Before you book your Alaskan cruise, join us on February 4 for an informational night about Southlake Style's upcoming Expedition Alaska cruise. Click here to register.
Cruising Alaska is an item that finds itself on many a family’sbrbucket list. The perfect way to tour the state’s waterwaysbrand port cities, a cruise allows you to get up close andbrpersonal with glaciers, wildlife, the Northern Lights andbr
more. However, not knowing much about the state or its climate mightbrput potential travelers in a vacation conundrum. Paring down yourbrcruise options to include the best time of year to travel, where to go andbrwhat to see will put your mind at ease.br
While the first step is contacting a cruise line for your familybradventure, it helps to know the basics. Cruise season begins in May andbrends in September. However, some cruise lines will begin trips as earlybras April. Before you select the timing, though, it helps to know how eachbrmonth’s weather conditions will affect your activities.br
Best Time to Travel
One of the most popular Alaskan cruise routes is through the InsidebrPassage, known as the panhandle. Making your way through the islandsbrof the passage that loosely connect the largest U.S. state to the rest, you’llbrsee bald eagles above, whales below and glaciers all around. You’ll bebrable to create lasting family memories that can only be made whilebrcruising. The many ports of call along the passage are only accessiblebrby air and by sea.br
Cruising through the Inside Passage in April and May means you’llbrbe visiting during a drier month, and it’s a great time to see the state finest displays of wildflowers and foliage. It’s usually not untilbrsummer (June, July and August) that you’ll begin to catch sightbrof the wildlife. Land mammals such as bears, bison and moosebrinhabit the mountains and forests. But if whale watching is whatbryour Alaskan cruise dreams are made of, during the warmerbrsummer months you’re sure to see humpback and orca whales.brCruising in late fall definitely means colder temperatures and lessbrdaylight. This makes it the ideal time for catching starry nights onbrdeck before Alaska’s cruise season concludes.
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Amazing Alaska - Jan 26, 2016 03:46PM
Naturalist Brent Nixon shares what's in store on this summer's Alaskan Cruise Read More »
Ketchikan Wildlife and Heritage
The first Alaska port of call for northbound cruise ships, Ketchikan,bris a place for families to venture inland for wildlife viewing. Locatedbr680 miles northwest of Seattle, Ketchikan is on the Inside Passagebrwaterway in the heart of the Tongass, the country’s largest nationalbrforest. Within the massive forest are some of the most intact regionsbrof temperate rainforest remaining in the world. That’s right—abrrainforest. The Alaskan Rainforest Sanctuary is home to inhabitantsbrthat include black bears, wolves and bald eagles. Guided tours arebrrecommended for families wishing to explore the forest.br
Interested in more than just plants and animals? Treat the family tobra dose of culture. The heritage of the three Native groups, the Tlingit,brHaida and Tsimshian, is celebrated and documented by the town ofbrKetchikan in many ways. For example, the largest collection of totembrpoles in the world is located in the town, including some of the oldestbrones still in existence. Outside of the ones in climate-controlledbrseclusion and private collections, totem poles can be seen scatteredbrthroughout town and at the Totem Heritage Center.br
Sitka Treasures
Considered by some to be Alaska’s most beautiful seaside town,brSitka sits on the western edge of the Inside Passage midway betweenbrKetchikan and Juneau. It is a culturally diverse town, a melting pot ofbrRussian, American and Native ancestry. The first thing to add to yourbrSitka agenda is exploring the sea. Sitka is an angler’s dream comebrtrue. Salmon fishing is tops in Sitka, and the town boasts the highestbrsaltwater sport fishing catch rate for King Salmon in Alaska.br
You can also join a freshwater guide—if you enjoy fly-fishing—asbrhe or she takes you to untouched rivers and streams. It’s a great waybrfor father and son to spend the day. Want the whole family involved?brSpend the day at Sitka Sound, known for sea kayaking, ocean rafting,brand diving and snorkeling.
br br brSitka’s proximity to open water on the western coast of the InsidebrPassage makes it a perfect venue to see the Northern Lights. While itbrmay not be known as one of the best places to view the Aurora Borealis,bryou do have a good chance of catching a glimpse. In the later monthsbrof cruise season, September and early October, daylight is a commodity.brThe early arrival of dark skies in the evening ups your chances ofbrstargazing aboard your cruise ship. But you might have to keep the kidsbrup past their bedtime; the Northern Lights are more prevalent betweenbrmidnight and the wee hours of the morning.br
The Juneau Icefield
One of the most popular ports on an Inside Passage cruise is Juneau,brthe state’s capital. Located north of Sitka, this city is worth taking a daybrexcursion to see the city and visit historical locations, not to mention tobreat great crab legs. However, many families add a subcategory on theirbrbucket list, right under “taking an Alaskan cruise,” and that is cruisingbrthrough icefields of glaciers as far as the eye can see. While GlacierbrNational Park is well worth visiting, you will be able to catch otherbricefields located throughout the Inside Passage.br
brWhether you are on your way to Juneau or heading to another port,bryou can’t miss the Juneau Icefield. The 1,500-square-mile expanse is thebrfifth largest icefield in North America. It contains 38 glaciers, but thebrmost breathtaking one is the Mendenhall Glacier. Measuring 13 milesbrlong, nearly half a mile wide and up to 1,800-feet deep, the Mendenhallbris part of the Tongass National Forest.
Learn more about how you can Explore the Great Northwest with Southlake Style and Friends here.