Dress Like an Onion! If You're a Kid, Dress Like a Cocktail Onion! Alaska 7/3-7/10 COMPLETE!

[TestingH2O]

July 6 Part 2 - Time is Relative

An alternative title for this chapter could be me correcting the order that we did things. Hey, I told you I had to wake up early that day!

Anyway, before we got to Tutsi lake, we passed this hillside with the long pipe running down it.



That pipe supplies the water for the town. It is almost all snow melt. Another thing about Skagway is that it has a road out. Most of the coastal towns don't have roads out so you would have to fly or take a ferry if you wanted to leave.

Our first stop was on the US side. It was a small water fall.



The water color indicates it is glacier runoff.



Then the kids started trying to skip rocks. It was fun then they decided to see who could "skip" the biggest rock.






I can't believe I got that photo!

After the creek, we headed back to the bus.



Wild blueberries. We didn't eat them.



Woah. How did that happen?

Tutshi from the beach.



Look at how clear the water is!



This was also the first scavenger hunt location. To access the prize, the kids had to answer the clue. For bonus points they could do a challenge. Here it was to build an inuksuk. This is something people of the First Nations built to communicate with each other. (The rock formation from the Alaska sign an example of an inuksuk.) Emily told us a lot about the First Nation people at this stop.



Ok. All caught up.

Next up - Sled Dogs!

 

[TestingH2O]

July 6 Part 3 - Sled Dogs!



As we left Tutshi lake, DD lost her hat to a tree. She didn't even notice but I grabbed it before we left.

We saw some more amazing scenery along the way to the Tutshi Camp. Michelle Phillips, an Iditarod racer, trains her dogs here.



When we arrived, Dyea Dave had a group finishing up so we had a wait time of about 20 minutes. The folks at the camp told Emily that a big group was on the way though, so we decided to wait. It certainly wasn't a hardship.



There were puppies to pet.



Good photo ops.



A nice presentation on what it's like to actually run the race. DD was fascinated with the sled. She asked so many questions. The woman was from Europe and she told me that DD was like sled crazy kids at home. She suggested I get her a sled. I didn't think I should tell her we really had no snow last year.

There was also a tire swing. Emily pushed the girls and played all kinds of fun games with them.





While we were hanging out, I saw several people I recognized from on board, but I'm pretty sure they had booked Dave privately not through DCL. The other group appeared to be having a nice time but there were probably 20 people and, honestly, I thought Emily seemed like more fun to be around than Dave. He was just sitting around whereas Emily was interacting with us all day.



As dogs finished their runs, they got hooked up under these shelter where they could drink water and stand in sprayers.

Soon it was our turn for a ride. DD and I went as well as the other family. My parents opted to stay behind.





Michelle Phillips drove the team and was a lot of fun to talk to about racing. She was also really good at answering the kids' questions. At one point the dogs were able to go in a creek while still harnessed. That was fun to see. While we obviously didn't have snow, I feel like she was better able to talk and answer questions in this type of training environment.

After we got back, a HUGE bus pulled in as we walked back to our vehicle. I can't imagine all those people in the space. I was glad to be in our much smaller tour.

Next up - Wildlife and Lunch

 

[TestingH2O]

July 6 Part 4 - Our first wildlife and more Yukon

As we left the dog sled camp, the other mom saw some mountain goats on on the cliffs beside the road.



Aren't they cute? They were very playful.

At this point we were definitely ready for a lunch break. Most tours stop in Carcross for lunch at one of the restaurants. But those places often get very crowded during the high season so Beyond Skagway suggested that we order box lunches ahead of time from Glacier Smoothies in Skagway. We had the option of either a sandwich or a snack box with cheese, crackers, etc. My parents and I got sandwiches and I ordered a snack box for DD. It was a great amount of food. The tour company picked up the food before meeting us.

So, we had our lunches and just needed a spot. Emily spotted a camp ground so we pulled in there. Wow, it was perfect! There was a brand new playground and a nice restroom for us to use. The kids all played while Emily set the table with a cute tablecloth, napkins, and our food. We all ate and then the kids played some more. We took about an hour break, but we all enjoyed ourselves. Plus, it was a perfect weather day.

After lunch, we continued on towards Emerald Lake.



We stopped at the Yukon sign.

