Alaska - The Glaciers

The #1 attraction for me in going to Alaska was to see the glaciers so we booked an inside passage cruise. And I certainly wasn't disappointed!   It was really cool as to see the Hubbard Glacier and numerous, small ice flows in the water.

I liked that the ship stayed in Glacier Bay for an hour so we could take time to enjoy the natural beauty. And we were so lucky because that day we had the best weather of the trip and could sit on the deck and balcony and enjoy the breathtaking scenery!

While in Juneau we hiked to the Mendenhall Glacier. I was stressed out because the Forest Ranger told us that there had been some bear sightings that morning so I felt like my head was spinning on a lazy susan looking all around for the bears!

The shots of the glaciers below were taken on a prior trip by my friend, photographer Sam Markman. He did a phenomenal job of capturing the intense coloring and stratification in the glaciers.
For additional shots of this spectacular area, check out his work:
http://szmarkman.zenfolio.com/p877784342

Alaska - On Board Ship

The boarding process for our 7 day cruise was a breeze with us getting to our room within 30 minutes.

We booked 5 months in advance and were upgraded for free to a balcony room. I really enjoyed that because I've heard how claustrophobic those tiny cabins can feel without a window.

I loved exploring all aspects of the ship from the spa to the casino to the many dining venues.

We opted for anytime dining for our evening meal; which was very convenient because we didn't have to rush back to the ship when we were in port.
Overall, the food was tasty but the desserts were exceptional. And the chefs really showed off their culinary skills with the dessert extravaganza with over 30 different cakes, tortes and pasteries.
I had a lot of fun in the casino playing in 2 Texas Hold'em Tournaments. The free shows every evening were colorful and very entertaining

TRAVEL TIP: If you're a cruise virgin like I was, then I strongly recommend going to the Caribbean or somewhere warm for your first cruise as there were many features of the ship like the pool and outdoor movie theater that we could not enjoy because of the cold weather.

Also, you can get a spa service at a 40 to 50% while the ship is docked in port.

Alaska - Days 5-7

We left very early in the morning on Day 5 to head from Denali National Park to the Copper River Princess "Wilderness" Lodge.  It was quite an uncomfortable ride as much of it was on the Denali Highway, an unpaved gravel road.
 http://www.icdc.com/~neubauer/denali.htm

This was something I wasn't prepared for as we spent 9 hours on the bus!!   It made me realize that I hadn't paid enough attention during the planning phase of this trip and made me think of several key travel points to remember when planning for future trips.
1.  How am I getting from Point A to Point B?
2.  How long will I be on the bus or train?
3.  What do I really want to see when I get there?

I was very disappointed when we got there.  I'm not sure what I had hoped to see, but the location, while beautiful, was very REMOTE!!  I just did not pay enough attention to the word "Wilderness" in the brochures, because we were in the middle of nowhere for 2 nights!   With cold, rainy weather and most of the local tours costing $200 or more per person, plus several hours again on the bus,  we decided to just stay in the lodge and read.

 

Another important point I seemed to miss in the Princess brochure was that a large part of the Alaska land adventure is hiking and spotting animals in their natural habitat.   But the one day we decided to go for a walk in the Copper River area, there was a bear sighting, so I definitely stayed in.  One of our fellow travelers ventured out and had a run-in with the bear.   I could feel her fear as she recounted her bear sighting to us.    

On Day 7, another 8 hours on the bus to Whittier to catch our cruise ship, the CORAL PRINCESS!  I was excited about that as this was my first ocean voyage!  I was really impressed with the size of the ship, standing at over 16 decks high.

TRAVEL TIP:
Princess Cruise lines strongly suggests you pack one suitcase for land travel and one for the cruise ship which they will store for you.    That worked out great as I only had to lug one suitcase around.

Princess tours excelled in organization.  As soon as we arrived at a new hotel, we received an info packet with  info on the area, available tours and luggage tags.    They would deliver and pick-up your luggage right at your door.

TRAVEL TIP: If you're willing to eat early, the up-scale restaurants at the Princess Lodges all offer several early-bird dinner selections at significant savings!

