Tag: travel

Alaska – Aug 29 – Ketchikan

We actually had fairly pleasant weather in the Rain Capital of the World today. The average annual rainfall of Ketchikan is 200 inches. Ketchikan was founded in 1885 as a salmon cannery site. There seems to be a fair amount of fishing boats but I would guess that tourism is the number one industry now.

Woke up before the alarm at 6:00. Read for a while and then got dressed to go get coffee. It was much busier at the Explorer’s Café than yesterday at 7:00. I guess more people are finding it. I could see that the day was gray with some very low hanging clouds.

We docked prior to 8:00 and the gangplank was located on our floor very near the elevators we take which was very convenient for us. We were going to eat in the Lido for breakfast but it was very crowded. Since we had no big plans for the day, we opted for the main dining room. Sat with some nice couples from Texas and Wisconsin. I had apricots and an omelet. Chuck had his American breakfast again. While we were there, we watched the Celebrity Millennium take the berth in front of us. That ship dwarfed the Zaandam. I wonder how many people it holds. We could see a big outdoor screen on the top deck showing underwater scenes.

We went outside and decided it was cool enough for jackets and our rain gear. Chuck opted for shorts and a t shirt and only needed his rain jacket. I wore my fleece jacket. When we disembarked I realized there was a heavy mist so I put my rain jacket on too. We got on the free downtown shuttle and took it a short way to the Married Man’s Trail which supposedly is the same trail men used to sneak into and out of the “sporting houses” of the Creek Street red light district.

By the time we got to the start of the trail, it had stopped misting and the sun was coming out. I was warm so I took off the rain slicker and the jacket. We climbed up the trail through some enormous fir trees. It was lush. However, the flowers that were so huge in June were non-existent now.

The trail led to the Cape Fox Lodge and we took another trail back down to the creek. I had hoped to ride the funicular down but it was not operating. The creek was flowing fast. In June last year, there were no fish at all in the creek that we could see and the water level was low. Today there were a lot of salmon both live and dead in the stream. Gulls were picking at the remains.

I had hoped that the shuttle would take us to the Totem Bight State Park but it only went to the Totem Heritage Center that we saw last year. It was interesting but didn’t feel we needed to do it again. I didn’t want to wait for the regular bus that could take you there and didn’t feel like paying for a tour. So we took the shuttle back to the ship and stopped and looked around at the Tongass Trading store. They had very good end of the season sales but neither of us needed anything.

Got back to the ship and I took my laptop back to the Visitor Center hoping I could use the Internet to upload some of these documents. No luck. Maybe Juneau or Anchorage. I did have very good cell service so I caught up on emails and a couple of text messages. Even tried using my telephone as a hot spot but still no luck. Phone seemed to work but the computer couldn’t pick the service up. Not sure if it is a problem with the computer or just operator error.

By the time I got back on it was time for lunch. I had a grilled cheese, chips, and a salad. Chuck had the grilled chicken sandwich from the Dive In burger place on the Lido deck. They had the cover over the Lido pool area except for one small opening to let in the slight breeze. It was so nice that we decided to get in the hot tubs.
They were great. Very hot. I can’t stand the ones that feel like bath water. We then tested the pool water and it was not too cold. There were only 4 of us in the pool. After the pool, I took one more turn in the hot tub before getting out to dry off.

Coming back to the room, I opted to get cleaned up and change so I could watch the sailaway at 4:30. Chuck opted for a nap. The laundry was returned so I got that put away.
I came back to the Explorer’s Café and got a Chai Tea Latte and sat in one of the comfy chairs to watch the sailaway. Seems like a number of boats and seaplanes were returning this afternoon. Some of those planes flew very close to the ship. The skies were gorgeous blue with big fluffy clouds. So very different than this morning.

Came back to the room and got the evening’s laundry ready for pick-up. Met up with Chuck and went to the Ocean’s Bar. Dinner that evening was with a couple from Louisville Kentucky and another couple who currently live in Denver but had lived all over the world due to his job as a computer consultant. They had some very interesting stories. I had the crab cakes, roasted zucchini soup, coconut shrimp salad, and a fig and yogurt dessert. We finished up at 8:00 so Chuck decided to play cards and I went back to the Explorer’s Café to read and have some hot chocolate.

