On our voyage today we were treated with dolphins playing in front of our bow and our bow wake. What a thrill to see them swim and dart so fast from one side to the other!
When we came up to the Red Bluff Bay entrance, it was quickly obvious how it got its name.
Coming into the bay was very scenic. We wound our way back thru the bay and went between the small islands along the way viewing another majestic waterfall plus many waterfalls up in the surrounding mountains. It was breathtaking!
We took a dinghy ride around the bay and checked out the stream leading into the end of the bay. Steve and Barbara made their way up the stream while the two of us walked a bit along the edge. We saw another boat’s charter guests had been ashore so there were other human track as well as bear tracks!
We had a delicious dinner of homemade minestrone and jalapeño cheese bread. YUM!
A foggy morning! The kayak had 3 inches of water in it from overnight rain.
After a two-hour jaunt further south, we anchored in Warm Springs Bay. You probably guessed that there is a hot spring nearby given the name. They have a public float, but you have to get there at the exact right time to get a spot and we missed it. It took a few hours to get our courage up to head out in rain to the dock by dinghy.
Once on shore, the path has a lot of tree coverage, so it didn’t seem like it was raining, as much. A charter group was just setting off and all the private bath houses were occupied so we started up the trail to the outdoor pools. The path starts nice with wooded bridges and walkways, which turns to planks and then just to mud and roots. Only the last part of the hike gave us issue but we were at the springs so no turning back.
We enjoyed a nice soak in hot, warm, and cool pools – the cooler pool was next to the waterfall just below the hot springs.
Afterwards, Steve headed back to the boat while the other three of us trekked the little ways further up to the freshwater lake. It was worth the view.
Thankfully, Steve came back for us and we gunkholed around the bay for a bit in the dinghy as the rain picked up. A fun experience indeed!
Today’s stop was Takatz Bay. This is a popular anchorage and there were two large charter boats and four other boats in the area. It’s popular because of the wildlife. After kayaking for 20 minutes or so we spotted two bears and went a little closer check them out. We ran into a slight problem in the process. The area we were kayaking through was getting really shallow with the outgoing tide and we started getting caught up on the growth and sandbar. That’s when we realized the bear on shore could just run over to us if it wanted to. Luckily, it was focused on watching the other bear and didn’t really look our way too much. It did stand up on its hind legs a couple times for a better view of the other bear. It then took off running across this group of birds out into the stream meeting the bay and then swam across to the peninsula across from us. Phew. (Sorry, best pics we could get with cell phone from a distance in a kayak!)
First glimpse of bear! From quite the distance in kayak…
Funny bear pose
Brown bear keeps looking back to right at second bear in the distance
Bear running through birds and swimming across stream entrance and along shore
More bear amblings along the shore
The bear then spent the next hour ambling along the shore and stopping to eat grass and berries. We coasted along slowly and watched it go on its journey. As it reached the boats, Steve had put in his dinghy in the water so we jumped in and took a tour. We took the dinghy way up into the stream as far as we could before the rapids and saw a large amount of salmon swimming by here and there. The water was so blue and clear, tho no bears to be seen now.
Dinghied up the stream (where the bears were before). The water color was amazing.
After a little kayaking around Appleton Cove, we took off for the next anchorage, Ell Cove. There was a magnificent waterfall on the way in/out of this cove. Here we popped into the dinghy to check out the area, which included an old boat wreck and cannery/fishery.
The next morning, Barbara and Tonia got some kayaking in before heading out. And there were STARFISH!
On the way out, both Coda and Sudden Inspiration stopped for the waterfall photoshoot. Couldn’t pass up that opportunity!
We departed Sitka midmorning to start making our way back to Ketchikan and then south back to Washington. This meant going back through the Peril Strait, which we knew now was not so perilous. On the way, Inspiration hailed us so Tonia snapped a couple quick pics to email them along with some Sitka recommendations…that they got a day later when we had coverage again.
Inspiration making way to Sitka
We saw a little rock island covered in seals just before going through Peril Strait. Not the best photo at a moment’s notice but those “rock” lumps are seals on the left side.
We anchored in Appleton Cove and bumped into Docktails there. We enjoyed a nice happy hour with them before turning in for the night.
We got a little kayaking in before heading out the next morning. Barbara is a kayaking pro!
We arrived early afternoon and after getting the boats secured, we trekked the one mile into town to find some grub. We walked around a little bit checking out some storefronts and then headed back to the boats to relax. Later that evening, we decided to fit in another walk and, with the help of a super-friendly local unloading his groceries, we made our way to the Russian blockhouse and Princess Maksoutoff’s Grave, located in the now-Lutheran claimed cemetery with only two other grave markers.
The interesting places on the way to town…
Quite the store font display! Need a fur-kini?
