My week on the Sun 7/3-7/10 (including pre/post adventures)

[coldferret]

Thank you for posting, we are doing southbound from Seward in September

[ljrfrm]

Thank you for posting, we are doing southbound from Seward in September

 

Your welcome - hope it's great! :)

[ljrfrm]

The next morning we set our alarms for 6:30 am. Way too early but Skagway was calling!! My husband's alarm went off and mine didn't. Weird. My iPhone alarm is usually so trusty. We both got up and dressed and as he's in the bathroom, I looked at my phone to figure why the alarm didn't go off. My phone said it was 5:30. What? Now - I've had issues on previous cruises with time changes and my phone not updating - so I looked at my tablet and confirmed it was 5:30. That's why it felt like it was the middle of the night. It was. It turned out that darling husband's tablet had the incorrect time - and we were up one hour earlier than needed. Oh well, it gave me time on the balcony to check out views.

 

This would be the one morning we had breakfast at the Garden Cafe. I figured it made sense since we were on a tight schedule. Then again, after waking up so early - maybe the schedule wasn't so tight after all. We headed up there a little before 7 am. I grabbed some pancakes and bacon and the ever so important coffee. I may have grabbed a few chocolate croissants as well too. While it seemed to be hopping with a lot of people up already, there were plenty of tables the further away from the buffet you went. Breakfast was fine - it's my favorite meal of the day when I travel, so I'm really not picky. I just love drinking my coffee knowing I don't have to go to work. The rest of the food is just icing on the cake.

 

We were due to arrive at 8 am but arrived early. This would be the one time that our whole group went out together - so we were 8 all together. I booked us with Dyea Dave, which initially had a pick up of 7:45. I wrote them back and told them we weren't arriving until 8. Well, we could have made it - but since we arranged to meet up with our friends at 8, we stuck with that.

 

After breakfast, we went back to our room and packed up for the day. Today was the day we needed to remember to take our passports. This was the view from our balcony:

https://pix.sfly.com/Wz0p7Y

 

We met up with our friends and headed off the ship. I think today was the day we actually took a photo when getting off. The other days we just said "no thanks". We were told to look for someone in a top hat with a Dyea Dave sign. He was very easy to find. It turns out we had Craig who was wonderful. We thought he was personable, funny, provided the perfect amount of history and information and knew just where to stop for great photos. We did the Emerald Lake tour which was $79 per person. I worked with Kathy to book it, who did a great job of responding to my questions and helping us choose the right tour for our group. We debated between just renting a van so our group would have a private tour - or going on the 16 or 21 person shuttle. In the end, we chose the shuttle because we decided it would be so much easier getting in/out at the stops and the windows were bigger for photos.

 

Dyea Dave does not require any deposits, unless you are with a group of 8 or more people. Since we all booked together and there were 8 of us, I did have to snail mail them a $200 check. They assured me that it would be returned to me when they pick me up. The first thing Craig did when we met was hand me my check back.

 

After meeting up with Craig, he took us to the shuttle. We automatically assumed that the shuttle would be full of other passengers. When we got to the shuttle, Craig told us that it was just us, but Kathy told him to grab the larger shuttle as we were hoping to have room (which I did talk to her about - when I decided not to be crammed into a van). How awesome that Kathy took the time to tell Craig this and that we were having our own private tour. 8 people in a 21 person van meant that each one of us had a window. Score! We were taking the White Pass Scenic Railway back in the afternoon, so Craig took us to the train station to pick up our tickets. Craig also made it clear that this would be our last bathroom opportunity for awhile, so we all took advantage of the facilties while there.

 

Our first stop with Craig:

https://pix.sfly.com/zpWo-5

 

Another stop - Bridal Veil Falls:

https://pix.sfly.com/-CF8zp

 

Craig knew just the stop for us to watch the White Pass Railway train going by. We had several stops to view beautiful scenery:

https://pix.sfly.com/jbvZwU

 

Of course, this stop was a must! As we were taking the train back into Alaska, we made this stop on the way out.

https://pix.sfly.com/QQbtQa

 

At some point, we crossed into Canada. We stopped for photos at the "Yukon" sign - along with several other shuttles/vans full of people. Craig actually knew just where we could stand for photos, even though others were standing on the other side taking photos too. He helped us get the right angles and we got some great photos.

 

Several other stops:

https://pix.sfly.com/7t1PEF

https://pix.sfly.com/Dw5ue_

https://pix.sfly.com/8c_o6m

 

And, this was a happy surprise:

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Puppies!!!!

https://pix.sfly.com/w4COK0

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While we were with the puppies, it started to sprinkle. Briefly. For just a few minutes. This would be our one encounter with Alaskan rain. I put my raincoat on....mainly just so I could at least say I used it. Maybe I should have kept the tags on it???

 

We found the desert......Carcross Desert that is:

https://pix.sfly.com/mF-9Xd

 

And Emerald Lake. Oh my. So beautiful - pictures don't do it justice:

https://pix.sfly.com/6QMzUs

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Following Emerald Lake we started back and stopped at a truck stop near Carcross and had lunch (don't let the term "truck stop" scare you - I had such a delicious chicken sandwich) and then stopped in Carcross. We had about 30 minutes there to wander into stores and buy some delicious ice cream.

https://pix.sfly.com/0GphZ4

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We stamped our passports while there - so I have now "officially" been in the Yukon.

 

We met Craig back at the shuttle at the assigned time and headed to Frasier to catch the train back to Skagway. Craig promised he would meet us at the other end and take us either back to the ship or downtown. Once at the Frasier train station, Craig took care of getting our car assignment and then sent us on our way.

