Trip Report- Alaska June 2005

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Benzee)

Mon, 04 Jul 2005 23:39:12 GMT

Mr. Mayor ,

Great report on Alaska . Outstanding pictures and details .

Anyone interested , we happen to be organizing an Alaska Cruise out of the Monroe NY Knights of Columbus for June 24th to July 1 st , 2006.

Details
Celebrity Summitt
8 days 7 nights Southbound to Vancouver
Seward , Juneau , Icy Straight Point , Ketchican
Inside Passage

R/T Airfare from Newark
Cruise
Transfers , Port Charges , all taxes
Group extras onboard
$1849 per person Cat. #11 inside

Feel free to email me at benzee95@hotmail.com
Arrangements are being handled by Cruise Holidays

Group of 100 to 200 will be sailing .

Benzee

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (mayor al)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 23:11:59 GMT

Salustra, My folks lived on Valley Parkway in your town for 10 years back in the 80's. Seeing your address makes me recall visiting them often over the years.
I gave up my Canon G3 at Christmas time this past year to get one of the new Canon 20D SLR Digitals. It handles so much like my 35mm Canons (A-1 and Ae-1) that I had for many years, that It didn't take long for me to get it pretty much under control. In addition to the 'kit' lens that came with it (18-55mm) I purchased a 28-300mm zoom. The long lens was on the camera for the wildlife shots, the 18-55mm was the lens of choice for the food shots. I wish I had put out the extra bucks for the more expensive 'Image-Stabilized' lens, but I didn't and some of the longer distance shots weren't as sharp as I would like to have had them.
The 20D is an 8.7 megapixel camera that can make some really nice clear shots. I was using the medium size file (2meg average size) in jpg format. That gave me 435 photos on the 1 gig C F Card I was using. I shot 390 of that on the trip.
One thing to remember if you are considering lens's for the SLR's. Digital focal length is different from normal 35mm . The 18-55mm lens on my camera is roughly the equal to a 28-90mm on a 35mm camera. The 28-300 is equal to a 45mm to 400mm or so in 35 mm terms. Most folks wouldn't pay any attention to that, but if you want the coverage of the two lens to overlap a bit, you need to pay attention to the focal length.

W J- The last Whale (actually the only whale I have ever ordered) was at Yoken's restuarant on Rt 1 in Peabody, Mass (at the rt 114 interchange). That was in '68 if I remember correctly. Haven't even looked for it since...and that ought to tell you how good it wasn't!!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (lleechef)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 23:06:03 GMT

I don't think Al and Janet ate any Whale Blubber or Eskimo Ice Cream (even MORE VILE!)
So now that the secret is out about Alaska..........well, what can I say? Just book those tickets and come up....we sure do love our beautiful state and showing it off to friends!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (wanderingjew)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 22:45:02 GMT

I am so Jealous. I always wanted to visit Alaska when I was living in Seattle. I was so close, yet so far away. So, Al, did you have a chance to try some Whale Blubber when you were out there???

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Salustra)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 11:56:35 GMT

Mr. & Mrs. Mayor - Thanks for sharing! Now I know why my Uncle hasn't been back down here since he moved to Anchorage...

Stepping away from the food angle for a moment - may I ask what type of camera captured such breath-taking scenery?

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (chezkatie)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 10:20:06 GMT

Your report and the pictures are great. I am so glad that you had such a wonderful trip and it looks like no one has to look any further than Lisa and Z if they want top Alaska travel agents.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (CheeseWit)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 10:00:01 GMT

Thanks, Al for that fine report. I hope to travel to Alaska one day soon.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (sugarlander)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 09:58:12 GMT

Wonderful report, (almost) felt like I was there.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (kland01s)

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 09:25:22 GMT

Milpost is an essential guide for enjoying Alaska, I wish more states would have a guide such as this. I studied it for several months before our trip even though we had friends living in Alaska, the guide came up with a few things they didn't know about.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (mayor al)

