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Leaving Fairbanks and Alaska with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

We are heading home??  What?? There is so much more to see.   We ducks do not want to go home yet.   Our moms say, don’t worry.   We will stop often on the way home to see different things than last year.   And a few of our favorites that we want to experience again.   OK.  Leaving Chena Hot Springs, our first stop is Salcha, Alaska at The Knotty Shop.

The Knotty Shop.

This is a great store, featuring items made in Alaska.   The name, Knotty Shop, comes from the knots or bumps (burls) on the trees.   Last year we stopped here so you can read more about it in older posts.   This year we purchased some clothing, t-shirts, sweats, and socks.   Also another Ulu knife.   A hand carved wooden basket, jewelry, Alaskan made jam and, of course, ice cream cones.  Lots of time shopping, so we spent the night at Alaska Steakhouse and Motel in Delta Junction, Alaska.

Alaska Steakhouse and Motel in Delta Junction, Alaska

At Delta we officially began driving on the Alaska Highway.

Heading southeast on Alaska Highway toward Canada

Beautiful scenery as we head toward the Canadian Yukon Territory.   We stopped at roadside rest areas often.

Roadside pullout. Great areas for walking and enjoying scenery.

Stopped to appreciate the breathtaking views.   Also, Chloe likes to get out of the car and do a little exploring.   So do the humans.   While driving, as we completed a curve in the road we startled a black bear and he ran down a path into the woods.   He was so cute to watch.   Of course, too fast to get a photo.   We arrived in Tok, Alaska, the last Alaskan town on the Alaska Highway.

Burnt Paw gift shop. Tok, Alaska

Our first stop was the Burnt Paw.   This is a great gift shop, a snack area, motel with cabins, and source of eqipment for dog sleds.

Tok, Alaska. Burnt Paw

Isn’t this a great dog sled at the store entrance?  More shopping.  Souvenirs, gifts and treats for Chloe.   Next stop in Tok was Fast Eddies.

Fast Eddies in Tok, Alaska

We stopped for food and it was delicious.   Since it was Mother’s Day, Fast Eddies was treating mothers to free dessert cupcakes.

Mother’s Day complementary dessert from Fast Eddie

We had Red Velvet and Lemon Meringue cupcakes.   Very tasty and we enjoyed them.   Thanks Fast Eddie!  Continuing toward the Yukon, we crossed the Tanana River a few times.

Tanana River in Alaska

We like this river.   You may remember last June we rode on the Tanana River while on Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks.  We have arrived in the Yukon.

Enter Canada’s Yukon Territory

We cleared US and Canadian customs.   We stayed in Beaver Creek in the Yukon.   Beaver Creek RV and Motel was our home for the night.  Camping is a very popular way to travel but we prefer to stay in hotels.   At the campground we did enjoy these carved statues of early pioneers.

Historic figures in campground

The Visitor’s Center is across the street.

Yukon Visitor’s Center

The lady there was very friendly.   She even invited Chloe, Soapy Smith Duck’s dog, to come inside.  She likes dogs and told us about her sled dogs.   She told us much about Beaver Creek now and about Beaver Creek in the past.   Very interesting.   She suggested we stop at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church built around quonset hut

Isn’t it a quaint little church?   This church was built around a quonset hut left over from the days of the Alaska Highway construction.   Please take a little time to explore any town you visit.   We always find some interesting and unexpected things.

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Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs, Alaska with Colorado Traveling Ducks

Today is a nice day, in the 50’s, but we are going into the Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs, near Fairbanks, Alaska.   Chena Hot Springs, located 60 miles from Fairbanks, is a year round destination.   Today we will show you the Aurora Ice Museum.

Aurora Ice Museum

Made of over 1,000 tons of ice and snow, all havested at the resort, the Aurora Ice Museum opened in January 2005 and is still frozen.   You can visit with a guide only and the inside temperature is 25 degrees F (-7 degrees C).   For much of the year, inside the Aurora Ice Museum is warmer than the outside temperature.   Our guide opened the door, admitting us and our group to a small room.   Here we put on parkas, free for our visit inside.   Opening the next door, we are ready to go inside.

Entering through second door

There are many ice sculptures.

Ice sculpture

Most of them are lit, colors reminding us of the Aurora, or Northern Lights, visible only in the winter.   The lights in the sky are not visible in the summer, as it does not get dark enough.  The interior ice walls are also carved.

Interior ice wall

The walls, everything within the museum and the museum itself are all made of ice.   There are many ice sculptures.

