gail, Heather Janke, and Jonathan, Valerie, and Jonah Rexin.  Earlier our two sweet dogs got to go to Stewart's Lake Dog Resort for their vacation.

We left Kansas City at 4:30 CDT to Seattle at 6:17 and then 7:05 to Vancouver at 7:52 PCT.             We stayed at the Hampton Inn overnight and then went via shuttle to the airport the next day.

Just wondering if the "man" shown on the plane to the left is a safe guy to fly with?   We however, settled in for the flight and up and away we went.  Heather is wondering about snacks….







Not long before landing in Seattle the Captain pointed out the mountain peak to the side of the plane identifying it as Mt. Rainier.  This is the highest mountain in Washington and the Cascade Range with a summit of 14,411.  It is a large active stratovolcano located 54 miles southeast of Seattle - considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world and is on the Decade Volcano list.

June 6, 2015 - Vancouver, B.C. Canada - Noon - Temperture 70 with clear skies - Princess Representatives met passengers outside the customs hall and gave directions for the transfer to ship.  We got on the bus about 11:00 for a ride to the cruise ship.  The bus driver was very informative about historic sites as we went through town.  

Settled in the coach for our ride to the ship, these two picked the back row..  (so the difference between a tour bus and a tour coach is that the coaches have a restroom - international restrooms as you are Russian to get there, and Finnish when you are done. haha)

This is a statue of Capt. John 'Gassey Jack' Deighton a Yorkshire seaman, steamboat captain, and barkeep who arrived in 1867 to open the first saloon.  He was the first settler on the current site of Vancouver.  The neighborhood of Gastown inVancouver retains the name and is a national historic site.  Name, because of his talkative nature and penchant for storytelling










Gastown's steam powdered clock was built in 1977 over a steam grate to prevent homeless people from sleeping there in cold weather.  The steam used to operate the clock is low-pressured steam from the downtown-wide steam heating network.  The steam also powers the clock's sound production as whistles are used instead of bells to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time.








After arriving at the ship terminal (oops, light sweater forgotten on coach, which had been spotted by the driver, left with cruise personnel, and thankfully retrieved) we went through the lines - security check, documents in order, pictures taken, room key given in fairly good time.  By now we were hungry…..





First things first - to deck 14 for pizza as promised to Heather.  Then, still hungry we headed to the Horizon Court to check the buffet line and were well rewarded.









Time to pose - celebrating boarding the Grand Princess and the beginning of our voyage.
Time to leave extra carryon stuff in our rooms.  We found our cabins on Emerald Deck 8.  Then with paper in hand it was time to get stamps from the various on board passenger services - i.e. Art gallery, Photo Gallery, Gym, Beauty Shop/Lotus Spa, Tour Reservation, Gift Shop, etc.









Awe, the Lotus Spa were Valerie got a sample message with hot rocks and aromatherapy.  Think she could have stayed there for a least an hour minimum!!  But, more to see…..















Checking out the Kidzone where Jonah could sign up for dinners, parties, movies, Wii/PS2/PS3, scavenger hunts, karaoke, sports tournaments.  So many choices.  And just saying, he spent a lot of time in this area.













Also as promised, Heather needed to stop for a break at the International Cafe for a hot chocolate.  Umm, umm good…









4:30 and time for the mandatory drill.  We got our life jackets and headed to our Muster Station in the Wheelhouse Bar on Deck 7.  We went 10 or 15 minutes early but the area was crowded with more people still to come.  (wonder what would happen if a really disaster).  This is mandatory and each person is checked in via their cruise card.  Later we hear them announce another session for those who didn't show up.

At 1628 mooring lines were let go and we sailed west having a final glimpse of the Vancouver skyline, the Brockton Point Lighthouse, and the edge of Stanley Park - a 1,001 acre park.











Heading to the Lion's Gate Bridge, opened in 1938, it is a National Historical Site of Canada.  It is a suspension bridge.  The length, including approach spans is 4.978 feet long with ship clearance of 200 feet.  The name came from a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.

June 7, 2015 - At sea - Noon - Temperature 52 with overcast skies.  Northerly course cruising through Seymour Narrows "one of the vilest stretches of water in the world" known for strong tidal currents.  Our passage wasn't too rough.  From Vancouver to Ketchikan is 400 nautical miles.  

During the cruise there were lectures on sea days about the various places we would visit as well as naturalist that came onboard sharing information.







Some of the fun fruit and vegetable carvings showing the talents of the crew….

So creative - I'm thinking "don't try this at home"…











And then there was the $10.00 sale in the De Vinci Dining Room.  Which watch to get - we got a black watch - the one by Heather's wrist.  There were also gloves, scarves, caps, and various trinkets.



















