Iditarod 2012

This blog post is more on a personal note, ending with a trip suggestion!

I tend to go through phases.  Once I experience something in my life I occasionally become fascinated by all that surrounds it.

 In June, my husband and I were fortunate enough to go to Alaska.  We flew in to Anchorage and arrived around 9pm.  We only had time for dinner and a brief walk before we had to sleep.  We were coming up on 24 hours with out any rest and were dragging around town just to find something to eat.  There were so many things I wanted to see in Anchorage, the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod was on the top of my list.  Unfortunately, my camera and phone were all out of battery power and I was unable to capture those moments :(

We boarded the Coral Princess the following day.  Our first port was Skagway, where we signed up for a Musher's Camp excursion.  We were able to see puppies, race dogs, learn about the sport, and even embark on our very own wheeled sled ride.  They use wheeled sleds in the summer because snow coverage is minimal.  I loved this trip.  Holding the puppies, learning about the excitement of the race, and being there was fascinating!

So this year when I was making my way back in to my classroom, I felt the need to incorporate my experiences in to the curriculum.  Things have become so dry lately that students are bored with the ho-hum reading, math, and science in the books.  I took what I had learned on my trip and came up with a variety of ideas to bring back to the 10 year old kids in Florida.

The reading book adopted within the district includes a story about dogs helping people and people helping dogs.  Thee is a short story about the 1925 dog relay to get a diphtheria vaccine to Nome, Alaska.  So I took that and ran with it.  That's the inspiration of the Iditarod Race! The students have each selected a 2012 Musher to follow along the race's progress.  They really did their research before selecting people.  I was fascinated with their explanations on why they chose their individuals. I have been reviewing a Discovery Channel TV show from 2009 that covers the 2008 race to show the students this week and I am completely amazed at the relationship between these Mushers and their dogs.  Just a couple quotes that really stood out:

Martin Buser said "If the water is good enough for my dogs to drink, then it's good enough for me!"
Lance Mackey "I'm eating beans and rice, my dogs get steak and eggs!"

Another Musher curled up in the snow and slept on the ground trail side with his dogs rather than going inside the cabin for some warmth.  These men and women are dedicated to their dogs and the sport.

I'm not a dog person, but watching this video and getting the kids psyched up for the race, which by the way begins tomorrow, has made me want a dog as a pet!  Now anyone who knows me will know that this is HUGE!

I have been yearning to get back to Alaska already.  It isn't a cheap trip.  But next time I go, I want it to be a land vacation instead of a cruise.  I want to explore the interior of the state.  This is not to say that a cruise wasn't good, it was by far the best vacation we've ever taken.  I'm now ready for a more rustic and experiential adventure.  I am looking in to spending some time at a Musher's camp, but I just don't know if I can swing it this year.

So if you'd like to plan a trip to Alaska, contact me today :)  I know quite a bit about the state and all the fabulous options for a vacation unlike any other.

And if you'd like to get a glimpse of the Iditarod, it begins tomorrow at 2pm Eastern/ 10am Alaska time.  I know I'll be watching!

Glacier Discovery Train & the Coral Princess

     We planned to walk to the Alaska Railroad from our hotel, but the shuttle driver offered to drop us off. It was literally a 5 minute walk- maybe more with our 3 suitcases. He loaded up our things- drove us across the street and unloaded our belongings. There is a large, permanent, tent to the right of the building. This is where you drop off luggage. There was a rep from Princess there who tagged our bags and loaded them in to a van. We proceeded in to the depot for check-in. We purchased the tickets ahead of time through the Alaska Railroad company website ($30 less per person than the train transfer offered through Princess- same train though). The train leaves Anchorage at 10:00am and arrives in Whittier at 12:05pm. Great way to travel to the ship as there are only two options- bus or train. The buses are timed due to the tunnel in Whittier being one way and shared by cars & train! It was a beautiful two hour ride along the coast, winding around the mountain edges.

Anchorage Alaska Railroad Depot

Rail Car B

Inside the Depot (looking at the check-in desk).

Inside of Car B

Scenery along the Glacier Discovery Route

Emerging from the Whittier tunnel.  The cars were waiting for their turn.

Coral Princess

Makeshift Tent Train Station in Whittier

Caution- Whittier is rainy and foggy more frequently than not! We emerged from the tunnel in Whittier and could barely see the ship even though it wasn't far in front of us. We came prepared with good rain coats. It never poured, just a constantly heavy drizzle ALL DAY. Some people on the train were headed to Prince William Sound for a 4-5 hour Glacier Boat Tour. We chose to go on the ship immediately to get photos of each room with no passengers :)

Whittier

Whittier

Atrium

Coral Princess- I'd have to say it was a great ship but certain things are in desperate need of dry-docking! The material paneling inside the stateroom just above the bed/headboard was worn and yellow. I have a picture with my husband and it's almost embarrassing to show... The carpets were worn as well. I could feel that there was no padding left, they were all rather flat and hard under my feet. This made the children who ran down the hall multiple times per day even louder than normal cruise-ship-running-children. Our balcony was rusty- but that's hard to combat being on the water constantly. Otherwise all else was in great shape. The size of the ship was perfect- not too big and not too small. There is a smaller passenger capacity on this ship than most others of the same size. It never felt crowded unless you were looking for a table in Horizon Court at breakfast. Nobody ever sat outside on the Lido deck area due to constant rain throughout this trip and colder than usual temperatures.

View from our Balcony

A Spacious Closet!

This was my first Princess experience. People always talk about Princess Pizza and I always brushed it off and thought- ugh how good can cruise ship pizza really be?!? Okay, I will admit- I was addicted to it. It's real thin crust NY style pizza! We had it many times on this trip. Always hot and delicious!

mmm, Princess Pizza!