Eschew,

First of all, thanks for all your tips in your trip report--so valuable.

We will be leaving on our Alaskan cruise in less than a month.

We do a land tour of Denali prior to the cruise (Whittier->Vancouver)

We splurged and booked a flight out of Talkeetna to view Denali.

While in Ketchikan, I'd like to take a seaplane to see the Misty Fijords. My DH is wondering if it is worthwhile as we are "already taking a plane" in Talkeetna. Is it??

If it is worth it, one company (Alaska Seaplane Tours)I was looking at online has a tour that also includes a bear viewing stop for $289/pp vs just the Misty Fijords for $229/pp (vs $270/pp if booked thru Princess). I am a planner and am having a hard time waiting until we dock in Ketchikan to arrange for a flight.

How do these prices sound?? Is the tour with the bear viewing worth it??

Any advice is welcomed!

Another question on Juneau....

I have read about taking a bus to Mendenhall Glacier but I'm confused as to which bus. Is it a city bus? or the blue Glacier Express bus? I see MM Tours of Juneau have a blue Glacier Express bus for $40/pp round trip. We will likely skip the tram as we'd like to spend some time hiking some of the trails around the glacier. As there will be 6 in our party, I'm wondering if renting a car might be a better option. Thoughts??

We are active 60 yr olds and love photography. Any suggestions on which trails to take and approx. how long to hike? We were looking at the East Glacier Trail, but not sure of the time limit. Cruise ship in port from 6:30a - 4p.

Link to Forest Service re Mendenhall
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongas...telprdb5400800

Transportation options
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongas...d=fseprd495443

Car rentals..with 6 people you would need a van.

You can use either of the two shuttle companies at $30 a pop, with buses leaving approx every 30 minutes. Personally I think that will be easier than having to wait in line at the rental counter.

Hi Marlene, Flight out of Talkeetna is great. You improved the odds of seeing Mt Mckinley up close.

The 2 views are total different. Have you ever been to Yosmite? The rock formation on way to Misty Fjord is similar. If you want to save money, there are lots to do at Ketchikan for free: Creek Street and Fox Lodge, totem poles etc. It is also the best (cheapest and good decent selection) souvenir stop.

The price you quoted is reasonable. Misty Fjords is usually around $200 or less if you haggle. If you book on line, it's cheaper than the ship for sure. Are they taking yo to Anan Wildlife Observatory to watch bears?

Re Bus on Juneau. There is a shuttle from the ship to the Mt Roberts Tramway. It was $3 and is well worth it. Better than the half hour walk depending on the berth the ship is docked.

You can buy the Mendenhall bus ticket right at the Mt Robert Tram terminal. They are round trip tickets and you can buy at the kiosks. Just ask questions, If are doing nothing else at Juneanu except for Mendenhall, worth your while to get up to Mt. Roberts. Inside the tram terminal, they sell combo tickets that let you take the tram and the bus. Again, ask about the "bus" and the time table. Make sure you get back earlier and do not wait till teh last returning bus or the one before the last. The last 2 returning buses are crazily busy and pack like sardines.

The price posted on my TR was from 2013. I think the going price has gone up quite a bit. $33 for Mt Roberts and around $15 for one way to Mendenhall.

If you have a group, you may want to consider a taxi service by the hour (about $70 an hour) It takes less than half hour to get there meaning costing $35 for the group of you. Make sure you pre-arrange pick up time so it really is $70 return (plus tip) for the group. Try Evergreen taxi.

If the weather is poor and cloud over or foggy, skip the Mt Roberts tram unless you want to see the Raptor center up there.

It is raining season so be prepared for rain or cloudy condition, light drizzle. Remember to waterproof and stay warm, dress in layers.

Thanks, Eschew!

I'm not sure if the seaplane in Ketchikan would take us to the Anan Wildlife Observatory to watch bears. I think the rest of our party wants to wait until we dock in Ketchikan to arrange for a seaplane. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we find a vendor (with a good safety record) at the dock.

If we take the taxi to Mendenhall, I'm not sure of how much time we'd be there to arrange for a pick-up to return to the city. With not having cell phones to call them for pick-up, I'm thinking that could be a problem, no?? Since we get to the dock at in Juneau so early--6:30am (leaving port at 4pm) and the busses don't start until 9am, maybe a taxi is the way to go.

Have you ever hiked the East Glacier Trail at Mendenhall? or the Nugget Falls trail?? We are into photography and in decent shape and wondered which trail was more scenic. I figured we could just partially walk the East Glacier trail if it was too much.

All vendors are licensed so you should be safe. The lat accident that I remembered was on a ship's excursion.

You have to decide how much time you have or need and pre-book a meeting time at the parking lot for the return trip, and don't be late. Have a cell phone with you just in case.

If you just want to take a quick look at the look out and the visit the interpret center, it takes no time at all. If you want to hike the trails, then allow for 4 to 5 hours, maybe more. The trails maybe closed due to wild life (as in bear sightings) so you can plan all you want, but nature will dictate.

