Day 31 September 16 Anchorage , Seattle, Los Angeles Melbourne

We spend our last Hour in Alaska walking around Anchorage.

Anchorage is once again hemmed in by Fog

Monument to the Iditarod Trail
This Monument with the Husky is the official starting point for the Iditarod Race,which is held every year
bettween Anchorage and Nome to mark the start of the end of Winter. This Dog sled Race is the longest
in the World over 1000 Miles. This route used to be the official Route for mail by Dog Sled bettween Anchorage and Nome.

Darwin only 6613 Miles from Anchorage

Last Chance on Alaskan Soil to Celebrate our trip.

Flight 86  Anchorage to Seattle.

I was invited to sit in the Cockpit of the Plane we flew in for the first leg of our Journey Home. This is one of the older 737 two hundreds.  I asked  if i could take a photo,but the Captain invited me to sit in the Cockpit instead.
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Day 30 September 15

This is our  last day in Alaska and we fly this morning from Juneau to Anchorage,but not direct we go via
Yakutat and Cordova and it takes almost 4 hours.

Anchorage is surrounded by fog today perhaps a sign that winter is finally approaching. We have had amazing weather while traveling this great state,which has given us wonderful sites and great photos.

I hire a bike towards evening and this gives me an opportunity to ride along the Tony Knowles Coastal trail. Named after one of Alaska's Governors.This is a great ride,but the coast is hidden by the fog. This trail also includes the Earth Quake Park,which remembers
the Earth Quake that hit Alaska in the 1960's.  I also saw a moose up close.

Tomorrow afternoon we fly back to Melbourne after an amazing journey.

Day 29 September 14 Haines to Juneau

Our last Ferry crossing for our Alaska Journey on the Fairweather. This vessel travels at 34 knots and when we arrive in Juneau there is sunshine,but it is busy. There are 4 Ocean liners in town,which means up to an extra 4000 people.

The big Liners at the Juneau Dock

We decided to leave town for the afternoon and drove 23 Miles out to the Shrine of St Therese.
A little Church on an Island and in the Woods. A quiet place for reflection.

Juneau is famous for the Mendenhall Glacier and i saw this tonight just before sunset. This is only about 15
Minutes drive from the city centre.

Ice bergs were only just 30 meters away.
Tomorrow we leave Juneau and fly to Anchorage and the next day we fly home to Melbourne.

 

Day 28 September 13 Haines

Haines has a number of lakes and Rivers and today is a great day to be on the water. We have a guide because when the Water temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius (Fed from Glaciers ) you need someone who knows what to do if you capsize in your Kayak.

We drive out past the Chilkoot River and to Lake Chilkoot.

  Bear with Cubs at Chilkoot River

Reaching the lake the water is like Glass. There is not a ripple. The only sound you can here once
on the Water is your own voices echoing off the surrounding rocky slopes.

After we reach shore our Guide Emily explains the significance of the Rocks above that appear to have been carved in the Shape of an Eye. The local Tinjit people believe that this is an Eye that watched over the Village.

In this Image you can see a line of trees (The Eye Brow) and white area the White of the eye and a black area
(The Pupil).

 

Haines had a huge military presence during World War 2. Fort Seward was located here. The former
Parade ground is located just in front of our B&B.  The houses are late 19th early 20th Century and are
to and 3 Story.

Day 27 September 12 Skagway to Haines via Klondike and Alaska Highway

Leaving Skagway we stop at the Cemetery to visit the Grave of Jefferson (Soapie ) Smith. Jefferson earned the nick name soapie. This was due to an incident in which he conned lots of people out of their hard earned cash. Soapie claimed that his Soap was a magic cure for just about everything and also claimed that they would also get 10, 20 or even a 100 times their investment.  The most anyone made on his scheme was one dollar,but Soapie cleaned up with all their money.


Soapie's most famous con
Soapie moved to skagway after the Soap incident and graduated to more sophisticated scams,such as providing a telegraph line that went no where and charging People five dollars to send and receive telegrams on a telegraph line that did not exist.  

Soapies Demise

Soapie died at only 38 years of age in a shoot out with Frank Reid.  Reid was a big man around town and hence the huge monument in the cemetery depicted here.  Frank Reid however was just as much a scoundrel
as Soapie and once pleaded Self defence to shooting an unarmed man in the back.

Soapie as depicted in the show "Days of 98" telling the story of Soapie's antics and demise.

Our Journey today took us once again into Canada. We crossed the border into Canada and Yukon territory
near Fraser Lake,which is where our train terminated. We encounter Bove Island and then some of the most
amazing lakes near Carcross.

Around a bend and we encounter the beautiful Bove Island

Nares lake had water like Glass,which provided this amazing mirror effect of the surrounding hills and trees.

                                                

Emerald Lake

We drove on into British Columbia and this afforded us the most Beautiful Scenery that we have scene.
Bright Yellow Autumn Colors and Fireweed Prinson. This was set against Snow and Glacier Capped Mountains.

We drive back over the Border into the United States to conclude today's traveling at Haines.

Day 26 September 11 Skagway and Whitepass trail

The weather is better today in Skagway than what we have had in Juneau. Skagway only has 40 days of rain a year as compared to 200 in Juneau.  This should be fine weather today for our ride on a steam train through the Mountains. This follows the trail called the Whitepass trail that the stampeders (those rushing to find Gold) in Dawson City followed.

 

 

Our trip finished at Fraser lake in British Columbia before going around a loop and heading back to Skagway

 

 

Tomorrow we will drive the same Route through to Whitehorse which is in the heart of Yukon territory

and then onto Haines.

Day 25 September 10 Juneau to Skagway

Today we start the Klondike and Yukon section of our trip. We travel by ferry from Juneau to Skagway.
Skagway is the gateway to the Yukon territory. The main port connecting  the major Gold centres,such as Dawson City with the rest of the World.

Skagway existed because of Gold discovered  further into the Yukon at Dawson City in Canada. Skagway became a major port to transport People from as far away as Australia to the Gold Fields in Dawson.

This building was constructed out of drift wood and took 10 years to complete.

We arrived in time to witness the start of the Klondike relay that is ran every year over 2 days between
Skagway and Whitehorse a distance of 110 Miles. Runners are staggered and with the first starting at
5.30pm.  I took some video footage of the start.