Train Tour or Kayak Tour?

So today was the BIG day...
My kayaking through glacier excursion!

I didn't have a lot of information, as the website and the email confirmations were a bit up for debate... take what you can get.

The lady had told me to be at the train for 9am.
I made that happen,

In fact, an older couple at my BnB told me that they were headed for the exact SAME train station.
No ride offered, I might add... as they watched me call Uber.

Whatever... they became convinced that I was taking a completely different train than them because they were told to be there at 8:45 for their 9:45am train... and I was told to be there at 9 for my 9:45am train.

Maybe they have learning disabilities.
Maybe I do.

Maybe me telling them that I was getting sick was the reason they didn't want me in their car.  I can't blame them.

I was exhausted - and looked it - because I hadn't slept all night.  I developed some kind of tickling in my throat that kept me coughing every couple of minutes, and subsequently kept me up for a LOT of the midnight daylight...

Probably kept them up as well.

I actually ran in to them on the train and the lady exclaimed, with delight! "You made it!" 

Ya... I made the 9:45am train with a 45 minute window...

I really know how to live on the edge.

Take chances...

My Uber driver was super laid back - retired- I begged him to stop at a convenience store on the way to the station because I'd forgotten my toothbrush and toothpaste.... typical.

There was a big announcement before anyone could board the train, informing us ALL (no exceptions) that we had to check our firearms before boarding.

I wasn't having any of it.

I was getting ON that train to the glaciers... WITH my gun.  Who do I speak to about this absurdity?

Once on the train, chugging along the coast of the Turnagain Arm, all I could concentrate on was the nagging southern accent behind me saying, "Sure doesn't look like the beaches we got down south."

And, to her credit, I'm sure the muddy, silty, sludge along the coastline of the Turnagain Arm resembled nothing of the South Georgian beachside...

About 40 times... "Nope... not at all like the beaches down south."
I don't understand why some people travel.

I sat across from a plump female version of Marilyn Manson and I could NOT help but wonder where  she was going, as the train chugged deeper and deeper in to the wilderness.

About an hour in to the fun train ride, instant regret hit.
I was cold.

Really cold.

The air conditioning in the train was on full blast and I had not packed well, nor chosen my outfit wisely.

Shorts... a workout shirt, my new Alaska shirt that I bought on a whim and now I think it's too big and the sleeves are too long and I think it's a mans shirt.

I was so angry with myself.
They'd given me a list of things to bring and I ignored it.
Warm pants - nope.
Warm shirt - nope.
Warm jacket - nope.
Gloves - not a chance.

I pack for the tan I plan on getting... not the trip I'm actually about to embark on,.

I tried to get a coffee to warm up- and had to endure the pain of the little creamers...

All around was damp, drizzling, cold... and I knew that there was no way that I was going to warm up when I got to a glacier lake to paddle for the day.

As the train chugged on, the smoke did begin to clear slightly, opening up the surrounding mountains... and there were glimpses of bright coming through (NOT sun... just bright)... but the temperature refused to rise.

Now... when I say that the train chugged along... I want to be perfectly clear about one thing... I was ON that train from 9:45am...

And remember that I was there for 9am...

I finally reached my destination for the guide to pick me up at 2:30!!!!!

FOUR HOURS AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES on this train... cold and tired.

Cold and tired... yes... and not wanting to fall asleep because I had NO idea where I was supposed to get off.

Not one word of a lie,
Not kidding at all.
Strike me down...

I finally PHONED the Ascending Path office in Anchorage... when the train rolled in to the in of the in and out of service areas...

"Hello... this is Joanna McBride and I think I missed my tour today because I've been on this train for  over 3 hours and I wasn't sure where to get off."

They assured me that the train ride was part of the "experience" and to just enjoy the ride until the guide found me in my seat...

An hour later...
We went Anchorage - Girdwood - Portage - Whittier - Portage - Spencer Whislte Stop #1 - Spencer Whistle Stop #2... that is where the guide got us all off the train to begin our kayaking experience.

I was SO confused.

If anyone had told me that I would be on a train for 4.5 hours, I would have seriously reconsidered booking the trip!

Our tour guide was Allison - and she grew up in New York City. Crazy!!!

Mordor

There was a mother & son duo and a father & son duo on the trip... and me!  I rode tandem with Allison and after gearing up with rain jackets, rain pants (thank GAWD because they warmed me up!), paddle, life jacket... and a little bit of instruction on what to do if we capsized... off we went in to the freezing cold water!

It was incredible.

Words escape me.

