North to Alaska

This summer, we went on a cruise to Alaska.  It was our first cruise.  And while I wouldn't rush back to take another cruise and will be very selective regarding location if we take a cruise again, it was the perfect way to see the sites on our way from Vancouver to Anchorage.  The fact that you can't get to Juneau by road is just part of the reason to travel here via cruise.

Alaska is stunningly beautiful.  The air is clear, the skies in late June only got as dark as the picture here, which I could really get used to.  Fortunately the curtains in our room were very good at blocking out the light so it didn't impact sleeping.  Since I can sleep most places, that might not have bothered me, but glad we didn't have to test it.

We had fantastic weather until the end when we were in Denali National Park and the mountain did not show its face for a second.  But that's how it goes with travel.

Our excursions off the boat included kayaking in the ocean near Ketchikan (fantastic), hiking in Juneau (also fantastic), and a jeep ride into the Yukon from Skagway (slightly less fantastic … two jeeps broke down, the off road part was not terribly exciting, but on the positive side, we saw two bears and got to go to the Yukon).  I purposefully picked excursions with a some physical activity involved.  Never being on a cruise, I wasn't sure how much activity this trip was going to provide but I was pretty sure that there would be a lot of food.  The activities were great, and with a couple of visits to the gym combined with walks around the deck, I kept active and felt a little less guilty for enjoying dessert after dinner!

The towns of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway were nice to wander around and I had fantastic fish for lunch in Juneau and Skagway.  I had Halibut tacos in Juneau that I am still dreaming of.  The fish was so fresh and the tacos so creative and tasty, I would go back just to have them again!

Without much difficulty (thanks to the internet), I managed to find yarn stores in all of our ports.  In Juneau, I bought Alaska-themed fingering from Blue Moon Fibre Arts and some fabric with Alaskan motifs at the fabric store next door.

In Skagway, after much deliberation, I bought a skein of Qiviut fingering which was not inexpensive but the cowl that I've essentially finished is so soft that I almost can't wait for winter so that I can wear it … emphasis on the word almost.

The main benefit of going to Alaska on a cruise was the trip into Glacier Bay National Park and the College Fjords.  Breathtaking.  Our ship is one of the ones allowed to go right into both of these areas so the views were stunning.  It is so difficult to describe.  And to see these properly, you need to be on a boat.

So the trip north to Alaska was well worth the money.  I would love to go back and spend some time in one of the villages or at a camp in the bush.  I've added that to my very long places to go list.