The Inside Passage from Seattle, Washington to Skagway, Alaska

Alaskan Cruise, Inside Passage, June 21-30

Last Friday our family took off for an Alaskan Cruise out of Seattle. We are on the ship Vision of the Seas, which is one of the Royal Caribbean Fleet. I find the ship to be very similar to Rhapsody of the Seas, which we took out of Galveston on the occasion of my wife and my 20^th anniversary. This time we’re celebrating my parent’s 50^th anniversary.

I’m very grateful to my parents because they gave my family, along with my sister-in-law’s family, this cruise as a gift. You see, it was important for us to be with them on their 50^th, and what better way to celebrate the occasion! Including my parents, there are 10 of us total.

One of the hardest things to get used to is the abundance of daylight up in these northern parts. The sun doesn’t really go down until we’re in bed for the night. Then it rises at something like 4:30 a.m. However, it’s a small price to pay for the fun and relaxation of the cruise.

Seattle, June 21-22

After arriving in Seattle, Leslie and I got in touch with Blake Edwards, who served as student minister at our church in the recent past. It was great to see Blake and his wife Karla! We became good friends when they lived in Wimberley. Karla had to work on Friday, but Blake showed our family around the city. It was better than any guided tour we could have bought!

Of course we had to see the original Starbuck’s. But we were able to see many other interesting places, as well, including Amazon.com. Did you know that Amazon.com is a real place? I didn’t! Anyway, we saw the main headquarters, which was formerly a hospital.

In the early afternoon, we boarded the cruise ship in Seattle. It never ceases to amaze me how huge these floating cities are. One of the officers of the ship told a group of us that future ships will be able to carry more than twice as many people, and have things like roller coasters! From Seattle, we headed straight for Juneau, which was quite a distance to travel by ship. But the scenery was breathtaking!

On June 23^rd, we were at sea all day. That evening we enjoyed a formal meal with all ten of us present. This was the captain’s dinner. This ship, like several other cruise ships, follows customs from way back, one of which is dressing up fancy for certain occasions. Anyway, we enjoyed a really nice dinner and wonderful conversation. It’s rare that all ten of us sit together and eat a meal, so it was a very special moment.

Juneau, June 24

At 11 a.m. June 24^th we arrived in Juneau. While there, Justin, Leslie and I rode mountain bikes for 9½ miles, where one of the highlights was visiting Mendenhall Glacier. Pieces of the glacier had fallen off and were floating in the lake at the foot of the glacier. We also saw some American bald eagles in flight and perched in tall trees.

Although Juneau is the capital of Alaska, it’s strange in that you can’t get to it by any road or highway, or even by train. One arrives in Juneau by sea or by air. They have an air strip, but the only planes I observed coming and going were the kind that land on water. I loved seeing these planes taking off and landing in the same waterways that the ships were using.

Leslie and I were pleased to run into Matthew Ward and his sister Annie Herring, while in Juneau. These two, along with their sister, formed the Christian music group Second Chapter of Acts who were very popular in the 70s and early 80s. Matthew told me they were performing on another ship, along with some other artists who were popular in those days, Dallas Holm being one of them.

After a full day we boarded the ship again. By this time Justin had discovered the glass elevators, which he’s been enjoying ever since. Faith has been doing all kinds of fun activities with other 9-11 year olds up on deck 10. With everybody going separate directions, we do manage to see each other quite a bit, meeting for meals, etc.

Skagway, June 25

We docked in Skagway at 7 a.m., so when we woke up, we were there. I really enjoyed this town. This was the northernmost place our cruise visited. Along with Juneau, Skagway figures heavily in the gold rush days of the late 1890s. I read the history of these brave people who risked their lives in pursuit of the gold.

The Canadian government required them to pack enough food for a whole year when they traveled further north, toward Dawson City, to stake out their claim. This surely kept a great many people from starving to death. It’s just that several trips were required to get the food packed in. You’ve all seen old photos of people climbing the Chilcoot Trail, with supplies on their backs, trudging up a snowy “staircase,” while holding onto a cable that ran from the top to the bottom of a mountain.