I had read that it was the most scenic glacier trips in Alaska and it did not disappoint.
Kayaking through all the glacier debris that was left floating throughout the lake - I don't think that I've ever been close to something so geologically & historically magnificently impressive.

I asked loads of questions about everything... but of course, I've forgotten almost everything.

She explained the history of the Glacier... how at about 50 years ago, it reached the train station stop... so it had receded so much since then and just kept going back.

It was named after a man named Spencer, who used to run back and forth between railroad camps, collecting time cards.  One of his routes was across the glacier, as he has a path across the ice field.  But this particular night, he headed out to cross it without a lantern and obviously wandered off the path somehow.

They apparently found his belongings scattered- but never found his body and he was never seen again.

We kayaked for about 2 & 1/2 hours, then hiked up hear the glacier for an hour... then back in to the kayaks to head back to the beloved train.

MUCH better train this time though - it had heat... and popcorn... and red wine.

As soon as I sat down for the 2 hour journey (better than 4.5!), I felt the blood rush to my face and I knew that the sickness was taking over.  The cough came back immediately and then pure exhaustion hit.

I never get sick.  Trust me to get sick on a 2 day vacation!

I have to say one thing about waiting for the train... or even, waiting to get off the train.  This- see photo - is the train station.  Maybe it stops, maybe it doesn't. Maybe there is someone waiting for you... maybe not.

I'll tell you a NOT maybe... I'll tell you a FOR SURE.
There are mosquitos.
BIG mosquitos.

And lots of them... that attack your face.

BIG.
HUGE.

Basically, the entire load of us just hysterically danced for twenty minutes, in order to avoid mosquitos sucking us dry.

Literally helicopter bugs landing on your face.

I think that my shoes have seen the last of their days and I intend to chuck them in to the closest Alaskan garbage can before I leave.  I had originally discarded them back in October, before I left for Vietnam.  Bought a nice new pair of runners to take with me on vacation... and anyone that remembers my Vietnam stories might remember that I stepped in human poo... so these shoes came back out of retirement...

To the Midnight Smoke I go!

Anchorage

Hold on to your hats...
I think that today, my life suddenly took a turn in the absolute opposite direction from normal...
I honestly do not have much to complain about or even laugh at and make fun of.

Some, of course... but not the usual pile!

Get a hold of this...

I left work a little bit later than originally anticipated and to be honest, I was stressing out slightly about travel time to the airport... border crossing line up waits... border crossing hassle...

... the usual...

I think of at least 15 lights between Mission and the border, I only hit TWO red lights.
There were a couple times I threw my hands in the air and literally raised the roof right in my little red car.

When I pulled up to the lineup at the border, the electronic sign informed me that the border wait was: Sumas 20 minutes.

20 minutes, my ass. 

Coastal Trail

 I know what 20 minutes translates in to.
1 hour and 20 minutes.

Experience finally taught me to take the left lane... even though the right lane was shorter and tempting me... calling to me... beckoning...

I wasn't having ANY of it.

Left lane all the way.

Guess who made it to the border officer in less than 15 minutes?

Me.

Me and my dirty, red car.

I was mentally prepared for everything that I was positive was about to hit me.

Why are you traveling alone?
Where's your husband?
How can you just leave the kids? 

Coastal Trail

... hit me.

Nope.  Nothing!  Zip...

Instead, I got this;

Border Patrol cutie: Where you from?
Me: Mission.
Border Patrol cutie: Where you heading today?
Me: Alaska.

Big pause... 

Border Patrol cutie: (holding a completely stern expression) You're heading in the wrong direction.

I looked at him...

...he looked at me...

For a brief second, I honestly considered the error of my ways and then... HE BURST IN TO LAUGHTER!

Have a great trip...

... and I was on my way,

Coastal Trail

Pulled in to the Bellingham Airport car park, the van was waiting right there to take me to the airport.
Zero wait times.

The guy driving the airport shuttle was quite chatty and told me his big story of the bird that has been whistling outside his window for the past three years.

Robin? 

Not a robin.

Then he pointed at an actual robin that we saw and said, "that's the bird!"

Well... that's a robin. 

Nope... not a robin,

Anyway- whatever small brown, red bellied non-robin bird this is has been singing the same two notes for 3 years and just yesterday, he discovered that it's a mating call.
Poor bird... he can't find a mate.

Westchester Lagoon

I suggested that perhaps, by some weird coincidence, it might be more than one bird.
Not, not a robin and not more birds... same bird.

Can't find love.

