My journey to Alaska - blogged!
Journey to Alaska, and Back: A Journal*
*This is the journal I kept during my travels. I have no other place to keep it really, so why not blog it?
Monday, August 26
Day 1: 2:13pm
Here I sit in Terminal 7, Gate 72 of LAX. I am sitting across from my mom and Jane. I have just discovered a drop of Coffee Frappucino on my white T-shirt. Damn.
1 hour, 15 minutes to go . . .
Almost everyone around me is on a cell phone. What business is so urgent that they have to take care of it in the middle of airport bustle? Isn't it a bother, with so many people flowing left and right, airport speakers blaring out updates, small children squealing and laughing? Or perhaps they just like the appearance of being important enough to conduct business over a cell phone? Who knows?
I should re-record my voicemail.
4:46pm
Safely in the air, and on our way to San Francisco.
Boarding was fun. Cramped overhead bins, cramped space below seats, cramped people in the seats. Poor Jane was used as a storage space several times while Mom and I attempted to seat ourselves comfortably.
Smiley stewardesses just rolled by, delivering pretzels and drinks. Mom couldn't open her pretzels, so she promptly hijacked Jane's open package. Mom then deemed the pretzels overly salty and they were thrust upon me instead. I, being a kind sister, returned the stolen goods to Jane, who is the lucky middle seat in our farce.
We are seated in Row 32, which happens to be all of 2 seats away from the rear of the plane. I have (crappily) rendered the view. [insert stick-figure drawing here]
Back to my book!
10:53pm (Alaska time)
Safely arrived in Anchorage; weather really not that bad. Am sitting at table, hence neat(er) writing.
Rather dark at the moment; beautiful hotel room and bathroom. Documenting with camera quite religiously.
Lay-over in SF unremarkable; 4.5 hour flight quite normal.
Waking up at 6am tomorrow. Am going to die.
At least Alaska is one hour behind LA time.
Décor really quite fabulous.
On way to hotel, sighted Costco, Best Buy, and other such businesses. Life any city in LA, but village-y. Can't wait to view in daylight.
Tuesday, August 30
Day 2: 11:10pm
Just finished digging through pictures with Jane. Barely our first real day of travel, and we've already amassed quite a collection.
Began the day with breakfast at our pretty hotel in Anchorage. Woke up around 5:30am (>_<) because both Jane and Mom were already awake and thundering about like mammoths.
After my morning ablutions, I trotted downstairs, snapped a few photos of the beautiful décor that included an oversized chess board, then partook of the hotel's continental breakfast - little knowing that the hotel's Korean chef had been preparing a Korean breakfast for her brethren. Whoops.
We set off, after our tour guide spent a day delivering a speech, for the city of Fairbanks - a journey that would take several hours, with several stops along the way. One of the most enjoyable was a brief respite at the Iditarod headquarters. I allowed 3 rambunctious husky pups to abuse my fingers, and very nearly committed grand theft doggy when a little brown guy stole my heart with his inquisitive nose and paws. We then enjoyed a brisk ride around the premises - on a husky-drawn contraption. I adored one of the rear dogs, a very cool, calm, and collected fellow harnessed to an extremely energetic trail mate.
My satchel was quite large enough to stow away a puppy, but I was dragged away before I could tarnish my good name.
We stopped for lunch at a scenic spot just off the road that lent us an excellent view of the majestic Mt. McKinley. Some bugs attempted to make a meal of us, leading to their very squishy demise by rolled newspaper.
Our bus meandered through Denali national Park, stopping for wild and tasty blueberries and a quick video, at the visitor center, showcasing some Alaskan highlights. Then it was back to the bus for trees, napping, trees, and a fish lecture delivered in Korean.
We finally reached Fairbanks, dining at a Korean restaurant, then taking a tour of Pioneer Park. Afterwards, we were left to our own devices for the remainder of the evening, during which I wrassled with an unruly internet connection and finished reading my book. I amy or may not stay awake until 2am to chance upon a glimpse of the Northern Lights. We'll see - it's actually 11:52 pm.
Wednesday, August 31
Day 3: 8:16pm
I didn't stay awake for the Lights, but I'll try for sure tonight.
Today was one long, extremely bumpy bus ride. Our tour guide drove across the bumpy roads as if there were no tomorrow, resulting in one hell of a jolt every time the tires hit something. I'm only surprised that the back wheels never left the road.
Saw some reindeer today - Dasher and Blitzen - at North Pole, Alaska. They were friendly and domesticated - Blitzen shook his bum for me.
