My Commonplace Book

Soooo tired. I'm still paying (physically) for the trip -- the odd hours (up at 5:00 am to tender in to port at 6:00 am Friday, followed by a port call till midnight on Saturday), the walking and climbing (downtown Seattle has hills as steep as some of San Francisco's), the trip home (we left the hotel at 8:30 am PDT and I got home after midnight EDT).

It was worth it, but it's going to take me some time to recover. I don't bounce back any more. Fibromyalgia sucks.

I'm trying to find a place to put over 4 GB of photos -- these are just the tip of the iceberg. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) Here's another brief preview, and how it came about.

( Walking on a glacier )

It was absolutely the highlight of the trip! Some of the photos need a little adjustment, but here's a preview of what I saw.

( The photos )

It was a truly awe-inspiring experience. I'd love to climb Mt. Everest but it's obviously out of the question for someone in my physical condition, not to mention the cost. I'd love to go to Antarctica, but unless I win the lottery or marry a rich man I won't be going. But at least I got a little taste of what it's like to hike up a snow-capped mountain! 

I made it home very late last night, and spent most of today resting. The cruise wasn't strenuous, but the last three days in Seattle were (lots of walking, much of it up and down steep hills), and the 13-hour trip home (which felt like 16 hours due to the time difference between Pacific and Eastern) was debilitating.

The cats are in great shape thanks to Wendy! She petted them and brushed them (even scaredy cat Friday warmed up to her) and they got enough attention so Val wasn't even mad at me (in the past he's always turned his back and given me the cold shoulder for a day as punishment for leaving him). She also took care of the birds -- she kept the feeders filled, cleaned and put out the hummingbird feeder, and cleaned out and filled the birdbath (I hadn't had time for the latter two chores). She was even thoughtful enough to get a half-gallon of skim milk for me just before I came home so I'd be able to have my cereal in the morning!

There were a few glitches in the trip -- one of them very major, but it got worked out all right (albeit extremely expen$ively) in the end (you'll hear about that later) -- but all in all the trip was great and I saw some amazing things, including 15 life birds, a black bear, a pair of moose, a mother humpback whale with her calf, mountain goats, gorgeous snow-capped mountains, incredible glaciers, and lots more!

I took about 1500 photos (I filled up two 2 GB memory cards and started on a third!), and I'm gradually going through them trying to eliminate duplicates (I took multiple shots of everything to make sure I got good ones). So far I've gotten through one of the cards and deleted the obvious duplicates and shots that didn't come out well, but I still need to weed through the good photos to pick the very best, and that will take a lot of time because there are so many gorgeous ones.

Here's a preview of a very few of the highlights from the first half of the cruise. There'll be many more photos as I gradually get things organized!

( Alaska preview )

Coming tomorrow: Glacier Bay National Park!

( Up and down, down and up )

So, with my fingers, toes and eyes crossed, here's what I think (read: hope) I'll be doing (except in Victoria, which is only a fallback and will be canceled unless ms_interpret is out of town):

• SKAGWAY: (in port 7:00 am-8:00 pm)
  • SGY 401 - White Pass Scenic Railway, 8:10am-11:40am (with M&A)
    
  • SGY 430 - Nature & Wildlife Expedition, 1:30 pm - 7:30 pm
    

• JUNEAU: (in port 2:00pm-10:00 pm)
  • JNU 412 - Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest, 3:00pm - 8:15pm
    

• KETCHIKAN: (in port 6:00 am-1:30 pm)
  • KTN 408 - Best of Ketchikan By Land & Sea, 7:15am-11:00am (with M&A)
    

• VICTORIA: (in port 6:00 pm-11:59 pm)
  • VIC 409 - Orca Whale Watching & Wildlife Tour - 7:00pm-10:00pm
    

The Best of Ketchikan tour isn't what I had originally wanted -- I'm still going to go to the shorex office when I board the ship and see if can get waitlisted for KTN 426 - Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery, 7:30am-11:30am. But if I don't get it, at least I'll have something fun to do.

Yes, I know there's a lot of repetition in that list! And there'll be even more if I can make the change in Ketchikan. But going over all the possible choices, the nature and wildlife trips were just the ones that I was attracted to.

( Musing )

I've been obsessively checking my email in the hope of hearing from either Robert or A (whose email address is the one on the cruise reservation) that everything I listed is confirmed!

