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A Lass in Alaska
by Susan
Purdy
I’ve always felt
like royalty. In fact, I own three faux jeweled,
over-the-top tiaras, appropriate for the most regal of affairs.
The only time I get to wear them is during award shows on television
when I sit crossed-legged on my bed wearing my most comfortable
nightie and watching the stars glitter on the tube. So
you can imagine how excited I was to be taking a vacation to
Alaska on a Princess cruise line ship; I felt as
though I would finally be recognized for the blue blood I believe
runs through my veins.
And, it came true. From the moment
I stepped foot on that gorgeous white ship, they treated me
like the sovereign of a small but important country; I
had to stop myself from using the royal wave. I adjusted
to the luxury instantly and found cruising to be an excellent
way to travel. Wonderful, behind-the-scenes people (dare
I call them my court?) do things for you that you don’t
even realize have happened. For example, I checked
my luggage at a New York airport and, magically, it was not
only in Vancouver, BC where I boarded the Ocean Princess,
but in my cabin when I arrived; I had only to unpack to
let the adventure begin.
My cabin had so many clever built-ins
that it appeared twice its actual size: two TV’s, a walk-in
closet, a sink and toilet separate from the Jacuzzi tub and
stall shower and, of course, a King-sized bed.
I was delighted to discover that the double balcony, where
I could sit and watch the Inside Passage go by, lined up directly
with the clear glass shower. I would leave the bath door open
and while washing my hair could view the scenery; it became
a favorite thing to do. I loved the idea of two formal
dress nights. The evening took on a Titanic aspect:
a string quartet played in the center atrium as glamorous people
in elegant gowns and tuxedos descended a magnificent art deco
staircase. My royal veins pulsed with joy.
I had over packed for the rest
of the trip. Day time was truly casual: sweatshirts,
jeans, sneakers, and wind breakers were all that I needed.
At one of the affordable shops on board, I filled in my wardrobe
with a dark blue sweatshirt featuring a salmon and the words,
PRINCESS and ALASKA. Evening meals, apart for the two
formal and one semi-formal nights, were casual chic. A
dress, pantsuit, or skirt and sweater set were more than acceptable
to all, including the waiters from Italy who were so cute they
made Brad Pitt look mediocre. Generoso Mazzone, the Maitre
d’Hotel, ran the dining room with such a flair that he would
have made his compatriot, Roberto Benigni proud. I couldn’t
wait to see what he would be up to each night. Some nights
the waiters marched round twirling napkins, other nights it
was a song or two for a special occasion--all done in the best
of taste, and the greatest of fun. Award winning Executive
Chef Michael Cozzoli created memorable meals in his spotlessly
clean, stainless steel kitchen. For a bit trivia, eighty-five
tons of food are consumed per week on board this floating restaurant.
Guests are often invited to tour the kitchen, and I was first
on line to see where all this great food was being created.
It was there I also met my nemesis,
the person totally responsible for the four pounds I later discovered
I had gained. He was Giovanni Ferraris, the pastry chef.
The man drove me insane. Think chocolate. It was
below decks that I met the ship’s doctor, Doctor Tran.
Not that I was ill, but I wondered what recourse passengers
had who became ill in the middle of the ocean. Dr. Tran
took care of the everyday affairs, but when she needed a consultation,
one was a click away. The ship has a tele-medicine link
up with the Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
A TV screen with built in camera is directed towards a patient
and a zoom lens allows the patient to be viewed by clinic
doctors who then confer with Dr. Tran.
I love to socialize but sometimes
need a bit of time to myself; I had worried that with approximately
2000 guests on board finding a place of solitude would be impossible.
Not true. I found many spots to sit and reflect on the
history of our largest state, both on deck sitting in comfortable
wooden chairs or inside in a quiet lounge area situated by large
windows. I learned that Alaska is more than twice the size of
Texas, one fifth of the land mass of the continental U.S. and
that Alaska’s Mt. McKinley, known to locals as Mt. Denali, is
the highest point in North America at 20,320 feet.
During the land portion of my Princess Alaskan
adventure, I met three men from Nepal who had just climbed Mt.
McKinley. It took them 17 days to scale this mountain,
and their serious, leathery faces, burned by the elements, cracked
into smiles when I congratulated them on their amazing feat.
These brave men were part of the U.S. Army’s Northern Warfare
Training Center, based at Fort Wainwright.
