In July 2008, my family has disappeared for 12 days with our individual little suitcases, to the 49th state of America -Alaska. The trip included 5 days around Anchorage and 7 days cruising on the Celebrity Millennium, boarding in Seward, visiting the ports of Juneau, Skagway, Hoonah, Ketchikan, and ending in Vancouver.
Jul 13, 2008 - On the Way.
Our adventure began oddly in the afternoon (very inconvenient) where after last minute packing we caught our Delta 4:30pm flight to Salt Lake City, Utah and connect to Anchorage which is the biggest city in Alaska and its state sport is Dog Mushing. We quickly boarded (though before boarding we saw a kid have his fingers mauled on an escalator). It was an easy flight for 4 hours until we arrived at Salt Lake City. At the Salt Lake City airport we caught a few minutes of the beautiful mountain range views until we boarded again towards Anchorage for another 4 hours flight.
Once we arrived at Anchorage in Ted Stevens Airport (a senator since 1968) at midnight, we were all tired and we couldn’t be bothered with the many little attractions (largest cod, stuffed polar bear, more fish). Mom still insisted on making Alex and I pose for a picture at the “Welcome to Alaska” sign.
We grabbed our luggage and hurried off to rent our car where we were met with cool weather around 15 deg C. After waiting a half an hour for minivan (the car wasn’t cleaned yet) we finally headed to our Sheraton Anchorage where we deserved a well earned sleep.
Day 1- Jul 14-2008- Anchorage
After a well earned 5 hour sleep we were met with painful early sunlight, compliments of Dad (who opened the curtains). We decided to eat at the hotel buffet where there was so-so food with the introduction of reindeer sausage though Mom thought the food was horrendous.
By now it was evening so we prepared for formal night and headed back to the dining hall where once again we had a delicious meal. Next, was a musical of much different party style music and dancing. I found it mildly entertaining and Dad found it very boring (he slept). Then Mom and Dad returned to the room while I went for my usual night stroll and Alex went to the teen club. We eventually met back up and slept away.
Day 8- Jul 21, 2008- Skagway
This morning we docked in Skagway, a borough with a population of 862. We had one again practically the same “hearty buffet” for breakfast.
We then set off for this small city and right away we noticed the typhoon happening outside (very windy). W
e first started off by wasting more money taking a bus 1 km to the tiny town.
We planned to rent a car for one day to travel to Yukon on the Yukon Route (a scenic drive) but the re
ntal company told us that we were not allowed to pass the border with the rental car because we were Canadian. We rented the car anyway and drove on the route. We saw the once used White Pass and Yukon Route (an old trading railway between Alaska and Yukon). The drive was also very scenic. After a long drive we reached the border where we were turned around and re-entered Skagway which let us get a beautiful stamp for our passport.
Once we returned
to Skagway we parked and spent time souvenir shopping, AGAIN! We bought t-shirts and jackets and by then Alex and I were bored so we were allowed to walk back to the ship and rest.
By the time Mom and Dad came back it was time for more food! So we got ready for casual night and had another delicious meal. We then went to the show which was a funny and talented ventriloquist. It was an entertaining evening and afterwards we were exhausted so we immediately returned to the room and slept with ease.
Day 9 - Jul 22, 2008- Hoonah
Once again we dock
ed, this time for Hoonah another deserted town. What was different this time was that we had to tender to shore in a small boat.
Once we reached land we first saw the biggest attraction, a historic salmon canning fact
ory which
showed how they packaged salmon in cans. It was very interesting and gory with fake blood everywhere. But from there, there Hoonah was going downhill.
Jul 13, 2008 - On the Way.
Our adventure began oddly in the afternoon (very inconvenient) where after last minute packing we caught our Delta 4:30pm flight to Salt Lake City, Utah and connect to Anchorage which is the biggest city in Alaska and its state sport is Dog Mushing. We quickly boarded (though before boarding we saw a kid have his fingers mauled on an escalator). It was an easy flight for 4 hours until we arrived at Salt Lake City. At the Salt Lake City airport we caught a few minutes of the beautiful mountain range views until we boarded again towards Anchorage for another 4 hours flight.
