Our Alaskan Adventure - Broken Foot and all June 20th - July 7th

[olemissreb]

Great report ... thanks for sharing. I'm sure the details will be very helpful for those in the planning stages.

I like your comparison of Denali to Grand Canyon ... similar in their awe. You were so fortunate to see the mtn. I've never seen it while in the park, only on the drive to or from the park. Didn't lessen my enjoyment of the park tho!

 

Since so many people ask about boxed lunches ... how was yours from the Denali Bluffs and what did they charge for it?

 

2 little corrections ..... there is no food available at Eielson Visitor Center, just water fountains. And, only Teklanika Campground has restrictions on your movement in the park. It is located at Mile 29 which is beyond the point where people can drive their own vehicles. Therefore once you arrive at your site, your car must stay put until you leave.

 

Too bad someone didn't start a "2013 Trip Review" link like they have in tripadvisor where everyone can add their report. It's great to have ONE place to read all the reports.

 

Thanks for the corrections. I wasn't sure about the food at Eielson. As I said I went in just long enough to use the restrooms. And I couldn't remember which campground it was or if it applied to all of them. I knew we stopped to pick up someone with young kids from that campground and thought they must be very brave to camp like that with the kids so young! I know my kids would have been chomping at the bit to go and do something other than ride into the park every day.

 

Yes we considered ourselves so blessed to see the mountain. It was so hot and sunny and all along the drive to Eielson we would see glimpses of the mountain and we just crossed our fingers that it would still be out when we got to Eielson. Then we were lucky enough that it was still mostly out by the time we got to Wonder Lake - the clouds were just starting to form then.

 

Our lunches were pretty good. I think they were $15 a piece? I really can't remember. I do remember the price seemed a little high for what you got, but thought that the convenience factor made up for it. I think your choices for sandwiches were ham & cheese, turkey & cheese, roast beef & cheese and maybe a veggie option. The boxes also included mayo & mustard packets - which helped as without that, the sandwich may have been a little dry. They did also come with lettuce and tomato already on the sandwich.

[olemissreb]

We took our time getting up in the morning. No need to rush since we had all day to drive. On the way back south, we stopped at Hurricane Gulch so DH could get some pictures (thumbnails 1-3). This really was fascinating to look at/walk thru as it really showed the power of the water running through rock. Really a beautiful area.

 

We got to the construction zone, but didn't have to wait too long for the pace car. I noticed that as we traveled through the construction zone, part of it was already paved where it had been all gravel 3 days prior. I sort of marveled at this for a couple minutes only to realize that "duh" the road workers have several more hours of daylight to work in AK than they do in the lower 48. Looking at it from that perspective, it made total sense that they had part paved already. Who knows? By the time some of you get up there, you may be questioning where the construction was to begin with!

 

We didn't make as many stops heading south as we did going north. We did stop at the southernmost point of the Denali State Park to see if we could see the mountain one more time, but alas, Denali was sad that we were leaving and shrouded herself with clouds.

 

According to my Milepost book. at mile 57.5, Millers Place was a "don't miss stop" for "the best soft ice cream and hamburgers in Alaska". Since we were getting hungry, we stopped. The food was good, but I'm not sure about the best. We wanted to get some of the soft serve ice cream, but about 1/2 way through our lunch, a NCL cruisetour bus pulled in and everyone offloaded. The line was out the door and with only 2 or 3 people working the register, the grill and the ice cream; service was not speedy. So we skipped the ice cream and headed on toward Wasilla where we stopped and picked up some munchies and drinks to have on hand for our stay at the Homestead Cabins.

 

Once we got on the Glenn Highway, the scenery changed dramatically from more brown to lush greens. DH liked this scenery better than the mountain views you get from the Parks Highway. Frankly, both were just equally stunning! (Thumbnails 4&5)

 

About 90 minutes or so after loading up with munchies, we arrived at Homestead Cabins. Sandy greeted us and took us to Cabin #3. She even broke the bad news to us that we wouldn't be able to do laundry because they were having troubles with the well & pump. I had booked Cabin 3 because it has a washer and dryer and I thought I'd do a couple of loads of laundry before we got on the ship. Oh well! We had thought briefly about finding another place to stay, but ended up staying put. We did have to conserve our water usage (read: minimal toilet flushing and no showers) for one night though.

 

Homestead Cabins are so cute! There is NO internet or cell phone coverage - none, zip, zero, nada! Although, we could have gone up the road a bit to use a nearby church's internet, we declined and decided it was a good time to get used to being "off the grid" for a couple days.

 

I was still a little tired, so I decided to skip dinner and stay back at the cabin. DH and the boys went to eat at the Grandview Cafe. While it may be a favorite of Sandy (owner of Homestead Cabins), it didn't impress DH and sons. It wasn't bad, but not something memorable. On the way to the restaurant, they saw this: (thumbnail #6). The Matanuska Glacier, where DS1 and I would be Ice Trekking in the morning!