Then it was on to Emerald Lake.



Amazing.



A sign explaining how the colors appear.



Family photo.

In addition to the caches of prizes, the scavenger hunt also included some tasks like building the inuksuk by Lake Tutshi. It also asked the kids to do yoga by Emerald Lake. Luckily Emily was used to be a yoga instructor.





As we were about to leave the DCL bus arrived. I could see the sign in the window.



It was packed.

Photo limit reached.

Next Up - Two unexpected surprises

 

[Lesley Wake]

Your daughter is just cute as a button! I love her wide mouth smile!

 

[kid-at-heart]

Most tours stop in Carcross for lunch at one of the restaurants.

In 2015, we rented a jeep from "Green Jeep" company and drove up to Emerald Lake and about the area. We did grab a bite in Carcross. It was expensive for what we had and the food was nothing to remember. I think you got a much better deal with Glacial Smoothies. I will have to keep the name in our travel notes in case we decide to take another Alaska trip. Love seeing your daughter and her yoga poses. Perfect age to start yoga.

Kate

 

[TestingH2O]

July 6 Part 5 - Two surprises

Who thinks of the desert when you think of Alaska or the Yukon? Who thinks of sandy deserts? If you answered that you do, then you're way ahead of me. Carcross has a tiny desert. Actually it goes back and forth between being a desert and just being sand dunes. To be classified as a desert, you have to have less than 10 inches of rain per year. Most years, it qualifies. But sometimes they get a bit more. So interesting.



As I mentioned, the weather was amazing, so the kids all kicked off their shoes and completed the next task: run up a sand dune in the desert.



They found the next prize cache.



And then took some more time to run in the sand.



As we were leaving Carcross, we got to see an elk.



We saw the White Pass train loading and then, it was back to the US.



I don't know what the bus in front of us was doing, but he took forever. Maybe he had non-US guests whose passports needed to be checked more thoroughly. Who knows. But once it was our turn it was super fast.

Then, we got surprise #2. As we drove, we saw a bus stopped. Emily knew this usually meant good wildlife viewing so we all kept our eyes peeled. And there it was!



A bear!

When we came across him, all the kids and my dad were asleep, but we had no qualms about waking them. My dad was hilarious because when he woke up he literally goes "What? Huh? Bear?!?"





We don't know what was underneath that rock, but this guy was determined to get it. Emily said he was definitely not full grown, but let me tell you, I was still glad to be in the van.

Then it was back to Skagway. Emily gave us all options in terms of dropoff. Our family opted to go back to the ship since it was Frozen night and we knew DD needed to rest a bit more if she was going to make it through that and dinner. The mom and daughters chose to be dropped off in town to shop. Emily took the dad back to his ship and offered to wait for him to grab their laundry then take him to the laundromat. HA doesn't have guest laundry, so this was one of their only chances to do it.

So we all said our goodbyes and headed back on to the Wonder.

It was now about 3:30. That means our 7 hour tour turned into 8 hours. Now, I know people worry about private tour companies getting them back late to the ship, but I want to emphasize that this extra time was very thoughtful. The first thing Emily did was check what our all aboard times were. She wrote them down and was very clear when we had to be back. Neither ship left until dinner time though, so it really wasn't a concern. She also made very conscious decisions to stay longer at the stops where the kids were playing. I KNOW we spent longer at lunch than they normally do. This unhurried attitude that focused on our enjoyment more than her hourly pay rate made such a difference. I strongly believe that this approach only comes from business that focuses on that as a culture. If you want a Skagway excursion that focuses on seeing the beauty of nature in the area, I don't think you could ask for a better option.

Next Up - Naptime and Frozen Night

 

[TestingH2O]

Wasn't Shinde great? We were very happy with him.

Oh my goodness. I told multiple officers that he really set a bar for room hosts. A lady in Guest Services knew him too for always being so on top of it. I hope he is enjoying his vacation right now.

Still, it looks absolutely stunning!!!

Sad yes, but still amazing. I can't imagine how much it will change in just a couple more years.

All these wonderful Alaska trip reports are giving me cruise jitters to press the button and book one.

It's been on my list for a omg time and this trip really did manage to exceed expectations.

the part where she has to show the characters that she can sign her name too tugged on the ol' "my kids are getting too old" heartstrings.

