A recap of my trip to Alaska, Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — I recently returned from a beautiful Alaska and Glacier Bay tour with 44 other WMBD viewers. It was a trip that would have us explore the 49th state of the Union and America’s last frontier by land, air, and sea.

The trip started with a long flight to Anchorage where we had breathtaking views of the Gulf of Alaska, Prince William Sound, and a number of Glaciers that remain in the mountains of southern Alaska.

While in Anchorage we learned about the 1964 ‘Great Alaska Earthquake’ and took a scenic journey east by motorcoach along the Turnagain Arm, trying to spot Baluga Whales. We eventually arrived at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center where we got to see Moose, Bears, Bison and more!

We then made a visit to Alyeska Resort where we got to enjoy a scenic tram ride with wonderful views of lingering Glaciers and mountain peaks in the Chugach Mountain Range and the Turnagain Arm.

On our third day we then made our way north towards Denali National Park with a stop in Wasilla at the Iditarod Trail headquarters to learn about the extraordinary sled dogs. We even got to take a ride in a sled pulled by a bunch of eager dogs!

We continued to make our way north with a photo stop at the Alaska Veterans Memorial and had hopes of catching a peek of Mount Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. However, as we ventured closer to the park, sunny skies turned grey and Denali would remain hidden.

The next day we took a scenic wildlife and wilderness tour in to Denali National Park. We spotted caribou and bears way off in the distance. Despite a little more sunshine, Mount Denali would remain hidden in the clouds but the breathtaking views of the park did not leave us disappointed.

We continued our track north to Fairbanks, the Golden Heart of Alaska, where the discovery of gold and oil lead to city’s founding. While there we spent time at Gold Dredge 8 where we learned a bit about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and took a short train ride to learn more about gold mining in central Alaska. We even got to pan for gold ourselves!

Later that day we hopped on the Discovery III sternwheeler for a narrated journey down the Chena River. While onboard, we were treated to a floatplane demonstration, more sled dogs, and we went ashore at a recreated native Athabascan camp to learn more about how Alaskan natives lived and thrived in Alaska’s harsh environment. Once again, the views along the river did not disappoint.

Before we got too far from Fairbanks we made a stop at The Santa Clause House in North Pole, AK to do a little Christmas shopping and meet Santa!

The next few days featured a lot of driving along the Alaska Highway, learning a bit about the construction of the highway during World War II and catching another glimpse of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. After a night’s stay in Tok, AK, We eventually crossed into Canada in the Yukon Territory. We would stay the night in Whitehorse, the capital city of Yukon.

The following morning we climbed aboard the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway for awe-inspiring views of steep mountains, lush green valleys, and breathtaking waterfalls as we made our way to Skagway, Alaska.

In Skagway, we would enter the pinnacle leg of our 13 day tour and board the MS Koningsdam for a four-day cruise through Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. It’s hard to describe what it was like. The beauty of this part of the world is almost hard to believe and, at times, seemed to be something that existed only in our imaginations, yet there we were.

We got to experience several Glaciers along our journey including the infamous Margerie Glacier where distant rumbles of breaking ice could heard. I even witnessed a small piece of the Glacier calve into the Tarr Inlet.

From whales to sea otters in the bay to bears and mountain goats along the coast, wildlife was abundant and thriving in Glacier Bay.

From Glacier Bay we ventured south through the Inside Passage with more incredible views and a stop in Ketchikan, AK, the salmon capital of the world!

Some of us took a leisurely walk through town visiting shops and a creek where salmon would swim upstream to spawn. Thousands of salmon were gathered in the small area…even a few seals made there way into the creek to score an easy meal.

Afterwards, it was all aboard the Koningsdam for another day at sea through the Inside Passage, seeing spectacular sunrises and remaining on the lookout for whales, seals and porpoises as we sailed through the Queen Charlotte Sound and into the Georgia Strait until we reached our final destination in Vancouver, British Columbia.

This trip was a fantastic journey through one of America’s last frontiers and I got to take the trip with a bunch of wonderful people from Central Illinois.

I want to give out special thanks to all those who joined my wife and I on this journey, Holiday Vacations and our tour director Kevin Morrissey for everything he did for our group.

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