Shadowmeboy helps close down Alaska on the Bliss!

[shadowmeboy]

It was time to stand on deck and enjoy Alaska! Maybe even see a whale!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just me and the Sea. I needed this! I breathed deep and just relaxed in the beauty of Alaska!

[shadowmeboy]

 

Whale!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a log in the water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

panorama

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

I was teaching a your lady standing next to me how to use her rebel t6 better.

 

 

 

waves crashing on a rock

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

chunks of ice in the water

 

 

so beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the water was changing color, due to the glacial runoff.

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

I want to apologize for not doing anything on the review for a few days. Susan and I had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with her Brother and we jumped on it. I didn't have time to work on it while we were away. Picking up where I left off.

 

We are sailing into Juneau. The area around Icy Strait Point and Juneau is prime whale area. I was surprised at the amount of whales I saw for how late in the season it was. I am not complaining though, I enjoyed every minute of it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the water spout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

a log

 

The following are a sequence of shots using my fast shutter on my Rebel T5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simply amazing creatures!

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

I had to leave the whales it was time to go get lunch.

 

Remember how I mentioned that I talked with the Restaurant Manager about the service. He had offered a meal on him at a either Food Republic or Margaritaville. I don't care for Food Republic's menu, so I took him up on Margaritaville.

 

 

Menu

 

He came and apologized for the service. I told him I wanted you to know what happened and I appreciate the lunch here at Margaritaville! He suggested the nachos. First of all, Susan and I couldn't finish them on the Escape in 2017, how could I eat them by myself and still function the rest of the day. I choose to try something else instead!

 

Below: The infamous nachos from our 2017 NCL Escape Cruise.

 

 

 

Waterfall as we sailed by into Juneau

 

 

I chose the Conch Fritters. These were amazing! I did get a Margarita, it is Margaritaville!

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving into AJ Dock in Juneau

 

 

 

 

My Entrée: Rancho Deluxe Burger

 

 

 

 

 

Dessert: Cheesecake without the Dulce de Leche drizzle.

 

 

I finished lunch and then started towards exiting the ship.

 

 

 

 

I headed into Juneau to explore!

[jimbri]

Enjoyed the Whale watching video!

[shadowmeboy]

 

I headed to the Alaska State Capitol. Yes, that is the Alaska State Capitol Building. It was the former Federal Building and Territorial Capitol when Alaska was a Territory before becoming a State.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a nice conversation with the Governor's Receptionist. They don't get many visitors at the end of cruise season and when the legislature is not in session. She said it was nice to talk to someone!

 

 

 

William Seward statue with the Capitol Building. Seward is the one who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia.

 

 

signs with info about Seward.

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

Windfall Fisherman

 

 

 

A wet, rainy Juneau!

 

 

I stood and talked with Susan for a half hour right here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite shop in Juneau! Plus I had fudge orders from home to pick up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me with my fudge!!

[shadowmeboy]

 

South Franklin Street

 

 

 

Having been to Alaska 5 times, we have a lot of souvenirs. I am always looking for something unique. The moose there came home with me, plus it was 40% off due to being end of the season! Score!

 

 

 

After surviving the Alaska shirt company, literally surviving, I got the shirts for the giveaways for the Meet and Greet for next June on the Jewel! 50% off of course!

 

Back to the bliss I went.

 

 

 

I was going to have dinner in town, but I was cold and tired from the rain. I headed back to have dinner at the MDR.

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

I elected to sit at a shared table and met several nice people. A couple from like Tennessee and a young lady named Amanda from the Charleston, SC.

 

 

MDR Dinner Menu 

 

 

 

 

Manhattan Room

 

 

 

Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli

 

 

Bruschetta

 

 

Whole-roasted Sirloin

 

 

Dessert Menu

 

Any guess on what I got?

 

 

If you guessed Warm Chocolate Lava Cake, you would be correct!

 

Amanda and I had a nice conversation, and I ended up inviting her to use the second half of the Cagney's voucher I got for being platinum. She didn't have any specialty dining nights. 

 

Since she was sailing solo as well, but not in the studios, I showed her what a studio looked like, and the Studio Lounge.

