ALASKA
June 2005
Highlights:
- Dog sledding and whale watching in Juneau
- Experiencing the gold rush era in Yukon
- Thundering sound of massive icebergs falling into the water in Glacier Bay National Park
- Encountering wildlife including grizzly bears, moose, and Dall sheep in Denali National Park
- Enjoying the vibes in Public Market Place in Seattle
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SINGAPORE > TAIPEI > VANCOUVER
Vancouver, a bustling west coast seaport in British Columbia, is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities. A popular filming location, it’s surrounded by mountains, and also has thriving art, theatre and music scenes. Our first meal was Chinese restaurant in Chinatown for dinner :) Lots of Hongkonger here in Vancouver. |
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VANCOUVER
- Stanley Park - Granville Island |
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VANCOUVER > INSIDE PASSAGE (PRINCESS CRUISE)
These are serene waters, where one moment you can be sailing a wide bay of barrier islands and the next you’re cruising through a narrow waterway flanked by towering forested walls. That’s the splendid spectacle of the Inside Passage – the scenery is constantly changing, from picturesque shores to friendly coastal towns. Stretching from Puget Sound, Washington, through the British Columbia coast and into the Gulf of Alaska, the Inside Passage includes more than 1,000 islands, seemingly endless shoreline and thousands of idyllic coves and bays. Sailing with Princess, you’ll marvel at the breathtaking scenery and encounter ports like Gold Rush-era Skagway and Ketchikan, the capital city of Juneau and British-flavored Victoria. |
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KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
We arrived our first port call at 630am after more than a day of cruising on sea. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska's fourth-largest city. Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, which includes the world's oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city's colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sportfishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument. We set sail again at 2pm from Ketchikan. |
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JUNEA, ALASKA
Arrived at our 2nd port call, Juneau, at 8am. In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans." From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government. Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau's 3,248 square miles. Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains. We decided to join a whale watching cruise as well as the helicopter ride to the snow cap mountain to do dog sledding today. The cruise set sail at 9pm from Juneau, |
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SKAGWAY, ALASKA
We arrived our 3rd port call at 7am. Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era. Here, we joined a tour to Yukon (Canada) to experience the gold rush era. The cruise set sail 830pm. |
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GLACIER VIEWING
We arrived the Glacier Glacier National Park (scenic cruising) early morning at 6am. Thunder doesn’t just come from the sky. Glaciers creak, rumble and calve explosively with a stupendous roar often referred to as “white thunder.” The sound and fury, the icy colors and the massive icebergs they shed make Alaska’s glaciers one of the greatest shows on earth and you can see it all up close with Princess Cruises. Every Alaska cruise with Princess offers at least one unforgettable glacier viewing opportunity, and many voyages include a visit to spectacular Glacier Bay National Park. Princess is just one of a few select cruise lines permitted to cruise this National Park and it’s included on every Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary, as well as on many Inside Passage sailings. |
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ANCHORAGE (WHITTIER), ALASKA
We arrived the final port call at 1230am, and picked up our rental car from a small convenient stall-cum-petrol kiosk-cum car rental shop here. Whittier, approximately 65 miles southeast of Anchorage, lies nestled at the base of the Chugach Mountains bordering Passage Canal. Established as a World War II port for cargo and troops of the Alaska Command, Whittier remained activated until 1960. Today, Whittier's economy and its 290 residents rely largely on the fishing industry, the port and, increasingly, on tourism. Once accessible only by boat or via a war-era railway tunnel, The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was recently enhanced to accommodate highway traffic as well, making it the longest highway/rail tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles. Named for the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, the community is also the gateway to spectacular Prince William Sound, with its magnificent tidewater glaciers and abundant marine life. |
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ANCHORAGE
Explore Anchorage today. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is in the south-central part of the state on the Cook Inlet. It's known for its cultural sites, including the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which displays traditional crafts, stages dances, and presents replicas of dwellings from the area’s indigenous groups. The city is also a gateway to nearby wilderness areas and mountains including the Chugach, Kenai and Talkeetna. |
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DENALI PARK
We drove from Anchorage to Denali, and took us about four and a half hours scenic drive, passing lots of snow cap mountains. Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses 6 million acres of Alaska’s interior wilderness. Its centerpiece is 20,310-ft.-high Denali (fka Mount McKinley), North America’s tallest peak. With terrain of tundra, spruce forest and glaciers, the park is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep. Private cars are not allowed inside the park. We have to park our car at take a public bus into the Denali park. However, the bus driver will stop once anyone on the bus spotted wild animals, especially grizzly bears. We were fortunate to spot a few, and one mama and three cubs were actually close to our bus. |
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DENALI PARK
White water rafting day |
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ANCHORAGE > SEATTLE
Back to Anchorage to catch a flight to Seattle We visited Snoqualmie Falls, which is one of Washington state’s most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year. At the falls, you will find a two-acre park, gift shop, observation deck, the Salish Lodge and the famous 270 foot waterfall. |
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SEATTLE
Seattle Public Market for more Alaskan crabs :) Seattle Space Needle |
TRIP PHOTOS - ALASKA