Alaska - Take One

Well, some of you may know, others may not, that I took a trip to Alaska recently. Actually, less recent then I'd like to admit. I've been back for 4 weeks. I'm shaking my finger at myself, you don't need to do it for me. I can't explain why I've waited 4 weeks to share this awesomeness with you. I can, but I'm just not going to. How's that for honesty?  Regardless, the wait is over. I now give you: Alaska: Take One!

All Aboard

That's NOT the cruise ship I was on, so credit to google image for the shot. Take a look at the bottom map. We traveled the Inside Passage. In the top map you can see the specific places that we cruised to. We left Seattle on a Tuesday afternoon. It was a beautiful, cloudless, warm day in Seattle, WA. I think most of the locals were freaked out. This particular southern beach bum was ecstatic. It was my kind of weather. We spent all day Wednesday at sea. That day consisted of lots of walking around the ship, getting acclimated, I got to meet all the awesome Noble County friends that accompanied my family on this trip. Honestly, a lot of alcohol was consumed...that's my best memory of the day this late in the game. I did include a picture at the end of this scroll of all the wine I smuggled on the ship. Each passenger is allowed ONE bottle of wine. I'm the only wine drinker out of the entire group so I had 7 bottles brought on board. All for me! I'm pretty sure that on Wednesday night I drank almost 2 bottles. Picture evidence would conclude that I carried the bottle around the ship with me versus going back and forth to the room for a refill. I was on vacation. Come on!

Seattle from the ship as we were leaving port. Gorgeous!

Check out the clear view of Mt. Rainer behind Seattle's port from the Puget Sound

Excited about setting sail

I make art with my smuggled wine

This shot was taken in one of the ships many bars, with my bottle of wine that I carried around that evening. 

Tracy Arm Fjord

Thursday the Carnival Miracle cruised through the Tracy Arm Fjord. Tracy Arm is a fjord in Alaska near Juneau. It is named after the Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Franklin Tracy. It is located off of Holkham Bay and adjacent to Stephens Passage within the Tongass National Forest. Tracy Arm is the heart of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, designated by the United States Congress in 1980.

Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness contains 653,179 acres and consists of two deep and narrow fjords: Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. Both fjords are over 30 miles long and one-fifth of their area is covered in ice. During the summer, the fjords have considerable floating ice ranging from hand-sized to pieces as large as a three-story building. 

The deep passageways and thin continental shelf leads to unique connections between offshore and inshore waters. The colder water temperature, nutrient rich upwelling, and strong currents allow for many species that live in deeper water to survive in the shallower waters 

Here are some photos of the beauty of this area. It was so impressive to be on such a large ship out in this narrow passage. The water is extremely deep though and offers easy cruising for ships through the area. 

kayaking

I have one word for you: majestic. 

Stay tuned for part deux: Skagway!