BILL'S BLOG ON THE WCLV ALASKA CRUISE
WCLV's Vice President for Programming Bill O'Connell, his wife and son, and some 130 WCLV listeners are on a cruise to Alaska and tour of "Big Sky" country. Here are his blog items.
aboard the ms Zuiderdam, Friday July 27, 9:20am PDT
Before I report on another rainy day, this
time in Ketchikan, I should remind my
readers that we have been traveling through
what is, for the most part, a rainforest.
The reputation that Seattle, for instance,
has for lots of rain is well-earned; well,
places like Juneau and Ketchikan
(less so in Skagway) are in rainforest,
as the deeply wooded mountains and
spectacular waterfalls attest.
So, it rained in Ketchikan yesterday. But we went ashore anyway, determined to see how
much the town had changed since our last visit 10 years ago. My family (Brendan was
all of 3 at the time) did an Alaskan tour back in 1997 and we remembered having a
good meal at Steamers, a restaurant right on the waterfront. It's still there
and their clam chowder is still delicious.
We completed our souvenir shopping, stopped to chat with a real blacksmith who was fashioning miniature knives with forge and anvil, but the constant rain prevented casual strolling of any duration. We eventually retreated to the ship.
Brendan has found a few friends on board, and last night Cynthia and I had time to discover areas of this massive vessel. We had a drink in the Ocean Lounge and--since our lunch at Steamers had been late and large--had room service back in our stateroom.
Impressions of the Zuiderdam. Unfailingly friendly, smiling, helpful staff from the Cruise Director to the room steward. Quiet rooms; very seldom does one hear noise from adjoining rooms or the common areas. Activities on board: what do you want to do? They've got it. Exercise classes, a spa, Las Vegas style shows, dancing from disco to sock hop; classes on native culture, how to shop in each port, tours of the ship (Brendan took such a tour and said he had piloted the ship for 30 seconds; of course the
Zuiderdam was making all of 0.07 knots at the time), food and more food and all of it quite good indeed.
Right now, we are cruising for Vancouver, scheduled to arrive on Saturday. Most of our group will proceed with the motorcoach tour of the Great Northwest, while I and my family go to San Francisco, Brendan's hometown, to visit family and friends. It's been a fun and spectacular trip to the 49th state, and we'd all come back in a heartbeat to experience all the unique pleasures of Alaska.
Aboard the ms Zuiderdam crusing toward Ketchikan on the Inside Passage, Thursday July 26, 9:45am Alaska time
Aboard the ms Zuiderdam in port at Skagway, Tuesday, July 24, 8:15pm Alaska time (12:15am EDT)
Just finished another great meal in the main dining room (early seating starts at 6; late seating at 8) and am now reporting on the day's activities ashore in Skagway (or "Skaguay" as the original spelling had
it.) We found the shopping better in Skagway than in Juneau and the weather was certainly an improvement: no rain, but dramatic clouds that parted every once in a while for a glimpse of the sun, and plenty of wind. In fact, the name of the town comes from a native word that means "valley of the wind."
We picked up gifts for family and friends, finally found a made-in-Alaska Christmas tree ornament (all the stuff we've seen before today was made in China) and chatted up a waiter in the Skagway Brewing Company about business in this Gold Rush town of nearly 900 people.
There have been three boom periods in this tiny port that serves Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The first gave birth to the town: the Alaska Gold Rush from 1897-1900. The second boom occurred during WW II when military forces were stationed here. And the third boom is underway now, as cruise ships stop in Skagway with increasing regularity each year.
If you stood in the center of town with a stone, you could hit just about any emporium in Skagway. But we spent hours visiting the shops along the main (and practically only) street in town. On our way back to the ship, we stopped to listen to a spiel from one of the many tour vendors and decided to take the trip he described. Are we glad we did!
We briefly saw the sights of interest in Skagway proper, headed out of town for a stop at the Gold Rush Cemetery (inspiring several colorful tales from our tour guide about the characters who enliven the early history of the area), and then got to the visual feast of the surrounding mountains, trails, waterfalls, glaciers (including the "Cleveland Glacier," named, apparently for the ex-President) and a narrow guage railway that I know WCLV President Robert Conrad would have loved to have seen. Don't worry, Bob, I've got pictures, including two of the snow plow they used to battle the 30 feet of snow that falls annually! We've got lots of stills and video of everything we've seen and can't wait to share them with family and friends.
We made it back to the ship in time to shower and dress for dinner, and now I must rush to the Crow's Nest on Deck 10 for a Sailaway Party that includes the "world's fastest banjo player." Just kidding; I mean, yes, he's there, but I'm going to the Ocean Lounge where a string quartet is holding forth...
More later.
Aboard the ms Zuiderdam in port at Skagway, Tuesday 7/24, noon Alaska time
I know I had promised a report later Monday, but as July 23rd is my birthday, I'm afraid--as Bob Cratchit once said--"we were making rather merry last night."
We awoke Monday morning cruising up a true Alaskan fjord by the name of Tracy Arm. Deeply forested mountains on either side of the ship plunging right to the water's edge, with countless little waterfalls and wisps of mist clinging to the cliffs.
