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Next we visited Juneau, the only US capital that
is inaccessible by car, and one of the most
picturesque cities in the world with its fjord-like
terrain and dramatic backdrop of rugged
mountains and vast glaciers, the closest being
Mendenhall Glacier.
Skagway bought back memories, as we were
last there 40 years ago on a camping trip to
follow the old Chilkoot gold rush trail. Skagway
still has its old board walks and about 100 of the
gold rush buildings have been restored. The
narrow gauge railway follows the old Yukon
route to historic White Pass. The old gold rush
cemetery has been preserved and is next to a
stunning waterfall. On our return with Viking,
we viewed White Pass summit—a 2,865-foot
elevation—courtesy of a sightseeing bus trip,
which offered stunning views of the glaciers,
snow-capped mountains and Bridal Veil Falls. It
was quite magical.
Icy Strait Point is a recreated village outside of
the small town of Hoonah, located on the island
of Chichagof. It is a former salmon canning and
packing station restored by the local Tlingit
Pa c i c
O cean
Valdez
Skagway
H u b b ard G la c i e r
Yak u t a t B ay
Icy Strait Point
Juneau
Ketchikan
Sitka
I n s i d e Pas s a g e
Vancouver
Seward
CANADA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
USA
ALASKA
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night in Po r t
VIEW
VOYAGE
GETTING THERE: Consider our
11-day Alaska & the Inside Passage
itinerary, departing from Vancouver
to Seward, or in reverse.
people. We went on a hike in the Tongass
National Forest which has far-reaching views
across the Spasski river valley. On the way back
to the bus there was movement in the bush, the
guide halted us and motioned for us to be
quiet. Suddenly a bear's head appeared. Just as
we thought the animal had moved into the
undergrowth, he reappeared at the crest of the
hill and peered down at us. I managed
to get one of my favourite photos of the whole
trip; what a memorable day.
Viking Orion arrived at Hubbard Glacier ahead
of schedule and although it was an overcast day,
it enhanced the blue of the ice; what a magical
sight. The captain expertly manoeuvred the ship
so everyone could get a good view of the
six-mile-wide glacier.
More breathtaking scenery appeared as we
travelled the deep-cut fjord in Prince William
Sound, arriving in Valdez. The glacial Chugach
Mountains surround the city, which is better
known as the southern terminus of the
Trans-Alaska Pipeline, carrying oil from Prudhoe
Bay to the Artic coast. After an oil spill in 1989
the wildlife is making a strong comeback and
visits from Viking ships have helped boost the
local economy.
Cruising along Resurrection Bay towards
Seward, our final stop, we marvelled at the
mountains which come right down to the water
—a fitting finale to what must be one of the last
great frontiers for a cruise.
Alaskan wildlife in
their natural habitat
