ALASKA – JUNEAU, KETCHIKAN AND CRUISE END

Beautiful scenery again round Juneau and after a leisurely breakfast (oh, so much food!) we sauntered off the ship for a look around. A much smaller city than I expected, tiny really and much nicer looking than photos suggested I thought.

We’d booked a shuttle tour to the Mendenhall Glacier Centre and soon found the operator as the dock was lined with many organisations selling last minute tours and excursions.

We managed to get on an earlier shuttle too – it wasn’t busy at all.I think we paid $80 for the two of us return.

The commentary was quite funny as we headed out of the city (more a large town I’d say) and we even saw a bear roaming the meadows in the distance and also quite near houses! Failed to get a photo as we were passing so fast.Loads of bald eagles perched on fir trees too just out of town.Always wildlife in Alaska!

A very pleasant half hour or so drive out before we were dropped at the visitor centre.

Had a browse around first of all, very interesting indeed then made our way out to the path to Nugget Falls.A bear warning too!

Beautiful short, easy walk partly wooded and the waterfall itself was superb!

The scale, again, is not really caught in photos.It was Iceland waterfall scale I’d say.Really impressive.

Spent quite a bit of time here, scrambling a bit on the rocks and taking photos.

Decided to walk back via the shore itself, lots of wildflowers and we were lucky to spot a Golden Eagle harassing the Arctic Terns that were nesting on a small spit of land.

We had two hours in the area and this was really too short.Would like to have done the Salmon Falls walk but our bus awaited.Not sure if we could have arranged to catch another one but we heard someone else ask this question and the driver said they could never guarantee spaces so…

Back to the dock area where several ships were now in port. Walked out to see the superb Humpback Whale sculpture in a beautifully planted area.

Called into the local library where we had been told there was free wi fi. Wi fi charges on board were pretty steep (about $30 per day I think) but we found that the ports always had somewhere  – a café or restaurant  with Wi Fi where we could catch up with any Whats App messages or emails and send photos. Libraries were another good source.

Lovely development at the old buildings round the harbour too – had a drink at a terrace table and just watched the world go by (well, the float planes actually as there was a hub adjacent.)Very relaxing.

Next stop  – Ketchikan.

Lovely sail again  into the bay wherein lies this mid sized town. It was going like a fair too!

I was hoping to see bears on some of those remote beaches…

Seemed much busier than Juneau itself, definitely more touristy overall. Had a wander along the lovely old clapboard buildings on stilts, on the wharf. Very picturesque. Hoots and howls of laughter from the nearby Lumberjack Show – sounded like fun!

Followed a looped signposted trail up to the Totem Heritage Centre and decided to go in. We hadn’t really any strong feelings about what to see or do in Ketchikan so it was all off the cuff.Very impressive, very old totems and masks – I liked these better than the newer ones which are common in various areas of Alaska and which use quite harsh (to me) modern colours/paint that somehow don’t look right and seem garish.

Then followed the river walkway back to the wharf buildings.

The water level was really low but that didn’t stop a wily seal chasing a large salmon in and out of the wooden pilings. That salmon put up a fair old fight until finally, the seal won. The spectacle attracted quite a crowd too! 

Decided to head up to the Library for wifi and photo sending etc as well as any catch up news from home.What a steep walk up! like a mini hill walk! But what a beautiful building in a superb setting, far from the madding crowd and with mountain views.

Then another wander round town where I’d spied a nice bookshop…

Nice stop with another ‘at sea’ day ahead until we reached Vancouver.

Our last evening on board the ship, the chefs really pulled the stops out and were offering the first really excellent gateaux I’d seen yet on offer – REAL cream this time, Black Forest Gateua, Strawberry Gateau….first class! 

That last evening, we spent , as ever, a lot of time on deck and the number of Humpbacks we saw went off the charts.

They were everywhere.

At this point we were well to the west of Vancouver Island and for the first time, the on- board Naturalist was about. We had listened to a talk he gave earlier about Wildlife Photography which I thought was quite poor. He also had everyone on the lower deck in a frenzy at one point because he said there was an Orca way out but it was clearly a Humpback so I’m not sure how he got that wrong! We’re no experts but using our own binoculars and my camera zoom, it was no Orca.

Our last morning saw us cruise slowly into the bay wherein lies Vancouver, much more industrial than I thought with cranes and container ships aplenty.

Under the bridge and quite a spectacular approach with the city’s skyscrapers looking a bit like Manhatten from afar.

The harbour area itself was like Sydney with the tented roof structure of the embarkation area.

Very sad to leave our ship which had become like a second home for the last week. Super smooth exit and processing through the port, very professionally done.

Alaska – what an impact you made on us both! I cannot imagine that we will not be back in the future, so much to explore. One of the best trips we have ever taken and I think we needed, this summer,  that kind of relaxing pace too that a cruise brings.The Great Land indeed.

Previous Days: ALASKA – ICY STRAIT, WHALES AND BEAR WATCHING ALASKA AND GLACIER BAY ALASKA:WHITTIER TO THE HUBBARD GLACIER (CRUISE) ALASKA HIKE to PORTAGE PASS DENALI,GIRDWOOD, GRIZZLIES and Moose