Entertained by Champion Lumberjack, Ray sharing about the rugged frontier of Alaska and his travels to compete around the world.  Audience participates were chosen to see who could throw an axe and hit the bullseye.  One guy was good.  The others were not good.  Two women tried - they were totally not good.








Tonight's dining was formal.  We had signed up for anytime dining so our dining room was the Michelangelo Dining Room on Deck 5.  Jonah had a standing order for grilled cheese sandwich that was served with potato chips.









The food was great as well.  No pictures because when the food came…..we ate.  The items we chose from were marked with a "v" for vegetarian.  There was always a salad and spaghetti to fall back on if one didn't like the other choices that varied daily.  Dessert always had Princess Love Boat brownie, Creme Brûlée, and ice cream sundaes plus different other choices each evening.

Ending the day with a show in the Princess Theater "Do You Want to Dance" starring the Grand Princess Singers and Dancers.







June 8, 2015 Ketchikan, Alaska - Temperature 55 with 1/8 cloud cover.  During the night we boarded Alaskan pilots and navigated the Tongass Narrows being at berth at 0630.  Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "first city" due to its location at the southern tip of the Inside Passage - it is the fist city you reach as one cruises north.  It stretches 31 miles long, but never more than 10 blocks wide as it is against Deer Mountain.



Ketchikan is also the rainiest town in Southeast Alaska and is know as the "Salmon Capitol of the World".  It has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles.  Many are recordings of old totem poles starting during Roosevelt's CCC.  The town is located on Revillagigedo Island and surrounded by Tongass National Forest.  Today we took the Tour "Saxman Native Village and Totem Pole Park".







Welcome to Ketchikan.  Although it was partly overcast we did see the sun during most of our visit.  Though a small town with population of around 8,000, sometimes there are as many as five cruise ships berthed at this port.  While we were here there were also two Norwegian and one Celebrity.






Creek Street was built on pilings over the creek (Tongass Narrows) versus blasting out rocks from the cliffs beside the creek.  Notice the barnacles as this is low tide.











Some sights along the tour as we drove to Saxman Village:

Dave Rubin's bronze monument "The Rock" was unveiled at Berth 1 on Sunday, July 4th, 2010. It features 7 life-size figures from Ketchikan's past: Chief Johnson, a logger, a fisherman, a miner, an aviator, a Native woman drumming, and an elegant lady in her 1890s finery.













This church is St. John's Episcopal Church, the first church in Ketchikan, built in 1903, just 3 years after the village was incorporated.
















In October of 2011 a bear cub enter through the sliding doors of this grocery store, where it made it's way to a produce cooler making a big mess requiring a big clean up and sanitizing effort.  No mother bear was seen so maybe the cub was an orphan.  Finally the cub was escorted out the back door into the forest.












Dolly's House Brothel - the former "bawdy house" is now a museum.  Dolly Arthur nee Thelma Copeland - the most famous "madam" on Creek Street - moved from Idaho in 1919 and stayed in Ketchikan till her death in 1975.









The tunnel is said to be the only one in the world that can be driven through, around, and over (on upper Front Street).  The tunnel, completed in 1954, eased access to Newtown; before it, a narrow plank street on pilings skirted the rock.









Arrived at the Saxman Native Village where we met a native Tlingit sharing a bit of the culture and language.  Then we walked a short distance through a rainforest area with lots of ferns, flowers, and trees to the Beaver Clan House built of red cedar with no nails.  We went inside to see a performance by local Tlingits as they welcome guests with a dance by the Cape Fox Dance Group.  (They thanked us for coming as this gives them the opportunity to keep their culture alive with the next generation).




The two little ones on the left were the greeters at the door.  Inside we watched the performers. Pictured on the right they are showing which clan they belong to with the designs on the back of their outfits.

Just down from the clan house is the Edwin Dewitt Carving Center.  Totem poles are still being carved, mostly from western red cedar, by commission from all over the world at a cost of $1000.00 per foot from beginning carver to $5000.00 per foot from master carver!
Also shown how cedar bark was prepared for weaving hats, baskets, etc.







Totem Bight State Park in Saxman...
Totem poles are not religious objects as the carvings are made to symbolize or commemorate cultural beliefs that recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events.












This area just down from the clan house has 14 totem poles with interesting carvings.  Carvings on the top of the poles have various carvings that can only represent living beings.













Across the road from the above 14 totem poles are  11 more totem poles lined up along Totem Row Street that ends in the river.
Beside these is a gift shop.
http://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/saxman.pdf  This site gives diagrams of totem poles, names, and meanings.










