Blogs from Alaska, United States, North America - page 273

Forget injuries, never forget kingnesses.____Confucius Sunday, June 26, 2005, Sunday. At the center of downtown Sitka is a large Russian Orthodox Church. So we thought we would attend service there. However we didn’t realize it was two hours of standing. The decorative church is filled with silver and gold everything and is quite ornate. After a half hour we drifted out the doorway. We THOUGHT we would be on the ferry today going to Juneau, but someone got the day wrong. Our first clue was when we got to the dock and no one was there. We recouped and decided to camp at Starrigavan Bay Campground in the Tongass N.P. It is a lovely location nestled in the forest. We need a few things and traveled back to Sitka. The movie is hard to find ... read more

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. _____Mother Teresa June 23, 2005, Friday. Bob and I decided to get away from each other for a while, a little too much togetherness. I walked out to Petroglyph Beach. It is believed the Indians before the Tlingits, carved these symbols on the rocks at the cove. Why? Well, folks don’t agree. Some guesses include a tribute to the great salmon, a fish that returns year after year, and sustains the natives. Another thought is, the symbols welcome back the fishermen to the safety of home. Bob was walking, looking, and talking with the town’s people. This is a nice friendly town. He talked with the city manger. This town went from 3700 to 2700 population, and now 1900. The sawmill closed and it hurt, but ... read more

Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to._Mark Twain Again we awoke early, thanks to the ferry whistle, and started to explore downtown Wrangle. It is an island about 30 miles long with a population of 1,900 and sits in the middle of the Tongass National Forest. Wrangle has been hit hard economically due to constraints on the timber industry. When the pulp mill closed, it lost almost 1/3 of it population. There is not much sympathy for environmental causes. We found the new museum, the James and Elsie Nolan Center. It is a modern structure with a magnificent collection of Tlingit (Indian) artifacts and historical pieces. The local electrician checked out the refrigerator problem. It seems it wasn’t installed properly and is leaking propane. So we can run it on electric when ... read more

My hopes are not always realized, but I always hope.______Ovid LINKS Name TRAVEL TIPS June 19, 2005, Sunday. We were awakened by an employee of the ferry going door-to- door, knocking, and calling,” One hour ‘til Ketchikan”. We have noticed folks in Alaska are a bit “lay-back”. They move slowly and efficiency is not high on their list of priorities. After docking, we drove off the ferry and headed to the Safeway. For some reason our “frig” isn’t working properly? We need some supplies. Downtown Ketchikan is quite dependent on tourism. Everyday cruise ships stop and the tourists flock into town. As we scouted around, we inquired about a plane trip to the fjords, it seems pricey. As we continued to walk the weather turned rainy and cooler. A good rainproof jacket with hood is ... read more

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty in every age of life really neve grows old.____Franz Kafka LINKS Name TRAVEL TIPS June 18, 2005, Saturday. This is a full day on the ferry as we move closer to Ketchikan, Alaska. Our room/berth was just above the motor and next to an outside door. So, between the motor and the door slamming it wasn’t the most restful night. We were up early looking for orca whales, but not a one appeared. The Forest Service has a Ranger on board and he/she gives talks several times a day. The ferry has also set two outside decks for tents or lounge chairs, campers. It is called the solarium and has heating elements in the ceiling for the lounge chair campers. The campers also have the opportunity to ... read more