July 2008 - Alaska - Silver Shadow

Tuesday, July 1 – San Francisco.  

We boarded the Silver Shadow down at Pier 35 in San Francisco.    Stephen took us down to the ship which made our transport of luggage and ourselves quite easy.   Am reticent about the walk to board the ship as I still have my cane and quite a sore ankle from the recent surgery.  I will make it work!

We walked into the cavernous housing of the pier and up and up and up some zig-zag ramps.   The climb seemed interminable, but at last we were in the waiting room longing to hear our “#7 group” called to board the Silver Shadow.   They were currently calling “#5 group”.  There must have been fifty people in the room.   Directly across from me was a party that had one older woman with a very swollen foot, only a sock on it and in need of a wheel chair to go any further (a wheel chair must have gotten her to this point).   The younger woman in the party wore a knee-to-toe orthopedic boot, one the same style as I’d just abandoned the prior week, and she limped along.   In the next row was a gentleman also waiting for a wheel chair.  To my right a couple with canes waited for their group number to be called.   Good Grief!

Finally called to board and go through the usual security check, get our ID card/room key and have photo taken.   Now we finally could discover all the nooks and crannies of this strange stateroom.   I use the word “strange” because this is the first time we have sailed with Silver Sea - unlike our many cruises with Seabourn that have us feeling as if we’ve “come home”.  On Seabourn we no longer have to waste a minute acquainting or orienting ourselves to our vacation surroundings.   This took a bit of time and I was exhausted.  Will describe the stateroom further into this journal.

We put away the contents of our handheld baggage and waited for the arrival of our three large pieces.   A bottle of French champagne was on ice so why not begin!  Drinking champagne made all of the unpacking quite palatable.

Then, of course, just as you begin mellowing out and the ship is getting ready to depart the pier, the call is sounded for shipboard muster - everyone into their life jackets (always a puzzle to untangle them and figure out what goes where) and up to our muster station on Deck 5 (our stateroom deck) and to life boat station A.   A quick run through on the proper wearing of the life jackets and on to the large theater where everyone can hear the same rules about departing the ship in case of emergency. This gathering gave us an opportunity to get a very good and complete look at all passengers.  GOOD GRIEF! (I say again.)  We’ve landed in the midst of an AARP Convention, with particular emphasis on those in wheel chairs and others using canes.   I fit right in!   I’m not ready to fit right in!  Right then and there I made a promise to myself that I would be diligent about my daily physical therapy exercises and be out of my cane shortly.

We now all know how to enter lifeboats or jump overboard in case of emergency, where to put the left hand, how to block the nose and mouth with the right hand.  One wonders if in an emergency, passengers remember all of this.

Back to the room to finish up odds and ends of settling in and then down to the dining room for dinner.   Most of the lead crew on this ship is Italian.   That includes the kitchen.   The food is really quite good.  At this point I would say SilverSea has an edge over Seabourn on the food only.

Hotel Director Paolo Percivale comes from the Ligurian Coast – Genoa, Italy.

Staff Captain Luca Ferro comes from a small village also on the Ligurian Coast – Nervi, located between Genoa and Portofino. Captain Ignazio Tatulli, Master of the Silver Shadow was born in Genoa. All three of these Genovese gentlemen are charming – of course – and delighted when we tell them that we still have family there!

We were surprised to find out that the SilverSea company is owned by an Italian.  This seems to be one of the very few lines that hasn’t been swallowed up by the Carnival group.

A short trip to the casino before bed – nothing good happened there!

Wednesday, July 2 – At Sea

Adolfo has surprised me and ordered a light breakfast in our room.  This is my very favorite way to go when cruising, but in the past he has not liked it very much so he usually goes to breakfast by himself.  Had a very lazy start.   Difficult to get out of my pajamas and get on with the day.

When waiting for the Terrace restaurant to open, we began speaking with three charming people also waiting.   Turned out they were from Stockton.  Bill and Carol. and their friend, Alice know our good friends, Joan and Michael very well.   That led to a really entertaining lunch with all of us and then we accidently met again as we were heading for the dining room at dinner and we continued the chatter.

Today was an uneventful day.   Lots of rest, reading, eating and drinking!

Blackjack was particularly good to me today.

Thursday, July 3 – Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada

Victoria, Canada, the Capital City of British Columbia has become quite famous for “the place” to settle for retirees.  The city is both old and new and from spring to fall has wonderful hanging baskets of flowers from all light standards on the streets.  The major buildings where the local ferries come in from Port Angeles, Washington present a breathtaking and very formal picture with the Empress Hotel straight ahead and the Parliament buildings on the left as you arrive by Ferry.