Back to Ketchikan, we walked around town and the Orca Corn was a must stop for a popcorn treat.














Seen beside ship as we waited to reboard.
The yellow "bubble" seen in this picture is a pneumatocyst - a gas-filled bladder that floats the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest.  Kelp forest act as underwater nurseries for many marine animals.








Back on board ship and there was time for a serious game of chess between Jonah and Harry.  Heather and I enjoyed just walking around catching the view of the town and mountains.












All aboard with a departure time of 1400.  Some beautiful homes along the waterfront as we leave town.  Instead of boats tied up at boat ramps some houses had float planes tied up at the "plane ramps".  (One airplane for every 78 people in the state vs. 1:1,270 in U.S. overall)












Watching as we leave town and move ahead into Tongas Narrows.  At 1845 we reached Snow Passage and then through Summer Straight, around Cape Decision and from there North to Juneau.










We saw several bald eagles.  This one flew along with us as our escort for a short way.













The evening entertainment was by comedian Carl Strong (also seen on Tonight Show, Comedy Central, etc.)
Jokes flowed touching on small showers, long buffet lines, etc.















This is one night that Jonah went with us instead of his usual evening at the Kidzone.  Yep, the comedian was pretty funny.











June 9, 2015 Juneau, Alaska - temperature 55 with overcast skies.  Arrived at 0728.  The capital of Alaska is located on Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle, and is the second largest city in the United States by area.  It is the only state capital that can be reached only by plane or boat.  Juneau was the first city founded after the purchase of Alaska from Russia.



Surveying the town……
In 1880 Joe Juneau came to the area searching for gold.  It was slow going at first but from the discovery of gold came three of the largest gold mines in the world.  By the end of World War II $150 million of gold had been mined.  Today the mines have closed but the city remains.







As we ate breakfast at the Horizon Court, we saw several bald eagles flying around and perched in trees.














Off to see the city and catch our tour for the day.  We stopped by the souvenir shop and Heather check out the big bear.
Four kinds of bears around - Black, Brown, Teddy, and Gummy!
Five kinds of salmon (five fingers as reminder): Chum, Sockeye, King, Silver, Pinkeye.















Our Tour "Mendenhall Glacier Explorer" was a three hour adventure by coach to see the glacier, water fall, and visitors center with a video.  This is one of the 38 glaciers flowing from the massive 15,000 square mile Juneau icefields high in the Coast Mountains.  We also hiked the trail to Nugget Creek Falls seeing lots of flowers, ferns, trees, and birds.  A naturalist gave talks about the area as well.







We walked the Nugget Falls Trail of about one mile to find the water falls.
Big rocks, ferns, flowers, and birds were seen along the trail.















A memorial along the trail to a beautiful wild animal that liked humans.  Writer Nick Jans discovered this black wolf - an ambassador from the wild that though remaining wild spent seven years interacting with humans and his dog cousins around Juneau.  Jans wrote a book "A Wolf called Romeo".













At the end of the trail was Nugget Creek Falls.  It was a beautiful site as we could walk along a beach area that was in front of the falls and also got good pictures of the glacier.















Picture from the beach.  It was an overcast day but we enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  The glacier is reported to be receding now at a rate of 25 - 30 feet per year.  The foot of the glacier is 300 feet deep.











Icebergs seen floating down the Mendenhall Valley.  The glacial ice formed under enormous pressure, has little or no air trapped and spaces between ice crystals are reduced.  Natives use the ice to keep things cold for an extended time because of its slow melt time.









On the way back from our tour the bus driver left us off in town for some sightseeing.
Here is the Hard Rock Miners Sculpture.  This depicts hard rock gold miners working underground using a jack drill.  Sculpted by local artist Ed Way in 1980.











Up Main Street is the State Courthouse with a bear statue in front.  Originally a modern art sculpture was there, but the locals felt it was out of place and the bear was much more representative of the area.















The Capitol Building.  Except for the marble portico, it is a nondescript brick box, probably the least impressive state capital building in the most beautiful setting in the nation.  Built in 1931.












Red Dog Saloon - go through the swinging doors onto a sawdust floor.  A western style pub with eats, drinks, music, and souvenirs.

Jonathan, Jonah, and Valerie took a Helicopter Tour of the glaciers seeing some beautiful scenery.  They were brave...

Seen here is a crevasse - a deep crack or fracture found in an ice sheet or glacier (as opposed to a crevice that forms in rock).  Size and depth varies depending on amount of liquid water found in the glacier.








Later that day on board ship we heard a presentation by Libby Riddles.  Shown also is one of her dogs.  She was the first woman to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985.





















