Trip to Alaska, Seattle and California June 2014

North to Alaska

I have recorded below our trip from Auckland New Zealand to Alaska, Seattle and California in June 2014. Brain, Anne Brent and Marie, we are two couples from Auckland New Zealand.  This is not our first trip together and we have previously travelled to the USA.

I have reversed the chronological order, the latest entry below is the first day.

I have used some of my own photos, but have also plunderer the internet to fill in the gaps.

Above is one of my photos

This is my first attempt at a Blog, initially I just wanted to have somewhere to post a few photos, but having seen how many people have looked at  the Blog I am now inspired to add to what I have already posted.

So, come back from time to time as I add to my entries.

I look forward to your comments.

When I was school age, which is getting back forty years plus ago growing up in Tauranga, I remember my grandparents went and gave presentations to Service Clubs etc. of their overseas trips. They travelled extensively and were accomplished photographers, they enjoyed presentations, but most of the audience felt it was boring. We would not consider doing slide evenings today, so this is me following in their footsteps. This was the days (1960s and 1970s)when international air travel was still unusual and digital photography had not been thought of.

What I know as The Levers Road Hall, now called Matua Hall where the sort of venue for the old time slideshows.

Auckland to LA Friday 5 June

 Auckland to LA  

So do you use the departure date in Auckland or the arrival date in LA left  Auckland Thursday night arrived Friday in LA.

Flying Air New Zealand of Course. First time in Premium , personally would choose Business, or Economy, don't really feel the the bigger seat which did not work, more leg room ( I am only 5'8) or the meals were worth the extra fare. But, I not saying the comfort or service could be faulted, just not for me. 

While visiting the Boeing Plant at Seattle we actually got to see the new Dreamliner  with it's new  All Black livery:

At Boeing they made a big deal about it because it is the first production 787-900

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/9916085/Air-NZ-Dreamliners-due-soon

Overnight in the Marriott Torrance South Bay, 3635 Fashion Way, Torrance:

L A is really one big strip mall separated by triple carriageway roads and parking lots. But it still has a nice feel to it, nice beaches and when you are inside the malls, hotels and restaurants it is comfortable. No, not really pedestrian, cycle and public transport friendly, but neither is Auckland. Where they have planted and maintained vegetation, there is potential for a greener and more human friendly environment. 

LA to Vancouver, British Columbia Saturday 6 June

 LA to Vancouver

Shopping in LA in the morning, a mall across from Hotel, what a great way to keep a wife happy?.

Marriott Torrance, had  tropical feel to it, in contrat to the strip mall feeling out on the street.

West Jet Flight ex LA and overnight in the Accent Inn, Vancouver, close to the airport.

So a Late night arrival at Vancouver airport:

Then on to our hotel:

http://www.accentinns.com/vancouver-airport

Then to out favour food place on this trip:

Which is better than going to McDonalds, isn't it? It's kind of authentic Americana?

Vancouver, British Columbia Sunday 7 June

Vancouver

Having flown in from LA the Previous night, called a cab, the most economic way for 4 people, we passed through town:

Not the CBD however, but the Port District:

Past the Railway Station:

And the Little Boats:

To the Crown Princess:

We appeared to get on the Ship at a Cruise Terminal called Canada Place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Place

and

http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/about/cruiseandtourism/terminalinformation.aspx

However this is not down town Vancouver? Or is it, I am confused, but certainly after we left we could see a far larger CBD in the distance.

Getting on the ship was a performance we took over four hours to clear Immigration and Customs, most of it spent waiting around in long queues, sometimes standing and sometimes sitting. The Cruise Line blamed US Customs and suggested that it would not happen if you boarded a Cruise ship at Seattle, rather than Canada. US Customs blamed the Cruise Line for not installing a powerful enough server to process the fingerprints. Whoever is to blame, the service was appalling.

At Sea Monday 8 June

At Sea Monday 

I have done a lot of Cruising now, so who do I like Cruising with? This time it was Princess, they are okay, but not as good as Royal Caribbean.

