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North to Alaska on the Amsterdam with Bill & May Ann - 14 days - 7-3-17

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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The entertainment this evening was performed by the singersand dancers. The theme was rockin’roadhouse, but by the time we got there, it was about over. Maybe next time…..

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Nice PG dinner!!

"Roy's Roadhouse; where it's always open mike night"

Enjoy Anchorage!

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WCB "Live from...." Rare

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Report #8 Anchorage,Alaska July 10, 2017 Monday Partly cloudy & 64 degrees Part #1 Of 2 86 Pictures

 

Anchorage was our port of call for today, arriving anddocking by 8am. The waters coming intothe Cook Inlet are so muddy-looking, you would think you were sailing in theAmazon River. Brown and silty, justplain ugly. However, not all that longago, large cruise ships could not access Anchorage by water. The stop would have been in Seward, wherebuses took the folks into Anchorage. Lyingas far west as the Hawaiian Islands, Anchorage has a population of 291,826people, the largest in the entire state. About half of Alaska’s residents live in and around Anchorage. We would not call it a dazzling city, but itdoes boast that it is decorated with 100,000 hanging flower baskets, full ofsummer blooms. We saw at least half ofthem today. Beautiful.

 

Established in 1915, Anchorage was the constructionheadquarters for the Alaskan Railroad. Today, narrated sight-seeing tours leave from the train station. One of the main destinations has to be Denalitours. Major cruise lines have added athree to five day extended tour to see this famous national park. The rest of downtown looks like a regular citywith high rise buildings providing south-central Alaska with a major businesscenter and transportation hub.

 

Damaged by the 1964 earthquake, which occurred on GoodFriday, it destroyed most of the downtown area. So what we see today is a fairly modern city.

 

Anchorage is also famous for being the starting point forthe Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. Ithappens every first Saturday in the month of March. Originally around 1100 miles, it was changedto 1049 miles to represent that fact that Alaska is the 49th stateto be brought into the Union.

 

Some interesting facts we discovered by reading localtourist information pamphlets, are that Alaska is big in square miles. It would take 2 states of Texas, 4 states ofCalifornia, or 470 states of Rhode Island to make 1 Alaska. Animals that can found in the city and thesurrounds are 1500 moose, 150 beavers, 1200 Dall sheep, 250 black bears, 60brown bears, 7 types of owls, as well as eagles, salmon, and beluga whales. There are 60 glaciers within a day’stravel. That is probably why we areseeing such silt built up in Cook’s inlet.

 

One fact we like is that there is no statewide sales tax inAnchorage. That kind of came as asurprise, since the previous ports we visited did have a city or borough taxlevied up to 7%. In Ketchikan, there waseven a small kitchen tax applied to our restaurant bill. That was creative.

 

There were many ship tours offered today, of course. There were two glacier exploration trips from5 ¾ hours to 11 hours, costing from $110 to $300. Flight tours included 4 planes to seeglaciers and mountains for 1 ¾ hours to 4 ½ hours. A bit more expensive, they ran from $150 to$520. Two train rides for 10 hours ran$220, while six adventure tours from 3 to 5 hours were more affordable at $50to $170.

 

Lots of folks like us decided to jump on the complimentaryshuttle that went to the center of downtown. Guests are not permitted to walk through the port area, so this ismandatory if you want to get to town. Since the ship was docked until 10:30pm, the shuttle ran until 9pm. We feel it is always best to wait until most of the tours aredispatched to go off to town. Even after10am, the line was long for the bus. Thegood thing was that there were several buses running this morning.

 

Don’t ask us why, but we are magnets for passengers underthe weather. If someone is coughing orsneezing, they will inevitably sit near us. That happened this morning, when a sick lady took the seat in front of us,and proceeded to cough deeply all the way to town. It was a short ride, but we tried to hold ourbreath all the way to downtown. All the restof the people around her were doing the same thing. Sorry to see people get sick, but they shouldnot be leaving the ship in that condition. But what do we know? Good thingwe had plenty of hand sanitizer with us. This was one reminder of why we choose not to take tours anymore. The buses can be a petri dish.

 

We had the ship’s map with us, but as always, the local infocenter provided much better ones. It hasbeen seven years since we were her, so it took time to get our bearings. Locating the second info center waseasy. There they had much moreinteresting pamphlets and magazines to fill in things we did not know about thecity and area surrounding it.

 

The first place we wanted to explore was the creek we hadcrossed on the way to top. That was ShipCreek where we remembered a river full of hopeful anglers trying to catchsalmon. There were a scattering offishermen today, and some gals too. Seems that it is the end of the king salmon run, and soon the silverswill start to arrive. Going downhill allthe way, we located the trail that follows Ship Creek. Must be a popular spot for bikers and Segway riders,as we saw several of them.

 

We passed by the Alaska Railroad Depot, where sight-seeing trainsrun from here to Denali, Fairbanks, and Seward. Across from here was the original Ulu Factory,where we purchased an Alaskan ulu (chopping knife) and a wooden cuttingboard. It is one of those souvenirs thatit actually used in our kitchen often. The walking trail can be accessed here. Following the banks, we ended up at the salmon viewing bridge and thedam below. Looking in the deepest partof the river, we could see several 3 foot long king salmon waiting to goupstream. They are at the end of theirlife cycle, and can look pretty beat up at this point. Once they get upstream, they will spawn, andeventually die. Their cycle is complete. We did not know it, but the largest salmonever caught in Alaska weighed in at 97 pounds. And the longest salmon run in the world is a 2000 mile journey up theYukon River.

 

Other fish caught here are arctic char, grayling, trout,cod, and rockfish. Deep sea fishing isreserved for the halibut, the largest caught – 459 pounds. The temperature of the waters is 37 degrees F. There were signs everywhere in the riverthat snagging is forbidden. But that waswhat the local guys were doing. Thesefish seldom take the bait, because they have been programed to stop eating oncethey begin their run up the creek.

