The LIFE of Lee and Karen Duquette
before becoming the Two RV Gypsies

Wrangell, Alaska
May 28, 2004

Below: The Harbor

Below: Karen and Lee Duquette, plus several other people from the Norwegian Sun cruise ship, went on the Stikine River Jet Boat Tour in Wrangell, Alaska  on May 28, 2004. It was a 4-hour trip on a high-speed, heated and covered jet boat. The cost on this date was $199.00 per adult. Participants must be in good health as they will experience quick stops and starts, and sharp turns. YEAH! FUN! FUN! FUN!

Below: Everyone was given comfortable yellow floatation jackets to wear during this trip.

Below: Two boats took this tour. One held 13 passengers and one held only six passengers. Lee and Karen Duquette quickly jumped on the six-passenger boat. A friend on the bigger boat took their photo.

Below: Karen Duquette photographing the other boat while they photographed her.

Below: Because it was a small boat and a small amount of passengers, Lee Duquette got to drive the boat for awhile.

Then, of course, Karen Duquette also had her turn driving the boat.

Below: The scenic riverbanks through Cottonwood Slough and Andrews Creek and some houseboats.

Below: The tall stately Sitka Spruce is Alaska's state tree

Below: The Stikine River is the fastest free-flowing navigable river in North America, and is truly a photographer's dream. With glacier-capped peaks over 10,000 feet standing guard, and average summer flows of 180,000 cfs, it is one of only five rivers that wind their way through the Coast Mountains between Canada and the U.S.

Below: Icebergs of all sizes were seen along the way. Glacier ice often appears blue to the eye because it absorbs all the colors of the spectrum EXCEPT blue, which is scattered back. About 75% of the iceberg is under the water's surface.

Karen and Lee Duquette touched a big iceberg. The term iceberg refers to chunks of ice larger than 16 feet across. Smaller icebergs are known as bergy bits and growlers.

Below: Karen and Lee Duquette picked up some ice chunks off the iceberg.

Below: "I see  you" said Lee Duquette as he peeked through a hole in the chunk of ice.

Below: Striking waterfalls along the Stikine River

Below: A quick stop to explore a cabin in the woods - Shakes Slough #2 - Built in 1963, this 16' X 16' A-frame cabin has a second floor loft and a sleeping capacity of seven people. The partially covered front porch has a wooden cooler box for food storage. The cabin overlooks Shakes Slough. No water was readily available near the cabin.

Below: Karen and Lee Duquette climbed up the ladder for a peek in the above loft.

Below: The Boat captain and his 5 passengers

Continue on to the Mendenhall Glacier

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