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Hoonah, Alaska's Icy Strait Point - A taste of the REAL Alaaqsaq (Alaska)

Hoonah_Tlingit_Boy

By Hoonah_Tlingit_Boy,
in Alaska

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SEPyle

SEPyle

Posted
Posted

I'm so glad I checked the boards tonight to see that Koo Hook has come back to Critic Square! Welcome Back!!!!!! If anyone is checking this thread you may want to go back and read the beginning pages when Koo Hook began to share his knowledge of his people and so much about his 'little slice of heaven' known as Hoonah, and to cruise ship passengers: Icy Strait Point!

 

This thread began before our first trip in 2005. Koo Hook's passion and love for his people/traditions came thru loud and clear and I literally fell in love with this beautiful place! This last August we spent three wonderful nights in Hoonah, and came home with incredible memories! Sure wish we coming back this summer, but will skip this year and hopefully be back in 2010!

 

I could go on and on, but will just end by saying...thanks for coming back! You've made my day Koo Hook! Oh yes, please say hi to Johan for me! We sure had a great time at the office that night!

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ShibaInuMom

ShibaInuMom

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We will be ISP in the middle of June. I am interested in art/crafts/fabrics from Alaskans. I especially like original/different types of work. When I looked in shops during our last Alaskan cruise in 2007, it seemed all the artwork was very expensive. Any ideas?

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jjm34957

jjm34957

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I am looking for a whale watching trip out of ISP in May. Based on experience which is better, private charter with 6 people or take the cruise ship excursion.

 

Koo Hook where are you working this year? I love reading your posts!

 

Joe

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GranMona

GranMona

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Many Many of the cruise passengers choose the ship tour, but for us, we choose a private charter every time we can get it! ISP is a great port for choosing a whale watch. We use TECKK outfitters www.teckkoutfittersicystrait.com They also do a wonderful bear watch for anyone interested. There are several other private tours out of Hoonah. FISHES, Glacier Wind, Forget-Me-Not, and Dreamfish all have gotten good reviews on CC.

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  • 3 weeks later...
JYA

JYA

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The ISP Zipline was mentioned in Newsweek this week as one of the top ziplines. My son rode it last summer and loved it!

 

We will be going to Icy Strait Point in May on board Celebrity Infinity. Do you have to book the ZipRider with Celebrity or can you just "walk in"? The cost of booking is $224 (ATV Expedition and ZipRider) and $160 (Bike Trek and ZipRider). We do not want to do the ATV or the bike trek. We just want to do the ZipRider.

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GranMona

GranMona

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There is a zip line booth at the ISP port. Yes, you can book a ride there. Many off the ship decide to try it once they see how much fun it looks like. I don't know the cost this year, but last year when I was checking at the booth, I think the cost was $100. I didn't do it last year, but I'm probably going to try it this year.

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wolfshadow

wolfshadow

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We had friends last year that did the zipline there and one of them took a video of her ride all of the way down. It was kind of like riding along with her, it was great! They had a blast doing it they said.

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JYA

JYA

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There is a zip line booth at the ISP port. Yes, you can book a ride there. Many off the ship decide to try it once they see how much fun it looks like. I don't know the cost this year, but last year when I was checking at the booth, I think the cost was $100. I didn't do it last year, but I'm probably going to try it this year.

 

Wow! Great! Thanks GranMona for the info. :)

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pegpowell

pegpowell

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Oh, I'm so happy to see you posting again Koo Hook. I started reading this thread when it started and then got away from it. Now we will be in ISP in August on the Pacific Princess.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing Hoonah. Our former pastor started his ministry in Hoonah and he and his wife were made honorary members of the tribe.

 

Would love to see some more of the native culture of that area.

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Road Pirate

Road Pirate

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Koo Hook. Nice to see you are back on line for the 2009 season. We are taking one of the 10 day trips out of San Francisco. Ours is in late August. After booking, I looked up the ports of call on this site and the internet. Somehow I was drawn to your town, hoping that the success of cruise ships had not turned your town into another tourist trap. The website is one of the best I've seen and gave me a feeling that time spent enjoying the sights, or eating and drinking in the local saloon, would really give you at least a small sense of what Alaska is about. I will continue to read more over the summer.

 

David

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  • 2 weeks later...
StarTrkGeek

StarTrkGeek

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Is there anything to do in Icy Straight Point if you do not do any tours? The tours are really expensive and nothing seems to appeal to us.

If you are at all interested in whale watching, then you should do it in Icy Strait Point. It is considered the BEST place for whale watching in all of Alaska.

 

Also, Icy Strait Point has more brown bears per capita than anywhere else in the world.

 

From what I understand, the fishing is also phenomenal.

 

If none of the above interest you, the ISP Web site (http://www.icystraitpoint.com) lists the following as the top 10 things to do:

No. 10 - Take a Walk on the Nature Trail.

No. 9 - Visit the Icy Strait Point Museum.

No. 8 - Send a Salmon Canned Postcard sealed with the historic canning machinery.

No. 7 - Eat Fresh Seafood and enjoy an incredible view at the Landing Zone Restaurant.

No. 6 - Visit Spasski River Valley for a chance to see a Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear.

No. 5 - Take a walk along the beach and skip some rocks.

No. 4 - Enjoy a bottle of wine while sitting on a bench by the shore.

No. 3 - Shop in one of our 13 Alaskan and locally owned retail shops.

No. 2 - Learn about Native Culture and witness our high-energy live show, "Tribal Dance & Cultural Legends".

No. 1 - Ride the World's Longest and Highest ZipRider™!

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handwcruisers

handwcruisers

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We are going to Hoonah/ISP in Aug and can't wait, we are doing fishing with Glacier Wind and planing on crab at the Office afterward and then hopefully have time to see the cannery and shop for some local items. I have really enjoyed reading everything hear since the very beginning. This is our 1st cruise to Alaska. Hopefully it won't be our last, but with the economy going the way it is, who knows.

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RoofingPrincess

RoofingPrincess

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Many Many of the cruise passengers choose the ship tour, but for us, we choose a private charter every time we can get it! ISP is a great port for choosing a whale watch. We use TECKK outfitters www.teckkoutfittersicystrait.com They also do a wonderful bear watch for anyone interested. There are several other private tours out of Hoonah. FISHES, Glacier Wind, Forget-Me-Not, and Dreamfish all have gotten good reviews on CC.

Sadly, Forget-Me-Not has had to cancel all of their tours for 2009, and possibly further :(

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  • 4 months later...
msd360

msd360

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Does anyone know if I can purchase tickets to the Tribal Dance & Cultral show locally? I can get them from the cruise ship but would prefer not to.

 

I would recommend purchasing from the ship, as all the ship sponsored activities are the same whether purchased on board, or in port.

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SEPyle

SEPyle

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I agree with msd360 to go ahead and purchase the tickets from the ship as you will pay the same price.

 

By the way, I really recommend this show. Last year I had a great visit with Johann, who plays the lead part. I asked him if it's getting old (I saw it in 2006) after so many performances. I wish you could have witnessed his enthusiam, love of his culture, and his people! He said it is even better now and just keeps getting better and better.

 

The Tlingit people have such a rich heritage and I wish everyone who visits this authentic port of call, has the honor of watching this performance to get a feel for what Alaska is all about!

 

Enjoy your visit!

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