2019 Resources for planning a visit to Alaska

[mapleleaves]

 

The last Resource thread had grown to 5 pages, so I  combined all the info onto one page, checked most of the links and started a new thread.

Hopefully people will recognize that this is an INFORMATIONAL PAGE only and won't gunk it up with questions, etc.

 

 

GENERAL CRUISE INFO:

-- There are books specific to Alaska cruises, with info on cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, activities, excursions, etc.  These books include:

'ALASKA BY CRUISESHIP'   by Anne Vipond,   ' ALASKAN CRUISES and PORTS OF CALL'  by Frommer,   ' THE COMPLETE GUIDE to ALASKA CRUISES ' by Fodor.

-- There's also ' THE ALASKA CRUISE HANDBOOK; A MILE BY MILE GUIDE ' by Joe Upton which allows you to pinpoint sights as you sail by, or where wildlife is often seen.

 

-- Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska publishes a Port Schedule. You can find out which ships are in port on the same date as you.

 http://claalaska.com/

 

-   port information .....  http://www.cruiseportinsider.com/portlist.html

 

-  port web cams  .....   http://www.kroooz-cams.com/portcams/us/juneau1.php

 

DESTINATIONS:

Many towns/ports have web sites to promote tourism and local vendors. Look within the web site to find a downloadable VISITOR GUIDE.  

Town web sites provide info on sights, activities, vendors.  Some include maps, suggested itineraries, fishing calendars, hiking trails, etc.  

   

Ketchikan ...    https://www.experienceketchikan.com/  and  https://www.visit-ketchikan.com/  

Ketchikan provides a free shuttle bus during cruise season.  The free route is found within the regular bus schedule .  (You can use the regular schedule service for $2 to access Totem Bight State Park,  $1 for seniors)   http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/DocumentCenter/View/4638

 

Juneau  ....   https://www.traveljuneau.com/

 

Skagway ...  http://skagway.com/

Skagway Goldrush and National Historical Park   .... https://www.nps.gov/klgo/index.htm

 

Icy Strait Point which is the cruise port,  and Hoonah which is the town:

https://icystraitpoint.com/   and     http://visithoonah.com/

 

Victoria BC  ...  https://www.tourismvictoria.com/   Fishermans Wharf   .. http://fishermanswharfvictoria.com/

 

Sitka ....  https://visitsitka.org/

 

Wrangell  ...  http://www.wrangell.com/visitorservices

 

Haines ..... https://www.visithaines.com/

 

Seward ...  http://www.seward.com/

Seward has a free shuttle bus during cruise season. Not advisable if you have lots of luggage. Besides which a cab to downtown costs less than $10.        ..  http://www.cityofseward.us/DocumentCenter/View/3303

 

Homer ...   https://www.homeralaska.org/

 

Anchorage  ...  https://www.anchorage.net/

 

Fairbanks ....  https://www.explorefairbanks.com/

 

Whittier  ....  http://www.whittieralaskachamber.org/   This site also includes the schedule for the Anton Anderson Tunnel 

 

Girdwood  ....  http://www.girdwoodchamber.com/

 

Valdez ...  http://www.valdezalaska.org/

 

Talkeetna  .... https://www.talkeetnachamber.org/

 

Kodiak  ...   http://www.kodiak.org/

 

Matanuska ..... https://www.glacierview-alaska.com/

 

Denali .... from the Chamber of Commerce, info on area activities, lodging, transportation, etc 

           http://www.a1cms.com/_dcc/activities/

 

Seattle ....  https://www.visitseattle.org/     

      Klondike National Historical Park  ..... https://www.nps.gov/klse/index.htm

     Pike Place Market  .... http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/plan-your-visit

      SeaTac Airport  .... https://www.portseattle.org/sea-tac

      Seattle Cruise Ports, pier 66 and 91. Plus free luggage valet info.    https://www.portseattle.org/maritime/cruise

      Light Rail    https://www.soundtransit.org/       Monorail  https://www.seattlemonorail.com/

      

  Vancouver BC ....  https://www.tourismvancouver.com/       Stanley Park   https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

        SkyTrain ...  https://www.translink.ca/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain.aspx

        Port of Vancouver, Canada Place  ...... https://www.portvancouver.com/cruise/passenger-information/

        YVR  .....  http://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers

 

NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS, Areas:

Denali ....  https://www.nps.gov/dena/siteindex.htm 

Denali reservations ....   https://www.reservedenali.com/  

Denali Summer Newsletter (2017)  ....  https://home.nps.gov/dena/learn/news/upload/alpenglow-summer-2017-508.pdf

 

Glacier Bay  .... https://www.nps.gov/glba/planyourvisit/cruise.htm

 

Kenai Fjords  ... https://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm

 

Kenai Peninsula communities/activities  ..... http://kenaipeninsula.org/

 

Exit Glacier  ....  https://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/exit-glacier-area.htm

 

Mendenhall Glacier  .... https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/about-forest/offices/?cid=fseprd495443   

                 and ......     https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3835583.pdf

 

Wrangell St Elias NP ....  https://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm

 

Tongass National Forest  ...    https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/tongass/home

 

Byron Glacier hike ( near Girdwood)     https://alaskatrekker.com/alaska-glaciers/byron-glacier/

 

ALASKA STATE TRAVEL RESOURCES:

- the Alaska forum of TripAdvisor  (read Top Questions )   ....  https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

 

- Alaska Dept of Tourism, incl pkg tour info.... https://www.travelalaska.com/

 

-  Alaska Fish and Game with info on fishing, bear viewing sites, etc  ....   http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=home.main

 

- Alaska.org has  Things To Do, Scenic Drives, Destinations, Activities, Maps, Time/Distance Travel Chart, pkg tours, a large library of photos and videos

            http://www.alaska.org/

 

-  The Milepost ( mile by mile guide for each hwy in Alaska)   .....  https://www.themilepost.com/

 

-  Bells Alaska ( mile by mile guide for each hwy in Alaska)  .....  https://www.bellsalaska.com/

 

-  Alaska DOT (for current road conditions, accidents, construction ....  http://511.alaska.gov/alaska511/mappingcomponent/index

 

 

GETTING AROUND :  

Alaska Railroad  .....  https://www.alaskarailroad.com/

    - there is also a cruise contracted train that stops at the airport.  Check your cruiseline for info.

