Alaska!

Princess Cruise Lines 10-Day Denali Explorer - Tour CB3

Itinerary:
| 3 Nights on Land (Fairbanks, Denali) | Wilderness Rail Service to Whittier | 2 Days Scenic Cruising (Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park) | 3 Ports (Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan) | 1 Day At Sea | End at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |

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We have always planned on taking a trip to Alaska! For years, Stuart has heard how much Julie wanted to visit the places she learned about from her parents, who traveled the state of Alaska in their camper in the 1980s.

We had everything planned to go to Alaska in the summer of 2023, but decided to postpone our trip until 2024 due to the uncertainty about the recovery time after Stuart's planned open-heart surgery on April 27, 2023 (see HCM part 2: Surgery blog post for details). Our concerns about post surgery recovery time ended up being unfounded, since we ended up taking a wonderful 2023 vacation in Michigan with a lot of walking and bike riding (see our Summer Vacation 2023 blog post).

We want to thank Direct Travel Leisure Sales Advisor Mari Ann Casamatta (Office: 440-602-8050) for her assistance in finding the perfect cruise for us. We explained our interests, and she was able to find a cruisetour itinerary that worked with what we wanted to see on our first-time visit to the state of Alaska. This was also our first-time cruise experience, and throughout this blog post, we link to web pages and maps that were helpful in making the most of it. (Be sure to take a look at some of the websites we recommend that might be of interest to you if you are planning a trip to Alaska.) With Mari Ann's assistance, all the details for the air travel and the Princess Cruisetour were successfully rearranged from the trip we originally planned for August 2023 to this year's trip in June/July 2024.

It was on our cruisetour that we were told how large Alaska is as compared to the lower 48 states, but it was still hard to realize. We were always traveling across the state by bus, train, or ship during the cruisetour, but even after looking at maps, it was hard to visualize the distances within this huge state.

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This blog post describes our daily activities, followed by our photos and videos from each day. Our Princess Cruise Lines 10-Day Denali Explorer Alaska Cruisetour went from Sunday, June 23, 2024, through the morning of Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Our Alaska cruisetour included a three-day land journey, followed by the seven-day Alaska Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise on the Grand Princess^® ship. We also added an extra day to our journey on Thursday, July 4, 2024, to explore Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

 

Pre-Trip Fun & Preparation

In the final days before we left on our journey, we found the following two web pages fun to watch. We were able to track the location of the Grand Princess^®, and see a live view from the bridge. We found ourselves looking at these web pages several times a day, which added to our excitement and anticipation of the trip!

• Princess Bridge Cams

• CruiseDeckPlans.com website: Live Cruise Ship Tracking - Grand Princess

We figured out that, to make the most of your time when first boarding the ship, it is important to know your way around. We highly recommend looking over the following two web pages and noting the location of the activities that most interest you. We did this, and found that it helped us on our first days on board. In this blog post, we list the location of the events we attended while on the ship.

• Grand Princess® Deck Plan - Most of our activities took place on Decks 5, 6, 7, 14, 15. Other Princess ships' deck plans are also online.

• The CruiseDeckPlans.com website provides excellent deck plan images. We recommend printing the images out and putting a copy on your smartphone. Here is a link that generates a PDF file with the deck plans of the Grand Princess: https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/packgoprint-all.php?ship=Grand-Princess

Unless you are going to purchase onboard Internet access, we recommend having with you a smartphone map app that will work when offline. We used the Gaia GPS app. It is fun to see your location and the distances of sights along your journey. (Please note in our photos the GPS location information and distances from landmarks.)

 

 

Day 1: Sunday, June 23, 2024 - Travel Day

Our first day was a long, but exciting, day of travel! Our Alaska adventure was just beginning!

• Traveling though five time zones:
  Started our day at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport ● 8:41 am Eastern Daylight Time
  → Flight layover in Chicago at O'Hare International Airport ● 11:03 am - 3:45 pm Central Daylight Time
  → Fly over both Mountain Daylight Time and Pacific Daylight Time
  → Landed at Fairbanks International Airport ● 7:42 pm Alaska Daylight Time

   
  

• 8:41 pm Alaska Daylight Time (which is 12:41 am Eastern Daylight Time) arrived at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge (1 night)
  4477 Pikes Landing Road
  Fairbanks, AK 99709
  (907) 455-4477
  https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/fairbanks-lodge/

  If you’re searching for authentic hotels in Fairbanks, Alaska, look no further. Princess’ Fairbanks Riverside Lodge is the answer. Fairbanks was founded by miners consumed with the gold fever that swept Alaska at the turn of the century. As gateway to Alaska’s rugged interior, Fairbanks is where the real Alaska begins — the Alaska of the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. Here, at the edge of Alaska’s vast wilderness frontier, is a haven of warm service and exceptional comfort — the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
  
  The most refined hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska is also its best situated. Ideally located just minutes from the Fairbanks International Airport and Alaska Railroad depot. The property is also convenient to the downtown area and the University of Alaska Fairbanks as well as popular attractions such as Gold Dredge #8, the Riverboat Discovery, and Pioneer Park.

