Alaska June 11-18, 2012 - Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

[ehagerty]

Eventually, I will retrofit this first post with a Table of Links, .... and a better introduction ... but for now, I will just start posting pictures...

The always beautiful, ever impressive Tracy Arm - one of 4 "calvings" we saw (the white spray at the waterline)

... and for those who are into all things Alaska, click here for a link to last year's complete report on the disboards

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Table of Links


Amtrak - Buffalo NY to Seattle, WA

A Day in Seattle before the Cruise

Seattle - Out and About on the Town

Embarking on the Wonder

Skagway - White Pass Railroad and Bike Down from Fraser Pass

Skagway, continued

Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier

Juneau - Whale Watching

Juneau - Whale Watching, continued

Ketchikan - Snorkeling

Ketchikan - Snorkeling, part 2

Ketchikan - Snorkeling conclusion

Tracy Arm Part 1

Tracy Arm Part 2

Tracy Arm Part 3

Tracy Arm Part 4

Tracy Arm Part 5

Tracy Arm Part 6

Issac Walton Inn - Our Caboose

Issac Walton Inn

Issac Walton - Dining, Decorations, Surroundings

Issac Walton - walking outside

Caboose Kids....

Glacier National Park (GNP) - Getting started

Glacier National Park - Part 2

Glacier National Park - continued

Glacier National Park - Logan Pass

Glacier National Park, conclusion



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[ehagerty]

This was a multi-segment, multi-family vacation - starting with taking the train to Seattle......

My parents are seasoned train travellers - although their last train trip was nearly 20 years ago! This was a first for my older sister - and an opportunity to relax with my youngest brother's family.

Waiting in the train station - DS22, DS24

Bringing our luggage on the train

Settling into our seats - DS22

Breaking out the deck of cards

.... in the lounge car - DN9, DB40-ish

Dining while watching the small towns go by - DB, DN6 (Maucaley Caulkin look-alike - should play him in "Son of Home Alone")

Relaxing with mom (who is not cooking, or at work) - DN11, DSiL

Enjoying complimentary champagne

Or dinner, with a free bottle of wine given away at a wine and cheese tasting

Sidebar - the wine tasting was a real slice - the attendants literally read the label on the back of the bottle - unfortunately, on this particular bottle, what was written as "with notes of anise" was read aloud as "with notes of anus", which resulted in no end of merriment and riffing at our table ("well, that stinks" - "must be a crappy wine"... you get the idea) - weeks later, it still makes me laugh out loud - as a matter of fact, the malaprop was such a hit, I really think they should read it that way every time, on purpose!​

Breakfast, in anticipation of sailing with Mickey

Looking out the back of the train

Sunset over Montana

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[iloverags2]

I absolutely adore riding the train! Took a trip from Miami to Oakland (via D.C. and Chicago) and was just plastered to the window in my sleeper for much of the trip. So beautiful to watch nature unspoiled. On my return, two gentleman who were in the same sleeper car as me were also on a Miami to Chicago trip with me about a year prior...and we all remembered each other! That was fun, and we ate pretty much all our meals together.

Ok, getting back to your trip...looking forward to hearing all about Alaska!

 

[ehagerty]

I absolutely adore riding the train! Took a trip from Miami to Oakland (via D.C. and Chicago) and was just plastered to the window in my sleeper for much of the trip. So beautiful to watch nature unspoiled. On my return, two gentleman who were in the same sleeper car as me were also on a Miami to Chicago trip with me about a year prior...and we all remembered each other! That was fun, and we ate pretty much all our meals together.

Ok, getting back to your trip...looking forward to hearing all about Alaska!

That was pretty much my summary from my VIA Rail trip from Toronto to Vancouver last year! I could do a comparison of various dimension between the two experiences, but most people don't have the ease of that option like we do, living near Niagara Falls, NY.

Hope you enjoy the "ride" of the trip report. I have many pictures to post!

 

[ehagerty]

Well - we arrived at the Amtrak station around 11:00 - about one half hour after scheduled arrival. This was pretty good, but not quite perfect for my mega-plan for the car service to shuttle 12 people in relays of 4 people from train station to Pan Pacific Hotel to Church (St James Cathedral for noon Mass) and back. 3 of us missed Mass, but we accepted the fact the 9 made it as a very good thing. Nonetheless, by the time everyone returned from Mass, paid the driver, etc we were more than willing to do something easy for lunch - like go downstairs from the Pan Pacific to the Whole Foods in the same complex for lunch.

Whole Foods for lunch - had something for everyone.....

...for my brother's family, it had variety and familiarity (since they live in proximity to one in Columbus Ohio)

.... for my parents and sister - it had variety and quality

... for my sons (and brother, and father), it had an excellent range of beers

... for DH, it had COFFEE

... and for a friend of 40+ years (who lives in Seattle), it had a time a place to visit (one of these days, I will learn to stop providing verbal directions, hence the lip pucker, to the photographer with my camera, before the shot is taken.... I have a LOT of this type of picture....)

We were also very happy with our Priceline Pan Pacific, both on quality and price

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[ehagerty]

Our day-time view from the Pan Pacific

Exploring Seattle - on foot

DN11 showing her track form

Taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island (bought a "ten pack" - worked out to about $6.20 per person, round trip)

I have to say, I have been in Seattle 4 days in my life. Each of those days was (a) sunny, (b) 70's, and (c) had a clear view of Mt Rainier. My friend says this is not normal...

Seattle skyline

Walking the piers at sunset

View of the needle from our hotel room, at night

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[iloverags2]

Gorgeous shots of Mt. Rainier! And I totally agree with Whole Foods - it's one of those places everyone can find something in.

30 minutes late on Amtrak? That's pretty darn good!

