Skagway evening and sailaway

As it turned out, we did, in fact, leave the ship once again to walk some more around Skagway. By mid-afternoon, the rain had stopped and the skies lightened, if only slightly. We returned to the Klondike Goldrush National Historic Park headquarters to catch the first five minutes of the 30-minute movie shown there throughout the day (we had missed the beginning of the movie twice during our visit last week). While we were there we saw Anya again, the park ranger who had conducted our walking tour last week, and she asked us about our visits since then to Glacier Bay National Park. We got on the subject about the Volendam's rescue last Sunday, and it turned out that another ranger standing there, Gina, had been on the capsized boat in an unofficial capacity. Small world! She said that their tour boat had wrecked about 11am, and the Volendam had sent a tender to offload most of the passengers. Once on board the Volendam, they continued on to the Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers. It was only on the Volendam's exit from the park about 6pm that the rescued passengers were offloaded onto a Coast Guard boat and returned to the park office at Bartlett Cove.

Apparently, there were some kayakers on the tour boat using it as transportation to a launch point deeper in the park. When the boat wrecked on the rocks, they simply launched their kayaks from that point and carried on per their plan.

Such excitement!

While we were in Skagway, it seemed nearly every cruise ship passenger returned to the ships carrying a red bag from the Alaska T-shirt Company, a store right across from the Klondike Goldrush Park office. It became a running joke with us, but on our return to town we decided we needed to see what the attraction was. Well, it turned out to be a superstore in Skagway, carrying a bit of everything souvenir-y. G decided that the seven Alaska caps he had at home plus the one he'd already bought this trip on the Klondike Express glacier tour in Whittier were simply not enough. He picked up another Alaska cap at the Alaska T-shirt Company store and then another one at a second store. We finally had the ubiquitous red bag (and an almost-as-ubiquitous yellow one).

We raced back to the ship because we had a busy evening planned. Dinner was at 5:30pm in the Bordeaux dining room, still wearing our walking clothes and jackets and carrying shopping bags. We went right from it to the 7pm performance of On the Bayou (couldn't miss that!), and then finally returned to our cabin in time to watch the Sea Princess sail away at 8pm, accompanied by an enthusiastic horn blowing exchange between the Sea Princess and Island Princess. We sailed shortly afterwards (calling for coffee and cognac on the balcony) and fell into bed not too much later.

It had been a busy, chilly, wet day in Skagway. Tomorrow's weather in Juneau looks much more promising.

Photo 1: Alaska car ferry sails into Skagway

Photos 2-3: On the Bayou in the Universe Lounge

Photo 4: the Sea Princess reverses into Skagway harbor prior to sailing into the Lynn Canal

The Skagway Inn Bed and Breakfast

While on our walk, we were drawn into courtyard of the Skagway Inn, a bed and breakfast located in an old brothel by the gorgeous flowers outside. We had stayed at a similar place years ago in Silverton, Colorado and so were intrigued enough to step inside, and were invited to have a look around the rooms upstairs. They are all named (instead of numbered) after some of the "ladies" who frequented them over 100 years ago. Very clever!

The decor of the lobby and the guest rooms was very true to the Klondike Gold Rush period of the late 1890s, and the B&B is a popular launching point for those hiking the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail that begins just outside of Skagway.

Day 11: Skagway

Did I dream up those beautiful sunrises and sunsets of last cruise or did they really happen?  It's another cold (low 50s), gray day today, not a bit like our last visit where we broke a sweat climbing up to Lower Dewey Lake. Although the Island Princess arrived at 7am, we had no schedule today and so enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the dining room. Afterwards, we enjoyed having free 3G Internet again (while we had had cell phone service in Whittier, we have not had free Internet access since last Sunday). G paid bills and I made some headway on my email inbox. Finally, around 10am, we bundled up and walked off the ship. We're in port today with the Sea Princess (which has the good dock near the ferry terminal) and the Volendam (which has the berth we had last cruise. We are docked even further from town today). Interesting bit of news about the Volendam: just last Sunday it rescued 70 people from a boat touring Glacier Bay.

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/08/holland-america-alaska-rescue-cruise-/827678/1

So, back to today...I have to give us credit for how we packed. While I began to doubt my wisdom last cruise when shorts would have been more comfortable, this cruise I've worn everything I brought in some combination. Today my Goretex jacket with hood, fleece vest, scarf, headband and gloves as well as my waterproof hiking boots were perfect. Despite the rain, I stayed cozy and dry the entire time we walked around Skagway. Eventually we paid $5 each for unlimited SMART shuttle rides, and took the bus to Gold Rush Cemetery and the end of the line before doing a combination walk-ride back to the ship.

After a late lunch in the buffet we returned to our cabin, trying to summon the energy to head back out on another walk. But the ship is warm and cozy, and the forecast for tomorrow in Juneau is much warmer and sunnier. Maybe we should just relax in preparation for an active day tomorrow....

Photo 1: a gray day in Skagway

Photo 2: the Sea Princess at the dock near the ferry terminal

Photos 3-6: our walk around town

Evening after Glacier Bay

I finally warmed up last evening after a long, hot shower, and we dressed for an early dinner in the dining room. We were thrilled to see another familiar face from our winter in the Emerald Princess, waiter Natasha who provided us some of the best, most friendly service we've enjoyed all cruise. Seated next to another couple at a table for two, we chatted all through dinner (it's funny how we all want a table for two but converse during the entire meal) and had a most enjoyable time.

Around 6pm we saw the pilot boat come up to the side of the ship to disembark the rangers, and we officially left Glacier Bay National Park. I do hope we'll return again some day.

The entertainment tonight features repeats of last night's shows: Do You Wanna Dance in the Princess Theater and Lorenzo Clark, a comedy magician in the Universe Lounge. We chose to see the production show one more time, and sat with most traveled passengers (with almost 1000 days on Princess) Tom and Jean. Afterwards, we collectively rued the fact that Princess is cutting their entertainment to 30 minute shows across the fleet. I guess someone is happy about this...we just haven't met them yet.

I had taken a few minutes this morning to write brief thank you notes to all those officers, etc. who came to our Cruise Critic get together yesterday and have already received thank you's for my thank you's. Now, do I send a thank you for the thank you to my thank you? What IS the etiquette?

;-)

We have a family of five staying in the two cabins next to us this cruise. Not wanting to point fingers, I'll speak in code here...they are from "Namitoba, Nacada" and have three young kids, two of whom are called "Barry" and "Fitchell". How do I know these facts? Because yesterday while enjoying the peace and beauty of Glacier Bay National Park we were treated to "Fitchell's" non-stop lecture on whales (he must have just been educated in the on board Kids Club) and "Barry's" incessant singing at the top of his lungs, accompanied by Mommy and Daddy's also incessant but ineffective pleas for "Fitchell" and "Barry" to be quiet. Finally, the parents rounded up the kids for a trip to the pool just before we arrived at the Margerie Glacier. Thank you!

However, about 10pm all three kids must have been high on sugar, as we heard (and felt) them bouncing off the walls and once again singing at the top of their lungs.

Entertaining family.

:-(

Foggy glaciers- freezing temps

Photo 1: Lamplugh Glacier. That's not dirt- it's lateral and medial moraine!

Photo 2: the Grand Pacific Glacier is up there somewhere

Photo 3: to give you some idea of the scope of the scenery in Glacier Bay, that black dot on this iceberg is a Stellar sea lion weighing 2000 pounds and measuring 10 feet long!

Photo 4: fog or not, the Margerie Glacier with its 250 foot high face never fails to impress

Photo 5: it even looks cold, doesn't it?