Once we arrived at Anchorage in Ted Stevens Airport (a senator since 1968) at midnight, we were all tired and we couldn’t be bothered with the many little attractions (largest cod, stuffed polar bear, more fish). Mom still insisted on making Alex and I pose for a picture at the “Welcome to Alaska” sign.
We grabbed our luggage and hurried off to rent our car where we were met with cool weather around 15 deg C. After waiting a half an hour for minivan (the car wasn’t cleaned yet) we finally headed to our Sheraton Anchorage where we deserved a well earned sleep.
Day 1- Jul 14-2008- Anchorage
After a well earned 5 hour sleep we were met with painful early sunlight, compliments of Dad (who opened the curtains). We decided to eat at the hotel buffet where there was so-so food with the introduction of reindeer sausage though Mom thought the food was horrendous.
Today was a bit cool and windy but still bearable. We then drove off on our wild adventure to Wal-Mart where Dad was so happy to buy undershirts, Coke and hats. Finally we left and then we went straight to a book store where Mom bought a book of coupons (Northern Lights) that offered discounts to the many interesting attractions such as restaurants, museums, glacier cruise tours and dog sledding.
Then we took a scenic drive to an abandoned park where we saw multiple moose. Once we arrived at the park,
we went off the beaten path and went on our on trail, not the best idea, since our path did not lead us to the shore but instead a Disc Golf course.
After that we headed out again towards Earthquake Park. Earthquake Park commemorating the biggest earthquake in North America, the Good Friday Earthquake which occurred on 1964’s Good Friday. At the park there were many senior citizens. There was information on the earthquake and views of the shore but more importantly a giant dragon fly landed on Dad’s shoulder followed by Mom’s sounds of disgust.
We set off again leaving the senior citizens in our dust and explored the town. We stopped at a store called the Ulu Factory which make ulu knives which are unique Inuit all purpose knives
whether it be used for cutting food, haircuts or building igloos. The store offered a free trolley around town so since we couldn’t pass up free stuff we took the trolley to see the interesting streets of Anchorage which is packed full of magnificent old people.
After our uneventful tour we set off to the streets ourselves. As soon as we hit the streets we went straight for a gift shop (no surpri
se there), then we bought ourselves a cruise tour at Prince William Sound (50% off) to see the glaciers.
Alex and I couldn’t resist the hot dog stand that was next to our car so we had an early dinner of reindeer dogs which we enjoyed so much. By then we were exhausted (it was only 6pm) so we headed back to Sheraton to get try to get an early sleep when the sun was out at 10pm.
Day 2- Jul 15, 2009 - Anchorage
Today was another slow day as we were waken up by Dad doing push ups. We slowly got up and got ready to eat at a good café (Country Kitchen) near the hotel and Mom fortunately had a coupon for it.
So after enjoying a filling meal we headed towards the Native Heritage Center which explained the traditions and living environment of many different Alaskan Natives. After watching an interesting introduction of sports in Alaska (such as caribou wrestling, finger pulling and stand up jumps), we joined a tour that went around the outside that displayed the many houses of different Alaskan tribes. The tour guide gave many interesting facts such as that Inuit in Alaska never lived in igloos. They are for short term hunting and fishing trips. While at the same time we saw many unique houses such as an underground shelter, a longhouse which you had to enter through the top and some with very efficient designs.
After that we drove back into town for lunch where a nice little restaurant which offered all you can eat King Crab. Next we drove off to the famous Anchorage Museum which offered many interesting facts about the history of Anchorage and fish skin jackets. The museum was really interesting as it was often interactive and very entertaining.
Once we finished our side venture we headed to the 5th Avenue Mall where Mom had to buy Russian nesting dolls. After trying on various clothing we gave up and just decided to go back to the hotel. But on the way Dad forced us to stop so he could buy a jacket we spotted yesterday but were reluctant to buy.
Finally we returned to our room where we saw the midnight sunset.
Day 3- Jul 16, 2008- Palmer
Today we had to wake up by 9:00 to eat as we were to catch wild water rafting later on at 1:00. We attempted to eat at the Alaska famous “Snow City café” which was ranked best breakfast in Anchorage. The long wait was not expected by Mom so we just went to find another breakfast place to eat. We eventually found a small cozy restaurant in which Mom and I both ate delicious seafood omelets.
