jackal

July 23, 2014 through July 28, 2014


Also known as the Panhandle (look at any map of Alaska to see why), Southeast Alaska is home to history (both Russian and Native), green rainforests, wildlife, mountains, fjords and tranquil waters, glaciers, and (for better or worse) politics. Join me as I explore all of these aspects of this corner of the state!

But even though this is the part of the state closest to the Lower 48, it's not that easy to get here. Why? No roads! You're not getting in unless you fly or take a boat (if you've heard of cruising the Inside Passage of Alaska, this is it). Don't worry: we're going to explore both of these options...in traditional Alaska FlyerTalk Do style!

Do #1, the 2009 Spring Break Do primarily organized by vysean, featured a wintertime railroad journey to Fairbanks and a warm soak under the Northern Lights at Chena Hot Springs.

Do #2, the 2010 Spring Break Do put on jointly by vysean and me, featured a fantastic tour of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport's airside operations and a relaxing beachfront condo getaway in Homer.

Do #3, the great 2010 127 Pounds of Cabbage Do, featured another tour of the airport plus an afternoon at the Alaska State Fair before journeying down to Seward for a whale of a time seeing ocean wildlife and calving glaciers. A subset of us continued on for an amazing two days in and around Denali.

Do #4 was the epic 2012 There's No Place Like Nome DO. A Do that will surely leave stories for a lifetime, we encountered everything from gold dredges and staged duels to epic bird-sized mosquitoes. Oh, yeah--and about 20 FlyerTalkers now know how not to change a flat tire.

Do #5 was the superlative 2013 Great Alaska ADQ Do to Kodiak, also known as Alaska's Emerald Isle and home to the majestic Kodiak Brown Bear. Whether climbing in a true Bush Alaska seaplane that took us over steaming volcanoes into the wild and famed Katmai National Park, where we got up close and personal with bears feasting on salmon, catching our legal limit of the freshest and most succulent halibut and rockfish, or dancing in the cleanroom air shower of the Kodiak Launch Complex, this was a trip no participant will ever forget.

So here we are at (wow!) Do #6. Don't worry...there's still plenty of the state left to explore! (After all, if you cut Alaska in thirds at low tide, Texas would be the fourth-largest state.) So it's time to head south.

Here's the overview.

Firstly, I'll note I'm going to handle this Do a little differently than the previous ones. I'm going to eschew the big organized group activities in favor of moving back to basics. Thus, there won't be any money changing hands this year. Unless noted, you'll be responsible for making your own travel arrangements to follow the Do's schedule. (I'll provide links and information to do so.)

Second, this isn't going to be quite as structured of a trip as in previous years. You're welcome to join at any point and leave at any point as your schedule (and airfares/award/hotel availability, etc.) permits. You can skip out on any events or take alternate forms of transportation and catch up with (or beat!) us down the line.

With that in mind, here's the schedule of what I'm planning on seeing while I'm visiting the area, and you're welcome to join for as much as you want!

Wednesday is arrival day in New Archangel (Ново-Архангельск), today known as Sitka, the former capital of Russian America (Русская Америка). Get to Sitka at your leisure. There are three flights each day from Seattle to Sitka (arriving in the morning, afternoon, and evening). Same-day connections from the midwest and east coast are possible with an afternoon or early evening arrival.

I arrive on the ferry in Sitka at 11am (originating in Bellingham, WA but with a few stops along the way!) and will be taking the shuttle from the ferry dock into town and dropping my bags off at the Super 8. You're welcome to arrive earlier or later than me--we'll just meet up after we all get situated.

In the afternoon, we'll wander the town (it's easily walkable) and see a few of the sights and then meet for dinner.

Thursday is the day to see the sights of Sitka. Here's a list I put together from TripAdvisor and other sources (including talking to friends who have been to Sitka before):

• Sitka National Historic Park
• St Michael’s Cathedral
• Baranof’s Castle
• Russian Bishop’s House
• Sheldon Jackson Museum
• Fortress of the Bear
• Alaska Raptor Center
• Sitka Sound Science Center (for kids like me!)
• Totem Park
• Russian cemetery
• And of course, time for shopping for kitschy tourist trinkets and crafts

We'll make stops for lunch and dinner as appropriate. We won't have (nor need) a car/van, but for those who wish to walk less, taxis are available in Sitka.