 

What we found interesting was the fact that low tide hadbrought the river down to shallow and narrow. The tide fluctuates 30 to 33 feet here, creating huge mudflats. In fact, there was a flyer in the log cabinvisitor center explaining the dangers of the mudflats. It warns that these mudflats are likequicksand. Lives have been lost wherepeople get stuck in the mud while fishing, and have drowned when the tide camein suddenly. It would have an effectwith the ship as well.

 

The only birds we spotted here were sea gulls, ravens,ducks, and some magpie birds. No eagleswere to be seen today.

 

Making our way back to downtown, we stopped in some shops, butfound they were crowded with lots of people. What we did notice was that there were few sales here, like in the firstcities. And what we did see, the priceswere higher for most of the souvenirs we saw previously.

 

A big surprise was finding a Hard Rock Café in the town’scenter. This was not here in 2010. Of course we had to go in to buy a cityt-shirt. These, oddly enough, werecheaper than the last one we got in SF. And better yet, there was no sales tax.

 

It was nearing 1pm, and the restaurant was filling upquickly. We decided to get a high toptable for two, and ordered some lunch. Good move, since in minutes thelobby was full of folks waiting in line for a table. The cute waitress told us they opened thisHRC three years ago. For some strangereason, it was not listed in the AAA booklet. The food was great, even though we had to wait a while to get it. Since the ship doesn’t leave until 11pm, wewere in no hurry to go back. It ispossible that to work here, you must have tattoos, or pink, blue, or purplehair. Every waitress had one or more ofthese requirements.

 

After lunch, we checked out some stores and more restaurantsbefore going to Delany Park Strip. Thisused to be the original runway for an airport. Now there is a Centennial RoseGarden, various monuments, tennis and basketball courts. We heard that sometimes moose wander downinto these parks, but not today.

 

We just realized that the usual high end jewelry stores werenot here. Lots of souvenir places andfur boutiques, but no chain variety jewels. What they do have is a real mall with the typical large department storeanchors. And there is no lack ofsporting good shops for sturdy clothing.

 

Heading back to the bus pick-up, we waited in a very longline. Good thing a second bus arrived,because we jumped in that line and boarded that bus quicker. By the way, these buses are really nice. Built for comfort and very spacious, the ridewas comfortable for the short distance. Our driver explained that few cruise ships come into the containerport. When they do dock here, the busdrivers have a strict speed limit. Weswear it must be 5 MPH.

 

When we arrived at the ship, we noticed the gangway had beenmoved from deck two to deck three. Thetide had gone out the maximum, and it looked like the ship was in the mud….literally. We had to climb some stairs, and enterthe ship by ducking under a lifeboat. Then it was back down to the deck. Back in our room, we could see the pillars of the dock….underneath theroad. Incredible.

 

Using the rest of the afternoon to work on photos and notes,we went back outside to get some shots of the mudflats. There would be no sail away this evening,since we were supposed to leave by 11pm.

 

Our waiters were not there tonight. They must have earned some points, and gotoff the ship for an extended time, missing the dinner service. So with new waiters, the service wasslower. Good thing there were only fiveof present. Bob had gone into town to visit relatives, so he never came to thetable. The other fellow appeared lastnight we heard, but was MIA tonight.

 

None of us had taken organized tours today, so it was funcomparing notes. One of our tablemateshad ordered Indian food, not from the guest menu, but from the crew menu. This was ordered the evening before, but itseems that it slowed down the meal, as the food was not ready on time. Dave had ordered from the vegetarian menu,but doubted he got his jambalaya he had come to know and love two years ago. Our meals were fine……eggplant parmigiana andrack of lamb. We had asked for a fewonions rings on the side, but our waiter brought a large plateful. We shared with everyone.

 

There was an 11pm Indonesian Show tonight. Since we saw it on the world cruise, wepassed on this one. It had been a longday with an equally long walk. Have toadmit we were tired tonight. And sincetomorrow’s port is Homer, we turned in after dinner.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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heron45

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I'm enjoying the virtual cruise. We will be on the Amsterdam on August to do the real cruise and can't wait. Do you happen to know what days the PG is open for lunch? We've never tried it and have read that lots of people think it is very good. Thanks, looking forward to the next port report.

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WCB "Live from...." Rare

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Report #9 Homer,Alaska July 11, 2017 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees Part #1 Of 3 83 Pictures

 

The city of Homer is located on the Kenai Peninsula, a night’ssail from Anchorage. It was establishedby a group of prospectors looking for gold in 1896. No gold was found, but coal wasabundant. Eventually, it became afishing haven and a destination for tourists, like us. More recently, it was put on the map as beingthe home of some of the famous fishing boats featured on the Deadliest Catchseries on TV. In fact, one of theboats, the Time Bandit, has made this harbor its base. The last time we were here 10 years ago, theboat was in its slip, and attracted huge attention. Everywhere you went in the local shops, youcould find their souvenir t-shirts. Buttoday, it was not in port, and it was impossible to find one of theirt-shirts. Perhaps we missed the shop,since they are located in small clusters.

 

The main landmark of Homer has to be the “spit”, which is a4 ½ mile long strip of land that juts out in Kachemak Bay. The popular theory of how this spit formed isthat it is the remains of a glacial moraine, and re-shaped by ocean currents. In the center of this land, is a harborprotected by land on both sides. It is almost hollowed out, with the fishingboats about out of sight as we entered the bay. And like yesterday, there is a 20 foot tidal change here. There are 875 stalls in this harbor, part ofwhich is a commercial fishing vessels.

 

Locals call Homer “a quaint little drinking village with afishing problem”. In fact, one of the famousbars here is called the Salty Dawg Saloon. It is known for the signed dollar bills that are tacked to its walls andceilings. A special drink by the samename was created here. It is acombination of vodka and grapefruit juice, served in a salted rim glass.

 

Even more impressive is the fishing here. Homer is considered the halibut capital ofthe world. A visitors guide that washanded out at the pier gate had photos of fishermen with their catches thatweighed well over 200 pounds. Other fishcaught here include flounder, cod, rockfish, starfish, and salmon. Crustaeceans are abundant too.

