Category: States

Day 37: A day cruise to Juneau

Posted in Alaska, Birds, Glaciers, Lighthouse, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , 3 Comments

Day 37: Friday, June 21, 2013. Aboard the Fjordland from Haines, Alaska to Juneau, Alaska

There have been many WOW moments on this trip but our trip to Juneau has them all beat by far.

At 8:30 am we gathered at the dock with our friends Ted and Ruth Ann to board the Fjordland for an all day cruise to Juneau. The boat has comfortable seats inside the cabin and a nice viewing platform in the rear for wildlife viewing and photography. Our captain was very knowledgeable about the area and he and his daughter kept an eye out for wildlife. He would slow down or stop when there was something interesting to watch.

We took the Fjordland to Juneau from Haines
Aboard the Fjordland to Juneau

Our first wildlife came when we saw hundreds of steller sea lions at a rookery along the rocks.

Steller Sea Lion Rookery in Alaska
Steller Sea Lions
Steller Sea Lion
Stellar Sea Lions on day trip to Juneau
He was off by himself on the rock

There were so many whales we lost count. Some were too far off to see very much detail but we were fortunate to see some up close.

Thar She Blows!
We saw lots of whales close to shore
Humpback Whale
Whale dorsal fin
Whale Pectoral Fin on day trip to Juneau
Such an amazing sight to see their tail
Another dive
One last whale tail

We passed by glaciers and waterfalls and even a lighthouse on the way to Juneau.

We went by this waterfall
A whale went by as we got closer to the lighthouse

The boat docked a little outside of town so we boarded a bus to take us downtown. We enjoyed lunch at the Red Dog Saloon before doing a little shopping and sightseeing in the capital of Alaska. Next was a stop at the Mendenhall Glacier to see a glacier up close.

Miner’s Monument in Juneau
Lunch at the Red Dog Saloon
Red Dog Saloon in Juneau
Mural in downtown Juneau
Capital Building in Juneau, Alaska
Mendenhall Glacier
Waterfalls at the glacier
Mendenhall Glacier with the water falls on the right

After touring the Mendenhall Glacier we boarded the bus for our ride back to the dock. We enjoyed a delicious bowl of seafood chowder with smoked salmon while we rested up from our hard day of sightseeing. Whale sightings continued and our captain took us close by the Eldred Rock Lighthouse we had passed on the way to Juneau. Want to buy it? It’s for sale!

The seals came up close to the boat
For Sale – Eldred Rock Lighthouse
We passed close to the Eldred Rock Lighthouse
Another view of the lighthouse
Oystercatcher at the lighthouse
Harbor Seals lounging on the rocks by the lighthouse
Harbor Seals by the lighthouse

Our trip on the Fjordland was the Fjord Express to Juneau cruise offered by the Alaska Fjordlines. I highly recommend it. It sails from either Haines or Skagway to Juneau.

Day 36: Fresh Crabs for Dinner

Posted in Alaska, Birds, Tourist Attractions, WildlifeTagged , , , , 11 Comments

Day 36: Thursday, June 20, 2013

One of the things on my list of things to do in Alaska was to eat some fresh crabs right from the dock. Thanks to Joyce, the great owner of the Oceanside RV Park where we are staying, I crossed that off my list on Thursday night.

I went for an early morning walk around the harbor and then hoping to see some more Bald Eagles, we drove a few miles down the road to Chilcoot Lake in Chilcoot State Park and along Mud Bay Road to the seafood cannery.

I walked around Haines Harbor in the early morning
Haines Totem by the harbor
Chilcoot Lake
Bald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AK
Mama Bald Eagle on nest in Chilcoot State Park, Haines, AK
Bald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AK
Bald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AK

Then we went down to the dock to help clean today’s catch of 38 Dungeness Crabs.

Deadliest Catch!
The guys are hard at work
Joyce and crew cleaning crabs on the dock

A trip to the Hammer Museum sounded like a fun way to spend the afternoon before dinner.

Henry and Blondie at the Hammer Museum
Hammer Museum in Haines, Alaska
This one is for our friend Chuck, president of a small bank in Georgia
This is for Henry and all his buddies at BellSouth
A display of seafood hammers. Our mallet came in handy when we had a dinner of Dungeness Crab

Finally, it was time to eat!

