KL&KR

Took this tour in August 2009 and highly recommend it. The ramp to board was a little steep, but the crew took a can-do attitude and got my (large) partner in a Pride Maxima on board zip-zip. The tour is delightful, and w/c users are up close and personal in the front row. The crew is prepared to take out seats in the front row to make room for as many wheeled conveyances as necessary. There is a w/c accessible bathroom (which we did not check out, sorry). Have fun!

For more info: www dot 56degreesnorth dot com

GillCC--yes, that's exactly it. Kathy uses a Pride Maxima scooter, and I was just overjoyed to find out that they have an accessible boat. I am expecting that it may be the high point of the trip, although the Skagway train ride sounds like it's going to be wonderful, too.

BTW, I repeat myself over and over on this, but it's worth saying: if any of you Alaska cruisers are going to Sitka, and you have arthritis, etc. pain, stop in at the Tlingit Community Center, which is 2+ blocks from the dock, and buy a little container of their "Sa'xt" or Devil's Club ointment. Made locally, old tribal analgesic. It doesn't work for everybody, but if it does, it's a great pain reliever.

Cath--love your logo! Have fun on your trip!

Kristen

Mithryl--it was a LONG time ago, and I have not gone through our souvenirs, but I think it must have been Everywoman's Books, which has since closed. Here is a quick link to a short history mention: http://ring.uvic.ca/98mar20/History.html

Kristen

Dollfan-- Thank you for the wonderful tips!! What is the deal with the free salmon bake? I was looking at going to Thane Ore House, but is there something else we should be doing? We are booked on Capt. Larry's whale-watching tour (accessible! woohoo!) and then I was hoping to hit the Mendenhall Glacier and the Thane Ore House dinner before we have to be back at the ship. I am a little worried about the accessible taxi situation, but will go to work on that a little closer to cruise date. But tell us about FREE salmon!

We visited the Butchart Gardens 20-ump years ago when we were a newish couple with teen boys on vacation in a 4wd-Harvester-and-teardrop-trailer (everyone survived). I think I discovered I do not have a gardening gene in my entire body, whatsoever, nada. The museum in Victoria was another story--loved it totally. And there was a women's bookstore that we visited; the women there were so wonderful... We later thought the store in "Better Than Chocolate" must have been modeled after them.

We got to get up close enough to the glacier on the Regal Princess a few years ago--I'm satisfied...

GillCC --wah! we'll miss you by a week! no fair! we're May 5th from SF.

Kristen

Dollfan--we are taking the 14-day Celebrity Millennium May 5, 2008 RT to Alaska from San Francisco. It is a fun itinerary--Astoria, Seattle, Ketchikan, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Sitka, Vancouver, Victoria, home. Wanna come with? They are selling out quickly, though, and the prices of the cabins have risen amazingly since we signed up.

Kristen

Mithryl--

thanks for the recommendation--Kathy was saying she wouldn't go up there unless she could eat at the restaurant, so maybe that will be our game plan. Lunch and sightseeing there plus a stop at Salumi's may be it--we're only in port till 5! (which means that we automatically miss out on the Tillicum Village tour and salmon feast, which is the one thing which really would have made our trip perfect, believe it or not)

Etoile--I will check futher into the card, but it is $55 for the one-day version--I'm not sure we'll have enough time to make the savings....

And I was curious about the locks up there, but oh well.

Kristen

Misspissed -- Thank you!--it goes on the Must Do list immediately! The website looked scrumptious, but I have been wanting to go up the Needle (dumb maybe, but I've never done it, so....) and didn't know whether it would be worth sweating the time factor over. But we will make it happen. My mother is from Austria, and before she came to the U.S., the local butcher's son was in love with her. So every time we went back to visit, we would go down to his shop and sit and drink tea with rum and eat different homemade wurst till we were about to croak. Yum....

Kristen

Mithryl--

Glad you liked the info--if you're like us, the pre-cruise research paperwork ends up filling a box or two, right :p ?

I have a question. Over on the Millennium Roll Call board, some folks are recommending a food place called Salumi in Seatle. Anyone been there?

