Beaverton Lodge sure knows how to keep its residents entertained, including organizing a week-long Alaska cruise for 22 of them plus family members.
During a happy hour about a year ago, one of the residents said they wished they could take a trip but didn’t want to travel alone, and from there, the idea grew into a full-scale expedition that included Operations Manager Margaret Norman and her husband Wayne, and Louie Paul, co-owner and executive director, visiting several Alaska ports of call.
A luxury bus picked up the group of 44 on the morning of Aug. 9 and delivered them to the Port of Seattle, where they boarded Holland America Line’s 2,100-passenger Eurodam. The itinerary included cruising Stephen’s Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, and Icy Strait Point, plus stops in Juneau, which was the only place they encountered rain and fog, Sitka, and Ketchikan, although the ship was not able to dock at the final port in Victoria, B.C., Canada. The ship arrived back in Seattle Aug. 16, and a luxury bus dropped off the Beaverton Lodge group back at their doorstop.
Recently, several of the travelers got together in Beaverton Lodge’s theater to watch photos and videos taken by Louie and reminisce about the trip. Of course, each traveler had their favorite stop, but for many, it was cruising around Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, which covers 3.3 million acres. “Just being out there with no cabins on shore or signs of humans and breathing that air – it was unbelievable,” said Sylvia, who was wearing a “Glacier Bay” T-shirt.
Diane said, “Just being in Alaska was wonderful. It was my fourth cruise, and Glacier Bay was beautiful with a bright blue sky.”
Eric agreed that Glacier Bay was his favorite spot on the trip. “It is so beautiful, and the scenery is so perfect,” he said. “It did my heart good to see the family of one of our residents enjoying it.”
For Anne, her favorite part of the trip was Sitka, a quaint city only accessible by air or sea with a heavy Russian architectural influence, including the onion-domed St. Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral.
“I ended up on a boat excursion, and we saw a pod of whales with their flukes up,” Anne said. “The guides said it was the best sighting all year.”
Shirley said that while she loved cruising Glacier Bay, her favorite part was the Ghost Walk in Sitka, where a guide dressed in 1867 period costume led tourists through the town’s passageways and back alleys, talking about the city’s violent history.
“I also was going to do the tram in Juneau, but it was so rainy and foggy that you couldn’t even see the tram,” Shirley said.”
Furs can be legally sold in Alaska, and Shirley was eyeing a fur jacket until she saw the $20,000 price tag, and she said many were more expensive than that.
Fran was thrilled to see whales on a sea excursion and really enjoyed seeing an eagles’ nest. She also loved the food on the ship.
Ted said he liked Sitka and its history and really enjoyed his second trip through Glacier Bay because the weather was cloudy on his first trip.
Donna, one of Beaverton Lodge’s managers, brought her three daughters along on the cruise. “They loved it,” she said. “I loved the farewell dinner.” Her favorite stop? Juneau, because she bought a beautiful ring and matching necklace there.
Louie, whose family built Beaverton Lodge in 1987, said Alaska reminded him of the Oregon coast in the late winter or early spring. The owner of a husky, his favorite part of the trip was visiting a husky camp, where he got to ride a dog sled, hold puppies, and see how the dogs are raised.
“Alaska huskies are mutts with the face of a Siberian husky,” he said. “They are bred for their temperament and fur under their paws. I also drank an Alaska Brewing Company’s Husky pale ale and found I can buy it in Oregon. I took money to gamble and came back with $100, plus it paid for all my tips.”
He saw a taxidermied white wolf head for sale, but his gambling winnings didn’t cover the $8,000 price tag.
Louie also took an off-road, self-driving Jeep excursion at Icy Strait and saw a bear crossing a river. “Leaving Icy Strait, I saw probably the coolest sunset I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Margaret added, “That trip really got our feet wet. Now that we’re seasoned travelers, we want to take another trip. I think it went well all things considered.
“And when we got back, there was a big ‘Welcome Home’ sign waiting for us.”
