Cruise456

Today we are at the most bizarre of the Alaska stops.

The cruise line calls it Icy Point Strait, but there's really nothing there. A couple of lines got together and had a stop built. An old fish cannery was all gussied up and filled with a museum and lots of shopping opportunities. A bunch of forest and ocean excursions were organized, and a mile-long zip line installed.

The didn't even bother to construct a ship-sized wharf. The tourist are all transported to the shore by tender boats.

There is a small village a couple of kilometers away out of sight. No Diamond stores there. The tourists vastly outnumber the 860 locals, but few ever wander into town.

Only Celebrity and Royal Caribbean stop here, and only one ship per day. It couldn't handle more.

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Juneau is the largest of the quaint wee places we visit. Lots of cruise ship crap stores (jewelry), but with more of a real town attached.

This is the first stop where I've wandered ashore. Walked about a kilometre in to a drugstore and, of course, back. Popped into a few places along the way. No real issue with the knee, but it's on ice now.

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Skagway today. It's my favourite stop. This is the only place with an important, if brief, role in history.

After its days of Gold Rush glory, it largely withered away until the cruise industry re-injected it with economic viability.

There are lots of funky old buildings, and a graveyard full of Gold Rush villains and heroes.

So there's the usual cruise shopping, funky streets to wander, and two decent museums.

I usually do most of that, which doesn't really take much time. I also go on a big run here; something pushing 20 k. This time it's not happening. Even the "streetwalking" could be an issue. Gonna just be a stay-on-boarder, which is fine with me.

I think Helen is worried that I'm not enjoying myself, but that's just crazy talk.

Hmmmm. Turns out that after shopping Helen headed to the wrong pier full of ships. She had to regroup and find ours, on the other side of the harbour. Her sense of direction is special.