All Things EARTH... part 2

Sally...I can completely relate to how difficult it can be to get into the holiday spirit when your weather isn't the typical holiday weather. That was how it was when we lived in TX. Mom goes through the same thing in AZ. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in town here. And maybe in some of the cute mountain towns...

I'm in a chatty mood...so I'm going to share the craziness that is me for Alaska. First of all...booking this cruise just kind of hit out of the blue. It's something that I look at a lot...so it's not like I haven't been looking at Alaska prices regularly...and I knew going in that my preference would be Celebrity. I can't exactly put that into words...I just like Celebrity the best for the overall cruise experience...and I'm a funny person with the idea of, for instance, sailing each of the M-class ships. I've been on two, Connie (Constellation) and Summit, so going on Millie (Millennium) is a fun check on the M-class ship list.

So, book the cruise...but then, what about airfare...we basically let the days be dictated by when we could afford the airfare with miles and not too much cash. I'll share that our total airfare for 3 people...reserving the exit row for all flights...was less than $300. So yay...the outbound flight is great. The homebound flight is a whole different story, but honestly...whatever. We'll do it and it'll be a story on the end.

That airfare gives us 2 nights in Vancouver and 4 nights in Alaska.

Items we must do in Alaska...

Whale Watching...check. We're going on a small boat whale watching excursion in Icy Strait Point. The boat takes a max of 6 passengers. We are 5/6...so not sure if we will pick up a single...so we'll either have a private or basically private tour. WOO HOO!! And the cost is about $20 less pp than the cruise excursion on their much larger boat.

Glaciers...check. I just booked one of our big splurge excursions. First, helicopters weren't on the agenda. For one, Mom really doesn't want to do a helicopter. Even if she did, I'm not sure that they seat 5? I didn't look because I didn't care, because I wasn't so interested in a helicopter because they get canceled so often. SOOOO...I found this excursion...little did I know that you HAVE to book it through the cruise...(the tour people just redirect you to the cruise line for reservations)...and I could have just looked at the list of available excursions...but I was researching and I found the "Taku Glacier Hovercraft Adventure".

So we are going to get onto a high speed catamaran (which seems very odd to say because I don't associate speed and catamaran?)...to a place where a hovercraft with meet us. We will transfer to the hovercraft and then take off down the inlet/fjord to Taku glacier. The shifting sands are there but there will be a place where we can land and get out an explore. I don't think we will be getting directly onto the glacier. But we will be extremely close...the reviews are amazing and the YouTube videos I've seen are like WOW. So...that's one big splurge with our OBC (which partially covers the tour;p).

That's first thing that day...and then we still have 8 HOURS in Juneau. It'll all depend on how we feel that day, but we would still have the opportunity to go to the Mendenhall Glacier, if we wanted to. Or something else...Juneau has a lot to do.

Still planning the other ports. But basically...here's our current post cruise plans...

Mom and Dad are going to fly home soon after the cruise...like, even the day of debark because we are going to rough it and they aren't as interested. LOL. We're figuring out transportation to Anchorage...where we will rent a car. Then DH, DS, and I will be CAMPING!!!

DH and I have realized that Denali deserves it own vacation as a full on destination and so, OMG, we are not going to go there on this trip. We're going to hang out in Kenai Peninsula. On the agenda are hiking, there are two shorter hikes I have my eye on, both to glaciers...ice hiking ON Exit Glacier...kayaking in the bay in front of a glacier...and of course, FISHING. We basically have 4 days post cruise to fit it all in. The plans are in the works, but I have a very good idea on our loose agenda.

And that's why we NEED to have hiking boots. Because we HAVE to hike in Alaska...we have to have a campfire and experience the quiet of the country there...and just be able to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the landscape...

Sooooo...that's where I"m at in the planning of Alaska!

Anita you might want to consider ice cleats for your hikes & tons of bug dope! The mosquitoes are close to the size of hummingbirds out in the bush. Sounds like a fabulous trip

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Anita , That sounds like a great trip . Mendenhall Glacier was so -so . They did have a trail that you could walk around but the glacier is melting so it is getting smaller every year . We stopped in at the Red Dog Saloon after an active day. It is a fun place music,decent food ( we had reindeer sausage pizza ) , and interesting . They have Wyatt Earp's Gun and other interesting relics of old time Alaska .

When I do Christmas Eve we do a buffet . It makes it so easy . We also have seating in the dining room and on the deck and if necessary we have another table on the patio .

Oh we will definitely be bringing bug spray or repellent or both or whatever we can that will help with that because I have read that. We'll just deal with it. We'll definitely be checking at least one bag for this trip, so we'll be able to pack whatever we need without worrying about liquid restrictions.

