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Alaska!!


2life
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Very exceited!!

I would LOVE some suggestions! We are flying into Anchorage middle of Sept... we can spend one day.. or 10.........

rent a car? head north? south? east or west? take the Marine Hwy? Alaska rail?

what NOT to miss?

Trying to do it as lest as expensive as possible!

Johnny Lingo... (or anyone/everyone else!!)..... if ya have the time any ideas would be GREATLY apreciated!!! Thank you!! thank you!!

Janet

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I am SOOOO jealous!

A couple we know at church just got back from a two week vacation, inside passage cruise, car rental and drove around. There are only 4 highways in the entire extremely large state. You might want to drive up the coast if that is at all possible.

Actually, I'm pretty glad you are going a year or so before we do, so's we can get some handy travel trips from our favorite expert.

You do have a camera, don't you?

And ditto for coming to Columbus, now that I am allegedly part time employed.

WG

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Hey there 2Life!

C'mon up for shore! You'd be more than welcom here in Juneau, and I'd be glad to give you the Inside Tour. Except, I think you are going to be way north of where I live. I live way down in Juneau, in Southeast Alaska. However, Temple Lady lives right there in Anchorage, and would no doubt be a fun person to spend some time with, or at least get some info from. I know her from way back in the old days here in AK with The Way.

But, should you decide to make the trip down from Anchorage, and take the Alaska Marine Highway state ferry down to Washington State, you would be passing through Juneau, AND, be treated to some of the most spectacular scenery you will ever lay your eyes on. The trip through the Inside Passage where I live is simply awesome, in the true sense of the word. Keep us posted! :)

Jonny Lingo

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SOoooooo many choices! I just look at the map of Alaska and drool!

Its almost ovewrwhelming!!!

Johnny Lingo.........your enthusiam for Alaska is contagious!

Defiitly will spend time on the Alaska Marine Hwy......! Now which direction?!!

Since I work for USAir........Anchorage is the only place I can fly into for free so I guess we will start from there!

(last week I got so tired of 100 degree temp we got on a plane to Philly...it was rainey and 72 degrees.....wandered/ate our way through Center City... came home that afternoon)

Janet

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Okay, you fly into Anchorage, and do the sights there. If you have time and money, book a tour of Denali National Park. That is where the tallest Mountain in North America sits, 20,320 feet above sea level. There are many wildlife viewing opportunities there. Wolves, bears, foxes, moose, and caribou.

Then, after all of that, if you have time, a trip down to the Kenai Peninsula, where I once lived for two years. It is also a major blessing. On the Kenai Peninsula, fly to Homer, and book a charter on a halibut fishing boat. Check the smaller airlines to see if your "mother company" has connections with them.

And then, get you down to Haines, Alaska, where I still own a house, and ride the Alaska Marine Highway ferry all the way to Bellingham, Washington where you can then get to SEATAC and then home. I am going to Haines this Labor Day weekend to work on my house there and get it ready to rent out. We'll put my truck on, and our Honda Mini 50, a bunch of tools, kids, sleeping bags, and we'll have a fine time "camping out" in our unoccupied house which will be fun. I'll also be playing my harmonica at the Pioneer Bar during Haines's own summertime "Mardi Gras" festival. And so, that'll be cool. And, rest assured, my wife and I will be on an air mattress! Or, just fly to Juneau, the only major airport in Southeast AK, and then you can get on the ferry from here. The drive from Anchorage to Haines is awesome though, if you have the time and moolah to rent a car and do the drive. And remember, if you do that, you'll be crossing into Canadia, where there are border crossing concerns to deal with, passport, etc. Hey! Get out an Atlas! Maps! And, there is a book called Alaska Mileposts" (Google it!) which will tell you mucho. And, if you are brave enough, check out the book "Alaska Bear Tales". You have to have a strong stomach to read through that one though. But the truth is, we live with those concerns all spring, summer and fall long.

Anyhoo, hope that helps!

Kevin

Edited by Jonny Lingo
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Since I work for USAir........

snip

(last week I got so tired of 100 degree temp we got on a plane to Philly...it was rainey and 72 degrees.....wandered/ate our way through Center City... came home that afternoon)

Janet

WELL.... USAir(ways) IS headquartered in Tempe, AZ (just about 3 miles from my house)... BUT... there's that pesky 100 degree weather we have to deal with for about 6 months every year. :) :dance:

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Jonny's right about the passport into (and especially out of) Canada.

It's a bit *mucked up* right now (because of the backlog (sp?) in D.C.,

but my understanding is (read IMO here), one needs AT LEAST a receipt

showing they have applied for a passport.

I can't go and visit friends of mine in Thunder Bay, Ontario (these days),

without that piece of paper. I wouldn't be allowed back into the U.S.

