Lee Moore from Irving, TX: “My wife and I did a cruise to Alaska on July 15 out of Seattle. Loved every moment! Sure a lot cooler than Dallas, TX. In Ketchikan, we took a floatplane trip – which I can highly recommend. The flight was into the Misty Fjords National Park. We even landed on one of the lakes and got out on land for a short time. Our pilot, the business owner was a lady with 20 yrs. plus experience in Alaska. Her name is Michelle.”

Bill Jones: “Last year, I returned to Alaska on September 3 and covered the area from Anchorage to ‘NORTH POLE’ (a town near Fairbanks) by car. I also discovered that tying oneself to a three-week car rental is the WORST way to see Alaska. I know the cruise is beautiful, but probably full of geriatrics (you see them getting off of Princess busses when they arrive in Anchorage). The real Alaskans are a whole other people: youthful, intelligent, pleasant and COMPUTER LITERATE. Hell, what else do you do when the days shrink to two hours of sunlight?”

Gregory Gooden: “I’ve been TWICE to Alaska’s Inside Passage. You MUST do the Helicopter tour over Hubbard glacier (the LONG tour). They land on a few glaciers, land on a gorgeous NON-glacier mountain with a view of everything that “god” gave our planet. It’s beautiful and a MUST-SEE! I hope the Tuesday Hubbard Glacier is the flight I speak of. BTW, there’s also a cute “small airplane flight” from Juneau that leads to a Canoe trip where they give you waterproof clothes and you and several others row (in a canoe) to the BASE of a glacier (where it meets a lake).. Great time! Have a great trip! I sure did! (Twice; Celebrity and Princess)”

Kent: “Sorry, I was sleeping before you started your vacation or I would have advised you to take a surge protector (not enough outlets), possibly a small night light, a sling purse for Ponzi (for the room key, etc.), And if you think the Hubbard Glacier was great, then take HAL’s cruise tour to include Denali and see the Glacier Bay and College Fiord. Great!”

Charlie Burkey Jr.: “It’s always raining in Ketchikan – or about to rain. They get 13 feet of rainfall a year. Did you make it to Ray Troll’s art gallery? There are few sights more awesome than a tidewater glacier that is calving off chunks of ice. Hubbard glacier was named long before L. Ron Hubbard was born. Knew you would enjoy Alaska!”

Jan Nieman: “I see by your schedule that you will be in Ketchikan for a few hours. I just want to let you know that you will not find friendlier people anywhere. I lived there for 2 years in the early 70’s and my son was lucky enough to be born there. Plus, my ex still resides there with his new wife. I know things have changed in 30+ years but friends and family who travel there still say the same about the folks there. Friendly and helpful all the way. Stories I could tell you about being from the lower 48 and going up there at the age of 19 and enjoying marriage and a baby in all that beauty. One more thing, visit historic Creek Street which used to be their Red Light District. But whatever you do, ENJOY.”

Keith Thompson: “Your weather sounds exactly like what we had in our visit to the great state of Alaska. I did go fishing while in Ketchikan and had 40 lbs of Salmon fillets sent home. My wife did the same as yours, make sure that the credit cards function. I hope your experience with Alaska is as rewarding as ours. We were there just a bit later than you and took advantage of the last tour of the season to obtain fantastic bargains (70% off on many things). I think that some of the photos I have show the best scenery that we have seen in our many trips both in the US and abroad.”

Bill: “I’m visiting Alaska myself. Been here in Anchorage for three weeks. I came by land, so I don’t have any ideas for you other than here in Anchorage. Restaurants. You’ll hear about Frumpy’s and the Glacier Brewhouse. Went into Glacier on Saturday and the wait was too long (make a reservation if that is your choice). Ending up having a great meal a few doors down at Ristorante Orso. More expensive, but very good food. The Smoked Salmon Chowder is wonderful.”

• Alaska Photos
• Victoria, Victoria
• Catch Me, Ketchikan
• The Alaskan Adventure Continues
• A Morning on the Cruise
• Alaska, Ho!
• Our Alaska Cruise Schedule
• The Gnome is Cruising Alaska
• What can You do in Alaska?
• Pluggd Keeps Us Plugged In

I’m disappointed. I mean, here we are in Alaska, and Ted Stevens has not stopped by to say hello. That’s the least he could do for me, considering CNN put the InterTubes bLaugh in one of their segments the other day! I was sorting through my spam remotely (through VNC to my home computer) when I saw a message from captured the video for me to see it second-hand. The quality isn’t amazing, but it seems that in the broadcast, they kept our sponsor’s message (the GoDaddy coupon code “bLaugh”) intact. Freakin’ sweet! I wonder if we’re anywhere near Ted’s place today?

Ponzi couldn’t wait to hit Ketchikan today, although her window for shopping will be relatively short. We docked in the early morning hours and will be departing before 1pm. I’ve been playing the “lazy card” for most of this week, and today is no exception. I could hear the seaplanes buzzing a few hundred feet away, but that wasn’t enough to wake me from my slumber. It’s a bit overcast in this port, which is exactly how I like it. I’m chilling in the ship’s library right now (though it’s far from quiet here). Ponzi’s on shore, no doubt looking for sales and specials and more ways to ensure that our suitcases will get the honorable “HEAVY” tag slapped upon them before transport. I’m just glad she didn’t force me to tag along; I really can’t stand shopping if I don’t know what I want or have nothing specific to attain. She, on the other hand, has some kind of “buy” instinct. Is there a pill for that?

We’ll be back in Seattle on Saturday morning. The concierge asked if the latest departure time would be okay. 10am? Fine by me. We’re honestly in no rush. That said, I’m very much looking forward to returning to an “always on” Internet connection. I’m thankful that Pluggd stepped in to sponsor our connectivity while on board Holland America’s Oosterdam, but those moments are fleeting. It’ll be far better to post photos after I’ve had a chance to sort through them and pick out the best ones. The text summations are sufficient, considering we really haven’t done many touristy things in Alaska. I almost wish we could stay another week. Almost.

• Alaska Vacation Help
• Alaska Photos
• Victoria, Victoria
• The Alaskan Adventure Continues
• A Morning on the Cruise
• Alaska, Ho!
• Our Alaska Cruise Schedule
• Pluggd Keeps Us Plugged In
• The Gnome is Cruising Alaska
• What can You do in Alaska?