Alaska Day 0 - OAK to ANC

Due to late flight booking we could only get reasonable tickets from Oakland airport to Anchorage. We don't prefer OAK airport merely due to traffic if driving, and lack of public transportation (outside of east bay).

The security scan and layover in Seattle were smooth. From Seattle it is a long 5hr flight to ANC, we decided to learn few things about Alaska from the in-flight magazines. Here are a few we could remember:

• Over 100K glaciers and 3M lakes.
• 49th and the largest state in US!
  
• Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867, for $7.2 million ($113 million in today's dollars) - $0.02/acre
• Juneau is the capital, not Anchorage. The only US capital accessible only by boat or plane.
• The trans-Alaska pipeline is 4ft wide x 800 miles long!Of the 20 highest mountains in the United States, 17 are in Alaska. 
• Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in North America. Mt. McKinley is the highest "vertical rise" in the World.
• Economy - oil & gas, seafood, logging, transportation,tourism, metal mining/minting.

Flying over Gulf of Alaska, approaching ANC, we could see over the peaks above the clouds - called a "Nunatak" but with clouds instead of snow/ice. More like this, but lots of them, we lost our other pictures taken from flight :(

Arriving at ANC, looking at our outfits of down jackets, we were instantly "Cheechako" (native for tourists). The airport is very neat and big. This walkway caught our attention, and someone told us about "Northern Lights" effect.

We were pleasantly surprised by the midnight sun, take a look of downtown Anchorage at midnight.

We checked-in and tried to sleep, to begin an adventurous vacation. Welcome to "Alakshak" - meaning great lands or peninsula!

Alaska 2011 - Plan & Logistics

In our quest for honeymoon spots, Alaska came a close 2nd. Thus, for our 1st anniversary we decided on Alaska.. well atleast part of it - Anchorage & vicinity. We planned the travel, boarding & lodging, daily activities and transportation ourselves... although last minute. We also got help from another couple who visited Alaska in summer '10.

Flight  : Alaska Airlines, OAK to ANC

Car     : AVIS Compact Car @ Airport

Hotel   : RodewayInn @ Downtown ANC

Duration: 6 Days

Apart from the usual things, the other most important things to pack: Hiking Shoes, Sunscreen, rain jackets/umbrella, kayaking/rafting wear, *mosquito repellents*, eye-shades (24 hr daylight), crampons, hiking poles, bear sprays. During our hikes, we heard some Alaskan locals carry a gun for protection from wildlife in some of the wild trails. 

Various sites offer useful travel information:

http://alaska.org 

http://www.alaskatravel.com

http://travelalaska.com/

Alaska is huge, it is impossible to cover everything in 1 week. Of the various places to visit, we picked some that we could cover in this trip: Seward, Whittier, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Mt. McKineley, Matanuska, Wasila, Palmer.

Las Vegas - Summary

Although short, it was a good trip. But ofcourse, we will visit Vegas again...

Wish List: Valley of Fire, Red rock Canyon

View Las Vegas 2010 in a larger map

Las Vegas Day 3 & 4 - Vegas!

We spent next two days touring the various casinos and watching some free shows and David Copperfield show. They were all nice. Next time cirque du soleil for sure!

Day 3

• Caesars Palace
• Mirage & Volcano show
• Fremont Street Experience
• New York
• Stratosphere
• Sahara
• Cosmopolitan
• Aria
• Mandalay bay
• Excalibur
• Luxor

Day 4

• David Copperfield Show
• MGM & Lion Habitat
• Paris, Paris Tower & Bellagio fountain viewing
• Flamingo
• Venetian
• Encore
• Wynn
• Circus Circus (but missed the show)

Las Vegas Day 2 - Grand Canyon

We wanted to visit Grand Canyon, but it is quite a drive from Vegas. After thinking about the west rim for while, we settled on the south rim and took turns driving. We left pretty early at 5am and caught this pleasant foggy sunrise on 93 towards Kingman - very scenic drive through the hills and valleys. Enroute we even encountered snow at Williams, AZ.

Sunrise enroute to Kingman

We spent the entire day at the park - took the shuttle for rim tours, caught the rim trail, visited Yaki point and bright angel lodge. And we witnessed sunset from Pima point. Hopi point also provided wonderful views of the canyon sunset.

grand sunset experience

Las Vegas Day 1 - Hoover Dam & Lake Mead, Vegas @ Night

Hoover Dam Powerplant Tour

The Powerplant Tour is one way to see, learn and appreciate what Hoover Dam is all about; another available option is the Dam Tour. The Powerplant Tour includes admission to the Visitor Center and powerplant only; the Dam Tour includes admission to the Visitor Center, powerplant, and passageways within the dam itself. It takes about two hours to discover all the features at Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam

Inside the Powerplant

• After exiting the Theater, join the queue on this same level to enter the Hoover Dam Powerplant. From here, a 70-second elevator ride takes you 530 feet down through the rock wall of Black Canyon to begin a 30-minute guided tour. You'll exit the elevator into a tunnel drilled in the 1930s for construction, and take a short walk to the Penstock Viewing Platform.

• Penstock Viewing: This location is atop one (of four) of the huge 30-foot-diameter pipes that can transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each second from Lake Mead to the dam's hydroelectric generators. An animated display helps describe the complexities of the construction of the dam, and how it presently operates.

• Powerplant Generators: A quick elevator ride up to the Nevada powerplant balcony takes you to a panoramic view of the 650-foot-long Nevada wing of the powerplant and eight of the dam's 17 huge generators. Also, don't miss the beautiful and intricate terrazzo floor designs under your feet. A great spot for pictures!

Turbines

Visitor Center - Observation Deck Level

• The Observation Deck: You can access this top floor of the Visitor Center by taking either the stairs or elevator adjacent to the entrance of the Exhibit Gallery. This floor includes open and enclosed observation areas that provide panoramic (and camera-worthy!) views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Colorado River and other features. On the open/outside deck, an audio presentation offers significant facts about the dam and its surroundings. Inside, view a model of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge that is presently under construction, and a sculpture portraying many of the benefits that Hoover Dam gives to the Colorado River Basin states.

Arizona & Nevada border on bridge

Street Level Displays and Exhibits

• Winged Figures of the Republic: This bronze masterpiece is directly across the street from the Visitor Center. A presentation at this site discusses the concepts the artist had mind in creating the statues, as well as details related to the "star map" at its base. A detailed compass framed by the signs of the Zodiac, and bronze seals of the seven Colorado River Basin states are also featured in this area.

• Nevada and Arizona Spillways: On each side of the dam (toward the lake) are huge spillways that designed to direct high water from Lake Mead around the dam through tunnels in the canyon walls. The spillways are so large that a World War II battleship can be floated in each one!

Dam & Lake

• The Nevada Intake Towers: On top of the Nevada side of the dam, an audio presentation offers information about the role these towers have in Hoover Dam's power generation process, and details about some of the artwork incorporated into the towers on the downstream face of the dam.

• Top of the Dam: A walk along the sidewalks on top of the dam provides awe-inspiring views of the dam face, Lake Mead, the intake towers, the Colorado River, and other features around the dam site.

Bridge

Lake Mead 

Enjoy the scenic vistas and the lake.. although the decreasing water levels are clearly visible as the lake dries up.

Lake Mead from the bridge

Lake Mead Vista point

Las Vegas

What to do in Vegas? Just stroll along the strip and enjoy the casinos, the views and the ... ssssh....

Paris

Bellagio Fountains

Las Vegas 2010 - Plan & Logistics

What plan? What logistics? Its Vegas baby, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

This was a last minute trip for Christmas holidays of 2010.