FRANK FLAVIN / EXPLORE SKAGWAY |
for photos and close to keep you warmer ; grab one of the throw blankets available to bundle up . As a naturalist narrates over the speaker system , the ship will spin in a circle to give everyone a good view no matter what side they ’ re on . Or , opt for an excursion on a smaller vessel to get a closer look at the glacier , which stretches about 7 miles wide and 76 miles long . Surprisingly , Hubbard Glacier is actually growing thicker while most glaciers around the globe are retreating .
After visiting the glacier , the ship continues south overnight and then pulls into its first port city , Juneau , which offers plenty of shopping and dining as well as seaplane tours and more . For incredible panoramic views , take the Goldbelt Tram , which rises 1,800 feet up Mount Roberts from the dock through the rain forest — one of the most vertical tramways in the world — to the Mountain House with a gift shop and the Timberline Bar & Grill to enjoy lunch and a beer . Once at the top , optional hiking trails take visitors through a forest dotted with totem poles and vistas of a waterfall in the distance . Notably , the aerial tram is owned by Goldbelt Inc ., an urban Alaska Native business that seeks to honor and preserve the Tlingit culture .
Another must-try place in Juneau is the Alaskan Fudge Co . with more than 22 creative flavors like Inside Passage ( chocolate filled with peanut butter ) and Mount Juneau Mint . Visitors can watch the fudge being made in the shop . Tracy ’ s King Crab Shack is also popular for locally caught crab legs ,
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bisque and crabcakes , but the line can get long . Another option is The Hangar on The Wharf with over 20 beers on tap , Alaskan seafood , burgers , steaks and pasta in a converted airplane hangar with views of the water .
The next stop on the cruise is Skagway , where visitors can stroll through the historic downtown , visit the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel Museum , sign up for a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad , try panning for gold or spend time at a musher ’ s camp to learn about the Iditarod and hold a sled dog puppy at Alaska 360 ’ s Dredge Town . The train , with old-fashioned rail cars that clatter over trestles and through tunnels , follows the trail trekked by gold prospectors in the 1800s . Remain seated in the car to enjoy views of Bridal Veil Falls , Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch through the window or step onto the platform to feel the wind in your hair as the train chugs up to the 2,865-foot White Pass summit .
The following day , the ship arrives at Icy Strait Point , a tourist stop that includes more than 20 tours , a restored 1912 salmon cannery and museum , Alaskan-owned shops , eateries , nature trails and a beach in the state ’ s largest Native Tlingit village of Hoonah . For those seeking an adrenaline rush , this destination features a zip line billed as the world ’ s largest : Soar 300 feet above the rainforest on one of six lines accelerating to speeds over 60 mph . Or , set out on a whale watching trip : Boats head to an area just south of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve . These nutrient-rich
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waters are home to the largest summer population of humpback whales in Alaska . Visitors might also spot orcas , porpoises , Steller sea lions , seals and otters . Upon your return , try the salmon chowder or reindeer chili at The Cookhouse Restaurant .
Then reembark to continue cruising south . The ship drops anchor at Ketchikan , known as the Salmon Capital of the World and also the ancestral home of the Native Tlingit people . Tours here include a walk through part of the Tongass National Forest where visitors might see bears catch salmon in the rushing streams during spawning season from May through October . For more adventurous visitors , take a guided sea kayak trip around the Tatoosh Islands . Or sign up for the Best of Ketchikan by Land and Sea : Take a boat ride for the chance to see wildlife , tour the restored George Inlet Cannery and then board a motorcoach to Saxman Native Village to view a park of towering totem poles and learn about their creation before returning to downtown Ketchikan . Take in a lumberjack show or stroll along Creek Street , a wooden boardwalk on stilts , where salmon can often be seen in the water below .
After seeing the sights , return to the ship to unwind for the final at-sea day and then arrival in Vancouver . There ’ s plenty to keep you entertained onboard , from shows by aerial acrobats or Broadway musical performances , or opt for a massage as you reminisce over all of your adventures in Alaska . It ’ s truly a trip of a lifetime that will leave you longing to return . NBM
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NEWPORT BEACH MAGAZINE 71 |