Be kind to your bus driver.

I'm trying to decide if I'm rightfully annoyed or just need to relax. Being on a bus with retirees is not exactly my idea of a good time -- on the other hand, I'm not exactly making the effort to get to know these happy-go-lucky couples either. A very kind lady named Rona has decided to befriend my family though, and I enjoy every story she has to tell about her past. Despite her cheesy shirt, which depicts Buffalo Bill and stereotypical American western scenery, I think I found an older person I like. Our tour guide, Carlene, feels like she has to talk on the loudspeaker on the bus often enough to wake me up just when I manage to doze off, and she also plays this horribly twangy song called, "Be Kind to your Bus Driver." Gag.
Yesterday was a much better day though -- we went on a cruise in Prince William Sound and saw orcas, sea lions, a sea otter, and a humpback whale! We cruised to Columbia Glacier, a rapidly declining glacier in terms of length, while scanning the waters for the aforementioned sea critters. Hanging out on the bow of the ship while by the glacier was cold enough, but when the ship started to cruise around 16 knots my ears began to numb up and I had to head inside. Three cups of tea and two cups of "Russian Tea" (Tang, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) kept me warm. Cute moment of the day: a 5th-grader named Megan decided to be my Mom's friend. With a cool, confident attitude, she walked right up to my mom and asked, "What's your name?" and proceeded to tell Mom about her town (some small town in Iowa), her family, and her calf which won at a show while her cousin's calf died because "it just kept barfing." You have to understand that this is incredibly rare for Mom. We're cut from the same cloth -- we aren't known for being outwardly friendly. I joked that Megan was attracted to Mom because they were the same size. She didn't take that too well.

Sea lions in Prince William SoundIcebergs and mountains by Columbia GlacierMummy and I react appropriately to the chilly icebergs!

After spending a night attempting and failing miserably to find any bar or liquor store in Valdez, a town of only 4,500 people, that would understand the fact that my wallet was stolen and that I really didn't have any form of picture ID anymore but that I definitely was over 21, I ended up getting very little sleep. Today we traveled from Valdez to Fairbanks, which is east of the Alaskan range of mountains and as a result is much clearer and sunnier than Anchorage or Valdez. The price of being in better weather seems to come with visiting more and more tacky destinations. Take, for instance, North Pole, Alaska. A mere 10-20 minutes south of Fairbanks, North Pole has street lamps covered to resemble candy canes, Santa Claus lane, and Santa Claus's House, complete with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and letters from their young believers. The letters were adorable -- the locale was far from endearing. Think of a smaller, Christmas-themed Gatlinburg sans expensive thrill rides, attractions, and anything but fast food.

"Dear Santa, My mom said you don't give out American Girl Dolls. If you do you will give give out only that. But I want Molly and a couple other things. How can I salve (solve) that? Love, Regan. P.S. Please Write Back!" This chick has the right idea.A smaller, Christmasy version of Gatlinburg just wouldn't be complete without...that's right folks...Santa Land R.V. Park.

It's definitely time for bed here -- we have an early morning river boat ride, salmon bake, and a plane trip to a small town about the Arctic Circle.

Loves,

Corey