dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
But You Have Promised Me A Subtropical Paradise
- Thread starter dolphingirl47
- Start date
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
When we got to the summit, there was still a lot of snow. In the middle of the snow was a mountain stream with water in the most unusual shade of green-blue. Our guide told us with considerable glee that there is a tradition that staff working their first season on the White Pass Railroad take a dip in this mountain stream on their last trip of the season. He sounded even happier when he told us that he and one other member of staff on this train had their dip the previous September, but the third member of staff on this train had this pleasure to come at the end of the season. We were stopped at the summit for a while. They had to switch the engine to the other end of the train and we had to wait for a second train to come past that had come from the Canadian side. They asked us to switch sides for the trip down the mountain. We also found out at this stage that the train had a really neat feature. The backrests on the seats flip over so that we were still all facing in the direction of travel.
On the way down, we were on the side of the train closest to the mountain side. So the view was not as good and I did not even attempt to take photos. The journey down was still very enjoyable though. I had read very mixed reviews about this excursion before this trip and I have to admit that I agree with both ends of the spectrum. We really enjoyed the excursion because of the beautiful scenery and the train journey itself was fun. The narration however left much to be desired. Apart from a couple of tidbits that were mildly interesting, it was actually quite boring and was delivered in quite a mechanical way. The only time when our guide seemed animated on the whole trip was when he was talking about the end of season dip in the mountain stream.
When we arrived back where we started, there were no busses, but we were allowed to walk back to the ship. The walk was only about 10 minutes and we did not walk particularly fast, but took some photos on the way and enjoyed the scenery. When we arrived back at the ship, we had an unusual experience. The tide had gone out and the gangway was now on deck 4. I was aware of the little gates in the railing on deck 4 to load the lifeboats, but did not think that a gangway could be attached to them. I am not sure if they had ever tried this either as there was a bit of mild chaos. There is not a great deal of space on the outside deck of deck 4 and they did not have access to the metal detectors and x-ray machines so instead they had set up some tables for bag checks and had security staff with the metal detector wands. Doing all this manually in a quite confined space created a bit of a bottleneck. I was impressed though how relatively easy it was in the end. It just added a bit of extra time waiting to get on the ship.
Because we had arrived back on the ship a bit later than advertised due to the little detour down the mountain in the early part of the excursion and losing a bit of time getting back on the ship, we decided that we would head straight up to Beach Blanket Buffet to get some lunch. Essentially we just had our cameras that day so this worked out OK. I am still not quite sure what the buffet theme was that day. I think it may have been something European. I had some chicken and some pasta and Graham had some lamb, some pasta, bread and salad. I checked what they were making at the made to order station and that day they were making Crepes with various toppings. So that was dessert taken care of. I had a crepe with mandarin segments and coconut ice cream. It was delicious and definitely the most memorable part of lunch. Graham did not fancy a crepe, but had a bowl of the coconut ice cream and enjoyed this.
Our original plan had been to head back out after lunch and explore Skagway. However, what we had seen in passing did not really inspire us. With 920 inhabitants, Skagway is the smallest of the three ports we visited. The main attraction definitely is the White Pass Railroad. Other attractions are the Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls that we had passed on the train and the Klondike Gold Rush Museum. Other then that, the order of the day is getting money out of the tourists pockets. The selection of the shops ranges from the cheapest and nastiest tourist souvenirs to high-end jewellery shops and virtually everything in the middle. There was nothing really there that attracted us. So after lunch, we took our cameras back to the cabin and then we decided to have a nap.
By this time, we were three quarters through our cruising adventure and I realized in horror that I still had not made it into a hot tub. So once we were awake again, we decided to put this right. Even so Skagway as a town is not much to write home about, the scenery around it is truly stunning. From deck 9, we had the perfect view of this. Graham went for a swim first, but I headed straight for the hot tub. It was beautiful to enjoy the warm water and the beautiful scenery. The company was pretty good, too. I was talking with the other people in the hot tub about what they had done that day and what they were planning to do on the next two days. This was the kind of conversation we normally have with our tablemates for dinner and I realized just how much I was missing sitting with other people at dinner.
Graham joined me in the hot tub at some point and stayed a while before going for another swim. He then came back in the hot tub until we both had enough. He then decided to have a quick shower using the outdoor shower by the pool. In all of our cruises we had never used this and either had a shower in the spa or back in our cabin. He pronounced it lovely and warm so I decided to try it, too. It really was a lovely temperature. Once we were both showered, towel dry and wrapped into a blanket, we headed over to Signals to get a drink.
When we were still in the hot tub, a drinks server had come to check if anybody wanted something to drink. He then proceeded to tell us that he would not be able to serve us in the hot tub though. We were ready to come out anyway so that was no hardship. We decided that we both fancied a Virgin Piña Colada. We found ourselves a table near the bar. We were out of the wind and the sun was shining right on where we were sitting and it was actually quite warm. If somebody had suggested that I would be sitting by the pool in Alaska in my swimsuit with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I would have laughed. However, I was perfectly comfortable.
