mapleleaves Posted January 26, 2017 Author #51 Share Posted January 26, 2017 This page is an awesome resource! Going on my first Alaskan cruise and the information here is great, thanks so much!!! Sent from my iPad using Forums You're welcome !! Glad to hear that it has helped you with your planning. Have a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylandteachergirl Posted January 27, 2017 #52 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Actually, like most of Mitchener's stuff it is total fiction. /QUOTE] Can you hear the sound of millions of bubbles bursting? I am a librarian. His works are fiction and are shelved with fiction, but they are HISTORICAL fiction, which incorporates true facts with characters and some fiction. Go ahead and read Alaska by Michener - it's a HUGE book, so you'll need some time. Then, also read some non-fiction books/true facts and travel guides about Alaska. There are also several fiction mystery series set in Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted February 7, 2017 Author #53 Share Posted February 7, 2017 (edited) For travelers who would like a DIY land tour but don't want to drive a car, you can replicate many cruisetour itineraries by booking yourself on a train and/or bus. Be mindful of the depot location and your lodging location as they may not be closeby! Alaska Railroad https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ Park Connection Bus (travels between Anchorage and Denali with stops in between. Also transfers in Seward and Whittier) http://www.alaskacoach.com/ Alaska Yukon Trails ( travels between Anc and Fairbanks with stops in between) http://www.alaskashuttle.com/ Seward Bus Lines (travel between Seward and Anchorage, Stops in Whittier on the way TO Anc but not from Anc) http://www.sewardbuslines.net/ Homer Stage Line (travel between Anchorage and Homer, and Seward and Homer. Not Seward and Anchorage) http://stagelineinhomer.com/ There are numerous transfer options for Seward, Anchorage and Whittier. Check the town web sites for those vendors Or look in past trip reports for first hand recommendations. Edited February 7, 2017 by mapleleaves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKStafford Posted February 7, 2017 #54 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Actually, like most of Mitchener's stuff it is total fiction. If you want to understand the why and how of AK, read a real history book. DON When I was driving motorcoach for Holland America, this is what I used for my history reference: https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-History-Claus-M-Naske/dp/080612573X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486502891&sr=8-1&keywords=alaska+history+49th+state Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted March 9, 2017 Author #55 Share Posted March 9, 2017 For those of you doing road trips this summer, be sure to check this DOT site to find out about various hwy projects. Some projects may require a pilot car and there can be significant delays. http://511.alaska.gov/alaska511/mappingcomponent/index Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted March 13, 2017 Author #56 Share Posted March 13, 2017 A previously mentioned The Milepost is a great resource for roads trips in Alaska. For each highway it provides the milepost number for points of interest, parks, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, scenic viewpoints, vendors, etc. The on-line version isn't as detailed as the book. And BTW, you can buy older editions on line for under $10. Older editions work just as well ..... names of towns and hwys don't change, but some vendors may have gone out of business. Bell;s Travel Guides Alaska is another good resource (download), with info on things to do, maps, destinations, and even a guide on Inside Passage.communities. http://www.bellsalaska.com/ They also have milepost guides for driving TO and WITHIN Alaska, such as this one for the Klondike Hwy out of Skagway, with a map and log: http://www.bellsalaska.com/highway/klondike-highway/ or the Seward Hwy from Anchorage to Seward: http://www.bellsalaska.com/road%20logs/seward-highway-log.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted March 20, 2017 Author #57 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Weather in the Pacific NW/ Alaska is not predictable and weather forecasts aren't reliable except for a day or 2 out and even then not always accurate. A good idea is to look at historical data in weather sites such as wunderground. Just plug in the town and date and go back for 5-6 yrs to get an idea of weather conditions each yr. Only takes a few minutes. https://www.wunderground.com/history/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted March 27, 2017 Author #58 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Cruise Line Agencies publishes a Port Schedule. You can see which ships are in port at the same time as you ..... their port time, and berth. http://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted April 2, 2017 Author #59 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Port of Seattle web site with info on both cruise piers. (rental cars, luggage storage, parking, etc). As well as a link to the city tourism site. http://www.portseattle.org/Cruise/Explore-Terminals/Pages/default.aspx (At Pier 91 there's another lot available for cruise pax ) https://www.seattlecruiseparking.com/ Port of Vancouver web site with info for cruise pax. http://www.portvancouver.com/cruise/cruise-schedule/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted April 15, 2017 Author #60 Share