Ten Tips for Vancouver and an Alaskan Cruise

August 5, 2016August 5, 20161 Comment

Our friend Alli, who most recently wrote about her Midwest adventure for us, and her husband are on a quest to see and experience all 50 states! He’s now been to all 50 (!) and she has one more to go, Alli’s also previously shared her incredibly helpful 8 family travel tips with us. They both had some flexibility in their schedules and so decided to book an Alaskan cruise in May. They strategically picked a cruise leaving from Vancouver because it is where one of Alli’s best friends lives. So she packed up her toddler son and left a few days before her husband did to visit her friend and husband. Thus began an epic adventure! Check out Alli’s ten tips for Vancouver and an Alaskan cruise.

Vancouver

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We loved every moment in this beautiful city. Here are a few memories that truly stand out.

1) Traveling with a toddler, I try to not burden my friends with the early morning noise that a toddler brings so we found a fantastic Airbnb. It had stunning views, a great location, fireplace, reasonably priced and very kind host.

2) We loved walking around Granville Island; it’s a delightful area. From the food selection, coffee, little shops, farmer’s market, the kids area, the entertainment, we loved all of it.

3) My friend Erin is attending Regent University apart of the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus. The views were breathtaking. It is such a beautiful campus!

4) The line out the door was quickly explained with one bite out of my sandwich from Meat and Bread. It was a packed place with rules to keep the flow of the line but the food was excellent and they really tried to accommodate my stroller and toddler.

5) When the buses are out of service they say sorry, very Canadian.

Alaskan Cruise

1) Splurge for a balcony! We made the decision to take the trip last minute and so we were able to get a decent price for a mini-suite. Having coffee in my pajamas with the Alaskan or Canadian mountainous shoreline to wake up my sleepy eyes was one of the best things I will ever experience! We saw glaciers, whales, bald eagles, and sea otters all from the comfort of our own room.

2) Whale watching was my favorite outing. My face hurt from smiling. It was so exciting when you first see the spray from the blowhole announcing its presence to the partial arch above the water. My son Jack would giggle when he spotted a whale.

3) The Alaskan Railroad train in Skagway was recommended and I am glad we heeded the advice. The scenery was majestic and this was a great activity. Because we had a stroller, we were placed in the handicapped car and we had the whole car to ourselves.

4) Go to the Twisted Fish Company in Juneau, AK! I do not remember what I ate but what I drank would make it worthwhile to take trip again just for that. My favorite drink is an old fashioned with Rye Whiskey. They serve what they call a “Red Eye” Old Fashioned. It is made with Rye Whiskey, Cold Brew Coffee Syrup, vanilla, coffee, and toasted Pecan Bitters. This may have been the best drink I have ever had!

5) Bring stomach ailment supplies! Of course report anything serious to the medical staff but traveling usually messes up most people’s systems and it is so expensive to get the usual remedies. We did see the medical team as we all got sick but it would have saved some money to have some of the basic supplies. I will say it was not ideal to get sick on a trip but laying on the bed looking out of our balcony window as we passed snow peaked mountains, I did think to myself “this is not so the worse experience.”

Stephanie at A Friend Afar

Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

http://www.AFriendAfar.com

Shot of the Week

August 14, 20154 Comments

Alaska never disappoints! This photo of Ptarmigan Creek in Moose Pass on the Kenai Peninsula was taken by Blake, Meagan’s cousin. We love how the sun shining in highlights the gorgeous purple fireweed!

Meagan Martz at A Friend Afar

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.

http://www.AFriendAfar.com

What to Do on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula

May 7, 2015January 28, 2016Leave a comment

Spring is here. Summer’s on the way, and Stephanie has been doing an amazing job of introducing us to Cuba. While we’re on the subject of exciting summer vacation destinations, here’s a very different one to put on your bucket list:

Alaska

It’s a place that holds a very special place in my heart and my heritage. My great-grandparents moved there long ago while they were working for the U.S. State Department, back when it was still just a territory. My grandparents still live there for part of the year, and it’s the setting for most of the family stories I’ve heard my whole life.

: Lake Kenai

: Sea Lions

: Baby Moose in the Rain

If you’re planning your summer vacation, and you’re looking for something a little different, I can’t recommend Alaska enough. I’ve convinced numerous friends to visit. Some have cruised, some have explored on land, and one time my family and I camped all over the state. There is so much to see, but I want to tell you about my favorite region: the Kenai Peninsula.

