VANCOUVER AND CANADA PLACE

The driving distance between Medford, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia is listed as 588 miles and takes 10 hours. After deciding to book a 14-day Alaska cruise that was going to depart from Vancouver, driving seemed the reasonable option. After all, my Prius averages 48 mpg. That was BEFORE I checked airfares. 

July 27, 2019 was the first day I went online to check flights to Vancouver. I was right. Vancouver was very expensive and driving seemed the best option.  To my surprise however, the fare was only $49 for a one-way flight to Seattle. I know what you are thinking – but Seattle is still 150 miles from Vancouver.

Let me introduce you to Quick Shuttle. 

I began using Quick Shuttle several years ago and have always been very satisfied with their service.  Why?  

·       Multiple departures every day

·       Multiple pickup locations

·       Free high speed wi-fi

·       USB ports at every seat

·       Free on-board movies

·       Unlimited changes

·       Tickets valid for one year

·       They offer senior rates

But none of these benefits represent my number 1 reason for using them. I will reveal that a bit later.

Once you land in Seattle and have claimed your baggage, walk to the far south end of the baggage claim area.  You will find a large waiting area just to the right of door 02 and door 00, near baggage carousel 1 and adjacent to the Gina Marie Lindsey arrival hall.

Waiting area at door 02 and 00

I typically wait here until 10-15 minutes before departure and will then exit through door 02 and make my way to the loading bays.

Door 02 exit

I normally wait under the #2 or #3 bay but Quick Shuttle will pull into any open slot. There are also very few outside seats available for waiting so you may want to stay inside until you see the bus pull into the bay. You will be looking for a maroon bus with yellow letters clearly marked QUICK SHUTTLE on the front and side. 

Quick Shuttle Bus

I have boarded at various locations over the years.  On one occasion I opted to board in Bellingham Washington, leaving my car in their long term parking lot. 

Now to reveal my #1 reason for using Quick Shuttle. It is for the ease and convenience of crossing the US/Canada border.  The Quick Shuttle route crosses at the Blaine-Surrey border, also called the Pacific Highway border, one of the busiest border crossings between the United States and Canada. 

Depending on the time of day you might have been trying to cross the Blaine-Surrey border on Sunday, August 25^th of this year, you could have found yourself delayed several hours. 

Blaine-Surry Border Crossing

I have taken Quick Shuttle numerous times between the USA and Canada with a maximum crossing time to be less than twenty-five minutes.  Both my Northbound August 25^th and my Southbound September 9^th crossings were no exception.  In fact, on the September 9^th crossing, all passengers aboard the Quick Shuttle bus, who disembarked from the Norwegian Jewel and boarded that morning at Canada Place, were not required to have their luggage screened.  We were given a “pass” and our luggage remained on the bus while we went inside to clear immigration and customs.  

One of my favorite little boutique hotels in downtown Vancouver is the Victorian Hotel. Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the Victorian Hotel is a newly renovated property in a beautiful Victorian style brick building that dates back to 1898. With 47 beautifully appointed rooms, the Victorian Hotel is within walking distance of Rogers Arena and BC Place Stadium and just a short stroll to Gastown, Yaletown, and the Robson Shopping District. The Waterfront Skytrain station is only 3.5 blocks away.

Quick Shuttle’s closest stop to the Victorian Hotel is the Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver at 435 West Pender Street. This is just a block from the Victorian but quite often the driver will let me off on the corner of Homer and Pender.

 

The Victorian Hotel is not a handicap accessible property nor does it have an elevator. General Manager Brian McLauchlin tells me that the next renovation will include street access, an elevator and an expanded breakfast room.  Without street access or elevators you must negotiate approximately 12 steps to access the hotel lobby. Staff is more than willing to assist with your luggage and you can always request 1^st floor. 

Front entrance to Victorian Hotel

Stairs to Victorian Hotel front desk

On my last visit I stayed in room 109 which is a King room with private bath.  Elegantly appointed in all white linens, duvet cover, towels and even coat hangers. The room also provides a safe for storing those valuables. 

Hallway to room 109

 

King Room

Private bath

 My only complaint with room 109 was the proximity to the alley and the trash dumpsters. Luckily, I am a morning person because city trash pickup begins promptly at 6am and the Victorian Hotel must be their first stop.  Though short in duration, the most annoying noise was the glass items from the recycle dumpster. 