Kristen and Kathy

Mithryl--came across this article this morning, thought you might enjoy it, and the suggested books (at the end):

Aloha Friday

Where to lunch like a local

Jeanne Cooper, Special to SF Gate

Friday, September 7, 2007

When it comes to dining out in Hawaii, a key word to know is 'ono — Hawaiian for delicious. It's easily confused with ono, an 'ono kind of mackerel known as wahoo in Florida and the Caribbean. But if you're on a budget, you're more likely to say "Oh no!" when you open a menu at a resort restaurant. To avoid sticker shock — and to savor flavors you won't find anywhere else — be sure to seek out the places where the locals eat.

These include saimin (noodle soup) stands, shrimp and fish taco trucks, diners serving plate lunches (a hearty entree with two scoops of rice and/or macaroni salad), okazuya (Japanese-Hawaiian delis) in simple storefronts, and convenience stores that also sell bento boxes, Spam musubi (a large sushi roll with fried Spam) and local sweet treats like coconut mochi (steamed, pounded rice) and peach manju (like a mini turnover).

Especially outside of Honolulu, you'll probably need a car to find these places — and a patient attitude toward service. But the rewards can be great, as even the James Beard Foundation agrees. In 2006, it gave one of its prestigious culinary awards to Hamura's Saimin Stand, a hole-in-the-wall, counters-and-stools diner in Lihue on Kauai. In addition to several varieties of piping-hot saimin, Hamura's is also famed for its liliko'i chiffon pie — a passion fruit version of lemon meringue.

The popularity of Oahu's graffiti-covered Giovanni's Shrimp Truck off the highway in Kahuku has begotten a host of nearby trucks with similar offerings of garlicky, sauteed shrimp and rice. In some cases, the shrimp comes from the freshwater farms in Kahuku, while others use frozen shrimp, but it's all pretty tasty. Just bring a few extra dollars to stop at a North Shore fruit stand for an iced coconut or freshly sliced pineapple — good for combatting garlic breath.

Kauai has its own version of Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, with garlic and Brazilian-style shrimp for sale, off Lawai Road in Poipu. On my last visit, there were only four chairs and one table, but we could have easily taken our shrimp over to a picnic table at Poipu Beach Park or Spouting Horn. Kauai is also home to our favorite roadside burger joint: Duane's Ono Char-Burgers in Anahola. As the sign notes, these are not burgers made of ono, but they are indeed 'ono — and the wild jungle chickens and feral cats that lurk in the shrubs will be happy to take the leftovers (if any) off your hands. For dessert, stop by the convenience store in the same shopping strip to see if there's any mochi on the counter.

Speaking of sweets, bakeries that sell malasadas — Portuguese-style hole-less doughnuts — can be found all over the islands, but the Big Island, appropriately, has one of the biggest establishments: Tex Drive-In in Honokaa, which sells more than 60,000 of the pastries every month, and also has a simple restaurant serving local-style grinds. It's a big enough tourist draw that it has its own gift shop, but it's also one of the few establishments in the area (the Hamakua coastline east of Waimea and north of Hilo) that stays open relatively late, so the patrons include many residents.

Tex Drive-In is a big enough business that the authors of "The Puka Guide: 100 Hawaiian-Style Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants" (Watermark, $9.95) didn't include it in their recently updated version, but the book is an invaluable source of other mom-and-pop eateries in the islands, especially ones that offer omiyage, or food packaged as gifts or souvenirs. The same publisher also has several island-specific titles of good use for budget gourmands: "Lunch Break Honolulu: 65 Great Places to Beat the Clock" ($9.95), "50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants" ($8.95) and "50 Thrifty Big Island Restaurants" ($6.95). You can order them online at bookshawaii.net.

By eating like the locals, you won't enjoy formal service, palm-frond decor or a lot of heart-healthy cuisine, but your finances will let you say "Oh yes" when you splurge on the macadamia-crusted ono at a resort restaurant.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/09/07/alohafriday090707.DTL

The deal about dressing up is that it's a big fantasy party, and it's nice to either go along with it, or stay out of sight. Yes, it's dumb, but so are many other things, and it's just considerate not to put a spike in their balloons. They paid good money for their cruise fantasy, too. What about tuxes? Dress to the max the dyke way!