I decided to ask at Signals if they had one of the disposable corkscrews that I could have. They did not, but offered to get one for me. The bartender serving me checked with his manager where the best place would be to find one and he directed him to a specific stockroom. Shortly afterwards he came back within a corkscrew. I thanked him and then headed back to the cabin carrying my prize.
On the way down, we were on the side of the train closest to the mountain side. So the view was not as good and I did not even attempt to take photos. The journey down was still very enjoyable though. I had read very mixed reviews about this excursion before this trip and I have to admit that I agree with both ends of the spectrum. We really enjoyed the excursion because of the beautiful scenery and the train journey itself was fun. The narration however left much to be desired. Apart from a couple of tidbits that were mildly interesting, it was actually quite boring and was delivered in quite a mechanical way. The only time when our guide seemed animated on the whole trip was when he was talking about the end of season dip in the mountain stream.
When we arrived back where we started, there were no busses, but we were allowed to walk back to the ship. The walk was only about 10 minutes and we did not walk particularly fast, but took some photos on the way and enjoyed the scenery. When we arrived back at the ship, we had an unusual experience. The tide had gone out and the gangway was now on deck 4. I was aware of the little gates in the railing on deck 4 to load the lifeboats, but did not think that a gangway could be attached to them. I am not sure if they had ever tried this either as there was a bit of mild chaos. There is not a great deal of space on the outside deck of deck 4 and they did not have access to the metal detectors and x-ray machines so instead they had set up some tables for bag checks and had security staff with the metal detector wands. Doing all this manually in a quite confined space created a bit of a bottleneck. I was impressed though how relatively easy it was in the end. It just added a bit of extra time waiting to get on the ship.
Because we had arrived back on the ship a bit later than advertised due to the little detour down the mountain in the early part of the excursion and losing a bit of time getting back on the ship, we decided that we would head straight up to Beach Blanket Buffet to get some lunch. Essentially we just had our cameras that day so this worked out OK. I am still not quite sure what the buffet theme was that day. I think it may have been something European. I had some chicken and some pasta and Graham had some lamb, some pasta, bread and salad. I checked what they were making at the made to order station and that day they were making Crepes with various toppings. So that was dessert taken care of. I had a crepe with mandarin segments and coconut ice cream. It was delicious and definitely the most memorable part of lunch. Graham did not fancy a crepe, but had a bowl of the coconut ice cream and enjoyed this.
Our original plan had been to head back out after lunch and explore Skagway. However, what we had seen in passing did not really inspire us. With 920 inhabitants, Skagway is the smallest of the three ports we visited. The main attraction definitely is the White Pass Railroad. Other attractions are the Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls that we had passed on the train and the Klondike Gold Rush Museum. Other then that, the order of the day is getting money out of the tourists pockets. The selection of the shops ranges from the cheapest and nastiest tourist souvenirs to high-end jewellery shops and virtually everything in the middle. There was nothing really there that attracted us. So after lunch, we took our cameras back to the cabin and then we decided to have a nap.
By this time, we were three quarters through our cruising adventure and I realized in horror that I still had not made it into a hot tub. So once we were awake again, we decided to put this right. Even so Skagway as a town is not much to write home about, the scenery around it is truly stunning. From deck 9, we had the perfect view of this. Graham went for a swim first, but I headed straight for the hot tub. It was beautiful to enjoy the warm water and the beautiful scenery. The company was pretty good, too. I was talking with the other people in the hot tub about what they had done that day and what they were planning to do on the next two days. This was the kind of conversation we normally have with our tablemates for dinner and I realized just how much I was missing sitting with other people at dinner.
Graham joined me in the hot tub at some point and stayed a while before going for another swim. He then came back in the hot tub until we both had enough. He then decided to have a quick shower using the outdoor shower by the pool. In all of our cruises we had never used this and either had a shower in the spa or back in our cabin. He pronounced it lovely and warm so I decided to try it, too. It really was a lovely temperature. Once we were both showered, towel dry and wrapped into a blanket, we headed over to Signals to get a drink.
When we were still in the hot tub, a drinks server had come to check if anybody wanted something to drink. He then proceeded to tell us that he would not be able to serve us in the hot tub though. We were ready to come out anyway so that was no hardship. We decided that we both fancied a Virgin Piña Colada. We found ourselves a table near the bar. We were out of the wind and the sun was shining right on where we were sitting and it was actually quite warm. If somebody had suggested that I would be sitting by the pool in Alaska in my swimsuit with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I would have laughed. However, I was perfectly comfortable.
I decided to ask at Signals if they had one of the disposable corkscrews that I could have. They did not, but offered to get one for me. The bartender serving me checked with his manager where the best place would be to find one and he directed him to a specific stockroom. Shortly afterwards he came back within a corkscrew. I thanked him and then headed back to the cabin carrying my prize.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
We had dinner at Palo that night and as dinner was earlier than our dinner time in the dining room, we had to get ready. I had planned to wear my pink tea length dress again, but in the end this seemed like too much like hard work, as I need tying into this. So in the end I decided to just go with my little black velvet dress and some nice jewellery. Once I was changed, I left Graham to get ready and I went to the atrium for some photos. They had the white backdrop out again and had teamed this up with a chair that they had borrowed from Studio Sea. They also had a black and white backdrop up.