The Mendenhall Glacier, which Bill didn't see.
The water in the fjord itself was dotted by icebergs, the larger ones as big as Buicks, with gulls settled on their tops. Our on-board naturalist was providing a running commentary on the amazing sights, so we hurried to the bow, grabbed some thoughtfully-provided hot chocolate and braved the elements. We soon found that our fleece sweatshirts and slickers were no match for the chilling rain and high winds of Tracy Arm, so after a quick look around, we retreated to the comfort of our stateroom and observed our progress from the shelter of our deck, protected from most of the wind and all of the rain. Stillness, pristine nature, awe-inspiring vistas of ice-capped peaks barely visible through the clouds, ravines whose sun-sheltered slopes retain last winter's snow. Wow.
What awaited us at the end of the fjord was the Sawyer Glacier, or more properly, the North and South Sawyer Glaciers, since what was once a single river of ice has receded in recent years back into two glacial tributaries. At one time--centuries or more ago--the Sawyer Glacier occupied all of the fjord we had been cruising since early in the morning!
My favorite factoid from among the hundreds shared by the naturalist: When glacier ice calves into the chilly waters, it starts to melt and the tiny pockets of air within the ice create a "fizzing" sound. That air was locked inside the ice thousands of years ago, long before earth's Industrial Age began. So one of the reasons the air is so different here in Alaska is that a major component of it is oxygen that is just about as fresh and unsullied as you can get on the planet!
We breakfasted at a window table on the Lido Deck, still observing the sights of Tracy Arm as the Zuiderdam turned about and headed back down the fjord to turn north toward Juneau. We reached the Alaskan capital at 1:30, an hour earlier than scheduled, and most of the 3000+ passengers prepeared to go ashore. There happened to be three other large cruise ships in port--one from Princess, one Celebrity and another Holland America ship--so we dropped anchor just off land and tendered. The Zuiderdam sails with six "tenders" or shuttle boats, each big enough to handle 40 or 50 people, to transport passengers to and from port.
The fog, wind and rain had forced the cancellation of many of the shore excursions like helicopter rides over the Mendenhall Glacier. So shopping and bus tours were the order of the day. We opted for the Mount Roberts Tramway, a quick ride by suspended gondola up the 3100 foot slope of the mountain behind Juneau. Normally, you can see miles up and down the Gasteneau Channel, but on this day it was all pea soup.
There's a gift shop, restaurant, Nature Shop and a stunning nature trail at the top of Mount Roberts, but our favorite sight was Spirit, an American bald eagle rescued after she had been shot at least four times by a .22 caliber rifle, wielded by some Alaskan miscreant. Spirit can never be released into the wild--it would be a death sentence--so she contents herself preening in her small enclosure and engaging in staring contests with her delighted human visitors only a couple of feet away. A Mount Roberts naturalist was on hand to tell Spirit's story and answer dozens of questions.
Back down in Juneau we did some shopping (I got a snazzy black, broad-brimmed hat for my birthday) and headed back to the ship, the rain and chill (about 52 degrees) finally dampening our spirit of adventure.
Before disembarking, we had played Bingo--really, it's fun!--and I am somewhat abashed to report that by 12:30 I had consumed a banana margarita and had discovered that the Drink of the Day was a beverage whose identity I cannot at this moment recall, but whose components were many fruit juices and dark rum. But, heck, it was my birthday!
I must return to my family and adventures in and around Skagway, so...more later!
On board the ms Zuiderdam, 11:45pm PDT, Sunday July 22...
As I compose this first entry in my Alaska cruise blog, I am sitting in the Deck 3 Internet Center on the elegant ms Zuiderdam, pride of the Holland America fleet. Our trip to Vancouver was swift and uneventful.
Cynthia, Brendan and I had gotten little sleep Friday night, determined as we were not to leave Cleveland without a copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" which on gone on sale at 12:01 am Saturday. Little did we know that bookstores in Chicago's O'Hare Airport, our stop on the way to Vancouver, would have plenty of copies of the final book in the Potter saga.
The bus trip from Vancouver Airport to the dock took us through the city center and we reached the Zuiderdam in time to catch a quick and tasty lunch in the Lido Restaurant on Deck 9 before our room was ready. Our cozy but comfortable stateroom boasts a small outdoor deck with two wicker chairs and plenty of room for all our stuff. Before we left port, we took part in the obligatory life raft drill: hundreds and hundreds of amused passengers moving more or less purposefully through the ship, clad in oversized day-glo orange vests.
Soon after, we were off to our first Alaskan stop, Juneau, nearly two-days away at the Zuiderdam's average cruising speed of 19 knots. Dinner Saturday night was in the Deck 2 Vista Restaurant overlooking the vast wake of the mighty ship. The food was great. I recommend the chilled blueberry soup and the lamb shank. Our wine was a red called "Three Blind Moose."
