Victoria and Seattle

September 15, 2007 -- Victoria was too quick a trip for us. We arrived at 6pm, the sun went down two hours later, and we sailed out at 11pm. Diane and I got off the ship as soon as they allowed it, and we took a shuttle into downtown. She really wanted to visit the Butchart Gardens, but at $65 per person, I thought it was too expensive for seeing flowers. We later heard of another tour service that charged only $40, but by then, it was rather late.
So we visited the Empress Hotel - a sumptuous old structure in the grand European style. It was filled with English antiques, Spode dishware, mahogany woodworking, Indian tapestries, historic photos of the hotel in the 1930s, and many other elements of refined living. The exterior was old brownstone covered with ivy, and the gardens were lush and well cared for. It was all quite lovely.
As we walked along the small craft harbor, we snapped photos of the hotel reflected in the water and studied the Parliament buildings, which were constructed to honor Queen Victoria's jubilee. Later that night, they were lit up like a big wedding cake, as they have been for 100 years.
As evening fell, we walked up Government Street, poking into one shop or another - looking at handmade soaps, fine bags, cheap t-shirts, luggage, and other goods. Street musicians played to the delight of passing crowds, and everything seemed very safe and clean. Canadians, by and large, were very polite, and the streets were free of graffiti and litter.
By 9pm, we were quite tired from three hours of walking, so we caught the bus back to the ship. The Vista Restaurant had already closed, so we had a quick bite at the buffet. It was our last official meal on the ship, and you could sense the low-key feelings from all the guests. Tomorrow would send us back to reality.
Saturday morning came too quickly, as we finished our last-minute packing and had a quick breakfast of fruit and coffee. We were off the ship by 10am, saying our last good-byes to the stewards and others who had become our temporary friends during the trip.
My college friend Margie Coles picked us up at the terminal and recommended a quick run through Pike Place Market. Talk about mind-boggling! It was a long stretch of stalls packed with all manner of local goods - giant peaches, exotic vegetables, juicy berries, aromatic mushrooms, two-pound lobster tails, whale-sized salmon, spiced teas, handmade sausages, local arts and crafts, organic honeys, huge colorful bouquets, and much more. We pushed our way through the crowds doing their weekend shopping, as well as tourists snapping photos and gawking at the sheer variety of goods.
Along the streets, there were life-size pig sculptures, each designed by an artist and intended for a fundraising auction. Celebrating the market's 100th year, the pigs were done up in Piccaso-style paints, or covered with pennies, or dressed like Carmen Miranda, or wearing baby clothes, or looking like mermaids. It was all very clever.
Taking us up to her home on Queen Anne Hill, Margie gave us a running commentary about the neighborhood history before we met her husband Neal. What a great guy... someone who obviously loves Margie and is quite settled, bright, and funny. He's a real keeper.
After conversation over cheese and crackers, we drove over to see a fantastic view of the city from one of the local parks. A couple of bridal families were there for photos - a Seattle tradition, with the Space Needle and the city skyline in the background. We couldn't believe how young the newlyweds looked. But at our age, everyone looks too young to be married!
Then it was off to the airport, where there were hugs all around and sad good-byes. Diane and I had a pre-flight lunch and then our vacation was over. "I love you," we said, parting at the foot of the C and D terminals. She went one way, and I went another.
My next trip? Spending Thanksgiving with her daughter and family...

Victoria BC -- Where everyone says "Eh?"

September 14, 2007 – Today was a full day at sea as we head down the western coast of Canada to make it to Victoria by 6pm. That’s our last stop before we end up in Seattle first thing in the morning. We were unable to meet up with our friend Robin Bruins because she is in Tucson for a few days. However, we did connect with my former college housemate, Margie Coles. She plans to meet with us in the morning and show a few sights before we have to leave for the airport around 3.

We are having a hard time thinking about returning to work on Monday. It’s been so far from our thoughts this week, though it will be nice to get back to normal eating habits. We’ve been dining on more stuff than usual – full lunches and dinners, plus desserts. Typically, both Diane and I stick with a daily allotment of about 1500 calories, though we’ve gone far, far beyond that on the trip, where there are no Lean Cuisines or non-fat yogurts. But we’ll be back to those quickly enough – and to the gym. We did do a “walk for the cure” today, which the cruise line organized. It was a 5K walk for breast cancer, with each of us making a cash contribution for the privilege of walking nine times around the Promenade deck. I made it only five times before I got shin splints, but Diane managed to finish the entire walk. (Last year, this ship alone raised $50,000 of the cruise line’s total donation of about $500,000.) Tonight we’ll be walking around Victoria, adding more mileage to our shoes.

We are already packed up, with only our clothing for tonight and tomorrow left out. We’ll be off the ship around 8 or 9, back on solid ground and into reality. There will be no more room stewards to put out fresh towels, to make our beds, or even fold the toilet paper onto little pointy ends. I wonder if I can take any of these guys home with me…

So far, Ketchikan has been our favorite town, not only because the people are so friendly, but because the economic developers care enough about the tourist trade that they’ve created a district that’s inviting, clean, and friendly. It’s the polar (pun intended) opposite of Juneau. When we landed, the first thing we saw was a school bus storage lot. The shuttle buses were $2 for a one-mile ride into town, which we could have walked, except it was raining. The port area was littered with cheap little shacks staffed by people selling tours. The stores looked old, and the few restaurants were really bars that smelled of old alcohol and cigarettes. We stopped at a coffee shop offering free internet service, but when we ordered our drinks and sat down, we learned that the service wasn’t available that day. But we could get some for a dollar a minute across the street. No thanks.

