Companion Itinerary:
-Seattle Airport
-Vancouver Airport
-Marpole, British Columbia
Arrival: Travel Goals Canada
Most days I love my rural home. Those days I am up before the sun, happily curled up in my favorite chair drinking coffee and either reading or writing. Today we have an early (5:30 am flight) and we live an hour from the airport. If you do the math; factoring travel time, airport parking…
Companion Itinerary:
–Canada Place Homepage | Canada Place
–Big Bus Vancouver: Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus
-Waterfront Centre Food Court
-Gastown Steam clock
–Lee’s Donuts
–SkyTrain (Vancouver)
-Chuan Yue Chinese Restaurant, Marpole
First Look Vancouver: Travel Goals Canada
I may have mentioned in an earlier post that we like to take a big red bus tour of new cities on the day of arrival. Why, you ask? Well, we are usually tired after a long plane ride and struggling to stay awake to avoid jet lag. The bus driver does all the navigation.…
Companion Itinerary:
-Translink Bus (10) (250)
-Stanley Park
-Totem Park at Brockton Point
Totem Garden: Travel Goals Canada
Today, I am standing in Stanley Park, Vancouver. I have a virtual meeting and here on Brockton Point I have great cell service. I find a secluded area and take the call. It is just around the corner from the Totem Park. While I talk, I have a front row seat to the parade of…
Companion Itinerary:
–Stanley Park
-Brockton Point
–Seattle Aquarium
Aquarium: Travel Goals Canada
Stanley Park is quite large. We are dedicating the whole day to the experience. There is plenty to keep us busy. In fact, we are weighing our options. The current diversion is the Vancouver Aquarium. We walk from the bus stop at the edge of the park around Brockton Park and its Totem Park to…
Companion Itinerary:
–Granville Island – Vancouver, BC
–False Creek Ferries
–Museum of Vancouver: MOV
–Tap & Barrel Bridges – Vancouver
–Olympic Village
–Plaza Of Nations: Home
-Bus 10, Vancouver
False Creek Ferry
Today we take bus 10 to Granville Island. The bus lets us off at an overpass and we try to follow Google Maps down under the elevated main thoroughfare and onto an underpass walkway that leads to the market and the docks. It isn’t as straightforward as we think it should be, but we manage.…
Companion Guide:
–Vancouver
-Canada Place
–False Creek
–Vancouver Chinatown BIA
–Seawall in Vancouver
–Vancouver’s Coal Harbour Seawall
–Stanley Park
Vancouver In View: Travel Goals Canada
Vancouver is grittier in person than the travel photos would lead us to believe. It is hard to explain because the city is clean. It just seems tired, like my first look in the mirror after I wake up. Older but not ancient. Capable of looking better with a little makeup and accessories. Good bones…
Companion Itinerary:
-Canada Place
-The Hard Bean Brunch Co.
-Holland America, Zaandam
All Aboard At Canada Place: Travel Goals Canada
Today we leave our rental in Marpole and head to the Canada Place cruise terminal in downtown Vancouver. It is Canada Day (it is a 4th of July-like Independence Day celebration). The Canadian holiday celebration is sure to mean bigger crowds at the docks. We are also advised by the cruise line to get to…
Companion Itinerary:
-Holland America Line- Zaandam
–Canada Place
–Inside Passage
Zaandam: Travel Goals Canada
We arrive on the Zaandam excited to begin our journey to the Yukon. It will be our temporary home for the next four days, until we reach Skagway, Alaska. We are overjoyed to see that we have been upgraded to a balcony suite, complete with a deep whirlpool tub. What was meant to be a…
Companion Itinerary:
–Juneau, Alaska
–Glacier Express
-Juneau Cruise Port
–Mendenhall Glacier
–Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
-Tongass National Forest
Mendenhall Madness: Travel Goals Alaska
Our first stop in Alaska is Juneau. The ship docked around 3pm and will leave port around 9 pm. We decide to skip the crowded city streets (and they are ridiculously crowded) and head to the Tongass National Forest to see the Mendenhall Glacier. Sounds easy enough but I don’t want a tour group experience.…
Companion Itinerary:
-Holland America, Zaandam
–Skagway, Alaska
–Visitor Center – Klondike Gold Rush
-Glacial Coffeehouse
-Klondike Doughboy (Fry Bread)
Klondike Gateway Independence Day: Travel Goals Alaska
The ship docks in Skagway before I awake. It is in port all day, but we are disembarking here to head overland to the Klondike and Yukon country. I head upstairs for breakfast, but I am confused. We got a letter before bed that doesn’t make a lot of sense about the plans for the…
Companion Itinerary:
–Skagway, Alaska
-Glacial Coffeehouse
-Lower Dewey Lake Trail
Mountain Hike: Travel Goals Alaska
