1994 Trip to Alaska.

Day 1-Friday July 8,1994  Flight Newark to Denver to Seattle to Anchorage-Frequent Flyer tickets

We had a 6 hour layover in Seattle and took a bus to downtown to see Space Needle. Arrived in Anchorage at 11:30 pm Anchorage time which was about 5:30 AM for our Body Time. Luggage did not arrive due to a mixup in our ticketing-change of flights between original reservation and check in. Days Inn gave us a room that had two people doing it in bed when we walked in. Oops.

Mt Ranier from the Space Needle on Seattle.

 

Day 2 -Saturday - July 9,1994  Morning-up at dawn -Jet lag. Picked up Rent A Car and went to Earthquake Memorial Park- mosquitoes - yuk.. Drove to Talkeetna for the Moose Dropping Festival. On the way back stopped at Independence Gold Mine-great site to see. Then back to Anchorage-Luggage finally arrived. Late dinner-Sun was still up at 11:00 pm when we got out of restaurant.

Talkeetna- gateway to Denali

Deli in Talkeetna

Welcoming us to the Moose Dropping Festival

Reindeer in Talkeetna

Reindeer in Talkeetna

Independence Gold Mine at around 6000 feet

Independence Gold Mine

Independence Gold Mine

View from Independence

River along the road to Independence

Gold Mine

 

Day 3 - Sunday-July 10,1994 Breakfast at Blondies-where they start the Iditarod (reindeer sausage-yum) Thunderbird Falls/ Indian Village Museum/Musk Ox Farm in Palmer. Knik Arm to the Musher's Hall of Fame. Interesting Day. Back to Anchorage.

Me at Thunderbird Falls

Thunderbird Falls

Eklutna Native Village Museum

Eklutna Native Village Museum Spirit Houses in cemetery

Eklutna Native Village Museum

Musk Ox Farm

Musk Ox Farm

Musk Ox Farm

Cabin in Knik

Part of the Iditarod trail in Knik

 

Day 4 -Monday - July 11,1994 Drove to Valdez-about 350 miles. Saw the Worthington glacier, which is right next to road and saw people breaking ice off for coolers. Stopped at Copper Center at National Park Visitors center and had a great conversation with a ranger about McCarthy and Kennecott. Evening in Valdez. Watched native peoples fishing right on Exxon Docks. Overnight at “Forget me Not B&B” where we had to take our shoes off in the garage before entering rooms. The proprietor did not want glacier dust to be brought into the room and rugs.

The Wrangel's in the distance from road to Valdez

Along the road to Vadlez

Looking at the Wrangels

Worthington Glacier right next to road

Worthington Glacier

Worthington Glacier

Waterfall close to Worthington Glacier

Worthington Glacier

Wrangel Mountains

Matanunska Glacier - Its a river of Ice

Waterfall close to Valdez- taken at 11:00 PM

 

Day 5 - Tuesday -July 12,1994 Ferry from Valdez to Whittier. Great 6 hour ride. The ferry takes you right past the Columbia glacier and stops there to talk about glaciers. At Whittier they put the car on flatbed train cars and hauled the car with us sitting in it to Portage-about 5 miles. This train ride has now been eliminated and the train tunnel replaced with a road. At Portage we went to see the Portage Glacier-awesome presentation. Overnight at Girdwood Ski resort.

Tamker at Valdez

Seals resting on buoy

Columbia Glacier from Ferry

Columbia Glacier fromFerry

Columbia Glacier from Ferry

From the Ferry

Coast Guard approaching Whittier

Waterfall at Whittier

Approaching Whittier

We were the last to be loaded on the flatcar

Me at the Begich Visitors Center - Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier

 

Day 6 - Wednesday - July 13,1994 Went to a Gold Mine to pan for gold-didn’t get rich. This was hard work. Then we drove to Kenai to see the museum there also a Russian Church with a small museum and then on to Homer Alaska.Great Steak dinner at the Homestead Restaurant in Homer.

Gold Mine for the Owner

Me trying my hand at panning

At the Gold Mine

Me taking a rest after the hard work

Kenai Rushian Church Chapel

Kenai Russian Church

Interior - Kenai Russian Orthodox Church

Moose along the way to Homer

Moose along the way to Homer

Moose along the way to Homer

Beach at Homer

Beach at Homer

Float Plane along the way to Homer

 

Day 7 - Thursday - July 14,1994 Thursday-Went Halibut fishing in the AM. It was supposed to be an all day trip but we were so worn out from fishing we quit at noon. I had my fish cleaned and frozen and scheduled to be delivered to High Bridge after we got home. Expensive but the fish were good. In the evening we went to see a local production of the “Foreigner” Good comedy.

