Alaska - Day 6 - Glacier Bay Cruise 5/23/2011

Cloudbathing

This is the day of the Glacier Bay cruise and our opportunity to see several glaciers. The highlight was 250 foot high Margerie Glacier, at the far end of the bay, in Tarr Inlet. We got to see the glacier calve—twice! This is the process of the end of the glacier breaking off into the water; though we had seen this in documentaries, it was thrilling to hear the loud cracking sounds and the splash as the ice cracked as it moved and protruded over the water and the glacier could no longer hold the weight.

Dynamic Duo Aboard Ship

On the way into the bay, we stopped to pick up several Rangers who held televised (and in-person) classes on the natural wonders of the area. We were also able to view other glaciers on the way in and out of the bay, specifically, Lamplugh and Reid.

Margerie Glacier

Today, at dinner, we succeeded in switching from Anytime Dining—in any of 4 dining rooms—to the Traditional Plan. As you enter the restaurant, they always offer you anti-bacterial hand gel—they tried very hard to keep us healthy—and cheerfully ask, “Happy to Share?” We, equally cheerfully, always responded, “Table for two, please.” Normally, they accepted this with good grace; but, one breakfast, we were convinced they were punishing us for our exclusiveness—they took a very long time to take and then to deliver our orders, they did not refill our coffee, and my order came much later. We prefer eating alone, since we know we enjoy the company and it requires much less work than trying to make conversation with strangers.

In the Inland Passage, you always have a view of something from your balcony.

We didn’t like the seating arrangements for two in the Anytime Dining rooms: They were very close together; so, even when you sat across a small table from your partner, the people at the tables on either side of you were as much a part of your conversation as your traveling companion. The new arrangement allowed us to eat at a scheduled time and location—the International dining room. The price we paid was that we now ate at a table for eight with several other couples.

Cruising Glacier Bay

The couple from Southern California was very nice and we enjoyed chatting with them. We had very different tastes, however; whatever shows we liked, they did not; and vice-versa. We took in at least one show each night, either in the main theater or in the Explorers Lounge.

The first show was Do You Wanna Dance and was simply a music and dance extravaganza. My only complaint was that they cut some of the numbers short, just as I was beginning to enjoy them. The next night was I Got The Music and was also quite enjoyable. Perhaps my favorite was Piano Man, which featured numbers from the songbooks of Elton John, Billy Joel and Liberace.

We saw comedian Steve Moris one night; he managed to have me laughing on multiple occasions. Another night, we experienced the comedy and magic of Timm Metivier; some of his tricks were so (intentionally) lame, they were laugh out loud funny; others were genuinely puzzling. The final comedy variety act was by Alfred & Seymour, two hilarious high-energy black men that extemporaneously insulted almost everyone, especially themselves. I think some cruisers would have left but were afraid they would be picked on and, so, remained seated.

Still Cruising

One couple was from Canada. They had boarded as part of a repositioning of the Diamond Princess and had boarded in Shanghai and crossed the Pacific prior to meeting us in Whittier. She was pleasant and interesting; but, he was not much interested in conversation. They were already bored with the entertainment, since the performers had already begun to repeat shows. He was even bored with us, falling asleep over dinner one night.

We are not alone: A sister Princess ship

The third couple was absent more than present, probably a blessing for all of us. The first night the wife was ill and never appeared, while the husband—from Eastern Europe—was fairly confrontational in his interrogations; for some reason, he did not seem to like my answers to his questions. The one evening when the wife did show up, she looked ill, seemed distracted, and spoke not a word. Do you wonder why we kept to ourselves?

Close-Up of Margerie Glacier

Leaving Marjorie Glacier

There are many outsiders that actively try to halt every natural resource development project in Alaska. Many of these same people have never even been to Alaska, yet they claim to know what's best for us. ~ Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Senator [This may be code for drill, baby, drill. Resources were ruthlessly plundered in Alaska for a good many years with no practical oversight at all.]

Alaska - Day 5 - Hubbard Glacier, Almost 5/22/2011

First Sighting of the Diamond Princess

As of yesterday afternoon we were safely aboard our ship, the Diamond Princess; today we were supposed to cruise the Hubbard Glacier. Due to dangerous ice flows and fog, we were diverted back to the main channel of the Inland Passage. We were not unduly upset about this since we were planning to see other glaciers along our route.

