We’re Heading To Alaska

I weighed a bag early this afternoon. It was 60 pounds! A few minutes later it was 49 pounds. Where did the excess weight go? That question is above my pay grade.

We leave on vacation tomorrow. There have been a few short trips, but this will be our major for the season (I’m holding out hope there’s more to come). We fly to Seattle then hop a ship to Alaska. Very exciting.

This is not your standard warm weather vacation. We’re going where coats are still necessary in July! I’m even taking gloves and earmuffs.

Helaine is the facilitator/organizer. For the past few days the upstairs hallway has been her staging area. I don’t know her method except to say it works!

I weighed a bag early this afternoon. It was 60 pounds! A few minutes later it was 49 pounds. Where did the excess weight go? That question is above my pay grade.

I’ve been joking with friends saying I’m taking my weight in camera gear. Not so far off. I’m bringing six or seven lenses, a camera body, monopod, cables, batteries, memory cards, chargers… you get the idea.

My friend Jacob lent me his GoPro Hero2 video camera. I will write more about this later, but the GoPro is a breakout piece of hardware. It’s around half the size of a pack of cigarettes and shoots broadcast quality HD video.

Because the Hero2 has a very wide angle lens it’s perfect for scenery in the background and you in the foreground. People strap them to surfboards, landing gear on airplanes, parachutes, skis, etc. It’s video otherwise unattainable.

As far as prep is concerned I’ve been a slacker. I went to the mall at dinnertime to get batteries for two watches. That’s my contribution.

Doppler will be staying home watching after things. In a perfect world puppies would be able to cruise the Inside Passage, take a train to the Yukon and whale watch in Juneau. It’s not a perfect world.

We have a lot planned and I intend on keeping you up-to-date via the blog. Of course Internet access is always questionable on board ship. I’ll do my best.

Over the past few weeks I’ve spoken to lots of people who’ve cruised to Alaska. Each one said it was the trip of a lifetime. That’s our goal.

37 thoughts on “We’re Heading To Alaska”

  1. Awesome Geoff! That’s what we’ll be doing next year! Can’t wait to see your photos (six or seven lenses? lucky! I only own four lol) and footage from that GoPro! Have fun!

  2. Have a wonderful time! We just did the Norwegian pearl to Alaska it was amazing!!! Absolute trip of a lifetime.

  3. Seriously how many vacations do you go on in a year? I was wondering how your job gives you so much time off when you’ve only been there a year. I know it’s none of my business, i was just curious.

    1. Scott –

      It’s a question I expected. The simple answer is I have a job where I work holidays. I work Memorial Day, Christmas, July 4th. You get the idea. For each of these days I get a comp day, so that’s approximately ten days most people have off ‘day of’.

      As part of my deal and by virtue of my long tenure in the market, I was vested with vacation time during my first year.

  4. Geoff is probably in AFTRA or one of the other TV unions. Vacation time may be allotted based on how much time you’ve been with the union. Geoff has been on tv since the mid-80’s…probably been with the union since then, too. I’m guessing based on how it was when I worked in tv back in the mid-80’s-early 90’s.

  5. Alaska is gorgeous!! My sister lives there & said while we’re sweating to the not so oldies here, it’s 56-60 up there… bring your long johns!! & have a great time!!! You will love Denali!

  6. Enjoy the “Natural Air Conditioning” of Alaska! And, I, too am looking forward to the blogging and pics… have a very safe trip! I hear the night sky there is just tremendous!

  7. That sounds like a wonderful trip ! I have always wanted to do that; I will have to enjoy it vicariously through you! Enjoy and stay safe.

  8. Enjoy your trip! I am looking forward to your photos and videos! Friends made that trip a few years ago and loved it!

  9. Awesome Geoff… an Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list. I hear ya on the weight of the camera equipment. I’ve only got 4 lenses but the 300mm 2.8 weighs a heffty 5.6 pounds. As for the GoPro, you’re going to love it. I have one that I attach to my bike helmet or the handlebar on bike paths and trails.

  10. Me too Geoff-arent you kind of setting yourself up for a termination? As I am sure you a contract-I cannot believe it is similar to the previous one. You do take a ton of time off.

    1. Wow – tough crowd.

      Jay, we all work on what are traditional holidays like New Years, Christmas and Thanksgiving. That’s ten days most folks are off, but I take as vacation.

      FoxCT and I recently agreed to a new contract and I am very happy to say I’ll be driving to 285 Broad Street well into 2015.

  11. I’m glad you’ll be at Fox 61 for a long time – I hope the increased viewership has registered on their radar. And have a great trip -I hope Miss Doppler will be with her brother or other friends -and she probably has computer access to stay in touch with you, right? Enjoy!

  12. Geoff I love ya man but there is no way that you are even making a fraction of what you made before. The business has changed-the big salarys are gone!

  13. Geoff Have a wonderful time. IN 2013 I have an alaska cruise planned. Looking forward to your reports. But knowing have shipboard internet is, we will wait for your return

  14. Just came back from cruise/land combo to Alaska definitely trip of a lifetime Photos will be awesome! Enjoy !

  15. I went about 6 years ago and it’s still the best trip I ever took. You will give your cameras a workout – I took about 20 rolls of film with me and bought about 20 more while I was there (my pre-digital camera phase). The scenery, the flowers, the landscapes, the animals – all are amazing. Hope you’re getting to Denali as well – it’s surreal.

    Can’t wait to go back; can’t wait to see your pictures!

    (Be sure to give Doppler a big hug and skritch before you go – and bring back something from Alaska for her!)

  16. If you stop in Skagway, be sure to take the White Pass & Yukon rail trip – it follows the old gold rush route and is AMAZING. At one point, you can look back and see your ship in the harbor.

  17. Have a wonderful time Geoff! Don’t forget the bug repellent. I hear the mosquitoes are the size of birds-only kidding!

  18. Maria – you are not kidding. The mosquito is the ‘unofficial’ state bird!

    Geoff – take bug repellent. My friend didn’t warn me about this because she doesn’t get bitten – I came back looking like I had the measles. (the only downside of Alaska is the bugs)

  19. Those are not Mosquitos–they are blood-sucking black helicopters. They merely suck you dry.

    The Black Flies, however, plug you like a watermelon–they bite viciously.

    Yup, you will need bug repellent in large quantities…

  20. Hopefully you’re doing the Denali extension – strongly suggest it. And if you’re hanging in Fairbanks, have dinner at Gambardella’s. 3rd generation of a Wooster St restaurant family that moved there in the 50’s. Great Lasagna.

  21. Enjoy your trip. Indeed I heard it is a real nice one to take I’d like to go there one day if I had the opportunity.

  22. I’m heading to an Alaskan cruise on Tuesday. Wish we were on the same trip. Not because you are “the guy on TV” but because we are both older and from CT. I hope you and your wife have an amazing time. I can’t wait to see your photos. Have you scheduled any excursions? We’re going white water rafting and on a float plame to the glaciers. Can’t wait!

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