The town, though larger, still maintains the charm of the 1890s, with period architecture and wooden sidewalks. After walking through the downtown area, I met Justin and Leslie back at the ship. We went on a 3.6 mile hike around lower Dewey Lake. This is funny because to get to Lower Dewey Lake you have to climb a pretty steep trail. Once you’re at this mountain lake, you can hike around it. Leslie took a picture of me drinking from a mountain stream up there. I haven’t gotten sick yet, so I guess the water was OK.

My parents took a 3 hour train ride into the Alaskan countryside. They had a great time. Randy and Holly, Jordan and Patrick enjoyed a musher’s camp and sled dog experience. They were pulled by the dogs for a mile through the backcountry of a historic Gold Rush site.

Tracy Arm Fjord, June 26

It’s a funny name for a place, but this was some of the most beautiful country we’ve seen so far. One of the cruise publications says that traveling up this inlet is “like going back through geologic history. The fjord’s dramatic walls lose their vegetation until they become bare shining rock, shaped and ground smooth by the ice. In many places the mountains plunge vertically into the water, which is more than a thousand feet deep.”

There are two large glaciers in this fjord, dropping a lot of their ice into the inlet. For this reason, the ship was traveling slowly through the area. There were small ice bergs all over the place. I took so many pictures in this area, bringing the total so far to over 250! And there are still many others to take. Before we turned around to head back to the main passage, I saw a seal playing in the water. Later I saw one on a berg.

This afternoon we saw several whales in the ocean, spouting and jumping out of the water, as if they knew it was time to perform for the tourists! This day has been the most beautiful and sunny day we’ve enjoyed since leaving Seattle.

Leslie has been busy walking around the ship today. I even walked two miles with her today around the top of the ship. Did you know that if you go seven times around the track up on deck 9, you will have gone two miles? I mentioned to Leslie today how cool it would have been if they allowed her to bike around up on the top of the ship! Oh well.

Prince Rupert, June 27

Today we arrived at the British Columbia Port of Prince Rupert. I haven’t read much about this little town, but enjoyed our visit nonetheless. We chose not to go on an excursion here, choosing rather to walk around the town. We did see a few American bald eagles. One of them just kept circling above us. I have no idea what it was looking for, but it was putting on quite a show for those of us from the lower 48.

I went to a museum near the port. It showcased the cultures of Pacific Indian. These Indians are known for their totem poles, which are quite tall and beautiful. Later in the day I managed to find the public library in Prince Rupert, where I was able to connect to the internet and check email, etc. I’m too cheap to buy minutes for internet usage on the ship.

By the way, I heard that the American bald eagles are going to be taken off the endangered species list this week. However, it will still be illegal to hunt them. We left Prince Rupert about 5:30 p.m. and continue to see beautiful sights along the inside passage!

At dinner this evening, another formal occasion, we celebrated my parent’s 50^th anniversary. The waiters came and sang to them, which was to their surprise. Later my dad took part in karaoke night, where he sang George Strait’s “Ocean Front Property.” A great time was had by all.

At Sea, June 27

We’ve been at sea all day today, having left the port of Prince Rupert yesterday evening. This has been the day for everyone on the ship (over 2100) to do the things they’ve wanted to do all week. I’m not really into the whole spa thing, but I did go to something called the relaxation room. I just read from some books, etc. The room does have a nice view. And it’s very quiet. That’s another thing. There are many lounge areas on this ship, but they think their needs to be constant music playing. Don’t get me wrong. The music is very good, but just being in a quiet space is pretty nice.

We’ve gone through some pretty narrow passages today, and have viewed beautiful homes along the shore. I’ve also enjoyed seeing the occasional lighthouse. Once today when I was taking pictures in the front part of the ship, the ship’s horn blew a long blast. This blast was so loud, that if I had been holding my camera out over the rail of the ship, I probably would have dropped it in the ocean! Man it was loud.

Tomorrow we arrive in Seattle, where the cruise began. It’s been a wonderful trip. Don’t know if we’ll ever come this way again. But if not, it’s been one of the greatest vacations ever! God’s majestic handiwork is everywhere around us, and it’s a pleasure just to be a speck out here in all this beauty! Thanks again to mom and dad for making this whole trip possible.