Btimmer's Almost Live Triple Denali and Southbound Cruise (6/28-7/10/22)

[Btimmer]

Here's our walking track from today. The high points were the Thompson Cultural Museum "that was cool", lunch at Costco, a stop at the Blue Door Antiques house on Illinois Street "that was very cool" and ice cream at the espresso stand south of the post office and in the parking lot of the furniture store (a very kind lady paid for our treats without our knowledge or opportunity to thank her).

 

I picked up our welcome packet upon return to the Westmark hotel. We'll ship our roller suitcase from hotel to hotel and not send anything on to the ship.

 

Oh, and the smoke is downright oppressive even in the hotel room.  

 

 

 

Just needs a little restoration

 

 

Toad flax

 

 

 

 

[LeslieA]

I'll be there Sunday!  Hopefully the smoke clears a bit by then.  I'm doing the D3l: 14-Day Double Denali.   We get to Fairbanks on Sunday, July 3rd to do the land portion and board the Nieuw Amsterdam on July 10th.

 

I also am happy more people are posting about the land tours.  When I made this reservation about a year ago, it seemed like there was no info about the land portion. 

[quilty964]

Thanks for taking me along!  

[LJProk]

3 hours ago, LeslieA said:

I'll be there Sunday!  Hopefully the smoke clears a bit by then.  I'm doing the D3l: 14-Day Double Denali.   We get to Fairbanks on Sunday, July 3rd to do the land portion and board the Nieuw Amsterdam on July 10th.

 

I also am happy more people are posting about the land tours.  When I made this reservation about a year ago, it seemed like there was no info about the land portion. 

We started in Anchorage, not Fairbanks, but a couple of weeks I posted two separate posts, one for our land portion and one for our sea portion on Noordam, on this board.

 

[RSWBADGER]

On 6/28/2022 at 4:45 PM, Btimmer said:

BTW, it's super smokey here in Fairbanks today.  All 3 of us are getting congested and wearing a KN95 mask really helps reduce the pungent smell.

 

 

I see on the Weather Underground Map there are at least 6 fires affecting the Fairbanks area. We had a hiking vacation smoked out several years ago in Glacier National Park.

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by RSWBADGER

[Btimmer]

We're approaching Denali and it's super hazy.

[RSWBADGER]

10 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

We're approaching Denali and it's super hazy.

Fairbanks to Denali, fires are west and north, hope the wind changes for you.

 

[Btimmer]

We've had a great day today doing the Discovery III riverboat cruise on the Chena River and then we motorcoached to Denali. Our granddaughter really liked this tour especially the chance to pet the sled dogs and the display of the 2 trophy moose with interlocked horns.   The bus wasn't full and we saw no animals along the way.  It is still quite hazy here.  We opted to attend the family style "Music of Denali dinner show" at the Gold Nugget Saloon. Our GD  really liked it except the love songs were mushy.

 

Before retiring back to our chalet, we scoped out the businesses across the Highway noting the Subway for future meals.  I noted that there was a whole Princess Lodge A&B that looked unused. The other Princess Lodge appeared in full operation.

 

Nobody has asked for our pre-tour Covid test, and the HAL greeter here said they weren't interested in it and if anyone had issues they were to direct their concerns to corporate HAL.  We were instructed to schedule our pre-cruise Covid-19 test on Thursday or Friday.  My understanding of the protocols is that the antigen test needs to be done 2 days ahead of embarkation or no earlier than Friday for a Sunday sailing.

 

I've started my official blog in which I write more details than I share here.  The blog address is: https://timmertd2020.blogspot.com. There will be few if any pictures there.

 

Tomorrow is our tundra tour and maybe something else.

 

Below are a few pictures from today.

 

This pilot did demo take-offs and landing in this 1950 Piper Super Cub

Daughter of world famous Susan Butcher

 

 

There's an interesting back story on this dock. It'll be in my blog.

 

Paddlewheel action

Super sized dahlia

Our room in the Ridge View complex

Edited June 30, 2022 by Btimmer

[cruzingnut]

@Btimmer  Just posting your correct blog address since the other one didn't show up.  Took an educated guess and changed the year on it.   Thanks for blogging; really enjoying all the posts from AK this summer!