Then after slowly freshening up we headed on a road trip far from Anchorage to the small town of Palmer where we stopped multiple times for attractions.
Our first stop was the famous vegetable garden which
supposedly conta
ined extraordinary sized vegetables (it didn’t). Then later on to a small Russian village which cost $20 to see an old church, tombstones and a couple houses. We skipped it and went to a muskox farm which is the only known place to breed musk ox. Musk ox look similar to buffalo and bison though its closest relation is the goat (which is really odd). We had a nervous tour guide who had a funny laugh that gave a short but informative tour of the farm.
By that time we were running behind schedule so we sped off towards the whitewater rafting centre and bought ourselves last minute tickets. We went to the meeting point to get suited up; we wore dry suits that kept all the water out, boots and a helmet.
We were driven in a van to Lion Head River and were ready to go off on our exhilarating 5 km Class 3 and 4 raft ride. Our family got a boat alone with only another teenager named Eric who strangely was alone. The leader who steered us toured us through the beautiful river which is surrounded by spectacular scenery of mountains, glaciers and forests. The ride eventually got rough with waves hitting constantly and splashing us in the face. The ride was long and by the end our unprotected hands were frozen. Alex and I really enjoyed the ride but Mom insisted that we never whitewater raft again. We took a couple pictures with Eric and bought a CD of photos and we were off.
We planned to eat dinner after our long drive back to Anchorage so we decided to eat at a Mongolian restaurant that luckily had a coupon to it. The restaurant offered a Mongolian BBQ along with the buffet. The chef at the BBQ was skilled and fun to watch but on the whole, the food was mediocre and only Dad enjoyed the meal for some unknown reason. We quickly headed back to the Sheraton so that we could finally get some rest after our long and tiring day.
Day 4- Jul 17, 2008 - Whittier, Prince Williams Sound
Today we headed out to Whittier (which has a population of 182) to g
o on for a glacier tour. We somehow managed to leave by 9:00 to eventually get to the docks in Prince Williams Sound at 2:00 to catch our boat. We drove for hours in the misty rain towards Whittier, stopping many times along the to see many scenic lakes and mountain ranges. By the time we got close to our destination we were forced to wait at a tunnel that leads into PWS but was only one-way so every half an hour cars and trains went through in a different direction.
Once we arrived into town we boarded our boat and got ready for a wild adventure. Our first stop was lunch: crab cakes and cookies (they were actually very good).
On our cruise we saw many playful otters and many glaciers such as the Blackstone Glacier (it does not have black stone, the scientist was Blackstone). The glaciers were absolutely fascinating with the rare occurrences of calving which is when parts of the glacier fall onto the water. Along our trip we also got a surprise waterfall trip and we bought 2 packs of nuts and gummies that together are worth $10.00 together.
Once we returned to shore we drove back to Anchorage. We craved dinner so as usual we went to a Vietnamese restaurant which was packed and the food was very good with a variety of meat and curry and also the owner talked too much.
Afterwards we returned to the hotel, settled back in our room and watched the romantic midnight sunset.
Day 5- Jul 18, 2008- Seward, Celebrity Millennium
Today was the day to say goodbye to Anchorage as we were ready to go onto our cruise this evening. Now we headed out towards the town of Seward, the town in wh
ich 13 year old Benny Benson designed the state flag. It took a few hours to get there but the scenery along the way was magnificent.
Once we arrived we went straight to the dock, not to board our cruise, but to drop off our luggage. We had time so we visited the Sea Life Aquarium in which we saw various interesting sea life animals such as the walrus, many species of fish, sea lions and the strange puffins that are birds that dive underwater for food. We saw many interesting species and it easily passed the time.
Afterwards we returned our car and boarded our beautiful cruise ship Celebrity Millennium that weighs 91,000 gross tons. We received our individual key cards and went straight towards our interior room among the only 200 interior rooms on the ship. We met our Indian steward named Elton (John?).
We had a couple hours before the usual evacuation drill so Alex and I did a thorough exploration of the ship while Mom and Dad did a thorough investigation of the buffet. We gathered together for the drill and were forced to suffer a quick crowded lecture.
