ALASKA 2025
Our vacation started by flying into Anchorage. This was the view from our room in the Captain Cook Hotel.
The next morning we got up and loaded a bus to head to Denali.
We stopped along the way to learn about the Itidarod.
After a miserable 6 hour bus ride, we finally arrived to the Princess Lodge in Denali. This is the main building.
The view from the deck of the building we stayed in.
Snow hare spotted in Denali National Park.
We did a natural history tour in the park, with the final stop of it getting to listen to his native Athabaskan from Tanana. I don't remember her anem, and probably couldn't pronounce it. I do remember the word for "thank you" though - say "on a bus seat" real fast as one word.
How many Dall sheep can you find?
Hannah and Laura did some water color painting one evening.
We took a hike around Horseshoe Lake.
Denali reminded me a lot of Glacier.
View of Horseshoe Lake.
Muskrat at Horseshoe Lake.
A squirrel eating lunch.
Snow hare on Horseshoe Lake trail
Same snow hare
Gull playing in Horseshoe Lake
Lupine
The visitor's center at Denali was really nice and had some cool displays.
Hannah and Christine using their "hanoculars" to search for moose along the river behind our lodge.
The moose they were looking for.
After 3 nights in Denali, we boarded a train for a day's trip back down to Whittier, AK.
The view from the small viewing platform on the back of our train car.
It was a long train ride, but much more enjoyable than the bus ride to Denali. Nice views too, although we could barely see Mt. McKinley.
We crossed a pretty high bridge.
We finally arrived to board the Coral Princess.
The view from the front of the ship as we left port.
We had beautiful weather almost the entire trip.
Orca whales the first day on Coral Princess.
Alaska
The first full day on the ship we stopped at Hubbard Glacier in Disenchantment Bay.
Hubbard Glacier
Mom and pup seal in Disenchantment Bay
Yep, Hubbard Glacier.
Hubbard Glacier is 76 miles long. Most of the ice is below the water line at this location. It calves icebergs that are 10 stories tall.
Hubbard Glacier was amazing. I have a LOT of photos of it. If there was one excursion I could go back and do, it would be to take a boat and get closer to it (like the ones we see in some of my photos).
One last Hubbard Glacier shot.
LOTS of sea otters were spotted.
Ducks taking flight.
Our second day had us in Glacier Bay National Park where I spotted this hovering iceberg!
A sailboat along the Tarr Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park.
Sea gull flying below us near the water.
Two grizzly bears on the beach near Margerie Glacier. Photo credit - Austin Crouse (I think)
Two grizzly bears on the beach near Margerie Glacier. Photo credit - Austin Crouse (I think)
Bald eagle floating on an iceberg somewhere in Glacier Bay.
The eagle then flew to a another nearby iceberg.
I think he's waving at you. We saw lots of sea otters the entire trip.
Sea otters showing what they do the most - swim, play together, and float on their backs
On our third day we ported in Skagway, AK.
Laura, Christine, Wayne, and I did a rafting excursion down the Chilkat River through an eagle preserve.
The start of our trip.
Unfortunately we only saw 2 eagles, one of which was this one on it's nest.
The fourth day we stopped in Juneau where Laura, Christine, Wayne and I went on a whale watching excursion.
An orca whale in Fritz Cove (I think).
Several orca whales together at the start.
They got a real close look at that humpback.
Alaska scenery
Humpback whale - it's blowholes are on the left.
Humpback whales in Auke Bay.
Immature eagle flies overhead.
We saw a lot of whales, too many to count. Most were like this picture.
Watching them dive was pretty cool, almost like they were in slow motion. We didn't get to see any fully breach, but did have one get most of it's body out of the water.
Humpback whale showing off for us.
Humpback whale slapping the water with it's fin.
Surfacing humpback whales.
Humpback diving in Auke Bay.
Blad eagle with lunch in it's talons.
Back on the ship, we spent a lot of time participating in the nightly activities. Hannah was our team captain for this game that was like Family Feud. We lost. Badly.
Ducks in formation at sea.
Our fifth day included a stop at Ketchikan, AK.
Near Ketchikan, AK.
Ketchikan is known for their totem poles.
Hannah and Laura posing with totem outside a store.
Our 6th day was spent on the water, and it was the first that was cloudy and rainy. Not much to see other than water.
Our steward left us towel animals a couple of days with our made bed. You can see the monkey in the background over Laura's shoulder.
Islands on the way to Vancouver.
Our last stop was Vancouver, where we ported and bussed to the airport.
It was a GREAT vacation! I loved Alaska, and look forward to going back someday to do more exploring. A special thanks to Austin Crouse for doing all the leg work and planning the whole vacation out for us! He's a dang good travel agent - hit him up for advice!
Since you made it to the end, you deserve a little bonus!