Planes, Train, Cars, Boats/Cruise ship, and a RV – June 26th - July 12th 2014

[JosieRhodes]

Last F.I.S.H.E.S pic

 

 

 

 

From Icy Strait Pier

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Icy Strait

 

 

 

 

On Radiance

 

[Lorey2007]

Thank you for the great review and fabulous pictures. We only have a little over a month to wait until our southbound Radiance cruise.

[JosieRhodes]

Thank you for the great review and fabulous pictures. We only have a little over a month to wait until our southbound Radiance cruise.

 

Thanks. You are going to have an amazing trip. :):):)

[JosieRhodes]

Ketchikan

 

So, Day Six and in Ketchikan... I was very happy that going to Anan after planning for it for so so long, yet already a bit nostalgic as last port day of the cruise... However, I comforted myself by thinking that still had one more whole day at sea... Think Ketchikan was my favorite port of the trip...

 

A litte intro video as no idea when I will have time to splice all my video together, fix all the shaking, etc.

 

[YOUTUBE]GWTWRFxNfL0[/YOUTUBE]

 

My son and I went to Anan with Island Wings while my husband did some salmon fishing – and this was via Royal Caribbean too. Originally four of us were going to Anan, but when my parents had to cancel the cruise, my husband dropped out to keep an eye on my daughter as didn't want her all alone on the ship. And, because we gave up two permits/slots to Anan, a couple from Australia lucked out and got to come on the tour with us. On the float plane, there was us six tourists:) plus Tim our guide, and Michelle, the pilot/owner, at Island Wings.

 

While I don't think you really need a guide (now that I have been there) for getting to the platform as the trail is extremely obvious, Tim gave a great mini tour of Kechikan and was very informative and entertaining in general. He had a great, upbeat attitude and shared so much info with us that was really glad we went with Island Wings. Also, once on the platform, Tim was always on the lookout for new bears. This was helpful as you had to walk around to see all parts of the platform, and he always let us know when a new bear had arrived on other side, etc. I learned later that we had approximately thirty or so sightings of 11 different bears while we were there. I was able to check off seeing bear in tree, seeing cubs/young bears, seeing bear catching fish, and seeing a young brown bear.

 

Michelle was so incredible nice to my 13 year old son and let him sit in the co-pilot sea on way back. He had sat in middle of middle row on way to Anan. He was really thrilled by this. Michelle also shared a lot of interesting info with us.

 

While I have flown a lot, including helicopters and small planes, I am not overly keen on flying, so I have to be really motivated to fly - Anan was my motivation, plus being in a float plane for the first time. Michelle was very calm which is how I like my pilots:).

[JosieRhodes]

Entering Ketchikan

 

 

 

 

Plane ride to Anan

 

 

 

 

 

Trail to Anan platform

 

 

 

 

 

Photo blind from outside

 

[JosieRhodes]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JosieRhodes]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in photo blind

 

 

 

[JosieRhodes]

 

 

 

 

 

close to platform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JosieRhodes]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JosieRhodes]

 

 

 

 

 

 

and back to the ship...

 

 

 

 

[mollanjake]

Awesome pictures! Way better than mine. I impressed, you started your review days after I started mine and you got to Anan before I did!

 

I think your guide is really a guard. As your group and others arrived with armed escorts, my DH asked me why I booked the one without a guard. I think had you encountered a bear on the trail you would have been extra glad to have him. The couple on our plane, this was their trip 3rd trip to Anan, never with a guide and said they had run into bears on the trail on a past trip.

 

After we got home DD admitted that she had kinda wished we would run into a bear on the path. She said it would have been really scary, but really cool too!

 

 

Laura

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JosieRhodes]

Awesome pictures! Way better than mine. I impressed, you started your review days after I started mine and you got to Anan before I did!

 

I think your guide is really a guard. As your group and others arrived with armed escorts, my DH asked me why I booked the one without a guard. I think had you encountered a bear on the trail you would have been extra glad to have him. The couple on our plane, this was their trip 3rd trip to Anan, never with a guide and said they had run into bears on the trail on a past trip.

 

After we got home DD admitted that she had kinda wished we would run into a bear on the path. She said it would have been really scary, but really cool too!