Friday, we'll take a four-hour ferry ride on the placid waters of Alaska's inside passage from Sitka to Juneau. Yes, there are flights, but why fly above the scenery when you can see it at (and above!) eye level?

Around 10:00 or 10:30ish, catch the paid shuttle to the ferry terminal (a ways away from town) in time for the 11am check-in for our 12pm ferry to Juneau. Information on booking this below.

Upon arrival in downtown Juneau, we'll take the opportunity to get settled and then meet for dinner.

Saturday is the day to see the bustling capital city of Alaska. There's a lot to see! Here's a list I put together from TripAdvisor and other sources (including talking to friends who have been to Juneau, since it's been over a decade since I was last there):

• Alaska Brewing Company (yes, they offer free samples)
• Costco (obligatory stop for beckoa and more free samples)
• Nugget Falls
• Shrine of St. Therese
• Herbert Glacier
• Alaska State Museum
• Mount Roberts Trail (hike up, ride tram back down)
• Mount Roberts Tramway (for those who want the quick and easy way up the mountain )
• Sawyer Glacier
• Juneau Arts & Humanities/Culture Center
• Macaulay Salmon Hatchery/DIPAC
• St. Nicholas
• Perseverance National Recreation Trail
• Juneau Rainforest Garden
• Chichagof Island
• Juneau-Douglas City Museum
• State Capitol Building
• Point Bridget State Park
• Last Chance Mining Museum
• Cope Park

We may not see it all, but I'm putting this list out there for anyone to peruse and make suggestions on. And if something particularly strikes your fancy, you're welcome to split from the group and check it out. Downtown Juneau is fairly walkable, and taxis abound.

On Sunday, we'll check out the famous (and famously easily accessible) Mendenhall Glacier.

This might be the one exception to money changing hands: Mendenhall is a short drive from Juneau, so we'll look at transportation options and perhaps rent a van or two to get everyone out there.

Also, friends have told me to consider a flight seeing tour of some kind (Mendenhall Glacier or Tracy Arm Fjord) and/or one of the helicopter tours with glacier landing and sled dog experience. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go for something like this, but if this interests you, this day would be a good day to do it.

But...don't get back too late! I'm heading to the next destination in the evening: Glacier Bay! I've got myself scheduled on a 5:30pm flight from Juneau to Gustavus with Wings of Alaska, a division of SeaPort Airlines, which some in the Pacific Northwest or Southeast U.S. may be familiar with. I got a great fare--details on this below. Alaska Airlines also serves this route with a 737; it's more expensive than SeaPort, but you can also redeem miles on this flight. That said, I think flying a Cessna with big windows through the mountains of Southeast Alaska sounds much more fun (and much more Alaskan!) than flying over the top of them in a big 737 with little windows. In any case, just get yourself from Juneau to Gustavus sometime before 6:30am on Monday morning.

Monday morning we board the high-speed catamaran from Gustavus that will take us into Glacier Bay National Park and up to the (hopefully calving!) faces of glaciers and alongside breaching humpbacks.

There is a Wings of Alaska flight that gets into Gustavus early enough to catch the day cruise into the park, but with weather in Southeast always being a potential delay-causing factor, I wouldn't chance it and would recommend flying in the evening before.

The boat should arrive back in time for those who need to leave on the evening Alaska flight to make it to the airport in plenty of time before check-in cut-off. (Personally, to play it safe, I'll be staying until the following morning and taking another Wings of Alaska flight back to Juneau, where I'll stay a day and then board the ferry to Haines to drive the remainder of the way, eventually ending up in Anchorage probably on Thursday or Friday.)

And that's the Do!

Note: those who can come up early or are free the previous weekend, please check out BOB W's event happening at the usual time and place: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...22-2014-a.html. Yes, copious amounts of wine and friendship will be involved as always.

jackal

Schedule:

As noted above, this is the schedule of what I'm doing. You're welcome to join for as much as you want. None of the events is obligatory.

