As I write this blog, I’m sitting in a Starbucks in Seattle with some of my fellow crew mates. I just asked one of The Cast members, Matt, if he wanted to see a photo of a sexy bear. His reply: “OK, I guess?” Then I realized I should clarify. “No, an actual big, furry… This isn’t making it better, is it?”
Nope.
So I’ll just explain it to y’all. On Wednesday in Sitka, AK, I visited Fortress of the Bear, which is a facility that rescues orphaned and sick bears so they won’t be shot by the Department of Fish and Game. They’ve got like 7 or 8 bears and they’re housed in these now-defunct water tanks from an old pulp mill. They’ve got water to swim and in and tree trunks and tires to climb. You don’t (I didn’t) necessarily think of bears as a species that needs rescuing, but after hearing their stories, I felt so sorry for them.
My favorite bear–because of course I chose a favorite–was Toby. I’d make a joke about that probably being her slave name, except this facility is the opposite of enslavement, Toby was a a ham!
See where she totally stopped to pose for this photo?
Anyway, such a cool little adventure, and it only cost me $10. If you ever find yourself in Sitka, it’s absolutely worth the pocket change. 5 days left on this ship and then I get to go home and drive a car. If I remember how. Hasta whenever I have WiFi again.