If Alaska is on your Travel Bucket List, I would strongly recommend only 3 days on land seeing Mt. McKinley and Denali National Park!http://www.princess.com/learn/destinations/alaska/why_visit_alaska/wilderness_lodges/copper_river/index.htm

Alaska - Days 1-4

Whenever I travel I always try to stay as long as possible because I don't know if I'll ever get back, so we decided to take the Princess 13 Nights Off the Beaten Path Cruise tour.    I was so excited about this trip because I had wanted to go to Alaska for years and had never been on a large cruise ship.
http://www.princess.com/learn/cruisetours/alaska

We started our adventure in Anchorage and stayed at the comfortable Hotel Captain Cook, located in the heart of town.   The next day we headed by bus to the Mt. McKinley Wilderness Lodge, set so you can see exceptional views of Mt McKinley.  While that might not be the clearest shot of Mt McKinley (aka Denali), I took it!!   We were very lucky as we got to see the peak a few times and I know people who have traveled there just to see McKinley, but never saw it because it was constantly fogged in.   

http://www.princesslodges.com/mckinley-lodge.cfm

 

TRAVEL TIP:   Since a viewing of Mt. McKinley is the big attraction, the hotel has someone watching it 24/7 and will actually give you a wake up call in the middle of the night if the weather breaks and you can clearly see it.  (Remember - it's daylight almost 20 hours a day during the summer months)

 

I loved it because we took the Alaska Scenic Domed-Rail car from Talkeetna to Denali.   Even though it rained, we saw much of the beautiful Alaskan scenery and some wildlife.  I really enjoyed having lunch on the train and liked that each domed car had it's own dining room below.

http://www.alaskatravel.com/alaska-railroad/denali-talkeetna-dome.html

 

In Denali, we stayed at the Princess Wilderness Lodge.  When booking the land portion of the trip, I think we missed the key word "Wilderness" because this lodge was definitely in the middle of nowhere and rather basic.   We took the Natural History Tour  which was quite interesting; but the best part was the young man who acted as if he were a prospector and showed us the Savage Cabin.  He gave the entire speech in character and was just a joy to listen to.  We saw some moose and caribou but I was disappointed because no bears were out.

 

TRAVEL TIP:   Alaska is still quite cold in June/July.   Because of the rain and snow, I was freezing even though I had on long underwear and wore my lightweight ski pants; so dress warmly.    Here it is snowing on June 1st!!    http://alaska.org/denali/natural-history-tours.jsp

 

My BID!

I took my first overseas adventure trip in 1970 when my friend, Ruth, and I did Europe on $5 a day.  We visited 14 cities in 28 days!!

It was such a life-changing event for me that over the past 42 years I have spent thousands on travel and in 1988 even moved to Germany so I could more easily travel and ski throughout Europe.  Ruth moved to England and lived there for 10 years near London.

I've never regretted one dime that I've spent on travel and just cannot understand the mindset of people who feel travel is a waste of time and money.  I've been to 43 states and 23 countries, but there are still places I've not seen, so long before the movie the "Bucket List", I had created my own BID (before I die) travel list.  #1 on the list was Egypt, which I visited in 2008 and then Alaska.
But it just seemed that my dream trip to Alaska to see the whales and glaciers was just like an elusive butterfly and that every time I planned a trip something happened.

Well, my 2012 Alaskan Adventure seemed doomed too!  I had planned a two week land/cruise tour starting in late May and wouldn't you know it, I was diagnosed in late March with a blood clot meaning no air travel for at least 2 months, cutting it too close for comfort.

 But I diligently took all my meds, rested a lot and luckily, I had a team of pro-active, life-affirming doctors who allowed me to go!   Soon I'll BLOG about my exciting Alaskan adventure.

What about you -- what's on your dream trip list?

Surely, you have wanderlust in your heart for a far-away, exciting place.   Well, I challenge you to begin planning for it NOW!  Take action and make that dream trip just as soon as possible, because as that old cliche' goes "Tomorrow is promised to no one" and that's especially true for us Boomers!

p.s. -- there's always a way to make it happen!  In 1970, I funded my European trip with the insurance money I received when my car was stolen.  When I got back, I still didn't have a car, but I didn't care because I  had memories that have lasted a lifetime and fueled my wanderlust for decades!

MEDC

MAKE EACH DAY COUNT (MEDC) is my mantra for 2012.
As Boomers, we are in the twilight of our lives. For many of us, that means just biding time -- you know the feeling -- letting the days turn into weeks, then months and you can't even recall the last time you did anything that was remotely fun or challenging?

OR Can you look back on 2011 and recall many adventurous and exciting days? For me, 2011 was a fun-filled year that I'll share with you in some upcoming BLOGS; but what about you? Reminiscing over 2011 are you happy about the way you spent your time? If not, then challenge yourself to make 2012 even better by creating your own plan to MEDC!

You can make your life better and more interesting by taking small steps like forming new friendships or trying out an ethnic restaurant. OR if you're looking for a big challenge then work at becoming proficient at a new sport or learning a foreign language.

Have you created your "Bucket List"? If so, then you can "MEDC" by working on a few of those in 2012. For me, that means taking a cruise to Alaska this year!

YOUR CHALLENGE: Spend a few days this week thinking about everything you'd like to do and see in 2012 so that on 1 Jan 2013 you can fondly look back on an exciting and fun-filled year that you personally created by "making each day count"!