Our Travel Day Photos

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Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 2: Monday, June 24, 2024 - Riverboat Day

• 5:32 am - We started our day at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. 6:30 am - We placed our suitcases in the hall, from where they would be delivered to our room at our evening destination.

• 6:52 am - As we walked around the grounds of the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, we saw a beaver swimming in the Chena River, dragging a tree branch in its mouth.

• We learned that the strong smell in the air was from a nearby forest fire! We had to go indoors, since the air quality was so poor. 7:04 am - Stuart added the GAIA GPS app Wildfires (Current) overlay map and learned that there was one fire approximately 19.6 miles away, and a second, larger fire 35.6 miles away. (See GAIA GPS wildfire maps in our photos.)

  From the bus driver who took us to the Riverboat Discovery, we learned about the UAFSMOKE Wildfire Smoke Prediction for Alaska smoke.alaska.edu website, which showed a huge fire east of Fairbanks, Alaska (see UAFSMOKE wildfire maps in our photos).

• Riverboat Discovery 8:45 am to 12:45 pm - We highly recommend looking at the RiverBoatDiscovery.com website to learn more about the Trail Breaker Kennel of four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, and the Chena Village Living Museum that are part of the Riverboat Discovery tour. We also enjoyed eating the complimentary homemade blueberry donuts that were served during the cruise along the Chena River on a real sternwheel riverboat.

  We were very impressed with this introduction to Alaska's history and culture. It made us look forward to learning even more on our first-time journey in this state.

  The Riverboat Discovery Cruise Board an authentic sternwheeler for a fully narrated 3-hour cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers. See a bush pilot's demonstration, watch a fish wheel in operation and see the "Wedding of the Rivers," where the Chena and Tanana rivers converge. Alaska Native guides take you ashore at an authentic Athabascan village where you experience traditional Native lifestyles, enjoy the work of an Athabascan beadwork artist, and meet dogs from Susan Butcher's kennels. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes each way.

  RIVERBOAT DISCOVERY . . . Apr 3, 2013
  The Riverboat Discovery a historic sternwheel riverboat tour, on the interior waterways of Alaska.

   
  

• Motorcoach: Fairbanks Riverboat To Denali 1:00 pm to 3:33 pm - It was a very enjoyable bus trip, complete with narration. Stuart saw a mother moose with its child during the bus trip.

• 3:33 pm - Our room was in the Caribou Ridge Building A of the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge (1st of 2 Nights)
  Mile 238.5 George Parks Hwy
  Denali National Park, AK 99755
  Telephone: (907) 683-2282
  https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/denali-lodge/

  You haven’t fully experienced Alaska unless you’ve been to Denali National Park. Its boundaries encompass an impressive six million acres — the size of the state of Massachusetts. Home to Denali, North America’s highest peak towers an unbelievable 20,310 feet in the sky. The Park hosts an array of wildlife from moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears to gray wolves and red foxes.
  
  The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is the closest and most comfortable place to stay when visiting the park. The entrance to Denali National Park is located only a mile from our front door. With an expansive deck overlooking the Nenana River with views into the park, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is the ideal spot to relax, visit with friends, and savor the exquisite landscape.

• The official Princess Cruisetour schedule called for an "Afternoon At Leisure," so we explored the extensive grounds and browsed the specialty stores of the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

• 5:16 pm - Dinner at Fannie Q’s Saloon, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

  Named for Fannie Quigley, a famous Alaskan prospector, trapper, and cook, Fannie Q’s Saloon features locally-inspired dishes in a modern saloon setting.

Our Riverboat Discovery Day Photos

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Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 3: Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Denali Day

More than a Mountain
Denali is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, 20,310' Denali. Wild animals large and small roam un-fenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await.

• At 4:30 am, we started our day. The temperature outside was 47°F.