Ice sculpture. Jousting

Jousting forms in ice here.   Face of ice.

Ice sculpture

Inside the ice museum are a few bedrooms to rent.

Entrance to bedroom

Let’s enter one of the rooms.  Intricate bed.

Ice bedroom

Yes, that really is a bed made of ice.   Lots of furs and blankets needed to sleep here.

Another bedroom. Ice bed

And another room.

Ice bed in different light

Let’s see this bed without the effect of colored lights.  We loved seeing this place, but we don’t want to sleep here.   It could be exciting, but we think it might be too cold for small ducks.   Heading back toward the entrance, we stop at the ice bar.

Aurora bar with ice bar stools.

Of course the bar is of ice.   The bar stools also are ice, but with fur cushions for more comfortable sitting.   Appletinis are available from the bar.   They are served in these ice glasses.

Martini glass made of ice. Yours with purchase of martini

You purchase the drink and the glass is yours.   To leave, we must be escorted back to the small room where we return our parkas, and then out the front door.   The Aurora Ice Museum is fascinating, but pretty cold.   The doors must be kept locked at all times to insure the proper temperature to preserve the ice.   There are world recognized ice sculpturers on staff here.   They are usually making new sculptures and also making many ice glasses.  You really should see this when you are in the area.   This is a great Alaska place to see.

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Chena Hot Springs, Alaska with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Chena Hot Springs, discovered in 1905, is about 60 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska.

Chena Hot Springs Resort

The resort at the hot springs has so much to offer guests.   After leaving Fairbanks, we decided to spend a couple days here.   The main attraction for us was sitting in the hot water.

Entrance to hot springs pool and hot springs rock lake

This is the entrance to the hot springs indoor pool.   In the pool area you can access hot tubs.   If you forgot, swimming suits and pool sandals are for sale at reasonable prices.   Also, follow the enclosed walkway to an outdoor hot tub and to our favorite, the rock lake.

Hot Springs Rock Lake

The water in the rock lake varies from about 103 degrees to 106 degrees.   Move around the lake and you will find your perfect temperature.   We loved sitting in the lake.   We saw a couple reindeer on the surrounding mountain side.   There are other activities for guests.   You can join an ATV tour.

ATV tours here

ATVs are fun.  Younger humans enjoy this playground.

Playground for small humans

And this tower of antlers is so Alaskan.

Antlers

We enjoy seeing things that are not in our yard in Colorado.   It is difficult and expensive to find good fresh vegetables here most of the year.

Greenhouse. Fresh salads were delicious

So the resort uses this greenhouse and garden to grow most of their own vegetables.   Our fresh salads were delicious.   Near the greenhouse the ducks enjoy a small pond.

Ducks by pond and greenhouse

We love seeing our feathered relatives when we travel.  There are many trails to hike, a location for gold panning, two souvenir shops, a snack shop and a restaurant.

Creek through resort

We enjoyed this creek passing through our resort.   Guests can stay in the main lodge, in multi room cabins, or yurts.   Camping sites are also available.   We stayed in a cabin.

Our cabin. Number 98

We were cabin 98.   Soapy, Chloe and their mom stayed in a front room.   Mom and I stayed in a rear room.   We liked the yurts.

Yurt with really tall trees

Aren’t these trees tall?  From our cabin window we could see a wild, wooded area.

Pretty pond

The path through the area took us to this small lake.   Also a few reindeer, or caribou, lived here.

Reindeer or caribou at Chena Hot Springs resort

This is a protected area for the wildlife.   In May it was still rather chilly.

Stilll partially frozen in May

This lake had not thawed yet.   We liked the snow and ice on part of the lake.   But, it was spring in the far north and although the ice and snow were not all gone, there were many hours of daylight.   Sunrise was 4:43 a.m. and sunset was 10:54 p.m.   Even after midnight, there was not total darkness.   One night we stayed in the hot springs rock lake until after 10:00 pm and it was very light.   It is a little difficult to adjust to so many hours of daylight in the summer.  At the lightest, in late June, sunrise is 2:53 a.m. and sunset at 12:37 p.m.   It never gets really dark.   But, remember in the December they have many hours of darkness.   In several areas of the resort there are benches for guests to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Carved bench

Some of these benches are very ornate.  We love the carved wooden benches.   In the winter, this is a great area to view the Aurora, or the Northern Lights.   Also fun to ride on a dog sled through the snow and wooded areas.  Chena Hot Springs is a great year round resort.