 

Homer can be described as a relax, recharge, and rejuvenatesmall town, where everybody knows everybody. Handmade jewelry, pottery, and Alaskan art can be purchased as well ashand spun yarn, and freshly-made sweet treats.

 

We were reminded that we are in the ring of fire wherevolcanoes line the coastlines of the Pacific. There are four major ones within view of Homer. As close as 70 miles, lies Mt. Augustine at4025 feet. Last the it erupted in 2006,the volcano put up ash with explosive eruptions for 20 days. Two impressive volcanoes, Iliamna andRedoubt, are over 10,000 feet high and covered with snow an ice. Redoubt blew up in 2009 with 19 separateexplosions. And because this is an areathat also is subject to earthquakes, there is a tsunami warning siren that goesoff weekly as a test.

 

Ship tours included a hop on and hop off bus for $15. It made four stops, two in town, and two onthe spit. There were 5 adventure toursfor 1 to 5 ½ hours for $20 to $250. Fishing offered one trip for 6 ½ hours for $350. Finally, there was a complimentary shuttle,which went all the way around the inner harbor to the Salty Dawg Saloon, whereyou could access shops and restaurants.

 

By the time we got off of the ship at 10:30am, there werelong lines for both buses. Having beento town 10 years ago, we figured it would be best to stay out on the spittoday. The weather could not have beenbetter…mostly sunny and a pleasant 60 degrees. No rain and no fog. How lucky isthat?

 

What impressed us most was the sheer numbers of seagullsoutside the ship. Specifically, the typeof gull called kittiwakes. Thousands ofthem, many sitting on nests everywhere and anywhere they could make them. Many of these nests had tiny baby birds inthem.

 

Our plan was to walk around the inner harbor, and end up atLand’s End, about 1 ½ miles away from the ship. There was a well-made path for both walkers and bikers that went allaround the harbor below, and also would lead to the mainland and town. This trail was marked with signage all aboutthe local wildlife, boating, and safety measures. It was fun watching the activity of theboaters down in the harbor. But the bestsurprise was when we spotted a lone sea otter, laying on its back, andapparently sleeping. For a split second,we thought it was not real, until it began to move its flippers and head. They are much larger than you think when yousee them close up. Weighing as much as100 pounds, these animals need to consume ¼ of their body weight in food aday. What made them so valuable to theearly trappers was the fact that their coats are so dense, they made greatjackets for the folks that live in colder climates……namely, Russia. They were hunted to almost extinction fortheir furs that have been estimated to have 1 million hairs per square inch. Compared to a cat, who has 200,000 hairs inthe same square inch, the sea otter’s coats are luxurious.

 

Another sighting we had hoped to catch was a pair of eagles,who were perched on top of a very tall light pole. Later on, we heard they are the “lazy” eaglesof Homer. They are commonly seen chasingthe gulls for their catches, letting the sea birds do the work, then stealingfrom them. Clever we think.

 

One thing worth mentioning is the fact that there were manyrestrooms along the way. And they weretotally clean. It was nice to see manybenches along this walk too. People-friendly.There were a few sheds where people from the fishing tours could have theircatch cleaned and fileted. They advertisea service that includes shipping your catch to where you live, frozen, ofcourse.

 

Eventually, we made our way to the end of the harbor, wherewe saw the commercial fishing boats and the building where the fish areprocessed. Nearby is an ice factory,supplying the vessels with necessary ice to keep the catch, as well asfacilities to flash freeze the major catches. Also at the end of the harbor is anappropriately-named hotel by the name as Land’s End. Their restaurant is called the Chart Room,with an outdoor deck overlooking the Kachemak Bay. We decided to check it out, since on our lastvisit, we ran out of time to make it this far, and never did eat lunchanywhere.

 

It was just as nice as their ads in the visitor’sguide. Of course, it would have beennice to dine outside on the patio, but every seat was taken when we got thereat 12:30pm. With the only hotel attachedto this restaurant, many folks dining here were probably guests. It was equally as nice sitting at a table bythe window inside. We had a commandingview of the end of the spit and the rocky beach, where many anglers werefishing for anything that wouldbite. Many young kids were playing whilesitting on the rocky beach, others were walking their dogs, and many weresimply enjoying the sunshine.

 

Being that we were in a hotel, we figured it would beexpensive. But it was not, as the itemson the menu were all pried a bit lower than everywhere else we have visited sofar. And the offerings were not allfish. We had a small serving of soup,salad, and freshly-baked bread. And also split a hamburger. Our waitress shared a lot of info about thepeople and the area. Ending the meal with a shared dessert of a moltenchocolate volcano cake, quite appropriate for here, then went on our way by2:30pm.

 

The numbers of bird life here is 10 times the peoplewatching. Noticing that thousands ofgulls and kittiwakes were flying and floating over the entrance to the harbor,our waitress told us that the fish factory had a pipe that deposited the fishwaste into the waters here. No wonder,the birds were gorging themselves with a free and easy meal. Bet this is what draws in the otters and theharbor seals. Equally interesting, waswatching the process of the fishing boats being offloaded of their catch andbeing weighed.

 

Walking back around the harbor, we went into most everyshops and café on the way. One of thoseplaces was the Salty Dawg Saloon. Itlooked like a small log cabin with a low ceiling. It felt even smaller trying to squeeze insidewith a hundred people drinking beer in there. The walls and ceilings were covered with signed bills from everywhere inthe world. We stayed long enough to geta photo, since it was dark and over-crowded. Unlike the souvenir shops in our previous cities, everything here waspricey. No bargains to be found. This was the stop for the free shuttle (aschool bus). We could have hopped on togo back to the ship, but the day was so nice, a walk was in order.

 

The lazy sea otter had move up closer to the ship bynow. He was not moving for anything,even the boats that flew past him on both sides. One small boat had a large Labrador in it,that appeared to want to take on the otter. We would guess that the otter outweighed this dog by a lot. Seals popped up occasionally, but disappearedjust as fast.

