Travel

Finally again

Posted on by J. R. Patee

You are perfectly cast in your life.  I can’t imagine anyone but you in the role.  Go play.

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

Has been a while in writing and I confess remiss.  AS they say “My bad”

But here we are in Sitka Alaska prepping for a cruise.  We have turned into cruise people I guess.  Well this one is a 49 passenger 8 day trip through Southeast Alaska.   It covers a lot of the area Jeanne and I kayaked in 8 weeks back in 1992 on our “honeymoon” trip.  I suspect people will tire of Jeanne and I telling stories of a particular area.  We are excited and have already been reliving memories of that awesome trip.

Sitka totem park pioneer home 1992

2025

Sitka has quite the history first with local Tlingit Natives and various native tribes, then invasion by the Russians for furs in early 1700’s. The Tlingits took back the area in 1802, but the Russians retook it in 1804. In 1867, Russian having overextended itself transferred its colonies and holdings to the United States. Although a price was paid of 7 million dollars it was never sold, because they never owned it. It was native land, which never became actually realized until 1971 with the Alaska Native claims settlement act. History is crazy. As one movie said history is “just the story of one bloody thing after another”.

Sitka itself is a hodgepodge of historical and modern stuff. The russian church, still active, the battlefields, the bishops house, the castle on hill now gone, and the totem park which we visit again this afternoon. Currently lots of tourists off the cruise ships. Interesting as there are advertisements all over to vote for or against limiting the numbers. The current ship holds 3000 passengers and a 1000 crew, into a town of 6000. the sidewalks are packed with folks walking gift shop to gift shop.

Next day and we again walked to totem pole park and walked about the wood and big trees.

Delightful day with lunch at food truck of fish tacos, and dinner of salmon cooked to perfection. One little incident where i was asked politely where from and when told I was from Anchorage, their response was I am sorry. Funny how people hate Anchorage because it is the big bad city. And we walked downtime fighting our way through the crowds of tourists.

Sitka has an election coming up to limit the tourists to 100,000 a year. Last year they had 300,000 in a town of 6000.

A close call

Posted on by J. R. Patee

One must from time to time attempt things which are beyond one’s capacity

Pierre-Augusta Renoir 

A thrilling adventure!

Jeanne and I usually celebrate her birthday in Talkeetna, a charming town north of Anchorage, between Christmas and New Year’s. But this year, a friend invited us to their cozy cabin nestled north of Talkeetna, about 30 miles away. We left the day after Christmas, arriving before the sun dipped below the horizon at 3:30 p.m. Bud, our friend, picked us up in his snow machine with a trailer, ready to take us the mile to the cabin. Bud and Lulie, who have owned the cabin since 1988, spend most of the winter season there. They’re always welcoming visitors, so we felt right at home.

One of the best parts was that there was enough snow to ski! Anchorage has snow in October, but the warm weather in late November and beyond has melted most of it. The temperatures have been too warm to even make snow for the ski trails and jumps. Ice has been present, and falls are a major concern. But luckily, the studs around the tires of our bikes made it safe to explore the trails.

Bud and Lulie’s cabin is a true gem, and Bud takes great care of grooming miles and miles of trails. Jeanne and I decided to go out just as the sun was setting for a lovely ski. The next day, everyone thought a good ski was in order. Bud wanted to do a 4-5 mile loop to build up his strength on his new hip. Both he and Lulie are passionate about their dogs and have even competed in international ski touring events. Bud wanted to go skiing with his dog and suggested that I follow his tracks since there was only a couple of centimeters of fresh snow. The temperatures were perfect, around -5 C (25 F). I decided to give it a try.

Bud took off, with me not far behind. Of course, he was gone quickly, out of sight, but his tracks and the dog tracks were quite visible. The sky was a bit cloudy, but the forecast looked promising.

So, I was just enjoying the peaceful skiing through the flat country. It was amazing to see the swamps of summer covered in snow. The scrub black spruce trees stood tall, almost reaching the sky, with barely enough limbs to catch the new snow. About 2 miles into my ski, it started snowing, not exactly what I had planned. It was coming down pretty hard, maybe 1-2 cm an hour. If it kept up, I’d be buried in no time! The ski tracks were getting covered, but I could still see the snow machine width pack.