While the city was initially formed in the 1700’s, it grew into its own during the 1800’s when gold was discovered in British Columbia in 1858.  Victoria then became the port, supply base and outfitting center for miners on their way to the Fraser Canyon gold fields, mushrooming from a population of 300 to over 5000 literally within a few days.

Because of my sore ankle and my inability to walk any great distance, I told Adolfo at the beginning of the trip that I’d probably beg off all excursions.   However he found one in the list of choices for Victoria that he thought I’d be able to do.   We’ve been to Victoria several times so are quite familiar with its environs, Butchart Gardens, Craigdarroch Castle, and more.  We opted to go out on a jet boat out into the San Juan de Fuca Strait for an attempt to get up close and personal with the Orcas.  We were very lucky and saw tons of them, some breeching and others just cavorting in the waves.  Our naturalist guide, is a little over one year away from his doctorate in Marine and Mammal studies (or something like that!) and was quite knowledgeable.  All of these orcas have been tracked over the years and each has distinct markings that allow the marine scientists to give them code names such as J-22 and an additional name such as “Bubbles”.   Don’t know how our guide could do it, but he identified each and every orca, could tell by the shape of the dorsal fin whether or not the orca was male, female, a juvenile or adult.  Females live to be over 100 years of age and males rarely get past 90.

The Orca is commonly known as a “killer whale”, but is actually a dolphin.  Its chief diet is salmon.  It is the fastest fish in the ocean and groups of them have been known to take down a blue whale.  They are always in this location at this time of year because of the great numbers of salmon that come into the strait from inland rivers.  Our guide believes it is also the smartest fish in the ocean!   In one study the Orcas were given math equations and proved to answer correctly 20 out of 25 questions by hitting the correct pad with their noses. To fully believe this, I really need to have an example of what kind of problem they were given – don’t understand this at all.  They are very social animals and are no longer kept in captivity because often they will commit suicide being separated from their community.

Now – about the jet boat.   We were on the fastest jet boat – catamaran style – in the area.   We were given really heavy jackets, fleeced lined and waterproofed on the outside.   I’d brought a baseball hat but with the wind once we got going, took it off so that it wouldn’t be lost at sea.  It was quite cold.  My hair was whipping around my face and stinging like bees in the strong wind.   I’d certain be a mess on our return – I was!

On the way back to Victoria after the Orca sightings were completed, it got even colder.   The wind was so strong on our faces that I felt this must be what a face lift felt like when stretched a bit too tight!   We were like popsicles when we got back, anxious for a hot shower.

While Adolfo was told that this outing had little or no walking – it had quite a lot, and over one hundred stairs each way.   Ankle very sore at the end of the day which required usual doses of Aleve and accompanying medicinal cocktails. After another wonderful dinner and a very successful evening at the blackjack tables – slept soundly.

Friday, July 4 - At Sea in the Inland Passage

Happy Fourth of July!   Adolfo is now into the breakfast service in our room every morning.   I’m so happy with that choice.  It allows us a leisurely start each day - am very grateful that he’s enjoying it.

At I write, Adolfo has gone down to a lecture on the Klondike and all the gold history and I’m sitting in the Panorama Lounge typing away.   He’ll have to come back for me when it’s time for lunch – my watch has stopped, the battery is dead and there are no replacements on board.   I’m never am able to find clocks in the different rooms on the ship.

We are currently in an inland passage from Victoria up the coast of Canada – not the Inland Passage of Alaska.  That will come tomorrow.  The scenery is lush close to the water’s edge.  When the light is just right and the water calm, the reflection of the forest on the water makes for a solid green from ship to top of the mountain.   We see heavily forested land and rolling mountains on either side.   Behind the rolling hills are huge mountains with some snow on them - some soft and rounded and others quite craggy.  Lots of little islands dot this passage.   The water is very calm but has lots of stuff floating along.  There appears to be quite a bit of logging stumps that have found their way loose and bits and pieces of other things – none very interesting.  An occasional bird is a passenger on a log, passing by, and probably wondering whether or not our accommodations are as nice as his!

There is currently a group over in the corner of the lounge that is taking the daily Italian lessons.   Have no energy for that this trip but it could have been a wonderful idea.