Wednesday, July 23rd

• Arrive SIT at your leisure. I will be arriving on the ferry at 11am.
• Mid-afternoon: Sitka Sound Science Center (for the kid inside of me!)
• 7:00pm: Dinner at Larkspur Cafe, Sitka Bay View Pub, or Fly In Fish Inn (TBD)

Thursday, July 24th

• 8:45am: Meet in lobby of Super 8 for walking tour of Sitka:
  • Russian Cemetery
  • St. Michael's Cathedral
  • Castle Hill and Baranof's Castle
  • Russian Bishop House
  • Sheldon Jackson Museum
  • Sitka National Historic Park Visitor's Center and Totem Park
• 1:00pm: Lunch at Ludvig's Chowder Cart
• 2:00pm: Alaska Raptor Center
• 4:00pm: Fortress of the Bear
• 5:00pm: Dinner at Ludvig's (to be confirmed)
• 6:30pm: Baranof Island Brewery

Friday, July 25th

• 10:30am (approximately): shuttle to ferry dock (information below)
• 11:00am: Ferry check-in
• 12:00pm: Ferry departure to Juneau
• For those who prefer, there are SIT-JNU flights at 6am and 6:50pm
• 4:30pm: Ferry arrives in Juneau
• 7:30pm: Dinner at The Hangar
• 9:00pm: Pub crawl--The Alaskan Bar, Red Dog Saloon, and Alaskan Hotel bar

Saturday, July 26th

• 9:00am: Meet at Heritage Coffee (174 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801) for morning wake-me-up
• 9:30am: Hike (1 hour, free, led by beckoa and jackal) OR aerial tram ride ($27 round-trip) up Mount Roberts
• 11:30am: Descend Mount Roberts ($5 for those who hiked up)
• 12:00pm: Lunch at Twisted Fish
• 1:30pm: Walking tour of downtown Juneau:
  • Historic gold-rush-era streets
  • St. Nicholas Cathedral
  • Alaska State Capitol Building
  • Alaska Governor's Mansion
• 2:45pm: Bus departs Juneau Federal Building for DIPAC fish hatchery
• 3:00pm: DIPAC fish hatchery tour
• 4:05pm: Bus departs DIPAC for downtown Juneau
• 5:00pm: Depart downtown Juneau
• 5:15pm: Alaskan Brewing Company tour and tasting
• 5:45pm: Costco run to buy Alaskan Brewing products cheaper than at the brewery
• 6:00pm: Barbecue at UAPremierExec's house!

Sunday, July 27th

• 12:30pm: Depart downtown Juneau
• 1:15pm: Shrine of St. Therese (best salmon viewing in the area
• 2:00pm: Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center and Nugget Falls hike
• 4:30pm: Rental van departs for JNU airport
• AS JNU-GST: 4:08pm
• K5 JNU-GST: 1:00pm
• K5 JNU-GST: 2:30pm
• K5 JNU-GST: 3:30pm
• K5 JNU-GST: 5:30pm (makes a stop in HNH, jackal is on this flight)
• K5 JNU-GST: 6:30pm

Monday, July 28th

• 5:25am: K5 JNU-GST, arrives 5:50am
• 7:00am: day cruise boarding begins
• 7:30am: day cruise departs
• 3:30pm: day cruse returns
• 5:18pm: AS flight GST-JNU (and onward) departs. Other flights on K5: 4:30pm, 6:25pm, 7:05pm

jackal

Travel Bookings and Information:

Flights
All flight schedules are as of the date of this post. Schedules may have changed in the meantime. Check before relying on this information.

Alaska Airlines: 1-800-ALASKAAIR or http://www.alaskaair.com

AS coach domestic saver awards are 12,500 miles each way, one stopover included at no charge. Intrastate coach awards are 7,500 miles each way, one stopover included at no charge. AS tickets are changeable (and mileage tickets fully refundable) with no fee until 60 days prior to departure ($125 change fee within 60 days). AS partners with AA and DL domestically and several oneworld and SkyTeam airlines internationally. BA Avios can be used on AS (great value for short hops!). SPG points can be transferred to AS miles.

Alaska flies SEA-SIT 3x daily (note one-hour time change)

• AS 68: 6:25am-9:07am
• AS 63: 11:50am-1:10pm (doable as a same-day connection from early-morning east-coast/midwest departures)
• AS 67: 3:45pm-6:10pm

AS also flies JNU-SIT 3x daily, so if you can get to JNU, you can connect onward to SIT:

• AS 68: 8:30am-9:07am
• AS 62: 10:20am-10:59am
• AS 70: 10:25pm-10:59pm

AS flies JNU-GST 1x daily:

• AS 71: 4:08pm-4:36pm

AS flies GST-JNU 1x daily:

• AS 77: 5:18pm-5:41pm (this allows same-day connections to SEA and points beyond)

AS also serves JNU-SEA with 9x flights daily. I won't list them all, but if you're leaving GST on AS 77, you can easily connect onward from that:

• AS 66: 8:00pm-11:15pm

There are also evening connection options from JNU to SEA (or elsewhere) via ANC.

