This post is about the ports our cruise ship stopped at on our Alaskan visit. My two earlier posts were also about this wonderful journey and some of my experiences there. We sailed on the MS Noordam on May 27th, 2018 and returned last Sunday, June 3rd. An amazing trip!
HAINES, ALASKA
Our first stop where we disembarked was Haines, Alaska. I woke up on the morning of May 30th to see this beautiful little town with mountains of snow and ice in the background and beautiful evergreens nestled among the houses. It was like a picture postcard. I must have been very tired and completely slept through our arrival at 6:30 a.m.
There are 3 churches there, a library, a school that was pointed out to us, bars, and businesses owned by locals. I didn’t see any traffic there. We got the free shuttle bus which stopped at various places. We went through the downtown which had no chain stores or names that stood out. We didn’t get off at the downtown stop but went on to another stop where we visited some native artists and saw their work. It seems that there are many artists who live there. They were very friendly.
We enquired about going to Chilkoot Lake where we thought we might see some bears. However, staff at one of the Tourist Information booths located where we got off the ship told us that the bears might not be out of hibernation yet. Many people from the ship went on a tour to see the bald eagles. We were content to see the bald eagles flying around in the sky and at Glacier Bay. We did a little walking around Haines on our own and were happy to just be in this beautiful little place that was so removed from anything that we experience in Toronto. It’s not often that one gets to experience being totally laid back.
We learned that some Tlingit dancers were coming at 5 p.m. to perform for us in the area where one gets off the ship and gets transportation, tours, etc. The Tlingits have lived in this area for thousands of years. Learning about the Tlingits and their culture was an “extra” on the cruise as I hadn’t expected this rich cultural experience. The images that follow show some of the symbols on their regalia that have significant meaning with regard to their tribe. We thoroughly enjoyed their performance.
We all had to be aboard ship by 8:30 p.m. We were having dinner when the MS Noordam pulled out of Haines. That day in Haines was very special for me.
JUNEAU, ALASKA
We docked in Juneau at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 31, 2018. I woke up very early that morning and it was overcast. It was obvious that we were approaching Juneau. I could see some buildings and realized that the ship was veering closer and closer to land. What really amazed me though were the reflections of the mountains and buildings in the water at that time. I had seen pictures like these taken by other people and loved them. I threw my coat on and headed out with my camera and will share some of these images below with you.
Juneau is the capital of Alaska and has a population of just over 32,000 people. It’s a great place for shopping. There were many fine stores there and some people from the cruise seemed to be very interested in shopping. There were many jewelry stores there, many offering a free gift for going in. Shopping wasn’t a priority on our list although we did grab some Alaska sweat shirts and keychains at a store close to the cruise ship to give as gifts.
We ourselves chose to take a tour to Mendenhall Glacier and go to Mount Roberts by tram. This was a shore excursion we bought through the cruise ship. It was an amazing trip. To get to the glacier, we travelled by bus about 12 miles north of Juneau. We visited the visitor centre where we learned that Mendenhall Glacier was part of the Tongass National Forest. When I say this trip was educational, I really mean it.
When I visited Australia many years ago, my hosts took me to Fraser Island which was a tropical rain forest. It was one of the highlights of my Australian visit. Little did I know that when I was in Glacier Bay National Park and at Mendenhall Glacier that I was experiencing being in a rain forest again – a temperate one this time. How lucky can one get?
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Mendenhall Glacier as we were able to walk about freely here. There were several hiking trails and a waterfall. There’s a notice board there that keeps visitors informed of wildlife sightings. The day before we were there a bear and her cub had been seen. We didn’t see any wildlife while we were there. We saw a a 15 minute movie “Landscape of Change” that was very informative and we also heard park rangers speak about the area.
We learned that Juneau is a city that was built on fishing and gold mining. While it’s a very modern and rich city, we found ourselves more intrigued and happy in Alaska when we were in areas of nature and beauty. Mendenhall Glacier and beautiful Mendenhall Lake are not to be missed on a trip to Juneau. At Mendenhall Glacier, there are picture postcard scenes like the one above.
