Observations: Week Three

 

Observations

Week Tres

THB started to itemize all the reasons he preferred Tutka Bay over Winterlake Lodge and it got to be too exhausting (let alone too long to read). Tutka Bay had better food, a better room, better guides, almost no mosquitoes, and the one outsourced excursion was the best of the trip. Winterlake had better common rooms, water you could swim in, helicopter rides, friendly on-site staff, and a ton of mosquitoes. Lots of kids at both.

The short version: Tutka Bay paid attention to the details of making a luxury lodge seem luxurious. Winterlake was a man cave and if you were there to man-up in an expensive lodge this was a great spot. 

Closest encounter with a moose; just outside the airports

Tutka Bay and WInterlake Lodges are sisters, one run by grandma and one by grandpa. It’s tempting to compare them (like twins) and yet they each have their own personality or, if you prefer, their own aesthetic. So, it’s Sophie’s choice, which child to you like better? Both are excellent at what they do best, and to THB’s taste he preferred Tutka Bay. As C would say, But Why, Gramdpa…But Why?

Tutka Bay Pics:

Scarier than a helicopter flight

Mom and baby

Winterlake Lodge pics:

Not rocks, tundra

Observations: Week Two

Observations

Week Dos

Food: decent to pretty good. Pastry chef: well below average (and not just by THB’s high bakery standard). Portions not overwhelming (actually a good thing) and you could always ask for more of something. Some of the worst behavior on the cruise was hearing some of the cruisers wanting their meal their way (e.g., for breakfast, one cruiser asked for half an English muffin and some of the veggie cream cheese served 3 days ago...she did not get what she wanted). Grade: B-

HELP!!! What is that brown "bin"?

 Our cabin on the Safari Explorer is exceptional, the best one we’ve had on our four small ship cruises. Actually, this room is best of the best of the trip, land or sea. Some of that has to do with our first vessel being postponed last year, the second one not up to our standards, and then we landed in the best room on our 3^rd shot at a 2020 Alaskan cruise. Grade: A+

Turns out THB bought a self-correcting PC

 Expedition Leader: THB has come to the realization that this is a really hard position and the skills and personality that make a really good EL are hard to find in one person. Especially on a cruise or tour where things change on the fly all the time. What the EL wants are compliant and appreciative tour members who take whatever is given out to them as gospel, and received by the tour members with humility and a large round of appreciation. THB likes to be treated as an adult, no sugarcoating, no bullshit, attentiveness to the clients, reasonableness behind the decisions and an openness to feedback (especially early in the tour or cruise).  THB is going to be disappointed with the EL on most of these tours. Actually, probably all of them, which has a lot to do with THB’s personality. Grade: B

This bear has ceased to be

 Sightseeing: One day seeing glaciers. DB thought there would be two days. Here’s THB’s assessment: when it comes to wildlife, there isn’t a lot of wildlife to see. And this is during summer; in winter it must be very hard to see wildlife or anything but trees and ice/show. The landscape isn’t all that diverse. There are a fair number of plants and flowers, and the guides know them all. There aren’t that many different trees. For example, if you see more than a few moose, caribou, bears, mountain goats, banana slugs, puffins, black oystercatchers, sheep, black-tail deer, fill in the blank, then you’ve seen a lot of these guys. THB did have a great orcas-circling the ship sighting and saw a lot of bears in the meadows while kayaking (so from a distance, except for the dead bear when THB was bushwhacked: that bear was really close) Grade: B

Who is that masked man? A guy with very cold ears

More people along for week 2, 26 passengers, and thus there are more chances to find the idiosyncratic, curmudgeons, alcoholics, self-indulgent, etc. Good news: there are lots of tables for 6 and plenty of opportunity to settle in with those whom THB is more compatible. Let THB mull on that…okay, there’s DB…there’s DB…time to do more mulling. Grade B (DB gets an A+ and there are couple of other couples we enjoy talking to, and the crew is attentive and friendly and very competent. Ed. note: EL is in a separate category as his role is immense by itself.

Why is it important to remember what to do on an excursion? The kayaker in the back raised his paddle straight up and thus unnecessarily motivated the entire ship to go into rescue mode

Weather: Pretty good, less of an issue when on a boat most all the time. Grade: B

Humpback

DB does circus tricks in the kayak; thang goodness she doesn't have THB do a roll

THB has been blessed with  good health: several docs and one nurse are on the cruise. Or, not too lucky…they’ve also have never met a guy with statin-induced or genetic induced Necrotizing Myositis. Grade: Pass (THB makes it through week 2 without incidence)

This pic was taken at 8:30pm; doc and nurse on far left