After spending the morning in Skagway, I want to spend some time in the woods. The lower lake trail is touted as a two mile loop trail around a mountain lake. To get to the loop, there is a steep trail up the mountain beginning across the railroad tracks from the Skagway Hotel. Our new…
Companion Itinerary:
-Skagway, Alaska
-White Pass Railway, Scenic Railway of the World
–White Pass
White Pass Rail: Travel Goals Alaska/Canada
Today we are leaving Skagway so we are up early. We grab breakfast at the local coffee shop and head to catch the transport to the White Pass Railway. I am excited about the trip over the White Pass. This is the way that hundreds of Gold Rush miners walked with their supplies. Canada required prospectors…
Companion Itinerary:
–Carcross
–Emerald Lake
–Caribou Hotel in Carcross, Yukon Historic Hotel
-Caribou Crossing Carcross
Carcross: Travel Goals Canada
We are herded onto a motor coach for a trip from the Canadian Border to Whitehorse where we will catch a charter flight into the interior of Canada. I expect a long drive with trees lining both sides of the road. Time to find my kindle. At least the bus is comfortable. Except I never…
Companion Itinerary:
–Dawson City
–Holland America Dawson City Inn
–Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall
–Historic Cemeteries | Dawson City Yukon
–Jack London Museum and Cabin
–Dawson City Museum
–Sourdough Saloon inside the Downtown Hotel
-Riverwest Bistro
-Confluence of Yukon and Klondike Rivers
Dawson City: Travel Goals Canada
Our plane lands in a small field outside Dawson City, Canada. Just before landing we have a spectacular view of the Alaska Range including the mighty Denali. As we make our way into town, we pass mountains of mine tailings. The earth was ravaged here in the early quest for gold. Dredges sliced and diced…
Companion Itinerary:
–Discovery Claim
-Bonanza Creek
–Dredge No. 4
-Gold Fields outside Dawson City, Yukon
Gold Rush: Travel Goals Canada
Not far outside Dawson, Yukon Territory is the site of the first gold discovery. You can walk to the creek where it all began. If you ask a local the story of how it happened you will get a dozen different answers. What everyone agrees on: The story I like best is that Kate found…
Companion Itinerary:
–Pioneer Park (Fairbanks, Alaska)
–Tanana Valley Railroad Museum
–SS Nenana National Historic Landmark
–Cheechako’s Tacos | Fairbanks AK
-Pioneer Museum
Pioneer Park: Travel Goals Alaska
After a quick flight from Dawson City to Fairbanks Alaska, we find our hotel room isn’t quite ready. So we hop on the free shuttle and head to Pioneer Park. It is as good a place as any to spend an afternoon in Fairbanks. We’ve been here before and know that we will have options…
Companion Itinerary:
–Fairbanks, Alaska
–Golden Heart Plaza
-Bahn Thai
-Westmark Fairbanks Hotel
Fairbanks?: Travel Goals Alaska
Honestly I don’t know what to think of Fairbanks. It has some amazing spaces and yet it always seems a little sad, a little dated, and a little down on its luck. It is an enigma. Our hotel, the Westmark Fairbanks has clean and bright public spaces. We head to the park because our room…
Companion Itinerary:
–Riverboat Discovery
Chena River Discovery: Travel Goals Alaska
I’m making the bold claim that the Riverboat Discovery cruise is the best value in Fairbanks. I was impressed start to finish. We skipped it on our last visit, because it seemed like just a short ride up the river. We come from Mississippi River country and have been on our share of river boats…
Companion Itinerary:
–George Parks Highway
–Nenana, Alaska
–Holland America Denali Lodge Alaska
Alaskan Highway: Travel Goals Alaska
You never know what you will see if you are driving one of Alaska’s highways. This is our second trip on the Parks highway. The first time we were on our own in a rental car. This time we are in a motor coach. If I am being honest, I prefer to be on my…
Companion Itinerary:
–Denali National Park & Preserve Alaska
Denali Disappointed: Travel Goals Alaska
Denali is not my favorite national park. It isn’t even in my top ten. That is probably not the best way to lead a blog post about Denali, but it is the truth. Denali protects six million acres of pristine sub-arctic wilderness. And it is wild. Unfortunately, in all that space, there is only one…
Companion Itinerary:
–The McKinley Explorer® Premier Rail Experience
Backcountry By Rail: Travel Goals Alaska
I love rail travel. So I am looking forward to an all day adventure as we travel from Denali Station to Anchorage on the McKinley Explorer. It is a glass domed excursion train. The top level is full of comfy seats and a full service bar. The 360 degree views have us hopeful for wildlife…
Companion Itinerary:
–Anchorage, Alaska
–Hilton Downtown Anchorage Hotel
–Log Cabin Visitor Information Center
