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Travel: A trip to Alaska By Trey Stephens, Staff Writer Recently, we spent nine days on an Alaskan cruise onboard Cunard's stunning Queen Elizabeth, which visited five ports roundtrip out of Seattle. Our time in Seattle was fairly brief, but we managed to hit the major sights, including the Space Needle and Pikes Place Market, both of which I recommend visiting if it is your first time in Seattle. It's also worth noting that both of those destinations are walkable from most of Downtown Seattle, but do be aware that Seattle is certainly not a flat city, so be ready to climb a few hills! After a scenic day at sea, we arrived in our first port in Alaska, the 2,100 person city of Wrangell. Personally, this was my favorite port, as it was the smallest and least visited, which translated to a feel of authenticity as we explored the quaint surroundings. The lack of major tourism in Wrangell made it feel authentically Alaskan, and less of an artificial tourist destination. While there, we strolled through town (which didn't take more than a few minutes) alonand visited Chief Shakes Longhouse and Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site. This beach is famous for the large black rocks which have ancient petroglyph carvings. Also, while in Wrangell we visited the Trading Post, a local small business which offered a wide assortment of furs and animal pelts at a more affordable price than I have ever seen for authentic furs. I spent a few minutes speaking with Mike, one of the owners and the trapper behind all the furs. He told me that almost everything they sold was caught on Wrangell Island, except for raccoons and red foxes, which he traps in Montana every November. If you are in the market for a nice fur you can find their website here, https://fursalaska.com. Next stop on our Alaskan journey was the port of Sitka, which is to the northeast of Wrangell. Sitka is one of the largest cities in Alaska with a population of 8,458. Sitka is a destination of high historical significance, since it is the place where the land transfer between Russia and the United States occurred in 1867, marking Alaska officially as a US territory. Due to its significance, Sitka is home to many noteworthy historical destinations, including the Russian Bishop's House. This was a very neat location. It is one of just four buildings still standing from the Russian rule of Alaska. We also strolled south of town into the Sitka National Historical Park which provided plentiful trails for hiking and peak nature viewing. We then continued north and called upon Alaska's capital. Juneau, by far the largest city in the Alaskan panhandle, has much to offer a visitor, especially in the summer. While we were there, we were one of eight cruise ships in port creating quite a busy scene on the streets of the capital. Despite the crowds, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in this port, specifically seeing the Mendenhall Glacier, attending an authentic Alaskan Salmon bake set, and doing some downtown shopping. We also climbed a hill up to the State Capitol and then further up to view the Governor's Mansion, sitting on the edge of just a typical neighborhood street. After leaving Juneau, we turned south and headed for Alaska's first city of Ketchikan. I should point out that the claim of Alaska's first city is slightly misleading, it simply is called the first city because if you leave Seattle or Vancouver and sail north, it is the first city you come to. Despite the controversy in name, Ketchikan was quite lovely, with a beautiful downtown highlighted by historic Creek Street; which is a must see stop if you are in Ketchikan as the whole street is built over a scenic creek bustling with Salmon during season. In addition to exploring downtown, we attended the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show which is rated one of the best tourist attractions in Alaska and rightfully so; we thoroughly enjoyed the show featuring Lumberjack tricks. Finally, we steamed back to the Pacific Northwest and landed in Victoria, British Columbia. This stop was a mandatory one for our cruise to be in compliance with US Law, as a cruise ship not registered within the United States (which is 98% of all major cruise ships) cannot operate fully within the United States. Since our cruise was roundtrip out of Seattle and had only docked at four Alaskan ports, we had to make an international destination, which was Victoria. This was still a great port to visit, but the cruise terminal is approximately 1.5 miles outside of downtown and no free shuttle was provided. We walked to town the first time (about 1.5 miles) and then took the bus back, which cost $10 a person. While in Victoria, we visited the famous Fairmont Empress Hotel, the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, and Victoria's Chinatown. All of these destinations were a must see and free to walk through. Of note, the architecture of the buildings, the fresh flowers on every corner, and the brisk sea air made any stroll in this port worth the steps! All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our Alaskan voyage and would recommend it to anyone who may be on the lookout for a vacation spot that goes beyond sun and sand. In case you are traveling here in the future, I will offer just a few brief suggestions for visiting Alaska. Much of the state is actually a rainforest, and in some places it can rain as many as 230 days a year, so do not fail to pack your raincoat and umbrella. Also, if you are hoping to see salmon, the patterns of these fish are seasonal, in early June we saw none, but you should be able to see some in Mid-July through Mid-September. On that note, peak salmon season also brings about peak black bear sightings, so one usually means the other. Further, cost of living in Alaska is not cheap, food is at least double what it would likely cost you in Columbia, so if you intend on doing a lot of Alaskan dining, budget accordingly. Finally, cruising is king in Alaska for a reason. All of the places we visited do not have roads going in and out, and a cruise ship is really the only way to visit a large amount of the Alaskan panhandle cities in a timely fashion. To wrap this all up Alaska is absolutely beautiful, from the lush rainforests to the glacial water, I cannot wait to go back! If you have an eye for adventure, or even a want for a different kind of trip focused on simply the stunning scenery, it is a wonderful destination This story was posted on 2026-06-28 14:03:49
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