And Another Summer in Alaska...

My latest journey on the Grand Princess to Alaska marks my fourth summer in a row to this wonderful state. The sail-away from the ports and cruising the fjords will always excite me no matter how many times I have seen them.

Tracy Arm Fjord

The view was worth waking up early to see

Just another foggy day in San Francisco as we begin the cruise

I was blessed to be able to experience a tour at each of the ports the ship stopped at.

In Victoria I did the Ocean Wildlife & Orca Exploration Cruise. Unfortunately, we were not able to spot any orcas. However, my friend who did this tour the next time we were in Victoria was able to spot a pod of orcas. You just never know!

In Ketchikan I did the Back Country Zodiac Expedition. We were all bundled up in the gear they provided for us so that we would stay warm and dry. Then we were off on the four-passenger boats following the guide around the waters of Ketchikan. The thrill I felt from the wind whipping my face as I marveled at the scenery and bald eagles around me is a moment I will never forget.

In Juneau I did the Taste of Juneau Walking Tour. I'm always ready to try local cuisine and even though this tour wasn't intended to fill our bellies I was definitely ready to skip dinner after the tour ended. We visited seven places around Juneau and sampled a variety of dishes. At Tracy's King Crab Shack we tried their award-winning bisque and crab cake. At Deckhand Dave's (food truck) we tried their panko crusted salmon filets. At Alaska Knifeworks our tour guide prepared some smoked salmon spread and salmon caviar spread on a rice cracker. We also sampled a kelp marmalade which was surprisingly nice to counter the saltiness of the salmon caviar. At V's Cellar Door (a local eatery) we tried the halibut fusion nachos. Since V's Cellar Door is hidden away and not noticeable to the average visitor I would never have found out about this place if it wasn't for this tour. I enjoyed their Mexican-Korean fusion food and would love to go back one day. At McGivney's (restaurant-bar inside a hotel) we tried a hog wing and beer pairing. At SALT (a higher-end restaurant) we had green tea soba noodles and duck confit paired with wine. It was nice to experience a wide range of tourist favourites, local eateries and higher-end restaurants during this tour. Our final stop was the Alaskan Hotel & Bar for a beer tasting where we sampled three different types of Alaskan Ales.

In Skagway I did the Ocean Raft Adventure. I had done this tour two years ago and raved about it in a previous blog post. You can read about it here.

Waterfall photo-stop location in Skagway's Ocean Raft Adventure

As wonderful as it is to explore new places, Alaska will always be that mesmerizing comfort of natural beauty I can and will return to time and time again.

Love it when it's still bright outside after work (Alaska at 10pm)

See you again soon Alaska...