At 2050 we left Juneau and set on a northerly course towards Skagway.

June 10, 2015 - Skagway, Alaska - Temperature 52 with overcast/rainy skies.  Coming through Stephens Passage and up Lynn Canal we were berthed at 0517.  Beginning in 1897 Skagway and the nearby now ghost town of Dyea were the starting places for gold-rush stampeders headed to the Yukon via the Chilkoot Trail.  Dyea was the closest route via a steep climb with multiple trips to bring supplies.  Because of World War II and the railroad (White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad) Skagway survived as the route over Dyea - railroad vs steep walking trails.  Now Skagway survives with tourism.




It was a cloudy morning with light mist/rain as we looked out at the town.  As the day progressed the mist/rain stopped and clouds lightened.











Across the street is an impressive wall of solid granite - the "Ship Signature Wall".  Since 1928 crews of ships have been "autographing" this wall listing the ship name, captain, and date to commemorate their first visit here - a virtual Who's Who of Alaskan passenger ships over the past 50 years.

"Soapy Smith's Skull:, which was painted in the Fall of 1926 on a natural rock formation shaped like a skull.  It's signed "FM" but nobody seems to know who it was that painted the signature wall's most striking piece.
Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith was a con man, gambler, gangster and crime boss.  One of his famous cons was to wrap a bar of soap with from one to a hundred dollars, then wrap that with plain paper so the crowd would see him.  Then he would sell the soap for a dollar and one of his helpers would buy and unwrap a bar of soap and show that he got money… so the name "Soapy".  He was shot in a gang fight supposedly by Frank H. Reid.







We took a Tour "Skagway Streetcar City Tour" Seeing the town, a scenic overlook, and the Gold Rush Cemetery.
Here is the Skagway Centennial Statue in Centennial Park representing a Tlingit packer followed by a stampeder just of the ship eager to find gold.  They are at the start of the Chilkoot or the White Pass trail.  Artist Chuck Buchanan

Rotary Snow Plow #1 - White Pass and Yukon Route Rotary Snow Plow #1 was built in 1899, retired in 1964, restored in 1995 and now sees occasional use plowing snow.  It is on display at the Skagway Depot.












The Martin Itjen House - a typical wooden frame house of the gold rush era now belongs to the National Park Service.  Martin Itjen came to Alaska in 1898 from Florida.  He was a miner, railroad employee, hotel operator, hack operator, undertaker, and tour guide.  He promoted the town and saved much of its local history.










The Red Onion Saloon was once a bordello in 1897.  Today it is a brothel-styled restaurant and also houses the Brothel Museum.  Said to have many strange sounds and sightings.
















Driftwood Building - A and B stand for the local chapter of Brotherhood that first met here in 1899.   Now home of the Visitor's Information Center.  The outside has 8,883 pieces of collected driftwood.  This was restored in 2004 with 60% still being to be preserved after 100 years.














Golden North Hotel - built in 1898, it is said to be one of the oldest hotels to operate in the Alaska area.  While not a hotel anymore, there is a restaurant and bar on the first floor.  Also suggested to be haunted by "Mary" as she died there waiting for her miner to come back.













Childhood home of Sarah Palin.













The scenic overlook as we drove on the road to the now ghost town of Dyea.














The overlook where our tour guide (man) and another tour guide (woman) told tales of the gold rush days.

Interesting information - Elementary schools have fences around to protect from bears;
-No hospital, only a clinic run by a P.A. and N.P.;
-No mail delivery as they use P.O. boxes;
-Military buildup here during WWII because of    
  Japanese presence in the Aleutian Islands
-Northernmost ice free port in North American;





On to the Gold Rush Cemetery showing the gravesite of Frank Reid who supposedly shot Soapy Smith.  Frank was a soldier, teacher, engineer, surveyor, and vigilante.  He became town hero after the death of Soapy Smith.  Some now cast doubt on this hero as he was also a claim jumper.
Soapy Smith also buried in this cemetery at a far corner, not a part of the main cemetery.
Many graves here that are just marked with wooden markers.  Many quite young.



Valerie, Jonathan, and Jonah took a Dog Sled Tour going to a kennel for information, a ride down the trail, seeing the kennels, and seeing the puppies.  Original sled dogs were chose for their size, strength and stamina, but modern dogs are breed for speed and endurance.  Most dogs weigh around 50 pounds and range from 35 pounds to 70 pounds.  

A ride with some very excited dogs.













Time for loving the puppies was part of the tour.














Steve Hites a local musician sharing stories and folk songs about Alaska.  It was a great show in the Explorers Lounge.