I understand about dresses--I tried dresses for years, until my partner REALLY made me understand that I looked like an armoire in Goodwill drag (the Birks didn't help, either). But long swishy pants and a sparkly top--at least on Carnival and Princess, and hopefully on Celebrity!-- can be comfortable and still not clang in the ambiance.

Kristen :) :)

Shan--neat pictures!

Thank you all for your advice re Celebrity--I'll just wear the same stuff I did for Princess; if they don't like it, they can ban me to the buffet.

Another question--any recommended women-owned places we should visit in Alaska? we're not going all the way up, just Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka.

Carol and Linda--very best wishes for your wedding, and for your "honeymoon" cruise!

Kristen

Hi--it has been forever since I posted here: Hello and happy sailings to everyone! My Best-Beloved, Kathy, signed us up on the Millennium to Alaska, RT from San Francisco, May 5, 2008; so much for all my trying to finagle a 2-for-1 on Olivia's fall trip, or the RT to Hawaii :rolleyes:. The roll call is very active and a super nice group of mostly women--and not everyone is str8, whoopee!

It is our first time on Celebrity and I am having attitude about no self-service laundromat (did anyone see Westenheimer's monolog-- on Logo's program about Olivia--on the difference between dyke and gay cruisers? -- that's about the way I feel: I'll do it myself, dammit), plus nerves about too-much-elegance. Is Celebrity over the top?

Anyone else wanna join us? Lots of good ports!

Kristen

I think a lot of people don't know the phrase, and even fewer the acronym...it feels a little dated and male to me, anyhow (I'm more the "Friends of Mary Martin as Peter Pan" type...:D ). When we've asked for a meeting, we've asked them to include "LGBT" in the notice as well.

Kristen

I keep hoping we'll be on a same cruise together--really appreciate all the good advice you offer!

Kristen

Thank you all for your good wishes and the recommendation to talk to Jeri. I think I'll wait to see if we get lucky on the twofer, and then, yes, I will call and ask for her directly.

Mithryl, yes, we have done mostly Princess (the Regal, actually, and we have done the 15-day Hawaii, which we really enjoyed). Absolutely agree with you: they have been pretty wonderful--the ship staff especially; Kathy and I always recommend them (admitting our limited experience!) to disabled folks.

We never got to know the movers and shakers at the festival, though we helped out with the bookstore booth (A Woman's Place, from Oakland). We were always just really delighted--ecstatic even--consumers. "L Word" generation--I guess so... (mumble mumble mumble; :rolleyes: hmmm, probably I just need some more coffee).

Kristen (aka Oscar the Grouch:D )

The representative on the phone at Olivia told me she was new on the job, and apparently she had already booked the room I wanted to an able-bodied couple (Kathy uses a large scooter, and almost all HAL verandah rooms are too narrow for her to maneuver alongside the foot of the bed to get to the balcony). She told me she would try to get the room back, but never returned my call. Also, I understand the particularity of the 2-for-1 offer--we've been in business ourselves!--but since the room accessibility issue impinges on the timing of a booking, I was hoping Olivia would make an exception for us. It was just a combination of disappointments, added to the uncertainty of the room being comfortable (some folks on the Disability Board actually recommend against HAL)--I ended up losing steam for the project.

If we receive another twofer offer for that cruise, I may rev up and try again--but at that point, we will demand the accessible room we need, and some able-bodied dyke couple may get bumped. Or maybe Olivia will just say, sorry we can't accommodate you.

We used to go to Robin Tyler's West Coast Women's Music & Comedy Festival up by Yosemite; I would LOVE to find that feeling again! --but so far this just hasn't felt very oldtime fesbian.

Question for the older crowd: Can you "go home again" on an Olivia cruise? :o

Kristen

:eek: OMG, thank goodness you called! Hurrah for mithryl, too...

mithryl--I am trying to get Kathy excited about the LA-Hawaii trip. (We were thinking of going on the 100th Olivia cruise in the fall, but my phone interactions with them have been kinda disappointing--they're not interested in honoring the twofer that they offered us for the Caribbean trip, and they've been real lackadaisical about securing an accessible room for us). I will do my silver-tongued (ha) best; maybe we'll get to see the lava this time!...

