WELCOME
When you cruise the inside passage of Alaska the scale of things is overwhelming and you can travel for hours watching nature and taking pictures without seeing any sign of human life. Then you'll see one small isolated cabin, a lone fishing boat, or a solitary freighter. During that time you'll see nature untouched by civilization. The binoculars and camera were going non-stop for all of these cruise travel pictures. These pictures were taken in the month of May and the weather was fine. If you're considering a cruise, compare the travel offers because they vary greatly based upon time of year, destination, travel agency or cruise line.
The top of mountains blend into and above the clouds so majestically that it's often difficult to separate them. This picture was taken near Juneau Alaska from about 600 feet up at a place called Mendenhall Gardens. It was part of a cruise ship excursion and included a visit to the Mendenhall glacier which covered this valley a long time ago.
ALASKA
With very few roads, airplanes and ships are the primary modes of travel. Ketchikan's harbor had plenty of seaplane activity and several cruise ships.
A waterfall along the Tracy Arm outside of Juneau. This country is so immense that binoculars are a "must" to get close views. They will help you spot wildlife such as mountain goats, eagles, bears, and whales, so you can get those great cruise travel pictures for your album.
This view had an almost mystical feeling. The trees in this picture had a permanent bend to them from strong winds swirling around the mountain, even though there was no wind that day.
The inside passage is generally smooth sailing. The sun rises early and stays out late, so you have a lot of chances to catch that perfect picture. This picture was taken shortly after leaving Skagway.
On the way to the glacier some of the passages are narrow but deep. The ship was able to travel all the way to the end of the Tracy Arm, south of Juneau for a close view of a glacier. As you cruise between the granite mountains the majesty of nature is everywhere.
When large pieces of blue ice start appearing, you know you're getting close to the glacier. The intense weight of the glacier causes the oxygen to be forced out of the ice and snow which only allows certain colors of the visible light spectrum to show. The result is a glowing vibrant blue color.
During the time the ship was navigating the narrow passages to the glacier, the ship's naturalist was providing a history of the glacier over the ship's loudspeakers.
Destinations:
The blue ice of glaciers is very different. It radiates an intense blue glow that seems alive.
Spectacular! The sight of this glacier brought crew and passengers on the decks with excitement. Pictures do not begin to give you the feeling of nature's power and immense size as actually seeing it in person.
The airport in Juneau, the capitol of Alaska. This picture was taken from Mendenhall Gardens which is in the Tongass National Forest. It's the largest contiguous temperate rain forest in the world, nearly 17 million acres in size.
More Alaska pictures
(click on image to enlarge)
(click on image to enlarge)
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Cruising to Alaska, the Caribbean islands, Mexico, or the Mediterranean is exciting. Cruise ship photos, all-inclusive resort photos, exotic Mayan temple ruins, European towns, also connections to cruise booking sources and tips for gear are here for you. Panama Canal and South America views are coming soon. Enjoy the scenes and have a great 2009!
