We were on the August 4th sailing and had an amazing time.
In Skagway, we did the Musher's Camp and Sled Dog tour, booked through Disney. We loved it! It was my mom and I and my 2 kids, DS7 and DD10. The bus ride up unto the mountains was a little long, but our guide was very informative and talked almost the whole time, so we learned a lot. We did get to see a brown bear on the way up.
When we reached the camp, we were then transferred to Unimogs, some kind of army vehicle that took us farther up to where the sled dogs were waiting for us. My kids got to sit in the cab with the driver and they loved it. It was a bumpy ride, but a lot of fun. The weather was really nice that day so even though it was an open air vehicle, we didn't really get cold.
We were then assigned a musher and his team of 16 dogs. We were lucky to get Wade, who finished 16th in the 2014 Iditarod. We rode with the dogs for about a mile and it was so much fun! They are fast, especially around curves. Our team caught up to the team in front of us and kept trying to pass. It was so funny seeing the dogs antsy and anxious to move faster.
After the ride, we got to meet the dogs, which was a highlight for my kids. The dogs were friendly and affectionate, very we'll trained. Wade was great about answering our questions and you could tell he really loves his dogs. We then climbed back into the Unimogs and went back down to the camp, which is where we got to cuddle with the puppies. They were 24 days old, but were so cute and soft. We also heard a short presentation about sled dog training and we got to watch a group of 4 month old puppies playing around in their training area.
I've read reviews of this excursion where people complained about the noise, the smell and feeling rushed. Yes, it was loud around the dogs with all their barking, but they are DOGS! Dogs bark. And it did smell, but again, you're around wet dogs who do smell when they get wet! And we never felt rushed. We spent about 10 minutes with the teams, which was enough for us. My kids were starting to lose interest, so we were ready when it was time to go. DD probably held the little puppy for about 20 minutes, but most other kids gave the puppies back after just a few. The pacing of the experience was very relaxed.
This excursion is definitely one I would recommend to people who are comfortable around dogs. Those who are skittish around dogs may not enjoy it as much. Also, the ride in the Unimogs was very bumpy, so those with back issues might want to reconsider. It was an amazing experience and one I definitely recommend!
In Juneau we used Harv and Marv for whale watching. We had a private boat for just the 6 of us and it was perfect. We saw quite a few whales. Our captain was Harv's or Marv's (I can't remember which one) 21 year old daughter. She was fun and energetic and really knew her stuff. I was impressed. She even took us to a small island filled with sea lions that are only there for 2 weeks every year as they move from the inlet waters to the coastline. After the whale watching our guide took us for a quick stop at Mendenhall Glacier. Our driver was wonderful. He knows so much about Juneau and we could tell that he really loves where he lives. He was funny and informative and very nice.
In Kechikan my mom and DD were supposed to go kayaking, but it was canceled due to the weather. It rained nonstop while we were there. DH and DS went salmon fishing and had a great time. We now have 18 lbs of salmon in our freezer!
My dad is in the early stages of Parkinson's, so he and I did the Ketchikan Duckboat Tour, which I did not like at all. I thought it would be a nice excursion for him with no walking and where he could sit and relax. I didn't realize we would have to climb a small ladder into the vehicle, which was a problem for my dad. The driver, though, was very helpful getting my dad up the ladder. The seats were too close together and we had very little leg room. I'm only 5'5" and I was having a hard time feeling crammed in. The tour itself was cheesy and drawn out. I did not enjoy it at all. I liked getting to see Ketchikan and learning of its history, but that took up only about 30 minutes of the 2 hour tour. Maybe I would feel differently if I hadn't felt like we were crammed in like sardines. It was pretty awful overall and not worth the money.
Tipping was accepted for each excursion, but we had no idea how much to give. The general attitude I got from the tours was any amount is welcome, give what you can.
Wich excursion was that with the bears, I want to see bears, we are going july 20,2015
bears and it was a great day! You're going to love Alaska!
