Episode 15: Alaska by Land or Sea

Mary Herendeen:

After a long, hot summer here in sunny Southern California, I'm ready to cool down and cozy up. Maybe your summertime efforts to get out and enjoy were jam-packed with summer breakers and vacationers, making for longer wait times for services, packed theme parks, and limited reservations at national parks. Maybe your summer vacation has you dreaming of planning your next one. While the weather cools down, travel to Alaska is heating up.

Welcome to Traveling with AAA. I'm your host, Mary Herendeen, and today, we are headed to Alaska. Whether we go by land, air, or sea, we are joined for a second time by Fran Golden. Fran is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Travel and Leisure, AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, and Bloomberg. Fran, a lover of Alaska, co-authored with Midgi Moore the book 100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You Die.

Fran, thank you for joining us again. It's great to have you back.

Fran Golden:

Thank you, it's fun to be here.

Mary:

Now, I love to hear more about your book. How did you go about researching for 100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You Die?

Fran:

Well, I've been going to Alaska since mid-1990s, so I had a lot of personal experiences. Then I hooked up with Midgi, who runs food tours in Juneau, for an even more hyper-local perspective, and we just had a blast. We did a lot of Googling and talking to friends, and we could have written 200 things to do in Alaska before you die, but decided to settle on 100.

Mary:

It sounds like your love of Alaska is what drove you to write the book. Now, what is it about Alaska that made such an impact on you and your co-author? I know people normally write about things they know and they're passionate about. Could you recall that time you knew you'd fallen in love?

Fran:

I think it was the first time I went to Alaska. I saw this amazing wilderness and this amazing frontier spirit and history, and it just really captured a piece of my heart. I mean, Alaska is like no other place that you can go to. Every time I go, I have a different experience, which I love. I find something new and surprising, from animal encounters to talking with fishermen. It's just an unbelievable place.

Mary:

Yeah. Describe that majestic beauty for us. What does it look like?

Fran:

Well, you've probably been to a national park or several, but most of Alaska feels like a national park. You get there, and you get why people call it The Last Frontier. A cool thing is so much of the state is  protected, so you have more national park land than you have in any other state and you have all these protected nature and wildlife areas.

Then you have glaciers, snowcap peaks, rivers, streams, and rainforest. People don't realize that a lot of Alaska, especially in the southeast, is rainforest. You have all these things coming together. Did you know there are even sand dunes in Alaska?

Mary:

OK, I didn't know about rainforests, and I didn't know about sand dunes. What am I looking at here? Is it like sand dunes I would see somewhere else? I'm just not picturing it.

Fran:

Yeah, like in the Sahara. If you go north of the Arctic Circle to Kobuk National Park, you will see towering sand dunes where you really expect somebody to ride by on a camel, but you're more likely to maybe spot a bear.

Mary:

Wow, and then these rainforests?

Fran:

Tongass National Park is a rainforest. I mean, beautiful, lush surroundings. It's just amazing.

Mary:

Yeah, it sounds like so many different things to see, and like you said, some surprises. Now, I know you've met and connected with a lot of the locals during your travels there. Could you tell us about some of those interactions, and any other surprises?

Fran:

Well, I think it is a quintessential Alaska experience to go to a locally owned restaurant or a bar—that being my favorite—and sit next to an Alaskan and ask them if they've ever seen a bear, and they will have some really fabulous bear story to tell you. And if you're in a town such as Petersburg or Ketchikan, where there are a lot of fishermen, ask a fisherman about their experiences, like what's the biggest fish they ever caught. Some of these will be tall tales, but it's amazing. Alaska's a place where you can still meet people who try to make their living from gold panning.

Mary:

Oh!

Fran:

It takes a certain personality to live in a place that is nice in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Chances are, in any encounter you'll have with somebody who lives in Alaska, there will be fascinating stories of survival.

Mary:

Let's talk about that freezing cold. Fall is right around the corner. What kind of weather would somebody expect during this time of the year? Is it going to be freezing cold?

Fran:

Well, not right now. You're sort of getting on the cusp of that, but into October and November, yes, that's winter already. And you have to remember that in Alaska, you have the midnight sun in the summer, which shines almost all night. You might have a few hours of darkness, but as you get later into September and October, you're starting to get into the dark season. By the time you're in December, there's an awful lot of dark.

Mary:

Yeah, so we're talking about light and dark here. You know, warmer weather, cold weather. Let's talk a little bit about the northern lights. What can you share with us?

