Royal 6/21/10 Rex and Pam do Alaska

[pamwinn]

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

 

Kodiak

 

We pulled up dockside around 6:30AM. I was up for the approach. It was a little chilly but we don’t care. It was also a rainy day…didn’t care about that either. I think the excursions in Kodiak are excessively pricey so we rented a car as we did last year. There is an $8 shuttle that will take you to town. It is also walkable but you go through a commercial area that might not appeal to some. If you get off the shuttle at the first stop, you can cross the street to the little shopping center. Go around the corner and there is a Budget Car Rental. It looks like (it is) a souvenir shop but has signage to indicate you can rent cars there. We ended up with a humpty Jeep.

 

We navigated to the only place on the island that we missed last year, Anton Larsen Bay. There are all kinds of Coast Guard warning signs: Keep Out, Danger, High Voltage, Unexploded Ordinance, Go Back, Non-Maintained Road, Turn Around Now, Call Your Parents and Say Goodbye, This is Your Final Warning, etc. Last year we had company with us so we heeded the warnings…this year I said, “Did you take out insurance on the rental?” Rex said, “No.” I said, “Let’s go for it.” So we did. It was a little scary, with all the warnings we had seen and when the pavement ended, it got really scary. They mean it when they say the road (dirt path) is not maintained. The very narrow pathway has a lot of potholes, washed out areas, and scary cliffs with sheer drops fifty to hundred feet straight down.

 

We persevered like the rugged explorers that we are and made it all the way to the bay where the road ends. We have now been to the end of every road on the island. On a road such as this, I would much prefer to be the driver, but I pulled the short straw and had to ride shotgun. Rex has a tendency to spot something and keep his eye on it until it fades into the distance…behind us. This behavior makes me somewhat anxious as the car edges toward a cliff. An expletive or two may have escaped my lips but I am not admitting anything, one way or the other.

 

On a hillside we saw about five white crosses standing together that appeared to be military type memorial markers so we stopped and got out of the warm car to get a better look. There was no way to get there without climbing gear so we walked further to get as close as possible. We were a good distance from the car when it happened; a close encounter of the bear kind. “Bear!” I thought I was screaming but Rex later told me it was more of a muted guttural, “Bear”. She was so very close and huge. I think her nostrils were smoking. We experienced a disruption of the space/time continuum and everything started moving veerrrrrryyyy sloooooowwwwwwwly. Rex whispered that he was going back to the car to get the camera and I said, “No! Don’t turn your back on it!” She stood straight up and we froze. Then, the heavens broke completely open when from behind her came not one but two of the most beautiful little cubs that you can imagine. They were all three looking at us. I wondered if we could beat them to the car. Then I wondered if I could beat Rex to the car. She suddenly and nonchalantly turned and walked away, cubs in tow. We backed our way to the car and after waiting another minute or so, hoping for a repeat performance through the relative safety of the car windows, we decided that we had been given our moment and a memory to last ten life times. We drove on. The entire episode lasted probably no more than three or four minutes...but they passed very slooooowly.

 

After making our way back to civilization, we made a Walmart run and then stopped at our favorite Kodiak restaurant, Channel Side Chowder House, for a late lunch (2PM again). It’s the only Kodiak restaurant we know but we highly recommend it for seafood lovers. It’s sort of a hole in the wall under the bridge on Marine Way. It’s just a very short walk from the second shuttle stop at the visitor’s center. There you will be served fresh local caught seafood. Rex had the halibut and I had a mix of halibut and scallops. The halibut is primo and the scallops were the best I have ever had. We made it back to the ship with almost no time to spare. It’s a good thing Budget allows you to park the rental cars at the pier. The once-white jeep looked like we had taken it mudding.

 

In the pier parking lot we spotted a man with his cute little minpin. Of course we had to strike up a conversation so we could pet it. We miss our three little she-demons-from-hell. We love our spoiled rotten, incessantly barking, viciously snarling, food sucking, friend-biting wombats. One of them gave me poison ivy and I brought it on the cruise. Thank goodness for cool weather and long sleeves.

 

We decided to forego dinner altogether and instead made a small donation to the casino. There was a woman in there who started screaming and I thought she had hit the big one. She was on a penny machine and she won $300. Now I know that is nothing to sneeze at but she was doing what we in the south refer to as hoopin’ and hollerin’. The rule is no hoopin’ and hollerin’ for anything under $500.

