Alaska is a bucket list destination for many – including my family. We had been discussing taking an Alaska cruise before COVID, and finally made the trip the first week of June. The stunning beauty of the 49th state is indescribable. From the magnificent glaciers to the expansive and untouched wilderness, Alaska is a dream destination.
Our adventure lasted 14 days with a 7 night Alaskan cruise included in our itinerary. Our cruise was the 7-Day Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver: Glaciers, Skagway & Juneau on the Norwegian Jewel. This included the popular Alaska Inside Passage cruise where we spent a day leisurely weaving through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast.
Instead of taking an Alaska land and sea cruise with a ship sponsored land tour, we decided to explore some of the cities for a few extra days on our own. Next time we’ll likely include a visit to Denali National Park and possibly add in a road trip. My parents and in-laws previously took an Alaska land and sea cruise and enjoyed the ship organized train rides and accommodation. However, we prefer doing things at our own pace, so we created our own land tour.
Off to Alaska We Go:
We flew United Airlines first class from Norfolk, VA to Anchorage, AK. The 2nd leg of our journey was 7 hours, so I wanted to be comfortable. Luckily, we had plenty of Ultimate Reward points to transfer to United. We only paid $22.40 total in taxes for our flight! The Chase Sapphire and the Sapphire Reserve are two great credit card options to earn UR’s – We used the Reserve.
Arriving around 8pm, we ended up taking a cab from the airport to our hotel for $21 plus tip. Uber prices had doubled by the time our luggage came out. Surprise, surprise! There were plenty of taxis lined up, so that was a better option to get on the road quickly .
We chose the Marriott Anchorage Downtown for our 2 night stay in Anchorage. The hotel is a bit dated, but the staff were all friendly and the room was clean. The location was great, and we had a lot of Marriott points and free nights available from credit card bonus offers. Derrick and I both have the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless which gives you a free night award every card year anniversary. I also have the AMEX business credit card for another annual free night award.
We were upgraded to the Concierge Level due to having Gold status from my credit card. This gave us access to the Concierge lounge. Breakfast was complementary in the lounge along with a happy hour, bottled water and sodas. However, the lounge was closed on the weekend. I’m always disappointed how these perks aren’t available for weekend travelers.
First Full Day in Alaska:
After breakfast in the Concierge lounge, we finally made it out to explore Anchorage around 10am. K had a bit of work for his summer class to complete before we could start our day. First, we walked all around the downtown area. I would skip that and just focus on wandering “Main Street” 4th Ave. and the Mushing District for some shopping, good restaurants and learning about the history of dog mushing.
The Alaska Mint is a cool store if you want locally handcrafted jewelry, knives, painted ivory, coins, gold nuggets , and more. While most items are made in Alaska, they will tell you if something is made elsewhere. K purchased a fillet knife made with Oosik – a bone that only the male Walrus has…. You might want to explore that on your own.
The prices at the Alaska Mint seemed rather high, but as we continued our journey through Alaska, the prices at some locations turned out to be even more expensive for similar products.
Local recommended – Lunch was at 49th Street Brewery . Derrick had already marked this restaurant as a possibly, but we love knowing about the places locals enjoy eating as well. K said the Yak burger was life changing! I’d say that’s rather high praise if you like a good burger. The seafood chowder was delicious as well as the halibut fish and chips and Derrick’s Reuben. The house brewed semi-sweet cider and Spruce-Plosion IPA were also tasty. Lucy enjoyed a flight of house brewed soda and root beer. We definitely recommend this restaurant when visiting Anchorage.
After lunch and more wandering, we made our way to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail . This 11 mile paved trail meanders along the coast from downtown (West 2nd Ave.) to the chalet at Kincaid Park. We originally planned to bike the entire trail but ended up walking part of it due to the rainy weather. We didn’t see any wildlife with the exception of birds and sadly, Mount McKinley was covered by clouds. We did see a small part of Mount Susitna, also known as Sleeping Lady. The tide was out during our walk leaving a huge expanse of mudflats. Just before sunset we were able to see the tide coming in from our hotel window. We also saw Star the Reindeer on our walk back to the hotel.
