Alaska Cruise - Start Page

Cruise to Alaska
June 30 to July 10, 2000
Page 1, Arrival in Alaska - Anchorage

The Land of the Midnight Sun and Glaciers in the College Fjord

Mountains in the sky
Our first view, from the plane, of the Alaskan Chugach Mountains piercing the clouds.

The city of Anchorage as seen from across Cook Inlet and (below) apparently
under the protective watch of a raven.

(Photo by Dottie)

Statue of
English explorer Captain
James Cook
who is credited
with first exploring and describing the Anchorage area in 1778.
(Photo by Dottie)

The Oscar Anderson House Museum is Anchorage's oldest wood frame house, built in 1915. Oscar Anderson was only the 18th person to set foot in Anchorage's original tent city and he continued to live in Anchorage until his death in 1969.
(Photo by Dottie)

The Alaska Native Heritage Center
The Raven at the entrance Native docent Traditional village exhibits
How do we get back to the hotel?' 'I'm not sure, but help me carry this BIG map.'
Pow wow in the village.(Photo by Camille)
Native lecturer Camille, Denise, Georgianna, Mary, Adrienne, and Marianne. All listening intently. Native Crafts
Hand-carved ivory dog sled

Nevermore! (Certainly not with THIS bunch!)

Our whole crew gathered around Raven, the Creator, at the entrance to the Center.
(Photo by the nice bus driver)

The best way to get around in Alaska, where there are few roads.
Pontoon plane on watery runway in the largest seaplane airport in the world

Planes taking off and landing at the Lake Hood Floatplane Base, the largest and busiest controlled seaplane airport in the world.
Airfield in Anchorage where roads double as runways! (JAYWALKING CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH!)

Airfield in Anchorage where roads double as runways! (JAYWALKING CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH!)

These planes are parked in the Merrill Field Municipal Airport.

Now that ain't no nickel chocolate bar!
Jan, Sonny, Dottie, and Denise (left) and Mary, Marianne, Georgianna, and Adrienne (right) inspect the world's largest chocolate fountain (over twenty feet of cascading chocolate) at Alaska Wildberry Products, just across the street from the Sourdough Mining Company Restaurant (which was too crowded to get in without reservations).
It was kinda hard getting them away from all that chocolate!
(Pictures taken by nice strangers.)

Libby Riddle: Hey Sonny, did you ride a dog sled yet?
Some of the visitors to the candy factory had the opportunity to meet Libby Riddle, the first woman to win the Iditarod dog sled race. She won the race in 1985 when she courageously mushed her dogs through a blizzard, when others feared to go, and completed the course in slightly over eighteen days (about twelve days is normal in good weather).
(Photo by Sonny)

Sourdough Mining Company Restaurant
Let's eat! It's a good thing.

Fortunately, Mary, Adrienne, Georgianna and Marianne had enough common sense to make reservations and were able to enjoy a good meal in the very rustic atmosphere.
Grrrrr! Toss me up a beer and a burger!

On the right is a rare white elk.
(Photos by Marianne)

Next to the restaurant is the rustic Tent City Theater, built to resemble an old mining camp, where "Dusty Sourdough" (Glen Guy) told the story of the Alaskan gold rush in story and song. Very entertaining!
(Photo by Marianne)

Werner and Lydia Sonny and Dottie Joe and Camille
While there, some of us had our picture taken by a friendly photographer from LivePostcard.com who placed them on their website. These pictures were retrieved from their site.

In Anchorage, we stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook.
(Photo from a hotel postcard)

Marianne, Mary, Adrienne, and Georgianna inspect the
gardens at the hotel.
The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la!
Wonder what there is to do inside the hotel, ? Got it! How about the BAR???
Marianne, Georgianna, Adrienne, and Mary being careful to inspect ALL of the hotel's facilities. Still inspecting.....again, and again, and again. Gotta be sure!
(Marianne's pictures)

Before leaving Anchorage and boarding the train for Denali, we stopped at the Snow Goose/Sleeping Lady Brewery for one last libation and even a little food.
Photo by Dottie