I got him at 9:45 so we could go watch the comedian/magician perform at 10:00. As we sat down, he said his ear was hurting so he went back to the room. I watched the show and realized that I had seen him before on a previous cruise, either the Hawaii one or last year’s Alaska cruise. He was kind of corny but I liked the magic. I hope Chuck’s ear clears up or a visit to the medical center will be in order.

Tonight’s towel animal was a hermit crab.

Alaska – Aug 28 – Cruising Vancouver Island

The itinerary called today “a scenic view of Vancouver Island as you sail past it”. The program called it a Sea Day. What it actually turned out to be was a day so foggy you didn’t know where you were. There could have been an island or sea out there but I had to take someone’s word for it. But, scenic cruising or regular sea day – didn’t matter to me. I like sea days. You can do as much or as little as you want.

I did manage to sleep until about 6:00. I read until almost 7:00 and then got up to go to the Explorer’s Café for a latte for me and coffee for Chuck. I did sleep well and understand why Chuck likes the inside cabins so much. Very dark and very quiet. Only light was the light coming in from the hallway under the door.

However, because we are in an inside cabin and I didn’t turn the TV to the ship channel, I did not realize it was not going to be a “scenic” day until I was getting our coffees. The fog was so thick and swirling around. Then I heard the captain blow the fog horn for the first of many times today. It was an ear splitter.

We tried walking on the promenade which is one of our favorite activities. But I t was way too windy and cold so we only did one lap. Decided that breakfast in the dining room was a better option.

Shared a table with a gentleman for California and a couple from Tasmania, Australia. They were all very well traveled and were very enthusiastic about European river cruises. Might be nice to try one of them one day. They both agreed that the Budapest to Amsterdam trip is the one to go on if you think are only going to do one river cruise. I had the apricots and an eggs benedict along with my favorite – the raisin bun. Service was slightly slow but we were not in any hurry.

Typical activities for a sea day – art presentations, shopping, future cruise presentations, Microsoft workshops, slot tournaments, etc. People were even in the pools and hot tubs. You could see the steam rising from the pools and tubs. We spent most of the day people watching and talking with other people. I did go to Guest Services so they could log me into the Navigator account on my phone. I kept getting an error message when trying to register. I always forget that for some reason Holland America puts a space between the Mc and Cannon so I was not typing in my name “correctly.” I was also able to call the Pinnacle Grill and get our reservation changed from 5:00 tonight to 7:30 on the 31st.

I thought the oddest thing I saw today was a woman carrying what looked like a two foot Barbie-type doll with the hinged joints at the elbows, knees, and feet. However, that sight was topped by then seeing a man posing the doll (which was in a one piece bathing suit) in various poses along the edge of the pool and taking pictures with a professional type of camera. Selling on Ebay? Performance Art? Weirdo? I guess I will never know. Never did see the woman who had been carrying the doll again.

Had a salad for lunch, did some more people watching and the fog was beginning to lift some, and then decided that a nap was in order. Did I mention I like sea days?
Slept for about an hour and then got cleaned up. Tonight is one of the 3 Gala nights so you are supposed to step up your attire for dinner. Chuck looked very nice in his dress shirt, slacks, and sport coat. I wore one of my “former” work dresses. Since we flew in, we left the tux and the gowns at home. However, I saw several men in tuxes and the women in long gowns. Very elegant. Listened to the piano player in the Ocean’s Bar for about 30 minutes and then went to dinner. We passed on having our picture made.
Sat with 2 other couples both from California. One couple from San Diego have been traveling the United States in an RV since January. Their son is living in and taking care of their house. They said they are tired of California and were considering other states to live. They ruled out the South because of the humidity although they have a daughter who lives in Nashville. Idaho and Utah are their current favorites. I would want to stay a winter there before making final plans. I’ll take humidity over bitter cold any day. I had the shrimp cocktail, carrot soup, yellowfin sole filet with cheesecake for dessert. The service was fine up until the dessert which took forever to come out.

After dinner, Chuck played cards while I worked on this journal and then we went to the show – Variations – which was performed by the Zaandam singers and dancers. Not really sure what the theme of the show was but I thought they performed OK. I thought the men sang better than the women. Chuck said it all sounded the same to him.

