Hubbard Glacier Alaska

We set the clock to get up early to visit Hubbard Glacier. I wanted breakfast first but Richo wanted to get some Glacier photos. The scenery was majestic. 200 foot high cliffs of ice breaking off big chunks that fall into the sea and cause mini tidal waves. This process is called calving when a baby ice berg falls off the mother glacier. The ship travels through these baby bergs to about .5 nautical miles of the face. The water is clean and blue and about 2,000 feet deep in places. The wilderness lecturer has been here dozens of times and said this is the best weather he has ever encountered. You are lucky to strike 1 day a month like this is summer and here we are with beautiful blue skies and snowy white ice bergs float all around us.

They make a thundering crack and then a chunk falls off somewhere but you never know where and with a face this wide I was lucky enough to get a shot of one make its entrance into the ocean.

Sometimes baby seals sit on these floating ice chunks and killer whales form a team to bump the ice from underneath, dislodging the seal and delivering into the mouth of another waiting whale. I am so glad I didn't witness this terrible spectacle. These whales also bubble feed by circling a school of fish emitting bubbles to form a veil from below them and effectively herding them into a circle before charging through them and eating them.

The little bergs are clear and some have rocks lodged on them where they have a braided the rock surface as they travel forward.

Skagway Alaska

We had a nice breakfast in the dining room. Walked into town and caught a bus tour to the Ukon. We had to take our passports as we were entering British Columbia which is Canadian territory. TheCanadian  Border guy boarded the bus and smiled at us all wished us a great day, inspected our passports and left with a wave. How refreshing! It was the easiest and friendliest border crossing we have ever traversed. We bought a couple of hats and things for friends back home. The scenery is breathtakingly amazing. We saw mountain goats. Look hard in the centre of the picture and you will see 4 creamy coloured goats on a patch of grass. 

The air is cold and dry and the melting snow produces pretty waterfalls.

This the Alaska we have come to see not cruise ship owned jewellery stores selling costume jewellery from places like Africa &  Australia. 

The bus has large tinted windows, comfortable seats. There are ample stops and photo ops. It's warm and comfortable. Our guide Marv was very knowledgeable and informative plus he is a photographer so he is happy to take very good photos of you with your own camera. He took us into a Musher Camp where we saw 4 day old Husky Puppies. They didn't have their eyes open yet and were shivering but the lady that breeds them is a competitor in the Iditerod dog sled race.

 The puppies were really cute.

There was an old dog there that had been hit by a car and could no longer run. He is now a pet and will live his life out being cared for such is the life of a sled dog. Once we had reboarded the bus we saw the sled dogs return towing a little car.

It was quiet, I don't know why but I expected them to be barking and making a racket but they had arrived before we realised it. Future tours will include the possibility to ride a dog sled if you wish to. There is the white Pass Railway which is a narrow gauge rail to and from the Summit. There was no guarantee for us to be back in time to rejoin our particular ship so that is why we went in the bus. Apparently it is about half the price of the train and travels a lot further into the Yukon with plenty of stops not available on the train.  BUT the best reason to take the bus is....

This guy standing on the roadside munching flat out on dandelions, he wasn't worried about us at all and those dandelions sure looked delicious. Marv turned the bus around so we could take lots of photos, he even took passengers cameras and took great shots of the bear. We were there for quite a while. It was such a thrill to see this fellow in his natural habitat, we weren't allowed off the bus because it would be difficult to explain to the border security that some passengers had become bearbait. We did learn some bear aware safety tips, hope we never need to use it. Marv reckons he was a male because there were no Cubs and he wasn't afraid of the bus.

He was quite relaxed lay down and then sat up like a dog and scratched under his chin with his back leg.

These guys can run at 35 miles per hour so you won't outrun it and even though humans aren't their normal diet, older or desperate bears may attack if they feel threatened.

Richo was pretty excited to see this guy so close for so long was pretty special. Can't do this on the train so this is another reason to consider the bus.

The lakes are beautiful and we could ask questions and Marv told us stories about the history of the area about local characters and facts about local plants and animals in an entertaining way. The tour took just over 2.5 hours and was well worth it. 

