Alaska |
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Flying on my way to Seattle.
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I came to Seattle a day early, so I got to go visit the Space Needle. There sure was an awesome view from the top.
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From my hotel, I was able to get this picture of the harbor.
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Looking the other direction you can see downtown, and Quest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawk. I was fortunate that I had such a clear day when I was there.
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This area around the Space Needle is a park. It's like a mini fair. Lots of rides, cotton candy, and video games.
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This is the Diamond Princess, the ship I will be taking to Alaska.
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I'm on board now, and I need to get the usual picture by the life preserver.
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Wow....can you tell it was cold and windy outside!
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I love this shot from the port side of the ship.
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I'm actually loving this cold and windy weather.
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So far, I was really fortunate with the weather to be able to get these pretty shots.
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This is just one of the things you can do while you are on board the ship.
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This is the buffet, and I spent a lot of time here!
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I took this photo from my cabin's balcony, and you can see that it is beginning to get just a little rough.
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By the time I got out to the pool deck, the water was really starting to splash out of the pool.
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Now the wind is really whipping up, and it's raining hard!
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We are heading into the strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the people watched from the windows, but not me. Like I said, I love this kind of weather. It's so invigorating.
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As we were going along the channel, we could see so many of these beautiful waterfalls.
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Here we are approaching Juneau. The captain has just said it is 52 degrees, cloudy with rain.
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Here is the main street of Juneau. From the crowds along the street, the rain didn't seem to be bothering anyone.
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This is the only kind of Alaskan bear I wanted to see. Stuffed!
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My next stop was the Red Dog Saloon. It was recognized by the Alaska Legislature for it's longevity as the oldest man-made tourist attraction in Juneau. A fun thing to see was Wyatt Earp's gun that he checked but never claimed on his way to Nome. You wouldn't think that he would forget something like that!
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Founded during Juneau's mining era, the saloon has been in operation for decades. For a time, "Ragtime Hattie" played the piano in white gloves and a silver dollar halter top. It was such a fun place to visit.
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This guy wasn't "Ragtime Hattie," but he could play a mean piano.
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Returning back to the ship after a great day of sightseeing and shopping.
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As we made our way to Skagway, the sun came out, and I was able to get this pretty picture.
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Same time, just another view .
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The next morning we arrived in Skagway, known as the Gateway to the Klondike. It is a popular stop for cruise ships. The narrow gauge railway is part of the mining's past, but now is just for the tourists.
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I am an avid fan of the TV show Deadliest Catch, so when I saw this pile of crab pots, I was so excited. There was one sitting on the ground, and I tried picking it up. I wanted to get a feel for how heavy they are. THEY'RE HEAVY! It made me appreciate even more how hard their job is. I miss Phil Harris. It just won't be the same without him on the show.
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While many of the tourists took the train ride, I just wondered around the town. This place really looks like an old mining town. Of course, where there is a bear, I have to have a photo. = )
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We went past some beautiful scenery as we left Skagway and headed for Tracy Arm. I can't imagine living here in the winter, but I understand they do. Hardy people!
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It was another beautiful evening as we sailed toward Tracy Arm.
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This is the sister ship of the Diamond Princess, the ship I am on. It was fun passing her. Both ships were blasting their horns at each other.
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I felt it getting colder. I looked out from the cabin balcony and saw that we were in the glacial fjord. Now we are finally seeing ice.
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We have arrived at South Sawyer Glacier. Besides the beautiful glacier, we saw many America eagles nesting.
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As well as eagles, we saw seals just relaxing on the larger shelves of ice. They didn't seem worried by the ship. I guess they are used to it.
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We had several opportunities to see ice calving, which is when a large chunk of ice breaks away from a glacier.
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Wow...was it ever windy. I had been up there where this guy is standing, and I kept being blown over, so I got off of that deck! FAST!
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We have arrived at Ketchikan, known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. It is located on an island, and began as an Indian fishing camp.
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This place is so much fun. Everything is set up like it used to be during the mining time.
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Having a great time.
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Even though it was the end of the season, there were still plenty of salmon working their way up the river. It was so fascinating to actually see them.
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I took the funicular up to the Totem Heritage Center. The center contains the largest collection of original 19th century totem poles in existence.
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This shot was taken from the museum overlooking the town with the ship in the background.
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It's time to pack up the luggage, and put it outside the door to be picked up. I had bought so many fun souvenirs and Christmas presents for the grand kids that I had to buy an little extra bag. =)
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Everything is laid out to take on the plane the next morning.
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Enjoying my last sunset as I leave Alaska.
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