 

Grand total for the day: 3 bears, 4 whales, 1 harbor seal, 1 deer, countless eagles, 3 sea sticks, and a gaggle of seagulls. Not too shabby.

[pegpowell]

What an amazing day. I think you are very lucky that she didn't decide to attack.

[chamima]

OMG !!! :eek:

I think I might have had a heart attack. You sure sounded calm - is that from the perspective of time and the safety of the ship or were you really that calm?

[pamwinn]

ha ha...I was not feeling calm. It was so terrifying that it actually hurt.

[TracieABD]

What a wonderful memory though...

(And the best part? You are not a posthumus Darwin Awards winner... Whew!):)

[Lynda90]

Thanks, Pam! I just keep on waiting for the next installment. Lovin' it as always! :p Maybe you could just stay on the ship, forever keeping us entertained! :rolleyes:

[DougH]

One of the members of our CC Roll call has rented a van and a group of us will set off to explore Kodiak. Any tips on where we should head? (remember we will be in a big van so don't want to do any offroading!) We have gotten the Kodiak visitors guide with some suggested routes but any suggestions from you are appreciated

 

Sure enjoying your daily adventures and getting more excited about my trip.

[apeller]

One of the members of our CC Roll call has rented a van and a group of us will set off to explore Kodiak. Any tips on where we should head? (remember we will be in a big van so don't want to do any offroading!) We have gotten the Kodiak visitors guide with some suggested routes but any suggestions from you are appreciated

 

Sure enjoying your daily adventures and getting more excited about my trip.

 

We are doing this as well, and I printed out the driving guide, (it's probably the same van). I would love some suggestions too. Thanks.

[lknlady]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I have had a wonderful evening laughing and thinking about our cruise on the Royal that begins on July 19. I was already ready to go but I am now even more excited. I look forward to reading the rest of your postings.

 

Alice

[finucane]

We are doing this as well, and I printed out the driving guide, (it's probably the same van). I would love some suggestions too. Thanks.

 

WOW, just passing through and look who I found...

 

Have a wonderful time Amy, your going to love the Royal...

 

Hi to all!

[BayouGirlUSA]

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

 

Now I know that is nothing to sneeze at but she was doing what we in the south refer to as hoopin’ and hollerin’. The rule is no hoopin’ and hollerin’ for anything under $500.

 

 

LOL @ hoopin' and hollerin'....this chuckle coming from a southern girl!

[apeller]

WOW, just passing through and look who I found...

 

Have a wonderful time Amy, your going to love the Royal...

 

Hi to all!

 

Thanks Johnny. We can compare notes about the Royal in December..

[finucane]

Thanks Johnny. We can compare notes about the Royal in December..

We'll do...

Take care.

[regnig]

Pam where are you?? I really need my next installment fix! :D

[btregoning]

I just came across your "journal" and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

 

I printed off the info the Tracy's King Crab Shack in Juneau and plan to give it a try later this month when we head "North to Alaska" on our first Alaskan cruise.

 

Please keep the info coming, I am LOL reading it.

[Dianecruises]

I have been watching the trip on the web cam...I want to be there so badly...have fun on your last 3 nights aboard the ship!!!!:p:D:p;)

[pamwinn]

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

 

Sea Day

 

We slept late and stayed in the cabin until time to go to the Most Traveled Luncheon. We sat with another couple, Judy and John, and the First Purser Food and Beverage, Roque Pablador (Rocky). Judy and John are from Florida. They received the coveted balcony-to-suite upgrade and have graciously invited us to drool over their cabin. I hope they meant it (I think they did) because we are going to take them up on it. Rocky is from the Philippines, very friendly, and entertaining. We had a wonderful lobster salad and bottomless wine glasses lunch. Then it was naptime, which seems to happen frequently on the small-ship cruise. Apparently there are so many Eastern Daylight Timers on this cruise because even the smoke stack is belching out z’s by 9PM. Sometimes we look about for consciously cognizant human life form to no avail. Fortunately the ship’s diminutive size dictates an effortlessly brief search.

 

The weather was nice and cool, though not biting. It rained a little but not until most people were contributing to the stack belch.

We attended the elite appetizer hour and then Karaoke. I absolutely love cruise ship Karaoke. This evening was particularly entertaining as something happened that I have never witnessed and I have witnessed a lot of Karaoke. A man, Fred from El Paso, sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. You know how the words turn yellow as you are supposed to sing them (modern version of the bouncing ball)? Fred did not know about that. He also faked some of the words. In fact, the only words he got right were “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” but not when they were yellow. It was very entertaining.

