All Things EARTH... part 2

I'm making a second post about Alaska planning...that way, if this is just too much...anyone can just skip it if they don't want to hear about it...you know how you get when you are planning...it's like all you can think about sometimes and it can make people who could care less annoyed...

So if you care less...don't read...

Anyway...

Alaska is one of the most complicated things to plan! I'm trying to find that line that enjoys all the things that you can DO in Alaska versus seeing Alaska itself. For instance, going whale watching for humpbacks and orcas is something to DO in Alaska...and if you do that, then you are not really seeing the town that you are using as a home base to go whale watching.

Now, admittedly, these Alaska ports are small towns, and there may or may not be much to see. But you get my point.

Here's the interesting thing...Ketchikan and Juneau, and Icy Strait Point (if your itinerary goes there)...are all only accessible by boat or plane. You can't DRIVE to these ports. They are, in effect, like visiting islands...except that they are like town sized islands. The surrounding country side just isn't easy to travel at all. Now, Skagway is the major exception...there are roads and the railway that go inland the 20+ miles it takes to enter Canada. So Skagway is the gateway to the Yukon...that's one reason why it is so popular to head inland in Skagway...because you actually CAN!

The towns themselves are just small towns. Skagway has a normal population of about 800 people. We'll have 4 ships in port when we go...so about 11K people will descend on this town of 800. These port towns attract a lot of college students and other seasonal workers that are brought on to help handle the cruise traffic. Tourism is a HUGE business for these little towns...and it's changing the face of the towns, where the offerings there are getting quite touristy, for lack of a better word... so it can be frustrating to figure out something to do in port that feels like a genuine experience...and not some canned thing that is cooked up to entertain the cruisers.

I was talking to a fishing guide in Juneau on the phone...I was talking about not wanting to be in and admit the crowds...we were talking about seeing Mendenhall...and he said that every Tuesday next season would have 6 ships in port...it would be the busiest day...and that if there was anything worth seeing, there was no way you could get away from the crowds.

All this is just something to come to grips with in understanding the planning of going to Alaska. For DH and myself, Alaska has been on our to do list for so long...and all those thoughts about going have been around seeing crazy wild places where we would be away from the crowds, etc. Now I don't know that we are going to be able to do that on the land portion of our trip...but that's part of the goal in doing the whole camping thing. The hope that we will be able to find a few places where we feel like we are IN Alaska and really seeing it and experiencing it as we imagine it to be.

And I don't think that our imaginings are far off the truth. It's just a matter of whether or not we can get to those places where it is truth in the time and within the budget that we have.

So, I've figured out our Skagway...it weather cooperates, which it is more likely to do in Skagway than Ketchikan. (Ketchikan gets an annual rainfall average of 165 inches! OMG). Back to Skagway...the town is basically an old west town...just really far north. It experienced a bit of a Gold Rush and had a brief boom. Along the historical road (Broadway) there are several blocks of buildings that were built from 1897-1900 and they are largely unchanged to this day.

The National Park Service has ranger-led walks that will fill in the historical details of the town and the buildings. They are only 45 minutes long and they are free. We plan to do one of those. We'll also grab a picnic lunch (found a GREAT little place that bakes bread and goodies daily) and then we plan to hit one of the hiking trails that take off from right there in downtown. You can fish in the little lakes that the trails go to...and so we are going to do that. Have a fun picnic fishing outing for a bit. After lunch, there are a couple sites in town that might be worth exploring, depending on the crowds...including the local saloon...we'll see. And there's another easy, flatter trail that leads to the nearby inlet with some fabulous, more ocean like views.

My hope is that most people are going to be doing the popular thing which is getting on the railroad...or renting a car to drive up to Emerald Lake...etc. and that they will bypass spending as much time in town.

Skagway is our last port before debark. It's the most conducive to doing the hiking thing because of the weather patterns and the ease of getting to the trails...so it will be our excursion-free port...aka a much cheaper port! LOL.

Oh...and yes, we will have bug spray.

Anita , We were in Alaska at the very start of the season so we were the only ship in all but one port .The towns are tiny and getting very touristy.When we were in skagway we saw the ranger led tours and they looked interesting .We took a private tour to the Yukon and saw Emerald Lake which is beautiful.On the way back we did stop at one of the hiking tours for a brief hike . We skipped downtown as we were tired from our all day Yukon tour .We also luckily had no rain except a sprinkle in Juneau .The train tour gets good reviews but some days it is too foggy to see much.Can't wait to hear the rest of your planning .

