Fishbone

@Hogladyrider Only a fellow Floridian would understand! 🧡 It’s quite cold & we did not anticipate the extreme cold, wind, or rain. It’s our understanding that we’re fixin’ to get hit by an unseasonably strong storm. Sigh. @Tyskie LOL! Thank you! I guess I didn’t do such a good job considering that it’s a lucky shamrock! ☘️ Sadly, they are already chipping! @cpcanuck LOL! He doesn’t even know that I’m posting a trip report & I hope he doesn’t find out ‘cause he would be mortified! 🤪

Thanks so much @clutchcurrier! It’s hard to know if anyone is really reading along! 💙 Thanks @cpcanuck! I especially appreciate your comment as my husband, on a daily basis, tells me I’m not very funny! 🤣

Day 3 - Fri Jun 9 (56° at 10PM) Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! Traveling from one corner of the USA to another is e x h a u s t I n g! This morning, we reluctantly woke up early, ate breakfast in the room (granola bars & cereal) & then explored Anchorage for the rest of the day. Walmart. We stopped by Big Blue so the guys could buy a pair of fishing poles. 🎣 We also picked up some bear spray. 🐻 Bait Shack! The guys got some tips for fishing in Alaska & bought some local lures, which they proclaim are legitimate “souvenirs”. What? They also bought a container of the strangest bait I’ve ever seen - salmon roe. You use salmon roe to catch salmon? Something doesn’t seem quite right about that! 🐟🍣 A fishing derby started today & the festivities seemed to be centered at the Bait Shack, where we enjoyed free hot chocolates courtesy of Kaladi Brothers Coffee. The hot chocolates topped with whipped cream were spot on & the employees were super friendly. ☕️ Walmart. Weren’t we just here? Why yes, we were, but the guys decided that waders were essential & thus we headed back to buy each of them a pair. Sigh. Ship Creek! The guys fished their hearts out for the next three hours. Not that they caught anything, but at least they tried. And none of the other guys around us, all of whom were strapped up in similar attire, caught anything either! 🎣 Fire Island Rustic Bake Shop! Scones for later! Strawberry & blueberry. AK Alchemist! We noshed on smoked halibut quesadillas & reindeer tacos! Delicious! 🌮 William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery! Very interesting self-guided audio tour! We learned all about the life cycle of a salmon! Note that salmon are not currently actively spawning here, which I had informed the guys of in advance, but they were still disappointed. Their disappointment frustrated me, especially considering that I already plan our vacations around their ridiculous “travel guidelines”, which they implemented after I planned our second trip to Hawai’i during March Madness. According to them, that was an “Alley-Oops” on my part. Sigh. 🏀 Lake Hood! We parked behind the Alaska Department of Transportation building to watch sea planes, but they never came. It was ferociously cold & windy so we headed on our way. Earthquake Park! We walked the “Inside the Slide Trail”, a short interpretive trail on the site of a major earthquake in 1964 that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale & lasted 4 minutes! Having lived in both Washington State & Hawai’i for many years, I’ve been through a few earthquakes, but I can’t begin to imagine the intensity or duration of a major quake! Point Waranof! Nice views of Knik Arm. Between Earthquake Park & Point Waranof is a small area to pull over to plane spot. I’m not an official “plane-spotter”, but I do love to “spot planes”, with my most favorite location being Maho Beach in St Maarten! In Alaska, the viewing spot is just ahead of the runway - on a grassy knoll filled with thousands of dandelions. It provides for really incredible views of incoming jets. I could have stayed here all day! Alaska Baseball League! The guys were happy when I told them that Alaska has their very own baseball league comprised of teams filled w/ NCAA players from various colleges throughout the States. The league encompasses five teams (Anchorage Glacier Pilots, Mat Su Miners, Anchorage Bucs, Peninsula Oilers, Chugiak Chinooks) that play at four different ballparks - the two Anchorage teams share facilities. The preliminary schedule was released in late March & I was able to pencil a couple of games into our itinerary. And just like that, believe it or not, I became the Greatest American Mom. I’m walking on air! Mulcahy Stadium! A small baseball park built in the 1960’s. We sprung for box seats at $7 each. Colt bought a pretzel & an ice cream, the latter of which he left sitting on a ledge while eating the pretzel. Only in Alaska can you leave your ice cream layin’ out for thirty minutes & it doesn’t melt. At all! My husband & I shared a reindeer dog, which tasted … just like a regular hot dog. 🌭 The guys bought Alaska Baseball League t-shirts & we were each given a free Anchorage Bucs t-shirt by the highway patrol. Anchorage Bucs vs Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks! Nine innings of ice cold baseball! Chinooks won 3-2! Moose’s Tooth Pizza! We enjoyed two small 10” pizzas: Call of the Wild & The Forager. 🍕 We generally prefer to pick-up our order & enjoy it outside - under a palm tree on a picnic table at a park … but there ain’t no palm trees in Alaska & don’t nobody wanna get eaten by no darn bear, so we headed back to the hotel to enjoy it in our cozy room. Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa! I’m so sleepy. The guys? They’re itching to play basketball, which they do every night before bed. Did they really expect me to pack a hoop? Sigh. 8 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