Owner Joyce and the camp host getting ready to cook
38 Dungeness Crabs
Time to eat

Joyce, the owner of Oceanside RV Park, often puts on a crab boil or salmon bake for her guests. Joyce organizes everything, teaches everyone how to clean them, and then cooks them. Everyone brought a covered dish and paid for however many crabs they wanted. After we ate our fill of our six crabs we picked the rest and froze it for later in the trip.

Joyce is one of the hardest working RV park owners we have ever seen and goes out of her way to make you feel at home. If you are going to Haines, Oceanside RV Park is the only place to stay. This is NOT a paid advertisement! She doesn’t even know I’m posting this.

Day 35: Laid back in Haines, Alaska

Posted in Alaska, Birds, WildlifeTagged , , , 4 Comments

Day 35: Wednesday, June 19, 2013

We didn’t have to travel far to see the sights today. Back at the campground, people emerged from their RV’s with coffee cups in hand in search of birds, whales, and vessels passing by. Someone shouted “Whale” and started pointing. Binoculars and spotting scopes came out and we all watched to see where they are. Far across the water we watched three whales as they spouted and breached.

Later, we drove along Mud Bay to a cannery to get some smoked salmon. No work was being done so we decided to come back another day to watch them at work. The local IGA had just received it’s weekly shipment so after we stocked up there we spent the rest of the day enjoying the views from our campground.

We’re in site 13 at the Oceanside RV Park overlooking the ocean
Haines boat harbor
Haines Harbor
Welcome to Haines
A Blue Heron in Haines

Have I mentioned how hot it is here? After traveling through Canada wearing sweatshirts, jeans and wool socks for days, we arrived in Alaska and had to change into short sleeves and shorts. Many people in the campground sat in their chairs sunbathing.

Blondie finally got to go swimming when we took her down to the beach.

I could see Henry and Blondie on the beach from our campsite
Blondie swimming in Haines, Alaska
Kelp washed up on the beach
Shells were everywhere

Whale watching during cocktail hour and waiting for a storm to come in – it’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

This boat anchored right in front of us
Watching for whales in Haines, Alaska
View from our campground in Haines
A ship goes by in the distance as two ships are leaving the harbor in the rain

Day 34: Taking the Alaskan Ferry to Haines

Posted in Alaska, Birds, RV Parks, WildlifeTagged , , , ,

Day 34: June 18, 2013. Skagway, Alaska to Haines, Alaska on the ferry Walaspina. Oceanside RV Park, Site 13, Haines. About 335 miles by land, 15 miles and one hour by ferry.

Four new cruise ships arrived in the harbor while we were sleeping. The boardwalks were filled with shoppers from the ships early in the morning. We made a couple of last minute purchases before hitching up the fifth wheel to drive about two blocks to the ferry terminal. Our quiet little row of campers suddenly became busy as about 4 huge motor homes pulled in just as we were getting ready to leave. With cruise ship passengers walking through the parking lot and a train across the road stopping traffic it took us about 30 minutes to go two blocks to get in line for the ferry.

Our rig was measured – 46 feet from the front of the truck to the rear of the fifth wheel – we paid for the tickets, and had a couple of hours before boarding. We had hoped to grab a quick lunch in town but lines were out the doors everywhere so we just fixed lunch and ate at the ferry dock. Our rig was parked right next to Ted and Ruthy, a couple from Michigan and Arizona we met back in Prince George, BC. We saw their rig in Watson Lake and they saw ours in Liard Hotsprings.

When it was time to board the vehicles on the ferry a crew member directed traffic pointing to each vehicle when it was their turn to board. We sat and watched the motor homes and other trailers board until only cars were left. When they started moving quickly to the ferry we knew we would be the last ones on.

We rode the Walaspina ferry to Haines
We were the last ones to enter the ferry
Cars and RV’s are lined up inside the ferry
Henry on deck of the Walaspina
Several helicopters flew past the ship
Leaving the Skagway dock

Blondie had to stay in the truck while we went up to the passenger decks for our one hour journey through the inside passage to Haines. We stayed outside most of the trip to see the scenery and went inside to the nice comfortable lounge when we started getting cold.