[ljrfrm]

Before we boarded the train, we settled up our bill with Craig. It was $79 very well spent and we each gave him a tip as well. The train left on time, and we had a great trip back.

https://pix.sfly.com/Dyhodw

 

And more beautiful views:

https://pix.sfly.com/84Evp7

https://pix.sfly.com/PzJHEK

 

The ride back seemed to go very quick. We enjoyed the views and appreciated the announcements telling us what we were seeing. The combination of the train and Dyea Dave tour was perfect for us, and we saw so much more than if we had just taken the train. We were glad to experience the train one direction though - so I highly recommend if you take the Dyea Dave tour, you consider returning by train. Once we arrived back into Skagway, Craig was right there to meet us. The husbands decided to go back to the ships, so Craig dropped us off in town and then he took 2 of the men back to the ship. The third went off to buy more Dr. Pepper.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/EXxMuX

 

We wandered around downtown just for a few minutes. We were tired. Maybe shopping wasn't the best idea. I went into a few gift shops with my friend as she was looking for a few things. She found a great picture frame that said Alaska - I had seen others but I thought they looked too touristy. This one was perfect - I decided I'd buy one also. But, alas....they only had one. Once she bought the frame (and I finished pouting that they only had one) we decided to head back to the ship.

 

I texted my husband and told him that we were heading back and we'd meet him at Las Ramblas ASAP. I also checked with him to see if they asked for ID while getting back on the ship. They didn't. Each day in the Freestyle Daily, they print to bring your ID on shore (just like they always do). I'm used to the ports in the Caribbean where you need to show your ID along with your key card to get back into the private port area. This didn't happen at all on this trip. But, I had realized my husband had my passport in the backpack he took back to the ship. So just wanted to make sure I wouldn't need it.

 

It was about a 15 minute walk (slow walk) back to the port area - and the Sun was parked in the furthest part (I noticed in each port, we docked the farthest - although in Juneau that paid off as it was the only one right next to the rental car company) it was probably 20 minutes before we were getting back on board. Once again, my friend admitted to the Dr. Pepper smuggling (not sure if it's smuggling if you announce it though) and once again, security smiled, waved him through, and said "enjoy". Cool Beans.

 

We went right up to Las Ramblas and it was Sangria time. Following some tapas and our canapes that were waiting for us when we got to the room, we got ready for dinner. How we ate all this, I have no idea.......but we enjoyed it all.

 

Four of us had dinner reservations tonight at Seven Seas. We had the most amazingly perfect table ever - table 46. It was right up against a big window with amazing views of the mountains around Skagway. Gorgeous. I had risotto, NY strip and I don't remember what dessert was......but I'm sure I ate it all. The bottomless Riesling made another return - I love it when they fill my glass without me asking. Following dinner we went to Windjammer to chill, have a Gin and Tonic and listen to Jason sing. I was raring to go but everyone else wanted to head to bed around 10:40. Party Poopers. I gave in and went back to the room to read. I think this was the night that I later realized that our other friends went to Dazzles for the dance competition -and I was so bummed I missed it. Freestyle Daily failure. I guess it's a must to look at that before heading out for the night.

 

Given that we needed to wake up on the earlier side for Glacier Bay the next day - I gave in, turned out the light, and went to bed. Skagway was another great day!

[Corner Tavern]

Before we boarded the train, we settled up our bill with Craig. It was $79 very well spent and we each gave him a tip as well. The train left on time, and we had a great trip back.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/Dyhodw

 

 

 

And more beautiful views:

 

https://pix.sfly.com/84Evp7

 

https://pix.sfly.com/PzJHEK

 

 

 

The ride back seemed to go very quick. We enjoyed the views and appreciated the announcements telling us what we were seeing. The combination of the train and Dyea Dave tour was perfect for us, and we saw so much more than if we had just taken the train. We were glad to experience the train one direction though - so I highly recommend if you take the Dyea Dave tour, you consider returning by train. Once we arrived back into Skagway, Craig was right there to meet us. The husbands decided to go back to the ships, so Craig dropped us off in town and then he took 2 of the men back to the ship.

 

 

How did you book your tour, what specifically did you ask for? I like the idea of taking the guided tour and then the train back… I'd appreciate some specific advice.

Thank you, CT

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[katfer]

girl..you are so much fun!!!! I loved the story about the chocolate croissants!! We leave in about a week...how was your weather? Should we take more short sleeves..shorts..? Any great shopping trips? Best entrees in restaurants? keep it coming!!!!!!

[ljrfrm]

How did you book your tour, what specifically did you ask for? I like the idea of taking the guided tour and then the train back… I'd appreciate some specific advice.

Thank you, CT

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Kathy at Dyea Dave was great with answering my questions. We chose the "Emerald Lake Tour" but knew we wanted to take the train also. They had some information on this online, but I asked Dyea Dave specifics. If you go on their website, they have a tab for FAQ and talk about doing the train and their tour combined. I just used the contact button to begin the communication. Kathy booked our tour, and then told me how to book the train tickets - which was easy, as it was also online. We did have to purchase the train tickets in advance, but it was easy.

[ljrfrm]

girl..you are so much fun!!!! I loved the story about the chocolate croissants!! We leave in about a week...how was your weather? Should we take more short sleeves..shorts..? Any great shopping trips? Best entrees in restaurants? keep it coming!!!!!!

 

So, we had amazing weather the entire time and easily hit 70 multiple days. My friend went the following week and was in the low 50's. So, you probably want a little bit of everything, as you never know what you'll get from day to day. It was a bit chilly for us in Glacier Bay, especially in the morning -so you definitely need to be prepared. If you have a balcony, get some fleece blankets for sure.

 

As for shopping, there wasn't anything in particular for us. We just wandered in and out of the various stores downtown. Lots of tshirts, jackets, jewelry stores, etc. Some of the Alaskan-themed stores had some pretty cool things, but I personally found them expensive.

 

As for entrees, I liked everything I ordered. I tended to go more for beef, probably just because I don't usually eat much of that when home. The prime rib the first night was good, as well as the NY Strip. But I enjoyed everything - I don't think I'm a foodie/picky person though at all. The last night I had Pad Thai which isn't something I typically order on a cruise. I found it very good -although different from what I'd get at a typical Thai restaurant. It was nice to change it up though and order something different.

[onlineangel]

Following Emerald Lake we started back and stopped at a truck stop near Carcross and had lunch (don't let the term "truck stop" scare you - I had such a delicious chicken sandwich) and then stopped in Carcross. We had about 30 minutes there to wander into stores and buy some delicious ice cream.

We are also booked with Dyea Dave in Sept. I've noticed recent reviews have noted that Craig has been stopping at that truck stop for lunch instead in Carcross proper. When I booked with Kathy a few weeks ago, her email specifically stated "We stop for lunch in Carcross and it can be under $15 and there are bakery's and ice cream places."

