This Day in History--Rocky Mountain Dinner Theatre

Elk showing off in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

September 24, 2010

This Day in History--Creepy Cathedral

 

Antwerp cathedral after dark

Belgium

Sept 18, 2007

This Day in History--Climbing Towers and Rocks

 

Bruges (Brugge), Belgium, from the bell tower

Sept 14, 2007  

Me, rock climbing in the Jeseniky mountains, Czechia.

Okay, not really rock climbing.  More like small boulder scrambling.  

It's just the camera angle.

Sept 14, 2016  

This Day in History--Spas and President Lincoln

A well for curative water at the spa town of Lázně Jeseník, Czechia

They're sprinkled around the curative walking trail through the woods

Czechs really do spa towns in style. 

Sept 13, 2016 

Statue of Lincoln, near Laramie, Wyoming

Sept 13, 2010

 

This Day in History--Water and Dancing

Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg--2007

Czech folk festival, Vsetin, Czechia--2009

Water mill, Jeseniky mountains, Czechia--2016

 

Pier 91 in Seattle--Budget Style

So, if you've read much of my blog or my books, you know I'm a budget traveler...who also likes cruising.  These two things are generally a bit at odds.

So, how does a budget cruiser get to the cruise port to board her ship?  Why, she takes public transportation or walks, of course.

Sometimes this is a snap, like in Vancouver.  Pier 66 in Seattle isn't too bad either, though it may require some stairs or steep streets.  But Seattle's Pier 91 (Smith Cove Terminal) is a bit more exciting.

We stayed the night before in Seattle, as I always advise, so we began our trip from downtown.  Since I was traveling with my mom, who is a super trooper--but cannot walk as far or as vigorously as I can--I'd booked a hostel (yes, a hostel, not a hotel) near a bus route that went straight to Magnolia, past the Smith Cove Terminal (currently buses #33 and #24).  The morning of embarkation, I dragged my mom and our suitcases to the bus stop, hauled everything on, paid our fare--in exact change--and set off.  This particular trip, the in-route entertainment was provided by a good mother singing and doing fingerplays with her cute little baby.  After a bit of a ride, we saw our ship and the Magnolia Bridge.  This is the point where you should ask the driver where to let you off.  Because...well...it's not exactly impressive or obvious.

The bus stopped and we were the only ones it dumped out on the side of the road on the Magnolia bridge.  I have a feeling only a small percentage of cruisers arrive by this particular method.

Here's the view:

See that staircase going beneath the bridge?  Well, here's a closer view:

Yup.  Walk toward that elegant loading dock with the topsy-turvy pile of cardboard boxes.  Then haul your suitcases down the rusty staircase into the dark underbelly of this concrete bridge:

Carry both suitcases on the stairs, but let your poor mom pull hers down the ramp:

Navigate through the closed gate, down more steps, and past the guardhouse where there may or may not be a guard who barks, "You can't come through here--you have to go back up" and then bursts out laughing at your faces.  Don't worry, he'll let you through.

Now all you have to do is walk to that ship in the distance.

My mom was amazing!

Price: $2.75 for adults, $1 for seniors
All the adventure and the humble-brag rights:  priceless

For tips on having your own budget adventures in Alaska and the Northwest, read my travel guides:

Cruising Alaska on a Budget; A Cruise and Port Guide
Hiking Alaska from Cruise Ports; Hikes, Walks, and Strolls

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park Visitor Center--Seattle Unit

Of all the museums you can visit in Seattle, this one probably has the longest name.   It's also awesome.

If you're interested in the Klondike Gold Rush or history in general, you'll love this.  And if you're in Seattle on your way to Alaska or the Klondike, just like the gold rushers, this will be of particular interest.  