Mendenhall being so so is exactly what it looked like to me, which is the reason why I kept researching to see what else we could do that would involve glaciers. I'm not sure that going out there after what I'm hoping will be a really awesome experience would be worth it...it's just that I read that "going to Juneau and not seeing Mendenhall is like going to Rome and not seeing the Coliseum." and that has stuck in my head...but every time I look at what Mendenhall is...I think to myself that it just isn't so interesting.

The one thing that I think might be kind of interesting about it is the visitor hall...but even that, I'm not sure that's $5 pp worth of interesting plus the hassle of getting there. Mom and Dad were out there as part of a tour they took on their previous Alaska experience...but they weren't there for very long...but they have been there. DH, DS, and I will be visiting Exit Glacier in Seward and it has a nature center, so I'm thinking that we just might skip the whole Mendenhall idea and find something else to do in Juneau in the afternoon. (I'm glad that you confirm what my impression of Mendenhall was...)

We were out having fun yesterday going to a local outdoor store to check out what they had...and I was able to see the Smart Wool base layers in person. WOW. They are very nice shirts. They should be, they're very expensive. But they are very soft and very lightweight and would absolutely make a perfect base layer or shirt by themselves, if you liked the neckline. They are all a crew neck which I don't love...but wanted to share...Melody, I'm sure you could find them in CO easily, if you ever needed such a thing and wanted to splurge...I think I'll be watching for a sale or some sort of discount...I'd like them for cool weather hiking/backpacking here.

Anita , There is a direct bus to Mendenhall Glacier . It is called the glacier express and it is really reasonable if you change your mind . I visited the nature center and it was also so -so .

Anita, your trip sounds like such a fun adventure! We have always regretted that we didn't have any time to spend at the end of our cruise to see more of Alaska. We have always wanted to go back to see Denali and spend some time there.

We flew over Mendenhall, and it was spectacular, but that was 20 years ago now. I am sure it looks very different. The helicopter seated five, but that was including the pilot. They weighed us first so they could seat us to balance the helicopter appropriately and not overload it. When you visit a glacier you can walk on the morain, which is the rocky part down the middle, though I would only do that with an expert guide to judge its safety. Our helicopter landed on it and our guide kept us from wandering off and falling into a crevasse. :)

Be sure to dress for the cold on your hovercraft adventure. The wind off the ice can be fierce! And I would leave a bit of time to explore Juneau on foot, it has some interesting sculptures and totem poles scattered around and a few historic buildings.

These two pictures were taken on the same day while we were cruising College Fjord. In every picture outdoors, I am squinting from the bright sun. In the second one, it was about 70 degrees and I was sheltered from the wind.

Anita , Just curious but since you plan on camping how are you getting your gear to Alaska ? Giant suitcase ?

Sally, lol.

I was wondering about the bear rifle. They're so big up there, a handgun just won't do. :)

Love those pictures Margaret! Absolutely awesome. The point is well taken regarding the need to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions.

Melody...I don't think we'll need crampons for the hikes that we'll be doing DIY. The Glacier Hiking is a guided tour and they will supply all the specialty equipment that we'll need, including crampons.

Sally...we will bringing our gear with us on the plane, checking what luggage we need to. DH and I were backpackers first...and then we gradually made the transition to car camping, but we still have our backpacking gear. Our equipment will be well suited to packing for air travel, because It's designed for backpacking, so it is still light and compact.

The cool thing about the Hovercraft Adventure is that it will be over by noon and the ship doesn't leave port until 8 or 8:30? So we can easily wear whatever we need to for our excursion, then get back on the ship to change if we want before doing whatever we want in the afternoon.

Yeah...Denali will have to be its own trip. That one, I will definitely do more research into picking the time of year to go, too. When DH and I planned our first anniversary trip to the Grand Tetons, we had to completely change our plans because the trails and ideas we had...we would have needed ice picks/axes, etc. to do the trails, etc., because they were still required during the first week of July. This is all still before the internet was so filled with info so this wasn't something we were able to find out easily beforehand.

Lol, I was thinking earlier...how are they packing a tent, sleeping bags, food, etc? It is still pretty cold there too?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Yes...it should be really good hiking and camping weather. Highs in the upper 60s. Lows in the lower 40s. That's very good sleeping weather and makes for really enjoying a campfire!

We'll be renting a car in Anchorage. The car rentals in Seward are ridiculous. If I wanted to do a one way rental from Seward to Anchorage, it would cost me $600 give or take for 4 days. I can get the same time frame from Anchorage for points, so...that's kind of a no-brainer right there. Having the car means that we'll be able to get our food supplies post cruise. We shouldn't need to take anything too extra for clothing...except maybe long underwear for hanging around a camp site, but that's not much.