First, thanks to everyone for their comments! One of the reasons I post is to confirm things for myself. Sometimes I have comments with each dress, and sometimes not so much. What I hope to get back out of posting pictures is confirmation of thoughts.

I also know that I could love something, and the next person could hate it. And I do like to know why, so I appreciate all your thoughts, Anita. And I don't really pose in the photos, because I'm not trying to get a flattering shot - I'm trying to see the dress for what it is. I can save the posing for "real" pictures. :D

Starting with the print dress, I have a complete love/hate relationship with it. One thing you don't get from the picture is how much brown is in the dress, in two different shades. The colors are fantastic, and I like the pattern. But I don't like the pattern on me that much. And the top part - that big expanse of fabric across broad shoulders is not the best. If I wear that at work, I would be wearing a blazer with it. I haven't actually tried the dress on with a blazer yet. It also has an annoyance you cannot see - a side zipper. It actually feels stiffer on one side than the other. That is probably a small thing, but if I noticed it, then I imagine what it would be like to wear the dress all day long.

The red dress I have been planning on keeping all along. I can't get away with crisscrossing the straps of the softer cup bras I have, I don't think. But I am going to try it on that way because if it works, this will be a go to dress all next summer and on cruises. I like it a lot.

The olive green maxi is also a keeper, but I need to try the exact same bra that I want to wear with the red dress. I would probably cross the straps for this dress too, just to make sure they don't peak out. but I want to be sure that gap thing stops. A thought I had was to see if I can just adjust the seam at the shoulders. I have done this before - you do most of the taking in on the outer edge, and it pulls it up to get rid of the gap. It is a little trick that the tailor I use has shown me and used. Those little gold rivets are awesome too. I can see a really cute bracelet that picks up the roundness being worn with this dress.

The bluish one is so interesting from a color perspective. I opened the bag upstairs, and thought "oh, it's a dark peacock blue type color!" But the name is spruce. I'm going to go with blue Norway spruce, lol. But I feel the color works, so I can call it whatever. This dress is being kept. It can serve many functions for me. Once again, I want to wear the soft cup bra and a fab necklace. The necklace! I'm going to have a good time with that. Changing the necklace depending on where I'm wearing it along with the shoes and sandals is so much fun for me.

The brown dress....well, sometimes I can wear a one shoulder dress. It is a little out of my comfort zone. I have noticed one thing that makes a difference on them. In this brown dress, the angle from the straight section to the shoulder is not right. I am rather disappointed, and still debating. There is so much I love about the dress. I have also thought that it would lay different if I went up a size, and I might feel different about it. But a chocolate brown dress, with some gold hardware on it...

Sigh.

Anita, I have always thought about how when we are on a cruise, the down side is the crowds. Have you ever watched commercials for places like Atlantis or theme parks or whatever, and they show just a family and no lines or anything? I laugh about that.

But I bring it up because my best cruise moments and excursions don't have the bigger crowds. Nachi Cocom limits the number of people so it makes you feel so relaxed. The very first time we went to Cozumel, we did a dolphin excursion. The had tons of people. They grouped us together, gave us life jackets, and herded us like cattle to go to our designated section of water. I did not enjoy it. When we swam with the stingrays in Grand Cayman, our boat stayed quite a distance from the next boat, and since it was a smaller tour, the group of people was smaller. The attention was so much more personalized. One of the workers noticed that my daughter was hesitant because she was scared. He went right over, guided her off the boat and gave her a little extra attention. I can't even begin to tell you the difference that made.

I think there is a good chance when my husband and I go to Alaska, it will be the beginning or end of the season, so I don't know if that will make a difference with the crowds. I think it will make for cooler weather though.

My next cruise has three ports: Cozumel, which we will go to Nachi Cocum during our time there, Grand Cayman, where we want to swim with the stringrays again (plus there is a really good restaurant we went to the last time) and then Costa Maya, which is new for us. There are some ruins there that I mentioned previously that I think we would enjoy.

Just the three ports and having things in mind for two of them already helps us have a grip on the cost. Those are privately booked excursions. Costa Maya we will probably do through the ship. I'm not sure yet.

I have seen a lot about the railroad in Alaska. I know my husband will like that a lot, because he is a train buff.

And just because we're mentioning trains, I'm thinking of my 50th birthday cruise, where we went on the wine country trip and how amazing that was to do. It also has me thinking about the wildfires n California and everything. Nature has been rough this year.

