[Travelandtourism] back from Alaska

cheryl echevarria cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
Wed Jun 20 20:34:54 UTC 2012 

It all depends on the travel agent, remember many of us on this are travel agents, and depending on who you used, would have given you the right area you wanted to go in.
As well as, working with a fellow travel agent who is blind, may have given you other options as well.
That is correct, but it is a leisure division.  
We also want to educate the public, as well as, working with fellow blind merchants, but you do not have to use a travel agent, you would have paid about the same with me or Maurice or Anahit Labarre.
No one is forcing you to use one, but just letting you know that the tour suppliers that we use work with the smaller tour guides in the area.
No you wouldn't have missed out on the fun, you could have let us know exactly what you wanted, also what you would want to do things on your own.
Not all travel professionals are the same.
But you decided not to, and that was your choice.
There is no confusion, if we didn't have travel professionals here, then we wouldn't be working with certain companies, and fighting in that area for better accessibility like Mark Jones from Disney, or Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, etc.
It focuses on it all travel and tourism.



Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
PresidentTravel and Tourism DivisionNational Federation of the Blind631-236-5138



> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:27:44 -0500
> From: julielj at neb.rr.com
> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] back from Alaska
> 
> I priced a trip to Alaska through a travel agent.  It would have cost 
> about $2000 more.  We wouldn't have done these things that I personally 
> picked based on our exact interests and I would have missed out on the 
> fun of planning.
> 
> I think there is a lot of emphasis in the travel and tourism division 
> about being or using a travel agent.  Perhaps this is where some of the 
> confusion comes from?  I enjoy planning my own trips and would be happy 
> to help others with tips who don't want to go through a travel agent or 
> large booking company.
> 
> Julie
> On 6/20/2012 3:20 PM, cheryl echevarria wrote:
> > exactly, the names of the places, so I can recommend them to others. You gave me the information I wanted.
> >
> >
> > Yes there is, but it is used through a tour supplier, that makes arrangements with these companies that serviced you.
> > That is one of the opportunities of using a travel professional on things like this.
> > Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
> > Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> > PresidentTravel and Tourism DivisionNational Federation of the Blind631-236-5138
> >
> >
> >
> >> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:03:39 -0500
> >> From: julielj at neb.rr.com
> >> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> >> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] back from Alaska
> >>
> >> I didn't go through a travel agent or tour company.  I contacted each
> >> guide individually and booked the trips myself.
> >> The clam guide was Mary Clock booked through Soaring Eagle Village owned
> >> and operated by John Burn.  The museum and visitors centers were local
> >> things, we just walked in without reservations.  The ferry is a
> >> regularly scheduled daily or most days, trip.  You can purchase tickets
> >> in advance, but it's not really necessary unless you were in a big group
> >> or something.  The kayaking was with Seaside Adventures owned and
> >> operated by Rick and Dorla Harness.  The fishing was through Skookum
> >> Charters owned and operated by Jim Lavrakas. The dog sled place was
> >> called the Howling Husky Homestead and the woman was Linda but I can't
> >> remember her last name.
> >>
> >> Something to keep in mind about rural Alaska is that you are dealing
> >> with individuals, not large companies.  Most have web sites, but
> >> internet is not as used up there as it is here.  I don't think there was
> >> an option to book any  of these trips via an internet form.  I contacted
> >> them by email or phone and set things up.  The fishing guide and the
> >> kayaking guides live in places that don't have electricity.  Sometimes
> >> you have to wait days in between messages because they aren't in a place
> >> where they have access to internet.  Even the mail is only delivered by
> >> boat twice a week out on the tiny islands where we were.
> >>
> >> HTH
> >> Julie
> >>
> >>
> >> echevarria wrote:
> >>> May I ask which tour company you used.
> >>> I loved all of it, please put more, we are thinking of going to UTAH, in 2013 as a division, and possibly maybe in 2014 Hawaii or Alaska, but one trip at a time.
> >>> I am actually looking forward to going to Utah.
> >>> Reason asking about tour company, I might want to use them as a supplier, or for someone else going to Alaska.
> >>> Thank you for posting Julie.
> >>> I hope others will comment and post as well, we have over 200 members on this talk list, so hoping that many of you will communicate with us as well.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
> >>> Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> >>> PresidentTravel and Tourism DivisionNational Federation of the Blind631-236-5138
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:54:32 -0500