I haven't heard anything negative about this "truck stop" but really looking forward to stopping in Carcross for lunch, not before.

Did he give you a choice? I'm debating emailing Kathy back and verifying we will, indeed, be stopping IN Carcross for lunch and not at the truck stop beforehand.

[ljrfrm]

We are also booked with Dyea Dave in Sept. I've noticed recent reviews have noted that Craig has been stopping at that truck stop for lunch instead in Carcross proper. When I booked with Kathy a few weeks ago, her email specifically stated "We stop for lunch in Carcross and it can be under $15 and there are bakery's and ice cream places."

I haven't heard anything negative about this "truck stop" but really looking forward to stopping in Carcross for lunch, not before.

Did he give you a choice? I'm debating emailing Kathy back and verifying we will, indeed, be stopping IN Carcross for lunch and not at the truck stop beforehand.

 

He didn't give us a choice but it wasn't an issue for us. We were fine where we stopped - it wasn't what we would picture here in US as a truck stop and it was nice to eat without crowds and the food was good. We still had plenty of time in Carcross also. Carcross itself was crowded - not bad for walking around -but I can see how it could take a long time to eat. For us, stopping prior for lunch (it was right at the turnoff for Carcross so very close) and then ice cream/dessert in Carcross worked out well. If you do eat there, it could possibly be an issue for getting the train if it's crowded - which could impact the tour.

 

Why don't you send them an email and let them know your concerns and see what they say. It would be interesting to see what their reasoning is - whether it's time-management like I think it might be - or another reason. If that's something you'd like to do, maybe they can work it out.

[ljrfrm]

Glacier Bay, where have you been my whole life? What an amazingly beautiful place!!

 

We woke up at 7:00, knowing we would be entering Glacier Bay early and I didn't want to miss a thing. Once awake, I immediately looked out outside expecting to see a sunshiney day. After all, our amazingly amazing weather has to continue......right? I threw open the ugly striped curtains (ok, not nice,but those striped things were definitely not a decorating "must") and saw fog. Lots of fog. Oh no, will we be able to see the glaciers?

 

https://pix.sfly.com/JZgn4p

 

We went to breakfast at La Cucina, and immediately saw Carlos. He told us to never fear, we are still in for a great day. He also told us he bets we see whales today - the last cruise they saw a bunch. I ordered eggs, toast, potatoes and of course crispy bacon. It was all chased down with a shot of Muesli. As we were eating, right on cue from Carlos I think, we discovered a group of humpback whales, leading us to the glacier. So close.......how cool.

 

Soon we were back in our room and the park ranger began her narrating. We couldn't hear her well from our room, but turned on the TV and heard everything. We actually had to blare the TV to the top, so we could hear her outside on the balcony- but we could which was great. She told us that they arrived at 6 am that morning by pilot boat. At this point, it wasn't raining, but in my notes I wrote it was "lightly spritzing". It never really did rain, and the fog eventually got better, and although we used our blankets and I put my vest on along with a long sleeve sweatshirt, I still consider it a great weather day.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/bKpseZ

 

We went ahead and ordered room service for four (coffee OJ and chocolate croissants), set up the additional chairs outside (desk chair from our room and friends room) and sat down for a day of nature. We had saved our free latitudes sparkling wine for today - and planned to open it for some glacier mimosas - yum.

 

Soon, we started seeing small icebergs in the water. The ranger pointed out a silver fox on land too. She gave amazingly great directions on exactly where it was and I got my camera ready. I followed her directions to a T, but couldn't seem to find it. Oh well........Soon my husband pointed out an iceberg that appeared to have a lot of birds on it. It was very far away - but you could see what looked like black dots. I grabbed the binoculars and checked it out. Oh my. Can you believe what I saw? I quickly grabbed my camera and caught a shot of some photographic friends.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/FR91T1

 

Soon the ranger started talking about Margerie Glacier and I looked off to the side and there it was! Now, I had read about the ship doing a 360 so everyone could see the glaciers. It did. But, given that we were in the aft balcony-we pretty much had a view of the glacier almost the entire time. Also, I swear it stopped for a bit with our cabin facing it directly. What a perfect spot for the viewing.

 

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Mimosas,classical music (playing when the ranger wasn't talking) and gorgeous views made this the perfect morning. I was amazing by the sounds of the glaciers themselves as well, moaning and creaking as we sat hoping for a calving glacier (which we didn't see this day - but did later in the week). We saw multiple glaciers today and learned a great deal about them. They were more blue, more beautiful and more amazing than I ever imagined.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/rhEkPH

 

This was one of my favorite shots from the day:

https://pix.sfly.com/FgkEEK

 

The black glacier was pretty cool:

https://pix.sfly.com/tMHA1C

 

After 2 glaciers we went up to the forward observation lounge. It was crowded but we wanted to see the table the rangers had set up, see what they were selling and look at the books they brought. We ordered an Irish Coffee and found a table to hang out at. At some point, we went to the library and got a Yahtzee game to borrow and played Yahtzee while checking out the beauty outside. We saw one more glacier before lunch. What an amazing morning.

[ljrfrm]

We went to lunch at La Cucina and for the life of me I don't remember what I ordered. I do know I made use of the UBP as I always do. We went back to our balcony in our cabin after lunch, and saw more whales and seals. Around 2:30 pm the ranger came on and told us bye. They would be departing at 3:00 pm. What a cool job they have!! With Glacier Bay a success, we got into bed for a much needed nap. After we woke up, we saw a few more whales, saying goodbye to us as we sailed away.

 

Dinner was at Cagney's tonight. I always love Cagney's - and I have to say that tonight was no exception. I ordered the Porterhouse. As I ordered it, the waitress asked me if I wanted the 20 oz or the 32 oz. 32 ounces of steak?? Oh my. Is that even possible to eat that much. I ordered the 20 oz and even then my husband had to help me finish it. We had a large table at Cagney's with all our friends, and we all enjoyed our meal. I always try the specialty drinks at the restaurants, so I ordered the Negroni. I didn't like it. This would be a first......ever.....that I ordered a drink that I didn't like. There are a few I know I wouldn't want (My husband orders Manhattens......which I think are disgusting so I would never order) but with the specialty cocktails, I like them all. I gave my drink to my husband - and proceeded to order wine. They kept the glass full without me asking - and I was a happy camper.

