BS: North to Alaska?

Subject: BS: North to Alaska?
From: artbrooks
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 09:47 AM

Herself and I are starting the initial planning for a trip up the Inside Passage with Jenn's sister and her husband. We would welcome suggestions from Mudcatters who live there on when to go, what to see (and what to miss) and from those who have done this on the cruise itself (what line, accommodations, side trips, pitfalls and pratfalls, etc.). Unfortunately, sister-in-law and (especially) her husband are not the spread-your-sleeping-bag-on-the-deck types!

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Rapparee
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 09:58 AM

So? There are staterooms on the Alaska State Ferry system and quite nice, too. Good food in the restaurant (you pay for your meals as you eat them), no dancing 'til dawn or slots or skeet shooting off the stern though.

Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Haines. Perhaps, if you are on the Blue Canoes, you can also stop in at Prince Rupert, BC on the way up from Bellingham.

I wouldn't take a cruise line cruise (except perhaps one of those of <100 people per ship) if there were ANY way to avoid it. Disease, water pollution, the "hidden expenses" -- yuck! You might think that I'm a tad biased....

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,ALCAN1
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 11:31 AM

I took the ferry system in 1996. I would recomend it. However if you want to see the towns as the previous post named yo need to book passage going from 1 town to the next. Unlike a cruise line the ferry doesnt stop overnight in the ports. They only stop for an hour or 2 at most. So taking the ferry and spending a day or 2 in each town is how I did it. I would avoid Petersburg at all costs. That town is about the strangest place Ive ever been to. Skagway is the best town on the list along with Juneau. If you are so inclined you can also take the Kennicott to southcentral where the ferry links to the rest of the state. Remember the Alaska Marine Highway System is just that a HIGHWAY SYSTEM. Passenger fares and staterooms are not too expensive. The cost is in takeing a car on board with you. It caot me $800 to take my van from Haines to Prince Rupert, BC.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 01:00 PM

I hear the permafrost is melting, so places that used to be on "land" - aren't. Anything in that, local (to AK) 'catters?

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 01:36 PM

If ever I leave Maine it will be for Ketchican, Alaska. My son and I spent a gorgeous sunny day out on the water catching salmon. This was October and we were both sunburned.

I know it was a freak occurence but it will bring me back.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 02:17 PM

We greatly enjoyed the inland passage cruise on Holland America from Vancouver to Alaska. The stops (mostly day-long) were sufficient and shore activities well-planned. Especially enjoyed the dances and stories put on for us by Tlingits at Saxman Village near Ketchikan. Saw seals etc. and dolphins on the Lynn Canal which we cruised to Skagway (excellent salmon dinner onshore at a good fish place, included in Lynn Canal tour cost). A flight back to Juneau.

I enjoyed flying over the glaciers in a 4-seated plane ('I' because my wife was concentrating on keeping the little plane from crashing onto the jagged ice fields. She still cringes at the memory). Boarding the little planes were amusing because we were lined up according to weight and assigned to a plane in the fleet waiting for us. Embarassing for the overweight.
All side tour charges were very reasonable.

At cruise end and a bus ride to Anchorage, we rented a car (Anchorage is a beautiful city, with a fine museum) and went to Denali, took a park tour, and on to Fairbanks, with stops on the way. One must reserve ahead of time for the better tours and hikes; they limit the numbers admitted.
Motels, etc. reasonable. Flew back from Anchorage (air fares included in cruise charge).

Shipboard expenses were few, food good and too plentiful. I bought a good windbreaker, very reasonable in the shipboard shop, and the odd item in the drugstore.
Valdez the only stop I didn't like, but saw that a few otters were back.

Whole-heartedly recommended!

(Some people drank their way so had pretty big bar tabs).

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 04:39 PM

Valdez the only stop I didn't like, but saw that a few otters were back.

There are tons of otters here. And I can understand why you wouldnt like Valdez. This town is WAY TOO GREEDY and the main reason its dying. However outside of Valdez just 25 miles you get into the the best areas of the state. If I didnt have a decent job here its not likely Id be in Valdez. Many years ago (during pipeline construction and untill about 1986) Valdez was a great town.