Delta: 1-800-221-1212 or http://www.delta.com/

Delta is now serving SEA-JNU. This may be useful if you have DL (or other SkyTeam) miles and cannot find space on AS SEA-SIT, as you may be able to get to JNU and then connect to AS JNU-SIT (or take the ferry the next morning):

• DL 2579: 7:45pm-9:13pm

DL also flies the reverse (JNU-SEA) in the morning, which may be useful for getting back home from GST/JNU:

• DL 2582: 6:15am-9:37am

Wings of Alaska: 1-800-789-9464, 1-907-789-0790 or http://www.wingsofalaska.com/

Wings of Alaska, a division of SeaPort Airlines, flies many short hops around Southeast, some of which are of interest to us. Many of these flights are currently (as of the date of this post) available at a great advance-purchase fare of $45ow+tax (approximately $53 all-in). To book, go to their website and book each leg as a one-way. Booking as a round-trip causes the fare to price out at the much higher "full-flex" price. In ExpertFlyer, look for availability in the Q bucket.

K5 JNU-GST:

• K5 80: 5:25am-5:50am
• K5 180: 7:30am-7:55am
• K5 12: 9:15am-10am (stops in HNH)
• K5 82: 10:45am-11:10am
• K5 84: 1:00pm-1:25pm
• K5 86: 2:30pm-2:55pm
• K5 88: 3:30pm-3:55pm
• K5 20: 5:30pm-6:15pm (stops in HNH)
• K5 288: 6:30pm-6:55pm

K5 GST-JNU:

• K5 181: 8:05am-8:30am
• K5 13: 10:10am-10:35am
• K5 83: 11:20am-11:45am
• K5 85: 1:40pm-2:05pm
• K5 89: 4:30pm-4:55pm
• K5 21: 6:25pm-6:50pm
• K5 289: 7:05pm-7:30pm

Hotel Options

Hotel options in SIT

Hotel options in SIT are limited. The nicest of the bunch is the Westmark; unfortunately, it appears (as of the date of this post) to be sold out for the entire month of July. I do not know if this is actually the case or if they are holding back rooms for some group or something, but the front desk confirmed they were sold out at least for our dates.

I am booked at the Super 8. It gets decent reviews online (although it's gotta be one of the most expensive Super 8s in the country for three months each year!), although it's a Super 8, so don't expect a Heavenly Bed and a full, hot, cooked-to-order breakfast. That's OK; we're in Alaska--don't spend too much time in your hotel room! Note that the cheapest rates on online booking sites are nonrefundable and cannot be changed. Refundable/changeable rates are approximately $20 more per night. I have it on decent authority that (as of the date of this post) Priceline bids will work with a minimum bid of $98 there, although booking through HotelClub.com via TopCashBack.com (I'll love you if you use my referral link!) can net you as much as 21% cash back, which practically equals the all-in price of a $98 Priceline bid.

BOB W recommends the Shee Atika Totem Square Inn, which used to be the Westmark before the Westmark moved into a new building and is now owned by the local Native corporation. Their own site doesn't appear to support online reservations, but it may be bookable on Expedia.

There are several B&Bs in the area. I noticed several with availability (and decent prices) on Expedia and Booking.com as well as several more (also on Kayak) that just say "Call." I can't vouch for them (or their locations--check to be sure they are accessible and not way out of town!).

Hotel options in JNU

Under review. Many more options than SIT, although not many chain properties. Note that any hotels marked as being near the airport may not be convenient for sightseeing downtown Juneau, unless you rent a car, take a taxi, or take the bus into town.

Hotel options in GST

Glacier Bay Lodge and Tours: 1-888-229-8687 or http://www.visitglacierbay.com/

The only property inside the Glacier Bay National Park boundaries is the official concession lodge, the Glacier Bay Lodge operated by Aramark, who also operates the official day tour cruise. (I believe the boat launches from near the lodge.) I will be staying at the Glacier Bay Lodge.