–Ginger – Anchorage
Anchorage, One Night Only: Travel Goals Alaska
I haven’t been to Anchorage in a while. This time I arrive after a long day on a train. We are staying downtown for just one night. Tomorrow we will be picked up and taken to Whittier to join a cruise. Right now I am tired and hungry and I’m in no mood for exploration.…
Companion Itinerary:
–Turnagain Arm
–Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
-Whittier, AK
–Westerdam
Holland Homecoming: Travel Goals Alaska/Canada
It may be the strangest way to get to a cruise ship ever. I am glad someone else arranged the transport, because we have to head to Whittier Alaska, a city where all the residents live under one roof. And the only way you can enter town is by boat or through a timed tunnel.…
Companion Itinerary:
–Skagway, Alaska
–The Days of 98 Show
–The Sittin’ Sasquatch
–Gold Rush Cemeteries
–Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Alaska
–The Moore Homestead (U.S. National Park Service)
–Jeff. Smiths Parlor Museum – Skagway
-The Klondike Dough Boy
Return to Skagway: Travel Goals Alaska
It is strange to return to a town twice on the same vacation, but we are sailing back the way we came. We disembarked the Zaandam in Skagway for our adventure in the Yukon Territory and stayed a few days. Now as passengers of the Westerdam on the return trip, we have about six hours…
Companion Itinerary:
–Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve • Alaska
A Day In Glacier Bay: Travel Goals Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park is unlike any other I have visited. We will be in the vast park all day and we will never step foot on land. Instead, a park ranger takes a shuttle to our ship and will narrate as we cruise by the many glaciers and mountains that make up the park.…
Companion Itinerary:
–Skagway, Alaska
–Gold Rush Cemeteries
-Lower Reid Falls
Gold Rush Echoes: Travel Goals Alaska
Just outside of Skagway, Alaska is a trail that runs past the historic cemetery. There is a giant gold nugget statue and plenty of 100 year old graves. Lawman Frank Reid rests under a giant obelisk. Local scoundrel, Jeff “soapy” Smith lies nearby under a much humbler headstone. It is rather strange that men that…
Companion Itinerary:
–Juneau, Alaska
–Tahku: The Whale Sculpture
–Historic Downtown & South Franklin Street
-Red Dog Saloon
Experiencing Juneau: Travel Goals
Alaska’s state capital is remote. While people can drive cars in the Juneau area, the road system only extends about 45 miles. There is no connection to a larger highway system. To get here you must either fly or come by boat. It is hard to end up here by accident. While definitely not a…
Companion Itinerary:
–Ketchikan, Alaska
–Creek Street (Ketchikan, Alaska)
Creek Street: Travel Goals Alaska
Our cruise ship, the Westerdam, docked in Ketchikan, Alaska on a warm July morning. We decide to head up the hill to Creek Street and the salmon run while most of the other passengers head to town. It is peaceful at the upper end of the street. I can almost imagine that I am alone…
Companion Itinerary:
–Ketchikan, Alaska
–Totem Heritage Center
–Deer Mountain – Hatchery Permit #49
–Tongass Historical Museum
Ketchikan: Travel Goals Alaska
We find ourselves in Ketchikan, Alaska with time to kill. We walk Creek Street and the harbor. But there is still a lot of port time ahead. Cruise ships give you random amounts of time that are simultaneously too short to head too far afield and too long for port side exploration. However, in Ketchikan,…
Companion Itinerary:
–Westerdam
–Vancouver
–SkyTrain (Vancouver)
All good things: Travel Goals Canada
The last morning of a cruise is sad. I wake up for my morning walk and everything is locked up tight. The ship store is closed. If you didn’t get your souvenirs it is too late, the shops aren’t open in port. Golden bars are a jarring reminder that the offerings are no longer for…
Companion Itinerary:
–Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Is It the Trees or Maybe The Bridge?: Travel Goals Canada
Judging by the multiple buses full of tourists arriving from downtown Vancouver and the long entrance lines, Capilano Park is a successful and popular tourist attraction. Is it the trees that people come to see? Or maybe the famous swinging bridge? Maybe they just have good marketing, but we are determined to find out why…
Companion Itinerary:
–VanDusen Botanical Garden
–Visiting Vancouver Translink
In the Garden: Travel Goals Canada
It is our last day in Canada. We have been on a month long trek that included ships, trains, planes, automobiles and even a riverboat. We have wandered deep into the Yukon, over the Klondike trails, and down the inside passage. We are tired and we can’t check into our hotel out near the airport…