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Fairbanks, Alaska for a Day with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Finally we have a day to explore Fairbanks.   We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks, have spent too much time doing business with the humans.   But now, they say we have a day to explore a little of Fairbanks.   Originally the Alaska Highway, or Alcan (Alaska Canadian) Highway ended in Fairbanks.   This milepost marks the former end of the highway.

Alaska Highway Milepost, Fairbanks

The highway was built after Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii was bombed on December 7, 1941, by Japan.   That action brought the United States into World War II.   Hawaii was a territory then, as was Alaska.   We realized that Alaska was also vulnerable to attack, with no means to get military help to Alaska.   Canada and the United States decided to build a road for military access.   This helped the US and also Canada.   They also needed a road to their Yukon Territory.   As you know, now the official end of the road is in Delta Junction, with a choice of continuing to either Fairbanks or Anchorage.   Near this milepost is the Yukon Quest museum and shop.

Yukon Quest museum and store

The Yukon Quest is a winter dog sled race between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Canadian Yukon Territory.     This was an interesting place to visit.   The humans each bought shirts and other small souvenirs.   Also nearby is Golden Heart Plaza.

Golden Heart Plaza, Fairbanks

This is a great place to learn about some Alaskan people and also to rest and relax.   Fairbanks is called the Golden Heart of Alaska.   This statue is surrounded by informational plaques.

In Golden Heart Plaza

We enjoyed stopping here.   Everything is on the banks of the Chena River, which runs through Fairbanks.   Here we see the Interior Alaska Antler Arch.

Antler Arch, Fairbanks

This is the world’s farthest north Antler Arch. The arch has 2 concrete columns and a steel beam to hold the antlers.   There are over 100 moose and caribou antlers from all over the interior of Alaska.   Next we visited the Great Alaskan Bowl Company.

Let’s go inside

They specialize is bowls made of Alaskan birch.

Birch bowls

But there are many other Alaskan souvenirs here also.

Big variety

Visitors can look through a huge glass wall and craftsmen at work.   The Great Alaskan Bowl Company should be a stop during your time in Fairbanks.   We bought one bowl, made from Alaskan birch.

Our bowl

We love it.   Also the humans purchasesd Alaskan jams, oils and other small gifts and souvenirs.  The photos of the Great Alaskan Bowl Company are their photos.  We took them from their website.   We then met our Alaskan relatives at Brewster’s downtown restaurant, and had a great dinner and excellent conversation.   Mom loves Brewster’s.

Inside Brewster’s Restaurant in Fairbanks, Alaska

She always orders halibut.   And it is delicious.   We had a wonderful day in Fairbanks.   Remember we were there in early May, so many attractions were not yet open.   The Riverboat Discovery was opening the weekend after we left.

Our boat, Discovery III, waiting for us

We did ride on this paddleboat last year.   Another great thing to do in Fairbanks.   Pioneer Park has a large salmon bake during the summer, but they had not yet opened.  They have nice stores with local products there, also.   Another place to visit in Fairbanks is the Ice Museum.   Mom was there years ago.   There are incredible ice sclptures inside.  A really cold place, but worth a visit.   Also not yet opened.  When you visit Fairbanks, we hope you see many of these attractions.   Enjoy some truly Alaskan experiences.

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Chatanika Lodge and Alaska Pipeline

We have a new realtor to sell the house in North Pole.   Most of the other business is finished.   Now we get to be tourists.   From Fairbanks we drive north toward Fox.   This is a great place to see the Alaska Pipeline, and maybe even touch it.   This sign tells about the pipeline.

Route of the Alaska Pipeline

As you can see, it is 800 miles long, transporting crude oil from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Valdez Marine Terminal, eventally shipped from the Pacific Ocean to ports around the world.  I, Zeb the Duck, and mom have been here before, and so has Alaska native, Eider Duck.   This is the first time for Soapy Smith Duck, his mom and his dog, Chloe.

Soapy’s mom and dog, Chloe, and the Colorado Traveling Ducks under the pipeline.

Chloe and mom are under the pipeline, with we ducks.  The pipeline is tall enough for a large Alaskan moose to easily walk under it.   The moose and other large animals migrate through parts of Alaska that now have a pipeline.  Some times the pipeline is above ground and sometimes the pipeline is below ground.

Sometimes pipeline is underground

There were no other tourists here, so Chloe had a great time running and frolicking along the pipeline.

Chloe running along pipeline

The pipeline carries hot oil, about 100 degrees F at this location.   To keep the pipeline clean, pigs are put inside the pipe.

Old and newer pigs to clean inside the AlaskaPipeline.

