Greetings, all. I am the second party in "we" on this trip. I decided a blog name was in order and decided one reflecting my energy and character was called for, hence "Slug"...I have just added this post under Sarah's name because I don't have IM of my own.
Sarah's covered Seattle and Glacier Bay pretty thoroughly. If no one's posted since then it's due to the whirlwind nature of the cruise, three ports in three days: Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Lots of time to post today because we're not getting into Victoria BC until 6 p.m.
Day 3 of Cruise: We had 13 hours in Juneau, and though it's not a big place, I still missed most of it. Bought a ticket on the Roberts tramway, which heads up the side of (what else?) Mt. Roberts. On a clear day, the view is fabulous, I hear. It was cloudy and overcast, but still a good trip. Nice Museum and nature center at the top of the tram, with a lovely movie about the Tlingit people's history in the area.
I went and down the tram twice, around a nature walk at one of Juneau's City parks on Douglas Island. Birders: saw marbled Murrelets and Surf scoters (all alliteration free to good home...) The walk took us through the rain forest and along the beach, and I met lots of plants I'd never seen before. I took a lot of photos that will probably give no idea of how green and nifty it all was.
Bus tour of Juneau, with a look at the state capitol building, one of only two state capitols without a dome. (Sorry, the guide didn't tell us the other and I forgot to ask.) Saw the Governor's Mansion, which is a handsome white Victorian with an elegant Greek-columned portico and no yard. Land is at a premium in Juneau. Most of the city is built on fill from the gold mine that used to be on Mt Roberts. (Sarah Palin must have been in Wasilla when she saw Russia from her porch: the mansion looks out onto the roadway.)
Back to the boat after a busy day: lovely dinner and then a happy howl at the piano bar which was having Country Western Night.
Day 4 of Cruise: Sitka, the old Russian capital, the place where the US took title of the real estate in 1867. Only 5 hours in Sitka, most of which S and I spent on a boat, looking for birds and wildlife. Serendipitously, we ran into a woman who wnated to go to Saint Lazaria Island which is a bird reserve and hatchery. On our way out we saw sea otters, who seemed to be as interested in us as we were in them. It was odd to see all those round whiskered faces turned to us as we chugged past. Birders: The island has puffins, guillemots and murres ("Sitka penguins.") Puffins and guillemots are about the same size, but the puffins have the characteristic clown face with big beak and the guillemots have bright red feet. The murres nest on the steep sides of a sea cave. On the way back we saw humpback whales feeding, not once but three times--bubble-feeding, which involves the pod herding the fish into one spot and releasing air to force them to the surface so everyone can feed at leisure.
Okay, here goes: my first whales! My first puffins! My first WILD sea otters! Yippee!
Back to the boat for formal dinner--not that the other ones were exactly low key--and then onto the night's show and more time at the piano bar--Broadway theme for both of them.
Day 5 of Cruise: I expect S will wnat to talk about the wonder of Misty Fjords. Must go anyway.
Toodles, Slug
