Hi, I'm Ranger Faye
welcome to another edition of Glacier Bay Ranger minutes
I'm here to invite you to one of the world's most remarkable places
glacier bay national park has been visited by tourists for
over 100 years. the first being the naturalists and undaunted
conservationist John Muir
Muir arrived in an open canoe accompanied by four Tlingit people
who served as his interpreters and guides. they had an intimate knowledge of
the bay
and they knew how to get him to his destination safely
his subsequent writings inspired people to come
and to discover the wonder scenes of Glacier Bay
for themselves. and come they did
the first cruise ship to enter Glacier Bay, a steamer named the Idaho
entered in 1883, less than four years
after Muir's first arrival. and people have been coming on ships to see the
magnificent
tidewater glaciers and the abundant wildlife
of Glacier Bay ever since. their writings
and postcards home described the wondrous
scene
as it was a hundred years ago a visit to Glacier Bay National Park today is still
the highlight
any alaska itinerary
400,000 travelers each year now visit Glacier Bay National Park
by cruise ship
so let me now share with you the ways in which visiting Glacier Bay National Park
has changed over the past 100 years
and how it is still very similar
oh, to visit alaska and then to have the good fortune to visit Glacier Bay
the more you read about it the more you hope
I can assure you that there is but one hour in life
and that the present one. so I would encourage you my dear friends
to make your plans to visit Glacier Bay with
utmost speed and anticipation. passengers then we're just as excited as today
you will undoubtedly
observe on your Alaska excursion a nervous impulse
produced by the excitement of the void which takes the form of a wonderful
sense of urgency
as you call your fellow passengers attention to something
that could only be seen at some particular spot
one of the differences
with visiting Glacier Bay today is that you will have national park rangers
aboard with you
keeping you informed of the special sightings over the public address system
and sharing the story Glacier Bay National Park
advice has
always been given on what to bring with you on an Alaskan cruise
today's passengers of course would be wise to bring their fleece jackets
cortex rain gear
with gloves and hats included. these will keep you as warm and dry as the
wollen suits of yesteryear
neckties and bustles not necessary. the ships have always been comfortable
you will as in the past find everything on your ship
in apple pie order. clean
neat, spacious and thoroughly comfortable, with a promenade
extending over the whole length of the ship. yes you will be able to travel
through this vast
wilderness with the comfort and safety that a cruise ship
provides
the food offered both then and now
are delicious and abundant. just think of it
broiled salmon steak, roast chicken, cake and ice cream, delicious waffles
strawberries and cream
and lots of other fresh fruit. at the turn of the century
an entire meal would set you back all of 75 cents
if you would like wine with your dinner
one dollar would pay the bill for the entire meal
on today's cruises many meals are included in the price of your ticket
some travelers in both areas have admitted to having that one nightmare--
that they would gain weight on this calm, heartful
and stomach-full life.
on shore excursions have also always been offered
then rowboats were lowered with about a dozen passengers in each
armed with alpen stocks and were ferried in successive groups
from the ship to the beach where they began clamoring over
icebergs posing for photographs and climbing glaciers
today the ship's will dock at a well-prepared port
throughout Southeast Alaska where local businesses offer various sightseeing
opportunities
that may include a helicopter visit to a Glacier
hiking the nearby trails or even a visit to a dog sled ranch
you may be very surprised to learn
that there was even an opportunity for souvenir shopping in Glacier Bay in 1883
as the Idaho rounded the wooded shore
every glass was brought into requisition for signs of life on land
finally a canoe is paddled rapidly toward them
and a wild figure rose in the stern. it was dick willoughby
the first american pioneer in Alaska.
the passengers were amazed to find in his store keepsakes such as Tlingit
bracelets and baskets as well as lumber
fishing nets and a variety of general merchandise. today
books and other educational materials provided by Alaska Geographic are brought on
board and
offered for sale at the information desk. I'm
while the cost of a summer vacation and that includes Glacier Bay today
may vary greatly with seasons ships and accommodations
passengers then would have purchased a long purple ticket
that read from Sitka and return for several hundred dollars
in 1899 Septima Collins was aboard the Queen
she paid three hundred fifty dollars for her trip and wrote
that the sum cannot be more profitably spent
for a summer vacation. and this is more than it costs from New York to the
icebergs in back
think of it--hardly the price of a French costume
a ring or a bracelet yet the memory of this trip
will outlive them all. the early tourists often wrote of the quality of
the captain of their ship
and would often also discover that Captain Carol was still full of
enthusiasm about his trip
though he had been making it for the best part of his life
I'm today's cruise ship captains are just as enthusiastic
about their visits to this newly de-glaciated landscape
it is different every time they visit
they still work hard to provide the best possible route
and daily schedule for their passengers. visitors still thrill
at the white thunder the sound of the falling ice
and a visit to Glacier Bay
is now within reach of the more economical traveler. there is more access than ever
and it is a great way for entire families
grandparents and children included to share an outdoor adventure together and
make memories
today's visitor has a greater opportunity
to see more of the bay because there's more of the bay to see
as glaciers have retreated over the years there's more shoreline
and vegetation resulting in more land mammals
like bears, mountain goats, wolves and moose
the glaciers continue to bring change to the bay
and they are still a spectacular highlight
on an Alaskan cruise
your Glacier Bay day will be a major highlight filled with lifelong memories
people have been visiting Glacier Bay for
over 120 years and I would like to invite you to come
and to explore your National Park whether it is by no means of sea kayak
tour boat
or cruise ship
it is nature that you come to see. Glacier Bay is filled with opportunities
to experience
the ever-changing glaciers the spectacular scenery
deep waters and high mountains. and when at long last
you arrive in the presence of whale's, otters, puffins and falling ice
you will know that you are part of a long tradition
as you gaze upon the wondrous scenes of Glacier Bay national park
I look forward to sharing Glacier Bay with you
and thanks for joining me on another edition of Glacier Bay
Ranger minutes