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Alaska & the Yukon

August - September 2017
A 22-day adventure by Lacey Travels Read more
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  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    Day 2

    Washington Square Park and Little Italy

    August 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Coit Tower is high on Telegraph Hill overlooking Little Italy. Our B&B is on the corner next to the Park Tavern with Mamma's across the corner. When open for breakfast and lunch, there are lines out the door all day. In the park is the Sculpture dedicated to the city's firefighters by Lillian Coit.

    Columbus Ave, in this area is signposted Corso Cristofore Colombo with Italian flags on the lightposts. Walking down towards the Transamerica Pyramid at the bottom of Columbus, we pass by topless bars etc and then we come across a historic SF flatiron building being restored. It must have survived countless earthquakes and city redevelopment around it. A fascinating slice of real SF here where the locals live with very few hotels. A hidden gem in this city.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    3
    Day 3

    Anchorage, the Dimond Centre

    August 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our Hotel is located in the Dimond Centre. It's where all the locals shop with lots of services and outlets nearby. The city is a sprawling western style with low rise buildings spread out among really wide streets and massive car parks. Most people up here drive pickups or big SUV's. The mountains to the east are fairly close and create a jagged skyline. The path of the sun during the day is really different here. At noon, the sun was nowhere near overhead.

    The Dimond Centre is an extensive shopping mall on multiple levels. At the bottom level is an ice skating rink where they play hockey, and a bowling alley flanked by eateries. All the mall buildings are linked and obviously heated throughout.

    This afternoon, we explored Walmart next door. The security guard out front has got to have the best view of most Walmarts. It's been a recovery day and ended with a drink in the hotel's bar chatting with a Canadian who is working for a company involved in grocery retail. He lives in a village of 400 Inuit people, flies around Alaska with bush pilots.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    211
    Day 4

    Anchorage and the Museum

    August 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    This morning we rode the People Mover from the Dimond Centre into the city terminus. It took around 25 minutes. We had a bonus......Wednesday is Seniors Free-to-ride day. The drivers are so patient and the buses are totally wheelchair enabled. On regular days, the fare is $2/ride or $5 all day and if you're a senior it is $1. Needless to say, the transit is well used.

    Shopping is centred around the 5th Ave Mall. Multiple levels across multiple blocks with enclosed bridges across the roads. All the main stores are here - well known US brands like Nordstrom and JC Penney, along with the international brands like Sephora, Pandora etc.

    Over 4 levels, the Anchorage Museum has a lot to offer. The top 2 levels are temporary exhibits; the 2nd level is a partnership with the Smithsonian in an exhibit called "I am Inuit"; and the lower level is given over to discovery and education; with a look into the conservation area close up.

    Level 4 had a temporary exhibit about Slow TV. An interesting concept where you can watch things that evolve slowly in order to reduce the stress of modern life. Yes, it is Scandinavian in origin, from Norway, but it has been picked up by Netflix. You can watch a crackling open fire, take a train ride in real time, watch an icebreaker cut a path through sea ice etc.

    Level 3's exhibit dealt with the relationship between Alaska and Russia, historically and present day. Purchased for US$7.2 million in 1867, the cheque is on display and official document. Maps show the border, International Date Line, between the Diomede Islands. Big Diomede is part of Siberia and Little Diomede is Alaska. An interesting contrast was the Russian and US depictions of Santa Claus. We checked out the nesting dolls and an interesting one was all the US presidents alongside their Russian counterparts in the nesting doll format. Some space was taken up about the role of dogs in both countries particularly in exploration both on the ice and in space.

    Level 2 is the "I am an Inuit" exhibition. A very interesting look at the culture and artefacts of Inuit tribes of Alaska. Of particular note, we had never seen the Gut Parka made from the intestines of captured animals. It's waterproof and light, the Inuit version of a spray jacket. It amazes us how many commonalities there are between the Inuit and the Asian cultures like Mongolia. The last pic is a set of Inuit armour, which we had never seen before.

    The lower level was a discovery and education space which was a great way interactive space for kids. Windows give an easy look into the conservator's domain. Currently, they were working on leather garments.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    1
    Day 4

    Natural History at the Federal Building

    August 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Had to go through security to get into the Federal Building to get to the natural history museum. A good visual collection of Alaskan fauna and lots of info and advice about venturing in the wilderness. Amazed by the size of Wolves and the nastiness of the wolverine. Also amazed by the Puffin skull, the actual skull is smaller than the beak.Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    Day 5

    Turnagain Arm

    August 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Named by Capt James Cook, this arm of the body of water near Anchorage, was thought to be a river. Cook followed it looking for a way to the North West Passage. The arm has huge tidal change 4 times per day. It's the second largest tide difference in the world with a 38 foot difference between high and low tides. The arm is filled with grey glacial silt that is very fine and sticky like quicksand.

    We follow the Arm and Portage Lake past high, snowy mountains and lush pine forests. Several small glaciers hug the mountain cirques and valleys, the blue glacial ice is very apparent.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    2
    Day 5

    Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Centre

    August 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We are the first tour to stop at this conservation centre for Alaskan wildlife. Here animals are rehabilitated. It's set along the Turnagain Arm near Potter Marsh. We get up close and personal with grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, wolves, moose, musk ox and reindeer. It's amazing how close we can get.Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    1
    Day 5

    Whittier and the Tunnel.

    August 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    The mountain tunnel to Whittier was built in 1942. It is a single lane tunnel, 2.5 miles long, that is shared with the railway. Trains get priority in the tunnel. The timing at the tunnel is crucial or you'd have a really long wait. Southbound vehicles (to Whittier) can proceed on the half hour; northbound vehicles (to Anchorage) on the hour. There's a long line of vehicles which are handled in priority order. Vehicles are well spaced and can only proceed under direction and at a 25 mph speed limit.

    Whittier is a small fishing town at the end of Prince William Sound. Temperatures and winds are extreme. 95% of the 400 permanent population live in a single building which has all the services. The school is linked to this building via underground tunnel.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    1111
    Day 5

    Prince William Sound Cruise.

    August 17, 2017 ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    The Chugach Mountains rise high out of the sound. Small islands dot the whole area covered with thick forest. Fishing trawlers are interspersed along the way. We are travelling 110 miles between Whittier and Valdez. There's lots of wildlife along the way as we sail the fjords among glaciers and fresh mountain snow.

    We pass by the site of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. The ship ran aground between Bligh Reef and Bligh Island in the Valdez Arm of Prince William Sound. The Sound's environment and wildlife are largely recovered or recovering.

    There's lots of fishing boats out on the Sound but none are fishing yet, they are waiting on a signal to start. The fisheries department first of all must harvest enough to ensure the ongoing hatching for next season. Once the quota is made, the signal is then passed on and fishing can begin. Meanwhile the boats wait on the water for up to a month.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    111
    Day 5

    Meares Glacier

    August 17, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    We travelled by boat up a narrow fjord to the head of Meares Glacier. All around us were small icebergs. While stationary about 500m off the head of the glacier we watched and then heard the cracking of the ice as the face carved small icebergs which fell into the murky waters which are laden with grey glacial silt. Dozens of harbour seals are floating on the ice and seabirds stand precariously on the small icebergs.Read more

  • TravelerAlaska & the Yukon
    11
    Day 5

    Wildlife of Prince William Sound

    August 17, 2017 ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
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