 

Once dinner was finished we headed, as usual, to Dazzles. Tonight was the "Perfect Couple" game show. After that we stayed to listen to the band Innovation and danced for awhile. We enjoyed ourselves - and yes, a few more drinks were involved. At some point during our time at Dazzles, our friend came in from outside - "You have to get out there, quick!". Remember, we do a lot of sunset watching from Dazzles, running out to get a photo or two and then coming back in. This time was THE most amazing view I have ever seen. It was even more amazing than the photos. In fact, the amount of crew that were out there with us taking photos tell me that I wasn't the only one to feel this way. Simply breathtaking.......

https://pix.sfly.com/2W_xyD

https://pix.sfly.com/_G8sat

 

After Innovation we went to Windjammer to listen to Jason. Our favorite bartender Jonathan served us some drinks and we sang along with Jason. We then headed up to the Sports Bar for wings and some more drinks. I wasn't remotely hungry but managed to squeeze in some wings - somehow. Jason ended up coming up, and we spent time talking with him about his contract, working on the ship, etc. We then headed to the cabin for some much needed sleep. Upon walking in, I was surprised I didn't have a towel animal. Christopher, our steward, must have been too busy? I was sad (ok,well really not too sad, but you get it) to not have a friend waiting for me.

 

I will say the next morning I work up to this:

https://pix.sfly.com/crP4wC

 

I guess I had a friend after all. I'd say this friend was hiding last night, but it's probably more likely I had one too many drinks.

[ljrfrm]

We woke up at 7:15 to our room service coffee, cinnamon rolls and chocolate croissants. Today was Hubbard Glacier- and our last full day on board. How can something you waited so long for (almost 600 days) go so fast! I vowed to savor ever moment of my last day!! We would get to Hubbard Glacier early - so early that we planned to eat breakfast AFTER. So we poured some coffee, grabbed some delicious baked goods and moved out to our balcony for some glacier viewing.

 

While there was no glacier view immediately, we still soaked it all in:

 

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https://pix.sfly.com/jW5J7Q

 

And then......there it was! Gorgeous!

https://pix.sfly.com/ygiC_V

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https://pix.sfly.com/x4x-FP

 

We made two circles around so everyone could see - of course, like yesterday, we were able to see the glacier for the majority of the time. As we left, we still have a great view.......how I loved my aft cabin for glacier viewing:

https://pix.sfly.com/wMkhDu

 

We left Hubbard Glacier by 9:00 am or so. The rest of the day would just be a Sea Day.......I was looking forward to a great, relaxing last day. We went to La Cucina for breakfast. As we were eating, the ship listed to the left. Like a lot. It was weird because it was calm out - and how or why it did so we never followed up on. The table next to us exclaimed their surprise to us as well. We all laughed - and made the comment that we hadn't even had anything to drink yet. Breakfast finished without any other surprises.

 

We left La Cucina and decided to walk around for a bit. There was a long line out the door of one of the shops. Like a really long line. I peeked in and they had a sign for a $10 sale. I guess people really like their sales. As the ship felt half empty the whole week, it was a surprise to actually see a line. While I enjoy a good bargain, I didn't see the need to check out the $10 sale so we moved on. We stopped in the Atrium and watched the golf putting contest for a bit. The putting was on the stairs, putting down the stairs and into the hole. Interesting. While there, we found the bar and ordered a Mr. Worldwide (Mr. Wonderful). We then made our way up to the sports bar where we grabbed a table by the window and pulled out our books. Our friends had the same idea and they joined us for awhile until we were ready for lunch.

 

We went to Seven Seas for lunch - and we were seated at our favorite table #46 again -with the great window views. I ordered the chicken salad which was really good! As we were leaving the restaurant, I stopped to chat with the host. We had a reservation that night in the same dining room at 6:30 for dinner. We also still had one more specialty restaurant freebie to use but had made the decision to let it go, as we wanted to have our final dinner with our friends. Anyhow - I wanted to visit Las Ramblas one last time on the cruise,so asked everyone about changing our dinner reservations to 7:30 so we'd be able to do both Las Ramblas and Seven Seas. They all thought it was a great idea - so I approached the host. He immediately told me there was no way he could do that -as 7:30 was their busiest time. I knew we could just show up at 7:30 without a reservation, but didn't really want to have to wait for a table. Maybe we wouldn't have had to wait - I hadn't ever tried so I didn't know. I let it go and we left, but then realized maybe Carlos could help me. When we got back to our cabin, I gave Carlos a call. Now Carlos had checked with us every day (either in person or by phone) to see if there was anything else we needed. Every day we told him we were good. So, why not call him. I gave him a call and told him what we were hoping to do. I thought about making the request for table #46 but didn't want to be too much of a both so just asked if he could move our reservation from 6:30 - 7:30. In an instant, he said "consider it done", and that was that. Dinner would be a 7:30 tonight. Yay Carlos!!

 

We went to Windjammer and ordered a drink, a waited for the trivia to begin. It was called "tri-bond" and basically, we were given a paper with a number of items. Each number had three items, and we had to come up with the common theme/bond of each number. For example, it could say cat, dog and elephant and the answer would be "animals". But obviously, they were much, much harder than that, and we ended up getting about 10/20 correct. Some of them we should have gotten - and I can't believe we missed them, while others were so hard I know we never would have.

 

We then went back to our cabin to pack. This was the worst. It meant our week was almost done. Of course, this led to a nap. This was the most we ever napped on a cruise - and I loved it. There was a vibe of relaxation this week, which was just what we needed.

[ljrfrm]

We met our friends at Las Ramblas at 6:00 pm. Once again, it was Sangria time. Las Ramblas has both red and white Sangria. While they both were good, I preferred the red - mmmmmmm. We order tapas - pretty much all of them, and then sat around talking, eating and drinking. We did quite well with the eating and drinking part this week, which was documented by the tightness in my pants. We moved on to Seven Seas then for our last supper.

