Coral Princess May 19, 2008

[twoifbyc]

It's early in the season for Alaska, but we'll make the best of it. It will be my husband, John, his best friend, Donnie, his wife, Karen, and myself. I'm an avid travel planner for our personal trips-- right down to the binders. This trip poses a challenge... I've never planned a trip for others' to enjoy-- we'll see how this comes out. (Not to mention, the couple traveling with us have never been on a cruise.)

We're flying into Anchorage 4 nights before boarding in Whittier. Already have train travel and our hotel booked in the Denali area (both were 2-for-1 deals), as well as our Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour (goes as deep into the park as it will be open this time of year-- 30 miles). We're still trying to figure out where to stay in Anchorage the night we fly in and the night before we go to Whittier.

We already have an independent whale watching tour planned for our stop in Juneau. Any and all ideas for Skagway and Ketchikan are appreciated.

Also, we'll be disembarking in Vancouver, renting a car (unless Amtrak starts their new rail service earlier in the day than the 6pm that is currently available), and traveling to Seattle for two nights before flying back home. We've been to Seattle before, but our friends have not. Any suggestions on hotels near Pike Place Market/Downtown are welcome as well.

Cheers,

Pam