The Council Room

[Tom Shirley]

This summer my wife and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary. We are treating ourselves to a 2 week Alaska trip. 2 days in Ketchikan and 2 days in Juneau with an 8 day adventure cruise on a small 60 person vessel.

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for things to do/see in or around Ketchikan and Juneau.
_________________
J-1 1970, Marc Liddle from Scotland
J-1 1971, Bob Vaughn
S-3 1972, Steve McDavitt
S-2 1973, Charlie Thomas
JA-2 1974, Dan Mannis
JA-1 1975, Dave Ayers

Proud to be Gray

[DavidAyars]

Oh lucky man, you're likely to have a blast. Alaska is like nothing else in the 48. And you did one thing right we didn't do when we went 15-20 years ago: you booked your trip on a 60-passenger ship. We booked a large cruise line, and we were like ducks out of water, in the small minority of people dressed for 40-degree weather on the decks in the evening with photography gear while most people were dressed for formal balls or casino gambling. We looked at them, and they looked at us, like, Are You Crazy?!? No need for dress wear on the small ship. Just take layers of clothing including one winter hat and pair of gloves or mittens for cold, damp, windy conditions even in the summer there especially early/late in the day when near glaciers. You may not need the hat and gloves, but it's easier to shed a layer to stay comfortable than to try to get warm with a summer windbreaker when the wind chill's 30 degrees. Layers for flexibility are better to pack than a winter coat--just remember, as in the White Mountains, not all cotton.

Buy or rent a big pair of binoculars. Bring big lenses with a DSLR camera if you like photography rather than a compact digital camera which won't be good with birds or wildlife. Distances are huge there. It's hard to describe. Even in the Inside Passage, it's all spread out with huge vistas of wilderness compared to New England.

Anyway, to answer your question, in Juneau, try for a wildlife cruise or if you're up for it a flightseeing trip that lands you on (not just flies over) Mendenhall (or another) glacier.
http://www.alaskatours.com/juneau

In Ketchikan, try for a salmon fishing expedition, sea kayaking, or a floatplane trip into the woods.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g31030-Activities-c25-Ketchikan_Alaska.html

We personally didn't enjoy as much the cultural or Gold Rush-type expeditions, but your mileage may vary. I don't have specific companies to recommend. You may well need to reserve in advance (which means paying in advance--be careful that the excursion times are in synch with your ship's itinerary, if you're not booking with the ship) if you will be in port at the same time as a large cruise ship--otherwise everything may be booked before you get there. There can be half a dozen ships larger than yours in port. Flightseeing trips can be risky. If it's too foggy or rainy, they'll cancel. You'll get your money back but then may have nothing to do. Some days the early morning flights get canceled when the afternoon ones go because of morning fog. Other days rain moves in midday and only the morning ones go out. Also note that your small ship may experience a lot more wildlife than people on large ships see, so a wildlife cruise in Juneau may be repetitive.

Our favorite part of Alaska was Denali National Park which generally means flying to Anchorage or Fairbanks and adds an expensive week to the trip. Other people love the Kenai Peninsula or north of the Arctic Circle where we have not been. But you may not be able to do those things if you're cruising round-trip from, say, Vancouver or have shot the budget on the small ship cruise. Don't worry. You'll still have an amazing trip and see and experience things that others on large cruise ships never get to see. You get much closer to wildlife, scenery, and glaciers than the big cruise ships can get. Save Denali or Kenai for another trip. We hope to go back someday for the small cruise experience you're getting now. Wishing you great weather and a great time.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[David Bentley]

I can second what Dave says. You made a good choice to book passage on a small ship. Sherry and I went several years ago and we were on a 130 passenger ship. This was great - no tuxedos, no hair salons, no formal meals, no assigned seating, no casino, no gift shop, no nothing, only you and the local wildlife. We were able to cruise some inland areas in which the Feds wouldn't let the big boats in (too much turbulence). In one spot the ship captain inched forwartd until the bow of the ship was UNDER the downfall of a glacier waterfall splashing really cold water all over the boat!

As far as land excursions are concerned, no one ever goes to Alaska to save money. Most town Main Streets are a row of tourist retail stores, jewelry, artifacts, and trinkets. Try to get back to the next block and strike up a conversation with locals about what to see and where to eat.

However, don't lose sight of the fact that you may never go there again, so do indulge yourself with some of the only-in-Alaska type entertainment.