Surprisingly we were hungry so we went to Metropolitan Restaurant for open seated dinner. The food was so-so compared to the Carnival Liberty. While Alex went to the teen club, Mom and Dad slept and I went for a night stroll. Once I returned we waited for Alex and finally got to sleep on our bunks.
Day 6- Jul 19, 2008- Hubbard Glacier
Today was an uneventful sea day which allowed us to sleep in. As expected there was a delicious buffet this morning so we stuffed ourselves at a beautiful table overseeing the ocean (we even saw whales and orcas).
By
2:00 we would reach Hubbard Glacier, a giant glacier that is 122km. Like the other glaciers there were many beautiful calving. Apparently we set off a record that is that we were the closest to the glacier. After taking multiple pictures we dried ourselves off from the rain and ate some more at the buffet lunch.
Soon it would be dinner (more food!) so we all gathered in the room to fres
hen up for the semi-formal dinner. We met our two waiters, Reynaldo from the Philippines and iKetut from Indonesia. We received a delicious meal and an absolutely delicious desert along with relaxing tea.
We then headed to the theater to catch the show where we would be joining in on a toast to the captain and crew. After the toast the show commenced. Today was a mediocre musical performance that was a little boring. By the time it was over mom and Dad were tired so they returned to the room while I did some more moonlight strolling to enjoy the delicious sea air. Eventually I returned and easily slept.
Day 7-Jul 20, 2008- Juneau
Today we docked in Juneau the capital of Alaska and home of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska who was a candidate for Liberal’s vice-president.
We first ate another hearty buffet meal and then set off towards the town. The town looked historic, with old fashion pavements and aura around. On our way to the town we bought expensive tickets for a cheap bus tour. The tour was in an old fashion trolley, but the tour itself was much too short, stopping at only one place and we only stayed for about 20 minutes and then stopped at Juneau Museum. The Juneau museum was interesting but not nearly as good as the Anchorage Museum. However there was an interesting collection of artistic photographs that show various creative photos.
Afterwards instead of taking the trolley back we just walked back. Seeing as we
were running out of activities we were ready to return, though before we could, we had to check out the gift shop. After another half an hour we finally exited the store and re-entered the ship.
Then we took a scenic drive to an abandoned park where we saw multiple moose. Once we arrived at the park,
we went off the beaten path and went on our on trail, not the best idea, since our path did not lead us to the shore but instead a Disc Golf course.After that we headed out again towards Earthquake Park. Earthquake Park commemorating the biggest earthquake in North America, the Good Friday Earthquake which occurred on 1964’s Good Friday. At the park there were many senior citizens. There was information on the earthquake and views of the shore but more importantly a giant dragon fly landed on Dad’s shoulder followed by Mom’s sounds of disgust.
We set off again leaving the senior citizens in our dust and explored the town. We stopped at a store called the Ulu Factory which make ulu knives which are unique Inuit all purpose knives
whether it be used for cutting food, haircuts or building igloos. The store offered a free trolley around town so since we couldn’t pass up free stuff we took the trolley to see the interesting streets of Anchorage which is packed full of magnificent old people.After our uneventful tour we set off to the streets ourselves. As soon as we hit the streets we went straight for a gift shop (no surpri
se there), then we bought ourselves a cruise tour at Prince William Sound (50% off) to see the glaciers.Alex and I couldn’t resist the hot dog stand that was next to our car so we had an early dinner of reindeer dogs which we enjoyed so much. By then we were exhausted (it was only 6pm) so we headed back to Sheraton to get try to get an early sleep when the sun was out at 10pm.
Day 2- Jul 15, 2009 - Anchorage
Today was another slow day as we were waken up by Dad doing push ups. We slowly got up and got ready to eat at a good café (Country Kitchen) near the hotel and Mom fortunately had a coupon for it.
So after enjoying a filling meal we headed towards the Native Heritage Center which explained the traditions and living environment of many different Alaskan Natives. After watching an interesting introduction of sports in Alaska (such as caribou wrestling, finger pulling and stand up jumps), we joined a tour that went around the outside that displayed the many houses of different Alaskan tribes. The tour guide gave many interesting facts such as that Inuit in Alaska never lived in igloos. They are for short term hunting and fishing trips. While at the same time we saw many unique houses such as an underground shelter, a longhouse which you had to enter through the top and some with very efficient designs.
