Traveling to Florida

Friday, February 27

After partaking in the slightly above average continental breakfast at the hotel we hopped on the 7 a.m. shuttle to the airport. I checked the weather app on my phone as we were on our way and this is what I saw:

Seeing almost no lines for check-in at Southwest Airlines was a positive way to start the trip…especially considering what an insane amount of luggage we had between the four of us. Thank you SWA for not charging extra for bags!!

I was concerned about our flights because we had a very short layover in Atlanta...but everything went smoother than I could have imagined. Our flight was 30 minutes EARLY getting into Atlanta and we were relieved to watch the baggage handlers putting our luggage onto the plane. We even had time to eat the Subway sandwiches that we had bought in Minneapolis (thinking we wouldn't have time to get anything later.) 

Besides free luggage, I like that SWA has free live TV on their flights. It requires downloading an app prior to your flight, but then there were about a dozen different channels that I could watch on my iPad. Sure helps pass the time! I also had some TV shows that I had downloaded from iTunes. I have a splitter that allows two sets of headphones to be connected so Bob and I both could watch. 

With almost a 90 degree increase in temps since leaving Minneapolis, stepping outside in Ft. Lauderdale felt incredibly wonderful! We were on VACATION!!

Although our cruise would leave from Miami, we flew into Ft. Lauderdale in order to fly on Southwest. And even though the prices were still exorbitant, I found hotels to be slightly less in Ft. Lauderdale as compared to Miami.

Using the hotel shuttle, we checked into the Sleep Inn and Suites where I had booked our rooms using an AARP discount. (Gotta get the best price, remember?) After sitting all day, the four of us just wanted to get out and walk…and look for a spot to grab some dinner.

Palm trees and tropical plants sure looked better than the snow we left behind in Minnesota!

Several blocks from the hotel we found a place called Pollo Tropical that served organic grilled chicken with all sorts of special sauces and side dishes like rice & beans. Wow…do I wish we had these in Minnesota! The food was great…and very cheap. The bill for Bob and I together was less than $12!

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in at the Walgreens next door and bought a 6-pack of pop to take on the ship. In retrospect, this probably wasn't necessary. We rarely drink pop at home and only drank about half of what we purchased in the two weeks we were onboard. I was most happy just drinking water like I usually do or an occasional glass of ice tea. One pleasant surprise was that the coffee wasn't too bad! 

The Journey Home (June 9 - 10)

It was mid-afternoon when we started our drive to Anchorage. Our flight back to Minneapolis didn't take off until after midnight which gave us lots of time…too much time, in fact. Bob was starting to get a cold and we were just tired from the busy schedule. After driving part of the way, we pulled over, reclined the seats in the rental car…and took a nap!

Feeling a little more refreshed, we resumed our travels. Just like the trip down to Seward, we experienced rain and clouds on the way back as well.

With many hours to fill, and still feeling a bit drowsy, I suggested that we make a stop in Moose Pass (population ~200) and get a cup of coffee. Bob slowed down as we looked for a place to stop. But...apparently he didn't slow down enough. An Alaska State Trooper pulled us over right in the center of this tiny town and informed us that we were speeding. "Didn't you notice the speed limit? It is painted ON THE PAVEMENT." Guess we were so busy looking for a coffeeshop that we missed that!

Less than 10 miles over the speed limit and the fine was $87! At that point we figured we had donated enough to the town of Moose Pass and left without getting any coffee. Over time, the incident has become somewhat funny. Bob has been driving for over 40 years (including many miles in an ambulance) and his first violation was in MOOSE PASS! We often watch the reality TV show "Alaska State Troopers" and Bob jokes that he might be on one of the episodes!

The road from Seward to Anchorage followed along Turnagain Arm which is known for its "bore tides" that come rushing in with waves large enough to surf! Interesting, but not something we were able to witness.

With so much time to kill, we pulled off at "beluga point" where beluga whales are sometimes spotted. No whales were around, but Bob had fun climbing around on the rocks while I photographed the tiny wild flowers. 

A few miles before we reached Anchorage, we pulled off at Potter's Marsh. There is a VERY long boardwalk built over a marshy area...a great place to view and photograph birds.

I was busy trying to photograph a cute little bird when Bob motioned for me to quietly follow him to the end of the boardwalk. 

Surprise!! A moose! After being on the lookout all during the trip, we finally got our chance to see a moose right outside the big city of Anchorage! She was walking around in the tall grass below the boardwalk and didn't seem to care that she was being photographed!

I was so excited because I had resigned myself to the fact that we were going to leave Alaska without ever seeing a moose. I pulled out my phone and sent a one word text to Laurel..."MOOSE!" It turned out that they were only a few miles behind us on the highway and were able to stop and "share" our moose! 

An eagle was in a tree nearby. Although we had seen many, many eagles during our time in Alaska, it was still exciting to see one last one!

Back in the parking lot, Laurel showed me photos on her camera of their experience at the dog sled tour earlier in the afternoon. She was thrilled that they had gotten to hold little husky puppies and ride in a cart pulled by the larger sled dogs! 

A second round of good-byes took place and then we went our separate ways...Kent and Laurel to Wasilla where they spent the night on the way to Denali...and us...to the airport. 

I'm sure our $10/day rate for our rental car must have been a fluke, but we had no issues whatsoever. Returning it when we reached the airport went just as smoothly as it had when we picked up the car. 

Luggage scales were located near the baggage check-in area and as suspected, my large bag was overweight...by nearly 6 pounds! Even with several large rocks that he brought home, Bob's bag was light enough that I was able to shift some of my stuff over and get both bags under the 50 pound limit.

While I was doing the "luggage shuffle", Bob got his chance to have a "husky experience." He made friends with a couple of dogs...River and Creek, whose owners were teachers in one of the remote Alaska villages and were on their way to visit family.

Our flight left on schedule at 12:35 a.m. This photo was taken shortly after midnight right before we boarded. With the long hours of daylight, it could have just as easily have been noon!

Technically at that point it was really Tuesday, June 10th but without ever seeing total darkness I felt like we missed a night of our lives! The sun never quite set as we flew to our stop in Seattle. 

A lady sitting across the aisle had a small dog in a carrier under the seat. The dog wasn't happy about the arrangement and barked...and barked...and barked some more. Eventually the steward handed out ear plugs to everyone and just let Fido continue to express his frustration at being cooped up in the carrier. 

By the time we landed in Seattle, the sun was coming up...and it was Tuesday! The last leg of our flight from Seattle to Minneapolis was uneventful, but also long and boring. Bob struggled trying to get comfortable enough to sleep...

...and I just gave up and entertained myself trying to take photos from the plane window. 

With the three hour time difference, it was around noon when we finally landed in Minneapolis. Exhausted, I just wanted to be home, but we still had to shuttle to the hotel where our car was parked and then drive another three hours from Minneapolis to where we live.

Ending our vacation with such a long flight wasn't fun, but after awhile, the memories of that day have faded and I am left with the beautiful memories of our time in Alaska.  Thanks to over 3500 photographs, those memories will be with me forever!