The Victorian offers on-site secure parking for a nominal fee, as well as friendly and knowledgeable staff to answer your questions and assist with directions.  Each room also supports high speed password protected wifi.  Additional room amenities include hairdryers, iron and ironing board, LG flatscreen TV and complimentary in-room coffee. Room 109 also contained a portable air conditioner vented through the window but I did not find a need to use it during my short stay. 

Shortly after my arrival into Vancouver I met a local relative for dinner.  At her suggestion reservations were made at The Cactus Club Coal Harbour.

Entrance to Cactus Club Coal Harbour in Vancouver

The closest parking garage to The Cactus Club is at Canada Place. Our parking fee totaled $11 Canadian dollars. If you have accessibility issues you may want to park elsewhere as I was unable to locate an elevator and had to climb one flight of steps to get to ground level, where The Cactus Club is located. 

We were fortunate to have seating that afforded panoramic views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park and the Olympic Cauldron. 

Inside Cactus Club Coal Harbour

We also enjoyed watching the Harbour Air seaplanes as they scurried in, out and around the harbor. Founded in British Columbia in 1982 with just two small de Havilland Beaver seaplanes, the company employs over 400 full time employees and operates over 30,000 flights yearly. 

View of seaplanes from inside Cactus Club Coal Harbour

 

The Cactus Club offers a full menu as well as beer, wine and mixed drink selections.  Slightly pricey but the food was excellent and the views were stunning. 

Watching the sun set at The Cactus Club

For dessert the selection would be Key Lime Pie made with freshly squeezed key limes, graham cracker crust and hand whipped cream.  Yum!

The Cactus Club Key Lime Pie

We left The Cactus Club and headed back to the Victorian Hotel for the evening.  

Leaving The Cactus Club

A complimentary continental breakfast awaited us the following morning. Checkout was 11am but before heading down to Canada Place to board the Norwegian Jewel, a light breakfast was in order.  The seating area holds a maximum of 24 and can get congested sometimes.  Selections included cold cereal, yogurt, Belgian waffles, bread, croissants, 3 types of pastries, coffee, tea and water.  I was unable to find any type of juices offered. 

If you do not have large checked bags then I can suggest walking from the Victorian Hotel to Canada Place for your cruise check-in.  

Walking route to Canada Place

This trip was only 14 days so I traveled with a small roller bag and a backpack. I opted to walk the short distance which took 10 minutes. 

My walking route to the cruise pier

Even before you enter Canada Place there are a large number of staff members to help direct you. 

STOP #1 LUGGAGE - is where you will drop your bags.  I was able to bypass this stop and went directly to STOP #2 CHECK-IN.  The process was quick and efficient and took no more than 15 minutes.  Next would be SECURITY CHECK, followed lastly by CANADIAN IMMIGRATIONS.  I found myself stepping aboard the Norwegian Jewel at 12:30pm.  Entrance to your assigned cabin is restricted until after 1:30pm. Oh well . . . just enough time for lunch at O'Sheehan's.

O'Sheehans Bar and Grill on the Norwegian Jewel

A little after 2pm the announcement was made that cabins were ready.  The flight, the bus trip, the overnight stay, the dinner and the embarkation process for the Norwegian Jewel all proved to be smooth, efficient and stress free.  Now it was time to sit back, relax and soak in the next 14 days and all that Alaska has to offer.  

Norwegian Jewel

KETCHIKAN, ALASKA

Ketchikan is most notably known for totem poles, float planes, and outstanding sport fishing for wild Alaska salmon and halibut.  It also carries the name as Alaska’s “first city” as it is located at the entrance to the famed Inside Passage

Ketchikan further boasts of being the “Salmon Capital of the World”.  During my visit I was taught that there are five types of salmon in Ketchikan.  Here’s a quick guide to help you remember all five:

• Your thumb rhymes with Chum - hence Chum Salmon!
• Your pointer finger is something you might sock someone in the eye with - for Sockeye Salmon!
• Your middle finger is the largest finger - for the King Salmon, the largest Salmon!
• Your ring finger is where you might wear a Silver ring - for a Silver Salmon!
• And your pinkie finger is easy - it's the Pink Salmon!

Ketchikan is also known as the “Rain Capital of Alaska” with an average that approaches 160 inches per year.  The locals say this is why their fishing is unmatched.  Their wettest year on record was 1949 with 202.55 inches.

Incorporated in 1900, Ketchikan is now the earliest surviving incorporated city in Alaska.

