Stevepcb64

11 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Ate a great lunch at Tap and Barrel at Canada Place today (Tuesday at noon) and got right in to a beautiful outside table.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

Good to hear. We have Tap & Barrel on our list and Mouse's Down Under sounds very interesting as well.

We plan on doing the Hop on Hop off bus in a couple of weeks post cruise on Sunday. We will certainly get off at Stanley Park and Granville Island to explore those areas as well as a quick stop at Gastown for the Clock. Looking for suggestions of must do's at any of the other stops to fill out our day.

We will be exploring downtown Vancouver via one of the HOHO buses the 1st Sunday in June. Looking for Brunch, lunch and dinner restaurants that would be along the routes that these buses take. What we like: Not really looking for fancy restaurants as we will be dressed casual for exploring. We love favorite local type places, mom & pops, diners and such. Not really looking for chain places that we can eat at anywhere. Places with a great atmosphere, water front or great views are a bonus. Not opposed to grabbing an Uber for dinner after the buses stop running either.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions!!!! We are not really interesed in renting a car and dealing with parking and such for this trip. I realy liked the e-bike idea but I am a pretty big guy and I checked with one of the rental companies and I exceed the weight limit for the e-bikes, so I guess that is out also. I like the route the horse drawn carriage takes but it looks like it only makes one stop at the totums. So I think we are just going to try and basically walk that same route so we can go at our own pace and take pictures ect. It looks like it goes by several of the main attractios. Any reason that you experts can think of that would be an issue with this or any other suggestion?

We will be staying in Vancouver for 2 nights post cruise. We are looking at maybe doing the HOHO Bus on Sunday. Stanley park looks huge and looks like you could spend an entire day or so there. Realistically, I would think we may want to spend maybe a couple of hours to be able to see more of Vancouver that day also. Any recomendations on what the must do's are in Stanley Park and an itenerary of what and how to do it? TIA

Anyone have experience with this company and/or this tour specifically? Seems to be a pretty good deal for both experiences.

39 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

My verbiage in my post #15 gave me some "wiggle room" regarding the pair (Riverboat and GD).  I felt I really shouldn't claim that the pair were "always" sold together to the cruise lines, but this is the first time I have heard of a Princess land package which didn't include both.  We spend about 90 days a year on a cruise ship doing lengthy fall and spring trips.  When fellow passengers find out that we are from Alaska we hear about their Alaska cruise.  When their trip to Alaska is on a cruise line sponsored package and they were in Fairbanks either pre- or post cruise I don't think that I have heard of someone only doing one (and not both).  The Binkley family, which owns both, makes it so easy to sell both attractions to the cruise lines as they even have facilities for lunch on their properties.

 

If @Stevepcb64 has a description of their day in Fairbanks which includes anything about trying to pan for gold, then they are going to the Gold Dredge #8.

I think we are getting hosed. lol

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

What does your Travel Summary document say?  Mine says this:  

 

 

This is what ours says. I wish it was included but it doesn't look like it is on ours.

32 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

Just a few comments from someone who lives in Fairbanks -- The Westmark is indeed downtown.  

 

For those who are doing a cruise line sponsored land trip two Fairbanks attractions generally include (if not always included) Gold Dredge #8 and the Riverboat Discovery.  Gold Dredge #8 is located very close to the pipeline viewing site closest to Fairbanks (about ten miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway); this viewing site includes interpretative signs.  Before you purchase tickets to GD #8 make sure that it isn't included in your land package.  And remember that folks don't see the pipeline on the drive to Denali; I've had folks tell me that somehow they thought they would see it on the drive to DNP.

 

I would also suggest eliminating a visit to Santa Claus House at North Pole.  Santa Clause House is basically the "emporium of bad taste" in my opinion.  Almost nothing unique.  Basically junk made overseas.

 

Cookie Jar is not a great place for lunch.  When it was included that Food Network show (Dives, Dinners and whatever -- obviously I don't recall the name) there was surprise at the time that it was featured.

 

I don't know what you are planning to do along the waterfront area, but I would suggest a stop at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center.  If the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is of interest (check their website -- this museum is worth a visit) it is a quick drive from the MTCC. Depending on what day of the week you are visiting, if the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market is operating (prior years they have opened on Wednesdays and Saturdays) then plan a stop there.