After that we drove back into town for lunch where a nice little restaurant which offered all you can eat King Crab. Next we drove off to the famous Anchorage Museum which offered many interesting facts about the history of Anchorage and fish skin jackets. The museum was really interesting as it was often interactive and very entertaining.Once we finished our side venture we headed to the 5th Avenue Mall where Mom had to buy Russian nesting dolls. After trying on various clothing we gave up and just decided to go back to the hotel. But on the way Dad forced us to stop so he could buy a jacket we spotted yesterday but were reluctant to buy.
Finally we returned to our room where we saw the midnight sunset.
Day 3- Jul 16, 2008- Palmer
Today we had to wake up by 9:00 to eat as we were to catch wild water rafting later on at 1:00. We attempted to eat at the Alaska famous “Snow City café” which was ranked best breakfast in Anchorage. The long wait was not expected by Mom so we just went to find another breakfast place to eat. We eventually found a small cozy restaurant in which Mom and I both ate delicious seafood omelets.
Then after slowly freshening up we headed on a road trip far from Anchorage to the small town of Palmer where we stopped multiple times for attractions.
Our first stop was the famous vegetable garden which
supposedly conta
ined extraordinary sized vegetables (it didn’t). Then later on to a small Russian village which cost $20 to see an old church, tombstones and a couple houses. We skipped it and went to a muskox farm which is the only known place to breed musk ox. Musk ox look similar to buffalo and bison though its closest relation is the goat (which is really odd). We had a nervous tour guide who had a funny laugh that gave a short but informative tour of the farm.By that time we were running behind schedule so we sped off towards the whitewater rafting centre and bought ourselves last minute tickets. We went to the meeting point to get suited up; we wore dry suits that kept all the water out, boots and a helmet.
We were driven in a van to Lion Head River and were ready to go off on our exhilarating 5 km Class 3 and 4 raft ride. Our family got a boat alone with only another teenager named Eric who strangely was alone. The leader who steered us toured us through the beautiful river which is surrounded by spectacular scenery of mountains, glaciers and forests. The ride eventually got rough with waves hitting constantly and splashing us in the face. The ride was long and by the end our unprotected hands were frozen. Alex and I really enjoyed the ride but Mom insisted that we never whitewater raft again. We took a couple pictures with Eric and bought a CD of photos and we were off.We planned to eat dinner after our long drive back to Anchorage so we decided to eat at a Mongolian restaurant that luckily had a coupon to it. The restaurant offered a Mongolian BBQ along with the buffet. The chef at the BBQ was skilled and fun to watch but on the whole, the food was mediocre and only Dad enjoyed the meal for some unknown reason. We quickly headed back to the Sheraton so that we could finally get some rest after our long and tiring day.
Day 4- Jul 17, 2008 - Whittier, Prince Williams Sound
Today we headed out to Whittier (which has a population of 182) to g
o on for a glacier tour. We somehow managed to leave by 9:00 to eventually get to the docks in Prince Williams Sound at 2:00 to catch our boat. We drove for hours in the misty rain towards Whittier, stopping many times along the to see many scenic lakes and mountain ranges. By the time we got close to our destination we were forced to wait at a tunnel that leads into PWS but was only one-way so every half an hour cars and trains went through in a different direction.Once we arrived into town we boarded our boat and got ready for a wild adventure. Our first stop was lunch: crab cakes and cookies (they were actually very good).
On our cruise we saw many playful otters and many glaciers such as the Blackstone Glacier (it does not have black stone, the scientist was Blackstone). The glaciers were absolutely fascinating with the rare occurrences of calving which is when parts of the glacier fall onto the water. Along our trip we also got a surprise waterfall trip and we bought 2 packs of nuts and gummies that together are worth $10.00 together.Once we returned to shore we drove back to Anchorage. We craved dinner so as usual we went to a Vietnamese restaurant which was packed and the food was very good with a variety of meat and curry and also the owner talked too much.
Afterwards we returned to the hotel, settled back in our room and watched the romantic midnight sunset.
Day 5- Jul 18, 2008- Seward, Celebrity Millennium
Today was the day to say goodbye to Anchorage as we were ready to go onto our cruise this evening. Now we headed out towards the town of Seward, the town in wh
ich 13 year old Benny Benson designed the state flag. It took a few hours to get there but the scenery along the way was magnificent.