> >>>> From: julielj at neb.rr.com
> >>>> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> >>>> Subject: [Travelandtourism] back from Alaska
> >>>>
> >>>> Heya all!
> >>>>
> >>>> I've actually been back for almost a week now, but catching up with
> >>>> everything has been a huge effort.
> >>>>
> >>>> Anyhow, Alaska was amazing!  I highly recommend it to anyone with a bit
> >>>> of an adventurous, outdoor interest.  We ended up spending our whole
> >>>> vacation, about a week in Homer on the Kenai Peninsula.  The weather was
> >>>> in the low 50's the whole time.  It sprinkled a couple of days, but
> >>>> nothing like what we get in the Midwest.
> >>>>
> >>>> I did not take my guide dog.  I used my cane or went sighted guide while
> >>>> there.  Much of the terrain is fairly rugged, lots of rocks, uneven
> >>>> gravel paths, steep inclines etc.  It was a challenging travel
> >>>> situation, but all the tour guides were exceptional!  I did not tell any
> >>>> of them in advance of my blindness.  That has worked out badly in the
> >>>> past.  I prefer to deal with things as they come in person.
> >>>>
> >>>> We went digging for Razor Clams.  This is a serious workout and
> >>>> seriously dirty work.  The clams are very good though, better than I can
> >>>> buy in a store here.
> >>>>
> >>>> We went to a local museum.  It was small, but very nicely done.  It's
> >>>> modern so has the typical combination of things behind  glass to look
> >>>> at, audio displays, audio/video movies and some things to touch.  I
> >>>> enjoyed it.
> >>>>
> >>>> We went kayaking.  I've never been before so was a little unsure about
> >>>> how this was going to work, but like everything else I figure it out as
> >>>> I go.  The company uses very stable, double seat boats.  My sighted son
> >>>> sat in the back seat, so he could use the foot pedals to move the
> >>>> rudder.  He told me which way to paddle.  This particular tour is not a
> >>>> sport kayaking trip, but a more sight seeing via kayak trip.  We saw all
> >>>> sorts of sea critters, sea stars, anemones, jelly fish, many varieties
> >>>> of kelp etc.  Our guide told us about local land features, history,
> >>>> weather, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, the native people and
> >>>> wildlife as we went.  They were also very easy about my blindness.  At
> >>>> every opportunity they pulled things out of the ocean for me to touch.
> >>>> Sea stars feel like sandpaper.  anenomies are like a ball of very soft
> >>>> jello.
> >>>>
> >>>> Next we took a ferry to Seldoviaa, a nearby native village only
> >>>> accessible by boat.  This afternoon was taken up with shopping,
> >>>> sightseeing, a visitors center, lunch at a tiny cafe and coffee at the
> >>>> most remote location on the planet.  The main road connects to a dirt
> >>>> path through the forest.  You go until you see the "open" sign on a
> >>>> tree.  That's where you turn and go down a very windy, very steep dirt
> >>>> path to the water.  The coffee shop was built over the water, but partly
> >>>> over the shore.  It was an experience I will never forget!
> >>>>
> >>>> We visited the Howling Husky Homestead.  The lady who runs it does not
> >>>> compete in dog sled races, but rescues retired or neglected sled dogs
> >>>> and runs them on her land as a hobby.  Again I got to touch lots of
> >>>> stuff, the dogs, the harness, the sled, clothing and lots more.
> >>>>
> >>>> Our final excursion was a combination fishing/sightseeing/eating boat
> >>>> trip.  We did a bit of sightseeing on the way to the fishing spot.  then
> >>>> we fished for our lunch.  I caught two and Kiddo probably caught four
> >>>> including a small Halibut.  Kiddo and the guide cleaned the fish, which
> >>>> was then incorporated into our lunch on a tiny island where the guide
> >>>> lives.  No electricity and no running water out there.  After lunch
> >>>> Kiddo and the guide went wading in a tide pool to collect sea
> >>>> creatures.  They brought them back to the picnic table where I had opted
> >>>> to rest and enjoy a bit of quiet time.  I got to see all the little
> >>>> creepy crawlies while they looked them up in a reference book to try to
> >>>> identify the ones they didn't know.  Then it was back on the boat for
> >>>> more sightseeing and pictures.  I have some very good pictures from this
> >>>> part of our trip.  One is of a seal on a rock and the other is a bald
> >>>> eagle over the water a split second after he has grabbed a fish.
> >>>>
> >>>> Our last day we checked out the Alaskan Islands and Ocean Visitor
> >>>> Center, did some shopping and ate some more seafood.
> >>>>
> >>>> The only really bad part of the trip was the  three separate planes we
> >>>> had to take to get there and the layovers.  I didn't have any problems
> >>>> with airport staff, security or lost bags or anything like that.  It was
> >>>> just going from rural Nebraska to rural Alaska takes a while.
> >>>>
> >>>> I'm working on a longer more detailed travel log.  I'm about half done
> >>>> with it.  If anyone would like to read it, I'd be glad to share.
> >>>>
> >>>> I would also like to ask that if anyone wishes to repost this to other
> >>>> lists or share it anywhere on the internet that you ask first.
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks!
> >>>> Julie
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>
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