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Tina T.
I need a vacation and have always wanted to go to Alaska. After a little research I decided on Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park to observe brown bears. I'm debating on whether my daughter might be too young for this kind of experience (she'll be almost 5 then). I plan on tent camping for at least 4-5 days. I was just curious to see if anyone has had a similar experience or any tips on camping/backpacking/travel with kids. Thanks!
Answer
We went there with our 5-month old, 9 years ago and I have a number of thoughts.
The reservation agent seemed to think we were crazy, as if we were going leave him on the beach by himself. But made the reservation.
The only problem we had was when our luggage didn't arrive on the jet. We continued on from King Salmon to Brook's Camp and borrowed tents and sleeping bags from the park. Everyone in the campground was very helpful to a fmaily with a infant and no gear. Somehow we stretched the 3 diapers we had until out gear arrived the next day.
The campgrounds themselves have spots for tents and 3-sided, roofed shelters over picnic tables for eating. There is a food cache surrounded by an eletric fence (really) for all your food.
There is a snack bar, a cafeteria for lodging guests, piped water, etc in the central area. Trails lead to the bear viewing areas and groups rotate on to and off of the bear viewing platforms. You're with 10-20 other people when you're watching bears and having a baby along is no risk to any one or any critter. Sure, it sounds exciting, but the riskiest part of the trip will be driving to the airport.
Our 9-year old doesn't remember that trip, of course. But he does remember other trips we took when he was 4 and 5. The first family vacation I remember well from my childhood was when I was 5.
Tricks or traveling with kids? Mmy 4 year old has been to 20 states and 6 countries, my 9 year old to 45 and 13, so I've got a few. Airplane time should have new books and new small games along. A favorite stuffed animal and blanket. Overnight flights are really tough unless they are very experienced and easy travellers.
For us, hotels with breakfast on site are so much easier than mobilizing to a restaurant. Pools are a big hit and good way to burn off some energy. Let them make some of the decisions, like where to eat in the airport.
Aim to do things in 2 hour chunks at that age. It will limit what you do, but keep everyone happy. Accept that part of your "Alaskan" vacation will be playgrounds, swimming pools, and even museums, etc that aren't much different than at home. But when your child says, "we live in a beautiful place" at age 6, maybe going to the trouble to show them around is worth it.
Editted to add: Someone posted about guns, guns, guns. There's a lot of that perspective up here. But if you base your decisions on the numbers: Brook's Camp has never had a fatality or serious injury. You can't say the same for black bears in Yosemite, bison in Yellowstone or even elk in Banff.
And while Alaska has more bear attacks than any other state, it is still only one fatality every other year, compared to 43 drunk driving deaths each year. You're at 86 greater risk from drunk drivers than bears. So skip the guns and bring a breath-a-lyzer! And you've got a 5-year-old! We vastly far more kids to guns around the house than all people in all critter interactions.
The rangers are law enforcement. As such, they have sidearms at all times. If there's a possibility of interacting with a bear (one sleeping along the trail, etc), they come "loaded for bear" with shotguns with rifled slugs. Which, unlike you or I, they know how to use.
Oh, and when academics compare survival rates without an agenda? Pepper spray has a better outcome (for the humans and very much for the bears) on average than firearms.
Come up, enjoy the scenery and the wildlife. Be careful but not fearful. If you want to avoid bears on typical trails, make a lot of noise. If you want to see bears behaving naturally and ignoring humans, go to Brooks Camp or McNeil River State Park.
We went there with our 5-month old, 9 years ago and I have a number of thoughts.
The reservation agent seemed to think we were crazy, as if we were going leave him on the beach by himself. But made the reservation.
The only problem we had was when our luggage didn't arrive on the jet. We continued on from King Salmon to Brook's Camp and borrowed tents and sleeping bags from the park. Everyone in the campground was very helpful to a fmaily with a infant and no gear. Somehow we stretched the 3 diapers we had until out gear arrived the next day.
The campgrounds themselves have spots for tents and 3-sided, roofed shelters over picnic tables for eating. There is a food cache surrounded by an eletric fence (really) for all your food.
