Seattle and Environs

We only had a day and a half in Seattle, but we made the most of it enjoying the Seattle Center including the Space Needle, Monorail and the Chihuly Garden and Glass; the Public Market with all of its fresh produce, fish and flowers; the Future of Flight Museum and the Boeing Plant in Everett; and ending the day driving about 2,000 feet up Mt. Rainer.  All in the most beautiful weather imaginable.

Enjoy.



Photo-video: Elaine Beaudoin

Best for History and Culture

In an article in the AAA magazine this month, it rates the Skagway White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad as the Best for History and Culture of the land excursions available during the Inside Passage trip.

It reads:
From 1897 to 1899, Skagway boomed with prospectors trekking to the Klondike gold fields.  Today, historic buildings, including rehabilitated storefronts painted in Victorian rainbow hues, line the town's wooden boardwalks.

Ranger-led walking tours of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical park explore the Skagway founding family's 1887 frontier cabin and exhibits of 1890s life. The Skagway Museum reveals tales of the town's infamous bully and con man, "Soapy" Smith.

Skagway's must-do treat is a ride on the 19th-century White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, climbing 2,865 feet above sea level.  Sit inside vintage cars or stand on outside platforms as the train slices through glistening snowfields before crossing dizzying trestle bridges and isolated mountain passes. The narrow-gauge train once transported miners from Skagway to Bennett. Visitors can learn more about them in the tiny but intriguing Trail of '98 Museum.

Source:  AAALiving, March/April 2012, pg. 29.

Take Time to See the Sights

Advice from Alaska Cruise Tours Online:

If you spend only one night at a land location, you will find yourself rushed through the various sights, and will feel as though you didn't get an adequate chance to explore. Don't overbook your shore tours. Allow yourself plenty of time to explore on your own, do some shopping, or just relax.

Taking too many excursions in a port will likely leave you feeling as though you missed something. Tours often take longer than scheduled, so allow at least 1-1/2 hours between excursions. Book your shore excursions early. Some cruise lines allow you to book your shore excursions some time before your cruise begins. Take advantage of this to avoid long lines and disappointments.

It is especially important to do so with excursions that have strictly limited participation, such as those that involve flight-seeing. Seek out tours not promoted by the cruise line. You are not limited in your choices of excursions to just those offered by your cruise line. Often, you can find something that will be much more to your liking than the standard options. Get on the web and do your own research.

Land Tours

There are many land tours which are not connected with a specific cruise line.  And, often the price is lower than what you might get if you book through the cruise line.  However, the tours need to be compared as they do not all cover the same itinerary.  Some individual land tours that sound interesting have been listed on this blog.  But, there are many more. 

Be sure to take a look at some of these tour groups and tour sites for ideas: 

Shore Excursions Group

Alaska org - Juneau
Alaska org - Skagway
Alaskan Tours - Juneau
Alaskan Tours - Skagway
Day Tours in Victoria

Glacier Discovery

Helicopter Glacier Discovery 

Leave all traces of civilization behind and experience the infinite beauty of Alaska's remote glaciers.

Lift off from the historic Skagway waterfront and head into a rugged region of sheer mountains, majestic valleys and massive glaciers. Jagged peaks towering over the Chilkat Glacier, cascading waterfalls, surrounding the Ferebee Glacier, or the spectacular river of ice known as the Meade Glacier, may be among the wonders you encounter.

Flight routes and landing zones are selected daily to ensure that you receive the best that the area has to offer. Once you have reached your destination, you will be given the rare opportunity to explore one of Mother Nature's greatest marvels. Enjoy the walking tour of a lifetime as our experienced glacier guides answer all of your questions and show you examples of the awesome forces of nature at work.

Tour includes approximately 40 minutes in the aircraft and 40 minutes on the glacier. Times will vary due to weather and glacier conditions. Space is limited.