 

Linda R.

 

https://timmertd2022.blogspot.com/

Edited June 30, 2022 by cruzingnut

[Btimmer]

1 hour ago, cruzingnut said:

@Btimmer  Just posting your correct blog address since the other one didn't show up.  Took an educated guess and changed the year on it.   Thanks for blogging; really enjoying all the posts from AK this summer!

 

Linda R.

 

https://timmertd2022.blogspot.com/

Thanks!!  That's what happens when one is pecking away on a phone at midnight after a long day. 

[Btimmer]

We had a terrific Tundra and wildlife tour today.  The haze has slightly cleared and we got to see Denali from the MP 43 turnaround. We saw moose, Dall sheep, caribou, ptarmigan, raven, & squirrels. More pictures later.

 

Our GD deemed this excursion "terrific".

 

 

[Btimmer]

We passed our Covid tests and are cleared to board the ship!

 

Yesterday's Tundra and Wilderness tour was wonderful.  We saw moose, Dall sheep, a caribou, and more.  Details are in my blog. Our granddaughter pronounced it, "terrific!".

 

I would note that the tour was done on a school bus which has been previously reported.  We found it comfortable and there was nice air conditioning.

[Btimmer]

Covid Testing Observations

 

In our welcome pack was a QR code to sign up for our Covid test.  Wednesday night I used it to sign all three of us up for our Friday tests.  The app didn't give a time or confirmation that the sign up was successful.  So, Thursday we tried to get an answer at the HAL McKinley chalet front desk, but they directed me to the Beacon medical desk at the Princess lodge.

 

So we took a shuttle there and the staff confirmed we were in the system.

 

Today, Friday, at 10am we showed up in the McKinley Chalet at the testing site.  There was no line.  The test process went smoothly and quickly.  The negative results were emailed to me a few hours later.  Around noon there was a long line for the testing.

 

So we are good to go on the cruise!  What a relief!

[Btimmer]

I got everything entered into Verifly and all is good.

 

We ate at Fannie Q's Saloon on the Princess Property and we liked it.

 

Our hike to Horseshoe Lake today was quite pretty although we didn't see any beavers.  We did see their handiwork, though.

 

 

 

The train even made an appearance.

 

We'll be in one of those dome cars much of the day tomorrow on our way to Anchorage and a stay at the Captain Cook hotel.

[Alphen]

12 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

I got everything entered into Verifly and all is good.

 

We ate at Fannie Q's Saloon on the Princess Property and we liked it.

 

Our hike to Horseshoe Lake today was quite pretty although we didn't see any beavers.  We did see their handiwork, though.

 

 

 

The train even made an appearance.

 

We'll be in one of those dome cars much of the day tomorrow on our way to Anchorage and a stay at the Captain Cook hotel.

Are you boarding in Whittier? You will have no use for VeriFLY there!

[Btimmer]

7 minutes ago, Alphen said:

Are you boarding in Whittier? You will have no use for VeriFLY there!

Yes.  It sounds like what we experienced with no use for the Covid tests HAL required for the land portion of our trip, but were never looked at and were comptemptuosly talked down by HAP staff.

[Alphen]

14 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

Yes.  It sounds like what we experienced with no use for the Covid tests HAL required for the land portion of our trip, but were never looked at and were comptemptuosly talked down by HAP staff.

If you are taking the train to Whittier from Anchorage, you will have all the paper work done in the train, they will ask for your negative covid test to show them and your proof of vaccination and passport check, all during the train ride. Also, you picture will be taken, all on top of the information provided in Verifly and the Navigator App, which nobody will look at nor ask for! When leaving the train in Whittier, you will get a colored leaflet to show with your passport and you can immediately get in line for security passport and luggage check and will be allowed to board the ship.

 

Have a nice cruise!

