Greetings From Alaska

[Bloozcat]

Hello all...

I'm sending this from the hotel lobby in Anchorage Alaska. My wife and I have been on an Alaska cruise since a week ago, Sunday. So far, we've hit Ketchican, Skagway, Juneau, Seward, and now Anchorage. In about a half an hour we'll be headed up to Denali State Park for the final side trip of our tour. Hopefully, I'll get a little fly fishing in while there. Late tomorrow afternoon it's off to Fairbanks for an overnighter, then the long flight home. I've got lots of pics to share when I get back.

BTW: It's 6:50am here...:o

[Algonquin]

Awesome sounding trip Bloozcat. Good luck on your fly fishing... going after Arctic Grayling? Pics pics pics! You've got to share when you get back.

Have a good one :AOK:

David

[warren0728]

sounds like a great time....now get off the computer and go have fun!! :bravo: :beer:

ww

[Plank_Spanker]

Glad you're seeing the sights up there, Blooz. :AOK:

The wife and I did an Alaska cruise for our honeymoon three years ago - Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Tracey Arm passage, and Vancouver.

We had a blast!

Post some pics when you get back.

[just strum]

Blooz, that's really great - looking forward to those pics and a little travel review.

Oh, stay off the big fuzzy horses (sometime referred to as black, brown, and polar bear).

[Tone2TheBone]

You are so lucky!! Catch me a nice Grayling and Leopard 'Bow! Hope you packed plenty of flesh flies and egg sucking leeches! :)

[luvmyshiner]

Sounds like a blast Blooz. Can't wait to see the pics.

[evenkeel]

Way cool. A Alaska trip has been on our to do list for ages. Lets see those pics!!!!! :bravo:

[peachhead]

Very cool- I was lucky enough to do some work in Anchorage a few years back and it is one beautiful place. Wish I could go back- maybe we can do the cruise thing one of these days. Lucky dog!!

[Spudman]

Blooz...are you going to come back ever? I know if I was seeing all the great sights you are I would try to find a way to stay there. I bet you are having a ball.:AOK:

[Robert]

Bet that's an awesome trip! Hope to see some photos later.

Good to see your addiction to the Fret is still strong - taking the effort to post here even though you're on such a fun trip. Admit it, you are a Fret Junkie!

[SuperSwede]

Nice one Blooz! Let us know where they have good local beer!

[Katastrophe]

That's awesome, Blooz! I hope you and Mrs. Blooz have a great time...

The real question is, how many guitars did you build and / or refinish while you were there?:poke: :D

[M29]

Blooz! My huntin buddy and his wife are up there on a cruise right now too. I wish I would have known I would have introduced you to them, they might be setting right next to you. Their last name is Bagget.

My wife and I have always wanted to go on that cruise especially to Denali Park.

Clips or pics man or you didn't go:poke: I know I know they are coming:D What a great opportunity:AOK:

M29

[tot_Ou_tard]

Cool Beans Blooz.

Don't let your wife catch you talking gear with passengers.

[Bloozcat]

Well, we're finally back...

It is a verrryyy long trip from Fairbanks, AK to West Palm Beach, FL. Our flight left Faibanks at 1:00am local time Thursday morning (5-hours later than EDT), and we didn't arrive at WPB until 11:00pm EDT last night. That means that with all the time changes included, we didn't sleep at all on wednesday night, and went about 41 hours total with only cat naps on the plane(s) and in the airports. As seems to be the norm today, we were delayed for five hours in Atlanta waiting for our last leg of the flight home. I'm a bit of a zombie today, but, I'm home and still have the weekend before returning to work.


To describe Alaska in a word would be impossible. But, vast, incredible, astonishing, amazing, fantastic, and just plain cool, might be a good start. We saw whales, orcas, porpoise, seals, sea otters, salmon, and more Bald Eagles than I've ever seen in one place...and that was before we even left the ship. We saw about ten glaciers total, flying over and around some on a float plane, cruising up to others on the cruise ship & an excursion boat, and hiking up to others on foot. We saw Moose, Caribou, but disappointingly, no bears. I've seen plenty of black and smaller brown bears in the wild, but never a Grizzly. I guess that means that we'll just have to go back again!

I caught some salmon, and a couple of grayling on two seperate fishing trips, and lost a couple more grayling in the process as well (catch and release fly fishing).

I drank gallons of Alaskan Amber and IPA, and found another fantastic micro brew IPA at a place in Anchorage called The Brew House. We ate way too much on the cruise ship (oh, what a surprise!), and downed many bottles of wine as well.

Holland America Lines is a first class operation. I'd highly recommend them to anyone thinking about an Alaska cruise. We liked them so much that we're already considering another trip with them possibly to the fijords in Norway, the Greek Isles, or elsewhere.

I've got about 290 pics to sort through and save before I'll be ready to post any, but there are some really good ones in the mix. Although the pics are beautiful, they still can't capture the dimension and panorama that you see when you view it first hand. Plus, they don't allow you to feel the air, or smell the sea and the forrests.

[warren0728]

welcome back.....my parents have been to alaska and just loved it....definitely on my list of must see places....looking forward to some pics!

ww