Gemini Rising

Looking for Sarah Palin #1

Expectations



Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect when I went to Alaska. Hubby and I talked about going on a cruise when the boys were older, and Alaska was a mutual destination.

We booked the cruise and waited. This was our first cruise in 19 years. The first one we took Andy was 3, and it’s hard being on a cruise with a 3-year-old, trust me.

We submitted our paperwork, and everything was good to go.

When the day came to go to Burbank and catch our flight to Seattle, wires got crossed and our ride went to Burbank instead of our house. We adjusted, hopped in the car and we were off. Burbank was only a 30-minute drive. Thankfully we found parking in short term parking. (It was gonna’ cost us $30 a day but what can you do?) With comfortable time to spare we checked in our bags and thanks to TSA pre check we got through in no time. Our plane was set to board in 20 minutes.

We had a layover in San Jose, about an hour, and then we were off to Seattle. Everything went smooth. We flew Southwest. When we got to Seattle, our driver was there and took us to the hotel. After staying a night, we were off to the cruise terminal on Pier 91.

Embarkation went smooth. There were a lot of people, but they kept the line moving. We had to show our Passport ID Cards and our medallions. (This Princess cruise used medallions).



The size of the ship blew us away. We’d never seen a vessel so big before. We got snacks on Deck 16 then went to our cabins. Our travel agent left us some gifts – a cheese and wine tray for Brent and I, and a cake for the boys. The boys had a separate cabin, an interior one, across from us. At 3 pm, the ship pushed off and we were underway.

We dropped the pilot off at 730 pm and then we hit the open sea enroute to Alaska. The boat rocked a little, but no big deal. It was formal night, so we took our pictures. Everything we did was an adventure. We took in a comedy show, a show with a singer, sat at the bar and drank good booze, and ate gelato. I took in the presentation with the naturalist and learned a little about Alaska and what to expect. We went to the specialty dining room for dinner. Every experience was 5 sensation course! We loved the experience of being on a cruise!

Sunday we were at sea and at night we put the clock 1 hour behind as we transitioned into Alaska Daylight Time. Monday morning we were cruising in the Inside Passage. All the cities we visited were in the southeast “arm” of Alaska. Anchorage is more center in the state on the coast and Fairbanks is dead center in Alaska.



As we traveled, land and mountains were all around us. The air was crisp. Clouds touched the tips of the mountains around us and danced. We saw the tail of a whale and his blow hole as we made our way into Juneau.

At noon, the ship docked in Juneau. Brent and Andy went on their kayaking adventure. Joey and I got off the ship and explored Juneau before going to our Salmon Bake. One of the things that I saw when I got off was a memorial to a ship – the USS Juneau. I paused and let the moment sink in. I was in Alaska.

The air was fresh. And everything was green. Visually, it was stunning.

There is a “tourist alley” with all kinds of shops that cater to tourists. There’s even a sky lift up to one of the local mountains. Joey and I avoided that and took a circular route around the city. We found the City Hall, the Arts and Cultural center, the Russian orthodox church, the Federal building and finally the State building. Sarah Palin probably worked here when she was governor.

And that’s when it hit me. I had a name for my blog that I was going to write when I got back – Looking for Sarah Palin.

Why Sarah Palin? I tried to make my posts on Instagram succinct. Who else do you know in Alaska?

I’ve always admired Sarah Palin. It takes some guts to put yourself out there. At the time she was selected as John McCain’s vice-presidential candidate, she had a young family, and she had been governor for two years.

I remember seeing a clip during that election cycle. A woman in Alaska said they loved Sarah and wanted Sarah to remain their governor.

This is I know without a doubt: Sarah Palin loves Alaska.

And as I walked around Juneau, off the beaten path, I fell in love with Alaska, too.

Joey and I finished our walk around Juneau by going down the tourist district. It was mobbed. I was glad we walked around Juneau and saw more than just the tourist area. We made our way back to the Salmon Bake bus and hopped on.

The bus took about 15 minutes to get to the Salmon Bake area. We got off and got in line. Honestly, it was a backyard BBQ with Salmon. There was salad, cornbread, ribs, beans, and salmon. The line was long, and I waited in it as Joey explored. When it came time to get my piece of Salmon Joey walked up to me and said he wanted to try it. He’s 17 and never ate Salmon before. So I told her to give me a piece without sauce so he could try it. As we sat down, Joey took his fork and started eating. He loved it! Honestly, it was a pretty tasty piece of fish. After, we walked around the back and discovered a clear stream of water. Further on up was a waterfalls and a blocked off mining shaft. Again, the forest was incredibly vibrant, the water was clear, the air was fresh – everything was amazing.



I knew then I wanted to come back to Alaska, and I had only been to Juneau.

Joey and I got back to the bus which took us back to the boat. I learned that Juneau can’t be accessed by land. You can only get to Juneau via boat or by air – and by air, I mean an airplane that can land on water or a helicopter. There’s no airport in Juneau.



Back on the ship Joey and I met up with Brent and Andy who absolutely lover their kayaking adventure, though they were very sore.

BTW – Sarah Palin still lives in Wasilla, AK. It’s a town near Anchorage.

Time to rest up. Tomorrow was Skagway.