@gottagoacruzn - We are woefully unprepared for the cold weather. Despite dressing as warmly as possible, it’s just not enough & we are freezing. The wind is whipping us apart. ❄️🥶💦💨

I hear you @1emerald1! I can’t barely read it myself! 🤣 Am copying & pasting from my laptop! Not sure why the font keeps changing size! Will try my best!

Good Morning from Alaska! I told my husband to just follow the sign … and return to the South! 💦🥶❄️

Day 2 – Thu Jun 8 (53° at 10PM) Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! We made it to the Last Frontier! We were able to sleep in until 5AM this morning in Tampa since our flight departed later than usual! Score! We shared a quick breakfast in the hotel room before heading to the airport: bananas; banana nut muffins; banana nut oatmeal; banana cream yogurts; & chocolate milks for good measure. I like to theme our breakfasts to how I’m feeling. 🍌 Avis. We returned our rental car w/ no issues. TPA! We checked our luggage; cleared security; bought a few drinks; & found our gate. Now that Colt is 13, he has to take his shoes off like the rest of us. Fortunately, I prepared for this in advance: I double-washed his stinky Adidas a few days ago to ensure he wasn’t flagged for funkiness! Everyone we encountered at the airport was super nice … I was so grateful! Especially to the TSA agents who not only pointed us to an empty line, but let us bypass the full body scanner that everyone else was subjected to – maybe that was for their benefit! 🤪 United! I have zero brand loyalty, so we flew one-way north w/ United because they were the cheapest carrier w/ flights that accommodated my husband’s preferences. It’s complicated! $2006.22/3=$668.74. I pre-paid for our checked bags a week or so ago. $30X3=$90 ($5 per bag savings when purchased online in advance). Our first flight was a short hop from TPA to ORD. ORD! After we landed, the captain invited Colt to the cockpit for a quick photo opp. We love Chicago & it was hard not to jump on the train & head downtown. We treated ourselves to deep dish pizza from Reggio’s in consolation - 1 sausage & 1 pepperoni. Upon boarding our second flight, Colt was again treated to a quick photo opp in the cockpit. The captain was extremely friendly. Our flight from ORD to ANC was uneventful … until it wasn’t. Somewhere over Montana, just as we were about to cross into Canada, the flight crew called for any doctors or nurses to assist w/ an ill passenger. A nurse two rows up immediately sprung into action. No questions, no hesitation. What a gem. Fortunately, it didn’t seem as serious as the last time this happened (on one of our flights to Hawai’i) when a guy literally puked his brains out for five hours straight. In that instance, they were going to make an emergency landing, but I think he finally passed out, so they hooked him up to an IV, asked a fellow passenger to hold it up, & kept on going! After landing in Alaska, we waited & waited & waited on all the s l o w p o k e s to get off the plane. As the daughter of a 20+ year career soldier, my motto is simple: “Get up … and GO”! We headed to the carousel & bags started dropping within two minutes. All three of ours were among the first ten to drop. Budget. We picked up our rental & hit the road. 9-night rental $478.60 (w/ employer personal-use discount). I had reserved an “intermediate”, but they gave us a complimentary upgrade to an SUV. Carl’s Jr! Technically, grabbing burgers & fries here didn’t violate any of our self-imposed vacation rules since we don’t have one back home! Carr’s! We made a quick stop at this grocery store to stock up on drinks. We had intended to buy “Bear Spray & Pray”, but after traveling across the country, we totally forgot. Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa! Special “friends & family” rate for “2 doubles”. Booked for 2 nights. $19 per night parking fee. By the time we each showered & crawled into bed, we were ALL running on empty. It’s really cold up here in Alaska for us Floridians! I hope we brought enough “layers”! And although it’s late at night, it’s still light as day! Welcome to the land of the midnight sun! 9 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