Once I had my photos, I went back to the cabin. Graham was ready, too and we went up to deck 10. We were still a little early, but that was just as well. This gave us time to enjoy the scenery for a bit and I took a bunch of photos. When we finally got as far as Palo, we were seated straightaway. Unfortunately we did not get a table right by the windows, but we still had a nice view.
Once I had my photos, I went back to the cabin. Graham was ready, too and we went up to deck 10. We were still a little early, but that was just as well. This gave us time to enjoy the scenery for a bit and I took a bunch of photos. When we finally got as far as Palo, we were seated straightaway. Unfortunately we did not get a table right by the windows, but we still had a nice view.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Graham had another glass of the white wine he had the last time and I had another Melon Mojito. We started our dinner with Prosciutto, Bresaola, Parmesan Reggiano, Marinated Olives, Marinated Peppers and Sun-Dried Tomatoes plus some Garlic Pizza Bread and Grissini Sticks. I was not brave enough to ask for some Balsamic Vinegar over the Prosciutto. Graham had Tuscan White Bean Soup with Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese garnished with Shredded Cabbage and Red Radishes followed by Sea Bass wrapped in parchment paper with Vegetables and Salmoriglio Sauce. I had Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Polenta with a Roasted Shallot Sauce and a Parmesan Crisp; Tuscan White Bean Soup with Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese garnished with Shredded Cabbage and Red Radishes and Beef Tenderloin "Palo" Served with Palo Signature Barolo Red Wine Sauce served with a potato and pancetta cake. I asked for this without the blue cheese this time. Between the soup and the main course we also had some lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate. For dessert we both had Zabaglione with Sangiovese-infused Berries made with Marsala Wine and Biscotti Chips. I was in the mood for some Gelato, but he said they had a few issues with this lately and recommended that I have a different dessert, but he would still bring out some Gelato. The Gelato was gorgeous. The flavours were Caramel, Coffee and Mango and Mint.
This time round, one of the photographers came to Palo to take photos. I also took some more photos of the scenery. Once we had finished our meal, we asked for the bill. I expected only our drinks to be on there as one of the Platinum perks is a complimentary dinner at Palo. However, our dinners had been charged for. I pointed this out to Mladen, who apologized and got the restaurant manager to take off the charge. He was a bit flustered by this and we never got the Scropino Venetiano that we had been promised. Graham was joking afterwards that people having a complimentary dinner do not get this.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
We took another walk around deck 10 to enjoy the view and aid the digestion although that would probably have taken a half marathon. I wanted to hang around, as Lilo and Stitch were due to be out shortly. Graham decided to make himself comfortable in one of the big portholes on deck 3 and wait for the sunset and I went up to deck 4 to get in line for Stitch. I was actually first in line. The location was the space between the shops and the Walt Disney Theatre so I even had somewhere to sit while waiting. Once I had met Lilo and Stitch, I decided to check out the line for Pinocchio, who was on deck 4 overlooking the atrium. His line was not particularly long so I joined this and got some more photos with Pinocchio.
Once I finished with my photos, I went to check on Graham and he looked pretty cosy in his porthole. I kept him company for a bit and took some more photos of the scenery and then I headed back to the atrium to watch the world go by. I had a lovely surprise while I was hanging out in the atrium. Goofy turned up in his pyjamas. I am not sure if he was coming from the kids' clubs or going there or just decided to be sociable. I was just happy to see him. Fortunately I had my camera with me and his escort was only too happy to take some photos of us.
While I was posing for photos with Goofy, Graham joined me in the atrium. I convinced him to have some photos taken against the white backdrop. Once that was done, we went back to our cabin as we had another early start the next morning. I made sure that we had everything ready that we needed for the next day, took a photo of our towel animal and then got ready for bed.
Once I finished with my photos, I went to check on Graham and he looked pretty cosy in his porthole. I kept him company for a bit and took some more photos of the scenery and then I headed back to the atrium to watch the world go by. I had a lovely surprise while I was hanging out in the atrium. Goofy turned up in his pyjamas. I am not sure if he was coming from the kids' clubs or going there or just decided to be sociable. I was just happy to see him. Fortunately I had my camera with me and his escort was only too happy to take some photos of us.
While I was posing for photos with Goofy, Graham joined me in the atrium. I convinced him to have some photos taken against the white backdrop. Once that was done, we went back to our cabin as we had another early start the next morning. I made sure that we had everything ready that we needed for the next day, took a photo of our towel animal and then got ready for bed.
Pinkocto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2011
Another great day! Sorry the excursion was a bit lackluster, and that you didn't get a stamp in your passport. I didn't realize you didn't have tablemates the second cruise. I really have enjoyed sharing dinners on the cruises. Palo sounded lovely as usual. 
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Another great day! Sorry the excursion was a bit lackluster, and that you didn't get a stamp in your passport. I didn't realize you didn't have tablemates the second cruise. I really have enjoyed sharing dinners on the cruises. Palo sounded lovely as usual.
