Your Alaskan Cruise: Seven Can’t-Miss Sights

Glacier in AlaskaWe all know that there’s plenty to do aboard a cruise ship. Between the movies, the food, the lectures, the games, the shows, the casino, the boutiques, the art auctions, and the bars, it’s tempting to let the entire cruise slide by without ever really looking out a window, much less setting foot off the ship.

But don’t make the mistake of doing that in Alaska, where an exquisite combination of history, wildlife, and beautifully rugged glaciers and mountains make for just as good a time off the ship as on it.

This article lists just a few of the things you may want to look out for on your Alaskan cruise. If you poke around, you’ll doubtless find even more fascinating sights and experiences.

1. Glacier Bay

This ship I cruised on, the Sapphire Princess, spent an entire day cruising inside of Glacier Bay, a National Park and Preserve, with park rangers aboard to give presentations on geology and wildlife and answer any questions passengers might have.

If you look out the window, or bundle up (temperatures can be quite chilly, especially when the wind blows off the ice) and step out on the deck, you’ll be treated to the miracle of birth, in this case, the birth of icebergs as they break away, or calve, from the parent glacier and start making their slow way out to sea.

If ice isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Bring along a pair of binoculars, look sharp, and you may see any number of Glacier Bay’s resident wildlife including Humpback Whales, sea Sea Lion by the Shore, seals, moose, bears and seabirds.

2. White Scenic Railway Pass (Skagway)

There is nothing subtle about this train track, which was blasted through miles of icy mountain terrain for the benefit of the gold rushers, but the land around it is magnificent. Although the loud train engines tend to scare off wildlife, you’ll be treated to the scenic wonders of glaciers, mountains, gorges, waterfalls, local plant life, and much more.

A narrator tells grizzly tales of gold rush days and points out trails where men and women were expected to transport 2000 pounds of equipment and supplies if they wanted to prospect for gold. Dead Horse Gulch stands as a mute monument to the more than 3000 pack animals that died as their owners sought fame and fortune.

I came away awed by the scenery and thinking that if it had been up to me to settle Alaska, that gold would have gone undiscovered for a long, long time.

3. Yukon Suspension Bridge (Canada, accessible through Skagway)

I didn’t get to take this tour, but a fellow cruiser did, so I’m relying on his recommendation.

As this tour goes onto Canadian soil, make sure you have your passport as well as your cruise card. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of time in the bus keeping the driver company while everyone else has all the fun.

You’ll have to screw up your courage to set foot on this engineering marvel—a suspension bridge that carries you step by torturous step less than sixty feet about above the rushing waters of the Tutshi River.

But once you’ve done the deed you can treat yourself to a snack at Assayers Café and look down from the viewing decks to marvel at the beauties of nature.

Even if you can’t quite find the nerve for the suspension bridge, there is still much to see—nature trails of the outdoor museum lead you to displays featuring information on the lay of the land, human history, and natural history.

Depending how long the ship is scheduled to remain in Skagway, some cruise lines package this trip with a salmon bake or other sightseeing opportunities.

Be sure to dress warmly—you’re more than 3000 feet above sea level.

4. Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau)

The Mendenhall Glacier lies just a short drive outside of Juneau in the Tongass National Forest. It was formed about 3000 years ago during a small ice age. The towering ice edging ever so slowly down the side of a soaring mountain makes for a sight of beauty and wonder. I had seen the glacier before on a previous Alaskan cruise and wondered if I would be so easily impressed the second time around, but I still found that eerie blue ice absolutely captivating.

The Mendenhall Glacier is also home to a magnificent visitor’s center which includes a gift shop, an indoor viewing deck, a museum, and a short film on the formation of the glacier. More adventurous souls may decide to walk along the many nature trails such as the Moraine Ecology Trail or the Photo Print Trail. During the summer months, you may encounter different types of wildlife—sleek silver salmon in the streams and rivers, beavers, snowshoe hares, squirrels, and even the occasional bear hot on the trail of the fresh salmon.

