Alaska's Inside Passage - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Supple Cow · 02-16-2004, 10:54 PM

I've been wanted to go to Alaska for years now, and I'd like to plan a trip for next summer (2005) as a post-graduation adventure. The thing is that a cruise or typical touristy package would be a big waste of time and money for me because I want to go be tough and experience the land and whatnot. (I study environmental science.) I've heard about people starting in Washington state and taking ferries all the way up the inside passage, but I'm not sure how I would go about planning something like that. Does anybody have first-hand experience with this or have any suggestions for other parts of Alaska to visit and do my being-with-nature thing?

Alyssa · 02-16-2004, 11:51 PM

Well...I did the cruise thing a couple of years ago (August of 2001) So I didn't get to go far from the tourist parts, but...

I think my favorite part was white water rafting in Valdez. It was 37 degree glazier water and a lot of fun.

In Juneau, you can take a tram up the side of the mountain and go walking through the rainforest that they have up there. It was beautiful! And smelled so good.

The weather was cloudy and cold (50's) with drizzle during four out of the seven days that we were sailing. Once we landed, we rented a car and drove from Seward to Alyeska, then Talkeetna and finally Denali Park. We never went into the park because it was a long bumpy bus ride tour, and being near the end of our trip, none of us had the patients to deal with that. I wish I could go back for a second shot.

The drive from Talkeetna to Denali was beautiful! Fields of wild flowers with mountains in the background. You are lucky to go Alaska.

splck · 02-17-2004, 11:55 AM

Will you have your own car? If you do, you can take a ferry boat from Washington state (Anacortes) to Vancouver Island (Victoria) or just drive to Vancouver and take a boat to Nanaimo. Then drive to the Northern tip of the island (about 5 hours) and then take another ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Then you can take another Ferry to Ketchikan Alaska.

The boat ride from Port Hardy to Rupert is thru the inside passage, but I'm not sure if there is another one. The boat is quite nice (restaurants and bedrooms if you want) and a hell of a lot cheaper than a cruise ship. Here's a link to the boat.
Buy doing it this way you'll be able to see the coast as well as the sites along the way without being subjected to the typical touristy package.

Here's BC ferries web site. You can get most of the info there including prices.
Hope this helps.

Supple Cow · 02-17-2004, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the advice. The links were helpful.

Quote:

Originally posted by splck
Will you have your own car? If you do, you can take a ferry boat from Washington state (Anacortes) to Vancouver Island (Victoria) or just drive to Vancouver and take a boat to Nanaimo. Then drive to the Northern tip of the island (about 5 hours) and then take another ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Then you can take another Ferry to Ketchikan Alaska.

A car is a definite possibility, but I don't know a lot about the whole car-ferry thing. Do people take their cars by ferry (read: is that affordable)? And are you suggesting to take a car and pay to leave it somewhere until I come back or that I rent a car that can be returned elsewhere?

splck · 02-17-2004, 03:09 PM

You can take your car on all the boats I mentioned (and lots of people do). From the mainland to Vancouver Island is about $50CAN for your car and two people. The boat from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert is around $200CAN with a car. I would imagine the boat to Ketchikan would be less the $100.
While working in Northern BC I met many Americans that would drive the Alaska hwy and up and then take the ferry system back down to Seattle.
On your return trip you could head inland from Prince Rupert and drive back to Vancouver. It's quite a nice drive.

Supple Cow · 02-17-2004, 07:35 PM

Awesome, thanks!

JohnnyRoyale · 02-19-2004, 12:33 PM

You want to go completely natural? Two words: Sierra Club. When I was younger, My family would do two week kyak/rafting trips around the Kenai Peninusla. Basically, a charter floatplane drops you and your gear off, you setup the kyaks, go towards the pickup point.(with a few break days in there for exploring).

I remember sitting in a kayack, floating through the icebergs coming off a glacier, looking back about 3-4 miles to see the cruise ships that couldn't get any closer than that to the glacier. Also, I've seen baby seals and whales surround the kyaks, and had moose walk through campsites.

There's a lot of prep work (and expense) to this, compared to a cruise, but it's definitely worth the extra effort. But if you're into the real natural experience, it's definitely the way to go.

Boo · 02-25-2004, 11:11 PM

I live in Anchorage.

For Alaska Marine hwy info:
http://www.milepost.com/

Great site, lots of info:
www.ilovealaska.com

I suggest flying up, touring, then a nice slow trip home to feel fresh.

Not to miss:

Halibut trip,
I use:
www.catchalotcharters.com

Take the train:
www.akrr.com

If you want to ecotour - rent a cheap car and make the loop through Denali, Fairbanks, Valdez.... Pack a small tent and decent bags.

Any questions, reply or PM me.

japhyryder · 03-09-2004, 07:07 AM

The ultimate trip for me if you have the time is to drive through canada, to whitehorse then into AK to Fairbanks and the gold mines, then go down through Denali hit the rafting and some of the other tours, they have helicoptor trips and other stuff into the mountain. I don't recommend going far from the beaten path unless you have a GPS the mountains and valley's in AK can be very confussing, it is easy to get lost. Take the highway down to Anchorage, hit some of the fishing villages, then hop on the ferry back to Seattle/Vancouver. I think the ferry was 350-500 dollars. Trust me the drive to Alaska is well worth the 2900 miles from Seatle.

Great things to do is dip net fishing in the Copper River, rafting trips in Denali, any of the small southern town will have glacier near them.

I lived in Fairbanks for 4 years so if you have questions on Fairbanks PM me.

