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Helpful Resources for planning a visit to Alaska


mapleleaves
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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.

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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 by mapleleaves
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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

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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

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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/

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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/

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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 ".

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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