I hear the permafrost is melting, so places that used to be on "land" - aren't. Anything in that, local (to AK) 'catters

NOPE!!! Permafrost is frozen ground not frozen water.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,ALCAN1
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 04:48 PM

opps the post above was by me.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 05:33 PM

One may do it either way- we did the way up by cruise, back by non-stop, after our drive around central Alaska. But as guest says, no point in doing the same route both ways unless life aboard a cruise liner is your ideal. Boring to me after a while.
One mistake in the previous post- the museum was in Juneau. A superb exhibit of Inuit materials from St Petersburg, collected by the Russian merchants (mostly Finns) who had lived there. Too bad it couldn't be purchased by the U. S.
And we should have spent more time elsewhere than around Fairbanks, but a sister of my wife and her family had been stationed near there and wanted us to visit with some friends of hers.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: JennieG
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 06:39 PM

Last year Himself and I did this cruise. We sailed Princess Cruises' 'Sapphire Princess' chosen because, at the time, our son was working as a musician on her. It was marvellous. We had never cruised before so it was a new experience, and we enjoyed it - think floating luxury hotel!

We called in at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway before finishing the cruise at Whittier and going by bus to Anchorage.

Ketchikan is in a lovely setting and we were there (from memory) from 8am until 2-2.30pm. We walked along Creek Street where buildings hang over the creek on wooden pilings, it used to be the town's red light district in wilder days gone by. The motto used to be "Ketchikan - where the men and the salmon come to spawn"! (love it!)

Next day we spent in Juneau from about 8am to 9pm. It was 4th July so we spent time watching the parade, and we also spent time with Ebbie. Didn't have time to see in the museum unfortunately.

The following day (there's a pattern here) we were in Skagway which I loved. It's a very small town in a gorgeous natural setting. We spent time in the museum, the only stone building in town, and gazed at the famous quilt made 100 years ago from ducks' necks. (I managed to find quilt shops in every port....!) We took the only side trip of our cruise in Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad trip, which was breathtaking. We spent the evening back on the ship as a local bloke came on to tell 'the story of the Yukon gold rush in song and poem' to quote from our daily ship's newsletter. It was Steve Hites and he was very entertaining, I bought his CD.

The next day was spent cruising in Glacier Bay and words can't describe it.

After leaving the cruise/bus trip in Anchorage we travelled up to Denali National Park by train with the roof and sides made of glass. It was a slow trip (8 hours) but so incredibly scenic with something new every turn that the time just flew by. We were lucky enough to see Mt McKinley which doesn't show itself very often. Our two days in Denali NP included a bus tour of the park and it's an intriguing place. We saw the mountain again - we were told it's only visible 20% of the time because of low cloud and fog.

Then back on the train for another slow trip (4 hours) to Fairbanks for the last couple of days of our holiday. I liked Fairbanks, it has a frontier town feel. We took a bus tour of the town and a trip to the gold dredge.

We didn't do the adventurous side trips like flying to a glacier in a helicopter or light plane because I don't do helicopters or light planes under any circumstamces, I don't care what I miss. We flew from Fairbanks via Anchorage to Vancouver to catch our flight back to Oz, and the flight from Anchorage was along the coast over the glaciers anyway.

Sorry this has been so long and rambling, but you did ask. Any further questions just send me a PM.

As I said at the beginning we had never cruised before, we don't think of ourselves as 'cruise' folk. But we would do it again in a trice.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 06:42 PM

We took a helicopter out onto the glacier at Juneau. A surreal landscape of white and deep blue. The crevices are frighteningly deep but so deeply blue that you are drawn to them. I had never seen that color before and haven't seen it since. Too beautiful to describe.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 07:08 PM

That blue- it has to be seen to be believed! Denali was bare of cloud for us as well.
We also enjoyed the drive from Anchorage to Ekutna and along part of the Glenn. Some interesting farmlands- different from the mountains and glaciers of much of the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 07:50 PM

What about a Bluegrass Cruise.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 08:04 PM

ALCAN1, you're wrong. The permafrost holds a vast amount of water. Enough to have prevented swathes of Alaska that have desert-like levels of precipitation (say 4 inches of rain) from actually being desert. The permafrost is indeed beginning to melt in some areas. Eventually the water released by melting permafrost will evaporate, but in the meantime firm ground will be reduced to quagmire in a state that already has some 2-3 million lakes.