We had dinner at Glacier Brewhouse . The herb crusted Alaska halibut and seafood chowder were 2 of our favorite dishes. The service was excellent and the prices, while expensive, weren’t too bad considering the serving size and quality.
Tip: Look for the Bear symbol when shopping to ensure your souvenirs are made in Alaska.
Departing Anchorage and Heading to Seward:
We ate breakfast at Fire Island Rustic Bakery our 2nd morning in Anchorage. The bakery had good reviews and was recommended by a couple of locals. The breakfast sandwiches and the ham & swiss croissant were pricey and just okay. We would suggest sticking with coffee and pastries (the fruit tart was delicious). There is also a juice bar in the back of the building, but we didn’t try it.
After a little more wandering around the city, it was time to head to Seward. We booked a private transfer with Brooks from AK Tripping . We wanted the ability to make stops along the way and a one way car rental was ridiculously expensive. You could also take a bus or the train. The train was fairly expensive, but Brooks suggested taking the train back to Anchorage for those doing a round trip. The train goes through parts of the forests that can’t be seen from the road.
The train for my family of 4 at the time would have cost $476 for Adventure class or $972 for Goldstar class. The biggest difference in the classes is you will have the glass domed ceilings in Goldstar plus included meals and 2 alcoholic beverages. This is an almost 5 hour train ride, so you’d have to choose the class that is right for your family.
We spent $432 on the private transfer plus tip. I highly recommend Brooks for the transfer. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and would cater the transfer to your needs and requests (and no, I don’t get anything for the recommendation ;). The only drawback was that he arrived in a Toyota Highlander with a roof rack which left Lucy rather smushed in the backseat.
Brooks shared a ton of information during our drive. We learned it had snowed in the higher elevation areas around Anchorage the night we arrived. Locals call the snow still on the mountains “termination dust” but you usually don’t see it in June. While seeing that much snow still on the mountain peaks in June is rare, we loved being able to see the bright white peaks glaring in the distance. It made such a pretty contrast to the greenery.
We drove through the Chugach mountain range and around Turnagain Arm . The Turnagain Arm is a bore tide area where at the inlet, there is with a 27 ft tide differential! People actually surf the large wave of seawater. Our guide showed us a drone video he shot of the surfers. Assuming you get out there in time and don’t fall, you can ride for a LONG time. When tide is all the way out, the entire 25 mile arm is a mud flat.
Our first stop during the drive was at Beluga Point for photos. Unfortunately, you’ll only see the beluga whales here in August and the Fall. We did spy some bald eagles soaring over the mud flats. We were told the eulachon (small fish) that get trapped when the tide goes out makes a great meal for the eagles and other birds.
Our next stop was Bird Point for more photos of the massive mountain range and Turnagain Arm. We could hear birds chirping everywhere but didn’t actually see any of them. This area includes a 6-mile trail that you could walk or bike if time allowed.
Our first hike in Alaska was Byron Glacier Trail . This easy 1.4-mile trail is great for all ages. We visited just as the ferns were waking from their winter slumber. Walk through the alder and cottonwood forest and listen to the cascading glacial creek as you make your way to the glacier. The up-close view of our glacier was breathtaking! We wandered around the edge of the glacier and climbed along some of the rocks that had already been exposed from the melting snow. Due to the glacier being unstable due to snow melt, we were careful not to get too close to the glacier from the creek. Glacial silt turns the water the gorgeous blue color and it changes depending on the way the light hits it. We only spent about 1 hour during our visit. We were told people typically send 1-1.5 hrs here, so it’s easy to add into your drive.
Another option for great adventure is The Alaska Wilderness Conservation Center . This rescue center is home to many animals that were orphaned while young or have been injured. The Center attempts to release animals back into the wild but, if not, they try to give the animal as close to a normal home as possible. You can see moose, caribou, musk ox, elk, black bears, brown bears, wolf pack, bison, lynx, fox and more. We chose the hike, but it was a tough decision!
