The Alaskan Jewel! Welcome Aboard….You don’t Exist! updated 12/13/2015 - Page 18 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
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We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Skip ordered some sort of fish sandwich. (maybe salmon? I know he had a lot of salmon this trip and he wasn’t even sure if he ever had it before….but I think he has).
It really hit the spot and we were all happy. I joked about Claire dying from hunger, but those that know me know that I am not the nicest person when I am hungry, so she gets it honestly.
After we finished our meal we headed out and decided what to do. Skip wanted to go find the Time Bandit. I wanted to check out Creek Street and also buy one of those coats we had seen earlier when we got off the ship, so we parted ways. I drilled it in his head what time to be back and not to be late.
Claire walked through every puddle she found on the way. I told her she would regret this the next day when she had wet cold shoes and I did NOT bring her another pair of tennis shoes. I told her she would look silly walking near a glacier in flip flops, but she didn’t seem to care one bit.
Just as we arrived my phone rang…the caller ID and ring tone was Skip. Hmmmm, I thought he couldn’t get his phone to work earlier. Well it wasn’t him; it was his brother calling from the barn/office phone (which I have listed as Skip in my phone as well). Skip had tried to call him earlier from my phone but he didn’t answer so he told him to call my phone. I told Dave Skip had went in search of the Time Bandit, which was pretty exciting to him too, and he asked questions about how the trip was so far. I think he asked me about 4 times what the weather was like.…in the mid 60’s and a bit rainy, but not bad at all. Everyone at home just kept thinking it would be so cold and though 65 isn’t exactly a heat wave, it’s not bad either.
The rain had picked up a bit more now and it was a little annoying, but still not bad and didn’t make or break the day.
As we were standing on the bridge taking pictures I heard some people talking about seals. So we went over to try and get a look. There were 2 that I spotted and they were having the time of their life. All the fish they could want and they didn’t have to work too hard to get them. At the bottom left of this next picture you can see that one was just caught.
This was a red light district many years ago. I think there is a path behind where men would escape if there was a raid. I am pretty sure I have seen pictures of it in other trip reports but I didn’t even know where to look for it and we really didn’t have a lot of time either.
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Oh those photos of the seals were just too cute! We've been there twice and have never made it to Creek Street - I guess we'll have to make it third time lucky.
Another great chapter. Love the seal pix. Married Man's Trail is the name of the trail that runs behind the buildings in the former red light district. It was so named so that married men to come, er, visit. without having to walk the main streets where they might be seen. Ketchikan is such a lovely town
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Oh those photos of the seals were just too cute! We've been there twice and have never made it to Creek Street - I guess we'll have to make it third time lucky.
We loved watching them swim around. I can't beleive you haven't made it over to Creek Street yet. It's not too far so you should try next time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
I was hoping you went in some of the places on Creek Street - everything was closed when we walked through. It was raining for us, too.
I only peeked in. Mostly gift shop type places with specialties and it looked expensive. LOL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmymac
Another great chapter. Love the seal pix. Married Man's Trail is the name of the trail that runs behind the buildings in the former red light district. It was so named so that married men to come, er, visit. without having to walk the main streets where they might be seen. Ketchikan is such a lovely town
Yes, I had read about that trail...shame on those men!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jandsdennis
Great pictures!
Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictures from Ketchikan!
Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Sounds like you all enjoyed the tour! I love Claire's starvation face - classic Hope she felt like she had energy after getting food!
She can really put on a show when she wants to. Her energy picked right up after.
Claire found an Ariel Tank top she liked so we purchased that as well. We redeemed our coupon and they asked which ship we were on and we told them. I saw there were 2 different bags and we got the one deemed for NCL travelers. I don’t know which lines got the other one, but I liked it better. I had gotten one many years ago when sailing NCL and back then they actually said NCL on them (I still have that bag too). But it was free and who am I to complain. It was a nice freebie.
We continued on and then I saw it! I knew ALL my friends would want one…..so I went in and ordered one for all my female and some of my male friends too. I knew they would love me for it.
Obviously I am joking. But we did stand there and laugh about this beauty for quite some time.
We then headed over to the stores near the ship and searched for a jacket. I tried on several and then went to the very first store we had gone to when we got off the ship. I ended up getting it there as I really liked the style and color the best there. Blue and white. Claire did too and of course her favorite color was Blue and white as well. I tried on a large and it fit, but it was just not roomy enough so I thought I would get an XL instead to allow for more bulk underneath. I found a hanger that said XL and tried it on. It was pretty big, but I figured it was better than the large so I went with too big over too snug. At that same time some other ladies were talking to us and I got distracted. After chit chatting a bit, we went inside and I bought some magnets, a tee shirt and some things for my granddaughter Gracie, and also we ended up get Skip a coat too. The one we got him was a bit lighter but I figured it would be perfect for him.
We paid for all our purchases and headed back to the ship.
803502 by Jenseib, on Flickr We headed out to deck 7 to people watch and wait for Skip. I put our bags down on a chair and tried calling him and he answered. I told him we were on deck 6. Um yeah….I told him the wrong deck and he said he walked all the way around deck 6 looking for us before he figured it was 7. Oooops!
He said he never did walk all the way over to where the Time Bandit was as it was much further of a walk than he had thought it would be. I don’t know if he did anything else or not and if he did, he didn’t share. I told him to call his brother and he said he already did and his phone was working now.
As we waited to sail away I took pictures of the port.
I had started talking to a guy who was standing there and he was so annoyed at the people returning late. Once Skip joined us he joined in the conversation and it was pretty funny.
All aboard is 30 minutes before sail away time and it’s amazing how many people couldn’t understand that. Now if they are on a ship excursion, that’s one thing, but those families that just dwindle back at the last second are really taking a chance.
Our buddy was telling us how he used to live in Ketchikan for work. I think about 2 years maybe. He said he never did explore a lot of it because he worked a lot, but he did point out a few places for us.
We also saw some eagles coming and going on these posts. I think there were 4 in all flying around and landing. I was actually taking this next picture of the Eagle, but I realized when I got home that the Time Bandit is in the background.
There are always those that want to push the limits and come back as late as possible! Sounds like you really found some great purchases on your way back to the ship
We never cease to be amazed by how close some people push it to the all aboard time or even beyond it, especially as we would never do that - we always want to be back on board as early as we can.
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The restaurant in Ketchikan looks very interesting. 
I'm so glad you were able to rescue Claire from imminent death. 
And poor Claire! 
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We've been there twice and have never made it to Creek Street - I guess we'll have to make it third time lucky. 
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