Awesome Alaska

I really don't like the over-used word "awesome". However, when it comes to Alaska, there's no better word. When you hear other people describe Alaska, adjectives tend to flow more than other destination descriptions, magnificent, glorious, spectacular.......

My family enjoys cruising, it's a great way for our us to travel. There is enough space and activities where we can let our children ages 9 and 11 go their own way. So when the opportunity for us to try out an Alaskan cruise presented itself, we pulled our schedules together in about 10 days prior to departure.

We flew into Anchorage, where we were met by Holland America ground representatives. After collecting our bags we had to wait around for about an hour due to some disorganization on their part. After traveling from GSP through Atlanta through Salt Lake City and 5.5 hours from there to Anchorage, an hour delay seemed like ten. Most of the cruise ships depart from the small town of Seward, which is a 2.5 hours trip from Anchorage. There are several options to get from the Anchorage airport to Seward, the most popular being a train or bus, either of which you can purchase through the cruise lines. They both take the same route, which is more like a tour than a transfer. The route basically has you hugging the coast line most of the way. You cut through forest, mountain ranges with the opportunity to see lot's of unique vistas and possibly wildlife that you may not see elsewhere.

We cruised on Holland America's Statendam for a seven day inside passage cruise heading south. This cruise is great for those who are looking to learn more about this diverse eco-system. Holland actually has a naturalist on board most of their sailings, who provides lectures, as well as wild-life spotting alerts as you sail. It's not unusually that an announcement comes over the P/A system while you are having dinner; "if you will look out the port side of the ship @ 10 o'clock you will see a pod of Orcas meandering". The cruise itself is as much about the views while sailing as it is the ports of call. The ports of call for this sailing are Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan. There isn't much to do in Haines other than the excursions offered by the cruise lines. We choose to not do an excursion there and spent the day walking around the small downtown and actually heading back to the ship early. Juneau on the other hand has a bustling downtown area, which is right where the ship docks. In Juneau we took two shore excursions, one was a "gold-panning" trip and the other was a mountain biking trip. The gold-panning was authentic in the fact you actually go to a mining site and you do get to pan for gold. However, on the way back they tell you it's not economically feasible to make any money even if you automate the process, as all you get is a few specks per full pan. This was a so-so experience. In the afternoon we took a mountain bike tour to a glacier. I would highly recommend this excursion, it gives you a nice experience in the wild. The tour caps off with a visit to the Alaskan brewery. Ketchikan is where we had the best excursion experience. The ship arranged for us to board a 22-foot open air skiff with a captain, for a few hours of fishing in the bay. First you take a short walk to the docks, where you are fitted with rain-weather gear, regardless of the weather, then you are led out to your vessel. After a 20 minute exhilarating ride, we dropped anchor and began to fish. In a matter of 2.5 hours we caught over 100 pounds of fish. We caught halibut, flounder, shark, from "bottom-fishing". Then trolled and snagged a 5lb King Salmon, and a 15lb Coho Salmon. After catching the fish, we went to a really neat campground and had the fish prepared in a boulibase. A description of the camp and the food wouldn't do justice. It has to be one of the more scenic places I've ever been. This excursion isn't cheap, but it was certainly the best I've been on.

A lot of the beauty recognized in Alaska is of her glaciers. And I doubt there is a better way to see these other than on a cruise. The ships actually go inside of passages that are national and state parks, to get you really up close to nature and these massive glaciers, some of which are six miles wide. Our cruise came to an end in Vancouver, where we stayed a couple of extra days before heading home. In closing, Alaska is well worth the effort getting there, and I if you are only going once, cruising is a great way to see her.
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Mainland Alaska

I. The South Central – Kenai Peninsula, Homer, Seward, Kodiak Island
II. The Interior – Wassila, Talkeetna, Denali N.P., Fairbanks
III. Prince William Sound & Valdez

Alaska is 4 hours behind Eastern time. Summer daylight is virtually 24 hours, Winter gets about 18 hours of darkness. Temperatures in the Summer average 60-90 degrees during the day …. Winter can be –50 degrees.

