Seattle

Dick's Report:

Seattle Redux

We both are getting a cough so we are taking Dayquil/Nyquil. It along with trip fatigue zaps us and so we sleep in (for us).

En route back to the motel in Tukwila we grabbed about three caches, maybe four, I picked up a TB that was logged into a cache on the route but I don’t remember it so we won’t claim the find. One that popped up was in Olympia, the state capitol. We decided that it might be fun to visit. It turned out that the cache was a virtual at the Washington state Veterans Memorial. We were there on Memorial Day and there was an event just getting started. The first thing we saw were a group of drummers and bag pipers in kilts crossing the street. We didn’t find out who sponsored it but it also involved a lot of Harleys. The guys who appeared to be the organizers were in typical Harley MC regalia with the vests, bandanas and tattoos. They had the Tacoma drill team which was a group of a dozen or so guys wearing red who wove their bikes back and forth, in and out in various patterns. That they did this without colliding apparently was the activity. We had a good view of one end of the activity as the street was blocked off during the procedure and we couldn’t turn around to avoid it. As far as the general public goes, it didn’t seem to be very well attended. Apart from the 50 or so bikers, the pipers, and a few other passers by like us, there didn’t seem to be anyone there.

We checked back into the motel, took a rest and got information on the shuttle to return the rental car. Next we attempted to find a place for dinner. What should have been an easy task turned out to be one of the biggest challenges of the trip. There is a Subway adjacent to the motel but we want sit down food.

Armed with a map from the motel desk and two GPS receivers, we sally forth. We are used to hunting for plastic boxes and light poles, how hard can it be to find a restaurant? First we seek out a Chinese place. It is located in a strip mall, we find it but it is either closed or so poorly regarded that no one is there. OK, how about the steak house advertised in the motel’s information book? We circle around and locate it, we could buy it but not eat there.

Next! We circle the area and determine that most of the restaurants are in the mall proper, nothing on the street. We are almost out of gas so I stop and get $5 worth and ask the attendant to recommend a place to eat. In broken, barely discernable English, he directs us back to the mall.

As our frustration is reaching its peak, Nancy finds a listing for the Golden Nugget under food on the GPS. When we get there it is a casino with a small restaurant attached. At this point we don’t care. The parking lot is packed, it must be good. What we don’t notice until after we seat ourselves in a booth is that no one else is eating. They are all at the tables in the casino playing cards. We order fish, prawns and chips. The shrimp are way over cooked; I think they deep fried some pre-cooked frozen ones. The fish were to me greasy and tasteless. On the way out I notice that of the 50–75 patrons, other than the staff, Nancy is one of 4 females. We should have gotten Subway.

After dropping Nancy at the motel to use their computer/printer to get our boarding passes, I talk to the shuttle driver about pick up procedure and then run the car back to Avis at Sea-Tac. Based upon her explanation and directions, I had planned on a 1 – 2 hour excursion. Check in went smoothly, I found the elevator and after limited confusion arrived at the proper level. Following the crowd I found the courtesy phones, called the motel desk and told them where I was. I then began to wait. After less than ten minutes I looked up and saw that my driver was just going past with a group of passengers to drop off. The front seat was empty so I ran out into traffic and hopped on board. I was back at the motel in 20 min round trip.

First Cache in the World !!

Once again, Dick writes my blog :)

Clackamas Oregon

Leaving the motel, we head south on I-5, it’s a nice drive in spotty rain. Washington is sure green! No snow on these mountains, just low hanging clouds. En route we stop to purchase some cold meds and skivvies. While we’re in WalMart, I look at cameras. I can buy a Kodak for less than last nights room and I want a camera.

We are in Clackamas too early to check in so we went geocaching. Our first goal is the Original Stash Plaque. This is at the site of Dave Ulmer's first cache. In May of 2000, President Clinton authorized the increasing of the accuracy of civilian GPS units. Ulmer acted almost immediately. He put a plastic bucket with some junk in it at this spot and posted the coordinates on USENET newsgroup sci.geo.satellite.nav. Thus the whole activity was born. Others soon followed suit and today there are over a million caches around the world. A guy from Michigan, Matt Strum, coined the term Geocach to get away from the negative connotations of the term “stash”. Then a guy named Jeremy Irish grabbed the term in the fall of 2000 and registered the domain name. He has effectively taken control of organized geocaching.

While we were looking at the plaque and taking pictures, a woman and her son pull up. She is a geocacher named Rose Red. She offers to take a picture of both of us at the cache. Very nice and thoughtful!



All in all we find seven nicely placed caches in the area. We back off from looking for a cemetery cache, doesn’t seem like Memorial Day weekend is the best time.

Lunch is in Redland, dinner is Denny’s. Neither is comparable to the cruise.