The 2 trails offers completely different view of the Glacier. One is along the flat land and the other one will take you to higher ground through the forest.

The Nugget Fall trail is short and easy, about 2 miles return, and will take about an hour round trip. The East Glacier trail is about 3.5 miles and will take about 3 hours round trip. I would rate the east Glacier trail difficulty level as moderate.

Best view from the Nugget Falls Trail is at the end, if you are not going to the end, there is no point in taking it, although you will see floating ice up close by the shore line.

There are more people taking the Nugget Fall trail than the East Glacier Trail.

Here is a link to the Mendenhall Visitor center Map
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...prd3835583.pdf

If you are press for time, just do the photo point loop. It is very short but will be crowded.

If you are into photography, have you consider the West Glacier Trail to the ice cavern? It's about 7 miles round trip, with some tough terrain. This will take you at least 5 hours round trip. Do you have enough time for it?

http://www.alaska.org/detail/west-gl...enhall-glacier

Thanks for your input, Eschew!

I looked at the West Glacier Trail and I'm thinking it may be too strenuous for one person in our party. Good to know that the East Glacier Trail tends to be less crowded than the Nugget Falls Trail. We will let nature dictate which trail we take when we get there.

I think I have a good handle on what we are doing at each port during our cruise. Now I need to focus my attention to Vancouver. After the cruise, we will be spending one night in Victoria as we wanted to visit the Butchart Gardens. I was delighted to see that the day we will be visiting there will be fireworks (if we can stay up that long!). We have prearranged the picnic baskets they offer.

We will be in Vancouver 2 nights. Any thoughts on the HOHO buss? I read where the Van Dusen gardens are nice, but since we are going to Butchart, there may be other things better to spend our time on. Capilano Suspension Bridge?? (does it really sway much?)

If you have 2 nights in Vancouver, there are lots to do. Depending on where you are staying and if you have a car or not.

I will definitely recommend spending a few hours at Stanley Park and the Waterfront. Take in the Fly over Canada 4D attraction, right by the Cruise terminal.

If you are into cultural sort of things, visit the historic Vancouver Chinatown and Sun Yet Sen Garden, and then head out to Richmond and visit the Aberdeen Mall, for their version of the "modern Chinatown".

Other places to consider includes the Grandville Island, Gastown, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia for the aboriginal arts.

You want to see things that you can't see elsewhere.

The Capilano suspension bridge is a decent attraction but is a bit too far out of the way if you have only 2 days.

Back to he Mendenhall trails. I would recommend the Nugget Falls trail over the East Glacier Trail. Although it is busier than the East loop but it is really not all that busy. Most cruise ship passengers would not have time to go on that trail. They all go to the photo point or just 15 minutes into the other trails and and then it;s time to get back (as their shore excursion only give them maybe 1 hour or 1.5 hrs there) and that's it.

Make sure you stop in the interpret center.

We are staying at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver and don't plan to rent a car. Can the sites you suggested be reached by public transportation? I agree that we want to see things we can't see elsewhere.

We have scratched the Capilano bridge from our list as one person in our party is not a fan of bridges that move.

Re: Mendenhall...I called Evergreen taxi and was told not to reserve a taxi in advance, but rather call them after we've disembarked. Two people in our party now think they want to skip Mendenhall and go on a whale watching excursion while in Juneau. What are the chances we will see whales from the ship? The remaining four of us plan to do a hike at the glacier.

Westin Bayshore is at a great location. It is about $5 cab ride form the cruise terminal. Cab driver will not like you for that ride ... It is a 20 to 25 minutes walk, (maybe 10 blocks max?) just follow the water front.

I would recommend walking if all of you are up to it. The walk is scenic. There are many sights along the way to stop and explore and photo op. Too bad you have luggage in tow.

Try lunch at White Spots, a famous local family restaurant chain that's been around for years. Ask for the peanut butter beacon burger. There is one within 2 blocks of the Westin.

The flyover 4D is by the cruise terminal (Canada Place). You will see the ticket office and bill board. There is also a tourism office across from the Catcus Club (restaurant) You can get better maps and info there (and they have lots of staff there) than the cruise terminal tourist counter. Ask about Sky train and downtown map. Tell them where you stay and where you want to go and let them walk you through. The main sky train terminal by the cruise terminal can be confusing and if you get on the wrong train ... not fun. With that said, you will find people in Vancouver very friendly.

Westin is walking distance to the Stanley Park so you are good there. You can actually see it from the hotel. Walk the full loop and more, allow at least half a day. The float plane platform is also near by. The view from the hotel at the distant mountain across the harbor is absolutely beautiful, especially in the evening hours. I stayed at the Westin Bayshore in January this year.

Chinatown and the Sun yet Sen garden is about $10 - $15 cab fare away, I wouldn't walk as you may walk through some undesirable area. Just cab there, and you can ask for a mini van cab. Make sure you have a map so you can walk from the Garden to other parts of Chinatown. I wouldn't bother with food there though.

