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Posted 7/19/2015 12:31 PM (GMT 0)
Well I'm leaving tonight for 3 days in Vancouver, 8 days of cruising Alaska, and 2 days in Seattle. I've been wanting to do this trip since forever, and when I went through the health issues this year, it made me say, NOW.

I'm going to try to take a break from HW and all things cancer AND cardiac issues, for these next two weeks. The operative word is TRY, so we'll see how it goes. I really need to get my mind off things
Posted 7/19/2015 12:43 PM (GMT 0)
You are going to love Alaska....Frank and I spent 8 days there last summer and just returned from 12 day cruise last week. Fly-fishing for salmon, zip-lining, ATVing, river float and glaciers, eagles and moose and grizzly bears, seals and harbour porpoises, the most specacular scenery. The perfect vacation to take your mind off things!

Enjoy and eat lots of salmon..

Lisa and Frank
Posted 7/19/2015 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
Have a wonderful time and try to relax. We'll leave the light on for you and will be here when you get back. Love the Pacific Northwest and have heard nothing but amazing things about Alaska! Enjoy every minute of it!
Posted 7/19/2015 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like a trip that will be good for the soul & the psyche. Take advantage of it all! Don't let "electronics" steal away time you won't get back.

I will miss your posts while you're away and look forward to hearing all about your adventures when you return.

Safe travels!

Suz
Posted 7/19/2015 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
Be sure to schedule a few "excursions". The White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Skagway is pretty much obligatory and, if you can swing it, a helicopter tour of the glaciers is a once in a lifetime experience.
Posted 7/19/2015 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Pratoman,
Good for you! I'll cover your worries for the next 2 weeks. (Please cover mine during the last week in September.)

What if the luggage does not arrive? Can I get Onchocerciasis from a worm borne by black flies? Will I get frostbite while holding my camera? How will get to sleep if the days are so long? Will I be tired all day? Do I eat all the food served and get overweight or do I hold back and waste the money spent on full meals?

So. How'd I do? If I missed something just email and I promise to fret over it for you.

Have a fun time! You've earned it!

Jeff

Post Edited (Worried Guy) : 7/19/2015 9:06:40 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/19/2015 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Enjoy sir! Looking forward to some travel advice instead of PC advice!
Posted 7/19/2015 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
@Lisa & Frank - probably wont do any ziplining, wanted to go Salmon Fishing, but my friend (we are going with another couple) is a....can't say it on this forum...and i didnt want to do it alone. Looking forward to getting good use out of my new DSLR, hope to get some spectacular shots in Glacier Bay and elsewhere.

@Suz - yeah gonna try to stay away from electronics (try). And do some reading instead on days at sea.

@PDA - you'll be disappointed in me, but i had the White Rail Pass booked, and then cancelled it. I was told the scenery as amazing, but its a long train ride and does get boring after awhile. Plus we really wanted to do the dog mushers camp and dogsled ride, so we are doing that instead. Booked the 4 glacier helicopter tour in Juneau, hope the weather holds up. Also have an evening Whale Watching cruise booked later in the day in Juneau. Ketchikan will be just a lot of walking around and touristy stuff, its a short stay, ship docks at 8AM and sails out at 2PM

Jeff/WG- Thanks you have almost everything covered for me. The one thing you missed is "what if my stent closes up while I'm in a remote part of Alaska and i have a heart attack?" But i think i have to cover that one myself. (sorry, if i didnt worry about that one, i wouldn't be Pratoman)
smhair
Posted 7/19/2015 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Prato, I'll simply say have a great trip. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities and Alaska is one of my very favorite places to visit. I predict you will have a great time with great pictures and great memories.

Jim
Posted 7/19/2015 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
Pratoman,

Have a wonderful trip!

Tim
Posted 7/19/2015 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Enjoy, and don't log on here while you're gone. Take your well earned vacation!

Andrew
Posted 7/20/2015 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Prato's on the plane now...

What if he forgot to turn off the oven?

J devil
Posted 7/20/2015 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Take rainwear. Just got back from Kodiak and it rained every day. Been smoking salmon for the last couple of days.
You will have a great time.
JT
Posted 7/20/2015 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
Prato,

No disappointment at all. People who cruise Alaska tend to go back so you can do the White Pass RR the next time, or the time after that. When you do if you find the ride getting boring you should go out between the cars and look down at the rails. It's a narrow gauge railroad and the thought of the whole train balanced rails only three feet apart makes the dizzy precipices just that much more exciting.

It sounds like you've picked out a bunch of great activities. You'll have yourself a time for sure.
Posted 7/21/2015 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to Vancouver. It's my home town. You're going to enjoy the Alaska cruise. We did it last year with our kids and had a great time. The advice on the rain gear is probably a good idea. If we let a little water slow us down, we would have been ship bound for more than half the trip.

Enjoy.
Posted 7/21/2015 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Rain: I think it's in Ketchikan where they say, "when you get into the harbor look towards shore. If you can see the mountain that means it's getting ready to rain. If you can't see it, that means it's raining."
Posted 7/31/2015 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
What a great trip. The landscape was amazing. Highlight for me was taking a helicopter to the top of Taku Glacier. When I got to the top, I found a Glacier Lake, got on my knees, and drank from it.

Most days were cloudy, only sun we saw on the cruise was the day we sailed from Vancouver and the last day, cruising College Fjord. That, and Glacier Bay were incredible sights.

Vancouver is a great city, so is Seattle, spent 3 and 1 days in those cities, respectively.

What really surprised me was that I hardly gave PC a thought for the entire trip, until now, on the flight home from Seattle.
And based on the way I ate on both the cruise, and on land, I guess I didn't think much about my coronary artery disease Either. I ate as though I had a death wish. That is my one and only regret on this trip. I am not looking forward to the scale when I get home. But I'll go right back to healthy eating today as soon as I land.

This was for sure one of the most memorable, and mentally beneficial vacations I've ever done.
Posted 7/31/2015 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
Glad you had a great trip!!!

Hey...indulge.

YOLO

(Just found out about that very well-known acronym!)

Mel
Posted 7/31/2015 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Have a great trip Prat.
Posted 7/31/2015 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
@Mel, what am o missing, what is YOLO

@Buddy, thanks, did, trip,is over, on my way back (posting from 35000 feet)
Posted 7/31/2015 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome back! You've were missed!

YOLO - you only live once

Suz
Posted 7/31/2015 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Suz.

Got it in the YOLO, duhhh
Posted 8/1/2015 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
Pratoman--

Good to see your name on the forum . I'm happy to hear that you had a wonderful trip.
Posted 8/1/2015 7:24 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome back Prato...it was great, huh? Give us your top ten when you get a chance.
Posted 8/1/2015 12:37 PM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem, Prat, and it was also the only problem: food. I actually was able to notice an increase in girth(and not the good kind) the last couple of days when I was in Denali. Very noticeable, so it threw me into a mini-panic low carb spell for the last couple of days. The food was just a bear to resist. The cruise part was obvious, but even on the bus we might stop every couple of hours ata place in the middle of the wilderness that had good food, and worse was to be on a train watching the scenery as a chef would be flipping pancakes!

Speaking of bears, most of the trip we saw zero wild life, they were always hiding. But in Denali, we saw 3 adult Griz plus some babies, one playing (running and sliding) on a snow field. And a huge one coming out of a campground when we were almost back to park headquarters. We also managed to see Denali 100% from base to top on 2 different days. I was told only about 30% of folks going to Denali actually get a good look at it, due to clouds.

Glad you had a great time!
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