Haney Vacation Part 5: Ketchikan, Alaska & Victoria, British Columbia

Even though it has been over a month since we got back form our Alaskan vacation, I am just now getting around to this final post documenting our trip to Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

We spent just enough time in both of these places to get a taste of the culture. 

We met some lumberjacks in Ketchikan.

And walked the historic Creek Street boardwalk over the Ketchikan Creek which is home to several restaurants and boutiques. We spent several minutes watching a few seals playing together with some fish.

The Family!

While in Victoria we took advantage of the beautiful sunset and enjoyed a stroll on an awesome walking path along the coast. It was a great time!

Haney Vacation Part 4: Tracy Arm Fjord, AK

For Part 1 of the trip, click here.

For Part 2 of the trip, click here.

For part 3 of the trip, click here.

Tracy Arm, Alaska

While in Alaska, we had a full day of scenic cruising through the Tracy Arm Fjord. According to the dictionary, a "fjord" is a "long narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs; usually formed by glacial erosion". I enjoyed hot chocolate, wrapping up in a blanket and watching the scenery go by in amazement. After lunch, we all sat around a table next to a large window and played cards all afternoon.

Tracy Arm extends over 30 miles long, with nearly a quarter of its area covered in ice. During the summer, icebergs floating along the surface array in sizes, from just a few inches up to three stories wide. I really enjoyed seeing the waterfalls cascade down, icebergs, snowcapped mountains and blue-tinged glaciers.

We passed a ship in the fjord which shows the perspective of how huge the mountains are in comparison to the cruise ship.

The boat in the picture below looks so tiny compared to the mountain which seemed to be a wall shooting straight up out of the water.

How big is the iceberg in the picture below?...

Compare the size of iceberg to the boat passing by...

And some pictures of the family from the cruise ship...

Haney Vacation Part 3: Skagway, Alaska & Canada's Yukon Territory

For Part 1 of the trip, click here.
For Part 2 of the trip, click here.

Skagway, Alaska & Yukon Territory, Canada

Skagway is a little town of about 900 people. The history of this place really fascinated me as it played a key role in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898.

We took a scenic drive along the Klondike Highway and ascended the White Pass Summit which parallels the route used by prospectors during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. We saw beautiful views of mountains, waterfalls and glaciers. 

Once over the White Pass, we continued through Canada's rugged wilderness and traveled through the glaciated area known as Tormented Valley and along the string of lakes that make up the headwaters of the Yukon River. 

We stopped at a native village in Canada (the nearest gas station and grocery store were still an hour away) where a dog sled musher and her dogs are training for the Iditarod. We enjoyed a tasty lunch complete with homemade apple donuts and explored the little town. 

After exploring the town, we continued on to Fraser, British Columbia to board the historic, White Pass Scenic Railway for your return trip to Skagway.

The White Pass & Yukon Route is the "scenic railway of the world" and was built during the Klondike Gold Rush. It is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, an honor shared with the Eiffel Tower, the Panama Canal and the Statue of Liberty.  

The Canadian and US boarder

We saw the original Klondike Trail of '98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of gold.