Misty Fjords National Monument, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

This image from our late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, shows that the fjord lives up to its name – it was lightly raining, “misty” and cool

 

Following our visit to Ketchikan, Alaska, we spent the next day on our ship cruising through Misty Fjords (National Monument) with two stops – mid-day and late afternoon – to lower our Zodiac inflatable 20 foot / 6 meter boats for “cruising” along the fjords and observing the spectacular geography, flora and fauna.  “The spectacular Misty Fiords National Monument, lying just 22 miles east of Ketchikan, is a natural mosaic of sea cliffs, steep fjords and rock walls jutting 3,000 feet / 914 meters straight out of the ocean.  Taking its name from the almost constant precipitation characteristic of the area, the monument is covered with thick rain forests that grow on nearly vertical slopes from sea level to mountaintops.  Dramatic waterfalls plunge into the salt water through narrow clefts or course over great rounded granite shoulders fed by lakes and streams that absorb the rainfall of more than 150 inches annually.” – www.travelalaska.com

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #1 – our ship is pictured with “steam” on to hold its position, as the fjord was too deep to drop an anchor

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #2

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #3

 

“Misty Fjords National Monument is a national monument and wilderness area administered by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Tongass National Forest.  Misty Fiords is … along the Inside Passage coast in extreme southeastern Alaska, comprising 2,294,343 acres (928,488 ha) of Tongass National Forest in Alaska’s Panhandle…  John Muir compared the area with Yosemite Valley for its similar geology and glacial morphology.   Light-colored granite, about 50 to 70 million years old (Eocene Epoch to Cretaceous Period) has been sculpted by glaciers that gouged deep U-shaped troughs throughout the monument.  Many of the glacial valleys are filled with sea water and are called “canals”, but they are not man-made in any way; the walls of these valleys are near-vertical and often rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 m) above sea level, and drop 1,000 feet (300 m) below it…  Western hemlock, Sitka spruce and western red cedar dominate the prolific rainforest vegetation; wildlife in abundance includes both grizzly and black bears, many species of salmon, whales, mountain goats and deer.” – Wikipedia

On our cruising through the fjords we also caught sight of some bald eagles, many birds, and lots of seals (gingerly poking their head out of the water long enough to spot us and then dive back underwater).

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #4

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #5

 

Mid-day Zodiac cruise around Smeaton Bay, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #6

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #2

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #3

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #4

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #5

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #6

 

Late afternoon Zodiac cruise around New Eddystone, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, #7; this image reminds us a lot of Milford Sound, New Zealand

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

Sailing north through the “Inside Passage” from Vancouver, the island city of Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, is the first city that ships encounter and stop at – hence it’s nickname as “Alaska’s First City” and, from it’s location in the midst of abundant wild salmon and very successful fishing and processing industries, “The Salmon Capital of the World”

 

“Ketchikan is an Alaskan city facing the Inside Passage, a popular cruise route along the state’s southeastern coast.  It is known for its many Native American totem poles, on display throughout town [the largest display in Alaska].  Nearby Misty Fiords National Monument is a glacier-carved wilderness featuring snowcapped mountains, waterfalls and salmon spawning streams.  It’s also home to rich wildlife including black bears, wolves and bald eagles… Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows through the town, emptying into the Tongass Narrows a short distance southeast of its downtown.  ‘Ketchikan’ comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear.  It may mean ‘the river belonging to Kitschk’; other accounts claim it means ‘Thundering Wings of an Eagle’.” — Wikipedia

 

There are only two forms of transportation to reach Ketchikan, Alaska, USA – boats and seaplanes – hence the city has several marinas full of pleasure boats, along with downtown piers to accommodate several large cruise ships sailing in for typically a one-day visit

 

In the center of downtown Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, is a beautiful carved bald eagle [there are many wild bald eagles in and around the city; see photograph, below] with spread wings, bringing to life one translation of the word “Ketchikan” — Thundering Wings of an Eagle

Ketchikan is around Alaska’s tenth largest city with a population of just over 8,000 – the city of Anchorage, with nearly 40% of the state’s population, has approximately 300,000 residents, whereas Juneau, the capital and second largest city, has a population of only 33,000.  Ketchikan is known as a rainy city, with rain occurring over 300 days a year.  According to Wikipedia, “The wettest year was 1949 with 202.55 inches (5,145 mm) and the driest year was 1995 with 88.45 inches (2,247 mm).”  Our visit was typical – the first day was sunny and relatively warm (63 degrees F / 18 degrees C) and the next day was rainy, damp and felt much cooler at 58 degrees F / 15 degrees C.

