Sail Away!

Breakfast choice was either a pop tart that we brought from home...or donuts and fresh coffee at Tim Horton's. I probably don't need to tell you which we did! Tim Horton's is Canada's version of Dunkin' Donuts and there were a LOT of locations in Vancouver.

Back at the hotel Bob and Kent played a little ping pong. Bob didn't want to get his shirt sweaty so he just took it off...classy.

Our Day in Vancouver

Continuing on with our Alaska trip...a full day in Vancouver.

Even after our busy day on Thursday, we were up early…I blamed it on our excitement and the two-hour time difference between Vancouver and Minnesota. Our room had an electric tea kettle which worked out perfectly to make breakfast with the packets of oatmeal we had brought from home. (We are cheap…and lazy!)

My plan for the day was to take the Hop-on/Hop-off Trolley to tour the city. I could tell Bob was NOT excited about this idea. One of the perks of staying at this Best Western was they offered free use of the hotel bicycles. Bob loves to ride and cycles 25 miles or so several times a week. I knew he would enjoy biking so much more than just sitting on the trolley.

So…with the sun shining brightly I gave in and agreed to ride bikes. By 6:30 am we were in the lobby checking out two bicycles and helmets and we were on our way. 

Vancouver is a very "bike-friendly" city with designated bike lanes on many of the city streets. We biked down the hill towards the False Creek area where we had walked the night before and picked up the bike trail along the sea wall. Ships were waiting in a long line in the harbor for their turn to unload. 

It was a picture-perfect morning...sunshine and no wind. 

All Aboard for Vancouver

Flying directly to Vancouver would have been easier. And quicker. But...not cheaper. Travel planning is like a game to me. I am a winner when I find the best...but pay the least. After considerable worry and research, I determined that the "best" and almost "cheapest" mode of transportation from Seattle to Vancouver would be the train.

The flat-rate taxi that I had booked online showed up at our hotel right on time...6:00 am...to take us to the train station in downtown Seattle. The King Street Station had undergone recent renovations and gave the illusion of stepping back in time to an earlier era of train travel. The old wooden benches in the station and lack of any type of security screening just further enforced this feeling.

We boarded the 7:40 a.m. Amtrak Cascades train and settled in for the approximately four hour trip to Vancouver. The tracks passed through numerous small towns and much of the time hugged the coastline.

At one point, we watched out the window as an eagle flew alongside the train and then swooped down and grabbed a fish.

In fact we saw many bald eagles and also golden eagles along the way.

Bob was impressed when the conductor pointed out that we were passing by the U.S. Nimitz aircraft carrieer.

Some folks strolling along the shore during low tide.

Compared to flying, traveling by train is a peaceful and enjoyable experience...at least if you aren't in any great hurry to get to your destination. The seats were wide and comfortable with plenty of leg room. Electrical outlets were conveniently located next to each seat and wi-fi was available throughout the train. The dimmed lights and the calming sound of the train on the tracks could have easily put me to sleep had I not been so excited.

It was possible to walk from car to car so I did a little exploring and discovered the bistro car. Having had a large breakfast at the hotel we weren't hungry, but the food looked good and was much lower priced than I would have anticipated.

As we neared Vancouver, Bob took time to fill out the customs forms that had been distributed.

Luggage was unloaded along side the train once we reached the station in Vancouver. Unfortunately...it was raining...and the luggage was not under cover. Rather than everyone getting off the train at the same time, we were dismissed one car at a time to line up and go through customs. Our car was one of the last.

Eventually we made it through the line and into the train station where we were questioned by the customs agent. Why were we here? What were our plans? Where would we stay? The questions made me just a bit nervous, but he seemed satisfied with our answers and we were allowed to walk through the door and into Canada.

There was a bit of a wait until we reached the front of the taxi line. Luckily the cab was outfitted with a credit card machine because we had no Canadian currency. Right before our trip, we had applied for a new Capital One credit card since it did not charge foreign transaction fees (normally around 3%.) It was interesting to look over the credit card statement when we returned home. By using the card, we were able to take advantage of the favorable exchange rates and saved even more money. Thank you Capital One. 

Our destination was the Best Western Plus Downtown Vancouver hotel. Our room was located on the 7th floor and had a good view of the city. There was also a roof top deck with tables and an even better view.

From the rooftop we could see houseboats anchored in the river. It reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle!