July 29, 2021
Today was a jam-packed day. We started off at Highliner Coffee for a quick bite and attempt to upload some long-overdue blog post videos – alas, to no avail! Thus, our posts are ever behind…
The BIG Highliner mug (left) reminded of coffee mugs we got from our club PCs Dorothy & Larry (right)!
So… on to the Alaska Raptor Center.
There we saw eagles – both bald and golden, owls, hawks, and ravens. Most eagles were there for rehab due to injuries typically sustained due to human interference (whether directly or indirectly with manmade obstacles, like powerlines). There were four permanent resident eagles that had injuries preventing them from release, like wing damage that would not heal. It was interesting to read up on them and hear them chatter with each other. We hiked a small trail there where it was likely a large river otter that crossed the trail in front of Matt giving quite the momentary scare! At least it wasn’t a bear!
From there, we went across the street to the Sitka National Historical Park and Totem Trail with 18 totems and totem visitors center.
We were a bit beat after walking the park and trail, even with parts closed to bear sighting 5 days ago (see pic above), so hailed the Toad Taxi for a ride to the Fortress of the Bear, a rescue facility for cubs five miles outside of town. While a bit odd to view them in the converted waste-water treatment facility, the Alaska brown bears seemed to be having quite the good time playing in the water on this warmer day. There were three black bears ambling around too, one of which seemed to get on another’s nerves quite a bit!
After all of this excitement, we were ready for some food. Thankfully the Toad Taxi driver set up a pick-up time from the bear observatory and took us back to Sitka. We ate at Beak Restaurant, which turned out excellent. At first, all four of us were perhaps a bit skeptical of the menu but we all enjoyed our meals and even ordered all four desserts on the menu! (Oh the beer travesty! –>)
After quite the full day, it back to the boat for some, as our friend Donna journals, ZZZs @ 10pm.
Sunset over Eliason Harbor
July 30, 2021
Today, Matt tackled some boat projects and Tonia tagged along with Steve and Barbara on an errand and then they hit up Old Harbor Books and Back Door Café for a bit of lunch. The café was in the back of the bookstore and also had a door out the back to the alley side of the building. Steve and Barbara headed back to their boat so Tonia toured the Russian Bishop’s House for a bit of local history and then walked around Sitka and visited the old Russian Cemetery. The cemetery was pretty dilapidated with many headstones and markers dating back over a century, though there were some new markers within the last decade or so.
For dinner, the four of us went back to town for a meal courtesy the lovely Barbara at the Italian restaurant Mangiare. While we waited for our table, we had drinks at the bar and some nice banter with the bar tender. Our meal was great and we all felt very overstuffed – no room for dessert for sure!
July 31, 2021
Today started with a trip to local farmers’ market. While it was on the smaller side, there were lots of fresh veggies to select from. We strolled along the waterfront and made our way to the Mean Queen for a great brunch and bottomless (within reason) peach Bellinis. We then climbed to the top of Castle Hill (no buildings, just park now) for a nearly – minus the tree growth – 360-degree view.
St. Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral from Castel Hill
Ravens are quite unique w/ 30+ vocalizations!
The rest of the day was spent finishing up chores in preparation for cruising for a week in between Sitka and Ketchikan, that is, until happy hour. A friend of a friend passed along word of another couple also in Sitka: Laura & Kevin of Slow Boat (slowboat.com – if you have a boat and want to travel on a guided trip, their service sounds awesome). Happy hour with Steve’s Manhattans turned into dinner with Laura & Kevin and then we retreated to their boat Airship for a tour and drinks with another couple. A fun evening was had!
We saw whales on the way out today as well as seals and eagles on the island outside Swanson Harbor.
Eva Islands
We stayed in a lovely inlet sheltered by the Eva Islands. Barbara and Tonia did some kayaking around the area and Matt got some drone footage of the boats and scenery.
July 27, 2021
Beehive Island Cove
The trip today took us thru Peril Strait, which was not as perilous as it would sound. We timed for slack tide at the Sergius Narrows but ended up going through about a half-hour early with no issues. There were other, larger boats waiting for the correct time, but we were too impatient.
After going through the channel, we saw whales again in the distance. They were pretty far off though. It never gets old to see the puff of water and chance to see more whales.
We anchored in Beehive Island Cove, a couple hours outside of Sitka, to make the next day’s journey an easy one. We decided to stern tie to account for the wake of the few larger boats, like the now-running cruise ships, that would cross through on the main channel. It turned out to be a great spot.
View out to channel from cove
Stern tie – check!
Cruise ship passing cove entrance
What’s with a fender on a kayak? Um, more trash Tonia made Matt pick up… saving the world one trashed fender at a time!
Early the next morning, we kayaked to the island to check out the wildlife of hermit and shore crabs aplenty! Saw a few fish dart around as well. Steve must have worried about us sleeping in so long (not our usual) but Barbara assured him we just fine, pointing out the kayak was not at our boat. We went in for morning beverages courtesy Barista Steve, and Tonia and Barbara went back out on the kayak at lower tide to see the hermit crabs and many starfish. Matt then pulled the stern tie and we were off.