Fran:

Seeing the northern lights is one of my all-time favorite experiences, which looks like some kind of otherworldly pyrotechnics when you get a good show. Streaks of light across the sky in green and blue, and sometimes even a rainbow of colors. To get a good show, you want to go up to Fairbanks or above because that part of Alaska is on the Aurora circle, which is a so-called landmark across the Arctic regions.

I was truly crazy on my quest for the northern lights. I went all the way north to Wiseman, which is a town of about 11. I stood outside in -50 degrees to see this show, and I was rewarded. It was fabulous. In between looking for the lights, which appear whenever they want to, usually in the middle of the night, I was in a heated cabin with a typical Alaskan who entertained my husband and I with stories of hunting, fishing, and all these types of things. It was just an unforgettable experience.

Mary:

Wow!

Fran:

If you go to Fairbanks, where there's a little more civilization, they pretty much say that if you stay for 3 nights in the winter or even from fall to early spring, chances are you will see the northern lights if you get up every night and look for them.

Mary:

What a great tip, especially for somebody who maybe plans to go once in their lifetime. Being able to maximize that experience and see something that is so rare and so unique that you went to a town of 11! In minus-50-degree weather! See, I’m cold in 50-degree weather. I might be frozen. My eyes might be frozen open, so no choice but to see them.

Fran:

Well, it's funny because you can protect most of your body except your eyeballs. And I will admit those hurt when you're in -50 degrees.

Mary:

Oh my gosh. Yeah, I'm thinking about it. It's reminding me of the movie Christmas Vacation when they go get the Christmas tree, and I think it was the daughter who has her eyes frozen open, so I'm just thinking how cold that is.

Now, I know Alaska does have some wonderful small towns. Do you have some favorites? And could you give us a few lesser-known things? Maybe you've discovered this when either researching your book or throughout your other travels?

Fran:

One of my favorite small towns is Wrangell, which is off the beaten path, but sometimes visited by small cruise ships. It's a delightful little town. There's one main street, and it also has the unusual attraction of some native rock art. So, if you go to the beach there, you can actually see this amazing rock art at low tide, and people really don't know the history of it. It predates history that's recorded[N1] [V2] , so who knows? It may be signs of people from another planet, or it may be marking a really great fishing ground, or it may be just directions to a small village. Nobody really knows.

But it's also a town where people are very friendly. You could go off on excursions, you see bears. There's a wonderful wildlife center that's not that far by boat or small plane that's run by the forest service where you can see bears fishing in a stream from a safe distance. You can learn about Alaska native culture there, it's really an amazing small town. Another one I really like is Petersburg, which has a Nordic background, and it's a very active fishing port. So, the fisherman sitting next to you having a beer at the bar may actually be a millionaire who earned his dollars with a very successful fishing business. It's a quirky town with quirky characters.

Mary:

So that's Petersburg and Wrangell. All right, 2 great little towns there. Now, where else can travelers learn more about or experience Alaska's indigenous people, rich culture, or some of that Native American or native Canadian artwork?

Fran:

Well, I'm a big fan of totem poles and over the years, I’ve learned that they aren’t just works of art. They’re very important storytelling mechanisms. They tell history and they poke fun of historical characters. They tell family legends, lore, and pay tribute to people who are deceased. They're just amazing storytelling mechanisms. I suggest that if you are interested in totem poles, you go with a native guide to really learn their stories. At the epicenter for this is Ketchikan, which is a family village in the southeast which I think has more totem poles than any other place in Alaska, and possibly one of the top places in North America to see totem poles. There's also a wonderful totem park in Sitka, Alaska, which was the first Russian capital of Alaska where there was a collection that originally started at a world's fair but migrated to Sitka. At the Sitka National Historic Park, there are also master carvers who you can watch creating poles, so that's a really interesting experience.

Mary:

That is really cool to see the art in action while they're creating, very nice. Now, what about for those who want to get outdoors? What are the best outdoor activities to do while you're in Alaska? Would it be hiking, fishing? What's the best?

Fran:

You can go hiking, fishing, mountain biking, ziplining, or go skiing in winter. It depends on your personal interest. Personally, my favorite is kayaking. I love kayaking with eagles overhead, and seals or sea lions or porpoises in the water. Again, that majestic beauty of this place where you are. If you have the experience or the opportunity to kayak in front of a glacier, such as in Glacier Bay,­­ is just mind-blowing. You're in your kayak looking at a wall of blue ice. You may hear the glacier calving, dropping off chunks into the ocean. You can witness this and it's just an amazing experience.