 

 

Laura

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

He did have a pistol and bear spray, but also talked a lot about bear behavior at Anan and in general, how having to use those things would be a very rare and last resort. But, at the same time, I was kinda glad Island Wings offered it with guide. I will say since, believe name was Tim, had lived in Ketchikan since he was three, and his dad had been a logger, he really kept us entertained with stories, and we learned stuff too. All the bears just seemed so focused on the fish, and making sure other bears didn't take their fish :)

 

Funny thing, this was his first time actually being a guide at Anan for Michelle, and as we were his first group, got a group photo taken to give to Michelle :D

 

 

Ps. You are writing great details on everything, whereas I am mostly posting pics with some observations. I think it is very interesting to read your review after being on the same roll call together for over a year prior to the trip! You did some of the things I would have done if my kids were younger and gave me some ideas for nest time - wishful thinking on my part for now.

 

Pps. Plus writing this review keeps me from annoying my co-workers with too much gushing about the trip. :-) :-) :-)

Edited July 24, 2014 by JosieRhodes

[EMED2010]

I'm really enjoying your pictures of Anan! I'm so glad I booked this excursion. I picked Island Wings because of the guide the was offered. I just thought that members in my group would feel more comfortable. Your pictures were the first ones of Anan that showed the inside of the blind so thanks for that! We were originally going to book a Southbound cruise but the timing didn't work for us so we booked Northbound. Now I'm glad I did because of what you said about feeling a bit sad in Ketchikan because of it being the last stop and its the one I'm most looking forward to.

Question for you: how was the seating on Michele's plane? You said you son was in a middle seat? For some reason I thought I had read that each seat had a window. Is this not the case? I'm the picture taker but I'm the smallest so I'm afraid if it goes by size I might end up in a middle seat.

[JosieRhodes]

I'm really enjoying your pictures of Anan! I'm so glad I booked this excursion. I picked Island Wings because of the guide the was offered. I just thought that members in my group would feel more comfortable. Your pictures were the first ones of Anan that showed the inside of the blind so thanks for that! We were originally going to book a Southbound cruise but the timing didn't work for us so we booked Northbound. Now I'm glad I did because of what you said about feeling a bit sad in Ketchikan because of it being the last stop and its the one I'm most looking forward to.

Question for you: how was the seating on Michele's plane? You said you son was in a middle seat? For some reason I thought I had read that each seat had a window. Is this not the case? I'm the picture taker but I'm the smallest so I'm afraid if it goes by size I might end up in a middle seat.

 

Hi,

 

Glad you enjoyed them. Yes, before I went, I was very curious about what the "photo blind" looked like:).

 

Wow, u sound like me as I have had a lifetime of sitting in the middle of the back seats of cars - designated to be the person to sit "over the hump" due to being the smallest, etc.:)

 

I think if you called Shona from Island Wings, she would be able to give you more "official" insight on this, and I bet it varies a bit by # and weight of passengers.

 

However, regarding our trip, I think everyone doesn't get a window due to carrying an extra person, the guide. Someone gets to sit in co-pilot seat, three people are in the next row. Michelle looks at everyone, and then calls people to the plane based on where she thinks they should sit and which parties are together.

 

On the way out, she told me that either my son or me could have the second row window and middle seat. He is bigger than me but I took the window so could get some pics, thinking he could have window seat on way back. He actually said he was able to view out the front and both sides of plane, but of course he wasn't trying to take any pics either. The guide also sat by the door in second row after helping get plane ready for take off. Next row has two seats, and then one spacious seat in the back with windows on both sides.

 

So, another reason I was personally thrilled with Michelle is that she did not automatically put the smallest person in the middle (that would be me:))

 

On the way back I think she switched it up to be fair, but I am thinking she has to weigh doing that with weight distribution, etc. so again Shona could probably provide more official insight. Shona is extremely easy to deal with.

 

So, anyhow, on way back, my son got the co-pilot seat, the biggest guy ended up in the second row, and I got the back seat to myself :D. I mean that has never (ok, maybe a time or two) happened to me before when someone bigger was around. However, with the sun, I was getting reflection on the window that I didn't know quite how to eliminate for pics - maybe someone more photographer savvy than me does.

