Alaskan Cruise…
We took a 10-day cruise, round-trip San Francisco, to the nature rich State of Alaska, with a final stop at Victoria, Canada. We were ‘at sea’ for three days before reaching our first port-of-call.
Alaska has so much to offer, especially for nature lovers. No photo of mine did justice to what we saw (especially with this toy equivalent camera of mine). It is best exhibited through these videos I found on-line.
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Sitka
Alaska
For centuries the Tlingits (pronounced Kling-it) called this lovely island home, until Russian explorers invaded their land and built a Russian fort in 1799.
Region: Sitka is located on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage, situated on Baranof Island, in the midst of the Tongass National Forest. Sitka is accessible only by air and sea.
Founded: Originally settled by the Native Tlingit, Sitka was founded in 1799, by Alexander Baranof.
The Tlingit tribe led a peaceful existence until Russian explorers, under the direction of Alexander Baranof, built a Russian fort in 1799. Tlingits fought the Russians for 22 years, until a truce was called between the Natives and Russians in 1821. The town prospered, becoming known as the “Paris of the Pacific” (huh?). In 1867, Sitka transferred from Russia (“…it was not theirs to begin with” stated a Tlingit Chief) to the United States.
Population: 8985 making it the fifth largest community in Alaska.
Economy: Among all of the cities in southeast Alaska, Sitka has the highest King salmon saltwater catch rate.
More to see on this >> 1:24 video on Sitka. (You may need a Facebook account to be able to access the video.)
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Glacier Bay National Park
There is no place quite like it on earth — Over 3.3 million acres of forest, inlet and shore, mountain peaks rising over 15,000 feet, and of course, the namesake ‘glaciers’.
More to see on this >> 2:52 video on Glacier Bay National Park
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Haines
Tlingits were the first settlers in this beautiful area and they called it ‘Dei-shu’ meaning ‘The End of the Trail’. The name change to Haines was in honor of a Presbyterian Missionary by the name of Francina E. Haines.
Region: Haines is located on the Chilkat Peninsula, between the Chilkoot and Chilkat rivers. Haines and Skagway are two of three cities in southeast Alaska accessible by road. It is a 350 mile drive between the two but only 14 miles by water.
Founded: The North West Trading Company settled the area in 1880. The city of Haines was incorporated in 1910. Population: 2620
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Ketchikan
My most favorite stop in Alaska…
Ketchikan is believed to come from the Tlingit word ‘Kitsehk-Hin’ meaning ‘Thundering Wings of an Eagle’ and is reminiscent of the outline of the Ketchikan Creek seen from above. An estimated 19% of Ketchikan residents are of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Native Indian descent.
Downtown’s centerpiece is Creek Street, said to be the most photographed street in Alaska. Now populated with shops and art galleries, Creek Street was once the Red Light District with more than 30 brothels. These houses of ill repute were the result of a high male population, due to the gold rush.
Region: Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island, 90 miles north of Prince Rupert, British Columbia and 235 miles south of Juneau, capital of Alaska. Population: 8142 and another 5500 living in outlying areas.
Have you heard of this song? A little history for you!
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Victoria, Canada
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– Victoria is most famous for its Butchart Gardens and Fairmont Empress Hotel (See video).
– Bastion Square and Market Square are areas with stores and artists exhibiting/selling their crafts. (Click on each photo above to see larger image.)
– High percentage of residents per capita are retirees.
Founded: Fort Victoria was established as a trading post in 1843.
Region: Greater Victoria is located in the province of British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
Population: 80,000 within the metropolitan area, and about 345,000 in Greater Victoria.
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Aerial bird’s eye-view photo source: Princess Cruises and municipal sites
Glad to know that you had a wonderful time. 🙂
Thank you for sharing so many beautiful photos my friend, it would have been a wonderful time 😀 Cheers CCU
What a lovely trip you made! Thank you for touringcar it for us too! You saw a lot too: all very beautiful too! Waw even! X
It looks beautiful, Fae!