We had a table to ourselves for both parts of the back to back cruise. We have now done 6 cruises on the Wonder and we only had table mates assigned for the first 2. For the Hawaii cruise last year, we adopted some table mates. On the Magic we always had table mates so I hope the same will be true for December.
On our next cruise I will just mention that we are using our Platinum perk when we check in. The scenery really is something special.
What a great start to your Alaska Cruise. Tracy Arm looked just fabulous and the train ride in Skagway sounded like a lot of fun!
And now I'm finally all caught up!
Tracy Arm was absolutely amazing. I have done some fabulous stuff on cruises, but this will take some beating.
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I believe I saw you in Piccadilly station today! I thought - I recognise that lady and after a few secs realised it was from here!
I don't know why seeing a UK diser on home turf seems so much odder!
Loving your TR- I always enjoy reading them
Quite likely. I live near Piccadilly and work in Wilmslow so I tend to come through Piccadilly twice a day most days. You should have said "hi". This would not have been the first time it has happened both on home turf and on holiday. I have been stopped a few times before with the statement "I recognize you from your trip report".
I am glad that you enjoy the trip report.
Corinna
Pinkocto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2011
I must thank you for the fabulous idea you gave me. The Alaska/ Hawaii trip of 2015 looks like a 100% plan. I'll be booking the last August Alaskan cruise available as soon as they are announced and then go to Aulani for a week afterwards in September. This will be my once a year trip with mom and she was over the moon excited about it as I expected. Now to wait until I can book it all 
hopefully nothing changes between then and now because I think this will be an absolutely perfect trip. But then again you never know what could happen.
hopefully nothing changes between then and now because I think this will be an absolutely perfect trip. But then again you never know what could happen.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I must thank you for the fabulous idea you gave me. The Alaska/ Hawaii trip of 2015 looks like a 100% plan. I'll be booking the last August Alaskan cruise available as soon as they are announced and then go to Aulani for a week afterwards in September. This will be my once a year trip with mom and she was over the moon excited about it as I expected. Now to wait until I can book it all
I really hope that this will happen. I am looking forward to that trip report. This would be my absolute dream trip so I will just have to experience it through you.
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Day 16
Mickey called us at 7:00 again and we got up and ready and headed down for Wavebands where our excursion for that day was meeting. This day we did not meet until 7:45 so we were a little early and they were not quite ready for us. We decided to quickly go up to the Cove Cafe to grab a couple of pastries each. Graham got a Danish pastry of some sort and a muffin and I got two of the chocolate brioches. Once we had got our food, we went back downstairs to Wavebands and they told us to go inside and sit down.
I felt for the member of cruise staff doing the check in. She was by herself, had multiple excursions to check in and to top this; she had two excursions that were cancelled. Considering this, she did a great job. We were checked in quite quickly and then three excursions were escorted out together. When we got off the ship, it was raining. They are obviously used to this, as there are quite a few sheltered areas between the dock and the area where the tour buses wait. We were handed over to the tour operator and boarded the van.
Once we were all on the van, we were asked to fill out the waivers. Our guides introduced themselves and then we were off. We drove through the centre of Juneau. Juneau is a strange little place. It is the state capital of Alaska, but due to its geographical location, it can only be accessed by air or sea. The bulk of our excursion did not actually take place in Juneau itself, but on Douglas Island, which is connected to Juneau by a road bridge. We drove to the Eaglecrest Ski Area and got out of the van. We were encouraged to use the bathroom there, as this would be the last place with bathroom facilities until we were back in Juneau. Once we had all used the bathroom, we were equipped with the helmets that were compulsory to wear, water and a bike. When I had a closer look at the bikes, I had a first moment of panic. I had never ridden a bike with a crossbar before, but all their bikes had them. After playing around with the height of the saddle a bit, I was actually OK with this. I had also expected Mountain Bikes or at least hybrids, but they were just standard road bikes. I took a few laps around the area in front of the building and I soon felt that I was in control of the bike.
Once everybody was kitted out and happy with his or her equipment, we set off. When I read the description for the excursion it said that the majority of the route is downhill. I figured that this would be easy. Little did I know. I have only ever cycled in fairly flat terrain with only some short inclines. This was cycling down a pretty significant hill. What did not help either was that there was gravel on the cycle path. I am sure I was perfectly safe and in control at all times, but by the time we got to the first stop about 10 minutes into the ride, I was totally freaked out. I had a quick chat with Graham at the stop and then decided that I would ride back in the van. The first stop was a peat bog so this was something we are quite familiar with and it seemed a bit strange to encounter one in Alaska. However, I was captivated by its stark beauty. Once we went back to the bikes, I told the guides that I would ride in the van. They were happy about this. The driver seemed to be quite glad for the company.
The driver Melissa is originally from San Diego, but has lived year round in Juneau for the last 5 years. Talk about a contrast between Southern California and Alaska. She is a marine biologist so we had plenty to talk about, as this is a subject I feel very passionate about. Her area of expertise is crabs and especially the Alaska King Crab. I am more interested in marine mammals, but I have to say that by the end of the tour I actually came round to the idea that crabs are fascinating animals. I also learned a lot about living in Alaska. I had a ball and actually figured that I got the best deal out of everybody on this excursion.
