Encore-Alaska-Oct 2nd to Oct 9th, 2021

[graphicguy]

16 hours ago, abugarcia1 said:

Thanks for sharing the great pictures

So welcome!

[cruiseny4life]

On 10/13/2021 at 11:54 AM, graphicguy said:

A couple we met in Juneau who happened to provide transport to the Trails around Mendenhall Glacier relayed how they ended up there.

 

They were originally from AZ.  I know the wife was a school teacher.  I believe the husband was involved in education, too.  Just not sure in what capacity.

 

Anyway, they both retired.  Both loved the outdoors.  Both were probably early-mid 50s?  On a whim, they had heard of “guide” positions available from the tour companies in Alaska.  On a whim, they applied.  They were interviewed and hired 6 years ago.

 

Side story, they said the tour company usually hires college kids but are leaning more and more towards retirees given their work histories over long periods of time.

 

So, for the last 6 years, they’ve been wintering in AZ and summering (now, including October) in Alaska.  The tour company subsidizes housing for them (either apartments or long term hotel places) and offers meals (while on the job) and transportation to and from home. At the beginning of the season.  The tour company also offered education to allow the guides to provide pertinent and worthwhile geographic, historic, naturalist info on the tours (which in turn, boosts their tips).

 

The COVID break was unexpected, but they were glad to be back.  Although, they were looking for new areas of the world to be tour guides other than Alaska.  They were both headed back to AZ for the winter season the day after they were with us.  They weren’t sure where they were headed next.

 

Interesting to talk to them.  They’re my age and had an interesting take on retirement….one that interests me quite a bit.

I swore I wasn't going to post on this since it's old...first, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your Alaska adventure. Definitely on my list! I've seen interior Alaska, but want to see coastal Alaska as well. 

 

I used to be the volunteer coordinator for the non-profit that partners with Yellowstone National Park. As such, I worked with so many retired folks who chose to spend their entire summer (or winter) volunteering in the park at places like Old Faithful and Lamar Valley. If you're ever interested in park volunteerism let me know. I can share a lot of the experiences I had - many of the volunteers I worked with would go from park to park (Alaska to Florida to Hawaii to non-park locations like Antarctica and Churchill, Manitoba). 

 

It's definitely the way I am planning to spend at least part of my retirement...in twenty years (or more)! 

[graphicguy]

31 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I swore I wasn't going to post on this since it's old...first, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your Alaska adventure. Definitely on my list! I've seen interior Alaska, but want to see coastal Alaska as well. 

 

I used to be the volunteer coordinator for the non-profit that partners with Yellowstone National Park. As such, I worked with so many retired folks who chose to spend their entire summer (or winter) volunteering in the park at places like Old Faithful and Lamar Valley. If you're ever interested in park volunteerism let me know. I can share a lot of the experiences I had - many of the volunteers I worked with would go from park to park (Alaska to Florida to Hawaii to non-park locations like Antarctica and Churchill, Manitoba). 

 

It's definitely the way I am planning to spend at least part of my retirement...in twenty years (or more)! 

Thank you.  You’re kind.

 

Good to you for being a volunteer.  Your kind is few and far between.

 

I spent quite a bit of time chatting with a couple of the park guides.

 

I felt it would be a wonderful adventure to be a guide.  Certainly would be a big lifestyle change.  And, something I wouldn’t be averse to.  One of the guides, the retired teacher, said she made more money on tips than she ever did being a teacher.

 

It wouldn’t be about the money,  It would be about the experience.  That said, it means spending part of Spring, Summer and part of Fall away from family and friends.  That’s a big downside.

Edited October 14, 2022 by graphicguy