I wasn’t up until 6am today, so missed the early morning photography opportunities. Lou always managed to sleep later, even occasionally skipping breakfast. We were in Yes Bay, and were anchored next to Yes Bay Lodge, a popular place for fishermen to fly into from Ketchikan. The plan was to be anchored all day, so we decided to step out of our comfort zone and try two activities: our favorite – the Skiff Tour, and Kayaking.
Yet another beautiful anchorage – here the crew is checking to make sure the anchor and chain are OK
The morning starts with a latte or cappuccino. There is a $2.50 charge to get the special coffees – you just keep a tally until the end of the week. Brewed coffee and tea are free.
Finally wised up and realized taking a photo of the daily menu would be an easy way to remember what we had each day.
As I was snapping a photo through the lounge window, a float plane flew into view…
It was float plane central off the starboard side
We had some time before our Skiff Tour, so I watched the first group get ready to go on their snorkeling adventure. This activity had a small add-on charge, and there were quite a few adventurous souls. They said they had a good time, and it was only cold when they got out of the water.
Getting ready to snorkel in the cold Alaska water is a team event
Perhaps the guys are laughing because they realize this is a crazy idea!
We were up for the mid-morning Skiff Tour, and once again had Captain Dano as our guide. He knows the area well, and was able to tell us lots of stories – that seems to be a specialty of his. Apparently this can be a sure thing to see bears when the salmon are running later in the summer.
Here are photos from our Skiff Tour – we saw a Blue Heron and a Juvenile Bald Eagle. As usual, we tried our darndest to find a bear, but no luck even though we looked in many possible hiding places.
Captain Dano tells us about Yes Bay, and explains why some trees lean over
Juvenile Bald Eagles maintain this coloring until they are 4-5 years old
Photos from the skiff tour
Here are some photos from the hikers:
Tasty fish tacos for lunch, and then it was time to try kayaking – we thought we should try it at least once during our first week. We watched the experts while awaiting our turn:
The best dressed couple on the trip – and also among the most active. These folks also did the 3 week Ultra Adventure, and they were up for all of the activities.
Hey – isn’t the guy in the back supposed to be paddling? (Note – rumor has it, he is a very accomplished kayaker, and this is another duo who were very active)
Lou gets in the kayak easy enough, but finds he’s too tall and his back wasn’t happy. Once I was in, they just pushed us off into the water … and, we didn’t tip over.
My one and only photo from the kayak – if we don’t count the next one. Of course, there’s no way to prove we are actually in the kayak.
I tried to take a photo of Lou in the back – it didn’ t work out so well.
OK – we tried kayaking, we weren’t very good. Lou still says he wants to get kayaks for home – we’ll see. I preferred riding in the skiffs because it was better for taking photos. But – for folks who love kayaking, it’s hard to think of a better way to do it than on an Un-Cruise Adventure trip. We relaxed after our activities, and before we knew it, it was time to eat – again!
Salads were offered most evenings – the dressings were freshly made and often were a citrus or berry-based vinaigrette – very good.
We both chose the bacon wrapped scallops – delicious, although I skipped the bacon. I like mine crispy (which obviously wouldn’t wrap around a scallop)
Our dinner companions are helping me get over a fear of people – fear of taking their photo, that is. There was no assigned seating at mealtimes – you just picked a seat anywhere you wanted. Most people were happy to mix it up and it was a good way to get to meet new people.
Lou relaxes on the top deck after dinner. An unexpected benefit of small ship cruising is all the nice people you meet. The couple on the left is from Australia, and we found out we had visited “D’s” brother’s Winery on our last trip to South Australia. We had quite a few folks on the cruise from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and from all around the US. There were a surprising number of “it’s a small world” connections as we met people who had attended the same schools, or lived in some of the same places we did.
We had another amazing light show tonight:
Youngsters (and fellow Floridians) enjoying the view. We were pleasantly surprised to find a wide range of age groups on the trip – young, medium, and old (us), and people were from many different backgrounds.
The hot tub is warmed up and ready – there were two hot tubs on the ship.
Ho Hum – just another beautiful sunset in Alaska, as we take off for Misty Fjords
Categories: Alaska, Week 1, Wilderness Discoverer