About 5 minutes after we set off from the peat bog, we stopped again. This time we stopped in a forest. Melissa introduced us to the Alaskan state tree, the Sitka Spruce. She also pointed out the second most common tree, the Northern Hemlock and told us how we could tell the trees apart. She showed us the Devil's Club, which is a shrub with vicious spines. The inner bark of its root is turned into a balm and is meant to be very good for burns and other skin irritations. While we were in the forest, she also spoke about the different berries that grow in Alaska and some of the local birds.
Everybody set off again and we headed back to the van. On the way to the next stop, we nearly collided with a dog that ran out right in front of the van. I was surprised to find a dog off a leash. After all, we had been given some guidance before we set off about what to do if we should encounter a bear (If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down). I mentioned this to Melissa, but she told me that the bears tend to be scared of dogs. At least neither the dog nor us came to any harm in this encounter. We were talking about bears in general for a bit. Apparently in Alaska people get fined if bears get into their rubbish bins and there are escalating fines for repeat offenders. Melissa told me that the previous week, a bear had got into her car. She mentioned that about a year ago, she left some food in her car and a bear managed to open the car door and stole the food. She is pretty sure that this was the same bear that remembered that he had got lucky previously. This time round he or she did not find anything as she had learned her lesson. I was absolutely fascinated by the concept of a bear breaking into your car.
The next stop was a river. During the salmon season, this river is full of salmon and we learned a bit about the 5 different species of salmon that can be found in Alaska: the King or Chinook Salmon; the Chum or Dog Salmon, the Coho or Silver Salmon; the Pink Salmon and the Sockeye or Red Salmon. We also learned a lot about the life cycle of the salmon and the salmon migration. We were in Alaska too early in the season to see salmon. That would have to wait until later in the holiday.
Mickey called us at 7:00 again and we got up and ready and headed down for Wavebands where our excursion for that day was meeting. This day we did not meet until 7:45 so we were a little early and they were not quite ready for us. We decided to quickly go up to the Cove Cafe to grab a couple of pastries each. Graham got a Danish pastry of some sort and a muffin and I got two of the chocolate brioches. Once we had got our food, we went back downstairs to Wavebands and they told us to go inside and sit down.
I felt for the member of cruise staff doing the check in. She was by herself, had multiple excursions to check in and to top this; she had two excursions that were cancelled. Considering this, she did a great job. We were checked in quite quickly and then three excursions were escorted out together. When we got off the ship, it was raining. They are obviously used to this, as there are quite a few sheltered areas between the dock and the area where the tour buses wait. We were handed over to the tour operator and boarded the van.
Once we were all on the van, we were asked to fill out the waivers. Our guides introduced themselves and then we were off. We drove through the centre of Juneau. Juneau is a strange little place. It is the state capital of Alaska, but due to its geographical location, it can only be accessed by air or sea. The bulk of our excursion did not actually take place in Juneau itself, but on Douglas Island, which is connected to Juneau by a road bridge. We drove to the Eaglecrest Ski Area and got out of the van. We were encouraged to use the bathroom there, as this would be the last place with bathroom facilities until we were back in Juneau. Once we had all used the bathroom, we were equipped with the helmets that were compulsory to wear, water and a bike. When I had a closer look at the bikes, I had a first moment of panic. I had never ridden a bike with a crossbar before, but all their bikes had them. After playing around with the height of the saddle a bit, I was actually OK with this. I had also expected Mountain Bikes or at least hybrids, but they were just standard road bikes. I took a few laps around the area in front of the building and I soon felt that I was in control of the bike.
Once everybody was kitted out and happy with his or her equipment, we set off. When I read the description for the excursion it said that the majority of the route is downhill. I figured that this would be easy. Little did I know. I have only ever cycled in fairly flat terrain with only some short inclines. This was cycling down a pretty significant hill. What did not help either was that there was gravel on the cycle path. I am sure I was perfectly safe and in control at all times, but by the time we got to the first stop about 10 minutes into the ride, I was totally freaked out. I had a quick chat with Graham at the stop and then decided that I would ride back in the van. The first stop was a peat bog so this was something we are quite familiar with and it seemed a bit strange to encounter one in Alaska. However, I was captivated by its stark beauty. Once we went back to the bikes, I told the guides that I would ride in the van. They were happy about this. The driver seemed to be quite glad for the company.
The driver Melissa is originally from San Diego, but has lived year round in Juneau for the last 5 years. Talk about a contrast between Southern California and Alaska. She is a marine biologist so we had plenty to talk about, as this is a subject I feel very passionate about. Her area of expertise is crabs and especially the Alaska King Crab. I am more interested in marine mammals, but I have to say that by the end of the tour I actually came round to the idea that crabs are fascinating animals. I also learned a lot about living in Alaska. I had a ball and actually figured that I got the best deal out of everybody on this excursion.