Clackamas

Clackamas Oregon
Leaving the motel, we head south on I 5, it’s a nice drive in spotty rain. Washington is sure green! No snow on these mountains, just low hanging clouds. En route we stop to purchase some cold meds and skivvies. While we’re in WalMart, I look at cameras. I can buy a Kodak for less than last night's room and I want a camera.

We are in Clackamas too early to check in so we went geocaching. Our first goal is the Original Stash Plaque. This is at the site of Dave Ulmer's first cache. In May of 2000, President Clinton authorized the increasing of the accuracy of civilian GPS units. Ulmer acted almost immediately. He put a plastic bucket with some junk in it at this spot and posted the coordinates on USENET newsgroup sci.geo.satellite.nav. Thus the whole activity was born. Others soon followed suit and today there are over a million caches around the world. A guy from Michigan, Matt Strum, coined the term Geocach to get away from the negative connotations of the term “stash”. Then a guy named Jeremy Irish grabbed the term in the fall of 2000 and registered the domain name. He has effectively taken control of organized geocaching.

While we were looking at the plaque and taking pictures, a woman and her son pull up. She is a geocacher named Rose Red. She offers to take a picture of both of us at the cache. Very nice and thoughtful! All in all we find seven nicely placed caches in the area. We back off from looking for a cemetery cache, doesn’t seem like Memorial Day weekend is the best time.

Lunch is in Redland, dinner is Denny’s. Neither is comparable to the cruise.

Vancouver to Seattle

Dick's notes are so good for today - I can't say it any better! :
Vancouver-disembark. Bus to SeaTac and Hertz

We experience our first day of steady rain.

I have breakfast with B&J, Room service for Nancy, walk down to the Wheelhouse about 7:30 to wait for Gold 1 to be called. (8:30) Leave boat but wait in a corridor for buses to return from airport.(9:30) Load bus, the door is sealed for border security, and begin the drive to Seattle. We are driving through very nice residential neighborhoods, not like main streets at all. The reason? Driver is lost. After two stops for him to read maps, I dig out Nuvi. It has trouble finding satellites.. John from San Francisco beats me to it.

Enter highway 99 to the border -10:30. Passenger in front is chilly, driver turns up heat, now the rest of the bus is an oven and the window is so fogged the driver can’t see out.

We get to the border at 11:05 and get in line behind a bus with WiFi. It takes over an hour to clear customs. We have folks on the bus with 12:15 and 1:45 planes to catch, they ain’t gonna make it. The nice thing about being behind a bus with WiFi is that the folks in front of us could log on and change their tickets for tomorrow.

When I attempt to take a picture of the US flag at the crossing, I discover that the camera is broken again. What is it with cruises with the Sniders and our camera?

The drive from the border to the airport takes over 2 hours. Once there, they drop us off at a special bus parking lot. Luckily, we got a chair for Nancy and a cart for me. All she had to do was ride and talk, all I had to do was follow Andrew. She tipped him $5 for the ride, I gave him $5 for leading the way. [We liked Andrew]

We got our tan Camry, loaded the bags in the trunk, the motel in the Nuvi, and away we go! We remember our last trip to Seattle when we drive past the Doubletree where we stayed and the Denny’s where we ate with Tom and Peter. We pull into the Comfort Inn and Suites–Airport and - - - the girl at the desk says we don’t have reservations!! What the HELL! I CHECKED THEM LAST NIGHT! It turns out that there is another Comfort Suites Inn-Airport that is in Tukwila.

When we go there, the place is in an uproar, everyone had to evacuate their rooms and a fire truck soon pulls into the drive. Some one burned up a bag of popcorn in a microwave. We don’t care, just give us a room and tell us where to eat. We have had nothing except a cereal bar since 6: this morning.

There is a Mall nearby where we order more than we can eat at Red Robin, ship our dirty cloths home by UPS, restock our library, and drive down the street to a Travel Bug Motel and launch our Washington coin. Back at the motel, the room is the best we’ve been in on the trip. Tomorrow is another day.

At Sea

An entire day at sea - a good time to sleep in, finish your book, enjoy conversation over coffee after leisurely dining, and...the casino! Yaaay! I came up with a new system for not losing. Notice I didn't say winning, just not losing. Breaking even is a good thing! Everytime I would hit a bonus (on the slots) I would quit that machine and move to another favorite - because I've noticed that the bonuses don't exactly come one right after another, so you usually lose what you've just won if you stay at the same machine.



These pictures prove that Richard, our photographer, actually was on the cruise!





We really are having a good time - honestly!



The baked Alaska parade for the final dinner in the dining room - very much fun - and yummy, too.





My new system finally pays off! I didn't lose - in fact I came out this much ahead!



