Alaskan Voyage

Being in the Coast Guard stationed on a ship has led me to travel to some pretty awesome places in the Pacific ocean. One place that I won't forget was the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Not only was it one of the coldest places I have been to but it was also one of the most beautiful, breathtaking sights that I have ever seen. When I went to the Bering sea it was during winter. The sun didn't come up til 10 and didn't set until 10 at night. My sleeping habits were off for 3 months. I got to visit the islands of Kodiak and Dutch Harbor. We also sailed past St. Paul and several smaller, uninhabited islands including some with volcanoes. Having to stand watch outside in the middle of the night in the freezing rain and wind. It was absolutely miserable. There were times that I just cried and wanted to jump into the water because I  couldn't take it anymore. Yes, I am a wimp when it comes to cold, but you would be to when the wind chill made it -11 degrees out. Yea, I don't miss those late nights and early mornings. The morning we first pulled into Kodiak I remember the darkness as the sun began to rise, lighting the way exposing the beautiful snow covered mountains that lie ahead. It was a truly majestic sight as we sailed through sea ice and fog. For those of you that have never been and never will go to Kodiak, I will say that you are not missing out on anything. While the Coast Guard base does have a bowling alley and a movie theater  there is not a whole lot to do on the rest of the island if you are not an outdoorsy type of person. There's a Walmart, a McDonalds and a KFC/Taco Bell. There are some bars and restaurants and a lot of outdoor/sporting stores. The terrain is very rugged and beautiful though. Driving through the winding mountains is very scenic and enjoyable. On the other hand you have Dutch Harbor home to Discovery channels Deadliest Catch. I actually got to see the Time Bandit boat from the show. Now Dutch Harbor has snow covered mountains and lots of hiking trails. One thing to do there, besides go to the bar and drink, is to hike to the old WWII bunkers that were used to fight off the Japanese. There is also a World War II museum that explains the role that the Aleutian islands played during the war. Mostly all I did was drink at the bar though, there is one grocery store, and Alaska Ship Supply store, a hotel, a small restaurant and then some other shops. Not much going on there, I don't know who would ever want to live there. The storm that came through was crazy, our ship was thrashing back and forth. My experience in Dutch Harbor was good, but I don't want to go back. While out in the Bering Sea my Captain decided that we should sail past the International Dateline the 180 Meridan. After we sailed past, on our way back to California, I participated in the Golden Dragon ceremony. For all those that have crossed the 180th Meridan you are called a Golden Dragon, if you pass the initiation ceremony. It was some pretty embarrassing and gross stuff that I can not say in case someone crosses the line. I will say it involved week old nasty food. Anyways on our way back to America we stopped off in Victoria, B.C. That place was beautiful, and the people were so nice and pretty. Great place to visit. So all in all my experience to Alaska was... well just that, and experience that I will never forget and do not wish to repeat.