Category Archives: trains

Ports of Call

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Ports of Call on our Alaska Itinerary

If Vancouver is the first port of call, then we have 4 additional stops on our journey to the Big Land. There’s Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage. Three other locations of interest, although not ports, were Glacier Bay, Prince Williams Sound and College Fjord.

Port of Call, Ketchikan

It was raining in Ketchikan as we embarked on our shore excursion to Saxman Native Village. Here we witnessed a Native  American Ceremonial Dance and watched experienced totem pole builders carve their next creation. We learned that being on the bottom of the totem pole is not necessarily a bad thing! It’s the most honored position. We spotted out first bald eagle too.

 

 

 

Then there was Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska but conducting business can be a challenge. There are no roads. Juneau can only be accessed by boat or plane! I have fond memories of Juneau. Although it was cold and still raining off and on, we did get a glimpse of blue sky. We took a very chilly boat ride looking for whales but the Stellar Sea Lions were the stars of the day. We saw a lot more Bald Eagles too!

While in Juneau we also hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. It was an easy walk and the the glacier is beautiful. It’s well worth the hike.

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway, Gateway to the Yukon! Our excursion in Skagway was the White Pass and Yukon Railway. Seated in vintage train cars we followed in the steps of the Klondike Gold Miners. We were allowed to stand on the platforms between cars so we could look down into deep mountain gullies as we crossed trestle bridges and clung to the side of mountains. It was still raining and cold and it got colder the higher the train climbed.

At the end of the line a bus was waiting to take us across the Canadian border in the Yukon territory.

The “least” Favorite Vacation

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If I have a favorite vacation then I guess I should have a least favorite. Doesn’t mean it was bad, just not one I care to repeat.

That one would be the Amtrak vacation Sandy and I took that covered San Antonio and New Orleans.

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Yellow roses of Texas

 San Antonio was great. I loved the River Walk and the tour of the old Spanish Missions.

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Seeing the Alamo was interesting too.

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It wasn’t what I expected but then I’m, not sure what I did expect. There is so much written about the Alamo. It’s been immortalized and romanticized in so many movies, books and folk lore. I was disappointed that they were repairing the façade so there was no way to take a photo for myself without the crane in front but I do understand the need to maintain the building to keep it from crumbling. I could have bought a post card.

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The train ride from San Antonio to New Orleans was pleasant. We met some nice people in the dining car and the motion of the train and the clickity clack made it easy to nap along the way. There was a nice observation car with a dome and comfy seating if you wanted to sight see.

Once in New Orleans we had some minor issues with the room. That was fixed quickly but it was late (after 10 pm) so it was a bit annoying.

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We didn’t have a car so we walked to the tour bus stop on the waterfront. We had to be there early and I found myself watching over my shoulder. The street was pretty messy and with the garbage pickup still sometime in the future it was pretty smelly.

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Not too many people were out walking and although we did pass a jogger or two, I still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. I was very happy to see the ticket booth come into sight.

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I got the same feeling when we were out in the evening. We passed obvious “ladies of the night” and were accosted by hawkers and street vendors. Some even continuing to follow us after we said no thank you. I was just very uncomfortable.  In all my travels I have never felt this way anywhere else.

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On the plus side we had a nice time riding the steam boat up the Muddy Mississippi and the aquarium was great. Our trip into the bayou got rained out. That was disappointing but even with the pouring rain we got to the Court of 3 Sisters for an amazing, elegant dinner. So I can’t say New Orleans was a total loss, just not someplace I’m anxious to return to anytime soon. I’m sure that comes as a surprise to many. I know all my friends said I would love it. Maybe once I’ve seen all of the other states I’ll go back for that missed trip into the bayou.

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Rain Forest Exhibit, New Orleans Aquarium

Riverwalk to French Quarter

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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day.

Now it’s time to get back to my tale of our most recent adventure. We were about to embark on the Amtrak portion of our trip.  We had to be ready to board by 6:30 am so we arranged the cab ride the night before.

The cab was early. It was still dark and rainy when we arrived at the station so we didn’t see much of the exterior.

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Inside was much smaller than I expected and there were plenty of people waiting for trains. As we checked our luggage I joked with the clerk who assured me that they had a better track record than the airlines for getting our luggage where it was supposed to be.

He told us the conductor would come in to announce our train so we could have a seat and relax. Time passed and I watched the clock progress toward our departure time and still no “All Aboard” announcement. Finally I got concerned and started asking other passengers. One said our train was boarding right now and that we’d better get out there. So much for the conductor!

Outside we were immediately given our “room” assignment. By having upgraded to a “sleeper” all meals were included and we had a little bit of privacy. The room was tiny and if we wanted to sleep one of us would have to climb to the upper bunk. It was adequate but I think the full size sleeper would have been nicer. Next time.

One of the nicest amenities was the lounge car, a windowed dome car with tables and more comfortable seats.

