Celebrity Edge, the newest cruise ship to call Port Everglades home for the winter cruise season arrived to a huge water spray display, and the blasting of horns from the other ships in the port. It’s a most unusual looking vessel, with a rather blunt bow and an appendage on the side of the ship that has a literally movable feast. That orange appendage is whimsically called the Magic Carpet. It can function as a dining room, …
by guest blogger Molly Hottinger Kake is a small village and home to about 500 residents. According to today’s information sheet, the name translates in Tlingit to “mouth of the dawn” or “opening of daylight”. The Kake tribe of Tlingits have inhabited this region in Alaska for thousands of years. They’ve largely maintained a subsistence lifestyle, through fishing, hunting, and gathering plants and berries. Considered one of Alaska’s premiere fishing areas, it’s easy to understand why Tlingit …
By guest blogger Molly Hottinger Our next stop, Wrangell, is a small town located at the heart of the Inside Passage and the Tongass National Forest. Our group took a short hike to Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park. The park has the highest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the southeastern region of Alaska. At least 44 petroglyphs have been found on the boulders and bedrock outcrops on the shore just below and above the mean high …
By guest blogger Molly Hottinger Today we visited Petersburg, a community of 3,000 located at the north end of Wrangell Narrows. The town is the center of Norwegian culture in Alaska and has a picturesque waterfront and bustling wharfs. We hopped on a bus and headed to the Sons of Norway Hall to watch some traditional Norwegian dancing. The town was founded in 1896 by Peter Bushman with fellow Norwegians. When it was built soon after, the …
By guest blogger Molly Hottinger We anchored in Steamboat Bay last evening to get an early start to our day. After breakfast, we boarded an inflatable to explore a pebble beach. The high tide had left behind cockle shells, green sea urchins, and white clams. A few of us climbed up a small rocky hill which offered a great view of the Chichagof and wide sweeping views of the beach. Tall tufts of thick grass grew straight …
Read moreDay 7 in Alaska-Frederic Sound/Steamboat Bay/Thomas Bay
This below from guest blogger, Molly Hottinger ABOARD THE CHICHAGOF DREAM —As usual, we received a cheerful wake-up greeting from our expedition leader, Maggie. In fact, she provides fact-filled cheery announcements throughout the day. Today we took a journey through the entire length of Tracy Arm which extends over 32 miles. Tracy Arm is a glacial fjord with stunning waterfalls, icebergs, and towering cliffs that rise high above the river valley. According to the “A Look Ahead” …
Read moreDay 6 in Alaska-Journey through the Tracy Arm Fjord
ABOARD THE CHICHAGOF DREAM — by guest blogger Molly Hottinger After a nice breakfast with our fellow passengers, we prepared to kayak in Whitestone Harbor, near Chichagof Island, our vessel’s namesake. Whitestone Harbor is partly uncharted, so we had to be careful not not to ground our kayaks up on the large rocks in the fast retreating tide. Our expedition leaders shepherd our group but the areas we set off to explore are large enough that there …
Read moreDay 5 in Alaska: Kayaking, beach combing, cold plunges and a first taste of king crab
ABOARD THE CHICHAGOF DREAM – Our second and final day in Glacier Bay. Seating on this cruise for meals is not assigned. This simple informality facilitates the social aspect of this cruise; getting to fellow passengers. It’s also nice that the expeditionleaders take turns sharing meals with passengers. For lunch today, we sat with a couple from England, Ken and Sue. We docked at Bartlett Cove for a tour of the Glacier Bay National Park Visitor’s Center. …
Read moreOur second day in Glacier Bay included whale and bear sightings
Today’s post was written by guest blogger Molly Hottinger In contrast to yesterday’s expedition through temperate rain forests and alpine tundra, across the Canadian border and back to the bustling town of Skagway on the White Pass Yukon Railroad, on Thursday the Chichagof Dream arrived at Glacier Bay National Park. Early in the morning we picked up Matthew Miano, a ranger with the National Park Service, and Mary Jack, our Hoonah Tlingit cultural guide. Although the weather …
Read moreAlaska cruise on Chichagof: Glacier Bay National Park
ABOARD THE CHICHAGOF DREAM – Rainy, windy, cold. Did I mention bring lots of warm clothing? Really warm clothes. Yes, it’s summer. Yes, the long range forecasts said temperatures in mid 60s. But the forecasts didn’t mention the wind! And the forecasts didn’t take into account that we were coming from Florida. We are picked up at the gangway with a bright yellow vintage bus operated by Skagway Street Cars. Whitney, our driver/guide, takes us on a …
Read moreAlaska cruise on the Chichagof: Our first full day is in Skagway
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