 

And, I think everyone had a good time on the ride back, regardless of seat.

 

If you go to my post entry approx. around #54 - number in upper right corner of these posts and watch the YouTube clip I embedded (let me know if doesn't work), I pan from window to window and u can see the seating of everyone in front of me.

 

Wishing u clear skies and lots of bears!

Edited July 24, 2014 by JosieRhodes
Numerous spelling errors :-)

[JosieRhodes]

Thinking about it a bit more, there was a couple, who kinda seemed like newlyweds, and they had the third row with two seats going out and coming back. The couple from Australia got the co-pilot seat and "back row for one" on the way to Anan, and then my son and I got the co-pilot seat and back row coming back from Anan which seems logical/fair to me. Couple from Australia got the second row with the guide on way back to ship. Also, it was really cool to come in for a landing next to all the cruise ships.

[Assateague Island Princes]

OP - thank you for this wonderful review - the photos and commentary are outstanding. I'm particularly interested in your impressions and more importantly, photos that you provided of the RV portion of your trip. As long-time and often visitors (both cruise and land only) to AK, we're toying with our next trip doing the RV route, atleast partially. The photos you've included of your views from the various campgrounds is helping to solidify my case with DH that we don't HAVE to stay in huge, tightly packed trailer-to-trailer type campgrounds, which to him is a fate worse than death:D. We're much more independent and adventerous, and prefer to be away from crowds and civilization for that matter;). Also posting the RV rental contract about prohibited and/or limited road usage is a great tip - thank you!

 

Okay, back to your regular programming. Please (please, please:p) continue!

[mapleleaves]

The photos you've included of your views from the various campgrounds is helping to solidify my case with DH that we don't HAVE to stay in huge, tightly packed trailer-to-trailer type campgrounds, which to him is a fate worse than death:D. We're much more independent and adventerous, and prefer to be away from crowds and civilization for that matter;). Also posting the RV rental contract about prohibited and/or limited road usage is a great tip - thank you!

 

Hope you don't mind if I butt in. I've camped in Alaska several times, twice now by RV. My experience is that private campgrounds are generally gravel parking lots, usually devoid of trees, and sites are close together, BUT they have hookups, and often shower and laundry facilities as well. The govt sites, like National Parks and National Forests are usually well spaced, lots of trees/brush for privacy but rarely do they have hookups. That's a generalization .... ie Sewards's waterfront park is govt but it's all gravel, tight spaces. But the views are incredible so it's a tradeoff.

 

We found that we could go 3-4days without dumping/filling the tanks, so we stayed in state parks most nights then every 3 days we'd go to a private park for a luxurious shower more than anything! Sometimes it just worked out that way with the itinerary too. ie we stayed 2 nights in Denali without hookups then drove to fairbanks where we stayed in a private site and did laundry and had showers. The RV has a shower but it's small and cramped ... kind of a pain for women with washing, conditioning hair and we like lots of soap.

 

You might want to start a thread for this so that others can chime in.

Edited July 24, 2014 by mapleleaves
rv shower

[JosieRhodes]

OP - thank you for this wonderful review - the photos and commentary are outstanding. I'm particularly interested in your impressions and more importantly, photos that you provided of the RV portion of your trip. As long-time and often visitors (both cruise and land only) to AK, we're toying with our next trip doing the RV route, atleast partially. The photos you've included of your views from the various campgrounds is helping to solidify my case with DH that we don't HAVE to stay in huge, tightly packed trailer-to-trailer type campgrounds, which to him is a fate worse than death:D. We're much more independent and adventerous, and prefer to be away from crowds and civilization for that matter;). Also posting the RV rental contract about prohibited and/or limited road usage is a great tip - thank you!

 

Okay, back to your regular programming. Please (please, please:p) continue!

 

 

 

Thank you for the very kind words about my review.