Mendenhall Glacier Juneau Alaska

This is the Mendenhall Glacier, there are over 140 glaciers in the Juneau Snowfields, this being the most famous and popular. You can land on it by helicopter and they do. It's like Apocolypse Now with choppers arriving and landing or flying by in a constant procession. The Glacier has retreated at an alarming rate over the recent century. Scientists believe Global Warming has significantly contributed to this retreat. I'm no scientist but I can't help wondering how much impact the airflow from helicopter rotors and heat from the engines would affect the glacier. All day, everyday the choppers are passing close or landing upon the surface. We saw a constant procession of 4 in a row backwards and forwards travelling in close single line formation.

This is nugget falls out tour guide said they didn't exist 36 years ago when she was a child the glacier covered their present location. There are large chunks of icebergs that travel around the lake for months at a time gradually melting over many months. These icebergs look like ice sculptures. Some like sharks, seals, polar bears and snails, from different angles they look like different things. The wind is cold. It makes your nose run and your eyes water. 

I found a piece of iceberg it was crystal clear and slippery cold with air bubbles enclosed inside it. It tasted nice Richo put some in his mouth and commented his sensitive toothpaste is working. LOL

This iceberg has taken over 200 years to reach the surface of the glacier and has broken off leaving an ice blue edge on the surface of the glacier before bobbing around on the silt rich,  probably gold filled icy lake until it joins the water in its melted state.

We did a town tour on the way to the glacier and it took us over the bridge to Douglas Island where we got a birds eye view of the cruise ships in town.

These ships dump up to 10,000 passengers dockside for the day. Most of the shops immediately adjacent to the port are owned by the cruise ships companies. The prices are identical from shop to shop, the merchandise and quality likewise and most are run by people from India who are very skilled at high pressure sales techniques. They are only here for the summer cruise season and I am sure they make a killing. People on vacation tend to spend more on less they they would at home for some reason. 

These are actual snow shoes and ice spikes. There are native handicraft shops. Totem poles, bone carvings, buttons, teeth, leather moccasins, fossils and mammoth tusks. It's like a museum where you can buy the exhibits. There is trinketty stuff too but the quality is exceptional and the staff are friendly, helpful and know there stock.

We enjoyed Juneau but not for the shopping. We had a huge cup of delicious coffee, the best we have had since we left home. Probably because of what we are used to but I am a bigger fan of espresso style coffee than drip coffee that has a more bitter and different strong taste.

The tour guy said these homes downtown are worth between $400-500k USD they have no view, are no where near the water but apparently the tourist season dictates the price for these homes. A fellow passenger was gob smacked and said these styles of homes would be lucky to fetch around $40k in their home town. 

Breakfast in Juneau

Tha capital of Alaska is only accessible by ship or plane. Nestled along the dock is the city at the very foot of a huge mountain which is heavily wooded with pine trees and topped with snow with the occasional waterfall.

The tops of the mountains are invisible for the cloud. There are at least 3 cruise ships in port today and it looks like it will rain.

This is a view of the Centrum Which is the foyer of the ship from the levels above there is a piano bar and a glass staircase with lights in the glass. The bubble elevators give a gold fish view of each floor from inside and out. At the dock is a sky tram that takes visitors to the top of the mountain for a birds eye view. It is enclosed so suitable for all weather provided the cloud cover isn't too low.

We are going ashore to explore.

Leaving Vancouver

It's a beautiful day, we drove over to the other side of the city where the University is located. There are good views of the city across the water. The beaches have dark coloured sand and logs lined up along the beach.

It's not really a swimming beach.

I don't understand the reasons these logs are lined up along the beach. There are fresh tractor tracks on the beach indicating the logs appear to be placed there for some purpose. There is free parking here. Bio cycle toilets but no hand basins. There were doggy poop bags and garbages. The house were a better quality but more importantly they were well care for and the local area was cleaner with a lot more nice areas to enjoy the views of the city. The area felt safer and the motorists were much better behaved.  I wish we had found this area the day before.

We headed to the car rental office, dropped off the car. A cab ride later we were at Canada Place Boarding our Ship.