• 5:30 am to 9:38 am - Denali Park Natural History Tour

  Morning Natural History Tour Glimpse the epic sweep of Denali National Park on this guided tour that travels 30 miles to the Teklanika River. Hear about the history and culture that surrounds you at a Living History presentation while visiting Savage Cabin. Find out about the local native culture and their stories at Primrose Ridge. The tour is approximately 5 hours in duration and includes a bottled water. Due to Park Service regulations, school buses are used. The buses do not have restrooms; however, rest stops are made approximately every 90 minutes. Please check your Welcome Envelope upon arrival for your exact departure time and tour number.

  Stuart saw a moose during the bus ride entering the park
  → 5:44 am Introductory film at the Denali Bus Depot
  → 6:51 am Unplanned bus stop, since Mount Denali became visible! We were told that seeing the mountain is extremely rare!!!
  → 7:07 am Tour group walked on the Savage Cabin Interpretive Loop Trail.
  → 8:16 am Learned from native Alaskan named James about his family's and ancestors' way of living in Alaska's wilderness. While listening to James, we had more incredible views of Mount Denali. We were very fortunate to be able to clearly see the top of this highest mountain in North America!!
  → 9:04 am We saw the Alaska State Bird (both mother and chicks), the willow ptarmigan, as we rode through the park.
  → At the end of tour, our driver gave us a great booklet entitled Denali National Park And Preserve: Preservation in Times of Change, published by Alaska Geographic.
  → 9:38 am We returned to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

• 10:30 am - We took a free shuttle bus provided by Princess to the excellent Denali Vistor Center and then an additional free park shuttle bus to the Denali Sled Dog Kennels. "As the visitor center and other facilities are somewhat spread out, these free buses eliminate excess traffic, confusion, and parking challenges. All shuttles operate daily in summer and are wheelchair accessible."

   

  Here are two official National Park Service videos that we watched at the Denali Vistor Center -- be sure to view these videos in full screen view to fully appreciate the incredible sights of this national park!

  A video about Denali through the seasons, entitled Heartbeats of Denali (18 minutes, 34 seconds):

  
  We recommend viewing official National Park Service videos in full screen mode.

  A video about the Denali Park sled dogs, entitled The True Heart of Winter (21 minutes, 31 seconds):

  
  We recommend viewing official National Park Service videos in full screen mode.

• 4:44 pm to 8:45 pm - We returned to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge to enjoy exploring its paths, stores, food, and sights.

• 6:11 pm - Pizza dinner at Lynx Creek Pizza & Pub, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

• Caribou Ridge Building A of the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge (2nd of 2 Nights)
  Mile 238.5 George Parks Hwy
  Denali National Park, AK 99755
  Telephone: (907) 683-2282
  https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/denali-lodge/

Our Denali National Park Day Photos

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Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 4: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Scenic Train Day & Boarding the Grand Princess^®

 

• At 4:45 am, we started our day. Temperature 49°F and partly cloudy. At 6:00 am, we placed our suitcases in the hall outside of our room to be sent to our stateroom on the ship.

• 7:52 am - Bus Transfer: Lodge To Rail Depot

• 8:11 am to 6:20 pm - Rail: Denali To Whittier

  Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service: Denali to Whittier Your travel time to Whittier is approximately 9 1/4 hours (295 miles) with the train scheduled to depart Denali National Park at 8:15 a.m. and arrive in Whittier at 6:00 p.m. Please have your cruise documents and passport in your possession and ready for your arrival in Whittier. Also, please note that luggage storage on the train is limited to the area immediately beneath your feet. Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase while on the train. Smoking is prohibited in the train cars and the outdoor viewing platforms.

  We had a second day of unusually clear skies, so we were able to see Mount Denali from several different angles during the day as the train traveled south!!! We were told that only 10% of visitors to this area ever see the top of Denali. (We are now official members of the "10% Club.") This was our second day seeing this rare sight!!!

  The three highest mountains we saw from the train viewing right to left were:

  • Mt. Denali (formerly called Mount McKinley) - "Great One" - Father of Alaska Range - at 20,320 feet is the tallest mountain in North America.
  • Mt. Hunter (Begguya) - Denali's child - Child of Alaska Range - 14,573 feet.
  • Mt. Foraker - Denali's wife - Mother of Alaska Range - 17,402 feet.

  Lunch on the train included reindeer chili with sweet cornbread for $15. In addition to our reserved seats in the glass-domed top level of the train, and a dining area on the lower level, the train had an open-air viewing area on the lower level, which was a great place to experience the amazing Alaskan train ride. In addition to the incredible views of the mountains and rivers, we saw many bald eagles from the train.