The museum is extremely well put together.  I especially like how you can follow about six  historical characters' stories from Seattle to the Klondike and the aftermath of the Gold Rush.  I also love the "passport" they give you that you can stamp or do rubbings on at different stations.  The short film is excellent.  There are demonstrations, talks, and even walking tours.  The displays are good.  The signs are full of information about how life really was for these adventurers--not just dry facts and dates.  The museum is big enough to easily hold your attention for a couple of hours (or more), but small enough not to be overwhelming.  Just like its sister museum in Skagway, this is a fantastic place, made even more fantastic by the fact that it's FREE!  If you can, donate a couple of dollars to help support this awesome museum.  

Sobering statistics about who struck it rich in the Klondike (though many people who didn't find any gold at all talked fondly about how it was the biggest adventure of their lives):

Here's the wheel you spin to see if you would have been one of those lucky few:

I struck it rich!

Possible routes to the Klondike, all with pros and cons.  One station challenges you to decide which route you would take.

And here's a simple little packing list.  The Klondike Gold Rush was arguably the thing that turned Seattle into a thriving city.  Provisioning all those gold rushers was quite a boon for the economy.

Just imagine carrying all that up the Chilkoot Pass!  

For more on Skagway, Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush, check out my article on Go Nomad: "Skagway, Alaska and the Yukon Route Railroad"

For tips on traveling to these places yourself, read my travel guides:

Cruising Alaska on a Budget; A Cruise and Port Guide
Hiking Alaska from Cruise Ports; Hikes, Walks, and Strolls

Packing for an Alaska Cruise

I tend to be a heavy packer (at least compared to my backpacker peers).  Don't get me wrong;  I've moved to Europe for two years with one frame backpack and a day pack.  But I'll never be one of those people who purposely takes a serious vacation with one regulation-sized carry-on and nothing else.

For an Alaskan cruise, my recommendation is this:  don't pack light; pack prepared.  If you're like me, the last thing you want to do on your dream vacation is waste time and money shopping for stupid things you didn't bring.  There are too many whales to watch and trails to hike and history to live and salmon to eat.  

Alaska cruise packing list:

Layers. Layers, layers.  In case you didn't get that, I'll repeat:  layers.  Don't take a heavy winter coat.  Instead, take 3-4 light layers you can wear all at once and take off as needed.  Sometimes you'll be cold, especially if you spend a lot of time outside on glacier days or get caught in a long rain.  Other times you'll be too warm in anything more than a light jacket.  I have a long-sleeved, hooded T-shirt that's big enough to wear on top of other things.  I also take a light fleecy jacket, a thin wool sweater, and a stupid-looking but effective emergency poncho.  But there are many other combinations.  If you get cold easily, consider long underwear or some sort of second layer you can wear over or under your pants.  I usually take thick nylons (more like tights):  small to pack, but surprisingly warm.

  

Rain gear. It will rain. The ideal is something fancy like Gore-Tex, which is waterproof but breathable.  However, you can do with a much more affordable alternative.  At the very least, carry an emergency poncho and just swallow your pride when you put it on.  It'll mark you as a tourist, but so will all your oohing and aahing and picture taking.

Hat and gloves. If you spend eight hours on the outside decks in Glacier Bay on a cool day, for example, you'll be glad you have a knit had and gloves.  And please, stay on the outer decks during glacier cruising, at least for a bit.  It's beautiful.  Brimmed hats are handy when the sun comes out (or when the clouds malfunction, as locals joke). 

Good walking/hiking shoes. You don't necessarily need hiking boots, even if you're doing something like Devil's Punchbowl or Deer Mountain or one of the other fantastic Alaskan hikes.  But if you plan on doing anything much active (and please do--it's Alaska!), take good walking shoes with decent tread.  I always take a second pair, since my first often get wet.  Sometimes very, very wet.

These are the most important things, in my opinion, but for more, read my book:

Cruising Alaska on a Budget; A Cruise and Port Guide

Last Minute Cruise Deals

I love Vacations To Go (vacationstogo.com)

They often have the cheapest rates for cruises, and it's a great place to compare various itineraries, lines, dates, etc. to get a feel for what's available.

