September 6, 2014
We awoke to fog but it quickly went away. We spent the day cruising in the sunshine down the coast of British Columbia until reaching the narrows of the Inside Passage around 3 PM. We were poised on the bow for almost 5 hours and all of us managed to acquire a small degree of sunburn. Eyes were on the lookout for the whales surfacing and blowing.
I remember four distinct spottings of humpbacks along with a number of porpoise pods cavorting alongside the ship. A few times playful dolphins played chicken with the bow of the boat. It is tough to get a good picture as it means leaning over the bow. Even without many good pictures it was fun to spend the day at sea outside in the sun.
Not to be forgotten were all of the other sights on shore and at sea. We kept trying to spot the places where we had stayed on Vancouver Island some four years ago. The continuous forest and hundreds of islands made locating a specific spot somewhat difficult. I think we need to return to the island again.
We managed one more “Sip and Savor” event. The wine and appetizers are getting better or my taste buds are getting dull. The shrimp and the Beringer Pinot Grigio were fine together. We eventually got ready for our last shipboard dinner. There were many nice views of the sun setting to the northwest up the passage.
We awoke Sunday to the sight of Canada Place our dock in Vancouver. Wonderful architecture and setting. Bright sunshine. We are all prepped to begin our journey home with disembarkation-Canadian customs-airport shuttle-security screening-flight to Seattle-US customs-security screening-flight to San Jose-baggage claim-shuttle to parking-drive from San Jose to the 101 then the 880 then the 252 transition to the 680 to the 580 and then the 99 to the 120 in Manteca and finally to turn onto Jamestown road before reaching Columbia and home.
sierraridge's Blog 
Great pics. Love that first one. Looks as though the LaPorte/Bryson clan had a fabulous Alaskan Adventure.
Hello! I’ve read your blog with great interest due to, I believe, a shared family history. I have also done extensive research on the “layport/LaPorte” history and what we have in common is George Layport from the Alsace/Lorraine region of France. Who eventually settled in Ohio. If you read this response – feel free to contact me. Regards, Destyn LaPorte
Destyn,
What I know about George was a review of Cadiz records and newspapers. His origin from Alsace is derived from Ancestry. If you have anymore details on his origins, I would love them. Thanks
Hi Destyn,
We have the same George Layport ( I prefer to use the west coast spelling) in our background. Since you found the blog, you can see some of the family history that I have compiled. I have a public family tree on Ancestry under La Porte-Bryson. I would like to compare notes.
The Alsace/Lorraine reference is what is commonly found. I suspect that he or his immediate family originated in the south near Nimes. The La Porte name is common as are the Protestants of whom George must have been since he married a Scot Presbyterian, Nancy McCaslin, shortly after getting off the boat. I also carry a blood type specific to the south of France and George is my only French ancestor.
Anyway, looking forward to comparing notes.
Mark La Porte
Hello!
Thanks for the reply – I have been busy retiring or semi-retiring. Based on the what you provided . . . I believe that we do have a shared family history. I have the same information – he settled in Cadiz and he married Nancy McCaslin. He also fought in the Revolutionary War under a Lt. Daniel Crespin. This is exciting! I will contact you again. Best regards, Destyn LaPorte.