 

All aboard was 5:30pm, and everyone must have been backearly, because the ship was moving 15 minutes early. Our tablemate, Dave, had taken a local ferryto eat a special lunch nearby. He wasconcerned that he could miss the ship, but since we did not hear him beingcalled to the front office, we assume his connections were successful. We won’t know for sure until tomorrow, sincedinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill tonight.

 

Our meal was very good as always. We tried the jidori chicken and the lambchops, both equally tasty. The jumboshrimp appetizer we shared could have substituted for an entrée. They were huge. We kept dessert light with ice cream, butwere surprised when the manager presented a small chocolate mousse anniversarycake. Now we are not certain where thisinfo came from that our anniversary is now, but it really is a month away. Normally, we prefer to keep these specialdates private, but it was so nice to be surprised, we indulged in a small sliceof the dessert.

 

When we returned to our room, we had two photos gifted to usfrom the President’s Club Pinnacle dinner. Also a nice surprise.

 

Tomorrow’s port will be Kodiak, but it will be a shortstay. That was one place we rememberheavy rain, so if the forecast of cloudy remains, it should be OK.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report #9 Homer,Alaska July 11, 2017 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees Part #1 Of 3 83 Pictures

 

The city of Homer is located on the Kenai Peninsula, a night’ssail from Anchorage. It was establishedby a group of prospectors looking for gold in 1896. No gold was found, but coal wasabundant. Eventually, it became afishing haven and a destination for tourists, like us. More recently, it was put on the map as beingthe home of some of the famous fishing boats featured on the Deadliest Catchseries on TV. In fact, one of theboats, the Time Bandit, has made this harbor its base. The last time we were here 10 years ago, theboat was in its slip, and attracted huge attention. Everywhere you went in the local shops, youcould find their souvenir t-shirts. Buttoday, it was not in port, and it was impossible to find one of theirt-shirts. Perhaps we missed the shop,since they are located in small clusters.

 

The main landmark of Homer has to be the “spit”, which is a4 ½ mile long strip of land that juts out in Kachemak Bay. The popular theory of how this spit formed isthat it is the remains of a glacial moraine, and re-shaped by ocean currents. In the center of this land, is a harborprotected by land on both sides. It is almost hollowed out, with the fishingboats about out of sight as we entered the bay. And like yesterday, there is a 20 foot tidal change here. There are 875 stalls in this harbor, part ofwhich is a commercial fishing vessels.

 

Locals call Homer “a quaint little drinking village with afishing problem”. In fact, one of the famousbars here is called the Salty Dawg Saloon. It is known for the signed dollar bills that are tacked to its walls andceilings. A special drink by the samename was created here. It is acombination of vodka and grapefruit juice, served in a salted rim glass.

 

Even more impressive is the fishing here. Homer is considered the halibut capital ofthe world. A visitors guide that washanded out at the pier gate had photos of fishermen with their catches thatweighed well over 200 pounds. Other fishcaught here include flounder, cod, rockfish, starfish, and salmon. Crustaeceans are abundant too.

 

Homer can be described as a relax, recharge, and rejuvenatesmall town, where everybody knows everybody. Handmade jewelry, pottery, and Alaskan art can be purchased as well ashand spun yarn, and freshly-made sweet treats.

 

We were reminded that we are in the ring of fire wherevolcanoes line the coastlines of the Pacific. There are four major ones within view of Homer. As close as 70 miles, lies Mt. Augustine at4025 feet. Last the it erupted in 2006,the volcano put up ash with explosive eruptions for 20 days. Two impressive volcanoes, Iliamna andRedoubt, are over 10,000 feet high and covered with snow an ice. Redoubt blew up in 2009 with 19 separateexplosions. And because this is an areathat also is subject to earthquakes, there is a tsunami warning siren that goesoff weekly as a test.

 

Ship tours included a hop on and hop off bus for $15. It made four stops, two in town, and two onthe spit. There were 5 adventure toursfor 1 to 5 ½ hours for $20 to $250. Fishing offered one trip for 6 ½ hours for $350. Finally, there was a complimentary shuttle,which went all the way around the inner harbor to the Salty Dawg Saloon, whereyou could access shops and restaurants.

 

By the time we got off of the ship at 10:30am, there werelong lines for both buses. Having beento town 10 years ago, we figured it would be best to stay out on the spittoday. The weather could not have beenbetter…mostly sunny and a pleasant 60 degrees. No rain and no fog. How lucky isthat?

 

What impressed us most was the sheer numbers of seagullsoutside the ship. Specifically, the typeof gull called kittiwakes. Thousands ofthem, many sitting on nests everywhere and anywhere they could make them. Many of these nests had tiny baby birds inthem.

 

Our plan was to walk around the inner harbor, and end up atLand’s End, about 1 ½ miles away from the ship. There was a well-made path for both walkers and bikers that went allaround the harbor below, and also would lead to the mainland and town. This trail was marked with signage all aboutthe local wildlife, boating, and safety measures. It was fun watching the activity of theboaters down in the harbor. But the bestsurprise was when we spotted a lone sea otter, laying on its back, andapparently sleeping. For a split second,we thought it was not real, until it began to move its flippers and head. They are much larger than you think when yousee them close up. Weighing as much as100 pounds, these animals need to consume ¼ of their body weight in food aday. What made them so valuable to theearly trappers was the fact that their coats are so dense, they made greatjackets for the folks that live in colder climates……namely, Russia. They were hunted to almost extinction fortheir furs that have been estimated to have 1 million hairs per square inch. Compared to a cat, who has 200,000 hairs inthe same square inch, the sea otter’s coats are luxurious.

 

Another sighting we had hoped to catch was a pair of eagles,who were perched on top of a very tall light pole. Later on, we heard they are the “lazy” eaglesof Homer. They are commonly seen chasingthe gulls for their catches, letting the sea birds do the work, then stealingfrom them. Clever we think.

 

One thing worth mentioning is the fact that there were manyrestrooms along the way. And they weretotally clean. It was nice to see manybenches along this walk too. People-friendly.There were a few sheds where people from the fishing tours could have theircatch cleaned and fileted. They advertisea service that includes shipping your catch to where you live, frozen, ofcourse.

