Must Do's to Really See and Appreciate Alaska

[NYGirl1002]

I just returned from the HAL cruise to Alaska and I would be remiss if I did not mention Davey's Whale and Wildlife tour on the Mildred G II in Sitka. Davey is a personable guy and the tour was so much fun. The time flew. The Mildred G holds 6 passengers so it's up close and personal. We saw plenty of wildlife but also tons of whales (ha ha). He saw a breeching whale in the distrance and went towards it and we got to see it jump right out of the water in front of us. He knows the area well and kept us well informed. We also saw seals, eagles and otters. I would recommend him to anyone going to Alaska!

[missintahiti]

After almost two weeks in Alaska with independent land touring, followed by seven nights on Island Princess, I have to say the highlight for both me and my husband was our glacier trek in Juneau. It involved about 7 miles of hiking over about 7 hours. But to spend 11/2 hours on Mendenhall Glacier with four other people, treking around on crampons, looking into the deep blue crevices, seeing all the amazing things on the glacier upclose, filling our water bottles from real glacier water and seeing the visitor center in the far off distance -- it was a real treat.

 

That sounds like exactly the type of thing I would love to do. Who did you book with for that excursion?

[Breezey]

How far in advance are all these private tours being booked? I sent Harv and Marv an email last week only to find out on their website that they are closed until January. Am I too late for a booking for May?

 

 

NY Girl (ha ha am an ex-Brooklyn girl myself) - thanks for the recommendation.

[gordons4]

We have been on 2 Alaska cruises--one just this past August. My husband made the request that we do "Alaska-ey" stuff. So, while ziplining through an Alaskan rainforest sounded fun to me, he figured we could zipline lots of places.

 

The highlights of our two trips were both in Juneau--one each trip:

 

With Northstar Treking, we took a helicopter ride over numerous glaciers, landed on Mendenhall, and ice hiked/climbed up the side of a glacier. Like the above poster said, nothing beats that experience. It can't even be properly described...it just has to be experienced. :D

 

This year, we went fly-fishing with Bear Creek Outfitters. We took a floatplane to Admiralty Island, and spent the day fly-fishing for salmon. Oh, and had encounters with 8, yes 8, grizzly bear. :eek:

 

We had seen a number of grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park earlier this summer, so obviously grizzly bear can be seen in places other than Alaska, but it doesn't even begin to compare to fishing in the same stream with a mama and her 2 cubs, or being charged by an angry mama with her 3 cubs. :eek: Without a doubt, that was definitely an Alaska-ey experience.

 

We also did fly-fishing for salmon in Ketchikan on our first cruise, but only encountered one mama with her 2 cubs. But that experience is what made us want to definitely do fly-fishing the second time we went.

 

So there are my two cents, for what that's worth. :)

 

Sheri

[scsunlover]

BE PREPARED that some excursions are costly, but I can tell you we decided when we went not to skimp on them since it truly "made" our trip. ;)

 

From our late May / Early June trip this year we recommend -

 

Fairbanks - in addition to tour via cruisetour we rented a car at Lodge (only 40.00), drove to The North Pole (yes, touristy, but I love Christmas), and the Fox and ate at the locals recommended Turtle Club (best prime rib I've had)

 

Denali - Wilderness tour / lengthy but well worth it. Naturalist who toured us was terrific!

 

Skagway - rent a car and drive toward Emerald Lake / cheaper (about 90.00 and Avis is a couple of blocks from port) and you can stop whenever you want.

 

Juneau - we did whale watching in the morning with Orca (Capt Larry) and helpicopter to the glacier in the afternoon with Coastal - all arranged with Orca ("Pam" helped me and even made my flightseeing tour reservation in Ketchikan at no charge to me). Both were excellent and cheaper done this way than thru Princess.

 

Ketchikan - Misty Fjord flightseeing with Michelle with Island Wings - AWESOME! Shopping also great - I thought better than in Juneau

[kenish]

Breezy- I wouldn't worry about being too late with H&M. We booked in March for a tour in July. I thought we were late in the game, but there was good availability of tours everywhere up there. (I recall the exact time we wanted with H&M was full, so we went on one a little later in the day).

 

Unfortunately tourism could be down this coming summer and there will be good availability for anything on the ground (airline seats will be a different story).

 

Have you tried phoning H&M? They may have an agent handling off-season bookings. The company is run by the extended family all doing their part...I'm sure they are taking a well-deserved rest and refurbishing equipment before winter hits!

[Breezey]

Great ideas. Thanks for the reassurance on booking. Guess if I can't get through either can others :)

 

I already forewarned my DH that the tours are expensive but honestly this is a once in a lifetime trip dont plan on spending it wandering in shops near the port (not that there is anything wrong with that but not why I am going to Alaska) but walking tours sound good too.

 

A floatplane is something he really wants to go on. Where's the best place to do that?

[laurachr]

Our glacier hike was with Above and Beyond Alaska. They are the only operators allowed to do this particular hike to the glacier. They were great! Just checked tripadvisor and there were several review there and they all had the same great experience. Just google above and beyond alaska.