Day 1 - Wed Jun 7 (83° at 10PM) And so it begins! Another exhausting adventure! Let’s go! North to the Future! After a 10-hour workday, I headed to the airport to pick up a rental car. Avis. In & out. 1-night intermediate rental $37.16 (w/ employer personal-use discount). A short drive later, I was back at home w/ our temporary wheels. We loaded our bags, locked up the house, & headed south on the interstate. My husband drove us to Tampa. Colt played video games in the back seat. After an extremely sports-intensive spring, he’s enjoying a few days of absolute nothingness. I checked in for our flights online & listened to the radio … singin’ sweet home AlaBama all summer long. Chipotle! Short stop to fill our bellies w/ burritos full of beans! The cashier was so nice & I told him so! He came outside & asked us how everything was. They don’t check on you at the Chipotle in Gainesville! Marathon! Despite being very tired, we went ahead & refueled the rental. As the saying goes, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Courtyard Tampa Westshore / Airport! Special “friends & family” rate for “2 queens”. The front desk employees were super nice & chatted w/ us about our upcoming adventure. After checking in & accessing the room, I immediately plugged in all of our phones to ensure full charges & laid out all of our clothes for tomorrow. I’m super tired & ready for bed. The guys? They’re wide awake. They’re watching a track & field event on tv & playing a new video game on the laptop. My husband keeps asking “Can I play?” & “Is it my turn?” over & over again. Sigh. Good night from hot & humid Tampa, Florida! By this time tomorrow, we’ll be in super cold (and apparently, very rainy) ALASKA! 10 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

Danke @bluedevil1! Wir wünschen euch auch eine tolle Reise! Bis bald!!! 🥨🍺

🎶 Our bags are packed & we’re ready to go! 🎶 Heading to Tampa for a morning flight! See ya later, alliGATORS! 🐊

@Kay S Thanks so much! They look all golden & delicious, but they're rotten to the core. So naughty! Our little pound puppies! @Purple Gallinule We're headed to Tampa tomorrow night & fly out to Anchorage early Thursday! It's scorching here, so I'm looking forward to colder weather! We'll be stopping in Whittier a few day before embarkation & have scheduled the 26 Glacier Cruise w/ Philips. On embarkation day, I have one mission - to get on the ship!

PRELUDE - Part 2 🎶 At the dog wash! Workin’ at the dog wash, girl! Come on & sing it w/ me! Dog wash! Sing it w/ feelin’ ya’ll! Dog wash! Yeah! 🎶 Bruno & Copper the Whopper have been delivered to boot camp! My old German mom will transform them into obedient dogs that pee on command at precise intervals! I think we’re officially “cruise ready”, or at least we’re as ready as we’re ever gonna be! Summer 2023! Let’s do this! 🍾🥂 I can smell the salt in the air. 🌊 I can hear the palm trees rustling in the wind. 🌴 I can feel the rays of the sun warming my soul. 🌞 The scent of coconut-infused suntan lotion. 🥥 The beat of a steel drum. 🥁 Iguanas baking in the sun. 🦎 Yellow birds chirping high up in banana trees. 🦜 Oh wait … we’re headed to Alaska … never mind. 🥶❄️💦

We stocked up & will be wearing t-shirt over t-shirt over t-shirt … with mittens & extra thick fuzzy socks! 😀

Omas & Opas are the best! A good German swear is all you need! Far surpasses the American counterpart! 🤣

PRELUDE – Part 1 We began packing at the beginning of May. Too early for most, but just enough time for me to streamline 2 bags, 2 backpacks, 1 tote bag, & a small cross-body. Except it didn’t all fit ‘cause the guys have to bring fishing reels & a small tackle box! So I added on an additional small bag that we will also check ‘cause I’m not luggin’ another bag around! We’re now fully packed & ready to go! Last week, we focused on thoroughly cleaning the house & landscaping the yard to ensure that our homecoming is stress-free. There’s nothing better than coming home all exhausted & stinky to an immaculate house. Not that it lasts more than a day, but for that one day … it’s sheer bliss! This past weekend, we pulled ourselves together – haircuts, hair color (the greys are coming in with a vengeance!), nails (OPI “Gelato On My Mind”; “Is That a Spear In Your Pocket”; & “Tinsel Tinsel Little Star”), etc. I do my own nails, but don’t know why I bother since my mani/pedi never lasts very long. At least my fingers & toes will look cute for a few days. The only thing left to do is give the dogs a bubble bath & then deliver them to their Oma & Opa, who will be less than amused. My husband asked my old German mom if she would brush our dog’s teeth while we are away. I don’t think that went over very well. He said she started laughing hysterically & said a bunch of German words that he didn’t understand. Sigh.

