Any ideas for sights in Alaska?

[firenresq77]

My wife and I will be taking an Alaskan cruise next month and was just wondering if anyone has any suggested sights to see. We fly into Anchorage and the next day the ship leaves and we end up in Vancouver....... Can't remember where all of the stops are.........

[CaptainGonzo]

The lovely Mrs. Gonz and I went on an Alaskan cruise in September 2005. Ther are so many shore excursions, quaint shops and such to spend lots of money in etc. there are way too many to list. We did the following on our cruise

Skagway: take the White Pass ansd Yukon scenic railway tour... breathtaking scenery and wildlife.

Juneau: you have to visit the Red Dog Saloon... sawdust on the floor, Phineas T. Poon playing piano for your entertainment, excellent food and drink!

Take the trip to Mendenhall glacier. Thwe salmon hathcery tour is interseting, you can see seals right near rhe fish ladders looking for a meal!

Ketchikan: The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Saxman Native village.

Our cruise made a stop in Victoria, where wifey and I met Pfire 23 (Jenn) and Respect from Calgary (Sher). We went to the Irish Times Pub on Government Street..excellent food and drink!

[firenresq77]

Thanks for the tips, Chief!!

[RspctFrmCalgary]

hmmmmmmmmm :p

Just might have to do a day trip to Van next month to meet 77 and the new Mrs. 77 :D

Hey Brian, if you PM me your travel details, I'll see if a meeting of crust is workable, based on your flight time out and all that. If we can't meet up, but you have some time between the time the cruise ship throws you off :p and your flight home, I can suggest some things to do (Granville Island, Stanley Park, Kits (Kitsilano) Beach, that sort of thing).

Too bad your cruise doesn't stop in Victoria! It was great meeting Ron & Trish! We met them coming off the ship, went for a drive to show them some of the sights and then, like Ron said, had dinner and a nice visit.

[FlyingKiwi]

Ice, look for Ice.

It should be the white stuff. :D

[firenresq77]

Thanks, Sheri! I'll email you the itenerary tomorrow....... It would be nice if we could meet up!

Kiwi, I was actually expecting something like that for you. Glad you didn't let me down!

Any idea on what to expect for weather?

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Anything and everything!



LMFAO!!!



We just broke 2 records in July .... the past 6 days it has rained every day, which broke the "consecutive days of rain in July" record, and in the 2 weeks prior to that we enjoyed temps of 25C to 36.3C, which beat the all time record high for July 10 I think it was.

So take your pick, wait 5 minutes and it will change.

The cruise ship site should have a "suggestions of what to pack" based on the destination of your cruise. If not, let me know and I'll give you a few hints.

Well, unless Ron beats me to it LOL. He'll be speaking from experience, after all. :D

[bferris01]

HI, sorry to but in on the topic, but I am getting married on OCT 12 this year and we are not doing a big wedding, we both want to go on the Alaska curise thing instead, likey the following year. Could you give us tips or recommends on:

Which curise line is best?

Best Time of Year?

Which ports to make sure we hit?

Any pit falls to watch out for?

Thanks, Stay safe

Chief 7
Brian

[sts060]

My wife and I will be taking an Alaskan cruise next month and was just wondering if anyone has any suggested sights to see. We fly into Anchorage and the next day the ship leaves and we end up in Vancouver....... Can't remember where all of the stops are.........
If you have a day in Anchorage, check at the "log cabin" visitor information center downtown, tell them how much time you have and what you'd like to do. If you have a chance to rent a car, there are numerous short (part-day) hikes in the mountains around Anchorage, with excellent views, and you can still knock around downtown and hit the gift shops and whatnot. Or you could walk along the Coastal Trail a bit without leaving town. There are some pretty good places to eat; the Glacier (micro)Brewery has good food and service, but you can have a long wait during tourist season. Simon and Seafort's (sp?) downtown is very good if you're looking for a tony dinner.

In Juneau, you might try to catch the Gold Creek salmon bake (http://www.juneau-guide.com/trSalmonBake.htm). It's next to the old gold mine so you can do a little exploring and work up your appetite. Fresh grilled salmon with butter and brown sugar glaze, fresh sourdough bread, cold lemonade and beer, yum. Did I say beer? Be sure to try the Alaskan Amber - brewed in Juneau.