Amtrak's lounge car feature windows that reach into the ceiling which makes it the best place to soak up the scenery on a long trip. (Photo by Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)

Amtrak’s lounge car feature windows that reach into the ceiling which makes it the best place to soak up the scenery on a long trip. (Photo by Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)

Meals were served in the dining car. The conductor came around with a form for us to sign and choose the time we wanted to eat. You don’t just wander down anytime you get hungry. Snacks are in the the Lounge Car. Anyway, when they call your seating you go to the dining car where seating is 4 to a table. We had lunch with a French couple and dinner with a German couple. The food was excellent which amazed me considering the size of the galley and the wait staff was top notch.  I was quite impressed.

The views along the corridor from Texas to New Orleans weren’t the most scenic that I’ve ever seen. One of the most interesting to my mind was refineries we passed, at least one was burning off gas which was quite something to see. Up until now, I’d only seen it on TV.

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We passed cotton fields but I seem to have missed them. The German couple told us they had seen several.

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We wondered what the grassy crop was that we were seeing. It was clearly cultivated so we asked the dining car staff. They told us that was sugar cane.

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I never would have given Sugar cane a thought. I think of Sugar cane as an island crop not something on the mainland US. Its wonderful what you learn when you travel!

Before we arrived in New Orleans the sun had set and we were back in the dark. Once in New Orleans we retrieved our luggage, hailed a cab and soon were checked into our hotel in the French Quarter, Wyndham New Orleans.

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How about an Amtrak Vacation

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My fall vacation finally got here. After a crazy spring, summer and even fall at work I was more than ready for some R & R.

This vacation was something a little different. It was billed as an Amtrak Rail Vacation but I have to admit we did  a lot of flying too. So before I break things down into specific adventures let me give you an overview.

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The trip name is Riverwalk to the French Quarter (Don’t worry, we’re not walking)

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As you may have guessed by the title, this is San Antonio to New Orleans.

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Our trip began in San Antonio Texas where day one was basically our first travel day arriving around 5:30 in San Antonio via Delta Airlines.

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Day 2 was a Grand Tour of the city starting with the Alamo. It was a full day.

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Day 3 was also in San Antonio but it was a free day where we could explore at our leisure.

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It Rained!

Included in the package for San Antonio was 1 dinner voucher. (Hard Rock Cafe)

Day 4 was the train trip arriving in New Orleans around 10 pm. (They sure like their pharmacies in New Orleans)

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Day 5 was in New Orleans starting with a 1/2 day tour of the city. The afternoon was ours to explore on our own.

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Day 6 was also a free day but dinner was at the Court of the Two Sisters with a voucher.

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Day 7 was our travel day back to New York this time with Southwest Airlines.

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We arrived in Albany, NY at about 5:30 pm. I spent the night at my sister’s and drove back to Massachusetts in the morning. I really wasn’t ready for the vacation to end but my fuzzy little fur-babies were glad I was home.Twins 001a

So now that you have the general idea of what this vacation entailed I’ll get down to specifics in the next posts coming up soon.

 

Vacation Planning

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Ever wonder how I come up with my ideas for vacation? A former co-worker said she couldn’t imagine the things I’ve done and plan to do! Poor thing must not have much of an imagination because if anything, I have too many things I want to see and do.

I thought of this because my most recent issue of “Vacations” just arrived.  What’s the Headline title? 83  Great Escapes for 2015! 83! Imagine that. If I were even interested in half it would take more than 1 year!

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So lets see if there’s anything interesting on the list.

How about a tour of Costa Rica where you can visit a cloud forest, a volcano or a coral sea reef?

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Back on the Big Island of Hawaii we could snorkel with the Manta Rays on the Kona side of the Island.

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Or a river cruise up the Amazon.

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Train ride…The Rocky Mountaineer crosses the Canadian Rockies with 5 routes to choose from. A Globus (that’s a tour company) offers  a nine day trip from Denver to New Mexico and Colorado. Along the way you ride vintage railroads including the Durango & Silverton and the Pike’s Peak Cog Railroad!

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Galapagos made their list and it’s on mine too. Some day I’ll get there!

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For photographers…face off with a Bengal tiger or catch colorful clouds of butterflies. Natural Habitat Adventures helps capture these moments.

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I don’t know who I was talking to recently but they said they had been to Alaska and to Yellowstone and they saw more bear  at Yellowstone than they did in Alaska.

Another place I get ideas is from the news. This morning NECN (our local news station) ran a short story about an ice castle in New Hampshire. The castle is an acre in size and features tunnels, archways, an ice slide, glacial waterfalls and colored lights.

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I want to see this! It’s a hike up to Lincoln NH. I vacationed there once and to appreciate the lights I’m guessing you go at night. More research is needed. I will keep you posted!

So I get vacation ideas everywhere, from a chance conversation to a 60 second news bite. A magazine cover might catch my eye or a story in AAA Horizons. The ideas are endless!