[kk-l]

Great ideas. Thanks for the reassurance on booking. Guess if I can't get through either can others :)

 

I already forewarned my DH that the tours are expensive but honestly this is a once in a lifetime trip dont plan on spending it wandering in shops near the port (not that there is anything wrong with that but not why I am going to Alaska) but walking tours sound good too.

 

A floatplane is something he really wants to go on. Where's the best place to do that?

I'm with your husband...I really wanted to go on a float plane and play "bush pilot" for a day.

In my humble opinion...Ketchikan is the place to do it on the Inside Passage. Have your husband look up Alaska, and bush pilots, and Beaver planes (Google). He will get a kick out of it. I spent two days watching Beavers buzz in and out of Ketchikan...if that doesn't get you going...I don't know what will. (prime viewing of Ketchikan port activity from Room 624 at the Cape Fox Lodge).

Having said all of that...Ketchikan has weather!!! We flew into Ketchikan two full days before our cruise departure. First...didn't want to miss the cruise sailing due to weather (or erupting volcanoes as it turns out)...and second...wanted to fly on a float plane...didn't matter where!!! I told Shona at Island Wings...I didn't care if Michelle flew us to the grocery store...I just wanted the experience of flying in a bush plane. We finally accomplished it after two days...my husband and I were the only ones on the plane that day...all I have to say is that it turned out to be the "real deal" as far as what it's really like in Alaska. Reservations needed well in advance for Island Wings.

We all have our dreams...my husband's turned out to be a jet boat to the Le Conte Glacier out of Petersburg...he absolutely loved it...he's a CPA so anytime those kinda guys get excited about anything...it's monumental!!!

So...Ketchikan for float planes...Petersburg for jet boats to see spectacular calving glaciers and seals "up close and personal"...small boat excursion into Tracy Arm out of Juneau or by small cruise ship (I'm adding a few more here)...trek in the rain forest offered in most ports...bear watching excursion (the locals think it's ho-hum to see a bear...but...take an excursion during the salmon run (July-August) to Anan, Admiral Island, Traitor's Cove, etc. or elsewhere...we were in the Inside Passage...more sites available elsewhere in Alaska...Kenai...Brooks...etc.). Misty Fiords (correct spelling please note) by plane or boat (boat optimal...opinion again...or both if at all possible).

Explore the fishing industry and what's being done to revitalize it.

Add in...Metlakatla, the mayor of Saxman Village, and Alice from Hoonah for a some native educational insights.

In short...this is what I would do if I had to do it all over again...which I'd do in a heartbeat.

I'm not necessarily advocating the small cruise ship experience for everyone...however...it was right for us.

As one "Aussie" said when I was researching opinions for our upcoming cruise on the Spirit of '98..."I'm tearing up just thinking about it".

P.S. - For those of you in Alaska and Ketchikan in particular..."Ice" is still basking in the San Diego sunshine. :)

[kenish]

P.S. - For those of you in Alaska and Ketchikan in particular..."Ice" is still basking in the San Diego sunshine. :)

 

I live and work in South OC. Today was very busy so I ate lunch at my desk and didn't step outside of the building until 3pm. I was shocked at how hot it was, especially when it felt like autumn weather earlier this week.

 

So, I went back inside and looked at my screensaver of Marjorie Glacier.

[2206]

Breezey - I booked Harv and Marv for May 09 just a few days before they closed for their break. (Just two of us) I'm sure they won't be booked solid yet.

[Sugar&Buddy]

The highlight of our Alaskan cruise last July was the whale watching with Harv and Marv. We had been whale watching in Maui, Hawaii, and we thought it was wonderful, and it was. But it paled in comparison to our outing with Harv and Marv. We saw lots of humpbacks, bubble feeding, and Orcas. I know that there are not guarantees with Mother Nature, but the trip was a wonderful experience. It was so much fun to be on a small boat with only 6 passengers - very personalized service and great views.

We also did the White Pass Railroad tour with Chilkoot Charters, and found it to be an enjoyable day with gorgeous scenery. We took the 7 and a half hour tour - train up, then on to a small bus into the Yukon. Got a chance to see Emerald Lake and also some sled dogs at Carcross. We felt that we got a great tour for the price.

Whatever you do, you will have a wonderful trip to Alaska. Keep reading the boards - I learned so much. I'm actually having a bit of "Cruise Critic" withdrawl now that we are back home and back to real life!

 

 

Are Harv & Marv out of Juneau? What is there website or e-mail?

[Choozin Croozin]

Are Harv & Marv out of Juneau? What is there website or e-mail?

 

Yes

 

http://www.harvandmarvs.com/

[kathynorth]

We did a beer watch out of Ketchikan and although it was our most expensive excursion it was a bust. We saw plenty of bears in our travels and many in Denali. Our flight through Misty Fjords was terrific. We were fortunate to be able to make the Adventure Bound trip out of Juneau. Watching the South Sawyer glacier calve was unbelieveable. Our photos from this excursion were some of our best. We booked a private whale watch through Glacier Wind at Icy Strait Point, which was probably the closest we felt to nature on the entire trip. Nothing beats being out on the water surrounded by mountains and quiet, when suddenly you hear the sounds of the whales at Point Adolphus. They came so close to the boat that we had to keep getting out of the way. It was peaceful and inspiring. Sorry, but we didn't stop in Sitka. We did stop in Skagway and did the short train trip. It was beautiful but 3 hours were plenty for us and left us with time to do a helicopter trip to land on a glacier. Whatever you decide to do, invest in a good camera, bring plenty of photo cards and many extra batteries. We thought we were over prepared but still need to buy extras on the trip.