 

Eventually, we made our way to the end of the harbor, wherewe saw the commercial fishing boats and the building where the fish areprocessed. Nearby is an ice factory,supplying the vessels with necessary ice to keep the catch, as well asfacilities to flash freeze the major catches. Also at the end of the harbor is anappropriately-named hotel by the name as Land’s End. Their restaurant is called the Chart Room,with an outdoor deck overlooking the Kachemak Bay. We decided to check it out, since on our lastvisit, we ran out of time to make it this far, and never did eat lunchanywhere.

 

It was just as nice as their ads in the visitor’sguide. Of course, it would have beennice to dine outside on the patio, but every seat was taken when we got thereat 12:30pm. With the only hotel attachedto this restaurant, many folks dining here were probably guests. It was equally as nice sitting at a table bythe window inside. We had a commandingview of the end of the spit and the rocky beach, where many anglers werefishing for anything that wouldbite. Many young kids were playing whilesitting on the rocky beach, others were walking their dogs, and many weresimply enjoying the sunshine.

 

Being that we were in a hotel, we figured it would beexpensive. But it was not, as the itemson the menu were all pried a bit lower than everywhere else we have visited sofar. And the offerings were not allfish. We had a small serving of soup,salad, and freshly-baked bread. And also split a hamburger. Our waitress shared a lot of info about thepeople and the area. Ending the meal with a shared dessert of a moltenchocolate volcano cake, quite appropriate for here, then went on our way by2:30pm.

 

The numbers of bird life here is 10 times the peoplewatching. Noticing that thousands ofgulls and kittiwakes were flying and floating over the entrance to the harbor,our waitress told us that the fish factory had a pipe that deposited the fishwaste into the waters here. No wonder,the birds were gorging themselves with a free and easy meal. Bet this is what draws in the otters and theharbor seals. Equally interesting, waswatching the process of the fishing boats being offloaded of their catch andbeing weighed.

 

Walking back around the harbor, we went into most everyshops and café on the way. One of thoseplaces was the Salty Dawg Saloon. Itlooked like a small log cabin with a low ceiling. It felt even smaller trying to squeeze insidewith a hundred people drinking beer in there. The walls and ceilings were covered with signed bills from everywhere inthe world. We stayed long enough to geta photo, since it was dark and over-crowded. Unlike the souvenir shops in our previous cities, everything here waspricey. No bargains to be found. This was the stop for the free shuttle (aschool bus). We could have hopped on togo back to the ship, but the day was so nice, a walk was in order.

 

The lazy sea otter had move up closer to the ship bynow. He was not moving for anything,even the boats that flew past him on both sides. One small boat had a large Labrador in it,that appeared to want to take on the otter. We would guess that the otter outweighed this dog by a lot. Seals popped up occasionally, but disappearedjust as fast.

 

All aboard was 5:30pm, and everyone must have been backearly, because the ship was moving 15 minutes early. Our tablemate, Dave, had taken a local ferryto eat a special lunch nearby. He wasconcerned that he could miss the ship, but since we did not hear him beingcalled to the front office, we assume his connections were successful. We won’t know for sure until tomorrow, sincedinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill tonight.

 

Our meal was very good as always. We tried the jidori chicken and the lambchops, both equally tasty. The jumboshrimp appetizer we shared could have substituted for an entrée. They were huge. We kept dessert light with ice cream, butwere surprised when the manager presented a small chocolate mousse anniversarycake. Now we are not certain where thisinfo came from that our anniversary is now, but it really is a month away. Normally, we prefer to keep these specialdates private, but it was so nice to be surprised, we indulged in a small sliceof the dessert.

 

When we returned to our room, we had two photos gifted to usfrom the President’s Club Pinnacle dinner. Also a nice surprise.

 

Tomorrow’s port will be Kodiak, but it will be a shortstay. That was one place we rememberheavy rain, so if the forecast of cloudy remains, it should be OK.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Bill and Mary Ann, If you happen to see a performer by the name Jeff Peterson and his cute little white doggie, please say hello from Tom and Mary Ann Beckham in Georgia. They are the reason we have our doggie, a Coton named Bailey. He does a magic and comedy show and is now on the Amsterdam. Thanks. and his show is really good.

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Report #10 Kodiak, Alaska July 12,2017 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 59degrees Part #1 Of3 87 Pictures

 

One of the oldest towns in Alaska, Kodiak is located on thetip of Kodiak Island. It has apopulation of 6130 folks, who are employed in the fishing industry, as well astourism. Kodiak is home to the Kodiak brownbear, their size increasing due to their available diet of salmon.

 

This city was also the first capital of Russian America in1792, when the Russians arrived to begin sea otter hunting for their lushpelts. Other animals to be found here are Sitka deer, mountain goats, salmonand halibut, to name a few.

 

Kodiak was almost destroyed twice. The first time was in 1912 when the city wasenveloped in ash from volcanic eruptions. The next time was in 1964 when the massive earthquake caused a 30 foot tsunami,which killed many town folk.

 

Today it is a leading commercial fishing port with canningfacilities and freezing plants all through town. Our stay was short here from 7am to 2pm. Unless you take a tour, there is not a wholelot to do here in our opinion. That is, unless you like to photograph seals,sea otters, and eagles. Obviously, wedo.

 

Tours here were still numerous starting with 5 adventureexcursions for 2 ½ to 3 hours for $260 to $290. Ouch! Five sightseeing tours from1 to 2 ¾ hours went for $40 to $120. There was one cooking tour, $130 for 2 ½ hours,and one deep sea fishing adventure for $370.

 

A complimentary shuttle was available to take you to the endof town and back. Or you could walk,which is what we did. The weather wasquite overcast when we went to breakfast, but it did not look like rain. Wrong. By 9am or so, it began to drizzle, then rain pretty good. From watchingthe line of people going in line for the shuttle, we had to laugh, since rainwas not in the forecast. Many weredressed in shorts and t-shirts, perhaps thinking that we would have a day likein Homer. Wrong.