[Assateague Island Princes]

So sorry the washer and dryer weren't available for you at Homestead Cabins - that must have been a disappointment. We booked the medium sized cabin, the one just down from yours, and loved it. Our cabin was spotlessly clean and really beautiful inside - perfect fit for the 2 of us, we could have stayed there forever! Sandy and Dan were such nice people, and we met Dan's Dad, David, who walked the road by the cabins every morning and evening with his son's dog - despite being 90 years old! Amazing man, he stopped one day when we were out on our porch and we had a nice chat. He is an author and was telling us about his book "Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God", which I immediately ordered thru Amazon when we got back. Just finished the book last night - great read! Trust me, the man and his family did NOT lead an ordinary life by any means.

 

Did the moose family stop by for a visit while you were there? We saw them every day, once they came running right by our porch from your cabin - something had spooked them - and they sure spooked me, I wasn't expecting a visit from the Moose Family! :D

 

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the adventures with the glacier hike - more please!!!!

[olemissreb]

After a really good night's sleep, we got up and headed out to Mica Guides to check in and get ready for our Ice Trek. 3 hours walking on ice!!! This was the one excursion that I was most looking forward to. Growing up in Wisconsin, in 5th grade we took a field trip to Kettle Morraine State Park. So I'd learned about Kettle Lakes and morraine. To me this made that whole lesson come full circle - actually being on a glacier that causes those! Just goes to show, I guess, when your kids say "I'll never use this stuff again" about some class they have to take...you can truly tell them "you'll never know when those lessons will come back to haunt you!".

 

I had called Mica Guides after DS2 broke his foot wondering if there was any way he could attach crampons to his orthopedic boot (first time that question had ever been asked!). The answer was unfortunately, no. Oh well, the ray of hope was that he might be back in a shoe by then and everything would work out fine...WRONG! When his orthopedist put him in a cast a week prior to our trip, I called Mica Guides back and cancelled his Ice Trek & Zipline and DH's Ice Trek & Zipline. Mica tried to refund the money to my credit card. Via email, I found out that since I booked more than 60 days prior, they couldn't refund my credit card, but they asked for my home address so they could mail me a check - which I just got today (7/12). Mica provides crampons for you as well as helmets. Layering is key as it is cooler on the glacier. You might also think about wearing waterproof pants as you do sit on rocks to attach the crampons after hiking out on some of the morraine. Also, make sure you take an empty water bottle so you can fill it up with glacier water. Our guide said people tell him it tastes like snow, but it didn't to me. To me, it was so much purer than that - and it stayed cold/cool for hours with no refrigeration!(thumbnails 1 & 2 of DS1 and I on the Matanuska & the Matanuska Glacier). We had sooooo much fun! Our guide was very informative telling us about mulan's and other features we saw on the glacier. The zipline portion was ok. It was one "zip" and lasted maybe 30 seconds. The trek up the hill to the takeoff point was a lot more taxing than the actual zip which was a little scary, but exhilarating at the same time. If you have been ziplining before, this will be a huge disappointment. If not, it's a good way to get your feet wet.

 

While DS1 and I were ice trekking, DS2 & DH headed back to Wasilla to the Iditarod Headquarters and took a dog cart ride (thumbnails 3 & 4). They had a great time. DS2 got a 2013 Iditarod sweatshirt and has worn it so much, I think it can stand in a corner on its own! They also went over to the Independence Mine, but because the parking lot/rangers station was so far away, DH decided not to get out and subject DS to crutching it up the long winding road to tour the mine. He at least got a picture (thumbnail 5).

 

So they took a leisurely drive back to pick up us Ice Trekkers. Thumbnail 6 is a rock in the Little Susitna River - just thought it was a cool picture and had to include it!

 

Once we got back to the cabin, we all relaxed for a little while before heading back out for dinner at the Sheep Mountain Lodge. Dinner was pretty good, but get there early. The place filled up fast and there were only a couple of waitress on duty when the first rush came in. They did add more so I never felt like we were waiting a long time.

 

Heading back we ran across this: (thumbnail 7) and I just had to wonder how many of my ex-boyfriends were there!:)

 

We got back to Homestead Cabins and Sandy informed us that the water pressure was back up to normal levels and we could wash clothes and/or shower. I was way to tired to wash clothes, so put that off (Hey, I'm on vacation!). DH was happy though so he could take a shower in the morning before we made our drive back to Anchorage to meet my mom for the 2nd half of our trip.

[olemissreb]

So sorry the washer and dryer weren't available for you at Homestead Cabins - that must have been a disappointment. We booked the medium sized cabin, the one just down from yours, and loved it. Our cabin was spotlessly clean and really beautiful inside - perfect fit for the 2 of us, we could have stayed there forever! Sandy and Dan were such nice people, and we met Dan's Dad, David, who walked the road by the cabins every morning and evening with his son's dog - despite being 90 years old! Amazing man, he stopped one day when we were out on our porch and we had a nice chat. He is an author and was telling us about his book "Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God", which I immediately ordered thru Amazon when we got back. Just finished the book last night - great read! Trust me, the man and his family did NOT lead an ordinary life by any means.

