This tour was operated by Dolly Varden Tours which has several tours in Alaska to choose from. We would highly recommend them to anyone interested in a small personalized tour of inside natural Alaska. We were able to get up close and personal with all of the eagles we saw without disturbing them.

 Our first stop on our cruise through the inside passage was at Haines, AK. We departed the ship early in the morning and our tour guides picked us up for a long drive inland to our raft launch site.  We were the only passengers on the raft besides our guide, so our trip was very specialized and personal. The guide was very knowledgeable about the river, the area and the local Indians (First Nation People to be politically correct). We leisurely floated (the guide did all the paddling)  down the Chilkat River for 6-8 miles as the guide pointed out many bird species, but primarily bald eagles. Later in the month they expected over 2000 bald eagles in the area, but we only saw close to a dozen (two of them below-left). We stopped for a light lunch of smoked salmon about half way through the trip. The  weather was cloudy and cool, but we were dressed comfortably; and although the river was flowing swiftly, we were never in any danger of getting wet.

Our final days aboard the Statendam were enjoyable and relaxing. The entertainment was fun and energetic, the food was sufficient and satisfying, and the scenery was inspiring. The Statendam was a medium-sized cruise ship with approximately 2000 paying passengers. Small enough to be comfortable but large enough to have all the necessary amenities.

Unlike the beginning of the cruise with cloudy skies and cold temperatures, the end of our cruise was sunny and delightfully warm. We were able to have our final breakfast alone on the rear deck while enjoying the pleasant scenery approaching our final destination.

Haines is a small town off of the Inside Passage and only big enough for one pier with one cruise ship at a time being docked. We were here for a full 12 hours and were never crowded in any of the shops or museums we entered. Our ship was the Statendam operated by Holland America.

The two museums that were the most interesting were across the street from each other, the Hammer Museum and the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center.

The next city we stopped at on our Inside Passage Cruise was Juneau, the capital of Alaska.  After we departed the ship we were told to meet at the Red Dog Saloon  where we would meet the bus that would take us to our next adventure. The bus took us to the airport where we were given appropriate footwear for deep snow.

Our group of 15 people was divided among three helicopters and we were flown to the snow field above one of the glaciers towering above Juneau. Our destination was a  camp for sled dogs being trained to pull sleds for racing enthusiasts or cross-country supply  companies operating in Alaska and Canada.

This camp was home to over fifty dogs which were divided among five sleds/teams.

Each team pulled two sleds holding two passengers each, one sitting and one standing. Half way through the run we switched positions on each sled.

The run was 3-5 miles long and took almost an hour to complete, covering a large area of the snow field.

We made several stops to rest the dogs and to give the passengers a chance to get to know the dogs.

Norma was a popular "chew toy" with our team; every dog was friendly and eager for attention and love.

Of course the highlight for both of us was getting acquainted with the newest members of the team, two six-week puppies that would soon become part of the training regiment.

Inside Passage from Seward, AK to Vancouver, BC in June 2014.

On our drive back to Haines we passed a pond with two photogenic swans. The driver graciously turned around and let us out to take a number of leisure photos.

Our second adventure in Haines was a Driving Photography Tour of the town and surrounding area with a professional photographer Joe Ordonez who operates Rainbow Glacier Adventures in Haines. Joe was very knowledgeable about the area and its history and photography. He was very helpful and took the time to make sure we both got his personal attention and the best photos we could take.  He knew the best places to get the best photos of the town, its history, the local scenery and wildlife.  The photos on the left up to the Red Dog Saloon were only a small sample of the many photos we took in and around Haines.

Joe took us several miles outside of Haines to many of his favorite sites for taking awesome photographs of Alaskan scenery and wildlife. Many of the sites came equipped with props necessary for turning an ordinary photo into an extraordinary one (see chairs at left).

The sites on the left were some of the natural Alaska we had become to expect, but were never ordinary. We felt privileged to have been allowed the time to pause and absorb the raw beauty that seem to be around every corner.  We often felt like we were the only two people on Earth who didn't have to share this exceptional experience with anyone else. As is evident in the lake scene below-left, the winds were calm and the lighting was picture-perfect. We could not have asked for better conditions to record our favorite Alaskan memories.

As we returned to Haines in the late afternoon the sun was low in the sky and the shadows were long making for interesting photographs.

Once in Haines we were treated to many additional photographic opportunities provided by native residents, both present and past. The photo at left was taken at an abandoned totem pole graveyard. Each totem pole tells a different story and they need to be replaced when they are in danger of falling or when new stories need to be told.

After returning to the airport and downtown Juneau, we boarded our ship and continued our journey down the Inside Passage toward Vancouver. Our next stop was Ketchikan, where we remained on the ship, content to view the city from the upper deck railing. This was our last opportunity to pick up Alaskan souvenirs, but  we were satisfied that we had completely exhausted all of our opportunities to collect real Alaskan memorabilia.