Awestruck in Alaska

After spending 11 weeks last summer cruising Southeast Alaska I spent 10 weeks this summer aboard the Ruby Princess doing the same itinerary (with the minor change of cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord instead of Glacier Bay National Park).

I wanted to make the most of my second summer in Alaska in a row so I made a commitment to try new things, explore more, and to go on new adventures this time around.


Ketchikan
I found out about The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show from a coworker last summer. Since I didn't get a chance to go to the show last summer I made up for it by going two times this year. It was entertaining to watch and you can even take a group photo with the lumberjacks after the show.

Lumberjacks in action

Ketchikan is one of my favourite ports when it comes to shore excursions. The two excursions I did at this port this summer did not disappoint!

Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast
Besides walking through the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary we also got to see bald eagles and owls at the Alaska Raptor Center and reindeers at the Alaska Wilderness Reindeer Pen. As educational as the walk through the rainforest with the tour guide was I would be lying if I didn't say how much I was looking forward to the crab feast at George Inlet Lodge.
The first drink is on the house so I got the raspberry iced tea. They start you off with a salad and then you can dive right into the all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab. It was some seriously delicious crab! The best crab I have ever eaten, without a doubt. We finished off the meal with a slice of cheesecake for dessert.

Reindeer!

Discovery Exclusive: Alaska Wilderness Survival
As I have mentioned in this blog before I am a big fan of the reality TV show Survivor. Princess Cruises recently partnered with Discovery and Animal Planet and with that collaboration came new excursions this summer. When I saw the title of this excursion I knew I had to do it.
We started the tour by taking a catamaran to a secluded island called Blank Island. On the way there we spotted bald eagles and seals. Aside from our tour guide/wilderness skills instructor there were only five of us on this tour which made the experience feel more authentic. We learned the 7 survival skills (recognition, inventory, shelter, water, food, playfulness, signalling) and how to use them while walking around Blank Island. Our shelter making skills were put to the test after learning how to choose a good location and materials for a shelter. My favourite part of the tour was the fire-making "challenge". We were each given a pan, a piece of cotton, some petroleum jelly in the form of lip balm, flint and a pocket knife. It took a while but eventually I was able to start a fire on my own - necessary life skill accomplished! We all enjoyed some campfire snacks and refreshments after making fire. On the catamaran ride back to downtown Ketchikan we were given a 6-in-1 survival whistle as a souvenir.


Tracy Arm Fjord
I got up bright and early at 5:30am to go on the crew deck to observe the ship sailing through Tracy Arm Fjord. It was chilly but so worth it to see the natural Alaskan beauty.

Natural beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord

Juneau
A classic tourist thing to do in Juneau is to take the tram up Mount Roberts. For some reason I never went on the tram last summer so I told myself this was the year to go. That was until my coworker mentioned she was going to hike up the Mount Roberts Trail (5 km) then take the tram back down. It took us about 2.5 hours to hike up to the top but it was adventurous and I was all about that this summer.

View at the end of our hike up Mount Roberts

Another classic tourist attraction in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier. Once again, I didn't get an opportunity to see it last summer so I made sure I saw it this summer.

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer

I went on the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer excursion which provided a narrated shuttle bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier from the pier. There is a short walk from where the bus drops you off until you can get close to the glacier and massive waterfall. Surprisingly, my favourite part of this tour was seeing a giant iceberg floating in the water.

A massive waterfall to the right of Mendenhall Glacier

Skagway
This summer I went on my favourite Alaskan shore excursion of all time: Ocean Raft Adventure.

Ocean Raft Adventure
Before we could board the boat we had to put on a protective suit to keep us warm and dry. While walking towards the boat after donning the protective suit I felt like an astronaut walking towards a spacecraft. The boat was a motorized raft and rides much like a jet-ski able to do quick turns. If there is one thing I love it is being a speed demon in the water. Whenever the captain cranked the speed on the boat or did donuts in the water I was overjoyed!
The weather was nice and sunny which just made the breathtaking scenery even more awe-inspiring. The boat traveled along Lynn Canal which is the longest and deepest fjord in North America and we were able to see the gorgeous Chilkat mountains in the distance. No Alaskan adventure is complete without spotting bald eagles and harbour seals and this excursion was no exception. As if the sights weren't impressive enough the captain maneuvered the boat close enough to a waterfall for us to feel the mist splashing on our face.

Chilkat mountains in the distance. Pictures don't do it justice.

Tip: Since Skagway is such a tiny town if you aren't doing an excursion or if you have been to Skagway before you might be at a lost as to what to do. Besides going on a hike (which I did last summer) I asked my coworker for some suggestions and was able to find two new things to do. One was to see the Days of '98 Show which is a musical about the history of Skagway. The other was to go to the waterfalls.

The waterfalls called Lower Reid Falls is worth the 1 hour walk from the pier to see. You will have to walk along State street or Main Street in the direction towards Gold Rush Cemetery, walk through the cemetery and up a short trail to reach the waterfalls.

Lower Reid Falls

Victoria, BC
I was fortunate enough to go on two excursions in Victoria this summer.

Olive the Senses Tasting & City Highlights Tour
The city highlights tour on this excursion was the best one I have been on in Victoria. I went on two city highlights tour in Victoria last summer but this one was more extensive and informative. At Olive the Senses Gourmet Foods we were able to sample a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. I'm not a big fan of olive oil or balsamic vinegar but the liquid nitrogen olive oil ice cream with aged balsamic vinegar "caviar" pearls was so good! They said to help yourself to as many ice cream samples as you would like so I had three. Yes, they were that good. At the end of the tour the guide surprised everyone by giving out a bottle of balsamic vinegar to every passenger as a parting gift.

Enchanting Butchart Gardens
As a born and raised British Columbian I have never been to the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria. After the excursion I went on this summer I can finally say I have been to Butchart Gardens! Since we were there on a Saturday evening we were also able to watch the fireworks display which was top-notch.

The dock in Victoria 

On the days I didn't get an excursion in Victoria I would head downtown. Downtown Victoria is always nice to go to for the scenery, shopping and food. It's about a 45 minute walk from the pier to downtown where the Parliament Building and Empress Hotel are located. Shuttle buses and taxis are available as well but when I am not pressed for time I enjoy the walk.


By seeking out new adventures so I could get a different experience in Alaska this summer it kept Alaska fresh and new for me. It just goes to show you that no matter how many times you visit the same port you can always create new adventures and memories there.