There was so much to say about my Alaska Cruise aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner that I needed to split it up into two columns. In my earlier column I talked of my on board experience ' which was phenomenal and unforgettable. Now for my Alaska experience.
Where to start! I guess Anchorage would do ' as that was the real start to my wonderful cruise journey through Alaska. We met our cruise representatives at the Anchorage Hilton and boarded our motor coach for the 2 ' hour ride to Seward where our ship was docked.
Our drive along the scenic Seward Highway that runs along Cook Inlet which is a National Forest Scenic Byway. We were fortunate to have a very informative driver who gave us details of the areas points of interest from the purple colored fire weed along the road
(in which you can tell when summer will be over ) to the dall sheep that sit half way up the very steep hillsides. She explained that the mudflats that extend out into the inlet at low tide look very inviting but are like quicksand, and of Turnagain Arm with its incredible bore tides that are the second highest in North America.
Arriving in Seward located on the south-central part of the Kenai Peninsula we actually did not see much as we went directly to the ship ' but what we did see was a bustling quaint little harbor town with boutique type shops and art galleries. Directly across from where the ship was docked is the beginning (or the end) of the Alaska Railroad that stretches 470 miles to Fairbanks.
The scenery of Mt. Marathon along Resurrection Bay on our departure was breathtaking. This was just the beginning of one incredible site after another. The hanging glaciers with their reflections of the blue-gray sky looked as though they just stopped and suspended in mid air.
Day two was a day of cruising. Mid morning we listened to an informative enrichment lecture on glaciers by Alaska destination specialist. By mid day we cruised into Yukatat Bay to Hubbard Glacier, Alaska's longest tidewater glacier. It is runs 76 miles from Mount Logan to Disenchantment Bay at the Head of Yukatat Bay and ends with a 6 mile wide face at the waters edge. We watched while it calved icebergs from its edge. It felt surreal.
Next stop was Juneau. We decided on a city tour with a trip to Mendenhall Glacier, a tongue of ice stretching 12 miles from the Juneau Ice field to Mendenhall Lake. We were much closer to this glacier than to the other ' we can see the ice caves at the waters edge. We witnessed salmon spawning and although we did not see them ' others further down stream watched a mother bear and her cubs swooping up salmon.
We were fortunate to have beautiful weather to this point and our next morning was not much different. We awoke and opened the drapes to our veranda and was surprised to see the mountain side ' so close I felt I could touch it. Our ship was docked in Skagway and the pier ran along side the mountain. There were many shore excursions offered from dog sledding, mountain climbing, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad ' our choice. The railroad built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush took us along the narrow tracks through tunnels, along cliff-hanging turns, over bridges to White Pass Summit. The narrator pointed out historical sights, glaciers, mountain ranges along the way.
Next stop Sitka, a quiet little town with a Russian influence. We chose to walk around the town and visit the many museums, churches, Totem Square. It was such a beautiful day that we walked up to the Sitka National Historical Park.
On to Ketchikan. A bustling town with as many as five ships in port. We tendered in and embarked on a city and wildlife tour. We viewed bears trying to scoop up salmon at the local hatchery. They were quite entertaining. Our tour guide took us to off-the-beaten path where we could view many eagles both in their enormous nests and flying high above the trees. We visited Saxman Village in which we found totem park where we viewed the natives carving out totem poles.
Our last day was cruising the inside passage. A beautiful calm day to sit back and watch mother nature go by. It was a wonderful end to an incredible journey that we will never forget.
