As a child growing up in the mid-western United States, family vacation was always a big deal for me. I loved the bi-annual road trips to visit family in the south, and the ten day round-trip adventure to Maine for my aunt’s wedding, but there’s one place that will always stick out the most in my fondest vacation memories. Alaska.
I feel very fortunate to have experienced an Alaskan cruise at the age of ten. It taught me to appreciate nature in a whole new way, but being so young prevented me from truly appreciating other aspects of the trip. I remember being overwhelmed with awe at the opulence and pure beauty of the ship itself, only to realize that the best part was what happened when we left the ship’s luxury. These days, the “Legend of The Seas” may not exactly be the best that Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has to offer, but back then it was the newest addition to their fleet and the top of the line. Ships come and go, but the awe inspiring beauty of Alaska will never fade.
There are many different routes taken to and from Alaska, but this is what I remember.
I had never been out of the U.S. before, so flying to Vancouver, Canada to board the ship was a huge deal. Vancouver’s famous port Canada Place was an incredible sight. The well known sail designed building towers over and embraces the ship port like a mother with her children in her arms, offering a warm “Bon Voyage” and a welcoming return.
The first stop on our journey was the beautiful and historically rich city of Ketchikan. We had almost a full day to explore and take excursion tours. I had never before seen a place that not only exposed you to their culture and history, but enveloped you in it like you weren’t a tourist at all. My favorite thing about Ketchikan was Saxman Village. The people that live there conduct life much like their ancestors did, with the exception of some modern amenities. We attended a couple of dance performances done in the Saxman Tribal House and Metlakatla Long House.
At one of the performances, they were looking for children to bring on stage and perform the dances with them. My mother instantly volunteered me, and I’m glad she did. I’ll never forget what it was like being on stage with them, wearing their ceremonial robes, and learning their culture through emersion. I remember visiting Totem Heritage Center and staring up at the largest collection of original Native American totem poles in utter amazement. One day was definitely not enough to take in all Ketchikan has to offer.
The next stop/attraction on our trip was the Misty Fjords. We didn’t stop and get off to see the national monument, but the view from the ship was enough to make you believe you had cruised into a fantasy world. The wild life was abundant. Bald Eagles flying so low you’d swear it was looking you in the eye, pods of whales following the ship from time to time, we even spotted a giant Grizzly bear basking in the sun on the shoreline. The state capitol of Juneau was next. This is one state capitol that despite being along the chilly, mountainous, glacier-ridden coast really captures the heart of the state it represents. Hearing the words Yukon Territory usually brings visions of the Alaskan gold rush in old-west style towns, and Juneau keeps that alive. That may be partially due to the fact that the only ways in or out of the city of Juneau is by plane, boat, or the only one-lane road leading North. We took advantage of Juneau’s gold panning excursion and the sky tram above the city. My mother is greatly afraid of heights; she proved that when the view is that good, your altitude doesn’t matter.
After a full day or so of being in the water, we stopped again. This time, farther North into the Inside Passage to infamous Skagway. Skagway is an old mining town that was made famous by the Klondike gold rush and the troublesome adventures of Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith. Soapy was a con artist and gangster that would push his was into local politics and move his gang operation to Skagway from Colorado. We went panning for gold at Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp, enjoyed a fabulous salmon bake, and explored the local shops. I’ve never been big on eating fish, but the Salmon cooked on land in Alaska is worth the hike to get there. Parts of Skagway look as if it’s been completely un-touched since the very early 1900s. Glacier Bay was of course, a natural highlight of the trip. We were followed in by a pod of Orcas that circled the ship and spouted as we looked on in amazement. There were Seals lounging on small ice floes near the shore.
Glacier Bay is one of the most unpredictable natural wonders I’ve ever witnessed. Employees on the ship said that it’s either hit or miss, sometimes you see a lot of ice fall off the cliff faces, other times it’s as quiet as can be. Once we were in there and the ship’s captain turned us around, he killed the engines and we sat in mechanical silence, surrounded on three sides by walls of ice and enjoying nature’s symphony. As it turned out, we get there on a good day. Chunks of ice the size of a basketball would fall and produce a loud crashing echo, while pieces the size of semi-trucks dethatched and slid into the sea without so much as a crackle. The best way to describe it would be with three words: true, natural, perfection.
The last stop before home was Sitka. Sitka is nestled on the west side of Baran of Island, and is rich in Native-Alaskan and Russian traditions. It was a major port in the mid to late 1800s for lumber and fur traders. Surprisingly, it happens to be the largest city by area in the entire U.S.A., and was the first city to be established in Alaska.
I could go on forever about the fun things to do on the ship, but that would never compare to the mind-blowing experiences on land. I was only ten years old and I remember it like it happened last year. Unfortunately however, all the photos my parents took on our trip got destroyed. I feel as if my memories of Alaska aren’t quite what they should be … I can’t wait to go back and experience it all again as an adult.
Whether you’re looking for a vacation full of relaxation and tranquility, or an excursion filled adventure, Alaska has it all … and getting there via cruise ship certainly helps. If there’s one place you should experience once in your life … Alaska is it. It may be America’s “Last Fronteir” but it has many things to offer that will stay with you for a lifetime!