Just to recap on the Cruises I have done and were I rate the lines:

1. Royal Caribbean, have done 7 cruises, 3 in Mediterranean, , 3 in Asia and 1 in the Baltic. Crew are great, most are from Philippines, Indonesia, West Indies and Easter Europe. The RC ships are better with their facilities.  Windjammer Buffet is usually forward and with great views and is open most of the time. Atrium is specious, has lost of natural lights and plenty of entertainment. Viking Lounge is a good place to relax, read, chat and watch the view. Solarium is good on a wet day. Great Communication, using PA, in cabin newsletters and TV
2. Princess 1 cruise, this one. Crew were okay, but missed out on restaurant dinner because of a non functioning "call-centre" and had some strife trying to get an appropriate time to disembark.  The workers were from. Philippines, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Buffet was in the centre aft of ship, food good, but view a little limited. The Atrium was not as big, as light and did not have the entertainment to the same standard. No Solarium and the Observation lounge was aft and looked aft. Communication poor, no PA, struggled to know what was going on.
3. P & O Pacific???, my first Cruise about 13 years ago, maybe because it was my first I have good memories.
4. Norwegian, 1 Cruise around Hawaii on Spirit of America. Good staff, they came from the same locations as above. Buffet reminded me of a Cafe in a Hostel. Ship had no point of focus like an Atrium. Communication similar to RC.

Have never really enjoyed the Shows on the ships, never went to any on Crown Princess. Never use the Casino, Gym or anything else really not mentioned above.  Drinking not a priority on holiday either. Although my wife loves to shop.

We always get cheap cabins because we never spend any time in them except to sleep, so who needs a balcony?

I Cruise because it is an economical way to travel and get food and accommodation from point to point.

Ketchikan, Alaska Monday 9 June

Ketchikan, Alaska 

Ketchikan, Alaska Day 3 of our Cruise and the first stop:

To the the Lumber Jack Show:

Which was lots of fun:

Then on to Creek Street:

Which is very Photogenic:

Despite being the old red light district:

Being Alaska, had to get a photo of a Totem Pole:

Maybe more than one:

And a Float Plane:

They told us they get 14 feet of rain per year, the temperature was cool and it rained a little of course. But, had a real fronrteer feel about it. The most common vehicle was the pick-up truck.

Alaska is all about Mining, Forestry and Fishing, never saw a farm. So, a place with long days in Summer, it really never got completely dark at night while we were there, I guess you could say the sun went down about 10 pm and who knows what time it came up.

But in the Winter it is short days, storms, snow and nothing to do but drink

Juneau, Alaska Tuesday 10 June

Juneau, Alaska 

Juneau, Alaska Day 4  of our Cruise:

Capital City of Alaska, but not reachable by Road, only by sea or air, the same as Ketchican.

There is what they call a Trolley, which leaves from the Wharf to give great views of the City

At the top there was Mt Roberts with a Visitors Centre, gift shop', theatre etc. and tracks into the Forest:

In the Mt Roberts  Visitors Centre with gift shop etc. Sat in on a concert by the Alaska String Band. A folk type group, their songs were very moving:

http://www.alaskastringband.com/

Their songs were full of the tragedy and beauty of Alaska. The feeling here is s that Alaska is living in the wild and with the rawness of nature. I went outside and walked a few meters up the track. There was a sign there put up by a son, a few weeks before his Mother had gone missing on that track. If you got lost in the vast wildness with wild bears and other risks I assume even in 2014 people would just disappear and there is not a lot you can do to find them.

Then a short walk from the Ship to down-town Juneau:

Including the infamous Red Dog Saloon where Wyatt Earp checked in his gun, but forgot to collect it when he left::

We went on a tour of Juneau, which is the Capital of Alaska and then out to the Mendenhall National Park a few kilometres north of the City, past the obligatory strip-mall shops, Walmart et.all.

 Here is the Governors mansion, Sarah Pailin is gone but not forgotten.

In the afternoon, off to see the Mendenhall Glacier at close quarters:

As close as this:

And an Iceberg on Mendenhall Lake
:

And a waterfall pumping out enough water to fill an Olympic Swimming Pool every second:

Then back to town and across to Douglas which is on the opposite side of the Fjord to Juneau, but still a suburb of the City. Here a view of the only sandy beach in the area, artificially created from the Mine tailings:

I think this photo sort of sums up Alaska, intense beauty, although man tries to tame the landscape, he really can't make a significant impression

Skagway, Alaska Wednesday 11 June

Skagway Alaska

Skagway, Alaska Day 5 of our Cruise:

Home base for the Klondike Gold Rush:

Most of the buildings from the the late 1890s when this was the jumping off point fro the last big gold rush:

More Jewellery stores and Cafe's than in those days, but you get the idea:

And always the big sky:

The big attraction is the White Pass and Yukon Railway which does go as far as Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in Canada:

But, we took the 3 hour option up the steepest part up to the Canadian Boarder:

Starling the River Plain, but quickly climbing:

Into the Mountains:

And great engineering to overcome the steep terrain:

Which was state of the art at the time:

To the Border:

Where you are up in the Snow Line:

Then back down the same way:

Pasted a Gold Dredge:

Some Graffiti:

Then back to the ship: