Boog's Blog

May 19

Highlight of the cruise is a visit to Hubbard glacier. Morning visit with full narration via the PA system.

Once again a spectacularly clear day. Each day we were told how unusual not to have rain, or just a mizzle, out heat, or fog less views.

Perfect viewing day.

Dinner: the third of the upcharged dinners. Tuscan(excellent) sushi ( eh) and tonight cusine Q, small plates theme, fancy presentation

HUBBARD GLACIER (CRUISING)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbard_Glacier

In Album 5/20/16

Check this out on Google+

May 18

Very early departure from the boat. A trip by train and bus to the Yukon and back.

SKAGWAY, ALASKA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagway,_Alaska

Advertised as an excursion, scenic, requiring a passport as it goes into Canada. Scenery and wildlife. Number one in trip advisor!  Narrow gage over white pass to Yukon.  This is one of the two passes used to get to the gold, Klondike 1897

https://wpyr.com/    

Snowblower

Skagway

Graffiti left but Klondike and earlier

May 17
Colder and raining

JUNEAU, ALASKA

Second largest city in the USA  (by area)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneau,_Alaska

Shuttle ride to Tongas national forest, under control of Dept of agriculture. Tanner’s haves no guns.

A smaller but interesting glacier with a good nature walk to the base, no longer accessible due to constant erosion. 

May 16
Rain and colder

ICY STRAIT POINT, ALASKA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icy_Strait_Point

Hot tub has been cold. Went to guest relations and asked the set point. 34-39. Not usable..

Rain. Nice steady downpour for our walk to the village of Hoonah.

The main town has native cable and pole carvers.  The national history park service of glacier nasty has hired several to create a village completed with carvings. A multi year project.

Exit from boat onto new floating dock.

Canoes being built

http://go.nps.gov/tribalhouse

Poles being carved

Dinner at sushi restaurant. Less said there better. No pictures.

May 15
Arrival after ride through inland water way. An old Russian town with the oldest Russian Orthodox church in North America.

SITKA, ALASKA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitka,_Alaska

The extreme heat, 78F, of yesterday has broken. Low 60s.

View from cabin.

Church,totem poles in sitka national historical park

May 13 perfect weather

All day cruising, no port stop. Heading towards Ketchikan.

May 14

KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/About-Ketchikan/Photo-Galleries/Nature.aspx

Typical tourist port city. Quite charming in the main areas. No chain stores.

Another

KETCHIKAN

view

Salmon and fur are big businesses here. Otter has the densest fur.

Truman,stalin,churchill and avatars

Totem museum

As labeled

Tuscan dinner , just the appetizers

Inland water way, one of the trip highlights

May 12

Start of cruise from Vancouver.

As we were pulling out.

Our room

Art shot with the sun shining on the water at about 5:15 p.m.

May 9-11

A short stay before the Alaska cruise. As very often Michelle booked a fine hotel stay. QB started the trip with the tail end of a cold.

Warm
Vancouver art gallery
City walks, of course
Mink chocolate cafe for snacks
Very marginal pizza but the company was excellent
Purchased tea at Murchi’s
Walk in Stanley Park with Melanie and Craig
   Forest walk after reaching beaver lake
Salad lunch at TheTea House.
Dinner with the full gang: Brix&Morter
     Excellent

Visit to Art Museum worth special modernism exhibit, Mashup.

Koons

Italian fake greens

Pizza place with Melanie and Craig plus G&M

Melanie and Craig by totem poles

Boogs together

Beaver lake

Tea house lunch

Adventure now ended, some high points:

Steampunk clock Tokyo

Fine dinners at ryokans, breakfast not so much. Variety of experiences, very large variety.

Packaging and wrapping….unending, wasteful, generally elegant

Clean bathrooms almost everywhere but cold water and seldom soap

Mediocre pastries

Excellent homemade bread and deserts in kii mountain cafe, Saimensan music

Kindness of strangers, especially at rain stop, coffee and frozen persimmons

Kureman market Osaka

Okonomaki

Namba and unlimited shopping as well as dotonbori street

Nara: Isuien garden, persimmon scramble

Non-ending hard forested mountain passes without ridges

Shrines at Hongu, Shingu and Nachi. All grand shrines

Japanese baths

Buddhist hall of a thousand dieties

Not much in the way of wildlife

Some uncomfortable ryokans with convenient facilities

Good walking group on nakasendo

Post towns

Fall foliage

Chrysanthemums, displayed at Shinjuku national garden

Cleaning of Shinkansen train

Impossible navigation at Shiodome amoeba

Water taxi and low bridges

Kaiseki dinner at onsen

Check this out on Google+

Warmer, sunny

For our last excursion, a trip to the beach. Not just any beach but rated by Michelin as one of the top 100 of Japan. Takeno beach.

The same literature said that the beach is open for swimming from late July to the end of August.

Expanding the photo of the person walking on the beach notice the stoat or ferret being walked.

In Album 11/22/15

Check this out on Google+