Author: Sam

Ketchikan, Alaska

We arrived at Ketchikan and it was raining a lot. We saw a good lumberjack show and my favourite bit was the axe throwing and the tree climbing. After that we saw some totem poles and we also saw lots of salmon swimming up a stream.

Then we collected MORE free jewellery like pendants, necklaces, bracelets and charms.

  • Sailing in to Ketchikan
  • Welcome to Ketchikan
  • Two man crosscut sawing
  • Springboard chop
  • Standing board chop
  • Speed climbing
  • Logrolling (birling)
  • Sam and Martha with the lumberjacks
  • Chief Johnson totem pole
  • Creek Street
  • Dolly’s House, Creek Street
  • Star House, Creek Street

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Today we arrived at Glacier Bay. First we went on the outside deck of the boat and saw a massive glacier. We also saw small icebergs that had broken off the glacier. It was really cold but sunny.

  • Arriving at Glacier Bay
  • It’s cold outside
  • Cruising in Glacier Bay
  • Glacier Bay
  • Glacier Bay
  • John Hopkins Glacier
  • Lamplugh Glacier
  • At the Lamplugh Glacier
  • The retreating Topeka Glacier
  • Leaving Glacier Bay
  • Leaving Glacier Bay
  • Glacier Bay panoramic

Leaving Vancouver for Alaska

Today we left our house in Vancouver and went downtown to catch our ship to Alaska.

When we saw the ship we were amazed at how big it was!

When we got on (after all the long queues) we found our room and then went in a freezing swimming pool on deck 9. There was also a hot tub that we could warm up in.

Afterwards we went into the dining room and had some food.

  • Our ship
  • Leaving Canada Place
  • Leaving downtown
  • Going past Stanley Park
  • Swimming pool, deck 9
  • Relaxing in the hot tub
  • The Dining Room, deck 3

Bowen Island

Today we went to Bowen Island. We took a big bus ride to the ferry terminal and then caught the ferry.

First we went up Dorman Point which was a hill. The path was rocky and steep and we also found some sticks. When we got to the top there was a nice view!

When we got down the hill we played a bean bag game and then me and daddy went to a rocky beach and threw stones in the sea.

  • On the ferry
  • View from the ferry
  • Crippen Regional Park
  • Walking to Dorman Point
  • Walking to Dorman Point
  • View from Dorman Point
  • Playing on the island
  • Snug Cove
  • Bowen Island Marina

Stanley Park

Today we hired some bikes and rode 9km around Stanley Park. Me and daddy got a tandem bike, Martha got her own bike and mummy did as well.

On the way we saw a sea lion (or seal) on a rock and lots of totem poles. We also went to the beach and found lots of crab shells and crab claws.

Martha went in a cold water play area. Then we went to a cold swimming pool. It was meant to be heated but it was actually freezing. (Note from parents: it wasn’t actually that cold, we’ve been in much colder!)

Then we finally got back to the bike shop, handed them in and went home.

  • On the tandem
  • Martha’s bike
  • Sam on the seawall
  • Brockton Point Lighthouse
  • Sam at the totem poles
  • Martha at the totem poles
  • Thunderbird House Post Totem Pole
  • Variety Kids Water Park
  • Sea lion or seal?
  • Siwash Rock
  • Investigating the beach
  • Girl in a Wetsuit
  • Second Beach Swimming Pool
  • Angela and Sam with bikes
  • Riding in Stanley Park

Grouse Mountain and the Grouse Grind

Today we (me and Daddy) walked up Grouse Mountain! The walk is called the Grouse Grind.

We didn’t see many people when we were going up, but we saw lots of signs. For the first quarter it wasn’t very steep but the next bit to the top was way steeper. It was nice and cool in the woods. We also saw a massive black bird chirping loudly on a high branch.

I enjoyed the walk because it wasn’t busy and noisy but it was quite hard. It took us 1 hour and 32 minutes.

When we got to the top of the path we walked a bit more then went on a chairlift to the actual peak of the mountain. There we took lots of pictures of the view and had a rest.

We also saw a massive wind turbine, some bears and a lumberjack show. We also watched some films in a cinema about bears, wildlife and wolves.

Then we went down on the gondola to the bottom of the mountain with mummy and Martha.

  • Start of the Grind
  • Bear in area
  • Notice to hikers
  • Quarter way
  • Half way
  • Three-quarter way
  • Climbing the grind
  • Last bit
  • Peak chairlift
  • Top of Grouse Mountain

Science World

In the evening we went to Science World. It was really fun because there were lots of cool inventions and machines and things to play with like the plasma ball, the mirror maze and long tubes where if you put a light ball in at the bottom, it would get blown up a maze of tubes and would come out of a tube at the top which we would try to catch.

We went at least two times in the mirror maze because it was so good. It looked like there was a long passage in front of us but it was actually a mirror reflection of another mirror and we bumped into lots of mirrors.

After that we went outside and played in the play area and after that we went back inside and went on a giant hamster wheel.

  • SkyTrain to Science World
  • World without vaccines
  • Plasma ball
  • Inside the Mirror Maze
  • Attempting a catenary arch
  • Hamster wheel
  • A Mirror Maze
  • Science World in the evening