Trip Report: ALASKA. Northbound Hubbard Glacier. Millennium. June 22, 2018.

[hubofhockey]

Oh, a heads up for the Millennium. They just eliminated Qsine and will be changing it to a Le Petit Chef.

 

We booked Glacier Wind and looking forward to it too. Wow! Seven times? I hope the feeding continues.

[Italy52]

Oh, a heads up for the Millennium. They just eliminated Qsine and will be changing it to a Le Petit Chef.

 

We booked Glacier Wind and looking forward to it too. Wow! Seven times? I hope the feeding continues.

 

Yup, 7 times with Glacier Wind -- we book every chance we get. As for the bubble net feeding, these past two trips were the first times we have ever experienced it in Icy Strait.

[traveling1969]

Enjoying your "process". We see a lot of trip reports but the pre-planning is often shrouded in mystery. Thanks for the insight.

 

We just got back from a back-to-back on the Millennium and 2nd your idea for Icy Strait Point as a whale watching choice. We were undecided so we used our Northbound trip as a preview so-to-speak of what excursions we would do. We saw so many whales from the shore and from the ship while in ISP that we never did schedule an excursion. We saw bubble feeding twice during our walk along the shore. They were so close to shore; no more than 150 yards from us. We watched from our balcony and saw whale after whale as well as a bunch of seals.

 

As far as glaciers are concerned, we took public transportation from Juneau to Mendenhall Glacier ($2 PP each way). The bus drops you off about 1 1/2 miles from the park but the walk is flat and pleasant. Hubbard Glacier was spectacular. Lots of calving and we had sunny skies both stops. Got to about 4/10ths of a mile and wow, was that close. The noise was deafening.

 

At Skagway, we did Dyea Dave's tour to Emerald lake. Many in the van took the train on the way back but the fog was rolling in so our decision to do the bus up and back may have been a good one. We stopped in Carcross for lunch at the "Bistro" and had a great meal of Halibut and chips. Saw 2 brown bears, 1 black bear, lots of Dall sheep and mountain goats.

 

Just thought I would share that with you but it sounds as if you've got things well in hand. One heads up: keep checking for price drops as we started in an ocean view and ended up in a Concierge Class balcony with all 4 perks and all price drops were in the last 3 weeks prior to the cruise.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Harry

[Anita Latte]

Thank you. I'm sure we will Your thread sounds like you can't wait. I'm at the point of travel anxiety. Everything will be great when we land in Vancouver.

 

Al Bacio is a weakness. Sometimes I would skip dessert, knowing there's something better there than on the regular menu. My favorite thing about M class I suppose is that it has so many things that bigs ships have, but we never felt crowded. One of my favorite places is the bar at the AFT behind the Oceanview Grill. It's probably not great for Alaska (maybe okay for Vancouver) unless they heat it.

 

I'm pushing on that anxiousness! We're about two weeks from driving to the airport... Our kitty is staying home and being visited and cared for by a friend. I want to leave our apt in decent condition! And it's such a mess with all our preparations everywhere!

 

The last time our crew sailed together, we often ended up in Al Bacio to have a coffee cocktail. So yummy!

 

We have gone whale watching with Glacier Wind 7 times now and have ALWAYS enjoyed our experience. When we were there for the two weeks in May we saw lots of bubble net feeding both times --- seeing whales (tails & blows) always happens, seeing bubble feeding is a gift that we gladly enjoyed watching. Hope you have a wonderful time with Glacier Wind.

 

Bubble net feeding!! I saw a documentary style series on Alaska...showing the different seasons of Alaska and they showed bubble net feeding on there. I'd read about it before but it was interesting to see it all in context. Seeing it would be amazing!

[Anita Latte]

One idea for Skagway.

 

As you indicated the Railway trip is very popular but can also be fairly expensive, especially for a group of 5. We rented a car instead and drove across to the Yukon (Cariboo Crossings). The road runs almost parallel to the train and the views were spectacular. We had plenty of time to take our time and do a little hiking and had a great lunch.

 

The road is the equivalent of a U.S. Interstate and was not challenging in any way. You will need to make sure you bring passports as you will be going into Canada and returning to the U.S. This was no problem even with two in our party traveling on EU passports.

 

I've read of others renting a car. I'm glad you had a great drive! I've read that fog conditions can make the drive a white knuckle one in one passage but it sounds like you had clear skies! Nice.

 

Oh, a heads up for the Millennium. They just eliminated Qsine and will be changing it to a Le Petit Chef.

 

We booked Glacier Wind and looking forward to it too. Wow! Seven times? I hope the feeding continues.

 

We did Qsine on a previous cruise. It was fun, but it wasn't something that I would be so excited to pay for the privilege again. I've been reading about Le Petit Chef...I'm not enthused. So not tempted by that specialty dining option.

 

Specialty dining is a weird thing...it can be a nice change from the MDR...and I understand that...especially if you cruise often. I think some trips are more conducive to specialty dining than others. For our part...my nuclear family hasn't been on Celebrity since 2015...so even if the menus haven't changed much...I think they will still be appealing. For Mom and Dad, they were eating in Blu for one Millennium, Luminea for the second one...so being in the MDR will still be a different dining experience.

[Anita Latte]

Enjoying your "process". We see a lot of trip reports but the pre-planning is often shrouded in mystery. Thanks for the insight.

 

We just got back from a back-to-back on the Millennium and 2nd your idea for Icy Strait Point as a whale watching choice. We were undecided so we used our Northbound trip as a preview so-to-speak of what excursions we would do. We saw so many whales from the shore and from the ship while in ISP that we never did schedule an excursion. We saw bubble feeding twice during our walk along the shore. They were so close to shore; no more than 150 yards from us. We watched from our balcony and saw whale after whale as well as a bunch of seals.

 

As far as glaciers are concerned, we took public transportation from Juneau to Mendenhall Glacier ($2 PP each way). The bus drops you off about 1 1/2 miles from the park but the walk is flat and pleasant. Hubbard Glacier was spectacular. Lots of calving and we had sunny skies both stops. Got to about 4/10ths of a mile and wow, was that close. The noise was deafening.

 

At Skagway, we did Dyea Dave's tour to Emerald lake. Many in the van took the train on the way back but the fog was rolling in so our decision to do the bus up and back may have been a good one. We stopped in Carcross for lunch at the "Bistro" and had a great meal of Halibut and chips. Saw 2 brown bears, 1 black bear, lots of Dall sheep and mountain goats.

 

Just thought I would share that with you but it sounds as if you've got things well in hand. One heads up: keep checking for price drops as we started in an ocean view and ended up in a Concierge Class balcony with all 4 perks and all price drops were in the last 3 weeks prior to the cruise.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Harry

 

I followed along on your lovely vacation! I very much enjoyed reading about your vacation! And was excited to read about all the whale activity you were able to see just from the shore on ISP!

 

And thank you! Most trip reviewers do not go into the planning aspect of their vacation...which is one reason why I thought that I would write about it...especially for Alaska. I'm glad it's an enjoyment to read my process!

 

Since you mention it...Mom and Dad did end up upgrading their room. I will detail that event in due time, but they are in AQ now.

[GTFO_Lounge]

I'm very much enjoying your pre-review review. We sail on 6/15, so we'll pass you in Vancouver. :-)

 

You'd posted a while back on our roll call regarding bore tides, and I did a fair amount of research, but sadly, we'll miss the big one by a day, as we start our Cruisetour 6/12.

 

I saw you'd posted a question about the changing rooms and showers, and I'm hoping to give you specific Millie information.