Mary:

It sounds like there, from the water, in the middle of it all would probably be the best way to experience that wildlife or that beauty up close and personal now.

Fran:

Yeah, I will say fishing is very popular, and I've done that. There is a thrill, of course, reeling in a salmon, especially if you get a big one which I've done, even though I'm a very novice fisher person. Also, whale watching is a quintessential Alaska experience. There are humpback whales, but there are also several other varieties of whales, and you can get up close on a wonderful whale watching tours.

Mary:

Yeah, very interesting. Now what about dog sledding? Are there ways that you can see a sled dog or maybe try out dog sledding?

Fran:

Absolutely, and I've done both. Several of the Iditarod contestants and champions have facilities where they welcome visitors and you can meet the Alaskan Huskies, pet the puppies, and also go for a ride. The rides are actually part of the dog's training for the arduous thousand-mile race that takes place every winter. If you visit, for instance, the facility near Denali National Park and Preserve, you might find yourself on a wheeled cart pulled by dogs as they go through their paces. If you're a little more adventurous and take a helicopter to a dog sled camp on a glacier, you can go for a ride any time of year.

Mary:

Wow!

Fran:

Pulled by a dog sled team, you bundle up under a blanket. I've also gone dog sledding in winter, which again is a chilly experience, but you typically have layers of blankets and it's just really fun. The dogs yelp and interact. It's really cool to see the process of the musher and the dogs, it's really in a memorable experience.

Mary:

Yeah, I can't imagine. I mean, only being like on a carriage ride with horses working together, I've never seen anything like that up close and personal, and it sounds really cool.

I know you're talking about a lot of things, and I'm not really sure where these places are at. I've got to map them out. But I'm thinking about cruising in Alaska. Is it better to be on a cruise? And can you experience some of these things?

Fran:

Yes, absolutely. Southeast Alaska is actually best visited by cruise ship, whether you pick  a big popular brand or a small ship. The reason is a lot of these destinations in Southeast Alaska including Ketchikan; Juneau, the capital of Alaska; and Skagway, where much of the Gold Rush history originates, you can't drive there, so you're either going to fly—and that gets really complicated because you might find yourself flying back to Anchorage every time you want to hop somewhere—or you can get on a small boat, but who's going to do that? If you have your yacht and have lots of time, I suppose you could do it, but a cruise ship is really the way to see the various towns. Juneau is the only state capital that you can't drive to.

Mary:

Oh, interesting. I wasn't aware of that. So, you've got to get to it by boat or helicopter?

Fran:

Yeah. Helicopter, plane, boat one way or the other.

Mary:

Now what kind of ship do you recommend for an Alaskan cruise? Small ship, big ship?

Fran:

It really depends on your personality and what you're looking for. If you want to do the frontier by day and have Broadway-style shows and lots of choices of where to eat and other activities on the ship, then you might want to go with a larger ship. Luxury cruises in Alaska have all-out pampering. You can toast to seeing a glacier with champagne and caviar, all included in your cruise. There were smaller ships that do a little more deep exploration, such as Alaskan Dream Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. And there are new expedition ships in the market, some of which do coastlines beyond Southeast Alaska.

Mary:

Oh, tell us a little bit more about these cruise ships. I've never heard of it.

Fran:

I'm sorry. The expedition ships?

Mary:

Yeah!

Fran:

Right, so for instance, if you want to do the west coast of Alaska going all the way up to the Arctic and coming down, there are ships that are exploring those types of areas. Going into places that are not on the typical cruise ship track.

Now, another thing I want to mention is cruise ships are only going to get you obviously to places that are close to water, but lines such as Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises all offer cruise tours. It's sort of easy one-shop planning to get to inland destinations, such as Denali National Park and Preserve, and to see Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

Mary:

Yeah, so you said cruise tour, how does that actually work? Are you coming into the port and then there's some additional transportation or some activities planned or set up?

Fran:

Exactly! You would do your cruise, and then you'd get on a train or bus or plane and go to additional destinations. For instance, you could combine Denali and Fairbanks to get that inland experience. Princess Cruises has some tours that go out to Kenai and onto other areas. You can really get more of that in-depth thing. Holland America goes all the way up to the Yukon in Canada, which is a fabulous cruise tour. If you remember your history, the Gold Rush, the gold was in the Yukon, and people came into Skagway, Alaska to do the arduous trek into the Yukon to get to the gold finds, and you can replicate that experience on a cruise tour.

Mary:

Wow, that's really cool. If we were talking about personality here, a cruise tour might be the way to go for me. Now, are there some ports that should just be explored, maybe on your own or with a small group? Maybe with your book as a guide? What would you suggest?

