Home at Last

It has been hot these past two days, in the mid 80's. Next week it is supposed to get into the 90's, far different than SE Alaska!

We are taking our 5th wheel to Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails resort next week. We will be there for four nights as we plan, with Darell and Merry Johnson, from Oregon City, our winter trip to Baja. We are planning on leaving sometime, yet to be determined, after Christmas, taking a month or more to get to Tijuana. We will then travel down Baja as far as Mulege and back to Santa Rosalia where we will take the ferry across the Gulf of California to Los Mochis and north from there to SE Arizona. Times, places and attractions are to still be determined.

I should have my August trip to Guatemala fully planned in a couple of more days. Then I will post the details. Basically I am going to Monjas in south central Guatemala to work at an orphanage for girls for 10 days, then to Chiquimulilla on the SW coast where I have worked on a Christian school before. We will be there only two nights, to visit with friends. Then to Antigua for a couple of nights so those going with me can have time to shop a little. Then home.

Have a great week!

Vancouver, BC

Empire Room (dining room) on Carnival Spirit
Cafe Nouveau, dining by reservation only
Carnival Spirit
Main Lobby of The Spirit
July 2, 2008

Wow, the learning curve is steep. However, I learned today how to label my photos! I also learned how to edit posts. Now, if I could just master the art of beautiful writing.

We arrived in Vancouver, BC harbor right on time, docking before 7:00 a.m. The process of debarkation was long, and the port of Vancouver personnel were so confused and flustered that the transfer process was the low spot on the whole trip.

We traveled by bus from Vancouver, BC to Seattle-Tacoma airport, called the shuttle to take us to our Dodge, loaded our belongings, and finally, about 3:30 p.m. we got on the freeway headed south. Of course, at that time of the day the traffic was quite intense.

After stopping in Chehalis, WA, at my cousin's home (he is going to Guatemala with me in August), we traveled on to Troutdale, OR, turned toward home and made it to Sandy where we decided to stop for a bite to eat. It had been a long day.

While in Sandy a thunder storm hit, rain, lightning, and thunder. So, we had to cover our suitcases for the trip on home, to Madras. However, after we got it all done the rain quit and was non-existent the rest of the trip.

When we arrived at home, our little dog, Stitches, was a little shy. It was like she was trying to tell us, "You abandoned me, now you want me, What's Up!

It is now Thursday the 3rd of July at 11:00 a.m. and I want to get this posted.

In my next posts I will be describing the trip to Guatemala to work at Sombra de Sus Alas, an orphanage for girls.

Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska
Flying over Misty Fjords in a Beaver float plane
Known as "The Wall" in Misty Fjords - 2000 vertical foot granite mountain
Misty Fjords National Monument lake
July 1, 2008

What a wonderful day in Ketchikan! It was more than 70 degrees, bright blue sky and sunshine! In one of the rainiest communities in Alaska it was a beautiful day!

Arrival was right on time and we ashore by about 11:30 a.m. There were already three other cruise ships docked when we arrived. About 10,000 people descending on Ketchikan’s population of less than 25,000. Wow, what a mob!

I decided that it was time we took one of the trip opportunities, so I booked us on Taquan Air for flightseeing in the Misty Fjords National Monument. We had a 1 ½ hour trip. On the flight we flew over the mountains and saw a pair of mountain goats. We flew over the “WALL” and saw a 2000’ water-fall. The pilot landed us on a small mountain lake and we got out on the pontoons for a few minutes.

On the return flight we saw eagles and seals. One of the best things about the trip was that it was in a Beaver aircraft, with a Pratt & Whitney rotary engine, the most stable and dependable of Alaska Bush planes. Landing on water is so different from landing on an airstrip.

Melva did some shopping while I returned to the ship and spent the rest of our time in time in the beautiful weather of Ketchikan.

We had to be aboard by 7:00 p.m., and the ship departed right on time at 7:30 p.m. About one hour south of Ketchikan, in full flight the pilot of the ship was taken off to a small boat that was paralleling us. He was a south-east Alaska pilot, and since we were headed for Canadian waters, he had to be replaced by a Canadian pilot who will come aboard tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are to travel completely through the day, no stops, arriving in Vancouver early Wednesday morning, where we will take a bus transfer to Sea-Tac airport to retrieve our car and drive home.

June 30, 2008

We departed from Skagway right on time, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 29. We traveled south, through Lynn Canal, into Chatam Strait, paralleling Admiralty Island the whole distance north to south. We went through open ocean for a short time when we reached Christian Sound, around the south end of Kuiu Island and into Sumner Strait.

Melva and I sat on deck 9 for a long time, watching the beautiful forested island slip by. About 9:00 p.m. we succumbed to tiredness and hit the sheets.

Near the lighthouse, just south of Haines, I saw several whales blowing their spouts. None sounded, so I knew they were there from the water spouts, but did not actually see them. We did, however see lots of fish jumping. They looked like Jack Salmon, mostly 15 to 24 inches.

Presently we are traveling south on the east side of Prince of Wales Island, and are in Clarence Strait. Arrival time is 11:30 a.m. at Ketchikan, which is located on the southwest end of Revillagigedo Island. This will be our last stop in Southeast Alaska.

Traveling through the Inland Passage is very smooth, like being on a large lake. When we went through Christian Sound, however, it awoke me as the ship was rocking from the influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Skagway, Alaska

Shrimp fresh from the harbor near Skagway - at the Hather's
Mainstreet shop in Skagway
Lynn Canal lighthouse (forgot the name of it)
Skagway main street.


We had a wonderful dinner last night! Steak, potatoes, bread, etc. Afterward we had a special dessert the waitress, busboy and others who sang “Happy Anniversary” to us.

A uneventful night was spent traveling from Juneau to Skagway. There was no open sea, and the canal was quite calm, so we both slept soundly. We arrived in Skagway about 6:45 a.m. and were docked within 30 minutes.

After breakfast we headed downtown to beat the rush to the stores. Melva had to get her “freebies.”

About 9:45 a.m. we headed for the home of Don and Betty Hather, friends of ours from Tok, Alaska. Don and I had taught school together, Melva was the librarian, and Betty worked in the business office of the school district. Don was the very successful wrestling coach. They had gone out in the bay and gotten a bucket full of fresh shrimp which they prepared for us, along with great hamburgers. I also had a quick tour of Skagway with Don on their Honda scooters.

We arrived back at the ship about 2:15 p.m. It seemed to be a relaxing day, but it is surprising how tired we are. We will be departing about 4:30 p.m. bound for Ketchikan. We will travel through the night and one half of a day tomorrow to arrive at 11:30 a.m. It should be a great trip, hopefully seeing some wildlife.