Encountered some very friendly goats at Chena Hot Springs. They were adorably curious - until their keeper took them away.
The hot springs themselves were extremely enjoyable - except for my mother following me around the whole damn place while Jane stayed indoors, playing with some kids in the pool.
Not a bad day, today. Got back to the hotel fairly early, enjoyed a great dinner, and am extremely ready for a nap. I think I'll sleep for a few hours, then try to catch the Lights, then go back to sleep.
Oh! I very nearly froze my ass off today - it was COLD! Brr . . . Then, as if the cold outdoors wasn't bad enough, we walked through ice sculptures! There are many places I would rather live in than an igloo.
Thursday, September 1
Day 4: 10:01pm
My God, it's September. Where has this year gone? It's just whizzed by without a care for the world, day turning into night and night turning into day merrily until fall snuck upon us. Gah.
Anyway, today we backtracked from Fairbanks to Anchorage - I am currently sitting in a room of our very first and extremely well-decorated hotel. Very nice.
Today we took an aerotour over Denali National Park. Our pilot gave us a great commentary as he flew over the three rivers, and by various mountains, including Mt. McKinley - as far as I could tell. Let me give a sample to posterity:
"Eric: Here are the such-and-such glaciers!
"Hanna: zZzZ
"Eric: To your left is Mt. McKinley!
"Hanna: zZzZ-'wha . . .?'"
It's not as if I was that tired. Oh well. What I saw while awake was simply breath-taking. Just awesome. Incredible.
We ate at a Chinese buffet in Anchorage for dinner - infinitely superior to the Chinese buffet in Fairbanks. At the latter, Jane feared for our stomachs, and quite a few of our plates were left behind with most of the food remaining. At the former were chocolate brownies! And, coincidentally, the same small children Jane "baby-sat" at Chena Hot Springs.
I went swimming at the nearby gym afterwards, while Jane had herself a workout. Fun, but tiring! I'm out of shape.
Oh! I slept through the 2am alarm. Jane got up, but she said she didn't see anything. Oh well. I guess I'll have to come back some winder to enjoy the Lights.
Saturday, September 3
Day 6: 5:15 (Pacific time)
Here I am in the plane, somewhere over Canada (?), and on the way home. I realize I didn't write about yesterday, so I'll repair that mistake now. The flight has gotten a little bumpy, however, so my handwriting will probably suffer some. Oh well.
Ooo. I just got a full can of soda.
Yesterday (Day 5; Friday): Yesterday basically existed entirely of a sight-seeing tour by boat - very fun! We got a tour of Prince William Sound, including some gigantic, majestic glaciers. We also saw a fledging bald eagle in flight, and two pairs of adults roosting in the trees! Beautiful! In the water were two rafts of sea otters - absolutely adorable!
The ship, Glacier Queen II, was another example of how friendly most Alaskans seem to be. Her staff (crew) consisted entirely of good-humored, funny men and women (woman), just like the staff of all the other touristy places we went.
Overall, the trip was good. Yesterday, our group shared our bus and boat with another group, which included on obnoxious and snobby family. But they were easily avoided most of the time, and the rest of the week was perfectly pleasant. I must say, though, that I am genuinely looking forward to going home.
The Random Question Meme!
An array of completely random questions about my friends!
Can dajunkyardkid raise the dead to perform common household tasks?OHHHH! So THAT'S how she gets everything done so fast and well!What do you find admirable about wise_eyes_lie?What ISN'T admirable about her? djcapelis: pansy, or wuss?Haha... like I'm going to answer that. You think I really want him hacking into my computer, sneaking into my apartment, or, worse yet, leaving me stranded in some tunnel?What is ooolalalivia's sexiest feature?There isn't a damn thing on her that isn't! Hi Olivia! Long time no talk!Shouldn't mind21_98 be getting more sleep?EVERYONE needs more sleep, including Mooneer. Lord knows what he's doing when he should be sleeping... o_OWhat hobby do you think justapieceofme should take up?Knitting. That's always relaxing. ^_^What four adjectives best describe poloplayuh?Studly, handsome, good-looking, and overweeningly arrogant! Haha, just kidding, Richie-poo! You really are studly!What does niktheslik look for in a significant other?Glasses, last time I checked. ^_~Did korean_nikka take the blue pill, or the red pill?Oh, the red pill. For sure. Who would take the blue pill? Where would you take bigboypinoy on a vacation?Alaska, 'cause it's cool!
This is by heptadecagram. You can find your own completely random questions here.
