Alaska's First City

As I mentioned before, sometimes parents need a little get-away ...

Now that our children are grown, we are helping care for *our* parents in their golden years. (Hubby's Dad is 89, my Mom is 86.) Because of their failing health, we figured this was our last year to take a major vacation for awhile.

So ... I'll take up here where my last blog left off and give you a brief sketch of the third major leg of our journey to Alaska. Ketchikan was our next port of call ...


The first thing you notice when sailing into port are hundreds of fishing boats -- all sizes, shapes and colors -- and most with a name painted on the side. Names as simple as Maggie or Suzie Lou and others more creative -- Six Pence, Fishin' King, Sea Pearl, Alaskan Star, and more. What an intriguing sight they made against a backdrop of towering mountains!


When we stepped on shore, we hurried to meet our tour guide for the popular Duck Tour. That's my hubby standing by the amphibious bus. After everyone was on board, the "duck" rumbled to life and drove us around to get a general overview of the business and residential areas.


We spotted houses on such steep hills, it takes a major stairway to get up to them! Our guide lived in one of those homes and told us if at least two residences are situated up those hills, it officially is declared a street and given a proper name. You can see below how mountainous the area is. The building in the foreground is the Ketchikan High School.


She also grinned, "When you have 50-75 stairs going up to your house, it only takes ONE time of forgetting your car keys and having to trek back up all those stairs again! After that, you learn to take them down the first time."

The house with a totem pole was located on a lower level closer to the main street. Our guide told us this totem pole was given as an anniversary gift by a man to his wife. He must have loved her very much -- the price tag on this hand-carved pole was $60,000!


The second part of our tour was in the water. After driving around town, Captain Kai turned toward the harbor, went down a ramp and drove the bus right into the water. We could hear the boat motor take over soon after. Being out on the water gave us a different view of the town and got us right in the middle of the action!


Seaplanes buzzed like bees overhead, fishing boats puttered by on their way back to shore and eagles skimmed the water to catch fish. All those windows on the duckmobile made it possible to feel up close and personal with all the activity around us. You can see our cruise ship in the background.


In the photo below, our tour guide Erin is holding some bull-whip kelp, a plant that grows in Alaskan waters. It does, indeed, look like some kind of huge whip! Erin just leaned out the door while we puttered along and snatched it up to show us. The plant has many uses, including basket making.


Out on the water, we passed this boat of fishermen who were just tying up in the harbor. Our captain pointed out the way their boat was listing to the left as it moved toward shore. He said this meant they'd gotten a huge catch of salmon.


Once back on shore, we hiked up a street in the middle of town and visited a little park for a rare treat. There, we were privileged to get up close to a male adult eagle who is part of an education effort in Ketchikan.

Thor was injured a few years ago when he stepped into a trap. It tore off one of his back talons and destroyed the feathers of his right wing. He is unable to fly or hunt, so the Wildlife Rescue Association cares for him year round. A healthy 8-year old, Thor has learned quite a few tricks and is very responsive to his keeper.


Not long after visiting Thor, we had to head back to the Oosterdam. There's a good bit of nostalgia involved in saying goodbye and sailing away from one of the United State's most beautiful spots. I'm glad we had the experience of going to Ketchikan, and I hope someday we can go back again. What a lovely place to experience Alaska!

A Dream Come True

Back from Alaska ...

As parents whose nest is empty, we recently fulfilled a long-held dream ... our very first cruise. What made it even better was visiting Alaska, the "Last Great Frontier."

What a beautiful place it is! The sky seems clearer, the air cleaner, the ocean bluer. Being there was like being in a different world altogether... especially when leaving the humidity and triple-digit temps in the southeast for the northwest and cool temps in the low 50's!

It's not every morning you get to sail past icy-blue glaciers that loom 250 feet above the ocean and extend another 100 feet beneath its surface. We were overwhelmed by their beauty and stood in in awe of the way their Master Designer "tucked" them effortlessly between snow-capped mountains.