Today at lunch we decided to go down to the main dining room and had a quiet table for two next to the window.  Along came another couple to sit at the adjacent table.  A bit older than we and of East Indian heritage, they were absolutely charming.   We actually should’ve all been sitting at a single table but instead ended up visiting between the two tables for the entire very long lunch.   Annie and Thomas live in Piedmont with their son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren.  This trip was a gift from their family in celebration of their 50 years of marriage and is their very first cruise.  Annie who is 78 years old is as spry as you can imagine.  She runs the household and takes care of everyone from Monday to Friday. Their son has a medical practice and the daughter-in-law is also employed there (believe they said she is a nurse).  On Saturday and Sunday, the daughter-in-law resumes the reins of the family.  Both women love this arrangement and consider it an ideal situation.   All get along very well.  Children are delighted to be constantly spoiled by both grandparents.

Fifty years ago, their marriage was an arranged one.  Both come from the state of Kerala in India and are of the Catholic faith as are their families – they said since the time of St. Thomas, who brought the gospel to India.  An absolutely fascinating couple – so much energy that it exhausted me!

July 5, Saturday – Ketchikan, Alaska

It’s raining.  This area gets over 160 inches of rain a year, which is the reason for the luxuriant plant life everywhere.  Temperatures range in the upper 50’s – no wind.   Today we traveled by jet boat (this one will be covered unlike the trip to see the Orcas) to explore Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness.  Visibility was not great, although along the way we were able to see several bald eagles sitting atop trees along the heavily forested shores and often spotted their massive nests in the trees. 

In 1978, over 2 million acres within the Tongass National Forest was designated as the Misty Fjords National Monument.  By granting Monument status to this unique wilderness, the ecological, cultural, geological, historical, and scientific value of Misty Fjords will be protected for generations to come.  Today’s Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Alaska Native societies have thrived within what is now the Monument for thousands of years. The first human inhabitants may have settled in the area as long as 10,000 years ago.  The rich marine and freshwater environments created the perfect spawning conditions for plentiful runs of salmon, the mainstay of their diet.  Sitka black-tailed deer, brown and black bears, wolves, mountain goats, harbor seals, beavers, minks, martens, and river otter are just some of the animals that fed, decorated, and clothed the Native peoples of this abundant region.  While he certainly wasn’t the first on the scene, it was British Captain George Vancouver who put most of the currently used names on the map, during his comprehensive mapping expedition of 1793.  Vancouver named New Eddystone Rock (stopping for a picnic lunch on the small island!) and Behm Canal, among other features.

We passed many places with wonderful names like Spire Island, Bold Island, Revillagigedo Island, Point Alava and into the Behm Canal where we jetted through the Narrow Pass between Revillagigedo and Rudyerd (sic) Island, through Princess Bay and the Short Pass, past Wasp Cove, Winstanley Island, Checats Cove, and then into Rudyerd Bay passing by Punchbowl Cove, going by the outlet from Nooya Lake, being dwarfed as we motored past the huge Owl Cliffs and into the Mouth of God. 

Located near the entrance of Rudyerd Bay, the distinctive shape of New Eddystone Rock is instantly recognizable.  Created within the last 5 million years, New Eddystone Rock consists of basalt that rose from a volcanic vent through fractures in the floor of Behm Canal.  Glaciers then advanced, scouring away most of the flow, leaving behind New Eddystone Rock and several other islands – though the others are not shaped nearly as distinctly as Eddystone.  It reminded me of what might be left of a carcass once all the meat was gone, a sharp craggy bone rising into the air.   Then as years went by the vision was softened by the growth of trees in and around it.

Once we sailed into Rudyerd, although the sun didn’t shine, the rain did cease and visibility became quite good.   Our poor captain, determined to give us some good sightings on the local wildlife was constantly on the radio to other boats in the area and finally heard that the very last part of this particular fjord “The Mouth of God” had near perfect conditions.   It was there in a meadow near the shore that a huge brown bear (grizzly) had been sighted.   We were off!  Sure enough, there was the bear, completely oblivious to our presence.   Never once lifting his head to peer in our direction but continuing to chomp on the long, tender, and very moist grasses that abounded in the meadow. Alaska is home to the Black and Brown (grizzly) bears.   The black bear can grow to approximately 1000 pounds and the brown bear can achieve a weight of 1500 pounds – almost one ton!

This area was truly beautiful with all strengths and shapes of waterfalls cascading from above, some through snow, but most just falling over the sharply, or smoothly glacial cuts of granite, only to disappear at the tree line and then to emerge at the very bottom as they emptied into the fjord.  Sometimes when all you could see was the lush forest, there would be a brief glimpse into the darkness of the forest and there would be pouring water from above.