@Stealthdog We're flying out on Thursday! So very excited!

Safe travels! So excited for you! Can't wait to read all about it! Looking forward to getting on - on the day you get off!

Can't wait to meet you @Purple Gallinule! Have a wonderful first leg to your trip! Really looking forward to this cruise!

@Stealthdog Then we're practically family! Gator Nation for the win! It's great to be a Florida Gator! I'm also curious to know how cold it feels on the inside of the ship throughout the day & in the evenings! That's especially important considering that all we own down here in the swamp are lightweight hoodies! We have nothing to "layer" except a bunch of t-shirts! 😀

@Stealthdog I'm anxiously awaiting your post! And since you offered ... I'd love to know what movies are playing on the big screen & if hot chocolate is available for free on lido!

PRE RAMBLE – Part 4 After great thought & much contemplation, I finalized almost all aspects of our trip in February … I streamlined the itinerary; applied for new passports; booked flights; pre-paid for our checked luggage; reserved rental cars; downloaded road logs; booked accommodations; bought a fishing license; printed harvest record cards; booked a cruise; booked excursions; scheduled a transfer; ordered a case of water, pre-purchased an internet package; pre-paid for luggage storage; downloaded a bunch of apps; etc. So much to do, so little time. Our first trip to Alaska will encompass a short 8-night land-based vacation (which includes 1 travel day); to be immediately followed by a short cruise (7 night “Voyage of the Glaciers” via Princess’ “Majestic Princess” – southbound from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia/Canada). We had hoped to include a few days in Vancouver, but it didn’t work out. Our final two days will be spent attempting to make our way diagonally back home – from one corner of the USA to the other! Sounds simple … proved complicated, especially considering that Delta has changed our return trip no less than 12 times now. Pre-pandemic I would have been livid. Post-pandemic? I don’t care. Life is too short to stress out about things that I can’t control. Our passports were all set to expire at the end of the year, so we all applied for new ones on January 20. My husband & I renewed the old-fashioned way (by mail). Since Colt is under 16, he had to apply in person again, which he did at the University of Florida’s awesome passport office. They reviewed our renewals for accuracy & processed his application w/ ease. My husband & I received our new passports on February 20 - exactly 4 weeks later. Colt’s arrived just a few days later. Super smooth. Plus, the staff at the UF Passport Office was super friendly. As usual, our spring has been exceptionally busy. Colt just wrapped up (hallelujah) playing on two baseball teams; two soccer teams; & a tennis team - all of which had overlapping schedules & took place at different locations. My husband is the coach for one of the soccer teams & thus, according to him, they “can’t be late or miss a single game because it would set a bad example”. Uh huh. Instead of lazy days, we were running three-a-days (& an occasional quadruple)! I literally had a spreadsheet w/ all practices/games/matches color-coded to ensure the guys got to wherever it was that they needed to get to & that they got there on time. Not that it helped me much … at one of the final baseball games, I was so delusional that I yelled “Let’s go Hawks” over & over again, although on that night … he was playing for the “Tigers”. Sigh. Hawks, Tigers, Falcons, Spartans … this mama needs a vacation! In between all of that, I work a full-time job, we homeschool Colt, & we all engage in far too many miscellaneous activities (kayaking, fishing, sports-events, field trips, etc). Although the first part of our trip is fast & furious, once we board the ship, I’m especially looking forward to a lot of much needed rest & relaxation! Let me repeat: rest & relaxation!