 

At least we knew to pack umbrellas, and wear our waterproofcoats and boots. Leaving the big cameraon the ship, we packed the waterproof one. We covered most of the town within a couple ofhours, seeing the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Center, Holy ResurrectionChurch, the oldest Russian Orthodox church, and the Baranov Museum. Going over to the harbor, we passed by amonument where we watched bald eagles flying across to the parklands of NearIsland. Right alongside this wharf wasthe Star of Kodiak, a fishing vessel turned into a fish processing plant. Once again, we could see water coming fromthis ship with possible food for the birds and sea lions.

 

By the time we left this area, the rain had stopped. Getting lighter and lighter, it stopped andnever re-appeared for the rest of our visit.

 

On the way back, we passed by the local stores in the centerof town. There may have been a fewsouvenir shops, bakery, bars, coffee shops, and hardware store. You know, the basics. Since we had such a short time here, we didnot seek out a restaurant for lunch. What we did notice later on was that some of the crew took taxis to thelocal Walmart, which was on the outskirts of town. These all purpose, one-stop shopping is amost popular place for everyone.

 

We ended up back at the ship before the dining room closedfor lunch. A bowl of soup sure soundedgood, as did a small salad, and burgers. The waiters here are so nice, and have gottento know what we like, since we have been going to our same table we had whileon the grand voyage. Widodo explainedthat every two weeks, he and his assistant changed tables, as well as changedecks. So on this cruise, they have beenhere for breakfast and lunch, but will change after this trip ends. Dinner can be either open seating on deckfour or fixed on deck five, and they will also rotate for that time slot too. Did we mention that their names are printedon a card, and placed with the table number on it? Big help for those of us who have a hard timereading nametags. This began when thePanama Canal cruise took us back to San Francisco last May. And we are sure that we wrote that thefellows have new daytime uniforms of white dress shirts, a tie, and khakislacks. You cannot tell who is who now,because they are all dressed the same. But look really sharp.

 

The Amsterdam left the port on time at 2pm. Before we exited, a container ship dockedbehind us. The containers were beingremoved while we watched from the aft pool deck. Speaking of the outdoor pool, it has beenemptied and netted. A few days ago, wenoticed the water looked murky, almost silty. In the past, we have known them to use anything but fresh water in thepools. So we will have to investigate ifthis is so, or do they pump salt water in sometimes?

 

The sail away sure was neat since we saw more eagles,puffins, ducks, sea lions, and even sea otters. Lots of otters. Once we passed byFt. Abercrombie State Park, a few miles out of town, we could see old bunkerscarved in the hillsides, left over remnants from WWII. This area was a coastal defense station,hidden in the dense forest of trees, meadows, and cliffs.

 

It had started out dreary and wet, but the day ended upbeautiful. Now we are sailing east,across the Gulf of Alaska, headed towards another glacier…..Hubbard.

 

We had a date for dinner tonight, as we met Bill & Letaat their usual table downstairs. Originally,the plan was for them to join us at table 65 upstairs. But something changed with those well-laidout plans, and they ended up at a table for two around the railing. In the meantime, our table was filled with 7and eventually 8 guests. That sure didnot work well. So, at least for one night,we got a table for four, and it was like being at home once again. During the grand voyage, we joined them onseveral evenings. One thing nice about asmaller table is that your food is hot, and the service quick. That doesn’t always happen when there are 8or 10.

 

The show tonight was a comedian named Carl Strong. If you chose not to go see him, there wasalways the Piano Bar player, David Anthony, or a movie in the Wajang. Happy hour begins again in the Crow’s Nest at10pm with dancing to Alia’s tunes until the wee hours.

 

Another treat tonight had to be the sunset. It went down below the horizon shortly before11pm. Sure is hard to get used to seeingdaylight until well after that time. Thedays are flying by pretty fast now.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 11 ScenicCruising Hubbard Glacier July 13,2017 Thursday Partly cloudy & 41 degrees Part #1 Of 2 81 Pictures

 

During the evening, the ship sailed at a good clip as wezipped across the Gulf of Alaska on our way towards Hubbard Glacier. It is the largest tidewater glacier in NorthAmerica, and the largest piedmont glacier in the world. What is equally as impressive are the numberof mountains in the backdrop. Staring atthe lowest elevation, Mt. Cook is 13,760 feet, followed by Mt Augusta at 14,070feet high. Both Mt. Hubbard and Mt. Vancouverare over 15,000 feet, while the highest point in Canada is Mt. Logan at 19,522feet in elevation. It is located rightover the border, so Canada wins here.

 

We fueled up at another relaxing breakfast in the diningroom. Planning on coming back for lunch,we did keep it light, although that did not happen. Then we spent the majority of the morningcatching up on yesterday’s reports and photos. It sure makes a difference not having the pleasure of several sea daysin between ports, as it is difficult to keep up.

 

The estimated time for arrival to this glacier was around 2pm,and knowing that the best spot to be would be the bow, we headed up thereearly. By 1:30pm, we were situated rightnear the railing that surrounds the flag pole and the ship’s bell. We were the only ones out there at thispoint. Closer to 2pm, we turned aroundand saw we were trapped there. Peoplehad filed outside, and filled this deck like sardines in a can. Since many camera buffs were vying for theperfect spot on the sides, we held our position for the duration of the sceniccruising. That turned out to be 3 ½hours. And it was worth every second ofit.

 

As the ship sailed closer to the coastline, a pilot waspicked up. He would stay with us allday, and continue on overnight to Sitka tomorrow. Jessica, the EXC guide (ExplorationsCentral), began her narration on the outside decks, Crow’s Nest, and channel 41on the stateroom TV’s. The speakers onthe bow were working OK, but with the number of passengers out here, theconstant chattering blocked much of Jessica’s talk.

 

This glacier is very accessible from the sea. In fact, it can be seen as soon as we gotnear the coast. The mountain peaks inthis St. Elias Range are truly majestic. We were so lucky to have a partly cloudy, but bright day. No rain or fog blocked the view. There is always a type of sea or sun haze,but as we got closer, that veil disappeared, and the colors becameapparent. Funny thing, as explained byJessica, the cobalt blue shades in the glacial ice is deeper when there are clouds,as opposed to bright sun, which washes the color out.

