This year was something totally different for us - a 14-day cruise to Alaska
on the S.S. Universe Explorer at a price too good to miss.
Despite previous misgivings about traveling with a whole bunch of strangers and
not being able to escape, we had a wonderful time. Our itinerary included
Wrangell, Yakutat, Sitka, Skagway, Valdez, Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau,
Seward and Ketchikan, then south down the outside of Vancouver
Island for a final day in Victoria before returning to Vancouver.
Captain
Anders Anderson, attended by his First Officer and a Pilot, delicately
nudging the 617-foot Universe Explorer up to a dock using the bow
thruster. 45 years old, the ship had classic lines, unlike the floating monstrosities
of modern cruise ships. It had steam turbines, rather than the usual diesel engines,
and this made for a very quiet ship with virtually no vibration. No casinos, no
slot machines, no disco lounges, and very few children. Casual dress to the point
that someone could probably go to the Captain's cocktail party in shorts and not
be alone. A cheerful, attentive crew and lots of good food. A smaller ship, we
got into more places and ports than most, and stayed longer when we got there.
The emphasis was on education, with lectures on everything from astronomy to anthropology.
Mostly
we traveled at night and approached ports at dawn - the best time. Sometimes I
was alone on top to capture images in luminous Alaskan air.
Wrangell was our first and smallest port of call. The children there
enjoy the exclusive right to mine and sell local garnets, doing good business
on the dock.
June
guarding the forward mooring lines at Skagway. On the rock face
alongside the dock, ships from all over the world have been leaving their names
for decades. Tourists have been visiting this little town, famous for wild saloons,
historic shoot-outs, notorious ladies and the start of the Chilkoot Trail, since
the late 1800's.
An old steam locomotive in rustic retirement at Skagway after decades
of hard work on the famed White Pass & Yukon railroad.
It was the 25th. Anniversary of the
Universe
Explorer visiting
Valdez and they gave us a great small-town
welcome. Crew members, as well as passengers, enjoyed shopping and exploring ashore
at the ports of call. Suspended overboard for the never-ending task of keeping
the ship in spotless condition, one man was taking photos from his privileged
perch.
We
were in
Tlingit territory much of the time. One evening, three generations
of a native family from
Yakutat village visited to give an evening
lecture. They welcomed us as guests to their ancient homeland and then, while
the ship was underway, were taken off by small boat at as we passed their home.
This totem pole is one of many on the coast, some ancient, some newly carved.
Even
big cruise ships stay a respectful distance from calving glaciers. Though most
are retreating, one glacier was advancing at the incredible rate of 35 feet a
day and had dammed a large adjacent lake, cutting off some kayakers - they had
to be flown out. Here, a small block of ice has just crashed into the fjord with
a thunderous boom. If this whole face gave way at once, anyone close would be
in deep trouble.
In
Juneau, Alaska's capital, we took the gondola up Mt.Roberts and
then went hiking up to snowline. 2000 feet below, our ship looks small between
the others - and they are by no means the biggest on the Alaska run.
Most
common question on our return: "Did you see whales?" Yes, we did! Humpbacks
are plentiful in summer along Alaska's coast, and at one time we had 17 in view.
Although skippers of tour boats and cruise ships are careful not to chase or otherwise
harass them, sometimes the whales came close while we were stopped. Sea otters,
like small whiskery old men, floated serenely on their backs, unconcerned with
passing boats.
All kinds of birds, too, although usually too far away for my lens. But if you
look carefully at this frenzy of gulls gorging on a dense school of small fish,
you might spot a few puffins.
From
Seward we took a local boat and spent all day exploring
Kenai
Fjords, a wonderful maze of glaciers, inlets and wildlife, where islands
appeared and disappeared in rolling sea fog.
Ketchikan seems overwhelmed by cruise ships. As in any tourist town,
locals have a love/hate relationship with all the visitors, sometimes calling
them "Tourons" (because of the stupid questions they ask) or "Tourosauruses"
(because of their great age). But everyone was smiling when we were there because
it was a hot sunny day in the place billed as "the wettest city in North
America".
Couldn't resist this shot on the Ketchikan waterfront, although June and I had
no trouble resisting any temptation to actually eat there. By accident, this is
also a self-portrait - the photographer reflected in the window
The
aft promenade deck, all teak and varnished rails, was a great place to eat, drink,
socialize and relax. Here, with the Ketchikan waterfront in the background, June
sits with some new friends from New York and Sacramento.
Alaskan
sunsets were special, although at 60°N the sun took forever to sink. These
images were taken from my favourite - but windy - photographic perch high up among
the ships antennas and satellite dishes.
Our final stop was
Victoria, BC, where we found the venerable
Crystal
Gardens tucked away behind the grand but over-advertised Empress Hotel.
Forty years ago my kids went swimming there in a saltwater pool while parents
sipped tea up in the bleachers. The old glass building now encloses a moist tropical
jungle, where we walked amid huge exotic butterflies flitting languidly from one
exotic plant to another. We loved the place!
No
prize for guessing in which Canadian city I took this picture, although the characters
seem straight from England.
Captain
Anders Anderson, attended by his First Officer and a Pilot, delicately
nudging the 617-foot Universe Explorer up to a dock using the bow
thruster. 45 years old, the ship had classic lines, unlike the floating monstrosities
of modern cruise ships. It had steam turbines, rather than the usual diesel engines,
and this made for a very quiet ship with virtually no vibration. No casinos, no
slot machines, no disco lounges, and very few children. Casual dress to the point
that someone could probably go to the Captain's cocktail party in shorts and not
be alone. A cheerful, attentive crew and lots of good food. A smaller ship, we
got into more places and ports than most, and stayed longer when we got there.
The emphasis was on education, with lectures on everything from astronomy to anthropology.
Mostly
we traveled at night and approached ports at dawn - the best time. Sometimes I
was alone on top to capture images in luminous Alaskan air. 
Wrangell was our first and smallest port of call. The children there
enjoy the exclusive right to mine and sell local garnets, doing good business
on the dock. 
June
guarding the forward mooring lines at Skagway. On the rock face
alongside the dock, ships from all over the world have been leaving their names
for decades. Tourists have been visiting this little town, famous for wild saloons,
historic shoot-outs, notorious ladies and the start of the Chilkoot Trail, since
the late 1800's.
An old steam locomotive in rustic retirement at Skagway after decades
of hard work on the famed White Pass & Yukon railroad. 