If you want to set your GPS coordinates for Ketchikan: Latitude 55.342 and Longitude -131.648.

Perhaps the most popular way to arrive in Ketchikan is by cruise ship.  I arrived aboard the Norwegian Jewel.  There are 4 berths in Ketchikan. 

The Jewel docked at Berth 4 shortly after 7am on August 28, 2019.   I disembarked at 8:20am to make my way to the complimentary shuttle boarding area.  

Norwegian Jewel at Berth 4 in Ketchikan 

As I stepped off the gangway I turned right and followed the blue and white signs marked “FREE SHUTTLE”. 

FREE SHUTTLE sign at Berth 4 in Ketchikan

Free Downtown Shuttle Bus Stop at Berth 4 in Ketchikan

FREE shuttle bus information, Berth 4 in Ketchikan

There is a nice covered area for waiting.  In the waiting area I noticed an advertisement to download the app “DoubleMap”. 

Instructions on "Doublemap" application

This will give you up-to-the-minute bus locations.  The buses actually move as they progress around their route, like you would see on your UBER app.  You will want to focus on the red FDS indicators.  FDS represents the FREE DOWNTOWN SHUTTLE and they come by every 20 minutes.

The activity planned for the day was the GREAT ALASKAN LUMBERJACK SHOW. The free downtown shuttle drops you at the Great Alaskan Mall, just a block from the attraction.

The doors to the Lumberjack Show open at 9am with seating beginning at 9:45am for the 10am show.  

Entrance to Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan

The seating area is covered, has cushioned seats and heaters attached to the ceiling.  There is also a rustic lodge gift shop, restrooms and a full concession.

Seating area at Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan

 

Padded seating in the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan

Ceiling Heaters in Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan

The current semi-circle stadium sits on the original site of the Ketchikan Spruce Mill which was built in 1903.  The mill serviced the needs of 7 canneries that were producing 1.5 million cases of Salmon yearly and it was the heart of the ever-expanding timber industry in Alaska.  The mill closed in 1974 and sat idle until 2000 when it was converted into the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.
 
Before the show begins you will meet the show host Judge Dalton “Cornbread Fred”.  

Host Judge Dalton "Cornbread Fred"

Dalton came to Ketchikan 4 years earlier to be a tour guide and to learn about the Last Frontier.  While learning the history of Ketchikan, he became particularly interested in the timber industry.  He is now the camp cook and one of the official judges of the Timber Carnival.

After you are introduced to Cornbread Fred he will divide the audience in half.  Half will cheer and support the Spruce Mill Americans and half will cheer and support the Dawson Creek Canadians.   With a roster of 12 lumberjacks to choose from, each show will consist of four lumberjacks.  Two will represent the Spruce Mill American team and two will represent Dawson Creek Canadian team. The performance will last 1 hour and is a competition of both skill and strength. It is indicative of Alaska’s rich logging history and is brought to life through displays of strength and agility.  The four world champion athletes wear spiked boots & hard hats and compete against each other in 12 athletic events that utilize seven-pound axes, six-foot razor sharp saws, tree climbing gaffs, and modified chainsaws.   

As the show draws to a conclusion, the American Spruce Mill team and the Canadian Dawson Creek team were tied.  The last event would be log rolling with the winner claiming victory for the day.  Would it be the Americans or the Canadians?  The Canadians would come out on top on the day of my visit. 

As we left the Lumberjack facility a quick check of the “Doublemap” application indicated the free shuttle bus would arrive within a few short minutes.  As you exit the Lumberjack complex you will turn right and walk to the first street corner.  The bus stop is located on the southeast corner and is well marked as bus stop #135.

Bus Stop #135 outside the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan

Instead of returning immediately to the ship I wanted to head over to check out the Artic Bar.

Located at 509 Water Street, the bar is directly across the street from BurgerQueen.   

Burger Queen

Although not fancy, you may not find a more interesting place in town.  Great atmosphere, friendly folks and even greater views make this a great way to spend a couple hours.  

They don’t sport a kitchen nor serve food but they do have a laminated menu available from the Burger Queen located across the street.  

When you are ready to order they will hand you the phone.  You simply place your order and it will be delivered to you within 20-30 minutes.  You pay when the order is delivered or you can give them credit card information over the phone when your order is placed.  

After a very relaxing and fun couple of hours it was time to return to the ship as the sailing time was 4pm.  With no rain for the day and temperature hovering near 70 degrees, it proved to be a spectacular day in Ketchikan.