Once we arrived we went straight to the dock, not to board our cruise, but to drop off our luggage. We had time so we visited the Sea Life Aquarium in which we saw various interesting sea life animals such as the walrus, many species of fish, sea lions and the strange puffins that are birds that dive underwater for food. We saw many interesting species and it easily passed the time.Afterwards we returned our car and boarded our beautiful cruise ship Celebrity Millennium that weighs 91,000 gross tons. We received our individual key cards and went straight towards our interior room among the only 200 interior rooms on the ship. We met our Indian steward named Elton (John?).
We had a couple hours before the usual evacuation drill so Alex and I did a thorough exploration of the ship while Mom and Dad did a thorough investigation of the buffet. We gathered together for the drill and were forced to suffer a quick crowded lecture.
Surprisingly we were hungry so we went to Metropolitan Restaurant for open seated dinner. The food was so-so compared to the Carnival Liberty. While Alex went to the teen club, Mom and Dad slept and I went for a night stroll. Once I returned we waited for Alex and finally got to sleep on our bunks.
Day 6- Jul 19, 2008- Hubbard Glacier
Today was an uneventful sea day which allowed us to sleep in. As expected there was a delicious buffet this morning so we stuffed ourselves at a beautiful table overseeing the ocean (we even saw whales and orcas).
By
2:00 we would reach Hubbard Glacier, a giant glacier that is 122km. Like the other glaciers there were many beautiful calving. Apparently we set off a record that is that we were the closest to the glacier. After taking multiple pictures we dried ourselves off from the rain and ate some more at the buffet lunch.Soon it would be dinner (more food!) so we all gathered in the room to fres
hen up for the semi-formal dinner. We met our two waiters, Reynaldo from the Philippines and iKetut from Indonesia. We received a delicious meal and an absolutely delicious desert along with relaxing tea.We then headed to the theater to catch the show where we would be joining in on a toast to the captain and crew. After the toast the show commenced. Today was a mediocre musical performance that was a little boring. By the time it was over mom and Dad were tired so they returned to the room while I did some more moonlight strolling to enjoy the delicious sea air. Eventually I returned and easily slept.
Day 7-Jul 20, 2008- Juneau
Today we docked in Juneau the capital of Alaska and home of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska who was a candidate for Liberal’s vice-president.We first ate another hearty buffet meal and then set off towards the town. The town looked historic, with old fashion pavements and aura around. On our way to the town we bought expensive tickets for a cheap bus tour. The tour was in an old fashion trolley, but the tour itself was much too short, stopping at only one place and we only stayed for about 20 minutes and then stopped at Juneau Museum. The Juneau museum was interesting but not nearly as good as the Anchorage Museum. However there was an interesting collection of artistic photographs that show various creative photos.
Afterwards instead of taking the trolley back we just walked back. Seeing as we
were running out of activities we were ready to return, though before we could, we had to check out the gift shop. After another half an hour we finally exited the store and re-entered the ship. By now it was evening so we prepared for formal night and headed back to the dining hall where once again we had a delicious meal. Next, was a musical of much different party style music and dancing. I found it mildly entertaining and Dad found it very boring (he slept). Then Mom and Dad returned to the room while I went for my usual night stroll and Alex went to the teen club. We eventually met back up and slept away.
Day 8- Jul 21, 2008- Skagway
This morning we docked in Skagway, a borough with a population of 862. We had one again practically the same “hearty buffet” for breakfast.
We then set off for this small city and right away we noticed the typhoon happening outside (very windy). W
e first started off by wasting more money taking a bus 1 km to the tiny town.We planned to rent a car for one day to travel to Yukon on the Yukon Route (a scenic drive) but the re
ntal company told us that we were not allowed to pass the border with the rental car because we were Canadian. We rented the car anyway and drove on the route. We saw the once used White Pass and Yukon Route (an old trading railway between Alaska and Yukon). The drive was also very scenic. After a long drive we reached the border where we were turned around and re-entered Skagway which let us get a beautiful stamp for our passport. Once we returned
to Skagway we parked and spent time souvenir shopping, AGAIN! We bought t-shirts and jackets and by then Alex and I were bored so we were allowed to walk back to the ship and rest.By the time Mom and Dad came back it was time for more food! So we got ready for casual night and had another delicious meal. We then went to the show which was a funny and talented ventriloquist. It was an entertaining evening and afterwards we were exhausted so we immediately returned to the room and slept with ease.