Lunch was at a Mexican restaurant – the only place we could find – recommended by a man standing on the sidewalk in front. “It’s really good,” he said. “My wife had a whole plate of nachos, and it was so big that she couldn’t finish it all.”

Well, never visit a restaurant when the only recommendation is that the portions are large. I had a taco and an enchilada, and both were cooked in old grease. They sat hard in my stomach.

In fairness, I did like the people at Temsco helicopter service, even though our flight to the Mendenhall Glacier was cancelled because of weather. They were friendly, chatty, outgoing, and helpful. It seemed that they really appreciated people’s business. Our bus drivers were enjoyable to talk with, too. But the port area left a lot to be desired.

Sitka was terrific, especially considering its small size and remote location. Here, too, the people were friendly, especially at the information center, which was set up right by the water. The local arts and crafts displays were very basic, but the goods were great quality. Both Diane and I bought some handspun and dyed knitting yarns made by a local woman who explained how she created each color combination – from watching a stormy sky, to sitting on a boat in the middle of a kelp bed, to researching the clothing colors worn by the Russian settlers. Everything had a story. Sitka is not a wealthy town, but we liked the people and the history and the fact that there was a lot of pride even if there wasn’t much money.

I'll be posting a lot of photos as soon as I can wade through them. More later...

Ketchikan - "The Sound of Thundering Eagle Wings"

September 14 – From Donna: Thursday we awoke at 6:30am and found the seaport of Ketchikan ("The Sound of Thundering Eagle Wings") right outside our balcony… literally. It was still dark, but the streets were lit up, a few cars were making their way here and there, and sleepy dock workers were ambling toward our ship to help pull it up against the pier. It was almost a parallel parking job, as we first lined up with the pier and then moved in sideways while a few men grabbed various lines and tied us into place. Pretty soon, the gangway was dropped, and everyone started lining up to depart the ship for a quick few hours in town.

We were very impressed with Ketchikan – perhaps more so than with any of the other towns. The port area is newly rebuilt, with many buildings standing in piers right over the water. Because the mountains come right down almost to the water, the people here decided to make their own flat ground by constructing almost their entire tourist district right over the sea.

The structures were new, clean, brightly painted, and all decked out like a Maine fishing village. Assorted boats bobbed in a marina and the sun came up bright and warm, turning it into a perfect morning. “You must have brought the good weather with you,” one shop owner said to us. “Normally we have rainy Septembers. You’re very lucky.”

We walked around, up one street and down the other, enjoying the array of local crafts and art, though we sneered at the interminable collection of jewelry shops. It seems that every port town is set up to lure in shoppers to buy diamonds, tanzanite, jade, emeralds, gold, watches, and other expensive goods. A local explained that most of them are owned by the cruise lines. “If they don’t get you to buy on board, then they get you to buy on shore,” he said.

Diane and I agreed that it was better to spend money in shops owned by the locals and to buy their handmade goods. After all, if we’re visiting their towns, we should contribute to their livelihood.

We stopped in one taxidermy shop where the proprietor was grizzled and friendly, but he appeared to have been quite handsome in his youth. Behind his counter, he had some artwork done by his grandkids. “My own kids don’t like me,” he said, “but the grandkids think I’m wonderful. My wife and I really like being grandparents.”

His shop was jammed with all kinds of leather, furs and skins – all beautiful pieces made into coats, collars, gloves, shawls, jackets, hats, scarves and anything else to ward off an Alaska winter. He also had collections of animal skulls – wolves, tortoises, beavers, wolverines, coyotes, and other animals found in the woods. “You need fur to stay warm here,” he said. “I don’t understand those places where they don’t like you to wear fur. Up here, they think you’re nuts if you don’t use it.”

In another shop, the owner sold beautiful arts and crafts made by local people. I picked up a pretty piece made from weathered beach glass and armature wire. “These are made by two sisters earning their way through dental school,” the woman said. “Their parents said that if they wanted to get eight years of college, they’d better start wrapping glass and selling it. Both of them are great kids. One of them is Alaska’s Junior Miss.”

She had another story for Diane, who picked out some brushes made from animal fur. “These are made by identical twin brothers,” the woman said. “They’re potters by trade, but they make their own glazing brushes. After a while, they started selling the brushes because people liked them so much.”

That’s the reason I prefer spending money on local stuff. The things in a jewelry store can be found anywhere. But you can help two girls in dental school only by picking up their handmade art.

We hadn’t seen much in the way of exotic wildlife, so we asked the shop owner in Ketchikan where we could see some eagles. “Oh, those are as common as pigeons around here. Just walk up the creek a bit, and you should see some feeding on the fish.”