After dropping off our bags in the room, we started walking up Granville Street looking for a place to eat. There was no trouble finding a place…just the hard decision of which restaurant to pick…so many choices. We settled on “Donair Dude”…sort of like a Greek version of Subway. 

We chose seats at the bar in the window and enjoyed people watching as we ate. (Vancouverites are quite interesting!) We also happened to notice the clinic offering medicinal marijuana across the street. Over the next couple of days we realized that there were several of these clinics located in the area around our hotel…and they did seem to be quite busy!

Back at the hotel a brief rest was in order and then we started exploring the False Creek area around our hotel. 

Later, for dinner, we discovered "poutine." We had no clue what “poutine” was…and for those of you reading who also don’t know, here is the definition I found online:

Poutine is a common Canadian dish, originating in Quebec, made with french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds. This fast food dish can now be found across Canada, and is also found in some places in the northern United States, where it is sometimes required to be described due to its exotic nature. It is sold in small "greasy spoon" type diners and pubs, as well as by roadside fry wagons and hockey arenas.

Besides the gravy and cheese curds, the menu had different variations of poutine. I ordered mine with bacon and potato filled pierogies. Bob took the somewhat more healthy route (LOL) and ordered his with vegetables. It was fun to discover a truly Canadian type restaurant (even if it was fast food!)…and now I am a poutine lover! 

It was getting dark as we walked back to the hotel and Granville Street (where our hotel was located) was beginning to take on a party atmosphere. There were also many homeless people camped out along the street...something totally foreign to us here in rural Minnesota. It was time for us small-town folks to call it a night. Our bodies had not yet accepted the fact that we changed time zones, and we were tired. 

Alaska - The Journey Begins

To be truthful, Alaska really wasn't on my list...or at least not very close to the top of the list. I always said "someday" I would like to go, but living in frigid Minnesota, I dream of vacations to places with palm trees, sand and turquoise waters.

However, traveling with friends sometimes involves compromise. Our close friends and traveling companions, Kent & Laurel, were urging us to plan a trip to Alaska. (Well...mostly Laurel!) I on the other hand had discovered the most wonderful 10 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean. The answer to the dilemma? Do both! The four of us took the Caribbean cruise in December 2013 and you can read more about it here: "Our Southern Caribbean Cruise", but for now...join me as we travel to Alaska!

Our itinerary! (Click on the links next to the dates!)

May 28:     From Minneapolis to Seattle (just keep reading!)
May 29:     All Aboard for Vancouver
May 30:     A full day in Vancouver!
May 31:     Sailing Away...North to Alaska
June 1:       A day at sea
June 2:       Misty Fjords Flightseeing
                 Ketchikan - Around town
June 3:       Juneau - Whale Watching
                 Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier
                 Juneau - The Rest of the Day
June 4:       Skagway - Yukon Highway (Part 1) 
                 Skagway - Yukon Highway (Part 2)   
June 5:      Glacier Bay
June 6:       College Fjord
June 7:       Whittier to Anchorage to Seward
June 8:       Kenai Fjords Tour
June 9:       Seward
June 10:     The Journey Home


After many months of planning it was decided that we would spend a couple of days in Vancouver, then board the Coral Princess cruise ship for a 7 day Alaskan cruise. Once we reached Alaska a few more days would be spent touring the area south of Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula by rental car.

Our Alaskan journey began on May 28th, 2014 (which just happened to be our 37th wedding anniversary!) with a flight from Minneapolis to Seattle. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport was eerily quiet when we checked in for the flight.

Although our destination was ultimately Vancouver, we flew to Seattle to take advantage of some airline credits that would be expiring soon. It was apparent that Southwest Airlines is in need of both a Geography and Geometry lesson when it comes to routing their planes. Our trip to Seattle (in the northwest U.S.) took us via Phoenix in the southwest! Having never been to Phoenix, I was a little surprised to see the mountains outside the airport windows.

With clear skies during the second leg of our flight, I was able to see some more mountains, this time snow-covered, out my window...

...and even the Space Needle as we were landing in Seattle. 

Walking through the airport we spotted our first wildlife of the trip...bronze fish embed throughout the floor of the terminal!

Changing time zones added two hours to the clock...but not to our energy level. We were shot by the time we reached Seattle. Dinner consisted of McDonald's chicken sandwiches at the airport while we collected our luggage and waited on the hotel shuttle. 

Spending all day on planes and in airports wasn't the most fun...but necessary.