• The scenic train trip ended with a trip underground through the 2.5-mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel ("A Controlled One-Lane Tunnel with Alternating Train and Vehicle Use"), which opened up to a view of the port of Whittier, Alaska. (Whittier is approximately 60.6 miles southeast of Anchorage.) The Alaska Railroad - Whittier Depot is right across the street from the Whittier Cruise Ship Terminal. Once through security, we entered the Grand Princess^® and went to our stateroom on Baja Deck 11 (starboard). Stateroom B641 would be our home base for the next seven nights.

• Our stateroom door automatically unlocked, and the door message board had a welcome message as we approached, since we had our Princess MedallionClass wearable devices around our necks on landyards. Throughout the seven-day cruise, a "Happy Anniversary" message would show on the computer portals around the ship whenever we got close to a portal. (Before you set sail, be sure to read about how the Princess MedallionClass^® Device and the related Princess^® Cruises App work.)

• We celebrated our first night on the ship with fine dining in the Michelangelo Dining Room (midship, Plaza Deck 5)

Photos of Our Scenic Train Day & Boarding the Grand Princess^®

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Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 5: Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Hubbard Glacier Day

• 9:00 am - We attended a "Welcome to Alaska" talk with naturalist and retired forest ranger Pete Griffin. (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward)

• 11:00 am - "Welcome to Princess Event" with Cruise Director Kevin Tugwell and Assistant Cruise Director William Bester. (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward)

• 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Hubbard Glacier Scenic Cruising

   
  

• 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm - "Live Commentary from the Navigational Bridge with Naturalist Pete Griffin." Our first glacier! We enjoyed the view with our binoculars from the bow of the ship on Sports Deck 16. We learned that the Hubbard Glacier is 76 miles long.

• Formal Night
  Get Fancy - tonight's formal night! We can't mait to the you all dressed up in our dining venues and around the ship.

• 8:00 pm - Captain's "Champagne Waterfall Party" in The Piazza (midship, Plaza Deck 5) and live music.

• 9:30 pm - Production Show: "Sweet Soul Music" (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward)

Our Hubbard Glacier Day Photos

We recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 6: Friday, June 28, 2024 - Glacier Bay Day

• 8:00 am - Outdoor whale watching from the bow on the Deck 8 promenade with naturalist Pete Griffin. Warm coat, warm hat, and binoculars were a must! We saw orcas (killer whales), sea otters, and whales!

• 9:15 am to 7:30 pm - Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising

• Be sure to see information on the Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve's Cruise Ships in Glacier Bay web page and the park map on the Typical Cruise Ship Route in Glacier Bay web page:

  What to Expect
  
  ● You will receive a copy of the park map/guide in your stateroom the evening before your arrival in Glacier Bay.
  
  ● Cruise ships typically spend a full day (9-10 hours) in Glacier Bay including a stop at a major tidewater glacier.
  
  ● National Park Service park rangers board the ship to provide a narrative about important aspects of the visit, give special presentations about the park, kid's activities, staff an information desk, and answer all of your questions.
  
  ● Note: Cruise ships do not dock anywhere in Glacier Bay National Park.
  
  ● Check out our Glacier Bay cruise ship visitor "insider's guide" to learn more and get the most out of your park visit.
  
  Park rangers set up a information desk while on board ship in a primary viewing lounge. Plan to stop by and see us to learn more about your park. At the desk you can find:
  
  ● A park ranger that will answer all of your Glacier Bay questions
  
  ● Yes, we bring the national park service passport book cancellation stamp on board with us!
  
  ● An Alaska Geographic bookstore with park publications, maps and other media
  
  ● A variety of displays, and hands-on materials to enhance your visit and connect to the amazing world of Glacier Bay.

  We highly recommend viewing this official National Park Service video (5 minutes, 28 seconds) that we found (along with other videos) while writing this blog post, since it tells how to prepare for the day: Enjoy Your Glacier Bay Cruise Visit

  
  We recommend viewing official National Park Service videos in full screen mode.

• 10:00 am - Glacier Bay National Park ranger talk: "Glacier Bay Migration."

• 11:20 am - We listened to the commentary by a National Park ranger, broadcast to our stateroom TV, while we viewed the wilderness from our balcony (starboard view, Baja Deck 11). We had very unusual, sunny weather for Alaska, as we saw whales, many sea otters, harbor seals sitting on a floating piece of ice, and bald eagles flying by our stateroom balcony. 15,000-foot mountains rose out of the ocean along some of the largest coastal waters in the world. We learned that the winter snow here gets very high, and that a glacier is a "river of ice."