At first they needed to scrape wax from the pipe.   Now there is less wax but they smooth the flow by reducing turbulence inside the pipeline.   The pipeline averages 1.5 million barrels of oil daily.   The entire trip for a barrel of oil takes 11.9 days, starting at Prudhoe Bay and ending in Valdez.   We drive to Chatanika Lodge.

Chatanika Lodge

This is a great place.   There are rooms to spend a few nights, a good restaurant and bar.   Ron and Shirley, the owners, also have great Alaskan decor with an additional room featuring an old classic car and an older Harley.

Vintage car and Harley

Ron and Shirley host great parties here.

One of the many parties held here

Eider and his dad came here for New Year’s Eve parties and for Chatanika Days, the first weekend in March.   Celebrating longer days and the promise of a warmer spring and summer is important.   Also popular is the Halloween party.   Eider’s dad loved this lodge and the great parties.   Everyone has fun here.   Eider’s dad was also a sportsman, so when he passed away, we asked Ron and Shirley to display some hunting and fishing trophies.   Here is his salmon.

Eider’s dad’s salmon

This buffalo or bison head was the result of a Colorado hunting trip.

Eider’s buffalo head

And our favorite.

Eider’s bear

This is an Alaska bear.   This bear stood in the living room of his house in North Pole, Alaska.   Soapy’s mom likes the bear.

Eider’s bear and Soapy’s mom

These mounts are enjoying the parties at Chatanika now.

Ron. Owner of Chatanika Lodge and our friend

Thanks for taking care of them Ron and Shirley.

 

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Still Diving North. Still Daily Snow with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Yesterday’s snow and icy roads, the worst of the trip has ended.  We arrived at Haines Junction, in the Canadian Yukon.

Haines Junction, Yukon. Love the sign

And yes, you can drive to the Alaskan port city of Haines from here.   But we did not.   We are trying to get to Fairbanks or North Pole, Alaska to hire a new realtor.   Our motel in Haines Junction was very comfortable and had a good bar and restaurant nearby.

Alcan Motel in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, Canada

So we were all happy.   We ordered our dinner and ate in our rooms.   We were exhausted.    Refreshed after a good night’s sleep, driving north, we met a new friend.

Canadian grizzly bear

This Canadian grizzly bear was too busy grazing to pay much attention to us, but we sure admired him.   That bump on his back is typical of grizzly bears, or so says our guidebook.  They can be ferious, but he looks so sweet and hugable.   This partially frozen lake caught our attention.

A winter wonderland

We love to see the winter landscape.   We just don’t love the cold.   Driving past Canadian customs, we have arrived in Alaska, USA.   There are several monuments and signs here.   The Welcome to Alaska.   Looking the other direction, the Welcome to the Yukon, and this friendship bench.

Friendship bench

Canada and the United States have been friends for years, so this bench is a nice place to pause and enjoy the view.   The International Boundary Post shows the actual border, marked by the suveyors.  Before the Alaska Highway, the borders were not so clearly marked.  We quicky cleared US customs and we continued north toward Delta Junction.

Delta Junction, Alaska. Official end of he Alaska Highway

This milepost in Delta Junction marks the official end of the Alaska Highway.  From here there is a main road heading south to Anchorage and Valdez.  Valdez is the end of the Alaska Pipeline, which carries oil from the fields of Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Port Valdez on the east side of Prince William Sound.   Here ships wait to carry crude oil into the Pacific Ocean and to various world ports.   Also at Delta Junction, you can drive on the Richardson Highway and go north to Fairbanks.   That is the route we drove.   We were in Delta Junction the first week of May and the Visitor’s Center was not yet open.   Many businesses along our route are only open during the warmer months.   At the Delta Junction Visitor’s Center they have lots of information signs outside.   And this statue of a giant mosquito.   Alaska does have giant mosquitos.   But since the center is not yet open, this mosquito is not yet in its best form.   This photo from last year shows what the mosquito will look like soon.

Mosquitos.

Well, we are only hours away from our next hotel in Fairbanks.

Heading north to Fairbanks, Alaska

Heading down the road, we will reach our Fairbanks destination tonight.

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Colorado Traveling Ducks in Canada’s Yukon Territory

Continuing northbound, we are enthralled with the winter scenery.

Frozen River

This frozen river is so beautful.   It is definitely winter weather, some snow each day, and frozen water everywhere, but the days are much longer this far north.   The sun rises before 5:00 a.m. each morning and doesn’t set until after 10:00 p.m.   A few more minutes of daylight is added every day.   And this fellow is always a treat to view.