On the positive side, this was a lazy day. We slept in til 7am, had a leisurely breakfast, walked around deck 7 for an hour, showered and then read in the Conservatory until it was time for lunch. We did not care for that location a lot—there were too many activities, people and too much noise. But, the lounge chairs were comfortable and it was inside. The weather has actually been milder than anticipated; but, you wouldn’t want to read in it. Breaking for lunch, we read and rested until tea time. We each managed to get about 4 books read during the entire cruise.

Looking Outward

Afternoon tea at 3:30pm, with the white glove service, became a welcome daily break for us, with an array of tiny sandwiches, cakes, and scones with clotted cream and jam. There was always pleasant music in the background—string quartet, guitar or piano.

Afternoon Tea

Today was one of our two formal nights and during a champagne break in the late afternoon we were treated to the sight of women wearing various styles of formal wear—including Chinese, (Asian) Indian and Japanese traditional garb.

Decisions, Decisions. Drinks are an important part of the between-meal cruise experience. They had almost everything you could want in a beverage, including hot chocolate and Irish Coffee.

This was one of the places people told me to go, it was one the big trips that you should see: Alaska. ~ Jeff Goldblum

Alaska - Day 4 - By Rail to Whittier 5/21/2011

Our Touring Train from Denali to Whittier

All Aboard

Riding the train parallel to the George Parks Highway, on our way to Whittier and our ship, the Diamond Princess, our driver-guide informed us that the town of Talkeetna was the model for the TV series, Northern Exposure. However, bad weather forced the filming to be relocated to the State of Washington. He also pointed out the tiny village of Sharman, population 2, with its City Hall. Their daughter had lived with them; but, she finally moved out of town, down the forest a few hundred yards.

Alaskan Village

We rode through the town of Willow, once a contender for the site of the relocation of the State Capitol. Alaskans thought Juneau perhaps too remote and inaccessible to be the seat of government. But, due to political wrangling among the prospective sites—which included Anchorage and Fairbanks, or locations nearby—and the excessive costs of moving the government—the idea was finally abandoned. This upset several land speculators who had banked on another outcome entirely. In theory, there are no billboards here; local ordinances decree that no signs shall be taller than the roof of the building; but, we saw a number of violations from our Dome Car vantage point.

Caribou, From the Train

Looking Ahead

In Wasilla, Sarah Palin’s home town, you are required to own a gun; if you haven’t bought one, local officials issue one until you do. Watersports are very popular, even in winter. During the dark months, locals play golf on the frozen lake with glow-in-the-dark golf balls.

Hurricane Gorge. Seen from the bridge that took several lives in its construction.

On the outskirts of Anchorage, there are 6 neighbors alongside the highway who are all pilots; they all agreed to remove their backyard fences for open access and to use this space as the runway for their small planes. I cannot imagine this happening in Davis; here, you need a permit just to install a bolt-on ceiling fan.

Cook inlet, near Anchorage, has the second highest bore tide in the U.S. This is a steep, foaming wall of water formed by a flood tide pouring through a restricted inlet. Alaskans ride kayaks or surfboards along the waves, which are typically 1-2 feet high; but, they can reach 10 feet.

Comic relief was provided by the passenger in a small, red Toyota pickup running parallel to us on one of the 3 state highways. He mooned us for several hundred yards before we finally lost sight of him. Or, perhaps I am being sexist; it may have been a female, I suppose--hard to say.

The River that Followed Us

Breakfast: $30, coffee, oatmeal, reindeer sausage and eggs. Lunch: $31, tea, burger, eggs Benedict. Dinner: $40, Hawaiian pork, Moroccan vegetables.

Really, I didn't like Alaska. It rained, almost every day, at least 300 days out of the year. ~ John C. Hawkes

Alaska - Day 3 - McKinley to Denali 5/20/2011

Clear View from the Motor Coach on the Way to Denali

On the Way to Denali

More of The Drive to Denali

Today we drove from McKinley Princess Lodge to Denali Princess Lodge, a bus trip of 2.5 hours. Along the way we saw a beaver lodge in the middle of a stream. We also saw the largest “igloo” in the world. Built as a hotel with pie shaped rooms and no fire escape, it was never used; and, it will probably never be torn down due to the use of asbestos in its construction and the expense in complying with environmental laws in removing it. What a pity it cannot be used.

World's Largest Igloo

Along the road were power lines that stand idle. They are only for emergency use by either Anchorage or Fairbanks in case of emergency—devastating earthquake, for example. They were constructed after an emergency left one of the towns without power a number of years ago.

