So it was that time of year again--annual leave from the office and working for Smithsonian Journeys. This year would take me on a small-ship expedition cruise to southeast Alaska, a place I hadn't been in 18 years, a chance to reclaim this region, and actually to make new memories in many new places. I would have 18 travelers to get to know and take care of, and 8 days of adventure. Different this trip--I had a formal lecture to give too. I couldn't wait to be there!
This map is from the Lindblad site; Smithsonian was partnered with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for this tour. Crew and guide were from Lindblad, National Geographic owns the ship and had supplied the guest photographer and photo instructor. I was the Smithsonian representative/tour manager and guest lecturer. We started in Juneau and finished in Sitka.
Juneau airport is small and cozy. These Northwest Coast-style birds greet you on your way to baggage claim. Where I was paged and informed that my luggage had opted for the later flight. But I was promised that it would be on the ship before I was, as it would arrive on the 4p flight, and we weren't boarding until 5:30p.
To fill the time, we went to Mendenhall Glacier. This spectacular place is just 12 miles from Juneau. Part of Tongass National Forest, the Forest Service operates this visitor center and area. In the visitor center you can learn about the glacial valleys of the region, glacial ice, Northwest Coast Native cultures, and wildlife, including bears and mountain goats. I was glad to see the mountain goat pelt; I would reference that in my talk later in the week.
Most of the glaciers are retreating, or losing ice. Because Mendenhall is so accessible, it's a very popular stop for tourists to actually see a glacier. As you can see, the weather was looking interesting for the start of the trip.
And this time of year, the salmon are running. So there are viewing platforms and trails to the stream areas. Sadly I didn't write down which ones these were but I want to say sockeye.
Then back to town where we had about an hour to grab a coffee, wander the tourist-trap shops of the jewelry stores owned by the big cruise ship companies, pop our heads into the local saloons, ogle the big cruise ships (floating hotel cities), or wander small galleries. I found a lovely little jewelry gallery of a talented stone carver who works with Alaska Natives. Lucky me! And then, because the office does follow me, I found this alpaca shop. Inka Road, all the time. Still.
And our ship! Yes, not the big luxury liner. With a max of 62 passengers, these expedition ships can go where the big ships can't. And the black and yellow on the top? Those are the zodiacs and kayaks. Another sign that this is a different adventure.
I liked this sign. I think it would work well in the office too.
And my cabin. Cozy, and wonderful for just me! That door on the left is the bathroom, complete with shower curtain to pull across the toilet so you don't wet your toilet paper and towels. There is a drawer under each bed, and room for luggage beside it. There is a small end table by each bed, and a shelf to the right. To the left, before the sink, is a wardrobe, with a shelf above it. And lots of hooks. And of course everything closes with tight locks, and the shelves all have bars across them. I was on the main deck so I even had a window! It's at the head of the bed on the right. Perfect!
Unfortunately, my luggage wasn't there when I got there. And it wasn't there after dinner. And it didn't come at 9p as we were told it would with one of the two missing pieces for other folks. I couldn't reach anyone. One of the naturalists finally got through on another number; the airline was waiting for taxis. Hmmm. If it didn't make it before we pulled out at midnight, it would have to be sent to Petersburg by float plane for Monday. I would make do, of course, but since I'd repacked at my cousin's, thinking it was a short simple flight, I really had nothing with me except my jackets. Lesson learned....
At 11p it arrived, along with one of the passenger's bags. The other at least had some gear, as he and his wife had packed together. So as I tiredly unpacked--I hadn't opened this bag during the previous week, except to add the OR/WA things to the top that morning--I realized that things were missing. In the frenzy of getting all the things together for the family that I was bringing, there was one pile of gear that got left out. Oops! Well, I had most things. Time for sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment