June 09, 2019 – Southeast Alaska

THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION

WHERE TO?                  THE SENSES.

Southeast Alaska Towns

We know about the scenery and the potential wildlife, we went over some of the larger towns of the interior.

Today, we talk about the most popular ports/towns in Southeast Alaska. Most are sitting on islands that make up the Inside Passage. This topography makes for lovely sightseeing but driving to most of them impossible.

In the lower 48 states, a family may talk about how many cars they have. If you live near water in Alaska, its how many boats or seaplanes are out back. I know people who have to fly into town to get groceries. Or fly somewhere for lunch.

Southeast Alaska covers over 35,000 square miles and has numerous small towns numbering around 100 citizens. Today we will focus on the few larger ones you are likely to visit.

Juneau

The third largest city in Alaska is Juneau, at around 32,000 people, this is the capital of Alaska. You can only reach it by water or air. You do not visit Juneau for the town itself. Thanks to the cruise industry, most of downtown is nothing more than a shopping mall these days.

The Alaska State Museum is an exception to this comment. This new museum, dating from 2016, has an exciting collection of artifacts from Alaska’s Native people. There are also items from Russia’s period of ownership. It is walking distance from most places in the downtown area.

Mt Roberts Tramway is another highlight of the downtown area. The aerial tramway takes you 1800 feet up Mount Roberts in six minutes. From here, you can look down on Juneau. If time allows, hike one of the adjacent paths for scenic views and potential wildlife.

Alaska / Juneau (AJ) Mine – Very little of the mine or mill remains on the hillside above the southern end of Juneau. In its heigh day, the AJ was a significant player with its 600 workers setting production records by the 1920s. In the 1930s, there were 1000 workers, softening the impact of the Great Depression. WWII led to the closing of the mine. Today, hard hat tours are available.

Juneau Ice Field

The ice field covers more than 1,500 sq miles, feeding more than 40 valley glaciers and 100 smaller ones. The best known are the Mendenhall Glacier and the massive Taku Glacier. I think the icefield is one of the scenic highlights of Southeast Alaska.

You can fly over the ice field in a plane or land on it via helicopter. Viewing points for the Mendenhall Glacier are accessible by vehicle, hence its fame. To reach the glacier by land requires a strenuous hike.

Auke Bay

This semi-enclosed bay is a feeding area for Humpback whales. Because of their summer residence here, numerous whale-watching tours head here, many guaranteeing you will see a whale. Boats range in size from private boats for 6-8 guests to vessels holding more than 100.

The larger your interest in Humpbacks, the smaller the boat should be. The smaller vessels can maneuver faster than the large ones. Also, guests can usually get more one-on-one time with the crew to ask questions.

Admiralty Island

Here you find the Tlingit “Fortress of the Bear”. The island is home to the highest density of Brown (Grizzly) bears in North America. An estimated 1,600 brown bears are inhabiting the island. This number is more than all the Brown bears in the lower 48 states. It outnumbers Admiralty’s human residents nearly three to one.

Planes ferry people to the island where they can walk or kayak to bear viewing spots. They limit the number of people who can visit in a day using permits.

Sitka

Around 8,800 people call Sitka home. Sitting on Baranof Island, it is in the shadow of Mt Edgecumbe. The mountain is a dormant volcano near the Queen Charlotte Fault, separating the North American and Pacific Plates.

Sitka was the capital of Russian – Amerika and the location where America took possession. Very little of the Russian occupation remains.

Old Sitka State Historical Park – is home to the remains of the Russian-American settlement. Due to wood construction, only foundations remain. Today, the site is best for hiking/walks. It is near the end of the road.

Baranof Castle / Castle Hill – began as a Tlingit strategic fortification site. The Russians occupy the place from 1804-1867. This is where the transfer of Alaska to the United States took place. Today it is a lookout point with some historical markers.

Russian Bishop’s House – was once the Russian Mission Orphanage. Today it is a historic house museum and one of the few examples of Russian colonial architecture surviving. The building dates from 1842.

St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church – sits in the middle of the town. The present church dates from 1967 after the 1844 building disappears in a fire. There are religious icons from the first church. Admission is $5 and hours vary.

Russian Block House – is a recreation of one of three watchtowers guarding the Russian fort between 1804 to 1867. You cannot enter the tower at 120 Katlian Street, next to the Pioneer Home.

Non-Russian

Sheldon Jackson Museum – is on the grounds of the Sheldon Jackson College. The building, dating from 1895, is the oldest cement building in Alaska. The majority of the items are from the collection of  Rev. Dr. Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian missionary. He would travel through Alaska each year acquiring nearly 5,000 items before he was through.

Tlingit Indians

Even less of the original inhabitants exists.

