How To See Alaska - The Last Frontier
When I was given the task of planning a family trip to take my in-laws to Alaska, I was pretty excited. Alaska seems so wild and untouched, full of amazing scenery and interesting animals. It is a bucket-list vacation for sure.
According to alaskatia.org, a little over half of Alaska's visitors in 2022 were on a cruise. That was my initial thought as well, an Alaskan cruise. A cruise seems like an amazing way to see the majestic coastline of the state, to get up close to the glaciers of Glacier Bay, and to visit several cities that aren't accessible by road. Most cruises to Alaska pass through the "Inside Passage", a stunning stretch of coastline between Olympia, WA and the Alaskan panhandle. Cruise ships with a special permit can visit Glacier Bay National Park and its 11 glaciers (no roads go to this park). Another highlight that some cruise ships visit is the 40-story high and 76 mile long, Hubbard Glacier, that actively calves in peak summer. Smaller cruise ships can take you up "Tracy Arm," a spectacular fjord south of Juneau.
Other reasons why so many visitors choose to cruise in Alaska are the ports of call and variety of shore excursions available. Some popular excursions are whale watching, salmon or halibut fishing, dog sledding, ziplining, trekking on a glacier, and lumberjack shows. All of these are just so unique to the Frontier State!
Another choice that cruisers have, is to do a "cruisetour." This adds days on land to your cruise, either at the start or finish of the trip. A very popular destination for "cruisetours" is to Denali National Park, home of the highest mountain in North America, six million acres of wilderness, and Alaska's "Big 5" mammals. Some "cruisetours" also incorporate railroad journeys.
Yet another possibility for those who want to cruise, but are seeking more adventure, is the "UnCruise." UnCruise is a company with a smaller Alaskan ship, the Wilderness Adventurer. I like that it only has 60 guests on board and really focuses on adventure in Alaska while also taking you to all the beautiful places. Daily activity choices include hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, skiff rides, whale watching, northern lights viewing, polar plunge, and learning about native Alaskan cultures and tribes.
However, as fun as an Alaskan cruise sounds, I just wasn't sure it was a good fit for my family. I think we will enjoy the independence of having a rental car and our own schedule. So the next few weeks I went back and forth with possible land itineraries. Every time I thought that I had researched the best route, I'd find something even more spectacular to add into the plan. I finally have settled into an itinerary that covers many of Alaska's scenic wonders in 9 days. It begins in Fairbanks, with some of the highlights being Denali National Park, Hatcher Pass, Matanuska Glacier, Keystone Canyon, Valdez, Meares Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Wildlife/Glacier cruises, Anchorage, and flying to either Katmai or Lake Clark National Park to see the brown bears. It is impossible to see all of Alaska's best in one trip, but I'm pretty sure this one is going to be incredible. If you are interested in this itinerary I have it available for download, see the menu below - Travel Itinerary Downloads.
Next summer, you can read all about my Alaskan adventure in the blog. But don't worry, I have plenty of places to tell you about before then! If you would like help planning your vacation email me at: kristina@wanderfuladventurestravel.com