 

Park Connection Bus (travels between Seward and Denali with stops incl  Anchorage, Whittier, Talkeetna )    .....  https://www.alaskacoach.com/

 

Alaska/Yukon Trails ( bus service between Anc and Fairbanks, incl  Talkeena, Denali )       https://www.alaskashuttle.com/

 

Seward Bus lines  .... http://www.sewardbuslines.net/summer.html

 

Homer Stage Line  ....   http://stagelineinhomer.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by mapleleaves

[GAtraveler55]

This is a great research page.  All the information source you need in one place.  Thanks so much for compiling such a complete list.

[mapleleaves]

Don't overlook youtube as a great resource !

 

If you want to see what it's like to travel by train to Denali or to Seward,  just enter  'train from anchorage to denali' and you'll find hours and hours of video.

 

You'll also find video of popular excursions...... Kenai cruise, Denali shuttle/tour bus, Fairbanks Riverboat tour,  flightseeing from Talkeetna, jetboat tour in Talkeetna

 

 

[LF23]

This is a fantastic resource.  Thank you mapleleaves!

[pbenjamin]

Another book is Lonely Planet's Cruise Ports Alaska. 

[nednrom]

Thank you for gathering this resource page -- what a nice thing to do for those of us who have not been there yet!

[lightink2]

Fantastic! Thank you.

[Kelli0927]

mapleleaves, I hope you plan to start a 2019 Trip reports page.  I can't get enough!  88 days til we board Radiance!!!!

[card61]

Wonderful! Thanks 

[theminnow]

Thank you. Loads of info.

[julie3fan]

You're wonderful...thank you so much!

[masterdrago]

Such an awesome resource. I wish there was a way to keep this page easily located. I bookmarked it as a most used page. Thanks so much for providing this to all of us, especially folks like Joy and I, who are fairly new to the CC pages. I know that this link is buried in the alaska.org page somewhere but I thought I would provide a direct link. I found it useful in the beginning of our search. Hope this doesn't fall under the category of "gunking it up" ;=] http://www.alaska.org/assets/content/related_items_pdfs/The-Ultimate-Alaska-Road-Map-Book.pdf

[MellyBell]

This is fantastic.  I printed it out so I wouldn't loose it.  Thank you so much for all the hard work.  

[mapleleaves]

you're welcome !  Glad you found it helpful. 

[cruise kitty]

Incredibly helpful info, thank you :)

[TSUmom]

I am researching for next year and this is great having all of this information in one place.  Thank you!!

[mapleleaves]

Glad people are still finding it helpful. 

[Journey11]

On 8/23/2019 at 9:06 AM, mapleleaves said:

Glad people are still finding it helpful. 

Thank you very much. Has been very helpful.

[diesel1973]

When planning my first land trip to Alaska I found the Milepost to be very helpful. Instead of purchasing it, I went to our local library and luckily they had it. I copied the pages with the information I needed. Came in handy.

[le chat]

Hello Mapleleaves

Thank you SO much for a fabulous resource!  I am placing the link in in my Google Chrome bookmarks, so it will be available on any device... Those of you without Chrome can use Diego or another bookmarking site...(suggestion)

 

Dear Mapleleaves - can I take it from your username that you are from Canada? Any chance of starting a Canada page? We are visiting pre and post cruise and I believe that the Calgary to Jasper route will have road closures, with the lakes still iced over from 10-15 May? Is this correct?

Many thanks! 

[mapleleaves]

On 1/2/2020 at 1:23 AM, le chat said:

Hello Mapleleaves

Thank you SO much for a fabulous resource!  I am placing the link in in my Google Chrome bookmarks, so it will be available on any device... Those of you without Chrome can use Diego or another bookmarking site...(suggestion)

 

Dear Mapleleaves - can I take it from your username that you are from Canada? Any chance of starting a Canada page? We are visiting pre and post cruise and I believe that the Calgary to Jasper route will have road closures, with the lakes still iced over from 10-15 May? Is this correct?

Many thanks! 

You're welcome. Glad you found it helpful.  No chance of my doing this for another forum ... it's a lot of work.

I grew up in Canada but have lived in the US for most of my life. 

 

For your trip to Alberta, I highly recommend using tripadvisor. For land travel it is a far better resource than cruisecritic.  Start with the Canadian Rockies forum.  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g659487-i11598-Canadian_Rockies_Alberta.html

 

Hard to know if the lakes will still be iced over ... depends on whether the area gets a long cold winter followed by a long cold spring.  For road info, check the Alberta hwy site.  https://511.alberta.ca/#:Alerts

Good luck and have a great trip!

[mapleleaves]

I'm waiting on a couple of web site updates, then I'll update this list and ask about getting it pinned.  

[Ombud]

Ketchikan website: http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/

 

Ketchikan bus schedule / map below. Totem Bight State Historic Park is located on the north end of the island and Saxman Totem Pole Park is on the south route.