 

City Hall is in the center of downtown, set amidst shops and restaurants, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

This Celebrity cruise ship, like most of those sailing through the Inside Passage and calling on Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, dwarfs the downtown shops along the pier; its 3,000 passengers and crew are equal to nearly 40% of the city’s population!

 

Fog Woman at the lower portion of the Chief Johnson Totem Pole is topped by Raven (replica totem pole raised in 1989), Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

Totem poles are carved to honor deceased ancestors, record history, social events and oral tradition.  They were never worshiped as religious objects.  The Chief Johnson Totem Pole was carved by Israel Shotridge and raised in 1989, a replica of the Chief Johnson, or Kajuk, Totem Pole raised in this general location in 1901 for the Ganaxadi Tlinghit of the Raven moiety of the Tanta Kwan (Tongrass) group.  The original memorial pole stood until 1982. Except for Jajuk atop the pole, the figures symbolize a single story about Raven.  Fog Woman is identified with the summer salmon run when fog lies at the mouth of streams.  She produces all salmon and causes them to return to the creeks of their birth.

 

Creek Street’s buildings date back to the late 19th century when the street was built atop poles driven into the bank of Ketchikan Creek, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA; the neighborhood is known as “Creekside” (home to many brothels in the 20th century)

 

Dolly bought this house in 1919 and was still living there, alone, in the early 1970s; she was the last of the former ladies of the line to remain in residence on the creek until her death, which was 20 years after the red-light district was finally closed for good in 1954, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

“Dolly Arthur, nee Thelma Copeland of rural Idaho mining country, was a Ketchikan resident from 1919 until her death in July 1975.  She is probably Ketchikan’s most famous person today… Dolly said her attraction for men was one of her best traits. ‘I just liked men and they liked me, too!’  Her house on Creek Street is now a museum visited by thousands of tourists every summer.  In her lifetime, however, there was nothing much to distinguish it from other small houses of ill repute along the boardwalk.  There was always a temporary look to those little rain-scoured houses tottering atop piling, whose residents used the cleansing tides to serve as sewer, plus bottle (and occasionally body) disposal.  Dolly’s house, however, was not only her business but also her longtime home.  Her claim to present fame was simply because of the more than 50 years she spent on Creek Street.  She bought the house in 1919 and was still living there, alone, in the early ’70s.  She became the last of the former ladies of the line to remain in residence on the creek until her death, which was 20 years after the red-light district was finally closed for good in 1954.  Dolly was not a whore, and would be horrified to be called that.  Dolly called herself a ‘sporting woman,’ a distinction that was important to her.  More than once she said, ‘I never could stand a whore!’  She thought they were tasteless and crude.  She considered herself of a higher class.  And while most of the girls worked and lived in pairs in the small creekside houses, Dolly always worked alone – except for her first year in Ketchikan when she worked at Black Mary’s Star dance hall.  And there were, of course, the postwar years when her true love, Lefty, shared her home, bed and board, but that was at her convenience and business schedule and between the couple’s zesty spats.” – www.sitnews.org

 

The sign on the side of Dolly’s House explains Dolly’s business, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

The salmon sculpture is an artwork titled “Yeltatzie Salmon” by artist Terry Plyes and was dedicated above Ketchikan Creek on July 4, 2013, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA; it is named in honor of the Haida Native carver Jones Teltatzie (1900 – 1976) and replaces a painted wood salmon sculpture carved by Yeltatzie in 1963, which occupied this site for many years

 

Looking down at Ketchikan Creek by the “Yeltatzie Salmon” near the Creekside neighborhood, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

Downtown by the piers and the Visitor Center is a sign that notes the extremely high annual rainfall in the region, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

While somewhat rare these days in the “Lower 48” (the continental United States of America), bald eagles are numerous in the Ketchikan, Alaska, area; this one was photographed from our “Duck Boat” as we sailed out of the northern marina

 

The rains came and passed and returned again and again all day in Ketchikan, Alaska, USA; our ship at anchor

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Fjordlands (along the Inside Passage), British Columbia, Canada and Alaska, USA

A lighthouse and camp, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

While it had been twenty-five years since we first sailed on a cruise through the Inside Passage along the fjords of British Columbia and into the panhandle of Alaska, it remains a very exciting three-day trip north from Vancouver to Ketchikan (“Alaska’s First City”).  The scenery is very reminiscent of some sections of the coast of Maine, USA, as well as Norway and Chilean Patagonia.  The evergreen forests are magnificent and even in mid-summer there remains snow on the coastal mountaintops.  Whether on the forward top deck on our ship or sitting on our verandah, we easily passed hours watching the scenery change as we zigged and zagged through the fjords, sometimes almost squeezing through narrows (some not even 0.5 miles/0.8 kilometers wide) so close to the shore that you wanted to reach out and touch the shoreline trees.