Helicopter tours flew by
Amazing views from the ferry
Approaching Haines
Arriving at the Haines ferry dock
We traveled on the Alaska Ferry System from Skagway to Haines.

Our campground was just a few minutes drive from the ferry dock. Our friends Ted and Ruthy are just a few sites down from us. An eagle flew by to welcome us and perched on the rocks in the harbor. Our next door neighbors said they saw whales earlier. We knew we were going to like it here.

Driving into Haines, Alaska
We watched the ferry from our campground as it was leaving Haines
View from our campsite
A Bald Eagle on our first day in Haines

Every day just keeps getting better and better.

Day 33: Another fun day in Skagway

Posted in Alaska, Entertainment, Historic Sites, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , , , 4 Comments

Day 33: Monday, June 18, 2013

While we slept, four cruise ships arrived in the harbor. Skagway was bustling with activity early in the morning as the trains, sightseeing buses, and stores prepared for the onslaught of cruise ship passengers.

The streets were still fairly quiet as I took my early morning stroll through town. I passed by two trains filled with passengers waiting to depart. Later in the day the streets were filled with people strolling along, taking pictures, and hitting the shops.

Pullen Creek RV Park, Skagway, Alaska
The White Pass train waiting to depart
The train across from the cruise ship dock
This train is waiting to hitch up more cars
Historical buildings in downtown Skagway
Downtown Skagway
Totems in downtown Skagway
Downtown Skagway
An advertisement painted on the side of the cliff
Downtown Skagway
This building is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Inside is a replica of a saloon.
Strolling on the boardwalk is part of the fun

After another delicious breakfast at the Sweet Tooth we joined the throngs of shoppers browsing the shops. You can find anything from the typical made in China souvenirs to beautiful handcrafted, made in Alaska items. After drooling over all the beautifully crafted items I finally decided on a pair of jade whale tail earrings.

At 10:30 we went to the Days of ’98 Show at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. The musical play tells the tale of Soapy Smith, Alaska’s most notorious outlaw. The show was entertaining and so much fun. The piano player, dance hall girls, ragtime music, and Soapy himself were all great. I highly recommend attending the show if you ever go to Skagway.

At the Days of 98 show at the Fraternal Order of Eagles
Soapy Smith and the three dance all girls
Beth with the Soapy Smith
Henry with the dance hall girls

Here is a video of the girls performing the can-can. If you are reading an email update and can’t watch the video, click Wandering Dawgs to go to the web page and scroll to the video to watch.

When we came out of the show the streets were filled with people. A drive along the Taiya Inlet to the former town of Dyea sounded perfect. Thousands of prospectors hoping to strike it rich during the Klondike Gold rush followed the Chilkoot trail which began in Dyea. The narrow, winding gravel road to the site of the once booming town of Dyea was beautiful. The trail to the town site takes you through woods and neither of us was prepared for the hike so we didn’t actually see where the town once was. At the end of the road were the Dyea Flats with wild iris and other wildflowers adding splashes of purple to the green.

Wild Iris in the Dyea Flats
Field of wildflowers at Dyea
Skagway Harbor from overlook on Dyea Raod
Dyea Flats

If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Klondike Gold Rush, visit The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Site to find out more.

Henry spent the rest of the afternoon washing the truck while I did some cleaning inside. Watching the cruise ship passengers pass by on their way back to their ship was a great way to relax after a hard day of being a tourist.

Dinner at the Red Onion Saloon was really fun. As I was enjoying my pizza and Henry his Reuben, we were pleasantly surprised to see a band setting up to play. With two fiddles, a bass, a mandolin, a guitar, and English Concertina we knew the Windy Valley Boys would be fun to listen to. Their first song was a foot tapping, buck dancing kind of song that reminded me of the jam session at the Floyd Country Store in Virginia. We ordered another beer and stayed for the entire first set. What a great ending to our day!

If you follow us by email and haven’t visited the web page in a while, click on over to Wandering Dawgs to see our updated page.