[Anonymous]

[Papillion53]

Canucklad – thank you so much for the link to those stunning photos – wish I didn’t have to wait so long to get there now!

We’re off on a cruise ex SEA to Alaska (round trip) next summer – my “thank you pressie” from the DH for his BIG OZ trip this year! 😉 🙂 well that’s what I told him as I booked it! LOL!

Never been to Alaska before, so any tips, advice always welcome.

I couldn’t get Avios redemptions to SEA but next best thing to YVR, so that was the reason for asking, as I had hoped it wouldn’t be too hard a drive down to SEA., especially as I’d read depending on the day and time, the border crossings can be quite busy!

We have driven from Calgary to Vancouver and it was truly stunning. Just when you think you’ve seen the last mountain, there’s another one around the bend! It was in May, so still a lot of snow around, but it would be cold one day and then lovely and warm the next. Bit like Livingston??? 😉

[azidane]

Hi Papillon, I drove from Seattle to Vancouver and back last year, and the queue from the US to Canada was very small (Peace Arch border crossing) but coming back into the US it took about an hour to get through. I was told there is another crossing you can use as well and usually worth checking the how busy each crossing is before setting off and choose the least busy one.

It is a lovely drive to do with some beautiful scenery and if I remember correctly it took about 2 – 2 1/2 hours or so.

[BigDog.]

Once you have done a summer Alaskan trip try to revisit in Winter – it is so different . The Iditarod should be on everyones bucket list.

http://iditarod.com/2013-iditarod-musher-sign-ups-draws-54-mushers-on-first-day/

There is nothing on this earth to match this spectacle. Though take care getting to close to the dog team without the express permission of the musher. You hear them coming in the distance then they woosh past, better than any Horserace, F1 or MotoGP.

[Papillion53]

Hi Azidane – thanks for that, should be fine.

BigDog – we went to Kiruna in Sweden a few years ago and went on a sled dog “safari” – out in the true wilderness of the Arctic circle with just us, our guide (musher) and 13 dogs pulling two sledges. Madam P sitting like Lady Muck wrapped in reindeer skins with our guide on the big sledge with our supplies and the DH taking up the rear with his own smaller sledge and 5 dogs – he did really well and I even had a short go – it was one of the best things we have ever, ever done. We had to look after the dogs, feed them, collect their poo, and get them settled for the night, before we even thought about sorting ourselves out. We stayed in wooden huts with no running water, no electricity – but with a log stove. The guide took everything we would need with us including water which of course at -36 froze! we were there in January and it was light for about 4 hours, even strange for us and we’re used to short days in the winter!

When you are sitting on the sledge with the dogs running through the forests, or bouncing across frozen lakes and rivers with beautiful crisp snow underpaw, the sun shining with stunning blue skies, all you hear is the whoosh of the sled skimming the snow, it is just incredible.

We saw several dog teams with their mushers working out – they were well matched Husky dogs – and our guide did tell us some of them were in training for the Iditarod. We also have some dogs up at Aviemore, near Inverness, and the guy up there has run dogs in the race. I can only imagine it would be truly spectacular seeing the race with those incredible dogs.

Thanks for reminding me about this BigDog! It brought a smile to my face this afternoon, especially when I remembered cuddling a husky puppy in a Sami tent – aaaaah! 🙂

[canucklad]

Morning Papillion…..some advice

Crossing the Border in the summer is a challenge, especially North/South…….Used to be a cheery smile and a nod of the head and on you went from our American cousins…….Not so now i’m afraid!!

Avoid the weekends, although with CSD being strong against the USD not so much shopping traffic these days…..

Also the main Peach Arch crossing is the busiest ( a bit of a tourist attraction) so if youre not interested in it ,use the truck crossing a couple of miles east of the Peace Arch…….its usually less busy.

If my memory serves me well, its on the Pacific Highway and not Route 99 . ……..or you can just drive through a farmers field and hope for the best LOL !!!

[simonjames]

There is nothing on this soil to agree this spectacle. Its useful post to share.

[SimonRowberry]

?????!!!

[SergeantMajor]

Many of simonjames responses seem to have a similar “random word generator” feel about them. Perhaps the handle is a “bot”:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/members/simonjames/content/forum-posts/page/1

I’m sure he’ll be along in a moment if that’s not the case.

[CarlaDevis]

Calgary is the best attraction for visitors..I really like this place because of cleanliness. One thing I hate this place that is it has the worst road system and the worst drivers. But, there have lots of gorgeous beaches and surfing spots which attract me toward this place. Last month I had explored the Peru surf which is a great place to go on surf travel and I purchased women’s surf shorts and elegant watches with less expense.

[TominScotland]

I suspect our friend Carla is likewise suspect. Canuklad may help out here but Calgary’s beaches are not quite up to Bondi, Barbados or Miami…….

[canucklad]

Morning Tom

I’ve just read Carla‘s post and it got me into a blind panic as I hurriedly switched on Sky News to see if the whole of BC had fallen into the Pacific….and even worse none of my friends and family had bothered to mention it to me over the weekend…….

Good news is my sister is a strong swimmer, unfortunately I don’t think I can say the same for my brother in law…time to post him some water wings… : (

Strangely, I do occasionally recommend Chicago and Toronto to people as alternative City Break beach holidays!….

Ehmmm…..Beach holiday in Calgary…..Nope….maybe Edmonton but never Calgary : )

[CarlaDevis]

Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade country. Everything you heard about, but you have to yourself. Take your camera put your swim cloth, don’t forgot your sun scream and catch surf beater board and enjoy.

[Author]

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