It's going to require real planning and major list making and checking off to make sure that we know what we need, but I think it'll be just fine.

Margaret , Great Pictures ! I will have to look for a few of my Alaska pictures .

Sally, lol.

 

I was wondering about the bear rifle. They're so big up there, a handgun just won't do. :)

Somehow I missed this...but Mom saw it and started drilling me about bear safety and were we really going to have to worry about bears! So I had to come back and find this post...

Anyway...as a matter of fact there are a couple handguns out there that will do for taking down an aggressive bear. DH has done extensive research on this subject as he was very interested in being safe should we ever get to fulfill the dream of backcountry backpacking in Denali or any other wilderness type area in Alaska...or for that matter...any bear country backpacking area.

It's hard to backpack with a rifle...you can for hunting, but such a thing won't do you any good in the event that you need one for personal safety...because you need something that is more readily accessible...like in a holster. So DH has identified several guns that can accept what I guess is called a hot load, which is a bullet that has been modified to pack more punch than it normally would. DH dreams of having a 45 handgun and rifle...so that his ammo will be the same for both...and the handgun he has identified will take a hot load and be good enough for personal safety in bear country.

We will not be relying on firearms for bear safety. We will be observing safe practices for being in bear country...and our last resort measure of safety will be bear spray which has been found to be very effective. It's like pepper spray in a small canister that will blow like a fire extinguisher.

And just so people can know...many parks and outdoor outfitting shops in areas where bears are known, for instance, Yellowstone, actually have bear spray rental programs. So you can rent the canister of bear spray for a nominal fee and have it...and you only have to actually buy it if you lose it or use it. I'm currently looking for options where we will be in Alaska...I have found one already, but it isn't on our travel path. I bet I'll find one.

You can't take it on an airplane...too much risk that it will explode. It should be very easy to find in Alaska...but I'm hoping to find a rental program up there.

Most of the camping grounds have bear lockers. For those that haven't dealt with being in bear country before...you put everything that smells in a bear locker or bear bag...including things like deodorant and other toiletries...anything that could possibly smell similar to food, in addition to food. I've read so many accounts of people who think that they're cars are a safe place for such things...but the bears will break into their cars.

Honestly, while we will be in bear country...I don't believe we will have any issues. DH and I have been backpacking in bear country many times. I think aggressive moose were causing more problems than bears in one place...

And we'll be getting some practice here...DH and I are all excited by the ease of getting to various hike-in camping places here. Much more plentiful than in Georgia.

Meanwhile...I'm so bummed. Our Hovercraft Adventure was canceled. They are revamping the tour and not offering it at all in 2018. SO SAD. SO disappointed.

I have found a tour guide to take DH and DS out for a father son salmon fishing trip though for very reasonable...comparatively speaking that is...reasonable...HA! AND I've figured out what we are doing in Skagway...

And I've ordered some fabric samples of base layer Merino wool...because the clothing is so expensive...but I'm thinking that I really want a shirt or two...so I'm thinking about making myself one or two...

Anita, I hope you realize I was teasing about the rifle. I'm so sorry if it worried your mom. Our cottage in NJ is in bear country, and if one is knowledgeable and takes proper care (as you know) the bears are not a problem. The people are, sometimes, and you'd be amazed at some of the stupid things they do that end up with a "problem" bear being killed as a result. In our area, far more people die of drowning and heroin than from bear attacks. In fact I can only remember two in the last 24 years and both of those were people doing things they absolutely shouldn't.

I always think that if I were hiking with a gun, I'd trip and shoot myself in the leg before I'd ever get to "save" someone else. :)

Bummer about your hovercraft excursion. That sounded like a winner.

I only have our day in Cabo left to book, and I'm just waiting on an email from the sailing company. This weekend I have to be up at dawn on Sunday to book our Disney FastPasses, so I'm working on my list order and hoping for a good internet connection!

I exaggerated a bit on the drilling...but Mom was a bit concerned! LOL!

Getting up at the crack of dawn in no joke with the whole FP for WDW...I remember when we had a deal on the WDW dining plan...OMG...I was right there and ready to go to get my ADRs in for the restaurants at that 180 day mark...right when they opened at 7 am. This was before they had the ability to do all that they do now online. You had to call in...

My day was not what I expected it to be. I expected to be doing water Zumba today. I woke up & discovered a cracked front tooth (no clue how). Called dentist immediately & they called me back when they opened. Could I be there as fast as I can get there, um yes! They’d had a family cancel their appts due to illness. My lucky day. Get there & I’ve damaged 3 of my front teeth! I’m the proud owner of 3 new crowns [emoji30]. So glad the cruise is paid for & my dental coverage will pick up half the bill. Our dentist doesn’t give you a temporary he molds (by computer) your permanent tooth/teeth. Five hours later I was driving home. Melody

Sent from my iPad using Forums

My goodness, Melody!! And you don't know how that happened? I hope it is not too painful for you. I hate going yo.the dentist.

