On the Road - by Bob Van Leer

Vancouver, B.C. 7/20/1997 Leave By Ship

(VANCOUVER, B. C., Sunday, July 20, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Our cruise ship, Ryndam, Holland America Line, just left Vancouver enroute to Ketchikan, Alaska.

After Betty and I retired and turned the operation of the Curry County Reporter over to daughter and son-in-law, Molly and Jim Walker, we thought it would be a good idea to get out of town for a few weeks.

At Sea 7/21/1997 On The Inside Passage to Alaska

(AT SEA OFF BRITISH COLUMBIA, Monday, July 21, 1997)

by Jim Coffee

Today was spent at sea cruising through the “inside passage” off British Columbia to southern Alaska.

Our friendly naturalist on board said the “inside passage” was carved thousands of years before by glaciers during the Ice Age. The actual passage is threading through channels, often quite narrow, between islands and the mainland. Except for a few sections of open sea, the waters are all protected making for a smooth, swift passage.

Ketchikan, Alaska 7/22/1997 Tour of Native Village

(KETCHIKAN, ALASKA, Tuesday, July 22, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Our cruise ship, MS. Ryndam, docked early this morning at Ketchikan, Alaska’s southernmost city.

Ketchikan is located on an island and can only be reached by air or water. This region is the natural home of float planes. There is lots of protected water, lots of isolated country and no roads.

The town is more of a stringtown than Gold Beach. It is located on a very narrow bench along the shore and is a tangle of pilings, stairways and boardwalks, with houses and buildings creeping up the slopes. The area population is about 15,000 and we were told this doubles in the summer.

Juneau, Alaska 7/23/2008 Glacier is Only 17 MIles From City

(JUNEAU, ALASKA, Wednesday, July 23, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Our cruise ship, MS Ryndam, docked this morning in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. Three other cruise ships are in port, which appears to be one more than the port has dock space for.

The Veendam, also owned by Holland American Lines, is anchored offshore and transferring its passengers to shore by boat.

Sitka, Alaska 7/24/1997 U.S. Bought Alaska in 1897

(SITKA, ALASKA, Thursday, July 24, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Our ship, MS Ryndam, anchored at 11:00 a.m. at Sitka, Alaska, at one time capital of Russian North America.

Alexander Baranov, Russian territorial governor, built a fort in 1799 at a site six miles south of the present town and moved his base there from Kodiak Island.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 7/25/1997 400' Wall of Blue Ice

(HUBBARD GLACIER, ALASKA, Friday, July 25, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Today was for glacier viewing. Our ship, Ryndam, traveled up to the head of Disenchantment Bay to within a few hundred yards of the face of the 92-mile long Hubbard Glacier.

Hubbard is built by snows of up to 50 feet annually in the Chugach Mountains with peaks of up to 14,000 feet.

Valdez, Alaska 7/26/1997 Is Furthest North Ice-Free Port

(VALDEZ, ALASKA, Saturday, July 26, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Finally today the sun came out. We are considerably west now of the rainy Alaska panhandle.

We docked in Valdez this morning, the southern terminus of the 800-mile long Alyeska oil pipeline.

Anchorage, Alaska 7/27/1997 Ship Docks at Port Of Seward

(ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, Sunday, July 27, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

We arrived at Anchorage this morning after an early disembarkation from our cruise ship, Ryndam, at Seward, and a tour of the scenery from there to Anchorage.

Fairbanks, Alaska 7/29/1997 Denali National Park is Stopover Point

(FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, Tuesday, July 29, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

The Alaska Railroad runs through spectacular scenery in its 356 mile run from Anchorage to Fairbanks.

We left Anchorage Monday for the first leg of the trip, 233 miles to Denali National Park, where we spent the night.

Anchorage is not the start of the rail line. Mile zero is at Seward, an ice-free port, 114 miles south of Anchorage.

Prudhoe Bay, Alaska 7/30/1997 Smaller Fields Now Also Using Pipeline

(PRUDHOE BAY, ALASKA, Wednesday, July 30, 1997)

by Bob Van Leer

Production at the giant Prudhoe Bay oilfield is now declining, but production from eight smaller oil fields is making up the difference now on Alaska’s North Slope.

The Prudhoe Bay field is the largest oil field in North America and the 18th largest ever discovered worldwide.