Welcome to SummerofBeth!

As #summerofbeth.com kicks off I thought it would be fun to reflect on past trips.  I’ve been so lucky to get to travel to so many amazing places on our globe and I want to relive the trip one more time.  First up: Alaska- the last frontier in so many ways. Alaska is one of the most gorgeous states I have ever seen.

What is the best way to see Alaska?

I’m of the opinion that an Alaskan cruise is the best way to see Alaska.  The ships can maneuver their way through the channels and get you from town to town overnight.  Instead of driving 15 hours between coastal towns you get to relax, watch sunset with a glass of wine, and enjoy a lovely dinner. We did follow up the sea portion of our trip with a few days on land to explore as much of Alaska as possible. 

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Our cruise ship departed out of Vancouver, Canada.  What a lovely city.  We had a blast walking around the streets, shopping, and enjoying their food and culture.  Vancouver was friendly, easy to get around, and a city I’d love to return someday.  While taking a bus tour of the city we were able to spend time in Stanley Park, see what the city had to offer, we ended up downtown in the middle of restaurants and shopping.  The excitement was palpable as we couldn’t wait to get on the ship and start the adventure!

Embarkation and Day at Sea on the Inside Passage

The excitement of getting on the ship and setting off on our Alaskan Adventure had us floating thru the day.  We were able to find our way around the ship, get to know some of our servers, bartenders, and started to pick out our favorite spots on the ship.  The first full day on the ship was spent at sea as we made our way through the inside passage on our way to Ketchikan.  This trip was exciting for me as when I got off the ship in Ketchikan, I officially touched the ground in 50 out of our 50 states.  Another blog to come someday about that accomplishment, but an accomplishment I’m proud to have achieved and lucky to have so many wonderlust friends who helped me make it happen!

Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is a gorgeous sea town that is basically picture perfect.  The walkable town has lots of local watering holes to visit, a beautiful view of the water, and a whole bunch of salmon swimming!  From fishing trips to lumberjack shows there is something for everyone in Ketchikan.  We took a walking tour of the historical bars in town and learned so much about the city’s lore.  Ketchikan is the first bigger city while traveling north along the coast of Alaska.  It is known to be the first main stop for supplies as they travel north and since it is one of the first stops prices are relatively cheaper than further north.  Overall, Ketchikan gets two thumbs up and I would return in a heartbeat!

Juneau, Alaska

Juneau, the state capital of Alaska, is another waterfront city with a lot of charm.  When we got off the boat we headed to a Bike and Brew tour that took us from the town to beautiful views of a glacier.  The bike path was gorgeous taking us through woods, along trails, and across a few parking lots.  The result was pristine beauty out in nature.  So many times, I caught myself thinking ‘this is gorgeous!’.  When our biking was over, we returned to town to try out a local brewery and walked around town.  We stopped in a local bar that was popping with locals and tourists alike.  Another great city worth exploring.  As a plug for the cruise, Juneau is a 19-hour drive from Ketchikan.  Making the cruise a necessity to see as much of Alaska as possible in a reasonable amount of time.

Skagway, Alaska

The trend continues when we arrive at port of Skagway; another waterfront town that is easily accessible from the cruise ports.  This port is filled with excursions for all.  The famous White Pass and Yukon Route Railways, dog mushing camps, breweries, town tours, and local restaurants you can find something for everyone!  We went out to one of the dog mushing camps to learn about their sport.  Mushing is a huge part of Alaskan culture, and it was interesting to hear the ways it is used in their lives and how it is maintained.  At the conclusion of visiting the camp we made our way back into town and walked nearly its entirety.  Skagway is not a large town, so it is easy to see the whole thing.  One of my travel mates went out to play disc golf, another took a historical tour of the town.  It was fun to compare our experiences while enjoying a local brew.  Although Skagway is the smallest of the first three stops, it held its own with entertainment options to get to see Alaska while better understanding their culture.