Left Skagway at 2052 retracing path to Chatham Strait then through Icy Strait around Point Gustavus entering Glacier Bay.

June 11, 2015 - Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska - Scenic Cruising - Temperature 50 with cloudy skies.  At 0612 we embarked the local rangers on our way to Lamplugh Glacier and Margerie Glacier.  The national park is positioned on the Alaska panhandle west of Juneau and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 5,130 sq. miles.  Though there is no land access, approximately 6,000 people visit each year mostly via cruise ships.  Only two cruise ships are allowed in per day.
This is an area of extreme beauty on all sides!

Lamplugh Glacier is 150-180 feet above the watering and 10-40 feet below.  The glacier is 3/4 mile wide and 16 miles long.





The sun was bright but with a bit of wind it felt chilly.  Some clouds in the sky hid some of the mountain peaks.  We didn't go too close to the glacier as there were baby seals.

















Black-legged Kittiwake Gull














The Margerie Glacier is a 21-mile long tidewater glacier located at the deep end of Glacier Bay.  It is about a mile wide and extends uphill for 21 miles till its source on the southern slopes of Mt. Root.
We watched for awhile as this glacier usually is more active in calving icebergs.  We saw and heard some but weren't on site with a camera.







The weather was nice and the crowds were enjoying the view.  Time for a family photo shot.

June 12, 2015 - College Fjord, Alaska - Scenic Cruising - Temperature 45 with clear skies.   The fjord contains five tidewater glaciers (meaning they reach the water), five valley glaciers, and many smaller glaciers.  They are mostly named after East Coast colleges (female NW and male SE).

Harvard Glacier has a 1.5 mile wide face, is 300 ft thick and covers 120,000 acres of the Chugach National Forest.












Harbor Seal seen swimming near the ship going on and off the iceberg.














Some of the other glaciers seen while in College Fjord.








We also passed Johns Hopkins Glacier - it is the only tidewater glacier that is advancing - meaning it has more snow and glacier formation then what is broken off as icebergs.









We did manage to include some of the ship activities during the day - line dancing, cha cha, onboard outlet sale, and making Klondike bracelets.
An unfortunate announcement was made "man overboard" which actually was that a person fell from one deck to the next one down below.  People say that the person did not move after the fall - serious.  On two previous times people were seen taken off the ship to an ambulance standing by.

June 13, 2015  Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska - Temperature 45 with clear skies.  This small town with population of about 222 persons is 60 miles from Anchorage and is an ice-free port.   It lies nestled in the Chugach Mountains bordering Passage Canal and is also the gateway to the spectacular Prince William Sound.  Established as a WWII port for cargo and troops.  The only land access is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a mixed used road and rail tunnel.

Rail: Whittier to Denali - Only carry-on tote bag allowed as you board the grain for a 9 1/2 hour (295 miles) trip to Denali National Park.  Travel scheduled from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.  Then transfer from rail depot to Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

The view from the ship at Whittier.
We packed the night before, leaving our suitcases outside our cabin, only taking small carryon items.  So with a last check of the room and a quick breakfast we were ready for the train trip to Denali National Park.









Walking the deck one more time as we waited for our turn to disembark.  The large house in the background is The Inn at Whittier with 25 lavish rooms, restaurant, bar, lobby with fireplace, and great views of Prince William Sound.












From the deck we could see our train waiting for us.













So long to the Grand Princess and on to the next part of the trip.









Yes, that is us - Gold Star Passengers in the front car that has a domed glass top and it's own stand outside viewing platform.  We sat on the second floor as the first floor had the dining area.  Don't know how we got this accommodation unless it was because we signed up early for this trip…









The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is the longest highway/rail tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles in length.











We are entering the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.  Built during WWII for trains, it was converted to accommodate cars as well in 2000.  There is a 15 minute turn taking.  So if you miss your turn going you have to wait at minutes for trains to come your way and then 15 minutes for cars to come your way.
We had a very entertaining tour guy (Ryan) who knew lots and lots about the area, about trivia, and had lots of jokes.  He walked and talked almost constantly for the 8+ hour trip.
Notice the glass ceiling and side windows…




We are settled in for the ride.  The car was a bit cool because as they day progressed it would be more difficult to keep it cool as we were in what was like a greenhouse.  Around noon we went down below to the dining car and had a roasted veggie sandwich and drinks - yummy.









Four cars were behind us and as we rounded corners we could check behind and in front - in front was only the engine.

Passing bye what remains of the town of Portage after the 1979 earthquake.  In the background there are some dead trees.  We saw a lot of dead trees standing in this area - victims of the salt water that killed them during the 1979 earthquake that brought in a huge amount of salt water..