So we headed in the direction she pointed us, arriving at a short bridge spanning the creek. It was incredible to see the water alive with fish leaping here and there. The creek was teeming with salmon, all crowded together, aiming in the same direction – upstream. Moving only a few inches at a time, they swam against the current to reach their spawning grounds, where they would lay and fertilize eggs before dying off. Three years ago, these same fish had hatched and moved down toward the sea, where they matured and grew into adulthood. Now they were returning to the place where they were born, ensuring that there would be a next generation to do the same thing.

We followed up the creek along a wooden sidewalk elevated on the steep banks. It was lined on both sides with old wooden buildings transformed for commercial use – mostly shops and museums. The most notable was Dolly’s House, a former bordello once owned by a young woman who earned her living by pleasing the old gold prospectors from a century ago. Her place was not illegal, as any place with only one or two women living together was not considered a bordello. So many houses of prostitution were set up by these solitary ladies. Dolly herself ran away from home at an early age to escape abuse. At 18, she figured out that she could make a better living in prostitution than by waiting tables. Her home proved to be one of the most popular in town.

Our stay in Ketchikan was too short. We had to return to the ship by noon, giving us only four hours in town - a huge disappointment because there was so much more to see. We envied the passengers on the other ships, who got to spend all day. As consolation, we hoped to see some bears along the shoreline as we left town, but alas, we saw no bears, just as we’d seen no eagles. However, a few hours later, a passing whale put on a great display of raising its tail above the water and splashing his way through the sea.

Sitka All Day...

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September 12, 2007 - From Donna: Sitka was a delight. We arrived to a foggy morning, putting a somber cloak of gray on the islands dotting the bay. Because the dock is not very deep, our ship had to anchor about a half-mile away, and we were transported by small boats over to the pier. Our cold-weather clothes helped prepare us for a long day of chilly temperatures. However, within an hour, the sun broke through and painted everything with a brilliant light. We grew warm enough to shed our jackets and even wished that we’d worn t-shirts instead of our pullovers.

The colors are so clear here, with a sapphire sky, lapis water, and emerald lawns. We could not believe that grass could be so thick, so lush, or so green. Apparently, drought isn’t a problem here!

The people were friendly and kind-spirited – well, except for the young woman at the coffee house, who was a little surly. I’d guess she isn’t a morning person. We picked out a few things at the gift shops (ka-ching), took some photos of totem poles (used only by northwest Indians, not those all over the US, by the way), viewed a few attractions like the Russian bishop’s house (used when Russia owned Alaska), stopped by a couple of cultural sites, and visited the library for some free Internet time. I also found out why I’ve been having such a terrible time downloading my email. Someone sent me a 24MB file filled with photos – and it wasn’t even anyone I knew. I had to get Yahoo to delete it for me so I could get my Outlook working again.

Lunchtime was late for us – around 3pm – when we stopped at a diner for sandwiches. The place was jammed with cruise ship passengers, so the waitresses were almost wearing roller skates. We couldn’t decide between the Reuben sandwich and the reindeer sausage sandwich, so we ordered one of each and split them. The deer was surprisingly good, more like a Polish than an Italian sausage, with a mild flavor. Our waitress looked definitely Eskimo or Aleut or something similar, with a broad face and black hair pulled into two braids. But practically everyone here seems to be some kind of aboriginal descendant – or some wanderer who wanted to get away from civilization.

Back on board the ship, we found an invitation from the Captain to have cocktails at a private party with him and the other officers. What fun! So we jumped out of our jeans and into our dressy wear and mingled with the folks who were spending a lot more money than we are. But when you’re part of the media, you always get special treatment. We have been fawned over and treated well almost since we arrived.

Tonight at dinner, our waiters hovered like helicopters to ensure that we were happy with our meals. (Diane had prawns Provincale while I had roasted Muscovy duck breast.) One of them reminded us that tomorrow’s formal dinner will be the last one where he will see us. “I know what you’re trying to say,” I teased. “You’re letting us know that next week you’ll be flirting with two other ladies!”

We had one pretty exciting event today. While we slipped out of Sitka’s harbor, we spotted a couple of whales. They spouted several times, and one even flipped his tail above the water. All of us passengers lining the railings let out a round of applause and many “bravos”.

Tomorrow, we hit Ketchikan, but only for a few hours. By noon, we’re due back on the ship again. Otherwise, they leave without us.

We Visit the Ice Age

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September 11, 2007 - From Donna: Here we are, in our room, rocking out to the rhythm of the waves. Diane has taken a couple of meclazine so she doesn’t get seasick tonight. If we’re dining at the elite Pinnacle Grill, then we want her in the best of health.

The glaciers today were simply stunning. At first, we approached what we thought was the Hubbard Glacier, but the National Parks Service people on board said no, that was the Turner Glacier, not as impressive as the one at our destination about 30 minutes ahead. We couldn’t imagine anything looking better than this – a massive wall if ice shedding chunks that floated all around us. Some were striated, with stripes of sediment alternating with white or gray layers of ice. Others were just black from rock and dirt. Still others were white – pure snow and ice.