 

BTW, not only will we be crossing virtual paths in Vancouver, but we're also state neighbors. Hello from Greenville, SC! LOL

[soccermommy]

Just to throw this idea in the ring...

We had decided to do Ketchikan as DIY, but, being one of the wettest towns in the US, it rained. Actually, it poured. So, walking around town had to be shorter than we wanted, and it's a very pretty town. On impulse, rather than take refuge in one of the many stores or overcrowded eateries, we booked a Duck Boat tour of Ketchikan harbor. I don't know what the prices are now, or if it is still offered, but it was fun. The takeaway from this is have a Plan B for a DIY port if the weather doesn't want to cooperate.

Hoping your ports have fantastic weather!

[Anita Latte]

I'm very much enjoying your pre-review review. We sail on 6/15, so we'll pass you in Vancouver. :-)

 

You'd posted a while back on our roll call regarding bore tides, and I did a fair amount of research, but sadly, we'll miss the big one by a day, as we start our Cruisetour 6/12.

 

I saw you'd posted a question about the changing rooms and showers, and I'm hoping to give you specific Millie information.

 

BTW, not only will we be crossing virtual paths in Vancouver, but we're also state neighbors. Hello from Greenville, SC! LOL

 

I'm so glad you are enjoying my pre-review review!

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip! I remember posting about bore tides. One thing that I have learned from all my research and planning is that I could very easily plan a land based Alaska vacation. No problem. I'd love to see that bore tide. I mention it again here!

 

I'd love that info on the changing room/s. We have such easy access to them...I can picture enjoying an afternoon dip in the Thalassotherapy pool...a bit of a relax in the solarium...and some primping in the changing room prior to our evening meal.

 

Just to throw this idea in the ring...

We had decided to do Ketchikan as DIY, but, being one of the wettest towns in the US, it rained. Actually, it poured. So, walking around town had to be shorter than we wanted, and it's a very pretty town. On impulse, rather than take refuge in one of the many stores or overcrowded eateries, we booked a Duck Boat tour of Ketchikan harbor. I don't know what the prices are now, or if it is still offered, but it was fun. The takeaway from this is have a Plan B for a DIY port if the weather doesn't want to cooperate.

Hoping your ports have fantastic weather!

 

I fully support the idea of Plan B. My ultimate goal is to acquire sufficient knowledge to enable educated on the fly decisions in the midst of whatever situation.

 

DH and I went to Kalispell, MT for one of first Thanksgivings together as a married couple. It's near Glacier National Park. We had hoped to do a bit of hiking but it rained non-stop while we were there. Finally, we just had to put on our rain gear and deal with it. We weren't able to do a major hike because winter access is limited but I still remember our rainy hike to Avalanche Lake.

 

A full on rain forest downpour would definitely be a deterrent to most touring plans. Glad to read that your impulse decision was a good one! I think a positive, make the best of it attitude also helps.

 

I second that hope for fantastic weather!

[Anita Latte]

Glaciers.

 

Several years ago, DS found a list of things to do before you couldn’t do them any longer. Visiting Glacier National Park in Montana is high on that list…the talk is that the park’s glaciers will disappear in the not so distant future:

 

https://weather.com/science/environment/news/climate-central-glacier-national-park-montana-melt

 

Glaciers in Alaska are also receding. Not all of them, it’s true. I know of ONE glacier that is actually gaining ground…but still.

 

Glaciers in Juneau became the priority.

 

Flightseeing is very common for glacier viewing. The ice field that landlocks Juneau is a spectacular sight from the air. Choose plane or helicopter. Helicopters let you land on glaciers. Bonus…you can learn about sledding dogs and even take a ride on a glacier! These are among the MOST expensive excursions I read about. And the most CANCELED due to inclement weather.

 

Mom wasn’t too keen on any such excursion. I wasn’t too keen on the likelihood of cancelation. Especially when planning what could be the high point of the trip.

 

But I must admit…I wanted to get closer to a glacier than the typical visit to Mendenhall.

 

There are more adventurous Mendenhall excursions…approach Mendenhall from the water. Kayak or Canoe. Some of these tours paddle all the way across that lake and land on the moraine. Potential wind can make that a hard paddle. Quite exhausting, I read. Regardless, kayaks/canoes and Mom don’t mix.

 

Next.

 

There’s the West Glacier Trail. You can hike the trail on your own…not really recommended. The forest service has performed many, many search and rescues on this trail. It has some precarious spots that are so rough there are handrails (like for a staircase) installed on the rocks, which are the slick-in-wet-weather pathless path.

 

You can hire a guide, with which you would also be able to hike ON the glacier from this same precarious trail. Rated Very Strenuous…6-8 hours. Again, quite exhausting.

 

There are two other glaciers that are somewhat accessible by trail. Eagle Glacier Trail. Herbert Glacier Trail. Still…not quite what I was hoping for…

 

The research continued…

 

Warning…I’m STILL rather salty about what I’m about to reveal…

 

I discovered the Taku Glacier Hovercraft Adventure!

 

You can’t even find the official information about this tour any longer. This video was created by someone who was fortunate enough to go on this excursion:

 

 

TripAdvisor reviews. Few other reviews. Another shorter video. This is a newer excursion and we were scouring all available sources for information.

 

First…we debated. Was it worth the splurge? $329 pp. We thought this was a relatively competitive expense for such an excursion…much more affordable than a flight seeing tour. Still similar in spirit to air transportation glacier excursions…but less likely to be canceled…and more nerve friendly than flight. BUT…

 

Second…Mom and small boats. Were these boats Mom friendly?

 

We decided yes to the above! We booked it on October 16!

 

So excited! This was our MAJOR SPLURGE!!!

Available through Celebrity...we did use our OBC toward the excursion.

On October 18, the excursion was canceled.

 

CANCELED!

 

What?!

 

We contacted Celebrity. We contacted the tour company directly…Allen Marine Tours.

 

The tour was being revamped. It just wasn’t financially feasible for the company to continue offering the tour as is. They weren’t doing it at all in 2018. They weren’t sure when they would reoffer the tour.

 

I’m still not over it. I must admit.

 

I just rewatched the video…Sigh.

 

I couldn’t even stand to look at alternatives in Juneau…I was so disappointed. I had to focus on a different port…let Juneau planning go for now.

 

I only share here because this excursion seems like an excellent opportunity for a group of all ages to get up close and personal with a glacier…without the physical effort that many non-flight excursions require. For a more reasonable cost than the typical glacier landing…and also with potentially less risk of cancelation.

 

Here’s the empty official web page…not sure that you can navigate to it without the link:

 

http://allenmarinetours.com/gallery/taku-glacier-hovercraft-adventure/

 

If you are sailing in 2019 or beyond…I would seriously check to see if this excursion is offered again. IF it is of interest to you.

 

In a bit of a backtrack…the hovercraft excursion wasn’t going to take all day…in fact, it was a first thing in the morning kind of excursion…so I ALSO had been researching what else we could do with our Juneau day.

[Anita Latte]

Docked in Juneau from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm.

 

That’s a long day! If we were planning on the Hovercraft in the morning…what else could we do?

 

DH is an enthusiastic fisherman.

 

It’s been years since he has actively pursued the sport. He prefers trout and/or cooler water fishing…which was hard to come by after we left Colorado in 1999.

 

Salmon fishing in Alaska. Talk about a dream…

 

And as it turns out, we will be in Juneau during the end of Chinook, or KING, salmon season.

 

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingsportfishinginforuntiming.main

 

Salmon fishing charters are NOT CHEAP.

 

And this is something that the entire group is not especially enthused to do. DH wasn't especially enthused to go off by himself on an expensive fishing trip either.