You can get to Richmond's Aberdeen Center by Sky Train. There is a terminal at Chinatown, and a terminal by Canada Place. I think you need a 2 zones ticket (or buy a booklet of 10 tickets for 2 zones since there is a group of you). Not sure how expensive a cab ride would be but I am guessing around $50. A booklet of 10 tickets is about $35 for 10 tickets. There is a Skytrain station at the Aberdeen mall but it is connected to the new mall expansion that wasn't fully occupied. Get to street level and walk in through the main entrance. This is the place to sample the food at the food court, really cheap and delicious. Be adventurous with the food.

If you have time, try go up the Harbour Center Tower (the local calls it Sears tower) at night for a 360 view of the city night light. It's 4 blocks from the Cruise ship terminal.

Another Vancouver attraction at night is called the "night markets". Richmond night market is the best of the lot. It is hard to describe.
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2016/04/m...-markets-2016/

You may see whales on the ship but it will be at a distance, not quite the same as whale watching up close. There are excursions that takes you to Mendenhall and then whale watching. But you will get maybe 1 hour at the Mendenhall and 2 hrs of whale watching. Not worth it IMHO.

You can do whale watching at Ketchikan as well if you skip the Misty Fjord seaplane, or do both if you have time, and the $$. Did I mention that Ketchikan is the best (cheapest) souvenir stop?

The whale watching in Alaska is slightly different than whale watching elsewhere. You will see bald eagles along the way as they are all over the place.

Wow, Eschew! You are a wealth of knowledge!!

Thanks so much for all the tips while in Vancouver. There certainly is plenty to see and do there. Because we are going to be walking distance from Stanley Park, do you think the Hop on, Hop off bus would be not worth it? I'm wondering how crowded they might be and if there is much chance we'd have to wait for another less crowded bus. I would hate to waste my time waiting as we are 'walkers'.

One other question...is dining at the Tea House at Stanley Park during sunset a 'not to miss'??

I wouldn't bother with hop on hop off as everything is so close to where you are. Save that money and take cab instead.
I live out on the west coast so I am more familiar with this side of the country as I'm there more often.

TO be honest, I don't even know if the tea house is even open as I have not been there for years. You can catch the sunset at the tip (end) of Stanley Park, with or without the tea house.

Since you have so little time, you have to map out / plan your time so you maximize what you can see. You are in a good spot and you choice of hotel is great.

If you are into "food", try the LIFT, it is close to the hotel at the water front (less than 50 yards away). They feature west coast and Canadian food. Worth a try but could be pricey depending on your budget. You can always look at the menu before going in.

Good luck and have a nice trip. I am heading out tomorrow so I won't check in here for a bit.

Thanks, again Eschew!

Hi Eschew, thanks for your great post! I will be in Alaska via Holland America 7/9-7/14. I took your advice and book Floatplane flightseeing to Misty Fjord independently. My ship arrives at Ketchikan port 10:00am, my flightseeing is at 11:00am. Do you think the time is too tight? Thanks!

Juliasu, hope you read this before you go. You have lots of time. Ask the to drop you off at Creek Street after the tour so you can walk around on your own.

I'm very interested in seeing Misty Fjords. There will be 5 of us on our Alaskan cruise so the price-tag on the floatplane trip is a bit scary - is this the only way to see Misty Fjords? From your review it sounds like you feel this excursion is the one to spend the extra money on - correct?

Have you ever done one of the dog-sled excursions (like offered in Juneau)? It might appeal to my kids.

Thanks for your great tips!

There is a "cruise" option to see Misty Fjords but the view from "below" is not the same as view from "above". Not sure what the cost would be for the "cruise" option. Everything in Alaska is not cheap.

Misty Fjord is not for everyone. Don't take it just because someone else said it's the best. A lot depends on your personal likes and dislikes and interests. And in this case, the budget as well. You may want to google Misty Fjord and look at the pictures or videos posted. There are lots out there and see if it is something that you will pay good money for and see it first hand.

The dog sled is a pet pee of mine. I personally will never dog sled with a commercial outfit. I have seen first hand what happened to those poor animals in the hands of a bad operator. It is a money making adventure and those dogs are treated as pack animals or worse. Hundreds, if not thousands of dogs had been slaughtered due to "slow down" of business as the operator cannot afford to care for them, there were public outcries but they subsided quickly and the cycle starts all over again. More were put down due to "injury" or "age". There maybe good and caring operators out there, but how can you tell one form the other?

There are lots to do in Ketchikan without spending money on excursions.

This old, but continuing tread has interesting information.
Hoping I can use some if I finalize a cruise some time this summer.

ileen, this thread has been running actively every summer since I originally posted the trip report 3 years ago. I am surprised at its staying power and people continue to add to this thread.

Most information (other than pricing) are current. Feel free to ask questions or add to the thread and people will reply.