Day trip to Shenandoah

I got some scrapbooking done this week.  I found a fun site called Let's Scrap.  I love it because it has a ton of sketches.  That makes it a whole lot easier for me to get my pages done.  The girls on the site are real nice too.  Stop by when you get a chance.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed day.

Ketchikan AM

Ketchikan was another fun port.  It has been

one great day after another on this trip. 

In the morning we explored the towns famous Creek Street. It is the Old Town of the port.





Here is the creek along Creek Street.

We checked out the tiny shops. We saw eagles fly right over us when we were walking.

Do you see the eagle?

Cropped

This was the view from the bus stop.

After checking out the town we took public transportation to Totem Bight State Park.  Again, when ever you travel, check out the local bus/train for your daily transport.  It was only a few dollars and it dropped us off right in front of the park.  Don’t be afraid of getting lost.  Locals are most always happy to help you find your way around the area.

Totem Bight was the local state park that had a trail with totem poles.  They explained the meaning behind each pole.  The park was located right on the shore, so you could check out the rocky shore too.

Here is more Skunk cabbage!

Clan house

 This is a beam in the clan house carved and painted.  There was four poles inside the house.

These poles were hard to photograph.  They were massive. 

So, this was our morning adventures.  I don't want to overwhelm you with too many pictures, so I will do the afternoon in another post.  Stay tuned for our kayaking adventure!

Word Filled Wednesday

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace

to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

If you want that splendid power in prayer —

you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
~C.H. Spurgeon

Icy Strait Point

Icy Strait is a tiny port that the cruise line & local village built up for cruise passengers to explore.  It was not much more than a rocky beach, nature trail and a few shops and restaurants.

So after climbing the mountains of Skagway, we decided to sleep in and go ashore after a late breakfast.  You can read about the people of this village HERE.

We hung out on the shore.  Michael fished from the shore and caught a salmon on his first cast.  So I wandered around the area taking pictures and chatting with other cruisers.

We saw a couple whales!

An Eagle flew overhead!

Then we took a break from fishing to walk the nature trail.  As we entered the forest it reminded us of where Shrek lived.  Temperate rainforests are so GREEN.  We found some more Skunk cabbage.  There were a lot of unusual roots growing along the trail.  The trail ended at this pretty little pond.  It wasn’t accessible for fishing. 

Do you see the heart?

NO fishing allowed, sad day.

There was a clan house with totem poles in the little village area. 

We headed back to the shore and fished the other side of the harbor.  I was able to take a good picture of the ship from this side.

O' wait, that isn't our ship.Here it is!

Gorgeous day for just hanging out!

See I told you Shrek lived here, wink;)

Next stop Ketchikan. 

Skagway

Skagway, is a little town with a big history. This sleepy little Alaskan town was one of the gateways to the Klondike.

We took a free history tour from the National Park Service.  We learned about the people who left their lives behind in search of GOLD!  You had to be a hardy person to endure the journey.  Only 1% of the gold rushers found enough gold to become RICH. 

This building was being excavated and refurbished by the National Parks.

Skagway seemed like it was a real Wild West kind of town.  They have tried to keep the Klondike era alive, with wooden sidewalks and historically correct buildings.  But you can still find a Starbucks behind those doors.

After the tour we packed a lunch and headed up to Dewey Lake.  It was a steep climb, and this old girl felt every step.  We had a picnic up at the lake and Michael fished for a couple hours. 

Up, up, up we go!

Springtime is just beginning here in Alaska. All the trees are starting to bud and bulbs are blooming.

I found this Stellar Blue Jay foraging around the ground for sticks to build his nest.

Skagway had  honest businessmen and then the not so honest ones.  “Soapy” Smith tried to play both sides and finally lost.  We hiked through the “Gold Rush cemetery.  I don’t know how many of these graves are real and how many are just stuck in the ground for the tourists. 

Just passed the cemetery and up another hill was Reid Falls. It was a nice waterfall. It was an easy hike, with what I like to call a prize at the end.

 

There were a couple more fishing spots we wanted to hit, but we had to know when to stop.  These old joints aren’t what they use to be.  Next stop Icy Strait.