As Dave said, the weather can be tricky. Layers, and a good outside waterproof windbreaker. Don't stand on fashion, it is alright to wear the same warm shirt twice (or every day).

On the boat trip each cabin was equipped with two sets of binoculars, not the largest, but plenty sufficient for us. If you are into photography, spend your money on lenses, and read up on photography in Alaska.

We bought a couple of gifts, and the store had a mailing service available.

Oh, one last thing, if your budget can handle it, fly first class. It is a long trip from most anywhere and it is so very nice to know
exactly who is sitting next to you all that way.

Enjoy.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[DavidAyars]

What David suggests about binoculars makes sense. If luggage space is at a premium (it always is on a trip like this) and especially if you'd have to buy binoculars, you might be fine going with what the smaller cruise ship provides for passenger use (check the printed material or call them if in doubt to verify they'll have binoculars you can use). On our big cruise ship and in Denali, we saw people trying to view and photograph eagles, seals, and grizzlies that were half a mile away or more with compact binoculars and cameras. They were disappointed that everything looked so small, and disappointed that it wasn't like the zoo where wildlife is 50 feet away and animals are concentrated in close proximity to one another. But your ship will get closer than ours, and their binoculars may be fine.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Tom Shirley]

Sounds like I should have posted this request a long time ago. We are leaving Wednesday morning so we don't have time to take some of these suggestions.

As for getting closer to the wildlife, this ship allows us to launch tandem kayaks off the stern so we can get in closer on our own. I think the passengers on this ship should be looking for the same type of trip we are.

I would like to fly into one of the glaciers hopefully it will not be too late for that.

We have two pair of binoculars to bring and my wife is a great photographer and is all set with her Nikon. She may need to borrow our son's lens. We also got a GoPro to see what we can do with that.

We booked this through REI and it is marketed as an "Adventure cruise". We had to fill out a questionnaire to make sure we were physically fit to go. There are optional inland hikes planned as well as visits to native village and totem carving demonstration. It think one of the hikes has a 3000 ft elevation change. That is a lot for me and my artificial knee. I did a similar hike on Mt Katahdin, getting up to Chimney pond, last summer so I should be ok.

We have the rain gear and layering set to go. We are allowed one duffle and one backpack so there is a little limitation as to what we can bring.

Thanks everyone. We are very excited about this trip.
_________________
J-1 1970, Marc Liddle from Scotland
J-1 1971, Bob Vaughn
S-3 1972, Steve McDavitt
S-2 1973, Charlie Thomas
JA-2 1974, Dan Mannis
JA-1 1975, Dave Ayers

Proud to be Gray

[DavidAyars]

This one? http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/namer/ise.html#sec1
Looks great. The equipment list on that website looks like good advice to me. And yeah, good luck getting it all in the maximum baggage allowed. Always.

You may be able to book a helicopter glacier excursion on short notice, because you're going just before the peak season.

Note the recommendation for bug repellent. More in northern Alaska, skeeters can be absolutely vicious even by Baxter State Park standards in late June, driving caribou to insanity--but it's less of a problem in the Inner Passage though peak season there can be mid-June. I would take at least a small Cutter's-size container of 25%+ or even 95%+ DEET bug repellent in June especially for any off-ship hikes into the woods. You may not need mosquito repellent when you're on the ship especially if it's breezy out.

You're getting a lot of the wildlife cruise and sea kayaking-type experiences included with your adventure cruise, making these types of port excursions less valuable than for folks on big cruise ships.

Again, good weather, good luck. Please let us know how it went when you get back.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Mike Freeland]

Bon Voyage, and be sure to post some of your best pix in the galleries.

Sounds lika a great time.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Tom Shirley]

Dave,
It is actually the Western Coves trip. Sue is a science teacher who does a whale section every year and she thinks there is a better chance of seeing whales on the Western Coves trip

http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/namer/isw.html

Already have the DEET bug dope.

I was able to hook up with a helicopter glacier trip today. It includes a dogsled ride and both snow and ice glacier stops.