 

The Inside Passage weaves along thousands of Pacific Coast islands that are heavily forested, with the Coastal Mountains visible to the east, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

The evergreen forests are magnificent and even in mid-summer there remains snow on the coastal mountaintops, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

“The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific Coast of North America.  The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington state, in the United States.  Ships using the route can avoid some of the bad weather in the open ocean and may visit some of the many isolated communities along the route.  The Inside Passage is heavily traveled by cruise ships, freighters, tugs with tows, fishing craft and ships of the Alaska Marine Highway, BC Ferries, and Washington State Ferries systems.” — Wikipedia

 

Some of the islands are quite small, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

Most of the Inside Passage is uninhabited, as there are very few bridges and roads connecting the islands to the mainland, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada – thus it was a nice surprise to come across a small sailboat

 

Sometimes our ship squeezed through narrows (some not even 0.5 miles/0.8 kilometers wide) so close to the shore that we wanted to reach out and touch the shoreline trees, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

A small camp with three totem poles by the left hand structure, Fjordlands, British Columbia, Canada

 

This Fjordlands island was nicely backlit as we approached Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

As our local guide explained, there are three ways to be on an island in the Fjordlands: by ship, by seaplane (pictured here) and by birth canal; Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

Some of the coastal islands had good sized hills, seen here in the Fjordlands, approaching Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

Sailing is very popular in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada, with a number of marinas around the main port town of Ganges Village (pictured)

 

Largest of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, Salt Spring Island is located between mainland British Columbia (e.g., Vancouver) and Vancouver Island (home of Victoria, Nanaimo, etc.).  We anchored in the bay outside of Ganges Village for a day, before returning to Vancouver to pick up adventurers headed north to the Alaskan Inside Passage and then on to the Alaskan Peninsula and Aleutian Islands.  The Saturday market was quite crowded with hundreds of vendors, mainly island artists and local farmers and a number of stalls selling food, coffee and other edibles.  The island is very popular for a variety of sports, ranging from hiking, biking, and fishing to kayaking and sailing.

 

John Quinn’s handmade vases in natural stone (“Cast in Stone”) are made on the island from both indigineous slate and stones and materials sourced from around the world, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

A small harbor behind the Saturday market in Ganges Village, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

The clouds built up in the early afternoon over Ganges Village creating a striking skyscape, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

Our ship was anchored quite a ways from Ganges Village, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada – in the midst of many small Gulf Islands

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada

The Malaspina Galleries are spectacular sandstone spits carved by surf and frost at the western tip of Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada

 

On our second day docked in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, we took a BC ferry for a 20-minute ride across the bay to Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada.  Gabriola Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia with a full time resident population of slightly more than 4,000.  Upon our arrival, we caught the local shuttle bus and headed west to a wooded trail to the beautiful coastal rock formations known as the Malaspina Galleries – spectacular sandstone spits carved by surf and frost; the formations were named after the 18th-century Spanish explorer Alejandro Malaspina.  We then walked uphill to the nearby town of Gabriola where we explored local artisan wares at several galleries and had lunch at the locals’ favorite “diner”, Robert’s Place.  The island is home to numerous artists and there are several art fairs each year including a studio tour across the island in October.

 

A small pool of sea water provided a nice reflection in the carved sandstone of the Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada

 

A small patch of wild grass was blowing in the ocean winds on the Malaspina Galleries with an ocean front home visible in the distance, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada

 

Many of the ocean front homes on Malaspina Drive near the Malaspina Galleries (typically occupied year round) were quite attractive, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada

 

Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada, is heavily forested; this inlet was near the ferry terminal

 

A view towards the ferry terminal on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia, Canada

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Panorama of Nanaimo Harbour, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

Nanaimo, just across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver, is British Columbia’s third-oldest settlement.  While the larger city of Victoria, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island may be more familiar, Nanaimo has a charm all its own.  Strolling along the waterfront, visitors find small shops and floating restaurants that have taken the place of rundown piers.  Victoria Crescent and Commercial Street are lined with old storefronts and bars — if not for the occasional car, walkers might believe they have stepped back in time to the early 1900s.  Nanaimo boasts a vibrant art and music scene and, like all of British Columbia, there is no shortage of outdoor recreation.