The card table was full after the show so we decided to call it a night. We set the clock back one hour tonight so there is an extra hour of sleep. We are due to arrive in Ketchikan tomorrow at 8:00. No big plans for the day. The weather forecast is scattered showers but you never know. We might get lucky and it will just be cloudy.

Our towel animal tonight is a lobster.

Alaska – Aug 26 – Second Travel Day

Even though the bed was comfortable and everything was quiet and really didn’t even hear the airplanes, I had another night of restless sleep. Fell asleep just fine but kept waking up. When I was sleeping, I was having very weird dreams. Probably from eating the pickled zucchini chips at dinner.

So, I got up at 4:00, an hour earlier than planned. Took my shower, got dressed, and made some coffee. Was just sitting there on the couch enjoying my coffee when I heard Chuck stirring around. He said I wass probably going to regret getting up so early with the time change to Seattle today. He was right. By 7:00 Seattle time (10:00 Atlanta time), I was beat.

We went down to the lobby for breakfast at a little after 6:00. There were already some people in there. The airport shuttle driver from yesterday afternoon is back this morning. Wonder how many hours a day he works.

The free breakfast offered was very good. I had fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, raisin toast and coffee. The coffee was much better than the room coffee. I could have built a breakfast bowl with the scrambled eggs as a base. Apparently, they have different ingredients on different days for their breakfast bowls. Would be interesting to know what their California Dreaming breakfast bowl is.

Got to the airport in plenty of time. Shuttle service was fast and efficient and all the riders were going to Delta. TSA pre-check was pretty fast though I had to take the laptop out of my bag which I have not had to do in the past. Our gate was A gate this time so we could have walked from security but we took the train. We did walk from one end to the other in the concourse just because we are going to be sitting for 5 hours.

The flight left on time and was uneventful. I like the Delta Comfort seats. Little more leg room, decent snacks and free alcohol drinks. I watched Spielberg’s Ready Player One movie. I thought it was a very good movie. Was also able to watch a couple of episodes of Mom and The Middle. Next thing I knew we were touching down.

It was chillier than predicted in Seattle so my blue jean shirt felt good. We got our luggage and called the Sleep Inn hotel for a pickup. The room is nice: king bed, refrigerator, and comfy chair. Though it was only 2:00 in Seattle, my body said it was 5:00. I got the cruise luggage tags put on the bags for tomorrow.

We took an Uber to Wally’s Chowder House. We enjoyed it so much last year that I wanted to go back. They have the most beautiful baskets of petunias outside.  I had the New England clam chowder in a bread bowl with a side salad. Chuck had 3 Halibut fillets. Everything was as good as I remembered.

Back to the room to get clothes ready for tomorrow. Got the confirmation that Seattle Express will be picking us up at 10:45 in the morning.

Alaska – Aug 25 – First Travel Day

Got up at 6:00 after a restless night. Did the last mention chores – getting cat food bowls ready, running the dishwasher, and printing instructions for the cat/house sitter.
We left the house at 12:15 since we needed to run to the bank. Ever since Regions Bank left our hometown, the closest branch is about 15 miles away in the next town. I thought we had enough cash for the trip but Chuck didn’t think so. There was a long line at the ATM but they moved quickly.

Got to Groome’s Transportation about 1:15. We have taken Groome’s to the airport a number of times. I like being able to sit back and enjoy the ride to the airport. Left promptly at 2:00. Traffic was typical Atlanta.

Got to the airport at 4:15 and was able to call the Hyatt Airport South for a pick-up. I like being able to stay overnight in Atlanta before a flight. I would have been a nervous wreck if we were trying to get to a flight.

The hotel is nice. Our room has a small living area with a couch, desk, refrigerator and sink separated from the bed/bathroom area with a half divider. The TV can swivel between the 2 sections.

We had a couple of drinks at the bar in the lobby and then walked around the corner and ate dinner at a Ruby Tuesday. Split an entrée called the Southern Sampler – BBQ meatballs, pimento cheese, deviled eggs, and pickled zucchini. Excellent.

Need to catch the 8:15 / 8:30 hotel shuttle back to the airport in the morning. Our flight is supposed to board at 10:30 and leave at 11:00. Fingers crossed.