Review - a month in Alaska with a B2B on Celebrity Millennium

Yvette and Bill's Alaskan Adventure - 15 July to 11 August 2014

After taking advantage of all of the advice on the Alaska board of Cruise Critic, I thought I would write a review of our recent adventure to Alaska. I spent 18 months planning and researching using the Alaska boards, Trip Advisor and reading lots of travel books.

My husband and I (Bill and Yvette) are from Canberra, Australia. We love to travel and we also love to cruise! This would be our 11th and 12th cruises. We chose Celebrity Millennium because we like Celebrity and I liked the itinerary. The more I read, the more I realised that there were so many things I wanted to do in each port. As we were travelling such a long distance, I decided to do back to back cruises from Seward to Vancouver return. Early on we decided we would like to spend some time travelling around before the cruise, and we invited our wonderful friends Rod and Nancy to come along with us. They live in Minnesota, so it was not too far for them to travel to come and see us.

Bill is a brewer and has built a micro brewery in our back yard. So while researching the ports, I also researched Alaskan breweries so that he could try the different beers.

I knew right away that the cruise portion of our adventure was all about the activities on land and not the ship. As a lot of these activities, as well as our airfares from Australia, were very expensive, I booked an inside room on deck 11. I watched the prices hoping for a price drop, but the cruise just got more expensive as time went on. I liked the location of the room as it was very close to the external staircase leading down to the sunset bar and just a short walk to get to the outside decks.

And I was right! We spent almost every minute that the ship was in port off of the ship. Sometimes we missed dinner, either because we got on late or had eaten a good lunch on shore. We did something we have never done before and had a few dinners in the buffet. It was a nice surprise to see what was on offer up there at night! On the days we were on the ship we sent most of our time watching the scenery and looking for wildlife. I hardly took any photos of the ship, or our food and drinks like I normally would, so the photos are of the activities we did off the ship. The photos start when we arrive in Anchorage!

Anyway, here goes, I hope it helps someone else with their planning!

Tue 15 July - Finally after all of the planning and packing it was departure day! We flew out of Canberra at 4.05pm and arrived in Sydney at 5.05pm. We spent a few hours sitting in the lounge at the airport, and then departed Sydney for Honolulu at 9.20pm.

Tue 15 July (again!) - Because of the time zone change, we arrived in Honolulu after the 10 hour flight at 11.05am on Tuesday (before we even left Canberra!!!). We collected our luggage and then had to go and recheck in. I had booked our flights from home to Honolulu with Virgin Australia but the flight from Sydney to Honolulu, which I also booked with Virgin, was on a codeshare Hawaiian Airlines plane. But we were flying from Honolulu to Alaska on Alaskan Airlines. We went through the Agriculture security check point and then checked-in. We had only packed a bag each, and both had a very tiny, light carry on. In one checked bag was all of our paperwork and a copy of the 2014 milepost. So one bag was 48 pounds and the other was 52 pounds. The check in man said we had to pay $50 as the one bag was 2 pounds over!! We were tired, did not want to bother with moving to the side and unlocking our locks and redistributing weight, so we just said we would pay it. He must have changed his mind and said as we were only 2 pounds over, he would only charge us $20. (On the way home our bags were both under 47 pounds! We got rid of paperwork as we used it and we left our Milepost with our friends).

I am not quite sure why I ended up booking the flights as I did. I have booked heaps of overseas travel, and I have always booked with the one airline and then been on their codeshare flights. So if flights were delayed, it was their problem to put us on another flight. Luckily for us, everything connected up - if we had been delayed and missed our flight from Honolulu to Anchorage, we would have had to book a new flight and then tried to sort it out with insurance. I don't think I would split the flights up again like that as it was slightly stressful.

After going through customs and being welcomed to the USA, we were ready for lunch. We went to the Kona Brewing Company Restaurant, and had a nice lunch and Bill tried some of the beers. We spent the rest of the afternoon roaming around, talking about our up coming adventures and playing on the internet. We departed Honolulu at 8.55pm.

Wed 16 July - After a 6 hour flight we arrived into Anchorage at 5am. In a very easy process, we collected our luggage and took a taxi to Susitna Place Bed and Breakfast. It was a bright sunny day! As we were arriving at our B&B so early in the morning, I had organised with the owner Linda to pay for the previous night so that we could go directly to the B&B and be guaranteed a bedroom. It was so worth it! Linda even very nicely gave us a discount on that first ‘night’. Linda was waiting for us at 5.30am and quickly and efficiently had us in our very comfortable room in minutes. We both had a quick shower and fell into bed at 6am. We made ourselves get up at 9am. We have travelled extensively and have found we are not affected by jet lag as long as we fit right into the time zone of our arrival country.

Bill and I were in the Katmai Room, which had 2 very comfortable double beds and a private bathroom with a shower. It was very comfy and clean and the common areas that the guests could use were spacious with lots of seating inside and out on the balcony.

http://www.susitnaplace.com

After our catnap, we went out and had a nice breakfast in the living room. The room had beautiful views of the ocean and Denali (as the locals call Mt McKinley) when it was peeking through the clouds. Linda was very quiet and efficient but happy to answer questions and provide advice. Breakfast included cereals, various milks and yoghurts, tea and coffee, juice, breads (next to a toaster) with various spreads, bagels, pastries, fruit and reindeer sausage. There was also an honour bar with various soft drinks and mineral waters for $1 per item (or maybe it was 75 cents, I can’t remember).