 

Later in our cabin as we passed by the entrance to Glacier Bay (wish we could have turned right) we saw an orca that was having a grand time. He frolicked and slapped his tail on the water more times than I could count until he faded into the distance. That was a lot of fun.

Beauty surrounded us once again and since it doesn’t really get dark anymore, we stayed awake much too late enjoying the scenery.

 

Thursday, July 1, 2010

 

Skagway

 

It was chilly but dry when we woke up around 5:00 AM. After an hour or so of scenic viewing, we were dockside with the ramps in place. Much to our chagrin, the toilet would not flush. This is the second occurrence we are aware of. It is not a problem with the ship, but with the passengers. Someone is flushing cloth dinner napkins and washcloths. I hope they catch whoever it is and tell them to swim home. Visions of keelhauling and walking the plank dance in my head. Just when I start to view humanity in a positive light (a cruise with a wonderful crew will do that for you) someone comes along and rekindles my opinion that “we” are what is wrong with the world. I’ve seen the enemy...

 

We picked up our car from Avis, a RAV4, and began our wildlife quest on the Yukon Highway. Remember your passport if you do this as it is needed to cross the border into Canada. We have taken the train before and Rex (a self-confessed train nut) would like to do it again but driving is much better. Don’t take the bus excursions! Rent a car. You can’t get lost as there is only one road.

 

If you are going to drive to Emerald Lake, I recommend having breakfast on the ship before you go. While there are some places out in the Yukon to eat, after several trips, we haven’t found one we would recommend. Remember, taking food off the ship is forbidden and I highly recommend that you not violate that rule. If you are anything like us, you will be gone all day.

 

We left Skagway around 8:30 AM. Our first stop as always was the train depot on the edge of town. At breakfast, I told Rex that I had a feeling that we were going to have a lucky day and the first bit of luck happened at the depot. They had the steam engine running. Rex likes old seam engines almost as much as he does bears so this was a great beginning to the day. There was also a new addition to their steam engine collection that we have not seen on previous visits. The old, tired engine appears to be destined for restoration. After an interminable number of photographs, we at last set out on the Klondike Highway and into the wilds of the Yukon.

 

After we crossed the border into Canada, it happened. “Bear!” This time we were safe in the car with the camera. It was a smallish black bear named Bubba. He looked a little scraggily and I just didn’t think Bubba was feeling well. He had that look in his eyes. Yes, he was that close. When you stop on the Yukon Highway, everyone who comes from either direction will also pull over because they know you have spotted an animal. After the crowd gathered, we moved on to give the others a better look. We tend to hog bear views. Sorry, we can’t help it.

 

Within two miles it happened again. “There’s another one!” This was also a black bear somewhat larger than the first. This bear, named Gladys, was very pretty and healthy looking. Gladys was a good bear posing for us and we each took pictures.

 

We made our way through incredibly beautiful territory. I love the first part where it looks as though you are on another planet. It looks like a huge volcanic wasteland, but glaciers are the reason the terrain is as it is. Black and desolate with beautifully gnarled bushes, trees, and other vegetation. I like the contrast of the rounded green hills and the sharp blackish mountains that still have snow on them. I like the trees that only have branches on one side caused by deep snow. I love the abundance of waterfalls and the lakes that are emerald green. They look like they would glow in the dark. I like the world’s smallest desert near Carcross.

 

Emerald Lake was our turnaround. On the way back I wanted to stop at one of the many areas offering photo ops to take a picture of the otherworldly beauty so Rex pulled over. I was about to get out of the car when I noticed a big brown bear partially obscured by the vegetation. Luckily I saw it before getting out of the car. This was an incredible bear encounter and we watched this particular bear eat for almost an hour before he crossed the road and disappeared up the hill and into the woods. We have some fantastic pictures of Goliath.

 

We made our way to the elite meet and greet lounge to upload stories with Kenneth and Donna (they saw a pregnant moose). After a quick bite and refreshment in the Panorama, we retired to our cabin to watch the scenery. There is some beautiful terrain around Skagway. I am now able to recognize some of the other small dots of civilization and waved to Haines as we passed by. It was a beautiful, relaxing evening.

[TracieABD]

On my last trip to Alaska, I was not lucky enough to see a bear. You have rare bear spotting abilities. I am hoping to get some good hints from you, as we leave for Alaska in a week!

