donaldsc

A comment with regard to DOS. There are things that you can do with file handling that are still much easier with DOS than you can do w Windows. The selective DIR command and the selective COPY commands were wonderful. DON

For future reference and to make using CC more useful to you if you are looking for posts from a specific person you can just click on their handle and all the rest of their posts will be listed. DON

You have not posted the rest of the itineraries so this info might impact my answer. However based on just the choice of glacier stops Glacier Bay is a sure thing. Hubbard is a maybe. Take the Take the Glacier Bay cruise. DON

Different sides sounds like an intriguing solution to me. DON

In my wandering around the internet I came across a intriguing baggage service for people who don't want to deal w their bags. It is called My Baggage - https://www.mybaggage.com/quote?quote=US%2CGB. I have never used them so I do not know if they are reliable but their prices are low. For example I can send a 66# suitcase from the US to the UK with pickup at my home for only $160. This is for 4 - 5 day service. Again and I repeat I have not used them so this is not a recommendation. Use them at your own risk. They do appear to have some good reviews however. DON

Unless there is a real difference in cost I always pick my own flights and for me decent connections and flights are always more important than saving a few bucks. I will admit that you do have to spend a bit of time to find the best options and sometimes the connections that the the airlines try to initially route you by are not the best ones for me. My go to site for flight research is Google aIr. I do not book them on Google Air but I do my research there. DON

You sound as if you know what you are talking about. I may need to replace my heavy 17" gaming laptop soon. What do you think about buying one of those higher end micro computers. You can stuff a lot of stuff into them including multiple hard drives into them and they are really small. I could even buy a large external SSD for it if I need a lot of drive space. The reason that I need portability is that I have 2 homes and I am tired of hauling stuff back and forth. I have screens and keyboards at both places so all I would have to haul is the micro computer. If I was totally crazy I could buy a small keyboard and a portable screen so I could take my full home computer any place I go. The cost for all of this might be around $1500. I should add that I do not run any programs that involve high level graphics. Does any of this make any sense. DON

When we did our 3 month AK driving trip we used the Marine Highway extensively. It is really the best way to see AK. First of all you get to share time with real Alaskans. Secondly you get to stop at small towns that the people who go by the big ships don't stop at. Thirdly you get to stay in some really neat places. Finally and most important to you sometimes because of ferry schedules you are forced to stay at a place for a couple of days until the next ferry comes. This means that you get to see the town after the hoards of thousands of cruise trippers are gone. Funny story here. We were in I think Juneau on a Sunday and the town was overrun with people. We figured that we would relax until the ships left and we would enjoy our shopping on a relaxed manner. What we didn't know is that because it was a Sunday the 2nd the ships left all the shops closed and the shop owners went home. Who knew. However because we had our car our attitude was who cares as there was always Monday. DON

There is a handicapped access board on CC DON

One of the real advantages of using a TA is that when things go wrong and they sometimes will you have someone who is on your side. They care about your business. To the cruise companies you are just a number. DON

My personal opinion is that if visiting Denali is a really an important part of your trip I would not go until the road is fixed. Driving just 43 miles into the park is just not worth it. However aas Northern Aurora points out Wrangell -- St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a really great to go to that you not be able to get to if you try to go to Denali. St Elias will also be less crowded than Denali. DON

I bought a used Rokinon 12 mm f2 from KEH. It seemed a good fit for what I need at a price I can justify. I paid $150 for it. At the end of the trip I can sell it back for about $60 or else I can keep it. Will keep you posted once I get it and try it out. DON

Unless there is a really good critical for doing the early flight my attitude would be that your idea is a really bad way and very stressful to end a vacation, DON

Quick reply. I can't justify the Sony at ~$1200 used. What do you think about the Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS CS Manual Focus Len which I can get from KEH for #130. DON

Good thoughts. DON

There is a handicapped access board on CC. DON

Can we hope that it works at least as well as the last variant of the ap? DON

I also recommend that anyone who visits Vence read several of Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunneti series of books. It will help your visit to Venice much better. This is a quote from NY Times Book Review about her. "Donna Leon is the ideal author for people who vaguely long for a good mystery. That Leon is also a brilliant writer should only add to the consistently comforting appeal of her Venetian procedurals featuring Commissario Guido Brunneti. Leon allows her warmhearted detective to take what solace he can from the beauty of his city and the homely domestic rituals that give him the strength to go on." DON

They are inexpensive because they are totally manual focus and of course they are not name brand. If I use them for aurora then manual focus is not a problem and they have gotten decent reviews. In response to penui1n's (by the way love your handle) I have checked on rental places. The problem is that if I rent the cost for the few places that have the type of lens that I need will be almost $120 and if these used low cost manual lens will work for me it is a better deal. And I maybe might even decide toi keep it at that price. Thanks for the thought however. DON

I need to buy a wide angle fast lens for an aurora photography cruise that I am taking. I figure that I need a lens that is no more than 20 or 25 mm and at least f/2 or faster. I am buying it just for this trip and I doubt that I will have much use for it after the trip so I do not want to spend the large amount of money for a good one. Also even though this trip is expensive my wife with balk at me spending several hundred dollars for a lens that I will not use much. I may end up buying one of the more expensive lenses hopefully used with the idea of selling it after the trip or else I may buy one of the inexpensive ones with the thought that I may end up liking the lens and keeping it. 1) If I buy one one of the expensive ones can anyone make a guess as to how much of a hit when I sell it to either B&H or KEH. I would probably buy a lens for $400 or $500. 2) If I buy cheap I am looking at the TTArtisan 25mm f/2 Manual APS-C or Meike 25mm f/1.8 Manual Lens for Sony E-Mount. I can get either one used form KEH for between $50 and $70. Has anyone ever used one of these or a similar lens for aurora photography? The resolution and stuff like that should be good enough for aurora phots but if I use them for other stuff are they decent. Any thoughts or suggestions. DON

No problem w that. Venice is a stop that is best experienced by yourself wandering around trying to find a place that you know is somewhere close and then getting lost and seeing something interesting that you didn't know was there. The usual tourist spots in Venice are usually overrun with tourists and are just a pain to visit. DON

CC does that in the Reviews section - sometimes. DON

Find a GOOD TA and present your problem to them. Your problem will be to find one who will be willing to do a bit of work for what they will assume is a one shot booking. DON

If this response says what I think it says my comment would be - don't confuse me with the facts my mind is made up. If not - I apologize. DON

Google maps will tell you how far it is. Can't help you w what or who you might encounter along the way. DON