Eventually we chugged through a narrow opening into a bay, where monstrous sheets of ice were coming down from saw-tooth mountain tops, flowing ever so slowly into the tidal water. We stopped our engines close to the glacier edge and watched as “calves” of ice fell from the face of the glacier and landed with a huge splash into the frigid water. The air was filled with the familiar crack-and-roll of thunder – but it wasn’t thunder at all. It was the sound of ice moving down the valleys toward the Bay of Alaska. It boomed and ricocheted again and again even while we could see no actual movement except for the occasional chunk of ice floe coming off the forward wall. Huge rafts of ice floated around us, embedded with thousands of years’ worth of mud and rock, pulled down from the mountain tops and finally ending up in the sea, where it would melt and flow away to some other part of the world.

Although we’d spent more than an hour watching nature’s spectacle, we were disappointed to turn and sail out of the bay again, past a long chain of mountains cloaked entirely in ice and snow. The colors are difficult to describe – water that’s alternately blue, then khaki, then olive, then gray, then brown with silt. Above it, the mountains are either a shade of green that almost becomes black, or they’re white and ice blue, almost pastel in delicacy while displaying a harshness of frigid temperatures and unlivable slopes.

The Hubbard Glacier itself is more than 70 miles long, its long finger stretching down from the mountains as a frozen river. The face is only about six miles wide, moving a fraction of an inch at a time. Even so, this massive wonder has retreated several miles from where it once reached. We were sailing on a bay that used to be solid ice only 200 years ago. It’s funny because I remember being in fourth grade and seeing a photo in my geography book of a Canadian Mountie standing at the edge of a glacier. It was fascinating to me because, at the time, I’d thought glaciers were extinct – that they were a phenomenon limited only to the Ice Age. And now, here we are, witnessing them in person.

We have taken many, many photos, but have not been able to post them because it’s such a huge expense to access the Internet while on board. So I’ve had to limit my time to uploading text only, while saving the photos for later. I’ve also tried to download my email, but that, too, is a challenge because I have been receiving large files that take up a lot of download time. Even going directly to Yahoo has been impossible because I can’t seem to get access that way. In any case, the photos will come later. For now, it’s just a quick hop on and offline so I can at least get these posts uploaded.

Okay, more later. We pull into Sitka in the morning, which means more souvenir hunting. Maybe I’ll find a free Internet connection somewhere.

Galley Tour and More

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September 11, 2007 - From Donna: What an incredible day it’s been. First we got a personalized tour of the galley and the storage facilities, thanks to Jonathan, the personable and bright-spirited junior officer. And then we sailed past the Turner Glacier and on into the bay to stop for a couple of hours at the Hubbard Glacier. I have never seen anything like this in my life. What a terrific opportunity this has been, even for two women who grew up in the middle of Snow Country. But more on that later.

Our galley tour started with an interview of the Food & Beverage Officer and the Executive Chef. Both were businesslike and even a bit reserved, but we had an interesting conversation with them both. Bert was born and raised in Holland, where his parents were in the hotel industry, as had been his grandparents. In fact, he said his grandfather had an illegal bar, he was always getting arrested, and his grandmother had to pay the equivalent of fifty cents to bail him out each time.

Eventually, Bert left for other places, and now he makes South Africa his full-time home, where he has an olive orchard. He invited us down to visit, but Diane said only if we can fly because she isn’t spending weeks on a ship.

We were turned over to Jonathan, a personable Brit who took us into the nooks of the galley, which was impressively spotless and organized. He kept disagreeing, though, saying that they were in the middle of food preparation, so it wasn’t as clean as it could be. However, I could find nothing to complain about – there was no food lying about, scraps were cleaned up, dishes were out of sight, floors were free of grime and spills, and there wasn’t even the hint of old grease, like you find in many restaurant kitchens. Everything was organized like clockwork – particular stations for beef, chicken, fish, salads, desserts and more. “That’s so the waiters will know exactly where to come to pick up each dish,” Jonathan said. “With so many people to feed, you have to be completely efficient and cut down any confusion.”

The crew were very animated and lively, posing enthusiastically whenever Diane raised the camera. And we met several of the officers who typically remain out of sight, including a friendly Russian, a cheery Scot, several Dutch, and many others. We finished the tour with a glimpse at The Pinnacle Grill, a restaurant that Diane and I had not seen before. It was furnished with pewter chairs, dishes that cost $200 each (designed and made by Bulgari, the jewelry makers), and crystal glasses. Obviously, this was the place where the elite meet. It costs extra - $30 per person – but we decided the price was worth it just to see how the other half lives.

Later, as we sat at lunch, one of the restaurant officers came up and introduced himself, saying we were having dinner at The Pinnacle as his guests. We were thrilled, of course, and he even took our reservations right there. So tonight we’re going to dress up again just to make up for the night when Diane got sick. Then afterwards, we’re going to our rooms to change into jeans for the Western line dancing classes in the disco.

More later, when I’ll describe the glaciers.

Day Three

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September 10, 2007 - From Donna: We got all dressed up last night for the Captain’s Dinner – the dressy party where everyone wears tuxes and gowns. I had on my black velvet gown, and Diane had her long black skirt and sequined tank. We looked delicious. But the ship had been rocking much of the day because we were on the open sea, and she was getting dizzy. It didn’t look good for her, but she put on a brave front and we went down to the dining room. On the way, we passed the ship photographer who was taking pictures of the passengers in their finery. Two gentlemen were by themselves, so I said, “Let’s grab these guys as temporary dates.” They looked surprised, put their arms around us, and said, “Oh, Rent a Date! We like that!” So we had our photos taken with them and then we continued on to the dining room.