Alaska's most famous Bore Tide occurs here along the Turnagain Arm.  The bore tide is a rush of seawater that returns through a narrowing inlet into broad shallow bay.  More extreme during full or new moons and the equinoxes (March & September).  It climbs from 6 to 10 feet high with speeds of 10 to 15 mph.  As we rode along we saw the tide going out leaving deep fissures in the sand that while still moist is like quicksand.





Entering the town of Wasilla.  The house seen with the green roof is Sarah Palin's childhood home (the closest she got to the "White House").
The Wasilla/Palmer area (13 miles apart) is the agricultural hub of Alaska.  Been know to have #20 carrot and #100 cabbage!









Our first sighting of Mount McKinley - Denali at about 150 miles away with a bit of zoom to bring it closer.
We were so excited as so many people make the trip without seeing the mountaintop clearly.











Reaching the highest point on the Alaska Railroad at elevation of 2363 feet.

Panorama Mountain at 5,407 near Healy, Alaska stands at the threshold of Alaska Range.  It is situated just east of the Parks Highway so very accessible for skiing and hiking.











Denali Fault Line - a major intercontinental dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault in western North America extending from northwestern British Columbia, Canada to the central region of the U.S. state of Alaska.  It was the main fault line  along which the 2002 Denali earthquake occurred that measured 7.9  (and yes it is in Denali Park).










Some wildlife seen along the way Dall Sheep, moose, bald eagles, gulls, trumpeter swans….

A toast to all as we neared the end of our trip and coming to Denali Park and to the train depot.  Here we boarded coaches for the short ride to the Denali Wilderness Princess Lodge.  The lodge sits  high above the Nenana River one mile from the gated entry to Denali State Park.








When boarding the train we were given a packet that included information about our destination with our room assignment.  (We were fortunate on this trip to have room assignments either next to Valerie, Jonathan, and Jonah or across the hall from them).  There were 651 rooms (the largest hotel in Alaska) scattered around the main lodge and eating restaurants.  We found ours in the K Building where we left our carry along items.  This is a Princess area.  However across the street were some eating spots and souvenir shops owned by locals.  We had supper at Subway which has a very predictable menu.



After eating we checked out the various souvenir shops and then looked for a grocery store to get some fruit to go along with our granola bars for breakfast.  A tour was planned for the next day so we wanted to sleep in and then go for the tour.
Note the sign on the left to Mushers….








June 14 - Denali National Park- Denali Wilderness Princess Lodge - 


We are on the coach and off for the 4.5 hour "Denali Natural History Tour".  We will be going to places that cars are not allowed.  Unique among many national parks, Denali has but one road.  Access along the first 15 miles of the road is possible by any private vehicle; travel on the rest of the 92-mile long road is large restricted to bus trips, run by a concessioner.
During the winter the park is patrolled by sled dogs as snow machines don't do well at -40.  Patrols are needed to prevent poaching.




The "Denali Natural History Tour" started with a film "Across Time and Tundra" about the park at the Visitor's Center and then on to our 17 mile ride lasting about five hours.  Very soon after getting on the school bus we saw this mother moose with two calves.










A beaver lodge - if the beaver lodge has stuff growing out the top and around, it has been abandoned as they keep their lodge clean.












A short walk to Savage Cabin.  Constructed in 1924 as the Cook's Cabin for the Savage Campground, the first tourist camp in Denali National Park it remains a tourist attraction with cook/heating stove, bed, chair, table, etc. as well as a functioning ranger patrol cabin.








Looking in through the side window to take pictures.  Note the nails that are around the window opening to discourage bears.















Butterflies and lots of flowers seen
along the walk.









Back on the bus a caribou was spotted.
Male caribous are larger and loose their antlers in the winter.  Females are smaller and keep their antlers till spring.













A caribou making its way up the river.


















A stop with restrooms facilities and then a short walk to the ridge to hear a presentation by an Athabascan Alaskan Native interpreter talking about her life here and the history of her people.












Here she is showing the shape of the state of Alaska and then pointing to the areas that would be on a map as she explains history.












As we are stand on the ridge, we can see Mt. McKinley in the distance.  Another beautiful view.












Going back to the bus we saw some Dall's Sheep high in the mountains.  They live in high altitudes up to 6500 feeding in the alpine pastures and mountain slopes on different types of grass, sedges, lichens, mosses, and willows depending on the season.








A picture of the lodge which is two-story and quite large.  The upper area has registration for the lodge, sign up for tours, large fireplace, and lots of chairs and seating as people wait for pick up from buses and as a general meeting area.  The lower level also has seating, a gift shop, a breakfast bar, and a Starbucks.  Behind the lodge are the different rooms for lodging and various restaurants (all by Princess).  In front of us and to our left our the locally owned shops and small eating places.





