Goin' to Alaska

[Captain Geoff]

Hey Boss, the family is considering (very seriously) of going to Alaska - Looks something like Anchorage,Fairbanks, Seward, Anchorage next summer.

We're going to get a 22' motorhome and spend a bit of time in Denali. Any suggestions of places to go? We're working on the details now and will start booking things soon.

Any chance we might hook up? Be neat to actually meet you, Mr. Boss, and Goo. My own, not so little one anymore will be 12 :whoa:

[The Boss]

12?! Ack! When did THAT happen?! But my eldest is 14 today, so I do know what you mean... you realize he was only 7 when I wrote that PGA Seattle mission where you have to run him up to Whidbey?

So... the Alaska adventure, huh? That's pretty cool. Were you planning on driving up or flying? Or taking the ferry out of Bellingham, for that matter (known as the poor-man's Alaska cruise)? :) Juneau is pretty far off the beaten track for every route (except the ferry), but I might be able to arrange a trip up north around that time for "work," hehe. ;) However, if that doesn't pan out, Mac the Wrench and his brood live in Anchorage, and I know Mac would be delighted to make sure you got the VIP tour of all the good places -- like the Aviation Heritage Museum, and some lesser-known private hangars with some real treasures inside. :thumbs:

Your trip would have to be something along the lines of Anchorage-Fairbanks-Anchorage-Seward-Anchorage, incidentally. You can take the train to Fairbanks or Seward, and either way is well worth your time. Given your plan to stop at Denali, I'd suggest taking the train to Seward, if you were inclined to travel by rail. It's a nice day trip.

While in Anchorage, you and Mrs. Geoff MUST get tickets and go to the Fly By Night Club in Spenard one evening. In fact, whether I make it up or not, I'll treat. I guarantee whatever show they've got going at the time will leave you rolling on the floor, and more so because some of the inspiration for PGA came from on that stage. :-)

I'll give it some more thought and let you know if I come up with some other ideas, but you are definitely off to a good start. :)

[Captain Geoff]

Yeah, I saw the map last night of the proposed trip and Anchorage seems to be just that - a spot we have to go through repeatedly.

We are planning on traveling exclusively with the camper/motorhome - so no train ride - but I'll inquire about it anyway.

I thought :mac: was in Louisiana? Katrina get him?

We're also looking into flying back from Anchorage to Juneau to CT, if there is a flight from Juneau to Chicago. :shrug:

We're somewhat flexible on the schedule, though the dates look to be about mid-June to early July.

[The Boss]

Anchorage -- Alaska's primary wide spot in the road. :-D But you'll be glad you're just passing through, I think. We like to point out it's the closest big city to Alaska. Great place to go and get stuff you need, but not the best place to live.

Mac has always lived in Alaska. Back during the Barcelos adventure he lived in Juneau for a few months, but Anchorage is where he calls home. His wife hails from Louisiana, but despite being married to him she lives in Anchorage too. ;-)

Driving down to Seward is also a great trip, and there are things to stop and see on the way so it's probably better to go that route. Just don't head south on a Friday (or the day before a holiday weekend) or north on a Sunday. People who like to fish on the Kenai River seriously clog the road.

There's no flight from Juneau to Chicago unless you go through Seattle. C'est la vie! But as I say, let me know the dates when they firm up, and I can find an excuse to get the state to mail me to Anchorage to rattle some cages. It's kinda frustrating being an investigator 800 miles away from most of the suspects I need to talk to. :-P Hey, maybe I just got a fraud tip that you and your family are trying to collect the Permanent Fund... :heheh:

Keep us posted!

[Cherry Pneumatic]

I hear Capt. Geoff is invading (I mean visiting) our home turf. :crowd: We'll have to all get together.

[Captain Geoff]

Roger that everyone. We're pretty excited to finally have discovered a means to invade - er - visit Alaska and still keep it within a 4-digit budget.

Be good to see and meet you guys in person.

Tentative plan (ah version 2?) is Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Wrangell, Kenai Fjords (Seward), Anchorage.

As you can tell, we're big into visiting the National Parks. We're planning on hiking and kayaking - maybe even a helo or small plane tour. But that's still to come. We need to get our reservations for the camper in first, once we've settled on the amount of time we actually have.

I'll keep you posted on our plans as they materialize. :partytime:

[Rick]

Rather enviable, Geoff! I've got family in Anchorage, Palmer and down south of Kenai (Ninilchik). Been years since I've been there, though. My own vacation in Alaska this year is only going to be seen through the addition of Tongass Fjords in FS9...

[Cherry Pneumatic]

You'll like Seward and Kenai Fjords. Maybe you could hike to Exit Glacier and see it up close. My mom and I used to do that. Don't forget the Seward SeaLife Center. C-ya soon!

PS: There actually is alot to do in Anchorage too! It isn't just a gateway to everywhere else as my inlaw (or is that outlaw?) has suggested. Uh-oh...I feel a "boss-whack" coming on...

[Cherry Pneumatic]

Mac will probably be able to arrange a flight-seeing tour with a buddy of his if your family is interested. Let us know.

[Captain Geoff]

Sounds interesting... we are going to arrange everything our selves as the big package deals don't really seem to have what we want. So we are wide open to suggestions... and if you know someone to recommend all the better.

[The Boss]

Heh. Geoff, just say "yes." ;-) Let's just say chances are we're not talking about a standard commercial flightseeing trip... and not standard flightseeing costs either. :-)

[Captain Geoff]

Well, I hate to put a damper on all the enthusiasm I've been spouting but while on vacation we actually read the newspaper and what we read really has put the Admiral of the Fleet(the wife) off.

examples:

Boxcutters were discovered on a passenger seat after disembarking. The next flight for the plane was cancelled.

A man was arrested and handcuffed for shouting at and "pushing" a flight attendant. The plane was *diverted* to another field, landed immediately, and the entire pax was questioned.

and on and on. While the article was interesting, it struck a real nerve with us. Any doofus could cause a significant delay in a flight and if it were our flight to AK I could see a significant portion of our trip unravelling. We are now beginning to re-think our trip - maybe postponing it for three years, until there is a new president and hopefully a new vision for the future of our country and maybe we can stop knee-jerking minor problems into major events. Flying has become such a major hassle - I have the perfect solution which would stop terrorism (and all forms of violence) in its tracks. My proposal: Everyone on board an aircraft must be naked and all orifices examined. That should do the trick!

Seriously, though, the Alaksa trip is now in severe jeopardy, at least in the near future. Updates as we decide...

[Rick]

My proposal: Everyone on board an aircraft must be naked and all orifices examined. That should do the trick!

But in the end, I hope the government doesn't look into this... :rolleyes:

[The Boss]

But in the end, I hope the government doesn't look into this... :rolleyes:

Alas, that's exactly where they'd be looking... :-p