If you get to Sitka, there are lots of interesting historic buildings - Sitka was the Russian capital of Alaska before it became part of the U.S. Last time I was there (a long time ago) there was a really interesting store with very old maps and such (well, I like that sort of thing).

And of course, be on the lookout for the wildlife, and enjoy.

[JHR1985]

watch out for bears...

[sts060]

HI, sorry to but in on the topic, but I am getting married on OCT 12 this year and we are not doing a big wedding, we both want to go on the Alaska curise thing instead, likey the following year. Could you give us tips or recommends on:

Which curise line is best?

Best Time of Year?

Which ports to make sure we hit?

Any pit falls to watch out for?

Thanks, Stay safe

Chief 7
Brian
Brian,

I can't tell you anything about the cruise ships, but you might want to consider the AK Marine Highway (http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/) ferries. You can catch one from Seattle. The bigger ones have cabins and restaurants. They are not as fancy as cruise ships, certainly, and the schedule may or may not suit you, but it's a potentially cheaper option - you'll have to comparison-shop - with a bit more of a "frontier" feel.

As far as your other questions, later in the summer - late July or August - is a good bet, as the bugs have declined somewhat, but you'll need to make your plans early. One thing I didn't mention is Denali (http://www.nps.gov/dena/)- if you have a chance to go, do it. You can take the train from Anchorage and stay in a hotel or camp near the park. There are buses that take you back into the park proper (car travel is restricted), and the drivers are very knowledgeable guides.

Congratulation on your upcoming nuptials!

[RspctFrmCalgary]

The best cruise ship / cruise line depends on what YOUR preferences are. If you're having problems researching the various choices, let me know and I'll help out as much as I can.

[jsdobson]

firenrescue77,

If you'll pm me with your arrival date and time, perhaps we could meet for coffee. I'm a "transplanted Buckeye."

bferris01,

For your planning purposes, you might consider the mid to late June. Wild flowers are out and the midnight sun will absolutely mess up your biological clock. :)

Dobber

[firenresq77]

firenrescue77,

If you'll pm me with your arrival date and time, perhaps we could meet for coffee. I'm a "transplanted Buckeye."

Dobber


I will PM you later tonight when I get back home

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Well, it sucks that your cruise arrives back in Vancouver on a Friday ... was hoping it would be a Sunday.

I need some more detailed info to see if we can pull it off. That's a pretty tight window to try to meet up. Depends on a few things, aside from whether or not I can get the day off. Big things happening employment-wise, I'm hoping to get a job offer or two by the end of the week.

Are you going to be at the Canada Place or Ballantyne cruise terminal?

What's the earliest you can disembark?

Is the transfer from your ship to the airport arranged by the cruise line already? If not, what time do you have to be at the airport?

I'll look for your email, Brian!

[Lifeguard911]

If you can, get into Anchorage a day early and rent a car. The drive down the Seward Highway from Anchorage to Seward is one of the most scenic drives in the world! You could make it from the round trip in a single day. Stop at the Alaskan Wildfife Conservation Center near Girdwood.
We tried to see the Firefighter's Museum at Anchorage's Station 1 but they were closed. Apparently, it is very hard to get into.
Oh, yeah, be sure and buy a digital camera with extra memory cards. I burned over 500 shots in a week. There is no way I would have taken that many 35mm shots.

[firenresq77]

If you can, get into Anchorage a day early and rent a car. The drive down the Seward Highway from Anchorage to Seward is one of the most scenic drives in the world! You could make it from the round trip in a single day. Stop at the Alaskan Wildfife Conservation Center near Girdwood.
We tried to see the Firefighter's Museum at Anchorage's Station 1 but they were closed. Apparently, it is very hard to get into.
Oh, yeah, be sure and buy a digital camera with extra memory cards. I burned over 500 shots in a week. There is no way I would have taken that many 35mm shots.

Thanks for the tips. I have 2 memory cards, a 1GB and a 2GB......... I hope I don't run out! :p ;)

Sheri and Dobbs....... i sent you guys email/PM........

[hwoods]

I just checked the the Stats from the NFIC. So far, 240,000+ acres have burned in Alaska this year.......... Just in case you want something to look at....... :D :D :D

Have a safe trip. :)

[ThNozzleman]

My grandmother has taken several trips/cruises to Alaska. Of all the things I remember her talking about, watching whales seemed to be one of the things she liked the most. I can't remember if she saw them from the cruise ship, or if they went on a special boat to see them. I've never been. A friend of mine is a firefighter in Anchorage. To hear him talk, it's a backpacker's paradise. Maybe one day.