Fran:

Oh, that's sweet of you. Yeah again, it depends on what you're looking for. For instance, the shore excursion to the small town of Haines. Haines is most noteworthy, and you can read about it in the book, for its Hammer Museum, the largest collection of hammers in the world. If you want to take a long walk through Haines, it's very low-key. It's like that old TV show Northern Exposure. You can maybe hit a couple gift shops. There is a wonderful distillery there if you need a little pick-me-up, and you can go visit the Hammer Museum on your own, which probably would be an even more fascinating experience if you had hit the distillery first.

Mary:

Yeah, I think distillery might be the way to keep warm there. Now, what if you're traveling with kids though? Is Alaska a good destination for families?

Fran:

Oh, absolutely. I mean, think back to what we were talking about with the dogs. Kids love dogs, so much so that Princess Cruises brings huskies onto their ships so you can actually meet dogs on the ships. Which is kind of a fun thing. It's an active place.

For instance, just like you might enjoy getting in a helicopter or a floatplane to fly over an ice field, your kids will too. The eye-popping attractions for kids abound, including the man-made attractions such as one of the longest zip rides in the world, which you'll find in Icy Strait.

Mary:

Oh wow, my son would love that. He really likes a good thrill. Anytime we go to an amusement park or anything like that, he wants the craziest ride and roller coasters. I think he'd really enjoy that.

I went ziplining in Mexico and really loved it. It was thrilling even though I have a crazy fear of heights, but talk about that story another time. Now, I'm just thinking about how I'm a habitual overpacker. What should you pack for an Alaskan vacation?

Fran:

It depends on the time of year, of course, but let's say that you are going on a summertime cruise in Alaska, your best bet is always going to be lots of different layers because you really don't know what you're going to get into. I've been in Juneau in summer where it's 90 degrees.

You definitely want to pack your bathing suit because if you're on a ship, there's going to be a swimming pool or a hot tub, or you may even be able to get into the ocean if you don't mind a little chill. You should have your hat and gloves, but more things that you can peel off or put on if you need to.

On cruises, if you're going to eat in the main dining room, you want to dress up a little bit. If you're on a casual cruise, just pack your jeans. Now, a few things you do need are sunglasses and sunscreen because that glacier ice that you're going to see shines brightly, so you definitely want that. And you definitely want bug spray because believe it or not, despite the sort of harsh environment, Alaska has a lot of mosquitoes.

Mary:

I wouldn't even think of that, but I know you're referencing rainforest and hard desert somewhere out there with those sand dunes, so I'm guessing there's probably some bugs.

All right, so bring bug spray, eyewear, sunscreen. Anything else that you would say you've got to pack?

Fran:

You got to pack your camera, and you could probably have an extra card for your camera, and your iPhone, and everything else that is going to help you take pictures because you’re going to want to take a lot of pictures. Half the time when I go to Alaska, I come back, and I'm like, “What was I actually taking a picture of?” Sometimes it's just the trees, but other times, I may see a bear in the distance or a salmon in a stream, and you really want to be able to capture those experiences.

Mary:

Yeah, absolutely.

Fran:

I'd also bring a copy of the book, 100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You Die!

Mary:

Of course.

Fran:

Because we have a lot of suggestions. For instance, places to eat or things to eat. Like, don't miss the reindeer sausage. Yum, yum, yum.

Mary:

Tell us about the reindeer sausage. I've never had it. If you were to compare it against a more popular meat, what would you say?

Fran:

Hot dog!

Mary:

OK!

Fran:

Hot dog with bragging rights. How's that?

Mary:

I love that!

Fran:

You have to try the king crab. It is amazing. If I'm in Juneau, I don’t miss a chance to go to Tracy's King Crab Shack, which you may have seen on Top Chef. You'll spend a fortune on crab, but it'll be the best crab you've ever had and the most giant crab legs you've ever had. One crab leg may weigh 2 pounds, and it’s more than enough for 1 person.

Mary:

All right. Any other recommendations besides the crab?

Fran:

Oh, the fresh salmon, the fresh halibut, the fresh shrimp! People don't realize there's shrimp in Alaska. I'd go with the seafood, but it's also your chance to try bison and some other things that you may not have eaten before available on menus. There are some very good chefs in Alaska. Even if you're on a cruise ship with your food included, I wholeheartedly recommend that you get out and try some of the local food. Midgi does great food tours in Juneau if you want to try several of the restaurants there. You'll go to restaurants with James Beard nominated or winning chefs.