Vancouver

Vancouver city from Stanley Park. We are staying on the North side of Vancouver so each trip to the city is over the Lions GateBridge which is only 3 lanes wide the centre lane is controlled by lane indicator lights to facilitate a smoother traffic flow.

The park is like Virgin forest impenetrable except for the walking trails. It is a two lane one way road, with the occasional paid parking area. Bicycles and walkers are well catered for with all the walking trails providing good views of the waterfront and city. The speed limit is in metric and limited to 30kms per hour. We travelled on the slow side of the roadway at between 25-30kms per hour trying to enjoy the views. The tranquility was broken by people driving with their hands in the the horn 'encouraging' us to speed so they could rush to the closest car park. Even the Park Ranger pulled alongside blocking the road in a beaten up ranger truck and informed us we couldn't stop along the route as we were blocking traffic, we were the only vehicle visible from either front or behind on a 2 lane 1 way road,  with ample passing space and vision. The park is on both sides of the main road, we didn't bother exploring the other side. The designated picnic area had no tables, chairs, garbages, restrooms or facilities of any kind, bar a football field sized grassed area with no view of the area but a good view of the PAID parking lot. We carried our picnic lunch back to the hotel room to enjoy the view of a blank wall. At least no one honked or hassled us there.

This is The Steam Clock a famous landmark in gas town. We came back at night to hear it chime in the hour, with each chime there is a puff of steam emitted from it.

At Granville Market we bought strawberries and a Nanaimo Bar. 

It's like a coconut rough base with a buttery custard filling and a chocolate topping. There were all sorts of specialty foods and produce here, it was very busy and the fruit and veges were the same as the supermarket prices. Local salmon and cheeses were up to $60.00 CAD per pound. Canadian Maple syrup was at least $3.00 per bottle  more expensive than back home. Fuel was more costly than Australia and sold by the litre. Birkenstock sandals $ 50.00 dearer per pair too. The cost of living seemed to be significantly higher than the US, a fact confirmed by some fellow passengers aboard the ship who take their passport and do all their shopping across the border. I am so glad we can go shopping to Melbourne or the Gold Coast and not have to traverse a border, it does seem to be a bit more streamlined for Canadian and US citizens but we had to be fingerprinted and photographed to enter the US by the officers of homeland security. I think that is a good thing, there don't seem to be nearly enough anti terrorist measures and precautions in Australia. There will come a day when we will regret our civil libertarian promoted attitude to welcoming all and sundry with open arms, by then it will be too late.

Pastas of all shapes and sizes. These things called Cinnamon records which are very flat pastries about the size of an old LP record.

There was plenty to see. Specialty cheeses and a coffee stall that sold all different coffee beans was doing a roaring trade.

The flowers here are beautiful and the stalls actually smell like flowers.

There were handicrafts too, knitted stuff, leather ware, beads, carvings and wood ware. Some local,  some from China and other places. Our GPS is having a hard time finding places or streets. We are using the latest map and even in the city sometimes it is hundreds of metres out. We have never encountered that problem before. We have found a Chinese restaurant and had a lovely meal. The owner has been here 23 years and is a little difficult to understand but she is lovely, friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, so much so that we returned the next night to dine again. The food was good, fresh, fast, ample in portion and variety. The restaurant was clean and the owners were delightful, open, friendly and genuine. If you happen to be in North Vancouver we urge to visit the Jade Restaurant and try the combination meals you won't be disappointed.

Vancouver to Whistler

Arrived in Vancouver by train. The Budget car we booked through Amtrak to simplify the process was unusual, no it's not at the train station. You have to go downtown by cab to pick it up. There is a Hertz office but they ran  out of cars. Let me repeat that ... The Hertz car rental company has NO cars. OK off to budget picked up Subaru Impreza. Off to our hotel to check in. Richo has this crazy notion he'd like to play in the snow, so off to Whistler we go. Quick stop off at Shannon Falls the water is so clear and fresh. There is moss growing over logs and live trees sort of like dripping green. The road is amazing, I'm loving buzzing along in this car. It has a keyless start which I do not understand, it's so automatic it locks and unlocks itself at will.

This is Alice Lake and it's pretty and is surrounded by camp grounds, little tents and signs about bears hmmm....