Poor Jan had this much left at the end of the evening, Hehehe



Dick's notes:

At sea.
Walk , eat, read, casino, read, walk, eat, read, casino., nap, pack. Nancy is a winner again.

Ketchikan

For our Ketchikan excursion, I booked the "Walk and Roll" tour. This is where some people walk around town with a guide, and others can ride an electric scooter! (Me) For me, it was an enormous amount of fun. I learned how to be a good scooter-dooterer, and I was able to go all around town and see the sights of Ketchikan. I personally loved it. I'm sure it was tiring for my buddies - but they seemed to enjoy it, too.




The rhododendrons were blooming all over Alaska - I was amazed by that, because they sure weren't blooming in Michigan when we left. We've seen huge tree-like rhodos blooming all over Alaska. These are some smaller bushes in Ketchikan's Whale Park. Beautiful.



There are totem poles all over Ketchikan.



The name Ketchikan is derived from a Tlingit Indian word. One source says that the word means "thundering wings of the eagle". A lot of the folks in Ketchikan prefer this meaning, and this carving depeicts it.



Ketchikan Creek - this "creek" is bigger than the Boardman.



A Ketchikan Museum - The Totem Heritage Center



Scootering up one of Ketchikan's many hills. n For me, it was really the way to go !



Another beautiful totem pole. We learned that totems are not supposed to be preserved or restored. They are meant to weather and deteriorate naturally.



What The Heck?? That sign says: Improved Order of Red Men - Tlinglit Tribe #4
It boggles my mind!



Princess cruises are a lot of fun!



Dick's Notes:

Ketchikan.
The ship docks a little late and everyone (but us) wants off NOW!! The line winds around and around forever. We just sit and watch. Nancy has signed up for the Stroll and Roll Tour. She gets a scooter, we walk. Nice tour of the highlights of the downtown. On one path we were headed for a cache. OMG a skirt lifter!! The cache lady from Ky. Beat me again. After the tour we scout for another cache, the hills are very steep. Going up was no problem, coming back down on the scooter was scary.
There was a seafood Barbeque by the pool. Jan and I had seafood, Bill had pizza, Nan will eat later. Tonight’s show is Motown. The folks who put it on didn’t sing enough gospel music as kids. [What he means is that the performers were all very white bread - not a lot of soul in this bunch although they were all good performers.]Nan and Jan visit the casino to end the day. Nancy is the big winner.

Juneau

Dick was up early and had some caches to find. Jan and I are waving bye-bye.



The capital city of Alaska obviously needs bear-proof trash bins!



But also obviously, it doesn't place much importance on its Visitor Center!



A beautiful mural in downtown Juneau.



The Capitol Building


We all went for a ride around Juneau Harbor in a little steam launch. It was a nice ride with great scenery, and the Captain was informative and entertaining. He charged me a dollar for asking if this boat was like the African Queen! He said he's asked that question by someone on every ride! It is like the African Queen, only smaller. Well, what the heck, it was a relevant question anyway. The lady who did the narration could put you to sleep, and it almost happened to me!



The Captain is explaining how the steam engine works, and keeps it puffing away for the whole trip.



The Coral Princess in Juneau Harbor


Tonight is formal night, and also the special reception for the Captain's Circle (people who have done more than one Princess cruise). We met in the Universe Lounge, and had free drinks and snacks. The Captain spoke, but English is not his first language, so it was difficult to understand him - but we all had a chance to shake his hand. They handed out awards to the people who have cruised the most. The grand prize winner was a lady who has spent 715 days on a Princess cruise ship, not counting this current cruise! Holy cow!



After another great dinner in the dining room, we split up - Bill went to watch Avatar, Dick went to bed, and Jan and I went to the Casino. I got really lucky at first, but you know...it always ends the same way. I lose all my winnings. Jan was a little bit more lucky. But, hey, we had a great time!

Juneau
Time confusion means I wandered around the ship for an hour and a half looking for a cup of coffee. (He thought it was 5 a.m. - it was 4 a.m.) We veto plans to eat breakfast in the dining room, there is a better selection at Horizon. After breakfast walk into town seeking caches. One was gov’s house. State animal should be the mountain goat. Clock a DNF at Holland America pier. Later, as we were leaving on the bus Nan suggested the trashcan. Bet that is it.
They skipped lunch but I was hungry so I ate. Afternoon was a ride in a steam launch. Nice little ride but boring talk. Transportation to and from was less than stellar.
Evening is formal and starts with the Captain’s circle. Drinks were complimentary - gimlets and fruit punch. Bill and Jan had something green. Dinner was at a table for ten because of the rush. Afterwards Bill went to Avatar, Nancy and Jan to the casino and Dick to bed (10:00) Tylenol PM did nothing but the Simply Sleep did the trick!