 

How to make my DH’s fishing dream come true?

 

I found Abe.

 

Shore fishing for a reasonable cost!

 

http://hookedonjuneau.com

 

I spoke with Abe on the phone. Very nice man. The thought was that DH and DS would have some father / son fishing time. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad and I would do our own thing.

 

If the dramatic difference in Alaska tides hasn’t already come to your attention…be aware that the difference between high tide and low tide in Alaska can vary by as much as 30’ or more in various places.

 

There’s a phenomenon called the Bore Tide. When there is an extreme low tide, the changing of the tide can create a HUGE wave! As much as 10 feet tall!

 

http://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-bore-tide

 

We wouldn’t be dealing with any bore tides…but the point is…when you are shore fishing, there are better and worse times to be fishing…especially as the timing relates to whether or not it is high tide, low tide, or slack tide (the time when the water isn’t really going in or out).

Back in October 2017, Abe said that his preferred tide predicting service hadn’t release their 2018 predictions, so he would pencil us in and we would firm up when the tide tables came out.

 

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9452210&units=standard&bdate=20180626&edate=20180626&timezone=LST/LDT&clock=12hour&datum=MLLW&interval=hilo&action=dailychart

 

For two days in October…we thought we’d be doing the Hovercraft in the morning…and then there would be some father son fishing some time later in the day.

 

We know that the Hovercraft was canceled…the fishing plan became the pivotal point for the day. For months, all Juneau touring plans were on hold while we waited to establish a firm fishing time. This was fine by me because I was still so disappointed regarding the canceled Hovercraft...I couldn't get enthused for any other Juneau plans.

 

Let’s fast forward…

 

The tide predictions are out and I’m trying to contact Abe.

 

No response to email.

No response to voice mail.

Repeated attempts at contact yield zero results.

 

I did manage to see a thread from December 2017, here on the forum, mentioning that Hooked On Juneau had closed up shop.

 

What?

 

What is WRONG with JUNEAU??

 

Moving on.

 

There is another shore fishing outfit in Juneau.

 

https://www.alaskashoreexperts.com/shop/juneau/alaska-shore-fishing/

 

Reviews of this excursion are positive. The experience appears to be dock based fishing. DH was not very impressed with the appearance of this particular fishing experience though.

 

Regardless. DH has latched onto the fishing idea. Shore fishing in Juneau is completely feasible. And seems popular with the locals.

 

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/PDFs/sport/byarea/southeast/jnu_roadside_map.pdf

 

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static-sf/Region1/guides/PDFs/jnu_fishingspots.pdf

 

Our thought is…if a local guy could pick you up and drive you somewhere to a point on the shoreline to go fishing…then why couldn’t we just rent a car and drive ourselves?

 

All you need is a strong enough fishing pole (strong enough to catch a heavy KING salmon), the proper reel (capable of dealing with the heavy braided line recommended for catching heavy Chinook), said heavy braided line, leader line, lures, waders, a bunch of other random fishing accessories like weights and swivels and whatnots, and the ability to get yourself to the fishing spot.

 

No problem.

 

The fishing license was never included in the original excursion cost. It can be obtained online.

 

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=license.main

 

Fishing regulations change year by year. For this year, at this time, sport fisherman can keep their King salmon catch after June 14. The early season King salmon fishing is catch and release only…which would still be appealing, just not AS appealing as the possibility of taking your own catch to a local processor to process and ship to home.

 

A bit about King salmon in the Juneau area…

 

This is what I have learned…and hopefully, I would pass the test at the end of the lesson…I will not provide a bibliography as my understanding has been gleaned from HOURS of research.

 

There are two King salmon runs in Juneau.

 

The first, the earlier run, beginning as early as April, but more likely May, are the native Kings. These Kings are born in the local creeks. After they are “born”…they swim downstream to the ocean. Along the way…the imprint at the various forks and possibilities of navigation…largely through smell. Apparently, a salmon’s sense of smell makes a dog seem nose blind. After an average of 2-3 years, these Kings will return to their native breeding water to reproduce and pass on.

 

In the beginning of the return, they gather in the bays and nearby ocean areas. They feed and refuel after their swim back home from wherever they went. They hang out for their last hurrah…and these are the Kings that the ocean fishing boats target. The ones having their last hurrah. When the time is right, the salmon head to their home creek to begin the famous against the current swim to the breeding waters. In the earlier aspect of this creek, the freshwater river fisherman catch still healthy salmon. You really don’t want to catch a salmon too far up creek…closer to the end of their life cycle…

 

So, this is the first run. The native Kings.

 

This year…and last year, too…these native Kings were protected by the sport fishing regulations. King salmon numbers are down. The populations aren’t healthy and the runs have been decreasing. Regulations are seeking to protect the Kings to help boost and restore the native King population.

 

Enter the fishing hatcheries.

 

I’m a bit fuzzy on the exact methodology…but basically, the latter run of the King salmon are the return of the hatchery Kings. These Kings were somehow raised, or born, or whatever, at the hatchery and then they are released at the local creeks so they can imprint on and return to those creeks in the future.

 

I’m sure that a visit to a hatchery is where you could learn first hand how the hatcheries do what they do. There is a hatchery in Juneau:

 

http://www.dipac.net

 

The Kings that will be returning to Juneau at the end of June and beginning of July are hatchery Kings. And they are fair game…able to be caught and kept.

 

Our research has landed on two creek feeds that we think are good candidates for salt water salmon shore fishing.

 

So that’s part of the Juneau plan.

 

We’re going fishing!

 

We have reserved a rental car with Avis.

 

The airport has car rentals. There are also two neighborhood locations that are nearer to the docks. One is Juneau Car Rental. The other is Avis.

 

Juneau Car Rental is a locally run operation that has the reputation for renting what I would affectionately call scratch and dent. The cars are said to be older, but completely fine. They have a good reputation and most reviews I’ve seen are positive.

 

We chose Avis because we could reserve the car online. JCR doesn’t have online reservations…they have an online request form and then they respond to your request. Word on the street is that JCR is very affordable and the least expensive Juneau car rental option. But DH has some loyalty status with Avis…and I could complete my rental online. It’s just a comfort thing.

 

The car will give us the freedom to also go to Mendenhall on our own time.

 

I believe that my earlier beef with the whole Mendenhall idea was related to the transportation to and from. The shuttles are expensive. $45 pp. They are convenient, but still. My first and only conversation with Abe shed quite a bit of light on that situation.

 

As to the crowds…Abe says that any time you have 5-6 ships in port, if there is anything worth seeing, there will be crowds. Tuesdays in Juneau are the worst. There will be 5 ships in port when we are in Juneau…and for every Tuesday thereafter, there will be 6.

 

As to the expense…Mendenhall is Federal land. Any commercial tour operator…the shuttles count as tour operators…have to be licensed in order to operate on Federal land. Apparently, the licensing fee has dramatically increased as the government has increasing concerns regarding the impact of tourism. They are trying to raise more funding to deal with their concerns by increasing the cost of the licensing fee for the tour operators as well as increasing the visitor’s fee (which did increase recently from $3 to $5 pp). Please note…my understanding is that the fee is for the visitor’s center…the trails are still supposed to be accessed for free. I’m getting mixed results regarding a possible $2-5 parking fee…

 

Anyway…I want to see Mendenhall…but my own personal cost benefit analysis was upset with the return on my expenditure with the shuttles. The local bus is a viable and cost effective option…and was my preferred transportation method prior to our decision to bite the bullet and rent a car.

 

And I do mean bite the bullet. Not so much in the sense of expense…more in the sense of logistics. I would much prefer to not deal with the process of renting a car in a port. This will be a first for us. I would much prefer to feel more “footloose and fancy free”, relying on public transport, than feel the responsibility of renting a car.