Kristen

Recent article, originally from the Advocate?:

"To be gay in Jamaica "to be dead"

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 / 10:22 AM

SUMMARY: Amnesty International condemns the latest anti-gay attack in Jamaica, an Easter Sunday assault on a church funeral supposedly attended by gays.

Amnesty International has publicly condemned recent episodes of violence in Jamaica, the latest at a church on Easter Sunday, against people who are perceived to be gay.

The organization is particularly concerned by reports of mob violence against people targeted for their appearance or behavior, reports that seem to be increasing in frequency.

On April 8, a crowd surrounded a church in Mandeville where a funeral was being held and hurled objects through a back window. The attacks were directed at mourners whom the crowd believed to be gay.

Following the murder of gay activist Brian Williamson in Kingston in June 2004, the Jamaica Observer published a letter that read, "To be gay in Jamaica is to be dead." Despite the international attention which followed the murder, the situation for LGBT Jamaicans has deteriorated further.

On April 2 of this year, a crowd threw stones and bottles at a group of costumed men who were dancing in the carnival procession along Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay. According to reports, the crowd was angered because the men were gyrating in a sexually suggestive manner.

Eyewitnesses said the men were attacked, chased and beaten by the mob of around 30 or 40 people. At least one victim was hospitalized for his injuries. These two incidents occurred only two months after a group of men were targeted in a similar manner in a pharmacy in Kingston. A human rights defender told Amnesty that a mob of at least 200 people had gathered outside the store, calling for the men to be beaten to death because they were gay."

Rest of article: http://www.planetout.com/news/article-print.html?2007/04/17/1

This is not a place I want to visit...:rolleyes:

Congratulations, Phyl and Julie! You have seen a lot of history together! And best wishes for many many more, in good health and happiness!

Canada is high on our wish list--hopefully we can come say congrats personally some day.

Kristen & Kathy

Kathy, 62, retired, "disabled"; Kristen, 57, librarian. 4 cats and 25 yrs together in Northern California.

Thanks for doing this, Annette!

--Kristen

This thread gets funnier all the time... Hello to everyone, and happy sailing! Kathy and I want to lay claim to the oldies but goodies title--62 and 57 (squeak). We only do left-coast trips--so far, though we are talking about investigating train-travel to Texas ports. We'd be interested in a Mexico (preferably winter) or Alaska (summer) trip, Pied Piper would be interesting.

I feel like a broken record at this point.... Canada is being stricter about letting in U.S. citizens who have criminal records--they can connect with the U.S. Homeland Security databases now apparently and stuff is showing up that many people thought was long forgotten. Be prepared...

Kristen

Mithryl--Thanks for the wonderful posts--the helicopter flight sounds terrific (we mssed the lava flows on our cruise--they sailed around the north side, the turkeys!). Have a relaxing trip back--tell us more about your ukelel lessons!

Etoile--Just received an Olivia 2 for 1 offer for their Caribbean trip (with Melissa Etheridge) by e-mail. We don't fly, so I'm going to call and ask them if they'll honor it for their RT Mexican Riviera out of LA (or SD or wherever) in the fall. Wish me luck!

Kristen of Kristen and Kathy

Wendy--on our first cruise, it puzzled the cabin steward that we wanted the beds together, but only that time, and after that the only thing we ever encountered, and it was just funny, was that on a Princess cruise to Panama, where the average age was 70+ I think, whenever we came out (they always ask us "Are you sisters?" "Are you twins?"), it turned into an adhoc PFLAG meeting. Everyone would start telling us about their sons, daughters, nephews, grandchildren etc who are family, and the next time they saw us in the hall, it would start up all over again. On shore, in Mexico, it made me nervous to come out, and we were asked the same question often by would-be guides. Sometimes I just said, "Somos esposas" and let them figure out what I was trying to say. We've never been on Olivia, but we went to the West Coast Women's Music and Comedy Festival for many years, so we have an inkling what that great feeling is.

Kristen