Packing for Alaska

I'm packing my bags for my first trip to Alaska. I've been to most states, but seem to have missed several of the corners - Maine, Florida, and Alaska. They cannot be more different - from each other and from the rest of the states, and I've always wondered about them, so this is my chance to find out a little. I'll fly to Sitka on the 8th after a stopover at my sister Lisa's place in northern California. A couple of free days in Sitka to get acclimated, and then a week on a National Geographic "cruise" (god, I hope it's not a CRUISE). The Sea Bird is a 152 foot, 60 passenger vessel that shuttles seasonally to Baja or the Inside Passage. Flip Nicklin (I'll have to ask him about that name), a National Geographic contributing photographer who migrates from Hawaii to Alaska with the humpback whales, will be onboard. I am taking it as a good omen that he choose to schedule with us on this trip. There should be migrating humpbacks as well as orcas to see.

My hope is to post daily blog entries to keep track of all there is to see. Photos, maybe video this time if the internets smile on my endeavors.

Being onboard and settled for a week makes it easier to bring gear without major concerns about packing/unpacking or running to catch the next shuttle bus. That means I can bring more lenses, tripods, or computer gadgets than I might have on other trips. Should be fun. I'll find out later tonight if it all fits.