First Cruise: Alaska, USA & Vancouver, Canada

Summer 2006

It was summer heading into 6th grade, back when summers felt long and breaks felt endless. Although this was not technically my first "big" trip (I'd been lucky enough to go, as an even smaller child, to the Bahamas and Mexico a couple of times), it was the first one I remember fairly well, so marks the earliest one accounted for on this here blog.

As for stops, we did Anchorage and Juneau Alaska, plus added a couple of days in Vancouver, Canada; 'we' being my mom, my grandma and her now late husband, my brother, and a large group of a family friends' family. As a young, adventurous, and free-spirited child, I was quite excited for the views of nature and wildlife we were set to see this far-off state, but the trip was even more incredible than I could've imagined.

I mostly remember that bewildering and awe-inspiring feeling of seeing the sceneries for the first time. And just how breathtakingly beautiful each view was. We could spot glaciers and mountains from the ship, and wildlife like caribou and grizzlies on some of our hikes. During the summertime, Alaska only has a couple of hours of darkness meaning it's light outside almost 24/7. In the wintertime, it's the reverse, of course, as is the case for most places with parts of itself located in the arctic circle.

The good news is that so much of the natural beauty there is protected as state and national parks, although, upon revising this post some years later, I am cognizant that much of this "final frontier" was stolen from the native populations that lived as one with the land for many decades.

Regarding the cruise ship itself, I remember endless supplies of ice cream, intense ping pong battles with my brother, and many daytime and evening hot tub hangouts with other kids. Notably, though, I overindulged at the Captain's Dinner (cause what else does a bottomless appetite, pre-teen metabolism gymnast do when there's unlimited servings of bread and pasta??) and ended up getting sick from the stow-away bunk in the teeny tiny cabin I shared with my mom and brother.

It's not a glamorous memory but one that makes us stitch at the sides when recalling how I cried, "Mom... um, Mom? I don't feel so...[BLEH]." Needless to say I was interrogated for the night about potential airborne illness while the staff, clad in hazmat suits, fumigated our room. My poor mom slept the rest of the night, or morning rather, curled up on a lounge sofa while my brother and I faced off in ping pong matches of epic proportions. I still feel so sorry to the kind and helpful cleaners who no doubt caught whiffs of the escargot I'd tried, the lobster I'd indulged, and the cake I'd devoured at dinner.

Regarding some of the excursions, we had hoped to do a zip-lining adventure but I did not meet the weight minimum at that time, so we opted to do a hike in Denali National Park, under the watchful eye of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. There, I daringly hiked so close to a glacier that my mom's friend (and brother's godmother) cautioned me about these frozen rivers and how, in the blink of an eye, the ice can shift, taking everything in its path with it.

Nonetheless, we reached the summit, just as my converse sneakers formed blisters on my small, bony ankles; there, we fueled and hydrated before making our way back to the ship.

Gallery

To Do or Not To Do?

Definitely do. Alaska is obviously massive, so doing a cruise is a great way to see at least some of its expansive coastline, and disembarking to do "excursions" is a great way to see what lies just inland. It is a very outdoorsy place, though, so you've got to be up for adventure. Wherever adventure takes you, be sure to have plenty of water as many of the hikes have high elevation that may make you feel funky. Also bring snacks, but that's standard for wherever you're going.

I'd recommend visiting a wildlife center of some sort. The animals were usually injured in the wild and are either rehabilitated or kept safe in these new enclosures, but it's a very cool way to see wildlife up close and learn about the species. You can also go "dog-sledding". We didn't personally have a chance to do this, but per usual, just make sure it's a reliable organization or group that takes proper care of its creatures and employees.

Alaska is the epitome of "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" and I felt humbled to just breathe it all in. I think everyone would benefit from feeling such crisp, fresh air and experiencing such far-reaching majesty. I know I did. Well thanks for checking out my first blog post; I will happily field any/all questions and feedback.

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