 

Boats tied up at Nanaimo Harbour, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

A typical street lined with shops in the Old Quarter of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

A marijuana dispensary in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; citizens of BC can have up to 150 grams of dried marijuana for medical purposes if they get a document (like a prescription) from a doctor

 

The late Victorian style St. Andrews United Church was built in 1893 (designed by American architect Warren H. Hayes), Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; the tall bell tower and steep roof make the church a prominent landmark on Nanaimo’s skyline

 

Nanaimo, like Victoria, has many beautiful hanging baskets full of colorful flowers along the city’s shopping streets, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

We had a nice lunch with friends at Asteras Greek Taverna, a restaurant that has garnered several “Best of City” awards in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

“The Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin.  It is a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island.  It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer topped by a layer of custard flavoured butter icing which is covered with melted chocolate made from chocolate squares.  Many varieties exist, consisting of different types of crumb, different flavours of icing (e.g., mint, peanut butter, coconut, mocha), and different types of chocolate.” — Wikipedia

 

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin — a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

The story behind Salish Spirit by Noel Brown of the Snuneymuxw First Nation:  “Long ago there were no divisions between humans, animals and spirits.  All things of the earth, sky and water were connected and all beings could pass freely between them.  The salmon people, the kindest of them all, would pass through our village each season and leave their bodies behind to feed the humans, birds and animal people.  They then would return to the oceans without their bodies and when they reached their homes their forms would look just like human beings, and their homes would look like the villages of our people.  We change forms to help one another.  To honour and respect this cycle we always return the bones and body parts back to the sea, to respect these salmon people.  We respect these swimming people because of their kindness, determination and courage.  They also bring the healing powers to the villages.  Eagles are a source of spiritual power and wisdom that bring help, peace of mind and heart to communities.  Long ago, elders sighted eagles soaring over the harbor and Jack’s Point.  This was a sign, telling the people of the village that salmon were coming to feed the people.  In our times of need, eagles would come forward to tell us to prepare for the coming of the salmon people.  It is extraordinary that these same eagles flew over and looked onto the ground-breaking of the cruise ship terminal, during the blessing by former Chief Viola Wyse in October 2008.  Together, eagles and salmon symbolize that we all are connected and dependent on one another.  If we come together, like the eagle and salmon, we too will have a deeper understanding that will help us build strong, healthy and prosperous futures.”

 

Salish Spirit by Noel Brown of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, displayed at the Nanaimo Cruise Terminal, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Stanley Park is one of the city’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 8 million visitors each year, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; this panorama of some of downtown’s residential high rises was photographed from the Seawall east of the Vancouver Rowing Club on Coal Harbour

 

“Ideally situated on a peninsula at the northwestern edge of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Stanley Park is one of the city’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 8 million visitors each year.  Featuring lovely beaches, miles of well-maintained paved and dirt trails, Canada’s largest aquarium and an array of can’t-miss kid-friendly spots (including a pool, water park, miniature railway and more), this 400-hectare (1,000-acre) haven is recognized as one of the greatest urban parks in the world.   As Vancouver’s first park, with its ever-blooming gardens, pristine coastal areas and roughly 500,000 cedar, fir and hemlock trees, Stanley Park has continued to live up to its “greenspace” designation for almost 130 years.  For these reasons and more, this tranquil oasis is the perfect city escape.” – http://www.tourismvancouver.com

 

Sailboats and yachts in the marina at Coal Harbour east of the Vancouver Rowing Club, Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

The nine totem poles at Brockton Point are BC’s most visited tourist attraction, Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

A seaplane is visible flying toward North Vancouver from our vantage point on the Seawall walk on the east side of Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

“Stanley Park is consistently ranked number 1 in the world!  And the spectacular 9 kilometer (5.6 miles) Seawall – the city’s most popular recreation spot – is a huge part of that: stunning views of downtown’s skyline, Lions Gate Bridge, English Bay, sandy beaches and lush, old-growth forest.  Paved and mainly flat, the Seawall is divided for your safety: one side for pedestrians, the other for cyclists/roller bladers.” – Official Map + Guide to Vancouver’s Stanley Park

 

The Lions Gate Bridge with West Vancouver visible in the background, viewed from the Seawall walk on the middle of the east side of Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

Colorful mudflats at low tide visible from the Seawall walk along Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

The industrial area on the north shore of English Bay between North Vancouver and West Vancouver is slated for redevelopment in the coming decades (to become residential), seen from the Seawall walk along Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; the yellow material is sulfur destined for export

 

The Lions Gate Bridge viewed from the Seawall walk along Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 

Everyone reaching Prospect Point at the northern tip of Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is surprised to find the tree growing out of the top of the rock column

 

We had an excellent luncheon of local seafood at the Teahouse (Restaurant), Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that was originally built as a garrison and officer’s mess during the Second World War when Ferguson Point was a military installation

 

The ducks in Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, were oblivious to the many visitors hiking along the North Lagoon Trail through the park

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2017 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.