Ahoy travel bugs. I think it’s time I start writing about some actual travel destinations. Since I can never stop talking about it, I think SE Alaska is the perfect place to start. SO SORRY once again if you’ve heard it all before, its time to hear it again because it will never not be the most amazing experience ever.
History & Facts
Prior to becoming the 49th state of the Union in 1959, Alaska was actually owned by Russia. After over 150 years of control and ultimate economic fail, the Russians agreed to sell Alaska to the Secretary of State William Seward for $7.2 million. Though “Sewards Folly” as it was deemed could not have been any more inaccurate. Between its abundant oil supply, gold rush, commercial fishing industry and tourism appeal, Alaska has earned its way into everyones hearts and onto everyones bucket lists.
Known for its incredible glaciers, active wild life and northern lights, there is still even more to Alaska than meets the eye. It also contains the world’s largest temperate rainforest, the most volcanoes and volcanic fields in the United States, over 3 million lakes and 3,000 rivers and more than 34,000 miles of coastline. It is truly one of the most beautiful and unique places to visit on this Earth.
When To Go & How To Get There
Although the summer months May-September are probably the best time to visit, be prepared for it to feel more like spring; It rains a lot. The combination of glaciers, ocean breeze and northern latitude keep temperatures fairly cool too for summer. It is best to come equipped with all types of weather gear when planning your visit. Fret not if you feel unprepared still because you’ll be able to find about every possible type of boot, jacket, pants, hat, glove and ulu at every major town or port if you forget yours.
The two most common ways to take a trip to SE Alaska are either via cruise line or self planned trip via plane. Obviously there is no right or wrong way to do it. Both offer different pros and cons. A cruise ship is the obviously hassle free, see multiple locations option, yet it might feel rushed and inauthentic at times too. While a self planned trip will let you indulge more in a one or a few different places at your own pace, but may be more expensive & more complicated to figure out. If you can do Alaska either way, you’re living large. Here are my inside scoops to some of the places and things I was able to lose myself in while there.
Ketchikan
First stop on our journey is Ketchikan. It was my favorite stop because there was so much to offer. You can take a ride on a seaplane to the Misty Fjords. Or hop aboard the Bering Sea from the show the Deadliest Catch and see some of Alaska native sea life up close and personal. Walk around downtown shopping for Ullrs, exquisite gems and expensive furs. Reserve a ticket at the lumberjack show and see what the locals got in them to survive the last frontier.
Sitka
When in Alaska, seeing bears is a must. The Fortress of the Bears isn’t exactly “bears in the wild”, but is the closest & most humane experience you may get to. Created for orphaned bears out of the remains of an abandoned mill, the fortress has provided protection, care, enrichment and education to the bears and the Sitka community. I encourage you to check out their website and support their mission. http://www.fortressofthebear.org. While there I was able to meet the Co-Founder Les Kinnear and he truly loves and desires to see these animals live healthy, fulfilled lives.
As most of these places will also have, Sitka is a great place to charter a boat to fish, crab or whale watch. Specifically in Sitka they offer kayak tours around the bays as well. Sitka has a lovely downtown area with historic restaurants, bars and shops. If you’re looking for some souvenirs, the Tongass Trading Company.
Juneau
First stop is Alaska’s capital. Unconnected from the rest of Alaska, Juneau is still the 2nd largest city in Alaska. However expensive the experiences may be, taking a helicopter tour to the dog sled camp on the Mendenhall Glacier is a must. A helicopter takes you up and over the glacier on a scenic ride, drops you off directly on the mendenhall glacier where you get a chance to ride a dog sled and meet the hounds and pups! To be quite honest, the ride was short and on an open premade track, not exactly the ididorod. Yet, the whole experience is crazy. The tour guides live a very unique life at camp and this is the best way to walk a glacier and sled with dogs. Among other things to do include whale watching, hiking and fishing charters.
Take a walk of downtown to make sure you get yourself some fresh crab, cold beer and unique shopping.
Glacier Bay
Featuring over 1,000 glaciers, Glacier Bay is the focal point of Alaska’s Inside Passage. It is only accessible by boat or plane. Both options offer tours almost everyday during the summer season. If you go via cruise ship almost all ships have Glacier Bay as a part of their itinerary for a day. There you’ll experience an extremely remote, authentic landscape of glacier cavings, ice bergs, mountains, sea life and more.
In the end, however and whatever you get to do in SE Alaska will be an experience of a lifetime. Doing it without a cruise ship is definitely funny, because all of the shops and restaurants in port only cater to the cruise ships. Once they’re gone their day is done! On the other hand, last summer cruise ships were still not filling up making it a more comfortable experience on board. Either way, buy yourself a nice camera, spend the extra money on excursions and definitely ring the bell at as many bars as you can get to;).
Next we travel to the other side of the country and check out SE Florida!
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