[DrDolphin]

Hi everyone! I know I have the PTR for the Western Caribbean cruise going on (need to update again), but this Sunday - I will leave for a two week work trip to Alaska - and since this will be my first trip to Alaska - I felt I had to do a live TR (since that will be the only way to get it all written for your reading pleasure prior to the cruise departure).

How lucky am I to have work paying for my trip to Alaska!! I am going up a couple of days early to get a little touring time - since, while the rest of the class are staying later to enjoy Alaska - I have to head home to get all my packing, etc done for the western Caribbean cruise.... and have a wedding planning meeting about caterers, florists and music too!

Here are the details -

Sunday July 5 - Leave JAX for Anchorage via Atlanta
Arrive - cab to the Anchorage Hilton
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday - touring in the area - considering a rental car - maybe.... still playing this by ear. My classmates will be arriving on Wed and we all have to have class on Thursday and Friday.
I will change hotels on Wednesday to the Hawthorne Suites for the class.

Friday evening - our classmate Lisa, who lives in Anchorage - is hosting a class party at her home and promising a true "Alaskan feast" with lots of "unique dining experiences". Since Lisa and her husband Mike are avid fishers and hunters - I can't wait to see what the options are!

We have Saturday and Sunday off - so four of us (well three in the class plus one spouse) are driving/taking the train (yet undecided) to Seward for the day and I am thinking of a whale watching/glacier tour & shopping in and around Seward.

Sunday is an open day - and asking Lisa and Mike for input.

Monday - Wed we have class during the day. Wednesday evening a group of us are driving from Anchorage to Homer - and the rest of the class will fly into Homer on Thursday morning. We will stay overnight in Homer on Thursday and fly out to Port Graham (a native village) to meet with the elders while we are there. Friday evening we will end class and most of us will fly back to Anchorage. Saturday - my plane for JAX doesn't leave until 7pm on Saturday night - so I have more time to tour.

My flight from Anchorage back to Atlanta is a red eye - I just hope I can sleep (debating the benefits of benedryl) after two weeks on Alaska time.... I land back in JAX at 930am on Sunday morning. Sunday will be spent cleaning, unpacking and desperately trying NOT to sleep so that I can sleep on regular time and attempt to reset my body as quick as possible to east coast time.

That's it - not a major tourist trip to Alaska - but a trip none the less and I hope to be able to see and do some tourist things while I am visiting our 49th state!