Diane put up a brave front, but she could not eat a thing. She was so dizzy that she could barely sit there. After a few bites of salad, she went back up to our room. The maitre d’ was concerned and asked me why she left. I explained that she was sick from the movement, and he said it was a good thing we hadn’t been on last week’s cruise. Even some of the crew were sick.

Our waiter came by and asked how Diane was doing. “Is she your – uh – sister?” he asked. I said no, she was a friend. He paused and said, “Is she – uh – just a friend?” I considered the various ways he could mean that, and I said yes, she was just a friend. After a second, he said, “So. Do you have – uh – children?” I almost laughed. Yes, she has two kids and three grandkids, and so do I. I’m not sure what he was thinking.

After dinner, I returned to our room to check on Diane, but she was sound asleep, thanks to the two seasickness pills. So I went back down to the cabaret and watched part of the show, went off to the gift shop, and wandered around a little. Then I did something really exciting – I returned to the room, got into bed and started reading my American history textbook.

Around 1am, Diane woke up and we chatted until 2. She was feeling better, so we went to sleep and woke up around 7am. Finally we were on smooth water again, gliding toward Juneau. The weather had turned drizzly, foggy and chilly, but the mountains of coastal Alaska were impressively high and rugged, with thin waterfalls tumbling all the way down to the ocean – thin white pencil lines etched into the darkly green forest. Trees grow thick here, and it looks as if the land is harsh. The climate is hard on buildings, which have a weather-beaten look even though they’re generally well kept, with property owners staying one step ahead of the next rainstorm or blizzard.

Thick jagged clouds hugged the mountain tops and dipped into the valleys, almost dropping down to touch the water. Everything was washed in the grayness of a rainy day. Even the inky green mountain sides were lightened with a curtain of gray mist. Small fishing boats and tugboats steamed by as we maneuvered into place, along with two other cruise ships – the Golden Princess and the Holland America Zuiderdam.

As we disembarked for the shuttle to take us into town – only about a mile away – a light drizzle began to fall, but everyone was in high spirits. Juneau’s waterfront was peppered with shops designed to lure in tourists – signs everywhere promised great deals on diamonds, tanzanite, Alaska t-shirts, gold nuggets, Native American goods, and all manner of mugs, key chains, postcards, and other goodies targeting people who came in to drop some hard cash along a two- or three-block stretch and then return to the ship, never getting a glimpse of real life here.

Diane and I joined the throngs piling into a souvenir shop offering half off everything in stock, as it is now the end of tourist season. In two weeks, these shops will close up until the spring, when tourist hunting season is open again. “You have to stay really busy here in the winter, or else you can go nuts,” one young man told us, explaining that he held three jobs and was going to school.

At 2pm, we met up with the shuttle that would take us to the helicopter port so we could fly up to the Mendenhall Glacier, land on the surface, and fly back. The people at the heliport kept talking about how much we’d love the trip, building our excitement. This was the one thing that Diane really wanted to do while we were in Alaska – walk on the glacier. But in a flash, the flight was cancelled. A rain squall had come in, making landing too dangerous. All pilots were grounded. Although it meant that we got our $225 (each) refunded, we still were disappointed.

Instead, we took a bus out to see the glacier from a distance, standing in the rain just to take a few photos and then dash back to catch the next shuttle in to town. The glacier was quite spectacular, even from across Mendenhall Lake, which was littered with ice floes that glowed an eerie blue. The glacier itself was in retreat, melting back several miles from where it had been even 30 or 40 years ago. All across its face, you could see tracings of silt deposited over time – thousands of years. Now global warming is slowly forcing the ice to melt, with the water coming down the mountains in rapid cataracts that tumble and flow at full force even in drier months.

Tonight we sail out of Juneau and pass by the Hubbard Glacier fields tomorrow. I hope we can see some calving, as the glacier breaks loose with icebergs. We also have a couple of interview appointments for my food articles – one with the galley manager, another with the hotel manager, etc. We also get a private tour of the galley and the food operations so they can tell us how exactly the crew can keep more than 2000 people fed and happy for seven days at a time. Everywhere we turn, there is an opportunity to eat, whether it’s a taco bar by the pool, a burger place near the shuffleboard, a sandwich bar on the Lido Deck, a restaurant lunch in the Vista Dining Room, a meal taken in your room and delivered by a smiling Indonesian man, a build-it-yourself ice cream station, or a midnight buffet of light snacks before bed. The eating is non-stop for most people, and I want to know how the cruise line manages to keep the masses fed while controlling costs, avoiding waste, and never running out of anything.

Tonight we’re just having salad in the dining room, as we had a Mexican meal around 4 in Juneau. It was the only place that looked like it served regular food. Everything else was a souvenir shop or a stale-smelling bar. Even at that, the taco I had was quite greasy, and the chicken filling was so finely shredded that I suspected it was made up of scraps.

But that’s the nature of the touristy parts of town – get them in, get them to spend their dough, and send them on their way. Meanwhile, you miss the real heart of the place.