 

Did the moose family stop by for a visit while you were there? We saw them every day, once they came running right by our porch from your cabin - something had spooked them - and they sure spooked me, I wasn't expecting a visit from the Moose Family! :D

 

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the adventures with the glacier hike - more please!!!!

 

I'm going to have to see if I can get the book on my Nook. I was fascinated when Sandy told us that Dan's family got the land by being homesteaders! Such a cool history.

 

We didn't see the moose family. I was so disappointed. I was really hoping we'd wake up one morning and have visitors, but maybe the boys were just too loud. Of course there was a lot of noisy activity trying to get the water pressure back up again and Dan & Sandy's son sawing logs to build his own log cabin. The boys took a walk down to the sawmill to talk to him about it and he was so patient and accommodating toward them.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Nope - can't get the book on your Nook - I tried! LOL! It is only via Amazon, and when I purchased it last week it was "on sale" for about $9, I think w/free shipping. It arrived within 2 days of ordering, and it is an easy read - I think you'll enjoy it. Really fascinating story about how Mr. Lee came to Alaska and raised his family there.

 

Thanks for the latest installment about your Matanuska trek - sounds wonderful! We just drove down thru the private property and then walked on the glacier ourselves for a bit. It was fun, but wish we could have done the trek - I unfortunately was coming down with a cold and didn't feel up to it at the time. NEXT time though, the trek is on our radar!

[olemissreb]

Nope - can't get the book on your Nook - I tried! LOL! It is only via Amazon, and when I purchased it last week it was "on sale" for about $9, I think w/free shipping. It arrived within 2 days of ordering, and it is an easy read - I think you'll enjoy it. Really fascinating story about how Mr. Lee came to Alaska and raised his family there.

 

Thanks for the latest installment about your Matanuska trek - sounds wonderful! We just drove down thru the private property and then walked on the glacier ourselves for a bit. It was fun, but wish we could have done the trek - I unfortunately was coming down with a cold and didn't feel up to it at the time. NEXT time though, the trek is on our radar!

 

I got a cold too, but not till we got on the ship. We saw a lot of people walking out to the glacier and walking on the parts covered in rock. We didn't see any walking on the white, snowy portion without crampons or a guide. But then again, I really was paying more attention to where I walked than what others were doing! :) I highly recommend Mica Guides - they were really easy to work with, responded in a timely manner and very informative.

[tlcoke]

Thanks for your trip review. Do you have links to your different tours & excursions you booked?

[olemissreb]

Thanks for your trip review. Do you have links to your different tours & excursions you booked?

 

I'll try and post them at the end. Wish I had thought to post them in the review! :o

[erewhon]

Enjoying your review.

Thank you, and for sharing your photos.

[olemissreb]

Sorry, had to take a couple days break to start laundry and do some grocery shopping. Still not done with the laundry, but at least now we have food to eat in the house!:o:)

 

Anyway, we took our time getting up and on the road back to Anchorage. I forgot that Delta changed my mom's flight, so instead of arriving at 5pm, she was now getting in at 8:16pm. Oh well, so much for taking her to Humpy's for dinner.

 

As we neared Anchorage, we decided to stop and see the Eklutna spirit houses. I have to say it was definitely not something I expected. Just hadn't done my research on that as I wasn't sure we'd stop. At first we weren't sure we had the right spot as it is literally a small church on the side of the road with a small parking area in front just before the road ends (thumbnail 1). The church pictured is the newer church and is still used today. The spirit houses are the burial sights of members of the church. And since I didn't write it down when I learned it, I've now forgotten why the congregation builds the houses and what they are supposed to represent (thumbnails 2 & 3). You could probably spend a lot of time here reading the history and looking and discovering all the spirit houses, but DS2 was whining about anything and everything, so we only spent about 45 minutes or so.

 

In the blink of an eye, we were back at the Embassy Suites where we relaxed for a while. The boys were happy to be back in civilization so they could watch the cartoon channel, text their girlfriends, and play games on their Nooks.

 

About 4pm, we decided to eat a late lunch/early dinner and turn in the car. DH dropped off DS2 and I at Humpy's and then went to return the car with DS1 while we got a table. We ordered something to drink and I sent a photo of the list of IPAs to DH to see if he wanted something (thumbnail 4). He declined saying he wanted to wait and have an ice cold one! Oh well!

