Natural History Tour into Denali

Posted on June 27, 2013June 27, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As we’d been told our tour was on an old school bus style bus. Remember those windows that you could open from the top by squeezing the release mechanism ? The window would then open 1/2 way so the top of the window was open but not the bottom. Sort of like a double hung window for a bus. Well that’s the kind of windows we had. To take pictures you had to balance on the seat to get the window open and then either lean back (Still standing…sort of) or lean over the seat in front of you to get a shot with no window glass or frame in the way.

The bench seats had been replaced but that was the only change and it might have been easier to take pictures from the bench seats than the captain style. Each row of seats was placed so the frame of the window was right in the way.

Sandy and I settled in and I took the inside by the window. We’d been told that the bus would stop for wildlife and if it was safe, let us out to take pictures. In all the brochures you see the bus on the side of the road with the occupants standing outside watching the wildlife. We were about to discover that “art” and life were very different.

Once everyone was on our driver made a strange announcement. He said if we were on the tour to see wildlife then we were on the wrong bus. As far as I knew from chatting with the others on the tour, we all wanted to see wildlife. No one got off so I thought he must be kidding.

He took a head count and we were on our way. Everyone’s eyes were peeled hoping to see animals. And we did begin spotting some. First up were moose.

We spotted a couple making their way through the snow. One of them had a radio collar and she seemed to be struggling.

At first we were all concerned until someone suggested that she might be about to give birth and that was why she was having trouble getting through the snow when the other moose was fine. I hope that was the case. It made everyone feel better anyway.

We stopped at a rest area where 2 rangers gave a short presentation about the history of the area.

One of them had a really vintage looking uniform and with his beard he was a ranger “poster boy”.

We also got another chance to see Denali (Mt. McKinley) who was again cooperating with us.

The “rest rooms ” were quite state of the art too.

As we stopped at the ranger check point that was as far as cars could go we saw a little Alaskan ground squirrel. He stuck around for quite a few minutes so we all had a chance to get pictures. He’s a cute little fella, isn’t he.

I also spotted a grouse, in fact several, but they blended in with the brush and were so quick to hide that I didn’t get a picture . The bus was moving and if I’d yelled stop they would have been out of sight before he could hit the brakes.

There were more sea gulls flying around. Seemed strange so far from the sea. But it was time to turn around and head back to the lodge.

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

Posted on June 26, 2013June 26, 2013 by Dusty Roads

What a long day. It may not have been strenuous but as anyone who has ever been confined in a tight place, whether a plane, a train or other form of transportation, for a number of hours can attest, that gets very tiring very fast. In the end our train ride was 11.5 hours! If it had been more roomy I’d be cheering that we got the extra time!

The dinner show was “the Music of Denali”. It’s the story of the first summit of Denali (Mt McKinley) told in song and dance .

The players are also our waiters and waitresses. They even get some of the audience involved. Dinner was sliced beef or salmon. The beef was good. I think Sandy ate the Salmon and I’m sure it was good. After all, this is Alaska! By the time the show and dinner were over and we headed back to our room, dusk was finally starting to fall.

Tomorrow we had the park tour in the morning and the dog sled tour in the late afternoon.

The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is located on the Nenana River Canyon one mile from the entrance to Denali National Park. A shuttle runs from the lodge to the visitor center on a fairly regular schedule.

The layout of the lodge is not like a hotel. The rooms are arranged in separate bungalow style buildings. They are built in a very rustic style and named for various animals. Our building was “Wolf Den”.

The beds were large and comfortable but we both noticed that there was very little heat in the bathroom.

There must have been some or the pipes would have frozen but it sure didn’t feel like it! Just part of the ambiance.

Even though we are on Princess property, there is no “on-board” account and meals are not included. We’re on our own. There is a “strip” of stores, souvenir shops and a couple of restaurants across the highway from the main lodge but we stayed on the Princess properties for our meals.

In the morning I was out first and discovered the canyon while waiting for Sandy. I was hoping to see some animals but no luck just, of all things, sea gulls!

Once Sandy caught up with me we headed over to King Salmon (the main restaurant) for breakfast.

The Princess hospitality continued as the waiter was top notch. I think he was from Florida too. It was amazing how many of the staff were from other states.

I’m not sure we met any Native Alaskans working on the property.

Following breakfast which was the size a lumberjack might want, we started working our way slowly up to the main lodge. (I never did manage to finish a whole breakfast the whole time we were there)

We really got a kick out of the carvings for sale with their little signs.

The main lodge was a 2 story affair with a souvenir shop, courtesy internet (15 minute limit) , and a coffee shop on the first floor. The 2nd floor was filled with comfortable chairs and couches where everyone waited for the tour buses. There was a registration desk and a tour concierge located there too.

Our Natural History Tour was at 11:00 and we settled into wait.

Skagway

Posted on June 14, 2013June 14, 2013 by Dusty Roads

By now you’ve had a glimpse of just some of the things to do in Skagway. Although the gold rush has been a theme in the other ports of call, Skagway, more than the others seem to embody those days. We loved the train and the Suspension Bridge, even the history of the garden and the role it played in providing fresh produce, all related back to the Gold Rush.