Do you feel enlightened now?
*This is the journal I kept during my travels. I have no other place to keep it really, so why not blog it?
Monday, August 26
Day 1: 2:13pm
Here I sit in Terminal 7, Gate 72 of LAX. I am sitting across from my mom and Jane. I have just discovered a drop of Coffee Frappucino on my white T-shirt. Damn.
1 hour, 15 minutes to go . . .
Almost everyone around me is on a cell phone. What business is so urgent that they have to take care of it in the middle of airport bustle? Isn't it a bother, with so many people flowing left and right, airport speakers blaring out updates, small children squealing and laughing? Or perhaps they just like the appearance of being important enough to conduct business over a cell phone? Who knows?
I should re-record my voicemail.
4:46pm
Safely in the air, and on our way to San Francisco.
Boarding was fun. Cramped overhead bins, cramped space below seats, cramped people in the seats. Poor Jane was used as a storage space several times while Mom and I attempted to seat ourselves comfortably.
Smiley stewardesses just rolled by, delivering pretzels and drinks. Mom couldn't open her pretzels, so she promptly hijacked Jane's open package. Mom then deemed the pretzels overly salty and they were thrust upon me instead. I, being a kind sister, returned the stolen goods to Jane, who is the lucky middle seat in our farce.
We are seated in Row 32, which happens to be all of 2 seats away from the rear of the plane. I have (crappily) rendered the view. [insert stick-figure drawing here]
Back to my book!
10:53pm (Alaska time)
Safely arrived in Anchorage; weather really not that bad. Am sitting at table, hence neat(er) writing.
Rather dark at the moment; beautiful hotel room and bathroom. Documenting with camera quite religiously.
Lay-over in SF unremarkable; 4.5 hour flight quite normal.
Waking up at 6am tomorrow. Am going to die.
At least Alaska is one hour behind LA time.
Décor really quite fabulous.
On way to hotel, sighted Costco, Best Buy, and other such businesses. Life any city in LA, but village-y. Can't wait to view in daylight.
Tuesday, August 30
Day 2: 11:10pm
Just finished digging through pictures with Jane. Barely our first real day of travel, and we've already amassed quite a collection.
Began the day with breakfast at our pretty hotel in Anchorage. Woke up around 5:30am (>_<) because both Jane and Mom were already awake and thundering about like mammoths.
After my morning ablutions, I trotted downstairs, snapped a few photos of the beautiful décor that included an oversized chess board, then partook of the hotel's continental breakfast - little knowing that the hotel's Korean chef had been preparing a Korean breakfast for her brethren. Whoops.
We set off, after our tour guide spent a day delivering a speech, for the city of Fairbanks - a journey that would take several hours, with several stops along the way. One of the most enjoyable was a brief respite at the Iditarod headquarters. I allowed 3 rambunctious husky pups to abuse my fingers, and very nearly committed grand theft doggy when a little brown guy stole my heart with his inquisitive nose and paws. We then enjoyed a brisk ride around the premises - on a husky-drawn contraption. I adored one of the rear dogs, a very cool, calm, and collected fellow harnessed to an extremely energetic trail mate.
My satchel was quite large enough to stow away a puppy, but I was dragged away before I could tarnish my good name.
We stopped for lunch at a scenic spot just off the road that lent us an excellent view of the majestic Mt. McKinley. Some bugs attempted to make a meal of us, leading to their very squishy demise by rolled newspaper.
Our bus meandered through Denali national Park, stopping for wild and tasty blueberries and a quick video, at the visitor center, showcasing some Alaskan highlights. Then it was back to the bus for trees, napping, trees, and a fish lecture delivered in Korean.
We finally reached Fairbanks, dining at a Korean restaurant, then taking a tour of Pioneer Park. Afterwards, we were left to our own devices for the remainder of the evening, during which I wrassled with an unruly internet connection and finished reading my book. I amy or may not stay awake until 2am to chance upon a glimpse of the Northern Lights. We'll see - it's actually 11:52 pm.
Wednesday, August 31
Day 3: 8:16pm
I didn't stay awake for the Lights, but I'll try for sure tonight.
Today was one long, extremely bumpy bus ride. Our tour guide drove across the bumpy roads as if there were no tomorrow, resulting in one hell of a jolt every time the tires hit something. I'm only surprised that the back wheels never left the road.
Saw some reindeer today - Dasher and Blitzen - at North Pole, Alaska. They were friendly and domesticated - Blitzen shook his bum for me.