Cost: $321.00 per person

Source: Shore Excursions Group

Skagway and White Pass Land Tour

Skagway City and White Pass Summit 

The highlight of your Alaskan experience will begin with a guided mini-coach tour of Skagway’s Historic District. Your guide will explain why Skagway was known as the toughest town on earth during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-99. You will visit historic points of interest such as the Klondike Gold Rush Cemetery (AKA Skagway's Boot Hill), where you will learn of the gunfight between Frank Reid and Soapy Smith, the most famous shootout since the OK Corral.

A stop will also be made at the Scenic Skagway Overlook where your guide will take your picture with the town below, the mountains in the background, and your cruise ship in the harbor.

As you journey up the scenic Klondike Highway you will parallel to the historic White Pass Trail much of the way to the 3,292 foot summit. Along this glacier carved valley are glaciers, thundering waterfalls, majestic mountain vistas and pristine wilderness. Once at the summit, you will descend into the daunting Tormented Valley in British Columbia, Canada. It is this area which inspired the classic authors Robert Service and Jack London. The Tormented Valley is an eco-tone; here two separate ecosystems transform to become the other. After visiting this area of 300 - 400 year old trees known as “Krummholz,” many of which are no taller than chest-high, you will return to Skagway.

During your tour various photo stops will be made to help you maximize your Alaskan experience. Please Note: This tour will be crossing the Canadian border and then back across the US border. As of June 1, 2009 all U.S. and Canadian citizens who are 16 and older traveling between the U.S. and Canada by land, will be required to present a valid passport (or government authorized "enhanced" drivers license.) We recommend you bring a photo I.D. as well. U.S. and Canadian citizens who are 15 years old or younger may travel with a certified birth certificate. People of all other citizenships are required to have a photo I.D., a passport, and visa (If required). All minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian.

Cost: $52.00 per person, tour not available on Sunday.

Source: Cruise Excursions Group

Juneau Land Tour

Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour
Juneau is one of the most unique state Capitals in the entire United States. Although Juneau isn’t an island, it is land locked and you can only get to it by air or sea. Your tour begins in the historical downtown district. You will drive through downtown where you will see the streets lined with gift shops, jewelry shops, king crab shacks and local fish restaurants. The tour will take you right by the Governor’s Mansion, Alaska State Capitol and world famous Red Dog Saloon.
 
Departing the downtown area, you will make your way north to the valley area and the Mendenhall Glacier. Along the way you will see boat harbors full of Alaskan fishing boats, boathouses and the Mendenhall Wetland Refuge. On clear days you can see the majestic Chilkat Mountains in the distance.

Once you arrive at the National Park, you will have some time to walk around the Visitor Center, which has an elevated view of the glacier. The Visitor’s Center hosts exhibits as well as a short film about the Juneau Ice Fields. Admission to the visitor center is included in the price of the tour.

For those guests feeling more adventurous, there are several short hiking paths and walking trails around the lake area including Photo Point Trail, which winds along Mendenhall Lake to an unobstructed view of the glacier face. At the appointed time, meet your guide for the trip back to town.

The tour comes to an end with a stop at famous Douglas Island, a historic mining community, for photo opportunities and panoramic views across the ocean to downtown Juneau. You will then arrive back to the main cruise ship terminal.

Tour cost: Adults: $39.00; Children 2-12: $31.00

Source: Shore Excursions Group

Victoria Bus Tour

Victoria Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Bus

Discover the sights of Victoria on an open-air bus or classic turn of the century trolley bus. The 90-minute sightseeing tour with on-board commentary gives you a quick way to see the main attractions of this beautiful city. Even better --you can hop on and off the buses at any of the 22 stops giving you the opportunity to see the sights at your own pace! Victoria proves a gentle blend of colonial England and up-to-date Western Canada. 

The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and the Dominion of Canada, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1841. The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings (home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia) and the Empress hotel. The city's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco's. 

Whether you want to visit the major attractions, spend time shopping, or visit one of the many fine restaurants – this is the tour for you! During peak season one of the buses will be at each stop within 20 minutes so you can move quickly to your next destination.

Price: $30.00 per person NOTE: I THINK THIS TOUR BUS IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS.

Source: Shore Excursions Group