 

I have embraced the car rental now.

 

So many options are now available. This day is still a work in progress.

 

Fishing is a definite. Timing will be determined by the tides. It is said that the hour prior to, during, and immediately following tidal changes are the best fishing.

 

Meanwhile…the list grows as to possibilities for touring that day. Mendenhall. Eagle Beach. Jensen-Olson Arboretum. DIPAC. St Therese. Numerous hiking trails.

 

Our Juneau plans are more like an outline…we have learned several possibilities…we’ll let the day unfold and do whatever seems to be the best thing to do when we are actually there.

[Anita Latte]

I’d like to explicitly state that I do not think that my actual decisions are any kind of guideline…far from it. My motivation to share my planning is simply to shed light on how I planned our Alaska touring agenda.

 

I often find that I am a good editor…I see something, or the way something is done…I think how I would do it differently…editing more than creating, if that makes sense. My hope is that others can get that same kind of inspiration…seeing how I approached the planning of Alaska…and have their own epiphany for planning their own Alaska…

 

For my part…a driving force behind selecting what to do in each port was to plan to explore each port. Sounds ridiculous as I write it…so trying again…I had little interest in leaving a port to go somewhere else to sight see. Especially for the shorter port times like Ketchikan and Skagway.

 

For Ketchikan, Misty Fjords didn’t tempt me. I wanted to go to Ketchikan and be able to say that I had really explored KETCHIKAN. For Skagway, the Klondike Highway doesn’t tempt me. I want to go to SKAGWAY.

 

I fully believe that this is our FIRST trip to Alaska. What shall we do on our first trip to Alaska? DO. Key word. I am focused on DOING something…rather than participating in more of a passive sightseeing type excursion. (Watching whale being the obvious exception).

 

That said…There was one sightseeing excursion in Juneau that caught my eye…and was considered repeatedly.

 

During the whole research the glaciers phase of Juneau…in the midst of the Hovercraft discovery…I found a very, very reasonably priced Tracy Arm Excursion:

 

https://www.adventureboundalaska.com

 

I had a friendly email conversation with Winona Weber of Adventure Bound Alaska. She informed me that if we were to book before January 31, 2018, we could save 10% on each adult fare. I thought the regular price for the excursion was very fair! Saving 10% was even better. I don’t know if that offer is an annual early booking incentive?

 

The reviews of this excursion are, by and large, almost unanimous in their praise.

 

Word on the web gives the impression that this is a popular excursion for locals, too. Simple food is available for purchase on the excursion, but the norm for locals seems to take advantage of the permission to bring your own food aboard.

 

Pack a picnic lunch and go on a glacier sightseeing day cruise!

 

My concern with this excursion focused on the length of time we would be on board. Starting at 8:30 am…and returning by 6 pm. That’s a long day…a very long excursion. That’s great bang for your buck! Especially considering that this is the same price as the much shorter whale watching tour in ISP.

 

However…that’s a lot of sitting and standing…possibly walking around to reposition for a different sit or stand to DO a lot of looking…yes, it’s lovely scenery…but you aren’t really DOING anything. You watch a lot.

 

Reviewers echo my concern…admit to having the same concern…but say that the time passes quickly. The views are so engaging. So stunning. So breathtaking.

 

Indeed. Every photo I could see validated the positive reviews.

 

When I found the Hovercraft…I was excited by the opportunity to get out and walk around Taku’s moraine…and get up close to the glacier. I preferred to add that WALK super close to a glacier…touch the moraine experience to the sightseeing. Ride a hovercraft!

 

When the Hovercraft was canceled…we reconsidered this Tracy Arm excursion…but DH admitted that he was really looking forward to the father son time…and would be disappointed to miss that. Not to mention that we were talking about King salmon…he really did want to fish for Kings.

 

When Hooked On Juneau turned into a no go…when all Juneau plans fell through…we re-evaluated this excursion. But again…we were not enthused to just be sitting and watching the scenery go by. As gorgeous as that scenery might be.

 

This Tracy Arm excursion didn’t quite satisfy my objectives for my Alaska plan.

 

I admit that even as I post this link…and review the information for this excursion…I totally want to do this on a future visit! But I’m happy to wait for a future visit to do it.

 

I ask myself…what would I regret NOT doing on my Alaska trip?

 

For our family…we would regret not trying to catch a King in Alaska. It’s not just about catching the fish…it’s the whole fishing activity. It’s picturing yourself doing something you love to do…but doing it in ALASKA.

 

I have a photo I took of DH back in Colorado. He is thigh deep in a crystal clear mountain lake. The mountain and the reflection of the mountain in the water forms the backdrop of the photo…with DH a silhouette in the foreground. He was fly fishing and I took photo after photo trying to capture that moment when the fly line was soaring over head in a picturesque arch before casting onto the lake’s surface.

 

I need to update that photo in Alaska with the even more towering presence of the Alaskan mountains surrounding our chosen fishing spot. I’m going to stand behind DH and capture that moment.

 

I’ve read “What should we do?” or “Which should we do?” so many times on the Alaska forum. Everyone ultimately makes their own decisions. I believe that IF you can clearly form some objectives…some goals…some guidelines for what you want to DO…or SEE…while cruising Alaska…then you will be able to sort through the plethora of choices with confidence.

[Anita Latte]

Back in October 2017…I’ve abandoned Juneau for another day…time to focus on Ketchikan. The city websites are usually very helpful. Ketchikan is no exception:

 

https://www.ktn-ak.us/explore-exhibits

 

As previously shared…Ketchikan was looking to be a possible DIY port. I decided to focus in on the totems.

 

Reviews of the totems repeatedly mention that having a tour guide made all the difference in the world. I could totally see that.

 

The thing about totems is that they tell a story. Reasons for remembering a story vary…but the nature of the totem is to serve as a memorial for the storyteller…they are, essentially, an outline. They often are simply depictions of the various characters in a story...the meaning of the totem is only revealed as the story teller reveals the tale represented by the totem.

 

The totem is a work of art in and of itself…but the story teller completes the art by bringing the art to life…which was the purpose of the totem to begin with. It’s not just knowing the story…it’s hearing the story that brings the greatest of appreciation to the seeing the totems.

 

The Totem Bight website gives information on all the totems in that park:

 

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/totempol.htm

 

But contrast this information to reading the story of a totem that is on display outside the Totem Heritage Center:

 

http://csukach.net/legend-of-the-fog/

 

I made it a mission to track down the STORIES of the totems. I had in mind that we could all take turns telling the stories to each other as we toured around. I even went looking to see if I could find someone else that had already recorded them…like a podcast or something.

 

The best I could find was this book:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0295739983/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Meanwhile…I was researching guided tours.

 

My concern was that this was our first port! Is that silly?

 

This is our long anticipated first trip to Alaska…Ketchikan would be the first time we would set foot on Alaskan soil. I’m sure we could have a fine time touring on our own…

 

BUT…

 

The tours my family remembers the most from our vacations are those with a local guide or tour operator. We’ve been on small capacity catamaran tours in the Caribbean and while we can kind of sort of remember all the beautiful scenery (yay photos!)…we can ABSOLUTELY remember our conversations with the locals (no photos necessary).

 

It’s our most favorite part of the excursion! Talking with the locals AS we tour around and see the available beauty at a port.

 

I was wanting a TOUR.

 

A tour with a LOCAL.

 

Mom said…have you looked at Tours by Locals?

 

Huh?