Laurie, I have to say I agree with a lot of what Anita said about your dresses. I love the print dress, of course, but my experience with medallion prints is that they look best when the medallion runs down the center of the dress and doesn't reach all the way to the sides. It gives a very slimming effect that way. HOWEVER, if the plan is to wear a blazer or sweater over it, I say go for it. I think it would look lovely on you that way (on anyone that way, in fact). You should definitely try it and see if it's comfortable with the jacket, whether it will move enough for you to be comfortable in. It fits you so well.

As for the brown dress, I'm just meh. It's a nice enough dress, it looks just fine, you look really toned and healthy, but it doesn't make you shine they way some of your other choices do. If it was hanging in your closet, and you needed to grab something quickly, would that be the one you picked? Or is it just the idea of having another choice out of your many other superb options? That's what I would consider. That is the question I ask myself when I'm shopping and I'm not sure. I KNOW what my go-to items are -- would this be in competition, or a second choice?

Love the red, love the blue. Remember, I'm from New York, I just say what I think, but hopefully with kindness. BTW, you should SHOW those SHOULDERS as often as you can. Take advantage of that bod. JMO.

Anita, my impressions of Skagway were that it was very touristy and a bit tacky with the wild west yada yada. So many people took the train, partly because it's an easy excursion for those with mobility issues. You will see lots of whales from the ship, so unless you are super keen to see them up close in a zodiac, I can imagine other more adventurous things to do in port. I don't fish but you will be amazed at the beauty and clarity of the inland lakes and streams.

Tomorrow is D-Day, I have a 5am wakeup call to prepare for my Disney reservations extravaganza!

I forgot to say, how about them Yankees?!?

Margaret, your Yankees are golfing with our Red Sox [emoji51]

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I know. :(

They didn't end up a wild card team for nothin'.

How are your new teeth? Hope you're feeling better.

Margaret , We are going to Disney in two weeks . My daughter got me into the FP mania so we have ours . We are also planning on visiting the epcot food & wine festival while there .

Margaret, teeth are doing well, no discomfort once swelling went down. I don’t recognize myself when I smile.

We had everyone for dinner last night (very casual, spaghetti & meatballs & chicken Alfredo & lots of good wine). My cousin from Boston & her daughter & son-in-law came. The daughter just moved here (husband is an Army combat medic & is getting ready to deploy). Gave us all a chance to reconnect. Lots of laughs, pictures & good food, OMG cannoli dip with pizelles! Melody . My cousin is in the red plaid

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Great pictures, Melody! It looks like you had a good time. That looks like an earth purple you are wearing!!

Sometimes, keeping things simple is best because you have time to enjoy yourself rather than spending all your time fussing.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

And yes, the Yankees and Red Sox are out golfing...just wait til next year!

The Astros and Dodgers will be interesting. Overall, I think the Dodgers have had a great year. There are a few players on the Astros that are really good though.

Someday when I go to Disney, I'm going to be asking all of you a lot of questions. It seems very complicated!

I recall planning our trip to the Grand Canyon. Reservations opened up one year prior and you had a window of about two days in which to reserve a room. We got the last available room.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

We lucked out when we went to the NorthRim of Grand Canyon. We check availability on line, no luck. By chance checked when we arrived & a cancellation! Score! We had a cabin with veranda on the canyon edge! Good thing we don’t sleepwalk! If you haven’t been to the North Rim I highly recommend it. It’s a drive but you go by 2 major NPs Bryce (my favorite park) & Zion.

That’s my Columbia sweatshirt, it’s very earthy & comfy. We had a great, no stress (other than sore ribs from laughing) visit Melody

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We went to.both the North Rim and South Rim. At night. It is incredibly dark in the North Rim. Getting back to our cabin was scary. My husband never goes anywhere without his flashlight, thank goodness!

The night sky was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Les & I both carry TAC lights. We were there at a full moon, which was unbelievable. Full moon & all the stars, stunning

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It is my great shame that I've been to the Great Wall of China but I've never seen the Grand Canyon.:o It's embarrassing at this point.

Sally, which park(s) are you going to? You're going at a great time, the parks will be very quiet. I was up at 6:15 today so I could have my coffee and be ready for FP, and then I had computer issues and missed the first 10 minutes. Tip of the day: Clear Your Cookies! But, I got everything we wanted except for Pandora, which I had been told was highly unlikely anyway. With the FP times in place, I spent some time working out a game plan for each day and made our dinner reservations. I'm very excited! I've decided to bite the bullet and ride Tower of Terror.:eek:

Laurie, my Disney guru friend swears by the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, which also has a website called touringplans.com. The last time we went to Magic Kingdom I followed their recommendations in the book and we had the best time ever and rode more rides than we ever had before. I highly recommend it. This time I used the website (she lent me her password) and I feel really well-prepared. There is not one aspect of a Disney vacation that has not been dissected, blogged about, or reviewed somewhere. It's crazy.

