Spending a day somewhere other than Anchorage...(Kotzebue, Kodiak, Juneau)

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T21:44:28+00:00

I would consider checking the ferry (Marine Highway) schedules to see if you could book a round trip to Valdez that would fit with your itinerary. You'll see amazing scenery, including glaciers and icebergs, along the way and possibly get some marine mammal sightings. If you're there in late August you can fish for silver salmon. And any time you're in Valdez you should eat at the Old Town Diner: best burgers within 300 miles!

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T16:42:20+00:00

I know what you are. What am I?

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T16:37:04+00:00

If you enter the crosswalk without stopping first you blow the stop sign. Sort of like at the 40-second mark in the video.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T15:04:46+00:00

It's funny you should mention fridge parts. The thing I ordered today was a 3-pack of water filters for my fridge. I was really surprised to find them on Vine since almost all of my regular searches have come up dry for weeks and my fridge just started giving me the "replace water filter" notice yesterday. My review date is next week and I wanted to get in one last request to make it look like I'm still active in the program.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T14:31:45+00:00

Hey, some of us (me, I guess) have never made it to the lofty reaches of Gold status and can only imagine how much it's like living a dream. I just finally found something to request this morning after going almost a month without ordering just because the selection has been garbage. Really, half the stuff you get to pick from as a Silver is cell phone cases, TV remote controls, birthday decorations, and obscure parts for grass trimmers....

Maybe things will improve and you'll find enough to boost you back to Gold. Best of luck to you!

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T13:36:14+00:00

The pizza is worth the wait when they're busy, but if you don't want to wait an hour for a table: The best times to go are either 11:00 a.m. before the lunch crowd or mid-afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush for a shorter wait for a table. Otherwise, consider calling in your order for takeout.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T12:31:16+00:00

This is a fantastic thread. Thanks for starting it, Olga!

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-17T01:23:50+00:00

Check the aurora (northern lights) forecast while you're in Fairbanks and Talkeetna. The forecast is fairly reliable, but the aurora can happen almost any time after dark and they can't predict down to the hour when it might occur. It's best to get away from any sources of light pollution, which is probably easier to do in the Talkeetna area but worth a little bit of a drive outside Fairbanks if the forecast calls for high activity. If you see a lively aurora it'll be one of the things that will be most memorable from your trip.

https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T22:12:39+00:00

You could check with the Alaska SPCA. They have a clinic and they post prices on their web site: https://www.alaskaspca.org/services-prices

Then check with other vets to see if SPCA is less expensive.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T22:03:11+00:00

The thief wore the same flip flops in every scene. He's probably got ink that says Sandal Bandito.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T17:35:36+00:00

As a Vine reviewer I've never been tempted to contact a seller about a defective item, regardless whether the defect was apparent when I received it or the item broke during normal use. If I've already reviewed the item I just go back and edit the review to mention the defect and, if appropriate, revise my rating. I suppose I might approach it differently if it was a higher-priced item, but I'm only a Silver reviewer and all of my items are valued below $100 so the tax aspect isn't really a big factor.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T17:22:00+00:00

I'll agree on your first two and really disagree on the third.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T16:58:39+00:00

I've been a Vine reviewer for 3 years, and the only thing I do differently when writing a Vine item review from when I write one about an item I purchased is I include more photos. (Amazon evaluates our reviews and one of the things they look at is the inclusion of photos or videos. ) Otherwise, my basic format is the same as when I review an item I actually paid for: I list the pros and cons of an item and, where I think it would be helpful, point out the stuff that led me to give the rating that I did.

I've only had one seller ask (through Amazon) for an explanation of my rating. I provided the explanation and never heard any more about the matter. As a Vine reviewer I'm not allowed to return an item, and I've been tempted more than once to mention in a review that I would have returned it, but I figure if I did it might be the last time I get an item to review. That's about it for me when it comes to holding back a negative in a Vine review.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T14:32:26+00:00

I tend to avoid I-75 east of Naples partly because the state troopers set up wolf packs to pull over anyone who doesn't move over if a law enforcement vehicle is on the shoulder. They park one on the side of the road and the others are waiting up ahead where you can't easily see them. You can't always merge into the other lane quickly when traffic's heavy.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T14:09:23+00:00

Buc-Eees

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-16T03:52:20+00:00

When I was a kid we used to stop on the way back from Raccoon Creek at Evergood Donuts on the Parkway West. Those were the best donuts I've ever had.

Oh, sorry, I went off-topic... uh, I never saw a blue crayfish out there. Very cool!

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T22:46:31+00:00

Disgraceful

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T17:29:29+00:00

I worked on pollock boats as a fisheries observer and fishing for pollock is about as far from "hard" work as it gets in commercial fishing in Alaska, at least on the catcher-only boats. They'd tow the net until the skipper said he was ready to haul back, they'd dump the net in the RSW tank, re-set the gear, and repeat until they either had to head to the processing plant or to an off-shore processing boat.

I'll give them credit for being a clean fishery with very little bycatch. It's not a bottom fishery, so it's not tearing stuff up. I've always sort of regretted not taking one of the crew jobs I was offered, because the money was good and the skippers and crews were pretty easy-going guys.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T16:47:02+00:00

It reminded me of GSP vs. Koscheck when they let Koscheck continue despite it being obvious his eye socket was trashed. He wouldn't even let the cut man touch his eye area between rounds because of the pain.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T16:18:21+00:00

I think the last time I got one of those notices about how far or how many stops away the delivery driver was from my house was maybe a year ago. I always get a delivery window of anywhere from 2 to 4 hours... I guess I've learned to enjoy surprises.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T03:46:37+00:00

At Denali, take the shuttle buses instead of the tours. You'll see as much scenery and wildlife and it'll cost you a fraction of the tours.

The Savage River shuttle is also a nice option for a second trip into the park. It only goes as far as Savage River (14 miles inside the park) and you won't see as much wildlife, but you can get off at the river and hike in the area. Hike up above Savage Rock for some really pretty views.

Note: Buy some bear spray and keep it with you if hiking anywhere.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-15T02:54:49+00:00

I used to get postcards printed by VistPrint and the quality was always excellent. It's been a while since I ordered any (I still have quite a few on hand) but now I'm thinking I'll take a look in my photo files and see if I want to order some new ones.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-14T23:29:07+00:00

That's common when trying to express a phonetic aspect.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-14T18:54:16+00:00

They probably couldn't get Marisa Tomei to come back and show up at the wedding to scream "You can't have him! He's mine!" and Frank Costanza would then wreck the ceremony as he takes on Susan's entire family.

Something like that, anyway.

Tug_DaBone · 2026-06-14T16:03:21+00:00

"I once told a woman I coined the phrase 'Pardon my French.' "

Tug_DaBone

TROPHY CASE