I kept going, but the snow started falling even more, and the visibility dropped to 2-3 miles. I could still hear the road of the Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks, but I knew if it snowed much more, the sound would be muffled. The snow was definitely coming down more than a centimeter an hour. In 5 hours, my skis would be buried unless I lifted them up.

Then, I started thinking about the Donner Party. Would I be in the same situation as those unfortunate souls caught in the Sierra snow? Those folks either saved themselves or some of them by resorting to cannibalism. Oh my, this is getting a bit scary! I moved on the ski trail, crossing another snow machine track, and the ski tracks were gone for that meter of crossing. Donner Party thoughts kept coming to mind.

Then, I realized I was all alone, unlike the Donner Party, where they had 147 morsels to choose from. I decided to keep going, the snow starting to lighten up a bit. The GPS said I was starting to turn back toward the cabin. I passed another friend’s cabin, but I knew he was still in Anchorage for the holidays.  

So, I had this wild idea to try and free my foot from the trap. I mean, I’ve heard stories of animals chewing off their limbs to escape, right? But then I realized, ‘Uh-oh, this is gonna be scary.’ And guess what? I hadn’t even had a shower in 24 hours! My foot was totally out of commission. I was stuck! But then, the snow stopped falling, and I decided to take a deep breath and brave the elements. I made it back to the cabin, about 45 minutes behind Bud. Bud and I had a blast gathering water from the spring a few miles away using the snow machines. It was such a fun task! On our way back, we ran into the three ladies who were returning from their ski trip. Jeanne was absolutely thrilled about skiing, calling the conditions ‘pure butter’.  

Yesterday Bud drove us to the road where we left our car, and we proceeded to Talkeetna.  We are now celebrating Jeanne’s birthday at the cabin in downtown Talkeetna.  Beautiful day, sun is blasting down from its 4 degrees above the horizon.  

Finally some awesome skiing
Sunrise
Sunset over Denali

Thoughts on trains

Posted on by J. R. Patee

The Beauty of life is to be outside the box, so that the box doesn’t exist…. to limit a human being to one mode of expression is really a crime.

Herbie Hancock

It’s been almost three weeks since we got back from our trip, and I still have a lot of questions.

1: Would I do it again?

I highly recommend taking the train, but maybe not for an extended trip like we did. Jeanne mentioned that the trip started to feel a bit monotonous, day after day, not really exploring but just taking short breaks. But we also realized that the purpose wasn’t necessarily to visit specific places and focus on them, but rather to circumnavigate and see the entire country, not just a portion. Where does that stop and start? Why just the United States? Well, there are so many amazing places to explore!

I’d still highly recommend taking the train if you have the time. When you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to miss out on all the cool stuff along the way. For example, driving from Alaska to the lower 48 states takes at least 3 days, and it’s even better if you take your time and enjoy the scenery. But when you fly, you miss out on all the amazing sights and experiences. It still remains the most memorable train ride experience, of my life, was the Australian train the Indian-Pacific. We woke crossing the Nullarbor desert, at sunrise watching the red kangaroos race the train. One does not see that from an airplane.

Seeing the country was absolutely stunning. Cruising along at often 80mph (125 kph) gave you vistas, forests, lakes, rivers, industrial areas, backyards, cityscapes not necessarily seen from cars or airplanes. We definitely enjoyed viewing the various agricultural bounty as we traversed the country. Seemingly never-ending fields of wheat, corn, soybeans, potatoes, sugarcane, cotton, pecan trees, and unknown green stuff. Human industry at its best.

Cruising through the towns, villages, and cities gave a perspective unlike driving in a car. Where people live is interesting, how a town is laid out, why the houses are built like that, what activities do the people partake in. All reasonably guessed at by seeing the layout and accommodations in the yards. In a car, you are paying attention to the road, what is happening in the car , and how long until you arrive. The railroad is the journey.

As for airplanes, I did have a friend describe an airliner as a time capsule. You walk in, sit down, tap your feet for a few hours, get out, and you are somewhere else entirely.

When we talked with others on the trains, we asked why the train and not flying. We expected a common answer would be afraid to fly. Not once did that come up, but usually the answer was much more relaxed by train. No hassles with airports, no lines, no standing or sitting around, no security fuss.

But trains are not problem-free. Being, shall we say, older, I do not sleep as well vertically as I used to. When I fly long haul, I seem to require stops along the way. Instead of just changing planes, I will stop for the night and stay in a close motel or hotel; otherwise, I arrive exhausted and lose days trying to catch up. Maybe I am spoiled, being retired, but that is my travel. Enjoy the journey and I find airplane travel not as fun as it used to be.