 

https://www.toursbylocals.com

 

Now I was all enamored with the idea of walking around Ketchikan with a kilt wearing Scotsman that had moved to Ketchikan over 30 years ago and married a native Tlingit woman…whose father-in-law was a master totem carver and who also did a “wee bit” of wood carving himself.

 

OMG.

 

I could listen to a Scots accent ALL DAY. While touring Ketchikan?

 

Yes, please!

 

Sold.

 

I just couldn’t stop thinking about what a great day this would be. We could just rely on Cruin to know what would make for a great day.

 

My few email correspondences with him have been informative and cordial. Reviews are great.

 

We booked Cruin on November 29.

 

We’re looking forward to a great day! Liquid sunshine or shine!

[cakana]

My friend and I just returned from the Solstice Alaska cruise last Friday. Regarding excursions, we were extremely disappointed in the Ketchikan wildlife tour. We saw a seal, or the guide said it was a seal. I live in Northern California and have seen many up close, so I'm not sure it wasn't a brown rock. It was very far away. We saw a few bald eagles, also very far away. That was it. It was 3 hrs and $192 each. It was pouring that day, so I'm not sure what we would've done differently. We did the tram, trek and tea in Junea and enjoyed that. We also did the Skagway train tour. We rode the bus up and had a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. The views from both the bus and train are worth the price IMO. I enjoyed looking at the local artists' work in the shops in Skagway but it's definitely a tourist town. One couple didn't make it back to the ship in time for debarkation, so I'm guessing they found more to do than we did ;)

[Anita Latte]

My friend and I just returned from the Solstice Alaska cruise last Friday. Regarding excursions, we were extremely disappointed in the Ketchikan wildlife tour. We saw a seal, or the guide said it was a seal. I live in Northern California and have seen many up close, so I'm not sure it wasn't a brown rock. It was very far away. We saw a few bald eagles, also very far away. That was it. It was 3 hrs and $192 each. It was pouring that day, so I'm not sure what we would've done differently. We did the tram, trek and tea in Junea and enjoyed that. We also did the Skagway train tour. We rode the bus up and had a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. The views from both the bus and train are worth the price IMO. I enjoyed looking at the local artists' work in the shops in Skagway but it's definitely a tourist town. One couple didn't make it back to the ship in time for debarkation, so I'm guessing they found more to do than we did ;)

 

Such a disappointment for your excursion! Sounds like they improved though and you were happier with your next choices. Thanks for reading!

[Anita Latte]

At this point…

There’s a plan for lodging pre and post cruise

There’s a plan for Skagway

A plan for ISP

A plan for Ketchikan

And the beginnings of a plan in Juneau…

 

Still to plan…

An agenda in Alaska…

An agenda in Vancouver…

Finalize Juneau…UGH.

 

While my planning wasn’t quite as linear timewise as my writing about the planning is…my tackling of the ports was rather systematic…orderly…

 

Anyone remember the old Justice League? MEANwhile…back at the Hall of Justice…

 

Even in the midst of going through the cruise ports…

 

I’m researching the area surrounding Anchorage for our non-Denali DIY post cruise…SO MANY OPTIONS…warning, warning...overwhelming ahead.

 

I went back to my thought about fully exploring our cruise ports themselves…so I stopped looking EVERYWHERE and focused in on Seward.

 

SO.

 

Meanwhile…up in Alaska…post cruise…I’m dialed into and researching Seward specifically and Kenai Peninsula in general…

 

My family has been ordering from the Great Alaska Seafood Company for about 20 years. NO JOKE. If you haven’t heard of them:

 

http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com

 

If you are on their email list…they will BOMBARD your email daily…but the specials can be very, very good. IF you like seafood.

 

My point is that this company is located on the Kenai Peninsula…and we have been ordering fish caught in this area for years and years. The emails also often contain information about visiting their area for an Alaskan fishing trip.

 

Fishing…which had reared up in Juneau was ALSO coming to the forefront of planning up on the Kenai. DH was enamored with thoughts of fishing the famous Kenai River. Boyhood dreams of river fishing in Alaska were about to come true.

 

Salmon fishing on the Kenai?

 

Oh, yes. Yes, PLEASE.

 

Ohhhhh. So sorry. No salmon for you. It’s not salmon season on the Kenai during our visit.

 

I had found many, many local fishing guides for the Kenai. Hours spent reading reviews and looking at prices…studying the offerings…I picked one and made first contact.

 

I learned that the first weekend of July is really in between salmon runs. There was the possibility that the early run could run late…and the later run could run early. But the most likely scenario would be trophy rainbow trout fishing…and Dolly Varden aka Dollies…both of which are fun sport fishing.

 

Alrighty then.

 

All this fishing research for Juneau and Kenai was happening at the same time…remember that I had discovered that we WOULD hit a salmon run in Juneau…which I have already talked about.

 

So back in Kenai…

 

Trophy Rainbows?

 

Not a big disappointment. Not a disappointment at ALL.

 

So we are settled on a fishing excursion…and we know who we want to fish with.

 

Thoughts are the debarkation day, Friday, would be something of a chore day…get the rental…do some food shopping for the still hopeful cabin rental…maybe do some laundry?...do quite a bit of car travel…so just plan on this day being an unplanned day.

 

Fishing was looking good for the day AFTER embarkation…Saturday.

 

Now about those Glaciers…

 

There are some wonderful sightseeing boating excursions out of Seward. Kenai Fjords National Park is accessed almost entirely by water…Major Marines Tours was being talked about all over the boards…and word was that there was going to be a big Black Friday sale:

 

https://majormarine.com/tour-areas/kenai-fjord/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjN7YBRCOARIsAFCb935gDd6-6Bqazmz_39jVnjmzYC1dNcUDCUmGXHOzVLIe-iR1v7xcM2IaAiYEEALw_wcB

 

But again…we weren’t as interested in a sightseeing tour…

 

I saw a picture of a kayaker on pristine waters with not only one ice berg dwarfing her but several blue ice bergs scattered through the mirrored surface of the water.

 

http://liquid-adventures.com/content/bear-glacier-kayaking

 

DH was like…I want THAT. I did too…obviously…I found it and was like…look at this!

 

Ok, then.

 

Now we want to kayak with the ice bergs in the waters in front of Bear Glacier.

 

All this glacier research had also been happening concurrently…so while I’m learning about Mendenhall, Taku, and the others in Juneau area…I landed on Exit Glacier, which is one of the only areas of Kenai Fjords National Park that is accessible by car.

 

https://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/exit-glacier-area.htm

 

Unlike the Mendenhall Visitor Center…the Exit Glacier Visitor Center has free admission. And a free ranger led walk! (like in Skagway). This walk will take you to the base of Exit Glacier.

 

Could we hike ON the glacier?

 

Why yes we could.

 

https://www.exitglacierguides.com/content/ice-hiking

 

If we fish on Saturday…

Kayak on Sunday…

Glacier hike on Monday…

Fly home Tuesday…

 

If we pursued this plan...it didn’t make sense for us to stay in the Public Use Cabin Sunday night…travel to and from Seward for two days in a row? We should try to stay in Seward Sunday night…

 

Time to research all the lodging options in Seward…

 

Liking the idea of another cabin…I researched those first.

 

The nearby public use cabins were a no go. Access was the main issue. Great difficulties getting to and from the cabins near Seward.

 

There are several hotel type cabin rentals available. Cabins are separate but grouped together on the hotel grounds…furnished.

 

I was liking this idea. The thought of the private shower was very appealing!

 

There was availability. I had choices, but not many. And fortunately, on October 28, 2017…I booked the last available cabin for the night of July 1 at my top choice “resort.” Bonus…no deposit required. Reservation held with a credit card. No charges until we arrive. Cancel with no penalty up to 7 days prior to arrival.