We were in port until 8PM so there was plenty of time to explore after excursion, had we been so inclined. However we were hungry having skipped the Quiche so we returned to the ship to eat and relax instead. Cruising is all about relaxing and we certainly embraced it this trip.

The town of Skagway is compact and easy to explore on foot. Everywhere you look you’ll see a celebration of the Gold Rush. It’s estimated that 40,000 prospectors passed through Skagway on the way to the Yukon Gold Fields. Most of Skagway actually falls with in Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park .

One of the places we didn’t see that would have been interesting was the boot hill of the Gold Rush…Gold Rush Cemetery, the final resting place of heroes and villains alike.

Another landmark, the Red Onion Saloon built in1897, still stands at the corner of 2nd and Broadway. It’s current owners aim to keep it’s frontier spirit intact.

While there be sure you hear about Soapy Sam. Soapy Sam was really named Jefferson Smith and he was a notorious con man who with his gang of 100 ruled Skagway in 1897 & 1898. Besides running a telegraph office with no telegraph lines and freight companies that never delivered. He used many different tricks to separate the honest folks from their hard earned money…none of it legal. He even maneuvered himself into being mayor. But like a good wild west tale, Soapy met his demise in a gunfight that pitted good against evil in the guise of Frank Reid (the good guy) against Soapy (the bad guy).

But no happy ending both Frank Reid and Soapy Sam lay dead at the end of the fight. Still the shoot out did free the town from the grip of these bad of outlaws ending the 2 year reign of terror.

One last thing to consider doing in Skagway…pan for gold. There are excursions that will give you that chance. I imagine that water will be mighty cold.

As we were relaxing in our stateroom Sandy stepped out to the balcony. All of a sudden she let out a yell demanding that I come quick. There was some animal down on the rocks! I couldn’t quite make it out at first so I ran back in for the binoculars. It turned out to be an otter. We watched it for a good 10 minutes as it wandered up a path and then came back down to the rocks again.

Finally is slipped into the water and swam off. Seeing that otter made up for skipping our visit to the town. If we’d gone back to explore some more after our late lunch we’d never have seen Mr. Otter! And for me….its all about the animals!

Welcome to the Yukon

Posted on June 12, 2013June 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Move over Dudley Do-Right!

We are standing in the famous Yukon Territory! ( Not really. Its actually British Columbia but don’t tell the tourists) There be gold in them thar hills! Or so the stampeeders believed but once they reached Lake Bennett with all of their supplies they had to wait for the snow to melt. Then they built rafts and waited for the Yukon River to melt. Once spring came, they sailed down the rapids into gold territory.

According to the exhibits located at the visitor Center , miners put boats in the Tutshi River near the canyon where the suspension bridge is today. Looking at the rapids as they swirled down under the bridge and beyond its hard to believe they could take fully loaded boats and survive. Many didn’t survive and many other lost everything except their lives.

Tutshi River and Canyon today is one of the top white water rafting spots of North America.

It was cold here. The wind was blowing. This is the start of spring in the north and it was cold. I’d tried to imagine how cold it must have been when the miners dragged their supplies here to wait for the spring thaw.

But enough exploring the exhibits. It was time to cross the suspension bridge. That was what we came here for. No chickening out.

This was a pretty sturdy bridge as suspension bridges go but when you got to the middle you were at the mercy of the wind that gained momentum as it raced down the canyon from the icy tops of the surrounding mountains.

On the far side of the bridge was a platform and at the rear of the platform a wooden boardwalk that led to a tiny cabin. Just the basic 4 walls,a stove for heat, a bed frame and a tub for washing if you dared; this tiny cabin illustrated the conditions the stampeeders experienced as they waited for spring.

Chilled to the bone we returned across the suspension bridge to the visitor center to warm up and explore the souvenirs. The hot chocolate was pretty good too.

This was where we had out passports stamped with the Yukon Suspension Bridge stamp.

Totem Poles

Posted on June 2, 2013June 2, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Don’t feel bad if someone tells you you’re “low man on the totem pole.” Often, the most important figure can be found at the base, not on the top, as many believe. (Taken from the Port Guide of the Island Princess)

Ketchikan is home to the largest collection of totem poles in the world.

They stand sprinkled throughout the city, at Totem Bight State Park and at Saxman Native Village.

While we visited the Saxman Native Village we were invited to visit the carving shed, a large woodworking shop where totem poles and masks are carved by a master carver and his apprentices. Our interpreter joined us to give an explanation and answer questions.

The scent of the freshly carved wood permeates the carving shed with its fresh, clean smell. While we were visiting we had a chance to see a totem pole that was recently commissioned by a family in California. The carvings on the pole represented a baker and a wine maker. A figure is carved for each branch of the family. It is still a work in progress . The carving is still done by hand in the old tradition.

Nathan, the master carver, was in residence but could not be enticed to tell us the price tag on such a pole. His only comment was that “It was enough.” Nathan would not tell us how long it takes to carve a pole either. He is truly a man of few words.

A totem pole can identify a clan and placed by the front door of their lodge can tell the history of the clan.

Totem poles are erected for many reasons even to commemorate shameful events.
A potlatch was held in honor of Secretary of State Seward but when he did not reciprocate his ears and nose on his totem were painted red. A sign of disrespect. At one time his descendants asked how much it would cost to hold the potlatch now. When they were told the cost they decided to leave the totem painted as is.