Sitka National Historical Park – has a lovely collection of Haida and Tlingit totem poles in various parts of the park. The park building houses original totems, a museum, and a Tlingit arts program where you can talk to Native artists.

Wild and Marine Life

Sitka Sound is full of marine life, including visiting Humpback whales and the adorable Sea Otters. Kayaks, private boats, jet boats, and large tour boats offer various tours to look for sea life.

Alaska Raptor Center is a non-profit rehabilitation center for birds of prey. Visit and see the steps necessary to nurse these incredible birds back to health. And if possible, prepare them to return to nature.

Fortress of the Bear – is another non-profit organization that cares for abandoned Brown Bear cubs. The goal is to return those who can fend for themselves back into nature.

If you are flying out of Sitka, leave for the airport 45 minutes earlier than you need to. A piece of homemade fruit pie at the Sitka airport restaurant is a tradition.

Ketchikan

With around 8,000 residents, Ketchikan is another popular stop on the cruise ship circuit. Its early history begins with the Tlingit natives who would fish Ketchikan Creek in the summer. The Haida and Tsimshian tribes were also in the vicinity.

It was possibly a stop for Spanish, English, and Russian ships. Due to fresh water, fish, and lumber availability, it is a choice stop, but there is no record. The first outsider who came here was Mike Martin in 1885. Scouting the area for a canning company from Oregon, he found ideal conditions. He builds a salt company and a general store. As the first settlement in Alaska for boats coming up from British Columbia, it began growing immediately. By 1900 the city incorporates. It attracts loggers, prospectors, fishing people, missionaries, and others looking to make their fortune.

Forests surround Ketchikan, and soon lumbering becomes a significant employer. Its abundant seafood (salmon) soon leads to fishing crews and canning factories shipping various seafood around the world.

Today, mining is almost non-existent. Canneries, tourism, government, and forestry supply the majority of jobs.

Due to the one million tourists between May and September, the downtown area is nothing more than a mall. The one claim to fame is Creek Street which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1903, the city banished any brothels to the area east of the creek. Creek Street, a boardwalk over the river, became the center of the red light district. Prostitution remains until 1954 when the city finally makes it illegal. Today the buildings are tourist shops and a small museum in Dollys House, once a brothel by the same name.

Ketchikan as a Gateway

Like most Alaska towns, Ketchikan is a gateway to scenic and wildlife wonders.

Misty Fjords National Monument is part of the Tongass National Forest. Sometime, about 50 to 70 million years ago, glaciers gouged out the granite valleys in this area. They left walls that are near-vertical and may rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet out of the water. In some places, they drop 1,000 feet below the water surface.

Boats and float planes depart from Ketchikan to tour this incredible scenery. Weather permitting, some planes land on mountain lakes where it is so quiet, it almost hurts your ears. There is often mist, giving the whole area a fantastic feeling. This is a highlight of Southeast Alaska.

Black Bears

Anan Wildlife Observatory, Traitors Cove/Margaret Creek, and Neets Cove are all places for seeing black bears. Their proximity to creeks, full of salmon, almost guarantees a hungry bear will be present during your visit. You reach the trailheads by floatplane from Ketchikan, before walking to the lookout spots.

You can also reach Traitors Cove by boat, although it takes longer. Neets Bay has a boat option that motors past the bay but you do not go ashore. This choice reduces your chances of sighting bears. They also limit visits using permits. July and August, when the salmon are spawning are the best periods. You cannot guarantee wildlife spotting.

Herring Cove is near Ketchikan, and you can drive there. That’s good and bad news. More civilization means fewer bears. I have seen a (one) bear only two times out of eight visits.

Native Peoples

With over 80 Native American Totem Poles in Ketchikan, it seems you can’t go a few blocks without seeing one! Totem Poles are just one attraction not to miss!

Saxman Native Village has the most extensive collection of standing Totem Poles in Ketchikan. The 25 totems here are replicas of original poles; many with too much damage to save them. There is also a Clan House, Native Carving Shed, and gift shop.

Totem Bight State Historical Park is a recreation of a native village. In an attempt to save totems and artifacts left behind, they bring them to the site and make duplicates. Today, there is a Clan House and 14 Totems.

The Totem Heritage Center is a museum of original Native American Totem Poles. The poles come from abandoned villages and are in various levels of deterioration.  The collection also has artifacts, masks, and tools for making the poles. The building has climate-control, preserving the artifacts from weather and pollution.

Around town, you can also see several copies of Totems. At the Cape Fox Lodge, near the traffic tunnel and Creek Street, there are photo opportunities.

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center is walking distance from the cruise pier. Here you can explore exhibits on Alaska’s peoples, lands, and natural resources. Popular with children.

