Alaska Autumn

The tour started in Vancouver, B.C. then on to Ketchikan, Juneau, Haines (detour), Skagway and Valdez. Once off the ship we continued from Seward to Anchorage, Denali and finally to Fairbanks.

How to describe Alaska best? Imagine opening a gift with a wonderful present inside only to find another box within, and another surprise, then another, then another. I would think "there can't be anything better beyond this", there was. The experiences are so varied that they stand alone.

Highlights? Abundant wildlife, small towns, calving glaciers, autumn hued mountain vistas and white water rafting through canyons.

Quick Tips:

Late August and September is at the end of Alaska's short tourist season. It is cold and rainy. Most days stayed in the fifties F. Our most used items were waterproof jackets, that helped with the wind as well as the rain, and good hiking boots. I recommend two pairs.

Take more film that you think you'll use and if you have closeup lenses tote them along despite extra weight. Take good binoculars for viewing wildlife. Like the Dall sheep who are nothing more than white specks to the naked eye, the animals are rarely road or boatside.

Alaskans were hospitable and taking advantage of their enthusiasm for their state added to our fun.

We "fell in" to a tour by a park ranger in Skagway- great opportunity.

Finally, this was not a leisure trip. Four a.m. wake ups were normal with activity until late sunsets.

Things may not go as planned. For us this included detoured ports, very rough seas, cancelled excursions and planes.

Best Way To Get Around:

We went by cruise ship, train, bus, raft, ferry and plane but if you are not prepared to do plenty of walking you will miss a great deal. I was truly impressed with the number of ways to get around this huge state whether by tour or independently. Although the weather may not cooperate, small planes go everywhere and you can travel by everything from hiking to sled dogs. Public transportation is very good in towns and ferries, rail and buses travel between all accessible areas.

This is the time to splurge on a verandah. We chose a mini suite that had a verandah large enough for two chairs and a table. It served us well throughout the trip and was definately worth the added expense.

The Ryndam is a Holland America Lines ship. Don''t be fooled by brochure pictures. This is an older ship and although the cabins are comfortable they also show age.

The cabin contained a queen size bed and a fold-out sofa. Plenty of pillows were provided but I''d recommend requesting an extra blanket.

There was more than adequate closet space including a full length mirror and pull curtain between the main cabin and closet/bathroom area that added a little privacy.

The cabin also contained a stocked mini bar and refrigerator and a personal safe. The bathroom contained a mini-jacuzzi tub but after the first uncomfortable attempt to use it we stuck to the shower with a meager spray. Of course this is a ship so the commode and sink were what you''d expect onboard. Instructions on using the shower would have been helpful since it took lots of experimentation to figure out the different knobs.

A cruise is never intended to be spent in a cabin but with cold temperatures it was nice to be able to come in from the verandah and warm up for a little while and the additional space was welcome to get away from the crowds for a little quiet time.

The room steward and room service were prompt and attentive. Since we started out early each morning we ordered room service for breakfast which made a nice start to the day.

We encountered rough seas but I was truly surprised with the roll of the ship. Many people were seasick and the stablizers just weren''t adequate. We were awakened constantly one night between the rolling of the ship and the sounds of crashes from falling items.

More on the ship itself in another entry.

Since there are so many tours available I thought I'd do an overview first and tour entries later.

Most tours were available when we boarded ship so don't feel pressured unless you are determined to take a particular tour. We called daily until our booking number (required) was confirmed then used the internet to book excursions. Helpful features of this site are that brief descriptions of tours and notes physical activity required. Booking ends 10 days before embarking.

Tours can be pricey. Since everyone told us to be sure to take a plane the first tour we picked was a wildlife seaplane tour in Ketchikan. Tours were available by seaplane, helicopter and fixed wing plane - general prices ranged from $199-$300. per person. Tours are for wildlife sightings, glacier trips and just a flyover of inaccessible areas. Many of these flights, including ours, were cancelled.

