Brisbane, Australia

The last stop on our honeymoon was Brisbane, Australia. It isn't a place people talk much about. In fact, when we were in Vanuatu one of our fellow passengers on our taxi back to the airport said there is nothing to do there.

My greatest disappointment was that The Doughnut Bar, which I have been following for years, was not open while we were there. I even wrote them to see if they would make an exception, but they couldn't.

Despite that, I found Brisbane charming! We only had an afternoon, but it was easy and free to get around in the city (once we were in the city). There are free "City Hoppers" that take you around from place to place on the river that runs through the city.

There is a boardwalk that runs along the river that people were all out running, biking and walking on. That boardwalk was lined with restaurants and shops. The weather was lovely so it was nice.

There is a famous bridge to look at.

They light up the bridge at night.

The thing that surpised me most about Brisbane was how very American it felt to me. Aside from the accent, the architecture, the way people look, the feel of the place is very, very similar to home.

The World of Shore Excursions

Despite having traveled to 20 countries, our cruise to Alaska (50th state) is my first cruise. Mostly, I find the idea of a cruise very contrived and therefore not as in touch with my purpose of traveling, which is to educate myself about the world. Nonetheless, it seemed the most feasible way to visit Alaska was to take a cruise. We paid for the cruise months ago, and last week my husband, Jeremy, let me know that we needed to plan our excursions. And, it turns out that we are expected to pay hundreds of dollars per person for said excursions. I was not too happy. First world problems. Our schedules is as follows:

Date	Port of Call	Arrival	Departure
08/11/2019	Seattle	--	04:00 PM
08/12/2019	Cruising	--	--
08/13/2019	Ketchikan	06:30 AM	03:00 PM
08/14/2019	Tracy Arm	05:00 AM	09:00 AM
08/14/2019	Juneau	12:30 PM	10:00 PM
08/15/2019	Skagway	06:00 AM	05:00 PM
08/16/2019	Cruising	--	--
08/17/2019	Victoria/Canada	07:00 PM	11:59 PM
08/18/2019	Seattle	07:00 AM

Ketchikanr:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchikan,_Alaska
• https://www.princess.com/excursion/exlistfordestination.do?portid=KTN&exType=S&t=A
• Tourist highlight - Totem Poles
• There are only two cruise ships scheduled for Ketchikan the day we get there.
• Tuesday, August 13 https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/ktn_2019.pdf
• 06:30 - 15:00 KTN STAR PRINCESS - us
• 07:00 - 15:00 KTN WESTERDAM
• Maps of Ketchikan:
• Downtown: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/downtownmap.pdf
• City: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/citymap.pdf
• Island: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/revillagigedo_map.pdf
• Islands: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/ketchikan_islands.pdf
• Downtown Walking Tour: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/ketchikan_maps_downtown_2016.pdf
• Transportation:
• Walk
• Free downtown shuttle - 20 minute loop
• Public Bus: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/2018-ketchikan-bus-schedule.pdf
• Bike rentals
• $30.00 whole day / $20.00 1/2 day - 4 hours or less
• http://southeastexposure.com/ketchikan-town-bike-rental.html
• Rent a car - would also require a $5.00 parking permit for the day
• Alaska Car Rental (closer to port)
• 1-800-622-0007 / 1-907-225-5000
• 2828 Tongrass Avenue
• Budget Rent A Car (farther from port)
• 1-800-527-0700 / 907-225-8383
• 4950 North Tongass Highway, in hte Lewis Chevrolet lot in Ketchikan
• Hatchery
• 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily.
• $10.00 per adult / $5.00 for children
• Near Totem Heritage Center
• 158 Salmon Road Ketchikan, AK 99901
• Totem Heritage Center 
• Open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• $6.00 entry fee
• 601 Deer Mount Street / 1-907-225-5900
• Stop 7 on free downtown shuttle
• Reviews say that if you do not take a tour through the cruise, this museum will give you the background information you need to tour Saxman Native Village
• Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
• On the way to Creek Street, by the red trussel bridge
• This explains the native flora and fauna - which will be helpful for the walk at the Saxman Native Village
• https://www.experienceketchikan.com/southeast-alaska-discovery-center.html
• $5.00 admission, children under 15 free
• Open 8-4 p.m.
• Creek Street
• Built over water
• Red light district - bootlegging (most houses here have a trap door to accept deliveries of smuggled alcohol) and prostitution (the #1 industry of this town back in the day).
• There is a salmon ladder at the top of married men's trail
• Can go fishing here, but need to get a one day fishing license.
• On the way to Creek Street, you can go to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center ($5.00 for adults)https://www.experienceketchikan.com/southeast-alaska-discovery-center.html
• Steadman-Thomas National Historic District
• Stop 6 on free city bus
• As the settlers came to Ketchikan, segregation took place. This is the area where the Natives, Japanese, Chinese, and Phillipinos used to live.
• https://www.nps.gov/places/stedman-thomas-historic-district.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stedman%E2%80%93Thomas_Historic_District
• Saxman Native Village
• Located 3 miles south of downtown
• can take the public bus - which is 10 minutes and costs $1.00 each way
• can also walk
• Entry fee: $5.00 per person
• Map of village: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/saxman.pdf
• Tours of the Clan House, which sometimes include Native Dancing Shows, are usually only allowed for tours booked through the cruise ship, but ask at the gift shop because sometimes they let walk-ins go.
• Outside the Clan House are two short, gravel-lined walking paths which go through the rainforest that surrounds the park. 
• Along these paths are native trees, shurbs, flowers, plants and berries.
• One of hte paths takes you across the street to a carving shed that has plexiglass windowns where you can watch the native carvers work on current projects.
• Lumber Jack Show
• $129.00 per person with crab feast
• $37.00 per adult, children under 2 are free.
• Shows are at 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1 p.m. the day we will be there.
• Book here: https://alaskanlumberjackshow.com/alaska-lumberjack-show/

Tracey Arm (4 hours):

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Arm
• Fjord
• Glaciers
• We don't think we are actually getting off on this stop so we are not researching details for this one.

