ALASKA: TO CRUISE OR NOT TO CRUISE
A couple of years ago I decided to embark on my first Alaska cruise. What took me so long to get to Alaska was decided based on cost and how much I could see for my money.
At first, I thought to do a road trip from Washington through Canada, and ending in Anchorage, Alaska made sense. It does if you have nothing to do for a month.
In the end, I decided on the cruise option. The itinerary was similar to my proposed road trip except I wasn’t in the driver’s seat and I could spend more time taking pictures and taking in the scenic views.
I would fly into Vancouver, British Columbia, stay for one night, and then off to sail the seas the next day. I stayed at the Holiday Inn and Suites Vancouver Downtown.
The Vancouver Self Paced Foodie Tour
For my 48-hour adventure in Vancouver, I knew they had a large Chinese population. The first stop was Chinatown. To get there, I took the SkyTrain and bought a Compass Card pass. For a one day fare, it costs $10.25.
There is a mini-mall with food restaurants to eat at and doing some shopping called the Village International Mall. My next stop was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. On your way to the Chinese garden, you will pass the Jimi Hendrix Shrine.
The next day, I took a ferry to Granville Island and did the Small-Group Granville Island Market Tour. What a treat. One thing I have learned traveling to different Canadian provinces, the locals pride themselves on growing local produce and for good reason. The food is delish!
Exploring Alaska
I chose Norwegian Cruise Line to go on my Alaskan adventure because it was the cheapest. The seven-day cruise which found me cruising along Alaska’s coast to Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and ending in Seward.
In Ketchikan, you get to watch something extraordinary, the spanning of salmon. It was very interesting to watch.
In Sitka, I learned about the Tlingit Indian tribe and took in the views kayaking in the Pacific Ocean. Juneau was all about food and craft beers.
It was hard to get back on a cruise ship after indulging in fresh seafood caught a couple of feet away from me.
We made a one hour stop in Glacier Bay to view the large glaciers and listen to a park ranger talk about the area and the state of the glaciers.
In a couple of days, we would debark in Seward, but I had no plan on what I was going to do next except to see the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Valdez oil spill devasted the area.
Part of the monetary settlement was used to establish an aquarium. Go on a behind the scenes tour and have close encounters with puffins, octopus, harbor seals, sea lions, and other marine life.
Learn how this rescue/rehabilitation center promotes public understanding of the marine ecosystem and stewardship. Once an animal is rehabilitated, it gets released back into the wild.
The Journey Home Begins with a Train Ride
After exploring Seward for a couple of days, I decided to take the train to Anchorage for one final scenic tour before flying home from Anchorage.
Depending on what time of year you visit Alaska and fly, don’t be afraid to ask the pilot to take a different route to get a view of the northern lights.
A couple of India requested this. They chose Alaska to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
They had never witnessed the sky spectacular before. There were no guarantees from the pilot. After a couple of minutes, the couple was suddenly glued to their seats. The beautiful greens and blue were dancing happily in the sky.
My flight from Alaska stopped over in Seattle, Washington before continuing on to Minnesota.
If you are looking to extend your stay, check out my blog post, Solo Road Trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia and see another side of British Columbia, Canada. What a great way to end a two-week journey.
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