Homer- Halibut Fishing Capital of the worl

Homer Fishing Fleet

Central Charters- Homer

Restless - the boat we went out on

Homer

Halibut cleaning

Our catch - we all kept two each

Day 8 - Friday -July 15,1994 -Happy Birthday to me. Talked to an amazing woman from Houston,Texas. In her late 70’s and had driven by herself from Houston to Homer. Very Feisty and an amazing personality. After doing laundry at the motel - the Driftwood, we spent the day driving back to Anchorage.

Day 9 - Saturday - July 16,1994 in the AM-Breakfast at Blondies-reindeer sausages-yum- got rid of the car and then at 1:00 Pm reported to the Civic center where Princess was organizing the transfers to Seward for the Cruise. Our Bus left at around 2:00 Pm

Day 9 Saturday night / evening departure from Seward in a foggy rain.

Crossing the Gulf of Alaska was a bit rocky. The acrobat show was cancelled and replaced with a comedian.

 

In Anchorage at the square

This is an independent thinking lot

Flowers in the square

The Alaskan Railroad

Mom is hiding

Our home for the next week

Regal Crown Princess

Education hasn't reached here yet.

 

Day 10 - Sunday-July 17,1994 Glacier Bay-to tell the truth we had been Glaciered out at this point with the Worthington, Columbia and Portage Glaciers. The cruise up the bay was great scenery. There was a bear walking on the glacier. Weather was overcast and not really good for pictures.

IntoGlacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Waterfall in Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

 

 

Day 11 - Monday- July 18,1994 Skagway-great train ride on the Yukon-White Pass railroad up to White pass. Skagway was an interesting town.

White Pass Railroad

Trestle - White Pass Railroad

White Pass Rail Road

Skagway from White Pass RailRoad

US Border Customs at Skagway

Trestle onWhite Pass

White Pass Railroad

Trail of the 98 still visible

Skagway tour car

Street View Skagway

Street View Skagway

Soapy Smiths gift shop

Alaskan Ferry loadiung at Skagway

Another Cruise Ship in Skagway

Only the horse and the chimney remain

 

Day 12 - Tuesday- July 19,1994 on the Inner Passage Landed in Juneau in middle of the night.

Day 13 - Wednesday - July 20,1994  in Juneau-Went to the Mendenhall glacier on a Hellicopter(waste of money in my opinion) and also took in the Lady that’s named Lou Revue-this was funny.

Arriving in Juneau

Juneau Harbor

Mural on Dock in Juneau

Street in Juneau

Interior of Orthodox Church in Juneau

Orthodox Church in Juneau

Helicopter coming in on Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier

Bowling wit boulders on the Mendenhall

Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier

Being welcomed in Juneay

Ladie Lou Review

Day 14 - Thursday - July 20,1994 -Ketchikan-Interesting tour of the Hatchery, the Totem museum and a horsedrawn carriage ride around town. Interesting place.

 

Barge that came close to striking the cruise ship

Our Tug arrives to push us in. Wind was fierce

Cribs for working girls in their day - now gift shops

Boardwalk Gift shops - former cribs

Statue in Ketchikan

Our conveyance on tour of town

What clear cutting looks like

Married men took this trail to the cribs

Boardwalk gift shops

Fish Hatchery in Ketchikan

Totem Museum in Ketchikan

 

Day 15 - Friday -July 21,1994 All day slow cruise down the inside passage- This is another Princess ship heading north up the inside Passage

Day 16 and 17 July 22 and 23,1994 Saturday Am arrived in Vancouver, BC Canada. Off the Boat by 9:00 am for the Bus ride to Seattle. Arrived at Seattle Airport at around 12:00 noon. Our flight to wasn’t until 11:30 pm.

Comng into Vancouver

Vancouver Bridge

Docks at Vancouver

Ferry Boat in Vancouver in the morning

We checked the luggage($50.00) airline wouldn’t take them for more than two hours before flight time. Took the bus to downtown-went to see Pike Street Market, took a ferry boat ride to Bremerton and back. Had a seafood dinner on the waterfront and then got back to the airport around 9:30 pm. Great day.

Space needle from the Bremerton Ferry

Salmon Farm in Puget Sound

Pike Street Market

Mongers of Fish or Fishmongers in Pike Street Market

Flowers in Pike Street Market

What a carousel ride this has been

Saturday night 11:30 flight to Houston.

Sunday Morning out of Houston for LaGuiardia. For a 1:30 pm arrival. These flights were not our preference but when you are flying frequent flyer tickets you don’t always get what you want..

It was a great trip and we would do it again. This time I would take a train to Fairbanks from Anchorage and try to get north of the Arctic Circle up towards Prudhoe Bay. Accessible by car.

                                                             

 

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