Our Boat Ride

After posting the Blog on the 22nd we went on a river boat ride on a stern wheeler. While on the ride we stopped at a mock up of a Chena village where they talked about the different living methods of the Indians over the years before white man and after white man.
Tempory Shelter
Birch Bark Canoe
Beautiful coat
Alaskan Furs (The little white one to he right of the girl they call Texas Polar bear)
These Indians had been living in Alaska for 10,000 years before white man came along.
We also got to see the kennels of Susan Butcher the lady who won four Iditarod sled dog races.
Dog Training ATV has no Engine

Train we road in Skagway
Interesting shot on train ride

Didn’t get to post a blog report onboard the ship. They wanted a ridiculous amount to get on the internet so I refused to pay. Had a great time visiting Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchecan , and Victoria, BC.
Four couples of us; Tom and Anne Davis invited their friends Ken and Carol. We invited our friends and boating buddies, Rick and Deanna.

Juneau, the Capital of Alaska was wet and overcast so much that I don’t think I took a picture. In Skagway we took a train ride and saw some beautiful country and a black bear feeding. Both Juneau and Skagway were wall to wall shops to trap the tourist. Glacier Bay was the best stop even though we didn’t leave the boat but lots of beautiful scenery and we got to see a Glacier calve and I got some still shots of the whole thing.
These three shots were shot less than 5 seconds apart
No.2
No. 3
Ketchecan was a great stop with lots of interesting sights within easy walking of the boat. Including a Totem Pole Museum and a house of ill repute where the woman who owned it turned her last trick in her seventies.
Ketchecan Harbor
Sunken Gardens in Victoria BC

One of the many beautiful flower shots
Our favorite subjects
Old folks in Garden
Art shot at wine tasting
After the cruise moved over south of Seattle where I worked on the fifth wheel’s 12 volt system. That ended up costing about $900.00 We then went to Blaine, Washington for a couple of days before heading into Canada.
Mile zero Dawson Creek
We took two days to Prince George and another day to Dawson Creek, mile zero of the Alcan. We spent an extra day here to do a little touring and learning more about the building of the road.
One day up to Fort Nelson where I had been forty years before when I worked for Sinclair oil.
First Sheep
Free Roaming Buffalo
Interesting stop
Some of over 61,000
Our addition
The next day we drove to Watson Lake, the home of the Sign post forest, where we stayed an extra day so we could add our own sign. On the drive to Watson Lake I started feeling poetic and wrote my “Ode to the Alcan”.

Ode to the Alcan
By
Gordon Wyatt

The old road still casts her spell over those who venture north

Normal men who sleep till ten can’t seem to slow and comprehend

The road is in the rear view mirror by six

With the sun now playing tricks

Many miles you must make

Till satisfaction is there to take

She lures us on ever on, to the land of Seward, Northern lights and Palin, too.

Like a snake she winds her way thru emerald forest

Calling come on, come on, there’s much to see

She shows much with Elk, Bear, and Caribou

Service lived and wrote here when Sam and Dangerous Dan were near

The modern musher does not seek her gold to take

Just the beauty in her land and lakes

She winds her way thru forest and glen, and keeps luring you till the end

Left from 1942

From Whitehorse we did a longer day than expected and ended up in Tok, Alaska to spend a couple of days waiting on mail, celebrating our 44th Anniversary and washing the truck and fifth wheel for the first time on the trip.
Friday the 19th we left Tok and drove three hours to Fairbanks and an Air force base where we will spend about a week taking boat trips and train rides in Fairbanks and just touring.