Alaska, the Inland Passage

Alaska – The Inland Passage

Alaska has become the second most popular cruise destination in the world with 150 ships going through its waters. It is important for you to pick your travel dates carefully, and you can now go from San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouver. Depending on whether you want glitz, evening dress each night, gambling, nightly shows, bingo, lectures or movies, you can be kept as busy as you want to be for every day you are afloat. You can go from 100 to 5,000 passengers on board, depending on which ship you choose May to September is the travel time

The alternative is a smaller ship, with none of the above and passengers numbering up to 100 going into small bays and sailing closer to shore to see more wildlife. It depends on your budget, what your preferences are and what ports of call interest you.

I went to Alaska in May to meet with women from 32 different countries attending the world conference of the International Federation of Women in Travel who were holding their meeting on board a Holland American cruise ship sailing out of Vancouver with stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Each year we go to a different country, and the previous meeting had been in Indonesia.

At each stop, the town put on a trade show for the hundreds of delegates so we had an opportunity to meet with representatives from fishing lodges, charter planes and adventure tour operators. I came back with a suitcase full of literature to share with the staff of All Horizons Travel.

Growing up in Northern Scotland, I was thrilled to see colorful horned orange puffins again. I saw eagles, black and brown bears, and lots of whales.

There were different excursions to choose from at the three ports. I was recommended to take the small float plane to a lodge near the Teku Glacier. Only 10 colleagues for the thirty minute flight thru breathtaking scenery for a salmon lunch in an area which few people get to.

It was interesting to see the collection of furs hanging on the walls of the lodge and the snowshoes, skis, and dogsleds which have been used over the years.

In Skagway, the delegates filled the Yukon Steam Train, built to take miners to the gold discovered in the Yukon in 1887. History has it that of the 100,000 people who tried to reach the Yukon, only half got there. When you see the difficult route, especially in deep snow, you can understand what an accomplishment it was to get this 110 mile railway built.

There is one canyon named “Dead Horse” because 3,000 horses died there in the attempt to get miners over the pass. Each train carriage had a fireplace in it which we appreciated since it was very cold with snow everywhere.

Skagway is a nice little town, four blocks wide, no doctor and no lawyer. The newspaper only gets published when they have enough news, usually every 3-4 weeks. It’s worth wandering around, and going outside the town to see the gold rush cemetery. The gravestones told some interesting stories. One which tickled me was “Here lies the body of Ella Wilson, died May 28, 1898. A woman of negotiable affections who gave her honor for the town of Skagway”. Apparently Ella was the town’s lady of the night.

Have a few days after the cruise in Vancouver, Canada. A great destination with lots to see and do. What we did was to take a week’s train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer to see Kamloops, and Banff. A classy affair.

Lots of options for you to choose from. I’ve been on them all.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park

650-941-5810

Maureen.Jones@Frosch. com