 

Nice.

 

Now I was just waiting for December 29 to be able to hopefully book our public use cabin.

 

Then I would finalize the excursions.

[Anita Latte]

We are nearing December 29…the golden day. The 180 day mark. This is the day that I can reserve our public use cabin.

 

Has anyone been to Disney? I admit that it has been years since our last visit…but we were gung ho for Disney at one point. If things are the same…you can make all kinds of reservations for your Disney vacation 180 days in advance.

It’s nuts. But it's true that popular places can be fully booked 180 days in advance.

 

So I’m familiar with this concept.

 

We did a test run. The 180 day booking window isn’t picky about the days. Unless my window has perfect math…the June 29 booking window opened on December 29. No worry about 28, 30 or 31 day months. The booking window opens at 10 am EST.

 

I had read that these cabins fill out fast. I was concerned. We were very excited for this idea. I did have three possible cabins ranked for preference.

 

Cabins on Alaska state owned land can be booked by Alaska residents 7 months in advance. Non-residents must wait for the 6-month window. All residents are subject to the 180 day window for cabins on Federal land.

 

Have an account. Be signed into your account. Be loaded and ready to go.

 

It was like booking concert tickets on a presale!

 

My confirmation email is dated 10:06 am!!

 

Woo hoo! First pick.

 

I have since looked again at the availability of this cabin…it is booked SOLID for several weeks around our stay. People will be there before and after.

 

I needed to wait for a few weeks before being able to book our Alaska excursions. Cash flow… All of these excursions required a 50% deposit.

 

On January 18, 2018, I booked the fishing, the kayaking, and the hiking.

 

For the kayaking and the hiking, Exit Glacier Guides and Liquid Adventures are cooperative businesses. I believe that there are others as well…if you book more than one tour within the cooperative, you get a $30 pp discount on the second tour. At least…that’s what it was when I booked in January for July.

 

Everyone has a friendly cancelation policy.

 

Speaking of cancelation policy…

 

Three years ago, I injured my knee. I’ve chosen conservative treatment, which means that while many people with this injury have surgery…I have not.

 

I was already a bit overweight…the knee injury didn’t help that situation…and while I have been doing better and worse at times…last fall was a “better” time…and I thought the Alaska vacation would be a sort of motivator to keep after fitness through the colder winter weather. Sadly, it didn’t happen.

 

Point being…I don’t think I’m up for the glacier hiking. I’m nervous for it not only for my physical fitness…but also for the potential for further knee injury because I wouldn’t be quite as fit as I was hoping to be to go on this excursion.

 

I’ll be calling today to cancel the glacier hiking.

 

I’m so disappointed!!

 

So now…back to the drawing board for what to do this day.

 

I’ve looked to see if we could possibly switch our kayaking day so that our moving day from the public use cabin to the Seward hotel cabin would not have a trip planned…but kayaking is unavailable for a party of 3 on that different day…

 

Back to the fact that there are still so many options in Seward!

 

Back to what to do?!?

 

OMG.

[Anita Latte]

Going back to January 18, 2018…

 

Lack of a hotel reservation in Vancouver is making Mom antsy…

 

As previously mentioned, Mom and Dad have traveled through Vancouver recently enough on their Millennium sailings…they are shocked at the rise in hotel rates for June 2018. An increase of $200 per night for the same hotel they had stayed at previously.

 

Mom and Dad aren’t staying at a Marriot. The cash prices aren’t competitive. We’re only planning a Marriot stay because of points.

 

Speaking of points, I still didn’t have quite enough to fully pay for my stay. Even so, I learned that I could still make the reservation. I could buy more points (which was fairly reasonable considering that I didn’t need that many) or wait to finalize the reservation in the hopes of earning more points (I had until 10 days prior to our reservation to earn the points needed).

 

I made the reservation. I opted to wait.

 

Spring Break was right around the corner…we were about to embark on a 3500 mile road trip to a bunch of colleges in the Upper MidWest…staying at Marriot brand in Ann Arbor, MI; Bloomington, IN; Outside Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; and Cleveland, OH.

 

I was confident that we would earn the 5000 points I still needed over Spring Break.

 

Spring Break was rather exhausting…nothing like touring 5 different universities in 4 different states in less than a week. But I had definitely earned my points!

 

Excited to finalize my reservation, I logged onto Marriot…only to discover that I DIDN’T, in fact, have enough points. And I was shy by MORE than 5000 points!

 

What?!?

 

IIRC, on March 6, Marriot did a category update for their hotels…

Some locations went down in category…

Most stayed the the same…

And some went UP.

 

Our hotel location went UP.

 

Nooooo!

 

Finding and reading the fine print…If you have a reservation made prior to the date that Marriot updates their categories…Marriot will honor the price of your reservation as it was when you made it. You just have to call Guest Services. You can’t process your reservation online.

 

Yaaaaaay!!

AND...they will use your current points...even points that you earned after the category change to pay for the price established before the category change. Nice.

 

With the hotel finalized…we are staying Downtown!...it’s finally time to start planning our Vancouver agenda.

 

You know, the FIRST things we’re going to be doing on our vacation.

 

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad are out of the country. They have headed off to Japan to catch the Millennium.

 

Our plan in Vancouver will be MY plan.

[Anita Latte]

Vancouver. We are staying DOWNTOWN…taking advantage of what I have read is a very walkable city.

 

With convenient public transportation. Awesome. We don’t want to rent a car for Vancouver.

 

First things first…How to get to the hotel from the airport?

 

We could take the SkyTrain. The cost is very reasonable…but there is a special fee added to fares from the airport. Fare is around $9 pp.

 

We could hire a taxi. There is a flat rate fare for taxis in Vancouver. Fare is based on zone. I have to look to see if we are in the $31 or $35 fare zone. Tip extra.

 

Over on the Canada board, I’ve received quite an education in credit card usage in Vancouver...Canada in general.

 

Canadian credit card systems use chip and PIN. Not the chip and signature that is common in the US. Not everyone knows their PIN for their credit card. Here in the good ole US of A…that PIN is generally reserved for making a cash advance only. Most people don’t even have a PIN or think about using one with their credit card. PINS for DEBIT cards.

 

Most places will be able to accommodate chip and signature…but there are a few instances where you might not be able to use your credit card if you don’t have/know your PIN.

 

The kiosks for the SkyTrain is one such place.

 

In preparation for our trip…I changed out an old non-specific reward type credit card account to a travel rewards account. I wanted a card that wouldn’t charge foreign transaction fees. This was extremely simple to alter my already open account.

 

As it turns out, this travel rewards card is also saavy with the PIN situation.

 

All set there.

 

I did learn one more useful piece of information regarding the SkyTrain. A new ticketless system has begun. Apparently, you just wave your credit card at some sort of device when you board the train…wave it again when you exit. Your card is charged the appropriate fare.

 

The fine print on this methodology reads like each passenger must use a unique account. So, it reads like my family of 3 would require 3 unique cards so that there was no confusion in the ticketless ticketing system. IDK if I’m accurately interpreting this information? Regardless…I know we should be able to use the kiosks if we decide to take the SkyTrain.

 

When planning, I do like to pick a highlight. I don’t want to overcrowd our schedule. I want unplanned time for the trip to unfold organically as we tour around. I want to be able to pursue things that are of interest in the moment.

 

Again…not interested in leaving Vancouver…I went searching for a highlight that was in the city. Preferably, downtown.

 

Stanley Park is an obvious choice. It’s a HUGE park! But more than a park…it reads like it has the character of Central Park with various points of interest EXCEPT it is also an old growth forest. I think. That’s the impression that I have.