Wildlife tours - ranged from nature walks and hikes to bus and boat tours. Prices range from about 39.00 to $80.

City and historical tours - ranged from about $29-$50 and include everything from walking to van/bus trips focusing on unique aspects of each stop (history, native crafts, flora & fauna).

Flexibility is required - don't be surprised if the tour is cancelled.

Others - rafting (whitewater, which we did, and sightseeing), kayaking, dog sled demonstrations, native exhibits, wildlife sanctuaries, gold panning, salmon fishing - quite pricey but rave reviews, canoe, jeep and even a snorkeling expedition.

Tips - I would encourage everyone to stop at the visitor center as soon as you get off the ship at each location. If you haven't already booked a tour you can probably pick one up locally and perhaps at a better price. Also grab the local city walking tour map and if you are into shopping pick up the "Welcome Guide" for shops and special deals.

Trips we took - (will do entries on each)

Ketchikan - everything cancelled. Could not even pick up local tours to our interest. Found plenty to do though.
Juneau - Wildlife Quest, Mendenhall Glacier Tour and Mt. Robert's Tram.
Haines - (detour) ferried on our own to Skagway.
Skagway - Park Ranger History Tour.
Valdez - Keystone Canyon Whitewater Rafting.
Seward/Anchorage - Begininng of land tour. Motor coach and McKinley Explorer Train, Wildlife Refuge, Native American Center.
Denali - Wildlife Tundra Tour and Cabin Nine.

Conclusion - There are tours available for every interest, opportunities to be independent and adventurous in your choices and the definite need to be flexible when weather throws a curve to your travel plans. The prices a quoted are for adults but many of the tours have children's prices. Some tours restrict children due to physical requirements.

I'd been told that the tours were expensive but none that we took failed to more than fulfill our expectations. Pictures and details to follow.

Tour a preserved "as it was" brothel. For about $7.00 wander through Dolly's house and gain admiration for this self-made woman who mined the gold miners. At $2.00 a visit she didn't close her day until she made $100.00- and she worked on her own.

After working as a waitress Dolly made her way to Ketchikan where she bought the house for cash. As you wander through taped recordings tell you about her and her home.

A woman of creativity you'll open a door to the "men's room" she created or the trap door for bootleg liquor. Peek into her medicine cabinet but also admire the handmade silk flowers she made to decorate her shower curtain. In those days women of her particular profession advertised as "seamstresses". Read correspondence by and to her. I particularly liked one where a shop was responding to her request for exotic birds.

A strong woman, Dolly stood about 5'10" and weighed over 200 pounds. No shrinking violet in the days of the gold rush. But a "sensitive" woman she made sure there was a special back entrance to her home for her gentlemen visitors who might be uncomfortable knocking at her front door. A pragmatic woman she served liquor by the shot glass and expected her guests to share glasses (who has time to wash dishes?).

I was surprised at the amenities she managed or created for herself and her "guests".

I came away with a real liking for this woman who made her own way and did it well. We are often posed the question of someone from the past we'd like to meet. She's on my list and hopefully she'd be less discrete now because I bet she has some stories to tell.

We boarded a motor coach at the Cruise Ship Pier that took us out of Juneau. Our driver drove through Mendenhall Valley to Auk Bay where we boarded the Wildlife Quest Catamaran for a 4 hour tour. On the way he provided a narrative on the area and pointed out the Auk is Native American for "lake" as we passed Auk Lake (Lake Lake).

We boarded the two level catamaran which held about 150 passengers. Binoculars were provided as well as hot drinks and snacks. The hot drinks were most appreciated through our cold and windy trip. Although some people never left the comfortable cabin many others raced to the outdoor decks for photos and wildlife sightings. If you plan to be outside dress warmly and be prepared to hold onto a rail in rough seas.

