Sleepless in Alaska

Traveling to Alaska in summer we were prepared for one thing above all – the daylight. Knowing it does not get dark; however, is not the same as experiencing it. There is something eerie about a twilight sky at 2:30 in the morning. Plus it doesn’t help with jet lag – especially if your body, like mine, runs by the sun.

The sunset at 11:30 - even waking at 3:30 most mornings, it was never fully dark.

But the land of the never ending sun was not the only thing to screw with our sleep. So, here are the top 4 reasons I felt like I was in a country version of My Cousin Vinny.

4) The guy yelling in the RV lot the first night that he couldn’t find his car. Dude – next time don’t drink so much on the plane that you can’t read your own name on the windshield placard. This was night one and seemed to set the pace for an interrupted sleep trip.

3) The sound of trains passing and whistling in Seward in the wee hours of “my mind says get up my body says no damn way.” Having no trains in Sunnyville and being years from living in the city – this acted like an alarm. If you want to avoid this – stay outside of town, but the benefits of walking ½ mile to the main strip make losing a bit of sleep worthwhile.

2) The low battery alarm that beeps every 30 seconds when the RV battery is low… Hard to keep it charged when you’re hiking during generator hours, but this is a must unless you can sleep through the alarm clock insistence of the detector (which the girls could) or fake it until your sister gets up and turns the engine on (which I did 3 times in one night – hey, did I mention it was COLD?).

1) This is the sure to make you jump your butt out of bed and wonder if the sleeping hours of your trip are a funniest video reel – the CO2 alarm which sounds much like the school fire alarm blasting you to your feet at 1:30 am. And jump we did, though we had no idea what to do and fumbled about in the dark until we found the quiet switch and realized we had left the hot water heater on… Oops! Be sure to turn off propane operated appliances before sleeping.

So, sleep has been hard to come by, especially since things like the like the low battery alarm were a repeat activity. Happily we did not come here to sleep, but it would be nice to catch some shut eye… Maybe tonight. 

Sleepless in Alaska

Traveling to Alaska in summer we were prepared for one thing above all – the daylight. Knowing it does not get dark; however, is not the same as experiencing it. There is something eerie about a twilight sky at 2:30 in the morning. Plus it doesn’t help with jet lag – especially if your body, like mine, runs by the sun.

The sunset at 11:30 - even waking at 3:30 most mornings, it was never fully dark.

But the land of the never ending sun was not the only thing to screw with our sleep. So, here are the top 4 reasons I felt like I was in a country version of My Cousin Vinny.

4) The guy yelling in the RV lot the first night that he couldn’t find his car. Dude – next time don’t drink so much on the plane that you can’t read your own name on the windshield placard. This was night one and seemed to set the pace for an interrupted sleep trip.

3) The sound of trains passing and whistling in Seward in the wee hours of “my mind says get up my body says no damn way.” Having no trains in Sunnyville and being years from living in the city – this acted like an alarm. If you want to avoid this – stay outside of town, but the benefits of walking ½ mile to the main strip make losing a bit of sleep worthwhile.

2) The low battery alarm that beeps every 30 seconds when the RV battery is low… Hard to keep it charged when you’re hiking during generator hours, but this is a must unless you can sleep through the alarm clock insistence of the detector (which the girls could) or fake it until your sister gets up and turns the engine on (which I did 3 times in one night – hey, did I mention it was COLD?).

1) This is the sure to make you jump your butt out of bed and wonder if the sleeping hours of your trip are a funniest video reel – the CO2 alarm which sounds much like the school fire alarm blasting you to your feet at 1:30 am. And jump we did, though we had no idea what to do and fumbled about in the dark until we found the quiet switch and realized we had left the hot water heater on… Oops! Be sure to turn off propane operated appliances before sleeping.

So, sleep has been hard to come by, especially since things like the like the low battery alarm were a repeat activity. Happily we did not come here to sleep, but it would be nice to catch some shut eye… Maybe tonight. 

Travel Time - Alaska Departure

We all know that TSA screenings have made running through the airport 15 minutes before your flight depart a distant memory shared nostalgically as we wait in winding snake lines to remove our shoes and have a virtual body scan completed, but arriving three-and-a-half hours early may not be the way to go either. Especially if you know you are in for a 12+ hour day of travel without these minutes.

On the bright side, if you happen to feel a bit panicky with travel to a distant airport and you find yourself as the 2^nd person in line to check-in as the ticket counter opens, you may benefit from a free perk. Free exit row seating or free check-in of your carry-on at the counter to name a few. Yes, I may be bragging a bit here. There are other benefits to foregoing that extra hour of sleep; having the time to actually use the plush seats that are outside of the terminals while people watching is something I never before had time to do, but today this was a great way to kill an hour. 

There is a truly delightful feel to people watching arrivals in the land of the mouse. Families exit planes holding tightly to tots pulling their own travel cases likely filled with coloring books and markers as well as favorite princess dolls or superhero action figures. Their eyes become saucers as they take in the airport stores: Disney, Universal, Sea World, so much to see at once and just the slightest hint of the delights awaiting over the next few days of their vacations. Truly a great way to start any journey.

And this is exactly how we started our adventure this morning. Of course as I look down upon Glacier Bay for my first glimpse of the Northwest, I understand that I likely resemble the children I watched departing from planes at the start of this long day. I run through the trip itinerary mentally and physically – yes it is printed and plotted and I know you are likely laughing, but having a plan is vital to smooth travel when four strong ladies set off on a road trip – quickly glance around the cabin to see Oldest, Sis, and Niece, and take a moment to reflect on just how lucky I am to be having this experience. Ready or not, it’s time to see Alaska.