The landscape of Misty Fjords is defined by its glaciers, both past and present.   Glaciers are formed when snow compacts and becomes dense and granular, re-crystallizing into glacial ice.  The distinctive blue color of glacial ice is due to the large crystalline structure and thickness of the ice absorbing yellow and red light, reflecting blue light back to the eye.  As the glaciers grow, they begin to flow with the force of gravity down mountain stream valleys. Glaciers are always in motion:  if the flow downward is faster than the rate of melting at the terminus, the glacier is advancing.  The glacier is retreating if the terminus is breaking off faster than the glacier is flowing. Vegetation quickly follows in the path of a retreating glacier.  Lichens and mosses arrive first, followed by shrubs and fast growing tree species like aspens.  Eventually, forests grow; most of the forest in Misty Fjords consists of western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedar and Alaska cedar.

Adolfo ran into someone he knows from North Beach.   Mario Donati is traveling with his wife, Anthy, and his mother Marian.   They joined us for dinner tonight and we had a great time.

The jet boat today was not crowded so I was able to use two seats and kept my foot up for the full four hours.   My ankle did quite well as I rested it while on the jet boat and then spent the rest of the afternoon with my foot propped up in our stateroom.  Have had to put my foot down (the good one!) and refuse to budge tomorrow.

Sunday, July 6 – Sitka, Alaska

It’s still raining, though lightly, it’s very wet and misty outside.   The boat is anchored just off shore and anyone going into Sitka will have to tendered back and forth.  Am staying strong in my resolve to not budge today.   Adolfo has decided that he doesn’t want to fuss with the tenders so will stay aboard.   The weather is not a real enticement to out and walk around.   We have been to Sitka before and enjoyed it in better weather.

All we’ve been hearing about is the most wonderful room service hamburgers onboard, so have opted to have a room service lunch and try them out.   Our friends last night like them so well, Anthy and Marian are having hamburgers for breakfast!

Sitka began as an important Tlingit Indian village and was called Shee At’ika, which translates roughly as “settlement on the outside of Shee”.  (Shee is the Tlingit name of Baranof Island).

In 1799, Alexander Baranof of the Russian American Company, a colonial trading company, decided to set up camp at what is now called Old Sitka, .5 miles (12km) north of the present-day town.  He called the settlement St. Archangel Michael.  The Tlingit Indians of the area resisted the occupation and, in 1802 with Baranof away, burned the fort and massacred the Russian settlers.  Two years later, Baranof returned and besieged the Indian fort.  The Tlingits withdrew and the Russians built a new city on a different site and called it New Archangel.

For over six decades, New Archangel was the capital of the Russian empire in Alaska.  But by 1867, the Alaska colony had become too much of a financial burden to Russian.  William Seward, U.S. Secretary of State, negotiated with Russian to purchase the Territory of Alaska for $7.2 million.  The American press scoffed at Seward and the U.S. government for purchasing what they called “Seward’s Folly,”  “Seward’s Icebox” and “Walrussia.”

On October 18, 1867, the Russian flag was lowered and the Stars and Stripes were raised over newly renamed Sitka.  (The name is derived from “Sheet’kah,” a contraction of the Tlingit word Shee At’ika.)  Sitka remained the capital of the US Territory of Alaska from 1867 to 1906, when it was moved to Juneau.  The move was a direct result of the gold rush.  In plain terms, Sitka did not have any gold and Juneau did.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sitka became a full-scale naval base.  At one time during the war, Sitka had a total population of 37,000.  With the end of World War II, however, the city settled into a quieter existence.  The biggest boom for Sitka came in 1959 when the Alaska Lumber and Pulp Company built a mill near the city.

Today, picturesque Sitka is known for its fishing and, of course, its many historic attractions.

After lunch Adolfo tendered ashore and walked around a bit.   I was so happy to continue to rest my ankle and needle-pointed all day long while I listened to my book via the iPod.   A very restful and good day.

We received an invitation to dine at the table of the Chief Engineer who is from Genoa.   Giovanni is a delightful man who was happy to have two people with Genovese background. We had a lot of fun.   The dinner was wonderful, primarily all Italian.

Monday, July 7 – Skagway, Alaska

Not raining today but overcast.

The Klondike Gold Rush comes alive in Skagway – the gateway to the Yukon Territory.