And that's by automobile. I'm thinking the flying laws are more stringent.

Make SURE you check out the passport laws first. :)

*The Times -- They Are A'Changin* :(

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What an amazing thought..............that SOMEPLACE on this planet its a cool 58 degrees!!

Thanks for the info! Until this week Alaska had never been on my 'radar' so to speak............HOW that happened I don't know!!

This might take more than a few trips 'up there'!

This time (as per your suggestion)... Anchorage..and the Alaska Ferry System toward the Kenai Peninsula............

We travel cheap...somewhere between the backpacking and Best Western Range! Unless Priceline.com comes through!

Rocky......geeesssshhhh... we could have met for a beer/coffee several times! Unless I can get a direct flight to somewhere from CLT... ALL roads lead to PHX!

dmiller........its a good thing we only have to go through that passport process every 10 yrs!

sent my passport away in March for renewal... NOTHING changed.....not my address..not even my phone number........... STILL did not get it back until JULY. ALMOST 5 months!!

About this USAir thing........if a body retires after working for them for 5 yrs...........and over the age of 50.....(and I passed THAT milestone years ago!) lifetime flying benifits. Three more years is a small price to pay!

And ... I drive a golf cart in the airport! p/t :blink:

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2life:

Get out your map. You will have to drive down to the Kenai Peninsula. It is a three hour drive that takes you along a spectacular highway along an arm of the Cooke Inlet, and particularly along the Turnagin Arm, where you drive east, then "turn again" towrds the west and down into the Peninsula. One of the fun things to do is to drive down to Homer and have dinner at the Land's End Restaurant. And if you can't go halibut fishing, stick around and watch the charter boats come in and see the halibut come off the boats with all of the happy fishermen. You can also watch a guy fillet them there right on the Homer Spit. You can also view all of the "Spit Ratz" congregated there. Also down in Homer, you will see lots of eagles! But, for the record, the Alaska ferry system comes into Homer, but does not go there from Anchorage. You'll have to rent a car in Anchorage, or fly down on a single engine commuter plane, which is not too expensive. I think you'll have ablast getting some Northern Exposure!

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http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/alaska.htm

Okay. Here is what the situation looks like. You are going to Anchorage. The Kenai Peninsula is south of where you will be. Drive on down and have a look see. There is a caribou herd that is pretty "local" down there, and not too hard to find. Anyway, here is the map. It may appear here as a map, or, I will just have to re-post the URL Anyway, I look fwd to either seeing you, or of hearing of your adventures!

Kevin

Okay, you will just have to click on this, because I am incapable (it seems) of figuring out the mysteries of the internet!

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/alaska.html

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This will be the best trip ever!! Thanks!!!!!!

kevin... thanks for the links!! And the sugestions for dinner! Lands End. yep.. that sounds great!

Maps.. I love maps!!! Just holding an atlas increses my heart rate!!

Caribou Heard................now thats something ya don't see often!!

We did see heards of Buffalo a few weeks ago in WY/ SD though!

We are going to rent a car.....

From Charlotte we can either get to Alaska via Phoenix.........or Las Vegas. Hummmmm?? ... (sorry Rocky)... I suspect we will spend a day or two in Vegas!

Thanks again!!! and again!

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Rocky......geeesssshhhh... we could have met for a beer/coffee several times! Unless I can get a direct flight to somewhere from CLT... ALL roads lead to PHX!

WELL.... you know how to reach me here in cyberspace (PMs), if you ever plan on having much of a wait for connecting flights at Sky Harbor... I'm retired, so there's a good chance I'll be able to find time... with a little advance notice. :dance: Obviously, not so easy when your connecting flights are in LV.

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And then of course, there is the Salty Dawg Saloon! My business card is in there from Ages Ago. Look for my "Rock Of Ages Wallboard" business card there. But, you won't find it, because there are thousands and thousands of business cards all over those walls! But it's a fine place to have beers after coming in after commercial fishing for two weeks, that's fore shore, and just a fine place for anybody.

But ya know, when all of the bad news about The Way was happening, in 85/86 (POP blah blah), and I was having a major falling out with my LC, I just told my wife to tell my LC that "I go a fishing", and headed down to Homer and commercial fished on a halibut boat for two weeks. Homer was my "getaway, clear my head place",especially thhe Salty Dawg. There I spent some time, talking with "regular Americans", working guys and girls. People not encumbered with the mission I was on as a Corps guy. People not worried about the demise of America and Planet Earth because The Way International was cracking up. It holds special memories for me. Homer is a special place for me. And, man did we kill fish! We caught over fifteen thousand pounds of halibut, and my share was sunstantial. God blessed me during that time. And, here are some other links for ya. Enjoy!

http://www.terragalleria.com/america/alask...er/homer.3.html

http://www.terragalleria.com/america/alask...er/homer.2.html

http://www.terragalleria.com/america/alask...er/homer.4.html

http://www.city-data.com/picfilesv/picv6609.php

salty_dawg.jpg

Edited by Jonny Lingo
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  • 4 weeks later...