It's difficult to judge their size from a distance when you don't have a reference point. I would have guessed we were 500-1000 feet away. With nothing between our ship and the glacier to give us perspective, none of us knew we were miles away from it.

How does one describe such a massive presence? How does one capture its color and splendor? Not even the best camera can do justice to these rare beauties, yet dozens of us stood in cold rain with our cameras trying to do just that.

Back inside, I stopped in the Crow's Nest - a window-wrapped lounge on the top floor of the ship. Dave, the guest guitarist, was strumming the song, " How Great Thou Art. " He looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "What else is appropriate when an awesome glacier is just outside your window?"

He was right, you know. A glacier puts things in perspective, even if only for a few moments. It's a testimony of how small we really are in comparison to a glacier. It's a reminder that years were invested in the formation of that great big "chunk of ice."

It's also an opportunity to pause and reflect on the One who formed the glacier and how He holds all things -- big and small -- in His hand. It's good to know we have a great big God that can handle all our concerns.

Visiting Alaska was a dream come true for hubby and me. I've got lots of photos to share -- from Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and other spots of interest. I'll be writing more about our trip in the days ahead and hope you'll ...

... stay tuned.

Autumn's reminder ...

Autumn is officially "just around the corner," and it's already begun to make an appearance. There are some leaves turning here .. those on sumac bushes and our black gum tree out near the mailbox.

The photo here was taken of some dogwood trees last fall in the mountains of Tennessee. We had gone for a little retreat of our own and went to Fairhaven, a peaceful getaway for anyone, but particularly built for and reaching out to those in ministry.

It certainly is a quiet, lovely place with wonderful chalets and a rustic, welcoming lodge. Even the drive up the mountain to the lodge is a feast for the eyes.

While there, we took time to reflect on the busy months of the earlier part of that year -- as a couple, as parents, as pastor and wife in the ministry, and as grandparents (we'd just received news of our daughter's pregnancy at the time.)

That trip was a blessing in so many ways. The staff at Fairhaven were so kind and accomodating. A nice-sized library of games, books and puzzles were on loan to anyone who wished to use them. A roaring fireplace was in the main lobby with plenty of rocking chairs waiting for visitors to sit and chat.

The chalets had one master bedroom, a full kitchen, nice-sized livingroom/dining combo and an upper level with twin beds. The sofa made out into a bed, too, so it was possible to sleep six people comfortably.

Our chalet was literally backed up to a mountainside. Before us, outside the picture window, we could see the glorious hills -- their peaks and valleys taking on various hues at differnt times of the day or evening.

Early mornings, we would take a cup of hot cappuccino or tea out on the deck and listen to the birds greet the day. Below us, a pond beckoned with a cheery red rowboat tethered to the bank. A duck family floated, waddled and quacked, claiming their rightful territory. Streams and creeks were abundant in the area and made a musical backdrop as they dabbled or dashed over moss-covered stones.

Autumn is a wonderful time for retreats and mini-vacations. Even a short drive through the countryside refreshes the body, mind and spirit. God's creation is all around us, and when He adorns it with the colors of autumn, we need to take notice!

Take your little ones outdoors to collect pretty leaves and save some well-ribbed ones for crayon rubbings. Introduce the art (and work) of raking leaves by promising your children a chance to jump in the pile after it gets "this high." Even adults can hardly resist the urge to revisit childhood and romp a bit.

Our two older ones loved to bury their brother in a pile and then come get me. "Mom, have you seen Kevin anywhere?" I'd stall a bit, giving our 3-year old time to bolt upright and holler, "Here I am!"

Autumn is also a great time for hikes, bike rides, roasting marshmallows and cozying up to a fire on the hearth -- or sitting around a snapping bonfire outdoors. The smells and sights in autumn are gifts from our Lord.

It is His reminder to us that even though life on this earth is temporary, it is full of beautiful moments. As we lift our hearts and voices in praise to Him, we are refreshed and He is glorified. Autumn reminds us to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of beauty and wonder before the trees are stripped of color.

I hope you and your loved ones have a blessed autumn!