Back from Spirit Northbound July 25 - Aug. 1

[melodi1963]

Well, we're back home now and it was great!

 

Everything went just great. We flew out on Tuesday, stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel (nice hotel Downtown, big rooms all with balconies) and took a taxi to the port. Got to the port around noon, almost no lines to wait in and it was only a short wait to board the ship.

 

Ketchikan - Backcountry 4x4 Jeep & Canoe Safari - Great guides and views, rough trails. Loved it.

 

Juneau- Went to Mendenhall Glacier before going fishing, and it was a good thing too. Our glacier day on the ship was all but a bust, it was so foggy you could barely see the glaciers. (Took the $6.00 each way blue bus to Mendenhall because we only had 1 hour to spend there, it worked out great, the bus leaves town on the half hour and leaves the glacier on the hour.) If you have time while in Juneau, go see it. It's worth it.

 

Fishing with Capt. Todd Wicks of Auke Bay Sportfishing - Great trip, DH caught 2 king salmon (just short of keeper, so they had to go back) and 2 Coho's to be sent home. Capt. Todd and his deckhand Cole were very knowledgeable and professional. (and his dog Gus kept a watch for wales on the trip) We wanted to have a drink at the Red Dog so Capt. Todd dropped us off there instead of at the ship so we didn't have to walk all the way back.

 

Skagway - Chilkoot Charters & Tours, Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion (7 hours) Very early excursion, so be in line by 7:00 am if not before, we didn't get off the ship until around 7:15 am but it was plenty of time to get to where we need to be to meet them. The overall tour was a little long (wanted to sleep on the way back from the Yukon) but we enjoyed it. Our guide Shawn was great, we were in a "short bus" (which was fitting for our group) so when someone spotted a bear on the rocks above the road, Shawn was able to turn the bus around and go back so we could take pictures. We stopped at quite a few places for pictures including Emerald Lake. Had lunch, went through an animal museum, stopped for ice cream and was back in Skayway in time to do a little shopping and have a drink at the Red Onion before going back to the ship.

 

Sitka - Just walked around town, did a big loop site seeing and looking for a grocery store to buy some diet cokes and by the time we did that we were ready to get back to the ship. (We tendered on the ship's life boats, which was a first for me, the only other time I tendered was on a large open boat in Grand Caymon.)

 

We rested and got packed on the last sea day, and like to have froze to death when we were around the glaciers, even though we couldn't see them very well because of the fog. But it was good anyway.

 

We took a streach SUV limo from Whittier to Anchorage and saw the sights along the way and walked around for a few hours. Flew out of Anchorage Wednesday night and made it back home safely. That's what counts! It was a great trip, but I don't think I want to do it again.

[sarbah77]

Well, we're back home now and it was great!

 

Everything went just great. We flew out on Tuesday, stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel (nice hotel Downtown, big rooms all with balconies) and took a taxi to the port. Got to the port around noon, almost no lines to wait in and it was only a short wait to board the ship.

 

Juneau- Went to Mendenhall Glacier before going fishing, and it was a good thing too. Our glacier day on the ship was all but a bust, it was so foggy you could barely see the glaciers. (Took the $6.00 each way blue bus to Mendenhall because we only had 1 hour to spend there, it worked out great, the bus leaves town on the half hour and leaves the glacier on the hour.) If you have time while in Juneau, go see it. It's worth it.

 

I'm taking this cruise next year (June). What were you able to do, when the blue bus dropped you off at the glacier? Just admire it? Get near by?

 

Thanks!!

 

-Sarah

[Budget Queen]

I'm taking this cruise next year (June). What were you able to do, when the blue bus dropped you off at the glacier? Just admire it? Get near by?

 

Thanks!!

 

-Sarah

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/index.html

 

Plenty to see and do. Very nice view of this glacier on the cheap. :)

[melodi1963]

We walked up to the overlook to look across the lake at the Glacier itself. Our friends had more time and they walked around the lake to a waterfall on the other side of the lake. We also saw bears in a tree around the salmon stream. It was just really nice to see the Glacier in clear light because our sailing glacier day was so foggy.

[Marie321]

Melodi,

My husband and I were with your group on the train and van. Your group made the trip so much fun! We loved your sense of humor! Great day! We went from Whittier to Anchorage on the Leopard Comedy tour. We were with a very solemn group and we were wishing for your group on that tour!:D

[sarbah77]

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/index.html

 

Plenty to see and do. Very nice view of this glacier on the cheap. :)

 

Thanks for your reply! I'd looked at the link already (strange, huh?) but I couldn't get a good idea of what one saw/could do there. Like, you can pay large dollars for a hike to and on the glacier but if you take the $6 bus, what do you see instead? Does that make sense or am I babbling?

 

-Sarah

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for taking the time to report what you did on your Alaskan cruise.

[melodi1963]

think we spoiled anyone else's trip because we cut up so much. That trip was great wasn't it? I thought Shawn did a very good job.

 

sarbah 77 - When you ride the $6 blue bus, they just take you straight to the glaicer and you get out and walk around on your own. The ride is very nice in itself, with narrative along the way. When you get off the ship and walk toward town, it's not the first little booth that you come to. Walk on up to the parking lot across from Alaska Shirt Company and their booth is there. Again, they leave on the 1/2 hour to go to the glacier and leave from the glacier comming back to town on the hour. Your tickets are good all day so you can stay 1 hour or 5 depending on how late you get started. (That was thier schedual that day anyway, it may be flip-flopped when you go.)

[CruisinJul]

Thank you for the great info, melodi1963. This is my backup plan if my helicopter tour is cancelled due to bad weather.

 

The website says the city bus drops you off 1.5 miles from the Vistor Center? Is this the same bus? We have someone in our group that can't walk that far.

[Cruiser Joe]

The website says the city bus drops you off 1.5 miles from the Vistor Center? Is this the same bus? We have someone in our group that can't walk that far.

No, the city bus is a different bus than the tour bus. The tour bus takes you to the visitors center.

[sarbah77]

sarbah 77 - When you ride the $6 blue bus, they just take you straight to the glaicer and you get out and walk around on your own. The ride is very nice in itself, with narrative along the way. When you get off the ship and walk toward town, it's not the first little booth that you come to. Walk on up to the parking lot across from Alaska Shirt Company and their booth is there. Again, they leave on the 1/2 hour to go to the glacier and leave from the glacier comming back to town on the hour. Your tickets are good all day so you can stay 1 hour or 5 depending on how late you get started. (That was thier schedual that day anyway, it may be flip-flopped when you go.)

 

That sounds fabulous to me. Thanks for the info!! :D

[melodi1963]

Yeah, I'd say it's about a block or less from where the blue bus drops off & picks back up to the visitor's center. It's about a 20 min. ride each way, so I think $6 each way is very good.