By GERRY BARKER
Splash Magazines

Splash Magazines readers know Pam and I are fans of Amtrak, and enjoy taking the Silver Meteor from West Palm Beach to New York every chance we get.  And every time we go, the train makes one stop where we've always wanted to step off and explore: Winter Park, Florida.

From the historic train depot to the wide green spaces of the idyllic Central Park that it fronts, the town looks like something out of a storybook or a Norman Rockwell painting. One of our friends, an ex-resident of New York, said it reminds her of Willoughby, the fictional 19th century town featured in a classic episode of "The Twilight Zone." And she's right.

Recently, looking for a weekend escape with our granddaughter, Cate, before school started, we decided it was high time to take the Amtrak and visit Winter Park.

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By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
Photos by Gerry Barker


​"And on the right is the world famous Red Dog Saloon," said our tour guide.

It was one of many sights she pointed out as our bus traveled through downtown Juneau, Alaska on its way to the nearby Mendenhall Glacier. As we passed, I made a mental note to come back and check out this fabled watering hole if we had a chance. And we did.

After the tour ended, we had a couple of hours of free time in Juneau before our cruise ship, Silversea's Silver Nova, departed for our next port of call.

Juneau, a city of over 30,000 population, has been Alaska's capital since 1906. Named after a gold prospector, it boasts a lively downtown area and a striking number of blooming flowers that adorn the streets and green spaces. Our visit was in July, during peak tourism season, when cruise ships can swell the population by 20,000 or more daily.

​After a ride on the Goldbelt Tram, taking guests up 1,800 feet to the top of Mount Roberts, we headed for the Red Dog Saloon, just up the street from the cruise docks.

From the outside, it looks like an authentic, Old West saloon, complete with swinging doors at the entrance -- that's because it is. It was lunchtime, and the place was packed. But we were able to get a table on the side, just beside the piano player.

Yes, they had a real piano player, plus sawdust floors, animal trophies along the walls, saloon girls and guys waiting on customers -- just like you were transported back in time when Juneau hosted hordes of fortune seekers hoping to strike it rich mining for gold.

The menu offers some insights on its history, when “Ragtime Hattie” "played the piano in her white gloves and silver dollar halter top." It also noted that back in the day, the one-time owner "would meet tour boats with his mule that wore a sign saying 'follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon'." 

The menu features a variety of choices, all with Alaska-themed names, like "Motherlode Burger" and "Klondike Ribs." There's also a reindeer sandwich, if you really want to go full-on local. Hmmm -- maybe next time.

​Unlike what's portrayed in the movies, we didn't witness any fights break out or card games, and no one took a shot at the piano player. It was just fun, good food and friendly service. In fact, it was the highlight of our day in Juneau.

Next door is their gift shop -- more like a full-blown store -- where you can get all manner of Red Dog Saloon merchandise and souvenirs. We scored a Red Dog license plate that now proudly hangs in our kitchen.

If your travels bring you to Juneau, definitely add Red Dog Saloon to your list. Tell them North Palm Beach Life sent you -- it might even get you a table by the piano player.

By Gerry Barker
North Palm Beach Life

Gold!

The mere mention of the word ignites visions of wealth, fame and fortune.
​
"Gold! Gold! Gold!" was the headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on July 17, 1897 -- "Sixty Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland" had arrived with "Stacks of Yellow Metal." And that's how the fabled Klondike Gold Rush was born.

Skagway, Alaska was one of the starting points for thousands of gold-seekers making the harrowing 600-mile trek to the Yukon gold fields. As they crossed into Canada, each person was required to bring along a ton of supplies -- enough to last a year -- and had to navigate trails that were narrow, steep and treacherous, not to mention at times the below-zero temperatures.

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By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

Our seven-day Alaska cruise ended in Vancouver, where we had time to see the city before heading back to the Palm Beaches. It was a beautiful day for sight-seeing, and what made it better was by coincidence, our Arizona friends, Leslie and Richard, were there at the same time. We spent time with them a few years ago on our Road Trip across the country, where they hosted us in their Sedona home.

​The first part of the day was touring Stanley Park and Granville Island:

In the afternoon, we met Leslie and Richard and visited English Bay in Vancouver's West End, where we saw "A-maze-ing Laughter" -- an installation of sculptures  by Yue Minjun and installed in Morton Park.
There are 14 statues, all of the artist laughing in various poses. We couldn't resist having some fun with them. Later, we dined at a Spanish restaurant, Espana, where we enjoyed amazing tapas and wine. 

We can't wait to come back for a longer stay.

By GERRY BARKER
​North Palm Beach Life

There was a time in his youth when Adam Illsley thought he wanted to be a policeman. Then at 14,  he got bitten by the performance bug. And he's never looked back.

Now serving as the cruise director for Silversea's newest and most technologically advanced ships, Silver Nova and Silver Ray, he talked about his career path during our recent seven-day cruise in Alaska aboard Silver Nova.

He said the idea of joining the police "never went down great with my dad," maybe another sign the universe had other things in mind for him. After getting his Master of Arts in Dance Professional Practice from Middlesex University in London, he took his talents to sea, where for the past 16 years he's been a singer, dancer, actor and even an aerialist. 

Illsley's road to Silversea had some unexpected turns. "I was on a path to become an assistant cruise director for another luxury (cruise) line," he told me, "but I couldn't join when they needed me." A friend said he should try Silversea. He got hired, and became assistant cruise director on Silver Moon. "Three months later, I was promoted to cruise director."

With a number of cruise lines competing in the luxury-class market, I asked Illsley what makes Silversea stand apart?

Without hesitation, he said, "Its crew."

By GERRY BARKER

Our recent Alaska cruise marked several firsts.

It was our first time to visit Alaska. It was also our first time to cruise on Silversea, and needless to say, our first time on one of their newest ships, Silver Nova. How was it? Words that come to mind include amazing, jaw-dropping, awesome -- take your pick.

This is Silversea's 30th anniversary year. Long recognized as a leader in upscale, luxury cruising, Silver Nova, the 12th ship in their fleet, launched last year to rave reviews, and after seven days aboard, it's easy to see why.

Our cruise started in Seward, Alaska, which meant a long travel day that took us from West Palm Beach to New York and on to Anchorage, where we had a pre-cruise hotel stay (given the uncertainties of travel these days, always a good idea to arrive the day before your cruise starts).

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