PRE RAMBLE – Part 3 The cruise that did not happen in 2020 was scheduled to encompass a 10-day sail aboard the Carnival Miracle, round-trip from San Francisco w/ pre & post cruise adventures in California. I intended to re-book something similar until a very nice poster on the TripAdvisor Hawai’i forum (after reading my exhaustive trip reports) privately messaged me about my intent to do so, suggesting that our travel style sounded more suited to a land-based vacation in Alaska. She kindly sent me the reports from her own trips to Alaska & I was immediately intrigued! Although we’re seasoned cruisers, having cruised many times aboard various lines (Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival), I read her reports w/ intrigue & wonder. Perhaps a cruise to Alaska was no longer the most appropriate mechanism to tour the 49th state. We’ve taken an incredible amount of road trips all across the USA, but never considered a land-based vacation in Alaska. Subsequently, I delved into the Alaska forums on both TripAdvisor & Cruise Critic & found myself reading & reading & reading into the wee hours of the morning - reminiscent of days gone by when, on a school night, I’d read Apple paperbacks under the covers by the light of my dad’s Army flashlight that was affixed w/ a red lens (so as not to alert my parents that I was awake way past my bedtime). Recently, I discovered a setting on my iPhone that mimics the old flashlight of my youth. Thus, I’m often up until 3AM contemplating the thoughtful recommendations, detailed responses, & excellent advice by the refreshingly kind posters on both forums (TripAdvisor & Cruise Critic)! Ok, so that’s not entirely true. I especially enjoy reading the posts that bring out the popcorn. I would never personally engage in slingin’ pizza with complete strangers, but it sure is fun to read. Just sayin’! 🤪

PRE RAMBLE – Part 2 First things first. Who are “we”? Easy! We are happy-go-lucky dad (53), high-strung mom (49), & sassafras (13) from Florida. In case it’s not already totally obvious, this trip report is being written by the high-strung mom. Yep, that’s me, totally OCD! Sigh. My husband & son Colt are very fit, sports-loving fanatics! They’re like Energizer bunnies! They keep going & going & going. Me? Umm. I’m not so fit. But I do like sports! Or at least I like to watch them from the sidelines w/ a salted pretzel & an ice cold Dr Pepper in hand. 🙂 We’re also a homeschooling family & like to expose Colt to as much as possible - people, places, & things! We’re not looking for a “super extravagant”, “once in a lifetime”, “mission impossible”, “break the bank” style trip. Zip lines, fly-in quests, helicopter tours, chartered outings, fine dining … not really “us”. We’re seeking a fast-paced, yet simple adventure filled w/ multiple interesting stops along the way that are cost-effective & somewhat authentic. The “guys” love active pursuits, especially fishing & kayaking. Not “hundreds of dollars per person on a chartered vessel” fishing … shore fishing; tide pools; catch & release. My husband also really loves to hike (sometimes, I want to tell him to go take one)! Smirk. He likes to take the dogs on a 5-mile “walk” on a daily basis. Me? I like to walk from the couch to the back door to let the dogs out. All jokes aside, I enjoy scenic drives; museums; architecture; bridges; historical sites; flowers & trees (botanical gardens / conservatories / arboretums); short hikes / nature trails on flat / even terrain (3 miles max); photography; & bakeries. I really love bakeries! The guys “just want to have fun”. That essentially entails active pursuits that tire them out, get them dirty, & make them stinky. Then they seem to be content. …

PRE RAMBLE – Part 1 Greetings Cruise Critic strangers! I’m a longtime lurker on these boards (18+ years!), but finally have enough spunk to post my first ever Cruise Critic trip report! Some of my preliminary research was done via TripAdvisor, so my first few lines below are essentially a re-post of what I originally posted there in anticipation of this trip. It’ll give you a nice summary of our initial preparations. Our travel officially kicks-off next week, as we’ve included an 8-night road trip through Alaska in advance of our cruise. I thought I was writing my trip reports for my son (who turned 13 just a few days ago), but I suppose they’re really for me. He’s growing up so fast & time seems to be slipping away. Sigh. I’m also writing them for my super old German mom. She often cruised w/ us while my dad stayed home & watched the house/pets, but he had a stroke a few years ago & I think we’re all afraid to leave him home alone now (should something similar happen). We all miss her traveling w/ us, but we definitely don’t miss her snoring (which sounds like a yodeling donkey)! This report will be über-detailed to ensure that meine allerliebste Mama feels like she’s right here w/ us! Wunderbar! A little history: we’re a family of three from Florida who are headed on our very first trip to Alaska! We’d originally planned to cruise to Alaska three years ago, but our voyage was cancelled due to the onset of the pandemic. Sigh. Subsequently, I decided to further post-pone our trip to the last frontier in favor of … one … two … three … totally epic back-to-back-to-back trips to my beloved Oahu, Hawai’i (one of my childhood homes for three years in the late 70s/early 80s). FORTY years after saying goodbye to my tropical paradise, I was welcomed “home” w/ open arms & our trips were nothing short of spectacular. Now that we’re all filled w/ Aloha, we’re ready for an Alaskan Adventure! In case anyone’s interested, I posted three very long “novels” about those trips over on TripAdvisor (Palenaka74). They’re a good preview to what you can expect in this report! To be continued …