 

Didn't take long for DH and DS1 to rejoin us and we got down to the business of ordering food. I had the beer battered halibut. DS2 had the beer batter cod. DS1 ordered Golden King Crab (thumbnail 5). DH ordered the smoked salmon dip for an appetizer and something else which I can't remember for his entree. The fried fish was delicious. The king crab was sooooooo sweet and yummy! And the smoked salmon dip? OMG I could have made a meal on that alone! It was wonderful. I wonder if Humpy's would send me their recipe?

 

After dinner, we walked the 2 blocks back to the Visitor Center and called the hotel shuttle. The boys went up to the room and DH and I stayed downstairs to enjoy the Managers Reception. At about 7:15, DS1 and I boarded the shuttle to the airport to pick up my mom. She was right on time and after claiming her luggage, we boarded the shuttle again (after about a 15 minute wait) and were back at the hotel. We went to bed early since we had to be at the train station at 6AM for our train trip to Seward.

[olemissreb]

We had made arrangements for the shuttle to take us to the train station (thumbnails 1 & 2). We were told to allow at least 30-45 minutes to get to the station and check our luggage and then board. So that's what we did. Well sort of! We got to the station at about 5:45am (only took about 10 minutes) and walked right into the tent that is to the right (as you look at the station) of the station itself and checked our bags. No waiting! We even found out that because we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express, that they would check our luggage through to the hotel and it would be waiting there when we returned from our excursion! SCORE! Turns out the railroad has agreements with some of the hotels in town to offer this service. My advice would be to call either the railroad or your hotel and see if it's offered - ESPECIALLY if you are taking a boat tour upon arrival in Seward - it saves time not having to claim your luggage and then store it somewhere until you return. We were inside the station waiting to board at 6am! They started boarding at 6:15. I don't recall any priority boarding for anyone.

 

We booked the Goldstar service and it was very nice! We had our assigned seats that all faced forward in a domed car. There was a drink service in the car which seemed reasonable ($7 for a bloody mary and $20 for 2 large mimosas). The dining was on the level right below us. We also had breakfast (well everyone but me) and the portions were big and prices were reasonable. There weren't many stairs, but they were narrow and curved up to the 2nd level. DS2 (NemoPhish) couldn't navigate those with his crutches, but there is an elevator - which he got very adept at running!:)

 

The ride was simply stunning! We saw Mountain Goats, Bald Eagles, snow capped mountains, a couple of glaciers (might have been more), and waterfalls! (Thumbnails 3-6)

 

When we arrived, there was someone from Major Marine waiting for a bunch of us to detrain. He took us via school bus over to the shop (thumbnail 7) to get our table assignment & prepurchased tickets. We were then able to board the Glacier Express right away. It was a bit of a hike and NemoPhish was a little slow going down the ramp as it was a little steep, but we all made it just fine. We got on the boat and were able to drop our carry on stuff at our table. If you order the meal, you are assigned a table and it is your table for the duration of the cruise. It worked out really well.

 

We went up to the top level to watch for wildlife and thought we had a pretty good spot near the wheelhouse and out of the sightlines of everyone sitting, but we were mistaken. There was one gentleman (and use the term loosely) who decided that since he was sitting, he had to have the full 180 degree view! We tried to accommodate him as much as possible, but short of actually joining the captain in the wheelhouse, that just wasn't going to happen. We weren't the only ones he fussed at - if anyone was even within his peripheral vision, they were asked to move so he could see. I don't believe he was handicapped and he could have stood at the railing like everyone else. The thing that disturbed me the most is the amount of room that he was intent on having for viewing - just not reasonable with the amount of people on board.

 

Anyway (done with the rant), we decided it was a little too windy up top and went down to the bottom level and sat at our table until shortly afterward, the naturalist announced there were otters at "3pm"!!! (thumbnail 8). NemoPhish was in HEAVEN!!! Otters are his favorite animal. The trip had barely started (we weren't out of Resurrection Bay yet) and it was successful for him!

[olemissreb]

The otters were just the start of the wonderful wildlife we would get to see! And the scenery didn't suck either!

 

We saw: Dall Porpoise swimming right by the boat (thumbnail 1); Eagles soaring overhead (thumbnail 2); a pod of Orcas out on a family outing (thumbnail 3); Puffins & Kitti Wakes (thumbnails 5 & 6); Stellar Sea Lions protecting their harems and their young (the black ones are the babies) (thumbnail 7) and a Momma Humpback teaching her baby how to do tail slaps (thumbnail 8).

 

We also got to see and hear the Holgate Glacier (thumbnail 4) calving. It sounded just like thunder and got us looking forward to Saturday when we would get to see Hubbard Glacier do the same thing. It was amazing how quiet the entire boat got just to be able to hear the cracking and calving. A couple of the Major Marine crew members scooped up a couple of big chunks of ice for Glacier Margaritas for a nominal charge (I want to say $7 but I can't remember)! I didn't get one, but the boys got the non-alcoholic versions and said they weren't too bad!

