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Published: October 16th 2023
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After sailing out of Vancouver we cruised up the Inside Passage. This is such a delight because it’s in protected waters and there is an abundance of sea life, bird life and beautiful scenery along the way. Happily for us the weather was dry and quite balmy the whole first week of our cruise.
In Ketchikan, our first port, we escorted our group on a Distinctive Voyages land tour. We were fortunate with the timing because the salmon were running. We saw thousands and thousands of salmon making their way up rivers and creeks in order to spawn. It was mesmerizing to watch their determination to hop up the swim ladders and over the rocks and rapids to reach their final destination.
We visited the Saxman Tlingit Native Village and learned about their history and the ancient art of totem poles. We met Nathan Jackson, a Tlingit native and renowned wood carving artist. His totem poles can be seen around the world. This 84 year old craftsman still toils daily in his wood shop near the Tlingit Clan House. At Clan house is we participated in some of their traditional dances and ceremonies. One of the interesting totem poles
at the village was of William Seward. Seward negotiated the 1869 purchase of Alaska from Russia. At first it was referred to as “Seward’s Folly.” It has turned out that the $7.2 million was money well spent!
We next visited the George Inlet Cannery which was built in 1913. The workers lived and worked in quite primitive conditions. About 100 men lived in one dormitory and shared a single bathroom and shower. In another dorm 100 women, mostly from the Philippines, had no running water. They bathed in the ice cold stream nearby. A young Arizona couple live there now and conduct the tours. They prepared a nice snack of salmon sandwiches and fish chowder with locally brewed beer and Alaska blueberry soda for us. The tour was excellent and educational.
In Juneau we went on a whale watching boat trip in Mendenhall Glacier Bay. On the bus ride to our tour boat, we noticed so many churches. The driver told us that there used to be a law requiring one church for one bar. I guess each had their own version of “holy” water. On the boat tour we struck it rich with whale sightings. The humpbacks
were preparing for their long migration to Hawaii. They eat krill for 18 hours a day while in Alaska and then head out for aloha-land where they breed and birth their babies before beginning the trek back up to Alaskan waters. Our guide said it was the best whale watching day of the season and we got to experience it.
In Sitka we went to the Sound Science Center which is home to an aquarium, a wet lab, and a fish hatchery. Here the salmon enter Swan Lake and then are caught and their eggs are harvested. The eggs are put in incubators for months until they reach maturity and are released into the wild. During the Gold Rush Era, the fisherman harvested blocks of ice from Swan Lake and shipped it to the bars and restaurants of San Francisco. The 49er miners were mighty grateful!
In Kodiak we walked to a small handicraft exhibit. This region is known for its handwoven baskets and wooden artifacts. Then we hired a local cabbie to take us around town. The numbers of fishing trawlers and huge factory boats are amazing. It makes me wonder if there are that many fish
KNOW YOUR SALMON
A “handy” reference guide to Alaska salmon.
in the sea to fill all of these boats. This is a favorite stop for the crew as there is a Safeway grocery and a Walmart store in Kodiak. They can stock up on essentials before heading to Asia.
Our last port of call in Alaska was the remote port of Dutch Harbor. Dutch Harbor is the setting for the TV show, “The Deadliest Catch.” Most of our tasty crabs are caught in this area. The morning we docked the sun didn’t rise until after 9am as winter is approaching. It was one of the only places in the U.S. that was attacked by the Japanese in WWII. Dutch Harbor feels like the end of the world as it sits on the Aleutian archipelago in the Bering Sea. Alaska is a beautiful, wild, huge frontier filled with amazing wildlife, mountains, glaciers, forests and hardy people. The history of its native peoples and early settlers is fascinating. The 49th State is a sight to behold.
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Carol J Beck
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Joys of Travel
As always, your trip report was thoroughly enjoyed. And "yes" it brought back many happy memories. Nothing like seeing the world, and hope to see YOU TWO next time.