About 5 minutes after we set off from the peat bog, we stopped again. This time we stopped in a forest. Melissa introduced us to the Alaskan state tree, the Sitka Spruce. She also pointed out the second most common tree, the Northern Hemlock and told us how we could tell the trees apart. She showed us the Devil's Club, which is a shrub with vicious spines. The inner bark of its root is turned into a balm and is meant to be very good for burns and other skin irritations. While we were in the forest, she also spoke about the different berries that grow in Alaska and some of the local birds.
Everybody set off again and we headed back to the van. On the way to the next stop, we nearly collided with a dog that ran out right in front of the van. I was surprised to find a dog off a leash. After all, we had been given some guidance before we set off about what to do if we should encounter a bear (If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down). I mentioned this to Melissa, but she told me that the bears tend to be scared of dogs. At least neither the dog nor us came to any harm in this encounter. We were talking about bears in general for a bit. Apparently in Alaska people get fined if bears get into their rubbish bins and there are escalating fines for repeat offenders. Melissa told me that the previous week, a bear had got into her car. She mentioned that about a year ago, she left some food in her car and a bear managed to open the car door and stole the food. She is pretty sure that this was the same bear that remembered that he had got lucky previously. This time round he or she did not find anything as she had learned her lesson. I was absolutely fascinated by the concept of a bear breaking into your car.
The next stop was a river. During the salmon season, this river is full of salmon and we learned a bit about the 5 different species of salmon that can be found in Alaska: the King or Chinook Salmon; the Chum or Dog Salmon, the Coho or Silver Salmon; the Pink Salmon and the Sockeye or Red Salmon. We also learned a lot about the life cycle of the salmon and the salmon migration. We were in Alaska too early in the season to see salmon. That would have to wait until later in the holiday.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
The last stop was by a beach. We had a bit of a wait for the cyclists. This was not a hardship though. Even though there was a lot of low cloud around, I got some beautiful views of the mountains across the channel. There was also a waterfall just across the road. We also saw some bald eagles really close. The reason for this was not pleasant though. One of the tourist boats was throwing fish for the eagles. This is strictly illegal. It is also absolutely irresponsible to make the eagles get used to the idea that humans mean food especially considering how short the tourist season is. I hate to think what a bird that has been fed by humans all summer does when autumn comes and the tourists are gone.
Once the cyclists arrived, Melissa told us a bit more about the animals that can be found in the sea in Alaska and especially about the famous Alaskan King Crabs. Crabs really are fascinating animals. Apparently King Crabs never stop crowing unless they are caught and killed and therefore can grow to an enormous size. Melissa also told us that King Crabs have to be a certain size before they can legally caught and that only male crabs can be caught and enter the food chain. Females are protected as they may carry eggs.
The cyclist set off again for their last stretch, which was about 2 miles. We waited for them at another stretch of beach. Once everybody had arrived, the two guides put the bikes back on the trailer and Melissa was giving out cereal bars and offered hot drinks. Graham and I both tried some hot cider, which was very nice. Once all the bikes were stored and everybody had finished their snacks and drinks, we go back on the van and headed back to Juneau. While we were still on Douglas Island, our guides pointed out a letterbox that was painted like a target. Our guides told us that every winter, the snowplough knocks this over and the owner got fed up with this and painted it like a target.
As soon as we crossed back into Juneau, it started to rain. I heard later that it had rained all day in Juneau. Our guides pointed out a few landmarks and made some recommendations for shopping, eating and free Wi-Fi. We then headed to last stop of the excursion, the Mount Roberts Tramway. We were told that the Mount Roberts Tramway is owned and operated by native Alaskans and that their gift shop is the best place to buy genuine Alaskan crafts. When we arrived at the Mount Roberts Tramway, it was time to say goodbye to Melissa, but the two guides came with us.
Once the cyclists arrived, Melissa told us a bit more about the animals that can be found in the sea in Alaska and especially about the famous Alaskan King Crabs. Crabs really are fascinating animals. Apparently King Crabs never stop crowing unless they are caught and killed and therefore can grow to an enormous size. Melissa also told us that King Crabs have to be a certain size before they can legally caught and that only male crabs can be caught and enter the food chain. Females are protected as they may carry eggs.
The cyclist set off again for their last stretch, which was about 2 miles. We waited for them at another stretch of beach. Once everybody had arrived, the two guides put the bikes back on the trailer and Melissa was giving out cereal bars and offered hot drinks. Graham and I both tried some hot cider, which was very nice. Once all the bikes were stored and everybody had finished their snacks and drinks, we go back on the van and headed back to Juneau. While we were still on Douglas Island, our guides pointed out a letterbox that was painted like a target. Our guides told us that every winter, the snowplough knocks this over and the owner got fed up with this and painted it like a target.