 

Many people rent bikes to tour the park.

 

DS has never been interested in learning to ride a bike. So he never has. If the bike seat is large…then I might be game for some bike riding…but typically, bikes hurt my bum. So…not feeling the whole bike rental idea.

 

Also…it’s a PARK.

 

Now I know that many people are excited to see this Vancouver landmark…but I think about all the scenery we are about to experience in ALASKA…why would I go looking for nature in the big city?

 

I want to see the CITY part of Vancouver.

 

I’ve been city touring twice.

 

For the first one…DH and I were both chaperones for DS’ chorus field trip to Chicago. It was school related so the kids had a performance. Visited Northwestern. Saw a performance at Loyola. Attended the Chicago Symphony. Visited the Natural Science Museum and the Planetarium.

 

For the city touring I planned…DS and I had headed north to help DH move out of his temporary apartment up in PA for when he was working in NJ. The virtual position had been finalized and the lease was up. We decided to use that apartment as a base for a week’s worth of city touring…seeing a bit of Philadelphia and a bit of New York City.

 

Taking a bit of a cue from the school trip. We visited Princeton. And Julliard.

We went to a free Philadelphia Pops concert.

Saw Misty Copeland perform in the ballet Gisele at the Met.

Saw Chicago on Broadway. (Selected in honor of the previous chorus trip…)

 

So I looked at the schools in Vancouver…while there are plenty…there weren’t any that DS was interested in seeing.

 

I started looking at shows. Concerts. Theater. What could we go see?

 

I found Bard on the Beach! The annual Shakespearean festival held in Vanier Park in downtown Vancouver!

 

https://bardonthebeach.org

 

As You Like It would be playing. This is a reimagined As You Like It:

 

“It’s the 1960s, and free spirits are escaping from Vancouver to get “back to the land”. This joyful tribute to love, laughter and music features 25 classic Beatles songs, from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “All You Need is Love”, performed by the cast. Come join in the fun! – you’ll leave the theatre with a song in your heart and a belief in our shared humanity.”

 

OMG! How perfect this is for our multi-generational, entertainment loving family!

 

One night worked for our schedule. Factor in the current exchange rate…and the fact that DS gets a student fare…this is a very reasonable trip to the theater!

 

Done.

 

This is our highlight in Vancouver.

 

There is a picnic dinner that you can preorder. Hmmm. Or you can bring your own. Hmmm. Then I learned that many people plan a picnic, but eat it in Vanier Park prior to entering the tents.

 

Picnic? That sounds fun…

 

Discover Granville Island Public Market.

 

https://granvilleisland.com/public-market

 

I was fortunate enough to take a TA with Mom and Dad in 2015. I left DH and DS at home and had some good family time with my parents. The TA was eastbound…debark in Barcelona.

 

I visited a wonderful market in Barcelona. I’ve never been to anything like it before. This Granville Public Market seems similar in concept. I’ve seen enough pictures…talked to enough people on TripAdvisor…a picnic gathered at the market is a popular idea for Bard goers.

 

Located just one mile along the water front from Vanier Park.

 

You can walk or take a ferry.

 

The water in this area is called False Creek. On the map, it’s a narrow ocean bay. There are two ferry services…but only one goes to the Marine Museum stop on Vanier Park. I’ve been warned to have cash for the ferries…

 

The rain plan is to just eat at the Market or on the Island.

 

The I-don’t-feel-like-doing-a-picnic plan is to eat at the Market or on the Island.

 

The Island looks like a fun place to explore!

 

About breakfast…

 

A trip report including Vancouver talked about loving the waffles at their breakfast…and not needing the big plate of meat they had also ordered. The waffles were so good and inexpensive…they wished they had just ordered more waffles.

 

WAFFLES??!!!

 

I found this article:

 

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/best-waffles-in-vancouver

 

DH LOVES him some waffles.

 

Everyone who knows DH for any length of period of time will come to understand how much DH LOVES waffles. And the DH waffle preparation…which is ritual like in its consistency and attention to detail.

 

The waffle must be hot. It is extremely disappointing if the butter will not melt. And EVERY SQUARE must have a bit of butter. Down the middle lines. Around the outer edge. And the syrup will be poured into EVERY SQUARE. They will be FILLED with syrup. LIFT the waffle so that you can pour a bit more syrup onto the plate…because a lot of that syrup will soak into the waffle…and you need more for smearing around each individual bite so that each bite is literally dripping with syrup…

 

I’ve watched this messy, dripping all over his goatee waffle dining for 27 years…

 

We gave DH a Waring waffle maker for Father’s Day when DS was 1-2 years old. I picked Waring because that was the brand in Hampton Inn. My waffle making hadn’t been very successful…and I blamed the waffle maker…if any Joe Shmoe could make a waffle with no problem at Hampton Inn with a Waring…then I needed that waffle maker.

 

We wore that Waring maker out. The overspray from applying the non-stick had corroded the little screws that held the top in place.

 

We bought a new one.

 

In our family, we are the king and queen of waffles.

 

I have the recipe memorized.

 

We are having waffles for breakfast in Vancouver.

 

No DOUBT.

 

Medina.

 

http://www.medinacafe.com

 

I’ve now learned that there are two kinds of waffles. Brussels and Liege.

 

What I have commonly called Belgium waffles are actually BRUSSELS waffles. Traditionally, they are made with a yeast batter. Not the baking soda that I’m more familiar with. They are light and fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside.

 

Liege?

 

I love the description from Smitten Kitchen, “Liège waffles are tiny, rich and intense; stretchy, layered and faintly crunchy within from embedded pearls of sugar and firm on the outside from that same sugar melted and trickling about the waffle iron’s grids to form a caramelized shell.”

 

Never had Liege waffles. Never heard of Liege waffles. Can’t wait to try some Liege waffles!!

 

Our family day in Vancouver will begin with waffles. We’ll have a bit of a wander…end up on Granville Island for another meal…and attend As You Like It.

 

Sounds like a great day!

[Anita Latte]

Arrival day in Vancouver.

 

My family is scheduled to arrive just after 12 noon. Mom and Dad don’t arrive until 8-ish pm.

 

My concern with arrival day relates to the time change. We have never embarked outside our home time zone.

 

Living in Texas, we cruised from Galveston. Living in Georgia, we cruised from Florida. But Alaska will begin with a 3-hour time differential.

 

Morning should be no problem…But I am concerned for evening staying power. We do tend to be night owls…but there’s something exhausting about travel. You do a bunch of nothing but sit and wait all day…and arrive tired. If we can manage to stay awake until a more normal bedtime…That will be a good start to adjusting our body clocks.

 

Having a clue about points of interest will motivate us to leave the hotel room…and the tempting bed / cable tv combo.

 

What to do? Something flexible. Planned but unscheduled.

 

Again…thinking back to what my family has done when we go to cities new to us…we like used music and book stores. Princeton. Philly. Greenwich Village. Ann Arbor. College towns seem to have the best stores.

 

Our hotel is near Gastown, one of the neighborhoods in Vancouver. It’s a historical district…and walking around it would seem to be interesting enough. A simple search shows there are 5 different music stores within Gastown area. And a great used book store just around the corner.

 

MacLeod’s Books.

 

I’m just looking for things that are personally interesting to us…a driving force to guide our walkabout.

 

Food and coffee works well for that purpose too.

 

I remembered that we did a city tour in Chicago. The guide was dressed in period dress for the Prohibition Gangster Heyday. He hopped onto our tour bus and we drove around the city while he told us tales. Very fun and informative. Not a major thing to do but a good way to learn a bit about the city.