Also if you or someone in your family is military check out staying on some of the military bases in AK there are a ton with very good living conditions, and cheap room rate 30-40 buck a night. Air Force bases are nicest but cost more, usually the Army posts are closer to town though

If you want a good laugh it North Pole AK, just north of Fairbanks

02-16-2004, 10:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
Supple Cow Americow, the Beautiful Location: Washington, D.C.	Alaska's Inside Passage I've been wanted to go to Alaska for years now, and I'd like to plan a trip for next summer (2005) as a post-graduation adventure. The thing is that a cruise or typical touristy package would be a big waste of time and money for me because I want to go be tough and experience the land and whatnot. (I study environmental science.) I've heard about people starting in Washington state and taking ferries all the way up the inside passage, but I'm not sure how I would go about planning something like that. Does anybody have first-hand experience with this or have any suggestions for other parts of Alaska to visit and do my being-with-nature thing? __________________ "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." (Michael Jordan)

02-17-2004, 11:55 AM	#3 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	Will you have your own car? If you do, you can take a ferry boat from Washington state (Anacortes) to Vancouver Island (Victoria) or just drive to Vancouver and take a boat to Nanaimo. Then drive to the Northern tip of the island (about 5 hours) and then take another ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Then you can take another Ferry to Ketchikan Alaska. The boat ride from Port Hardy to Rupert is thru the inside passage, but I'm not sure if there is another one. The boat is quite nice (restaurants and bedrooms if you want) and a hell of a lot cheaper than a cruise ship. Here's a link to the boat. Buy doing it this way you'll be able to see the coast as well as the sites along the way without being subjected to the typical touristy package. Here's BC ferries web site. You can get most of the info there including prices. Hope this helps. __________________ nice line eh? Last edited by splck; 02-17-2004 at 12:50 PM..

02-17-2004, 03:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	You can take your car on all the boats I mentioned (and lots of people do). From the mainland to Vancouver Island is about $50CAN for your car and two people. The boat from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert is around $200CAN with a car. I would imagine the boat to Ketchikan would be less the $100. While working in Northern BC I met many Americans that would drive the Alaska hwy and up and then take the ferry system back down to Seattle. On your return trip you could head inland from Prince Rupert and drive back to Vancouver. It's quite a nice drive. __________________ nice line eh?

02-17-2004, 07:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
Supple Cow Americow, the Beautiful Location: Washington, D.C.	Awesome, thanks! __________________ "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." (Michael Jordan)

02-19-2004, 12:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
JohnnyRoyale Psycho Location: Boston, MAss., USA	You want to go completely natural? Two words: Sierra Club. When I was younger, My family would do two week kyak/rafting trips around the Kenai Peninusla. Basically, a charter floatplane drops you and your gear off, you setup the kyaks, go towards the pickup point.(with a few break days in there for exploring). I remember sitting in a kayack, floating through the icebergs coming off a glacier, looking back about 3-4 miles to see the cruise ships that couldn't get any closer than that to the glacier. Also, I've seen baby seals and whales surround the kyaks, and had moose walk through campsites. There's a lot of prep work (and expense) to this, compared to a cruise, but it's definitely worth the extra effort. But if you're into the real natural experience, it's definitely the way to go. __________________ I'm gonna be rich and famous, as soon I invent a device that lets you stab people in the face over the internet.

02-16-2004, 11:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Alyssa Tilted Location: Chico, Ca.	Well...I did the cruise thing a couple of years ago (August of 2001) So I didn't get to go far from the tourist parts, but... I think my favorite part was white water rafting in Valdez. It was 37 degree glazier water and a lot of fun. In Juneau, you can take a tram up the side of the mountain and go walking through the rainforest that they have up there. It was beautiful! And smelled so good. The weather was cloudy and cold (50's) with drizzle during four out of the seven days that we were sailing. Once we landed, we rented a car and drove from Seward to Alyeska, then Talkeetna and finally Denali Park. We never went into the park because it was a long bumpy bus ride tour, and being near the end of our trip, none of us had the patients to deal with that. I wish I could go back for a second shot. The drive from Talkeetna to Denali was beautiful! Fields of wild flowers with mountains in the background. You are lucky to go Alaska.

02-25-2004, 11:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
Boo Leave me alone! Location: Alaska, USA	I live in Anchorage. For Alaska Marine hwy info: http://www.milepost.com/ Great site, lots of info: www.ilovealaska.com I suggest flying up, touring, then a nice slow trip home to feel fresh. Not to miss: Halibut trip, I use: www.catchalotcharters.com Take the train: www.akrr.com If you want to ecotour - rent a cheap car and make the loop through Denali, Fairbanks, Valdez.... Pack a small tent and decent bags. Any questions, reply or PM me. __________________ Back button again, I must be getting old.

03-09-2004, 07:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
japhyryder no one special Location: Charlotte, NC	The ultimate trip for me if you have the time is to drive through canada, to whitehorse then into AK to Fairbanks and the gold mines, then go down through Denali hit the rafting and some of the other tours, they have helicoptor trips and other stuff into the mountain. I don't recommend going far from the beaten path unless you have a GPS the mountains and valley's in AK can be very confussing, it is easy to get lost. Take the highway down to Anchorage, hit some of the fishing villages, then hop on the ferry back to Seattle/Vancouver. I think the ferry was 350-500 dollars. Trust me the drive to Alaska is well worth the 2900 miles from Seatle. Great things to do is dip net fishing in the Copper River, rafting trips in Denali, any of the small southern town will have glacier near them. I lived in Fairbanks for 4 years so if you have questions on Fairbanks PM me. Also if you or someone in your family is military check out staying on some of the military bases in AK there are a ton with very good living conditions, and cheap room rate 30-40 buck a night. Air Force bases are nicest but cost more, usually the Army posts are closer to town though If you want a good laugh it North Pole AK, just north of Fairbanks __________________ It's only entertainment, someone's sick idea of a joke.