 

The waters in the Gulf of Alaska were pretty calm the day we sailed. I'd been doing my nightly Bonine so I wasn't affected at all. As a precaution, I made the boys take some the night before, so they were fine too. Actually no one on the boat got sick at all. The naturalist they had on board was very informative. He even had an otter pelt with him which I'm surprised that it didn't go missing right into my son's backpack!;):)

 

The salmon & prime rib lunch was very good and very filling and worth every penny we paid! It's served buffet style. You are called up by table number and once everyone has been served, they open it up for seconds or thirds. For dinner, they start with table 1 and work their way to the last table. For dessert, it's just the opposite! There are alcoholic beverages, hot chocolate and sodas available for a fee. I believe water & tea are included in the price.

 

All in all, it was a fantastic day out on the water and a great way to spend the day (we were on the hour tour). When we disembarked, we simply went up the ramp and turned right for about 2 blocks and we were at the Holiday Inn Express. We checked in and were taken to a room to get our luggage. DH asked if there was a place we could store our luggage in the morning before we went to the ship. It was then he found out that for $2/bag, they would deliver our bags right to our ship!!!! SCORE!!!! We didn't have to worry now about getting back to the hotel, picking up our luggage and then getting all 5 of us and 7 pieces of luggage into a cab and over to the ship!

 

After getting to the room, we freshened up a little and walked over to Rays on the Waterfront for dinner. We were tired and didn't really want to go too far. We didn't have reservations and they were busy, so we had to wait about 30-35 minutes or so - nothing too horribly long. Unfortunately, because they were so busy, the service suffered. We waited a long time (10-15 minutes) for someone to come over and take our drink order. Since most of us weren't all that hungry (the teenagers being the exceptions), we ordered off the bar menu which we thought would have smaller portions. OK if those were small, I don't want to see how big the portions are on the regular menu! The food was good. If we go again next time though, I'll remember to make reservations first!

 

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and crashed! Tomorrow is the SeaLife Center and a Marine Mammal Encounter and then boarding the ship!!!!

 

NOTE: We used points to stay for "free" at the HIE. I put free in quotes because I actually purchased points to be able to have enough for a free night for 2 rooms. Doing that actually turned out cheaper (by $50 or so) than booking at the full rate (AAA rates weren't available). If you are close to a free night, it may be whole lot cheaper to actually purchase the points to get you to that free threshold.

[sue402001]

I can't wait to read more!

[olemissreb]

I can't wait to read more!

 

More to come probably tomorrow night. My oldest has his senior yearbook pictures in the morning and then maybe lunch with my sister and her daughter (who is taking her senior pics at the same time!). We're supposed to have a family friend take Senior Portraits of the 2 cousins in the afternoon, but that hasn't been finalized.

[olemissreb]

We woke up this morning to an overcast, rainy, dreary kind of day. The bright spot though was right outside our balcony (thumbnail 1) - the Celebrity Millennium! After 15 months, the day was finally here! We were going cruising! As excited as I was to get on the ship and see our Royal Suite (oh yeah!), we had one more excursion to do before heading to the ship.

 

The guys were up early and went downstairs to grab some breakfast while I got myself ready to go. While they were down there, DH got the name of a cab company that could take all 5 of us to the Alaska SeaLife Center for our Marine Mammal Encounter and then to the ship. Mike's Cab Company...nothing fancy, and our 2 drivers would probably never get hired in NYC or even Atlanta to drive a cab, but they were hospitable, timely and friendly. After breakfast, the guys came back upstairs and we gathered all our stuff and headed back to the front desk to check our bags through to the ship (probably the best $14 we ever spent!).

 

After a $5 cab ride (yep $5 for all 5 of us!), we were at the SeaLife Center. I had already purchased our general admission tickets as well as our Marine Mammal Encounter (MME) tickets. As many of you may know, Atlanta boasts the world's largest aquarium and we've been there several times (although I like the Chattanooga Aquarium better), so I knew better than to even try to compare the 2. While it's not huge, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it is. The layout isn't something I would have done - too much doubling back on things, but if you don't linger, you can see the whole thing in about 45 minutes to an hour.

 

Our MME wasn't scheduled until noon, so we had about 90 minutes to "kill" which we did with no problem. There are touch tanks for you to touch sea anemones and other creatures that live in the cold Alaskan waters. It was sooooo cool (and I'm not just talking about the water). There are also Puffins & Kitti Wakes that are just flying around their enclosure that you can walk into (just don't walk around, looking up with your mouth open - bad results could happen!:eek:). You can also walk out to the Stellar Sea Lion habitat and the seal habitat and see them swimming around. The Sea Lion was not on exhibit long, but we did catch a glimpse of him. Thumbnail 2 is one of the seals, named Tongass.

 

About 11:30, we got something to drink and perused the gift shop for a little while. They did have water resistant, fleece lined coats on sale for $30 - a deal if you needed something to keep you warm & dry. My mom took full advantage of that deal! At noon, our guide came and got us (she happened to be the same person that my mom and I were talking with at the touch tank) and we started our tour.

