2011-37 Ketchikan, Alaska & Victoria, Canada
Hello All,
As our ship thrusts away from the dock in Ketchikan, Alaska, you can see that we were not alone along the waterfront. It seemed that at every port of call in Alaska there were at least three other ships. The state is a popular tourist destination.
As our ship thrusts away from the dock in Ketchikan, Alaska, you can see that we were not alone along the waterfront. It seemed that at every port of call in Alaska there were at least three other ships. The state is a popular tourist destination.
Tongass Narrows is the
waterway passing in front of Ketchikan and it hums with floatplanes, fishing
boats, ferries and barges hauling freight to other ports along the inside
passage. It was fun to be able to stand on deck and watch floatplane after
floatplane fly by at eye level. The de Havilland Beaver is the workhorse of the
flying fleet in Southeast Alaska. However, we saw quite a few de Havilland
Turbo Otters flying.
In addition to the constant
stream of airplanes coming and going there were bald eagles soaring overhead.
They are such a majestic bird and we never tire of seeing them.
Just as we started steaming
down the narrows the Alaska State Ferry “Taku” passed. It is one of many state
ferries operating on the Alaska Marine Highway System which serves Southeast
Alaska and other areas of the state.
If you are looking for another option for seeing Southeast Alaska the ferries are an excellent choice. You can travel with or without a vehicle. Since they are smaller ships they cruise in waters that the large cruise ships can’t. This affords you the opportunity to see many smaller communities and some very scenic areas. You can get off the ferry and see the sights, then catch the next ferry passing through. Ferries depart Bellingham, Washington, make a port of call in Prince Rupert, Canada, and then serve 14 ports of call in Southeast Alaska.
Another wonderful trip is to drive from the lower 48 states through British Columbia to Prince Rupert and catch the ferry there. In our eyes, British Columbia is the most scenic area of any place in the world that we have traveled. The 433-mile drive from Prince George to Prince Rupert is awesome.
If you are looking for another option for seeing Southeast Alaska the ferries are an excellent choice. You can travel with or without a vehicle. Since they are smaller ships they cruise in waters that the large cruise ships can’t. This affords you the opportunity to see many smaller communities and some very scenic areas. You can get off the ferry and see the sights, then catch the next ferry passing through. Ferries depart Bellingham, Washington, make a port of call in Prince Rupert, Canada, and then serve 14 ports of call in Southeast Alaska.
Another wonderful trip is to drive from the lower 48 states through British Columbia to Prince Rupert and catch the ferry there. In our eyes, British Columbia is the most scenic area of any place in the world that we have traveled. The 433-mile drive from Prince George to Prince Rupert is awesome.
As we said farewell to Alaska
we readied ourselves for our next port of call, Victoria, Canada. It was
wonderful visiting our old stomping grounds but we were now looking forward to
an adventure in the capital city of British Columbia. It is such a beautiful
place and we hadn’t been there for several years. And, to make our visit even
more special we would be arriving there on July 1st--Canada Day. It
is the Canadian equivalent to the July 4th Independence Day holiday in the U.S.
We sailed through the night and most of the next day. When we arrived at the dock there was quite a greeting committee to welcome us. The leader bellowed out a welcoming speech in old English brogue while the others waved. As we got off the ship they welcomed us and handed out small Canadian flags and pins to everyone--it was a nice touch.
We sailed through the night and most of the next day. When we arrived at the dock there was quite a greeting committee to welcome us. The leader bellowed out a welcoming speech in old English brogue while the others waved. As we got off the ship they welcomed us and handed out small Canadian flags and pins to everyone--it was a nice touch.
Don’t you think the seagull
droppings on the dock add to the ambiance of the photos--Not!!
Victoria has become a favorite
place to live for retirees from Canada and the U.S. Folks have discovered that
it has a mild maritime climate with less rain and more sunshine than other
locations in the Pacific Northwest. This is due to the Olympic Mountain Range
in Washington stripping the moisture out of weather systems before they make it
to Victoria. Sequim, Washington, is also popular with retirees for the same
reason.
We learned that there would be a fireworks show in town as part of their Canada Day celebration. We decided to take in the merry-making so we hopped on a shuttle bus and headed into the city. It is such a lovely city with lots of flowers and a great deal of charm--one of our favorite destinations.
We learned that there would be a fireworks show in town as part of their Canada Day celebration. We decided to take in the merry-making so we hopped on a shuttle bus and headed into the city. It is such a lovely city with lots of flowers and a great deal of charm--one of our favorite destinations.
This statue speaks a thousand
words. It represents a Canadian Navy man returning home after a deployment. His
young daughter and her puppy are running to greet him. You can’t see it in this
photo but on the other side of him he has dropped his satchel to the ground.
Sticking out of the satchel is a teddy bear he’s bringing home to her. It was
so touching and beautifully done. The statue is a 100-year memorial and
dedicated to the tens of thousands of Canadians who answered both the call of
their country and the sea through service in Canada’s Navy.
In the following photo you can
see that many folks were decked out in their patriotic red and white. And the
crowd kept growing by the minute. In the background is the majestic Empress
Hotel. It faces west overlooking Victoria’s inner harbor. It is well known for
its lovely afternoon tea served to hotel guests and folks just dropping in to
see the elegance of the hotel.
On one side of the inner
harbor sits the Parliament Building. There was a stage set up on the front
steps with bands playing and lots of folks enjoying the music.
These colorful little water
taxis were giving harbor tours and harbor hops--transporting folks to and from
their boats.
As the evening wore on more
and more folks arrived to watch the fireworks. It was a real mass of people on
the streets. The vast majority were high school and college age. However, we
never saw anyone getting out of line. Everyone was on their best behavior and
having fun. There was no debacle like occurred in Vancouver a couple of months
earlier following the Stanley Cup playoffs. If you look on top of the building
on the left in the following photo, that is a policeman standing at the base of
the flagpole. There were police with binoculars and cameras on tripods on top
of many of the buildings in addition to those walking the streets. Victoria was
making sure the celebration went off smoothly.
As dusk settled over the city
the lights came on. Buildings took on a lovely evening glow in the twilight.
Finally the sun started
setting over the harbor and everyone waited with great anticipation for the
fireworks to start.
We didn’t have to wait long
before the first rockets shot into the air lighting up the sky. They flashed,
boomed and exploded into the night sky for about 30 minutes.
It was a wonderful show and a
great conclusion to our cruise and short visit to Victoria. We departed this
charming city and sailed through the night, arriving back in Seattle by
daybreak.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns