My Canada and Alaska 2019 experience in rhyme.
My first flight was to Canada, Windsor, Ontario
To visit family members there I did go,
Five days later with a tear in my eye,
Once again I took to the sky.
Toronto then Denver, the USA. Anchorage, Alaska, the flights so boring,
To spend the first morning there on my own, walking, shopping, exploring.
During the afternoon in a tiny Seaplane to the skies again went I,
To sample a new, fantastic, and exciting way to fly.
In the evening my fellow ‘Just You,’ travellers, at the hotel all arrived,
Along with Lisa, our tour driver, tour manager and tour guide.
First day was the Ulu factory, Earthquake Park, and downtown Anchorage,
Then, at a shared evening meal we all in group introductions did engage.
Next - close quartered in the mini bus, we set out for some animal counting,
At Resurrection Bay Conservation Park, a tram ride up the Alyeska mountain.
Moose, wolves, Caribou, Bison and many other creatures all in comfort abode,
As glaciers on mountain tops loomed, over the winding road.
At Seward, on the Kenai peninsula, is Resurrection Bay a part of a beautiful Fjord,
Which we sailed while admiring scenic views, sea life, no way could we get bored.
The busy little sea otter, Sea lions, bald eagles the majestic Orca Whales,
Just a few of the animals creating memories for future travellers tales.
Talkeetna was next on the list of towns as a place to visit and of course photograph,
A gold rush town where old stores and dwellings have changed, all on our behalf.
Keepsakes, souvenirs, trinkets, paintings, abound along its central road,
Plus eateries of every kind where once prospectors dreamed of gold.
Denali, a park of special qualities where, housed in cabins, we spent quality time,
Searching for Moose, sheep, wolves, caribou and sightings of an ice mountain sublime.
Enclosed with cloud her beauty hid for most of our time there
Then suddenly the clouds did clear, we got a glimpse, the answer to our prayer.
Wrangler and St Elias national park, home of first nation Athena people
Mountains steep, the Copper River, stunning scenery, iconic bald eagle
Some of us flew off adventuring some around the park in an off road safari jeep
Paths and trails winding down to the Copper river, along pathways winding steep.
Our adventures continued as we took the road to our penultimate stop, Valdez,
Where not long ago a terrible oil spill, caused an environmental mess.
But first the highway through the Thompson Pass and by the Worthington Glacier,
Keystone Canyon with annual snowfall of over a hundred inches, a thought to instil fear.
At Valdez the salmon run thrives, so too the eagle, sea lion and sea otter,
As trade returns the oil pipeline flows to this bay of year round ice free water.
Next day around Prince William Sound on our cruise ship we set sail,
And yet again in providing awe and pleasure Alaska did not fail.
The sea lion, the bald eagle, a family of sea otter too,
Then little baby icebergs with colours white black and blue.
As these parts of a glacier grew, in size shape and splendour,
Then the Glacier for the title of, ‘most awesome sight,’ surely a contender.
We sailed up close to hear the sounds of ice cliffs calving, groaning,
As well as hear it we could see and sense its history and its constant cloning.
Then back to base at speed we sailed for our penultimate evening meal,
To talk about and even rave about shared experience that now seem quite surreal.
Avril, Peter, Roseena, Isobel, Pauline, Julie, Stuart, I’ve enjoyed meeting all of you,
So too John from Gib and Sally from Guernsey, Bill and Willie, unforgettable Chelsea pensioner two.
Having travelled so far with great pleasure and all our adventures shared,
Of this holiday and others travelled, many adventures we have all compared.
So I am sure all must agree that Lisa, our friend, travel manger, guide and chauffeur,
Deserves our gratitude for everything she has done in providing a travel service beyond compare.
So may I say on behalf of all of us whom you have served so well,
Thank so very very much, you will be remembered fondly as our travellers tales we tell.
Harry Pleavin September 2019.
