Wonder in Alaska!!! May 27, 2013

[Jottmom]

Looks like the boys and I will be watching Brother Bear over Spring Break

 

[CruisinNick]

Here is an excellent post of a couple who went last year to Alaska in June.
They have navigators, menus, video and pictures galore. Very detailed!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2945238

 

[illustratedroomscape]

Thanks Matt, we did go to Crater Lake- unintentionally on their 100th anniv. in 2002! We also went to Mnts: Rainer, Hood & St. Helens, plus the Columbia River Gorge & National Volcanic Monument. It was all so beautiful- we'd do it again if we had time!

NWmom- Sorry not to be specific. We saw that there is Lodging within Olympic Park as well as outside, but being local- you may not have stayed at any of them. Mostly we were looking for suggestions of what not to miss with Elementary aged kids.
Also if you have any suggestions of whale watching in Seattle, we might try to see the there and not go out of our way while in AK to see them.
Actually, we have a lot of planning & researching to do plus trip reports to read and are a bit annoyed that everyday life keeps getting in way!

 

[NWmom]

Thanks Matt, we did go to Crater Lake- unintentionally on their 100th anniv. in 2002! We also went to Mnts: Rainer, Hood & St. Helens, plus the Columbia River Gorge & National Volcanic Monument. It was all so beautiful- we'd do it again if we had time!

NWmom- Sorry not to be specific. We saw that there is Lodging within Olympic Park as well as outside, but being local- you may not have stayed at any of them. Mostly we were looking for suggestions of what not to miss with Elementary aged kids.
Also if you have any suggestions of whale watching in Seattle, we might try to see the there and not go out of our way while in AK to see them.
Actually, we have a lot of planning & researching to do plus trip reports to read and are a bit annoyed that everyday life keeps getting in way!

We stayed in Forks (before the Twilight series). On our first day we drove over by land as we had not explored that way. You can take a ferry, but it costs more to go west as you pay for all passengers in addition to car and driver than when you go east and only pay for the car and driver.

Day 1 we went up to the Visitor center. It was under construction and there were nice vistas.
We then drove past Crescent Lake and over to Forks for the night. Key is to do all driving by daylight so you can see the views. With the sun going down later by then, easy to do.

Day 2 we went to Hoh Rainforest as well as the Forks visitor center.

The adults all enjoyed the trip. The kids(elementary aged then) were a bit bored by the long drives. They like walking the path as Hoh rainforest.

They loved the ferry ride back (Kingston-Edmonds)

Whale watching- we have resident Orcas near San Juan Island, I'll look up the website. Trying to remember what month is best for seeing them. Thinking it is out of Anacortes in May.
http://www.island-adventures.com/whale-watching-tours/orca-whale.php
This is the company we have used for school trips. Click on the top left area for discount codes

Gray whales are best in April/early May out of Everett, later you need to go out of Anacortes.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I just signed my DH up for the Champagne Girls Event. If we get enough people without him, he will bow out. But he's never been one to turn down a tasting event. We attend wine tastings every Friday.

Tomorrow is my birthday. We're going to our regular wine tasting followed by dinner at the restaurant attached to the wine shop. Been regulars there for about 10 years. It's a very neighborly place. We call it our "Cheers".

I will be wearing my tiara and drinking my signature cocktail, the Bethmopolitan, my version of the Cosmopolitan, which is very popular at the restaurant. It has been on the menu for 5 years. So at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time, raise a glass and celebrate with me!

I wish you a belated Happy Birthday. I got your sign up. This now brings the number of Champagne "Girls" to 23. We need two more for this to go ahead.

Corinna

 

[Scooby3x1y]

Sorry, just realized my original message wasn't clear at all. I meant that people could print the design on regular 8.5x11 paper at home/work/wherever, then cut the card out themselves. The lanyard card design would have lines around it to make it easier to cut out.

If it's not easy to do an editable document that people can input their Dis names on to, (I'm thinking a PDF, but that's ultimately up to DH), I might just do a sign up & print them here at home on heavy paper as I have a paper cutter & color laser & then pass them out the first day during our meet. Just depends on how much time I have before the cruise

This is such a generous offer. However, we don't wear lanyards on the cruise at all. So please don't waste time and efforts on us.

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

H Lori! I just sent you a PM but might as well ask it here! Did you get a chance to look into the Salmon Derby in Ketchikan? Also, we need one more sign up in order for Disney to agree to give us a venue for our Champagne Girls meet! I had such a good time on the Inaugural Alaska Cruise in 2011 when we did this, and learned so much from the sommelier that Disney assigned us! Please think about it, and looking forward tomeeting you and your family!! Aloha, Karen

 

[dolphingirl47]

It is actually two more people that we need. DCL's magic number is 25 and at the moment we have 23.

Corinna

 

[Scooby3x1y]

H Lori! I just sent you a PM but might as well ask it here! Did you get a chance to look into the Salmon Derby in Ketchikan? Also, we need one more sign up in order for Disney to agree to give us a venue for our Champagne Girls meet! I had such a good time on the Inaugural Alaska Cruise in 2011 when we did this, and learned so much from the sommelier that Disney assigned us! Please think about it, and looking forward tomeeting you and your family!! Aloha, Karen

Thanks, I did see your PM. I will have DH call him.

It is actually two more people that we need. DCL's magic number is 25 and at the moment we have 23.

Corinna

Thank you for the offer. It sounds like a fun event, but we don't drink.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Nope! I offered to have DH design a little card that can slip into the card part of people's lanyards so we can put faces to DisBoard names While it's nice to have lanyards printed, I was thinking it can be a bit expensive and some people want to wear their pin lanyards instead. Hence just a card insert. My goal is to have them done 2 weeks beforehand so people can print them at home before they leave.

