It marks eight years since my last cruise, I was eager to say the least. We set sail porting out of Whittier Alaska on 21 July 2025. My mother and I chose a late July Alaskan cruise due to learning it is one of the warmest timeframes to be in Alaska. Neither of us do well in the cold. 🥶 But I’ll admit it already felt great to get away from the scorching 115 degrees in the Mojave desert of CA. Our first stop was to the Hubbard glacier, which is reported at 75 miles long and 6 miles wide! The ship cannot get too close, as it would be dangerous. We gazed at it from a few miles away, while the rich people went on a smaller boat to get a closer look ;-). I must have looked at it from every floor, and every angle.Stop number two was called Icy Strait point. It was cold, chilly and absolutely breathtaking. We were able to take gondola rides up high for amazing views, and also to the town to see the shops and the ocean up close. The nature was incredible! You will want to take pictures of everything you see.Icy strait point pier 🥶It was a cold walk but well worth it for the views Stop number 3 was the Salmon bake excursion in Juneau, Alaska. This is the capital of the state. The salmon was fresh, the forest air was incredible. The waterfall was breathtaking. And the city shopping was a lot of fun.Walking around the city of Juneau with an incredible Mountain View. Stop number 4 was in Skagway! We picked an incredible excursion where we got to meet Alaskan sled dogs, take a bus detour to Canada, and explore the town & learn the history! We loved the nature, the puppies, and the classic small town feel.Alaskan sled dogs taking off! Just another fun day in the office for them.A lake somewhere in Canada …. with no reception and a lot of mosquitoes. 🦟 This was a quick but amazing unforgettable detour. But… we will be in Canada again when we port!Ketchikan was our final stop in Alaska. We found out it’s the oldest city in Alaska, a fisherman’s town with the most salmon. There are almost twice as many bears as people. We chose to explore Potlock park for their totem pole displays, and walked through the town after.A massive totem pole being worked on in the carvers room at the park. Our tour guide walked us through some of the native stories that originated through the creation of the poles.We ported in Vancouver Canada! 🍁 We did a ton of walking, some shopping and eating around the city …. and … Even more walking at the capilano bridges in Vancouver island! The views on the suspension bridges & walk ways were incredible. My mom is terrified of heights, but she managed!
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