There are several lodges in the area that range in price from spendy to over-the-top. If you're a budget traveler, your options are limited to the primitive National Park campground (beckoa may be tenting there, so at least you won't be alone, and the bears might go after him instead of you). The Wikitravel/Wikivoyage sites on Glacier Bay (and the corresponding pages on Gustavus: WT/WV) made reference to a few of these lodges, and others may be listed on online booking sites like Kayak, Expedia, Booking.com, and others. I can't vouch for any personally.

Note that there's a possible package discount here: http://www.visitglacierbay.com/alaskaairlines

Ferry

Alaska Marine Highway System: 1-800-642-0066, 1-907-465-3941 or http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/pubs/

No one said their site would win awards for simplicity and usability, but it's functional. To actually make a reservation (as opposed to just looking at schedules), pull down the "Reservations" menu from the top navbar and choose "Start a Reservation." Adults are $45 one-way and senior citizens are $34.

Ferry Shuttle: 1-907-747-7322, more info at http://www.sitka.org/listings/index....enuID=67&hit=1

To get out to the ferry dock, which is a ways out of town, you'll probably want to take the shuttle. I contacted them and they said reservations are not necessary, as the shuttle meets the ferry every day. Simply have your hotel call the shuttle in the morning and they will pick you up. Prices are $6 per person one-way or (for those also arriving into SIT by ferry) $10 round-trip.

Glacier Bay Day Cruise

Glacier Bay Lodge and Tours: 1-888-229-8687 or http://www.visitglacierbay.com/glaci.../bay-tour.aspx

High-speed catamaran on calm waters (sea sickness shouldn't be an issue). It's the same concessionaire as the lodge mentioned above. Total price on the boat tour comes out to $213.33 per person for the 8-hour cruise. Note that if you don't stay at the Glacier Bay Lodge, there's a drive from the town of Gustavus to where the boat departs from. A transfer from Gustavus may be included in the price of the boat, but confirm when booking or plan on taking a taxi from your lodge to the boat dock.

jackal

Cost and Payments:

Nothing officially organized for this year (book and pay for everything on your own). If this changes (rental car in JNU, etc.), I will update this post.

If you don't want to rent your own car or pay for taxis (as necessary), a car-share has been organized in the wiki at the top of the thread. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis (as determined by the driver). Please mark yourself as participating in the car share as applicable and plan to pay the specified driver directly in cash.

jackal

Attendees:

Moved to the wiki--see above!

jackal

One more reserved, just in case--you never know what you'll need when planning these events!

beckoa

And the mystery event in JNU Saturday... BBQ!

Somehow we're going to pull off a BBQ in the Capitol of Alaska! Thank UAPremierExec for the venue.

Please use the wiki to confirm for procurement of vittles. We'll have a small cost for this event to keep things simple for food and beverages, so don't worry about bringing it (to avoid 3 containers of potato salad )

Plan on the afternoon/evening of the 26th.

Menu...well its still being determined but thinking grillable items.

Alaskan Amber of some type.
And perhaps a bit o' wine.
Whatever else we can borrow from UAPremierExec

There may even be a hottub!?

beckoa

Finally we're live to go! My first expedition to SIT was in 2009... and went again on recon in December 2013. Now to finish booking flights and the ferry!

BOB W

My first expedition the SIT was in 1984, with multiple trips to JNU & SIT plus most of the rest of the panhandle since then. You will have a great time on this DO, but I will pass as I have "been there, done that" many times on the company dime.

FriendlySkies

Have missed this for the last few years, so mark me as confirmed. Will check on flights in the morning.

beckoa

AS seems to have lots of saver space ^
DL should have some to JNU too.
K5 is filling up on K520, (4 DO participants on this) but there are other flights and AS too (JNU-GST)

Welcome to the DO

jackal

I'm guessing your company didn't send you to Glacier Bay, though.

GrjApp

Finally, the suspense was killing me!

Count me in, will work on flight options asap.

CMK10

I'll go on the maybe list for this one. Summer plans are very much up in the air but I'd really love to be here.

BOB W

Seward & Whittier gave me "26 Glaciers", sea life and plenty of birds. I've seen a calving glacier so close that the cracking sound was impressive and it sent a small tidal wave towards us. Whales aplenty and much more, so I can live vicariously through the groups' posts & pics.^^