Alaska: the Aerial View, Ketchikan Alaska

Something to get your Friday off in a relaxed state of mind. 

cheers!

One jumper plane for 5 please.

Ready?

Taking flight

They were pretty stoked after the ride- we all were for the rest of the trip

This is the last of the Alaska-related posts! The aerial ride is what we all believed to be the most adventurous and mind-boggling part of the Alaska expedition so I encourage you to book at least one while you're at port. Alaska Seaplane Tours, based out of Ketchikan, Alaska was the company we booked. You can find them online here. Just a hint for you cruise travelers: in general, do not book anything through the cruise line. You are there to enjoy their ship, their food, and their services- do NOT book an inflated tour rate. My mom found Alaska Seaplane Tours via TripAdvisor.com

xo

Alaska: Sitka {via the Westerdam}

"The Prospector"- Sitka, AK 

Sitka, Alaska... reachable only by boat or sea plane. Dewey, misty and chilled, this isolated safe haven is home to fishermen, shop owners, and tourists who infiltrate the town in constant rotation. Sitka had the smallest town central of all the ports visited by the Westerdam, but that is not to say it was without merit. Serenity and a calming stillness creeps through the modest town, which housed a single high school (complete with a totem), a smattering of restaurants, one coffee house, and three churches. Spontaneous thriving ensues once a ship has docked, and our fellow passengers flocked straight to the downtown stretch, comprised mainly of tourist shops. One would think that such a simple standard of living would dull the senses, but with it's enigmatic and somewhat haunting beauty, it is far from the truth. 

xo

Alaska: Juneau {via the Westerdam}

welcome to Alaska

Juneau, AK

The Mendenhall Glacier

crab cakes + spicy dipping sauce

crab bisque... sinful, people, just sinful

Home to the Mendenhall glacier, Juneau was the first port we stopped at en route on the inner passage of Alaska. The glacier ice is BLUE. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. There are literally layers, trapping time and eras in ice. With the glacier melting at inches per year, I'm not so sure I'll be around to see it a second time in my lifetime. A true vision of nature's beauty. 

Tracy's in Juneau was absolutely delicious!!! The crab legs were twice the size of any I've seen in any restaurant. The buttered and slightly garlic-salted rolls, crab bisque, and crab cakes with spicy dipping sauce were all washed down with Alaskan brew. Tasted a bit like an amber Shiner Bock, but even better.

Rather than cramming photos in a non-sensical order, I decided that breaking them down in chronologically and by port would make more sense story-wise. Every bit of this trip was absolutely amazing, and I really do want to give Alaska it's due justice. The next Alaskan posting is gorgeous and features a one-in-a-lifetime sighting... ;)

xo