Anchorage
Ø Cook Inlet is the main destination for travelers touring mainland Alaska.
Ø Large city with population in the hundreds of thousands
Ø Used for a quick “in and out” stay, mainly due to airline schedules. It does however, offer travelers a lot to see and do.
Ø Downtown: loaded with shops selling native Indian handicrafts, and usual souvenirs. In the summertime, shops are open until midnight. Good for your final night stay and last minute shopping.
Ø Nearby the city is Potter’s Marsh, a wetland area where you can view waterfowl and salmon from long boardwalks. This is a city park --- free and very interesting.
Ø Alyeska Ski Resort is an hour away, as is Portage Glacier, a landlocked glacier that is part of the State Park System. Here you can see a glacier close up, take a boat ride on the lake in front of it (full of floating icebergs), and learn more from a fabulous exhibit center complete with park rangers, multimedia presentation, gift shop, and lunchroom. Many creeks flow into the Turnagain Arm, a part of the Cook Inlet. Here salmon fishermen practice “combat fishing”. There are so many fish and fishermen in one place…it’s considered a warzone getting the fish. The Turnagain Arm is famous for its “boretides”.

The Kenai Peninsula
Ø Famous for salmon fishing and Prince William Sound.
Ø Seward, a small fishing village, 3 hours from Anchorage, a major cruise port, and a jump-off spot for tourist vessels on day trips to see glaciers, marine mammals, and birdlife. Ø Homer is another town at the end of the peninsula, a day’s drive from Anchorage. Good fishing and wildlife viewing. From here you can take the ferry to Kodiak Island. Kodiak is for those who really want to get away from it all. Most of the lodges are “fly-in”, and offer unique wilderness experiences. They are quite expensive, averaging $400-$600 per night stay, with excursions, comfortable lodging, and some with private facilities.

The Interior – Wassila, Talkeetna, Denali, Fairbanks
Ø North of Anchorage
Ø The town of Wassila is a highlight….the home of the Iditarod. Also has a great museum. The Iditarod is held each March.Ø Talkeetna, base camp for Denali climbing expeditions. This historic, quirky town is full of bush pilots, climbing companies and small bunk houses for climbers. It comes alive in the Spring when climbers from all over the world ascend on Alaska to challenge Denali (“the great one”), formerly Mt. McKinley. You can fly by bush plane onto Denali at 7,000 feet to see the base camp, with dozens of tents and climbers, making ready for their ascent of the mountain. Flights to the base camp are only allowed in late Spring or early June as the glaciers become too unstable to land. During the Summer, you can flightsee and fly the summit of the mountain. Denali National Park is another few hours drive further North through high flatlands and wilderness. Just past the entrance is a strip of motels, food joints, outfitters and lots of congestion and people. Just inside the park, the scenery changes to 14 miles of paved road that anyone can ride for free. Then, a gravel road takes you for hours into the wilderness. The only way to pass mile-marker 14 is with a national park bus (old schoolbus). You must reserve for one of these months in advance. The price is about $6 per day. If on a tour, you would have a boxed lunch provided. No guide is on the bus, just a driver who will stop if wildlife is spotted. Makes for a truly interesting and eventful day.
Ø Fairbanks – a small town with a riverboat, and an Alaska theme park. It also offers fishing, hunting and the University of Alaska.

Valdez & Prince William Sound
Ø Valdez is famous for its name, and the famous oil spill that marked Exxon forever. They launched a monumental effort to clean the entire area. This included every rock on every beach in every cove. Today, years later and smarter, tanker ships visit daily, under new regulations set up to prevent another spill from devastating the Sound again. Valdez is a small town, once totally destroyed by the 1964 earthquake and rebuilt on a site further down the road.
Ø Valdez is a fishing village which is home to the Ayeska Pipeline Company, and terminus of the Alaska bald eagles….also home to the Columbia Glacier. Day trips to the Sound on chartered tourist boats take you to see these wonderful sites.Ø Alaska requires months of advance bookings for hotels, car rentals and outfitters (fishing, wildlife viewing, etc.). The ferry system is also booked heavily during the summer months. It is suggested to book at least 6-8 months in advance, especially for national park services…some are on a lottery system because space is so limited. The Alaska Department of Tourism and the Anchorage CVB are both good sources of free information.