Through the opening of White Pass and the Yukon Railroad route to Yukon Territory in Canada, Skagway found its fame with the discovery of gold.  The Gold Rush was such a boon that by 1898, Skagway was Alaska’s largest town with a population of approximately 20,000.  Hotels, saloon, dance halls and gambling prospered.  But, as the gold dwindled in 1900, so did the population.  Today the population is less than 1,000, yet the town retains the flavor of the Gold Rush era in its historic downtown.

In addition to its fascinating history, Skagway also offers visitors opportunities to explore its great natural beauty.  Enjoy incredible panoramas with a hike along the Skagway River or a journey on the famous, narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Line.

We are just in the process of berthing in Skagway which generates so much noise from the ship – gear shifting, thrusters repositioning the ship, etc.  Good thing we are up and awake for we’d never sleep through this!  The waters now have changed color and have milky green color that signals waters coming from the glaciers.

Skagway is the port I remember the most from our trip to Alaska almost fifteen years ago.  The channel into the city is narrow and lined on both sides with mountains, again heavily forested and with patches of snow.   When we visited here last time, it was two months earlier, May, and the snow was very heavy, so the vistas were more dramatic.

Right after lunch, we’ll disembark the ship and take the White Pass & Yukon Line railroad trip up to White’s Pass.  One hundred years ago people would arrive in Skagway on an exclusive vessel to take one of the most adventuresome excursions of the time – Skagway’s White Pass and Yukon Route – the “Scenic Railway of the World”.  Today we will duplicate that trip, first class all the way, including a champagne toast at the summit and a brass ornament of membership, certifying our entry into one of the most elite clubs in Alaska – the “White Pass Summit Club”.  (wonder what that brass ornament is?!?!)

During this 3.5 hour excursion, we will be given a full commentary of the history of the Klondike Gold Rush, which describes how this railroad became an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.  We will experience breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites from the comfort of our vintage parlor cars.    Am toying with the idea of taking along my computer so that I can get the factual info right into my journal.  Decision to be made later – or I can take a notebook and try to read my shorthand when we return to the ship!

We are just returned to the Silver Shadow following the “Summit Club” excursion.   The trip was wonderful!  A bus took us from the ship to the train terminal – just two blocks away!  May seem silly, but there are so many in wheel chairs and others using canes – this seemed the best way to go.   Took advantage of the transport.  Wouldn’t want to burn any calories that can just as well reside in the newly acquired poundage of my body.

Into vintage train cars we piled and off we chugged, pulled by three diesel engines.  Through the old gold mining town of Skagway and on up the mountain the track wound over trestles, switching back and forth on the ascent.  River water cascaded down torrentially – water sort of a grey, light green color letting us know that the water was coming from a glacier and carrying in it lots of silt from granite.

Here, too, the forest is lush and filled with black cottonwood, shore pine, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, paper birch and my favorite – the subalpine fir.  This one is my favorite because it’s shape is absolute perfection – conical as if measured with a ruler and then pruned to exactness.  Tree upon tree is fitted into the forest, but these truly stand out to my eye.

Lots of wild flowers are along side the train track.  We saw western columbine, white yarrow, fireweed, butter and eggs (that’s the name!), alpine arnica, nootka lupine and wild geranium.

With every turn on the track, the car’s wheels screamed and whined against the iron of the train track.  For a while I felt as if I wanted to scream but then the noise became background and I no longer heard it. 

In order to protect my ankle, Adolfo and I each took opposite seats and I was able to elevate the leg.  Have found that this prevents swelling toward the end of the day.   Adolfo had the most beautiful view on the way up and wouldn’t you know it, also on the way down!  Felt this was right as he was taking the most photos.   But then he fell asleep on the way down and I was stuck once again with the non-view side!  I took one great photo of Adolfo - sound asleep.

Born in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, the White Pass & Yukon Route is a rare story in the history of railroad building. Every railroad has its own colorful beginnings.   For the White Pass & Yukon Route, it was gold, discovered in 1896 by George Carmack and two Indian companions, Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie.

The few flakes they found in Bonanza Creek in the Klondike barely filled the spent cartridge of a Winchester rifle.  However, it was enough to trigger an incredible stampede for riches:  The Klondike Gold Rush.