Skagway (11 hours):

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagway,_Alaska
• The visitor center in Skagway is located in railroad depot building at Second and Broadway and is a good place to begin tours either led by a ranger or self-guided. It opens at 8:30 a.m. We arrive at 6:00 a.m. If we feel safe, we could hike in the morning before things open.
• Downtown map - https://skagway.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/downtown-map.png
• Walking tour map: https://skagway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/walkingtourmap.pdf
• Hiking map: https://skagway.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Skagway-Trail-Map.pdf
• White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
• 1-800-343-7373
• For the 2017 season, tickets for this excursion start at $160.00 per adult and $80.00 for kids agest 12 and under.
• $129.00 per person. Summit Excursion is the most popular. 2.5 hours. They have a 9:00 a.m. or 1 p.m. Passports are not required. Fully narrated. Learn about history. Book in advance. Can book online. They do sell out.
• (907) 983-3175 - Tours 360, dog sled tours, etc. $89.00 for dog sled adventure and panning for gold.
• Alaska 360's Dredgetown in Skagway. Can immerse in the history and beauty of the Klondike Gold Rush. Visitors are transported back to the 1890's as the costumed staff meets visitors and entertains them. This site includes everything from gold panning, Iditarod sled dogs, to authentic dredge and a chamber where you can experience 40-below temperatures. There is a dress up photo shack, movies, and educational exhibits. There is also a restaurant and soda factory to allow guests to make a day of it at Dredgetown.
• You can reach this destination by the SMART bus. They are open when tours are running. You can all to check if you are going on your own.
• Notes from prior research: 
• Dog sled
• Great view of glaciers
• 2 mile hike - Chilkoot Trail
• 15 mile bicycle tour
• Jeep rental - go off trail
• Small town
• Davidson Glacier
• Train - White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
• 7:15 a.m. - 
• 1-800-343-7373
• For the 2017 season, tickets for this excursion start at $160.00 per adult and $80.00 for kids agest 12 and under.
• $129.00 per person. Summit Excursion. 2.5 hours. They have a 9:00 a.m. or 1 p.m. Passports are not required. Fully narrated. Learn about history. Book in advance. Can book online. They do sell out.
• Mostly a tourist spot.
• Was a gold rush place.
• Books and films with Skagway as a setting:  
• Jack London's book The Call of the Wild, 
• Will Hobbs's book Jason's Gold
• Joe Haldeman's novel, Guardian. 
• The John Wayne film North to Alaska (1960) was filmed nearby.

Juneau (9.5 hours):

• Mendenhall Glacier - 
• Address and phone number of the visitor's center for Mendenhall Glacier: 
• 6000 Glacier Spur Rd, Juneau, AK 99801
• (907) 789-0097
• Open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd604841.pdf
• When Ginette and Curtis went to Juno, they rented a car and drove to the glacier. This is likely more cost effective. 
• The Mendenhall Glacier is 12 miles from downtown, it takes less than a half hour to get there.
• From downtown Juneau, take Egan Drive and turn right at Mendenhall Loop Road. Mendenhall Loop Road turns into Glacier Spur Road and ends at the visitor center.
• There is a public bus that goes there for $30.00 per person; however, the city bus does not start at the dock or go all the way to the glacier. You would need to talk 1.5 miles from teh bus stop down to the sidewalk along Glacier Spur Road to the end.
• You have six trails' worth of options for getting really close to the glacier: The almost-7-mile West Glacier Trail will take you right to the glacier's face, while you can also hike to a good viewing platform a quarter mile away. Or, take the more challenging Nugget Falls trail that ends at a five-story-high waterfall neighboring the glacier.
• Bear Viewing: 
• https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/home/?cid=stelprd3813538
• At Steep Creek in the Mendenhall Glacier area.
• Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprd3814734.jpg
• Whale Watching: We decided against this.
• Mount Roberts Tramway
• Dog Sledding
• Dog sled summer camp: https://truealaskantours.com/tour/sled-dog-summer-camp/
• $149.95 per adult. Children under 2 are free.

Victoria/Canada: Cost ($50.00 per person)

• We already know we want to go to Bouchart Gardens. Cost is $33.80 per adult and $3.00 for children. They are open until 10 p.m. 
• The question is: How do we get from the cruise ships to Bouchart Gardens. This is what I found online.  
• There is a visitor information center right outside of where the cruise ships dock. They suggest the following:
• 1. Take a taxi and go to the Empress hotel at the downtown and sign up with one of the buses that leave from there. I called Empress Hotel - it is CVS Tours who picks up there. I called CVS Tours - on the day we will be there, they will have a tour at 7:00 p.m. They charge $75.00 per adult which includes round trip transportation and admission to Bouchart Gardens.
• 2. Directly go from the cruise ship terminal in a taxi to the gardens, it will cost about $50 - $55 (Canadian Dollar) one way charge. You can ask the taxi driver to stay.
• This is the more affordable option if we split the cost amoung everyone.
• It takes about 40 minutes in the taxi cab to get to the gardens. Tickets are sold at the entrance for the gardens. On saturday nights they have the fire works so they don't allow the taxi cabs to be inside the parking lot. You should fix up a pre-determined time with the driver and he will come to pick you up after the fire works. It is a mad rush to get out though since thousands of people will be leaving at the same time.
• I called ESQ Taxi & Tours - they charge $55.00 each way. They would like us to call two or three days in advance for a 7 passenger van to make the reservation. Their rnumber is: 1-250-472-1111.