• 12:45 pm - The captain had the ship stay for one hour and make a 360-degree turn in the Tar Inlet, where we saw the Grand Pacific Glacier and the Margerie Glacier. During this hour, we then enjoyed lunch with more incredible views of these two glaciers from the Horizon Court buffet (starboard, aft, Lido Deck 14).

   
  

• We saw the large, portable Glacier Bay National Park display and the Alaska Geographic bookstore that the rangers set up in The One5 Lounge & Nightclub (aft, Sun Deck 15).

• We attended the talk by Alaskan photographer and author Nick Jans (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

• 6:45 - "Living Off the Land" presentation by retired forest ranger Pete Griffin (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

• 7:33 pm - We saw more whales!!

• 8:30 pm - "Laugh Lounge" show: "Vocal Impressionist Jason Neistadt: Back with a brand new show" (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

• 9:30 pm - Production Show: "British Invasion" - We loved watching the Princess performers sing and dance to the music of The Beatles, Queen, Elton John, Petula Clark, and more! (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward).

• Late-night dancing at The One5 Lounge & Nightclub (aft, Sun Deck 15).

Our Glacier Bay Day Photos

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Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 7: Saturday, June 29, 2024 - Shore Excursion: "To The Klondike Summit" & Skagway Day

• Skagway, Alaska - Arrive 7:00 am, Depart 8:30 pm

• 8:25 am - Bus tour "To The Klondike Summit" - This was a beautiful ride to the Canada border and back to Skagway.

  The large picture windows of your minibus afford spectacular views as you travel through historic Skagway, and along the Klondike Highway to the West White Pass summit in the St. Elias Mountains. Driving along the Klondike Highway, you travel one of North America's most scenic mountain roads, paralleling the historic White Pass railroad into the interior. The past comes alive as your guide imparts a century's worth of White Pass stories and identifies numerous glaciers and peaks.
  
  There are plenty of sights along the way, including Dead Horse Trail, the old Brackett Wagon Road, Pitchfork Falls and Moore Bridge. Thrilling views from every angle await when you reach the summit at a lofty of 3,290 feet. The pristine air invigorates you and the vast silence is broken only by the sound of the wind blowing across the moonscape of rock and foliage.
  
  Special Notes: This tour crosses the US border and all guests must carry a passport or other WHTI compliant document.

   
  

• While exploring the town of Skagway on our own, we walked on its charming wooden sidewalks, watched the cars of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad (Alaska’s Scenic Railway of the World) go through town, and enjoyed the historic buildings.

  • At the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center, we watched a 25-minute film Gold Fever: Race to the Klondike, and attended a ranger talk about the Buffalo Soldiers, which included information about the YMCA's stance for racial equality in 1900. Stuart talked to the ranger after her presentation about how he learned while working at the YWCA of Greater Cleveland that the national YWCA includes "eliminating racism" as part of their current mission statement. The YWCA has an interesting history of commitment to racial justice that Stuart thought would interest the ranger.

    
    We recommend viewing official National Park Service videos in full screen mode.

  • We visited the Chilkoot Trail Center to learn about this 33-mile National Historic Trail that is maintained cooperatively with Parks Canada and the National Park Service.

    
    
    We recommend viewing these two official National Park Service videos in full screen mode.

• 4:30 pm - Steve Hites: "North to Alaska" show - musical Alaskan history (Explorers Lounge, midship, Promenade Deck 7).

• 5:30 pm - "Puppies in the Piazza" - sled dog puppies visit the ship (view The Piazza, midship, Decks 7,6,5).

• 8:30 pm - "A Night at the Klondike" - dance show (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

Our Skagway Day Photos

We recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 8: Sunday, June 30, 2024 - Shore Excursion: "Mendenhall Glacier Explorer" & Tour Juneau Day

• 6:30 am to 4:00 pm - A day in Juneau.

• 8:26 am to 11:40 am - Double-decker bus tour "Mendenhall Glacier Explorer"

  Embark on a 3-hour excursion offering the most time (2 hours) at Juneau's marquee attraction, the famous Mendenhall Glacier, which includes entry to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. No visit to Juneau is complete without a close-up look at the Mendenhall Glacier. Alaska's most famous and most visited glacier, located just 12 miles from downtown, is protected as part of the 5,815-acre Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Upon arrival at the glacier, your guide will point out the areas of special interest and self-guided trails through Tongass National Forest. The ample visiting time allows for an unhurried exploration of this icy wonder from a variety of perspectives, which might include a walk out to the base of the extraordinary Nugget Creek Falls. Visit scenic Photo Point Trail, which winds along Mendenhall Lake for an unobstructed view of the glacier's face. Stop at the Visitor Center for an elevated view of the glacier and a look at the interactive exhibits, and informative displays that showcase the awesome force of glaciers before the return trip to Juneau.
  