This would be great! We have lots of lanyards.....

 

[chip&dale&fun]

No I understood this, but for it to go in the lanyard, it would need to be cardstock rather than just the ordinary printer paper that I can use. The printer that I have access to jams constantly and I would not dare putting anything but the thin flimsy printer paper that we routinely use in there.

Corinna

Several options, one is whether you have a printer that will print pictures. Then you can print the lanyard as a photo - might be neat.
Another is to print it and then "tape" it to the card stock.
Another is to print and fold it, and finally, you can PM me and I can print for you.

 

[Scooby3x1y]

This would be great! We have lots of lanyards.....

We have tons too. We gave them back last cruise, tossed them the cruise before, but probably have about 20 spares if anyone needs them.

 

[Jottmom]

We are traveling into Seattle via Amtrak and would like to know a decent hotel near Kingstreet Station. We don't need a five star. But will not have transportation. Is it practical to take Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver? Thanks for assistance.

 

[Scooby3x1y]

H Lori! I just sent you a PM but might as well ask it here! Did you get a chance to look into the Salmon Derby in Ketchikan? Also, we need one more sign up in order for Disney to agree to give us a venue for our Champagne Girls meet! I had such a good time on the Inaugural Alaska Cruise in 2011 when we did this, and learned so much from the sommelier that Disney assigned us! Please think about it, and looking forward tomeeting you and your family!! Aloha, Karen

Karen, (posted here for everyone's info)

Bruce just spent almost half an hour talking to Captain Ken.

Here is his advice for the salmon derby. You can if you want, however, everyone on the boat HAS to buy a ticket. We will be fishing too early for most of the good "prize winning" fishing. It goes 3 consecutive weekends, and almost always the winning fish are caught on the last weekend. If we want to do this, the place to buy the tickets is not close to the pier, you have to travel a bit to buy the tickets. He said the wait can be extensive. When you return you have to check in to the fish stations with your catch, and that between purchasing the ticket and returning in time to check your fish in, it would cut fishing time in half.

The top prize is $10,000, then 2nd is $6,000 then 3rd is $3,000. He said that it is not all cash. It is in cash and prizes. The prizes he said include free trash pick up for a year. Ice cream vouchers for places in town, and restaurant certificates in town. All would be awarded 2 weekends later after we left. He said usually it is $1000 cash and the rest in prizes and vouchers.

It would also eliminate the freedom to go where fish may be biting versus going different places to fish for different things if the kings are not biting. It would also not allow us to go bottom fishing and switch it up if need be. We would not be have time to feed eagles.

See what Ron thinks! Our family is thinking this may not be a good idea.

Lori

 

[schmity]

It is actually two more people that we need. DCL's magic number is 25 and at the moment we have 23.

Corinna

Hi there. I tried to message you. Can you pm me info about the Bubbly Girls (aka champagne girls)?

Thanks!

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

Karen, (posted here for everyone's info)

Bruce just spent almost half an hour talking to Captain Ken.

Here is his advice for the salmon derby. You can if you want, however, everyone on the boat HAS to buy a ticket. We will be fishing too early for most of the good "prize winning" fishing. It goes 3 consecutive weekends, and almost always the winning fish are caught on the last weekend. If we want to do this, the place to buy the tickets is not close to the pier, you have to travel a bit to buy the tickets. He said the wait can be extensive. When you return you have to check in to the fish stations with your catch, and that between purchasing the ticket and returning in time to check your fish in, it would cut fishing time in half.

The top prize is $10,000, then 2nd is $6,000 then 3rd is $3,000. He said that it is not all cash. It is in cash and prizes. The prizes he said include free trash pick up for a year. Ice cream vouchers for places in town, and restaurant certificates in town. All would be awarded 2 weekends later after we left. He said usually it is $1000 cash and the rest in prizes and vouchers.

It would also eliminate the freedom to go where fish may be biting versus going different places to fish for different things if the kings are not biting. It would also not allow us to go bottom fishing and switch it up if need be. We would not be have time to feed eagles.

See what Ron thinks! Our family is thinking this may not be a good idea.

Lori

Ron sys it has really changed since he last looked into it. They used to give away a house: So it does not sound worth the hassle! Thanks for looking into this, Ron and Karen

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

Here is an excellent post of a couple who went last year to Alaska in June.
They have navigators, menus, video and pictures galore. Very detailed!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2945238

I noticed that you did a very interesting post, complete with map, about Tracy Arm on aother thread. Could you post a link to it here?

 

[CruisinNick]

I noticed that you did a very interesting post, complete with map, about Tracy Arm on aother thread. Could you post a link to it here?

Here is the quote from the other thread...

The Wonder will go all the way in as close to the glacier as possible and turn around. Either side of the ship is fine. It's 25 miles in and 25 miles out. Either side you are on, you will see without an issue.

I created this interactive Google Map to show the route it takes.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...0.152721,0.445976&iwloc=0004d7a8184a863e0d969

 

[megsablue]

Just logged in today - 76 days to go! Yay!

I'm getting frustrated with my FE gifts - I was hoping to do one thing but I think it's going to end up being too expensive Now I'm having to start over with ideas. It's harder than I thought it would be! Hopefully my back-up idea works out (I'll find out this weekend when I'm able to go to the one store). We're at around 20-25 cabins right?

 

[Jottmom]

I am interested in two tiaras!
Thanks