I'm with those who favour the ferry. And really the sleeping-bag on deck is the best way to do it. Between May and September it's not likely to be seriously cold down the panhandle, and if it is, just get under the overhead heaters. Let your sister-in-law and hubby hide themselves away in a stateroom, but who else would want to travel such a stunning route that way, and miss out on the rare chance to see a starry night sky untainted by light-pollution?

As for the timing, the very best way to do it is to be coming out of Alaska (ie travelling the marine highway southwards) at the start of the season - around Memorial Day or earlier. Or do it in the northward direction at the end of the season. (Say Labour Day onwards.) Either way you'll be travelling in one direction while everyone else is going in the other. You can finish up sharing a whole ferry with no more than half-a-dozen passengers. Similarly with bus services. I did the bus ride from Fairbanks to Haines one May, chatted to the driver most of the way and saw only five other passengers in the whole two-day journey. A friend and his partner went from Denali to Fairbanks around the same time and had an entire carriage, with built-in observation gallery, to themselves.

Just a detail to keep in mind when deciding which towns to include in the schedule: in all probability you will have to choose between Skagway and Haines unless you fly from one to the other. Skagway does indeed have more to offer with its frontier-town high-street and goldrush associations. But if you're into wildlife, keep in mind the spectacular gathering of bald eagles that takes place up country from Haines each spring. I think as many as 4-5,000 eagles turn out, in an area known to local Indians as the Council Grounds, for once-a-year trysts with their lifelong partners. They crowd the tree branches like a scene from The Birds. Awe-inspiring, like much else in Alaska.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 10:04 AM

I have traveled throughout Alaska for the past 20+ years. I've ridden most of the state ferrys from Ketchikan to Kodiak and I've driven and flown in to most places that are reachable by road or plane. Alaska is a VERY large state. There are many diverse climates and landscapes from the glaciers and spruce forests of southeast, to the barren, windswept tundra. From the interior farm lands of the Matanuska valley to the volcanic Aleutian Islands of the north Pacific.

I usually recommend that visitors come up from mid June to mid July. This is the period with the most daylight hours and usually abundant sunshine (not always though). Salmon fishing is great during this time if you are interested also. Although I have not personally traveled by cruise ship up here, many people have told me they were very enjoyable. Hopefully, you will be able to get to Anchorage in you travels Art so I can meet you and show you around personally.

If you choose to travel in late August, our state fair in Palmer is quite interesting for visitors. Giant vegetables, top notch entertainers and lots of fun things to do. If you have any questions or need any further information, please PM me and I will provide whatever I can. I know you will have a great trip Art, Alaska is a beautiful and majestic place to see.

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 10:37 AM

My wife and I once flew up to Anchorage, rented a car (actually a Ford Expedition, although I'd reserved something smaller!), and drove to Glenallen, Tok, and to Beaver Creek YT to pick up her parents who came up on the bus from Haines (where they got off the ferry). From there back to Tok, to North Pole, to Fairbanks, to Denali, to Anchorage, to Seward, to Moose Pass, to Portage, by train (flatcar) to Whittier, ferry to Kodiak, ferry back to Seward, to Valdez, to Tok, to Destruction Bay YT, to Haines (where her parents boarded the ferry to Bellingham), back to Border City, to Anchorage, and flew home. 3,625 miles on the car and I can't begin to explain all we saw and did.

Another time we flew up to Anchorage with a friend, rented a Jeep, drove to Talkeetna, flight-saw Denali et al., back to Anchorage, to Kenai city, to Homer, to Seward, to Anchorage and the late lamented Fly-By-Night Club, and then home.