Skagway

One of the smaller Southeast Alaska towns, Skagway, with a population under 1000, is the gateway to the Yukon. It is also one of the few cities in Southeast Alaska you can reach by car.

The Chilkoots and Chilkats use the Skagua area for hunting and fishing. They find a new pass up the Skaqua river valley to the Yukon River around 1887. They call it the White Pass. Capt. William Moore buys 160 acres at the end of the valley and calls it Mooreville. He builds a dock and a cabin.

1896 and they find gold in the Yukon. By 1897 steamers are arriving at Moore’s dock. It cannot keep up with the crowds, and they need a new town plan. They call it Skaguay. The White Pass is a rough trail, and many pack animals perish. It gets the name “Dead Horse Trail.”

By 1898, the population of Skaguay is at 10,000 people. Buildings are going up, and they start construction of a railroad over the White Pass. The post office changes the town name to Skagway.

By July of 1900, the railroad begins operation. The Yukon gold rush is over. Skagway starts to shrink in size as people move on. Thanks to the train, Skagway will survive as the terminal for ships and trains moving cargo to the Yukon.

80 years later

1979 and the Klondike highway finally opens connecting Skagway with the Alaska Highway and the outside world, seasonally.

In 1982, the Faro mines shut down. A few months later, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad stop operations. Winter unemployment rates soar to 70-80 percent.

By 1985 the city, state and White Pass come up with a plan. It is to improve dock facilities to allow more cruise ships.

1986, and the highway is now open in the winter making trucking and container services viable. Calls by cruise ships top 200 visits.

March of 1986, the White Pass and Yukon railroad begins summer tourist operation.

Today, over one million guests visit Skagway, predominantly between May and September, the majority from cruise ships. Transportation and shipping continue to support the economy year round. It is still the major link between the Yukon and Southeast Alaska.

Why Visit?

As Alaska towns go, Skagway is small. The “tourist” area is four blocks wide by seven long and takes about 20 minutes to walk without stops. Although many of the buildings try to hold on to their gold rush facades, the insides are tourist stores.

Walking up Broadway from the ferry and cruise dock:

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Museum & Visitor Center at 157 Broadway is the original train depot. Today it houses a small museum that gives an easy to follow introduction to the Klondike. Also, information on the two routes connecting it to Skagway: the Chilkoot and White Pass. There is also a visitor center in the other section.

The Red Onion Saloon at 205 Broadway has been in this location since 1910 when Skagway was condensing. It was not at this location during the gold rush days. The Brothel Museum upstairs probably dates from the same time.

Arctic Brotherhood Hall – at 216 Broadway is a defunct fraternal hall that was a club for prospectors. Today, it is the home of the Skagway Convention and Visitors Bureau. Driftwood covers the facade of this 1899 building.

Moore Homestead Museum – are two homes belonging to the founder of Skagway, Captain William Moore. His original cabin (1887), and the larger house he built next door in 1897.

Skagway Museum is at the corner of Spring and 7th. Turn right off Broadway at 7th street, and you will see the building at the end of the road. Not only is the museum collection of cultural heritage, arts, and history impressive, but so is the building. Built as a Methodist school in 1898, it has been a courthouse as well. It shares the building with city hall.

Edge of Town.

Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls – is a 1.5-mile (35 minutes) walk northeast of town.

The small cemetery is the final resting place for Soapy Smith, Frank Reid, and many others. Soapy’s modest marker is close to the entrance. Reid’s is more extravagant. A seven-minute walk past the cemetery is Lower Reid Falls, a small waterfall coming down through a ravine.

Jewell Gardens – is across the Skagway River where Henry Clark began the first commercial vegetable farm in Alaska. Walk the gardens admiring flower beds, ponds, giant vegetables, and a miniature train. A glassblowing studio on-site gives demonstrations throughout the day. The Smart bus stops on the highway out front.

Outside of Town

Like many Southeast Alaska towns, Skagway is a gateway. In this case to the Yukon.

You can take the restored White Pass and Yukon Railroad or a bus to the Yukon. Just make sure you go as far as the Yukon. Too many people take the train as far as White Pass and miss the Yukon all together.

The Yukon includes Emerald Lake and the Carcross Desert, two unique landscapes at odds with the mountain scenery around them.

There are numerous options from half a day to a full day outing. My favorite is the bus up to the Yukon, and the train back. Sometimes this runs in the reverse order.

Juneau Ice Field – is the same one that is near Juneau, it’s that big. Helicopter flights from Skagway have fewer weather delays than Juneau due to weather patterns. You can fly over the glaciers, land on them or dog sled on them.

Haines

Between Juneau and Skagway is Haines. One thousand seven hundred residents call Haines home. Like many Southeast Alaska towns, it was home first to the Tlingit tribe. George Dickinson, an agent for the North West Trading Company, came to the Dtehshuh area in 1879.

