|
Grex > Travel > #78: Cruise on Alaska's Inside Passage. | |
|
| Author |
Message |
rcurl
|
|
Cruise on Alaska's Inside Passage.
| 
Sep 16 04:42 UTC 2008 |
We have just returned from a cruise on Alaska's Inside Passage. While I
took quite a few photos, and will eventually post them somewhere, you
might enjoy a travelogue prepared by the Cruise West company at
http://www.cruisewest.com/destinations/alaska/inside_passage.aspx
Our cruise visited all the sites they show, though with some differences.
In particular:
We could only go on one optional excursion ashore at each stop. We did see
orcas, humpback whales and bears, and other wildlife, but not the ones
shown. It was cloudy with intermittent rain for all but two days (which we
expected - the video was constructed from takes from many cruises to get
all that sunshine).
We were in a group that won the Alalka Trivia Game played on board one
evening near the end of the cruise. Example question: how is it that the
US agreed to pay Russia $7,000,000 for Alaska, but Russia then demanded an
additional $ 200,000?
|
| 4 responses total. |
mcnally
|
|
response 1 of 4:
|
Sep 16 05:07 UTC 2008 |
One thing I was curious about.. In Sitka, is the Sheldon Jackson
Museum still open? They shut down Sheldon Jackson College last year
(which was sad -- it was a big blow to Sitka) but I'm not quite clear
on how closely the museum is tied to the college.
And I still say you should have called me for a personalized tour of
Ketchikan when you were in town, even if your window was a fairly short
one. I live about three blocks away from the hotel where they took
you to their "hospitality suite", btw.
Sorry you got cloudy weather while you were here but that's pretty much
been the luck of the draw for nearly everyone this summer.
Looking forward to hearing a trip report with details about the parts
of SE Alaska I haven't been to yet.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 2 of 4:
|
Sep 16 17:05 UTC 2008 |
We visited the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka: quite a large collection
of Alaskan native peoples artifacts and photographs.
http://www.sheldonmuseum.org/index.htm
I'm sorry I really couldn't contact you as I was with my wife and daughter
who had agendas of their own. But I shared with them the informmation you
had sent me befofre our trip, and they appreciated that.
For others: our arrival in Alaska was to the airport for Ketchikan on the
island of Nowhere, as in "the bridge to Nowhere". We were taken into the
town by a ferry ride on a bus. Sitka also has its airport on a (smaller)
island, reached by a bridge. The span for the Sitka bridge is about 3/4 of
what woujld be required at Ketchikan. We did hear some complaints from a
resident about not getting the "bridge to Nowhere": he thought the $20 fee
(for there and return) on the ferry to meet friends arriving at the
airport was exccessive. Of course, he could meet his friends at the ferry
dock in Ketchikan just as well.
Mike, can I answer any questions about other places we visited? I don't
know when I'll get our travelogue made
|
jvmv
|
|
response 3 of 4:
|
Sep 16 17:46 UTC 2008 |
I see that you enjoyed your trip to Alaska. I think alaska must be a
wonderful place to visit if you love the cold. I'm anxious to read & see
more about your trip!
I would very much like to know about this country. My sister was there
some years ago & she showed me pictures of beautiful places.
|
slynne
|
|
response 4 of 4:
|
Sep 16 18:36 UTC 2008 |
I have a goal to get to Alaska in the next decade and I think a cruise
is probably the way to go for me :) Anyhow, I look forward to hearing
more about your trip.
|