Juneau, Alaska. Photo / Katie Harris
There’s nothing like the mountains to make you feel small. And there’s nothing like a fortnight in Alaska to remind you just how lucky we humans are, writes Katie Harris.
If you’re like me, the idea of holidaying in the United States usually evokes mental images of sun-drenched Californian beaches, canyons in Arizona and a Hallmark romance on the streets of New York City.
I’ve always known of Alaska, but as a theoretical, magical place, one that never felt real. Yet, after spending two weeks in the 49th state, I’m hooked, and you should be too.
Like most people who venture to Alaska, I saw the state by sea, aboard Viking’s Venus ship, travelling from Seward through to Vancouver. But to get to Seward, I needed to fly into Anchorage first.
Touching down alone in Anchorage, Alaska, near midnight, it was pitch black and quiet. The hotel was running a skeleton night crew, who told me the only spot within a mile radius at this time was the Irish pub Blarney Stone. No matter where I land in the world, there’s usually one of some description.
For a second, I thought I was a uni student again in Christchurch at the Irishman on a Wednesday. Everyone at Blarney Stone was happy. Everyone at Blarney Stone was drunk. Some of them were singing. I ordered a grilled cheese and made friends with a local man, who advised me that drinking was his only hobby in town.
With karaoke blaring, he told me how harsh life in the final frontier was, and in the same breath, how deep his love for Alaska ran.
When my cheese toastie arrived, it was as orange as Donald Trump’s tan, and I devoured every inch of it, needing energy for my bus ride to Seward the next morning.
With sunrise came sound and life in the form of vast roads packed with cars and trucks, and a hotel lobby buzzing with fellow cruise travellers eagerly awaiting their Alaskan adventure.
I must admit, I do love a scenic bus ride. The communal ache when a bend is taken too fast, the idle chat between moments of awe. There is a lot to gawk at from the road in Alaska and I was glad not to be driving.
One word springs to mind when I think of Seward. Adorable.
When you’re not perusing independent health stores, op shops or the town’s sea wildlife centre, you can stroll along the foreshore and take in the fresh Alaskan air.
Back on board the Viking Venus, there are 360-degree views of Seward and the surrounding coastline.
The next morning, we woke up en route to Valdez (pronounced Val-deez). The water was calm and glassy, and by 9am I was enjoying breakfast with a view of the mountains dwarfing the town. Walkable and beautiful, it’s easy to explore Valdez and never know it’s heavy history. Yet, it’s one we learn about during a lecture on board about the Exxon Valdez disaster.
The catastrophe occurred in 1989 when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince william Sound, resulting in millions of gallons of crude oil spilling into the ocean.
The environmental catastrophe resulted in the death of countless animals and decimated huge swaths of the Alaskan coastline.
I’ve seen a fair few glaciers in my time. Hiked them in my own backyard, even. But the Hubbard Glacier is a non-negotiable for an Alaska trip. It’s not accessible by land, so most (including myself) visit via cruise.
If you have the privilege of seeing it, make sure your phone or camera has plenty of storage for the photos and videos you’ll inevitably want to capture. As our ship glided towards the Glacier, hundreds of us flooded to the decks to get unbeatable views of nature’s wonder. Gazing up at the stark white glacier sandwiched between the deep blue sea and cloudless sky, it really felt like we were tiny bugs on a windscreen. But happy bugs, if you will.
Juneau, Alaska’s sealocked capital city, is a fairytale village come to life. The streets are filled with historic wood-framed buildings, coloured brightly in juxtaposition to the forest behind. Planter boxes are sprinkled between streets and even the vibrant blooms seem happy to be in Juneau.
I filled my morning strolling local shops before taking an afternoon bus to the Mendenhall Glacier. Although the glacier itself pales in comparison to the Hubbard Glacier, being able to hike close to its edge and touch the water beneath was equally entrancing.
Trails around the glacier featured soft inclines, and the track I took had a wide path for easier access.
If you like glaciers, you’ll love this one, which is a World Heritage Site.
According to the US National Park Service, the marine park features over 3.3 million acres of mountains, glaciers, rainforest, coastlines and fjords.
While we only viewed the scenery from the ship, sailing around for several hours,every turn revealed new glaciers and stunning vistas, as well as the odd otter braving the icy water.
Lastly, not least, and almost certainly my favourite, is Haines. At first glance, Haines could appear like the poor younger sister to the larger and more glamorous Juneau or Ketchikan. But the unadulterated nature, peace and kindness I felt while exploring the village made it number one in my books.
Within minutes of leaving the boat, a dog began following me, and instead of chasing after her, the owner seemed content to let the pup tail me for a few minutes, knowing they’d return after wandering.
Near the back of the township, up a slight hill, the town is framed with stately white two-story homes. The kind you picture when thinking of provincial USA. Staring down, I couldn’t see another soul. It was just me and a full-mast flag I found for company.
On my hike down, I came across local photographer and Rainbow Glacier Adventures owner, Joe Ordonez. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Ordonez was living in Washington in 1986 when he first visited Haines while working as a naturalist on a ship. He fell hard for the town and decided to move just one year later.
“I’ve always been into nature, and Washington has some amazing nature, but Alaska, you take it and multiply it by 100.”
And while he developed a passion for guiding tours, he didn’t want to live in a ‘tourist town’. Haines, with 2500 people, 70,000 annual visitors (far fewer than neighbouring towns) was perfect.
“You get in the wilderness,” Ordonez said of tours in Haines, adding that it was one of the best Alaskan cities for New Zealand travellers.
“Kiwis seem to be more adventuresome, people in general are looking to get away from the crowd. You’re not coming to Alaska for casinos and shows, you’re coming for access to wilderness, nature and add in a friendly community... For our town, the visitors right away feel welcome”.
Alaska
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Alaska with one stopover in San Francisco with United and Alaska Airlines.
DETAILS
The writer took the Seward to Vancouver route, stopping in Valdez, Haines, Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, staying in a deluxe stateroom. The cruise is offered in both directions, with prices from $10,201 per person, based on double cabin occupancy.
The next available cruise sails from Vancouver on May 27 next year.
New Zealand Herald Travel flew and sailed courtesy of Viking Cruises.