Black bear

He is one of the first bears we saw.   Actually, the earlier bears appeared and walked into the woods before mom got her camera out.   No matter how many bears we see, we stop to admire each one.   We stop at another rest area.

Picnic area. Statue dedicated to surveyors

This one has a nice picnic area, for later in the summer, and a marker remembering the surveyors that made this road possible.   We enjoy another view of a frozen river.   Imagine this picnic area in the summer, watching the river flow.   So beautiful and peaceful.  Next we see the wild buffalo along the side of the Alaska Highway.

Baby buffalo in the spring

The precipation does not seem to bother mom and baby.   But, as usual, the rain and snow start and stop.

Buffalo along the road

There are several young buffalo with moms here.   A little distance from mom and baby, the dads remain watchful.    Further north we leave British Columbia and enter Canada’s Yukon territory.

Welcome to the Yukon

Chloe, Soapy’s mom and three Colorado Traveling Ducks are happy to see this sign, marking progress on our northern travel.   You may remember that we drove this route last year.   That trip was one way, heading south.   We bought this blue Jeep from the estate of mom’s brother.   Both this year and last year we spent the night in Watson Lake, Yukon.  This time, there is snow on the ground and it is rather cold.

Snow around church in Watson Lake

We liked the Liard Evangical Free Church in Watson Lake.   Originally built in 1942 near the airport, the building was moved here in 1963.  This church is open to all.  Leaving Watson Lake in the morning, we soon encountered snow and icy roads.

Spring time in the Yukon

Driving was trecherous.   But there is beauty with the snow also.

Snow makes trees beautiful

These trees are beautiful.   We pulled into a rest area after the snow stopped.   Our Chloe likes to get out of the car and have some exercie.   Really, we all enjoy the stops.

Snowy mountains from rest area

The mountains blurred by snow are breathtaking to us.   But it is May now and we are ready for some spring warmth and sunshine.   Soon, we think.

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Driving North to Alaska with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

That’s right.   We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks, two humans and one dog drove back to North Pole, Alaska.   We were gone for over a month and had a great time.   We needed to interview and choose a new realtor in North Pole, Alaska.   We have mom’s brother’s house that needs to be sold, so we drove directly to North Pole.   That is a town near Fairbanks, Alaska.   Not much stopping on the way north, but we do have a few things to show you along the way.   First photo stop was in Dawson Creek, Alaska.

Beginning of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, B.C. Canada

This is the official  beginning of the Alaska Highway, or the Alcan (Alaska Canadian highway.)   Here we are at the official beginning.   Nearby is an older sign post, covered with stickers from earlier travelers.

Sign with stickers from previous travelers

And we don’t want to forget the statue of the surveyor.

Honoring the surveyors

Surveyors were very important during the building of this highway.   Soapy Smith Duck’s mom and Soapy’s dog, Chloe, are wandering around near the Visitor’s Center in Dawson Creek.

Dawson Creek

But we are a little concerned.   Chloe, our traveling dog, is part pit bull, and Dawson Creek and other Canadian cities have restriction for pit bulls.   We are not sure if part pit bull will be a problem, but we won’t stay long in towns with these restrictions.   Chloe is in the blue Jeep and ready to go.

Chloe is ready to leave Dawson Creek

As we drove north, with the exception of the day we left Denver, we had snow every day.   Some days just a little, and a couple days quite a snow storm took place.   We spent one night here at Northern Rockies Lodge.

Welcome to Northern Rockies Lodge

This is a beautiful log building on the scenic Muncho Lake.

Northern Rockies Lodge

The dining room looks through the trees and onto Muncho Lake.

Dining room with windows and a beautiful view

Today, May 2, the lake is frozen.

Muncho Lake is frozen

We will return here in 2 1/2 weeks and we were amazed at the difference.   But more about that later.  On this road trip there are three of the Colorado Traveling Ducks.  We are me, Zeb the Duck, Soapy Smith Duck and Eider Duck.   Eider Duck lived most of his life in Alaska, so he was very eager to return for a visit.    Closer to the lodge, Chloe and Soapy’s mom arrived up the path from the Muncho Lake.   We didn’t drive very far today.   We spent most of the morning and early afternoon enjoying walking around the lake and soaking in the wintery scenery.   We love Northern Rockies Lodge.

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Near the Melia Nassau Beach Resort with the Colorado Traveling Ducks

Our all inclusive resort has everything, so no real need to leave, but, of course, ducks want to explore a little.   Across the street from our resort is a small market.    And, check this out.

