I keep saying this, but everyone agrees that Cruise West does an incredible job of taking care of their people. Our bags miraculously appear in our rooms. Once again, we were met at the airport (which is very small, with handwritten signs on cardboard) and gave us a little city tour. Our guide told us that they suggested to locally owned businesses that they put a sign in their windows saying so, as Cruise West passengers have indicated that they prefer to buy local. She assured us that some of the gemstones, etc, found for sale there are not native to Alaska! I was surprised--- but yet not totally so-- to hear that the big cruise lines actually own a number of the tourist businesses in the ports they frequent. Being armed with this information is very important to me. I have no need to make Mr. Princess Lines more wealthy by purchasing trinkets manufactured in China and sold in Alaska. When I shopped, I looked for the locally owned signs.
The guide pointed out places that are fun to visit, like the Red Dog Saloon and others where the food is the the feature such as the Twisted Fish or The Hangar. We followed the advice and made a reservation at the Hangar and then wandered around and shopped until time to eat. Since I knew Tom and I would have an extra day in Juneau upon our return, I didn't purchase anything today but instead did comparison shopping and priced items I liked, in case I found them in other ports.
Downtown is very tourist-y. I'm sure that's because the floating cities (giant cruise ships) dock there. You do need to shop carefully; locally owned doesn't always mean locally made. I found lovely scarves... made in China. And the scrumptious looking chocolates in the ice cream shop? Imported from Belgium.
They're getting some of the 114 inches of precipitation today. We could see the glacier on the way in, and high, steep hillsides. There were bald eagles perched on stumps and sticks near the road, and on one side of the road was saltwater, the other side, freshwater. They also get a high tide, but not as extreme as in Anchorage. Still, it affects the timing of your boat traffic if you don't want to struggle against it.
Dinner at The Hangar was delicious. Prior to this trip, I would not claim to be a fish eater. It has much to do with growing up and having to pick through bones in my fish and I've never gotten past that. Friday night fish fries held no magic for me. I had a halibut basket with fries and brown malt vinegar and it made a fish lover of me.
We stopped for an ice cream after dinner. As is our habit, we struck up a conversation with the gal behind the counter and as it turns out, she is from Maple Grove, Mn! She's working here for the summer and living with an uncle. Real Estate is crazy expensive here. We picked up one of those local magazines and saw a lot with a driveway for $180,000. Such a deal! Our waitress suggested that people here don't need so much "stuff". I had my raincoat and hat, so the rain didn't bother me, but I don't think I would want to live here. As we travel, I am weighing which areas I would find attractive or interesting to live.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Lanyards
Too late I thought of a brilliant idea! We are issued lanyards with our Cruise West name tags and I thought I should have collected pins to commemorate the places we've been and attached them to the lanyard, like we do at conferences I've been at where we exchange pins.
Threat Level Orange
We're on the plane. Squished in, most of us wearing clothes that are too warm for the proximity. Air planes are so horrid as a form of travel. They get smaller and smaller, the service poorer and the cost higher. This trip would be perfect if I didn't have to get on a plane.
I just paid $16 for lunch from Starbucks. A sandwich, chips, scone and water.
The loudspeaker announced that the threat level is orange; when we looked up at the television screen, the reason was apparent. Bret Favre is flying to Minnesota.
I just paid $16 for lunch from Starbucks. A sandwich, chips, scone and water.
The loudspeaker announced that the threat level is orange; when we looked up at the television screen, the reason was apparent. Bret Favre is flying to Minnesota.
Bridge to Nowhere
We went past Ship Creek. I'm sure at some time someone has said they were up it without a paddle. I saw the Bridge to Nowhere. One of them. And it really does lead nowhere. The area around it is very gray, with silt banks that are as quicksand. The tide comes in and fills that channel we saw.
Anchorage Museum
We had time in the morning to take in a couple hours at the Anchorage Museum. They had beautiful things in the gift shop, but I know how much more expensive museum gifts are and avoided them. The books were much more tempting to me! I found more books that I will need to put on my library list, Seth Kantner's "Shopping for Porcupine" and Heather Lende's "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name." I particularly like that last name because it could easily be said about my hometown of Gordon, Wisconsin.
I looked at a Haida tunic of red wool applique on black wool cloth with a bear crest design outlined in shell buttons. Haida artists invented the applique dance blankets and tunics around 1850, after missionaries forbade them from raising totem poles. They became an elaborate way to show the clan crest.
I wandered around the museum and made notes about things I found interesting. Did you know that the Russians took Aleuts as slaves and made them hunt for fur? Their entire culture was almost lost when the village was burned. The Aluet made gut parkas; strong, waterproof parkas made from the intestines of sea lions, whales and bears. They worked yarn, and sometimes fur and beads into the seams for color. I wonder how difficult it is to stitch intestine?