There’s so much to do on board
that the days were too short even though the sun never seemed
to set. I attended a series of lectures given by
Michael Modzelewski, author of Inside Passage, about
the two years he spent living alone in the Alaskan wilderness
(www.pride-net.com/adventures/).
Later, I enjoyed the spa services and relaxed with the ship's
slight sway as Laura massaged away any stress I brought with
me. I danced, ate, had the time of my life and enjoyed
the most incredible scenery I had ever seen in all my days of
travel. They say after you’ve seen the world, see Alaska,
as everything will pale by comparison. It’s true.
Alaska is home to more than half
the world’s glaciers; sailing into Glacier Bay is a perfect
way to meet these giant ice sculptures. 
I found it difficult to fathom the magnitude of these huge cold
canyons; vast is too small a word. I took photos, but
had to laugh when I saw the results. Imagine trying to
capture something this awesome in a four by six picture. Not
possible. If I had it to do over, I would take fewer pictures
and just allow the beauty to etch an image onto my heart.
Side trips from the ship are
exciting but they can be expensive so I chose wisely.
The towns are so small that they can be appreciated in an hour
and except for a Seahorse Ventures, Clydesdale horse drawn trolley
ride in Ketchikan, I explored the towns on my own.
I stopped in at the Ketchikan Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
which is an excellent introduction to the flora and fauna of
the area. At Annabelle’s Keg & Chowder House, I had
the best beer in all of Alaska, Black Bear Porter.
My stop in Juneau was interesting.
First, you can’t get to this city by road. That’s right,
there are no roads leading in or out of Juneau; you must arrive
by plane or ship. Secondly, this State capitol had a population
of approximately 30,000 people, only three thousand more than
my village of Lindenhurst but there’s a lot packed into this
great town. One saloon I visited set the tone of bygone
years, when gold miners came into town rich with thoughts of
gold, parched from the hard work and looking for some fun.
The Red Dog Saloon has been moved a few times but it's still
in business and raucous, rowdy and just a bit raunchy. The sing
along is great fun, the piano player a real hoot and you get
to meet locals as well as travelers from other ships in port.
A huge sign hanging on the wall seems to sum up the
place: If our food, drinks and service aren’t up to your
standards -- lower your standards! To balance the
Red Dog, I visited a little jewel of a church. The St.
Nicholas Church, founded in 1893, is Russian Orthodox, even
though Juneau did not even exist during the Russian era, which
ended in 1867. It was well worth the climb up a few steep
streets, as both the exterior and interior were a delight to
discover.
It was in Juneau that I took
a wildlife sightseeing cruise and saw my first whales, humpbacks
and huge. I saw a fine spray on the water coming from
one of their blow-holes and then a whale surfaced. My heart
jumped. Two great big creatures put on a show. They
dove, only to reappear quickly and giving everyone on board
a thrill. I spotted a bald eagle in a tree and then realized
that he was protecting his mate, who was sitting on a
huge nest. The way to find these majestic creatures is
to look for a white golf ball in the thickness of the green
trees; their white head stands out and soon you can see the
entire bird. While Captain Mike Miller navigated the St.
Gregory through the waters, I stood on the bow of
the boat where the wind whipped around me and the air smelled
so fresh. This is still such a clean, pristine part of our country.
It's wonderful to be able to experience it as it was hundreds
of years ago.
This was just the beginning of
my Alaskan adventure: Skagway, Seward, Talkeetna,
Anchorage, and Fairbanks were still to come. The land portion
included accommodations in the Princess Lodges, set deep in
wooded glens and outside Denali National Park. During this portion
of the trip, I landed on a glacier in a ski plane that used
four sleds poked in the snow and covered with black plastic
garbage bags as runway markers. I fished for King Salmon in
a rowboat with four men for ten hours, traveled on a narrow
gauge railroad which followed the path of gold miners through
White Pass and deep into the snowy mountains. And I yelled “Eureka,”
when I panned for gold and actually found some sparkling flakes
in my pan. Part two will relate the further adventures of this
Lass in Alaska.
Part
Two >>
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Susan Purdy is a freelance
writer specializing in travel, food, and lifestyle. She is a member
of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and her work
has appeared in many publications including the Saturday Evening
Post, Brides, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Meridian, Ms., Woman’s
World, First for Women, Country Accents, and Country Inns. Susan
Purdy can be emailed at Suepur@aol.com
for comments and questions.
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Copyright© 2001 Susan
Purdy for SeniorWomenWeb
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