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 17:37:45 GMT

I don't do tour-buses very well. That comes from too many trips with School Classes over the years !
We did select one day-long tour for this vacation. It was hosted by the Alaskan Railroad and included the R/T on the Coastal Train from Anchorage to Seward and an afternoon boat tour and luncheon on Resurrection Bay. The train left Anchorage at about 7am and arrived in Seward at 11:30am. As you saw in my earlier posts, the scenery and wildlife was spectacular. They then shuttled us in a bus the short distance from the Seward Rail Depot to the harbor where we boarded the tourboat. At first the boat ride seemed a bit 'tame' but as we progressed down the bay we had the chance to see some pretty neat marine and bird life. The Prime-Rib and Salmon Buffet (AYCE) was 1st rate. They invited us to come back for seconds and more as the afternoon progressed. Totally out of character for me, I held off after one-round, being a very comfortably full and not wanting to initiate a hibernation cycle! I did see one young fellow select 2 slabs of Prime-Rib and have them placed between two slices of excellent Sourdough Bread...coated with the creamy Horseradish sauce. I pointed out to Janet that I had never seen a better looking sandwich anywhere!
We returned to the harbor after the whale-watch and had a whole second round of evening scenery on the return train ride from Seward to Anchorage. As the first photo in the report shows we arrived back in Anchorage about 11pm but in full daylight! No Sunset photos available, I didn't have the endurance to wait up for them!
The other days we used the rental car and the MILEPOST publication to wander out of the Anchorage area. I recommend purchasing one of these guides if you are planning to visit Alaska. We got a 2002 edition last year on Ebay for $5 and even being three years old, It was an outstanding asset.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (kland01s)

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 15:28:43 GMT

I agree with not going the "Princess" route. When I went, I had friends living in Fairbanks so we just flew to Anchorage, took the Alaska Railroad to Denali and then on to Fairbanks where our friends guided us to great local places. I have talked to many people who have done the tour thing and complained of not seeing anything because of the way the tour operators herd them around and "stage" experiences for them.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Bobs)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 22:08:41 GMT

I really ernjoyed hearing about your trip!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (lleechef)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 21:24:49 GMT

Rick, as Al and Janet were watching the Princess busses and the Princess cruise ships going in and out of Whittier I told them how you had been "Princessed Out" and they agreed that the way to go was on your own itinerary (with a little help from Lisa and Z), in your own car, at your leisure. Last summer we arranged for some friends from Iowa to rent an RV that would sleep the four of them comfortably and suggested a working itinerary. They changed only one thing........they found Homer so spectacular that they stayed 3 days instead of one!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Rick F.)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 19:46:09 GMT

Al & Janet,

All I can do is echo everyone else's appreciation and envy. Jan and I want to go back, too; and your itinerary sounds much better than ours last summer!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (carlton pierre)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 17:33:24 GMT

What a fantastic report and even better pictures !!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (tiki)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 17:04:14 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

Oh Yeah,
We shopped one morning at the Alaskan Fur Exchange. What a neat place to visit! The crafts and furs of the area are wonders to behold (even the ones made in Korea). We passed on the fur hats (at $100 plus each) but couldn't resist a $10 Davy Crockett cap made from Skunk Skin. I will wear it to our next Crabfest get-together.

I have wanted one of them ever since i was young and saw Curly of the Stooges wearing one!!!!hmmmm--maybe if i send my cousin $20 he will go by and pick one up for me!!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (mayor al)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 16:31:28 GMT

Oh Yeah,
We shopped one morning at the Alaskan Fur Exchange. What a neat place to visit! The crafts and furs of the area are wonders to behold (even the ones made in Korea). We passed on the fur hats (at $100 plus each) but couldn't resist a $10 Davy Crockett cap made from Skunk Skin. I will wear it to our next Crabfest get-together.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (UncleVic)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 12:43:06 GMT

Nice report AL! Appreciate you sharing the pics with the rest of us... Scenery and Food both look awesome!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (mayor al)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 12:27:55 GMT