Mike,
Thanks, I'm sure we will have many pictures
_________________
J-1 1970, Marc Liddle from Scotland
J-1 1971, Bob Vaughn
S-3 1972, Steve McDavitt
S-2 1973, Charlie Thomas
JA-2 1974, Dan Mannis
JA-1 1975, Dave Ayers

Proud to be Gray

[Jim Graves]

My wife, daughter and son-in-law are taking an Alaskan cruise the last week of July. We will be sailing up the coast, stopping in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay and Victoria BC. After the cruise we will be driving down the coast of CA and visit a nephew in Napa and San Francisco. We are hoping to visit between 4-6 vineyards in Napa and Sonoma.
_________________
Jim Graves
67 J-2 Jerry Hoyt
68 J-5 Todd Whittimore
69 J-9 Charlie Thomas
70 S-1 Bob Arnot
71 S-5 Russ Vaughn
72 J-2 Dan Mannis
74 J-? (The small cabin across road from J-2) Councilor
75 J-5 Councilor

[David Bentley]

Well, with all the posts and suggestions for Tom Shirley I guess you have some idea of other people's cruise suggestions. What size ship are you going on?

Since you live in Phoenix I guess you have some idea of what traffic is all about, but when my wife and I drove from Seattle to San Francisco and little further south we were overwhelmed by the traffic. After all, the traffic in Wolfeboro doesn't prepare you for big city driving.

We found wonderful places to eat (my favorite sport) along the way. I can only remember "Jack's Steak" in Redding, CA. It was fabulous..At the time, they only served steak and a limited amount of seafood, so if you didn't like seafood (that's me), ordering was very simple.

Sounds like a great trip, enjoy your trip and family time, and let us know about it.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[David Bentley]

Okay, let's hear about the Alaska trips you took this summer.

I trust you had a great time, saw some magnificent sights, met some interesting people, ate too much, and, probably, spent more than you intended to. Altogether, however, great trip !!
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[Tom Shirley]

The trip was great. We were on an Un-Cruise ship with 49 other passengers and 30 crew. The small boat allowed us to get into some very interesting and remote locations.

We flew into Ketchican three days prior to the cruise departure. While there we did a zip line tour and a cart tour (4WD carts). Saw a pod of orca swimming through Ketchican harbor. Seeing eagles became as common as seeing sea gulls.

Your advice about ignoring the first tier of shops and heading to the back streets was right on. We found several local artists that were very friendly and seemed to open up even more once they found out we were not on one of the big ships.

On the cruise we had the option each day of several off boat activities. Usually there were two kayak options, one guided and one unguided, and a bushwacking hike. The hikes were beautiful. One was through virgin forest where we saw some thousand year old cedar trees. One hike was to a vast cave guided by a ranger.

Each evening the "sited wild life" board would be updated and the group would gather for cocktails, sometimes using glacier ice collected during the day.

We spent one day in a cove that had an entrance that only allowed for 6 feet of clearance on either side of the ship as we passed through. In the cove there were 75-100 foot water falls, seals that seemed to have fun teasing us when we were in the kayaks, and a brown bear.

We were able to view multiple calving events on the Dawes glacier from the ship and from one of three skiffs.

The cruise ended in Juneau and we spent another three days there after the cruise. We flew via helicopter to the Mendenhall glacier where we were able to ride in a dog sled.

The highlight of the trip for me was on the last day. We were given a GPS recorded "trail" route to an ice cave under the Mendenhall glacier by some fellow cruise passengers who had hiked it the day before. We were on maintained trails for the first half of the trip but then the trail became less and less easy to follow. There were painted blazes but some were hard to find. I used the GPS on my iphone but the battery was not holding up well.

The cave was amazing. We were able to hike into the cave for about 75 yards. There were several moulins along the way and one good sized rock hanging in the ice ceiling. I just wish we had not lost the use of our SLR. It had gotten wet earlier in the trip. The only photos we got were on the iphones.

Overall it was wonderful. I would highly recommend Un-Cruise.

The rest of our summer on the other hand has been a blur. In August my wife had complications from a liver biopsy that landed her in the hospital for 9 days and a few weeks later had a liver resection which included another 6 days in the hospital. Everything is good now but she is rather weak and will be home recovering for another month or so.
_________________
J-1 1970, Marc Liddle from Scotland
J-1 1971, Bob Vaughn
S-3 1972, Steve McDavitt
S-2 1973, Charlie Thomas
JA-2 1974, Dan Mannis
JA-1 1975, Dave Ayers

Proud to be Gray

[David Bentley]

Wow, thanks for the "Log" of the trip. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Everyone who I know who has gone to Alaska has their own stories of their trip, but, everyone agrees---Alaska is HUGE, and the scenery is spectacular.

I am glad to hear your wife is recovering well. Any surgery is tough, and recovery takes time. Our best wishes and prayers are with the both of you.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997