 

Carlos came through!! We didn't get table #46, BUT - we were seated at table #49. This was the table right next to 46, and just as great of a view. I loved these tables. I perused the menu, and debated between the different cuts of beef. But, I've had so much beef this week and felt like something different. On a whim, I ordered the Pad Thai. I was so glad I did- as I really enjoyed it. It had a different flavor than the Pad Thai I order from our local Thai restaurant, but I loved it just the same. And, it was nice to have something different. I paired it with a bottomless glass of wine and then enjoyed dessert before heading to Dazzles for one last dance session with Innovation. We stayed there until the late night comedy started in the main theater - with Fred Bevill. We got there just before the show started and sat towards the back. We then notice four seats open in the front row. The seats looked much more comfortable so we moved up. This would prove to be a mistake. Never sit in the front row - especially right in the center - with a comedian. Big mistake, lol.

 

Somehow, we became part of the show. He loved my husband, and once he asked him his name, that was it. Eventually, I got brought into the show as well, and although I was sitting in the front, I could feel the whole audience staring at me as I answered his questions. I was as red as my shirt I think. At one point, I looked up to the balcony and saw our other friends staring down at me and laughing......He was funny though, and we enjoyed ourselves, but I would have rather have not been part of it all. Live and learn.

 

After the comedy show ended, we went up to our cabin and put our luggage outside our door. We then HAD to make one final trip to the sports bar. I found myself ordering wings that I somehow stuffed in,and then a cheesecake. I hadn't had cheesecake all week -which is usually a late-night tradition for me. I somehow managed to eat that too, and by 1:00 am, we called it a night. I was happy to see our luggage hadn't been picked up yet, so I was able to put my clothes from the night inside the suitcase before heading to bed. We only had a small backpack for the next morning, which was large enough for pj's and toiletries. I climbed into bed, sad and depressed with the thought of waking up in Seward tomorrow. Luckily, we had other post-cruise adventures to look forward to.

[ljrfrm]

July 10th, the day I was dreading. They were going to make us get off the ship. Boo. Around 6 am I started hearing noise like we were docking. Soon I heard some announcements - people were starting to get off the ship. Not me! I vowed to stay on to the end. I rolled over and dozed back to sleep. Around 7:15 am, that was it. I figured I should wake up and start the day. I opened the curtains, and there it was. Seward. Boo.

 

We got up and dressed and found our way to La Cucina for the last time. I typically have steak and eggs on my last morning - in an attempt to fill myself up as much as possible to not have to pay for lunch. However, it had been 2 days since I had the french toast and it was calling my name. Plus, I was still full from our Sports Bar escapades the night before. We thoroughly enjoyed our last breakfast, and savored every bite. We then went back to our cabin where we stayed until 8:30 - our drop dead time for leaving our cabin. From the series of open doors and stripped cabins we saw as we were leaving, it looked like we were the last ones to leave. We headed up to the breakfast area outside the sports bar, where we agreed to meet our friends. We stayed there until 9:20 am - and then headed off the ship. There were no lines and we were right off. We also found our luggage within a minute - so few were left and it was so easy to find. We then went to the information desk and got a map of Seward and some information on the free shuttle.

 

There was a line for taxis and a line for the shuttle although neither was very long. The free shuttle in Seward is perfect - it does a big loop around town and pretty much goes everywhere you'd want. There were quite a few people taking it directly to the train station. You can check your luggage in starting at 10 am for the 6 pm train to Anchorage. Many people did just that -including some of our friends who were heading to Denali. We were staying, along with our other two friends, in Seward for two nights. While we couldn't check in to our place yet, they were able to store our luggage until we could get in. As we got on the shuttle, we asked the driver to tell us when we got to the stop closest to our rental.

 

I booked our place through VRBO. It was a great discovery and I would highly recommend it. We stayed in the Driftwood Suite, unit #4. This was a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath unit with nice views. The location was perfect for us, within easy walking distance to both the harbor and downtown. As it is a new build, everything was pristine and new, and in great condition. The unit was well-stocked with everything we would need, including a washer and dryer. It was perfect!!

 

The shuttle dropped us off about one block from the rental, and we walked over. We stored all our luggage in the safe,locked room and then walked over to the Harbor. Once there, we got a great view of our ship. Oh, how we will miss you!!

 

https://pix.sfly.com/44n1r8

 

Clearly, there was a lot of fishing going on today!!!

 

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The Harbor area was cute, and we wandered in and out of several souvenir shops before going to the shuttle stop to head downtown. We saw this fun sign on the way to the stop:

 

https://pix.sfly.com/mPH41M

 

We waited for the next shuttle (it takes about 30 minutes to do the whole loop. On cruise ship days they have two shuttles going - non ship days just one. So on this day it would be a 15 min wait, max. Other days it could be up to a 30 min wait if we just missed the shuttle). We took the shuttle to one of the downtown stops and got off. We wandered for awhile, and ended up in an ice cream shop. We ran into our other friends there, as they had dropped their luggage off at the train station, and were now checking out the town. We ordered some ice cream (delicious) and then wandered some more.

[ljrfrm]

Our VRBO check-in time was 3 pm but they promised to call me if the house was ready early. At 12:30 pm, we got the call that we were free to go at any time. We had already been given the door code, so we went right over, got our luggage, and went up to the unit. We walked from downtown to the house, and that was when we realized how close we were. Yes, there would be no need to take the shuttle downtown or to the harbor. That said, we did use the shuttle quite a bit to go buy groceries, head directly from harbor to downtown or go to the train station the last day.

 

When we were on the shuttle after disembarking, we saw that one of the shuttle stops was at Safeway. My friend and I got on the shuttle and took it around to Safeway. The visitor center is also at the same stop, so we first went in there. We grabbed a few pamphlets - and one of them turned out being a great pick. There were discount coupons for both the Alaska SeaLife Center (20% off) and even better, a buy one get one free tram ride at the Alyeska Resort. That one saved us like $25. It was in a small square coupon book that said "passport". If you are interested, just ask them at the front desk (they were right there on the counter). There were a lot of other coupons in there also, but those were the only two we used.