Our bus picked us up at Mendenhall and dropped us off at the Mt. Roberts tramway which was the next part of our tour in Juneau. It’s a 5 minute ride to the 1,800 ft. level with breath-taking views of the Chilkat Mountains, the Gastineau Channel, downtown Juneau, Douglas Island and the highest peaks on Admiralty Island. There’s also a Visitor Centre, theatre, gift shop, restaurant, and espresso bar. We also saw a movie about the Tlingit way of life called “Seeing Daylight.”
There are hiking trails that can be taken from the top of Mount Roberts that offer opportunities for other wonderful sights. Being senior citizens, however, we were content with what we were able to do and see right in the area we were in. It’s a fascinating place to visit. There is an area where I saw a bald eagle who had been shot and was blind in one eye. That area up there is for disabled animals found in the wild.
In the above image, our cruise ship and another can be seen in the harbour in Juneau. Many cruise ships come into Juneau as it’s only possible to get there by see or air. Juneau is rather unusual among U.S. capitals (except Honolulu, Hawaii) in that there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America (although ferry service is available for cars). The absence of a road network is due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city. This in turn makes Juneau a de facto island city in terms of transportation, since all goods coming in and out must go by plane or boat, in spite of the city being located on the Alaskan mainland. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging 16 feet (5 m), below steep mountains about 3,500 feet (1,100 m) to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) high. (en.wikipedia.org)
In case I missed any important facts, here are some listed under traveljuneau.com
Coordinates: 58 N by134 W
Named in 1881, after gold prospector Joe Juneau; incorporated in 1900; designated the capital of Alaska in 1906
Area: 3,255 square miles; of this, only 14 square miles are urban
Population, as of 2014 census: 32,406
Climate: Pacific Temperate Rainforest
Main industries: government (state, federal and municipal), tourism, fishing, mining
KETCHIKAN
Our last stop before Vancouver was Ketchikan. We had good weather all the way through our cruise until Ketchikan. It was raining and the winds were high. My umbrella broke there. However, we braved the wind and the rain and did what others were doing. Many fellow cruisers were walking around looking at the shops there. I thought that the only shopping was in Juneau but my impression of Ketchikan is that the shopping there is even better.
Because it was raining there, we didn’t get to do as much as we might have done if the weather had been good. As you can see from the picture, Ketchikan has many buildings and seems to be a thriving place. We saw a shuttle bus as we walked along in the rain and decided to hop on it. We came off at a stop where there was a Totem Pole Museum. We paid $6.00 each to go in. It was a disappointment but we were sheltered from the bad weather while we were in there.
In the above image, you can see a road in the middle of the areas with trees on either side. I saw cars coming down there and believe people are living quite high up in the back there.
In this image, you can see the stairs that people have to climb to get up to that blue house.
This is what alaskainside.com has to say about Ketchikan.
A scenic town perched along the shores of southeast Alaska’s coastal mountains and surrounded by the protected waterways of the Inside Passage, Ketchikan is a popular cruise destination, as well as a wonderful spot for tourists who want to experience an Alaska vacation filled with wilderness and adventure. Such native cultural influences as the majestic totem poles can be seen on downtown streets, in local parks and museums. Ketchikan’s geographical location, in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, allows for almost 160 inches of rain each year. Rain, the locals will tell you, is why the fishing is unmatched, the trees are so green and the wildlife is abundant.
Kechikan is known for it’s totem poles and here are a few we saw there.
Ketchikan has over 80 Native American Poles and they are all over the city.
We were tempted to go and eat crabs at one of these restaurants near to the cruise ship dock. We didn’t see many people eating there though and changed our minds. We saw many sea planes as our cruise ship approached Ketchikan. Apparently many people go on sightseeing tours with these planes. Here is some information I found about this at ncl.com
Discover magnificent Misty Fjords National Monument in an impeccably maintained DeHavilland Beaver or Otter, the world’s most famous bush planes, with Ketchikan’s 5 Star Medallion Shield carrier. View some of the most spectacular scenery in Alaska from the comfort of your window seat. Enjoy your pilot’s narration with individual headsets on this once in a lifetime experience as you follow your flight route on the provided detailed map and guide. A highlight of your tour will be an exhilarating water landing where you can step out onto the pontoon with your pilot to enjoy the fresh mountain air, eagle calls, and breathtaking scenery.
What an Alaskan journey this has been. I wanted to finish this post before the week was up. Everything is still fresh in my mind and I’m still excited about the journey past. I would do this trip again for all the beauty I saw and all the learning I experienced. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to do this.