 

Pump House is a decent choice for dinner.  But if you like Thai the Lemon Grass is excellent.  Jazz Bistro is within walking distance of your hotel.

 

And I am not sure that the Westmark is going to offer a hotel shuttle from the airport after dropping off the rental car.  

So awesome to have a local pitching in with tips and suggestions. THANK YOU!!!

Best I can tell the Gold Dredge is not included in our tour, only the Riverboat. We are in Fairbanks on a Monday and we leave right after the Riverboat tour to go to Denali the next morning, Tuesday.

Thanks for the tip on Cookie Jar, I did see it was on DDD and that was exactly why we were looking at it. Any other local lunch suggestions? or dinner for that matter. I will look into Jazz Bistro.

Waterfront area just to check out the river,  and seems like saw something about an Antler Arch? And yes, the visitor/cultural center is in that same area. 

9 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

This review of North Pole AK describes my feelings about the place better than I can.  The TripAdvisor reviewer gave it 2 of 5 stars.  I would give it 1 of 5 and only because you can't give it zero stars.

 

"I read reviews on Trip Advisor prior to heading over to North Pole from Fairbanks. The reviews seemed promising, and our waiter at breakfast talked it up. We we were really disappointed. The store has a good amount of Christmas ornaments, and they have free pictures with Santa. I was able to see the entire store in about 10 minutes, and I didn't find anything unique worth buying. There are also reindeer at the other end of the parking lot, which you can pay to go into the enclosure and feed. Not sure how much that costs, as I didn't not go for the experience. Overall, a disappointment. I have seen better Christmas shops pop up in the malls around the holidays."

 

DON

My expectations for North Pole are pretty low based on reading probably the same reviews. But, wife thinks it would be cool to check in on Facebook from the North Pole...lol. If we run short on time this will certainly be on the short list for getting cut out. Thanks for the input.

10 hours ago, hrt4girls said:

We might be on the same trip. We arrive in Fairbanks on the 20th of May and then cruise on Royal Princess to Vancouver starting on the 25th. Your plan sounds very interesting. We would like to do something similar.  Gold Dredge 8 is definitely something we would like to see. I checked our itinerary and our hotel is Pikes Waterfront Lodge. So when you arrive are you dropping off your luggage at the welcome desk and then picking up your rental car before you leave the airport? Or is one of you going to the hotel with your luggage and another person getting the car and meeting at the hotel?  I am assuming there are taxis or Ubers to get you back to your hotel when you drop off the car that night. I am just trying to wrap my brain around the logistics of getting a rental car. Thanks so much for your input

Yep same itinerary for us. According to uncle google, it looks like Pikes is right at the airport so it should be easier for you. Ours is all the way downtown. I think the plan is for me to get the rental and my wife will go with the luggage to the hotel and I will pick her up there. But we may just drop the luggage at the desk, if we feel good about that and save some time. I'm hoping to get the hotel shuttle to the hotel when I drop off the rental but if not, yes it will be a taxi.

10 hours ago, hrt4girls said:

Thanks for all your suggestions.  We haven't been assigned a hotel yet.  I think we have decided to use the bus and the university shuttle to explore the museum, the animal research center and perhaps figure out how to get a look at the pipeline.  We will only have the rest of the arrival day for exploring, so there isn't enough time to get the use out of a rental car.

I think we are on the same tour as you are. Check your current itinerary, ours just started showing the hotel this week. We are at the Westmark downtown. We are going to go ahead and rent a car to get the most out of the short time we have there. Plan is quick lunch at Cookie Jar, if we have time. Gold Dredge 8 (includes pipeline), then North Pole, Pioneer Village and downtown waterfront area if we have time. Dinner at maybe Pump House. Return Car, sleep, whew I'm tired already....lol.

This may be what you are looking for. I just found it myself so I don't have much more info.

22003043_Alaska_CruiseTours_Land_Excursions_Brochu_230413_124557.pdf

Hey, I got them scanned, but the pdf is too big to attach here. Do you want me to email it? It's ~20 MB.

Yes you can e-mail it to me. That would be great! Thanks

That would be awesome! Thanks!!!!!

Anyone happen to have a resent copy of the Cruise Compasses from the 9 day Grandeur of the Seas Canada/New England Cruise?