Do I sound cynical? No, I’m just realistic. I live in a tourist town, so I know how it is. It’s like going to Las Vegas, seeing only the Strip, and never getting a taste of the real city.

Okay, time to clean up for dinner. I’d better wake Diane. She’s already conked out.

Day Two

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September 9, 2007 - From Donna: Today was a long day at sea for us. We’re heading up to Juneau, and we should arrive tomorrow morning at 11. Our helicopter tour is set for 2:15. So far, the weather has been gorgeous as we pass by the steep, jagged mountains along the British Columbia coastline. You can see how the Juan de Fuco geologic plate has been aggressively forming these mountains, pushing them up from the ocean as the plate slips underneath Canada and Washington.

Our lunch tablemates today were a young couple in their early 20s from Orlando, who are celebrating their first anniversary. She’s an interior designer, working for the firm her grandmother started, and he’s a software engineer working at Rockwell, testing communications and navigation programs for aircraft. I actually knew what he was talking about, and we got into some tech talk, while Diane and Kelly ignored us and chatted about interior decorating.

We all had Caesar salads, which were unremarkable except for the seared salmon. Kelly, who is a runner, had two entrees – the salad and a burger. “I’ll just run it off, she laughed, making us very jealous. Diane had coconut ice cream, and I had chocolate profiteroles. Kelly and Clay had the profiteroles, too, but she also had apple pie. Yes, she’ll just run it off. Darn her.

We tried the treadmills in the gym today, but it’s on the top deck at the ship’s bow, which is the worst place for catching waves. We could barely walk straight because the ship was rocking so much. We gave up after about ten minutes of trying. One of the women on the treadmill next to us was from Laguna Niguel, living in Marina Hills only a couple of blocks from my brother Tony.

The weather hasn’t been as cold as we expected, so we’ve been out on our balcony occasionally, and we even went to the pool this afternoon. It’s in an area with a glass ceiling, so it was quite pleasant. We could live like this.

I tried to go online today, but they charge 75 cents a minute and then the wireless speed is set at a snail’s pace, so they squeeze every dollar out of you. I tried to download my emails, but it took ten minutes just to get halfway through. Apparently someone sent me a very large file, so I shut down rather than rack up exorbitant charges for something that could wait. (Folks, please don’t send big files until we get home.)

Tonight is the formal dinner, so we’re getting gussied up and will take in a show afterwards. But now, it’s time for a nap.

We're Off...

Reminder – If you want to read earlier messages, hit the link at the bottom of this page that says “Older Posts.”

September 8, 2007 – We arrived almost at the same time in Seattle – 8:30am. Diane’s flight was 30 minutes early, so we met up at the baggage claim. Once we got checked in with the (high-school age) Holland America crew, we boarded a bus that took us to the processing center. It’s almost like Disneyland in that every step is coordinated like clockwork. You’re processed quickly in small groups and boarded with a minimum of delay. In fact, almost every step happened about 15 minutes earlier than they told us to expect. That kept the guests in a good mood.

We boarded about 11:30 and went immediately to the Lido Deck for lunch, which was buffet style. We had a slice of pizza and a salad, and I had two little bite-size desserts while we sat at a table overlooking the harbor and the passing boats. It was like being in a nice hotel on the riverfront.

But they must be incredibly conscious of germs here on board. Whenever you enter a restaurant or go down the buffet lines, there’s someone offering a squirt of anti-bacterial gel to clean your hands. In fact, we got squirted twice even before boarding the ship! There was no getting by these guys, who were hired to ensure that no diseases came along for the trip.

At about 1pm, we got into our room – on the Navigation Deck, eight decks up with a private balcony and floor-to ceiling glass doors. It’s come in handy for watching the ocean scenery without going outdoors. Let us tell you – the wind was like standing behind a jet engine. As we sailed out of Seattle, the skyline slipped elegantly by us while we were on the bow trying to take pictures without flying off. Our shirts kept blowing up, exposing our bras (probably to the delight of the guys in the exercise room right behind us). One older man walked by with his clothes flapping loudly in the wind, and we said to him, “You sound just like a flag!” He paused a minute and said, “Oh, I thought you said I sound like a fag.” We laughed and said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with it,” quoting the famous Seinfeld line.

We stayed on the bow only about 15 minutes, which was all we could take of the headwind. It literally was blowing us around, as we were not wearing rubber-soled shoes. (Reminder: Do not wear heels on deck, no matter how fashionable they look…)

After unpacking and stowing our luggage under the beds, we took off to explore the ship. I can’t believe how cheap everything is in the gift shop! Think of big chunky colorful earring and necklace sets for just $10 a set. I bought a beautiful aqua pashima-style shawl, also for $10. And no sales taxes. They said the prices are good because this is the end of the Alaska season, and the ship will be going to Mexico in October. So the Alaska-themed and cold weather clothing is on sale

Our lifeboat drill was comical, with everyone wearing huge orange Mae West jackets that made us look pregnant. Instead of being filled with kapok or other soft material, they’re made of big blocks of Styrofoam. We all kept bumping into each other every time we so much as twitched. And of course, the ship photographer had to be taking individual photos of each of us, all decked out (no pun intended) in our orange finery.