Since Sunday was a day spent entirely at sea, we engaged in some of the activities among the dizzying array offered on board. Actually, one of the events was...me! YMT Vacations had scheduled a "meet and greet" for the WCLV group on the tour. By 12:30, some 40 travelers had gathered in the Queen's Lounge on Deck 2 (several more came in later), and yours truly held them spellbound, briefly describing my career in broadcasting and recent significant events in the history of WCLV. I took questions and comments, and one lady (who had lived in Cleveland for years and was now living in Florida) reminded the group what a treasure Cleveland has in WCLV, since there is now no classical station in her area. She listens to WCLV over the Internet, which is how she heard about our tour.
Right after our meeting, we made our way to the Vista Lounge for a slide show given by the naturalist on board, and the day included swimming in the indoor pool and a dip in the hot tub, ping pong, another great dinner in the Vista Restaurant (salmon this time, and the first of two black-tie dinners during our cruise) some on board shopping and an extremely energetic and well-produced musical show in the big theater. We also just strolled though the giant ship, getting to know our way around.
Passengers and especially staff are unfailingly smiling, pleasant and helpful. The impression given by the ms Zuiderdam staff is that they really enjoy making their passengers happy. It's a rare and very gratifying way to travel. More tomorrow...Holy cow, it's 3:30 am in Cleveland! More today! Good night!
Aboard the ms Zuiderdam crusing toward Ketchikan on the Inside Passage, Thursday July 26, 9:45am Alaska time
We awakened yesterday morning having already entered the waters of Glacier Bay National Park. A park ranger had been shuttled aboard and was our guide as we made our way toward Marjorie Glacier, the largest and most photogenic of the many glaciers within the park.
The weather was overcast (as it almost always is this time of year--it has to do with warm ocean currents meeting the mountainous terrain at the water's edge) but a bit warmer; our sightseeing was unimpeded by rain and wind. And what sights! The face of the Marjorie Glacier is some 200 feet high and cut by vertical cracks and several caves. The impression is that the whole wall of ice is about to fall into the bay. That didn't happen, but we we saw several "calvings," portions of the wall falling suddenly and spectacularly, preceded by a "crack!" like a gunshot. Distant sounds of thunder were, we were told by the ranger, the 20-mile-long river of ice making its slow yet violent way to the sea.
Our captain was applauded by the ranger for his patience and skill, getting us as close as he dared to the glacier and allowing plenty of time to observe it. Marjorie was as advertised: attractive with its characteristic white-and-blue ice and impressive jagged peaks. But right next to her was a larger glacier, completely ignored by the gawkers aboard the Zuiderdam. Why? Because it was brown. I'd never even heard of a brown glacier. How does a glacier become brown? Usually, a river of ice moves through ravines and valleys that are sheer rock, but if it cuts through terrain with soil and vegetation, the glacier accumulates dirt and carries it right down to the water. A brown glacier doesn't calve as much and forms a beach at its front, so ships can't get as close. It's a poor cousin to its more glamorous neighbor in Glacier Bay. I can't even recall its name.
We played Bingo again yesterday and I came THIS CLOSE to winning. When you have just one number left for Bingo, you're supposed to stand, and I was standing when the final number in the final game was called. I needed N40 to win, but the winner had G49. The caller announced the number as "forty...nine in the G column," so for a split-second I thought I had triumphed.
Ah well, time to find life lessons in brown glaciers and bingo near-misses.
We awakened yesterday morning having already entered the waters of Glacier Bay National Park. A park ranger had been shuttled aboard and was our guide as we made our way toward Marjorie Glacier, the largest and most photogenic of the many glaciers within the park.
The weather was overcast (as it almost always is this time of year--it has to do with warm ocean currents meeting the mountainous terrain at the water's edge) but a bit warmer; our sightseeing was unimpeded by rain and wind. And what sights! The face of the Marjorie Glacier is some 200 feet high and cut by vertical cracks and several caves. The impression is that the whole wall of ice is about to fall into the bay. That didn't happen, but we we saw several "calvings," portions of the wall falling suddenly and spectacularly, preceded by a "crack!" like a gunshot. Distant sounds of thunder were, we were told by the ranger, the 20-mile-long river of ice making its slow yet violent way to the sea.
Our captain was applauded by the ranger for his patience and skill, getting us as close as he dared to the glacier and allowing plenty of time to observe it. Marjorie was as advertised: attractive with its characteristic white-and-blue ice and impressive jagged peaks. But right next to her was a larger glacier, completely ignored by the gawkers aboard the Zuiderdam. Why? Because it was brown. I'd never even heard of a brown glacier. How does a glacier become brown? Usually, a river of ice moves through ravines and valleys that are sheer rock, but if it cuts through terrain with soil and vegetation, the glacier accumulates dirt and carries it right down to the water. A brown glacier doesn't calve as much and forms a beach at its front, so ships can't get as close. It's a poor cousin to its more glamorous neighbor in Glacier Bay. I can't even recall its name.
We played Bingo again yesterday and I came THIS CLOSE to winning. When you have just one number left for Bingo, you're supposed to stand, and I was standing when the final number in the final game was called. I needed N40 to win, but the winner had G49. The caller announced the number as "forty...nine in the G column," so for a split-second I thought I had triumphed.
Ah well, time to find life lessons in brown glaciers and bingo near-misses.