 

We began to encounter bergie bits of ice, then they slowlybegan to get larger. Halfway into theYakutat Bay, we saw harbor seals resting on these ice floes. Most were alone, but some were lined up likelogs in a wood pile. Some were lazy, andnever moved off the bergs, while the majority of them, slipped off into the icywaters and swam under the surface and out of sight. The shade of the water was murky with glacial silt at this point, and notpretty….the perfect haven for these seals.

 

As the sea ice increased, we wondered how close we weregoing to get to the face of this glacier. To everyone’s surprise, we inched so close, we could almost touchit. Sure it was perhaps a mile away, butclose up, it was stunning. The height,depth, and width of this glacier was much more massive than we remembered frompast trips.

 

What a treat it was when we began to hear the cracks andexplosions coming from the breaking ice. It began with ice pouring out from the center, and in time, if you werelistening to the warning booms from the ice, you were treated to a massiveavalanche from the top of the glacier. We must have stood for over three hours by the time the Captain turnedthe ship, so the glacier could be viewed from both sides of the ship.

 

The scenery was so awesome, that we never noticed anothership was approaching from behind us. Turned out it was the Island Princess, coming in to take our place. We slowly exited, but got some neat photosof the Princess ship against the glacier. Now we could truly gauge the height of this massive field of movingice. We had been so fascinated with theviewing, we had forgotten to eat lunch. But that turned out to be a good thing, because we had reservations inthe Pinnacle Grill this evening. Actually, we had planned on enjoying some of the pea soup that wasserved on the outside decks. But withthe size of the crowd on the bow, there was no way any of that soup would reachus in the very front. Sometimes, youcan’t do it all.

 

The crowd thinned out before 5pm, mostly because that is thestart of the dinner time. Figures, thatwas when the largest calving occurred. On the way out of the bay, we had hoped to see the harbor seals, butthey were gone for the day. We expectthat the Island Princess scared off the few that were left. And by now, the sun had disappeared and theclouds were getting darker. No moresunning on the ice for the harbor seals.

 

The trouble with days like these, is that the camera wasburning hot, having taken so many pictures. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to sorting through them, savingthe best.

 

Our tablemates are going to think we have abandoned them,since we will have missed dinner with them for the third night now. Actually, the menu did not appeal to us inthe dining room anyway, so we decided to give the ribeye steaks in the PinnacleGrill a try once again. The last time weordered these, we were a bit disappointed. The grass-fed beef selections cannot compareto the Sterling beef they always served in the past. The flavor is just not the same as weremembered. It was no different tonight,because the steaks were not as tender, or cooked the same as we recalled. Still the closest to the original meat wealways liked, are the filets and lamb chops. We also like the veal chops, but they were not offered, and we forgot toask if they still had some. Around 9pm,a large group of the ship’s officers filled many of the big tables, keeping thestaff very busy.

 

The entertainment this evening was a Tribute to the Beatlesas performed by Jesse Kazmek. Listeningto the practice, it brought back memories of that group that was so wildlypopular when we were in high school, a million years ago. It had been an exhausting day, so we turnedin shortly after dinner.

 

Tomorrow will end our final stop in Alaska at Sitka. It will be the only port that rain waspredicted in the newsletter. Hope theyare wrong……..

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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PSR

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Thanks for the great photos......

 

I haven't seen any photos, though I can read the text of the posts. Is there a link I'm not seeing? I do see the top of each text post where it says "1 of 2 #x pictures", etc., but no photos. :confused:

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I have so enjoyed your posts...we will be heading out in two weeks I this same cruise...we have never been on HAL before, and I understand there is a self serve laundry... In efforts to minimize expense, I would like to use it but I can't find any info, like cost to use washer and dryer, where they are located... Any information would be greatly appreciated.

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Report #12 Sitka,Alaska July 14, 2017 Friday Chance of rain & 59 degrees Part #1 Of 3 81 Pictures

 

The city of Sitka, with a current population of 8861 people,is situated on Baranof Island, and is only accessible by boat and air. Originally, Sitka was settled by ancientTlingit tribes until Russian Alexander Baranof arrived in 1804 in search ofotter pelts. Even though some of thelocal tribes assisted Baranof and his men in building a settlement, eventuallya war broke out with a rival tribe. Many were killed in a massacre never seen in this part of theworld. Baranof, who was back in Russiaat the time, came back with reinforcements and pushed the natives to theopposite side of the island.

 

Sixty years later, the Russians had depleted the sea otterpopulation, almost to the point of extinction. These lush pelts were considered “soft gold”, as they were worth tentimes more in China as they were in Alaska. This is when Secretary of State, William Seward, bought Alaska fromRussia for $7.2 million dollars in 1867. That computed to a mere 2 cents per acre…..incredible buy, for sure. Hard to believe that transaction wasconsidered “Seward’s folly”. And whowould have guessed that in 1880, a gold mine of precious metals was discoveredin Juneau and other cities? To mark the150 year of this transaction, there was a celebration recently in Alaska forthe Sesquicentennial purchase.

 

Furthermore, by 1968, liquid gold was discovered in PrudhoeBay…..of course, that “gold” was oil. Anamazing engineering feat crossing three mountain ranges and three fault lineswas created called the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. It was designed to take an 8.5 earthquake, as well as temperatures thatdip as low as 80 degrees below zero. Wepersonally known many friends that went to work on that pipeline in the 60’s,making darn good money doing extremely difficult work.

 

Shore excursions sold wildlife, sightseeing, and adventuretours here today…..a total of 21 of them. What can you hope to see here? For tours costing $130 to $180, you can see sea otters, whales, sealions, porpoise, and harbor seals. Lesslikely to be spotted are brown bear and black-tail deer, unless you visit theFortress of the Bears, a refuge, like a zoo, where you are guaranteed to seethe captive animals or you get a refund.