There is a snack bar, a cafeteria for lodging guests, piped water, etc in the central area. Trails lead to the bear viewing areas and groups rotate on to and off of the bear viewing platforms. You're with 10-20 other people when you're watching bears and having a baby along is no risk to any one or any critter. Sure, it sounds exciting, but the riskiest part of the trip will be driving to the airport.
Our 9-year old doesn't remember that trip, of course. But he does remember other trips we took when he was 4 and 5. The first family vacation I remember well from my childhood was when I was 5.
Tricks or traveling with kids? Mmy 4 year old has been to 20 states and 6 countries, my 9 year old to 45 and 13, so I've got a few. Airplane time should have new books and new small games along. A favorite stuffed animal and blanket. Overnight flights are really tough unless they are very experienced and easy travellers.
For us, hotels with breakfast on site are so much easier than mobilizing to a restaurant. Pools are a big hit and good way to burn off some energy. Let them make some of the decisions, like where to eat in the airport.
Aim to do things in 2 hour chunks at that age. It will limit what you do, but keep everyone happy. Accept that part of your "Alaskan" vacation will be playgrounds, swimming pools, and even museums, etc that aren't much different than at home. But when your child says, "we live in a beautiful place" at age 6, maybe going to the trouble to show them around is worth it.
Editted to add: Someone posted about guns, guns, guns. There's a lot of that perspective up here. But if you base your decisions on the numbers: Brook's Camp has never had a fatality or serious injury. You can't say the same for black bears in Yosemite, bison in Yellowstone or even elk in Banff.
And while Alaska has more bear attacks than any other state, it is still only one fatality every other year, compared to 43 drunk driving deaths each year. You're at 86 greater risk from drunk drivers than bears. So skip the guns and bring a breath-a-lyzer! And you've got a 5-year-old! We vastly far more kids to guns around the house than all people in all critter interactions.
The rangers are law enforcement. As such, they have sidearms at all times. If there's a possibility of interacting with a bear (one sleeping along the trail, etc), they come "loaded for bear" with shotguns with rifled slugs. Which, unlike you or I, they know how to use.
Oh, and when academics compare survival rates without an agenda? Pepper spray has a better outcome (for the humans and very much for the bears) on average than firearms.
Come up, enjoy the scenery and the wildlife. Be careful but not fearful. If you want to avoid bears on typical trails, make a lot of noise. If you want to see bears behaving naturally and ignoring humans, go to Brooks Camp or McNeil River State Park.
What can you tell me about Cassandra in Greek Mythology?
I Survived
thanks
Answer
According to the Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology by Pierre Grimal (1951, 1990), she was the daughter of Priam, king of Troy, and queen Hecuba, and twin sister of Helenus (a priest of Troy). Both these children acquired the gift of prophecy when their ears were licked by snakes in the temple of Apollo Thymbrius, in Troy. In another version, the god Apollo himself gave Cassandra the gift because he fell in love with her and promised her the gift in return for having sex with him. She agreed to the bargain but, once she had the gift, she sneaked off so as to maintain her virtue. So then Apollo cursed her so that no one would believe her prophesies. She was the type of "inspired" (meaning possessed) prophetess like the one at Delphi who went into a trance. She foretold the fact that Paris would cause the downfall of Troy, when he was an infant, so he was exposed on a mountaintop. But a shepherd brought him up, unbeknownst to the royal family. He was about to be executed, as a young man, for some crime not described in this book, when Cassandra realized who he really was and saved his life by revealing his identity as Priam's son.
When Paris arrived with Helen, Cassandra predicted the downfall of the city as a result but she was ignored, as Apollo had doomed her to experience this type of disregard. She also predicted that Priam would return with Hektor's body after Akhilleus had killed this heroic brother and dragged his body behind his chariot. Her husband was Laocoon, in some versions, and both opposed the idea of bringing the Greeks' Wooden Horse into Troy after those guys left Troy's beaches, saying, "Beware the Greeks, even when bearing gifts." Apollo sent snakes that came from under his altar and killed Laocoon and his sons (which may have been Cassandra's sons also, depending on which version you're reading). And no one paid Cassandra any attention, as usual.