Can you see the crabs in this photo? If they are hard to pick out, view the videos that follow.
Enjoy some little crabby videos:
The snails in this underwater pic are actually hermit crabs:
Low-tide explorations ashore
View from kayak
Tonia took off without giving Barbara an oar so she decided to relax to the fullest!
We checked out the shore in the morning and then the crew decided they didn’t want to spend another day of solitude in the wilderness and pushed to go to Juneau. The forecast said rain for the weekend, so we decided to get there a day early to explore with less rain.
Checking out the rocks, shells and signs of sea life on shore
Mayli caught sight of seals!
The trip over was a bit bumpy with 2- to 3-foot waves and 20-knot winds for the first hour and then it calmed down for a nice arrival. Auke Bay is a unique marina. It’s large and pretty much a free for all. You just pull in and try to find a space. Luckily, we were able to nab a spot at the end of the breakwater as the marina was packed with many fishing vessels there waiting to go out on Sunday.
Since the crew was new to Juneau, we did the tourist loop and hit up the shops.
Portland, OR, food-truck style eatery area
Mayli, Boris, and Matt ended up at Tracy’s King Crab Shack. As you know King Crab is amazing. After we demolished 10 lbs between the three of us and had some nice chats with the locals, we headed over to the Red Dog Saloon for the required duck fart shots.
Meanwhile, Tonia took the kids to pho since none of them were too keen on eating crab. The kids were troopers as she drug them up VERY steep hills to check out a pioneer judge’s house (closed due to COVID) and nearby Unspeakable Acts Research Center. Still not sure of what that may entail… 😉 Not to worry, the walking and uphill climb was paid off with a treat in the end!
Patsy Ann
We then stopped for the obligatory family pic in front of the whale statue and called it a day.
July 23
Shrine of Saint Therese
Boris was great and got a rental car for the duration of the Juneau stay. This allowed us to trek outside of town to visit the Shrine of Saint Therese, a church set on a wooded island and connected via a manmade walkway. The grounds were pretty and the labyrinth was neat to see.
Afterwards, we popped back to town to walk around a bit and had Russian dumplings for lunch at Pel’meni.
We did some reprovisioning on the way home and made taco pizza for dinner. Seemed to be a hit! Side note: highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust.
July 24
Last Chance Mining Museum
We took today to head to the mining museum. First we did brunch at Sandpiper Café following a local’s recommendation. It did not disappoint and we all left very full. We then headed to the mining museum and decided to hike part of the mountain trails around it since it wasn’t open for another hour. It was a beautiful and uphill hike – at least the first half was very uphill but return was much easier. Passed an old mine shaft and saw more awesome waterfalls.
There was a great volunteer at the museum who gave a history rundown and then we walked through the building with remnants of the mining days long gone.
After the museum, we headed back to downtown for a couple last souvenirs and then back to the boat for dinner and movies.
July 25
Goodbye to Hodaks & return to Swanson Harbor
Sunday morning had us saying our goodbyes to the Hodak family. It was fun to experience Glacier Bay with them and we were sad to see them go.
After their departure, we left Juneau to head once again to Swanson Harbor for the night to meet back up with Coda. It was a calm cruise back and thankfully there was space on the floating dock for us. Steve and Barbara spoiled us with dinner and dessert, so it was a nice relaxing evening.
We stopped at Bartlett Cove so the Hodaks could check out the Park Visitor Center, gift shop, and surrounding grounds. The tribal house was closed though it could be viewed from outside. We saw a grouse and chipmunk along the way. Then it was time to say goodbye to Glacier Bay as our permit was up and then we made our way back to Swanson Harbor knowing it was a great place to spend the night and for the kids to check out the shore.
More glaciers! Who woulda thunk in Glacier Bay! We trekked from Margerie to the Johns Hopkins Inlet to see the glacier there. We rafted up and floated outside the range of the floating ice to have some lunch. Tonia and Mayli went for a kayak ride to get a closer look at the mini bergs. It sounded like Rice Krispies crackling when sitting among the small melting ice chunks. Also caught glimpse of a seal that perhaps dozed off on the floating hunk of ice and got further away from the glacier base where there were many more seals in the protected seal habitat.
We passed Lamplugh and Reid Glaciers as we went to/from Johns Hopkins Inlet/Glacier.
Lamplugh Glacier
Reid Glacier
Johns Hopkins Glacier
Johns Hopkins Glacier seal habitat (zoomed-in pic shows all the lumps on ice are seals!)
Kayaking @ Johns Hopkins
Kayaking to a glacier! Yes, please!
How’d I get here…?
We anchored for the night in Blue Mouse Cove. Steve took Tonia, Mayli and kids for a dinghy ride around the cove.
Sudden Inspiration 