They had a Smithsonian exhibit of displays of the various Native groups of Alaska that was phenomenal!It's called: Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska. There was just not enough time to spend there. Clothing, tools for hunting, jewelry and baskets. I could have stayed in that exhibit all day. The displays were aided by a wonderfully interactive touch screen. It displayed the same items as were in the display case. By touching one, it would tell you all about that item and you could select Overview, Archival Images, or Elder's Discussions. Each item was photographed and you could zoom in or move it around by the touch of your hand.
There was also a juried art exhibit that was stunning. There were wonderful visions of fiber and color, in the form of quilts, woodwork and paintings, with many expressing traditional art in non-traditional methods.
A statement that was part of the video presentation in the Smithsonian exhibit said it all:
Everything has Awareness,
All Things have Gratitude."
I looked at a Haida tunic of red wool applique on black wool cloth with a bear crest design outlined in shell buttons. Haida artists invented the applique dance blankets and tunics around 1850, after missionaries forbade them from raising totem poles. They became an elaborate way to show the clan crest.
I wandered around the museum and made notes about things I found interesting. Did you know that the Russians took Aleuts as slaves and made them hunt for fur? Their entire culture was almost lost when the village was burned. The Aluet made gut parkas; strong, waterproof parkas made from the intestines of sea lions, whales and bears. They worked yarn, and sometimes fur and beads into the seams for color. I wonder how difficult it is to stitch intestine?
They had a Smithsonian exhibit of displays of the various Native groups of Alaska that was phenomenal!It's called: Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska. There was just not enough time to spend there. Clothing, tools for hunting, jewelry and baskets. I could have stayed in that exhibit all day. The displays were aided by a wonderfully interactive touch screen. It displayed the same items as were in the display case. By touching one, it would tell you all about that item and you could select Overview, Archival Images, or Elder's Discussions. Each item was photographed and you could zoom in or move it around by the touch of your hand.
There was also a juried art exhibit that was stunning. There were wonderful visions of fiber and color, in the form of quilts, woodwork and paintings, with many expressing traditional art in non-traditional methods.
A statement that was part of the video presentation in the Smithsonian exhibit said it all:
Everything has Awareness,
All Things have Gratitude."
Up and At 'Em, it's August 17th
I am losing track of time! Without television or internet I have no idea what day it is. We were up early again and at breakfast by 6. I'm getting really tired of packing and unpacking. I could have done a better job of separating my clothing into Week 1, Week 2 and not having to dig through the whole lot and repack each time we move. Hindsight is a beautiful thing. The good part is that we don't have to lug our bags. All that is handled by the Cruise West folks. I could easily go back to sleep right now but we're waiting for our next transport. Apparently I'm attracting some attention with my constant journaling. Last night a woman saw me and said, "Oh, You're the one with the beautiful handwriting!" I should tell my mother thank you.
We arrive in Anchorage
We're in the hotel in Anchorage. Cruise West totally takes care of their guests! Our luggage is waiting in our rooms at each stop. Their representatives meet us immediately to transfer and give us new info packs and vouchers at each stop. We don't have to check in, register, to tote more than ourselves around. Before the trip we received a leather-bound book with our itinerary, packing suggestions and much more and as we arrive at each new destination we are given pages to insert in the binder with information about the place we are visiting and what the schedule will be.
I slept a good part of the train ride and when I was awake, was thoroughly entertained by Matt and Brian in front of us. I learned about such must-know items as Tosh.0, video redemption and uhyadude. I know the names of many of our fellow travelers, who are becoming like family. Except that I don't have to buy them Christmas presents.
We were instructed not to photograph or gawk as we passed the site of a C-17 crash outside Elmendorf Air Base, that killed four military men. It apparently happened right on the tracks and we honored them with our silence. The scene was still being investigated.
There is no laundry at this hotel. There was a laundermat but it was a long cab ride and already closed when we arrived. This is an important detail as I'm sure many people pack like we did, with the expectation that we can wash clothes at the mid-point. There was a laundry at Pike's Waterfront.
I slept a good part of the train ride and when I was awake, was thoroughly entertained by Matt and Brian in front of us. I learned about such must-know items as Tosh.0, video redemption and uhyadude. I know the names of many of our fellow travelers, who are becoming like family. Except that I don't have to buy them Christmas presents.
We were instructed not to photograph or gawk as we passed the site of a C-17 crash outside Elmendorf Air Base, that killed four military men. It apparently happened right on the tracks and we honored them with our silence. The scene was still being investigated.
There is no laundry at this hotel. There was a laundermat but it was a long cab ride and already closed when we arrived. This is an important detail as I'm sure many people pack like we did, with the expectation that we can wash clothes at the mid-point. There was a laundry at Pike's Waterfront.
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