Edited July 2, 2022 by Alphen

[Btimmer]

Just now, Alphen said:

If you are taking the train to Whittier from Anchorage, you will have all the paper work done in the train, they will ask for your negative covid test to show them and you proof of vaccination and passport check, all during the train ride. Also, you picture will be taken, all on top of the information provided in Verifly and the Navigator App! When leaving the train in Whittier, you will get a colored leaflet to show with your passport and you can immediately get in line for security passport and luggage check and will be allowed to board the ship.

 

Have a nice cruise!

Cool.  I've got ALL the paperwork so that's no issue. I'm sure they will take a much better GD picture than what I took today!

 

Denali has been fabulous and I can't see how one could realistically do less than a Triple Denali.  A quadruple might even be in order.

[Alphen]

3 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

Cool.  I've got ALL the paperwork so that's no issue. I'm sure they will take a much better GD picture than what I took today!

 

Denali has been fabulous and I can't see how one could realistically do less than a Triple Denali.  A quadruple might even be in order.

Totally agree we were so impressed with Denali and also how HAL and the staff on the ground everywhere handled our Yukon and triple Denali handled, but if they increase the days in both Yukon and Denali, we would consider doing it again in the future!

[Btimmer]

6 minutes ago, Alphen said:

Totally agree we were so impressed with Denali and also how HAL and the staff on the ground everywhere handled our Yukon and triple Denali handled, but if they increase the days in both Yukon and Denali, we would consider doing it again in the future!

We do wish the Denali chalet units had a refrigerator and microwave.  They could also be more coordinated with the Beacon Covid testing group.  I really didn't appreciate having to go over to the Princess Hotel to get simple Covid questions answered. Beyond that, the HaL staff were friendly.  A bus driver today told us this was the busiest week so far this season.  The on property shuttle service is wonderful as is the shuttle service to the park visitor center, Horseshoe Lake, and the bus depot.

[Btimmer]

It was a fabulous day riding the train south to Anchorage.  We had blue skies all the way!  We saw 7 moose but they escaped the camera. Here are a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

The train staff was phenomenal; onboard prices were reasonable; and there were great views out the large windows.

 

We're at the Captain Cook tonight; tomorrow we take the train to Whittier and board the Noordam.

[54Carol]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:26 PM, Btimmer said:

picked up our welcome packet upon return to the Westmark hotel. We'll ship our roller suitcase from hotel to hotel and not send anything on to the ship.

Will be doing a land/cruise the end of August.  Are they only allowing one piece of luggage per person (plus backpack) for the land portion, and am I understanding by the quoted text that if we have additional luggage, they will take to the boat ahead of time?  Thanks in advance.

[shipshapegirl]

Beautiful pictures.  I am really enjoying following you and your family on this trip.  I am sure your granddaughter is having the time of her life.  We will be getting on the Noordam in September.  Looking forward to your reviews of the ship.  Thank you!

[Btimmer]

1 hour ago, 54Carol said:

Will be doing a land/cruise the end of August.  Are they only allowing one piece of luggage per person (plus backpack) for the land portion, and am I understanding by the quoted text that if we have additional luggage, they will take to the boat ahead of time?  Thanks in advance.

We kept all of our cruise luggage with us.  At each change of location, we had it sent forward to the next location.  But we travel with only one roll on suitcase and a backpack.  We kept the backpack with us.  In Denali, we had smaller backpacks for day use.

 

Personally I think HAL explains it way too complicated.  However, if one is traveling with more than one suitcase, DEFINITELY pack cruise only clothes and items in one suitcase and have that and any others not needed on the land portion sent directly to the ship.

 

Finally, if at all possible, do the land portion first.

[Btimmer]

48 minutes ago, shipshapegirl said:

Beautiful pictures.  I am really enjoying following you and your family on this trip.  I am sure your granddaughter is having the time of her life.  We will be getting on the Noordam in September.  Looking forward to your reviews of the ship.  Thank you!

You're welcome!  She's totally engaged with virtually all aspects of the trip. We leave in a few minutes to take a coach to the train for a ride to Whittier.  We're hoping moose are on the loose.

 

We recommend the one hour Anchorage trolley tour which we took this morning.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Btimmer