All my dresses are still at the lake, so I dug through and came up with two that fit that will most probably be my formal night outfits. One is the medium blue lace over nude sheath that I wore to that wedding back in May, and the other is a navy blue Ralph Lauren that has tiny sequins in the lace that I got last summer for this benefit/gala thing that DH's uncle insisted we go to. I'm not super excited about either of them, but I don't want to buy new clothes, either, at my current weight. I have been working on it and I've lost three pounds, so yay for me.

Margaret...I think that I've been around the Grand Canyon, but it was so long ago...I have no memories of it. I remember the Petrified Forest better than I do the Grand Canyon, if indeed I was ever there... which is really comical when you consider that Mom and Dad LIVE in AZ!

Yay for the first fruits of your weight loss efforts. Keep it up. I've been doing the same and all I can say is, keep it up. Continue on and don't worry about whether or not what you are doing is "perfect" or the "best" for your efforts. My advice would be to just have the mental thoughts that everything you are doing is at least OK for your body...I believe in the power of the mind and if you are sitting there thinking that a little indulgence is "so bad" then your body will follow...but if you are thinking about how a little indulgence is just that, a little treat and not bad at all...then I believe your body will just figure out a way to process it. And you just continue on with your best efforts in choices that you think are really good...then your body will reward you with its reactions.

About the Tower of Terror...SUCH A FUN RIDE!!!! OMG. That ride makes DH guffaw!!! Huge bouts of laughter because it tickles his tummy. Everyone else is screaming on the down...you hear can the ups and downs of the ride...aahhhhhhhhhh....quiet....ahhhh....quiet.....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Meanwhile, there's this booming HUH HUH HUH...HUH HUH HUH...with DH. If you read about it, then you know that each ride is different because the drops and recoveries are computer generated.

WDW has been documented and we have also made use of the advice in the UG. My biggest advice regarding that is just to get to the parks early. People have the hardest time getting up early when they are supposed to be "on vacation" and if you can be one of the people that is there for gate drop, you will be rewarded. If you are there for EMH though...you won't get the little opening day ceremony...but really that's ok. And even if it seems like there's a bit of crowd and why did you bother? Not true. That crowd is nothing compared to what might be there later in the day.

Is this the 180 day mark for you? IDK if April is as rainy...but if it is...we toured with an emergency poncho each, picked up for a dollar each...and sometimes that made all the difference in the world in our happiness levels. You can almost pray for some rain, because that can really clear the parks...and you can get a lot of enjoyment out of that if you are prepared to weather the rain, which usually doesn't last for too terribly long.

Sally, you are going at what should be a down time...I hope you have a wonderful time!

Melody...I think it's wonderful how close your family is and how often you are able to see everyone. I was talking to Dad the other night (Mom was staying with a friend in Tucson) and he reminded me that when we see each other for our Alaskan cruise, it will have been about 1-1/2 years since we will have seen each other. :eek:

It's the 60 day mark for us. We didn't buy a package because we will only be there two and a half days, and I think the 180 day mark is only relevent for the dining package, and we are doing a la carte. I booked the hotel myself because we got a discount being Starwood members, and I had a coupon for the park tickets that saved us some cash. And Saturday will only be a half day, so the only meal we'll have at Hollywood Studios is lunch (at the Sci Fi Drive-In Theater).

You are so right about getting to the parks early for rope drop. We did that last time at MK and zoomed through Main Street to ride Space Mountain. We rode 3 times in a row, just exiting and going right back through the turnstiles, no line at all. Same thing with Big Thunder Mountain. It was so fun and a great start to our day. The first hour or so in the park was the best.

I'm a bad aunt because my sister mentioned joining us at WDW with her 3 year old, and I basically said no by telling her we are park ninjas and the baby wouldn't have a good time with us, especially as we're not going to MK. DH and I haven't had much time together in the last year, and this was planned as a fun time for US to de-stress and have some joy for once. IMO three is too young to participate in any of the things we want to do. I am looking forward to taking him when he's 6 or 7 and can enjoy MK without being overwhelmed and when DH can stay home. We will have six days with them in Sarasota, so it's not like we won't have time together.