[CaptainGonzo]

My grandmother has taken several trips/cruises to Alaska. Of all the things I remember her talking about, watching whales seemed to be one of the things she liked the most. I can't remember if she saw them from the cruise ship, or if they went on a special boat to see them. I've never been. A friend of mine is a firefighter in Anchorage. To hear him talk, it's a backpacker's paradise. Maybe one day.

You can see the whales right from the deck of the cruise ship.. on more than one ocassion, pods of orcas swam close enought to identify without binoculars!

[CaptainGonzo]

Funny Alaskan cruise story...
we were sailing into Glacier Bay National Park. Being surrounded by ice, the temperature was in the low 40's in September.

I had gotten up early and worked out in the ship's gym, then went to the cabin, grabbed the camera and went up on the main deck. I was dressed in a lined windbreaker over a t-shirt and gym shorts.

Just about everyone else was bundled up like it was -10 degrees...hats, gloves, scarfs, heavy winter coats!

I heard this unmistakable Texas drawl asking me "arent'ch y'all cold? We're freezing!" :D

I answered.. I'm from New England.. this is what it's like on a crisp fall morning! :D

There were 2 other brave souls in shorts on the deck.. both were firefighters... one from Colorado, the other from LA City.

[Weruj1]

hey am I still coordinating doggie watching with your faz'er ? Have a safe trip and I have some reading material for you.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Yo, Brian! Did you find out your transfer arrangements yet and what time you'll be at the airport?

If this crusty meeting happens, I think the best plan would just be to meet out at the airport at the Fairmont Hotel and go to one of the many restaurants/bars for an early lunch. There's a ton of options, depending on what your fancy is at the time.

[firenresq77]

Well, we are back and the trip was amazing!! If you've never been to Alaska, it's something to add to your "to do" list.

We started in Anchorage where we met up with jsdobson........ Jeff, thanks again!! We really enjoyed the tour of Anchorage. We got the tour of Station 1 and the Museum, along with a trip to Station 3 and the memorial. We also got to see some views of Mt McKinley and the awesome scenery.

We had a somewhat short day as we had to be at the airport to catch our shuttle to Seward at like 1430. It was a beautiful 2.5 hour trek, but we got a heads up/preview of some of it with Jeff.

Once on the Holland America m.s. Volendam, we headed toward the Hubbard Glacier which was just amazing. There were some seals, but you couldn't really tell without binoculars. The calving was pretty neat to watch, too.

We docked in Icy Strait Point and visited a town called Hoonah. Didn't care for this place. Reminds us of Northern Exposure. Did some walking and drinking at the Office Bar.

We saw some whales in between there and Skagway.

Skagway was a tiny little tourist town that only operates like 5 months out of the year. It is very very expensive to live there, especially considering they have very few services available. We opted to take a bus tour instead o the train and got some great pictures along the Klondike Highway. We also got to see the sea lions traying to catch some salmon for dinner at the docks.

Next we went to Juneau. The wife and I opted not to do any tours here. Just kinda walked around for a few hours and did some shopping. By the way, there are Jewelry stores all over the place at all of these ports. I bet at least half of these stores are jewelry stores!! Neither one of us are into the stuff so we didn't even bother going in.

Last stop was in Ketchikan which was great. I had never heard of it prior to looking at the cruise info. I never realized it's the 4th largest city in Alaska. I really wish we would have had more time to spend there. We docked at 2pm and had to be back on board by 730pm. We did check out the Lumberjack show and finished souvenir shopping.

Last full day was at sea all day where we had the worst weather of the trip. It was probably 50ish outside and rainy. We did get some awesome pictures of sunsets, though. The weather the restt of the trip was amazing. They kept telling us to expect temps in the low to mid 50's and partly cloudy. I bet it was at least 70-75 and sunny every day except for the last day at sea.

Landed in Vancouver at 0700 Friday. Couldn't disembark until 0830. Then got stuck waiting for our shuttle. Then got stuck waiting ON the shuttle. Then had a 45 minute drive to the airport on this stinky bus. We didn't even get to the airport until 1030am, then had to rush through customs and everything else. We got to our gate about 1135 for our 1220 flight. Then found out they moved our gate about 10 minutes prior to boarding......