Posted April 15, 2017 There are books specific to Alaska cruises. They provide info on the various cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, excursions, DIY options. A few well known examples are: Alaska by Cruiseship by Anne Vipond Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call by Frommer A Complete Guide to Alaska Cruises by Fodor Another interesting book is Joe Upton's "Alaska Cruise Handbook: A mile by mile guide ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old As Dirt Mom Posted April 15, 2017 #61 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Thank you, Mapleleaves, for all the hard work you put into this very informative and helpful thread. You address so many of the questions that are common to this forum. It's the best feature here. I have found it very useful myself:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted April 19, 2017 #62 Share Posted April 19, 2017 It's time to once again post the link to the Alaska Port Cams --- ports are listed on the left hand side of the page --- select your area of interest and enjoy the view. http://www.kroooz-cams.com/portcams/us/juneau1.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss Posted April 19, 2017 #63 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Thank you - this is great information for those of us preparing for Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becoming Posted April 19, 2017 #64 Share Posted April 19, 2017 It's time to once again post the link to the Alaska Port Cams --- ports are listed on the left hand side of the page --- select your area of interest and enjoy the view. http://www.kroooz-cams.com/portcams/us/juneau1.php Thanks for the links to the Alaskan ports. It's my first time to see links for all the cruise cams. Looking forward to seeing the ships very soon! Patti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted April 19, 2017 #65 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Thanks for the links to the Alaskan ports. It's my first time to see links for all the cruise cams. Looking forward to seeing the ships very soon! Patti You're welcome. Just wish the Sitka port cam was working. Last year, it was fine --- this year, not. I also like to look at the Vancouver Canada Place port cam as this is where we our cruise will begin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch2016 Posted April 20, 2017 #66 Share Posted April 20, 2017 We enjoy horseback riding wherever we go.....whether the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii or the Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains. For our DIY post cruise fun, we are planning a ride with these folks. The scenery in the pictures on their website looks incredible! https://alaskahorseadventures.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted May 13, 2017 Author #67 Share Posted May 13, 2017 The Tongass National Forest covers much of SE Alaska. The Forest Service web site provides info on Visitor Centers such as Mendenhall in Juneau and SE Discovery Center in Ketchikan, as well as bear viewing sites, hiking trails, fishing, glaciers, etc https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/tongass/home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted June 4, 2017 Author #68 Share Posted June 4, 2017 I think i'm out of ne Resources to add to this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted June 12, 2017 Author #69 Share Posted June 12, 2017 The City of Seward runs a shuttle bus during the peak tourist season. On cruise days it runs a loop from the pier, to the train depot, past the small boat harbor and into the downtown area ( about 1 1/2 miles each way). On non cruise days it doesn't stop at the pier. Keep in mind that it's a school bus, so not ideal if you have a ton of luggage. (Also keep in mind that there are taxis and it costs less than $10 to go from the dock to downtown.) Here's a map and listing of stops. http://www.cityofseward.us/DocumentCenter/View/3303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted July 11, 2017 Author #70 Share Posted July 11, 2017 If you're going to Whittier, you will need to pass thru this tunnel. It's shared with the train, therefore only open once per hr in each direction. On the half-hr TO Whittier, and on the hr FROM Whittier. Information, schedules, even a video on the DOT website. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted September 3, 2017 Author #71 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Bus schedules for Ketchikan, including the free downtown shuttle: http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/DocumentCenter/View/4638 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted September 10, 2017 Author #72 Share Posted September 10, 2017 The Visitor Guide for Hoonah ( Icy Strait Point) : http://www.cityofhoonah.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/visitors/page/1171/hoonah_guide_digital.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted September 26, 2017 Author #73 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Kenai Fjords National Park with info on ranger led hikes, boat tours, Jr Ranger programs, etc https://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieJo Posted September 27, 2017 #74 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Thanks for all the resources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaves Posted October 21, 2017 Author #75 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Glad you're finding them useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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