Icy Point Straight, Alaska

Icy Point Straight seemed like a man-made port, but it was another beautiful stop in Alaska.  We had to take a ski-lift/gondola ride to get to the boardwalk and there were shops, restaurants, and a plethora of water excursions.  Icy Point Straight is apparently known to be a great location to see wildlife.  I’m in the small minority of people who traveled to Alaska and saw nearly 0 wildlife.  I will admit, I saw a bunch of Bald Eagles in Alaska as it is home to many.  Friends I had made on the cruise ship reported seeing whales, bears, and other animals like moose!  We stayed on dry land and visited their shops and restaurants.  One of the restaurants made a Bloody Mary that was out of this world.  From crab legs and shrimp to all of the other fixings, you nearly had a meal!  It was a slower stop than the rest, but worth it.  There were a lot of outdoor activities on land at this stop as well.  An adventure sport stop of sorts!

Day at Sea- Hubbard Glacier

Our last full day on the cruise was a day at sea with a stop to see the Hubbard Glacier.  The ship was by the Hubbard Glacier for quite some time; it made a 365-degree turn so everyone on the ship was able to see it.  The day was rainy and overcast, but we were still able to enjoy the beauty of the glacier.  You could hear the glacier calving. Calving is when pieces of the glacier fall off into the water.  It was a cool experience to see.  After the ship left the glacier the cruise director told us the week prior the weather was so poor they couldn’t get to the glacier.  Something to keep in mind when cruising (or vacationing in general) you don’t control the weather.  We were lucky enough to have a great week of weather and were able to experience all of our ports and sites along the way.  I’m a huge fan of a day at sea.  Spa time, sleep time, pool time, walk some laps on the exercise deck, bar tour, book a great dinner, and make the day whatever you want it to be!

Seward and Anchorage, Alaska

 It was a sad (but gorgeous) morning when our incredible 7 days aboard our cruise ship came to an end.  The final port we arrived at was Seward, Alaska.  Gorgeous town but we didn’t get to spend too much time here as we were beginning our land experience of the trip.  This portion of the trip was a group bus trip, and it was my first exposure to this kind of travel.  Overall, it was a positive experience, it had its ups and downs but enough ups that I would try it again.  From Seward we headed towards Anchorage.  We stopped at an animal rescue park along the way and had lunch in Anchorage. The scenery was unreal as we were driving inland.  The beauty was just stunning; so much so pictures don’t do it justice.  That night we stayed at a hotel outside of Denali National Park so we would be ready to take on the park first thing in the morning. 

Denali National Park and Fairbanks, Alaska

Denali National Park is stunning.  And massive.  We spent hours in the park and barely made a dent mileage wise.  It was a beautiful day, but the clouds kept us from seeing Mt. Denali.  Par for the course for our trip- no whale or bear sightings, so not seeing Mt. Denali fit right in.  When we were done exploring Denali we jumped on the Denali Star of the Alaskan Railways.  It was a gorgeous train car with glass for viewing right from your seat.  Downstairs there was a food car and an outdoor observation platform.  While riding in the top car we finally SAW A MOOSE!!  Leave it to almost our last day in Alaska, but a moose was spotted!  At the end of the train ride, we found ourselves in our last stop of the trip- Fairbanks.  In Fairbanks we were able to see a lot of the city.  It is a great city that was easy to get around.  We had lunch downtown, took a riverboat cruise to learn about the local culture, saw the pipeline, and we were able to spend time at the cultural center.  Overall, it was a great final stop after an amazing 11-day trip. 

Final Alaskan Thoughts

I loved everything about this trip.  I was able to be social on the ship and make some friends.  The ship was a nice size, but not too big to get to know people well.  The food options were great and the scenery was unreal!  This trip made me fall in love with the cruising life.  If the opportunity to go see Alaska presents itself, I highly recommend you do it!  I’m ready for another group of friends to want to go so I can tag along 😊 Make sure to bring your binoculars!