The rush for riches was actually predicted by Skagway founder, Captain William Moore.  He was hired by a Canadian survey party, headed by William Ogilvie who had been commissioned to map the 141st Meridian., the boundary between the United States and Canada.  Because the known route, Chilkoot Pass, was so rough and rugged, Moore and Skookum Jim decided to head north over unchartered ground and seek an easier route to the Interior.  They reached Lake Bennett, near the headwaters of the Yukon, and named the new potential route, Whit4e Pass, for the Canadian Minister of the Interior, Sir Thomas White.

The railroad, later built on this route, had a storied past, playing an important part in the development of the Klondike gold fields.  It carried men and supplies up 3,000 feet to the summit.   Although twenty miles straight up from Skagway to White Pass, the railroad features steep grades of almost 3.9% and required many more than the 20 miles of railroad track.    The tight curves of White Pass called for a narrow gauge railroad. Rails were three feet apart on a 10-foot-wide roadbed.  This meant lower construction costs. That’s enough about the railroad! 

The views were spectacular.  Carmac Glacier, hanging on a distant mountain was particularly beautiful.  We could glimpse that wonderful blue color at its glacial edge, even though it was very far away.  Very deep valleys and once again, water falls everywhere would begin at the top of glacial cliffs, tumble down the face, disappear into the tree line, peek through every so often and then emerge spectacularly near the river’s edge.

Perhaps the day, giving note to the historical memories, is best described in a poem by Frank Esposito, M.S., entitled - “Skagway” – written in 2005 after he rode the White Pass & Yukon Route:

I have seen where the glaciers lie,

Where men and stone have touched the sky.

Men who labored against the mountains might.

Through wretching cold and lonely night,

In search of nature’s Midas touch of gold!

Bestowing men’s fortunes with dreams untold.

Their hearts were strong, their spirits bold,

Yet many succumbed to the mountain’s cold.

Men still search for nature’s treasurers,

With dreams of riches and abundant pleasures.

Yet, perhaps true riches lie, where men and stone have touched the sky.

Enjoyed an Italian dinner last night at La Terazza, with Anthy and Mario Donati and his mother, Marian - lots of wine, good food and tons of laughter.  Then an hour at the casino where miraculously, after last night’s winnings, am actually “ahead” – and had the good sense to walk out with the money in my purse!

Tuesday, July 8 – On the way to Tracey Arm Glacier.

Awoke around 7:00 a.m. and decided to go up to the Terrace for breakfast.  We had a lovely table near the window and were able to watch the beginnings of the detritus floating out from the glaciers up ahead.   Various and assorted shapes and sizes of ice floated by.   Suddenly I saw a whale.  This incredible animal curved in and out of the water and then as if on cue, dove down, showing his wonderful tail out of the water before disappearing.   Breakfast was memorable. Some of the women on board are so silly when they sight whales – so very dramatic! “Oh!  How darling!”,  “So Sweet!”, “Oh, I’m so excited!” – all the while clutching hands to breasts.   These beautiful creatures are majestic and deserve our awe and respect.  When I spotted this particular whale, had the uncontrollable urge to stand and point and yell - “Thar she blows”!  Didn’t do it.

While at breakfast the captain announced that he’d just had word from another ship that there is lots of ice in the water near Tracey Arm and also quite a bit of fog, which we are just beginning to see.  Plans to visit Tracey Arm have been abandoned, but we have a backup plan.   We will be visiting Endicott Arm.   This glacier area has a larger bay and will allow the captain better maneuverability of the ship.   As we proceed up the channel, am beginning to have thoughts of the Titanic.   Ice floes are in the water, the foghorns of the ship keep on sounding our presence and right now I can only see the rounded dome of a snow-laden mountain above the fog bank.  The shoreline is completely obliterated.  We are barely moving.  All that is missing from this “Titanic” scenario is the fact that it’s not nighttime!

Later . . .We are finally out of the fog bank and the ship’s horn has quieted.  Rather than the occasional bits of ice in the water, there are now many, many more- some snow white and the larger bits carrying that wonderful tinge of glacial blue.  We’re also seeing lots of waterfalls on the shores of either side of our ship.

After breakfast, got myself comfortably ensconced in the aft Panorama Lounge.  This room has huge windows, comfortable sofas, and there is always plenty of room so that I can put my foot up.   Worked on my needlepoint canvas and watched more of the fabulous waterfalls coming down the rocks from glaciers high above.   The channel was steadily filling with all shapes of floating ice. 

Do you remember as a child, lying in a field during the summer, watching the clouds scud by and imagining different shapes of animals, or whatever?   Found myself doing the same thing with the floating bits of ice.   Some were just beautiful in color, many with that wonderful glacial blue, some clear, some frosty and opaque, some quite pronounced in their animal shapes and others (most of my favorites) just bizarre modern sculptures where God’s ice carver had gone wild!