 

Could I find something similar in Vancouver?

 

Of course I could.

https://forbiddenvancouver.ca

 

Forbidden Vancouver has several walking tours. The same in character tour guide idea. I liked the idea of walking around instead of being on a bus. An evening tours would help us stay energized and awake to a more normal bedtime. And we would learn a bit about Vancouver.

 

It was cheaper to book through TripAdvisor than the Forbidden Vancouver website.

 

I’ve found the Ports of Call boards here to be very helpful. The Alaska and Canada boards both have active locals posting. I’ve found them to be most helpful when you ask very specific questions. That starts a conversation and you can learn so much if you can get a conversation started.

 

Post tour booking, I learned about Tourguys freebie tours. The times offered don’t work as well with my plans…so no adjustment made to our city tour.

http://www.tourguys.ca

 

Our airline has since changed our flights…many times.

 

Our travel was supposed to start at 7:00 AM…changed to 7:30 AM…changed back to 7:00 AM…changed to 7:30 AM…OMG. When do the changes stop?

 

A while back…considering that early flight…at an airport located a 90+-minute drive from home…it was making sense to stay overnight closer to the hotel. We located a hotel park and ride deal with Marriot.

 

With the planned hotel stay…and planning on a shuttle that we’ll arrange upon arrival…I’m not concerned so much with transportation logistics…but I am concerned with food. Happy tummies make for happy travelers. A bit of food planning can save a lot of hassle and more than a few $$$$.

 

I’m also concerned with logistics of the single hotel bathroom, our party of 3, and a potential hotel arrival of 5:30 AM.

 

Our connecting flight has also changed. Our just over one hour layover has lengthened to well over three. The long layover in Seattle has me researching hotel lounges. Bingo. It’s reputed to be one of the top lounges in the country, if not the world. Reviews show decent complimentary food. AND there’s showers!

https://thepointsguy.com/2016/10/new-delta-sky-club-seattle/

 

Mom said that lounge helped her feel human again after her flight home from Tokyo. She advised getting on the potential wait list for a shower first thing. Be prepared for having a 15 minute time allocation for the shower room.

 

The current plan. Leisurely evening hotel room showers on travel eve. Pack breakfast. Pack a travel airplane snack. Prepare to take “morning” showers in the lounge in Seattle. Hit Vancouver refreshed and ready to go.

 

After checking in, whether or not the room is ready, we can lose the luggage and hit up nearby Gastown for a late lunch / early dinner, some used music and book driven shopping / touring, coffee?, and our evening walking tour.

 

The walking tour begins in Chinatown and ends in Gastown. Should end at 9 pm which should feel like midnight. Mom and Dad might be to their hotel by then.

 

The day itself will determine if we up for a nightcap with Mom and Dad…or if we just wait until the next morning for our first get together.

[Anita Latte]

Here’s the way our agenda is shaping up:

 

Travel Eve: Drive to airport hotel. (Need to think about packable travel food).

 

Travel / Arrival Day: Airport lounge layover. Self-guided afternoon touring in Gastown. Guided evening tour.

 

Touring Day: Waffles! Granville Island. Bard on the Beach.

 

Embark Day: ???? Do we want to try to do something?

 

Ketchikan: Tour with a local.

 

Icy Strait Point: Whale watching.

 

Juneau: Shore fishing. PLUS likely Mendenhall…Nugget Falls.

 

Skagway: Hiking.

 

Debark Day: Shuttle to Anchorage Airport. Chore day (laundry? Food shopping). Public Use Cabin stay.

 

Kenai Day: Fishing on the Kenai River. Public Use Cabin stay.

 

Seward Day: Kayaking Bear Glacier. Hotel Cabin stay.

 

Seward to Anchorage Travel Day: ????? Anchorage hotel.

 

Travel home Day.

 

Just a few more things to plan agenda wise.

 

Our first two week vacation EVER is almost planned.

 

We leave in less than two weeks!!!

[atlantic cruiser]

Hi Anita,

 

Following your plans with great interest! As a Vancouverite I think your choices for your day in Vancouver are good but a cautionary note regarding the walking tour. The Gastown part is good, but unfortunately the Chinatown part has become kind of a sketchy part of Vancouver just bordering on the downtown east side where you DO NOT want to be. Heck that out carefully as it can be unpleasant especially as you are walking. You will love Granville Island, the food choices,the bakeries OMG and the fabulous display of fresh produce and handcrafted wood carvings handmade jewelry is really interesting. The little ferries are fun to ride and almost mimic a toy bath tub boat in appearance but are very safe. Wish you had more time as Vancouver is very beautiful.oh and there is a fabulous walk around the perimeter of Stanley Park with great. Iews of the ocean and mountains. I so hope you enjoy your visit. I will pray to the rain Gods to stay away.

 

Rhonda:)

[Italy52]

Hi Anita, glad to hear your Marriott Vancouver reservations turned out OK for you all. We usually stay at the Marriott Pinnacle and love it. I am now starting my planning for 2019 and got the e-mail about the Marriott points going up for the stays --- Ugh. Keeping my fingers crossed that we won't be hit too badly point-wise for our future stays. BTW taxi cost from Vancouver Airport to Marriott Pinnacle will be $35 plus tip.

[Jim_Iain]

Regarding your change in flight from Delta. I had the same thing happen to me on Delta.

 

Delta has a policy that if they change your flight time by over one hour you can call them and they will change it if a better flight is available at no charge.

 

In my case they had cancelled our Non-Stop flight from San Jose to Anchorage and re-routed us on a flight with a 4 hour lay over in Seattle arriving an 10:00 PM. When I called they found a flight leaving around 11 am getting in around 5PM. It was perfect and had been an alternative but was much more expensive. They switched us to the new flight free of charge. BTW my flight isn't until September.

 

Might be worth your time to check in with them.

[Anita Latte]

Hi Anita,

 

Following your plans with great interest! As a Vancouverite I think your choices for your day in Vancouver are good but a cautionary note regarding the walking tour. The Gastown part is good, but unfortunately the Chinatown part has become kind of a sketchy part of Vancouver just bordering on the downtown east side where you DO NOT want to be. Heck that out carefully as it can be unpleasant especially as you are walking. You will love Granville Island, the food choices,the bakeries OMG and the fabulous display of fresh produce and handcrafted wood carvings handmade jewelry is really interesting. The little ferries are fun to ride and almost mimic a toy bath tub boat in appearance but are very safe. Wish you had more time as Vancouver is very beautiful.oh and there is a fabulous walk around the perimeter of Stanley Park with great. Iews of the ocean and mountains. I so hope you enjoy your visit. I will pray to the rain Gods to stay away.

 

Rhonda:)

 

Thank you for the input! Very good to read! The walking tour is guided so it will be a group. I had read that Chinatown wasn't the greatest now...and that there's actually an area closer to Richmond? that is more Chinatown-esque that Chinatown? That there was a bunch of movement out to that area? Most of the recommended Chinese food restaurants seem to be out that way too...

 

I'm hoping that with the tour group...it will avoid the more unsavory areas...the tour is highly rated also, so that was increasing my confidence in the tour route. It is supposed to start in Cathedral Square and then end up in Maple Tree Square. What do you think about the likely route that will take?

 

I'm very excited for Granville Island. Mom and Dad walked all over Stanley Park when they were in Vancouver last fall. Mom said they walked so much, they wore her out...she couldn't stand to walk to dinner! I don't want to wear us out as we do have a bit of walking in most of our ports planned. And we're dealing with some knee issues between DH and myself.

 

I've read many great things about Vancouver. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. I hope this is just our first visit there.