Trying to Get a Good Mix of Excursions

Here's that RESOURCE thread. Reply #8 has links for the 2 Gold Rush Parks

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2347988

Wonderful! Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it:-)

Ah interesting idea! Do you mind if I ask who you're renting the car from and how much it costs? I think our ship leaves at 6 though so it might not work but maybe as it docks early morning.

 

The main things we are trying to fit in though are rainforest treks and wildlife. The Yukon would be great for scenery I imagine, and worth bearing in mind but ideally we'd find something rainforest or wildlife based.

All of SE AK is a rain forest. Any hike you take will be through a rain forest. We did a hike followed by a river float in both Skagway and Juneau.

Eagles are plentiful everywhere in SE AK, just look up. Whales of course take an excursion, but on a whale watch you will also likely see sea otters, and harbor seals, along with lots of fowl. Unless you spend a fortune bears are hit and miss. If you must see bear you can always o to the fortress of the bears where there are rescue bears that cannot be released into the wild, but they are in enclosures, but not cages.

The Red Onion Saloon, unless you eat there is about 10 minutes to walk through a few rooms that used to be a brothel. You can see teh same thing in Ketchikan at Dolly's House on Creek Street.

Another thing that you might consider is snorkeling in Sitka, it is a completely different experience than a warm water snorkel but really fun.

Lots of great novels set in Alaska -- Sue Henry and Dana Stabenow write super mysteries. I thought this book was fun --set off an island across from Ketchikan https://www.amazon.com/Mink-Island-Comical-Mystery-Southeast/dp/1530770300/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1472260487&sr=8-9&keywords=Alaska+fiction

Lots of others ....

Hi Sherri - yes, that's the one, the national historic park. I get what you are saying about it being "in the rainforest" but isnt it "developed"? Eg Buildings, pathways, visitor centre, totems, signposts, gift shop etc? So not like being immersed in a rainforest because it's been developed in that way? I'll try to find some YouTube clips of it to get a better sense of its "wildness" or otherwise but you make a good point.

Not as "developed" as you might think, but if you are on a group tour, you might be stuck on the main trails near the visitor center. We walked there on our own, through the park and up to the Raptor Center, then back down through the park and back to town for lunch. We walked over 6 miles that day... all in the rain. At one point we took a side trail out to the shore, and when I turned back and looked back towards the woods and saw 4 bald eagles in the trees. We also saw salmon in a creek. I wish I had some good photos to show, but it was raining so much that I didn't take many and those turned out kind of fuzzy.

We've done the "rainforest" excursion in Ketchikan, and it's not any less "developed" than the totem park in Sitka. We've also hiked in Skagway, to Yakutania Point and Smugglers Cove, and in Juneau around Mendenhall Glacier. We much prefer hiking on our own over being stuck with a tour group.

Thanks really useful info.

Yeah Sitka is a guided tour, it is the Raptor centre combined with the national historic park and traditional Tlingit welcome ceremony. I would have done it by myself as I had read it was easily walkable from town but this seems the only way to experience the Tlingit ceremony there.

Hi Folks

 

I'm guessing I've no chance of seeing bears in May?

Way, way to early. We planned out cruise for July into August so that we can see bears specifically.

@rydain I just got round to reading your blog!! It's brilliant. Great style, great photos, great humour. I really enjoyed it (and it's really useful, too).

Thanks so much:-)

I'm guessing I've no chance of seeing bears in May? Fortress of the Bear or any other bear enclosure is a no-go for us.

 

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I have seen bears on most of my trips in May but not on bear planned excursions. I saw bears when hiking around Exit Glacier, I have seen them on Tracy Arm excursions, while driving into the Yukon in Skagway and also on the Misty Fiords boat ride in Ketchikan. You never know when and where they will show up.

Thanks - we will be driving into the Yukon it looks like, so we will keep our fingers crossed:)

It looks like a great place to visit. It just had a 140M 2 year renovation. Has anyone been there?

I've been planning my cruise for June and signed up with a company to do a photography hiking tour around Mendenhall Glacier -- looks like their Adventure Hiking Tour might be just what you're looking for: http://www.adventureflow.us/