 

I probably share the same perspective as your husband, and along the lines of what mapleleaves was saying, it was a bit tough to balance hook ups with non-parking lot looking RV campgrounds. So, here is just a recap which I hope will help support your case with DH :-) as I probably did try to take the most "scenic" pics of the campgrounds that I could for the family scrapbook :o

 

I gave Grand View Cafe and RV Park my highest marks as it was 1) on the beautiful Glenn Highway 2) not that big, and 3) while yep, a big, flat lot with vehicles close on both sides, there was great scenery all around, no RVs in front of us blocking the view - it did not make me feel crowded and cramped. We had slot six with nothing blocking our view forward.

 

 

 

 

 

Talkeetna Camper Park was great for us because we could walk into Talkeetna. Yep, tight slots but at least treed lots, and it felt "homey" to me. The couple in the office was very friendly and informative. So, I would stay there again.

 

 

Big Bear RV Park had the most "mall parking lot" feel to it, other than the actual parking lot at Great Alaskan Holidays - we joked all night about spending our first AK night "in the wild" of the GAH parking lot - it is great that they offer the option though for people like us coming from far away. This RV park was clean, well managed, and had a great, bright, big laundry room with free wi fi. However, it really was just lines of RVs tightly packed - not very scenic at all and not where I would spend more than a "pass thru" night.

 

I had many other routes semi flushed out such as driving to Glennallen then on Richardson Highway and Thompson Pass - which would really like to see one day. Think cc rule is you cannot review what you didn't actually do, but seemed like at least one promising place with views and hook-ups near Tolsona Creek that really caught my eye.

 

What helped me get organized and find good campground candidate was requesting free info from Triple A, as I am a member. They sent me Woodall's official campground guide which rates them on facilities, restrooms & showers, and visual appearance. I also could cross-reference a few to tripadvisor reviews.

Edited July 25, 2014 by JosieRhodes

[JosieRhodes]

Just an FYI for anyone interested in Anan... I started contacting tour operators in April 2013 for our July 2014 trip, about a month after booked cruise. I then just touched based with them after the first lottery in the fall. For a planner like me, it was a bit perplexing to have to be patient regarding the uncertainty of what would happen in the lotteries. However, I can see why they want to limit visitors and support that for sure.

[EMED2010]

Just an FYI for anyone interested in Anan... I started contacting tour operators in April 2013 for our July 2014 trip, about a month after booked cruise. I then just touched based with them after the first lottery in the fall. For a planner like me, it was a bit perplexing to have to be patient regarding the uncertainty of what would happen in the lotteries. However, I can see why they want to limit visitors and support that for sure.

 

I contacted them back in early spring for next August. After I was confirm Ed for the date and time I wanted (pre-lottery) I sent the deposit it. Shona contacted and said it didn't have to be in until January so she sent it back. Guess I was a little anxious!

I checked our your video of the plane and I feel a bit better now. It looks like seating is two (pilot/co-pilot), then three, then two, then one? It so, then I believe everyone can see because the middle seat would look out the front?

[Assateague Island Princes]

Mapleleaves - thank you for that great information! Hearing your strategy for 2-3 days in more remote locations and then an overnight in more populated campgrounds was a huge help. I read yours and Karen's post to DH last nite. I think this will be our next trip to AK:D.

 

Karen - we know EXACTLY what that campground near Matanuska looks like - we had lunch in the cafe on our 17 day land only trip last year! We were staying in a rental cabin close to the glacier and our host had mentioned the cafe had wonderful lunches. She was right! The scenery all around was spectacular, no matter which direction you looked. Will use your tip about contacting AAA (we too are members) for that campground booklet - excellent idea. I also have a book - Camping in AK or something like that, that I've referred to over the years and which gives great descriptions (and sometimes photos) of the various private and public campgrounds throughout AK, but concentrating on the route from Canada to AK in particular - another route on our 'bucket list.'

 

I subscribe to a blog written by a North Pole, AK photographer (Susan Stevenson) who does several camping trips throughout the state every year, and her most interesting trip, to us, is the one she does every year from Fairbanks down the Richardson to Valdez. Yup, I can understand your fascination w/that route, Karen, and we'll definitely be trying that one some time in the future! Also would love to do the Denali Highway sometime - either w/an RV or a rental car that permits driving on that road.

 

Sigh....so many compelling routes and so little time!:o

 

Again, many thanx to both of you for your comments and suggestions. Appreciate it!

