Alaskan Cruises PT 2 – The Excursions

Madras Oregon   H72  L45

Judy and  I stayed busy during the ships four stopovers with shore tours/excursions. Judy scheduled the various by selecting from a menu of activities during the cruise booking process. I am sure it may have been a little more expensive but once the ship docked we already had our activities planned so we saved a lot of time.

 Ketchikan – Lodge and Sea-feast

Judy and I along with 15 others took this tour. After a short coach ride we boarded  a boat for a 20 minute ride out to an island. At the lodge we were met by a “host” who provided lots of local history and a short walk into forest.  We were served the Alaskan version of a “Low Country Boil”.  It was very good. Before heading back we boarded the boat for a hour tour of the area, getting a chance to see lots of wildlife.

    

      

     

Tracy Arm Fjord Cruising

Prior to making a stop in Juneau, the ship cruised 25 miles in to the Tracy Arm Fjord. The scenery was breathtaking.

     

      

Juneau – Mendenhall Glacier, Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest

This excursion was very popular with many of the guest on the cruise. It lasted over five hours and was a combination coach and boat tour. The whale watching portion was over three hours. The final stop on the tour was a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier and Museum.

     

     

Skagway - Gold rush, Sled Dogs and White Pass Train Adventure

This excursion took us 30 miles from Juneau to the White Pass in Canada.  There we boarded the White Pass Railway for a small gauge train ride down the mountain back to Juneau. On the way up we stopped for a presentation about the sled dogs of the Iditarod dog race.  Those dogs loved to pull the sled (fast).

     

    

 

     

That is all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.

Next Blog: a couple of days