Their last minute deals can be quite affordable.  If you have the flexibility to drop everything and run to the port within a few days, you will be a very happy cruiser.  I've seen last-minute, 7-day Alaska cruises for under $300.  I've also seen very cheap last-minute cruises to other locations, including the Caribbean.  Keep in mind that's the base price for the cheapest inside cabins, so you'll have to add taxes, tips, and additional dollars if you want an oceanview or balcony.  But still...    

"Last minute" can also be a few weeks in the future.  I've booked most of my Alaskan cruises, for example, within 5 weeks of sailing, and all of those were around $400 per 7 days.  I also got a very good deal on a cruise to Norway, booked a few weeks in advance.

If you're traveling solo, sometimes cruise lines will drop or drastically reduce the single supplement last minute, meaning you can cruise just as cheaply as someone with a cruising partner.

If you're flexible, I think last minute is the way to go.  You probably won't get as many perks, freebies, or upgrades as you may get if you book far in advance, but if you're a budget traveler who can do without the bells and whistles, try last minute.  

For more budget cruising tips, check out my book:  Cruising Alaska on a Budget
Or if you want to see Alaska's nature at your own pace:  Hiking Alaska from Cruise Ports

  

Overpass Art in Quebec City

Quebec City really knows how to paint their overpass support pillars!

These really livened up the walk between the bus/train station and our hostel.

Montreal, Quebec

Some photos from my trip to Montreal in early October.  The leaves were just turning.  So beautiful--and interesting to see the patterns of how they changed.

The metro:

One tree turning:

More leaves!

Cool decorative gourds.  Gourds and pumpkins were all over on my trip, from Montreal to Quebec City, to Sydney, Nova Scotia, to New York City:

Waterside park with various amusements.  The rope course looked super fun.

Les chuchoteuses (The gossipers) tucked in a little corner.  A young boy was getting a kick out of his mom pretending to gossip with them.

Just another European-looking street in Old Montreal:

We only had a short time in Montreal, but I would go back again.   

For budget travelers, there are various hostels with quite good rates.   

Author Appearance and Travelogue

I'm doing a free interactive presentation about my experiences living and traveling abroad.  It's next Thursday, March 15, 2018 , at 6:30 pm at Velma Teague Library in Glendale (59th Ave and Glendale--7010 N 58th Ave, Glendale, AZ  85301)

If you're in the area, you can...
-Learn about how to teach ESL in a foreign country
-Hear funny travel stories
-See interesting pictures
-Answer fun cultural quiz questions
-Possibly win one of my books

Tubac Presidio

At the awesome Tubac Presidio in Tubac, Arizona, south of Tucson.

Me pushing the arrastra, a simple milling mechanism:

A replica of an outdoor kitchen, with ocotillo dividers, gourd storage containers, and a stove with comal for making tortillas:

The first printing press in Arizona.  Don't miss the cool video about the process and all the fascinating information about what an Old West editor had to do:

Strange plant in the herb garden:

Old West public transportation:

Don't skip the beautiful artwork in this room, along with the fascinating historical tales that go with the art.

If you're at all interested in history, culture, archaeology, or botany, you'll love the Tubac Presidio. Some places get caught up in the dry facts of the dates and names and who owned what when, but the Presidio does really well getting at the good stories of the people behind the history.

It's a state park, and costs $5 per person, but it's well worth it.  And if you're in the mood for this type of thing, be prepared to spend at least a full couple of hours.  We spent half the day.  Check it out here:  http://www.tubacpp.com/

Tubac Presidio Schoolhouse

The classic one-room schoolhouse at Tubac Presidio:

Here are some punishments for bad little boys and girls in 1848.  Notice how fighting and quarreling earn you 5 lashes.  The heinous offense of boys and girls playing together earns 4.  But the worst thing...the crime that gets you 10 lashes...is...gasp...playing cards.   Oh, the horror.

A stove like my dad remembers (he also remembers the chairs above):

The Tubac Presidio is an awesome place with all sorts of interesting history and juicy stories.  See my next couple of posts. 

Tubac is south of Tucson, just a few miles north of the border to Mexico.  The Presidio is a State Park, and the modest entrance fee is well worth it.  http://www.tubacpp.com/