 

Adventure tours ran from $60 to $500 for 2 to 7 ½ hours. They included hiking, kayaking, jet boating,rafting, 4x4 drive, and a dry suit snorkel. Really? The $500 tour was fishingfor salmon and halibut with a $25 license fee and a King salmon stamp for $15.

 

For easy excursions, sightseeing was $60 to $90 for 2 ½ to 3½ hours. The most amusing activity was apedal and pub crawl. You joined 15 otherpeople on a bike built for 16. Two beerswere included, with an option to buy two more. Pedaling after 4 beers must have been a hoot, since the town is built ona hillside, some of it rather steep.

 

We were not alone today….the Seabourn Sojourn was anchoredin the bay near downtown. Tender boatswere running right into town, unlike us, where we had to bus 7 miles from thecommercial pier. Probably worked out thesame in the long run.

 

There are two highlights in Sitka, which are easilyaccessible on foot, if you like to walk. One is the Alaska Raptor Center, a 17 acre rehabilitation center forbald eagles and golden eagles. There arealso a few hawks, falcons, and owls that had been injured or orphaned, and cannotbe released into the wilds. The fee tosee these birds is $12. We have beenthere on past cruises, so decided to spend most of our time at the second highlight.

 

That turned out to be the Sitka National Historical Park,the oldest national park unit in Alaska. Part of the fun is walking there from the bus drop off spot. Heading along the coastline, we passed by theshops in town, and followed the map to the Russian Bishop’s House. This original log house was built in 1843, andis one of the last Russian colonial houses left in North America. Touring the house costs $4, where you canlearn the history of the Russian Orthodox Church’s beginnings in Alaska.

 

Passing the local College, Sheldon Jackson and a museum, wecame upon the Sitka Sound Science Center & Aquarium. There is a fish hatchery in the back, as wellas the creek where some salmon come up a river. We have seen them during their run in September, and the numbers wereimmense.

 

Entering the park, there is a collection of most impressivetotem poles. They are some of the finestdisplays in all of Alaska, as well as up to 100 years old. Allowed to deteriorate naturally, thesetotems would have been lost forever. Sonow, replicas have been created by local native artists, then shipped to thisspot. Next to them is a completeexplanation of what they represent. Theycan be for one person, family, clan, or as a marker for a grave. These single totems with one figure on thetop often had cremated remains of that person in a hidden box built into theback of the pole itself.

 

This well laid out park has 113 acres with at least 2 milesof trails. They weave in between theforest of dense shade with trees of cedar, spruce, alder, and hemlocktrees. Park rangers conduct guided walksduring the tourist season. At theheadquarters, you can pick up brochures with maps and excellent info. Besides restrooms, there are exhibits ofnative arts, wood and precious metal carvings, and robe, basket, and beadweavings. There were a few items forsale connected to this park, but there was also a table with pamphlets and parkbuttons with the 150th year acquisition of Alaska to the US. These were free….one per customer.

 

We must have spent two hours exploring the trails, readingand photographing the totems, and enjoying the view of the shoreline and theSojourn anchored across from us. Manybenches and picnic tables were placed along the edge of the forest, where youcan sit and keep an eye out for eagles. Being patient paid off, since we saw several.

 

This park is also known for a battle between the localtribes and the Russians in 1802, where many were massacred. On September 28, 1804, the Russians came backand re-took the fortress. Recently, aspecial totem monument was dedicated to this war, marking the Battle of Sitka.

 

Close by, we rounded the point, and found that we were atthe mouth of the Indian River. This iswhere tens of thousands of pink salmon run upstream to spawn. Animals that frequent the area are brownbear, river otter, mink, martens, Sitka deer, and 150 species of birds. No bears today, but when the salmon runbegins, they will come.

 

As much as we hated to leave, all aboard was at 3:30pm. So we headed back towards the visitor center,and back-tracked to the center of town. We had one more place to see, and that was the Russian Cemetery, locateduphill from St. Michael’s Cathedral. Withits copper-clad domed roofs, this Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1848. Having burned down in 1966, what we see todayis a replica. Right up the streets fromhere, is the cemetery. A very old one,with wooden crosses as well as some modern stones. The rocky path was narrow, damp, and steep,so we did not last too long, as we were totally alone up here. With the ravens crowing, it left us with aneerie feeling.

 

Time to head back to town, and search out that pizza weheard about from a local young lady. Thepizza did not happen, since the restaurant was not exactly what we were lookingfor. This was more like fast fooddining. The nicest-looking place was theWestmark Sitka Hotel overlooking the harbor. There was a patio on the second floor as well as tables inside. It was not too crowded when we arrived, butby 2pm, the place had a long line waiting for tables. We ordered two beers – Alaskan White draft. Perfect. Then we shared a French dip prime rib roast beef sandwich (delicious),and ended the meal with one slice of mud pie. What a way to end our last visit in Alaska for this trip.

 

Many buses were lined up to take people back to the Amsterdam. It was only a 15 minute ride at the most. We did not have time to shop in town, but wedid check out the few shops in the cruise terminal. There were no bargains here at all, unlessyou didn’t mind paying some big bucks for luxurious fur jackets and fur-linedboots.

 

We had lucked out with the weather today. Despite the prediction of rain, it neverdid. It remained overcast, but not toocold. At the sail out of the bay, thewinds picked up, and we were glad we had our arctic jackets on. There were a few sightings of eagles, butreally far away. Hoping to see whales,we were disappointed that we did not. However we did see a small group of otters, although they were far awayas well.

 

Joining our lively tablemates, we enjoyed another finedinner. Once again, the entire diningroom had emptied out, and we were among the last to leave. The bad news was that the clocks had to beset forward, losing a precious hour. Bedtimeturned out to be well after 1am for one of us. Good thing tomorrow is a sea day.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Bill and Mary Ann, If you happen to see a performer by the name Jeff Peterson and his cute little white doggie, please say hello from Tom and Mary Ann Beckham in Georgia. They are the reason we have our doggie, a Coton named Bailey. He does a magic and comedy show and is now on the Amsterdam. Thanks. and his show is really good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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