I have to remind myself that this will pass and I'll be sad when it does.

Your DD is darling and your pics are beautiful!

Thank you so much.

Haha that photo of her on the guard rail is giving me all sorts of heart flutters

My mom and dad about lots their minds. I didn't tell DH because he's the biggest worrier of all of us.

Your daughter is just cute as a button! I love her wide mouth smile!

Thank you so much. She's so much fun.

Love seeing your daughter and her yoga poses. Perfect age to start yoga.

She does some at school and loves it. I love that it helps her get a little centered when the wildness takes over.

 

[bcwife76]

Wow, that sounds like a really fabulous tour. We have booked all our excursions for Alaska through DCL and now I'm wondering if we've made a mistake Oh well, I'm sure they will be good. I think next cruise we should venture on our own a bit....

Those puppies are sooooo cute. Betcha your DD wanted to sneak one under her coat for home Sounds like your guide was just wonderful!

Look at the colours of Emerald Lake! Stunning!!

I only knew that Carcross was an actual desert with sand about a year ago from reading a TR last year

 

[Timon]

I'm located in Alberta, not far from scenery like that found in your awesome pics so I don't necessarily want to do the Alaskan cruise for the scenery but man I would love to do a cruise and not feel like I am going to pass out from the heat

Great pics, looks like a fun excursion!

I've been reading tons of Alaska trip reports to get prepared

Thanks again for sharing your awesome adventures with us

 

[TestingH2O]

July 6 Part 6 - "Nap Time" & Frozen Night

The gangway had been moved to Deck
3 when we returned to the Wonder. I guess the tide had gone out. Even though it was a very pleasant day, we availed ourselves of the hot chocolate waiting for us.

We all headed back to our rooms and I got DD showered and changed into her Elsa dress. There was no main stage show tonight because of the deck party. Instead, they were showing Cars 3 in both theaters. DD wanted to see the movie and so did my dad. So, while he and my mom had some down time, I took her to see characters.

First up was Stitch who we caught on his way to his meeting spot.



The atrium had very nice decorations and they did a May pole but DD didn't want to participate. They do May Day at school each year, but only the oldest class gets to do the actual weaving of the pole.





I have to say the CM characters were pretty cheesy for this even by Disney standards.

A really cool thing this afternoon was that Mickey & Minnie and Donald & Daisy were doing couples photos.





She LOVED this group hug.

I dropped DD off with my parents at the Buena Vista theater to watch Cars and I went upstairs to try the famous schwarma. I took it back to my room to eat while I watched Princess and the Frog and cleaned up. The schwarma was very good but I wish I'd gone back again to try different options.

Then I had my "nap time" in the Promenade Lounge. I had the same servers again. Today they suggested an ecotini. It was delicious. I updated all my travel journal and did some reading. I also enjoyed talking to the servers for a while about their lives on the ship and why they chose the Wonder. They also suggested I go up to the deck show early because I could get a nice view of the whole town.

After my down time, I took their advice and headed up on deck to take photos of Skagway.



You really can see the whole town!



There's the Noordam that our excursion partners were sailing on.



That's the first time I've seen them closing the pool.

I also ran to the spa. DD had been biting off her nail polish and I wanted to see if I could get a cotton ball with some remover. The manger was there and he soaked several pieces for me and put them in cups to make sure they didn't dry out. Then he told me to call if I couldn't get all the polish off and he would send someone to finish removing it since he didn't want her nails to be damaged. Wow. Talk about going above and beyond!

At this point I met my parents and DD for the show. She was tired and a bit crabby but she did really like it. Plus it snowed!



During the show my mom got to feeling very unwell. She tried to find a place to sit down but all the chairs were taken. My dad asked a CM to get her one but the person said they weren't allowed to because of the show. I know my dad was very frustrated by that response. He took her back to their room to rest and she ended up skipping dinner.

The rest of us headed to Tiana's for the Frozen menu. I had the scallops (very good,) the boar (good,) and the Olaf dome (very good.) DD went to the clubs after eating her dinner. I did not have any wine or anything with dinner because I thought I might fall asleep at the table. The early morning had really caught up to me. We took mom a steak from the lighter menu.