My wife and two friends have flown to Anchorage, to Kotzebu, to Nome, and back to Anchorage and home.

The last time (2005) we flew to Juneau and visited Skagway, took the WP&Y and a bus to Whitehorse and back, ferry back to Juneau, then to Sitka, Ketchikan, Wrangell, and other points in the SE.

One thought: bring effective bug repellent, and that means DEET.

And watch for rattlesnakes and water mocassins....

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:35 AM

Rapaire, my insect repellent (which not needed here) is genuine OD-bottle put-it-under-the-band-on-your-steel-pot Army stuff. It repels bugs, wives, and melts plastic.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:37 AM

Works, too. I've used it more often than I care to remember.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 11:44 AM

In July 2003 my wife and I drove from Vancouver to Calgary, via Anchorage. We first drove the 500 miles to Prince George and then, next day, turned right and drove another 500 miles to Prince Rupert. Be wary of any town which has a 'Rainwear Superstore.' We travelled on the ferry to Skagway and had a pretty basic cabin but it served its purpose. The menu in the restaurant was a bit limited but, again, was fine by us. There was also a pleasant bar and we met some great people.(One couple we met, are still in contact with us, and we met up together in Toronto a couple of years later.) There were also staff from the US Parks Dept. who gave talks on the wildlife etc twice a day. I don't remember it as being particularly expensive - about £300 I think, and in those days the sterling/dollar rate wasn't as brilliant (from an English point of view!) as it is now.

A couple of points, though: The ship would arrive at a port at (say) four in the morning and we'd be woken by the tannoy asking if we wanted to go ashore. Also, the places where the ship docked were often a mile or more from the town centres. In Sitka a bus was laid on to take us to the centre and its Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

Skagway was fine, but we got the impression that many of the shops couldn't be bothered to open unless there were at least two crusie ships berthed there. We thought Dawson City, in the Yukon, was a much more genuine gold rush town.

We then drove to Anchorgae, via the Top of the World Highway. I'm glad we did it but there were so many RVs throwing up clouds of dirt and dust that I reckon we had the dirtiest car in North America by time we arrived in Tok. In Anchorage we had to have a new windscreen fitted because a crack had appeared thanks to a stone thrown up by an RV.

We loved Anchorage - one of the nicest American cities we've seen. The drive back, overland, to Calgary was spectacular.

One last point - the mosquitoes are frightening - my wife got bitten through her trousers (often).

Of all our many American/Canadian journeys I reckon this one was the best.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 12:17 PM

Oooops - at Prince George we turned LEFT..............

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 12:58 PM

I made the trip from Seattle to Juneau in 1975, by the largest ferry then running....there were 4 stops, none very long...but the scenery was wonderful. And the best meal I ever had was in the dining room of the ship..Braised Salmon in Hollandaise sauce. (Then, while in Juneau, we went to back-in-the-woods Salmon bake, where I ate myself silly) This was all in early August. We flew back, stopping at Ketchican on this postage stamp runway called "Ketchican International Airport" I gather it has been enlarged since.

*We DID sleep on deck, but since we were taking a car to friends in Juneau, we boarded early and got deck chairs to sleep in*