I'm so grateful to Robert! If he hadn't mentioned that adding someone to an excursion being taken by others in the same party was much more likely to go through, I would never have known to request that. And if he hadn't been so friendly and patient with my cluelessness in the first place, I probably wouldn't have mentioned that that's what I wanted to do. So after I hear from him, I'm going to write a note of thanks that he can forward to his supervisor for brownie points.

ADDED: I just got the confirmation. I GOT THEM!! The list above is confirmed!

So I'm all set. I'd still like to try to get into my original choice in Ketchikan, Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery -- but even if I don't, I'm very much okay with what I have now.

I didn't think the confirmation would come so soon -- the order form said "within 72 hours" and I didn't know if Sunday counted, so I figured it would be some time next week.

I only got two of the four trips I signed up for: Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest in Juneau, and Nature & Wildlife Expedition in Skagway. I won't get to go on the White Pass Railway with Meredith and A, and I won't get to do the Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery in Ketchikan.

When I started this post I had picked "crushed" for my mood and selected my Depressed icon. I was devastated.

And I really thought I was finished with all these marathon Web searches and that I could start doing some of the other stuff I need to do that's been on hold since Wednesday.

But I've been at it again so far for more than four hours ... and I'm finally discovering what to do if I don't get an organized tour. I wish I had known when I started -- even before I tried to choose the cruise line's excursions -- what I know now after this session of browsing. Alaska Port Reviews would have helped tremendously. I'm still very disappointed about losing those two specific trips, which I really, really wanted to do. But I don't feel desperate any more. I even found a trail where I can get my nature fix. Although it's two mile walk just to get to the trailhead, at least I'll be able to get something besides the standard tourist traps.

I'm still going to keep all the other work I did, of course.

( Stream of consciousness, read at your own risk )

( White Pass Railroad )

( Orca Beach Rainforest Adventure )

( Deer Mountain Trail & Ketchikan Walking Tour )

Well, I started this process at around 4:00 or so, and it's now 9:30. I had a break for supper, but other than that I've been working the whole time. I was feeling so desperate that I had to make sure I'd have something to do in Ketchikan. It won't be what I wanted to do, and I'm still feeling extremely disappointed. But at least with the information I have -- and a few too many Lindt dark chocolate truffles than is good for me -- I'm calm, rather than frantic.

Whew! woofiegrrl had told me today was the deadline for the shore excursions on our Alaska trip, and I'd been planning to do it this afternoon. But I got involved with my memory card problems and it was well after 11:00 when I suddenly realized that I hadn't done them yet! So I just went with the tentative choices I had made. (Well, I did almost second-guess one of them, but that would have meant skipping the only one I'm doing with Meredith and A, so I just stuck with my first choices.

If any of them are already full because I waited so long I'll be SOL -- and horribly disappointed after all that struggle to make up my mind! Unfortunately they won't process it for 72 hours -- and that may not include Sunday. So I won't find out till the middle of next week if I got them all or not.

I think hope it's unlikely the nature trips will have sold out, since I think more people probably want to do the more touristy things, but I'll feel better when I get that confirmation! The only one I ordered that I know is really popular is the White Pass Railway, and I especially want to do that one because we're doing together.

Anyway, here's what I registered for. Cross your fingers for me!

• Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery -- more detailed info here -- Ketchikan, 8:10 am, 3½ hours
  
• Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest --  more detailed info here -- Juneau, 3:00 pm, 5¼ hours
  
• White Pass Scenic Railway -- Skagway, 8:10 am, 3½ hours (with M&A)
  
• Nature & Wildlife Expedition -- Skagway, 1:30 pm, 6 hours

Skagway is going to be a hell of a day, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when I started trying to decide. But if I can get through it, I think it will be worth it!

I'm stuck again. I'm the worst decision maker in the world. I'm the UNdecider. =sigh=

Yesterday I worked on Ketchikan and Skagway. Today I was working on Juneau. I've also been updating my original thoughts and information on the shore excursions.

The more I think about it, the more I want to do the Helicopter Glacier Walkabout. The more I look at the pictures, and read the description, the more I can just taste how much I want to do that. BUT ... it's $344 and it's NON-refundable. So if it's pouring down rain that day, all that money is wasted. I won't see anything from the helicopter, and it won't be much fun clambering around on the ice in the rain. And I won't get to see anything else either.

What I'm going to do is pick something else, and then wait to see how the weather is shaping up. And then, a day or two ahead of time, if there's still space available in the Walkabout I can cancel my other trips (if I want to) and switch. That way I'll make sure I can at least get my second or third choice, since I'll already have a reservation.