WOW!! What a place!!! Thanks for all the info.....and enthusiam!

We flew to Anchorage.........rented a car............spent the night..........had dinner at the Double Musky......which had the best... BEST... then BEST! Salmon I have ever even dreamed of!! Oh and Gwinettes (sp??) for breakfast was... GREAT!

We then drove down the Seward Hwy......... one of the most beautiful drives on the planet! The water... the snow capped mountains........the glaicers..........

This had to be peak weekend for the fall colors! Bright bright yellow!!

Paid our $12 to drive through the 2.5 mile (single lane ..train track) tunnel to Whitier AK.. which has to be the funkiest town I have ever been to!

Spent the night in Seward.........It was beautiful... cold (for us.. it just felt like winter comming!) That cold ocean mist at night. It was sooooo quiet!

drove back to Ancorage... flew home! (first class... I DO love this silly job!)

Took the red-eye from Las Vegas. Got in this morning (to HOT weather and severe drought)

I can't believe we did all this in about three days!

hummm...... I think we just get nuts sometimes.

It was really really nice!

We did not make it to Homer..............(actually we passed the turn and ended up in Seward instead!)

janet!!!

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Well Janet, so glad you had such a fine time! And so, you did get to do the Turnagain Arm it seems, and, the tunnel through to Wittier, cool! I moved from that part of the state before they built that tunnel. And Seward, wow, cool. And those fall colors on the Kenai Peninsula...Well, it's so beautiful, and...Wild! And so take care, and maybe next time you'll get to spend a little more time up here. And like it says at the Las Vegas airport when you leave; "Good bye, for now..."

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Ya know... I am probably one of the few people who get to Alaska w/o a camera!! I do have two postcards though!!!

Whittier Ak (SP??).... that town kind of facinates me. In the winter because of the mountains they get NO direct sunlight. The tunnel seems to be open 8:30 to 5 PM (winter hours) and other than what seems to be a LONG boat ride that tunnel is the ONLY way in and out!

The entire town lives in an old army building which are now condos. Now that part actually sounds like fun! It could be one big party all winter.... and no one has to drive!! The school building was right across the street from the house building.

OMG... it would take a 'special' person ... or a crazy person to stay there all winter!

This sounds like a reality show in the making!

Yep... great trip.

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Oh, I think you have the spelling of Whittier right. I probly got it wrong. Yeah, Alaska winters are something to live through with all of the months of darkness. I remember our winter "Street Dance" in Haines, AK. It was like a parade in the afternoon, but it was always dark by then. But with the snow on the ground and on the streets it lightened up some. One gal had one of these big old Chinese dragons made of some kind of fabric. It was at least twenty five feet long. And the towns kids would get in it and the lady would be at the head moving it up and down moving down the snowy street while the big old dragon head puffed smoke from it's mouth making the whole of Main Street all smoky and eery in the twilight of winter. People on the sidelines watching were also handed out these really smoky sparklers, smoking things up even more. And with a few hot toddies in the thermos and good friends to chat with, it was cool. Something to do to break up the long winter night. I'll bet they do fun things in the winter in Whittier also...

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That Dragon thing does sound fun!! What a memory for kids ...of all ages!

This woman in Seward talked about festivals during the winter.......like you (and she) said ... to keep from going nuts! In January they have the Polar Bear Swim.... yep... all bodies in the water raising money for charities.

dang... if the sun does not come out for two or three days in the South ... we get grumpy. If I lived in Alaska I would be offering sacrifices to the Sun God ... or Goddess!

I would probably be catipolting my fat as..sed naked body in the water come January....

janet

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I'm right there with you on the sunlight thing. Winter in the Seattle area was bad enough. When the sun broke through over one of the hills in Seattle, they'd actually announce it on the radio! "There's a sun-break over Queen Anne Hill right now, should last about half an hour!" I always imagined people rushing from their offices to stare out over the city at the little golden rays bathing a hill in the near distance.

It drove me nuts, though family didn't seem to mind. The one good part was very little snow and not terribly cold weather. The bad parts were rain, drizzle, gray skies, gray skies, gray skies, gray skies, not much daylight , drizzle, rain, and gray skies.

Did I mention the sun seldom shines and the skies are gray a lot?

WG

Edited by Watered Garden
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