Lots of beautiful hanging baskets of flowers around the buildings.  The Cliff Swallows nested there as well.


















How exciting to find about the Summer Speaker Series and that David Sibley was presenting this evening on "The Psychology of Bird Identification".  He was an interesting speaker sharing personal experiences i.e. the time a red scarf on a wire in Arizona was at first assumed to be a Vermilion Flycatcher etc.

He had a slide presentation.  He showed the two photos below:  The one on the left most people saw as a duck (we were at a presentation about birds - so naturally the mind said bird).
The one on the right was an experience he had thinking he saw a shrike on a tree stump that actually turned into a great egret. (he had expected to find a shrike in that area).



















After the lecture we walked back to the lodge along the bike trail.  There was plenty of light as the sun goes down so late - 12:01 a.m.  It was a nice walk through the woods, along the road, and through a meadow.  Fortunately, we didn't encounter any moose or bear.  We did find lots of beautiful flowers.  For-get-me-nots are the Alaskan State Flower.

June 15, 2015 - McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.  Today we went by bus from the Denali Lodge to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge that sits on the banks of the Chulitna River, in Denali State Park, on the south side of Mt. McKinley.  Again the rooms were located in different buildings with shuttle service to the different areas.  In the large lodge was a gift shop, information/tour desk, the Mountain View Dining Room, Grizzly Bar, Starbucks, two large fireplaces, internet bar, game room and downstairs lecture room.  On the north side is a large deck for eating outside or just sitting and looking at Mt. McKinley….watching the "big one" as the sun changes the the color of the mountains.  Pristine views!



This taken as we left Denali Wilderness Princess Lodge for the 2.5 hour trip to McKinley Lodge by coach.  Again beautiful scenery along the way.

Along the way we made a couple stops to see the mountain.  This stop we walked to a viewing area getting lots of great views - another clear day.  Temperatures were warm in the sun with today reaching 84!




After leaving our carry along items in our room we checked the view...
Seen from left to right: Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, Mt McKinley, Mooses Tooth, and Mt Silverthorn.
Then we headed to the 20,320 Alaskan Grille to eat.  Jonah had a huge bowl of mac and cheese, Heather and Valerie had yummy potato skins, I had pizza, Harry and Jonathan had a sandwich.




Mountains as seen from the large deck on the back of the lodge.  The big three…
Mount Foraker at 17,400 ft.
Mount Hunter at 14, 574 ft.
Mount McKinley at 20,320 ft.












The "Big One".  I wanted to get up for a view at sunrise, but did not make that 4:00 a.m. time.














We walked on one of the many trail in the evening and saw some birds, lots of flowers, and lots more mosquitoes.













Finally found the bears and wolves…..  Quite a bit of sculptured wild life around the property.















This was one moose that was no threat!!
















June 16, 2015 - McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge  
Again a beautiful morning.  The morning began at 4:00 a.m.  We did not get up that early as we had heavy curtains over the windows.  The night cooled down as we had the window open (no air-conditioning).  Off to breakfast at the 20,320 Alaska Grille.  Harry and Heather had a skillet meal with scrambled eggs and potatoes.  I had a big bowl of steel cut oats with dried cranberries, brown sugar and milk.  Then we paid for the Shuttle ($10.00) to the town of Talkeetna 50 miles away.  Shuttle buses leave every hour on the hour and return from the town every hour on the half hour.  The town is home to the convergence of three major glacial rivers, a place for salmon fishing, rafting, and is known as the base for expeditions to Mt. McKinley





This is a small town so ease to walk from one end to the other.   It was a hot day and so the first stop was Shirley's Burger Barn for some ice cream.  Choices were Alaska Fireweed, Polar Bear, Strawberry, Malted Chocolate, Klondike Kahlua Truffle, or Creamy Vanilla.  We had the Alaska Fireweed which had a mild fruity flavor (where's the fire?)















A photo moment provided for the tourists.  Despite the heat we played the role.

















Lot of little shops with tourist trinkets and antique stuff.  (and flowers everywhere).


















Eighteen year old cat named Stubbs is the unofficial mayor of Talkeetna was found napping in the side storage room when we came bye for a visit at Nagley's General Store.
















At the end of the street is a small beach and the Talkkeetna River.  We walked alongside the river for a ways and saw a tour boat.

















A good view again of Mt. McKinley which is 59 miles away.













Along the walk we found evidence of beaver activity.  A tree was down as well as some fresh teeth work on the two trees.