As soon as we crossed back into Juneau, it started to rain. I heard later that it had rained all day in Juneau. Our guides pointed out a few landmarks and made some recommendations for shopping, eating and free Wi-Fi. We then headed to last stop of the excursion, the Mount Roberts Tramway. We were told that the Mount Roberts Tramway is owned and operated by native Alaskans and that their gift shop is the best place to buy genuine Alaskan crafts. When we arrived at the Mount Roberts Tramway, it was time to say goodbye to Melissa, but the two guides came with us.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
The trip up the mountain only takes about 6 minutes and I am sure on a clear day, the view is stunning. However, with the low cloud the visibility was somewhat poor. I still managed to see the Wonder. When we arrived at the top, it was time to say goodbye to our guides. We had a walk around the gift shop and then headed outside. There are all kinds of things to do at the top of the mountain if the weather is nice. There are hiking trails, a nature centre and bear viewing platforms. However, neither of those appealed in this weather. We did however head towards the Juneau Raptor Centre Bald Eagle Display.
Our guides had told us about Lady Baltimore during our excursion. She is an adult bald eagle who was found injured on Douglas Island in 2006. She had been shot in her beak and the wrist of her right wing. She is also completely blind in one eye. Because of her injuries, she would not be able to survive in the wild. She was given a new home at the Juneau Raptor Centre and is used as an educational ambassador. It was a real treat to see one of those beautiful birds so close up. She was definitely bigger than I had expected. She spend a while looking at her and then we went back inside.
We just missed a tram and had a look around. I found a sign that states what kind of things you cannot bring on the tram, which gave me some amusement. It did not take long until the tram came back up and we were on our way back down the mountain. I made another attempt of getting some decent photos of the Wonder. Those came out slightly better, but still looked slightly spooky because of all the low cloud.
There was one last thing that I wanted to do in Juneau. In a brochure that I had picked up at the port in Vancouver, I found out about a soap that is made locally in Juneau that contains glacier silt and is meant to be great for exfoliating. I really wanted to try some of this. On the way, I had a look at the windows of a couple of jewellery shops. At one of the shops, one of the offers for cruise ship passengers caught my eye. They had a set of a pendant and earrings that was a Sterling silver whale fin that is hanging from a small oval piece of Tanzanite. Tanzanite is my favourite gemstone. I have no illusions about the quality of the Tanzanite as the whole set only cost $30, but I really like the jewellery.
While I was jewellery shopping, Graham engaged in a bit of bird watching. The shop I was in was right across the road from the library, which is one of the higher buildings in Juneau. He had spotted a bird flying towards the library and this turned out to be a bald eagle. He should not have been surprised as the first bald eagle that we ever saw was on a construction crane at Universal Studios Florida.
I was not entirely sure where to find the shop that sold the glacier silt soap so I asked the person at the jewellery shop. We had almost found it, as it was only a few yards further and on the opposite side of the road. I thanked him and we carried on walking. Shortly afterwards, we found the Glacier Smoothie shop. I was in heaven and spend a happy 30 minutes smelling the different soaps and making my choices. One of the couples from our cruise meet thread where in the shop, too so we spoke to them for a while.
With all my shopping done, we went back towards the Mount Roberts Tramway as the free shuttle back to the Wonder departed from near there. We were lucky as there was a bus waiting to leave. About 10 minutes later, we were back on the ship. We dropped our stuff off at our cabin and then we went up to Beach Blanket Buffet for some lunch. While we were up there, we say Anthony, our server from the Hawaii cruise last year. He was bitterly complaining that he had not seen us since our very first day back. We chatted with him for a bit and then we got some food.
The theme for the buffet that day was oriental. Graham had some salad, peel and eat shrimp, stir fried vegetables, sweet and sour chicken and hoisin marinated pork loin. I had some chilled mandarin soup, spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, vegetable fried rice and hoisin marinated pork loin with hoisin sauce. I also got some beef and peanut stir-fry from the cook to order station, which was rather spicy, but delicious. After lunch there was nothing really that we wanted to do so we decided on another nap.
Our guides had told us about Lady Baltimore during our excursion. She is an adult bald eagle who was found injured on Douglas Island in 2006. She had been shot in her beak and the wrist of her right wing. She is also completely blind in one eye. Because of her injuries, she would not be able to survive in the wild. She was given a new home at the Juneau Raptor Centre and is used as an educational ambassador. It was a real treat to see one of those beautiful birds so close up. She was definitely bigger than I had expected. She spend a while looking at her and then we went back inside.
We just missed a tram and had a look around. I found a sign that states what kind of things you cannot bring on the tram, which gave me some amusement. It did not take long until the tram came back up and we were on our way back down the mountain. I made another attempt of getting some decent photos of the Wonder. Those came out slightly better, but still looked slightly spooky because of all the low cloud.
There was one last thing that I wanted to do in Juneau. In a brochure that I had picked up at the port in Vancouver, I found out about a soap that is made locally in Juneau that contains glacier silt and is meant to be great for exfoliating. I really wanted to try some of this. On the way, I had a look at the windows of a couple of jewellery shops. At one of the shops, one of the offers for cruise ship passengers caught my eye. They had a set of a pendant and earrings that was a Sterling silver whale fin that is hanging from a small oval piece of Tanzanite. Tanzanite is my favourite gemstone. I have no illusions about the quality of the Tanzanite as the whole set only cost $30, but I really like the jewellery.