Skagway

When we came to Alaska in 1996 for our 40th anniversary, one of the favorite things that we did was to ride the White Pass Railway in Skagway - so naturally we wanted to do it again. It's not a disappointment the second time around either! We enjoyed this whole morning immensely. I like this description of the trip:

Relive the gold rush with the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway as it steams through its second century of history! This forty-mile roundtrip train ride climbs from tidewater at Skagway to the Summit of the White Pass, a 2,865 foot rise in elevation! Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Experience the breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites from the comfort of vintage parlor cars.

Here we are in our "vintage parlor car".


Scenery from the train:









We're in Canada - NWMP - Northwest Mounted Police.



Flags at the border between Alaska and the Yukon Territory.



One of my favorite stories of the train trip was when we were on the edge of a very deep gorge, and across the gorge was a road loaded with buses. The buses had all stopped, and the passengers were all out with their cameras. Our guide said that people have asked him which is the better way to see the Pass, by bus or by train. His answer was that he's never seen a train stop to take pictures of buses!

In the afternoon, we went on the Historic Streetcar of Skagway excursion. The bus was fun, the guide was bubbly, and the whole thing was very enjoyable.



Dick had time to do some caching in Skagway, and here are the rest of us waving goodbye:



Our beautiful ship, The Coral Princess:



There were five big ships docked in Skagway today!



DICK'S NOTES:

Tues 5/25/10
Skagway.
After breakfast we claimed a virtual cache from the deck. It was about the ships' captains' names on the rocks alongside. Then we took the Whitehorse RR up to the Pass. Words can’t describe the trip. An elderly woman told Nancy, “Kids today say everything is awesome, they don’t know what awesome is."
After the train ride and lunch we took the “Street Car Tour" with guide Peggy.
Then some more caching, another virtual cache at the Skagway Visitor Center, a micro missing the logbook and a keyholder where I met a woman cacher from our boat and launched another coin.
Drinks at the Wheelhouse. Dinner was Italian, very good!
Show in the Universe Lounge. Music through the ages with the usual crew.

Glacier Bay Cruising

Great way to start the day - breakfast at the Horizon Court Buffet. Bacon bagel, fruit...OK, and a small Danish!



This was the only day on the whole trip that we had rain - and we were at sea, so who cares? It let up quite a bit before we got to the truly scenic part of the bay.

Here are some awesome views of the magnificent glaciers of Glacier Bay!
Up close and personal:













DICK'S NOTES

Monday 5/24/1 Promenade before breakfast, 2.8 time around = 1 mile. While waiting, eating, and coffee we see humpbacks and sea lions. Sign up for internet $55 = 100 min. Wheelhouse Lounge = diet coke National Park Service presentation by Ranger Emily re: Glacier Bay, then lunch – Horizon Ct. Bill reports sea food buffet, = another lunch. So another mile or so on the promenade. Up the Tarr Inlet to Margerie (blue) and Grand Pacific (black) glaciers. Ranger sees puffin and bear, we don’t at that time, puffins later. Back to the Johns Hopkins Inlet and glacier. Drinks at Crooners, ghastly version of mojito. Dinner was best meal yet. King crab leg appetizer, seafood soup, surf&turf = shrimp and fillet followed by Princess Love Boat (chocolate mousse & ice cream).

BABY WHALE - If you watch this video to the end, you'll see the baby humpback breach (come completely out of the water and flip)!

Hubbard Glacier Cruising (Yakatut Bay)

The atrium of our ship:



Toasting our cruise with a yummy pre-dinner pina colada.



Impressive Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay.













Sunday 5/23/10
Slept well and then explored.
Note!! Next cruise insist that the cabin be center / bow even if cost is greater.
Cabin near stern. Nice but long walk to theater and dining.
Breakfast in Horizon. Buffet. Congee +++ Curried egg --, hash = canned, nothing special. Decaf cold.
Service at coffee bar shoddy but decaf = hot.
Girls shop, $10 watch, casino = $50 credit
Bill – gym
Lunch in restaurant. Mussels & snapper
Nap
Check Nuvi @ 3:30. She knows where we are. We are in Yakatut Bay. I can see glacier out the port side. It has receded well back from the bay.
Laundry
Into bay to Turner and Hubbard glacier, we see from room. Ice floes surround us. Princess naturalist suggests global warming, climate change not true, part of a cycle.
Formal dress night, we opt for a drink and then the buffet.
Scout for seats in the Princess theater and meet some Missouri fans. The guy is convinced that Lloyd is a Mo grad and learned all his football under Divine. That’s why he was so much better than RR.
1 hour show titled “Dance”. Great production numbers! My favorite was Sara Lee.