  Special Notes: All entry fees included. Tour operator is authorized under special use permit to access the Tongass National Forest. Does not include walking on the glacier. Visit at the glacier is self-guided as your driver is not permitted to conduct tours.

  8:34 am - We saw three bald eagles as the bus drove through Juneau, Alaska. The driver told us that there are 13,000 to 15,000 bald eagles in the Juneau area. At the US Forest Service Mendenhall Glacier Interpretive Visitor Center, we learned that 38 major glaciers originate in the Juneau ice field. The Mendenhall Glacier starts approximately 34 miles up from its end point. From Photo Point, we enjoyed seeing not only the Mendenhall Glacier, but also the view of Nugget Falls. We were fortunate to also see many arctic terns, since it was their nesting season.

  Julie took a short walk by herself on the Steep Creek Trail. She said that it was a little bit scary, since our bus driver had told us that bears were seen there the day before! (While writing this blog post we found an Alaska Department of Fish and Game web page that lists Steep Creek as a bear viewing area.)

  Please click here to open the official Forest Service Alaska Region brochure for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (PDF file 1.1MB will open in a new browser window). The brochure includes a trail map, but to view the map only, click on the image below:

  
  Enlarge Map

   
  

• 11:40 pm to 1:45 pm - We toured Juneau, Alaska, on our own, visiting shops and seeing the sights, including the Goldbelt Tram, float planes, and the Patsy Ann statue. Julie was familiar with the story of Patsy Ann, an English Bull Terrier who was dubbed the “Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska” in 1934. Juneau's waterfront had a lot of wonderful public art, which included totem poles and Aquilean Whale Tail sculptures. Julie's Fitbit step counter indicated that we walked over four miles at the Mendenhall Glacier area and in Juneau!

• Second "Formal Night."

• 7:20 pm - We again listened to the naturalist on our stateroom TV as he talkled from the bridge, while we viewed whales and other sights from our stateroom balcony (starboard view Baja Deck 11). Later, we watched whales from the port side of the ship on Lido Deck 14.

• 8:45 pm - "Laugh Lounge: Comedian Nikki Carr" (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

• 9:30 pm - "Showtime: Comedy Magic with Kyle Marlett" (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward).

• 10:30 pm - "Dancing through the Decades" show (Explorers Lounge, midship, Promenade Deck 7).

Our Juneau Day Photos

We recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to see maps and facts that are in the slides!!

 

 

Day 9: Monday, July 1, 2024 - Shore Excursion: "Totem Bight State Park & Ketchikan Highlights" & Tour Ketchikan Day

July 1st was celebrated in Canada (and on our ship) as "Canada Day"

• 10:00 am to 6:00 pm - Ketchikan

• 9:10 am - "Voyage to the Stars" - We entered the Princess Theater (Fiesta Deck 6) at the starboard side doors to watch a fun planetarium show on the stage of the theater.

  The planetarium show will be presented in an inflatable dome. Seating is on the floor in the planetarium where we will look up into the projected sky above you.
  
  In the 15-minute show you will explore some mysteries yet unsolved and some recent discoveries that may even help us find life in some surprising places.

• 10:53 am to 2:00 pm - We learned about Ketchikan, Alaska, and then visited the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Totem Bight State Historical Park on yet another fun bus tour.

  Points of Interest

  • Creek Street
  • Totem Bight State Park

  Shopping Opportunities, Includes snack, Easy activity

  . . .

  This two-and-a-half hour guided tour brings you the highlights of Ketchikan as well as showing you some of the more colorful traditions of Native Alaskan culture. You'll depart your ship for a scenic motorcoach ride around the city. Along the way you'll see Alaska's busiest waterfront, bustling with floatplanes and boats; drive by infamous Creek Street, Ketchikan's former red-light district during the Gold Rush; and travel along beautiful North Tongass Highway, passing salmon canneries and a pulp mill that was once the largest of its kind in the world. Then, you'll visit Totem Bight State Park for a glimpse into the native Tlingit and Haida Indian cultures. You'll see 14 colorful, traditional totem poles, each one telling its own fascinating story. Then, you'll visit a replica of a 19th century clan house where you'll learn more about Native Alaskan society.
  
  Special Notes: Tour operator is authorized under special use permit to conduct tours in the Tongass National Forest.
  