Here's the problem: There are three things I want to see that are specific to Juneau:

• Mendenhall Glacier (at least from the visitor's center if nothing else)
• Whales
• Mt. Roberts

Plus I want to see as much exotic nature as I can, especially birds.

So the question is, how do I fit all that in between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm?

Of the official NCL excursions in Juneau, the one that sounds most interesting to me is the Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest. The tour operator's description says you get 1 hour at the glacier visitor's center, and a 3-hour cruise (don't you dare! ) in a "jet-powered catamaran" from Auke Bay and out into Stephen's Passage to look for "humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles, bears and Sitka blacktail deer." Which sounds pretty cool.

But that lasts from 3:00 pm to 8:15 pm, which means I wouldn't get to do anything else, because the ship casts off at 10:00 pm -- which means the gangplanks and everything have been long since stowed by then. If you don't get back in time they leave without you, and you have to find a way to get to the next stop -- Skagway, in this case -- on your own. So you're supposed to be back on board an hour or two before sailing time.

So if I do the Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest, I wouldn't have enough time to go up the Mount Roberts Tramway. The view is spectacular (assuming it's not raining or foggy), and they have an interpretive loop trail at 1,800 feet that looks fantastic! I could probably spend half the day there! There are sure to be birds that I won't see anywhere else, and I'd have possibility of seeing "eagles, ravens, hoary marmots, mountain goats, bears, wolves and Sitka Black-tail deer, [which] have all been sighted and  photographed near [the] Mountain Complex." There's also a half-hour movie about the Tlingit culture which I'd really like to see.

So I called the Mt. Roberts Tramway today and asked how long it takes to get to the top. The guy I talked to was really friendly and nice! I started by asking him how long it takes to get to the top (4½ minutes) and explained that I was trying to figure out whether I could squeeze in a visit, and we ended up talking for about 10 minutes while I asked all sorts of questions about the tram, the schedule, the mountain, the glacier, the weather, and anything else I could think of. He was very helpful. (He was also probably bored to death because the tourist season hasn't started yet!)

The last tram up leaves at 9:00 pm, and the last tram down is at 9:30, which he said is really cutting it too close for being back aboard the ship. The thing is, I could get up to the top, spend a couple of minutes looking at the view and come right back down again and make it to the ship in time, but I would have paid $22 for very little. I really want to walk that trail! And late afternoon is not a great time to do that because (I think) you're looking west, right into the setting sun. On the other hand, sunset is at 9:18 pm, so if the clouds are right I could maybe get some incredibly spectacular sunset photos.

Another alternative is to skip the glacier and take the Evening Whale Quest. That runs from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm (if you're on an official NCL tour, it's their responsibility to make sure you get back on the ship, as opposed to when you're out wandering around on your own). That's the same trip as the 3-hour wildlife cruise above, without the glacier. Then I'd have a couple of hours to hang around on Mt. Roberts just when the light would be best, which would also give me two of the three things I want.

The Glacier Walkabout doesn't go till 5:30, so if I did that I'd miss the whales but I'd have the glacier and Mt. Roberts.

So it looks like I can have any two out of the three, but there's no way I can get all three in.

I'm not making much progress. =sigh=

I went to visit woofiegrrl and A on Sunday, and had a very good time! They were originally going to come here, but when I heard Meredith was sick I changed the plans and told them I'd go there instead. I said we'd order in, and Meredith could just stay in her pajamas.

It had been a horrible morning, with lots of things going wrong. Then the trip down there was awful -- it was pouring down rain, traffic on the Beltway was heavy, there was a lot of water on the road, and all the spray made visibility really poor. Of course people were driving like idiots, despite the rain, and few cars had their lights on -- even though Maryland law says that if you're using your windshield wipers you must turn the headlights on.

When I got there, Meredith was curled up on the couch in her robe under a blanket, but even though she was feeling lousy she was cordial and nice the whole time, which made me feel really good. A was sweet and thoughtful, as always, even though she's still getting over being sick herself. We ordered Thai food, which was delicious. (I only ate half of mine and was going to offer it to A or take it home, but A's sister -- who shares the house -- ate it! I was shocked ... she finds food in a restaurant container in the refrigerator and just eats it without even asking? A even told her that was mine, but she just shrugged and continued eating.)

Meredith had printed out all the shore excursions for the Alaska trip, and put all the times on them,  which has been tremendously helpful! NCL doesn't make it easy to find the times -- you have to actually sign up for the trip to find out what time it leaves! (You just don't confirm the signup until you're ready -- it's a stupid, clumsy and nonsensical system.) Meredith went through and signed up for every single excursion at all three ports to get the time -- it took hours! (Fortunately she has time at work to do that kind of thing, so at least she got paid for it!)

