Alaska 2026, The Cruise

This is the cruise portion of our recent trip to Alaska. As we mentioned in our last post, this is our online journal to help us remember the experience and to provide some details for those who might be might be interested in cruising the Alaskan Inside Passage.

Day 1

During our bus transfer from the Juneau Airport to the pier, we had a glimpse of Alaska’s capital city. Interestingly, Juneau is the third-largest city in Alaska, with a population of about 32,000. It is accessible only by air or water.

Once we reached the pier, we transferred to the ship by tender.

Along with 19 other Traveling Aggies and alumni from various universities, we were ready to begin our cruise and explore the history and culture of this vast and beautiful area of our country.

Day 2

Our first full day on the water took us through the stunning Endicott Arm, a glacier-formed inlet. Some folks took Zodiac and kayak excursions, which allowed them to get closer views of the glaciers and marine life.

Dawes Glacier

Because this was a cruise for university alumni, there were enrichment presentations throughout the day. Captain attended The Nature of Arctic Nature with Matt Ayres, while ABN visited the spa. Each evening before dinner, the cruise director gave a port talk about the following day’s activities.

For dinner, we chose the outdoor venue, The Star.

The filet mignon was outstanding! So much so that we dined there two more times.

The evening entertainment was surprisingly good, and we enjoyed watching the other passengers dance to Movie Melodies. (Captain's high school friends will be relieved to know that we did not dance!)

Day 3

We woke to dense early-morning fog that quickly cleared.

Following a presentation from a local resident, we boarded tenders and set out to explore the tiny, roadless community of Elfin Cove, on the northern shore of Chichagof Island. The population fluctuates between 15–30 and swells to 200–300 during the fishing season. There are no roads in Elfin Cove; it is accessible only by floatplanes or boats.

Downtown

Main Street

Parking Lot

Power Plant aka large generator

Back on board, we cruised the waters around Point Adolphus, watching for humpback whales and other sea life.

Day 4

Perhaps our favorite day of the trip was the one we spent in Sitka, a historic city where Tlingit Indigenous and Russian history blends with 21st-century small-town charm. Accessible only by air and water, and with a population of about 8,500, it serves as a regional health-care center, is home to the regional elementary and secondary boarding school, and, with high-speed internet, has all the amenities of a modern city.

At the Alaskan Odyssey Dome, we attended an enlightening presentation on Bald Eagles and met one of the 30,000 to 50,000 bald eagles in Alaska, which has the largest population of bald eagles in the United States.

The highlight of our time in Sitka was exploring Sitka National Historical Park with its totem-lined trails.

Totem poles tell the visual record of a community’s history, family lineage, and social status, and they are still in use and actively carved today.

We were also fortunate to be in Alaska during the amazing salmon run, an annual event in which adult salmon migrate from the ocean upstream into freshwater rivers and streams to spawn, often returning to the streams where they were born.

We ended the evening with a nightcap in the lounge as we listened to a performance of Movie Songbooks.

Day 5

On our stop in Wrangell, we chose the Rain Forest Walk.

It was basically a walk in the woods with little interesting flora.

In retrospect, we wish we had chosen the Wrangell excursion, which was a walk through the small historic town.

Day 6

Our last port before disembarking was Prince Rupert, Canada, the “Halibut Capital of the World.”

After leaving the ship,

we boarded a vintage trolley for a tour of the city. Before returning to the ship, we visited Seal Cove Salt Marsh, and the lovely Sunken Gardens near the cruise terminal. We were amazed at how fresh the flowers looked in August.

As we continued down the Grenville Channel toward Vancouver,

we shared a pleasant dinner with our new friends from Plano, Texas, Karen and Earl.

Day 7

Our final day was spent cruising toward Vancouver. Once the fog lifted, it became a beautiful scenic day at sea. A great deal of time was spent on the deck looking for orcas and humpback whales.

And, of course, there was packing for disembarkation the following morning.

That evening, we enjoyed our last dinner together and said goodbye to the Traveling Aggies.

Our journey from Juneau to Vancouver

Our journey from Juneau, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia

For those who have expressed interest in the Windstar Seeker and the Gohagan Travel Company, we will share our opinions and experiences in another post.

 

Alaska 2026, Denali

 

This is the first part of our Alaskan adventure, documenting our recent trip to Alaska. The intention is to help us remember the experience and to provide some details for those who might be interested in traveling there themselves.

August 10

A very long day began at 2:30 a.m. in St. Louis as we awoke and prepared for the shuttle to the airport for our 6:00 a.m. flight. The journey, including a change of planes in Seattle, was uneventful.

Upon arriving in Fairbanks, we met with the GohaganTravel directors for a briefing and were on our own for the rest of the day. 

The highlight of the day was the beautiful flowers everywhere, especially in The Chef’s Garden at the Princes Hotel where we also enjoyed a lovely dinner.

August 11

After breakfast at the hotel, we cruised the Chena River on a stern-wheeler steamboat.