We were not disappointed. Having become acquainted with the mandatory "clock" system for sighting ("Whale at 9 o'clock!) we headed toward Admiralty Island and up through Saginaw and Lynn Channels where we saw harbour and stellar seals and bald eagles as Dall Porpoise leaped along our boat. (Our guides pointed out the later are called "film wasters" as we made futile attempts to get a photo). All along the way our knowledgable guides pointed out major sights as well as historical and wildlife information.

Then in Favorite Channel- whales! Even our guides were surprised, especially since humpbacked whales are normally solitary creatures. We learned to quickly spot their blows and saw at least 10 whales. Our guides pointed out one group that was working together to create a "bubble net" to trap krill and small fish.

We took lots of pictures showing tiny black specks in the grey waves that only we know are whales flipping their tails out of the water before they make a deep dive. Our guides suggested to simply put away our cameras for a while and appreciate what we were seeing. These were grand creatures far removed from the bell ringing captive of a concrete Sea World pool.

We were enthralled watching these giants in the open sea and absolutely delighted when two females allowed their calves to follow their curiousity and poke their heads out of the water to look at us.

Our guides delayed our leaving and explained that this number of whales was an exceptional day even for them. There were no complaints we would have gladly spent all day.

As all good things must come to an end we began our trip back to the dock and all aboard were a little quieter perhaps reflecting on the day. Then we passed a buoy and everyone started laughing. A group of stellar seals had climbed aboard for a rest and were rocking away as we passed by. Perfect ending.

Go again? Absolutely.

As our sea plane-wildlife-bear tour (and every other outside activity was cancelled) we glumly prepared to wander the town. Disheartened to say the least. We were prepared for "ALASKA THE GREAT OUTDOORS" and were reduced to "Alaska cold pouring rain and tourist traps". This was our first port and I was crabby. Don't fall into my crab trap. Learn from our lessons. Flexible- be ever willing to change your plans and plan ahead. Use your hiking boots to trudge down to the Shore Excursion desk (we only found out what we missed later) and grab all those coupons for discounts on jewelry. This is the only port that had them available and I'm kicking myself in retrospect. Skepticism aside we missed some good deals and even after the tour (had it happened) we could have taken advantage. The days are long here. Added some websites along with the commentary if you'd like a sneak preview. Regardless of my love for the outdoors I am a jewelry freak and regret the opportunity to make some great buys here. Ketchikan has some of the most creative artists and unique jewelry designs I have ever seen. Diamonds, tanzanite, opals and gold jewelry abound. It's not their availability- it's what the local artists have created. If you are in the market I recommend shopping around and be aware the shop owners are willing to dicker. Stop at the visitor center and pick up the city guide which also has discount coupons for souvenier items. Yes- many of those discounts are for silly come-ons but you can give your grandkids or whomever a little whale-tail gold charm for little more than the price of a tee-shirt. Which would you rather have? You are going to wander around the town anyway and those shop discounts helped us collect lots of great stocking stuffers for next Christmas. This is also the place to pick up sweatshirts at bargain prices ($9.99)to keep you warm the rest of the trip and congratulate yourself on saving room in your luggage. Unique stores included the following: Del Sol- everything in the stores from T-shirts to nail polish) react to sunlight and change color. Keep an eye out if only to hold items up to the light and have some fun. http://www.justaddsun.com Creek Street- great little art gallery just as you go across the bridge. SOHO COHO just walk straight ahead you'll be in the door. Lot's of unique craft items and they also sell Ravenbrew Coffee. We picked up several bags such as "Deadman's Reach" (Served in Bed. Raises the Dead.) and "Three Peckered Billy Goat" (Sup From the Cup That Keeps You Up) for coffee lovers back home. If you want a preview try http.trollart.com A little further down on Creek Street is Perfect Partners that advertises the largest opal found. We didn't buy the opal but did get a beautiful engraved crystal and silver locket for an unbelievable $20.00. Oh- no sales tax either. Enjoy.