In 1881, the local tribe requests missionaries from Sheldon Jackson. He builds the Chilkat Mission and school in 1881 and sends Samuel Young, a Presbyterian minister, to oversee it. In 1884 they renamed it “Haines” in honor of Francina Haines, head of the committee raising funds for its construction. A village begins to pop up around the mission. The opening of the White Pass railroad puts Haines out of the trading and stocking business. Local canneries kept Haines afloat.

Around 1904, the US Army builds Fort William H. Seward. It goes through other names and uses before becoming a national historical site and its name reinstated. Haines is one of three communities in southeast Alaska you can reach from the Alaska Highway. Less than an hour from Skagway by ferry, the drive between the two Alaska towns is over 350 miles.

Besides Fort William H. Seward, there is not much to see in Haines town.

Outside of Haines

Chilkat State Park – is seven miles south of town along a gravel road. Both of these keep visitors to a minimum. Imagine having a state park to yourself? Small wildlife sightings are possible as well as marine life from the beaches.

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is a state park and wildlife refuge covering 49,320 acres mainly along the Chilkat River.

The preserve contains the world’s largest concentration of bald eagles. 200 to 400 birds live here year-round. The number swells to 4,000 during the annual fall and early winter congregation.

You can drive along the highway, hike or float through the preserve to see the eagles.

Kroschel Wildlife Center – is run by Steve Kroschel, an independent filmmaker for more than 30 years. The park cares for mainly orphaned wildlife indigenous to Canada and Alaska. Moose, wolves, grizzly bears, and wolverines are some of the animals you may see.

American Bald Eagle Foundation is a Raptor Center and Natural History Museum. This non-profit organization is trying to teach the importance of the Bald eagle. The museum has hundreds of objects telling about life in the Chilkat Valley.

Jilkaat Kwann Heritage Center is a seasonal center that tells the rich cultural history of Klukwan, an Alaskan native village. The center includes local artwork and occasional performances.

Scenic Cruising in Southeast Alaska

There are some places you do not get off the cruise ship, but sail through or around.

Glacier Bay National Park – is on several cruise itineraries for a good reason. The park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The park is home to 11 glaciers and several can be seen from your cruise ship, water conditions permitting. Most ships will sail into Tarr Inlet, one of the broadest areas in the park. Here, the water usually stays clear of ice that might hinder ship navigation. The stars are the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. The Margerie is white, with blue ice if the light is right. The Grand Pacific is not as “clean” as it has a lot of sediment (dirt) on it.

Weather permitting, you may see the Lamplugh, Gilman and John Hopkins glaciers as well. A guide from the U.S. Park Service narrates over the ship P.A. system throughout the visit in the park.

The problem with Glacier Bay is that it can only accommodate two ships a day. In 2019, more than 45 cruise ships will be calling on Alaska.

The cruise lines came up with alternatives to give their guests a glacier. These include Hubbard, Twin Sawyer Glaciers, Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm, and The College Fjords in Prince William Sound.

Most of these are single glaciers and do not include a park ranger. As several of them are on narrow inlets, access may be impossible (ice) early in summer and the late fall.

Not A Southeast Alaska Town

Icy Strait Point is a private cruise pier near the small village of Hoonah, Alaska. Similar to the private islands in the Caribbean, it is only open when there is a ship there.

The terminal building, an old cannery, is full of restaurants and stores. There is also a giant zip line and adventure park for a fee. And a free museum and WiFi Spot. Guests do not need to leave the property.

Southeast Alaska Summary

No two ports are identical in Alaska. You can fish or zip line in every port, but you don’t experience the port by doing that.

What makes a port unique? Skagway has a claim to the Yukon, Ketchikan the Misty Fjords and Juneau Auke Bay. See Bald Eagles in the wild near Haines or visit them at the Raptor Center in Sitka.

If you are doing it by cruise ship, remember it is a buffet. Get a little taste and decide if you want to go back for more.

If you are doing it by Alaska Marine Highway (ferry) or flying from town to town, take the time to do it right. There are local chain hotels, B&Bs, even wilderness cabins, some spartan, and some deluxe with wine tasting.

When is Ketchikan’s Blueberry Arts Festival, Fairbank’s World Ice Art Championships or the Iditarod Sled Dog Race?

Skip the city tours, pub crawls zip lines, and experience the destination. See the dramatic scenery. Keep an eye out for wild and marine life, and learn about the people. That’s the reason to visit Alaska. And make sure you try some fresh salmon, halibut or crab while you’re there.

In the “Leave a Reply” section below, please comment on this: 

If you take a cruise to Southeast Alaska, what ports are essential to you, and why?

Please help me spread the news by liking, commenting and sharing this blog. – THANKS!

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