Select Port to View Excursions

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail.

The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era. Points of Interest Include:

• Prince William Sound Boasting more tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in North America, this gorgeous deepwater sound is home to a host of rich marine life.
• Portage Glacier This giant wall of ice is one of Alaska's most popular and exciting attractions. It's your chance to witness glacier calving and hear the thunderous roar when a huge block of ice crashes into the sea.
• Turnagain Arm The drive along Turnagain Arm boasts breathtaking views. The Seward Highway is a National Scenic Byway and one of 15 routes designated as an "All-American Road" in the United States.
• Mt. Alyeska Tram Climb 2,300 feet above sea level to a viewing deck with panoramic vistas of hanging glaciers towering mountains, expanses of evergreen and glistening streams. Telescopes on deck intensify the view.
• Anchorage Museum of History & Art This sleek, new glass building houses an impressive collection of exhibits and interactive experiences for the family, with a planetarium, kid's discovery center and Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center.
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through public education, this refuge for injured and orphaned animals includes moose, elk, caribou, bears, musk oxen, bison, deer, lynx and eagles.

Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska

Whittier, approximately 65 miles southeast of Anchorage, lies nestled at the base of the Chugach Mountains bordering Passage Canal. Established as a World War II port for cargo and troops of the Alaska Command, Whittier
remained activated until 1960. Today, Whittier's economy and its 290 residents rely largely on the fishing industry, the port and, increasingly, on tourism.  Once accessible only by boat or via a war-era railway tunnel, The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was recently enhanced to accommodate highway traffic as well, making it the longest highway tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles.

Named for the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, the community is also the gateway to spectacular Prince William Sound, with its magnificent tidewater glaciers and abundant marine life. Whittier tours are available to passengers with an evening flight out of Anchorage on the day of disembarkation or those with an overnight in Anchorage after their cruise. Whittier tours are only available to cruise tour guests who spend the first night of their package in Anchorage. Other cruise tour guests cannot take an excursion as they would miss the transfer their next destination. Points of Interest Include:

• Prince William Sound Boasting more tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in North America, this gorgeous deepwater sound is home to a host of rich marine life.
• Portage Glacier This giant wall of ice is one of Alaska's most popular and exciting attractions. It's your chance to witness glacier calving and hear the thunderous roar when a huge block of ice crashes into the sea.
• Turnagain Arm The drive along Turnagain Arm boasts breathtaking views. The Seward Highway is a National Scenic Byway and one of 15 routes designated as an "All-American Road" in the United States.
• Mt. Alyeska Tram Climb 2,300 feet above sea level to a viewing deck with panoramic vistas of hanging glaciers towering mountains, expanses of evergreen and glistening streams. Telescopes on deck intensify the view.
• Anchorage Museum of History & Art This sleek, new glass building houses an impressive collection of exhibits and interactive experiences for the family, with a planetarium, kid's discovery center and Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center.
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through public education, this refuge for injured and orphaned animals includes moose, elk, caribou, bears, musk oxen, bison, deer, lynx and eagles.

Juneau, Alaska

In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans."  From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government.

Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau's 3,248 square miles. Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains. Points of Interest Include:

• Mendenhall Glacier This amazing glacier is 12 miles long, a half-mile wide and from 300 to 1,800 feet deep. Stretching from the Juneau Icefield to Mendenhall Lake, it has been slowly retreating since the mid 1700s.
• Outdoor Adventures Enjoy what is truly an outdoorsman's paradise, with activities you won't find anywhere else. Go for a ride on a dog sled, whale watching, hiking, nature watching, flightseeing, ziplining and more.
• Whale Watching You're virtually ensured a whale sighting from April to November when hundreds of humpbacks feed and frolic in the waters of the northern Inside Passage. Orcas are also common sightings in Juneau.
• Glacier Slightseeing Fly over the massive Juneau Icefield and get a front-row seat to awe-inpsiring glaciers, spectacular icefalls and majestic rock formations - accessible only from the air.
• Macaulay Salmon Hatchery Salmon swim up a 450-foot fish ladder from mid-June to October. Watch the hatchery process from the deck. The aquarium inside showcases local marine life in their natural saltwater environments.
• Glacier Gardens This 50-acre garden features species native to this temperate rainforest. Guided tours provide insight into a self-sustaining ecosystem and lookout points on Thunder Mountain are spectacular.
• Dog Sledding Meet professional mushers and their amazing canine companions in an introduction to Alaska's state sport. Take a flight to a glacier to experience flying over the snow, or visit the summertime training grounds for a ride in a wheeled sled.
• Alaska State Museum One of the finest museums in the state, this facility houses Native, mining, fishing and Russian displays, as well as traveling art and cultural exhibits.

Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska's fourth-largest city.

Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, which includes the world's oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city's colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sport fishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument. Points of Interest Include:

• Outdoor Adventures Enjoy what is truly an outdoorsman's paradise, with activities you won't find anywhere else. Go for a ride on a dog sled, whale watching, hiking, nature watching, flightseeing, ziplining and more.
• Totem Pole Parks Totem Bight State Park, Saxman Native Village and Potlatch Park each offer a unique view of the Tlingit and Haida Indian cultures including totem poles, carvers, Native dancers and replicas of clan houses.
• Misty Fjords National Monument Take in the dramatic beauty of a land slowly crafted by the hands of nature. It encompasses more than two million acres of sheer granite cliffs, 1,000-foot waterfalls, and crystalline lakes.
• Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show This celebration of a bygone era is a rip-roaring good time. World champion athletes compete in springboard chopping, buck sawing, axe throwing, log rolling and the thrilling 50-foot tree climb.
• Southeast Alaska Discovery Center The center contains exhibits and interactive displays on the land, people and culture of southeast Alaska. Experience a temperate rainforest, see a Native fish camp, and view wildlife up close.
• Totem Heritage Center Home to the world's finest collection of 19th-century totem poles, each retrieved from abandoned Native village sites. These cedar monuments retell the history and lore of Alaska's indigenous people.
• Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery & Eagle Center Learn more about two of Alaska's native species. An Alaska Native interpreter teaches you about the salmon's amazing life cycle. Then, view a pair of American bald eagles in a naturalistic setting.
• Creek Street This historic boardwalk was a Red Light District during the Gold Rush. Now, it's a quaint place to tour Dolly's House museum, view totem poles, and shop at locally owned stores and galleries.

Vancouver, British Columbia

It seems unlikely that a character named "Gassy Jack" Deighton would be responsible for one of the most beautiful cities on the continent. But that's history for you. During the gold rush, Gassy Jack saw a chance to make money from the hordes of miners on their way to the Yukon. The saloon he built became the focus of the shanty town known as Gastown. From that ragtag group of shacks, modern Vancouver was born. The provincial government persuaded settlers to change the name of the town to Vancouver, after Captain George Vancouver, who sailed the region's waters in 1792.

Canada's third-largest city, Vancouver is a cosmopolitan place with a European feel and a personality all its own. It's a community with a rich ethnic mix - including the second-largest Chinatown in North America - and stunningly beautiful parks. Points of Interest Include:

• Stanley Park A lush rainforest in the heart of the city, this 1,000-acre park teems with wildlife and natural beauty. Enjoy a spectacular array of activities, including the famed Vancouver Aquarium and the majestic Totem Pole Park.
• Vancouver Lookout Take a glass elevator 430 feet in the air to the city's famed lookout and step into the heated observation deck for breathtaking 360-degree views of the city, mountains and your cruise ship below.
• Chinatown Experience the vibrant Asian atmosphere in the second largest Chinatown in North America. Authentic architecture, exotic cuisine, and colorful specialty shops make each turn down the narrow alleyways a unique adventure.

Pre-Cruise Tour

May 25 – May 30, 2012, Optional 5-Night Denali Explorer Pre-Cruise Tour

During your pre-cruise tour, you will start out in Anchorage and then will travel to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, a true wilderness retreat, where you will be able to view the tallest mountain in North America, the spectacular and majestic Mt. McKinley.  You’ll then travel by domed rail car, for panoramic viewing of spectacular scenery like no other, to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. 

During your stay here, you will enjoy an included Natural History Tour into the vast and breathtaking Denali National Park where bald eagle and bear sightings are frequent. If you have the time and the available funds, a pre-cruise tour to enhance your Alaska cruise experience is highly recommended. 

 

Highlights:

Natural History Tour into Denali National Park
4 nights in the Denali area
Direct to the Wilderness rail service
Glacier Bay National Park cruising

 

Day

Destination

1

Anchorage
Arrive in Anchorage for an overnight stay.

2

Anchorage/Mt. McKinley
Travel by scenic motorcoach to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon and evening at the lodge.

3

Mt. McKinley
The entire day is free to spend as you choose. Explore the nature trails, opt for an excursion or just take in the views for the deck at the lodge.

4

Mt. McKinley/Denali
This morning, transfer to Talkeetna, then board Princess Rail to Denali National Park and the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. The evening is yours to spend at your own pace.

5

Denali
Travel into Denali National Park on the Natural History Tour. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to plan an excursion or relax at the lodge. Enjoy another night at your riverside lodge.

6

Denali/Whittier
Ride the Denali Express rail direct to your awaiting ship in Whittier. Embark and sail this evening.

 

Contact us today to sign up for this cool Barefoot Gang Alaska cruise/tour vacation opportunity!