Daiquiri Shack

We have a Daiquiri Shack.   And, of course, more shopping opportunities.

Shopping opportunity

Even if we don’t buy, we enjoy talking to the venders and looking at all the interesting things available.   From our resort, Melia Nassau Beach Resort, we like to walk along the beach, passing a few other resorts.   A very nice lady was selling items here.   We liked the masks and she let us sit by the masks while mom took our photo.

Nice masks

And she offered much more than masks.

So many things

She was a very nice lady.   And what better way to relax on the beach than in a hammock.

Relaxing in a hammock on the beach

We three ducks, love hammocks.   Of course with so many humans on the beach and in the ocean, they needed the help of the Colorado Traveling Ducks.

Colorado Traveling Ducks helping lifeguards.

Here we are on the lifeguard stand.   As you can see here, the beach in Nassau is beautiful and quite wide.

Wide beach. Not crowded now.

Not too crowded either.   But, let’s tell you the real reason we are in Nassau now.   Remember when we first arrived we said there were other humans we knew and some we were meeting for the first time.   One of our Colorado Traveling Ducks, Bucket Duck (he wears the red tie) lives with his dad.   We are here for a wedding.   Bucket Duck’s dad got married here in Nassau on the beach at sunset.   There were 18 humans and 3 ducks here for the happy occasion.  We had a wonderful time.   Everybody here was so nice and friendly.   After the wedding, everyone stayed a couple days.   The guests returned home and the happy couple spent a couple days in Miami, Florida, enjoyed a Caribbean cruise, then a few more days in Miami and finally home.   The sunset wedding was beautiful.

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A Day in Nassau with Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck

Today we left our resort, Melia Nassau Beach Resort, rode a public bus to the town of Nassau and did some exploring.   Nassua, in The Bahamas, is a popular cruise port.

A Carnival cruise ship in port today.

Today this Carnival cruise ship was in port.   Near a cruise port, we often find Señor Frog’s.

Señor Frog’s for food and fun

Here it is.   People can sit on this deck, looking to the Atlantic Ocean and enjoy a meal and great entertainment.

Let’s go to Señor Frog’s

This is the entrance to the restaurant and the gift shop.   We love Señor Frog’s.   In a square near Señor Frog’s, facing the ocean, handicraft vendors offer items to all, locals and tourists.

Shopping available here

Nassau is famous for the Straw Market.

Famous Straw Market in Nassau

Let’s look inside.

Looking into Straw Market

Booths are at the entrances, tempting tourists.   Inside the large building, we wandered along some long aisles.

Explore long aisles of Straw Market

One side of the straw market opens to Bay Street.   The other side opens to the cruise port.   When in Nassau, take some time to wander through the Straw Market.   It has everything.   Bay Street is the main shopping street in Nassau.

Bay Street

Here are some of the shops catering to cruise passengers and all tourists.   Many of these shops have stores in several cruise ports.   The horse drawn carts are always fun on vacations.

Horse drawn carts

If you have time, take a ride in Nassau.   We strolled the streets and approached Fort Fincastle.

Fort Fincastle

Constructed of cut limestone around 1793 an strategically located atop Bennett’s Hill, Fort Fincastle protects historic Nassau town and the harbor.   Of course, any place tourists gather is an opportunity to shop.

Shopping at Fort Fincastle

Behind Fort Fincastle is the Queen’s Staircase.

Queen’s Staircase

These 66 steps were carved from solid limestone rock by slaves in 1793-1794.   It is believed that these stairs were carved to create a direct route from Fort Fincastle to Nassau City.    Later asphalt was used at the bottom of the stairs and one of the steps was buried.   This staircase was renamed for Queen Victoria who reigned in Britain for 64 years from 1837-1901.  These chairs, also carved from limestone, make a convenient, if not soft, resting place.

Chairs

We can see that creating this staircase was a huge, difficult job.

Tall, steep limestone walls

The steep walls of limestone on either side of the staircase are impressive and intimidating.  Heading back to Bay Street, we passed the Bahamas Historical Society.

Bahamas Historical Society

When in Nassau you can pass the time shopping, or explore much of the history of Nassau and the entire area.   Back on Bay Street we stopped at Parliament Square.   The pink buildings were constructed in 1815 by Loyalists.

Senate Building in Parliament Square

Donations from the public, in 1905, paid for the statue of Queen Victoria.   Many citizens held the Queen in high esteem.   Today, the senate still meets in the Senate building, which is behind the statue.