Month: May 2025

Boat travel

Posted on by J. R. Patee

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end.

Ursula Le Guin

Quite a week a one week boat cruise, although not as one thinks a Cruise. This was a relatively small boat. 37 passengers as opposed to a 3000 passenger trip. Boarded in Sitka alaska and cruised for 7days. When it was over one of the crew asked what was best part of the week. I had to think, always a tough proposition. A sow brown bear with2cubs, only to be bested by a sow with 3 cubs, only to be bested by humpback whales, only to be bested by orca whales, only to be bested by sea lion rookery with them checking us out closely (read keep your hands inside the skiff, only to bested by the orcas breaching next to the boat, to be bested by the mountain goat feeding just above a humpback cruising below, along with tufted puffins, and all interspersed with glaciers, fjords, hiking, kayaking, swimming. What was best?

Thinking about it I had to think it was the crew serving us. Their enthusiasm for not only serving our incredible meals, but their enthusiasm for being there, and seeing what we were seeing, answering never ending questions, or finding the answer. People who have a passion for what they are doing. People who work well together from the captain, to the chef, to the servers, to the boat crew whether they be full rated mates or the deckhands.

Admiralty Dream
One week travel
Brown bear and cubs
Orca photo by Margret Fleming
Tufted puffins photo by Jan Whelan
Sea otter and flounder catch photo by Jan Whelan
Skiff crew Ed and Carley
Dawes glacier remains
Barb and Steve after 38F (4 degrees C) swim
Tlingit cultural presenters in Kake, Alaska. Story almost as good as the bedtime stories told vey night by Bailey, the expedition leader, every night aboard the Admiralty Dream at 9:15 pm

Finally again

Posted on by J. R. Patee

You are perfectly cast in your life.  I can’t imagine anyone but you in the role.  Go play.

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

Has been a while in writing and I confess remiss.  AS they say “My bad”

But here we are in Sitka Alaska prepping for a cruise.  We have turned into cruise people I guess.  Well this one is a 49 passenger 8 day trip through Southeast Alaska.   It covers a lot of the area Jeanne and I kayaked in 8 weeks back in 1992 on our “honeymoon” trip.  I suspect people will tire of Jeanne and I telling stories of a particular area.  We are excited and have already been reliving memories of that awesome trip.

Sitka totem park pioneer home 1992

2025

Sitka has quite the history first with local Tlingit Natives and various native tribes, then invasion by the Russians for furs in early 1700’s. The Tlingits took back the area in 1802, but the Russians retook it in 1804. In 1867, Russian having overextended itself transferred its colonies and holdings to the United States. Although a price was paid of 7 million dollars it was never sold, because they never owned it. It was native land, which never became actually realized until 1971 with the Alaska Native claims settlement act. History is crazy. As one movie said history is “just the story of one bloody thing after another”.

Sitka itself is a hodgepodge of historical and modern stuff. The russian church, still active, the battlefields, the bishops house, the castle on hill now gone, and the totem park which we visit again this afternoon. Currently lots of tourists off the cruise ships. Interesting as there are advertisements all over to vote for or against limiting the numbers. The current ship holds 3000 passengers and a 1000 crew, into a town of 6000. the sidewalks are packed with folks walking gift shop to gift shop.

Next day and we again walked to totem pole park and walked about the wood and big trees.

Delightful day with lunch at food truck of fish tacos, and dinner of salmon cooked to perfection. One little incident where i was asked politely where from and when told I was from Anchorage, their response was I am sorry. Funny how people hate Anchorage because it is the big bad city. And we walked downtime fighting our way through the crowds of tourists.

Sitka has an election coming up to limit the tourists to 100,000 a year. Last year they had 300,000 in a town of 6000.