Some of the roads here were originally built for the Military in WWII; many airfields were constructed at the same time and for the same reason. Afterwards, they were mostly turned over to the civilian government. I seem to recall that military preparedness was a major motivation behind the construction of the Interstate highway system in the Lower 48. You probably didn’t know, but 2 islands in Alaska were invaded by the Japanese during the Second World War.

Inside Denali Princess Lodge

Due to harsh weather and the need to travel under severe conditions in Winter, remote cabins are left unlocked—to allow life-saving access by those who would otherwise be stranded, vulnerable to the elements. By the way, we were unprepared for the relatively mild weather we encountered during our trip—we overpacked and, often, overdressed.

The Sleeping Rooms at Denali Princess Lodge

We were surprised by the number of e-books we encountered among the tourists up here. Maybe they are really catching on. Lots of iPads, too: gives you an e-book and a computer in one package.

In Denali National Park

We went on a 5 hour nature drive, with many stops for pictures and to see wildlife. Denali National Park is the 3rd largest in the US. It was originally designated to protect Dall sheep. Having a range of elevations, there is a variety of vegetation zones. From lowest to highest, there is low brush bog, bottomland spruce-poplar forest, upland spruce-hardwood forest, moist tundra, and finally the highest of elevations, alpine tundra. By the way, the US was the first country to have a National Park system—thanks first to U.S. Grant (Yellowstone), then to Teddy Roosevelt, with a little help from John Muir and other naturalists.

Driving Along in Denali Park

Ptarmigan, the Alaska State Bird, with its warm, furry feet

We saw several ptarmigan, the state bird, along the way. Actually, we were also told that the Alaskan mosquito was the state bird. John McPhee, in his wonderful book Coming Into The Country, describes how someone in his party slapped his leg, once, and killed dozens of them. We also saw Dall sheep, moose, porcupine, seagulls and sled dogs—these were being led along the road on leashes by volunteers.

Porcupine

Although we saw no bear, we were told the park has a population of 300 and that the grizzly bear is actually the brown bear—I had always believed them to be quite different. You should know that they can outrun you and they also can climb! They are not true hibernators in winter: they give birth and nurse their young. However, in preparation for this period they are voracious eaters, consuming 250,000 berries a day. One bear had, among other things, remains of 400 arctic ground squirrels in its stomach. And these tiny squirrels go from 80 beats down to 1 beat per minute as they transition to winter preparedness. Wood frogs are true hibernators; their internal fluids turn to gel and they cease to appear alive; by the way, these are the only amphibians in Denali, other than planes.

Denali Park Ranger in Old-Time Ranger Uniform

The Original Denali Park Superintendent's Office

At the end of our journey down the park road, Carol, an Athabaskan, told stories of her people, her relatives and the area. This native group is related to the Navaho in the Lower 48. I was surprised to read this, recently, reading James Michener’s novel, Alaska, in preparation for the cruise. I was astonished to learn there are 6 Native groups throughout Alaska and upper Canada: Aleut, Athabaskan, Eskimo, Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian. Other than English, 20 languages are spoken; but, 15 are virtually extinct.

Carol, The Athabaskan Storyteller

Breakfast $26: skillet omelet, oatmeal, fruit. Lunch $31: portabella mushroom burger, prime rib. Dinner: $11.95 ice cream and shared sandwich.

Our driver recited a portion of the the famous Robert Service poem, The Spell of the Yukon, during a stop near the end of the trip. It was quite compelling.

There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,
And the rivers all run God knows where;
There are lives that are erring and aimless,
And deaths that just hang by a hair;
There are hardships that nobody reckons;
There are valleys unpeopled and still;
There’s a land — oh, it beckons and beckons,
And I want to go back — and I will.
~ Robert Service, The Spell of the Yukon

Alaska - Day 2 - Not Talkeetna Leisure Day 5/19/2011

The primary agricultural region in Alaska is the Matanuska Valley near Anchorage, responsible for 67% of farm production. There is a 105 day growing season, allowing for the growth of 19 pound carrots and 65 pound cantaloupes.

The 100,000 glaciers cover 5% of Alaskan soil, or 29,000 square miles.