[mytime53]

We did a beer watch out of Ketchikan and although it was our most expensive excursion it was a bust.

 

Yeah, those beers are sneaky and hard to find ;)

Sorry, couldn't resist!

[time4cruise]

we consider few things are important to really enjoy Alaska

 

1. try smoked salmon. I am not a fan of salmon. But I have imagined that smoked one could be this good.

2. Bring binoculars. Alaska is not about pool party. Go out and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. We brought few pairs so everyone could have his own.

3. While in skagway, make sure you drive the Klondike HWY following Murray's guide.

[Sugar&Buddy]

We did a beer watch out of Ketchikan and although it was our most expensive excursion it was a bust. We saw plenty of bears in our travels and many in Denali. Our flight through Misty Fjords was terrific. We were fortunate to be able to make the Adventure Bound trip out of Juneau. Watching the South Sawyer glacier calve was unbelieveable. Our photos from this excursion were some of our best. We booked a private whale watch through Glacier Wind at Icy Strait Point, which was probably the closest we felt to nature on the entire trip. Nothing beats being out on the water surrounded by mountains and quiet, when suddenly you hear the sounds of the whales at Point Adolphus. They came so close to the boat that we had to keep getting out of the way. It was peaceful and inspiring. Sorry, but we didn't stop in Sitka. We did stop in Skagway and did the short train trip. It was beautiful but 3 hours were plenty for us and left us with time to do a helicopter trip to land on a glacier. Whatever you decide to do, invest in a good camera, bring plenty of photo cards and many extra batteries. We thought we were over prepared but still need to buy extras on the trip.

 

 

 

What tour company did you use out of Ketchikan? Was it an Anan Creek? We were hoping to do bear viewing in Pack Creek out of Juneau, however, there is not enough time since we would rather do whale watching and Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau.

[LoisGriffin1]

This has given me so many ideas.

 

I really want to see stuff I wouldn't see anywhere else. Problem is each port has more than one of those so its hard to pick.

[OldNavy]

Something we did in Juneau that turned out to be great fun was to go see the Shrine of St Therese. Way off the beaten path and simply beautiful. We booked thru one of the tour outfits on the dock after asking around for who'd take us there. Cost was around $40 per person, but we had the driver for several hours. He took us all over Juneau including the Governors home and talked about home prices and how folks live there, very interesting. We made several stops, including a very nice overlook of the glacier and loads of eagle stops and a fish hatchery. Other than the land tour north of Fairbanks, this was my favorite tour. Something most don't take the time to see. ;)

[DougH]

If I had to say just one thing it would be to get up into the air, either by helicopter of floatplane over the glaciers (I prefer the plane) The more air time the better.

 

The cheap option is to spend as much time as you can out on deck watching the scenery. You can eat anytime, but you may only be in Alaska once. Even though I've been over a dozen times I still spend hours on deck. And I don't mean 1-2 hours but 4-8 each day when sailing near the glaciers.

[Breezey]

If I had to say just one thing it would be to get up into the air, either by helicopter of floatplane over the glaciers (I prefer the plane) The more air time the better.

 

The cheap option is to spend as much time as you can out on deck watching the scenery. You can eat anytime, but you may only be in Alaska once. Even though I've been over a dozen times I still spend hours on deck. And I don't mean 1-2 hours but 4-8 each day when sailing near the glaciers.

 

We actually booked Island Wings for a floatplane tour which I think will be one of the highlights of our trip. And I'm with you, we can sit on deck and on our balcony just being in awe of the scenery (although these will be our first glaciers, before that were Hawaiin volcanoes :)

[kathynorth]

Beers and bears, both are fun! :D

[travelbuds]

We actually booked Island Wings for a floatplane tour which I think will be one of the highlights of our trip.

 

Hi,

We hope you are right! We will be going with Island Wings in June.

[midwestsolo]

Harv and Marv is a family run business. Pete(Harv)'s wife Eileen does all the bookings. Sandy(Eileen's father) drives the van. I read somewhere that they took a well earned vacation recently. Their website has a phone #, keep on trying. I went with them last May and it was the best whale watching excursion ever. Pete's love of Alaska oozed through on our excursion.

[s&f4travel]

We did the Misty Fjords floatplane in Ketchikan was one of our favorites and it was well worth the money. DH and I saved our pennies for a long time and spared no expense on the things we chose to do. Neither one of us regrets one moment. We booked through the cruise line and flew out, landed on the water, then took a boat trip back.

 

In Skagaway, we did the "extravaganza" - Train up, bus back, liarsville camp. I thought the camp was a little hokey but there is some excellent history involved.