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Back from Alaska -- here are my pictures!

lsane2

By lsane2,
in Alaska

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lsane2

lsane2

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We took a cruisetour with Princess starting in Fairbanks and ending in Vancouver. We left home on July 27th and the cruise started August 1. Cast of characters was me 50, DH 57, 3 DD's, 22, 20 and 7, and my parents, early 70's.

 

We were celebrating the oldest DD's graduation from college. We had booked this cruise almost a year before and I was getting somewhat worried because I was afraid I was building it up so much in my mind that I would be disappointed once we got there and it didn't live up to my expectations. Well, was I wrong!

 

It helped that we had practically no rain the entire time and that most days were warm and sunny. We added a night on our own in Fairbanks, so we spent a total of 3 nights in Fairbanks, 2 in Denali, and then the 7 night southbound cruise on the Sapphire Princess.

 

For excursions we went with Chilkoot Charters in Skagway for the 7.5 hour train and bus trip into the Yukon, did the whale watching in Juneau with Orca Enterprises, and kayaked in Ketchikan with Southeast Sea Kayaks.

 

We also switched out the Natural History Tour in Denali with the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Our cruisetour didn't include the gold mine in Fairbanks so we added that on ourselves. We also went to Chena Hot Springs Resort.

 

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. I took 2600+ photos which I had to go through after getting back. I had bought Photoshop Elements 7 right before the trip so had to start figuring that out, then had internet problems for about a week and a half, now finally, I have finished with my pictures!

 

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630782964_cMWyL-L.jpg

 

634801879_ipfzn-XL.jpg

 

636075092_BQTFD-L.jpg

 

654637744_ryb5R-L.jpg

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lsane2

lsane2

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If you'd like to see more of my pics, here are links to my albums. The first album is Fairbanks and the train to Denali.

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/Fairbanks-to-Denali/9423794_co9nh/1/631743866_dUb68

 

The next album is Denali National Park and the train ride to Whittier.

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/Denali-National-Park-to/9461220_D2Xep/1/634763676_7DzwS

 

College Fjord and Glacier Bay

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/College-Fjord-and-Glacier-Bay/9402013_j5KY9/1/629871384_vsQys

 

Skagway

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/Skagway/9465061_2XGNJ/1/635047509_Jr3qk

 

Juneau

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/Juneau-and-Ketchikan/9400963_cMNvR/1/636067724_hgtez

 

The next album is Ketchikan plus pictures of the Sapphire. I didn't take very many of the ship, I guess because I was so enamored with the scenery.:D

 

http://lynn59.smugmug.com/Vacation/Ketchikan/9652408_gFPWP/1/651330676_rSMQh

 

Hope you enjoy looking!

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themerle

themerle

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Thanks for sharing your amazing photos! I love traveling in Alaska and never tire of seeing photos from there. Like you, the first time I went I was hoping that I would not be disappointed. We enjoyed the cruise and interior travel so much that we have gone every year since. Alaska is so addicting!

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Jimbo

Jimbo

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Amazing pictures, especially whales. What camera did you use? I am going next year for the first time and want to make sure I am prepared

 

Open up one of the pictures, scroll over it to the right and a box will pop up, then click on Photo info and you will see the exact camera the poster is using and settings.

 

 

 

Jimbo:)

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lsane2

lsane2

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Thanks everyone! As far as what camera I have, I bought it last October, shortly after I booked this trip. I really wanted to get some nice pictures so I upgraded to a DSLR. The series of 8 shots where I got the whale breaching from start to finish I wouldn't have been able to capture with a P&S, at least not that many of them.

 

I ended up with an Olympus E520 and really enjoy using it. When Circuit City was going out of business I picked up the 70-300mm lens for a good price. That's the lens I used for all the whale pictures and also the moose and eagle pics. And some of the glaciers come to think of it. I've used it a lot more than I thought I would because it's also a good macro lens.

 

Any of the DSLR's would give good results -- I just happened to like the way it fit my hand better than the other brands and I also got a real good deal on it.

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wowsmom

wowsmom

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Great pictures, Lynn. Thanks for posting them.

 

We were on the cruise with you, but I don't remember seeing any of you on board. :(

 

We even took the Chilkoot tour in Skagway - but we took the bus in the morning and the train in the afternoon.

 

The Princess Love Boat Dream was DS11's favorite dessert on board. :cool:

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jlijny

jlijny

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Your pictures are great. Thanks for sharing them. Please tell me more about your Skagway trip. Was it great? Based on recommendations from this board, I was thinking of using them next summer. Any suggestions and/or recommendations????

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msmusic

msmusic

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Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are wonderful. We will be traveling to Alaska with our daughters (15,14) next summer. What were your daughters favorite things? Did they like the Hot Springs and what about the long bus ride in Denali? Any suggestions welcome.

 

Thanks.

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lsane2

lsane2

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Great pictures, Lynn. Thanks for posting them.

 

We were on the cruise with you, but I don't remember seeing any of you on board. :(

 

We even took the Chilkoot tour in Skagway - but we took the bus in the morning and the train in the afternoon.

 

The Princess Love Boat Dream was DS11's favorite dessert on board. :cool:

 

It's funny, but it seems like we kept seeing the same people over and over again. Not just in the dining room like you'd might expect, even with anytime dining like we had, but all over the ship at different times of the day. Even at the airport after the cruise! And I had the Love Boat Dream twice!

 

Your pictures are great. Thanks for sharing them. Please tell me more about your Skagway trip. Was it great? Based on recommendations from this board, I was thinking of using them next summer. Any suggestions and/or recommendations????

 

Thanks! I enjoyed the trip, although I thought it was a bit long. We had great weather too. By the time we were in Skagway, we had already taken a 10.5 hour plane ride to Fairbanks, an 8 hour bus ride in Denali, a 10 hour train ride from Denali to Whittier and I think we were just tired of sitting so much. It felt so good to get off in Skagway and walk around the town. But I think of what we would have missed had we just taken the train up and right back down again, and I'm glad we went.

 

Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are wonderful. We will be traveling to Alaska with our daughters (15,14) next summer. What were your daughters favorite things? Did they like the Hot Springs and what about the long bus ride in Denali? Any suggestions welcome.

 

Thanks.

 

The hot springs were okay. DH really liked it a lot though. While all of us went into the ice museum ($15 admission per person) he went into the hot springs.

He said he'd like to go back there and stay a couple of days. There was also horseback riding available there. I wouldn't go to the ice museum again, but I'm glad I did it once. The drive out there and back to Fairbanks was the only time we saw moose. One time we saw a moose and a calf but they went into the woods before I could take their picture.

 

I didn't hear any complaints about the bus ride in Denali, except when they had to get up so early. It was interesting and so beautiful and then the mountain was out, but I think they were tired afterward. I know DD7 was tired, but she did real well on the bus.

 

I think probably the whale watching excursion was the biggest hit with them. It didn't last all day but there was a lot to see. They grumbled a little bit because I had added Mendenhall Glacier afterwards, but I think once they got there they were happy they went.

 

Of course, mine are older (and younger) than your kids. There are a lot of other excursions available, like ziplining, kayaking and white water rafting that they might enjoy.

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Sunny AZ Girl

Sunny AZ Girl

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Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. I took 2600+ photos which I had to go through after getting back. I had bought Photoshop Elements 7 right before the trip so had to start figuring that out, then had internet problems for about a week and a half, now finally, I have finished with my pictures!

Your pictures are amazing. I bought Photoshop Elements before my cruise last spring and have yet to be able to figure out how to use it. Better take a class.....:rolleyes:

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