 

After the visitor center we walked across the parking lot to Safeway and bought all the food and drinks we were need for the week. They have a liquor store attached as well. We then carried our bags back to the shuttle stop and went back "home". Once back, we BBQ'd steak (they have a grill there), had baked potatoes, salad and some yummy bread. It was a great dinner. Following that, we relaxed then headed out for a walk. Resurrection Bay is beautiful, and such great views. The Sun left port, bound for Vancouver, at 9 pm. My friend caught this shot of it leaving:

 

https://pix.sfly.com/c9bWbP

[ljrfrm]

Tuesday, July 11th would prove to be my favorite day yet. And what's even better is it was my birthday. Happy Birthday to me!

 

We woke up and made coffee. I had a donut (or two) and showered and got ready for the day. Today we booked the Major Marine 7.5 hr tour called "Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise". I was worried that we might be bored on such a long trip - especially after getting getting off the Sun. Nothing could be further from the truth - it was truly an amazing day. The tour was from 10 am to 5:30 pm and was $179. Money very well spent. This is what the description of the tour said:

 

"Our thrilling 7.5 Hour cruise explores Kenai Fjords National Park, where wildlife is abundant and tidewater glaciers are massive. Providing a full narration to your journey, a uniformed National Park Ranger will be your guide to the spectacular sights while answering any questions you may have. With 7.5 hours on the water, this cruise allows more time for the captain to seek out the best whale and wildlife viewing opportunities in the area, including Steller sea lion colonies and rookeries home to thousands of nesting seabirds. You will also spend time in front of two active tidewater glaciers: Holgate and Aialik Glaciers."

 

And boy did Major Marines come through!!

 

Our confirmation email told us to check in at 9:30 am. We saw the office yesterday as we were walking around the harbor so we knew right where to go. We left Driftwood Suites at 9:15 am and walked over to the Harbor. We went to the ticket window to check in and were sent down to the dock where our boat, the Glacier Express, was waiting for us. There was a small line that had formed and they were just beginning to let people on. They took a photo of each group as they embarked - we bought ours, which seemed cheap ($10) compared to the photos on NCL.

 

Each group is given an assigned table -which is great because there was no fighting or rushing for spots. Our table, #18, was a 4 person window table on the upper deck. We liked being up there as that was where the ranger spent most of her time. That said, the boat was only half full and we spread out to other tables -and spent a good deal of time outside as well. We pushed off right at 10am, bound for the Kenai Fjords.

 

The ranger introduced us to what we will be seeing, and explained that she would use a clock system for everything she pointed out. As wildlife, glaciers or whatever else was spotted throughout the day, she would announce "whale at 3:00, seal at 9:00, etc.". This proved to be so helpful in finding everything she spotted. And we sure spotted a lot. The ranger kept a map as well of everything we spotted throughout the day - so as we found wildlife, she documented it on the map (I'll post the map photo in a bit). It was a very well-run trip-from start to finish. We saw seals, puffins, otters,humpback whales, orcas, and eagles. This is just a small collection of wildlife we spotted:

 

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This was so much fun to see - a raft of otters:

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especially this guy who was just kicking back:

https://pix.sfly.com/yJaSwW

 

 

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And how cute is this little guy?

https://pix.sfly.com/B6cMXf

 

The highlight of our animal viewing came from the orcas. After seeing a bunch of humpback whales, we thought our whale watching was done. But then.........we ran into some orcas. The they swam right up to us, and then one of them actually went under the boat. Wow.

 

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Here he comes.........(I think it's a "he").....under the boat!!

 

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And then, a few minutes later - something so cool. I was SO bummed I missed the shot with my camera. Until a few minutes later when I was looking at my photos I realized I caught it. Not a great shot -but I caught it nonetheless.

 

A breaching orca. Cool.

https://pix.sfly.com/h5SWJ8

 

Here's the map of everything we saw:

https://pix.sfly.com/P9n74u

[ljrfrm]

We paid an extra $20 for the lunch buffet and it was well worth it. It seemed like most everybody had the buffet option. They had salmon, prime rib, rice, green beans, bread, dessert and a complimentary drink. It was all pretty delicious and well done. With such a long day on the water, it was definitely worth it.

 

Speaking of on the water, I should comment a bit about being on the small boat. I don't get sea sick -never have. But many people do, especially on a small boat in the open water. I was very impressed with how they handled this. As we left the dock, they made it a point to tell everyone that if they feel sick to let them know, and they explained the best placed in the boat to be if this happens. They sold various seasickness pills, bands, etc. but more importantly, I saw them interacting with the few people who weren't feeling well, and it was impressive. They seemed to very much care about how everyone was feeling, and know where and how to help them feel better.

 

This trip wasn't just about wildlife. We also had two glaciers we would be visiting. We got SO close to the glaciers. That's the difference between a small boat and the large NCL ship. It was amazing -and I finally got to see my glaciers calving........what an amazing sight, and sound. Here are just a few of my hundreds of photos:

 

https://pix.sfly.com/Z_RdVR

https://pix.sfly.com/7ejhi8

https://pix.sfly.com/pRC6gY

 

This one made me sad - this glacier used to be so much bigger:

https://pix.sfly.com/YDbkEV

https://pix.sfly.com/ydyUWV

 

Here are a few more of my favorite shots:

 

https://pix.sfly.com/5XUD8x

https://pix.sfly.com/NZ4CX4

 

And the calving.......

https://pix.sfly.com/UXADr5

 

The icebergs were like jewels:

https://pix.sfly.com/-uy5NS

 

Soon it was time to make "Glacier Margaritas". They fished a giant iceberg out of the water with a net:

https://pix.sfly.com/pddi-1

 

Used an ice pick to make it into small pieces:

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They gave me a piece of a glacier!!!! Ok, well of the iceberg. But it's kind of the same:

https://pix.sfly.com/WtSDvR

 

And presto......they made it into a margarita. A glacier margarita. Nice and cold!!

 

https://pix.sfly.com/0GEmRa

 

We headed back to Seward in time to return by 5:30. Before the trip started, they asked who would be taking the train to Anchorage. They made sure to communicate with the train and let them know, and those people were the first to get off the boat once we returned. This is definitely a trip that you can take the day your disembark if you need something to do while waiting for the train that evening. Major Marines also offers shorter trips (3.5, 5 and 6 hour trips) but they don't go as deep into the park. I would highly recommend taking at a minimum the 6 hour tour - but definitely the 7.5 or 8.5 are preferable. What an amazing day though - my best birthday ever!!