After the fall of Troy, Cassandra prophesied the fates of various Trojan women and the fate of Aeneas and his line. During the sack, she took shelter in the temple of Athena, but the giant Ajax raped her there anyway. When the booty was distributed, Agamemnon took her. He planned to make her his queen in place of his real wife when he got home, in one version, but his wife, Clytemnestra, beat him to the punch and did him in, in his bathtub, and killed his new mistress, Cassandra, into the bargain.
But, in some versions, it took them quite awhile to get home and they stopped in Thrace on the way, way Cassandra took a terrible vengeance on the Thracian king for having murdered one of her younger brothers some time earlier. She murdered the Thracian king's young son and put out the king's eyes. She also bore Agamemnon two sons, twins, Teledamus and Pelops. This hardly seems possible, considering how close Troy was to Greece, but those Greek stories often have such elements in them and goofy genealogies thrown in for good measure. So make of it what you will!
In later Hellenistic tradition, she wasn't even Cassandra. She was Alexandra, which is the name of her brother Paris with a feminine ending. He was Alexandros in Greek, most of the time. The poet Lycophron wrote a long poem about her as Alexandra and in this Priam was unhappy about her prophetic gifts. So he shut her up in a tower with guards set to tell him about her prophecies.
According to the Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology by Pierre Grimal (1951, 1990), she was the daughter of Priam, king of Troy, and queen Hecuba, and twin sister of Helenus (a priest of Troy). Both these children acquired the gift of prophecy when their ears were licked by snakes in the temple of Apollo Thymbrius, in Troy. In another version, the god Apollo himself gave Cassandra the gift because he fell in love with her and promised her the gift in return for having sex with him. She agreed to the bargain but, once she had the gift, she sneaked off so as to maintain her virtue. So then Apollo cursed her so that no one would believe her prophesies. She was the type of "inspired" (meaning possessed) prophetess like the one at Delphi who went into a trance. She foretold the fact that Paris would cause the downfall of Troy, when he was an infant, so he was exposed on a mountaintop. But a shepherd brought him up, unbeknownst to the royal family. He was about to be executed, as a young man, for some crime not described in this book, when Cassandra realized who he really was and saved his life by revealing his identity as Priam's son.
When Paris arrived with Helen, Cassandra predicted the downfall of the city as a result but she was ignored, as Apollo had doomed her to experience this type of disregard. She also predicted that Priam would return with Hektor's body after Akhilleus had killed this heroic brother and dragged his body behind his chariot. Her husband was Laocoon, in some versions, and both opposed the idea of bringing the Greeks' Wooden Horse into Troy after those guys left Troy's beaches, saying, "Beware the Greeks, even when bearing gifts." Apollo sent snakes that came from under his altar and killed Laocoon and his sons (which may have been Cassandra's sons also, depending on which version you're reading). And no one paid Cassandra any attention, as usual.
After the fall of Troy, Cassandra prophesied the fates of various Trojan women and the fate of Aeneas and his line. During the sack, she took shelter in the temple of Athena, but the giant Ajax raped her there anyway. When the booty was distributed, Agamemnon took her. He planned to make her his queen in place of his real wife when he got home, in one version, but his wife, Clytemnestra, beat him to the punch and did him in, in his bathtub, and killed his new mistress, Cassandra, into the bargain.
But, in some versions, it took them quite awhile to get home and they stopped in Thrace on the way, way Cassandra took a terrible vengeance on the Thracian king for having murdered one of her younger brothers some time earlier. She murdered the Thracian king's young son and put out the king's eyes. She also bore Agamemnon two sons, twins, Teledamus and Pelops. This hardly seems possible, considering how close Troy was to Greece, but those Greek stories often have such elements in them and goofy genealogies thrown in for good measure. So make of it what you will!
In later Hellenistic tradition, she wasn't even Cassandra. She was Alexandra, which is the name of her brother Paris with a feminine ending. He was Alexandros in Greek, most of the time. The poet Lycophron wrote a long poem about her as Alexandra and in this Priam was unhappy about her prophetic gifts. So he shut her up in a tower with guards set to tell him about her prophecies.
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Title Post: Any thoughts on taking an almost 5-year old to Alaska (Brooks Camp)?
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Rating: 95% based on 9878 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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