[luv2sail7]

Saw had duplicate pic in Juneau section, was suppose to be this one of trail after get off tram

 

 

Thanks so much for your review and pictures - they are great!

We don't leave until September and we are doing a private whale watching in the morning in Juneau and then if the weather is "decent", we have the 2 for 1 coupons from Northern Lights and will take the Mt Roberts Tram up and do some hiking. We hike LOTs in Colorado and think it would make for a nice afternoon, weather pending. How much time would you say we could spend up there on the trails? Patti

[JosieRhodes]

I contacted them back in early spring for next August. After I was confirm Ed for the date and time I wanted (pre-lottery) I sent the deposit it. Shona contacted and said it didn't have to be in until January so she sent it back. Guess I was a little anxious!

I checked our your video of the plane and I feel a bit better now. It looks like seating is two (pilot/co-pilot), then three, then two, then one? It so, then I believe everyone can see because the middle seat would look out the front?

 

Correct. Yes, my son, when sitting in the middle of the middle row, said he could see out the front and both sides, but not sure if people would of semi blocked pictures (if had picture taker in that seat).

[JosieRhodes]

Mapleleaves - thank you for that great information! Hearing your strategy for 2-3 days in more remote locations and then an overnight in more populated campgrounds was a huge help. I read yours and Karen's post to DH last nite. I think this will be our next trip to AK:D.

 

Karen - we know EXACTLY what that campground near Matanuska looks like - we had lunch in the cafe on our 17 day land only trip last year! We were staying in a rental cabin close to the glacier and our host had mentioned the cafe had wonderful lunches. She was right! The scenery all around was spectacular, no matter which direction you looked. Will use your tip about contacting AAA (we too are members) for that campground booklet - excellent idea. I also have a book - Camping in AK or something like that, that I've referred to over the years and which gives great descriptions (and sometimes photos) of the various private and public campgrounds throughout AK, but concentrating on the route from Canada to AK in particular - another route on our 'bucket list.'

 

I subscribe to a blog written by a North Pole, AK photographer (Susan Stevenson) who does several camping trips throughout the state every year, and her most interesting trip, to us, is the one she does every year from Fairbanks down the Richardson to Valdez. Yup, I can understand your fascination w/that route, Karen, and we'll definitely be trying that one some time in the future! Also would love to do the Denali Highway sometime - either w/an RV or a rental car that permits driving on that road.

 

Sigh....so many compelling routes and so little time!:o

 

Again, many thanx to both of you for your comments and suggestions. Appreciate it!

 

Thank you for the Susan Stevenson blog reference. I agree, Alaska seems compelling in every direction :D

[JosieRhodes]

Thanks so much for your review and pictures - they are great!

We don't leave until September and we are doing a private whale watching in the morning in Juneau and then if the weather is "decent", we have the 2 for 1 coupons from Northern Lights and will take the Mt Roberts Tram up and do some hiking. We hike LOTs in Colorado and think it would make for a nice afternoon, weather pending. How much time would you say we could spend up there on the trails? Patti

 

 

Hi Patti,

 

I don't want to give you incorrect info so you might want to post a separate thread to see if anyone has gone to the very top and might have a better feel for it than me. I do know there are just so MANY hiking choices around Juneau.

 

My husband and I got off the tram and just starting walking, missing the trail sign with different trails/mileage (which saw when returned to take tram down). We just kept walking “up” as the views got better and better. As we were pretty much just meandering and enjoying the views, it wasn’t until we got pass the cross and talked to some folks coming down that we realized we could hike up to the “snow.” We also spent some time just watching this guy (in pic) as seemed like a flock of birds was following him.

 

So, we were able to go a bit pass the cross, but then we had to book it down to catch the ship:(.

 

I didn’t take a pic of the trail sign by the tram, but found it on internet - see below. It lists Roberts Peak as 3.1 miles, but I don't even know if that is one way or out and back. Sorry can't be of more help. I wished we had hiked more on this trip, but it just didn't work out that way.

 

 

 

saw him from the cross

 

 

 

from internet - this is right where get off tram at top (we completely missed it when starting out:o)

 

 

Have a great trip!