 

First she took us to show us the live feed from cameras that are set up at the Stellar Sea Lion Rookery where we saw the Sea Lions yesterday on our Kenai Fjords tour. The naturalist on that tour mentioned that the SeaLife Center had set up cameras to monitor the mating season, but for some reason, we never connected the 2 when we were actually at the center! (Lack of sleep maybe?). Anyway it was fascinating to watch them zoom into a group of sea lions to monitor what the moms and babies were doing.

 

From there, we truly went behind the scenes. We first went to an area where we learned a little about the animals and their habitats and the research that is being performed at the center. After that, we met up with a trainer and she told us about the specific sea lions and seals. Due to the research contracts, we were asked not to take pictures of the sea lions or to post them on any sites as that would be a violation of their contract. We could however take pictures of the seals so we did! We met Tongass (thumbnail 2 is from inside the center) and got to watch him do some tricks and paint (thumbnail 3) - maybe one of you can buy Tongass's painting he did for us!

 

The trainer then brought out Sugar, a Stellar Sea Lion. OMG she was so cute! The trainer had each of us (one at a time) put our hand on the cage and she said "Target" and Sugar would touch our hand with her nose. Then the trainer would say: "Tongue" and Sugar would stick out her tongue and touch our hands! IT WAS SO COOL!!!! Since it is mating season and the males are usually really aggressive, we didn't get to see the alpha male "Woody". We did get to see the teenage male "Pilot", but we couldn't get too near as he is starting to be a little more aggressive.

 

We were able to use a Northern Lights coupon for buy 1 get 1 (actually 2 coupons) for the MME. Since you also have to purchase a general admission ticket, I was also able to use 2 more of the Northern Lights coupons for that too! There is a lot of walking and we were able to get a wheelchair for NemoPhish which was a HUGE help.

 

When we were done, we called Mike's Taxi to come pick us up and take us to the ship. We were getting hungry and wanted to just drop off our backpacks and start relaxing! 10 minutes later, the taxi arrived and $5 later we were at the ship.

 

Check-in was a BREEZE!!! The terminal was empty when we got there at about 2pm. As we walked in, a Celebrity employee noticed NemoPhish on his crutches and asked if he would like a wheelchair. Of course we said yes and the employee wheeled DS2 all the way through the process until we were onboard with our champagne (oj for the kids) taking out embarkation photos. Mom forgot to keep her Boarding Pass out of her checked luggage, but it still wasn't a problem. She filled out some paperwork with one person while the guys and I check-in with another. Mom actually finished before we did! When we finished, we were on our way to the ramp - so cool walking along the ship (thumbnail 4) to get to the ramp.

 

We were able to go to our rooms right away. I had booked a Royal Suite for DH and I and the connecting Concierge Class room for the boys and mom. The plan was to leave the connecting door open and use it kind of as a 2 bedroom suite and it worked out great that way. Our last cruise, we were in an Owner's Suite on the Adventure of the Seas and the boys shared the cabin with us. I was expecting something similar, but was blown away by what we saw! Thumbnail 5 is the tub in the bathroom (there's also a stand up shower. Thumbnail 6 is the eating area. Thumbnail 7 is the portion of our balcony by the "master" bedroom (which was totally private) complete with a hot tub!:eek: Thumbnail 8 is the "eating area" of the balcony which was right outside the "family room" area of the suite. Yep - 2 sliding glass doors onto the balcony. Mom & the boys had a little bit longer balcony and they had 2 reclinable chairs with footstools and a small table. Sooooo much room for the 5 of us it was wonderful!

 

After dropping off all our stuff, we went down one floor to Bistro on 5 for lunch. There was no one there! We were the only ones there to eat. For $5/person, the food was really good and we didn't have to fight the crowds or try and find seats up at the Oceanview Cafe. It was sooooooo nice! We had a nice meal and then went back to see if our luggage had arrived yet. No such luck, but no big deal either. The boys went off to find the teen club and mom, DH and I went exploring (sorry no pics though - don't know why we didn't take the camera). We all got back to the cabins a little before 5ish and DS1 decided he had to get one last conversation in with the girlfriend (thumbnail 9) before the phone went in the safe. At 6:30, DH and I went to the Sunset Bar to meet up with CC friends, but since it was windy with misty rain and cold, we thought everyone decided on plan B - the martini bar. So we went there next and met up with Bonnie, her husband and now 92yo mom.

 

We decided to just skip dinner since we had a late lunch. After muster drill, DH and I went back to the Martini Bar. Don't ask me how, but I don't remember sail away - I think muster ran too long or something. Anyway - I did celebrate though (thumbnail 10).

 

Tonight was an early night and tomorrow is Hubbard Glacier.