Our friends were not arriving at the B&B until around 1pm, so we headed out to explore Anchorage. Linda gave us some maps and guidebooks. The B&B was very close to the centre of town, and we looked around the shops, checked out the tourist information centre and walked around exploring and taking photos.

The visitor's Centre

A statue honouring the Iditarod Huskies

Bill looking in the Glacier Brewhouse Brewery

Beautiful gardens were all around Anchorage!

This has been photographed many times - Bill suggested we buy it for me!

We headed back to the B&B around 12 noon and relaxed and waited for our friends to arrive. The common area of the B&B comprised the kitchen, the dining area and sitting room and the balcony. There were three tables with numerous chairs, as well as comfy lounge chairs. There was plenty of room for everyone staying there. Linda showed our friends into the Foraker room which had a queen size bed, a small private deck and a private bathroom. It was so good to see our friends Rod & Nancy, we had not seen them for a few years and as usual with good friends, we picked up right where we left off!

We walked into town, talking and laughing and had lunch at Humpy’s - tasty food and lots of different beers for Bill and Rod to try. We then went back to a great gift shop I had found called Cabin Fever http://www.cabinfeveralaska.com They had some really lovely made in Alaska souvenirs. There was lots in there I would have loved to buy, but settled on some beautifully etched shot glasses, one with puffins and the other with Moose; a small Moose figurine made of leather; a pair of earrings made with antique trading beads; and a pair of earrings made of etched and coloured wood. Next door was a quilt shop, the Quilted Raven http://www.quiltedravenalaska.com/location (Nancy is a very talented quilter). The boys went to Darwin’s Theory, a nearby bar.

We did some more walking and exploring, then spent some time relaxing back at the B&B before going to dinner at The Glacier Brewhouse - http://www.glacierbrewhouse.com/menu/on-tap/ This restaurant was noisy and crowded, and luckily I had made bookings using their online booking system weeks before as there were lots of people waiting for tables. The food and service was good and they had a good beer menu.

After dinner we went for a long walk on part of the Tony Knowles Trail but did not see any Moose (except for a life size sculpture in someone’s yard!).

The entrance to Susitna Place Bed and Breakfast

Lunch at Humpy's with friends! I am on the right and Bill is on the left.

Bill and a Bear!

Bill and Rod leaving Darwin's Theory

My dinner at Glacier Brewhouse - a beet and mozzarella salad - delicious!

A memorial to Captain Cook

The view from the Captain Cook Lookout

More views from our evening walk

For a second I thought this clever sculpture was a real Moose!

The view from the balcony at the B&B

Rod, Yvette, Bill and Nancy on the balcony of the B&B

Thursday 17 July - We were driving up to Denali National Park today. The weather was beautiful, sunny and bright again. We walked to the Avis Car Rental yard and picked up our car. We drove back to the B&B, loaded up our bags and off we went. Bill and I had our 2 wheeled duffle bags, and we left one behind at the B&B filled mostly with our clothes for the cruise. I got out the 2014 Mile Post and we were kept very entertained reading what was at each mile along the way. We stopped in Wasilla and purchased breakfast and lunch items for the next day. We bought peanut butter and bread, baby carrots, apples, muesli bars, chocolate, and trail mix.

I also bought a Starbucks coffee and while getting in the car, managed to spill it all over my lap! It was fairly hot, and went all over me and the car seat! Bill ran back into the shop to buy paper towers and I quickly got out a new pair of jeans and underwear and ran into the bathroom to change. It was a bit embarrassing as I looked like I had wet myself! I cleaned up with paper towels and water and got dressed - I had grabbed Bill’s jeans in my rush! Luckily they fit me, and they were pretty comfy. I ended up wearing them the next few days! I came back out to the car and Bill had done a great job of drying off the back seat. We put down a thick layer of paper towels and my raincoat over the top, I sat on it all and off we went!

The scenery on the drive up to Denali was so beautiful. We sadly did not see any views of the mountain even though it was a nice day. We took advantage of some of the Mileposts recommendations and stopped to see the views.

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s420/yvettebelinda/IMG_0050_zps5776a06c.jpg

This little fellow was just adorable!

I really wanted to see Moose and Bear on the side of the road, and the only thing better would have been Moose and Bear accompanied by babies! Looking in to the distance I suddenly saw a Moose a very long way off standing in a pond in a meadow! I was so excited! We turned the car around and stopped at a convenient pull in to look at the very far away Moose. Rod kept teasing me about how I had yelled ‘Moose, Moose, Moose!!!’ in my Australian accent. It was great having our own car as we could stop when and where we felt like it to get some beautiful photos of the views (and cute little squirrels like the one posted above!).

This is the Moose I spotted!

This is a closeup of the Moose!

