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And in the south on the cruise portion, I was hot walking around Juneau in a T-shirt. Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail.The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome.Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents.
Alaska Wildlife
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024 - Forbes
The 8 Best Alaska Cruises For Every Travel Style 2024.
Posted: Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
As if to answer me, the telltale poof of water shot out of the sea, followed by the dark, subtle hump of the whale as he followed alongside our massive 1,083-foot long ship. No one does seafood quite like Alaska—which is why we brought the best of the Great Land on board, so you can experience it all with Princess. You then head to Saxman Totem Park, home to one of the largest collections of authentic totems in the world, where your guide will help explain the stories and meanings behind the poles. Poles are still created here at the Village Carving Center, where expert craftsmen pass along their skills to apprentices. Returning to Glacier Station, you'll end the day with a ride back to Skagway on the White Pass & Yukon Railway, which makes a special stop to pick you up. The five-hour, Skagway-based outing begins with a transfer from your ship to a nearby helicopter pad, where you'll find a helicopter waiting to whisk you high into the surrounding Sawtooth Mountain Range.
More about Anchorage Points of Interest
With some of the most stunning wilderness in existence and famous wildlife, it’s part of the definitive experience of traveling to the Great Land’s wild interior. With Princess, you won’t just explore Alaska’s landscapes, you’ll live amidst them in our custom-built wilderness lodges. Located riverside next to some of the most renowned national parks, these warm and welcoming lodges are the perfect spot to bask in Alaska’s best attractions. As a part of your Alaska cruisetour, explore and unwind with comforting amenities and breathtaking scenery.
The 6 best Alaska cruise shore excursions — from heli-hiking to whale watching
For even more adventure, some tours combine the Icy Straight Point zipline with an ATV ride. And, if you're going to do a floatplane ride, there's nowhere better than in Ketchikan. You'll find a small armada of floatplanes waiting to take you to nearby Misty Fjords National Monument. For the listings below, I've used the tour names and pricing listed in the current tour sheets at Princess, which along with sister line Holland America, is the biggest cruise operator in Alaska. I should also be clear that the towns themselves aren't devoid of attractions.
Below, I've listed six of my all-time favorite Alaska shore excursions. These all are tours that you'll find in the tour lineups at every major cruise line that operates in Alaska. That said, different lines sometimes have different names for these tours — and sometimes different pricing. The simplest way to book an Alaska shore excursion is through your cruise line. You check a box on an online form before sailing or while on board, and — poof!
The Sitka, Alaska Raptor Center is home to view birds of prey, including bald eagles, up close. Sitka is also noteworthy among Alaska towns for its strong Russian and Tlingit heritage. This tour combines the work done at the raptor center with Sitka's cultural side. The ride takes only 90 seconds before your gentle, brake-activated touchdown on the beach.
Today, the glaciers of the Great Land — once only accessible to the adventurous few — are ready for you to explore. With over 50 years of experience cruising to Alaska, we look forward to showing you these unique wonders. All Princess Alaska cruises include at least one glacier-viewing experience. Sail 500 miles deeper into the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound on our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. To Anchorage (Whittier), stopping in historic port cities like Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Along the way, enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on every itinerary — including Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.
Visit Denali National Park on every Alaska cruisetour
Alaska’s largest tidewater glacier rises hundreds of feet from the ocean floor and towers above the waves, radiating a brilliant blue in the daylight. Thanks to its exceptional movement speed — for a massive river of ice — the face of this Alaska glacier calves at an incredible rate, providing a breathtaking show for the lucky onlookers. College Fjord is the meeting place where many of Alaska’s glaciers congregate and flow to the ocean. At the water’s edge are massive valley glaciers and dozens of smaller monuments that dot the mountainous region. Thanks to the professors who first settled here in 1899, many of these glaciers are named after the country’s best institutions of higher learning, such as Harvard Glacier. Instantly, I ran inside to wake my travel buddy, but by the time he got to the balcony, the whale was long gone.
Board a custom-built enclosed expedition boat for a 60- to 70-minute ride through fjords and rainforests with an abundance of wildlife and spectacular views. Upon your arrival at Glacier Point, a remote beach, you'll set out on a short drive and hike, before boarding a 31-foot-long canoe for a paddle up to the face of Davidson Glacier. Consider this excursion if you'd like to see a glacier up close without spending the money on a helicopter tour. You'll begin this trip with a 35- to 40-minute bus ride to the remnants of the nearby ghost town of Dyea, which was Skagway's biggest competition during the gold rush days. It's now set within the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park as the site of a dog musher's camp.
Valdez is situated in Prince William Sound and serves as the gateway to the interior of Alaska. Often referred to as the "Little Switzerland", Valdez is known for its breathtaking panorama of snow-capped mountains and glaciers. It is also well-known for its role in the transportation of crude oil from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which ends in Valdez. Explore the charming waterfront area and take in the flavors of Valdez through culinary experiences at restaurants such as the Valdez Brewery and the Fat Mermaid.
Every day, a daily newsletter listing all the activities on the ship is delivered to your room, so it’s easy to find and choose what performances or classes you’d like to take part in. Seriously, you’ll have a hard time picking which fun activity to do. Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. A uniformed Princess representative meets you at the airport after you've retrieved your luggage and transports you directly to your ship or hotel without you having to worry about the logistics of navigating a new city. Alaskans are inviting people who love to share what makes their state unique. Watch lumberjacks in action, learn from Glacier Bay National Park rangers and craft with a Native totem pole carver.
After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans." From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government.Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Unlock a world of adventure with Discovery at SEA™, our exclusive partnership with Discovery™ and Animal Planet™. People who know me know that I love talking about Alaska port towns.
Most Princess Alaska cruisetours include a tour into Denali National Park. On this two-and-a-half-hour excursion, you'll walk through the small city of Sitka -- once known as the Paris of the Pacific -- with a guide, stopping at various art galleries and artisan ateliers along the way. Witness everything from wood-carving and ceramic work to jewelry-making and glass-blowing, before trying your hand at Venetian glass-blowing yourself. You'll also have free time at the end to browse a gallery and to shop for souvenirs. This tour is ideal for anyone who wants to take a short excursion and still have enough time left in the day to explore Sitka on their own. After your sledding experience, you'll have a chance to play with sled dog puppies.
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