Good morning! Today is embarkation day. I’m going to spend the morning in Anchorage before taking the train down to Seward this afternoon.

It feels like a lot of the breakfast places are closed on Monday. I was going to go to The Biscuit Club but it turned out to be closed today. I decided just to get a coffee and pastry then get lunch in before I leave. I head to a coffee shop down the street from my Airbnb. I didn’t look before I leaped. Closed on Monday. I remembered hearing about a good bakery called Fire Island. This time I looked and it’s closed on Monday. We know that Kobuk isn’t open early, if at all. Finally I find something.

The line was about 12 deep. I decide just to get coffee and I’ll hit that F Street Station for an early lunch. Allegedly they open at 10.

I had told the hosts about the problems I had with my first Airbnb. The only one that was an issue here was really at the bottom of the list. It was no live TV. She had it setup here where Airbnb guests could sign into their own subscriptions. But when she heard about me not liking no TV at the last one, she hooked up her Hulu with an Airbnb account before I arrived.

All I needed was a $10 off-air antenna from Walmart to catch the local stations. But it was nice to be able to watch football in here last night.

When I leave the only way they’re going to know I was here is some dirty towels. I had very little trash and disposed of it in a public bin this morning. My Airbnb is in the middle on this first picture.

I’m ready to go. Those NCL bag tags are so small.

I walked to F Street Station at 10:30. They told me their bar opens at 10 but no food until 11. I’m sure I could’ve requested a late check out. But after the early check in, I really didn’t want to ask for something else extra. So I’m bringing my suitcase to the restaurant with me. Then I’ll order my Uber/Lyft from there.

Wet steps for my 42lb suitcase and backpack.

The two downsides to the Airbnb are the steps and the hill. If you go towards 49th state brewery there’s also a hill. If you go the other direction the hill gets less steep but you are probably going out of your way a bit.

This is from the top of the hill. I just did it with my suitcase and backpack which is great.

Alaskan Amber

Onion soup

Halibut Sandwich 

One more before I head out.

The Uber and Lyft prices are pretty similar today. I go Lyft when it’s like that because they sometimes give me discounts for frequent rides. Uber never has.

 

That’s was an adventure. Uber/Lyft only pickup and drop off on the second level of the airport.  The driver tells me to go downstairs for the train. I got downstairs and no signs. I asked a lady who works there she says “what train?” I say Alaska Railway to Seward. She points outside at a train up on the floor I just came from and says “that train?” Yes…that train. How do I get to it? I was dropped off up there and told to come down here.

She says go downstairs and walk that way. So you have to take the elevator from arrivals down to floor 0. Then you see this.

You go down a long hallway which is basically under ground below the taxis and whatnot. Then get to this.

I went outside and nothing.

I walk through this crowd and ask basic questions. 

Are you on a cruise?

Are you on a train?

Are you on a cruise and a train?

 What did you do with your suitcase?

That line goes out the back door. Around the corner is the bus and the luggage dropoff.

This girl in front of me says go to the table, find your name on the list, and grab an orange tag. Interesting fact. There is another person on this cruise with my name. First and last. I’ve never seen that before. He’s 15 years older than me. A NCL guy comes up and says he needs my room number.

I grab it off of my luggage tag and he says “oh if you have luggage tags all you have to do is put your luggage with the others.

I did that and got in line.

Next time we take the train to Seward.