We had a quick lunch at a Subway along the way and arrived at the entrance of Denali State Park around 4.30pm (we had left Anchorage at 9am that morning). We parked at the Wilderness Access Centre and picked up our tickets for the 5.15am shuttle bus the next morning.

We drove into the park to mile 9. Denali was still hidden by clouds so we turned around. This is a link that gives the best spots to see the mountain from Anchorage all the way to Denali National Park: http://www.denali101.com/denalinationalpark/see_mt_Mckinley.html

This was another useful site, and the site we also booked our shuttle tickets through: http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

We stopped at the river near the WAC and Rod was brave enough to take off his shoes and socks and go wading!

We had read about a nearby restaurant that had great reviews - 229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern - so rang them to see if they had any openings for that night. Luckily for us they did, although it was a very early booking for 5.30pm. We took advantage of their free wifi to catch up on emails and post some photos to friends, and then enjoyed the beautiful restaurant. The menu was very inventive, very fresh, seasonal, locally sourced food. The food was presented so beautifully, it was almost a shame to eat it! http://229parks.com

The restaurant, 229 Parks Way

Rhubarb Lemonade

Rod's soup

Apple and candied pecan salad

My summer fruits pie from 220 Parks Way - delicious!

After dinner we headed to our accommodations for the next two nights, the Alaska Spruce Cabins in Healy. We had side by side cabins and they were great, very cosy and warm, with a kitchen and bathroom in each. The beds were very comfortable and there were quirky little wood carvings of animals on the windowsills and door frames. They provided a coffee percolator and ground coffee packets as well. http://www.aksprucecabins.com

The view from the cabins was really nice and it was very quiet and peaceful.

Inside the cabins:

Nancy and Rod had introduced us to a dice game called Farkle, and we had managed to find the game in a shop in Anchorage with Moose on the dice. We spent a fun evening talking and playing Farkle before heading to bed ahead of our 4.30am wake up call the next morning.

Fri 18 July - With our lunch food in a bag, we drove to the park and arrived at the Wilderness Access Centre (WAC) around 5am. It was not hard to wake up early when it was already light outside, although it was a little overcast. Thankfully they had a little coffee shop and we were first in line! I was careful not to spill my coffee on my lap! The 5.15am Denali shuttle to Wonder Lake and back was about half full and we started off sitting next to each other, one couple on the left and one couple on the right. Our bus driver was called Barr and she was very good. She gave a good commentary and was happy to answer questions (in fact, she encouraged us to ask questions, as the more we interacted with her, the more she would interact with us). The day was a mixture of sunshine, showers and overcast skies. The scenery was spectacular and ever changing, so it was never boring at all.

A few more photos from our day in Denali.

Denali refused to come out, but at the Eielson Visitor’s Centre they have a big glass window which would provide an excellent view of the mountain if it was out. They have marked on the window exactly where the mountain would be and it would have been incredibly impressive and spectacular to see. I was amazed that something so huge could be so well hidden by the clouds!

This is where Denali would be if the clouds cleared!

I was very excited to see a Ground Squirrel running around at the visitors centre and took lots of photos of him. He got quite close to us and was no afraid at all. I think people had been feeding him.

On our day in Denali was also saw Grizzly Bears, Moose and Caribou. We saw Dall sheep in the distance and Ptarmigan. We were very excited to see some great bear tracks along the side of the road that were fresh, but we never saw the bear.

We stopped for regular bathroom breaks about every 90 minutes. The facilities were very good, and better than I would have expected. We just ate on the bus when we felt like it. I took a roll of paper towel and we made peanut butter sandwiches and snacked on the apples, chocolate and other snacks we had.

A sign on the back of the toilet door!

I think this door would keep you safe from a bear!

We went all the way to Wonder Lake and had about 20 minutes there before the bus turned around and headed back. We did a walk around the area and I saw a wild blueberry! Just one, Barr said the berry season had not been very good this year, so she was sad for the bears. We left the blueberry on the bush.

There were a lot of mosquitos at Wonder Lake! Nancy had bought us all mosquito net hats for a joke, but we ended up wearing them!

Fireweed

Throughout the day, we dropped people off and picked up additional people, so we either shared seats or had our own depending on the amount of people. But even when the bus was quite full it was not uncomfortable at all.

It was a really nice day, and I would do the trip again. Hopefully Denali will be out and the animals would be a little closer next time.

We had dinner that night at the 49th State Brewing Co.

http://49statebrewing.com/index-2.html This is a very popular restaurant but is also huge, so can keep up with the demand. I had halibut and chips and the halibut was delicious! I also had a piece of blueberry pie which was really yummy. And of course they had good beers!

I'm enjoying your review, thanks for taking the time to post. Looking forward to reading more.

I'm enjoying your review, thanks for taking the time to post. Looking forward to reading more.

Same here - your pictures are great!

Amazing pictures. Thank you for posting.

Thanks! So much more to go yet, but I am now away for the weekend, so won't be able to post again until Sunday night. Yvette

I will eagerly await the rest of your review. It's great reading with some fantastic pictures.

Love reviews that have lots of pictures.

Looking forward to more.

This is an excellent review and your pictures are beautiful! Looking forward to more.