Day 9 - Jul 22, 2008- Hoonah
Once again we dock
ed, this time for Hoonah another deserted town. What was different this time was that we had to tender to shore in a small boat.Once we reached land we first saw the biggest attraction, a historic salmon canning fact
ory which
showed how they packaged salmon in cans. It was very interesting and gory with fake blood everywhere. But from there, there Hoonah was going downhill. Th
e town was about 3 kms away so it was a very gruelling walk. Once we got there we noticed that there was nothing to do! We attempted to explore but we were too tired. We got lost a little bit and then headed back for a long walk where Alex and I got really far ahead of Mom and Dad.
e town was about 3 kms away so it was a very gruelling walk. Once we got there we noticed that there was nothing to do! We attempted to explore but we were too tired. We got lost a little bit and then headed back for a long walk where Alex and I got really far ahead of Mom and Dad. We then tendered back to the ship and once again rested and it was time for dinner, AGAIN! However it was still as good as ever and afterwards we ate more sushi. We followed the same schedule and we all took a well earned sleep.
Day 10- Jul 23, 2008-Ketchikan
This morning we ported in Ketchikan, also known as the Salmon Capital of the World. We had a quick breakfast and left early.
The town was a bit crowded but still fun. We chose not to go to the touristy Lumber Jack show which was clearly a tourist trap. Instead we walked to a park that contains many different unique culture exhibits. We bought a park pass that allowed us to gain access to all exhibits. We first visited the totem museum that was rather bland but taught Mom and me some symbols on totem poles.
Next was the bald eagle shelter which was home to two beautiful American bald eagles that looked as if they can gouge eyes. Then we went to the salmon hatchery which was a place that raised salmon in a unique way (the salmon are released where they would naturally return to the hatchery).
Afterwards we roamed the streets and decided to head to a Native Cultural Center and finally returned to the ship to relax until dinner. Once we were ready we went up and enjoyed another fabulous meal and more sushi. We skipped the show because we were exhausted and easily had a good sleep, ready to sleep in on tomorrow’s sea day!
Day 11- Jul 24, 2008- Inside Passage
Today was our last day on the cruise and a sea day. We finally got to slee
p in as long as we wanted and when we finally got up it was almost noon. Instead of the usual breakfast buffet we had brunch in the dining hall. It was very good with food varying from normal breakfast food to delicious smoked salmon.
Today, we just
relaxed and enjoyed cruising along the spectacular scenery of the Inside Passage. It was impossible for me to describe the majestic beauty of Alaska and the Inside Passage to Vancouver.
Soon it was time again for dinner. Since it was our last day, Mom thanke
d all our services such as Elton, iKutut, Reynaldo, etc. with the obligatory tipping envelopes. We enjoyed another delicious meal and during the meal we were lucky to be able to see the Inside Passage (body of water that goes through the side of Alaska and British Columbia) throughout the whole meal. For dessert there was a good surprise of a Baked Alaska (ice cream cake) show.
Once we all returned from the farewell show it was late so we slept our last time on this boat for our final destination Vancouver.
Day 12 - Jul 25, 2008-Vancouver
Today was our last day on our wonderful cruise ship. We docked in Vancouver, British Columbia. W
e left our luggage for pick up and then left to get ready to go on land. Instead we had to wait for a while to have our number called. Once we managed to get on land, we grabbed our luggage and took a taxi into the wonderful city of Vancouver.
We stopped at a plaza to get our rental car for the day. We drove around downtown Vancouver and headed to a crowded popular dim sum in Richmond. Though the food was good but could never match up to Toronto’s dim sum. Unfortunately I broke my glasses by sitting on them before we got in.
Since we had another 5 hours to burn until our flight, we went to the largest Buddha temple in Canada that we already visited before. It was peaceful as always with many impressive statues of various gods and Buddha.