McKinley Princess Lodge

One of the treats today was that as we sat in the Lodge we recognized David Canary as one of our tour group members; I recalled him (as Candy Canady) from Bonanza; Claire remembered him as Adam and Stuart Chandler on All My Children. He and his wife, Maureen Maloney, were only moderately successful in maintaining a "low profile." He retired in 2010; they were taking their first vacation in 5 years. He is distantly related to Calamity Jane.

We decided to blow off the excursions to Talkeetna--too expensive and we wanted to relax and to see the slide shows at the Theater in the Lodge--besides, I am too old to run down a zip line. Our first presentation was Aurora: The Crown of Light, which showed the Northern Lights off to great advantage, with a classical music soundtrack. Since the Lights require darkness to be visible to us and the sun rose at 4:32am and did not set until 11:12pm, there was not a lot of blackout. We were lucky to have Alaska's photographer laureate, LeRoy Zimmerman, present to introduce the show and answer questions afterwards; normally, he is in Fairbanks in his other role as Ranger. He was also the photographer/director/producer of this photosymphony show. We loved the music so much we asked for a list of the music.

Chuck at Play in the Snow at the Lodge

LeRoy also had a photosymphony show on Denali comprised of his own photography to another classical musical accompaniment. This show was, for us, less successful as he tried to be overly "artsy" and often transitioned too quickly from photo to photo: Just as you were beginning to enjoy one, it dissolved into the next.

We next enjoyed a slide show on the history of climbing Mount McKinley, Denali--Into The Dream. It is the 115th tallest mountain in the world. Weather conditions can make it a very tough climb. In 1967, winter climbers estimated the weather, with chill factor, at -148 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds often reach 70-150 miles per hour. Climbers plan for a 3 week climb, because of the unpredictable weather. Also, because of the 63 degree latitude and the altitude, the oxygen is thin. The speed record for an ascent is a mere 18 hours!

McKinley is also famous for several unsuccessful climbs. Frederick A. Cook claimed to have reached it; but, the claim is generally disallowed. He also claimed to have reached the North Pole before Perry and Henson; that is also not given credence. The Sourdough expedition of 1910, may have reached the peak; but, it was the wrong peak--they could not tell from their angle of approach, that they were on the ascent to the North Peak, which is lower. One famous casualty was the Japanese solo climber, Naomi Uemura; he reached the peak but died on the way back down.

Approximately 1,000 people try this ascent each year. Weight loss may average 35 pounds. It was the Hudson Stuck party that finally reached the top, in 1913. Over the years there have been 109 fatalities--two occurred the week before we arrived. The oldest person to reach the top was 76; the youngest was 11; one person was blind, and one was a single amputee.

Chuck Resting during arduous hike--not. There were only 2.5 miles of trails around the Lodge, a disappointment to us.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the largest land claims settlement in United States history, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 23, 1971. ANCSA was intended to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in Alaska, as well as to stimulate economic development throughout Alaska. The settlement extinguished Alaska Native claims to the land by transferring titles to twelve Alaska Native regional corporations and over 200 local village corporations. A thirteenth regional corporation was later created for Alaska Natives who no longer resided in Alaska. Cynics see it as a bribe to get the 6 indigenous groups to withdraw their objections to the oil pipeline, which would cut across traditional hunting grounds.

Many things are costly because they are imported into Alaska--twice! For example, vegetables have to be freighted into Anchorage and then re-shipped to a final destination. Lumber for housing is the same; despite vast forests, the trunks are too small for building materials.

Alaska adopted the flag for official state use in 1959. The blue field represents the sky, the sea, and mountain lakes, as well as Alaska's wildflowers. Emblazoned on the flag are eight gold stars: seven from the constellation Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper. The eighth being the North Star, representing the northernmost state. Alaska's flag was designed in 1926 by a 13-year-old Native American boy, Bennie Benson, from the village of Chignik. Bennie received a 1,000-dollar scholarship and a watch for his winning entry in the flag design contest.

Alaska State Flag

Claire as Foreground to a Disappearing Mount McKinley

Breakfast, $30: oatmeal, fruit, pancakes. Lunch, $26: soup, sandwich and salad; plus $11.25 for a brownie and two lattes in the coffee shop. Dinner, $40: salmon wrap, burger and two beers.

Walter [Harper, in 1913], who had been in the lead all day, was the first to scramble up; a native Alaskan, he is the first human being to set foot upon the top of Alaska's great mountain, and he had well earned the lifelong distinction. ~ Hudson Stuck

Alaska - Day 1 - Anchorage & McKinley 5/18/2011

We set the alarm for 3am in order to be ready by 4:15 for our shuttle pickup. We had a 6:30 departure and wanted to be sure we allowed enough time for breakfast and security processing at the Sacramento International Airport.