Strange.
Fear of rejection?  Anger issues?  Commitment phobia....

I arrive at the airport... very uneventful.  I've already checked in and I'm only taking carry, on - so I head through the security, knowing full well that Brown's is waiting for me on the other side with an obscenely expensive glass of red wine!

I can't really say that I breezed through security because they did take my bags away from me briefly.
I was concerned because they put my particular bags in an area that I couldn't seem to reach... and I definitely tried. Finally one of the border officers came over and informed me that it was where it was because she needed to check it.

Something suspicious in there.

Suspicious?

My mind was racing...

The Coastal Trail

All I could think was that I'd attempted to board an American flight with too much, high-risk, sound the bells & call security ridiculously expensive facial cream.

The sweat on my brow was beginning to accumulate as I envisioned them grabbing it out of my toiletries bag and chucking it in the garbage can to die a painful death with 8000 water bottles.

Then it dawned on me what they were looking for

... rummaging through all my belongings...

My corkscrew.

Don't ever travel without a corkscrew.
***Unless you're traveling through security at an airport.

Bellingham was the recipient of a new black corkscrew.

Bastards!
I admit that I was glad to be disarmed my of my weapons as opposed to being relieved of my moisturizer.

Glass of red wine at Browns.
Check!

On the flight.
Check!

Once on board, I was scouring the plane looking for my seat...

...and then I saw it. 

The Coastal Trail

Middle seat.  Right in between two guys and a rambunctious toddler. The one guy looked quite stressed trying to keep the kicking child still for a brief moment while everyone boarded.

My bliss was gone.

I approached them with what probably was the most miserable face they'd ever seen and said "that's my seat" ... and pointed to the empty seat smack dab in the middle of the row.  Pure misery oozed from every inch of me.

Then he looked up at me, with a look of pure desperation and said "I made a big mistake and booked C and D seats by mistake- is there any way that you would trade me seats so that I can sit beside my son. You can have that aisle seat?" and he pointed across the aisle to the open seat.

Bliss returned.

The moose outside my BnB

Check!

No problem.

The two of them ended up moving seats half way through the flight because the guy on the other side of the chaos passed out and kept falling over on to the father. And I think he stunk.
I wanted to ask... but I didn't.

I should have.

The flight was good. Little rocky at time, but not bad. The pilot kept telling us that Anchorage was smokey... not looking forward to that.

He was right.
It's smokey and the air quality is shit... but I'm here!

I have to say, Anchorage Airport has a lot of signs everywhere leading you in each and every direction... except OUT.  I wandered around really hesitating at every turn I made because I had no idea if I was nearing the exit or if I was heading deeper and deeper in to the terminal.

My room.
How do they know I'm loved? lol

I did manage to make it out alive- and in to a cab... with a cabbie who seemed quite disgruntled about having waited in the airport line for so long for a fare,.. only to be stuck driving me around... and I only needed to go 8 minutes down the road! Oh well.


My Air BnB is a little eccentric... it's a BC box... in Alaska.
The gardens are quite colourful and enticing... but inside kinda resembles lipstick on a pig.
It's like, "let's make it hippy ... today."

Perhaps a little tacky and a little outlandish wrapped up all in one.

The lady who runs it is lovely and see walked me around the house, showed me where everything was and then gave me a map and told me all about the city and where to go.  Slow talker.

There is a chalkboard sign up in case you want to book the time you want your shower.  To avoid fights... for reals.

I followed the Coastal trail in to Anchorage and wandered around.  So beautiful!

I took loads of pictures.
A crack head walked by me and told me to stop wasting his time... so that was interesting.

My first friend in Alaska :-)

I ate a large brewery restaurant and almost froze out on the patio.  The server eventually brought me a blanket!

I ate crab stuffed, bacon wrapped jalapeños - I was going to take a picture, but my phone died and I had to get the waiter to plug it in for a bit. Delish...

Then I almost got lost on the way home because I decided to take the residential route back!  My phone was dying, I couldn't access Google Maps and I used up all my data on my phone. Always a good combination in a strange place.

Smrt.

As I write this, it's 11:44pm and it's like 5pm outside.  I'm exhausted, but I feel like I should wait until it's dark to go to sleep.
The lady who owns this place told me that it would start to get dark around 11:30... not happening...

I can feel the smoke in my lungs too.  I have been fighting a cold for a bit, but now have developed a tickling couch that is making me crazy. And probably everyone else here in this crickety old, not well insulated BC box.

I have to be up and at the Train Station for 9am tomorrow...

There is seriously no such thing as darkness here,