While I was jewellery shopping, Graham engaged in a bit of bird watching. The shop I was in was right across the road from the library, which is one of the higher buildings in Juneau. He had spotted a bird flying towards the library and this turned out to be a bald eagle. He should not have been surprised as the first bald eagle that we ever saw was on a construction crane at Universal Studios Florida.
I was not entirely sure where to find the shop that sold the glacier silt soap so I asked the person at the jewellery shop. We had almost found it, as it was only a few yards further and on the opposite side of the road. I thanked him and we carried on walking. Shortly afterwards, we found the Glacier Smoothie shop. I was in heaven and spend a happy 30 minutes smelling the different soaps and making my choices. One of the couples from our cruise meet thread where in the shop, too so we spoke to them for a while.
With all my shopping done, we went back towards the Mount Roberts Tramway as the free shuttle back to the Wonder departed from near there. We were lucky as there was a bus waiting to leave. About 10 minutes later, we were back on the ship. We dropped our stuff off at our cabin and then we went up to Beach Blanket Buffet for some lunch. While we were up there, we say Anthony, our server from the Hawaii cruise last year. He was bitterly complaining that he had not seen us since our very first day back. We chatted with him for a bit and then we got some food.
The theme for the buffet that day was oriental. Graham had some salad, peel and eat shrimp, stir fried vegetables, sweet and sour chicken and hoisin marinated pork loin. I had some chilled mandarin soup, spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, vegetable fried rice and hoisin marinated pork loin with hoisin sauce. I also got some beef and peanut stir-fry from the cook to order station, which was rather spicy, but delicious. After lunch there was nothing really that we wanted to do so we decided on another nap.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Once we were awake again, I got changed and then I headed down to the atrium for some photos. After I had seen the lines on the Pixar Pals Night the previous week, I thought I better get a head start. This time they had more Pixar characters out, but Remy and Emile were not among them. I was so glad that I caught them the previous week. First up were Woody and Jessie who had drawn quite a line. Once I had my photo taken with them, the line for Mike and Sully had opened and I got straight into this. This looked a lot more manageable than the previous week, but was still impressive.
When I had my photos with Mike and Sully, I headed back to the cabin. Graham and I decided to go up to the Outlook Cafe for a pre-dinner drink. He had another chocolate-free Coffee Toledo and I had a Margarita. When I finished my drink, I headed back down to the atrium. Next up were Mr and Mrs Incredible and I was third in line for them. This gave me enough time to go up to deck 4 to see Mickey and Minnie, too. Then it was back down to the atrium to see Russell and Dug before going upstairs to deck 4 one more time to see Pluto. All the lines were quite short and poor Pluto was all by himself. I still had time to get all the backdrops done, too before dinner. They had the white and black backdrops out. I also finally managed to get photos with the sunset backdrop and they also took photos on the staircase.
When I had my photos with Mike and Sully, I headed back to the cabin. Graham and I decided to go up to the Outlook Cafe for a pre-dinner drink. He had another chocolate-free Coffee Toledo and I had a Margarita. When I finished my drink, I headed back down to the atrium. Next up were Mr and Mrs Incredible and I was third in line for them. This gave me enough time to go up to deck 4 to see Mickey and Minnie, too. Then it was back down to the atrium to see Russell and Dug before going upstairs to deck 4 one more time to see Pluto. All the lines were quite short and poor Pluto was all by himself. I still had time to get all the backdrops done, too before dinner. They had the white and black backdrops out. I also finally managed to get photos with the sunset backdrop and they also took photos on the staircase.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I was just finishing off with the photos when Graham arrived. We went to the dining room together. When we sat down, our Assistant Server brought our bottle of sparkling wine, which was our Platinum gift. I had asked for this to be delivered to our cabin and had planned to bring it to dinner the next evening for semi-formal night, but this was OK, too and we rather enjoyed it. The menu was the Toy Story Menu again. Graham had Spark's Smoked Haddock and Salmon Korroke with Amai Sauce and Wakame; Al's Miso Chicken Noodle Soup with Parsley Dumplings and Grilled Grain-fed Sirloin Steak with Garden Vegetables and Baked Potato. I had Sid's Mexican Fire-roasted Tomato Soup with Black Beans and Nachos; Als Miso Chicken Noodle Soup with Parsley Dumplings and Grilled Dill Shrimp with Creamy Sweet Corn Asiago Cheese Risotto. We both had Jessie's White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust for dessert. During the meal, photographers came round the dining room. I really like the border on those photos.
After dinner we had some photos taken together with the sunset backdrop and then we headed back to the cabin. Despite our nap, we were both ready for bed. I took some photos of our towel animal and then we got ready for bed.
After dinner we had some photos taken together with the sunset backdrop and then we headed back to the cabin. Despite our nap, we were both ready for bed. I took some photos of our towel animal and then we got ready for bed.
Pinkocto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2011
I really hope so too, I think it will be amazing. We talked about doing the cruise first or second and decided on first so that we can lay on the beach in Hawaii and talk about the amazing experience we just had. If not for seeing your photos I wouldn't have thought about going for probably another three or four years. It's definitely been on the list, but now it's bumped up considerably.
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