Hence, we got the sleeping car. Not knowing how it worked, we opted for the cheaper mode – a roomette. Turns out that is good for one, although there is an upper bunk. A bedroom with slightly more room would be better for 2. Then there is the family room, but that was way too much for us. We wanted to just sleep there, not live there. The cost of a sleeper is exorbitant.

And that was the major problem. Expense! This was a very expensive trip! It cost just over $10,000 ($6,500 for the train, rest in hotels in Chicago and New York). That makes no sense to me. I do not know where the money goes, but I find it hard to believe operating a train is more expensive than a plane. There are subsidies out there of which I am unaware. One gets the distinct feeling passenger trains are low on the totem pole. Texas has turned down a fast train from Houston to Dallas numerous times, not believing in mass transit.

2: What did I learn?

A: In the United States, capitalism is the economy. OK, that makes sense, but making money has become the end-all. Years ago, Jeanne and I did a 4-month kayak trip and learned some towns definitely wanted your money, but sometimes forgot to give something in return. Oops, forgot! We remember some places for their ability to extract money and not for the memories of the town. Much the same now, but “they have gotten better and trickier at ability too extract money.

Our first experience with the train was the website. We were curious as to the cost, but could not find prices. Turns out the train is like airlines: they use demand pricing. You can’t get a price until you are ready to book. Earlier is better. Two couples we talked to paid $400 different for exactly the same thing but booked 10 minutes apart.

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago did that for Marathon Weekend. Normally $35 entry, but Marathon Weekend $50, which is primarily why we did not go. No wonder “rich” people get along easier.

And we discovered in today’s world “they” sneak things into a bill. The Chicago hotel charged us $50 for a late checkout – which they conveniently did not mention, only noted later. Or a gratuity automatically added, or employee health benefit cost added separately. I never noted the cost of electricity or building maintenance on a bill.

I used to use the phone to find nearby places to eat, but it turned difficult as I would google places to eat near me and the closest would be a 1/2 mile away while we were standing in front of one. I learned to pay attention.

B: I learned what a large, incredibly diverse country we live in. The variety was awesome. That alone was one of the best parts. New York City, just walking the streets, was a lesson in diversity. Our guide for the 9/11 tour was 30 years old and did not know how to drive. She had never had a need. (She said our tips were going to pay for her driving lessons.) The food truck fellow from Egypt, the guide from Eritrea, the Jewish neighborhood in Baltimore. And the train, talking with various people, the Amish joining the train somewhere in the Midwest to go to a wedding, the musician traveling through the South to Houston, searching for a life beyond his past. The employees of the train, all from different backgrounds and hard-working, all. They do long hours and days with a smile.

C: As noted earlier, trains seem to take the short shrift. In the United States, freight gets precedence over passengers, often causing us to sit at a siding waiting for a freight train.

One could see this in the modern train stations. Houston and San Antonio had torn down their train stations and built bus terminals. Most of the elaborate train stations were relics of the past. Beautiful works of art, comfortable and functional.

3: Which was my favorite part?

People can be amazing!

That is difficult, depending on which part I am thinking about currently. My favorite train, although to call it a favorite does major injustice to the other sections, would be the Coast Starlight up the California coast. But the Sunset Limited from Louisiana to Los Angeles ranks in there, with the bayous, then the deserts. The Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago was spectacular, going from the mountains, to plains, to forests. The trip along the Great Lakes, I suspect, is spectacular, as is the Crescent train along the Appalachians, but they were at night, hence I cannot say much about that.

East coast trains, east of Chicago to New Orleans, were dirtier and I would say less friendly, although I am not sure how to describe that.

All in all, I enjoyed the trip, but like many things, I am very glad I did it, but do not need to repeat it. I would definitely do sections though.

I am glad I have the ability to enjoy it.

And next – the Zephyr train from San Francisco to denver sounds amazing if during the day, or the City of New Orleans from Chicago to New Orleans. Options and ideas.

For now though I am excited for the next adventure which is to stay home and enjoy winter here. Bike season is here, ski season, and just enjoying the sanctuary of home.

And for those still awake I posted a video of our travels on youtube. Hopefully it can be found on the youtube website https://www.youtube.com/@JRPatee