We decided at the last minute to be sensible and not try to pretend that our luggage would meet the Alaska Airlines carry-on specifications. This was a $20 hit for each of us; but, in retrospect it saved us a lot of aggravation. I am trying to be more comfortable, reasonable and less cheap despite the specter of living on a fixed income these days.

The only annoying part of the process was the very thorough manual screening occasioned by my Velcro-and-metal boot—I had been diagnosed with posterior tibial tendonitis a week before departure. The cure was to immobilize my ankle with the boot, use my orthotic foot insert, and take ibuprofen as needed.

Breakfast was a scone and coffee. The Alaska Airlines flight to Anchorage, unfortunately, was not direct. We had a layover in SeaTac and did not arrive in Alaska until 1:34pm. By the way, Alaska, our 49th state, has its own time zone—an hour earlier than Pacific Time.

We were met in the baggage area by the Diamond Princess staff, who directed us to the buses that would take us to our final destination for the day: The McKinley Princess Lodge.

It may provide some perspective to understand that the 3 largest lower states--Texas, California and Montana--would fit inside Alaska, The Great Land! There are 39 mountain ranges and 3 million lakes! There are 15 National Parks; Denali alone is half the size of Rhode Island. The government ("the people") own a large proportion of the land; over 54 million acres are administered by the National Forest Service. In addition, Native peoples have been granted large tracts of land and have formed Native corporations to administer them.

We arrived in Anchorage and were soon ensconced on buses taking us from the airport to the McKinley Princess lodge. Just outside town, we saw a moose drinking out of the river. At the edge of town, we saw gas listed at $4.15 per gallon; within 10 minutes, farther from town, the price raised to $4.25. Despite the existence of the oil pipeline, there is no refinery in Alaska; so, gas is delivered to tankers and taken to the US mainland for refining and then sent back with shipping fees tacked on. Because of taxes on oil, each citizen in Alaska receives $1,000 each year from the government. Many goods in Alaska are imported and consequently expensive.

Anchorage is fairly surrounded by mountains and, thus, almost sits in a bowl. A lake on the outskirts is home to numerous seaplanes--Alaska has more per capita pilots than any other state, 1 for every 58 residents.

Alaskan Highway

The coach soon drove through Wasilla, Sarah Palin's residence. We could not see Russia from there and it had no snow--though we did see a fair amount of snow by the time we arrived at McKinley Princess Lodge. This town used to mark the start of the famous Iditerod dogsled race; but, the lack of snow caused it to be moved to Willow. As of a few years ago, Wasilla now has a Home Depot, a WalMart, Wendy's, Burger King, Subway and other "Outside" stores. This WalMart store sells more duct tape than any other store anywhere in the world franchise--apparently, Alaskans are ardent do-it-yourselfers.

The next town we passed through was Houston, notable as a combustibles town--we passed 5 fireworks stores in 3 blocks. At several places along the way, we noticed people in T-shirts and shorts; we were in our parkas and long pants.

Tongass National Forest

There were almost constant forests along the way; but, the trees are fairly small, due to climate and, sometimes, altitude. There were none of the gargantuan Redwoods that Californians accept as part of their heritage. The roads originally cut through the trees; but, they were left so close to the road that visibility was reduced and animals were frequently being run over by vehicles. Now, they have cut the trees back from the road to increase visibility and reduce the hazard.

We came to the town of Willow, notable to us as the location of the cabin of our friend Tai Sines' dad and the current start of the Iditerod; we waved, but no one took notice. There was a flea market in process.

There are a number of construction equipment rental companies along the way and quarries for producing building materials. And not much else.

We were slightly surprised to see a number of campgrounds and camper rental companies. We passed many campers motoring around the roads we were on. By the way, there are very few roads in Alaska and when they exist, the often run parallel to both the rivers and the railroad.

We stopped along the way for restrooms, a leg stretch and a chance to buy snacks. There were at least 8 restrooms, which sped up the process; but, I was not willing to wait in line for the overpriced ice cream cones, coffee and snacks. But, the fresh air was most welcome. I noticed that when the coach came to a stop at railroad crossings, the AC was turned off; I assume this allowed the driver-guide to listen for trains.

