I insisted on taking this cruise with my entire family primarily to get my 2 grandson's somewhat acqainted with the area hoping they will return years from now as adults. Alaska is a bucket list place. The country, the resources, and the wildlife are immense. It is nature at its best. It does not compare to the Rocky Mountains as the mountains and landscape here is double anywhere else. Man continues to encroach on this environment but the country is too big for mankind to scar it that much though it tries. What you see here enriches and calms your soul. You experience the purple mountain majesties in the depth of your soul like no where else. You really get to see whales, eagles, seals, bears, glaciers, from the comfort of your ship or car. And just for fun, you are warned every 10 feet to beware of bears. Even the bathrooms had bear warnings and instructions in them. I walked down one path and every 20 feet saw a pile of bear scat knowing full well I was being watched. This was my second trip after my first one 30 years ago. I should not have waited so long. Next time I think I may want to fly into Sitka and spend a week or two in town. The people were super nice and there is plenty to explore and do. Time will tell.
No question the highlights of this trip were the Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, and Ketchikan, with Haines an honorable mention. Even in a big ship we got really close to the Hubbard Glacier and witnessed cavings. It happened that at lunch we viewed the Glacier right out the dining room window and it was a wonderful view. I have way too many pictures to sort through. Both Sitka and Ketchikan are surrounded by the Japanese Current which like the Gulf Stream bathes the islands in moderate weather. We were told Sitka only had 18 inches of snow last year and the temperature was in the 20s and 30s only 2 weeks during the winter. In the summer the temperature was glorious. Sitka has a good airport so we are considering next year just flying into Sitka and spending a week or so. The people were friendly and helpful and there is plenty to do there and lots of places to visit. Likewise, Ketchikan has a lot to offer and would warrant a prolonged stay. There is a huge amount of infrastructure being built and the city population has exploded. Again, there seems to be plenty to do there and surrounding areas to visit. I went to Haines because the Alaska Eagle Preserve is there only to be told the Eagles are not there until November. I was totally confused as during my last visit 30 years ago in June, I remember thousands of eagles being there. No idea about the disconnect. We did see 2 eagles in the wild and got pictures but nothing else. Haines has expanded some since my last visit but it is still a sleepy peaceful hamlet in Alaska worth visiting and the out areas offer some great drives and views. But you can only get there by water so fly in somewhere else and take a ferry there.
You can never go wrong traveling to Alaska and if you have not done it yet please plan on a trip. Cruise ships are ideal for a first-time visit hitting all the high points. Once acquainted planning on longer trips on land should be a priority. One thing we have yet to do that I want to do is go into the interior on one of the train excursions and go to Denali Park and try and see Mount McKinley. It is something to look forward to. Alaska is an immense experience and will change you during your visit.
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