When we arrived at Dawes Glacier at the innermost part of Endicott Arm, turned out I had the best seat in the house.   Most had been out on deck (freezing – it’s in the mid 40’s out there!) at the prow of the ship so that they’d catch first glimpses of the glacier.   I just sat, sewed and waited.  Turned out that when the captain turned the ship to head back out, the back of the ship was almost within touching distance of the Dawes Glacier.  I know, that’s a very slight exaggeration!   However, we really were so much closer at the back end of the ship.  Closest I’d ever been to the end of an iceberg, which on cue, did a little calving just for us!

That glacier blue color is so unique – starting at the light end of the spectrum with a light aquamarine.  On the Dawes, there is a large portion on the face of the glacier that is almost a cobalt blue.   Had never seen a glacier color so vivid and dark.  Absolutely beautiful!

As the boat turned to head out of the Endicott Arm, saw the other side of the channel.   Decided to go down to the dining room for lunch and lucked out with a table near the window.   We were able to see more of the wonderful ice floe shapes and hundreds of seals floating along on the ice - a lovely morning.

Treated myself to a manicure and pedicure in the afternoon and a fabulous leg massage with emphasis on the left ankle.  Right after the massage the ankle was so sore I couldn’t believe it, but later it felt quite good.   Will have another massage on that leg in two days.   Should have probably started this early in the cruise.

We joined two ladies from Marin County for drinks and dinner.  Gail and Josie proved really fun dinner companions.   Adolfo had been asked to look up Josie as we share the same stockbroker.  Adolfo then retired and I headed for the blackjack table where I again increased my gains.   Have never been in the black so far into a trip.   If I can just hold on . . . .

Wednesday, July 9 – Wrangell, Alaska

Raining Again! I’m on the ship until we get off on Sunday.  Not trying further to challenge this ankle, but will rest it a lot during the next few days.  Adolfo is off on the “Bespoke Adventure – the Stikine via Jet-Boat”.   He left at 8:30 a.m. and should be back mid-afternoon.   Sounded like a wonderful trip, but I can never be assured that there will be enough room for me to take up two seats and keep my left leg elevated.   It’s just easier to stay onboard.  He should see lots of wildlife and he takes wonderful photos, so I’ll have that on his return.

According to the ship’s newspaper, Wrangell is known as the city ruled by four nations.  However, the article fails to explain why this is so!  I will do what I usually do after a trip and go on line when we get home to verify facts and fill in the gaps.

Visitors to Wrangell can walk in the steps of John Muir amidst historic buildings and enjoy the beauty of the Stikine River and the surrounding wilderness.  Alaska is all “surrounding wilderness” – and so very beautiful!

After the Tlingits came the Russians, who began trading with the Tlingits in 1811.  In 1834, Baron Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, then head of the Russian government interests in Russian America, ordered a stockade built near the Tlingit Naanyaa aaye clan house of Chief Shakes that was located about 13 miles north of the large Tlingit village of Kotzlitzna.  The stockade, named Redoubt Saint Dionysius, was on the location of present-day Wrangell.   The British Hudson’s Bay Company leased the fort in 1840 and named the stockade Fort Stikine.  City ruled by four nations could be (1) Tlingit – native Alaskans (2) Russians (3) Britain and then (4) America – perhaps.  Yep, that’s got to be it!

Wrangell has the unique status of being the only Alaskan city to have been governed under four “flags”.  As I type this, I look out the window and see many homes on the hillside festooned with red, white and blue draping, and there are American flags flying throughout the town.  Don’t know if this is usual or because of the 4th of July celebrations earlier in the week.

The fishing industry has been and continues to remain strong and be the primary occupation of many Wrangell residents.

We are noting the temperatures at home and wishing we could share some of this cool weather with all of our family and friends.  Also the news just showed a map of the state of California with reference to all of the fires burning throughout the state – looks like most of the state is on fire – know that there are a lot of fires but hope this map was another gross exaggeration like others we find in the news.

Thursday, July 10 – Prince Rupert, Canada

Still overcast – no rain.

Prince Rupert on Kaien Island in British Columbia is picturesquely perched at the mouth of the Skeena River and known as the “City of Rainbows”.  It is the gateway to Northern British Columbia, the Queen Charlotte islands, and the heart of the famed Inside Passage.  As with so much of the scenery we’ve seen on this cruise, Prince Rupert is encircled by forests and mountains and overlooks the beautiful fjord-studded coast.