 

Nice post. Now I have to go and wax my lip!:eek:

[kath00]

We saw one black bear on a hike in Alyeska but that was it for us. We also didn't see any Orca on our trip. My goal in life is to go back and see more bears and definitely an Orca in the wild.

 

Thanks so much for continuing to describe your wonderful adventures to us! We just love reading them each night.

 

I am pretty sure we are going to do the Diamond Princess B2B next year to get a 14 day vacation out of our Alaska trip too.

 

Katherine

[Northender]

This is so much fun to read. I can't wait until we get there.

 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise.:):)

[CruisinMinnie]

Thanks so much for your very entertaining and informative posts. Now I must get serious about packing so I can experience the Royal for myself. :)

[pamwinn]

Friday, July 2, 2010

 

Tracy Arm

 

What a wonderful day we had! Once again, all I can say is wow! The mountains are the canvas and the glaciers the brush guided by the hand of God. The weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous day to inch through the narrow fjords getting closer and closer to our goal. We made it all the way in, creeping past huge icebergs. Each time we rounded a bend and I caught a glimpse of the massive icebergs floating everywhere I would say, “No way. He’s going to turn around.” But he didn’t. We saw both arms of the Sawyer Glacier. I know there are other places on earth that have two thousand foot water falls but I probably won’t get to see them…especially if I keep coming to Alaska year after year. We saw whales and seals and a bald eagle perched on the very top of an iceberg.

 

Maybe I should contact the good people at Crayola and propose that they sponsor a future cruise (next week is good) for us so that I can try to capture these compelling shades of blue and green that are unique to this area. I would need that box of 964 crayons (DVD and 3D glasses included) for my Alaska coloring book.

 

Actually, I don’t need Crayola to foot the bill because I received another nice email today: An ATM Card with Card Number:5428050011004432 have been approved in your favor by the UNITED NATION, The ATM Card is Value is $315,810.00 USD.Contact Mr.Harry Conklin.

 

We were very lazy today. Seeing the end of another vacation just around the corner we just tried to soak in as much cruiseyness as possible. We plan to do nothing again tomorrow. I enjoy doing nothing and wish I could figure out how to get paid for it so I could keep doing it. I live that way as much as possible.

 

The phone rings and I answer, “Hello.”

I hear, “Hey! Whatcha doin’?”

I reply, “Nothing. Whatchu doin’?”

The caller responds, “Nothing.”

Ahhh the sweet sound of nothingness.

 

We froze ourselves today staying outside and didn’t feel like changing into less warm clothing to go to dinner which is okay because we are no longer hungry…ever. We checked out the Bistro menu and decided on room service where the officially recommended dress is smart casual flammies. First, we checked out the show, Motor City for about 47 seconds. Then we picked up an ice-cold bottle of water and went to the Royal Lounge where we spent quite a bit of time enjoying the incredible view of the ocean. Although Rex didn’t do the “Air” steering wheel or make gear shifting noises, I am reasonably sure he was pretending to drive the ship because he kept speaking into his water bottle saying things like, “More bloody steam ye wags!” I was sure the waiter was going to bring us two cocktails called Bloody Steam. Would that be three parts Clamato, four dashes Tabasco, one part tequila, and two more dashes Tabasco? I’ll have to ask a wag.

 

We returned to our cabin around 9PM, donned our flammies, and although still not at all hungry placed a small order of two bacon cheeseburgers with extra chips, a bowl of chili, a hotdog with fries, and two glasses of milk. We thought about including a pepperoni pizza but as I said, we were not very hungry.

 

Around 11PM it was actually dark again. I guess that means we are getting closer to (once again, queue the sound track that plays when the maniac is about to get the pretty young girl aptly dressed in a bikini and high heels as she’s about to roast a s’more over the camp fire) Real Life. We gave the cold, windy, and wet balcony one last shot… and it was cold, windy, and wet. We turned on the TV and went to bed to dream of the sea day tomorrow. Nothingness…yes.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like you had fantastic days.

[judynorth]

I really don't want this to come to an end. We had planned to take this cruise this year but it just didn't work out so I am experiencing the cruise through your eyes. I hope that you will share your pictures when you get home. Please?

[wwinfl91]

Thanks for all of this. You need to become a writer when you grow up.

 

I really enjoyed your description of the Tracy Arm as we have never been there and were a little in the dark as to what we were going to see there. One question about your visit is what time did you do it. We are scheduled to go in at 6:30 AM and leave at 10:30 AM, which doesn't sound like much time.

 

Thanks again for all your posts.