All in all it was a great trip.

[JHR1985]

I'll be heading up there around the 15th of September for a bit.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Well, we are back and the trip was amazing!! If you've never been to Alaska, it's something to add to your "to do" list.

We started in Anchorage where we met up with jsdobson........ Jeff, thanks again!! We really enjoyed the tour of Anchorage. We got the tour of Station 1 and the Museum, along with a trip to Station 3 and the memorial. We also got to see some views of Mt McKinley and the awesome scenery.

We had a somewhat short day as we had to be at the airport to catch our shuttle to Seward at like 1430. It was a beautiful 2.5 hour trek, but we got a heads up/preview of some of it with Jeff.

Once on the Holland America m.s. Volendam, we headed toward the Hubbard Glacier which was just amazing. There were some seals, but you couldn't really tell without binoculars. The calving was pretty neat to watch, too.

We docked in Icy Strait Point and visited a town called Hoonah. Didn't care for this place. Reminds us of Northern Exposure. Did some walking and drinking at the Office Bar.

We saw some whales in between there and Skagway.

Skagway was a tiny little tourist town that only operates like 5 months out of the year. It is very very expensive to live there, especially considering they have very few services available. We opted to take a bus tour instead o the train and got some great pictures along the Klondike Highway. We also got to see the sea lions traying to catch some salmon for dinner at the docks.

Next we went to Juneau. The wife and I opted not to do any tours here. Just kinda walked around for a few hours and did some shopping. By the way, there are Jewelry stores all over the place at all of these ports. I bet at least half of these stores are jewelry stores!! Neither one of us are into the stuff so we didn't even bother going in.

Last stop was in Ketchikan which was great. I had never heard of it prior to looking at the cruise info. I never realized it's the 4th largest city in Alaska. I really wish we would have had more time to spend there. We docked at 2pm and had to be back on board by 730pm. We did check out the Lumberjack show and finished souvenir shopping.

Last full day was at sea all day where we had the worst weather of the trip. It was probably 50ish outside and rainy. We did get some awesome pictures of sunsets, though. The weather the restt of the trip was amazing. They kept telling us to expect temps in the low to mid 50's and partly cloudy. I bet it was at least 70-75 and sunny every day except for the last day at sea.

Landed in Vancouver at 0700 Friday. Couldn't disembark until 0830. Then got stuck waiting for our shuttle. Then got stuck waiting ON the shuttle. Then had a 45 minute drive to the airport on this stinky bus. We didn't even get to the airport until 1030am, then had to rush through customs and everything else. We got to our gate about 1135 for our 1220 flight. Then found out they moved our gate about 10 minutes prior to boarding......

All in all it was a great trip.

I had a feeling it might go like that, good thing we didn't go with my plan of meeting at the airport for an early lunch after all LOL.

Sorry the meeting of crust didn't pan out, but I know we'll meet up sooner or later.

Sounds like you had a fun trip. What about the cruise ship? Good, bad, excellent?

You're going to post some pics over at the crusty site, right???!!!! Right, Brian??!!! Or maybe email your friends *grovel beg* :D :D :p



That reminds me .... I never did get the pictures of when Gonzo visited the BC WOTs. :eek: :(

[firenresq77]

I'm glad you didn't waste a day coming to meet us since we got hosed on the meeting.......

The cruise ship was great. The staff was unbelieveable. Anything you wanted, they took care of........ I'm sure these guys/gals aren't getting paid nearly enough. They count on the foreign workers to work for cheap, but they get worked like dogs. One guy we talked to had been doing it for like 12 years. He said he works 15 months then gets 1 month off to go back home.

I will try to get some pics posted/emailed.......

[Ladder8]

I'll be heading up there around the 15th of September for a bit.

Which cruise line?

[JHR1985]

not a cruise. My plan is to visit Anchorage a bit

[CaptainGonzo]

Next we went to Juneau. The wife and I opted not to do any tours here. Just kinda walked around for a few hours and did some shopping. By the way, there are Jewelry stores all over the place at all of these ports. I bet at least half of these stores are jewelry stores!! Neither one of us are into the stuff so we didn't even bother going in.

I hope you stopped in at the Red Dog Saloon!

[firenresq77]

I hope you stopped in at the Red Dog Saloon!

Negative. The place was packed to the doors when we were going to attempt it. Her parents tried to go too, with the same results...........