Tsimshian First Nations were the first people to settle in this area more than 10,000 years ago and as recently as 150 years ago their large cedar houses and carved totem poles lined the harbor.

Like many of the major towns in the northwest, Prince Rupert is linked to the growth of the railroad.  Prince Rupert’s population has fluctuated greatly over the years from its time as an American base in World War II through the boom years of the forestry and fishing industries. 

This port city has always been a north coast hub for British Columbia’s commercial fishing fleet and is the site of the largest and oldest cannery site remaining on the west coast.

Prince Rupert is today a center for commerce and transportation; the harbor is often busy with ships ferries and fishing boats.  Here you can experience world-class sport fishing, spectacular wildlife viewing and other adventures that showcase the beauty of British Columbia’s north coast.

We were only in port for a few hours so we elected to just rest and stay on board. The town is situated in such a way that if my ankle were healthy, this would have been a great place to tramp around and get some much needed exercise.

Before we left on this cruise, Adolfo’s stockbroker mentioned that he had another client that would be on the same boat.  We’ve met Josie, who is traveling with her daughter-in-law, Gail, and truly enjoyed several dinners with them.  They are such good company and lots of fun.

While Adolfo has attended the lectures, my days have been very quiet.  Have almost finished three needle-pointed Christmas ornaments.  After I do a bit of beading on each of them when I get home, they’ll be ready to be made up and I’ll have them prior to the holiday.  Have finished listening to a great and very long book, that was both interesting and thought provoking.  This is not a new book and I’ve had it on my iPod for a couple of years, but because of its length, have not tackled it before.  It’s Michael Crichton’s “State of Fear” and is about global warming.  What I found most interesting was the discussion of how any act, good or bad, has a further effect upon this earth.  I’ll say no more about the book, but would recommend it if one is up for a long “read”.  I now need to select something light for the next one.

Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12 – At Sea

Glorious Weather!

We are on the home stretch.   Two days at sea and we’ll be coming under the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday morning and disembarking shortly thereafter.  This is my favorite kind of weather when at sea.   There’s just enough rocking to remind me that we are on a ship.  The skies are blue, the sea is bluer and there are gentle white caps and nowhere to be except relaxing wherever you wish!  The deck outside our room was absolutely perfect this morning. 

I should have stayed there and had breakfast delivered to me, but am trying to wean myself away from all of the good food, so it’s just coffee for me this morning and then a light lunch.

Last night we had dinner with Josie and Gail and were joined by one of the entertainers, Marty Henne.   We’ve met Marty before on our Seabourn cruises.   He’s an excellent entertainer, plays the piano beautifully and has thousands of stories about the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and many more of that wonderful composing era.  We all traded cruising stories and found that we knew lots of the same people we’d each met while cruising.

The meals aboard this ship and I would imagine the rest of the SilverSea ships are absolutely wonderful.  For me, I believe this is the only area that would give SilverSea an edge over our Seabourn experiences.  We’ve met a few of the staff on this ship that were once on Seabourn and have discussed the differences.  Many believe that Seabourn started out better in the food department, then slipped a little but is now back in league with SilverSea.  Don’t misunderstand – the food on Seabourn is wonderful.  The food on this ship has been just a little bit more wonderful!  I’ve been particularly delighted with their choices on each menu for healthy dining.  Not one dish (and I’ve eaten most) has tasted like a dietary choice.

Not too many passengers around this morning in the Panorama lounge.  Probably most are digging out luggage from under their beds and commencing the big packing up.  This is probably what I should be doing and will start, following another leg massage and lunch.  Then we’ll attend to deciding what we’re wearing tomorrow and pack up the rest.  Luggage has to be packed and out in the hallway by 11:00 tonight.  As soon as we are cleared by customs tomorrow morning, because we have our own transportation arrangements, we’ll be able to leave the ship and get home.

I could do this cruise every year.  The scenery in Alaska is so very beautiful and whether you participate in the tours or not, the twelve days aboard ship are relaxing and renewing.  It took me almost six days to get into the “relax” mode and not feel guilty about not going off ship at the ports.  Being able to leave from and arrive back in San Francisco is just another reason for repeating this trip.  And now that I’ve finally got the “relax” drill down to perfection, we’re almost home!

Guess I’d better get on with my day so that I can begin packing soon.  It’s been a really fine almost two weeks!