On Solid Ground

Skagway
Today was a wonderful day!  I slept late, ate a BIG breakfast, went to the gym and probably worked off half of breakfast, then walked into Skagway.  It's a very small town that exists because of gold Mining and is, therefore, steeped in history with all things associated with gold: a red light District, a very cool old steam engine train and probably some modern prospectors.  Although there were a lot of choices for excursions, I decided to avoid the crowds that were panning for gold and riding the train to walk around town and hike across a footbridge out to Smugglers Cove.  It was great except for the box of confections I was carrying in my backpack while I hiked alone and then saw the notice on my map about bears!  Duh!  What was I thinking?  I have luckily made it back alive and did my favorite thing - listen to the Amber Trio.  They consist of two violins and a cellist and play beautifully!  Attended my first onboard performance which was a husband and wife acrobat team from Cirque du Soleil.  They were amazing!
I have met many nice people on this trip but my favorite is Desi, a very young lady from Bali.  We talked about Bali for awhile until tears came to her eyes.  She is very homesick but will be returning in November.  Hang in there Desi!  I have to admit that the ladyboy greeting people by the breakfast buffet while singing loudly comes in a very close second.  She has a great voice too!
Ketchikan
Ketchikan is a booming fishing town with roots in gold mining and the coolest red light district I've ever seen.  It's all built on a boardwalk on a stream.  Now the buildings house souvenir shops, cafes and local art instead of ladies.  While here, I went snorkeling which was quite an interesting adventure.  Our guides were great and, while it's not coral reefs and clownfish, it's very interesting to see what lives in Alaska waters.  The hardest part of the day was the 7 mil wetsuit, booties, gloves and hood hours had to put on before your mask and snorkel.  The water temperature in Ketchikan was a warm 58 degrees compared to the 44 degrees in Northern Alaska.  The other great thing about Ketchikan is the totem poles - beautiful!
Cruised the Inside Passage on our last day and it was magnificent.  So much wilderness and beauty!  It was another beautiful day so I spent a great deal of time just watching and relaxing.

Have landed in the bustling but friendly metropolis of Vancouver and have only one day to explore.  The first thing I saw when disembarking - Tim Hortons, of course.   My tip for the day:  If you haven't been to Alaska - GO!

Below are some totem poles.