Fireweed blooms along Kenai Lake in the Chugach National Forest.

First of all, you should know this important detail about me: while I live for the water and the wind in my hair, I am an advocate of spending as much time on land in Alaska as possible. Alaskan cruises are immensely popular, and cruise lines have dozens of opportunities for on-shore excursions, and you should take full advantage of those! My best experiences and my most intimate explorations have taken place on land. I love kayaking, whale-watching tours, and rafting, but having to stop the car for a grizzly bear to cross the street, climbing rocky cliffs for a closer view of dall sheep, watching moose wander through the yard, and watching puffins, sea otters, and bald eagles mosey around the docks have been my most intimate wildlife encounters. If you’re planning on taking a cruise, you’re going to have a wonderful time; just make sure to spend as much time as you can on smaller boats and on-shore excursions. There’s nothing like walking along the coast during low tide and finding all of the brightly-colored starfish that you’d expect to see in the tropics. Don’t skip the whale-watching tour, though. Never skip the whale-watching tour.

Pod of Orcas in Resurrection Bay

Now that we’re better acquainted, let me tell you about my favorite place: Seward. My grandparents have a home just north of Seward in the appropriately named town of Moose Pass. Seward is not to be missed. In fact, if you’re flying into Anchorage, you can take the iconic Alaskan Railroad to get there. It’s a beautiful ride along Turnagain Arm and through the Chugach mountain range.

There is something truly magical about places where the tallest mountains jut straight out from the sea. It’s a different world than most of us are used to, and it reminds us of what a tiny space we take up in this world. Better than that, it reminds us of how much we have yet to explore!

It may be the Land of the Midnight Sun in the summer, but that doesn’t make dawn on the water any less enchanting.

Whale-Watching Tours

The marina in Seward is my family’s favorite place to begin a day on the water. Resurrection Bay, with its snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and comparatively calm waters is the perfect place to watch bald eagles nest and a raft of sea otters float past. I am particularly a fan of the Kenai Fjords tour company. Spend a half or full day on their boats and venture out of Resurrection Bay into the deeper, rougher waters of the Gulf of Alaska to spot orcas and humpback whales. Venturing deeper into the fjords allows for up close views of calving glaciers, seals on tiny icebergs, and large colonies of steller sea lions and bright arctic puffins on rocky crags.

Alaska SeaLife Center

Is she seriously telling us to go inside to an aquarium when we could be outside? Why, yes. I am. The Alaska SeaLife Center is not only an aquarium, but also a major ocean wildlife research, rescue and rehabilitation center. Their exhibits are very, very well designed and extremely educational. Their wildlife are all creatures that you’ll see in the area, including many that you won’t realize are on the bottom of the sea. They have small tidal pools filled with coral, sea urchins, and other bottom-dwellers that you can touch.

If you like a little extra education on your vacation, and especially if you’re concerned about Alaska’s environment and wildlife, take a behind the scenes tour. You’ll get to see the animals that are currently in rehabilitation as well as the labs where scientists are watching shorebirds and sea lions via cameras on rugged islands. They’ll explain their work to you, and you’ll leave with a greater understanding of your surroundings and maybe even a new calling!

Exit Glacier

It wouldn’t be a trip to Alaska without glaciers and a nice hike. Whether you’re an experienced hiker ready for bears or relatively new to the outdoors scene, this is a great, short hike. Stop by the visitor’s center for a little information on the area, and then head through the woods, over the streams, and past the dark grey glacial plain to the edge of the brilliantly blue Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is part of the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Fjords National Park, and more experienced hikers will really enjoy the 8.2 mile trail that travels further into the Icefield.

Warm up with some local flavor!

There’s one last little spot that I want to highlight in Seward, and that’s my favorite place to warm up: Resurrect Art Coffee House and Art Gallery. It’s located in a beautiful church that was built in 1916 and converted to a coffee shop in 1993. It’s a cozy and cheerful place to relax with a great drink and snack. They also showcase some great local art, if you’re looking for a souvenir.

There is so much to see and do in Alaska! Thank you for dropping by to check out a few of my favorite places on the Kenai Peninsula. I’ll leave you with these adorable sea otters. If the pictures above didn’t put Alaska on your bucket list, I bet these whiskered faces will!