I can't imagine visiting WDW without a plan, just as I can't imagine hopping on a cruise willy nilly. I could, I just wouldn't want to.

Anita, there have been some episodes on Alaska on this show. The scenery is just so stunning. I think Josh is a bit goofy, and I want to beat him with his own selfie stick, but it satisfies my travel bug a little bit:

https://www.nbc.com/the-voyager-with-josh-garcia/episodes

I bought the unofficial guide to Disney and it does have everything you need to know and more . We are going to the Magic Kingdom,Epcot and then the third Day is up for grabs either Disney Studios or Animal Kingdom. My Daughter ,SIL and grand kids may also do Legoland .I have been to Disney seven times but I have never done as much planning as this time .I also envy you Melody that you live so close to your family . My Daughter lives in Lakewood , NY so I only see her twice a year but we talk constantly .

Are you at the Swan or Dolphin? Or off site? I haven't stayed at the Swan or Dolphin...by SIL is Starwood and the points were so expensive there...we stayed off site on a quick weekend trip we took where she funded all the rooms with her points.

As for being a bad aunt...well...I think you were a GOOD wife! And good for yourself as well, recognizing what you needed and just being upfront about it rather than giving in to something that you would be frustrating for you. Open communication makes you a GOOD aunt actually, knowing what interactions with your nephew are a good idea and what isn't. The dine in is very fun. IDK if they've revamped it much since we were there 10 years ago... Regardless, it will feel like a nice break from the crowds. The whole car table situation separates everyone pretty well and because the movie clips are playing, everyone is relatively quiet as well...so it's as good of a break from the park atmosphere as you can get while still being in the park and not just fully trying to find SOMEPLACE that is out of the way.

Ya'll are making me want to go back to WDW...

Thanks for the link...I'll look that up...DH just headed north for a business week in NJ so I was literally just thinking about what I could put on as I drink my morning tea.

Anita , I took out my Alaska pictures the other day .I tried to scan them to post but it keeps on saying to resize them which I have done but still no go. Anyway reviewing my pictures the most scenic ones were all from our trip into the Yukon . That really represented Alaska ,tons of snow capped mountains , and Emerald Lake is just so beautiful .That was a great trip .My pictures from Ketchikan were also very scenic .We just went Totem viewing there and toured the town .

Thanks for the comments on the family, we have a good time. We were a military family (Les retired here in 1990) so they grew up away from our families, so family is important. We’ve only been close the last 4 years, before that we were spread out all over the world since 1992. Our oldest daughter was retired (medically) from the USAF in 2007, she & her family moved back here then. Our middle daughter has never left, but she’s threatening to move to St Thomas when she retires from teaching (just started her 20th year). Our son moved back 4 years ago after being medically retired from the USMC (he was deployed all but 64 days out of his last 8 years) & his kids moved here this summer. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of drama [emoji849] & I wouldn’t trade it...but Florida is looking pretty good right now [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23].

My best advice on WDW, go left. Everyone goes into a park (any theme park) & goes right. Melody

Sent from my iPad using Forums

When I did Disney with my son & daughter for my son's 30 th birthday .We would take a break and go to one of the Hotels and have a glass of wine .We would then return refreshed and ready to go .

Laurie! Athleta is having their final closeout sale on swimwear. I saw lots of the Aqualuxe that you liked, fairly good selection of sizes too

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Sally, the food and wine festival sounds like so much fun. I was reading about it when I was doing research, and it seems very popular. One of the things I love about living in the city is the sheer variety of cuisines available to us, and the creativity of some restaurants. Because we live in Queens, which is the most diverse county in the US, our local produce market carries things that are off the beaten track, like dragon fruit, not just the usual apples, bananas, oranges.

We have a 6am flight that Thursday so we'll probably be at Epcot sometime after 11am. Since the Swan is walking distance from Epcot, we might check in at 3 and take a little nap, and head back to the park later. It all depends on whether we can sleep a bit on the way down, and that depends on how many fussy kids and crying babies are on the plane. :) Those flights to Orlando can be crazy.

Staying at one of the value resorts would have been a bit cheaper, but we couldn't get a king bed in our time frame. There's no way we both fit in a double. :eek: And it's not vacation if we're sleeping apart. We're also hoping the Swan will be a bit quieter than some of the other hotels. I doubt we'll be enjoying pool slides and such this time.

The other times I've been to Disney we've stayed off-park, but I wanted the 60 day FP window not the 30 because we'll be there at a busy time.