Because of the sparse population and few roads, Alaska has a very rural feel. There are, frequently, unpaved roads. Yards often are filled with "treasures" that may prove useful one day. People here tend to love the outdoors and often attempt, partially, to live off the land. They eat the tops of fiddlehead ferns, either cooking them or using them in salads. Devils club can be used for relief of arthritis pain. Syrup can be obtained from the sap of birch trees. Fireweed can be made into jellies and is used as a candle scent. Willow trees can provide "aspirin" effects.

Nearing the lodge, we passed through Talkeetna, site of several optional excursions, tomorrow." The owner of the Trapper Creek general store there has a motto: "If I don't have it, your probably don't need it." There was also a bar and grill and a motel in the settlement.

Denali

Mount McKinley (aka Denali), at 32,320 feet, is the highest mountain in North America and is part of a range so large that it makes its own weather. Last year, there were 38 consecutive days of rain, here. It is so overcast that the mountain is only visible 1 of every 3 days. We felt so very fortunate to have been able to see it so clearly on our first trip here. There are actually 3 peaks here: Father, mother and child. Whether the main peak is labeled "he" or "she" depends on the culture making reference to it. We call it McKinley, but natives call it Denali, the High One. It is one of the 7 must-climb summits in the world for elite mountaineers. The difficulty is more in the weather than in the technical climbing.

Here are some comparisons with Mount Everest. Denali's base starts at 2,000 feet and has a vertical elevation of 18,000 feet; Everest has a base of 17,000 feet and a vertical elevation of only 10,000 feet; so, Denali has more mountain exposed than Everest. In 2010, Denali had 1,222 climbers and 55% were successful.

Alaska has 17 of the 20 highest mountains in North America.

The reason we in the Outside don't call it Denali is because President McKinley was from Ohio and an Ohio Congressperson always ensures that there is a bill submitted regarding the attachment of McKinley's name to the mountain; since the National Park Service has a policy to never change a name while there is pending legislation on the matter, the name never changes. That's politics for you--at least it's not the down-and-dirty type we are used to these days.

McKinley Princess Lodge - Outside

We were warned that we were the first visitors to the lodge this season and that we might have to be tolerant as the kinks were worked out while the new staff transitioned from training to service mode. Almost without exception, staff were courteous, competent and eager to please. There were 3 restaurants and a theater for nature presentations here. I tried the Kodiak Nut Brown Ale and loved it--"Give me the darkest draft you have."

McKinley Princess Lodge - Inside

Breakfast at Starbucks at the Sacramento International Airport was $15 for 2 lattes, a yogurt fruit cup and a scone. Lunch at SeaTac was $17 for 2 soft drinks and two sandwiches at Quiznos. Dinner was $44, including tip, for a hamburger, soup, veggie burger and 2 beers at the McKinley Princess Lodge.

To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world. ~ John Muir

The Prequel - Getting Ready for Alaska

By Chuck

We have decided upon a modest travel agenda for this year - Alaska in May and the American Southwest in September.

We had traveled abroad for a year from September, 2009 through August, 2010. I was ready to kick back and slide into retirement mode; Claire almost immediately missed the adventure of full-time travel. Our compromise was to refurbish the town house--hardwood floors and painting some rooms--take a 10-day land-sea cruise to Alaska in May and take a driving tour of the Southwest--beginning and ending in Davis, CA and visiting: the Hoover Dam and its new bridge, the Grand Canyon--neither of us has seen either of these!--multiple National Parks, San Simeon (Hearst Castle) and friends in AZ. The single gastronomic commitment is to have an ambrosia burger at Nepenthe on the return trip up the West Coast.

Since the Alaska cruise is first, Claire made reservations on the Princess Line after researching the alternatives. We decided upon a mid-May cruise as this is a shoulder season and the rates are good and the crowds are less onerous.

I began a reading list and have so far completed two items: James Michener's novel, 'Alaska' (1988), and John McPhee's 1978 nonfiction book, 'Coming Into The Country'. The first was a relatively pleasant way to gain an overview and a history of Alaska. It is lengthy novel and takes a while to get into the "meat" of things--typical Michener approach. But, this is also part of his charm--establishing a sense of place. The novel's overall style feels slightly dated; but, I am happy I kept with it and gained an appreciation for this vast land and its people and history.

McPhee's 'Country' is an enjoyable read, too; and it has a more current feel. But, _this_ book reveals the subjects via vignettes and provides a better sense of what real inhabitants are like, today.