People often ask me which part of the Canada & Alaska trip did I like best. It is a hard question to answer as it was all fabulous but the shore excursion from Juneau was my favourite day. There are many shore excursions provided by Holland America (at an extra cost ) to choose from. When I saw the one called "Wilderness Salmon Bake & Scenic Flight" I thought that it sounded like fun. It included a float plane ride over glaciers, landing at Taku Lodge and partaking in a salmon feast before returning to Juneau and the ship.
The lodge has a colourful history and too much to tell all here. It was built in 1923 by a doctor from Juneau, who used it as a hunting holiday lodge. It has changed hands quite a few times but in 1934 it was inherited by Mary Joyce the family nurse of the owners. She was very adventurous and travelled overland by dog sled to Fairbanks, 1000 miles north. Temperatures got to 50* below. The sled is still in the lodge. In 1979 the owners at that time opened up the lodge to tourists they have since retired and a new family have taken over. There are many surrounding buildings/sheds/cabins dating back to 1930's.
It was overcast and showery but it didn't stop us having a great time. The planes weren't far from the ships.
We flew over fjords, rivers and glaciers in between mountains. can you see the ice breaking off the glacier? It is called glacier calving.
The scenery was breathtaking.
After 30 mins we landed in front of the Taku Glacier and taxied towards the Lodge.
The view from our table in the lodge.
A close up of the face of the glacier. Tall isn't it?
Our salmon being cooked outside on a BBQ.
While we were inside devouring our salmon feast with salads, Mexican beans, stewed apple and crusty bread, Mr Bear came to clean the BBQ plate.
We left our sumptuous meal to run outside and click our cameras. He was big and beautiful.
After the meal we were taken on a short walk through the forest. We had a local guide with a big stick to shoo away bears. Black Bears are not aggressive like Grizzly Bears. I was fascinated by the moss hanging in the trees. It is actually beneficial to the tree in that it helps the tree shed its lower limbs so that it can climb more easily up to the sun.
After two wonderful hours the planes returned to pick us up.
There were five plane loads.
It is so exhilarating skimming across the water and effortlessly climbing into the air. We followed the glaciers and rivers in between the soaring mountains back over the fjord and plopped down next to the ship. What a magic experience.