But with the printouts and the times it became much easier to figure out what shore excursions I wanted to do. I'm not finished yet, but I've made some progress, at least!

I've updated my original post about the shore excursions, putting the ones for Skagway and Ketchikan in priority order. And I've actually decided on what I'm going to do in Skagway!

White Pass Scenic Railway -- 8:10 am, 3½ hours, $109

"No trip to Alaska is complete without a ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railroad that served the mad rush to the Klondike in 1898. You’ll board an old-fashioned parlor car for a 40-mile round trip. A panorama of wilderness unfolds ... pass through two tunnels, sky-high trestles and remote valleys ... view Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. ... [At] White Pass Summit, the international boundary between Canada and the U.S., you will begin your return journey."

Everyone says not to miss this. Meredith and A are going on the 8:10 trip, and I'm going to go with them. It's the only shore excursion we'll be doing together, since their interests and mine are so different. 

Nature & Wildlife Expedition -- 1:30 pm, 6 hours, $148

"Travel with engaging naturalists through the "Valley of the Eagles" to view Alaska's magnificent wildlife and enjoy breathtaking photo opportunities. Nestled between rugged glaciers and snow-capped mountains, the fertile Chilkoot Valley is home to generations of brown bears, bald eagles, mountain goats, river otters, spawning salmon and numerous birds. Powerful spotting scopes afford close-up views of mountain goats in alpine meadows, bears along the river, and bald eagles in active nests. You can actually take photos through the scopes. Colorful harlequin ducks, marbled murrelets, loons, surf scoters, seals, sea lions, porpoise and whales are seasonal highlights. ... On the shore of a picturesque lake, experience the lush under-story of the world's largest temperate rainforest during a refreshing walk through an ancient muskeg, beneath magnificent hemlock and spruce trees. "

It will be a looooong day -- I'll have to get up at around 6:00 am to get dressed, eat a big breakfast, and get to the dock in time to go to wherever we're supposed to meet for the railroad.  I'll get back about 12:40 pm and have to race to get something to eat so I can get to the meeting place by 1:30 for the wildlife trip. Hopefully we'll be at the dock and I can run onboard and get a quick meal for free -- if we're tendering that will be out of the question, and I'll just have to buy lunch in town. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me, and I'm going to make the most of it! We're cruising all the next day (Glacier Bay!), so I'll have time to recuperate.

I'm not 100% sure yet of what I want to do in Ketchikan, but I'm most likely going to do this one:

Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery -- 7:30 am, 4 hours, $99 (more details here)
          "Hike through the natural, unspoiled beauty in the coastal forest. After a 30-minute boat ride, you will arrive at a secluded beach, where you begin a one-mile nature walk through a beautiful old-growth forest along a gently sloped boardwalk on a remote island in the Tongass National Forest. Learn about botanic species native to this region, like Western red cedar and yellow cedar that early Natives were so dependent upon for spiritual enrichment, shelter and transportation .... Enjoy an Alaskan snack of smoked salmon, cheese and crackers, hot chocolate, coffee and juice. Then take some time to explore the natural beauty around you." Then "A motorized inflatable boat provides a short but exciting cruise along the coast and along Clover Passage back to Knudson Cove. Wildlife such as whales, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, bald eagles and migrating seabirds may be spotted on this route. Bring your camera and binoculars!"

All the excursions I'm considering are long, so there will only be time for one.

I haven't even started on Juneau yet, but I'm making progress!

(But why do I always start this kind of thing late at night so that I end up being up till all hours?!)

Freeform list of things I need to do before my trip:

• Check NCL and travel websites for packing lists for Alaska and Seattle (first three sites from Meredith)
  
  • http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=76
    
  • http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/packing.html
    
  • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17229388/
    
  • http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/content/gear.cfm
    
  
  
  
• Write a packing checklist
  
  • Formal gown, shoes, stockings, accessories for formal night
    
  • Jeans ( ? pairs)
    
  • Sweatshirts ( ? )
    
  • T-shirts ( ? )
    
  • Things to layer
    
  • Warm jacket (how heavy?)
    
  • Hiking boots
    
  • Walking shoes
    
  • Travel guides/info for Alaska and Seattle
    
  • Passport
    
  • Inflatable neck rest (in glove compartment)
    
  
  
  
• Laundry -- lots of laundry
  
  
• Check with HMO on coverage  (a) aboard ship and (b) in Seattle.
  