[poptart]

just started looking at reviews today and researching for an Alaskan cruise.

 

I'm so happy I found your review. looking forward to the rest!

 

I'm in GA about 90 miles north of you on the state line of Chattanooga, TN.

[stellapalooza]

Wow, what a coincidence... I live in Atlanta, I'm getting ready to go on an Alaskan cruise, and I have a broken foot! Do you have advice for dealing with the foot while onboard or on excursions? We're on a Princess cruise but I'm sure it will be similar. I'm worried about things like showering with no bench, getting around if it's raining, getting from one end of the ship to the other..... how did your son handle these things? I probably don't have the energy of a teenager either! Were there any excursions/activities he wasn't able to do? Thanks in advance for any tips you can share! I'm super excited about our trip, just a little worried about dealing with this unexpected bump in the road!

[olemissreb]

Wow, what a coincidence... I live in Atlanta, I'm getting ready to go on an Alaskan cruise, and I have a broken foot! Do you have advice for dealing with the foot while onboard or on excursions? We're on a Princess cruise but I'm sure it will be similar. I'm worried about things like showering with no bench, getting around if it's raining, getting from one end of the ship to the other..... how did your son handle these things? I probably don't have the energy of a teenager either! Were there any excursions/activities he wasn't able to do? Thanks in advance for any tips you can share! I'm super excited about our trip, just a little worried about dealing with this unexpected bump in the road!

 

Call Princess Special Services (or some name similar) and see if they have a wheelchair you can use on board. We were supposed to have one and it never arrived, but my son didn't care. He just used his crutches and when he wanted to play ping-pong, he put his crutches against the wall and just played. He wore out the heel in his cast!!!! You may not be able to take the wheelchair ashore, so you might want to see if you can borrow or rent one of those knee scooters. We didn't go that route because I didn't trust a 13yo to not try and take it for a spin down the halls despite being told not to!

 

As for showers, we got DS a "boot" that went over his cast and then you suction the air out of it. The boot suctions to the cast making it waterproof. I think it was $40 at a place called Castcoverz dot com (I wanted to be sure the website didn't get deleted thus the reason for writing it that way). It worked GREAT! He could even get in the pool for a little while one night.

 

The only excursions that he wasn't able to do was the ice trekking and the zipline at the Matanuska Glacier. Everything else didn't involve a whole lot of walking. On our flightseeing tour with Michelle from Island Wings, he was able to get in the plane and even get out to "crutch" around on a small beach looking at shells and stuff. We always checked the weather to see if rain was predicted and if so, we made sure to have his "boot" with us plus he would wear long pants to cover it.

 

Don't worry about your foot and getting around. For your flights, contact your airline and have them have a wheelchair waiting for you. We did that with Delta and while we didn't use it to get to the gate, it was really nice when the flight attendants would check on whether we would need it when we arrived at our destination - we always used it then. Also - you should be able to use the "handicapped" security line at Hartsfield. They will wand you down, swab your crutches (if you have them) and your cast, but at least you won't have to take shoes, belt, etc. off and walk through the metal detector. They usually did the same thing when we were returning to the ship - DS went through the barricade and was wanded down while the rest of us went through security the usual way.

 

I can't think of too much else that was different because of the foot. Have a WONDERFUL trip! You won't soon forget all the beauty that is Alaska and you'll want to start planning for your next trip (hopefully minus the broken foot :)).

[olemissreb]

just started looking at reviews today and researching for an Alaskan cruise.

 

I'm so happy I found your review. looking forward to the rest!

 

I'm in GA about 90 miles north of you on the state line of Chattanooga, TN.

 

Thanks for coming along for the ride. I spent 2 years researching and planning the cruise and our land tour. There were some things I could have planned better, but overall I think I achieved a nice balance for us. If you have any questions, just post away and I'll try and answer them.

[TomAmes]

We didn't go that route because I didn't trust a 13yo to not try and take it for a spin down the halls despite being told not to!

 

What??? :) He sounds like a real Rebel to me! I seem to recall an earlier post of yours saying you were planning to send your kids to a "different" college. Blasphemy, I say!

 

Great report! And I'm happy your DS isn't letting his broken foot interfere with his enjoyment of the trip.

[olemissreb]

What??? :) He sounds like a real Rebel to me! I seem to recall an earlier post of yours saying you were planning to send your kids to a "different" college. Blasphemy, I say!

 

Great report! And I'm happy your DS isn't letting his broken foot interfere with his enjoyment of the trip.

 

Tom - I would love for the boys to go to Ole Miss, but DS1 wants to be an Aerospace engineer - not offered at OM, so Auburn or TAMU (I can handle those). Although if DS1 doesn't get his grades up, he may end up at OM to get prelims out of the way before transferring to AU or TAMU. Same with DS2 - he wants to be an Architect plus he wants to swim on an NCAA swim team - not offered at OM so it's looking like AU for him too. I do like AU - have family ties there since my FIL and brother are both AU alums.