Encountered some very friendly goats at Chena Hot Springs. They were adorably curious - until their keeper took them away.
The hot springs themselves were extremely enjoyable - except for my mother following me around the whole damn place while Jane stayed indoors, playing with some kids in the pool.
Not a bad day, today. Got back to the hotel fairly early, enjoyed a great dinner, and am extremely ready for a nap. I think I'll sleep for a few hours, then try to catch the Lights, then go back to sleep.
Oh! I very nearly froze my ass off today - it was COLD! Brr . . . Then, as if the cold outdoors wasn't bad enough, we walked through ice sculptures! There are many places I would rather live in than an igloo.
Thursday, September 1
Day 4: 10:01pm
My God, it's September. Where has this year gone? It's just whizzed by without a care for the world, day turning into night and night turning into day merrily until fall snuck upon us. Gah.
Anyway, today we backtracked from Fairbanks to Anchorage - I am currently sitting in a room of our very first and extremely well-decorated hotel. Very nice.
Today we took an aerotour over Denali National Park. Our pilot gave us a great commentary as he flew over the three rivers, and by various mountains, including Mt. McKinley - as far as I could tell. Let me give a sample to posterity:
"Eric: Here are the such-and-such glaciers!
"Hanna: zZzZ
"Eric: To your left is Mt. McKinley!
"Hanna: zZzZ-'wha . . .?'"
It's not as if I was that tired. Oh well. What I saw while awake was simply breath-taking. Just awesome. Incredible.
We ate at a Chinese buffet in Anchorage for dinner - infinitely superior to the Chinese buffet in Fairbanks. At the latter, Jane feared for our stomachs, and quite a few of our plates were left behind with most of the food remaining. At the former were chocolate brownies! And, coincidentally, the same small children Jane "baby-sat" at Chena Hot Springs.
I went swimming at the nearby gym afterwards, while Jane had herself a workout. Fun, but tiring! I'm out of shape.
Oh! I slept through the 2am alarm. Jane got up, but she said she didn't see anything. Oh well. I guess I'll have to come back some winder to enjoy the Lights.
Saturday, September 3
Day 6: 5:15 (Pacific time)
Here I am in the plane, somewhere over Canada (?), and on the way home. I realize I didn't write about yesterday, so I'll repair that mistake now. The flight has gotten a little bumpy, however, so my handwriting will probably suffer some. Oh well.
Ooo. I just got a full can of soda.
Yesterday (Day 5; Friday): Yesterday basically existed entirely of a sight-seeing tour by boat - very fun! We got a tour of Prince William Sound, including some gigantic, majestic glaciers. We also saw a fledging bald eagle in flight, and two pairs of adults roosting in the trees! Beautiful! In the water were two rafts of sea otters - absolutely adorable!
The ship, Glacier Queen II, was another example of how friendly most Alaskans seem to be. Her staff (crew) consisted entirely of good-humored, funny men and women (woman), just like the staff of all the other touristy places we went.
Overall, the trip was good. Yesterday, our group shared our bus and boat with another group, which included on obnoxious and snobby family. But they were easily avoided most of the time, and the rest of the week was perfectly pleasant. I must say, though, that I am genuinely looking forward to going home.
The Random Question Meme!
An array of completely random questions about my friends!
Can dajunkyardkid raise the dead to perform common household tasks?OHHHH! So THAT'S how she gets everything done so fast and well!What do you find admirable about wise_eyes_lie?What ISN'T admirable about her? djcapelis: pansy, or wuss?Haha... like I'm going to answer that. You think I really want him hacking into my computer, sneaking into my apartment, or, worse yet, leaving me stranded in some tunnel?What is ooolalalivia's sexiest feature?There isn't a damn thing on her that isn't! Hi Olivia! Long time no talk!Shouldn't mind21_98 be getting more sleep?EVERYONE needs more sleep, including Mooneer. Lord knows what he's doing when he should be sleeping... o_OWhat hobby do you think justapieceofme should take up?Knitting. That's always relaxing. ^_^What four adjectives best describe poloplayuh?Studly, handsome, good-looking, and overweeningly arrogant! Haha, just kidding, Richie-poo! You really are studly!What does niktheslik look for in a significant other?Glasses, last time I checked. ^_~Did korean_nikka take the blue pill, or the red pill?Oh, the red pill. For sure. Who would take the blue pill? Where would you take bigboypinoy on a vacation?Alaska, 'cause it's cool!
This is by heptadecagram. You can find your own completely random questions here.
Do you feel enlightened now?