[ljrfrm]

Once docked, we walked around the harbor a bit taking in the sights. We saw all the smaller fishing excursions coming back -everyone looked like they had fun and I was amazed at all the fish that were caught. We then walked back to the house for some much needed relaxation. Following chilling out a bit (and a few drinks) we walked downtown for dinner.

 

We walked around a bit trying to figure out where we wanted to eat. There was one place that was packed, so we went a few doors down. It was called the Chattermark Restaurant. We were a bit nervous going in, as it was empty. What did that mean?? I'm so glad we ventured in as it was completely delicious. As we were eating more people came in, but we had great service throughout - and the food was tasty. The menu had a mixture of food that I would consider normal, and other menu items that to me seemed more exotic or better said, more "Alaskan". Some of the meats were quite different than what I would order.......but there were plenty of "normal" things too. And the adult beverages were plentiful - and pretty cheap.

 

We left the restaurant around 10 pm. It was still broad daylight. I loved this whole getting dark by midnight thing - it definitely extended the day. The bar across the way was hopping -clearly with locals. We saw two men setting up some tables and a tent. We went and asked them what it was - and they told us they have a taco stand there nightly - from 10 pm to 2 am. This was right outside of the bar that was hopping. I guess even Alaskans get the munchies for tacos!! Our friend was going to try a taco but they said it would be another 15 min until they were ready - so we moved on. After all, we just ate dinner. I think we'll survive.

 

We walked home and headed to bed. Tomorrow we'd have our last day in Seward, as we head out in the evening on the train for Anchorage. We went to bed tired, but so pleased with such a fun day we had.

[katfer]

Thanks..will be going to Seward in one week!!

We are also doing Major Marine...the 3+ hour tour before we board the Sun! Your review is making me so excited about the choices we've made...taking the White Pass...Glacial bay whale watching...

[ljrfrm]

Thanks..will be going to Seward in one week!!

We are also doing Major Marine...the 3+ hour tour before we board the Sun! Your review is making me so excited about the choices we've made...taking the White Pass...Glacial bay whale watching...

 

Have a great time. You can't go wrong with Major Marine. Or the NCL Sun. Happy sailing!! :)

[ljrfrm]

I slept the next morning until after 9, which was wonderful. After another donut and coffee breakfast (on the balcony overlooking Resurrection Bay-wonderful) I re-packed my suitcase, did one last load of laundry, and helped straighten up the house. Check out was at 11 am, and we left at 11 am on the dot. A quick walk with our luggage took us to the free shuttle stop. The shuttle driver was always helpful, including storing the luggage in the back for us. We tried to tip them each time if we had cash on us - but especially when they helped us with our bags.

 

We took the shuttle to the train station and dropped off our luggage and checked in for later. We were also able to leave our carry on bags behind the desk. It was just food/snacks so we felt comfortable doing that - and then didn't need to lug them around all day. It was quick and easy and we were able to catch the next shuttle as it came around. We decided to take the shuttle downtown, but wanted to stop quickly at the Visitor's Center near Safeway to pick up another "Passport" of coupons. We had one, and after we discovered the 2 for 1 tram at Alyeska, we wanted to pick up another so each couple would have one. I really didn't want to have to get off the shuttle and wait for 30 min for it to come back around (it was a non-cruise ship day - so only one was running). I asked the shuttle driver if he'd wait quickly while I ran in and grabbed the coupon. He was fine with that -so I booked it off the bus and hustled into the Visitor's Center to grab what I needed. There were a few other people on the shuttle also, so I went as quick as I could as I didn't want to keep people waiting.

 

I hopped back on and we circled around to the downtown stop. There's actually two stops downtown, the second was at the SeaLife Center. We got off at the Center and my friend and I went in while the husbands "walked around". We later found them in "Tony's", the local bar so I don't know how much walking around they actually did. We spent some time walking around the SeaLife Center. We saw the most adorable Walrus there. The SeaLife Center is a marine mammal rehab facility, and a few weeks earlier they rescued a 2 week old baby Walrus from Nome. He was still in ICU, but you could watch everything they were doing. They had someone in with him 24/7 and we watch them give meds, feed him a bottle and they were working on making him go in the water as he needed to learn to swim. He was simply adorable.

https://pix.sfly.com/hYNopM

 

We spent some time looking at the other animals and fish and then headed out. We walked around a little more, and took some more pictures including the mile 0 marker of the Iditarod, the Welcome to Seward sign and then walked along Resurrection Bay one last time.

https://pix.sfly.com/3b57n4

 

We were excited to find a friend looking for fish:

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After our walk, we texted the husbands and met them at Tony's. After a few drinks we decided it was time to head to the train station. We must have just missed the shuttle, because we had to wait forever for it. It was actually about 35 minutes - and we were starting to worry about time. Soon the shuttle came and we arrived at the train station in perfect time to climb on board. We were off to Anchorage!!

[ljrfrm]

We booked GoldStar tickets which we really enjoyed. I can't compare it to the normal tickets, but having reserved seats was very nice. We enjoyed the outdoor viewing area, and loved the glass-domed car. The staff were very helpful in narrating everything we were passing, and letting us all know about wildlife spottings. We saw a bald eagle following along with us and Dall Sheep. But, I was still on the look out for moose and bear. Dinner was included in the price, along with two drinks from the bartender located conveniently at the end of the car. There were several main dishes to choose from, I picked the Pot Roast and it was actually pretty good. Dinner had great service and it was very enjoyable. We had raspberry moose for dessert, and we all joked that this might be the only moose we see while in Alaska.

 

https://pix.sfly.com/mjiHD8

 

Funny thing, we went through the Coastal Wildlife Refuge and 4 hours worth of beautiful land - and where did we finally see a moose? Next to the mall, entering Anchorage. It was unexpected and I didn't have my camera ready. Who would have thought we'd see that there.

 

As I mentioned, the scenery was beautiful. All 4 hours. It went so quickly, and I was actually sad as we were arriving into Anchorage.

