Alaska - Installment #1

Here we are; the boys are down for a nap, and I've got a few moments to spare...so, there's no time like the present to start telling you all about our trip! Oh, and I've decided that since I ramble so much, I'll break it down into different parts. That way you don't have to read it all at once...you can have a break from my jibber jabber!!!

Anyways...We started looking for tickets back in February, and realized it was going to cost at least $850 for me alone, and $1200 if I wanted to get Kallen his own seat. Huh...So thanks for the deals Travelocity, Expedia, ect, ect. Next step, look into using our airline miles. Perfect, we've got a lot of miles built up, and never fly anywhere, so why not? Here's the deal with our miles...In order to fly a regular, leave in the morning, arrive in the evening type flight, it was going to take 45,000 miles. If we flew "red-eye" and had long layovers in Anchorage, it would only be 20,000 miles. Huh, decisions, decisions. Well, we decided to go the "red-eye" route, and although you may think I'm crazy, I'll explain myself later!

Since we were leaving at 9:25 pm from Portland, I thought it would be best if we just hung out in P-Town during the day Sunday, so we were already there, and Kallen would get tuckered out. I didn't want him sleeping all the way up to Portland, only to get on a plane a few hours later and try to get him back to sleep again. Makes sense, right!!!

Well, the sky in Portland that day was threatening a good ol' fashioned Oregon rain storm, but we had planned to go to the zoo. Kallen had never been to the zoo, and what better way to get him tired out for the trip then to walk around and look at a bunch of cool animals. We went ahead and braved the odds, and paid the ridiculous $9.75 each to traipse through the wildlife!

Great decision on our part! The sky's parted an hour or so into our quest, and most of the animals were actually quite active. Kallen was content hangin' out in his stroller and being pushed all over the zoo... although the whole point was to get him out walking. Oh well, what are you to do. He loved the animals that were actually moving around and he could tell were something other than a great big rock (aka the hippos), and most of all he loved the train! We heard the train a few times driving around the park, but on our way out, we decided to take him for a ride! That was the highlight of his day, I'm sure! Trying to get him off the train when our ride was over, was quite an adventure, but we managed!

We followed the crowds out the gates, got some dinner, then headed to the airport.

Helping daddy push the stroller!

Sittin' on the train with mommy.

Lookin' at the Elephants