The dining room tonight was VERY quiet. Everyone seemed exhausted. Rolly and Miguel said that most people have their longest excursions in Skagway so it's not uncommon for this night to be so subdued. I also saw one table come to dinner almost an hour late. Who does that?!?

After Dad and I finished eating, I grabbed DD and we headed straight to bed.



Tomorrow would be another early and busy day.

Next Up - Juneau

 

[TestingH2O]

Wow, that sounds like a really fabulous tour. We have booked all our excursions for Alaska through DCL and now I'm wondering if we've made a mistake Oh well, I'm sure they will be good. I think next cruise we should venture on our own a bit....

You'll have a great time! It's only because I read so many trip reports that I even considered booking privately. Also, with DD only being 5, DCL didn't provide as many options. This was especially true in Juneau.

I would love to do a cruise and not feel like I am going to pass out from the heat

I wondered how I would feel about a "cold weather" cruise, but I really enjoyed it!

 

[bcwife76]

Aww I hope your mom was feeling ok later on!
Frozen night (on deck) looks fun, looking forward to it.

Confession: I looked at the Frozen menu online as many people complained they didn't like it and after looking it over I pre-emptively decided I wouldn't like it either (too bad dh lol) and booked Palo for that night

 

[TestingH2O]

Confession: I looked at the Frozen menu online as many people complained they didn't like it and after looking it over I pre-emptively decided I wouldn't like it either (too bad dh lol) and booked Palo for that night

Whispering I had a hard time finding anything to order and didn't love it. I would have preferred the pirate menu. I'm thinking Palo was a good choice.

 

[bbn1122]

Great report! Looking forward to the rest.

Thinking of Alaska for the next family cruise.

DH and I have a couple of NYC a cruises coming up just for the two of us. Our sons are older.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[tink1970]

I also saw one table come to dinner almost an hour late. Who does that?!?

We saw this on our cruise this summer in Europe. I think it was primarily late returns from excursions plus first time cruisers who think they have to eat in the assigned MDR. I'd hate to think there are that many intentionally inconsiderate people!

That's the first time I've seen them closing the pool.

I lost count of how many times the pools were closed down on our summer trip. SMH...

Whispering I had a hard time finding anything to order and didn't love it

I found this on many nights. I never thought I was a picky eater but by the end was just ordering chicken fingers and mac and cheese I applaud DCL trying to mix things up but sometimes the execution isn't great. Fortunately there is always ice cream!

 

[Jess_S]

I'm really enjoying your report. So glad you got into Tracy Arm on your scenic sailing day. That was such a highlight for us on our Alaska trip (though the whole cruise from start to finish was great). I'm jealous of your camera's superior zoom. Our seal photos all look like nondescript blobs.

Your Skagway excursion looked wonderful; such pretty pictures. It's nice to see how the guide engaged the kids.

 

[TestingH2O]

July 7 Part 1 - Juneau

Clearly I will not get this trip report finished before school starts, but I do still want to finish it because it was so much fun. Thanks for all of you sticking with me.



It was another very early morning. Super happy Mickey called at 5:30 to get me out of my cozy bed. I had pre ordered room service breakfast. DD was still sleeping even after they delivered it. If I thought she'd been less than thrilled about getting up for Skagway, today was even more of a struggle. We made it though and we were off the ship before 7:00.

For Juneau, we decided to do the Captain's Choice Whale Watching trip with Rum Runners. We picked this company due to recommendations and ratings on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. We met Chris and his dog Brandi at 6:55. As we drove to the docks, Chris told us about himself and Juneau. He also pointed out the glacier and some other geology in the area. When we parked at the dock area, we walked to the ship. Chris had us take special note of the beach and the pillars because the tide was out.



Those are all muscles that had stuck to the pillars when it was under water.

As we walked we spotted a junveile eagle and Brandi thought she might be able to chase it. Chris reminded her she was a wuss. Then we boarded the boat and met the deck hand Daniel.



Before we set sail, we went through the safety speech. DD was a little squirmy so Brandi helped her stay still.



No, there was no aggression. DD laid down on top of Brandi's foot and the dog just moved it out from under her.

Then we set sail. By 8:15 we saw a humpback breech. It was so amazing. It happened so fast though that I didn't get a photo.

We were the first boat out so Chris started looking for whales. He said he'd seen a group bubble net feeding the day before so we went toward where they had been seen.