Anita, I am so intrigued about your planning for Alaska. I'm not really a camper, but I love to be outdoors.

I finally had a chance to get some pictures of the new dresses. I've mentioned it before, but I bring a lot of things back.

This time won't be different. Ice got some belly bloat going on, so I knew I wouldn't be thrilled. Plus I work later on Fridays so I really didn't take the time to think about proper bras and so forth. I was just happy someone was home long enough to help with pictures, lol.

The first dress there us no picture of. It was a rust colored dress with a shark bite or handkerchief hem. I could do it. It was a great colir but it wasn't my style at all.

Next up was a...print. the colors are excellent, just a smidgen of black. This eould be for work mostly with a brown blazer.

I'm on the fence, but it is pretty.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Then there is this one. Beautiful dress. My daughter said I looked too athletic for it, which I thought was very funny. I think she meant my shoulders weren't right for it.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Then there us this. I think the dress is prettier than it looks here. It's a better red than the last one but it isn't earth. I think it is a good fit in my wardrobe though.

I would love a softer bra.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Let's see...two left. Here us a really nice one:

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

And the there is this. I love the style and fit. It's a hard to describe color...too cool, I think? I'm not used to higher necklines unless I show some shoulder, but I think this isn't too bad.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

So I think it is just a mood thing so I will look at the pictures again tomorrow. What do you all think?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Melody , Sorry about your dental problems . I have enough crowns in my mouth to be considered royalty .

Laurie , I like the print dress, the green dress and the reddish dress.

Laurie I knew I needed one Crown as I’d chipped the bottom but woke up & half the tooth was gone! The other two were a shock. Sally, I’m right there with you as royalty!

I like the print, love the green & id like the blue one for me with a statement necklace. Melody

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Laurie...that's such a fun series of pictures because in a few of them, I can see your daughter in the reflection of the microwave! I can just picture you and your daughter having a good time with a whole trying on dresses/picture taking session and it seems like a fun thing...

I don't like the print dress. It's not horrible, but I'm not a fan of the sleeves...they are a weird wide length...they don't do the flattering thing that cap sleeves do and they are too wide to show off your nicely shaped shoulders...combine that with the high coverage on the chest...and I just think that there's too much fabric on the top part of the dress. I will also add that I just don't care for the way the graphic is on the chest area...having the widest part of that chest area graphic be the widest part of your chest...I'm very sensitive to the way graphics are on the body...and I'm not a fan of this layout. That said...you look beautiful. The dress itself is fitted and totally showing off your curves in a really nice way...but overall...I would skip that dress.

The only exception on that is if you were to be serious in wearing it with a blazer all the time. Then I think that the dress would likely be very flattering with the lines of a blazer over it, hiding the shoulder issue and the print issue.

In understand what your daughter says about being too athletic for the brown one shoulder dress...which makes me seriously wonder if you are a Natural Classic! I think you need a bit more drama in your style to do the one shoulder thing...Mom is falling into the Flamboyant Natural...and I think that touch of drama makes the one shoulder very flattering on her. They don't look good on me either though. I'll have to find the one thing I found before contrasting a Soft Natural and a Natural Classic...

I like the red dress! I know it doesn't high light your new shape as well as others, but wow, what an easy to dress to own. Very flattering and I bet, very comfortable. I don't think that red is as Fire as you think...it doesn't seem to overpower you at all...I agree about finding a softer bra...

The green one is pretty BUT I see a fit issue that I often deal with...that little gape in the shoulder strap. That could be hard to fix on a jersey fabric...I'm not sure. Would that go away for you with a different bra? If it didn't...that's the kind of thing that would keep me from wearing a dress...so while I think it's a nice dress, and I like the neckline...you'd have to know if you would be bugged by that issue and if it would prevent you from wearing the dress too, especially if you have other dresses that fit you so much better to choose from.

I like the blue dress! That's a great sleeve and a nice scoop neck. The fit is very flattering and showing off your shape. It's calling out for one of your fun necklaces! It's a very conservative dress. Knee length, covered shoulders, no worries about which bra works. Those are great dresses to own. You can dress them up more or less depending on shoes and accessories. For a blue...I think it's pretty warm...it's blending into your kitchen pretty well...and my eye still goes to you more than the dress in the photo.

Melody and Sally have just quick comments! I hope my more elaborate comments are okay...I just like to say why I like or dislike something.