Cruises are a great way to get value for your vacation money because most times, the fares include nearly everything you'll need for an amazing trip: food, accommodations, entertainment and transport and more. On your breathtaking cruise to Alaska, which Pederson Travel Service in Watertown, South Dakota, will gladly help you book, some things are best done on the ship, like whale watching and visiting glaciers – while others are can be done during the fun land excursions. What are some of these things? We’re glad you asked. Read on to find out.
· The Amazing Glacier Viewings
You could see either the Hubbard Glacier or Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Hubbard Glacier is also known as the Galloping Glacier because of how fast it is moving toward the ocean. This movement leads to lots of calving, which is when large pieces of ice break off a glacier into the water below. The chunks of ice can sometimes be very large and make a thunderous sound when they break off. The jaw-dropping Endicott Arm Fjord and the equally jaw-dropping Dawes Glacier are also known for spectacular, multiple calving events. You can also go on a helicopter or floatplane shore excursion over a glacier in Juneau. The glacier you can see here is the Mendenhall Glacier that is located in Tongass National Forest and you get to see its majestic 12-mile width from above along with the ice fields leading to it.
· The Scenic View Hikes
In Juneau, you can take the Mt Roberts Tram up the steep mountainside framing Alaska’s capital city. At the top, you’ll find a trail system with lots of routes for all kinds of hiking levels. There are even ones that kids can handle. These hiking trails take you away from the crowds that just come up the tram for the viewing platform, shopping, and a drink or meal at the mountain top restaurant and show you incredible views of Juneau below. You might even catch a view of your cruise ship. Another great place for a hike is in Sitka, where you can explore the wilderness of the Tongass National Forest.
· The Wildlife Activities
Alaska is more than towering glaciers and mountains alongside picturesque bays and charming port towns. It is also home to several wild animals both on land and sea. Two of the most popular animals to see on an Alaska cruise are bears and whales. You can go on bear watching excursions at many ports. In Sitka, you should visit the Fortress of the Bear where you have a viewing platform that lets you watch rescued orphaned bears roaming and feeding in a natural setting. There is also Ketchikan, where you can take a scenic cruise along the shoreline to Neets Bay and see bears fishing for salmon right in the open streams.
Let Pederson Travel Service handle your travel plans when it comes to your Alaskan cruise. This is one vacation that you deserve and everything should go perfectly. We can help with that. Give us a call today!