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As the sun began to set, the views became even more beautiful:

https://pix.sfly.com/Jdce4k

 

We arrived on time into Anchorage and we requested an Uber to take us to our Airbnb. Uber just started again in Anchorage a few months earlier -we were glad when we found that out. Our Uber driver arrived pretty quickly and the house was about 15 minutes from the station.

 

We stayed at the Anchorage Totem House and loved it. I had never stayed in an Airbnb rental before but when I didn't see what I wanted on VRBO, I branched out. We had originally planned to stay in hotels in both Seward and Anchorage, but for two couples and two hotel rooms, private rentals saved us money AND gave us more room and a kitchen. I'm so glad we went this route. I would highly recommend both the Driftwood Suites in Seward, and also the Anchorage Totem House (2 bedroom, one bath). Although this rental is in the basement of the owners home, you have your own private entrance, and it's a complete apartment down there. In fact, we didn't see the owner at all but it was nice to know they were up there if we needed anything. It was clean, very nicely decorated, and had everything we'd need. And then some. The owner left us eggs (fresh from her backyard hen house), milk, creamer, coffee, pancake mix and shampoo/conditioner/soap.

 

My friend and I went into the rental while the husbands stayed in the Uber and went to the airport to pick up our rental car. They then stopped at Walmart to shop and pick up some food. They said there were some interesting characters at Walmart at midnight, but they found everything we would need for a breakfast feast in the morning. While they were shopping, my friend and I put on Netflix and put on the movie Lion. I had been wanting to see it for ages. Although staying up to 2 am watching a movie wasn't my brightest idea, I love the movie and found the sofa very comfortable!

[ljrfrm]

Our next day began with a delicious fresh bacon and eggs breakfast. We added toast and coffee and while it wasn't as wonderful as being served in La Cucina, it was a tasty way to start the day. We got ready for our last full day of sightseeing and headed out in our rental car to find adventure.

 

We started with a drive around downtown Anchorage, just to look around. We then headed out of town and drove to Potter Marsh. We weren't sure what wildlife we'd see there, but I had read about this place on CC and other places and thought we'd give it a try. We parked our car and started walking the boardwalk, observing different birds as we worked our way back away from traffic. We passed someone heading back to the parking lot who told us there was a moose up ahead. Moose!!! We started walking faster and made it to the end of the boardwalk. There she was - in all her glory! Evidently there's a mama and a baby moose that have made their home back there. We watched the moose eat for awhile - she was not bothered with her audience and chowed away.

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Following our moose adventures, we walked back to our car and headed to Girdwood. We stopped at the turnoff and went into the bakery there and bought apple turnovers. They were SO very good - flaky, flavorful and probably full of millions of calories.

 

After the brief stop, we moved on to the Alyeska Resort. We both used our 2 for 1 coupons for the tram up to the top. We went ahead and paid for the food option as well (dine and ride) which is normally $39 for both the ride and $20 worth of food. Our 2 for 1 coupon gave us the ride for free but we paid to upgrade the ticket for the $20 in dining dollars. In the end, we paid $59 which gave us 2 gondola rides and $40 worth of food ($20 each). Not quite the 2 for 1, but it still saved us some money.

 

The gondola goes up every 15 minutes so we really didn't have to wait much either direction.

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Once at the top, we hiked our way up to the very tippy top. While it didn't seem far at all from the bottom, it sure tired us out. We were huffing and puffing the whole way up - especially after 7 days on the Sun. The view up top was magnificent, and we could see a glacier, the mountains, the Alyeska Resort below and so much beauty.

 

This first photo was taken while walking up, to give an idea of the hike:

https://pix.sfly.com/WEymxi

 

The walk paid off......beautiful!!

 

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We watched hikers walking up the Northface of the mountain and talked to a man who hiked all the way up with his dog - in an hour and a half. Ah, I think I'll stick with the tram, thanks.

 

We went to buy food and I bought a sandwich, drink and cookie. The food voucher is good for food or at the bar for drinks. We may or may not have visited the bar also haha. The worker there told us that a bear was spotted the previous day, so we kept our eyes peeled the whole time. Nada. Bummer. We spotted a small patch of snow down the mountain a bit and hiked down to take photos of us with Alaskan snow. Haha -corny but fun.

 

After our snow adventure, we took the gondola back down and spent some time walking around the hotel grounds and lobby. We walked to the car and headed back to downtown Anchorage. Once there, we parked and walked around checking out the gift shops and other stores.

 

I fell in love with the Anchorage Visitor's Center - such a cute little building:

https://pix.sfly.com/3e_ufF

[ljrfrm]

After walking around for awhile we to the 49th State Brewing Company. It was hopping there and they told us it would be an hour wait for a table on the rooftop terrace. We put our name on the list, and went into the main bar area while we were waiting. A table opened up so we sat down and ordered drinks. It turned out to be a 2 hour wait before we got our table (yikes) but since we were sitting and drinking we were good. It was a bit frustrating towards that end as it didn't seem like they were taking people in the correct order, as it seemed they were seating the rude complainers first. We had already had several drinks and appetizers -and the husbands actually headed out to the corner and bought Reindeer Hot Dogs. So by the time we finally got our table upstairs, we didn't order too much. But, we had so much time invested in waiting, there was no way we could pass up our table.

 

They ended up giving us a free giant Bavarian pretzel to apologize for the long wait. We also ordered Nachos which were delicious. I was drinking a mixed drink - I think it was called 3rd and G which was delicious. There was a live band playing on the roof (which was why there was little turnover in tables and such a long wait) from Nashville, and they were very good. The view was nice and we enjoyed it up there. The weather started getting cooler and our waiter offered us blankets. It had been 76 and sunny so although I had a light sweatshirt, I wasn't dressed to stay out too long. The waiter ended up bringing me the coziest blanket I ever used - I really, really wanted to bring it home!!

 

Once we were ready to leave, we drove to the Ship Creek Salmon Viewing (of course, that led to a lot of jokes about being up Ship Creek) area for awhile. There were dozens of fishermen and we had fun spotting the salmon and watching everyone frantically trying to catch them. By this time it was past 10 pm (and still broad daylight) and our friends were flying out at midnight so we headed back to our rental so they could pack. We took them to the airport around midnight and went back "home" for our last night of sleep in beautiful Alaska.