The rush is on.
Well, it's supposed to rain while we're there
but hoping for a good time anyway.
My first time up there.
(07-09-2010 02:01 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Where in Alaska?
Taking a cruise. Stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau.
(07-09-2010 04:50 PM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 02:01 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Where in Alaska?
Taking a cruise. Stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau.
I did that on the Oosterdam. Went from Seattle to Juneau to Ketchikan to Sitka to the Hubbard Glacier. Then went to Vancouver for a few hours. The Hubbard Glacier is awesome. You'll have an awesome time, though that 7 days is the longest I'd spend on a cruise ship. I don't know how the squids did it with none of the luxuries on Navy ships. Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
in Juneau, be sure to go to that Salmon bake. It's normally a ticket sold as an excursion. Didn't make it to Mendenhall Glacier.
You will enjoy it. I promise you that.
(07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 04:50 PM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 02:01 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Where in Alaska?
Taking a cruise. Stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau.
I did that on the Oosterdam. Went from Seattle to Juneau to Ketchikan to Sitka to the Hubbard Glacier. Then went to Vancouver for a few hours. The Hubbard Glacier is awesome. You'll have an awesome time, though that 7 days is the longest I'd spend on a cruise ship. I don't know how the squids did it with none of the luxuries on Navy ships. Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
in Juneau, be sure to go to that Salmon bake. It's normally a ticket sold as an excursion. Didn't make it to Mendenhall Glacier.
You will enjoy it. I promise you that.
Thanks! Those were on our list, so I'll make sure we don't opt out.
(07-10-2010 06:42 AM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 04:50 PM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 02:01 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Where in Alaska?
Taking a cruise. Stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau.
I did that on the Oosterdam. Went from Seattle to Juneau to Ketchikan to Sitka to the Hubbard Glacier. Then went to Vancouver for a few hours. The Hubbard Glacier is awesome. You'll have an awesome time, though that 7 days is the longest I'd spend on a cruise ship. I don't know how the squids did it with none of the luxuries on Navy ships. Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
in Juneau, be sure to go to that Salmon bake. It's normally a ticket sold as an excursion. Didn't make it to Mendenhall Glacier.
You will enjoy it. I promise you that.
Thanks! Those were on our list, so I'll make sure we don't opt out.
Save room for some frosty beverages when you get to the Hubbard. Everyone goes to the top deck. The Oosterdam used to pump in water from the Sound (cold as hell) for people to participate in the, IIRC, "Polar Bear Swim". They won't let'em do that anymore, so they just lower the temp of the pool water. Nope, I didn't participate. Didn't want to lose my buzz.
The Hubbard-Notice the size comparison with the cruise ship in front.
The Polar Bear swim
Another PB Swim
Oosterdam
Going to the top of that mountain in Juneau (IIRC, could be Ketchikan)
What you'll go to Sitka in, their port isn't deep enough
The Sapphire Princess-this thing was badass
That Star Trek thing was a night club
(07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
Spent a summer in the Brooks Range (approx 300 miles north of Fairbanks) doing my geology field camp requirement. Incredible experience. I've heard the cruises are great and I'm sure I'll do one eventually but a chance to see the interior of the state is worth the effort. And to do it right, it DOES take some effort.
(07-10-2010 04:56 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
Spent a summer in the Brooks Range (approx 300 miles north of Fairbanks) doing my geology field camp requirement. Incredible experience. I've heard the cruises are great and I'm sure I'll do one eventually but a chance to see the interior of the state is worth the effort. And to do it right, it DOES take some effort.
Now that's a field camp! I did the Appalachians around Knoxville, TN.
(07-10-2010 04:56 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
Spent a summer in the Brooks Range (approx 300 miles north of Fairbanks) doing my geology field camp requirement. Incredible experience. I've heard the cruises are great and I'm sure I'll do one eventually but a chance to see the interior of the state is worth the effort. And to do it right, it DOES take some effort.
The first thing we looked into was a "Cruise Tour" where you get to go up to Denali. We thought, "Hey we're in AK, let's see as much as we can."
Only all the reviews I read said the tour packages were rushed, stressful, and overpriced. So, figuring this was supposed to be fun, I didn't want to spend 5 days stressing over every detail.
Hopefully some other time.
We're in SEA now. I think at least half the plane was taking a cruise.
(07-10-2010 08:39 PM)SouthGAEagle Wrote: [ -> ] (07-10-2010 04:56 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ] (07-09-2010 06:21 PM)Rebel Wrote: [ -> ]Spent 104 days in Fairbanks in '04 and 90 in '06. The state is truly an awesome site to see.
Spent a summer in the Brooks Range (approx 300 miles north of Fairbanks) doing my geology field camp requirement. Incredible experience. I've heard the cruises are great and I'm sure I'll do one eventually but a chance to see the interior of the state is worth the effort. And to do it right, it DOES take some effort.
Now that's a field camp! I did the Appalachians around Knoxville, TN.
And it wasn't actually "class" field camp. We had a project going up there with UAF for several summers and I assisted one of our PhD students. Four of us in one base camp for the summer, camped next to a meadow that was used as an airstrip during construction of the pipeline. Highlight was getting helo'd into Gates of the Arctic National Park (permission for that was not easy) and packing out after a few days in the most remote location I'll ever be, I'm sure.
(07-10-2010 09:10 PM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ]The first thing we looked into was a "Cruise Tour" where you get to go up to Denali. We thought, "Hey we're in AK, let's see as much as we can."
Only all the reviews I read said the tour packages were rushed, stressful, and overpriced. So, figuring this was supposed to be fun, I didn't want to spend 5 days stressing over every detail.
Yeah, you're better off. Denali has two things: An incredible mountain and plentiful wildlife. But the mountain is only visible 100 or so days per year and to really get a look at the wildlife you have to take an 8 hr school bus ride (in my case it was to see a bunch of critters I'd already seen even closer).
Lemme know how Juneau treats ya. I've never been, but I think I could live there. I want to visit Alaska something fierce, but I wanna drive there. Have fun yo!
(07-11-2010 11:15 AM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ] (07-10-2010 09:10 PM)DrTorch Wrote: [ -> ]The first thing we looked into was a "Cruise Tour" where you get to go up to Denali. We thought, "Hey we're in AK, let's see as much as we can."
Only all the reviews I read said the tour packages were rushed, stressful, and overpriced. So, figuring this was supposed to be fun, I didn't want to spend 5 days stressing over every detail.
Yeah, you're better off. Denali has two things: An incredible mountain and plentiful wildlife. But the mountain is only visible 100 or so days per year and to really get a look at the wildlife you have to take an 8 hr school bus ride (in my case it was to see a bunch of critters I'd already seen even closer).
...and that's after the 3 hour drive from Anchorage. We made it all the way to the river, where they normally stop all cars and only allow special vehicles like the buses you refer to. You can see Denali from UA-Fairbanks on a clear day. The Alaskan Range is majestic. Hayes and Hess over the Tanana Valley was a sight.
Have a blast, Torch. It'll be a great time. As others have mentioned, next time you might choose a "land only" trip. I went to Alaska for a week a few years ago - mainly just the Anchorage/Seward area. You'll love the terrain and scenery. One thing that'll also be surreal is the dim daylight at midnight. In fact, if you're going up there really soon, it won't get pitch dark at all at any time during the night.