The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.  If you want to climb Mt. McKinley/Denali this is where you have to come and get a permit to climb.











 Statistics about the climbers.  About 1200 persons come to climb the mountain yearly.  About 40% to 50% complete the climb that usually takes 2.5 weeks.











Weather conditions as reported the day we visited the ranger station.  Notice the highs today in town were 85 to 88, on Mt. McKinley highs were 25, and in Denali Park highs were 71 to 78!!








For lunch we went to Talkeetna Spinach Bread - an airstream trailer turned into a kitchen.  And yes, we had the spinach bread which was spinach, a blend of cheeses, roasted garlic served on hot, toasty, hearty, wood fired spent grain bread with brazilian limeade.






Then we caught the shuttle and headed back to McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.  For supper it was the Grizzly Bar. We sat outside on the deck to take in the beautiful views.  Unfortunately there were many, many mosquitoes and small flies that were a big nuisance.

June 17, 2015 - McKinley Lodge to Anchorage via coach.  Travel time about 3 1/2 hours.  The time could vary depending on waits for road repair and the Sockeye Fire.

One more look at the "Big One" - Mount Denali - before leaving Wednesday morning.
Of interest - the dispute over the name of the mountain continues.  The United States Board on Geographic Names lists it as "Mount McKinley" and the Alaska Board of Geographic Names list it as "Denali".  "Denali" means "the great one" in the Athabaskan languages of the natives living around the mountain and is the common name in Alaska.  Attempts to change the name by the federal government has been blocked by the congressional delegation from Ohio - home state of the mountain namesake William McKinley, who incidentally never visited Alaska…..

Traveling to Anchorage was a very comfortable ride.  We stopped multiple times for one way traffic through road construction.  In the summer is when they are able to do road work.  We traveled Park Road which parallels the Alaska Range for 92 miles. This road had been shut down for a time the day before due to the Sockeye Fire that had burned over 7,000 acres and still not contained.





Burned areas as we moved down the highway.














Spruce trees that have been burned.  As we continued diving down the highway, we saw were the fire crossed the road burning acres on the other side of the road.  Many people were displaced due to the fire danger and quite a few homes burned.  We were told that one musher lost a dog to the fire with the remaining dogs being moved to another musher's camp.  Very sad.







A view of the Captain Cook Hotel as we drove into Anchorage.  The three flags on top of one of the three towers are: U.S., Alaska, and British.  We were on the eighteenth floor.  After leaving our carry along items we set off to find food.
Pizza was voted as the choice and we stopped at Uncle Joe's Pizzeria for a great veggie pizza and a salad - this was a small place about four blocks from the hotel.  Later we stopped at the Glacier Brewhouse (fancy restaurant) for some peanut butter pie which was very yummy!







Walking a few more blocks brought us to the Visitor's Center.  In front is a huge Jade Stone - don't think anyone will make away with this one.















In front of the Visitor's Center we caught the free trolley that took us to the Ulu Factory.  (As usual there were beautiful hanging baskets of flowers)










The factory was mostly a gift shop.  On either side of the gift shop were windows to look through.  Only one area had work happening as a machine held a bowl while polishing the wood.  In the back of the store someone was packaging products.
(In the downtown shops we saw lots of Ulu knifes - Made in China!!)

















Behind the Ulu Factory was Ship Creek were the Slam'n Salm'n Derby was taking place.  It was busy earlier as more fish were running.
This is an annual fundraiser for the Downtown Soup Kitchen.  The winner this year caught at 37.55 King Salmon.










This Glaucous Gull was on the river bank and took off as we watched.  They are omnivores and eat just about anything.  Perhaps this one had found a King Salmon...








Back to the hotel and time for bed.  Valerie, Jonathan, and Jonah leave early for the airport as they are spending the weekend with family in the Seattle area.  We left later.  The room was nice - was expecting heated bathroom floors and heated towel racks for $300.00+ per night (this was included in the Princess package vacation).  The two beds were twin size so a bit on the small size.

June 18, 2015  Anchorage, Alaska.  We ate at the hotel restaurant for breakfast.  Harry and I had a bowl of oatmeal and Heather had pancakes.  Then on the coach for our ride to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.




Near the airport were many, many, small planes.  Again we see how many people use airplanes to get around in this state.









Here our plane awaited for us to board for the flight to Seattle.  There we changed planes and flew to Kansas City.  It was a long day.  At least the time change was in our favor so that getting home finally at 2:00 a.m. was really like 11:00 p.m. had we still been in Alaska.










Home at last after a fantastic vacation!!!  This trip was really the best vacation with each day packed with interesting sights, facts, entertainment, and most of all good family time together!!