Mary:

Wow, for somewhere so remote to have that type of food, that type of quality, that's amazing. Thank you.

Now, what about traveling by train in Alaska? Who would you recommend this to? Is it a recommendation at all?

Fran:

Absolutely! The Alaska Railroad is a great experience, it's a historic railroad. You can go from Anchorage…

By the way, a lot of people miss Anchorage. They fly in and they don't spend any time there. I recommend you spend a couple days there. It's a big city that doesn't feel like it, but there’s a lot of things to do in and around the city, including a hike you can do right from downtown that will get you past moose and other creatures.

But what was the original question? Sorry, I lost my train of thought.

Mary:

No, I was glad. I didn’t get to hear about Anchorage before in this conversation.

The question was traveling by train, and you said, “Absolutely, it's a great way to explore.” Who would you recommend this to? Is there a traveler type?

Fran:

No, I mean, if you’re an independent type. But you will travel by train on some of the cruise tours we mentioned. But the views from the railroad are great. You can go from Anchorage past Denali up to Fairbanks. You can go from Anchorage to Denali. You can go from Anchorage to the Kenai peninsula. There's just a wonderful rail system there, and you can get off at various places and stay overnight, so I recommend the railroad.

The other railroad I recommend is more of a day trip, and that’s the White Pass of Yukon Route from Skagway. The railroad was built in 1900, and it follows along the route of the crazy Gold Rush that people went on to get to the Yukon, so you can see what an arduous journey they did. You go over really high trestles and through tunnels, and building that railroad was an amazing feat. If you're any kind of railroad fan, you'll want to take that railroad. It goes up to the Canada border and back.

Mary:

Wow, you're really an expert. I'm blown away. For me as a non-expert or for some of our listeners, what do you suggest for going about planning this type of trip or planning to have these types of experiences?

Fran:

I think that for anybody traveling anywhere, I recommend that you read the local tourist office websites. Alaska Tourism has a really great amount of information on the website. You can even look at specific topics like hiking or kayaking or ways to see the state. That's where I would start.

Definitely look at books like mine for ideas. If you do some Googling, you’ll find that there's some really good Alaska blogs written by locals that have a lot of information. Gather as much information as you can. There are also guidebooks available. For many years, I wrote the Frommer's guide to Alaska, and the most recent edition of that is out.

Research, research, research, and ask your friends what they've done. If you're on a cruise, really carefully look over the information the cruise line provides about the ports and about the shore excursions. This is one place where you really should plan on doing shore excursions. Frankly, some of the destinations you'll stop at will have a lot of souvenir shops and be pretty crowded. And to really understand Alaska, you need to go beyond the port cities, and that's where shore excursions come in.

Mary:

Yeah, it sounds like it's really important. Do a lot of research, find out what experiences you really want to have, bring those to your travel advisor, and have them help you plan that out. Because I could see myself going there once and missing things like the northern lights, traveling by train, kayaking, or something that you can't miss.

So, this is probably going to be my toughest question of the day. If you had to narrow your list of a 100 to just 1, what is the absolute number one thing that visitors must do? If they only listen to one tip, what would that one thing be?

Fran:

There's so many! Oh my goodness.

Mary:

I knew this was going to be the tough one!

Fran:

I already covered talking to Alaskans, so I'll say watching a glacier calve. Until you've experienced it, it’s hard to describe. I've described it many times over the years, and I still struggle with it because it's a completely visceral experience. You hear it, see it, feel it, believe it, and you're part of it. And basically, what you're watching is a piece of the earth die, right? This glacier that's hundreds and thousands of years old—it’s shedding a piece that may be as big as an apartment building into the sea. It’s known as “white thunder” by the Tlingit Indians, and it's somewhat indescribable, but I like that term because that's what you hear, but it’s also what you see.

Mary:

Wow! In my mind, I'm thinking, “Oh, a chunk of ice,” but the way that you describe it as a piece of the earth dying in front of you. Wow! That would be amazing to see. Thank you for that tip.

Fran Golden, thank you so much for being with us and for sharing your book 100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You Die with us. We hope to have you back on another one. I'm looking forward to hearing what your next trips are like, where you're going, or where your cruising.

Fran:

Anytime! I'm off to Greenland next week, so we'll compare that to Alaska some time.

Mary:

Very exciting! I'd love to do that. Thank you to our listeners for being with us. If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA travel advisor, check out aaa.com/travel, or visit your local branch. If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe. I'm Mary Herendeen. Thank you for traveling with AAA.