The drive from Anchorage to Seward is about 120 miles and takes about 2 1/2 hours in good traffic, but then that doesn't count all of the stops one must make along the way to stop and stare at the magnificent scenery! This is another town that is somewhat reminiscent of Old Sacramento. It has th
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09/10/2013
For $7.2 million, Russia sold Alaska in 1867 to the United States -- about what it would cost to buy an oceanfront home in Malibu these days. Of course, the question in my mind is how did Russia come to own Alaska when Alaska was settled by native peoples who still live there today, but I imagin
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09/09/2013
The John Hopkins Glacier is one of the few glaciers in Alaska that is advancing and appears to be a healthy glacier. The cruise ship in the center is the Zandaam, a hugely gigantic monstrosity. Our much smaller Alaskan Dream was able to get pretty close to the glacier but there is a lot of ice f
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09/09/2013
The only thing I kind of regret about visiting Skagway is the fact we didn't shoot photos of the cartoon characters who work in the tourism industry. They are dressed to the period and to say they were way over-the-top with enthusiasm would be an understatement. It's like they were wound up to n
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09/08/2013
This is the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, and it's receding. The lake and the visitor's center were once under the ice. I believe it is a half mile wide. A Kingfisher rests on top of a harbor pole. There wasn't much to do in Juneau except visit shops in the historic district, and we walk
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09/07/2013
The thing about shooting photographs in Alaska is everytime I put my lens cap back on my camera, stuff it back in my bag and figure I'm done shooting photos for the day, some spectacular opportunity presents itself almost immediately. Inisde the harbor at Petersburg are all of these marvelous bo
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09/05/2013
This is an Indian Paint Brush and our guide said it was unusual to see it in bloom this time of year. Alaskan Dream has exclusive rights to use the property at Hobart Bay for its passengers. The land is owned by the Goldbelt Corporation, which is owned by Natives. The Zego is an individual water
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09/05/2013
The thing about posting photos while on a cruise ship is the fact they don't give you anytime whatsoever to upload photographs. I have about 15 minutes in the morning or when we depart to post. Which means I have to type very fast, give little thought to what I have to say and just get i
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09/05/2013
This beautiful humpback whale was feeding when we cruised into the harbor. Our ship is a catamaran, so it doesn't cause a lot of waves and is relatively quiet. A long lens is a good help, too. Look at that snout. You can tell that a humpback whale is feeding when you spot a flock of seagulls fly
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09/04/2013
