Below is the map of our 22 night June 2025 Alaska cruise. This was the longest and went the
furthest north of any of our Alaska cruises. Click the picture to get a live map. Clicking
a pin on that map will show a description of the picture taken at that location. Clicking
the link in the description takes you to the blog entry describing the that day with links to an album
with more pictures for the day.
Our last stop before heading home was Victoria. Usually the Alaska cruise ships stop for only a short time in
Victoria, but we had a full day to explore the city. This time we decided to take a self guided tour of the
Victoria China Town and, of course, some of the local pubs. To get there and back to port we used a reasonably priced
Uber.
We'd just finished traveling through the heaviest concentration of glaciers in Alaska, so it
was time to get back to more settled parts of Alaska. Not that they don't have glaciers, but they're
not as close together and not as big.
Except for the picture below, click on a picture to see more pictures from that day.
June 18, 2025 - Cruising to Icy Strait
Just a relaxing day at sea.
Lazy Day at Sea
June 19, 2025 - Icy Strait
We've been to Icy Strait a few times. The first time we were there we didn't see much
but we learned that it is one of the best spots for whale watching. In many cases you can see
the whales from the shore. We did a boat cruise, which is usually the best way to see whales,
but our best whale shots were on the cruise ship... while it was docked!
We had just finished lunch and were back in our rooms when we saw the whales from our balcony.
We don't always get a cabin with a balcony, choosing instead to save some money and get a cabin with just a window.
But when we go to Alaska, especially on a glacier cruise, we always get a balcony. This time it was really worth it!
Aftter lunch, and our unexpected whale drive by, we took the Sky Peak Gondola for panoramic views of the area.
Most of our time in Skagway was spent on a tour to see Davidson Glacier.
We boarded a small boat in Skagway and cruised down Chilkote Inlet, past Haines where we'd been a week before,
to Glacier Point Wilderness. Once there we had a short hike to another landing where we boarded a 31 foot canoe
for a short ride across a lake
to a point near the glacier.
After the glacier tour we took the boat back up Chilkote Inlet where we had a
view of some of the wildlife and waterfalls. Click on the pic above to see the photo album
with some of those pictures.
We had a little time to explore the town before we had to get back on the ship, enough
to make our traditional stop at Klondike Brewing Company for a flight of some great local beer.
June 21, 2025 - Juneau
One of our favorite things in Juneau is the whale watching tour.
We didn't see as many whales as we did in Icy Strait, or as many as we had on
our last trip to Juneau, but we did a couple of distant shots.
Glaciers, glaciers, and more glaciers! Leaving Sitka we headed into parts of Alaska
with some glaciers we'd seen before, but some we'd never even heard of. This was definitely
the part of Alaska to see tidewater glaciers!
Click any of the pictures below to see more images from that day.
June 13, 2025 - Glacier Bay
First up was the classic Glacier Bay. If you only have time to see one glacier in Alaska, this is the one to see.
It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason. The glaciers are stunning.
Our next stop was the Hubbard Glacier, which is the largest tidewater glacier in North America.
I actually didn't know that until the AI type ahead in VS Code told me! But I double checked and it's true!
A lot of people have heard of Valdez because of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Not as many remember it as the town that was completely wiped out by a tsunami from the 1964 Alaska earthquake,
which was a magnitude 9.2, the largest recorded equake in North American history and the second largest earthquake ever recorded.
After that event the town was rebuilt in a different location.
Our tour took us to the Worthington Glacier near Valdez. After what we'd seen the previous two days
it was a bit of a let down. But not to worry, Growler Bay Brewing Company, walking distance from the port, had a decent
flight of beers. Click the picture below to see more.
Next up was Seward. Although it is one of two ports within driving distance of Anchorage,
it's a 2.5 hour drive and we didn't have time to do that. So we just stayed in Seward and
took a boat tour to see the nearby Aialik Glacier, one of the most active glaciers in Alaska.
I think it was actually one of our best glacier tours so if you're in Seward we highly recommend it.
Click the picture below to see more from that tour.
College Fjord is a beautiful fjord with more tidewater glaciers
than any other location in Alaska. It actually puts Glacier Bay to shame.
It's named College Fjord because the glaciers are named after colleges
The first leg of our Alaska cruise was from San Francisco to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Haines and
then Sitka.
We'd never been to Sitka before but Ketchikan is one of our favorite ports with the George Inlet Lodge
all you can eat crab feast!
Click a picture below to see more pictures from that stop.
June 6, 2025 - Leaving San Francisco
There are usually beautiful views leaving San Francisco and today was no exception.
We've been to Ketchikan several times and one of our favorite things to do is to
eat at the George Inlet Lodge.
They have an all you can eat crab feast that is delicious and a great value.
We also enjoy the local beer, which is brewed right there in Ketchikan
at the Bawden Street Brewing Company, one of the most enjoyable ways to
support a Vet!
June 11, 2025 - Haines - American Bald Eagle Foundation
Another very small port with some beautiful scenery.
We visited the American Bald Eagle Foundation and got to see some of the eagles and
other birds up close. We also went to The Three Northmen Tasting Room and Haines Brewing Company,
which was a great way to support local businesses and enjoy some delicious beer. All are walking
distance from the port.
Beautiful sail into port followed by a visit to the Alaska Raptor Center,
which is a great place to see some of the local wildlife up close and learn
about the conservation efforts to protect these amazing birds.