We were happy to find that women and children are boarded into the lifeboats first. So this is one time when sex discrimination is played to our advantage! One guy tried to get at the head of the line, and we said just because he had a ponytail, it didn’t qualify him to get in with the females. Off to the back of the line he went!

Dinner was in an elegant restaurant, where Diane and I caught up on a lot of family talk – men, kids, men, parents, men, travel, men…. We know the ears of a lot of ex-boyfriends were burning last night.

Afterwards we tried to find a club to go dancing, but it looked like everyone was as exhausted as we were. There wasn’t a lively crowd to be found anywhere. Of course, a lot of that is due to the fact that she and I are the skinniest and/or youngest-looking women on board. I kid you not. Now that summer is over, most of the younger people are back to work, so we’re sailing with the older retired crowd. And even though we’re in that age group ourselves, we are the best-looking women on the entire ship. I’m amazed that there are so many out-of-shape people here, along with those who have no idea how to dress for a vacation. Many people today are just slobs or they wear strictly utilitarian clothes – everything is chosen for comfort and durability rather than including even the smallest bit of style.

We did enter the elevator last night and found one solitary older man in there. As the door shut, we said, “Okay, now we have him alone for the long ride down!” He looked comically aghast and said, “What will you do with me?” We said, “What can you put up with?” And he said, “Not much at my age. I’m a lot older than you two.”

We challenged him to reveal his age, and he said, “I’m 68.” Diane and I laughed and told him we were 62 and 63. He widened his eyes and said, “I thought you two were in your 40s!!” I think he was disappointed that the elevator door opened just then and he had to get out. Haha!!

More later. We have to get to our exercise class and then off to the gift shop to see if we won the jewelry raffle. Tomorrow we should be in Juneau, where we’ve booked a helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier.

Almost Time...

From Donna -- Tomorrow is the day we sail. We've just about finished our packing, and we've checked in online. So all the details are taken care of. We found out that we'll be in stateroom 8028, which is on the topmost passenger deck. The room has a nice balcony, which should give us a great vantage point for viewing the Hubbard Glacier. We're still hoping for a helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier when we get to Juneau, but that will depend on the weather. And right now, they predict rain.

Problem Solved

From Donna: The boarding package was sent to the newsroom, not to my home. So at least I know where it is now. That means I'll have it in my hands by this afternoon. My editor didn't realize it was something important, so she didn't notify me of its arrival. We are back on track again, looking forward to a great time. I'm so eager to learn about the celebrity chef program, where Holland America brings noted chefs on board to hold cooking lessons. We're also getting a tour of the galley so I can write about the way a kitchen is managed aboard a cruise ship. Somehow, they never seem to run out of anything, and they always cater exactly to people's tastes.

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative (Don't Mess w/Mr. In-Between)

From Diane: All I can say is - "3 Days & A Wake Up!!!" I'm not as ready as Donna is, but it will come together. My guest room has my stuff scattered throughout, and the bed is covered w/articles of clothing waiting for decisions - bring this, bring that - maybe not this. Whatever fits in the suitcases I say. One can imagine our excitement. It is truly a dream come true to go on this cruise.

Glitch in the Works?

From Donna: I'm starting to worry here. Holland America was supposed to send our boarding packages about ten days ago, but I haven't seen anything yet. I have to follow up on that. I just hope we don't arrive to find that they never heard of us. LOL. Now, that would be cool, wouldn't it? We'd have to bribe our way on board, or maybe sneak in through the crew entrance.

My bags are all packed and ready to go, except for a few last-minute things. Tonight I went out and bought a travel iron, which also has a steamer and a clothes brush attached. Normally I just toss my clothes into the dryer to fluff out the wrinkles (wish I could do the same to my body), but that's not an option while we travel.

We're Having a Heat Wave!

Right now 50° sounds pretty darn good to me! It got to 113° today in Riverside which is hotter than it was last summer. Speaking of Juneau's weather, there's a saying "you better watch out what you wish for 'cause you might get it!" I've been wishing for rain, but HERE, not in Alaska! Oh well, it takes people and attitude to have a wonderful time. As long as there's a song in our hearts and a zest for adventure, we'll have fun even if it's raining. After all, we won't melt............. Since we have to head to the airport no later than 5:00 a.m. we can do some layering of outerwear so as not to have to pack it. It will be much cooler when we land in Seattle. It's all good!

Packing

Packing is the biggest problem. We're still wearing shorts and tanks in California, but Alaska will be in the 40s-50s. They recommend dressing in layers, so that means long-sleeve t-shirts and sweaters, plus rain gear. We're trying to choose clothes that will mix and match well so we can have space in our bags for souvenirs. So we're leaving out anything that's too heavy... like coats and bulky sweaters. Of course, we could wear our heaviest things on the flight so we don't have to pack them. But with our weather currently in the 90s, that could make us feel like we're wearing portable saunas. Any ideas?

Juneau Weather

The current weather report for Juneau says it might be partly sunny on the day we want to take our helicopter trip. So maybe we'll be in luck after all. However, Sitka and Ketchikan are still predicting rain. That's fine with me... I have a nice new rain poncho that will keep me dry. We're trying to limit our wardrobe to things that won't take up too much room in the luggage. We don't want to be dragging bags all over the airport.