Thanks for the Kind Words.
A couple of thoughts for the vacation planners.
1. The term dress in layers is VERY appropriate. It was in the mid-40's early in the morning and most days on land reached the 70's and on the water into the 60's. Sweatshirts and tee-shirts were the uniform of the day.
2. Each of us has our own priorities as far as budgeting a trip like this goes. Some go 'top of the line' and others would bicycle the whole route if they could. Same goes for accomodations. I reveal our basic budget not as a brag or excuse...but to aid anyone thinking of an excursion to the North.
Our total costs for 8 days-7 nights was just under $3000. This includes airfare, rental car, rail/boat tour,hotel,all misc food and other expenses. That also includes $180 for Doggie Resort time for Duff and Demi (10 days) and $50 for the long-term parking at Cincinnati for our truck.
We logged 1200 miles on the rental car, not bad considering that 3 of the seven days we were on Lisa's boat or on the train tour.
A few of you will understand this quirk about our airfare... As you know I am a bit larger than the airline's typical coach passenger. We considered selecting a First Class seating to allow extra room for the long flight. The best cost we could get was $1300 per person or $2600 R/T. Instead we chose to buy an extra seat in coach at $320 each for a total of $960. Not quite First Class, but having the middle seat empty on several full airplanes made for a much better comfort zone for me, without tossing the checkbook out the window !
We found prices in Anchorage and vicinity to be at the same level as here in Louisville. Gas was the same in both places, and all the usual stuff equated. For you smokers, Kentucky just tripled it's tax on packs of cigarettes to $.30 a pack making a typical pack sell for about $3.00 and a carton for $30.00... The natives were complaining badly when we left on May 31, and buying lots to stock-up before the tax increase. In Alaska we saw (and photographed) signs that advertised the price of a Pack of Marlboro at $6.14...Janet will share that photo with some of her complaining friends at work today !

Thanks for the address of the Seaview. I have submitted full reviews of the Kincaid Grill and the Club Paris and will try to complete the Seaview Review today.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (tiki)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:50:57 GMT

Like Zataar. i also have a cousin in Anchorage--and these pic and the story with it have really bconvinced me that it really is time to seriously consider a visit to the Great White North! My cousin Hap has a standing invite for family to come on up to hunt and fish and its really bkind of silly not to take advantage of this!---Lisa---wont show up at your door step --but will give you and the Zman a call when we get there> Thanks Al and Janet---for the pics and the reports!!---Great job!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Adjudicator)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:24:51 GMT

http://www.kincaidgrill.com/

Seaview
Cafe & Bar
PO BOX 110 - HOPE, ALASKA 99605
PHONE: 907-782-3300 FAX:907-782-3344

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (lleechef)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:19:01 GMT

Z and I sure had a good time with Al and Janet!! We couldn't hook them up with a halibut (the commercial fishermen said it was a little early for Prince William Sound) but we had fun trying. Al promised NOT to make the trip sound as fabulous as it really was for fear of having a long line of Roadfooders on our doorstep (or boatstep) but the pictures pretty much said it all!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Adjudicator)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:01:03 GMT

Wow.....

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (zataar)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:00:39 GMT

What a wonderful chronicle of your trip. The food and scenery look fabulous. My cousin lives in Anchorage, I think it's time for a visit!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Michael Hoffman)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 10:38:12 GMT

Very, very nice.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (Stephen Rushmore Jr.)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 09:23:54 GMT

Outstanding - very well done!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (zussers)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 09:06:56 GMT

Thanks Mr. Mayor! That was an amazing armchair trip to Alaska! Your photos and captions are great!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (kland01s)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 08:38:15 GMT

Reminds me of my trip to Alaska, I even spent some time taking photos on the vestibue between cars on the Alaska Railroad too! We took the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks with a 3 day lay over in Denali, only problem being a landslide taking out track outside of Fairbanks so we had to be taken to Fairbanks by Denali park buses! Our friends in Fairbanks took us to the Chena Pumphouse and to a crab feed, there is a lot of good eating there. Thanks for the photos!

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (varelas)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 08:09:05 GMT

This is the same type of trip I hope to make some day. What wounderful memoirs you and your wife have made.

RE: Trip Report- Alaska June 2005 (MikeS.)

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 05:34:32 GMT

Al, it looks like you and the Mrs had a great trip! Also looks like Lisa needs to open a travel service business to go with the catering.

MikeS.