  Snack: Cookies

  On our tour, we learned that Ketchikan is on an island (Revillagigedo Island), and that all vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, etc.) must be brought here by ship -- there are no roads that lead to Ketchikan!! We were told how airplanes are a major part of the travel system in Alaska, and because of this, one out of 50 people in Alaska have their pilot's license. Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, reports that "Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles . . ." Our driver/tour guide, Chance, did an excellent job of explaining the significance and history of the totem poles and clan house that we saw at Totem Bight State Historical Park (brochure and totem pole guide with useful information is available on the park's web page). Note: "... a bight is a concave bend or curvature in a coastline, river or other geographical feature . . ."

  Ketchikan Alaska | Totem Bight State Park | Princess Cruises
  . . . Apr 28, 2020 #princesscruises #alaskacruise
  Set amidst the peaceful forest, the park is home to 14 totem poles, each telling their own story, and a replica of a 19th-century clan house, offering a look into the Tlingit and Haida Native Alaskan cultures.

• After lunch on the ship, we explored Ketchikan, Alaska, on foot. Like the town of Skagway, Ketchikan also has wooden sidewalks. Near Creek Street, we saw harbor seals swimming below us. Along Creek Street, we learned of stories of the working women ". . . of Ketchikan's notorious red light district where both fish and men came upstream to spawn ... the fish once, many of the men repeatedly." The Ketchikan Salmon Walk led from Creek Street to Married Man's Trail, where we then saw a fish ladder that assists the salmon in going upstream. We then went down to "The Rock," the famous "Ketchikan Sign," and then to Eagle Park (see photo of Julie spreading her arms like the Thundering Wings eagle).

  A monument to Ketchikan's heritage, The Rock tells the story of how Alaska's First City came to be. Six of the seven figures ;on the sculpture represents a prominent archetype in the city's history—a fisherman, a minor, a logger, a bush pilot, a frontierswoman, a Native drummer. The seventh represents an actual historical figure—Chief Johnson, a Tlingit who stands on top of The Rock, symbolizing the fact that his people were the first to make their home in SE Alaska.

  Visit Ketchikan YouTube video

   
  

• 7:30 pm - Production Show: "Born to Dance" (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward).

  "Born to Dance" is a feel-good story that draws you into the world of professional dancers. It's about passion and dedication and putting the work in - all in the quest to make it.

• 8:30 pm - Princess World Orchestra in The Piazza (midship, Plaza Deck 5).

• 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm - "Canada Day Celebration Hour" - An hour of "pure Canadian music" and dancing in The Piazza (midship, Plaza Deck 5).

• This was the first night that it actually got dark outside, since the ship had gone far enough south of the Arctic Circle.

Ketchikan Day and Canada Day Celebration Photos

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Day 10: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 - At Sea
(The last night on the Grand Princess^®!)

• Ship time changed from Alaska Daylight Time to Pacific Daylight Time as we traveled south along the coast from the United States to Canadian waters.

• Swimming: Neptune's Reef & Pool (the location of "Movies Under The Stars") and Calypso Reef & Pool (midship, Lido Deck 14).

• 3:30 pm - "Grand Princess Farewell Variety Show" (Princess Theater, Fiesta Deck 6, forward).

• 7:30 pm - Laugh Lounge: Comedian Gary Delena (Vista Lounge, aft, Promenade Deck 7).

• In honor of our last night at sea, we walked the perimeter of the ship (1/3 of a mile) outside on the promenade (Promenade Deck 7 and Emerald Deck 8 in the bow). Throughout our journey, we used the GAIA GPS map app to look at our location, since it works well offline (we did not sign up for the Internet service offered on the ship). While on the bow of the ship, we talked to a crew member who told us about two websites for tracking the location of cruise ships:

  ● CruiseMapper.com - "CruiseMapper is a website that offers information and updates on cruise ships, itineraries, schedules, deck plans, cabins, accidents and incidents. You can select and track any cruise line, river cruise or ferry from a list of options."

  ● MarineTraffic.com - "MarineTraffic Live Ships Map. Discover information and vessel positions for vessels around the world. Search the MarineTraffic ships database of more than 550000 active and decommissioned vessels. Search for popular ships globally. Find locations of ports and ships using the near Real Time ships map."

• 9:00 pm - We packed our luggage and put it in the hall to be taken off the ship in the morning at the port in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

• 9:30 pm - "Farewell Party in the Piazza" - Dancing!!! (midship, Plaza Deck 5).