 

[jedijill]

You take some of the most beautiful photographs. Can't wait to see and hear more.

Jill in CO

 

[ehagerty]

I was not expecting this, but there was a complimentary (free!!) shuttle from the Pan Pacific to Pier 91. I went down to get more details and there was a shuttle leaving then with one other person. I hopped in with the intention of getting the checkin process started at the pier, calling back to the other "planners" with this happy state of affairs.


The check-in facility was more Disney-like than the Vancouver set-up...

Boarding is via ramp...

...but once on board, there are many familiar scenes / images...

As well as views you can only see from Seattle

Looking back toward Seattle, after leaving the harbor (needle on left, Rainier on right)

 

[ehagerty]

Gorgeous shots of Mt. Rainier! And I totally agree with Whole Foods - it's one of those places everyone can find something in.

30 minutes late on Amtrak? That's pretty darn good!

Thanks - do you take Amtrak often?

 

[ehagerty]

You take some of the most beautiful photographs. Can't wait to see and hear more.

Jill in CO

Thank you - I remember you from another post (Dec 2010 - complimenting a CM from your town) - many more pictures to come!

 

[Luv2Diz]

Looking forward to more of your TR!

 

[RGirl]

Joining in! It is so fun to read a big-family report like this! And I could have read an entire TR about your train journey. I have always wanted to do one - maybe DD and I will book a train trip sometime. Could be fun!

I have to say, I have been in Seattle 4 days in my life. Each of those days was (a) sunny, (b) 70's, (c) clear view of Mt Rainier. My friend says this is not normal...

As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I agree with your friend!! That is truly remarkable.

 

[iloverags2]

The terminal definitely looks a step above Vancouver! And more gorgeous shots of Seattle and Mt. Rainier.

Thanks - do you take Amtrak often?

I have not been on Amtrak in a few years, but when I was going to school in Miami, and also when I first moved to Jacksonville after that, it was my mode of transportation back home to Chicago. I love the train! Nature unspoiled (Pennsylvania is incredible), and very difficult for anyone to find me for a few days! Peace, quiet, and relaxation! And the stop in Washington D.C. was always a treat. I typically visited one museum/site during each stop. Capitol Building, Smithsonian Museums, White House, etc. And to this day, I still think D.C.'s First Class Lounge is the best!

 

[scrapbooker79]

I was not expecting this, but there was a complimentary shuttle from the Pan Pacific to Pier 91. I went down to get more detals and there was a shuttle leaving then with one other person. I hopped in with the intention of getting the checkin process started at the pier, calling back to the other "planners" with this happy state of affairs.

I was on the June 11th to Alaska, too! As a resident of the Seattle area, I can't believe what a bonehead I am for not getting pictures of Mt Rainier!!! I'm a first-time cruiser, and was still taking it all in. We got separated from my sister, my daughter, and my mom, so I spent the sail away party on the upper deck looking for them. I wish I would have gotten better pics, because the day we left Seattle has the best weather of the whole trip! (and actually, I feel we got really lucky with the weather in the ports. Ketchikan was the only city we had rain! )

 

[Annabell]

Your pictures are really good ! Looking forward to see more... thanks for posting.

 

[ehagerty]

I was on the June 11th to Alaska, too! As a resident of the Seattle area, I can't believe what a bonehead I am for not getting pictures of Mt Rainier!!! I'm a first-time cruiser, and was still taking it all in. We got separated from my sister, my daughter, and my mom, so I spent the sail away party on the upper deck looking for them. I wish I would have gotten better pics, because the day we left Seattle has the best weather of the whole trip! (and actually, I feel we got really lucky with the weather in the ports. Ketchikan was the only city we had rain! )

PLEASE - feel free to chime in and comment on any post - you were THERE! Hope you enjoy the opportunity to "re-live" the experience through the pictures (all of which, by the way, are available to "copy" from disboards - I am not sensitive about people taking copies for themselves - assuming it is for personal use, of course!)

 

[ehagerty]

Your pictures are really good ! Looking forward to see more... thanks for posting.

Thank you for the encouragement. I sit here with a backlog of MANY Disney-related photos, and this helps me focus on where the interest is!

 

[ehagerty]

For reference, we had more sunshine last year - I did not mind the gray or mist, I just decided not to bother standing on the platform of the train for the ascent (like I did last year) as I was unlikely to get better pictures. So, if you want beautiful pictures from the railroad climbing TO Fraser Pass,

Click Here for Table of Links to 2011 Alaska pictures

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You can't let weather be a "factor" on vacation in Alaska (or, Seattle, apparently, for that matter). Go with what you get (be open to anything).

One of the interesting dimensions to port in Alaska, is that, with mountains all around you, everything is "close in" - the dock is very close to the mountain

The rail line is very close to the dock / mountain

We elected to repeat the bike ride down the mountains (little over 3000 ft) because (a) we enjoyed it last year and (b) my brother likes to bike and he was not with us last year. We got off the train in Fraser Pass (relatively high elevation for the area - note sub-alpine vegetation....)

We don our helmets and choose our bikes

...get our instructions (minimal)

and survey the route

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[ehagerty]

For the engineers in the audience, this "one sided" bridge was designed to connect two tectonic plates, which are likely to shift. With this design, the bridge is more likely to withstand a shift. My DB is a civil engineer for roads - he was most interested.....

There are planned stops for pictures

... this one, across the valley

Here, the White Pass train we took to Fraser Pass earlier, is on its descent back to Skagway. This view, across the valley...

Same train, but with the passenger cars rather than the locomotive...

Back in Skagway, DS takes a photo of a vintage car like his future grandfather-in-law has...

... and shows the scale of the snow-remover apparatus..

...fun with statues

... the newly added Wonder painting on the rocks by the ship

and a sense of place, returning to the ship

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