Once we were bored we went to another memorable sight, the Steveston docks! We walked around a bit until we found one of the best fish n’ chips in the world. Too bad we were too full, so instead we decided to go to the airport!
We checked in for our long awaited flight home. At the Toronto airport, we grabbed our luggage and took a taxi home! I was so happy to see all our old stuff (my bed, the TV, the computer, the toilet…) and so good to be home.
Conclusion
Our trip to Alaska was one of the most memorable trips my family has been on. We were treated with non stop amazing scenery: glaciers, mountains, rivers, etc. And we also got to experience the unique culture of the Inuit. We also got the chance to relax on the sea on the amazing Celebrity Millennium. This is probably one of my favorite trips and when I’m older I would definitely return here in a heartbeat.
Day 10- Jul 23, 2008-Ketchikan
This morning we ported in Ketchikan, also known as the Salmon Capital of the World. We had a quick breakfast and left early.
The town was a bit crowded but still fun. We chose not to go to the touristy Lumber Jack show which was clearly a tourist trap. Instead we walked to a park that contains many different unique culture exhibits. We bought a park pass that allowed us to gain access to all exhibits. We first visited the totem museum that was rather bland but taught Mom and me some symbols on totem poles.Next was the bald eagle shelter which was home to two beautiful American bald eagles that looked as if they can gouge eyes. Then we went to the salmon hatchery which was a place that raised salmon in a unique way (the salmon are released where they would naturally return to the hatchery).
Afterwards we roamed the streets and decided to head to a Native Cultural Center and finally returned to the ship to relax until dinner. Once we were ready we went up and enjoyed another fabulous meal and more sushi. We skipped the show because we were exhausted and easily had a good sleep, ready to sleep in on tomorrow’s sea day!
Day 11- Jul 24, 2008- Inside Passage
Today was our last day on the cruise and a sea day. We finally got to slee
p in as long as we wanted and when we finally got up it was almost noon. Instead of the usual breakfast buffet we had brunch in the dining hall. It was very good with food varying from normal breakfast food to delicious smoked salmon.Today, we just
relaxed and enjoyed cruising along the spectacular scenery of the Inside Passage. It was impossible for me to describe the majestic beauty of Alaska and the Inside Passage to Vancouver.Soon it was time again for dinner. Since it was our last day, Mom thanke
d all our services such as Elton, iKutut, Reynaldo, etc. with the obligatory tipping envelopes. We enjoyed another delicious meal and during the meal we were lucky to be able to see the Inside Passage (body of water that goes through the side of Alaska and British Columbia) throughout the whole meal. For dessert there was a good surprise of a Baked Alaska (ice cream cake) show.Once we all returned from the farewell show it was late so we slept our last time on this boat for our final destination Vancouver.
Day 12 - Jul 25, 2008-Vancouver
Today was our last day on our wonderful cruise ship. We docked in Vancouver, British Columbia. W
e left our luggage for pick up and then left to get ready to go on land. Instead we had to wait for a while to have our number called. Once we managed to get on land, we grabbed our luggage and took a taxi into the wonderful city of Vancouver.We stopped at a plaza to get our rental car for the day. We drove around downtown Vancouver and headed to a crowded popular dim sum in Richmond. Though the food was good but could never match up to Toronto’s dim sum. Unfortunately I broke my glasses by sitting on them before we got in.
Since we had another 5 hours to burn until our flight, we went to the largest Buddha temple in Canada that we already visited before. It was peaceful as always with many impressive statues of various gods and Buddha.
Once we were bored we went to another memorable sight, the Steveston docks! We walked around a bit until we found one of the best fish n’ chips in the world. Too bad we were too full, so instead we decided to go to the airport!
We checked in for our long awaited flight home. At the Toronto airport, we grabbed our luggage and took a taxi home! I was so happy to see all our old stuff (my bed, the TV, the computer, the toilet…) and so good to be home.
Conclusion
Our trip to Alaska was one of the most memorable trips my family has been on. We were treated with non stop amazing scenery: glaciers, mountains, rivers, etc. And we also got to experience the unique culture of the Inuit. We also got the chance to relax on the sea on the amazing Celebrity Millennium. This is probably one of my favorite trips and when I’m older I would definitely return here in a heartbeat.
