Victoria, British Columbia

The last port we visited on our Alaskan cruise was Victoria, British Columbia.  We arrived after dinner and only had a few hours here, so we decided to tour the Butchart Gardens.  I remember as a child going on a Hill Family road trip up the northern Pacific Coast and into Vancouver Island.  I was in the motor home with Grandma Hill and my cousins, Tracy Jeffers and Karen Page.  I have so many wonderful memories of that trip, from the unbelievable color of Crater Lake to the grandeur of the Redwood Forest!  I remember the "seaweed whips" we played with on the island beach and digging for clams.  In Provo, I used to walk down the road to a little "Fish and Chips" restaurant where I fell in love with "clam chowder".  One night while vacationing on Vancouver Island, we took all the clams we had collected and made our own chowder.  I was so disgusted with what a clam looked like and the process involved in chopping up the clams, that I could hardly bring myself to eat it!  Clam chowder has never tasted as good as when I was a child after that experience.  But I do still crave a sour dough bread bowl filled with the yummy porridge.  (I'm thinking San Francisco . . . !)  The point of this story was to mention that there were two highlights I was so looking forward to on that road trip.  The first was to go up to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, and the second was to visit Butchart Gardens.  The disappointment was almost more than I could bear when Grandma got lost and somehow we missed visiting those much anticipated sights!  So now you can imagine my joy at finally being able to see both of these sights, many many years later, on another Hill Family vacation!

Butchart Gardens lived up to my expectations and more!  The landscaping and color of the gardens was impeccable and the combination of flowers, shrubbery, and trees was inspiring.  I've never felt confident putting together colors and textures of flowers to create the gardens I'd love to have in my own yard.  But being there instilled in me a desire to try . . . to just copy of few of those artistic combinations at home!  (Someday when we have a yard again.)  Perhaps some of these photos will be the inspiration you need as well.

The surprisingly long and unique fireworks show held around a pond in Butchart Gardens after dark was a wonderful way to bring a fabulous week to it's conclusion.  The fireworks were set to music and portrayed a story of the marvels of nature.  The sky lite up with scenes of flowers and bees buzzing around the garden.  The show was an amazing synchronized performance of fountains, fire, and colors that dazzled the senses.  My amateur photography attempts could not adequately record the spectacular displays, but perhaps they will get your imagination rolling and your curiosity peaked.

Our Hill Family Alaskan cruise will always hold a special place in our hearts.  I am awed by the magnificence and beauty of God's creations, and no matter how impressive the works of man, nothing can compare in glory to the handwork of God.  Like my dad used to express when hiking in the lush green Uinta mountains to the north, or the stunning red rock canyons of the National Parks down south, "I can't imagine a heaven more beautiful than this glorious earth"!

Skagway

Thursday, July 18th landed us in Skagway, Alaska for the day.  This tiny borough has less than one thousand residents and the only way in and out is by boat.  It is located about 90 miles northwest of Juneau.  The Klondike gold rush put this place on the map and with prospectors flooding in around 1898, the population of about 8,00 was the largest in Alaska.  Now Skagway is a small sleepy town surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery on this itinerary.  I have to admit that I was disappointed when the first thing we saw when departing from the ship were mountain walls defaced with painted advertisements.  But after that, I was truly in awe of the natural beauty of the area.

The architecture was almost as charming as it's surroundings.

I especially love the "Arctic Brotherhood Hall" with a facade fashioned in 1899 completely out of 8,800 pieces of driftwood.

  

A river rafting experience was the perfect activity for this area.  Unfortunately, because the rafts only had room for ten people, Jim and Shauna ended up with another group.  The float was enjoyable, and we only wished that it had lasted a lot longer than it did.  It was nice to nibble on some delicious smoked salmon and crackers when we disembarked.  The salmon was so good that we bought some from the original shop in town to take home to all our kids.  Michael, however, was sent some salmon jerky instead!  Do you see the face profile outlined by the peaks of the mountain in the bottom photo?

On the drive back to town we were delighted to see a family of bald eagles soaring very near our van and then perching themselves on logs in the valley.

We also stopped at a scenic overlook where the incredible view of the mountains and lake was truly stunning.

I felt a little melancholy as we pulled away from Skagway.  We were leaving Alaska and I wasn't sure I wanted to go.

Friday would be a day at sea and Saturday evening in Canada would be our last stop.