Transportation
Created by Paris Traveler
Fri 05/09/08 (day 1)
Genesis of Our Trip to Alaska
I should start by pointing out that my wife and I love to travel and see new places. Its a big world out there and there are lots of foreign countries with many historic places and things to see. But the USA has plenty to offer as well, and if I'm going to visit other countries I want to also visit my own and see all 50 states. So far, I have been to 40 and Alaska is one of the last 10 I have left to see.
Alaska has been on my list of places to see for quite a while. And as I knocked off the places ahead of Alaska, one by one, it slowly kept moving up to the top of the list. Then one day my wife announced that there was going to be a family wedding in southern Oregon in May and she wanted us to go. That started the wheels turning and I figured if I was going to be right down the street, so to speak, that it was the perfect time to ease on up the road a bit to Alaska, being so close. My bad......Portland is only about half-way and its just as far from Atlanta to Portland (2,718 mi.) as it is from Portland to Anchorage (2,644 mi.). But it was too late. I had my excuse and I began my search for the perfect cruise/tour to Alaska.
The first thing I had to do was find a way to work around the wedding date and it was clear early on that the trip had to come after the May 10th wedding date. It was almost too early for a trip to Alaska and the earliest date I could find was May 12th, but that left no time to visit family and my wife has never been to Portland or Seattle, Washington so I wanted to work in some time to show her Portland and Seattle. There was a trip leaving on May 15th and that gave me just enough time to squeeze in everything.
So, our trip begins with a wedding in Grants Pass, Oregon, followed by a 101-mile drive up the Oregon coast to Portland and a day in Seattle before we fly to Anchorage. The 12-day cruise/tour makes it an 18-day trip ending on Memorial Day, 2008.
Planned Activities
Sat 05/10/08 (day 2) - Grants Pass
Thing to Do
Sun 05/11/08 (day 3) - Grants Pass
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Thing to Do
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Shopping
Shopping
Mon 05/12/08 (day 4) - Portland
Thing to Do
City
Restaurant
Tue 05/13/08 (day 5) - Seattle
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Transportation
Thing to Do
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Restaurant
Your article caught my attention very easily since I too am making a somewhat similar journey, except that I am flying into Vancouver from California where I will stay with friends for five days. This should be a special time, because they are very dear life-long friends and I have a close association with their children and families.
Using the Holland America Line the ship leaves Vancouver on May 25, reaching Anchorage on June 1st with shore expeditions taking place in Ketchikan (Crab fishing in the Bering Sea), Juneau (Whalewatching, standing on a glacier, salmon meal), Skagway (White Pass narrow gauge rail trip into Canada, gold panning and tour of mining camp). I too have included the travel insurance as a precaution.
Now my dilemma begins - wouldn't you know around the day I arrive in Anchorage hotel rates zoom. I had initially intended staying at The Captain Cook but with the inflated price now $120 more per day, decided to try a good, but less expensive hotel - one hopefully with a good view of Cook Inlet. This is where I am right now, since I too wanted to tour Dinali National Park and especially see Mt. McKinley, the top of which, I understand, is covered in clouds and/or mist for 70 percent of the time, so of course there is no guarantee that this would be realised.
Since I am an older single woman, traveling alone, I wish to see as much as possible, within safe parameters. Betwixt and between - should I make the trip to Denali and hope that Mt. McKinley's pinnacle is not hidden. This should encompass four days (two days travel time), or should I stay anchored in Anchorage and take a flight over Mt. McKinley and at the same time get to know that city. I have a ten paged list of things to do around that area, so I know I won't be bored - tired maybe! But those four days will be all the time I can take for my Alaska land trip, flying directly back to California.
Your trip sounds terrific - all of it, so hope you and your wife have a wonderful time - how can you not!
I am hoping for some advice from those who have first-hand experience along these lines and will appreciate any relevant help forthcoming. Thanks in advance for your assistance.