Alaska: Evergreens marching down steep hills. Icy inlets. Bald eagles soaring high. Whales and sea mammals. Native languages. Totem poles. Majestic scenery. Hardy people.
What do you think of when people reference a cruise to Alaska? Perhaps some of those same words and, maybe, a few more.
We, of course, are not on an Alaskan cruise. With only two ports along the way, this journey is probably not even a true cruise, but rather a crossing to get a ship from one point to another.
Still, we did stop in Juneau for a day, and it was a chance to reflect on what a great place Alaska can be to visit. Many of our expectations were met if only for a few moments.
On the sail north from Seattle, we were often within sight of the shoreline or sailing passages with islands on either side. And that continued for the first half day or so after we left Juneau. That gave us our taste of icy waters, majestic mountains and interesting inlets.
When we docked in Juneau, we stood on our verandah looking down at the harbor. Just below us, we had a great view of a bald eagle snacking on a carcass as it rested on one of the pylons that was soon to have ship’s ropes tied around it. We also spied a few heads of harbor seals swimming about and taking a look at our ship.
Once on land, we headed toward the tram line so we could get a different kind of eagle view from high up the mountain. The threat of stormy weather held off and we snuck in a quick half mile loop hike while high above the channel.
Then, we walked the streets of Juneau. Many of the shops were holding end of season sales as we were one of the last cruise ships for this season. But the bars were doing a land office business.
Since normally we seek out travel that includes a lot of warm weather, our last cruise to Alaska was over 20 years ago—and we booked that trip largely to sail the historic Holland America Rotterdam built in the 1950s as it made its final run for the line. That Rotterdam was the first cruise ship we ever traveled, and it will always have a soft spot in our hearts.
In the decades since, the cruising industry has exploded. That was evident as soon as we disembarked our current ship, the Westerdam, to walk the main streets of Juneau. It was as jumbled with jewelry, watch stores and souvenir shops as any Caribbean port. It was also evident by the size of the other ships in port. When I get home, I will have to dig out old scrapbooks to see if I have any pictures of this place back in the Nineties.
Even though we are not on an Alaska cruise, the ship itself just ended a summer season of just such weeklong cruises. And its entertainment crew delivered all of Holland America’s well-produced exploration lectures about Alaska. So, in the first few days of this trip, I got a quick grounding in native languages, locals arts, the Iditarod, the challenges of Alaskan living and the majesty of the whales.
And, of course, we celebrated the eating of salmon in the dining room. We didn’t inquire as to whether our fish were local and native, or farm raised. Just like we didn’t ask about the authenticity of the totem poles lining the harbor of Juneau.
Sometimes you just let yourself indulge in the echoes of reality, and imagine what once was or perhaps someday can be again.
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