Some tours even allow you to walk on the glacier itself. Be sure to dress warmly and follow all of your guide’s instructions, as the ice can be treacherous.

Sadly, the Mendenhall Glacier may not be around for the enjoyment of many future generations. It is currently “retreating” at a rate of over 300 feet per year. When I compared pictures from this trip to pictures from my previous trip to Alaska over four years ago, I was stunned to see that the glacier was noticeably smaller.

5. Macaulay Salmon Hatchery (Juneau)

This large salmon hatchery releases over a million mature salmon into the sea each year. Many are caught by bears and other wild predators or by commercial fishermen. Some die from disease or injury. But the ones that survive return to their birthplace to spawn, so every year hundreds of salmon return to Macaulay Hatchery to spawn and die, allowing the cycle of life to begin anew.

The salmon hatchery offers an informational tour with an explanation of all the steps that go into selecting salmon that are ready to spawn, fertilizing salmon eggs, raising young salmon, and releasing them into the wild. Inside the visitor’s center, a marine petting zoo of sorts allows visitors to gently stroke marine wildlife ranging from crabs to starfish; an aquarium features the best in Alaskan aquatic life, including the beautiful silver salmon; and the obligatory gift shop offers several fun souvenirs including boxes of smoked salmon to send home to friends. Granted, there is something a bit morbid about admiring the beautiful salmon so much outside and enjoying their taste so much inside, but you’d have to be a hard-core fish hater not to find those salmon steaks darn tasty.

I enjoyed the tour but hit it at exactly the wrong time of year—mid June. A few weeks earlier and I could have hand-fed baby salmon. A few weeks later and the ladders would have been overflowing with salmon seeking to spawn. Be smarter than I was and ask some questions about timing before you pull out your wallet to book the tour.

6. Dog Sled Summer Camp (Juneau)

I didn’t get to this one either since I was already occupied with glaciers and salmon, but two friends I made on the cruise assured me that this is a can’t-miss experience, especially if you’re a dog lover.

A real dog musher (dogsled driver) will explain the sport of dog mushing to you, describe Alaska’s most amazing races such as the Iditarod, introduce you to his—or her—team of dogs, and provide a guided tour of the camp replete with plenty of hair-raising tales of racing experiences.

At the end of a the tour, you even have a chance to play amateur dog-musher as a fully decked out team of sled dogs pulls you along a mile or so worth of trail. Of course, you’ll also have a chance to play with sled dog puppies and learn what goes into the care and training of these valuable animals.

My friends are both animal activists and were initially concerned about the animals being abused, but by the end of the tour both were convinced that these working dogs not only receive excellent care and treatment but also love what they do.

7. Misty Fjords by Seaplane (Ketchikan)

A fjord is basically a sea walled in by a glacier. Thus the only way to properly look at one is by boat or by airplane.

Since I consider a “smaller” plane to be anything tinier than a 747, it took some fast talking to get me aboard a 6-seater seaplane to tour the Misty Fjords, but now that I’ve survived the experience I’m very glad I had it. The view from the plane was amazing, but not nearly as amazing as the view when the pilot landed the plane and gave us several minutes to look around at the pristine waters, the vivid glaciers, the mountains, and the immense pine trees. We even got to see a cinnamon colored-bear lumbering his way through new-growth forest.

Although the cruise offered a seaplane touring option, it didn’t quite fit in with any of our schedules, so we booked our own through a private company called SeaWind Aviation and had a wonderful experience.

I would caution people with a tendency to sea or airsickness to take a non-drowsy Dramamine about a half hour before the tour starts. That way you can focus on enjoying the magnificence of nature, not on searching frantically for the little plastic bag in the pouch in the back of the next seat.

Alaska is a majestic land full of beauty and fascinating history. On your next Alaskan cruise, take the time to enjoy the attractions both on—and off—the ship.

Bio:

Debra Stang is a medical social worker and a professional freelance writer. She travels whenever she has spare money and spare time. She welcomes visitors to her website at www.debrastang.net.