The weather is closing in, the temp has dropped to 12 degrees C. Every time I get out of the car I start coughing. The snow is too high to 'Play in' so we came back to North Van (couver) and found another Chinese restaraunt. Richo ordered a chicken with ginger, garlic and shallots in a sizzle olate. I wonder if there is an organisation called sizzle plates anonymous, cos Richo is displaying Sizzle Plate Addiction traits.

Me, I want it all they have a thing called the combo for 2 which is chicken chow mein,  sweet and sour port, broccoli beef, spring roll and dipping sauce. Yum yum. Crisp fresh veggies, lean tender pork in ultra thin crisp batter with a lightly spiced sweet dipping sauce.smoky noodles with bean sprouts, crisp sautéed carrots and spring onions and I have made the best choice. Back home for a long soothing soak in the bath and bed. 

About the Vancouver Railway Station. The entry point from the USA. 4 customs officers for an entire train. No welcome to Canada anything. The Vancouver sign on the platform is about 15cm high if that. No information booth or staff. One relatively small yet well stocked brochure counter.  All but 2 of the public phones have been removed leaving empty phone cabinets attached to the wall with wires sticking out. No budget car rental

Booth even though the train company allows you to book a car to pick up there. The Hertz car rental company is car- less. Nobody knows anything. Passengers help each other. The floor tiles are cracked, some of the bathroom taps can't dispense water. The mirror is all flawed around the edges and the silcone sealant around the basin bench is broken and or missing. No hand bag hooks on the bathroom doors. Drab, dated, neglected and dingy are the most apt and descriptive words to describe every passengers initial impression of the entry gateway to the Canada/ USA border. No wifi to assist visitors to get started booking, organising, touring and start spending their tourist dollars. Tourism Canada get down there and welcome, inform and market your state to the information starved tourists who are wandering around in bewilderment. I fail to see why you would leave the people visiting your country simply dumped at the front gate. Not one single sign with the word Welcome either written or implied. I don't know how the other entry points, airports etc are treated but the train arrival hall is the epitome of indifference.

Seattle to Vancouver on the Amtrak

Boarding the Cascades train to Vancouver.

What beautiful train, quiet, smooth , clean, leather seats, ample luggage storage and legroom. Gorgeous scenery through the agricultural townships en route to Vancouver. For $25 you can take your pet on trips no longer than 7 hours. Our Tilly would love this trip.

The house have lovely views over the water.

Everyone seems to have a boat here.

Seattle Aquaduck

Today was the best. We went in the Seattle Aquaduck for a 90 minute tour of the city and waterways of Seattle. To say this is fantastic is an understatement of the century. I loved it!!! Our tour commentator was a standup comedienne she changed hats and music continually. We sang Gilligans Island and Willie Nelson songs we blew whistles called quackers, interacted with pedestrians and construction workers. When caught in a traffic jam as a result of an accident we bounced a big Nemo stuffed fish around above our heads. The commentary was fast, unbelievable funny and highly informative. We saw the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat, had a drag with another duck. Wove in and out of kayaks, where our guide switched the music to jaws music for their benefit and told them "There gonna need a bigger boat" 

she ragged the Aussies on board.

The Sleepless in Seattle Houseboat is under those flags to the bottom left of this frame.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and would highly recommend it to everyone visiting Seattle.

We parked near the Space Needle and wandered through the beautiful green space with gardens, interactive play areas and sculpture. Dogs played frisbee and ball with their owners and each other. It was so peaceful and quiet and green. We had no trouble driving around the city. 

I found this squirrel and whistled him up. Got a full minute of video of him playing and coming over to me.

We wandered around the space needle and saw lovely gardens with musical features, a glass studio, and fun statues.

Then back to gas works park to watch Seattle take to the afternoon sunset in yachts.

A drive back to the hotel revealed snow capped mountains.

Stumbled upon a Chinese restaurant this is an entree for 2, the meal was fab

Wontons, spring rolls beef kebab, chicken in paper, roast pork, prawn cutlet followed by hot n sour soup(divine) and asizzle  plate of beef with vegetables and pork fried rice. So so good.

Back to the hotel for a bath and a lovely sleep. Canada tomorrow.