• At 10:29 pm Pacific Daylight Time (9:29 pm Alaska Daylight Time), we noticed that it was already dark outside. Now that we had traveled over 2,000 miles south from Fairbanks by bus, train, and ship, it actually was getting dark in the evening. We enjoyed eating our desserts on our stateroom balcony while we took in the nighttime ocean view for our last night on the ship (starboard view, Baja Deck 11). It is interesting to note that Stuart saw over eight weather balloons floating in the night sky.

Our Day at Sea Photos

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Days 11 through 13: Wednesday-Friday, July 3-5, 2024 - Extra Days in Vancouver & Overnight Flight to Cleveland

• July 3rd, 10:00 am - Left ship (we were in the last group allowed to leave the ship) and went through customs to enter Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

• On July 3rd, we took the Hop-On, Hop-Off Vancouver tour bus. We explored:
  
  → Stop 5: Stanley Park - We saw beautiful gardens, the Stanley Park Railway Miniature Train, a sea lion, a children's water park, the SS Empress of Japan Figurehead, the Girl in Wetsuit statue, and the Vancouver Aquarium.
  
  → Stop 8: Granville Island with marina and huge public market.
  
  → Stop 14: Gastown Steam Clock - "A working steam clock, one of only a few in the world, located in Vancouver's Victorian Gastown."

  "A Live Hop Map" that shows the location of the buses in Vancouver can be found at: http://hopmap.ca

  Please click on the following image to open in a new browser window, and then download the 2024 Vancouver Hop-On, Hop-Off Map and Tours + Attractions brochure PDF file (14.9MB). Once you have downloaded it, you should enlarge the map -- there is an incredible amount of detail about the places to see in Vancouver.

  
  Open 2024 Vancouver Hop-On, Hop-Off Map PDF file (14.9MB) in new browser window.

• On July 4th, we explored the parks along the Vancouver waterfront and saw The Drop sculpture, Harbour Air seaplanes, Harbour Green Park's Spray Park, the Wind Wheel Mobile ("The Asbestos Memorial Honouring the Victims of Asbestos Exposure"), the Olympic Cauldron, the Digital Orca sculpture ("A pixel art killer whale is frozen mid-leap in this Vancouver square."), and more! We enjoyed all the great things we saw in Vancouver, but it did feel strange to be be outside of the United States on the Fourth of July!

   
  

• We found it surprising that United States customs was handled at the Vancouver airport. So, on July 4th, at 8:49 pm, we officially entered the United States while still within a Canadian airport.

• On July 4th, we left Vancouver and traveled by airplane though four time zones overnight, to return to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on the morning of July 5th.

Our Vancouver & Flight Photos

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Related Blog Posts

We always like to include a list of related blog posts that may be of interest to the readers of this blog post, so here are our past "Travel" blog posts:

• Blog Date: October 26, 2023 - Norman Rockwell Museum - Amazing Original Art

• Blog Date: September 7, 2023 - Summer Vacation 2023: South Haven, Michigan and Merry-Go-Round Museum

  . . . Originally, we had planned a trip to Alaska for August 2023 that we decided to cancel due to the uncertainty about Stuart's recovery following his surgery. We thought it was best to make our 2023 vacation within a day's drive from our home. . . .
  
  Please see our three Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy blog posts to learn how Stuart went from not being able to walk up two steps without being completely winded, to his current status of being fully recovered. [hiking on the Buckeye Trai and preparing to backpack on the Appalachian Trail] . . . We were sad to have to postpone our Alaska trip, since it has been a dream of Julie's for as long as Stuart has known her, but this week, we have already begun planning an Alaska adventure for 2024!

• Blog Date: September 23, 2021 - Spur-of-the-Moment Trip South

• Blog Date: August 17, 2021 - After Backpacking Adventure: Exploring Appalachian Trail Highlights & New York Water Destinations

• Blog Date: August 17, 2021 - Before Backpacking Adventure: Hershey’s Chocolate World & Knoebels Amusement Resort

• Blog Date: March 31, 2021 - Rockin' Hocking Hills

• Blog Date: November 10, 2019 - From Waterfalls to Wilderness Workshops

• Blog Date: March 18, 2019 - Family Train Day: Touring the Warther Museum and Dennison Depot Museum

• Blog Date: July 15, 2018 - Michigan Journey: Mackinaw -> Mackinac -> Frankenmuth

This blog post about our Alaska cruisetour is our tenth "Travel" blog post. We hope you enjoyed learning about our travels to the largest state in the United States. It was a very different and fascinating experience for us! Watch for future blog posts about our local activities and travels.