It was a stellar experience as we learned about the history of the area, saw Iditarod sled dogs in training,

watched a Piper Cub float plane take off and land on the water, and toured a historic settlement, as well as viewing caribou hanging around the river bank.

Again, we were impressed by the beautiful flowers. With the cool weather and generous sunlight, the plants thrive.

Returning to the hotel, we stopped at the University of Alaska Museum, where we viewed a presentation about the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), which is arguably Earth's ultimate natural light display.

On the way to dinner, we stopped to take a look at a section of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. 

Dinner was at the Turtle Club, which dates back to 1950, making it one of the longest-running continuous dining establishments in the Fairbanks area. Its history blends a mining-town boom, World War II fighter-pilot culture, and a tight-knit family legacy.

August 12

Leaving Fairbanks, we departed for Denali National Park by motor coach. Along the way, we stopped for a break in the small town of Nenana, population 358.

We couldn’t resist participating in the popular Nenana Ice Classic jackpot, where we could potentially win more than $100,000 by guessing the correct date and time the ice will break on the Nenana River. Keep in mind that -50 degrees is not unusual during the winter, and the ice on the river averages about 49 inches thick!

We popped into the historic Coghill’s General Store, the only grocery store for 55 miles.

Arriving at Denali National Park, we gathered in the Denali Discovery Center for a very interesting presentation before being dropped off at the Grande Denali Lodge, where we would spend two nights. The lodge was very nice, and we enjoyed the included breakfast.

August 13

Boarding the national park bus,

we embarked on a six-hour Tundra WildernessTour

through the park. It was a bit disappointing because the wildlife we had hoped to see were not in view. We did see caribou and the pure-white Dall sheep (at a distance,) as well as getting a brief glimpse of Denali.

Apparently, spring was very late to arrive, so the berries were just ripening and the bears were still in the forest.

Fortunately, we had a very good bus driver/tour guide—a retired high school science teacher who left us with plenty of thought-provoking ideas.

After a short afternoon nap and a simple lunch, we walked into “town” and enjoyed a drink at Fannie O’s Saloon.

As we have often said, the best part of our travels is the people we meet. We have especially enjoyed meeting university students from Bulgaria who are doing seasonal work in Alaska. From what we understand, they have a four-month work visa and can stay an additional month to travel. The ones we have encountered have been extremely engaging and curious about our country.

August 14

Taking the motor coach south, we stopped in the quaint (and somewhat touristy) village of Talkeetna, where we had stunning views of Denali.

After lunch, we boarded the Deluxe Dome Rail and continued our trip toward Anchorage. The train ride was pretty much uneventful, but we did enjoy dining with a couple, Barb and Fred, from Virginia.

The Denali excursion was a bit disappointing, as we saw minimal wildlife, which was the fault of no one but Mother Nature. We did not take the helicopter excursion, but those who did had amazing views of Denali.

Arriving in Anchorage, we spent the night at a Marriott hotel before boarding a plane to Juneau.

Coming soon: an account of our river cruise, along with details about the Windstar Star Seeker and the Gohagan Touring Company.

More Alaska adventures to come!

Where has Tipsy Tuesday gone?

 

Perhaps you've noticed that no Tipsy Tuesday flag has appeared over the past several weeks.

For more than a dozen years, we've gathered with friends on Tuesday evenings during the warm months to share a glass of wine, good conversation, plenty of laughter and to discuss who has had what joints replaced recently. Over the years, the venue has changed with the seasons—and with life itself. We've gathered on the screened porch,

on the patio,

and, after our neighbors removed their aging hackberry tree (along with our shade!), we migrated to the carport.

Our chairs, fans, extra tables, and all the other Tipsy Tuesday paraphernalia used to be stored on the upper deck and screened porch, accessible only by climbing a few stairs. As we've gotten older, we've found that the summer heat and humidity—and hauling everything up and down those steps each week—has become less appealing.

But don't worry—we have no intention of giving up our Tuesday tradition!

Like so many other aspects of aging, we've simply learned to adapt. Until the weather becomes a little more tolerable, we're hosting smaller groups of six to eight friends inside the house. Sometimes it's a "mini" Tipsy Tuesday with our usual drinks and snacks. Other times it's a "bring your own meal" evening while we provide the beverages—a happy throwback to our pandemic gatherings.

Of course, we could all meet at a restaurant, but we've discovered there are real advantages to gathering at home. Friends with gluten, sodium or other restrictions can bring food that suits their needs, conversations are much easier for those of us with hearing challenges, and, if we're being honest... our wine selection is better!

In an earlier post, we mentioned that making changes to make aging easier has taken more work than we expected. One of those projects has been creating a more user-friendly outdoor space.

Instead of storing everything upstairs, we now keep our outdoor furniture and entertaining supplies in a patio storage unit that's easily accessible. It's one of those small changes that makes a surprisingly big difference.

Before long, the Tipsy Tuesday flag will be flying again. But for now, plants have been pruned, watering system set, clothes are packed and we are headed for Alaska!