  
  • Are there reciprocal HMOs in Seattle that would be considered in-network?
    
    
  • I know I'm covered for emergencies only outside this area, not regular treatment -- but what constitutes an emergency?
    • E.g., if I have a pain up my left arm, weakness and a cold sweat, and it turns out to be just fatigue, will they deny coverage because it wasn't a heart attack after all? What if I'm snorkeling and get a sudden severe pain and blood in my ear -- which is what happened to Meredith on her Caribbean cruise. Would that constitute an emergency that would be covered, or not?
  
  
• Make sure I have enough meds -- find out if I can order them early if need be
  
  
• Make sure bills are paid ahead
  
  
• Write out instructions for cat-sitter
  
  
• Check climate info for May
  
  
• Things to buy
  • camera (can't take this one with broken battery compartment cover, I'll miss too many pictures scraping off the tape and retaping)
    
  • binoculars (if possible)
    
  • good walking shoes
  
  
• Have cat sitter over for orientation and key
  
  
• Get letter from doctor re liquids
  
  
• Useful travel information
  • http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/theft.htm
  
  
  

(Many more items to be added as I think of them. Suggestions gratefully accepted -- I used to go away for 10 days every summer, but I haven't traveled in many years and I'm not used to the drill any more.)

I've mentioned that I'm going on a cruise to Alaska with my kids, and I need help! I've narrowed the enormous choice of shore excursions down to just two or three in each port (Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan) -- but I'm stuck!

I'd love recommendations, suggestions, ideas and advice based on what you know about me and/or what you may know or find out about that area, including the reason for your recommendation. Hey, it helped when I did the poll on what color Honda I should get -- the reasons that were mentioned helped me figure out what I wanted, and I'm very happy with my choice. I think getting other slants on these trips will help me make up my mind here too. I'll put all the information and links behind a cut so anyone who couldn't care less won't have to scroll through it.

If you know anyone who has knowledge or experience to share, feel free to link.

( These are the ones I'm considering )

HEEEEELLLLPP!  I don't know what to do!!

I've never been good at decision making, and when it's now-or-never and there won't be a next time to try a different choice, I get practically paralyzed. That's how I'm feeling right now!

After an inauspicious start, my day yesterday got much better when I went to see phoenix_glow's new baby, Brianna!

Phoenix is always fun to be with, and Bri is absolutely gorgeous! She's four months old already, but I hadn't seen her yet because Phoenix and the rest of the family have been passing around to each other all winter.  I gave Bri a matching hand-crocheted set of a baby blanket, jacket and hat that I got for her last November at our church's silent auction. I didn't know what on earth to get for a third baby -- I figured Phoenix would already have everything she could possibly need! -- so I thought something handmade from the church we both attend would be more special that something store-bought.

Unfortunately Bri was sleeping most of the time I was there, but I did get to see her (and hold her!) for a little while before I left. What a beautiful little girl! She's a very happy, easy-going baby with a gorgeous bright cornflower-blue eyes and a knock-em-dead smile. And she smiles often! I played peek-a-boo with her and she loved it. Every time I said "ahhh, boo!" she'd startle, and then give me a huge, cockeyed grin. And then she'd stare at me waiting for the next one. It was so cute!

Also cute, but not nearly in the same league, is Phoenix's Roomba! I'd never seen one in action before, so Phoenix turned hers on for me so I could watch it for a few minutes. It is so cool! She has it on a timer and it cleans the living room and dining room every morning from 10 to 11. The floor was quite clean, so it must do a good job! She also has a Scooba, which she says does a great job in the kitchen and bathroom. Now I'm dying to get one of each!

After I left Phoenix's house I went to the library to return a book. I got three more, and did something I've never done before -- I filed a "request for reconsideration" of a recently purchased book.

I took out one bird book and two travel books. The bird book is Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds. It looks really good, and I'm looking forward to reading it!

The travel books are Insight Guide: Alaska and Cruising Alaska: A Traveler's Guide to Cruising Alaskan Waters & Discovering the Interior because I'm going on a cruise to Alaska this spring!!!

I'm really starting to get excited! I'm going with my kids, woofiegrrl and her partner A, on an inside passage cruise. The main stops are Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway, and for our obligatory foreign port our last stop is in  Victoria, BC from 6 pm to midnight, where I'll get to meet ms_interpret and her family!

I can't wait to read the books! I started the cruising one last night but I haven't gotten to read any more of it yet.