Well, we made it to Alaska and our big Alaskan adventure!
Our trip was long, with many delays. I can safely say that, barring our return flight from D.C. after the Inauguration, this was the strangest flight ever.
It started in L.A. We sat on the tarmac for a while, and then finally pushed back toward the runway. But then instead of turning onto the runway, the plane looped around and passed the runaway again. Then it headed back to the terminal, as the pilot informed us a flight attendant was sick and needed to de-plane.
Paramedics and airline employees rushed onto the plane, and escorted the flight attendant off. They completed all the paperwork, and finally pushed back from the terminal again. Again, they drove the plane toward the runway, and again, they looped back around. I looked up to see we were heading back to the terminal AGAIN! This time the pilot informed us there was a battery in the plane that needed to go below, in the luggage compartment. So we had to wait for all that and its accompanying paperwork to finish before we could leave, now 90 minutes late.
“This is why I don’t get excited until I get there,” Edra said. I had to agree she was right.
But we finally got into the air, and were treated to some pretty spectacular views. We flew past Mt. Shasta covered in snow. Four and a half hours later, we reached Alaska, and I was disappointed to see only clouds below us. But the clouds parted, and I saw the most tremendous sights below. Giant mountains just covered in snow, followed by enormous valleys blanketed in snow. I even saw a few glaciers, blue-white just like in the books, melting into tiny rivers running down to the ocean. I thought I was gonna cry!
“Oh my God!” Edra exclaimed. “I already know I have to come back here, it’s too big to see all in one trip!” We were cracking up at her – the girl who wasn’t excited until just the very minute was already planning her return trip – before she’d even landed!
We landed in Anchorage, where were supposed to add more passengers and then continue on to Fairbanks. Instead, we had to change planes. Which was fine, until it headed for the runway and then stopped. I was almost panicked – by this time, we’d been up for 11 hours, and travelling for 7. I just wanted to get off the plane! But the pilot announced that there was a dog running around on the runway, and they’d had to catch it. Sick flight attendants, batteries and now runaway dogs—this was some kinda flight!
But we arrived safely. We got to our hotel, and were treated to rooms along the river—what a view! We also saw Amber and her parents outside and ran to greet them. We were all starving and headed to a restaurant close by.
Everyone was wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants and light sweatshirts or coats. But it was gorgeous and sunny outside – so sunny, in fact, that by the time we sat down, we started sweating! It got downright hot during dinner, and every one of us was overdressed for it.
Our trip was long, with many delays. I can safely say that, barring our return flight from D.C. after the Inauguration, this was the strangest flight ever.
It started in L.A. We sat on the tarmac for a while, and then finally pushed back toward the runway. But then instead of turning onto the runway, the plane looped around and passed the runaway again. Then it headed back to the terminal, as the pilot informed us a flight attendant was sick and needed to de-plane.
Paramedics and airline employees rushed onto the plane, and escorted the flight attendant off. They completed all the paperwork, and finally pushed back from the terminal again. Again, they drove the plane toward the runway, and again, they looped back around. I looked up to see we were heading back to the terminal AGAIN! This time the pilot informed us there was a battery in the plane that needed to go below, in the luggage compartment. So we had to wait for all that and its accompanying paperwork to finish before we could leave, now 90 minutes late.
“This is why I don’t get excited until I get there,” Edra said. I had to agree she was right.
But we finally got into the air, and were treated to some pretty spectacular views. We flew past Mt. Shasta covered in snow. Four and a half hours later, we reached Alaska, and I was disappointed to see only clouds below us. But the clouds parted, and I saw the most tremendous sights below. Giant mountains just covered in snow, followed by enormous valleys blanketed in snow. I even saw a few glaciers, blue-white just like in the books, melting into tiny rivers running down to the ocean. I thought I was gonna cry!
“Oh my God!” Edra exclaimed. “I already know I have to come back here, it’s too big to see all in one trip!” We were cracking up at her – the girl who wasn’t excited until just the very minute was already planning her return trip – before she’d even landed!
We landed in Anchorage, where were supposed to add more passengers and then continue on to Fairbanks. Instead, we had to change planes. Which was fine, until it headed for the runway and then stopped. I was almost panicked – by this time, we’d been up for 11 hours, and travelling for 7. I just wanted to get off the plane! But the pilot announced that there was a dog running around on the runway, and they’d had to catch it. Sick flight attendants, batteries and now runaway dogs—this was some kinda flight!
But we arrived safely. We got to our hotel, and were treated to rooms along the river—what a view! We also saw Amber and her parents outside and ran to greet them. We were all starving and headed to a restaurant close by.
Everyone was wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants and light sweatshirts or coats. But it was gorgeous and sunny outside – so sunny, in fact, that by the time we sat down, we started sweating! It got downright hot during dinner, and every one of us was overdressed for it.
Cute little bench outside our hotel
The little cabins on our way to dinner
We sampled some Alaska Ales and fish and chips made from local halibut, which were amazing. I could’ve stayed there all night, exhausted as I was, but Mark had other plans. It was only 8:30 Alaska time, which was really 9:30 California time, and he’d been up since 4:45 a.m. He was so tired that after whining a bit, he simply picked up his stuff and headed home. “I want to go to bed!” he cried when I caught up to him, and he was dead asleep less than 15 minutes later.
Mark by the Chena River
I watched out the room window a bit, because I couldn’t believe how sunny it was. I’d heard all the stories about how it’s light for 21 hours a day, but until you’ve experienced it, you can’t really grasp that. It really is as light at midnight as it is at noon. The curtains in our room let in a tiny sliver of light, and I woke up a few times during the night – that sliver never disappeared. If it really did get dark at some point, I didn’t see it!
View outside my room at midnight
So that’s my story for our first vacation day. Overall, the travel was tough, but the glaciers and mountains made up for that. The people are wonderful here – very friendly and helpful. The food is good, and the state itself is lush and green. And surprisingly sunny and warm! Without mosquitoes!
I think this really is gonna be the trip of a lifetime…
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