Alaska is soooo top of my bucket list you just have no idea! One day soon….
Alaska is on my bucket list, it looks wonderful!
My sister went to undergrad in Alaska; it’s so beautiful!
Your pictures are beautiful Fae! I can see you had an amazing get-away! Glad you’re back!
Beautiful photos Fae! You’re right. It is hard to capture the beauty completely. AK is truly unique. So glad you enjoyed your visit.
When I was working, I spent some time on the north slope of AK – incredible and wild. The people who worked there were amazing — living in isolation, dodging wildlife in their work, managing extended days and then endless nights. Not work for everyone. Loved visiting but wouldn’t want to have lived there for long.
Yes, I totally agree. One has to be rea~~lly an adventurer and love the cold. Many of the merchant said, they are there for the summer tourist season and then go back to other warmer states for the winter. 😉
It sounds like you had a wonderful cruise…nice to have you back.
I was waiting for your post so don’t know how I missed it, no matter, such fun to read about your trip which sounds amazing! I’ve never been but I have some family members who are avid cruisers and they did the Alaska cruise and I have pix of them at what I believe is Creek Street, Ketchikan (looks awfully familiar) but had no idea that was the most photographed street in Alaska, how funny! Glad you’re back! 🙂
Thanks. I saw a few hamshahri taking photos there. 😀 ))) It is best to cruise to Alaska. There are so many beautiful places to explore in this fortunate country!
so funny Fae, at first glance my brain registered “hamshahri” as a Japanese word and then my “dozari rad shood” ha ha.
Sounds like a fabulous trip Fae! I have yet to take the Victoria Clipper from Seattle to Victoria. It certainly sounds lovely. Did you make a stop in Seattle?
It was a fabulous trip. No, we did not stop in Seattle and I have not taken Victoria Clipper from Seattle. I have been to Seattle (business) and Spokane (wedding) long time ago. I have taken a few hour view watching boat cruise round-trip Vancouver in that area, that’s all.
My great-grandparents lived in Ketchikan for a few years almost 100 years ago. It was a real frontier back then! He was the cold storage supervisor for the New England Fisheries there. It is on my list to go on a cruise there.
Wow, what do you know? They were there before the gold rush! A real business people of then! They might not have benefited from the gold, but they must have enriched their family not being involved during the havoc time of the city! 😉 You must go to Alaska/Ketchikan! It is fun all around! 😀 )))
It sounds like you had a blast! I missed reading your posts, but it looks like you are on your way back with bang! 🙂
Beautiful pictures Fae. It looks like you had a wonderful time. I have heard that cruise is fantastic. I have been to Victoria before and the gardens are beautiful. Have a great Thursday!
How wonderful. the photo’s are breathtaking. I have always wanted to visit Alaska.
Good to hear that you enjoyed your trip! Lovely pics!
Thank you Erika! When I saw the setting for the afternoon tea in The Empress,
I thought of you… Tea with Erika! 😀
Yayyy! Fae is back – been missing your posts. Keep ’em coming 🙂
What a beautiful part of the world! Glad to see it through your eyes!
What a lovely post! It is true that modern methods of travel have made travelling so much quicker and easier … but your post reminds me that the world is STILL one very big place, thank goodness! and always … so much to learn!
Absolutely Jo! Since we are retired and on vacation everyday, we call our travels ‘education’ vs. vacation. In some cases, the histories makes us sad and angry, but it flies away when we see the welcoming smiles… and the tenacity of the locals to make their mark. 😀
So glad I just opened my reader and here you were! With your trip report. What a great post!! Isn’t Alaska wonderful? And Victoria, all of Canada essentially. We stayed at The Empress recently. I love these old, great hotels. I had tea at The Empress as a child. It sounds like you had a wonderful time and I even learned things from your post that I didn’t know. Ketchican is wonderfully fun. Glacier Bay magnificent. Alaska, just special. So glad I found this post! Hugs and welcome home~