 

[smithop]

Hello,

 

Really enjoyed one of your reviews again.  We did Alaska last year and your reviews always remind me how much we miss, so I just put a deposit on an end of season Alaska for next October.  Its a true end of season too because it leaves from Vancouver and debarks in San Diego, so we get to cruise all the way home.  I am planning to fly in to Seattle early and take the Amtrack to Vancouver as you covered in a previous review.

 

I have to tell you something funny about your forum name, whenever I see it I get a song stuck in my head.  It must be because of all the train buff things you put in your reviews. I sing it as : Pardon me Shadowboy, is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. 🙂 

[justhappy]

9 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

I elected to sit at a shared table and met several nice people. A couple from like Tennessee and a young lady named Amanda from the Charleston, SC.

 

 

MDR Dinner Menu 

 

 

 

 

Manhattan Room

 

 

 

Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli

 

 

Bruschetta

 

 

Whole-roasted Sirloin

 

 

Dessert Menu

 

Any guess on what I got?

 

 

If you guessed Warm Chocolate Lava Cake, you would be correct!

 

Amanda and I had a nice conversation, and I ended up inviting her to use the second half of the Cagney's voucher I got for being platinum. She didn't have any specialty dining nights. 

 

Since she was sailing solo as well, but not in the studios, I showed her what a studio looked like, and the Studio Lounge.

 

Nice to know you can share the platinum dining voucher. I’ll be cruising solo in a studio next month. 
This is a great review, can’t wait to see more.

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

 

 

This was outside the ship in Skagway!

 

 

I needed my caffeine fix this morning!

 

 

Salted Caramel Mocha

 

 

Heading to Savor for Breakfast

 

 

 

 

a look over at Taste

 

 

Savor

[shadowmeboy]

 

MDR Breakfast menu for this morning

 

 

 

 

 

Eggs Benedict with the wrong kind of potatoes - I survived. 

 

I headed off the ship to catch my tour with Dyea Dave Tours.

 

 

 

 

 

Two Holland America ships joined us in Skagway today.

 

 

 

Rosemarie, our tour guide, met me on the dock, and I headed to the Bus. I had Rosemarie last year on this tour as well.

 

Setting my stuff in the Bus, I had to take photos of the White Pass & Yukon Route train!

 

 

 

Soon we headed out!

[shadowmeboy]

If you want to watch the drive we took to Emerald Lake, here is the condensed video.

 

 

First stop was the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad train office, to pick up the tickets of those taking the train back to Skagway in the afternoon.

 

 

Love the painting with the three engines!

 

 

 

 

 

 

John, in the red, was a part of our group. He and I took hundreds of pictures!

 

 

 

Klondike Gold Rush Museum is the yellow building and the National Park Service Visitor Center is the red building.

 

Skagway is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - Skagway unit. There is a unit in Seattle also, you can visit before a cruise out of Seattle. This will help in getting background, and make the info in Skagway easier to understand. Below is the video from our visit to the Seattle unit.

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

Once train tickets were acquired and restrooms visited, we headed out on our tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skagway Visitor Center located in the Artic Brotherhood Hall. The façade is made up of over 1000 pieces of driftwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Park Service owns this building and was working on fixing it up.

 

 

 

 

 

natural food grocery store

[shadowmeboy]

 

Passing the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad Yard

 

 

 

 

 

Looking towards the Skagway Airport and the Skagway River.

 

 

 

Skagway River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panorama overlooking Skagway

 

 

 

Looking down the Lynn Canal

 

 

 

 

Rosemarie, our tour guide, in the blue sweatshirt.

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad (WP&YRR) trestle

 

 

 

Pitchfork Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see the train?

 

 

 

 

Sawtooth Mountains

 

 

 

 

beautiful shot of the leaves

 

 

I had to switch it to manual to get this shot!

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

 

 

Bridal Veil Falls

 

 

John had gone down and gotten a drink, since the water is "drinkable."

 

 

There is the train!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowmeboy]

 

this is the real time video - edits to change our batteries and SD cards on the road. Shot with my Gopro mounted to the front windshield. Note: 2.5 hours long!

[SenatorsFan]

Looks like you had a great day, weather-wise, in Skagway and you took some excellent pictures!  😃

Heather