Our last stop was at Canyon Creek overlook near the town of Hope, one of Alaska’s first gold-rush towns. Take time to read the informational signs to learn more about the creek and town. There is a hiking trail if time allows.
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled during the drive to spot wildlife along the road. We spotted a Moose munching on the grass! It was amazing to see the massive mammal. We only wish we had the opportunity to see another one (from a safe distance) during the trip.
As we entered Seward, we stopped by Safeway to get groceries for the apartment. Don’t forget to sign up for their free loyalty program to take advantage of the sales. Food in Alaska is expensive, so you’ll want to take advantage of the discounts.
Tip – According to our driver, the best time is the last 2 weeks of June when everything is in full bloom and you have the longest daylight as you’ll enter the summer solstice. However, there will be more crowds than when visited the first week of June.
Spending 2 Nights in Seward:
We stayed in a cute VRBO #4991550ha right by the Alaska Sea Life Center. The apartment is older, but it had 2 bedrooms with separate beds for the kids, the location was great and it was clean. The apartment was exactly as described online. A good choice if you don’t want to stay in a hotel.
Our first full day in Seward started with Derrick cooking a big breakfast in our apartment. The kiddos were thrilled to have their own bedroom and beds after having to share a bed in Anchorage.
We had planned to hike to Exit Glacier but there was too much snow and hazardous conditions on the extended hike. There are multiple options to hike Exit Glacier. The one-mile loop is the most popular to view it. We had planned to hike the four-mile Harding Icefield Trail. Since we couldn’t do our planned hike, we looked into other options.
K found a hike up Mount Marathon to keep us fit. We didn’t take the insane sheer cliff climb that they do here annually in Seward, but we did climb the hiking trail. It was a moderately difficult hike with stunning views over Resurrection Bay and the city. I may have lost my balance and almost face planted in the snow.
Lucy and I stopped at the viewpoint above the tree line while Derrick and K continued on to the extreme part of the trail. There is still a lot of snow, so they literally bear climbed their way up the slate mountainside and trudged through snow that came up to their waist in some areas. They were rewarded with spectacular views, a feeling of accomplishment, and thankfully came back down safely. Part of the way they actually had to slide down the snowy cliffside on their backsides to avoid injury but not embarassment.
After a lunch in the apartment and some laundry, we headed to the Sea Life Center . Here they help rehabilitate local sea life while providing education to visitors. I was beyond thrilled to see puffins – especially when one flew and landed on a rock right in front of me! We also watched seals playing in the water and Stella sea lions lounging on rocks. There is a cool touch tank with species from Resurrection Bay – shrimp, sea cucumber, sea urchin, anemone, starfish and more. There is also a TV giving visitors a live look at Steller Sea lions on Chiswell Island during their breeding season – we even saw some pups.
After an expensive and mediocre dinner, we headed back to the apartment to relax our tired feet. I’m so glad we purchased good hiking boots for this trip!
The only restaurant in Seward that we can recommend is The Lone Chicharron Taqueria . The tacos were delicious, and service was speedy. We ate at a couple other places that weren’t good even though the reviews were decent. We tried to get into the Cookery , but it was booked. I’d suggest making reservations in advance.
How many days do you need in Seward?
We decided to spend 2 nights in Seward with one full day to explore before jumping on the ship. We knew we wanted to board the ship early, so we factored that into our plans. There are some tour options available in Seward such as Kenai Fjord wildlife cruises, dog sledding, gold panning, and kayaking tours. Depending on what activities you want to do will help determine the amount of time to spend here. The main attractions for us were Exit Glacier and the Sea Life Center which we knew we could get done in our timeframe.
Some passengers choose to arrive in Seward on the day of the cruise. You can travel from Anchorage via bus, train or car if your ship is sailing in the evening. Keep in mind that driving can take longer than expected. It took us 5 hours to get from Anchorage to Seward with stops. We hardly hit any traffic which is rare during the summer. There are only a few months to get all the roadwork done, so long delays are the norm. We’re told it could easily take 7+ hours to make the drive depending on traffic and roadwork.
Alaska Cruise Day #1 – Departing Seward