We passed this beautiful lighthouse.

Then we found the group.



Whales are identified by their flukes and then catalogued. Chris was very excited because he recognized Nacho Libre.



We enjoyed looking at the book of whales while we watched.



I caught a glimpse at of this fluke framing the second ship that had left the dock to start their whale watch trip.



In an effort to figure out where the whales would surface next, we looked for seagulls.



I also tried to master my timing.

Coming Up: I figure out the timing!

 

[TestingH2O]

July 7 Part 2 - Photographing Wildlife

Man, taking pictures of wildlife is hard. Getting the timing just right takes lots of trial and error. Getting a still life is much easier.



But then, DD saw the tell tale spouts and I was ready.





If you're like me, it's hard to tell what you're looking at here. It's their mouths! They are wide open to gather up as much fish as they possibly can!









So that's a frame by frame progress of what happens when they come up for this group feeding. It was totally incredible.

At this point, we'd been watching the same group for a while and NOAA has specific regulations about how long you can watch one group. So we moved on to see what else we could find.

Up Next - We Get Something Really Exciting

 

[Lesley Wake]

July 7 Part 1 - Juneau

Clearly I will not get this trip report finished before school starts, but I do still want to finish it because it was so much fun. Thanks for all of you sticking with me.

View attachment 261914

It was another very early morning. Super happy Mickey called at 5:30 to get me out of my cozy bed. I had pre ordered room service breakfast. DD was still sleeping even after they delivered it. If I thought she'd been less than thrilled about getting up for Skagway, today was even more of a struggle. We made it though and we were off the ship before 7:00.

For Juneau, we decided to do the Captain's Choice Whale Watching trip with Rum Runners. We picked this company due to recommendations and ratings on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. We met Chris and his dog Brandi at 6:55. As we drove to the docks, Chris told us about himself and Juneau. He also pointed out the glacier and some other geology in the area. When we parked at the dock area, we walked to the ship. Chris had us take special note of the beach and the pillars because the tide was out.

View attachment 261916

Those are all muscles that had stuck to the pillars when it was under water.

As we walked we spotted a junveile eagle and Brandi thought she might be able to chase it. Chris reminded her she was a wuss. Then we boarded the boat and met the deck hand Daniel.

View attachment 261917

Before we set sail, we went through the safety speech. DD was a little squirmy so Brandi helped her stay still.

View attachment 261915

No, there was no aggression. DD laid down on top of Brandi's foot and the dog just moved it out from under her.

Then we set sail. By 8:15 we saw a humpback breech. It was so amazing. It happened so fast though that I didn't get a photo.

We were the first boat out so Chris started looking for whales. He said he'd seen a group bubble net feeding the day before so we went toward where they had been seen.

View attachment 261921

We passed this beautiful lighthouse.

Then we found the group.

View attachment 261919

Whales are identified by their flukes and then catalogued. Chris was very excited because he recognized Nacho Libre.

View attachment 261920

We enjoyed looking at the book of whales while we watched.

View attachment 261922

I caught a glimpse at of this fluke framing the second ship that had left the dock to start their whale watch trip.

View attachment 261924

In an effort to figure out where the whales would surface next, we looked for seagulls.

View attachment 261925

I also tried to master my timing.

Coming Up: I figure out the timing!

Oohh, I love humpback whales! I was in Hawaii at the end of January during their birthing/mating seasons and you could see their blowholes and breaching from the shore. I spent many hours just relaxing on the beach/pool loungers watching them (as my sunburnt legs will attest to). I also went out on 2 tours. One we found a mom and baby, and the baby came almost up to the boat because he was so curious. Then the second time we found a group of 2 males fighting over a female-it was amazing to watch them jump out of the water and try to whack the other on the head! They were speeding so fast the boat had to go at full speed to keep up!

They did talk about the unique tail markings and said people in Arctic can recognize the whales since they return to the same area each year. Unfortunately in Hawaii there are just too many and all at once they can't recognize them!

 

[tink1970]

Man, taking pictures of wildlife is hard.

I feel your pain... did a Vancouver trip with the sole intention of seeing orca. Of literally 100 photos, 1 is good and 3 are meh. It was an amazing experience however. On our AK trip I was of course in the bathroom when we had the best views so no awesome humpback shots for me...