 

The broken foot hasn't really slowed him down all that much. It's amazing how resilient teenagers are!

[stellapalooza]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it! I actually did order a cover from Castcoverz so I'm glad to hear they work well! I'm thinking I'll have to sit out the Segway tour and the zipline tour, but otherwise hopefully I will be good to go. And avoiding the regular security line at Hartsfield sounds pretty nice to me!

 

My husband is an aerospace engineer from GATech - your son should consider their program too, especially if you're a GA resident!

 

Call Princess Special Services (or some name similar) and see if they have a wheelchair you can use on board. We were supposed to have one and it never arrived, but my son didn't care. He just used his crutches and when he wanted to play ping-pong, he put his crutches against the wall and just played. He wore out the heel in his cast!!!! You may not be able to take the wheelchair ashore, so you might want to see if you can borrow or rent one of those knee scooters. We didn't go that route because I didn't trust a 13yo to not try and take it for a spin down the halls despite being told not to!

 

As for showers, we got DS a "boot" that went over his cast and then you suction the air out of it. The boot suctions to the cast making it waterproof. I think it was $40 at a place called Castcoverz dot com (I wanted to be sure the website didn't get deleted thus the reason for writing it that way). It worked GREAT! He could even get in the pool for a little while one night.

 

The only excursions that he wasn't able to do was the ice trekking and the zipline at the Matanuska Glacier. Everything else didn't involve a whole lot of walking. On our flightseeing tour with Michelle from Island Wings, he was able to get in the plane and even get out to "crutch" around on a small beach looking at shells and stuff. We always checked the weather to see if rain was predicted and if so, we made sure to have his "boot" with us plus he would wear long pants to cover it.

 

Don't worry about your foot and getting around. For your flights, contact your airline and have them have a wheelchair waiting for you. We did that with Delta and while we didn't use it to get to the gate, it was really nice when the flight attendants would check on whether we would need it when we arrived at our destination - we always used it then. Also - you should be able to use the "handicapped" security line at Hartsfield. They will wand you down, swab your crutches (if you have them) and your cast, but at least you won't have to take shoes, belt, etc. off and walk through the metal detector. They usually did the same thing when we were returning to the ship - DS went through the barricade and was wanded down while the rest of us went through security the usual way.

 

I can't think of too much else that was different because of the foot. Have a WONDERFUL trip! You won't soon forget all the beauty that is Alaska and you'll want to start planning for your next trip (hopefully minus the broken foot :)).

[olemissreb]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it! I actually did order a cover from Castcoverz so I'm glad to hear they work well! I'm thinking I'll have to sit out the Segway tour and the zipline tour, but otherwise hopefully I will be good to go. And avoiding the regular security line at Hartsfield sounds pretty nice to me!

 

My husband is an aerospace engineer from GATech - your son should consider their program too, especially if you're a GA resident!

 

He's been to GATech a few times through either Math Team competitions, Robotics competitions or a field trip through his school. I hate to say it, but he doesn't like the campus. I told my kids that they could go anywhere, but they had to feel like it was home to them. For him, AU and TAMU did that. Plus, he's been playing around more in high school than studying and getting the grades I know he's capable of getting - he wouldn't have a chance at getting in GATech. He's also applying to UVA and VATech, but I'm pretty sure he'll be denied because of his grades.

 

I thought about a Segway tour in Anchorage, but am glad I didn't book it because I don't know that DS2 would have been able to maneuver it as well with the cast on his foot. Call up the company and see if there is a way to do it - and check with your orthopedist to make sure they approve too!:) My son got such a dirty look from his orthopedist when she found out what his cast looked like before they removed it! :o

[stellapalooza]

He's been to GATech a few times through either Math Team competitions, Robotics competitions or a field trip through his school. I hate to say it, but he doesn't like the campus. I told my kids that they could go anywhere, but they had to feel like it was home to them. For him, AU and TAMU did that. Plus, he's been playing around more in high school than studying and getting the grades I know he's capable of getting - he wouldn't have a chance at getting in GATech. He's also applying to UVA and VATech, but I'm pretty sure he'll be denied because of his grades.

 

I thought about a Segway tour in Anchorage, but am glad I didn't book it because I don't know that DS2 would have been able to maneuver it as well with the cast on his foot. Call up the company and see if there is a way to do it - and check with your orthopedist to make sure they approve too!:) My son got such a dirty look from his orthopedist when she found out what his cast looked like before they removed it! :o

 

AU and TAMU are both great schools, so I'm sure he'll have a great experience no matter where he goes! As far as I can tell, any engineering degree is a good bet these days. They are in demand!

 

I purposely scheduled my follow-up appointment for the day after we get back so the orthopedist can't tell me that I need to stay off it more! I figure if there was ever time to overdo it and risk it taking longer to heal, this is it.... :D