Leaving Alaska

We boarded Coral Princess in Ketchikan and set sail for Vancouver. It was Saturday evening and the Street Fair was going strong. We were looking forward to the relaxation of a final sea day, not realizing that there would be no sea day. Cruising the Atlantic or the Caribbean, as I have indicated, allows lots of time with nothing to see outside the ship, nothing but ocean and sky and vastness. We remained near the coast and all day Sunday found things to see, boats and fishermen and all sorts of wonderful activity. It put a final wonderful feeling on the entire visit, and one we will never forget.

As the trip began in July and finished in August, I put together a second TRAVELING Magazine cover, featuring Lady Baltimore, Mendenhall Glacier, and an eagle I spotted from Capt. Rob Halston's tour outside Ketchikan. The problem, of course, was choosing the few images to print over the many others that I will never forget. It was tough but it was great fun.

We arrived in Vancouver on Monday morning, got some interesting "morningscapes" as we came in to the dock, and bussed to the airport for the trip home. Next post we will look at the beauty of a city on a Monday in August and we will close the Alaska trip.

People of Ketchikan

As we departed our final shore stop, we headed back to Ketchikan and saw signs for a Street Fair and Battle of the Bands. With plenty of time before sailing, we walked through the downtown fair and it left an absolutely wonderful final impression on us. From Capt. Rob Halston and his crew, who were personable as well as professional, to the street vendors and the patrons of the fair, we met so many nice people that it was a wonderful day. The streets were alive with skateboarders and dog walkers, the concession booths had those wonderful smells of summer food, and we talked to a clerk in a bookstore about the weather and the people of Ketchikan. It was surely our favorite town on the trip.

And it is interesting that after the caribou and the bears, the sled dogs and the running salmon, the mountains and the glaciers; the town we liked best was filled with wonderful, friendly people who could make us feel at home. Reminds us a lot of the lesson we already knew, the one about how ordinary people are the treasure of the earth. Thanks for the reminder, Ketchikan.

That evening we headed toward Vancouver and our airplane ticket home. Watch for the next post.

Immies Showing Off?

As we approached an island lighthouse, which was quite interesting to see in its own right, we saw that there were dozens of eagles standing on the ground, clustered on the lighthouse itself, or walking on the beach. We had learned that all eagles in Alaska are bald eagles, but the characteristic white head does not come at birth. The immature eagles --- hence the term "immies" -- take up to three years to grow into their adulthood and their majestic look.

As we neared the island, I saw two immies on a rock and could almost hear teenagers talking. "What do you wanna do? . . . I don't know, what do you wanna do? . . . I don't know, just hang out, I guess." We have all heard the script so often. Then the talk was over, wasn't it, as one closed the discussion with "Hey, watch this . . . " I heard the captions in my mind as the shutter was clicking. And later, I was pleased to see that I had caught the tableau. It was a highlight of the day and of the trip.

After docking from Capt. Rob's wonderful tour, we headed back to Ketchikan for a surprising added bit of fun. That is for the next post.

Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles

Our arrival on Saturday in Ketchikan found a sunny sky in a town that had seen rain for several straight days. A vibrant downtown left a positive impression and we boarded a bus for a short trip up the coast to see a lighthouse, totems and some eagles. While the title sounded good, it fell far short of the wonderful adventure we were in for. At the dock we boarded a comfortable boat captained by Capt. Rob Holston, who narrated and guided us on a great morning's trip.

Yes, we saw a lighthouse. Yes, we saw totems on display in a totem park, and we were able to do so without leaving the boat. And yes, we saw eagles. Oh, did we ever see eagles. As Capt. Rob toured the route he knows so well, he showed us an abandoned logging camp built right on the water, several opulent seaside mansions, and -- count them -- 15 giant eagles nests. And on the sunkist morning, we saw at least 60 eagles, many of them sitting majestically on their aeries and others in full flight. The clatter of clicking cameras was almost constant as the eager tourists saw memorable images virtually any way they looked.

Readers of this blog over the past two weeks know that day after day we had wonderful experiences and a ton of adventure. But after we were back aboard ship, we were asked to evaluate our excursions, and Capt. Rob and his crew drew our highest rankings. It was such a wonderful morning that we will have to return to the boat on the next post. We will see the eagles who were visiting the lighthouse.