We plan to visit Seattle before leaving for home, which means searching around for a place to put our bags. I've been told that the hotels will keep your bags at the bell station for a nominal fee. So maybe that's what we will do.

Alaska Is Connected

Elaine Krebs is another Syracuse alumna. She lived in Sitka, Alaska, for a couple of years, before regaining her sanity and moving back to the Lower Forty-Eight. Here's what she has to say:

Alaska is probably the most connected state in the US. Every city you stop in should have one or more Internet cafes. Sitka had several when we were there. The best one is in a coffee shop (I forgot the name) just kind of catty corner from the parking lot where the boats dock. You'll see a large electronics store, a large hotel across the street from that, and kind of behind that in an alley is a coffee shop with a drive up sign that you can't miss. They roast their own beans, the coffee is great, and they have several computers for public use. If you bring your laptop, I'm sure you can pick up any number of wireless signals, and that probably goes for any town that you're in.

Shedding Pounds Now

You know what cruising is like... plenty of food. One frequent cruiser described mealtimes as "feeding the seagulls." She said they all flock around the minute any food appears. Will we be any different? We don't know. But in case we are, we have started shedding weight ahead of time. At the end of every day, we email each other with a list of the things we've eaten. It seems to help us stay on track because we know we have to do an accounting.

We've also agreed to request small portions during shipboard meals, and we're keeping a watch on each other so neither of us sets up a home on the buffet table. We fully believe that we can enjoy our meals and still not come home with "Goodyear" painted on our waistbands.

Is it possible? We'll let you know at the end of our trip...

Insights from Terri...

Terri Reynolds Sowers is another Syracuse native who transplanted to California. She had this to say about her recent Holland America cruise:

"I look forward to following your adventures in Alaska on your blog and also interested in your Holland America experience. Steve & I just returned from a 2 week Northern Europe/Scandinavian cruise on the ms Prinsendam. The ship is older (as are most of the HAL ships) and had some HVAC & plumbing problems. Also it was their smallest ship which has its pros and cons. We also cruised with HAL on the ms Statendam (2 wks New Zealand/Australia) last November. The Statendam was bigger and we didn't have the cabin problems there. The food on both cruises was the best we've had so far (8 cruises/2 on HAL); service was better on the Statendam; only average, at best, on the Prinsendam. In any case, we thoroughly enjoyed the HAL experiences. You will have a fabulous time - savor the food and the fun!! Keep us posted!!"

When I asked her about Internet connections on board (we want to post to the blog during our trip), this is what she said:

"Internet connection fees are pretty steep; it was 45 cents a minute when we purchased the $100 package and 75 cents a minute on the per-minute rate. There is another package rate for something less than $100, but I can't remember what it is. We purchased the $100 one which gave us just over 3.7 hours. We made the mistake of purchasing the lesser $ package on the previous cruise and ran out of time, so we went with the highest time package on this cruise. For an 8 day cruise, you can probably get away with the lower cost package. Connectivity was spotty for us in Europe - particularly in Russia, where we had no access for 2 full days. We wondered if they were jamming us deliberately!!!"

Our Destinations

Copy these links and learn about the cities on our itinerary. Juneau is where we plan to take a helicopter out to the Mendenhall Glacier. That is, if it isn't raining too much. I'll go out there even if it does rain and if they're flying. It's a rare chance to stand on a glacier. Here's the link for Juneau: -- www.traveljuneau.com/

Sitka is an island that once was a major Russian settlement. In fact, it is the place where the sale of Alaska to the United States took place. My friend Elaine Krebs used to live here, so it will be fun to see the places she used to write about. Go to www.sitka.com/

Ketchikan is a fishing and canning town. Back in seventh grade, we used to remember that because the name of the town implies that "first you catch them, and then you can them." Go to www.visit-ketchikan.com/

Victoria BC is the gorgeous provincial capital. I wish we were staying longer, but we're in town only from 6pm until midnight. Too late for high tea, but early enough to see the government buildings all lit up. Go to www.victoria.ca/common/index.shtml

Then there's Seattle, where we start and end our trip. We arrive early in the morning and will do a quick tour of the city -- probably Pike Place Market -- before heading for the airport. Go to www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/

Rainy Weather in Alaska

Diane and I have been checking the weather in Juneau this week, and it looks very rainy. It's hard to tell what the weather really will be like because this is too far ahead of our trip. But I'm betting that our umbrellas will come in handy. It's been raining there for the past couple of weeks.

Our Ship

From Donna -- We chose Holland America for our cruise because my sister had sailed on the Noordam out of San Francisco several years ago, and I was impressed by how elegant the ship looked. It was much classier than some of the lines that cater to the weekend cruiser or to a strictly American market.

Paste the link into your browser and take some of the virtual tours...

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruiseships/Oosterdam

Mendenhall Glacier

Here is information on the glacier we hope to visit when we reach Juneau. It involves a helicopter ride and a walk on the ice. After growing up in a city where there are only two seasons -- winter and the Fourth of July -- I never thought I'd be interested in walking on ice again. But this is different. It's very old ice. At our age, we're growing increasingly tolerant of old things.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/glaciermove.html