Class of 1958 Alaska Cruise

Click on the camera to the right to see the many pictures taken by classmates and family while on the Alaskan cruise. You will be glad you took a look!!!

In June 2005, 14 members of the Webster High’s Class of 1958 along with family and friends set out for Alaska to celebrate turning 65 and becoming eligible for Medicare cards. There were 36 travelers in all. WGHS classmates were: Bob Andersohn, Carol Blumenhorst McIlroy, Susie Burkely Jensen, Leslie Davis, Glenda Dilling Bentz, Sally Doerr Freudenthal, Virginia Kramer Weeks, Harriett Legg Dame, Mike McIlroy, Sue Minteer Bishop, Bob Moody, Bruce Phegley, Judy Samuelson Craig and Bob Yates—all from the Class of 1958. Also along were Helen Harold Moody (’59), Karen Samuelson Brockman (‘53) and Anita Kramer Manning (’48) as well as 19 spouses, family members, and friends.

Most of the group flew into Fairbanks where we began our Alaskan adventure with a trip aboard a sternwheeler boat, a visit to the Chena Indian Village, a stop at a gold mine where we all panned for gold (we all got some!), and an experience at the Susan Buchter sled dog training facility. Susan is the only woman to have won the Alaskan Iditerod. Next, we took the train to Denali, then toured Denali National Park where we saw Mt. McKinley (magnificent!) and many wild animals—caribou, moose, bald eagles, fox and more. The following day we explored the Denali area. Some took jeeps out into the wilds, rafted down a river, rode horseback or took plane rides into the mountains. Between Anchorage and Alyeska we took a small boat to Portage Glacier and saw a lot of active glacial calving (large chunks of ice breaking off the glacier). Mountains and glaciers were everywhere. The days were long and wonderful —3:30 a.m. sun up with an after midnight sun down! —and flowers everywhere: big and beautiful.

More joined the group in Seward to begin our cruise on the Statendam down to Vancouver. Along the route, we went to Hubbard Glacier (awesome); the Russian town of Sitka; Skagway known for it’s gold rush miners; Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier; Ketchikan with its former “Red Light district” and finally cruised the Inside Passage before arriving in Vancouver. Along the way classmates and friends had many adventures—a train ride into the Yukon Territory of Canada, helicopter tours of the glaciers and even a landing on the Mendenhall Glacier where we could actually walk across the glacier, float plane rides, a visit to an Indian village with its many totem poles, a canoeing trip, wildlife tours (abundant this time of year). And, of course, there was time to explore the towns and sights on foot. Orange and black prevailed all week as we renewed old and dear friendships, made new friends, shared adventures, bonded and had such a wonderful time together. Our Webster banner appeared at every gathering—Webster blood runs orange, true, and loyal.

Several of our group extended their stay in the Northwest to see the sights of Vancouver, Butchart Gardens, Victoria and Seattle.

By the second day of our trip everyone was having so much fun that they were already asking where we were going next. There’s no telling, but there’s one thing for sure: we will go somewhere again! So stay tuned or send a note to a member of our class committee with your ideas or comments. This was our second class trip and only the beginning of a travel tradition for Webster High’s Class of 1958.

If you would like to see some of the more than 3,800 pictures that our cruise group took of our adventures in Alaska, just click on the little camera. You will have a great tour of Alaska and lots of fun trying to figure out whom the classmates are that you are seeing.