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 02:01 PM

I can't speak highly enough of Alaska. I was there for the last two weeks of August and first week of July this year. The flight into Anchorage from Seattle was a great introduction for what lay ahead. If any of you make the same trip get a window seat on the right hand side of the aircraft and experience some spectacular views of the mountains and glaciers.
I was based in Anchorage and would recommend the city wholeheartedly.
Downtown is developing into a modern, forward-looking centre but at the same time I was taken aback by the level of poverty evident in the immediate vicinity - I wasn't expecting that in the land of opportunity. Again, If you're there, you should search out Leroys diner for a first class breakfast and Reillys bar for a good night out amongst good company. Darwins Theory is another good bar downtown.
Made a few road trips, the most impressive of which took me from Anchorage to Dawson City in the Yukon. We broke the trip at Tok and again, if you're there try Fast Eddys for grub and wet your whiste at the Husky lounge.
From Tok our route took us to Chicken in gold prospecting country. The story goes that the original miners wanted to call the place ptarmigan but no one knew how to spell it (hope I have) so they settled for Chicken. Between Tok and Chicken there was the largest expanse of burnt landscape that I've ever seen. It went on for ever.
Next stop was Boundry and then across the border into the Yukon Territory. The landscapes in Alaska can only be described as awe inspiring but the vistas on the Top of the World Highway were spectacular. Dawson still has the aura of a gold rush town and it didn't disappoint. The world gold panning championship was being held and the first person I spoke to was a Yorkshireman who had qualified for the next round in his category (they get everywhere dont they, a bit like us Geordies) but I don't know how he got on after that. Got rather inebriated in the Snakepit bar at the Westminster Hotel and sang all night with the locals (best night I've had in a long time) then finished up in Diamond Tooth Gerties. What a trip! The Kenai peninsula trip is another story but I've rambled on a bit too long so I'll finish here and just say thank you Alaska, I'll be back.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 03:02 PM

And my sis is lucky enough to live there, with grandsons nearby, even.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 04:55 PM

This is Jenn. Just saying, that insect repellent is not really very good at repelling wives.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 05:07 PM

Alaska has had such an effect on me that I've forgotten the order of the months. That should read, "...the last two weeks of August and the first week of September this year."

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 06:30 PM

When the fireweed was topping out...great time to go.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: GUEST,sparticus
Date: 18 Nov 07 - 11:18 AM

Yes Rapaire, the colours were beginning to show in the high country.
The weather was great for the time of year.
Fireweed - we call it rose bay willow herb over here. The permafrost plays havoc with the growing habit of the trees up there, doesn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: bet
Date: 22 Nov 07 - 11:40 PM

Art, glad to hear you're headed this way. I didn't really think there was any place I wanted to live in but Colorado but since I have come to Alaska I'm not sure I'm going back down there. Words just don't come to express how I feel about the place and people. I know the North Pole area fairly well and my son just took an executive cooks job at a lodge in the Artic Circle. He'll have lot of news to share about things north of me. I know Alaska Mike knows more about AK than I do, I've been here only 4 yrs., but I'm pretty handy at finding out things so if I can help in any way let me know. I've driven up here 3 times so don't know much about the cruises but the drive is spectacular.
It would be great to meet you and yours somewhere. I love road trips so if there is a gathering in Alaska I'd love to be included.
bet

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: artbrooks
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 06:13 AM

Great to get all the information (and keep it coming). The inlaws have decided against the trip (he has health issues), but Jenn and I will almost certainly be doing it in 2009. 2008 is already pretty well booked up - Seamus' cruise in January, Northwest Folklife Festival in May, New Mexico Folkdance Camp in August and the Getaway in October. We're sorry they decided against it, but being just ourselves will make the planning easier (our interests are generally different from theirs).

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Deckman
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 10:49 PM

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 07:28 PM

Dick and I are going to Alaska next May. We just booked our cruise - on an 84 person ship from Cruise West. It is expensive, but those floating casinos just did not appeal to us. We will visit with KT and Ebbie in Juneau and then take the train to Denali for a few days. End up at the NW Folklife Festival.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Deckman
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 08:25 PM

Susan ... you're timing is perfect. "Bride Judy" and I trying to put a trip together to Anchorage next May. I won't fly, and I'm trying to educate myself as to alternitives. This thread is being much more help than my travel agent. Bob

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: artbrooks
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 08:42 PM

See you at Folklife, Susan.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:47 PM

Art - Wear your mudcat tee shirt. We'll be there Friday and Saturday, but I understand the place is so big, our paths may not cross.

Bob - I don't know where the ferries go: I did not check into that. There are places where driving is not an option - like Juneau. Look up alaskarailroad.com for their coverage map. What choices you have depends on where you are going.

Subject: RE: BS: North to Alaska?
From: Deckman
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:28 PM

Susan ... I got your PM and I will answer it sometime tomorrow. Alaska is going to be crowded in May, as is Seattle. CHEERS, Bob